We need to get back to God-centered church life

Acts 2:46-47 "Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, 47 praising God andhaving favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved."

Introduction: 

As a pastor who has ministered in both the 20th and 21st centuries, I have begun reaching the point in my life where I can see certain trends. Years ago I was in a conversation with someone who posed the following question: "is church ministry to be designed around the needs of believers or unbelievers?" I'll admit at the time that question was posed, I had no answer. Certainly one could argue in either direction. Whenever you look at the past 75 years of American church life, it appears that many have tried to embody one or the other option.

So who is the church for? What should our church ministries be catering to?

Many churches of by-gone days opted to do everything they did to meet the needs of the church membership. To one degree there is nothing wrong with meeting the needs of people. Yet in many cases, if we were to ask the question: who is the church for? The answer from some would be mainly to serve the needs of church members. 

In trying to correct an over-emphasis towards focusing only on the needs of members, some churches have opted to go in the other direction. Typically the aim is to create worship spaces that are more "user-friendly" and cater to those who are called "seekers". Seeker-sensitive approaches to church-life aim to create an environment for an unbeliever who walks into our fellowship and worship services doesn't feel threatened, guilted or uncomfortable. The architecture and ministry scheduling purposefully appeal to unbelievers and seekers moreso than believers. The faulty logic in this approach begins with the category of "seeker". 

The Bible teaches that the only person who truly seeks God is the person who has been born-again by faith in Jesus Christ (John 1:12-13). People can prior to conversion express curiosity about Christianity, however the perceived benefits to them, rather than Jesus Himself, is the fuel for their curiosity. Unless the Holy Spirit is actively at work in the person's soul, showing them Jesus and their need to trust in him, no person will seek God, despite the right lighting, ease of worship services and lessening of the demands of Christianity (Romans 3:10-13). 

I can recall growing up in the late 70's and 80's and having Sunday nights dedicated to singing Gospel groups, church bake sales and the like. Then in the 90's and New Millennium, attending services where there was drama productions, light shows and high-powered music. Both approaches appealed respectively to believers and moreso unbelievers. The key word in all of these approaches is "attractional ministry", whereby we are doing all we can to get as many people to come and be involved. The sincerity behind both of these approaches is unquestionable. To a certain level, churches ought to be the most inviting places to come and certainly ought to be doing all they can to reach the unconverted. 

Whenever we consider the early church in the book of Acts, the audience to which the early church attempted to make a fitting envornment for was not believers, nor unbelievers, but God. Now before readers write me off, let me explain. Peter and the Apostles and the early church majored on five key areas: preaching/ministering of the Word, fellowship, evangelism, small-group ministry and songs of praise and worship. Why? To appeal to God. 

Here's the point - when we aim to make God our audience, believers will be attracted and unbelievers will begin asking questions. Jesus said in John 12:32 that if He be lived high above the earth He would draw all men unto Himself. He also said in Matthew 6:33 if we seek first the Kingdom of God (which was another way of saying "seek first God") and His righteousness (the righteousness found by faith in Jesus), then everything else will be added. 

Picturing the God-centered church as portrayed in the Bible

The American church needs to return to God-centered church life if it aims to reach people. The Risen Christ and His word has been and always will be the "main-draw". Why do we forget that? I don't think we forget. Rather, we think we have a better idea on how to do church. Paul reminds us in 1 Corinthians 1:17-21 that it is through the foolishness of preaching that God confounds the wisdom of this world, convicts the sinner and comforts the saint. Passages such as Acts 2:42-47 and Acts 4:32-37 and 5:17-21 teach the early patterns of both corporate worship settings around the Word and small-group ministries dedicated to building relationships with each other while discussing the Word and living life together. Included in the corporate worship of the church are such essentials as the preaching of the scriptures (1 Timothy 4:13-16); celebration of the Lord's Table (1 Corinthians 11) and what would hopefully be the baptism of new converts who had made prior professions of faith as a result of the efforts of the membership, prayer and evangelism (Romans 6:4-11). Scriptures such as Ephesians 5:19-21 and Colossians 3:16 command Christians to incorporate the Word into their expressions of singing of Psalms, Hymns and spiritual songs. Other verses in the Bible command the church, both as a corporate body and as individual believers to share Jesus in evangelism and build up one another in discipleship and Christian growth (Matthew 28:18-20; 2 Corinthians 5:15-21; Hebrews 3:12-13; Hebrews 10:24-25). This is God-centered church life performing the Word, fellowship, songs of praise and worship, small-group ministry and evangelism. 

Closing thoughts:

My prayer is that readers of this post have understood the intent: to encourage and offer a correction to what can often-times be excesses in church ministry life. I myself am just as guilty of being enticed by fads. This post stands as a word to both myself and all who love the church, love Jesus and more and want to see people reached with the Gospel. The flesh always operates in excess. If anything, we need to construct our methods and motives for doing what we do around God. If we start with God, we will know His heart and then will know the people we need to reach. God in His Word has given us the right focus - Himself. If we begin with God, we will affect people along the way and thus have God as our destination. Let every church and every Christian be about the Word, singing songs of praise and worship, evangelism, getting together in small groups and thus fellowship. What America needs is a church world that is serious about getting focused once again on the Living God and His Word. 

P2God's desire to improve pastors, deacons and churches together

1 Timothy 3:15-16 "I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself inthe household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."

Introduction
Yesterday we began considering how God desires to improve pastors and churches to go from where they're at to where Jesus wants them to be. As we labored on that main point, we discovered that it all begins with the pastor, since he is the spiritual leader of the flock. We all can improve. But we must understand that the call for improvement is not about moralism, applying coats of paint on buildings and putting in new carpets. Certainly such improvements have their place. Rather, a pastor and the local church he pastors must be humble enough and honest enough to say: "there is too much of me and not enough Jesus". That was yesterday's post. Today we will conclude this two-part series by considering how the Deacons function in God's desire to improve the church towards Christ-likeness.

God's place for Deacons in His project of improving the church to go from where it is to where Jesus wants it to be
As we have already mentioned, these same sentiments also apply to the Deacons and ultimately the church membership. The second section of 1 Timothy 3:8-13 focuses on Deacons. Deacons are the servants to the church. Minus the requirement for expounding God's Word, Deacons are expected to have the same level of moral and spiritual maturity as the Pastor. Deacons need to have sound Godly character (1 Timothy 3:8-10). Likewise, they along with their wives need to have a godly homelife and marriage if they expect to retain their qualifications. Paul then makes a point in 1 Timothy 3:13 to remind the church body that any Deacon who has served the church body well is worthy of double honor. The qualifications for Deacons, like the pastor, are impossible to achieve in the flesh. Unless we see Christ inside the Deacon working through and with him to accomplish the ministry, the Deacon ministry will quickly become frustrating. Everything having to do with the church requires dependency on God's grace. (Ephesians 2:8-10)

So why the list of qualifications for pastors and deacons? How do all of these qualifications aid in God's improvement of the pastor and the church. The Lord has so designed the local church to be a place where truth is communicated by the scriptures and reinforced by example. When we see pastors and deacons, we ought to see men who are improving, growing more consistent in their Christian walk, understanding of scriptures, relationships within the church and outside the church and people whom anyone would want to imitate. Jesus Himself was the epitomy of reinforcing the truths of the Christian life by example, which is why the New Testament authors constantly referred to Him as our template. (John 13:34-35; 1 Peter 2:21-25; 1 John 2:6)

God is in the process of improving the pastor and his church.

He who has ears, let him improve for the sake of the Gospel, lest the Gospel lamp be removed!

Why is Paul going to such great pains to write an entire letter urging the church and Pastor Timothy to conduct themselves accordingly in the church? Two reasons:

1. The Living out of the Gospel is needed. 1 Timothy 3:14-15
Paul was concerned whether or not he would be able to get to Timothy personally and directly. The authority of 1 Timothy as scripture serves to bring God's very words to this young pastor and the growing Ephesian church which he pastored. Ephesus was a pagan city that needed a church modeling the Gospel. Jesus early on taught the importance of living out the reality of discipleship in John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love for God and one another ought to be at the center of church life. There is another important emphasis too that serves in modeling the Gospel before a watching world - namely holiness. 1 Peter 2:9-12  "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." Unless we as churches get things in order as pastors, Deacons and church members, the world will only be convinced that the church has a lot to say but not a whole of of action to back it up. As Josh McDowell in his latest book: "The God-Breathed Bible" notes, the Bible is about three main things: right believing, right behavior and relationships with God and each other. Strong church members who prize love and holiness will only do so as it is modeled by both the pastor and Deacons. 

2. The Living Gospel is needed. 1 Timothy 3:16
This final verse of 1 Timothy 3 spells out en example of the living Gospel. Jesus of course is central to the Gospel as the incarnate virgin-born Son of God. His ascension into Heaven is connected to His resurrection from the dead, which in turn was proceeded by His substitutionary death. The last half of 1 Timothy 3:16 deals with how Christians are to proclaim these truths to a lost and dying world. The "Mystery of godliness" in 1 Timothy 3:15-16 is set over against the "mystery of iniquity" that marks our day and age in 1 Timothy 4:1. Unless we proclaiming the living God faithfully, doctrines of demons will not only affect people outside the church but even on the inside of the church. It is important how we live and it is important to know what we live by - the Gospel. By the Gospel God is aiming to improve the church to go from where it is to where Jesus wants it to be. 

Closing thoughts
When I think of Paul's instructions to the church at Ephesus over which Timothy was ready to pastor, I was reminded of something the Apostle John had written to this same church some 30 years after the writing of 1 Timothy. In Revelation 2:1-7 the Apostle John relayed words from Jesus to this same church that failed to conduct itself as God's house. They did not improve, but only got worse. The result: they grew loveless, cold and were in danger of having the blessing and anointing of God permanently removed by Jesus. If a church and pastor fail to improve together, the Spirit of God is grieved and the Gospel witness is quenched. 

My prayer would be that pastors and churches in America would heed the words of 1 Timothy 3 and the scriptures and yield to the Lord in all humility and honesty. Its time to be better than we are and work with the Lord in being all we can be for Him.

P1 God's desire to improve pastors, deacons and churches together

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

Introduction:

While growing up at my childhood home in Pennsylvania, I can remember my dad working around the house and making improvements. Unlike me, my dad succeeded in all his improvement projects. As a carpenter by trade, my dad knew his way around construction projects. He (much moreso than myself) and I had built on a new roof, improved our living room window and put in new ceilings. Although my dad had planned the projects, knew the tools and purchased the materials, he desired for me to work with him. The goal was not so much about getting the project done as it was in enjoying the time together in working towards the completion of the project. What had started out as just a 36 foot mobile home trailer big enough for he and my mom had been built up, built on and improved to easily accommodate a growing family. My dad enjoyed working and attempted to pass on his skills to me. My father's desire to continually improve our home growing up illustrated to me what the Heavenly Father is aiming to do with the house He has planned for His Son - namely the church.

God desires for a pastor and the local church to improve towards Christ-likeness

When we come to 1 Timothy 3, we are told in the key verse of 1 Timothy 3:15 that the whole point of the letter is to "know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God." The underlined word translated "conduct" speaks primarily of how one behaves, acts and carries themself. Obviously Paul is not talking about buildings of brick and mortar, but rather the flesh and blood holy of holies that is being constructed by the Holy Spirit's efforts in the people of God. The plan has already been drafted by the Father and paid for by the Son. The church of the living God, having been purchased by Christ, is owned by Him. God desires for everyone in the church to improve from where they're at to where Christ is desiring them to be. 

The word "conduct" was not only used in Paul's day to refer to moral behavior, but it also was used in contexts that referred to soldiers rallying in war, horses running down the final stretch of a race and people aspiring to be better than they are are right now. 1 Timothy is truly the blueprint for a good church striving to be better and a better church aiming to be the best it can be for God. Thankfully we are not alone in this improvement project. God is working in us and through us His perfect and pleasing will. (Philippians 2:12-13) Undoubtedly the Lord has prescribed two main offices that lead (i.e pastors in 1 Timothy 3:1-7) and serve (i.e Deacons in 1 Timothy 3:8-13) to enable God's people to move forward in God's process of improvement towards Christ-likeness. 

Pastors, Deacons and church members need to improve from where they're at to where Christ is wanting them to be. 

Now we know God is desiring to improve the pastor and the church by the statements we find in 1 Timothy. As a pastor, Timothy is to work all the more in teaching sound doctrine and fighting error (1 Timothy 1:1-7;4:1-6); grow moral, spiritually, relationally (1 Timothy 3:1-7; 4:14-16); fight the good fight and not be afraid (1 Timothy 1:18-20; 4:11-13; 6:11-13) and grow in his leadership skills (5:19-22). 

The Deacons are called to aspire in their conduct toward the qualifications that we will look at shortly in 1 Timothy 3:8-13. Then of course the church membership are urged to improve in areas such as being more godly men and women (1 Timothy 2:1-10); have more effective marriages (1 Timothy 2:11-15); more respectful of older members of the congregation (1 Timothy 5); not gossip and attack each other (1 Timothy 5); respect the pastoral leadership (1 Timothy 5:17-18). Then everyone, from the pastors to the deacons to the membership are to work together in being better than they are by the Lord's strength. (1 Timothy 6) To aim to be better is moralism, which is not what I'm advocating nor this chapter in 1 Timothy. To aim to be more like Jesus is supernatural. Cooperation with God. He in me and me in Him. (Galatians 2:20; Philippians 2:12-13) God desires for pastors and churches to improve from where they're at to where Christ is wanting them to be. 

Improvement may not always sound desirable, yet it is necessary for growth in the Christian life and life of the church

No one at first may like hearing the need to improve, especially churches and pastors who mistakenly think they got it all together. However, humility and honesty are necessary if a church is going to achieve great things for God. I'm reminded of three great texts on this score, namely: Philippians 2:1-4; James 4:6-8 and 1 Peter 5:6-7.

God sets the bar for pastors and the church to work towards while ever relying on His grace - namely Jesus Christ

So when we consider God's plan for improving His pastor and the church, where does He start? He begins with the leadership. Why? Everything rises or falls with leadership. Pastors are the spiritual leaders of the church, leading by example in the areas of their character (1 Timothy 3:1-3); home-life (1 Timothy 3:4-6) and outside testimonies (1 Timothy 3:7). What Paul does in distinguishing the Pastor from the Deacon in these verses is by noting how the Pastor or Elder ought to be able to teach in 1 Timothy 3:4. Preaching is vital and spoken of elsewhere as a main priority of the pastor in scriptures such as 1 Corinthians 1:17-21 and 1 Timothy 4:13-16. The leadership of the Pastor is measured by moral, spiritual and relational categories. 

How I wish I could say that I as a pastor have mastered all of the qualifications listed by Paul. On some weeks I wonder if I have even consistently fulfilled even one. The list of qualifications seems ideal and unrealistically high - at least for pastors who try to do the ministry in their own strength. Jesus Christ in the pastor is more than competent to fulfill the qualifications. The pastor must humble himself under God's mighty hand and grow in grace and Christ affects the results through Him. As Paul writes later on to Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:15 "Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all." God is in the process of improving the pastor and the church. 

Could I as a pastor do better at clarifying the vision of the church where I serve - definitely! Could I do a better job of preaching sermons that balance the heart and the head - without question! Could I improve in being a better dad, husband and man of God? Well of course! I am a follower of Jesus Christ in process of becoming in experience what God has declared me to be in position (Philippians 1:6). Certainly there are areas of pastoral methodology, theology and practical everyday life that should never be altered, since they are underlying convictions regarding what to believe, how to live and how to relate in accords with God's Word. Yet in the areas where there is room to grow, I want to improve. If anyone can say they have no place to grow nor improve, then they might be dead!

So I hope by now you can see the main point of this post: God is desiring to improve pastors and his local churches to go from where they're at to where Christ wants them to be. He is the goal. We are told to walk in His steps (1 John 2:6) and grow up in the knowledge and understanding of Him (2 Peter 3:18). We are told in the scripture to proceed on the basis of His power at work in us (Colossians 1:27) and that in this world we are representing Him here (1 John 4:19) 

More tomorrow.....

Prophets in the New Testament

Matthew 11:13 "For all the prophets and the Law prophesied until John."

Introduction:
We have spent that last several days trying to understand the value of studying the prophets in the Bible. In our study thus far we have defined what they are, listed some examples and looked at what the New Testament had to say about the Old Testament prophets. The four main purposes of the prophetic ministry in the Old Testament was discovered to be:
1. The prophets shed light on our salvation

2. They point to Jesus Christ

3. They predict the future

4. They unfold God's will

Today we consider prophets in the New Testament. Are they the same? Who are they? Do they function in the same manner as the Old Testament prophets? Let's go and discover the answers.

Transitional prophets from Old to New Testament
Between Malachi and Matthew lied 400 years period of time with no prophecy, with no prophets and no inspired books being written. According to Harold Wilmington in his book: "The Complete Book of Bible Lists", four people represent the end of the Old Testament line of prophets and thus set the stage for the New Testament prophetic ministry:

1. Zacharias. Luke 1:67-69
2. Simeon. Luke 2:25-25
3. John the Baptist. Matt 11:9; Luke 1:57-80
4. Anna. Luke 2:36-38

In quickly meditating on these four figures in regards to the four marks of the prophetic office in the Old Testament, all four were used of God to shed light on our salvation, point to Christ, predict the future and unfold God's will. In reading the key texts for each figure, some tend to emphasize one or two of the traits more so than other traits, thus fitting with the purpose of God's calling on their lives. These observations demonstrate that at least from an Old Testament into New Testament perspective, the prophetic office did not vary. Moreover, the line of unity and continuity in the message, purpose and function of the prophetic office did not waver from Old into New Testament. The only thing we can say in terms of distinction would be that New Testament prophets saw the same Jesus from a fulfilled perspective. Jesus Himself clarifies for us these observations in Matthew 11:13 and 23:37. 

Are the New Testament Prophets the same in function as the Old Testament prophets
It would seem that if there is direct continuity between the prophets stretching from the days of Abel to John, then their must be similar continuity with full-blown New Testament prophets. When I say full-blown New Testament prophets, I am referring to those people who prophesied in the early church following the Day of Pentecost in Acts 2. 

1. Agabus. Acts 11:28; 21:10
2. Philipp's four daughters. Acts 21:8-9

As well as the prediction of prophets speaking forth in the tribulation period leading up to the days of Christ's second coming in Revelation 11:3-12. 

As I said a moment ago, quick reflection on the distinctions between Old and New Testament prophets show that New Testament prophets operate from a fulfilled perspective versus the perspective of anticipation of their Old Testament counterparts. If we consider the four main functions of the prophetic office as defined above (shed light on Jesus; our salvation, unfolding God's will and predicting the future), we can say for certain that Agabus and the Tribulation prophets function in all four areas, with Agabus' ministry chiefly concerned with predicting the future and unfolding God's will, whereas the tribulation martyrs will emphasize the need to repent. We don't have enough information regarding Philip's four daughters to make any substantial comment. If the other prophetic figures can be used as a baseline for interpretation, then the four daughters of Phillip would had functioned to provide a supporting role in the early church. 

Closing thoughts
So when we consider prophets in the New Testament, there is a line of continuity running from Old to New Testament. A shifting of priority occurred due to the perspective each type of prophet had in viewing Christ's work. The prayer is that these last few posts have whetted the appetite to know Jesus and His word better with respect to the prophetic office. 

What the New Testament says about the Old Testament Prophets

Matt 13:17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."

Introduction:

In yesterday's post we considered the following reasons why studying the prophets of the Bible is valuable: 

1. The prophets shed light on our salvation

2. They point to Jesus Christ

3. They predict the future

4. They unfold God's will

These four main observations were gleaned from 1 Peter 1:10-12. I felt since we were able to understand practical reasons for studying the Old Testament Prophets from one New Testament passage (1 Peter 1:10-12), it might be beneficial to consider what other New Testament passages teach us about the importance of studying the prophets of the Bible. 

The main meanings of the word prophet and identifying the prophets themselves

According to Dr. Gleason Archer in his book: "A Survey of the Old Testament Introduction", three main words are used to define a prophet in the Bible. The first term of course is the Hebrew word translated "prophet", meaning a bearer of God's news, one who announces, summons or calls God's people to follow after God. The second term mentioned by Archer is the phrase "man of God". If the purpose of the prophet's office is defined by the title "prophet", then the one occupying the office itself is indeed a "man of God" or one who is devoted to God and personal fellowship with Him. The third term typically used to describe the prophetic office is that of "Seer". This term refers to the activity of the prophet. Prophets do not see things like most people see. A good example that comes to my mind is 2 Kings 6, where the prophet Elisha "saw" the armies of angels protecting he and his servant who could only see what was before him. According to Bible scholar Harold Wilmington, there are roughly 40 prophets, both writing prophets and non-writing prophets. We won't name them, but a few remind us of just how significant a study of the prophets can be in understanding the Bible (people such as Moses, Samuel, Daniel, David, Isaiah, Malachi). 

What the New Testament says about the Old Testament Prophets

In taking the time to better understand what a prophet did, we can now consider some of the key New Testament texts that shed further light on this very important subject. I will simply list out the key verses with no exposition so that readers can use them for their own personal study.

1. Matthew 13:17 "For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it."


2. Luke 10:24 "for I say to you, that many prophets and kings wished to see the things which you see, and did not see them, and to hear the things which you hear, and did not hear them.”


3. Luke 24:25-27, 44 "And He said to them, “O foolish men and slow of heart to believe in all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” 27 Then beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures. 44 Now He said to them, “These are My words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things which are written about Me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”


4. Acts 3:22-24 "Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; to Him you shall give heed to everything He says to you. 23 And it will be that every soul that does not heed that prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 24 And likewise, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and his successors onward, also announced these days."

5. Acts 7:52 "Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become"


6. Acts 10:43 "Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

7. Acts 13:27-29 "For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers,recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him. 28 And though they found no ground for putting Him to death, they asked Pilate that He be executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.

8. Acts 28:23 "When they had set a day for Paul, they came to him at his lodging in large numbers; and he was explaining to them by solemnly testifying about the kingdom of God and trying to persuade them concerning Jesus, from both the Law of Moses and from the Prophets, from morning until evening."

9. 1 Peter 1:10-12 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look.

10. 2 Peter 1:19-21 "So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. 20 But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, 21 for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.

11. Jude 1:14-15 "It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones, 15 to execute judgment upon all, and to convict all the ungodly of all their ungodly deeds which they have done in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

The value of studying the prophets in the Bible

1 Peter 1:10-12 "As to this salvation, the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries, 11 seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow. 12 It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look."

Introduction:

As Peter wrote his first letter, the Holy Spirit reminded him to reflect on those Old Testament counter-parts that set the stage for what would be the coming of Jesus Christ and the New Testament era - namely the prophets. Over the past couple of weeks I have been think upon the prophets and the prophetic ministry in mainly the Old Testament as well as in the New Testament. Each part of our Bible is extremely important in developing Christian faith and better acquaintence with the Lord Jesus Christ. The Law points to Christ, the historical books prepare for Christ and the poetic books ponder on Christ. The Gospels portray Christ, Acts preaches Christ, the Epistles explain Christ and Revelation places Christ right before our eyes. 

But now what have I missed? Ah yes, the prophets. The prophets are immensely important, since they comprise more of the Old Testament than any of the other sections. Moreover, there are more prophetic books than any other type of literature in the Bible, save the letter or New Testament Epistles. Amazingly, the prophetic books seem at times to wear all of the hats of the other sections. The Apostle Peter gives us an authoritative word on the value of studying the prophets and their writings in the Bible. In brief, I want us to look at 1 Peter 1:10-12 and discover the value of studying the prophets.

1. The prophets shed light on salvation. 

That as to say, Peter places the purpose of the prophetic office as expounding upon and urging human beings to believe, repent and be saved. As Peter writes: "concerning this salvation". (1 Peter 1:10)

2. The prophets predict future events

Peter goes on in 1 Peter 1:10b "the prophets who prophesied of the grace that would come to you made careful searches and inquiries." This particular function of the prophetic office is what most think of when defining the prophet. Undoubtedly there is a large part of the prophetic books that predict future events. Among the traits pointing to the Bible Divine revelation, none perhaps demonstrates more its character as Divine revelation than predicted fulfilled prophecy. Furthermore, to read the prophecies of the Bible serves to warn, clarify and most important of all, comfort the saints of God. (see for instance 1 Thessalonians 4:18)

3. The prophets point us to Jesus

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:11 "seeking to know what person or time the Spirit of Christ within them was indicating as He predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories to follow." The same Holy Spirit Who indwells every Christian today and Who inspired the scriptures was at work in the prophets. Not only was He working in the writing prophets of Moses, Samuel, David and Isaiah to Malachi, but also in other lesser known prophets such as Enoch and Nathan. The prophets wrote or verbalized about arks, tabernacles, priesthoods, sacrifices, nations, kings, physical objects and did miracles all for the sake of picturing or predicting something about Jesus Christ. Jesus Himself stated in Luke 24:44 that the Law and the Prophets spoke concerning Him. Peter, Paul and the other New Testament authors quote or allude to the prophetic books on numerous occassions in demonstrating and further unfolding the wonder of Jesus. So the value of studying the prophetic books is to shed light on salvation, future events and Jesus Christ. Now lets consider one final reason...

4. Prophets unfold God's will for our lives

1 Peter 1:12 states - "It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look." Prophets served the people by bringing to them God's will and revelation. Amazingly, Peter brings home the main life-application of this text by plainly stating that the prophets were not serving themselves - but you. How? They announced. They unfolded, explained and made known the will of God for God's people in all ages at all times. Amos 3:7 reminds us that God does not make known His will save through the prophets. Hence this is why we need to become more acquuainted with the prophets, being that we can gain a better understanding of how God would have us to live our lives for Him today. 

Conclusion

Today we considered four reasons why it is valuable to study the prophets in the Bible: 

1. They shed light on salvation

2. They predict future events

3. They point to Jesus Christ

4. They unfold God's will for our lives

Why should you care about how you live? A word to everyone in the church at large

1 Timothy 3:14-15 "I am writing these things to you now, even though I hope to be with you soon, 15 so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth."

Introduction:

Paul's concern in 1 Timothy 3 is addressed to three main groups in the church: the pastor, deacons and church body. The conduct of the local church centers around the question posed earlier: "how then shall we live?" Thus far in considering pastors and deacons, we have discovered four key priorities that define how we ought to live as a local church:

1. Godly character
2. Godly home lives
3. Godly testimonies
4. Godly service

All of these areas work together to urge everyone in the church to be examples of Jesus Christ's life changing power in the church and in the world. It is clear from Paul's statements in 1 Timothy 3 and its larger context what "ought" to be done. We know the importance of answering the question: "how then shall we live?" But why should we care? 1 Timothy 3:14-16 aid us in understanding the "why" of this series of posts. Let's briefly consider two life applications as to why you and I should care how we live as Christians and churches in the 21st century.

1. The Living out of the Gospel is needed. 1 Timothy 3:14-15
Paul was concerned whether or not he would be able to get to Timothy personally and directly. The authority of 1 Timothy as scripture serves to bring God's very words to this young pastor and the growing Ephesian church which he pastored. Ephesus was a pagan city that needed a church modeling the Gospel. Jesus early on taught the importance of living out the reality of discipleship in John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Love for God and one another ought to be at the center of church life. There is another important emphasis too that serves in modeling the Gospel before a watching world - namely holiness. 1 Peter 2:9-12  "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 10 for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. 11 Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation." Unless we as churches get things in order as pastors, Deacons and church members, the world will only be convinced that the church has a lot to say but not a whole of of action to back it up. As Josh McDowell in his latest book: "The God-Breathed Bible" notes, the Bible is about three main things: right believing, right behavior and relationships with God and each other. Strong church members who prize love and holiness will only do so as it is modeled by both the pastor and Deacons. 

2. The Living Gospel is needed. 1 Timothy 3:16
This final verse of 1 Timothy 3 spells out en example of the living Gospel. Jesus of course is central to the Gospel as the incarnate virgin-born Son of God. His ascension into Heaven is connected to His resurrection from the dead, which in turn was proceeded by His substitutionary death. The last half of 1 Timothy 3:16 deals with how Christians are to proclaim these truths to a lost and dying world. The "Mystery of godliness" in 1 Timothy 3:15-16 is set over against the "mystery of iniquity" that marks our day and age in 1 Timothy 4:1. Unless we proclaiming the living God faithfully, doctrines of demons will not only affect people outside the church but even on the inside of the church. It is important how we live and it is important to know what we live by - the Gospel.