Monthly Archives: January 2012

Wise is Weak

29 Sunday Jan 2012

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Text: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

Dave Harvey’s sermon is about the people of Corinth who loved wisdom. They were the intellectual elites of their day. However, what they didn’t understand or want to understand was God’s wisdom, which was much greater.

The sermon asks a fundamental question humans have struggled with for centuries: Do I live life according to my wisdom or God’s? What is the truth? If I am convinced of God’s truth then why do I continue to live outside of His love. Unfortunately, human pride is alive and well and I come away with yet another question: What will it take for some people to realize that God wants to replace people’s pride with His love.

Wise is Weak

The Testimony of our Conscience Will Enhance the Effectiveness of Our Prayers

28 Saturday Jan 2012

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This week’s study continued with the theme of suffering. In these passages the Apostle Paul begins to talk about the conscience of the believer and prayer. Paul’s prayers not only extol God but also introduce the main themes to follow. He praises God for the very suffering that his opponents use to call his apostleship into question.

Here are this week’s bible study notes

A Dent in Your Armor–That’s Good!

21 Saturday Jan 2012

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In 2 Corinthians 11:23-27 the Apostle Paul says, “Are they servants of Christ? I am a better one—I am talking like a madman—with far greater labors, far more imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. 24 Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; 26 on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; 27 in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure” .

In the above passage we are given a rather disturbing list of what the Apostle Paul experienced physically and emotionally throughout his life as a follower of Christ. It’s pretty impressive. I’m afraid I can’t compete with him. But is this the point? Is this list a standard I have to live by…or suffer by? I don’t think so. So what’s the point of the passage?

Turn to Galatians 6:17 for a possible answer. It says, “From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus”. In Paul’s final warning and benediction to the Galatian Church, he insists on the respect that is due to his ministry. He is a genuine minister of Christ and has the scars to prove it—what he calls the marks of Jesus that resulted from his being persecuted (ESV On-Line Note).

The point is that as Christians we may not ever suffer as severely as Paul did but we should have some of the marks of Jesus on our armor (Ephesians 6). When all is said and done you should be able to see a few dents, some scarring, even a place or two where your armor is bent in some areas. You don’t want it be spotless, clean, or untouched.

So, what visible proofs will you have in your armor to show Jesus that you were serious in engaging in the spiritual battle on earth? Will your “list” read as though you earnestly followed Him? Will you have proof of your faith?

This is exactly what Paul was saying to the Christians at Corinth as he challenged them to examine their faith (2 Corinthians 13:5). Examine what? Paul says, to “examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” The test was to see if the Corinthian Christians were following Christ.

So, what does your armor look like?

What Happens When the Darkness Pulls Over Unto You

19 Thursday Jan 2012

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Here’s last night’s Men’s Bible Study Notes–as always–great stuff!

2 Corinthians 1  What Happens When the Darkness Pulls Over Unto You

Introduction:Personal story—what do I wish for?Rom 12:1Eph 1:3 (Bill Strickland) “Last night I wrote out a list of the things I wished I could have. At the end of my list I noticed that it was comprised of all non-spiritual things (i.e. money, health, my children’s success in the world, my wife’s job, my job, etc.

  • Then I read Romans 12:1

1 I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.

Footnotes:

  1. Romans 12:1 Or brothers and sisters
  2. Romans 12:1 Or your rational service

Cross references:

  1. Romans 12:1 : 1 Cor. 1:10; 2 Cor. 10:1; Eph. 4:1
  2. Romans 12:1 : Rom 6:13, 16, 19; [Ps. 50:13, 14; 1 Cor. 6:20]; See 1 Pet. 2:5
  3. Romans 12:1 : Heb. 10:20
  • the first eleven chapters of Romans lists all the mercies up until this chapter. Some of these mercies are love, power, of salvation, grace, great kindness, forgiveness, propitiation (sanctification of God’s wrath—mercy seat), justification, confirmation to His image, divine sonship, indwelling of the Holy Spirit, glory, sovereign mercy, and hope, just to mention a few).
  • “heavenly realms” (spiritual world) is non-dimensional contrasted against our dimensional view of Heaven and hell
  • We are blessed with “every spiritual blessing”
  • In reference to the two lists, which one would you choose? The one I wrote based on the world or the one the Bible calls the “heavenly realm”?
  • “mind” comes more into play in the NT rather than the OT in which God had more of a national relationship with Israel. The relationship in the NT is more personal (mind)
  • My priorities (lists) is the Gospel not being a successful father, teacher, provider, etc
  • Gaining spiritual blessings put suffering into better perspective. Which is what we’ll turn to now
2 Cor 1:3
  • “Compassion” ESV uses “mercy”, οἰκτιρμῶν (grk) literally means ‘bowels of mercy’ i.e. opening yourself (insides) up to others, accepting the hurt and suffering which comes with serving. Story of his son who had his intestines completely removed and placed on the table during a long surgery. The gift of encouragement is “opening yourself up” carrying with it this type of “bowels of mercy” word picture.

 
v.8
  • “despaired” ἐξαπορηθῆναι  of life itself..(grk) meaning ‘no way out’
v.9b
  • bBut that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. Paul had to go to this length of being despaired so that he would experience what it is to rely on God
  • Good idea to read Ps 69 when you’re in despair. Pray the Psalms back to God. Another is Ps 119 which I normally read every week
Ps 77More ‘crisis of faith’ scripturesContinued
  • Speaks of the crisis of faith. The word “muse” is where we get the word ‘music’, is the language of the soul

Ps 38, 39:10-13; Ecclesiastes 1:18  For with much wisdom comes much sorrow;
the more knowledge, the more grief. So, we must fear God and keep his commandments

  • When you think about it suffering is a gift from God. But we don’t often think of it that way. We want to run away from suffering instead of embracing it.
  • How do we know if we are saved if we don’t suffer?
8 Reasons for Suffering—taken from John MacArthur
  1. To test our faith,1 Pet 1:6-7
  2. To wean us from the world, Jn 6:1-15 (feeding of the 5,000). When you begin to wean yourself from the world you begin to ache for heaven
  3. Call us to our heavenly hope (the unseen is the heavenly realm),                   2 Cor 4:17-18 (good to memorize)
  4. To reveal to us what we really love (our priorities), Gen 22 (example of Abraham who was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac) and Heb 11
  5. To teach obedience, Heb 12:5. God never tempts but He does discipline His children
  6. To reveal His compassion, Ps 63:3
  7. To strengthen us for greater usefulness, in turn, enhancing our worship for Him, James 1:2-4
  8. To comfort others, Lk 22:13-the case of Peter

A Reason to Bow Our Knees

17 Tuesday Jan 2012

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Each year Covenant Fellowship Church begins with an emphasis on Prayer. Below is Pastor Jared Mellinger’s “Prayer Points” to be used as a guide for you or your community group. I’ve also included the link to his sermon entitled, A Reason to Bow Our Knees. This is a deep and insightful message on Ephesians 3:14-21 I thoroughly enjoyed.

1. Pray that the Father would make us a church that prays.
2. Pray that the Father would strengthen us with His power.
• Power to overcome our weakness
• Power to transform us in our sinfulness
• Power to comfort us in our suffering.
3. Pray that the Father would help us to know the love of Christ.
• That we would look to the cross of Christ and that our hearts would be deeply affected
by His love for us.
4. Pray that the Father would fill us with all the fullness of God.
• That we would mature spiritually to the glory of God.

The Fear of the Lord: A Biblical Perspective

17 Tuesday Jan 2012

Posted by in Not-So-Often Devotionals, Theology

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Upon completion of the wall, Nehemiah is faced with another daunting project–repopulating Jerusalem. He authorizes two men to head up this project. Two men he can trust, his brother and the governor of the castle who is a “God-fearing” man more than many” (Neh 7:2). Nehemiah puts them both in charge over Jerusalem .

Perhaps you’ve heard, as I have, that to fear God means we’re to be in awe of God and reverence him. Certainly we should be in awe of God and reverence him. But is that what Scripture means when it says to fear him?

Examining the issue, “Should Christians Fear God?,” is not beating the wind – a futile exercise without purpose. Instead, for many it may be a watershed issue in their Christian lives. Because many teachings and doctrines within our churches today portray God only as all loving, many assume there is no reason to fear Him. When this happens we are left with an imbalance of God’s mercy and justice.

Why Should Christians Fear God? Paul gave us a principal reason to fear God:

10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. 11 Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade men (2 Corinthians 5:10-11).

It is because God is righteous and holy that we should fear God. Jesus emphasized God’s power to punish as the reason to fear God: “Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell” (Luke 12:5). We should fear God because of the punishment that will result from God’s righteous judgment. It is almost impossible for the mind to conceive of the horror of an eternity in hell. That is the judgment that awaits the evildoer.

Note that Paul included himself – “we all must appear.” Again he said, “that each one may receive what is due him.” Are there still professing Christians who think that because of their claim of faith they will be excluded from that judgment seat of Christ?

Scripture says much more about why we should fear God. Many of us are likely familiar with the proverb: “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding” (Proverbs 9:10). Isn’t it becoming obvious why fear of a righteous God is the beginning of wisdom? In God’s discourse with Job, God said: “The fear of the Lord—that is wisdom, and to shun evil is understanding” (Job 28:28).

Because doing evil invokes God’s wrath and righteous judgment, consider the purpose of fearing God from the following verses: Through love and faithfulness sin is atoned for; through the fear of the LORD a man avoids evil (Proverbs 16:6). Moses taught the same lesson: “Do not be afraid. God has come to test you, so that the fear of God will be with you to keep you from sinning” (Exodus 20:20). Paul taught, “Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Corinthians 7:1).

Salvation was also linked to fearing God: The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death (Proverbs 14:27). The fear of the Lord leads to life, so that one may sleep satisfied, untouched by evil (Proverbs 19:23).

The prophet Isaiah told us the key to receiving blessings from God:

The LORD is exalted, for he dwells on high; he will fill Zion with justice and righteousness. He will be the sure foundation for your times, a rich store of salvation and wisdom and knowledge; the fear of the LORD is the key to this treasure (Isaiah 33:5-6).

In Ecclesiastes Solomon recited over and over his conclusion that everything is meaningless. He was a man who had the wealth and opportunity to sample everything. His conclusion was:

Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14).