Day of Prayer 2013 S.E.E.K God in Prayer

1 Timothy 2:1 "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men."

The Apostle Paul writes this letter to a young pastor named Timothy about pastoring the church of the living God.  Among his important instructions, we see Paul urging this young pastor to lead this church to seek God in prayer.  On this National Day of Prayer 2013, I thought it would be apropos to consider what it means to seek God in prayer.  Jesus desires His church, composed of all true, born-again people, to be a house of prayer for all the nations. (Matthew 11:17) For this special "National Day of Prayer" post, we will utilize the acrostic s.e.e.k to discover how we can seek God in prayer.

Start with God.  1 Timothy 2:1
The Holy Ghost says through Paul in 1 Timothy 2:1 "First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men." Four Greek words for prayer are used by Paul in this first verse.  Without going into the details, the four terms speak of a progressive effort to desparately seek God and delight in Him.  As you study the subject of prayer, you discover that prayer is born of God in the context of need.  So why pray? Because only God can control outcomes.  He desires Christians to participate in prayer for the bringing about of His will in those outcomes.  When you start with God in prayer, you will also end with God in prayer. (Matthew 6; Luke 11)  So to "seek" God in prayer means you start with God. But notice secondly....

Expect God to respond. 1 Timothy 2:2-3
Paul continues on in 1 Timothy 2:2, noting that as we pray on behalf of kings, authorities and all people, we pray "so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity." Why do God's people and churches get so discouraged in prayer? Simply put - we often do not expect God to respond.  Prayers with no expectations lead to no results.  Leonard Ravenhill, a long-time evangelist and advocate of prayer, writes: "The lightbulb for us Christians is prayer and God has the power.  But it is faith that makes the connection."  Expect great things from the Great God and watch the Great God do great things.  So you need to start with God, and expect God to respond, and also....

Express prayers for non-Christians. 1 Timothy 2:4-6
We read these words in 1 Timothy 2:3-6 "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth. ⁵ For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave Himself as a ransom for all, the testimony given at the proper time." So why mention Christ's Person and Accomplishment of salvation in the middle of a section on prayer? Because the cross is the ground of prayer.  Furthermore, Paul is reminding His people that a praying people must not just pray for themselves but beyond themselves.  Praying for the lost means your are not just seeking the face of God, but the heart of God.  Before you ever thought about our unsaved loved ones and friends - God had them on His mind before time began.  Prior to any tears the church of God may shed for the unconverted, God oridained the Son to assume humanity to shed His blood on their behalf. Prayer is the sail to which faith is attached.  The Good Gospel Ship is born along by the winds of the Spirit blowing into the sail of prayer.  As Paul already wrote, praying on behalf of all people will ensure the necessary conditions for proclaiming the Gospel to those who would or could oppose it.  So when you seek God, start with God, expect Him to respond and express prayers for non-Christian people, but notice finally....

Keep Praying, stop complaining.  1 Timothy 2:7-8
Paul writes these words in 1 Timothy 2:7-8 "For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying) as a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth. ⁸ Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension." Why would Paul tell this young pastor to warn the people not to pray in "wrath and dissension".  Why? Because the church to often is known more for fighting one another rather than fighting the good fight of faith.  The three underlined words (faith, truth and pray) signal to us how it is we must keep praying, and truly stop complaining.  Faith, rather than fear, will ensure that we pray rather than complain.  Truth, rather than error, will encourage us to pray rather than complain.  Then prayer itself, rather than picking on one another, characterizes the church who is praying rather than complaining.  Paul's preaching in verse 7 and the exhortation to pray in verse 8 go hand in hand.  God has blessed us more than we deserve.  Churches who truly seek God in prayer and are about His kingdom work find far less to complain about.  In fact, I would suspect that complaining and picking among Christians is a sure sign that we are not praying as we should nor sharing the Gospel as we ought.

Lord help us as your church in America and throughout the world to be a people who s.e.e.k you in prayer.   

Top Bible Prophecy #4 - A shepherd and the King - 2 Samuel 7:13-16

2 Samuel 7:8 “Now therefore, thus you shall say to My servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, “I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be ruler over My people Israel.


Reviewing the last three top Bible prophecies
Last week and the week before, I wrote some posts on particular scriptures that I am simply calling: "Top Bible Prophecies".  In the April 12, 2013 post we looked at Top Prophecy #1 - Genesis 3:15.  Then on April 17 and 18, 2013 we looked at Top Bible Prophecy # 2 - Genesis 12.  In yesterday's post we considered God's Land Covenant with Israel in Deuteronomy 30 as Top Bible prophecy #3.  The first top Bible prophecy is the first mention of the Gospel and the first prophecy of what would be the conflict of the ages between Jesus Christ and Satan.  The second Top Bible Prophecy was shown to be central to all other prophecies, being that it reveals God's Saving and Kingdom purposes in scripture.  Then the third was shown to be an amplification of the "land" promise in Abraham's Covenant.

Connecting Abraham's Covenant and the Promised Land Covenant of Deuteronomy 30 to David's Covenant in 2 Samuel 7:8-16
In both Genesis 3:15 and Genesis 12:1-7 we see a common word "seed" that connects the message of both.  In that word "seed" we see God's scarlet thread of redemption, a particular bloodline through which He would bring about the human nature of the Person of Jesus Christ, the Fully Divine Son.  In scripture we see the redemptive bloodline outlined from Adam to Abraham:

Adam to Noah = 10 generations
Shem to Abraham = 10 generations

Abraham was to be the one who would receive the plan of salvation in promise form.  From Adam to Abraham we see God's saving purpose revealed as a plan, and from Abraham onward the plan is more specified in the form of God's Promise.  In God's covenant with Abraham we see God's Kingdom purpose traced through three promises to Abraham: land (Genesis 12:1); seed (Genesis 12:2) and blessing (Genesis 12:3).  Abraham's Covenant connects to another major covenant, the Davidic Covenant, in the following way:

Abrahamic (Seed Promise)---Davidic Covenant (Seed Person)
Covenant

The Land Covenant in Deuteronomy 30 is critical, since it reveals the future physical realm over which David's Ultimate Descendant will reign.

From Abraham to a shepherd boy named David
When you trace the generations from Abraham in accordance to Matthew 1:1-17, we discover another remarkable pattern surrounding the number "14".  Three sets of fourteen generations are listed by Matthew, the first of which being:

Abraham to David = 14 generations (Matthew 1:17a)

The number "14" in scripture is often used to describe God's fulness of salvation.  Matthew's Gospel was written to show Jesus to be the predicted King anticipated in Abraham's Covenant (Genesis 17:6) and specifically predicted in God's Covenant to David in 2 Samuel 7:8-16.   

So who was David? David was a little shepherd boy who tended his father's flocks. (1 Samuel 16:11)  God told the prophet Samuel to anoint David as Israel's next king, since the sun was setting so-to-speak on Saul's kingship. (1 Samuel 16:1, 12)  In the famous showdown between David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17, David tells King Saul that he knows God will give Goliath into his hand because as a shepherd God delivered him from a bear and a lion. ( 1 Samuel 17:37) 

Before it was all said and done, David the little shepherd boy would have to wait nearly twenty years before he was to be anointed a second time at Hebron as King of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4) and then one final time as King over Israel in 2 Samuel 5.  According to Bible teacher Harold Wilmington, David is mentioned 1118 times in scripture, making him the most mentioned man in the Bible.1

A shepherd anointed king is given a remarkable covenant
According to 2 Samuel 5:4, David was 30 years old when he was anointed King.2  As David began to reign in Jerusalem, he had the desire to build God a temple.  God through the prophet Nathan conveyed that such a privilege would fall upon his son Solomon, however God had  a far grander purpose for David.  It had been 1,000 years since God had revealed his Eternal Covenant to Abraham, now it was time to take a particular element of that covenant (the "seed") and specify how God was going to bring about His prophetic purposes for Israel, history and redemption. 

The Ultimate King predicted by God's Davidic Covenant
David's Covenant is an outgrowth of Abraham's Covenant as it pertains to the "seed" promise of Genesis 12:7.  Specifically, God promised to David that from His bloodline would come forth a dynasty or succession of kings in the short-run (2 Samuel 7:13-15) with the long term goal being the Ultimate King (2 Samuel 7:12,16)  In the Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7:13-16 we see a repeition of three words that spell out how God is going to bring about His ultimate King:

"house" (2 Samuel 7:11,13,16) = referring to the bloodline of royal lineage extending from David to Christ.

"kingdom" (2 Samuel 7:12,13,16) = referring to the Divinely appointed realm that God assigns to David's ultimate descendant - namely the people who are redeemed by this ultimate descendant

"throne" = referring in the near sense to the twenty rulers who would come from David's royal bloodline in Judah and the Ultimate Ruler, Jesus, who spiritual reigns over the church and who is coming again to physically rule on His throne over the earth for 1,000 years. (Acts 2:34-35; 1 Corinthians 15:24-28; Revelation 19:11-20:15)

As we said already, God's Land Covenant is crucial, since it gives the Bible student the future realm over which David's Royal Descendant (Jesus) will reign.  Concerning how the covenants of Abraham, the land and David all relate, we can note the below figure:

Abraham (land)--------Land Covenant of Deuteronomy 30
Covenant (seed)-------Davidic Covenant of 2 Samuel 7:8-16

How the Ultimate King in the New Testament is connected to David's Covenant
As you travel throughout the Old Testament, God's Covenant with David concerning the Ultimate King or Messiah is placed repeatedly before Israel.3  When one arrives into the New Testament, Matthew 1:1-17 labors to show that Jesus was that predicted Ultimate Davidic King.4 In fact, the New Testament repeatedly shows how Jesus was the "seed of David".5


Why the Davidic Covenant is important for Christians today
We have traced the significance of David's covenant from a little shepherd boy named David to the predicted Ultimate King - Jesus Christ.  The question is: "so what?"  Here are the reasons why the Davidic Covenant is important to Christians in the 21st century:

1. By this covenant we get to know Jesus' true identity as the Ultimate King

2. God's promise is shown to be true, since in Jesus Christ this Covenant is being spiritually fulfilled and will be physically fulfilled

3. As His church, we are enjoying in a spiritual way the blessings of a secure, reigning Jesus in our lives

4. We look forward with great hope to our coming Ultimate King who in His humanity is descended from David. 

In the future we will look at another Top Bible Prophecy, until then, may the Lord richly bless you dear reader. 

End Notes__________________

1. Harold Wilmington. "The Complete Book of Bible Lists". Page 39.

2. David is the only king anointed three times in the Old Testament, foreshadowing the uniqueness of Jesus Christ the "anointed one" (Hebrew = Meshiach (Messiah); Greek = Christos (Christ). 

3. Some of the Old Testament passages that refer to God's Covenant with David: 2 Samuel 7:13-16, 23:5; 1 Chronicles 17:16ff; Psalms 2, 21, 45,48,72,89,110,132 and Isaiah 55:3

4. The spiritual-part of Jesus Davidic Reign begins after His ascension when His reign is inaugurated in heaven over His church. (Acts 2:34-35)  As of now Jesus, through the Person and work of the Holy Spirit, is "already" ruling and reigning spiritually and invisibly over and through His church.  The church itself is not the Kingdom, but rather an indicator of the Kingdom's reality, like a front porch on a house.  However there is an aspect of Christ's kingdom that has not happened yet - namely the physical, visible, earthly aspect.  The Kingdom being located in Heaven, will in the future descend, with Christ leading the way to set up His Davidic throne on earth, in Jerusalem.  According to Revelation 20:4, He being called "Christ" or the Anointed One will reign 1,000 years.  Israel will have been converted (Romans 11:25-26) and restored as a light among the nations.  Her Messiah will rule over her and the entire earth, with His glorifed church reigning beside him on thrones. (Isaiah 11; Zechariah 12-14; 1 Corinthians 6:3; Ephesians 2:6-8; Revelation 20:4)

5. Note how the New Testament shows Jesus as the "Seed of David":
Acts 2:34-36 For it was not David who ascended into heaven, but he himself says: ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand,³⁵ Until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.”’³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Acts 13:23 - "From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus"

Romans 1:3 - "concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh."

2 Timothy 4:8 "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel."

Revelation 22:16 “I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.”

Top Bible Prophecy #3 The Promised Land - Deuteronomy 30

Deuteronomy 30:5 "The Lord your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess it; and He will prosper you and multiply you more than your fathers."


Reviewing the last two top Bible prophecies
Last week and the week before, I wrote some posts on particular scriptures that I am simply calling: "Top Bible Prophecies". In the April 12, 2013 post we looked at Top Prophecy #1 - Genesis 3:15. Then on April 17 and 18, 2013 we looked at Top Bible Prophecy # 2 - Genesis 12. In Genesis 12 we see God's Covenant with Abraham promising and predicting three things: A Land (Genesis 12:1), Seed (Genesis 12:2,7) and Blessing (Genesis 12:3). We noted how in Abraham's Covenant, God took the plan of salvation revealed in Genesis 3:15 to the more specific form of Promise.  Between both passages we see the common word "seed", indicating that through a redemptive bloodline God would ultimately bring about the humanity of which the Divine Son would assume to shed His blood on the cross. 

Connecting Abraham's Covenant to Deuteronomy 30
As we already mentioned, God promised Abraham land, seed and blessing.  We know "what God" promised.  The question is: "how will God bring the promise and prediction to Abraham to be about the Person of Jesus Christ?"  As you go throughout the rest of scripture, God will make three other eternal covenants that amplify the three-fold promise of the Abrahamic Covenant of Genesis 12 (Land Covenant, Davidic Covenant, New Covenant).  Today's post will feature the Land Covenant of Deuteronomy 30, which amplifies and reinforces God's promised land to His people Israel.  In considering the figure below, as well as the exposition that will follow on Deuteronomy 30, you will see why we are considering it Top Prophecy #3:

Abraham's (Promise of Land)-------------Land (Amplified promise)
Covenant                                                       Covenant
(Genesis 12:1)                                         (Deut 30:1-10)

Why the Promised Land to Israel matters to Christians today
I think before we unfold the significance of Deuteoronomy 30, it is vital to first see why this even matters to the Christian reader.  What does a land deed to Israel have to do with me?  As you study both Old and New Testaments on this subject of the Promised Land, here are some applications you find to the Christian:

1. God's fulfillment of His promises to Israel directly impacts His level of faithfulness in fulfilling the Christian's salvation. (Romans 11:11-12)

2. The God who guarantees a future for Israel is the same God who guarantees the Gospel.  In fact, Romans 10:6-9, a key passage describing the Gospel, quotes from Deuteronomy 30, the key text for God's land Covenant with Israel.

3. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8)  By virtue of the fact that Jesus is going to restore Israel and her land at His second coming, means that His Promises to the Christian right now stand firm.  Jesus never changes His character nor faithfulness. 

With those three main applications stated, we can now briefly see the prophetic significance of the Promised Land in Deuteronomy 30.

God's Promised Land in Bible Prophecy
Deuteronomy 30:1-10 outlines God's amplification and prophetic program for restoring the nation of Israel at Christ's return.  A brief outline of this text shows this point:

1. Rescue Israel.              Deuteronomy 30:3-5
2. Redeeming o Israel.    Deuteronomy 30:6-8
3. Rich blessing of Israel.  Deuteronomy 30:9-10

God's ultimate will to have a redeemed nation in Israel will come to pass.  Undoubtedly she would have a history of apostasy and rebellion as predicted in Deuteronomy 28-29.  In fact, Deuteronomy 30:1-2  details how she will be scattered all over the globe.  A brief history of Israel from Old Testament to present day demonstrates the truth of her scattering.1 

The reason why we call this Top Bible Prophecy "The Promised Land", is because God had "promised it" to Abraham and his descendants. (Genesis 12:1; 13:15; 15:7)  The Land was to be Israel's portion and proof that God's Covenant with her was not broken.  God included the boundaries of the land - stretching from the River Euphrates to the East to the Western most limit of the Nile River in Egypt. (Genesis 15:18).  Though there were times throughout Israel's history where she came close to possessing the land, nevertheless she has never has possessed all of it. (Joshua 21:43-45; 23:14-15; Nehemiah 9:8)  This tells us that God's fulfillment of the land to Israel still remains future.2 

When God will Rescue, Redeem and Richly Bless Israel with the land
As we mentioned before, Deuteronomy 30 outlines God's future guarantee of granting Israel the promised land.3  This three-step process of rescuing, redeeming and rich blessing is spoken of in the passages that point to the return of the Lord to set up His earthly Kingdom here on earth.  For instance, Isaiah 11 speaks of Christ returning to rule the earth with a rod of iron (11:4), rescuing Israel (11:11) who will be redeemed (11:13) and thus be a rich blessing among the nations (11:16).4  According to Revelation 19-20, this future time period will last 1,000 years and is called by Bible teachers "The Millennium" (a term meaning 1,000 years). 

So Israel as a nation can be expected to be rescued and redeemed at Christ's return (Romans 11:25-26) and thus be richly blessed in her own land as originally promised to Abraham.

Why the Promised Land to Israel matters to Christians today
What does a land deed to Israel have to do with me?  As we have seen, this top Bible prophecy has implications reaching into the future beginning at Christ's return.  However the fullfillment of this land covenant ties into determining God's faithfulness to the Christian as Savior Lord and Treasure.  As we noted at the beginning:

1. God's fulfillment of His promises to Israel directly impacts His level of faithfulness in fulfilling the Christian's salvation. (Romans 11:11-12)

2. The God who guarantees a future for Israel is the same God who guarantees the Gospel. In fact, Romans 10:6-9, a key passage describing the Gospel, quotes from Deuteronomy 30, the key text for God's land Covenant with Israel.

3. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. (Hebrews 13:8) By virtue of the fact that Jesus is going to restore Israel and her land at His second coming, means that His Promises to the Christian right now stand firm. Jesus never changes His character nor faithfulness.

Closing Thoughts
Bible Prophecy (also called "eschatology" meaning study of last things) is designed to energize hope and expectation of Christ's return.  My prayer is that these studies are giving you the reader an orderly way of considering the vast and rich terrain of God's prophetic message in His Word.  Tomorrow we will consider Top Bible Prophecy #4.....

End Notes__________________
1. 722 b.c Assyrian Exile of the Northern Kingdom of Israel;  605-586 b.c Babylonian Exile of the Southern Kingdom of Judah; 516 b.c-Jesus' day.  Though the Jews did return in large numbers to Jerusalem, yet many were still scattered throughout the Medditeranean world and were termed "The Dispersed ones" by Jesus day. In today's world, even though many have been steadily returning since the reconstitution of Israel in 1948, many are still scattered throughout the world.

2. Dwight Pentecost in His Book: "Things to Come", mentions the following cross-references that also refer to God's continuing promise of the future promised land to Israel: Isaiah 11:11-12, 14:1-3, 27;12-13, 43:1-8, 49:8-16, 66:20-22, Jeremiah 16:14-16, 23:3-8, 30:10-11, 31:8,31-37; Ezekiel 11:17-21, 20:33-38, 34:11-16, 39:25-29; Hosea 1:10-11; Joel 3:17-21; Amos 9:11-15; Micah 4:4-7 and Zephaniah 3:14-20.

3. In Deuteronomy 30:3-5 we see Him rescuing Israel as seen in the words "restore" (30:3), "gather you again" (30:3), "gather you" (30:4), "bring you back" (30:4) and "bring you into the land" (30:5). Then in Deuteronomy 30:6-8 we see God redeeming Israel as demonstrated by the phrase "circumcision of the heart" (30:6), which is an Old Testament version of the more glorious New Birth spoken of by Jesus in John 3. Thirdly, we see God richly blessing Israel in Deuteronomy 30:9-10 through the language of "prospering" (30:9). 

4. Another passage that speaks of Christ's future earthly reign over His people Israel is Zechariah 12-14. Zechariah prophesies of Israel being rescued (12:1-9), redeemed (12:10-14:8) and richly blessed (14:9-21) in her own land with her Messiah. 

General and Special Revelation

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands."

Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple."

Comparing General and Special Revelation

Psalm 19 instructs you on two types of God's revelation: the general revelation about Creator God available through creation (19:1-6) and the special revelation of this same  God as the Savior and Redeemer in the Bible. (19:7-14)  General revelation is "generally" available to all people by means of observing the universe, creation and God's moral standards in the conscience. (Romans 2:15)  Special revelation is "specifically" found only in the 66 books of the Bible, and "specifically" reveals God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit.  General revelation is non-saving revelation, meaning that through it man realizes he stands condemned before His Creator. (Romans 1:18-31)

 

Special revelation is saving revelation, meaning that faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. (Romans 1:17) In General revelation God is known about, whereas in special revelation -  God is known through the Fulness of Revelation -  Jesus Christ.  By the convincing work of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8-16) in the special revelation of the Bible, I come to know the God who is pointed to in General Revelation, fully revealed in the Person of Jesus Christ. 

 

Special Revelation's relationship to prayer

Psalms 20-21 are appropriately "next door" to Psalm 19, being that they both give testimony of how God answers the prayers of the believer.  Prayer and the scriptures are hitched always together when it comes to knowing God, with He in turn making Himself known to us. 

 

A New Testament example featuring General and Special Revelation

As you turn to Acts 19, you see Paul and his fellow missionaries experiencing the anti-revival of idolatry in Ephesus.  The people had rejected the general revelation of creation, turning themselves over to an idol of their own manufacture by the name of Artemis.  According to 1 Corinthians 10:19-20, any false gods or idols are demons in disguise.  Thankfully not all the Ephesians would be lost.  God broke through their darkness and with loving affection saved those whom He had lovingly appointed unto eternal life, with they in turn freely believing by His grace through faith.  (Acts 19:17-20; Ephesians 1-2)  If a man, woman or child will but embrace God's general revelation of Himself in creation, God will pledge to send someone with the special revelation of the Gospel, so that the Spirit can do His work that positions that person to freely trust in Jesus for their salvation. (Acts 10; 16; 17; Romans 10:8-17) 

 

Final thoughts

Pray for your unsaved loved ones and friends and then share Jesus to those whom God sends you.

Methods for studying the Bible

2 Timothy 2:15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

Over the years I have heard various tools and methods for getting into the study and application of God's Word - the Bible.  The opening verse of today's blog commands the Christian to be a diligent student of the scriptures. Below are some Bible study methods that I have learned from others or have found in my own study of God's Word.  A recent statistic reveals that only 16% of people in American churches read their Bibles everyday.  Please feel free to use any of them, since the main goal is to see people get into their Bibles. 

Method #1  S.P.E.C.K.A Bible study method
I heard this method recently from a wonderful Bible teacher and have over the years heard variations of it from other pastors and Bible teachers.  The acrostic s.p.e.c.k.a stands for six diagnostic questions you can ask of any Bible text, namely is there...

Sin for me to confess?
Promise to live by?
Example for me to follow?
Committment I need to make?
Knowledge of God to learn?
Application for my life?

Method #2 Six Questions
I have found the following six questions (or interrogatives) helpful in studying the scripture:

Who is God speaking to, believers or unbelievers?
What is the main point or big idea?
Why did the author write what he wrote?
When did this take place?
Where is the setting of the passage in question?
How shall I live out the truth of this text?

Method #3 Repeated words
This third method is one I use often in Bible study.  If you want to discover the main point of a passage, simply note the main word or idea in the chapter or Bible book.  For example, in 1 John 4, you will find reference to the word "love" around 25 times.  1 John 4 is obviously unfolding to you the Biblical concept of love.  Now the question to ask is: is this talking about God's love, human love or both?  Repeated words can be every effective in zeroing in on what the Lord was intending through the author when the scripture was originally composed.

May God bless you today dear friend as you employ these methods. 

The Message We Preach

Deuteronomy 27:2-3 "So it shall be on the day when you cross the Jordan to the land which the Lord your God gives you, that you shall set up for yourself large stones and coat them with lime ³ and write on them all the words of this law, when you cross over, so that you may enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, a land flowing with milk and honey, as the Lord, the God of your fathers, promised you."

The Book of Deuteronomy represents the final month of Moses' life as he preaches his final sermons to the second generation of Israelites that descended from Israel coming out of Egypt.1  Within Deuteronomy 27-29 we find an example of what qualifies as the necessary elements for true Biblical preaching.  In other words, what is the message that we ought to preach? Please note the following four elements of Moses' message in Deuteronomy 27-29:

1. PURE WORDS OF GOD.  DEUTERONOMY 27:1-4
Moses instructed the people in the opening of his sermon to erect stone monuments with the words of God inscribed on the face.  The words that were to be written or inscribed in the large stones were to be none other than God's words.2  The words were to be big enough for people to see who would have gazed across the Jordon River. 

What kind of words are God's words? pure words.  When we say pure words, we mean at least three things...

Inerrant words.  Being that God is pure and without sin (Habakkuk 1:13; 1 John 1:5), it thus stands to reason that everything He speaks is without error.(2 Timothy 3:16) 3  

Infallible Words.  Because God's Word's are pure, they cannot lead anyone astray, a quality that Bible teachers call infallibility. (John 10:35) 

Sufficient Words. Notice what Moses instructs the people to do, to have the words of God alone inscribed on the stones.  God's Word by itself is sufficient to provide God's people with everything that pertains to life and Godliness. (2 Peter 1:3-4)

So the message we preach, in terms of its source, is from God's pure words.  But notice the second element of what we preach...

PERSON OF CHRIST.     DEUTERONOMY 27:5-7
Now the reader at this point may rightly question: where do you see Christ here in Deuteronomy 27?  Moses is of course instructing the people to construct an altar following their arrival on the other side of the Jordon.  Why an altar? To remind the people that without the shedding of blood, there is no forgiveness of sin. (Hebrews 9:22)  The shedding of blood by an innocent substitute was enacted by God in the original covenant of grace established in Genesis 3:20-21.4 

But for what purpose were the Old Testament sacrifices? God's people were not saved by the sacrifices, but rather by the Promise pointed to in and through the sacrifices - namely the Person of Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 10:11-12 shows what the sacrifices pictured - "Every priest stands daily ministering and offering time after time the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins; ¹² but He, having offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, sat down at the right hand of God."
In the Old Testament economy in which Moses wrote, it was fitting for him to focus upon the shed blood of innocent sacrifices, since such activites point to the final sacrifice performed by Jesus on the cross. (Hebrews 9:14-15)  The Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:2 "For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified."

So if we can say that Pure Scripture is the source of the message we preach, then Jesus Christ is the Person that we are to preach.  With that said, we consider a third trait of Biblical preaching that we can glean from Deuteronomy, namely...

PERSONAL APPLICATION.  DEUTERONOMY 27:8-28:68

God's word was revealed to be preached in order to be applied
We read in Deuteronomy 27:8 You shall write on the stones all the words of this law very distinctly.” The underlined word translated "distinctly" comes from a Hebrew Word that could be easily translated: "to explain, make clear, make plain." What is assumed in this command to "write down the words" is the fact that the words are going to need explained, announced and preached to the people.  In fact that same Hebrew Word is used in Deuteronomy 1:5 "Across the Jordan in the land of Moab, Moses undertook to expound this law, saying".  The phrase "to expound" refers to the sermons Moses was going to preach to the people. 

How the preacher encourages the Word to be applied



As Moses preaches in Deuteronomy 27-28, he issues forth warnings (27:8-26; 28:15-68) and promises (28:1-14).  Every preacher in every age impresses upon the hearts of their hearers God's Pure Words, about the Person of Christ, through a two-fold method of application - the warnings of the law and the promises of grace. When Jesus spoke to His disciples in His post resurrection appearances, He spoke first from the "Law, Prophets and Psalms" all the things concerning Himself.  Why? Because the Law of God is designed to be a school master, pointing me to Jesus. Galatians 3:24 notes -  "Therefore the Law has become our tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith."

On the soil of the human heart, the sinner needs to hear the thunder and lightening of God's law in order to receive the fresh rain of the Gospel. (Hebrews 6:7)5 

The Holy Spirit takes the message from the head to the heart
Whenever applying God's truth, the preacher starts with the courtroom of the mind but ultimately aims at the heart.  It is the Spirit's Attendance in the preaching that ensures that the message will make the journey from the head to the heart.  I preach to apply, however only the Spirit can make the necessary application needed in that moment. Once that message is in the heart, the listener must demonstrate they "got it" by acting on the word.  

So the Message we preach is from the Pure Words of God, about  the Person of Christ, Preaching to be Applied and fourthly...

POWER OF GOD.  DEUTERONOMY 29:1-9
The Power of God speaks of the Goal of what we preach.  Frankly unless the Power of God is aimed for and empowering the preaching, the sermon will never turn into a message.  Without God's power, God's people will be no more effective in lighting the world for Jesus than burned out light bulbs.  Moses reminds his listeners in Deuteronomy 29:1-9 of their need for God's Power:

1. It was His power that first saved them out of Egypt.  29:1-4
2. It was His power that sustained their parents and them through the 40 years of wilderness wanderings.  29:5-6
3. It was His power that enabled them to defeat their enemies. 29:7-9

Lest God's Power is the beginning and end of the message we preach, no one will get saved and no one will be able to live the Christian life.  This is the the message we preach.  My little sermons are like loaves and fish in the hands of the Master.  I give them to Him, He blesses the words and through my frailty He feeds His sheep. 6

Conclusion
We have considered the message we preach, as relayed to us by the inspired pen of Moses.  We first noted that we preach the Pure words of God: words that are inerrant, infallible and sufficient.  Second, we preach the Person of Christ, concealed in the sacrifices and fully revealed in the New Testament.  Thirdly, we preach for Personal Application by means of Law and Gospel, exhortations and encouragement.  Then finally, we preach for the Power of God to be shown, since God's power is the beginning and ending of true, Biblical preaching.     

Endnotes__________________________

1. Among other descriptions, we could easily say that Deuteronomy is a book about preaching, by a preach of unparalleled rank - Moses. God had truly gifted this man who upon his initial calling as a prophet and stateman claimed to have no ability to communicate. (Exodus 4:11-17)  Throughout Deuteronomy we see three sermons: (chapters 1-4; 5-26 & 27-30) along with final instructions, farewell and death of Moses (chapters 31-34) In Deuteronomy 27 we see Moses beginning his third sermon with what will turn into an unfolding of the future of God's people. 

2. These words, though not specified as to their contents, were most likely either the ten commandments or the words that were to follow in Deuteronomy 27-30. 

3. Central in the doctrine of scripture is the idea of God's words being pure - or inerrant. Proverbs 30:5 "Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him." Psalm 19:7 "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple." We preach the scriptures that are inerrant in regards to their original composition and which continue to carry forth such authority in the preserved doctrines, details and words of every copy and translation.

4. God killed two animals in the place of Adam and Eve, whereupon their confession of faith they received forgiveness, justification and thus were clothed in the skins of their substitutes. Such a pattern would be repeated in picture and prophetic form throughout the Old Testament. (Isaiah 53:6)


5. In fact at the end of Hebrews 12, we see two mountains compared and contrasted: Mount Sinai, representative of the Law, and Mount Zion, representative of God's saving grace in Christ. Only when the threatenings and curses are used by the Spirit to show me to be lost will I then be ready to be found by the Good Shepherd who is seeking me. When Jesus spoke to His disciples, He started with the Law, however His final instructions to them entailed the Gospel, the Great Commission. (Matthew 28:18-20) 

6. Whenever I approach a church service, I often think this thought: the music has been practiced, the sermon has been prepared, the prayers have been said, the people will soon arrive. But unless He, the Spirit of Truth breaths upon it all, not one thing will be accomplished. And don't you know it, whenever I go up to that sacred desk and open the Bible, the Spirit attends the preaching. He shows the sinner the Savior and Lord who died and raised for them, and to the saint he shows the same Savior and Lord who desires to live through them, and He in them. We need His power in the message we preach. 

Saturday April 27, 2013 Identifying Marks of God's Love

Note to the reader: This post is intended for Saturday April 27, 2013, even though it has been posted today, Friday April 26, 2013.  May this blog be used of God to strengthen and encourage the reader to fix their eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of Faith. (Hebrews 12:2)

1 John 4:7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God.

The story of the little creek that turned into a mighty river
As a boy I can recall a little creek running through the middle of our property.  In the dry summertime that little creek would get so law as to be barely a trickle.  When playing outside I would often find big rocks and sticks to create dams to see how high the water would get.  Of course the water would dam up and then break the little obstructions I had put in the way.  Over the course of the year, the bottom of that little creek would be littered with big rocks and fallen logs.  When spring came, the heavy rains of April would turn that little creek into a might river.  As the water swelled to overflow the banks, all of the obstructions and debris would wash down stream.  That mighty river was unstoppable, and in its wake was left a clean channel for the little creek to run.

Christians are dry river beds in need of God, the mighty stream
1 John 4 presents to us the mighty river of God's unfailing love.  I am fearful that we as Christians feel like we fully understand and grasp the love of God.  God's love is a mighty ocean in the banks of 1 John 4.  As Christians, we fail to remember that without the Lord, we are Wadis or dry river beds.  Jesus notes this in John 7:37-39 - Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. ³⁸ He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” ³⁹ But this He spoke of the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified."

Jesus promised that the Father would send the Holy Spirit in His name, a promise which came to pass in Acts 2.  Now that the Holy Spirit is active in the lives of all true Christians, we come to understand that it is He who sheds the love of God abroad in our hearts. (Romans 5:1-5) Literally God by the Person and work of the Spirit is that mighty river.  The Holy Spirit brings through the child of God the mighty torrents of the Father's mighty power and Jesus Christ's incomparable Person. 

We as Christians often have the clutter of life fill our hearts.  We are in need of God the mighty river to clear away whatever is obstructing our growth and passion for Him.

Identifying Marks of God's love
So how can you and I tell when God's love is flowing in our lives and in the lives of others? In using the acrostic l.o.v.e, we can discover from 1 John 4:7-21 the following four traits of God's love:

Lives through the cross.  1 John 4:9,10,19
1 John 4:9-10 states - By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. ¹⁰ In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  God's love was manifested or shown through the cross.  Romans 5:8 uses the language of "demonstration" to prove what God did in showing His love.  We know that God's love in the sending of His Son was effective in that Christ's finished work "propitiated" or "satisfied" the wrath of God. 

What Jesus Christ as God in human flesh accomplished in six hours on the cross would require the book of Acts and 21 New Testament Epistles to unfold.  The incredible love of God flows unceasingly and unhindered from the cross.  Though the cross is barren, and thought our risen and glorified Savior is at the Father's right hand, the truth of the matter is that God's love lives through and around the cross.  A Christian who is operating in God's love will have the cross in the hearts and Jesus on their lips.  But notice another trait of God's love here in 1 John 4:7-21...

Overcomes anything.  1 John 4:7,12,17,18,20,21
1 John 4:7 states - "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is ^[a]born of God and knows God."  God the mighty River of love cannot be stopped by anything.  In this section of 1 John we see God's love overcoming the following:

a. Disunity (1 John 4:7,12).  The command to love one another with God's love is the only thing that can diffuse disunity, bitterness and hurt that we so often see in churches today.  My love is limited, His love is unlimited.  My love will make conditions, however God's love has no strings attached.  My love can wane and waver, whereas God's love does not wane and cannot waver.

b. Fear (1 John 4:17,18).  1 John 4:18 tells us that "perfect love cast out all fear".  Whenever you see that phrase "perfect love", of what sort of love is John speaking?  It certainly cannot be human love, since perfection is not attainable in this life.  Only God's love can be deemed without flaw and without limitation.  Every phobia and psychological disorder can be traced back to fear or anger. When Adam and Eve hid in the garden, they hid because they were fearful.  Only God's love can destroy fear.

c. Anger (1 John 4:20-21).  Of the 10,000 times we sin mentioned in the Bible, bitterness or anger against another person is mentioned some 2,000 times.  God warns us about the dangers of anger and bitterness more than any other sin.  This is why we need His love. 

Validated by the Spirit. 1 John 4:13
1 John 4:13 makes this observation - "By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit."  The Holy Spirit is the Third Person of the Triune Godhead - meaning that: a. He is God along with the Father and Son b. He is a Person or "He" c. He comes to abide within every Christian at salvation. (John 14:17,23; 16:8-16; 1 Corinthians 2:12, 3:16, 6:17-18, 8:16-17)  The Holy Spirit in the Christian bears witness of who they are and Whose they are.  Included in this witness of the Spirit is the reality of God's love. (Romans 5:1-5)

Expressed in sound doctrine  1 John 4:14-19
As we close out today's blog, we note that God's love is evidence by life through the cross, overcoming all things and validated by the witness of the Spirit.  In terms of expressing such truth, sound doctrine - and our attitude toward it, will often tell whether or not we have God's love.  If we love God, we will also love His truth.  In 1 John 4:14-19 we see the following sound doctrines:

a. Person of Christ (100% God and 100% man) 4:14-19
b. Work of Christ (you cannot separate His Person from His work) 4:14-19
c. Righteousness of Christ (relying on His act and accomplishment in both His perfect life and substitutionary death) 4:18
d. God's unchanging love 4:19