Following the King

Matthew 8:18-27, “Following the King”

Although it’s become a bit passé, it seemed to be rather trendy for a while to call oneself a “follower of Christ,” instead of a “Christian.”  The sad part was that those who typically desired to be seen as Jesus’ “followers” tended to downplay the idea of total discipleship.  Everything centered around feelings, rather than simple obedience.  Obviously Jesus does not downplay the feelings we have in our relationship with Him, but being a follower of Christ comes at a cost.  It wasn’t for zero reason that the Lutheran theologian & WWII martyr Deitrich Bonhoeffer entitled his famous work, “The Cost of Discipleship.”  Many people want to be associated with Christ; they simply don’t want to count the cost of what it means to actually follow & obey Him.

Jesus has demonstrated (and will continue to demonstrate) that He has the authority to teach us of the things of God because He is God.  The question posed here is of our response: will we follow Him?

Matthew 8:18–27 (NKJV)
18 And when Jesus saw great multitudes about Him, He gave a command to depart to the other side.

• Again, there were “great multitudes” around Jesus.  Whatever the chronology, many of them had been present for Jesus’ teachings (perhaps during the Sermon on the Mount) – many had likely begun to follow Jesus as a result of the healing miracles He performed.  Mark tells us that after Jesus had healed the leper, the news spread so fast that Jesus could no longer minister openly in the city, but had to go to the deserted places – there were just too many people there. (Mk 1:45)
• This is all about to change – Jesus is going to start whittling down the numbers very quickly!
• Again, it’s a good reminder that not everyone who hangs out in a religious crowd actually knows Christ Jesus as Lord.  Jesus taught that there would be many who would seem to grow in the Word of God for a time, but would eventually fall away – that’s one of the major points of the parable of the sower. (Mt 13)  Some seed falls among thorns, and though it grows, the cares of the world choke it out.  Some seed falls on hard ground & the trials & tribulations of the world cause it to be scorched, because of a lack of root.  No doubt among the multitudes who originally followed Jesus there were thorny-ground people & stony-ground people.  (And this was JESUS’ ministry!  Surely if it happened to Him, we ought to expect the same thing in local churches today.)
• The big question is: how do we know if we’re a pseudo-disciple, or a true disciple of Jesus?  That’s a lot of what Matthew is illustrating here in Chapter 8, and it comes down to a simple singular issue: the lordship of Jesus Christ.  Is Jesus your Lord?  Is He your Master, Savior, and King?  To those for whom Jesus is Lord, it’s no question following Him in whatever He leads us to do – obedience is simply a fact of life.  Granted, we may have times of struggle, but we’ll always eventually default back to obedience, simply because that’s what a disciple does.  A disciple follows the instruction of his/her teacher.  A servant obeys the commands of his/her Lord.  A child hears the voice of his/her parents.  That’s the default mode – and that’s what a true disciple does.  A pseudo-disciple (on the other hand) looks for every excuse possible NOT to follow the teachings of the Master…and that’s what Matthew shows in the next examples.

19 Then a certain scribe came and said to Him, “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.” 20 And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”

• Interestingly enough, in each of these examples we get a willingness to follow Jesus, Jesus’ response to the person, but no follow-up on what happened afterwards.  Technically, we don’t know if these people actually overcame their excuses or not when it came to following Christ.  Yet we DO know that deep-down in their hearts they had resistance to following Christ because Jesus points out their excuses even though they themselves had never actually voiced it.
• Remember that God is omniscient.  There’s not a thing that God does not know.  There’s no excuse we can give God that He won’t immediately see through – He even knows the excuse we’re going to offer before we even offer it.  It’s no use lying to God.  People sometimes think they’re lying to God when in reality they’re lying to themselves.  God always knows the truth.
• Follower #1: “a certain scribe.”  The scribes were the teachers.  The Sadducees were generally the priests – the Pharisees were the governors of the law & consumed with holiness (the moral police) – the scribes were the teachers of Scripture.  Their normal duty was to serve as human Xerox machines, meticulously copying the Scripture letter-by-letter ensuring that every word was exactly transmitted as it had been received.  They lived & breathed the Scriptures.  Yet something about Jesus caught the attention of this scribe, and he was willing to go with Jesus & learn from him.
• Intrigue does not equal faith.  There are many people who are fascinated with Jesus but have no actual desire to serve Jesus…and that’s the case with this scribe.
• Offer #1: “Teacher, I will follow You wherever You go.”  It all sounds good at first, until we start digging into it a bit further. 
• First, notice how the scribe addressed Jesus: “Teacher.”  There was no pretension that the scribe thought Jesus to be the Lord with all authority – the Son of God clothed in the flesh.  To the scribe, Jesus was simply a teacher…one of many.  KJV has “Master,” but the word is no doubt “Teacher.”  διδάσκαλος (~ “didactic”).  A teacher might have some authority in a student’s life, but they certainly don’t have to be a person’s “master” in every respect.  Teachers can be ignored.  Teachers can have competition.  The scribe was himself a teacher – he simply found another teacher he could learn from.
• In Luke’s gospel, there is a parallel occasion that is virtually identical.  Only that person does not address Jesus as a teacher, but as “Lord.” (Lk 9:57)  The word “Lord” did not have to refer to God – it was also a designation like “Sir.”  Matthew’s account brings out the secular emphasis of the scribe.  Jesus may have been a person the scribe respected, but not necessarily a person that the scribe needed to obey.
• Second, notice the proclamation rather than a question.  Perhaps the scribe had all sorts of honestly good intentions to follow Jesus, but we know what happens with good intentions!  Instead of simply submitting himself to Christ, the scribe proclaims what HE will do under HIS power.  The scribe had a man-centered relationship with Christ, which isn’t a right relationship at all.
• Jesus’ response: The Son of Man doesn’t have a bedroom.  The scribes were part of the educated class in Judea – they were the elite teachers of the people.  They would have been accustomed to the seats of honor at banquet feasts & guest rooms galore for the asking.  The scribe had thought that he found a teacher that would guarantee him a place of glory at the table & in the hearts of all who watched.  Jesus goes straight to the heart of the scribe’s problem by pointing out that to follow Jesus means times of discomfort & times of tribulation.  Discipleship was not a life of ease; on the contrary – suffering was pretty much guaranteed!  Yet discipleship is a life worth the cost, simply because of the end result.  Disciples of Christ sacrifice everything in their life to Christ, but we reap the reward of abundant & eternal life & relationship with God!
• “Son of Man” is a distinctly Messianic title.  Daniel 7:13–14, "(13) “I was watching in the night visions, And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. (14) Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed." [] The scribe may only have wanted to recognize Jesus as a teacher, and Jesus in essence tells him, “You’re missing the point…you have no idea to whom you’re speaking.”  The scribe wanted the glory of the 2nd coming without submitting to Jesus as the Christ in His 1st coming; Jesus tells him it doesn’t come any other way.  The Son of Man will come to rule & to reign, but first He came to suffer & die.  Our Lord sacrifices, and those who desire to follow Him must be willing to do the same.
• BTW – this ought to do away with all of the false teaching that tries to proclaim that God wants all of His children to be rich & materially prosperous.  If the Lord Jesus Christ didn’t have a place to lay His head during His earthly ministry, what on earth makes us think we’re somehow “guaranteed” to have something so much more?

21 Then another of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” 22 But Jesus said to him, “Follow Me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”

• Follower #2: “another of His disciples.”  Keep in mind that the word “disciple” can have a lot broader meaning than just the 12 disciples we normally think of.  At this point in Matthew’s chronology, the 12 haven’t yet been completely chosen.  Any one of the multitude who followed Jesus from place to place technically could have been called a “disciple.”  John tells us that after some of Jesus’ harder teachings, “many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more.” (Jn 6:66)  Someone can hang around the things of Christ & ideas about Jesus without actually being a true committed follower of Christ.
• Offer #2: “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.”  This looks to be a lot better than the first offer on a couple of levels. (1) The disciple addresses Jesus as “Lord,” as opposed to “Teacher.”  In name (at least), the disciple recognized Jesus to be worthy of respect & obedience.  (2) The disciple appears to submit to Jesus.  Instead of boldly proclaiming his intent, he seems to ask permission of Jesus to attend to his family.  (3) What the disciple asks for seems to be a really good thing – after all, who wouldn’t want to help their parents in their final hours?  Truly the compassionate thing to do would be to help one’s parents if they were on their death-bed.  This disciple seems to want to honor the 5th Commandment: Honor your father & your mother.
• So what’s the problem?  Culturally speaking, to talk of burying someone’s parents wasn’t limited to their day of death.  If the disciple’s father was truly on his death-bed, there’s little doubt that the disciple would have been there right at his side, instead of hanging around a travelling itinerate minister.  Or even yet, with all of the healing miracles that Jesus had done, the disciple would have been asking Jesus to heal his father!  On the contrary, it seems that this supposed-disciple didn’t have a dying father (or even a sick father), but he wanted to hang out at home and go about life-as-usual before truly following Christ.  Instead of dropping everything to follow Jesus, this disciple wanted to follow Jesus on his terms, when he was ready.
• So many people in the church do this same thing today!  They know how to talk the talk – they know all the right answers to the baptismal questions – but when it comes time to actually following the Lord Jesus, they want to do it on their terms & their timetable.  It doesn’t work that way.  Either Jesus is our Lord, or He isn’t.  But we dare not use the term if we do not truly mean the words.
• Jesus’ response is two-fold.  (1) He gives the invitation to follow Him, and (2) He tells the man to “let the dead bury their own dead.”  Is Jesus being cold & uncaring?  Of course not – we’re repeatedly told how Jesus had compassion upon people.  We just witnessed how Jesus had compassion upon the leper & there are multitudes of other examples for us in the Scripture.  We need look no further than the cross to witness the compassion of Christ! Nor is Jesus telling the person to break the 5th Commandment.  The Sermon on the Mount made it clear that Jesus valued the heart of God’s law to a far greater extent than any Jewish theologian worked his way around the letter of the law.  Jesus certainly would not have given this man an excuse to dishonor his parents in their time of need.  On the contrary, Jesus simply sees through the man’s excuse.  Claiming concern for the dead is of little relevance when no one has actually died. 
• The issue here is one of priority.  When Jesus is truly Lord, His will is going to have 1st place in our lives.  2nd place isn’t Lordship; it’s subservient.  No one can serve 2 masters.  Seek 1st the kingdom.  To serve the Lord God & be known by Christ as one of His own is the highest and most essential priority of life.  No question is more important!  Family relationships are essential – responsibilities ought not to be ignored – but they pale in comparison with the question of salvation.  Are you Christ’s & is He your Lord?  Take care of that issue first, and allow God to lead you through the other things as His child.
• Don’t miss the 1st response of Jesus…He invites the man to follow Him!  Jesus never tells the man to go home – He never says, “How dare you approach Me like that?!” – Jesus gives a true & sincere invitation to the man to follow Him as a disciple.  He basically says, “You think you’re already a disciple of Mine – here’s your opportunity to find out.  Follow Me.” Did this man do it?  We’re told the response of other disciples when they were called to follow, but we’re not told anything about this person.  Hopefully the silence is simply silence…what an awful thing it would be to refuse the invitation of Christ.
• The same invitation is given to every single person in the world!  What an amazing thing it is to be called to follow Christ!  What privilege & grace!  Do not refuse His invitation!  Do not deny His grace.  You have the opportunity today – if you hear His voice, follow Him.  Hold nothing back & surrender everything to Christ!

23 Now when He got into a boat, His disciples followed Him.

• Before we go any further, notice that Jesus’ disciples actually followed Jesus.  Others had talked about it or found excuses to get out of it, but the disciples actually did it.  No excuses, no escape-clauses – they just followed Him, wherever Jesus went.  The disciples may get a lot of flack at other times, but we need to give credit where credit is due.  Where many of us would have faltered, they went ahead with Jesus.
• The first step to following Christ is actually following Him.  Many people say they want to follow Christ, or claim to follow Christ, but when the rubber meets the road, they don’t want to go where Jesus clearly leads them.  It’s easier to look for a way out of the marriage than to look for Jesus’ path through the difficult times.  It’s easier to follow the wide road of our lusts than to follow Jesus in fleeing temptation.  If He’s your Lord, then follow your Master…it’s as simple as that.

24 And suddenly a great tempest arose on the sea, so that the boat was covered with the waves. But He was asleep.

• The Sea of Galilee is well-known for these types of sudden storms.  It lies in a basin at the bottom of Mt. Hermon, and the lake is actually 600 feet below sea level.  The mixture of warm & cold air currents colliding over the mountain ranges can cause violent storms to arise in literally seconds, generating waves of 25 feet or more.  Sailors were always fearful of them, and apparently one popped up on Jesus and His disciples as they were sailing.  How bad was the storm?  The word that’s used can either refer to a storm or an earthquake (σεισμὸς), depending on the context.  This was violent!
• It’s been said before, and it’s worth saying again: just because we’re a disciple of Jesus Christ does not mean that we will be exempt from times of trial and tribulation.  It’s safe to say that although all those who climbed into the boat with Jesus willingly to follow Him, there were probably a few thinking: “What have I gotten myself into?!”  They would have been safe back upon the shore; it was only when they followed Jesus that their lives were suddenly thrown into upheaval.
• Never let anyone tell you that the Christian life guarantees an easy life.  Quite often, it’s the opposite!  Jesus specifically promised us that we will experience trials and tribulation (Jn 16:33) – if we’re not currently expecting trials, we ought to be!  The good news (and what the disciple seemingly forgot) is that as a believer in Jesus Christ, we’re never alone in our trials.  Our Lord will be there to sustain us!
• Some have said that the disciples shouldn’t have been afraid that the boat would sink because Jesus was right there with them.  And the principle is absolutely true that their faith should have been solid in Christ Jesus, knowing that He would get them through anything.  He was the one who commanded that they get into the boat (Lk 8:22), so He was certainly going to see them through.  Yet the boat still could have sank.  All of them could have ended up at the bottom of the lake.  The worst possible outcome still could have occurred…and they could have still have trusted Jesus to get them through it.  If their boat had been destroyed, Jesus could have had them all walk on water – if they had sunk to the bottom, the Lord could have raised them from the dead.  There’s no limit to what Jesus could have done in the scenario.
• God may not only allow trials & tribulations, but He might just allow the worst possible scenario to come into your life.  He’s still just as capable of taking you through THAT storm, as any lesser trial that you face.  Trust Him!
• The unusual thing here was not the storm (that was to be expected); the unusual thing was Jesus’ reaction to it…He was sound asleep!  This ought to stand out to us on a couple of levels.
• Jesus shows His humanity – He needed to sleep.  (And if He could sleep during a tempestuous storm, Jesus REALLY needed to sleep!)  He worked Himself to exhaustion during His earthly ministry, and the Almighty Son of God who never slept or slumbered a moment during His heavenly glory actually had to take a nap because He was so physically tired.  Matthew continues to show us that Jesus is 100% God & 100% Man.
• Jesus shows His faith.  It seems a bit strange to use the word “faith” to describe Jesus’ relationship with God the Father – but since our language is lacking, we’ll use it.   Jesus had supreme confidence in the will of God the Father.  There was no worry of being drowned.  After all, God had sent Jesus to minister upon the earth, die upon the cross, & rise from the grave…there was no way God wasn’t going to bring it all to completion.  Of course Jesus could relax & rest.  He may have gotten wet, but that was all that was going to happen to Him.
• Interesting contrast here with another Biblical person who was in a boat asleep during a storm: Jonah. [Context Jonah 1] The interesting thing is that we know that Jonah was rightly chastised for sleeping, but Jesus ought not to have been chastised at all.  What’s the difference?
• Jonah was rebelling against God; Jesus was in the middle of the will of God.
• Jonah’s storm was sent by God to get Jonah’s attention; Jesus’ storm was a natural event that would get the disciples’ attention.
• Jonah slept because of rebellious callousness; Jesus slept because of obedient ministry & faith.

25 Then His disciples came to Him and awoke Him, saying, “Lord, save us! We are perishing!”

• The disciples may have been presumptuous, but every one of us in our humanity can understand their reaction.  They panicked & reached out to Jesus to do something (anything!) that would help save them.
• The sad part here is the implication.  (1) As if Jesus didn’t understand the danger.  (2) As if Jesus didn’t care about their lives.  How sad is it when we get to the place that we think (and believe, deep down) that God doesn’t care?  God DOES care.  When we fall into that trap of thinking, we can be assured we’re not thinking about what the Lord cares about, we’re just thinking about ourselves.  It’s a sure indication of our selfishness (just as it was for the disciples).  The solution?  When we begin to feel prideful & indignant towards God, repent in humility. 1 Peter 5:6–7, "(6) Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, (7) casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." []  He truly DOES care.  Trust Him for it!
• The one good thing in all of this?  The disciples knew to call upon Jesus.  They may not have known what He could do – but they knew it would be more than simply bailing water out of the boat & hanging on for dear life.  They called out, “Lord, save us!”  They needed salvation, and the Lord Jesus was the only One who could provide it.
• As much as the disciples had to learn in all of this – their simple prayer is the essence of what it means to call upon Jesus for eternal salvation.  In modern evangelicalism, we often teach people what’s known as the “sinner’s prayer,” to help them respond to the gospel.  What the disciples cried out to Jesus in their panic is the essence of the true sinners’ prayer!  “Lord, save me!  I’m perishing!”  “I’ve understood that because of my sin I am utterly doomed to face the wrath and judgment of God, and I desperately need help!  I’m perishing, apart from Your grace.  Save me, Lord!  You are the Lord, the God of all flesh – You are the only one who can save, so please save me!”
• Sometimes people tend to forget what their spiritual reality is when they are in their sin without Jesus Christ.  It’s not “Life is fine, but perhaps Jesus can make it a little better.  Why not be born-again, and give Him a try?”  Absolutely not!  The reality is that life is NOT fine.  Outside of Christ, our spiritual reality is that we are dead men & dead women in the midst of a wild & stormy sea, and we are merely one breath away from eternal damnation in hell.  We are already dead in our transgression, and we are headed squarely for the righteous wrath of God because of our sin.  THAT’s the reality!  But the good news is that Christ Jesus is available to save!  He loves you – He died upon the cross for you – and He is there, ready to save all who call upon Him in true sincere faith!

26 But He said to them, “Why are you fearful, O you of little faith?” Then He arose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.

• Can you imagine the scene?  From massive wind & waves, driving rain & water flooding the boat, Jesus stands and speaks & instantly the weather is clear & calm…a sea of glass in comparison to what they had just endured.  What made the difference?  The mere word of God.
• The word of God has authority!
• Question: did the disciples have a reason to fear?  From a human perspective, absolutely!  After all, these weren’t land-lubbers we’re talking about – most of the disciples were hardy, seasoned fishermen.  They had all experienced stormy weather at sea before, and they wouldn’t have frightened easily.  Yet for them to panic the way they did, this must have been an immense storm!  Any one of us would have been fearful in the same situation.
• Yet from a heavenly perspective, no…they had no reason to fear whatsoever.  After all, they were in the boat with Almighty God! What did their abundance of fear demonstrate?  A lack of faith.  When Christians walk in fear, it means that Christians are not walking in faith.   God does not give a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind. (2 Tim 1:7)
• What an amazing contrast with the centurion of vss. 8-13!  Jesus marveled at his faith, and he was but a Gentile Roman soldier who barely knew Jesus at all.  Yet the disciples who lived with Christ day-in and day-out, and knew the Scriptures & the promises given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – these disciples did not even have a fraction of the faith of the Gentile!

27 So the men marveled, saying, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

• Earlier, Jesus marveled at the faith of the centurion – now it’s the disciples’ turn.  They marveled at Jesus.
• Their question is revealing.  They thought they knew who Jesus was – after all, they had been around His teaching, they hadn’t flinched when He referred to Himself as “the Son of Man,” and they had even called Him “Lord.”  They followed Him when Jesus called them to follow Him – some of them had made a profession of faith much earlier that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God (Jn 1:41,49).  Yet even with all their earlier confessions & expressions of faith, they are still taken aback enough to wonder, “Who can this be, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”  Do we truly understand who Jesus is?  Have we seen Him as He truly is?  Do we understand that Jesus is no mere man, but the God-Man – the everlasting Lord of heaven and earth?  Take a moment to consider Whom it is you call “Lord.”  The very immensity of the holiness of Almighty God ought to cause us to tremble in reverent fear.  Our artwork has a tendency to take away some of the awesome power and holiness of God.  Not that it’s bad – but there’s no getting around it when people attempt to use finite pictures to depict the infinite.  So many people are left with images of Jesus as a baby, or a dying Jesus upon the cross, or maybe even a risen Jesus but just a man standing there.  He is indeed a man, but He is GOD.  Even the demons in rebellion against Him cannot not help trembling at His name.  Who can this be, that even creation bends its knee?  This is Christ, the everlasting Lord – this is our Savior & King.
• (Guzik) “In the span of a few moments, the disciples saw both the complete humanity of Jesus (in His tired sleep) and the fullness of His deity. They saw Jesus for who He is: truly man and truly God.”

Conclusion:
Is this how you see Him?  Is He God that’s worthy to be followed, no matter what the cost – or is He just another man who offers something nice?  Three examples of those who offered to follow Christ.

• The person who balked at sacrifice.  The scribe wanted a nice teacher, perhaps a plaque to put on the wall that said, “I hung out with Jesus,” but he didn’t want Jesus to actually be Lord, nor did he conceive of sacrifice and suffering.  The scribe didn’t count the cost of following Christ.  It’s not merely association; it’s surrender.
• The person who balked at urgency.  The pseudo-disciple seemed to demonstrate faith, but in reality he wanted God to bow to his own personal timing.  He wanted to follow Jesus whenever he was ready & thus demonstrated that he didn’t have clue as to the priority of the kingdom of heaven.
• The people who actually followed Jesus.  For all of the disciples’ lack of faith that they demonstrated once they were in the boat, at least they had enough faith to actually get INTO the boat with Jesus!

Into which category do you fall?  Are you willing to follow Christ, or are you still making excuses for yourself?  Keep in mind that (had the term existed at the time), each of these people would have likely considered themselves to be Christian.  After all, they were all following Jesus around listening to His teaching.  They were hanging around with other people who did the same.  In essence, they were in church 7 days a week – they could have pointed to a lot of things that made it look like they had faith.  Yet when the rubber hit the road, it became obvious who did & who didn’t. 

Some Christians try to do all of this half-way…as if Jesus can be a part-time Lord & Savior.  They’ll follow Christ in certain areas of their lives – they’ll lift their hands in worship & spend time with other Christians in church – but when it comes time to actually follow Jesus during difficulty, they’ll stomp on the brakes & not go where Jesus tells them to go, doing what the Bible clearly proclaims.  That’s not really an option left to us.  When Jesus calls us to follow Him, we follow Him – even into areas of sacrifice, making His will our highest priority to the point of enduring turbulent trials for His sake.  That’s discipleship…and that’s what Jesus has called us to.

Jesus the Healer

Matthew 8:1-17, “Jesus the Healer”

Our world has a need for healing!  Whether it’s people lined up outside of a faith crusade, or lined up outside of the ER, there’s no doubt that one of the greatest needs that people have is physical healing.  Even those who are incredibly solid & mature in their walk with Christ sometimes find their faith shaken when presented with a physical disease or emergency situation.  Problems with our bodies of a way of rocking us to our core & reprioritizing what we think is most important in life.

It makes sense, when we stop to think about it.  As Christians, we sometimes have a tendency of spiritualizing some of this way – thinking that because our spiritual needs are so eternally vital that our physical needs don’t matter much at all.  To be sure, our spiritual needs ought to have the utmost priority…after all, that has a direct impact on not only the next several decades, but the next several eons!  But that doesn’t mean that our physical needs aren’t important.  After all, God created us as physical beings in His own image & we will have a physical existence (though resurrected in our redemption) that will last throughout eternity.  Even God Himself put on physical flesh & dwelt among us (which is what we celebrated at Christmastime) & Jesus will remain incarnate forever.  So obviously the physical has a good deal of value to God.  If it didn’t matter, why bother creating a physical universe in the 1st place?

Thus it makes sense that Jesus spends so much time in the gospel bringing physical healing to people.  In Matthew’s chronology, he just got done with a major doctrinal section in which Jesus taught the multitudes in the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus had taught what it meant to live as a citizen of the kingdom of God.  Now Matthew is going to show that Jesus had the authority to teach them because He is the King.  A major part of Jesus’ authority is seen in His healings.

What’s so striking about this section (among other things) is the variety here.  Look at who Jesus heals: the unclean, the Gentiles, a woman, and various other unnamed people.  It didn’t matter what their background was, it only mattered that Jesus is Lord.  Look at what He healed: leprosy, paralysis, fever, demon-possession – ranging from the physically minor to the supernatural.  If Jesus can heal all of that, what can we bring to Him that He cannot handle?

Ultimately, what we see here is that physical disease is a symptom of a greater problem: spiritual death.  We need healing; Jesus is our healer.

Matthew 8:1–17 (NKJV)
1 When He had come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed Him.

• Multitudes followed Him at this time – they wouldn’t always follow Him.  Religious crowds do not always equal born-again believers.
• The idea here is one of a public ministry.  Jesus has given some fairly revolutionary teaching among the people of Galilee – now He’s going to demonstrate the authority by which He taught these things.  Public miracles to back up His public teaching.

2 And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, “Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean.” 3 Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him, saying, “I am willing; be cleansed.” Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.

• Healing #1: cleansing the unclean.  What was leprosy?  We know it today as Hansen’s disease…a bacterial infection that can cause extensive skin & nerve damage.  Whether or not the leper in question had Hansen’s disease is unknown – the term was generally used to describe all sorts of skin condition.  Those with leprosy were considered culturally unclean, since the various diseases were potentially contagious.
• Leprosy was often a picture of sin in the Bible.  To whom can the sinner turn?  The person who is utterly infected with sin that will eventually bring their death has zero hope, other than being completely cleansed & cured.  They’ve got to go to a person who can heal them.  False hope doesn’t cut it for a leper.  Someone offering the latest “snake-oil” medicine doesn’t offer hope; they offer little comfort because their treatment fails & still leads to potential death.  What a leper needs is TRUE healing.  What a sinner needs is TRUE healing.  False hopes from false messiahs and false prophets don’t do anything except prolong the inevitable.  Someone might feel better about themselves on their way to hell, but they’re still headed to the same place.  They need TRUE healing, and that only comes through Jesus Christ. …
• The leper came.  The leper worshipped.  Different gospel accounts place this event earlier in Jesus’ ministry (Matthew tends to organize his gospel by theme, rather than date), so potentially this was the very first leper healed by Jesus.  Most likely, the leper had no prior experience to assume that Jesus could heal the disease.  Only one Hebrew in history had ever been healed of severe leprosy (Miriam, after she insulted Moses), and the only other example was the Syrian general Naaman, healed by Elijah.  Whatever Jesus had done before, it would have been minor compared to healing someone with leprosy – yet the leper had the faith that Jesus could do it.  Why?  Because he believed that Jesus was God…the leper “came and worshiped Him.”  Some scholars interpret the worship here as simply a sign of respect, but the context shows something drastically different.  (1) The leper is in need of help that only the most powerful prophets of God had ever addressed before, (2) the leper calls Jesus “Lord,” which technically could mean “Sir,” but has a far greater attachment in the Hebrew culture to God, and (3) bows before Jesus in submission (which is what the Greek word for “worship” here means).  Put it all together, and there’s little doubt that the leper believed that Jesus is the Christ.  So he came to Jesus for help.
• Coming to Jesus is an obvious step, but often a forgotten one.  It seems that many people want a blessing from Christ, but never want to actually come to Him in submission, bowing before Him as Lord.  They want to go to heaven, they just don’t want Jesus to be there – or at least not for Jesus to actually be on the throne reigning as King.  It doesn’t work that way.  If we want to experience the power and provision that Christ offers, we must be willing to come & worship.
• Notice what the leper acknowledged the issue as.  It wasn’t Jesus’ ability that the leper was unsure of; it was Jesus’ willingness.  Jesus obviously had the power – and the leper believed that to be the case, even though he had never witnessed Jesus heal anyone else of leprosy.  But for the leper to be healed, Jesus needed to be willing.  It wasn’t the leper’s faith or ability or anything else the leper could bring that would heal him; it was completely left up to the will of God.
• That’s true regarding physical and spiritual healing.  Obviously with any physical healings we experience today, it’s completely left up to the will of God.  We certainly ask in faith, but our faith cannot manipulate God into doing something He doesn’t want to do.  We leave ourselves in His hands, being submissive to His will.  On the spiritual level, we see the same thing when it comes to the forgiveness of sin.  It’s not the ability we bring, or gifts we offer that save us, it’s completely up to the will of God to grant us salvation.  The good news is that we have the promise of God’s will to save through Christ & it’s proclaimed throughout the Scriptures!
• Jesus was willing!  Notice the order.  First Jesus demonstrated compassion, THEN Jesus healed the man.  The truly amazing thing about this story is that Jesus touched the leper BEFORE the leper was healed.  People just didn’t do that sort of thing.  To touch a leper was to be ceremonially defiled, and the person would have to go through all sorts of requirements to be proclaimed clean again.  But not Jesus.  Obviously whoever He touched would be instantaneously clean, so there would be no defilement – but more than that, Jesus was more concerned about the person than about the rumors.  He looked upon this man with compassion (how long had that been for the man?), and reached out & touched him before proclaiming his healing.  Who knows how long it had been since the man had experienced any human touch at all – and yet God Incarnate reached out to him.
• How great is the compassion of Christ!  What a loving and marvelous God we serve.  That He would reach out to us beyond time and space, purging us of our sin, and bringing His rebellious creation back to Himself in glorious relationship.  Amazing!
• How soon was the leper healed?  Immediately & totally.  When Jesus cleansed him, he was cleansed.  When Jesus heals someone, they’re healed…period.

4 And Jesus said to him, “See that you tell no one; but go your way, show yourself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them.”

• This was according to the law.  Leviticus 14 goes into great detail about what was to happen when a leper was cleansed of his leprosy.  It’s interesting that so much detail is given when apparently the leprosy was cleansed so few times.  Only two instances are recorded in the Old Testament of miraculous healings.  Of course, the term “leprosy” carried a much broader meaning & encompassed all sorts of temporary skin diseases, so the ritual in Lev 14 would apply for those types of leprosy as well.  Yet this would have been one of the only occasions in history for it to occur with severe (otherwise incurable) leprosy.
• The reason for the gift was as a testimony to the priest.  Remember that a leper was cast out of general society & considered completely unclean.  If the priest had the testimony of healing & proclaimed the man clean, he’d be able to rejoin his family and friends for the first time in ages.
• The bigger question is: why would Jesus want the man to stay silent?  There are some different thoughts here.  We know from other gospel accounts that once word got out about the leper’s healing that Jesus had difficulty moving from place to place simply because there were so many people following Him.  Yet at the same time, there seems to be something bigger at work here.  If this man went to priest & showed himself to be miraculously cleansed, then the natural question for the priest would be “how could this happen?” – and that would have been a testimony for the priest regarding the promised Messiah.  In other words, the man’s silence & simply obedience to the law would have been a far greater testimony to the work of Christ than his outspokenness.
• Obviously it’s never wrong to give glory and praise to God for the work that Jesus has done in our lives.  But we can take away from that testimony if our lives don’t reflect that work.

5 Now when Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, dreadfully tormented.”

• Healing #2: caring for the Gentile.  A centurion was a Roman commander – the word literally means that he was over 100 men.  It’s a reminder that Judea was an occupied territory & Roman garrisons were scattered throughout the land.  Many Jews were looking for a political messiah who would deliver them from the Roman oppression.  How would Jesus react to this soldier?  Even more than that, Matthew shows that this soldier didn’t quite fit the stereotype.  Instead of oppressive, this centurion was submissive.  It would have stood out to the Jewish reader.  Instead of being harsh, this centurion had compassion upon his servant.  Luke’s account uses the normal word for “slave” here, but Matthew indicates that this could have been a child.  Perhaps this was a servant child in the centurion’s household who had a sudden ailment come upon him.  Whatever the case, the centurion certainly didn’t treat the servant with disdain, but was obviously troubled & moved with compassion for someone who was suffering.  By all appearances, this Roman centurion seemed to be a God-fearing Gentile.
• The centurion came.  The centurion pleaded.  Luke’s account has a slightly different version of this event.  In Luke 7, the centurion doesn’t directly come to Jesus, but instead sends word through messengers (Jewish elders & other friends).  Is this a contradiction with Matthew?  No.  Matthew’s account is simply an abbreviated version & Luke gives more details.  The centurion is still the one who took the initiative to approach Jesus – he actually shows himself to be familiar with the Jewish customs, and apparently did not want to cause Jesus any kind of ceremonial defilement.  However he came to Jesus, he still came in faith.  As with the leper, he pleads with Jesus – implying that as long as Jesus is willing, this servant boy will be healed.

7 And Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.” 8 The centurion answered and said, “Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I also am a man under authority, having soldiers under me. And I say to this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”

• Jesus offers to come, but the centurion stops Him.  Is the Roman contradicting Jesus?  No – he’s submitting to Him.  Objection: “Wait a second.  How can protesting against Jesus’ offer to come to the servant be an act of submission?”  Because the centurion wasn’t rebelling against the authority of God, he was actually magnifying it in his life.
• The centurion recognized his lack of worth
• The centurion recognized the power of God
• A wonderful illustration of what it means to have authority!  Military commanders are well used to orders & authority & chain of command. … It’s the same way with God.  The word of God has authority!
• With that in mind – knowing that God created the heavens and the earth by the word of His mouth – the very atoms and molecules bow to the authority of God – do we start to understand the magnitude of our sin when we rebel against God?  God’s words have authority…what He states instantly comes to reality.  Yet God has given mankind free will, allowing us to rebel against His authoritative word.  Mankind dares to do what the molecules of the universe would never conceive of doing.  People wonder sometimes why sin is such a big deal.  Sin is a big deal because it’s the antithesis of the normal state of the universe is.  Mankind is unique in its rebellion – and thankfully, also unique in being the recipient of God’s grace.

10 When Jesus heard it, He marveled, and said to those who followed, “Assuredly, I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel!

• Can Almighty God truly marvel at anything & be amazed?  Yes, if Jesus is acting in His humanity.  Remember that Jesus is 100% God & 100% Man – two natures in one person, inseparably intertwined together.  There are times that Jesus demonstrates omniscience (as when He knew what the Pharisees were thinking after proclaiming a man’s sins healed prior to healing him – Mt 9:6), and other times where He seemingly chose not to exercise His omniscience…this being one of the cases.  However the amazement came about, it’s a pretty striking thing to make God the Son marvel!  This obviously stood out.
• Usually when Jesus is found talking about someone’s faith, He’s talking about how “little” it is.  We’ll actually see a bit of a contrast with Jesus’ disciples later in Ch 8 regarding the winds & waves on the Sea of Galilee.  They had little faith, whereas this Gentile Centurion had great faith.  That wasn’t just the case with the disciples – that was the case all over the land of Israel!  The people of Israel had been expecting the Messiah – they had been given the Scriptures – they had seen multitudes of miracles – they had been the recipients of the promises of God going all the way back to Abraham.  And yet even they didn’t have the simple faith of this Gentile Roman soldier.  Of course Jesus could just say the word, because Jesus is God.  The Roman understood that; the Jews had a harder time receiving even the simpler acts of the Lord Jesus.
• How’s your faith?  What is it that you believe God is capable of doing?  Or what is it that you (deep down) believe that it is impossible for God to do?

11 And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 12 But the sons of the kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

• It’s been often said that when we get to heaven, we will be surprised by who’s there & also surprised at who’s not.  Jesus seems to have originated the thought!  In regards to the Centurion’s faith, Jesus makes it clear that this was a man who demonstrated saving faith in the Son of God, and that there would be many more Gentiles to come who would do the same.  And while there would be many Gentiles who would be saved, there would also be many Jews who would be cast out.  The Jews would have thought themselves to be sons of the kingdom (after all, they had the ethnic identity & the Scriptures), but their lack of faith showed them to belong to the outer darkness.
• Family history doesn’t save you.  Religious affiliation doesn’t save.  Nor does knowledge of the Bible, personal philosophy, good intentions, or how nice of a person we think we are.  NONE of those things save.  ONLY faith in Christ Jesus saves.

13 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

• The result?  Immediate healing.  Jesus spoke the word & the servant was “healed at that same hour.”
• Some have read Jesus’ statement here to be a further test of the centurion – that the servant might be healed only in proportion to the amount of faith that the centurion demonstrated.  More likely, Jesus is simply proclaiming the fact of healing.  The centurion HAD believed, so “as” (since) he had already believed, Jesus healed.

14 Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. 15 So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.

• Healing #3: Peter’s mother-in-law…healing a woman.  Only a couple of verses are given to this miracle, which almost seems like an afterthought – but obviously it’s got an important role to play if it’s included in Scripture.  Jesus had healed a leper, a Gentile, and now: a woman.  All of the cultural boundaries that the Jews had set up for themselves were being crossed over & done away with in the ministry of Christ.  His healing, just like His salvation was made available to Jew, Gentile, male, female, slave, free alike.
• What’s so striking is the simplicity of it all.  Peter’s mother-in-law doesn’t come to Jesus, but it seems that Jesus was told of the need (Mk 1:30),  just came in to the house, simply touched her without uttering a word & the fever was instantaneously gone.  How thorough was the healing?  Most people who have a fever take a bit to recover; she felt well enough to get up and serve.

16 When evening had come, they brought to Him many who were demon-possessed. And He cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all who were sick, 17 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying: “He Himself took our infirmities And bore our sicknesses.”

• Healing #4: cleansing the multitudes.  Obviously the other Jews were not left out of Jesus’ healing ministry.  On several occasions, those who came to Jesus specifically asking for healing received it.  In this case, the healings were specifically associated with demonic possession & Jesus demonstrates His absolute authority over physical AND spiritual matters.
• Why is it important to know that Jesus has the authority and power to heal physical disease?  Two reasons: (1) It’s a foretaste of the kingdom to come, (2) It’s a shadow of the abundant life.
• It’s a foretaste of the kingdom to come.  One of the most oft-quoted promises about heaven is that it will be a place where there is no more sickness, death, crying, or pain.  The true Messiah (the King of kings who institutes that eternal kingdom) ought to be able to offer that in this world as a foretaste of things yet to come.  And that’s exactly what Jesus did.  He shows His kingly authority as the Messiah because He brings the kingdom with Him wherever He goes.  It’s a proof of who He is.  In fact, these sorts of healing miracles are exactly what Jesus pointed to as proof of His Messiahship when questioned by John the Baptist. (Matt 11:4-6).  Jesus’ current physical healings simply foreshadow the perfect reign He will institute in the millennial kingdom (and beyond).
• It’s a shadow of the true abundant life that Jesus gives.  Healing sicknesses is only a natural byproduct of the One who gives eternal life.  After all, what assurance could we have of life beyond the grave if Jesus couldn’t do anything about the sicknesses that take us to the grave in the 1st place.  If Jesus was powerless over physical infirmities, how could the Jews who witnessed His ministry trust Him to have power over spiritual sin?  After all, what’s worse: disease or death?  With disease (even horrible disease) we at least have a fighting chance.  Death is simply final.  If Jesus claims to offer victory over the grave, then surely He ought to be able to beat disease or any other ailment presented to Him.  He can & He did.  In fact, this is exactly the point Jesus demonstrated when He healed the lame man that was lowered to Him through Peter’s roof.  Jesus forgave the man of his sins, but THEN healed him physically in order to demonstrate the authority Jesus had to forgive his sins.
• The quote from Isaiah is actually from Isaiah 53.  Matthew has demonstrated a pattern of showing how Jesus fulfills prophecy & he does so again here.  The interesting thing about the prophecy is that this seems to be Matthew’s own translation of the original Hebrew, as it doesn’t follow the LXX or any other version used at the time.  Isaiah 53:4–5, "(4) Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. (5) But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed." []  Obviously the original context is regarding healing from spiritual sin – Matthew simply demonstrates that our physical healings are tied up along with Christ in His atonement at the cross.
• So here’s the $10,000 question: If Jesus healed everyone who came to Him then, why doesn’t Jesus heal everyone today?  Three answers to that:
• First, we need to realize that Jesus did not always heal everyone all of the time.  There were certainly occasions that He did heal everyone who came to Him (as here in Ch 8), but this wasn’t the case every time.  All sorts of people were suffering at the pool of Bethesda, but Jesus only picked out one person to heal (and the man wasn’t even looking for Jesus at the time – Jn 5).  When Jesus went to Nazareth & was rejected there, apparently He only did a few minor healings, but no truly mighty work there (Mk 6:5).  So obviously Jesus did not heal everyone He looked at or came in contact with – though He healed often & to an extent that has not been seen before or since.  We need to remember that physical healing is not always the will of God.  Paul healed many people in his ministry, but didn’t heal everyone (he left Trophemus in Miletus sick – 2 Tim 4:20), or even himself (with the thorn in his flesh).  Sometimes God has a plan for us IN our pain.  We learn humility & dependency upon God – we learn what it means to share in the fellowship of the sufferings of Christ – we learn what it means that God’s grace is sufficient for us, and more.  There’s no way to learn these truths apart from suffering & God’s desire for us to mature has a greater need than some of our temporal relief.
• Second, we need to understand that Jesus will heal all of His followers eventually.  That was Matthew’s greater point in (loosely) quoting Isaiah 53.  We have a greater abundant eternal life to which we look forward!  The physical healings we may/may not experience in this life are just a foretaste of what’s yet to come.  The eternal life is what we really seek after!  Those who have received Jesus as Lord will experience eternal life & thus all of us will be healed in that way.
• Third, although Jesus does not today heal everyone physically, He does still heal some.  The fact that not everyone experiences physical healing should never deter us from asking from those healings.  In fact, the Bible specifically tells us to ask.  James 5:14–16, "(14) Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord. (15) And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much." []
• The bottom line: we know Jesus can heal – we know Jesus is willing to heal – we know Jesus has authority to heal – we know Jesus has promised to heal eventually – so ask Him.  Ask in faith & leave the results up to Him.

Conclusion:
Such variety in the healings of Christ!  Who He healed: the leper – the Gentile’s servant – a woman – all/anyone.  What He healed: leprosy – paralysis – fever – demon possession.  How He healed: touch/will – word – silent touch – unsaid ways with the multitudes.  What’s too hard for Jesus?  Nothing!  He’s the Lord!

• Jesus has compassion to heal
• Jesus has authority to heal
• Jesus has the ability to heal

Jesus’ healing is a sign of His kingdom reign.  Go to Him with your needs, but go to Him in faith submitting to Him as Lord.

In all of this, by far the most important aspect is Jesus’ ability to heal from the sickness of sin.  It was the Fall of Man that introduced sickness to the world in the first place, and with that sickness came death.  Physical healing can be important, but it only really addresses a symptom of a greater problem: eternal spiritual death.  Jesus brings healing.  Because of the cross & resurrection, we have absolute assurance that Jesus heals us of the greatest disease: sin & separation from God.  At the cross, Jesus took our infirmities (our iniquities) upon Himself.  In the resurrection Jesus gives us life beyond the grave.  That’s TOTAL healing!

Have you been healed?  Have you been attended to by the Great Physician?  NOW is the time to be healed from the sickness of sin.  Jesus can heal – He’s willing – He’s got the authority – but you must come to Him in faith, believing Him to be Lord.

Faith During Persecution

Psalms 52-55, “Faith During Persecution”
:
Many times when people think of the Psalms, they think of the glorious songs of praise.  What we sometimes forget are the songs of wailing and despair.  Yet the Psalms are full of songs that speak to people to suffer deeply.  David suffered often – and he wasn’t afraid to be honest about it.  Sometimes his suffering was his own fault due to sin (as we saw last week in Ps 51); sometimes he suffered because of the sins of others.  (No different than us!)

In Psalms 52-55, David experiences political persecution, outright wickedness, and personal betrayal.  In all of the turmoil, there’s one thing that doesn’t change: the foundation of his faith – God.  When your world falls apart, what do you do?  Plant yourself on the solid foundation of Christ Jesus!

Psalm 52 (NKJV) – The Prideful Evildoer
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of David Told Saul, and Said to Him, “David Has Gone to the House of Ahimelech.”

• The full background is found in 1 Samuel 21-22.  David had been on the run from Saul (after it was made clear that Saul desired to kill David in jealousy), and for refuge had gone to the town of Nob, where apparently the Tabernacle was located at the time.  He received help from Ahimelech the priest, who gave the loaves of showbread to David & his men to eat, and also armed him with the sword taken from Goliath.  David ended up running to Gath of the Philistines to attempt to find refuge.  (Not exactly the wisest of moves considering he was carrying the sword that belonged to the Philistine champion & David was well known for his military success against the Philistines!)  Apparently Doeg the Edomite (a Gentile) had witnessed the whole event & reported all of David’s moves back to King Saul.  Saul was infuriated with the priest & had Ahimelech & 85 other priests massacred that day.  It was out of all of these events that David wrote this psalm.
• What would you say if you were hated, spied upon, and dozens of people died for the simple reason of your faithfulness to Christ?  It may sound surreal to our ears, but this is the case for believers all over the world who live in regions that are hostile to the gospel.  Government agents infiltrate the church & neighbors turn in neighbors in an attempt to stamp out the gospel in their country.  Is God still in control in those cases?  Absolutely!  God is still in control in every case.  Injustice may exist for a time, but it is not ignored by Almighty God.  He sees & He will act.

• The man of evil (vss. 1-4)

1 Why do you boast in evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually.

• The “mighty man” (or literally “hero”) is likely a reference to Doeg.  Doeg thought he was strong & politically powerful, but he was nothing compared to Almighty God.
• The success of evil is strictly temporary.  There’s no doubt that sometimes evil people are successful in their schemes – but it never lasts.  Even if evil lasts 100 years (such as an evil government regime), it’s still temporary in comparison with eternity.  There’s no cause for an evil person to boast in his evil because he will still have to face God one day & be judged.

2 Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully. 3 You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness. Selah 4 You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue.

• These words are especially appropriate to Doeg.  By his tongue (his speech), Doeg was the cause of 85 deaths.  In seeking to make himself look better than David, Doeg’s tongue cut a broad path of destruction.
• Evil loves to cut & divide rather than love & heal.  You can tell a lot about a person simply by the results left behind by their speech.  Are people in a church divided after a certain person comes through – or are they brought together in Christ?  The original meaning of the word “heretic” refers to factious/divisive – thus Paul writes to Titus to reject a divisive person after 2 admonitions (Titus 3:10).  Our ministry within the body of Christ is to be one of reconciliation.  If our words bring hurt instead of healing, something’s wrong – at that point we need to be extremely careful to examine our motives to ensure we’re working FOR Christ & not against Him.
• We’ve seen other times how our tongues can cause all sorts of trouble.  James describes it in picturesque language, that a tongue is like a small rudder that can turn a big ship, or a little spark that can start a whole forest fire (Jas 3).  We need to be very careful with our speech!  The children’s rhyme is wrong: words CAN hurt us.
• Of course God is not ignorant of the lies & division of the evildoer.  See vs. 5…

• The justice of God (vss. 5-7)

5 God shall likewise destroy you forever; He shall take you away, and pluck you out of your dwelling place, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah

• Note how thorough this judgment is.  God’s destruction will last “forever.”  The evil doer will be “plucked” away & “uprooted” from the living.  IOW, God will judge them permanently giving them the death sentence.
• Harsh?  Not really.  On one hand, we think, “Oh, it’s just words – what’s the big deal?”  ‘Just words’ were the only excuse Saul needed to viciously have Doeg murder 85 priest.  ‘Just words’ had a huge impact!  The punishment certainly fits the crime.
• Even today, mere words can have a huge impact on someone’s life.  Deceitful words about Christ can cause someone to put their faith in a lie (per the cults).  Abusive words from someone claiming to be a Christian can turn someone off to faith entirely.  And on the contrary, the right word at the right time can help someone see the Lord Jesus for who He is.  Simple words can have a profound effect on someone’s eternal life!

6 The righteous also shall see and fear, And shall laugh at him, saying, 7 “Here is the man who did not make God his strength, But trusted in the abundance of his riches, And strengthened himself in his wickedness.”

• Not only will God judge the wicked (vs. 5), but God’s people will be witness to that judgment.  Instead of fearing the words of the evildoer, they will rightly fear the judgment of God & rejoice in His justice.
• Interesting contrast in vs. 7.  The evil man does not make God his strength, but rather attempts to strengthen himself by his own devices & riches.  When God is not our strong Savior, God will be the overwhelming powerful Judge.  The evildoer may have boasted in his success on earth, but had zero strength in comparison with God.
• Make God your strength!  Riches will fade, but God lasts forever.

• The man of faith (vss. 8-9)

8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God; I trust in the mercy of God forever and ever. 9 I will praise You forever, Because You have done it; And in the presence of Your saints I will wait on Your name, for it is good.

• Instead of the evildoer who found himself to be weak & overpowered, the man/woman who trusts God finds their strength in God.  How strong are they?  As a tree firmly rooted & planted. (Ps 1)
• The man of God doesn’t trust in the “abundance of his riches,” but rather in the “mercy of God.”  Temporary riches cannot compare to the faithful covenantal love of God!
• David will praise God personally, and he’ll praise God publically.  Going among the saints, David will wait upon God’s name (upon His character & work).  Both aspects are necessary!  Public praise without a personal faith is meaningless & hypocritical.  Personal praise without public/corporate worship misses much of the point.  We’re supposed to spur one another on to good works & the praise of God.
• Notice why David will praise God forever.  Because the work is already done!  David had not yet witnessed a single thing, but already he could trust by faith that God’s justice would be accomplished.  It was as if the future justice was already past tense.  God is faithful to His promises because it’s simply who He is.  That’s His name – and it is good!

Psalm 53 (NKJV) – The Practical Atheist
To the Chief Musician. Set to “Mahalath.” A Contemplation of David.

• Those of you who are familiar with the book of Psalms will note Ps 53 sounds strangely familiar.  In fact, with the exception of just a few lines, it’s virtually identical to Ps 14.  Perhaps David thought it just needed a 2nd verse.

• The wickedness of man (vss. 1-3)

1 The fool has said in his heart,“There is no God.” They are corrupt, and have done abominable iniquity; There is none who does good. 2 God looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God. 3 Every one of them has turned aside; They have together become corrupt; There is none who does good, No, not one.

• It’s utterly foolish to ignore God!
• What happens when men have no knowledge of God?  We act in our depravity.  Keep in mind that the lack of knowledge isn’t God’s fault (the heavens declare the glory of God, Ps 19:1 – God has been made manifest to His creation, Rom 1:18-19) – the fault is the sinful desire of mankind.  Mankind wants to relish in its sin, so man purposefully does not seek God.
• Paul picks up on this same thought.  All have rejected God.  [Romans 3:10-20]
• This is why we need a Savior!  We didn’t realize we needed saving, but even if we were aware of our own sin, we wouldn’t have wanted to be saved.  Like a drowning man that will push down his rescuer in his panic, we weren’t looking for a Savior, and we would have actively rejected Him if given the opportunity, but Jesus in His love & grace reached out to us & opened our eyes.  Once He showed us our need, we willingly responded – but left in our sin we willfully rejected Him.
• Note vs. 2: man may not seek God, but God certainly seeks worshippers among men. [King Asa, 2 Chr 16:9]  It’s not that God does not give man the opportunity to be saved, it’s that man does not take it. We all rejected Him – thank God for His grace that reached beyond our sin!

• Opposition against God (vss. 4-5)

4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge, Who eat up my people as they eat bread, And do not call upon God?

• This is how people act without the fear of God.  Those who don’t believe that God exists will persecute the people of God without fear or worry.  There’s a reason that radical Muslims torture Christians the way they do in Sudan, or that Communist North Korean military police do what they do to underground church leaders: they have absolutely zero fear of God.  They have no fear now, but they ought to have plenty!  Jesus spoke truly when He said from the cross, “They don’t know what they’re doing.”  Sure, the Jewish leaders & Romans knew they were crucifying a man claiming to be the Son of God, but if they had actually believed Jesus IS the Son of God, they would have never have done it!  They would have trembled in fear & reacted as Isaiah did when he saw the Lord high & lifted up (Isa 6).
• They may not fear now, but they will fear one day.  See vs. 5…

5 There they are in great fear Where no fear was, For God has scattered the bones of him who encamps against you; You have put them to shame, Because God has despised them.

• God’s judgment will be severe & final.  In His great righteous wrath, He will destroy those who persecute His people.  God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked (Eze 33:11), but He will act as if He utterly despise those who have despised His people.  His judgment will be utterly righteous & final.
• As much as this speaks of the judgment of the unbelieving fool, it also perfectly describes the final judgment of Satan, Antichrist & the false prophet.  They have acted (and will act) without any fear of the righteous All-powerful God, but God’s judgment will be utterly devastating toward them.  Jesus will cast them into the lake of fire & they will be there day & night and their torment will never end.  Perhaps after 1000 millennia they will finally learn the fear of God!

• God’s promised salvation (vs. 6)

6 Oh, that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion! When God brings back the captivity of His people, Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

• Trusted that God would send a Deliverer.  Trusted that God would bring restoration.  David looked forward in time to the promised Messiah who would come from his own bloodline.
• Speaks of none other than Jesus Christ!
• Rejoice in the Deliverer!

 

Psalm 54 (NKJV) – The Sneak Attack
To the Chief Musician. With Contemplation of David When the Ziphites Went and Said to Saul, “Is David Not Hiding with Us?”

• Interesting progression from Ps 52.  That background came from 1 Sam 21-22; this background comes from 1 Sam 23.  David is still on the run from Saul.  After he left the city of Gath among the Philistines, he went all over the map eventually ending up in the wilderness areas of Judah, where the town of Ziph was located.  Apparently, Saul’s son Jonathan was able to stay in contact with David & affirmed his own loyalty to God’s anointed king, waiting to serve by David’s side.  Yet David’s own countrymen in Judah ended up betraying him to King Saul.  Granted, they may have thought they were doing the right thing (after all, Saul WAS the king & David was the fugitive), but seemingly they were more than willing to betray one of their own, even though God’s choice of David as king was fairly well known & David’s protection of Israel had been well-established.  God in His sovereignty ended up giving a diversion to Saul, allowing David to escape yet again.
• It’s always striking that David had to run from the man that ought to have been his mentor & protector.  Saul was profoundly jealous of David, and even though David showed numerous times how much he loved and respected Saul, this love & respect was never returned.  (Ever been disappointed by other people?) Ultimately, David didn’t put his trust in man, but rather in the Lord & left the results to God.

• Prayer for help (vss. 1-3)

1 Save me, O God, by Your name, And vindicate me by Your strength.

• What does David need?  Salvation (deliverance).  Vindication (justice).
• How would David receive it?  By the name & strength of God.  It would be God who would have to act in David’s defense & God alone.  David could have tried to manipulate the situation by himself – he could have tried to make the right political friends & attempt a military coup over Saul.  He would have even have had the public justification for doing so as God’s chosen servant.  Yet David never did it.  It wasn’t by David’s strength that he would be saved, it would have to be by the strength of the Lord.
• How often do we try to manipulate our own situations?  Wait upon the Lord!
• Beyond the physical, how often do people attempt to manipulate their eternal salvation?  If they can just say the right prayer, they’ll be saved.  If they can just give the right amount of money, they’ll be saved.  If they can just go through the right ritual with the right priest, ____, they’ll be saved.  No!  It’s by the name & strength of God that we are saved!  Only by the name of Jesus Christ!  Our hope is in no other.

2 Hear my prayer, O God; Give ear to the words of my mouth.

• It’s not uncommon for David to pray that God would hear him.  But it’s important to remember why he would pray this way.  We sometimes tend to take our ability to pray for granted, which we ought not to do.  The only way that we have access & invitation to pray to God is through the blood of Christ!  Once we are in Christ, we can come boldly to the throne of grace – but until that point, we have absolutely no assurance of being heard by God.

3 For strangers have risen up against me, And oppressors have sought after my life; They have not set God before them. Selah

• David was surrounded by the ungodly – sadly, those of his own tribe of Judah.  The Ziphites may have dwelt in the land of Judah, but apparently they had no fear of God.  Sadly the same thing is seen in churches all over America today.  People might dwell among the people of God – they may call themselves “Christian,” but many have no knowledge of Christ.  They have not set God before them.  It’s not the building we go into that makes us a child of God – it’s not the friends that we keep or the holidays we observe that make us a Christian – it’s all about whether or not we know Jesus Christ as Lord.  Is He God set before you?
• Because he’s surrounded by the ungodly, David needs God’s help.  See vs. 4…

• Faith that God answers (vss. 4-7)

4 Behold, God is my helper; The Lord is with those who uphold my life. 5 He will repay my enemies for their evil. Cut them off in Your truth.

• Amen!  God is our help.  He’s our protector – He surrounds us…
• God will bless those who bless His people, but God will also judge those who hurt His people.  His righteous truth will not be denied.  Our God is just & we can trust Him to act righteously.

6 I will freely sacrifice to You; I will praise Your name, O LORD, for it is good. 7 For He has delivered me out of all trouble; And my eye has seen its desire upon my enemies.

• What is the right response to the help of God?  Praise!
• Notice how much trouble God delivered David out of. “All.”  Not “some;” but “all.”  Question: did David ever have problems again?  No doubt.  He wasn’t even yet done with all the persecution of Saul, much less to speak of the future betrayal of his son Absalom & others.  So how could David write that God delivered him out of “all trouble?”  Because it’s the truth!  There may have been still trials for David to yet endure, but he was in the covenant love of God Almighty!  He knew that God would be his loving God for all of eternity.  Truly God had delivered him out of all trouble – even the troubles & trials that David had not yet faced.
• Can you thank God for your deliverance in Jesus Christ?  He truly has delivered (past tense) you out of all trouble – and that’s a sure statement even if you are currently enduring trouble right now.  You have Jesus Christ.  You’ve been indwelt by the Holy Spirit.  You have a guarantee on eternal life with God.  You have total forgiveness of your sins.  You have grace that is all-sufficient.  You have no lack because God has given you all deliverance! 
• Keep your eyes focused upon Jesus Christ & the eternity that He has delivered you unto.  The deliverance of God is truly an amazing all-encompassing thing!

Psalm 55 (NKJV) – The Painful Betrayal
To the Chief Musician. With Contemplation of David.

• We don’t have the specific background with this psalm, but it certainly fits in with the other psalms in this series.  David laments his need for deliverance (again), but this time it’s personal.  He’s been betrayed by a beloved friend & it has cut him to his core.  What do you do when you are angry & have been betrayed?  That’s just as much a time to go to the Lord in prayer as any other.

• David’s anguish (vss. 1-8)

1 Give ear to my prayer, O God, And do not hide Yourself from my supplication.

• Had God hidden?  No, but it David’s pain it felt that way.  There are times in which we can feel far removed from God in our pain – but that’s the time to hold even more strongly to the promises of Jesus than ever!  He’s promised that He would be with us always, even to the end of the age (Mt 28:20) – take Him at His word & believe Him.

2 Attend to me, and hear me; I am restless in my complaint, and moan noisily, 3 Because of the voice of the enemy, Because of the oppression of the wicked; For they bring down trouble upon me, And in wrath they hate me.

• We can just hear the anguish in David’s voice.  He felt as if God was hidden from him, but he still cried out to God.  When the enemy overwhelms us, that’s not the time to shut down & isolate ourselves; that’s the time to depend more upon the Lord than ever before.  Cry out to Him in your pain.  Even if you don’t feel as if you’ve got the “right” words to say, go to Him anyway.

4 My heart is severely pained within me, And the terrors of death have fallen upon me. 5 Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, And horror has overwhelmed me.

• Emotional anguish can feel like physical pain.  How bad was it for David?  He felt completely overwhelmed as if he was about to die.  Can emotional stress get that bad?  No doubt.
• Christians can fall victim to emotional stress just like anyone else.  We are not immune from emotional trials and problems simply because we have faith in Christ.  What we DO have differently from the rest of the world is the resource to be able to handle that emotional pain: we have the wonderful counselor, Christ Jesus.

6 So I said, “Oh, that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest. 7 Indeed, I would wander far off, And remain in the wilderness. Selah 8 I would hasten my escape From the windy storm and tempest.”

• How bad was it/  David wanted to run away.  Like a bird migrating to a place of rest and safety, or even flying off to temporary refuge, David just needed to get out of there.
• Don’t you love how honest the Scriptures are?  Here’s David – the mighty man of God, the warrior, the man who bravely stood up against the giant Goliath & marched into the homeland of the Philistines to bring back 200 foreskins as a dowry payment for his bride.  Yet even the mighty hero David had times where he wanted to run away and hide. 
• Experiencing times of overwhelming problems, fear, and other emotions doesn’t make you a bad Christian; it just makes you human.  It doesn’t mean that you’re immature in your faith or somehow insufficient.  All it means is that our need for God is simply underscored.  David may have wanted to run away, but what he actually did was turn to the Lord in prayer & dependency.  We ought to do the same.

• Imprecatory prayer (vss. 9-15)

9 Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues, For I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night they go around it on its walls; Iniquity and trouble are also in the midst of it. 11 Destruction is in its midst; Oppression and deceit do not depart from its streets.

• Whatever was the historical circumstance, there was constant trouble in the city, brought in by those who troubled David.  As with Doeg the Edomite, their tongues had brought in division & strife, so David prayed that God would divide their divisive tongues.  Reminiscent of how God confused the languages of the earth at the tower of Babel.  David similarly prays that God would confuse the plans of his enemy & bring their troubles to a halt.

• Parenthesis to describe the problem (vss. 12-14)

12 For it is not an enemy who reproaches me; Then I could bear it. Nor is it one who hates me who has exalted himself against me; Then I could hide from him. 13 But it was you, a man my equal, My companion and my acquaintance.14 We took sweet counsel together, And walked to the house of God in the throng.

• The problem?  Betrayal!  David had been persecuted by his king, spied upon by Gentiles, rejected by his own tribesmen (even though they didn’t have faith) – but the worst of it all was being betrayed by his own friend.
• Few things hurt worse than betrayal.
• Jesus knows what it’s like!  Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus to the Pharisees for the price of a common slave.  This was a man who lived with Jesus, ate with Him, slept next to Him, listened to His teachings, personally witnessed the miracles, and more.  Jesus had personally invested in this man, just as He did the other disciples (all the while knowing what Judas would do).  Judas went so far as to betray Jesus with a sign of love & greeting: a kiss.  No doubt, the heart of Jesus was truly grieved by the betrayal.  Jesus knows what it’s like to be betrayed.

15 Let death seize them; Let them go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings and among them.

• Obviously David’s angry here – understandably so.  His prayer is a bit shocking, but it’s still honest.  But note: David may have prayed for their eternal destruction in hell, but he never attempted to personally see it through.  He prayed honestly, but left the results to God.  See vs. 16…

• Declaration of faith (vss. 16-19)

16 As for me, I will call upon God, And the LORD shall save me. 17 Evening and morning and at noon I will pray, and cry aloud, And He shall hear my voice.

• David was dedicated to the Lord!  Trusting in God’s deliverance.  Note the future tense: “the Lord SHALL save me…”  This is assured!
• This is exactly what David was crying out for in prayer.  Morning, evening, noontime, it didn’t matter – he was going to pray constantly for the protection and salvation of God.  The betrayer had caused constant trouble in the city of Jerusalem, but David was praying constantly for God’s deliverance.
• Keep in mind David isn’t describing rote prayer or trite repeated phrases; he’s crying aloud to God.  This is passionate heartfelt prayer.  The same type of prayer that is seen throughout the psalms is what David would be constantly offering up to the Lord.  Prayer wasn’t something to “get out of the way” with David – it was true communion and time with Almighty God.  Something to be sought after and treated as the privilege for what it is.

18 He has redeemed my soul in peace from the battle that was against me, For there were many against me. 19 God will hear, and afflict them, Even He who abides from of old. Selah Because they do not change, Therefore they do not fear God.

• Past deliverance helped David have confidence for present faith in the King of kings.  David saw how God had redeemed his soul in peace (in contrast with all of the present emotional trials and pain) & because he trusts in the sovereignty of God (that He is enthroned in heaven), he knows God will hear & act appropriately.

• Description of the betrayer (vss. 20-21)

20 He has put forth his hands against those who were at peace with him; He has broken his covenant. 21 The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, But war was in his heart; His words were softer than oil, Yet they were drawn swords.

• Whoever this betrayer of David was, these were his lies.
• Antichrist & the false prophet will do the same (Rev 13).  The lies will sound good to the world, but in the end, they will be deceptions unto their destruction.

• Exhortation to the reader (vs. 22)

22 Cast your burden on the LORD, And He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved.

• God will save & sustain!  God will preserve & protect – He will serve as a foundation for the righteous on which we can be rooted & grounded.  The enemy may attempt to lie & deceive, but when we continually cast ourselves upon the Lord we can be sure of casting ourselves upon the truth.

• Affirmation of trust/faith (vs. 23)

23 But You, O God, shall bring them down to the pit of destruction; Bloodthirsty and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; But I will trust in You.

• God will judge!  Whether it be temporary justice when God allows the betrayers to be caught by their own devices, or eternal justice where they will be brought down into the pit…God will judge righteously.
• And because He will, He is worthy of our trust!

Conclusion:
Things just seemed to get worse & worse for David!  Everyone turned against him.

• Ps 52: David was betrayed by Doeg the Edomist.  Seemingly a pagan had far more favor with the king of Israel than God’s own servant.  Doeg delighted in his favor, but ultimately he had no reason to boast.
• Ps 53: The practical atheists earned themselves a 2nd verse.  They lived in the land, but acted as if God never existed & devoured the people of God.  Yet there is no doubt about God’s coming judgment upon them.  God sees & God knows.
• Ps 54: David was betrayed by the Ziphites.  These were his own tribesmen, and yet they sought favor with the king rather than with God.
• Ps 55: David was betrayed by a close personal friend.  Who it was we don’t know (Absalom – Ahitophel?), yet it cut David to his core.  David was overwhelmed & bitterly angry.  To whom could he turn?  God.

At times, it seemed like the whole world was coming against him.  The Gentiles, the irreligious, the border people & even his own friends & allies.  Who was constant through it all?  The Lord.  There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother (Pro 18:24), the Lord Jesus Christ.  When we are in Christ, we can be sure He will never leave us nor forsake us.  We can be sure that we will always have an audience with God through His blood.  We can be sure that He will always judge righteously & that He is not blind to injustice.  We can be sure that He is our God & we are His people.  Without Christ, we have absolutely nothing, but with Christ we have everything!

Christmas Sunday 2011

Christmas Sunday 2011
Luke 2:11, “He’s been born!”

Imagine the scene.  Out on the barren hills just outside of Bethlehem – a little town far overshadowed by its nearby neighbor Jerusalem – lie a band of shepherds.  Although we typically celebrate Christmas in the wintertime, we don’t really know when this all took place.  It’s possible that the shepherds would not have been staying outside with their sheep in the dead of winter – but historical evidence suggests that the flocks outside of Bethlehem were specifically used for Temple sacrifices, and their shepherds would have been outside with them year-round.  Thus it’s certainly possible that the birth took place in winter-time; we just can’t say with certainty.

Regardless of the date, there came a certain night that was unlike any other night these shepherds had ever experienced!  Here they were, doing what they normally did at the night when all of a sudden, an angel of heaven stood before them & they were surrounded by the brightness of the glory of God. … The angel gives his message and then the curtain between heaven & earth is pulled back as a multitude of angels appear & start to praise God, saying (singing) “Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth pace, goodwill toward men!”  Amazing revelation!

The 1st evangelistic sermon of the gospel era was brief & to the point, as given by the angel.  Yet it is absolutely packed with truth.  In his few words, the angel told the shepherds of the incarnation – the promise – the Savior – and the Lord.  He told them of the greatest tidings of great joy because he told them of Jesus!

Luke 2:11 (NKJV)
11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.

• Just in the announcement, there is grace!  The shepherds were outcast people – the lowest of the social classes.  They dealt with uncleanness all day long, and they never had the opportunity to go to the temple for cleansing.  People normally did not want to hang around shepherds all day – they were pushed to the edges of society.  Yet where does the angelic host declare the birth of the Son of God?  Among the shepherds.
• Have you felt despised & rejected?  God has good news for you today!  God offers His grace.
• Going to take this phrase by phrase – there is much to unpack here!

For there is born to you … The incarnation

• The word became flesh.  Almighty infinite God became a man.  John 1:14, "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." []  The Son of God (the Word) is not less than God; He IS God.  Theologically, we understand that Jesus is the 2nd Person of the Trinity.  The Bible clearly teaches that there is one God, and God is unified within Himself.  At the same time, there are different Persons within the One Godhead that are revealed: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit.  None are less than fully God, none ought to be confused for the other, yet there is absolute unity in substance and power among them.  (It can be confusing for our understanding, but that ought to be expected when we’re talking about the infinite eternal God!)  What is so unique about Christ is that GOD became man.  The Creator became as His creation.  It would be amazing enough for the Creator to become like His creation in some form, but that’s not what happened.  The Creator became His creation. “The Word became flesh…”  Think of an adult human becoming a dog & then multiply the intensity by infinite billions.  God actually became man.  This speaks of…
• The humility of Christ.  The grand condescension that comes with God putting on flesh and dwelling among US.  It would seem somewhat natural for God to become an angel, and come in the form of an angel.  And in fact, that’s exactly what God the Son did prior to His incarnation in Bethlehem.  Many times throughout the OT, God the Son appears as “the Angel of the Lord,” looking like an angel, but having the power and authority of God Himself.  Yet when God the Son became Jesus, He demonstrated infinite humility in His descent from heaven to be among & one of us.  Philippians 2:5–8, "(5) Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, (6) who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, (7) but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. (8) And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." []  Jesus had the infinite glory of God in heaven, with no needs at all.  Yet when He came incarnate, He experienced for the first time hunger & thirst, cold & heat, uncomfortable sleep, the need to go to the bathroom, and much more.  Although the Bible never specifically tells us, it’s perfectly reasonable to assume that Jesus experienced the “normal” inconveniences of life like upset stomach (bad hummus!), blisters on His feet (bad sandals!), cold, flu, etc.  Jesus even experienced temptation to sin – an amazing thought in itself!  In heaven, what temptation does God face?  None.  There’s nothing He desires that He doesn’t automatically receive.  There’s no action He cannot take.  Yet as a man, Jesus could be (and was) tempted to actually commit sin.  (Though He never gave into temptation.)  THAT is humility!  And He did it for the glory of God & for our salvation.  2 Corinthians 8:9, "For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich." []
• Literal birth. Mary & Joseph.  Didn’t appear out of nowhere – didn’t have an angelic-like appearance.  This was a real baby born to a real mother and laid in a real manger.  As much as Jesus is indeed God, He is also Man.  This is what theologians call the “hypostatic union.”  It explains the fact that Jesus has two entirely different natures (Divine & Human), yet absolutely bound together and inseparable.  Once God the Son became incarnate, we can no more separate His humanity from His divinity as we could separate our own father’s & mother’s DNA in our own cellular structure.  Once Jesus became a physical man, He stayed a physical man – He is a physical man today seated at the right hand of God the Father in heaven.  Yet that does not take away from His Godhood.  Jesus is quite plainly God.  He’s been God from eternity past & will continue to be God in eternity future – simply stepping out of heaven & putting on human flesh can never change that.  There may be times that He empties Himself of His divine prerogative, but He never once stopped being God.  Literal God had a literal birth & became literal man to save us.
• Miraculous birth. This wasn’t just any king, like every other king that had been born of the line of David.  This was a miraculous birth.  The Holy Spirit had overcome a young virgin girl, and Mary gave birth to Christ Jesus.  Everything about the birth was soaked in the supernatural, ranging from the separate announcements to Mary & Joseph – to the revelation given to Elizabeth (the mother of John the Baptist) – to the star shining directly overhead as a massive birth announcement – to the angelic proclamation to the shepherds – to the prophetic revelation given to Simeon & Anna – even all the way to the point many months (to years) later when the family was visited by the Magi & Joseph was warned to flee.  This was a birth that was absolutely surrounded by miraculous occurrences.  And note that the miracles were both public and private.  Sure, Mary could have made up a false story, but Joseph had no reason to do so…yet he had his own vision.  Beyond the family, the shepherds and magi had no reason to lie.  And anyone in the vicinity would have been able to disprove the existence of a supernatural star, yet Matthew’s account stands.
• Jesus stands apart from the self-proclaimed religious leaders around the world.  The miracles surrounding His birth could have been publicly verified even by His enemies.  Jesus stands apart from self-proclaimed political leaders around the world in that He was miraculously set apart by God even at His birth.
• Prophesied birth.  Adam & Eve.  This had been expected from the Garden.  Genesis 3:15, "(15) And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, And you shall bruise His heel.”" []  Since the dawn of humanity, a physical child was expected (to be born of a virgin) that would bruise the head of Satan and reverse the curse of the fall.  A physical birth of a virgin-born Messiah was absolutely essential, or God would have been a liar.

this day in the city of David … The promise

• Jesus came at just the right time.  The fullness of time.  Galatians 4:4–5, "(4) But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, (5) to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons." []
• Expected from the prophesies related to the genealogical lines.  The Messiah was to come from the line of Abraham (Gen 12:3), the line of Isaac (Gen 17:19), the line of Jacob (Gen 28:4), the line of Judah (Gen 49:10), the line of David (2 Sam 7:13-14), but not of the line of Jeconiah (Jer 22:30).  Once the monarchy has passed, and the people were back in the land after the Babylonian captivity, they were eagerly awaiting the promised Messiah.  It had been 400 years since God had spoken to them through the prophets – the time was ripe!
• Expected from the prophesies of Daniel.  Daniel had very specifically written of the time that Messiah the Prince would present Himself in the temple: 69 7-year periods (483 years, using 360 day calendar) starting from the command to rebuild the city of Jerusalem. (Dan 9:25-26)  Some scholars date this precisely to the day that Jesus walked through the gates of Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  For the Messiah to present Himself as an adult at just the right time meant that He needed to be born at just the right time – the fullness of time.
• Came according to the prophesies relating to the 2nd appearance of Elijah.  The words of the OT end with a promise of God to send Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord (Mal 4:5).  Of course, we know this role was fulfilled in John the Baptist.  For John the Baptist to come in the role of Elijah meant that the Messiah had to be close at hand – and He was!  God timed it perfectly.
• Looking back historically, there’s no better time that Jesus could have come.  Jesus fulfilled the need for sacrifice before the temple of sacrifice was destroyed for 2000 years.  If Jesus had come any earlier, He would not have fit the Messianic prophecies of Daniel & others.  Because He came during the Pax Romana, the message of the gospel had the perfect opportunity to spread.  Because He came in an era prior to modern technological advances, His miracles could not be written off & denied. …  Absolutely perfect timing of God!
• Jesus came in just the right place.  A little bitty town by the name of Bethlehem.  Bethlehem probably gets romanticized through our carols far more than what it actually was.  Historically, it was just a little town a few miles out from Jerusalem – no one really paid it too much attention…no one that is, except God.  Micah 5:2, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, Though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting.” []  Why Bethlehem?  This was according to the Davidic covenant.  God had promised to build David an everlasting house (2 Sam 7:13-14), and Jesus is the fulfillment of the Kingly line.
• Think about the amazing way that God works in all of this!  Joseph & Mary were the right people, but they lived in the wrong city for the Messiah to be born.  Granted, Jesus would have been the Son of David no matter what city He was born in, but to properly fulfill prophecy Jesus needed to be born in Bethlehem.  So God used a half-pagan paranoid king following the orders of a fully pagan Roman Caesar to forcibly bring Joseph & his pregnant betrothed wife to Bethlehem.  Who in their right mind would begin a nearly 90 mile trip by foot/animal with a pregnant woman?  Yet God used circumstances beyond Joseph’s control to bring them to the perfect city to fulfill prophecy.
• If God can use something like that in Joseph’s & Mary’s life to such amazing results (the birth of the Messiah!), surely God can use our own circumstances in the same way.  How many things are going on that are beyond our control?  Perhaps even forced upon us by someone who seemingly is working against us.  Yet God can even use THAT for His infinite glory!
• Jesus came in just the right way.  Again, the virgin birth was prophesied from Genesis to Isaiah.  Every single prophecy that applied to His first coming was absolutely fulfilled.
• If it was fulfilled exactly with His first coming, we can be sure it will be fulfilled with His 2nd coming as well!

a Savior … The Savior

• We need saving.  This is the 1st thing we need to understand!  The Jewish shepherds were well-accustomed to their need for a sacrifice for sin – especially shepherds that tended the flocks for use at the temple.  But today we’ve tended to lose sight of the idea that we NEED saving.  Of course, if we don’t think we need to be saved, it makes little sense why God would send a Savior.  We need to understand our need before we understand the good news.
• God’s perfect
• We’re not
• We’re guilty
• It’s because of our guilt that we need salvation!  We need to be saved from the earned consequences of our sin against the Almighty Creator God.  It’s not that God is vindictive, it’s that He’s absolutely just & righteous.  God must punish sin wherever it’s found, or He wouldn’t be good.  So what is God to do?  He absolutely must pour out His wrath on our sin – but He also loves us greatly as His creation.  Are we doomed?  No – God had a plan from before the foundations of the world, which is what the angel revealed in the skies over Bethlehem.
• God sent a Savior.  Jesus is our Savior – our Deliverer!  We were in desperate need of salvation, and that’s exactly what God provided in Christ Jesus.  We were drowning & about to be overcome in our sin, and God Himself reaches out and offers to pick us up out of our certain death, if we would but respond to Him in faith.  …  What does it mean that Jesus is our Savior?
• Jesus saves us from death.  The wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom 6:23).  The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law, but Jesus gives us the victory (1 Cor 15:56-57).  Jesus is the Resurrection & the life – whoever believes in Him shall never die & the one who dies will live (Jn 11:25).  Every man & woman will one day face death, but those who have received the Savior have been delivered from its consequences!
• Jesus saves us from the power of sin.  Sin no longer has any mastery over us – we’ve been freed from sin! (Rom 6:7)  In the name of Christ, we have been washed from our old sins, sanctified unto God, and justified as righteous (1 Cor 6:11).  In Christ, we are new creations – the old things have passed away & all things have become new (2 Cor 5:17).  Because of His work, we can walk in the power of the Holy Spirit & not fulfill the lusts of the flesh (Gal 5:16).
• Jesus saves us for eternal life.  We are not saved from eternal death and hell to exist in a meaningless limbo, or simply decay in the grave – we are saved for eternal life with God!  Whosoever believes in Christ will not perish, but have everlasting life (John 3:16).  Right now, Jesus is preparing a place for us with His Father, that where He is, we might be also (John 14:3).  This is a place where we will dwell with God forever and experience no more death, sorrow, crying, or pain (Rev 21:3-4).  Heaven is a very real place, and God’s desire is that all men would come to repentance & experience it with Him through Jesus Christ!
• Jesus saves us for abundant life with God.  Our relationship with God is not only future – it begins right NOW!  Jesus specifically told us that He came that we might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10).  We can know the joy of our salvation as we walk with Christ (Ps 51:12).  We can know the peace that surpasses understanding (Phil 4:7).  We can know the sufficiency of God’s grace (2 Cor 12:9).  We can know the power of the Holy Spirit (Acts 1:8).  We can know what it’s like to walk as a child of God the Father, and a joint-heir with Christ (Rom 8:16-17).  There are amazing promises in this life for those who know Jesus as the Savior!
• BTW – notice when it was that God sent His Son as a Savior: while we were in the midst of our sin.  The world desperately needed a Savior, but they/we had done nothing to deserve a Savior to be sent to us.  This is the amazing love of God! (Rom 5:8)  While we were still enemies in rebellion against God, God sent His Son to be incarnate among us and be our Savior.  From the moment He was born, Jesus was already the Savior of the world – even if the world had no idea at the time.
• How important was the birth in Bethlehem to our salvation?  Without the humble 1st coming, we would never have a Savior.  God the Son cannot save without first becoming a human.  Jesus had to live life as a human to be able to be a perfect substitution for us. Sure, there were other sacrifices under the OT law, but the blood of bulls and goats could never truly take away sin.  They could only temporarily cover over people’s sin and point to the need of a greater, final sacrifice.  That was the entire point of the 1st coming!  Jesus HAD to become incarnate man in order that a perfect man would die a death for all men & women.  And Jesus was indeed perfect!  He was tempted in all ways like we are, yet without sin. (Heb 4:15)  Although Jesus faced everything we face in our daily struggles, Jesus never once gave in and faltered under sin.  He was a perfect sacrifice, without spot or blemish.  This would have been impossible if Jesus did not first come in humility, as the Suffering Servant.  Yet He did!  And because He did, He could offer up Himself as the sufficient sacrifice for all mankind.  His one offering at the cross forever perfected those who put their faith in Him. (Heb 10:14)

who is Christ the Lord … The Lord

• The Savior is the anointed chosen one of God.  “Christ” is the Greek word for “Messiah” which simply means “anointed one.”  Priests & kings were anointed because they were set apart for service unto God.  The anointing was a symbol showing the presence of the Holy Spirit upon the person. … Jesus is the anointed one of God.  He was chosen to serve.  Jesus serves as a prophet (Deut 18) – Jesus serves as a Priest (Heb 5) – Jesus serves as the Savior & all that is entailed with that.  Isaiah prophesied about Him, saying that the Spirit of the Lord would be upon Jesus, anointing Him to preach the gospel to the poor, heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, give sight to the blind, free the oppressed, and proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord. (Isa 49:8-9)  There is none like Christ Jesus – He is truly unique & set apart, anointed by God to seek and to save the lost.
• The Savior is the King of Israel.  Beyond the idea of anointing, the Messiah was uniquely thought of as the King.  Of course, Jesus is both King & Priest (Heb 5).  His sacrifice upon the cross demonstrates His priestly role, but the world is yet to see Jesus as the king…yet we will!  Jesus is indeed the King of Israel and will reign over all of the earth. [Millennium]
• In Jesus’ 1st coming, He may not have reigned as King, but that doesn’t change the fact that He still WAS the king the whole time.  Even in Jesus’ humble birth in Bethlehem, Jesus was still born as the King.  When He ministered to the masses, touched the lepers, endured the scorn of the scribes, and suffered upon the cross, Jesus was still the King the whole time.  What king ever willingly suffered on behalf of his subjects? … Yet King Jesus did so for you!
• Because Jesus is the King, He has authority.  He has been given authority over all heaven and earth (Matt 28:18), but more specifically, as the King, Jesus has authority over you & me.  At its core, sin is rebellion – treason against the Lord God of the Universe.  Jesus is the King – God in human flesh with the right to rule and command all the earth, and especially those who recognize Him as Lord & have received Him as such.  What Jesus says, goes.  When Jesus tells us to forgive, we are to forgive.  When Jesus tells us to believe & be baptized, we do & are.  When Jesus commands us to make disciples of all the nations, we do.  Why?  Because He’s the KING.  We are simply His servants – graciously given the opportunity to serve Him because we have been saved through His blood.
• The Savior is God Himself.  There were many kings over Israel, but there is only one God.  This King that was laid in a manger was none other than God in the flesh.  He is “the Lord.”
• Have you recognized Jesus as the Lord God?  Sometimes it’s easy for us to ignore a baby.  Babies are cute, but they do not demand our allegiance.  Jesus is the Lord God Himself!  Recognize Him as such…

Conclusion:
It was a simple statement from the angel, but oh the importance of what was proclaimed to the shepherds that night! They were told of:

• The incarnation
• The promise
• The Savior
• The Lord

How tragic it would have been for the shepherds to have heard this message, witnessed the glorious host of the heavenly choir singing, and then simply shrug & go back to their business-as-usual.  How inconceivable!  Of course they had to go and investigate for themselves – what other option did they have?!  If God indeed had become incarnate, offering salvation according to all of the promises of the Bible, that was something that simply could not be ignored.  Eternal life rested upon the issue, and they had to see if it was true!

Yet sadly, many people today will hear the same message from the angel, shrug their shoulders & turn away, not giving the Christmas miracle a second thought.  God forbid that would be any of us!  The fact that God would clothe Himself in human flesh to provide our salvation is not something that can be confined to a trite Christmas card – it’s not something that can be whitewashed away with Santa Claus – it is the powerful proclamation of God & concrete demonstration of His glory and great love for mankind.  We MUST acknowledge it, go to the manger for ourselves & see Christ with eyes of faith.  To ignore Him is to do so at our own eternal peril!

As a believer in Christ, may this Christmas (and every Christmas) be a renewing of awe and wonder.  Be amazed again at the grandeur of the love, humility, faithfulness, and glory of God.  Allow yourself to be overjoyed at the fact that Jesus came to seek YOU out and provide for your salvation.  Free yourself of the stress of gift-giving to be thankful for the best gift ever given: the Lord Jesus Christ, and give worship & praise to His name.

If you have not yet received of the forgiveness of Jesus, may this be the day that you do!  Jesus is indeed the Savior.  He’s already provided for your salvation.  His birth among the stench of the barn animals was only to lead to the suffering of the cross.  Thankfully He did it – it’s done.  He’s risen from the grave, and there remains no more sacrifice to ever be done.  Yet you must receive of His sacrifice, or you cannot experience His forgiveness.  The work is done, but you still must respond.  Turn to Him today: the Savior, Christ the Lord. 

Are You Broken?

Psalms 49-51, “Are You Broken?”

There’s an interesting progression in these three psalms.  Psalm 49 addresses the lie of independence from God & shows that riches & power do nothing to stop the day of death.  Psalm 50 addresses the lie of outward hypocritical worship & shows that God will absolutely judge sin and that He calls us now to repentance.  Psalm 51 then moves to an example of heartfelt repentance and brokenness before the Lord.  We move from the person who didn’t think they needed God at all to the person who understands his desperate need for God’s grace.

Psalm 49 (NKJV) – “Riches Don’t Save”

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

• Introduction…appeal to wisdom.  (Vss. 1-4)

1 Hear this, all peoples; Give ear, all inhabitants of the world, 2 Both low and high, Rich and poor together. 3 My mouth shall speak wisdom, And the meditation of my heart shall give understanding. 4 I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will disclose my dark saying on the harp.

• Call to all the world to hear.  What the psalmist is about to teach applies to all nations, all peoples, all socio-economic classes, etc.  This is a universal truth & everyone needs to hear it & pay attention.
• The psalmist’s mouth may speak wisdom, but ultimately wisdom comes from God.  God’s wisdom is truly WISE…  It’s universally true & universally applicable.

• The futility of riches (vss. 5-13)

5 Why should I fear in the days of evil, When the iniquity at my heels surrounds me? 6 Those who trust in their wealth And boast in the multitude of their riches,

• No reason to fear!  We don’t know the situation, but perhaps the psalmist felt threatened by someone waving his wealth/power around.  The psalmist takes one look at his adversary & one look at his God & realizes there’s no contest.
• Rich people may boast in their power, but in reality they have none.  Power in this world is nothing in comparison with power in the next world!

7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, Nor give to God a ransom for him— 8 For the redemption of their souls is costly, And it shall cease forever— 9 That he should continue to live eternally, And not see the Pit.

• Money can’t buy salvation.
• Money certainly can’t redeem or pay a ransom, but we definitely need to be redeemed!  Our sin has enslaved us to the grave – we’ve earned the wage of eternal death (Rom 6:23), and we need to be purchased out of that. The good news is that this is what Jesus did when He died upon the cross for us!  His blood purchased our redemption.
• The pit = the grave.  Jesus is the only way to escape the grave.

10 For he sees wise men die; Likewise the fool and the senseless person perish, And leave their wealth to others. 11 Their inner thought is that their houses will last forever, Their dwelling places to all generations; They call their lands after their own names. 12 Nevertheless man, though in honor, does not remain; He is like the beasts that perish.

• For as much as different medical procedures get various amounts of attention, it’s interesting that the death rate has remained remarkably constant: 100%.  Ultimately, 10 out of 10 people die.
• What happens when a rich person dies?  He leaves this earth with the same amount that he came in with: nothing.  The old adage is true: you can’t take it with you.
• The skeptic might say, “Well I might not be able to take any riches with me in the grave, but at least I can build up a house for my family & make my name famous!”  Granted, someone might be able to purchase a name for himself, but no one can buy immortality.  Even if his name is honored after his death, ultimately he’s still dead.  At that point, he’s no different than the animals.

13 This is the way of those who are foolish, And of their posterity who approve their sayings. Selah

• Don’t delude yourself!  Money can buy a lot of things in this life, but it can buy nothing in the next.

• The promise of God (vss. 14-15)

14 Like sheep they are laid in the grave; Death shall feed on them; The upright shall have dominion over them in the morning; And their beauty shall be consumed in the grave, far from their dwelling.

• Reiteration of the reality of death.  Riches get passed along and beauty disappears.  The most beautiful face in Hollywood will still rot and decay over time.  (Even if the amount of botox & plastic surgeries slow the process down! )
• BTW – the upright will literally have dominion over the dead.  We walk on top of graves.

15 But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, For He shall receive me. Selah

• Praise God for the little word: “but”!  Death WILL come to all.  Whether we are rich or poor – whether we are famous or unknown – none of what the earth values as treasure will give us immortality.  Even the most righteous among us will taste death.  But none of us has to stay in death!  God will redeem our souls from the power of the grave!
• Speaks of eternal salvation
• Speaks of physical resurrection

• Application of the teaching (vss. 16-20)

16 Do not be afraid when one becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; 17 For when he dies he shall carry nothing away; His glory shall not descend after him.

• Don’t fear the rich – their riches and power is temporary.
• We ought to seek after our eternal reward!  This is what Jesus told us to do in the Sermon on the Mount.

18 Though while he lives he blesses himself (For men will praise you when you do well for yourself), 19 He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They shall never see light. 20 A man who is in honor, yet does not understand, Is like the beasts that perish.

• Deserved praise is better than purchased flattery.
• Without understanding & godliness, man is no better than beasts.  Ultimately, the only thing that separates us from the animals around us is not our intelligence, or our opposable thumbs, or our use of tools, or any of the things the evolutionary scientists attempt to persuade us with – the only thing that separates us from the animals is the favor of God.  We have been made in God’s image.  In the garden, Man fell from that high place – but in Christ Jesus we are restored to what God intended us to be.

Psalm 50 (NKJV) – “God’s Case Against Israel”

A Psalm of Asaph.

• Who was Asaph?  One of the worship leaders of David.  Technically, the name here could have been adopted as a title for his sons who followed Asaph.  Scholars are divided whether or not this is the original Asaph.

• The glory and righteousness of God the Judge (vss. 1-6)

1 The Mighty One, God the LORD, Has spoken and called the earth From the rising of the sun to its going down. 2 Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God will shine forth.

• This description of God is simply amazing in its power.  In Hebrew, verse one starts off simply by listing the names of God: El Elohim Yahweh.  God – the Majestic Triune God – the Covenant-making Ever-Existent God.
• THIS God is the everlasting Creator
• THIS God shows His favor to Zion, as His attention is upon Jerusalem.  His favor upon the city makes it the perfection of beauty.  It is beautiful because Christ will shine forth from it during the Millennial reign.
• The general idea here is of the glory of God shining out of Jerusalem at the 2nd coming.  This is exactly how the NT describes Jesus at the end of the age.
• Jesus not only comes in glory, He comes in violent judgment.  See vs. 3…

3 Our God shall come, and shall not keep silent; A fire shall devour before Him, And it shall be very tempestuous all around Him.

• Fire, power, and judgment – this is what’s going to be seen at the 2nd Advent.  Obviously at Christmas (the 1st Advent) we celebrate & remember the humility, meekness, and grace of God Incarnate.  Jesus comes to the humblest of families in the most humble of circumstances, even to the point of seeking refugee status from an insane earthly king who wanted to kill the Holy Child. …  Yet at the 2nd Coming, we see a dramatically different picture!  The Lord Jesus will not come in humility, but in power!
• The fire that devours speaks of the all-consuming holiness & judgment of God.  We know this to be both metaphorically & metaphorically true.  Sodom was destroyed by fire and brimstone (Gen 19), the believer’s judgment will face the purifying fire of Christ (1 Cor 3), Peter writes of the world being dissolved with fervent heat (2 Peter 3).

4 He shall call to the heavens from above, And to the earth, that He may judge His people: 5 “Gather My saints together to Me, Those who have made a covenant with Me by sacrifice.” 6 Let the heavens declare His righteousness, For God Himself is Judge. Selah

• Talking about Judgment Day.  God will call all creation as a witness.
• God will call His covenant people to give an account.
• Question: is this OUR judgment?  Probably not.  This seems to speak of the judgment that will happen after the 2nd Coming.  The Church will have already been raptured prior to the Tribulation, and our judgment (the Bema Seat) will most likely take place during the years of the Great Tribulation.  Contextually in Ps 50, God is judgment His saints who had covenant by sacrifice – a reference to the nation of Israel.  Our covenant with God is based upon Jesus’ sacrifice; not our own.

• Sacrifice is not a bribe (vss. 8-15)

7 “Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you; I am God, your God! 8 I will not rebuke you for your sacrifices Or your burnt offerings, Which are continually before Me.

• If there were any doubt who this is in reference to, vs. 7 makes it clear: “O Israel.”  This is God speaking to the nation; not to the Church.  Although there are certainly applicable principles to us here, we don’t want to confuse the Church for Israel.  We have but one Messiah, but there are definitely two different peoples.
• Interestingly enough, God is testifying against Israel, but does NOT rebuke Israel for their sacrifices.  Apparently at the time, the nation was being faithful to offer the sacrifices as God had commanded within the Law, and God was not upset with them over the sacrifices.  Apparently the problem was that the outward sacrifice was the extent of Israel’s faithfulness to God.  God desired much more than outward sacrifice & ritual; He desired a full-hearted life change and commitment to Him.
• Christians can find themselves guilty of a similar sin.  Obviously we do not bring physical sacrifices to God – but we do bring our worship and prayers to the Lord.  We do serve Him in various ways within the Body of Christ.  If we’re serving & singing, that’s all well & good – but hopefully that’s not the extent of our commitment to Jesus.  If our worship of God is purely outward, then it’s not really worship at all.

9 I will not take a bull from your house, Nor goats out of your folds. 10 For every beast of the forest is Mine, And the cattle on a thousand hills. 11 I know all the birds of the mountains, And the wild beasts of the field are Mine. 12 “If I were hungry, I would not tell you; For the world is Mine, and all its fullness. 13 Will I eat the flesh of bulls, Or drink the blood of goats?

• God is not asking for more sacrifice – He’s not asking for something to eat.  It’s not as if God is poor & hungry & needs the nation of Israel to feed Him.  It’s not as if Israel falls back on their outward worship that God is going to somehow dry up & wither away.  Their sacrifices were NOT done for God’s sustenance; the sacrifices were supposed to come out of an overflow of their heart.
• How this so often gets forgotten in American Evangelicalism!  We quote this verse so often in terms of God’s physical provision for us (“Our God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so we know He can provide for us!) – and while that is true, it’s not the point of the passage.  God owns those cattle because God owns the universe.  When we give to God, it’s not as if we are giving to Him something He doesn’t already have.  God does not need our financial giving because He’s poor & He might not be able to sustain His work without our help…perish the thought!  Our God is fully capable of doing whatever He wants to do – with or without us.  On the contrary, our financial giving & worship is supposed to be done out of an overflow of our heart!  We are grateful to God for what He’s done in our lives, so of course we give back to Him.  He’s the one that provided for us in the first place out of His infinite abundance, so our giving back to Him is our declaration of trust that He is indeed our Lord.  IOW, we give to God not because HE needs it, but because WE need to remember that God owns it all.

14 Offer to God thanksgiving, And pay your vows to the Most High. 15 Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me.”

• What did God want more than a sacrifice of a bull or goat?  A sacrifice of thanksgiving!  A vow of dedication and trust!
• God promises His deliverance to those who trust & worship Him.

• Israel’s crime & wickedness (vss. 16-21)

16 But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth, 17 Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you?

• Why quote the Bible if you’re not going to obey it?  Why pretend worshipful spirituality if you’re going throw away Biblical counsel?  This was the problem that God had with Israel.  They had apparently brought plenty of sacrifices, but they neglected the rest of the Law that God gave them.
• Jesus accused the Pharisees of doing the same thing.  They should have done the former without neglecting the latter….
• God goes on to list the specific crimes in vss. 18-20…

18 When you saw a thief, you consented with him, And have been a partaker with adulterers. 19 You give your mouth to evil, And your tongue frames deceit. 20 You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s son.

• Much of this deals with consent.  Being an accessory to a robbery is just a much of a crime as actually walking into a bank & taking the money.  Apparently the nation of Israel gave their approval to these crimes, even if they actually didn’t commit them themselves.
• Thieves – 8th commandment
• Adultery – 7th commandment
• Lies/Deceit – 9th commandment
• Slander – also the 9th commandment…actually more to the point!

21 These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.

• God may have been silent, but He was not ignorant of the sin.
• God’s silence never equals God’s approval.
• God may be silent for a while, but eventually He WILL bring His correction and discipline.
• The question then becomes: will we confess our sin to God, or will God be forced to make us confess our sins before everyone else?

• Call to repentance (vss. 22-23)

22 “Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: 23 Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.”

• Listen up – God WILL judge!
• What ought to be our response?  (And Israel’s response?)  Go ahead and offer praise, but ALSO order our conduct.  Worship God outwardly, but ensure that our character and actions also reflect that of God’s as well.  THAT’s the person that knows Jesus!
• Jesus told us the same thing at the end of the Sermon on the Mount.  The wise builder hears Jesus’ words AND does them.  It’s not about putting on a Christian show because we know the words & the songs & the expectations of outward Christianity – it’s about honest & true faith, which will not only be expressed in our words but our heartfelt actions as well.

Psalm 51 (NKJV) – “David’s Repentance”

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David When Nathan the Prophet Went to Him, After He Had Gone in to Bathsheba.

• Although there are many psalms in which we have no idea of the historical context, Psalm 51 makes the context absolutely plain.  [2 Samuel 12.]  When David was finally broken on account of his sin, he understood his need for repentance.  What does repentance look like?  That’s what David wrote about.
• Notice this was given to the Chief Musician.  The typical thought is that any psalm with this designation was specifically to be used in worship.  Think about it for a minute: David’s immense sin and humble confession was used by God to help His people worship.  Even today, David’s experience still helps us worship today!  You may be in the depths of grief because of sin now, but once you confess & repent, how will God use you for His glory?  Was it humbling to be used as an example by God?  No doubt.  But think of the people it helped turn away from similar sin, or bring to conversion & repentance.  This is the amazing grace of God!

• David’s confession of sin (vss. 1-6)

1 Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.

• What did David need?  1st: Mercy!  Not just half-hearted “looking the other way,” but true mercy according the covenant promises & love of God.
• 2nd David needed forgiveness.  “Blot out my transgressions.”  The idea is of a line item in an accounting book getting erased.
• 3rd, David needed cleansing.  It’s one thing to have God show kindness upon him in God’s loyal love – it’s one thing to have the guilt of the sin done away with – it’s another to be cleansed from the stain and the filthiness of it all.
• This is exactly what we’re promised in Christ!  1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” []

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.

• There’s hardly a more transparent statement of confession in the Bible.  Confession is simply agreeing with God that our sin is indeed sinful.  That’s what David demonstrates!
• Notice that sin is primarily vertical – it’s against God.  What’s so interesting here is the fact that David’s particular sin here was not done in a room by himself without anyone else around.  Although there’s no such thing as a “victimless” sin, what David did certainly could not have been claimed to be victimless.  He lusted after Bathsheba, committed adultery with her, lied to Uriah, placed his generals in a terrible position, committed murder, and then finally pretended as if nothing ever happened.  There were victims all over the place with this particular sin!  Yet David writes, “Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight.”  How?!  Because sin is primarily vertical.  Granted, there are always horizontal aspects of sin in its effects with other people, but all sin is first and foremost an offense against God.  God is our Sovereign Lord – He has full authority and jurisdiction over our body, mind, and mouth.  Any rebellion against Him is an act of spiritual treason against the God who created us.  Thus when we sin, we must be reconciled to God!  It’s not that reconciling to others isn’t important (it is – and Jesus tells us to leave our gift on the altar if we remember our brother has an offense against us), but our primary problem is a problem with God.
• Keep in mind that even atheists will apologize & try to be reconciled with friends and family if they feel that they’ve done some offense against them.  Yet their family apology does nothing to solve their spiritual dilemma.  They (and we) must be reconciled to God!

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. 6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

• Two valuable truths here.  #1, we sin because we are inherently sinners.  It’s not that we’re otherwise good people that unfortunately fell into a bit of sin; it’s that we’ve been born with a nature of sin.  We inherited a fallen nature from Adam, and it doesn’t matter how “good” we believe we’ve been – we still have sin that needs to be forgiven.
• #2, God desires internal purity.  Our outside could be seemingly scrubbed clean, but we still have that inner nature of sin.  And that’s exactly the place where God desires truth & purity.  It’s not a matter of attempting to cover over our sin on the outside; our inner parts need to be absolutely cleansed and made holy by God.

• David’s prayer for forgiveness (vss. 7-12)

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

• If God cleanses us, they we’re truly cleansed!  We can trust that God is faithful to His promise and His work!

8 Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities.

• David had grieved over his sin, but he desires to hear joy again.  When would this come?  After God’s discipline.  “That the bones You have broken may rejoice.”  We may not enjoy the times of discipline that we experience from God, but God does it for our benefit & because He loves us.
• Again, David asks for forgiveness – praise God that in Christ, God DOES hide His face from our sins, and blot out our iniquities.  The charges that were laid against us – the condemnation that we had incurred because of our sinful thoughts & deeds have all been provided for at the cross of Christ!  There is no wrath of God for the believer in Jesus because God already poured out His wrath upon Jesus at Calvary.  Take heart & rejoice!  It is good to grieve over your sin, but it is also good to rejoice in the promise of your forgiveness & salvation!

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

• God is in the creation business!  2 Corinthians 5:17, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” []
• Although we might have questions on how this might actually apply to us as believers in Christ, keep in mind this was a very real possibility for David.  He had personally witnessed this happen with Saul.  Because of Saul’s disobedience & lack of faith, God took His Spirit from Saul & took away any possibility of a perpetual covenant & gave it all to David instead.  David rightly fears the same possibility & prays that God would have mercy upon him.
• Because of the work of Christ, the Holy Spirit has been given to us as a guarantee – a down payment upon eternity.  The Holy Spirit will not forever depart from us because we have temporarily slipped into sin.  He is gracious & good to His word.  His presence in our lives is based upon the work of Jesus; not our own.
• At the same time, our fellowship with God CAN be broken because of unrepentant sin.  We dare not ignore the need to humble ourselves before God.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

• In contrast to having the Spirit leave him, David prays that he would be upheld/ strengthened by the Spirit.  The Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be uttered (Rom 8:26).  When we’ve fallen into sin, we can cry out for the Spirit’s strength & power to help us humbly repent.
• What happens as result of forgiveness?  God’s forgiveness brings joy!
• Too many Christians linger in despair and don’t experience the joy of their salvation because they are unwilling to confess their sin.  They are more afraid of the consequences of their confession than of the breaking of their fellowship with God.  Know this: healing cannot begin until confession takes place.  James 5:15–16, “(15) And the prayer of faith will save the sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven. (16) Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” [] James makes reference to this in a physical sense, but there’s a spiritual aspect of this which cannot be ignored.

• David’s response to God (vss. 13-17)

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

• What’s one result of David’s own forgiveness?  He has a testimony of God to share to others.  He can help others not make the same mistake that he did & help other sinners be converted to faith in God.
• There is indeed guilt that comes as a result of sin.  Sin isn’t alone in a vacuum – it brings guilt.  Sometimes people have a tendency of forgetting this.  They think “Oh I know I’ve sinned – but it’s no big deal.”  It IS a big deal!  You’ve incurred guilt that needs to be absolved.  And the only way of dealing with it is the cross of Jesus Christ!
• But that guilt can turn to a song of praise upon confession and forgiveness!  Forgiveness is a reason to praise the Lord!
• Again, note the public aspect of this.  David’s sin had been public – his confession is public – and his forgiveness by God & praise of Him would be public as well.

16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.

• Interesting comparison with Psalm 50.  In Ps 50, God did not rebuke the nation for their sacrifice, even though they were inwardly wicked.  David goes a step further here & states that any outward worship he did would be hypocritical and worthless if he remained in unrepentant sin.  What was needed far more than ritualistic sacrifice & outward motions was true inner repentance & contrition.
• Is your heart broken because of sin?  We can get so calloused to it & we often don’t see it for what it truly is.  Sin was important enough to God to send His only begotten Son to the cross on our account – yet we treat it as an inconvenience.  “I wish I hadn’t done that – oh well.” “I know I should have done that differently – well, at least I can ask forgiveness later.”  May God make us acutely aware of our indifference & help us repent!  When we’ve sinned, what God desires are not excuses, but a “broken and contrite heart.”

• National prayer (vss. 18-19)

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

• The ending of the psalm seems to come out of nowhere.  Some scholars believe this was a later addition to what David had originally written.  Maybe, maybe not.  Remember that David was obviously the king of the nation – he represented the nation to God, and in many ways helped lead the nation in their worship of God.  With David repenting for himself, he also helps lead the nation in repentance.
• Just as David’s forgiveness would cause him to be a witness to others, the nation’s forgiveness would cause them to rejoice in their own worship of God & be a witness to the nations around them.

Conclusion:

Where do you fall in the spectrum between Psalms 49-51?  Are you the person who believes that your own abilities, power, wealth, etc., is enough to give you everything that you need for eternity?  Are you the person that needs a wake-up call – to come to the understanding that God is not ignorant of our sin?  He will judge ALL sin where it is found; He will hold His people to account…God certainly will not be mocked.  OR are you the person who has had his/her sin revealed to him & now you are in a place of brokenness & confession?

May we be those who stay in that place of brokenness!  Not that we are to live in our guilt; Jesus has dealt with our guilt at the cross & offers us forgiveness & cleansing through faith in Him.  But once we’ve received His forgiveness, may we never move away from that understanding of our desperate need for His grace.  The tendency is for Christians to become easy with the grace we have received & confident in our own abilities – and soon enough we find ourselves in the independence of Psalm 49 all over again.  Sure, we might have faith in Jesus as Lord, but we think we can do it all on our own & we don’t really need God any more.  If that’s you, you need to know that is a lie from the pit of Hell.  There is never a point in our lives that we don’t desperately NEED Jesus Christ & His grace!  Everything we are is absolutely dependent on Him.

Stay in that place of brokenness & dependency & allow Jesus to give you the joy of your salvation.  In response, give Him all the praise that is possible – singing of His righteousness & grace, sharing the testimony of forgiveness to all who will hear.

Be Sure of Your Foundation

Matthew 7:24-29, “Be Sure of Your Foundation”

Any good preacher makes it a point to make a point…that is, they drive home the basic application of the passage being taught.  That’s just basic Bible study 101: observation – interpretation – application.  Without the “application,” what’s being taught can merely be trivia & head-knowledge.  It only becomes heart-knowledge when the teaching is brought home to some form of application.  As the Master of all Preachers, the Greatest Teacher of all surely knows how to drive home a point of application – and that’s exactly what Jesus does as He brings the Sermon on the Mount to a close.

[Review] The theme: how to live as a citizen of the Kingdom of Heaven – a true servant of God.  That’s not something that begins in eternity; it begins NOW & is carried over into eternity. 

• The Beatitudes = the gospel & our ongoing desperation for God.
• The Similitudes = the need for good works as a witness of our God.
• The Heart of the Law = God’s character is reflected in the law & is not circumvented by legalism.  God calls us to perfection as He is perfect (which underscores our desperation for Him & His grace).
• The need for sincerity in devotion instead of hypocrisy.  Whether it’s giving, praying, or fasting, we’re to do these things for the eyes & ears of God.
• The need for priority in devotion & worship.  Disciples of Christ do not dedicate themselves to temporary riches, but look forward to an eternal reward.  Disciples do not unduly worry about physical necessities, but seek God’s kingdom & righteousness first above all.
• The need for righteous judgment.  Disciples do not judge others unfairly or hypocritically – we are concerned with our own sins first before we look at others.
• The need to trust God at His word.  If we’re truly seeking God first – if our lives reflect a love for God & for one another, we can be sure that God will be good to His promise to care for His children.
• The need for righteous discernment.  We need to be able to distinguish between the false & the true.

Verse 24 begins with a “therefore,” and we’ve seen how every time Jesus uses a “therefore” in the Sermon on the Mount, it’s a summary & conclusion of the preceding teaching.  What was Jesus just teaching?  The contrast between the false & the true.

• There is a true gate/way
• There is a true prophet
• There is a true convert

We want to be those that follow the true!  We don’t have to leave our eternal fate up to chance or blind luck just hoping we’re “good enough” to get into heaven (because NO ONE is good enough!).  We can know that we know we belong to Christ when we know we are known by Him as His servant.

So with all of that in mind, how does Jesus bring the Sermon on the Mount to a close?  By exhorting us to application.  We know that the true gate leads to life, so those who find the true gate walk in the way that leads to life.  We know that the true prophet bears God-honoring fruit, so we look to see what is the result of his teaching/ministry.  We know that the true convert is someone who actually does the will of God in belief & action, so we want to be those who obey.  That’s Jesus’ entire point here.  Those who belong to Christ obey Christ.  Those who belong to Christ put His teachings into action.  Do you want to know that the house of your life is built upon the solid rock of Jesus Christ?  Then look no further than your obedience.  How we apply Jesus’ teaching has a direct impact upon how we handle what life throws at us.

Matthew 7:24–29 (NKJV)
24 “Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

• A disciple hears.  We cannot apply what we do not know.  Keep in mind this isn’t so much the physical aspect of sound vibrations hitting our eardrum; this is actually listening to the words of Jesus – truly hearing Him.  In our own culture, there is hardly escaping some form of Biblical knowledge – the English language is infused with phrases from the King James Bible, and allusions from the Biblical text (“the patience of Job,” for example).  Virtually any random person off the street could quote at least a couple of words from Jesus (“judge not” & the golden rule).  It’s not that the multitudes haven’t known the words, but they certainly haven’t heard what Jesus has said.  It never sunk in because they never gave it a second thought. … A disciple of Christ & citizen of the kingdom is the opposite.  We actually hear the words of Jesus – we ponder them & take them to heart.
• Underscores the importance of Bible study.  Again, it’s impossible to apply what we do not know.  If we never read the whole counsel of Scripture, how can we expect to apply what God says to us throughout the Bible?  ALL Scripture is given by inspiration of God & is profitable to the believer in Christ (2 Tim 3:16-17).  We need to take it all in.  As long as you are literate, there’s no excuse for not reading the entire Bible from cover-to-cover.  (Even if you can’t read, there are audio Bibles!)  If you don’t understand one translation, pick up another – we have choice beyond the imaginations of our forefathers when it comes to the ability to read the Bible.  Christian: you have been given a book from your Heavenly Father, the Almighty God…we dare not ignore what we’ve been graciously given!
• A disciple does.  Here is the crucial difference between the true & false convert (vss. 21-23), and thus also the wise & foolish builder.  The false convert might claim to do the miraculous, but they were not faithful with the will of God.  Likewise here.  A true disciple of Christ – a faithful citizen of the kingdom of God will DO the sayings of Jesus.  How important this is to drive down deep into our souls!  Too many people read the Sermon on the Mount & think, “Oh isn’t that nice?  And convicting, too!  Jesus sure is wise & a wonderful teacher.  OK, back to life now…”  Perish the thought!  When we profess Jesus as our Lord, we’re calling Him our “Master.”  As a slave is to his master, so we are to Christ.  To call Jesus “Lord,” but not actually do what He says (to flagrantly & flippantly ignore Him) is to lie.  1 John 2:3–5, "(3) Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. (4) He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. (5) But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him." []  Keep in mind that John had just gotten done affirming that for those who sin, we can know that Jesus is our Advocate with the Father & the propitiation for our sin (1 John 2:1-2).  John is not writing of every Christian’s struggle against sin; he’s writing of those who profess to be Christian but do not bother struggling at all.  Likewise here with Christ.  Jesus tells us that a true disciple not only hears His commands, but a disciple follows through & does them.  Thinking through the Sermon on the Mount, this means that a disciple will:
• Continually & intentionally hunger & thirst after God
• Do good works to witness for God
• Not look for loopholes by the letter of the law, but actually strive to live in such a way which reflects God’s own heart & righteousness
• Do what it takes to symbolically “cut off the hand” or “pluck out the eye” to stay away from sin
• Forgive others without hesitation because we have been forgiven
• Etc…  These aren’t just good ideals & things that would be nice to do “someday.”  These are things we are to be DOING right now.  The true disciple of Jesus Christ has heard these words & prays for the strength of God to actually follow through & do these things.
• A disciple demonstrates wisdom.  Building our life upon Jesus Christ through faith and obedience to His word isn’t merely the “nice Christian thing to do;” it’s true wisdom.  The Bible tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Pro 9:10) – our obedience to God shows our reverent fear of God in action. …  Why is it wisdom?  Think about it: what can be more wise than ensuring the state of our eternal salvation?  What question could possibly be more important?  The wise person addresses the important things first in life & then proceeds down the list to less important matters.  Thus the truly wise person will take pains to be sure to be known by Christ as His own (“Well done good & faithful servant,” vs. “I never knew you, depart from Me”) – the wise person will seek the kingdom of God & God’s righteousness first, and then trust God to provide everything else down the line.
• Don’t miss the theology here!  “Sayings of Mine…” Jesus is declaring that His words have authority & ought to be obeyed.  Although some might claim that Jesus is merely speaking with the authority of a prophet (and Moses did tell the people to expect a Prophet of God that would be like him, giving the true word of God – Deut 18:15-19), this is really more than that.  This is an affirmation of His Deity.  Jesus had already shown Himself in the position of being the eternal Judge between the 2 converts – here He’s saying that His words have the authority of God Himself.  After all, the true convert was the one that did the will of God the Father (vs. 21); now it’s the person that does the sayings of Jesus.  Jesus has the authority of God because Jesus IS God.

25 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

• Jesus is speaking in a parable, so obviously the rain & floods are symbolic.  The question is: what does it symbolize?  Different viewpoints lead to different applications.
• Viewpoint #1: the storms of life represent the physical & emotional trials of life.  Psalm 69:1–4, "(1) Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. (2) I sink in deep mire, Where there is no standing; I have come into deep waters, Where the floods overflow me. (3) I am weary with my crying; My throat is dry; My eyes fail while I wait for my God. (4) Those who hate me without a cause Are more than the hairs of my head; They are mighty who would destroy me, Being my enemies wrongfully; Though I have stolen nothing, I still must restore it." []  Ever feel like you’re drowning in trials? David felt this way & most of us have as well.  There are times that life feels almost like death in that we are completely overwhelmed in problems among our family, co-workers stabbing us in the back, financial bills that are stacked to the ceiling, etc.  Who is the person that can stand in the midst of it?  The person that is firmly rooted upon Christ Jesus.  It’s not so much strength of character that we need during those times that weigh us down, it’s strength beyond OUR character.  Even the person with the strongest moral fiber & “stick-to-it-iveness” will find themselves rocked by a situation that seems far too hard to handle.  Granted, some people might get hit harder than others, but eventually anyone can break if the trial is hard enough.  What’s needed is not man’s best attempts to pick up our bootstraps, grit our teeth, and just bear it; what’s needed is the strength that is only available through Christ Jesus as Lord!  It’s when Paul told the Philippians to take everything to the Lord in prayer and thanksgiving that they could expect the peace of God that surpasses understanding to come (Phil 4:7) – it’s when Paul himself was completely surrendered to the Lord in contentment that he understood that he could do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Phil 4:13).
• BTW – in all of these viewpoints, note that the house is already built upon the foundation before the storms ever come.  No one builds a house first and then decides later what the foundation ought to be…the person’s house is completely vulnerable at that point.  We’ve got to be ready for the storms by building our house upon Jesus BEFORE the storms come.
• Viewpoint #2: the storms of life represent spiritual attack. Revelation 12:15–16, "(15) So the serpent spewed water out of his mouth like a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away by the flood. (16) But the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the flood which the dragon had spewed out of his mouth." []  Contextually from Revelation, the woman represents the nation of Israel (those who are the saved & sealed of God), and during the Great Tribulation, Satan will unleash a massive spiritual attack against them in attempt to kill them off (which will fail).  He then will open up his attack to make war against anyone who has come to faith through the witness of the sealed of Israel.  More to the point, sometimes spiritual attack seems like an overwhelming flood.  Sometimes we can expect the physical & emotional trials, but Satan likes to hit us when our guard is down.  He roams about seeking who he can devour, and he’s looking for the Christian who’s struggling so he can somehow attempt to finish him/her off.  To the person struggling with his/her own temptations, Satan brings fear of confession and lies of unforgiveness.  To the person struggling with a season of spiritual questions, the Devil will assail him with doubt upon doubt in an attempt to attack faith.  To a person susceptible to pride, the enemy will feed his/her ego – and the list could go on.  How can we deal with spiritual attack?  After all, we’re fighting against an enemy we cannot see whose strength far outmatches our own.  This is an enemy that led armies against God Almighty – how are we to prevail at all?  Through Christ!  Jesus is our rock & through Christ we stand!  We stand strong.  To the Ephesians, Paul wrote of the spiritual war we face, and the exhortation he gave was to be strong in the Lord & the power of His might – to stand against the wiles of the devil, and having done all else, to stand some more (Eph 6:10-13).  This is not strength that comes by natural means.  This is not ability that comes with simply filling our head with intellectual knowledge about the Bible.  This is strength that comes from Christ Jesus alone, when we are completely surrendered over to Him.  This is the strength that comes to the disciple of Christ who not only has made an initial profession of faith, but who continually relies upon the Lord Jesus for every aspect of life, learning what Paul had to learn from the Lord – that God’s grace is sufficient for us because Jesus’ strength is made perfect in our weakness. (2 Cor 12:8)
• Viewpoint #3: (and most likely) the storms represent divine judgment.  Common picture throughout the OT (Exo 15:8 – Egypt, Job 38:1 – the whirlwind, Isa 28:2 – Ephraim, Eze 13:11-13 – Israel, Jonah 2:3 – self, Nah 1:8 – Ninevah)…  Culturally, Jesus was speaking to the Jews of Galilee – what is the most famous of floods that the Jews would have been well-familiar with?  Noah.  The flood of Noah was primarily a flood of judgment (not a children’s story!).  What is the only reason Noah & his family survived the flood that killed every other living thing from the face of the earth?  He was hidden away by God – taken into the ark, shut up there & kept soundly safe from the judgment that swept over the rest of the earth.  The wrath of God fell as rain & floodwaters, but Noah was kept safe from the wrath of God because of the grace of God.  Noah heard the word of God & obeyed by faith & thus escaped the wrath of God.  Hebrews 11:7, "By faith Noah, being divinely warned of things not yet seen, moved with godly fear, prepared an ark for the saving of his household, by which he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness which is according to faith." []  Notice the similarity between Noah & the wise builder: he heard & he did.  This is exactly what Jesus calls us to!  A true disciple of Christ – a true citizen of the kingdom of heaven hears the word of the Lord Jesus Christ, obeys Jesus’ call & command, and finds that he/she is hidden away from the flooding wrath & judgment of God.
• What’s the rock?  Jesus!  The rock is NOT obedience.  Our obedience (even on our best days) is far too shaky to claim as a foundation.  Outside of the righteousness given us by Christ, we have no real righteousness anyway – it’s all like filthy rags in the sight of God.  No – the foundation is fundamentally linked to Christ.  “These sayings of MINE” – the rock is none other than Jesus Himself.  Obedience is certainly crucial, because it’s the demonstration that Jesus is actually our Lord, but the rock is not our obedience/our efforts, the rock is Jesus Himself.  He’s the One that equips & empowers us to be obedient in the 1st place.  The rock of the revelation that Jesus is the Christ is what Jesus told Peter that He would build His church upon (Mt 16:18).  Jesus proclaimed to the Pharisees that they were casting away the chief cornerstone in their rejection of Him (Mt 21:42).  Paul wrote that no other foundation can be laid in the church other than the foundation of Christ (1 Cor 3:11) & that even the picture of the rock that spewed water in the wilderness for the Hebrews was nothing less than a picture of Jesus (1 Cor 10:4).  1 Peter 2:6–8, "(6) Therefore it is also contained in the Scripture, “Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.” (7) Therefore, to you who believe, He is precious; but to those who are disobedient, “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone,” (8) and “A stone of stumbling And a rock of offense.” They stumble, being disobedient to the word, to which they also were appointed." []  We may be built upon Christ or we can stumble over Christ to our peril, but either way Jesus is unmovable.  The wise person is built upon Christ & everything that follows comes as a result of that.

26 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

• What’s the contrast based upon?  Application.  Someone who hears Jesus but does not obey Jesus.  The two builders heard the same message – they built the same kind of house – they seemingly built in the same location because they each face the same storms.  They would look identical in virtually every respect except underneath the house where the foundation would be made plain.  The difference is in what was done. … Not everyone who hears Christ obeys Christ.  Obviously many people have physically heard the words of Christ, but simply never paid attention to them.  That doesn’t seem to be the type of person Jesus is addressing here.  Jesus is talking about the person who truly heard & soaked up the words of Christ, but then just lets them fall flat upon the ground.  This is the Pharisee who spent so much time in the word of God, but never applied any of its conviction to his own life.  This is the person who attends Sunday mornings & Bible studies & small groups & spends a lot of time around other Christians, but never actually takes Jesus’ words to heart in application.  This is the person who knows what it means to act “Christian” to others, but has no desire to actually do anything about his own sin or humbly submit him/herself truly to Christ, no matter what the cost.  The difference is in doing.  A true disciple hears – and that’s good, but it’s only part of the picture.  A true disciple goes beyond hearing & actually does the word of God.  To ignore this aspect is to simply have no assurance of any real faith at all.
• Know this: you can hear the words of the Bible all of your life & never truly be a Christian.  You can have Scripture memorized – you can know all of the Sunday School Bible stories – you can know a PhD worth of theology about Christianity & still NOT be saved. …
• How does Jesus describe the person who ignores obedience?  As a foolish man with no foundation.  How important is the foundation?  A homebuilder in Judea would have to dig deep (Luke 6:48), otherwise they would be left with a compacted sandy surface – something that would seem strong at first, but would be revealed as weak as time went along.  We know much about foundations in North & East Texas!  To build upon clay & pay no attention to the foundation is a sure way to a cracked house.  To build upon nothing but sand without foundations that run deep is a sure way to a fallen house.
• What is YOUR foundation?  How do you know?  Jesus would tell you to look at whether or not you apply His words.
• Question: “What if I obey imperfectly?  I want to obey Christ & do what He teaches, but I fail so often!”  Show me the man that obeys perfectly, and I’ll show you Christ Jesus Himself.  NONE of us obey the words of Jesus perfectly – all of us are absolutely dependent upon His grace, power, and forgiveness.  The idea here isn’t so much of someone who occasionally falls into disobedience; it’s of someone who absolutely ignores Christ Jesus & flagrantly disobeys what we’ve been taught.  When we slip, struggle, and fall, we have the glorious promise of forgiveness when we confess our sins to God (1 John 1:9).  The disciple of Christ might have issues during a storm, but they are still ultimately founded upon Christ – their house will not fall.
• Grace and obedience go hand-in-hand, but they are never replacements for each other.  Obedience is never a substitute for grace because the salvation of God can never be earned, no matter what we do or how hard we strive.  So also the grace of Jesus is never an excuse for us to go off in whatever sinful lifestyle we choose for ourselves.  To replace either grace for obedience or obedience for grace is to go away from the very gospel itself.  The person who has truly received the grace of Jesus Christ lives for Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• Notice that the foolish man did not HAVE to have a sandy foundation.  The poor foundation was due to a lack of preparation & thought; not bad “luck.”  No one HAS to be foolish; people can choose to exercise wisdom.  We have a choice in how we respond to the words of Jesus.  We’ve all heard His teaching (if from today’s message, if nothing else!), the question is what we will do with it.  How will we respond to it?  Do we hear & do, or do we hear & walk away?  That’s the crucial difference, but the choice is yours.

27 and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

• Notice that the rains came in both examples.  The only difference is that one person’s house endured & one did not.  Rains WILL come – faith WILL be tested – people WILL face the judgment seat of God.  Especially if we look at the rains & floods as the divine judgment of God, we can be assured that every single person in all human history WILL face that moment.  There will come a time when every man & every woman will look into the eyes of the Lord Jesus Christ & we will either gladly be received as one of His own, or we will be turned away to a place where there is outer darkness, weeping, and gnashing of teeth.  This is not a “maybe” or a “perhaps,” this is an absolute certainty.  It’s appointed to man once to die, and then the judgment (Heb 9:27).  The question is if we’ll be ready when the floods come?  Will we be like Noah, hidden away in Christ, founded upon His great solid rock – or will our house be shaken & fall?  Make sure TODAY.
• How bad was the fall?  “Great.”  Jesus isn’t merely talking about a roof leak, or a door that won’t close properly – He’s describing utter devastation.  This is one more indication Jesus was referring to our eternal judgment.  This was not a minor repair; this was catastrophic loss.  There’s no greater question than that of our eternal preparation…we’ve got to ready today to face THAT day.

28 And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching, 29 for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

• How did the people react?  They were “astonished at His teaching.” (AT Robertson) “They listened spell-bound to the end and were left amazed. Note the imperfect tense, a buzz of astonishment. The verb means literally “were struck out of themselves.””  That’s a pretty amazing reaction!  Have you been astonished by Christ?
• Yet we can safely assume that not all of the people actually followed Christ.  They could be astonished at the teaching of Jesus, but still not actually apply His words.  They were a living example of what Jesus just got done teaching.  Be amazed, but don’t stop at the amazement.  Follow through on what He’s told us to do.
• Why were they astonished?  Because Jesus “taught them as one having authority.”  Jesus could teach with authority because He HAS authority – again, because He is God in the flesh.
• Interesting contrast.  Jesus taught with authority, but the scribes did not.  The scribes were thought of as the primary teachers of the people.  The Pharisees & Sadducees ruled the people based upon the Law, but the scribes were the ones who spent their entire lives pouring over the Scriptures, letter by letter.  They were preeminently qualified to teach the content of the Scripture to the people.  Yet they did not teach with authority.  Why?  It would seem that the scribes taught the Scripture based upon the tradition of men, whereas Jesus taught the Scripture based upon the truth of God.  Man’s tradition changes frequently – it’s all based upon who prefers what at any given point in time.  Catholic popes are well documented to have contradicted each other at different points in history (the validity/condemnation of the Inquisition, for example).  Protestant churches have tended to divide over minor points of doctrine, many times based upon personal preference.  It’s no wonder that preference cannot be taught with any amount of authority, because you can’t tell how soon the tradition is going to change.  BUT the truth of the word of God is completely different.  It NEVER changes!
• What is it we’re taking in: the personal preferences and changing opinions of men?  Or the unchanging word of God?

Conclusion:
So what’s your foundation?  What are you building upon?  How tragic it would be to sit in a church building, sing worship songs, and hear the words of Almighty God & do absolutely nothing.  To respond by not responding at all.  The words of Jesus demand a response because the words of Jesus are the words of God.  He has authority to proclaim these things because He is God Himself.  Jesus went to the lengths of even wrapping Himself in human flesh & proclaiming these things to us – He died upon the cross for our sin, He rose again to life – He went to the furthest lengths possible to demonstrate His love and compassion for us.  We dare not turn away & ignore Him.  We’re not even really with that possibility.  We hear Him & receive His word, or in essence we reject Him, even by our non-response.  Don’t be foolish!  Don’t turn away from the grand invitation the Lord Jesus gives you.  He invites you (and all who hear) to be one of His true disciples.

• A disciple listens to Jesus
• A disciple does the commands of Jesus
• A disciple is founded upon Jesus & His word

 

So how will you respond today?  Perhaps you’re continuing to grow (though imperfectly) in your walk with Christ.  You know of certain failings, but you understand your desperate dependency for the grace of Jesus.  Embrace your loving Savior!  Hold tightly to Him!  Continue to confess your sin, and ask for His grace & His power to stand strong, knowing that ultimately you are founded upon the rock.

But perhaps you don’t have that assurance.  Maybe you’re one of the multitudes that have heard the word of Jesus, but always thought it applied to someone else.  It applies directly to YOU.  Don’t ignore Him – don’t turn away.  Don’t worry about perceptions of “everyone will know I wasn’t really a Christian,” – this is too important of a question to leave to feelings of embarrassment.  Will your house stand in the day of judgment, or will it fall?  There is a sure way to tell.  If your life is not founded upon the sure rock of Christ Jesus, it can be today.  Humble yourself before God & surrender your life to Jesus as your Lord, Master, and King.

Worthy to be Praised

Psalms 46-48, “Worthy to be Praised”

Although all of the psalms in some way look at the present circumstances of those who wrote them, it’s evident that the primary subject of the psalms is Christ Jesus, and much of what is said of Him is prophetic.  The psalms are the hymnbook of Israel, so it is to be expected that some of the songs that are sung of Christ are prophetic, looking at times at His 1st coming & other times at His 2nd.  Much of what is seen in the triad of Psalms 46-48 is the work & praise of Christ the King during His 2nd coming & Millennial reign.

Whenever we read the Bible, we need to be careful to not fall into the trap of thinking that the OT is about Israel & the NT is about the Church – the entirety of the Bible is about the Lord Jesus Christ!  And those who follow Him at all points in history sing of His praise & His glory – whether that is the clarity of the revelation given to the apostle John, or the shadows and hints given by the Holy Spirit to the sons of Korah (or whomever the psalmist).

What we see here is exactly the glory of Jesus.  We see Him as the protector – the exalted one – the victor.  Our Jesus is worthy of praise!

Psalm 46 (NKJV) – The Protector King
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah. A Song For Alamoth.

• “Alamoth” is somewhat mysterious.  Many believe this is a reference to maidens.  Perhaps it’s musical instruction, designating a high pitch tambourine, or intended specifically to be sung by a female chorus.  Whoever sang it, it’s a glorious psalm, and the inspiration for Martin Luther’s “A Mighty Fortress is Our God.”

• Vss. 1-3, Refuge in the storm

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.

• God provides shelter.  The refuge was the fortress that people could run to for safety.  The cities of refuge were places that accused people could await a fair trial in case they had killed someone by accident.  Whether by spiritual attack or personal sin, we find our refuge in Christ, Who is our fortress!
• God provides strength.  Obviously strength is a parallel thought with a fortress of refuge, but there’s some additional thought here.  If a “refuge” is thought of in purely defensive terms, “strength” takes on a more offensive aspect.  Jesus is the one who fights on our behalf – He is our strong deliverer!
• God provides support.  God is not ambivalent to the needs of His people – He is “a very present help.”  He is more than just a “place” or a “power”, He is a Person, and He is more than willing to help those who come to Him in faith.
• When does God provide it?  When it’s most needed: in our times of suffering!

2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

• Notice the “therefore.”  What is the result of God being our refuge, shelter, and help?  We will not fear.  We have no reason to fear because our God is with us in amazing ways!
• If God is for us, who can be against us? (Rom 8:31)
• God does not give us a spirit of fear. (2 Tim 1:7)
• God repeatedly tells us not to fear.  Over 50 times in the Bible, people are exhorted not to fear.
• So why DO we fear?  Perhaps it’s because we are not looking to Jesus as our constant strength (as with Peter when he walked on water – Mt 14:30).  More likely, perhaps it’s because we’re dealing with unconfessed sin in our own lives, and we don’t feel as if we CAN look to Jesus.  It’s interesting that the very 1st instance of humanity being afraid was in the Garden of Eden, when Adam & Eve hid their nakedness (Gen 3:10).  If we are in Christ, we know that there is nothing we need fear – so when fear comes, ask yourself: am I looking to Jesus, or am I hiding from Him?
• When shouldn’t we fear?  Ever!  We have no reason to fear, no matter what.  Even if all of creation seems to tear apart at the seams & become “uncreated,” we need not fear.
• When life is falling apart, remember whom it is you serve!  We have been bought by the blood of Jesus – we belong to the Living God – we have been made children of our Heavenly Father.  We have resources in prayer beyond our wildest imaginations.
• The language the psalmist uses to describe the events is interesting.  Mountains being carried into the sea – earthquakes – the roaring waters…what does all of this sound like?  Judgment.  Jesus spoke of events like these happening in the end times…Matt 24, Luke 21.  The apostle John saw events like these during the trumpet judgments – Rev 8.  Even the plain language of a flood reminds us of Noah & the judgment poured out upon the earth.  Yet in the midst of these things, the people of God have no reason to fear.
• Christians have no reason to fear judgment!  We will not fear – WHY?  Because God is our refuge & strength & help!  Christ Himself is our refuge.  We have not been appointed to wrath.
• Objection: “But this sounds more like the nation of Israel in this psalm rather than the Church?”  Correct.  And the promises do not change.  Obviously the Church need not fear the coming days of the Tribulation because of the promise of the blessed hope of the Rapture.  But the Tribulation Jews need not fear either because they will be sealed by God.  The earth may fall apart around them, and Antichrist may seek to destroy them, but their protection will be in Christ Jesus.

• Vss. 4-7, Refuge in war

4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.

• In the middle of the world falling apart, there is one place of safety & peace: “the city of God.”  This is the place of God’s tabernacle, where the people of God worship Him.  Some look at the description of the river of vs. 4 & see Christ as the living water pouring out blessings upon His people to worship Him.
• Yet there’s another more literal aspect of this which cannot be ignored.  The current & historical city of Jerusalem cannot really be in sight here because it’s unique among ancient major cities of the world in that it has no river running through it.  Yet Jerusalem is obviously the place where the people of God would go to worship.  How to reconcile this?  It seems the psalmist may not be thinking of the historical Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem which has a pure river of the water of life that proceeds from the throne of God & the Lamb. (Rev 22:1)

5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.

• God is the protector of those within the city.  Those who worship Him (at the tabernacle) find their comfort & safety in God.
• Armageddon…  Peter writes about this with the glory of the 2nd coming.  2 Peter 3:11–13, "(11) Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, (12) looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? (13) Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." []

7 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

• Covenant promises of God to rise up & fight.
• Covenant protection of God to be the place of safety

• Vss. 8-11, God establishes peace

8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire.

• There’s a bit of irony here.  The desolations and wrath of God is what makes it possible for peace to be established upon the earth.
• We know this is exactly what will happen.  Swords will be beaten into plowshares, and people will no longer learn war, nor rise up against another nation. (Isa 2:4)
• If it seems strange that the wrath of God brings peace, we need look no further than Jesus’ 1st coming.  The wrath of God was poured out upon Jesus at the cross, yet that was the very event that makes it possible for us to have peace with God.

10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

• Practical exhortation!  We know that God will make His power and His presence known when He pours out His wrath upon the earth.  We know that Jesus will be overpowering in His 2nd coming as He returns in glory on a white horse with a sword from His mouth.  We look forward to that day with great expectation and joy.  Yet what do we do now when the world seems to overpower us today?  What do we do when it seems that our personal world is coming apart at the seams?  Wait upon God!  “Be still, and know that I am God,” – don’t panic, don’t fear – be still!
• We can trust that God will exalt Himself in due time.

11 The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

• Repetition of the refrain.  Who is it that will be exalted?  The glorious God & Messiah, the Lord of hosts (armies) – the God of Jacob.  We can trust God’s future work and deliverance because of the faithfulness of His covenant promises.

 

Psalm 47 (NKJV) – The Praised King
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

• Vss. 1-4, the reign of God #1

1 Oh, clap your hands, all you peoples! Shout to God with the voice of triumph!

• What a great call to worship!  J  Clap – shout – do whatever it takes to give God praise!
• Notice the plural “peoples.”  This is a song of Israel, but it’s an invitation that goes out into all the earth with all the nations.  One day every nation will be subject to the King of kings, and they are invited to start in with the praise today.

2 For the LORD Most High is awesome; He is a great King over all the earth. 3 He will subdue the peoples under us, And the nations under our feet. 4 He will choose our inheritance for us, The excellence of Jacob whom He loves. Selah

• Why do we praise God passionately with everything we are?  The psalmists gives 4 reasons.
• Reason #1: God is awesome.  KJV says “terrible,” but English has changed a bit – awesome is the true thought here.  God is beyond our comprehension in every possible scope.  He is infinite in love, holiness, wrath, and wisdom. 
• How is He described?  As the “LORD Most High.”  Most high over what?  Over every high position.  This is a reference to Jesus as the King of all kings.
• Reason #2: God is the King.  He is the Sovereign Ruler over all the earth.  There is nothing that is outside His power and control.
• Reason #3: God is the Victor.  There is no power that can come against Him – there is no enemy that can possibly defeat Him.  Satan can rise up with all his might and demonic forces and the nations of the world, and still go down in defeat by a simple word from the All-powerful God!
• Reason #4: God has chosen us.   He has chosen us for His own as His children to receive His inheritance.  He loved Jacob (Israel) with an everlasting love, and His promises to His chosen people will remain true in every respect.
• What an amazing display of grace it is to be chosen by God!

• Vss. 5-7, call to praise

5 God has gone up with a shout, The LORD with the sound of a trumpet.

• In English, it almost sounds as if this is a battle cry of God – with Him going out to war with the sound of bugles urging Him on.  Yet culturally, this is a totally different picture than what the psalmist likely had in mind.  “Going up” usually meant “going up to Jerusalem,” because Jerusalem was on a hill – thus this is talking about God ascending to His throne.  The “trumpet” is the shofar – the hollowed out ram’s horn used to call the people into assembly & to worship.  The whole picture that’s painted is one of God ascending to His glorious throne, with all His people assembled to give Him praise.
• In one sense, we can think of Jesus’ ascension after He was raised from the dead, but contextually with the thought of the King of King being acknowledged by all the nations of the earth, it’s best to think of this as the day Jesus reigns as the Messianic King over all the earth – perhaps this is the song that will be sung the moment He takes His earthly throne.

6 Sing praises to God, sing praises! Sing praises to our King, sing praises! 7 For God is the King of all the earth; Sing praises with understanding.

• Just in case you missed the intent, God wants us to sing. J  It’s good to sing praises to God! … SING!  Jesus is worth singing about.
• When you sing, know why you’re singing.  “Sing praises with understanding.”  Some translations render this, “Sing praises with a skillful song,” or a “song of praise.”  The idea is that we would be singing properly to God for the right reasons.  Be careful of just singing a song because it’s fun to sing, or because everyone else is doing it.  Our songs ought to speak properly about God.  It’s not a matter of turning off our minds to sing a song, but to truly sing to God, meaning the lyrics which we sing.  Thus it’s important that our songs be doctrinally sound.

• Vss. 8-9, the reign of God #2

8 God reigns over the nations; God sits on His holy throne.

• This is true in the present.  This is even more true in the future.  God certainly reigns today, but during the Millennial Kingdom, there will be no doubt that Jesus reigns over all the nations when He sits upon His holy throne.

9 The princes of the people have gathered together, The people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted.

• All the peoples of the earth will worship Him!  Whether the rulers of the Gentiles, or the people of Israel, one day everyone will recognize Jesus as the King & serve Him alone.  “Shields” is a reference to rulers/leaders – all of the defenses of the earth will belong to God & serve the purposes of Christ. 
• How high will Christ be exalted?  Greatly exalted!  God will lift Him up to the highest place before every eye upon the earth.  Paul puts it so plainly!  Philippians 2:9–11, "(9) Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, (10) that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, (11) and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." []

 

Psalm 48 (NKJV) – The City of the King
A Song. A Psalm of the Sons of Korah.

• Vss. 1-8, God’s protection of Zion

1 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised In the city of our God, In His holy mountain.

• God is great.  Ps 47 ends with the exaltation of God – Ps 48 begins with the declaration of the greatness of God.  He is majestic beyond comprehension – glorious beyond declaration – gracious beyond imagination…our God is truly great!
• God is greatly to be praised.  He is both worthy to be praised, and worthy to be praised with a great passion from His people.
• Where is God to be praised?  In Zion (the city of our God).  The people of Israel could sing this about God when the psalm was originally written.  All of us can sing it about God in the New Jerusalem.

2 Beautiful in elevation, The joy of the whole earth, Is Mount Zion on the sides of the north, The city of the great King. 3 God is in her palaces; He is known as her refuge.

• Obviously to the rest of the world, Jerusalem would not be thought of as the most beautiful city in the world – yet to the citizen of the kingdom, it surely is.  During the Millennial Kingdom, there’s no doubt it will be the joy of the whole earth.
• The biggest question isn’t whether or not if Jerusalem is beautiful, but WHY is it beautiful?  Because God is there!  It’s the city of the King – Jesus is the one that makes it beautiful.
• Why is heaven called “heaven”?  Because Jesus is there!
• Why are you & I beautiful in the sight of God?  Because of the work of Jesus!

4 For behold, the kings assembled, They passed by together. 5 They saw it, and so they marveled; They were troubled, they hastened away. 6 Fear took hold of them there, And pain, as of a woman in birth pangs, 7 As when You break the ships of Tarshish With an east wind.

• The psalmist doesn’t give us a precise background – apparently there was a time in which kings of the earth assembled against the city & were destroyed by God.  Historically, some scholars believe this might be a reference to the Assyrian invasion by Sennacherib (2 Kings 19), yet that was only one nation.  Others believe this might be a reference to the confederacy of nations that came against Judah under King Jehoshaphat.  God routed them by turning them against each other. (2 Chr 20).
• Prophetically, this could speak of either the war of Gog/Magog or even Armageddon.  Ezekiel 38 tells us of a war in which a massive confederacy of nations will come against Israel, and God will supernaturally destroy them, providing a witness to the entire world of God’s love for Israel.  Of course, at the battle of Armageddon, the kings that comprise the world nations in rebellion against God (and under the leadership of Antichrist) will descend upon Israel, only to be swiftly destroyed by the 2nd coming of the Glorious Lord Jesus Christ.  Indeed, they will be “troubled,” and God will have the victory!

8 As we have heard, So we have seen In the city of the LORD of hosts, In the city of our God: God will establish it forever. Selah

• The people had a testimony of God’s faithfulness.  They had heard it with their own ears – they had seen it with their own eyes – they knew God’s work & power, and they were able to trust Him for both the present time & the future needs & give Him praise as a result.
• Have you seen the work of the Lord?  If nothing else, have you seen His work in your salvation?  If you can trust Him with that, what can God not be trusted with?!
• God establishes & strengthens His people.  God established the city – but obviously a city is both a reference to a location and a people.  Likewise, God establishes us as His Church, and will continue to establish us in the future as the city of the New Jerusalem.
• How long are God’s promises kept?  Forever!  There will never come a time in which the promises of God will be broken.  There will never come a time in eternity when God just gets tired of you & decides that you’re not one of His children.  Eon after eon will pass, and God’s promises will remain firm – He will establish us as His own people (the bride of Christ) forever!

• Vss. 9-14, the praise of the people of Zion

9 We have thought, O God, on Your lovingkindness, In the midst of Your temple. 10 According to Your name, O God, So is Your praise to the ends of the earth; Your right hand is full of righteousness.

• Think upon the “lovingkindness” of God.  Chesed – covenantal loyal love.
• Why can God be praised according to His name?  Because His name reflects His character.  He is the faithful I AM – the Jehovah Jireh – the Lord of Hosts – the God who provides salvation…  God’s name shows His righteous character & He is worthy of praise among all the earth!

11 Let Mount Zion rejoice, Let the daughters of Judah be glad, Because of Your judgments.

• Note why Zion & Judah could rejoice: because of the “judgments” of God.  There are two main ideas here:
• God’s word is comprised of His judgments.  The same word is used throughout the OT when speaking of the commandments, statutes, and judgment.  The law of God can be thought of as the judgment of God. His word comprises His command & rule for us, and we can rejoice in His holy judgment when we read His word.
• God’s wrath is due to His judgments.  Obviously God’s judgment is also seen when His wrath is poured out upon the ungodly & rebellious.  Is this something in which we can rejoice?  Yes!  Our very salvation is due to the judgment of God!  When Jesus hung upon the cross, it was because the wrath of God had to be satisfied due to the sin of mankind – the theological term is “propitiation.”  God judged Jesus in our place, and we received His righteousness & grace in return.  You bet we can be glad & rejoice in the judgment of God!

12 Walk about Zion, And go all around her. Count her towers; 13 Mark well her bulwarks; Consider her palaces; That you may tell it to the generation following. 14 For this is God, Our God forever and ever; He will be our guide Even to death.

• Looking at the city that God has established.  Is the psalmist just admiring the architecture?  Yes & no.  It wasn’t so much the city, as Who is is that established it.  Note the “for” in verse 14.  We are to admire Zion WHY?  Because of God.  This is the work of God, and it’s something for which He is worthy of praise.
• Again, take it back to us as to what Jesus does with the city of the New Jerusalem.  As a city, this is a place whose builder & maker is God (Heb 11:10).  As a people, Jesus does something even more wonderful – He establishes US.  Ephesians 5:25–27, "(25) Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, (26) that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, (27) that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." []  We often quote this in reference to a husband’s role in his marriage (which certainly applies!), but it’s primary teaching is what Jesus does for us as His bride.  He establishes us by washing & cleansing & sanctifying us.  He makes us into a glorious bride that will be admired by the rest of the heavenly host.  When the bride descends out of heaven as the New Jerusalem, we’re told that she has the glory of God (Rev 21:11).  What amazing work God has done – what amazing grace Jesus bestows upon us as He establishes us as His own!
• THE God is OUR God.  Hearkens back to His loyal love – His “chesed” lovingkindness.  He has called us to Himself, and made us His people.  This is not something we would have chosen, nor something we could have done if we had wanted to.  We were too rebellious & sinful – we had no ability at all.  Yet this is something God has done!  He called us to Himself & gave us His name.  The one and only God has become our God by the grace of God!
• He is our God forever – even unto death!

Conclusion:
When was the last time you erupted in worship?  Jesus is worthy of our praise!

• Jesus is our protector – don’t fear!
• Jesus is the exalted one – give Him passionate praise!
• Jesus is the victor & the master builder – rejoice in His work & grace!

The work that our Lord has done for His people is utterly astounding!  We’ve seen it in the days of the psalmists when God delivered Judah out of multiple threats – we’ve seen it in our own days when Jesus procured our personal salvation – we will see it in the future when the enemy is forever defeated & Jesus is visibly established as the reigning King of kings.  He is certainly MORE than worthy of praise.

Don’t miss out on the joy of praising the Lord!  How often people come & gather for a “worship” service thinking that the songs are just something to “get out of the way.”  May it never be so with us!  Worship is certainly far bigger than our singing, but God certainly commands us to worship Him WITH our singing.  And He’s worthy to receive any and all of the worship that we give Him.  So may we give it to Him in abundance!  We know we will be praising Jesus in eternity – but may we take every opportunity to join in it today, as well.

2 Ways, 2 Teachers, 2 People – Too Important!

Matthew 7:13-23, “2 Ways, 2 Teachers, 2 People – Too Important!”

Botulinum toxin (or Botox, as it’s known in cosmetic surgery circles) is one of the deadliest natural occurring poisons known to man.  Foods contaminated with botulism can look & smell normal, but the effects on a person’s body can be devastating.  Thus it’s pretty important for those who might be around it to be able to tell the difference between what’s delicious & what’s deadly.

Something similar could be said about Christianity.  There’s a faith that looks real & a faith that IS real, and it’s vitally important to know the difference between the two.  The superficial faith that is full of flash & no substance might look good on the outside, but it leads to death.  We need to know the truth – and those who know Jesus personally AS the Truth, will be able to distinguish the truth from the lie.

Remember that Jesus is starting to wrap up the Sermon on the Mount.  He’s been teaching what it means to live as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven.  That’s something that we certainly look forward to in eternity, but it’s also something that begins today.  Those who are Jesus’ disciples live as His disciples today, demonstrating the kingdom of God in our lives.  Disciples recognize their dependency upon God – disciples live out their faith abiding by the heart of God (which is deeper than His law) – disciples refrain from spiritual hypocrisy & materialistic worry & are truly devoted to God, seeking His kingdom first and foremost above all things, trusting that God will give good gifts to His children.

With all of this in mind, Jesus starts to bring the message to a close.  If we realize the importance and priority of seeking the kingdom of God & His righteousness, then we want to ensure that we don’t get led astray.  There is what is true & what is false.  Don’t be fooled by the false!  Just because something looks good, or someone claims to be godly doesn’t mean that it is.  We don’t want to be fooled by anyone who’s false – be it a false teacher or even our own selves.  When it comes to the question of our eternal salvation, the stakes are too important to be left to chance.  There is a true & there is a false – we can know the difference between them, and we must know the difference if we want to enter into life.

Matthew 7:13–23 (NKJV)
13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.

• There’s a subject change here, but at the same time Jesus is continuing His thought.  He’s a masterful teacher & the subjects flow seamlessly together.  Those who follow Him are seeking the kingdom of God & applying the Golden Rule in their daily lives.  Thus seeking the kingdom IS entering by the narrow gate.
• There is a narrow gate, and there is a wide gate.  Jesus addresses the wide 1st.  We’re told where it leads: “destruction.”  There simply aren’t a lot of ways of putting this.  We could try to water it down & say that people who don’t follow Christ have destructive lives & experience bad things in life – but that isn’t what Jesus is saying at all.  “Destruction” means “destruction” – Jesus is plainly talking about someone’s eternal fate.  It’s not a matter of choosing whatever path you want to take in life, because eventually any path will get you to the kingdom of God…just don’t choose the one that leads to destructive behavior.  Not at all!  It’s a matter of choosing the one path that will cross an immeasurable chasm – any other doorway is a step to absolute death.  Jesus is talking about heaven and hell & the gate to hell is easily found & the road to hell is broadly paved.
• “Is this a turn or burn message?!  Forget it!”  These are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It may be unpopular to preach that there is a road that leads to hell, but it is undoubtedly the truth.  To warn someone away from the broad path of destruction is not to put on a guilt trip or to engage in hypocritical judgmentalism; it’s an act of love – warning someone away from sure death, pushing someone out of the way of a coming car.  Jesus did not warn people away from hell because He was gleeful that people were going there – He warned people away so that they would be saved & live!
• We’re told who goes there: “many.”  Not “some,” not a “few,” not “only the Devil, Hitler, and all the other really bad people,” but “many.”  In fact, in the full context it seems that there will be a greater number of people in hell than there are in heaven.  Many find the road to destruction, but few find the road to life.  It’ll also be clear that the “many” will include some people who believed they were part of the “few.”  It’s been often said that people in heaven will be surprised at who’s there & also at who’s not.  The most sobering aspect about hell (IMO) is not the punishment, but the fact that it is populated.  Many WILL go there.
• The idea of universalism has seen a bit of revival in certain circles of American Christianity today – but Jesus could not be clearer that many head to destruction.  All over the Bible, it is absolutely clear that many will die their eternal death and face eternal judgment in Hell.  Although it’s certainly understandable that no one would wish this kind of destruction upon anyone, to teach universalism is simply to ignore the plain words of the Bible & go against the direct teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.
• Notice that the invitation has gone out to all, though all do not accept it.  Jesus places no restriction on who is invited to “enter by the narrow gate;” He simply observes that many go in by the wide gate.  Many do indeed go in by the wide gate, but no one HAS to do so.  By the love and sheer grace of God, there is another option – see verse 14…

14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

• Where does the narrow gate lead?  “Life.”  If the broad way leads to hell, the narrow way leads to life.  Those who enter by the narrow gate are on a sure path!  Those who trust and follow Christ need not fear that they’ve chosen wrongly or that Jesus is not true to His promises.  His road leads to life, and we can be sure of it because the work He has begun in us, He will be faithful to complete. (Phil 1:6)  Those who enter by this gate are given the seal & the guarantee of the Spirit as a down-payment upon eternity, and we will be sure to enter into the eternal life promised by God.
• How narrow is the gate?  Very narrow!  So narrow that it fits only one person at a time – we must come through the Lord Jesus Christ.  He IS the door/gate. (Jn 10)  He IS the way.  John 14:6, "Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." []  There is no other way to the Father except through Christ Jesus.  If we come not through Christ, then we cannot come at all.
• Have you been looking for another way?  You won’t find it!  According to Jesus, there are but two ways: the wide path filled with all sort of options and all sorts of people, yet the path leads to destruction.  Or we must submit ourselves unto God & humbly accept the one true path that leads to life.  You must make the choice!
• How is the road? “Difficult.”  Note that the gate is merely the beginning; there is a journey that must take place that leads to eternal life.  Along the way, there will be difficulties.  I’m not sure where we got the idea that the Christian life is easy, because Jesus never once taught us that.  Jesus did say that His yoke was easy & His burden is light – but that’s nowhere close to the idea of living on easy street.  It simply means that as Christians, we have a partner in life – the Lord Jesus Himself.  He strengthens us to carry the load & He equips us for what we need to face this life.  But the road is indeed difficult.  Jesus promised that in this world, we would have tribulation… (Jn 16:33)  But Jesus also promised victory.  We may have troubles in this world, but Jesus has overcome the world (Jn 16:33) & He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world! (1 Jn 4:4)…
• Many may head to destruction, but “few” head to life.  The “few” sticks out in a major way here.  The entire world’s population looks for the truth & the way to life (even atheists, who stake their own claim on absolute truth), yet only a few find the way to life.  Even in a study of world religions, it’s evident that Christianity is by & large the majority religion in the world, but Jesus’ words are still true – there are few within THAT group that find life.  [] At the same time, don’t miss the fact that some DO find it.  This is hopeful!  That only few find it doesn’t mean that no one does; some find it & in the process, they find life eternal.
• The most important question of your life is simply this: are you one of the few?
• Question: If the invitation has gone out to the entire world, why do only few actually respond and go by the narrow gate?  Obviously not all find it – but it’s not that people don’t want eternal salvation.  There’s hardly a single person you’ll talk to that does not believe that he/she will go to heaven when they die.  So where’s the disconnect?  It’s this: people want the gift, but they’re not willing to go down the narrow road.  People want the benefits of the kingdom, but they don’t want to live as citizens of the King.
• The way may be difficult, but it’s worth it!  It’s not easy to seek the kingdom of God & His righteousness, but there’s no greater pursuit in life than the pursuit of Christ by faith!

• As we seek the kingdom, there are a couple of things we need to beware of along the way.  Outwardly, we need to beware false teachers.  Inwardly, we need to beware false conversion.  If we’ve stayed away from the false way/path, then the 1st danger are false prophets we might encounter. 

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

• “False prophets” = literally, “pseudo-prophets.”  Remember that a prophet is someone who spoke on someone else’s behalf (contextually, God).  Thus a prophet doesn’t necessarily have to be someone speaking supernaturally – it could be anyone teaching with the apparent authority of God.  False prophets were a danger to the Hebrews of the OT.  God warned about them through Moses, and how to deal with them.  They were to verify their prophecies & if they were false, take out the prophet & sentence them to death (Deut 18:20-22).  If it seems strict, it’s for good reason – the false prophet was bearing false witness against God & leading God’s people astray.  It is a most serious charge & was to be dealt with severely.
• Beware false teachers!  The Bible has much to say about this in that the original apostles had not yet passed away before false teachers attempted to spread heresy within the church.  John wrote of antichrist teachers who would deny that Jesus is the Christ (1 Jn 2:22).  Peter wrote of false teachers & prophets that would bring in destructive heresies (2 Pt 2:1).  Paul dealt with the false teachers of Judaizing & Gnosticism most of his ministry.  False prophets & teachers have always been around!  Why?  Because the Devil is a liar & he’s going to try to use as many deceptions as possible to confuse the believer and blind the lost.
• False teachers & prophets are still evident today.  If anything, their number seems to grow, rather than decrease!  Which fits according to prophecy – Matthew 24:11–13, "(11) Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many. (12) And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold. (13) But he who endures to the end shall be saved." []  False prophets abound today, leading people into all sorts of lawlessness (licentiousness).  People are deceived into sexual sin & perverse behavior from supposed “men of God” – people engage in gross materialistic idolatry because false teachers twist the Scriptures – people ignore the needs of those around them as they are taught that “self-fulfillment” is the true goal of life – and the list goes on.  One of the sure evidences of the last days in which we live is the abundance of false teachers & prophets within the church!
• False prophets are disguised for destruction.  They look good on the outside, but they are hungry & murderous on the inside.  They may look like a sheep (like the rest of us), but in reality they are a wolf.  They come not to feed the flock of God, but to feed upon it, devouring anyone that will listen to their lies.

16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?

• False prophets may be disguised, but to the observant seeker-of-the-kingdom, their disguise will be evident.  We are to simply look at their fruits.  What is it that they teach?  How is it that they live?  What is the effect of their teachings upon their family & their flock?
• Jesus goes on to illustrate…

17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

• Basic horticulture 101.  Apple trees produce apples, banana trees produce bananas, etc.  In addition, there’s an idea of health here (“bad” = “rotting”).  If a tree is diseased, we’re going to expect the fruit to be diseased as well.  The nutrients that are in the tree are going to be passed on to the produce from it.  Likewise with the false teacher/false prophet.  If the prophet himself is questionable as being false (the tree), then all we need do is look at the prophet’s works & teaching (his produce).  If what he’s produced is bad/diseased, then we can be sure the prophet is the same way.  As Bonhoeffer writes, “It is bound to give itself away sooner or later.”  Eventually the false prophet is going to show himself to be false.  Sometimes all we need to do is be patient & wait him out.

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

• Note the repetition here.  In vs. 16 Jesus told us that we would know them by their fruits; He says the exact thing here.  (Different word order in NKJV, but not in Greek.  Other than the “therefore/so then,” it’s the exact same wording.)  Repetition is important!
• Please note that this is how we are to identify false teachers.  Jesus does not tell us to try to start identifying one another this way.  It’s become somewhat popular for people to be spiritual “fruit inspectors,” in an attempt to judge someone else’s salvation and relationship with Jesus Christ.  Nowhere does Jesus encourage that sort of behavior here.  We absolutely need to be aware of false teachers – just because someone has a TV, book, or radio ministry does not mean that they are anointed of God.  We have a responsibility (and a mandate by the Lord Jesus Christ) to look at their fruit & judge whether they are a true or false teacher.  But we need to be extraordinarily careful leveling that same judgment towards the normal believer in Christ.  If we’re not judging a false teacher, then the only other person we ought to be judging is ourselves.  See vs. 21…

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

• Obviously this can contextually apply to the false teacher, but notice Jesus opens this up to anyone listening. (“everyone”)  The idea is simple: not everyone who claims Jesus as Lord is a legitimate born-again believer.  Just as there are false prophets, there are false converts.
• Objection: “What about Paul’s statement that no one can call Jesus ‘Lord,’ except by the Holy Spirit?  Does Paul contradict Jesus?”  No (though it’s a good question).  The context is totally different.  In 1 Cor 12, Paul was specifically writing about spiritual gifts, thus his context is that the Holy Spirit is not going to come upon someone and give them a “word” that curses Jesus or affirm someone’s faith where none exists.  The Holy Spirit acts in truth & the spiritual gifts He gives are good.  What Jesus is talking about here aren’t words that are given someone by the Holy Spirit, but just the words of man.  A false convert can use whatever words he/she wants, but it doesn’t make it truth.
• What’s the difference between a true & false convert?  Words vs. deeds.  It’s not merely a matter of saying that Jesus is Lord, it’s acting as if He is.  The person who will enter the kingdom of heaven is the person “who does the will of My Father in heaven.”  Anyone can speak words!  But words are meaningless without action/truth to back them up.  Jesus’ brother James picks up on this same thing when he writes that faith without works is dead.
• Question: “How do we know if we’re doing the will of God?”  Look up to verse 12.  How is the Law & the Prophets summed up?  By doing unto others what you want done to yourself – which is borne out from loving our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Is your life characterized by submission unto Christ Jesus & a love of God?  Are your actions guided by a sacrificial love for other people (including those who act hatefully against you)?  THAT’s doing the will of your Father in heaven!

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’

• IOW, “But look at everything we did in the name of Jesus!  Look at all the miracles!”  It’s striking that the false convert will not claim, “Lord, have we not loved in Your name, cared for the widow and orphan in Your name, and worshipped You in Your name?”  Not that acts of service, worship, and evangelism cannot be faked as well (they can!) – but Jesus points out that the objection of the false convert will be regarding the miraculous.
• Miracles are not proof of salvation!  Any demon can perform the supernatural – any hypnotist can influence people to believe things that aren’t real.  Outward miracles are no more proof of someone’s salvation than is wearing a Christian T-shirt, or putting a bumper sticker on the back of our car.
• What’s needed is the inward miracle of being born again!
• It’s interesting that when we look at the most obvious false teachers today that their so-called “ministries” are centered on prophecy, demon exorcism, and signs/wonders.

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

• The problem is not one of the miraculous, but one of relationship.  The false convert is not known by Jesus.
• Question: “How can Jesus not know someone?  Isn’t He God?”  Obviously as God the Son, Jesus knows everything about every single human being who has ever lived.  The idea here isn’t that Jesus doesn’t have a clue as to who the false convert is, but rather although the false convert claims Jesus as Lord, Jesus did not have the relationship with this person in a way that He would know this person as His disciple & servant.
• What’s the mark of the false convert?  “Lawlessness.”  In vs. 21, Jesus puts it into the positive: the person who belongs to Him is someone who does the will of our Father God.  Here, it’s in the negative: the person who does not belong to Him (while claiming otherwise) practices utter lawlessness.  In Greek, the word is the negated form of the word for “law” (ἀνομία, a + nomos) – literally, “without law/no law/against law.”
• Question: “Didn’t Jesus come to fulfill the law?  Why does the law matter?”  Yes – Jesus absolutely fulfills the law.  Yet a follower of Christ does not flaunt the law of God.  There are certainly ceremonial aspects to the law that have no bearing on a born-again believer (circumcision not required, Sabbath is found in Christ, etc.).  Yet when it comes to the holiness & righteousness of God, the true disciple of Christ Jesus lives in such a way to exemplify it, rather than flaunt his/her forgiveness.
• It’s interesting that although the false convert defends him/herself by the miracles, Jesus never acknowledges the miracles at all.  Supernatural miracles do not define a person as belonging to Christ; obedience does.  John 14:21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”" []  John picks up on the same theme in his 1st epistle: 1 John 2:3–4, "(3) Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. (4) He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." []
• Objection: “But I thought Christianity taught grace!  This sounds like legalism.”  Not at all – perish the thought!  We are certainly not saved by any work of the law that we can do (if we ever manage to truly keep any aspect of it) – we are never saved by our own merits because we have none.  We are saved by the merit of Christ alone, which cannot be earned.  But once we place our faith in Christ, our lives are inescapably transformed.  The person who has truly encountered Jesus as Lord cannot help but be changed.  We’ve been born of the Holy Spirit – we’ve been made a new creation – we’ve gone from death to life – and ultimately we’ve been given a new Master & King.  The person who belongs to Christ is a person who serves Christ – there’s simply no escaping that basic fact.  If there’s been no change in a person’s life, there’s likely been no Jesus there either.
• What happens to the false convert?  They are told to depart from Christ.  The implication is that they are judged & sent where there is utter darkness & weeping & gnashing of teeth.

Conclusion:
The wide gate leads to destruction – the false prophet will be thrown into the fire – the false convert will forever depart from Christ.  Jesus’ message is so very clear: don’t get caught up with these!  Don’t be deceived!  Don’t give yourselves over to the way that seems easy & right, the teacher who looks friendly but has rotten fruit, or the false faith that’s based on flash and no relationship.  Oh how much of this can describe certain parts of American Evangelicalism!  Beware! 

Jesus would warn those who seek to follow Him to follow that which is true:

• There is a true gate & path. It may be narrow & difficult – it may have trials, tribulation, persecution, and suffering – but it leads to life.  The invitation has gone out to all, but only a few find it.  Be one of the few!  Search diligently by surrendering everything you are to Christ & go where He leads you.
• There is a true teaching.  The good tree bears good fruit.  Although there may be bad & poisonous teaching (and teachers) in this world, the Holy Spirit has given others that teach the truth.  Be a Berean & take what you’re being taught to the word of God.  If it points to Jesus & upholds His glory in accordance with the rest of Scripture, praise God!  But be sure to take on the task of discernment.  The false prophet will not willingly tell you he’s false; you are the one with the responsibility to look at the fruit.
• There is a true disciple. The one that knows Jesus & is known by Him – the one who’s life has been transformed by the grace of God – that’s the person who truly is a disciple of Christ & will enter the kingdom of heaven.  It’s not a matter of knowing how to “look” like a good Christian; it’s a matter of actually being a Christian.  Anyone can sit in a church service & recite a profession of faith or a creed.  Anyone can claim to do a miracle & might even experience something supernatural.  But only the person who is truly born-again will enter the kingdom.  Do you know Jesus & do you know He knows you?

Take the time to examine your heart today.  Are you on the true road – are you holding to true teaching – are you truly a disciple of Jesus Christ?  Ask yourself the hard questions today.  Instead of relying on pat-answers of what people expect you to say, go before the Lord this morning and take the time to ensure that you belong to Him.  “But everyone will know I wasn’t really a Christian before!”  That’s your pride talking, encouraged by the Devil.  Everyone will rejoice that someone who was lost now is found.  What matters is not what you believe people will think, but what Jesus will say on the Day of Judgment.  Will it be: “I never knew you, depart from Me,” – or “Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of your Master”?

The Reason to Hope

Psalms 42-45, “The Reason to Hope”

What does your prayer life look like when you get overwhelmed & depressed?  Do you run from God – do you blame God – do you pray at all?  We can experience so many variety of responses, all depending upon the type of trial we’re going through at the time.  As Book 2 of the Psalms opens, it opens with the writers going through this kind of depression.  We’re not told the specific instances of the trials, but they feel forgotten & abandoned by God & all the writers can do is simply cast themselves at God’s feet.  They’re honest, if not always theologically accurate – praise God that He recorded honest feelings and emotions in the Bible.  Without it, we may think we’re somehow “inadequate Christians” as we struggle in depression and trials.

In Psalms 42-44, it may seem at times as if God has forgotten us in our questions.  Yet Psalm 45 reminds us that God has already provided the answer in Christ Jesus!

Psalm 42 (NKJV) – Hoping to Hope in God
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation of the Sons of Korah.

• Book 1 of the Psalms were characterized by a few things, not the least David being the primary author of the writings.  David will certainly have more songs to sing, but Book 2 tends to diversify a bit more, and we’re introduced to the Sons of Korah.  Translations differ whether or not these were psalms written for the Sons of Korah to perform, or if the Sons of Korah were actually the authors.  Either way, the family history here is extremely interesting!  The most famous Korah (and likely the person intended here) was the head of a Levite family who saw himself in competition with Moses & Aaron.  Instead of being satisfied with the ministry God had ordained for him, he wanted to supplant Aaron as the priest.  A test was performed to determine whom God had chosen (Aaron’s rod budded), and the earth opened up & swallowed Korah & his family whole (Num 16).  Some descendants of Korah did not die at the time (Num 26:11), and apparently they went on to serve in their appointed role.  Fast forward to the book of Psalms, and we have 11 psalms attributed in some way to “the sons of Korah.”  What a glorious picture of redemption & grace!  The forefather may have sinned against the Lord, but it didn’t mean the descendants needed to follow in his footsteps.  They chose to rejoice in what the Lord gave them, and they ended up having a wonderful ministry!

• The need for God (vss. 1-4)

1 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So pants my soul for You, O God.

• Sometimes we get the idea here of a deer in a picturesque forest gently sipping at a bubbling brook.  From the context, that’s not what the psalmist had in mind.  The writer envisions a desperate thirst, as a deer caught in the middle of a drought longs for some form of water, so does the psalmist’s soul long after the refreshment of the living water of God.  To him, this isn’t convenience; this is necessity.
• Interestingly enough, many people treat their faith as one of convenience rather than necessity.  “It’s ok for Jesus to be Lord as long as I’m receiving all the blessings I think I’m entitled to, but the minute a drought comes into my life, all bets are off!”  If that’s the way we think, we’ve got it entirely backwards.  We’re to thirst for God in blessing AND in brokenness.
• The good news is that Jesus promises to quench the thirst of all those who come to Him in faith!  As He told the Samaritan woman at the well, He has living water, and those who drink of Him will never thirst again!

2 My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God? 3 My tears have been my food day and night, While they continually say to me, “Where is your God?”

• Whatever trial the psalmist faced, it was bad enough for his enemies to taunt him regarding his faith.  “You claim to serve God – where is He now?  Doesn’t He see?  Doesn’t He care?”  As much as it pained the psalmist to hear, he knows that he serves the “living God.”  The answer may not have been easily seen or received, but there was no doubt that God heard.  Our God is alive & He hears the prayers of His people.
• Never forget you serve the living God!

4 When I remember these things, I pour out my soul within me. For I used to go with the multitude; I went with them to the house of God, With the voice of joy and praise, With a multitude that kept a pilgrim feast.

• This is the way things used to be.  There was a time when the psalmist led multitudes in worship & things were good.  He longs for that time again when he would openly praise God.
• Don’t stop praising God.  For whatever reason, the psalmist seemed to have stopped & that was his 1st mistake.  Whether he was surrounded people that worshipped God or he was around people who made fun of his faith, it should have made no difference.  We are to be intentional with our praise.

• Refrain (vs 5)

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him For the help of His countenance.

• The psalmist knows he’s made a mistake & rebukes himself for leading himself into depression.  There’s no need to be “cast down” – there’s no reason for him to be depressed.  Despite the trials & taunts around him, he can still “hope in God.”
• Although saving faith is a gift of God (Eph 2:8-9), faith can also be a choice as well.  The psalmist has the ability to choose to hope – to choose to exercise faith in the living God.  There will still be a reason to praise God down the line – but in the meantime, the psalmist needed to remind himself to hope in God NOW & keep hoping, no matter what.
• Choose to hope in God when things seem hopeless.

• God’s presence & promise (vss. 6-8)

6 O my God, my soul is cast down within me; Therefore I will remember You from the land of the Jordan, And from the heights of Hermon, From the Hill Mizar.

• Notice the “therefore.”  The psalmist’s soul is cast down, and it is for THAT reason that he will be intentional in his praise & remembrance of God.  No matter where he’s at in the land, the psalmist will remember God in every city & every corner.
• One of the best ways to combat depression is with praise.  Be intentional about it!

7 Deep calls unto deep at the noise of Your waterfalls; All Your waves and billows have gone over me. 8 The LORD will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, And in the night His song shall be with me— A prayer to the God of my life.

• The psalmist may seem overwhelmed, but even in his trial he knows that God is in control and that God will act according to His covenant promises & mercy.  The psalmist paints a picture of waters flooding over him – waters seemingly allowed by the Lord God.  Yet the Lord still commands His mercies, and is still worthy of praise.

• God’s present absence? (vss. 9-10)

9 I will say to God my Rock, “Why have You forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” 10 As with a breaking of my bones, My enemies reproach me, While they say to me all day long, “Where is your God?”

• Again, the psalmist returns to his lament.  His enemies surround and taunt him, and he feels utterly abandoned by the Lord.
• Had God forgotten him?  Absolutely not.  Even the psalmist recognizes this (per vs. 8’s reference to “lovingkindness”).  Yet it felt like God had forgotten him in his circumstances.  When surrounded by his enemies, it was difficult for him to see the promises and presence of God.
• Beware of letting circumstances dictate your faith.  Our faith is founded upon the sure work & person of Jesus Christ, and informed by the written word of God.  Our circumstances may vary, but Jesus & the Scripture never change!

• Refrain (vs. 11)

11 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

• Again, the psalmist reminds himself to hope in God.  God alone is whom he can trust in these times, and his eyes needed to be fixed upon his Savior.
• Interesting contrast in vss. 5 & 11 in the NKJV & KJV (other translations treat this differently).  Verse 5 is “His countenance”; verse 11 is “my countenance.”  Early in the psalm, the author desires God to look upon him; later he understands that he is the one that needs to loop to God.  God never stops looking at us.  We’re the ones who walk away; not God.

 

Psalm 43 (NKJV) – Hoping to Hope in God, part 2

• Many scholars believe that Psalms 42 & 43 were originally one composition.  They share the same theme & some duplicate language.  In addition, Ps 43 is one of the only songs in Book 2 that doesn’t have some sort of individual title or byline.  Probably best to think of it as an additional verse, even if it was added at a later date.

• Prayer for help (vss. 1-2)

1 Vindicate me, O God, And plead my cause against an ungodly nation; Oh, deliver me from the deceitful and unjust man!

• Be my judge. “Vindicate me.”
• Be my advocate. “Plead my cause.”
• Be my defense. “Deliver me.”

2 For You are the God of my strength; Why do You cast me off? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

• In faith, the psalmist declares that God is his God – but as in Psalm 42, he feels forgotten and alone because of his trials.
• Trials might make us feel alone, but we need to remember that Jesus’ promises far outweigh our feelings.  Jesus has promised to never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5).  He has sent the Holy Spirit to dwell with us & in us & Jesus will not leave us as orphans (John 14:17-18).  We can be sure that we are not cast off by our loving God!  True, there may be times in which our fellowship & intimacy with the Lord seems broken (due to sin or other reasons), but God does not leave us!

• Promise of praise (vss. 3-4)

3 Oh, send out Your light and Your truth! Let them lead me; Let them bring me to Your holy hill And to Your tabernacle. 4 Then I will go to the altar of God, To God my exceeding joy; And on the harp I will praise You, O God, my God.

• The psalmist knows what he needs – he needs to get back to the worship of God!  His trials have distracted him from the Lord, and he needs to go back to the One that he knows is his “exceeding joy.”  When he does, he will praise the Lord.
• How is he going to do it?  By relying upon the Lord’s light & truth.  Two ways of looking at this:
• The word of God.  The Scripture is light: it’s a lamp to our feet & a light unto our paths (Ps 119:105).  The Scripture is truth: Jesus prayed that we would be sanctified by the truth, which is the word of God (John 17:17).
• The Son of God.  Jesus is the light of the world (John 8:12).  Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).
• When we cast ourselves upon the Lord Jesus in prayer – when we spend time in the Bible soaking up the word of God, we cannot help but have our joy & worship of the Lord restored!

• Refrain (vs. 5)

5 Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? Hope in God; For I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

• Picks up the same chorus as Ps 42.  As then, there’s no reason for the psalmist to remain in his spiritual depression.  God has not forgotten him; he needs but to look to God & intentionally place his hope in his Lord & King.

 

Psalm 44 (NKJV) – The Depression of Discipline
To the Chief Musician. A Contemplation Of the Sons of Korah.

• God’s historic work in the nation (vss. 1-3)

1 We have heard with our ears, O God, Our fathers have told us, The deeds You did in their days, In days of old: 2 You drove out the nations with Your hand, But them You planted; You afflicted the peoples, and cast them out. 3 For they did not gain possession of the land by their own sword, Nor did their own arm save them; But it was Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance, Because You favored them.

• Talking about the conquest with Joshua.  God had promised to give the land of Canaan to the Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and that’s exactly what God did.  Other nations were there, but God uprooted them & planted His own people.  God gave them vineyards they didn’t plant & houses they didn’t build ().  God was the One that went before them in battle, giving them victory when they followed Him obediently (Jericho) and defeat if they disobeyed the covenant (Ai).
• The point is clear.  When it came to the land, the nation of Israel didn’t earn a single thing.  It was a gift of God’s grace.  It was “because You [God] favored them.”  So important to remember!  The psalmist is going to come back with some complaints of injustice, but at least he remembers that what the nation received was a gift of grace from the Lord.  It helps keep his petitions in perspective.
• Likewise with us when we come to the Lord in prayer.  We dare not make demands upon our King.  God is our Heavenly Father who loves us & has showered us with His grace through Jesus Christ.  Thus when we come to His throne in prayer, we come boldly under invitation, yet still humbly in reverence.
• Every blessing we have from the Lord is a gift of His grace!

• God’s past work in battle (vss. 4-8)

4 You are my King, O God; Command victories for Jacob.

• There’s not only a historic relationship between God & Israel, there is a present personal one as well between God and the psalmist.  “You are my King, O God.”  It’s one thing for the psalmist to recognize what God had done with his forefathers; it’s another to recognize what God was doing with him in his own life.
• Can you join with the psalmist in the same words?  Is the Lord Jesus YOUR King?

5 Through You we will push down our enemies; Through Your name we will trample those who rise up against us. 6 For I will not trust in my bow, Nor shall my sword save me. 7 But You have saved us from our enemies, And have put to shame those who hated us. 8 In God we boast all day long, And praise Your name forever. Selah

• Just as in times past, the psalmist understands that God has the ability to fight for the nation in battle today, just as much as God fought for their forefathers.  The psalmist isn’t going to put his hope in his own abilities; he puts his hope in the Lord.

• God’s current acts of discipline (vss. 9-16)

9 But You have cast us off and put us to shame, And You do not go out with our armies. 10 You make us turn back from the enemy, And those who hate us have taken spoil for themselves.

• Big change here as the psalmist turns from God’s deliverance to God’s discipline.  The psalmist had declared that God had delivered the nation in the past, but for some reason now God seems to have cast off the nation & allowed them to face defeat & humiliation.
• Yet as in the original conquest of the promised land, we need to look back at the situation.  The nation of Israel had a very clear covenant with God.  If they obeyed God, God would bless them.  If they disobeyed God, then God would remove His protection.  Although the psalmist is going to argue otherwise, there’s simply no other reason why God would have allowed the nation to go through their defeats.
• Keep in mind that the Church has a different covenant with God through Jesus Christ than what the nation of Israel had via Moses.  Our relationship with God & the blessings we have from Him are not based upon our own obedience/disobedience; it’s based upon Jesus’ righteousness & grace.  Because God sees us in Christ, He sees us as righteous – and that’s a covenant than will not be broken or taken away.  Our relationship with God will be hindered through our sin, but our ultimate salvation will not.  Even here, Israel’s covenant had not been annulled; it was being perfectly fulfilled as God allowed the nation to experience the discipline they required due to their sin.  Yet God always left a remnant, and the people would eventually be restored.

11 You have given us up like sheep intended for food, And have scattered us among the nations.
12 You sell Your people for next to nothing, And are not enriched by selling them. 13 You make us a reproach to our neighbors, A scorn and a derision to those all around us. 14 You make us a byword among the nations, A shaking of the head among the peoples.

• Description of the humiliation & the defeat the nation endured.  Truly they were scattered among the nations.  First by the Assyrians & the Babylonians (which is what this is likely in reference to), and then by the Romans.  Yet God is always good to His promises – He will restore the people to the land (as has already begun in the modern nation of Israel), and every single one of God’s promises will come true when the Jews finally have the scales removed from their eyes & they recognize Jesus as Messiah.
• Notice that the nation had become a “byword” among the rest of the world.  God had intended for them to be witness to the world of the One True God – but because they had cast off God through their sin, they became a reproach instead.
• Sadly this can happen with Christians as well.  God’s intent for us is to be a witness to the world – but many times our sin can destroy our testimony, and we become a reason for scorn instead.

15 My dishonor is continually before me, And the shame of my face has covered me, 16 Because of the voice of him who reproaches and reviles, Because of the enemy and the avenger.

• There’s not only national shame, but there’s personal shame.  Whoever the author is, he has personally experienced the reproach of the discipline of the Lord.

• Protest of innocence (vss. 17-22)

17 All this has come upon us; But we have not forgotten You, Nor have we dealt falsely with Your covenant. 18 Our heart has not turned back, Nor have our steps departed from Your way; 19 But You have severely broken us in the place of jackals, And covered us with the shadow of death.

• The author protests that the nation didn’t deserve this kind of discipline, whatever it was.  Yet is he correct?  Keep in mind that the Scripture is always 100% accurate – even when recording the failings of the writers.  There were things that Job’s so-called “friends” stated about God that were absolutely false – yet the Bible accurately recorded their words.  It’s likely a similar situation here.  The nation of Israel had a specific covenant that promised that God would protect & bless the people in the land if they were obedient, or take the nation out of the land if they were disobedient (Deut 28:64).  God had been faithful to warn the nation through prophet after prophet what was going to happen, but the people continued in their rebellion & apostasy & God acted in His righteous justice.
• So why does the author protest their innocence?  The same reason we do when our hands get slapped: we don’t like to admit otherwise.  It’s a painful thing to admit our own sin – but it’s when we confess that healing and forgiveness can come!
• All this said, there are times that life seems truly unfair.  And from the psalmist’s perspective, it seemed that God had allowed some things to happen to the nation that were not right.  Whatever our individual circumstances are, we can be sure that God has not wronged us because God can do no wrong.  He is righteous in all His ways.  When we encounter what we think to be injustice (as Job did in his trials), that ought to turn us to God.  To the psalmist’s credit, that’s exactly what happens here.  Instead of running away from God, the psalmist appeals to God for help.

20 If we had forgotten the name of our God, Or stretched out our hands to a foreign god, 21 Would not God search this out? For He knows the secrets of the heart. 22 Yet for Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

• God is absolutely omniscient, so God is aware of any and all of our sins.  In the case of Israel & Judah, there’s no doubt that the nations did indeed stretch out their hands to a foreign god, though the author protests that wasn’t the case this particular time.  He insists upon their innocence & says it is God’s fault that people in the nation were suffering and dying.
• Where the psalmist was making excuses, God actually used these words in a righteous way when Paul wrote to the Romans about persecution & the love of God for His people. Romans 8:35–39, "(35) Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? (36) As it is written: “For Your sake we are killed all day long; We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” (37) Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. (38) For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, (39) nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." []  When it feels as if God has abandoned us or forgotten us, we can be assured that He has not!  Nothing can separate us from His love – we are more than conquerors in His name because we have been saved by the Lord Jesus Christ & sealed with God the Holy Spirit!

• Plea for help (vss. 23-26)

23 Awake! Why do You sleep, O Lord? Arise! Do not cast us off forever. 24 Why do You hide Your face, And forget our affliction and our oppression? 25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust; Our body clings to the ground. 26 Arise for our help, And redeem us for Your mercies’ sake.

• Was God asleep?  Had God forgotten?  Of course not.  But it felt like He had when the nation was being afflicted.  They suffered harshly, and in their despair they accused God of laziness.  Yet our God is NOT lazy!  He moves in mighty ways, and there’s no greater proof of it than the incarnation, crucifixion, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ!
• The very last line of the psalm is really the essence of the psalmist’s prayer.  Despite his thoughts of abandonment & personal innocence (much of what is simply honest emotion rather than theological fact), in the end the psalmist realizes that what the nation needs is redemption, and the only way they can receive it is based upon the mercy (covenantal love) of God.
• What a wonderful arrow pointing straight to the Messiah!  The Lord Jesus DOES redeem us through His blood.  And the reason He did so was because of the covenantal promises of God.

 

Psalm 45 (NKJV) – The Promised Messiah
To the Chief Musician. Set to Contemplation of the Sons of Korah. A Song of Love.

• This is a song of love because it’s a wedding song & many different thoughts have been proposed as to which wedding it refers to.  Some suggest David or Solomon – but it can only really point to Jesus Christ.  There is certainly a sense in which Solomon could have been one of the thoughts behind the writing of the psalm, but there’s only one King of Israel who is called God (vs 6) & one King of Israel who can be rightly worshipped (vs 11).

• Intro (vs. 1)

1 My heart is overflowing with a good theme; I recite my composition concerning the King; My tongue is the pen of a ready writer.

• Ever get to the point where you just can’t wait to praise the Lord?  That’s where the psalmist was…just bursting at the seams!

• The glory and power of the King (vss. 2-9)

2 You are fairer than the sons of men; Grace is poured upon Your lips; Therefore God has blessed You forever.

• As the psalmist prophetically looked upon Christ, he calls Jesus beautiful in sight & beautiful in speech.  Of course the Bible tells us that there was no remarkable visible beauty about Jesus that we should desire Him (Isa 53:2), so what is the psalmist speaking of?  Jesus’ character.  Jesus’ majesty, power, and righteousness made Him beautiful & worthy of praise.
• For how long has God blessed Jesus?  Forever.  And ever…and ever… J  Of His reign & His kingdom, there will be no end.

3 Gird Your sword upon Your thigh, O Mighty One, With Your glory and Your majesty. 4 And in Your majesty ride prosperously because of truth, humility, and righteousness; And Your right hand shall teach You awesome things. 5 Your arrows are sharp in the heart of the King’s enemies; The peoples fall under You.

• Messiah is a warrior.  Comes back with a sword in His mouth to judge.
• Messiah is righteous.  Everything about Him is righteous.  He was humble in His 1st advent; He will be a warrior in His 2nd advent.
• Messiah is victorious.  Not only will Jesus be victorious over His enemies at His 2nd coming – not only will He be forever victorious over the Devil when Satan is chained & then later tossed into the lake of fire – Jesus is victorious NOW.  He’s already defeated death & taken the sting away from the grave!

6 Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.

• Talking about the kingdom & reign of Messiah.  Jesus’ reign will be righteous, and He has the right to rule forever & ever.  God has anointed Jesus as the King & (contextually) has also anointed Jesus for His coming wedding.
• Don’t miss the theology here.  There is an explicit statement here that the Messiah is God (the context has not changed at all from the King as the Mighty One).  There is also an explicit statement that God the Messiah submits to God the Father. “God, Your God.”  Talking about the relationship within the Trinity.  Jesus is God, but He still willingly serves God within the Divine order.
• Lest there be any doubt this is a specific reference to Christ, the author of Hebrews clears it up for us when he quote this verse.  Hebrews 1:8–9, "(8) But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. (9) You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.”" []

8 All Your garments are scented with myrrh and aloes and cassia, Out of the ivory palaces, by which they have made You glad. 9 Kings’ daughters are among Your honorable women; At Your right hand stands the queen in gold from Ophir.

• Reference to the preparation of the wedding.  Jesus had been anointed by Mary Magdalene for His burial, but He is also to be anointed for His wedding.  The imagery here would be taken from the weddings of the other kings of Israel – perhaps even one of Solomon’s.
• The “king’s daughters” is a reference to the blessings of being a king.  The king received privileges no one else did.  Prophetically regarding Christ, it seems to be a reference to the fact that all the earth will serve Him during His literal millennial reign.  Kingdoms from around the world will pay homage to Christ & serve Him as the King of kings.

• The blessings of the Bride (vss. 10-15)

10 Listen, O daughter, Consider and incline your ear; Forget your own people also, and your father’s house; 11 So the King will greatly desire your beauty; Because He is your Lord, worship Him.

• Notice the King of Israel has a Gentile bride.  Talking about the Church!
• Is the Church beautiful?  Not of ourselves, but certainly through the work & grace of our Lord Jesus.  Jesus washes us by water & by the word, presenting us back to Himself spotless & glorious (Eph 5:26-27).
• Jesus is worthy of worship from His bride!  If for no other reason, simply “because He is your Lord, worship Him!”

12 And the daughter of Tyre will come with a gift; The rich among the people will seek your favor. 13 The royal daughter is all glorious within the palace; Her clothing is woven with gold. 14 She shall be brought to the King in robes of many colors; The virgins, her companions who follow her, shall be brought to You. 15 With gladness and rejoicing they shall be brought; They shall enter the King’s palace.

• The beauty of the bride is described.  The Church is clothed with the righteousness of Christ & it’s a glorious thing.  Just as everything the bride had was a gift received from her bridegroom the king, so everything the Church has (every way in which we’re clothed) is a gift from our King.
• Others glorify the King because of the testimony of the bride – likewise for the Church in the Great Commission.

• God speaks to Messiah (vss. 16-17)

16 Instead of Your fathers shall be Your sons, Whom You shall make princes in all the earth. 17 I will make Your name to be remembered in all generations; Therefore the people shall praise You forever and ever.

• The subject turns back to the King (because He is the one to be praised & His name remembered) & the speaker seems to be God Himself (“I will make Your name…”).  Speaking of the blessings that God the Father bestows on God the Son.  God gives an eternal posterity to Jesus, and every knee will bow & every tongue confess that He is Lord, to the glory of God the Father!

Conclusion:
Book 2 starts with despair in Ps 42-44, but gives a wonderful reason to hope in Ps 45.  Will there be times we despair & feel abandoned?  Yes.  What to do?  Hope in God!  And the best part is that we have a wonderful reason to hope in God: the Lord Jesus Christ!  When we feel overwhelmed by trials, we remember that Jesus is the victor.  When we are mocked by our enemies, we remember that Jesus beautifies His bride.  When we fall in sin in a spiritual battle, we remember that Jesus is the glorious victorious warrior-King!

Do you need a reason to hope in God tonight?  Do you feel overwhelmed?  Those who have trusted Christ as their Savior and Lord need only look to our Bridegroom.  HE is our reason to hope!

Ask, Seek, Knock, Love

Matthew 7:7-12, “Ask, Seek, Knock, Love”

One of Olivia’s favorite games has always been hide & seek.  Over the years, she’s gotten to be a pretty good seeker – always being diligent to search every nook & cranny of the house.  Of course God does not hide Himself from us, but He certainly desires that we seek Him.  Of course what we find when we seek God & His kingdom is far more than a prize during a kid’s game; we find the very character & nature of our loving God!

Jesus has been teaching a masterful message during the Sermon on the Mount.  He’s taught about our dependency upon God – the perfection of God’s law & heart – the importance of sincerity in our worship & priority of seeking Him first and foremost – and then (most recently) about Godly judgment and wisdom.  Now Jesus turns to asking in prayer & the Golden Rule.  Change of subject?  Not really.  The context of prayer is seeking the kingdom of God in prayer.  The golden rule is directly related to not judging unfairly.  To not judge unfairly is the negative; to treat others as we want to be treated is the positive.

Instead of judging & criticizing someone, pray for them.  Truly seek after God – that you might act more like Him in His love towards one another, and seek God on their behalf.

Matthew 7:7–12 (NKJV)
7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. 8 For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.

• What are we looking for?  Obviously Jesus is talking about someone who is looking for something.  What is it that they want?  The kingdom of God.  Matt 6:33 is the immediate context.  Although there is definitely application to personal prayer (which we’ll see), the last time Jesus mentioned seeking anything was only 9 verses earlier as Jesus wrapped up His teaching on the right priority we are to have in life & in devotion.  Instead of being consumed with worries & material things, we are to “seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”  The first priority of a child of God is the kingdom of God.  We need to be made citizens of His kingdom in order that we be eternally saved, and we are to live as citizens of the King today in this world as well.  The main message of the Sermon on the Mount is living as a citizen of the eternal kingdom today, and this is to be the primary pursuit of a Christian.  We seek God – we are granted the righteousness of Christ, but we continue to pursue Him as well.  A Christian’s life is not divided into the sacred vs. the secular (Sunday morning vs. all the rest), but our pursuit of Christ is all-consuming.  Not that we’re going off to live as a monk somewhere, but we are to seek after Christ in our workplace, ask God concerning the needs of our family, knock upon His door for daily strength, & more.  Seeking the kingdom is certainly not limited to not worrying about physical needs & financial stewardship – it encompasses everything there is about the Christian life.  For every believer who asks: “What’s God’s will for my life?”  The answer is given: “Seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness.  Ask, seek, knock – keep after it.  God will answer & God will give.”
• “Ask…seek…knock…”  There are many ways of looking at this.  There’s verbal request, visual imploring, and physical action.  There’s petition, action, and perseverance.  The Lord Jesus never told us specific interpretations for each phrase, so perhaps it’s best simply to take it at the most basic level: three descriptions of someone appealing to another.  Perhaps Jesus gave three different examples simply to help us get the point. (After all, we can be rather dense sometimes. J)  The grammar & tense implies continual action, meaning it’s something that’s going on right now (and right now, and now, etc…).  Keep on asking – keep on seeking – keep on knocking.  Don’t do it once and give up.  You can often tell the value of an item to someone else by how they look for it when it’s lost.  Someone may search the couch for a quarter they dropped somewhere, but if a wedding ring was lost, the whole house gets turned upside down. [parable of the lost coin – Lk 15:8-10]  How intently are you seeking the kingdom of God & His righteousness?  That’s likely its value to you.  The person who mutters a sinner’s prayer out of a need for “fire insurance” easily falls away from walking with Christ.  They don’t seek Jesus in prayer – they don’t read His word – they don’t seek to live righteously.  They aren’t continually seeking because they never understood the value of salvation to begin with.  But the person who understands that they were truly lost & now have been loved by Jesus & given new life by Him…that’s a person that values the kingdom!  That’s a person that’s going to persevere no matter how many times they fall down & get hit by the enemy or the temptations of their old life.  They’re going to continue to seek, continue to ask, and continue to knock time & time again.  As Winston Churchill proclaimed during WWII, the true disciple of Christ “never gives in. Never, never, never.”
• Why?  Because God promises to give.  Note that there is an action & a response.  The action is ours: we ask – the response is God’s: He gives.  When we seek, there is Someone to be found.  When we knock, there is Someone ready to answer the door.  The Someone is God, who is prepared to give to His children.  The interesting aspect of this is that when it comes to our salvation, God is always the initiator & we are the responder.  No one comes to Jesus unless the Father draws him (Jn 6:44).  The Spirit is the One who convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment (Jn 16:8).  Left to ourselves, no one seeks after God (Rom 3:11), but God loved us & sent Jesus when we were still hating Him as His enemies (Rom 5:8).  The list could go on showing as God as the initiator.  Yet in this example, Jesus shows God as waiting to respond to us.  Obviously the relationship is already there – someone can only go to God in prayer as their Father after Christ has already made that person God’s child.  But there is an aspect of our ongoing relationship with God in which God puts upon us the responsibility to continually seek Him out.  He is certainly ready to respond to us the moment we call upon Him, but we are the ones that need to ask. … [teaching child to swim, ride a bike – they need to reach out???]  God is teaching us dependency.
• When we reach out to God, we can be sure that He will respond.  When we knock upon the door, we can be certain that God will answer.  When we know God through Christ Jesus & continually seek Him in faith, there’s no doubt about God’s response.  Hebrews 11:6, "But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." []  Are you diligently seeking?
• Although it is easy to see an application to salvation, remember the immediate context is actually to someone who is already a born-again believer.  We need the grace to live in the righteousness that God makes available to us.  Ask for it! …  “I always fail in my walk with Christ!”  Have you asked for the strength to endure?  Have you laid everything aside to seek God & God alone?  Have you been persistent to knock upon the door of the throne room in prayer? [parable of the persistent widow - Luke 18:1-8]  Or have you asked once & never asked again?  (Guzik) “Many of our passionless prayers are not answered for good reason, because it is almost as if we ask God to care about something we care little or nothing about.”  Ask!  Seek!  Knock!  Don’t give up – keep going before the throne of grace!  Does it matter that you have not yet received what you’ve asked for?  All that simply means is that God desires to do something in you by your continual asking.  George Mueller often wrote of the desperate needs that his orphanages had, yet he did not complain about any delay in seeing an answer from God.  It was merely more opportunity to trust his Savior.  Likewise with us – the born-again believer has every right to come to the throne of God and ask.  We are invited to do so & to do it repeatedly.  God has promised to respond according to His will.  So do we simply give up after one or two times of asking – or will we take God at His word, knowing that He will respond?  ASK!
• That’s not to say there’s no application to salvation here.  The person who has finally come to the understanding of his/her desperate need for Christ has but to lay down his/her life and ask to be saved!  The problem is that we so often get the idea that coming to Christ is such as casual thing.  People think, “All I need to do is raise my hand at the right time (slipped up quickly with every head bowed & every eye closed), mutter a few words under my breath, and then I’m good to go as long as I show up in church once every blue moon.”  That’s NOT saving faith.  How can we be so sure?  Because that’s certainly not what Jesus describes here as someone so desperate for God that they continually ask, seek, and knock.  The reward is to those who diligently and desperately seek after Christ.  Jesus doesn’t want your hand; He wants your life.  Seek Him out with fervency, casting yourself to His feet upon His mercy & grace.  The person who does that is the person truly seeking the God who has already placed it upon their heart to seek His face.

9 Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10 Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?

• Simple enough example.  No loving father tries to break his child’s teeth with rocks rather than food.  Or gives the child a poisonous snake instead of lunch.  Mankind may be condemned in our own sinfulness (which we are) – but we at least know THIS much!  Parents who intentionally hurt their children are jailed and/or have their children taken away from them – it’s called “abuse.”  Even human courts recognize that.

11 If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!

• Jesus often argues from the lesser to the greater & does it again here.  If we love our children enough to give them what they need, how much more does our all-knowing, all-compassionate heavenly Father do the same?  To think that God would not honor His promises is to malign (or at least misunderstand) God’s personal character.  Is God less honorable than the most honorable of evil men?  Certainly not!  God IS love, and there can be no more compassionate father than that of our Heavenly Father.  God describes His own character has being merciful & gracious, longsuffering, abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin (Exo 24:6-7).  He is absolutely just in that He by no means clears those who remain in their guilt, but He is merciful to those who belong to Him by His grace.  Does this sound like someone who would give a snake instead of a snack?  Absolutely not!  One reason our retail stores rejoice at Christmastime is because parents delight in giving their children presents – we love the look on our kids’ faces when they receive a gift.  Dare we think that we are unique in that?  Where do we think we got that delight from?  Our heavenly Father!  God excels in giving, and there’s no restraint to His gifts.  After all, He’s already given all that can be given: His only begotten Son, who died on the cross for your sins & mine.  If God’s already done THAT, what is a few more issue in our personal life?  Comparatively speaking, it’s as if God has already given billions of dollars into our accounts, and we question if God is willing to spare us a few pennies, so we refrain from asking Him.  Jesus would tell us, “Don’t you know the character & personality of your heavenly Father?  Ask Him!  He’s ready to give!”
• What does God give? “Good things.”  Not bad things – not random things, but good things.  A good gift is something that has been thought out & lovingly given. God does not give the equivalent of a bad garage-sale necktie where we struggle to smile & say, “Well, at least it’s the thought that counts.”  God knows our deepest needs – God knows our hearts’ desires – God knows are darkest struggles – God knows US & He knows the perfect gifts to give us.  We can be assured that what God gives us will be good. … Especially in the context of seeking the kingdom of God – God gives good things!  Those who truly & continually seek to live their lives as children of God in His kingdom will find that God graciously equips us for this very thing.  Granted, He may allow us to struggle from time to time, but even that can be a good gift.  After all, it’s only by exercising our muscles that we’re made stronger.  God may allow us to exercise the muscle of faith, but we will be far better equipped at the end.  That we haven’t received precisely what we’ve been asking for ought not be a discouragement from asking – we ought to trust that God is giving out the good gifts that He thinks we need.
• BTW – Enough with this thought of “If I truly surrender my life to Jesus, God’s going to make me go be a missionary in the jungles of South America & I’ll hate it.”  Rubbish!  Our God gives GOOD things.  If you are not equipped to be a missionary, God will not call you to be one.  If you are not burdened to want to go to the jungle, God isn’t going to force you & twist your arm.  What a horrendous misunderstanding of the character of our God!
• Jesus makes the point again: To whom does God give good things?  “To those who ask Him.”  If we haven’t received it, the most logical possibility is that we haven’t asked for it.  Why haven’t you asked? We have not because we ask not.

12 Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

• Typically we know this as the Golden Rule.  Our children are taught it in public school & people uphold it as one of the highest ethical standards – though in the public square, it’s always divorced from Jesus.  But Jesus didn’t leave us the option of taking it away from the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.  His sentence isn’t even finished before He calls the Golden Rule the summary of the Law & the rest of the Old Testament.  The Golden Rule & part & parcel with the rest of His teaching here – and it can only be truly done by a born-again believer…someone who is seeking after the kingdom of God & His righteousness.  …  Objection: “Wait a minute!  Anyone can do this.  If you want to be shown respect, you show respect to others.  That doesn’t require a profession of faith.”  True, but try doing it consistently.  It can’t be done.  People may succeed several times in a row, but there’s going to come a time in which we get selfish again.  That’s true of Christians & non-Christians alike.  In ourselves, not even Christians have the ability to consistently live out the simple principle of doing unto others what we want done unto us.  All it takes is a quick trip to the mall during the holiday rush to prove it!  No – the consistency of the golden rule necessitates faith in Christ.  Just as Jesus told us to be perfect as God is perfect (which is impossible without Christ), so He tells us to perfectly abide with men, which is also impossible without Christ.  There’s simply no way to always do unto others what we want done unto us unless we live completely selfless lives – and that requires us to deny ourselves, pick up our cross daily & follow Jesus.  We need to continually reckon ourselves dead to our flesh & live by the power of the Holy Spirit.
• From a historical perspective, it’s interesting that other religions have their own version of the Golden Rule, but apparently it was always placed in the negative. (“Don’t do unto others what you don’t want them to doing to you.”)  Jesus is the first person to put it into the positive.  Anybody can “not” murder someone; a disciple of Christ lays down their life for another.  Anyone can “not” steal from someone; a Christian gives sacrificially to demonstrate the love of God.  The kingdom of heaven isn’t merely concerned with the absence of sin, but also the presence of the righteousness of God.  Refraining from sin is good, but to merely refrain from sin is not enough to grant someone entrance into the kingdom of God.  For that, we’ve got to receive the righteousness of Christ Jesus.  (Praise the Lord that blessed are those who hunger & thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled!)
• “Therefore” – tied in with earlier teaching.  We’ve seen this throughout the Sermon on the Mount.  After teaching about the heart of God in the law of God, Jesus said, “Therefore, you shall be perfect, just as your Father in Heaven is perfect.” (5:48)  After teaching about sincerity in prayer, Jesus said, “Therefore, do not be like them.  For your Heavenly Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.” (6:8)  After teaching about the priority of heavenly treasure, Jesus said, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life…” (6:25) & then repeated the phrase two more times. (6:31, 34)  This last particular “therefore” sums up the section on judging & praying.  At first glance, they seem so unrelated to each other, but the more we look at it, the more we can see how they flow together.  Men usually don’t want to be judged, though we’re more than happy to judge others.  Men want to receive the kingdom of heaven, but they’re not willing to live out the principles of the kingdom before they enter in.  Jesus brings us back to reality here.  We’re going to be measured back with the same measure that we’ve used.  The person who truly seeks the kingdom of God & knocks on the door in prayer is going to be someone who’s truly seeking after the heart of God.  They aren’t going to be unfairly judging & criticizing one another – they are going to exercise righteous wisdom – they are going to intercede for one another in prayer.  They will not be hypocritical in their outward spirituality, but single-mindedly devoted unto God, showing compassion towards one another.
• This takes us to another other tie: the Golden Rule is how Jesus sums up the Law and the Prophets. Earlier in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said that He had come to fulfill the Law & the Prophets (5:17).  Jesus fulfills the requirements of the Law & Prophets through His personal sacrifice at the cross.  Jesus fulfills the perfect holy teaching of the Law & the Prophets through His own life & righteousness.  After all, who is the One Person who has ever perfectly loved God with all His being & loved His neighbor as Himself?  Not you – not me – only Jesus.  Who is the One Person in all the universe who has ever perfectly done unto others as He would have men do unto Him?  Never unjustly criticizing them, but exercising righteous judgment – giving out good gifts and praying for others – even laying down His life for those who hated Him.  Only the Lord Jesus Christ.
• What Jesus has done, He calls us to do as well.  Objection: “But it’s impossible!”  Correct.  That’s why we need the Holy Spirit and His power to do it.  BTW – that’s exactly the full context of Jesus’ teaching later in the gospel of Luke.  Luke 11:13, "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”" []  God gives the good gift of the Holy Spirit to His children in our initial salvation, and God continues to give the good gifting of the power of the Holy Spirit to His children as we walk with Him.  As we ask for the Spirit’s empowerment, God graciously grants it.
• There’s another instance in which Jesus sums up the Law & the Prophets: the Great Commandment.  Matthew 22:36–40, "(36) “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (37) Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ (40) On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”" []  The Great Commandment = the Golden Rule.  (Try teaching THAT in the public schools!)  If we’re truly loving our neighbors as ourselves, we’ll be doing unto them what we want done unto us.  And the only motivation for doing so is to love God with our heart, soul, and strength.  The person who lives in rebellion against God has no reason to sacrificially love others.  Sure, he might do some altruistic acts for someone else, but only if he sees some sort of personal benefit from it.  If nothing else, he gives money to the homeless because it makes him feel better about himself.  But the moment the personal benefit stops, so does his compassion.  The person in rebellion to God can never truly act selflessly, because all he/she has is him/herself.  It’s only the man or woman who has completely surrendered their life over to Christ Jesus that can act in total selfless compassion, because our actions are not done for our glory, but for the glory of God.  Because we love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, we desire to love our neighbors as ourselves & do unto them what we want done unto us.  Even our summary of the rule is different than Jesus’.  We say “treat others like you would like to be treated;” Jesus says “Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them.”  Our grammar makes us the focus; Jesus’ grammar makes others the focus.
• [Haman & Mordecai.]  Haman thought of all the ways he wanted to be honored, thinking it was intended for him (Esther 6).  Without the evil selfishness of Haman, how would we wish to be treated?  How would we wish to be loved?  How would we wish to be honored?  That is the way we want to treat others.  We are to think of them first; not how we are to be benefited from it.
• Objection: “What about other religions?  Surely they can be altruistic, because they’re doing it for their god as well.”  Not really.  This is the difference between works-based religions, and Christianity (grace-based).  Other religions might teach people to positively do unto others what they want done to them, but it’s all about gaining merit to continue earning their way into heaven/paradise, etc.  In Christianity, we’re saved by the free gift of God’s grace through Christ.  Thus the motivation we have is to give honor, praise, and glory to God.  We’ve already received our salvation, and the fruit of our salvation is seen in the way we treat other people.

Conclusion:
With this, Jesus wraps up His major teachings in the Sermon on the Mount & will start to transition to a close & application.  The true citizen of the kingdom of heaven continually lives for God – and in doing so, experiences the glorious grace of God in incredible ways.

• Seek the kingdom – God desires for us to ask.  Again, this is primarily for the believer in Jesus Christ.  Are you continually seeking His face?  Do you continually knock at the door for grace and strength?  Do you diligently and desperately ask for what is needed to live the life that is glorifying to God?  Seek His kingdom on a daily basis!
• Trust your Father – our God gives good things.  When we seek God’s face, God will answer.  When we knock at the door, God will open.  When we ask for the gift of the Holy Spirit, God will give Him.  Our God can be trusted to give good gifts – necessary gifts – gifts that are thought-through, and perfect for the situation at hand.  Trust your Heavenly Father to supply you for what you need to live as His child.
• Live selflessly – Jesus is our example.  Those who continually seek after the kingdom of God will walk in the footsteps of our King.  We’ll seek others’ best interests first, sacrificing for them in order that they might know the grace of God.  That’s what Jesus did for us; that’s what we’ll do for our neighbors. 

 

The challenge for the believer today is this: are you continually seeking & asking?  Is it shown in your treatment of other people?  Take the time to address it today before the throne of God.

If you’re not yet a Christian – know that you are invited to seek the kingdom of God as well.  It’s not something to be casually minded about; it’s something for which you are to fervently and passionately seek.  God promises to give grace to all who come through the Lord Jesus in faith, but you’ve got to respond to His offer, surrendering everything to Jesus as Lord.