Confessing and Professing Our God

This week’s two-minute clip comes from the sermon, “Confessing and Professing Our God,” and is part of Pastor Brooks’ series on the book of Genesis. It was preached November 25, 2001. The text is Genesis 13:

1 So Abram went up from Egypt, he and his wife and all that he had, and Lot with him, into the Negeb. 2 Now Abram was very rich in livestock, in silver, and in gold. 3 And he journeyed on from the Negeb as far as Bethel to the place where his tent had been at the beginning, between Bethel and Ai, 4 to the place where he had made an altar at the first. And there Abram called upon the name of the Lord. 5 And Lot, who went with Abram, also had flocks and herds and tents, 6 so that the land could not support both of them dwelling together; for their possessions were so great that they could not dwell together, 7 and there was strife between the herdsmen of Abram’s livestock and the herdsmen of Lot’s livestock. At that time the Canaanites and the Perizzites were dwelling in the land.

8 Then Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no strife between you and me, and between your herdsmen and my herdsmen, for we are kinsmen. 9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself from me. If you take the left hand, then I will go to the right, or if you take the right hand, then I will go to the left.” 10 And Lot lifted up his eyes and saw that the Jordan Valley was well watered everywhere like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, in the direction of Zoar. (This was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.) 11 So Lot chose for himself all the Jordan Valley, and Lot journeyed east. Thus they separated from each other. 12 Abram settled in the land of Canaan, while Lot settled among the cities of the valley and moved his tent as far as Sodom. 13 Now the men of Sodom were wicked, great sinners against the Lord.

14 The Lord said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him, “Lift up your eyes and look from the place where you are, northward and southward and eastward and westward, 15 for all the land that you see I will give to you and to your offspring forever. 16 I will make your offspring as the dust of the earth, so that if one can count the dust of the earth, your offspring also can be counted. 17 Arise, walk through the length and the breadth of the land, for I will give it to you.” 18 So Abram moved his tent and came and settled by the oaks of Mamre, which are at Hebron, and there he built an altar to the Lord.

Here is this week’s Taste of His Grace: 091230 – Confessing and Professing Our God (1 minute, 19 seconds)

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The full sermon is available here.

What is A Taste of His Grace? Read more here.

HT: Doug Imes.

Logos Seminar at Heritage

Heritage will host a two-part, one-day seminar on Logos Bible Software.

What is Logos? From the Logos website:

Since its inception in 1992, Logos Research Systems, Inc. has grown from a couple of programmers in a basement into the largest developer of Bible software and a worldwide leader in multilingual electronic publishing. We partner with more than 100 publishers to make more than 9,000 electronic Bible study resources available to customers around the world. Our technology is used in more than 180 countries in a dozen languages.

Where is the Seminar? Both sessions will be held at Heritage Bible Church in Greer, SC (map | street view). Please park by the tower and enter the building through the courtyard entrance.

When is the Seminar? Saturday, January 23. The day will begin with a workshop for beginner-to-intermediate users (9:00 a.m. until noon), followed by a workshop for advanced users (1:00-4:00 p.m.). You may sign up for either or both workshops. Logos discounts will be available to all attendees.

Beginner to Intermediate (9:00 a.m. until noon). Learn to build and use a Libronix digital library wisely. This session will include thorough training on how to use the most common Logos tools as well as a discussion about what packages to buy and how to get them at the best prices.

Advanced (1:00-4:00 p.m.). This session will get into the serious side of Logos. You will learn how to fine-tune your Logos experience and use some of its more advanced tools.

Presenter. Mark Ward is at the dissertation stage in a New Testament Interpretation Ph.D. at Bob Jones Seminary; he is also a Bible Curriculum Author at BJU Press. Mark has taught BibleWorks and Logos at seminaries, conferences, churches, and his own living room. All his seminars include a brief philosophy of technology, the opportunity to install a simple electronic filing system he designed, and as much personal consultation as possible.

Cost. Attend one workshop for $30 or both for $45.

Student discount: Current students may attend both workshops for $15 each.

Heritage discount: Heritage members should inquire about a special discount for them.

Registration. You may register for the seminar here. Heritage members should RSVP online and then pay at the registration table to receive the discounted price.

Sermon Notes (091227 PM Service)

“Children of God”

1 John 3:1-3

Abe Stratton, Pastor of Youth & Young Adults

Introduction

Purposes for this letter…

1 Jn. 1:4 – And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

1 Jn. 5:13 – I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God that you may know that you have eternal life.

1. God’s love is glorious.

a. The exclamation – behold love!

(1) See (εἶδον)

(a) Behold

(b) Pay attention to this

(c) Understand as a result of perception

(2) Love

(a) Foreign (ποταπός)

i. From what country?

It is as if the Father’s love is so unearthly, so foreign to this world, that John wonders from what country it may come. The word “always implies astonishment” (Plummer).^[1]

ii. How great or how massive?

Mark 13:1 – And as he came out of the temple, one of his disciples said to him, “Look, Teacher, what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!”

(b) Given (δίδωμι)

i. Unearned

ii. Permanent

The perfect tense is used here to indicate that the gift becomes a permanent possession of the recipient. God has placed His love upon the saints in the sense that they have become the permanent objects of His love.^[2]

Example: Christmas gifts are normally unearned, =) but none are permanent.

b. The recipients – sinful men

(1) Creatures

(2) Subjects

(3) Traitors

Jer. 3:20 – Surely, as a treacherous wife leaves her husband, so have you been treacherous to me, O house of Israel, declares the LORD.

(4) Hostile enemies

Col. 1:21 – And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds,

(5) Condemned ones

John 3:36 – but the wrath of God remains on him.

c. The gift – God’s own son

(1) John 3:16 – For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son…

i. Only Son

ii. Beloved Son (Mt. 3:17; Jn. 3:35; 5:20)

iii. Created the worlds (Col. 1:16)

iv. Sat at the Father’s right hand (Ps. 110:1)

v. Intimate knowledge of one another (Mt. 11:27; Jn. 17:25)

vi. Eternal union (Jn. 1:1; 17:21)

(2) Isaiah 53:10 – Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him; he has put him to grief…

i. Sinless was made sin (2 Cor. 5:21)

ii. Beloved was forsaken (Mt. 27:46)

iii. Creator mutilated by the creatures (Is. 53:5)

d. The wonder – sinful men made sons

(1) Recreation

i. John 1:12-13 – But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

ii. This is not merely a legal standing; this is a new birth.

iii. “Let us never again think of the Christian as just someone who is trying to live a good life, trying to be a little bit better than somebody else, a person with a belief in doing certain things, going through certain forms and ceremonials and keeping certain regulations dictated by the church. Christians do all that, but before all that is this vital fact that they are children of God. They have been born again, born from above, born of the Spirit; they have received something of the very nature and life of God Himself. They are transformed people, they are a new creation, and they are thus absolutely, essentially different from those who have not experienced that.”^[3]

(2) Incomprehensibility

i. Foreign love – beyond our experience in our world

ii. Great and massive – beyond our understanding

The Father gave His only Son to bring many sons to glory!

2. Our identity is unchanging.

a. The present reality

(1) The assurance – so we are!

i. Sonship is not something we are waiting for; we are sons now!

ii. Our identity is based upon God’s work in us.

iii. We must think of ourselves as God does!

Despite inward doubt, despite outward turmoil

iv. “I do feel that it is perhaps the greatest weakness of all in the Christian church, that we fail to realise what we are, or who we are.”^[4]

(2) The disconnect from the world

i. John assumes that the world does not know believers – it does not have an intimate relationship with them.

ii. This separation is not something that we manufacture.

Notice: The text does not say, “We do not know the world” or “We are to be separated from the world.”

iii. The world doesn’t know God, so it won’t know His children.

John 8:19 – They said to him therefore, “Where is your Father?” Jesus answered, “You know neither me nor my Father. If you knew me, you would know my Father also.”

Applications

(1) When you are rejected, take heart; this is a sign that you are God’s child.

(2) If you are readily accepted, evaluate your life. Are you God’s child?

b. The future confidence

(1) Our identity will not change.

i. This is the already, but not yet.

ii. We don’t know what we will be like.

iii. But we know this…

We will see Him!

We will be like Him!

(2) We will be transformed.

i. Jesus will be manifest.

ii. We will see Him as He is.

iii. Because we see Him, we will be like Him.

iv. What a glorious confidence!

That we who already are sons of God will one day be changed to look like, speak like, think like, and act like who we are.

Transition: John now turns from the glorious realities of our sonship to the practical implication of our sonship.

3. Our motivation is compelling.

a. The fact

(1) Everyone who thus hopes in Jesus purifies himself as Jesus is pure.

(2) It’s not a command; it is a reality.

b. The hope

(1) Seeing Jesus and being like Him

(2) Our confidence rests in Jesus and not in ourselves.

c. The means

(1) Take action!

(2) Purify yourself.

i. Seeing Jesus transforms us in the future.

ii. Seeing Jesus purifies us now.

iii. John 17:17 – Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

Illustration: The great stone face (Nathaniel Hawthorne’s short story)

i. Wealthy merchant

ii. Decorated soldier

iii. Eloquent politician

iv. Gifted poet

v. Ernest himself

2 Cor. 3:18 – And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

(3) Great picture of sanctification

i. The Spirit is at work in us.

(a) Producing the hope/expectation of our seeing Christ and being like Him

(b) Impelling us toward holiness by that expectation

ii. We work to purify ourselves.

“Thou purifiest thyself, not of thyself, but of Him who comes that He may dwell in thee” [AUGUSTINE].^[5]

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters, we need to revel in the glorious love that our Father has lavished on us.

We need to settle our frantic hearts and our distracted minds with the truth that we are children of God.

The wonderful expectations that Jesus is coming, we will see Him, and we will be transformed should overwhelm our hearts with gratitude and joy.

We must allow these amazing expectations to impel us to purify ourselves.

We are His children; we will forever be His children. So let us walk like His children!

[1] Stott. The Letters of John. 122

[2] Wuest, Kenneth S.: Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English Reader. Grand Rapids : Eerdmans, 1997, c1984, S. 1 Jn 3:1 

[3] Lloyd-Jones. Life in Christ. 277-78.

[4] Lloyd-Jones. 283

[5] Jamieson, Robert ; Fausset, A. R. ; Fausset, A. R. ; Brown, David ; Brown, David: A Commentary, Critical and Explanatory, on the Old and New Testaments. Oak Harbor, WA : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, S. 1 Jn 3:3

Sermon Notes (091227 AM Service)

“Personal Bible Study: Making a Home for God’s Word”

Colossians 3:16

Dan Brooks, Pastor

Introduction: There are several different uses of the phrase “the word of God.”

God’s Word Spoken: Ps 33:6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

God’s Word Spoken through People: God tells Jeremiah, “I have put my words in your mouth” (1:9) 60 times Ezekiel uses the phrase “the word of the Lord.” Primarily, two phrases: “. . . came to me” or “hear . . . .”

God’s Word in the Person of Christ: John’s Gospel reveals Jesus Christ to us as “the Word.” In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God (1:1). John 1:14 tells us the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. At the climax of the ages as Jesus Christ appears to vanquish every foe, John tells us in the Book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ 19:13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which He is called is the Word of God. The Word of God is a Person.

God’s Word in Writing. Deut 31:24 tells us that Moses wrote the words of the law in a book. God commanded Isaiah to write His words on a tablet (Isa 30:8). In 1 Cor 14:37 Paul states that the very words he is writing to the Corinthians are “a command of the Lord.”All of that demonstrates that God has something very important to say to us? That He would go to such lengths to communicate to us indicates that He has something of great value to speak to us.

Of those four means of communication, only one is primary in our day. That is God’s word in writing. No wonder then, that God’s instruction to us is pointed and simple: let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.

Follow along as I read Colossians 3:12-17.

I. CREATING A HOME IN OUR HEARTS FOR CHRIST’S WORD.

A. Let the word of Christ: (ὁ λογος του Χριστου)

1. It is the Christ or the Messiah, the Anointed One of God who is in view.

a. Authority of God

b. Anointing of God

2. Col 2:3 in [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

3. So, Hendriksen, page 160, says, “The objective, special revelation that proceeds from (and concerns) Christ—“the Christ-word”—should govern every thought, word, and deed.”^[1]

4. Point: We make much of the Word because the Word reveals Jesus Christ to us, awakens our hearts to our desperate need of Him and builds our faith in Him. Apart from Him there is no life.

B. dwell in you richly: (ἐνοικείτω [pres act impv] ἐν ὑμῖν πλουσίως) the command is that the word of Christ should inhabit us abundantly

1. Your heart is like prime real estate that many buyers are competing for.

2. The competing interests:

a. Christless moralism

2:4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. . . . 6-8 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.

1) Philosophy: (philosophias) “The modern definition of the word must not be read into its use in the Bible. Philosophy, as the study of reality, knowledge, and values, is a profitable and biblically supported endeavor. However, this is not the meaning of the word in Scripture. There it carries a negative connotation and refers to quasi–religious doctrines and speculations (e.g., Gnosticism, which taught that there is a secret, esoteric knowledge and enlightenment that offers an alternative way of salvation) all of which are irreconcilable with the Christian faith.”^[2]

2) Empty deceit: (κενης ἀπατης) these are words which lead people away from the truth that is found in Christ.

3) Human tradition: (παραδοσιν) what is passed from one person or generation to another that actually has no Biblical basis.

4) Elemental spirits: (στοιχεῖα) “Paul calls the ceremonial ordinances of the Mosaic Law worldly elements (Gal. 4:3; Col. 2:8, 20). In Gal. 4:9 he calls them weak and poor elements when contrasted with the great realities to which they were designed to lead. These elements contain the rudiments of the knowledge of Christ. The Law, as a school–master, was to bring the Jews to this knowledge (Gal. 3:24).”^[3]

5) Col 2:20-23 If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.

6) “Anthony, the founder of Christian monasticism, never changed his vest or washed his feet (Life of Anthony, para. 47). He was outdone, however, by Simeon Stylites (C. 390–459), who spent the last thirty-six years of his life atop a fifty-foot pillar. Simeon mistakenly thought the path to spirituality lay in exposing his body to the elements and withdrawing from the world.”^[4]

b. Christless immorality (3:5-9).

1) Put to death what is earthly in you (3:5).

2) Put them all away (3:8-9)

3) The list includes actions and attitudes!

3. The command of God

a. Dwell: (ἐνοικείτω) to be at home; always refers to God or spiritual things that take up residence within the believer. (The Spirit, God, faith, etc).

1) Ill.: When people set up a home, they generally think in terms of creating a space where they and their family or friends will be comfortable. That means providing furniture of some kind, equipping a kitchen so that meals can be prepared and served, air conditioning the space, in general making it liveable. But all of that is with a view of people coming to reside in that space and spending large amounts of time in the home.

2) Point: We are to let the Word of Christ find a dwelling place in us.

b. Richly: (πλουσίως) largely, abundantly

1) Ill.: when a family occupies a home abundantly, they use every part of it. We don’t have particular rooms in our house that are blocked off or sealed up. We may not be in every room at any given moment, but the house is always available to its occupants.

2) Point: The Word of Christ is to dwell in us largely, i.e., occupy the heart abundantly.

c. Part of God’s strategy for preserving you through this lifetime in this world is that the Word of Christ would dwell in you!

C. Transition:

1. Every one of us knows that we need to be reading our Bibles daily.

2. The real question is one of motivation.

II. CONSIDERATIONS FOR CREATING A HOME FOR CHRIST’S WORD

A. What is your motivation?

1. The Command to know God’s Word (Jos 1:8a This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it. . . .)

2. The Prosperity of knowing God’s Word (Jos 1:8b. . . For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.)

3. The Blessing of meditating on God’s Word (Ps 1:1-2 Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.)

4. The Power of receiving God’s Word (Ps 19:7-8 The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes;)

5. The Usefulness of learning God’s Word (2 Ti 3:16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness)

B. What is your desire?

1. Mine: I want the Word of Christ to dwell in me richly, because I want Christ. I want Him in a way that I want the companionship and love and intimacy of my wife. I want to dwell with Christ. I want to hear Him speak, to know His thoughts, to taste His goodness, to experience His love.

2. A day, just one day, in His courts would be better than a thousand days anywhere else! (Ps 84:10)

C. What is your purpose?

1. Look for Christ!

a. I don’t want to treat Christ’s Word like a history book or encyclopedia of religious facts or a catalogue of moral truth.

b. That’s how the Pharisees read the Bible.

c. Jn 5:39-40 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.

d. Jesus goes on to say . . .

e. Jn 5:45-46 Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me.”

f. This is the living Word of a living God about a living Christ for living people!

1) It is intended to grow your heart and strengthen your faith, to mature your mind and establish your life until Christ, a Person, is fully formed in you.

2) God’s intention is not merely to change you into a more noble and virtuous person; He is seeking to conform you to His Son.

2. Feed on Christ!

a. Anorexic Christians: these are the ones who eat a few crumbs each day and think it suffices.

1) Rarely, if ever, do they read the Bible.

2) Some are content to read what other people write about the Bible.

3) There is an immense difference between eating a grilled cheese sandwich made with a blend of Asiago, mozzarella and fontina cheeses melted perfectly in between two lightly grilled, butter-saturated slices of your mother’s homemade sourdough bread and eating a grilled cheese sandwich made of white bread and Cheese Whiz.

4) There is tremendous value in commentaries and study tools, but they cannot take the place of Christ’s Word itself!

5) David wrote, My soul thirst for You! My flesh faints for You! (Psalm 63:1)

b. Bulemic Christians: The come on Sundays and feast themselves in the preaching and teaching, but then very quickly purge it from their system as they return to a worldly way of living and thinking and for the next six days never open the Word.

c. Healthy Christians eat the Word frequently! Sometimes more than once a day, but almost always at least once a day.

3. Make a home for Christ.

D. What is your plan for creating a dwelling place in your heart for this Word of Christ?

1. Young Believers: 5×5x5 Bible Reading Plan

a. 5 minutes a day

b. 5 days a week

c. 5 ways to dig deeper

1) Underline or highlight key words or phrases

2) Put it into your own words

3) Ask and answer some questions

i. Who is writing this?

ii. Who first read this?

iii. Why is ______ writing this?

4) Capture the big idea. “What’s the big point?”

5) Personalize the meaning.

i. What does God want me to believe about Him?

ii. What does God want me to do?

2. Adolescent Believers: Read through the Bible in 1 year

a. Discipleship Journal:

1) 2 readings for each day

2) 3-4 chapters per day

3) Each month consists of 25 readings.

4) Use the extra days for review or catching up.

b. Chronological Bible Reading Plan:

1) Ex.: Genesis 1-11, then Job

2) April gets very interesting!

i. 1 Sam, 1 Chron and Psalms begin to run together

ii. Kings, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes follow.

iii. The major and minor Prophets are positioned in an eye-opening way.

iv. “Jonah is a contemporary of Jeroboam II!”

v. “Hosea, Micah and Isaiah were prophesying around the same time!”

3. Mature Believers:

a. M’Cheyne’s calendar:

1) Reading 4 books at any given time.

i. Genesis

ii. Matthew

iii. Ezra

iv. Acts

2) “Family” reading and “secret” or private reading

b. The Bible in 90 Days

1) “As little as 30 minutes”

2) 45-50 minutes a day

E. Alternative: All of you who are enrolled in Christian schools, how about using your Bible class or classes as a source of devotional study?

1. I was a junior in college taking the class Daniel and Revelation before it dawned on me that my Bible classes not only could but should be a daily source of devotional study.

2. I had created a false dichotomy between my own personal quiet time and my academics.

3. What a loss through previous years! But what a gain it became.

F. What is your plan for capturing what you are receiving?

1. Pray through a verse

2. Journal or notebook

3. Notecards: 3×5 card with one verse from your reading.

Benediction: 1 Thess 5:23-24 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.

^[1]Melick, (303).

^[2]Zodhiates, S. (2000, c1992, c1993). The complete word study dictionary: New Testament (electronic ed.) (G5385). Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers.

^[3]Zodhiates, (G4747).

^[4]MacArthur, J. (1996, c1992). Colossians (122). Chicago: Moody Press.

Doing Something You Love (or Need to Do!) for the Sake of the Gospel

How can you take something you love to do and use it for the Kingdom? How can you translate a New Year’s Resolution to get healthy into an opportunity for the Gospel? The 33rd Annual Reedy River Run is coming Saturday, March 6, and we are assembling a team of runners and walkers to participate in the 5K and 10K races. All participants will receive a Team Heritage T-shirt to wear on race day. Our goal: to spark community interest in our church by having at least 50 people from Heritage participate.

Just getting started? Check out the nine-week Couch to 5K program. (For the iPhone/iPod Touch app, search C25K at the App Store.) If you start the program the week of January 3, you should finish the program just in time for the race.

Please register online for the race of your choice (5K | 10K). Then be sure to e-mail the office to let us know that you’ll be part of Team Heritage. We’ll pick up the registration packets for all participants and distribute them on race day. If you have any questions or would like to help, please contact Matthew Hoskinson.

Sermon Notes (091220 AM Service)

“Made Like His Brothers in Every Respect”

Hebrews 2:17-18

Dan Brooks, Pastor

Introduction: Christmas is the celebration of the Son of God coming to earth as man. We call it the incarnation. We sing of this truth with lines such as Hail the incarnate Deity! We read of this truth in passages like John 1 and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us and we beheld His glory. We preach and teach this truth to our sons and daughters that they might see and savor Jesus Christ.

What does it mean for you that the Son of God came in flesh?

I. JESUS CHRIST WAS MADE IN THE LIKENESS OF SINFUL FLESH (ROM 8:3).

A.      Defining likeness of sinful flesh

1.      Likeness: (ὁμοιώματι) the state of being similar to something

a.      Similar in that His body was exactly what your body and mine are.

b.      Similar to us in that His physical life was like ours.

2.      Sinful flesh: (σαρκὸς ἁμαρτίας)

a.      The terms do not mean “flesh that sins.”

i.      He is without sin (Heb 4:15)

ii.     He committed no sin (1 Peter 2:22)

iii.    In Him there is no sin (1 John 3:5)

b.      His flesh is distinct from the inherent sinfulness that you and I know and the accompanying spiritual weakness this verse speaks of.

B.      Seeing the likeness of sinful flesh

1.      Human emotions^[1]

a.      Love for fellow human (Mark 10:21)

b.      Compassion (Matt 9:36)

c.      Anger (Mark 3:5)

d.      Anxiety (Heb 5:7)

e.      Fear (John 12:27)

f.      Groaning (John 11:33)

g.     Grief (Isa 53:3; John 11:35)

2.      Human weakness

a.      Christ’s weakness seen in fatigue.

i.      Jn 4:6 Jacob’s well was there; so Jesus, wearied as he was from his journey, was sitting beside the well. It was about the sixth hour.

ii.     Cf. Matt 8:24 . . . asleep in the boat

b.      Christ’s weakness seen in His hunger.

i.       Mt 4:2 And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

ii.      Cf. 21:18 he became hungry

iii.    “He was at times physically weak, for during his temptation in the wilderness he fasted for forty days (the point at which a human being’s physical strength is almost entirely gone and beyond which irreparable physical harm will occur if the fast continues).”^[2]

c.      Christ’s weakness seen in His thirst.

i.      Jn 4:7 A woman from Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

ii.     Jn 19:28 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.”

d.      Christ’s weakness seen in His death.

i.      Lk 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last.

3.      Human limitations

a.      Lk 2:40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.

b.      Lk 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.

c.      Heb 5:8-9 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered. And being made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him,

4.      Human experiences:

a.      The pressure of caring for a family after the loss of a parent.

i.      Nothing is mentioned of Joseph after the Temple incident when Jesus was 12.

ii.     Mark 6:3 indicates that Jesus was earning his living as a carpenter, no doubt caring for Mary, the four brothers mentioned in the verse and “sisters” because as the firstborn, this was His responsibility.

iii.    Point: The Creator and Heir of all things knows the pressure of providing for a household.

b.      The astonishment of seeing the unbelief of family and neighbors.

i.      Mk 6:3-6 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief.

ii.     Point: The great Miracle Worker knows the heartache of having His ministry limited by the skeptical, unbelieving family and neighbors.

c.      The strain of ministering to demanding people.

i.      Mk 6:31 And he said to them, “Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.” For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.

ii.     Mk 6:32-34 And they went away in the boat to a desolate place by themselves. Now many saw them going and recognized them, and they ran there on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. When he went ashore he saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. And he began to teach them many things.

iii.    Point: The Messiah knows the weariness of daily ministry to demanding people.

d.      The tension of bearing with arguing disciples (Luke 9:46-48; Mark 9:33-37; Luke 22:24 during the Lord’s Supper!).

i.      Point: The Master knows the discouragement and frustration of students who keep missing the big point.

e.      The religious rulers who question His identity and motives (Mark 8:11-13; 16:1ff).

i.      Mk 8:11-13 The Pharisees came and began to argue with him, seeking from him a sign from heaven to test him. And he sighed deeply in his spirit and said, “Why does this generation seek a sign? Truly, I say to you, no sign will be given to this generation.” And he left them, got into the boat again, and went to the other side.

ii.     Point: The Great High Priest of Heaven knows the soul-wearying attacks upon His motive and message in ministry.

5.      Point: This is what it meant for Christ to be made in the likeness of sinful flesh. And all of this, as Scripture teaches us, actually works to the extraordinary benefit of people like you and me.

C.      What does this mean for us?

II.    CHRIST IS A SYMPATHETIC MEDIATOR (HEB 4:15).

A.      We do not have a High Priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness:

1.      Sympathize: (συμπαθῆσαι) sharing the feelings of another

a.      Illustration: The comfort of someone who has experienced the very thing you’re going through.

b.      Not simply understanding your feelings and mine as the One who created us would certainly understand, but rather as the One who became flesh and took upon Himself our very nature now understands through His personal experience all the feelings of our weakness.

c.      The weakness is categorized in this passage with words like tempted and time of need.

2.      In every respect He has been tempted as we are.

a.      Respect: (ὁμοιότητα) in like manner

b.      The temptations He endured were not of a different kind, but were the very kind we experience.

c.      Heb 2:17 Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.

i.      Merciful: full of compassion!

ii.     Faithful: trustworthy in fulfilling His duty on our behalf; therefore, worthy of our trust.

iii.    What produced this fullness of mercy and fullness of faith on our behalf?

d.      Heb 2:18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

i.      Suffered: (πέπονθεν) to undergo a difficult experience; to be subjected to evil

ii.     Tempted: (πειρασθείς) the testing of Christ’s virtue through solicitation to sin.

1.)      Matt 4:1ff if you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread

2.)      Lk 4:13 And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

3.)      Heb 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.

iii.     Point: the temptations were not confined to this moment recorded by Matthew. The temptations dogged Him throughout His lifetime.

iv.     “In these temptations in the wilderness and in the various temptations that faced him through the thirty-three years of his life, Christ obeyed God in our place and as our representative, thus succeeding where Adam had failed, where the people of Israel in the wilderness had failed, and where we had failed (see Rom. 5:18–19).”^[3]

e.      2:18 . . . He is able to help those who are being tempted

i.       Help: (βοηθῆσαι) lit., “to run on hearing a cry;” come to the aid of

1.)      Jesus does not merely offer His advice from a distance, but He comes to you.

2.)      He does not send representatives to do His ministry, but He comes to you when you cry.

3.)      Specifically, He comes to those who are being tempted.

ii.      Tempted:

1.)      Temptation: “an enticement or invitation to sin, with the implied promise of greater good to be derived from following the way of disobedience.”

2.)      The devil never tempts anyone with the promise of pain, destruction or death.

3.)      He implies that there will be a greater good that comes even from our disobedience.^[4]

4.)      That’s exactly what he promised to Christ in the wilderness temptation.

5.)      In it all, Jesus never sinned, but He learned obedience through what He suffered.

3.      “Therefore whenever any evils pass over us, let it ever occur to us, that nothing happens to us but what the Son of God has himself experienced in order that he might sympathize with us; nor let us doubt but that he is at present with us as though he suffered with us.”^[5]

B.      Draw near!

1.      That we may receive mercy: (ἔλεος) compassion, active pity

2.      That we may find grace: (χάριν) loving kindness of God

3.      To help in time of need: (βοήθειαν)

C.      Conclusion:

1.       Worship Him!

2.       As part of your worship, draw near in your weakness and temptation and time of need.

3.       Our part is to cry. Christ’s part is to run upon hearing that cry.

________________

^[1]The following characteristics taken from Augustus Strong, Systematic Theology, 674.

^[2]Grudem, W. A. (1994). Systematic theology: An introduction to biblical doctrine (532). Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, Mich.: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House.

^[3]Grudem, (537).

^[4]Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., Harrison, R. K., & Thomas Nelson Publishers. (1995). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible dictionary. Rev. ed. of: Nelson’s illustrated Bible dictionary.; Includes index. Nashville: T. Nelson.

^[5]Calvin, Commentary on Hebrews, Heb 2:17.

God’s Grace: Our Motive for Life

This week’s two-minute clip comes from the sermon “God’s Grace: Our Motive for Life,” from Pastor Brooks’ series on the book of Genesis. It was preached November 4, 2001. The text is Genesis 11:10-12:9:

10 These are the generations of Shem. When Shem was 100 years old, he fathered Arpachshad two years after the flood. 11 And Shem lived after he fathered Arpachshad 500 years and had other sons and daughters. 12 When Arpachshad had lived 35 years, he fathered Shelah. 13 And Arpachshad lived after he fathered Shelah 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 14 When Shelah had lived 30 years, he fathered Eber. 15 And Shelah lived after he fathered Eber 403 years and had other sons and daughters. 16 When Eber had lived 34 years, he fathered Peleg. 17 And Eber lived after he fathered Peleg 430 years and had other sons and daughters. 18 When Peleg had lived 30 years, he fathered Reu. 19 And Peleg lived after he fathered Reu 209 years and had other sons and daughters. 20 When Reu had lived 32 years, he fathered Serug. 21 And Reu lived after he fathered Serug 207 years and had other sons and daughters. 22 When Serug had lived 30 years, he fathered Nahor. 23 And Serug lived after he fathered Nahor 200 years and had other sons and daughters. 24 When Nahor had lived 29 years, he fathered Terah. 25 And Nahor lived after he fathered Terah 119 years and had other sons and daughters. 26 When Terah had lived 70 years, he fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran.

27 Now these are the generations of Terah. Terah fathered Abram, Nahor, and Haran; and Haran fathered Lot. 28 Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his kindred, in Ur of the Chaldeans. 29 And Abram and Nahor took wives. The name of Abram’s wife was Sarai, and the name of Nahor’s wife, Milcah, the daughter of Haran the father of Milcah and Iscah. 30 Now Sarai was barren; she had no child.

31 Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife, and they went forth together from Ur of the Chaldeans to go into the land of Canaan, but when they came to Haran, they settled there. 32 The days of Terah were 205 years, and Terah died in Haran.

12:1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

4 So Abram went, as the Lord had told him, and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. 5 And Abram took Sarai his wife, and Lot his brother’s son, and all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people that they had acquired in Haran, and they set out to go to the land of Canaan. When they came to the land of Canaan, 6 Abram passed through the land to the place at Shechem, to the oak of Moreh. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. 7 Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” So he built there an altar to the Lord, who had appeared to him. 8 From there he moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the Lord and called upon the name of the Lord. 9 And Abram journeyed on, still going toward the Negeb.

Here is this week’s Taste of His Grace: 091216 – God’s Grace – Our Motive for Life (2 minutes)

—–

The full sermon is available here.

What is A Taste of His Grace? Read more here.

HT: Michael Boyle.

Sermon Notes (091213 PM Service)

The Fruit of the Spirit – Peace With Others

James 3:17-18

Dan Brooks, Pastor

Introduction: A friend sent me sage advice one time that included this quip: “If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.”

I think there are many Christians who take a similar approach to unity in the Church. Avoid the problems and avoid the people who cause the problems. But as the Spirit bears His holy fruit of peace in us, what should we expect to result?

I.      SAMPLE PASSAGES TEACHING OF PEACE WITH OTHERS.

A.     Ro 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace (with others) and joy in the Holy Spirit.

B.     Eph 4:3 [walk worthy] eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

C.     Heb 12:14 Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

D.    Jas 3:17-18 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

II. EARTHLY WISDOM STANDS IN CONTRAST TO HEAVENLY WISDOM.

A.     Earthly wisdom is characterized by

1.     bitter jealousy: (ζῆλον πικρὸν) This is a strong feeling of resentment toward another.

a.     Jealousy is part of the works of the flesh listed in Gal 5:20.

b.     Here jealousy has the added description “bitter” to point out the sharpness of this resentment.

c.     Q: Are there individuals of whom you are resentful this morning? You look at their lives or their work or their ministry and say to yourself, “It just galls me that he is where he is!”

2.     selfish ambition: (ἐριθείαν)

a.      “It denotes a self-seeking pursuit of political office by unfair means.”^[1]

b.      “Thus it comes to be applied to those who serve in official positions for their own selfish interest, and who, to that end, promote party spirit and faction.”^[2]

c.      There has historically been a good deal of factionalism within the church.

d.      James addresses it in the dispersed Jewish Christians. Paul confronted it at Corinth.

e.      Denominations experience it.

f.      Fundamentalism deals with it all the time.

g.     Point: the solution is not in finding a perfect group to attach yourself, but rather to humble yourself under God’s word and correct sinful attitudes like these within your own heart.

3.      Point: We cannot control what other churches or individuals are doing at the moment, but we can work together to be a people who are meek.

B.     Earthly wisdom is described as:

1.     Earthly: (ἐπίγειος) something that is natural to man and stands in contrast to the heavenly or Divine.

2.     Unspiritual: (ψυχική) pertaining to behavior which is typical of human nature, in contrast with that which is under the control of God’s Spirit.^[3]

3.     Demonic: (δαιμονιώδης) pertaining to demons

a.     Demons are full of bitter jealousy and selfish ambition.

b.     No demon has been more full of such jealousy and ambition than the Devil himself.

C.     Earthly wisdom results in: (16)

1.     Disorder: (ἀκαταστασία) commotion, tumult; disturbance, thus disorder.

2.     every vile practice: (φαῦλον πρᾶγμα) worthless, evil practices; a moral baseness begins to characterize the activity of this individual or this kind of church.

3.     Point: While we do not know the details of the congregation James is addressing, it is apparent that there are factions of some kind who need to be brought together.

a.     He is about to address the source of the quarrels and fights in 4:1-10.

b.     He is about to address the evil speaking and judgmentalism against one another in 4:11-12.

c.     Some have suggested that James is dealing with a self-appointed teacher in the church who is building a following around himself where being “right” is more important than anything else.^[4]

III.     HEAVENLY WISDOM IS CHARACTERIZED BY PEACEABLENESS.

A.     Heavenly wisdom is characterized by:

1.     Meekness: (πραΰτητι) gentleness of spirit (13).

a.      “In Jm. 1:21 πραΰτης is contrasted with ὀργή (v. 20) and it refers to a meek and humble readiness to be taught by the Word of God without flaring up against the teacher. Gentleness is a mark of the true righteous who are inspired by divine wisdom (3:13: ἐν πραΰτητι σοφίας; v. 17: εἰρηνική, ἐπιεικής). It is demonstrated in the whole walk of the righteous and stands in pleasing contrast to bitter zeal and contentiousness.”^[5]

b.      This meekness is evident in the good works of person’s life.

c.      Q: Are you known for your meekness? Do you have a reputation for being gentle in spirit with your spouse, your family, your students, your co-workers, or your roommates?

2.     Pure: (ἁγνή) free from any defilement.

a.      This purity necessarily results in peace.

b.     In context, free from jealousy and ambition.

3.      Peaceable: (εἰρηνική) not contentious; keeping clear of strife and disorder

a.     In contrast to the disorder (commotion, tumult) and vile practice of earthly wisdom, God’s wisdom produces peace (cf. v. 16).

b.     It is a peace that is connected to purity.

c.     Peace is not something that comes merely from compromising with others.

d.     This term is used with reference to people who pursue God’s peace as peacemakers.

e.     See Matt 5:9 “peacemakers . . . shall be called children of God.”

i.     εἰρηνοποιοί: (MPN) (derivative of εἰρηνοποιέω ‘to make peace,’ 40.4) a person who restores peace between people—‘peacemaker, one who works for peace.’ μακάριοι οἱ εἰρηνοποιοί ‘happy are those who work for peace among people’^[6]

ii.    εἰρηνοποιοί refers to those who are working toward wholeness or completeness in every relationship.

iii.   . . . to those “who disinterestedly come between two contending parties and try to make peace.”^[7]

iv.     When God calls us to be peacemakers, He is calling us to work toward reconciliation in our relationships with one another.

f.      God’s wisdom is interested in making peace.

4.     Gentle: (ἐπιεικής) forbearing; making allowances for others; yielding, unassertive

5.     Open to reason: (εὐπειθής) easily persuaded; willing to listen; deferential.

6.     Full of mercy: (μεστὴ ἐλέους) full of kindness and concern for those in need

a.     Jas 2:13 judgment without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful. Mercy triumphs over judgment!

b.    “The reason why wisdom is peaceable is that it is “gentle” (ἐπιεικής) and “deferential” (εὐπειθής; a hapax legomenon). The former attribute recalls the demeanor of the Lord (cf. 2 Cor 10:1). . . . To be gentle is to be unwilling “to exact strict claims.” Such a person assumes a “non-combative” stance (so Davids, 154; cf. Phil 4:5; Titus 3:2; 1 Tim 3:3), and avoids getting angry despite some provocation, which is no mean task in the light of the situation in the congregation. The latter attribute [open to reason] suggests one who “yields to persuasion” (Adamson, 155), not in the sense of gullibility, but as deferring to others when there are no serious moral or theological issues that threaten (Moo, 136; as F. F. Bruce said of Paul [Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1977) 186], “where the principles of the gospel were not at stake he [Paul] was the most conciliatory of men”).^[8]

7.     Full of . . . good fruits: (καρπῶν ἀγαθῶν) in contrast to the vile practice of earthly wisdom, heavenly wisdom produces abundant good fruit.

8.     Impartial: (ἀδιάκριτος) free from prejudice.

a.     When a man is not seeking his own interests, but God’s he is not prejudiced toward his party, his family, or his friends.

9.     Sincere: (ἀνυπόκριτος) genuine; lacking in pretense of show

B.     Heavenly wisdom results in a harvest of righteousness.

1.     Harvest of righteousness:

a.     NIV: Jas 3:18 Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.

b.     The Message: “You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor.”

c.     “The reward in view is the blessing made available to the peacemakers. It is no advantage to be part of a community that is fractured and consists of members who are suspicious of one other. But a congregation that is marked by peace—a congregation reflecting the influence of godly wisdom—is one that affirms and edifies its members. In effect, James is exhorting the people to trust one another and this is only possible if peace reigns supreme.”^[9]

d.     Such would be true of your marriage, your family, your dorm room, your classroom, and your office if you would pursue God’s peace.

2.     How do we make peace?

a.      Keep your life pure of jealousy and ambition.

b.     Remain humble or meek.

c.     Be open to ideas which are different from your own.

d.    Cultivate a merciful heart.

e.     Be more interested in doing good works than political posturing.

f.     Maintain an impartial spirit.

g.     Drop the pretense. Be real.

IV.     Benediction: 2 Th 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way.

^[1]Arndt, W., Gingrich, F. W., Danker, F. W., & Bauer, W. (1996, c1979). A Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament and other early Christian literature: (309). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

^[2]Vincent, M. R. (2002). Word studies in the New Testament (1:754). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

^[3]Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996, c1989). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament : Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (1:508). New York: United Bible societies.

[4]See James Martin’s comments in his commentary on James, Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 48, 132.

^[5]Theological dictionary of the New Testament. 1964-c1976. Vols. 5-9 edited by Gerhard Friedrich. Vol. 10 compiled by Ronald Pitkin. (G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley & G. Friedrich, Ed.) (electronic ed.) (6:650). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.

^[6]Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A.

[7] Kittel, G., TDNT, II, 419.

^[8]Martin, R. P. (2002). Vol. 48: Word Biblical Commentary: James. Word Biblical Commentary (134). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.

^[9]Martin, (135).

Sermon Notes (091213 AM Service)

The Fruit of the Spirit – Peace Within

John 14:27

Dan Brooks, Pastor 

-Continued-

I.       Overview of Peace

A.     OT: שָׁלוֹם welfare, health

B.      NT: εἰρήνη 

1.      Personal greeting

2.      Environmental description: “A set of favorable circumstances involving peace and tranquility”^[1]

3.      Spiritual: “A state of freedom from anxiety and inner turmoil . . . ‘Peace’ in the sense of ‘freedom from worry’ is often expressed by means of an idiom, for example, ‘to sit down in the heart,’ . . . or ‘to be quiet in one’s inner self.’”^[2]

C.     Description of God

1.      Ascribed to God

2.     Descriptive of Christ

a.     Isa 9:6 Prince of Peace

b.     Heb 7:2 cf. Melchizadek, the King of Peace, to Christ.

3.     Associated with the Holy Spirit

II.     Three Spheres of Peace

A.     Peace with God

1.      A peace preached by Christ

2.      A peace mediated by Christ.

3.      Point: Woven like a golden thread into the steel fibers of God’s powerful, successful, sustaining grace is this glorious truth for surviving the tumultuous now: we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ!

B.     Peace Within

Jn 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

1.     Christ’s peace stands in distinction to the world’s peace.

a.     My peace: (εἰρήνην τὴν ἐμὴν)

i.      Think of the inner conflict Jesus was experiencing in this hour!

ii.      There was certainly the chaos of Jerusalem as thousands of visitors swarmed the city for Passover.

iii.      Awaiting Him was the agony of Gethsemane and the betrayal of Judas.

iv.      Just beyond those difficult moments was the trial and beating of Gabbatha, the excruciating suffering and dying of Golgotha.

v.      Yet here is a man who is at peace.

vi.      “There is a strong possessive aspect in this context—Jesus spoke of ‘the peace that is mine’ (27). It is a peace which has been put to the test.”^[3]

b.     Not as the world gives do I give to you.

i.      How does the world give?

1.)    Partial, imperfect, temporary.

a.  The political peace of the Middle East

b.  The Environmental peace, Copenhagen.

ii.      What does the world offer the individual?

“Self Matters: Finding Peace Within.” (Dr. Phil)

“Quit looking externally,” he advises. “Happiness, peace, a sense of well-being and self-worth come from the inside out. It doesn’t come from the outside in.”

Though Kami says she’s proud of who she is and what she’s accomplished, there’s a piece of her that wants the validation from her father.

“If that doesn’t come, don’t you need to be willing to give that to yourself?” asks Dr. Phil, elaborating on how to do just that.

  Sometimes we have to give ourselves what we wish we could get from somebody else. Sometimes we have to be our own best friend.

  You’ve got to forgive your dad for being who he is. Remember that the only person you control is you.

  Plastic surgery is not the answer. Neither is making amends with her father. What Kami needs to do, says Dr. Phil, is find her “authentic self” — what uniquely defines you from the rest of the world.

  Never in the history of the world has there been another you. Never ever in the history of the world will there ever be another you. Your mission needs to be to find out exactly, precisely who that is. You can’t be your own best friend if you don’t know who you are.[4]

c.     Point: What Jesus says directly contradicts Dr. Phil.

d.     J.C. Ryle: “The peace that Christ gives is not given as the world gives. What he gives the world cannot give at all, and what he gives is given never unwillingly, nor sparingly, nor for a little time. Christ is far more willing to give than man is to receive.”[5]

e.     Do you believe that?

2.  Christ’s peace stands opposite to trouble of heart and fear.

a.     Troubled: (ταρασσέσθω) to stir up or agitate; to disturb, unsettle or throw into confusion.

i.      Of Jesus in Jn 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. (See also John 12:27 as Jesus prays to the Father & 13:21 as He considers Judas’ coming betrayal.)

ii.      Jn 14:1 “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.

1.)    Q: What things stirred the disciples at the moment?

a.     Jesus just revealed that a betrayer was in their midst (13:21-20).

b.     Jesus just told them He was going away (13:36).

c.     Jesus just told Peter he would deny Him three times (13:37-38).

2.)    Q: What things stir your soul?

a.     Based on some of the e-mail traffic I get, a good deal of it has to do with politics.

b.     The economy is certainly troubling.

c.     Your future or that of your family

3.)    Q: What will you do with the agitation of your soul?

b.     Afraid: (δειλιάτω) to be timid or cowardly; to lack courage

i.      Some of you are afraid to go forward in life.

ii.      Afraid to face the future.

3.     Christ’s peace is substantial.

a.     Peace from Him: my peace.

b.     Peace through Him

i.      The peace of knowing we have a place prepared (14:1).

1.)    Prepared by Christ

2.)    In the Father’s house.

3.)    “Heaven is a Father’s house.”[6]

4.)    Heb 13:14 For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.

ii.      The peace of knowing we have a promised return (14:2)

1.)    I will come again.

2.)    Why will He come?

3.)    I will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.

iii.      The peace of knowing we have a Divine Helper (14:15-17, 25).

1.)    A Helper of the same kind; the third person of the Trinity!

1.     All that God the Father and God the Son are, God the Holy Spirit is.

2.     There is no diminished power or wisdom in Him.

3.     There is no inferior compassion or mercy in Him.

4.     There is no defective righteousness and justice under His rule.

5.     The Helper is God!

2.)    He dwells with you and will be in you.

3.)    He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you (26).

4.)    Can you imagine being entrusted with building the Church? Writing books of the Bible? Guarding the doctrine? Convening the early councils as Acts records?

5.)    Would that not be daunting?

6.)    It would unless you have the peace of knowing you are indwelt by the Divine Helper.

iv.      The peace of knowing we have a Perfect Savior (14:30).

1.)    The ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me, but I do as the Father has commanded me.

a.     Christ has never given Satan a base of operation.

b.     Christ has never once succumbed to temptation.

c.     Christ has not even the slightest defect or weakness of character that Satan should exploit Him or raise a deadly accusation against Him.

d.     There is nothing that the ruler of this world can lay to Christ’s charge; no condemnation of any sort will stick.

e.     That means He is the Spotless Lamb who will take away the sin of the world.

f.      That means He is the Great High Priest over the house of God who calls us to draw near through His priesthood.

g.     Beloved, because Christ’s people are united to Him it is true that there is no charge brought against us which should ever amount to our condemnation or demise.

h.     Because of our union with Christ our spiritual overthrow is impossible!

2.)    Rise, let us go from here.

a.     Let us go to the hour of betrayal.

b.     Let us go to the moment of denial.

c.     Let us go to the suffering of Golgatha.

d.     But as we go, we go in peace.

4.     Conclusion:

a.     What does a person really need to do to find peace?

i.      Discover your true self?

ii.      Validate yourself?

iii.      Be your own best friend?

b.     Look to Jesus .

i.      Is 26:3 You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.

ii.      Peace comes from keeping your mind fixed on the unchangeable promises and person of Christ!

iii.      Php 4:7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

iv.      One of the disciples who was troubled and fearful in that hour was Peter. His trouble and fear would be compounded as he actually denied Christ later that night. Yet he would experience peace in extraordinary measure as he was restored to ministry, commissioned to lead the Church, imprisoned and persecuted for the faith and ultimately martyred.

v.      Many years later, Peter would write to believers in 1 Peter 3:14 even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled but in your hearts . . .

vi.      Validate yourself and learn to be your own best friend?

vii.      . . . honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

c.     Here is a man who knows what it means to walk through a deep and dark time with troubled, fearful soul, failing even to honor his Lord, yet experiencing the blessing of Christ’s peace.

III.             Benediction: 2 Th 3:16 Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times in every way. The Lord be with you all.

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^[1]Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996, c1989). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: Based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition.) (1:246). New York: United Bible societies.

^[2]Louw, & Nida, (1:314).

^[3]Carson, D. A. (1994). New Bible Commentary: 21st century edition. Rev. ed. Edited by D. Guthrie, J.A. Motyer. 1970. (4th ed.) (Jn 14:1). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, Ill., USA: Inter-Varsity Press.

[4]http://www.drphil.com/articles/article/108

[5]Ryle, J.C., Expository thoughts on John, Vol 3, Banner of Truth, 98.

[6]Ryle, 57.

The Peacemaker by Ken Sande

Title: The Peacemaker

Author: Ken Sande

Publisher: Baker

ISBN: 0-8010-6485-6

Pages: 320

Reviewer: Sandy McCormick

Overview

The author, a Christian lawyer, describes the book as “a biblical guide to resolving personal conflict.” The book was born out of the author’s concerns after observing a number of Christians involved in legal disputes. He embarked on a topical study concerning what the Scriptures teach about conflict resolution. He then organized his studies into a four-phased process for pursuing peace in ways that please God and reflect rightly on the gospel of Christ. These efforts led to the establishment of Peacemaker Ministries in 1982.

Summary

Understandably, the book itself is divided into four major parts which are broken down into twelve chapters. Part One returns the reader to the chief end of man: “Glorify God.” Sande forces believers to consider that the motive for any confrontation or conflict resolution is to give God the glory due His name. The title of Part Two is “Get the Log out of Your Eye.” These three chapters encourage readers to consider their own sin before rebuking another. Part Three explains how Christians are to “Go and Show Your Brother His Fault.” Finally Sandy concludes his book with a section entitled “Go and Be Reconciled” in Part Four. In addition to the twelve helpful chapters, there are six useful appendices, notes, a bibliography, and three indexes (topics, persons, and Scripture references).

Recommendation

Why read the book? Because big and small conflicts are part of life in a fallen world with imperfect people. Sande gathers biblical truths applicable in the home, the church, the neighborhood and society. Furthermore, he does so by answering thorny as well as simple questions with an easy-to-understand process for pursuing conflict resolution.

The strengths of the book include the logical flow of biblical teaching, insightful word/phrase studies which are not too technical for the average layperson, and practical examples or illustrations.  I would love to see a fuller treatment of the extent to which God the Father and God the Son make it possible for us to have peace with God. This foundation along with an expanded discussion of the role of the Spirit (see passages like Ephesians 4:3) in originating or creating peace among individuals would humble the reader more while also giving more confidence that God has equipped us for being instruments to promote reconciliation when there is conflict.

It is easy to recommend this book as an addition to your personal library. You will find yourself referring to it often and encouraging others to get a copy of their own.

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Purchase The Peacemaker (available on Audio CD) or one of it’s other editions (for Children, Students, or Families).

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Sandy (Alexander) McCormick is Heritage’s Pastor of Adult Discipleship and carries significant counseling and mercy ministry responsibilities for our congregation.

Overview—The author, a Christian lawyer, describes the book as “a biblical guide to resolving personal conflict.” The book was born out of the author’s concerns after observing a number of Christians involved in legal disputes. He embarked on a topical study concerning what the Scriptures teach about conflict resolution. He then organized his studies into a four-phased process for pursuing peace in ways that please God and reflect rightly on the gospel of Christ. These efforts led to the establishment of Peacemaker Ministries in 1982.

Summary—Understandably, the book itself is divided into four major parts which are broken down into twelve chapters. As you move through the book, you learn how to glorify God, get the log out of your own eye, gently restore, and go and be reconciled.  In addition to the twelve helpful chapters, there are six useful appendices, notes, a bibliography, and three indexes (topics, persons, and Scripture references).

Why Read the Book?— Because big and small conflicts are part of life in a fallen world with imperfect people. Yet, Sande gathers biblical truths applicable in the home, the church, the neighborhood and society. Furthermore, he does so by answering thorny as well as simple questions with an easy-to-understand process for pursuing conflict resolution.

The strengths of the book include the logical flow of biblical teaching, insightful word/phrase studies which are not too technical for the average layperson, and practical examples or illustrations.  I would love to see a fuller treatment of the extent to which God the Father and God the Son make it possible for us to have peace with God. This foundation along with an expanded discussion of the role of the Spirit (see passages like Ephesians 4:3) in originating or creating peace among individuals would humble the reader more while also giving more confidence that God has equipped us for being instruments to promote reconciliation when there is conflict.

It is easy to recommend this book as an addition to your personal library. You will find yourself referring to it often and encouraging  others to get their own copy.