Members not Mavericks

Matthew 16:17-19  And Jesus answering said to him, 'Happy art thou, Simon Bar-Jona, because flesh and blood did not reveal it to thee, but my Father who is in the heavens.  (18)  'And I also say to thee, that thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will build my assembly (Church), and gates of Hades shall not prevail against it;  (19)  and I will give to thee the keys of the reign of the heavens, and whatever thou mayest bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever thou mayest loose upon the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.'

Gallup has asked Americans whether they belonged to a church, synagogue, mosque, or other house of worship since 1937. In 1937, 73% of Americans said they were members. That figure remained around 70% for roughly six decades. It was 73% in 1952, 73% in 1965, 71% in 1976, 68% in 1979, and still 70% in 1999. By 2010 it had fallen to 61%, and by 2023 it was 45%.   That is a scary and drastic decline.  Our society has changed a lot in the last 20 years and this change has certainly influenced Christians. 

American society has become dramatically more mobile and individualistic.  Today people move more frequently, work farther from home, socialize through digital networks, and have many more opportunities to construct their social lives independently.  Specifically, we can sit in our pajamas on our couch in our own home and listen to a preacher on the other side of the World.  There is the saying, “the grass is always greener on the other side,” and with the invention and widespread use of high-speed internet and smartphones, we can always find a greener side.  People increasingly prefer relationships that provide benefits without creating corresponding obligations.   You can consume an enormous amount of biblical content without ever having to know or care for the elderly sister sitting a few rows ahead of you, or confront a fellow believer about sin, forgive someone who offended you, or allow other Christians to know you well enough to hold you accountable.

The question is not merely, “Do I go to church?” but “Am I part of Christ’s church?” There is a tremendous difference between attending a gathering when it suits us and committing ourselves to a local body of believers, accepting the responsibilities that come with that commitment, and faithfully serving the Lord together.  In the USA at least, it appears we have developed a consumer mentality toward church. Rather than asking, "How can I serve this body?" we can easily begin asking, "What can this church do for me?" Beware of Consumer Christianity that listens to Burger King to “Have it my way” instead of the King of Kings which says, “They will be done”.  

The Lord’s Church does not passively interact with or merely respond to the actions of others. The Lord’s Church is to initiate and direct in such matters. Just as with a human cell or the human body itself, the head directs the body concerning what is to be allowed in and what is to be kept out. All authority was given to Jesus Christ, and He then sent His church, with authority, to carry out His kingdom work. The church has been entrusted with this authority, which Jesus described as the “keys” in Matthew 16 and Matthew 18. Therefore, the church is not merely a recipient of decisions made by others, but an authorized body that is to discern, act, receive, reject, bind, loose, and carry out the will of its Head according to His Word and Spirit.

 

The local church exercises the authority of Christ for the mission of Christ:

Matthew 18:15-19  'And if thy brother may sin against thee, go and show him his fault between thee and him alone, if he may hear thee, thou didst gain thy brother;  (16)  and if he may not hear, take with thee yet one or two, that by the mouth of two witnesses or three every word may stand.  (17)  'And if he may not hear them, say it to the assembly, and if also the assembly he may not hear, let him be to thee as the heathen man and the tax-gatherer.  (18)  'Verily I say to you, Whatever things ye may bind upon the earth shall be having been bound in the heavens, and whatever things ye may loose on the earth shall be having been loosed in the heavens.  (19)  'Again, I say to you, that, if two of you may agree on the earth concerning anything, whatever they may ask—it shall be done to them from my Father who is in the heavens,

John 20:21-23  Jesus, therefore, said to them again, 'Peace to you; according as the Father hath sent me, I also send you;'  (22)  and this having said, he breathed on them , and saith to them, 'Receive the Holy Spirit;  (23)  if of any ye may loose the sins, they are loosed to them; if of any ye may retain, they have been retained.'

Matthew 28:18-20  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  (19)  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,  (20)  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Jesus Christ is the Head of His church. He possesses all authority, and He has entrusted His church with responsibility to carry out His commands. The church is therefore not simply a place where Christians gather. It is a body operating under the authority of its Head.

Does the Bible actually give us the concept of belonging to a local church? Is church membership merely a tradition that we have developed, or is it something we see in the Word of God? 

Believers were added to the church

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.   And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.” … “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”   Acts 2:41-42, 47

Notice the progression: they received the Word, were baptized, were added to the assembly, and continued together in the life of the church.   This is not simply a collection of Christians who happened to attend the same meeting. From the very beginning, the New Testament pattern is individual salvation followed by incorporation into a visible body of believers.  Once these believers had been added to the church, what did that church actually look like? It wasn't an informal gathering with no organization or responsibility. It had leadership, order, accountability, and people serving one another.

Acts 6:1-7 We see the Jerusalem Church function together in the selection of Deacons.  At the direction of the Apostles, the Church, called “the multitude”, selected seven qualified men and the Apostles approved of them by placing their hands on them.   This is significant for local church membership because there was a discernible body of disciples from whom men could be selected and to whom church matters could be presented.

The Lord’s Churches have organized leadership which are held to standards and must give an account of their stewardship. 

Acts 14:23 “So when they had appointed elders in every church…”  Paul and Barnabas did not simply establish vague gatherings of Christians. They established churches, each with recognized leadership.

Acts 20:28 “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers…”  An overseer cannot meaningfully shepherd a flock unless there is an identifiable flock to shepherd.

James 5:14  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…

1 Peter 5:1-3  The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:  (2)  Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;  (3)  Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

Hebrews 13:7  “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you…” Hebrews 13:17  “Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive…”

Who are the leaders responsible for? To whom are the people instructed to submit?  You cannot appoint elders “in every church,” shepherd “the flock,” call for “the elders of the church,” or instruct believers to obey those who rule over them if there is no identifiable relationship between the shepherds and the sheep.  

1 Corinthians is written to a specific local church and repeatedly treats its believers as members of a particular body.  In this letter we see examples of how the Lord’s church is to function in regard to church discipline, Communion and everyday life.

1 Corinthians 1:2  Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:

1 Corinthians 5:4-5  When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus,  (5)  you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.

Paul instructs the Corinthian church concerning a particular man and directs them to remove him from their fellowship.  “Therefore put away from yourselves the evil person.”  1 Corinthians 5:13

There had to be some identifiable distinction between:  inside the church / outside the church

for the church to remove someone from its fellowship.  The Bible does not describe the church as a revolving door where people are never really in and never really out. There was a recognizable body, and there were recognizable responsibilities that came with belonging to that body.  In the same passage it says that the Church is not “to eat with such a one” (v. 11).  The Lord’s Church does not passively interact or merely respond to the actions of others but rather actively responds to the Head Jesus Christ who directs the body.  This principle becomes even clearer when we come to the Lord's Supper.

1 Corinthians 10:16-17  The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ?  (17)  Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. 

1 Corinthians 11:33  So then, my brothers, when you come together to eat, wait for one another…

Paul isn't describing something Christians are doing independently in their homes. He is addressing what happens “when you come together.” The Supper identifies us not only with Christ, but with the body of believers with whom we are gathering.  Paul takes the body language even further in chapter 12 where these Christians are called members of the body.

1 Corinthians 12:24-27  … God has so composed the body, giving greater honor to the part that lacked it,  (25)  that there may be no division in the body, but that the members may have the same care for one another.  (26)  If one member suffers, all suffer together; if one member is honored, all rejoice together.  (27)  Now you are the body of Christ and individually members of it.

The language of members is not incidental. Paul uses the human-body analogy to explain the relationship of individual Christians within the church.  Members are connected in a body.  A member of a body has both a relationship and a responsibility. The hand isn't merely near the body. It belongs to the body. The eye doesn't simply attend the body. It is part of the body.

Christians must ask themselves, “Where am I serving as a member of His body? Who am I accountable to? Who am I caring for? Who is caring for me?”

 

Romans 1:7  To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ.

Romans 12:4-5  “For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.”

 

Ephesians 1:1  Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, to the saints which are at Ephesus, and to the faithful in Christ Jesus:

Ephesians 2:19  “Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God…”

Ephesians 4:15-16  Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ,  (16)  from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.           Ephesians 5:30 “For we are members of His body…”

 

Hebrews 10:23-25  Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)  (24)  And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:  (25)  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

These commands are difficult to reconcile with a Christianity in which believers have no particular body to which they belong. How can I consistently consider you, encourage you, exhort you, bear your burdens, forgive you, teach you, pray for you, and be accountable to you if I intentionally remain detached from the body?

"One Another" Passages Strongly Imply Church Community

John 13:34-35 “Love one another…”

Romans 12:10 “ Be kindly affectionate to one another…”

Romans 12:16  “Be of the same mind toward one another…”

Romans 15:7  “Therefore receive one another…”

Galatians 6:2  “Bear one another’s burdens…”

Ephesians 4:2  “bearing with one another in love…”

Ephesians 4:32  “And be kind to one another…”

Colossians 3:13  “bearing with one another, and forgiving one another…”

Colossians 3:16  “teaching and admonishing one another…”

1 Thessalonians 5:11 “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another…”

James 5:16  “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another…”

1 Peter 4:8-10  “And above all things have fervent love for one another…”

Consider what disappears when an individual Christian becomes detached from a local body:

Accountability becomes optional,  Church discipline becomes irrelevant,  Pastoral oversight becomes unnecessary, Corporate prayer becomes replaceable, Church ordinances (Communion & Baptism) become detached from the assembly and all the “one another” passages mean less because it’s just you. 

I would not pretend to have authority to tell you which of the Lord’s churches you should be a member of; God is faithful and He will lead you.  However, He has already clearly told us that we should indeed be a faithful member of His Body (somewhere). 

The New Testament does not present the Christian life as an isolated believer occasionally attending a church; it presents saved and baptized believers being added to identifiable assemblies, living under Christ's authority within those assemblies, serving one another as members of the body, submitting to biblical leadership, participating in church ordinances, and remaining accountable to each other in the Spirit of Christ.  We were not designed to be spiritual Mavericks.  Rather, now we as Christ can say, “a body you have prepared for me.”  Christ has given us His body and individually we are members of it.

If God is against us, who can be for us 1-6 

“Please inquire of the Lord for us, for Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon makes war against us. Perhaps the Lord will deal with us according to all His wonderful works, that the king may go away from us.” (Jeremiah 21:2, NKJV)

It’s striking that the King is now so interested in what the Lord has to say. God is sometimes only the God of our desperation and not our dedication. In contrast to the beginning of chapter 19, this is not the Lord directing Jeremiah to take two men, but the King sending two men. When the Lord is sending a message “voluntarily” through the prophet, there seems to be no desperation but now it’s the King sending the messengers – times are desperate.

We pick back up on the narrative of Zedekiah’s inquiry in chapters 37-38. With Zedekiah there was a great struggle to accept the Lord’s counsel. He knew where to go, Jeremiah, and the truth of the circumstances but the fear of the people, the shame and humiliation of giving up his power was too much for him to accept. It’s not perhaps too rare for Christian’s and non-Christian’s alike to act out of the same character of self-preservation. The hold of pride, driven by power, wealth, status, and social forces are often much stronger than mere bible-centered conviction. Not even the Creator Himself can overcome these powerful forces when they have such a strangle hold on our person. Cf. Matthew 19:16-22

The way of life and death

“Now you shall say to this people, ‘Thus says the Lord: “Behold, I set before you the way of life and the way of death. (Jeremiah 21:8, NKJV)

Are there really any other choices than life and death? This is the biblical dichotomy of choice when it comes to the service of the Lord. His way is what leads to life and our way leads to death.

13 “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. 14 Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. (Matthew 7:13–14, NKJV) Cf. 2 Cor. 2:16; Deut. 30:11-15; Romans 10:5-10

One last chance 

Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David. (Jeremiah 22:3–4, NKJV)

There seems to be one last chance given by the Lord for Zedekiah, in particular, to repent. By this time the Chaldeans had already besieged the city (see chapters 37-38) and were either still there or had left to fight with the Egyptian army.

There is a strong lesson in how to survive the siege or any enemy for that matter. To survive a siege there are probably some critical components: stock up on water and food, prepare to be isolated for an extended time, counsel and prepare the people on the psychological burden, beef up the defenses along the perimeter, and so forth. NONE of these were mentioned as a means of deliverance. Here was the recipe: help and look after the stranger, widow, and orphan.

It’s too often that we think if we can just take care of the problem in front of us then we can start to take care of the spiritual things. It’s a formula destine for disaster. Our spiritual failing is the only thing that’s important.

30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 “Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:30–34, NKJV)

You are Gilead, verse 6-7, 13-15

Jeremiah uses the imagery of Gilead and Lebanon to show the regard God has for His people. Gilead is used here, not because of its geographical relationship to Jerusalem but its significance of importance as the entry point for the cedars of Lebanon. These cedars were a show of the wealth, power, and prestige God had built out His people to be, especially in Jerusalem, the city of God. In verse 7, He again shows His judgement in cutting down those cedars used to build up the majestic home of the King in Jerusalem.

 Knowing the Lord

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord. (Jeremiah 22:16, NKJV)

I am not sure that if you would ask the average Christian what is means to know the Lord that judging the cause of the poor and needy would make the list. Knowing the Lord has to be more than just a “personal experience” with Jesus. That might sound harsh, but we’re not just talking about a proclamation of something that someone mentally or even spiritual agrees with in the nature of God’s redemptive work through the Saviour. To know Him is to be like Him. To know Him to want to treat others with respect to how he wants us to treat others.

3 Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. 4 He who says, “I know Him,” and does not keep His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked. (1 John 2:3–6, NKJV)

8 Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith; 10 that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection, and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death, 11 if, by any means, I may attain to the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:8–11, NKJV)

The difficulty of hearing in prosperity

I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said, ‘I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, That you did not obey My voice. (Jeremiah 22:21, NKJV)

There seems to be an inverse relationship between prosperity and hearing what the Lord has to say. This is not a math equation, just a biblical observation. It does us well to know that as we gain in prosperity, the likelihood of our hearing loss goes up dramatically. It’s harder to see the Lord when our eyes are on so many other things. It’s hard to hear the Lord when His voice is drowned out by so much other noise.

John 9   "He Opened My Eyes"

Finding Jesus: “the Man” to  “a Prophet” to  “of God” to “Lord, I believe” and he worshiped Him.’  In this passage, we are blessed to see the progression of this blind man coming to know Jesus.  The marvel was all about what God had done to his eyes, but the real miracle was what God was doing in his heart.  “Open the eyes of my heart Lord, Open the eyes of my heart, I want to see you, I want to see you”. 

The Man:   Mat 26:74  Then he began to curse and swear, "I do not know the man!" And immediately a  rooster crowed.

Joh 19:5  Jesus then came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate *said to them, "Behold, the Man!"

1Ti 2:5  For there is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

A Prophet:  Mat 16:13-16  … He was asking His disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?"  (14)  And they said, "Some say John the Baptist; and others, Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets."  (15)  He *said to them, "But who do you say that I am?"  (16)  Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

Lord:  Joh 1:46  Nathanael said to him, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"  è Joh 1:49  Nathanael answered Him, "Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the King of Israel."

Mat 14:33  And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, "You are certainly God's Son!"

Joh 20:28  Thomas answered and said to Him, "My Lord and my God!"

The man who first knew Him simply as Jesus eventually came to know Him as Lord, and when he recognized who Jesus was, he worshipped Him.  As time passes, we too gain a new found love and appreciation for our Savior.  Through our experiences with Jesus, He is revealed as our Rock, Shield and Fortress, our Savior and Redeemer, our Rabboni, Master, Lord and God.  As a bride to her groom, we too at first know only the “fringes of His ways; and how faint a word we hear of Him!” Job 26:14.  Yet the more time we spend with Him now and in eternity, His love grows only sweeter, His face shines only brighter. 

It is such a blessing to see spiritual growth in the lives of those we love.  May we too long for that same growth in our own spirits that we might join with Paul in saying, I count all things loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.  Brethren, we all have a lot to learn. 

V. 4 “We must work the works of Him who sent Jesus, as long as it is day; night is coming when no one can work.”

John 4:34-36  Jesus said to them, “My food is to do the will of him who sent me and to accomplish his work.  (35)  Do you not say, ‘There are yet four months, then comes the harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest.  (36)  Already the one who reaps is receiving wages and gathering fruit for eternal life, so that sower and reaper may rejoice together.

Joh 12:35  So Jesus said to them, "For a little while longer the Light is among you. Walk while you have the Light, so that darkness will not overtake you; he who walks in the darkness does not know where he goes.

Ecc 9:10  Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might; for there is no activity or planning or knowledge or wisdom in Sheol where you are going.

Eph 5:15-17  Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise,  (16)  making the most of your time, because the days are evil.  (17)  So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.

Col 4:5-6  Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.  (6)  Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.

If the disciples had realized the seriousness of the times, they would have been watching and praying and not sleeping.  Bring it home, if we knew the brevity of our life, we would certainly be more intentional with our time: time with our Lord, time with our family (nuclear and spiritual) and time with those around us that desperately need the Savior.

1Pe 4:7  The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.

Brethren, it is high time to work for Jesus.  We must work the works of Him who sent us.  As the two hymns say, “Day is dying in the west;  Heav’n is touching earth with rest”; brethren, “work for the night is coming, when man’s work is done”.  Then, the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it. So Heavenly Father, Teach us to number our days that we may present to you a heart of wisdom.  Help us to not put off until tomorrow what should be done or said today.  We only have one life to live, so may this brief moment, or at least what we have left of it, be used for God’s Glory and for man’s good.  This man didn't know everything about Jesus when Jesus found him. But what he did know, he was willing to tell. And that raises a question for us: What keeps us from telling others what we know about Jesus?

 

Gospel Barriers: Fear, forgetfulness and feeling unqualified …

What stops us from confessing Jesus and sharing this Indescribable Gift?  Is it fear, is it forgetfulness, or is it a painful combination of the two?

Fear: Misplaced fear has long been a stumbling block for God’s children.  How many times did Israel incorrectly fear the nations around them?  Over and over again NT saints got mixed up fearing the Jews (John 3:2; 9:22; 12:42-43; 19:38; 20:19; Gal 2:12).  Just as faith produces obedience, fear produces obedience too. We obey what we fear. So, when we fear the wrong things, we can be led in the wrong direction.

Pro 29:25  The fear of man brings a snare, But he who trusts in the LORD will be exalted.   Vs.       Psa 19:9   The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the LORD are true; they are righteous altogether.

Joh 12:42-43  Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue;  (43)  for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.

By the power of Jesus we chose faith, not fear.  Sadly, the parents of this man born blind missed their chance to confess the Savior.  I can only imagine how far removed they had become from their son.  They should have been the spiritual first fruits resulting from this beautiful miracle in their son’s life.  They should have been first in line to praise Jesus’ name but instead they cowered.  Parents, be the first to rejoice when the hand of God blesses your child. Sing loudest and longest, for you have been closest.

 

Forgetfulness:  Simply put this man did not forget what Jesus had done for him.  This became a part of his simple and yet powerful testimony.  This man did not sit back and conjure up some detailed plan to stump these Pharisees to open their eyes.  He “did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God.  For he determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified” (1 Cor 2:1-2).  He simply shared God’s blessings.  Mark 5:1-6, Luke 8:39-40.  Paul did not prove disobedient to his heavenly vision but faithfully recounted it to give God glory (Acts 22:3; 26:12).  Luke 17:15-18 Only one leper “when he saw that he had been healed turned back, glorifying God with a loud voice, and he fell on his face at His feet, giving thanks to Him.”

Deu 10:21  "He is your praise and He is your God, who has done these great and awesome things for you which your eyes have seen.

Psa 66:16-17  Come and hear, all who fear God, And I will tell of what He has done for my soul.  (17)  I cried to Him with my mouth, And He was extolled with my tongue.

Psa 126:1-3  A Song of Ascents. When the LORD brought back the captive ones of Zion, We were like those who dream.  (2)  Then our mouth was filled with laughter And our tongue with joyful shouting; Then they said among the nations, "The LORD has done great things for them."  (3)  The LORD has done great things for us; We are glad.

                              Dan 4:1-3, 34-37

Mar 1:45  But he went out and began to proclaim it freely and to spread the news around, to such an extent that Jesus could no longer publicly enter a city, but stayed out in unpopulated areas; and they were coming to Him from everywhere.

Has God done anything for us?  Have we forgotten?  The gory details of our past need to be left behind, but the testimony of Jesus’ historic, present and eternal Salvation must be shared.

“Let him who boasts, boast in the Lord” Jer 9:23; 1 Cor 1:31

 

Feeling unqualified can leave us speechless regarding the good news of Jesus Christ.  We feel like we don't know enough. We aren't Bible scholars. We don't have all the answers. We don't know what to say.  This is not an excuse to neglect your daily Bible reading but listen, God doesn’t choose to use you because you are just that good.  Indeed, you are by far the sharpest tool in the shed and the brightest bulb around; oh, who are you kidding but yourself? 

1 Corinthians 1:26-31 

God uses us for His glory and others edification, despite ourselves.  Don’t be deceived, we aren’t that good but also don’t be ignorant, God is exceedingly great, and that is what really matters.  At some point, Moses’ meekness got in the way a bit and he had to be reminded that God is the one that made the mouth.  Of course, what goes in comes out. If we want the Bible and the Gospel to come out of our mouths, the Bible and the Gospel need to be going into our hearts.  However, as mentioned previously, no amount of speech class, seminary, or ministry training can ever take the place of true time spent with Jesus.  This “ignorant” blind man (John 9) was simply “sent” and obeyed; yet his short testimony has had profound effect. It was the commission of Christ that qualified him and the Glorious Gospel has resoundingly rung from John 9 for nearly 2,000 years.  Jesus has promised, don’t worry about what you will say, I will give you the words (Matt 10:19-20). 

This man didn't know everything about Jesus when Jesus found him. But what he did know, he was willing to tell. He had been blind, and now he could see. He had met Jesus, and he could not keep quiet about what Jesus had done.  You don't have to know everything about Jesus to tell somebody what you do know about Jesus.  So, if Jesus has opened your eyes… get busy singing His praises.  Praise Him on the mountain, praise Him in the valley.  Praise Him in your home, praise Him in your work.  Praise Him when you sleep, praise Him when you wake.  Let everything that has breath praise the Lord, praise the Lord. 

 “Have you no wish for others to be saved? Then you are not saved yourself, be sure of that!”   “Every Christian is either a missionary or an impostor.”  (attributed to Charles Spurgeon)

 

Digging Deeper:

Consider some of the other unlikely disciples that Jesus commissioned to share His good news.

The man of the Gadarenes: before Jesus he was known for being loud, crazy, naked and dangerous.  However, since he met the blessed Savior, since He came and made him whole, he was clothed in his right mind and had the blessing of sharing what great things Christ had done for him (Mark 5:1-20; Luke 8:26-39).  Notice, his ministry appears to have started at home, then to his friends and then throughout the entire city. 

Jesus used a woman who was a sinner to teach a well-educated pharisee a simple lesson on love and forgiveness; most amazingly she didn’t even have to say a word; yet, she being dead yet speaks (Luke 7:36-50).  You see, the greatest musicians can play masterfully even on cheap or broken instruments; life is far less about the pipe and far more about the piper than we realize.  

Even the Apostle Paul himself had to be knocked off of his horse, made blind and then slowly introduced to the Apostles and the rest of the World.  Paul self-confessed that he was “unworthy”, the “least of the Apostles” and the “worst of sinners”.  See what God can do, even with the least and the worst. 

Lastly, reaching way back into history and far down the chain we come to the story of Balaam.  Do you remember the lowly character whose mouth God opened.  You are probably thinking about the donkey, no aim still lower.  Yes, even Balaam was able to be used by God to share the Gospel when he famously prophesied: “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel; it shall crush the forehead of Moab and break down all the sons of Sheth” (Numbers 24:17). God can use the most unlikely instruments to accomplish His purposes. Balaam was certainly not a model of godliness, yet God put a true prophecy concerning Christ in his mouth.

So, what is the common thread running through all of these unlikely servants? It is not that they were impressive, educated, eloquent, or even particularly deserving. It is that God is great enough to use ordinary, broken, unlikely instruments to accomplish His purposes. The question is not whether we are the perfect instrument; the question is whether we are willing to be used. We may feel unqualified, we may not know what to say, and we may not think we have much to offer, but we know what Jesus has done. The blind man knew he was blind, and he knew that Jesus had opened his eyes. That was enough for him to speak. God doesn't need us to be extraordinary; He asks us to be available, obedient, and willing to tell others what He has done.

Another visit to the Potter’s House 

Thus says the Lord: “Go and get a potter’s earthen flask, and take some of the elders of the people and some of the elders of the priests. (Jeremiah 19:1, NKJV)

A trip to the potter’s house never seems to be a good sign. If you are ever in the presence of a prophet and he mentions the potter, you might want to be attentive. In chapter 18, a sign or significance was taken from a visit to the potter’s house concerning God’s sovereignty and judgement. Here we have some of the same.

This time Jeremiah is instructed to bring along witnesses of the elders and the priests. Both of these would be considered good candidates for taking back a message that might be heeded but unfortunately, they were part of the issue in Judah as well.

The silver-haired head is a crown of glory, if it is found in the way of righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31, NKJV)

It was indeed hard to find a grey-haired elder who was practicing righteousness, but these were still, by tradition, the leading men of the town. Ruth 4:1-9; Deuteronomy 21:18-21, 22:15-18, 25:7-10; Joshua 20:4; Proverbs 31:23; Amos 5:10-15.

The flask comes back into view in verse 10 in which Jeremiah is told to break the flask. He could have broke it on his way to the gate or after the men had left but the Lord specifically told him to break it ‘in the sight of the men.’ It was a sign specifically reserved for the ‘potsherd gate.’ The significance is spelled out in verse 11, ‘Even so…’ Like the broken flask, God would break these rebellious people and do with them what they did with any broken pot or flask, throw it in the Valley of Hinnom where all the trash and unwanted articles were thrown.

The gate too has its significance to the text. Jeremiah is the only place where this gate is mentioned as the ‘Potsherd Gate.’ A potsherd is a broken piece of pottery. It has no use (unless your Job, Job 2:8) but to be thrown away. It is in this sense that this gate might have been come to be known in Jeremiah’s time as the ‘broken pottery’ gate – the gate you would use to take something broken to the trash deposit in the Hinnom Valley. The gate is also known as the Ash-Heap, Refuse, or Dung Gate. See Nehemiah 2:13, 3:13-14, 12:31.

The significance of this particular gate is it also led to the Valley of Hinnom and specifically to the place of Tophet within the valley. This was a place where human sacrifice was made, that of the youngest and most vulnerable of their people. They sacrificed children. Ref. Isa.30:33; Jer.7:31-32. Jeremiah led these elders to a place to say that God would kill the one’s responsible for the innocent blood in Tophet and bring about His own slaughter upon the same.

therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that this place shall no more be called Tophet or the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter.  (Jeremiah 19:6, NKJV) [2 Kings 23:10]

Sin had lost its shock

I will make this city desolate and a hissing; everyone who passes by it will be astonished and hiss because of all its plagues.  (Jeremiah 19:8, NKJV)

We are taught things so repetitively that we gain muscle memory. We react or repeat almost without thought when we’re so used to a thing. It’s as if we’re doing something without really giving much thought to the activity or outcome. Have you ever been heavy in thought only to come to your senses, all the while driving to some destination – not knowing how you just traveled the last 5 miles down the road? There was no real astonishment to the place they had come. Child sacrifice. We might ask, what I’m I to do about it. It’s not against the law anymore. Since they could no longer be astonished, God would make them the astonishment to other nations. He would make them pitiful.

It is really a wake-up call for Christians to take stock of how they view their involvement in the world. Do we look with astonishment or excitement. Are we part of the system to the degree we just want to enjoy its benefits but still declare our independence to its grasp or does it ‘astonish’ us where we are in this world.

and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.” (Ezekiel 9:4, NKJV)

This was not a hard litmus test. Did the abominations have a real impact on the heart of the individual or were they cold, uncaring, or indifferent to it all. We may want to stop a moment and really get a sense for whether our foreheads would receive the mark from the man clothed in linen. Sin, which may have once shocked us can become ordinary and tolerated, if not, acceptable.

The unpopular priest and prophet

20 Now Pashhur the son of Immer, the priest who was also chief governor in the house of the Lord, heard that Jeremiah prophesied these things. 2 Then Pashhur struck Jeremiah the prophet and put him in the stocks that were in the high gate of Benjamin, which was by the house of the Lord. (Jeremiah 20:1–2, NKJV)

Throwing in the towel

Then I said, “I will not make mention of Him, nor speak anymore in His name.” But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not. (Jeremiah 20:9, NKJV)

Jeremiah was in a tough spot. He couldn’t stand be the bearer of the news and just wanted to leave it to someone, anyone else but him. He committed to quitting, but the strain was too much. The message was too important, the outcomes were just too compelling. It wearied him from holding it back. The conviction was worse than the ridicule. We can imagine the literal sleeplessness and mental anguish it places on a soul withholding something so important and living with a message that is eating them from the inside out.

Jeremiah has his Job moment in verses 14-18, languishing in the misery of his birth and the character of what his life had become as a prophet of God.

Verse 11 seems to be a mental turning point, a place where he comes to realize that greater was He that was in him than he that was in the word (1 John 4:4). Yet, it seems like a verse out of place, as if 11-13 fit better after verse 18. Psalm 73:1-17 is a great parallel in which the Psalmist senses that he has ‘cleansed my heart in vain.’ We use the expression that ‘life isn’t fair.’ It often seems so. Yet ‘fairness’ in the hand of God is not determined by our outcomes, it’s determined by His will and our obedience, our faith. It’s only ‘fair’ that God makes the rules and we accept them. Not everyone plays by these rules and that’s what seems so unfair, as if some get away with unfaithfulness to any moral standard or uprightness and never get penalized. That’s a short-sighted game to play with very serious long-term effects. Christians are in it for the long haul, until death do we part. Our reward shouldn’t be anchored in this life or its reward. When Jeremiah and the psalmist came back to this realization, they found consolation and comfort. It’s the same place we’ll find divine, heavenly, comfort.

If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory. (Colossians 3:1–4, NKJV)

John Chapter 9

Blindness for Glory and Spit for Salve

John 9:1-7  The wonderful chapter starts with a fair question from Jesus’ disciples…asking Why?

Blindness for Glory:  While science boasts to have all the answers and would have easily labeled this man with congenital blindness as the poor recipient of a genetic mishap or untreated bacterial infection to the eyes, Jesus and His disciples direct our eyes to our Omnipotent Eternal Creator.  Both Jesus and His disciples recognize God’s control over sickness and blindness.  First, note that it was clear to the disciples that sin and sickness are related:

1. If there were no sin there would be no sickness (Rom 6:23) (no curse: Gen 3:17-19). Deu 28:58-59  "If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the LORD your God,  (59)  then the LORD will bring extraordinary plagues on you and your descendants, even severe and lasting plagues, and miserable and chronic sicknesses.
2. We have examples of sin resulting in sickness: Israel grumbled and a plague broke out in Num 16:49; Israel joined themselves to Baal Peor and another plague broke out in Num 26:9; Gehazi gets leprosy in 2 Kings 5:27; there was wide spread pestilence because of David’s sin in 1 Chron 21:14; Ananias dies in Acts 5:5; Herod was struck by God, eaten by worms and died in Acts 12:23; many of the Church of Corinth became sick and died in 1 Cor 11:30; others were held captive simultaneously by demons and sickness (Luke 8:2, 13:11).
3. These NT examples couple sin and sickness: Matt 9:2 “Jesus said to the paralytic ‘Take courage son; your sins are forgiven.”  John 5:14 “Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you.” 

However this man was blind from birth, (and per the Pharisees) “born entirely in sins” (v. 34), and had not yet had opportunity to sin.  So, the disciples ask the question of “Who sinned?” knowing that perhaps he was born blind because of his parent’s sin or his own sin; and if his own sin, was it the sin he inherited through conception or sins that he himself would later commit.  Ex 20:5 seems to show that parents' sins can follow their descendants, stating “God visits the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation”.  [See also (2 Sam 12:13-14; Num 14:33; Jer 32:18)].  We know family genetics and decisions parents make before, during and after pregnancy can certainly affect their child’s health.  Conversely (yet able to be correlated) Ezekiel 18:20 states that “The soul that sins, it shall die” and “The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father.” 

 

However, Jesus brings light to the situation by further directing their eyes away from man and onto God; “It was so that the works of God might be displayed in him.”  Jesus teaches us in Luke 13:1-5 that “unless we repent, we will likewise perish”.  The rain falls on the just and the unjust, but they both do different things with it.  God’s works and glory are revealed everywhere in many ways, but in a very special way in His children.  Regarding Lazarus’ death Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.”  Further, we remember Job’s trial by fire and retained integrity.

Sometimes…many times, our infirmities come simply because we reap what we sow;  we are receiving the wages of unrighteousness (Rom 6:16-23; Gal 6:7).   However, sometimes…All the Times, God should receive Glory in our lives, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death us unite.  Why are we so quick to attribute the good and bad things in our life to science or luck, and so slow to recognize the omnipotent hand of God.    Roman 8:28 is widely known and quoted but rarely understood and believed.

 

This man was blind from birth, spending years in darkness for this one triumphant, many lives changing moment where he would meet and learn to love his Creator.  Years of struggle in darkness and difficulty for this moment of God’s Glory.  The equation seems out of balance until we put it in perspective… Do not feel bad for this blind man, he could have no higher calling.’    What is happening in our lives, what is getting ready to happen that God’s works might be displayed in us?

 

Spit for salve: Mark 7:33à “Jesus…put His fingers into his ears and after spitting, He touched his tongue”; 8:23à “after spitting on his eyes and laying His hands on him”; Rev 3:18à “I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye salve, that thou mayest see.” Certainly there is a balm and a physician in Gilead.  He is the Prince of Life and even His spit brings healing.  

 

Consider the simplicity of this healing (like Naaman’s washing) the blind man may have stepped on that same dirt many times before…but Jesus made the difference. 

 

Consider, this is not the first time Jesus has worked with dirt…Gen 2:7 “then the Lord God formed man of the dust from the ground.”  Perhaps Jesus was not haphazardly grasping at resources, but was purposefully revealing His divine identity and sovereign position in the lives of those He created. 

God can use anything to heal: a tree in Ex 15:25; figs in 2 Kings 20:7; CPR in 2 Kings 4:34; the muddy Jordan River in 2 Kings 5:14; sometimes the pool of Siloam.  While God has chosen to show His healing Power through many different medicinal tools, one consistently necessary ingredient is faith obedience.  God has told us, “I, the Lord am your Healer.”  Jesus was once posed with the question, “If you can”, He responded, “If you can?  All things are possible to him who believes” (Mark 9:22-23).  Can we…are we willing to believe in Jesus; not just that He was, but that He is.  Are we willing to come to Him for healing, to trust His care and follow His instruction?  Jesus is able, Jesus is willing. 

 

 2Ch 7:14  If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.

 

Living and Dying for His Glory: Sometimes we ask, “Why is this happening to me?” when perhaps the better question is, “How can God be glorified through this?” 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” Notice how broad that is. It is not just what we do in church, or when we are preaching, praying, or singing. Whatever we do, we are to do it for the glory of God. Jesus lived with that purpose. In John 17:4 He prayed, “I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do.” And when He faced the cross, He said, “Father, glorify thy name” (John 12:28). Jesus did not come simply to have a comfortable life. He came to accomplish the work His Father had given Him. We should have that same purpose. If God gives us health, glorify Him in our health. If He gives us difficulty, glorify Him in our difficulty. If He gives us abundance, glorify Him with what He has given. If He gives us sickness, let us still glorify Him.  Spurgeon said, “God is too good to be unkind, and He is too wise to be mistaken. And when we cannot trace His hand, we must trust His heart.” We may not understand what God is doing, but we can trust who God is.

Romans 14:7-8 says, “For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord.” That is the Christian life in its simplest form: whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. Paul said in Philippians 1:20-21, “Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether it be by life, or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” If Christ could be magnified through his death, then even death could be called gain. We should not think that God is only glorified when He changes our circumstances. Sometimes He is glorified when He gives us the strength to remain faithful in those unfavorable circumstances. Sometimes He is glorified by healing the sick, and sometimes He is glorified by the faithfulness of a saint who suffers. Our circumstances may change, our health may change, and our plans may change, but our purpose remains the same: to glorify God.

The Necessity of Knowing Jesus   John 8:19-59

V.  13-29

According to the Law judgment was to be established by the mouth of two or three witnesses.  Jesus appropriately uses this standard to declare the truth to them.  John 5:30-40; 1 John 5:5-12;

Jesus’ and the Father’s Testimony is True; Talk about a letter of recommendation that really makes the difference.  Could there be any other two that you would rather testify on your behalf? 

Mat 10:32-33  Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.  (33)  But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.

 

Christ’s Identity is beautifully revealed in His distinct/unique relationship to creation's time, space and matter. 

V.  25 In clear response to their question, “Who are you?” Jesus speaks of “the Beginning.”

Joh 1:1-2  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  (2)  He was in the beginning with God.

Col 1:17-18  He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.  (18)  He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Rev 1:8  "I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."   Rev 22:13  "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."

 

V. 28 The Death, Burial and Ressurection of Jesus is awesome and helps us understand who He is.

Mat 27:54  Now the centurion, and those who were with him keeping guard over Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and the things that were happening, became very frightened and said, "Truly this was the Son of God!" 

We too have come to understand the significance of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection.  This powerful part of His Testimony not only draws us to Him in Faith but also paves the path for our renewed relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Now, not only with our mouths, but also with our hearts and our very lives we cry out in response, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

The whole point of this interaction and that of many others is that man might understand who Jesus is.  He spoke of being sent by/from the Father.  He confessed that His testimony was the Fathers.  He has told us that we must believe that “He IS”.  Again, our minds are drawn back to Exodus 3:14, “I AM that I AM.”  It is vital that we understand who Jesus is!   “Unless you believe that I AM, you will die in your sins.”

John repeatedly brings us back to Jesus’ “I AM” statements, and when we look at them in light of the language of the Septuagint, we cannot miss the connection to the way God revealed Himself as Jehovah. Jesus repeated multiple times the same words that Jews were reading of God’s more formal introduction to Moses on Mt Sinai.  The more we follow John's testimony, the clearer it becomes: Jesus is not part of the creation, He is the Creator; He is not merely a messenger from God, rather He is the eternal Son of God, the Great I AM.  These 1^st century Jews were very familiar with the Septuagint and consequently, even while blinded in darkness they were able to clearly see what Jesus was saying.  His claim was unmistakable.

Jesus’ personal revelation is vital to us and culminates beautifully in Vs 56-69.

Jesus’ declaration in John 8:58, “Before Abraham was, I AM,” is far more than a claim of pre-existence, it is a declaration of His eternal, uncreated nature. John has already established this truth in John 1:1–3: “In the beginning was the Word,” the Word was God, and all things were made by Him; therefore, Jesus cannot be part of the creation because everything that was created came into being through Him. Abraham was, he came into existence; Jesus simply is; He eternally exists. Even more significant, Jesus Himself tells us why this truth matters: “unless you believe that I am he you will die in your sins.” (John 8:24). The question is not merely whether we believe Jesus existed before Abraham, but whether we believe He is the eternal, divine Son of God He claimed to be because Jesus makes this conviction foundational to saving faith and eternal life.

 

V.  22, These Jews did not know where He came from or where He was going and they certainly could not follow Him there. In contrast, we do know where He is from and where He is now; further by His Power and for His Glory He now invites us to be with Him there.

In the context of John 8, Jesus had come from the Heavenly places and was going back to the Heavenly places, there at the Right hand of the Father.  Listen to what God shares in Ephesians:

Ephesians 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, (oh just a figure of speech, no, keep reading)….  Ephesians 2:4-6  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  (5)  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—  (6)  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,…. Ephesians 3:10  so that through the church (the lesser light reflecting the Sun) the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.

In Christ we have been called to a place to which they could not come to share a Glory which they could not see and certainly could not reflect.  There is really only 2 places to be in eternity, with God or not with God. 

Isa 45:5-6, “woe to him who strives with his maker” (9), 20-25

As long as they were unwilling to come to Christ and to find their righteousness to be His righteousness, by grace through faith in their Creator Jesus… then they would take their own righteousness with them to the grave; they would die in their sins.  They would die in their sins because they would die unjustified.  And so it is for many today.

So, what is it that Jesus wants us to see? He wants us to know who He is. He is not merely another teacher who came into the darkness to show us a better way; He is the Light of the World, the One who came from the Father, the One who was “in the beginning” with God, and the One through whom all things were made. He is the Great I AM, not created, not temporary, not dependent upon anything outside Himself, but eternally existing. This is not merely a theological truth for us to admire; it is a truth upon which our eternity depends and the eternity of others around us is at stake. Jesus said, “unless you believe that I am He you will die in your sins.”.  We cannot truly depend upon Him until we understand that He is the One upon whom everything depends. The same Jesus who said “I AM” invites us to come to Him, to trust Him, to receive His righteousness in place of our own, and to follow Him out of darkness and into the Light of Life.  Following Jesus in this way will cause us to shine first for His Glory but also for the deep needs of those trapped in darkness and desperately needing the Great Light of the World, our Savior Jesus Christ. 

 

V.  31 If “The biggest little word”………………………….

If = ἐάν a conditional particle; in case that, provided, etc.; often used indefiniteness or uncertainty:  

pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis  a 45‑letter technical term for a lung disease caused by inhaling very fine silica particles from volcanic ash   (The longest word in the major English dictionaries)   But of relatively no consequence to any of us….”if” on the other hand….

IF makes a difference… God relates to human beings as morally responsible creatures.

 This “if” shows the uncertainty of man, and the need to choose the certainty of God.

Rom 11:22-23  Behold then the kindness and severity of God; to those who fell, severity, but to you, God's kindness, if you continue in His kindness; otherwise you also will be cut off.  (23)  And they also, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God is able to graft them in again.

1Co 15:1-2  Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,  (2)  by which also you are saved, if you hold fast the word which I preached to you, unless you believed in vain.

Col 1:22-23  …He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach--  (23)  if indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard….

1Ti 2:15  But women will be preserved through the bearing of children if they continue in faith and love and sanctity with self-restraint.

Heb 3:6  but Christ was faithful as a Son over His house--whose house we are, if we hold fast our confidence and the boast of our hope firm until the end.

Heb 3:14  For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end,

Jas 2:8  If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF," you are doing well.

Heb 10:38  BUT MY RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL LIVE BY FAITH; AND IF HE SHRINKS BACK, MY SOUL HAS NO PLEASURE IN HIM.

1Jn 1:9  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

1Jn 2:3  By this we know that we have come to know Him, if we keep His commandments.

Rev 3:20  'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

God is eternally constant and faithful; the if lies with us.

If does not necessarily communicate uncertainty about whether God will do something. It can establish a condition without implying that the speaker is uncertain about the outcome.  God repeatedly places genuine conditions before man and treats man's response as meaningful.

God is completely sovereign, completely faithful, completely constant, and completely capable of accomplishing His purposes. Yet He has chosen to relate to human beings in such a way that their responses to Him are real, meaningful, and accountable.

 

Who is your Father?    I personally don’t know my biological father, but have a Father/son relationship with a man named Jon Rudd who I call Dad, because our lives are connected.

These people are saying, essentially, “We are Abraham's children.”  Jesus says, in effect, “Your life and conduct tells a different story.”  Just as Jesus knew quite well that Abraham was their father (V. 56), Jesus knew quite well that the Devil was their father (V. 44).

Consider they held so tightly to the fact that they were Abraham’s seed, yet the true promise bound in the seed of Abraham was Jesus who stood before Him, who they would not receive.  (Gen 22:16-19; Gal 3:16).  Listen, if we are acting proud, lying and murderous like the devil…we need to be told “your father is the devil.”

How can you tell a descendent of Abraham…Physical Jewish features, wearing a Yamika or maybe living in Jerusalem…or do they exercise the faith of their Father Abraham:

Rom 2:28-29  For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh.  (29)  But he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that which is of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter; and his praise is not from men, but from God.

Gal 3:6-9, 16,  26-29 àso as these Jews were rejecting Jesus, they were rejecting Abraham and the promises of his Seed.

Who is your father…don’t worry, we are making it very evident.  Whether or not it is obvious to us or others, God knows the answer perfectly.  Remember that even Abraham had two sons: one who was born by flesh works resulting in slavery, and the other born by the power of God’s promise resulting in freedom, rest and inheritance.

 

V. 31-38 Slaves

“We have never yet been enslaved to anyone!”  (Sounds like a lot of constants).  These Jews must not have known much of their history.  Bound by Egypt for over 200 years (Gen 15:13; Ex 1:13), Mesopotamia for 8 yrs (Judges 3:8), sold to the Canaanites (1 Sam 12:9), Babylon for 70 years (Neh 9:36-37), the Greeks and Syrians?, and currently under the yoke of the Romans, sin and death (Rom 7:14); yet these Jews did not recognize their slavery and subsequently did not recognize their Savior.  We have a similar problem today of blindly working in bondage.  Perhaps the best slave is one that doesn’t realize he is a slave.

Goethe: None are so hopelessly enslaved as those who falsely believe they are free.

Mark Twain: It is by the goodness of God that in our country we have these three unspeakably precious things: freedom of speech, freedom of conscience, and the prudence to practice neither.

To what are we enslaved?

Rom 6:5 (if) -23; Are we enslaved to our lusts, who do we obey?  We are either slaves of sin or Righteousness. 

Rom 7:22-8:4 àthis is the point that the Jews had to come to.  This is where we must come to “O, Wretched man that I am!  Who will set me free form the body of this death?” This brings us to Jesus!

Gal 5:1  It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery.

Zec 9:9-12  Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout in triumph, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; He is just and endowed with salvation, Humble, and mounted on a donkey, Even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.  (10)  I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim And the horse from Jerusalem; And the bow of war will be cut off. And He will speak peace to the nations; And His dominion will be from sea to sea, And from the River to the ends of the earth.  (11)  As for you also, because of the blood of My covenant with you, I have set your prisoners free from the waterless pit.  (12)  Return to the stronghold, O prisoners who have the hope; This very day I am declaring that I will restore double to you.

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;

2Co 3:17  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

It feels good to acknowledge that Jesus set us free from the law of sin and death…but practically what does that translate into?  Is something holding you captive…is it sickness… is it financial debt…is it a bad habit…is it your attitude…is it your fears…it is sin.  It is for freedom that Christ set us free. 

Mat 6:24  "No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and wealth.

 

Are you having a difficult time serving Jesus; someone or something else is seeking to be your master.  Has your freedom become something in the past tense, or are you free and being set free today?

Joh 8:31-32  So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, "If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine;  (32)  and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free."…. Joh 8:36  "So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed.

Jesus doesn't expose our darkness merely to condemn us for being in it. He exposes it so that we will come to the Light and be free.  God help us to continue in your Word…Jesus, please set us free

Sing “He set me free”

Jeremiah 17:1-27 

Our sins are cast as far as the East is from the West and set in stone with a pen of Iron 

“The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron; With the point of a diamond it is engraved On the tablet of their heart, And on the horns of your altars, (Jeremiah 17:1, NKJV) Verse 4d

The severity and permanence of God’s conviction cannot be escaped. It’s with a certainty that our sin will find us out. It’s best that the pen of iron God has used to convey our sin to us be allowed to soften the deceived heart and make it a pliable canvas of God’s redemptive work through His son. 

Job felt the weight and emotion of the moment upon him when he utters these words:

23 “Oh, that my words were written! Oh, that they were inscribed in a book! 24 That they were engraved on a rock with an iron pen and lead, forever! (Job 19:23–24, NKJV)

I think we would all would feel some sense of refrain from condemning Job, he was a righteous man, and so declared by God. Yet, some of his words were wrong or at least misplaced. God corrected Him and molded him into an even better man of God. Right before verses 23-24, Job has some things to say about God’s treatment that are misplaced but we know that Job has not left his faith when we see the following verses:

For I know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, that in my flesh I shall see God, 27 Whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. How my heart yearns within me! (Job 19:25–27, NKJV)

God’s passion for mankind, as told through the “pen of iron” on our hearts is never misplaced or misapplied. God is seeking to change our heart of stone and turn it into a pliable heart of flesh, Ezekiel 11:19; 36:26.

The unrepentant sin remain before God, it engraved with a ‘pen of iron’ – He doesn’t forget. The thought is carried through to verse 4 where Jeremiah proclaims, “you have kindled a fire in My anger which shall burn forever.” It’s important to know God’s conviction and deal with as quickly as possible. There may be some consequences yet to be played out in this life but better not to take our sin before the judgement seat of Christ.

There is a not so veiled cynical tongue lashing concerning the altars they were so preoccupied with and neglecting the true altar of God. This should give us the sense that there was worship going on but not the kind that was pleasing to Jehovah. Their sin was also engraved with the same pin “on the horns of your altars.” If they had at all been concerned about the altar or worship service of God, they would have found their service lacking. God is faithful to make clear whether we’re at the place of worship He has designed or whether we’re at a foreign altar. It’s difficult for me personally to discern whether Jehovah intends the meaning of the “horns of the altars” (emphasis on plural altars) to mean the horns (maybe copied from true temple altar) of their false altars (plural) or the bronze altar (God’s temple altar). Either way, God was convicting them that what they were doing in practice was wrong – very wrong!

If we find ourselves somewhere else than at the right altar, it’s not the end of the world, we just need to find the right altar, God’s altar. If we don’t and He reveals that we’re not at the right altar, our sin remains and His anger will burn “forever.” We can certainly take this lesson in several ways but I think the most practical lesson is two-fold: 1) Find the right place of fellowship – the right church to assemble. This seems so obvious but frightfully taken so lightly anymore. 2) A personal reflection in each Christian life. Are you personally serving at the altar of God or has a different altar been preoccupying your life, Hebrews 13:10.

Finding our inner strength 

Thus says the Lord: “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, whose heart departs from the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:5, NKJV)

“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope is the Lord. (Jeremiah 17:7, NKJV)

*Verses 5-6 are at odds with verses 7-8. They are opposites and stand in contrast to each other.

He does not delight in the strength of the horse; He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man. 11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him, in those who hope in His mercy. (Psalm 147:10–11, NKJV)

It’s easy enough to find verses that speak about trusting the Lord. It’s equally as easy to find scripture of those who did not trust the Lord or keep their hope in the Lord. It is also easy to tell ourselves and proclaim to others the need to trust and hope in those things in which God has given us and has in store for us. It’s quite another thing altogether to make that a consistent behavior.

I think we all know what it feels like to be truly “blessed” by the Lord when we trust in the Lord and He is our hope. It’s not just a happy feeling or sensing that the day is going well. A true relationship of trust and hope has a distinct and deep spiritual blessedness that the Christian should know by experience and not just a verbal descriptive.

God knows your heart and it doesn’t look good 

“The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it? (Jeremiah 17:9, NKJV)

I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:10, NKJV)

Verse 9-10+ is in response to the condition of the state of verses 5-6. There is a very deceptive nature about ourselves that we fail too often to recognize. It’s a natural state to “trust in man” and make “flesh our strength.” Yes, even natural for the Christian who’s trust is not being placed in God. When I say ‘natural,’ I mean it is the state of the heart in the condition that was handed down to us after the fall of Adam. Sin entered the world and the heart has never been the same. It is desperately wicked, deceitful. It’s that way to ourselves and it’s that way toward others.

10 As it is written: “There is none righteous, no, not one; 11 There is none who understands; There is none who seeks after God. (Romans 3:10–11, NKJV)

I believe we’ve seen Jeremiah exaggerate the point in his writings purposely to make a point. We often use hyperbole to make the point but aren’t to be taken literally. “I’ve told you a million times” or “The bag weighs a ton” are purposeful exaggerations that are driving home the point.

I don’t believe Paul is using hyperbolic language in Romans 3. This is who mankind is in his natural, carnal form. The heart is only delivered out of such a deceitful, wicked condition through faith in God, through Jesus Christ. It’s not just a feeling of a submissive heart when we’re hearing the gospel on Sunday but a practical state of freedom from that cold heart during the week as we’re prayerfully communing with the Savior.

18 so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood; 19 and so it may not happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he blesses himself in his heart, saying, ‘I shall have peace, even though I follow the dictates of my heart’—as though the drunkard could be included with the sober. (Deuteronomy 29:18–19, NKJV)

Is your name written there…

“Those who depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, The fountain of living waters.” (Jeremiah 17:13, NKJV)

The words from the spiritual hymn at once come to mind, ‘is your name written there, on the page bright and fair.’ This is exactly the opposite of those wonderful words and its biblical implications. The names of those written in the earth are those “who depart from Me.” It is in direct contrast to those whose names are written in a heavenly book, Revelation 13:8, 17:8, 20:12,15; Philippians 4:3; Exo.32:32 Malachi calls it a book of remembrance, Malachi 3:16. The Psalmist calls it the book of the living, Psalm 69:28.

Concerning the ‘fountain of living waters,’ reference John 4:7-26; 7:37-39; Ezekiel 47:1; Revelation 22:1

A day to the Lord is as a thousand years. A day of disobiedence will bring about an eternity of judgement if not unchecked. Allowing a communal habit of disregard will bring about a communal fall. 

Thus says the Lord: “Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the Sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;  (Jeremiah 17:21, NKJV)

It’s interesting that Jeremiah suddenly brings up the importance of the Sabbath. It’s not mentioned before this point nor ever mentioned again in Jeremiah. He mentions it once in Lamentations 2:6.

I don’t want to make the Sabbath more important than it is – it just happens to be very important. The Sabbath had special instruction. It wasn’t a day like any other day, it had special life events that were to happen on this day, namely rest. The Sabbath, and any other of God’s law, were most likely to be honored if they could get their hearts in the right place, like we discussed in verses 5-8. Honoring or following the Sabbath but having the problem of verse 9 was not going to be a good solution.

It’s clear that one day today is no more significant than any other day. The principles of moral law are still just as important to God but the codified keeping of the law, regarding foods, drinks, festivals, new moons, and sabbaths, were taken ‘out of the way’ and nailed to the cross, Colossians 2. It’s evident from Hebrews 3 & 4 that the Sabbath was a shadow of Christ, the substance. He is our rest.

With a submitted heart, we enter His rest – every day. It matters little to me whether we choose Sunday or Tuesday as the day we choose to gather as a whole for fellowship around the Word of God. The day is out of convenience when the most members of the church can congregate. Sunday is not holier than Tuesday. Saturday is not the day chosen by Jehovah because it more closely aligns with the Jewish Sabbath. It has no bearing on the New Covenant, post resurrection.

I realize some choose Saturday (or Sunday) because they believe the Sabbath was an everlasting ordinance, so were others. God’s rest is an everlasting ordinance, along with others. It’s just that we accomplish those now through our Lord and not through engraved stones.

Jeremiah 16:1-21 

Our own people are defiled

“You shall not take a wife, nor shall you have sons or daughters in this place.” (Jeremiah 16:2, NKJV)

Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness? (2 Corinthians 6:14, NKJV)

 

If asked for consensus on the topic, I think it would be generally agreed among Christian’s that a believer should marry a believer and stay clear of an unbeliever relationship. It’s a sad time for Judah, when God is discouraging Jeremiah from taking a wife from his own people, God’s people. If we look among believers in general today, what is the consensus among Christian’s, are we to find godly mates in the group of God’s people today?

The world without peace is a world without God

For thus says the Lord: “Do not enter the house of mourning, nor go to lament or bemoan them; for I have taken away My peace from this people,” says the Lord, “lovingkindness and mercies. (Jeremiah 16:5, NKJV)

By way of description, the peace of Jehovah is lovingkingness and mercies.

Remember, O Lord, Your tender mercies and Your lovingkindnesses, For they are from of old. (Psalm 25:6, NKJV)

Mercy and truth preserve the king, And by lovingkindness he upholds his throne. Isaiah 63:7  (Proverbs 20:28, NKJV)

The fruits of the Spirit (Gal.5:22-23) are quite literally the fruit of God’s Spirit. The fruit of love, joy, peace, etc. are characteristic of God’s nature, there source is from God. This is in truth, not just a concept. God is light, He is love. These are His nature, His Character. Take those away from humanity or His people and we’re left with a nature not very gratifying. Paul also describes the fruits or “works” of the flesh in Galatians 5:19-21 and it’s too much like a society we’ve come to recognize in our present age. God’s people, His church is to be a refuge of God’s presence on earth.

One voice gone and another voice heard (exchange mirth for moaning, gladness for sadness, rejoicing with regret) 

“Behold, I will cause to cease from this place, before your eyes and in your days, the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride. (Jeremiah 16:9, NKJV)

The light of a lamp shall not shine in you anymore, and the voice of bridegroom and bride shall not be heard in you anymore. (Revelation 18:23, NKJV)

This is an expression of desolation, a time of sadness and longing for better day. Jeremiah has already used the imagery of this language in a previous chapter, 7:34. It’s more than just a description, it’s a forewarning of what literally is to come about. The warning of the Bible are not just stories of joy and gladness or doom and destruction. The Bible is God’s message of real problems that lie ahead for those that don’t take the message serious. Equally, it’s a message of hope and gladness for those who believe the message and act upon it.

The replacement of a monumental moment for another

14 “Therefore behold, the days are coming,” says the Lord, “that it shall no more be said, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt,’ 15 but, ‘The Lord lives who brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north (Jeremiah 16:14–15, NKJV)

God is resetting the bar. The deliverance from Babylonian captivity will overshadow the defining memory of God’s salvation from Egypt. Here is a reframing of a community’s identity and memory. In like manner, the memory of the cross for the Christian defines our message today, yet there is coming a day when the resurrection will be redefined forever in the memories of all humankind throughout all generations.

A look ahead for the redemption of all mankind

The Gentiles shall come to You from the ends of the earth and say, “Surely our fathers have inherited lies, worthlessness and unprofitable things.” (Jeremiah 16:19, NKJV) 

Verse 16 is a text that can be taken two ways and both defensible. Either God is hunting down the Israelites, through the Chaldean invasion, to take judgement on them or He is hunting them down after the captivity to bring them back to the land of Judah. Both are true and both did happen. It’s just not clear from the text since verse 15 would support the latter interpretation, God bring them back and verses 17-18 would support the former, God hunting them down for judgement.

Verses 19-21 are an interesting prophecy for such an occasion. The center of attention is Judah and her judgement. Yet, in the middle of this we see that God has others in mind – the Gentiles.

Jeremiah seems to let out a shout or expression of great praise to God, “O Lord, my strength and my fortress, My refuge in the day of affliction.” While much of Jeremiah seems almost like a dictation from Jeremiah on behalf of God, this seems like an uncontrollable expression from somewhere deep inside; it seems truly prophetic in nature with God controlling the words and phrases to be expressed. [Jn.11:51; Mk.13:11]

When thoughts of intense communion with God are lost in our communication abilities, but God is able to do great things. For God to receive the glory, our glorification of Him is best left to Him to work through us and not to be hampered by our own skill. True praise expressed is best led by the one worthy of the praise.

These last few verses in Jeremiah probably took Jeremiah by surprise as much as it might take the reader in a direction that seems out of place. Yet, we look back and are so thankful for this message. God was thinking ahead, as He always does, to all mankind’s redemption.