Judges 7 - Gideon Defeats Midian

Judges 7

Then the Lord said to Gideon, “The people are still too many; bring them down to the water and I will test them for you there. Therefore it shall be that he of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall go with you,’ he shall go with you; but everyone of whom I say to you, ‘This one shall not go with you,’ he shall not go.” - verse 4

Message: Gideon Defeats Midian

Time: Judges covers about 250 years from death of Joshua to birth of Samuel (1360-1110 BC). The people of Israel largely divided with different local triable judges. It was a period of stirring interventions by the Lord and also great disobedience on the part of the Israelites. Without a king, everyone did right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). 

What the Lord is Saying: I continue to be amazed at the simple themes I find in these passages of scripture. Gideon is an unlikely candidate for a deliverer, and yet he is someone real and authentic with challenges and it seems this unlikely person is the type of person God uses. God will use whoever to accomplish his purposes. 

In Judges 7:2, "The Lord said to Gideon, “The people who are with you are too many for Me to give Midian into their hands, for Israel would become boastful, saying, ‘My own power has delivered me.’ - This is a very telling verse on man and the temptation that arises in man and God sees the danger. There are 3 lessons I see in this verse. (1) God's will is when He does a work it is clear that He is working. God wants to work in our lives, but He wants to be our provider. He wants to get the glory and we need to always be ready to give it to him. (2) Our tendency in life is to think that we are the one's in life that achieve good things. Ephesians 2:8-9 is a favorite verse and the focus on that verse is God's grace "lest anyone should boast." Only God is good. We sing songs of the goodness of God. This is assaulting to our pride. 

I read a book one time that spoke of the 7 deadly sins. It seems this was a classification that Tertullian first coined. These are 7 major vices of Christianity: Lust, Gluttony, Greed, Sloth, Wrath, Envy, Pride. C.S. Lewis wrote in Mere Christianity - " It was through Pride that Lucifer became wicked: Pride leads to every other vice: it is the complete anti-God state of mind." To me, I feel that the idea of recognizing our sin and seeing our sin is one of the biggest areas that has been assaulted in our lives over the last 60 years. And every day I believe it is growing to be more and more of a problem in our lives. I notice it in my life as I grow older that it is not talked about as much. Instead, most church lessons and messages that you read focus on good behavior. Obviously, we want to live our lives in the best way possible, but our position in Christ needs to be focused supremely on the fact that we are sinners. 

I mention this because we have a real problem making it clear that we are sinners. And the idea that certain sins such as boasting is one that God really makes a focus on for us today. 

I think one of Satan’s biggest agenda items in recent years is to give everyone the idea they are going to heaven. Universalism - the belief that all human beings will ultimately be saved and reconciled with God, regardless of their faith or actions during their lifetime. And I think this idea has led people to not take church seriously and even now resulted in it not being relevant to our lives. 

2 things to me stand out in this universalism push

1) Redefining sin as acceptable behavior. 

2) In the church, confusion about what salvation is. 

I also think that out of fear of the world and being a light to the world, our sermons have shifted more and more to good behavior sermons rather than gospel centered sermons. Our world needs Jesus first and foremost. Like my son and his relationship with a girl. All the problems they have could be taken care of if both of them agreed on who they are in Christ. Having that basis is so key. It is one of the things we saw in our Art of Marriage class - how important it is for both partners to be committed to the Lord. 

God though a process of having Gideon take the remaining people for battle down to a pool to drink water. The one's that lap the water like a dog would drink versus the one's that put their hands to their mouth. He one's that lap came to 300 and that was the number that will now fight. Kind of a funny story and yet a method was determined.  Judges 7:7 says, "The Lord said to Gideon, “I will deliver you with the 300 men who lapped and will give the Midianites into your hands; so let all the other people go, each man to his home.” We must be in an intimate relationship with God in order to hear hi may these types of things. God wants to work in our lives. 

After this, a dream is head about a loaf of barley bread that rolls down to the camp and tumbled down and struck tents and the people. This dream, albeit again a little crazy, confirmed to Gideon that the Midianites would be destroyed. Gideon again receives a confirmation from God. Gideon needs this. And God provided it. Verse 18, "When I and all who are with me blow the trumpet, then you also blow the trumpets all around the camp and say, ‘For the Lord and for Gideon.’" 

This is it. This is the way the 300 will conquer all of these men. They will blow a trumpet. They will use the sound of a trumpet. It is fascinating to me to see the way God uses trumpets in the Bible. It is the means to announce. The trumpet can amplify and has no need of any technology to increase the sound. They had the trumpets they blew and then they also broke pitchers. Again, creating a sound, creating confusion. And then also torches in their hands. Sounds and fire. And the people fled. Eventually they ended up taking a hold of the two leaders of the Midian army - Oreb and Zeeb (verse 25). 

It is done. They are captured. God did it. The people won't be boasting. Something was done that only God can do. I love verse 18 - For the Lord and for Gideon. It was okay to thank Gideon, but the Lord is thanked first. It is okay to thank people, leaders, men, women for their great work, but God gets praised first. 

Summary: God defeats Midian through Gideon by reducing the army to 300 men so there will be no temptation to boast and God will get the victory and praise for the defeat. 

Promise: From Tabletalk, "We cannot rest in our own strength or our own works to enjoy the salvation of the Lord. He alone can defeat the enemy, and He delights to use the most unlikely means to do so." 

Prayer: God, you are to be praise. Above all. You are to be praised. Thank you for showing your great work in people's lives. You continue to do great things in people. It is your power and your glory. And you will use any sort of person. yes, we are to be obedient. Help the people of God to stay clear of the temptations of this world and the people and ideas that pull them away from Him. Lord, I see this too much in our country and yet we are still blessed, and yet that blessing is not often about giving you praise but praise in ourselves. Yet, Lord, I am struggling as I think about my Christian brothers in these 3rd world areas like Africa and India. I am not sure what they lack, but it seems they lack the leadership and resources to provide for their people. It is painful in a way. Yes, I love the privileges I have, but I hurt for them that have so little and struggle to even get to the next meal. I want to implore the people at my church to help them, to take their extra and give it to them. But how Lord? How do we help them properly. Thank you for these texts and their readings. Keep me consistent. Repair the damages I have done to my kids. Help them to be better people. They need your help O God. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's.

TABLETALK - August 2017 Article Summaries

I follow the readings from the Tabletalk Magazine devotional, though I am now working through 2017 devotionals. 2017 is a study of key biblical doctrines celebrating the 500th year of the Reformation. The month of August is about the Body of the Lord - the Church recovered in the Reformation; July was the right use of God's Law; June was justification by faith alone; May, Christ Alone; April, salvation by grace alone; March, the sovereign providence of God; February, the doctrine of revelation, Scripture; January, the doctrine of God. 

Christ's Body

The Body of Christ - The Church is the Body of Christ and Christ loves the church. We are to imitate Christ and see that the Church is how Christ carries out His purposes in the world. The Head of the Church - Christ is Head of the church and he only has final authority and gives life to the church. Life is found only in Jesus Christ our Lord. - The Church We Can See - Belonging to a church is not optional, for anyone. We are meant to live in a community with other believers, to hear the Word of God preached, and to grow. The Church We Cannot See - What we see is the Visible church, the invisible church only God knows because He is omniscient and that is the Church we cannot see. 

Truths about the Church from the Apostles Creed

Church Unity - The church is bigger than our local assembly; there are core beliefs among the invisible church. One People Throughout History - God has only one people; throughout the world there are people that share doctrines and truths despite their being differences in where we attend or belong. God's Holy People - By being in Christ, though we still have a fallen nature, God has set us apart as holy, as his saints. True Catholocity - God's people includes men and women from every tribe and every tongue that hold to the biblical gospel. The Apostilic Church - we are fellow citizens with all people from all tribes and tongues throughout history, united by being built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets teaching, thus apostolic, with Christ Jesus being our cornerstone.

What the Church Does and Believes

Preaching Christ and His Commandments - A church needs to be committed to faithfully preaching the Word of God. Administering Sacraments - Sacraments (The Lord's Supper and Baptism especially) need to be part of a church existing, but they also need to be rightly administered. The Discipline of the Church - We need to be a people that encourage repentance to keep the church pure and set apart.

Church Leadership Offices

Prophets and Apostles - There is a foundation of how the church begins and that foundation is the apostles and prophets. Evangelists, Shepherds, and Teachers - Only mention of pastors in the New Testament. 

Purpose of the Church

Our Arena for Growth - It is being at church, present, that we are to be equipped, build one another up, in order to grow in maturity. Communion in Gifts and Graces - As believers joining in Christ’s sufferings we have community, exercising our spiritual gifts, in order to grow up the Body of Christ. Receiving and Giving God's Love - We come together because of His sufferings, but once we are together, we are to be about exercising our gifts to build up and grow one another, and it is done with love. 

Significant People from Church History

The Witness of Polycarp - Athanasius' Defense of the Incarnation - Thomas Aquinas and the Knowledge of God - John Calvin's Offering to the Lord - Jonathan Edwards and the Beauty of Christ

What I've learned from this study

As I finish this study now on the church body, I am left with the conclusion that church is not optional. That we must assemble with one another and that community is something we all need. First and foremost, it is important for each of us to come together regularly and agree on the principles of the gospel and that who we are is because of Christ and we are to boast in Him and what He has done for us individually and collectively. For the sake of the gospel, we are striving to be a part of the invisible church which is the church only God knows because only He knows the true condition of each person's heart. What we are doing as we assemble is meeting up with the visible church or those that we see. Yet, we must realize that there are those with us that are not part of the true church. And we are not all alike that are in the church. The church is made up of people from every tribe, every tongue, throughout history. And the church is more than one place. The invisible church I believe is made up of people in all walks of life, attending all different types of churches and denomination of churches today and in history. I think we need to be careful to avoid the temptation to boast in anything but Christ and this includes boasting that our church is the only true church. As such, we need to remember that we are all still fleshly beings with temptations and are influenced daily to live in manners more pleasing to Satan than God. This happens even in the church. But Christ is the head and we need to be centered on Him. Once we are in church, we need to submit to our leaders. A church needs to be committed to preaching the word of God and observing the sacraments - The Lord's Supper and Baptism. We need to keep encouraging the Gospel, turning from our sin, and returning to Him. And just as there is service and work in our world, it is to be present in our churches. We are all members of the Body of Christ. The church leaders that are often paid are not the only members, but we are all to be serving with the gifts that He has given us. Why? To grow me and to grow one another. This was probably one of my biggest learning aspects in this study and that is that tendency in me to be selfish. And the reminder that in serving I am to be about helping others grow. This is why ministry continues to call me in life - to talk to people at the mall, online as I do, and others face to face - and I need to do this at church as well with that Body of Believers. This is what life is really about - getting myself grounded but then also serving others to help them grow in Christ. 

Here also is a summary of the articles from Tabletalk for August 2017. 

Searching for Truth - Dr. Burk Parsons (editor of Tabletalk magazine) - As a pastor, when people find out he is one, they react in many different ways. Most of the time their response will be to start asking various questions. We are inquisitive people by nature and in this age, many are searching for answer's to life's ultimate questions. Pastors do have a responsibility and probably more opportunities and yet like a pastor, each Christian is a theologian and apologist. Every Christian is to always be ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence (I Peter 3:15). As people ask questions, we must be ready to speak and the Holy Spirit will give us courage and compassion to speak the truth in love. It is the Holy Spirit that opens people's eyes and makes them alive to the glory of Jesus Christ. 

The Role of Experience - R.C. Sproul (founder of Ligonier Ministries, founding pastor of Saint Andrew’s Chapel in Sanford, Fla., and first president of Reformation Bible College) - We live in a time when personal experience or personal feelings have been elevated to the final criterion of right and wrong (e.g. divorce and no longer feeling like being married; homosexuality based upon the feeling of being attracted to the same sex; even Christians made decisions based upon how they feel). People always said the 4 minute mile could not be achieve, then Roger Banister in 1954 achieved it. Experience is a good teacher, but the problem is when we see it as always the final authority. Experience is not a license to disobey God. Some people claim an experience with the Holy Spirit that led them to do things contrary to scripture but this is impossible. Only the creator can be the final arbiter of right and wrong. 

Is There a God? - Dr. Sinclair B. Ferguson - (Ligonier ministries teach fellow and author of many books; previously served as senior minister of the First Presbyterian Church in Columbia, S.C.) - This question is both easy and hard to answer succinctly. First, to answer the question - "Why is there something there, and not nothing?" The cosmos, my existence, and my ability to reason all depend on the fact that life did not and could not come from nothing, but requires a reasonable and reasoning origin; time + chance = reality is impossible. Second, this God is the biblical God for 2 reasons: God grounds what we know of the cosmos and His existence is the only rational basis for rational thought and communication. Atheists must borrow ultimately from the tenets of the Bible to even define their thoughts. What is good, true, rational, intelligible, and beautiful has no substructure. Even my conscience is fabricated as is "meaning." The Atheist has traded what is plain to them and repressing what they deep down know to be true: Romans 1:18–25. Our hearts are restless until we find him and begin as the Bible begins with, "In the beginning, God..." 

Is the Bible the Word of God? - Dr. Michael J. Kruger (President & Professor at Reformed Theological Seminary in Charlotte, NC) - Skeptics often question the Bible, calling it fanciful stories, but it is a Spirit book and "the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God" (I Cor. 2:14). (1) - Scripture itself has divine qualities - it convicts (Heb. 4:12–13), it encourages (Ps. 119:105), it comforts (v. 50), and it brings wisdom (v. 98). All others have woven together a single, coherent message. (2) - God worked through man to reveal His word at the correct time; despite much scrutiny, the words are proven to be historically reliable. (3) - It is a book with words that people have been using, trusting, reading, and applying for thousands of years. Jesus even said: "Scripture cannot be broken" (John 10:35).

Does God Care? - Dr. John Blanchard (1932-2021; apologist and teacher; director of Popular Christian Apologetics) - Atheists say no God; deists say God marks the field and watches from the grandstands. Yet the Bible says differently. After Adam and Eve sinned he said, "Where are you? (Gen. 3:9). And then he would send a redeemer to rescue them. And throughout history, God's care for his people is recorded. "He delivered them from their distress (Ps. 107:6)." Despite all Job went through he stated to God, "your care has preserved my spirit (Job 10:12)." We often don't treat God well and then David asks, "What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?" (Ps. 8:4). Hard to comprehend and yet "because He cares we can cast all of our anxieties on him." (I Peter 5:6-7). And as He cares for us we are tasked to take care of others, of "orphans and widows in their affliction" (James 1:27). 

Is Jesus Really God? - Dr. James R. White (author, director of Alpha and Omega Ministries) - Read the words of Jesus and the writings of the disciples, in their context, and Jesus being God is the conclusion. (1) Jesus at His trial. When the chief priests were trying to find testimony to put Jesus to death - "Are you the Christ?" "I am. You shall see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power." The priests heard this statement and accused Jesus of blasphemy (Mark 14:55-54). Looking further at Psalm 110:1 - My Lord (Jehovah) says to my Lord (Adonai). David is writing and Adonai is a person of authority and based also on 110:5 - The person of authority is the Messiah. And Daniel 7:13 - There came on like the Son of Man, like of human descent - Not merely a man, but the Messiah. (2) Jesus defending the healing of a man on the Sabbath by stating both He and His Father (God) are able to work on the Sabbath showing God His Father and Himself equal with God (John 5:10-18). (3) Jesus states he has authority over life - and states He will lay His life down and take it up again or rise again (John 10:17-18). (4) The disciples speak - Titus 2:13 - God and Jesus Glory appears; 2 Peter 1:1 - God and Savior are righteous; John 12:41 - His Glory; This language is not merely of a man. He is worthy. We cannot be neutral about Jesus. He is worthy of our praise. 

Is There Only One Way of Salvation? - Dr. James N. Anderson (Associate professor of theology and philosophy at Reformed Theological Seminary) - "Have it Your Way" was the Burger King Slogan of the 1970s and as in consumerism this same message is brought into our thinking of how we achieve heaven or the afterlife or acceptance by from God. Yet, Jesus was clear - only those that believe in Him have eternal life (John 3:14-17). It is a clear message from Jesus. He said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (14:6; Matt. 11:27). As CS Lewis says - Either He is Lord over all, or He is Lord at all. The charge is arrogance to the Christian and yet we do mean that all other religions are wrong. And yet we are a people that often wants to negotiate in matters of life and death. In medicine, it seems ludicrous to not accept the cure for a disease and yet we all think we know best. Yet, God will not compromise His truth. His way is the only way as is voices by His apostles (Acts 2:39; 4:12; 16:31; 20:20–21; Rom. 10:9–17; 1 John 2:22–25; 4:14–15; 5:12–13). Yet, it must be that we truly do not understand the problem - that we are sinners standing under the righteous judgment of God, unable to make adequate atonement for our sins. Only Jesus removes this enmity between God and man, bearing the penalty for our sin (Rom. 5:6–11; 2 Cor. 5:18–21; 1 Tim. 2:5–6). 

Is God Unjust - Jared S. Oliphint (Phd. student in philosophy at Texas A&M and Th.M. student at Westminster Theological Seminary) - In the garden, Adam took the bite of forbidden fruit and God introduced earthly justice, resulting in his death, though it was a delayed sentence. But God also showed grace and mercy, two new ideas. God's people ask God to end betrayal, slavery, exile, and death. God's justice is fulfilled on Good Friday. Ultimate rest from injustice will be found in a new, eternal home. 

Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People? - Dr. Greg Lanier (professor of New Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary) - Bone cancer in children, terminal cancer, abuse of a neighbor's child, terrorist bombings, hurricanes devastating entire islands. Important to distinguish between the head/intellectual side and heart/emotional side. Does the suffering of good people disprove God? 1. The question assumes there is "good" and "evil." Thus, a standard, hopefully a Godly one that determines right and wrong. "Evil" people do not think they are themselves evil. 2. Presupposes that suffering matters because humans have a unique dignity over animals and we are not randomly on this earth. Rocks and trees do not suffer. 3. There can be good reasons from God for suffering (punishment for sin Judges 2:11-15; display God's justice Rom. 9:19-26; driver sinners to repentance Ps. 119:71; the death of Jesus accomplished the good of salvation Acts 2:22-24; 4:8-12). 4. Despite evil and suffering, God is still benevolent to people. The idea of "do good, receive good, do bad, receive bad" does not hold true. Despicable people can prosper. "the sun rises on the good and the evil; rains on the just and the unjust Matthew 5:45." In other words, God's ways are not man's ways. It is inevitable, thus our response together, with one another, is to comfort one another with the loving comfort we have received from God (2 Cor. 1:3-7); grieve with people (Rom 12:15); bear one another's burdens (Gal. 6:2); and point people to Jesus who will wipe away every tear and one day all will be fixed (Rev. 21:4). [My observation: the conclusion is God knows best and He is in control. I still think sin is evil and has far reaching results on mankind that go even beyond quid pro quo in which there is a favor for a favor. And in general man thinks they know best always and always wants to be in control.]

Are the Bible and Science Compatible? - Dr. Keith A Mathison (professor of systematic theology at Reformation Bible College) - The issue here is how one defines the Bible and science. If one is a book of fairy tales and the other a book of facts, then obviously there will be conflict. Christians believe God is infallible. He reveals himself through his works that we see and read about in His Word. He is always truthful so if we think there is a conflict then the problem is our interpretation. Because humans are fallible, if there is a problem it is always man, never God. Science is not to blame. Science reveals to us the works of God. General revelation is God revealing Himself through His created works. Special revelation is God revealing Himself through His word. Between the two there is no conflict. For example, some find in scripture words that infer the earth as a flat disc and yet if it is true that it is a sphere based upon what we see and what science says, then the problem is our interpretation. How we interpret is always the cause of misinformation. Science and scripture are compatible unless we make them incompatible. Science is not the problem. False philosophies masquerading as science is the problem. As usual, it comes down to interpretation.   

Who Are You to Judge? - Gregory Koukl (president of Stand to Reason and author of Tactics and Story of Reality) - "Judge Not" (Matthew 7:1) is often misunderstood. To judge is to find fault. True moral guilt (admitting our fault) though is central to the Christian message. It seems acceptable to warn people that they may be caught by the law if they are breaking it (i.e. speeding in a car). Secular society believes that no one is allowed to pass judgment of any kind. Morality is now a matter of personal opinion. And yet this is not really true because judgment is warranted when it suits the secularist. Again, the complaint is against absolute truth. Often the thought is people want to be left alone. The best way to counter this is by asking questions. Ask "What do you mean?" This helps you understand what people are feeling as it is possible an apology is in order. Clarify that the standard is God's standard. Can also say, "Are you saying it's never right to point out a wrong? If so, they why are you doing it with me right now?" However, we are not trying to catch people in a fault or be clever, but we are aiming to have people recognize their sin, so that this will turn from it and toward the mercy of God. 

Is This Life All There Is? - Dr. Bruce R. Baugus (Associate professor of philosophy and theology at Reformed Theological Seminary) - God has put eternity in man's heart (Eccl 3:11). In each person is a deep seated sense that there is more to this life than this life. Humanity is fascinated with the afterlife; it is a cardinal principle of every religion. It is why living only for temporal pleasures rarely satisfy. Epicureanism (300 BC) argued that pleasure was the chief good in life; this is the way of living many Americans are in today. And yet the sense of eternity is stamped on our hearts. Jesus constantly spoke of the dilemma of man - 2 eternal states - a glorious kingdom of peace and a dreadful place of outer darkness. He issued sober warnings of each. And as such He asks people to receive Him by faith or reject Him. "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26). 

Marriage as Two Pilgrims - Rev. Jason Helopoulos (Associate pastor at University Reformed Church in East Lansing, Michigan) - The Christian marriage is different from other marriages around us: “they are heirs with you of the grace of life” (1 Peter 3:7). Our marriage is centered on Christ and eternity. Our goal is the same as every Christian, but we go forth with it side by side. We are one flesh as Ephesians 5:28 says, “Husbands should love their wives as their own bodies.” As such, when one hurts, the other hurts, injuring a spouse is injuring both; encouraging a spouse is encouraging both. And each one know the other person's weaknesses, strengths, temptations and knows how to encourage the other person. Thus, we go forward as coheirs and co-laborers united in one flesh. 

The Fruit of Patience - Robert Rothwell (Associated editor of Tabletalk and resident adjunct professor for Reformation Bible College) - I struggle with being patient. But I would like to be patient. My problem is a fear of the unknown. If I know what is going on, then I don't have to wait. Yet, waiting reminds me of my utter dependence on God and His Word. Examples: Abraham brought on more struggles taking on Hagar to get a son instead of waiting for Sarah. Instead of waiting for Samuel, Saul lost his kingdom when he offered sacrifices at Gilgal. Fear brings impatience, doubt, fear, and often greater sin. The ancient Israelites waited 400 years after Malachi to hear from God again, and awarded with the Messiah. We wait on eternal life. But in me waiting doesn't mean God is not working. He is working, but moving according to His perfect plan and purpose. He is working according to His plan, not my own. I can be patient. 

Shining God's Glory - Melissa B. Kruger (women's ministry coordinator at Uptown Church (PCA) in Charlotte, NC) - Two thoughts come to mind this morning - reading the Mark Stuart book and the meaning behind the song, "Never Gonna Be as Big as Jesus" and the reality in that song that we don't need to try. Jesus is who He is. I am who I am. I'm never going to be as big as him. So no reason to try. The other idea was at the end of the Sunday School lesson was not asking for opportunities but seeing the opportunities God gives me. They are there. Then I read this article that Melissa gives us about cleaning silverware with tarnish and a simple way of using aluminum foil and a bowl of water and dish detergent and waiting and in time, the tarnish would be transferred from the silverware to the foil. This is what Jesus did for us. Our sin got transferred. He took our sin and now we can shine of the glory of God. But am I shining? I'm not. I'm living in this state of misery and not shining. 2 Corinthians 5:21 - "For our sake - he made him to be sin...so that in him we become the righteousness of God." The tarnish has been transferred. And I can shine the righteousness of God. I don't have to scrub myself clean. He made me clean. He did all the work. And now I can shine by loving Him, His truth, walking in His ways, and living in obedience to His commands. 

Discipleship and Growth - Jonathan Leeman (editorial director of 9Marks; elder at Capitol Hill Baptist Church in Washington, DC) - Everyone disciples. Everyone leaves a dent on someone - toward righteousness or wickedness. What impact will I have? "Today, I want to help others follow Jesus." (1) Begin with love. We follow people who love us. (2) It works through instruction and imitation. "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (I Cor. 11:1)." "Speak the truth in love...to grow...build up one another (Eph. 4:15, 29)." (3) Discover differences in one another. "God arranged the members in the body as He choose (I Cor. 12:17-18)." (4) It is churchwide. Everyone needs each other (I Cor 12:21). (5) Do it to equip others to do the same (2 Tim. 2:2). 

Finding Contentment Through Boasting - Tyler Kenney (Digital content manager at Ligonier Ministries) - A condition of our fallen hearts is instead of rejoicing when we see God's goodness to others, we become envious, antagonistic to their happiness and discontent with our selves. All people experience this but the Christian knows they should respond differently for God has given us every spiritual blessing (Eph. 1:3) and we are to be content since we have all things (I Cor. 3:21; Phil. 4:11). Knowing and doing are different but the Holy Spirit is there to equip us. In 1 Corinthians 4, Paul addresses a problem the church has in rallying behind a certain preacher stems from a worldly desire to exalt themselves through association. By favoring a certain leader, the people are trying to puff themselves up (I Cor. 4:6). Some boasted in Paul, some in Apollos, some Cephas, some Christ (I Cor. 1:12). Thus the world pulls us to divide our allegiance - be it sports, leaders, even preachers. Yet, Paul reminds people that we are all essentially nobodies and yet God is pleased to call us all His own. No one is to boast in men, but only in God; this is where true contentment lies. I Cor. 1:29-31 - no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.

The Need for Rural Ministry - Kyle Borg (Senior Pastor of Winchester Reformed Presbyterian Church in Winchester, Kansas) - Author ministers in community of rural America, in Kansas, in a town of 551 people. He wonders if church associations are focused on rural America though it still makes up 15-20% of our population. In these cities, substance abuse, poverty, suicide, broken families, tragedy, and danger effect people at a larger proportion than those in the big city. Rural ministry is worth our time. We need to include these cities in our mission work and church starting endeavors. 

Keeping the Faith in a Faithless Age - Albert Mohler (President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky) - (Note: I noticed online that this article was published in 2004.) - The Christian church is no longer the center of western civilization and right and wrong are being redefined. It seems modern people act as if God did not exist. The church must speak from the words of Scripture. 

A Time for Confidence - Stephen J. Nichols (President of Reformation Bible College in Sanford, Florida, chief academic officer at Ligonier Ministries) - Paul was one of the most intelligent people to ever live. He has every reason to have confidence and yet he counts all as loss for the sake of Christ. He never focused on Himself, but all instead on Christ. As we admire Paul and who He is and what He did, we can always see that there is someone else behind the scenes that is working everything out in Paul's life; and this is the righteousness that comes through faith in Christ. The doctrine of justification is one of imputation. This teaches that our sin gets imputed to Christ. And Christ's righteousness gets imputed to us. In the presence of God we are now clothed in Christ's righteousness. In His passive obedience, He paid the penalty for our sins; in his active obedience He lives a perfect life. Thus, this is why not a day should go by that we don't rejoice in the Gospel. John and Charles Wesley are examples of men trying to get to God and then discover that Christ has done it all for them. In response, Charles wrote a hymn, And Can It Be. What made Christianity such a problem for Rome in the 1st century was its monotheistic stance and its desire to proselytize. Thus, being a Christian impugned you to death at any time and the death of Christians became a sport. Despite the fact that they lived exemplary lives, they were hated because of what they believe. Christus was hated and put on a cross and Christians are disliked even today. We still hold onto the truth of Gospel for we know it sets us free. 

Titus 2:11 - Is Grace Cooperative

Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,

Message: Is Grace Cooperative?

Time: Paul is the author, written in AD 63. Paul went with Titus to the island of Crete and evangelized there before Paul left Titus there in a position of leadership. The book speaks of living right as guided by Truth.

What the Lord is Saying:

The issue: How free is the human will after the fall of Adam.

Humans beings are free to make choices. But our freedom is limited by our desires. Freedom is doing what we most want to do. Apart from God's grace, the only thing that we want to do is sin. In order to do what is truly good and pleasing to God, grace must change our hearts. It is only the regenerate person that understands the things of God.

I go back to an idea that I have been focusing on: the horizontal and the vertical. The horizontal is our life lived with one another and the life I live for myself. In this life there is freedom: each day there are choices to engage in good acts and bad acts as they relate to man's relationship to man. Much good has been done by men and women on this horizontal level. We should not ever diminish these acts. But there is the vertical - man's relationship with God. Without God's grace there is no vertical, only a horizontal. Grace brings the vertical into my life because sin removed the vertical. Without grace, I will only live on the horizontal. With grace, I can carry out the things of God. Thus, today's text states in Titus 2:11 - For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men. Salvation is a God thing and it is needed to make me right vertically, right with God.

The debate that I have been looking at is - can man get to God on his own or must God intervene? And is this intervention completely by God or is man involved?

RC Sproul Message - Is Grace Cooperative - In this message RC Sproul begins his lecture by reciting a quote by Joseph Arminius in which he upholds the lost condition of man following Adam's sin or his sin and mentions that the only way man can be brought to salvation is through the act of grace into that person's life. He mentions that Arminius began as a pure Calvinist and Augustinian but then he got wrapped up in a debate with someone and in that process began to move further and further away from the reformed doctrine.

Early on he speaks of preventing grace and prevenient grace. "Pre" means before and "venient" - coming before so this is 'grace that comes before something." Grace comes before conversion. There are also those who look at internal grace and external grace. External grace is something that happens outside of ourselves, outside of our soul. Internal grace would be something that God does inside of us. For Arminius, grace is not limited to an external operation of the Holy Spirit, but also God's internal operation. However, he then goes to say that all persons have their own will and can refuse the call of the Holy Spirit. So even though it is internal (God doing something inside of us), it is not irresistible. He says the grace of regeneration is sufficient to convert. It is all a person needs to be liberated from spiritual bondage. The grace is enough. But it is not inherently efficient as it does not always affect conversion or regeneration. Thus, prevenient grace or grace that comes before man's choice to then choose whether or not he wants that grace.

Calvin however speaks that the calling of God is effectual. Here the Spirit effects what it intends and thus, it cannot be rejected. Thus, grace is internal and effectual. But for Arminius it is internal but can be rejected. Arminius says that if man does not submit to the grace, the fault lies with man. Pelagius would though deny this for Pelagius believes that God does not have to help a person be saved. But Arminius says that God does have to help, but man can reject. Arminius seeks to not make God accountable to people rejecting Him whereby with Calvin the onus is completely on God as to man being saved or not saved. While Arminius believes that the rejecting by man means that the fault rests on him, he also does not believe that the acceptance of man does not rest on man being virtuous. To believe this would mean that man has something to boast about and this would contradict what Paul says in Ephesians 2:9.

Arminius gave a famous example of a rich man coming to a beggar to offer him a gift. The beggar does nothing to earn the gift, and to receive it simply reaches out his had to accept the gift. But the beggar can also not reach out his hand and therefore be content in his position of being poor. Billy Graham even stated that God does 99% and man does 1% whereby reformers would say that for the drowning man, the person would drown and then God would pull him out of the water and resuscitate him to life.

After Arminius died in 1609, some of his disciples in the Synod of Dort were called upon to consider the five articles of Remonstrance. It was in response to these five articles that we received the five points of Calvinism.

[I was thinking of this question - most of the proof text I think about Calvinist thought, namely whether man is involved at all in salvation, comes from Paul's writings (and also Hebrews). Is it possible that Augustine and Calvin concluded their points on man having no place in saving man from Paul alone or is that line of thinking consistent throughout the Bible? Stated another way, is Jesus a Calvinist? Is God and the Old Testament writers Calvinist? This is a side-note question of mine. Some people have made the assertion that if we only follow the red letters or Jesus' words then we won't come to the conclusion of grace alone.]

RC Sproul Message - Born to Sin - In this message RC Sproul begins speaking about Jonathan Edwards and his book, Freedom of the Will, written in 1754. That book is very theological and philosophical and technical. It was written after Edwards had been removed from his church in Northampton and began a ministry to the Indians at Stockbridge (both in Massachusetts).

Edwards deals with the question - "What is the will anyway?" Philosophers often looked at the mind, the affections, and the will OR the mind, the heart, and the will. Edwards felt it was important to distinguish between the mind or thinking and the will or choosing. He says they are interrelated. In analyzing the will, the making of human decisions or choices, he looked first at the law of causality. Causality is every effect must have a cause. Thus, he analyzed human choices as effects with causes. The choices we make are made for a reason and the mind supplies the reason. Thus, the choices we make are what we deem to be good for us, though, Edwards use of the word good isn't necessarily morality, but rather good is what is pleasing to us. Thus, the good is what is most pleasing to me, at this moment, and to choose what I want. Thus, this is the role of desire in the making of choices. The mind deems a particular action to be good and pleasing to us. For example, when one is hungry, those hunger pains alert the mind and then the mind through choosing decides to eat, in order to meet the need of hunger, in order to please himself.

Edwards states that all choices are caused by something. They don't just happen. And what causes choices are inclinations. Thus, choices are motivated or driven by inclinations. Edwards understood that as humans we are complex. At times, we have very complex desires and motives within our lives. Paul reverberates this idea in Romans 7:19 - For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do. What Paul seems to be saying that in him are competing desires and competing inclinations. In Christ is the desire to always do those things that honor God, but in his flesh is desires contrary to the Spirit and sometimes I follow these desires. Edwards might say to Paul that at the time of your choice to sin, you have a stronger desire to not do what is pleasing to God than you have in yourself to please God. Thus, there is a conflict of inclinations. Thus, Edwards states that we always choose according to the strongest inclination at the moment.

This is not determinism which is being controlled by external forces that coerce us, such as our environment and place in which we live and grow up. Atheists believe in determinism, meaning we are a product of our environment. What Edwards is focused on instead is self-determination in which the choices we make are determined by us. What Edwards is getting at is our choices are determined by us and my desires and what my mind deems to be most good for me at the moment. There is a desire continuum we have. Some desires are strong while others are mild. Thus freedom is the power to choose according to your inclinations.

For example, the doctor may recommend and I may agree that I need to lose 30 pounds as losing pounds has a myriad of positive outcomes. But, my desire to lose those pounds varies from moment to moment. After eating a thanksgiving meal I have no desires to eat more and want to lose pounds, but when I am hungry and a chocolate sundae is presented before me, my desire for that sundae is greater than my desire to lose weight. Thus, the desire continuum. We have different degrees of desires, but without an inclination there wouldn't be a choice is what Edwards argues.

Yet, Edwards is arguing with pagan philosophers and even other theologians which might say that the will is not indifferent, but has a prior bent, disposition or inclination. To be really free it would have an equal means to go to the right or the left. Edwards says an indifferent choice is an irrational concept. If I choose one thing over another for no other reason whatsoever, like choosing which way to go at a fork in the road with no reason to choose either way, how would that have any moral significance. Intent is essential to a moral decision, to a voluntary act. To be a moral decision, there has to be a reason or intent. But he says the idea of an indifferent choice is a nonsensical concept.

What Edwards is most famous for is his distinction between our natural ability and our moral ability. This is similar to Augustinian's distinction between free will and liberty. Edwards says, "We have the natural ability to make choices." We have natural ability that is not coerced by outside forces. What we lack, according to Edwards, is the moral ability to choose the things of God. Because in the fall, we lost our disposition, our desire, our inclination for God. We don't choose God because we don't want him. We cannot choose what we do not want. We have no natural inclination for the things of God until the Holy Spirit creates that in our soul. Thus back to the vertical, Edwards is stating that we lack, on our own, the ability to see that God is what we need the most in our lives, and in turn meets us on the vertical, on our own. The only way our heart is inclined to the things of God is God coming to us and once God comes, we cannot resist Him. Thus, grace is not cooperative.

Summary: On the horizontal, man is capable of making choices, based upon his inclinations and desires. The problem is that apart from grace, we only desires the things of this world, the things that do not save us, that are not of salvation, that therefore are not of God. To do the things of God, God must intervene in our lives and this intervention is not resisting. If God calls us, we will respond.

Promise: Paul says that the grace of God has brought salvation to all people, thus God has saved all sorts of people. The gospel must be preached to all people.

Prayer: Father, your word is alive and true. I seek truth. Even as I spend time talking to people that are coming from a myriad of faiths, I want to make sure that the truth of who you are and how salvation happens or how I am made to be free from sin happens. Guide me into truth always. Thank you for saving me and making me whole and giving me new life. I live now in obedience to You and I do not want that to ever be muddy or unclear. You are my God and I am yours. You love me and in response I love You and others and want You to be in the life of all others I am near. Save. Save people. Keep on saving people. 

Proverbs 27:1 - Boasting about the Future

Proverbs 27:1

Do not boast about tomorrow,
For you do not know what a day may bring forth.

Message: Boasting about the Future

Time: It seems that Proverbs was written and then compiled sometime between the tenth and sixth centuries B.C. Proverbs was probably written during the reign of Solomon, 971-931 B.C.

What the Lord is Saying:

In Romans 2:17, it says we are to boast in God. Romans 4:2 presents the idea that boasting is only something we do before other men, but that's only if our works would merit God's acceptance and we know this is not so. Romans 5:3 says we exult or boast in our tribulations. God's grace is a gift from God, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9). I go back and look at these verses as a reminder that the boasting I can do is towards God. As this verse in Proverbs says, I am not to boast about tomorrow. Lord, help me guard myself against this. Matthew 6:34 says, "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Focus on today. The Lord's prayer is clear that we pray, "Give us this day our daily bread."

Life is uncertain. What I do know is now, for sure. I know this one moment. There was a song from the 80s that simply said, "One day at a time." Lord, help me to focus on this. I can make plans for the future, but I do this with an eye of uncertainty because I do not know what tomorrow may present itself. Lord, I am weak with this. Often, I stop giving and tithing because I am worried about tomorrow. Help me to make good decisions today.

Here is a poem by Robert Smith, a Lutheran theologian (1932-2006):

“The clock of life is wound but once,
And no man has the power
To tell just when the hands will stop
At late or early hour. 

To lose one's wealth is sad indeed,
To lose one's health is more,
To lose one's soul is such a loss
That no man can restore. 

The present only is our own,
So live, love, toil with a will,
Place no faith in "Tomorrow,"

For the Clock may then be still.”

Isaiah 46:10 - God is the one declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

Promise: From Tabletalk - It is good and right to plan for the days ahead, but if our plans succeed, it is not because of our wisdom or because we were certain that they would. Our plans succeed only if that success is ordained by our heavenly Father.

Romans 4:1-3 - Not by works

Romans 4:1-3 - 1 What then shall we say that Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh, has found? 2 For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. 3 For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.”

Message: Question: Was Abraham justified by works?

Time: The date of the book is probably 60 A.D. written from Corinth on Paul's third missionary journey. The church in Rome seems to be established and Romans does not speak of any one error in the church that he is addressing. The church had a large Jewish element, but also filled with Gentile converts from paganism, both free as well as slaves.

What the Lord is Saying:

Paul has just finished a statement that God is not impartial and He is the God of both Jews and Gentiles. And while the Law does not save, the Law is necessary in our life, most notably as a guide for living after we realize Jesus saved us from our sins. 

Paul begins this passage in a similar way to Chapter 3, by asking questinos from an imaginary questioner, as such it is a diatribe. Paul states in verse 1, "What shall we say?" So, what is being said is if Paul's word are correct and true, then what benefit could the Jew derive from his religion. 

Recently, I watched the movie Hawaii, made in 1966, starring Julie Andrews (Jerusha) and Max Von Sydow (Reverend Alan Hale). Max plays a Calvinistic missionary to the Hawaiian islands. One thing about Reverend Hale was his contempt for the people he was ministering to; he never took the time to look at what they believed to see the value in it and thereby use it to bridge to the Gospel. But instead he quickly discounted it all as evil and that it needed to be replaced with faith in Christ. Granted, there is some truth to this, but the way we approach people needs to be more compassionate. So, Paul was hearing a question, what possible value could there be in being a Jew? The Jew had basically been told that their core beliefs were of no value. The simple question is, "Was Abraham justified by works?" If so, he has something to boast about (Rom 3:27-28). However, not before God. Is Paul saying that even if the theology of being saved by works was true, man can only boast of himself before other men? 

Paul, here, first, calls upon Abraham. He will later call upon David. According to Jewish law, a question was settled by 2 or 3 witnesses. Paul states that Abraham believed God and it was credited to Him as righteousness. 

In the 1st century (and even some today) there is the belief that a Jew has salvation because of their offspring from Abraham. Thus salvation came about by entering into Judaism. A person could convert to Judaism and thereby be saved. I see this today, often, among people that think if they grew up Catholic, and went through confirmation, or joined a particular church, that this is what made salvation secure to them. 

Yet, in verse 2, something different is stated. Was Abraham justified before God because of his works? If he was, has something to boast about, but not before God. In Rabbinical teaching and interpretation, there is the explanation that Abraham was not just good, but he practiced all the parts of the Law before it was even given.In the Mishnah’s third division, Kiddushin (4.14) makes a specious interpretation of Genesis 26:5 in which God repeats His covenant promise to Abraham's son Isaac, declaring. "And I will multiply your descendants as the stars of heaven, and will give your descendants all these lands; and by your descendants all the nations of the earth shall be blessed because Abraham OBEYED Me and KEPT My charge, My commandments, My statutes and My laws." The Mishnah wrongly concludes, "we find that Abraham our father had performed the whole law before it was given, for it is written, ‘Because that Abraham obeyed my voice and kept my charge, my commandments, my statues, and my laws.’"

But in verse 3, Paul appeals to the Old Testament to testify that the message has always been that a man is justified apart from works, but by believing and in turn, God credits man's account with righteousness. Reckoned means to take something that belongs to another and credit it to another's account. The sin of the human race was charged to Jesus so that the righteousness of God, by the act of the believing sinner, can be given to each person.

Thoughts from J. Vernon McGee: To the Jew, Abraham is our first father. And according the flesh is by natural human effort. Abraham was first chronologically and first in importance. Abraham found that his works, according to the flesh, did not produce boasting, but instead shame and confusion. Abraham did have many good works [as do many people today], but these works were not the ground of salvation, but the result of salvation and the result of being justified by faith. The works of the flesh cannot stand before God's holiness. Paul quotes from the Old Testament over 60 times in Romans and this quotation is from Genesis 15:6. Abraham believed in his heart that God told the truth. He put it on his account. By believing in God, Abraham was declared righteous.
 
Promise: When a person believes God, the righteousness of God is credited to that person's account or life.

 

Romans 3:27-28 - No Room for Boasting

Romans 3:27-28 - 27 Where then is boasting? It is excluded. By what kind of law? Of works? No, but by a law of faith. 28 For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law.

Message: No room for boasting.

Time: Paul probably wrote Romans between A.D. 57-58 while he was at Corinth in the home of his friend and convert Gaius. He planned to go first to Jerusalem to deliver a gift of money from the Gentile churches to the poor in Jerusalem. Then he hoped to visit Rome on his way to Spain. His hopes were later realized, but not as he had expected. When he finally arrived in Rome in early A.D. 60, he was a prisoner under house arrest (Acts 28:11-31).

What the Lord is Saying:

This passage begins with a question based upon what has previously been stated. I just finished reading what has been called the greatest paragraph in the Bible, namely Romans 3:21-26 which stated that a person is made right with God by placing their faith in Jesus Christ. God sent His Son Jesus as a sacrifice, to sacrifice and she His blood for all people. God is just and God will be the justifier of man's sins. Man can't justify himself because man is a sinner. God must punish sin and He does this through Jesus.

Paul then in verse 27 asks a question: What about boasting? I think what Paul is saying is, "Does many have any part in this?" If man had a part in this then there would be boasting to say, "look what I have done God for you." I don't see how anyone can look at this passage and then say that man has anything to do with salvation, either by doing good deeds to make oneself acceptable or by being good deeds in order to be worthy for the gift of salvation. + 

Promise: Sinners can only be justified on the principles of faith and we cannot boast in anything we have done.