Acts 17:16-34 - Novelty in Preaching

Acts 17:16-34 - Now while Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was being provoked within him...he was reasoning in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles...he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. Paul stood...and said..."God...does not dwell in temples made with hands....He made from one, every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times, and the boundaries of their habitation, that they should seek God,...for in Him we live and move and exist...God is now declaring to men that all everywhere should repent." Some men joined him and believed. 

Message: Novelty in Preaching

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: We often have a thirst for new and improved. There is nothing wrong with improving a product but sometimes it begs to question what was wrong with the past. Yet it is true that our culture prizes novelty and the present. Our marketplace thrives on this, with new releases of phones, technology continues to improve and we must have the latest. 

I've always enjoyed pastors and teachers that simply take the Word of God and read through it verse by verse and preach it. This way, you get the whole package of truth instead of wading through it and packaging it a certain way. Granted, those types of messages can be appealing at times. It is great to hear the Bible presented clearly. I'm all for that, but we also need to be a people that looks at every part. 

Lately, I've been reading through the Bible, one chapter at a time each day and taking notes. Thinking about this God that doesn't change. And yet reading chapters like Ezekiel that speak of his wrath on kingdoms that do their own thing and elevate themselves over him. Hard subjects at times, but I am reading them nevertheless, trying to understand what they mean and how they fit into the larger picture. 

Jeremiah 6:16, "The Lord says, "Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is, and walk in it."" We can look to the past to help plan out our present days. 

It is good to discover truths in the Bible that perhaps we have not seen before. It is also good to find truths that remind us of falsehood or falling away from our faith. On this sense it is good. But we need to be careful that we are not constantly on a hunt to find new ways of saying the same things that have been said before. 

Summary: There is novelty in preaching to encounter God's word and discover truths that we have not seen before. 

Promise: So often we think it takes courage to say something new, in our day, however, the truly courageous stand for what is true, regardless of its age. May we have the courage to proclaim the old truths of God's word as the only answer to the problems of this new era. 

Prayer: O God, your ways are perfect and true. You God know what we need and Your word is alive. Only today in reading from Ezekiel I discover truths of righteousness and sin and justice that I have never discovered before. Thank you for this discovery and the joy that reading your Word brings. Keep us alive to this preaching. But guard us into the feeling that we must invent new ways constantly. Help us to not do anything that distances the application of Your word and understanding of it. It is true we can find your truth in our world and what it values but it is also not hard to find clarity in your truth. We do not have to search for it by what the world offers. Give us wisdom. 

Galatians 3:24 - Law and Gospel

Galatians 3:24 - Therefore the Law has become our tutor [to lead us] to Christ, that we may be justified by faith. 

Message: Law and Gospel 

Time: Paul wrote to the churches in southern Galatia after having a hand in starting them on his first missionary journey to Asia Minor, making sure they were on the path of truth and not led off into deception. Paul wrote the book a few months before his attendance at the Jerusalem Council in AD 49.

What the Lord is Saying: This passage of scripture is a good reminder of the significance of the Law in leading us to Christ. The verse begins with "Therefore" so first we go back to earlier verses in this chapter. Chapter 3 starts with a call to "foolish Galatians" and Paul hearing among them that they are still focused on "the works of the Law" rather than by faith. He goes back to Abraham and shows his faith, "so Abraham believed God." But for his audience he communicates the purpose of the Law remarking that "no one is justified by the Law before God." He remarks that righteousness is not based upon law. 

Now, verse 24 makes more sense. "The Law has become our tutor." The Law shows us we are lost. Faith justifies us and saves us. 

The lesson here is it makes a difference in how we define the gospel. We are thankful in America that we have so many good places of teaching, but some areas are limited and don't have as many avenues for good learning. We need to be trained in this good teaching and go back to these good road maps for truth. 

Summary: The Law shows us we are lost. Through faith we are saved or justified.

Promise: We need both law and gospel to be equipped to know and serve the Lord. 

Prayer: Lord, thank you for your word. Thank you for truth. Lord, I pray that the truth of Your Gospel would shine forth and be clear to people. Help me to encourage this in others. Lord, be glorified. 

Isaiah 40:8 - Confident in the Truth

Isaiah 40:8 - The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever. 

Message: Confident in the Truth

Time: Isaiah, the prophet, the writer of this book, in Jerusalem. The year is 739-681 BC. Isaiah lived during the time of four Judaen kings and pronounced judgment on the people of Judah as they did not love their neighbors and serve God with humility, but offered meaningless sacrifices in temple. Isaiah asks them to return to Him. 

What the Lord is Saying: I continue to follow Tabletalk, to help act as a guide and direction for me in reading scriptures and studying them. After Tabletalk covers the lessons related to an issue, it often ends by compiling a set of lessons linking a teaching series by RC Sproul with devotions. Today's lesson starts with a reminder that we live today in a world that values 'relativism.' Relativism is the belief that there is no absolute truth. Personally, I think this came alive in the 90s with the Menendez brothers trial occurred and they got off murdering their parents because their parents misbehavior justified their killing of them. To me it chronicled this idea that each person gets to define their own truth based upon their environment they find themselves in, thus there is no absolute truth. 

This can make sharing the gospel then a challenge because of the idea that, "just because it is good for you doesn't mean that it is good for me." And so rather it seems today the only absolute truth is there are no absolutes that can be prescribed on every person. And yet our culture today in America does have absolutes now such as systemic racism and once a leader does something racist or abusive toward women, there is no forgiveness. So it seems like society or Satan really is coming against another key principle of the gospel: forgiveness. 

Yet God in His word is not wishy-washy. He had high expectations for the people of Israel and Judah. I have been reading a chapter a day since November in the Bible starting with Jeremiah and now in Ezekiel and in this time I am seeing a Lord God that hated idolatry and expects a people to be completely surrendered to Him. When they are, God is honored, but when they aren't, God will judge them. The secret is that God must be honored. And obviously this is not a great principle for man because man instead wants to be God. And so naturally society (Satan) will continue to seek to strip the ways of God from the way of the world. 

But as today's lesson is titled, we are to be confident and remain confident in the truth. Our church right now is having a series on evangelism and reaching our neighbors for Christ. It is interesting that we have to somehow manufacture this focus in our lives to share Christ with others. I find it odd in a way because as believers in Christ we should be bold and confident simply because of who Christ is in us (Acts 4:13 says, "As they observed the confidence of Peter and John..."). And yet Bobby and I hit the mall regularly to talk to people. In some ways we get out there and talk to people because we are trying to get our culture to re-align themselves to truth and in a way we need to remind them that there is a Gospel of Jesus Christ. And Paul also asked the church to encourage him to be bold in making the gospel known (Ephesians 6:18-20). The Old Testament lacks this, rather than it speaking of how we are to encourage one another to boldness, it seems to focus more on our direct commitment to God. But we live in a dark world and our minds and lives for that matter are like shifting sand. We get tossed to and from by this world and what it values as important. 

Today's verse is a great one, found in a book that I think is similar to Jeremiah and Ezekiel that speaks to a people that keep living life their own way. A people that was around almost 3,000 years ago and yet how they live is similar to how we live. And in the midst of this is a verse and word from God that says, "The Word of God will stand forever."  Life will shift, will ebb and flow, grass will wither, flowers fade, but God's word remains. Even in our day, what is important to people of the word is important now, but in 20 years it will be something different. But our lives and our message of live needs to remain confident in the truth of God and naturally then, with the help of the Spirit of God, we remain bold for Him. 

Summary: Life will shift, will ebb and flow, grass will wither, flowers fade, but God's word remains and we remain confident in the truth of God. 

Promise: Our confidence must be grounded in the Word of God itself, in our conviction that it is enduring and will always accomplish its purposes. 

Prayer: God, you are good, indeed so good and yes, your Word endures and stands forever. It remains the same and you remain true and you still deserve all of my praise and glory. Lord, thank you for the church and the refuge it is and the encouragement we have to remain strong in our faith and remain bold before You. Lord, help us as Your people to stay in community and stay engaged with our neighbors and with the people of God. Thank you for placing so many good people in our lives and the mission we have in this world. 

Acts 6:4 - Preaching and the Preacher's Task

Acts 6:4 - But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. 

Message: Preaching and the Preacher's Task

Time: Clearly written by Luke, this book follows the lives of Peter and then Paul after Jesus' ascension into heaven. The book was completed about 62 AD as Paul sat in prison. It provides an account of the growth of the Church and spread from Jerusalem, from a small group of frightened believers in Jerusalem transformed into an empire-wide movement of people who had committed their lives to Jesus Christ, and it should help us to be bold and have zeal in our walks with God.

What the Lord is Saying: I have previously in these lessons, for these 10th month of lessons that celebrate the 500th year of the Reformation back in 2017, been looking at the focus for this month of the sacraments. While others hold to many varied sacraments, the reformers believe that two sacraments reign supreme - the Lord's Supper and Baptism. I have taken my time in studying each of these. What is clear in the study of these is these sacraments need the Word of God to come alongside them. They need clear explanation and scripture to be spoken as they are performed to provide context and meaning to them, otherwise it is taking another meal or taking another washing of some sort. 

Reformers such as Martin Luther and John Calvin became popular as they spoke, but the focused their hearers not on themselves but rather the Word of God. They labored in their study of the word of God to speak many sermons and teach the Word of God to their congregations. As I have studied them and even looked at later teachers like Charles Spurgeon and then into the 20th century like Charles Swindoll and John MacArthur, it is clear that all of these teachers have an incredible zeal to preach the Word of God in multiple times and multiple ways, going over and over the teaching of God's word. In other words, it is clear that their most important task is to preach and teach. As today's verse mentions in Acts 6:4, "They were devoted....to the ministry of the word." 

And as they did this preaching their lives and ministries, more importantly, have been blessed. People in churches often want their pastors to assume a lot of different roles, but we should only really expect our pastors to preach and teach God's word to us. 

Summary: Sacraments must carry with them the study and preaching of God's Word. 

Promise: God's word tells us that the primary task of pastors is preaching and teaching, so that is what we should expect above all from our preachers. 

Prayer: O God, you are glorious and God and your ways are right and true. I am thankful for the good teachers of the Word that you have placed in my life. I am amazed at their many lessons and teachings of the Word of God. For me, I am most thankful for Norm Boshoff as you drew me into fellowship and then later Tom Nelson who amazed me of this love and devotion of Your Words and then his great communication of those words. Thank you God for using these men to bring further excitement and joy to me in reading Your Word. And thank you for my mom and her great devotion to You and that daily excitement she set before me to also have that joy and desire to study and read Your word and walk with you every day in every way. You have placed great people in My life and I am so thankful for this. 

Leviticus 7:11-15 - The Lord's Supper and Fellowship

Leviticus 7:11-15

11 ‘Now this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings which shall be presented to the Lord. 12 If he offers it by way of thanksgiving, then along with the sacrifice of thanksgiving he shall offer unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers spread with oil, and cakes of well stirred fine flour mixed with oil. 13 With the sacrifice of his peace offerings for thanksgiving, he shall present his offering with cakes of leavened bread. 14 Of this he shall present one of every offering as a contribution to the Lord; it shall belong to the priest who sprinkles the blood of the peace offerings.

15 ‘Now as for the flesh of the sacrifice of his thanksgiving peace offerings, it shall be eaten on the day of his offering; he shall not leave any of it over until morning.

Message: The Lord's Supper and Fellowship

Time: There is sufficient evidence that Moses penned Exodus and Leviticus including references to Leviticus by New Testament authors. Its name means "pertaining to the Levites" and its purpose was to instruct the Israelites on right living and proper worship. The most likely time for this is 1446 BC. The book communicates that receiving God’s forgiveness and acceptance should be followed by holy living and spiritual growth.

What the Lord is Saying: There has been disagreement among Roman Catholics and Protestants about the Lord's Supper. Some in the Roman Catholic church believe that the Lord's Supper is a propitiatory offering. But there is no support for this in scripture and instead one has to then say that this is an extra-biblical teaching. Propitiatory offering means:

The mass is said to be something more than a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving. It is properly a “propitiatory sacrifice” - that is, a sacrifice offered “for sins.” “The Sacrifice of the Mass is offered to God…to appease Him, make Him due satisfaction for our sins, and to help the souls in Purgatory, and hence it is called Propitiatory” (Catechism of St Pius X).

The Old Testament sacrifices are varied -- a few examples are peace offerings, thanksgiving offerings, burnt offerings. The Burnt offering is mentioned in Leviticus 1 "that he may be accepted before the Lord" (v. 2) and "to make atonement on his behalf (v. 4)". Thus, a propitiatory offering that foreshadowed the final wrath-satisfying atonement of Christ. In this offering the entire animal is offered to the Lord and none of the animal was eaten. 

Peace offerings however included eating of the animal. And the peace offering could also be a thanksgiving offering. This would bring a parallel then between the New Testament Lord's Supper and these offerings as in the Lord's Supper today we feed on the body and blood of Christ. 

Thus, like the peace offering and thanksgiving offering we are remembering the goodness of God for our redemption and offering up praise to Him of thanksgiving and worship. We eat of the animal or eat of unleavened cakes and wafers as today's passage mentions. And eat of the body and blood of Christ in today's Lord's Supper, and thus the parallel. Thus our fellowship with Christ is confirmed. 

Summary: The Lord's Supper is an offering to the Lord of thanksgiving, peace, and fellowship whereby we partake of the body and blood of Christ in remembrance of his goodness and redeeming us. 

Promise: From Tabletalk: We do not fellowship over food with our enemies but typically only with our friends and family. Christ invites all who believe in Him to His table. If we have faith in Him alone for salvation, then the eating and drinking signifies that we are at peace with Him and impresses the reality of this peace and fellowship on our souls.

Prayer: O Lord, thank you for the goodness of Your Word and the parallels between the Old and New Covenants and weaving it all together. May I be a person that continually remembers You and the Goodness of Your Sacrifice for me. Thank you for dying for me and granting me new and forever life in You. Help me to continue to celebrate and remember You as I engage in the Lord's Supper, thanking you for the union I have with You in Christ. Thank you for making the Lord's Supper distinct and special. 

I Corinthians 11:27-32 - The Lord's Supper and Examination

I Corinthians 11:27-32

27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.

Message: The Lord's Supper and Examination

Time: Not the first, but 2nd letter to Corinthians, but the first to survive and to be considered authoritative. Written in AD 55, it was penned after Paul had reports of quarreling in this church he had previously visited. Paul covers a number of subjects, but all focus on the Christian's life in the church.

What the Lord is Saying: In thinking and studying about the Lord's Supper, it seems that there is more to this observance or sacrament than meets the eye. I think we are tempted to think this is simply a duty and a duty that must be done to stay in good standing with God and the Church. But after further study, it is way more than this. Yes, it is about remembrance. But it is also about being united with Christ. Jesus desired to have this time with us and so He is with us in this time. God redeemed His people and this needs to be celebrated. It is also a means to proclaim what Christ has done and so in a way it is evangelistic. And yet there seems to be a supernatural meaning, like I studied last time, that by taking this I am feeding on Christ. Jesus is the Bread of Life, meaning He is my everything and when I am with Christ in this observance, I am receiving everything I need. 

The idea that there is more to this sacrament than meets the eye can be inferred in today's passage when Paul states that the Lord's supper needs to be done after self-examination for when it isn't done in this way then judgment happens to a person. Verse 30 states, "For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep." 

A quick example of this is found in Genesis 3:14 when "The Lord God said to the serpent, because you have done this, cursed are you..." Our actions can bring about a curse and so we do need to be careful about how the Lord's Supper occurs in our lives. 

In 1 Corinthians 11, starting in verse 17, Paul mentions hearing about divisions among people in the church and he says therefore that when they meet with these divisions, they are not to eat the Lord's Supper. And then in verse 27, remarks that taking of this must be done not "in an unworthy manner." There is consideration that must be made to our brother. This isn't a meal to fill hunger and Paul infers this by saying, "If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home (verse 34)." Thus, eating this is different. It is different than having a meal or eating food. And he mentions we need to "judge the body rightly." This is something to observe that commemorates what Christ has done for us on the cross in saving us, in redeeming mankind, in redeeming Me. Since I have been alive, churches have mentioned that therefore this is a sacrament that only the Saved are to take and receive. The unrepentant and un-regenerated sinner should not take this because they are not yet remembering a change of heart. And this should be done to remember that and to celebrate in our union with Christ. 

Thus, when we come to the Lord's table, we or "a man must examine himself." We need to be careful to state this Supper as ascribing only to Jesus. We use words to describe it and each person needs to be in prayer in not only thanking God but confessing that they are rightly receiving it and are changed because of Christ in their life. 

I am encouraged often in the Bible that I need to be careful. We need to be careful of our actions. We are to consider our ways. The world preaches this mantra of following one's heart and just doing what we want, but God tells us and reminds us that we need to be careful (Luke 8:18; Proverbs 13:3; Mark 4:24; Proverbs 4:23; Deuteronomy 8:11). 

Summary: In coming to have the Lord's Supper, examine oneself, treat this meal as different from other meals and if there is a problem, don't partake of it till it is cleared up. 

Promise: If we come to the Lord's Table confessing our sin and repenting for it, we may freely partake of the bread and wine.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for helping me see the importance of the Lord's Supper. It is not to be taken in a casual manner. It is a serious occasion to examine myself, but it is also a celebration that signifies my new life in Christ and what you have done for me; done that which I could not do on my own. So help me to encourage this, to encourage this in my life and others. Let it bring You glory and be done always for the right reason. Guard people in this in churches and throughout our land and world so that You are always honored Lord and Praise. 

John 6:22-59 - The Lord's Supper and Feeding on Christ

John 6:22-59 

54 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

Message: The Lord's Supper and Feeding on Christ

Time: Throughout church history, Christians have consistently attributed this gospel to Jesus' disciple John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee. John was one of the inner circle of Jesus' most trusted companions. It's most likely that John wrote his gospel while he was in Ephesus, and that he wrote it for an audience that lived outside Palestine, perhaps in Asia Minor. John appears to have had in mind members of a Jewish community who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but who had continued to worship in the synagogue. John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing he was to confirm the belief that Jesus was both the Christ and the Son of God.

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus repeatedly in this passage speaks, "I am the bread of life." In verse 51 he says, "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he shall live forever; and the bread also which I shall give for the life of the world is My flesh." These are strong words Jesus is proclaiming. Immediately I think of that Islam man I spoke to and how they only accept the book of Matthew. Naturally, they don't accept this text because it is so clear that we must surrender to Jesus and He is the only means to eternal life. 

These words Jesus is speaking were probably before any mention of the Lord's Supper. I would think there may be different interpretations of this text and its full meaning. 

Today's passage speaks of rather striking verses from Jesus. He says we are to eat His Flesh and drink His blood. Roman Catholics and Lutherans believe the bread and cup become the actual flesh of Jesus while Reformers do not believe Jesus' body can be present in more than one place at a time. 

So for me in reading this passage, I do believe Jesus is using these words to help us understand in a more physical and tangible manner the meaning of being joined with Him. As I read the Old Testament, there is much mention on duty. I know God wans His followers to trust Him and be surrendered before Him, but Jesus seems to take it a step further and speaks of a union with Christ we are to have. Jesus comes to earth all God. And he wants us to fully embrace Him with all of us. It is more than outward obedience but inner obedience and a complete life of surrender. God is not someone we simply hang on the wall, but we take Him in. He makes it clear to us, "I am the bread of life."  I am not simply a part of life for you, but I am what you need at every moment of each day. 

Bread and drink is something we need to survive. Jesus is saying you need Him to survive. True life is found in Him. And yes perhaps latter when he institutes the Lord's Supper this passage will bring greater meaning to us. So that as we take the bread and cup we are reminded of Him redeeming us and that we need Jesus not simply at a moment in our life but at every moment. We need Him throughout the day. As my body cramps and looks forward to food. I am to look forward to my time with Jesus. I am to desire that time with Him. He is my sustenance. 

I will be honest in saying I do not think I comprehend this yet. I do enjoy my moments with Him as I do enjoy my moments with my kids, friends, and Pamela so much. May I yearn for Him in an even greater way. Like the man sitting down on the floor as I walked in Heights as a young boy going to Potluck dinner and he was there looking at his Bible and singing with Joy in his Soul. He has always stuck in my mind for maybe for the first time I saw someone completely surrendered and in love with Jesus. And it struck me. 

Summary: Jesus is the Bread of Life. Like bread and wine (drink) I need to want him every moment of every day and I need Him to nourish me. 

Promise: When we take the supper in faith, we are communing with Christ and marked as those who will inherit eternal life. 

Prayer: O God, you are great. I thank you for these words from John and the great meaning of You being our sustenance and for me to be the same as food that I need each day many times during the day. You are my food and my bread and my drink. You have bore my sin and secured me with you forever in eternity. May I keep remembering this and as I take the Lord's Supper may it be an extra bit of joy and time of celebration as to what You have done for me.