Elder David Eldredge
December 24, 2023
Christmas Eve Service

So when I was asked to do this tonight, I really did not know what I would speak on  that would be different than what we've heard  year after year at Christmas.  I did come across a sermon that was given by a Richard Jumper  that really struck me.  So I do give him credit for some of the content of this message. It kind of inspired the message for this evening.  The message is going to focus around Silent Night, Holy Night. Is peace possible at Christmas?  I wonder if it was really peaceful on the first Christmas.  Silent Night,  Holy Night.  All is calm,  all is bright.  Round, young virgin, mother and child.  Holy infant, so So tender and mild  sleep in heavenly peace whenever Christmas carols were sung, this him is sure to be among them  for me, for as far back as I can remember,  every Christmas Eve service, my father played silent night on his guitar. Has everyone lit their candles?  Then everyone would join in and sing.  So for me, Silent Night is a must in the songs to be sung.  I'm sure for many of you,  it just doesn't seem like Christmas Eve  until we sing Silent Night.  One of the many legends about the origin of this Christmas carol has it being created out of a catastrophe. The folktale has it that it was Christmas Eve in the snowy hills of Austria.  When the assistant minister named Joseph Moore of a small church nearing Salzburg, near Salzburg, discovered  that his church organ had broken down.  Without the organ, how would the choir sing its special anthems?  How would the congregation be able to sing their favorite carols? 

The Christmas Eve service would be a disaster without music.  More turned for help to his choir master and organist, Franz Gruber.  Together, with More creating words and Gruber composing the lovely music,  they created a special song for Christmas Eve that could be played on a guitar.  The choir taught the song to the congregation  and a Christmas tradition was born. One of the reasons this hymn is so loved is because it pictures a perfect Christmas.  The kind of Christmas we all say we want,  but often never get.  Let's think about it.  What would be the perfect Christmas?  Perfectly behaved children?  Disaster proof meals?  Which clean themselves up? Laughter.  Piles of fresh white snow,  no delays in travel,  gifts unwrapped in an orderly and neat fashion,  and church services filled with favorite carols and a very short, meaningful sermon. Sounds ideal, doesn't it?  Well, we all know the reality of Christmas is often far from ideal.  Does this sound more like your Christmas?  Children get cranky.  Dishes pile up.  Part D doesn't seem to fit into slot A the way it's shown in the instructions.  The soloist for Christmas Eve service comes down with laryngitis. Cancelled flights keep family from coming home for Christmas.  Sound more familiar?  Silent night.  Holy night.  All is calm.  All is bright.  Reading the birth narrative in Luke's gospel makes me wonder  if this hymn really does describe that first Christmas Eve.  Caesar Augustus had declared that everyone must return to their hometown for a census of the empire. Ahem. Can you imagine the disruption that caused?  Picture how crowded the highways, railroads, and airports would be if such a requirement had been placed on our recent census.  Paintings and movies often show Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem through an empty wilderness.  It was probably more like 41 on Friday night of rush hour. Or any time during EAA week.  The route from Nazareth to Bethlehem would have been jammed with travelers.  Can you imagine how difficult it would have been for a nine month pregnant woman in that crowd?  When they finally reached Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary would have found it packed with early arrivals. 

Families would have arrived with children and servants.  Not everyone could fit in the available rooms.  Courtyards would be bustling with fires and cooks,  as well as people trying to sleep.  Peace and quiet would be the last thing one would find in Bethlehem that night. And  I stopped and was thinking about that, and I remember back  quite a few years ago,  Carl was  younger,  before he was married, and we decided to take a trip to Cooperstown,  and surprise Carl by going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Well, Cindy and I were also young, so we were like, Oh, let's just go.  We'll find a hotel when we get there.  Well, we got there  not realizing  it was in Watkins Glen.  They were having car races that weekend.  There wasn't a hotel to be found.  Every hotel we, we tried to check into, they said, Oh, you're not going to find a room within 100 miles of here. So we just kept looking, kept pulling into hotels. We finally pulled into one and they said, Oh yeah, we have one room, one.  I said, I'll take it.  Well, let me just tell you,  without the gory details,  it was less than desirable.  Through Cindy's tears, I just told her, just go to sleep. We'll leave as soon as we wake up. And I think  when Mary and Joseph went,  there was no place.  And that stable  was probably pretty undesirable,  kind of like the room that we stayed in.  Stables were filled with the caravan of animals, of all the travelers, The space available for the young couple expecting their first child would have been limited. And once Mary went into labor,  calm and peace would completely disappear.  Since men rarely helped with such events, Joseph probably got one of the older servant women from the inn's courtyard to assist Mary.  She would not have come alone, but brought other women with her.  First, there'd be Mary's birth and cries,  then a newborn's cry,  and finally the songs of women celebrating a successful birth would have broken through whatever peace  and quiet existed in Bethlehem that evening. 

According to custom, the baby would have been washed, rubbed with salt, and then wrapped tightly, like a mummy, with long strips of cloth.  The manger he was placed in would have been a rough hewn ledge of stone, perhaps softened a little bit by hay and grain.  Joseph would have been waiting at the courtyard fire with the other men for news of the successful birth. There would have been much celebrating and shouts of congratulations to Joseph on the birth of a firstborn son.  There would have been little rest for either Mary or Joseph. of or baby Jesus that evening,  silent night,  holy night,  shepherds quake at the site  in the fields outside of Bethlehem.  It would have been a comfortable night. The shepherds were guarding their flocks left down the open countryside  as they gathered around an open fire,  some talking to stay awake,  others trying to sleep.  They would have heard not far off the sounds of sheep rustling and calling occasionally in the night.  The streams of travelers heading for Bethlehem would have finally trickled to a halt. Without warning, whatever quiet and rest that these shepherds were enjoying would have been shattered  by the appearance of an angel of God.  Its appearance was terrifying. Brilliant light surrounded by the glory of God.  Strange and overwhelming.  The shepherds would have cowered as their flocks scattered across the countryside in fear. What was I saying before about peaceful?  So much for peaceful here.  Add an angelic choir into this mix singing praises to God on high.  Rather than running after their frightened flocks,  these shepherds hurried to the overcrowded village of Bethlehem  Since that  is what the angel instructed them to do. After much searching, they found the newborn and his family cramped in a packed stable,  surrounded by women and men, celebrating his birth.  The shepherds added to the confusion,  sharing the good news the angel had told them concerning this child.  That news is found in Luke 2. 

I'm going to share with you Luke 2, verses 10 and 11.  And the angel said to them, Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  All who heard it were amazed,  not just by the message. But the God had chosen these shepherds  to be the bearers of such a message.  After a period of celebration, the shepherds returned to the fields as energetically as they first came.  Silent night,  holy night.  Son of God  loves pure light.  Radiant beams from your holy face  with the dawn of redeeming grace. Jesus,  Lord, at your birth,  we all want a perfect Christmas.  We rarely get it.  Not even that first Christmas was perfect.  The good news is Christmas doesn't need to be perfect  to be Christmas.  God doesn't wait for perfection to shower us with his grace and love.  God's Son. loves pure light comes regardless of and in the midst of our catastrophes,  our squabbles, our confusion  and our everyday life. Children cry through the candlelight service.  A new baby,  a newborn baby fussed and cried in a cold manger.  Tempers get short.  Side dishes get burnt.  Carefully decorated homes look like disaster areas after a morning of unwrapping gifts.  Bethlehem was overcrowded.  A baby will be born regardless of the housing conditions. Shepherds leave their flocks defenseless  and search through the confusion for a newborn.  We seek the special,  the peaceful.  and the calmly prepared moments to look for God.  God instead comes to us in the ordinary distractions of life, the busyness,  the moments of tension, and in the midst of our problems and mistakes  and brings us peace. 

There is another story involving the hymn Silent Night.  It is said that during World War One, On a battlefield somewhere in Europe on Christmas Eve,  during a lull in the battle,  someone in one of the trenches began in a clear tenor voice to sing Silent Night.  The soldiers on the English side paused to breathe and to listen to this grace filled hymn. How far from a perfect world they were that night.  How far from a joy filled and perfect Christmas.  These trenches were  quietly  over the tattered land, the barbed wire fences and the cold winter ground  came a distant bass voice echoing back to him.  Only this time the words that were sung back were steely knock,  which is German for silent night. God comes regardless of our circumstances.  And only through that coming can we have peace. May the Prince of Peace enter your hearts and your homes this Christmas,  bringing you the gift of love and grace.  Amen.

​

Randy Meyer
​December 24, 2023

Good morning, everyone, and welcome to Grace Bible Church. Merry Christmas to all of you as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  I'm gonna start just by reading the verse  for today, it's in Isaiah, Chapter nine, verse six.  If I don't put some glasses on, I won't be able to see. For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given. The government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. Let's open in prayer.  Heavenly Father, as we celebrate Christmas, let us remember that the birth of our Savior is the reason for the celebration. And may we bring honor and glory to your name as we study your word. Iit's amazing that Thursday we celebrated the first day of winter.  And today, three days later, we're celebrating the first day of spring.  And I'm sure those words will come back to bite me eventually.  And somebody here will certainly let me know. Okay, how should we celebrate the birth of Christ?  And I think it was more than just his birth. What we should be celebrating also is who he became, who he was. He was our Lord and Savior, Savior. He died our death and we could spend eternity with him. Let's start with First Corinthians Chapter 15.  This is this is a salvation message in a nutshell. Okay, and I think it needs to be preached this morning.  Says, Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also you have received and wherein you stand.  By which you were saved.

If you keep in memory what I have preached unto you, unless you have believed in vain.  For I delivered unto you, first of all, that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scriptures,  and that he was seen of Peter, then of the twelve. After that, he was seen above five hundred brethren at once, of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. Amen. After that, he was seen of James, then of the Apostles, and last of all, he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.  Now the interesting thing that I always took out of this is not only is it the salvation message,  but keep in mind, after three years of the Lord's ministry on this earth,  they were told to meet in a house and wait for the Holy Spirit. Three year ministry. At one point, he had gathered 4, 000 people together. Another point, he had 5, 000 people together. How many people were in that house after the Lord's Ascension?  120. And the important part of this verse is he was seen of 500 brethren at once. The problem is these things need to be passed down through generations.  We, if we don't,  if we don't give out the message to our children,  then how does anybody else in that family get it? We as, we as grandparents try to pick up that second generation.

Okay, maybe, maybe we feel we haven't done our job with our children. So we pick up with the grandkids. And that's our job. We keep this going because if we skip one generation, Lord knows where that ends up. We need to keep that message going. Okay,  I dug out a few things here which  maybe don't fit this day,  but I just want to use this for a purpose. Okay, everybody celebrates Christmas in one form or another.  But, you know, I'm, I'm like anybody else, okay, we give gifts, I'm sure you all do, okay, little kids still hear of Santa, alright, but as they grow older, that needs to change.  But, we're at a point where we celebrate the most ridiculous things you can think of. 

Here's a few of them. Pick out your favorite.  January 1st, January 1st, Polar Bear Plunge Day.  January 2nd. Now some of you may like this and I would be guilty to Buffet Day. Okay? That one I might be able to get into.  January 3rd. Fruitcake Toss Day.  That one I can get into also.  January 4th is Trivia Day. January 5th is Bird Day.  January 6th is Bean Day.  January 7th is Old Rock Day.  January 8th, Earth's Rotation Day.  January 9th, there's, this must be a special day because there's a couple of them celebrated, Static Electricity Day,  and also Clean Off Your Desk Day.  And here's, here's a really good one, okay. January 11th, we celebrate Hear Your Name in Morse Code Day.  So I mean, this is, this is how ridiculous things have gotten.  And according to what I found on the internet, and you know, we always believe what we find on the internet, these are a few interesting tidbits of Christmas also.  The birth of our Lord and Savior was so very important to all the people in the world. That the first celebration of his birth, according to the internet now, okay, there may be some other, some other places where you find something different, but the very first celebration of his birth was in the year 336  A. D., obviously, in Rome.  300 years after his birth, they finally acknowledge  and have a celebration of his birth? How sad is that?  And it did not become a major festival in Rome until the 9th century, which is about 500 years after his birth.  The second one, Christ's baptism received more attention than his birthday, celebrated January 6th.  I believe that's the day of Epiphany, and also that's when the, supposedly the three kings visited Christ. 

Cultures around the Mediterranean and across Europe observed feasts on or around December 25th, marking winter solstice. The Jews had a festival of lights. Celtic legends connected solstice with Baldr, maybe some of you have heard of him before, Baldr, the Scandinavian sun god, who was struck down by a mistletoe arrow. Pagan festival of Rome called Saturday Saturnalia. I'm sure it has something to do with the planet. They feasted and gave gifts to the poor. Drinking was closely connected with the pagan festivals.  The 13th century  so called Christians added Christmas carols.  No one is sure when the Christmas tree came into the picture, only that it originated in Germany. Eighth century English missionary, St. Boniface, who was an apostle to Germany, is said to have held up the evergreen as a symbol of everlasting Christ.  Puritans  were forbidden to celebrate Christmas.  In 1620, the Plymouth Colony Governor Bradford threatened New Englanders  with work, jail, or fines if they were caught celebrating Christmas. And in our country, it took almost a hundred years.  June 26th, 1870,  Christmas was finally declared a holiday in the United States. So according to history, Christmas is pretty much just another day. Okay, getting back to  our verse for today,  For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, To us  And the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. 

Christ was born to sit upon the throne of David.  And in this verse, for us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government, which means kingdom or empire, shall be upon his shoulder. Amen. Amen.  Let's flip,  I'm not supposed to say that word today. Isaiah chapter 61. Before we got started this morning, I was talking to,  um,  I'll draw a blank, he'll be mad at me now.  I was talking to Carl out in the room here,  and I told him, I said, the first time I spoke, I said the word okay at least 15 times, because I replayed it, looked at how can I improve, okay?  So I made a point of not saying that. Well, the second time, I said it over 20 times.  So that didn't do much good. So I asked him today, I says, Now, can you do something about that? I said, you know, can you hook something up, or if I say okay, you can zap me, and I know what's going on. And he thought for a minute, he says, Well, we could probably come up with something. So  Always, always there to help, you know.  Okay, let's go to Isaiah 61, and  we'll read the first two verses.  Isaiah 61, verse 1.  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound.

To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God  to comfort all that mourn.  You don't have to turn there, but  if you are able, keep your, keep your place in Isaiah.  Luke chapter 4, 

Luke chapter 4 and verse, start in verse 16. 

Luke chapter 4 verse 16. 

And he, Jesus, came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and stood up for to read.  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet, the prophet Isaiah.  And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor and the needy. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those that are bruised,  to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.  And he closed the book, and gave it again to the minister, and sat down. All the eyes of them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him, and he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled. Why did he stop?  He stopped because that scripture was not going to be entirely fulfilled.  To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord,  and then the day of vengeance. The day of vengeance did not come.  Okay? The day of vengeance did not come. That's the kingdom, that's the tribulation leading up to the kingdom of David. Same thing is true  if you read our verse again. For unto us a child is born, to unto us a son is given. Okay, that son has been given to us, and the government. What's he talking about now? He's talking about the coming kingdom. That kingdom didn't come. So you have a division in scripture here as well. Okay?

There we go, okay. 

We have a first and a second advent of Christ.  And between those two, between the first and second advent of Christ, this is overlooked, I'm sure, by a number of people.  This, this church, I don't believe overlooks any of that, but let's turn there. First Thessalonians, if you would, please.  Chapter four. 

First Thessalonians chapter four. 

And we'll read, start at verse 13. First Thessalonians chapter four, verse 13.  But I would not have you to be ignorant brethren concerning those which are asleep or who have passed away. That they, that you sorrow not even have as others, which have no hope for. If we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also would sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him  for this, we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them, which are asleep or dead. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout and with the voice of the archangel and with the Trump of God.  And the dead in Christ shall rise first, and we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort one another with these words.  So what he's telling you is that Christ is going to return for us believers, and he will return before the wrath of God is poured out on this world. All the believers will be taken out before the tribulation. Amen. The reason I say that, there's a lot of people today that believe we are going through the Tribulation right now. I got news for you. Read the book of Revelation. You'll find out what Tribulation is. And if people think we're going through the Tribulation now, that's, that's a good book to read and see a lot of those things are not happening today.  Okay, back to our verse. In the context here, the verse is proclaiming the redemption of Israel. The activities, titles, and blessings of the Messiah who is to rule the earth and usher in a reign of blessing.  And keep in mind, you probably know this, the word Messiah is the Hebrew, the Greek word is Christ.  Usher in a reign of blessing and peace. And one of his titles is the Everlasting Father.  The Hebrew phrase  that's translated Everlasting Father could be translated literally Father of Eternity. 

And the title means that this coming Messiah is also the creator of everything. He is the father of time and eternity, the architect of the ages.  And we know this to be true  by the New Testament. If you turn to the book of Colossians,  Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, you have to remember that P comes before C in scripture. 

Ephesians, Galatians, Philippians,  Colossians. 

So this means that the Messiah is the creator of everything.  And we'll start in  verse 13.  The who of verse 13 means Jesus Christ, who has delivered us from the power of darkness and translated us, pardon me,  let's go to verse 14. In whom, in Christ, we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins. Who, meaning Christ, is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of every creature.  For by him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created by him and for him. And he is before all things, by him all things consist. And he is the head of the body, the church, who is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence.  So there they're talking about Jesus Christ as the creator of the world. He is God the Father as well.  Now the Hebrew word translated everlasting  obviously means without end. The next verse if you went in 9 verse 7, chapter 9 verse 7 of Isaiah. The next verse says of the Messiah, of the greatness of his government and peace, there will be no end. The emphasis there is, is forward looking. Um, so everlasting,  it means everlasting, but maybe a better translation would be that it indicates not only there's no beginning, but there is no end. So as the everlasting father, the Messiah will be a father and his fatherhood  will be without end.  In ancient times, uh, the father of a nation was viewed as much the same way as a father of a family.  He was the father who was to protect and provide for his children,  in the same way this child to be born will become a king who will be a father to the children of Israel. He will protect and provide for them,  and as his role as protector and provider, he will not be limited by age or death.  His role will continue forever.  And the full identity of the Messiah, that he is God in the flesh, the second person of the Trinity,  would protect and provide for his people by death and resurrection on their behalf, and that the Gentiles also would be grafted into the family of Israel. 

But God's people would have to wait almost 700 years to see the Messiah revealed in the fullness of time. Amen.  Galatians chapter 4 verse 4, just a few pages  before Colossians, tells us what the fullness of time,  talks about the fullness of time. Galatians 4:4. I'll start in verse 3.  Even so we when we were children were in bondage under the elements of the world. But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law. So this was God's perfect moment for the birth of Christ. 

Okay, we'll go back to Exodus chapter 3, please. 

Exodus chapter 3. 

Yeah, Exodus chapter 3, okay. 

Sometimes I don't believe what I wrote down. 

Okay, Exodus chapter 3 talks about the burning bush and talks about Moses. 

We're gonna, we're gonna skip around here a little bit, but chapter 3 of Exodus, we'll start in, I'll just read verse 2 here quickly. The angel of the Lord appeared unto Moses in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush. He looked and behold the bush burned with fire and the bush was not consumed.  Go down to verse 7. And the Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt.  And they have heard their cry  by reason of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.  And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large land, unto a land flowing with milk and honey. And drop down to verse 10.  Come now, therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.  And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go to Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?  And he said, Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent you. When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, you shall serve God upon this mountain. Amen.  Verse 13,  Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel and say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you, they shall say to me, What is his name? What shall I say to them? And God said unto Moses, I am that I am. And he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I am hath sent me.  And I am obviously  was one of the names of God  You can keep your finger in Exodus. We'll be back  I'm gonna go to John chapter 8 

John chapter 8 

And we'll drop down to verse 50 56  He's talking to the Pharisees and the Jews in this passage  He says, Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day, and he saw it and was glad.  Then said the Jews unto him, You are not yet fifty years old, and you have seen Abraham?  Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am. Then they took up stones to cast at him, but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.  Now, why did they  pick up stones to cast at him?  A couple pages, go to John chapter 10. John chapter 10,  and we'll just, we'll just pick up here in verse 30.  Chapter 10, verse 30.  And he says, I and the Father are one.  Then the Jews took up stones again to stone him. Jesus answered them, Many good works have I showed you from my Father. For which of these works do you stone me?  The Jews answered him, saying, For a good work we stone thee not, but for blasphemy, and because thou, thou being a man, makest thyself God.

So he's telling them he is God in the flesh.  That's why they cast up stones to kill him. 

Okay, we'll go back to Exodus chapter 6. 

Hopefully you kept your finger there. I didn't. 

Exodus chapter 6, 

and we'll start in verse 2.  Once again, here is Moses. God spoke unto Moses and said to him, I am the Lord.  And he said, and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob, by the name of God Almighty. But my name Jehovah  was I not known to them. Amen. Let's go down to verse 6  Wherefore say unto the children of Israel I am the Lord and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians and I will rid you out of their Bondage I will redeem you with a stretched out arm and with great judgments. I will take you to me for a people I will be to you a God and you shall know that I am the Lord your God Which bringeth you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians I will bring you into the land concerning which I did swear to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and I will give it to you for an heritage. I am the Lord.  Basically, what we're showing you here is Jesus Christ in the Old Testament was Jehovah God. Okay? The I am is Jehovah.  Jehovah means self existent one. I am Jehovah.  And Jesus Christ says, I am. 

Genesis chapter 22. The reason for this is simply to show you that that child that was born  was more than just a child in the manger.  He's no longer in the manger. He's no longer on the cross. He's no longer buried. He has risen.  The power of resurrection is in you. And the whole point of this is to show you who He was. We, we look forward to the birth of Christ. But He was more than that. He was our Lord and Savior. And I don't think that, that's said enough. 

Genesis chapter 22. 

This is interesting for a number of reasons. First off,  you know we always talk about Christ is love.  In the whole of scripture, the first verse you'll find any reference to the word love. Is here in Genesis 22.  Start in verse 1.  And it came to pass after these things that God did tempt or test Abraham, and said unto him, Abraham, and he said, Behold, here I am. And he said, Take thou thy son, thine only son, Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah, and offer him there for a burnt offering.  I know the people in children's church hate to hear that. Teaching this to the little kids because of what happens here. Just, just the fact that here's, here's Isaac being put on a,  basically being the  burnt offering. And what's interesting is  you, if you scroll down, let's go down to verse 6.  Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, laid it upon Isaac his son. He took the fire in his hand and a knife and they went both of them together.  And Isaac spoke to Abraham, his father, and said, My father.  And he said, Here I am, my son. And he said, Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for a burnt offering?  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering. So they kept going.  So Isaac was  laid on the altar,  upon the wood,  and Abraham took out his knife, and the Lord stopped him.  This reminds me of them crossing the Red Sea, where the Lord told them, Stand still and watch the power of God. Here's the same thing. Stop, Abraham. Okay, you've proven that you trust me. You've proven me with your belief.  But people wonder, why did Abraham take his only son there? Obviously he believed God, but what else did Abraham know?  You can keep your hand here because we'll be coming right back.  I'm going to flip forward to Hebrews  chapter 11.

It's got to be  Hebrews chapter 11.  If you want to turn there, I'll wait.  Hebrews chapter 11. 

Hebrews chapter 11, we'll go to verse 17. 

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he that had received the promises,  offered up  his only begotten Son,  of whom it was said that in Isaac shall thy seed be called.  Accounting that God was able to raise him up even from the dead, from whence also he received him in a figure. Isaac. was taken there by Abraham because Abraham knew even if he went through with this, God could raise him from the dead.  So Abraham believed everything God had told him.  And the promises, obviously, that they talk about were given to Abraham, that he would be  in a land of his own and a people of his own. 

Go back to just a couple of quick notes here. In Genesis 22, the section we just read.  It says, Take thou thy son, thy only son Isaac, into the, into the  land of Moriah.  Just a side note, Mount Moriah, where they went, was the future site of Solomon's temple,  which I thought was interesting. Okay, the last section here, go to verse, 22 again, now that I've got you all messed up. Go to verse 14. 2214, And Abraham called the name of the place Jehovah Jireh, as it is said of this day, in the mount of the LORD it shall be seen. Now remember, Jehovah means I am, and Jireh, J I R E H, means your provider.  So what did God do  for Abraham? He provided the sacrifice. He provided a lamb  that they could sacrifice instead of his son.

So the son, according to  Isaiah, was to be the everlasting father. And who is the everlasting father? He's a creator. He's a source. He's a sustainer.  Sovereign of all creation. He is just. He is holy. He is merciful. He is gracious. Slow to anger. Abounding in love. In steadfast love, abounding in faithfulness, even unto the cross. 

Turn to Psalms  chapter 41. 

And be right after the book of Job. 

Psalms chapter 41. 

Psalms 41 verse 13.  It says, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting.  These are all going to be similar verses. Stay in the book of Psalms. Go to chapter 83.  Psalms 83. 

And go down to verse 18. 

That men may know that thou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most high over all the earth. 

Another page over. Chapter 90. 

Chapter 90, verse 2. 

It says, Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.  All of these verses basically tell you that God is from the beginning and to the end. He is Alpha and Omega. No beginning, no end.  Psalm 93, verse 2. Thy throne is established of old. Thou art from everlasting.  A couple more here in Psalms 103, Psalm 103,  verse 17, 103,  17,  that the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him and his righteousness unto children's children.  And one more here in Psalms, you go to the longest chapter in Scripture.  Chapter 119 and verse 142. 

119  and 142.  Once again it talks of righteousness. Thy righteousness is an everlasting righteousness, and thy law is the truth. 

If you flip forward a few pages,  touch on a few verses in Isaiah,  Isaiah chapter 26, Isaiah 

26  and verse 4, 

trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.  Turn over to chapter 40, 

chapter 40 and verse 28. 

As thou not known as thou not heard that the everlasting God the Lord the creator of the ends of the earth Fainteth not neither is weary. There is no searching of his understanding  Isaiah 45 Isaiah 

45  verse 17  But Israel shall be saved in the Lord with an everlasting salvation He shall not be ashamed, nor confounded, world without end. 

Just a couple more here. Chapter 51. 

Chapter 51, and down to verse 11. It  says, Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return, and come with singing unto Zion, or Jerusalem. And everlasting joy shall be upon their head. They shall obtain gladness, and joy, and sorrow, and morning shall flee away.  And one page over.  Isaiah 54. Isaiah 54 verse 8. 

In a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee. Sayeth the Lord thy Redeemer. Now that I bored you with all of those verses to prove a point, what was that point, right? Okay.  Christmas celebration,  people do different things. Okay, we read about the birth of Christ, the God man,  um, Herod's attempt to kill him.  We sing in choirs, we sing the praises of God.  We enjoy Christmas concerts, celebrate what's in our hearts, the real reason for Christmas. We enjoy friends and family and time together. You don't have to turn there, but in Genesis chapter 12,  God chose Abraham and his seed to be his own people.  They became the nation Israel, the Jews.  At that time, all other people were alienated from God.  When Israel crucified Christ and stoned Stephen in Acts chapter 7, The nation Israel was temporarily set aside. 

At this point, the entire world is alienated from God. But God was in Christ, reconciling the world, bringing us back together  with God. You cannot be reconciled until you've been alienated. And everybody was at that point. Turn, if you would, to 2 Corinthians chapter 5. The 2nd Corinthians chapter 5. I've said this before, I think these verses that we're going to read  are not read enough. They're not understood. And if people understood this, they'd understand why everything in the scripture is not for us for today.  2nd Corinthians chapter 5, we start at verse 14. For the love of Christ Constrains us, excuse me, constraineth us, because we thus judge that if one died for all, then all were dead. And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them and rose again.  This is the big verse to me. Verse 16. Wherefore, henceforth, from now on, knowing no man after the flesh, Yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. He is a risen Lord and Savior. We're to know him from heaven.  Therefore, if a new man be in Christ, he is a new creature. Old things are passed away. Behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation. To it that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, and hath committed to us the word of reconciliation.  Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us, we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 

If there was, if there was anything.  that we ourselves could do to be saved and spend eternity with Christ,  then the child would never have been born.  There is nothing that we can do in and of ourselves for our salvation. Christ did it all. He would, He would never have suffered and died the death He did for our sins. We can only believe in the finished work of the cross, His burial and resurrection.  And the power of his resurrection for our salvation. He did it all. And as he said on the cross, it is finished. Today,  I don't know if these are the proper words, but we're living in the climax of what Christmas started, the birth of Christ and what that birth began.  At this point, I'm going to steal six things from J. C. O'Hare. I don't think he'll mind as long as I give him credit.  At birth of Christ and what it began. Number one, the incarnation of God in Christ for the specific purpose of dying for sinners.  Number two, the sinless, perfect life of the God man Christ.  Number three, supernatural miracles to prove his eternal deity, unity, and equality with God the Father.  Number four, his once all sacrifice in fulfillment of prophecy and God's foreordained redemption for sinners. Number five, his bodily resurrection and ascension into the highest heavens.  And number six, promise that he will come for his redeemed believers and take them in glorified bodies to see and share in his glory forever as the everlasting father. 

Let’s close in prayer.  Heavenly Father, we just thank you for your presence during our periods of sorrow and joy. Help us not to be anxious for anything and through your prayer and thanksgiving. We have the peace of God.  May your mercy and grace shine through each of us as we witness to others. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

​

Elder Bernie Gaetzke
​Dec. 17,2023

The word is mighty. Let me turn to Isaiah 9:6. That's where we're gonna be for a little bit here.  Isaiah 9:6. And it says, For unto us a child is born, Unto us a son is given, And the government will be upon his shoulders, And his name will be called Wonderful. Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.

With that, let's pray.  Heavenly Father, just thank you again for another day of your grace, Lord. I thank you for Grace Bible Church Oshkosh and everyone that's in these pews. We just pray for those that couldn't be here today, whether it be illness or traveling.  Lord, that you'd put your healing hand upon them and just come alongside them, Lord, and  love them. And just know that they are loved by this congregation and this church body. And Lord, just all the things that are said and done today, may they bring honor and glory to you and to you only. It's in Christ's name I pray. Amen.  

All right. To start this out the reference, mighty in Titus 2:13 and 14.

We're going to do a lot of going through the scriptures today. With this one word, we're going to be all over.  But that's a good thing. Titus 2:13, and 14. 

And, again, I will put my trust in Him. And again, here I am.  Here am I and the children whom God has given me. Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, he himself likewise shared in the same, that through death he, mighty, destroyed him who had the power of death, that is, the devil.  And then in Colossians 3:1-4  It says, 4,  If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is our life, appears, then you also  will appear with Him in glory. And, ain't that the truth? You know, to keep our mind focused on Christ. How many times have you heard us say, the main thing is, keep the main thing, the main thing, and that's our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and when we have our eyes on Him,  and our focus and our heart  we're in that right place. And when it goes somewhere else we stray away, that's when things happen that  probably aren't so good for us.  But as you all know, about any time that you go through scripture,  you always gotta start with Genesis 1:1. And that's where we're going. We're gonna take it all the way back. 

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.  Heavens, plural. Earth, singular.  Just wanted to make you aware of that. Then,  it goes through how God created the earth and everything in it. And in Genesis 2:7, he actually explains how he created man from the sand and blue.  into his nostrils and he became, and he became alive. And with that,  there was this scientist. This scientist had a little discussion with God.  And he said,  I can make anything in my lab. God said, Oh, really?  Maybe we should go to your lab. So they went to the scientist's lab.  God said, well, what are you going to make?  I'm going to make man.  Really, he said.  So the guy pulled out a tote  grabbed a scoop of dirt and put it up on the table went down to grab another scoop of dirt and God said, ho ho time out here. He said, make your own dirt. 

But Now, a reference to the beginning in  John, chapter 1, verses 1 through 3. 

And again, this is just going to reiterate what we've already read in Genesis 1:1, and you know when God repeats something, it's important.  So here it is, John 1:1-3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him, nothing was made that was made. Boy, if that don't give a description of mighty, I don't know what does.  That, uh, very strong. And was God, there's a reference, if we go to 1 John  chapter 1, verses 1 through 5. 

It says,  That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, concerning the word of life.  The life was manifested, and we have seen, and bear witness, and declare to you, that eternal life which was with the Father and was manifested to us. That which we have seen and heard, we declare to you that you also may have fellowship with us. And truly, our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ. And these things we write to you that your, that your joy may be full. This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you that God is light and in Him is no darkness. 

Then moving on, also  back in John,  where it says, reference to God. Let's go to Acts 17:24. It 
said, God made the world and everything in it. Since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in,  Does not dwell in temples made of hands.  So what temples does he dwell in?  Everyone that's a believer.  And that's amazing.  That he could do anything he wants, but he chooses to dwell in men.  And, praise the Lord for that. Another side note too, when you're reading the Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, there is a theme. in each one of those books. And I have it written right at the  beginning of each book. In Matthew, the theme is Christ as King.  Mark, Christ as a servant.  Luke, Christ as a human.  And John, Christ as God. Now, getting back to the, mighty, in the Hebrew, El, El Gibor.  That's in Hebrew, and what El means is God, and giver means strength, or power,  or even hero. 

Why God is a mighty God.  Jesus is our mighty God  because he is stronger and more powerful than all his creation.  And John 1:3 says, All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.  In a display of pure humility, he stepped down into his creation and gave himself to be brutally murdered by us, all of us. And like I said, he stepped down from heaven into his creation. And he did this all willingly. He didn't have to do any of it, but he did it willingly. And that is  a huge difference.  You know, we, we all know that verse where it says, we love him because he first loved us, and how true is that we are all enemies.

Before we accepted Christ as our savior, we were all enemies with him, but yet  he chose years ago to die on that cross to give us the opportunity.  And, what an expression of a mighty God that is.  And His love  is so powerful and mighty that  there's just nothing that compares to it. And  I think I've talked before, and what is the definition of love?I can only think of one thing. That's God.  But, okay.  Let's read Psalms 95 verses 3 through 6. 

Again, Psalms 95:3 through 6.  For the Lord is the great God and the great King above all gods.  In His hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the hills are His also.  The sea is his, for he made it, and his hands formed the dry ground. O come, let us worship and bow down, let us kneel before the Lord our maker. And then in Zephaniah,  how many of us have been in that book lately?  It is just before Haggai. 

Zephaniah.  3:16 through 17. 

In that day it shall be said to Jerusalem, do not fear, Zion. Let not your hands be weak. The Lord your God in your midst, the mighty one will save. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will quiet you with his love. He will rejoice over you with singing. And, also, in another thing that shows God's power in Acts 13:35 and in Psalms 16:10, it shows that, God will not  let Christ or allow Christ to see corruption. And what is corruption?  Decay.  Let's go to those verses. Acts 13:35. I told you we're going to be going through  lots of books in the Bible today. Acts 13:35. Therefore, he also says in another psalm,  You will not allow your Holy One to seek corruption.  And then let's go to Psalms. 16:10. I would have put markers in my Bible, but it would have been so full. I wouldn't know where to go.  Okay. Psalm 16:10 for you will not leave my soul in shield, nor will you allow your Holy one to see corruption.  Just further proof that God's Word backs up what it says.  And, Anything that we really want to know or need to know about God or Christ, it's in here. And  I just love how when you pick something out that you can find Scripture to back up. And it gives credibility to God's truth. Romans 8:31 through 39. What is the Greek word for mighty God?  Pantokrator. Pantokrator, which means almighty,  omnipotent, and all powerful. In the Greek,  Old Testament, the word frequently translates, the Hebrew, Yahweh, Lord of armies, which stresses God's power over forces opposed to him and his people.
Let's see, Romans 8, 31 through 39. 

I know, It seems like an awful lot of reading, but if you want to get it right, you've got to read it right from God's word. And I, I don't know how to say it any other way, because  My memory is kind of like a caterpillar like somebody else this morning when they forgot to read scripture. And a caterpillar, I mean short and fuzzy.  But you're alright, Randy.  Okay, Romans 8.  I'm not going to be here that Sunday. Romans 8:31 through 39.  What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own son, but delivered him up for us all.  Who shall he not?  with him also freely give us all things who shall bring a charge against God's elect what does that mean right there? God's elect in this scripture verse.  I believe it means all believers  because when you trust Christ that's, you're put into God's elect and it doesn't mean that He predestined you  before the world began. That was not it. He knew who was going to accept Christ as their personal savior. And that's who God's elect is. It is God who justifies. Who, who,  who is he  who condemns? It is Christ who died and furthermore is also risen.  Who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us, who shall separate us from the love of Christ, shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword, as it is written, for your sake we are killed all day long.

We are counted as sheep for the slaughter.  Yet, in all these things. We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor heightened, nor death, depth. Nor any other created thing shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Does that leave anything out?  Absolutely not.  And,we can put our claim on that. 

Okay. 

The Aramaic word Abba.  Meaning, father is used by Jesus in Mark, we're not going to go to these verses, I'll just let you know what they are, Mark 14:36, and also appears in Romans 8:15, and in Galatians 4:6.  It is terms of endearment.  When he says Abba, Father.  And Jesus showed his  right to be recognized as a Mighty God,  by demonstrating power over these things. And there's  four of them that we see here. One is nature, one is disease, one is demons, and one is sin. And let's look to his word to have him explain to us what it is that he has power over, nature. Let's look at Luke 5:1 through 11. 

Luke 5:1 through 11. 

So it was, as the multitude pressed about him to hear the word of God, that he stood by the lake of,  oh, where is it? Genesarea?  Lake Genesarea? And saw two boats standing by the lake. But the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. Then he got into one of the boats, which was Simon's, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.  When he had stopped speaking, he said to Simon,  Launch out into the deep and let down your nets. 

But Simon answered and said to him, Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing.  Nevertheless, at your word, I will  let down the net.  And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. So they signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both boats so that they began to sink.  That's quite a few fish.  I've, I've never had that problem,  but, I would like that.  When Peter, when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus knees saying, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.  For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish which they had taken. And so also were James and John, the sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, Do not be afraid.  From now on, you will catch men. So when they had brought their boats to land, they forsook all and followed him.  I'm sure they were pretty impressed with that.  Okay. Then, that was just power over nature. Now it's power over disease. Let's go to Matthew, chapter 9,  verses 18 to 26. 

Matthew 9:18 to 26. 

While he spoke these things to them, behold, a ruler came and worshiped him, saying, My daughter has just died, but,  but come and lay your hand on her, and she will live.  So Jesus arose and followed him, and so did his disciples. And suddenly a woman, who had a flow of blood for twelve years, came from behind and touched the hem of his garment. For she said to herself, If only I may touch his garment, I shall be made well.  But Jesus turned around, and when he saw her, he said,  Be of good cheer, daughter. Your faith has made you well.  And the woman was made well from that hour. When Jesus came into the ruler's house and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd wailing, He said to them, make room, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping, and they ridiculed him. But when the crowd was put outside, he went up, he went in and took her hand, her by the hand, and the girl arose. And the report of this went out into all the land. That's pretty powerful. 

Okay.  Let's go to Demons.  And I know a lot of you have probably heard this story, even as kids. And, let's go to Matthew, no, Luke. Luke chapter 8, verses 26 through 33. You know, and, you know, this is all seriousness, but I think if we had a visual and actually seen this in real life, we would, Some might think it's a little sense of humor, the way it happens, but,  but to them, it wasn't.  Okay, verse 26 through 33, here we go. Then they sailed to the country of  Gardens, which is opposite of Galilee. And when he stepped out on the land, There met him a certain man from the city who had demons for a long time. And he wrote, he wore no clothes, no, nor did he live in a house but in tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out, fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I done with you, Jesus,  Son of the Most High? I beg you, do not torment me.  For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man, for it had often seized him, and he was kept under guard, bound with chains and shackles, and he broke the bonds and was driven by the demon into the wilderness. Jesus asked him, saying, What is your name? And he said, Legion.  Which, I believe legion is a thousand.  Because many demons had entered him, and they begged him that he would not command them to go out into the abyss.  And now,  a herd of swine was feeding there on the mountain. So they begged him that he would permit them to enter them, and he permitted them.

Then, the demons went out, of the man and entered the swine, and the herd ran violently down the steep hill, or steep place, into the lake and drowned it. Again, showing we have a mighty God.  And the power over sin. Let's go to Mark chapter one. 

Mark chapter 1 verses 1 through 15. 

Again, this is the book where the theme is Christ as a servant.  In the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in the prophets,  Behold, I send my messenger before your face.  Who will prepare your way before you. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the Lord. Make his path straight. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  Then all of the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River.  confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist and he ate locusts and wild honey. 

And he preached saying there comes one after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose.  I indeed baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

And immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting and the spirit descending upon him like a dove. And, and then, a voice came from heaven. You are my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.  Immediately, the spirit drove him into the wilderness. And he was there in the wilderness, forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts.

And the angels ministered to him. Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee.  Preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.  Okay, what gospel are they talking about there?  What's that?  Absolutely. And that was to repent and believe and be baptized. But what did they have to believe? They had to believe who Christ said he was, that he was their Messiah.  And prior to that, the economy that was prior to that, it was  believe what God said and do.  And that was the law. They had to do to be saved. And then, the economy following, this one here,  after Christ's death on the cross,  And, the stoning of Stephen, and then God setting the nation of Israel aside. There's a few things that happened here.  One of them  is that earlier on, when Israel became Israel, God took on Israel as his people. And the nation's Gentiles were put away. They could come and be saved through the nation of Israel. But that was it. And uh, but now he has set aside the nation of Israel. So essentially he has set man  totally aside,  but he made a provision in Christ on that cross that now we all are the same.

Nobody's better or different. God loves each person individually, and he treats everybody as an individual, not as nations or a nation any longer. So, we all have that same provision. If we put our faith and trust in what Jesus Christ did on that cross, in his death, burial, and resurrection, for our sins, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit until the day of redemption. And, to me, that is just so powerful.  You know, you talk about a God that has power and might, and that's it. 

Okay. 

So today, it's not just who Christ was, but what Christ did for us.  And also, too, you know, if you're looking, say, I want to lead somebody to the Lord, but I don't know how. Just go to 1 Corinthians 15:1 through 4. And it'll explain it  right there.  If you don't use your own experience and how you became saved,  then use that. It'll lead you to that. Okay, who is a warrior of God? By being a warrior for God, your primary goal is to discover and fulfill God's purpose.  You still have personal interests and goals, but they are not your primary  focus. Fulfilling the destiny God has for you becomes your top priority. Everything you do starts to revolve around that  primary goal. And let's go to 1 Timothy 3:16 

I'm in second, Timothy.  Let's go back. 

It says, and without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness.  And I'm going to read these through and then we're going to go back through and there's some references, uh, here that we need to go through. God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen by angels, preached among the Gentiles,  believed on in the world, received up in glory. First of all, God was manifest in the flesh. Let's look at John 1:14. John 1:14  And the word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. 

Justified in the Spirit. Let's go to Matthew 3:16 and 17. 

Matthew 17. When he had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water. And behold, the heavens were opened  to him. And he saw  the Spirit of God descending like a dove. Alighting upon him and suddenly a voice come from heaven saying, this is my beloved son and whom I am well pleased. We just heard that a few verses back in a different book and that's amazing. 

And seen by angels, Matthew 28, two through seven. 

And behold, there was a great earthquake. For an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning and his clothing as white as snow.  And the guards shook for fear of him and became  like dead men.  But the angel answered and said to the woman, Do not be afraid for I know that you seek Jesus. Who was crucified. He is not here for he is risen and he said come to  Come see the place where the Lord lay and go quickly and tell his disciples That he is risen from the dead and indeed he is Going before you into Galilee there. You will see him behold. I have told you  and  Preached among Gentiles, Romans 10:18. But I say, they have not heard. Yes, indeed,  their sound has gone out to all the earth and their words to the ends of the world. 

And then believed on in the world,  Colossians 1:6 and 23.

Which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.  Verse 23.  If indeed you continue in faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which it was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister. 

And finally, received up in glory. Luke  24:49 through 52.  Behold, I send the promise of the My Father upon you. But tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.  And he led them out as far as Bethany, and he lifted up his hands and blessed them. Now it came to pass, while he blessed them, that he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven. I mean, everything that we want proof of, God has in his word for us. And,one of the things I want to finish with today, is more about the Christmas. gift giving, and that is,  when you get a gift underneath a tree, your name is on it.  Correct?  Is that gift yours at that point?  No.  When you take that gift and take it over to your chair, sit down,  and open it up, is that gift yours? Not yet.  When does that gift become yours?  When you actually  open it up, take the gift out,  and accept  that gift, because you paid nothing for it, it was a gift to you,  and you say,  yes, I accept it, this is my gift.  That's when the gift becomes yours.  And the greatest gift that we can get is what Jesus Christ gave to us.

And he gave us all, everyone, the same exact gift. He just  treats everyone the same, and there's no prejudice in God at all. And what He says is, this gift, dying on that cross,  in His death, burial, and resurrection for our sins, this is my gift for you. And it's all you have to do, your name is on it, everybody's name is on that present, on that gift, you just have to accept it. 
And take hold of it and lay claim of it, and it's yours. But it's not yours temporarily, it's yours permanently. Because he seals you with the Holy Spirit into Christ until the day of redemption. And you cannot, as we read earlier, you cannot lose your salvation. No way, shape, or form. Once you're saved, you're saved.

And to me that's  really, really powerful in the way to look at the presence and the presence of God and what he has so richly done for each one of us. With that being said,  we'll close in prayer.  Heavenly Father, once again, we just thank you for this day, Lord. Thank you for your word, all the truths that we read today in there.That substantiate everything that you say and do and, clarifies it to us, Lord. And each day that we read your word and study your word, that we would be closer to you and, see the love that you truly have for each one of us. And not just us, Lord, but those outside of these walls. May you give us the boldness to preach the word to them, Lord, so that they have an understanding of the great love that you have for them as well. And that's just our blessing.  And, to be able to have this opportunity  under you, Lord, and just give you all the praise and the glory for all that happens. And it's in your precious name that we pray all these things. Amen.

​

Elder Mike Levenhagen
Dec. 10, 2023

Father, we thank you for your sacrificial love, how you came down humbly, as we celebrate the season of remembering your birth and Lord help us to just focus on who you are and your gift and help us be good ambassadors. And as we open your word to see.  Your name as counselor, help us to be motivated to be used by you. Thank you in Jesus name. 

All right. Well, a man fell into a pit one day and couldn't get himself out.  A Christian scientist came along and told him, You only think you're in a pit.  A Pharisee said, Bad people fall in a pit.  A charismatic says, Just confess you're not in the pit.  A social gospel pastor came and said, we brought you some food and clothing while you are in the pit.  A Calvinist said, you know, this isn't an accident. And a Methodist told the man, hey, we're going to have a meeting and we'll get back to you on how we're going to get you out.  An optimist said, things will get better.  A pessimist said, things will get worse.  Then Jesus came along, grabbed him by the hand, and got him out of the pit.  But it's all of us.  Throughout our Christian walk, fall into pits.  And we have everything, we live in a fallen world. We live with fallen image bearers. Even the most mature Christian person has feet of clay.  And so, we deal with, we deal with problems. We deal with ongoing, ongoing physical problems, ongoing relational problems. Even dealing with besetting sin, even if we're victorious, sometimes the battle can grow weary.  And sometimes we need somebody to take and grab us by the hand and get us out of that pit.  Today we're going to look at how Jesus is our counselor.  And,  it's interesting when you look at Isaiah, chapter 9, verse 6, where this series is based on. And, as Mike pointed out last week, a lot of  Translations in this verse  take the comma out of Wonderful Counselor and make it Wonderful Counselor and not Wonderful and Counselor.  So depending on what translation you have, you might see that it's the, it actually, but we're not. There actually, the Hebrew really indicates there is a comma and his name is Wonderful and his name is Counselor. 

Now, in the Old Testament,  The counselor was a word that pictured a king giving counsel to his people.  And if you turn to Micah chapter 4 verse 9, you can see this real clear.  Micah  chapter 4  verse 9. And it says,  Now why do you cry aloud? Is there no king in your midst? Has your counselor perished? For pains have seized you like a woman in labor. Now that word,  your counselor, is referring to the king.  The king was seen as a person who gave advice and, and throughout,  throughout the Old Testament, there were counselors to the king.

And so that word counselor in the Old Testament had the implication of a king. And, and so when we look at Isaiah,  When he's having this prophecy that onto us, the child will be born, his name will be called counselor. In this case, what we're looking at, it's a twofold prophecy.  The first in the prophetic program was prophesying Jesus's birth, his nativity, his earthly ministry. And it's also prophesying how he will be the perfect counselor, the perfect king. At the end of Revelation, when he comes back and establishes his kingdom and rules as king.  So that's a two, that's the first part, but the second part is what we have sandwiched in between the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and his second coming, which is this current dispensation. So, our counselor not only gives us wisdom to deal with our problems, and leads us to a place of security, and satisfaction, and enjoyment,  he also does this with assurance that because of who he is, he can help us in ways that we are far beyond our abilities to understand. Psalm 32:7 and 8. Psalm 32,  verses 7 and 8.  We hear, You are my hiding place. You shall preserve me from trouble. You shall surround me with songs of deliverance.  I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go. I will guide you with my eye. So, he guides us and gives us directions beyond our limitations.  And, so many of our problems,  Whether it's relational issues, family issues, besetting sins, physical problems, whatever they are, are based,  a lot of the time, is based on our commitment to satisfy our God given desires  without dependence on God. 

So, Jesus comes along and he satisfies and gives us counsel to point, that points back to him, to allow him to satisfy those desires.  Love is one of them, unconditional love,  to be loved by a love that we've never earned.  That's just intrinsically a love for us and that security that because we've never done anything to earn it. We don't ever have to do anything. We can never do anything to lose it, because it's not based on what we've done.  And, so, in Jesus, our needs, our, our desire for love  can meet up with the one whose love knows no limits.  It's boundless, and it's unconditional.  It is a love that will never hurt us.  It's a love that'll never use us.

Galatians 2:20.  Galatians chapter 2 verse 20 speaks of  Jesus's  unfailing love. Galatians 2:20 says, I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me. And the life I, which I live not in the flesh, I live by faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  He demonstrated his love on the cross,  and it's unconditional,  but Jesus also offers affirmation. Many times,  whether we know it or not, we're seeking the affirmation of others, or seeking affirmation of the world state by the world standards.  But the Bible says that we were created through Jesus Christ, so he has the absolute authority to declare who we are.  Who are we to argue with him? 

We have a friend that we, just an amazing guy and God delivered him from the control of same sex attractions. He got married, has nine children.  And,  one of the things that their rule in the house is you don't get to say anything about yourself that you can't, that you can't back up. Chapter and verse,  you know, I'm stupid. Give me a chapter and verse that says that. I can't believe it. Give me a chapter and verse that says that.  What a rule. Because Jesus is the one who affirms us, right? And how does he do that? Through his word.  Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. I think we're all familiar with that one. It says, For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus, unto good works which God hath ordained, that we should walk in them. When we get caught up and we allow this world standards or others and look for that affirmation, we're not able to really fulfill that calling on our lives.  And then we also have to look at Christ's faithfulness. His faithfulness.  He's the one who will be at our side and be our comforter, always.  We place our loneliness,  Our, our desire for love, our desire for affirmation and others often.

And eventually what happens? They let us down  and we get disappointed.  And then that disappointment,  because we've been looking to that, um, we wind up looking to others because, or to other things or to, and you know, it's like, it just becomes a sidetrack from our focus on the Lord.  Jesus is totally faithful to us. He always will walk down the life, the road of life with us. Never despairing, never giving up on us  and always with the inexhaustible supply of his unconditional love.  Romans 8:38, 9:38 and 39 Romans chapter eight, verses 38 and 39. Again, I'm sure it's a verse, some verses we're all familiar with.  Says, for I am persuaded  that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor the height, nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God,  which is Christ Jesus our Lord. He is faithful. And we can depend on that.  So,  Jesus came. He was born and he had an earthly ministry. And we can see what kind of counselor Jesus was as we look at his earthly ministry in Luke chapter two,  Luke chapter two, verse 40, it says,  and the child grew and became strong in the spirit filled with wisdom  and the grace of God was upon him,  Jesus grew in wisdom, and That wisdom that gives us counsel and direction in our lives.  Even as a child of 12, Jesus astounded the Jewish rabbis with his wisdom. In Luke chapter 2, verses 46 and 47,  goes on to say, Now, so it was after these three days, they found him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and answers. So already at the age of 12, he had grown in wisdom and he was able to just able to encourage and expound on God's word. Look at what happened in John chapter 4, and his interaction with the woman at the well. 

John chapter 4 verse 28, 29 and 30. 

So here he was, he met the woman.  And, what happened after his interaction with her?  The woman then left her water pot, went away into the city and said to the man, Come, see a man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?  Then they all went out to the city and came to him. Alright, so,  Jesus, in his interaction with the woman at the well, he spoke to her, he saw her loneliness,  he exposed her shame,  and then he offered her the gift of life.  Jesus does understand  our human condition. He does understand the things we're dealing with. He knew the woman at the well. He knew what she was dealing with. And yes, she was in sin, but he offered her freedom from the shame, isolation, and loneliness.  Wonderful thing about Jesus,  he knows everything about everything.  Right?  A mom was cleaning out the attic.  She was an empty nester. Daughter had left home. And while she was sorting through all the treasured stuff her daughter had accumulated over the years and put it up in the attic, the mother came across the form her daughter had filled out in school. 

In response to the question, What is the most important counsel you ever received from your mother?  She had written,  She told me always to rely on my good judgment.  And the following question was, What was the most important counsel you ever received from your father? She answered, Go ask your mother, but  no one here on all the earth has all the answers, right? But Jesus does.  Jesus is a counselor who knows, has all wisdom. Romans 11, 13 talks about Romans 11 chapter. I mean Romans chapter 11, verse 33, Romans 11, 33. He talks about, Oh, the depth of the riches, both of wisdom and knowledge of God,  how unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding out. Colossians chapter two, verse three  goes on to say, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  Colossians chapter two, verse three. And,  and so Jesus.  As Creator God, as the one who knows us,  knows everything about everything. He is the one that has the wisdom, the knowledge, and the heart, and the loving care to guide us and lead us.  Another great thing about Jesus is Jesus is always at hand.  To give us direction.  He's always there.  I like Psalm 139.

Psalm 139 verses 12 and 13.  Again, it's probably a verse a lot of us know it's, uh, Psalm 13. Even the darkness is not dark to you. And the night is as bright as the day. Darkness and light are alike to you. You formed me in my inward parts. You wove me in my mother's womb.  He's there. He knows.  He sees. And he cares.

And even though he knows that things are happening, and he knows that we're affected by living in a sinful world, we're relating to sinful people, his heart is, Daddy sees, Daddy cares, Daddy knows.  And he wants to help us.  He doesn't, just like a father whose child comes with a boo boo, and just wants the magic kiss, put the band aid on, the child will go out and play.

Right? That's, that boo boo still hurts after that happens, but the child can go out and live life because they know they have the security that daddy loves,  daddy cares, and daddy loves. Right?  And that's the same way it is with us.  We are living in a fallen world, but God wants to let us know he's there, he cares, and he's always here. 

A little girl learned that  Jesus watches over her and sees everything.  She does.  Sort of the truth compared to the world. Santa sees what you do, right? But  her mother asked her, Doesn't it bother you that he sees everything you do?  And her response was, Oh no, he loves me so much, he can't keep his eyes off of me. 

And isn't that God's heart for us?  And then the other thing is, I remember back several years ago when I was playing tennis, there was a book that came out and it was called The Inner Game of Tennis.  And this Inner Game of Tennis book really was a cool book that could help you improve your tennis game.

The author combined this zen and psychiatry  to get you into the inner game so your skills would improve.  And it did work. But the problem with that book was, it never told me if I should even be playing tennis,  right? God, on the other hand, not only tells us how, but he tells us the direction we should be going as well. 

Jesus gives us what we need, when we need it.  Let's look at an example of that in his earthly ministries. John, chapter 11.  John, chapter 11. 

Starting out in verse 20. 

This is the death of Lazarus.  Okay?  Now Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary was sitting in the house.  Now Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you'd been here my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. 

Martha said to him, I know that. He'll rise again in the resurrection of the last day. And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection  and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?  She said to him, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who came into the world. 

And when she had said these things, she went her way.  And secretly called Mary, her sister, saying, The teacher has come and is calling for you. As soon as she heard that, she rose quickly and came to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met him. Then the Jews were with her in the house and comforting her when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her saying, she's going to the tomb to weep there.

Then Mary came where Jesus was and saw him. She fell down on his feet saying to him, Lord, if you had been there, my brother would not have died.  Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in spirit and was troubled.  And he said, where have you laid them? And they said, Lord, come and see. 

And Jesus wept.  Do you notice two sisters, the exact same question, two responses.  Jesus didn't tell Mary, I am the resurrection. He's going to be resurrected.  He comforted her, he entered her pain and wept with her. Martha, on the other hand, he shared because he knew what their needs were. Martha needed that assurance that he is the rest, who he was and the offer.

Mary, on the other hand,  he comforted, he cried with her and entered in.  Did you ever think that sometimes  people don't need advice? As much as they need somebody to come alongside them  and just understand their hurt, understand their confusion.  It's like especially adults don't need, necessarily need advice. 

So Jesus knows what we need.  Jesus knows all the time and he gives us what we need when we need it. 

So how does Jesus provide wisdom and counsel now that he's  ascended into heaven?  How does he do that?  Well, he provides us a three legged stool.  He gives us his word,  his spirit, and his body.  All three.  The Word of God.  We all know it. Hebrews  chapter 4 verse 12.  Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12  tells us that the word it's of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword.

Piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and the joints of the marrow  and as a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Now it's interesting that word  sharper than a two edged sword.  I think  as Christians we need to be careful because sometimes we use God's Word as a sword to hack people apart. 

Rather than a skilled surgeon gently separating the bone from the marrow. Second Timothy chapter three, verses 16 and 17. Again, I'm sure these are verses we're all familiar with, right? Second Timothy chapter three, verses 16 and 17 says, all scripture is given by the inspiration of God.

And what is its purpose?  It is profitable for doctrine,  reproof, correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.  And so God's word is his  wisdom, his knowledge, and useful for, for us to grow and conform to his image, right? And to comfort us as well. 

What about his Holy Spirit? Amen. Amen.  The Holy Spirit guides us by leading us to the truth of God's word  and by recalling scripture to our minds at opportune times.  By using our regular times of Bible reading to speak to us in relevant ways just at the right time.  John 14 verses 16 and 17  starts the, you know, Is when Jesus starts introducing the concept of the Holy Spirit. 

John chapter 14 verses 16 and 17.  And he talks about how I will pray the father and he will give you another helper that he may abide forever.  The spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees him nor knows him, but you know him for he dwells with you and will be with you. 

And again, in John chapter 16 verses 7, 13 and 15, John chapter 16 verses 13 and 15, we, he, he goes on and talks to his disciples and saying, however, when he, the spirit of truth has come, he will guide you unto all truth, for he will speak not on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak, and he will tell you the things to come. 

He will glorify me and he'll take of what is mine and declare it to you. All things that the father has are mine. Therefore, I said that he will take a mind and declare it to you.  So that's what the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit is the only one who can change hearts.  The Holy Spirit brings about  regeneration as well, and it comes in the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of the spirit. 

Galatians chapter three verses one and three. 

Okay. Oh foolish Galatians who has bewitched you that you should not obey the truth before the eyes of Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed among you as crucified. This only I want to learn from you. Did you receive the spirit by the works of the law or by hearing of faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun in the spirit, you are now being made perfect by the flesh. 

And, of course, in 23, as we abide in the spirit, as we allow the spirit to move in our lives and change our hearts,  we hear  in Galatians 5, 22 and 20, 22 and 23,  but the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness, self control, against such there is no law. 

And those who are in Christ,  and those who are Christ, have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. So there's a couple of things here to pick up. First of all, the Spirit brings those and will allow us to do that if we walk in the Spirit.

In other words, there's an element on our part that we need to not only hear and get encouraged, but we need to obey.  We need to listen to what we heard. You know, it's like a parent that says, now, listen to me. The child's obviously heard what you said, but that's not what you're saying. Right. Listen to me means  pay attention and do it right. 

How many times as Christians are we like that child  that just obeys, but inside our hearts are never changed. You know, it's like the child that's saying. I might be sitting on the outside, but I'm standing on the inside.  So, the next part of, that I'd like to talk about is,  you know, the spirit brings conviction, and the conviction of the spirit can sting, but ultimately, it's sweet to the soul. 

He does, he The challenge is, have we ever relegated the Holy Spirit to some sort of  bellboy?  Only calling on him when we need something. We're the tools of the Holy Spirit, not vice versa.  He wants to use us, not us just to use him.  Consider the doctrine of mankind, and then consider the doctrine of God. 

An elevated view of man, by default, leads to a lower view of God.  In the same way with the Holy Spirit.  If we elevate man and our understanding and all of that, and we're going to do things versus  elevating the Holy Spirit's role in our life to empower us, to convict us and to abide in him, to walk in him. It's really, we  need to have a good biblical view of the Holy Spirit and his role in our lives.  And finally, his body.  Christ has chosen to use his body  As a vessel for encouragement and comfort.  Second Corinthians  chapter one  verses three and four.  Second Corinthians chapter one verses three and four. 

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in trouble with the comfort with we ourselves are comforted with.  Now, it's very interesting when, in, in John, when, when Jesus introduces the word, the Holy Spirit and calls, he will provide a comforter.

That word is paraclete.  But, there's a root word that, that is throughout, I mean, John is the only one who uses the actual Greek word paraclete. But throughout, Paul uses the Greek word paracleto, paracleto. Which is the same root word, and that's that word parato is comfort  and it, but it's used in a way.

It's like when you know somebody's hurting  and you come alongside them, whereas endured a loss  and you reach out to them with a, a card, a email, a visit, a call.  instead of awkwardly avoiding them. You know what you're doing. You're para toying them, you're para pleading them.  You paraclete somebody when you show them tough love  to someone who has been making foolish choices.

You choose to confront them. You in love  to help them get back on track.  How about para pleading someone to when you forgive them of wrongdoings?  Or when you encourage them when they're down, you're encouraging them, you're, you're, you're paracleting.  Finally, you can paraclete somebody when you share with them the difference your faith has made in your own life. 

One of the roles of the Holy Spirit in comforting and encouraging is pointing  us to Jesus in salvation.  And we can do the same for others.  When we can help them understand and know the gospel of grace.  I'd  like to close out looking at Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 29.  Now this is again a continuation of what Paul was talking about, putting off the old and putting on the new. 

And he always has  Don't do this, do this, and here's why.  And Ephesians 4. 29 says, Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification that may impart grace  to the hearers. 

Corrupt literally means something rotten or crumbling, a crumbling stone.  It came to be used as something depraved or foul or impure, but the idea is something that is just crumbling and has no, no substance.  In context it refers to teachers or lifestyles of, of false believers and it doesn't refer to coarse jesting or jokes.

There's other, there's other verses we can use for that. But that isn't what this verse is, uh, is talking about. And in,  and that phrase, good for the necessary for edification.  Believers, as believers, we have to live, give, and minister for the good of the body.  That's what I need, we need to build up the body and it should be for the good of the body. And in the context here, grace,  that word grace,  isn't grace like salvation?  But the goodness or favor to other believers to build them up, especially those who are tempted and tested by the pull of one's previous life or dealing badly in life situations that you know, painful situations.  So in this verse, Paul introduces  us to a solution for our problems that is so radical.

We stumble over its simplicity.  Nothing less of us is required than that every word that comes out of our mouth in relationships and with other people  be consistent with the purpose of building up our listeners.  When we interact with people, are we doing that to build them up?  We're permitted to utter nothing that compromises or interferes with that single comprehensive objective of ministering grace to those who hear.  Paul instructs us to understand  these defenses and these fears and, and the shame that so many of us walk in.  And the purpose that we engage with others  isn't to get them to talk and understand and accept us. Because we have that in Christ, right? 

But to share the Lord by ministering to those needs of the other person.  It's consistent with Paul's admonition  elsewhere as far as regards others, can regard others as more important than ourselves. For instance, Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4. Philippians chapter 2, verses 3 and 4. Let nothing,  Philippians chapter two verses three and four says, let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look not look out, not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.  We're to be encouragers  and ambassadors for Christ. And if we're going to do that, we need to be less concerned with what we say and have things scripted out than we are  to why we're saying that. What is our real purpose? Is our heart ministry or is our heart to  protect ourselves, make ourselves look good to, to come and be the, the rescuer.  People don't need a rescuer.

They already have Jesus.  What they need is somebody to come alongside. It's like somebody's  in a river and they fell out of their canoe and they're, they grasped onto a log that just is going downstream and being carried towards the falls. And people on the, on the shoreline are saying, we're praying for you. 

They need somebody to actually throw and pull them to the shoreline.  Okay. Opportunities will go unnoticed  unless we consciously chose the goal of ministry when we talk to other people.  People are more concerned with how much you care than the advice and wisdom you want to share.  Right?  And sometimes people are hurting, people are feeling lonely.

You just need to know.  That you're there and care enough to hear what's going on. But how often do we, people everywhere, the natural tendency is to hide that loneliness, to hide the shame, to hide the struggles. The Christian four letter word that a lot of people use is fine.  Right? How you doing? Fine.  Or, okay. You know, and it's like, but what's the truth? You know, I'm bleeding inside. I'm hemorrhaging.  Do people, as Christians, do we look for opportunities, little wedges, little cracks that,  you know, can speak to their, to their lives?  And again,  the more precise the understanding of the person  and, and the brother or sister in the Lord, or even the non Christians, so we can get to share the gospel is understanding  where they're at and what they're dealing with.  Now here's some helpful principles.  First of all, Proverbs 12:18. All these are going to come from Proverbs. Again, God's wisdom is laid out throughout scripture, right? 

Proverbs 12:18 says, There is one who speaks like the piercings of a sword, but the tongue of the wise promotes health.  And 13:3, He who guards his mouth preserves his life, but he who opens wide his lips shall have destruction.  We need to be slow to speak.  We need to seek to understand and listen before we start speaking. 

Be gentle with your speech.  Proverbs chapter 15, verse one. 

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.  What about verse four? A wholesome tongue is a tree of life,  but perverseness in it speaks the, uh, breaks the spirit.  And finally, Be gentle in your speech, Proverbs 26:21. 

As snow in the summer and rain in the harvest,  so honor is not fitting for a fool.  We need to be gentle.  We, you know, it's like, I love these word contrasts.  Snow in the summer, or rain when you're harvesting.  When we're foolish, when we speak  Out of wrath when we don't, when we just speak surface things,  one of the things that Christians can do sometimes is,  Oh, this is what God showed me in the scripture. Did he show you that? Yes. But is that building up the, is that building up the person that you're speaking to? Are you speaking it for words of encouragement? Are you speaking to say, look what God is doing in my life and look at how I, you know, the things I'm learning.  And let me be clear here. God's truth is never trite. God's truth is always God's truth, and it's the power of life. It's the power to change lives.  But, sometimes, it's like, if I ask how to get to New York,  and you tell me go east,  It's accurate, but it doesn't help me get there because, oh, by the way, you need to take Highway 150. Oh, and there's a detour over here.

Let's, let's go together so we can get there. So God's word is the ultimate goal, but sometimes we need to come alongside and help people get there. And the Holy Spirit and God wants to use each one of us in everyone's life as he crosses over and, and creates those relationships.  Another thing, if somebody approaches us with something, we need to avoid quick apologies or excuses. I'm sorry, or I didn't mean that. It's like,  those are, those foolish words. They don't breathe life, they're not edifying, they're not building up. Compare to, tell me a little bit more of what your, what your experience. I want to know how, what I did affected you.  And then, got to work in.  And another thing that we need to be careful of is of correcting someone's feelings. By that I mean, oh, you shouldn't feel that way.  Have you ever heard anybody say, tell that to you? It's like, what do you mean I shouldn't? That's how I feel, right? It doesn't change. It doesn't encourage. It doesn't, right? The thing to remember is we're not fully formed. We're not fully conformed to the image of Christ. 

But we can't wait for perfection to open our eyes and respond to the needs around us.  People are hurting. Fear is lodged deep in places that, that sometimes people aren't even aware of.  We all pretend, we all hide sometimes, we wear some masks, we arrange different layers snugly around us to keep us from being exposed and vulnerable to more hurt, to more rejection, to more, you know, to that shame of, you know, And what happens though is when we do that, we sacrifice the vitality of fellowship. Our distance from each other protects us from hurt, but it also blocks out encouragement.  Love that alone can thoroughly calm our fears and soothe our hurts is the perfect love of God.  When love penetrates our layers, we realize the thrilling reality of unconditional acceptance of Jesus Christ's blood. Our relational pains, our draw to sinful behaviors changes to a draw to follow and grow in the Lord. 

So, I'd like to just close in one final verse.  And that's in Hebrews chapter 10, verses 24 and 25.  Hebrews chapter 10,  verses 24 and 25. This is our challenge. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assemblies of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another. And so much. More as you see the day approaching. So that's my challenge for us today.  And Jesus is our counselor  and he's coming back and he's calling us home.  And then we'll see him face to face, and we'll be perfect.

​

Elder Mike Ratsch
Dec. 03, 2023

Okay, if you notice on the top here,  we have a verse.  It says, For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. That's from Isaiah 9:6.  And notice also that it is from the NIV translation.

And all of the references that I will be reading today will be from the NIV, that's just the Bible that I use, so that's what it'll be. Let's look to the Lord in prayer. Heavenly Father, we just thank you so much, Lord, for your word and for this time. And Lord, we just ask that you help us to just truly focus on these things today and that we Later on can actually apply them to our lives so that it might make a real difference. Lord, we just pray that everything that is said here will bring honor and glory to you and will be a blessing to all of us. And we ask all of these things in Jesus name. Amen. 

Okay. Now, notice, of course, that all the things in that verse refer to Jesus Christ. This is Isaiah, the prophet, and he is prophesying this time when the Savior will, arrive, and so it all comes from there. Now, that is kind of going to be our verse of the month, if you were, okay? Because we're going to focus on that verse for the entire month of December, and an elder will be preaching on each one of these Sundays here and for our Christmas Eve service as well and, on a very, as a different aspect of that verse. So that's going to kind of be our verse, as I said for the month. Now I will focus on one word. That's what I was deciding to do. One word here. And that word is wonderful.

You'll notice that's part of that verse, of course. And sometimes when we start we want to investigate a particular word, a good place to start is the dictionary. I'll tell you what, what is the definition of this. And I found a good dictionary online called the Free Online Dictionary.  And, okay. Yes. Of course, we can find anything and everything online, right? We certainly can. And anyway, they have two different definitions for this, for the word wonderful. And the first one is admirable or very good, excellent, splendid. And it has synonyms, and of that being marvelous, fantastic, terrific, tremendous, and grand. And then the second definition is capable of eliciting wonder, astonishing, with synonyms remarkable, amazing, extraordinary, awesome, astounding, and miraculous.  And if you take a look at the Hebrew word that was actually translated wonderful in that context, the emphasis there is on the divine. That's kind of where it is. And certainly, as we go through all of these synonyms, they, I think, very aptly describe the person of Jesus Christ. Now, our approach to this world word wonderful is going to be a little bit different, a little unusual. My mind sometimes works in very unusual ways here.

Okay, we're going to use this as an acrostic, which means that every letter of that word wonderful is going to stand for a topic that relates to a specific characteristic of the person of Jesus Christ. And we're going to kind of, you know, do that and also kind of find some references in scripture that support that and talk a little bit about how we can make a practical application of each of these characteristics in our lives. So if, if you'd like to write down, jot down some things or some verses, you're certainly welcome to do that. And, for those of you that are, shall we say, a bit more mature, like myself you may remember, a book called The Telephone Book, and we used to use that a while back. Remember that one? It had yellow pages in the back, and you remember that, that ad that said, let your fingers do the walking through the yellow pages?

Okay? Get your fingers limbered up, because we're going to be looking through lots of scripture today. Yeah? So, let's start off. The letter W stands for Wisdom. Wisdom. Jesus was a great teacher who valued knowledge, and his ministry was one of teaching. And, let's turn to the book of Mark, please. Okay, Mark chapter 4. We're going to go on. Mark chapter four,  we're going to be getting to, read at verse 30, Mark 4:30. And he's talking about a parable here. He says, again, he said, what shall we say the kingdom of God is like, or what parable shall we use to describe it? It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest seed you plant in the ground.

Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds of the air can perch in its shade. With many similar parables, Jesus spoke the word to them, as much as they could understand. He did not say anything to them without using a parable. But when he was alone with his disciples, he explained everything. And we can see here that Christ in his earthly ministry was very concerned about teaching his disciples about spiritual things. And he used illustrations, as a good teacher would, to help to, demonstrate things and to help them to just understand a little bit more about that. Now, what is kind of the practical application of knowing that?

Well, we also need to speak to, seek spiritual wisdom. For instance, we all know the verse, It is God's will that all men be saved. And come to a full knowledge of the truth, right? That is God's will. We know that. And so, that's our, his will for us as well. And Paul comments on this. Let's turn now to the book of Philippians, please. Okay, Philippians chapter 1.  And we're going to start reading Philippians 1 at verse 9. Okay, Philippians 1, starting at 9. And Paul says, And this is my prayer, that your love may abound more and more in knowledge And depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. So, it's important here, and Paul mentions this here, that we grow in our knowledge. We know that's God's will for us. And that is really what we want to do to become spiritually more mature. Now, there's really one good way of doing that.  And here it is, okay? This is the way, right here, alright? And that is, we need to get into the word, we need to study it, we need to contemplate about it, and we need to see how we can apply that to our lives, and that is the best way to gain the spiritual wisdom that we know that God wants us to, have.

Okay, we're gonna move on. We'll do the next letter, which is O, which stands for one and only. One and only. Christ is the one and only mediator that provides reconciliation between a holy God and sinful man. We're going to take a look at some passages that mention that. And first of all, Christ in his earthly ministry. Again, let's turn to the book of John. Okay, John chapter 14. Okay, and verse 1 through 6. I'm going to read. Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God. Trust also in me. In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me, that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I'm going, but then Thomas is going to interject something here. Thomas said to him, Lord, we don't know where you are going, so how can we know the way? And here's the most important part. Jesus answered, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

So he makes it known that he is the one and only, uh, person. Let's take a look at another context here. Turn to the book of Acts, please. Acts chapter four. Where are we going to go? 
Okay, Acts chapter 4. And the context of this is that Peter has just healed a crippled beggar.  And Peter is appearing before the Sanhedrin, and they have some questions to ask him about this. So we're going to start in the middle of verse 8.  7 here, and so they ask him, by what power or what name did you do this, referring to the healing? And he said, Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit said to them, Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this. Notice, you and all the people of Israel, it is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. He is the stone you builders rejected, which has become the capstone. And then notice what he says, salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men. By which we must be saved. So there again, we have Peter who is affirming, uh, this. And let's take a look at one other context here, and that's, Paul, and go to First Timothy. 

Okay.  First Timothy, Chapter 2, and we're going to start with Verse 5 here,  and it says very simply. Verse 5. For there is one God and one mediator between God and man. The man, Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men, the testimony given in its proper time. And so there, again, we have this  idea is reinforced by three different people here that Christ is the one and only, he's the only one that, by which we can, receive. Salvation. And, you know, I don't know if you've ever heard of this illustration, but somebody said, well, it's kind of like there's a big mountain here, and heaven is on the top, and we're all striving to get there, and there are many different paths. Ever heard of that? Oh, we have this path and this path, they all lead you to the same place anyway, right? But we know, of course, again, from scripture, that that is not the case. That is not the case. Christ is the one and only, means of salvation. And so, what should our response be to that then? Well, again, Paul tells us. Let's turn to 2 Corinthians, move around here,  2 Corinthians  chapter 5, we're going to start in verse 17,  2 Corinthians 5:17. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come. Remember that from last week? We just heard about that last week. All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us The ministry of reconciliation, that God was reconciling the world to himself and Christ, not counting men's sins against them.

And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ's ambassadors. If we know that there's only one way to get to heaven, we really should be telling other people about it. Right? That's exactly the, the point there. We have both the privilege and the responsibility to tell others that Christ is the one and only way to salvation. So that should be a real motivating, kind of factor there. Okay. And, and certainly I would, might also mention, isn't it wonderful? That Christ is the way and the truth and the light. That is terrific. So, let's go on then. The next letter is N.  And N  stands for Nativity. That seems kind of strange, I think, and it is, but perhaps it's timely with the Advent season. What can we really learn from Christ's Nativity about his character? Let's turn to Matthew, please. Matthew, please. Chapter 1. And we're going to start with verse 18, and here it describes the birth. This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. Because Joseph, her husband, was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, Joseph, Son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins. Now, here we can recognize the virgin birth of Christ. And this is absolutely miraculous. Hasn't happened since, hasn't happened before, I'm sure it will not happen in the future. And, if you recall, one of the synonyms that we talked about for the word wonderful was miraculous. And there it is, okay? And we know then that both the timing and the circumstances of Christ's death were all part of God's plan. He had this all planned ahead of time. So let's take a look at another aspect of the nativity here and turn over to Luke, please. Luke chapter 2. Luke chapter 2. And we're going to start in verse 4.  So Joseph also went up to the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea. To Bethlehem, the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child while they were there.

The time came for the baby to be born and she gave birth to her firstborn a son. She wrapped him in clogs and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the end. Now, think about this for a moment. The King of Kings. The Lord of Lords, the most important person ever.  that ever was and is had as his roommate animals. Stop and think about that, okay? Those of you, I grew up on a farm, and I know where animals are housed, you know, it's kind of dirty. It doesn't always smell the best, right? Okay? It's kind of, kind of bad, but, Christ was born in that circumstance, in that environment, okay? Because we know a manger is just a, that's where they put the animal feed. Okay? So, we can see that, and this certainly speaks of Christ's humility. And we can recognize that, of course, if you look further in his ministry, you will see examples of his humility again and again. Okay? And Paul gives us some advice concerning humility. So now we're going back to the book of Philippians again. 

So turn to Philippians. Philippians, chapter 2.  And here we have a very practical application of this.  Okay, that Paul, shares with us here, starting in verse 3, Philippians 2:3. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, But also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus, who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing. Taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness and being found in appearance as a man. He humbled  himself and became obedient to death, even death on a  So here again we need Paul is telling us about this, we need to follow Christ in his humility and understand that from, from things from, the Nativity scene there that we are looking at.

And again, Isn't it wonderful that Christ was so humble? That was great.  Okay, we're moving right on. The next letter is D. And D stands for Deity. Christ is God.  Christ is God. Let's take a look and find some proof for that. And that is the book of John. And  1, I think you probably You can know where we're going with this, okay, it's a familiar  passage, John chapter 1,  right in the very start of it here, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning, through him all things were made. Without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. And then later on, if you'll just go over to verse 14.  Of this same chapter, John 1, 14, the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. So there again, there's, there's no doubt the Word of course refers to Jesus Christ here. And there is no doubt that Christ is, in fact, God. And you know, I was kind of thinking about that, and why, why is that important?

Why is that a fact? Why should we consider that? And in searching kind of for some answers for that, I ran across a short article written by Clint Decker, who is the president of Great Awakenings Ministry, and he gives four reasons why Christ's deity Number one, the deity of Jesus shows us there is a God and what he is like up close and personal. Jesus reveals that God is not a legend, but is real and that all other gods are false. Number two, the deity of Jesus shows us there is a savior for mankind and how it is him. Mankind inherently looks for a savior, someone or something to save him from the things he has done wrong.

He will look to other gods, religions, or philosophies. Yet the good news is that because Jesus is God, he is the savior mankind needs and truly seeks for.  Number three, the deity of Jesus shows forgiveness is possible. Jesus stands with arms wide open. Letting men know that complete and total forgiveness can be found in him and nowhere else. And then his fourth reason. The deity of Jesus shows that he is someone we should fear. Every human being should humbly stand in fear and trembling before him, and this should show itself in reverence.  Honor, and the ultimate worship of Jesus. So that certainly gives us some challenges there, too, and that the fact that Christ is indeed God, and of course there are some other faith traditions, shall we say, that do not believe that. They preach that Christ was a perfect man. Like Adam was before he sinned, and of course we know that's not true, that's not true. And again, that is, it's very, very important, and isn't it wonderful that Christ is God himself. Let's move on, and the next letter is E, and E stands for Everlasting Life. 

Everlasting life. We know that Christ's death, that burial and resurrection provides for us eternal life. Let's turn to the book of Romans, please.  Romans chapter six. We're gonna start in verse 22. True  And again, this is familiar territory, I'm sure to many people. And verse  22, But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness. And the result is eternal life for the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ, our Lord. Now the concept of eternity. I tried to kind of think about this, stop and think about eternity.  Think about  a year from now. Think about 10 years from now. Think about a hundred years from now. Think about a thousand years from now. I can't even imagine that. I can't, it's like, wow, what is this all about? And that's because we live in a finite world. Everything has a beginning and it has an end, and we're just so used to that, and we actually are kind of bound by time, if you think about that. Everything we do, everything we experience in our life relates to time, but eternity and God, they're timeless.  And so, again, I, just, it's really difficult for me to wrap my brain around this, but I do know that God has something great planned for us in eternity,  and that in itself can provide us with great hope.

Let's turn to Titus, Titus chapter one, okay, Titus chapter one, when it falls. Titus.  Readings here, and it says, from the first verse there, Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness, a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life. Which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time. Notice there again, the words, hope of eternal life. You know, if we look around our world today,  it's kind of a hopeless situation. You see the many, many people that you see that just are so kind of downtrodden. They just don't have much hope at all. But for those of us that have Christ in our lives, We can have that hope, knowing that we will spend eternity with Jesus Christ. And isn't it wonderful that Christ is giving us eternal life. Okay, let's move on. The letter R is the next one here. And R stands for resurrection. Resurrection. Very important part here of Christ. Christ is resurrected from the dead. And he's alive today.  He is alive, okay? And Peter confirms this, this resurrection of Christ, when he's talking to the Israelites at Pentecost.

So let's go back again to the book of Acts.  I'm back here.  And of course, this is the time that he is confronting the nation of Israel with the fact that they killed the Messiah.  And so this is part of this Acts  2.  And we're going to start In verse 29. Acts 2, verse 29.  Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the Patriarch David died and was buried and his tomb is here to this day, that he's still on the ground,  but he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.

Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses to that fact. Okay, now why, why is that fact that Christ was, was raised? You know, we, think Resurrection Sunday is really probably the most important day in, the Christian day year as we take a look at it and why, why really is that so important? Okay, again, we go to the Apostle Paul. He's going to tell us a little bit about that. Turn to Romans chapter 3.  Romans  chapter 3. Okay, Romans 3.  And we're going to start reading at verse 24. We read right before that a little bit earlier here. It says, And are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice. Because in his forbearance, he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished. He did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time so that he is the, excuse me, as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.  Where then is boasting, it is excluded on what principle? On that of observing the law, but on that of faith. So again, we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from observing. The law there, okay, and we see there in Romans, now that word that, that is in NIV, it's sacrifice of atonement, that probably says propitiation in your, if you, especially if you're using the KJV, that's what it is, propitiation. And this is kind of a difficult concept, but kind of let me put it this way. God is holy and just.  When man sinned, God's justice. Demanded that man be punished for that. Instead, God sent his son to be sacrificed in man's place. The resurrection was proof that God accepted the complete, perfect sacrifice of Christ. It was as if God was putting his stamp of approval on this. And therefore, God was propitiated or satisfied. That's another name, word for that. He was satisfied. That's it. So we, as a result of this now, can have total confidence in this. If God Almighty accepted this complete sacrifice. Surely we can, right? Except it is our own. So we know, so the resurrection is really, it is that important here that we know because God himself said Amen to this. Christ said on the cross it is finished. It's done. Right? It's all finished and so we can have great confidence because of that.  And isn't it wonderful that Christ rose from the dead? That's what we need, okay? Alright, let's move on. To F, which stands for faithful. Faithful.  Let's learn about that. Let's turn please again now to Mark. 

The book of Mark, chapter 14. 

Okay, Mark chapter 14. And we're going to begin in verse 32.  Okay,  Mark 14.  beginning in verse  32.  They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, sit here while I pray. He took Peter, James, and John along with him, and he began to be deeply distressed and troubled.  My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death, he said to them. Stay here and keep watch.  Going a little further, he fell to the ground and prayed that, if possible, the hour might pass from him.  Abba, Father, he said, everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me.  Yet, not what I will,  but what you will.  And so here, Christ was agonizing during this time. He knew what was coming up. He had a total understanding and knowledge of what he was going to be going through. And here we do see a little bit of that human aspect of Christ coming through as well, because he was just, oh Lord, is there any other way that we can do this?  But again, he said, your will is what's important. Okay, I will follow your will. He was faithful, completely faithful, even unto death on the cross for us. Whatever God, his father had called him to do, he was going to do. He was going to follow through  with that. Now let's turn to another passage here that tells us a little bit about Our calling, then, to be faithful as well. Okay, turn to 1 Peter. 1 Peter, so we're going to go a little after Paul's epistles here.  1 Peter,  chapter 4. Starting in verse 10. And Peter says, each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others faithfully.  Administering God's grace in its various forms.  If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God.

If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power forever and ever. Amen. And so here we have Peter, we know also if you read Paul's epistles, he's constantly telling us about faithfulness, right? About God. So God expects us to be faithful, to be committed and dedicated to whatever task he has given us to do. And that's a, and isn't it wonderful that Christ Is so faithful. It's great. Hey, let's go on. We have two more letters to go. So we'll get there. Okay, U stands for unifying Unifying  that's what U stands for  Now, if we take a look and look around here, we actually have quite a bit of diversity in this church.

Take, we have young and old, male and female, married and single, a variety of occupations. Just think of the different occupations that people have had and the different backgrounds they, that they have. Well, What is, what brings us together, then? We're kind of, you know, an usual bunch of people to get thrown together here. And of course, it's the person of Jesus Christ that brings us together. When we become believers, God puts us into the body of Christ. And Christ is its head. So let's turn, please, to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 12.  Okay, 1 Corinthians.  Chapter 12, we're going to start with verse 12,  okay, and here we just mentioned that Christ is the head of the body, and here we have some information about the body.

It says, the body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts, and though all of its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ, for we are all baptized by one spirit into one body, whether Jew or Greek, slave or free. And we were all given the one spirit to drink. Now, I'm not going to read the next verses that come down here, but then Paul continues, and he uses the human body as an illustration for the body of Christ, right? In that each part is important and one part affects the others. And then if you take a look over in verse 25, this is the same chapter.  Okay. Chapter 12, verse 25, So that there should be no division in the body, but that its part should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it. If one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. Now you are the body of Christ and each one of you is a part of it.  Okay, so he makes that very, very clear, and here, what he's emphasizing is the unity within the body. He talks about that one mind, that one spirit, that one focus. And because again, it's the person of Jesus Christ that brings us all together. Okay, even with our diverse backgrounds and everything. And so, there again, it's important, okay, to have that unity. And let's look at one more passage here that Paul talks, addresses the same thing. Romans,  chapter 15. 

Okay, Romans 15. 

And, starting in verse 5, Romans 15, starting in 5, May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. Accept one another then, just as Christ accepted you in order to bring praise to God. So we are called upon to seek unity with other members, to serve other members of the body of Christ. And again, isn't it wonderful that Christ is the head of the body and is, and implores  us to. Keep the body unified. Well, we have one more letter left. Okay, we're nearing the end here. And I see my time is nearing the end also. So we're going to be okay. And L stands for love. L stands for love.  Okay, in our current culture, the term love has been misinterpreted, misused, misunderstood, and redefined. Right?  Okay, in scripture, that word is used very frequently, and it's translated from the Greek agape. Okay?  And what does that word actually mean?

Well If you're not familiar with this book, I highly recommend it. It's an old book, Vines Dictionary, Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words. Okay, if you want to get another insight into the background, some of these words, this is very good. And this is what he says about love. He says, love can be known only from the action it prompts. God's love is seen in the gift of his children.  But obviously this is not the love of complacency or affection. That is, it was not drawn out by any excellency in its objects. It was an exercise of the divine will in deliberate choice, made without assignable cause, save that which lies. in the nature of God himself. And later he says, Christian love, whether exercised toward the brethren or toward men generally, is not an impulse from the feelings. It does not always run with the natural inclinations, nor does it spend itself only upon those for whom some affinity is discovered. Love seeks the welfare of all and works no ill to any. Love seeks opportunity to do good to all men, and especially toward them that are of the household of the faith. And so he talks about love then, okay, as an action, not a feeling. Let's turn to one other passage here. First John. So we are going back farther now toward the back of the scripture.  First John chapter three. 1 John 3, starting in verse 16.  So 1 John  3,  and we're going to start in verse 16.  This is how we know what love is. Jesus Christ laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions, and sees his brother in need, but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him?

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions. 
So the practical application of this is God does not expect us to have warm, fuzzy feelings of affection for everybody. That's almost impossible. I'm sure you know some people that are a little unlovable, perhaps in some ways, and it's kind of hard to develop, you know, a real strong, feeling and so on for them. But what he does What I ask us to do is to treat others with respect, honesty, and dignity, and with actions that promote the well being of others. And if when that happens  Other people can see the love of Christ reflected through us. Isn't that a wonderful privilege for us to be able to have that, that experience that, that they actually can see Christ's love that is going through us, and isn't Christ's love wonderful? It's great. Now, we've gone through nine aspects here, okay? Lots of things. I know we've gone all over and talked about several different topics and so on, and I hope that you don't feel overwhelmed by all of this, because we've covered a lot of territory here. So I do have a challenge for you, though. A challenge for myself, also. This week, select one of these nine areas. That we talked about, maybe investigate it a little bit more, and then figure out how you can apply that to your life. Because I've known of people, professors and so on, who are so knowledgeable, they know scripture in and out, but you know, if it doesn't make any difference in their life.

What's the point? It then becomes merely an academic exercise. And again, we want to make this real to us, and that's what we need to do. We need to then take a look and say, how can I apply it? I've given you several examples of applications today, but there are as many applications as there are people here. Everybody has their own different, depending upon where they are. And so I, I challenge you to maybe just take one of these areas and, and explore that. Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, we just thank you, Lord, so much for your precious and wonderful word. And Lord, we thank you. We thank you for your son, Jesus Christ, and how truly wonderful he is in every aspect of things. And so, Lord, again, we just pray that you'll help us to put these things that we have learned to practical use and so that I make a difference in our lives. We ask this in Jesus name, Amen. 

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Elder Mike Levenhagen
Nov. 26, 2023

You know, with cell phones and online stuff, it is so easy to express sometimes our feelings, we order online, we get service online, and sometimes if it's not stellar, we want to just go and, you know, give them a one star rating, right? And it's just that, but, we don't know, maybe that driver that was, delivered our, Food order was, ran into traffic, or there were things beyond his control, or maybe, that cranky person that served us just had a terrible morning, found out something about their family, and they weren't having a good day, but it's so easy, and it makes it even easier when we have cell phones and, online stuff that it shoots out, and we don't take the time to think, and we don't take the time to process. So today I'm going to be talking a little bit about the, you know, putting on and putting off the old man and the new man. 

Why don't we open in prayer? Heavenly Father, we thank you that, you are so faithful, patient, and so gracious. Thank you that, you sacrificially love us, gave your life that we could Have the hope and relationship with you and Lord, today, I just pray as we explore your word that you would, give us the hope, the, the courage that we need to, move forward in this dark and fallen world in Jesus name. Amen. 

All right. Ephesians is a great, great book and it follows a great pattern because When you have is doctrine followed by the practical and if we open up the Ephesians chapter 4 verses 22 starting in verse 22 Ephesians chapter 4:22. It says that you put off concerning your former conduct the old man which girls corrupt according to the deceitful laws And be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Now these verses are really crucial verses with regard to true understanding of the New Testament teaching on the all important matter of holiness.

We can't pay too close attention to these verses. They're of great importance to us and it's also great importance from a practical perspective. This is that transition where Paul starts laying out the doctrine, then he starts giving us practical applications of that doctrine. And if you watch the pattern of Paul when he gives these directives, he always starts out with a negative. Don't do this. And then he goes on with the positive, but do this, and then he gives a reason why we should do this. And that's the pattern that you can see as Paul gives us these admonitions and directives throughout applying doctrine. And so he always combines doctrine and practice. A lot of churches, and a lot that we see today, they sort of make church like a department store. They have different departments. They have evangelism department. They have the fellowship department. They have the discipleship department. They have all these different departments. But that isn't what Christianity and the body life should be. It's one combined. It's everything. So you have doctrine and practice. You don't have doctrine outside of practice. You have justification and sanctification. You don't have just salvation without growth and conforming to the image of Christ. You have evangelism, but then you have body life and building each other up. So those things all go together in our Christian life. And, and we gotta keep that focus that that's what the body of Christ is about.

The putting off and putting on are to be actions performed once and forever. It's a done deal. Although the connecting link, when we read that, is by the renewing of the spirit of our mind, which is an ongoing process. So, the Christian needs to put off, once and for all, the old man. And, he puts on, once and for all, the new man. It's done. And we continue that process, though, of keeping them off and keeping them on by the renewing of our spirit of our mind. And it's a continuous action. And that goes, Paul reinforces that in Romans chapter 12, verse 2. Romans chapter 12, verse 2. He directs us to not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

And here's the thing, Paul just doesn't give us the negative, put off the old man. He doesn't leave it at that. The negative is only the start of the action. And there's another side. It's like a two sided coin. You take and put it off, and you put it on. It's like, we have to put it on. We can't take something off and just remain naked. You know, it's, we, uh, there's no in between. When we take off the old man, we need to put on the new man. The two things must always be put together. Nature hates a vacuum. There is no such thing as a vacuum. There's something there. And the spiritual life is just like that. There's never a condition where man merely puts off the old man. You put off the old man, and you put on the new man. At the exact same time. But sometimes, when you look back, the church has failed to realize this. And Their sole emphasis could be on putting off the old man. Mysticism starts with putting off the old man. It starts on the negative phase, the negation. You start getting introspective, and you go into the dark night of the soul, they call it. And you look at the deep, deep, sins, and seeing your sinfulness, and then you begin dealing with it. But if you stop there, You set yourself up for a form of mysticism and you try to, go back, you just wind up having this spiritual experience trying to resolve the darkness of your soul. Unfortunately, people who get caught up in that wind up going back and get caught up into the sinful lifestyles because, Or they're very miserable.

And they're just, because they have this mystic experience, they're not, life isn't really changing from the inside out. Another danger of that, it can be seen in Puritanism. The Puritans focused on, don't do this, don't do this, and, and this whole focus on holiness without putting on the new man. And realizing who they were. And Puritanism lapsed into Legalism. And it can lead to spiritual depression. Have you ever seen just people bummed out and weary because they're trying to put things out of their lives and put things out of their life and they can't get a handle on it and they wind up being spiritually depressed? You know, they wind up having an attitude of, whatever, everything I tried doesn't work. And above all, the most serious problem with this is you wind up having a false representation of what the Christian life really is about. Christianity means a balanced life. We have to be aware of concentrating wholly on the negative. At the same time, we can't just focus on the positive. We have to, you know, that leads to the high road of what people might call cheap grace or antinomianism.

You know, I'm safe so it doesn't matter, I'm under grace, it doesn't matter what I do. And we focus on the new man, and it's like, I don't know. That's just the old self. I couldn't help it, that was the old man, that old man is that, so I don't have to worry about what I do. That's not biblical either. And again, when that happens, the testimony of our faith and the Christian walk is nullified. People look at that and say, that, that's not something, there's, there's no difference. Putting off and putting on is the difference between Christianity and morality. We're not called to become moral, we're called to conform to the image of Christ. Christianity is about a relationship with Christ and, and communing and being empowered by the Holy Spirit, not working things out in the flesh. You know, it's like, if, why would Christ make the sacrificial death and that if we could change ourselves? So, morality stops at the negative. But the problem is, if you turn to Luke chapter 11, verse 24, and I think you can apply this to just focusing on one aspect, leaving a void.

Luke 11, verses 24, 22 through 24. This is after Jesus. Cast out the demon, and he's having a conversation, and he says, But when a stronger than he comes upon him and overcomes him, he takes from him all his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoils. He who is not with me is against me. And when a certain spirit goes out of a man, he goes to dice places seeking rest, and finding none, he says, I'll return to my house which I came from. And when he comes, he finds it swept and put under. And then he goes out and takes with him seven other spirits, more wicked than himself, and they entered and dwell there, and the last state is of that man is worse than the first. And that's what happens when we focus just on one or the other. There's a vacuum there.

And our state is worse than when we began.

Now, over the past century or so, There's been organizations that developed to deal with particular sins. You had everything from gambling, overeating, narcotics, sexual addictions, and it goes on. In fact, I saw a sign about fentanyl addiction, program at a church. The problem is, it's, You cannot, if you're not getting, using, and focusing on the positive power of the Holy Spirit and the Gospel of Grace to change a person's life, you're not going to have a lot of success. In fact, when you look at the reality and the statistics of some of these programs, they have just as high a rate. of people going back than others. And if they do find freedom, they're not finding freedom because a lot of times, they'll just switch addictions. They'll switch their compulsive behaviors. I can remember when I was When I was dealing with, my sexual addiction and the whole darkness in my soul and all of that, I wanted to go and start trying to deal with things in, Sexaholics Anonymous. And I, had a person that was discipling me and I told him, it's like, I'm gonna, I got information, I'm gonna go to this. He challenged me and asked me, Good, what are you gonna bring to that group? You have truth, you have light. Are you going to be bringing the gospel and sharing that? Or are you going there to take?

And it really challenged me because positive preaching of the gospel and the power of the Holy Spirit deals with every one of our problems. And we have verses like 1 Corinthians chapter 10 verse 14, 13 and 14. Right? No temptation has overcome us, but that which is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow us to be tempted beyond what you are able, but the temptation will also make a way of escape. God's not a liar. But so many times, if we're not applying the full, teachings of Scripture, we miss out, and then we blame God. I can't even tell you how many people have come to our ministry Totally lost and frustrated because they were praying that God would take away these urges. Well, actually, that's demanding that God would do something that He never promised to do. And then they blame God because He didn't remove their urges.

He wants to change our identity. He wants us to conform to Christ. And in doing that, we'll have freedom that we never imagined. It's like, when I asked, you know, when I was dealing with a lot of these issues, I didn't need another issue to sub you know, it's like I thought the opposite of homosexuality was heterosexuality, and it's like, no, I don't need something else, I don't need heterosexual lust now I need to deal with in my life, I need to find wholeness in Christ. And when I started our ministry, Reclamation Resource Center, I actually considered a bait and switch. People come to Reclamation looking for help with a specific issue. Whether it's a personal issue of dealing with gender identity in their own lives, or they have a family or loved ones dealing with their lives. And that's what they come for. What they get is the truth. They get the gospel of grace, how to apply the Bible in their lives, and they get true discipleship. And the power of the Holy Spirit to change lives. So, Let's look at this verse a little bit more, these verses. The turn's put off and put on. It's a figure of putting off a garment.

You take off your coat and you lay it aside or you put it on. And unless you're, some people and you get your arm stuck and you can't get it on, you need help. But normally, um, you take off your coat or you put it on. It cannot be half on. Or half off. That isn't how we wear coats, alright? It is either something you put aside, or, when, there it is, you finished it, discard it as it were, or you take it up and put it on. So, this concept then is, putting off and putting on is the idea of forsaking and renouncing. Laying a thing aside, not using it anymore. What are we supposed to put off? The old man. We find the term the old man consistently in the epistles. And it means the unregenerate person we once were. The old, because comparing to something believers used to be, versus what we are today. The old man really consists of the total personality. It also uses, uh, in the sense of original sin. Everybody sins, and everybody sins as soon as he's capable of doing it. Just look in the nursery. Right? You know? That's sin. People want to do things, little children want to do things that isn't good for them.

Right? Original sin. It's a manifestation of the pollution in our nature. The depravity. The defilement that's been in human nature ever since the fall of Adam. We can see the universality of it today. Read the headlines. Listen to the news. It's, it's there. You can even read it in your Bible. And you see it there everywhere, right? People's sin. It appears from the very beginning. Genesis chapter 3. To the end. The old man then is what we are by birth and by nature. Fallen, polluted, depraved, corrupt, sinful, and a bias against God, and towards evil. Now, although in my relationship with God, it is true to say that the old man is dead. I mean it's a positional thing. Not, it's done. It's, it, God's declared the old man dead, right? But from an experiential standpoint, is that true? Uh, and we bring stuff along because of our habits, because of our old practices, lack of knowledge and understanding.

And many of the characteristics of the old man still cling to me as a new man. And here's the thing. What the Apostle Paul is teaching us here in this verses is we ought to be what we are. And stop being what we're not. Slaves, after the Civil War, they were declared free, and they were free, but they still kept living in those subservient lifestyles because they didn't know any better.

Have you ever told somebody to stop acting like a baby? Right? Don't be such a baby. Well, you're telling them, you're not a baby anymore. Act like it. That's what Paul's telling us here. As believers, do we really realize that the old man's been crucified? You're no longer in Adam. Have we realized that the person that we were in Adam has been blotted out in God's light for eternity? The person we were, is God. Cease to be. We no longer need to think of ourselves as a person trying to make ourselves a Christian, or hoping that we will be a Christian someday. Our reliance upon morality teaching is not only unchristian, unscriptural, but it's naive. Telling people to do certain things or not do certain things, um, you're stimulating the desire within them to do it. It's counteractive. I know I've done this before, it's like, don't think of the number eight. I don't want you for the next 10 seconds to think of the number 8. Where does your mind go to right away? The number 8, right? so, telling somebody not to do something isn't the way of change. Another aspect of sin is that sin always involves betrayal.

Sin always involves betrayal. All parts of scripture tell us that. And when you look at it, I mean, Judas is the primary example of betrayal. Sin hardens a man, sin deceives. It says in Hebrews, Beware lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. If a person becomes, as a Christian, if a person becomes hardened, it's always because of the deceitfulness of sin. People say, you know, I don't feel the way I used to. I seem to have become hard and cold. If so, then someone or, somehow or other, they've been deceived by sin. And they're living outside of the new man. And here's the thing, sin always comes to us as a man, as a friend. It flatters us. Look at Genesis chapter 3, verse 4.

How did  the serpent approach Eve in Genesis chapter 3 verse 4? Genesis 3 verse 4 said, then the serpent said to the woman, you will surely not die For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God knowing good and evil The devil in a subtlety and his deceitfulness came to even flattered her That's flattery. That she can be like God.

He's saying, God isn't fair to you. There's something wrong with God. You're better than God. You wouldn't do that. He's put a prohibition on you. He should not have done that. Right? He's afraid you're gonna become like he is. He was paying a subtle, subtle compliment to her, wasn't he? He was picking on her pride. Sin also discourages us to stop and think. Tells us, encourages us to stop and stop meditating. When we slow down and think of our responses and what we're doing, what will be the consequences, and start meditating on scripture, It slows down the process. But too many times we're quick, quick to anger, quick to response, quick, and we don't take the time to think and apply scripture to a to the situation. So sin robs from us, exhausts us mentally, physically, morally, in every respect. And at the end it leaves us a scrap heap. Unwanted. It's entirely destructive. And it takes away and robs us of character, chastity, purity, honesty, morality, uprightness, delicacy, balance, sensitivity, and everything that is the most noble part of how God created us.

What the dignity that God breathed into us. Is it surprising then that Paul told us to put off concerning your former conduct the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts? So against this background let's look at putting on the new man. He goes on to say that you put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness. Now the, this exhortation is addressed to Christians and believers. So the exhortation is You need to put on this new man. Paul is really exhorting them to live in a manner that's consistent with the new man that they already are. The new man that's within us. Paul means stop being what you're not and be what you are. Trouble is, with all of us, we're not living as we are. Who we are. We're not living that out. This is Christianity. Be what you are. Right? What was that motto? Be all that you can be? Right? It is. Be all that you can be. Because, in Christ. The main reason for putting on the new man is because of the nature and character of the new man. We look at the nature and character of the new man. We are put on the, we are to put on the new man because the nature and character of the new man, who after God, is created in righteousness and holiness, true holiness. That's what the scriptures teach us. We see the whole of Christianity in this statement. This really putting on the new man that's created in Truth and righteousness, that part really is the heart of Christianity. People who are purely moral, good, they know nothing about the new man. I know a lot of what you would call very nice people, the young peas, very nice people that aren't believers. Right? And a lot of times when you look at the heart, a lot of reason why they're being very nice. is because they're controlled by pride, fear, and wanting to look good, and do good, and that, to build them, to help assuage their guilt. They won't acknowledge that, but that's what's going on. And people who think that just to be good as Christian know nothing about the new man.

They're not interested. In fact, very often they object to the very term of being, uh, putting on the new man. So what is this newness? Especially this newness means in quality, something of a different quality and order. Something that is essentially in every aspect different from the old. And notice the word that is used in this verse, it's created. Created. The word creation itself to us means something new, a complete contrast to the old. Creation is the beginning of life. You're creating something out of nothing. The old is linked with all that is fading. The corrupt deeds, it's corrupt, it's decaying. That's what the old man is. And now God breathed in, when we put our trust into the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, God breathed in His Holy Spirit and created, His Spirit a newness within our lives.

So creation is the beginning of life. It's the exact opposite of the corruption and the decay of the old man. Still more important, though, is the idea that something is being brought out of nothing. When we really understand the depth and depravity and darkness of our old man, and then see the creation that God has made in our souls.

When God created the heavens and the earth and all things, He spoke them, and he created them out of nothing. Right? God said, let there be, and it was. He brought them into existence. And creation is making something out of nothing. So similarly, the new man, Paul says, is something that was created. In other words, the new man is not something that evolves gradually, and we need to grow, and it grows, and the minute we put our trust, the minute the Holy Spirit comes into our life and baptizes us into the body of Christ, we have the new man created. And it's not a slow, imperceptible process of renovation. It's not an improvement of the old man. It's a totally new creation. So, we gotta get out of our heads the idea that the new man is the old man improved. Not at all. Something absolutely new is put at the center. It's created within us. God has done in our souls the same thing he did when he created the world.

Ephesians 2, chapter 10. Another verse that we're all familiar with. Ephesians chapter 2, verse 10. And it says, for we are his workmanship, we're his creation. He created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. Isn't the church at large today in the state? It is because most churches don't realize what we are and who we are as Christians. Are we people merely trying to live a little better than the majority of the world? Are we trying to be a little bit better moral? Are we just moral, decent folks? We are that, but infinitely more.

And we need to live that out. God's put some of his own nature within us. We're partakers of the divine nature. That's what it means to be Christian again, 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17. 2 Corinthians 5, verse 17. I've got to watch my time, because I wrote all my notes down with the scripture verses, so I don't have to look them up. Alright, 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 verse 17, Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things have become passed away. Behold, all things have become new. The Christian has a new disposition, the life of God in the soul of man. Believers are God's workmanship. The work is not something we painfully do, it's God's. So, Paul, it says that we're created, but he introduces the initial, additional phrase, after God. Not by God, but after God. So it's words, little words that make a difference. It, we're created after God. This is something additional. Literally, it means that the new man has been created by God after God's own image. That, what God has created and planted in us. is something that partakes in his own likeness. And these words take us back, again, to Genesis, when he says, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish, the sea, the fowl of the air, over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his image. And then, in order that we may never forget it, the word is repeated. In the image of God, he created, he, he created the male and female, he created them. Notice the repetition of the word image.

And so when we look at the condition of our world today, what we see as man is a complete travesty and a complete insult to the name of man. It's the decay we've been talking about under the old man. So, what is man? And then what does it mean to have the image of man? Of God? What does that mean? The image and likeness of God. Obviously, man was not in the exact likeness. We're finite. God isn't. God is totally independent. We're totally dependent. We depend on God for every function of our life. Our whole existence, our, everything about us, how we function, how we interact, how we relate, is all determined by God. But something happened at the fall.

So, and we became depraved. So these images, how do we represent, how do we represent God? Jonathan Edwards said that the image of God in man can be divided into two parts. The natural and the spiritual. So you start talking about the natural, and we make choices. God makes choices. We make, we think. We're rational, we're rational. We also have feelings. Right? Plus we have that ability to have relationship and we're essential spiritual buildings. That's that spiritual aspect of us. When man rebelled, It didn't destroy the brain. It didn't destroy the rational. It didn't, but it defaced it and distorted it. Far from what God created it to be. So, we experience feelings, but those feelings could be used destructively now in our fallen state. Instead of to build relationships, we experience a negative event. We become angry and we lash out versus Approaching the person, discussing it, and finding out, and building a relationship, and seeing an opportunity either to encourage them in their walk with the Lord, or sharing the gospel.

We, so there's all these feelings that we have can either be used destructively, now they are in the fallen nature, the new man, we have the ability to use that as constructive. Our thinking is not man, and the scripture teaches that the spiritual. Things man does not discern man is not natural man. The old man is not enlightened by truth and that's why you have people looking to To philosophy and to teach and all these different things outside because they they can't comprehend truth It's foreign to in fact, they they push against truth in in the old man's there also we have choices And you look at the choices, all of those are fueled, most fallen man, when you really look at it, it's really fueled by pride. Either protecting ourselves from being hurt, or making ourselves look better, but it's all about us. You even look at something as beautiful as a wedding vow. I think if a man and a woman were honest, pre Christian, their vows would be like, I promise to be with you in life and death unless you make me upset and, you know, right?

And unless you love me and make me feel important, then, you know, the deal's off. That's sort of what happens. And so, the spiritual is that communion with God. The ability to commune with God and that was destroyed and lost because we became unholy and God can only commune with holiness. And so the righteous, God is a righteous God and he needs that righteousness.

So what is the new man, what is this new thing that God creates in us and puts in us? Scripture tells us that believers have been created again after the image of God and that we receive back the righteousness. So we're able to have communion with God, holiness and truth, which were lost through sin. We also have the ability to, with the Holy Spirit and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit in our lives, we have the ability to understand absolute truth, to make good choices, and to use feelings constructively. The whole matter of putting on the new man is in essence the application of truth. To ourselves, the renewing of our minds. So we need to use, you know, we need to, to, how do we get there? Okay, first of all, it's a once and done deal. I'm just declaring this right now. I am dead to the old man. I'm alive to the new. I want to start this experiential now. I know what God's Word says. This is what God's Word says. The old man is dead. The new man is alive. I'm going to walk in that. And now I need to renew my mind, in the spirit of my mind, those truths. And if we don't continue to do that, the old man will continue to creep up and continue to harden us.

So, what are some of the things you can do? We need to do things that renew Our mind that to remind us who we are in Christ that were to remind us of the new man. What's the one? Absolute source for telling us about the new man The Word of God, right? We need to get into the word Read your Bible another way We need to pray We need to pray about every aspect of our lives Tell God about our weaknesses, our difficulties, and ask for wisdom. Ask for understanding. Now combine those two. You have God speaking to us through His Word, and now we have communication with Him. We're now righteous in His eyes. We have, He's available to us. We can now, as the more we pray, the more we are enlightened, we can, we move into a life of gratitude and thankfulness. The more you thank God for what he's done for you and to you in Christ, the more you are feeding the true man, the true self, the new man, who we are. Another very critical thing is seeking fellowship with fellow believers, like minded believers. It's hard. You can have believers that are caught up into putting off the old man. You need to connect with believers, like minded, that are pursuing the same thing. The new man is there in church and talks to others, right? Who recognizes the presence of the new man. And as you see the same nature in another, it's like, I can remember when I first, started dealing, and I met a guy that, that was open to, to be my discipler.

And the first time I met him, it's like, he has something I want. I can tell the difference. I was a believer, but I still walking in the old man. I never really grasped that concept. And as he discipled me, but there was something about that, that, that taste of relationship, the aroma. He has something I want. I had it. I just wasn't walking in it. I wasn't realizing it. So, there really is a value in church. And, there's circumstances and there's things that you can do to get messages and, and participate in a worship service. But, relational. And one to one relationship really is critical. And that's why I think as Christians we need to also be aware, if there are shut ins, if there are people that can't come to church, bring the church to them. We need to be one anothering in our new man. That is so critical. So those are the three things that we really need to focus on is getting into God's Word, renewing our mind to the truth, the absolute truth of who we are. We need to be praying and communing with our God, our Father, who delights in us, bringing our concerns. And then, we also need to connect with other believers. We need to remind ourselves that we've been bought and purchased by the precious blood of Christ, as a lamb without blemish, without spot. And he gave himself, and all that involved, that we might. Be new creations. We might be the new men. We need to remind ourselves of that.

Remind yourself of that the first thing in the morning when you get up. Who you are. Remind yourself of that constantly throughout the day. You're not your own. You've been bought. If we remembered who we are and the dignity of our calling and our position, then there'd be Just like The problems that we have in our lives, we'd be able to have that peace. Because we know that God is working all things out for those that are in Him, and we're in Him. And we know that. Let us ever remind ourselves of the family that we belong to. God not only restored the vertical, but He's restoring the horizontal. We're, and when you connect with other believers, There's a connection there. There's a sweetness of spirit there that you can't experience with non believers. Finally, we need to remind ourselves that Christ is dwelling in our hearts by faith. That the Holy Spirit of God that dwelt in Him now dwells in us. So with that, why don't we close in prayer. Father, we thank you so much for your seal of your presence in our lives. Lord, thank you that you've created a newness in our lives that we can walk in and help us, Lord, to encourage each other and keep mindful always of you and what you are and whose we are. Thank you in Jesus name. Amen.

​

Jim Tollar
​Nov. 19,2023

Take your Bibles, and we're gonna be in Psalm 136. This morning we're going to be, I've titled this message, Giving Thanks to the Lord. And for obvious reasons, right? Thanksgiving holiday coming up. It's actually one of my, favorite holidays. it's kind of nice to reflect back and thank the Lord for his blessings and especially his spiritual blessings, right? Because I mean, that's one thing, no matter what your condition is, financially or whatever, we can always thank the Lord for our spiritual blessings we have, that we have in the Lord Jesus Christ. And this morning, I want to look at Psalm 136. And we're going to look at it though, of course, in light of Paul's gospel, in terms of the mystery, God's program for today. But there is so much we can learn from this psalm, as you'll see as we go along. But I want to begin this morning with a story about a little boy who told his uncle, thank you for the electric car or the electric, the electric guitar that you gave me for Christmas.

It's the best present I ever got. That's great, said the uncle. Do you know how to play it? Oh, no I don't, he said. My mom gives me a dollar a day not to play it during the day and my dad gives me five dollars a week not to play it at night. He was very thankful you know, he was very thankful I think, for a way to earn a little extra money on the side, right?

The Lord, when we think of thankfulness, if there's one inter-dispensational truth, one thing you can count on is that the Lord wants us to be thankful. He wants his people, whether it was Israel in times past or today as members of the body of Christ. He wants us to be thankful. And we see that so often reflected in Paul's letters. In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, we read there, And everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Well, that's, that's pretty straightforward, isn't it? And in Ephesians, uh, five 20, giving thanks always for all things to God the Father, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And in Colossians three 17, we read, and whatsoever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the father. through him. And so, you know, so that means in any situation with, with, with whatever you're doing, maybe one of the hardest things not to do is to not complain, right?

But instead, God wants us to be thankful and to give thanks. We should be thankful for other members of the body of Christ. Just like Colossians 1:3 and in 1 Thessalonians 1:2. You see in those verses. Paul wrote to the church at Colossae, we give thanks to God and the father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you.

So you kind of see the correlation there between being thankful for them and at the same time praying for them as well. Because when you're thankful for someone, you're praising the Lord and you're thanking the Lord for them. And then in one Thessalonians one, two, we give, we give thanks to God always for, for you all making mention of you.

In our prayers, and as believers, we should be especially thankful for our spiritual blessings that we know of from verses like Ephesians one, three, where we see blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who have blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ. And let's face it, you can't read Paul's letters without noticing his thankfulness to God. You see it all throughout all of his epistles. You know, including things like praying and thanking the Lord for our food, of which, at least in our country, in the USA, we have an abundance of. In 1 Timothy 4, verses 4 and 5, Paul wrote, For every creature of God is good, and nothing to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving.

For it is sanctified, or in other words, set apart, By, by the word of God and prayer. So we should be thankful for our food. But, you know, the giving of thanks is not limited to Paul's letters. When the Lord fed the four thousand men and their families in, uh, in Matthew 15:36, what did, uh, what do we read there?

He says, and he took the seven loaves and the fish, and what did he do? He gave thanks. When the Lord healed ten lepers, In Luke chapter 17, verse 16. You know, the interesting thing about that account, and, and I'll address it in the notes, in the upcoming study Bible, was that only one came back. Stop and think about that.

There were 10 lepers, but only one came back and he was a Samaritan. And at that time the Samaritans were, were looked down on by the Jews, but we read in Luke 17:16 that he fell down on his face at his feet, at the Lord's feet, giving him thanks. And he was the only one that had a thankful heart about what the Lord did for him.

Now, in the book of Psalms itself, we see in passages like Psalm 92, verse 1, this was a psalm or a song for the Sabbath day. Now, we know we're not under the law. Obviously, and under, and under those, regulations. But still, it is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto, unto thy name, O Most High.

So, whether it's, you know, under the law with the Sabbath days, or in the dispensation of grace where there are no Sabbath days, it is a good thing to give thanks to the Lord, is it not? Amen, right? And this morning, I thought we would, look at one psalm in particular. So, in your Bibles this morning, let's go to Psalm 136, and we are going to look at all 26 verses.

Yeah, and you're thinking, well, how are you going to do that, Jim? Well, there's a method to my madness, so you'll just wait and see here. So we see these, and we'll see when, when we start reading it, I'm not going to read it quite yet, that, but the first three verses begin with giving thanks unto the Lord, and we will read them shortly here.

And the final two verses, or the final verse 26, says, give thanks to the God of heaven. And you're going to notice, too, that each verse ends with the phrase, His mercy. In other words, His kindness endures forever. You're going to see that at the end of each verse. And we're going to see as we go through this psalm, God's kindness to the nation of Israel.

But we're also going to see God's kindness to the body of Christ in the dispensation of grace. You know, the interesting thing about this psalm is that it was most likely a responsive reading psalm. I think probably most of you are pretty familiar with responsive readings. where the, the pastor or the minister would, would read a certain part of the Bible and then the congregation would follow suit and, and read the remaining part.

That's probably how this psalm was used, back in the days of, temple worship where the, where the priest would read God's Word. But anyways, let's go to Psalm 136 and I will read the first three verses here.

Psalm 136 beginning in verse 1. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of gods, for his mercy endureth forever. O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his mercy endureth forever. So as I had just mentioned when, when we began here, that these first three verses Our thanks to God.

But if you notice though, they're addressed in three different ways. In verse one, it's to the Lord and the, and the spelling for Lord is all, is is in all capitals, in, in most translations of the Bible. In other words, it was to Jehovah, to uh, to Jehovah God, which is his personal name. And we know that that's God's personal name.

So just like we all have personal names. Mine is Jim. My wife's is Missy, you know, Randy. We all have personal names, but we read in Isaiah 42, verse 8, the Lord, the Lord says there, I am the Lord. That is my name. That is the Lord's personal name. In Exodus 15, verse 3, this is the song of Moses. It reads there, The Lord is a man of war.

The Lord is his name. So, God's personal name, just like we have personal names, God has a personal name and his name is Jehovah. He is also the God of small g gods. And he's also the Lord of lords. Or, you know, small l lords. Masters in verses two and three. You know who learned that lesson? King Nebuchadnezzar.

How many of you know about King Nebuchadnezzar or have heard of King Nebuchadnezzar? I'm sure, I'm sure most people have. He was the king of ancient Babylon. In fact, I think he's known for the seven, or he's known for the gardens in Babylon which were one of the seven wonders of the world. But King Nebuchadnezzar, I think he eventually believed in the one true and living God.

And I think someday we'll have an opportunity to meet him in heaven. But anyways, in Daniel chapter 2, verse 47, after Daniel had told the king what his dream was and interpreted it for him, The king answered and said unto Daniel of a truth, it is that your God is a God of gods. In other words, he's better than all those false gods that were out there and all, and the ones that are even out there today and, and a Lord of kings and a revealer of secrets, seeing thou kist reveal this secret.

But even at that time, king Nebuchadnezzar, even though he made this admission. I don't think it was until later on that he believed, really believed in the one true living God. We read, in Daniel chapter 4, King Nebuchadnezzar spent seven years as a beast of the field. Can you imagine that?

Because of his pride. God humbled him. We read in Daniel chapter 4, verse 33, It says there, the same hour was this thing fulfilled upon Nebuchadnezzar. In other words, he was turned into a beast, and he was driven from men, and he did eat grass as oxen. And after that, and after those seven years, after they expired, he finally learned his lesson.

We read in, verse 37 of that same chapter in Daniel 4. He says, Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, Praise and extol and honor the King of Heaven, all whose works are truth, and His ways judgment. And those who walk in pride, as Nebuchadnezzar was, remember he was, if you read that chapter, he was looking at Babylon and saying, Ah, look at the kingdom that I built, and look at all that I have accomplished.

But God humbled him. And he says, and those who walk in pride, He that is God is able to abase and Nebuchadnezzar learned who the God of gods was and he learned who the Lord of lords is. Now also notice in verse 1 what it says about God and who he is. It says that he is good, you know, that God is good.

Now, when a rich young ruler approached the Lord, Jesus Christ, in his earthly ministry, and asked him in Matthew, uh, chapter 19, verse 16, he said, Good Master, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life? And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? There is none good, one, that is God. But if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.

Now notice this rich young ruler. He called Christ good master. So he had an idea that the Lord was a good teacher and Christ responded that there's only one good. And who's that one good? That's God, right? None of us in our, in and of ourselves, are good. Because God's standard of goodness, you know, just to use that term, is different than our standard of goodness.

You know, when, when we think of good, we compare ourselves, uh, what, you know, we compare ourselves to somebody else. We might say, Well, you know, I'm not as bad as my neighbor. Boy, my neighbor, you should see the things he does, and... The people he hangs out with, he's not very good. But then, you know, we might look at someone and say, Well, that person is really good.

They do all these nice things and they help people. They're very generous with their time and with their finances. But yet, you know what? Compared to God's standard of good, it falls way short. I sometimes like to use the example of Carl Lewis. How many of you remember Carl Lewis, a track and field athlete from the 1980s?

I remember him specifically only because when I was 14 in 1984, I had a bad case of the chicken pox. And because of that, I had to watch the Summer Olympics on the couch, and that's all I could do, you know. That wasn't the days where we had Amazon Prime or movie channels where you could watch movies. I was literally stuck watching the Olympics for a whole week because I couldn't do anything else.

But, you know, the case of Carl Lewis, though, he could long jump, 18 feet and he would win all kinds of medals. But let's suppose for a moment that to cross the barrier to God, He had to jump 20 feet. Would he, would, would he make it? No, he would have fallen short, right? Even if he jumped 19 feet and 6 inches, if God's standard of righteousness is 20 feet away, he falls short.

Now at that time, and you know, even in my younger years, even if I could run and jump, I probably could only make it maybe 10 or 12 feet, right? And, but that was like way short. So, no matter how close you think you can get to God, our goodness, in and of itself, is not good enough. Because God's standard of righteousness is perfection.

So, anyways, you know, Paul, you know, Paul uses this same idea of the word good in Romans chapter 3, verse 12, where he says, They are all gone out of the way. They are together become unprofitable. There is none that doeth good, no, not one. So again, according to God's righteous standards, we fall short, even, even the best of men and women fall short too.

But Christ is the good master, because he met God's, uh, the Father's perfect standard of righteousness for us. And that's why Paul can say, in 2 Corinthians 5 21, about the Lord Jesus Christ, for he that is God. Hath made him Christ to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him, and God is patient with mankind.

He's not giving us what we deserve, despite mankind, sin and unbelief. You know, if you're sitting here this morning or if you're watching on video, either now or later, and if you haven't trusted the Lord Jesus Christ. You need His righteousness. Simply believe the good news that Christ died for your sin, was buried, and that He rose again the third day.

And the moment you trust Christ for your salvation, you're eternally saved. Isn't that something to be thankful for? Amen. It really is. I'm thankful that... That, God sent His Son to pay the penalty for our sin. Now, let's look at, verses 4 through 9 here, because we've got to get moving along in this psalm.

To Him who alone doeth great wonders, for His mercy endureth forever. To Him that by wisdom made the heavens, for His mercy endureth forever. To Him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for His mercy endureth forever. To him that made great lights, for his mercy endureth forever. The sun to rule by day, for his mercy endureth forever.

The moon and stars to rule by night, for his mercy endureth forever. You know, after deliverance from Pharaoh and his armies, in the Song of Moses, we read in Exodus 15, verse 11, Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. Many signs and wonders were done by the Lord, in Egypt and in the wilderness.

Remember, for sure, we know about the ten plagues, we know about all the things that the Lord did for them, with the parting of the Red Sea and things like that. You know, even today, you know, speaking of wonders today, isn't there a hymn called, The Wonder of It All? I think those of you who know music might know that one.

And one of the main, one of the main lines of that song goes something like this, Just to think that God loves me. Isn't that one, isn't that something that's, that's wondrous to think about? To think that God loves us? Romans 5. 8 tells us that God commended, or He directed His love toward us. And that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

That's a wondrous thing, if you stop and think about it. You know, He does, just by making salvation available to all, that's a wonder, that's a wondrous thing of the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ, He gave Himself for us, and we can thank the Lord for His, His wondrous works. Now, the psalm continues, in the part that we just read, that by the Lord's wisdom, He made the heavens.

He stretched out the earth above, the waters, and he made the sun and the moon. The prophet Jeremiah wrote in Jeremiah 32, verse 17, Ah, Lord God, behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power, and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee. You know, so often today, man, they, they look to different theories of evolution as how, as to how things came about.

But we know the answer is so simple. Why spend millions and billions of dollars trying to figure things out, where, when all you have to do is look God's word and you can see how God created all things, the heavens and the earth, they were created by the Lord Jesus Christ. It's not on your sheet, but in Genesis 1:1, we know that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. You know what? The Lord Jesus Christ was there. In Colossians 1, verses 16 and 17, we read there, For by Him were all things created that are in heaven and that are in earth, visible and invisible. So there are invisible things that God's created.

Whether they, whether they be thrones or dominions. Or principalities or powers. All things were created by him and for him, and he is before all things. And by him, all things consist. Now when it says that by him, all things are held together and that, they consist. In other words, Christ holds everything together.

The universe as it is right now. God's holding it together. You know, that's probably why we haven't had a big giant asteroid come and destroy the earth. Because the Lord Jesus Christ holds creation together. And today we should thank the Lord for his creation and that we can enjoy his creation. Even when things start dying this time of year in, you know, in, in the fall and going into winter.

I mean, I woke up this morning and there was all kinds of frost all over the car and, and we had to go outside and, and get the vehicle warmed up and, you know, put the defrost on. But yet, this is all part of God's creation and we can take trips out west and south and different parts of the world. And even in the sin, sin condition that the earth's in, God's creation is beautiful.

And we can thank the Lord daily for it. But I can tell you one thing, though. Someday, when God unleashes his wrath on this Christ rejecting world during the time of the Tribulation, things aren't going to be quite so held together, so to speak. A writing of that day, the prophet Isaiah wrote in chapter 13, verse 13, Therefore I will shake the heavens.

And the earth shall remove out of her place in the, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of his fierce anger. And we also read in Revelation chapter 6 in verses 12 and 13. And I beheld, when he that opened the sixth seal, and lo, there was a great earthquake, and the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, and the stars of heaven fell unto the earth.

You know, we can thank the Lord today for his mercy, for his kindness, in that the body of Christ, we have not been appointed to that day of wrath. And we'll be raptured out before the fearful day of the Lord takes place. Now, the psalmist continues to thank the Lord for Israel's deliverance from Egypt.

We read in, verse 10 in your Bibles, in Psalm 136, and I'll read through verse 15. To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his mercy endureth forever, and brought out Israel from among them, for his mercy endureth forever, with a strong hand and with a stretched out arm, for his mercy endureth forever.

To him which divided the Red Sea into parts, For his mercy endureth forever and made Israel to pass through the midst of it for his mercy or his kindness. So every time you see that word, mercy here, think kindness, the kindness of God. His mercy endureth forever and finally, verse 15, but over through Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea, for his mercy, endure it forever.

You know, we know that lamb's blood, that lamb's blood, was used to cover the doorposts in Egypt. when the Lord smote the, firstborn of the Egyptians in, their land. And the Passover, when the Passover feast itself was instituted in Exodus chapter 12, verse 5, we read there, Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male of the first, of the first year.

And that's why John the Baptist said in John 1:29, We read there that the next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him and, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. And that all ties in, of course, with the Passover feast and with, Psalm 136:10, with the Lord who smote Egypt in their firstborn and what did the Lord use?

He used lamb's blood to protect them at the time. And you might be wondering, well, what in the world does that have to do with the body of Christ today? Well, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 5:7, yeah, in this, at this point of this letter, he was, he was writing to the Corinthian church about their brother in Christ.

Remember, they were approving of his immoral lifestyle. He told them to purge out there for the old, old leaven. That ye, or the group of them, may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ, our Passover, is sacrificed for us. It's because of the shed blood of Christ that God the Father can pass over our sins because he sees the righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Christ was made sin for us and, we just read that verse. in, 2 Corinthians 5, 21, not too long ago. So the Passover, while it is a Jewish feast, but yet we have the spiritual benefits of that as well. Now after that day, back in the time of Moses and the Exodus, the Lord brought Israel out of Egypt. out from the world, so to speak. And today, we know that the Lord calls believers out of the world as well. Because doesn't he command us to be separate from the world? Even though we live in the world and we still have to live life, but yet we're to be separate from the world as well. In 2 Corinthians 6, verses 14 and 17, Paul writes, Be, be not unequally yoked together with unbelievers for what fellowship?

Half righteousness hath righteousness with unrighteousness and what? Communion Half light with darkness. And then verse 17, come out from among them and be separate. Now, Paul wasn't only talking just only about marriage, many times we use this. And, you know, for an unbeliever shouldn't marry a believer and vice versa, but, you know, and that is true, but he's also talking about all areas of life.

We want to be very careful with who we associate with in our, you know, in our business dealings and just in our, in our lifestyle in general. And that's why Paul calls us out to be separate. Now, continuing with the wilderness journeys, the psalmist writes in verses, We're going to look at 16 through 24 here. To him which led his people through the wilderness, for his mercy endureth forever. To him which smote great kings, for his mercy endureth forever. And slew famous kings, for his mercy endureth forever. Sihon, king of the Amorites, for his mercy endureth forever. And Og, the king of, of, of Bashan, for his mercy endureth forever.

And gave their land for an heritage, for his mercy endureth forever. Even an heritage unto Israel his servant, for his mercy endureth forever. Who remembered us in our lowest state. Now, when Israel was in the wilderness for those 40 years, the Lord gave them many victories. over their enemies. And you read about that in just, in the psalm we read here, the famous kings, Sihon, king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of, king of, king of Bashan. And there were other kings too that the Lord defeated.  It wasn't Israel that defeated them because Israel in and of themselves, they were a small group and these kings were mighty and powerful. But yet the Lord showed His kindness to Israel, to His chosen people, and He led them through the wilderness.

You know, today, we have victory in the Lord Jesus Christ, too. Just like how Israel had victory in the wilderness, we have victory in the Lord Jesus Christ. I want you, in your Bibles, To turn to Romans chapter 8, I didn't put it on the cross reference sheet because it's a bit too long and Randy would have had to print off a third page.

But go to Romans chapter 8 verse 31. So just like how God gave Israel victory in the wilderness over all those kings in the land, We read in Romans chapter 8 beginning in verse 31. What shall we say, or what shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect?

It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died. Yea, rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, Or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long. We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things, We are more than conquerors Through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, That neither death, nor life, nor angels, Nor principalities, nor powers, Nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

So just as Israel had victory in, in the Lord in the wilderness, We have victory in our lives now and in the future because nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. You know, in verse 21 in this psalm, in Psalm 136, in verse 21 we read about how Israel inherits the land. You know, in Israel they can give thanks to the Lord for His mercy, His kindness endures forever.

Well, what's our inheritance as members of the body of Christ? We've inherited the heavens, have we not? That's our heavenly, that's our inheritance. In Philippians 3, verse 20, we read, For our conversation, or our citizenship, is in heaven. From whence also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. So, just as the psalmist writes in verse 21 about Israel inheriting the land, And he thanks the Lord because his mercy endures forever.

We can thank the Lord for our inheritance in the heavens because the Lord's kindness endures forever. Isn't that, isn't that not... You know, God has a plan and a purpose, both for the earth and for the heavens as well. You know, compared to God's vast universe, the earth is... Man, I don't even know if it's even the size of a pinhead.

That's how, that's how small we really are when you think of God's vast universe. And even nowadays, they discover more and more things that are out there. And you would think that man would be like, Oh, there has to be a creator God. But no, man still refuses to believe. that God created all things. You know, someday though, God's gonna bring both the heavens and the earth together in Christ.

Paul writes in Ephesians 1:10, that in the dispensation of the fullness of times, he might gather together in one all things in Christ. Both which are in heaven, and which are on the earth, even in him. And, you know, we can give thanks to the Lord, because His kindness endures forever. In verse 23 in Psalm 136, that verse there, it reminds us of our lowest state.

Now, when you hear that term, lowest state, it means you've been brought to a very low position. If you've ever watched the movie The Christmas Story, you'll hear the father use that, that term lowly estate. And, you know, that's the idea of being brought very low. You know, Paul writes in Romans 5:6, For when we were yet without Christ, in due time, Christ died for the ungodly.

You know, without strength and ungodly. To me, that sounds like a very low estate to be in, doesn't it? It sounds like, it sounds like a position we don't want to be in. But here's the good news, a couple verses later in Romans 5:8, But God commendeth His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

We can give thanks to the Lord, because His kindness endures forever. In verse 24, it's, in Psalm 136, it speaks of Israel's redemption from their enemies, and At that time, that was Israel's hope, and in the future, that's going to be their hope. As Paul writes about in Romans 11:26, where he says, And so, all Israel shall be saved, as it is written, There shall come out of Zion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

But today, in the dispensation of grace, even though we're still waiting, for that final step of redemption that we read about in Romans 8:23, where the, where we read, And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves, we grown within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body.

And I know all of us are waiting eagerly for that day. But currently though, we are justified freely by His grace. In Romans 3:24, we know it says being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. And because of that redemption, we are complete in Christ. As it says in Colossians 2:10, that ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.

So once you're in Christ. You've been redeemed, and you can't get any more complete than what you already are. You can't add anything to it. You can't subtract anything from it. God sees His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. We should give thanks to the Lord for His kindness, because it endures forever. And finally, you know, for our Thanksgiving meal today, and for this Thursday when you're eating with family and friends.

And, you know, and for all the food we enjoy, the final two verses of this psalm, we read there in Psalm 136, verses 25 and 26, Who giveth food to all flesh, for His mercy endureth forever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven, for His mercy, His kindness endures forever. Let's close in prayer. Heavenly Father, Lord, we just thank You for Your kindness to us, Lord.

We're thankful for, as we read this psalm about your kindness to the nation of Israel in their time in Egypt and in their wilderness wanderings, Lord. And we're thankful for your kindness to us today and the dispensation of grace and all the spiritual blessings we have and our position in your Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

And Lord, just help us to remember that as we live our daily lives, Lord. During this Thanksgiving holiday, Lord, let us, let it be a reminder to us to be thankful. For all that we have in Christ. And it's in His name we pray. Amen.

​

Pastor Dan Wolgast
Nov 12, 2023

But there's a strange phenomenon in the church in general.  And that is the ministry, what I call pastor shuffling. Men who went out, they're welcome at one church and move on. Or men who get tired of the church they're at. Or churches enticing men away from the churches they're serving. Or men who didn't measure up to the church's unrealistic expectations and were shown the door, as well as more.  And that article I read recently throws some light on this. It stated that more than 1, 700 pastors leave the ministry every month.  And then the article gave 10 reasons why.  50 percent discouragement. 50 percent were discouraged in the church they were at. This is often because of unrealistic expectations. The church isn't moving fast enough to suit me, but other reasons as well, 70 percent failure because of failure. They leave the church  and do that, have a lower self image. Folks, I need to tell you right here and now that a man or woman free in the Lord Jesus Christ never has a poor self image. 

When they know that, when they believe that, it doesn't matter what other people do or say to them or about them, their self image isn't going to say,  isn't going to change.  I am a child of God. Nothing can change that image. 70% from loneliness. You know, it's taught and encourages the courage that pastors aren't supposed to make friends in the church. 

There's dumb things, but that's a really dumb one. 

33 percent moral failure. Moral failure, sometimes from weakness, sometimes because they're targets. This is what we teach our, especially our young, that, uh, when you're in leadership, you can be a real target. To, by the devil, through whatever to, get you into moral failure.  Seventy percent is financial. Men, grossly unpaid.  And often again from unrealistic expectations.  Anger.  They really get angry at the way things are going, whatever. 4, 000 churches begin each year. That's interesting, isn't it?  And I think this is worldwide, but 7, 000 close their doors.  4, 000 opened and 7, 000 closed their doors. And we see more and more of that, uh, today in churches closing. And unfortunately, we do as well.  90 percent is the workload, 55 to 75 hours a week.  75 percent stress related crises. Plenty of those to go around. 80%, and this is a real heartache, marriage and family problems, often caused by preoccupation with the church.  How many families, wives, and children, we don't know who our husband or father is because he's always in church business and with church people. 90 percent of pastors feel they are inadequately trained to cope with the ministry demands. Think about that. 90 percent don't feel like they're adequately trained, and most of these people have at least four years of college and some seminary.  Some of them have masters, some of them have doctorates, and they don't feel adequately trained. 

Some men experience most of all, all of these and it should run up a red flag that something isn't right.  All these things lead up to pastor shuffling and being Marians we need to look to scripture.  Without preconceived ideas  as to how it's properly done. How is the church to be led?  We don't look at it, that's the way the church has always done it. All right. And as  grace people, we are very firm and that's what people have always believed.  Well, what does the scripture say?  And we know all of us have run into that lots of times. So with that, to find out about this pastor shoveling, let's definitely let's turn to Hezekiah 13:3. This is my favorite passage to turn to when we're looking to justify what isn't in the Bible. The book of Hezekiah isn't in the Bible and neither is pastor Shuffling. There have been six to eight churches that folded and gave brain Bible institutes to priests proceeds from selling their property.  That is not the way BBI wants to say solve it.  And it should tell us something is not right in the way churches are led.  One leader of a church told us, in all our existence, Grace Bible Church has never sent us a pastor. And could be the same thing that's said of being, bringing Bible Institute, so I'm not picking on the college.  This leads to the question...  How many men did you send to the college?  Or how many men did you raise up to send to BVI for training?  I would imagine, and I know that some wonder why Falls Bible Church has four pastors and many in churches including Oshkosh don't have any.

Well, for one thing, that's not exactly true.  Part of the reason that I, is that I believe Falls is a biblical church and calls men biblically qualified elders or pastors. By the way, Mr. Getsky, you couldn't have gave me a better introduction this morning than what you talked about up here in your elders board. Oshkosh and other churches, like West Bend for example,  are biblical churches and they have pastors.  They're just not recognized as such. The Bible refers to them as elders.  So let's look at an actual book and passage and see what the Apostle Paul calls leaders in the church. Let's turn to Acts 20, because they're all here. Acts chapter 20 and first of all, verse 17.  From my litus, he sent to Ephesus. The Apostle Paul called for the elders of the church.  All right? He called for the elders of the church.  And then in verse 20,  same in, in, in verses 27, 28, for I've not shunned to declare you, the whole council of God, therefore take heeded to yourselves, into all the flock among which the Holy Spirit.

Has made you overseers  to shepherd the Church of God, which he purchased with his own blood here in the one chapter in the one context, we see in one setting leaders of a church  referred to as elders, overseers and shepherds.  He didn't separate them. It's all one group of men.  This is important for us to renew our minds as to the leadership.

of the church.  This leads us to our passage this morning in Titus, where we spend a lot of time  in Chapter one.  And we just read 5 to 9.  For this reason, I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you. If a man is blameless, it hit husband of one wife. Having faithful children, not accused of dissipation or  insubordination. For a bishop must be blameless, as a steward of God. Not self willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine. Not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable. A lover of what is good, sober minded, just, holy, self controlled. Holding fast to faithful word, as he had been taught.

That he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.  So Tymoson left in Creek. Titus was left in Crete to sit in order the things that were lacking. I believe order in the church as well as appointing godly men to lead them. Men not perfect, but characterized by the virtues in this passage.  So first of all, let's look at what leaders aren't.  For this reason, I left you in Crete that you should set in order the things that are lacking and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you. Leaders aren't strangers.  Leaders aren't strangers. 

Paul did not send pastors to create, to create, he sent Titus to appoint leaders. They were already in the family, they were already there. They were taught in the word, and Titus was to discern who among them met the qualifications listed in this passage. He was then to appoint them.  And, and another point here, leaders choose leaders. That's a very important, the church is not a democracy.  It's led by godly leaders and leaders choose leaders. Now, you can get the flock to vote on whether the leaders are picking the right men or not, but they're leaders. Though this man is biblically qualified. We've looked at this and we looked at him and we know him and therefore we think that he should be part of the leadership in this church. 

They were men from their own fellowship.  Leaders are not mini kings or priests or saviors.  That should be a given, but that's often what a church is looking for. They aren't to be tyrants, demanding of their children. We're all given the word for us to follow. Every man is called to provide for his family. 

And the first church I went to, was called to, they had 12 adults and two teenagers.  And that would have been awful dumb to me, and self centered to say you should, you're supposed to provide for my, family. No, God says I am, and that's what I told them. And I'm going to provide for my family regardless of what the church can do.And that's my responsibility.  And people are to give according to their means. That's each individual. Each one of you are called on to  go to the Lord. And what do I give towards the ministry of my church? That's your responsibility. It's not my or the leader's responsibility to fleece the flock to keep telling you you should give more or whatever. That's yours. And we have one person, at least in our church, that when the money isn't there for our pastors,  we just don't take a check that month. We  have people get mad at us for that. You go figure that one out. But we're to provide and, the church gives as God leads each individuals.

Leaders aren't surrogate fathers. Most people are looking for a dad, often  looking to the pastor to be their dad. I believe this is why Catholic churches are so popular, because they have a dad that they can always look to and blame on and whatever.  Bible churches want leaders they can worship, be their dads, do the work of the ministry, praise him for what he does right, condemn him for what they perceive does wrong, blame him for the problems in the church, and shuffle him along when they're tired of him, send us a new victim. We see that over and over. There's a couple in our first church, they met and got married, they were in the middle section of a hospital  and they were turned around. They got saved under our ministry and they're turned around and very immature. And finally, after quite a while, they left the church. And as I went over and seen him, talk to them, they said you were supposed to be our dad  and you didn't measure up to that. And in a sense, As there are obviously fathers in the faith, but it's to lead to Jesus Christ, not to take that position permanently. And it was sad, they, and we did things. They, their kids asked us to go to school with them and we did on Grand Dad's Day and everything. But obviously we couldn't take over as. I have sons in the faith only because I directed them to the father  and there are men  almost my age, they call me look to me as a father in the faith, but only because I'd led them to Jesus Christ in a way that they were set free in him. They are dependent upon him alone, not me. 

Here's a big disappointing for you. I know leaders are not necessarily dynamic preachers.  Some are gifted at preaching and some are not.  There's a reason for this, I'm not going to go into it today, but  Preaching is what generally scares most men from leadership that they've been called to.  I gotta get up and preach before I was set free in the Lord. My pastor asked me to, take a homiletics course, which is a preaching course. And I thought at the time, you know, I was going, I thought, well, this would be good to learn how to preach. I'll just go along with this. Second time there, I realized that he was going to ask me to preach. There was a couple other men in the class.

I never went back and I could have come up with more than 100 excuses never to come back. Because you weren't going to get me up front and make a fool out of myself.  I was saved, but I wasn't free and there was no way. It was later when the Lord freed me that then I had to get up and tell people what Jesus Christ had done for me. It didn't matter if there were 40 men or 40, 000, 40 people. I needed to tell others about Jesus Christ and what he'll do in your life if you believe him. I was never much of a communicator, but had to talk about my father. I once got a backhanded compliment,  Dan's more of a teacher than a preacher. Does pastor teacher come to mind there? There was one lady in our church,  our first church, every Sunday, my wife and I would stand at the back and  greet people as they left, and every Sunday, Dan, why'd you quit? 

Why'd you quit?  And  at the same time,  she offered to pay my way down to Georgia to get into Charles Stanley's preaching class.  She loved what she heard, but she knew I could use a little help in the area of proclaiming  the word.  A good heart. She meant well. I told her she'd send me to Texas to Tony Evans preaching school, I'd go.

I could preach like Charles Stanly. I'll listen, I'll, I'll listen. I'll listen up. Ha ha ha! 

Now today  we have the blessing and the curse at times  of electronics.  And when a church doesn't have a preacher or man in the church that's comfortable with standing up here proclaiming the truth,  you have the opportunity to go live stream with another church where they do have preaching and you get good messages.

And it's a substitute, but I think it's a good one. West Bend has some excellent preachers. By the way, there are a lot of people that laugh when West Bend says We need a Pastor  . There's six or eight men in the church, more mature than the last pastor they had, and there's several as, pastor Sadler and Dr. Nix. No one preaches better than either one of them. And so we had that opportunity. You know, it takes humility, but you spend time as a family and you can, and you can, um.  Tune into one of these, and it can be, you know, even if your time isn't the same, you can, uh, preach it later. We have wonderful pastors in our church as well, and we live stream.

And so, we have that, and we need to think about these things. Because God in time will raise up the men. You have shepherds in this church. I've known them for a long time. You're the elders. And, so it's a matter of time, but most of the time, preaching is just like this, you know, what's the emphasis, what's brought out,  and the first church I went to, they were such a gracious flock, probably out of desperation, that though I wasn't a very good communicator, I communicated the truth of Jesus Christ.

And they love what they heard. Our church grew from 12 people to over 100 in the first six years I was there. So,  very important is what is the content of the message, not is how eloquent is the speaker.  The power in preaching is in the truth, our Lord Jesus Christ, that sets one free.  So let's look at what church leaders are again.

Generally homegrown in Paul's idea. They came from the fellowship there to be blameless men of godly character. The flock knows a man's testimony. 1st Timothy 3:7. Moreover, he must have a good testimony among those who are outside less he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. He's to have a good. Testimony both in and out, and the flock knows the men that they're raising up, and that they're there.  And, this story I'm going to tell, part of it is, I have to put to rumor because I didn't get it from the horse's mouth, but part of it's true because I, that I, I know that it's true because it happened. 

There were two men at the college years and years ago.  And, the whoever the leaders of the college, they had these two men before him, and they told one man and say, you're not qualified. You don't think we don't think your passion material  and the other man. They put their laid their hand on said you are. This man came to the church that I had served at before I was there.  And his testimony was that of, that the church actually had to call the police to have him physically removed from the property.  Later, and a good friend of ours told us this, her husband was unsaved and this man now is an insurance salesman rather than leader in the church.

And  told her husband, you know what's the matter with that church there?  Now, talking to an unsaved man, they don't want her baptized. Now, this is a man graduating from a great  school.  The other went on and is still faithfully teaching and serving the Lord after, I don't know how many years, but a lot.  See, what's, what's the testimony of a man?

What's he made of? He used to be a family man. He needs to see the flock as part of his family. You know, again, we haven't been here for 20 years in this flock and to see so many familiar faces that have been faithful and been here and still are. And, but  God uses terms that we can understand. Father, son, children,  family.

You know, and that's what we've become. A family,  so he needs to see the flock as part of his family, just as the rest of the church sees itself as a family. He has brethren serving with him, not under him with him.  You know, in our church, I've been phasing out of the senior position  and Andy Kern has been phasing into it.

And when I finally come to the place, okay, I'm stepping out of the senior position. You know what they did?  They took the senior and associate out of the bulletin. They didn't want to use it because they didn't want it to look like I was stepping down or diminishing or whatever. What a precious thing that was to me. 

The Apostle Paul refers to Titus 4 as a true son in the face serving with him.  He used to be a husband of one wife, learning to love his wife as Christ of the church. And not necessarily married, as there should also be godly married men in the ministry with single elders. I have several friends, several men in the, in the pastorate that they're not married.

I have one actually as a student right now, and  he says, I just don't feel like I've been called to be married.  And right away he started to  apologize, or not really apologize, but go into whatever, you know. I said, stop right there. I said, some men are called to singleness. That's biblical,  and we need to recognize that.

And, Very important, but family oriented in that this is my family having faithful children, not accused of dissipation, which is basically spending freely on his own lusts. Appetites. The prodigal son was, an example of that or in subordination being unruly.  He is trained and encourages families to be trained in godly parenting. 

He believes scriptures. Children are a blessing from the Lord, not a curse, a blessing.  Falls has a lot of kids.  We have a couple of families, two or three families with seven kids and others with quite  a number. And every once in a while I get this, you know, I noticed you  Couples in your church have a lot of kids and that's my answer to him.

Yeah, they have learned and they believe that kids are a blessing from the Lord, not a curse. That ends the conversation right there and then there.  There's all kinds of worldly  stuff teaching on not having too many kids, whatever that is. Now, Pastor Sandra says a quiverful, which is what the Bible teaches, is 12. 

We're not going to go there. This is between the husband and wife and the Lord. How many kids in the family? And we're not to judge on whether there's none or a bunch of them so he believes scripture. Children are a blessing from the Lord.  He knows that godly parents train up godly Children who become godly leaders.  Godly homes are the foundation of the church.  I was blessed to no end. We had a missionary conference as we often do it at the school. And there was a missionary set up there.

He says, You know, we have 10 kids and all my wife and I knew  from the start when we first started having kids was that we were to raise them up. to be Christians. No, that's a given to bring him to the Lord. That's a given to be in dependency of the Lord Jesus Christ to give them a God that when they leave home, he's big enough that they can live by faith  in the world that they have to go out into. 

Godly leaders are humble.  Who is the most public leader in Israel's history?  If you think about it, it was Moses. He had the whole nation of Israel and he was their daddy. He was responsible for every direction, every whatever they went through. And I knew that daddy and obviously, but  why did God choose  Moses to lead his people out of Egypt?

Why did he do that? What was so great about this man who failed big time? Murdering somebody. And sometimes that's what we need, not to murder somebody, but to see our sinfulness.  But the clue is in numbers 12:3. Now, the man Moses was very humble, more than all the men who were on the face of the earth. 

That's why he chose Moses.  More than all the men were on the face of the earth. And in the King James, it says above all  Above all the men. See where God puts humility? Up here. We look at it down here. In fact, one term is in, I don't like the King James meekness because it looks like weakness and that's what people take it as.

It isn't that at all. But God puts humility up here.  Up here. Above all the men who are on the face of the earth.  See, what was the virtue that Paul brought out about God with us in Philippians 2:5?  Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider robbery to be equal with God, but made himself in no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men, and being found in appearances of men, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death.

Even the death of the cross,  Jesus, God with us humbled himself. And God with us didn't go into his ministry until he was 30.  Now, God set it up that way. He set it up that way. Number one, it's difficult for a young man to muster much humility.  And, there are plenty of at the same time. There are plenty of old pastors who don't manifest much. One man I know, grew up in a church and he's in his forties now. And he said, my pastor taught about the virtue of humility from the time I knew him right up until this point.  I just wish that he would example a little. He taught humility and pride.

Now you can do that. And, he did. I was sad.  Timothy was between 30 and 40 years old when Paul admonished him in 1st Timothy 4:12. Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Over and over we're finding men in their 30s, usually their 40s, sometimes their 50s, that are sensing the call to be a leader in the church. 

There are men that came up through the church and now feel that I need to lead the church. And this is generally where it happens.  Two of our men in our church, two of our leaders, they're in our church because they've been out  attempting to lead churches. And they got nailed so bad because of teaching, preaching Jesus Christ that they backed away from it.

And one man, especially I need to come home.  See, a church is to be that protective place where we train and we bring up men to lead that church.  And so important, it's a very important part of leadership is protecting the church, protecting the flock, just as it is the father, to protect his children from the world, from the devil and his ways, until their living in dependency of the Lord Jesus Christ as well. 

Time and experience gives a man wisdom. 

So, our men need to be taught.  They were meant to be taught and believe the whole counsel of God's word, holding fast the faithful word as he had been taught. Ahem. This is a real detriment in the grace movement.  And that is we've thrown out the word disciple. Some people get angry at it and it was only used in, in fact, in the chapter we were in in Acts. 

But that's what they mean. They need to be taught by word and by example. That's discipleship.  And I'm really saddened that that word has been denigrated within the grace movement. It shouldn't be. It's a well rounded education.  Our students and Paul's affect your former pastor, Paul, um, for graduation, I was taking the men places.

I said, Paul, what do you want to do? I want to go on a moose hunt.  So we took the whole gang and Dr. Nix went up to the U. P. and went on a moose hunt. I actually seen one. We didn't shoot any. You can't shoot them up there. 

But we have to remember, so much is caught as well as taught.  Does this man know what he's talking about by the life that he lives, by his, does he really care about us? 

What's a blessing here is now leaders can take and get trained without leaving home.  Dr. Bedore and I couldn't bring our school into this modern technical age.  Dr. Madone never had a computer till years after I met him,  and but God supplied us with men that could.  And now these are the leaders in the school, and now we have online classes, which are almost as good as having the people, the students in front of you.

And then we have distance studies as well. So men never have to leave the church anymore to get educated and to get trained and they don't have to take the whole course. What am I weak in? There's some strong points. What am I weak in? What do I need to hone up on?  And we have every class,  except for our family classes and our counseling.

I won't do those. I'll do them online,  but I won't do them distance study.  There's too much of this that has to be passed. Back and forth. And the school has agreed for years. They're the most important classes that we teach our family classes and our counseling. Counseling is merely  sanctification, teaching the word of God.

I got one minute, so  I only had two pages left. I have to have all my notes because I don't have a memory. So anyway, you are blessed with leaders here. You are blessed with shepherds here. And I just challenge you to keep looking within in this area has continued to build up men  that will shepherd your church.

And they have. I can look at them and see it. Been here for 20 some years and I know of.  So with that, let's pray.  Father, thank you for our time and your word. Thank you, Father, that your ways are not our ways. And too often, Father, we want to get into our ways to do your work. And that's something that, uh, you have a hard time honoring. 

Father, what you want and what Paul tells us that, is to know you. And the more that we know you, the more that we can learn to trust you. And the more father you can get done in and through our lives. I thank you for this precious church father, the way you've blessed it for so many years and  Ask that you continue to bless the church and all those involved in it, Father, and that they will continue to bring glory to the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And it's in that wonderful name we pray. Amen. 

​

Paul Turner II
Nov. 5, 2023

Take your Bibles and turn to Joshua 23. Let's pray. Father God, thank you for this morning, Lord. Thank you for  giving us your word. Lord, we realize that your word is not just  something to keep around the house.  But that it's something to read and meditate on and study and Lord, I pray that we are all students of your word,  that your word guides us in every moment of every day,  in every decision, big and small. And Lord, may we find comfort this morning in your words. It's in your son's name. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. 

I had you open your Bibles to Joshua 23. That's where you are. Let me begin with something that happened to me when I was probably five or six years old. We lived in a  double wide trailer, and between our house and the neighbor's house, there was a row of spruce trees. I don't remember how big they were at the time, but they were big enough for a five or six year old boy to get under. Okay, and they, the branches came all the way to the ground, and behind the row of spruce trees the neighbor's yard kind of went up a hill, and their house sat at the top of the hill, maybe 20 or 30 feet above the spruce trees. The perfect angle for watching what was going on  under the spruce trees. And I had discovered a pack of matches  in the kitchen drawer, and...  absconded with, ran off with the matches to the spruce trees, and I thought this would be fun. I'm going to build myself a little fire and of course, I had no idea that there was a rat in the neighborhood living in the house above me, and she ratted me out. She called my parents. She called my mother and told my mother that her precious little baby boy was out playing with matches underneath The spruce trees.  Now, at five or six years old, I had no idea of the danger of playing with matches. I've always given my kids lots of opportunities to light fires and do things like that because I don't want them to want to take the matches and play with them. I would rather do it in a supervised environment.  But needless to say, I was out there playing with matches and it was very dangerous and I never did get anything started before my experience was ruined and I was called back in the house and I don't remember if I got in trouble or not or if I just got a talking to.

I don't remember all those details and they're not important.  But the thing is, playing with matches is a dangerous thing, isn't it?  Especially when you're sitting under spruce trees that are filled with pitch. Man, if those needles had caught on fire, it would have been an epic burndown of the neighborhood. But luckily,  the Lord protected me. Wisdom intervenes, at least by others on my behalf.  How many of us have been paying attention to what's going on in Israel  and Gaza and the Middle East?  How many of you are aware that in Europe, in countries, in nations in Europe  today,  houses and businesses are being marked with the Star of David? Have you heard that? It's happening. I saw a video of it. It's happening. How many of you are aware of pro Hamas protesters in the U.S. college campuses?  How many of you are aware of the flood of fighting age men, single men, from across the globe coming across our southern border? Who here thinks we are sitting on a powder keg?  Globally, we are sitting on a powder keg. Everywhere lines are being drawn, sides are being taken.  I wanted to address this this morning because I don't want it to be the elephant in the room. We're all paying attention to it. We're all watching it. We at least should look at it from a  biblical perspective.

We need some biblical perspective to understand what's going on. If you speak about one side, you're accused of of, of supporting, you know, you're supporting that side. If you speak against one side, you're supporting the other. You can't say anything without finding yourself being accused of supporting the other side when it's very possible that there's things that could be said about both sides that need to be said. I remember a preacher who on multiple occasions said  that we are reliving 1930s Germany.  You remember that guy?  He looked very similar to me. Well, I'd like to update that just briefly this morning.  I believe right now we are living in late 1930s, early 1940s Germany.  You see, on September the 1st, 1939, that was the date that Germany invaded Poland. Boundary lines between nations had been crossed.  Anybody familiar with boundary lines being crossed in a country called Ukraine?  Anybody aware of boundary lines being crossed in a, in,  in what is referred to as Palestine, or coming into Israel, and now Israel going into Gaza? We see these lines, these lines that have been drawn being crossed by, by armies, by missiles, by, by jets, by all of these things. 

The next thing that took place after September 1st, 1939, if you are a student of history, you know that in 1940, America was funding and supplying weapons to nations who were involved in the conflict.  Does anybody think that's aware, everybody aware that that's happening today?  By the billions, that's happening today?  By December of 1941.  The United States of America was involved in both theaters of war. We are sitting on a powder keg,  and the world is playing with matches. It's a little unnerving, isn't it? 

How should we as believers,  how should we,  as the body of Christ,  look at everything that's going on around us?  That's an important question.  You see, the world, it's easy to get caught up in the emotions of everything that's going on. It's easy to react and respond from a position of fear. And, and in case you're unaware of this, the media, the, the, the national media, the online media, the media, they, they, they depend on that. They depend on you responding and reacting in fear. And those fears feed the conversations that take place. Around the dinner table, and in the restaurants, and in the diners, and, and online, things are said back and forth between people. Some of it said it is accurate, some of it said it is absolutely wrong, and absolutely insane. But things are said because people are responding in fear.  And fear drives decisions that are not usually...Wise  2nd Timothy chapter 1 and verse 7 says God Have no you stay in Joshua  2nd Timothy 1 7 says God  hath not given us the spirit of Fear that's not a hard concept to understand is it  and yet how often do ww?  Do we find ourselves a little unnerved by everything that's going on in the world?  I mean, I have family members that are old enough to, that if, if a war, if a global war broke out,  I have a son and a son in law who would be of age. 

It's a little, a little unnerving, isn't it? But the Bible says, God hath not given us the spirit of fear,  but of power  and of love  and of a sound mind.  All three of those are important,  but I think that the third one is. Crucial.  God has given us a sound mind.  In 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7 it says, We walk by faith  and not by sight. Because if we walk by sight, guess what? We will find ourselves enveloped in fear. Absolute terror at what's going on.  And that's where the world finds itself today. If you want my 10 second honest opinion, I think the United States of America is just... We're just waiting for  the present day sinking of the Lusitania  or the present day Archduke Ferdinand incident, the thing, the attack of Pearl Harbor. We're just waiting for that event  that sways  the court of public opinion into saying we need to be in this conflict. 

It's coming.  How do we handle that as the body of Christ?  How do we respond to that?  You see, we walk by faith, not by sight. But that's not a blind faith. Our faith is rooted in truth, or it should be. We don't have to walk blindly into these things. God has given us truth.  Truth that we need to lean into hard. For everything, whether it's global, whether it's, whether it's personal, whatever it is, we need to lean into this book. This book must be our guide in every decision, in every attitude, in every, every aspect of everything that goes on in our lives.  So with that idea in mind, I had you turn to Joshua chapter 23. How should we look at this situation? You know, when it comes to Israel, there are two schools of thoughts.  Generally, there are two schools of thought with the nation of Israel. One school of thought is that Israel is still under that covenant relationship, that God is in this dispensation of grace, that those covenants are still in full effect. 

And so that is one view of that. The other view  is that  God has made a covenant relationship with Israel.  And we can go to Romans chapter 11 and we can see where it says that God keeps His promises. He is going to honor His covenant relationship with Israel.  But I believe that Scripture bears out the fact that during this dispensation of grace, that Israel has been set aside in unbelief, and with that setting aside, their covenants have been put on hold.

Now,  those are two very different views. of Israel.  And while while some may hold to the fact that those covenants are still in effect today, and I may hold to based on scripture and what eyes and they're doing that based on scripture, and I'm coming at it from the standpoint that that that they are, they are no longer in effect at this current moment.

But God will resume that covenant relationship with Israel.  I would like to say that for what is going on today in the Middle East,  that question is irrelevant.  And I will show you why that question is irrelevant. I had you turn to Joshua, Chapter 23. Today we walk by faith, not by sight. That's that walk by faith is not a faith that is in ignorance. It is found in truth. And so I thought it would be good to go to the words of a dying man to get some truth. In Joshua, Chapter 22 verse one, then Joshua called. The Reubenites and the Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh.  Now go down to verse 14. 

I'm sorry, I'm in the wrong chapter. 23, that didn't sound right. Joshua 23. 1, And it came to pass a long time after that the Lord had given rest unto Ishmael from all the enemies roundabout, that Joshua was, Joshua waxed old and was, and stricken in age. Now verse 15 14  and behold that this day. This is Joshua speaking behold this day I am going the way of all the earth He is dying and he knows it and you know that in all your hearts and in all your souls That not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you All are come to pass unto you, and not one thing hath failed thereof.

Isn't that so comforting?  He's dying, and he says, you know, God has kept every promise he's ever made to you.  How many of you agree with that?  Absolutely. God has kept every promise. And at this time, he certainly had as well. Now look at verse 15. Therefore, it shall come to pass that as all good things come upon you, which the Lord your God promised you, To which all those present before Joshua that day were saying, That's right!

Whoo! All right!  Semicolon. So shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things, until He hath destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you. Whoo! Whoo! How's that for words of a dying man? Joshua. Joshua comes to these Israelites and he says, Listen, God has kept every promise He's ever made to you. 

But you need to remember that he has also promised you that if you break that covenant, there are consequences.  So shall the Lord bring upon you all evil things  until ye have, until he have destroyed you from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you.  God is going to keep his promises, both the ones you like  and the ones you don't like so much. 

Look at verse six, Joshua 23 verse six, he says to them, be therefore very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses that you turn not aside therefore to the right hand or to the left hand or to the left. Oh, listen, here's a lesson to learn. I'll do this very quickly.

Obedience to God is a courageous thing.  Everybody got that? Obeying God takes courage. It takes guts to do what God says. It makes no difference what dispensation you live in. It takes guts to obey God's Word. Make God's Word the authority. Look at Joshua 23, verse 11. Take good heed, therefore, unto yourselves, that ye love one another.

The Lord your God. How are they going to love the Lord their God? He's take heeded that you love him. How are they going to love him?  By obeying him, by being courageous and obeying his word.  Now look at verse 12  else. If you do in any wise, go back and cleve unto the remnant of these nations. Even these that remain among you and shall make marriages with them and go in unto them and they to you. 

Now listen very closely to verse 13.  Know for a certainty. You know, when God speaks, when God communicates a message, it's always important. When God says something leading up to the message, know for a certainty. It's one of those moments where you're like, you know.  Okay, I'm gonna pay attention here. This might not be good. Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will make, will no more drive out any of these nations from before you.

But they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land, which the Lord your God hath given you. Woo! Wow, that's a great response. Wow!  What is he saying? If you're not courageous, if you're not obedient to the covenant relationship which we established, which I, God, have established with you, Israel, if you break that covenant, if you do not love me, if you do not obey me,  know for a certainty these 13. 

Until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord, your God, hath given you.  It says down there in verse 16, When ye have transgressed the covenant of the Lord your God, which he hath commanded you, and have gone and served other gods, and bowed yourselves to them, then shall the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and ye shall perish quickly from off the good land which he hath given unto you. 

God said what he said, didn't he?  Under the covenant, there were consequences.  In 2 Kings 17, don't go there, we don't have time.  2 Kings 17 verses 22 and 23, you can write that down.  I wrote down exactly how it says it. Israel was carried away out of their land.  In 2 Kings 25, five chapters later, because the kingdom was divided at that time, 2 Kings 25, 21, Judah was carried away out of their land. 

What did God promise them with certainty?  If they broke the covenant, if they didn't obey, if Israel was not courageously obeying God and His Word, there would, this was the consequence, this was the outcome.  Israel repeatedly throughout their history  broke their covenant relationship with God, did they not? 

Israel committed murder  by which you and I and every person who professes  to be Jewish today.  Can come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ can be saved. Israel did that.  It's what it says in Acts chapter 2. Peter calls them out. Calls out his own people and says,  You murdered him. 

Now before I go on, I'm going to say this several times.  Hamas is wicked.  Wicked.  And evil. Islam is wicked and evil. 

But I will also say that Israel's struggles today  are in part  due to their disobedience to God's word thousands of years ago.  They did not drive out the inhabitants as they were commanded.  They did not obey God.  They broke the covenant with the one who was their protector. Now let me say, I am not  attacking Israel in this. 

Christians today  disobey God all the time.  And I'm going to get to the lessons that we have to learn, that we have to learn.  But, but let me continue. And again, let me say, Hamas is wicked and evil. Islam is wicked and evil. I am not giving them a pass. I am not taking their side by any stretch in this. I'm just putting all the facts together as scripture gives them to us. 

I believe Israel has every right to defend themselves against this, against this wickedness. They were attacked.  They were attacked. They have a right to protect their people.  And again, let me say, Hamas is wicked and evil. 

But we can look  at scripture  and see the effects of Israel's disobedience as well.  In Joshua 23, 13, God said what he said, didn't he?  If they didn't obey the covenant.  So you see why I'm saying,  if you think Israel is under the covenants.  Or if you think Israel is not under the covenant. While that's an important discussion to have for understanding what's going on today.

It's almost irrelevant because if you think they're under the covenant still today in the dispensation of grace, and while I may disagree with you on that, if you think they're under the covenant, then you have to apply Joshua 23 to that understanding and realize that  God is not. Going to drive out the inhabitants from before Israel today Israel may drive out the inhabitants they may wipe Hamas from off the face of the planet as they have promised and said because they have a superior army and because they have all these weapons and bombs and Quite frankly because they're receiving a lot of funds and weapons from around the world Specifically from the United States of America that may happen  But we can't mistake what Israel is doing  with God's  hand of protection and keeping his covenant relationship with them. 

Because Israel,  if you think they're under that covenant, you must also admit  that they are not obeying that covenant that they have with Israel. On the other hand, if you think that, if you believe that Israel is not under that unbelief and God will one day. Pick up that dealing with the nation of Israel again. 

I'll do this very quickly, rather than having you turn there. In Romans chapter 10 in verse 1, Paul writes that Israel has a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge.  Romans 10, 1 to 3.  And that they walk according to their own righteousness, not according to  His righteousness. 

And Romans chapter 11 verses  25 to 32 speaks of the fact that Israel was set aside in unbelief, but also says that God will keep and honor his covenant promise with them. 

What can we do?  What can we do?  We can pray  for the whole situation. We need to pray for the whole situation. You know why we need to pray?  Let me give you the number one reason why we pray.  For this situation in particular.  Because right now, people are dying.  Both on the side of Israel  and the side of Hamas. 

And on both sides, people are dying and going to a Christless eternity.  Because they have not trusted in what Jesus Christ  did for them on that cross.  We need to pray for the salvation of souls.  We also need to pray because there are Christians in Gaza, there are Christians in Israel who are there as missionaries reaching the lost  and their lives are in danger.

You need to pray for that whole situation. 

Why do I share this though? There are three overlapping reasons why I shared this this morning and I have to move quickly through this.  First of all, I think the first reason that I want to share, wanted to share this was this morning was because to give a biblical context to the events that we have all seen in the news.

Romans 15. 4 says, Those things that were mentioned aforetime were written for our learning.  We need to make sure that we are in this book, learning from this book, so that we can look at the events of this world in light of this book. And let me just say, too, we need to do it from the point of understanding the Word of God rightly divided.

I can't tell you how many things I've heard on Christian radio and other things  this week about how, you know, looking at... Gog and Magog and Armageddon and all of these things because they fail, they're looking at these things that are taking place in the book of Revelation and somehow trying to apply them to today. 

We are not living.  In the events of Revelation, the rapture of the church, the body, praise the Lord, the rapture of the church, the body of Christ must come first. That doesn't mean we're not going to face difficulties and hardships. That's the other thing I've heard lately that I don't have time to get into this morning, but this idea that, that people who believe in the pre tribulational rapture are just looking for an escape. 

That is not true.  The only reason, the only way that, that the antichrist can come in at the beginning of the tribulation is an established peace on earth.  Is if there is wars going running rampant over the earth when he comes in at the beginning of the tribulation, we are not looking to escape anything. 

We're just not promised that we are going to go through the tribulation.  The second thing, so we need to learn from scripture about those events because there's much to learn about that. The second thing, and these are, I said these are overlapping. The second thing that we need to learn from what's going on over there today is obedience. 

to God and the importance of obedience to God.  As I said earlier, we walk by faith. 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 7.  Believing that phrase, while there's more to it, believing that phrase begins on the foundation  that we are taking God at His word.  You can't obey what you don't know.  It's important  as Christians. 

That we know what God's Word says and obey what God's Word says,  and we need to learn that by looking at the effects of Israel's disobedience.  It should cause us to examine our own personal obedience or lack thereof.  And the third overlapping point that I wanted to make this morning is that  when we disobey God's Word,  it doesn't just affect  The person disobeying God's word. 

You've heard me through the years speak of multi generational impacts of decisions that have been made.  When I look back to Joshua 23, I've come to the conclusion that it's not multi generational, it's multi millennial.  Israel's disobedience, way back there, has a multi millennial  impact on the world. 

Apostasy.  Disobedience to God is fatal. At this point, what we're looking at is global fatalities based on the disobedience that took place thousands of years ago. Global fatalities!  Man, if that doesn't wake us up and cause us to realize how important it is that we pay attention  to what we are doing  as it says and has been quoted so many times in Hosea chapter 8 and verse 7.

Speaking of Israel, it says they sow the wind.  And they will reap the whirlwind.  I don't care who you are.  That's a true statement.  Said in a more 2023  version.  Play stupid games.  Win stupid prizes.  You know, there are effects. If we sow disobedience to God and His word back here, there will be  a ripple effect to that. 

How important is it  that we obey God's Word explicitly?  And that obedience begins with knowing His Word intricately. We must know what the Word of God says. 

This is supposed to be a message of encouragement and contentment.  It's okay.  It's okay. 

It's okay.  Man.  Turn to 1 Corinthians. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. 1 

Corinthians chapter 12. I want you to look at this because I know you've all looked at it in the past. You've all read it in the past. You've all heard it in the past.  Unless you slept through some of my sermons, you've all heard it and read it and heard sermons on it in the past.  1 Corinthians.

Christine's not here. I can't even call her on it.  First Corinthians 12, For as the body is one and hath many members, and all the members of that one body are many, as one, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, bond or free, and all made to drink into one spirit.

For the body is not one member, but many. How many of you are familiar with this? 

What can we do  as the body of Christ?  Sometimes that's said almost in despair. What, what can we do? I  mean, I'm not, I'm not anywhere near that tinderbox in the Middle East. I'm not anywhere near anything that's going on. I'm just, I'm just here. I'm just here in Oshkosh, little old me in Oshkosh, little old Grace Bible Church in Oshkosh.

What can we do? I mean, beyond pray. I mean, we, yes, pray. Start with prayer. Everything should start with prayer. What can we do? 

I mean, think about it. This church doesn't even have a pastor,  do you?  How many of you would like a pastor?  Yeah. Yeah. Let's have a pastor. 

Do you remember when I preached on 1st Corinthians chapter 12  and how I shared from from that passage that no part of the body of Christ is more important than any other?  It's a true statement, right? I mean, he goes into great detail demonstrating to them, you know, the eyes not any more important than year.

The foot's no more important than the hand. The hands no more important than the foot. And I said that! I said there is no part of the body of Christ that, that is any more important than any other. And I said specifically, as your pastor, I am not any, any more important when I, when I was your pastor. I'm not any more important than, than anyone. 

I am, I am equal member of the body of Christ.  I know you would like a pastor.  What if it took you as long to get a pastor  as it took to get a building? 

What if it took that long? I know, I know some are thinking, Oh boy, don't do that. Please Lord, don't let that happen.  You know, when I left, I struggled with that decision.  Not because I didn't think it was the right decision.  But you do go through this  emotional response. 

And so I wrestled with that decision and I searched this book.  Because I needed comfort. I needed clarity. 

And I would like to share just a little bit of that very briefly with you this morning, and then tie that together with everything else that we've talked about. This is not a two part message, really. It all fits together. Trust me.  But I, I struggled with that.  And I did search the scripture, and God brought me to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and the very comments that I had made. 

But I can tell you this, as I began to study 1 Corinthians chapter 12, God made it very real to me. And  I praise the Lord for God making it very real to me. It's one thing to preach knowledge about a passage, but God made it very personal for 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and the next things that I'm going to share with you. 

I wanted to make sure. I wanted to know.  Am I leaving,  am I leaving the sheep without a shepherd? 

And I'm telling you, God absolutely drilled my heart. 

After studying 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and knowing what it said, but needing to understand what it said, 

I looked up the word, the Greek word for pastor.  Pay attention very closely to this. 

The Greek word translated pastor is used 18 times.  in the New Testament.  18 times. 

17 times  it is translated shepherd.  Now let's do the math. 

Very good.  18 take away 17.  One time.  Paul uses the Greek word  one time.  One time  in 18 it's translated pastor in Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11.  One time in the entire New Testament is the word pastor used.  One  time.  Paul never uses it and it is translated shepherd. Never.  He uses it once. He doesn't use the Greek word  in every book, in every letter that he wrote.

He literally uses the Greek word once and only once and that one time it is translated pastor. 

And as I'm, as I'm, as I'm looking at this, I'm thinking,  holy moly,  we put a lot of stock  in a position, in a man, in a position with a title whose, whose literal title that we give him, that we honor him with is used literally only epistles, one time. 

So now I've read 1st Corinthians 12, I understand that no part is more important than another, and now God has brought me to this realization that the term pastor is only used once in Paul's epistles.  And so that now I'm curious. Anybody else curious at this point? Yeah, so I keep going.  I read the opening of every one of Paul's epistles.

Every one. 

What do we know about those letters?  Those letters deal with some pretty heavy stuff, don't they?  Immorality, 

false teaching,  legalism,  all kinds of things.  Every letter  is addressed with the exception of  Timothy, Titus, and Philemon. But the church epistles  are addressed to the whole body.  And I'm looking at this and I'm putting this through the lens of 1 Corinthians chapter 12 and I'm thinking, Wait a minute here. 

Every letter is addressed to the whole body, to the saints which are at,  to the brethren which are at, with the exception of  Philippians, which speaks to the saints which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons. They're all just generally addressed to everybody who is a believer in Corinth, everybody who's a believer in Rome, everybody who's a believer in Ephesus or Philippi or wherever it is. 

Not one letter, not one,  was addressed to the pastor. 

So then I started thinking, well, who is the pastor  at these churches?  We don't know.  We don't have names.  Not one of them do we know the name of a pastor. Yes, Timothy or Titus may have gone and preached at a place for a while, but I'll get to them in just a second, and I'm rushing through this. But, but listen.

We don't even know the names of the pastors.  God, God did not feel it important enough to include their names. 

And here I am looking at this thinking, wait a minute.  I'm concerned about  leaving.  And now you're a church in a world that's on the brink of global war  and there's not even a shepherd and yet  the name pastor is practically non existent in the New Testament.  And certainly practically nonexistent in Paul's epistles.

Every letter was addressed  to the, to the body, to everyone to be read. So that they could deal with the heartache, the struggles, the problems, the issues.  Was never addressed to the pastor. 

Now I'm really curious. So then I go to the pastoral  epistles. We all call them the pastoral epistles. Right?  You know they're not.  They're not really pastoral epistles.  Timothy was, was, was not, he was not a pastor. Think about this. If, if, we don't have time, but if you went to, write this down, Acts 16, 1 to 3, Paul shows up in, in what, Lystra and Derby?

And he meets this young man, Timothy.  Timothy is,  This is a great opportunity. Here's this church with this homegrown young man who could who could be the next pastor of great of Grace Bible of Grace Bible Church. Lystra Grace Bible. They'll nobody has an original thought, right? Grace Bible Church Derby.

You know, everybody uses the Grace Bible Church.  You know what Paul does when he leaves town?  He takes him with him.  I mean, Paul was a different, different bird.  You know, you'd think he'd be establishing, he's establishing these churches  and here's a, here's a pastor to, to take over to fill that pulpit. He says, now I'm taking him with me. 

We think of Titus. Titus is a pastoral epistle. Titus wasn't a pastor.  Titus's job was to go to the island of Crete and travel around and establish elders in all of these churches. A hundred cities. There is no way. I was a pastor for 18 years. There is no way that a guy could travel around and establish elders in a hundred churches and be a pastor. 

He's not pastoring  now, for the crazy part, we, we haven't even gotten to the crazy part yet. And this was all in my study because I like, am I, am I doing the right thing?  Paul would travel around and establish churches and he would travel to church a and he would spend between. 20 and 30 years establishing that church and then he would leave there and he would go to the next church and spend 20 or 30 years there grounding those people, establishing those people. 

He averaged four months,  four months.  He spent as little as some could argue two weeks  and as much as 18 months establishing every church that he planned, every church that we have a letter written to.  Two weeks to 18 months  and then he would leave.  Some of those churches, we don't know if any of them had pastors. 

I can show you that some of them didn't even have elders when he left.  He would just leave them.  Did, did Paul,  did Paul have so much faith in these people?  Just knew that they would not fail.  Heh, I know that's not true. Cause he wrote letters back to those people saying, Hey, oh foolish Galatians. Right? He knew that they would make mistakes.

He knew that they would make missteps.  How could he do that? How could he just  abandon them? 

You know what I realized when I got to the end of this?  I came to the realization.  A very simple,  but very important realization. 

That we all need to come to.  And that is this.  I realized.  That Paul  trusted Christ  and his grace,  working through his body  to do what God promised he can and will do.  Let me say that again.  I realized Paul trusted Christ and his grace. He wasn't trusting the Galatians, he wasn't trusting the Corinthians, he wasn't trusting  BOOM!

Oh, sorry. Sorry. Uh,  but Paul...  was trusting  Christ.  What a concept.  What a concept.  We trust Christ for salvation, don't we?  Because we have no other option.  But to come along  and trust Christ 

and, and the  trust is in Christ doing what God, what God has said He would do through His body.  It's about Him.  Working,  working through us. 

I'm gonna leave you with two passages. 

I'll just read them to you. 2nd Corinthians chapter 9 verse 8.  This is kind of a passage that, we have adopted.  We started a YouTube channel called Consumed by Grace  and it's from this verse 8.  And God is able to make all grace abound toward you. That ye always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Isn't that the greatest verse? And God is able.  If the verse ended there, how wonderful is that? God is able. But then there are all these absolutes. To make all grace abound toward you. That ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. Ephesians 3:20 says, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think. What can I do?  What can little old me do? What can grace Bible Church Oshkosh do? I  think we're asking the wrong question.  It's putting the emphasis on  me.  It's what can he do?  What is he doing?  in us.  Our job is not so much to do, but to simply get out of the way and let him do. That's how Paul, the Apostle Paul,  lived  his life and his ministry  and it turned the world upside down. Maybe that's what we need to get back to.  

Let's pray. Father, thank you for this morning. Thank you for this time. Thank you for your word. Lord, I do pray that we  Well, we certainly can't find comfort in the events of this world and the circumstances of this world. May we find comfort  and boldness  in understanding  what Christ can do,  what Christ is doing through His body. May we have the wisdom to simply get out of His way.  It's in Jesus name I pray, Amen.

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Elder Randy Hughes
Oct. 29, 2023

I would like you to turn to Luke 22. And having found that let us bow in a word of prayer. Our gracious God and Heavenly Father, thank you so much for this opportunity. Lord, I just pray that you open our eyes take away all the things from our minds and help us to focus on you this morning. Father we're so thankful for the opportunity we have to share the communion table today. You tell us do this in remembrance of you. It's interesting Lord, when I think about that what are the things we are to remember? I pray today that we will recognize those things.  Father, may your honor and glory be shared today. May everything that's shared from the word of God bring you that glory. And Father thank you for the opportunity that you've given me to be able to share from your word of God today. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. 

It's important to focus on the blood of Jesus Christ. But why? Have you thought about it? Have you given thought to why we should focus on the blood of Jesus Christ? We're supposed to remember why it was necessary. And what happened? And most importantly, what did it accomplish? In Luke chapter 22 verses through 20. I like to read those for us.  Luke chapter 22 verses 14 through 20. And when the hour was come he sat down. And the 12 apostles with him,  and he said unto them  with desire, I have desire to eat this Passover with you before I suffer,  for I say unto you, I will not anymore eat thereof until it be fulfilled in the kingdom of God.

And he took the cup and gave thanks and said take this and divide it among yourselves. For I say unto you, I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes. And he took the bread and gave thanks and break. And he gave unto them saying, this is my body, which is given for you. This do in remembrance of me. Likewise, he also took the cup after his supper.  After supper saying this is the cup the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you today in preparation for us doing what Jesus instructed. What he did with his apostles and taking the bread, which represents his body given for us  and taking the cup and remembering him. 

I would like us to ponder today. Please clear your minds and let's ponder together some of the things of what he said to those gathered there. Jesus told his disciples to remember just as he wishes us to do the same. Let's think a moment just what are we remembering?  Is it the upper room? Is it the account of Jesus washing his disciples feet? Is it what they drank or ate? Is it just his body and his blood? If so, what is it about these things we are to remember? And why did this new covenant with God, through Jesus, the Son of God, require blood? All of these things are important to remember. But, I think, this is me. I think the primary thing we're supposed to remember is the sacrifice and why it had to happen the way it did. 

That's what I believe we are to remember today. And not simply the events of that Passover meal that Jesus shared with the men who were the very closest to him. Not even just his body and his blood given for us. We're supposed to remember why it was necessary. Ponder that,  what did it, why did it have to happen? What did it accomplish? And how do we fit into this picture as individuals 2,000 years later? That  was a long time ago. How do we fit into this? The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 1:7, In whom Jesus, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace. Amen? I would like us to review the words  of one of my favorite hymns. It's one that, when I go home to be with the we...  Somebody would sing it, whether it's the congregation or whether it's an individual. I don't care. But nothing but the blood. I love that song. I'm gonna read you the words. And I want you  just to think about them as we go through them. 

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
What can make me whole again?  Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
Oh, precious is that flow. That makes me white as snow.  
No other fount I know, nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
For my pardon, this I see, nothing but the blood of Jesus.  
For my cleansing, this my plea, nothing but Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
Nothing can for sin atone. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
Nothing good that I have done. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
This is all my hope and peace. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
This is all my righteousness. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
Now by this I will overcome. Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
By this, I will reach my home. Nothing but the blood of Jesus.  
Glory, glory, this I sing, Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
All my praise for this I bring, Nothing  but the blood of Jesus.  

It's a beautiful song. I started preparing for this message a couple weeks ago. And as I was doing it, this song came to mind. And I had a hard time  getting past it. But then I read it. I opened  it. I told Paulie  not to worry when she looked at this. I'm not going to sing. But I had to go get a hymnal and open it up and read it  because I  didn't know all of it,  but what a special song.  And I thought abou, How vital is the blood  of Jesus? How vital is that to each and every one of us?  And I guess one of the questions I have to ask is have you ever or had known anyone that needed to have a blood transfusion? I see a lot of heads nodding yes. If you have, then you know just how vital the blood is to life. There are some great theological truths in this hymn, that are very appropriate to ponder today, as we prepare to take communion. As we remember what Jesus asked us to remember, I think the first and foremost we need to remember is that it took Jesus blood To wash away our sins, it took that blood and nothing else would do. There is nothing. If you're putting your faith and trust in works or things that you're doing, I'm going to tell you, you're on your way to hell. That's not going to get you to heaven. That will not get you to heaven. It's only the blood of Jesus  that can wash away your sin. And the whole reason for that is that  nothing else is good enough in God's eyes. It's just not good enough. We're going to look at some of these theological truths as we read in the Ephesians 1:7. It tells us that we have redemption, we have forgiveness of sins, and in this we experience The riches of God's grace, but that grace came as a price, not for us, but for Jesus and for God, the Father and the song. Sometimes we sing, we'll never know how much it costs to see our sins upon the cross. Turn, if you would, to Hebrews chapter nine, and I want to read verse 22. And almost all things by the law purged with blood and without the shedding of blood is no remission. There is no remission without the blood. And we'll talk more about that in a little bit. 

The term blood of Christ refers to the New Testament, to the atoning of Jesus. The atonement refers to the basis and the process by which estranged people, people that are lost, people that are upset, not having fun, and they become one with God. Look at the word atonement if you would. Break it down. It says, at  one  mint. Atonement, at one minute, or as I would say, at one moment, refers when you look at that, we don't nearly have enough time to explore that fully, but the language of sacrifice is seen throughout the word of God. Not just in the Old Testament, where we learned the Jewish sacrificial system, but also the New Testament, where we see the language of sacrifice. We have removals of sin.Turn to Romans chapter 3 and I'm going to read Romans chapter 3 through 26. And it says, For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. Where is our redemption? Where do we get forgiveness of sins? It's in Christ Jesus. Unto all and upon all them that believe, for there is no difference. Good verse being justified freely. Verse 24 by his grace to the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God has set forth a propitiation through faith in his blood to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance of God. To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness, that he might be just, and a justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Very interesting passage of scripture. You know, we can talk about all the things that, when we're talking about the blood of Christ and where the blood of Christ is at, you know, and how that blood, without that blood, we would be lost. 

We would, we'd be lost. There is no way to be saved if Christ had not died for each of us. And in 1 Peter and I'm reading verses 19, and there it says, but with the precious blood of Christ,  understand this is 1 Peter. But with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish and without spot. You know, it's really, really interesting when we look at that the blood of his, of his son, Jesus Christ. Cleansed us. It cleansed us from all sin. 

And turn to 1st John 1:7. And there it says, but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus Christ, his son cleanses us from all sin.  I really like that verse. I like that verse for several reasons. One is basically because what it tells us that we're cleansed by the blood of Christ, but it also. Talks about a fellowship, a fellowship of believers, one another, one another, serving one another, caring one another, loving one another. Encouraging one another, building up one another. That's the fellowship that has brought us together through the blood, the cleansing of Jesus Christ. In Romans 5, 9 it talks about redemption and we read Ephesians 1:7.

You know, these metaphors show that only God, only God could provide atonement. You know, I find it interesting. I want, I want to go back. I want us to go to the Old Testament because there is a difference. There is a strong difference between Jesus Christ  and his sacrifice and the sacrifice of the, the priest, the chief priest of Israel. Turn in your Bibles to Leviticus.  And I want you to see  a major difference  between the Old Testament and what the law had done, and the New Testament today, what Christ has done. There is a difference, folks. Today, God is not dealing with nations. Paul makes that very clear in his epistles. He's dealing with people. And there's not a separation of those people any longer, either Jew nor Greek. We're all one. And in Leviticus, we're going to see  what Aaron  went through to  prepare  for The forgiveness of sins, not just for the people, for Aaron himself. Let's look. In Leviticus, it talks about, and I'm looking at starting in verse 8. It said, And Aaron shall pass lots upon two goats, one lot for the Lord, and the other lot for his people. And Aaron shall bring the goat upon which the Lord's lot fell,  and offer him for a sin offering. But the goat on which the lot fell to be scapegoat, shall be presented alive before the Lord, to make an atonement with him, and to let him go for a scapegoat into the wilderness. And Aaron Shall bring the Boloch of sin offering, which is for himself. See the word there? This is God's word. Aaron brought that Boloch for him. Why would he have to do that?  Because he sinned. And it goes on. Which is for himself and shall make an atonement for himself and for his house and shall kill the Boloch. of the sin offering, which is for himself. And then he shall take a censer full of burning coals of fire from off the altar before the Lord, and his hands full of sweet incense, beaten small, and bring it within the veil. And he shall put in the incense upon the fire before the Lord. That the cloud of which incense may cover the mercy seat, that is upon the testimony that he die not, and he shall take the blood of the Boloch and sprinkle it with the with his finger upon the mercy seat eastward, and before the mercy seat shall he sprinkle a blood with his fingers seven times.

And then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering that is for the people, and bring his people within the veil, and do that blood as he did with the blood of the bollock, and sprinkle it upon the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat. And he shall make an atonement for the holy place, because of  the uncleanliness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions of all their sins. And so shall he do for the tabernacle of the congregation, that there remaineth of them in the midst of their uncleanliness. Listen, this is the Old Testament, and Aaron is doing exactly what he was taught by Moses to do. They're talking about the Jewish sacrificial system. This is what had to take place there for the Jews. 

But there are things that are part of this. Now, we know, we all know that because of the dispensation of  grace of God, things changed. We're no longer underneath this sacrificial system. We never were as Gentiles anyway. We couldn't even enter that tabernacle, and nobody could go into the holies of holies except for the chief priest. 

This is what God had planned for Israel. And we'll talk more about this as we go forward.  These, you know, passages that took and showed the blood of our sins that Jesus took away. And the life in this blood, the phrase, the blood of Christ, represents the life he gave for our atonement. We see the word blood used in the New Testament and most always used in connection with Jesus death on the cross. He shed his blood in a real physical death. It is the same blood that we bleed when we cut ourselves or we get injured. It's the same blood. And why is this understanding so important? Look at Romans chapter 6. This again is a verse that we all know, but I want, I want to make an emphasis here. Romans chapter 6, if you would. Romans chapter 6 in verse 23. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. You know, it's important because his death demonstrates to us  what the wages of sin is. Christ had to die. He had to be buried. And if we, folks, I don't know where you're at in your salvation today. 

I don't know where you put your faith and trust in. But I will tell you this, this is fact. This is the truth. This is God's word. For the wages of sin is death. It's talking about not just the fear of physical death, but a spiritual death. You are separated from God. You're totally separated from God. And the only way to change, to put a bridge so that you and God can come together. Is what it says right there at the end of that verse, but the gift of God is eternal life to Jesus Christ our Lord. That gift, it's not a present, could be, you could call it that, but it's not a thing. It's Jesus Christ. 

That's the gift that God is offering to us. Jesus became, you know, and when I look back at the Old Testament, The high priest and Judaism, the chief religious function. He is the, he is the key person when it comes to  the Judaism religion. He's the functionary in the temple of Jerusalem, whose unique privilege, he has a unique privilege. Was to enter the holies of holies, that inner sanctum  once a year, every year,  I'm going to say it again. Once a year, every year  on Yom Kippur, the day of atonement to burn incense and sprinkle sacrificial animal blood for the forgiveness of sins and the sins of the people. Jesus, here's an opposite, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ became a permanent fulfillment of that purpose. A permanent fulfillment, once and once for all. What the high priest could not accomplish and this is why we have the age of grace. So I'm not saying what the high priest was doing back then was wrong. What he was doing back then was right. But because of the age of grace in which we now live in, what you know, when you think about that, what the high priest could not accomplish because he was a man. And he was a sinner himself. That's why God had to change this whole dispensation. Why he brought the dispensation into place. God needed a sacrifice that would be permanent. And that would be  so easy. So welcoming to each of us. That we could all we have to do is put our faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ.  Jesus was able to accomplish the shedding of his blood because he was a sinless son of God. He was man, God on earth. He was without sin. That whole time. The sacrifice made by the high priest was an actual physical sacrifice with real blood involved. 

Just exactly what Moses had told Aaron to do. It had a spiritual purpose. Jesus sacrifice, too, was an actual physical sacrifice with his very real blood,  and it, too, had a spiritual purpose and a goal. There's a goal in mind. Yet there was a big difference between the high priest sacrifice versus what Jesus was able to accomplish. And that is, is one of the things we are to celebrate even as we remember his death today. When the high priest sacrificed an animal, God agreed to tolerate, to overlook, and to pass over the consequences of sin. That was God's truth to them.  That's what he promised them. You do this and I'm going to overlook your sin. As a result The high priest sacrifice had to be done yearly, every year, since they were not a true and lasting remedy. What they did for Israel at that time was right. That's what Paul, that's what Moses had called them to do. But they didn't have any lasting remedies for sin. They would have it on that, that  holy day, that day of atonement and then they would go on living their lives. And there were those that were faithful. But even Jesus says, no one. Was able to live up to the entire law, so there was always sin, but it only, you know, there were not those remedies and it only reminders of it. And basically it was a reminder of God's mercy and overlooking their sin. 

That's what that sacrifice was there. But Jesus blood removes our sin. It washes away our sin. It didn't just overlook them or cover them up only to be held against us at a future date. That's not what Jesus blood did. Jesus blood satisfied the holiness of God. And Jesus life, for our eternity life, Jesus blood transforms us into new creations. 

Jesus blood delivers us from the slavery of sin. And that was Paul's biggest message you ever read through the book of Galatians, and maybe one day we'll go through it together. That was Paul's first epistle and it was the Sternest epistle of all of his epistles. He had gone to Galatia and he had brought about churches and all of a sudden the jus came in and they were taking those Christians and saying, but you still need to be circumcised, bringing them back under the bondage of the law  and not of grace. That's not what God wanted for us all. And that's one of the most important things. In John 1:7. Turn there if you would. First John 1:7. And I know we've read this already once, but I want to read it again. But if we walk in the light as He is the light,  we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, His Son, cleanses us from all sin. John 1:7 describes the work of Jesus blood. It describes exactly what He did on the cross. It does it for us. And it says, and the blood of Jesus, his son cleanses us from all sin. The verb cleanses here indicates continuity. It indicates continuity. There is a beginning and there is also a continuing cleansing.

Now we know that once we have put our faith and trust in Christ, our sins from the past are forgiven. Our sins that we do today, tomorrow, this week are forgiven, and all of the sins in the future are forgiven as well. But that's that continuing cleansing we have  because of what Jesus Christ did. That's something worth remembering today, isn't it? There we remember it, but also, as we come to this table today, it is because of Jesus Christ once for all shed his blood on Calvary's cross, fully satisfying God the Father. 

Turn to Ephesians please. 

Ephesians chapter 1. And I'm going to read verses 8 through 10. And it said, wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence, having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he had purposed in himself, that in the dispensation of fullness of times he might gather together and won all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on the earth. Those that are in him, other words, those who have put their faith and trust  in his death, his burial and his resurrection. That resurrection is the hope that we all have. We all know that. We're looking forward to that day, as far as I'm concerned, it could come right now. When we think about it, I found this quote after while I was doing this study and I was just looking through different things and I found this quote. It says, in our time, there are signs that the belief in grace may be coming untethered from our understanding of the cross. I'm going to turn to Galatians chapter five and I want to read first verse one. Stand therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made us free and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage. Stand fast. That's what we need to do today. I believe that quote. I think churches, Christchurches, sometimes the message is becoming untethered. 

And in our churches today, there's, go look it up, read the research. People are leaving the church by groves. Not just Grace Churches, but all churches. People are leaving. They don't see the purpose or the need anymore  in church. Let us, let not Grace Bible Church Oshkosh  ever disconnect with the grace of God from our understanding  and our need for his grace. Why his grace evidenced by the blood of Jesus that flowed from his wombs after his scourging, illustrated the blood that flowed through his hands. And his feet and hung on the cross while why his blood was necessary. Our need for grace is very real. We are sinners in need of grace. His grace was demonstrated in the shedding of his blood, Jesus Christ. That's why nothing but the blood.  of Jesus can wash away our sins. Make me whole, bring me hope and peace with God. Jesus blood was required because we have sinned. I have said the Lord's Supper is a reminder of that. But let us also be mindful of what it is. Remind what it is reminding us of. It's reminding me of Jesus sacrifice. But why was the sacrifice necessary? We can never be atoned. Centered too much, think of the atonement.

We can never be atoned too much, reflect  long enough and often enough on the sacrifice of Jesus blood and why it was necessary. The answer to the question, why it was necessary?  Because it's the only way. It is the only way  to eternal life. There is no other way. And I pray, if you haven't yet trusted in the Lord Jesus Christ, if  you haven't put your faith there, it's not a difficult thing to do. 

Just bow your, bow your head, and pray, and ask Christ to come into your heart, and to lead you. And then after you do that, read the book of Romans, read Ephesians one and two, and understand that once you put your faith and trust in Christ, there is nothing, nothing, not even anything you do that would ever separate you again. From the love of Christ. Never. 

Let us pray. My grace is God and help me. Father, thank you so much for your word. Thank you so much for this opportunity  to just be able to preach and to share your word. Father, I just pray  that you were honored and glorified by it. And I thank you so much for your spirit's direction. It is so amazing. Lord, as we go now to the table  and we partake in the things which you've asked us to do, the remembrance that you want us to have. Help us, Lord, to not be solemn. Help us to be excited. Help us to be happy, knowing that through this sacrifice of Christ, we have eternal life, and one day we will be with you in heaven. Pray these things in Jesus name. Amen.

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