How Israel is relevant to the Christian

Romans 11:25 For I do not want you, brethren, to be uninformed of this mystery—so that you will not be wise in your own estimation—that a partial hardening has happened to Israel until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in.

Introduction:

Why should Christians be concerned about Israel? The Apostle Paul uses his burden for his fellow Jews and the Jewish nation as a springboard for consideration of God's plans for Israel and their salvation. Such plans are interlaced with the project God has at this current moment of calling forth specific people from every nation on earth to respond to the Gospel. Unless we understand the destiny of Israel as being interconnected to one of the main reasons why people are hearing the Gospel today, we will miss out on how Great God is in saving both Jews and Gentiles. How is Israel relevant to the Christian? Consider the following thoughts from Romans 11:25-36...

1. God's Greatness is shown because of Israel. Romans 11:25-27

Israel's persistent refusal as a people group to bow the knee to Jesus Christ is being used by God in His Sovereign plan to give space for Gentiles to hear the Gospel, respond to the Spirit's calling and to result in the salvation of large numbers of people from every people group. The proportion of Jewish people believing on Jesus as their Messiah will be relatively few, and that is in ways we cannot comprehend, part of God's design. The fault of any person, Jew or Gentile, for not believing, lies of course with that person. With that said, God's main focus in this current age is the salvation of many people from all nations. As only God can do, the temporary setting aside of Israel in this current age of grace, and the salvation of many Gentiles, will be used by God to make Israel jealous and prepared to look to Jesus as Savior and Lord at His second coming. Consider Romans 11:26-27 "and so all Israel will be saved; just as it is written,
“The Deliverer will come from Zion,
He will remove ungodliness from Jacob.” 27 “This is My covenant with them, When I take away their sins.” It is no mystery that in showing the great of God, the greatness of God in the Person of the Son would be close by in this passage. Jesus Christ is the full revelation of God, being "The Word made flesh" (John 1:14); God manifested in the flesh (1 Timothy 3:16) and the soon coming Great God and Savior, Jesus Christ (Titus 2:13). Israel's destiny in ultimately being saved is relevant because it points us to the Greatness of God. But now notice a second reason how Israel is relevant to the Christian...

2. The Gospel's Greatness is shown because of Israel. Romans 11:28-32

In Romans 11:28-32 we are given a set of binoculors through which we can gaze at the wonder of God's redemptive work. The amazing thing about binoculors is that through two eye pieces the viewer can get a closer perspective on otherwise far away objects. Each lens is designed for each eye. The way our eyes work are that each sees a portion of whatever is in front of our eyes for the sake of generating a three-dimensional view in our brains. If you take your finger and stretch out your arm and then close one eye, then another, you will witness your finger shift left, then right. Without this feature, we would lack the ability to have depth perception and things would look quite flat. Binoculors take advantage of this team work between our eyes and help magnify far-away objects so that we can see them as they really are. 

Paul is viewing Israel through two eyes pieces: the lens of the Gospel and the lens of Sovereign election. It appears through the lens of the Gospel that Israel is a total lost cause. She persists in her refusal of Jesus and her spiritual blindness and deafness to the Gospel is very evident. However, whenever we look through the second eye-piece, Sovereign election, the view is quite different. Israel is still God's chosen and elect people. Romans 11:29 states - "for the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." 

What Paul then does is view God's plan for Gentiles in this current age through both lenses to reveal a fully-three dimensional picture. Sovereign election and human responsibility in believing or refusing the Gospel are part of God's plan in saving both Jews and Gentiles. The greatness of the Gospel is that those who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ can only give credit to One - God. Sadly, those who persist in unbelief can only blame one person - themselves. Romans 11:32 states - "For God has shut up all in disobedience so that He may show mercy to all." All humanity is born into this world in unbelief - whether Jew or Gentile. God's judgment rightly falls on all men and quite frankly, He is under no obligation to save anyone. Israel is used to illustrate a small slice of the fact that despite having done nothing to commend God to her, God has so chosen to set a time and place whereby He will suddenly call individuals within the nation of Israel to respond, freely believe on Jesus and be saved at His appearing. Galatians 3:22 sheds further light by using similar wording to what we see in Romans 11:32, notice - "But the Scripture has shut up everyone under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe."

The binoculors of Romans 11:28-32 shows how God is using Israel in the accomplishment of the greatness of the Gospel. If we as Christians can grasp the relevance of Israel, we will better appreciate the greatness of God and the Gospel. But now notice one final reason how Israel is relevant to the Christian...

3. Greater worship occurs when we consider God's plan for Israel. Romans 11:33-36

In writing out this post today, this writer admits that at best, only the faint outline of the tremendous richness of Romans 11:25-32 can be grasped. How God uses Israel to make room for Gentiles to respond to the Gospel, and how He in turn uses Gentile response to set the stage for what will be Israel's future salvation is amazing and mind-blowing. I suspect this is why Paul wrote his sudden explosion of worship (a doxology) in Romans 11:33-36. God's greatness is not full appreciated until it results in worship. God's purposes in the Gospel are not fully treasured until worship of God has taken place. Worship is astonishing in that on the one hand, we know full-well the God whom we praise and yet on the otherhand, barely comprehend the God Whom we are exalting. 

To illustrate the point just made, what response do you find when witnessing a beautiful sunrise or sunset? or standing in front of the ocean for the first time? how about seeing a bride come down the isle or beholding the face of your newborn child or grandchild? a person understands what they are seeing and yet cannot claim they comprehend it all in its fulness. The mystery of a new life and beholding a person never before seen in this world is all at once a reality that occurs daily and yet has the sense of being made possible by Someone whose thoughts are higher than our own. Scientists can explain the sun's refracting light through the layers of Nitrogen and Oxygen in our atmosphere to produce the sunset, and yet they cannot capture the feeling of awe and transcendance that often accommpanies such phenomena. Beholding the ocean for the first time is far different than seeing a glass of water. The ocean's immensity swallows up the viewer and elicits forth words such as "awesome" and "amazing". 

What is the point? The point is this: worship of God can only come about when we have a true vision of God's greatness and His greatness in the greatness of the Gospel. Romans 11:36 stands as one of the greatest verses in the Bible: "From Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory for ever and ever, Amen." The destiny of Israel must ever be moreso in the forefront of our minds and hearts, since God uses it to enable us to worship Him all the more. We marvel at how He ever desires to show mercy to Israel, being reminded of the fact we had done nothing at all to solicit His mercy toward us. Psalm 122:6-9 gives us the best practical way to include Israel's destiny in our daily lives - Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:“May they prosper who love you. 7 “May peace be within your walls, And prosperity within your palaces.” 8 For the sake of my brothers and my friends,
I will now say, “May peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good."

Closing thoughts:

Today we looked at Romans 11:25-36 to discover how and why Israel is relevant to the Christian. In better understanding God's destiny for Israel, we discover the following benefits and thus the relevancy of Israel to our lives:

1. God's Greatness is shown because of Israel. Romans 11:25-27

2. The Gospel's Greatness is shown because of Israel. Romans 11:28-32

3. Greater worship occurs when we consider God's plan for Israel. Romans 11:33-36

Why give tithes and offerings?

Malachi 3:10 "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, so that there may be food in My house, and test Me now in this,” says the Lord of hosts, “if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing until it overflows."

Introduction:

Why is it that on Sunday morning we have a portion of time in the church service dedicated to giving of monies into the offering plate? In hearing the attitudes and approaches to giving to God's work, three responses to that question are typically given. Some people honestly do not know why there is a portion of time in the church service for the giving of tithes and offerings. Within this first response there may very well be those who don't think tithing (giving 10%) is for today or others who don't feel there is a point. Others may even question the value of including the opportunity for people to give to the Lord's work, since it is perceived it may give off the "wrong message" of greed. This first response represents those who have not been introduced to the full biblical teaching on stewardship.

The second response represents those folks who give out of duty. Their parents taught them as children to give to the Lord's work, and so they do so out of duty. Duty is a good place to start when beginning to obey the Lord in an area, however if it does not graduate to delight and desire out of love for God, the joy that accompanies giving to the Lord's work will not be experienced. 

The third type of response is one of genuine delight, privilege and desire to give to the Lord's work. It is this third group of responses that is most remarkable, since the natural human tendency is not to give for the sake of others or for the sake of God's glory, but to keep and hoard for oneself. To give to God's work for the sake of advancing that work represents the right heart and response it the realm of giving. Giving of one's tithes (10% of one's gross earnings) is still for today, contrary to what some may teach. There is not one passage of scripture cancelling out the practice and if anything, the New Testament standard would suggest that tithing is the ground floor of where we begin to tithe. Offerings represents that level of giving beyond the tithe. Whenever Paul was telling the church at Corinth to give in 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, he was reminding them to fulfill the love offering for the church at Jerusalem. 

Checking our motives for giving is a good practice. If someone where to ask me why give of one's tithes and offerings, I would cite the one and main reason: Because God in His greatness gave the Greatest. Think about the following thoughts below...

1. We give because God is Great
We focused in yesterday's post about how we need God's Greatness. God's Greatness must be the beginning and ending points of the Christian life, otherwise our motives for doing what we do and living how we live will quickly lead to shallow commitment and cold love. Giving in stewardship is no different. In the great tithing text of Malachi 3:8-12, we find a logical connection to Malachi 3:6 - “For I, the Lord, do not change; therefore you, O sons of Jacob, are not consumed." Why focus on the Greatness of God's immutability in a blog post dealing with why we give? Think about how often your circumstances and finances go up and down. One sickness, one broken-down car or a sudden change in the economy can quickly change how we view finances and resources. But now God never changes. He is ever faithful. The way in which His promises work are based entirely upon His unvarying and unwavering character. On the churning seas of life, God must be the anchor and lighthouse to Whom we look. Unless we are convinced God will never change, then our motives for giving will quickly become man-centered. I am convinced that negligence in the area of stewardship is due to a diminished or non-existent vision of the Greatness of God. But notice also a second reason we give....

2. We give because of the Gospel

The clearest Old Testament command to bring one's tithes to the storehouse would be nothing more than a command of law if we did not consider it's wider context. Malachi 3 begins with a prophecy of how the Messiah will come in His first coming, as evidenced by the reference to the forerunner in Malachi 3:1. Matthew 11:10, 14; Mark 1:3; Luke 7:37 and John 1:6-7 point back to Malachi as one of the prophecies concerning John the Baptist as the forerunner of the Messiah. Without a doubt the prophecy speaks mainly about conditions that will characterize Jesus' second coming, however the prophetic reference to Jesus' first coming is also included. The fact that John the Baptist's ministry is described by both Malachi's prophecy in Malachi 3 and the opening verses of Isaiah 40 testify to the Gospel setting that motivates why we give to the Lord's work. The law of God points to the Gospel. The giving of the Gospel to others and the anticipation thereof is the second reason we give of tithes and offerings, in addition to the first reason - God's greatness. Now lets consider one final reason.. 

3. We give because God gave Jesus as a tithe

This third reason truly ties together the first and second motives behind why God's people are to give to God's work. A curious phrase is used to describe the manner in which God gave the Son for our salvation. 1 Corinthians 15:20 states - "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep." The title "first-fruits" comes directly from the Old Testament setting of the Jews giving of a portion of the first of their harvest. Passages such as 2 Chronicles 31:5 and Nehemiah 10:37 equate the giving of the first-fruits of the ground or the first-lings of the flock with the act of tithing. The logic of scripture is quite plain on this point:

Premise #1 To give of one's firstfruits is to give of the tithe

Premise #2 Jesus is the first-fruit, given by God

Hence, Jesus is God's tithe

To insure the point is made as clear as possible, we give because God gave. Consider Romans 8:32 "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?" John 3:16 clearly reminds us - “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

Closing thoughts

So in closing today, we proposed three reasons why God's people ought to give of tithes and offerings in addition to the fact that it is commanded throughout scripture. First, we give because God is Great. God is so great that He owns everything and His unchanging character guarantees the blessedness that comes with stewardship. Second, we give for the sake of the Gospel. Giving enables the giving forth of Gospel to those in need of it. Then thirdly, giving is done because God gave Jesus as the ultimate tithe or firstfruit. These are the motivations for giving of tithes and offerings. So what are we waiting for? Let's give for the glory of God!

Why we need God's greatness

Romans 11:33-36 Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again? 36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen.

Introduction

I will never forget one of the first times I ever traveled in an airplane. I was on a trip and had many things going through my mind. In the course of our ascent into the air, we went up above the cloudline and topped out at 35,000 feet. I recall vividly how when flying out the sky had been overcast and the threat of rain was imminent. My life, the specific events that were occuring at the time and the trip back home all loomed large in my heart. Yet when we went up above that cloud line, there was nothing but sunshine and blue skies. By the time we began to descend, I noticed how insigificant houses, cars and people seemed to look in comparison to the seen I had just witnessed outside the window seat. For me this illustrates why we need the greatness of God. Psalm 19:1-6 and other passages remind us of how the heavens declare the glory of God. I experienced the message of the created order about God through the general revelation of Himself above that cloudline. When I look into the pages of the Bible, God's special revelation, and read even more specifically about the fulness of revelation Jesus Christ, the greatness of God revealed in written form and personified by the Son in human flesh dominates the pages of scripture. We need the greatness of God. Today I want to outline in short order from Romans 11:25-12:21 why we need God's Greatness.

1. Evangelism needs God's Greatness.

Whenever you read Romans 11:25-32, the essential message is two-fold: Israel has not been ultimately rejected but momentarily set aside by God and the Gentiles are being now given the opportunity to be called by the Spirit to respond to the message of the Gospel. Evangelism and missions makes no sense without God's greatness. Romans 11:25-32 is tethered to the great doxology of Romans 11:33-36, which spells out clearly how great God is. When Jesus gave His great commission in Matthew 28:18-20, He reminded His disciples of the fact that all power had been given to him on heaven and on earth. Why? Because He promised them that He would remain with His church until the time He returns. Jesus could not make such a promise unless He was the Great God revealed in human flesh. Missions/evangelism needs the Greatness of God. If God is not great, then the Gospel is not good news, since it claims to reconcile sinners who respond by grace through faith to this Great God. So why else do we need God's greatness?

Worship needs God's Greatness

Romans 11:33-36 is an everest in the book of Romans. It is the continental divide of the book. Just read it aloud and you will see why these verses spell out the greatness of God: "Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! 34 For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor? 35 Or who has first given to Him that it might be paid back to him again?36 For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen." Such a series of verses ought to take out breath away! Romans 12:1 tells us then the only proper response: "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice,acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." Author John Piper has noted that the reason missions exists in the world is because worship doesn't. As a corollary to his amazing statement, we could say that worship exists when we have promoted the glory of God in missions. Both evangelism and worship go hand-in-hand. The chief expressions of worship: preaching and singing, do not make sense if the God that is being preached or sung about is like us. Preaching will be flat if God is not exalted and worship will be a going-through-the-motions if our gaze never lifts above the horizontal sight-line of this world. Worship and evangelism need the greatnness of God, and now let's consider a third reason why we need God's greatness...

Serving God needs God's greatness

As one travels down from Romans 12:2-13, the emphasis shifts to God's people serving the Lord with their Spirit-given gifts. Why serve God in the church? Because He is so worthy of it! Churches all the time will try to convince people to "plug-in" and "get on board" with the church's ministries, schedule and routine, only to find apathy or lack of interest. Could it be because of lack of faith or unfaithfulness on the part of the church membership? Perhaps. However, I think the fault often lies behind the fact that the modern day church does not exalt the greatness of God and the glory of Jesus Christ. Wherever God is exalted, service will go from a duty to perform to a delight of pleasure. Giving, working and supporting the advancement of God's kingdom is a supernatural by-product of getting a glimpse of God's greatness through the scriptures, the singing and the salvations that can come when He is lifted on high. Service to God needs His greatness for motivation. Evangelism and worship needs God's greatness, but now consider one final area needing His greatness....

Everyday life needs God's Greatness

Romans 12:14-21 shifts gears one last time to life outside the church. Everyday life and rubbing elbows with unbelievers will test how committed we are to the greatness of God. If we are only interested in promoting our own greatness, our Christian testimony and depth of spirituality will be shallow and tepid. Show me a man or woman or child that views their life as literally being lived out before God's presence, and you and I will see such a person serious about making His presence known. This latter part of Romans 12:14-21 urges us to show the glory and love of God to difficult people. Unless we are convinced by faith that Jesus Christ is King of Kings and worthy of our lives, we will not make the connection needed for living godly lives in an ungodly world. The older Christians used two Latin phrases to summarize this point: we live coram dei (in the presence of God) contra mundum (in opposition to the world). 

Closing thoughts

Unless the Greatness of God is the priority of priorties in our lives, evangelism, worship, service and daily life for Jesus Christ won't make any sense. Only God's greatness can make sense of anything. 

Spiritual Fruitfulness Requires God's Word

Genesis 1:11 "Then God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees on the earth bearing fruit after their kind with seed in them”; and it was so."

Opening thoughts on fruitfulness

Today's opening verse represents the first time we come across the concept of fruitfulness in the Bible. Admittedly, the concept of spiritual fruitfulness has been on my mind for quite some time. All the time as a pastor I pray for fruitfulness in my own life, my family, our church and abroad. Dr. Charles Stanley write this insight about the desirable qualities of spiritual fruitfulness in his book: "The Wonderful Spirit filled life", page 117: "(O)ne might mistakenly assume that the purpose of the fruit of the Spirit is merely to make us good people. That is certainly a nice-by product. But there is more to it than that. The fruit of the Spirit is one of two channels through which God releases His power in and through the believer. Whenever and wherever fruit is being produced, God's power is manifested. This power, as expressed through the fruit of the Spirit, enables us to witness in three ways: 

1). It attracts non-believers to Christ. 

2). It provides relational qualities necessary to enable members of the body to work together in harmony.

3). It protects believers from the destructive consequences of sin. 

One of the mysteries I find about spiritual fruitfulness is that as desirable as it ought to be among Christians, it seems to be often a matter of little concern. Furthermore, how often do we find out Christian lives, our families and our churches being unfruitful rather than fruitful? Questions such as these require answers, and those answers are found in the very collection of books that are by their very nature fruit producing - namely the 66 books comprising the Bible. Today's post features one of the first truths we discover about spiritual fruitfulness: it requires God's Word.

God's Word was necessary for fruitfulness in creation

Whenever one begins to read the Bible, it does not take long to learn how important fruit-bearing is to God. As God created the heavens and the earth, He wove into the fabric of the cosmos, every plant, animal and man himself the capacity for multiplying, being abundant and bearing forth fruit of some sort. None of the fruitfulness we witness in the creation accounts would had been possible without God speaking forth such fruitfulness. God's Word was required. 

For example, in Genesis 1:11 we read: "And God said: "let the earth sprout forth vegetation...". Embedded within the meaning of the verb "sprout" is the idea of God enduing his creation with the ability to produce fruit - all made possible by His spoken Word. Further evidence of the requirement for God's Word in fruitfulness is seen elsewhere in the creation narrative. Genesis 1:22 reads - "God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” Whether in the inanimate parts of creation, the animal kingdoms or man himself, God's Word is required for fruitfulness. 

God's Word is required for fruitfulness in spiritual matters

To carry on this major point of spiritual fruitfulness requiring God's Word, we now transition from the natural realm to the supernatural realm. Does God's Word function in the same capacity? Isaiah 55:10-11 is a text that demonstrates this theme functioning in both physical and spiritual realms - “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven,And do not return there without watering the earth And making it bear and sprout, And furnishing seed to the sower and bread to the eater;
11 So will My word be which goes forth from My mouth; It will not return to Me empty, Without accomplishing what I desire, And without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." God's Word is required for spiritual fruitfulness. 

When Jesus was telling his parable of the sower in Matthew 13, he likened the seed being cast by the sower on the various portions of his field to the Word of God. Jesus states in Matthew 13:23  - "And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty.” In future posts we will talk about the responsibility people have in the process of fruitfulness. Suffice it to say for now, wherever no fruit is borne, the failure is due to man's unwillingness and the lack of taking in the seed of God's Word. God's Word always has the power of life within it due to it being a direct by-product of the Spirit's Divine inspiration. As Jesus points out in his parable of the soils, the first three types of people failed to produce fruit due to them no receiving the Word of God in their hearts - whether it be circumstances, the lack of cultivation of their hearts or a combination of the two. The final person bore fruit because by the Spirit's working, the Word was taken into the soil of the heart the fruit was borne. Spiritual fruitfulness requires God's Word. 

Were it not for God's Word, fruit would not be borne in any preaching or church ministry. 1 Thessalonians 2:13 reminds us - "For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe." The Greek verb translated by the English phrase "performs its work in you" is the same word from whence we get our English word "energy". Quite literally, the Word of God has the capacity to do an "inward work". Hebrews 4:12 lays this point out  - "For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

Closing thoughts:

Today we considered how spiritual fruitfulness requires God's Word. We saw this principle illustrated in the creation narrative of Genesis 1 and also in the spiritual realm in key scriptures. I close this post with Romans 10:16-17 - "However, they did not all heed the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ." Spiritual fruitfulness requires God's Word. 

3 reasons why you and I need to pray

Ephesians 6:18-20 "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with allperseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and prayon my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassadorin chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak."

Why pray?

Today's post aims to answer the simple question: "why pray?". The command to pray in Ephesians 6:18-20 occurs on the heals of Paul's extensive treatment of the spiritual armor and the need to fight the good fight of faith. As Paul prepares to close out his Epistle to the Ephesians, his final set of commands will deal with prayer and the need of it. In short order we will propose three reasons why we need to pray from Ephesians 6:18-20.

We need to pray because of alertness

Ephesians 6:18a notes - "With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert....". The Christian walk can often be characterized as a slumber moreso than a consistent attendance to the priorities of the Kingdom. Prayer for the Christian life is like oxygen to the lungs - without it we suffocate and lag behind. When we read in the accounts of Jesus and his disciples in the Garden of Gethesemane in Matthew 26:41 and Mark 14:38, His appeal to them is to "watch and pray". Alertness in the Christian life is held to such a high premium that it is plainly comanded of every Christian in Ephesians 5:14-17. Jesus Himself is portrayed at the beginning of his ministry literally waking up early in the morning to pray. (Mark 1:35) Spiritual alertness is an impossibility without prayer. Notice a second reason why we need to pray...

We need to pray because of God's power

Ephesians 6:18-19 continues with these words - "with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, 19 and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel....". Churches and individual Christian lives seem to be characterized more by activity than God's power. Prayer is the open window inviting the Spirit of God to blow His fresh Divine power on our otherwise weak and anemic human efforts. Jesus told his disciples not to fear, since the Spirit would grant them the words to say at just the right moment. (Matthew 10:19) No preaching of the word nor understanding of it can happen apart from the power of God's grace available to do either. (Psalm 119:27) When Jesus stood at Lazarus' tomb in John 11, He intentionally prayer aloud for the sake of those nearby to demonstrate the fact that He was relying on the power of His Heavenly Father and the Person of the Spirit to raise Lazarus from the dead. Prayer is needed because of the need for God's power. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-5 reminds us that the preaching and teaching of God's Word is effective insofar as it is accompanied by the Spirit's power. Lest the people of God and the preacher are devoted to prayer, no power from on high will be experienced. Jesus even instructed the early church to wait on the Spirit until He empowered them to do their missionary work. (Acts 1:8) The early disciples went into an upstairs room and prayed for ten days until the Spirit came and empowered them. We must pray if we ever expect to see God's power in our lives, as well as for the sake of alertness. Now notice a final reason to pray....

We need to pray because we need boldness

We read in Ephesians 6:19b-20 - "to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in proclaiming it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Without prayer, Christians can be lethargic, powerless and timid people. Is it any wonder why churches and Christians today are timid, not wanting to take or stand or stand for what is right? Could it be because of prayerlessness in both the pew and the pulpit? Again we see in the Garden of Gethsemane Jesus praying three times to the Father, and meanwhile the disciples fast asleep nearby. Colossians 1:3-6 records these words - "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth." Wherever we see boldness in the people of God, prayer before and after is always present. In regards to the spiritual armor, prayer functions like the direct orders from the commanding officer. A soldier may very well have the weapons and armor he needs to fight the battle. However, if the soldier has no direction nor rapport with his commanding officer, his conflict will end in defeat. In prayer, I am yielding my will and allegiance to the King of Kings, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit inside of the Christian is the 1st Officer, with Jesus Christ as the Captain and Lord of the soul. When we fail to pray, we plan to fail. We need prayer because of the need for alertness, the need for God's power and the need for boldness in this 21st century world. 

What Jesus' Resurrection Guarantees

1 Timothy 3:14-15 "but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."

Introduction:

The other day I went into our medicine cabinet to grab some medicine, only to find out that it had expired. Instantly, what I thought was a guarantee in that cabinet turned out to not only be medicine had not only expired, but that it no longer had any potency. In today's post we are going to look at the central truth of Christianity that neither expires nor ever loses its potency - namely the resurrection of Jesus Christ. To state the point another way: we are going to consider what Jesus' resurrection guarantees. Mainly from 1 Timothy 3:15-4:10 we are going to discover three fundamental realities guaranteed by Jesus' resurrection:

1. Proclamation of the Gospel. 1 Timothy 3:14-16

2. Purpose in life. 1 Timothy 4:1-9 and various Scriptures

3. Permanent hope. 1 Timothy 4:8-10.

Proclamation of the Gospel

Paul writes in 1 Timothy 3:14-15 "but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth." The church in both its local and worldwide expressions is given a rather lofty title: "the pillar and support of truth". Undoubtedly Paul's readers would had identified with what Paul was writing, since the city of Ephesus was filled with buildings and pagan temples containing pillars, which symbolized power and authority in the pagan culture. In contrast to those seemingly imposing buildings, which today are nothing more than ruins, Paul calls the church of gathered saints the one place where God's truth is found.

So then how can the church of Jesus Christ carry such an immense weight and reputation? The church of Jesus Christ is home to the scriptures - the written revelation of God's absolute truth and is owned by Jesus Christ - the Living Truth. Notice the identity of the Owner and Lord over the church in 1 Timothy 3:15 - "the church of the Living God." This title "Living God" is developed in the Bible to show the core being and relationship of God to His people and even more specifically, to identify Jesus Christ risen and ascended as "the Living God". (Revelation 1:17-18). The whole point of Paul's statement is to show the people and pastor Timothy that because Jesus Christ is the Living God, and because He is Lord over His church, the Gospel of truth contained therein is a guaranteed message! The proclamation of the Gospel is conceived of here in chiefly two ways. 

The proclamation of the Gospel by word is guaranteed by Christ's resurrection

First and foremost, the Gospel of God is communicated by way of preaching. What would have happened if Jesus had not risen from the dead? Proclamation of the Gospel through the ministry of the Word would be a vain exercise in futility. Consider Paul's argument elsewhere in 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 "Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; 14 and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain." When the Gospel (the Good News) is proclaimed by way of word, the voice of the Living, Ascended and Enthroned Savior joins in with that proclamation. Hebrews 1:1-3 reminds us - "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world. 3 And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high." His words are the words of scripture! Now if Jesus Christ never raised, then He did not ascend. If if Jesus is not up in heaven right now, there is no voice. The Gospel which we proclaim by this book is a dead message from a book that is 2,000-3,500 years old. The fact that a risen and exalted Savior is on the throne, over His church, means that by His Spirit His voice is transmitted through His Words in the Bible. 

The proclamation of the gospel by song is guaranteed by Christ's resurrection

1 Timothy 3:16 is a rather remarkable portion of scripture in that it represents one of the earliest hymns sung in the early church. We know that verse 16 is an ancient hymn because of its layout in six lines, with a perfect balance of three lines representing part one and part two of a story line meant to be put to song. In the Greek of this text, nine words occupy the first three lines and nine words occupy the second three lines. Tethered to the truth of Christ's resurrection in verse 15, we see the story told of Jesus Christ's incarnation, sinless and miraculous life in the first three lines, followed by His earthly ministry, relationship with His disciples and ascension in the second set of three lines. When we combine the truth of verse 15 with that of verse 16, we discover the proclamation of the Gospel in both word and song!

Now it is significant that Jesus Christ be risen from the dead in order for there to be proclamation in the songs of worship. Quite literally, when the church gathers to sing songs, a mystical union of the heavenly and earthly occurs with the Son singing with His people. Notice for example Hebrews 2:11-12 "For both He who sanctifies and those who are sanctified are all from one Father; for which reason He is not ashamed to call them brethren, 12 saying, “I will proclaim Your name to My brethren, In the midst of the congregation I will sing Your praise.” Preaching and singing belong to gether because of Christ's resurrection. Jesus is speaking and singing with His church long after His resurrection! 

A dead Jesus could not do that, but a Living, resurrected and exalted One can. Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead guarantees the work of the preacher and the songleader, the work of the spoken word and sung word and the reception of the listened word and sung word by the congregation. So in addition to Jesus' resurrection guaranteeing the proclamation of the Gospel, what else does it guarantee?

Purpose in Life. 1 Timothy 4:1-9

In 1 Timothy 4:1 Paul warns Timothy - "But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons." Then in 1 Timothy 4:7 he warns Timothy yet again of avoiding "worldly fables....". Now we won't labor too long on the contents of these false teachings, only to say that there were teachers in Paul's day and there are those in our own who would promote religion without Christ, spiritual experience without the cross and attempting to find life's purpose without His resurrection. In Paul's day, Greek philosophy, Roman mythology and emporer worship, Asian mysticism and paganism dominated the thought-lives of the Ephesian culture. Much the same can be said of our own culture. 

What Paul wants to emphasize is that Timothy's announced the purpose of the church, and really of life is only found in the crucified, risen and exalted Christ. Everything Paul is writing to Timothy is urged in 1 Timothy 4:6 - "In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following." We can see that Jesus' resurrection is responsible for guranteeing of ultimate purpose and meaning by demonstrating it biblically, logically and practically.

Biblically demonstrating the resurrection guarantees ultimate purpose in life

At the heart of the faith and sound doctrine which Timothy is to preach is none other than the resurrection of Jesus Christ. So central is Christ's resurrection from the dead that it is afforded central status in the New Testament. The clearest example of this is found in 1 Corinthians 15:12-14 "Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised;17 and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied." What is so shocking about Paul's statement here is that unless Jesus Christ be risen from the dead, there is no purpose and no meaning to life! Notice what he writes in 1 Corinthians 15:30-34 to reinforce this point - "Why are we also in danger every hour? 31 I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. 32 If from human motives I fought with wild beasts at Ephesus, what does it profit me? If the dead are not raised, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die. 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good morals.”34 Become sober-minded as you ought, and stop sinning; for some have no knowledge of God. I speak this to your shame."

Logically demonstrating that Christ's resurrection guarantees purpose in life
One person has noted that until Jesus Christ had come in human flesh, died on the cross and raised from the dead, life was perceived in terms of being nothing more than an endless cycle of living and dying, living and dying. (see Ecclesiastes). However when Jesus Christ raised from the dead, history was demonstrated to be what God had designed it to be, a straight line with a discernable direction and purpose that can only be found in Jesus Christ! The following set of logical arguments show the reasonableness behind the idea that Jesus' resurrection from the dead gives purpose to life. Consider the following two-stage argument:

Argument #1 (Stage One)
Major Premise #1
If God does not exist, dead men don't rise, since only God could ever do such a feat

Major Premise #2
If God does not exist, then Jesus Christ is not God in human flesh revealing God by raising from the dead, since only God could ever do such a feat

Minor Premise:
Jesus Christ did raise from the dead

Conclusion(s)
#1 God does exist
#2 Jesus Christ is God in human flesh, hence revealing the God who exists.

Argument #2 (Stage Two)
Major Premise #1
If God, who raised Jesus from the dead, does not exist, absolute morals don't exist

Major Premise #2
If God, who raised Jesus from the dead, does not exist, there is no meaning/purpose

Minor Premise #1
Absolute morals do exist

Minor Premise #2 
Meaning/Purpose exists (to say there is no meaning purpose is to ascribe such!)

Therefore...
God, who raised Jesus from the dead, exists


Hence from these two arguments we can conclude that Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead supplies purpose & meaning to life. So we have seen that Jesus' resurrection from the dead guarantees the proclamation of the Gospel and purpose in life. Now let us consider one more major area it guarantees....

Permanant Hope. 1 Timothy 4:8-10
Paul writes in 1 Timothy 4:8-10 "for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." After asserting the significant of what he is going to say in verses 8-9, Paul brings back to full circle what he had said back in 1 Timothy 3:15, namely referring to focusing on the "Living God". In this instance in 1 Timothy 4:10, Paul makes the identification of the "Living God" as being "The Savior of all men, especially of believers.". 

By the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, Paul zeros in not only on Christ's mission (like He did in 1 Timothy 3:16) but the targets of His mission in 4:10. 1 Timothy 4:10 is one of richest statements on the intent and extent of Christ's redeeming work. Once again the reader is reminded that without the resurrection of Jesus Christ, there would had been no way of knowing whether what He achieved on the cross actually worked. 

By being the Savior of all men, Jesus Christ is historically and objectively achieved a salvation that is sufficent for every man on planet earth. Then the text specifies that He is the Savior especially of Believers. This speaks to the intent of the work of Christ, namely the application of the saving work to all whom the Spirit works forth to believe unto salvation. All who reject this work benefit no more from Jesus' saving work than those who have a bottle of vitamins or pain pills but do not take them in as prescribed. Truly because Jesus ever lives, He is the Savior of all men, and specifically in an eternal sense, all who believe. Hebrews 7:24-25 "but Jesus, on the other hand, because He continuesforever, holds His priesthood permanently. 25 Therefore He is able also to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them." 

All those whom the Spirit draws and calls and who respond to such a call will be saved. Such a wonderful salvation, grounded in the cross and guaranteed by the resurrection, is described in scripture by the language of hope. Romans 5:1 and 5:5 state - (5:1) "Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ." (5:5) "and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us." Ephesians 2:12-13 "remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who formerly were far off have been brought nearby the blood of Christ." 1 Peter 1:3 is even more explicit on the link between Christ's resurrection and permanent hope - "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 

When I think of how much hope is granted as a result of Christ's resurrection, the hope of salvation is certainly chief among those hopes. Another hope that we can add is hope in this life. We saw earlier Paul make the statement that if Christ be not risen from the dead, we are among men most miserable. However the clouds of gloom in 1 Corinthians 15:12-19 are parted by this exclamation in 1 Corinthians 15:20 - "But now Christ has been raised from the dead, thefirst fruits of those who are asleep." Because Christ is risen, there is hope for this life as well as the life to come. Because He lives, I know I will see my dad once again. (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; Hebrews 12:22-24) Moreover, when Jesus comes back, the dead in Christ will rise first and those believers who yet remain will be transformed with glorified resurrected bodies. Such a sequence of events is what the Bible calls "The Blessed Hope". (Titus 2:13) A dead Savior in a grave full of his bones offers no hope. A risen, exalted Savior who returns in physical bodily form provides permanent hope. 1 John 3:2 states that the one who has this hope in Him is made pure, even as He is pure. 

Closing Thoughts:

We have considered from 1 Timothy 3:15-4:10 three fundamental realities guaranteed by Jesus' resurrection:

1. Proclamation of the Gospel. 1 Timothy 3:14-16

2. Purpose in life. 1 Timothy 4:1-9 and various Scriptures

3. Permanent hope. 1 Timothy 4:8-10.

If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, there would be no good news of the Gospel, no purpose in life and no availability of permanent hope. May we praise Him for the fact that He has risen, and that He has risen indeed!

Who is The Living God?

1 Timothy 3:15 "but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."

Introduction:

As the Apostle Paul wrote this 1st letter to young pastor Timothy, he is composing by Divine inspiration a series of instructions for this pastor and his flock. 1 Timothy 3:15 stands as the epicenter of 1 Timothy, being that it expresses to intent of the book, and really the purpose for which churches and Christians live. Within the verse we discover Who is the True owner of the church, namely by the phrase "church of the living God". Today's post is all about understanding what Paul means by this phrase "living God". 

For starters, the term "living God" is found nearly 30 times in the Bible, with most of the references occuring in the Old Testament. The title is with reference to God Himself. The question we want to answer is: what does the title "Living God" tell us about God? That is to say: "Who is the Living God?" In studying through the scriptures, we find the following meanings of this phrase, with the final meaning bringing us to the identity of "The Living God" spoken of in 1 Timothy 3:15.

1. The Living God refers to the very essence of God revealed in covenant to His people.

In other words, this title "Living God" points us to the very being of God. The first time we encounter this phrase is in Deuteronomy 5:26  "For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?" This first mention points to the Uncreated nature of God's very being setting atop Mount Sinai in a burning Theophany or manifestation of Deity. To had witnessed God with one's own eyes was such a traumatic event that unless a word of mercy was spoken by an angel or God Himself, the only outcome would be judgment, since sinful flesh cannot stand in the presence of God without a mediator. Jeremiah 10:10 states: "But the Lord is the true God; He is the living God and the everlasting King. At His wrath the earth quakes, And the nations cannot endure His indignation." 

God's very essence prohibits any creature from having direct, unmediated contact with him. Even the angels have to veil their sight lest they be obliterated by God's uncreated light and glory. (Isaiah 6) Notice secondly...

2. The "Living God" distinguishes Himself from dead idols

When God is designated "The Living God", this is His exclusive claim to be the only God. All other deities worshipped by human beings are not gods but products of human imagination and demonic influence. Jeremiah 23:26 and Acts 14:15 both use this term "Living God" to contrast God with idols that have no life within themselves.

3. The "Living God" is the Divine Redeemers associated with His people

Joshua 3:10 records - "Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that He will assuredly dispossess from before you the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Hivite, the Perizzite, the Girgashite, the Amorite, and the Jebusite." The revelation of God as "The Living God" serves to remove the idea of God being a "static, nameless, lifeless, abstract idea". God is ever working and providing deliverance for His people from their enemies. Other passages bear out this truth: 2 Kings 19:16; Isaiah 37:4; Daniel 6:20,26; Hosea 1:10; Romans 9:26; Revelation 7:22.

4. The "Living God" is a God who Personally relates

The Psalmist says in Psalm 42:2 "My soul thirsts for God, for the living God;When shall I come and appear before God?" Similarly in Psalm 84:2 "My soul longed and even yearned for the courts of the Lord;My heart and my flesh sing for joy to the living God." To refer to God as the Living God means we are desparate need of His life and Living presence. These particular verses bring this revelation of God's name from 35,000 feet to ground level.

5. The Living God is Jesus Christ

So then how does such a God communicate and interract with human beings? God of course makes know His presence through creation (Psalm 19) and the conscience (Romans 2:15) in general revelation. However, this only can result in indirect knowledge about God and rendering the person without excuse. (Romans 1:18-20).

God has secondly revealed Himself specifically through the words of the Bible or special revelation. In the words of scripture we find Him and He us. By His Word God brings salvation and Hope. 

Thirdly, we discover that this One, Living God exists as Three Persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Moreover, the Bible tells us that the Second of those Persons, the Son, came to earth and took upon Himself a fully human nature so as to mediate between His uncreated being and the creatures for whom He came to save. 1 Timothy 4:10 notes - "For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers." God as Father revealed Himself in covenant to His people at Sinai, only to remind them that apart from a mediator, they could not approach Him. God's revelation of the tabernacle to Moses and God's subsequent indwelling of it foreshadowed what would be the Son's incarnation in human flesh. (John 1:14) Hence the Living God is God in His Uncreated essence revealing Himself in Covenant. 

In 1 Timothy 3:15, Paul writes that the church is literally in the Greek: "The Living God's Church". 1 Timothy 3:16 lays out in six lines the identity of the Living God as He came down to our world in human flesh by the virgin birth and then grew up and ministered. Though not inlcuded in 1 Timothy 3:16, we can include the fact that the Son as God incarnate went to the cross and in His humanity offered Himself as the once for all sacrifice. Three days later He raised from the dead. 1 Timothy 3:16 then points out Christ's ascension into heaven.

The Living God is literally the One who conquered death. Included in the revelation of this phrase is the fact of the Son in His humanity raising from the dead, thus demonstrating Himself to be not only perfect man, but also fully God who conquered death. To close out today's post, Revelation 1:17-18 "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet like a dead man. And He placed His right hand on me, saying, “Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, 18 and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of Hades." 

So Who is the Living God? None other than the risen Christ, the full revelation and manifestation of Deity in human flesh, seated at the right hand of His Father in Heaven, with whom He shares Uncreated, ever-living glory.