Theme: Prayer as a Means to an appointed end
Text: James 5:13-20 13 “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him. 16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit. 19 Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins. KJV
Introduction: Meaning of Anti-Thesis in relation to God's promises in different aspect of our lives.
Spiritual Aspect
Thesis : God has appointed the end – Eph. 1:4
Antithesis: He also appointed the Means - Romans 10:13 prayer and preaching, teaching of the word
Material Aspect –
Thesis: He promises harvest
Anti-thesis: But You must sow seeds
Physical Aspect –
Thesis: He promises healing
Anti-Thesis : He tells us to pray and to consult physicians
Emotional Aspect –
Thesis: He promised that He will give the desires of your heart i.e. a spouse
Anti-thesis: But you must pray and use your discernment of the right guy or girl unless you are called to be celibate.
Thesis: He promises harvest
Anti-thesis: But You must sow seeds
Physical Aspect –
Thesis: He promises healing
Anti-Thesis : He tells us to pray and to consult physicians
Emotional Aspect –
Thesis: He promised that He will give the desires of your heart i.e. a spouse
Anti-thesis: But you must pray and use your discernment of the right guy or girl unless you are called to be celibate.
Now
as I said last time, we know that God is holy and that God is all powerful and
all wise, all knowing. We know that God is unchangeable. We know that God is
absolutely sovereign, that God is in complete control of every circumstance,
every detail. And He's working out His own plan perfectly. We
know that and that raises the question, "Why do I pray? And if God's going
to do what He's going to do, why should I pray and how would my prayer have any
effect on that?
And certainly I'm just going to get in and get out as quickly as I can since
God's going to do what He's going to do anyway. I don't want to bother Him or
interrupt Him with my little trivial prayers. How in the world am I to
understand the role of my prayers?"
But
although God has ordained the ends, He has also ordained the means. And the end
is fixed and He uses the means to reach His end. And one of the means He uses to achieve His ends is our prayers.
That's why, "The effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails
much." God determines who He will save from before the foundation of
the world. He elects some to salvation, but He though choosing to save them,
that is the end, the means is their faith and their repentance. And God has
determined that we would be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, that's the
end. But the means is our obedience. God is determined to build His church, but
the means is our service and our preaching of the gospel. God has determined
that He will unify His church, the body of Christ. The means is the exercise of
our spiritual gifts. God reaches His ends through His means and one of the
means that God has given us is prayer. And
as we pray, we are the means by which God achieves His ends.
In
our text today we will see examples of the prayer being means of spiritual and
material ends.
I.
Spiritual – Prayer is
oftentimes the means of God for Spiritual restoration
vs.13 “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
vs.13 “Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms. 14 Is any sick among you? let him call for the elders of the church; and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord: 15 And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.”
Explanation:
Misconception
– Physical sickness – It becomes a formula to some especially to Pentecostal
churches. Also of a group that sells “miracle oil’ because the oil has been
prayed for. Roman Catholic get support from this verse for the doctrine of
“extreme Unction”.
Right
interpretation:
The heart of the problem lies in just what James meant when he referred to the "sick." Actually there is no reason to consider "sick" as referring exclusively to physical illness. The word asthenei literally means "to be weak." Not sick in the body.
The heart of the problem lies in just what James meant when he referred to the "sick." Actually there is no reason to consider "sick" as referring exclusively to physical illness. The word asthenei literally means "to be weak." Not sick in the body.
James was
not referring to the bedfast, the diseased, or the ill. Instead he wrote- to
those who had grown weary, who had become weak both morally and spiritually in
the midst of suffering. These are the ones who should call for the help of the
elders of the church. The early church leaders were instructed (1 Thess 5:14)
to "encourage the timid" and "help the weak"
James said that the elders should pray over him
and anoint him with oil. It is significant that the word "anoint" is
aleipsantes ("rub with oil") not chrio ("ceremonially anoint"). The former
is the "mundane" word and the latter is "the sacred and
religious word".
Therefore James is not suggesting a ceremonial
or ritual anointing as a means of divine healing; instead, he is referring to
the common practice of using oil as a means of bestowing honor, refreshment,
and grooming". Example: david:
Anoint my head with oil.
Thus James' point is that the "weak" (asthenei)
and "weary" (kamnonta) would be refreshed, encouraged, and uplifted
by the elders who rubbed oil on the despondents' heads and prayed for them. For
the erring, fallen, discouraged, distressed weary believer, restoration is
assured and the elders' prayer offered in faith will make the sick person
(lit., "weary one") well (i.e., will restore him from discouragement
and spiritual defeat), and the Lord will raise him up.
That the restoration is spiritual, not physical,
is further clarified by the assurance, if he has sinned, he will be forgiven.
“Let him call” – Ang mismong nanghihina sa pananampalataya ang nag initiate ng pagtawag sa mga lider ng Iglesia. Paanong hindi siya gagaling sa kanyang espiritwal na karamdaman kung siya mismo ay nagpakita ng unang hakbang sa pagsisisi? Hindi ito kusang pagdalaw ng mga lider ng iglesia sa isang makasalanang hindi nagpapakita ng hakbang sa pagsisisi.
“Let him call” – Ang mismong nanghihina sa pananampalataya ang nag initiate ng pagtawag sa mga lider ng Iglesia. Paanong hindi siya gagaling sa kanyang espiritwal na karamdaman kung siya mismo ay nagpakita ng unang hakbang sa pagsisisi? Hindi ito kusang pagdalaw ng mga lider ng iglesia sa isang makasalanang hindi nagpapakita ng hakbang sa pagsisisi.
Kaya yong pagpapahid ng langis ay tanda sa kanilang
kultura ng pag aliw at pagtanggap sa isang nagsisising mananmpalataya.
That is the emphasis of verse 19 “Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; 20 Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins.”KJV
II.
Material – Prayer is
sometimes the means of God for material provisions
vs. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
vs. 17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months. 18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.”
1.
Elijah
was a righteous man. Vs. 16vMangagpahayagan nga kayo sa isa't isa ng inyong mga kasalanan, at
ipanalangin ng isa't isa ang iba, upang kayo'y magsigaling. Malaki ang nagagawa
ng maningas na panalangin ng taong matuwid.
2.
he
was nothing more than a man. He is not more special to God than us. “tulad
natin”
3.
He
gave himself to prayer to fulfil the purposes of his mission. Jezebel’s faith
in Baal”
This prayer would set up for the confrontation of Elijah and Baal’s pophet on Mt. Carmel.
This prayer would set up for the confrontation of Elijah and Baal’s pophet on Mt. Carmel.
4.
His
prayer was effectual in regard to material things.
5.
His
prayer at first was for temporal evil.
6.
It
was for a public benefit not his own.
III.
Physical Healing
Our belief in this aspect is unlike the belief of Pentecostals and Charismatic that it is always God’s will to heal and healing can only be attained simply by praying. It should be automatic and if you are not healed there is sin in your life or you have a weak faith. So Ampatuan is holy and has big faith because he doesn’t get sick and is wealthy.
Our belief in this aspect is unlike the belief of Pentecostals and Charismatic that it is always God’s will to heal and healing can only be attained simply by praying. It should be automatic and if you are not healed there is sin in your life or you have a weak faith. So Ampatuan is holy and has big faith because he doesn’t get sick and is wealthy.
What we believe concerning healing is that sometimes prayer
is God’s means for physical healing
and why not? He told us to ask and He
will give, to knock and He will open the door. The
parable of the poor widow that we have studied last Sunday is one of Jesus teachings on prayer that we should not
grow faint and the God is unlike the unjust judge. If the unjust judge answered the request of the poor widow how
much our Heavenly Father in heaven? That’s the bottom line of Jesus’
teaching in that parable. The Scriptures
are filled with example of prayer
that became means for healing.
Application: Let’s have boldness in our prayers. Don’t be shy to ask God of anything that you think is according to His will as we have no perfect knowledge of His will in our life.
Application: Let’s have boldness in our prayers. Don’t be shy to ask God of anything that you think is according to His will as we have no perfect knowledge of His will in our life.
The one true and living
God, the only God, the true God, the God of the Bible, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ is very
different from the deities and the gods fabricated by men and demons. And the
difference is in His essential nature. He is loving, merciful, gracious,
forgiving, approachable, available and generous. That is in direct
contrast to all the gods of human religions throughout human history, whose
gods are not loving, or merciful, or gracious, or forgiving, or approachable,
or available, or generous.
But our God is just the opposite of the earthly kings and pagan deities. Our God is absolutely available, absolutely approachable, gracious, merciful, compassionate, kind and you can go into His presence boldly and ask for whatever you want. You can go into His presence any time and not interrupt Him. In fact, He desires you to do that
Hebrews 4 verse 16, "Let us therefore draw near." We're drawing near to God. Drawing near to our great High Priest, the Son of God in heaven. "Let us therefore draw near with..." and some translations have the word "boldness," and some translations have the word "confidence." Let's use boldness, I think it's a truer representation of the Greek. "Let us draw near with boldness to the throne," and this is the real interesting twist, "a throne of grace," a throne that dispenses grace, it's not a throne of law, it's not a throne of justice, it's not a throne of judgment, it's a throne of grace? "So we draw near with boldness to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
HAve you noticed the word "boldness," in Greek, parrhesia, which means freedom in speaking basically. It means that you can say to God whatever you want to say. It means to be bold in your speech. It means to be open and frank. And as we would say, to be up front and say it like it is. Go to God with openness and frankness and boldness and confidence and ask for whatever you want from the One who is dispensing grace and mercy to help.
This is a promise I think often overlooked, that we are told to come to God with boldness to say what is on our hearts.
Here are a couple of reformed theologians that agree with me on this premise that oftentimes, prayers are the means to many of God's ends.
But our God is just the opposite of the earthly kings and pagan deities. Our God is absolutely available, absolutely approachable, gracious, merciful, compassionate, kind and you can go into His presence boldly and ask for whatever you want. You can go into His presence any time and not interrupt Him. In fact, He desires you to do that
Hebrews 4 verse 16, "Let us therefore draw near." We're drawing near to God. Drawing near to our great High Priest, the Son of God in heaven. "Let us therefore draw near with..." and some translations have the word "boldness," and some translations have the word "confidence." Let's use boldness, I think it's a truer representation of the Greek. "Let us draw near with boldness to the throne," and this is the real interesting twist, "a throne of grace," a throne that dispenses grace, it's not a throne of law, it's not a throne of justice, it's not a throne of judgment, it's a throne of grace? "So we draw near with boldness to the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need."
HAve you noticed the word "boldness," in Greek, parrhesia, which means freedom in speaking basically. It means that you can say to God whatever you want to say. It means to be bold in your speech. It means to be open and frank. And as we would say, to be up front and say it like it is. Go to God with openness and frankness and boldness and confidence and ask for whatever you want from the One who is dispensing grace and mercy to help.
This is a promise I think often overlooked, that we are told to come to God with boldness to say what is on our hearts.
Here are a couple of reformed theologians that agree with me on this premise that oftentimes, prayers are the means to many of God's ends.
Martyn Lloyd-Jones, David Martyn Lloyd-Jones. And this is what
Lloyd-Jones said. "This holy boldness, this argumentation, this reasoning,
this putting the case before God, this pleading His own promises, this is the
whole secret of prayer."
Thomas Goodwin says this, and I quote, "When you
pray," he says, "you literally can go to God and say what's on your
heart and claim His promise. In fact, you can demand that He be faithful to His
promise." And this is what Thomas Goodwin says, "Sue Him for it, sue
Him for it." Wow! Don't leave Him alone, pester Him with His own promise.
Tell Him what He has said He's going to do
Come to God with boldness for He has given us the permission to express the longings of our hearts.
___________________________________________________________________
Date: May 12, 2013
Theme: The Nature of Hell
Text: Matthew 5:17-30
Matt 5:18-22 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offends thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. KJV
Last Sunday we talked about the nature, scope of and God's solution to man’s sin. Today we will talk about the ultimate punishment of God to sinners: Hell.
At recent annual workshops of pastor in the US, the facilitator asked how many of the pastors who attended the conference had ever preached a sermon on hell. Nobody answered in the affirmative.
"I think it's something people want to avoid," the facilitator said. "I understand why. It's a difficult topic."
The Rev. Fred Johns, pastor of Brookview Wesleyan Church in Irondale, Ala., said after a workshop discussion of hell that pastors do shy away from the topic of everlasting damnation.
"It's out of fear we'll not appear relevant," he said. "It's pressure from the culture to not speak anything negative. I think we've begun to deny hell. There's an assumption that everybody's going to make it to heaven somehow."
The soft sell on hell reflects an increasingly market-conscious approach, Selles said.
"When you're trying to market Jesus, sometimes there's a tendency to mute traditional Christian symbols," he said. "Difficult doctrines are left by the wayside. Hell is a morally repugnant doctrine. People wonder why God would send people to eternal punishment."
Speakers said the seriousness of Jesus dying for man's sins relates to the gravity of salvation vs. damnation, according to Johns. "If you don't mention God's judgment, you are missing a big part of the Christian gospel," Selles said. "Without wrath, there's no grace."
The Nature of Hell According to Jesus: First...
The Lord Jesus Christ made it sure that people would know about hell. He never watered down this topic. The Lord Jesus Christ mentioned hell 11 times. The text we read today is part of the Great Sermon on the mount from Matthew chapter 5-7 along the other teachings of Jesus on the beatitudes and The Lord’s Prayer. Being included in that long discourse is significant to the importance of this teaching. This teaching on hell is part of a single sermon that took place in Galilee after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. It is the longest piece of Jesus’ teaching and the widely quoted elements of the other Gospels
There are religious groups that deny the reality of hell like Jehovah’s witnesses. Their reason for denying it is their imbalance view of the Love of God. They say how a loving God could send certain men to hell. But hell is a reality. Christ would be a liar if He taught something that is not true.
Another thing about hell is...
II. Hell is a Lake of Fire
22 But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Pope John Paul II stirred up a debate in 1999 by describing hell as "the state of those who freely and definitely separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy."
Hell is not just an abstract state of separation or a state of suffering on earth. It is a physical, literal place of torment.
A. Hell is a Lake
Rev 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Some say it is only a lake so how can all people that has lived and died will fit in that lake?
There is no need of a bigger place to fit in all 40 billions of people in hell assuming as their spiritual bodies are of the same size of their physical bodies. Henry Morris computed the size of a place where 40 billion people could fit in and he come with up with computation that it only need about 100 miles or less in diameter to contain all 40 billion or so people that have ever lived with much space to spare. (Henry Morris, the Bible has the answer p. 220) That size is only 1/5 the size of Laguna Lake
B. It is fire
Vs 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. KJV
It is not only a lake of fire but a lake of fire willed with worms according to Mark 9:47-48 ‘And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.’ KJV
Another thing about Hell is...
III. Hell is eternal
In Matt 25:46 The Lord Jesus described hell as the place for eternal punishment. “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. KJV
I will be suggesting 2 propositions. What would you like if you are to choose? The first choice is, you will have everything you want for one month. You will have 100 billion and you can spend it in whatever way you want. You will become very famous. You will be the talk of the town. Your name will be broadcast in national TV and Newspaper in whatever topic you may want people to talk about yourself. But that is only for one day. After one day, you will then spend the rest of your life in jail.
Now this is the second choice. You will spend one month in prison. You have just porridge to eat and faucet water to drink. You will have no spare clothes. You are only allowed to take a bath once a week. You will not be allowed to be visited by your loved ones. You will live in isolation, darkness and hunger but after one month you will be given 100 billion and you will spend your life in happiness with your loved ones for the rest of your life.
Of course it is foolish to choose option number 1 but that is actually what most people do with their lives. Many are choosing the temporal gains of this world apart from God in exchange of eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ emphatically said Matt 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
People do this because they are ignorant of the word “eternal”. They thought that there is no eternal punishment after the temporary life on earth. But however they deny it, they cannot escape it for this is the reality.
But how long really is eternal? How long people will live on earth versus how long they will spend their life in eternity. Let me illustrate it this way...
Suppose a wealthy man wants to reward somebody who can count all the grains of sand along Manila Bay... Nobody will probably join that contest because how long would it be for you to do that?
Or supposed you have an intelligent parrot and you asked that parrot to pick a grain of sand and bring that grain of sand to the moon. When that parrot is able to bring all the sand from the whole Pacific Ocean to the moon then not a single second in Eternity has passed.
In Eternity there is no seconds, no minutes or hour. Eternity is a permanent PRESENT. Imagine your loved ones spending their eternity in hell.
Another thing about hell is...
IV. Hell is the application of God’s Love and Justice against sinners
One time my wife Charlette attended a weekly devotion with her co-workers in our previous office and they came to talk about hell. When she was asked if God is in hell she said yes. Another co-worker told her, what in the world would God do in hell? What ignorance of the Scriptures!
But how can God’s justice be satisfied if He is not present in His own punishment for those who rebelled against Him. In all of executions carried out since time immemorial, people were invited to witness the execution of the criminals to satisfy man’s justice such as the case of Jose Rizal. Are we not to believe that God’s presence will be those who suffer in hell?
Rev 14:10 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:’ KJV
Hell is not only the application of God’s justice but also an expression of His love for those who don’t believe. Nobody who went to hell went against their will to dislike God. Atheists knowingly and actively deny God. They did that with all their heart and strength. They even spend their money, time and effort to teach and convince others that God doesn’t exist and that men are just product of evolution. That everything happens only by chance and there is no heaven or hell.
No sinners who are committing sins dislike sin. They are aware of what they do and enjoy what they do. I don’t see a man who commits adultery who says to his other woman “I don’t like you” or a drunkard who says that he is just forced to drink and he doesn’t like wine or a smoker who hates cigarette. No robber would ever say he doesn’t want to steal money or a murderer who says it is against his will to kill the person that he hates so much.
Sinners want to sin and so God in His great love did not force them to repent and believe. In His great forbearance He waited for them to repent and to turn to Him. He provided them the means so that they would hear about the truth. He provided them pastors who would preach about the Gospel of Christ but they mock them and say that they can make it without Christ. God miraculously preserved His written Word and made it available for all to read but they don’t read their Bibles. Their Bibles are like figurines intended for display. They never opened it and read its contents. God has provided media in our age. There are now preachers on radio and on TV and on the internet that men have almost no excuse of not hearing about God and His provision of salvation. Aside from these, God ministers through the Holy Spirit by teaching man about sin and convicting them through their conscience about what is right and what is wrong but they choose what their flesh naturally desires. It is against conscience to lie but they become hard hearted and hard headed. They know that being gay and lesbian is sin but they continue with what they think is right. They went with the culture. They sided with the majority. They went against God’s truths.
So God gave them over to sin because He is love. People go to hell because they want to go there. And in hell they will still impose their will. They will still curse God for they died unregenerate by the Holy Spirit. They will still doubt God and blame God for being unjust. They will shout while they gnash their teeth in pain that they don’t deserve to be in hell. It is because even if they see God like the Israelite did in the Old Testament, they were not able to understand Him and glorify Him because they are sinners by nature. All men without the Spirit of God cannot understand spiritual things.
Once in hell forever be in hell. There will be no second chance or elevation. There will be no escape and rest from pain and suffering of the whole body, soul and spirit.
The Last thing about hell is...
Jesus is teaching here the impossibility of men from escaping Punishment in hell. He compared the Old Testament standard of righteousness with the New Testament.
The OT cursing of one’s enemy
The OT murder vs the NT murder
The OT adultery vs the NT adultery
Just as the Scripture says all men have sinned and fall short before the glory of God. There’s nothing that you should do to go to hell. You are naturally a sinner and your natural destiny is hell.
The only way out of hell is obtaining perfect righteousness. Since all men are sinners and no one is righteous, God Himself provided a way for us to escape hell. That is through the death of His Son and imputing His righteousness to us who believe.
If you die without Christ you are without hope of escaping Hell. Cry to God to make a miracle. Cry out to Him to save you from His impending wrath. It takes a miracle for you to be saved. I can’t save you from Hell. Only God through His words and His Spirit can do that. Even your believing is the result of the power of God.
"Our very believing is the result of the power of God... There is a strong tendency to talk in a superficial manner about believing, as if it were an easy thing which any man can do if he feels disposed to it. How lightly and glibly many talk about believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, or about believing the gospel... There is much emphasis on believing and decision; and it is suggested that anyone who wants to become a Christian can easily accomplish it... There are two main explanations of this superficial, indeed false, view of believing. The first is that it is due to an appalling failure on our part to realize the consequences of sin and the Fall of man... The second is our failure to realize what is involved in the new birth, regeneration; we fail to realize the greatness of the change that is described in those terms, and what is included in them, and why regeneration is ever necessary. These are the cause of all glib use of the word believe, and the tendency to to say that the natural man is able to believe." DM Lloyd Jones
Application:
In the whole world, there is an average of 1.78 deaths per second; 107 deaths per minute; 6,390 deaths per hour; 153,000 deaths per day; 56.0 million deaths per year. (http://www.hebrew4christians.net) Among them could be one of your loved ones or could be you!
Matt 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at:”
Many preachers spend most of their sermons on how to increase self- esteem, how to get rich, how to get along with people and on entertaining people with jokes and with their funny antics while every second there are people going and spending their eternity in hell.
I would not spend my nights preparing sermon that would only meet your temporal needs. I am here to plead God that He would provide you the miracle to escape Hell. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust ONLY in His finished work and live for Him. He is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Are you a true believer? Know why and how you believe. Continue believing and continue to grow in the knowledge of Him. He is beautiful, He is good, He is gracious and He is Holy.
Live as a true believer in this temporal world!
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Date: May 5, 2013
Topic: The Nature, Scope and solution to man’s sin.
Text: Romans 3: Rom 3:1-14
What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) 6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:17 And the way of peace have they not known:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; KJV
Man should be brought to the knowledge of himself before he surrendered himself over to God. We don’t appreciate light during daytime. We often turn the lights off for there is no use for them. But when night time comes, we appreciate even a dim light coming from a small candle.
God’s love and justice can be understood and appreciated all the more with our own sinfulness at the backdrop. In the first 3 chapters of Paul’s letter to Romans, he brings the whole world into condemnation. Paul understands that unless men see their incapacity and inability to save themselves they would not appreciate the Gospel. The Gospel is only attractive to a man that sees His need of it.
In this letter of Paul to the Romans, we will find the nature, the scope and solution to man’s sins.
The Jews on the other hand have been chosen by God to be His spokesperson to the world. They have the laws of God, the circumcision and the Ten Commandments.
But Paul asserted the Jews are no better than the pagan Greeks and gentiles. Rom 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
Rom 3:9-10 “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” KJV
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short before the glory of God.”
B. It made all men guilty before God
Vs. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and the entire world may become guilty before God.
No one can save himself from the wrath of God for all stands guilty before Him. All men are born sinners.
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.KJV
Just look at how a baby reacts when he/she wants to get back something that is taken away from him. Imagine if the baby is as strong and as big as a grown up man. He would have committed murder.
II. The Scope of Sin
Man became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace.
Sin has radically corrupted man’s whole nature.
A. His thoughts
vs. 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Man naturally doesn’t seek what he doesn’t understand. He knows that there is God but He can’t understand Him so He does not seek Him. If somebody seems to have a “god” that is not the true God of the Scriptures. That “god” is the god that his own mind has created.
Man seeks after his own good; after his own welfare, after his own self esteem and his own happiness: No one naturally seeks for God.
In fact it is the other way around. It is God who seeks His own. We can find in the Scriptures that after Adam sinned, he did not try to amend his sin before God. We see God going down from heaven and asking Adam of what has happened.
The Lord Jesus Christ is described as a seeker in Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
The reason you are here and listening or reading this sermon is because God is seeking you. He used the means for you to find your way here and to this sermon this morning/evening.
B. His deeds
vs. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
The natural man thinks that he is already doing good. He goes to the church every Sunday, he gives to the church and people in need. He tries his best to love people as he loves himself. He tries to obey the 10 commandments by his capacity. He doesn’t kill, he respects his parents, and he loves his family and tries hard to be fair in all his dealings.
But he does every good thing for his own good not for God. He does good to others because it gives him a sense of religiosity and pleasure. It makes him boast of what he does and he compares what he does with others. It is because his nature is corrupt and whatever good things he does in his own righteousness they are not counted as righteousness before God.
What does the Scripture say about man’s righteousness? Are they counted by God as acceptable?
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. KJV
The text says our righteousnesses are like filthy rags in the sight of God. The word "rag" in Hebrews means either the piece of cloth used by women during their monthly period or the cloth used by lepers to cover their wounds. If men's righteousness is compared with such filthy rags how much our evil deeds look like before God? Truly, men are hopeless and can do nothing to please God.
C. His tongue
Vs. 13 “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:”
Paul here says that the tongue is like an open tomb filled with rottenness. People used their tongue to tell lies and deceive people (like what false preachers do); and is like a poison that kills, full of cursing and bitterness.
James devoted the whole chapter 3 of his epistle in dealing with the characteristics of the tongue. He compared it to a rudder that can make the giant ship move to where it wants to go. He also compared the tongue to a small fire that can start a big fire full of deadly poison.
D. His Feet
vs. 15 ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:17 And the way of peace have they not known:’
The feet of the sinners never walk in the path of righteousness. His feet always bring him to sinful places and to sinful activities. His feet follow the sinful dictates of his heart. Nobody who is unregenerate of the Spirit of God can walk in the ways of the Lord.
He thinks that the path he’s treading on is the way to life but the end of that path is death.
Prov 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
E. His Eyes
Vs. 18 ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The carnal man’s eyes look up to riches and fame as the main source of happiness. Never a carnal man’s eyes look unto Jesus and see His beauty. The carnal man’s eyes based the worth of a person on his intelligence, wealth and fame.
But Jesus’ eyes saw the world differently. He saw the world filled with walking dead, and his own people like a sheep without shepherd. He cried for the wealthy and for those who have authorities. He said what a man can gain if he gains the whole world but lose his soul?
Gen 6:5 summarizes the characteristic of man’s thought and desires.
‘Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.’
During one of his evangelistic meetings inside a campus, after reading the text above Paul Washer was interrupted by a student and said, “Mr. Preacher you are lying. I don’t believe in your explanation. I believe there is still good in man. Not all men are sinners’ to which Washer gently replied, ‘Young man I didn’t explain the verse. I just read it.’
Apostle Paul explicitly teaches in this chapter of Romans that no single person on earth can save himself from the wrath of God. The Jews and Gentiles alike are all sinners and apart from God’s grace, man is destined to hell however he might try to escape from it.
But Paul did not stop from there. Now he expounds on the ONLY solution to sin and condemnation of God. And that is the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The Solution to Sin
vs. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
The Jews thought that obedience to the law is the solution to sin. They are very proud of their legacy being the only people in the world to have personally received God’s commandments through Moses.
But Apostle Paul argues that the law they are adhering to is the very reason why they stand condemned before God. In fact from the law comes the knowledge of sin and there is no justification that can be found in it.
On the other hand the pagan world has no excuse as well. Even though they were not the recipients of God’s commandments they were aware of the identity of the true God by what they see in nature and by what is being dictated by their conscience. Serving the gods that they have invented and made out of ignorance will reap for them eternal damnation for they also have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This is the Gospel: All men sinned and fall short of God’s glory. They are all under God’s condemnation. The laws of God don’t justify sinners. In fact it is the very instrument of God for all men to know that they can’t save themselves.
No one is righteous and no one can make him righteous before the Holy God as the whole of man’s being - mind, body, soul and spirit became totally depraved by sin. He is a "living zombie". He is physically alive but spiritually dead. There is not even a single thought, deed or desire of him that has passed God’s standard of righteousness and thus all are destined to suffer God’s wrath in the everlasting fire of God’s judgment – in hell. God doesn’t need to bring anybody to hell. All are conceived in sin and are born sinners and they are already citizens of hell- if God did not practice grace.
And God lavishly poured out His grace to the elect when He sent His only begotten Son to the sinful world. The Son of God who is not a human being before He incarnate, took a human body for Himself and was born into the poorest of the poor, subjected Himself to the Laws that He Himself has made and perfectly obeyed the Law to become the righteousness of God to those who believe and put their trust in His atoning work. On the Cross, He appeased the wrath of God by shedding His own blood for the propitiation of sins.
Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” KJV
Jesus Christ paid the wages of sin. He perfectly obeyed the Law thus He is holy and blameless. But the holy Christ suffered the penalty of the sins of the elect when He died on the cross. He was the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of His people. On the cross He became sin before God so that He can become the righteousness of those who believe.
He actually died physically but on the third day, He rose from the dead and sat on the throne of God in heaven. He opened the Holy of Holies, a place where no man in history of history has ever entered. He opened the way for the sinners to enter the Holy of Holies and give them privelege to join Him there forever. He is our righteousness, our life, our hope, our salvation. That’s why He is called the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father in heaven except through Him.
Our problem of sin has been solved. Those who are in Christ will no longer suffer condemnation for He has suffered God’s condemnation on our behalf. God sees in His chosen the righteousness of Christ. He has perfectly met God the Father’s standard of righteousness therefore, we are now free from God’s impending wrath and judgment.
Rom 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” KJV
But the text says the elect walks after the Spirit. It is because the Spirit of God has been given to them that believe to be able to obey God. We are now new creations. We are regenerated, possessed and sanctified and being sanctified by the Spirit of God until we come to our true home in heaven. This is the meaning of being born again. We have been miraculously re-created by God through the work of the Spirit. We are now naturally obeying Him for to a born of God; Jesus is beautiful, lovely and is worthy to be obeyed, and to be given praise and honour. Living for Christ who died for us is a great honour and privilege and the source of ultimate joy, peace, contentment and happiness.
Praise God for His wonderful, unexplainable grace!
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Text: Matthew 28:1-20
Matt 28:1-28 “ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.KJV
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Topic:: The Great Commandment
Theme: The Essence of the Great Commandment
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it."
The essence of The Great Commandment:
All who claim to be Disciples of Christ was the subject of this command. It is not only the apostles or pastors to go and find where God’s people who are still in sins are but all of Christ disciples.
“The term "disciples" was the most popular name for the early believers. Being a disciple meant more than being a convert or a church member. Apprentice might be an equivalent term. A disciple attached himself to a teacher, identified with him, learned from him, and lived with him. He learned, not simply by listening, but also by doing. Our Lord called twelve disciples and taught them so that they might be able to teach others
A disciple, then, is one who has believed on Jesus Christ and expressed this faith by being baptized. He remains in the fellowship of the believers that he might be taught the truths of the faith (Acts 2:41-47). He is then able to go out and win others and teach them. This was the pattern of the New Testament church (2 Tim 2:1-2).
“In many respects, we have departed from this pattern. In most churches, the congregation pays the pastor to preach, win the lost, and build up the saved - while the church members function as cheerleaders (if they are enthusiastic) or spectators. The "converts" are won, baptized, and given the right hand of fellowship, then they join the other spectators. How much faster our churches would grow, and how much stronger and happier our church members would be, if each one were discipling another believer. The only way a local church can "be fruitful and multiply" (instead of growing by "additions") is with a systematic discipleship program. This is the responsibility of every believer, and not just a small group who have been "called to go."
-The Bible knowledge Commentary
But it was the common believers who were instrumental to the massive growth of Christianity
Acts 8:1
And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.. Acts 8:4
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. KJV
2. The Idea of “Going”
a. The idea of going is taking the initiative. Sinners would not come to God nor do search for God. The Scriptures tell us that there is no one who seeks God, no one understands (Romans 3:10). Sometimes we hear testimonies like, “I found God because I searched for Him” but that is the exact opposite of God’s words. That kind of statement steals the glory from God and places it in man’s hands.
We may see people seemingly trying to search for God but without the Spirit of God they don’t understand and know God. (1 Corinthians 2:12). In reality those who seemingly search for God are only searching God for their own benefits. To carnal men, Christ is only a means to an end not the end to the means. They want God to do something for them and that drives them to “look” for Him. But unless the Spirit works in their hearts they can never honestly look for Him.
Unless we leave the four corners of our church and the comforts of our homes, sinners wo have no access to the church would not hear about the Gospel. God elects people to salvation but we are the means so that they would hear God’s call through our going and teaching. The end as well as the means to salvation, are both appointed by God. He elected some unto salvation and He would use instruments to call those whom He has appointed to salvation. Hyper-calvinism denies the means. They only believe in the end. But that is not the way of God.
The command is not to wait for people to come to you and ask you about your faith or to make the church attractive to carnal people using carnal programs and methods to make people feel comfortable with the church so that they would come. The command is to go. It means leaving our homes and our church and to go where the people are.
b. The idea of Going involves not only the feet but everything. You can’t go to a far place without budget for fare. You can’t go without food. You can’t go without sacrificing your time and your family.
The following article is based on a sermon by missionary Del Tarr who served fourteen years in West Africa with another mission agency. His story points out the price some people pay to sow the seed of the gospel in hard soil.
I was always perplexed by Psalm 126 until I went to the Sahel, that vast stretch of savanna more than four thousand miles wide just under the Sahara Desert. In the Sahel, all the moisture comes in a four month period: May, June, July, and August. After that, not a drop of rain falls for eight months. The ground cracks from dryness, and so do your hands and feet. The winds of the Sahara pick up the dust and throw it thousands of feet into the air. It then comes slowly drifting across West Africa as a fine grit. It gets inside your mouth. It gets inside your watch and stops it. The year's food, of course, must all be grown in those four months. People grow sorghum or milo in small fields.
October and November...these are beautiful months. The granaries are full -- the harvest has come. People sing and dance. They eat two meals a day. The sorghum is ground between two stones to make flour and then a mush with the consistency of yesterday's Cream of Wheat. The sticky mush is eaten hot; they roll it into little balls between their fingers, drop it into a bit of sauce and then pop it into their mouths. The meal lies heavy on their stomachs so they can sleep.
December comes, and the granaries start to recede. Many families omit the morning meal.
Certainly by January not one family in fifty is still eating two meals a day.
By February, the evening meal diminishes.
The meal shrinks even more during March and children succumb to sickness. You don't stay well on half a meal a day.
April is the month that haunts my memory. In it you hear the babies crying in the twilight. Most of the days are passed with only an evening cup of gruel.
Then, inevitably, it happens. A six-or seven-year-old boy comes running to his father one day with sudden excitement. "Daddy! Daddy! We've got grain!" he shouts. "Son, you know we haven't had grain for weeks." "Yes, we have!" the boy insists. "Out in the hut where we keep the goats -- there's a leather sack hanging up on the wall -- I reached up and put my hand down in there -- Daddy, there's grain in there! Give it to Mommy so she can make flour, and tonight our tummies can sleep!"
The father stands motionless. "Son, we can't do that," he softly explains. "That's next year's seed grain. It's the only thing between us and starvation. We're waiting for the rains, and then we must use it." The rains finally arrive in May, and when they do the young boy watches as his father takes the sack from the wall and does the most unreasonable thing imaginable. Instead of feeding his desperately weakened family, he goes to the field and with tears streaming down his face, he takes the precious seed and throws it away. He scatters it in the dirt! Why? Because he believes in the harvest (Italics added).
The seed is his; he owns it. He can do anything with it he wants. The act of sowing it hurts so much that he cries. But as the African pastors say when they preach on Psalm 126, "Brother and sisters, this is God's law of the harvest. Don't expect to rejoice later on unless you have been willing to sow in tears." And I want to ask you: How much would it cost you to sow in tears? I don't mean just giving God something from your abundance, but finding a way to say, "I believe in the harvest, and therefore I will give what makes no sense. The world would call me unreasonable to do this -- but I must sow regardless, in order that I may someday celebrate with songs of joy."
If we don’t “go” to reach out the lost, we are violating God’s greatest commandment.
3. The reasons for this Command
vs. 18 a Go ye “therefore”
The adverb “therefore” means there’s underlying reason why an action should be carried out.
The disciples should go because...
1. Christ has triumphantly finished the work of salvation.
All they need to do now is to tell people what Christ has done.
2. Christ has been given by the father all authority and He gives it to the disciples.
All power is given to Christ already and there’s nothing that can hinder the propagation of His words.
vs.18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
3. Jesus promised His presence as they do the work of the ministry
vs. 19b ‘I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’
This implies that it is God who saves not us. It is another proof of election. We are not commanded to make believers or to save people. Salvation is of God. All we need to do is to teach about this so great salvation to the elect out there.
What are we teach?
Charles Spurgeon is right on the dot when he said “the Scripture should shape the culture not the other way around.”
Culture could become the greatest enemy of the Gospel. In the New Testament, we can see that where ever the Gospel is preached, the culture is being changed by the Gospel.
We should not let philosophy of, culture or even the whims and desires of carnal men dictate what we are going to say.
May we go and make disciples of all places that we are able to reach for God’s glory and honour. Let us pray for our evangelistic service and Bible Studies Carlagan Burdeos Quezon this coming week. Each one of you is part of it.
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Date: April 14, 2013
Theme: The Significances of Christ’s Resurrection
1 Cor 15:12-32
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.KJV
The last 2 Sundays, we have studied the 7 last words of the Lord Jesus Christ and I want to continue with what happened next after Christ’s death. And so today, we will be studying about His Resurrection.
Immediately after Christ died, a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea a wealthy man identified by APOSTLE John as a secret disciple of Jesus, a member of the sanhedrin, asked Pilate of His body, took it away and laid it in his own tomb. This fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9: He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. He was accompanied by a man named Nicodemus, the Pharisee who got to talk with the Lord Jesus Christ in a house one night early in His ministry. Their conversation was recorded by John in chapter 3 of his Gospel where we can find the God’s appointed means for salvation “unless a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
The resurrection of Christ is an overwhelmingly well documented event and was attested to by many witnesses. To erase any doubt, Christ showed Himself in His resurrected body many times to the disciples within the span of 40 days before ascending to heaven. His ascension was even witnessed by more than 500 people!
What are the significances of Christ’s Resurrection?
If you believe that there is no resurrection then you don’t believe that Jesus Christ has resurrected from the dead either and vice versa. You cannot believe the other and reject the other.
Some of those who belong to the Corinthian Church doubt Christ’s resurrection. It’s not a surprise for some of them are not true believers. Some of them even become false teachers. The Corinthian church is the most carnal, problematic church among the New Testament churches.
Paul then again teaches them basic theology about man and sin. Adam doesn’t die when they will still holy but they tasted death after they sinned hence Adam’s death is the cause of all men’s death for we all came from Adam and we inherited his sins.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Adam represents the sinners while Jesus Christ represents those who are forgiven and saved from their sins. Jesus Christ has resurrected as a proof that those for whom he died will also be resurrected.
The Resurrection of the body is the final phase of salvation. Salvation of the soul takes place before the foundation of the world and was realized by the elect during his calling at a certain point of his life when he heard God’s Words and believed and trusted in Christ’s work.
Right after the death of the body, the soul/spirit of the elect will go straight to heaven (no stop over for 40 days of wandering on earth).
The whole composition of the body and skeleton will decay and stay where it is buried.
When Jesus comes again, the remains of the believers will be made into a glorified body and the soul and spirit from heaven will join the body in the twinkling of an eye so that the whole person will be with Christ.
vs. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
After the resurrection our bodies will be resurrected to reign with Him in the millennial Kingdom.
vs. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
At the end of the millennial Kingdom, the resurrection of the unbelievers and the Great White throne judgment will take place where the reprobate will be judged according to their deeds for punishment. They will be thrown to hell to suffer for eternity while the elect will be with God forever in the New Heaven and the new earth.
Another significance of the resurrection is..
II. It is the reason, essence and substance of all Preaching
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
Paul listed all His sacrifices in His preaching ministry.
A. He died every day
vs. 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Dying every day means forsaking our own rights, our own will, our own satisfaction for the sake of the Gospel.
Apostle Paul left his unbelieving family, gave up his position in the Sanhedrin together with all its acclaims and privileges, went on a missionary journey to preach the Gospel until he was beheaded.
B. He fought against false teachers and enemies of the gospel
vs. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.
But all these sacrifices as a preacher will all be futile if resurrection is just a lie. It would be the greatest lie in Human history.
One of the greatest lies in World History.
Another significance of the resurrection is..
III. It is the believer’s Ultimate hope
Why the resurrection is our ultimate hope? Because there is resurrection...
Rom 8:18
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. KJV
There is suffering on earth so that we may not look for satisfaction in the things in it. The more sufferings we have, the greater the excitement of the anticipation of the future glory.
If you are in the middle of a dessert and is dead thirsty, you will not appreciate gold or silver for they are worthless to you. But if you see an oasis, you will leap for joy because that is what you need. The same with suffering and resurrection: If we are satisfied with the things of this world, resurrection will be less attractive to you. But when you suffer sickness, trials and persecutions the more you anticipate that future glory.
B. We are sure to be rewarded for all things that we have done for the Lord
Vs. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The Corinthian believers were the richest among the NT churches but somehow they were reluctant to give to the ministry. This letter of Paul also contains his reminder for their pledge to give to the believers experiencing famine in Judea. They were the ones who initiated it but they were the last to participate. The churches of Laodicea and Philippi gave more than what they can but the Corinthian believers were seemingly holding up. Thus apostle used this teaching on resurrection to challenge them to give to the ministry.
This is in the context of resurrection and glorification of our bodies. Apostle Paul thus encouraged the Corinthian believers to continue to do good and to serve God.
The Lord Jesus Christ said in Mark 9:41 “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”
I’ll tell you the Lord is just. Every single deed that we have done FOR THE LORD not for ourselves will be given due reward in heaven.
Resurrection is one of the greatest motivation for doing God’s will on earth. We obey His will while we are in the body because we will stand before Him will be held accountable for everything that we have done while we are living. We will surely reap or LOSE the reward for our every sacrifices and participation in His ministry.
Apostle Paul asserts that there is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 Rom 8:1“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
The elect will stand before Jesus not to be condemned but to be rewarded. God is just and under God’s grace He will practice His Justice. There will be believers who will receive 7 crowns, 6 crowns, 5 crowns. Some are without crowns. I would like to see myself not only in heaven but near my God and Savior and I would like to wear one of those crowns for those who have crowns will have something to offer to Him.
Rev 4:10-11
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.KJV
Application: What are you doing with your life as a Christian? Are you faithful with everything that He has entrusted you? With your body? With your relationships? With your witness? With your business? With what you eat? With what you think? With your giving to the Church where you eat spiritual food?
HOW TO KNOW WHETHER YOU REALLY LOVE CHRIST OR NOT. (Paul Washer)
In the day that just passed, how many times did you think about your self, your clothes, your house, your kids, your hair, your car, your work, your plans?
Compare that with how many times did you think about Christ, about heaven, about your Heavenly Father, about His Word, about being led by the Spirit on some decisions, about talking to your kids about spiritual things, about using your home for the Study of God's Word.
C. It assures us of final vindication by God
The resurrection sets the grand stage for the believers’ vindication in front of their enemies.
1 Cor 6:3a Know ye not that we shall judge angels? KJV
During the Great white throne judgment, all people from all races from all time, including those who maligned you as a believer, those who mocked you of your faith, those who thought that they are right and you are wrong, those who treated you as their enemy will stand before Christ and us. They will see us standing with Christ with the rest of God’s elect and we will finally be vindicated.
Rev 20:11-12
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
This is the reason why we are commanded to love and pray for our enemies. The resurrection is the reason why we need to forgive them and don’t take vengeance unto our own hands.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. KJV
The presence of God makes Hell more hellish. No one can escape God’s judgment and presence for He is omnipresent. Hell is Hell because God is there punishing those who rejected His work of salvation through His Son. God’s vengeance is more reasonable than us. And this, he will accomplish because there is resurrection of the dead.
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Date: April 7, 2013
Theme: The 7 last Words of Christ (Part 2)
Text: Selected
Introduction: Last week we have studied the first 4 last words of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Let me review them briefly for those who were absent last week.
First Word: A Prayer of Forgiveness
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
Second Word: An Expression of deep longing
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
Third Word: Word of Concern and trust
"Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27)
4th Word: Word of Suffering
"I thirst!" (John 19:28)
Now we come to the 5th to 7th words of our Lord.
5th Word: Word of Assurance
"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
It is a word of assurance. "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
He told this to one of the 2 criminals hanging with Him on the cross.
What kind of assurance that our Lord has given to one of the criminals?
A. First is the assurance of Acceptance
These two criminals were led with him to the place of execution, to justify the hasty trial and execution of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That he was crucified between two thieves denotes that he was treated as the worst of the three. Thus he was not only treated as a transgressor, but was considered the worst of them.
One of the criminals began to test Jesus and doubt His identity.
Luke 23 vs. 39 “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”
It is not a guarantee that a dying or a poor or a sick person will automatically humble himself before God.
But the other thief on the cross rebuked him and said “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
To this, The Lord Jesus Christ replied, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
This is the work of the Holy Spirit in all those who are going to be saved. This is God’s means of saving His people and it never changes until today. What the robber did as evidence of the Spirit's work in his life during his impending death?
1. He acknowledged that he is a sinner and is worthy to receive punishment
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
The reason why people can’t be forgiven is that they think they are not as bad as people think them to be. They don’t acknowledge their sins to be worthy of punishment. But in order to be forgiven you must come to God with nothing to be proud of. Your qualification in coming to Him is your lack of qualification.
2. He acknowledged Jesus’ holiness
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
If Jesus is also a sinner how can he forgive the sins of others? How can he be a saviour? This man has the right knowledge of Jesus’ character. It is certain that it is not his first encounter with Jesus. Christ has ministered for 3 years and the Bible says all people from far and wide wanted to see Him for all the mighty works that He is doing. He heals the blind, the leper, the lame, the demoniac, brings back the dead to life, walks on water, feeds the 4 thousand, feeds the 5 thousand.
This criminal was certainly knowledgeable of the Scriptures and has the necessary information about Jesus. He has heard about Jesus’ teachings and ministry for 3 years and probably tried to be among his audience but because he is a criminal, he cannot let himself get exposed in the open. Now he found himself near Him. It is evident that His faith in Christ is already fully developed for he cannot declare Jesus as righteous without contemplating on Christ’s life and ministry.
3. He Acknowledged Jesus’ Lordship
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
You don’t make Jesus Lord of your life. He is Lord and all will give account to Him and will be judged by Him one day. It’s only a matter of when. Either He comes or you die and come to Him. He is already Lord ever since, before the foundation of the world.
Jesus is Lord whether you accept it or not. You must acknowledge it to make it a reality in your life.
4. He acknowledged Jesus’ Kingship
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
The robber believes that Jesus is not only a holy human being. He believes that Jesus is King and His Kingdom is not on earth. He believes that there is life after death.
He did not place much importance on himself. He is just asking for a little bit of Christ’s memory for he considered himself unworthy.
The criminal was rejected by society, rejected by his own family but now He is accepted by Christ and His Father. What a word of assurance that he is now accepted at long last. Jesus assured him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Another kind of assurance that the Lord has given to one of the criminals is ..
B. Assurance of Eternal Life with God
"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Now the criminal heard the most comforting of all words. “You will be with me in paradise.”
The religious people, the priests, the scribes and the Pharisees who are self righteous and are honest in their performance of their religion were not saved. In fact they are the ones who are instrumental to Jesus death. But this man who is cursed by the law and is the most sinful according to human standard of righteousness is the one who is saved by God.
This robber would have probably thought why is it that when he suffers the most, he experienced the most satisfying of all experience? Why is it that when he can no longer escape and do whatever he wants, he experiences the most liberty? Why is it that he is dying but he would be given the promise of an everlasting life? This is the last word heard from the lips of this criminal. In great amazement and pure joy brought by Jesus’ words of assurance, he rested and enjoyed the rest of his suffering. At long last he found what he is longing for in his entire life: the everlasting peace, joy and contentment of the assurance of forgiveness and salvation of the God whom he transgressed in his whole life.
The 6th Word of Christ...
VI. 6th Word: Declaration of Victory
"It is finished!" (John 19:30)
What Jesus has finished?
A. He fulfilled all the prophecies concerning Him
Christ fulfilled 365 Old Testament Prophecies in a span of more than 1,400 years.The First prophecy about Christ is in Gen 3:15 Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Genesis was written in 1446 BC when Moses was 40 years old.
Just calculating the mathematical probability of 8 prophecies to be fulfilled by one man is mind boggling.
The science of probability attempts to determine the chance that a given event will occur. The value and accuracy of the science of probability has been well established beyond doubt - for example, insurance rates are fixed according to statistical probabilities.
In it they took only eight of the more than 300 prophecies fulfilled by Christ and determined the odds of one person fulfilling just those eight. The results were astounding! They calculated the odds at 1 in 10 to the 17th power or 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000. Dr. Stoner calculated that if you spread out that many peso coins, it would cover the entire Philippines, 4 feet deep! Now what do you think the odds are if say, one of those silver dollars was painted red, the likelihood for a blind folded person to walk out on that pile of silver dollars and pick up the red one - on the first try? Certainly if one did that, it would be by definition, a miracle! The Bible is more than that.
Truly, He fulfilled all the prophecies concerning Him. His mission on earth is now complete. It is now finished.
He did not only finished all the prophecies concerning Him but..
B. He finished the work of saving His people
Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded another astonishing event as soon as Jesus uttered this word! The curtain that separates the holy place and Holy of Holies was torn in half from top to bottom!
This day when Jesus was crucified was the beginning of the Passover feast when the Israelites remember their freedom from Egypt. It was the time that the Jews bring their firstlings to be offered to the temple.
This demonstrated that salvation is only through Christ’s finished work on the cross.
It teaches that we cannot add anything to the finished work of Christ. Working for one’s own salvation is impossible for all have sinned and fall short before the glory of God. Christ has finished the work of salvation and it is only through Him that we can be saved. He is the only way to heaven. John 14:6. He is the Lamb of God sent to die and His blood was shed for the propitiation of our sins. John 1:29
The tearing of the veil that divides the holy place and holy of holies from top to bottom symbolizes the fact that now, because of Jesus' death, those who trust in His atoning work now have free access to God and they no longer have to go through the sacrificial system. Jesus was the only Sacrifice needed to enable people to have relationship with God.
Participating in any religious performance such as penitence and indulgences belittles and ignores the significance of Christ’s completed work. They are actually abomination to God as they don't recognize the completeness of Christ's work. Their Sincerity is not the question but the foundation on which their sincerity rests. Many are sincere in the wrong way and their work cannot be credited as righteousness by God but rebellion.
the seventh last word...
VII. 7th Word: Word of Security
"Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)
This word reflects the culmination of Christ’s work of salvation. Because He has paid in full the penalty of sin, He can now entrust His Spirit to Him.
No one can find security in God without Christ. God is dangerous without Christ. Without Christ in a person, God sees only sin and He will exercise His wrath. Only through Christ there can be peace with God.
That dying believers are both warranted, and encouraged, by Christ's example, believingly to commend their souls into the hands of God.
WHAT IS IMPLIED IN CHRIST’S COMMITTING HIS SOUL INTO THE HANDS OF GOD? It implies that...
A. That the soul outlives the body.
B. That the soul's true rest is in God.
C. The great value believers must have for their souls. We should think but little of our body comparatively with our soul.
D. These words imply the deep sense that dying believers have of the great change that is coming upon them by death.
Compare some of the dying words of Atheists with Christ’s Last word.
Caesar Borgia: "While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared to die."
Thomas Hobbs political philosopher "I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."
Thomas Payne the leading atheistic writer in American colonies: "Stay with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left alone , O Lord, help me! O God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will become of me hereafter? "I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age of Reason had never been published. 0 Lord, help me! Christ, help me! …No, don't leave; stay with me! Send even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of Hell here alone. If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one."
Sir Thomas Scott, Chancellor of England "Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty."
Voltaire, the famous anti-christian atheist: "I am abandoned by God and man; I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months' life." (He said this to Dr. Fochin, who told him it could not be done.) "Then I shall die and go to hell!" (His nurse said: "For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness."
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, and who, like Adolf Hitler, brought death to millions to satisfy his greedy, power-mad, selfish ambitions for world conquest: "I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”
But for believers, when all visible and sensible things are shrinking away from them and failing hereupon the soul clasps the closer about its God, cleaves more close than ever to Him: "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit."
E. It implies the atonement of God, and His full reconciliation to believers, by the blood of both the lamb and of the Great High Priest.
"For it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb 12:29).
But now it is no longer fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God because of Christ.
He was himself both the priest and the sacrifice; our souls were forfeited, and his must go to redeem the forfeiture. The price must be paid into the hands of God, the party offended by sin; to him he had undertaken to make full satisfaction. Now by these words he offered up the sacrifice, did, as it were, lay his hand upon the head of it, and surrender it; The greek word is “tithemi”—"I deposit it, I pay it down into thy hands. Father, accept of my life and soul instead of the lives and souls of the sinners I die for."
As believers we must show that we are freely willing to die, that we firmly believe in another life after this, and are desirous of it, by saying, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Believers, be sure that you do not give away your soul from God to anything else while you live. If you have given away your soul to other things while you live, it will be a vain thing for you to say "Father in your hands I commend my spirit" when you come to die.
Praise God for all these 7 last words of our Lord Jesus Christ mean everything about our salvation. Our salvation has been completed. We have been redeemed and atoned for by the blood of the Lamb. There is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. We now have peace with God and have access to His saving grace and spiritual blessings. Now live as God's people demonstrating His goodness and offer your life and everything to Him as this is our duty and privelege as a redeemed people of God.
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March 31, 2013
Rev. Ramil Corpuz
Theme: The 7 last Words of Christ on the Cross – part 1
Each year during Good Friday, we witness the religiosity of our Roman Catholic countrymen. We see “stations of the cross” in almost every Barangay. Some are doing the “Visita Iglesia”or religious pilgrimage while others are going to “sacred places” like Mt. Banahaw and the mountain of Montalban. Others are participating in “pasyon” or “pabasa” which is now being sung with modern musical instruments and is being participated in by gays. Mostly are not eating pork, preferring fish and sea foods in their diet. People are performing their own version of Indulgences and doing all sort of good works in their own way. Some are even avoiding merry making in “participation” of Christ’s suffering.
But the most common scenario is what we call “penitensya” where men wound and flagellate themselves. In Pampanga, there is a man named Ruben Enaje who is actually being crucified for 27 years. He says that this is his show of devotion and his way of showing God his obedience and repentance.
Meanwhile in almost all catholic churches, the 7 last words of Christ are being read and are the subject of the homilies. It is also the custom in Christian churches. But the sad reality is most of their interpretations of the 7 last words of Christ are mixed with mysticism and humanistic Philosophy.
This Sunday, we will study about the 7 last words of Christ and we will try to understand them according to their original context to understand their intended meaning.
As soon as ever he was fastened to the cross while the soldiers were nailing him, he prayed this prayer.
What this prayer shows us? This prayer shows that...
I also believe that His own people to whom He died for were also in His mind when He uttered this prayer. He prayed for them earlier the night before He was arrested. He prayed during the Last Supper in John 17:20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” We are the sheep who were once astray but He has chosen us to be the object of His saving grace through this most violent of all deaths.
Even in His death, He glorified His Father and edified those who believe in Him.
It is very easy to love those who also love us but He taught us to love and forgive our enemies and pray for them and He demonstrated to us how to do it in the most graphic way.
B. This prayer also shows that He certainly doesn’t fear men, pain and death.
The Roman soldiers have just driven 5 to 7 inches of nails through his wrists and feet and hoisted him up by those nails. He does not fear those who kill his body instead He pities them and prays for them.
He doesn’t fear pain and death for they are just temporary. The writer of Hebrews writes Heb 12:2-3 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Let’s be concerned for the welfare of others especially for their salvation. Let us not fear any man, pain and death for the Lord Jesus Christ has conquered them all! We are to love the unlovable, to forgive our enemies and to fear nothing but God.
II. 2nd Word: An Expression of deep longing
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
In His sufferings, Jesus quoted the first line of Psalm 22 as fulfilment of the prophecy that He would be separated from God.
What does this word mean? This shows....
But the Son of God left His throne in heaven, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God and made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Now on the cross, God made Him the offering for the sins of His chosen people. God cut off His communication with His Son and He will not save Him from impending death. The wages of Sin is death which means separation from God. Jesus needs to be separated from His Father so that He may pay in full the penalty for our sins.
Paul said that in 2 Cor. 5:21 “For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This was the reason why Jesus cried in tears “My God, My God why have you forsaken Me’?
God is angry with sin. He cannot tolerate sin. He must punish sin. On the cross, God made His own Son our very sins. It means that on the cross, Jesus represents all the sins that His own people have made against God and thus He was separated from His Father.
It was our sin that separates us from God; it was Jesus who became “sin” for us so that we may be brought back to God.
Have you felt a time in your life even as a believer that God has seemingly forsaken you? The Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God actually suffered the same so that we may be sure that God will never leave us nor forsake us anymore now that our sins have been punished and forgiven through Him. Jesus was left behind by the Father so that we may be accepted by the Father. God became a human so that humans can become children of God. Christ went down from heaven to earth so that we, citizens of earth and would be citizens of hell would become citizens of heaven.
B. It shows the suffering of God the Father wrought by His separation from His Son for the redemption of His people.
It was not the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head that brought us back to God....
It was not the floggings that Jesus suffered neither,
Nor the nails that pierced His wrists and feet,
Or the spear that pierced His side and ruptured His heart.
It was not the Pharisees or the Romans who crucified Jesus. It was God the Father who made His own Son to suffer.
Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
It was the sacrificial love of God the Father who made salvation possible. For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, for whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have an everlasting life.
The 3 Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded a colossal event that took place from 12:00 Noon until 3:00 pm as soon as Jesus was nailed on the cross until He breathe His last.
Matt 27:45 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
Mark 15:33 “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”
Luke 23:44 “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.”
This extra ordinary phenomenon symbolizes the grieving of God the Father over His Son who is suffering for the salvation of the sinners.
God the Father was separated from His own Son as He punished Him to bring us back to Himself.
God did NOT redeem His own people from the devil. The devil is not the reason of Christ’s death. But it is God who redeemed us from His own wrath by the death of His own Son so that he can bring us back to Himself.
We are not the reason why Jesus suffered and die.The reason why He died is to satisfy both the justice and love of God that were simultaneously demonstrated on the cross. The Father and the Son were separated from each other to satisfy God’s love and justice.
III. 3rd Word: Word of Concern and Trust
He said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27)
When Jesus was but a small child, He was brought to the temple for dedication; a certain prophet named Simeon prophesied to Mary “a sword will pierce your very soul.”
As Jesus was dying his mother and apostle John were among those who remained with Him. All his brothers and sisters in the flesh to Mary and all His disciples have deserted Him. As he saw both of them near the cross grieving he uttered this 3rd word. "Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!"
His father Joseph has already died the reason why Joseph was not mentioned during the earthly ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ brothers and sisters were still unbelievers at this point and Jesus knows that nobody among them could provide Mary the genuine concern and who would nourish both her needs and faith in Him. Thus in the midst of pain and extreme suffering, He demonstrated His concern for the welfare of His mother in the flesh. He turned to His beloved apostle and said to Mary, “woman, behold your son’ giving Mary the assurance that He knows what is the best for her. And Mary went with John from then on.
B. Second it is a word of trust
John 19:27 “Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. KJV
Are we worthy of Jesus trust to do something for Him and His Kingdom?
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March 24, 2013
Rev. Ramil Corpuz
Text: Jude 1:1-25 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.KJV
Topic: False teachers
Theme: The Character of False Teachers
The writer identified himself as Jude whose name means “the praise of the Lord.”
This is not Judas Iscariot – as this Judas died even before the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and the first Church was established.
This is also not Judas Thaddeus, Son of James – one of the disciples of Jesus as this disciple died in 65 AD whiles the book of Jude was written in AD 69.
This Judas is the half brother of Jesus as he identified himself as brother of James. (This is strongly denied by the Roman Catholics to protect the doctrine of Immaculate Conception of Mary.)
In Matt 13:55-56, both of James and Judas were mentioned by Matthew as children of Mary and Joseph the brothers of Jesus in the flesh.
Matt 13:55-56 “Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” KJV
Jude was writing not to a single Church but to all Christians everywhere though reference to the OT and other Jewish writings suggests the recipients were primarily Jewish Christians. It is the most general letter among the NT writings.
Jude said that he had originally planned to write on the subject of salvation but felt led instead to address the serious problem of religious apostasy (3:1-4:22). The word used in verse 3 (translated "I must" or "I felt the necessity ") means "to bear down upon; to compress." God literally pressured Jude to write concerning apostasy.
As evil manners give rise to good laws, so dangerous errors often give just occasion to the proper defence of important truths.
In this letter, Jude revealed the identity of false teachers by their character so that Believers could watch out for them.
The Character of the false Teachers: First,
These men pretend to be Christians and were able to convince believers that they are one of them but later on, they taught doctrines that oppose the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Take note that the early church has no extra-biblical practices in their evangelism. There was no manipulation. No medical missions, no feeding program for the unbelievers, no vacation Bible School, No Altar calls, No ABC of salvation. Their method of evangelism is house to house. They are very familiar with doctrines and so they never allow people to get in the house church unless they have undergone teachings and have shown some fruits of conversion.
But still there are certain men who were able to sneak in and convinced they are true believers and that they are with them. And not only that, they were able to have authority and teach in the church and propagate their heretical teachings.
Illustration: I know somebody who is 36 years with a "Bible Christian Community" all his life but living in gross hypocrisy and doing lip service but not truly born again in the Spirit. 36 years "Christian" and a leader but living in a sinful lifestyle. This is the result of assurance given by the pastors to false believers during the Altar call and the Sinner’s Prayer.
Another character of false teachers is..
2. They are ordained to condemnation
vs 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
In direct contrast with the character of the saved in vs 1 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
The true believers are sanctified (positional) by God the Father and preserved (experiential sanctification-perseverance) the false teachers are ordained to condemnation and thus they will not change their ways.
Another character of false teachers is...
3. They turn God’s grace into lasciviousness
vs 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
What Jude means with this phrase is, these false teachers made the grace and mercy of God a covering for crimes; intimating that men might sin safely who believe the Gospel, because in that Gospel grace abounds. But perhaps the goodness of God is here meant that while they acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah, they denied him to be the only Lord, Sovereign, and Ruler of the church and of the world and so they are not truly saved, for I cannot see how they could believe the Gospel in any way who denied the Lord Jesus Christ; unless, which is likely, their denial refers to this. There many churches in the present day that are holding the same opinion.
This is the reason why JMAc wrote a book titled the Gospel according to Jesus in response to the free grace theology. The controversy moved to the forefront of the evangelical world in the late 1980s when John MacArthur argued that the one-third of all Americans who claimed to be born again according to a 1980 Gallup poll reflected millions who are deceived, possessing a false, soul-destroying assurance.
Another character of false teachers is...
4. They defile their flesh
vs 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Jude used Sodom and Gomorrah as illustration for defiling the flesh. The men of Sodom and Gomorrah were practicing homosexuality and likewise these false teachers either participate into or advocate this kind of immorality.
Illustration: Rome is abuzz with reports about a story that appeared in two Italian publications, La Repubblica and Panorama, alleging that in a confidential report to Pope Benedict on the “Vatileaks” scandal, three cardinals said that one faction within the Vatican bureaucracy was “united by sexual orientation” and could be subject to blackmail. The story—which has quickly spread around the globe—goes on to speculate that the cardinals’ report, submitted in December, shocked the Pope and prompted him to resign.
Thus many think that the resignation of the Pope is linked with homosexuality.
Is there a network of homosexual clerics working within the Vatican? Undoubtedly yes, according to an Italian Newspaper.
Another example of false teacher is Joel Osteen the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, which boasts a weekly attendance of 43,000 people.
Joel Osteen defends his stance on homosexuality (interview on same sex marriage and homosexuality on the program "Starting Point" on CNN on Sept. 20, 2012.
- "I don't think [homosexuality is] God's best," he added (refusing to call homosexuality as sin equal to other sins)
- homosexuality is not a choice just as he is being a heterosexual is not a choice.
It’s not strange as he declares during that interview that his goal as a pastor is to lift his congregants up, and instils a good sense of self-image in each one of his service attendees not to please God and preach His Word.
But Jude's illustration of Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns, serves as a dreadful example of what happens to those who turn from God to follow their own lustful natures. The fate of the unbelievers in those two cities foreshadows the fate of those who deny God's truth and ignore His warnings. The punishment by fire on the perverse inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah illustrates the eternal fire of hell, which will be experienced by false teachers.
Another character of false teachers is...
5. They reject the authority of God
vs 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
The false teachers reject God’s authority. Jude used the Israelites rejection and unbelief of God after God led them out of Egypt and the angels who sided with Satan and rejected God’s dominion over them.
vs. 5 “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
Illustration: RC’s teaching of the authority of man rather than the Word of God. Tradition is equivalent to and sometimes higher than the Scriptures. They created their own doctrine of purgatory, and Limbus infantrum (which Pope Benedict abolished) veneration of the saint and asking for their prayers (my deceased auntie used to do novenas to saints to win in Jueteng).
Another character of false teachers is...
6. They speak evil of dignities
vs 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Speaking evil of dignities means they are using God’s name to presumptuously declare that they knew what God wants to do but actually they don’t know what they are doing.
As an illustration. Jude used the angel of God’s avoidance of speaking and declaring something that He doesn’t know about what God feels toward the devil’s Jude apparent claiming the right to dispose of the body of Moses. When the devil claimed that he should be the one to bury Moses body, the angel of God who was sent to bury Moses’ body said “The Lord rebuke thee”.
But what other preachers do today? They are presumptuously declaring that God is doing something or approving of something.
Have you heard the declaration like this during the Altar Call? “God is now writing your name in the Book of life”
After the altar call, pastors would declare, “angels are now celebrating in heaven.”
Or during tithes and offering “God is now opening the windows of Heaven”
During healing crusades “Jesus, touch this woman’s body”.
700 Club Asia’s divination and foretelling of sickness.
Or during political rallies of so called born again? “God has chosen this candidate to become the next president of the Philippines.”
They perfectly fit with Jude’s description of false prophet in v10 “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
John Macarthur said “during the time of Jesus, the Pharisees attributed the work of God to the Devil, now in our time the work of the devil is attributed to the work of God.
Another character of false teachers is...
7. They use God’s words to speak good things to men for personal gain
vs16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Jude said that Balaam, under the guise of serving God, encouraged others to sin, while at the same time seeking to gain monetarily from their error. Similarly the false leaders of Jude's day, greedy for money, led others into sin without recognizing the danger of their actions.
False teachers speak great swelling words or words that tickle the ears. And this is what carnal men like. In fact Paul writing to Timothy said 2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”
False teachers and false believers are complimentary with each other. False teachers love to tickle the ears of his hearers for personal gain while false believers enjoy their preaching and so they are paying for the entertainment. This is why Joel Osteen’s church is very popular.
This is the sad state of the church today. We can see these characters in many of the church leaders of today.
1. They deceive people
2. They are ordained to hell
3. They use the word of God to justify their sins
4. They defile their flesh
5. They reject the Scriptures
6. They speak of things that they don’t know
7. They use God’s Word for personal gains
If Jude was compelled to write about this topic than writing about salvation, contending for the faith is equally important with sharing the Gospel. Let us not take false teachings lightly but rather be always on guard against them and contend for the truth for the truth is what matters most to God.
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March 17, 2013
Preacher: Rev. Ramil Corpuz
Text: 3 John 1:1-14
Theme: 4 Biblical Teachings on Prosperity and Healing
The essence of the Word of Faith Movement is this:
God promises that if you have positive faith and truly believe AND
speak that faith with your mouth in positive affirmations (e.g., “God is
my source of healing and prosperity; I am well and rich”) God is obligated to heal you
and give you financial blessings beyond your wildest dreams. It isn’t
always stated that baldly, but that’s the essence of it–especially as it
is HEARD by its many adherents. There are, of course, degrees of it.
Oral Roberts’ version was called “Seed Faith.” It was mild compared to
some of the chapel speakers’ messages. But the essential message is that
God will give you abundance, meaning well-being in every sense, if you
exercise faith in him for that abundance by speaking it into existence.
But are these presumptions valid?
Diotrephes may possibly be an early (and unfavorable) example of a monarchical bishop. Out of the earliest ecclesiastical situation in which a body of elders of equal authority ruled the congregations, a system emerged in which one man assumed prominence over the other elders and became the "bishop" (though this title was originally synonymous with that of elder). This process must often have happened almost imperceptibly when a man of strong character gained ascendancy over the rest of the leadership. But in the church to which Gaius evidently belonged, the process had led to the prominence of a self-willed and authoritarian individual. Diotrephes' reasons for refusing to receive travelling brethren were not spelled out specifically by John. No doubt Diotrephes rationalized his conduct in some way. But the apostle made it plain that what Diotrephes did was wrong (cf. v. 11). He expected to correct the situation when he arrived (v. 10).
In verse 2 Apostle John’s prayer for Gaius to enjoy good health and that all may go well with him are not a mere conventional expression of good wishes. The apostle was concerned for the temporal well-being of others, and not only for their spiritual welfare. He must surely have learned this from Jesus whose concern for people's physical troubles is attested in all four Gospels. Certainly this is a biblical warrant for Christians today to pray for the temporal needs of their spiritual peers.
In the prayer of John for Gaius we can see 4 Biblical teachings on prosperity and healing. What does the Bible teach about Prosperity and healing?
First we can see from this prayer of John for Gaius that...I. Prosperity/healing is NOT included in the Atonement.
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Here John was praying for a redeemed man. He made sure that Gaius is saved by calling him beloved in verse 1.
vs1 The Elder, To the “beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:”
He also commends Gaius for “walking in the truth” in verse 3 “For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.”
Examples of men of God who were saved, called and were mightily used by God in the ministry but were sickly.
All of the apostles lived in poverty and did not gain earthly wealth. All of them died by torture aside from Apostle John who died of old age.
This is how the apostles die according to Historical facts and tradition.
Simon Peter - crucified head down, at his own request.
Andrew, brother of Peter - severely scourged & tied by ropes on x-shaped cross where he hung for 2 days to expire.
James, son of Zebedee & Salome and elder brother of John (not brother of Jesus) the Bible writer - Beheaded with sword; Mark 10:39 & Acts 12:1-2
Philip of Bethsaida- Crucified
Bartholomew (Nathaniel) - beaten/flayed, and crucifiedhead down
Thomas (Didymus) - lanced by idolatrous priests & burned up in an oven
Matthew (Levi), of Capernaum the Bible writer - Axed to death with a halberd
James (half brother of Jesus to Mary) - Thrown down from the Temple tower & not dead so clubbed to death with a fullers club at age 94
Jude (Thaddaeus...Judas Lebbaeus) - crucified
Simon the Zealot(the Canaanite) - crucified
Matthias (the 11 remaining Apostles chose him to replace Judas) - Stoned and beheaded
Paul (chosen by the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus) - beheaded
John the beloved, son of Zebedee and brother of James; Bible writer (John, 1,2,3 John & Revelation) - thrown in boiling oil but unharmed; died of natural causes & buried near Ephesus about 100AD
Noon ang mabuhay ay kay Kristo ang mamatay ay pakinabang. (Before, the disciples motto is "to live is Christ and to die is gain.)
Ngayon, ang mabuhay kay Kristo ay para sa sariling kapakinabanagan ang mamatay ay kalugihan. (Now, the believers' motto is to live for Christ is to gain and to die is loss)
The second Biblical teaching on prosperity and healing as seen in this verse is...
II. Being spiritual is not a guarantee for prosperity and healing and vice versa
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
John acknowledges that Gaius’ soul prospers meaning he is spiritually right before God.
The Spirituality of Gaius commended.
There are some things that are true about healing that we admit.
First of all, people who are morally conscientious and who recognize that the physical body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) may generally have better health because they take care of their bodies.
Secondly, the Bible does teach healing although it does not guarantee healing for all. It was part of Jesus and the apostles' ministries. There were gifts of healing in the church's charismata, and in James 5:14-15, Christians are specifically encouraged to pray for the sick with the promise of answered prayer.
The fourth Biblical teaching on prosperity and healing as seen in this verse is..
IV. Prosperity and healing are not to be used for own gratification and preservation but for the glory of God.
Vs. 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Why this is so? For the very purpose of God’s financial blessing is for His work to flourish and for His saving grace to be made known to men. That is what brings glory to His name.
Conclusion:
In our text today we have seen the 4 Biblical teachings on prosperity and healing:
Come to God with boldness for He has given us the permission to express the longings of our hearts.
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Date: May 12, 2013
Theme: The Nature of Hell
Text: Matthew 5:17-30
Matt 5:18-22 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. 27 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 28 But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offends thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. 30 And if thy right hand offends thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. KJV
Last Sunday we talked about the nature, scope of and God's solution to man’s sin. Today we will talk about the ultimate punishment of God to sinners: Hell.
At recent annual workshops of pastor in the US, the facilitator asked how many of the pastors who attended the conference had ever preached a sermon on hell. Nobody answered in the affirmative.
"I think it's something people want to avoid," the facilitator said. "I understand why. It's a difficult topic."
The Rev. Fred Johns, pastor of Brookview Wesleyan Church in Irondale, Ala., said after a workshop discussion of hell that pastors do shy away from the topic of everlasting damnation.
"It's out of fear we'll not appear relevant," he said. "It's pressure from the culture to not speak anything negative. I think we've begun to deny hell. There's an assumption that everybody's going to make it to heaven somehow."
The soft sell on hell reflects an increasingly market-conscious approach, Selles said.
"When you're trying to market Jesus, sometimes there's a tendency to mute traditional Christian symbols," he said. "Difficult doctrines are left by the wayside. Hell is a morally repugnant doctrine. People wonder why God would send people to eternal punishment."
Speakers said the seriousness of Jesus dying for man's sins relates to the gravity of salvation vs. damnation, according to Johns. "If you don't mention God's judgment, you are missing a big part of the Christian gospel," Selles said. "Without wrath, there's no grace."
The Nature of Hell According to Jesus: First...
- Hell is a real place
The Lord Jesus Christ made it sure that people would know about hell. He never watered down this topic. The Lord Jesus Christ mentioned hell 11 times. The text we read today is part of the Great Sermon on the mount from Matthew chapter 5-7 along the other teachings of Jesus on the beatitudes and The Lord’s Prayer. Being included in that long discourse is significant to the importance of this teaching. This teaching on hell is part of a single sermon that took place in Galilee after Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist. It is the longest piece of Jesus’ teaching and the widely quoted elements of the other Gospels
There are religious groups that deny the reality of hell like Jehovah’s witnesses. Their reason for denying it is their imbalance view of the Love of God. They say how a loving God could send certain men to hell. But hell is a reality. Christ would be a liar if He taught something that is not true.
Another thing about hell is...
II. Hell is a Lake of Fire
22 But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.
Pope John Paul II stirred up a debate in 1999 by describing hell as "the state of those who freely and definitely separate themselves from God, the source of all life and joy."
Hell is not just an abstract state of separation or a state of suffering on earth. It is a physical, literal place of torment.
A. Hell is a Lake
Rev 20:12-15 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Some say it is only a lake so how can all people that has lived and died will fit in that lake?
There is no need of a bigger place to fit in all 40 billions of people in hell assuming as their spiritual bodies are of the same size of their physical bodies. Henry Morris computed the size of a place where 40 billion people could fit in and he come with up with computation that it only need about 100 miles or less in diameter to contain all 40 billion or so people that have ever lived with much space to spare. (Henry Morris, the Bible has the answer p. 220) That size is only 1/5 the size of Laguna Lake
B. It is fire
Vs 47 And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. KJV
It is not only a lake of fire but a lake of fire willed with worms according to Mark 9:47-48 ‘And if thine eye offend thee, pluck it out: it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire: 48 Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.’ KJV
Another thing about Hell is...
III. Hell is eternal
In Matt 25:46 The Lord Jesus described hell as the place for eternal punishment. “And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal. KJV
I will be suggesting 2 propositions. What would you like if you are to choose? The first choice is, you will have everything you want for one month. You will have 100 billion and you can spend it in whatever way you want. You will become very famous. You will be the talk of the town. Your name will be broadcast in national TV and Newspaper in whatever topic you may want people to talk about yourself. But that is only for one day. After one day, you will then spend the rest of your life in jail.
Now this is the second choice. You will spend one month in prison. You have just porridge to eat and faucet water to drink. You will have no spare clothes. You are only allowed to take a bath once a week. You will not be allowed to be visited by your loved ones. You will live in isolation, darkness and hunger but after one month you will be given 100 billion and you will spend your life in happiness with your loved ones for the rest of your life.
Of course it is foolish to choose option number 1 but that is actually what most people do with their lives. Many are choosing the temporal gains of this world apart from God in exchange of eternity. The Lord Jesus Christ emphatically said Matt 16:26 “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”
People do this because they are ignorant of the word “eternal”. They thought that there is no eternal punishment after the temporary life on earth. But however they deny it, they cannot escape it for this is the reality.
But how long really is eternal? How long people will live on earth versus how long they will spend their life in eternity. Let me illustrate it this way...
Suppose a wealthy man wants to reward somebody who can count all the grains of sand along Manila Bay... Nobody will probably join that contest because how long would it be for you to do that?
Or supposed you have an intelligent parrot and you asked that parrot to pick a grain of sand and bring that grain of sand to the moon. When that parrot is able to bring all the sand from the whole Pacific Ocean to the moon then not a single second in Eternity has passed.
In Eternity there is no seconds, no minutes or hour. Eternity is a permanent PRESENT. Imagine your loved ones spending their eternity in hell.
Another thing about hell is...
IV. Hell is the application of God’s Love and Justice against sinners
One time my wife Charlette attended a weekly devotion with her co-workers in our previous office and they came to talk about hell. When she was asked if God is in hell she said yes. Another co-worker told her, what in the world would God do in hell? What ignorance of the Scriptures!
But how can God’s justice be satisfied if He is not present in His own punishment for those who rebelled against Him. In all of executions carried out since time immemorial, people were invited to witness the execution of the criminals to satisfy man’s justice such as the case of Jose Rizal. Are we not to believe that God’s presence will be those who suffer in hell?
Rev 14:10 “The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:’ KJV
Hell is not only the application of God’s justice but also an expression of His love for those who don’t believe. Nobody who went to hell went against their will to dislike God. Atheists knowingly and actively deny God. They did that with all their heart and strength. They even spend their money, time and effort to teach and convince others that God doesn’t exist and that men are just product of evolution. That everything happens only by chance and there is no heaven or hell.
No sinners who are committing sins dislike sin. They are aware of what they do and enjoy what they do. I don’t see a man who commits adultery who says to his other woman “I don’t like you” or a drunkard who says that he is just forced to drink and he doesn’t like wine or a smoker who hates cigarette. No robber would ever say he doesn’t want to steal money or a murderer who says it is against his will to kill the person that he hates so much.
Sinners want to sin and so God in His great love did not force them to repent and believe. In His great forbearance He waited for them to repent and to turn to Him. He provided them the means so that they would hear about the truth. He provided them pastors who would preach about the Gospel of Christ but they mock them and say that they can make it without Christ. God miraculously preserved His written Word and made it available for all to read but they don’t read their Bibles. Their Bibles are like figurines intended for display. They never opened it and read its contents. God has provided media in our age. There are now preachers on radio and on TV and on the internet that men have almost no excuse of not hearing about God and His provision of salvation. Aside from these, God ministers through the Holy Spirit by teaching man about sin and convicting them through their conscience about what is right and what is wrong but they choose what their flesh naturally desires. It is against conscience to lie but they become hard hearted and hard headed. They know that being gay and lesbian is sin but they continue with what they think is right. They went with the culture. They sided with the majority. They went against God’s truths.
So God gave them over to sin because He is love. People go to hell because they want to go there. And in hell they will still impose their will. They will still curse God for they died unregenerate by the Holy Spirit. They will still doubt God and blame God for being unjust. They will shout while they gnash their teeth in pain that they don’t deserve to be in hell. It is because even if they see God like the Israelite did in the Old Testament, they were not able to understand Him and glorify Him because they are sinners by nature. All men without the Spirit of God cannot understand spiritual things.
Once in hell forever be in hell. There will be no second chance or elevation. There will be no escape and rest from pain and suffering of the whole body, soul and spirit.
The Last thing about hell is...
V. Man cannot save himself from Hell
Jesus is teaching here the impossibility of men from escaping Punishment in hell. He compared the Old Testament standard of righteousness with the New Testament.
The OT cursing of one’s enemy
The OT murder vs the NT murder
The OT adultery vs the NT adultery
Just as the Scripture says all men have sinned and fall short before the glory of God. There’s nothing that you should do to go to hell. You are naturally a sinner and your natural destiny is hell.
The only way out of hell is obtaining perfect righteousness. Since all men are sinners and no one is righteous, God Himself provided a way for us to escape hell. That is through the death of His Son and imputing His righteousness to us who believe.
If you die without Christ you are without hope of escaping Hell. Cry to God to make a miracle. Cry out to Him to save you from His impending wrath. It takes a miracle for you to be saved. I can’t save you from Hell. Only God through His words and His Spirit can do that. Even your believing is the result of the power of God.
"Our very believing is the result of the power of God... There is a strong tendency to talk in a superficial manner about believing, as if it were an easy thing which any man can do if he feels disposed to it. How lightly and glibly many talk about believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, or about believing the gospel... There is much emphasis on believing and decision; and it is suggested that anyone who wants to become a Christian can easily accomplish it... There are two main explanations of this superficial, indeed false, view of believing. The first is that it is due to an appalling failure on our part to realize the consequences of sin and the Fall of man... The second is our failure to realize what is involved in the new birth, regeneration; we fail to realize the greatness of the change that is described in those terms, and what is included in them, and why regeneration is ever necessary. These are the cause of all glib use of the word believe, and the tendency to to say that the natural man is able to believe." DM Lloyd Jones
Application:
In the whole world, there is an average of 1.78 deaths per second; 107 deaths per minute; 6,390 deaths per hour; 153,000 deaths per day; 56.0 million deaths per year. (http://www.hebrew4christians.net) Among them could be one of your loved ones or could be you!
Matt 7:13 “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in there at:”
Many preachers spend most of their sermons on how to increase self- esteem, how to get rich, how to get along with people and on entertaining people with jokes and with their funny antics while every second there are people going and spending their eternity in hell.
I would not spend my nights preparing sermon that would only meet your temporal needs. I am here to plead God that He would provide you the miracle to escape Hell. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and trust ONLY in His finished work and live for Him. He is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through Him.
Are you a true believer? Know why and how you believe. Continue believing and continue to grow in the knowledge of Him. He is beautiful, He is good, He is gracious and He is Holy.
Live as a true believer in this temporal world!
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Date: May 5, 2013
Topic: The Nature, Scope and solution to man’s sin.
Text: Romans 3: Rom 3:1-14
What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?2 Much every way: chiefly, because that unto them were committed the oracles of God.3 For what if some did not believe? shall their unbelief make the faith of God without effect?4 God forbid: yea, let God be true, but every man a liar; as it is written, That thou mightest be justified in thy sayings, and mightest overcome when thou art judged.5 But if our unrighteousness commend the righteousness of God, what shall we say? Is God unrighteous who taketh vengeance? (I speak as a man) 6 God forbid: for then how shall God judge the world? 7 For if the truth of God hath more abounded through my lie unto his glory; why yet am I also judged as a sinner? 8 And not rather, (as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say,) Let us do evil, that good may come? whose damnation is just. 9 What then? are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 13 Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness: 15 Their feet are swift to shed blood:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:17 And the way of peace have they not known:18 There is no fear of God before their eyes.19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and all the world may become guilty before God.20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.21 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets;22 Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; KJV
Man should be brought to the knowledge of himself before he surrendered himself over to God. We don’t appreciate light during daytime. We often turn the lights off for there is no use for them. But when night time comes, we appreciate even a dim light coming from a small candle.
God’s love and justice can be understood and appreciated all the more with our own sinfulness at the backdrop. In the first 3 chapters of Paul’s letter to Romans, he brings the whole world into condemnation. Paul understands that unless men see their incapacity and inability to save themselves they would not appreciate the Gospel. The Gospel is only attractive to a man that sees His need of it.
In this letter of Paul to the Romans, we will find the nature, the scope and solution to man’s sins.
- The Nature of Sin
- It is universal
The Jews on the other hand have been chosen by God to be His spokesperson to the world. They have the laws of God, the circumcision and the Ten Commandments.
But Paul asserted the Jews are no better than the pagan Greeks and gentiles. Rom 3:1 What advantage then hath the Jew? or what profit is there of circumcision?
Rom 3:9-10 “What then? Are we better than they? No, in no wise: for we have before proved both Jews and Gentiles, that they are all under sin; 10 As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:” KJV
Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short before the glory of God.”
B. It made all men guilty before God
Vs. 19 Now we know that what things soever the law saith, it saith to them who are under the law: that every mouth may be stopped, and the entire world may become guilty before God.
No one can save himself from the wrath of God for all stands guilty before Him. All men are born sinners.
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.KJV
Just look at how a baby reacts when he/she wants to get back something that is taken away from him. Imagine if the baby is as strong and as big as a grown up man. He would have committed murder.
II. The Scope of Sin
Man became inherently corrupt and utterly incapable of choosing or doing that which is acceptable to God apart from divine grace.
Sin has radically corrupted man’s whole nature.
A. His thoughts
vs. 11 There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.
Man naturally doesn’t seek what he doesn’t understand. He knows that there is God but He can’t understand Him so He does not seek Him. If somebody seems to have a “god” that is not the true God of the Scriptures. That “god” is the god that his own mind has created.
Man seeks after his own good; after his own welfare, after his own self esteem and his own happiness: No one naturally seeks for God.
In fact it is the other way around. It is God who seeks His own. We can find in the Scriptures that after Adam sinned, he did not try to amend his sin before God. We see God going down from heaven and asking Adam of what has happened.
The Lord Jesus Christ is described as a seeker in Luke 19:10 "For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost."
The reason you are here and listening or reading this sermon is because God is seeking you. He used the means for you to find your way here and to this sermon this morning/evening.
B. His deeds
vs. 12 They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
The natural man thinks that he is already doing good. He goes to the church every Sunday, he gives to the church and people in need. He tries his best to love people as he loves himself. He tries to obey the 10 commandments by his capacity. He doesn’t kill, he respects his parents, and he loves his family and tries hard to be fair in all his dealings.
But he does every good thing for his own good not for God. He does good to others because it gives him a sense of religiosity and pleasure. It makes him boast of what he does and he compares what he does with others. It is because his nature is corrupt and whatever good things he does in his own righteousness they are not counted as righteousness before God.
What does the Scripture say about man’s righteousness? Are they counted by God as acceptable?
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. KJV
The text says our righteousnesses are like filthy rags in the sight of God. The word "rag" in Hebrews means either the piece of cloth used by women during their monthly period or the cloth used by lepers to cover their wounds. If men's righteousness is compared with such filthy rags how much our evil deeds look like before God? Truly, men are hopeless and can do nothing to please God.
C. His tongue
Vs. 13 “Their throat is an open sepulchre; with their tongues they have used deceit; the poison of asps is under their lips: 14 whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness:”
Paul here says that the tongue is like an open tomb filled with rottenness. People used their tongue to tell lies and deceive people (like what false preachers do); and is like a poison that kills, full of cursing and bitterness.
James devoted the whole chapter 3 of his epistle in dealing with the characteristics of the tongue. He compared it to a rudder that can make the giant ship move to where it wants to go. He also compared the tongue to a small fire that can start a big fire full of deadly poison.
D. His Feet
vs. 15 ‘Their feet are swift to shed blood:16 Destruction and misery are in their ways:17 And the way of peace have they not known:’
The feet of the sinners never walk in the path of righteousness. His feet always bring him to sinful places and to sinful activities. His feet follow the sinful dictates of his heart. Nobody who is unregenerate of the Spirit of God can walk in the ways of the Lord.
He thinks that the path he’s treading on is the way to life but the end of that path is death.
Prov 14:12 “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.
E. His Eyes
Vs. 18 ‘There is no fear of God before their eyes.”
The carnal man’s eyes look up to riches and fame as the main source of happiness. Never a carnal man’s eyes look unto Jesus and see His beauty. The carnal man’s eyes based the worth of a person on his intelligence, wealth and fame.
But Jesus’ eyes saw the world differently. He saw the world filled with walking dead, and his own people like a sheep without shepherd. He cried for the wealthy and for those who have authorities. He said what a man can gain if he gains the whole world but lose his soul?
Gen 6:5 summarizes the characteristic of man’s thought and desires.
‘Then the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.’
During one of his evangelistic meetings inside a campus, after reading the text above Paul Washer was interrupted by a student and said, “Mr. Preacher you are lying. I don’t believe in your explanation. I believe there is still good in man. Not all men are sinners’ to which Washer gently replied, ‘Young man I didn’t explain the verse. I just read it.’
Apostle Paul explicitly teaches in this chapter of Romans that no single person on earth can save himself from the wrath of God. The Jews and Gentiles alike are all sinners and apart from God’s grace, man is destined to hell however he might try to escape from it.
But Paul did not stop from there. Now he expounds on the ONLY solution to sin and condemnation of God. And that is the person and the work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
III. The Solution to Sin
vs. 20 Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin.
Vs. 22 “Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe:’
The Jews thought that obedience to the law is the solution to sin. They are very proud of their legacy being the only people in the world to have personally received God’s commandments through Moses.
But Apostle Paul argues that the law they are adhering to is the very reason why they stand condemned before God. In fact from the law comes the knowledge of sin and there is no justification that can be found in it.
On the other hand the pagan world has no excuse as well. Even though they were not the recipients of God’s commandments they were aware of the identity of the true God by what they see in nature and by what is being dictated by their conscience. Serving the gods that they have invented and made out of ignorance will reap for them eternal damnation for they also have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
This is the Gospel: All men sinned and fall short of God’s glory. They are all under God’s condemnation. The laws of God don’t justify sinners. In fact it is the very instrument of God for all men to know that they can’t save themselves.
No one is righteous and no one can make him righteous before the Holy God as the whole of man’s being - mind, body, soul and spirit became totally depraved by sin. He is a "living zombie". He is physically alive but spiritually dead. There is not even a single thought, deed or desire of him that has passed God’s standard of righteousness and thus all are destined to suffer God’s wrath in the everlasting fire of God’s judgment – in hell. God doesn’t need to bring anybody to hell. All are conceived in sin and are born sinners and they are already citizens of hell- if God did not practice grace.
And God lavishly poured out His grace to the elect when He sent His only begotten Son to the sinful world. The Son of God who is not a human being before He incarnate, took a human body for Himself and was born into the poorest of the poor, subjected Himself to the Laws that He Himself has made and perfectly obeyed the Law to become the righteousness of God to those who believe and put their trust in His atoning work. On the Cross, He appeased the wrath of God by shedding His own blood for the propitiation of sins.
Rom 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” KJV
Jesus Christ paid the wages of sin. He perfectly obeyed the Law thus He is holy and blameless. But the holy Christ suffered the penalty of the sins of the elect when He died on the cross. He was the Lamb of God who was slain for the sins of His people. On the cross He became sin before God so that He can become the righteousness of those who believe.
He actually died physically but on the third day, He rose from the dead and sat on the throne of God in heaven. He opened the Holy of Holies, a place where no man in history of history has ever entered. He opened the way for the sinners to enter the Holy of Holies and give them privelege to join Him there forever. He is our righteousness, our life, our hope, our salvation. That’s why He is called the way, the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father in heaven except through Him.
Our problem of sin has been solved. Those who are in Christ will no longer suffer condemnation for He has suffered God’s condemnation on our behalf. God sees in His chosen the righteousness of Christ. He has perfectly met God the Father’s standard of righteousness therefore, we are now free from God’s impending wrath and judgment.
Rom 8:1 “There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” KJV
But the text says the elect walks after the Spirit. It is because the Spirit of God has been given to them that believe to be able to obey God. We are now new creations. We are regenerated, possessed and sanctified and being sanctified by the Spirit of God until we come to our true home in heaven. This is the meaning of being born again. We have been miraculously re-created by God through the work of the Spirit. We are now naturally obeying Him for to a born of God; Jesus is beautiful, lovely and is worthy to be obeyed, and to be given praise and honour. Living for Christ who died for us is a great honour and privilege and the source of ultimate joy, peace, contentment and happiness.
Praise God for His wonderful, unexplainable grace!
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Text: Matthew 28:1-20
Matt 28:1-28 “ In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre. 2 And, behold, there was a great earthquake: for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it. 3 His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow: 4 And for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.5 And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. 6 He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. 7 And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you. 8 And they departed quickly from the sepulchre with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word. 9 And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 10 Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me.11 Now when they were going, behold, some of the watch came into the city, and shewed unto the chief priests all the things that were done.12 And when they were assembled with the elders, and had taken counsel, they gave large money unto the soldiers,13 Saying, Say ye, His disciples came by night, and stole him away while we slept.14 And if this come to the governor's ears, we will persuade him, and secure you.15 So they took the money, and did as they were taught: and this saying is commonly reported among the Jews until this day.16 Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them.17 And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.KJV
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Topic:: The Great Commandment
Theme: The Essence of the Great Commandment
Fritz Kreisler (1875-1962), the world-famous violinist, earned a fortune with his concerts and compositions, but he generously gave most of it away. So, when he discovered an exquisite violin on one of his trips, he wasn't able to buy it. Later, having raised enough money to meet the asking price, he returned to the seller, hoping to purchase that beautiful instrument. But to his great dismay it had been sold to a collector. Kreisler made his way to the new owner's home and offered to buy the violin. The collector said it had become his prized possession and he would not sell it. Keenly disappointed, Kreisler was about to leave when he had an idea. "Could I play the instrument once more before it is consigned to silence?" he asked. Permission was granted, and the great virtuoso filled the room with such heart-moving music that the collector's emotions were deeply stirred. "I have no right to keep that to myself," he exclaimed. "It's yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into the world, and let people hear it."
The essence of The Great Commandment:
- The meaning of Going
1. The recipient of this Command
Matthew skipped some of the events prior to this appearance of Christ. He chose to end His book with the most solemn and important command of Christ while appearing to the disciples on the mount of Galilee. Most of Scholars agree that this might be the same place where He transfigured. It was probably the same time where more than 500 people saw Jesus. 1 Cor. 15:6 “After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.” KJV
All who claim to be Disciples of Christ was the subject of this command. It is not only the apostles or pastors to go and find where God’s people who are still in sins are but all of Christ disciples.
“The term "disciples" was the most popular name for the early believers. Being a disciple meant more than being a convert or a church member. Apprentice might be an equivalent term. A disciple attached himself to a teacher, identified with him, learned from him, and lived with him. He learned, not simply by listening, but also by doing. Our Lord called twelve disciples and taught them so that they might be able to teach others
A disciple, then, is one who has believed on Jesus Christ and expressed this faith by being baptized. He remains in the fellowship of the believers that he might be taught the truths of the faith (Acts 2:41-47). He is then able to go out and win others and teach them. This was the pattern of the New Testament church (2 Tim 2:1-2).
“In many respects, we have departed from this pattern. In most churches, the congregation pays the pastor to preach, win the lost, and build up the saved - while the church members function as cheerleaders (if they are enthusiastic) or spectators. The "converts" are won, baptized, and given the right hand of fellowship, then they join the other spectators. How much faster our churches would grow, and how much stronger and happier our church members would be, if each one were discipling another believer. The only way a local church can "be fruitful and multiply" (instead of growing by "additions") is with a systematic discipleship program. This is the responsibility of every believer, and not just a small group who have been "called to go."
-The Bible knowledge Commentary
But it was the common believers who were instrumental to the massive growth of Christianity
Acts 8:1
And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.. Acts 8:4
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word. KJV
2. The Idea of “Going”
a. The idea of going is taking the initiative. Sinners would not come to God nor do search for God. The Scriptures tell us that there is no one who seeks God, no one understands (Romans 3:10). Sometimes we hear testimonies like, “I found God because I searched for Him” but that is the exact opposite of God’s words. That kind of statement steals the glory from God and places it in man’s hands.
We may see people seemingly trying to search for God but without the Spirit of God they don’t understand and know God. (1 Corinthians 2:12). In reality those who seemingly search for God are only searching God for their own benefits. To carnal men, Christ is only a means to an end not the end to the means. They want God to do something for them and that drives them to “look” for Him. But unless the Spirit works in their hearts they can never honestly look for Him.
Unless we leave the four corners of our church and the comforts of our homes, sinners wo have no access to the church would not hear about the Gospel. God elects people to salvation but we are the means so that they would hear God’s call through our going and teaching. The end as well as the means to salvation, are both appointed by God. He elected some unto salvation and He would use instruments to call those whom He has appointed to salvation. Hyper-calvinism denies the means. They only believe in the end. But that is not the way of God.
The command is not to wait for people to come to you and ask you about your faith or to make the church attractive to carnal people using carnal programs and methods to make people feel comfortable with the church so that they would come. The command is to go. It means leaving our homes and our church and to go where the people are.
b. The idea of Going involves not only the feet but everything. You can’t go to a far place without budget for fare. You can’t go without food. You can’t go without sacrificing your time and your family.
The following article is based on a sermon by missionary Del Tarr who served fourteen years in West Africa with another mission agency. His story points out the price some people pay to sow the seed of the gospel in hard soil.
I was always perplexed by Psalm 126 until I went to the Sahel, that vast stretch of savanna more than four thousand miles wide just under the Sahara Desert. In the Sahel, all the moisture comes in a four month period: May, June, July, and August. After that, not a drop of rain falls for eight months. The ground cracks from dryness, and so do your hands and feet. The winds of the Sahara pick up the dust and throw it thousands of feet into the air. It then comes slowly drifting across West Africa as a fine grit. It gets inside your mouth. It gets inside your watch and stops it. The year's food, of course, must all be grown in those four months. People grow sorghum or milo in small fields.
October and November...these are beautiful months. The granaries are full -- the harvest has come. People sing and dance. They eat two meals a day. The sorghum is ground between two stones to make flour and then a mush with the consistency of yesterday's Cream of Wheat. The sticky mush is eaten hot; they roll it into little balls between their fingers, drop it into a bit of sauce and then pop it into their mouths. The meal lies heavy on their stomachs so they can sleep.
December comes, and the granaries start to recede. Many families omit the morning meal.
Certainly by January not one family in fifty is still eating two meals a day.
By February, the evening meal diminishes.
The meal shrinks even more during March and children succumb to sickness. You don't stay well on half a meal a day.
April is the month that haunts my memory. In it you hear the babies crying in the twilight. Most of the days are passed with only an evening cup of gruel.
Then, inevitably, it happens. A six-or seven-year-old boy comes running to his father one day with sudden excitement. "Daddy! Daddy! We've got grain!" he shouts. "Son, you know we haven't had grain for weeks." "Yes, we have!" the boy insists. "Out in the hut where we keep the goats -- there's a leather sack hanging up on the wall -- I reached up and put my hand down in there -- Daddy, there's grain in there! Give it to Mommy so she can make flour, and tonight our tummies can sleep!"
The father stands motionless. "Son, we can't do that," he softly explains. "That's next year's seed grain. It's the only thing between us and starvation. We're waiting for the rains, and then we must use it." The rains finally arrive in May, and when they do the young boy watches as his father takes the sack from the wall and does the most unreasonable thing imaginable. Instead of feeding his desperately weakened family, he goes to the field and with tears streaming down his face, he takes the precious seed and throws it away. He scatters it in the dirt! Why? Because he believes in the harvest (Italics added).
The seed is his; he owns it. He can do anything with it he wants. The act of sowing it hurts so much that he cries. But as the African pastors say when they preach on Psalm 126, "Brother and sisters, this is God's law of the harvest. Don't expect to rejoice later on unless you have been willing to sow in tears." And I want to ask you: How much would it cost you to sow in tears? I don't mean just giving God something from your abundance, but finding a way to say, "I believe in the harvest, and therefore I will give what makes no sense. The world would call me unreasonable to do this -- but I must sow regardless, in order that I may someday celebrate with songs of joy."
If we don’t “go” to reach out the lost, we are violating God’s greatest commandment.
3. The reasons for this Command
vs. 18 a Go ye “therefore”
The adverb “therefore” means there’s underlying reason why an action should be carried out.
The disciples should go because...
1. Christ has triumphantly finished the work of salvation.
All they need to do now is to tell people what Christ has done.
2. Christ has been given by the father all authority and He gives it to the disciples.
All power is given to Christ already and there’s nothing that can hinder the propagation of His words.
vs.18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
3. Jesus promised His presence as they do the work of the ministry
vs. 19b ‘I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.’
- The essence of “Teaching”
This implies that it is God who saves not us. It is another proof of election. We are not commanded to make believers or to save people. Salvation is of God. All we need to do is to teach about this so great salvation to the elect out there.
What are we teach?
- To observe all things that Christ has commanded
- We are to teach all things that Christ has commanded
Charles Spurgeon is right on the dot when he said “the Scripture should shape the culture not the other way around.”
Culture could become the greatest enemy of the Gospel. In the New Testament, we can see that where ever the Gospel is preached, the culture is being changed by the Gospel.
We should not let philosophy of, culture or even the whims and desires of carnal men dictate what we are going to say.
May we go and make disciples of all places that we are able to reach for God’s glory and honour. Let us pray for our evangelistic service and Bible Studies Carlagan Burdeos Quezon this coming week. Each one of you is part of it.
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Date: April 14, 2013
Theme: The Significances of Christ’s Resurrection
1 Cor 15:12-32
12 Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead?13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.16 For if the dead rise not, then is not Christ raised:17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.20 But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the first fruits of them that slept.21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.27 For he hath put all things under his feet. But when he saith, all things are put under him, it is manifest that he is excepted, which did put all things under him.28 And when all things shall be subdued unto him, then shall the Son also himself be subject unto him that put all things under him, that God may be all in all.29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead, if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?30 And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.33 Be not deceived: evil communications corrupt good manners.34 Awake to righteousness, and sin not; for some have not the knowledge of God: I speak this to your shame.KJV
The last 2 Sundays, we have studied the 7 last words of the Lord Jesus Christ and I want to continue with what happened next after Christ’s death. And so today, we will be studying about His Resurrection.
Immediately after Christ died, a wealthy man named Joseph of Arimathea a wealthy man identified by APOSTLE John as a secret disciple of Jesus, a member of the sanhedrin, asked Pilate of His body, took it away and laid it in his own tomb. This fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 53:9: He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth. He was accompanied by a man named Nicodemus, the Pharisee who got to talk with the Lord Jesus Christ in a house one night early in His ministry. Their conversation was recorded by John in chapter 3 of his Gospel where we can find the God’s appointed means for salvation “unless a man be born again he cannot see the Kingdom of God.
The resurrection of Christ is an overwhelmingly well documented event and was attested to by many witnesses. To erase any doubt, Christ showed Himself in His resurrected body many times to the disciples within the span of 40 days before ascending to heaven. His ascension was even witnessed by more than 500 people!
What are the significances of Christ’s Resurrection?
- It is the evidence that the dead will be Ressurected
vs. 13 But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:
If you believe that there is no resurrection then you don’t believe that Jesus Christ has resurrected from the dead either and vice versa. You cannot believe the other and reject the other.
Some of those who belong to the Corinthian Church doubt Christ’s resurrection. It’s not a surprise for some of them are not true believers. Some of them even become false teachers. The Corinthian church is the most carnal, problematic church among the New Testament churches.
Paul then again teaches them basic theology about man and sin. Adam doesn’t die when they will still holy but they tasted death after they sinned hence Adam’s death is the cause of all men’s death for we all came from Adam and we inherited his sins.
21 For since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead 22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.
Adam represents the sinners while Jesus Christ represents those who are forgiven and saved from their sins. Jesus Christ has resurrected as a proof that those for whom he died will also be resurrected.
The Resurrection of the body is the final phase of salvation. Salvation of the soul takes place before the foundation of the world and was realized by the elect during his calling at a certain point of his life when he heard God’s Words and believed and trusted in Christ’s work.
Right after the death of the body, the soul/spirit of the elect will go straight to heaven (no stop over for 40 days of wandering on earth).
The whole composition of the body and skeleton will decay and stay where it is buried.
When Jesus comes again, the remains of the believers will be made into a glorified body and the soul and spirit from heaven will join the body in the twinkling of an eye so that the whole person will be with Christ.
vs. 23 But every man in his own order: Christ the first fruits; afterward they that are Christ's at his coming.
After the resurrection our bodies will be resurrected to reign with Him in the millennial Kingdom.
vs. 24 Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.25 For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
At the end of the millennial Kingdom, the resurrection of the unbelievers and the Great White throne judgment will take place where the reprobate will be judged according to their deeds for punishment. They will be thrown to hell to suffer for eternity while the elect will be with God forever in the New Heaven and the new earth.
Another significance of the resurrection is..
II. It is the reason, essence and substance of all Preaching
14 And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, 15 Yea, and we are found false witnesses of God; because we have testified of God that he raised up Christ: whom he raised not up, if so be that the dead rise not.
Paul listed all His sacrifices in His preaching ministry.
A. He died every day
vs. 31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.
Dying every day means forsaking our own rights, our own will, our own satisfaction for the sake of the Gospel.
Apostle Paul left his unbelieving family, gave up his position in the Sanhedrin together with all its acclaims and privileges, went on a missionary journey to preach the Gospel until he was beheaded.
B. He fought against false teachers and enemies of the gospel
vs. 32 If after the manner of men I have fought with beasts at Ephesus, what advantageth it me, if the dead rise not? let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we die.
But all these sacrifices as a preacher will all be futile if resurrection is just a lie. It would be the greatest lie in Human history.
One of the greatest lies in World History.
Another significance of the resurrection is..
III. It is the believer’s Ultimate hope
- 17 And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins. 18 Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. vs. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable
Why the resurrection is our ultimate hope? Because there is resurrection...
- We are to be freed from the corruption and suffering of the present Life.
The resurrection of the body gives us ultimate delight and joy as we are suffering on this earthly body. We suffer from sickness, pain, emotional sufferings, poverty and sin. But when this incorruptible body is replaced with the incorruptible, all of those sufferings and limitations will be gone.
Rom 8:18
18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. KJV
There is suffering on earth so that we may not look for satisfaction in the things in it. The more sufferings we have, the greater the excitement of the anticipation of the future glory.
If you are in the middle of a dessert and is dead thirsty, you will not appreciate gold or silver for they are worthless to you. But if you see an oasis, you will leap for joy because that is what you need. The same with suffering and resurrection: If we are satisfied with the things of this world, resurrection will be less attractive to you. But when you suffer sickness, trials and persecutions the more you anticipate that future glory.
B. We are sure to be rewarded for all things that we have done for the Lord
Vs. 58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.
The Corinthian believers were the richest among the NT churches but somehow they were reluctant to give to the ministry. This letter of Paul also contains his reminder for their pledge to give to the believers experiencing famine in Judea. They were the ones who initiated it but they were the last to participate. The churches of Laodicea and Philippi gave more than what they can but the Corinthian believers were seemingly holding up. Thus apostle used this teaching on resurrection to challenge them to give to the ministry.
This is in the context of resurrection and glorification of our bodies. Apostle Paul thus encouraged the Corinthian believers to continue to do good and to serve God.
The Lord Jesus Christ said in Mark 9:41 “For whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name, because ye belong to Christ, verily I say unto you, he shall not lose his reward.”
I’ll tell you the Lord is just. Every single deed that we have done FOR THE LORD not for ourselves will be given due reward in heaven.
Resurrection is one of the greatest motivation for doing God’s will on earth. We obey His will while we are in the body because we will stand before Him will be held accountable for everything that we have done while we are living. We will surely reap or LOSE the reward for our every sacrifices and participation in His ministry.
Apostle Paul asserts that there is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 Rom 8:1“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”
The elect will stand before Jesus not to be condemned but to be rewarded. God is just and under God’s grace He will practice His Justice. There will be believers who will receive 7 crowns, 6 crowns, 5 crowns. Some are without crowns. I would like to see myself not only in heaven but near my God and Savior and I would like to wear one of those crowns for those who have crowns will have something to offer to Him.
Rev 4:10-11
10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.KJV
Application: What are you doing with your life as a Christian? Are you faithful with everything that He has entrusted you? With your body? With your relationships? With your witness? With your business? With what you eat? With what you think? With your giving to the Church where you eat spiritual food?
HOW TO KNOW WHETHER YOU REALLY LOVE CHRIST OR NOT. (Paul Washer)
In the day that just passed, how many times did you think about your self, your clothes, your house, your kids, your hair, your car, your work, your plans?
Compare that with how many times did you think about Christ, about heaven, about your Heavenly Father, about His Word, about being led by the Spirit on some decisions, about talking to your kids about spiritual things, about using your home for the Study of God's Word.
C. It assures us of final vindication by God
The resurrection sets the grand stage for the believers’ vindication in front of their enemies.
1 Cor 6:3a Know ye not that we shall judge angels? KJV
During the Great white throne judgment, all people from all races from all time, including those who maligned you as a believer, those who mocked you of your faith, those who thought that they are right and you are wrong, those who treated you as their enemy will stand before Christ and us. They will see us standing with Christ with the rest of God’s elect and we will finally be vindicated.
Rev 20:11-12
11 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
This is the reason why we are commanded to love and pray for our enemies. The resurrection is the reason why we need to forgive them and don’t take vengeance unto our own hands.
Rom 12:19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord. KJV
The presence of God makes Hell more hellish. No one can escape God’s judgment and presence for He is omnipresent. Hell is Hell because God is there punishing those who rejected His work of salvation through His Son. God’s vengeance is more reasonable than us. And this, he will accomplish because there is resurrection of the dead.
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Date: April 7, 2013
Theme: The 7 last Words of Christ (Part 2)
Text: Selected
Introduction: Last week we have studied the first 4 last words of our Lord Jesus Christ on the cross. Let me review them briefly for those who were absent last week.
First Word: A Prayer of Forgiveness
"Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." (Luke 23:34)
Second Word: An Expression of deep longing
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
Third Word: Word of Concern and trust
"Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27)
4th Word: Word of Suffering
"I thirst!" (John 19:28)
Now we come to the 5th to 7th words of our Lord.
5th Word: Word of Assurance
"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise." (Luke 23:43)
It is a word of assurance. "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
He told this to one of the 2 criminals hanging with Him on the cross.
What kind of assurance that our Lord has given to one of the criminals?
A. First is the assurance of Acceptance
These two criminals were led with him to the place of execution, to justify the hasty trial and execution of the Lord Jesus Christ.
That he was crucified between two thieves denotes that he was treated as the worst of the three. Thus he was not only treated as a transgressor, but was considered the worst of them.
One of the criminals began to test Jesus and doubt His identity.
Luke 23 vs. 39 “And one of the malefactors which were hanged railed on him, saying, If thou be Christ, save thyself and us.”
It is not a guarantee that a dying or a poor or a sick person will automatically humble himself before God.
But the other thief on the cross rebuked him and said “Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation?
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
To this, The Lord Jesus Christ replied, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
This is the work of the Holy Spirit in all those who are going to be saved. This is God’s means of saving His people and it never changes until today. What the robber did as evidence of the Spirit's work in his life during his impending death?
1. He acknowledged that he is a sinner and is worthy to receive punishment
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
The reason why people can’t be forgiven is that they think they are not as bad as people think them to be. They don’t acknowledge their sins to be worthy of punishment. But in order to be forgiven you must come to God with nothing to be proud of. Your qualification in coming to Him is your lack of qualification.
2. He acknowledged Jesus’ holiness
41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss.
If Jesus is also a sinner how can he forgive the sins of others? How can he be a saviour? This man has the right knowledge of Jesus’ character. It is certain that it is not his first encounter with Jesus. Christ has ministered for 3 years and the Bible says all people from far and wide wanted to see Him for all the mighty works that He is doing. He heals the blind, the leper, the lame, the demoniac, brings back the dead to life, walks on water, feeds the 4 thousand, feeds the 5 thousand.
This criminal was certainly knowledgeable of the Scriptures and has the necessary information about Jesus. He has heard about Jesus’ teachings and ministry for 3 years and probably tried to be among his audience but because he is a criminal, he cannot let himself get exposed in the open. Now he found himself near Him. It is evident that His faith in Christ is already fully developed for he cannot declare Jesus as righteous without contemplating on Christ’s life and ministry.
3. He Acknowledged Jesus’ Lordship
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
You don’t make Jesus Lord of your life. He is Lord and all will give account to Him and will be judged by Him one day. It’s only a matter of when. Either He comes or you die and come to Him. He is already Lord ever since, before the foundation of the world.
Jesus is Lord whether you accept it or not. You must acknowledge it to make it a reality in your life.
4. He acknowledged Jesus’ Kingship
42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.
The robber believes that Jesus is not only a holy human being. He believes that Jesus is King and His Kingdom is not on earth. He believes that there is life after death.
He did not place much importance on himself. He is just asking for a little bit of Christ’s memory for he considered himself unworthy.
The criminal was rejected by society, rejected by his own family but now He is accepted by Christ and His Father. What a word of assurance that he is now accepted at long last. Jesus assured him, "Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Another kind of assurance that the Lord has given to one of the criminals is ..
B. Assurance of Eternal Life with God
"Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
Now the criminal heard the most comforting of all words. “You will be with me in paradise.”
The religious people, the priests, the scribes and the Pharisees who are self righteous and are honest in their performance of their religion were not saved. In fact they are the ones who are instrumental to Jesus death. But this man who is cursed by the law and is the most sinful according to human standard of righteousness is the one who is saved by God.
This robber would have probably thought why is it that when he suffers the most, he experienced the most satisfying of all experience? Why is it that when he can no longer escape and do whatever he wants, he experiences the most liberty? Why is it that he is dying but he would be given the promise of an everlasting life? This is the last word heard from the lips of this criminal. In great amazement and pure joy brought by Jesus’ words of assurance, he rested and enjoyed the rest of his suffering. At long last he found what he is longing for in his entire life: the everlasting peace, joy and contentment of the assurance of forgiveness and salvation of the God whom he transgressed in his whole life.
The 6th Word of Christ...
VI. 6th Word: Declaration of Victory
"It is finished!" (John 19:30)
What Jesus has finished?
A. He fulfilled all the prophecies concerning Him
Christ fulfilled 365 Old Testament Prophecies in a span of more than 1,400 years.The First prophecy about Christ is in Gen 3:15 Gen 3:15 “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.”
Genesis was written in 1446 BC when Moses was 40 years old.
Just calculating the mathematical probability of 8 prophecies to be fulfilled by one man is mind boggling.
The science of probability attempts to determine the chance that a given event will occur. The value and accuracy of the science of probability has been well established beyond doubt - for example, insurance rates are fixed according to statistical probabilities.
In it they took only eight of the more than 300 prophecies fulfilled by Christ and determined the odds of one person fulfilling just those eight. The results were astounding! They calculated the odds at 1 in 10 to the 17th power or 1 in 100, 000, 000, 000, 000, 000. Dr. Stoner calculated that if you spread out that many peso coins, it would cover the entire Philippines, 4 feet deep! Now what do you think the odds are if say, one of those silver dollars was painted red, the likelihood for a blind folded person to walk out on that pile of silver dollars and pick up the red one - on the first try? Certainly if one did that, it would be by definition, a miracle! The Bible is more than that.
Truly, He fulfilled all the prophecies concerning Him. His mission on earth is now complete. It is now finished.
He did not only finished all the prophecies concerning Him but..
B. He finished the work of saving His people
Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded another astonishing event as soon as Jesus uttered this word! The curtain that separates the holy place and Holy of Holies was torn in half from top to bottom!
This day when Jesus was crucified was the beginning of the Passover feast when the Israelites remember their freedom from Egypt. It was the time that the Jews bring their firstlings to be offered to the temple.
This demonstrated that salvation is only through Christ’s finished work on the cross.
It teaches that we cannot add anything to the finished work of Christ. Working for one’s own salvation is impossible for all have sinned and fall short before the glory of God. Christ has finished the work of salvation and it is only through Him that we can be saved. He is the only way to heaven. John 14:6. He is the Lamb of God sent to die and His blood was shed for the propitiation of our sins. John 1:29
The tearing of the veil that divides the holy place and holy of holies from top to bottom symbolizes the fact that now, because of Jesus' death, those who trust in His atoning work now have free access to God and they no longer have to go through the sacrificial system. Jesus was the only Sacrifice needed to enable people to have relationship with God.
Participating in any religious performance such as penitence and indulgences belittles and ignores the significance of Christ’s completed work. They are actually abomination to God as they don't recognize the completeness of Christ's work. Their Sincerity is not the question but the foundation on which their sincerity rests. Many are sincere in the wrong way and their work cannot be credited as righteousness by God but rebellion.
the seventh last word...
VII. 7th Word: Word of Security
"Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit." (Luke 23:46)
This word reflects the culmination of Christ’s work of salvation. Because He has paid in full the penalty of sin, He can now entrust His Spirit to Him.
No one can find security in God without Christ. God is dangerous without Christ. Without Christ in a person, God sees only sin and He will exercise His wrath. Only through Christ there can be peace with God.
That dying believers are both warranted, and encouraged, by Christ's example, believingly to commend their souls into the hands of God.
WHAT IS IMPLIED IN CHRIST’S COMMITTING HIS SOUL INTO THE HANDS OF GOD? It implies that...
A. That the soul outlives the body.
B. That the soul's true rest is in God.
C. The great value believers must have for their souls. We should think but little of our body comparatively with our soul.
D. These words imply the deep sense that dying believers have of the great change that is coming upon them by death.
Compare some of the dying words of Atheists with Christ’s Last word.
Caesar Borgia: "While I lived, I provided for everything but death; now I must die, and am unprepared to die."
Thomas Hobbs political philosopher "I say again, if I had the whole world at my disposal, I would give it to live one day. I am about to take a leap into the dark."
Thomas Payne the leading atheistic writer in American colonies: "Stay with me, for God's sake; I cannot bear to be left alone , O Lord, help me! O God, what have I done to suffer so much? What will become of me hereafter? "I would give worlds if I had them, that The Age of Reason had never been published. 0 Lord, help me! Christ, help me! …No, don't leave; stay with me! Send even a child to stay with me; for I am on the edge of Hell here alone. If ever the Devil had an agent, I have been that one."
Sir Thomas Scott, Chancellor of England "Until this moment I thought there was neither a God nor a hell. Now I know and feel that there are both, and I am doomed to perdition by the just judgment of the Almighty."
Voltaire, the famous anti-christian atheist: "I am abandoned by God and man; I will give you half of what I am worth if you will give me six months' life." (He said this to Dr. Fochin, who told him it could not be done.) "Then I shall die and go to hell!" (His nurse said: "For all the money in Europe I wouldn’t want to see another unbeliever die! All night long he cried for forgiveness."
Napoleon Bonaparte, the French emperor, and who, like Adolf Hitler, brought death to millions to satisfy his greedy, power-mad, selfish ambitions for world conquest: "I die before my time, and my body will be given back to the earth. Such is the fate of him who has been called the great Napoleon. What an abyss between my deep misery and the eternal kingdom of Christ!”
But for believers, when all visible and sensible things are shrinking away from them and failing hereupon the soul clasps the closer about its God, cleaves more close than ever to Him: "Father, into Thy hands I commend My spirit."
E. It implies the atonement of God, and His full reconciliation to believers, by the blood of both the lamb and of the Great High Priest.
"For it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Heb 12:29).
But now it is no longer fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God because of Christ.
He was himself both the priest and the sacrifice; our souls were forfeited, and his must go to redeem the forfeiture. The price must be paid into the hands of God, the party offended by sin; to him he had undertaken to make full satisfaction. Now by these words he offered up the sacrifice, did, as it were, lay his hand upon the head of it, and surrender it; The greek word is “tithemi”—"I deposit it, I pay it down into thy hands. Father, accept of my life and soul instead of the lives and souls of the sinners I die for."
As believers we must show that we are freely willing to die, that we firmly believe in another life after this, and are desirous of it, by saying, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.
Believers, be sure that you do not give away your soul from God to anything else while you live. If you have given away your soul to other things while you live, it will be a vain thing for you to say "Father in your hands I commend my spirit" when you come to die.
Praise God for all these 7 last words of our Lord Jesus Christ mean everything about our salvation. Our salvation has been completed. We have been redeemed and atoned for by the blood of the Lamb. There is no more condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. We now have peace with God and have access to His saving grace and spiritual blessings. Now live as God's people demonstrating His goodness and offer your life and everything to Him as this is our duty and privelege as a redeemed people of God.
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March 31, 2013
Rev. Ramil Corpuz
Theme: The 7 last Words of Christ on the Cross – part 1
Each year during Good Friday, we witness the religiosity of our Roman Catholic countrymen. We see “stations of the cross” in almost every Barangay. Some are doing the “Visita Iglesia”or religious pilgrimage while others are going to “sacred places” like Mt. Banahaw and the mountain of Montalban. Others are participating in “pasyon” or “pabasa” which is now being sung with modern musical instruments and is being participated in by gays. Mostly are not eating pork, preferring fish and sea foods in their diet. People are performing their own version of Indulgences and doing all sort of good works in their own way. Some are even avoiding merry making in “participation” of Christ’s suffering.
But the most common scenario is what we call “penitensya” where men wound and flagellate themselves. In Pampanga, there is a man named Ruben Enaje who is actually being crucified for 27 years. He says that this is his show of devotion and his way of showing God his obedience and repentance.
Meanwhile in almost all catholic churches, the 7 last words of Christ are being read and are the subject of the homilies. It is also the custom in Christian churches. But the sad reality is most of their interpretations of the 7 last words of Christ are mixed with mysticism and humanistic Philosophy.
This Sunday, we will study about the 7 last words of Christ and we will try to understand them according to their original context to understand their intended meaning.
- First Word: A Prayer of Forgiveness
As soon as ever he was fastened to the cross while the soldiers were nailing him, he prayed this prayer.
What this prayer shows us? This prayer shows that...
- He is more concerned for the welfare of His enemies than His own
I also believe that His own people to whom He died for were also in His mind when He uttered this prayer. He prayed for them earlier the night before He was arrested. He prayed during the Last Supper in John 17:20 "My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message.” We are the sheep who were once astray but He has chosen us to be the object of His saving grace through this most violent of all deaths.
Even in His death, He glorified His Father and edified those who believe in Him.
It is very easy to love those who also love us but He taught us to love and forgive our enemies and pray for them and He demonstrated to us how to do it in the most graphic way.
B. This prayer also shows that He certainly doesn’t fear men, pain and death.
The Roman soldiers have just driven 5 to 7 inches of nails through his wrists and feet and hoisted him up by those nails. He does not fear those who kill his body instead He pities them and prays for them.
He doesn’t fear pain and death for they are just temporary. The writer of Hebrews writes Heb 12:2-3 “Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Let’s be concerned for the welfare of others especially for their salvation. Let us not fear any man, pain and death for the Lord Jesus Christ has conquered them all! We are to love the unlovable, to forgive our enemies and to fear nothing but God.
II. 2nd Word: An Expression of deep longing
"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46)
In His sufferings, Jesus quoted the first line of Psalm 22 as fulfilment of the prophecy that He would be separated from God.
What does this word mean? This shows....
- The emotional suffering of Jesus wrought by His separation from His Father
But the Son of God left His throne in heaven, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God and made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.
Now on the cross, God made Him the offering for the sins of His chosen people. God cut off His communication with His Son and He will not save Him from impending death. The wages of Sin is death which means separation from God. Jesus needs to be separated from His Father so that He may pay in full the penalty for our sins.
Paul said that in 2 Cor. 5:21 “For he (God) hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
This was the reason why Jesus cried in tears “My God, My God why have you forsaken Me’?
God is angry with sin. He cannot tolerate sin. He must punish sin. On the cross, God made His own Son our very sins. It means that on the cross, Jesus represents all the sins that His own people have made against God and thus He was separated from His Father.
It was our sin that separates us from God; it was Jesus who became “sin” for us so that we may be brought back to God.
Have you felt a time in your life even as a believer that God has seemingly forsaken you? The Lord Jesus Christ, the very Son of God actually suffered the same so that we may be sure that God will never leave us nor forsake us anymore now that our sins have been punished and forgiven through Him. Jesus was left behind by the Father so that we may be accepted by the Father. God became a human so that humans can become children of God. Christ went down from heaven to earth so that we, citizens of earth and would be citizens of hell would become citizens of heaven.
B. It shows the suffering of God the Father wrought by His separation from His Son for the redemption of His people.
It was not the crown of thorns placed on Jesus' head that brought us back to God....
It was not the floggings that Jesus suffered neither,
Nor the nails that pierced His wrists and feet,
Or the spear that pierced His side and ruptured His heart.
It was not the Pharisees or the Romans who crucified Jesus. It was God the Father who made His own Son to suffer.
Isa 53:6 “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.”
It was the sacrificial love of God the Father who made salvation possible. For God so love the world that He gave His only begotten Son, for whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have an everlasting life.
The 3 Gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke recorded a colossal event that took place from 12:00 Noon until 3:00 pm as soon as Jesus was nailed on the cross until He breathe His last.
Matt 27:45 “Now from the sixth hour there was darkness over all the land unto the ninth hour.”
Mark 15:33 “And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.”
Luke 23:44 “And it was about the sixth hour, and there was a darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour.”
This extra ordinary phenomenon symbolizes the grieving of God the Father over His Son who is suffering for the salvation of the sinners.
God the Father was separated from His own Son as He punished Him to bring us back to Himself.
God did NOT redeem His own people from the devil. The devil is not the reason of Christ’s death. But it is God who redeemed us from His own wrath by the death of His own Son so that he can bring us back to Himself.
We are not the reason why Jesus suffered and die.The reason why He died is to satisfy both the justice and love of God that were simultaneously demonstrated on the cross. The Father and the Son were separated from each other to satisfy God’s love and justice.
III. 3rd Word: Word of Concern and Trust
He said to his mother, "Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!" (John 19:26-27)
When Jesus was but a small child, He was brought to the temple for dedication; a certain prophet named Simeon prophesied to Mary “a sword will pierce your very soul.”
As Jesus was dying his mother and apostle John were among those who remained with Him. All his brothers and sisters in the flesh to Mary and all His disciples have deserted Him. As he saw both of them near the cross grieving he uttered this 3rd word. "Woman, behold your son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!"
- First, it is a word of concern
His father Joseph has already died the reason why Joseph was not mentioned during the earthly ministry of Jesus. Jesus’ brothers and sisters were still unbelievers at this point and Jesus knows that nobody among them could provide Mary the genuine concern and who would nourish both her needs and faith in Him. Thus in the midst of pain and extreme suffering, He demonstrated His concern for the welfare of His mother in the flesh. He turned to His beloved apostle and said to Mary, “woman, behold your son’ giving Mary the assurance that He knows what is the best for her. And Mary went with John from then on.
B. Second it is a word of trust
- John the beloved was the dearest to Christ among His 12 disciples. This dying word of Jesus shows His trust in his ability to genuinely take care of His mother. Jesus shows him His appreciation of His love and concern. All the rest of the disciples fled for their lives but John stayed with Him until the last moment. John is worthy of this trust.
John 19:27 “Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home. KJV
Are we worthy of Jesus trust to do something for Him and His Kingdom?
IV.4th Word: Word of Pain "I thirst!" (John 19:28)
It
was not at all strange that he was thirsty after all the toil and
agonies he has undergone. He walked from Pilate’s palace to Golgotha for
more or less 1 and a half kilometre.After sentencing to death by
Pilate, he was whipped with a scourge called flagellum which the Romans
implement for severe bodily punishment. It consisted of a handle, to
which three cords or leather thongs were affixed, which were weighted
with jagged pieces of bone or metal, to make the blow more painful and
effective.And then He carried the 81 to 129 kilogram cross.The custom
was the assigned soldier will whip the back or loins of the criminal for
39 times saving 1 whip to avoid miscalculations. (they will receive the
same number of floggings if they exceed the number of whipping to 41)
The torments of hell are represented by a violent thirst in the complaint of the rich man that begged for a drop of water to cool his tongue. To that everlasting thirst we had been condemned, had not Christ suffered for us.
But
the reason of his complaining of it is somewhat surprising; it is the
only word he spoke that looked like complaint of his outward sufferings.
When they scourged him, and crowned him with thorns, he did not cry, O
my head! or, My back! But now he cried, I thirst.
He would thus express the travail of his soul,
Isa 53:11. He thirsted after the glorifying of God, and the
accomplishment of the work of our redemption, and the happy issue of his
undertaking. He would thus take care to see the scripture fulfilled.
Now
see the difference between Christ and the false teachers today. Christ
faithfully followed what has been prophesied about Him in the Old
Testament. Everything that He has done and said has already been
predicted and written. He loved the Scriptures and did not contradict
any teaching from it. He fulfilled the Scriptures and explained
them.False teachers and false christs today do otherwise. They go
against the written Word of God and presumptuously declare whatever they
want to declare and claim whatever they want to claim even if what they
say are actual contradictions of the written Word of God. (to be
continued next Sunday)
March 24, 2013
Rev. Ramil Corpuz
Text: Jude 1:1-25 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called:2 Mercy unto you, and peace, and love, be multiplied.3 Beloved, when I gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, it was needful for me to write unto you, and exhort you that ye should earnestly contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints.4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.5 I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.7 Even as Sodom and Gomorrha, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire.8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.9 Yet Michael the archangel, when contending with the devil he disputed about the body of Moses, durst not bring against him a railing accusation, but said, The Lord rebuke thee.10 But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.11 Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward, and perished in the gainsaying of Core.12 These are spots in your feasts of charity, when they feast with you, feeding themselves without fear: clouds they are without water, carried about of winds; trees whose fruit withereth, without fruit, twice dead, plucked up by the roots;13 Raging waves of the sea, foaming out their own shame; wandering stars, to whom is reserved the blackness of darkness for ever.14 And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,15 To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.17 But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ;18 How that they told you there should be mockers in the last time, who should walk after their own ungodly lusts.19 These be they who separate themselves, sensual, having not the Spirit.20 But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost,21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:23 And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.24 Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,25 To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.KJV
Topic: False teachers
Theme: The Character of False Teachers
The writer identified himself as Jude whose name means “the praise of the Lord.”
This is not Judas Iscariot – as this Judas died even before the Lord Jesus Christ was crucified and the first Church was established.
This is also not Judas Thaddeus, Son of James – one of the disciples of Jesus as this disciple died in 65 AD whiles the book of Jude was written in AD 69.
This Judas is the half brother of Jesus as he identified himself as brother of James. (This is strongly denied by the Roman Catholics to protect the doctrine of Immaculate Conception of Mary.)
In Matt 13:55-56, both of James and Judas were mentioned by Matthew as children of Mary and Joseph the brothers of Jesus in the flesh.
Matt 13:55-56 “Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas? 56 And his sisters are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?” KJV
Jude was writing not to a single Church but to all Christians everywhere though reference to the OT and other Jewish writings suggests the recipients were primarily Jewish Christians. It is the most general letter among the NT writings.
Jude said that he had originally planned to write on the subject of salvation but felt led instead to address the serious problem of religious apostasy (3:1-4:22). The word used in verse 3 (translated "I must" or "I felt the necessity ") means "to bear down upon; to compress." God literally pressured Jude to write concerning apostasy.
As evil manners give rise to good laws, so dangerous errors often give just occasion to the proper defence of important truths.
In this letter, Jude revealed the identity of false teachers by their character so that Believers could watch out for them.
The Character of the false Teachers: First,
- They are deceivers
vs 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
These men pretend to be Christians and were able to convince believers that they are one of them but later on, they taught doctrines that oppose the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Take note that the early church has no extra-biblical practices in their evangelism. There was no manipulation. No medical missions, no feeding program for the unbelievers, no vacation Bible School, No Altar calls, No ABC of salvation. Their method of evangelism is house to house. They are very familiar with doctrines and so they never allow people to get in the house church unless they have undergone teachings and have shown some fruits of conversion.
But still there are certain men who were able to sneak in and convinced they are true believers and that they are with them. And not only that, they were able to have authority and teach in the church and propagate their heretical teachings.
Illustration: I know somebody who is 36 years with a "Bible Christian Community" all his life but living in gross hypocrisy and doing lip service but not truly born again in the Spirit. 36 years "Christian" and a leader but living in a sinful lifestyle. This is the result of assurance given by the pastors to false believers during the Altar call and the Sinner’s Prayer.
Another character of false teachers is..
2. They are ordained to condemnation
vs 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
In direct contrast with the character of the saved in vs 1 “Jude, the servant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James, to them that are sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ, and called.
The true believers are sanctified (positional) by God the Father and preserved (experiential sanctification-perseverance) the false teachers are ordained to condemnation and thus they will not change their ways.
Another character of false teachers is...
3. They turn God’s grace into lasciviousness
vs 4 For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
What Jude means with this phrase is, these false teachers made the grace and mercy of God a covering for crimes; intimating that men might sin safely who believe the Gospel, because in that Gospel grace abounds. But perhaps the goodness of God is here meant that while they acknowledged Jesus as the promised Messiah, they denied him to be the only Lord, Sovereign, and Ruler of the church and of the world and so they are not truly saved, for I cannot see how they could believe the Gospel in any way who denied the Lord Jesus Christ; unless, which is likely, their denial refers to this. There many churches in the present day that are holding the same opinion.
This is the reason why JMAc wrote a book titled the Gospel according to Jesus in response to the free grace theology. The controversy moved to the forefront of the evangelical world in the late 1980s when John MacArthur argued that the one-third of all Americans who claimed to be born again according to a 1980 Gallup poll reflected millions who are deceived, possessing a false, soul-destroying assurance.
Another character of false teachers is...
4. They defile their flesh
vs 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Jude used Sodom and Gomorrah as illustration for defiling the flesh. The men of Sodom and Gomorrah were practicing homosexuality and likewise these false teachers either participate into or advocate this kind of immorality.
Illustration: Rome is abuzz with reports about a story that appeared in two Italian publications, La Repubblica and Panorama, alleging that in a confidential report to Pope Benedict on the “Vatileaks” scandal, three cardinals said that one faction within the Vatican bureaucracy was “united by sexual orientation” and could be subject to blackmail. The story—which has quickly spread around the globe—goes on to speculate that the cardinals’ report, submitted in December, shocked the Pope and prompted him to resign.
Thus many think that the resignation of the Pope is linked with homosexuality.
Is there a network of homosexual clerics working within the Vatican? Undoubtedly yes, according to an Italian Newspaper.
Another example of false teacher is Joel Osteen the pastor of Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, which boasts a weekly attendance of 43,000 people.
Joel Osteen defends his stance on homosexuality (interview on same sex marriage and homosexuality on the program "Starting Point" on CNN on Sept. 20, 2012.
- "I don't think [homosexuality is] God's best," he added (refusing to call homosexuality as sin equal to other sins)
- homosexuality is not a choice just as he is being a heterosexual is not a choice.
It’s not strange as he declares during that interview that his goal as a pastor is to lift his congregants up, and instils a good sense of self-image in each one of his service attendees not to please God and preach His Word.
But Jude's illustration of Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns, serves as a dreadful example of what happens to those who turn from God to follow their own lustful natures. The fate of the unbelievers in those two cities foreshadows the fate of those who deny God's truth and ignore His warnings. The punishment by fire on the perverse inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah illustrates the eternal fire of hell, which will be experienced by false teachers.
Another character of false teachers is...
5. They reject the authority of God
vs 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
The false teachers reject God’s authority. Jude used the Israelites rejection and unbelief of God after God led them out of Egypt and the angels who sided with Satan and rejected God’s dominion over them.
vs. 5 “I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not.6 And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day.”
Illustration: RC’s teaching of the authority of man rather than the Word of God. Tradition is equivalent to and sometimes higher than the Scriptures. They created their own doctrine of purgatory, and Limbus infantrum (which Pope Benedict abolished) veneration of the saint and asking for their prayers (my deceased auntie used to do novenas to saints to win in Jueteng).
Another character of false teachers is...
6. They speak evil of dignities
vs 8 Likewise also these filthy dreamers defile the flesh, despise dominion, and speak evil of dignities.
Speaking evil of dignities means they are using God’s name to presumptuously declare that they knew what God wants to do but actually they don’t know what they are doing.
As an illustration. Jude used the angel of God’s avoidance of speaking and declaring something that He doesn’t know about what God feels toward the devil’s Jude apparent claiming the right to dispose of the body of Moses. When the devil claimed that he should be the one to bury Moses body, the angel of God who was sent to bury Moses’ body said “The Lord rebuke thee”.
But what other preachers do today? They are presumptuously declaring that God is doing something or approving of something.
Have you heard the declaration like this during the Altar Call? “God is now writing your name in the Book of life”
After the altar call, pastors would declare, “angels are now celebrating in heaven.”
Or during tithes and offering “God is now opening the windows of Heaven”
During healing crusades “Jesus, touch this woman’s body”.
700 Club Asia’s divination and foretelling of sickness.
Or during political rallies of so called born again? “God has chosen this candidate to become the next president of the Philippines.”
They perfectly fit with Jude’s description of false prophet in v10 “But these speak evil of those things which they know not: but what they know naturally, as brute beasts, in those things they corrupt themselves.
John Macarthur said “during the time of Jesus, the Pharisees attributed the work of God to the Devil, now in our time the work of the devil is attributed to the work of God.
Another character of false teachers is...
7. They use God’s words to speak good things to men for personal gain
vs16 These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.
Jude said that Balaam, under the guise of serving God, encouraged others to sin, while at the same time seeking to gain monetarily from their error. Similarly the false leaders of Jude's day, greedy for money, led others into sin without recognizing the danger of their actions.
False teachers speak great swelling words or words that tickle the ears. And this is what carnal men like. In fact Paul writing to Timothy said 2 Tim 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears”
False teachers and false believers are complimentary with each other. False teachers love to tickle the ears of his hearers for personal gain while false believers enjoy their preaching and so they are paying for the entertainment. This is why Joel Osteen’s church is very popular.
This is the sad state of the church today. We can see these characters in many of the church leaders of today.
1. They deceive people
2. They are ordained to hell
3. They use the word of God to justify their sins
4. They defile their flesh
5. They reject the Scriptures
6. They speak of things that they don’t know
7. They use God’s Word for personal gains
If Jude was compelled to write about this topic than writing about salvation, contending for the faith is equally important with sharing the Gospel. Let us not take false teachings lightly but rather be always on guard against them and contend for the truth for the truth is what matters most to God.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
March 17, 2013
Preacher: Rev. Ramil Corpuz
Text: 3 John 1:1-14
1
The Elder,To the beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth: 2 Beloved, I pray
that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul
prospers. 3 For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of
the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth. 4 I have no
greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth. 5 Beloved, you
do faithfully whatever you do for the brethren and for strangers, 6 who
have borne witness of your love before the church. If you send them
forward on their journey in a manner worthy of God, you will do well, 7
because they went forth for His name's sake, taking nothing from the
Gentiles. 8 We therefore ought to receive such, that we may become
fellow workers for the truth. 9 I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes,
who loves to have the preeminence among them, does not receive us. 10
Therefore, if I come, I will call to mind his deeds which he does,
prating against us with malicious words. And not content with that, he
himself does not receive the brethren, and forbids those who wish to,
putting them out of the church. 11 Beloved, do not imitate what is evil,
but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has
not seen God. 12 Demetrius has a good testimony from all, and from the
truth itself. And we also bear witness, and you know that our testimony
is true. 13 I had many things to write, but I do not wish to write to
you with pen and ink; 14 but I hope to see you shortly, and we shall
speak face to face. Peace to you. Our friends greet you. Greet the
friends by name. NKJV
Theme: 4 Biblical Teachings on Prosperity and Healing
Introduction:The
father of Modern Day Prosperity and healing gospel Kenneth haggin
declares:"I am fully convinced - I would die saying it is so - that it
is the plan of Our Father God, in His great love and in His great mercy,
that no believer should ever be sick; that every believer should live
his full life span down here on this earth; and that every believer
should finally just fall asleep in Jesus" (Kenneth E. Hagin, Seven
Things You Should Know about Divine Healing, p. 21).
The
above statement and others like it have caused much confusion in the
body of Christ and led many to be presumptuous in the area of divine
healing.
This is the teaching of several denominations that belong to Word of Faith Movement (or positive confession/rhematology).
Our text today is Apostle John’s letter to Gaius. John
was urging Gaius to show hospitality to Demetrius (v. 12) who was
evidently a travelling Christian preacher (vv. 5-8). Demetrius was
probably also the bearer of the letter. The Apostle John apparently
needed to appeal directly to Gaius for the support of Demetrius, since
the church was dominated by a man named Diotrephes who did not extend a
welcome to travelling brethren (vv. 9-10). Indeed, Diotrephes even
sought to excommunicate those who offered such men their hospitality. If
Gaius was a member of this same church, he might possibly have run a
risk of incurring Diotrephes' wrath as well. But conceivably Gaius was a
man of some means who could not be easily driven from the church.
Diotrephes may possibly be an early (and unfavorable) example of a monarchical bishop. Out of the earliest ecclesiastical situation in which a body of elders of equal authority ruled the congregations, a system emerged in which one man assumed prominence over the other elders and became the "bishop" (though this title was originally synonymous with that of elder). This process must often have happened almost imperceptibly when a man of strong character gained ascendancy over the rest of the leadership. But in the church to which Gaius evidently belonged, the process had led to the prominence of a self-willed and authoritarian individual. Diotrephes' reasons for refusing to receive travelling brethren were not spelled out specifically by John. No doubt Diotrephes rationalized his conduct in some way. But the apostle made it plain that what Diotrephes did was wrong (cf. v. 11). He expected to correct the situation when he arrived (v. 10).
In verse 2 Apostle John’s prayer for Gaius to enjoy good health and that all may go well with him are not a mere conventional expression of good wishes. The apostle was concerned for the temporal well-being of others, and not only for their spiritual welfare. He must surely have learned this from Jesus whose concern for people's physical troubles is attested in all four Gospels. Certainly this is a biblical warrant for Christians today to pray for the temporal needs of their spiritual peers.
In the prayer of John for Gaius we can see 4 Biblical teachings on prosperity and healing. What does the Bible teach about Prosperity and healing?
First we can see from this prayer of John for Gaius that...I. Prosperity/healing is NOT included in the Atonement.
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
Here John was praying for a redeemed man. He made sure that Gaius is saved by calling him beloved in verse 1.
vs1 The Elder, To the “beloved Gaius, whom I love in truth:”
He also commends Gaius for “walking in the truth” in verse 3 “For I rejoiced greatly when brethren came and testified of the truth that is in you, just as you walk in the truth.”
Both are affirmations of John that Gaius is saved and a genuine believer, not only a believer but a co-worker.
But
here John implies that his finances and health are not as equally
prosperous with his soul yet. He still prays for Gaius to be financially
well off and physically healthy. John did not claim that Gaius would be
wealthy and healthy either even though He has been atoned for by Christ
and is saved.
Healing
preachers always quote 1 Peter 2:24 to teach that when a person is
saved, prosperity and healing are also included in salvation as Jesus
did not only die for the sin but also for the consequences of sin. Just
like buy one take three or wholesale salvation.
1
Peter 2:24 Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose
stripes ye were healed.
What they
do is they don’t interpret the verse according to its context but only
emphasize the word healing and they interpret that as physical healing.
But
this text in 1 Peter was quoted by Peter from Isa 53:5 that says:5 But
he was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our
iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his
stripes we are healed.KJV Both of the text don’t speak about finances or
healing from bodily sicknesses BUT healing from sins, transgressions
and inequities.For when a person believes in Christ, his sins will be
forgiven and thus he will be healed from sin that has caused
his spiritual death/separation from God.
Examples of men of God who were saved, called and were mightily used by God in the ministry but were sickly.
Apostle
Paul was not healed from his sickness even unto death. He said in 2
Cor 12:7-9 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the
abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the
flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted
above measure.8 For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might
depart from me.9 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee:
for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I
rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon
me.
This thorn in the flesh is an eye ailment that gives him
difficulty in wirting with his own hands. In fact, Paul has secretaries
to write his letters.
Pastor Timothy has a recurring sickness that needs continuous medication. In 1 Tim 5:23 Paul instruct Timothy to
“Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake
and thine often infirmities.” It is because Timothy has stomach problem
probably gastritis that causes him to suffer.
Even our Lord Jesus Christ Himself lived
a simple life and did not live in luxury. In fact He has no house of
His own and has not even a pillow to lay his head on.
Luke
9:58 “And Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air
have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”KJV
All of the apostles lived in poverty and did not gain earthly wealth. All of them died by torture aside from Apostle John who died of old age.
This is how the apostles die according to Historical facts and tradition.
Simon Peter - crucified head down, at his own request.
Andrew, brother of Peter - severely scourged & tied by ropes on x-shaped cross where he hung for 2 days to expire.
James, son of Zebedee & Salome and elder brother of John (not brother of Jesus) the Bible writer - Beheaded with sword; Mark 10:39 & Acts 12:1-2
Philip of Bethsaida- Crucified
Bartholomew (Nathaniel) - beaten/flayed, and crucifiedhead down
Thomas (Didymus) - lanced by idolatrous priests & burned up in an oven
Matthew (Levi), of Capernaum the Bible writer - Axed to death with a halberd
James (half brother of Jesus to Mary) - Thrown down from the Temple tower & not dead so clubbed to death with a fullers club at age 94
Jude (Thaddaeus...Judas Lebbaeus) - crucified
Simon the Zealot(the Canaanite) - crucified
Matthias (the 11 remaining Apostles chose him to replace Judas) - Stoned and beheaded
Paul (chosen by the resurrected Jesus on the road to Damascus) - beheaded
John the beloved, son of Zebedee and brother of James; Bible writer (John, 1,2,3 John & Revelation) - thrown in boiling oil but unharmed; died of natural causes & buried near Ephesus about 100AD
Noon ang mabuhay ay kay Kristo ang mamatay ay pakinabang. (Before, the disciples motto is "to live is Christ and to die is gain.)
Ngayon, ang mabuhay kay Kristo ay para sa sariling kapakinabanagan ang mamatay ay kalugihan. (Now, the believers' motto is to live for Christ is to gain and to die is loss)
Maaring
hindi natin danasin ang uri ng kamatayan na dinanas ng mga apostol pero
tiyak na tayo’y magkakasakit at mamamatay isang araw whether we like it
or not or accept it or not. That is the reality! Kung ang doktrinang
natanggap at pinaniniwalaan mo ay prosperity and healing gospel
pagdating ng araw na ikaw ay magkakasakit at nasa banig ng karamdaman at
nasa bingit ng kamatayan tiyak na pagdududahan mo pati ang iyong
kaligtasan at mawawalan ka ng kasiyahan.
Prosperity
and healing gospel results in shame and disappointment. Kenneth
Copeland the founder of hundredfold blessing promised healing to a woman
who is sick of cancer who won in a lottery. The woman died questioning
her faith while her husband and daughter filed a case against Copeland
and wanted their donations back.
The second Biblical teaching on prosperity and healing as seen in this verse is...
II. Being spiritual is not a guarantee for prosperity and healing and vice versa
2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
John acknowledges that Gaius’ soul prospers meaning he is spiritually right before God.
The Spirituality of Gaius commended.
- The brethren came and testified of the truth that is in Gaius (v. 3)
- 3 John 3-8 - who have borne witness of thy charity before the church, v. 6
Here
we may see, 1. The testimony or thing testified concerning Gaius—the
truth that was in him, the reality of his faith, the sincerity of his
religion, and his devotedness to God; and this evinced by his charity,
which includes his love to the brethren, kindness to the poor,
hospitality to Christian strangers, and readiness to accommodate them
for the service of the gospel.
But
notice the prayer of John...He wishes that Gaius health and finances
MAY be well as his spiritual life. John is saying Gaius is not well of
as his spiritual life is but he wishes that both aspect of his life will
be on the same level. John did not do what prosperity and healing
gospel preachers do: to declare healing and prosperity to people. You
cannot command healing and prosperity to come to any person just as what
prosperity gospel is doing when they pray. They say:
“I command sickness to come out of your body in Jesus name”
“I claim God’s blessings of prosperity to be upon you, in Jesus Name”
"I
release the blessings of heaven that the windows of heaven be opened
right now and God pour out His blessings upon you in Jesus Name”
These types of prayers are unbiblical. No one in the Scriptures prayed such kind of prayers.
The third Biblical teaching on prosperity and healing as seen in this verse is...
III. Prosperity and healing are NOT AS equally IMPORTANT with spiritual blessings.
Vs. 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
What John emphasizes in his prayer and in his entire letter for Gaius is the condition of His soul.
Prosperity and healing are NOTHING compared to the eternal blessings that a believer has in Christ. Apostle Paul enumerated some 7 of them in Eph 1:3-10
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: According as he hath (1) chosen us
in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and
without blame before him in love: Having predestinated us unto the (2) adoption of children by
Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,To
the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath (3) made us accepted in the beloved. In whom we have (4) redemption through his blood, the (5) forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; Wherein he hath abounded toward us in all wisdom and prudence; Having (6) made known unto us the mystery of his will,
according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: That
in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might (7) gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him:
Prosperity and Healing are just common blessings that God can give to anybody even to unbelievers.
All people believers or unbelievers alike can be given the privilege to become healthy and prosperous.
Prosperity and healing are like the sun that God lets shines both to good and evil.
The
Lord Jesus Christ said in Matt 5:45 “That ye may be the children of
your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the
evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.’
But of course, prosperity and healing could be given by God to believers so that the ministry would be supported. God uses His children for the resources that the Church will use to fulfill her role and task to the world. But
God will not magically bless anybody with financial success without
doing his part. Unlike salvation of the soul in which we cannot
contribute anything to gain, man has contribution to his financial
success. Those who have been given financial success regardless of their
religion have used every ounce of their effort and grabbed all
opportunities that come their way to gain whatever they have whether be
it educational degree or financial status. Even if God sent rain but you
did not plant your crop, that is suited to the soil and to the climate,
there will be nothing to harvest.
There are some things that are true about healing that we admit.
First of all, people who are morally conscientious and who recognize that the physical body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 3:16) may generally have better health because they take care of their bodies.
Secondly, the Bible does teach healing although it does not guarantee healing for all. It was part of Jesus and the apostles' ministries. There were gifts of healing in the church's charismata, and in James 5:14-15, Christians are specifically encouraged to pray for the sick with the promise of answered prayer.
But
financial prosperity and healing are only temporary. They will one day
end. The Lord Jesus Christ warns people against serving money and
encouraged contentment instead. He said in Matt 6:24-24 No man can serve
two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or
else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God
and mammon.25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life,
what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what
ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than
raiment?
The fourth Biblical teaching on prosperity and healing as seen in this verse is..
IV. Prosperity and healing are not to be used for own gratification and preservation but for the glory of God.
Vs. 2 Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.
John prayed for Gaius prosperity and healing because he knows that in achieving such he would be more useful in the ministry.
Gaius could exercise hospitality more and show his love more for the
Church and for his fellow brothers in the Lord. Apostle John would not
exhaust his effort to pray for prosperity for those who are enemies of
the Gospel for that would contradict his love for God and for the
Church.
The purpose of God’s blessings for the believers whether financial or physical is always to use them for the glory of God.
This
is Paul’s teaching to the Corinthian believers in the context of their
giving to the Jerusalem believers who experience hardships.
2
Cor 9:8-13 “8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that
you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance
for every good work. 9 As it is written:"He has dispersed abroad, He
has given to the poor;His righteousness endures forever." 10 Now may He
who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply
the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, 11
while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes
thanksgiving through us to God. 12 For the administration of this
service not only supplies the needs of the saints, but also is abounding
through many thanksgivings to God"
If you are a believer and you are financially and physically blessed by
God but you are not using your body and finances for God’s work, then
you cannot find complete satisfaction in Christ. You will still live in
discontentment and will not enjoy the peace that the Lord gives as your
love for money will snatch away that peace in your heart for you are not
living according to God’s design for your money and that is to use that
for God’s glory and honour.
Not
giving back to God His tithes and not giving your offerings so that they
may be used in His work is robbing God. Mal 3:8 “Will a man rob God?
Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In
tithes and offerings.
Why this is so? For the very purpose of God’s financial blessing is for His work to flourish and for His saving grace to be made known to men. That is what brings glory to His name.
It is not
the amount that you give but on the faithfulness of giving. If you are
blessed with P1.00 then the tenth is 10 centavos. God is pleased with 10
centavo because that’s the tithes. If you give 10,000 but you earned 1
million, God is not pleased with that 10,000 because the tithes should
be 100,000.
The Happiness of
believers depends on his faithfulness to God in ALL areas not only in
one area. Because if you know that you obey Him in one area but disobey
Him in another how can you be truly happy? You won’t be completely at
peace and happy with yourself if you plainly know that you are
disobeying God in one area of your life.
This prayer of John for Gaius reflects one thing about Gaius' faith and
character. John sees that He is worthy to be prayed for with prosperity
and healing as John knows his sacrifices for the ministry.
Of
course as a pastor, like apostle John, If I were to pray for financial
success, I would be ready to pray first for those who contribute to the
ministry of the Lord. Praying for financial success for those who use
their money just for personal gratification and for people who oppose
the ministry would be a contradiction of sort.
Conclusion:
In our text today we have seen the 4 Biblical teachings on prosperity and healing:
- They are not included in the atonement. Salvation of the soul has no relationship with healing and prosperity.
- They are not signs of being spiritual and being spiritual is not a guarantee for having them.
- Spiritual blessings are far more important than financial and physical blessings.
- To experience and enjoy the full benefits of prosperity and healing, use them for the glory of God not for self gratification and preservation.
Application: Don't
think that God doesn't care for you when you are sick or in need. He
places us in situations that are best for us. He knows what is best for
us. Healing and financial success are not guarantee of His love for even
the sinners are given these earthly priveleges. The true measure of
God's love is seen on the cross. Be thankful that He has given you the
best of gifts and that is the salvation of your soul from His eternal
wrath and damnation. Let us not run for earthly things but for things
that are eternal. Let us use our body and finances for what will last
unto eternity. He may make you rich...He may heal your diseases but they
are just temporary. And unless you use those earthly blessings for
God's glory and honor here on earth they are nothing. I would rather
choose to be poor and sick and find satisfaction in God alone rather
than have everything in life but lose my joy and satisafaction in Him. As
the Lord reminds us in Mark 8:35-36 For whosoever will save his life
shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the
gospel's, the same shall save it.For what shall it profit a man, if he
shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? To Him alone be all
the praise for every blessing that we enjoy!
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