Sermons

God’s Pattern For Faithfulness In Ministry faithful: 1. Of persons, their actions, etc. : Full of or characterized by faith; believing. 2. Firm in fidelity or allegiance to a person to whom one is bound by any tie; constant, loyal, true. faithfulness: The quality of being faithful; a. Fidelity, loyalty [to a superior or friend]; trustworthiness, conscientiousness. b. Strict adherence to one’s pledged word; honesty, sincerity. I. To what or whom are ministers to be f...

V. HAG 2:1-9. A. All the prophets gave witness of the Lord Jesus Christ and the days of the setting up of His spiritual kingdom. ACT 10:43; 3:24. B. Haggai here points the Jews to Messiah's coming and a superior glory for the house of God in order to console and animate them in their work. C. v. 2 c/w HAG 1:12. “The encouragements here are sent to the same persons to whom the reproofs in the foregoing chapter are directed; for those that are wounde...

K. With the bestowal of the office comes the right and responsibility to make specific requirements of a church. ROM 16:17; 1CO 5:11-13; 11:2; 14:40; 2CO 2:6-7; 1TI 1:3; 4:11; 5:7; 6:17; 2TI 2:14; 4:1-2. 1. A minister must command the keeping of apostolic order. 2TH 3:6-10. 2. An example of this is the command to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together (HEB 10:25). Thus, a minister has the authority and duty to regulate and enforce this issue...

IV. HAG 1:12-15. A. Haggai's rebuke was met with a proper response: church leaders and church members united against error because they believed the rebuke was from God. v. 12 c/w 1TH 2:13-14. 1. Rebukes from God should yield our rebuke of our lusts and sins. JOB 34:31-32; 42:6 c/w ROM 6:21. 2. As God promised the remnant who would repent that He would in turn “...rebuke the devourer for your sakes.....

Matthew 7:1-5 A. Jesus here gives instruction concerning judgment. 1. judge: To form an opinion about; to pronounce an opinion upon, to criticize; esp. to pronounce an adverse opinion upon, to condemn. See LUK 6:37. 2. This portion of Scripture is often wrested to mean that it is never proper to judge (criticize, condemn) another's doctrine, practice or conduct. 3. If the Lord Jesus is here teaching that cri...

G. The authority which God gives to rulers of churches is not to be used to destroy the churches, but build them up. 2CO 10:8; 13:10. 1. Ministerial authority may be abused by forbidding scrutiny or challenge. JOH 9:34; ACT 4:17-18 ct/w ACT 17:11; NUM 16:5. 2. Ministerial authority may be abused by taking away the key of knowledge by dereliction of duty, faulty hermeneutic, substituting traditions of men for the word of God, or casting doubt on...

3. When the heart by penitent conversion becomes an active temple unto God, it is a festive moment in earth and heaven. ACT 8:35-39; 16:34; LUK 15:10, 32. a. The body of a saint is God’s temple to be kept clean. 1CO 6:18-20. b. Conversion begins with belief in the heart. ACT 8:37; ROM 10:9-10. c. Obedience should be from the heart. ROM 6:17; EPH 6:6. d. Christ dwe...

Our God I. Consider some philosophical arguments for the existence of God. A. The argument from motion. 1. Anything that is moved is moved by some other thing. 2. To move is nothing else but drawing something from potentiality to actuality. 3. Nothing can be brought from potentiality into actuality except by something that is itself in actuality. 4. It is impossible that ...

Haggai I. Haggai is a small book of a minor prophet but “...who hath despised the day of small things?” (ZEC 4:10). c/w MIC 5:2; LUK 12:32. A. Even jots, tittles and least commandments are important. MAT 5:18-19. B. This small scripture is for our learning, patience, comfort and hope. ROM 15:4. C. Haggai did have a tag-team partner since sometimes two are better than one. EZR 5:1; EXO 4:14-15; ECC 4:9-11; MAR...

The Trinity trinity: The state of being threefold, threefoldness, threeness. Specifically in theological use: applied to the existence of one God in three persons. I. The doctrine of the Trinity affirms that there is only one Supreme Being or God, Who exists in three Persons in undivided essence. Each of the three Persons: the Father, the Word/Son, and the Holy Ghost/Spirit is equally and wholly the one and only God. II. Some believe...

Matthew 6:10 A. Jesus taught us to pray that the Father’s kingdom come. c/w v. 9. 1. kingdom: Kingly function, authority, or power; sovereignty, supreme rule; the position or rank of a king, kingship. trans. and fig. The spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ, or the sphere over which this extends, in heaven or on earth; the spiritual state of which God is the head. 2. This involves the concept of Go...

IX. The local church is basically part of a monarchy, but no man on earth is its king. The Head or King of the church is Jesus Christ, who rules from a throne in heaven. A. Christ is the head of the church which is His kingdom. Head = king. EPH 1:22 c/w 1SAM 15:17. 1. His royal sceptre is righteousness. HEB 1:8. 2. His crown is glory and honor. HEB 2:9. 3. His throne is of grace. HEB 4:16. 4. His author...

Let Not Your Heart Be Troubled (John 14:1) I. Christ’s words to His disciples (JOH 14:1) were not a suggestion but an order. A. He had told them of some uncomfortable issues upcoming and that He would not be there personally for them. So sorrow had filled their hearts. JOH 16:1-6. B. They might not find much peace in their environment but they could find it in Him. JOH 16:33...

Scripture, Tradition, Final Authority I. tradition: The action of handing over (something material) to another; delivery, transfer. (Chiefly in Law.). Delivery, esp. oral delivery, of information or instruction. An ordinance or institution orally delivered. II. An important distinctive of Roman Catholicism is its position on final authority. A. It does not hold that the truth of Scripture is the final authority but rather that the Church is ...

E. It should be noted here that once a child of God has been properly baptized into a local church, he need not be re-baptized if he should seek membership in another legitimate N.T. church. 1. His baptism has shown he has a part in the redemptive and regenerative work of the Lord Jesus Christ. a. Baptism requires faith in Christ and repentance. b. Penitent believers have a regenerated nature, everlasting lif...

Redemption I. Definitions. A. redemption: Deliverance from sin and its consequences by the atonement of Jesus Christ. B. redeem: To buy back (a thing formerly possessed); to make payment for (a thing held or claimed by another); to ransom, liberate, free (a person) from bondage, captivity, or punishment; to save (one's life) by paying a ransom. II. The gospel is the good news of what Christ HA...

Concerning The Last Days I. We have been in the last days since Christ’s first advent. HEB 1:1-2; 1JO 2:18. A. There was a fulness of time pegged to John and Christ’s ministries. GAL 4:4-5; MAR 1:15. B. The last days/time will conclude with the last day and the last trumpet when Christ comes to raise the dead and finish the mystery. JOH 6:39-40, 44, 54; 1TH 4:14-17; 1CO 15:51-52. II. The general tren...

The Unity of the Church I. The members of the church are declared to be one in Christ. 1CO 10:17; GAL 3:27-28. A. The Corinthians were declared to be one in Christ even though in practice they were quite divided. 1CO 3:3; 1CO 11:18. B. The Spirit of God joins baptized believers into one body. 1CO 12:12-13. C. The members of the church have the things listed in EPH 4:4-6 in common. These things unite them. ...

Knowing God I. In the midst of Athens’ idolatry was “...an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD...” (ACT 17:23). A. It is not that God is unknowable, but unknown to those in ignorance. Paul then declared the true God unto them in succinct fashion. ACT 17:24-31. B. God can be known. JER 9:24. C. The ability to know Him is life eternal. JOH 17:3 ct/w 2TH 1:7-8. II. The knowledge of Go...

VII. Consider the nature and structure of the N.T. gospel church. A. The local church is the house of God. 1TI 3:15. B. It is a spiritual house. 1PE 2:5. 1. This house of Peter's first epistle is the church. 2. Instruction is given for the management of church gifts. 1PE 4:10-11 c/w 1CO 12:28. 3. Warning is given concerning the primary focus of the judgments of God, the realizati...

4. reformation: Restoration (of peace). 2. Improvement in form or quality; alteration to a better form; correction or removal of defects or errors; †reparation, rebuilding. a. Christ put us back into peaceful relations with God. COL 1:20. b. His sacrifice took away the enmity that separated both Jew and Gentile from God, making a new form of church possible. EPH 2:15-16. c. The event of Calvary made way for the process of improvement. Without ...

VI. The concept of a church/congregation in this world for the glory and service of God did not start in the book of Acts. God has had a visible church/congregation in this world ever since the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt (EXO 16:1-2 c/w ACT 7:38). That church under the Sinaitic Covenant would also be His nation and kingdom on earth. EXO 19:5-6. A. Remember that the word “church” is “the naturalized equivalent of Latin ecclesia.” 1. ecclesia:...

VII. Young Christian ladies, in looking for love, dare not forget their first love: God. REV 2:4; MAT 22:36-37. A. Remember Paul’s warning about the tendency of younger widows who displace Christ from His place in their hearts. 1TI 5:11-12. B. If we covet anything more than God we have made that an idol. COL 3:5. 1. Do you covet a relationship more than God? 2. Do you covet a particular person more than God? ...

K. The local church is the body of Christ into which one is baptized by the Spirit. 1CO 12:13, 27. 1. Each local church is the body and there are many churches, thus, many bodies. 2. This is not contradicted by EPH 4:4 which refers to one in kind, not in number. a. Paul is emphasizing that there are not diverse camps for Jew and Gentile. EPH 4:4-6; 2:14-16 c/w 1CO 12:13. b. ...

B. The 144,000 are sealed in their foreheads with the Father's name. REV 14:1; 22:3-4. C. The 144,000 are sealed of all the tribes of Israel. REV 7:4-8. 1. In this enumeration of the tribes, the tribes of Dan and Ephraim are missing. a. The enumeration of twelve is made up by adding the tribe of Levi and the tribe of Joseph, the father of Manasseh. b. This is not an historical ...

The 144,000 (Revelation 7) I. The content of this chapter is to be understood in connection with the sixth seal which had just been opened. REV 6:12-17. II. This chapter is a description of the redeemed in glory, the full gathering/assembly of the elect. A. The language is in the style of prophecy: terms which are a sign or symbol of something. c/w REV 1:1. ...

J. Intimately connected with church discipline is the keeping of the Lord's Supper or communion. Notice that in the instructions for discipline in the church is also a warning against eating a particular feast until a known offender has been purged out (1CO 5:6-11). This feast is of course the N.T. passover kept in commemoration of the sacrifice of Christ which delivered His people, not out of Egypt but out of hell (v. 7), which later in the same epistle is dealt with ...

Jesus Christ, The Cure For Sin I. We often have noted that sinful man is totally depraved, unwilling and unable to produce good unto eternal salvation. ROM 3:9-19; PSA 39:5. A. Sin is present in conception and gestation. PSA 51:5. B. Sin is present at birth. PSA 58:3. C. Sin is present in youth. GEN 8:21. D. Sin is present in all. ECC 7:20; 1JO 1:8. E. Sin is the reigning principle of Adamic man...

Communication Pastor Chad Wagner PastorWagner.com/sermons/communication/ I. Definitions 1. Communication n. – 1. The action of communicating or imparting. Now rare of things material, except as the vehicles of information: e.g. of a letter, a paper to a society, an article to a magazine, etc. 2. spec. The imparting, conveying, or exchange of ideas, ...

King Hezekiah A. King Hezekiah’s record is in 2KI 18-20; 2CH 29-32; ISA 36-39. B. Because of the apostasy of Judah and their wicked king, Ahaz, God would allow the Assyrians to oppress the land. ISA 7:17-20. C. Fortunately for Judah, a righteous king (Hezekiah) succeeded Ahaz. 1. Hezekiah's priorities were ordered correctly. He viewed sin as the nation’s ruin and repentance and true religion as its salv...

5. A disciple must be willing to submit to the judgment of the church when it acts within the framework of its delegated authority. MAT 18:15-18. a. MAT 18:15-18 is Christ’s directive for dealing with perceived faults between brethren. It is not a formula for dealing with crimes against the law of God which demand separation from the offender even if he concedes or admits his error. ct/w 1CO 5:9-13. b. This responsibility of godly ju...

The Church I. This study sets forth what Scripture declares about “the church” and considers such things as: A. What is the church? B. What is its origin? C. What is its purpose? D. Is it a unique entity or merely another organization or association? E. How is it constructed? F. How is it governed? G. What are its responsibilities? H. What is its f...

Guidance For Young Ladies I. This message is for the encouragement and direction of young ladies, particularly believers. A. Some of this information will have relevance to young men also, particularly believers. B. This should also benefit parents in guiding their maturing children to good decisions. II. As the minister of Jesus Christ, I am mindful of the fact that He ministered to young and old, male and female. MAT 19:13...

Proof For The Canon I. The ultimate authority which validates Scripture is the Scripture itself. A. The internal consistency of its component parts and its grand message, Jesus Christ, are undeniable. A single spirit prevails throughout. REV 19:10. B. Scripture bears the character and qualities of the God it reveals: majesty, power, wisdom, knowledge beyond our ability to comprehend, holiness, purity, beauty, ...

The Worth Of Christ And His Kingdom I. worth: The relative value of a thing in respect of its qualities or of the estimation in which it is held. II. Some thoughts on worth: A. It is subjective, according to the individual’s value system. B. The subjective nature of high worth is a “tell” of one’s heart. MAT 6:21. C. Something may have universal high worth, like life or health. JOB 2:4. D. Whatever one trades...

God’s Mighty Power To Us A. Paul prayed that believers might know the exceeding greatness of the power that is available to them. EPH 1:16-20. 1. This will assure us that we are on the winning side. 2. This will counter a defeatist attitude and a victim mentality. 3. This will breed the mindset needed to withstand Satan's attacks and to obey God. EPH 6:10-11; PHIL 4:13. 4. This power exceeds the p...

22: The Caliber of Canon A. The Bible was originally written in Hebrew which has a 22-letter alphabet. Note the sections of PSA 119. B. The Hebrew alphabet morphed into the Phoenician alphabet which morphed into the Greek alphabet which morphed into the Latin alphabet which is essentially what we use in English. C. The O.T. tabernacle was illuminated with a candlestick that consisted of seven lamps fixed on six branches and a central shaft....

vs. 11-18. 1. Paul here sums up his letter with doctrinal and personal details. A. He notes two personal details which served to validate his ministry and gospel: he wrote the letter himself and bore the marks of suffering for what it represented. vs. 11, 17. B. In this he was as his Lord Jesus Who is validated by His writings and sufferings. LUK 24:39-48 c/w REV 19:10. 2. “Ye see how large a letter I have written unto you with mine own ha...

vs. 6-10. 1. From “...every man shall bear his own burden” (v. 5), Paul notes an aspect of ministry in v. 6. A. Gospel ministers are burdened with the word of the Lord Who expects them to bear it or else. MAL 1:1 c/w 1CO 9:16-17. (1) Preachers are to heed their own ministry they have received of the Lord. COL 4:17 c/w 2CO 10:13-16; ROM 15:15-21. (2) Paul (and Barnabas) was particularly called to the Gentil...

Homosexuality I. homosexual: Pertaining to or characterized by sexual propensity for one's own sex. Also, sb. one who has such a propensity. II. Observations. A. Same-sex intercourse is practically as old as the human race. B. Certain cultures throughout history have glorified it. C. In Western culture, homosexuality has historically been viewed as aberrant or deviant behavior. ...

Law To Gospel 1. The Law, though good, could not save us. It could direct our motions but could not cure our corrupted nature of spiritual death. ROM 7:14; GAL 3:21. 2. “...by the law is the knowledge of sin” (ROM 3:20). 3. The Old Testament, the law, precedes the New Testament, the gospel. 4. The order of Romans is to first reveal the wrath of God against the sin of man before expounding in detail God's grace. 5. It is...

The Four Classes of Israel of Romans 9-11 A. In ROM 11:26, Paul says, “And so all Israel shall be saved...” Compare this with ISA 45:17, 25. 1. Some have concluded that the totality of the nation of Israel, or the totality of the posterity of Abraham will be unfailingly everlastingly saved. 2. Based upon texts like ISA 45:17, 25 the statements of Jesus of Nazareth would have been quite offensive to the Jews of His day...

Chapter 6. vs. 1-5. 1. Paul gives further instruction about Christian living as members of the church. A. He still calls them brethren. v. 1 c/w GAL 1:11; 3:15; 4:12, 28, 31; 5:11, 13; 6:18. B. Some were spiritual (v. 1) and were accordingly tasked with restoring someone in a fault. (1) The spiritually-minded will do this moreso than the carnally-minded whose judgment is lacking. Carnal minds will not readily concede the Holy S...

Hebrews 5:1-9 A. As Paul was setting forth the superiority of Jesus Christ over all things in heaven and earth, he had impressed upon the Hebrew Christians “...the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, Christ Jesus” (HEB 3:1). 1. He is a great high priest Who intercedes in heaven, not on earth. HEB 4:14. 2. He is the Son of God, not a son of Aaron. HEB 4:14. 3. He was without sin (HEB 4:15), and having borne o...

vs. 19-26. 1. Paul continues his theme of “spirit v. flesh” by laying out plainly things which are the works of the flesh and things which are the fruit of the Spirit. A. These details highlight the fact that Christ’s kingdom is a spiritual kingdom not of this world. JOH 18:36; LUK 17:20-21. B. The fruit of the Spirit is expected in the kingdom of God and is actually part of the inheritance. (1) They accord...

Forward and Backward I. The Christian walk should be positive, forward, drawing closer to conformity to Jesus Christ. This is a charge of the ministry. EPH 4:12-13. A. We are to walk in newness of life. ROM 6:4. B. We should put off the old man and put on the new. COL 3:9-10. C. We should follow light, not darkness. 1TH 5:4-8. D. We should grow in grace and the knowledge of Jesus Christ. 2PE 3:18; P...

Drawing I. Definitions. A. draw: trans. To cause (anything) to move toward oneself by the application of force; to pull. B. drawn: Moved by traction; dragged, hauled, pulled; attracted; extracted; protracted; strained, stretched, made thin by tension. II. The account of the woman at the well of Samaria provides an insight into God’s saving of sinners unto Himself. JOH 4:1-26. ...

Boundaries I. boundary: That which serves to indicate the bounds or limits of anything whether material or immaterial; also the limit itself. II. Legitimate boundaries are everywhere and to be respected. A. God Himself is bound by His being. 1. He is God in Three Persons, no more nor less. 1JO 5:7. 2. He cannot die, lie or deny Himself. 1TI 1:17; TIT 1:2; 2TI 2:13. B. It was...

Numbers 19:17-22 A. This entire chapter deals with the preparation and application of a purifying water of separation which was infused with the ashes of a pure red heifer and kept. 1. It was “...a purification for sin” (v. 9). 2. It particularly cleansed away defilement from contact with dead persons and associated things. c/w NUM 31:21-23. 3. Paul gives the best explanation of this by relating it to the s...

vs. 13-18. 1. The thrust of this chapter now shifts from the doctrinal error and implications of law-works justification to the practice of Christian living by and according to the Spirit. A. The basis for spiritual living in Christ is first being born of the Spirit. JOH 3:5-8. (1) This is the work of God, not sinful flesh. JOH 6:63; TIT 3:5. a. Natural generation is the principle of biogenesis: life from life. ...

Galatians 4:27 A. GAL 4:27 is a difficult text to properly interpret, especially if one does not heed basic rules of Bible study like word definitions, comparative analysis, context, etc. 1. What is the relevance of this verse relative to the main theme of Galatians (justification)? 2. Who is “the desolate?” 3. Who is “she which hath an husband?” B. Many commentators consider this verse to be descriptive of the gre...

* Editor's note: the audio quality is poor in some spots due to apparent issues with the microphone. In most cases it is just a brief interruption. There is one case that lasted for 20-30 seconds where there was essentially no audio. This segment was removed from the recording.

Peace (ISA 52:7) How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, t...

vs. 7-12. 1. Paul here addresses unnamed troublers. GAL 5:7, 10, 12. A. When church troublers are identified, they should be marked, named. ROM 16:17; 2TH 3:14; 2TI 2:16-18. (1) The only named “problem children” in this epistle were Peter and Barnabas who needed a friendly reproof in another situation. GAL 2:11-14. (2) Even in that case, the underlying problem was the influential portion of “the ...

The Daughters of Zelophehad A. Zelophehad was of the tribe of Manasseh, and had no sons. NUM 26:33-34. 1. The promised inheritance of Canaan was divided by lot among the tribes of Israel. a. The tribal lands were basically provinces of the kingdom to be preserved as such in each tribe. b. The family name was to be perpetuated in estates. NUM 26:52-56. 2. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and ...

Chapter 5. vs. 1-6. 1. The conjunctive adverb, “therefore,” ties this concluding order with what has been previously expressed. v. 1. A. In their Gentile superstitions before conversion, they were in bondage to weak and beggarly elements of the world even as others (GAL 4:3, 9) and a reversion to that bondage implied the preeminence of self over a Savior who died in vain. GAL 2:21. B. The children of promise are so through Christ, no...

Luke 11:1-13 vs. 1-4. A. Here Christ taught His disciples how to pray. Sometimes we need instruction concerning prayer. ROM 8:26. B. Use the plural pronoun. Pray for others of God's family as well as yourself. C. Begin by acknowledging your relationship to God as His children. You have inside help here. GAL 4:6. D. Seek the honor of God's name first. E. Express a desire for the divine governmen...

The Best Gifts I. The O.T. church was provided gifts for that economy. A. They were given circumcision as an outward token of covenant inclusion. JOH 7:22. B. They were given political/geographical nation status. 2SAM 7:23. C. They were given a king like the nations. HOS 13:11. D. They were given prophets with signs to prove their calling. PSA 74:9. E. They were given deliverance miracles and manna for fo...

Entering Canaan (Joshua 3-5) A. At the border of Canaan, Israel had to go through a virtual burial in water as was their “baptism” through the Red Sea years earlier. JOS 4:23 c/w 1CO 10:1-2. 1. This generation would again have to overcome fear of death by faith. c/w HEB 11:29. 2. A notable miracle would animate their bold obedience and this is the basis of Christian fait...

vs. 21-31. 1. Paul here sets forth a powerful illustrative argument drawn from real history, not from a fable. A. If the Genesis account of Abraham were little more than a shepherd’s campfire story, Paul’s use of it would be as vain as the Ephesian townclerk’s reasoning in ACT 19:35-36. B. Christian faith is rooted in fact, not fable, and is not in conflict with genuine science. 2PE 1:16; 1TI 6:20. C. If you can’t trust Genesis...

vs. 17-20. 1. vs. 17-18 set forth pros and cons of emotional thinking. A. zeal: In biblical language... denoting ardent feeling or fervour... B. The Greek word translated zealously affect(ed) is “zeloo” (SRN G2206) and means to have warmth of feeling for or against. C. The false teachers in Galatia were manipulating the emotions of the Galatians toward themselves and away from Paul and the true gospel of Jesus Christ. (1) ...

H. Satan’s power through the lie is best realized by deception, not by plain declaration. 2CO 11:3. 1. A summary of Satan’s deception of Eve in GEN 3:1-6 is that he basically conned her into thinking she could maximize her existence by acting independently of God and His truth. 2. Jesus Christ's life on earth was the model of NOT acting independently of God. JOH 5:30; 6:38, 57; 8:28, 42, 54; 14:10. 3. There is no fulness acting independently o...

Zacchaeus (Luke 19:1-10) v. 1. Jericho had a colored history. A. It was the firstfruits of Canaan, utterly destroyed and rebuilt under a curse. JOS 6:26 c/w 1KI 16:34. 1. Sin and false religion, once destroyed in us by repentance to the truth, ought not to be rebuilt either. GAL 2:18; 4:9. 2. Christ once destroy...

Gluttony I. Definitions. A. gluttony: The vice of excessive eating. (One of the seven deadly sins.) Also rarely an instance of this. B. glutton: One who eats to excess, or who takes pleasure in immoderate eating; a gormandizer. C. gormandize: intr. To eat like a glutton; to feed voraciously. II. As followers of Jesus Christ, we are not to only beware of something that is sinful b...

The Better Way To Honor Christ’s Birth I. Consider the birth of Jesus Christ. A. “For unto us a child is born...” (ISA 9:6). 1. He was a child prior to birth. ISA 7:14 c/w MAT 1:23; LUK 2:5. 2. This shows personhood in the womb. Christ’s prenatal state defies abortion. B. God used an imperial tax to bring Joseph and Mary to the prophesied city of Bethlehem. LUK 2:1-5 c/w MIC 5:2. C. The birt...

E. Satan can affect the thoughts of a man's heart. 1. He can put thoughts into a heart. 1CH 21:1; MAT 16:23; JOH 13:2. 2. He can fill a heart. ACT 5:3. 3. The heart of man by nature is a receptive vessel for Satan's ideas. JER 17:9. 4. When we mentally embrace Satan's ideas and make them our thoughts, we will invariably act them out. LUK 6:45; JAM 1:14-16. 5. This emphasizes the need for us to make our thoughts captive to Christ...

V. There was an overarching spirit in Israel which animated it against Christ, the apostles, and the church: the spirit of unbelief which accorded with death in sins. JOH 8:24. A. The spirit of deep sleep/slumber accords with blindness as does unbelief. ISA 29:10 c/w ROM 11:7-8; 2CO 4:3-4. B. This stood in contrast to the “...spirit of faith...” (2CO 4:13). C. Unbelief forbade them from recognizing Jesus of Nazareth as the Messiah and Son of God ...

D. The parable of the pounds accords with Gill’s analysis. LUK 19:12-14. 1. Christ came unto His own nation but they rejected Him. JOH 1:11. 2. He went to heaven to secure a kingdom for Himself. REV 12:5-10. 3. He left His servants/ministers with gifts and orders. EPH 4:8-12. 4. His own nation continued their vitriol against Him by their rejection and persecution of His ministers of His ...

Satan and Devils A. Unlike God, Satan is not omnipresent. But he has conscripted a number of subordinate evil spirits (rebel angels) to duplicate omnipresence. REV 12:4. 1. Satan was an angel, now the Devil as a result of rebellion. 2. Thus, we deduce by parallel that the devils are likely the rebel angels. 3. These devils are also the unclean spirits. MAR 3:26, 30; LUK 4:33-36. B. The resurrection of Christ dealt a ...

The Better Sacrifice I. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ is superior to the sacrifices of the Law. A. Christ's sacrifice puts away sin. HEB 10:4, 11-18. B. It perfects the sanctified whereas the law made nothing perfect. HEB 10:1, 14; 7:19. C. It purges the conscience for full service. HEB 9:9, 13-14; 10:2. 1. Our works apart from the blood of Christ are dead works, of no effect. 2. ...

The Promised Land I. The doctrine of the promised land is best understood through the teachings/writings of the N.T. A. The apostles of Jesus Christ under the Holy Ghost’s direction are the final judges of truth. 1JO 4:6. B. The O.T. prophecy must be understood through their word of prophecy. 1PE 1:10-12; 2PE 1:19-21. C. One does not need to choose between the O.T. prophets and the N.T. apostles...

Seven Spirits I. Scripture speaks of seven Spirits of God. REV 1:4; 3:1; 4:5; 5:6. A. There is literally only one Spirit of God. 1. He is the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Godhead. 1JO 5:7. 2. He is also known as the Holy Spirit, Comforter and Spirit of truth. JOH 14:15-17, 26. B. The “seven Spirits of God” in Revelation refers to the sevenfold ministry of the Spi...

Jannes and Jambres A. Paul wrote of two men who withstood Moses: Jannes and Jambres. 2TI 3:8. 1. Both names are of Egyptian origin. Jannes means “he vexed” and Jambres means “foamy healer.” 2. These were the magicians who challenged Aaron and Moses with rival but false miracles to discredit their message from God which had profound implications for the Egyptian government. EXO 7:11, 22; 8:7. 3. ...

vs. 12-16. 1. Paul here assures them that the bond betweem them and himself has not been broken, though it has been stretched, and he rhetorically asks them what changed their minds. A. Paul shows himself to be a longsuffering dresser of the vineyard. c/w LUK 13:6-9. B. God is wont to preserve something largely decayed for the sake of a small amount of good still in it. GEN 18:32; ISA 65:8. C. That some churches survive is owing more to Go...

F. The order of the O.T. was that of a servant but the order of the N.T. is that of sons, a position of excellence which shall not be abrogated but perfected eternally. EPH 3:21. (1) Remember Jesus’s words: “And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever” (JOH 8:35). (2) This agrees with what Paul addresses later in this chapter: the casting away of false cl...

The Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) I. Like the statements of Christ which precede it, the parable of the ten virgins teaches us to watch and be ready for Christ's coming which will catch the foolish unawares and undo them. MAT 24:42-51. A. This is another parable describing the nature of the kingdom of heaven, the church. The bridegroom is obviously Christ. MAT 9:15. B. Church members are as virgins ...

The Inconvenient Jesus I. It is a universal observation that if something requires little or no effort to produce or obtain, it cannot justify a high price of purchase. A. By contrast, if one values something very highly, he will spend time, effort and/or money to produce or obtain it. B. If one loves something or someone superficially, the value of that thing or person will be reflected...

b. It is especially the property of believers (v. 22): they demonstrate rightful claim on the covenant of promise on the basis of their faith, not of circumcision or law-works justification, even as Abraham was shown to be righteous without circumcision or the Law of Moses. The promise of life is not in law but in Christ. v. 21 c/w 2TI 1:1. ...

Hebrews 6:4-6 I. The key to understanding this controversial passage is the sole, once for all, sufficient sacrifice of Christ which is never to be repeated. HEB 7:27; 9:25-28; 1PE 3:18. II. In these verses Paul leaves the principles of the doctrine of Christ to go on to perfection. HEB 6:1-3. A. Christians must progress beyond the infant stage of the principles of the doctrine of Christ. HEB 5:11-14. ...

vs. 26-29. 1. “For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus” (v. 26). A. Mind that this chapter shows that the Abraham’s faith preceded the Law and was associated with the inheritance of promise. vs. 6-8, 16-18. (1) Not only did Abraham’s faith precede the Law, it preceded circumcision (the unnecessary ritual that was being imposed upon the Galatian saints for justification). ROM 4:10-11. ...

Fear I. Definitions. A. fear: The emotion of pain or uneasiness caused by the sense of impending danger, or by the prospect of some possible evil. B. dread: Extreme fear; deep awe or reverence; apprehension or anxiety as to future events. Rarely in pl. II. Fear is an emotion and, like other emotions, must be regulated by faith and knowledge. A. Christ’s disciples were hinder...

The Sheaf of the Firstfruits (Leviticus 23:10-11) A. Remember that the O.T. tabernacle service and the Levitical priests' work served “...unto the example and shadow of heavenly things” (HEB 8:1-5). 1. The Levitical service was under the bondage of corruption: sinful men making offerings of sin-burdened creatures for sinful men and for the very place of sacrifice. EXO 29:36-37; L...

Names A. God has an interest in names. 1. He names the stars. PSA 147:4; ISA 40:26. 2. His angels have distinct names. LUK 1:19; JUDE 1:9. 3. His children are known by name. EXO 33:17; JOH 10:3. a. God relates to us personally; we are not mere numbers to Him. b. Our names are in heaven in the book of life. LUK 10:20; HEB 12:23; REV 13:8. c. The Beast system is impersonal, nume...

VII. Beware of making a false god of riches since this opens a trap door of temptation. 1TI 6:9-10. A. This is a warning against covetousness, which is idolatry. COL 3:5. B. Justly acquired riches are only evil when they displace God. 1TI 6:17-18 c/w LUK 12:21. C. Work, earn, save, enjoy and share your wealth but don’t make it your first love. D. Steer between “gain is sin” and “gain is godliness.” 1TI 6:5. E. Even our thoughts about money need to ...

The Resurrection Theme A. resurrection: The rising again of Christ after His death and burial. 2. The rising again of mankind at the Last Day. 3. The action or fact of rising again from sleep, decay, disuse, etc.; revival; restoration to previous status or vogue. B. Resurrection (life from death) is the grand theme of revelation, salvation and history. 1. It is the general hope of the very creation. ROM 8:20-23. 2. It is the ...

VI. Remember that we must not only acknowledge (confess) our sin, we must forsake (renounce) it; we must give it up. PRO 28:13. A. Renunciation is done with words. JOB 34:31-32; HOS 14:1-3. B. Renunciation is also done with deeds. ACT 19:18-19; 26:20. 1. Evil behavior must be replaced with good behavior. EPH 4:24-32; ROM 12:21. 2. Destroy the things that were links to your sins like books, e-mails, letters, pictures, re...

Good Borders A. border: A side, edge, brink, or margin; a limit, or boundary; the part of anything lying along its boundary or outline. 1. Borders are necessary lines of demarcation in this life. They establish how far one’s influences or ventures may go, and what influences or ventures should be stopped from entry. c/w JER 5:22. 2. God establishes national borders for men’s good but antichrists reject ...

Yom Kippur (The Day of Atonement) I. atonement: spec. in Theol. Reconciliation or restoration of friendly relations between God and sinners. II. Details of this annual high day are found in EXO 30:10; LEV 16; 23:27-32; 25:9; NUM 29:7-11. A. On the tenth day of the seventh month each year, Israel’s high priest alone was to enter the most holy place in the tabernacle/temp...

V. Do not confuse knowledge of truth or the acknowledgment of the truth with IQ levels. Satan can capture both the learned and the unlearned. ISA 29:11-12. Successfully Fighting Sin Through Submission 9-3-23 Page 4 A. Satan himself is “...full of wisdom...” (EZE 28:12-14). 1. Do not be deceived into thinking that a high IQ makes one superior in the war against sin. Worldly wisdom is rather commonly a barrier to submission ...

IV. By submission to God, resistance of Satan and sin is an attainable reality. JAM 4:7. A. A major advance in this warfare is the abandonment of all forms of self-righteousness in favor of submission to the righteousness of God. ROM 10:3-4. Successfully Fighting Sin Through Submission 9-3-23 Page 2  1. One cannot be a victor over Satan and sin when living a lie that sinners have the power of mustering the ...

The Porter A. porter: One who has charge of a door or gate, esp. at the entrance of a fortified town or of a castle or other large building, a public institution, etc.; a gate-keeper, door-keeper, janitor. 1. This was a lowly but important station in the O.T. tabernacle or temple. PSA 84:10 c/w 1CH 9:21; 2KI 12:9. 2. During a transitional period there were “...doorkeepers for the ark” (1CH 15:23-24). 3. ...

Successfully Fighting Sin Through Submission (James 4:7) I. Sin is a reality in all men except Jesus Christ Who had to be legally made to be sin to save us. ROM 3:23; 2CO 5:21. A. Sin is imputed to all of Adam’s posterity. ROM 5:12. B. Sin is a genetic spiritual law working in us. ROM 7:23. C. All sin, no matter how good they are. ECC 7:20. D. To deny this is to com...

Clean Hands and Blood-guilt A. The importance of having clean hands is underscored by PSA 24:3-5. 1. God rewards according to righteousness, the cleanness of the hands. PSA 18:20, 24. 2. One’s strength increases accordingly. JOB 17:9. 3. It may be observed that one’s hands may be clean because of avoiding defilement or clean by having defilement washed away. 4. The Jews turned this spiritual/moral principle...

On Old Age A. Scripture teaches us to honor and respect the elderly. LEV 19:32 c/w ISA 3:5; 1TI 5:1. 1. This must be instilled early in children in home life. EPH 6:1-3. 2. Among adult peers, respect may need to be earned. But this is not the case with little children: respect, honor and reverence is normally a parent’s due. Do not not allow your children to disrespect you without consequence. B. The gre...

Some Comfort of the Scriptures (Romans 15:4) A. Paul wrote two pastoral epistles to Timothy who oversaw the church at Ephesus for a season. 1TI 1:3; 3:15. B. Timothy was a notable man of God who had the scriptures to perfect him. 1TI 6:11; 2TI 3:16-17. 1. He could be all that God intended for him without talmuds or commentaries. 2. With an understanding of word definitions and grammar (NEH 8:8;...

Salvation From Sin: How It Works I. This is an exploration of God’s salvation by Jesus Christ in a simple question and answer format. II. What is sin? A. Sin is the transgression of God’s law. 1JN 3:4; JAS 4:12 c/w ISA 33:22 III. Why is it a problem? A. Sin brings death. ROM 6:23; ROM 5:12 B. The sin nature is passed from father to child through the seed. GEN 5:1-3 C. All men have sinned. ROM 3:23; 1JN 1:8 D. Men who die in their sin...

The Circumcised Saint I. circumcise: trans. To cut off the foreskin or prepuce of (males); chiefly as a religious rite of Jews and Muslims. Also in Surgery. II. Here are some observations from Scripture about fleshly circumcision: A. It hurts. GEN 34:25. B. It is bloody. EXO 4:25-26. C. It mutilates a natural state, doesn’t grow back like a fingernail, but continues genetically. 1. There...

Philistines and Pickles (1 Samuel 29) I. 1SAM 29 finds David still an outcast from his own nation where the government (King Saul) and even the sentiments of the people had turned against him even though he had given Israel great victory over their oppressive occupiers, the Philistines. 1SAM 17:49-54. A. God had made Saul king as a judgment against Israel which rejected God as their ...

Isaiah 53 Pastor Chad Wagner PastorWagner.com/sermons/isaiah-53/ I. Isaiah 53 is arguably the greatest and most vivid prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ in the entire Bible. 1. With the light of the New Testament (2Pe 1:19), this prophecy, along with others, provides us with inestimable insight into the sufferings and work of Christ (1Pe 1:10-11). 2....

Jesus At God’s Right Hand A. PSA 110 is one of the richest Messianic psalms. It prophesies (directly or implied) of: 1. the deity of Jesus Christ. 2. the dual nature of Jesus Christ: God and man. 3. the superiority of Jesus Christ over King David and the Levitical priesthood. 4. the sufferings and glory of Jesus Christ. 5. the resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ. 6. the coronation and reign of Jesu...

God’s Other Angels A. “Angel” in Scripture often refers to the fiery, ministering spirits of God. HEB 1:7. 1. They are God’s chariots of fire. PSA 68:17; 2KI 6:16-17. 2. They are extremely powerful. PSA 103:20; 2KI 19:35. 3. They have more power/authority than any earthly dignity. 2PE 2:11. 4. They are innumerable. HEB 12:22. 5. They have no authority to marry. MAT 22:30. 6. They are arranged into pri...

Self-Love and the Celebrity Trap I. Man by nature does not suffer from a lack of self-love. EPH 5:29. A. It is to be admitted that one cannot love neighbor as himself (GAL 5:14) if one has NO love of self or who is at least so self-deceived as to act in such a way. B. It may also be observed that if one has a perverse love of self which glories in self- destructive conduct that he cannot biblically love his neighbor as...

The Deity of Jesus Christ believe: To have confidence in (a person), and consequently to rely upon, trust to. I. Jesus Christ bids His followers to place trust in Himself just as they place trust in God. JOH 14:1. A. If Jesus Christ is only a man, and not God, then in commanding us to trust Him He is inviting us to a curse. JER 17:5-7. B. If Jesus Christ is only a man, and not God, then to trust Him is to violate the...

Promises, Proverbs, Prayer, Patience A. We ought to be a praying people who not only confess our faults to God but also petition Him with requests. PHIL 4:6. 1. Jesus spoke of asking which is answered. MAT 7:7-8; JOH 16:24. 2. We distance ourselves from benefits by not asking. JAM 4:2. 3. It is important to know how to pray, what to pray for, and what to expect. LUK 11:1; ROM 8:26; JAM 4:3; 5:16. 4. Withou...

VI. That there is a true grace (1PE 5:12; COL 1:6) presupposes that there are perversions of grace. A. Here are some facts about the true grace wherein believers stand. 1. It is rooted in God’s elective purpose in Christ. 1PE 1:2; ROM 11:5; 2TI 1:9. 2. It actually produced eternal forgiveness of sins. EPH 1:7 c/w HEB 9:12. 3. It is justification by Christ, not by the law of Moses. ACT 13:38-43. 4. It is free (giv...

V. (JOH 1:17) For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ. A. Certainly, the concept of God’s grace towards man may be found in the O.T. and Moses himself recorded such a personal case. EXO 33:12-23. 1. Mind the significance of v. 19 which shows grace and mercy to be the province of God. c/w ROM 9:11-16. 2. Even in this intimate, close encounter with God, man in his corrupt nature ...

Grace grace: Favour, favourable or benignant regard or its manifestation (now only on the part of a superior); favour or goodwill, in contradistinction to right or obligation, as the ground of a concession. I. God’s grace towards sinners is the basis of every good thing in this life and the life to come. A. When God in the fulness of time became incarnate, He was described as “...full of grace and truth” (JOH 1:14). H...

Justification By Christ, Faith and Works A. Definitions. 1. justified: Made just or right; made or accounted righteous; warranted; supported by evidence. 2. made: Artificially constructed or produced, artificial as opposed to ‘natural’. 3. artificial: Made by or resulting from art or artifice; contrived, compassed, or brought about by constructive skill, and not spontaneously; not natural. 4. just: That do...

1 Peter 1:8-12 v. 8. A. Believers do not now see the person of Christ in this world. 2CO 5:7. 1. Note the verb tenses: “having not seen...” and “now ye see him not.” a. These believers had never personally seen Christ but were not disadvantaged. b. They would not have been of those whom Peter elsewhere described as “...these men which have companied with us all the time th...

Manna A. Definitions. 1. manna: The substance miraculously supplied as food to the Children of Israel during their progress through the Wilderness. (See Exodus xvi.) 2. omer: A Hebrew measure of capacity equal to the tenth part of an ephah, or 5.1 pints Imperial measure. B. The first giving of the manna is detailed in EXO 16. 1. Here all other passages in Scripture where the word “manna” appe...

IX. A fundamental error is when personal desire, need, weakness, pain, struggle, poor self-image, deficiency, poverty, etc. is not processed through a biblical grid. A. God may not even be a consideration, an awful harbinger. JOB 22:15-17. B. One may have improperly set affections which disorder the heart, the seat of thoughts and emotions. MAT 6:19-21; COL 3:1-2. C. One may reverse the order of MAT 6:31-33, a very common disorder. D. One...

E. Never underestimate the power of false love since whatever you love you give power to over yourself to some degree. The greater your love for someone or something, the greater the power he/she/that has over you. 1. There is the false love of self which idolizes oneself. 2TI 3:2. 2. There is the false love of pleasure which substitutes for love of truth. 2TH 2:10-12. 3. There is the false love of money. 1TI 6:10. 4. There is the false love of the wo...

VII. Tolerance may be virtuous or not virtuous. It must be qualified by distinctions of good and evil. A. Consider these wise axioms: 1. “If we continue to teach about tolerance and intolerance instead of good and evil, Tolerance, Charity, Compassion, Forbearance 4-23-23 Page 5  we will end up with tolerance of evil.” (Dennis Prager) 2. “You will be ruled by what you tolerate... If you tolerate co...

The Wicked Husbandmen I. This parable and its application is recorded in MAT 21:33-46; MAR 12:1-12; LUK 20:9-19. II. This parable speaks of the forfeiture of the kingdom of God by natural Israel because of their cumulative sin of rejection of God’s messengers. The kingdom would be given to spiritual Israel. A. It speaks of the longsuffering of God towards the disobedient. B. But it also speaks of the limitations of His lo...

Increasing And Abounding In Love (1Thessalonians 3:12) I. Paul here prays for both increasing and abounding in love. See “increased” in GEN 7:17-18. A. Compare the prayer of 1TH 3:12 with 1TH 4:9-10. B. We should abound in love, but divine enablement must be sought to do this. EPH 3:16-17. C. God teaches us to love one another; this is a prayer for God to strengthen what He has ...

VI. The law of Christ which governs thought and conduct in His kingdom, the church, establishes the supreme order of what should be tolerated for community fellowship. A. An ungodly world may or may not agree with these principles. 1. 1CO 5:1 is an example of a moral infraction which even the heathen rejected. 2. The world will generally separate from murderers. 1PE 4:15. 3. But an unbiblical culture will permit, condone, even cele...

IV. Christ’s perfect model of brotherly relating before a pure and holy God helps us in ministry and in Christian life. A. Although Paul would not compromise truth and its implications, he modeled his ministry after Christ’s dealings with His fellows. 2CO 10:1; 1TH 2:4-8. B. As brethren, Christ’s model regulates our tempers and sense of justice in consideration of the foibles of human frailty. ROM 12:10; EPH 4:2, 32; COL 3:12; GAL 6:1. V. ...

Righteous Suffering A. Definitions. 1. righteousness: Justice, uprightness, rectitude; conformity of life to the requirements of the divine or moral law; virtue, integrity. 2. suffer: trans. To have (something painful, distressing, or injurious) inflicted or imposed upon one; to submit to with pain, distress, or grief. 3. persecution: The action of persecuting or pursuing with enmity and malignity; ...

Tolerance, Charity, Compassion, Forbearance I. O.E.D. definitions. A. tolerate: To allow to exist or to be done or practised without authoritative interference or molestation; also gen. to allow, permit. B. charity: Christian love: a word representing caritas of the Vulgate, as a frequent rendering of ἀγάπη in N.T. Greek. With various applications: as a. God's love to man. (By early writers often i...

Capital Punishment: The Bible Position Introduction This short paper deals with capital punishment and the Biblical position on this topic. Capital punishment deals with the putting to death or execution of an individual who has committed one or several of a number of crimes. The Bible is clear in setting forth the fact that capital punishment is commanded by God in the case of certain crimes. I Definition Capital - Relating to the head. 1. Of or pertaining t...

Perspective: Walking by Faith I. Introduction A. The purpose of this message is to remind us of the truth (JOH 14:6) that we are prone to forget in the normal course of life by way of distraction. MAT 13:22; LUK 21:34; MAT 7:13-14 B. We tend to think about the things that we are currently experiencing with our natural senses, but we need to be reminded of spiritual things that God has revealed, to keep our focus in the right ...

X. The eternal salvation of sinners is a covenant salvation ordered by God and faithfully performed by God. HEB 13:20 c/w 1PE 1:2-5. A. This covenant is secure in spite of the beneficiary’s flaws (2SAM 23:2-5), analogous to the named heirs of a man’s will which cannot be changed after his death. GAL 3:15. B. God made an enduring covenant with the earth and mankind that He would never again destroy either by a global flood. GEN 8:21; 9:11. ...

Predetermination v. Predestination I. Did God prior to creation ordain that Adam must sin and he thus could do no other? Did God predestinate Adam’s fall? Or, did God make Adam a sinless, responsible agent under law whom God knew beforehand would sin and therefore planned a saving remedy from the effects and punishment of his sin? Who is the efficient cause of sin, the responsible actor? II. Sin could not exist without God yet He is ...

IX. Because many assume that the faith/belief of the sinner is the means to procure eternal forgiveness of sin and also to procure everlasting life (combined = eternal salvation), undue significance is therefore assigned to both belief and to unbelief. A. This system usually consists of two camps: those who hold that belief is always indispensably necessary to procure eternal salvation, and those who hold that belief is only necessary to procure e...

A Prophet In His Own Country A. MAT 13:53-58; MAR 6:1-6; LUK 4:16-31; JOH 4:43-46. B. (MAR 6:4) But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. C. The words of these passages were not to the credit of those in Nazareth who were offended. 1. The offence that they took to Jesus is connected with their unbelief, a sin. JOH 16:9. 2. Their contempt of Jesus&#...

VI. Consider some things that God’s word says about Jesus Christ and ask yourself whether man’s belief or unbelief of these things has any bearing on their reality. A. He is of the seed of David. ROM 1:3. B. He was conceived by God in the womb of the virgin, Mary. MAT 1:18-20. C. He is therefore the Son of God, uniquely so. LUK 1:35; JOH 1:18. D. He is God Incarnate. JOH 1:1-3, 14, 1TI 3:16. E. He is fully man, the Son of man: this is t...

E. That man’s unbelief thwarts the will of God in such examples as given above must be qualified. 1. The thwarting is not of God’s sovereign will to do as He pleases on His own terms. In that regard, God’s will is never thwarted. ISA 46:10-11. 2. The thwarting is only of God’s promises of favors towards men which are conditioned upon their belief. Such promises carry with them a caveat that God...

In Defense of Esther A. Esther, and the Book of Esther, have been the objects of strong disagreement over the centuries. 1. Martin Luther objected to the Book of Esther, doubting its canonicity. He also had issues with Jonah, James, Revelation and was critical of Chronicles, Job, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, Hebrews and Jude. 2. Some modern professing Christian critics malign the Book and Esther. She has eve...

Communion and Fellowship I. Definitions. A. communion: Sharing or holding in common with others; participation; the condition of things so held, community, combination, union. B. fellowship: Partnership; membership of a society. Participation, sharing (in an action, condition, etc.); 'something in common', community of interest, sentiment, nature, etc. II. Believers can and should have fellowship...

Cyrus A. The name of Cyrus (ca. 600-530 BC), king of Persia, is mentioned 23 times in 19 verses of Scripture. He is spoken of without being named in many other verses. Historical and secular observations: 1. Primary written record of him is from Herodotus and Xenophon, ancient Greek historians. a. Xenophon, student of Socrates and a military leader, wrote Cyropaedia, a semi- historical reco...

Belief: Its Power and Limitations I. Definitions. A. power: Ability to do or effect something or anything, or to act upon a person or thing. B. belief: The mental action, condition, or habit, of trusting to or confiding in a person or thing; trust, dependence, reliance, confidence, faith. Const. in (to, of obs.) a person. b. absol. Trust in God; the Christian virtue of faith. 2. Mental acceptance of a...

Some Bad Marriages I. Scripture warns against and sometimes forbids the joining together of certain things. A. 2CO 6:14-17 lists a number of things which are to be kept separate. B. Flesh and spirit are contrary. We cannot be led by both nor blend them. GAL 5:16-17. C. Evil and good are contrary. We cannot do evil that good may come. ROM 3:8. D. God and mammon are contrary. We cannot be the servant of both. M...

2 Timothy 2:11-13 A. This is one of four “faithful sayings” of Paul. The others are found in 1TI 1:15; 4:8-9; TIT 3:8. 1. faithful: Full of or characterized by faith, believing. 5. Of persons and their actions: That may be believed or relied upon; trustworthy, veracious. Also of things: Reliable. 6. True to the fact or original, accurate.” 2. This saying is loaded with faith, reliability, accuracy. B. Thes...

Negative Preaching I. If one preaches the Bible, he will preach a lot of negatives. His ministry will be characterized by liberal doses of Vitamin “N.” A. Note the negatives in the Ten Commandments. EXO 20:3-17. B. Note the negatives in Christ's preaching. MAT 6:1-2, 5, 7-8. C. Note the negatives in Paul's preaching. EPH 4:17, 25-30; 5:3-7. II. Christianity is a religion of controversy. ...

The Contents Of The Ark (Hebrews 9:4-5) A. Paul briefly summarized the ark of the covenant. HEB 9:4-5. B. There was a golden pot that had manna in it. c/w EXO 16:32-36. 1. The manna was a miraculous provision from God for their life. EXO 16:15. 2. The word “manna” means “what is this?” 3. It was angels' food. PSA 78:24-25. 4. It normally putrefied when stored but did not...

I. Bringing up children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord includes training by punishment, which is the painful consequence of a misdeed. 1. Initial observations. a. This is an area of child-training which can be both a challenge to the wisdom of men and also of your faith. b. Dr. Benjamin Spock (pro-abortion pediatrician) integrated the philosophies of Sigmund Freud and John Dewey into his errant ...

Overcomers A. Christ’s apostles, assured by His plainness of speech, believed. JOH 16:29-30. 1. Solid faith is thus built in God’s children. 2CO 3:12; 1CO 2:4-5; 14:9. 2. Weak faith may be owing to lack of learning from plain speech. 2PE 3:16-17. 3. Faith is critical to overcoming. 1JO 5:4. B. Christ went on to encourage the apostles by His own overcoming. JOH 16:31-33. 1. Mind the contrast, “...in me ye migh...

H. Here is a list of things that need to be trained into children. 1. Train the fear of God. ECC 12:13; HEB 12:28-29. a. The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge and wisdom. PRO 1:7; 9:10. b. The fear of God is to hate evil. PRO 8:13. c. The fear of God should be greater than the fear of anything else. ISA 8:13; LUK 12:4-5; EXO 1:17. d. Teach them the omniscience and justice of God, that not...

Daniel In The Lion’s Den (Daniel 6) vs. 1-3. A. Daniel had been made third ruler in the kingdom of Babylon, but God promoted him even higher among the Medes. PRO 22:29; 1SAM 2:30. B. Daniel was an old man by this time, having lived through the entire captivity, and yet was still blessed to have good use of his faculties. DEU 34:7. C. Blessed indeed is the person who does not out...

5. Effective training is realized in two ways: 1. A positive aspect of bringing children to maturity through good example and advice. 2. A negative aspect of enforcing order when there is unwillingness to cooperate with parental rule. D. The mark of a godly man is that he “...ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity” (1TI 3:4). 1. Mind that “rule” in the...

Bringing Up Children (Ephesians 6:4) A. Preliminary thoughts. 1. Children are a blessing, not a curse (PSA 127:3-5) and a society that ignores this in trouble from internal chaos and demographic shifts which represent value shifts also. 2. Children need to know that they are dearly loved by parents, safe and secure from danger. Obedience and proper character development a...

Voices From Beyond A. It is not uncommon for people (including professing Christians) to affirm that they have heard some form of speech from the invisible realm of God, spirits or the afterlife. 1. Some affirm that God “speaks” to them in dreams to convey information to be heeded. 2. Some affirm that God “speaks” to them spiritually by way of an innate sense whereby they feel His guiding presence in a decision, etc...

10. COL 3:19. The husband is not to be bitter against his wife and take out his frustrations on her. a. She may be a good sounding board, but not a dart board. b. Reserve disgruntlement for her rebellion, not for her flaws and womanly nature. c. bitter: Characterized by intense animosity or virulence of feeling or action: virulent. d. virulent: fig. Violently bitter, spiteful, or malignant; full of acrimony or ...

Faith, Reason, Emotion A. Faith and reason are compatible and necessary partners in arriving at truth. ACT 17:2-4. 1. Love or hatred of truth does not determine it. Truth is truth and should be believed. 2. Unreasonable men lack faith, not emotion. 2TH 3:2; PRO 14:16. B. There are many human emotions mentioned in Scripture, such as joy, sadness, pleasure, love, hatred, anger, envy, fear, sorrow. C. Emotions may be good or bad d...

Marriage Tune-Up I. Sometimes marriage doesn’t run properly. The default answer should not be, “Junk it” or “Trade it,” but “Diagnose it and fix it.” A. A lot of break-downs can be averted by proper maintenance. Why wait for the “idiot light” on the instrument panel to let you know you’re about to be stranded? B. A well-cared for marriage can last long enough to become a classic that isn’t taxed like ...

Transhumanism A. transhumanism: A belief that the human race can evolve beyond its current limitations, esp. by the use of science and technology. 1. The term and concept is attributed to Sir Julian Huxley (circa 1957), grandson of Thomas Henry Huxley, who has been called, “Darwin’s bulldog.” Assumptions of naturalism, materialism and biological evolution should be expected. 2. The prefix trans prim...

XII. Salvation. A. We affirm that Adam plunged the whole of his posterity under the condemnation of sin, which they inherit through his loins and which leaves their nature totally depraved and unable to extricate themselves in any way from out of this condition of death in trespasses and sins. This condition exists in fallen man from conception and remains unaltered unless God of His own will freely gives a person a new heart and n...

Friendly Relating To One Another In Christ I. Christians have a ministry one to another. A. We are to be “...kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love” (ROM 12:10). 1. Are we inclined toward or away from our brethren? 2. Do we view each other as brothers or strangers? 3. Do we prefer Christians? Do we make friends of them? B. Our love for one another must be expressed i...

VII. The holiday issue. A. We affirm that the observance of such holidays (holy days) as Christmas and Easter are, at best, foolish, man-made substitutes for the way that God in the Scriptures ordained the birth, death and resurrection of His Son to be honored. At worst, such observances are rank disobedience to the plain commands of Scripture and are the assimilation of devil- worship. 1. The observance of holy...

Concurring Testimonies About Our Doctrine And Practice I. This study is meant to demonstrate that we are not entirely alone on various distinguishing points of doctrine or practice. My goal is to comfort and confirm your souls by this approach. ACT 14:22; 15:32, 41; ROM 11:2-4. A. There are certain doctrinal points we hold with which “mainstream Christianity” would not find fault: the Trinity, the dual Nature of Christ (God & Man), th...

Thoughts on John 2:12-17 A. These events took place after the wedding feast in Cana which started the clock on the prophesied Messianic miracle season. JOH 2:11 c/w MIC 7:15 c/w ACT 7:36. 1. The Jews’ passover (v. 13) was a commemorative observance of that critical event which marked Israel’s deliverance from political bondage and oppression in Egypt. 2. God gave Israel forty years of miracles again to lead them out of spi...

Images Unto God? A. Question: Is it appropriate to make images of things as adjuncts to faith and worship? 1. image: An artificial imitation or representation of the external form of any object, esp. of a person... 2. Some maintain that idols are wrong but images of saints or angels are permitted or even recommended or required. 3. idol: An image or similitude of a deity or divinity, used as an object of...

Psalm Chapter 23 A Psalm of David.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup ...

Holiday Tips I. Here are some additional considerations regarding holidays: A. Bible Christians celebrate Christ's birth, death, and resurrection by joyfully receiving the gospel by faith, repentance and baptism, by praising God, and observing the Lord's Supper. 1. Jesus Christ was incarnated and manifested to take away our sins by His death, burial and resurrection (MAT 1:21; 1JO 3:8; ...

V. Jesus Christ is especially God’s elect, being chosen out of the people. ISA 42:1 c/w MAT 12:18; PSA 89:19-20. A. God has highly exalted Him. PHIL 2:9-11; HEB 1:3-9. B. Christ is God’s found servant, the ransom He found. JOB 33:24. C. No other man could we find who was fit to the task of conquering sin and death and to ransom/redeem sinners. REV 5:1-14. D. “God has laid help upon him, not only helped him, but treasured up help in him for us.....

Halloween A. Hallow-e’en: The eve of All Hallows or All Saints, the last night of October. In the Old Celtic calendar, the year began on 1st November, so that the last evening of October was 'old-year's night', the night of all the witches, which the Church transformed into the Eve of All Saints. (OED) B. “In the 7th century CE Pope Boniface IV established All Saints’ Day, originally on May 13, and in the following...

Some Facts About Election I. Definitions. A. elect: v. trans. To pick out, choose (usually, for a particular purpose or function). B. elect: a. and n. Picked out, chosen; also, chosen for excellence or by preference; select, choice. Also absol. a person or persons chosen. C. election: The formal choosing of a person for an office, dignity, or position of any kind; usually by the votes of ...

V. Jesus Christ now holds the key of David which key is a symbol of office, in this case the office of David, which is king. REV 3:7. A. key: 1. a. An instrument, usually of iron, for moving the bolt or bolts of a lock... 2. In pregnant sense, with reference to the power of custody, control, admission of others, etc., implied by the possession of the keys of any place; hence as a symbol of office, and fig. the office itself. B. ...

B. The Lord then announced His covenant with David, which contains the following promises. vs. 12-17; PSA 89:3-4; 132:11. 1. When David was sleeping with his fathers, his seed would be set up after him. 2. God would establish the kingdom of this seed of David. 3. David’s seed would build an house for God’s name. 4. God would establish the throne of David’s seed forever. 5. God would sustai...

Sums, Succinctness, Plainness A. The accumulation of knowledge and wisdom includes the use of imagery, figurative language, etc. 1. Poetry and song which mingle fact and imagery are powerful methods of communication. 2. Scripture makes use of psalms, songs, proverbs, parables, figures, signs, etc. MAT 13:3; 1PE 1:11; 3:20-21. B. There are times, though, when the best way to convey information is through plain speech that is ...

Jesus Christ Is King I. Jesus Christ, who was made of the seed of David, has been raised to sit on David’s throne as king. A. This is the very gospel which we confess. B. At the opening of the New Testament Jesus Christ is introduced as the Son of David. MAT 1:1. C. At the close of the New Testament Jesus Christ is presented as the root and offspring of David. REV 22:16. ...

Discrimination

1. discriminate: To make or constitute a difference in or between; to distinguish, differentiate. (See EXO 11:7)

2. Discrimination has gotten a “bad rap” because of historical and cultural errors regarding people of differing skin colors, ethnicities (and other innate, immutable characteristics) who were denied equal liberty, opportunity, representation at law, access to public benefits or consideration in policy.

   1. Some of the worst abus...

VI. We are especially to beware of the gainsaying of Core/Korah. JUDE 1:11; NUM 16. A. gainsay: To deny; to speak against, contradict. B. That which befell Korah and company in NUM 16 was meant to stand as a sign to the O.T. church and to us. NUM 26:10; 1CO 10:5-6. C. This disenchanted uprising followed a case of church discipline. NUM 15:32-36. D. The mutineers “rose up” against Moses. NUM 16:1-2. 1. Their real problem...

The Hired Labourers (Matthew 20:1-16) I. This parable emphasizes two major themes. A. God is sovereign and altogether just in His dealings; no charge of unfairness can be levelled against Him. B. Oftentimes the first shall be last and the last shall be first. 1. Late converts may outshine earlier ones. 2. Sometimes the least likely eleme...

Some Rules and Standards I. The church of Jesus Christ is a very special society with rules and standards that set it apart from the world system. JAM 1:27. A. For example: 1. We cannot affirm sodomy as an acceptable behavior/lifestyle. ROM 1:26-27. 2. We cannot affirm works of the flesh as non-issues. GAL 5:19-21. 3. We cannot affirm unjustified divorce and remarriage. MAT 19:9. ...

The Right Priorities A. Jesus plainly taught that men should prioritize their lives with God first. MAT 6:31-34. 1. kingdom: Kingly function, authority, or power; sovereignty, supreme rule; the position or rank of a king, kingship. 4. trans. and fig. a. The spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ, or the sphere over which this extends, in heaven or on earth; the spiritual state of which God is the head. 2....

The Valley of Hamongog A. The defeat of Gog and Magog demanded a special effort of burying the dead. EZE 39:11-16. 1. Hamongog means multitude of Gog. 2. Hamonah means multitude. There was either to be in that area a city renamed, a city founded by that name (perhaps a city of specialists: men of continual employment), or Hamonah was a metaphorical city of the dead (a massive graveyard). 3. English tra...

I. Ministers are closer to God’s lightnings than others. JAM 3:1. A. They are to preach what the flesh despises and this often generates opposition. 2TI 4:2-3. B. They are continual hypocrites for preaching a flawless code of righteousness. 1. This fact is not a license for uncharitably attacking or rejecting a minister or making him an offender for a word or something of little account. ISA 29:20-21. 2. Nor is it a justification for a minister to avoid preaching against his own “issues” or justifying in...

I. Scripture declares that God foresaw the fall of man and therefore set in motion a plan of salvation based upon His own will and effort, not man's. EPH 1:3-7 A. Man under sin is anything but holy and blameless. ROM 3:9-18 1. All have sin (the principle) from Adam. ROM 5:19 2. All have sinned (the deeds). ROM 3:23

B. Man's will is corrupt; he is sold under sin and free from righteousness. ROM 7:14; 6:20; PSA 10:4 C. Man's works are corrupt, even his good ones. ISA 64:6 D. Laws cannot c...

XII. Dr. Scofield affirmed that the invading forces of EZE 38-39 had to be speaking about Russia and northern European powers in the far-distant future. A. “That the primary reference is to the northern (European) powers, headed up by Russia, all agree.” (SRB on Ezekiel 38:2) B. This slant on EZE 38-39 fit better with Dr. Scofield’s premillennial dispensational theory of an end-time regathering of Israel and the final establishing of the Messianic Davidic throne therein. C. But Scofield was wrong: all do...

A. goodness: The quality or condition of being good. B. good: adj. With reference to moral character, disposition, or conduct. Morally excellent or commendable. sb. That which is good. C. Goodness is connected with righteousness and truth. EPH 5:9; 2CH 31:20-21. 1. There is much in life that passes for good which is not good. 2. If something is not right and true, it is not good. 3. We are called to mature discernment of what is actually good. 1TH 5:21; HEB 5:14. D. By nature none are go...

A. Jesus described the Law and the Prophets as hanging on two commandments. MAT 22:34-40. 1. These accord with the tables of the Law (the Ten Commandments) which set forth man’s relating to God before man’s relating to man. EXO 20:1-17. 2. Believers can only know that they truly love others by loving God first. 1JO 5:2. 3. Conversely, one cannot claim to love God if he doesn’t love brethren. 1JO 4:20-21. 4. The love of God both qualifies and animates the love of others.

B. Consider the Biblical bra...

X. Here are some pertinent elements relative to a near historical fulfillment of EZE 38-39 during the intertestamental period between the prophecy of Malachi and the gospel of Matthew. A. The voice of prophecy was silent during this season of hundreds of years. Therefore there is no authoritative inspired record of the events of those years. 1. This does not mean that God could not confirm His word by other means, as was the case in EZR 6:1-3. 2. There are extra-biblical historical records which do provi...

A. There is a general rule of human nature and economics that says that something of genuine value is worth the effort made to obtain it, and conversely, where little or no effort is required, the thing is of little value to its seeker or holder. 1. As such, the person who has to work to obtain something is much more likely to treasure that thing but the person who obtains something without working for it is much less likely to treasure it. 2. This is true for material and relational desires. The value o...

A. In the midst of Paul's mad, misdirected campaign of terror against Christians (vs. 9-11), Christ arrested Paul, rebuked him, converted him and commissioned him as His minister.

B. Paul was not then seeking Christ, but he found Him anyway. c/w ISA 65:1. 1. What follows is the account of the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, not his regeneration. It is the change of his thinking, not his nature. a. It is the purging (purifying) of his ill-informed conscience which he had been dutifully honoring. A...

A. Truth can liberate (JOH 8:32) or lacerate, depending on the hearer. 1. Truth can prick one in his heart (ACT 2:37) or cut one to the heart (ACT 7:54), producing repentance in the former or resentfulness in the latter. 2. Truth can make believers free and unbelievers foes. GAL 4:16. 3. Recipitur ad modum recipientis (the reception depends upon the receiver). 4. How one responds to convicting truth says much about his nature or character. 5. Wicked men hate the light of truth (JOH 3:19-20) and would rat...

I. Difficult people are referred to as froward in the Bible. 1. Froward adj. - 1. Disposed to go counter to what is demanded or what is reasonable; perverse, difficult to deal with, hard to please; refractory, ungovernable; also, in a wider sense, bad, evilly-disposed, ‘naughty’. (The opposite of toward.) 2. People that are difficult to deal with are evil (Pro 2:12, 14-15; Pro 6:12). 3. God hates froward people (Pro 3:32; Pro 8:13; Pro 11:20). A. Abomination n. - 1. The feeling or st...

V. It has been said that God designs to instruct men by general revelation (phenomenon and logic) and by special revelation (inspired prophecy). The former deals with observable things to which human reasoning is applied, the latter deals with information communicated from the Supreme Intellect (God) directly and includes information which must be accepted by faith since it is beyond human ability to test it. A. Some analogies that have been suggested to describe these fields are: 1. They are like two bl...

A. This chapter of Zechariah has been the subject of much discussion, even controversy, as to its correct interpretation: when, who, how are these things to be understood? What I offer here is according to the degree of light I have at present. Some qualifying markers I use in sorting through such prophecies are: 1. Apostolic revelation and explanation prevails. 1JO 4:6. 2. The church of Jesus Christ under the New Testament is superior to the church of Moses under the Old Testament and has displaced it b...

J. The wisdom of God in the crucifixion death of His only begotten Son exceeds all the wisdom of the wisest creatures. 1CO 1:23-25. 1. The greatest philosopher would never have concluded that the Creator God would humble Himself to become a man that would suffer death unjustly, for such would imply that God is dead. 2. The Jews were perplexed at the notion that the Immanuel (God with us, ISA 7:14) Messiah of promise should be humiliated and die. JOH 12:34. 3. The princes of this world saw only the elimin...

A. thankful: Feeling or expressing thanks or gratitude; prompted by feelings of gratitude; grateful. Phr. thankful for small mercies. 1. Here is an area where emotion should be a prompt for our decisions. 2. True love and true joy also have their places but wisdom must discern between proper responsive emotions and faulty emotion-led decisions. PRO 3:5 ct/w PRO 28:26. 3. One may be “prompted by feelings of gratitude” to his own judgment. LUK 18:11. 4. Biblical thinking will produce the right emotions for...

H. Nature can not teach heaven nor heaven’s spiritual truth. 2CO 4:18; 5:7; HEB 11:1. 1. Observational reasoning obviously has limitations: it can only deal with phenomenon (a thing that appears or is perceived by any of the senses, or by the mind). 2. The things that are not seen (2CO 4:18) can only be known by special revelation from God Who is superior to the creation and has infinite knowledge not limited to the revealed order of things. 1CO 2:9-11. 3. The unobservable things of God revealed by the S...

I. Preliminary thoughts. A. The created order is a data set that can be analyzed. The “stuff” of creation does not lie but conclusions about it and drawn from it are subject to limited power of investigation, faulty premises and biases, assumptions, inadequate sampling, etc. B. The data of the creation is the same for both the unbeliever and the believer. The difference is in how the data is interpreted and processed. C. If the created order is an equal witness to Scripture in finding ultimate truth (God...

A. The house of God was to be “...exceeding magnifical...” (1CH 22:5), and Solomon made it so. 1. David didn’t build but made preparations for Solomon his son to build it. 2. Similarly, Christ the Son of David built what David had prepared in type: the gospel church including uncircumcised men of faith with a spiritual worship devoid of Levi. ACT 15:13-17. 3. The temple’s construction was according to God’s pattern as was the tabernacle. EXO 25:9, 40; NUM 8:4 c/w 1CH 28:11-12, 19. 4. The pattern was of h...

Fatherhood is rooted in the trinity. God is our Father. He is the Father in many ways. He is the Father of glory. EPH 1:16-17 He is the Father is spirits. HEB 12:9; JOB 1:6 c/w JOB 38:6-7 He is the Father of lights. JAS 1:17 He is the Father of all mankind. LUK 3:38; MAL 2:9-10; ACT 17:26 He is the Father of the man Christ Jesus. 1TI 3:16 Through Christ we are brought into a special relationship with God. He is our heavenly Father. He is our Father in regeneration. He is our Father in adoption. EPH 1:3-5...

I. The gospel proclaims liberty to the captives. ISA 61:1. A. There are various liberties that concern us: political, economic, social, safety, etc. B. The greatest liberty is from the bondage of Satan’s lies, which take many forms since he is the father of all lies (JOH 8:44) and (as the saying goes), “Father knows best.” 1. father: 3. a. One who institutes, originates, calls into being; a constructor, contriver, designer, framer, originator. Also one who gives the first conspicuous or influential examp...

(Acts 3:19-26) I. Definitions. A. refreshing: The action of the vb. in various senses; also, an instance of this; refreshment given or received. B. refreshment: The act of refreshing, or fact of being refreshed, in a mental or spiritual respect.

II. This study has a two-fold purpose: A. To show that the “times of refreshing” (v. 19), the days of which the prophets foretold (v. 24) is not referring to a future dispensation. Some affirm that these verses support the idea 1. that natural Israel will f...

A. pride: The quality of being proud. A high or overweening opinion of one's own qualities, attainments, or estate, which gives rise to a feeling and attitude of superiority over and contempt for others; inordinate self-esteem.

B. Scripture has plenty of condemnation of human pride. 1. It will bring a man low. PRO 29:23. 2. It will bring shame. PRO 11:2. 3. It is the basis of contention. PRO 13:10. 4. It is the prelude to destruction. PRO 16:18. 5. God resists the proud. JAM 4:6. 6. “The fear o...

VII. Disclaimer: The thoughts that follow only present possible historical satisfaction of the Gog and Magog prophecy of EZE 38-39, a reasonable alternative to the Futurist interpretation according to the light I have now.

VIII. Generally, the Futurist affirms that the Gog and Magog battle of EZE 38-39 is the same as the Gog and Magog battle of REV 20:8-9 which precipitates the swift, arresting judgment of God upon the enemy of the saints and the destruction of the devil who deceived the aggressors...

A. God is known to double a name, especially of someone or something under His special care to get their attention: 1. Moses. EXO 3:4. 2. Saul. ACT 9:4. 3. Martha. LUK 10:41. 4. Simon. LUK 22:31. 5. Jerusalem. MAT 23:37.

B. One of the most stirring examples of double-calling is God’s dealings with Abraham. 1. After waiting about twenty-five years for the birth of the promised son and watching him grow into a young lad, God called, “...Abraham...” and instructed him to offer Isaac. GEN 22:1-2. 2. On...

A. ark: A chest, box, coffer, close basket, or similar receptacle; esp. a. in north. dial. a large wooden bin or hutch for storing meal, bread, fruit, etc. 2. spec. in Jew. Hist. The wooden coffer containing the tables of the law, kept in the Holiest Place of the Tabernacle. Also called Ark of the Covenant, Ark of Testimony. B. What men died for trying to look into (1SAM 6:19), we may look into by faith and perceive our need for Christ. C. There was a golden pot that had manna in it. c/w EXO 16:32-36. 1....

I. The Scriptures set forth several principles and patterns of Bible study to be followed by God's flock. The following principles and patterns are limited to those that help us use the Scriptures to determine truth and to communicate that truth. A. We are to study the Scriptures to know the truth. 2TI 2:15; PRO 15:28 ct/w MAT 22:29. 1. Principle: Prove what is truth and then believe and maintain it. 1TH 5:21; EPH 5:10. a. The commandment is to prove and hold. b. This commandment assumes knowledge an...

IV. Futurists/Premillennialists have had a habit of unnecessarily assuming that certain prophecies must have future fulfillments rather than historical fulfillments since such fit better with their scheme of prophetic interpretation. A. They assume that certain prophecies of Israel’s regathering and rebuilding in their land have a distant fulfillment but Scripture shows a satisfaction of such prophecies in history. EZR 1:1-3. 1. NOTE: After the Jews returned to their land from Babylon, there is thereafte...

A. reproach: A source or cause of disgrace or shame (to a person, etc.); a fact, matter, feature or quality bringing disgrace or discredit upon one.

B. A primary goal of us as Christians is to convert men to repent and follow Christ with us as members of His church in this world. 1TH 1:5-6. 1. We do this by sound reasoning from Scripture. ACT 17:2. 2. We do this by showing sinners a better way and hope. 1PE 3:15. 3. We do this by mirroring Christ in our conversation. EPH 4:13; COL 1:27-28. a. We ca...

1. Josiah was the last good king of Judah prior to the Babylonian captivity.

   1. The account of his life and his good reign of 31 years are recorded in 2KI 22:1 - 23:30; 2CH 34:1 - 35:27.

      1. His father, Amon, was murdered by conspirators who themselves were slain by the people who then installed young Josiah as king, fulfilling an ancient prophecy.

         2KI 21:23-24 c/w 1KI 13:2.

      2. In spite of his heritage, Josiah went the opposite way of his fathe...

I. This study is meant to set forth an alternative to the popular assumption among some Christians that Gog and Magog (as depicted in EZE 38-39) could not have had an ancient historic fulfillment but rather refer to a culminating battle at the end of time as noted in REV 20:8-9.

A. It should be remembered that certain names in the Book of Revelation which appear in O.T. writings are not the same entities.

B. The Babylon of Revelation is not the ancient Babylon of the O.T. but rather a spiritu...

A. COL 2:9-11 sets forth great benefits that are the result of one being IN Christ.

B. “For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily” (v. 9).

1. It pleased God that all fulness should dwell in Christ. COL 1:19.

2. The elect all receive of this fulness. JOH 1:16.

3. The great work of the gospel is to bring saints knowledgeably and practically to this fulness. EPH 3:16-19; 4:11-13.

C. Since all fulness dwells in Christ, it stands to reason that if on...

A. JOH 15:13-15 is a unique occurrence of the word “friends” in three successive verses. 1. It is a very special identity to be known as the king’s friend. 1KI 4:5. 2. These sons of Abraham were sharing in his special relationship with God. JAM 2:23. 3. They later still called themselves servants (2PE 1:1; JAM 1:1) for the honor which Christ puts upon men should not puff them up but humble them. 1TI 1:15.

B. These verses leave no doubt as to what extent Christ’s command to brethren to love one anot...

I. This study sets forth academic information and scriptural arguments, the latter being most reliable.

II. apocrypha: A writing or statement of doubtful authorship or authenticity; spec. those books included in the Septuagint and Vulgate versions of the Old Testament, which were not originally written in Hebrew and not counted genuine by the Jews, and which, at the Reformation, were excluded from the Sacred Canon by the Protestant party, as having no well-grounded claim to inspired authorship.

I. Read GEN 1-11 and accept it as historical narrative. It sets forth creation, the entrance of sin by Adam, and a worldwide flood which wiped out everyone except Noah and his family. 1. It establishes the proper pattern of marriage. 2. It establishes morality. 3. It establishes the need for clothing. 4. It establishes cosmology, geology, anthropology, biology and paleontology, etc. 5. If you can’t believe what God tells you of earthly things, on what basis can you believe what He tells you of heavenly t...

A. rumour: 1. a. A (wide-spread) report of a favourable or laudatory nature. Obs. b. Talk or report of a person or thing in some way noted or distinguished. Now arch. c. The fact of being generally talked about; reputation, renown. Obs. 2. a. General talk, report, or hearsay, not based upon definite knowledge. Also phr. rumour has it. B. Believers can expect certain troubles in this troubling life. JOH 16:33; ACT 14:22.1. There will be certain persecutions to the godly in Christ. 2TI 3:12.2. There will b...

I. Nature only supplies a limited knowledge of God. ROM 1:19-20; PSA 19:1. A. The “Book of Nature” is corrupt and therefore unreliable to reveal God. ROM 8:21-22. B. Polytheistic idolatry is evidence of the vanity of knowing God from nature. To discover God by interpreting the creation is to end up where all paganism ends up: creature worship, idolatry and uncleanness. ROM 1:22-25. C. Some have thus concluded that God is inscrutable and unknowable, and that it is wrong to declare to know Him. 1. Mind tha...

I. Definitions A. Truth - Conformity with fact; agreement with reality; accuracy, correctness, verity (of a statement or thought) B. Fact - Something that has really occurred or is actually the case; something certainly known to be of this character; hence, a particular truth known by actual observation or authentic testimony, as opposed to what is merely inferred, or to a conjecture or fiction; a datum of experience, as distinguished from the conclusions that may be based upon it. C. Reality - The quali...

A. In the Garden of Eden, God planted a tree of life to which man had access until sin entered. GEN 2:9; 3:22-24. 1. If it was still there by the time of Noah’s flood, it would have been destroyed since nobody, including Noah, had a right to touch it. GEN 3:22-24. 2. It evidently, though, was removed to glory. REV 2:7; 22:1-2, 14. 3. The Second Adam (Christ) restores man to what the first Adam lost: the right to the tree of life. ROM 5:17-18. 4. NOTE: Christ is our life (COL 3:4), made so to us by His cr...

I. This study assumes that the individual has a regenerated spiritual nature to enable understanding. JOH 8:43, 47 c/w 1CO 2:14. A. Do not conflate spiritual death with spiritual immaturity which lacks understanding. ACT 8:30-31 c/w LUK 24:45. B. Knowledge and understanding are progressive. PRO 4:18. C. Even an unregenerate man can derive some benefit from reading Scripture inasmuch as it can acquaint him with what motivates spiritually-minded men, with historical information, with things that concur wit...

I. Preparation is needed. EPH 6:15; 1PE 3:15-16; 2TI 2:20-21. A. The minister who thus purges himself is an example to those who hear him to purge themselves. 1TI 4:12; 2CO 6:14 – 7:1. B. The Christian profession at large is like a great house with vessels unto honour and vessels unto dishonour in it. C. The vessels of gold and silver are vessels unto honour whereas the vessels of wood and earth are vessels unto dishonour. c/w LAM 4:2; 1CO 3:11-15. D. A minister must purge himself from the vessels of woo...

I. Christians are called to spiritual warfare. A. There is a universal call to war against Satan. EPH 6:10-11. B. There is a general warfare in contending for the faith. JUDE 1:3. C. There is particular warfare of ministry to which only some are called. 1TI 1:18-20.

II. In DEU 20, Moses laid down some rules for Israel’s wars. We may here glean some insights for our duty to our own Commander and Captain of our salvation. ISA 55:4; HEB 2:10. A. These instructions pertained to the secondary wars of Is...

Ark Errors A. Israel foolishly ascribed the power of salvation to the ark of the covenant. They had turned it into a talisman or charm. 1SAM 4:3. 1. The ark was a token of God’s power, presence and favor to Israel, a box crafted by sinners’ hands out of elements under the bondage of corruption. EXO 25:10. 2. Many likewise have errantly ascribed saving power to other than God in areas where He alone has power and will be glorified, ascribing power to such things as genealogy, circumcision, sacraments, eve...

V. Here is a random list of other motivations and explanations for my manner of ministry.

A. A Pauline minister should be a studier. 2TI 2:15. 1. More than any other writing, I study Scripture for perfection (2TI 3:15-16): if I had no other study book but the Bible, I would have enough and plenty for the work. 2. There are plenty of books to weary my flesh (ECC 12:12), and not all of them are profitable for me or for you. 3. I may flavor my teaching with extra-scriptural knowledge as Paul did (ACT...

Tattoos, Piercings, Body Modifications I. This study seeks to steer between extremes concerning the care and government of the body.

II. God has written into human nature a principle of nourishing and cherishing (treating with tenderness and affection) one’s flesh. EPH 5:29. A. Mind that this text implies an unnatural hating of one’s flesh is commensurate with not nourishing it or cherishing it. B. We should steer clear of idolizing the body (PHIL 3:19) as if our lives must be dedicated to a sensua...

Tattoos, Piercings, Body Modifications I. This study seeks to steer between extremes concerning the care and government of the body.

II. God has written into human nature a principle of nourishing and cherishing (treating with tenderness and affection) one’s flesh. EPH 5:29. A. Mind that this text implies an unnatural hating of one’s flesh is commensurate with not nourishing it or cherishing it. B. We should steer clear of idolizing the body (PHIL 3:19) as if our lives must be dedicated to a sensua...

I. This sermon will take on a personal aspect. A. I want to set forth the biblical basis for N.T. ministry. B. I want to set forth what drives me in this work and what my goals are. C. I want to set forth some personal reasons for ministering as I do. D. A challenge that I have faced in pondering this topic is a matter of self-examination: am I seeking to explain myself or justify myself?

II. I am totally persuaded that I have the preserved word of God at hand and that it is the ultimate authority ...

IV. JER 38:7-13. A. Ebedmelech the Ethiopian went in unto Zedekiah to intercede for Jeremiah. Given the abhorrent character of Zedekiah (EZE 21:25), it might be said that Ebedmelech went boldly unto the throne of disgrace. His compassion was love in deed and in truth. 1JO 3:17-18. B. The fact that he may have been putting himself at risk did not deter him from trying to help the man of God. He joined the ranks of the heroes of faith by his actions. HEB 11:27. C. Ebedmelech spoke out on behalf of a wrongl...

III. Children from infancy should be familiarized with church assembly and order to prepare them for God’s service in His kingdom. A. Inordinate concern about the challenges for the little ones cost Israel dearly at Canaan’s border and gospel duty is not grievous. NUM 14:31-32 c/w 1JO 5:3. 1. There will always be obstacles and inconveniences to any worthwhile enterprise. The value of the enterprise is largely determined by the desire, effort and dedication one has for it. MAT 13:44-46. 2. Our church serv...

C. Ebedmelech. His name means “servant of the king.” 1. He was an Ethiopian eunuch who feared the true God. a. The name “Ethiopia” is the same Hebrew word which is elsewhere translated as “Cush” (the son of Ham and father of Nimrod). b. The name “Cush” means “black” (per BDB Dictionary). c. Ethiopians were then, as now, obviously unwhite. JER 13:23. 2. As an eunuch, he could bear no familiar fruit (biologically); he was a “dry tree” (ISA 56:3). But his good deeds were fruit of another source of life with...

Children and Church

I. Children are the “...heritage of the Lord...” (PSA 127:3) and are to be raised by parents in trust for God Who desires a godly seed. MAL 2:15; PSA 144:11-12. A. Children are to be trained up in the way that they SHOULD go. PRO 22:6. B. The way that children should go is obviously established by God. EPH 6:4. 1. nurture: Breeding, upbringing, training, education (received or possessed by one). b. Moral training or discipline. 2. admonish: To put (a person) in mind of du...

Ebedmelech (JER 38-39) I. The Time, Place and Circumstances. A. This was during the last years of the last O.T. king of Judah. B. This was just prior to the fall of the city of Jerusalem and the subjugation of the Jews by the Babylonians. C. Much of Judah had already been taken captive by the Babylonians. D. Jerusalem had been greatly reduced by sin, then by Babylon. 1. Life was cheap. Truth and judgment had departed. JER 4:31; 5:1-4. 2. The people were only wise to do evil. JER 4:22; 9:3. 3. They abused...

V. Clearly, “the righteousness which is of faith” (v. 6) CANNOT be a righteousness which relies upon something that a person DOES so that he may live (i.e., ACQUIRE life and righteousness), for that would make it a “do and live” proposition: “the righteousness which is of the law” (v. 5). A. But the sinner’s faith is something he DOES. ACT 16:30-31; 1JO 3:22-23. 1. A man may be asked, “Do you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ?” and, if so affirmed, the man would rightly answer, “Yes, I do.” 2. If the conc...

1. Jesus plainly taught that men should prioritize their lives with God first. MAT 6:31-34. A. kingdom: Kingly function, authority, or power; sovereignty, supreme rule; the position or rank of a king, kingship. 4. trans. and fig. a. The spiritual sovereignty of God or Christ, or the sphere over which this extends, in heaven or on earth; the spiritual state of which God is the head. B. This kingdom is not secular but inward and spiritual. LUK 17:20-21; ROM 14:17. (1) We know that Jesus reigns as King with...

I. faith: Belief, trust, confidence, reliance (in the ability, goodness, etc., of a person; in the efficacy or worth of a thing; or in the truth of a statement or doctrine).

II. Paul here sets in contrast various things: A. Zeal v. knowledge. B. Knowledge v. ignorance. C. God’s righteousness v. the sinner establishing his own righteousness. D. Trust in God v. trust in one’s own doing. E. The righteousness which is of faith v. the righteousness which is of the law. F. “Do and live” v. “live and do.”...

I. Expedient: Conducive to advantage in general, or to a definite purpose; fit, proper, or suitable to the circumstances of the case.

II. The N.T. is a law of liberty. JAM 1:25; 2:12; 2CO 3:17. A. It liberates believers from the fear of death. HEB 2:15. B. It liberates believers from the service of sin. ROM 6:16-18. C. It liberates believers from a marred conscience. HEB 9:14. D. It liberates believers from abolished strictures of Mosaic Law. COL 2:13-16. E. It liberates believers TO the law...

This is an extemporaneous message addressing the need to worship God according to his terms rather than our own.

COLOSSIANS 2:13-23 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly...

Editor's note: The beginning of the message is missing from the audio recording.

VIII. Beware of placing too much value on men’s opinion of yourself (or of others). 1CO 4:3. A. It is this very error that is causing such spiritual, emotional and psychological trouble among social mediaholics, particularly younger people. Dark thoughts overtake them. B. It is one of the ironies of life that the person who is striving to do well and doesn’t worry much about his own popularity ...

HEB 11:6 “But without faith it is impossible to please him; for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.”

I. Believing and knowing there is a God, in and of itself, is not sufficient to please God and is not an indication that we are coming to God. A. The devils believe in God. (JAM 2:19) B. Ungodly men can know and believe there is a God and know there is coming judgement for sin, yet be condemned objects of his wrath. God has reve...

Introduction 2PE 3

The purpose of this study is to soberly consider the coming judgment that we will all face before Almighty God and take stock of our lives in light of it. It is an exhortation to fear God and to get right with him. And if you are right with him, to keep the faith and wait with patience for his glorious return. It aims to provoke sinners to repentance and to comfort the righteous who are troubled by the evils of this world and long for the new heavens and the new earth wher...

V. Gird up the loins of your mind (1PE 1:13) against the toxin of futility. MAL 3:14. A. It may seem that conformity to God’s righteousness and expectations is futile when you are only looking at the immediate picture. PSA 73:13-18. B. It may seem that your dedication to principle and promise is not yielding the results you expected in the time and manner you expected. But faith in principle and promise must be partnered with patience. HEB 6:12. 1. This was where Abraham drifted. GEN 16:1-4. 2. This is w...

III. The truth of the gospel accords with soundness of mind. 2TI 1:7; ACT 26:25 A. Paul was saved from irrational, dark thoughts about decent people. ACT 8:3; 9:1; 26:11 1. He was ignorantly zealous, a dangerous premise he later denounced. ROM 10:1-3 2. His pre-conversion problem was a false belief about acceptance with God. 3. History is filled with examples of God-fearing people struck down by people with a faulty soteriology. Consider the wrath against those who refused infant baptism which was falsel...

A. King Saul was a direct trouble to David and sometimes an indirect one, as here.

1. Saul did not earlier utterly destroy the Amalekites as commanded. 1SAM 15:3, 9.

2. Had Saul done right, David would not have had to run a campaign against them (1SAM 27:8), nor would David’s band have here been ravaged by them.

3. The costs of sparing when God says, “Spare not” may be immediate or delayed, direct or indirect. We know not what troubles we may cause by sparing inappropriately.

a. D...

I. Our thoughts are to be brought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. 2CO 10:5. A. The government of our thoughts is what determines our actions and character, good or bad. PRO 23:6-7; ROM 12:3. B. The thought of foolishness is sin. PRO 24:9; MAT 5:28. C. It behooves us to guard against allowing temptation to take root in our thoughts. JAM 1:14-15. D. Mind that evil thoughts proceed from the heart, not the brain. There is a moral dimension to thought beyond the cognitive, analytical aspect. MAT 15...

IV. Some things should be kept secret rather than openly broadcast. PRO 12:23; 25:9. A. The ability to keep a secret is an act of faithfulness. PRO 11:13. B. Be wary of a man that cannot keep a secret. C. Your closest friends with whom you share the most should be people you can trust. PSA 41:9. 1. The breach of such trust is a grievous thing: betrayal. 2. Betrayal is something that is done only where trust and closeness existed. 3. One of the most piercing, telling statements our Lord ever made was to J...

A. Preamble. 1. I am not an “anti-vaxxer” but I am pro-Christ, pro-inquiry, pro-conscience and anti-coercion when it comes to the government of a mature free person’s body. 2. Jesus Christ is the supreme example of a human Whose holiness, mind and conversation should be our aspiration, and Whose sinlessness was evident in all that He did and in what was done to Him. EPH 4:13; HEB 4:15; 1PE 2:22. 3. Man is made in the image of God (1CO 11:7; JAM 3:9) above the brute creation (PSA 8:4-8) and should not be ...

I. “A mistake is to assume wrongdoing on the part of an individual because they prefer their privacy. The idea that many people have, ‘if you've got nothing to hide, you've got nothing to worry about’, is nonsense and presents the dangerous belief that one is guilty until proven innocent. I do have something to hide: my life, which is nobody's business but my God's. The right to privacy is a God given right. We demand privacy all the time, such as when going to the bathroom or taking a sh...

G. Paul had a great desire for the salvation of Israel. ROM 10:1. 1. He knew he couldn’t alter the elective purpose of God to only deem the children of the promise as the seed of Abraham. ROM 9:1-29 c/w JUDE 1:7. 2. He rather earnestly desired the conversion of the elect among Israel to the knowledge of salvation through the righteousness of One: Jesus Christ. ROM 10:2-4; 5:17-19. 3. There remained an elect remnant “Israel of God” (GAL 6:16) that needed that salvation of knowledge and faith as much as an...

2CO 3:5-18. A. Paul compares the temporary glory of Moses’s shining countenance with the temporary glory of the Law. B. Moses’s face shone and was vailed as he gave the Law to Israel. EXO 34:29-35. C. Once the Law was given, we read no more of Moses’s shining face and his vail. D. Accordingly, the Law itself was a temporary glory. 1. It was added until Christ. GAL 3:19. 2. It was a schoolmaster to bring men to Christ, not a taskmaster to keep men in bondage to unbearable burdens. GAL 3:24 c/w ACT ...

The record of Isaac is laden with illustrations pertaining to the Lord Jesus Christ. A. Both were the long-awaited sons of promise. GEN 12:1-4 c/w 17:17 c/w GAL 4:4; LUK 1:68-70. B. Both were the beloved and only-begotten sons of their fathers. GEN 22:2 c/w JOH 3:16. C. Both were spiritually generated. MAT 1:20 c/w GAL 4:29. D. Both were persecuted by their own brethren. GEN 21:9 c/w JOH 1:11. E. The sacrifice of Isaac is particularly rich with parallels to Christ, for therein we see faithful submission ...

I. Definitions. A. pestilence: Any fatal epidemic disease, affecting man or beast, and destroying many victims. B. epidemic: Of a disease: ‘Prevalent among a people or a community at a special time, and produced by some special causes not generally present in the affected locality.’

II. If Covid-19 is a pestilence, we should particularly heed what Scripture says about such. A. A pestilence is a sword of God. LEV 26:25; 1CH 21:11-12. B. If God thus judges His own people, so will He jud...

A. It is possible to despair of life. 2CO 1:8. 1. Conditions may be such that a heart fails. LUK 21:26. 2. desperate: Of a person: Having lost or abandoned hope; in despair, despairing, hopeless. Driven to desperation, reckless or infuriated from despair. Hence, Having the character of one in this condition; extremely reckless or violent, ready to run any risk or go any length. 3. Without the temper of gospel hope, desperation can drive one to irrational and/or unscriptural reactions. ACT 16:27. 4. Paul ...

V. Between the legal salvation at Calvary and the bodily salvation at Resurrection Day, the inwardly saved elect (the quickened) can experience other salvations. A. Since Christ is specially (in a special manner) the Savior of believers (1TI 4:10), by faith they may through Him be saved: 1. from vain thinking and ignorance of the true God. ACT 17:22-23; 2CO 10:5. 2. from fear of death. HEB 2:15. 3. from deceptions of lies and sins. ACT 3:26; 26:18; JOH 8:31-32; EPH 4:20-22. 4. from a stained record befor...

I. Definitions. A. save: trans. To deliver or rescue from peril or hurt; to make safe, put in safety. B. deliver: trans. To set free, liberate, release, rescue, save. C. everlasting: Lasting for ever; infinite in future duration; endless; = eternal A. 3. D. eternal: Infinite in future duration; that always will exist; everlasting, endless. E. temporal: Lasting or existing only for a time; passing, temporary. Now rare or merged in 2. Of or pertaining to time as the sphere of human life; terrestrial as opp...

(Romans 3:1) A. Definitions. 1. advantage: Benefit; enhancement, improvement; increased well-being or convenience; resulting benefit. to one's advantage: to one's benefit, beneficial to one. 2. profit: The advantage or benefit (of a person, community, or thing); use, interest; the gain, good, well-being. Formerly sometimes pl. when referring to several persons. B. Much of Paul’s epistle to the Romans was aimed at Jews (specifically Jewish Christians), to urge them from Moses and their own misconc...

A. Peter opens this last chapter by calling his brethren beloved. v. 1. 1. In Chapter 2, Peter had stressed godliness. 2. Here, he follows his own admonition to add brotherly kindness. c/w 2PE 1:7.

B. The saints are here reminded to heed the words of the prophets and those of the apostles. 1. The messages of the prophets and the apostles are in complete agreement. ACT 26:22. 2. There is a particular message pertaining to end times that apostles and prophets have always declared: God’s promised comi...

A. In addition to all the physical pain Jesus endured, He also endured taunts and reproaches while on the cross from sinners whose real issue was with God in heaven. ROM 15:3. 1. These were part of His soul-sufferings of exceeding sorrow. MAT 26:38. 2. These were part of the hell He experienced before death which culminated with the Father’s forsaking Him. MAT 27:46; ACT 2:27.

B. They taunted His Sonship, “...If thou be the Son of God...” (v. 40). 1. Jesus’s public ministry began with that doubt-pr...

A. This account of resolute commitment was during the 450 year period of the judges. RUTH 1:1 c/w ACT 13:19-20. 1. In a time when “...every man did that which was right in his own eyes” (JDG 21:25), we find a woman who did right in God's eyes. 2. Ruth is the only named virtuous woman in Scripture. RUTH 3:11. 3. virtuous: 1. Distinguished by manly qualities; full of manly courage; valiant, valorous. Obs. 2. Possessing or showing virtue in life and conduct; acting with moral rectitude or in conformity ...

I. Definitions. A. renew: To make new, or as new, again; to restore to the same condition as when new, young or fresh. B. wait on (or upon): To observe, watch; to fix one's eyes upon, gaze at. In Bible phrases, to place one's hope in God.

II. For the person whose hope, trust or confidence is in God, there is a promise of reinvigoration in the face of adversity or weakness. ISA 40:28-31. A. The man of faith accepts that the Lord is his strength. PSA 6:2 c/w PSA 28:7. B. The man...

I. We are to live by every word of God. LUK 4:4. A. As such, we should be ready to consider what Scripture anywhere has to say about a given verse or topic under consideration. B. Doctrine is often set forth piecemeal: It is not always concentrated in one text and one may err by not considering what Scripture has to say elsewhere about what is in a particular text. 1. Consider the doctrine of N.T. baptism. Its purpose, requirements, mode, meaning, what it does and does not accomplish, etc. is scattered t...

I. legalism: Theol. Applied reproachfully to the principles of those who are accused of adhering to the Law as opposed to the Gospel; the doctrine of justification by works, or teaching which savours of that doctrine. A. Confusing law/works and gospel/grace is one thing (JOH 1:17; ROM 11:6) but “teaching which savours of that doctrine” is a highly subjective thing based on presuppositions. B. One is handicapped to define sin without Law. 1JO 3:4; ROM 4:15. C. We under law to Christ. 1CO 9:21; 1TH 4:1-2.<...

V. We should attempt to make a distinction in things even if our standard is not flawless. A. Since we are sinners in a sinful world, our best attempts will be imperfect. 1KI 8:46. B. Because your standard is not 100% flawless does NOT mean that it is 100% flawed! C. God looks at the heart even though the outward performance may be lacking. 1KI 15:11-14; 2CH 30:18-20. D. Those who are most forward to criticize your standard are those who likely do not have a good standard themselves or who simply want to...

I. Definitions. A. discretion: Ability to discern or distinguish what is right, befitting, or advisable, esp. as regards one's own conduct or action; the quality of being discreet; discernment; prudence, sagacity, circumspection, sound judgement. B. discreet: Showing discernment or judgement in the guidance of one's own speech and action; judicious, prudent, circumspect, cautious; often esp. that can be silent when speech would be inconvenient. C. discernment: a. The act of discerning or perceivi...

peacemaker: One who makes or brings about peace; one who allays strife or reconciles opponents.

A. There are times for war and peace. ECC 3:8. 1. Believers are in an ongoing war with the world, the flesh and the devil. ROM 12:2; 8:5-8; EPH 6:11. 2. We are to earnestly contend for the faith, for the truth. JUDE 1:3; GAL 2:5, 14. 3. Yet while shunning evil and warring against it, we are to “...follow after the things which make for peace...” (ROM 14:19), and thus be assured of the blessing of ...

c. Some time needs to be here devoted to the subject of the Septuagint (LXX), a supposed Greek translation of the O.T. made prior to the incarnation of Christ. The LXX is one of the most important articles in the modern Bible- reviser's armament. This is one of the so-called “best and most ancient” manuscripts that have been used to undermine the AV 1611. Notice this interesting admission concerning it: “The LXX translators made some palpable mistakes; their knowledge of Hebrew was often inadequate; ...

1. In these verses, Paul sets forth that: A. the Law was added after the promises were made to Abraham and Christ. B. the Law was added because of transgressions. Sin remained at large after the promises. C. the Law was good but could not give life and righteousness. D. Scripture always taught that all men are under sin. E. the Law was a temporary covenant. F. the Law was a schoolmaster directing us to Christ. G. the Law Covenant was not directly spoken to the people by God. H. a particular faith came wh...

I. To better perceive the significance of Acts 10, one must understand the difference between regeneration and conversion. A. regenerate: v. trans. In religious use: To cause to be born again in a spiritual sense; to invest with a new and higher spiritual nature. B. convert: v. trans. To turn in mind, feeling, or conduct; to bring into another state (of mind, etc.). C. Regeneration transforms the sinner’s Adamic nature from spiritual death to spiritual life. It is a quickening (making alive) by a higher ...

I. God designed to preserve His word through His churches, or disciples. ISA 8:16 c/w ACT 11:26. A. Of special mention is the fact that the Gentiles were evangelized through the ministry of the Apostle Paul, who was commissioned from Antioch of Syria. ACT 11:25-26; 13:1-2; 14:26-28. B. Syria becomes the springboard of N.T. evangelism. A translation of the Bible into Syrian appears at about 150 A.D. This is known as the Peshitto. C. The gospel soon went into Italy and further. HEB 13:24; ROM 15:28. 1. At ...

1. Mary’s heart was not unlike ours. PSA 33:15; PRO 27:19.

2. Mary pondered all the things she heard about Jesus in her heart. LUK 2:19, 51.

3. Mary knew her baby came by way of a unique miracle. A. She was singly and highly favored that God should indwell her in the incarnation, taking part of her into union with Himself. LUK 1:28, 35 c/w GAL 4:4. B. She “...was troubled at his saying...” (LUK 1:29), an emotion of the heart which showed her common humanity.

4. Consider what she was tol...

1. Mary understood her need of God’s salvation. LUK 1:46-50. A. She magnified the Lord, not herself. B. She rejoiced in God her Saviour. C. She deemed herself of low estate, not Second Eve, Queen of heaven or Mother of God. D. She praised God Who had done to her great things, and implies she is the object of His mercy. (1) mercy: Forbearance and compassion shown by one person to another who is in his power and who has no claim to receive kindness; kind and compassionate treatment in a case where severity...

D. This grafting of Gentiles into the commonwealth of Israel (EPH 2:12) on the basis of faith without regard to fleshly circumcision was, like the convicting miracles that had been worked among the uncircumcised believers (JOH 15:24-25; GAL 3:5), part of the overall package God had designed to provoke natural Israel to jealousy. ROM 10:17-21. (1) Jews saw a momentum of Divine favor shifting before their eyes. (2) They would be jealously angered (ROM 10:19), either towards the blindness of themselves and ...

grace: Favour, favourable or benignant regard or its manifestation (now only on the part of a superior); favour or goodwill, in contradistinction to right or obligation, as the ground of a concession.

I. The Biblical description of God is awe-inspiring. A. God is holy (free from all contamination of sin and evil, morally and spiritually perfect and unsullied). DEU 32:4; LEV 11:44. B. God is purely consistent. JAM 1:17. C. God hates sin and sinners. HAB 1:13; PSA 5:4-5. D. God must punish sin. EXO 3...

G. Satan can corrupt your mind from the words of God by cares and pleasures of life and the deceitfulness of riches. MAT 13:22; LUK 8:14. 1. Under this delusion of success, only the words of Scripture that appeal to the natural man will be heeded. ROM 8:5. 2. The lust-driven will look for other teachers with sweeter stories. 2TI 4:3-4. 3. Ambition for worldly increase and worldly success can blind one to the excellency of blessed prosperity, not blasted prosperity: the difference between Abraham and Lot....

d. The dividing of Canaan by lot to the tribes of Israel (ACT 13:19-20) set up a form of a multi-state nation with a written constitution (the Law of Moses). (1) The tribal possessions were to be distinct though not all equal in size. LEV 25:23; NUM 36:7; PSA 68:27 c/w 1SAM 9:21. (2) Each tribe had its own elders, heads, judges and officers. JOS 24:1. (3) The tribes were expected to have an available militia to be called into duty as needed (NUM 1:3; 31:3), were deemed delinquent when they let their arms...

B. Satan can wedge himself in between God’s words and your mind by playing word-games like the cults do in repurposing Biblical terms and concepts. 1. The Trinity of a Christian Scientist is not the “God in Three Persons” of 1JO 5:7 but rather Life, Truth, Love. 2. The Jesus Christ of the Jehovah’s Witnesses is not the Incarnate Deity of JOH 1:14; 1TI 3:16 but a created god who is really Michael the Archangel, and he did not rise and ascend bodily into heaven. 3. To the Mormon, Jesus Christ is the son of...

I. As noted in previous studies, Mary, the mother of Jesus, has a unique, blessed and important place in God’s plan. The Biblical Mary should not be diminished. A. However, as seen in other studies, Catholicism in particular has made more of Mary than God has assigned to her according to Scripture. The current Catholic version/vision of Mary is not supported by Scripture. B. The Jews gave Abraham undue importance. LUK 3:8; ROM 9:7. 1. Jesus taught that Abraham after death could not do anything for sinner...

M. Effective communication requires a clear conveyance of message from giver to receiver. 1. Consider very small children who are unable to process spoken language. a. Parents can successfully convey a message of love to them by tender care and supply of their needs, touch, smiles and positive vocal tones. b. Parents can successfully convey messages about boundaries by measured physical pain combined with a simple verbal “No.” c/w PRO 29:15. c. Do not wait for a child to develop oral language skills to b...

IV. Scripture speaks of various forms of human government. A. There are three basic dispensations of God’s dealing with mankind: Adam to Moses; Moses to Christ; Christ to Consummation (the Church age). ROM 5:14; GAL 3:19; EPH 3:21. 1. The influence of true religion in world affairs was reduced to virtually nothing by the time of Noah. 2PE 2:5. 2. Such was the end of a completely secularized society that still had dredges/remnants of basic social order. MAT 24:37-39. B. The first and foundational form is ...

Update to point IV.E.2 from last week: a. The Fall began as a marital tug-of-war: Satan pulling Eve away from Adam’s headship, and she was not even a silly woman, per 2TI 3:6. b. John warns the elect lady to not entertain a deceiver. 2JO 1:10. c. Eve gave heed (careful attention, care, observation, regard) to a seducing spirit. c/w 1TI 4:1. d. There is wisdom in shutting the door to contradiction. PRO 19:27.

V. All Scripture is profitable (2TI 3:16) but the New Testament given through Christ’s apos...

I. This study examines various means by which Satan frustrates the word of God, particularly in believers.

II. Definitions. A. corruption: The perversion of anything from an original state of purity. B. simplicity: The state or quality of being simple in form, structure, etc.; absence of compositeness, complexity, or intricacy. C. simple: Free from duplicity, dissimulation, or guile; innocent and harmless; undesigning, honest, open, straightforward. D. beguile: trans. To entangle or over-reach wit...

I. This study is a supplement to a previous study, “Mary’s Other Children.” A. Jesus had other siblings. MAT 13:55-56; GAL 1:19. B. The primary definition of “brother” is one who is a son of the same parent or parents. C. Scripture knows nothing of Joseph fathering children by another woman. D. Mary only conceived miraculously once. E. Therefore, Jesus’s siblings must have been the children of Joseph and Mary by normal marital intercourse.

II. Romanists, however, hold that Mary was a perpetual virg...

Premise: The new covenant of which Christ is Mediator is a superior covenant. HEB 7:22; 8:6.

A. This covenant is made with the house of Israel and the house of Judah. HEB 8:8. 1. It embraces God's elect of all nations, Jew or Gentile. ROM 9:8; GAL 3:29; ROM 2:28-29. 2. Elect Gentiles are in Christ graft into the covenantal blessings of Israel and Judah. ROM 11:17; EPH 2:12-13.

B. By His superior priestly ministry, Christ is the mediator of this better covenant. 1. This covenant is mediate...

III. The church of Jesus Christ seeks friendly diplomatic relations with the secular government where it can. A. Its primary business is the gospel and the promotion of all applicable law from God. MAR 16:20; MAT 4:4; 2TI 3:16; PSA 119:128; COL 2:20-22. 1. It emphasizes the New Testament of the Spirit of Christ which promotes life and liberty. 2CO 3:6, 17; 1CO 7:21-23. 2. This spiritual life and liberty affirms self-discipline and self-restraint in deference to a higher purpose. GAL 5:1, 13; 1PE 2:16. 3....

I. No study of the life and times of Elijah would be complete without considering the seizure of Naboth's vineyard by Ahab and Jezebel, for it was there that God again sent Elijah to challenge the king. 1KI 21 c/w PRO 1:17-19. A. When Israel rashly desired a king like the nations, God warned them about things like this. 1SAM 8:14. B. One would think that someone with riches, prestige and power like Ahab would need no more, but man's nature is covetous. PRO 27:20; ECC 5:10. C. Ahab had an eye for ...

I. Marital conflict is normal. 1CO 7:28. A. Sometimes it stems from sin, other times from insecurities, misunderstandings, differing visions/goals, etc. B. Personality plays a role and personality issues can be innate and/or formed. Either way, personality is governable. Beware of, “I just can’t help myself...” 1. We are prone to shaping our present by reactions to our past: errors in one’s own upbringing, sin issues which have been repented of but still plague the heart, etc. 2. Beware of superimposing ...

I. The domains of Christ and Caesar (secular civil power) are separate. MAT 22:21. A. Christ’s kingdom is spiritual and not of this world. LUK 17:20-21; 18:36. B. Christ’s kingdom is a nation in this world. MAT 21:43 c/w 1PE 2:9. 1. The church has a national leader: Christ. 2. The church’s Leader has an administration: the pastorate. 3. The church has ambassadors to those on the outside: evangelists, pastors. 4. The church has a body of law to regulate it: Scripture. 5. The church has regular conventions...

VII. Faulty use of Scripture to advance required abstinence should remind us of the warnings against Pharisaism. MAT 16:12. A. Pharisaism tends to magnify lesser things to the disregard of important things. MAT 23:23-24. B. Pharisaism stresses outward shows of righteousness to the disregard of inward purity. MAT 23:25-28. C. Pharisaism is unwilling to conform to God's standard of righteousness and therefore substitutes artificial standards. MAR 7:1-9. 1. These man-made traditions are worthless forms ...

I. Mary, the wife of Joseph, is set forth as a very special person in Scripture. A. She miraculously conceived by the Holy Ghost to bring forth the sinless Jesus. LUK 1:35 c/w MAT 1:18-20 B. Miraculous conception was not unique (ROM 4:19) but virgin conception and birth were. MAT 1:23-25 C. She was hailed as "...blessed among women..." (LUK 1:28, 42) 1. Some have inferred from this that she is divine. 2. What, then, of Jael? JDG 5:24 D. Jesus is the fruit of her womb indeed. LUK 1:42 1. He was ...

I. Definitions. A. intoxicant: An intoxicating substance or liquor. B. intoxicate: trans. To poison. Obs. 2. To stupefy, render unconscious or delirious, to madden or deprive of the ordinary use of the senses or reason, with a drug or alcoholic liquor; to inebriate, make drunk. C. stupefy: trans. To make stupid or torpid; to deprive of apprehension, feeling, or sensibility; to benumb, deaden. D. torpid: Benumbed; deprived or devoid of the power of motion or feeling; in which activity, animation, or devel...

I. The ultimate proof that Jesus is the Christ is His resurrection from the dead. ROM 1:3-4. A. All of Jesus’ other signs hinge on the ultimate sign of His resurrection. MAT 12:38-40. B. Without the resurrection, Jesus Christ and His miracles become a lie. 1CO 15:12-18. 1. Christ abides forever. JOH 12:32-34 c/w PSA 89:4; 110:4. 2. Therefore, Jesus cannot be the Christ if He is still dead.

II. There is an abundance of evidence to support faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. ACT 1:3. A. The p...

I. Consider a few philosophical arguments for the existence of God. A. The Argument from Efficient Causes. 1. Experience confirms an order of efficient causes, i.e., everything that we observe exists from a cause/effect relationship. 2. Nothing can be the cause of itself since that would imply that it was prior to itself. 3. An indefinite series of efficient causes would result in no first cause and no last effect. If there is no first cause, there could logically be no second cause, and so on. 4. There ...

1. Jesus Christ is the ultimate man. EPH 4:13.

   1. It is His image to which God has predestinated us to be conformed. ROM 8:29.

   2. A summary of failure in Christian living is when we strive to conform to other models of man.

   3. Jesus Christ was not defined by:

      1. good looks. ISA 53:2.

      2. comedy or partying. ISA 53:3.

      3. a fancy home. MAT 8:20.

      4. material wealth. 2CO 8:9.

      5. praise of men. JOH 7:18.

      ...

1. I. Scripture speaks of brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ. MAT 12:46-47; 13:55-56; MAR 6:3; LUK 8:19-20; GAL 1:19.

   1. The prophecy of PSA 69:8-9 strongly implies that Jesus had blood siblings. c/w JOH 2:17; 7:3-5.

   2. JOH 2:11-12 distinguishes between His brethren and His disciples.I

2. If Jesus had blood siblings, then Mary did not remain a virgin after His birth since He alone is the virgin-born Immanuel (MAT 1:23). Mary only conceived one child mir...

1. L. Those who love the Lord do not rationalize evil.

   1. They hate evil. PSA 97:10.

   2. They eschew (avoid, shun, keep clear of) evil. 1PE 3:11.

   3. They delude not themselves of divine indifference or blindness of evil. PSA 94:6-10; ISA 29:15.

   4. They delude not themselves of divine approval of evil. ROM 3:8.

   5. They do not assume that they can always repent tomorrow. PRO 27:1; 29:1.

2. M. Also avoid thinking that your ...

1. V. God’s chastenings/punishments are never excessive (JOB 34:23) and are measured out according to His perfect judgment. JER 30:11; 21:14.

   1. Considering His holiness is such that one bite of forbidden fruit merited death and separation from Himself (GEN 2:17) and a date with the lake of fire, we should be most thankful that He even bothers to chasten us.

      1. In fact, if He were to punish us to within one millimeter of hellfire for even a “little” sin, He could not be faulted...

1. Definitions.

   1. chasten: trans. To inflict disciplinary or corrective punishment on; to visit with affliction

      for the purpose of moral improvement; to correct, discipline, chastise. (Usually of Divine

      chastisement.)

   2. chastise: To correct (authoritatively) the faults of; to amend, reform, improve (a person or

      thing). Obs. 3. To inflict punishment or suffering upon, with a view to amendment; also simply, to punish, to inflict punishment (esp....

Preamble.

1. The book of Joshua is the account of the O.T. church's entry and conquest of Canaan.

2. That Canaan was the inheritance for which Israel had waited: their rest. DEU 12:10.

3. Paul shows us a greater rest in coming in faith fully to Christ. HEB 4:1-11.

In JOS 3, Jesus/Joshua instructs his disciples in preparation for the new era of the church.

v. 1. Joshua promptly sets to the work.

1. Having received reassurance t...

1. Definitions.

   1. swear: To make a solemn declaration or statement with an appeal to God or a superhuman

      being, or to some sacred object, in confirmation of what is said; to take an oath.

   2. oath: A solemn or formal appeal to God (or to a deity or something held in reverence or

      regard), in witness of the truth of a statement, or the binding character of a promise or undertaking; an act of swearing; a statement or promise corroborated by such an appea...

XI. God has ever ordained specific repositories for the preservation and transmission of Scripture.

1. As noted earlier, the O.T. Scripture was given to and committed into the hands of the nation of Israel, the O.T. church. PSA 147:19-20; ROM 3:1-2.

   1. The law was sealed up among His disciples (ISA 8:16), especially the priestly tribe of Levi, and kept in the ark of the covenant. DEU 17:18; 31:24-26.

   2. Of them, the priesthood were especially designated teachers in the O...

v. 10-14

1. The law of Moses was a great blessing to its recipients (ROM 3:1-2) but when relied upon to secure eternal justification, it became a curse. v. 10 c/w ROM 3:19.

   1. “under the law” (GAL 3:23; 4:4-5, 21) = “under the curse.”

      1. (1)  “under the law” contrasts with “under grace” (ROM 6:14-15), God’s favor freely bestowed without condition upon unworthy, incapable sinners.

      2. (2)  Righteousness by the law is a frustration of grace. GAL 1:21.

         <...

1. dung: Excrementitious and decayed matter employed to fertilize the soil; manure. 2. (As constituting the usual manure) The excrement or fæces of animals (rarely of human beings): as cow-dung, horse-dung, pig's-dung, etc.

2. The Holy Ghost in both testaments uses candid, vulgar and sometimes graphic terms.

   1. All scripture is profitable (2TI 3:16), even the 36 occurrences of dung.

   2. Every word of God is pure. PRO 8:8; 30:5; PSA 119:140.

   3. All sc...

I. The exhortations in this passage should be understood in the context of Christ's other instructions in this sermon on the mountain.

1. Christ had been presenting the righteousness of God which exceeds the righteousness of

   the Scribes and Pharisees. MAT 5:20.

2. He had just taught that the kingdom of God and His righteousness should be that which we

   seek FIRST. MAT 6:33.

3. Hence, our asking, seeking and knocking should be foremost for God's kingdo...

VIII. The importance of copies.

A. The first mention of copying concerned the Ten Commandments.

1. The original autograph was smashed. EXO 32:19.

2. God simply replaced it and commanded it to be placed in the ark. DEU 10:1-5.

a. What He wrote was “...according to the first writing...” (v. 4). It was a duplicate or copy that was not to vary from the original.

b. Thus, the rule was laid down for future perpetuation of God’s words. c/w JOS 8:32-35; JER 36:27-28.

B. A copy...

1. GEN 1:1-3.

   1. God brought forth order out of darkness and disorder in creation.

   2. The grave is a place of darkness and disorder. JOB 10:22.

   3. God will have no trouble at all bringing forth glorious, ordered bodies from the grave at

      Christ's return: He knows the process well. PHIL 3:20-21.

   4. Evolutionists generally hold to a spontaneous beginning of life from inanimate matter (life

      from the dead) in the distant past which they have ...

vs. 5-9. 1. Continuing on, Paul reminds them that the blessings and ministration of the Spirit which were peculiar to the N.T. gospel church were theirs to enjoy, not by law-works like circumcision, the “do and live” righteousness of Moses’ Law, etc., but by hearing the gospel of Christ and turning submissively to Him. This was the great lesson of ACT 10. He then makes an appropriate comparison with Abraham. 2. v. 5 asks another obvious/rhetorical question: “He therefore that ministereth to you th...

4. As Paul carries on (v. 2), he poses an obvious question which the Galatians seem to have overlooked: had they received the Spirit by keeping law-works like circumcision or by hearing about Jesus Christ faithfully fulfilling the law for them? Had the Spirit come upon the church under the dispensation of the law/O.T. from Moses or under the dispensation of faith/grace/N.T. from Jesus Christ? JOH 1:14, 17 c/w ROM 3:21.  

A. The dispensation of the Law wound down with the dawning of the N.T. gospel ...

Chapter 3

Having reminded them of the doctrine to which they had been initially converted, the precedent established at the Jerusalem council and the error of Peter at Antioch, Paul now directs his rebuke at the Galatians. In the light of such evidence and their own experience, how could they so easily be drawn into the designs of the Judaizers? It is a concern of the man of God that serious labors to show men the way of truth are received with apparent shallowness and that without constant ...

H. Some science has it figured out. 1. Researchers who put together a draft of the entire sequence of the human genome, “...unanimously declared, there is only one race---the human race...If you ask what percentage of your genes is reflected in your external appearance, the basis by which we talk about race, the answer seems to be in the range of .01 percent.” (Natalie Angier, Do Races Differ? Not Really, DNA Shows, NYT 8-22-2000) 2. “The genetic variation within each of the various ethnic groups of Homo...

I. love: That disposition or state of feeling with regard to a person which (arising from recognition of attractive qualities, from instincts of natural relationship, or from sympathy) manifests itself in solicitude for the welfare of the object, and usually also in delight in his or her presence and desire for his or her approval; warm affection, attachment.

II. Preliminary thoughts. A. Why should you care if God loves you or not, as long as He lands you in heaven for eternity? 1. You would be ali...

V. Beware the evil eye of envy that sees the advantage of another and cannot abide by it. MAT 6:23; 20:15. A. Saul’s envy was noted by, “...And Saul eyed David...” (1SAM 18:8-9). B. “Envy is the devil’s eye, as hypocrisy is the devil’s cloven foot.” (Unknown) C. Beware of the “unfair” claim when it comes to God’s expectations or favor. JOH 21:20-22. D. Envy of the valid advantage of another (the favor of God, success by merit, inheritance, etc.) is one thing. But it is especially vain to be envious ...

Matthew 10:32-33 I. MAT 10:32-33 is oft interpreted by Bible readers according to their soteriologies. A. Arminians may affirm that confession is the necessary cause of one’s eternal life and if a confessor later denies Christ, he loses his eternal life. Eg. “Let it be remembered, that to be renounced by Christ is to have him neither for a Mediator nor Savior.” (Adam Clarke) B. Calvinists may affirm that conf...