"THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS" A Warning From The Wilderness (3:7-19) INTRODUCTION 1. In the previous study, we considered "The Supremacy Of Jesus Over Moses"... a. Jesus was superior, not in faithfulness, but in His person and service b. Moses was a servant in the house of God c. Jesus, however, is the builder of the house, and serves as the Son over the house! 2. In He 3:6, the writer to the Hebrews affirms that "we" are the house of Christ... a. Referring to the church, which is the house of God - 1 Tim 3:15 b. For in Christ, we are now "members of the household of God", and together with the faithful saints of old (including Moses) we are now "fellow-citizens" in the commonwealth of Israel! - cf. Ep 2: 11-22 3. Yet our status as the "house" is conditional! a. "whose house we are IF we hold fast...." - He 3:6 b. We must hold fast "the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." 4. The need for steadfastness explains the exhortations in this epistle... a. We saw the first exhortation in He 2:1-4, regarding the danger of drifting b. Now we come to the second exhortation, regarding the danger of departing from the living God - He 3:7-19 [To warn against the danger of departing, the writer appeals to...] I. THE EXAMPLE OF ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS (7-11) A. ISRAEL HARDENED THEIR HEARTS... 1. The quotation in verses 7-11 is from Ps 95:7-11 a. In which the Holy Spirit warned Israel not to be like the fathers in the wilderness b. A warning which the Hebrew writer found just as necessary in his day 2. In the wilderness, the Israelites had... a. Hardened their hearts in rebelling against God b. Tested (tried) God with their lack of faith 3. This they did many times during the forty years of wandering, but especially... a. At the beginning, with the incident at Massah ("tempted") and Meribah ("contention") - cf. Ex 17:1-7 b. Toward the end, with the incident at Kadesh - Nu 27:14; cf. 20:1-13 B. THEREFORE THEY DID NOT ENTER GOD'S REST... 1. God became angry with that generation in the wilderness for their persistent rebellion - e.g., Ps 106:13-33 2. So God swore that they would not enter His rest - cf. Nu 14: 22-24,26-35 a. Of those over the age of 20 when they departed from Egypt, only Caleb and Joshua entered the promised land b. The rest (of which there were 603,548 men) died in the wilderness! [Because of hardened hearts Israel departed from God which led to rebellion. In turn, they fell short of the Canaan rest that had been promised them. With "A Warning From The Wilderness" fresh on their minds, the writer then exhorts his brethren by warning them of...] II. THE DANGER OF DEPARTING (12-14) A. THERE IS A NEED TO "BEWARE"... 1. A believer can develop "an evil heart of unbelief" a. Remember that the recipients of this epistle were "holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling" - He 3:1 b. The warning against developing a heart of unbelief presumes a real possibility c. Thus a "believer" can become an "unbeliever"! 2. Unbelief is produced as one is "hardened through the deceitfulness of sin" a. Sin is deceitful... 1) Promising pleasure, power, and prestige 2) In the short term that may be true, but such things are "passing" (temporary) - e.g., He 11:25; 1Jn 2:17 b. Because of its deceitfulness, it is easy to become "hardened" 1) I.e., to be stubborn and not heed the Word of God 2) It happened to Israel, and it can happen to us! 3. The consequence of unbelief is "departing from the living God" a. As one grows in unbelief, so they drift away from God b. While a believer remains in fellowship with God, an unbeliever can only depart further and further away from God! B. THE SOLUTION IS TO "EXHORT ONE ANOTHER DAILY"... 1. This is how a believer avoids becoming an unbeliever! 2. Through mutual edification on a daily basis, we can prevent the "hardening" that comes from sin's deceitfulness 3. An important part of such exhortation is our assembling together - cf. He 10:24-25 a. Which should certainly involve our assemblies on the first day of the week - e.g., Ac 20:7 b. But with a need for "daily exhortation", should we be content to limit our assembling to one service a week? c. If we have the opportunity to assemble more often, shouldn't we? 4. Even if it is only by phone, we should seek to "exhort one another daily"! C. OUR PARTICIPATION IN CHRIST IS CONDITIONAL... 1. Once again we see the conditional nature of our participation with Christ a. We are the house of Christ "...IF we hold the fast the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." - He 3:6 b. We have become partakers of Christ "...IF we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end," - He 3: 14 2. What about the security of the believer? a. The "believer" does indeed enjoy the assurance of his salvation b. But we have seen that a "believer" can develop "an evil heart of unbelief"; i.e., become an "unbeliever" - He 3:12 c. When a "believer" becomes an "unbeliever", what promises of security and salvation there may be to the believer are no longer applicable! -- Thus the many warnings to remain faithful, including that of our Lord's - Re 2:10 [The danger of departing from God is so great, that the writer of Hebrews returns to "A Warning From The Wilderness"...] III. THE EXAMPLE OF ISRAEL IN THE WILDERNESS REVISITED (15-19) A. ANOTHER APPEAL IS MADE... 1. Quoting again from Ps 95:7-8 2. The Hebrew writer applies the quotation to Christians a. They need to "hear His (God's) voice" - remember He 1:1-2; 2:1-4? b. That is, hear with a desire to hearken, for they too can easily harden their hearts "as in the rebellion" B. THE NEED FOR CHRISTIANS TO BELIEVE, AND OBEY... 1. In the case of the Israelites, who was it that rebelled? a. All those who came out of Egypt (save Joshua and Caleb)! b. Though led by Moses, they still rebelled! -- We may have been delivered by Christ from the bondage of sin, but rebellion is still possible! 2. In the case of the Israelites, with whom was God angry forty years? a. Those who sinned b. And who died in the wilderness as a result of their lack of faith -- If we become hardened through the deceitfulness of sin, shall we escape judgment? 3. In the case of the Israelites, who did God not allow in the promised land? a. Those who did not obey! b. Those who developed unbelief! -- Shall we enter our promised rest if we disobey through unbelief? CONCLUSION 1. When the apostle Paul related some of the same experiences of Israel in the wilderness, he wrote: "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come." - 1Co 10:11 2. It is for our own admonition that we have such warnings as that found in our text... a. For the deceitfulness of sin is just as strong today b. For the hardening of one's heart is just as dangerous today c. For departing from God is just as possible today -- Thus the potential for falling short of our promised rest is just as much a reality for us as it proved to be for the Israelites in the wilderness! 3. That is why we need to "exhort one another daily"... a. To encourage one another to remain strong in faith - He 3:19 b. To encourage one another to remain strong in obedience - He 3:18 -- Have you exhorted your brother or sister lately? Finally, did you notice how "faith" and "obedience" were used interchangeably in these last two verses? These terms are not opposed to one another, for in fact Paul himself wrote about "obedience to the faith" (Ro 1:5; 16:26). Faith is dead unless there is obedience (Jm 2:17,26), and so those who truly believe will obey. That is why Jesus can be described as "the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him" (He 5:9). Have you obeyed Jesus by obeying His gospel? - cf. Ro 10:16; 2Th 1:7-8; 1Pe 4:17Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011
March 1, 2014
From Mark Copeland... A Warning From The Wilderness (Hebrews 3:7-19)
From Jim McGuiggan.... ON BEING A PRESENCE
ON BEING A PRESENCE
A dear friend of mine heads up a thriving
business which in reality is a combination of businesses and at lunch
one day a while back I asked him if what he did was mainly to
administrate and see that everyone did their job. My question was poorly
phrased and his response broke the bounds of the question with its
richness.
He said he worked at being “a presence” and that is
precisely what he is in his company. He is more than an administrator
and an advisor who often has to make decisions and set precedents that
go against what some employees might think are warranted. He is more
than a leader who determines specific policies without explaining all to
his work force. He’s the visible force of the company; he embodies its
spirit and heart. Even when he isn’t there, he’s there, and his vision is what shapes the direction in which the company moves forward.
Even
the employees who don’t know him at a personal level to any marked
degree are influenced by the “spirit” of the company for which they work
and the spirit is embodied in my friend who provides “a presence”
there. His presence has so shaped the firm that when they become a part
of it they enter within the sphere of his influence and are
affected by his vision of things and by those around them who are also
affected by that vision; a vision that’s made visible by how he goes
about being what he is in the workplace. I don’t believe nor do I wish
to believe that all the companies in the area are crooked; that isn’t my
point; but because he is a presence there I know one company I can do
business with and be sure I’m getting fair, honest, courteous and
satisfying treatment.
Millions of us believe we see that truth
at work on a cosmic scale in the person of Jesus. We hold him to be Lord
and we claim he makes decisions and determines some policies but we
believe that that truth is only one facet of what we think about the
Lord Jesus. As my friend is “a presence” in his company so Jesus is “a
presence” in the world. 1 Peter speaks of those who haven’t seen Jesus
but says of them. “Still you love him.”
My friend isn’t Jesus
[there’s only one Jesus!]. I need hardly tell you that humans being
humans his numerous employees at some time or another and in some way or
another surely mistreat the clients—that’s life as we know it but where
his spirit prevails for his company that won’t happen. I’d insist that
my friend’s presence in his company is shaped by Jesus’ presence in the
world and that he is, in that respect, a servant of Jesus Christ as a
agent of change for good to the human society.
Not everyone goes
along with the spirit of Jesus [do I need to tell you that?] but even
the brilliant though confused Bertrand Russell toward the end of his
life confessed that if the world was to get any better we would need to
look to the spirit of Jesus Christ and his way in the world. While more
needs to be said about Jesus than Russell would have allowed, Russell
was right on target. My friend’s company can’t be all it can be without
his “presence” and the world can’t be all it can be without the presence
of the Lord Jesus who shapes the vision and the behaviour of people
beyond his own peculiar People.
The point I began with was
illustrated just a couple of weeks later when I had some work done and
went to pay for it and the invoice was adjusted. My friend’s trusted
employee and colleague chuckled as he completed the adjustment. “Don’t
want the boss to think I was gouging you,” he said. Bearing in mind that
a presence was there I couldn’t help saying, “That’d never happen
here.”
One day when Jesus returns to right all wrongs and when as
compensation he ”restores all the years the locusts have eaten” to all
those who have been ceaselessly oppressed, in a world made new someone,
somewhere, will smile and say, ”Let me adjust that bill. Don’t want the
Boss to think I’m gouging you” and the answer will come back, ”That'd
never happen here.”
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.
February 28, 2014
From Gary... You say... God says...
I remember being a young boy and helpless in the face of tyranny; but
God helped me. Then as a young man, not yet 21, with three small
children, I felt overwhelmed by responsibility, but God made a way.
Then, in my early 50's, I faced godless opposition in the workplace, a
friend said to me- "Gary, it seems that everyone who is against you
fails." Now, I am old and faced with all the problems of advancing
years. Yet, somehow, I have never felt more blessed in my life. So,
when I look at the chart, I can see my own doubts, fears, concerns and
yes, downright stupidity in stark contrast with the plain truth from
God. So, as I continue to advance along my continuum of being, I find
solace in the following passage from the Scriptures...
Luke, Chapter 1
5
There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest
named Zacharias, of the priestly division of Abijah. He had a wife of
the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. 6 They were both righteous before God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord. 7 But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they both were well advanced in years. 8 Now while he executed the priest’s office before God in the order of his division, 9 according to the custom of the priest’s office, his lot was to enter into the temple of the Lord and burn incense. 10 The whole multitude of the people were praying outside at the hour of incense.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. 17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
11 An angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense. 12 Zacharias was troubled when he saw him, and fear fell upon him. 13 But the angel said to him, “Don’t be afraid, Zacharias, because your request has been heard, and your wife, Elizabeth, will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 You will have joy and gladness; and many will rejoice at his birth. 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and he will drink no wine nor strong drink. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16 He will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord, their God. 17 He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to prepare a people prepared for the Lord.”
18 Zacharias said to the angel, “How can I be sure of this? For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years.”
19 The angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God. I was sent to speak to you, and to bring you this good news.
Later
on in the book of Luke, Zacharias was disciplined for his unbelief by
being unable to speak until he pleased God by naming his son John. But,
his son (John the Baptist) was one very special blessing to a very aged
couple!!! Who says that just because someone is old that God cannot work through them? If it can happen to Zacharias, it can happen to me- and more importantly- IT CAN HAPPEN TO YOU!!!
Over and over God has worked in my life and will continue to do so- if
you can not say that, then do whatever it takes to seek and obey God!!!
A good place to START would be to review the chart and determine this
very day to take God more seriously!!! Make no mistake, long before you
read this, I will be doing the same thing!!!
From Gary... Bible Reading February 28
Feb.
28
Exodus
9
Exo
9:1 Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him,
'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my
people go, that they may serve me.
Exo
9:2 For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,
Exo
9:3 behold, the hand of Yahweh is on your livestock which are in the
field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds,
and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.
Exo
9:4 Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel
and the livestock of Egypt; and there shall nothing die of all that
belongs to the children of Israel." ' "
Exo
9:5 Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow Yahweh shall
do this thing in the land."
Exo
9:6 Yahweh did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of
Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one
died.
Exo
9:7 Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the
livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was
stubborn, and he didn't let the people go.
Exo
9:8 Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of
ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the
sight of Pharaoh.
Exo
9:9 It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall
be a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal, throughout
all the land of Egypt."
Exo
9:10 They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and
Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking
forth with boils on man and on animal.
Exo
9:11 The magicians couldn't stand before Moses because of the boils;
for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians.
Exo
9:12 Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn't listen to
them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.
Exo
9:13 Yahweh said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and
stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of
the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
Exo
9:14 For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart,
against your officials, and against your people; that you may know
that there is none like me in all the earth.
Exo
9:15 For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your
people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the
earth;
Exo
9:16 but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my
power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;
Exo
9:17 as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won't
let them go.
Exo
9:18 Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very
grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was
founded even until now.
Exo
9:19 Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that
you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal
that is found in the field, and isn't brought home, the hail shall
come down on them, and they shall die." ' "
Exo
9:20 Those who feared the word of Yahweh among the servants of
Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.
Exo
9:21 Whoever didn't regard the word of Yahweh left his servants and
his livestock in the field.
Exo
9:22 Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand toward the
sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on
animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of
Egypt."
Exo
9:23 Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh
sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh
rained hail on the land of Egypt.
Exo
9:24 So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the
hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a
nation.
Exo
9:25 The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was
in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of
the field, and broke every tree of the field.
Exo
9:26 Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were,
there was no hail.
Exo
9:27 Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them,
"I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my
people are wicked.
Exo
9:28 Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings
and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."
Exo
9:29 Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the
city, I will spread abroad my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall
cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that you may know that
the earth is Yahweh's.
Exo
9:30 But as for you and your servants, I know that you don't yet
fear Yahweh God."
Exo
9:31 The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the
ear, and the flax was in bloom.
Exo
9:32 But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not
grown up.
Exo
9:33 Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his
hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was
not poured on the earth.
Exo
9:34 When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders
were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his
servants.
Exo
9:35 The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn't let the
children of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.
Feb.
29
Exodus
10
Exo
10:1 Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have
hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show
these my signs in the midst of them,
Exo
10:2 and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your
son's son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I
have done among them; that you may know that I am Yahweh."
Exo
10:3 Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, "This
is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you
refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may
serve me.
Exo
10:4 Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I
will bring locusts into your country,
Exo
10:5 and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one
won't be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that
which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat
every tree which grows for you out of the field.
Exo
10:6 Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your
servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your
fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they
were on the earth to this day.' " He turned, and went out from
Pharaoh.
Exo
10:7 Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long will this man be
a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God.
Don't you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?"
Exo
10:8 Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to
them, "Go, serve Yahweh your God; but who are those who will
go?"
Exo
10:9 Moses said, "We will go with our young and with our old;
with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our
herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to Yahweh."
Exo
10:10 He said to them, "Yahweh be with you if I will let you go
with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.
Exo
10:11 Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve Yahweh; for that is
what you desire!" They were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
Exo
10:12 Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the
land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of
Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has
left."
Exo
10:13 Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and
Yahweh brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all the
night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
Exo
10:14 The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in
all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there
were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
Exo
10:15 For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the
land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the
fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing
green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of
Egypt.
Exo
10:16 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said,
"I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.
Exo
10:17 Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh
your God, that he may also take away from me this death."
Exo
10:18 He went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.
Exo
10:19 Yahweh turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the
locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one
locust in all the borders of Egypt.
Exo
10:20 But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he didn't let the
children of Israel go.
Exo
10:21 Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the
sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness
which may be felt."
Exo
10:22 Moses stretched forth his hand toward the sky, and there was a
thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
Exo
10:23 They didn't see one another, neither did anyone rise from his
place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in
their dwellings.
Exo
10:24 Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go, serve Yahweh.
Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones
also go with you."
Exo
10:25 Moses said, "You must also give into our hand sacrifices
and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.
Exo
10:26 Our livestock also shall go with us. There shall not a hoof be
left behind, for of it we must take to serve Yahweh our God; and we
don't know with what we must serve Yahweh, until we come there."
Exo
10:27 But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he wouldn't let them
go.
Exo
10:28 Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Be careful to see
my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!"
Exo
10:29 Moses said, "You have spoken well. I will see your face
again no more."
Feb. 28, 29
Mark 2
Mar 2:1 When he entered
again into Capernaum after some days, it was heard that he was in the
house.
Mar 2:2 Immediately
many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even
around the door; and he spoke the word to them.
Mar 2:3 Four people
came, carrying a paralytic to him.
Mar 2:4 When they could
not come near to him for the crowd, they removed the roof where he
was. When they had broken it up, they let down the mat that the
paralytic was lying on.
Mar 2:5 Jesus, seeing
their faith, said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven
you."
Mar 2:6 But there were
some of the scribes sitting there, and reasoning in their hearts,
Mar 2:7 "Why does
this man speak blasphemies like that? Who can forgive sins but God
alone?"
Mar 2:8 Immediately
Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they so reasoned within
themselves, said to them, "Why do you reason these things in
your hearts?
Mar 2:9 Which is
easier, to tell the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven;' or to say,
'Arise, and take up your bed, and walk?'
Mar 2:10 But that you
may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"
-he said to the paralytic-
Mar 2:11 "I tell
you, arise, take up your mat, and go to your house."
Mar 2:12 He arose, and
immediately took up the mat, and went out in front of them all; so
that they were all amazed, and glorified God, saying, "We never
saw anything like this!"
Mar 2:13 He went out
again by the seaside. All the multitude came to him, and he taught
them.
Mar 2:14 As he passed
by, he saw Levi, the son of Alphaeus, sitting at the tax office, and
he said to him, "Follow me." And he arose and followed him.
Mar 2:15 It happened,
that he was reclining at the table in his house, and many tax
collectors and sinners sat down with Jesus and his disciples, for
there were many, and they followed him.
Mar 2:16 The scribes
and the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with the sinners
and tax collectors, said to his disciples, "Why is it that he
eats and drinks with tax collectors and sinners?"
Mar 2:17 When Jesus
heard it, he said to them, "Those who are healthy have no need
for a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance."
Mar 2:18 John's
disciples and the Pharisees were fasting, and they came and asked
him, "Why do John's disciples and the disciples of the Pharisees
fast, but your disciples don't fast?"
Mar 2:19 Jesus said to
them, "Can the groomsmen fast while the bridegroom is with them?
As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they can't fast.
Mar 2:20 But the days
will come when the bridegroom will be taken away from them, and then
will they fast in that day.
Mar 2:21 No one sews a
piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, or else the patch shrinks
and the new tears away from the old, and a worse hole is made.
Mar 2:22 No one puts
new wine into old wineskins, or else the new wine will burst the
skins, and the wine pours out, and the skins will be destroyed; but
they put new wine into fresh wineskins."
Mar 2:23 It happened
that he was going on the Sabbath day through the grain fields, and
his disciples began, as they went, to pluck the ears of grain.
Mar 2:24 The Pharisees
said to him, "Behold, why do they do that which is not lawful on
the Sabbath day?"
Mar 2:25 He said to
them, "Did you never read what David did, when he had need, and
was hungry-he, and those who were with him?
Mar 2:26 How he entered
into the house of God when Abiathar was high priest, and ate the show
bread, which is not lawful to eat except for the priests, and gave
also to those who were with him?"
Mar 2:27 He said to
them, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.
Mar 2:28 Therefore the
Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath."
From Mark Copeland... The Supremacy Of Jesus Over Moses (Hebrews 3:1-6)
"THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS" The Supremacy Of Jesus Over Moses (3:1-6) INTRODUCTION 1. We have seen that the writer to the Hebrews sought to encourage faithfulness to Jesus by illustrating His superiority... a. Over prophets - He 1:1-3 b. Over angels - He 1:4-2:18 -- Both of which were very important to the Jewish people 2. Highly revered also by the Hebrews was Moses... a. The author of the first five books of the Old Testament b. The deliverer, who led them out of Egyptian bondage and to the promised land c. The Law-giver, through whom God revealed so much of the Jewish religion 3. If the writer was to be successful in encouraging his brethren to remain faithful to Jesus... a. He would have to compare Jesus with Moses b. He would have to illustrate "The Supremacy Of Jesus Over Moses" -- This he does, especially in He 3:1-6, which serves as the text of our study [In the first verse, we note the...] I. THE CALL TO CONSIDER JESUS (1) A. TO WHOM THIS CALL IS GIVEN... 1. The readers are described as: a. "holy brethren" 1) I.e., brethren who are sanctified, set apart for a holy purpose 2) Cf. what was written in He 2:10-11 3) It is to the brethren of Christ that these things are being written! b. "partakers of the heavenly calling" 1) They had come to share in the call from heaven 2) This "calling" was the call of the gospel a) For that is how God calls us - 2Th 2:13-14 b) It is a call to glory - 2Th 2:14; 1Th 2:12 2. Clearly the original recipients were Christians! a. Some commentators try to reason that they were not, because of the warnings found throughout this epistle b. But it is evident they were, which is why we need to give earnest heed to the warnings! B. TO CONSIDER JESUS AS APOSTLE AND HIGH PRIEST... 1. How is Jesus an "apostle"? a. The word means "one sent" b. Just as Moses was sent by God, so was Jesus, as foretold by Moses and the prophets that followed! - Ac 3:22-26; cf. Jn 7:16 2. How is Jesus a "high priest"? a. That is one of the important themes of this epistle 1) Introduced in He 2:17 2) Expounded upon in detail later in He 4:14-7:28 b. He has made "propitiation" (an appeasing sacrifice) for our sins, through offering Himself on the cross - He 7:26-27 c. He continues to intercede on our behalf - He 7:24-25 -- Thus Jesus is the Apostle and High Priest "of our confession" (i.e., whom we confess as Christians) [As we now note the actual comparison of Jesus with Moses, we are told that...] II. JESUS IS GREATER IN HIS PERSON (2-4) A. THE ISSUE IS NOT ONE OF FAITHFULNESS... 1. Jesus was faithful to the One who appointed Him - cf. Jn 17:4 2. Moses likewise was faithful - cf. He 11:24-29; Num 12:6-8 B. JESUS IS GREATER BECAUSE HE IS THE BUILDER (CREATOR)... 1. Jesus is worthy of more glory, just as one who builds a house has more honor than the house itself a. Jesus is the builder b. Moses is part of the house itself -- Implying that what Moses did was in service to the work of the Son! 2. Once again the author declares the deity of the Son as the Creator of all things - cf. He 1:2c,10; 3:4 [The comparison continues as we note that...] III. JESUS IS GREATER IN HIS MINISTRY (5-6) A. MOSES WAS A FAITHFUL "SERVANT"... 1. We have already seen that issue is not one of faithfulness - Num 12:6-8 2. Moses' task was to testify of things to come, which he did faithfully - e.g., Deut 18:15-19; cf. Lk 24:44 B. JESUS IS A FAITHFUL "SON"... 1. Moses was simply a servant IN the house, Jesus is the Son OVER the house 2. Not only did Jesus do the work He was sent to do (Jn 17:4), but He was given authority over all the things of God - cf. Mt 28:18; Jn 3:35; Ep 1:22 CONCLUSION 1. How is Jesus superior to Moses? a. Not in faithfulness, but in person and service b. Moses was a servant in the house of God; Jesus is the builder of the house, and serves as the Son over the house! -- Indeed, Moses points us forward to Jesus (cf. Deut 18:15-19); for one to forsake Jesus in an attempt to go back to Moses alone is to frustrate the desire of Moses himself! 2. Speaking of the house of God, of which Jesus is the builder and over which He presides... a. The writer to the Hebrews affirms that "we" are the house of Christ 1) Speaking of the church, which is the house of God - 1 Tim 3:15 2) In Christ, we are now "members of the household of God", and together with the faithful saints of old (including Moses) we are now "fellow-citizens" in the commonwealth of Israel! - cf. Ep 2:11-22 b. Yet our status as the "house" is conditional! 1) "whose house we are IF we hold fast...." - He 3:6 2) We must hold fast "the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end." Therefore the need for steadfastness, and the reason this epistle is filled with exhortations to that end! Indeed, the next exhortation begins in verse 7, which we shall examine in our next lesson ("A Warning From The Wilderness"). Is your faith wavering? Then heed the words of this epistle and... "consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus". As you contemplate His person and His ministry, it should help you hold fast to your confession of faith!Executable Outlines, Copyright © Mark A. Copeland, 2011
From Jim McGuiggan... Political and Religious Correctness
Political and Religious Correctness
It
would appear that everyone wants to be gracious (or at least, polite)
and with that as now established fashion, doctrine becomes irrelevant or
close to it.
Of course we have those who seem to live for debate—for them every
disagreement is a life or death matter; it must be so, don’t you see,
because that’s what gives them the opportunity to show the brilliance of
their logic as they prove with geometrical certainty that one seemingly
small error leads to another and that to another until the entire
gospel edifice is at stake. These people have not vanished from the
earth—far from it. In fact though their number may be smaller than
decades ago their voice is even shriller and their logic is even more
sharply honed. The widespread feeling that doctrine doesn’t matter at
all feeds this class and often creates it because, though we might not
bother to act on it, in our bones we all believe that ideas have consequences and that what we believe matters. For some, then, what we believe is the only thing that matters—and so extremists are born and nurtured.
Over
against those among us who live to debate there are those who insist:
“The only thing that matters is attitude, lifestyle and sincerity; oh,
and yes, faith in Jesus as the Christ, God’s Son. Given these, the rest
is a matter of fine-tuning at most or a tedious waste of good time and
energy.” You hear this kind of talk everywhere.
Nobody
believes it in science or medicine, systems of justice, social
questions (abortion, embryonic research and such) or even, so it
appears, in politics. Passionate people in their thousands gather to
shout fiercely that so-and-so must not be allowed to get to be president
or prime minister, that such-and-such a group mustn’t be allowed to
gain power. These thousands don’t profess to have all the answers to all
the major questions but they work on the proposition that “the truth is
out there” and we should work toward it for the good of all (especially
for our own good).
But
in religion everything is pretty much a matter of what each individual
thinks and ignorance, even chosen ignorance, even flat refusal to hear
what the Bible seems clearly to say, must be accepted and acceptable. I
almost said “excused,” but that would suggest that there’s something
wrong with an individual asserting his “autonomy”. The one “wrong” in
today’s climate, is daring to require people to believe certain truths
if they are indeed to be Christians. But a fine-spirited and socially
useful agnostic, whatever else he is—as he will tell you himself—is not a
Christian.
Less
radically but just as forthrightly we’re told that we mustn’t bind
creedal views on anyone; we mustn’t insist that they believe this or
submit to that if they already “believe in Jesus as Saviour.” To do
otherwise, we’re told, is said to nullify God’s grace. All that’s
required is faith in Jesus and the rest, while some of it will need to
be worked out because it generates serious pastoral concerns and hinders
a good reading of the biblical witness—the rest has nothing to do with a
person’s salvation in Jesus.
As proof of this we have Paul, enraged by conservative Jews at Antioch.
These people were binding the Torah on Gentile converts and Paul
blisteringly condemned it as worthy of anathema (Galatians 1—2). We’re
to learn from this, we’re told, not to bind anything on anyone except faith in Jesus for that alone is essential.
But scripture and life aren’t that simple and in the very texts used to say we should bind nothing
on people but faith in Jesus as Saviour Paul called a curse down on
these who would propagate the view just mentioned because it was false
to the core.
Still, the people he called down destruction on were people who passionately believed in Jesus as Saviour so
it would appear that even those who have faith in Jesus as Saviour and
Lord can take a theological position that earns heaven’s anathema. To
put it much too crassly, in essence, Paul said to people who had
passionate faith in Jesus as Lord and Saviour: “Believe the gospel I
preached to you or be damned!”
He thought that a particular view of Christ’s work nullified the death of Jesus (Galatians 2:21).
An
increasing number of preachers who should know better are now saying
that requiring believers to be baptized “into Christ” is an “add on”—the
very thing that we mustn’t do. The very thing, they tell us, that Paul
forbids us to do in Galatians 1—2.
The Paul who wrote such scathing words against believers in Jesus
had himself been baptized unto forgiveness of sins (Acts 22:16) and in
Galatians itself (3:26-27) he speaks of union with Christ in terms of a
believer baptism. He doesn’t appear to think a faith union with Christ
that’s entered in baptism is an “add on” requirement. Over and over
again some people tell us that to call for baptism as the NT way to take
on us Jesus’ name is adding “creedal requirements” in addition to
“salvation by faith”.
But
if that were true Paul threatens believers in Jesus with divine
excommunication in chapters 1 & 2 and then in 3:26-27 does what he
curses them for.
Maybe it’s best just to take the texts at face value and believe that Paul, in chapters 1 & 2, was denouncing what God had not called for, what God had in fact excluded, and that in 3:26-27 he simply took for granted what God had called for (called for it in Paul and everyone else).
A
few years back a man, whom I judge was as weary as we all are at times
with too much debating and too little warm, eager obedience, wrote a
book calling us all to be more open in our fellowship with evangelical churches of whatever hue since ignorance is prevalent in all churches.
A
reviewer trenchantly reminded the author that since it's true that
ignorance prevails in all the churches the author had no good reason to
limit fellowship in Christ to “evangelicals”. Why not include the fringe
groups that believe in Jesus as Saviour though they hold fundamental
error about Jesus, his person, his work and his purpose?
Many
people belong to this church or that simply because it was good enough
for their parents (or the Queen of England) and it’s good enough for
them. Churches often stand apart from each other for evil reasons
(bitterness, arrogance, stubbornness, personality clashes or thwarted
ambitions) but sometimes standing apart is inevitable because, in the
end, we must call it as we see it and we don’t all see it alike. God
knows how to judge the character and depth of error even when we can't
so we should happily leave that to him while we proclaim what the Bible
seems clearly to teach with passion and graciousness.
If
because we’re shaped by the Hebrew—Christian scriptures we oppose
homosexuality as an acceptable behaviourable choice we’re often accused
of being homophobic. Sometimes when we criticize Jewish views we’re said
to be anti-Semitic or when we castigate the greed often generated by
the free-market we’re said to be Communist or dangerously Socialist. We
exclude some people from a place in the NT elect for one reason or
another and we’re called sectarian, hardhearted and graceless. Choose
your own illustration. Accusations like this get us nowhere and they
certainly don’t nurture courtesy and fairness. Maybe we’ll just have to
stand our ground, call it as we see it while, by God’s grace, we
continue in a spirit of obedience to pursue truth as it’s found in
Jesus. Meanwhile we’ll continue the dialogue praying for movement in
whatever direction it needs to come from or head to.
But
don’t you get weary of what appears to be the fad of recantation and
long for bold proclamation? Don’t you grow tired of the “niceness” that
appears to want to please the religious consumer and wish for men and
women who take a stand on what the scriptures say with plainness? Isn't
"religious correctness" sometimes as sickening as political
"correctness"?
©2004 Jim McGuiggan. All materials are free to be copied and used as long as money is not being made.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.
Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, theabidingword.com.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)





