1 Chronicles 28:9 If you seek Him, He will let you find Him.
2 Chronicles 15:1-4 Yahweh is with you when you are with Him.
Jeremiah 29:11-14 “You will seek Me and find Me...” God is not hiding; rather, He is in open view for those who truly seek to know Him. We are required to seek, that is to want, Him -- the foundation of every love relationship. You must want Him.
Genesis 2:17 Self-determination was necessary for Adam and Eve to have a loving relationship with Yahweh.
Matthew 7:7-12 Ask, seek, knock
Deuteronomy 7:7-8 Yahweh loved you.
Jeremiah 31:1-6 Yahweh’s love is everlasting.
Micah 7:14-20 Although Israel’s love faded for Yahweh, His love has been unchanging.
Romans 5:6-11 He loves you and has called you to be with Him forever.
Ephesians 1:7-8 If God has demonstrated His love and longing to the degree He has, we can be certain that there is something special about you and that you are not like everyone else in the world. You are God’s child!
2:1-10
Titus 3:3-8
Romans 8:31-39 The only thing that can separate you from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus was not listed -- you.
The purpose of the ages is the Kingdom of God, and the purpose of the Kingdom is an everlasting, perfect love relationship with Yahweh our God. Most important to God is a continual love relationship with you; therefore, the most important thing for you is to constantly pursue a love relationship with Him.
Genesis 1:1 The beginning of our relationship with Yahweh is to acknowledge that He is the Creator.
Genesis 1:11-13 God sets these facts in simple, understandable ways. Now on the other hand, there is the convoluted theory of evolution. Darwin’s evolution theory is preposterous in denying God, our Creator, and proven scientific facts, yet it is commonly taught our children as a matter of fact beginning in elementary schools.
Genesis 1:14-19 The radius of the sun is 432,376 miles, and it is one small star in the Milky Way galaxy that supposedly contains 400 billion stars, and there are 170 billion more galaxies in the observable universe. Rather than God the Creator, the big bang theory is the cosmological model. These devilish doctrines are designed to diminish the Creator and worshipping Him.
Psalm 19:1-3 The creation compels us to worship Yahweh, our Creator.
Romans 1:20-22
Deuteronomy 6:4-9 The Shema is a prayer that is recited at least twice daily (morning and evening). In its entirety, the Shema consists of three paragraphs including Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; and Numbers 15:37-41.
The first part of the Shema is Yahweh is one.
Isaiah 44:24; 45:5-7, 18; and 46:9 We must be clear who God is in order to carry out the most important matter of all.
Mark 12:28-34 Jesus knew what was most important.
1 Corinthians 8:4-6 One God and one Lord
Romans 13:8-10; 12:9-10 Most important of all
Ezra, the Believer
Ezra 7:1-10 Ezra was a scribe, skilled in the Law of Moses. He requested that King Artaxerxes of Persia send him to Jerusalem to support the temple there.
Ezra 8:21-36 Ezra didn’t want to ask for an escort from the king, but instead wanted to put his trust in God to protect him (and the money) on their five month journey.
Ezra, the Teacher
Nehemiah 8:1-14 Ezra taught the people, reading from God’s book and helping the people understand it. He helped them both to learn the doctrine as well as how to practice their faith. He supervised the celebration of Sukkot (the Feast of Booths).
Ezra, the Revivalist
Deuteronomy 7:1-6 God had forbidden Israel from intermarrying the inhabitants of the land of Canaan.
Jeremiah 7:16-18; 11:11-14; 14:11-12; Ezekiel 8:5-18; Psalm 106:34-47 Repeatedly, God’s people ended up falling into idolatry and worshipping the gods of the land, which is why he evicted them for seventy years. In Ezra’s time, the people had been back in the land for approximately eighty years.
Ezra 9:1-15 Ezra can’t believe that the people are going right back into marrying these same peoples that brought idolatry into Israel in the past. They barely survived the exile, and it’s like the people have no clue.
Ezra 10:1-14 Amazingly, the people responded in repentance, paving the way for a legacy of faithfulness to God. After Ezra’s stand, we never hear about Israel worshipping other gods in the rest of biblical history.
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10 The believers followed Paul.
1 Corinthians 4:14-17 Paul followed Christ; Timothy followed Paul; and the Corinthians were to follow Timothy.
1 Corinthians 10:24-11:1 Everything Paul did was for the glory of God, always endeavoring to win one soul for the glory of God. We are to be imitators of this man because he was an imitator of Christ.
Philippians 3:12-20 Paul pressed on toward the goal for the prize, and likewise we should do the same. Follow the leader, Paul. We have a written example in him.
Philippians 4:8-9 The Philippians were to follow Paul who followed Jesus who followed God.
Acts 16:6-7 Paul did what Jesus told him even if it was contrary to what he wanted to do.
14 The Lord opened her heart. All that distance and all that time and all that energy were for one soul!
18 Jesus powered the spirit out of the woman. Paul followed the Lord; the lord did not follow Paul.
30 God through Christ through Paul reached the jailor.
Acts 17:1-14 This was the great example the believers in Thessalonica had to follow.
1 Thessalonians 2:1- 20 He treated them with the gentleness of a nursing mother and the strength of a father. They became examples for the churches in Macedonia and Achaia
Colossians 1:18 (ESV)
And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent
Colossians 1:3-6
The hope laid up for you in heaven
Colossians 1:11-12
He has qualified us to share in the inheritance.
Colossians 1:13
He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son.
Colossians 1:14-20 -- The preeminence of Christ
Christ is seated at the right hand of God -- Consider what this means.
Ephesians 1:19-23
There are powers in this world -- earthly kingdoms with hierarchy of rule. There are the rulers of the darkness of this world -- Satan’s kingdom -- spiritual forces of wickedness (Eph 2:2; 6:12; 2 Cor 4:4; Luk 4:5). There are myriads of angels -- powerful created beings (Dan 7:10; Heb 12:22; Jud 14; Rev 5:11). There are the seven spirits before the throne (Rev 1:4; 4:5; 8:2). There are four angels holding back the four winds of the earth (Rev 7:1; Dan 7:2; Eze 37:9; Mt 24:31). There are 24 elders (Rev 4:4). And there are the four living creatures -- the cherubim before the throne of Yahweh (Rev 4:6-9; Ps 99:1; Eze 1:1ff; 10:1ff).
When men saw visions of God’s throne, they brought them to great humility: Isaiah 6:5; Ezekiel 1:28; Daniel 7:28.
Jesus ascended to the right hand of God above all principality, power, might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in the world to come! (Ps 110:1; Dan 7:13-14; Mat 26:64; Mar 14:62; Luk 22:69-70; Mat 28:18; Eph 4:8; Heb 1:2, 13; Heb 10:12; Rev 5:1ff)
Colossians 2:8-10
In him all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, and in him you have been made complete, and he is the head over all rule and authority.
Colossians 2:15
He has disarmed the rulers and authorities, made a public display of them, and triumphed over them.
Colossians 2:17-19
The substance belongs to Christ...and not holding fast to the head.
Colossians 3:1
Keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Philippians 3:10-12 Paul knows he has not yet obtained resurrection; he’s not yet been made complete. Press on = dioko: to pursue, chase, persecute. He sees the finish line of the resurrection and races toward it.
Philippians 3:13-14 Like a running, straining every muscle and nerve, he’s pushing himself forward to the hope. He’s not holding back or hedging his bets.
Philippians 3:15-17 If you’re mature, you’re like Paul--your eye is on the finish line. Rather than sitting comfortably on your laurels, you’re actively seeking to walk with God today. When’s the last time God did something in your life?
Philippians 3:18-19 Sadly, there are people who make themselves enemies of the cross of Christ. We can’t be so focused on our appetites and earthly things that we put stumbling blocks before other Christians. Rather, we must keep our eyes on the hope.
Philippians 3:20-21 Citizenship was important in the Roman Empire, especially in a city like Philippi since it was a Roman colony. Our citizenship is in heaven from which we await our Lord.
"'We are citizens of heaven,' Paul declares in verse 20. At once many modern Christians misunderstand what he means. We naturally suppose he means 'and so we're waiting until we can go and live in heaven where we belong.' But that's not what he says, and it's certainly not what he means. If someone in Philippi said, 'We are citizens of Rome,' they certainly wouldn't mean 'so we're looking forward to going to live there.' Being a colony works the other way round. The last thing the emperors wanted was a whole lot of colonists coming back to Rome. The capital was already overcrowded and underemployed. No: the task of the Roman citizen in a place like Philippi was to bring Roman culture and rule to northern Greece, to expand Roman influence there." NT Wright (Paul for Everyone: The Prison Letters, p. 124)Let’s press on towards the prize with a clear focus. Let’s chase after the hope without allowing ourselves to be distracted by what’s around us. Although our resurrection is in the future, it should affect how we live now, including how we spend our time and money, how we plan the future, and how we treat people.
The Scriptures are progressive in revealing God’s plan. The Old Testament points to the coming Messiah, while the gospels present the historical Christ -- that is what he did when he first came. Little is communicated about what was accomplished on the cross because God kept it a secret, or as it is called a mystery.
1 Corinthians 2:6-10 Paul the Apostle was given the revelation about the great mystery which is now written in the church Epistles with his name. The book of Acts records the history of the early church after Christ ascended. Obviously, they did not know the fullness of what was accomplished on the cross until Paul shows up on the scene.
Romans 16:25 -- The next few weeks we will focus on the epistles that reveal the great mystery.
Ephesians 1:9; 3:1-11 In this mystery, we see God’s eternal purpose. Within the mystery, we learn our new identity in Christ.
Ephesians 1:1-23
1:1 Saints are the faithful in Christ, the Greek word hagios is translated 9 times as “saints” in Ephesians and 5 times “holy.” The saints are the holy ones. In Christ you have been made holy. You are a saint!
3 -- Heavenly 1; 20; 2:6; 3:10; 6:12
Only God knew what was to be accomplished IN CHRIST -- 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 13, 15
4 -- Many are called, few are chosen. Matthew 22:14
You were called. Have you responded? If so, you are chosen.
5 -- Predestination and free will (Matthew 22:1-14)
God’s kind intention to you is that you become His son, that you be a part of the purpose of the ages, His family.
6 -- Praise of God’s glory, 12 and 14
7 -- Redemption -- 2:1-13 If the devil knew killing Jesus would free those whom he held captive in sin, he would not have killed him. Christ took on sin on the cross.
9 -- God’s kind intention is why we are included and why we can know when for centuries others did not know.
10-14 All these blessings now and, if we are faithful, the Kingdom when it comes -- how can we not live to the praise of His glory?
Genesis 1:26-28 God’s original plan was to fill the earth with people created in His image and likeness. Once the original plan was shattered by sin, Yahweh set in motion a strategy to regain His purposes. He still wants an earth filled with people like Him that He can share love with; He wants a family!
Genesis 13:14-18 God promised Abraham land and descendants like the dust of the earth.
15:5-7 Descendants like stars in heaven
17:1-8 “Multiply you exceedingly; ...I will be their God”
22:15-18 Seed as stars of the heavens and as the sand on the seashore
Galatians 3:6-9, 29 Includes all those of faith, Jew and Gentile
Jeremiah 33:14-26 Yahweh cut a covenant with David that absolutely cannot be broken. “I will multiply the descendants of David My servant.”
God’s plan has not changed. He still wants the earth filled with holy people.
Acts 15:13-18; Romans 11:25
Leviticus 26:11-12; Ezekiel 11:20; 36:28; 37:21-28; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Revelation 21:1-5 He will be our God, and we will be His people
Matthew 28:18-20 The church’s mission statement
2 Corinthians 5:14-21 Join God in what He is doing.
Where is your treasure?
Luke 12:13-15 “BEWARE”
Luke 12:15 (ESV)
And he said to them, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”
Luke 12:16-21 Parable of a rich landowner
Luke 12:22-34 Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Psalm 62:10; Proverbs 23:4-5 Don’t set your heart on riches. Don’t weary yourself to gain wealth.
1 Timothy 6:6-10 Having food and clothing, be content.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 Don’t fix your hope on the uncertainty of riches. Be rich in good works; be generous and ready to share, storing up the treasure of a good foundation for the future.
Be ready for the coming of Christ
Luke 12:35-48
Christ is coming back. How should that affect the way you live today?
Repent
Luke 13:1-5
Bad things happen to good and bad people alike. How did Jesus respond?
Luke 13:6-9 The parable of the unfruitful fig tree
Matthew 23:1-3 The scribes were paid scholars who could at least write, but often also were experts on what the Bible said. Pharisees were laymen who joined a strict sect, dedicated to scrupulous observance of God’s laws. Jesus says to obey these people, but don’t imitate them. Their words are good, but their actions are bad.
Hypocrisy: the behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do (Merriam-Webster)
Matthew 23:4 We should not only tell our fellow brothers and sisters what is right and wrong, but should also have compassion on their struggles and offer to help them carry the burden.
Matthew 23:5-12 They were motivated by honor. Honor is appropriate for elders, leaders, and everyone (1 Timothy 5:17; 1 Peter 2:17). Honor is good, but self-focus and aggrandizement are not. Jesus taught much on how to practice righteousness properly (Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18).
Matthew 23:13-39 Jesus knew what was to come (Matthew 24:1-2). The Jewish War with Rome lasted from a.d. 66 to 73. It was devastating in every way imaginable.
Matthew 23:34-37 How they responded to Jesus determined the fate of the city and the nation. The stakes were incredibly high. Don’t mistake Jesus’ tone for a petty, angry outburst. How would you speak to leaders whose self-delusion was dooming their nation?
Seven Thunderous Woes
v13 Shut the Kingdom in people’s faces
v15 Great effort to make converts twice a child of hell
v16 Blind guides who use technicalities to invalidate oaths
v23 Precision in tithing, but miss weightier matters (justice, mercy, faithfulness)
v25 Clean outside, but inside are filthy (greed, self-indulgence)
v27 Outwardly righteous, but inwardly hypocritical and lawless
v29 Memorialize prophets of old, but persecute prophets before them
Hypocrisy is not a Christian problem; it’s a human problem.
Honestly evaluate yourself. God has made a way to be forgiven (John 3:16; 1 John 1:8-10).
Matthew 20:20-28 The mindset of a Christian is entirely different than that of the world. It is the opposite.
The mother of John and James was a regular member of the disciple group (Matt. 27:55-56).
19:28 The thrones are already assured; the question is precedence. James and John along with Peter were the inner circle.
22 The cup is a metaphor for destined suffering. The connection Jesus placed on the cup and throne is interesting -- suffering and the glory. They responded that they were able, but both ran when Jesus was taken.
23 -- In the future, they would drink the cup of suffering. James is killed in Acts 12:2, and John perhaps in his imprisonment on Patmos.
24 The ten others are no freer of ambition than the two brothers.
27 -- Greatness among the disciples of Jesus are the reverse of what the world is used to. True greatness is in service.
28 -- Our service will be different from Jesus’, but its motivation must be the same, not to be served but to serve.
Philippians 2:1-3 The opposite of the concerns that were of John and James.
4-13 Fear and trembling basically means respect and humility.
Romans 1:1 Paul was a slave to the Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 7:23 You are bought with a price -- the life of Jesus. You are not your own.
Galatians 6:16-17 We have the big C brand -- Christ our Lord.
Galatians 1:10-12
Psalm 25:15 The bond slave keeps his eye on the Master.
Ephesians 6:5-9; 2 Timothy 2:22-26
Romans 6:16ff You are going to be a slave for someone or something; why not Yahweh and our Lord Jesus the Christ?
Revelation 1:1; 22:1-7 Bond slaves are the ones revelation was written to.
Overcomer Promises:
2:7 Tree of life in the paradise of God
2:11 Not hurt in the second death
2:17 Hidden manna, white stone with a new name, new life
2:26-29 Authority over the nations, morning star (22:16)
3:5-6 White garments, book of life, confess before the Father
3:11-13 Pillar in the temple of God, name of God, New Jerusalem, Jesus’ new name
3:21-22 Sit on the throne of Jesus
Revelation 2:7, 11, 17, 26; 3:5, 11, 21 We must overcome.
Ephesus -- first love
Smyrna -- faithful until death
Pergamum -- desire for money and wrong doctrine
Thyatira -- immorality and idolatry
Sardis -- wake up
Philadelphia -- keep God’s word, and do not deny His name
Laodicea -- neither hot or cold; get hot
John 16:32-32 Jesus overcame the world.
1 John 2:13-14 We too can overcome.
1 John 4:4 Greater is he in you than he who is in the world.
1 John 5:4-5 We are overcomers.
Romans 8:31-39 We overwhelmingly conquer.
Hebrew 6:13, 18-19 Anchor of the soul, sure and steadfast
Hebrews 11:13-16 Their hope influences their entire lives. Do we see and welcome our hope?
Revelation 1:1-3; 3:11; 22:12 The time is near; live like it is so.
2:7 Tree of life in the paradise of God
2:11 Not hurt in the second death
2:17 Hidden manna, white stone with a new name, new life
2:26-29 Authority over the nations, morning star (22:16)
3:5-6 White garments, book of life, confess before the Father
3:11-13 Pillar in the temple of God, name of God, new Jerusalem, Jesus’ new name
3:21-22 Sit on the throne of JesusMatthew 24:36-51 Be on the alert!
Mark 13:35-37 Eliminate procrastination.
Romans 13:11-12 Put on the armor of light.
James 5:7-8 Be patient.
1 Peter 4:7-8 Sound judgment and sober.
1 John 2:18 It is the last hour.
Mark 8:27 Who do people say that Jesus is? What’s the buzz on the street?
Mark 8:28 They thought he was a prophet. People were circulating a rumor about John the Baptist.
- Mark 6:14-16 Herod believed that Jesus was John the Baptist risen from the dead.
- Malachi 4:5-6 Because of this prophecy, people thought Jesus could have been Elijah.
- Luke 1:15-17 The angel, Gabriel, explained that John the Baptist came “in the spirit and power of Elijah” to fulfill this prophecy.
- Matthew 11:13-14 Jesus said of John that “he is Elijah who is to come.”
Mark 8:29 This, now, is the question that reverberates through the centuries. Your answer to this defines your relationship with Jesus. Apart from Peter’s answer, four alternatives are popular among different groups today:
1. Jesus is a myth (he never existed)
2. Jesus is a dead good man (a tragic hero)
3. A dead bad man (a false prophet)
4. God in the flesh (2nd person of the Trinity)
Luke 1:31-33 This is Jesus’ destiny from the beginning--to rule forever
Mark 8:29-33 Within four verses, Peter swings from his greatest shining moment to his most awkward. Jesus knew what he had to do. He didn’t want to, but he couldn’t allow Peter or Satan or anyone to plant the smallest seed of doubt in his mind about going through with it.
Mark 8:34-38 If you have the guts to confess Jesus as Messiah, then you have thrown in your lot with him. You have given him your allegiance, loyalty, and fidelity.
Isaiah 42:1-10
1 - Yahweh promised to uphold Jesus, God’s chosen, Yahweh’s delight.
4 - Not disheartened or crushed
6 - I will hold you by the hand and watch over you.
Luke 4:18 - Jesus connected Isaiah 42 with himself.
Luke 2:41-52 - God fathered him from birth.
Matthew 3:13-17 - This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.
Matthew 4:1 - God always led him.
Matthew 4:11 - Angels ministered to him.
Matthew 26:53 - His Father always had his back.
Luke 22:43 - An angel strengthening Him
Matthew 17:1-9 - The Father prepared the Son, gave Him a vision and hope and purpose and direction.
John 5:19, 20, 30; 14:9-11 - God gave Jesus the words to speak, and God brought the works to pass. God always directed him. He led him by the hand.
John 11:42 - God, His Father, always heard him. Jesus was never alone.
YOU ARE NOW GOD’S BELOVED
John 16:23-27 - The reason for Jesus was so you could become Yahweh’s beloved son.
Psalm 68:4-8 - Yahweh is a Father to the fatherless.
Hebrews 13:5-6 - He is always with you.
John 20:30-31
The signs recorded in the Gospel of John were written down so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ [Messiah], the Son of God.
Isaiah the prophet spoke of a time when the Messiah would come. He would cause the blind to see
(Isaiah 29:18; 35:5-6a; 42:7).
Luke 7:20-22
John the Baptist asked if Jesus was the Expected One.
"Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the blind receive sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the poor have the gospel preached to them.”
John 9:1-6
This was not something Jesus invented. He was doing “the work of Him who sent” him. There is not a technique for healing the blind. Jesus worked as the Father worked in him.
Jesus healed other blind people, but there is not one particular technique.
Matthew 9:27-31 Two blind men asked for mercy. Jesus asked about their faith and touched their eyes
Matthew 12:22 The man was demon possessed, blind, and mute - Jesus healed him.
Matthew 15:30 Blind and others were cast at Jesus’ feet. He healed them.
Matthew 20:29-34 Two blind men - Jesus asked them what they wanted. He touched their eyes.
Matthew 21:14 Blind came to him in the temple. He healed them.
Mark 8:22-25 Blind man - Jesus led him out &spat in his eyes, then laid hands on his eyes.
Mark 10:46-52 Blind Bartimaeus - Jesus told him his faith made him well.
John 5:2-19 Blind and other sick at pool of Bethesda - Jesus healed a man who had been ill 38 years. He was working as the Father worked.
John 9:6-7
Jesus applied clay to his eyes and gave him a simple command: “Go, wash, in the pool of Siloam.” The man obeyed the words of Jesus. Jesus had just come from the temple (John 8:59). The pool of Siloam was in the lower part of Jerusalem in the city of David.
John 9:8-12 The neighbors question who he was and how he could now see.
John 9:13-17 They bring him to the Pharisees who question him.
John 9:18-23 The Pharisees question his parents.
John 9:24-34 The Pharisees question him a second time and then put him out.
John 9:35-41 Jesus finds him, and he sees Jesus for the first time. “Lord, I believe!”
2 Timothy 1:7 God has not given us the spirit of fear, cowardice, or timidity.
Genesis 3:7-10 The greatest fear of all is of God. The accuser tempts people to fear God. Because of fear, man hides himself from God.
Romans 8:15-17 The spirit of slavery or bondage causes fear.
Mark 5:2-5, 14-17 The fear of the supernatural causes people to run from our Lord and our God. Many Christians live powerless lives because they are afraid of wrongly applying the manifestations of the spirit.
Exodus 14:10-13 Fear of circumstances, situations, and people tempt people to blame God. Focus on God rather than is vital.
1 Samuel 15:20-24 Saul feared the people, so he disobeyed Yahweh. Many political leaders compromise their integrity to appease the people. Many religious leaders compromise the integrity and accuracy of God’s Word because they fear losing their job, church, or the people.
Galatians 2:11-13 Peter rejected God’s truth because of fear. Fear has ruined more men’s ministries than anything else.
Judges 7:2 and 3 22,000 left because of fear. 300 fearless godly men defeated 135,000.
2 Timothy 1:7:
Power - Acts 2:14; 4:19-220; 2:4; Romans 8:15-17
Love - 1 John 4:15-18 love eradicates fear
Sound mind - 1 Samuel 17; 21:8-15; Psalm 34:1-6; James 1:21
Isaiah 32:14-18; 44:2-5; Ezekiel 36:24-28; 37:12-14; Joel 2:26-29 Throughout the Hebrew Bible, we find several prophecies about the outpouring of God’s spirit. Each of them occurs in the Kingdom age.
Acts 1:3-9 Jesus told the disciples they would receive a baptism in the spirit in a few days. They immediately asked him about when the Kingdom would come, since the outpouring of the spirit and the coming of the Kingdom were linked in their thinking.
Acts 2:1-4, 12-18, 32-33 Finally, we come to the day of Pentecost and the moment when the spirit comes down upon God’s people. Peter looks to Joel’s prophecy to interpret what happened. This is when Christianity goes public.
Acts 4:1-22 When Peter stood before the very same leaders who had orchestrated Jesus’ crucifixion, he didn’t blink. He’s filled with the spirit and bold beyond measure.
Acts 8:26-35 Philip dares to approach the treasurer of Ethiopia while he’s on the road in his chariot. Amazingly, the man converts on the spot!
Acts 17:16-34 Paul preaches to the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers at Athens, apparently unintimidated by their intellectual pedigrees.
Acts 25:23-26:9 Even knowing that his fate is on the line, Paul shares his testimony with King Agrippa, challenging him to believe in Jesus.
Acts 29:1ff It’s now your time. Stand up and be a witness who testifies boldly in the power of God’s spirit.
John 16:16-24
Jesus spoke of a day coming when his disciples could have Father/son relationship, just as he had.
Who are the children of God?
Romans 9:1-5
Israelites were the adopted children of God. These were the sons of Abraham
(Exodus 4:22; Isaiah 63:16; 64:8; Jeremiah 31:8-9).
This adoption was not based on bloodline, but it was based on having faith in the promise
(Romans 4:1-5; Matthew 3:9; John 8:39-40).
Children of God by Faith
Romans 9:6-8
“It is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise...”
Romans 9:23-26
God promised that a time was coming when those who “were not My people” would be “called sons of the living God.”
Now, in Christ Jesus, all who have faith can be part of God’s family.
Ephesians 1:3-6 He predestined us to the adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself.
Galatians 3:14; 23-29 We are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
Galatians 4:1-7 We are no longer slaves, but sons, heirs of God.
Romans 8:14-17
Those who are led by the spirit of God, these are the sons of God. And if children, then heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ!
Romans 8:18-25
There is more yet to come when we will receive the full redemption of our body. The creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God!
John 3:1-3
Now we are the sons of God, but there is more yet to come. When he appears we will be like him!!!!
Now we are the sons of God. We are “as he is” in this world. Act like it! Don’t allow the tempter and the accuser to talk you out of your rights as a child of God. Live like a child of God!
Matthew 5:9; Luke 6:35-36; Ephesians 5:1-2; Matthew 7:7-11
Colossians 2:15 The Old Testament has limited information regarding the devil, demons, and the entire spiritual realm. Jesus was the first to expose them for and also to cast out demons.
Origin Revelation 12:3 This event happened sometime after paradise was created and before the flood. According to Ezekiel 28:11-19, anointed cherub who covers was in Eden and was lifted up with pride and sinned against Yahweh. Based on the context of Scripture and not supposition, the cherub became the serpent while in Eden. His first recorded evil act was against Adam and Eve after which he was cursed by God and his destiny foretold.
Genesis 3:14-15 On your belly you will go all the days of your life.
Destiny Ezekiel 28:16-18 He will be destroyed forever by fire, Revelation 20:10-15; lake of fire Jude 7; Matthew 25:41
Appearance 2 Corinthians 11:14 The devil is symbolized by serpent, goat, and the dragon, but this is not how he presents himself. Many of the famous painters like Luca, Signorelli, Goya, etc. made drawings of him as ugly and monstrous.
Mission He endeavors to disgrace and defame Yahweh by misinforming humanity about Him. He also strives to humiliate, destroy, and kill all people while blaming God for his evil. The devil’s titles reveal his large-scale, systematic scheme against Yahweh and humanity.
Genesis 3:1 Serpents are cunning, crafty, and deadly, more so than any other being.
Matthew 4:3-4 He is the tempter. Everyone is tempted by him.
Revelation 12:9 The deceiver - He deceives the whole world.
Revelation 12:10; Zechariah 3:1 The accuser
James 1:13-15 He will stimulate unholy or evil thoughts that tempt us to sin. He can do this many ways. If we bite the bait, he pulls us in, and then we sin. After the sin, he attacks as the accuser burying us in shame, guilt, and condemnation. With these dark thoughts and feelings, we are ashamed to approach God or Jesus, and we wallow in the darkness. Often then we are tempted to do the same thing again to get rid of the pain the first sin caused. Hence, an unvirtuous cycle begins.
Matthew 8:28-34 Jesus has absolute power over the devil and demons, and he lives in us.
Ephesians 6:10-18 The way we fight the devil is summarized here.
1 Corinthians 10:12-13 God will help.
2 Peter 2:9
Luke 6:27-31 Live rightly.
Romans 8:28-39 Have faith in the work of Christ.
Matthew 4 and Luke 4 reveal that Jesus spoke God’s word to the evil one.
Genesis 1:14-20, 28; Matthew 6:26 “Heaven” refers to the sky, air, or atmosphere.
Isaiah 66:1-2 Heaven is also God’s throne--where He makes plans and rules.
Matthew 6:20; 1 Peter 1:4; Philippians 3:20 Heaven is where our citizenship, treasures, and inheritances are stored with God.
Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27 Even before Yuri Gagarin punctured the heavens and failed to see God’s throne, the Scriptures recognized God’s “heaven” is actually beyond the sky.
Matthew 5:5; 6:9-11; 19:28-29; 25:31-34 According to Jesus, the destiny of God’s people is not heaven, but living on a renewed earth, which he called the Kingdom of God.
Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalm 146:3-4; John 5:28-29 In between death and the resurrection on the last day, the dead are unconscious and inactive. Perhaps this is where the epitaph “RIP” originated.
“For I choose to follow not men or men's doctrines, but God and the doctrines by him. For if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this, and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians.” --Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, chapter 80, trans. George Reith, circa a.d. 165
Ancient religions typically taught that the dead were awake either in a state of reward/punishment or reincarnated into a new body. The Bible stands apart in its teaching that the dead are asleep until Christ returns to resurrect and reign over a renewed world.
Luke 24:13ff With the two men on the road to Emmaus and the apostles, Jesus clearly illustrated the importance of Scripture.
Psalm 138:2 God’s attitude toward His word
Psalm 19:7-11 God is perfect, His work is perfect, His way is perfect; therefore, His word is perfect.
Jeremiah 36:1-4 God told Jeremiah what to write, and he dictated to Baruch who wrote it down.
36:16-18 The king heard God’s word and had a devilish response.
36:28 God told him to write it again. The king destroyed the scroll but not the author.
1 Peter 1:23-25 Yahweh’s word endures forever. God has protected His communication (Scriptures) throughout the ages.
Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.
2 Timothy 2:15 There are not contradictions for Scripture always fits together.
Matthew 17:2-9; Mark 9:1-9; Luke 9:27-37 Mount of transfiguration
2 Peter 1:16-21 More sure than the vision Peter experienced is the written word of God.
Galatians 1:11 The Scriptures are not the words of men, but the words of God or Jesus.
2 Peter 1:1-5 Everything pertaining to life and godliness is found through knowledge in the Scriptures.
Psalm 119:11, 12, 18, 24, 33-41 God’s and Jesus’ mindset regarding the Scriptures is evident. What should be our attitude and action?
John 12:7; Matthew 26:10-13 Anointed for his death
Mark 15:42-46 Entering the court of a Gentile and touching a dead body, Joseph became ceremonially unclean to eat the Passover. It is hard to conceive how difficult a task this was for Joseph.
Luke 23:50-51 Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin.
John 19:38-42 Nicodemus wrapped his body according to their burial custom.
Matthew 27:62-66 Guards at the tomb
Matthew 28:2-4 This is the only information about his actual resurrection; no one else saw him get up, but many saw him in his resurrected body.
John 20:1-10 The first person to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead
John 20:11-17 Mary Magdalene is the first one to see our Lord in His resurrected body!
Luke 8:3 Mary was delivered from 7 demons.
John 20:18 The disciples did not believe her.
Mark 16:11 They did not believe her.
Luke 24:1-11 The women along with Mary believed, but the disciples did not.
Matthew 28:5-10 These women saw Jesus.
Matthew 28:11-15 Bribed the guards
Luke 16:31 Raised from the dead
Luke 24:12 Peter goes to the tomb a second time.
Luke 24:13-33 Two unbelieving disciples
Luke 24:34ff Because he got up, we too will do so. When he returns, his resurrection is the beginning of the end.
The importance that Jesus placed upon the Scriptures is astonishing. Christianity should be founded upon the truth contained in the Scriptures and not on man-made traditions.
Proverbs 21:21 -- He who pursues righteousness finds life, righteousness, and honor.
How would you define righteousness?
Doing the right thing; easy as A-B-C... or is it?
Paul wrote in Romans 7:15, 19, 23-24 - New Living Translation
15 - I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.
19 - I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.
23-24 - But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?
Who can relate to Paul’s struggle? Where do you struggle?
Pain of Same
What will happen if you don’t change?
Pain of Change
What will you gain if you do change?
Pain Relievers
What Scriptures can you apply, as an antidote, to live righteously?
Pain of Same
Choosing unrighteousness. How would you define it?
Some answers may include -- self-righteousness, wickedness. A definition of wickedness -- conduct that is out of gross self-centeredness; neither reveres God nor respects man.
Another answer is sin. What does Scripture teach us about sin?
Romans 6:23 - The wages of sin is... DEATH!
Pain of Change
Deuteronomy 30:19 -- Choose LIFE!
Pain Relievers
Ephesian 6:11-17 -- Put on the armor of God! Roar into battle; you are a child of the most high God!
Pursuit of Righteousness Challenge
1. What prevents you from pursuing righteousness?
2. What encourages you to seek righteousness?
3. What Scriptures can we apply to encourage ourselves and each other to pursue righteousness?
What would it mean if we didn’t struggle?
Romans 7:25 - New Living Translation
25 -- Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ, our Lord...
Be relentless in your pursuit of living righteously in the light of the Kingdom to come!
Our culture longs for authenticity. We’re tired of fakers and phonies who say one thing and do another. People should just be true to themselves and have the courage to flout tradition when it holds them back from genuine self-expression. However, this mentality results in major individual and social problems from sexually transmitted diseases to sexual harassment to racism and mass shootings. Christianity offers a better way, by providing a standard to conform ourselves to that maximally enables human flourishing.
Colossians 3:1-5 The terminology in v5 is excessively hostile: “put to death what is earthly in you.” Don’t reason with it, or seek to diminish its influence. Don’t try to understand it, or make excuses for it. Kill it! Put it down.
Colossians 3:6 God did not design us to behave this way. He gave us passions but placed boundaries on them. When people defy His original intention, it bothers Him.
Colossians 3:7-10 This is the language of clothing: put off and put on. We must strip off the old way of being a human (Adam) and clothe ourselves with the new way of being a human (Christ), which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator--the way God originally designed us.
Colossians 3:11 Not only behavior but social barriers need to change. Ethnicity, social status, education, independence are all outshone by the splendor of Christ’s radiant glory, enabling harmony between us all.
Colossians 3:12-17 Imagine that there are two towns that live by each of these opposing ways: Freetown and Corpus Christi. Which would you rather live in? As you conform to the Christian lifestyle, it becomes second nature. It does not crush you or rob you of your humanity, but it provides the necessary boundaries to make human growth and flourishing possible.
Matt. 12:46-50 - Jesus radically redefines what constitutes being family.
Why can the church love those outside the church, but fail to love those inside?
The issue comes down to identity. We have forgotten who we are, thus it affects our treatment of each other.
We have forgotten that our battle is not against flesh and blood - Eph. 6:12
How we should treat one another is with love: 1 Corinthians 13
1. Love is patient / love is not frustrated or indifferent
2. Love is kind / love is not mean or vindictive
3. Love is not arrogant / love is humble
4. Love does not seek its own / love serves others
5. Love is not provoked / love sees through the out lash
Galatians 6:9-10 - Treat the household of God well!
Hebrews 10:24-25 - Stir people to life!
1. Remember you and the family of God are royalty. Treat each other as such.
2. The enemy is not people but the spiritual forces of wickedness.
3. Love, encourage, and stir one another to good deeds.
God’s demonstration of His love for you
Romans 5:6-9 - Much More - Even more than being justified, we are saved from the wrath to come.
10 -- Much More than enemies reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.
11 -- The Greek word translated exult is also translated rejoice, boast, glory, and exalt. “Exult” in English means show or feel elation or jubilation, especially as the results of a success.
12 -- Begins to show the relationship of the two Adams that are parallel and the antithesis, counterpart. As one of a pair of gloves is to its mate, corresponding but in reverse, so is Jesus Christ to Adam.
15 -- Much More The result of Adam had a specific ending -- death; however, in Christ much more the result is unending life.
17 -- Much More With Adam death reigned; much more with Christ, we reign in life.
20 -- Finally, Much More (worded a little differently “abounded all the more”) - Sin had increased; now, much, much more grace abounds.
1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 45-49 - As one of a pair of gloves is to its mate, corresponding but in reverse, so is Jesus Christ to Adam.
Since God so abundantly demonstrated to you His love, you should unalterably pursue Him.
Matthew 5:6 - Do not lose the passion, or make a point to regain the passion.
6:33 Seek His Kingdom unendingly; seek His righteousness
7:7-12 Ask, seek, and knock. Do more, much more, like He did for you. Do not lose heart; and if you do, ask Him to revive you.
Deuteronomy 32:3-4 All His ways are just.
Psalm 89:13-14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.
Isaiah 30:18 Yahweh is a God of justice.
Luke 23:13-25 Jesus was interrogated by Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod, and no fault was found.
Jesus was innocent, and Barabbas was guilty. The innocent should be freed, and the guilty be punished, but the opposite happened. Little did anyone understand that the situation with Jesus and Barabbas was a type for all humanity’s redemption.
To understand God’s justice, we must first understand sin.
Romans 6:19 Sin is lawlessness. Matthew 7:23; 13:41-43; 1 John 3:4
Romans 5:10 Sin makes us God’s enemies.
Romans 8:6-8 We were hostile toward God.
Just like Barabbas was insurgent against Rome, we were against God and deserved death by crucifixion. The reason Pilate eventually agreed to crucify Jesus was the people saying he made himself out to be king in the stead of Caesar, basically insurrection, sedition. The Romans punished the insurgent this way so everyone would fear and not rebel. Jesus died for insurrection, and the really guilty one, Barabbas, was freed.
Luke 23:33 When viewed with the other gospels, we understand that 4 others were crucified with Jesus. Luke focuses on these two.
39-43 Again we see a type here, justification through God’s grace, mercy received by the one of faith.
Romans 3:23-31; 5:6-11; 6:1-3 We are justified through Jesus by faith.
Ephesians 6:11-12 Notice the Apostle Paul doesn’t just say “the devil” here, rather he warns about rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and spiritual forces of evil.
Psalm 89:5-7; Job 1:6-7; 38:4-7 According to these verses there are heavenly beings beside God, including the sons of God and Satan
Genesis 6:4; Deuteronomy 4:19-20; 32:7-9; Daniel 10:12-14; 12:1 We can glean a few details about these heavenly beings. God may have assigned these heavenly beings to serve as guardians over the nations.
Psalm 82:1-8 These “gods” did not guide the people aright; instead they showed partiality to the wicked! As a result of this behavior, God will judge them.
1 Corinthians 10:19-21 It could be that the idols of the nations were not merely statues, but physical pointers to powerful spirits.
Ephesians 6:11-12 Regardless of what the backstory is, it is clear that these spiritual powers are real, and we need to take them seriously.
Christ has defeated them through his ministry (John 12:31-33; 14:30-31), crucifixion (1 Corinthians 2:6-8), resurrection (Colossians 2:13-15), and ascension (Ephesians 1:19-23).
Ephesians 2.4-6; Colossians 2:10 We are seated with him in heavenly places, above all rule and authority.
Colossians 3.1-4 This fact should affect how we live, giving us both confidence and victory.
Revelation 20:1-3 The devil was not created evil; rather, according to Ezekiel 28, he was beautiful and blameless, the cherub anointed to cover in Eden. He became evil in the garden. He was lifted up with pride and motivated by jealousy of God.
Genesis 3:14 His fall seems to be simultaneous with Adam’s and Eve’s for after their fall the devil is cursed.
Revelation 12:4 - Sometime between the fall of man and the flood, he convinced 1/3 of the angels to join with him against Yahweh. Revelation 5:11 John’s vision there are myriads of myriads (exceeding great, countless), and thousands...
2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6. Some of these demons were locked in chains awaiting their final judgment in the abyss, the same place the devil will go.
2 Corinthians 11:3-ff The devil tries to deceive us as he did Eve.
Revelation 12:9 He deceives the whole world.
John 10:10 He is the thief that steals, kills, and destroys.
Revelation 12:10 He is the accuser of the brethren.
Ephesians 2:2 He is the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now works within the children of disobedience.
1 Peter 5:8 Our adversary
2 Corinthians 4:4 He is the god of this age, the object of man’s worship.
Ephesians 6:12 Our struggle in life is against him.
5 -- Acts 24:15; Daniel 12:2 Two resurrections (everlasting life or everlasting contempt) separated by 1,000 years
John 5:29 Resurrection of life or resurrection of judgment
Luke 14:14 The first is the resurrection of the righteous - 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
1 Corinthians 15:1-ff Called “the resurrection of the just”
Luke 20:36 The children of God, being the children of the resurrection
Hebrews 11:35 The better resurrection
9 -- During the 1,000 years, many people will be born, and the earth will be repopulated. These people live during a time when the temptations of the devil are nonexistent, so perhaps they (like all those before them) must decide the lordship of Christ when facing evil choices. Apparently, many are deceived.
11-15 -- The second resurrection and final judgments for all those who were not included in the first resurrection including those born in the millennial
The lake of fire is a symbol of eternal destruction, not a literal lake. It is the same as Gehenna, but it is different from hell, which is the common grave of mankind. It occurs five times 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15; 21:8. The following are cast into the lake of fire:
Devil and his angels - Matthew 25:41
Death cannot literally be burned.
Hades or the grave cannot be harmed by literal fire
The beast and false prophet
All the unrighteous
The Lake of fire is a symbol of eternal destruction; it is the second death. The first kind of death mentioned in the Bible resulted from Adam’s sin. This death can be reversed by resurrection and will eventually be eliminated by God --1 Corinthians 15:21, 22, 26. There is no release from the symbolic lake of fire.
2 Thessalonians 1:9 The symbolic lake represents eternal punishment in the form of permanent destruction.
Gehenna (Greek ge'en·na) is mentioned 12 times in the Bible. Like the lake of fire, it is a symbol of eternal destruction. Although some translations render this word as “hell,” Gehenna is different from hell (Hebrew “sheol;” Greek “hades”).
Millennial Kingdom:
ӢJerusalem will be the capital city of the world
Matthew 5:35
Psalms 2:6; 148:1 and 2, 8; Psalm 110:1-3
Isaiah 2:2-4
Jeremiah 3:14-18
Micah 4:1-8
Zechariah 14:8 and 9
ӢThe Messiah will rule over a re-gathered Israel
The nation of Israel will come back to their land
Jeremiah 3:14, 18; 23:5-8
Ezekiel 39:25-29
ӢDavid will rule as vice-regent over Israel
Hosea 3:4 and 5
Isaiah 55:3 and 4
Jeremiah 30:3, 7-9
Ezekiel 34:23-34; 37:24 and 25
ӢThe twelve apostles will judge the twelve tribes of Israel
Isaiah 1:26 and 27
Psalm 122:5
Matthew 19:28
Luke 22:24-30
Matthew 20:20-28 Servant leaders
ӢAll the saints will reign with Christ as kings and
priests on the earth
Revelation 1:5 and 6; 2:26 and 27; 3:21; 5:9 and 10; 20:4-6
1 Corinthians 6:2
2 Timothy 2:12
Psalm 149:5-9
Daniel 7:18, 22, 27
Luke 19:11-17
ӢThere will be a rule of law; judgment in righteousness, equity, and justice
Isaiah 16:5
Psalms 96:10; 98:1-9
Isaiah 2:3-5; 11:1-5; 26:4-9; 42:4; 51:4, 7
Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15
Ezekiel 45:9 and 10
Micah 4:2 and 3
Those that rule during the millennial Kingdom will not be as the corrupt leaders or politicians of today. In that day, those that reign will be righteous rulers.
Isaiah 32:1 and 2
ӢThere will be learning and understanding of God in all the earth
Isaiah 11:9; 26:9;
Isaiah 2:3 This could possibly be part of the responsibility of the priests in the millennial Kingdom. During the time of restoration, the priest Ezra taught the people distinctly and caused them to understand the Law (Nehemiah 8:1-8).
Isaiah 29:24; 32:4
Jeremiah 3:15; 23:1-4
Habakkuk 2:14
ӢThere will be peace and safety in the earth
Psalms 46:9; 85:6-13; 122:6-8
Isaiah 9:6 and 7; 32:1, 16-18; 54:13 and 14; 60:17 and 18, 21; 65:21-23; 66:10-13
Jeremiah 23:5-8; 31:23-26
Ezekiel 28:24-26; 34:25-28
Hosea 2:18
Micah 5:2-5, 10-15 Witchcraft and idolatry will be destroyed
ӢThere will be deliverance for the poor and needy
Psalm 72:2, 4, 12, 14
Isaiah 11:3 and 4; 29:17-19; 35:1-10
Ezekiel 45:9 and 10
Jeremiah 33:6
ӢThere will be joy, rejoicing, and singing
Psalms 47:1-9; 67:1-7; 96:9-13; 98:1-9
Proverbs 29:2
Isaiah 12:1-6; 25:6-9; 26:1-4, 19; 35:10; 42:10-12; 51:3, 11; 52:8 and 9; 61:3, 7, 10, 11
Jeremiah 30:18 and 19; 33:7-11
Zechariah 2:10-12
Matthew 25:1-13 Parable of the Virgins: Don’t fool yourself into thinking you’re ready when you’re not.
V1 “Kingdom of heaven” is confusing for us, but rather than thinking of a triple-decker afterlife geography, think of a three-part timeline
“Kingdom of heaven” occurs 32 times (only in the Gospel of Matthew)
“Kingdom of heaven” = “kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23-24)
Prophecies about God’s Kingdom: Isaiah 35:1-2; Amos 9:13; Isaiah 2:4; Micah 4:6-7; Zephaniah 3:17-19
Matthew 19:28
Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
Matthew 25:14-30 Parable of the Talents: Don’t sit on your salvation, but use your talents for God.
- 1 talent = 6,000 drachmas = 16.44 years of labor
- median* USA salary in 2016 was $30,533.31
- 1 talent = $500,000 ($501,967.62)
- 2 talents = $1 million ($1,003,935.23)
- 5 talents = $2.5 million ($2,509,838.08)
*According to the Social Security Administration (Average and Median Amounts of Net Compensation) ssa.gov/OACT/COLA/central.html
Whatever your ability, are you using it to serve the Lord?
Matthew 25:31-46 Judgment of the Sheep and the Goats: Jesus takes it personally how people treat his followers, especially the poor.
This is not so much a parable as it is a prophecy about the end. (See also Matthew 7:21-23; 24:29-31.)
Genesis 14:18 - Jerusalem was first named “Salem,” later “Jebus.”
Salem means “peaceful;” Jerusalem means “city of peace.”
Melchizedek means “king of righteousness” or “righteous king.”
Jesus, at the last super, connected bread and wine with his accomplishments on the cross.
During its long history, Jerusalem has been destroyed twice, besieged 23 times, attacked 52 times, and captured and recaptured 44 times.
Some of the biblical names Jerusalem has been called or will be called:
Zion - Isaiah 12:6; 52:1
The city of David - 2 Sam. 6:12
The city of the great king - Matt. 5:35
The holy city - Isa. 48:2; 52:1; Matt. 4:5
The city of God - Ps. 46:4; 48:1, 8; 87:3
The city of Yahweh - Isaiah 60:14
The city of Yahweh of hosts - Ps. 48:8
The city of righteousness - Isa. 1:26
The holy mountain - Psalm 2:6; 48:1; Isaiah 83; Zechariah 8:3
The city of truth - Zechariah 8:3
The perfection of beauty - Lamentations 2:15
The joy of the whole earth - Lamentations 2:15
The Lord our righteousness - Jeremiah 33:16
The Yahweh is there - Ezek. 48:35
The throne of Yahweh - Jeremiah 3:17
Ariel, the hearth of God - Isa. 29:1
December 6, 2017, the United States officially acknowledged Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and plans to move our embassy there. This decision has caused great turmoil.
December 22, 2017, the UN General Assembly voted to condemn President Trump’s decision to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
What happens in Jerusalem is spiritual, at times influenced by Yahweh and at times by Satan.
Exodus 15:17 and 18 - The mountain of Your inheritance; the place Yahweh made for His dwelling
Deuteronomy 12:5, 6, 10, 11, and 26 - Before Israel entered the Promised Land, God told them about the place but did not identify the specific location.
15:19 and 20 - The firstling offering was to be eaten at this place.
16:2, 6 - The Passover was to be sacrificed in this place.
16:11 - People of Israel were to rejoice before God at this place.
16:16 - The three major feasts were to be kept in this place.
17:8 and 9 - High priest’s judgments were to be done at this place.
18:6 - The priests and Levites would minister out from this place.
31:10-12 - Every seven years, the Law was to be read to all Israel from Joshua 10:1. (Adoni-Zedek means “Lord of righteousness.”)
5 - Gibeon had to be punished to prevent any further defections to Israel and to eliminate the threat of their siding with Israel in time of war.
10 - Divine intervention and human efforts worked hand in hand.
11 - When God intervened on behalf of His people with large hailstones, the accomplishments of Israel’s army were dwarfed by comparison. Yahweh won the victory, not the people.
13 - The book of Jashar is also mention in 2 Samuel 1:18.
21 - Israel suffered no casualties.
24 - Feet to the neck, Psalm 110. This practice was widespread in ancient times, and it is pictured in the paintings and reliefs of Egypt and Assyria.
26 - The king of Jerusalem would again be hung on a tree with four others, Jesus, the two malefactors and the two thieves.
Joshua 15:63; Judges 1:19-21 - The Jebusites continued to inhabit Jerusalem even after the King was killed, and all the area around the city was conquered by Israel.
Luke 19:41-44 - Jesus wept over Jerusalem.
Luke 1:26-35 Mary and the angel
Son of David -- Isaiah 16:5; Jeremiah 23:5 and 6; Ezekiel 34:23 and 24; 37:24 and 25; and Amos 9:11
Luke 1:36-55 Mary and Elisabeth
Matthew 1:18-25 Mary and Joseph
Luke 2:1-18 Birth of Jesus Christ
Luke 2:21-38 Simeon and Anna
Matthew 2:1-18 Magi
Matthew 2:17 and 18 Jesus to Egypt
Luke 1:31-33
His name shall be Jesus. Matthew 1:21; Luke 2:21
He shall be great. Ephesians 1:20-23; Philippians 2:9-11; Revelation 5:12
Called the Son of the Highest - John 1:49; 3:18
Given the throne of his father David - Isaiah 9:7
Reign over the house of Jacob
His kingdom shall not end. Daniel 2:44; 7:14 and 27
Birth Prophecies
Matthew 1:23 Virgin shall be with child -- Isaiah 7:14
Matthew 2:6 Bethlehem - Micah 5:2
Matthew 2:15 Out of Egypt - Hosea 11:1
Matthew 2:18 Herod’s murderous response - Jeremiah 31:15
Rabbi: my lord, or my master; title of honor, generally associated with a master of the Torah...The master of Torah, whether disciple or teacher, would demonstrate his mastery not merely through what he said in the discussion of legal traditions or what he did in court but also by how he sat at the table, by what ritual formulas he recited before eating one or another kind of fruit or vegetable, by how he washed his hands, and so on--by performing all mundane acts according to “Torah.”...Long ago, it was taught that the master took the place of the father. The father brought the son into this world; the master would lead him into the world to come. (Dictionary of Judaism in the Biblical Period p. 516)
In what follows we will consider three of Jesus’ teachings on the subjects of authenticity, humility, and love.
Authenticity
Matthew 6:1-18 Jesus teaches us to do righteous deeds for God rather than for people. Then he provides three examples to illustrate what he means:
1. Matthew 6:2-4 giving
2. Matthew 6:5-15 prayer
3. Matthew 6:16-18 fasting
Humility
Mark 9:33-37; 10:13-16, 35-45 The disciples argue about who is the greatest, but Jesus teaches them the first must be the servant of all. In another incident he explains that the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like children.
Love
Mark 12:29-34 The greatest commandment is to know and love God with everything. The second is to love your neighbor as yourself. The key then, is to remove the focus from yourself and put it on others.
John 8.31-32 “So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ”˜If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
Are you truly his disciple?
Jesus Christ is the head.
1. The head, the cornerstone upon which everything is built
2. The head, the leader, chief in position and authority
3. The head, the one in charge to whom others submit
4. The head of the body providing nourishment, guidance, and direction to the individual members
The head, the cornerstone
Ephesians 2:20
having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone,
The cornerstone (or foundation stone or setting stone) is the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation. This is important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure.
Matthew 21:42-45; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17-18; Ps 118:22-23; Acts 4:11-12; 1 Peter 2:4-8; Isaiah 28:16; Luke 6:46-49
The head, the leader, chief in position and authority
At the right hand of God, Jesus has been placed as head over all power and authority.
Matthew 28:18-20; Colossians 1:15-20; 2:10; Ephesians 1:19-23; 2:13-22
The head, the one in charge to whom others submit
Ephesians 5:22-24, 31-32 -- Two become “one flesh” -- “one body”. This is a great mystery (a reference to Christ and the church). Romans 6:12-18; 7:1-6
The head of the body provides nourishment, guidance, and direction to the individual members.
Romans 12:4-5
1 Corinthians 12:11-27 -- Through the one and same spirit
Ephesians 5:15-16 (verses 17-32 - “...if you have heard him and have been taught in him”)
Colossians 2:18-19 (verses 20-23; 3:1-17)
1. God’s Wisdom in Gratitude
1 Thessalonians 5.18; Ephesians 5.4; Colossians 3.15 God actually commands us to be thankful. God didn’t go on and on expounding all the benefits of gratitude; he just “do this”--that is--“be thankful.”
2. Thankful for the Basics
1 Timothy 6.6-8 We need to thank God for the basics. So long as we have food and clothing, let's be content.
3. Thankful for the Family of God
1 Corinthians 12.12-27 In the family of God we support one another, giving care to the member who is suffering and rejoicing alongside the one who is celebrating.
4. Thankful for God’s Attention
Matthew 10.29-31; 6.25-26 God’s so immense, intelligent, powerful. He even created the shovel snouted lizard, and yet he cares for each of us individually.
5. Thankful for the Cross
1 John 4.8-12; John 3.16; When you were lost without hope, without God, by nature following the course of this age, influenced by the prince of the power of the air, full of disobedience, living out the passions of your flesh, carrying out the desires of the body, by nature a child of wrath like the rest of humanity, then God showed us his love by sending his son.
1 Corinthians 11.23-28
God’s commandments are to be obeyed. A commandment is not a suggestion. Throughout the Scriptures, God told His people to obey His commandments.
Deuteronomy 27:10
You shall therefore obey the LORD your God, and do His commandments and His statutes which I command you today.
A person is blessed when he obeys God’s commands.
Deuteronomy 28:1-2; Jeremiah 7:23
However, cursing will come upon a person who is disobedient. Deuteronomy 28:15
Samuel compared disobedience to the sin of divination or witchcraft, iniquity, and idolatry.
1 Samuel 15:22-23a
Being subordinate to another, to be told to obey, is not vogue. It is not always looked on fondly in our society. Human beings are prone to rebellion of authority, rules, regulations, and ordinances. God’s people, the nation of Israel, often times rejected God’s commandments. Jeremiah 7:24-26
In the book of Hebrews, God calls this pattern of disobedience an “evil heart of unbelief.”
Hebrews 3:12 (KJV)
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
However, in Scripture, when God gave commandment for His people, He never forced them to obey. Mankind has always had the free will to choose. Obedience to God’s commands is never to be burdensome, but rather the motivation for obedience should always be a response of love. The first great commandment is not to “obey,” but it is to “love.” Matthew 22:37-38
Jesus said, if we love him, we will keep his commandments. John 14:15, 21, 23-24
The way you show your love for another is not through vain words or self-centeredness, but rather loving actions of submission and obedience speak louder than anything you might say.
“Don’t tell me that you love me; show me.”
So, too, we express our love for God and for Jesus through loving obedience. 1 John 2:3-6
Do you find it difficult to obey God’s commands? Do you feel as though your Christian walk is draining, difficult, and burdensome? If so, your issue is not an obedience problem, but rather you have a love problem.
John 4:19
We love, because He first loved us.
Psalm 119 -- If you find it difficult to be obedient, try praying some of these prayers from the psalmist. Seek God, and ask Him to change your heart.
Ten Ways We Know God Has Inspired the Scriptures
1. The Bible claims it (Matthew 1:22-23; Mark 12:36; Acts 1:16; 3:18; 4:25; 28:25-26; Hebrews 3:7; 10:15-17; 2 Timothy 3:16; 2 Peter 1:16-21; Revelation 1:1-2)
2. Predictive prophecy
3. Unflattering honesty
4. Health insights
5. Martyrdom
6. Archeology
7. Earmarks of eyewitnesses
8. Historicity of the resurrection
9. Incredible preservation
10. Changed lives
John 14:26, 15:26 The spirit bears witness about Jesus and brings to remembrance what he said.
Engaging the Bible’s Six Major Sections
Old Testament
1. History of Israel (Genesis-Esther): how God deals with His people (positive and negative examples), God’s just laws
2. Poetry (Job-Song of Solomon): prayer examples, wisdom, virtues, dealing with suffering, romance
3. Prophecy (Isaiah-Malachi): an insider look at how God feels about His people’s deeds as well as His future plans
New Testament
4. History of Jesus &Followers (Matthew-Acts): pay close attention to teachings and Jesus’ example, also disciples
5. Epistles (Romans-3 John): understand Christ’s accomplishments; think and behave as a believer in Christ.
6. Prophecy (Revelation): unveiling of heavenly realities, assessment of churches, encouragement, how this age ends and the next begins
Ways of Reading Scripture
1. From start to finish (discovery)
2. Studying a topic (Kingdom of God)
3. Going in depth in one book (Romans)
4. Meditation (Psalms/Proverbs)
5. Visualization (Gospels)
Matthew 15:21-28
Jesus left Israel and traveled to a Gentile country. This is the only record of him leaving the country of Israel during his ministry. It is contrary to what he taught his disciples (Matthew 10:5-6). This woman was a Gentile (Mark 7:26). Why did Jesus travel here and heal this woman’s daughter when he knew that he “was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel?”
Jesus was not doing his own work, but rather he was joining the Father doing His work (John 5:17, 30).
What is the work of God? John 6:29, John 3:16, 2 Peter 3:9, 1 Tim 2:4
The promise of salvation is to every person in the world. All men are invited to join into God’s plan of salvation (Romans 10:9). This is where it begins. The Love of God draws men to himself (Jer 31:3).
We now can join in the work of God, just as Jesus joined the Father’s work (John 17:18; Phil 2:13-16).
The love of Christ compels us to no longer live for ourselves, but rather to now live for him. John 14:21, 23; 15:9-10; 2 Cor 5:14-15; Gal 2:20
How do you recognize an invitation to join in God’s Work? John 5:19-20, 30; 15:5
Jesus watched and listened to understand where the Father was working.
John 4:3-42
Jesus observed what the Father was doing, and he joined in the Father’s work. “Lift up your eyes and look on the fields, that they are white for harvest”.
Acts 17:14-34
Paul “observed” the city. His “spirit provoked” him, and he began speaking in the synagogue and in the marketplace “with those who happened to be present.” In the end of this record, one of those who believed was Dionysius “the Areopagite” (meaning he was a member of the court of the Aeropagus). Who set this up so that Paul could reach Dionysius?
Was this something Paul devised, or was this God at work in the city of Athens?
Paul simply joined in God’s work, as he observed the world around him and listened to the working of the spirit.
Acts 18:1-3
Paul’s ministry in Corinth began with Paul joining up with a Jewish couple, Aquila and Priscilla, because they were of the same trade. He worked with them.
Why do you live where you live and work where you work?
Do you believe that God had any influence on these areas of your life? If so, why?
Is it strictly for your benefit, or could it be part of God’s plan?
Open your eyes, and watch to see where you can join in His work.
