Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Spiritual Gifts from God | Above are the
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September 3, 2023
“Spiritual Gifts from God: Part Four”

The past three Sundays I have taught about the Spiritual Gifts from God that have been given to those who belong to the church of God.  The first and foremost gift is the Holy Spirit, given at Pentecost, when God’s Church on earth was birthed.  And then, to all who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, spiritual gifts were given so that we may serve God and one another as members of God’s Family.

To the Church, God has given the gift of Elders to shepherd, manage, and care for the Flock of God.  God has also given to the Church, the gift of Deacons who are to serve under the leadership of the Elders for the purpose of caring for the basic needs of those who are members of God’s Church.

        Today it is my desire to help you understand the qualifications of and the responsibilities given to the Elders.  But in case you may have missed one of the last few weeks, and also,  to remind those who were present, I will highlight the primary truths in Scripture concerning spiritual gifts.

1Corinthians 12:1, “Concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.” 4-5, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.” 7, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 13-14, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” 18, “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” 27, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

Every believer has been gifted to serve in the body of Christ, the church of God.  Spiritual gifts from God are listed in Romans 12:6-8:  prophecy [proclaiming God’s Word], serving [to minister to the basic needs of believers], teaching [to interpret and explain God’s Word], exhorting [to encourage obedience to God’s Word], giving [to generously and cheerfully give to those in need], leading [to guide or govern by example, with diligence],  showing mercy [expressing compassion and empathy, in order to lesson another’s burdens and comfort their sorrows].

For the sake of unity and order in God’s Church, God has clearly established specific leadership to oversee and care for His children.  Numerous passages in the New Testament indicate that the terms “elder” (presbuteros), “pastor” (poimen), and “overseer” (episkopos), all refer to the same office, that of Elders, who are not distinct from overseers and pastors; the terms are different ways of identifying the same men.

The qualifications for an overseer in 1Timothy 3:1-7, and those for an elder in Titus 1:4-9 are the very same: this man must be above reproach; He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity; he must teach what aligns with God’s Word, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict; And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, displaying God’s approval.

Elders are repeatedly mentioned in the Book of Acts, during the time when there were still Apostles and Prophets in the Church, before the completion of the Bible; however there is absolutely no mention of Deacons in the Book of Acts.

Acts 11:29-30, “And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to send a contribution for the relief of the brethren living in Judea. And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”

Acts 14:23, When they [Paul and Barnabas] had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 15:4, “When they [Paul and Barnabas] arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.” 22-26, “Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren, and they sent this letter by them, ‘The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings. Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you with their words, unsettling your souls, it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.’”

Acts 16:4, “Now while they were passing through the cities, they were delivering the decrees which had been decided upon by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem, for them to observe.”

Acts 20:17, “From Miletus he [Paul] sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church,” saying to them (verse 28), “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God.”

Peter also uses the very same three terms to describe those whom God has placed in leadership over the Church of God.

1Peter 5:1-3, “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for [dishonest] gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock.”

The different terms speak to who the man is (an elder), i.e., mature in the faith and knowledgeable of God’s Word; what the man does (overseer) in leading and managing the flock; how the man does it (shepherding) feeding and caring for the sheep by equipping, and exhorting them with God’s Word..

These men are given to the flock by God (Ephesians 4:11), “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

The consistent pattern throughout the New Testament is that each local body of believers is shepherded by a plurality of God-ordained elders. Simply stated, this is God’s clear mandate concerning church leadership, to guard and care for the flock.

Nowhere in Scripture is there a local assembly ruled by majority opinion, congregational vote, a committee, or by a single pastor.  The Apostle Paul left Titus in Crete and instructed him (Titus 1:5) to, “appoint elders in every city.”  James instructed his readers (James 5:14), “Is anyone among you sick?  Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him.”  Paul and Barnabas (Acts 14:23), “appointed elders for them in every church”.

In Paul’s first epistle to Timothy (1Timothy 5:17), he referred to, “the elders who rule well” in the church at Ephesus.  The book of Acts indicates that there were “elders” in the church in Jerusalem (Acts 15:2, 4; 21:18).

Again and again, reference is made to a plurality of elders; in fact, in every New Testament use of the term elder, it is plural, except where the apostle John uses it of himself in 2nd and 3rd John, and Peter uses it of himself in 1Peter.

Nowhere in the New Testament is there a reference to a one-pastor church. It may be that each elder in a city had an individual group in which he had specific oversight; but the church was seen as one church, therefore decisions were made in unity, as the whole church, not the individual parts.

The biblical norm for church leadership is a plurality of elders, overseeing and governing, while feeding, protecting, and caring for the sheep.

There is great benefit to a plurality of unified leadership, for this combined counsel and guidance helps assure that decisions are not self-willed or self-serving but of one mind, as the original 120 believers and followers of Christ were (Acts 1:14), “These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer.”

Acts 2:46-47, “Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple… praising God and having favor with all the people.”

Romans 15:5, “Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus.”

Philippians 2:2, “Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose.

The people of God, and especially the leadership God has ordained for the Church, must be of one mind, one Spirit, one purpose.  If there is division among the elders in making decisions, the elders must study, pray, and seek the will of God together until a unified consensus is achieved.

The character and effectiveness of any church is directly related to the quality of its leadership. That’s why Scripture stresses the importance of qualified leaders and gives specific standards for evaluating those who would serve in that position.

The specific qualifications for elders are found in 1Timothy 3:2-7; Titus 1:6-8, but the single, overarching qualification is to be “above reproach,” that is, he must be a leader who cannot be accused of any sinful pattern in his personal life, marital life, family life, social life, business life, or his spiritual life.  In this way, elders are to be a model to the congregation (1Peter 5:2-3) as they, “shepherd the flock of God…  as overseers, …proving to be examples to the flock.”

What about women Pastors-Elders-Overseers?

1Timothy 2:12-14, “I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man.  For it was Adam who was first created, and then Eve. And it was not Adam who was deceived, but the woman being deceived, fell into transgression”

In 1Timothy 3:2-7, ten times the masculine gender is used to refer to an overseer; and in 1Timothy 2:12-13, it is clear that in the church, women are to be under the authority of the elders, as is everyone else; but also, they are excluded from teaching men or holding positions of authority over men.

Women have opportunities to serve in very important roles in the church: ministering to other women, caring for shut-ins, teaching children, serving in leadership concerning children, women, fellowship, outreach, benevolence, and missions, etc. However, a woman is not to be in spiritual leadership over men in the church or serve as Pastor-Elder-Overseer; for God ordains that church leadership be male.

As the apostolic era came to a close, at the completion of the Canon of Scripture, beginning with Genesis and ending with the Book of Revelation, the office of elder emerged as the highest level of local church government. Thus, it carried a great amount of responsibility. There was no higher court of appeal and no greater resource through which to collectively know the mind and heart of God, in reference to biblical authority in regard to issues concerning the church of God.

The primary function and responsibility of an elder is to serve as a leader of the church (cf. 1Timothy 3:5). That involves specific duties as spiritual overseers of the flock, for elders are to determine church policy, i.e., belief and practice (cf. Acts 15:1-16:5); manage the church (cf. Acts 20:17-28); affirm and set apart other elders (cf. 1Timothy 4:13-16; 2Tim. 2:2-7; Titus 1:5); rule, teach, and preach (cf. 1Timothy 3:2; 4:13; 5:17-20; 2Timothy 4:1-5; 1Thessalonians 5:12); exhort obedience to God’s Word and refute false teachings (cf. 2Timothy 4:2; Titus 1:9); to act as shepherds, setting an example for all the flock, as one who must give an account to the Chief Shepherd, Jesus Christ (cf. 1Peter 5:4).

2Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man [women and child] of God may be adequate [complete], [fully] equipped for every good work,” and this, to the glory of God.

Ephesians 2:10, “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Scripture declares the biblical mandate for church leadership is a plurality of God-ordained men, who have been granted unified authority and oversight for everything done in and through the church, always in alignment with and in submission to God’s Word, for the purpose of equipping the people of God for good works of service, by building up of the body of Christ.

1Thessalonians 5:12-13, “We [Paul, Silvanus, Timothy] request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work.”

1Timothy 5:17, “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

Hebrews 13:17, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

Next week we will study the other Office ordained by God to serve the Church, the office of Deacon. We will look at how deacons are selected, what responsibilities they have, and how they are to fulfill their duties under the leadership of the Elders.

Ephesians 4:1-7, “Therefore I …implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.” 29-32, “Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Spiritual Gifts from God | Above are the
Sunday Service audio and YouTube recordings
 
Links from Our Website:
 
Bulletin (pdf)
 
Sermon Notes (pdf)
 
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 August 27, 2023
“Spiritual Gifts from God: Part Three”
 

The past two Sundays I have taught about the Spiritual Gifts from God that have been given to those who belong to the church of God.  The first and foremost gift was the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.  Then, to all who believe in Jesus Christ for salvation, spiritual gifts were given that we may serve God and one another.

1Corinthians 12:1, “Concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.” 4-5, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord.” 7, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 13-14, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” 18, “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” 27, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

Every believer has been gifted to serve in the body of Christ, the church of God (cf. Romans 12:6-8) prophecy [proclaiming God’s Word], serving [minister to the basic needs of believers], teaching [to interpret and explain God’s Word], exhorting [to encourage obedience to God’s Word], giving [to generously and cheerfully give to those in need], leading [to guide or govern by example, with diligence],  showing mercy [expressing compassion and empathy, in order to lesson another’s burdens and comfort their sorrows].

Read Acts 1:1-5, 9-15…  Jesus was crucified and buried, but He rose from the grave and then appeared to hundreds of His followers over a 40 day period, after which, He ascended back into heaven.

Read Acts 2:1, 4-5, 7-8…  God’s Spirit came to those 120 faithful believers, who then began to proclaim God’s message in the languages of Jews who had come from outside of Israel (listed: 5 people groups, 11 regions) vv. 9-11a), verse 11b, “we hear them in our own tongues speaking of the mighty deeds of God.”

By Acts 2:41, the number of believers had increased from 120 to about 3,120; and (verse 42) they continued to meet together, devoting themselves to God’s Word, Fellowship, Communion, and Prayer and (2:47), “the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. ”

By Acts 4:4, the number of believing men increased to about 5,000 (adding women and children, that number could have easily been 20,000 believers); and it didn’t stop growing (Acts 5:14), “And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number.”

Satan attempts to disrupt the growth and spread of God’s Church.

Read Acts 4:32-5:16…  Ananias and Sapphira (a wealthy couple who converted to Christianity) had attempted to lie to God about the amount of money they had received for the sale of their property, and given to the apostles to be used for needs of the growing church.  They didn’t need to lie about it, it was their property they sold; but it would appear that they wanted to be held in high esteem by saying that they gave all the money form the sale to the Apostles, this lie then, was not just to the Apostles, but to God, for the Holy Spirit of God was in them, and so, it cost them their lives.  This struck fear among the people, but as we just read, it did not inhibit the growth of the true church of God.

Read Acts 5:18-21, 25-27, 33-34, 38-42…  Peter and John were repeatedly arrested, beaten, and threatened, but this did not deter the church from praising God or inhibit the church from growing.

Read Acts 6:1-6…  It was very difficult for 12 apostles to care for such a large crowd of people’s spiritual needs, let alone for the physical needs of so many who had come from other regions, and were now without the support of their own homes, extended families, and personal finances (no debit/credit cards).

It would appear that Satan continued to try and retard or perhaps extinguish growth in the church and cause chaos among those coming to Christ.  There was a growing conflict between the Hebraic and the Hellenistic Jews; which could have easily hindered and disrupted the church’s witness and growth, if it was not resolved quickly.

The Grecian (Hellenistic) Jews were Greek speaking Christian Jews who had been raised in Greek cultures. The Hebrew and Aramaic speaking Jews were native to Israel.  The conflict centered around the daily distribution of food to widows; it was complained by the Grecian Jews that their widows were being overlooked, probably due to the rapid growth of the church, and because they were a minority they weren’t being treated equal to the native Hebrew widows.

This problem [complaint] could have intensified into a split or division in the church (no denominations yet).  The care for widows in Jewish society was expected and taught in the OT (Deuteronomy 24:19-21), “When you reap your harvest in your field and have forgotten a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive tree, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not go over it again; it shall be for the alien, for the orphan, and for the widow.”

It is also taught in the NT (1Timothy 5:3-5), “Honor widows who are widows indeed; but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents; for this is acceptable in the sight of God. Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.” 8, “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” 16, “If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”

The Apostles were aware of the problem, but they did not want to neglect their main responsibilities: Prayer and Proclamation of the Word of God (6:2-4), “in order to serve tables,” so they called the people together, and sought to “select from among [the believers] seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. [So they could continue to] devote [themselves] to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

With probably 20,000 or more people in the church at this time, the 12 apostles were very busy, praying to God and receiving God’s Word to proclaim among the people, to equip, encourage, and exhort the believers, while shepherding and overseeing the growing flock of God.

The seven men who were selected in Acts 6, to serve, were not officially “deacons,” because neither of the two offices ordained by God for the church, that of Pastor-Elder-Overseer, and that of Deacon, had yet been instituted by God, according to the NT chronology.

       Paul writes (Ephesians 4:12), that prophets, apostles, pastor-teachers were given by God to the church “for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”

At this point in the narrative of the church, the apostles had been put in place to lead and care for those who were placing their faith in Christ; eventually, leadership and oversight would go to the men who would serve as pastor-elder-overseer, whom God would call from among the people, to govern and shepherd the church of God.

The church was rapidly growing, and it was not in its best interest for the spiritual leaders to devote so much of their time to the collection, safeguard, and distribution of the finances and resources of the Church, which were being used to provide for the needs of this growing family of believers.

The apostles brought God’s Word to the church, and although they didn’t have Bibles, commentaries, CD’s, or DVD’s, they had spent three years being personally taught by God’s Son, and now God’s Spirit [Spirit of Christ, Romans 8:9; 1Peter 1:11] lived in them and reminded them of everything Christ had done and said, along with being given new revelation to proclaim to the people.

1Peter 1:20-21, “But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Jesus Christ crucified, resurrected, and coming again, should be the major topic and main content of the sermons being given by pastor-teachers today.

       The apostles had instructed the people to choose seven men from among the body of believers; men who were known for their integrity and faithfulness (Acts 6:3), men “who are known to be full of the Spirit of God and God’s wisdom.

The believers choose these seven men from the family of God; all of these men (cf. Acts 6:5) were godly Grecian Jews [Greek names] who knew the needs of the Grecian widows better than anyone. They were brought before the apostles, who would make the final decision (Acts 6:6), “the apostles prayed and laid their hands on them,” setting apart these seven men for a specific work, and affirming God’s support for them to carry out this serving ministry of purchasing food for the daily distribution among those in need.

The church had grown so rapidly, it was no wonder some people’s needs were being overlooked. This problem was causing discord between the Jewish nationals and the Jewish transplants, all of them believers; it could have easily escalated into a major division between them, but the apostles, empowered and led by God’s Spirit’s, maintained unity among this large fellowship of believers, so that they remained one in mind and spirit, unified as the family of God, though made up of many different cultures and traditions.

These seven men (mid-30’s A.D.) carried out some of the functions that deacons would later perform when the office of Deacon [diakonos, “one who serves,” “one who ministers” within the flock of God] was officially instituted (mid- 60’s A.D.) with the qualifications being given in 1Timothy 3:8-13.

There is no mention of deacons anywhere in the book of Acts; but a plurality of men holding the office of elder-pastor-overseer is clearly referred to (Acts 14:23), “When they (Paul and Barnabas) had appointed elders in every church… they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed,” (Acts 20:1), “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church. And when they had come to him, he said to them (Acts 20:28), “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood,” although the qualifications for pastor-elder-overseer weren’t given until 64-65 A.D. (1Timothy 3:1-7; Titus 1:5-9).

Devotion to God’s Word, Prayer, Christian Fellowship, and Celebrating the Lord’s Supper, all of these main priorities of the early church brought honor, glory, and praise to God, and caused the church to grow; and very soon, persecution would cause many in the church to leave Jerusalem to go into Judea, to Samaria, and to the very ends of the earth (cf. Acts 1:8).

Read 8:1-4…  One of the seven men who the apostles had set apart to care for the daily needs of the church in Acts 6, Stephen, had just delivered a fantastic message of rebuke to the Sanhedrin (Acts 7), declaring how men just like them (self-righteous hypocrites) had persecuted the prophets sent to them by God, and had killed the Messiah, who had come to save them.

The religious leaders (Pharisees, Sadducees, Priests, Teachers of the Law) thought they had ridded themselves of their major nemesis, Jesus of Nazareth and those who believed in and followed Him.

The followers of Christ did not remain silent after Jesus’ ascension; in fact, they were proclaiming the risen Christ in the streets of Jerusalem, even at the Temple.  Repeatedly Peter and John the main leaders of the church in Jerusalem, had been arrested, beaten, and threatened, but they wouldn’t be silenced.

Stephen had spoken to the religious leaders with power and wisdom, as if he were the teacher and they were the students; their response was to have him stoned to death and Saul (later to be called Paul, Acts 13:9) was right there giving approval to his death (Acts 7:58), “When they had driven him [Stephen] out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.”

See again Acts 8:1-3…  Up to this point, most of the persecution toward Christ’s followers had been directed toward the leaders, the apostles.  But now the persecution was going to come upon all those who confessed and followed Jesus.

The believers began to scatter, except for the apostles who stayed to evangelize Jerusalem; in fact, many fled from Jerusalem and went to Judea and Samaria after Stephen was laid to rest, for Saul was intent on destroying the church.

Read Acts 8:4-8…  Persecution didn’t silence the followers of Christ or put out their fire; instead, it seemed to spread and ignite in other places driven by a new found courage.  Philip, like Stephen, was one of the seven men who had been set apart by the apostles in chapter 6.  Philip goes to Samaria to proclaim Christ while also healing the lame and demon possessed, as Jesus had done many times

God is amazing!  He now uses persecution against the church, to send the believers, who have become very comfortable in their Christian fellowship in Jerusalem (cf. Acts 2:42-47), to now go to Judea, Samaria, and to the outer parts of the earth, in order take God’s message into the world.

Philip (Acts 8:5) is the first missionary mentioned in the Scriptures.  Do you remember when Jesus (cf. Acts 1:8) told His followers to proclaim the gospel first in Jerusalem, then Judea, Samaria and to the ends of the earth.

As these first believers and followers of Christ spread out across Israel and its neighboring regions/countries, Pastor-Elder-Overseers would be put in place to provide care and leadership for the many churches that were being founded; likewise, there arose a need for Deacons to serve the many needs of the members of the Church of God, wherever groups/flocks of God’s people gathered together.

Next time together we will look at the specific qualifications and duties given in Scripture for the two offices ordained by God to serve His Church: Pastor-Elder-Overseers, and Deacons.

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Spiritual Gifts from God | Above are the
Sunday Service audio and YouTube recordings.
 
Links from Our Website:
 
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August 20, 2023 –  (AM Insert)
“Spiritual Gifts from God, Part two”

John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

John 3:3,“Unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” 6-8, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

1John 3:2, “Beloved, now we are children of God,”

2Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

1Peter 4:10, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”

1Corinthians 12:1, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.” 7, “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” 13-14, “For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.” 27, “You are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

Colossians 1:18, “He is head of the body, the church.”

Romans 12:6a…  God gives gifts to His children (1Corinthians 12:7), “for the common good,” 11, “to each one just as He determines,” (1Peter 4:10) “serve one another.”  John MacArthur says, “God gives His gifts to us for others.”

Romans 12:6b… prophecy – Proclaim God’s Word: prior to the completion of the Bible, Prophets & Apostles; since the completion of the Bible, Pastor-Teachers.

1Corinthians 14:3, “One who prophesies speaks to men for edification and exhortation and consolation.

Romans 12:7a… service – Wherever there is a need in the church or among the body of believers, this gift moves the believer to fulfill that need, e.g., buildings & grounds, music, slides, janitorial, visiting the sick and shut-ins, giving to the poor, helping those in need, ushering, greeting, arranging flowers, paying the bills, preparing and serving communion, social committee, Sunday School, nursery, etc.

Romans 12:7b… teaching – To systematically be, “able to teach,” God’s Word; whether public proclamation, person to person, or in writing (Acts 20:20-21), “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to both Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Matthew 28:19-20, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

Romans 12:8a… exhort – To come alongside other believers to encourage and persuade them to obey and follow God’s Word; but also warning and reproving wayward believers, concerning sin in their lives.

1Corinthians 4:14, “I do not write these things to shame you, but to admonish you as my beloved children.”  Galatians 6:1, “if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness.”

1Thessalonians 5:11, “Therefore encourage one another and build up one another.”  Hebrews 10:24, “And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds.”

Romans 12:8b… giving – This is sharing your resources with those who are in need, out of a genuine concern and compassionate response to needs.

Acts 2:44-45, “And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need.”

Romans 12:8c… leading – To guide or govern with steadfastness both in the home and in the church.

1Timothy 3:1, 4-5, “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.” “He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?).”

     Romans 12:8d…  showing mercy – Expressing sympathy, with sensitivity, to those who are suffering, to help lessen their afflictions or sorrows.

James 2:15-16, “If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and be filled,” and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?”

1John 3:16-18, “We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

Showing mercy is expressed when we visit those in the hospital, those confined to their home, those in jail, those who are homeless and perhaps friendless, those who are suffering loss, and those with special needs that aren’t commonly met or fulfilled by others.  Showing mercy is most exemplary of Christ Himself.

Proverbs 14:31, “He who oppresses the poor taunts his Maker, but he who is gracious to the needy honors God.”

Romans 10:9-10, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” 13, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [for the forgiveness of sins] will be saved.”

All true believers and followers of Christ are members of God’s Church, God’s Family. the Flock of God, and God’s greatest gift to us is His own Son, ,Jesus Christ who (1Corinthians 15:3-4), “died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures.”

Our greatest gift to God is to tell others about Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrect4d, and coming again.                 

Next week we will study the two distinct offices ordained by God:

The office of Elder-Overseer-Pastor (male only), to provide spiritual leadership within the Church, through shepherding and overseeing the people of God.
The office of Deacon (male and female) to serve the basic needs of those in the Family of God.

Pastor Mike Hale

Bible Text: various | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: Spiritual Gifts from God | Above are the
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August 13, 2023
“Spiritual Gifts from God: Part One”

God provides all we need to know Him, and to grow in our relationship with Him, and with each other, as we seek to tell others about Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Savior.

How does a person come into an intimate and eternal relationship with the God of the universe?

When Jesus began His ministry He said (Mark 1:15), “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Ephesians 1:1-12, “Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, to the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In Him [Christ] we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth. In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will, to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.”

Ephesians 1:13-14, “In Him [Christ], you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.”

Paul says when you hear [understand] the truth of the gospel [salvation through Jesus Christ], and you believe it; at that moment you receive forgiveness for all your sins [past, present, future], and you are granted eternal life from God; this is confirmed by the presence of God’s Spirit [the Holy Sprit, the Spirit of Truth, the Spirit of Christ] in you, for God’s Spirit marks you as God’s own possession, causing you to be born again into the family of God.

John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Just as you were conceived in your mother’s womb and biologically born, in order to enter this world, you must be born-again, spiritually born into God’s family by the Spirit of God, in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

The greatest gift from God is that everyone who confesses Christ, those who believe in His name are given the right to become children of God, children born of God’s Spirit, children born from above.

In John 3:3, Jesus said to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

John 3:6-8, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

And so, the new birth, spiritual birth, being born again, is likened to the wind. Although it cannot be seen, the effects are clearly visible: kites flying high in the sky, windmills turning, ships driven by sails full of wind, destruction caused by hurricanes and tornadoes.  This new birth is spiritual, it cannot be seen, but the change in behavior it causes can and should be seen.

See Acts 2:1-11…  When those 120 believers were filled with God’s Spirit on the day of Pentecost, they began to speak languages they did not know, so that Jews who were in Jerusalem from different countries and cultures were able to hear the message of God in their own language.

Those who hear and believe the message are saved, having repented of their sins and trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation.

Peter proclaimed (Acts 2:36-38), “‘Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.’ Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, ‘Brethren, what shall we do?’ Peter said to them, ‘Repent [and believe], and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;’”.

James 1:17-18, “Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights… …In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the word of truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures.”

2Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.”

It is the sovereign act of God, by His own authority, plan, purpose, and provision, that we receive birth into His family, forgiveness for sins, and eternal life.

1John 1:1-9, “What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have looked at and touched with our hands, concerning the Word of Life— and the life was manifested, and we have seen and testify and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was manifested to us— what we have seen and heard we proclaim to you also, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father, and with His Son Jesus Christ. These things we write, so that our joy may be made complete. This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

God’s Word tells us (Romans 3:10-12) no-one is good (by human works, attributes, or will), not one; but we are justified, made righteous (Romans 3:23-24), by believing in God’s Son to save us.

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 5:8, “God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Romans 8:1-2, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

2Corinthians 5:21, “He [God the Father] made Him [God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” 13, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [for the forgiveness of sin] will be saved.’”

If it were not for the gift of God’s Grace, through God’s Spirit, we would have nothing, we would be nothing, and we could do nothing pleasing to God.

Ephesians 2:8-10, “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

God gives spiritual gifts to all of His children, so that we might serve together in the family of God, in God’s church, for the glory of God the Father and God the Son.

1Peter 4:10-11, “As each one has received a special gift, employ it in serving one another as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies; so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.

1Corinthians 12:1, “Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware.” 4-7, “Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are varieties of ministries, and the same Lord. There are varieties of effects, but the same God who works all things in all persons. But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.”

11, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.”

Spiritual gifts are given by God for the “common good,” to every believer, for the purpose of serving one another, as we serve the Lord.

Just as there are MANY different organs and parts in a physical body, there are also many diverse gifts and functions among the members of Christ’s body.

1Corinthians 12:12-13, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.

14, “For the body is not one member, but many.”

18, “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” 27, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

Some of our physical body parts are more exposed and perhaps considered more important to the function of the body (eyes, ears, mouth, hands, feet); but there are hidden organs and parts of our body (brain, heart, muscles, blood vessels), that we may not give as much attention to, that is, not until the less noticeable parts begin to fail or are not functioning properly.

Just as our physical body parts work together and are contained in one body, connected together and created to work in unity; so it is with the spiritual body of Christ, the church, where our spiritual gifts are used to honor God and to edify the body of believers (1Corinthians 12:7), “But to each one is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good,” Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”

     The unique giftedness God grants to every believer is similar to an artist who takes a pallet, with small amounts of many different colors on it, dips a brush into one of the colors, and then another, and perhaps another, creating a unique color, different from all the others.  Each member of the body of Christ is a unique gift to the other members, with various talents, attributes, experiences, weaknesses and strengths.

Every believer is meant to be a unique gift in the body of Christ, the Church of God, living in harmony with other believers, single-minded and unified in the purpose of glorifying God, as we individually, yet corporately, serve the Lord as the people of God.

1Corinthians 12:11, “But one and the same Spirit works all these things, distributing to each one individually just as He wills.” 27, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

Next week we will study, in Romans 12, the spiritual gifts which have been given to all those who belong to Christ, for the common good, i.e., for the mutual benefit and edification of the whole Body of Christ, every member of God’s Family is specially gifted to serve in God’s Church; and this is done by God’s Power, through God’s Spirit, according to God’s Grace, for God’s Glory.

2Corinthians 13:14, “[May] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God [the Father] and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all [now and forever, Amen].”

 
Pastor Mike Hale

Bible Text: Luke 9:27-36 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: book study of Luke | Above are the
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August 6, 2023
“A Preview of the Kingdom of God ”
Luke 9:27-36

Read Luke 9:27-36…  Wow!  The narrative in this passage is rather fast paced, and we must not forget the context from last week, when Jesus (cf. Luke 9:22-24) challenged His followers to deny themselves and follow Him; telling them that He was going to be rejected by the religious leaders of Israel and He was going to be killed, but on the third day He would rise from the dead.

Now we read (Luke 9:27), where Jesus says some of those who are there at this time will not die before they see the kingdom of God; (Matthew 16:28) some of them standing there won’t die until they see, ”the Son of Man coming in His kingdom” [lit. royal splendor].

Both Mark 9 and Matthew 17 give accounts of the Transfiguration of Christ up on the mountain; and along with Luke, they place the promise of Luke 9:27 right before the Transfiguration, which occurs about a week later.

Jesus (Luke 9:28) takes Peter, James and John with Him up on a mountain.  It is possible that this is Mt. Hermon where the Transfiguration occurs, as it is the highest mountain in the Caesarea Philippi area (over 9,230 ft. high).  Peter, James and John were also singled out in the Garden of Gethsemane, to keep watch and pray with Jesus just before His arrest.

Luke says (9:29), “the appearance of [Jesus] face became different, and His clothing became white and gleaming [Lit. flashing like lightening].”  Both Matthew (17:2) and Mark (9:2) use a Greek word that is translated “transfigured,” the word is metamorphoo, and from it we get our English word metamorphosis.  Jesus was miraculously changed before them (Matthew 17:2), “His face shone like the sun, and His garments became as white as light,” (Mark 9:2), “His garments became radiant and exceedingly white, as no launderer on earth can whiten them.”

In some miraculous way, Jesus’ bodily form was changed or altered, so as to display the glory He willingly set aside in order to put on flesh (Philippians 2:5-7), “Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.”

Here in Luke 9, Jesus was transformed in order to manifest some of His divine glory.  His clothes became radiantly white, whiter than any earthy laundry facility using chemical whiteners could ever hope to accomplish; for this is the white light that is associated with God’s visible presence, i.e., it is the radiant glory of God emanating from Jesus Himself, so that it shows through His clothing, giving the appearance of brilliant white light.

Hebrews 1:1-3, “God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature.” Revelation 21:22-23, “I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb.”

Revelation 22:5, “And there will no longer be any night; and they will not have need of the light of a lamp nor the light of the sun, because the Lord God will illumine them; and they will reign forever and ever.”

In Luke’s account (9:28), it says Jesus went up on the mountain to pray, and while He was praying (Luke 9:29), the appearance of His face changed or became different, and His clothing became the whitest white; and then Elijah and Moses appear (Luke 9:30-31) in glorious splendor (i.e., they are radiant) standing there talking with Jesus; conversing with Him about His departure at Jerusalem, i.e., His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension back to the Father.

Evidently (Luke 9:32), while this supernatural event is yet unfolding, Peter, James and John wake up from a deep sleep only to see this marvelous presentation of Jesus in His glorious splendor, visiting with Elijah and Moses.

Ii would appear (Luke 9:33) that Moses and Elijah are leaving, so Peter exclaims, “Master, it is good for us to be here; let us make three tabernacles: one for You, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah”—not realizing what he was saying”.

As if it isn’t marvelous enough to have Jesus there in His radiant glory, here they see Moses and Elijah also, who are glowing with Kingdom Light.

All of a sudden, as Peter is speaking (Luke 9:34-35) a divine cloud encompasses them all (Peter, James and John are afraid) and God the Father speaks, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; Listen to Him!”  And immediately (Matthew 17:6), “When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground and were terrified.”

Luke 9:36 tells us that “when the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. And they [Peter, James and John], kept silent, and reported to no one in those days any of the things which they had seen.”      Matthew 17:9 tells us, “As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, ‘Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man has risen from the dead.’”

Jesus had previously told the Twelve (cf. Luke 9:21) to tell no one that He was the Christ [Messiah, the Savior who had come to die for the sins of the world]; and yet, John the Baptizer had declared (John 1:29), “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

Peter, James, and John, had just seen Moses and Elijah standing with Jesus, all of them glowing with radiant light of the glory of God present in Christ, and they aren’t to tell anyone?  Why?

The people were expecting a conquering king on a white stallion, not a humble servant who ride into town on a donkey’s colt; the people were waiting for a divine deliverer, one who would free them from Roman oppression, not from the penalty of sin; they expected the Messiah to bring prosperity and long life now, to initiate the Millennial Kingdom.

Neither the disciples nor the people of Israel understood Christ’s mission at His 1st coming to earth, nor did the understand God’s timeframe.  Yes, in the future after the rapture of all true believers and followers of Christ, followed by the rise of the Anti-christ and a period of seven years of tribulation, God the Son will return as a victorious warrior (Revelation 19:11-16); and He will destroy all of God’s enemies and sit on the throne of David for 1,000 years, during a time of unparalleled peace, prosperity, and long life.  But none of that can happen until Jesus goes to the cross as payment for all sin, and then rises from the dead to demonstrate eternal life.

Jesus had earlier told His disciples (Luke 9:22) that He would be put to death, and yet and on the third day He would be raised to life; but they didn’t really understand what it meant to be “raised from the dead,” (John 20:9), “For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.”

All Israel was confused about Jesus being the Messiah, the Savior, God in the flesh [Immanuel], the Holy One from God.

When Jesus entered Jerusalem on a Sunday, during Passion Week, the people were praising Him, hailing Him, beseeching Him to save them (Matthew 21:9), “Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest!”  Five days later, on Friday, the people were crying out (Mark 15:13), “Crucify Him!”

In our narrative today, Peter, James, and John, have just witnessed Elijah and Moses with Jesus, all of them glowing with the radiant light of the glory of God.  This is a preview of the kingdom of God, when all things will be restored as they were before sin entered creation.

The Bible says two servants of God will appear during the 7 Year Tribulation Period [Time of Jacob’s Trouble, Great and Terrible Day of the Lord].  According to the Scriptures, about 3.5 years before the 2nd Coming of Christ, near the middle of the 7 year Tribulation (as recorded in the book of Revelation), when the Abomination that causes desolation

stands in the Holy of Holies and declares himself to be God, they will appear.

Revelation 11:3-6, “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for twelve hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone wants to harm them, fire flows out of their mouth and devours their enemies; so if anyone wants to harm them, he must be killed in this way. These have the power to shut up the sky, so that rain will not fall during the days of their prophesying; and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood, and to strike the earth with every plague, as often as they desire. When they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up out of the abyss will make war with them, and overcome them and kill them. And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which mystically is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified. Those from the peoples and tribes and tongues and nations will look at their dead bodies for three and a half days, and will not permit their dead bodies to be laid in a tomb. And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and celebrate; and they will send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. But after the three and a half days, the breath of life from God came into them, and they stood on their feet; and great fear fell upon those who were watching them. And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” Then they went up into heaven in the cloud, and their enemies watched them. And in that hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell; seven thousand people were killed in the earthquake, and the rest were terrified and gave glory to the God of heaven.”

      The powers displayed by these two witnesses is reminiscent of Moses and Elijah who used miraculous powers to bring about repentance among the people (destroying their enemies with fire, withholding rain, turning water into blood, striking the earth with plagues).

According to the Old Testament narratives, after Moses died (cf. Deuteronomy 34:5-6) his body was taken by God and buried where no one knows but God; and Elijah went alive up into heaven to be with God (2Kings 2:11-12), “Elijah went up by a whirlwind to heaven… And Elisha saw him no more.”

Could the two witnesses in Revelation 11 be Elijah and Moses?  Maybe, nobody knows for sure, but it is very possible, considering the ministries both of these men had when they were on earth: Moses represents the Law of God; Elijah represents the Prophets of God.

Whether or not the two witnesses of Revelation 11 are Elijah and Moses, the Transfiguration of Jesus seems to be a supernatural preview of the Lord’s glorious return and of our life after death; for Moses  died 1500 BC, Elijah was taken up to heaven 800 BC, and yet they were very much “alive” at the Transfiguration.

What a great confirmation of Christ’s sovereign authority as Creator, Sustainer, Savior, and Judge; giving clear incontrovertible testimony as to why we can believe in and trust Him as Lord, now and forever!  This Jesus who was crucified, buried, resurrected, and is coming back again to take those who believe in Him to heaven.

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: Luke 9:23-26 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: book study of Luke | Above are the
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July 30, 2023
“True Believers and Followers of Christ”
Luke 9:23-26

     Read Luke 9:23-26…  Jesus speaks of the real costs of following Him; but what is He really saying to us?

A genuine believer of Christ will openly confess by his life and his words, Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Jesus says (verse 23) “anyone,” (verses 24, 26) “whoever,” i.e., anyone and everyone who belongs to Him will proclaim that relationship openly.

Romans 1:16, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.”  All those who are unwilling to acknowledge Christ to their friends and family will not be affirmed by Christ before the Father.

1John 4:15, “If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God.”

True followers of Christ will openly identify themselves to other believers, but they should also acknowledge Christ as Lord to unbelievers, even hostile ones.

When hard times come the genuineness of our relationship with Christ can be exposed, even the most committed believer may become fearful or experience doubting faith, at times; as did Peter when he denied the Lord three times the morning of Jesus’ arrest; and yet later he would stand before Israel and proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior (cf. Acts 2:21-24, 36-38).

We may deny Christ, at times, simply by not speaking up, or by trying to be incognito, hoping no one will ask us what we really believe.  Shame on us for not openly confessing Christ and being a witness of the forgiveness and new life we have received from God.  Our love for God should be demonstrated by the way we live.

Matthew 5:20, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Jesus told a parable illustrating the self righteousness that condemns, and God’s righteousness that commends (Luke 18:9-14), “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

You can’t get to heaven by your own righteousness, or through religious rituals, or by living a pious life that expects justification by keeping the Laws of God.

Romans 3:19-24, “Now we know that whatever the Law says, it speaks to those who are under the Law, so that every mouth may be closed and all the world may become accountable to God; because by the works of the Law no flesh will be justified in His sight; for through the Law comes the knowledge of sin. But now apart from the Law the righteousness of God has been manifested, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all those who believe; for there is no distinction; for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Salvation comes through confession of sin and belief in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

See Matthew 7:13-14, “Enter through the narrow [stenos] gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”

Jesus said all who belong to Him, are those who enter the small gate and walk on the narrow road that leads to eternal life; in contrast to unbelievers, all who enter the wide gate onto the broad road that leads to destruction.

Those who come to Christ repenting of their sin and believing in Him for forgiveness, will demonstrate through their life that they belong to Him, for their desire will be to do that which pleases God.  True believers and followers of Christ will live by God’s Word; we will do that which is pleasing to the God, according to His Word.

See Matthew 7:15-23, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits. Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.’

     True disciples of Christ will confess Him and exemplify the character and nature of God (Ephesians 5:1-2), “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children; and walk in love, just as Christ also loved you and gave Himself up for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God as a fragrant aroma.”

Many may profess Christ, but genuine believers will confess Him by living in a manner that agrees with and seeks to obey God’s Word.

See Luke 9:23-26 again…  Every true believer of Jesus Christ will seek to deny himself, and take up his/her cross and follow Christ.  Anyone living in Palestine at the time of Christ would have understood the “cross” to symbolize death, i.e., following Christ here on earth could bring dire consequences, because the world hates Him.

There were over 30,000 crucified Jews during the life of Christ; the condemned person walked to the site of execution with their own cross on their back, one way only, there was no going back (Matthew 7:13 “stenos”).

Picking up your cross does not mean some burden you must bear, or some trial you might experience on this earth, e.g., a natural disaster, terminal illness, rebellious children, or unfaithful spouse; none of these experiences are “crosses” to bear; your cross is the willful sacrifice of everything you have, for the sake of believing and honoring Christ; it is the persecution brought upon you by the godless world because of your love for God’s Son, who is both Savior and Lord, when you willfully give up, for the sake of Christ, what the world offers.

The natural, carnal, sinful, rebellious, unredeemed self of every person born since Adam and Eve gave birth to their first son Cain, must be convinced that there is nothing in our flesh worthy of salvation!

Romans 3:10-12, “There is none righteous, not even one; there is none who understands, there is none who seeks for God; all have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one.”

Romans 3:23-24, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.”

Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Romans 7:18-19, “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not.” 24-25, “Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Romans 8:1-2, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

Galatians 2:20, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”

Jesus is our example of how we should live.  He lived in submission to the Father, we live in submission to Him, to God’s glory.

1John 2:4-6, “The one who says, ‘I have come to know Him,’ and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him; but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked.”

The world hated and killed Jesus. His Disciples were martyred because they believed in and followed Him.  Obedient Christians today will be in conflict with the godless beliefs and behaviors that are all around them.

Living as a Christian is tough!  Paul wrote (2Timothy 3:12), “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.”

Whoever lives only to gratify his earthly, physical desires, seeking acceptance from the world system, thinking he is good enough, will forfeit his own soul and the opportunity to have eternal life.

1John 2:15-17, “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

John 6:28-29, The crowd said to Jesus, “‘What shall we do, so that we may work the works of God?’ Jesus answered and said to them, ‘This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent. 40, “For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.”

John 8:24, “I said to you that you will die in your sins; for unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” John 10:30, “I and the Father are one.”

John 14:6-7, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. If you had known Me, you would have known My Father also; from now on you know Him, and have seen Him.”

        In John 16:8-9, Jesus declared that when the Holy Spirit “comes, [He] will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment; …because they do not believe in Me.”

        Have you made the decision in your heart to believe in Jesus, or do you still reject Him?  You either believe or you reject!  There is no third option!

Romans 10:9-10, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.” 13 for “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

John 3:18, “He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” 36, ”He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, [for] the wrath of God [remains] on him.”

God’s Word declares and God’s Spirit convicts us that Jesus is God the Son, Creator, Sustainer, Judge and Ruler over All, He is Lord and Savior; the only Way to, the only Truth of, and the only Life with God, comes through Him.

Do you believe this in your heart?  Do you must confess it with your mouth.  Are you a true believer and follower of Jesus Christ: crucified, resurrected, and coming again to take all who believe in Him to heaven, forever!

Do not walk away from here today without knowing for sure that you belong to God the Father, through God the Son, confirmed by God the Holy Spirit living in you, as God’s Word declares (Ephesians 1:13-14), “In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation—having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory.

1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: Mark 10:13-16 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Above are the
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July 23, 2023
“If You Want to Get to Heaven, You Must Believe Like a Child”
Mark 10:13-16

Tomorrow we begin VBA 2023.  Our Renton family has come here for the purpose of bringing the gospel of Jesus Christ to the kids in our community.  We have prayed many months for this week, and we look with anticipation at what God is going to do in the hearts of many children.

Mark 10:13-16, “And they were bringing children to Him so that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw this, He was indignant and said to them, ‘Permit the children to come to Me; do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.’ And He took them in His arms and began blessing them, laying His hands on them.”

The manifestation of God’s love for us is so clearly revealed, a child can understand and respond to it. Jesus loves little children, their tender hearts and minds; what a contrast they are to the hardhearted Pharisees and dull-minded Disciples, who continually were, “seeing but not perceiving, hearing but not understanding.”

Where a child may easily trust in Jesus, an adult is much more reluctant to respond because they lack the innocent faith and trusting nature of a child.  It was God’s desire and pleasure to provide His gospel of salvation to trusting, believing, and receptive hearts:

Matthew 18:1-5, “At that time the disciples came to Jesus and said, ‘Who then is greatest in the kingdom of heaven?’ And He called a child to Himself and set him before them, and said, ‘Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me.’”

Luke 10:21, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your good pleasure.”

Entrance into God’s family is revealed to little children.

The word translated “change” in Matthew 18:3, means to turn from sin and self, to God and salvation, this is done in response to God’s Spirit leading us to repent and believe in God’s Son for salvation.

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

John 16:8, Jesus said, when the Holy Spirit comes, “He will convict the world…

concerning sin, because they do not believe in Me.”

Acts 2:21, “And it shall be that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [pp. Joel 2:32; Romans 10:13].

God reveals Himself to all who believe in and trust Him, all who come to Him like little children whose minds and hearts have not been hardened by years of exposure to this fallen and corrupted world.

There is a song that has been around for over 100 years, and I’m pretty sure that most, if not all of us, have sung its lyrics.  The song is, “Jesus Loves the Little Children,” and it is one of the first songs many children learn in church. The words are so simple and so true: “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world: red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world.” [In 1991, alternate words were written, ”Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world, Every color, every race, all are covered by His Grace, Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

The problem is that there is only one race, the human race, multi-colored (cultured) for sure, but only one race.

I prefer the following rendition of that song, “Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world: red, brown, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.  Jesus loves the little children of the world.”

There is another song, Jesus Loves Me, that has been sung by children (and adults) since it was written in 1860 by Anna Bartlett Warner.  The lyrics of this song express God’s deep deep love for children:

Verse 1, “Jesus loves me! This I know, for the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong; they are weak, but He is strong.” Refrain: “Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”

Verse 2, Jesus loves me this I know, as He loved so long ago, taking children on His knee, saying  ‘Let them come to Me.’  Refrain: “Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”

Verse 3, “Jesus loves me still today, walking with me on my way, wanting as a friend to give light and love to all who live.” Refrain: “Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”

Verse 4, Jesus loves me! He who died heaven’s gate to open wide; He will wash away my sin, let His little child come in.” Refrain: “Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.”

     That song expresses Christ’s love and affection for all of God’s children, and the love of the Shepherd for His little lambs.  Jesus openly welcomed little children, holding them on His knee, telling His Disciples, “‘Let them come to Me,’ and ‘do not hinder them; for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.’”

God’s love is merciful and it is freely given.  Anyone coming to God with a trusting, childlike faith, believing in Jesus Christ to save them, receives forgiveness for their sins and salvation for their soul; for at the moment of genuine belief, the God of all Creation becomes their Father for all of eternity.

God desires and has made a way for us to know Him, to be loved by Him, to trust Him, to become His Children, to grow in our knowledge of Him, and to serve Him.  God foretold all of this in the Scriptures, and He has proved His love for us by taking upon Himself our penalty for sin, paying our sin debt, in full, to God; this is something we could never accomplish, for we cannot, ourselves, be justified in the eyes of God, we can’t earn or acquire or attain forgiveness and eternal life in any other way (Romans 3:10-12, 23-24; 6:23; 5:8; 8:1; 10:9-10, 13).

God is loving, merciful, faithful, gracious, compassionate, and forgiving, and He wants to have a personal and intimate relationship with each one of us, that relationship starts here on earth and continues in heaven for all of eternity.

1Timothy 2:3-4, “This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”

God wants us to believe in Him and to receive His greatest gift. He is a loving and gracious Father who cares for, and abundantly provides for, His children.

The first and foremost gift from God is forgiveness and eternal life, available only through His Son, Jesus Christ (cf. John 14:6), He is the only way to God, the only truth from God, and the only life with God; and no one goes to heaven except by believing in Him, as a little child, trusting God to bring you into His kingdom, for God reveals Himself to little children.

VBA starts tomorrow, the children who come will be told about Jesus Christ all through the week; for many of them it may be the very first time they have been introduced to the God Who loves them so much, that He laid down His own life in order to save them.

John 1:12, “But as many as received Him [Jesus], to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name [Savior, God with us], 13 who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

Everyone who receives Christ, believing He is God our Savior and Redeemer, becomes a child of God, born of God’s Spirit, spiritually born from above.

Our salvation is entirely by grace:

Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith–and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God– not by works, so that no one can boast.”

Notice in John 1:13 it speaks of children, “who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God..”

blood (lit. blood = natural descent heritage or ancestry via a bloodline)

the will of the flesh (lit. flesh = human decision or desire)

will of a man (lit. man = man-made system of adoption)

Spiritual birth into the family of God, as a child of God, cannot be obtained through human ancestry or bloodline, or through the sexual relationship between a man and a woman, or through a human system of legal adoption.

John 3:3, “Jesus said to [Nicodemus, a Pharisee and ruler of the Jews], “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” John 3:6-8, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

Spiritual birth is made effectual by and through God’s Spirit [Spirit of Truth, Spirit of Christ] given to every person who believes in God’s Son for salvation.

1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

God loves children, as I cited earlier today (Matthew 18:3), where Jesus says to His followers, “Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven,” rejoicing greatly in the Holy Spirit, Jesus said (Luke 10:21), “At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, “I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight.”

God loves His children, and Jesus expresses His love for little children.

Matthew 18:4-6, “Whoever humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever receives one such child in My name receives Me, but whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him to have a heavy millstone hung around his neck, and to be drowned in the depth of the sea.”

In Romans 10:14 Paul poses a question: “How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? How will they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how will they hear without [someone telling them]?” 15, It is written (Isaiah 52:7), “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news of good things!” 17, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

All true believers and followers of Christ who attend the First Baptist Church of Waldport, OR, and Trinity Baptist Church in Renton, WA, sincerely desire that children hear the good news and come to know Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

It is our deepest prayer that nothing will hinder the children who come to (VBA) Vacation Bible Adventure this week, and that they will be led to saving faith during this God-given opportunity for children to come to know God’s Son.

Please be praying for all of those who will be serving the Lord this week here, at VBA, for the purpose of sharing the Love of God with these little ones.  Please be praying for the children who will attend, that their hearts might be tender and receptive, and that they will hear and believe the Good News of Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior Who loves them now and forever.
     Please sing the following words with me:
”Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world:
red, brown, yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight.
Jesus loves the little children of the world.”
Amen?
Amen!
Pastor Mike
>’(((><
 

Bible Text: Matthew 6:5-15 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Above are the
Sunday Service audio and Youtube video recordings
Links from Our Website:
 
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July 16, 2023
“How Should Christians Pray?”
Matthew 6:5-15

This prayer focuses on who God is and on the relationship He has with those who belong to Him, those who have been born-again by the Spirit of God into the Family of God, having become children of God, brothers and sisters in Christ, by faith, in Jesus, God’s Son, Lord and Savior.

Read Matthew 6:5-8…  Our conversations with God should not be filled with “meaningless repetition” like the pagans, who babble on with many words, i.e., we should not make a habit of using the Lord’s Prayer as some kind of mantra we use to get what we want from God.

The Lord’s Prayer should not be recited in a rote manner, i.e., in a mechanical or habitual repetition without really considering the content.                  Our prayers to God are to be honest, intimate, joyful, meaningful, unceasing, thankful, expectant, and in alignment with the will of God.

Ephesians 6:18, “With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints.”

Philippians 4:4-7, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Colossians 4:2, “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving

1Timothy 2:1-6, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity. This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time.”

1Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

John 16:23, “Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”

Nowhere in the NT is a prayer repeated or used in a repetitious and/or ritualistic manner.  Prayer is not a magic formula to be used like a Genie in a bottle, who appears when you rub it a certain way, granting you three wishes. We don’t need to try and convince God of a need we have, because  (cf. Matthew 6:8); He knows what we need, even before we ask Him!

Read Matthew 6:9-13…  The Lord’s Prayer is given as a guide on how we should pray (Matthew 6:9a), “Pray, then, in this way.”

There are six petitions in this prayer; three toward God’s Sovereignty, that being, His Name, His Kingdom, and His Will; and three toward Man’s needs, that being, daily bread, forgiveness, and protection from evil.

      Matthew 6:9b…  Our Father in heaven:

God is the Creator of all but the Father only of those who come through Jesus Christ, into the Family of God, by faith, as did Abraham.

1Corinthians 12:12-13, “The body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.” 27, “You are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

Galatians 3:26-29, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to promise.”

What does that mean?

Romans 4:3, “What does the Scripture say? ‘Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness’” [cf. Genesis 15:6]. 13, “For the promise to Abraham or to his descendants that he would be heir of the world was not through the Law, but through the righteousness of faith.”

John 1:12-13, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”

     Matthew 6:9c…  Hallowed be Your name:

God’s name is Holy and we are to revere, honor and glorify Him in all things (1Corinthians 10:31), “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

      Matthew 6:10…  Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven:

      We are to pray for God’s will to be done in and through the situations of our daily lives, in order to reflect God’s sovereignty and holiness.

Those belonging to Christ will want God to rule in their lives as He already rules in heaven; although God’s sovereignty in heaven is not presently being exhibited on earth, i.e., men sin, men die, and men go to hell.  But it is not God’s will that people sin, die, or go to hell, and so, God commands us to pray that His will be done on earth:

God’s will of purpose [ultimate will] allows sin to run its course and Satan to have his way for a season.  But sin and Satan will end exactly when and how God has determined.

2Peter 3:3-7, “Know this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all continues just as it was from the beginning of creation.” For when they maintain this, it escapes their notice that by the word of God the heavens existed long ago and the earth was formed out of water and by water, through which the world at that time was destroyed, being flooded with water. But by His word the present heavens and earth are being reserved for fire, kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.”

Matthew 25:41, “He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels.’”

     God’s will of desire is for everyone to repent, believe and be saved, for this is good in the sight of (1Timothy 2:3-4), “God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

2Peter 3:9, “The Lord is not slow about His promise…, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.” 13, “According to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

God’s will of command is that His children (those of us who believe in and follow Christ) will obey Him immediately, faithfully, and completely, with a

worshipful and willing heart, in all that we do.

God’s will of command embraces the obedient lives of His children.  God’s will of desire embraces repentance and salvation.  God’s will of purpose embraces the ultimate end of the world and His eternal kingdom.  We are to faithfully pray in conformity to God’s will, living in obedience to God’s Word.

      Matthew 6:11…  Give us today our daily bread:

Bread is symbolic of the food we need for our physical and our spiritual needs.  Jesus is the bread of life who has come down from the Father.  The source of our provision is the Father.  The servant of the Father is Christ.  We petition God to supply our needs through Jesus Christ, God’s Son, Lord and Savior.

The schedule for God’s provision is daily.  We need to come to Him on a regular, day-to-day basis for our needs.  We must rely on the Lord one day at a time, not weekly, monthly, or yearly…but daily.

      Matthew 6:12…  And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors:

This is not talking about financial debts, it is talking about sin — our moral and spiritual debt to God, paid in full by Christ.

Sin separates man from God and is man’s greatest enemy.  Therefore, man’s greatest need is forgiveness, and that is what God provides when we confess our sinfulness.

Romans 10:13, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 1John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

Hebrews 10:17, “And their sins and their lawless deeds
I will remember no more.”

Because the Father is forgiving; His children are also to be forgiving.

Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

      Matthew 6:13…  And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil:

      This has to do with temptations, through which we are enticed to sin.

God tempts no man, but He does allow us to be tested.

James 1:13-14, “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust.”

James 4:7-8, “Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

We appeal to God to place a guard over and around our eyes, ears, mouth, feet, hands, and heart — so that, wherever we go, whatever we do, we will not give in and do that which is sinful.

1Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.”

Romans 12:9, “Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor [hate] what is evil; cling [hold fast] to what is good.”

We are all weak at times, when tempted to sin, and we need God’s help to avoid the traps and snares set by the world, the devil, and our own flesh.

2Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is inspired by God [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man [woman, child] of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

2Peter 1:3-4, “His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.”

We live in a cursed world with evil all around us.  Our flesh is weak and we are not equipped in our human resources to combat sin.  Therefore, we freely and invariably confess our need for the protection and deliverance only God can give.

This great and divine lesson in prayer concludes with a reminder of how our own genuine and heartfelt forgiving of others so closely exemplifies and illustrates the Father’s forgiving us.

Matthew 6:14-15…  For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses: 

God has forever removed the eternal penalty of sin from all true Christians.  However, sin does effect our present joy and ability to serve God, therefore, we confess our sins in order to receive day-to-day cleansing from sins corruption.

Having received God’s forgiveness, we are to forgive others; for an unforgiving spirit is inconsistent with one who has been forgiven so much.  And so, our prayers should exalt God’s Name, God’s Kingdom, and God’s Will, at the same time, our prayers should express thanksgiving for God’s daily provisions, always remembering God’s loving and merciful forgiveness and eternal life. For “His is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever, Amen!”

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><

Bible Text: Luke 9:18-22 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Series: book study of Luke | Above are the
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July 9, 2023
“Who Do You Say Jesus Is?”
Luke 9:18-22

Our last time in the Book of Luke (9:12-17), we studied the supernatural feeding of some 5,000 men (plus 10-15,000 women and children).  Jesus, using one boy’s lunch (five loaves of bread and two dried fish), after having the people sit down (cf. Luke 9:14) in groups of 50 men (along with their wives and children).

Jesus then began to break the bread and fish to be distributed to the groups by the Twelve.  We are told that the people broke off some bread and fish for themselves, passing the bread and fish to the next person, but it never ran out.

In fact, when everyone had eaten until they were full and could eat no more, the Twelve collected the leftovers, amounting to twelve baskets full of fish and bread (cf. Luke 9:17).  This event, the feeding of the 5,000 men (mostly Jews), and the resurrection narrative, are the only miracles recorded in all four gospels (cf. Matthew 14:13–21; Mark 6:31–44; Luke 9:12–17; John 6:1–14).

Read Luke 9:18-22…  The incident that is recorded here by Luke actually takes place near Caesarea Philippi (cf. Matthew 16:13; Mark 8:27), a mostly Gentile territory.  Jesus goes there to withdraw from the Jewish Religious leaders (Matthew 16:1) and the crowds, in order to instruct His apostles, who have been with Him now over two years.

Both Matthew and Mark place this event after the feeding of the 4,000 men (mostly Gentiles, cf. Matthew 15:32-38; Mark 8:1-9); and in fact, are the only two gospel writers to record the feeding of the 4,000 men.

By this time in the biblical narrative of Jesus’ ministry, many have witnessed His power over demons, diseases, death, and nature itself; and so, the crowds who have followed Jesus to see His miracles, and the Twelve who have been with Him from the beginning, have all drawn different conclusions about who they think or believe Jesus to be.

We are told in Luke 9:18 that Jesus is praying alone (to the Father), although the disciples (the Twelve) are there with Him.  Jesus then asks them, “Who do the people say that I am?”  The “people” refers to the crowds of people who followed Him everywhere to see what He was going to do, and to hear what He said.

Luke 4:31-36, “And He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and He was teaching them on the Sabbath; and they were amazed at His teaching, for His message was with authority. In the synagogue there was a man possessed by the spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!’ But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be quiet and come out of him!’ And when the demon had thrown him down in the midst of the people, he came out of him without doing him any harm. And amazement came upon them all, and they began talking with one another saying, ‘What is this message? For with authority and power He commands the unclean spirits and they come out.’”

When we were studying Luke 9:7-9, a few weeks ago, we read how Herod wasn’t sure of who Jesus was, lets take a look at that again.

Read Luke 9:7-9…  Herod had heard reports, and he was very distraught about all that was going on throughout the region, that repentance was being preached, people were being healed, and demons were being cast out, and that some were saying it was John the Baptizer who had risen from the dead; or Elijah or another great prophet who had power like the prophets in Israel’s past. Herod kept trying to see who was performing these supernatural signs and miracles.

Back to Luke 9:18-19…  Jesus asks who the people say He is, and the Twelve answer Him saying, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”

Let us think back through what the writers of the Gospels have already told us concerning who Jesus is:

When the angel Gabriel came to Joseph in a dream (Matthew 1:20-21) he said to him, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for the Child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

When the angel Gabriel came to Mary (Luke 1:32-33) he spoke to her concerning the One to be conceived in her womb, “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end. ”

At Jesus’ birth the angel told the shepherds (Luke 2:10-11), “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

There is the testimony of Simeon (Luke 2:25-35), “And there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon; and this man was righteous and devout, looking for the consolation of Israel; and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple; and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to carry out for Him the custom of the Law, then he took Him into his arms, and blessed God, and said, ‘Now Lord, You are releasing Your bond-servant to depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation, Which You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, A Light of revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.’ And His father and mother were amazed at the things which were being said about Him. And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary His mother, ‘Behold, this Child is appointed for the fall and rise of many in Israel, and for a sign to be opposed— and a sword will pierce even your own soul—to the end that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.’”

There is the testimony of Anna declaring Jesus to be the Messiah who had been foretold by the Old Testament prophets (Luke 2:36-38), “And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers. At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.”

John the Baptizer was the forerunner of Christ, the Messiah, and John’s father, Zacharias, when filled with the Holy Spirit, prophesied concerning John (Luke 1:76-80), “‘And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; For you will go on before the Lord to prepare His ways; To give to His people the knowledge of salvation by the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, with which the Sunrise from on high will visit us, to shine upon those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.’ And the child continued to grow and to become strong in spirit, and he lived in the deserts until the day of his public appearance to Israel.”

     When John came to the Jordan River calling people to repent and baptizing them as they confessed they were sinners in need of God’s forgiveness, the Religious Leaders came to ask him who he was to do this.

John 1:19-23, “This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, ‘Who are you?’ And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ. They asked him, ‘What then? Are you Elijah?’ And he said, ‘I am not.’ ‘Are you the Prophet?’ And he answered, ‘No.’ Then they said to him, ‘Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.” 29-34, “The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and *said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.

I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.’ John testified saying, ‘I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

When Jesus was 12 years old and his family went up to Jerusalem for Passover, he went to the Temple to sit with the religious leaders; and his family began their journey home thinking Jesus was with other family members in their caravan, but then discovered He wasn’t with them, and so they returned to search for Him.

Luke 2:46-52, “Then, after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. When they saw Him, they were astonished; and His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You treated us this way? Behold, Your father and I have been anxiously looking for You.’ And He said to them, ‘Why is it that you were looking for Me? Did you not know that I had to be in My Father’s house?’ But they did not understand the statement which He had made to them. And He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and He continued in subjection to them; and His mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus kept increasing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.”

At Jesus’ baptism, when He was 30 years old, God the Father declared (Luke 3:22), “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”  And when Jesus took Peter, James, and John up on a mountain and showed them some of His glory, they were enveloped in a cloud, and God the Father spoke from the cloud (Luke 9:35) saying, “This is My Son, My Chosen One; listen to Him!”

After Jesus rose from the grave on that first Sunday, He came to the Disciples who were hiding in a room in Jerusalem (Thomas was not there).  But the next Sunday Thomas was present when the Lord came to them (John 20:26-28), “After eight days His disciples were again inside, and Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, ‘Reach here with your finger, and see My hands; and reach here your hand and put it into My side; and do not be unbelieving, but believing.’ Thomas answered and said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!’”

Even the demons spoke out concerning who Jesus was (Luke 4:34), “Let us alone! What business do we have with each other, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God!” (Luke 4:41), “Demons also were coming out of many, shouting, “You are the Son of God!”

Read again Luke 9:18-20…  Jesus had asked the Twelve who the crowds said He was, and they answered, “John the Baptist, and others say Elijah; but others, that one of the prophets of old has risen again.”  Then Jesus asked the Twelve, “But who do you say that I am?”  Peter answered, “The Christ [Messiah, Chosen One] of God.”

In Matthew’s account of the discourse, after Peter’s response in Luke 9:20, Jesus says to Peter (Matthew 16:17), “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona [son of Jonah], because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”

Clearly, God’s Spirit revealed this to Peter, as human reasoning alone cannot comprehend the thougts of God.

1Corinthians 2:14-15, “A natural man [unbeliever]does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised. But he who is spiritual [born-again by God’s Spirit] appraises all things, yet he himself is appraised by no one [according to human wisdom].”

Matthew 11:27, “All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.”

Read again Luke 9:21-22…  This is interesting, the Twelve have just, through Peter their spokesman, told Jesus they believe Him to be the Messiah, the Son of God, the Anointed One.  Now Jesus tells them not to tell anyone?  Why wouldn’t Jesus want them to spread the news that He is the Savior who was to come?

The Jews were waiting for the Messiah to come, believing that He would immediately free them from Roman oppression and usher in a kingdom of prosperity and long life; but that is not what He had come to do (Luke 9:22; pp. Matthew 16:20-22; Mark 8:30-33), “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.”

That was not what the people anticipated, although God had foretold through the prophets, e.g., Moses, Jeremiah, Daniel, Zephaniah, Zechariah, Micah, (cf. Isaiah 7:14; 9:6; 52:13-53:12). Messiah would be God in the flesh, to take our punishment, for all our sins. and He would be put to death, but He wouldn’t stay dead, in fact, He would rise from the grave alive.

Some say Jesus was just a good man, a good teacher, one of the many incarnations of God, a powerful prophet, a priest, even a miracle worker.

The question today is, who do you say He is?

The undeniable truth of God is that Jesus came to die for our sins, being delivered over to death by the very plan of God; He was then buried, and on the third day He rose from the dead, just like He had said that He would, demonstrating victory over sin, death, and judgement; providing forgiveness for sin and eternal life to everyone who will believe in Him.

It is this Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible, whose birth, life, death, burial, resurrection, post-resurrection appearances, and ascension back into heaven to be with the Father are all recorded in God’s Word.

It is He who said (John 14:6), “I am the only Way to God, the only Truth from God, and the only Life with God, and no one comes to the Father but through Me.”

Make sure it is Jesus Christ you believe in: God’s Son, Lord and Savior, who was crucified, resurrected, and is coming again, to take all those who believe in Him to be with Him in heaven forever!

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><
 

Bible Text: 1Corinthians 11:17-26 | Speaker: Pastor Mike Hale | Above are the
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July 2, 2023
“Communion: The Highpoint of Worship ”
1Corinthians 11:17-26
The Lord Jesus Christ instituted two ordinances for us to follow: Water Baptism and Communion.  At the beginning of His ministry, Jesus came to John the Baptist and was baptized, setting an example for us to follow.

In baptism, Jesus identified with all who believe in Him, for He came to save us.  Those who have been saved from sin’s condemnation through Christ, publicly identify with and declare their belief in Jesus Christ as God the Son.

At the close of His ministry, Jesus turned the Passover meal into the Last Supper, or Communion (a believers’s identification with Christ as Lord and Savior), we are told to do this in remembrance of Him.

Passover celebrated Israel’s freedom from the bondage of slavery in Egypt under the Old Covenant, made for Israel; the Lord’s Supper celebrates our freedom from the curse and penalty of sin under the New Covenant, made for the Church.

Church [ekklesia] means the community or body of genuine believers worshipping God, it never means a building or meeting place in the NT.

See Acts 2:42…  At the birth of the Church believers came together for:

Apostle’s teaching [God’s Word revealed to us]

2Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is [God-breathed] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.”

2Peter 1:20-21, “Know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Fellowship [koinonia = participatory sharing of lives]. Ephesians 4:1-3, “I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” 32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.”

     Breaking of bread (Lord’s Supper, his declares the spiritual and eternal oneness we have in Christ].

Ephesians 4:4-6, “There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.”

Prayer [Communicating with God through His Spirit].

1Timothy 2:1-2, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” 1Thessalonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always; pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

See Acts 2:42-47…  It was the practice of those first Christians to have a meal together on Sunday, a potluck fellowship that closed with Communion, celebrating Christ’s death on the cross as payment for all our sins, now and forever, and the unity we have in Him.

1Peter 2:9, “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”

1Corinthians 12:12-13, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit.”  18, “But now God has placed the members, each one of them, in the body, just as He desired.” 20, “But now there are many members, but one body.” 27, “Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”

See 1Corinthians 11:20-22…  The Passover meal was celebrated once a year; the Lord’s Supper is to be celebrated often, to remember what God has done to save us from the penalty of sin and unify us as one body, one family, one nation of people who belong to God.

And yet, the church in Corinth had evidently turned the potluck meals into something unholy, and it was becoming much to common for this so-called “love meal” to be more reminiscent of a pagan gathering, where everybody was in it for themselves, causing quarreling and hurt feelings, dishonoring to the Lord. It would seem that the wealthy among the people brought their favorite expensive foods; but they would consume them before the less fortunate arrived, for they were unwilling to share, if it meant they had to eat the less flavorful and more common food of those who were poor.

The impoverished believers would come to the meal expecting to share in some of the delicacies brought by the wealthy, only to find that the food and drink had already been consumed; this created division in the church, instead of the unity that God desires.

The focus here (1Corinthians 11:20) is on the the Lord’s Supper, which was being dishonored by the indulgent and selfish behavior of those who perverted the holy sacrament of Communion by being unwilling to share with one another.

Paul says (1Corinthians 11:21) they were coming together for the meal before Communion, but not thinking about the needs of others, eating and drinking indulgently until some were not able to get any food or drink, while others were taking in excess, even to the point of drunkenness.

This is supposed to be about unity, sharing with one another, so Paul rebukes them (1Corinthians 11:22) saying, don’t you have houses to eat and drink in?  Do you despise the church of God? Are you purposely shaming those who have nothing?

Communion is a special occasion for the church any selfish indulgence or lack of brotherly love is out of place.

See 1Corinthians 11:23-26…  This is not Paul’s opinion or original creation, this is the word of the God, recapping the night Jesus was betrayed and then arrested.  Notice that Jesus gave thanks, broke the bread and said (verse 24), “This is My body, which is for you, do this in remembrance of Me.”

The body represents the whole person of Christ, everything about Him, the prophecies foretelling His coming, His immaculate conception, the announcement of His birth in Bethlehem to the shepherds, His name and incarnation, His sinless life, His ministry, His sacrificial death and sovereign resurrection: the plan, purpose and provision of forgiveness and eternal life from God.

Hebrews 10:10, “We have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.” 12, “He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God.” 14, “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.” 17-18, “‘And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.’ Now where there is forgiveness of these things, there is no longer any offering for sin.”

Paul goes on to tell us (1Corinthians 11:25), that after the meal, Jesus gave thanks, saying this is the new covenant made effectual through His own shed blood.

That we are to do this in remembrance of Him. This is a command for us to follow, just as being baptized is also commanded by the Lord that we should obey.

Neither of these ordinances (water baptism or the Lord’s Supper) will save us, but they identify us as believers and followers of Christ, as those who have trusted in the sovereign work of Jesus

See again 1Corinthians 11:26…  Clearly this is talking about when Christ returns, for He has already come, was crucified for our sins, buried, then on the third day He rose from the grave and showed Himself to His followers over a 40 day period, after which He ascended back into heaven before the 11 Apostles.

Celebrating the Lord’s Supper causes us to remember His great sacrifice, while proclaiming His sovereign authority over sin, death, and judgement; thus making eternally effectual both, the forgiveness for our sins, and eternal life with God.

Whenever we eat the bread and drink the cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death, resurrection, and His return to take us to be with Him forever..

John 14:1-3, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

The angel of the Lord said to John (Revelation 1:8), “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty,” (17-18), “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore.”

When John was given this final Revelation from God, the the Canon of Scripture was made complete.

Note: Canon is from the Greek word kanōn (lit. ‘rod’), it was used to mean ‘rule’ or ‘standard,’ here it refers to the Bible (the 66 Books of Holy Scripture), through which God sovereignly speaks to our faith, belief, and practice.

1Corinthians 1:18, “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”

1Corinthians 2:4-5, “My message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

1Corinthians 15:1-5, “Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand, by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.”

In a moment we will pass out the elements for the Lord’s Supper/Communion: the bread symbolizes the body of Jesus which was put to death for our sins; the juice symbolizes His shed blood that covering our sins.

If you are a believer and follower of Jesus Christ (crucified, resurrected, coming again), please prepare your heart before the Lord, considering your relationship with God, God’s Word, and God’s people.

If you are unsure of your salvation through Jesus Christ, please, settle that with God right here, right now.

Acts 4:12, “There is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved,” only Jesus Christ.

Don’t wait any longer!  Have your life forever changed by repenting of your sins and believing in Jesus Christ.

Admit to God that you are a sinner (we all are).

Romans 3:23 says we have all sinned and we are unacceptable to God. God only sees two groups of people on the earth: forgiven sinners, and unforgiven sinners.

Repent of your sins, ask God to forgive you (He turns no one away).

Acts 2:21, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord [for the forgiveness of sin] will be saved.”

Believe in Jesus Christ as Lord & Savior. He died for your sins, was buried, and He rose from the grave to proclaim victory over sin, death, and judgement.

Romans 6:23 says the penalty for sin is death, but we are justified, made acceptable to God through Jesus Christ and granted eternal life with Him.

2Corinthians 5:21, “He [God the Father] made Him [God the Son] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” Romans 8:1, “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

1John 5:11-13, “And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.”

 
Pastor Mike
>’(((><