The Sealed and the Unsealed Let’s start with the beautiful words from  Revelation 5:1-9 , where all three components of our title are present: 1 And I saw in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne a scroll written inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals.  2  Then I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and to loose its seals?”  3  And no one in heaven or on the earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll, or to look at it.  4  So I wept much, because no one was found worthy to open and read the scroll, or to look at it.  5  But one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals.”  6  And I looked, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as though it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent out into all the earth.  7  Then He came and took the scroll out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne. Have you ever wondered what this sealed book is that the Lamb is unsealing?  Where did it come from?  To understand what book is unsealed in Revelation, we need to know whether any book was sealed in Tanach. Do we find a sealed book in Tanach? In the last chapter of the book of Daniel, Daniel is told, “ Seal this book  until the time of the end. “ <1>  Are these two fragments connected? While some may argue that these passages describe completely different books and different seals, there is no doubt that the sealing of the book of Daniel, like the unsealing of the book in Revelation, takes place in a completely prophetic context. The connection between these scriptures is evident in Hebrew. The last word of Daniel’s book, which translates as “the end of days” <2>  (לקץ הימין), is very peculiar: our sages list it among words that have to end with  mem : days ימים -, but instead, end with  nun , thus forming the word “right” in Hebrew. The Midrash interprets ימין homiletically as referring to God’s  right arm:   His power to work miracles, as well as His attributes of kindness and salvation, are all called  His right arm . Thus, we get the reading of  Dan.12:13  ‘The End (is) of the right hand of God’ or ‘The End belongs to Him Who sits at the right hand of the Father’. <3>  This Daniel’s word seems very significant in our context, especially if we remember that in Revelation, the sealed scroll was “ in the right hand of Him who sat on the throne”. You might know that in Judaism, Daniel is not considered a prophet, his book is included in the Ketuvim (Writings) section of Tanach, not the Neviim (Prophets) section. The Talmud explicitly states that Daniel was not a prophet. However, the Talmud also clearly says that Daniel was shown visions of great importance, hidden from the other prophets. Rashi explains that Daniel is not considered a prophet, since he was not sent with a prophecy to the people of Israel. All this only strengthens our point and the connection with Revelation: We understand that the visions shown to Daniel refer to the end times and God’s plan, not only for Israel, but for all nations!  The contents of the book sealed in Daniel and unsealed in Revelation refer to the same events: the end of the days for Israel and the Gentile nations (the Great Shofar; the King as Judge; the books are unsealed/opened; the final judgment). Thus, we establish that the book unsealed in Revelation was sealed in Daniel. Between the Sealing and the Unsealing However, what happens to this book between these two points, between the sealing and the unsealing?  Does the Bible tell us anything about this? Are there other sealed books in Tanach? You may be surprised—at least, I was when I first discovered it—that there are not many sealed books in the Tanach. Apart from Daniel, there is only one place – the amazing place that describes exactly what happens to this book:  Isaiah 29:10-12 : 10 For the Lord has poured out on you the spirit of deep sleep, And has closed your eyes, namely, the prophets; And He has covered your heads, namely, the seers.  11  The  whole vision  has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed, which men deliver to one who is literate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.”  12  Then the book is delivered to one who is illiterate, saying, “Read this, please.” And he says, “I am not literate.” What is this book that Isaiah is talking about? Isaiah’s prophecy speaks about חזות הכל –  vision of all  (it’s translated exactly by these words in the King James Version). There is a difference in Hebrew between prophecy (נבואה) and vision (חזות), although sometimes we may think of them as almost synonymous – and in this case, we see again the same word , chazut,  that the Talmud applies to Daniel: As in the book of Daniel, the vision in Isaiah does not refer to any particular book or prophecy, but it speaks of the big picture, of seeing and understanding all that God has done and is going to do; of God’s overarching plan for the salvation of mankind; of the history from Genesis through Revelation. Therefore, I strongly believe that in Isaiah we see the very same book, the same scroll that we see in Revelation and Daniel. All three books are not just linked, but they are the same book —  the book of God’s plan for mankind, revealed in a vision to Daniel as  sealed  by God, and shown in a vision to John as  unsealed  by Jesus . Isaiah describes the process that will take place between these two points: between the sealing and unsealing. So, what do we learn from Isaiah? Two Types of Readers We see two different types of readers of this book: those who can read but receive this book sealed, and those who cannot read—those who are literate, and those who are not. Who are these people, these two types of readers? For years, I had meditated on this strange image. Only recently the Lord showed it to me very clearly:  Of course, the literate reader is Israel, the very Israel that knows how to read, and not only how to read the Scriptures, but also knows how to read God’s handwriting in history, but for whom this book, this  חזות הכל , this  vision of all, is sealed – sealed by God’s command! When Jesus came to this Earth, Israel (and Israel alone) was “literate” (I am not talking about Hebrew, of course, I am talking about understanding ‘God’s handwriting’ in the history that only Israel knew how to read): Jesus came to the people who had already had a relationship with God for over a thousand years. Jesus was  a continuation of God’s conversation with Israel: “ God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son.” <4>  Only Israel could truly understand God’s language; only Israel could read His message; only Israel could comprehend the images and the parables He used to describe Himself: God’s message through Jesus was a development of certain spiritual topics already seen before, already expressed, and already revealed in Israel’s history, and therefore only Israel could have truly understood and read these topics.  Do you remember the story of Joseph? There is an interesting detail in this story that few pay attention to: the dreams that Joseph had when he was at home didn’t have to be interpreted—not only his father, but even his brothers (who, as we all know, were not the most spiritual people at that time) immediately understood the message of the dreams; they didn’t need Joseph to explain the meaning to them. However, when Joseph was in Egypt, he seemed to be the only one who could understand the dreams—as if the language of dreams, the language of God’s communication through dreams, was a mother tongue for Joseph and his family, and a foreign tongue for the Egyptians. It is the same here: when Jesus came, the language of God was a mother tongue for Israel, and for Israel alone. Alas! It is precisely for our people—for those who are literate—that this book has been sealed! However, if Israel was the one who knew how to read, but for whom this book was sealed, then it follows that those who did receive this book, this  vision of all  unsealed, did not know how to read it—at least in the beginning. Unfortunately, during two thousand years of Christian history, there have been many attempts to ‘read’ and interpret this book by ‘illiterate’ readers: hence, all the misinterpretations and false concepts regarding God’s plan and God’s Word that we have seen throughout Church history—especially regarding the role of Israel itself in the God’s overarching plan for the salvation of mankind. Those who do understand this are deeply longing for the days to come that are prophesied in Zechariah:  Thus says the Lord of hosts: ‘In those days ten men from every language of the nations shall grasp the sleeve of a Jewish man, saying, “Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.” <5> Meanwhile, the hatred of Israel that has flooded the world today shows, more clearly than anything else, how wide the chasm is between the view of God and the view of man—the view from heaven and the view from earth—and how far from God’s truth man’s “illiterate” interpretation is. <1> Dan.12:4 <2> Dan.12:13 <3>  I am very grateful to my Dutch friend, Debby van Galen, who brought this connection to my attention. <4> Heb. 1:1-2 <5> Zech.8:23 As always,  I would be happy to provide more information (and also a teacher’s discount for new students) regarding our wonderful courses   ( juliab@eteachergroup.com ).

Matthew 5:1-12 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (V.1) “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain.” The Ten Commandments were given from a mountain. Now, Jesus delivers his central teaching from a mountain. The mention of the mountain is not simply a statement of where Jesus spoke. It has ties to something important. Moses received the law from a mountain. Elijah received ministry instructions from a mountain. At the mount of transfiguration Jesus spoke with Moses and Elijah. Moses was the lawgiver. Elijah the greatest prophet. Yet the Father said, “Listen to him.” That is, listen to Jesus. The symbolism is parallel to  Exodus 19 . It denotes the authority of Jesus. As Moses received the law from the mountain, so Jesus gave his teaching.  Note that Moses wasn’t the source of the law. He received it first, then gave it. But Jesus is the source of his teaching. He gives his law. But it is something more than simple law. Moses gave the law for running a nation. Jesus gives his law for running our lives. Note what Jesus says about this message in chapter 7.  “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.”  This is something that Moses could never say. Moses could not legitimately say, “Follow my law.” Whereas Jesus can say “follow my teachings” because he is the source of them. Moses was the source of nothing. Jesus probably gave this sermon many times. He was an itinerate preacher. There is a parallel of this passage in  Luke 6  with slight differences.  As we read these beatitudes of Jesus we should keep in mind that though he was encouraging his disciples, in reality, it was Jesus himself that did all these things. He was poor. He was meek. He mourned. He was all of these things. (V.3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God.” Jesus’ first statement in his sermon sets the tone for everything that will follow. Specifically, the “poor” and the phrase “kingdom of God.” What does Jesus mean by using the word poor? To be poor in spirit is to acknowledge spiritual bankruptcy.  Throughout the Bible, the good news of God is generally given to the poor. That is, the average person not necessarily to the powerful and the wealthy. This is not to say that there’s anything wrong with gaining wealth, there’s not, but in Jesus day, it was the wealthy that often persecuted the poor, and in fact that sometimes happens today as well.  More important is the concept of spiritual bankruptcy. What does bankruptcy mean? To put it very simply, it means that you cannot pay your bills. This is how it is in our relationship with God. We owe a debt to God that we can never repay. So Jesus declares from his very first statement in the Sermon on the Mount that those who have nothing to count on, except for God, receive salvation from him, for theirs is the “kingdom of heaven.” Imagine being told, “You are completely bankrupt. Here, the kingdom is yours.” Now, Jesus was poor. He was humble and a servant. But he was not spiritually bankrupt. He had nothing. But spiritually, Jesus was rich. His was the kingdom.  What is the kingdom of heaven?  There are two stages to the kingdom of heaven. There is the kingdom now, and there is the kingdom future. Right now, every person who gives his life to Christ is part of the kingdom of heaven. And that kingdom is found both on earth and in heaven. But someday in the future, the kingdom of heaven will be on a new earth and a new heaven, which will be one location, one place. If we are poor in spirit, that is, spiritually bankrupt, once we come to receive Christ, we then get the kingdom of heaven both on the earth now and later on in heaven. (V.4) “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” These statements by Jesus are a study in contrast. That is really true about this passage. On the one hand, there are those who mourn and the other hand those same people will be comforted, meaning, they will not mourn anymore. What do we mourn over? We mourn over our sin and condition. How do we bring comfort to those who mourn?  In his letter to the Romans Paul makes this statement,  “Weep with those who weep” (12:15) .  Sometimes, morning with someone is a way to bring comfort. To know that you are sharing the hurt of another person, they sense that they do not suffer alone.  I watched my first pastor, Roger Barrier, teach on this subject during a seminar. He had people sit down and groups of 2 to 4 and had them share something difficult from their lives. Then the people listening to that experience were to say something like, “I’m so sorry that happened to you. I’m so sorry.” The result was that people actually began to feel better when they realized somebody sympathized with their pain. Mourning with those who mourn is actually a way of giving comfort. Remember that Jesus grieved over Jerusalem. In fact, he mourns over the lost. (V.5) “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the Earth.” What does it mean to be meek?  Often times, when we hear this word, we think of something like humble, introverted, or weak. It’s not a word that we really use much in modern society. But it has deep meaning. To be meek is to be submissive, without malice, self-controlled. So notice the contrast that Jesus is making. Someday, the submissive and controlled will achieve all power by reigning with Christ. That is an incredible contrast to go from being submissive and controlled to being powerful and in control in a spiritual sense. Of course, ultimately, Jesus is the one with supreme meekness. This passage is also about himself. He is the meek one, and he inherits the Earth. We just get to share it with him. (V.6) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” To hunger and thirst in this context means to greatly desire something. Think about the things that you want. What do you desire in your life more than other things? Is it a relationship? Is it a promotion or raise or better retirement? Is it something to do with your kids or grandkids? What is it that is your chief desire in life? When I pray, I like to say that I want Jesus to be the chief affection of my life. I hunger and thirst for righteousness. The contrast that Jesus is offering us in this passage is that we shall be satisfied. In other words, we shall achieve the righteousness that we desire through him— through Christ—we will be satisfied only in him. But what is righteousness?  Righteousness covers a few things. First, righteousness is about our status with God. Are we in a right relationship with him? When we are in a right relationship with God, we are righteous, not by our own works, but by his work in our lives through Christ. Thus, we achieve righteousness by grace through faith. Secondly, it also means right living in our lives. Theologically, we refer to these distinctions as  orthodoxy , that is, right belief, compared with  orthopraxy , which is right action. Orthopraxy is a natural result of orthodoxy. If you don’t have right behaviors then you may not have right beliefs.  (V.7) “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” In general, there are two kinds of mercy. There is mercy to the suffering, and there is mercy to the guilty. God is concerned with both kinds of mercy. God has mercy on us because he recognizes that sin causes suffering. Because of sin, suffering was introduced into the world. And so God desires to be merciful to those who suffer, who are victims of their own sin. But he also desires to show mercy to the guilty, those who sin on purpose. We are all guilty before a holy God. Therefore, we need mercy. On top of this, God wants us to be merciful just as he is merciful to us. We need to be merciful to the suffering. And we need to be merciful to the guilty. There is always time for mercy. Just as God has shown us mercy, we must also show mercy to others. It’s like the story that Jesus told about the man in  Matthew 18  who owed 100 denarii to his master, and his master forgave him. But then that man went out and refused to forgive the smaller amount that someone owed him. The master was furious when he learned it and sent him to prison. He said,  “Should you not have shown him mercy as I showed you?”  Thus, mercy is a requirement of being a Christian. If you’ve met a Christian who has no mercy. The chances are he may not be a Christian. Remember the admonition in  Micah 6:8 ,  “He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God” ( Mic. 6:8 ). Ultimately, Jesus is the one who shows mercy. He did that on the cross on our behalf. He is the merciful one. (V.8) “Blessed are the pure heart for they shall see God.” What does it mean to have a pure heart? Do you have a pure heart right now? This verse is the culmination of the other verses before it. All of these verses deal with the heart. Being poor in spirit, morning, being meek. These are all things of the heart. So Jesus brings us all down to one great point: blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. If you are all these things, you are pure in heart. And then what follows, in the rest of the beatitudes, are how these things are expressed outwardly in our lives, from the heart. Note the difference here with the 10 Commandments. Nine of the 10 Commandments were about things that we do, our actions. But Jesus here is dealing with the heart. In fact, the heart was dealt with in the 10 Commandments, especially the 10th Commandment, “Do not covet.” Coveting happens within the heart. But here, Jesus is dealing with the heart in a much deeper way. So those who are pure in heart, who don’t do these things in their heart, who know Christ, get to see God. What kinds of expressions of the heart please God?  One of my favorite passages is  Jeremiah 9:24 .  “Let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things, I delight, declares the LORD.” Notice what God says about these things. He “delights” in them. I love that word, delight. It’s more than being happy about something. It’s a tender joy in love, justice, and righteousness. I want to live a life where God says of me, “I delight in him.” Of course, Jesus is the one pure in heart, and he sees the Father as he really is. (V.9) “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” Now we get to the actions. These are more than just what is in the heart; these are the things that flow out of the heart that have been previously dealt with. So, the first thing we could say about this passage is that those who delight in these things of God shall be peacemakers. Peacemaking pleases God.  This must’ve been a hard concept for Jesus’ listeners to grasp. They lived in a society where an enemy ruled over them, sometimes brutally. Why would the Jews want to make peace with the Romans? But in fact, there’s much more going in this passage than just peace with one another or peace between nations. The first kind of peacemaking, and the most important, is making peace with God. Not to have God as our enemy but as our friend. Our charge as Christians is to be peacemakers, bringing people into a peaceful relationship with the Divine Judge. And this is especially appropriate because the scripture calls Jesus the Prince of Peace ( Isaiah 9:6 ).  Of course, Jesus was the ultimate peacemaker. For it says in Romans chapter 5 that while we were yet still God’s enemies, Christ died for us. He is the ultimate peacemaker. (V.10) “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” How have you experienced persecution for your faith? While recently in an African country, I heard the testimony of a man who was persecuted for his faith in Christ. Terrorists beheaded his father and brother, and when challenged to renounce Christ, he held firm. They took a knife to his neck, but he survived. He was persecuted for righteousness’ sake. His scars reminded me of Paul’s words,  “I bear on my body the brand marks of Jesus.” Now, we come to something shocking. After being declared peacemakers, then Jesus says we will be persecuted. Why would we be persecuted for being peacemakers? This is not the natural outcome that we normally think of when we think of peacemaking. This is the second time in the beatitudes that Jesus says “yours is the kingdom of heaven.” First, it was to the poor in spirit and now it is to those who are persecuted. The poor and the persecuted often deal in the same currency. They have made God their chief affection. And they are persecuted and poor for it. They delight in the things of God, not the things of the world.  Persecution is actually mentioned three times in the Beatitudes. It’s mentioned more than any other topic. First, we see it in this passage and then in the next passages to come, to know that persecution is a mark of faith in Christ, whether it is a soft persecution like we experience in America or a hard persecution where you can even lose your life in some countries, either way, persecution should be regarded as a regular part of the Christian life.  If we pray against persecution in our lives, then we’re denying ourselves the opportunity to identify with Jesus, as he also was persecuted for his faith.  But if we pray through persecution, then we share in the things that Jesus experienced as well and can identify with him even more. Ultimately, it will make us more like him. Noticed that Jesus referred to persecution for “righteousness sake.” Isn’t righteousness all the things that we’ve been talking about up until now? So the first few beatitudes are really setting the stage for how we will be treated by the world. We will be persecuted in some form for all these things. Jesus was persecuted by the religious leaders of his day. And it was for righteousness’ sake. But his persecution on the cross bought us righteousness.  (V.11) “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.” There is a change in language used by Jesus. Previously, he spoke in the third person when he said, “Blessed are…” But now, he speaks directly saying that their persecution would be on “his account.” By saying “blessed are you.” He’s making a direct statement to his hearers. He is speaking directly to you. The last three beatitudes out of the entire list of nine talks about persecution, persecution for righteousness’s sake, and persecution for Jesus’ sake. The two are actually tied together. Only in Jesus do we have true righteousness. Slander is part of persecution. The things that you say and teach about Jesus will be twisted and turned into lies and attributed to you. I experienced this once in Mongolia when something I did was twisted into a lie in a court hearing. I could have gone to prison for it, but thankfully, the truth was revealed, and the prosecutor dropped the case against me. Jesus said these experiences are signs of our blessing. We are being truly identified with Christ. But he goes even further.  (V.12) “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” He doesn’t just tell us we are blessed. He goes further by telling us to express that blessing in a practical way. “Rejoice and be glad.” When was the last time you experienced persecution and thought you should rejoice and be glad for it? And yet the Bible tells us that these things were true of the apostles.  In the book of Acts, the apostles were beaten and reprimanded by the Jewish leadership for talking about Jesus publicly. They went away, rejoicing that they had been worthy to suffer for the name of Christ. And consider Paul in  Acts 16 . At one point, he was beaten and put in stocks, and he and Silas sang out and praised the Lord late in the evening, which resulted in their jailer coming to faith in Christ. This reminds me of one of my favorite passages of scripture in the book of Revelation. Jesus is talking to the church of Smyrna, which was undergoing persecution. And he says this. Let me paraphrase. “It’s bad; things are going to get worse, and then you’re gonna die. Be faithful anyway.” In essence, that’s what Jesus is telling his disciples in the Sermon on the Mount. He’s telling them to endure and rejoice in all that they will endure, for great is their reward in heaven. This passage is also about Jesus. The scripture says in Hebrews, “For the joy sent before him he endured the cross despising its shame.” And for this Jesus received the ultimate reward. He is the king of the kingdom. INTERPRETATION How does Jesus fulfill these nine beatitudes? I began this lesson with the statement that Jesus is the one who does all of these nine things that he lists in the beatitudes. He is the one who is meek. He is the one who was poor. He is the one who is merciful, he is the one who is persecuted. Jesus is the model for how you and I are to live our lives. And that’s why we should interpret this passage as being about Jesus before being about us. Right away, this should tell us something about the Sermon on the Mount. Many people interpret the Sermon on the Mount as being about morality and how we should live our lives. And there’s a sense where that is true. However, Jesus is setting the stage right up front, and he is making it clear to all of us that this is about him. It’s not just about doing good, or enduring hardship, or enduring persecution. It’s all about him and who he is, and his doing of good, his enduring of hardship, his enduring of persecution, and so on. Remember the purpose of the four Gospels: to reveal to us who Jesus is and his plan for the world and for us. APPLICATION So here are some points to consider: 1.) Our attitude about blessings may need readjustment. What is blessing to you? 2.) Blessing is not necessarily about wealth, power, or ease of life. What kind of blessing are you seeking? 3.) Difficulties and persecution can be an opportunity for blessing. 4.) Joining Jesus in suffering identifies us with him.

WHY DO YOU TRY AND KEEP THE TEN COMMANDMENTS? WHY DON’T WE KEEP THE SACRIFICIAL LAWS OF THE OT ANYMORE? SHOULD WE BASE OUR NATION’S LAWS ON THE OT? Matthew 5:17-20 . “Do not think that I have come to  abolish the Law or the Prophets ; I have not come to abolish them but to  fulfill  them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is  accomplished . Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever  does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven . For I tell you,  unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees , you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus has just come off his statements in the beatitudes about blessing and encouraged his hearers to be salt and light. Then he reverses and talks about the failure of the Pharisees though they were seen as keeping the law and were the standard of righteousness for the Jews. He implies that they do not keep the law as God intended. They are not the salt and light. Jesus’ disciples are. Then he begins to describe what that looks like. But before Jesus does that he addresses some things about the OT law. (V.17) “Do not think that I have come to  abolish the Law or the Prophets .” Jesus reference to “the law and the prophets” referred to the whole of the Old Testament. Jesus, in this statement, upholds the Mosaic Law and prophets as valid for Israel at that time.  It’s helpful to know something about the Old Testament law in order to understand what Jesus was referring to when he said he wasn’t going to abolish the law. There are three parts to the Mosaic Law. There is the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the civil law. The ceremonial law were the laws of sacrifice for sin, the priesthood, offerings, tithes, and holy days.  The civil laws were the laws that covered Israel as a nation that defined its borders, established political authorities, judgeships, and enacting justice.  The moral law are the right and wrong moral absolutes that God gave to Israel, such as you shall not lie, you shall not committed adultery, you shall not covet.  Jesus did not come to abolish any of these. To abolish means to do away with. Jesus did not do away with the law, but he put it in the right perspective.  (V.17) “I have not come to abolish them but to  fulfill  them.” There are two senses to the word fulfill. The first is to obey something to fulfill its requirements. The second fulfillment is that of prophecy, Jesus came to fulfill the prophetic statements in the Old Testament that were made about him. Jesus came to do both. He fulfilled all of the requirements of the Old Testament law. He performed the law perfectly. He never sinned. He always loved. Jesus also fulfills the prophecy and types about himself that are found in the Old Testament. What is a type? A type is a picture or prefiguring of something that is to come, specifically, in prophecy. Types could be found in things, but were usually expressed as people.  Melchizedek was a type for Jesus (priest). Moses was a type for Jesus (law giver). Samuel was a type for Jesus (prophet). David was a type for Jesus (king). Solomon was a type for Jesus (prophesied son). Their lives represented something that would come later on in the Messiah. Jesus fulfilled all of those roles. He is the fulfillment of the Old Testament’s notions of prophet, priest and king. (V.18) “Until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is  accomplished .” Is the law still in force? Consider this teaching from the Apostle Paul. Jesus said he didn’t come to abolish the law, but Paul said we are not under the law.  HOW DO YOU RECTIFY THESE TWO POSITIONS? “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them’” ( Galatians 3:10 ).  Jesus took our curse on the tree. He was under the law for us. He performed the law, then died in our place.  “For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes” ( Romans 10:4 ).  “The law is holy, and the commandment is holy, righteous, and good” ( Romans 7:12 ). WHAT DOES THAT SAY TO YOU? Paul summed up how to fulfill the law. “For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law” (Roman’s 13:8).  Later, the writer to the Hebrews noted… “In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away” ( Hebrews 8:13 ). (V.19) “Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever  does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven .” Now, we should qualify what we’ve said about the law using our three categories of law: ceremonial, civil, and moral. Jesus fulfilled all three.  Jesus was sentenced under the civil law. The case against him was blasphemy.  He fulfilled the ceremonial law. He was our sacrifice for sin.  And he fulfilled the moral law. He never sinned.  However, for us, two parts of the law are done away with and one part remains.  The sacrificial system ended in 70AD with the destruction of the temple.  The civil system was tied to the land and promises to the nation as a political entity. Those promises were fulfilled in the past. There is no king, no coming messiah under a Jewish understanding.  Yet, the moral law remains. We are still bound by the moral law. The moral law is repeated by Paul in his writings as still being in force. Christ fulfilled the moral law and empowers us to keep it. But it is more than just obeying the “do nots” of the Ten Commandments.  Prophecy said the law would be written on our hearts ( Jeremiah 31:33 ). But I think it’s something bigger than the “do nots.” Instead of adultery, faithfulness is written on our hearts. Instead of stealing, generosity is written on our hearts. Instead of lying, truth and integrity are written on our hearts. These are the behaviors of love. And love fulfills the law.  (V.20) “ Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees , you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” The Pharisees and the other Jewish religious leaders were seen as the pinnacle of Jewish religious expression. They studied the law in great detail and even came up with 613 additional oral traditions to help them keep even the most detailed parts of the law. But Jesus condemned this. The Pharisees sought righteousness through keeping the law and their traditions. But the law was never meant for salvation. It was meant for ordering their society. Righteousness, as we learn from Paul, come only through faith in Christ. For Jesus to say that we must have a righteousness that exceeds the Pharisees would have shocked his hearers. If the Pharisees can’t get in, how do they get in? WHY IS LAW KEEPING NOT GOOD ENOUGH TO GAIN SALVATION? HAVE YOU EVER HEARD SOMEONE SAY, “SO AND SO WOULD MAKE A GOOD CHRISTIAN?” THE SCRIPTURE DENIES THIS. WHY? Sometimes, there’s the temptation to think that when someone comes to Christ, they bring something to the table. But the Bible’s perspective on this is completely different. The only thing we bring to the table of salvation is our sin in order to be forgiven. Jesus is the one who brings everything else to the table. He brings us all that we need for salvation and living a righteous life in him. Mainly, the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the Christian and empower him to walk in faith. Righteousness here means following the moral law under the power of the Holy Spirit. This is why Paul tells us about the fruit of the Spirit.  “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law” ( Galatians 5:22-23 ). Right living isn’t against the law. And that’s why we’re not under law but under grace. Love fulfills the law. Jesus condemned the Pharisees for adding to the law and for not obeying justice, mercy, etc. But,  Acts 15  tells us that as the church grew there were some Pharisees who came to faith in Christ. They still held to the law, but they came to believe in Jesus. INTERPRETATION What is Jesus’ big idea for this passage?  Jesus is not doing away with the law, but he is fulfilling it. He’s not telling his hearers how they should live. He’s telling them how he will live—to fulfill the law.  It’s true that Jesus touches on our righteousness relative to the law. But he won’t start dealing with those specifics until we get to the next section of his discourse. For now, this is about what Jesus will do. He will fulfill the law, and  the law required death for sin to be fulfilled . In fact,  the law could not be fulfilled without a death for sin .  Remember where we’ve come from so far in our study. First we began with the beatitudes and the blessings. And we learned that Jesus is the one who receives the blessings. The blessings are about him.  Then we learned about salt and light. Jesus is the light of the world and we are to become lights, like him. And now we touch on the law. And we learned that the law is not enough to have salvation. But we must come to faith in Christ. The moral law plays a role in our lives, but faith plays a more significant role. So what is Jesus telling us?  He is telling us that he is the fulfillment of the law.  This is in contrast to the Pharisees and religious leaders who thought they were fulfilling the law by performing its prescriptions. Whereas it is Jesus who fulfills the law by  being  the prescription. Our role is not to fulfill the prescriptions of the law, it is to be like Christ. APPLICATION Both Jesus and Paul said to love was the fulfillment of the law. So how do we fulfill the law? First, we follow the greatest commandment to love God with our heart, soul and mind. Second, we fulfill the law in  Leviticus 19:18  when it talks about, loving your neighbor as yourself. Thirdly, we fulfill Jesus’ command in  John 13:34  to love one another as he loved us. WHAT DOES THAT LOVE LOOK LIKE IN A PRACTICAL SENSE? Notice the example that Jesus raises. He uses himself as the standard of measurement. How did Jesus love us? By dying for us on the cross.  How can you and I express this kind of love?

One of the greatest losses we experience when reading our Bible in translation only is the meaning of the Hebrew names. Translations and adaptations don’t simply change the original meaning, but render the names meaningless. Unless we take time to go back into Hebrew, the Biblical names of people and places in translation have no connection at all with the original reference points and ideas buried within the text itself. That’s why I’ll comment here on the names from the four weekly Torah portions we read each month. And this month, we’ll discuss the names of the primeval history — the first eleven chapters of the book of Genesis. ADAM: FIRST MAN AND HIS “BLOODY” NAME    (my British readers would probably love this title 🙂 The name of the first man – Adam – is the first and amazing example of the meanings we miss when we read the Bible in translation only. Before even discussing the name itself, I would like to ask you: when is the first time you meet Adam in the Bible? Here the difference between the English and Hebrew texts is striking. When we read our English Bible, there is no Adam in Genesis 1 – we first encounter Adam in Genesis 2. (Most translations introduce him in  Genesis 2:20 , although some speak about Adam in verse 19). However, if we read this text in Hebrew, surprisingly, we find Adam in chapter 1 –  Genesis 1:26 . What’s going on here? The explanation, of course, comes from the Hebrew language.  While in English, Adam is always a personal name, in Hebrew it simply means “human”. In fact, in Hebrew the term for “human beings” is  Bnei Adam  – ‘the children of Adam’. In  Gen. 1:27 , “ adam ” is used in the collective sense: not only the individual Adam, but all humans are created on the sixth day. In Genesis 2 and 3, the generic and personal usages are mixed. This interplay between the individual “ Adam ” and collective “humankind”, and the ambiguous meanings embedded throughout the narrative, add a new dimension and bring additional depth to the crucial events of Genesis 3 – something that is completely missed in English translations. There are many things we can say about this one little Hebrew name of three letters—many deep things that are not seen in translation. Two different words jump at us from this name. And the first one is  dam  – blood. Wow! Why would the word  dam  be within  Adam ? Maybe, it shows us that this creature is indeed flesh and blood?  We know that the theme of blood goes through the entire Torah – through all the five books of Moses: “But you shall not eat flesh with its life, that is, its blood” <1> “Then they shall take some of the blood and put it on the two doorposts” <2>  – “For the life of every creature is its blood: its blood is its life” <3> … but it all starts here, inside of the name  Adam : this “bloody” aspect is a component of Adam’s identity from the very beginning. There’s another Hebrew word that is connected to the original Hebrew word ‘ adam ’ – ‘ adama’ , the earth, or the ground.  One cannot really see the etymological connection between ‘man’ and ‘ground’ in English translation, but in Hebrew, it certainly stands out. In Hebrew, when you say “ Adam ” you almost hear the word  adamah  in this name. In fact, they correspond and correlate one to another just as masculine and feminine nouns in Hebrew do – which means that their connection is very deep and intimate. For example, in Genesis 3, when God punishes Adam, it’s  Adama  that is cursed as a result of this punishment – another proof of this essential inner bond. It is very clear that this ‘earthly’ aspect is also a component of Adam’s identity. Why? The traditional explanation says that the man is called Adam because ‘ the LORD God formed man from the dust of the earth ” (‘Adamah’).  However, the great Rabbi of the city of Prague, Judah Loew ben Bezalel (‘Maharal of Prague’), was wondering why man was the only one to be called after the ground – after all, were not the animals also created from the earth? His answer was that, while the animals were created ‘almost completed’ (they grow on the outside but their minds remain basically at the same level), both man ( Adam ) and the land or ground ( Adamah ) evolve and develop; they were both created in a basic, pure status, and they both require long and hard work in order to reach their greatest potential and bring forth fruits. These are the things that we see in the first man’s name in Hebrew. Undoubtedly, these “bloody” and “earthly” aspects form the original components, not only of Adam’s identity, but of God’s message to humanity: this “flesh and blood” man needs to be developed after he comes into this world, otherwise his “earthly” components prevail. We see this happening almost right away in Genesis 4, where both the words form one of the most tragic verses in the whole Bible: The voice of your brother’s  blood  cries out to Me from the  ground ( קול  דמי  אחיך צעקים אלי מן  האדמה ). Now you would probably appreciate the answer that was given by a Jewish sage to the traditional question: To whom is God speaking in  Genesis 1:26 ? His answer was :  “God is speaking to you and to me—to everyone. He says: “If you agree, if you allow me into your heart, together – you and I – we will make a man ( adam ) from you!” CAIN AND SETH: DIFFERENT NAMES OR DIFFERENT WORLDVIEWS? In Genesis 4, Cain, the first born of Adam and Eve, killed his brother Abel. By the end of this chapter, another son was born to Eve. She called him Seth: “ For God has appointed another seed for me instead of Abel”.   The difference between the names of the brothers, Cain and Seth, is extremely significant in Hebrew, yet is completely lost in translation. What does this difference reflect? The name Cain in Hebrew carries the meaning of something being “acquired”. This name referred to  Eve’s action : she was the one who “acquired”. When God cursed the land and banished Adam and Eve from the Garden, He also gave them the promise that many read as the promise of a coming saviour. When we read: “ Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord,”  we can see how strong her longing was for the lost place and for the return to this place. Probably, waiting for the fulfilment of the promise of Genesis 3 (and maybe also feeling guilty and trying to make up for her mistake), she felt and thought that she had to do something; that it was her task and her responsibility to remedy the situation. Apparently, she connected the birth of her son with the immediate fulfilment of this promise; she really hoped that through her son they would get back to the Garden they had lost. That’s why Eve called Cain by this name: she thought  she  “acquired” him from the LORD to fix the situation. On the other hand, the name Seth expresses an altogether different worldview. In Hebrewשֵׁת   (shet)  means something like “provided”; the Hebrew verbלָשִית   means “to appoint” or “to provide”. Pay close attention: in this case, the name refers to  God’s action , not Eve’s. This difference is extremely significant and shows that by this point, Eve knows it’s not her efforts, but God’s grace alone, that can help them. W HAT’S IN A NAME? This hope of the return to the Garden moved from generation to generation. By the time Noah was born, people were already extremely tired of the curse on the land and waited eagerly for the fulfilment of this promise. That’s why Noah’s father regarded his son as one who should bring deliverance from the curse – as one who should provide comfort and rest. Noah is one of the most well-known characters in the Bible, virtually everyone knows who  he  was, but few remember Lamech, Noah’s father. However, Lamech is well worth remembering, not only because he fathered his son Noah, who would save the dying world through his faith and obedience, but also because he recognized this son’s special calling and mission by giving him a very significant name. Why did Lamech name his son Noah? What did he expect from him? Noah’s name has a very prophetic meaning indeed. This root in Hebrew means ‘rest’, and from Lamech’s prophetic words we understand that he saw in his son the one who would be the “rest-giver”— the one who would provide deliverance and comfort from the curse. When God cursed the land and banished Adam and Eve from the Garden, He also gave them the promise of a coming savior. By naming his son Noah, Lamech hoped that he would be this promised savior. Evidently, Lamech felt the burden of toil upon an earth which God had cursed, and he looked for “ relief from our work and from the toil of our hands ”. <4>  It is clear from Lamech’s words that even these first generations were extremely tired of this curse and waited for the fulfillment of the promise. Lamech regarded his son as the one who should bring deliverance from the curse, as one who should provide comfort and rest. Thus, when we read this text in Hebrew, the allusion to  Genesis 3:17  is obvious. .However, this allusion, as well as the prophetic meaning of the name “Noah”, is completely lost in translation. <1> Gen. 9:4 <2> Ex. 12:7-23 <3> Lev.17:14 <4> Gen. 5:29 eteacherbiblical.com

Matthew 6:5-14 WHEN YOU PRAY DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE DOING?  DOES GOD ANSWER YOUR PRAYERS? WHY DO YOU FEEL THAT WAY? WHEN YOU PRAY, DO YOU  ALWAYS  SENSE GOD’S PRESENCE? “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.  9 “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10  Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11  Give us this day our daily bread, 12  and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13  And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.  14 For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, 15 but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” BACKGROUND Last week we reviewed Jesus’ teaching on giving. We noted that in that section, and this one and the next on fasting, that Jesus used Hebrew parallelism to drive home his point. Jesus does the same thing in this passage in verses 5 and 6, but we won’t repeat it here. Instead, we’re going to focus on how to pray. First, Jesus gives us this model of prayer because God delights when we pray ( Proverbs 15:8 ). He looks forward to us praying to him, to have a conversation with him. Have you ever thought in those terms about prayer before, that he delights when we pray? This knowledge should transform our prayers. God wants to answer our prayers. When God’s people prayed in the Bible, God answered. In  Exodus 32  God relented from destroying his people when Moses asked him. In  II Chronicles 7  God says he will answer if his people repent of their sin and seek him. When we pray in faith, things change. Jesus said, “If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it” ( John 14:13–14 ). Note from the scriptures that God doesn’t make deals. We simply ask and he answers. God answers according to his will. “This is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” ( 1 John 5:14–15 ). To pray effectively we must not be hiding some secret sin. “If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened” ( Psalm 66:18 ). Sin interrupts our relationship with God. He never looks favorably on sin, therefore we must always have a heart of repentance. This pleases God. WHAT IS PRAYER? Some specifics. What is prayer? The most basic definition of prayer is to say that  prayer is a conversation with God . But what kind of conversation? We bring to God the things that are on our hearts. We praise him for who he is. And we seek his will for our lives. In essence, prayer is like a child’s conversation with his parent. Children seek out their parent’s presence. They ask for things from mom or dad seeking whether it is their will to give him something. They ask for help, even to have the parent do something with them. When faced with difficulty or hurt they cry out for mom or dad. This is what prayer is like.  Prayer is also a tool that God uses to bring our will in line with God’s will. Sometimes we ask God for things that may not be his will to grant. The more we pray about that the more our hearts should subtly change to realize it is something we should not need or want. Eventually it should drop from our prayers.  HAVE YOU EVER PRAYED FOR SOMETHING OR SOMEONE AND SENSED THAT GOD’S ANSWER WAS NO? For instance, I prayed for a long time that all of my daughter’s descendants would become Christians. But the more I prayed for that the more unsettled about it I became. I began to realize that God’s answer to that prayer was no. This should not be surprising. When Abraham prayed for Ishmael to walk with God, God said to him no ( Genesis 17:18-19 ).  Then my prayers began to transform. Instead of praying for all of my descendants to know him, I began to pray that there would never be a generation of her family that would not know the Lord. And even as I still pray for that today, I have the sense that God is answering that prayer in the affirmative. My will was being brought in line with God’s will.  Prayer transforms our thinking, feeling, and will. We do not simply pray for something and then move on. As we pray we change. Sometimes, when I struggle with prayer, I use the Lord’s Prayer to guide my own prayers. Let me show you how.  EXAMINATION (V.7) “When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.” Repetitious prayer was common in pagan cultures. People repeated phrases over and over thinking such practices gained the god’s attention and demonstrated greater piety by the worshiper. But Jesus denies this. God is a person. He is moved by the content of our prayer, not the form. This does not mean we should not repeat our prayers from time to time, we should. Jesus himself prayed repeating himself in the garden three times before his arrest. His repetition revealed his great stress for what he knew was coming.  Remember that prayer is a conversation, not a rote religious practice or charm, or magic. The purpose of prayer is to bring our hearts in line with God’s. (V.9) “Our Father in heaven…” IS IT HARD TO THINK OF GOD AS A FATHER, OR PERHAPS, A DAD? Jesus regularly called God, Father, in reference to his divine relationship to God. But by saying “our” Father, he places the relationship we have with God as a father to his children. Notice throughout this prayer that Jesus prays in the plural, signifying that this may be a liturgical form for the church at large. When we pray we should be mindful of God’s holiness and transcendence, but also his tenderness. He is our Father. We all know what fathers are suppose to be like. The Father in heaven is all that and more.  (V.9) “…hallowed be thy name…” Here we see respect for God’s name and holiness. What does it mean to  hallow  something? Essentially, to honor and make it holy. God is separated from us in great holiness. We should regard him in that way.  So how do we pray this first verse? By praising God for his holiness, his honor. Use this as a jumping off point in your prayers.  “Father, you are great and holy. There is none that compares to you. You are perfect in all your ways. Glory and honor and praise belongs to you alone. And yet, you are a Father of love to your people…” Notice how the statement in scripture is used as a jumping off point in our prayer. (V.10)  “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” WHAT DOES GOD’S KINGDOM ON EARTH LOOK LIKE TO YOU? This is the objective of the Christian life, to bring God’s kingdom. What is God’s kingdom? It is a group of people who have surrendered their lives to Jesus Christ who seek to live and act as God instructs them through Christ. When we say we want his kingdom to come, we are saying that we want others to know God as we have come to know him; that Jesus may rule and reign over all the earth.  When we say “your will be done” we are saying we want his will for the earth  and our lives. “On earth as it is in heaven” is the scope of what we are praying for.  Use this phrase from Jesus to guide your prayer.  “Lord, I want your kingdom to be established with everyone around me. Please help me live for you above all things and desire your will above my own. Help me to obey you that others will see, in a practical way, your kingdom in me.” (V.11) “Give us this day our daily bread…” This prayer is for our needs, not our greeds. God wants us to bring to him our most basic needs. How often do we forget or ignore this? Most of us have this need covered, don’t we? We think we don’t need to pray for this because we already have it. But this should be a launching point to other needs also.  “Lord, you have graciously provided for me my food, a place to live, and clothes on my back. You have not forgotten my needs in any way. So, Lord, please use me to provide for the needs of others. Please provide for them through me, even if it’s in a small way.” (V.12) “Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.” “Debts” in this passage refers to sin. This is a good word for Jesus to choose when talking about our sin, because, we owe to God a debt for our sin. And it is a debt that we can never repay. But thankfully, Jesus has paid our debt for us by his shed blood and death on the cross for our sin. Many people get hung up on this part of the passage. Because he says to forgive as we have forgiven our debtors. But we don’t always forgive those who sin against us do we? Sometimes we hold it against them, even as a secret in our hearts. Here’s a way to continue our prayer using this verse.  “Lord, you have forgiven all of my sin because of your sacrifice on the cross for me. Thank you that you don’t hold my sin against me. Please help me to freely forgive others as you have forgiven me.” It is at this point that someone may come into your mind that you need to forgive or perhaps ask forgiveness from. If so, attend to it with God right away.  If we want to experience the fullness of God‘s love and joy and forgiveness then we also need to forgive others, no matter what they have done to us. (V.13) “Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” HOW ARE TEMPTATIONS AND TRIALS DIFFERENT? First, we should recognize that scripture says God does not tempt anyone ( James 1:13 ). God is not in the process of tempting people to commit sin so that he can punish them. However, he does sometimes lead us into positions where temptation may occur, he does this to test us, to prove our love for him. As one example, Jesus was led in the wilderness to be tempted by the devil ( Matthew 4:1 ). Jesus prayed for Peter not to fall into sin ( Luke 22:31-32 ). And Peter was led to a period of temptation where he denied the Lord. Jesus did not tempt him, but he was tested because Jesus then said to Peter “when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.” He was tested by God but not tempted by him. Peter was delivered from evil because he turned back. Jesus was delivered from evil because even though he was murdered, he rose again from the dead never to die again. So too, we may experience great stress, strain, and temptation. But we can come through it.  So how do we pray this?  “Lord, I don’t want to sin against you. But I know that trials and temptations will come my way. Please strengthen me so that I will come through them without sin. But Lord, if I fail and sin, please forgive and restore me. Let not evil win the day.” If a particular temptation or test comes to mind, then pray about that, thanking God for his provision to endure it. (Vs.14-15) “For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” This is where some believers become confused. When we read this passage, it sounds like God will not forgive us if we do not forgive others. We look upon this passage, as if it is a work that we have to do to earn salvation. But that is not what Jesus is saying. He is simply referring to the  experience  of forgiveness that we have with God. If we hold secret sin in our hearts, we have unforgiveness in our hearts, then we cannot have the full experience of enjoying God‘s forgiveness. That only comes when we freely forgive others. INTERPRETATION What is Jesus’ big idea for this passage?  Pray honestly. Pray humbly. Pray according to God’s will.  All of these things that Jesus is instructing us to pray are his will for our lives. So, pray honestly. Would you lie to God? Pray humbly. Would you blame God? And pray according to his will. Would you be selfish with God?  Remember that prayer is a conversation with God. Think about how you talk to your friends. Would you lie, speak arrogantly, or selfishly with your friends? Sometimes our talks with God can border on these things. So, resolve to talk rightly with your Heavenly Father. APPLICATION If you need more help in knowing what to pray for, then make it a habit to pray through scripture. Choose a passage and use that as a guide to help you know how to pray.  And keep in mind one more thing. The Lord’s Prayer is more than just something we pray.  The Lord’s Prayer is also something we can do. We hallow his name by praising him and helping others to know him.  We bring his kingdom through evangelism and discipleship.  We live to do his will on the earth.  We provide for our needs and our families when we work hard to do that.  We forgive others and resist temptation. Everything in the Lord’s Prayer is answered when we seek to perform the very things that we pray for from the Lord.  www.guywithabible.com

After considering all God has done for us, surrendering ourselves completely to Him is the only logical thing to do. THE ONLY LOGICAL THING TO DO Romans 12:1-2 S-1714 As we study the Bible we see three interlocking elements of truth. Beliefs: Romans 1-11 Behaviors: Romans 12-13: Relationships: Romans 14-16 Beliefs + Behaviors = Great relationships If beliefs and behaviors do not lead to deeper relationships, some thing is wrong with our beliefs or behaviors. We have finished the doctrinal section: the explanation of the gospel we believe. How we translate Beliefs into proper behaviors and relationships hinges around Romans 12:1-2. SLIDE: Romans 12:1-2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. SLIDE: After Considering All Of God’s Mercies To Us, Offering Up Our Bodies As Living Sacrifices Is The Only Logical Thing To Do. Your spiritual act of worship: Explain logikos laetros Λογικη The only logical thing to do. Λατρεια Technical term for offering sacrifices—also means action, duty Illustrate this on a little more familiar terms: Dr. Ewy and I have been friends for 25 years. He is my heart doctor. Used to try to hook up one of his sons with one of my daughters. Recently, I had helped out one of his sons in the context of a pastoral setting and he sent me a rather large check to show his gratitude. I opened the envelope and out of the thank you note fell this check. I said to Julie, “Look at this!” Julie said: “You’re not going to keep it are you?” I looked at the check: Learned that it is good to give; wouldn’t want to take the blessing of giving away from Dr. Ewy. Held it in my hand—thought for a long moment—finally said to Julie: “Why, of course not.” I have had heart problem since I was a child: Arrythmias, etc. He has always cared for me. Old site, arrhythmia problem after third service, one more to go. About to faint. Stairs, got to my office and called Dr. Ewy at home: “Wait there, I will be right there. Drove me to the hospital. Two years ago: arrhythmias; working on treatment: Atrial flutter, not doing well. Pick up dog poop and can’t lift it over top of can. Sunday morning: shaving, hit the floor, Let’s go the hospital. “Ambulance?” “No, just get me to Gordon.” Called Gordon: I will meet you at emergency entrance: Emergency room: ventricles run-away-pace: “Shock him.” “No we have time. Put him to sleep. Paddle on back. Next thing I knew, I was awake. “Did it work?” First time!” Next day: “Did I jump three inches off the table like they do on tv?” “No…out cold…sat straight up in bed, grabbed your chest and yelled, “OWW,” and passed back out.” Ride the lightning. So, I am holding the check….. “No, of course I am not going to keep it. How could I take anything from the man who saved my life?” SLIDE: Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is the only logical response to the man who saved your life. SLIDE: Doing What Jesus Did Is The Only Reasonable Thing To Do. What did Jesus do? He sacrificed His life for others. GALATIANS 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. SLIDE: Set up Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe: children’s allegories of the Christian life. Peter, Susan, Edward and Lucy go through the wardrobe into the land of Narnia. Ice Queen Witch reigns: Cold and dark with sin. The Sons and daughters of Adam will break the curse. Aslan, the Lion is Christ: Edward betrays Aslan to the Witch. According to the curse, the son of Adam must die on the stone table: Aslan makes a deal to die in Edward’s place. Watch Christ die. VIDEO: Aslan’s Death ROMANS 6:1-3: What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? SLIDE: Offering Our Bodies To Christ Is The Most Strategic Thing We Christians Can Do. Lord, surely you don’t want my body! Look at your body. How many of you look at your body and really like what you see? Has old nature, source of temptation, weak and wobbly, has B.O. I have trouble with my body – Don’t you want my soul, my spirit – I worship you great in my spirit.” No, God wants our body. God needs bodies through which He expresses Himself – Christ came to Earth, “A body thou hast prepared for me.” He lives in bodies, not in sanctuaries. “A Living Sacrifice”. BLACKBOARD: We believers can live on of three different levels: The sensual (soma) simply means that we are ruled by the senses. 5 senses: smell, taste, touch, sight, hearing “I’d like to go on a lightning trip to help build that orphanage in Mexico next weekend, but it is so hot.” “I see that homeless person in the grocery store. She obviously has some money to spend, it looks like she needs some help. I really want to help, but she looks so dirty. That kind of freaks me out.” Soulish (psyche) dominated by intellect, will and emotions Mind: Intellect: A person may give himself over to the intellectual pursuits of Christianity. Studies his Bible, becomes a walking encyclopedia. People admire and respect his grasp of truth—but it is all intellectual. It is not spiritual. Emotions: Weeps at Lord’s Supper as thinks Calvary. Gets all excited in worship and shouts his hallelujahs! So deeply moved at the thought of orphans in Korea that he will empty his billfold into the offering plate when the appeal is made. He is not necessarily spiritual. Any nonXn can do that. Will: Prays for God to help him overcome smoking. He immediately throws his cigarettes into the fire and never smokes again. This may not be a spiritual victory, it may simply be the manifestation of an iron will. It is possible to appear to be spiritual when in fact all of our behaviors are directly empowered by our mind, will and/or emotions. This is a very subtle trap. SLIDE: The spiritual life means that God the essence of the body is offered to Christ as a sacrifice. When the Holy Spirit has complete control over the body—the 5 senses and the intellect, will and emotions—then we are able to fully express the beauties of the Lord Jesus in every way. Where do I get the power to do this? SLIDE: Bodies Presented In Sacrifice To Jesus Will Be Living, Holy And Acceptable. The OT sacrifices were dead. We are living sacrifices. The life comes from our resurrection with Christ. ROMANS 6:3-4: Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. SLIDE: Set up Aslan’s resurrection and the breaking of the stone table. VIDEO: ASLAN’S RESURRECTION. This is the picture symbol of Baptism. BLACKBOARD: Explain the death, burial and resurrection picture of Baptism as it relates to our new life. Because of the resurrected power of Christ, we have the power to fulfill verse 2. SLIDE: Romans 12:2: Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. SLIDE: Transformation occurs by refusing to be conformed and by constantly renewing the human mind. Transformed is μεταμορφοομαι– changed into a new creature. This term occurs only three other places in the Bible. It is used to describe the transfiguration of Christ (Mark 17:2 and Mark 9:2). It is used to describe the glorious change in the face of a believer when he or she gazes steadfastly into the face of Jesus (2 Corinthians 3:18). The Holy Spirit wants to etch the likeness of the Lord Jesus into our characters so that it might be reflected to some degree into our faces. SLIDE: Transformation occurs by refusing to be conformed to a society that does not know Christ. The world is society with God left out. The world has its fads and fashions and dress and diets are not the issue. The issue is the far more serious areas of life like morals, standards, ethics and religious beliefs. Marriage values in our society: No commitment. Marriage has a low value in our culture. Divorce rate highest in world. One man and one woman for one lifetime. Lost foundation of family. Insecurity for children. If we are not careful we can begin to conform to the world’s morals and values. Conformed is putting on a costume that is not who we really are within. Wilbur the Wildcat is a wildcat but he isn’t a wildcat. He is a student dressed up like a wildcat. He had this funny thing on his face and that nose that stuck out, a long tail. He was dancing all around the field. He was being conformed to the image of a wildcat. He wasn’t a wildcat. When we wrap around ourselves the things that characterize the world system, we’re conforming. Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold. SLIDE: Transformed by constantly renewing your mind. Renew your mind so that you see life the way God sees it. This is a continuing choice. Some people I know are so better off financially than I am. House, Car, Clothes, pool; This is just not fair. I will renew my mind and choose to let go of my jealousy. When somebody hurts or betrays me, I cut off the relationship or scheme until I find just the right setting to get even. How can I live like this anymore? I will forgive them and pray for them. No longer will I repay evil for evil. Mostly I just trade out. When people do nice things for me, I do nice things for them. Maybe it is time that I did some things for people who could never ever repay me in any possible way. Before I was a Christian, life was all about me. I was the most important person I knew. I will renew my mind by rethinking that. God is first, others are second, I am third. I do not know how God wants to use me in His Body. It really doesn’t matter much anyway. I am rethinking my role as a Christian. I intend to discover my spiritual gift and use it. People think I love them. But I only use them for what I can get out of them. Oh, God, please forgive me. I am so angry with God. My life has not turned out the way I wanted—marriage is sour, children in pain, job is a dead-end street—health problems so unfair. God has a plan for my life. He wants to partner with me—and pick up the pieces and start over. SLIDE: “In Simple Terms How Can I Let This Happen In My Life?” Practice! Practice! Practice! Obey the command: offer your bodies as living sacrifices. Captain was sharing that one of the biggest problems in training United States soldiers was to get them conditioned well enough so that they would shoot an enemy without thinking about it. “I’ve seen more than one American soldier killed in the field because when he met the enemy he had to decide all over again whether or not to shoot while the enemy soldier had already made that decision long ago. While the American was deciding, he was shot.” You know why so many of us keep falling into sin – because every time we face a temptation we have to decide all over again whether or not to do it. We ought to say once and for all, “I decide that my body belongs to the Lord and it will glorify God.” Some folks have to decide all over again every Saturday night whether or not they are going to church. If one of your children comes to you and says, “Dad, are we going to church?” Then you’ve failed somewhere. That is a decision that ought to be made once and for all. “Every Sunday for the rest of our lives, we’re going to be in church.” What temptations do you face? Have you made a once for all decision that they no longer are a part of your life? Or, are you still trying to decide? Selfishness, Jealousy, Lust, pornography, bitterness, materialism, laziness, greed, anger, abusive speech, physical or sexual abuse, foul mouth, smoking, drug abuse? Offer it once and for all to Jesus, never to be taken back, signing the death certificate to the Lord Jesus Christ. “Lord Jesus, my body is yours. I give it to you once and for all – even the right to take it back.” I have decided that it is not usually that easy. Paul knew that. That is why these two commands are in present tense – Keep on doing them daily. Keep on stop being conformed. Keep on being transformed by renewing your mind. Complications: best doctors are those who have performed the operation the most. Spiritual journey pacing SLIDE: Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is-his good, pleasing and perfect will. God’s will is good. God’s will is pleasing. God’s will is perfect (Teleios). Do what we were created to do. SLIDE: Lion, Witch and Wardrobe ends with a coronation: biblically based, those who move on to glorification—overcomers—will receive a new name: sit on the throne. VIDEO: ASLAN’S THRONE So, I am holding the check….. “No, of course I am not going to keep it. How could I take anything from the man who saved my life?” SLIDE: In light of His mercy, how could I not offer my body as a living sacrifice to Jesus Christ.

IS THERE EVER A TIME WHEN ITS APPROPRIATE TO JUDGE OR CONDEMN SOMEONE? “Judge not, that you be not judged. 2 For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. 3 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? 4 Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye. 6 “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” BACKGROUND Judging has both positive and negative connotations. Especially in the New Testament. On one hand we are instructed not to judge others. But on the other hand we must judge between right and wrong. “Approve what is excellent” ( Philippians 1:10 ). “The spiritual person judges all things” ( I Corinthians 2:15 ). These things would seem to be contradictory to today’s passage, but everything must be taken in context.  Judging is not wrong. Judging wrongly is wrong.  Judgment is necessary if a person is to come into a right relationship with God. We recognize that sin is wrong and when we repent of it we are coming into judgment of ourselves, recognizing that we are condemned without Christ. This is a right kind of judgment—judging to save. “The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy” ( James 4:11-12 ). Notice, only one can judge others and that’s not us. We may warn of judgment, but all judgment is in the hands of God. Only Jesus can judge to condemn or even to save. In  I Corinthians 5:12  Paul told us that we are only to judge those in the church, not outside the church. This is not a judgment of condemnation, but a way of encouraging holiness in the body of Christ. There’s a little known passage that warns us about condemning others in  I Corinthians 4:5 . It says,  “Do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart.” God is not eager to judge. In  II Peter 3 :9 Peter says God wants all to come to repentance. So God holds back judgment for mercy’s sake, that more might be saved. Beginning with our passage in Matthew chapter 7 Jesus begins focusing on relationships in the kingdom and he starts with judging. LET'S EXAMINE JUDGMENT AND CONDEMNATION EXAMINATION (V.1) “Judge not, that you be not judged.” The Greek word for judge in this passage is  krino , which means to judge, condemn, and discern. Here the emphasis decided by the context is to condemn.  In the Old Testament judging also had the connotation of ruling over someone. To judge someone was to exercise authority over them. So, to judge someone  assumes  that you have authority to condemn. Do you have authority to condemn? Paul asked, “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother?” ( Romans 14:10 ). Notice the connection between judging to condemn and despising someone.  “Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer” (Roman’s 14:13). Jesus said, “I did not come to judge the world but to save the world” ( John 12:47 ). (V.2) “For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you.” This is a warning about the attitude we take toward others. The attitude by which we judge others will be applied to us. Do we evaluate others with mercy and love, or do we look down upon others who sin differently than we do?  (V.3) “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?” What makes this passage so interesting is that Jesus, before launching his ministry, was familiar with carpentry. He knew the problem of getting sawdust in the eyes. So, the speck is a real issue. We’ve all experienced getting something in our eye. What happens? Everything stops until we get rid of the speck. But in a spiritual sense we just keep going, we keep sinning. We need someone to remove the speck. Jesus removes the speck for us through the cross—a log. Notice the size difference between a speck and a log. We may judge someone for a small fault while we have a large fault to deal with.  (V.4) “Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye?” One cannot see clearly with a log in the eye. But once it is out you can see clearly. This is true of our sin. When we see things through a sin problem we do not see others rightly.  When King David was confronted by Nathan the prophet in  II Samuel 12  about his adultery with Bathsheba and murder of Uriah he was told the story of a man who slaughtered his neighbor’s cherished lamb. David responded by ordering that man to pay back fourfold and then be put to death. This was not a just punishment. It was not a capital offense. But David was judging through his own unrepentant sin of adultery and murder. So too, if we have unrepentant sin (a log), we will wrongly judge other’s condition (the speck).  DAVID WAS A HYPOCRITE. WHAT IS A HYPOCRITE? WHAT DOES A HYPOCRITE DO? (V.5) “You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.” This is like the oxygen masks on a passenger plane. The stewardess tells us to fasten on our mask before helping others. If not, you could pass out from lack of oxygen and the person you might help would also be in the same danger.  Do not judge others without first judging yourself.  “Now if we judged ourselves properly, we would not come under judgment” ( I Corinthians 11:31 ).  We must see ourselves for what we really are, sinners. When we properly judge ourselves there is no more need for further judgment.  Some think this passage means that we are to leave others to their own devices and move on. But that is not what Jesus is saying. He is saying first we remove our problem before we attend to the problem of someone else. In other words, we must attend to their problem, we must help them. But we can’t do that if we’re suffering from the same thing or something greater. Jesus wants us to help the other person as he helped us. WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN JUDGING AND DISCERNING? (V.6) “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you.” It would seem that this verse is not really connected to what Jesus is teaching about judging. But nor does it fit what is to come. In reality, the relation to judging is nuanced. There’s a difference between judgment and discernment. Right after saying not to judge Jesus calls some people dogs and pigs. That doesn’t sound very nonjudgmental, does it? But what Jesus is doing is painting a picture between judging and discerning. We have to know who we are preaching to. How will they handle the pearls of the gospel? Though we don’t want to judge someone wrongly, nor do we want to give out the pearls of the gospel to someone who will criticize the gospel or attack us in return. Everyone needs to hear the gospel, but the gospel must also be shared strategically. Calling people dogs and pigs doesn’t seem very loving. But Jesus often referred to some people in this way. Jesus called “Herod Antipas ‘that fox’ and hypocritical scribes and Pharisees ‘whitewashed tombs’ and a ‘brood of vipers’.” (1) He reveals their true character with his comparisons.  Dogs in this passage refers to unclean wild dogs that would scavenge around garbage dumps. Pigs were also unclean and could be known to attack. Jesus uses these to refer to people who strongly oppose the gospel, maybe even violently. There were people who Paul would not share the gospel with. In at least one incident he shook off the dust from his feet while leaving town. He also told some Jews that they rejected the gospel so he was going to the gentiles.  Jesus also did this. When confronted by Herod he refused to speak to him ( Luke 23:9 ). INTERPRETATION What is Jesus’ big idea?  Do not judge to condemn, judge to save. Remember, the story of the woman caught in adultery in  John 8 . The religious leaders brought her before Jesus with an attitude of judging to condemn. They were ready at the moment to stone her. But Jesus pronounced her forgiven—he judged to save. Notice Paul’s attitude regarding passing judgment by a church. It’s subtle, but this is also an example of judging to save.  “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 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” ( I Corinthians 5:1-5 ).  Notice the proper attitude, to mourn over someone’s sin. Then Paul says he’s already judged the brother who is unrepentant. In the Law such a person was to be put to death. So, Paul is simply following the law. But the purpose is not to condemn, but to save the erring brother. APPLICATION We must: Let our judgments begin with ourselves  ( Romans 2:1 , “You have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things.”) Not judge by appearances  ( John 7:24 , “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.”   John 8:15 , “You judge according to the flesh; I judge no one.”) Respect the liberty of our brother’s conscience  ( Romans 14:4 , “Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own masterthat he stands or falls.”) Not seek to usurp the office of the final Judge  ( Romans 14:10 , “Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God.”) Beware of the censorious (critical) spirit  ( James 4:11 , “Do not speak evil against one another, brothers.The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law.”) (2) Ultimately, if we are to judge our attitude should be to judge to save. (1) Stott, John R. W., and John R. W. Stott. 1985.  The Message of the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5-7 ): Christian Counter-Culture. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press. (2) Hastings, James, John A. Selbie, John C. Lambert, and Shailer Mathews. 1909. In  Dictionary of the Bible , 507. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons. www.guywithabible.com.

Matthew 7:24-29 WHAT ARE SOME OF THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN A WISE MAN AND A FOOLISH MAN? “‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.’ And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” BACKGROUND Jesus comes to the end of his sermon and caps it off with a teaching about obedience. It is the logical outflow of everything he’s said previously. He’s been instructing us on how to live and what to believe about himself. His words are not just nice platitudes to forget and move on. His words require obedience. Just as to obey the law meant belief in the law, so too, to obey the teachings of Jesus means to believe in Jesus.  Obedience is not grounds for justification before God. Salvation is by grace through faith. But obedience is a sign that we have come into relationship with Christ.  Love for Christ is measured by our obedience.  “If you love me, you will keep my commandments…Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him…If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.Whoever does not love me does not keep my words” ( John 14:15 , 21 , 23 , 24 ). In the Old Testament, obedience was a part of the covenant. There were blessings for obedience and curses for disobedience. In  Exodus 19:5  the Lord says,  “Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples.”  The blessing here is to belong to God. Notice the word God uses, “treasured.” In Christ you are God’s treasure. What is treasure? It is something we consider of highest value, so much so that we protect it above other things. You are God’s treasure, more valuable to him than all of his creation. On the flip side, do you treasure the Lord above all things? Jesus modeled obedience. Paul says in  Philippians 2:8 , “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”  This was the ultimate obedience, to lose everything, even your life. This is the obedience that God calls us to.  “Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered” ( Hebrews 5:8 ). IF JESUS WAS DEITY, THEN WHY DID HE HAVE TO LEARN OBEDIENCE THROUGH SUFFERING? This does not infer that Jesus went from disobedience to obedience. Rather, Jesus went from one expression of obedience to higher expressions of obedience. He grew to greater obedience until he arrived at the ultimate obedience, sacrificing his life for us under God’s plan for our salvation. This is our model. We should give God our full obedience even when it causes us suffering, just as Jesus did.  Have you noticed that nowhere in scripture does God ask us to do something or even say please. He does not ask, he commands. We do not do God favors. We hear and obey. In fact, hearing and obeying are tied together in scripture. There was no separate Hebrew word for obey in the Old Testament. Rather, the word used for obey literally means, “to hear.” In other words, to act on what is heard. Adams Brown notes that “Disobedience is the supreme evil. By Adam’s act of disobedience sin entered the world ( Romans 5:19 ). Israel’s troubles in the days of the old covenant were due to the same cause. Still worse is the case of those who disobey under the new covenant ( Hebrews 2:2 ). Such shall receive dreadful punishment.” (1) EXAMINATION (V.24) “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Jesus brings his Sermon on the Mount to a close. “Everyone then,” means everything they’ve heard him teach up until now. He refers them not to the law, but to what he has been saying. Those who build their lives on Christ are wise builders who build on a solid rock of truth.  Notice first the emphasis on hearing the word. Hearing is tied to obedience. When one hears the word our response should be to obey the word. Obedience is wise and results in building something good on a firm foundation.  (V.25) “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.” Have you ever experienced a storm in life that tested your foundation? How did your faith hold up? Jesus warns about hard times to come in the form of three things: rain, floods, and wind.  Severe storms happen in Israel, but it does not have hurricanes or large tornadoes. Smaller phenomenon like whirlwinds can take place. Modern Arab nomads, superstitious, regard whirlwinds as homes to demons.  Violent storms can tumble poorly constructed houses and destroy crops. But well built homes can weather them.  Jesus is using an interesting expression here. He talks about a house being built on a rock. Not a small rock, but something large. This is akin to a large concrete foundation.  Rocks, in the Bible, are associated with God, or with Christ.   HOW IS CHRIST LIKE A ROCK? In referring to the exodus when Israel needed water, God gave them water from a rock. Paul refers to this in  I Corinthians 10:4 , “They drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ.” In  Psalm 18:2  it says, “The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” The point of this is to say that if we build our lives on Christ, we have a firm foundation that can stand the test of time. And God is using us to build a spiritual house.  I Peter 2:4-5  says,  “You come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house.” It is also interesting that a rock, or stone, is used in  Daniel 2:34-35  to represent God’s kingdom. Remember Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of a large statue made of gold, silver, bronze, iron, and clay. It says,  “A stone was cut out by no human hand, and it struck the image on its feet of iron and clay, and broke them in pieces. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver, and the gold, all together were broken in pieces…the stone that struck the image became a great mountain and filled the whole earth.” When we build a house on the rock of Christ we are building on principles of God’s kingdom. (V.26) “And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.” What are some ways people today might build their lives on sand instead of the rock? Notice the contrast between the builders. Both are building homes. But only the wise man builds on a foundation of Christ. The contrast is that one obeys Christ’s word, and the other does not.  Theologian John Stott says, “The question is not whether we say nice, polite, orthodox, enthusiastic things to or about Jesus; nor whether we hear his words, listening, studying, pondering and memorizing until our minds are stuffed with his teaching; but whether we do what we say and do what we know.” (2) (V.27) “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” The three warning signs are repeated again, rain, floods, wind.  Jesus has been giving a series of contrasts through his message. Treasures in heaven, treasures on earth. Be anxious, don’t be anxious. The two roads. Good fruit vs bad fruit. The wise man who builds on the rock, the foolish man who builds on the sand. We all have the ultimate choice to make, to believe in Jesus or not to believe in Jesus. To obey him or to disobey him. The choice we make determines our ultimate destiny, the ultimate contrast, heaven or hell.  (V.28-29) “And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS SPOKE WITH AUTHORITY? In general there were five groups of people who held spiritual authority in Israel, the Priests, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Rabbis, and the Scribes. Matthew makes reference to the scribes. The order of the scribes was organized by Ezra. One of their functions was to copy the Old Testament scriptures. They were so exact in their work that they acquired a great deal of knowledge as a result of it. Thus, they were often called upon to read or speak in the synagogue.  Matthew, in making mention of the scribes is not berating them. Rather, he acknowledges their place in society and their impact on Israel’s religious life. But then he elevates Jesus to a greater height. The scribes copied and commented on the law. But Jesus is the author of the law. The scribes’ authority was derived. Jesus’ authority was original.  When the scribes or other Jewish leaders taught, they always made reference to the Old Testament scriptures as their authority. But Jesus taught differently. When he made reference to the scriptures he corrected the mistakes people made about them. But more importantly, he taught his own principles as if he had authority to give his own commands. And he did! Here we see the reason for obedience: Jesus’ authority. To obey is to submit to a superior authority. Jesus is that superior authority. He is superior for three reasons: He is sinless. He has superior moral authority. He is the messiah. He holds all political authority. He is deity. He holds authority as the Creator.  Because of these things, Jesus has a right to command. He has the right to bless or the right to curse. Thus, Jesus concludes his sermon with a challenge. Be wise or be foolish. Obey him or disobey him.  INTERPRETATION What is Jesus’ big idea in this passage?  A life built on Christ will stand the test of time.  No matter what comes our way, the rain, floods, and wind, a sure foundation of Christ will see us through. But a life without Christ, in the end, in eternity, only leads to ruin.  Consider what Paul said about what kind of life we build. In  I Corinthians 3:10-15  Paul said, “ According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilledmaster builder I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw—each one’s work will become manifest, for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed by fire, and the fire will test what sort of work each one has done. If the work that anyone has built on the foundation survives, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss, though he himself will be saved, but only as through fire.” What kind of life are you building? Everything the Jews understood about the Mosaic Law up until this time was based on rote observance and practice. Then Jesus came along and taught obedience to God from the heart. And he did it with his own authority that he received from the Father. Thus, Jesus had the authority to challenge his hearers based on his word at that time, not just in what was previously written.  In actuality, Jesus is the one who gave the law to Moses ( Jude 1:5 ). He was the god of the Old Testament. So, it was only natural for Jesus to speak to the crowds using his own authority.  APPLICATION How can we encourage one another to be doers of the Word and not just hearers? Can you think of someone in the Bible that literally went through the kind of storm Jesus is talking about? How about Job? God was his rock. He was totally committed to the Lord and practicing spiritual things. But in a matter of days all his possessions were robbed, all his children were killed, his wealth erased, and his health decimated. Even his wife turned against him. Yet, what was Job’s response? “Though he slay me, I will hope in him” ( Job 13:15 ). Though Job questioned God about his treatment, he never accused God of wrongdoing. He maintained his faith and God rewarded him in the end.  Here are six points of application. 1.  Build Your Life on Christ’s Teachings . The wise builder represents those who not only hear Jesus’ words but also put them into practice. We must anchor our lives in Christ’s teachings to withstand life’s challenges. 2.  Obedience Brings Stability . Just as a house built on rock stands firm in storms, a life rooted in obedience to Jesus will endure trials. Trusting and applying God’s Word provides spiritual security. 3.  Ignoring God’s Word Leads to Destruction . The foolish builder hears but does not act. This warns against superficial faith that lacks real transformation. Merely listening to sermons or reading Scripture without obedience leads to instability and spiritual downfall. 4.  Trials Reveal Our Foundation . Storms in life, challenges, hardships, and temptations test our spiritual foundation. A life built on Christ remains steadfast, while a life built on worldly values collapses under pressure. 5.  Jesus’ Authority Demands a Response . The passage ends by noting that Jesus taught with authority. We must recognize His divine authority and respond with obedience, not just admiration. 6.  True Discipleship Requires Action . Following Jesus isn’t just about knowledge but about living out His commands daily. Faith without works is ineffective ( James 2:26 ). —– Brown, W. Adams. 1911–1912.  “OBEDIENCE, OBEY.”  In  A Dictionary of the Bible: Dealing with Its Language, Literature, and Contents Including the Biblical Theology , edited by James Hastings, John A. Selbie, A. B. Davidson, S. R. Driver, and H. B. Swete, 3:581–82. New York; Edinburgh: Charles Scribner’s Sons; T. & T. Clark Stott, John R. W., and John R. W. Stott. 1985.  The Message of the Sermon on the Mount ( Matthew 5-7 ): Christian Counter-Culture. The Bible Speaks Today. Leicester; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN BROKEN-HEARTED? WHAT WAS IT LIKE? Revelation 2:1-7 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.  2  I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance, and how you cannot bear with those who are evil, but have tested those who call themselves apostles and are not, and found them to be false.  3  I know you are enduring patiently and bearing up for my name’s sake, and you have not grown weary.  4  But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.  5  Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.  6  Yet this you have: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.  7  He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.’” WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION? DO YOU UNDERSTAND IT OR STRUGGLE WITH IT? BACKGROUND The last book of the Bible, Revelation is the capstone of all that came before it. History records that it was written by the apostle John during his exile on the island of Patmos in or around 95 AD. John was the oldest surviving apostle. The Roman authorities attempted to kill John by boiling him alive in oil. He emerged unscathed, so they exiled him instead. He was also the only apostle not murdered for his faith.  Revelation was written to seven churches in Asia Minor, now part of western Turkey. We sometimes think of the letters to the churches as separate from the rest of the book, but that would be an error. There are different views on why these short letters to the churches were written and what they represent. Some believe that the seven churches represent seven church ages, while others hold to a representation of types of churches that exist. Certainly, we can see different types of churches that would match their various descriptions: the loveless church, the faithful church, the compromising church, the dead church, and so on. No matter what these churches represent literarily, we can see ourselves in Jesus’ warnings to these churches. Our study today will focus on the first church, Ephesus. Ephesus was a strategic city of the Roman Empire. It was a city of trade and influence. As the city grew, it wrapped itself around a mountain and faced a port where ships would carry cargo and passengers along the trade routes. The landscape has changed in the last 2,000 years, and it is no longer located near a body of water.  Over time, Ephesus lost its importance in the empire and was deserted. This is foreshadowed by Jesus’ words to this church when he said in verse five, “I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” The lampstand symbolizes the prestige or importance of the city. Jesus was telling the church that they would also lose their place of prominence if they did not repent. The center of this passage to the Ephesian church is Jesus’ statement, “You have abandoned the love you had at first.” Love is a critical component of our faith. So, let’s look at the emphasis God places on love.  WHY IS LOVE SO IMPORTANT FOR THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH? Two of the greatest apostles were intimately involved with Ephesus, Paul and John. It is no coincidence that these two men wrote extensively about the love of God and of God’s people. Paul told the Ephesians that it was God’s love that brought them salvation, and John’s writings are filled with descriptions of love.  Paul planted the Ephesian church, and John shepherded it until his death in the late 90s. I visited Ephesus in 1997 and, while seeing the sights, was told that John is believed to be buried there, as is Mary, the mother of Jesus, who reportedly lived in a house on a nearby mountain. She did not attend church meetings, it is reported, because, as the mother of Jesus, she might have distracted the believers from their dedication to Christ alone. Some tradition holds that Mary died when she was around 50 or 60 years of age. John is famous for his saying in  I John 4:16 , “God is love.” John also recorded Jesus saying in  John 13:35 , “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” God’s love and our love for one another is central to our faith.  Let’s dig into this letter to the Ephesian church. EXAMINATION (V.1) “To the angel of the church in Ephesus write: ‘The words of him who holds the seven stars in his right hand, who walks among the seven golden lampstands.’” In chapter one, Jesus already revealed the symbolism of the seven stars and lampstands. The stars are the pastors of the churches and the lampstands are the churches. The word for angel in this usage means messenger, not literally a heavenly being.  Notice the relationship Jesus has with these churches. Their leadership is in his hands, and he walks among them. This indicates closeness. They are in his hands. He holds onto them. This harkens back to  John 10:28  when Jesus said, “I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” It is because he loves them that he rebukes and encourages them.  Revelation 3:19  says, “Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline.”  First, Jesus begins with words of approval before he issues a rebuke. (V.2) “I know your  works , your  toil  and your patient  endurance , and how you cannot  bear  with those who are evil, but have  tested  those who call themselves apostles and are not, and  found  them to be false.” WHY ARE WORKS IMPORTANT IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? Notice the emphasis Jesus is putting on works:  works, toil, endurance, bear, tested, found.  These are all good works. He is not rebuking them for their works or discouraging them from their works. Their works are a good thing. He continues. (V.3) “I know you are  enduring  patiently and  bearing  up for my name’s sake, and you have  not grown weary .” The same emphasis again:  enduring, bearing, not grown weary.  This language points to something that the Ephesians were struggling with, some difficulty or spiritual hardship they were enduring. He identified it as false apostles. This is significant.  In the early church, false teachers and false apostles were a major headache for believers because access to scripture was still limited at that time. They needed a way to discern truth from error. Thankfully, this church had Paul’s teaching, who warned them years earlier in  Acts 20:29-30 , “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”  Notice, he says, they have not grown weary. They are committed. Truth and integrity matter to the Ephesians. He is praising them for their resolve. But, there was a problem. (V.4) “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” Ephesus abandoned their first love. Not forgotten, not weakened, not crushed or stolen, but abandoned. That’s strong language. Abandoned. To abandon something is to leave it totally behind, to take no thought of it. They had abandoned their first love. WHAT SHOULD WE ABANDON IN THE CHRISTIAN LIFE? We abandon sin, selfishness, pride, and the works of the flesh. The apostle Paul put it this way in  Colossians 3:8-9 : “You must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices.” But we must never abandon love. Paul also said in  I Corinthians 13:2 , “[If I] have not love, I am nothing.”  Paul was Ephesus’ apostle. In his letter to that church 35 years earlier, he told them that their salvation was not a result of “works” ( Ephesians 2:9 ). In verse four, he revealed God saved them because of his great love. It is that love that he wanted them to get back to. Sometimes, Christians say things like, “I have to love the sinner, but I don’t have to like him.” This is wrong. It’s an excuse that we make to convince ourselves we are loving when, in fact, we are not. Christians also like to say, “Love is a verb.” We say this to excuse not having feelings of love. This is also wrong.  The Ephesians had all the right works. But their emotions didn’t match their works. Jesus wants both the right works and a passion for him. There’s no such thing as compassion without passion.  (V.5) “Remember therefore from where you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” Notice the threat of punishment. He does not say they would lose their salvation. He doesn’t threaten them with destruction. He threatens a loss of influence for God’s kingdom. Consider what kind of church this was.  The Ephesian church was founded by Paul, some say the greatest apostle. Not only that but it was also shepherded by John, the disciple whom Jesus loved. The status of the city also made it a place where the gospel could go out from. In the culture of the day status was extremely important, and they were about to lose it. Jesus’ solution for them was to go back to their first works. The first works are works of love.  WHAT ARE WORKS OF LOVE? DO YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU FIRST CAME TO CHRIST? HOW DID YOUR LIFE CHANGE? WHAT KIND OF COMMITMENT DID YOU HAVE? Notice in this passage that Jesus is focused on works related to theology and status. They are discerning who is true and who is false. But he makes no mention of practical works of love—helping the needy, having mercy on victims or the guilty, things that express kindness and gentleness and hope for others. The things that are expressed from love. In other words, love for others. These are the works of love. (V.6) “Yet this you have: you  hate  the  works  of the  Nicolaitans , which I also hate.” Jesus goes back to encouraging them. He identifies something that they share together: his hatred of the works of the Nicolaitans. Who were the Nicolaitans?  The Nicolaitans were a heretical group that encouraged eating meat sacrificed to idols and involvement in sexual immorality. The eating of the meat was not the issue. It was the sacrifice to demons that caught Jesus’ anger. Paul also warned about this in  I Corinthians 10:21 , “You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.”  By mentioning both the sacrifices and sexual immorality together, Jesus is referring to temple worship with sacrifice to idols that included cultic prostitution in the temple. The Nicolaitans, therefore, were antinomian, without biblical law. They expressed their supposed spiritual freedom with hedonism.  Jesus does not approve of syncretism. We cannot mix our religions. Jesus wants exclusive devotion. You cannot be a Christian and mix other religious practices with faith in Jesus. It’s either Jesus or nothing.  (V.7) “He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who  conquers  I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God.” The word for  conquer  in this passage is usually translated as  overcome  in most other translations. Remember how Jesus used this word in  John 16:33 : “I have overcome the world.” He overcame the world through his love and resurrection.  If you do not conquer through your works, then how do you conquer? Through love. Love for Christ is supreme over all. Notice the great reward Jesus offers. To eat from the Tree of Life in paradise. We learn later in Revelation that this is in the new heaven and earth. It is a restoration of Eden, where we will dwell forever. Clearly, Jesus loves this church to offer them such an eternally valuable reward. And he offers the same reward to us. INTERPRETATION What is Jesus’ big idea for this passage?  Stay true. Love Christ. Love one another. Love others. At the beginning of our study, I asked the question, “Have you ever been broken-hearted?” Imagine how much lost love or unfaithfulness hurts. It is debilitating. It is emotional torment.  Imagine how God feels about our syncretism or failure to make him first in our lives. Think of what Jesus did to express his love for us. Tortured, beaten, humiliated, crucified. When we falter, he has every right to express his heartache and anger. Just as he gave everything for us, he requires the same, that we surrender everything for him in return. Is Jesus Christ your whole life? APPLICATION Do Not Lose Your First Love:  Passion and love for Jesus should be the foundation of our faith. If our relationship with Him becomes routine or mechanical, we must intentionally rekindle our devotion through prayer, worship, and obedience. Do Not Lose Your Love for Others:  Our measure of God changing our lives can be found in the love we show for others, especially the unbeliever. If the unbeliever cannot see God’s love through our attitude and actions, then we need repentance and restoration. Remember, people want to know how much you care more than caring about how much you know.  Repent and Return to Your Spiritual Roots:  When we recognize spiritual decline, Jesus calls us to remember from where we have fallen, repent, and return to the devotion and works we once had. Revival begins with acknowledging our need for change and taking steps to restore intimacy with Christ. Endurance Leads to Eternal Reward:  Those who remain faithful and overcome spiritual complacency will be rewarded with eternal life. Jesus’ promise of eating from the Tree of Life serves as a reminder that steadfast faith leads to the ultimate blessing of eternal fellowship with God. www.guywithabible.com.

Like many Christians, from time to time, I struggle with God’s will for my life. There are times when the Lord is giving me a clear opportunity to share my faith or serve others in some way, and I simply don’t do what God is clearly leading me to do. Sometimes I find myself resisting God’s will because the idea didn’t come from me. Someone else may have come up with the idea to do something, but I don’t heed it because it didn’t originate with me. That’s the sin of pride, thinking too highly of myself and my ideas. Do you struggle with these kinds of things? On the chart below are examples of both godly and ungodly men in the Bible who resisted God’s will in some fashion and how God dealt with them. This chart will help you make quick work of the examples of resistance in scripture and how God deals with the resistant. Notice that some repented, some repented partially, and some did not repent at all. But is partial repentance even repentance at all? When we resist God’s will, we are acting in a state of rebellion. Rebellion, as the prophet Samuel said, is as the sin of witchcraft. God’s desire is for us to obey him at every turn so that he may use us to build his kingdom and glorify his name so that others will come to know him as we have. If you struggle as I do with resistance, this chart may help you consider how God deals with us and leads us to repentance and blessing. I hope you find it helpful. Biblical Examples of People Who Resisted God’s Will Person / Group General Standing Before God Resistance Heart Issue Behind Resistance God’s Response Outcome Repentance? Pharaoh   Exodus 5–1 Ungodly Refused to let Israel go despite plagues Pride, stubborn, defiance Sent escalating plagues, hardened heart after Pharaoh hardened it himself Destroyed in the Red Sea No Balaam   Numbers 22 ;  31:16 Ungodly Tried to curse Israel for money Greed, divided loyalty Angel opposed him, donkey spoke Forced to bless Israel, later judged No King Saul   1 Sam. 15 Ungodly in practice Selective obedience with Amalek Fear of people, pride Loss of kingdom announced Continued decline No Rich Young Ruler   Mark 10:17–22 Morally upright but unsaved Refused to give up wealth Attachment to possessions Jesus let him walk away Lost opportunity for discipleship No record Jonah   Jonah 1–4 Prophet of God Fled from call to Nineveh Prejudice, resentment Storm, fish, deliverance Preached but resented mercy Partial Moses   Exod. 3–4 Godly Offered excuses at burning bush Fear, self-doubt Patient answers, Aaron as helper Led Israel from Egypt Yes Peter   Matt. 16:21–23   Luke 22:54–62 Godly Resisted idea of Jesus’ death, later denied Him Fear of suffering, misunderstanding God’s plan Strong rebuke, later restoration Bold early church leader Yes Repentant Thief   Luke 23:40–43 Formerly ungodly Life of sin; initially mocked with other thief Ignorance, rebellion  →  Humility, faith Jesus accepted his plea Promised paradise Yes Unrepentant Thief   Luke 23:39 Ungodly Mocked Jesus on cross Bitterness, unbelief No direct reply Died in rebellion No King David   2 Sam. 24 Godly Ordered census out of pride Pride, misplaced trust in numbers Prophet Gad’s warning, plague Built altar, nation spared Yes King Hezekiah   Isa. 39 ;  2 Chr. 32:24–26 Godly Pride after healing, showed treasures to Babylon Pride, shortsightedness Prophetic warning Judgment delayed Yes King Jehoshapha   2 Chr. 18 ;  20:35–37 Godly Alliances with wicked kings Misplaced trust, desire for unity at all costs Prophetic rebukes, ships destroyed Continued reign but repeated mistake Partial King Uzziah   2 Chr. 26:16–21 Godly Entered temple to burn incense Pride, overstepping God-given role Struck with leprosy Isolated until death No record King Asa   2 Chr. 16:1–13 Godly Relied on human alliances, not God Self-reliance, stubborn Prophetic rebuke, disease in feet Died without turning fully to God No record