Just because it was worth repeating

From CH Spurgeon’s, “Lectures to my Students” & the lecture entitled “The Preacher’s Private Prayer”:

“The minister who does not earnestly pray over his work must surely be a vain and conceited man. He acts as if he thought himself sufficient of himself, and therefore needed not to appeal to God. Yet what a baseless pride to conceive that our preaching can ever be in itself so powerful that it can turn men from their sins, and bring them to God without the working of the Holy Ghost. If we are truly humble-minded we shall not venture down to the fight until the Lord of Hosts has clothed us with all power, and said to us, “Go in this thy might.” The preacher who neglects to pray much must be very careless about his ministry. He cannot have comprehended his calling. He cannot have computed the value of a soul, or estimated the meaning of eternity. He must be a mere official, tempted into a pulpit because the piece of bread which belongs to the priest’s office is very necessary to him, or a detestable hypocrite who loves the praise of men, and cares not for the praise of God. He will surely become a mere superficial talker, best approved where grace is least valued and a vain show most admired. He cannot be one of those who plough deep and reap abundant harvests. He is a mere loiterer, not a laborer. As a preacher he has a name to live and is dead. He limps in his life like the lame man in the Proverbs, whose legs were not equal, for his praying is shorter than his preaching.”
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What a glorious invitation we’ve been given to go before the throne of grace in prayer. Whether it’s in the public proclamation of the gospel, the exposition of the Scriptures, or simply interceding for the salvation of our loved ones, let us bathe in prayer whatever ministry the Lord Jesus has entrusted to us.

Lord, help us to pray.

Better than the Angels

Hebrews 1:4-14, “Better than the Angels”
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Introduction:
Are Jesus & Satan brothers & equal in power? That’s what the Mormons claim… What about Michael the archangel (per the JW’s)? Jesus is infinitely more than Satan (or any of the angels) because Jesus is GOD! That’s what the 1st 3 verses of Hebrews claimed. We saw 7 characteristics proving that Jesus is no less God than God the Father…

Why angels? This is rather abrupt, after such a deep & rich prologue. Some Jewish sects actually worshipped angels, but they were the minority – it’s unclear how big of an influence they would have had over the Jewish believers. Most likely, it’s because of the prominence of angels in the OT. Whenever God interacted with people in the OT, it was most often through the prophets (which we’ll get to in Ch 3), or angels. Many times, it was the Angel of the Lord (usually a preincarnate appearance of Jesus; but not always) – other times, it was regular ‘normal’ angels such as Gabriel (Dan 9:22) or other unnamed beings, such as the angel in Zechariah who continually goes back & forth from God to Zechariah answering questions.

Outside of God Himself, angels are always the most glorious & powerful beings mentioned in the OT Scripture. The seraphim described in Isaiah 6 had 6 wings a piece, constantly flying around the throne of God proclaiming His holiness. Cherubim were placed at the east of the Garden of Eden with a flaming sword to prevent Adam & Eve from reentering. The OT makes it perfectly clear that physically & spiritually, angelic beings are superior to mankind – and although man was never supposed to worship the angels, it’s been very few people who have not been left in awe by them.

So if angels are superior to men, who is superior to the angels? God…and more specifically, the Son of God, Jesus Christ. The writer of Hebrews is going to make this perfectly clear, showing 7 OT passages that Jesus was, is, and had always been proclaimed & intended by God to be greater than the angels themselves.

Hebrews 1:4-14 (NKJV)
4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.

A. How did Jesus “become so much better”? Wasn’t He always better than the angels? Sure. As the Son of God, Jesus has eternally been infinitely superior to them. But keep our context in mind here. In vs 1-3, the writer was contrasting how Jesus has been the revelation of God “in these last days,” as opposed to the “various times & various ways” God revealed Himself in the past. In these last days, Jesus was appointed heir of all things when He purged our sins & sat down at the right hand of God. IOW, the whole context is after the death, resurrection & ascension of Jesus. In His incarnation, Jesus became lower than the angels (as we’ll see next week), but now in His glory Jesus is “so much better” than them. Through His suffering, death, and resurrection, He earned His inheritance of glory & now is infinitely in a higher place of position than even the most powerful & glorious archangel.

B. Jesus has “a more excellent name” than the angels. Understand culturally, a person’s “name” is more than what people called them – it’s what represented them. To come in the name of a king was to come with the authority of the king, as represented by his name. In vs. 4, it’s not that “Jesus” sounds better than “Michael” or “Gabriel” – it’s that His authority & person & power is far more excellent than they. The name of “Michael” cannot save anyone, but the name of Jesus can. [Peter before the Sanhedrin] Acts 4:12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” []
__a. Ever wonder why other religions aren’t equally as valid as Christianity? Why can’t being a Hindu or Buddhist be as good as being a Christian? Because salvation isn’t found in Hinduism or Buddhism or Islam or anything else. When it comes to eternity, our sin means we must be saved – and there is but one name under heaven God has given us by which we can & must approach Him: Jesus. No matter what language in which you claim it, there is one ‘name’ – one way to God the Father: Jesus Christ the Son. And His name is more excellent than all the other religions & all the angels…
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5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again: “I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”?

A. Quote 1 – Psalm 2:7. This Psalm was often read as a coronation psalm for the Davidic kings, but without question it ultimately points to the Messiah & His reign. Psalm 2:7-8 (7) “I will declare the decree: The Lord has said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. (8) Ask of Me, and I will give You The nations for Your inheritance, And the ends of the earth for Your possession. [] No Davidic king could say this, but the King of Israel – the son of God can! He will divide out the nations as the sheep from the goats & call to Himself those whom He’s saved.

B. Quote 2 – 2 Samuel 7:14. Referring back to the Davidic covenant, when God is promising to set up David’s throne forever. God does speak of how He’ll interact with David’s immediate children, but ultimately the covenant speaks of the greater-than-David, Jesus Christ. The Son of David is to be the Son of God.

C. The point? God never said this to any of the individual angels? Michael is a powerful angel. Gabriel was often used in the messages regarding Jesus. But neither of them nor any of the cherubim & seraphim around the throne of God has ever been called the SON of God.
__a. Being a Son is an identity of honor. Sons have rights that servants do not simply because they are a son. Abraham was going to pass on his vast inheritance to his servant Eliezer, because he had no son – but as soon as Isaac was born, the rights of an infant boy supplanted that of a faithful servant of decades. Why? Because he’s the son.
__b. Being a Son is a place of privilege: Only 2 men can ever claim the title of “son” from my dad…it’s not available to anyone else because no one else has been born from his genes… Jesus is the only begotten of the Father; there is none else….
__c. Jesus is the SON. If that were the only difference between Him & the angels, it would be enough. But there’s much more.
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6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.”

A. Speaking of the incarnation. Jesus was never born; but He is the firstborn. This is terminology regarding position; not a birthday. (Be firm on this point…JW’s use this as ‘proof’ that Jesus is not fully eternal.) Jesus is the firstborn over all of creation (Col 1:15) not because He came into existence when God brought him “into the world” but because in His incarnation, He became 1st among all mankind. Like Isaac who had the position of the 1st born of Abraham (even though he was Abraham’s 2nd son), Jesus has the position of the 1st born over all of creation. He’s 1st among all else & thus He is placed in a position of privilege & honor.

B. Quote 3 – Either Deut 32:43 (LXX only – not in our current Hebrew text; just DSS) or Psalm 97:7. If so, it’s rather interpretive (which would make bad interpretation for us – but fine for the writer under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.) Psalm 97:7-9 (7) Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, Who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods. (8) Zion hears and is glad, And the daughters of Judah rejoice Because of Your judgments, O Lord. (9) For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods. [] Question: does the Bible recognize any other gods outside of the One True God? Yes & no. Yes – it recognizes that people do worship other gods; No – it affirms there is no other god outside of the God of the Bible. Here, we find the angels referred to as ‘gods’ (as interpreted in the LXX).
__a. The angels are great, but they aren’t worthy of being worshipped. (Made clear with John in Revelation!) Instead, the angels worship God – and thus the angels worship Jesus. (Ever wonder what the angels say about all the fuss people make over them?)
__b. If the angels worship Jesus, what does tell us about our need to worship Him? Unlike us, who see through eyes of faith, the angels see God perfectly. They know without a shadow of a doubt how holy & powerful & wonderful God is. And not only do they not hesitate to worship God; they never stop worshipping Him! We ought to follow their example…
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7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.”

A. Quote 4 – Psalm 104:4. Speaking of the greatness of God who stretched out the heavens like a curtain & walks on the wings of the wind. This same God who laid the foundations of the earth has His angels moving forth like the wind & fire.

B. Up to vs 7, one might say, ‘All of this so far has been about Jesus. Well, what about the angels? Aren’t they great & awesome?’ Ehh. Angels are truly awe-inspiring beings & few humans who speak with them can do so without their knees knocking together (as seen throughout the NT), but ultimately angels are servants. God sends them forth & though they are glorious, they are simply God’s messengers & God uses them how He pleases. Like the wind one day; like the fire the next…they change according to God’s command.
__a. Ministers of God: Gk word for angel actually means “messenger.” One could make the argument that this is their primary function at least between God & man. They bring the message God intends for us to hear – and ultimately all of it is about Jesus. When the angels appeared to the shepherds outside Bethlehem, it’s always been a striking picture: on one hand, we see some of the humblest of people (not kings or governors, but lowly shepherds) & on the other, we see some of the glorious. Yet what did the angels say? They didn’t command the shepherds to serve them; they brought “good tidings of great joy” (Luke 2:10) – they brought good news.
__b. We get to share in the same duty as the angels! We have the privilege of taking the good news to every person in all the world. But better than the angels, we actually get to partake of the good news of the gospel. The angels could merely announce the Savior; we are invited to receive His salvation!
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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.”

A. Quote 5 – Psalm 45:6-7. The entire psalm is basically an ode to the King – ultimately writing of the glory & honor of the Messiah’s millennial reign. God has blessed Him forever (vs. 2), He has a bride who is exhorted to worship Him (vs. 11) – definitely messianic throughout. Vs. 6-7 basically describe His reign as (1) eternal, (2) righteous, and (3) anointed by God.

B. The Son has authority to rule & reign forever. Angels are ministers & messengers; Jesus is the ruler. BIG difference between the two! Jesus has been given all authority in heaven & on earth & sits enthroned at the right hand of God. His kingdom will have no end. Exactly how long is “forever and ever”? There will never be a time that Jesus doesn’t reign. (Which should give us a lot of encouragement. We don’t worship a sometimes-Savior. He’s forever victorious over death…)

C. The Son is righteous. No one truly knows what capacity the angels have for sin, but we know it IS possible for them to do so. Satan & 1/3 of all the angels were thrown out of heaven due to their rebellion against God (2 Pet 2:4 & Rev 12:4). Yet the Son never sinned. He was tempted for sure (Satan saw to that in the wilderness), but never once did Jesus sin. He is truly righteous & His reign will always reflect His righteousness. (We serve a righteous God!)

D. He has been anointed for the task – reference to the work of the Holy Spirit (constant type throughout OT). Which of the angels were ever filled with the Holy Spirit? None! But Jesus was. Not only was this explicitly stated after His baptism (Luke 4:1), Jesus was prophesied to have a ministry anointed with the Holy Spirit…which will continue through His millennial reign as King. Isaiah 11:1-2 (1) There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. (2) The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. [] (Is it any wonder that Jesus sends the Spirit to us? His ministry is bathed in the Holy Spirit!)

E. BTW – Did God just call Jesus ‘God’ here? Yes! When it comes to the Deity of Christ, case closed. If God calls Jesus God, what more proof do we need?
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10 And: “You, LORD, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.”

A. Quote 6 – Psalm 102:25-27. Context is interesting – the superscription is “A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed & pours out his complaint before the Lord.” After 11 verses of pouring out his complaint (which range from enemies to physical disease), he spends the rest of the psalm declaring the greatness of God. In doing so, he writes how God is different than creation, which is what the writer of Hebrews cues in on. 3 specific ways in which the Son differs from the angels & creation:

B. Jesus is the Creator; angels are the created. God was the one who laid the foundations of the earth – and we see here that it was specifically Jesus at work as the Word of God. As John 1:3 declares, “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” “All things” definitively includes the angels. There once was a point that the angels did not exist; but Jesus has always existed.

C. Jesus is everlasting; creation is not. Science is often put at odds with the Bible, but one area in which there is 100% agreement is that one day the universe will come to an end. Creation will one day perish – 2 Peter 3:10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. [] How this will happen only God knows; but it’s without doubt that it WILL happen. (Are you ready?) But Jesus is everlasting. There is nothing that is more powerful than Him! The universe came into being with His word & it’ll dissolve the same way.

D. Jesus is unchangeable; the creation changes constantly. In vs. 7 the writer of Hebrews specifically pointed out how the angels change (task, duty, appearance, whatever) according to God’s command; here we see that God (specifically the Son) never changes. He is immutable…again, one more proof that Jesus is indeed God.
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13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

A. Quote 7 – Psalm 110:1. (The author is going to come back to this in Ch 5 & 7) Another clear Messianic psalm regarding the righteous, victorious reign of Messiah the King in which He is both potentate & priest (unlike any other Davidic king). Quoted by Peter at Pentecost regarding the ascension of Christ…

B. Final contrast: The Son is the Victor; the angels are some who help Him in His victory. Common military practice to step on the necks of conquered kings, showing their utter defeat (Josh 10:24). Apparently that’s what’s going to happen to Satan before he’s thrown into Hell. Satan is defeated (along with death & sin), and although he’s still fighting as an enemy of God, his days are numbered. For now, Jesus sits in victory until the day He puts His scarred feet on the devil’s throat.

C. Note the angels don’t just serve Jesus; they serve us, too! We don’t know exactly how, but the angels help us in our daily physical life. Keep in mind they are not all-powerful or omniscient (those attributes belong to God alone), but God sends them forth to minister on our behalf.

Conclusion:
Are angels incredible beings? Yes. Are they important in God’s plan? Yes. Are they more important than Christ Jesus? No. Messengers are valuable, but we need to be careful not to place more stock in the messengers than in the One who sent the message & Whom the message is about. Be careful not to listen to those who seek after angels (becomes a fad every few years). Never does the Scripture instruct us to do so. The Colossian church even had people that worshipped angels (Col 2:18)…let it not be so with us. We are to seek after, listen to, and worship Christ Jesus. If an angel somehow points to Jesus, praise God – if not, run the other direction.

The point of Hebrews 1 is clear: as incredible as angelic beings may be – as much as their supernatural presence is mind-blowing, they are nothing compared to Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Son, the Firstborn, the Anointed Righteous Ruler, the Immutable Creator, and the Victor. Jesus is truly & infinitely better than the angels!

If Jesus is superior to the angels, this tells us something pretty important when it comes to spiritual warfare: Jesus is superior to the Devil (who’s nothing more than a fallen angel). There’s a tendency to think of Jesus & Satan as yin/yang – just dualistic sides of the same coin. Nothing could be further from the truth. Jesus is infinitely more than Satan, because even if Satan was the chief of all angels, he was still an angel & Jesus is still God. Jesus created Satan & He’ll be the one to throw Satan into the lake of fire as well. Understand that it’s not like there’s some sort of epic monumental struggle between Jesus & the Devil in Revelation…Jesus just shows up & the battle is over! This is the God we serve & the Jesus who is infinitely more powerful than the most powerful enemy imaginable is the Jesus who loves you & me paid the price for our sins. We don’t just worship some sort of high angelic being; we worship Jesus – Creator God of all the Universe.

Fear or Faith?

Joshua 22, “Fear or Faith?”
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Introduction:
Imagine our reaction if once we moved to our new building, some other church put a giant statue in our front yard. What would be the 1st thing we’d think? Would we want to ask more questions & find out why? In essence, that’s what happens in Joshua 22. After the 2½ tribes from the Transjordan go home, they build a gigantic altar which almost causes a lot of bloodshed & the other tribes have a bunch of questions to ask.

There are many interpretations of tonight’s passage. Some scholars think both sides are wrong…others think both sides are right. Many pastors & scholars read Ch 22 & find everything right with the Transjordan tribes & many things wrong with the rest. I have trouble with that for two reasons:

(1) It goes against the established type. Israel had already entered its rest (symbolically speaking according to Heb 4 – it doesn’t fully happen till Christ), but the 2½ tribes on the other side of the Jordan stopped short. Typologically, they are not unlike worldly Christians who try to have things both ways… You would expect them to make a mess of things.

(2) Their motives are completely different. Israel is obviously taking a stand for holiness & the Transjordan tribes are obviously acting out of fear & explicitly say so. To blame Israel seems misplaced…

As we’ll see, what happens is that the Transjordan tribes commit an act of rashness, try to excuse their reasoning, and they almost face severe consequences for doing so. We’re going to face people (many times ourselves) acting rashly from time to time – and how we deal with those situations makes a lot of difference for how relationships survive in the end.

Joshua 22 (NKJV)
1 Then Joshua called the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh, 2 and said to them: “You have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you. 3 You have not left your brethren these many days, up to this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your God. 4 And now the LORD your God has given rest to your brethren, as He promised them; now therefore, return and go to your tents and to the land of your possession, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave you on the other side of the Jordan. 5 But take careful heed to do the commandment and the law which Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, to keep His commandments, to hold fast to Him, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul.”

A. The Transjordan tribes kept their part of the agreement. They had left their wives & children & livestock on the other side of the river & for (probably) 5 long years had fought the conquest battles under Joshua. Now the job was complete & Joshua judged them faithful to their word & send them home with commendations.

B. Joshua sends them off with a charge – to “do the commandment and the law” of God. This included 3 basic elements: (1) to love God, (2) to obey God, (3) to serve God
__a. Love God: This is foundational! To serve God without loving Him is meaningless & to obey God without loving Him is to not obey Him at all. The 1st & greatest commandment is what they had already heard from Moses – Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (4) “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one! (5) You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. [] If they (or we) don’t get that one right, nothing else matters.
__b. Obey God: How is our love of God expressed? Through our obedience of His commandments. Samuel told Saul that to obey was better than sacrifice () & Jesus affirmed the same – 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.” [] (Is this works-righteousness? No – when we love the Lord Jesus Christ & trust Him for salvation, it will be evident by the way we live.)
__c. Serve God: What’s the outward result of our loving obedience to God? Our wholehearted service to Him. We can’t help but worship Him or minister to His people or share the gospel with the lost. It’s just a natural outworking.

C. All in all, it doesn’t sound like much does it? Even this requires the grace of Jesus Christ. Who among us can claim that we loved the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, & strength today? We’ve all failed in some way – but praise God that there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Rom 8:1). As we continue to walk with Christ, He continues to set us apart and transform us by the renewing of our mind (Rom 12:2) so that we love God more, obey God better, and serve God more passionately every day.
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6 So Joshua blessed them and sent them away, and they went to their tents. 7 Now to half the tribe of Manasseh Moses had given a possession in Bashan, but to the other half of it Joshua gave a possession among their brethren on this side of the Jordan, westward. And indeed, when Joshua sent them away to their tents, he blessed them, 8 and spoke to them, saying, “Return with much riches to your tents, with very much livestock, with silver, with gold, with bronze, with iron, and with very much clothing. Divide the spoil of your enemies with your brethren.” 9 So the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh returned, and departed from the children of Israel at Shiloh, which is in the land of Canaan, to go to the country of Gilead, to the land of their possession, which they had obtained according to the word of the LORD by the hand of Moses.

A. Sent them away with their share of the spoil…and they had a lot! They conquered a lot of nations & they had much to take back to their families & men who were not able to go to war. They went home with Joshua’s blessing.
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10 And when they came to the region of the Jordan which is in the land of Canaan, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh built an altar there by the Jordan—a great, impressive altar.

A. Most likely, the altar was a huge pile of rocks in the middle of a desolate area by the Jordan. Too big to be practically used for sacrifice, but big enough to be seen from a distance – which the 2½ tribes will explain later on.

B. Keep in mind that although Israel had built various altars at different times, after Mt Sinai, it was always at the command of God. As a general rule, they already had an altar: the tabernacle & it was commanded by God to be the only altar they used. Deuteronomy 12:13-14 (13) Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see; (14) but in the place which the Lord chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you. [] Did the Lord choose this place for an altar? No…there’s no record of the Transjordan tribes consulting Him at all. They’re setting the stage for a gross miscommunication.
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11 Now the children of Israel heard someone say, “Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan—on the children of Israel’s side.” 12 And when the children of Israel heard of it, the whole congregation of the children of Israel gathered together at Shiloh to go to war against them.

A. Built on the Canaan side of the river…interesting placement. The 2½ tribes wanted to make sure the other tribes saw their altar. It’s too obvious at this point to miss.

B. Is this response too harsh? No…they were responding to a potential act of apostasy, which would have spelled doom for the nation according to the covenant they had just renewed at Mt. Ebal & Gerizim (Joshua 8). Breaking the covenant meant curse after curse falling upon the whole nation of Israel (outlined in Deut 27-28) & Israel wants to do everything in its power to ensure these curses won’t befall them.
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13 Then the children of Israel sent Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, into the land of Gilead, 14 and with him ten rulers, one ruler each from the chief house of every tribe of Israel; and each one was the head of the house of his father among the divisions of Israel. 15 Then they came to the children of Reuben, to the children of Gad, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, to the land of Gilead, and they spoke with them, saying, 16 “Thus says the whole congregation of the LORD: ‘What treachery is this that you have committed against the God of Israel, to turn away this day from following the LORD, in that you have built for yourselves an altar, that you might rebel this day against the LORD?

A. Recall Phinehas had a well-proven record for being zealous for the Lord. In Numbers 25, when Israel was committing harlotry with the Moabite women (as a result of Balaam’s advice to Balak), Phinehas had run a man & woman through with a javelin who were fornicating right in front of the tabernacle. By doing so, he put an end to a plague that killed 24,000 people & guaranteed the priesthood to his lineage. Phinehas was right man to send to investigate the possible apostasy. They also sent 10 other rulers (one from each tribe) to go with him in questioning the Transjordan tribes. IOW, they’re doing everything they can to find out the truth before resorting to battle.

B. How would building an altar for the Lord be an act of treachery or rebellion against the Lord? Because it’s not coming to God on His terms. Deut 12 makes it absolutely clear that Israel cannot pick & choose where to worship God. God tells them where to worship & they go where God says to go. If the Transjordan tribes were picking their own place of worship, they would in essence be telling God, “We’re in charge now,” – an act of rebellion against their King.
__a. Because of our sin, we cannot approach God; God has to approach us. And that’s exactly what happened through the Incarnation of Christ & why Jesus is the only way… We have to come to God on His terms; not ours. And praise God that He even gives us a way to approach Him!

C. Some argue that the 10½ tribes are jumping to conclusions & making a rash judgment. Possibly…but if that were the case, would they have even spoken to the Transjordan tribes before attacking? It seems that they really did want to hear the other side of the story, but they were prepared for the worst & ready to take a stand for holiness if necessary.
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17 Is the iniquity of Peor not enough for us, from which we are not cleansed till this day, although there was a plague in the congregation of the LORD, 18 but that you must turn away this day from following the LORD? And it shall be, if you rebel today against the LORD, that tomorrow He will be angry with the whole congregation of Israel.

A. Israel’s response? 1st, they remind the Transjordan tribes of their history. They had experienced the discipline of the Lord at Peor (Numb 25). Again, 24000 people died because of sin – specifically because the Moabite women enticed the men of Israel to bow down to false gods. Phinehas & the others surely remembered the day like it was yesterday. They knew the holiness & power of God – not only had they seen it demonstrated with the people of the land they just conquered, but they had experienced it 1st hand themselves.

B. 2nd, they remind the Transjordan tribes of the consequences. God would be angry not just with the east side of the river, but with all of them. They were all one people (as ironically, the altar was built to demonstrate) & thus they would all share in one punishment from the Lord. They had been brought into the land together & they would be taken out from the land together as well – the covenant they reaffirmed makes this perfectly clear in Deut 28.
__i. Historically speaking, it proved absolutely true. The Northern & Southern Kingdoms may have been taken captive at different times by different nations, but they were all eventually taken captive.
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19 Nevertheless, if the land of your possession is unclean, then cross over to the land of the possession of the LORD, where the LORD’s tabernacle stands, and take possession among us; but do not rebel against the LORD, nor rebel against us, by building yourselves an altar besides the altar of the LORD our God.

A. 3rd, they offer a loving & God-honoring solution to the Transjordan tribes. (My favorite part!) The 9½ tribes of Israel were willing to sacrifice a part of their own lands to allow the Transjordan tribes to come in. That had been God’s plan from the beginning, and they were more than willing to see it take place. Their desire wasn’t to simply impose legalism upon the Transjordan tribes; they simply wanted the best for their brothers in the Lord.

B. It’s tough to appreciate how good this is until you’ve been the recipient of such an offer. I have in the past – and as I look back, I can see how that person truly cared for me & my walk with the Lord…
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20 Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? And that man did not perish alone in his iniquity.’ ”

A. 4th, they end with one more personal historical example. More recently than the plague in Peor, they all remembered the act of judgment inflicted upon Achan after he kept some of the devoted items from Jericho (Josh 7). Achan perished with his whole family & livestock.
__a. Those who continually try to claim, “My sin only affects me…it’s victimless” are fooling themselves. Sin always affects other people. Our children naturally know how to sin from the womb (ask any mother of a newborn), but they learn the nuances of the gig from watching us. Our spouses are affected by our sin – even if they aren’t aware of it, because it does something to us & now there’s something we don’t feel we can confess to the person God made us one with. Sin always affects other people.
__b. The best way of dealing with sin? Confession. Confess to God & receive His forgiveness (1 John 1:9) & confess to one another in restoration when needed. The worst possible thing we can do with sin is try to cover it up. Why? Because sin kills (Rom 6:23). Just because we don’t experience immediate consequences doesn’t mean we won’t experience any consequences. If you’re in Christ, you are not condemned; so confess it & be done with it!

B. This gives us a great example about confronting one another regarding sin. It is doubtless a tough thing to do & many people avoid it completely… But if we truly care about our brothers & sisters in Christ, we need to come alongside them & help them understand their need for repentance if they are in sin. Galatians 6:1-2 (1) Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. (2) Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. [] This is exactly what the 9½ tribes were trying to do…
__a. We remind them of their history – what Christ saved them from…
__b. We remind them of the consequences of their action. Both practical & spiritual (broken fellowship)..
__c. We offer them Biblical counsel & solutions…
__d. Want to sum it up? Take them back to Jesus & His word. Where we run into problems in this area is when we keep the focus on ‘us’ & what ‘we’ think is right versus what the Bible actually has to say on the matter. If Christ doesn’t condemn them, neither should we. We ought to just point out the matter in love, address it according to the Scriptures, and help them bear the burden.
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21 Then the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh answered and said to the heads of the divisions of Israel: 22 “The LORD God of gods, the LORD God of gods, He knows, and let Israel itself know—if it is in rebellion, or if in treachery against the LORD, do not save us this day. 23 If we have built ourselves an altar to turn from following the LORD, or if to offer on it burnt offerings or grain offerings, or if to offer peace offerings on it, let the LORD Himself require an account. 24 But in fact we have done it for fear, for a reason, saying, ‘In time to come your descendants may speak to our descendants, saying, “What have you to do with the LORD God of Israel?

A. Note the repetition of the Lord’s name in vs. 22. Actually saying 3 different names for God twice. Yahweh – El – Elohim… Basically saying in the strongest possible terms that they are telling the truth & are swearing so by the God of their Covenant & of the Universe.

B. Claim they did not build the altar for sacrifice, but for a specific reason: they were afraid that the 9½ tribes would keep them from worshipping God. [] Should any action we perform be motivated out of fear? (Other than the fear of the Lord) No. When we act out of panic or irrational fear, we’re very rarely going to make the right decision. [drowning people push lifesavers under water]. That’s basically what the Transjordan tribes did here – they panicked about a situation that hadn’t ever come to pass & instead of talking to anyone about it (much less the Lord), they decided to build a big altar & almost went to war over it.
__a. Keep in mind that God hasn’t given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love, and a sound mind (2 Tim 1:7). The 1st thing we ought to do when afraid is pray! Once God grants us the peace that passes understanding (Phil 4:7), then we’re in a much better place to make a decision.
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25 For the LORD has made the Jordan a border between you and us, you children of Reuben and children of Gad. You have no part in the LORD.” So your descendants would make our descendants cease fearing the LORD.’

A. This is blatantly untrue. The Lord wasn’t the one who made the Jordan river a barrier; this was the choice of the Transjordan tribes alone…

B. Again, they were afraid that in time, they would no longer be allowed to come & worship the Lord. Ultimately, it wouldn’t be the western tribes that kept the Transjordan tribes from worshipping the Lord; it was their own lack of faith. By settling on the east side of the Jordan, they left themselves without the protection of the river & they were the first tribes to go into captivity & be absorbed into other nations.
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26 Therefore we said, ‘Let us now prepare to build ourselves an altar, not for burnt offering nor for sacrifice, 27 but that it may be a witness between you and us and our generations after us, that we may perform the service of the LORD before Him with our burnt offerings, with our sacrifices, and with our peace offerings; that your descendants may not say to our descendants in time to come, “You have no part in the LORD.” ’ 28 Therefore we said that it will be, when they say this to us or to our generations in time to come, that we may say, ‘Here is the replica of the altar of the LORD which our fathers made, though not for burnt offerings nor for sacrifices; but it is a witness between you and us.’ 29 Far be it from us that we should rebel against the LORD, and turn from following the LORD this day, to build an altar for burnt offerings, for grain offerings, or for sacrifices, besides the altar of the LORD our God which is before His tabernacle.”

A. To them, the altar wasn’t an act of rebellion, but an act of prevention. But their attempt to prevent a problem had only caused a different one. Had the Transjordan tribes bothered to consult the Lord on the matter? No. They simply determined this for themselves (vs. 26)…
__i. So many troubles could be avoided if we only bothered to take the time to seek the Lord! God has given us His Scripture which is sufficient to thoroughly equip us for every good work (2 Tim 3:17) – He’s promised to give wisdom to those who ask in faith (James 1:5) – the Holy Spirit & Jesus are constantly interceding for us (Rom 8:26-27). Why wouldn’t we seek God on the matter?

B. What’s good about this is that they had no intention of rebelling against the Lord. What’s sad about this is that it was necessary at all. If they had simply followed the Lord originally to the other side of the river with the other tribes, there would have been no need for a pretend memorial-altar.
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30 Now when Phinehas the priest and the rulers of the congregation, the heads of the divisions of Israel who were with him, heard the words that the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh spoke, it pleased them. 31 Then Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest said to the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and the children of Manasseh, “This day we perceive that the LORD is among us, because you have not committed this treachery against the LORD. Now you have delivered the children of Israel out of the hand of the LORD.”

A. Phinehas & the others accepted the explanation & didn’t pursue it further…

B. Question: was this the right decision by Phinehas & the rulers? The Transjordan tribes may not have built the altar out of rebellion, but it certainly ought not to have been built. The reality is that short of outright sin & mal intent, there really wasn’t another option for Phinehas to take. To say that the explanation “pleased” the rulers really only implies that it satisfied their questioning. The Transjordan tribes hadn’t built it in rebellion, and that was enough. Were they glad? Yes – no bloodshed needed to take place…they were certainly overjoyed not to have to take up arms against their brothers.

C. Is it significant that Joshua wasn’t there? Being a type/foreshadowing of Jesus… According to vs. 13, it doesn’t seem like the tribal leaders even consulted him. It would only be conjecture (and speaking from silence) to try to imagine how Joshua would have responded, but this resolution does seem rather like unfulfilling – like a lose-lose compromise, rather than a true God-honoring solution. Generally speaking, when we do things without consulting the Lord, that tends to be the result…
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32 And Phinehas the son of Eleazar the priest, and the rulers, returned from the children of Reuben and the children of Gad, from the land of Gilead to the land of Canaan, to the children of Israel, and brought back word to them. 33 So the thing pleased the children of Israel, and the children of Israel blessed God; they spoke no more of going against them in battle, to destroy the land where the children of Reuben and Gad dwelt. 34 The children of Reuben and the children of Gad called the altar, Witness, “For it is a witness between us that the LORD is God.”

A. Recap – war is averted, etc…

B. They used the altar as a witness between them that they both worshipped the same Lord – but was it necessary? No. They already had a witness – the written covenant of the Law. The 5 books of Moses were a testimony to all 12 tribes of their faith in the same God & in fact already declared how Moses allowed the 2½ tribes to settle on the east side of the Jordan. In addition, they already had a witness memorial at Gilgal when the whole nation had crossed the Jordan the 1st time (Joshua 4). In the end, this is a man-made replacement for what God had already done. (Unger), “How desperately the Lord’s people who are one in their position before God need to exemplify that unity before men in a genuine testimony of its power – not a man-made monument, but the outshining of genuine faith in God’s Word exemplifying spiritual vitality from within the heart.”
__a. We find our unity in Christ & His word! Not around an altar of man, but around the Cross…

Conclusion:
It probably wouldn’t be too difficult for any of us to look over this chapter & see ourselves on both sides. There have been times when I’ve been the one to try to lovingly confront sin & there have been other times when I’ve been the one making irrational choices needing to be confronted. And there have been times when I’ve messed up on both counts! The good thing is that we serve a gracious & forgiving God Who helps us when we fail…and hopefully the next time we encounter the same situation we do so by relying on Christ & trusting His promises in the Scriptures.

In the end, that’s where the Transjordan tribes ran into trouble. No sooner had they been charged by Joshua to love God, obey God, and serve God, they forgot what God had said about false altars & built their attempt at a monument of witness. If they had simply trusted God & His provision, they wouldn’t have needed to worry about how the other tribes would have treated them in the years to come.

May we be people who trust the Lord Jesus Christ in every occasion! Whether it be in our fears – or whether it be in our loving confrontations with one another. We may not be ready to take up swords & pitchforks against one another, but too often relationships are damaged because we proceeded in our flesh rather than in the Lord.

Jesus is Better

Hebrews 1:1-3, “Jesus is Better”
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Introduction:
Is anything better than Jesus? The answer should be obvious – but if it were, the book of Hebrews would never have been written. The sad fact is that throughout the history of Christianity, people have repeatedly tried to find ways to replace the simple message of salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. Paul constantly struggled against the Judaizers, and the NT isn’t even complete yet by the time the Lord Jesus chastises Ephesus & Pergamos for holding to the doctrine & deeds of the Nicolaitans (legalistic group)… That’s the way it’s always been – legalism constantly drives it’s way into the church & no longer do people believe the simple gospel of grace through faith in Jesus Christ, but make it Jesus+baptism, or Jesus+church membership, or Jesus+… But the simple gospel message is that salvation is found in Jesus + nothing!

This particular letter was written to a group of Hebrew Christians, who were struggling with this at the time. Probably outside of Judea, but there were many Jewish communities (as seen through Paul’s missionary journeys) & apparently some were being swayed to turning away from the finished work of Christ back to the Jewish sacrificial system…likely as a result of the continuing influence of Judaizers… Again, this tendency still exists today. Many churches put more emphasis on the Jewish feast days than on the gospel – instead of looking towards the substance (which is Christ), they adopt every Jewish custom they can & keep their focus on the type (the stuff that was supposed to point to Christ in the 1st place).

Who wrote it? Like many things about the book, that’s a subject of a lot of debate! Many believe it has the fingerprints of Paul – and there are some good arguments both for & against him as the author. The subject matter is completely Pauline – and who better to write against Hebrew apostasy than a converted Pharisee? The problem? It doesn’t read like Paul. His normal introduction is missing completely & whereas Paul generally refers to personal examples & appeals, there are none in the book. In addition, the author implies that he may not have been an eyewitness of Christ (Heb 2:3, salvation was spoken by the Lord, “and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”)…obviously Paul had heard the Lord Jesus on many occasions. None of this necessarily precludes Paul from being the author – but it’s not near as likely as Romans, Philippians, etc.

If not Paul, then who? People have suggested Barnabas, Apollos, Luke, and others…some (D. Wallace) even suggest a dual authorship – perhaps a joint effort between Barnabas & Apollos. The two things we know for certain is that it was a man (masculine pronouns in Greek) & it was written prior to the destruction of the temple in 70AD. Whoever wrote it, it’s obvious that the church universally accepted it as apostolic & that it’s teaching was completely complementary to the rest of the New Testament.

So why only 3 verses? Because there’s a lot in these 3 verses! The prologue to Hebrews sets up the entire argument for the rest of the epistle…which is simply: Jesus is better because Jesus is God. The writer is going to compare Jesus to the angels, to Moses, to Aaron, and to the sacrifices – and throughout all of it, he’s going to show that Jesus is better than all of them. (Mo’ Better…) This argument is going to be explored, nuanced & applied through 10 chapters – and he kicks it off with a bang in Ch 1.

Fair warning: there’s a ton of theology here & some pretty deep concepts about Christ & even His role within the Trinity. Why is this important for us to know? Too many Christians are glad for their salvation, but don’t take time to understand Who it is that saved them. God forbid that we would receive Christ with a wink & a nod & tell Him we’ll talk to Him again in heaven! God takes the time to reveal Jesus to us (Who Himself is the revelation of God), so we ought to take time to soak that in. Turn on your minds today in order to worship God in Spirit and truth, and let God’s word speak to you in such a way that your worship and gratefulness of Christ may be magnified & increased…that you would be left in awe of your Savior.

Hebrews 1:1-3 (NKJV)
1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets,

A. In a sense, Hebrews begins much like the Bible does. God spoke… The fact that God speaks at all is incredible. God is in no way obligated to interact with His creation – He could have easily have set things up like a clockmaker winding a watch & sat back to watch the show (much like the Deists proclaim). But our God (the one true God) has never passively watched His creation – He’s always interacted with it, speaking to mankind. Even if nothing else was given us except one single word from God, what a gift of grace that would be!

B. Obviously He’s given us much more than a single word! God spoke “at various times and in various ways”… This is the emphasis of the verse & actually how the Greek begins (“God” comes in the middle of the verse). What “ways” is the author referring to? Of course the heavens declare the glory of God – but that’s not really the idea. Referring to specific revelation here. God left more than clues about His existence, purpose, and gospel – He interacted very specifically with His people. With Adam, Jesus spoke & walked with him in the cool of the day… With Noah, God told him to build the ark… With Abraham, God appeared in visions & personal appearances, proclaiming His covenant & giving Abraham the promise of a son… With Moses, God spoke through the burning bush & gave him inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write the 1st 5 books of the Bible… Throughout history & through many various, creative ways, God gave specific revelation to His people.

C. Who did God speak to? “The fathers by the prophets” – all of these examples & more were spoken to directly by God. Sometimes the forefathers & prophets were spoken to directly (i.e. Isaiah 6), sometimes God used prophets to speak to them (David & Nathan), other times God simply spoke through the Scriptures.
__a. Note here that the author specifically narrows the revelation down to the Hebrew faith… God does give general revelation to the world (as demonstrated in Romans 1-2), but God chose a specific people to give specific revelation to in order to demonstrate His loving grace. Why focus on one group of people? Because ultimately salvation comes down to one specific Person: Christ Jesus. The gentile nations were not to look to their own gods & religious systems to find salvation – they were supposed to look to Israel b/c the Messiah of Israel is a light to the nations (Isa 49:6).

D. So what? The author’s setting up how the revelation of God was given in the past in comparison with how the revelation of God is given right now. We know that God continually reveals Himself to His creation – how has He chosen to do it in this particular time?
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2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds;

A. Does the church have Scripture and prophets? Sure…but now we have a specific revelation of God showing us to Whom all the Scripture & prophets pointed to: the Son of God. Jesus IS the revelation of God. The author is going to come back to all of these arguments in depth, but here’s the 1st area in which Jesus is better (or superior) to the Old Covenant: His revelation of God is superior to the prophet’s revelation of God. Why? Because He’s the real thing; not a picture. John 1:17-18 (17) For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. (18) No one has seen God at any time. The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him. [] Did Moses only reveal the law of God & never the grace of God? Of course not – we see many examples of the grace of God both in the law & through Moses’ example of intercession for the people… But the grace that was hinted at before is fully revealed in Christ Jesus – Moses merely set the stage for Jesus. The Son is the very declaration of God because He is God.
__a. As the declaration & revelation of God to man, Jesus is infinitely complex – but through the rest of vs 2-3, the author looks at 7 characteristics of Christ.

B. 1st, Jesus is the “heir of all things”: On one hand, this should be obvious to us since Jesus is the Son of God. Why wouldn’t He be the heir of all things? But the fact that He has been “appointed” the heir shows how the inheritance of Christ is wrapped up with the work of Christ. After Jesus rose from the dead, He proclaimed “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt 28:18)…not that Jesus had no authority prior to the crucifixion & resurrection (the wind & seas obeyed Him), but whatever authority the devil had been allowed as the “ruler of this world” (John 14:30) & the “prince of the power of the air” (Eph 2:2) has been broken & reversed in Christ. Jesus is the original & rightful heir, but He’s also the appointed heir – He bought/redeemed His people back from death & slavery.

C. 2nd, Jesus is the Creator: Not only is Jesus the heir of all things, but He was the one who made all things to begin with. As the 2nd Person of the TriUne Godhead, the Son was present & active with the Father in Creation. God spoke & the world came into being – but even that act of speaking was an act of our Savior as Jesus is the Word of God. John 1:1-3 (1) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (2) He was in the beginning with God. (3) All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. [] What things were made without Jesus? Nothing! ALL things were made through Him.
__a. The activity of Christ in Creation alone ought to put every doubt about His equality with God the Father to rest. After all, what preceded God? Nothing. God has simply always been (hence His name, I AM). If Christ was in the beginning with God, then how could Christ be any less than God?
__b. Obviously, that’s the point of the author of Hebrews. For Christians to leave the gospel of Christ to go back to the law revealed through the prophets is complete nonsense. We’ve been invited into a glorious relationship & covenant with God HIMSELF. How could we possibly leave Him to go back to some mere picture approximating God? It’d be like us trying to have a relationship with a photograph rather than the person…the photograph’s only purpose is to remind us of the actual person; not the other way around.
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3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,

A. 3rd, Jesus is the brightness of the glory of God: Like a radiant sunbeam or ray of light, Jesus shines forth the glory of God. Jesus told us He is the light of the world (John 8:12) & we’re told in Revelation that there is no need of a sun because the Lamb is our light (Rev 21:23). The language here is pretty interesting because often the word “glory” is itself used to denote light or radiance…it’s as if the author is saying that Jesus Himself is the glory of God. The perfect expression of the majesty & honor of God is found in Jesus Christ.

B. 4th, Jesus is the “express image” of God: ESV has a great translation here, “the exact imprint…” Gk χαρακτήρ (character) = “exact reproduction.” This is the only time the word is used in the NT, and it originally referred to a tool that was used to scratch or mark – eventually the word usage developed into the image that was made (like pressing a seal into wax, or pressing an image onto a coin)…one would get the exact imprint of what was pressed upon it. In a sense, God the Father has “pressed Himself” upon Jesus Christ. There is no aspect about the character and nature of God the Father that God the Son is not. Jesus is truly the image of the invisible God (Col 1:15) & He said this explicitly to Philip – John 14:9-10 (9) Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known Me, Philip? He who has seen Me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? (10) Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. [] The point? What you see is what you get. God the Father has fully revealed Himself through the Son & if you want to get to the Father, you must do so through the Son. (John 14:6)
__a. “of His person”: literally, “of His substance.” This idea was the subject of much controversy in the 4th Century with Arius taking the position that Jesus was somehow less than God, & Athanasius taking the proper Biblical position that Jesus is of the same essence or substance as God the Father. The idea here is that Jesus is far more than a likeness or image of God; whatever substance makes up the infinite Creator God is the same substance that makes up the Son.
__b. Despite the protests of Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, etc., the Bible makes the absolute claim that Jesus is no less God than the Father is God. Jesus IS God. Granted, each part of the Godhead has His own Person & function, but let there be no doubt that all 3 Persons make up 1 God.

C. 5th, Jesus upholds creation by His word: Don’t get the wrong idea here – it’s not that Jesus is like the mythological Atlas who literally held the world on his shoulders. Instead, creation is sustained by the Person of Jesus. As Paul told the Aeropagus council in Athens, “in Him we live and move and have our being.” (Acts 17:28) Put this together with vs 2 & Jesus not only created the world, but He sustains it by His sheer will & “word of his power.”
__a. As much as Warner Sallman’s “Portrait of Christ” has ministered to some, one of the potential problems that comes from it is that people think that Jesus was a frail man – gentle, but weak. That is not the Jesus of the Bible! He is a God of power! The universe generated out of nothingness at His command & one day will dissolve in the same way in a fervent heat (2 Pet 3). Is Jesus meek & mild? Sure – but He’s also omnipotent & mighty.

D. 6th, Jesus purged our sins: As wonderful as it is to consider the miracle of creation – for the individual Christian what’s more wonderful is to consider the miracle of salvation. Our sins were purged – we are purified in Christ Jesus. The word for “purged” often refers to ritual purification or washing & thus the writer of Hebrews sets up the argument that Jesus’ sacrifice is the superior sacrifice. The blood of bulls & goats can never take away sin (Heb 10:4), but Jesus’ work is truly sufficient for our purification.
__a. What’s striking here is that to this point, the author of Hebrews has been pointing out the various aspects of Jesus’ divinity – how He is the true revelation of God, the glory of God, the creator, the sustainer of creation, etc. But now we have this drastic turn from the inner workings of the eternal Godhead to this intimate interaction between God and His people. The entire reason Jesus was made incarnate & walked among us was so that our sins could be purged. He didn’t come to be a good teacher (though He is) – He didn’t come to give us new morals (though He did) – Jesus came solely to die & pay the penalty for our sin. The Creator loved His creation & offered Himself as a sacrifice to redeem us from death.
__b. In Christ Jesus, our sins are truly purged! We are purified & washed clean. Never forget that outside of Jesus, we were doomed for judgment because of our sin. Not only were we born in sin, but we willingly (and gladly) committed it. We engaged in the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eye, and the pride of life (1 John 2:16), and rebelled against our Creator God at every turn. Even those who believe they are ‘good’ people have to readily admit that they are not perfect & cannot claim they have committed no sin – and perfection is the standard… But Jesus makes us perfect! He washes us & cleanses us from the taint of sin. Where as once our best works were like bloody, filthy rags, now we are forgiven! [Listing off sin…] 1 Corinthians 6:11 And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God. []

E. 7th, Jesus sits in exultation: Where is Jesus today? He’s alive & at the right hand of God (the Majesty). Jesus died for our sins once & that was enough (not like the priests who continually had to offer sacrifices – Heb 10:1). He rose from the grave (proving His victory over sin & death & demonstrating without a shadow of a doubt that He is the Son of God), and ascended to Heaven where He sits at God’s right hand. What does this tell us?
__a. It’s the place of honor: Remember how James & John wanted to sit on the right & left hand of Jesus in the Kingdom? That was the place of exaltation & honor – and that’s the place Jesus has in the presence of God the Father. 1st Jesus came in humility, emptying Himself before God. Now in His victorious resurrection, He is blessed with honor & the most exalted position in the entire Universe. 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. [] Amen!
__b. It’s a place of rest: The work of our salvation is absolutely complete. For the Christian, there’s no more penalty that needs to be paid for sin – all the judgment and wrath that we deserved has already been placed upon Jesus & His all-sufficient sacrifice was all that was needed. There will be no further atoning for sin in the afterlife, because Jesus has already made the sufficient atonement. The reason He could declare from the cross “It is finished” is because it truly was.

Conclusion:
Jesus is absolutely superior to any other religious system available because Jesus is God! We don’t place our trust in self-proclaimed prophets who had supposed visions of angels. We don’t place our trust in one man’s interpretation of the Bible. We don’t place our trust in our own intellect, goodwill, giving, animal sacrifices, etc. All these things are faulty because they are all tainted by our own sin. Our only hope is to place our trust in God – Who definitively revealed Himself in Jesus Christ (and proved it through the resurrection). Jesus is: the heir of all things – the Creator of the world – the glory of God – the exact reproduction of God – the sustainer of Creation – the purification of our sins – & the honored victor over death & the devil. THAT is Who we can trust for salvation. There is no one more qualified & nothing better than Him – He is the very best, because He is God Almighty in the flesh.

Have you found yourself starting to trust in your own abilities again? Christians have a tendency to think that once we’re saved by grace, we can pull ourselves up by our bootstraps & live by works & hard effort. It may not be the Jewish rituals, but the idea is no different – we’re trying to go back to the way we did things before. Jesus is better! Jesus is better than all our efforts & His grace is sufficient for every situation we face. Don’t get me wrong; that doesn’t mean we don’t work & don’t strive in our walk with Christ (Paul pressed on to lay hold of that which Christ had laid hold of him – Phil 3:12). But we don’t work & strive in our own power; we do so in the power of the Holy Spirit. We reckon ourselves dead to our flesh & alive in God, and fully trust & rely on the grace of Jesus Christ to take us through life till we see Him face to face. So don’t go back to your old efforts; Jesus is better.

Keep in mind there’s always a 1st time for someone to trust the grace of Jesus Christ – at their moment of salvation. You might be here today & though you have always known of Jesus, you never truly understood that He is Almighty God who purges your sin. When Jesus died on the cross & rose again to new life, He paid the penalty for all your lies, lusting in the flesh, self-centeredness, hatreds, etc. ALL of humanity’s sin was placed upon Jesus & thus all of God’s wrath that we deserved was placed upon Him as well. The price has been paid, but you must receive the gift. Hell will be full of millions of people who knew OF Jesus, but didn’t know Jesus Himself. Don’t be one of them…

Sunday’s message

We were so blessed to have Pastor Ron Arbaugh from Calvary Chapel of San Antonio visiting with us last week. If you haven’t yet heard the message he shared, you should. Go to www.calvarytyler.com/3 to listen & be blessed.

…as we forgive our debtors…

Philemon 8-25, “…As We Forgive our Debtors”
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Introduction:
Say for a moment that you had 2 very good friends in Christ. One (before he came to Christ) severely hurt the other & that person had the legal right & expectation to prosecute the 1st person to the full extent of the law. What would you say? Would you get involved at all?

That’s what is going on in this little letter. Philemon was apparently a wealthy Christian in the Colossian area whose slave Onesimus had stolen from him & run away. Onesimus ended up in Rome & (providentially) encountered Paul in prison, who shared the gospel with him & he was saved. That could have been the end of the story, but Paul personally knew Philemon & understood that reconciliation needed to be made between the two men, so he sends Onesimus back with this letter asking for forgiveness on his behalf.

In vs 1-7, Paul laid the foundation for what he was about to ask & wrote very clearly how anything he was about to say was based in Christ & His agape love… [] In the rest of the letter, Paul actually lays out his request & in doing so, models the work of Jesus in intercession – in substitution – in justification – and in grace.

Beyond Paul’s Christ-like actions, what this all serves to underscore is the result of the work of the Lord Jesus in every believer. The core of Paul’s letter to Philemon is this: “The guy who once stole from you & betrayed you isn’t the same person anymore – he’s been changed by the same God who changed you & me.” We are all fundamentally different in Jesus Christ from what we once were (PTL!)…and if that’s not a reason for us to relate to one another in the Church differently from the world, not much is.

Philemon 12-25 (NKJV)
- The introduction…
8 Therefore, though I might be very bold in Christ to command you what is fitting, 9 yet for love’s sake I rather appeal to you—being such a one as Paul, the aged, and now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ—

A. This is not a command; it’s an appeal in love. As we saw in vs. 1, Paul did not approach Philemon as an apostle (which he had every right to do), but simply as a prisoner of Jesus…emphasizing their common ground as believers in Christ. It’s one thing to get begrudging obedience from a command; it’s quite another for someone to act because they want to – any parent can relate! [] Paul is coming in the agape love of Jesus & is asking Philemon to demonstrate the same towards his runaway slave…

B. Paul is a prisoner of Jesus; not of Rome. Likely around 60 years of age, Paul is sitting in a Roman prison awaiting trial & chained to a guard 24/7. Even though Rome is indeed persecuting him on behalf of the Jews for his missionary activity, he’s there for one reason only: the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ! …
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- vs. 10-14 – the request…
10 I appeal to you for my son Onesimus, whom I have begotten while in my chains, 11 who once was unprofitable to you, but now is profitable to you and to me.

A. Paul brought Onesimus to Christ… Greek actually holds off on mentioning him until the end of the sentence – attempting to soften the blow…

B. Appeal = παρακαλέω (parakaleō). Sometimes means to “comfort” – used of the Holy Spirit who comes alongside us (Paraclete). Primary Gk definition is “to call to/ beseech/plead.” Basically, Paul is pleading to Philemon on Onesimus’ behalf…he’s interceding for him. In doing so, he’s imitating a key ministry of Jesus & the Holy Spirit. The Spirit makes intercession for us in groanings that cannot be uttered (Rom 8:26) – Jesus makes intercession for us at the right hand of God (Rom 8:34) – Jesus always lives to make intercession to God for those whom He saved (Heb 7:25). Ever ask for a prayer partner? God Himself is praying for you…always! …
__a. All this puts praying for one another in a different light, doesn’t it? What a privilege it is to intercede on behalf of one another in Christ! When you pray for one another, you’re engaging in a holy ministry & participating alongside Jesus as He is praying… Never neglect the importance of prayer…

C. There’s a bit of a play on words here. “Onesimus” = “profitable”. Surely after Philemon got ripped off by a slave he paid a lot of money for, he didn’t think this servant was very profitable to him. But now as a helper to Paul, he was very profitable…and thus by extension, he was profitable to Philemon as a laborer in the Great Commission (and simply as a brother in Christ).
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12 I am sending him back. You therefore receive him, that is, my own heart, 13 whom I wished to keep with me, that on your behalf he might minister to me in my chains for the gospel.

A. What Paul is actually doing: “sending him back…” This was a dangerous thing to do for a runaway slave. Due to the prevalence of slaves in the Empire, the Romans took escape very seriously. Some were branded with an “F” on their forehead (for the Latin equivalent of ‘fugitive’) – others were killed – most were beaten severely. For Onesimus to show up on Philemon’s doorstep was a risky chance – but it’s one that had to be taken.

B. Paul had an obvious fondness for Onesimus…which he’s trying to make plain to Philemon. Basically saying, “Onesimus isn’t just any runaway slave. He’s my son in the Lord, your brother in Christ, and my heart is with him when he’s away.” Showing that Paul cared for both of them.

C. How could Onesimus minister to Paul on Philemon’s behalf? As Philemon’s servant, Onesimus would be serving Paul in Philemon’s place. With Paul in prison, he needed all the help he could get running errands, sending letters, etc. Philemon could serve Paul by allowing Onesimus to serve Paul. Underscores the idea that Onesimus truly was useful & profitable to Paul in the ministry & Paul was sacrificing (in a sense) by taking a chance on Philemon & sending Onesimus back to him.
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14 But without your consent I wanted to do nothing, that your good deed might not be by compulsion, as it were, but voluntary.

A. Paul could have kept Onesimus in Rome without Philemon ever knowing the difference… It would have been virtual freedom for Onesimus, and there would have never have been any ‘awkward’ moments or expectations for Philemon. … But Paul wanted to do the right thing the right way…

B. That’s Paul’s desire for Philemon, too! He doesn’t want Philemon to forgive Onesimus because Paul told him to do so; he wants Philemon to forgive him out of joy & compassion & love for the Lord Jesus… It’s doing the right thing the right way…

C. Do we do the same? There are a lot of actions & confrontations we could blast our way through, but although we may be doing something that is justified, our attitude or method could make all the difference in the world… [Moses’ error – Num 20] We need to remember that as Christians, we are always representing Christ…and that applies to us whether we’re around unbelievers or the Church.
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- The reason…
15 For perhaps he departed for a while for this purpose, that you might receive him forever, 16 no longer as a slave but more than a slave—a beloved brother, especially to me but how much more to you, both in the flesh and in the Lord.

A. Interesting contrasts here: “departed/received” – “a while/forever” – “slave/brother.” Everything is turned upside down in Christ! Onesimus had departed in sin & was to be received back in Christ. He had left for a while & now would be in fellowship with Philemon forever because of Christ. He was an earthly slave, but now a beloved spiritual brother in the Lord Jesus. Everything is different because of the work of Christ Jesus…He changes everything.
__a. Jesus makes us new creations! 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. [] Our spirit was dead, but now is born of the Holy Spirit – we have a new nature & new man – we’re freed from the slavery of sin – we have a new family, new body, and new inheritance…everything is new! We look back on those sins we committed outside of Christ & the price has been paid – what was once as red as scarlet is now white as snow (Isa 1:18).
__b. Does that mean we don’t face any consequences once we repent & are born again in Christ? No…the thief on the cross who trusted Jesus still died next to Him… Zaccheus still made restitution to those he took money from, once he put his faith in Christ… But those of us who are believers ought to be able to acknowledge the new creation of someone else (even one who has hurt us).

B. “for this purpose”: Did God make Onesimus sin? No! But God could use it for His glory & His gospel & to bring Onesimus to repentance & faith… [Joseph, slavery in Egypt… Gen 45:5]

C. Philemon had the right to receive Onesimus as a slave to be punished – but Onesimus was now infinitely more than a slave… (So are we in Christ! No longer slaves to sin…) Instead of looking at Onesimus as a lowly slave, he was to receive him as a brother… (Rupprecht) writing of all three, “Paul was once a rigorous Jew of the Dispersion who advanced in Judaism beyond all his contemporaries. Philemon was a wealthy Asiatic Gentile. Onesimus was the most despicable of all the creatures [ed. Of the time], a runaway slave. They find themselves united in the gospel of Christ. Here is a living example of Paul’s statement that ‘There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.’ (Gal 3:28)” Those previous divisions were done away with – and even if Philemon never gave Onesimus his freedom (which is unlikely), his future relationship with him was to be foundationally & profoundly different than it was before. Why? Because everything is new & different in Christ…
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- vs. 17-22 – the motivation…
17 If then you count me as a partner, receive him as you would me.

A. How would Philemon receive Paul? Certainly not as a slave awaiting punishment or execution! He’d receive Paul as an honored guest – and that’s exactly the intent. In essence, Paul’s giving Onesimus a similar status as Timothy or Titus – as his own representative. … Just one more example of how Onesimus is no longer the same person that fled Colosse – he’s to be received as a brother in Christ & partner in the gospel.

B. How do we receive those who have hurt us? Especially if they are truly in Christ, do we perceive them as an enemy – or a member of the family of God? Christians really have no place carrying grudges…it’s antithetical to the forgiveness we’ve received & the definition of love being longsuffering (1 Cor 13:4).
__a. Keep in mind that none of this means that repentance/contrition isn’t an essential step for the brother or sister in Christ who’s been the cause of the hurt. They (perhaps we, if the case fits) are under the obligation of Christ to go & make things right (leave your gift at the altar – Matt 5:23-24). But whether we’ve been wronged or we committed the wrong, we’re to do the right thing in the attitude of agape love…
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18 But if he has wronged you or owes anything, put that on my account. 19 I, Paul, am writing with my own hand. I will repay—not to mention to you that you owe me even your own self besides.

A. Paul’s basically giving Philemon a promissory note (IOU). He doesn’t come right out & say Onesimus had been a thief – but if he had, Paul was willing to pay for it himself. And considering his work in bringing Philemon to Christ, Paul’s credit was more than reputable (and his account sufficient).

B. Very reminiscent of 2 core theological doctrines about Jesus: “Imputed righteousness” & “substitutionary atonement” – which are just 2 fancy ways of describing how Christ forgives us before God.
__a. “Imputed righteousness”: If our lives were to be put up as a giant checkbook or accounting spreadsheet before God, then outside of Christ our bank account of righteousness is zero…and worse, our account of sin is off the charts. But when we repent & trust Christ for forgiveness of sin, He takes the sin from our account (wiping it clean) & imputes to us His righteousness (Rom 4:24). As we justify our checkbooks to make the numbers add up, He justifies us by declaring us righteous in Him. This is what Paul’s doing for Onesimus by saying, “I will repay – it’s on my account.” Note Onesimus can’t do anything here – it’s the testimony & declaration of Paul that’s going to make the difference. Same with us & Christ – it’s not our work, but completely His, which He imputes to us.
__b. “Substitutionary Atonement”: By placing himself in front of Onesimus in order to receive the consequences the former slave deserved, Paul also models how Jesus stepped in on our behalf & became our substitution at the cross. We ought to have received the wrath of God because of our sin, but as Isaiah prophesied about Christ, the Lord laid on Him the iniquity of us all (Isa 53:6). Jesus took our punishment in our place – not because He deserved any, but because we did. 2 Corinthians 5:21 For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. []
__c. Have you thanked God for the work of Christ on your behalf today? That’s one reason we worship! We don’t sing songs to see how good we can sound – we sing out of overflowing gratefulness to God & because He’s so worthy of worship…

C. Is Paul laying a guilt trip upon Philemon here? Certainly could seem that way. I.e…“I won’t mention the fact that you wouldn’t be saved if it weren’t for me, and how that should cover anything I might ask. I could mention it, but I won’t…”  Although it’s difficult to say for certain, I suggest Paul is not going for guilt so much as gratefulness. True, Paul’s missionary efforts were the means behind Philemon’s salvation, but beyond the means – Philemon has been saved. He himself had been forgiven much from God, and thus the relatively minor offenses from Onesimus ought to be forgiven in sheer gratefulness to God. [Peter’s question on forgiveness & the parable of the unforgiving servant…] Matthew 18:32-33 (32) Then his master, after he had called him, said to him, ‘You wicked servant! I forgave you all that debt because you begged me. (33) Should you not also have had compassion on your fellow servant, just as I had pity on you?’ [] We have been forgiven of much! Who among us did not rebel against God Almighty in worship or attitude – or use the lips He gave us to spout lies or blasphemies – or despise His goodness in order to covet everything but Him? We deserved God’s complete and utter wrath, poured out on us for all eternity because we had sinned against our infinite Creator God. As Paul told the Corinthians, we were unrighteous: idolators, fornicators, thieves, covetous, & more – but that’s all past tense in Christ! Now we are washed, sanctified, and justified by the name of the Lord Jesus & the Holy Spirit (1 Cor 6:9-11). How so? Not because of any action of our own, but because Almighty God forgave us because of the work of Jesus Christ… How could we possibly conceive of withholding forgiveness from anyone else? Our gratefulness to God compels us to forgive!

D. God takes our forgiveness of others very seriously! Lord’s prayer… (forgive our debts as we forgive…) Mark 11:25-26 (25) “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. (26) But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses.” [] We mentioned grudges earlier…this is the result of grudges in the lives of Christians. Our fellowship with God is interrupted – and although we may not totally understand how this all works, we can be assured that what Jesus is referring to here is not good.
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20 Yes, brother, let me have joy from you in the Lord; refresh my heart in the Lord.

A. Why would Paul rejoice? Because of the maturity, forgiveness, grace, love, etc. modeled by people within his care…
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21 Having confidence in your obedience, I write to you, knowing that you will do even more than I say.

A. This combined with vs 16-17 (receive him as more than a slave & as you would me) are strong hints that Paul desired Philemon to not only forgive Onesimus his debts, but to grant him his freedom (manumission). Paul’s being very tactful in the way that he asks, but it’s obvious that this is really what he’s asking.

B. Why didn’t Paul address this directly? Nowhere in the NT is slavery condoned or recommended – but at the same time, there’s no direct statement calling for its end. Why? Some scholars estimate that up to half of the Roman Empire was composed of slaves. For Christianity to be viewed as a direct threat to the practice would have been a fatal stumbling block for most people to even hear the gospel at all. At the same time, there’s no mistaking the fact that Christianity laid the seeds for the abolition movement & the eradication of legal slavery in the western world owes a debt to the gospel.
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22 But, meanwhile, also prepare a guest room for me, for I trust that through your prayers I shall be granted to you.

A. Paul’s planning on coming too… Philemon can’t ignore the request or sweep it under the rug. He has to either grant it or deny it & then take responsibility for his decision…
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23 Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, greets you, 24 as do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, Luke, my fellow laborers. 25 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

A. Grace from Jesus to help demonstrate the grace of Jesus…

Conclusion:
It may be a little letter, but it’s a powerful one! Forgiveness of those who have hurt us isn’t easy (the difficulty generally increases with the extent of pain), but it is necessary. Philemon had every right in the world to be angry with Onesimus & had a legal right to punish him severely. It’s doubtful that a single person in Colosse would have batted an eye if Onesimus had been beaten, whipped, or worse. But the way we live our lives as believers in Christ has little to do with what our culture deems right or wrong & everything to do with what God has done for us through Jesus – and what He expects us to do as believers.

Why should Philemon forgive Onesimus?
A. Because Onesimus was now a brother in the Lord Jesus & not just a slave. He was a completely new creation in Christ. As is every believer…
B. Because Paul was interceding for him, substituting himself in Onesimus’ place & offered to take on Onesimus’ accounts. Just like Jesus does for us…
C. Because Philemon himself had been forgiven & been granted everlasting life. And because he had been forgiven much, he also needed to forgive others… As do we…

Is there someone you need to forgive? It’s easy for us to nurse grudges & rehearse past hurts every time certain people walk up to us… But Christians of all people ought to be forgiving people. Don’t put off forgiveness – every day you do you’re interrupting the full fellowship you could be having with the Lord.

Is there something you need to make restitution for? Or someone you need to seek forgiveness from? Don’t put this off either. As Jesus said, we ought to leave our gift at the altar & 1st be reconciled to our brother, and THEN come back & offer our gift. Maybe there’s someone here you need to seek out…

Most importantly – do you need to seek the forgiveness of God? The wonderful work of imputed righteousness & substitutionary atonement is only applied to those who trust Christ for forgiveness of sins – to only those who have been born again. If that’s not you, then you have absolutely no access to the forgiveness of God – your accounts are overflowing with sin (due to past thoughts & actions & rebellion against God) – and you are to face the wrath of God on your own. But this is the gospel: God loved the world so much that He sent Jesus to die on your behalf, take your punishment & rise again to new life, offering you forgiveness. But you must respond to His offer of grace.

Finish the Job

Joshua 13-19, “Finish the Job”
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Joshua 13 (NKJV)
1 Now Joshua was old, advanced in years. And the LORD said to him: “You are old, advanced in years, and there remains very much land yet to be possessed.

A. How old was he? Somewhere between 90-100 yrs old. Keep in mind he was one of the original Israelites to leave Egypt. He had been with Moses throughout the 40 years in the wilderness. And now he has gone through the days of the conquest…

B. But that didn’t mean Israel was through! One of the most amazing phrases uttered by Jesus at the cross was “It is finished!” (glorious!… ) The price was completely paid for sin – but that doesn’t mean it’s been put out of existence. The penalty is taken care of, but we still deal with the presence & temptation of sin every day. For Christians, we are enjoying our rest in the land of salvation – but until we see Christ face-to-face, there “remains very much land yet to be possessed.” We never get so mature in our walk that we don’t stop fighting against sin…never stop!
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2 This is the land that yet remains: all the territory of the Philistines and all that of the Geshurites, 3 from Sihor, which is east of Egypt, as far as the border of Ekron northward (which is counted as Canaanite); the five lords of the Philistines—the Gazites, the Ashdodites, the Ashkelonites, the Gittites, and the Ekronites; also the Avites; 4 from the south, all the land of the Canaanites, and Mearah that belongs to the Sidonians as far as Aphek, to the border of the Amorites; 5 the land of the Gebalites, and all Lebanon, toward the sunrise, from Baal Gad below Mount Hermon as far as the entrance to Hamath; 6 all the inhabitants of the mountains from Lebanon as far as the Brook Misrephoth, and all the Sidonians—them I will drive out from before the children of Israel; only divide it by lot to Israel as an inheritance, as I have commanded you. 7 Now therefore, divide this land as an inheritance to the nine tribes and half the tribe of Manasseh.”

A. God outlines the land still to be taken by the individual tribes. In the process, God also appoints out the land to the people – not unlike how God appoints the believer’s gifts & ministry…

B. Next several chapters are going to deal with the division of the land. Going to get into some pretty deep detail (which we’re not going to read every name). Why the detail? Is it really all that important? It was to the tribes who were moving into the land! They needed to know where they were supposed to go & what they were expected to do. No one had ever been down this path in the past & God in His grace let them know very specifics about the inheritance He was giving them.

C. This was the land God had ordained for them. Their responsibility was to simply act on the promises of God & take it… That’s no different from us. Our salvation is completely won in Christ – and the Holy Spirit empowers us to walk as His witnesses & disciples. But if we’re going to walk, we still need to put one foot in front of the other… God doesn’t give us His word & His promises so that we can read it & just close the book. He gives us His word so that we would act upon it!
__a. What promises of God have we not trusted? What commands of God have we not obeyed? This isn’t a matter of legalism; it’s a matter of lordship. Do we truly trust Jesus as our LORD & Savior? If so, we need to put our faith into action! James 2:18-19 (18) But someone will say, “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. (19) You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble! []

Vs. 8-12: Summary of Trans-Jordan borders…

13 Nevertheless the children of Israel did not drive out the Geshurites or the Maachathites, but the Geshurites and the Maachathites dwell among the Israelites until this day.

A. Job was incomplete…get used to seeing this among the various tribes. They were given the land by God – the conquest had been delivered to them through Joshua – but they were content to live with & compromises with sin & sinful people. It’s going to plague them with troubles throughout Judges & the early Kingdom.
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14 Only to the tribe of Levi he had given no inheritance; the sacrifices of the LORD God of Israel made by fire are their inheritance, as He said to them.

A. They had the best inheritance of all: the LORD God! Physical blessing was minor compared to the spiritual blessing they received from serving God in the Tabernacle.

B. The church today could in many ways be compared to the Levites in that we are a royal priesthood of believers in Jesus Christ. Yes, Jesus provides for us physically – but how much more of an inheritance have we received in the fact that we are invited to worship & serve the Almighty God? We look forward to reigning with Christ…that’s better than any “prosperity gospel” could promise!
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Going to look at the various tribes in the TransJordan…
- verses 15-21: Reuben’s inheritance… [MAP]

22 The children of Israel also killed with the sword Balaam the son of Beor, the soothsayer, among those who were killed by them.

A. Review Balaam (Numbers 22-24)… Eventually he gave up trying to prophesy against Israel & simply told Balak how to sabotage Israel through harlotry…

B. The biggest tragedy with Balaam is that he was a man that God revealed an incredible amount to…even to the point of having a vision of the coming victorious Messiah. Numbers 24:17 “I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near; A Star shall come out of Jacob; A Scepter shall rise out of Israel, And batter the brow of Moab, And destroy all the sons of tumult. [That’s Jesus!!] Yet Balaam’s life ended in rebellion against God & His people…
__a. It doesn’t matter how much knowledge we have about the Lord, if we don’t know the Lord. It doesn’t matter how much Scripture we have memorized, if we don’t believe its truth & the One who wrote it. … There are a lot of people (especially in the South) good at ‘playing church…’ But playing church has nothing to do with actually being the church! There will be many who cry out “Lord, Lord” to whom Jesus is going to refuse saying, “Depart, I never knew you.” (Matt 7:23)… Don’t be one of them!
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23 And the border of the children of Reuben was the bank of the Jordan. This was the inheritance of the children of Reuben according to their families, the cities and their villages. [summary…]

- verses 24-28: Gad’s inheritance… [MAP]
- vs. 29-33: ½ (East) Manasseh… [MAP]

A. Completes the east side of the Jordan – these were the tribes that “settled” for grazing country (what they could see) rather than the full promise of God (which they had not yet seen)…
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Joshua 14 (NKJV)
1 These are the areas which the children of Israel inherited in the land of Canaan, which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel distributed as an inheritance to them. 2 Their inheritance was by lot, as the LORD had commanded by the hand of Moses, for the nine tribes and the half-tribe. 3 For Moses had given the inheritance of the two tribes and the half-tribe on the other side of the Jordan; but to the Levites he had given no inheritance among them. 4 For the children of Joseph were two tribes: Manasseh and Ephraim. And they gave no part to the Levites in the land, except cities to dwell in, with their common-lands for their livestock and their property. 5 As the LORD had commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did; and they divided the land.

A. Summary stating the land was going to be divided up by the remaining tribes on the west side of the Jordan.
B. Land was to be divided by “lot”. Not by chance; but according to the Lord…
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6 Then the children of Judah came to Joshua in Gilgal. And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the LORD said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to spy out the land, and I brought back word to him as it was in my heart. 8 Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt, but I wholly followed the LORD my God.

A. Caleb was one of the original 12 spies. 40 years old at the time of the rebellion & then he watched an entire generation die off over 38 years in the wilderness…

B. What made Caleb (and Joshua) different than the other spies? After all, they saw the same things… Caleb “wholly followed the LORD” – IOW, Caleb saw the challenges, but he looked through eyes of faith. The Lord had promised them the land – the Lord had promised He would fight for them – the spies’ job was simply to go in there & see what the Lord would do…how Israel was to follow God through the conquest. The 10 spies feared man; Caleb & Joshua feared the Lord & followed Him in faith. 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. []
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9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the LORD my God.’ 10 And now, behold, the LORD has kept me alive, as He said, these forty-five years, ever since the LORD spoke this word to Moses while Israel wandered in the wilderness; and now, here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in.

A. 2 blessings from God here. 1st blessing: a particular inheritance in the land. Caleb wasn’t just getting part of the land of Judah; he was getting his own home directly from the Lord.
B. 2nd blessing: the strength of a 40 year old at 85 years of age…
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12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the LORD spoke in that day; for you heard in that day how the Anakim were there, and that the cities were great and fortified. It may be that the LORD will be with me, and I shall be able to drive them out as the LORD said.”

A. I love this! “Give me this mountain”…what a declaration of faith! Prepared to keep fighting more giants as long as the Lord is with him. The Anakim had already been tossed out once & now they had come back in…Caleb is ready to take them on by himself. Why? Because if God is for us, who can be against us?
__a. (Redpath) “A faith that never wavered had enabled him to lay hold on a strength that never weakened – the very power of God Himself.”
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13 And Joshua blessed him, and gave Hebron to Caleb the son of Jephunneh as an inheritance. 14 Hebron therefore became the inheritance of Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite to this day, because he wholly followed the LORD God of Israel. 15 And the name of Hebron formerly was Kirjath Arba (Arba was the greatest man among the Anakim). Then the land had rest from war.

A. Implies Caleb actually completed the job…unlike the rest of Israel.
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Joshua 15 (NKJV)
- vs 1-12: Boundaries of the land of Judah… MAP

13 Now to Caleb the son of Jephunneh he gave a share among the children of Judah, according to the commandment of the LORD to Joshua, namely, Kirjath Arba, which is Hebron (Arba was the father of Anak). 14 Caleb drove out the three sons of Anak from there: Sheshai, Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak. 15 Then he went up from there to the inhabitants of Debir (formerly the name of Debir was Kirjath Sepher). 16 And Caleb said, “He who attacks Kirjath Sepher and takes it, to him I will give Achsah my daughter as wife.” 17 So Othniel the son of Kenaz, the brother of Caleb, took it; and he gave him Achsah his daughter as wife. 18 Now it was so, when she came to him, that she persuaded him to ask her father for a field. So she dismounted from her donkey, and Caleb said to her, “What do you wish?” 19 She answered, “Give me a blessing; since you have given me land in the South, give me also springs of water.” So he gave her the upper springs and the lower springs.

A. Caleb’s daughter & future son-in-law (and judge – Jud 3:9-11)… Othniel proved his worth as a son-in-law by conquering the city of Kirjath Sepher. In essence, Caleb was promoting the same faith that he himself showed & demonstrated – teaching the next generation how to trust the Lord. (That’s part of what we teach one another within the church – Titus 2)
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- vs 20-62: lists the cities of Judah…

63 As for the Jebusites, the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the children of Judah could not drive them out; but the Jebusites dwell with the children of Judah at Jerusalem to this day.

A. Again, more people whom the Hebrews should have fought, but didn’t. Ultimately, they compromised and lived among the people of God…
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Joshua 16 (NKJV)
- Vs 1-9 describe inheritance of Ephraim & Manesseh & specifically the borders of Ephraim. MAP

10 And they did not drive out the Canaanites who dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwell among the Ephraimites to this day and have become forced laborers.
A. Notice a pattern here? More people that should have been fought…
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Joshua 17 (NKJV)
1 There was also a lot for the tribe of Manasseh, for he was the firstborn of Joseph: namely for Machir the firstborn of Manasseh, the father of Gilead, because he was a man of war; therefore he was given Gilead and Bashan.

A. Vs. 2-11 describe the borders & cities of the other ½ of Manasseh… MAP. Includes the daughters of Zelophehad, to whom Moses had promised an inheritance (Num 36)
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12 Yet the children of Manasseh could not drive out the inhabitants of those cities, but the Canaanites were determined to dwell in that land. 13 And it happened, when the children of Israel grew strong, that they put the Canaanites to forced labor, but did not utterly drive them out.

A. Again, there’s a lack of a full conquest. This time, the Canaanites serve as the Gibeonites did (forced labor) – but they shouldn’t have been serving at all. God had commanded their extermination due to their wickedness & had warned Israel about compromising with them…it would just lead to idolatry & sin. He specifically told them to utterly destroy them, make no covenant nor marriages with them, to destroy their sacred pillars, cut down their wooden images & burn them with fire (Deut 7:1-5). Why? Because God loved Israel! Deuteronomy 7:6 “For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth. [] He wanted to protect them from idolatry & sin…

B. It’s the same with us. Why does God repeatedly tell us to live in holiness & purity in the NT? Because He loves us! He’s chosen us for His own – He’s purchased us as His own possession & people. Walking in sin only drives us away from Him, causes us pain, and grieves the Holy Spirit. Like any loving Father, God wants the best for us – and the best for us is His will & holiness.
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14 Then the children of Joseph spoke to Joshua, saying, “Why have you given us only one lot and one share to inherit, since we are a great people, inasmuch as the LORD has blessed us until now?” 15 So Joshua answered them, “If you are a great people, then go up to the forest country and clear a place for yourself there in the land of the Perizzites and the giants, since the mountains of Ephraim are too confined for you.”

A. The problem: the people were too big for the land… Joshua’s answer? ‘Prove you’re too big. Go fight for it…’
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16 But the children of Joseph said, “The mountain country is not enough for us; and all the Canaanites who dwell in the land of the valley have chariots of iron, both those who are of Beth Shean and its towns and those who are of the Valley of Jezreel.” 17 And Joshua spoke to the house of Joseph—to Ephraim and Manasseh—saying, “You are a great people and have great power; you shall not have only one lot, 18 but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong.”

A. Joshua doesn’t back off from the challenge. They may have wanted mountains instead of forests, but they still had to go conquer it for themselves. If they wanted more, they were going to have to step out to go get it.

B. What’s the difference between Caleb & Ephraim? Faith! Caleb knew that if God was with him, nothing was impossible. Ephraim/Manasseh wanted their inheritance (and extra) handed to them on a platter…that’s not faith; it’s laziness or worse. (Walvoord & Zuck) “Caleb’s request was motivated by faith, whereas that of the Josephites stemmed from fear.” Ephraim saw the iron chariots & feared – understandably so…they were fearsome weaponry for the day. And note that Joshua acknowledges the iron chariots. It’s not that he was ignoring the challenge that Ephraim faced; but rather he knew that the God he served was infinitely bigger than their challenges… Caleb had no less challenges – he faced the giants of the land. But giants are no match for the Creator God of the Universe, and neither were a bunch of iron chariots.
__a. To walk in faith is not to deny reality. Trusting God is not to blindly proclaim that our problems don’t exist or that we can declare them gone in Jesus’ name. (That’s not faith; that’s divination.) Caleb saw the giants, but understood his God is infinitely bigger than giants. We see the job layoff – the cancer – the heart problems – the wayward children…those issues are very real & very daunting. But our God is infinitely bigger than all of them! Part of walking in faith is trusting God is still on the throne – still in command – and will glorify Himself in every situation His children go through. (Rom 8:28)
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Joshua 18 (NKJV)
1 Now the whole congregation of the children of Israel assembled together at Shiloh, and set up the tabernacle of meeting there. And the land was subdued before them.

A. This would be the home for the tabernacle until David moved it to Jerusalem…
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2 But there remained among the children of Israel seven tribes which had not yet received their inheritance. 3 Then Joshua said to the children of Israel: “How long will you neglect to go and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers has given you? 4 Pick out from among you three men for each tribe, and I will send them; they shall rise and go through the land, survey it according to their inheritance, and come back to me. 5 And they shall divide it into seven parts. Judah shall remain in their territory on the south, and the house of Joseph shall remain in their territory on the north. 6 You shall therefore survey the land in seven parts and bring the survey here to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD our God. 7 But the Levites have no part among you, for the priesthood of the LORD is their inheritance. And Gad, Reuben, and half the tribe of Manasseh have received their inheritance beyond the Jordan on the east, which Moses the servant of the LORD gave them.”

A. People just lying around waiting for land to drop in their lap! True laziness…
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8 Then the men arose to go away; and Joshua charged those who went to survey the land, saying, “Go, walk through the land, survey it, and come back to me, that I may cast lots for you here before the LORD in Shiloh.” 9 So the men went, passed through the land, and wrote the survey in a book in seven parts by cities; and they came to Joshua at the camp in Shiloh. 10 Then Joshua cast lots for them in Shiloh before the LORD, and there Joshua divided the land to the children of Israel according to their divisions.

- Vs. 11-20 deal with the borders of Benjamin… MAP
- Vs. 21-28 deal with the cities of Benjamin…
- Ch 19:1-9 deal with the cities of Simeon. Their lot was within the lot of Judah since Judah’s was so big. MAP
- Vs. 10-16 deal with the borders & cities of Zebulun… MAP
- Vs. 17-23 deal with the borders & cities of Issachar… MAP
- Vs. 24-31 deal with the borders & cities of Asher… MAP
- Vs. 32-39 deal with the borders & cities of Naphtali… MAP
- vs. 40-48 deal with the borders & cities of Dan… MAP

49 When they had made an end of dividing the land as an inheritance according to their borders, the children of Israel gave an inheritance among them to Joshua the son of Nun. 50 According to the word of the LORD they gave him the city which he asked for, Timnath Serah in the mountains of Ephraim; and he built the city and dwelt in it. 51 These were the inheritances which Eleazar the priest, Joshua the son of Nun, and the heads of the fathers of the tribes of the children of Israel divided as an inheritance by lot in Shiloh before the LORD, at the door of the tabernacle of meeting. So they made an end of dividing the country.

A. Joshua’s own personal inheritance…like a good leader, he waited till the end. As with Caleb, he got his own city as the other half of the original faithful spies.

Conclusion:
So much land & so much inheritance – to look at just the boundaries on the map, it’d be tempting to clap our hands & congratulate the Israelites on a “job well done.” But whereas we could say that about Joshua & Caleb…the rest of the Israelites still had a long way to go. They had land given them by God Almighty, but they allowed people whom God had cursed to dwell among them & drag them down into sin. They had much fighting yet to do – they were just unwilling in many ways to do it.

How often are we as Christians the same way? We’ve been given a wonderful new life in Christ! We’ve been freed from the power of sin over our lives & because of the work of the cross & resurrection, we can resist temptation, & walk in the power of the Spirit in holiness. The one challenge is that we’ve got to be willing to continue to fight. Jesus has given us everything we need to wage the battle; but we’ve still got to stand strong against temptation & not give in nor compromise to sin or our flesh.

Too often Christians (including myself) have simply not been willing to fight that battle – like the 7 tribes in Shiloh, we’re content to just keep wandering along & not step into the promise that God has for it. Instead of wandering listlessly in our walk with Christ, let us be like Caleb & finish the job. Caleb saw a legitimate challenge facing him & faced it right back.
A. He remembered what the Lord had done in the past…
B. He trusted the promises of God in the present…
C. He wasn’t willing to settle for anything less that God’s will & God’s best…
D. He faced his legitimate challenges in faith…

Let us do the same! … When faced with sin & trials, may we say to God, “Give me this mountain!”

Tough Conversations

Philemon 1-7, “Tough Conversations”
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Introduction:
Most likely written at the same time as the letters to Ephesians & Colossians, the letter to Philemon is unique in the NT – not only because it’s the shortest letter we have from Paul, but because it’s also the only personal letter we have from Paul.

Although there are other names mentioned, the body of the letter focuses on three people: Paul, Onesimus (a runaway slave), and Philemon (the master from which he had run away). We don’t know many of the details, but the basics are this: Onesimus had been the slave of Philemon – who was a friend of Paul & a leader in his local church. At some point, Onesimus stole either money or property from Philemon & fled to Rome. Due to the providence of God, Onesimus comes in contact with Paul (in prison at the time) who leads him to Christ. Onesimus becomes a friend to Paul & valued partner in the ministry, but there’s still the issue of restoration & reconciliation with his former master. Thus Paul sends Onesimus back to Philemon along with this letter, offering to set things right & asking Philemon to forgive his slave & accept him back as a true brother in the Lord.

Sometimes Christians need encouragement to do the right thing – “right” being defined as what the Scripture would have us do. From the world’s perspective, the right thing for Philemon to do would be to punish Onesimus. After all, he had: a legitimate personal hurt – a legal right to punish him – and social superiority in the culture. Add up all this, and he had an abundant right to seek retribution…but ultimately for the Christian, we are under a higher authority – our bodies aren’t our own. All these ‘rights’ are still subservient to the gospel & Christ Jesus!

From Paul’s perspective, he could have made this pretty cut & dry. As an Apostle of the Lord, he had the authority to command Philemon to release Onesimus from his debt of obligations – but in the end, that would only address the action; not the heart. Obviously we are instructed to forgive and love one another – but no one can force us to do so…that’s a work within our own heart. Paul wanted Philemon to want to do the right thing; not to approach it as an obligation…

Beyond the personal request, Paul puts faith into action as we see the gospel demonstrated before our very eyes. A slave has committed grievous sin, but has been confronted with the gospel of Jesus Christ & been saved. Now a representative of Jesus sends the slave back & asks that he would no longer be received as a slave, but as a brother in the Lord. He offers to take responsibility for the sin the slave had formerly committed & make restitution for him. And all of this is done in an atmosphere of love & grace.

That’s the gospel! That’s exactly what happened to each of us who are born-again believers in Jesus Christ. Enslaved to sin & running from its consequences, we encountered our Savior who takes the wages for our sin upon Himself, imputes His righteousness to us in its stead, & gives us a new family where we are all one in the Body of Christ. In a sense, (as Martin Luther said) all of us are Onesimus. 

Why take the 1st few verses separately? Again, this is a very personal letter from Paul. He doesn’t come out blasting commands, but exhorting in love. So how do we go about exhorting one another in matters of the heart? How do we spur one another on to good works without it being based upon guilt or legalism? These are areas in which we need to tread carefully, but boldly in the love of Christ!

The introduction lays the foundation for which Paul is going to ask for mercy for Onesimus. He comes to Philemon: (1) In Jesus Christ, (2) in love, (3) in desire for Philemon’s walk & witness to even further improve…

Philemon 1-11 (NKJV)
1 Paul, a prisoner of Christ Jesus, and Timothy our brother, To Philemon our beloved friend and fellow laborer,

A. Paul doesn’t approach Philemon as an Apostle, but as a “prisoner of Christ Jesus…” He’s going to get to this more in depth in verse 9 – but it underscores the idea that Paul had the authority to command forgiveness, but he wasn’t exercising it.
__a. Note Paul doesn’t describe himself as a prisoner of Rome, but of Jesus…

B. Timothy is listed as a co-author, but the words are obviously 1st hand from Paul…

C. They approach Philemon not in accusation; but as one who is “beloved”: (“friend” assumed by translators). What’s noteworthy here is that Paul doesn’t lay out any sort of sin he believes Philemon has committed (which he hasn’t), nor even assume that Philemon will respond to Onesimus with less than grace in a lack of love. It’s actually the opposite – to Paul & Timothy, Philemon is the “beloved.”
__a. True agape love believes the best – that’s simply part of its definition. 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (4) Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; (5) does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; (6) does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [] When we believe or assume the worst about someone, then we’re not truly loving them in Christ…

D. They approach Philemon not as an outsider; but as a “fellow laborer”: One compound word in Gk literally meaning “to work with.” We don’t know if Philemon ever traveled on the mission field with Paul – nor do we see him mentioned among other elders or teachers. But one thing’s for sure: Paul saw him as someone whom he worked with in the labor of the gospel.

E. The point? Philemon isn’t some stranger; nor an enemy…he’s a comrade-in-arms. He, Paul, & Timothy are part of the same Body & same family because they’re all in Christ Jesus.
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2 to the beloved Apphia, Archippus our fellow soldier, and to the church in your house:

A. Apphia: only mention of her in the NT…most likely Philemon’s wife.

B. Archippus: We can assume from the inclusion with Apphia that Archippus is Philemon’s son – but more than that, he’s also a “fellow soldier” in ministry with Paul & Timothy. He’s likely the pastor of the church there (Col 4:17)

C. House churches were common… Possibly an indication of Philemon’s wealth…
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3 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

A. Standard greeting from Paul…actually the exact same wording as the greeting to Colossians… What does he actually say here?
__a. “Grace”: This was the standard Greek greeting of the day, but it obviously carries grand theological significance in Christ. How so? Because without the grace of the Lord Jesus at the Cross, none of us would have a reason to greet one another to begin with! Our relationship as the Church of Christ begins 1st and foremost in the grace of Christ… “Grace” is the kindness of God showered down upon us because of His work to forgive us our sin. We deserved His everlasting judgment – He gave us the opportunity to repent through His mercy – He gives us the means of repentance through His grace.
__b. “Peace”: Standard Hebrew (shalom) greeting & essential to Paul’s standard opening because these two words express the core of the gospel message. Through the grace of God, we now have peace with God. We don’t often understand that in our sin, we are truly enemies of God. (We’ve rebelled…) Does God still love us before we come to Christ? Sure – but we’re still under the sentence of His wrath as His enemies. He desires us to be saved, but He still must satisfy His justice… That’s where grace comes in. Because of the work of Jesus at the cross & resurrection, the punishment for our sin has already been meted out & done away with. Now through the grace of Christ, we are actually at peace with God & have the freedom to glorify Him.
____i. Because we have peace with God, we also can now have peace with one another…Jesus himself IS our peace (Eph 2:14).
__c. Where do grace & peace originate? God! “God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ…” Two parts of the Tri-Une Godhead…fully equal in power & essence though distinct in their Persons. Jesus is no less God than the Father as both grace & peace find their source in Him. …

B. Beyond just a standard greeting, why is this important for Paul to reiterate? After all, Philemon obviously knew him well – he would have understood grace & peace well enough…not to mention he would have just have heard the same greeting given in the letter to the Colossians. Everything Paul is going to ask of Philemon is based upon the Person and work of Jesus Christ… Think of it this way: (1) What gave Paul the opportunity to approach Philemon at all? Because they were both saved by Christ. (2) What gives Paul the reason to seek forgiveness for Onesimus? Because all three of them had already been forgiven by Jesus. (3) What’s Philemon’s example of showing grace? The grace he’d already received in Christ.
__a. Here’s the point: we will inevitably have challenging times when we need to approach someone else about an uncomfortable situation. Maybe it’s some way they sinned against us in the past – maybe you see something in their life that they don’t see that’s dangerous – maybe you need to break tragic news to a friend. If we’re not approaching that person first & foremost in Christ, then everything else is for naught! One thing that needs to be loud & clear is that “it’s not about us!” It’s not about what WE think is right – it’s not about what WE believe is good for them – it’s about Jesus, and what HE thinks is right. Both we and the brother/sister we’re talking to are under His authority & we need to keep in mind we’re approaching one of His servants & it’s to Christ that they are going to stand or fall (Rom 14:4). So we proceed truthfully according to His word, but always humbly in His love.
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4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers,

A. Paul’s relationship with Philemon wasn’t one-sided – i.e. he wasn’t asking Philemon to do all the work here. He prayed for Philemon & thanked God for him often. IOW, he knew what Philemon was going through (or what he was about to go through regarding Onesimus) and was able to go before the throne of grace on behalf of his friend.
__a. What a privilege it is to pray for one another! Whether we can intercede for each other with great detail – or just give a brief mention of thanks, it’s simply a glorious honor. How privileged would you be to have your name come up in thanks in a meeting of the President? How much more of a privilege is it to go before the King of King on behalf of our brothers & sisters in Christ?

B. As an aside – from his epistles, it’s obvious that Paul was a man of prayer. He saw the value of prayer & engaged in it constantly… …
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5 hearing of your love and faith which you have toward the Lord Jesus and toward all the saints,

A. Why did Paul thank God for Philemon in his prayers? Because Paul knew Philemon well enough to know his character & walk with Christ. Philemon had a history and a reputation of demonstrating love toward the Lord Jesus & the Church. His faith was put into action through his love for them (which in the context of the letter, surely ought to include Onesimus as well).
__a. Is it important that we love the saints of God? Why not just love Christ Himself? Because he who loves Jesus will love those whom Jesus saved – the two simply cannot be separated. 1 John 5:1-2 (1) Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. (2) By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments. [] Too many people (& many professing Christians) think we can love Jesus but not the church…impossible! We cannot have one without the other. If we hate those whom Christ has truly redeemed, then we cannot say we love the Redeemer. That’s not to say we love everything people do in the name of Christ – but if we find ourselves growing cynical towards His people, it ought to be a wake-up call.

B. What a great testimony about Philemon! How great it would be for the news of our love for the Lord Jesus & His church to spread to the people around us! That’s a great thing to be known for… [] That American evangelicalism as a whole is known for it’s political preferences & pastoral scandals more than it’s love for Christ is terrible. May God give us a heart to love as He would have us to love!
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6 that the sharing of your faith may become effective by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.

A. Is Paul talking about evangelism here? Yes & no. He’s not talking about sharing his faith in the same way we do. “Sharing” = κοινωνία (held in common)…speaking more of the fellowship Philemon has with other believers (and thus now with Onesimus as a new believer in Christ). Ultimately, Paul’s prayers for Philemon are for him to exercise his faith toward the Lord Jesus & all the saints (vs 5) – and that this exercise would indeed be effective.
__a. In the end, when this takes place, it IS evangelistic. John 13:34-35 (34) A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (35) By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” []

B. What does Paul mean by the sharing (fellowship/koinonia) of his faith becoming “effective”? Gk ἐνεργής (~energy) = “to be at work/active.” (Not to make something more effective, but to be effective in the 1st place…) Basically, Paul’s saying, “Philemon, you’ve been really active in demonstrating your love for the saints & you’ve been putting your faith to work. I’m praying that you would truly experience the koinonia fellowship of Christ when you do this.”

C. How does the sharing of our faith actually become effective? “by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus.” IOW, as Philemon matures & grows in his faith & he begins to understand the work, grace, and person of the Son of God. “Acknowledgment” is more than just noticing something in passing (our common usage) – this speaks of a “full knowledge” or “precise knowledge”. (NET) “I pray that the faith you share with us may deepen your understanding of every blessing that belongs to you in Christ.”
__a. The Lord Jesus Christ has done an absolutely incredible work in each one of our lives as believers! As He showers His grace upon us, He substitutes Himself for our sin – imputes to us His righteousness – gives us a right standing before God Almighty & peace with Him – gives us new life through the Holy Spirit – seals us for eternal life by the same Holy Spirit – shares His inheritance with us so that we are co-heirs with Him for all eternity…and more! We have truly been blessed with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus (Eph 1:3). So why wait till eternity to begin to understand that? How much more could we rejoice in our salvation when we walk in faith, grow in that understanding, fellowship in love with fellow believers & share the gospel with those who are lost!
__b. When we minister to others, often we find that we are the ones ministered to. For Philemon, he had an opportunity to show grace and forgiveness to Onesimus – and ultimately that would just make him more grateful for the grace and forgiveness shown him. The same principle applies to us: when we share the gospel with others, we’re grateful for the gospel we received – when we demonstrate compassion for others, we understand a small part of the compassion our Lord showed us, etc.
__c. This is what Paul desired for Philemon. Paul had little to gain from Onesimus’ forgiveness (other than joy) – but he saw here an opportunity for both men to mature in their faith. For Onesimus to own up to his mistakes of the past & go seek reconciliation – & for Philemon to exercise grace & forgiveness.
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7 For we have great joy and consolation in your love, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed by you, brother.

A. Not only did other people partake in the koinonia fellowship of Philemon’s love & faith; Paul did as well! Philemon’s past actions and love gave Paul a reason to rejoice as he saw the church being the church & maturing in Christ. “consolation” could be translated “comfort” or “encouragement” & it’s easy to imagine how this kind of news would have comforted Paul in his Roman prison cell.
__a. Never underestimate the value of a praise report! It could be exactly the thing needed to bring comfort to someone else who’s been struggling…

B. Ultimately, Paul is presenting one more opportunity for someone within the church to have their heart refreshed by Philemon… That’s good for Philemon – that’s good for the Church – and that brings glory to God!

Conclusion:
On one hand, it’d be easy to look at this & say, “Look how Paul’s manipulating Philemon – buttering him up for the favor that he’s about to ask!” Not only would that be completely cynical; it’d be wrong. This is exactly a model for how we’re supposed to approach one another in the Body. There are going to be some tough encounters & conversations that we’re going to have to have with one another… Many times, these tough encounters never take place when they should because people are afraid of ‘the confrontation’ & issues become worse & worse till they boil over. What could have been handled early on in love becomes a shouting match or worse…

So what’s the basis on which we are to have these tough conversations?
A. It must be based upon Christ… First & foremost! When we are approaching a fellow Christian, we’re approaching another member of Christ’s Bride – one of His servants.
B. It must be based upon love for one another… Paul had a brotherly affection for Philemon (which is very important!), but he also loved Philemon in a true agape love & demonstrated it by believing the best & seeking the best for him.
C. It ought to be based upon a desire for that person to grow in their faith & walk with God… Paul saw an opportunity for Philemon to grow in his understanding of grace & a chance for him to be a ministry to even more people & thus glorify God. When we have these conversations, it ought to be for their benefit; not ours.

Basically – it’s based upon Christ. His agape love for us & our agape love for one another… Maybe there’s a conversation you’ve been putting off due to fear or it’s ‘uncomfortableness’ – don’t put it off. Deal with the fear – double-check what you think you see in the Bible – and then proceed in humility, love, and grace. … Maybe you’re the one that needs to be approached – we don’t know how Philemon received this letter from Paul, but most scholars assume it was received well & perhaps he gave Onesimus his freedom. But if you’re approached in love, receive it in love…even if you don’t agree with the person, praise God that He put you on their heart. And even if it’s not handled well – don’t check your faith at the door.