Pastor's Sermon Notes - April 22, 2007

Harsh Words in a Smooth Season [footnote 1]
Amos 1:1-2

[1] The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa,
which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah,
and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel,
two years before the earthquake.
[2] And he said,
The Lord will roar from Zion,
and utter his voice from Jerusalem;
and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn,
and the top of Carmel shall wither.

Introduction:

prologue or superscription, perhaps the most complete in the prophets
Outline of Amos
Outline of sermon
Connection to our own day
Theme of the book = 4:12 - prepare to meet thy God


I. The Smooth Season of Amos (1:1)

1. The Identification of the Prophet (1:1a)
The words of Amos, who was among the herdmen of Tekoa

The words of Amos -
Jeremiah 1:1 - The words of Jeremiah the son of Hilkiah, of the priests that were in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin:
Deut. 1:1 - These be the words which Moses spake unto all Israel on this side Jordan in the wilderness, in the plain over against the Red sea, between Paran, and Tophel, and Laban, and Hazeroth, and Dizahab.
Isaiah 1:1 - The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.
Hosea 1:1 - The word of the Lord that came unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.
Nahum 1:1 - The burden of Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite.

herdmen -
2 Kings 3:4 - And Mesha king of Moab was a sheepmaster, and rendered unto the king of Israel an hundred thousand lambs, and an hundred thousand rams, with the wool.
Amos 7:14-15 - Then answered Amos, and said to Amaziah, I was no prophet, neither was I a prophet's son; but I was an herdman, and a gatherer of sycomore fruit: [15] And the Lord took me as I followed the flock, and the Lord said unto me, Go, prophesy unto my people Israel.

Tekoa -
2 Samuel 14:2 - And Joab sent to Tekoah, and fetched thence a wise woman, and said unto her, I pray thee, feign thyself to be a mourner, and put on now mourning apparel, and anoint not thyself with oil, but be as a woman that had a long time mourned for the dead:
Jeremiah 6:1 - O ye children of Benjamin, gather yourselves to flee out of the midst of Jerusalem, and blow the trumpet in Tekoa, and set up a sign of fire in Beth-haccerem: for evil appeareth out of the north, and great destruction.

2. The Times of the Prophet (1:1b-d)
which he saw concerning Israel in the days of Uzziah king of Judah,
and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel,
two years before the earthquake

Zech. 14:5 - And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the Lord my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.
2 Chronicles 26
[2 Kings 15:13 - Shallum the son of Jabesh began to reign in the nine and thirtieth year of Uzziah king of Judah; and he reigned a full month in Samaria.]
[2 Kings 15:30 - And Hoshea the son of Elah made a conspiracy against Pekah the son of Remaliah, and smote him, and slew him, and reigned in his stead, in the twentieth year of Jotham the son of Uzziah.]
Amos 7:10 - Then Amaziah the priest of Bethel sent to Jeroboam king of Israel, saying, Amos hath conspired against thee in the midst of the house of Israel: the land is not able to bear all his words.
Isaiah 29:6 - Thou shalt be visited of the Lord of hosts with thunder, and with earthquake, and great noise, with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire.
2 Kings 15:1-7 - In the twenty and seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel began Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah to reign. [2] Sixteen years old was he when he began to reign, and he reigned two and fifty years in Jerusalem. And his mother's name was Jecholiah of Jerusalem. [3] And he did that which was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father Amaziah had done; [4] Save that the high places were not removed: the people sacrificed and burnt incense still on the high places. [5] And the Lord smote the king, so that he was a leper unto the day of his death, and dwelt in a several house. And Jotham the king's son was over the house, judging the people of the land. [6] And the rest of the acts of Azariah, and all that he did, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Judah? [7] So Azariah slept with his fathers; and they buried him with his fathers in the city of David: and Jotham his son reigned in his stead.
2 Kings 14:23-29 - In the fifteenth year of Amaziah the son of Joash king of Judah Jeroboam the son of Joash king of Israel began to reign in Samaria, and reigned forty and one years. [24] And he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord: he departed not from all the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin. [25] He restored the coast of Israel from the entering of Hamath unto the sea of the plain, according to the word of the Lord God of Israel, which he spake by the hand of his servant Jonah, the son of Amittai, the prophet, which was of Gath-hepher. [26] For the Lord saw the affliction of Israel, that it was very bitter: for there was not any shut up, nor any left, nor any helper for Israel. [27] And the Lord said not that he would blot out the name of Israel from under heaven: but he saved them by the hand of Jeroboam the son of Joash. [28] Now the rest of the acts of Jeroboam, and all that he did, and his might, how he warred, and how he recovered Damascus, and Hamath, which belonged to Judah, for Israel, are they not written in the book of the chronicles of the kings of Israel? [29] And Jeroboam slept with his fathers, even with the kings of Israel; and Zachariah his son reigned in his stead.


II. The Harsh Words of Amos (1:2)

1. The Nature of the Judgment of God (1:2a)
And he said, The Lord will roar from Zion,
and utter his voice from Jerusalem;

The contrast between the shepherd (Amos) of vs. 1 and the lion (God) of vs. 2

The voice of the Lord - Gen. 3:8; 1 Kings 19:12 (Ps. 29:4; Is. 30:30); Mt. 3:17; 17:5; Jn. 12:28-29

The roar of the Lord -
Joel 3:16 - The Lord also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
Jeremiah 25:30-33 - Therefore prophesy thou against them all these words, and say unto them, The Lord shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from his holy habitation; he shall mightily roar upon his habitation; he shall give a shout, as they that tread the grapes, against all the inhabitants of the earth. [31] A noise shall come even to the ends of the earth; for the Lord hath a controversy with the nations, he will plead with all flesh; he will give them that are wicked to the sword, saith the Lord. [32] Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Behold, evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great whirlwind shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. [33] And the slain of the Lord shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
Isaiah 42:13 - The Lord shall go forth as a mighty man, he shall stir up jealousy like a man of war: he shall cry, yea, roar; he shall prevail against his enemies.
Hosea 11:10 - They shall walk after the Lord: he shall roar like a lion: when he shall roar, then the children shall tremble from the west. (cp. also Hosea 5:14; 13:7)
Rev. 10:3 - And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.

The shepherd and the lion -
1 Samuel 17:34-37 - And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock: [35] And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him. [36] Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God. [37] David said moreover, The Lord that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. And Saul said unto David, Go, and the Lord be with thee.

Cp. also Amos 3:3-8, 12; 8:11-12; 4:12

2. The Effect of the Judgment of God (1:2b)
and the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn,
and the top of Carmel shall wither

merism: "synecdoche in which totality is expressed by contrasting parts" (e.g. high and low, young and old), 1894, from Mod.L. merismus, from Gk. merismos "dividing, partition," from merizein "to divide," from meros "part." [footnote 2]

Amos 9:3 - And though they hide themselves in the top of Carmel, I will search and take them out thence; and though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them:

the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn -
Jeremiah 12:4 - How long shall the land mourn, and the herbs of every field wither, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein? the beasts are consumed, and the birds; because they said, He shall not see our last end.
Joel 1:18-19 - How do the beasts groan! the herds of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; yea, the flocks of sheep are made desolate. [19] O Lord, to thee will I cry: for the fire hath devoured the pastures of the wilderness, and the flame hath burned all the trees of the field.

Carmel -
1 Samuel 25:2 - And there was a man in Maon, whose possessions were in Carmel; and the man was very great, and he had three thousand sheep, and a thousand goats: and he was shearing his sheep in Carmel.
Isaiah 33:9 - The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.


Conclusion:

A "smooth season" may not be the safest time for the people of God!

The voice of the Lord may enter into our "smooth season" as the roar of a lion uttering "harsh words" when we are comfortable in our sin.

When our external circumstances appear unruffled and smooth, when need to be on our guard against stagnation and sin. We may find the Lord's perspective quite contrary to our own when we assume everything is going along smoothly. It may be otherwise in our relationship to the Lord!


Footnotes:

1. The Oxford Annotated Bible, The Holy Bible Revised Standard Version Containing the Old and New Testaments, eds. Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger (New York: Oxford University Press, 1962), pg. 1107.

2. "merism." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 21 Apr. 2007.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/merism>.

Pastor's Sermon Notes - April 8, 2007

A Resurrection Catechism
1 Corinthians 15:12-19

[12] Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,
how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?
[13] But if there be no resurrection of the dead,
then is Christ not risen:
[14] And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain,
and your faith is also vain.
[15] Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God;
because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ:
whom he raised not up,
if so be that the dead rise not.
[16] For if the dead rise not,
then is not Christ raised:
[17] And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain;
ye are yet in your sins.
[18] Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.
[19] If in this life only we have hope in Christ,
we are of all men most miserable.

Introduction:

Review the outline of 1 Cor. 15 - 1-11, 12-19, 20-28, 29-34, 35-50, 51-58
Many Easter messages are confined to the first section of this chapter.
We will be considering the second, verses 12-19.

This will probably be unlike any "Easter" message you have ever heard.
It involves reasoning from the resurrection, and reasoning to the resurrection.

You will notice the "if...then..." clauses that structure this section. Even in verses 12, 17 and 19 where the "then" is not expressed, it is implied and understood.
This requires the ability to reason - to think reasonably.

Faith is not a leap in the dark.
The place for logic must be appreciated - to think logically.

Faith and understanding are not mutually exclusive.

There is thus the need to catechize - to think catechetically.

We must ask questions and get answers.
Go to Scripture with questions. Ask and ye shall receive.
Go to God with your questions. Seek His answers in His Word.

Human hands abused, crucified and buried Christ. Now it is God alone in the tomb!

Grief, doubt and questioning consumed Christ’s disciples for three days.
And then...God’s power, God’s greatest miracle took place.

Yet even the empty tomb was not enough to convince all of them!
The question some came away from the empty tomb with was, "Who stole His corpse?"

Strangely, not long after this the Apostle Paul had to write to a church:
Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead,
how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? (1 Cor. 15:12)

There were serious issues at stake here, and they should have known better! Here is Paul’s response to this false teaching:
"I speak this to your shame..." (1 Cor. 15:34)
"Fool..." (1 Cor. 15:36)

We are not certain what created this situation. It may have been related to the issue we find Paul dealing with in 1 Th. 4:13-18 (and also in 1 Th. 5) that developed over a concern over the delay in Christ’s return, or confusion regarding those who were dying after His resurrection.

We have our own issues to contend with in these days due to those who would profess to be Christian leaders and teachers, and who would subtly deny the reality of the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb.

N. T. Wright (Anglican Bishop), and John Dominic Crossan (Jesus Seminar, Prof. Emeritus at DePaul University) debated this issue at the Greer-Heard Point-Counterpoint Forum held at the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (March 11, 2005). At one point in the debate Crossan denied that the empty tomb and the post-resurrection appearances of Christ were sufficient causes for the belief in the resurrection among those in the early Church. He said, "Something else is absolutely needed to make that leap of faith [to belief in a literal, bodily resurrection]....If you want to debate what has to be taken literally and what has to be taken metaphorically, it is a perfectly valid debate. But there is something else - the question of meaning....Those who disagree over the mode of the resurrection, whether literal or metaphorical, will find common ground in the area of meaning."1

Let our response to such shameful foolishness be clearly understood at the outset of our consideration:
1. Nothing else was needed!
2. Faith is not a "leap"!
3. There is no debate, and no validity to the supposition that the resurrection is debatable!
4. There is no "common ground"whatsoever "in the area of meaning" or elsewhere with those who deny the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

There are serious issues at stake, and they should have known better!
"I speak this to your shame..." (1 Cor. 15:34)
"Fool..." (1 Cor. 15:36)

Explain the empty tomb!

Frank Morrison tried to explain it away, and the result was his book Who Moved the Stone! Gen. Lew Wallace was another who attempted to disprove the literal, physical, bodily resurrection of Christ, and the result was his book Ben Hur!

Are you satisfied that you have explained away the empty tomb?

You shouldn’t be!

You’ve just begun!
Now explain over 500 eye-witnesses and their testimony to the literal, physical, bodily appearances of the risen Christ!

You have your work cut out for you, and the united faith of Christians over 2,000 years cries out that the burden of proof lies with any who would continue to deny the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ bodily from the dead in the face of such evidence and testimony!

Consider the testimony of Carl F. H. Henry on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ:

"Only the reality of the resurrection welded Jesus’ followers into a joyful community ready for a world task."2
"The resurrection of the crucified Jesus becomes in New Testament context the central historical reality upon which resurrection faith focuses."
"The New Testament portrays the resurrection of the crucified Jesus as a threshold event, one that inaugurates the new eschatological age and guarantees the future resurrection of mankind." "The force of physical death is experientially neutralized since the believer identifies himself with the historical death and resurrection of Christ who in his coming final victory will completely abolish physical death."3
"...in an age when Greek philosophy wholly excluded the bodily resurrection of mankind, and when even Jewish culture confined the hope of the resurrection to the future eschatological age, Jesus’ followers affirmed his third-day resurrection and staked their lives on its factuality."4

Now let us direct our attention to this passage of Scripture, and to questions which may be drawn from this passage. My prayer is that this will aid you to understand the inspired reasoning of the great Apostle concerning this fundamental of our faith.


Q. 1. What connection is there between the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the resurrection of all others?
A. There is a direct connection. They stand or fall together. A denial of either one of these realities necessarily involves a denial of the other.

[13] But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
[16] For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

Q. 2. What is the immediate consequence of denying the resurrection of the dead?
A. Christ is not risen.

[13] But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
[16] For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:

Q. 3. What are some of the secondary consequences of denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead?
A. Our preaching is vain, our faith is vain, we become false witnesses of God.

[14] And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.
[15] Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God

Q. 4. What connection is there between the preaching of the Gospel of the resurrected Christ, and our faith in that Gospel?
A. There is a direct connection. They stand or fall together. If one is empty, then so is the other. If one is futile, then so is the other. If one is meaningless, then so is the other.

[14] And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Q. 5. Why do we become false witnesses of God if Christ is not risen from the dead?
A. Because we testified concerning God that he raised up Christ from the dead, and that is not true if the dead will not be resurrected.

[15] Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.

Q. 6. What are some other secondary consequences of denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead?
A. We remain in our sins, and those Christians who are already dead died in their sins, and will remain in that condition.

[17] And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.
[18] Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.

Q. 7. What does it mean we are yet in our sins?
A. To remain in our sins means that we are unforgiven, unjustified, unredeemed, unreconciled, unpropitiated. It means we remain under the condemnation and wrath of God. It means that we remain bound to the power and penalty of our sins, our sin nature, and the eternal consequences of our sins at the final judgment of God.

The Heidelberg Catechism, Lord’s Day 17
Q45: What benefit do we receive from the "resurrection" of Christ?
A45: First, by His resurrection He has overcome death, that He might make us partakers of the righteousness which He has obtained for us by His death.[1] Second, by His power we are also now raised up to a new life.[2] Third, the resurrection of Christ is to us a sure pledge of our blessed resurrection.[3]
1. I Cor. 15:15, 17, 54-55; Rom. 4:25; I Peter 1:3-4, 21
2. Rom. 6:4; Col. 3:1-4; Eph. 2:5
3. I Cor. 15:12, 20-21; Rom. 8:11

Romans 4:25 - Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.
1 Peter 1:3-4 - Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you,
1 Peter 1:21 - Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.
Romans 6:4 - Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
Col. 3:1-4 - If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. [2] Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. [3] For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. [4] When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.
Ephes. 2:5 - Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)
Rom. 8:11 - But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

Q. 8. What is the final secondary consequence of denying the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead?
A. Our hope in Christ is limited to an illusion in this life, a temporary self-delusion without any benefit in eternity, and providing no benefits in the face of death and the judgment to come. As a result we are the most pitiful creatures on the face of the earth.

[19] If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.

Conclusion:

Two final questions:

Q. 1. Is this the last word?
A. No!

But now is Christ risen from the dead,
and become the firstfruits of them that slept. (1 Cor. 15:20)

Q. 2. What does this mean?
A. The dead shall rise!
Christ is risen!
Our preaching is not vain!
Our faith is not vain!
We are found true witnesses of God!
We are delivered from our sins!
Our hope in Christ transcends this life, and is secured in eternal glory!
We are of all men most to be envied, of all men most blessed, of all men most glorious!

Footnotes:

1. Gary D. Myers, "Tom Wright Debates The Resurrection", The Banner of Truth (June 23, 2005); http://www.banneroftruth.org/pages/articles/article_detail.php?806.

2. Carl F. H. Henry, God, Revelation and Authority, Vol. IV, God Who Speaks and Shows, Fifteen Theses, Part Three (Waco, TX: Word Books, Publisher, 1979), pg. 29.

3. Op. cit., Vol. V, God Who Stands and Stays, Part One (1982), pg. 80.

4. Op. cit., pg. 408.

Matthew Bible Study: Matthew 5:17-20

This Wednesday, June 20, we will be discussing Matthew 5:17-20. You have had two weeks to study and prepare for this Wednesday so I expect good observations and thoughts! I hope you have not "slacked off," but rather you have taken "full advantage" of this opportunity to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ!

Having already covered a Christian's character (Matthew 5:1-12), and a Christian's influence (Matthew 5:13-16), we now move on to Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament (Matthew 5:17-20).

Here are some initial thoughts and observations to help you prepare for Wednesday.

1. Keep in mind "law" and "prophets" refer to the entire Old Testament.

2. Notice the progression in the text from third person (5:1-10), second person (5:11-16), to first person (5:17ff). What is the significance of this progression?

3. Notice the antithesis between "abolish" and "fulfill." Take time now to consider how Christ "fulfills" the Old Testament?

4. What connection is there between Matthew 3:15 and Matthew 5:17?

5. How do you think the original hearers felt upon hearing Christ statement of "unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven?"

6. What is the relation between Christ's fulfilling of the Old Testament and Kingdom of Heaven?

Andrew Manwarren

Pastor's Sermon Notes: The Exclusivism of Christianity: So Great Salvation (Hebrews 2:1-4)

The Exclusivism of Christianity: So Great Salvation
Hebrews 2:1-4

[1] Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard,
lest at any time we should let them slip.
[2] For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast,
and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward;
[3] How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation;
which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord,
and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;
[4] God also bearing them witness, both with signs and wonders,
and with divers miracles, and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will?

Introduction:

We have spoken recently of the walls of the Holy City and connected those walls to the safety and security of the ancient city, and by way of application of the exclusivism of the Church, and the need for exclusion in the Christian’s life.

D. A. Carson refers to three representative passages of Scripture, and he insists that it is impossible to read them without recognizing that, "...certain beliefs were viewed as nonnegotiable. Outside those beliefs there was no salvation." [footnote 1] In the history of the Church, it has never been more important that we understand this. Today I would like to direct your attention to one of those passages by way of reminder. It is critical that we never let slip what we receive here.

Years ago I preached through the book of Hebrews from this pulpit. Today I would come back once again to this great book. I thank God for the book of Hebrews, for its wonder of its truth, and the awesomeness of its power. I make no apology for returning to it again, when there is so much more in Scripture. There is so much more in this book! There is so much more in Romans! We could spend our lives in either one of them, and not exhaust what is there for us!

We need once again to peel the onion from the inside out - so great salvation (3)

Transition: Where do we look to see the greatness of God’s salvation?

I. The Communication of God’s Great Salvation (3-4)

1. The Revelation of God’s Great Salvation
spoken by the Lord (3)

2. The Confirmation of God’s Great Salvation
confirmed unto us by them that heard him (3)

3. The Verification of God’s Great Salvation
God also bearing them witness,
both with signs and wonders, and with divers miracles,
and gifts of the Holy Ghost, according to his own will (4)

Transition: Another aspect of the greatness of the salvation referred to here may be seen in the way it embraces the entire span of Biblical history. Get your arms around this!

II. The Description of God’s Great Salvation (5-17)

1. The Greatness of Salvation in the Past (3-17)

1) The Objects of Salvation - Creation (5-7)

The great question of Psalm 8 - The wonder of who we are to God

2) The Captain of Salvation (9-17)

Incarnation (9-10, 14, 17)
Crucifixion (9-14)
Resurrection and Ascension (9, 13)

3) The Revelation of Salvation (3-4)

The greatness of God’s gracious truth granted to men

2. The Greatness of Salvation in the Present (8-18)

What we don’t see (8) - Everything is not in subjection to Him yet - but it will be!
What we do see (9) - Jesus! Crowned! With Glory and Honor!
Where we are being brought to (10) - Glory!
What is happening to us along the way (11) - We are being sanctified by Christ
We are being ministered to by Christ (18)

3. The Greatness of Salvation in the Future (5-17)

Subjection - Everything will be in subjection to Him in the world to come (5, 8)
Destruction - The Destruction of Satan (14)
Reconciliation - The complete deliverance of His people (15, 17)
Glorification - Glory (10)
Transition: There is another aspect of God’s salvation wherein its greatness may be seen.

III. The Obligation of God’s Great Salvation (1, 3)

The greatness of the salvation brings with it a commensurate greatness in the penalty for neglecting it! This great salvation cannot be taken lightly! It will never leave you untouched or unaffected!

Get your arms around this! It is part of the message!

1. This Obligation Demands our Undivided Attention

Take heed! Take earnest heed! Take more earnest heed! (1)

2. This Obligation Insists on our Faithful Perseverance

Don’t let what you have heard slip! (1)

3. This Obligation Requires our Constant Carefulness

Don’t neglect so great salvation! (3)

4. This Obligation Presents our Only Alternative

There is no escape! (3)

Conclusion:

How great does this salvation appear to you?

Have you really attempted to embrace it, to get your arms around it?

Has it embraced you? Have you felt the greatness of this salvation in the depths of your soul, in the core of your being, in the very fiber of your existence?

Footnote 1:
Donald A. Carson, The Gagging of God: Christianity Confronts Pluralism (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), pg. 357. The other two passages that Carson mentions besides Heb. 2:1-2 are Galatians 1:8-9 and 1 John 2:22.

[Sermon preached 1 APR 2007 by Pastor John T. "Jack" Jeffery at Wayside Gospel Chapel, Greentown, PA]

Pastor's Sermon Notes - March 25, 2007

The City of God, The Church of God,

and the Child of God

Revelation 21:9-14 (21:9-22:5)

[9] And there came unto me one of the seven angels

which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues,

and talked with me, saying,

Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.

[10] And he carried me away in the spirit

to a great and high mountain,
and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem,

descending out of heaven from God,
[11] Having the glory of God:

and her light was like unto a stone most precious,
even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal;
[12] And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates,

and at the gates twelve angels,
and names written thereon,

which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel:
[13] On the east three gates; on the north three gates;
on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.
[14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations,
and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

Introduction:

The Characteristics of Cities in the Ancient World

The Different Characteristics of Modern Cities - e.g., the need for "star wars" defenses today

Outline:
1. The Holy City is a walled City.
2. The Holy City is a gated City.
3. The Holy City is a City with foundations.


I. The Holy City is a walled City.

[12] And had a wall great and high...[15] And he that talked with me had a golden reed to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. [16] And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. [17] And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. [18] And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass.

1. The Walls of the City of God

What purpose do walls serve?

Security - walls provide a barrier between you and the enemy

There is exclusion. (John F. Walvoord - “an obvious symbol of exclusion”?!?!)

“The mention of a wall is not to suggest the necessity of security precautions in the eternal state....The wall is simply part of the description of an ideal city as conceived by ancient peoples accustomed to the security of strong outer walls.”

(Note 31: “For the wall as a metaphor of security see Isa 26:1; Zech. 2:5.”)

Robert H. Mounce, pp. 378-379

“On the gates of the city are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and on the foundations the names of the twelve apostles. Just as Paul’s use of the olive tree symbolizes the joining of Jew and Gentile in the plan of God, so John’s use of the one wall around the holy city (21:12) illustrates the oneness of the people of God in its highest and most spiritual sense.”

Isaiah 26:1 - In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah; We have a strong city; salvation will God appoint for walls and bulwarks.

Zech. 2:5 - For I, saith the Lord, will be unto her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

Isaiah 62:6 - I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace day nor night: ye that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence

Also:

Leviticus 25:31 - But the houses of the villages which have no wall round about them shall be counted as the fields of the country: they may be redeemed, and they shall go out in the jubile.
Deut. 28:52 - And he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls come down, wherein thou trustedst, throughout all thy land: and he shall besiege thee in all thy gates throughout all thy land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee.
Joshua 6:5 - And it shall come to pass, that when they make a long blast with the ram's horn, and when ye hear the sound of the trumpet, all the people shall shout with a great shout; and the wall of the city shall fall down flat, and the people shall ascend up every man straight before him.
Joshua 6:20 - So the people shouted when the priests blew with the trumpets: and it came to pass, when the people heard the sound of the trumpet, and the people shouted with a great shout, that the wall fell down flat, so that the people went up into the city, every man straight before him, and they took the city.
2 Kings 14:13 - And Jehoash king of Israel took Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Jehoash the son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh, and came to Jerusalem, and brake down the wall of Jerusalem from the gate of Ephraim unto the corner gate, four hundred cubits.
Psalm 51:18 - Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
Psalm 89:40 - Thou hast broken down all his hedges; thou hast brought his strong holds to ruin.
Proverbs 18:11 - The rich man's wealth is his strong city, and as an high wall in his own conceit.
Proverbs 25:28 - He that hath no rule over his own spirit is like a city that is broken down, and without walls.
Isaiah 49:16 - Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
Isaiah 60:10 - And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee.
Isaiah 60:18 - Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders; but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.
Ezekiel 42:20 - He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place.

2. The Walls of the Church of God

The Church has walls!

There must be exclusion!

The Discipline of the Church of God - binding

The Keys of the Kingdom - Mt. 16:19 (13-20) - And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

This is one of the essential Marks of the Church!

3. The Walls of the Child of God

The Christian must have walls

there must be exclusion in the Christian life

the discipline of the Child of God

Defensive weapons - Eph. 6:10-18
The Lord
The Power of His might
The Whole armor of God -
1) truth
2) righteousness
3) preparation of the Gospel of Peace
4) faith
5) salvation
6) Word of God
7) prayer


II. The Holy City is a gated City.

[12] And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: [13] On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates....[21] And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.

1. The Gates of the City of God

What purpose do gates serve?

Controlled access points

There is inclusion.

Ezekiel 48:30-35 - [30] And these are the goings out of the city on the north side, four thousand and five hundred measures. [31] And the gates of the city shall be after the names of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. [32] And at the east side four thousand and five hundred: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. [33] And at the south side four thousand and five hundred measures: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. [34] At the west side four thousand and five hundred, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. [35] It was round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The Lord is there.

Who is included?

Who is allowed to enter the gates?

[25] And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. [26] And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. [27] And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life.

Also:
Genesis 22:17 - That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the sea shore; and thy seed shall possess the gate of his enemies;
Psalm 24:7 - Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psalm 24:9 - Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.
Psalm 87:2 - The Lord loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob.
Psalm 100:4 - Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
Psalm 118:19-20 - Open to me the gates of righteousness: I will go into them, and I will praise the Lord: [20] This gate of the Lord, into which the righteous shall enter.
Psalm 122:2 - Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem.
Psalm 147:13 - For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.
Proverbs 8:3 - She crieth at the gates, at the entry of the city, at the coming in at the doors.
Proverbs 8:34 - Blessed is the man that heareth me, watching daily at my gates, waiting at the posts of my doors.

2. The Gates of the Church of God

The Church has gates!

There must be inclusion!

The membership of the Church of God - loosing

The Keys of the Kingdom - Mt. 16:19 (13-20) - And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

The preaching of the Gospel

3. The Gates of the Child of God

The Christian has gates! (e.g., eyes and ears)

There must be inclusion in the Christian life

The influences on the Child of God


III. The Holy City is a City with foundations.

[14] And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb....[19] And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, an emerald; [20] The fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst.

1. The Foundations of the City of God

What purpose do foundations serve?

It shall not be moved!

There is a basis.

Eph. 2:20 - And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone;

Heb. 11:10 - For he looked for a city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.

2. The Foundations of the Church of God

The Church has foundations

The bases for the Church of God

3. The Foundations of the Child of God

The Child of God has foundations

The Root and Ground of the settled child of God

Pastor's Sermon Notes - March 11, 2007

The Three Mountains of Moses:
Sinai, Pisgah and Transfiguration -
The Mountains of Law, Vision and Glory

Introduction:

I have a thing about mountains. It is as if they call to me. I have to get to the top to see what can be viewed from there, and then I wear my legs out getting to the next one. From Dutch Mountain to Mount Minsi, from Smoky Mountain to Hawk Mountain, the steeper and more rugged the terrain the better I like it. I can't stay away from them for long. I have a thing about mountains.

Geography plays a role in how we think about Scripture, and in how we think about life.

Consider the many Mountains and Valleys in Scripture, and the role that they play in Biblical history.

The Valleys of Eschol, Achor, Jericho, Hinnom, Jezreel, Elah, Rephaim, Megiddo, salt, Succoth, Jehoshaphat, etc.

The Mountain of Horeb, Ebal, Gerizim, Hermon, Ephraim, Tabor, Bethel, Moriah, Hor, Nebo, Carmel, Olives (Olivet)

Consider also the Mountains and Valleys in Life, the high points and low points of our experience. Can you think for a moment of those times in your walk with the Lord that you would characterize as mountain top experiences? Have you spent time in the valleys of life? They help us to appreciate at the mountains, don't they?

God has a thing about the geography of His creation:

1 Kings 20:28 - And there came a man of God, and spake unto the king of Israel, and said, Thus saith the Lord, Because the Syrians have said, The Lord is God of the hills, but he is not God of the valleys, therefore will I deliver all this great multitude into thine hand, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.

Psalm 23:4 - Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Isaiah 40:4 - Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain: [cited in Luke 3:5, and included in Handel's "Messiah"]

Jeremiah 48:8 - And the spoiler shall come upon every city, and no city shall escape: the valley also shall perish, and the plain shall be destroyed, as the Lord hath spoken.

Jeremiah 49:4 - Wherefore gloriest thou in the valleys, thy flowing valley, O backsliding daughter? that trusted in her treasures, saying, Who shall come unto me?

Ezekiel 6:3 (also 36:4, 6) - And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God; Thus saith the Lord God to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.

Joel 3:14 - Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision.

Zech. 14:4 - And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.

Psalm 36:6 - Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast.

Psalm 72:3 - The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

Psalm 87:1 - His foundation is in the holy mountains.

Micah 4:2 - And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

Zech. 8:3 - Thus saith the Lord; I am returned unto Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called a city of truth; and the mountain of the Lord of hosts the holy mountain.

John 4:20-21 - Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father.

Rev. 21:10 - And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God,

Christ spent time on the mountains. It was a place of retreat, ministry and worship for Him:

Matthew 5:1 - And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: (Thus begins what we now call, The Sermon on the Mount)

Matthew 14:23 - And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

Matthew 15:29 - And Jesus departed from thence, and came nigh unto the sea of Galilee; and went up into a mountain, and sat down there.

Moses was with God on three mountains in Scripture. I am not aware of any others that he may have been on, but these three are significant for Biblical history, and for lessons that we can learn from Moses' experiences with God on these mountains.

Outline:
I. The First Mountain - Sinai - The Mountain of Law (Ex. 19:20)
II. The Second Mountain - Pisgah - The Mountain of Vision (Dt. 34:1)
III. The Third Mountain - Transfiguration - The Mountain of Glory (Mt. 17:1-3)


I. The First Mountain - Sinai - The Mountain of Law - Ex. 19-34 (19:20)

And the Lord came down upon mount Sinai,on the top of the mount:
and the Lord called Moses up to the top of the mount;
and Moses went up.

This Mountain is where we learn of the Fear of God!

Consider the distinctive unapproachableness of Mt. Sinai in Exodus 19.

Moses was alone on Mt. Sinai with God.

II. The Second Mountain - Pisgah - The Mountain of Vision - Deut. 3:23-28; 34:1-8 (34:1)

And Moses went up from the plains of Moab

unto the mountain of Nebo,
to the top of Pisgah,

that is over against Jericho.

This Mountain is where we may view the Promise of God!

Just as on Mt. Sinai, Moses was alone with God on Mt. Pisgah.

The reason for the vision from Mt. Pisgah - The answer to the question concerning why Moses could not enter the land may be found in Num. 20:1-13; and Deut. 3:23-28.

Pisgah was the end of the road for Moses.

Why would someone die in the Land of the Law short of the Promised Land?

The Mediator of the Law will never get you across that River!

Moses was buried in a valley, not on the mountain - Deut. 34:6 -

And he buried him in a valley in the land of Moab, over against Beth-peor: but no man knoweth of his sepulchre unto this day.

In this life we get a foretaste of Glory, we groan and travail for the deliverance to the Eternal Promised Land, we fill our eyes, our minds, our spirits with the vision extended to us on the high places of the Word of God!

Pisgah has been an inspiration for hymnwriters for centuries.

“Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!
May I thy consolation share,
Till, from Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
I view my home and take my flight:”

From: "Sweet Hour of Prayer,"
by William Walford (1845)

This hymn first appeared in The New York Observer, September 13, 1845, accompanied by the following, by Thomas Salmon:

“During my residence at Coleshill, Warwickshire, England, I became acquainted with W. W. Walford, the blind preacher, a man of obscure birth and connections and no education, but of strong mind and most retentive memory. In the pulpit he never failed to select a lesson well adapted to his subject, giving chapter and verse with unerring precision and scarcely ever misplacing a word in his repetition of the Psalms, every part of the New Testament, the prophecies, and some of the histories, so as to have the reputation of “knowing the whole Bible by heart.” He actually sat in the chimney corner, employing his mind in composing a sermon or two for Sabbath delivery, and his hands in cutting, shaping and polishing bones for shoe horns and other little useful implements. At intervals he attempted poetry. On one occasion, paying him a visit, he repeated two or three pieces which he had composed, and having no friend at home to commit them to paper, he had laid them up in the storehouse within. “How will this do?” asked he, as he repeated the following lines, with a complacent smile touched with some light lines of fear lest he subject himself to criticism. I rapidly copied the lines with my pencil, as he uttered them, and sent them for insertion in the Observer, if you should think them worthy of preservation.”

“Thou art a cooling fountain in life’s dry, dreary sand;
From thee, like Pisgah’s mountain, we view our promised land.”

From: "O Day of Rest and Gladness,"
by Christopher Wordsworth (1862)

“Could we but climb where Moses stood,
And view the landscape o’er,
Not Jordan’s stream, nor death’s cold flood,
Should fright us from the shore.”

From: "There is a Land of Pure Delight,"
by Isaac Watts

“I’ve been on Mount Pisgah’s lofty height,
And I’ve satisfied my longing heart’s desire;
For I caught a glimpse of glory bright,
And my soul is burning with the fire.

Refrain:
O the fire is burning, yes, ’tis brightly burning,
O ’tis burning, burning in my soul;
O the fire is burning, yes, ’tis brightly burning,
O ’tis burning, burning in my soul.”

From: "The Fire Is Burning,"
by Johnson Oatman, Jr. (1856-1922)

III. The Third Mountain - Transfiguration - The Mountain of Glory - Mt. 16:28-17:1-9 (17:1-3); Mk. 9:1-10; Lk. 9:27-36

And after six days Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John his brother,
and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
And was transfigured before them:

and his face did shine as the sun,
and his raiment was white as the light.
And, behold,

there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

This Mountain is where we learn of the Glory of God!

2 Peter 1:16-18 - [16] For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty. [17] For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. [18] And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

Now Moses is not alone!

He has company on this mountain, and they are carrying on a conversation. What are they talking about? If you would like to know read Luke 9:31! Don't you wish you could have listened in on that conversation?

Can you see Moses there on that mountain? First he is there, and then he is not!

Now there is only One there! And the Father commanded the Apostles to hear His beloved Son.

Can you hear Him? Can you hear only Him?


Conclusion:

We cannot meet God at Mt. Sinai as Moses did.
Even the children of Israel could not approach that mountain at that time.

We were not party to the vision that God showed Moses from the top of Mt. Pisgah. The vision of our inheritance comes from elsewhere!

We were not there on the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter, James and John saw Moses and Elijah talking with Christ.

There is a mountain for you! God has a mountain for you! And it is called Zion! We have come to Mt. Zion!

Psalm 48:2 - Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King.

Psalm 125:1 - They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

Isaiah 24:23 - Then the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when the Lord of hosts shall reign in mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before his ancients gloriously.

Joel 2:32 - And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the Lord hath said, and in the remnant whom the Lord shall call.

Obadiah 1:17 - But upon mount Zion shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their possessions.

Rev. 14:1 - And I looked, and, lo, a Lamb stood on the mount Sion, and with him an hundred forty and four thousand, having his Father's name written in their foreheads.

And Mt. Zion is where we have come to Jesus!

For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more: (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart: And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:) But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.
[Hebrews 12:18-24]

God has a thing about mountains.

Pastor's Sermon Notes - March 4, 2007

Surprised by the Unexpected!
(The Gospel of the Doubters)

Introduction:

What frame of mind do we find ourselves in, how is our faith:
When God breaks out of the box we have put Him in!
When God shakes our world to its core!
When God turns our world upside down!

There are three examples of this happening in the Gospels.

In each of these three examples there is a common thread.

The common thread is that they were "Surprised by the Unexpected!"

What happened to each of these three men may be experienced by you and I.

Let us not for one moment think that we are above them and their experiences!

These accounts are recorded in Scripture for good reason - by God - for us!

There may be "good news" for us when we question the Lord, when we deny Him, or when we refuse to believe in Him. Perhaps we may refer to this is "the Gospel of the Doubters!"

Outline:
I. The Questions of John the Baptist - Mt. 11:2
II. The Denials of Peter - Mk. 14:68-71
III. The Refusals of Thomas - Jn. 20:25

In each case we will consider the nature of the doubt expressed, and what it implies for us.
Then we will examine Christ’s response to the doubter, and what we can learn from that response.

The Right Must Win [footnote 1]
by Frederick William Faber (1814-63)

OH, it is hard to work for God,
To rise and take his part
Upon this battle-field of earth,
And not sometimes lose heart!

He hides himself so wondrously,
As though there were no God;
He is least seen when all the powers
Of ill are most abroad.

Or he deserts us at the hour
The fight is all but lost;
And seems to leave us to ourselves
Just when we need him most.

Ill masters good; good seems to change
To ill with greatest ease;
And, worst of all, the good with good
Is at cross-purposes.

Ah! God is other than we think;
His ways are far above,
Far beyond reason's height, and reach'd
Only by childlike love.

Workman of God! Oh, lose not heart,
But learn what God is like;
And in the darkest battle-field
Thou shalt know where to strike.

Thrice bless'd is he to whom is given
The instinct that can tell
That God is on the field when he
Is most invisible.

Bless'd, too, is he who can divine
Where real right doth lie,
And dares to take the side that seems
Wrong to man's blindfold eye.

For right is right, since God is God;
And right the day must win;
To doubt would be disloyalty,
To falter would be sin.

I. The Questions of John the Baptist - Mt. 11:3

Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another?

Context: Mt. 11:2-19; Lk. 7:18-35

Consider also what we know about John the Baptist from the early chapters of the Gospels as to his character, and the type of man that he was!

1. A Consideration of John the Baptist’s Questions

What was Jesus doing during His life and ministry here on this earth?
If He is who He says He is, and who I thought He is, then why isn’t He...?

The Mighty Baptist becomes the Deathrow Questioner! [footnote 2]

1) We Question Who He Is!

2) We Doubt God’s Hand In Events Based On Our Preconceptions Of What He Should Be Doing!

What effect does it have on us:
When God breaks out of the box we have put Him in?
When God shakes our world to its core?
When God turns our world upside down?

2. An Examination of Christ’s Response to John the Baptist’s Questions

Mt. 11:4-6 - Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: [5] The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. [6] And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. [footnote 3]

1) A Reminder From the Lord - Scripture!

Is. 35:5-6 - Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. [6] Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert.

Isaiah 61:1-3 - The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; [2] To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; [3] To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.

This was no simple answer. But it was the Scripture answer!

2) The Testimony of the Lord - His works!

and the significance of John the Baptist!

Mt. 11:7-19; Lk. 7:24-35

"As the strongest faith may be shaken, so the weakest, where truth is, is so far rooted that it will prevail. Weakness with watchfulness will stand, when strength with too much confidence fails. Weakness, with acknowledgement of it, is the fittest seat and subject for God to perfect His strength in; for consciousness of our infirmities drives us out of ourselves to Him in whom our strength lies."
—Richard Sibbes

Take your doubts and your questions to Jesus! Look to Him for answers!

II. The Denials of Peter - Mk. 14:68-71

But he denied, saying, I know not,

neither understand I what thou sayest....
And he denied it again....
But he began to curse and to swear, saying,

I know not this man of whom ye speak.

Context: Mt. 26:57-75; Mk. 14:53-72; Lk. 22:54-62; Jn. 18:13-27

Compare also the prophecy concerning Peter's denials in Mt. 26:30-35; Mk. 14:26-31; Lk. 22:31-34; Jn. 13:36-38

1. A Consideration of Peter’s Denials

What was Jesus doing allowing Himself to be arrested and abused at the hands of these politicians and religious hypocrites?

Why would He...?

The Great Apostle becomes the Sorrowful Denier!

1) We Deny Our Relationship to the Lord!

2) We Fail to Respond to the World (or, Accusers) Based on our Union with Christ!

2. An Examination of Christ’s Response to Peter’s Denials

The Prayer and the Command - Lk. 22:31-32 - And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: [32] But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

The Look - Lk. 22:61 - And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice.

The Visit - 1 Cor. 15:5 - And that he was seen of Cephas

The 3-fold reversal of the denials on the shoreline - Jn. 21:1-19 - [17] He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. [18] Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not. [19] This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.

1) A Restoration By The Lord

2) The Tenderness of the Lord

What effect does it have on us:
When God breaks out of the box we have put Him in?
When God shakes our world to its core?
When God turns our world upside down?

"How many, alas, of the precious saints of God must we shut out from being believers, if there is no faith but what amounts to assurance.... shall we say their faith went away in the departure of their assurance? How oft then in a year may a believer be no believer? even as often as God withdraws and leaves the creature in the dark. Assurance is like the sun-flower, which opens with the day and shuts with the night. It follows the motion of God's face; if that looks smilingly on the soul, it lives; if that frowns or hides itself, it dies. But faith is a plant that can grow in the shade, a grace that can find the way to heaven in a dark night. It can "walk in darkness, and yet trust in the name of the Lord."
—William Gurnall

III. The Refusals of Thomas - Jn. 20:25

Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,
and put my finger into the print of the nails,
and thrust my hand into his side,
I will not believe.

Context: Jn. 20:24-29

1. A Consideration of Thomas’ Refusals

What was Jesus doing lying there in that tomb?
Out of the Tomb? He can’t do that!
Where is He?

The Awol Apostle becomes the Insistent Skeptic!

1) We Question The Completeness Of His Victory!

2) We Refuse To Accept The Eyewitness Testimony He Provides!

What effect does it have on us:
When God breaks out of the box we have put Him in?
When God shakes our world to its core?
When God turns our world upside down?

"Despite our best effort to keep him out, God intrudes.
The life of Jesus is bracketed by two impossibilities:
a virgin’s womb and an empty tomb.
Jesus entered through a door marked "No entrance"
and left through a door marked "No exit."
–Peter Larson, Prism (Jan./Feb. 2001)

2. An Examination of Christ’s Response to Thomas’ Refusals

John 20:26-29 - And after eight days again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them: then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. [27] Then saith he to Thomas, reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. [28] And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord and my God. [29] Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed.

1) A Response From The Lord

2) The Touch Of The Lord

"Reality, in fact, is always something you couldn't have guessed.
That's one of the reasons I believe Christianity.
It's a religion you couldn't have guessed."
–C. S. Lewis, The Case for Christianity

"Where reason cannot wade there faith may swim. "
—Thomas Watson

"It is the nature of faith to believe God upon His bare word....
It will not be, saith sense;
it cannot be, saith reason;
it both can and will be, saith faith, for I have a promise."
—John Trapp

"We walk by faith, and not by sight;

And, blessed saint, like thee,

We sometimes doubt if faith tells right,

Because we cannot see.
Upon the promise we would lean

Thy doubting heart received;

Blessed are they that have not seen,

And that have yet believed."
– John M. Neale, "We Have Not Seen, We Cannot See",

in Hymns for Children, third series (1846)


Conclusion:

The Gospel of the Doubters is that you are wrong - and, YES, God CAN do that!

Lord, my weak thought in vain would climb

To search the starry vault profound;

In vain would wing her flight sublime

To find creation’s utmost bound.

But weaker yet that thought must prove

To search Thy great eternal plan,

Thy sovereign counsels, born of love

Long ages ere the world began.

When my dim reason would demand

Why that, or this, Thou dost ordain,

By some vast deep I seem to stand,

Whose secrets I must ask in vain.

When doubts disturb my troubled breast,

And all is dark as night to me,

Here, as on solid rock,

I rest—That so it seemeth good to Thee.

Be this my joy, that evermore

Thou rulest all things at Thy will;

Thy sovereign wisdom I adore,

And calmly, sweetly, trust Thee still.

–Ray Palmer, 1888

Footnote 1:

Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. A Victorian Anthology, 1837-1895
(Cambridge: Riverside Press, 1895; New York: Bartleby.com, 2001, http://www.bartleby.com/246/)

Footnote 2:

In this I am agreeing with Tertullian, Edersheim, and Hendricksen, et al. and disagreeing with Hilary, Chrysostom, Theophylact, Augustine, and Ryle, et al., that the questions were indeed those of John the Baptist, and not just asked on behalf of some doubting disciples of his. For the opposing viewpoint see John Charles Ryle, Expository Thoughts on the Gospels (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, n.d.), Vol. 2: Luke 1-10, pp. 214-219. However, I would especially direct attention to the following from Alfred Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah, One-volume ed. (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., n.d.), III:666-668 -

"We are in the spirit by the mount of God, and about to witness the breaking of a terrible storm. It is one that uproots the great trees and rends the rocks; and we shall watch it solemnly, earnestly, as with bared head - or, like Elijah, with face wrapt in mantle....Strange as it may seem, it was, perhaps, better for the Baptist when he was alone. Much as his disciples honoured and loved him, and truly zealous and jealous for him as they were, it was best when they were absent. There are times when affection only pains, by forcing on our notice inability to understand, and adding to our sorrow that of feeling our inmost being a stranger to those nearest, and who love us must [sic]. Then, indeed, is a man alone. It was so with the Baptist....And yet further and more terrible questions rose in that dark dungeon. Like serpents that crept out of its walls, they would uncoil and raise their heads with horrible hissing. What if, after all, there had been some terrible mistake on his part? At any rate the logic of events was against him....It must have been a terrible hour, and the power of darkness. At the end of one's life, and that of such self-denial and suffering, and with a conscience so alive to God, which had - when a youth - driven him burning with holy zeal into the wilderness, to have such a question meeting him as: Art Thou He; or do we wait for another? Am I right, or in error and leading others into error? must have been truly awful....Let no one dare to say that the faith of John failed, at least till the dark waters have rolled up to his own soul. For mostly all and each of us must pass through some like experience; and only our own hearts and God know, how death-bitter are the doubts, whether of head or of heart, when question after question raises, as with devilish hissing, its head, and earth and heaven alike seem silent to us....Nor yet could the record, which gives us this insight into the weakness of the strong man and the doubts of the great Testimony-bearer, be a cunningly-devised fable. We cannot imagine the record of such a failure, if the narrative were an invention....In that terrible hour John overcame, as we all must overcome. His very despair opened the door of hope. The helpless doubt, which none could solve but One, he brought to Him around Whom it had gathered. Even in this there is evidence for Christ, as the unalterably True One. When John asked the question: Do we wait for another? light was already struggling through darkness. It was incipient victory even in defeat. When he sent his disciples with this question straight to Christ, he had already conquered; for such a question addressed to a possibly false Messiah has no meaning. And so must it ever be with us. Doubt is the offspring of our disease, diseased as is its paternity. And yet it cannot be cast aside. It may be the outcome of the worst, or the problems of the best souls. The twilight may fade into outer night, or it may usher in the day. The answer lies in this: whether doubt will lead us to Christ, or from Christ."

Footnote 3:

"Raising the dead is not the climax. There is something even greater, namely, "the poor are having good news preached to them." That is the greatest work of all." William Hendricksen, New Testament Commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1978), pg. 394.