Wowed dedication to Jesus Christ

Revelation 5:8 And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth.

In yesterday's post we surveyed all of the passages in Revelation that speak about Jesus Christ the Lamb of God.  We noted nearly thirty such passages and noted the following characteristics of the Lamb of God in Revelation:
1. Jesus Christ - Saving Lamb of God
2. Jesus Christ - Sovereign Lamb of God
3. Jesus Christ - Soon Coming Lamb of God

In today's post we will narrow our focus to Revelation 4:11-5:12.  Whenever I read through Revelation 4-5, two words come to mind in reference to the activities of worship around the throne of God and the Lamb: the worshippers are dedicated and wowed by God and the Lamb.  All the time we here in the church of how much we as Christians need to be dedicated.  It is assumed that the more work you do for the Kingdom, the more dedicated you will be to the King.  Yet so often, people get burned out and then we wonder what happened?  I believe we can discover the secret to recapturing  here on earth what is a 24/7 reality in the third Heaven: Being wowed by Jesus translates into dedication to Jesus. How can we as born-again Christians grasp the need to have wowed dedication to the Lamb of God?  We will note the following ideas in terms of being wowed by Jesus, the Lamb of God through the acrostic "wow":

Worth of Jesus is infinite.  Rev 4:11; 5:11-14
Owns everything. Revelation 5:1-14
Will you respond in to His infinite worth and ownership?

How we answer that final question at salvation, and how we continue to answer it in our Christian growth will determine whether our dedication is merely work or stems from our being wowed by the Lamb of God, Jesus Christ.  So let us begin noting first of all that the Lamb of God's....

Worth of Jesus is infinite.    Rev 4:11; 5:11-14
Revelation 4:11 states - “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created.”  This verse gives us the official definition of worth in the passage.  The word "worthy" in all of the various Greek dictionaries speaks of "appraising, setting a value, weightiness".  To illustrate, what value would you place on your house? That depends.  The worth ascribed to a home by the owner is bound to be more ( or sometimes less) than the value ascribed to the same dwelling by a realtor.  Worth is measured by standards of men in such instances. How would you rate the worth of time spent with your spouse or child? Can such experiences be assigned values of worth? If you are willing to give up more to spend time with your spouse or child than you would in your home, then you have stated by your actions that your family is more "worthy". Sometimes too worth is measured by what a given person or object can accomplish.  Therefore a farm tractor is worth more to a farmer than a sports car because of its ability to get work done in the field, even though the car may be more expensive or more popular to drive.  

We use various scales to determine the "worthiness" of objects or people.  But now when you consider John's definition of worth in Revelation 4:11, the worth of God is infinite.  God in the Person of the Father is viewed infinite and in a separate category by Himself in Revelation 4.  Whenever you come to Revelation 5, the focus shifts to God in the Person of the Son - called by the name "The Lamb of God". How worthy is the Lamb of God? Whenever you compare Revelation 4:11 to Revelation 5:11-14, you discover how worth the Lamb of God is:

Revelation 4:11               Revelation 5:11-12
The Father's worth     Lamb of God's Worth
Worthy to...                   Worthy to...
1. Receive power           1. Receive Power
2. Glory & Honor            2. Glory & Honor

Though The Father (4:11) and Son (the Lamb - 5:12-13) are distinct, yet they share the same undivided and glorious nature as One Holy God.  Furthermore, Revelation 5:13b states concerning The Father and the Lamb of God - “To Him who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb, be blessing and honor and glory and dominion forever and ever.”  Notice the text: blessing, honor, glory and dominion are in the singular and are shared equally and infinitely by the Lamb and the Father (along with the Spirit) as One Eternal Triune God.  

The logic of John is inescapable: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, is infinitely worthy.  Note the logic of the passage below:

-Major Premise: God has infinite Worth (4:11)
-Minor Premise: The Lamb has infinite worth
-Therefore: The Lamb is God along with the Father

No matter which standard you use, the worth of the Lamb of God is infinite, off the scale and incapable of exaggeration.  The more we grasp this first truth, the less trouble we will have in worshipping and praise the Lamb of God. But lets note secondly how we can be wow'd by the Lamb of God, namely this Lamb of God....

Owns everything.  Revelation 5:1-14
Revelation 5:1-2 states - "I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a book written inside and on the back, sealed up with seven seals. 2 And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the book and to break its seals?”  When we say that the Lamb of God owns everything, we make such a statement as a result of the argument of Revelation 5:1-10. 

The big question of course needing to be answered is: "what exactly is the double-sided scroll/book which is in the right hand of the Father?"  Commentator Steve Gregg records this observation from other interpreters: "But what is this remarkable scroll? It is nothing less than the title deed to earth itself."1 Gregg then goes onto comment later on: Under Jewish law, real estate that had been forfeited by a man could be redeemed (bought back) by any near kinsmen (Lev 25:25).  To redeem the earth, forfeited by man, the redeemer must be a kinsman (hence a man, not an angel) and must come forward with the purchase price in hand-something that no one in the universe could do except Jesus (see 1 Peter 1:18-19).2 In reading other commentaries over the years, the scroll which John saw would had contained a summary of the contents on the outside, with the full contents on the inside.  In keeping with the custom of that day, the seals would have to be broken in various stages of the unfurling of scroll which would had been between 15-30 feet in length.  Truly then the writing on both the front and back of this scroll signifies the utter completeness of the judgments to follow in Revelation 6-19 and the fulfillment thereof in Revelation 21-22.

Whenever you consider the identity of the scroll, we can then understand why John wept like he did when the search was on to find anyone worthy to break the seals.  The scroll itself is the title deed to earth, the sum of all Divine promise, providence and prophecy.  If no one can be found to break the seals and unfold the scroll, every promise, prophecy and Providence itself is proven jeopardized. No man on earth can do it, nor angel, nor demon.  No created thing is worthy.  Less God in human flesh intervenes, all is lost. 

However we read these words in Revelation 5:5 "and one of the elders said to me, “Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals.” In Revelation 5:6-8 we see the Lamb of God come to the Father and take the scroll that is rightfully His.  The Lamb of God by right owns everything.  

Whenever you arrive at Revelation 5:9-10, the four living creatures and the 24 elders all sing of the infinite worth of the Lamb, with verse 10 not only expressing the Lamb's right of ownership to everything, but also that when He returns to this planet, He will rule and reign as a matter of fact.  

With the scroll in Jesus' hand in John's vision, the reality of the vision of Revelation 4-5 deals with a both present and not yet truth.  Presently Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father, ruling as King over the church and by right the Supreme owner of all things. Satan currently exercises jurisdiction over the world and its inhabitants, however he is given only temporary control.  The true and ultimate ownership of all things being in Jesus' hands is a matter of right, however when He returns, what is now questioned by some in the creation will become evident to all. God will take every question mark surrounding Jesus' right to ran and turn them into exclamation points expressing the fact of His reign! Revelation 11:15 perfectly explains what will occur once the seals of the scroll have been broken:  “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He will reign forever and ever.”

So we have seen the worth of the Lamb of God to be infinite and that He owns everything. However in order to be wowed to dedication to the Lamb of God, you need to answer the following question:

Will you respond to His infinite worth and ownership?
The ultimate will of God has been revealed in the sacred scripture of Revelation 5.  The worth of Jesus, the Lamb of God, is uncontestable.  The ownership of Jesus Christ over all things is undeniable. They are rights which are soon to be made visible facts.  Just because such truths are not evident right now does not evacuate them of their truth nor reality: Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God is worth infinite value and owns everything.  My question to you: have you responded to His worth and ownership? Are you responding as a Christian in increasing measure to His worth and ownership?  How you answer such questions determines whether or not you will be truly wowed by the Lamb of God.  Only supernatural faith, wrought by the Spirit to be received by the heart can truly say: Wow!

I love how the great preacher W.A Criswell brings his sermon on this very text to a close: 
"And there followed Him in heaven these, His righteous ones, His redeemed ones, His saints as they entered into their lost and purchased possession.“And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat on the throne.”[Revelation 5:7] 

That is the greatest act in all of the story of God’s creation. That is the greatest act in the Apocalypse. And that the greatest act in the history of mankind. And he came to take the book. He lifted the title deed of forfeiture to give back to us our lost inheritance. In that act is the answer to the prayer of all of the saints through all of the ages.

And in that act is the judgment of God upon sin, and upon Satan, and upon death, and upon the grave, and upon hell! And, in that act is cast out all of these who would deny to us what God purposed for us when He saw us in the beginning and before the foundation of the earth. Weep not! Weep not. Behold! Behold. And, he saw our Savior who is also our Lord and our coming King. Behold! Lift up your hearts, lift up your face, lift up your eyes, lift up your soul. Behold! 

And, beyond the grave, there is Jesus, the Lord of life. And, beyond our tears, there is Jesus, the God of all comfort. And, beyond the heartaches and the heartbreaks and the despairs of this life, there is the King of Glory with gifts in His hand. Behold. Behold. That God would help a man preach, say things as they ought to be said, present it as it ought to be presented, describe it as it really is."3


Endnotes:
1. Steve Gregg. Revelation - Four Views: A Parallel Commentary. Nelson. 1997. Page 93 

2. Steve Gregg. Revelation - Four Views: A Parallel Commentary. Nelson. 1997. Page 95

3. http://www.wacriswell.org/index.cfm/FuseAction/Search.Transcripts/sermon/1902.cfm

God's Awesome Lamb in Revelation

Revelation 5:6 "And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth."

Introduction:
Author Ann Spangler has this to note about the significance of the lamb in the Bible: "To the Jews the lamb represented innocence and gentleness. Because the sacrifice was meant to represent the purity of intention of the person or people who offered it, lambs had to be without physical blemishes."1  In thumbing through a Bible concordance that lists the scriptures where every word occurs, I discovered that the word "lamb" occurs nearly 75 times in the Old Testament, with one reference undoubtedly predicting the lamb-like character of Jesus in Isaiah 53:7.

When you come to the New Testament, Jesus Christ as the Lamb of God is mentioned twice in the Gospels (John 1:29,36), once in Acts 8:32, once in the epistles in 1 Peter 1:19 and nearly thirty times in the book of Revelation. In today's post I want us to consider Jesus Christ the Lamb of God in the Book of Revelation. Why Revelation? Two reasons: First the sheer amount of times we find Jesus referred to as the Lamb and secondly the main point of Revelation as being "the revelation of Jesus Christ". So what do we learn about Jesus Christ the Lamb of God in the book of Revelation?  Note the following three headings that summarize all of the verses in Revelation that mention Jesus as the Lamb of God...

1. Saving Lamb.  Revelation 5:6,12; 7:14; 12:11; 13:8; 15:3

2. Sovereign Lamb. Revelation 5:8,12,13; 6:1,16; 7:9,10,12

3. Soon Coming Lamb. Revelation 13:8; 14:1,4,10; 17:14; 19:7,9; 21:14,22,23; 22:1-3

Jesus Christ, the Saving Lamb
Dr. John MacArthur notes this about the Lamb's saving activity in Revelation: "At first glance it seems a disastrous mismatch to pit a lamb against a dragon (12:9) and the hordes of hellish locusts (9:3), frogs (16:13), and human soldiers (19:19) who follow the dragon.  But this Lamb is more than just a willing sacrificial offering for sin; He is also a Lion and the 'King of Kings and Lord of Lords' (19:16). He has already defeated Satan (1 John 3:8; cf John 12:31;16:11; Rom 16:20; Heb 2:14) and his forces (Col 2:15; 1 Peter 3:22) at the cross and is about to consummate that victory."2  As you survey some of the scriptures concerning Jesus the saving Lamb, here are some of the details you discover:

-Revelation 5:6 shows Him as central 
-Revelation 5:12 reveals He is worthy 
-Revelation 7:14 His blood washes sin away
-Revelation 12:14 He is the source of victory
-Revelation 13:8 He has a book in which every child of God's name has been written 

So Jesus Christ in the Book of Revelation is the Saving Lamb, but notice also how...

Jesus Christ is the Sovereign Lamb.
Dr. W.A Criswell gives the following insight into Jesus as the Sovereign Lamb in Revelation: "The Lamb slain standing. There Christ, the Lamb of God, stands, in the midst of the throne, preparing to receive the sovereignty of God's universe; standing on the basis of His sacrifice, having identified Himself with us as our kinsman-redeemer; standing to take the purchased possession and to cast our the interloper, the dragon."3 Jesus Christ as the Saving Lamb is so named because of what He did on behalf of sinners on the cross.  However Jesus Christ as the Sovereign Lamb is Who He has been from before the foundation of the World.  There has never been a time when Jesus Christ was never the Sovereign Lamb. Revelation 13:8 proves this observation: "All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (NKJV). The following passages in Revelation paint for us in vivid color this Sovereign Lamb:

-Revelation 5:8 The people bow before Him
-Revelation 5:12-13 He is fully Divine
-Revelation 6:1,16 He possess the power of final judgment
-Revelation 7:9,10,12 He is powerful enough to save His people

As John meshes together the Sovereignty and Saving power of the Lamb, we are reminded too that even though Jesus Christ as the saving lamb accomplished salvation in history on the cross, such salvation was planned before creation. So we have seen Jesus Christ the saving and Sovereign Lamb in the book of Revelation.  Notice one more designation...

Jesus Christ - The Soon Coming Lamb
What the Holy Ghost does in Revelation is to add together the Saving and Sovereign activities of Jesus Christ, the lamb of God in a final crescendo that result in us seeing the fact He is the Soon coming Lamb.  Out of the three designated categories we have pointed out today about the Lamb of God in Revelation, none dominate more than the fact He is the Soon coming Lamb.

-Revelation 14:1,4,10 He is coming to redeem Israel and judge the unbelieving world
-Revelation 17:11,14 The Lamb will defeat the beast or Anti-Christ and his world forces.  
-Revelation 19:7,9 The Lamb will have a meal with His people, the church, following His catching away of them  
-Revelation 21:14,22,23; 22:1-3 Here we see the Lamb of God in the New Heavens and new Earth. In these last visions, Jesus Christ has come, reigned for 1,000 years and will forever be central to the worship of God's people who were chosen, who freely believed on Him. 

Conclusion
This quick tour of Revelation in regards to Jesus Christ being the Lamb of God aimed to unfold three main truths that I hope have excited you more about Jesus Christ than ever before:
1. Jesus Christ, The Saving Lamb.  
2. Jesus Christ, The Sovereign Lamb. 
3. Jesus Christ, The Soon Coming Lamb. 



Endnotes:
1. Ann Spangler. Praying the Names of Jesus, Zondervan. 2006. Page 80

2. John MacArthur. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Revelation 1-11. Moody. 1999. Page 168

3. W.A. Criswell. Expository Sermons on Revelation - Volume 3. Zondervan. 1966. Page 73

Part 2 - How to Present Biblical/Expository Sermons

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word...."

Review
Yesterday we began consider the different ways one can deliver and present God's Word in a preaching (or teaching) situation. This current series of blogs should not be thought of as just for preachers. Anyone who listens to sermons can learn what to look for when hearing a Biblical sermon from God's Word. Many of the principles outlined in this current series of blogs are useful in personal study and application of God's Word. We looked yesterday at different types of expository or Biblical sermons: namely theme sermons and pyramid sermons. Today we continue looking at more different ways in which to present God's Word.
1. “Logic Building Sermons”

In a logic building sermon the material of the message is presented to show the listener the given logic of the passage. Often preachers will employ what is called a "syllogism", which is a logical argument that begins with a general statement (a major Premise), a specific related statement (a minor premise) and then a logical conclusion that proves the logic of both. Below is a sample sermon:

-Example: Help people see the logic of the Gospel-Title: “Why Jesus alone is the sinner’s substitute
-Text: Various Scriptures, mostly 1 Corinthians 15
Major Premise: Anyone who dies in their sins awaits judgment. (Hebrews 9:27)

Minor Premise: Jesus was born, died and raised from the dead. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)

Therefore: Jesus proves He is a sinless man and capable of representing you

Thus the major and minor premises could be the first two points of the sermon, followed by the "therefore" being the final point and conclusion.

2. “Twin Sermons”
Twin sermons are so-named because of their simple two-point structure.  Normally in a twin sermon the amount of time spent in each part is about the same, thus lending further to the name "twin sermon".  Personally this type of expository sermon is among my favorite types to preach because of its simplicity and relative ease to deliver.  Below are suggestions for how you may deliver such a sermon:

-(Point 1) First part of sermon may present a problem 
-(Point 2) Second part may bring a solution 

Example: “Healing an Unhealthy Christian Faith”

3 John 9-11; 2 Peter 1:4-11
1.Marks of an unhealthy Christian Faith. 3 John 9-11
- Resists vs 9
- Rebels vs 10
- Rotten vs 11
2.Healing by maintaining a healthy Christian faith. 2 Peter 1:4-11

Note: If you start out negative, try to end positive. But only do so if you can find a corresponding text

3. “Question Sermons” This type of sermon begins with a question. Question sermons have the advantage of placing the listener in the position to respond directly to the preaching in their minds or with their responses. Questions open up dialogue and/or a two way street between the preacher's voice and the listener's mind. Below is a sample of what such a sermon would look like:

Example: “What did Christ Accomplish?” 1 Peter 3:18 

Point #1 - What did He do? He died for sins 

Point #2 - Whom did he die for? Sinners

Point #3 - Why did He die? To bring us to God

Point #4 - How was it successful? He raised 

Point #5 - When do you receive what He did? 

There are several other suggested ways we could consider in presenting a Biblical, expository sermon.  However let me close with some suggestions for you and I to improve in our presentation of God's Word as preachers and teachers.

Suggestions for growing in our Sermon presentation

1.Listen to other preachers
2.Listen to or watch your sermons
3.Note nervous habits
4.If using humor, utilize your illustrations, not the text

Part 1 - How to present Biblical/expository sermons

2 Timothy 4:1-2 I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: 2 preach the word...."

Introduction
Last week I had written some posts on the subject of sermon preparation. For the convenience of the reader I have listed their links in case anyone wants to reference them for review:
1.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/introductory-thoughts-on-preaching.html
2.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/preparing-biblical-sermon-method-for.html
3.  http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2013/10/preparing-biblical-sermon-illustrations.html

The Lord blessed me to have the opportunity to participate and deliver a session at a recent Baptist association Pastor's conference on the subject of "The Preacher's Preparation, Presentation and Invitation". Having looked at sermon preparation last week, we will now look this week at some ways in which to present or preach the scriptures to an audience.

Some thoughts on what expository preaching is all about
Let me say from the get-go that all true Biblical preaching is "expository" preaching.  When I say "expository", I am simply referring to the responsibility of preaching to "expose" the people to the text or to "explain" the text well enough to convey the meaning intended by the Holy Spirit through the original author. If someone is not making it their aim to explain the text as originally communicated by the Holy Spirit through the Biblical author - then it is not exposition and certainly not Biblical preaching. 

As one preacher of the past once said: "A lecture or talk can be given next week, next month or next year, but a sermon must be delivered now." What the quote is expressing is the urgency that attends the preaching task.  Hearers of sermons also have the urgency of preaching placed upon them in the sense of needing to apply what has been preached.   

Different methods for presenting expository sermons
With that introduction, I want us now to consider different ways in which Biblical sermons or "expository sermons" can be delivered.  Though "verse by verse" exposition is the most common way, yet there are various methods by which the delivery of God's words can be "packaged" or "delivered" by the preacher or the hearer.  We will look at a couple today and some more tomorrow.  May these tips prove helpful to those who aim to preach or teach God's word.  

1.“Theme” Sermons
The preacher may use a major Biblical theme from which to work off of in His sermon.  These types of sermons are great for introducing a congregation to a teaching of scripture. Below is a sample of how such a sermon would be structured.

-Sermon Subject – Ex: Christ-Theme of Subject- Ex:Christ’s Eternal Deity
-Divide theme by its “characteristics” or “facets” or “advantages” or “practical applications” 

-Example Passage: Col 1:15-19
Point #1 Christ is Eternal Creator Col 1:15-17
Point #2 Christ is Eternally the Savior Col 1:18Point #3 Christ is Eternal with the Father Col 1:19

2. “Pyramid Sermons” 
In a pyramid sermon, the preacher starts off with an idea or heading, adding onto that idea or heading in the next point.  In the subsequent points that follow, the preacher keeps on adding on more and more ideas until the sermon arrives at the fully stated idea.  The reason why such a sermon is called "a pyramid sermon" is because when you look at the points and the structure of the sermon, the shape of it resembles a "pyramid".  John L. Benson in his 1967 book: "Homiletics", is the author from whence I gleaned this particular sermon structure. Below is a sample sermon I preached a while ago utilizing this method:

-Main theme: Overview of New Testament 
-Title: “Christ, the focus of the N.T” 
-Purpose of the sermon: to demonstrate how Jesus Christ is the focal point of the New Testament, and how He should be the focal point of our lives. 

                     Point #1 Christ portrayed = Gospels 
                Point #2 He is Portrayed, preached = Acts
         Point #3 Portrayed, preached, explained = Epistles
Point #4 Portrayed,preached,explained,prominent = Revelation

More tomorrow....

Proclaiming the Gospel amidst demonic & human conflict

Matthew 24:37-39 For the coming of the Son of Man will be just like the days of Noah. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, 39 and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.

In today's post we will be interested in particular scriptures that help us diagnose our culture and the warfare that ensues between the demonic realm, human beings and the Gospel.  As you read in the opening passage above, Jesus refers back to the days of Noah in Genesis 5-9 to compare what it was going to be like in the time proceeding His soon return.  As we have pointed out in past blogs, there is no question we are living in the "last days", being that authors such as the writer of Hebrews in Hebrews 1:1-2 referred to his own time as the last days.  Understanding how the realms of the fallen angels and men operate and conflict can help us better understand what is at stake in Christ's command for His church to fulfill the great commission.  The title of today's post give us the direction and order for the headings will follow in tracing out the text of Genesis 5-6.

1. The Gospel must be testified among men. Genesis 5

According to Genesis 4:25  "To Seth, to him also a son was born; and he called his name Enosh. Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord." From Adam's to Noah would span ten generations and a line of 1656 years of unbroken witness of the Gospel.  As you read the accounts of the men listed in Genesis 5, their ages and the repeated pattern of "so and so dying" serves to underscore God's scarlet thread of redemption, as well as the need for such redemption.  The names of each of these pre-flood patriarchs is remarkable in its own right - since when put together tell the story of the Gospel:

Name                                Meaning

Adam (Gen 5:1)              The Lord of the blood

Seth (Gen 5:3)                Appointed one

Enosh (Gen 5:9)             Incurable wound

Kenan (Gen 5:12)         Possession, apprehend

Mahalel (Gen 5:15)       Praise of God

Jared (Gen 5:18)          Bend down, descend

Enoch (Gen 5:21)         Dedicate

Methusaleh (Gen 5:25)   Year it was sent

Lamech (Gen 5:28)         Powerful

Noah (Gen 5:29)           Rest or rest at a table

Now when you take all of these men and put there names together, here is the result:

The Lord who created blood chose to be appointed because mankind had an incurable wound called sin.  He laid hold to what he was appointed to and with the praise of God descended down to earth and walked in perfect obedience to the Father.  Then in the year for which it was sent He worked a powerful salvation to give rest to all who believe on Him. 

That dear friend is the Gospel, planned by God and embedded in the lives and even the names of the men He chose to use and to redeem for His name sake.  The Gospel's witness never ceased shining, despite the fact that the world grew more and more dim.  Noah's father Lamech indicates just how desperate that age was in Genesis 5:29 "Now he called his name Noah, saying, “This one will give us rest from our work and from the toil of our hands arising from the ground which the Lord has cursed.”  As Jesus Himself states in Matthew 24:36-41, our day today will be like Noah's time, with the need more than ever to shine the Gospel light. The Gospel must be testified among men. When we come to Genesis 6, we see what will be the first mention of the demonic realm in redemptive history, and thus our second heading in these chapters....

2. The Gospel conflicts with the demonic realm colliding with men

Genesis 6:1-2 makes this interesting statement: "Now it came about, when men began to multiply on the face of the land, and daughters were born to them, 2 that the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were beautiful; and they took wives for themselves, whomever they chose."  Who were these "sons of God" and "daughters of men"? Undoubtedly much ink has been spilled over the exact identification.  To compound the difficulty of this passage in Genesis, we read these words in Genesis 6:4 "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown."  The term "nephilim" also merits attention along with the phrases "sons of God" and "daughters of men" in arriving at the main point of this text.

1. Identifying "the sons of God"

A quick survey of the Bible reveals the following truths about this particular designation: Job 1:6; 2:1; 38:7; Psalm 29:1 and 89:6 all use this phrase to refer to beings in the angelic realm.  Other passages such as Psalm 82:6; Luke 20:36 and John 10:34 ascribe human authorities with this title to show God's delegated authority behind their office. We know full well that angelic beings, fallen or unfallen, cannot procreate (Matthew 22:28-30).  Thus in attempting to nail down the exact identity of these "sons of God" requires further study of the two other terms in this text.1

2. Identifying the daughters of men

We can say without reservation that these women were fully human.  Most able commentators have identified these women as ungodly descendants of Seth, which in having studied Genesis 5 is certainly plausible but not necessary to conclude.  

3. Identifying the Nephilim

The third phrase "nephilim" occurs in only one other place in scripture - Numbers 13:33 "There also we saw the Nephilim (the sons of Anak are part of the Nephilim); and we became like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight.”  The term "nephilim" comes from two Hebrew words: "niphal" meaning "fallen" and the plural suffix "im", which when combined together gives us the meaning "fallen ones".  According to Genesis 6:4 "The Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them. Those were the mighty men who were of old, men of renown." These "fallen ones" were the offspring of the combined efforts of the "sons of God" and "daughters of men".  So the question is: "who are the son's of God".  With the picture before us, I would suggest the following interpretation: that an ungodly line of men (ungodly descendants of Seth perhaps or rulers or despots) were possessed by fallen angels to cohabitate with another line of ungodly women (line of Seth perhaps), with God's judgment resulting in a mutated race of Giants.  

Such judgments of God occur throughout the Old Testament, as evidenced by the conflicts such beings had with people like the Israelites in Numbers 13 and King David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17.  

The Gospel light needed to shine amidst the dark conflict between the realm of demons and the realm of men.  In Genesis 6:1-4 we see what happens when Satan, through these fallen angelic beings and wicked men collide.  Genesis 6:5-8 records the outcome of God seeing the great wickedness and violence of man, and thus the need for the Gospel light to shine more brightly. Which leads to our final thought...

The Gospel needs communicated to break the demonic darkness of men

1 John 5:19-20 indicates that despite the world lying in the grip of satanic darkness, the Gospel light must shine forth through us who know the true God and eternal life. Noah was used of God to shine forth the Gospel light. According to 1 Peter 3:18-20, Noah preached the Gospel of righteousness as he built the Ark. The fallen angelic spirits that had possessed the men of that day to cohabitate with the daughters of men is what prompted the judgment of God. (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6) Noah had been given 120 years, a time frame which only God knew. (Genesis 6:3; Matthew 24:36-37) As a result of Noah's faithfulness, eight souls entered into that Ark as saved people and through the waters they sailed - evidencing the salvation of God that had been wrought in their hearts. As Peter indicates in 1 Peter 3:19-20, Jesus Christ in the course of His death, burial and resurrection proclaimed the Gospel victory in the face of those fallen angelic beings who are now chained in darkness, awaiting final judgment. (2 Peter 2:4) 

These observations serve to drive home this closing thought: that Jesus Christ has guaranteed the victory of His Gospel despite the darkness and despite what men may say. Would it be that God would use us in these last days leading up to His Son's return to tell as many people as possible about how Jesus can deliver them from the darkness of this fallen world and their fallen human condition.

Endnotes
1. Many able commentators such as Merrill Unger, R.A Torrey and Charles Ryrie believe these beings to be angelic creatures. Other able scholars such as Keil, C.I Scofield and Scroggie view the "sons of God" to be Apostate Sethites. My own position is a combination of these two views, since I see the Biblical evidence leading slightly in both directions.

Increasing Christian Spiritual Hunger - 1 Peter 2

1 Peter 2:1-2 "Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, 2 like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, 3 if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."

Introduction

Psalm 34:8 states - "O taste and see that the Lord is good;How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!" To taste is to experience, to engage and interact with God for the aim of enjoying Him. The imagery of food is used to describe how the believer in their faith-walk takes in Christ by faith and feeds off of Him as their food, their delight and their deeds. In John 6:47-51 Jesus says:  "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who believes has eternal life. 48 I am the bread of life. 49 Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.” The question before us today in this blog is: "How can you and I increase our spiritual Christian hunger?" Peter in 1 Peter 2 will help us answer this question in the following manner:

A. Digest God's words.             1 Peter 2:1-3

B. Delight in union with Christ.  1 Peter 2:4-10

                                                1 Peter 2:21-25

C. Do what the Lord says.       1 Peter 2:11-20 

If you and I are going to increase our Christian spiritual hunger, we first of all must....

Digest God's words.     1 Peter 2:1-3

In our English text we see Peter emphasizing his conclusion first and his initial thought last.  This is a common trait among the New Testament authors and is a common characteristic of the original language in which those authors wrote.  In order for us to want to digest God's words, we had to have already experienced the new birth.  Whenever you read 1 Peter 2:1-3 in reverse order, you can see with crystal clarity Peter's main point about digesting God's words.

1). Spiritual taste buds are needed to eat God's words.  1 Peter 2:3

1 Peter 2:3 "if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord."

2). Saved people have spiritual taste buds to crave God's words. 1 Peter 2:2

If we have tasted the kindness of the Lord, then according to 1 Peter 2:2 "like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation,"

3). Saved people, with spiritual taste buds, should reject the junk food of sin.

1 Peter 2:1 "Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander". 

So in order to increase Christian spiritual hunger, we need to digest God's words, but notice secondly...

Delight in your union with Christ. 1 Peter 2:4-10, 21-25

We read of the phrase or idea of "in Christ" in over 100 places in the New Testament. What ever Christ accomplished and experienced in His crucifixion and resurrection is credited to us and experienced by us.  In two spots in 1 Peter 2 we find out who we are and Whose we are by virtue of our connection with Christ in His resurrection/ascension in 1 Peter 2:4-10 and His crucifixion in 1 Peter 2:21-25. By noting our true spiritual union with Christ, we can increase even more our spiritual hunger for Christ and His word. 

In 1 Peter 2:4 we see Jesus described as the living and precious stone, with believers in union with Him being described as precious living stones by God in 1 Peter 2:5. When Peter then says that Christ, the precious stone was rejected by men, it actually explains why we as Christians sometimes experience rejection as well.  In Christ, my identity in union with Him means that He, not my circumstances and not people determine how I carry myself through this life. Christ as the chosen one of God, the anointed one, means that every individual Christian is chosen in Him prior to their birth or before any action they do or don't do.  By virtue of the fact that the Father saw every believer in Christ means the Father chose to love and call that person unto Himself for Jesus' sake. Again, everything Jesus is or experienced in His humanity, the Christian in union with him will by position and experience be able to undergo as the Father develops the believer through trials and triumphs.

In 1 Peter 2:21 we see that God has called every Christian with the purpose of following in Jesus' steps.  Our identity and union in Jesus Christ is both a victorious identity and a crucified identity.  I am ruling and reigning with Christ spiritually (Ephesians 2:6-8) and am also crucified with Him and to the world. (Galatians 2:20; 6:14) This is why the Christian, over time, learns to hunger more and more to return to and seek after the Overseer of their souls.  Christian spiritual hunger is increased by digesting on God's words and delighting in their union with Jesus Christ but notice finally how else spiritual hunger is increased........

Doing what the Lord says.  1 Peter 2:11-20

Jesus says these words in John 14:21 "He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.”  In 1 Peter 2 we find nine commands given by the Lord through Peter that can tell us real quick how hungry we are for Him:

1. Abstain from fleshly lusts.  (1 Peter 2:11)

2. Keep your behavior excellent. (2:12)

3. Submit yourselves to every authority. (2:13)

4. Acts as free men. (2:16)

5. Honor all people. (2:17)

6. Love the brotherhood. (2:17)

7. Fear God. (2:17)

8. Honor the King. (2:17)

9. Servants, be submissive. (2:18)

Now when you look at those commands, any one of them are difficult if not impossible to perform - unless of course you have tasted and digested God's Words and are delighting in your union with Christ.  Though we are saved by grace apart from the law, nevertheless our salvation is one that is not lawless.  The hungry lion has no issue having to chase down his meal, and likewise the Christian should have no issue doing the bidding of His Master - the Lord Jesus Christ. 

We have a saying around our household - "slow obedience is no obedience". Immediate obedience translates into increasing spiritual hunger to do more of God and to know God all the more.  May you and I believer increase Christian spiritual hunger by digesting God's words, delighting in our union with Christ and doing His will. 

P2 - Defining and declaring God's marriage standard in an anti-marriage culture

Ephesians 5:31-33 For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and shall be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. 32 This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. 33 Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband.

Review:
In yesterday's blog I made this statement regarding God's marriage standard: Every generation of God's people is called to define and declare once again God's standard of marriage from His Word. We considered yesterday the definition of Biblical marriage along three lines: biologically, practically and doctrinally. Biologically marriage is between one man and one woman. Period. Practically marriage is when a man and woman make a marital covenant between themselves a before God in accordance to the pattern set in Genesis 2:22-25.  Doctrinally or theologically, marriage pictures the relationship between God and His people and more specifically communicates the Gospel that explains how God went about in the sending of His Son to pay the purchase price for His bride - the church. 

We know that 1 Timothy 4:3 predicts the following about how marriage will be regarded prior to Christ's return: "men who forbid marriage and advocate abstaining from foods which God has created to be gratefully shared in by those who believe and know the truth."1  In today's blog I want us to consider ways in which we can declare God's marriage standard in light of the increasing pressure by the secular world (and sadly, in increasing measure by the church world) to promote same-sex unions.  We will be working from the standpoint of the three-fold Biblical definition of marriage we explored in yesterday's post. 

Declaring God's Marriage Standard
Declaring God's marriage standard entails explain what marriage is and what marriage is not.  To explain what something is not is to explain it negatively and to explain what something is is to explain it positively.  The Bible's description of marriage is both described positively (husband and wife are one flesh = Matthew 19:5) and negatively (no longer two, but one flesh = Matthew 19:6). At issue specifically in our culture is the subject of what is called "same-sex marriage". We have seen in recent years Christian denominations soften their stances against same-sex unions and in some cases, heartily endorse such unions or even advocate people in leadership positions who are engaging in such activity. My question is - can one be biblical and at the same time endorse same-sex unions as a viable option for people? What do we tell people about what the Bible says? 

God's Marriage standard defined negatively - God's marriage standard has no room for same-sex unions 
If we take the Bible's three-fold way of defining marriage: biological, practical and doctrinal, we will discover that homosexual and lesbian unions do not fit in God's master plan of marriage.

1. Same-sex unions are not biologically viable options for people
Author and Pastor Timothy Keller makes this powerful point: "The Bible says sex is for a man and a woman inside marriage to nurture and maintain a long-term, permanent relationship of marriage, which means polygamy, which means sex outside marriage and homosexuality are considered violations of God's will and are violations and violations of our own design. So the Bible is saying that you are missing out when you do those things. The Bible's teaching on homosexuality would be then that you are going against your own design and are missing out on the best that God has for you."2 Same sex unions make no sense biologically because they offer no way in which to advance the human species and thus proof that homosexuality and lesbianism are choices people make rather than those people being "born" with such orientations. God has defined marriage biologically in passages such as Genesis 1:26-28; 2:22-25 and Jesus remarks in Matthew 19:5-7.

2. Same-sex unions are not Biblical practical options for people
Whenever you look at all of the practical instructions given about marriage in the Bible (from relating to parents, to in-laws and children), not one time do you see instructions that include same-sex unions. We use the term "unions" rather than marriage because Biblically speaking, same-sex marriage has no meaning and thus is not a practically useful concept. If anything, same-sex unions in the Bible are always viewed negatively, rather than positively in scripture. (compare Genesis 19:1-38; Leviticus 19:9-37; 20:10-21; Romans 1:18-31)

3. Same-sex unions are not Biblically theological options for people
As we have seen already, biologically and practically speaking, homosexuality and lebianism has no place in the Biblical concept of marriage.  What then it the realm of doctrine.  Can a same-sex union communicate the Gospel? No. Why? Ephesians 4:31-33 most clearly spells out what human relationship alone pictures Christ redeeming His church - namely one man, one woman in marriage.  Any other arrangement does not communicate the Gospel and thus the reason why Scripturally speaking, same-sex unions are immoral and in conflict with the central tenets of the Christian faith.

God's Marriage standard declare positively - God's Christian marriage standard endorses God's will for human relationships and proclaims the Gospel to all types of people
We have already spent some time explaining what marriage is by the three-fold biological, practical and doctrinal definitions.  What can we do to declare God's marriage standard positively in such a way that will tell same-sex advocates and non-same sex advocates alike that Jesus died for their sins and that they need to repent, believe and be saved from God's wrath to come?

1.  The same redemption to all sinners is available to homosexuals.
The SBC position statement on homosexuality is the best statement I have found that can guide us on this point: "We affirm God's plan for marriage and sexual intimacy – one man, and one woman, for life. Homosexuality is not a "valid alternative lifestyle." The Bible condemns it as sin. It is not, however, unforgivable sin. The same redemption available to all sinners is available to homosexuals. They, too, may become new creations in Christ." 3 Marriage, as we have labored to show, pictures Christ having come to provide redemption and coming again to rescue His bride - the church. The Gospel message ought to be central in our dealings with same-sex advocates - being that in affirming the Gospel, we are affirming marriage. 

2. Focus specifically on declaring what marriage is
A portion of Article 18 (XVIII) in The Baptist Faith & Message 2000 states the following about marriage: "Marriage is the uniting of one man and one woman in covenant commitment for a lifetime. It is God's unique gift to reveal the union between Christ and His church and to provide for the man and the woman in marriage the framework for intimate companionship, the channel of sexual expression according to biblical standards, and the means for procreation of the human race."4

3. Live the standard, promote your own Christian marriage as an example of why God's marriage standard is the only standard
The best and most effective way to drive home the point about God's marriage standard is to simply live out what the Bible teaches.  We must of course never cease in declaring what that standard is.  However if Christian married couples in our churches don't make an effort to prove to the world that the Gospel makes a difference in life and marriage, then what can we expect when people increase cynicism about marriage? If we can demonstrate marriage to be what God designed it to be, all other arrangements will be shown to be inadequate and sinful imitations of God's only and original design for life-long love, trust and nurture - namely marriage. 



Endnotes:
1. Quite literally in the original language, those who "forbid" marriage will try to "stand in the away or make it difficult" for those who want to get married or who advocate such.  In Paul's letter to Timothy, the church of which he was pastoring was located in a city where all sorts of practices and relationships were being promoted.  Temple prostitution was the norm and the Roman and Greek practices of polygamy or having mistresses would had been accepted in that culture.  What Paul is saying is that such opposition to God's marriage standard of one man/one woman in marital covenant will grow worse and more pronounced as the time for Christ's return approaches. 

2. Timothy Keller. The Reason for God - Conversations on Faith and Life. Zondervan. 2010. DVD series: session three - what gives God the right to tell me how to live my life?

3. http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/pssexuality.asp

4. http://sbc.net/bfm/bfm2000.asp#v