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Today, we will speak about one of the most overlooked chapters in the book of Genesis – Chapter 16. This is the chapter when Sarah’s Egyptian slave Hagar became pregnant with Abraham’s child; Sarah started to “afflict” her and Hagar decided to flee from her mistress. She fled to the wilderness. At first, she was completely alone, then suddenly somebody was walking and talking with her. Meeting someone in the desert was unusual enough, but the stranger’s very first words proved that this wasn’t an occasional meeting, and the speaker was not a random sojourner. And He said, “Hagar, Sarai’s maid, where have you come from, and where are you going?” <1> When we read the Bible in English translation, the capital letters make it very easy; they show clearly when and where the Lord speaks. There are no capital letters in Hebrew, so we need to recognize and distinguish God’s voice by what He is saying, not by capital letters. Our actual lives are much closer to the Hebrew text: There are no capital letters here; we need to recognize God’s voice or God’s actions without additional hints and tips. Hagar  did  recognize the speaker and therefore she told Him the plain truth:  “I am fleeing from the presence of my mistress Sarai.” <2> Unexpected Response The Angel of the Lord said to her, “return to your mistress and submit yourself under her hand.” <3>  There is some amazing wordplay here that is completely lost in translation. In Hebrew, the verb translated “submit” comes from the same root as the word “afflicted” in verse 6:  Sarai afflicted her.  In English, it is impossible to form both of these words from one root, but in Hebrew, it is the same root, though in different forms: active and passive. This makes the original meaning even stronger, as if the Lord is saying to Hagar: “Return to your mistress and be afflicted.” Please take a moment to think of this response. Imagine yourself in the midst of very trying circumstances and then all of a sudden, you receive an epiphany: You meet the One who can actually do anything, can change everything. Wouldn’t you expect Him to help you to  change  your circumstances? Hagar didn’t ask for this meeting and didn’t seek it; since it did happen, however, couldn’t He at least have helped her a bit? Why does He send her back to the very affliction she is fleeing from? He didn’t promise any good changes; He didn’t say that Sarah would be more merciful and compassionate, or that Hagar’s life would become much easier. He didn’t say any of that. He just said:  “Return to your mistress and  submit  yourself under her hand.” When we study this Hebrew root (‘ anah – ענה  ) in Scripture, the first impression is that the word is always used in a negative sense, designating only bad actions: And when Shechem the son of Hamor . . . saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and  defiled  her. <4> Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to  afflict  them. <5> Ye shall not  afflict  any widow, or fatherless child. <6> And yet, it goes without saying that if the Angel of the Lord used this very word in His command to Hagar, it cannot always be negative. Indeed, we find very different occurrences of the same word referring to God’s deeds: “And you shall remember that the Lord your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness , to humble you and test you,  to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He  humbled  you…   that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the Lord.” <7> From this Scripture we see that if and when God is the One who is causing the affliction, the purpose of His action is “ to humble and test “ .   Thus, it was not about Hagar and Sarah, or what Sarah was doing to Hagar—it was about God and Hagar and what God was doing within Hagar through Sarah. God commanded Hagar to return to her mistress and submit under her hand because He wanted to humble and test her! Thanks to this Hebrew word, we now understand that the Lord Himself is dealing with Hagar’s heart, and it is not under Sarah’s hand that she must submit – it is under the Lord’s hand! You might remember that later on, Hagar had the second epiphany. The Angel of God spoke to her in the wilderness for a second time when she was with Ishmael.  And while we learn much about her when comparing those two scenes, the greatest blessing for me personally comes in seeing how God touched and changed her life in two completely different ways. He knew that the girl in Genesis 16, more than anything else, needed a change of heart. Certainly, she thought her circumstances were very difficult, and they were. Certainly, she thought she was going through terrible hardship, and she was. However, more than anything else she needed to be changed from within, and God knew it! The storms and endless torment of her soul, the love and the hatred, the accusations and the guilt, the bitterness and the pity, all intertwined and twisted, caused her constant pain, so more than anything else she needed peace in her heart! Therefore, when the Angel appeared before Hagar in Genesis 16, God gave her this peace. He changed her heart, but He didn’t change her circumstances. Moreover, He sent her back to her “cruel and unjust” mistress (or so Sarah seemed to her at the time!) and to the very same circumstances, knowing that her transformed heart would allow her to endure peacefully the same affliction that she had run from. He didn’t change her circumstances – but He changed her heart! Back or After? Hagar returns, however, before she turns back she does something absolutely unique, something no-one else in the Bible does—she gives the Lord a name! We do have several examples in Scripture where a place was named according to what God  did  there: So Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering instead of his son.  And Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide. <8> And Moses built an altar and  called its name, The-Lord-Is-My-Banner. <9> Hagar, however, doesn’t just name a place. She does something altogether different from what Abraham or Moses did: She gives the name not only to the place (the place gets the name as well:  Therefore the well was called Beer Lahai Roi),  but to the Lord Himself, and this is absolutely unique in all Scripture: Then she called the name of the Lord who spoke to her, You-Are-the-God-Who-Sees; for she said, “Have I also here seen Him who sees me?” <10> English translations attempt to present as comprehensible the original Hebrew sentence, which is highly enigmatic and incomprehensible. If we translate it literally, Hagar is asking: “Here (or until here) have I also seen the back of the One who sees me?” This strange original expression would literally mean: ‘I saw  after  the one who sees me,’ or ‘I saw  the back  of the one who sees me’. This “after” or “back” part is omitted altogether in most English translations and that is completely understandable, since the exact meaning of this word is not clear. And even though it may seem to you of little significance exactly what Hagar says here in Hebrew – surprisingly, it might shed light on another Biblical story that you would all know quite well! In a very famous scene from Exodus 33, when Moses asks God to show him His glory, God answers: But He said, “You cannot see My face; for no man shall see Me, and live.” And the Lord said, “Here is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock. So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by. Then I will take away My hand, and you shall see  My back ; but My face shall not be seen.” <11> Translated, these texts sound very different, and a reader would not see any connection. But in the Hebrew text we discover that amazingly, God says the same word that Hagar said in Genesis 16!  Yes, the Hebrew here uses the same word that Hagar used. True, when we are reading it in our modern  Tanach , even in Hebrew, the accents (vowels) are inserted and they make two different words from the same Hebrew letters: the same consonants are read as “my back” in Moses’ case and as “after” in the case of Hagar. However, the original text contained no vowels, so I do believe that Hagar is trying to express the same experience that Moses later had! We have to admit that we don’t know what God meant by saying: “You shall see My back.” We have no idea whatsoever what God’s back might be However, if it is the same word that Hagar used, maybe God’s words to Moses also should be understood as: “you shall see  after  me”. And the meaning, in this case, would be much clearer: even though no-one can adequately describe what is happening in a heart during an encounter with God, because God alone knows the deepest secrets and wounds of the heart – yet we all know how everything is changed in one’s heart and life after an encounter with God! In both cases, with Moses and Hagar, things changed dramatically  after  the epiphany – and maybe, that is what God is saying to Moses: “It’s not the Divine Encounter that reveals My glory – because a man doesn’t get to see My glory here on earth – but the consequences of My intervention, the transformation  after  the Encounter, will reveal My glory!”  Much, much more can be said about Hagar, as well as about Abraham and Sarah in this complex story, but due to the limitations of the current format (blog post), I have to omit here many fascinating details and Hebrew insights. If you are interested to learn more, I invite you to read my book “Abraham had two sons”, you can get the book  here. The insights you read on these pages, are typical of what we share with our students during DHB (Discovering the Hebrew Bible) or WTP (Weekly Torah Portion)  classes. If these articles whet your appetite for discovering the hidden treasures of the Hebrew Bible, or studying  in depth Parashat Shavua, along with New Testament insights ,  I would be happy to provide more information (and also a teacher’s discount for new students) regarding eTeacher courses  ( juliab@eteachergroup.com ) . <1> Genesis 16:8 <2>  Ibid. <3> Genesis 16:9 <4> Genesis 34:2 <5> Exodus 1:11 <6> Exodus 22:22 <7> Deuteronomy 8:2 , 3 <8> Genesis 22:14 <9> Exodus 17:15 <10> Genesis 16:13 <11> Exodus 33:20-23

Jesus Christ is the embodiment of Divine wisdom. Through the person of Christ, we live in power, seated in the heavenlies, protected by His armor. To choose truth is to choose Christ.

King Solomon experienced God's revelation in a powerful way. We can also learn insight, discernment, and guidance by studying God's Word.

Drs. Roger Barrier and Steve Dowdle discuss how to identify addictive behaviors, how to do an intervention for a loved one, and how to cope with a family member who is in trouble. Churches can provide support as well.

1 Corinthians 6 - Skip Heitzig Calvary Church is dedicated to doctrine, and we want you to experience the life change that comes from knowing God's word and applying it to your life. So we explain the Bible verse by verse, every chapter, every book. This is Expound. You're my folks. I tell you this so often. I hope you have one of these. Did you bring one of these? It could be that you don't have one or you didn't bring one. I hope you do have one. If you don't, I think it's good to actually get a real Bible that has real pages and real words written on it. You'll never lose it in the cloud. You may lose it-- like, you might leave it somewhere, but somebody will find it and read it. But it's good to have it, because unlike an electronic Bible-- though, they're fine. And if you have one, it's fine. But when you have a Bible that you carry with you, you're able to visually remember where certain things are on certain pages, right. You know what that's like? I know it's on the left hand column right around there, and you have it marked. And it's like studying a map over time. You become very familiar with it, and it's important to know the Bible well enough that you can turn to it when you need to pull out certain truths to remind others of or to remind ourselves of. So if you don't have a Bible, we'd be happy to help out with that in some capacity. We have them in our bookstore next door, a good selection of Bibles. If there's a Bible close to you tonight, you could just maybe take your friends and just see if they're a good Christian and take it from them and see what they do. Or better yet, there's one probably in the seat in front of you. You could borrow that and follow along. We're in the book of 1 Corinthians, and we're in chapter 6. And as we begin, I'm mindful that we are still in a very uncertain period in the world, a world filled with chaos, a world filled with mental distress, people facing all sorts of uncertainty in their own future with their jobs, with their health, et cetera. It's a good time to remember those that we love, those in the church in our prayers as we begin tonight. Father, we come before you and present ourselves before you as living sacrifices. That's how Paul told us to do it. And so Father we give you us. We give you our bodies. We pray that as we live out our sacrifice for you in this world that you would use us for your purpose and your glory. And we pray that you will minister to us tonight giving us answers, helping us to get a grasp of this letter that Paul wrote not only to the Corinthian church but that the Holy Spirit has given to this church. And so Father, it is for us. It is very contemporary, and I pray that we would learn its lessons. Father, we want to pray for those that are loved of us, relatives or friends that are struggling in their health. They may be a part of our own family. They may be a part of our local church community. They may be outside this city and in various states or around the world, but we are remembering them just now before you're throne. And we pray that you will touch, and we pray that you will restore health. We pray that you will strengthen their physical body. We pray that you will speak to them in their very heart of hearts assuring them of your care and your love for them, reminding them of your great promise, promises in your word to keep them and to enact your plan perfectly in their lives. I pray you give them that confidence. And as we begin, not only remember them and pray for them, but we also say we trust you. That you are good and that no matter what we are seeing or feeling around us, you never change. And as we approach your word tonight, I pray that we would have that confidence, and that confidence would be bolstered. We ask in Jesus's name, amen. In chapter 6 of 1 Corinthians, in the first verse it begins with the question. Paul writes to his beloved believers in Corinth saying dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unrighteous and not before the saints. Now I want to give you a little bit of context to what we're reading in case you weren't with us the last few weeks or you haven't been a part of this book. Even if you have, it's good to sort of get a running start into these texts. The book, the letter of 1 Corinthians is addressing various issues, problems that the church of Corinth was facing. It happens to be a favorite book of mine, because it was a church filled with problems. I don't say that because I like problem churches. I just know that every church is indeed a problem church. Every congregation has its own issues, and I am glad that-- and I've said this before many times that the New Testament portrays accurately just how lacking the New Testament church was. So when people say we need to get back to the New Testament church, I'm always wondering which one are you thinking of. Because Corinth was a New Testament church, and it's very contemporary and applicational to us. Chapters 1 and chapters 2, chapter 1 and 2 of 1 Corinthians is about congregational disunity. They were breaking up into various groups. They were playing favorites, one with another or one against another, some saying I'm of the group that loves the teachings of Paul or I'm of the group that loves the teachings of Apollos or I'm of the group that loves Cephas, Peter. And so they were-- there was disunity among this one congregation preferring certain emphases of Bible teachers, one against the other. That's chapter 1 and 2, organizational disunity. Chapters 2 and 3 addresses spiritual immaturity. They thought they were so wise being Corinthians, being of Greek origin. They had the Greek writers as part of their heritage. Paul says that they were immature. They were carnal. They were fleshly. And he talked about the difference between the spiritual man and the fleshly person, and he says that you are carnal. So that's chapters 1, 2, 3, and 4. Chapters 5 and 6-- and we looked at chapter 5 last week, thought we would make it a chapter 6. We didn't, so we will tonight-- is about sexual impurity. So we have organizational disunity, we have spiritual immaturity, and now we have sexual impurity. And it wasn't that they were just struggling with what every human being struggles with as they are living in a world that is very loose in their morality. They were dealing with an issue that they actually prided themselves in their toleration of, and that is a case of incest in the Church of Corinth. Chapter 5, verse 1 addresses this it is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you and such immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles that a man has his father's wife. So there is a man coming to church married to probably his stepmother and the church priding themselves and the fact that they were so filled with grace and love that they would just accept this person, no matter what his proclivity is or propensity might be or personal choice. Oh, he's so brave to make that personal choice and come to church. And Paul said, well, I'm not even there, and I can tell you what you should do. Next time you get together, kick him out. I gave-- he said, I'll give you that ruling from the Lord that you deliver him to Satan for the destruction of the flesh that his Spirit might be saved in the day of the Lord Jesus. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. He's telling them to use some sanctified authority. Now with that in mind, we get into chapter 6, because he is continuing on this theme that the church needs to take its authority and make certain kinds of judgment calls. Because they were having a problem in trusting themselves as a local group, a body of Christ to make good judgments, they weren't even judging sin within the church when they should be judging sin within the church. Chapter 5, verse 12 says what have I to do with judging those who are outside. Do you not judge those who are inside? So we looked at that last week, and we noted that the church has a responsibility, indeed a mandate to make certain discriminations against character by those who claim to be of Christ, who name the name of Christ. That's just what a body does. A body, a human body, your body is marvelous. It's amazing, amazing how it responds to problems that it encounters. So if you get infected, you have blood cells that will surround the germ, sort of, just like mounting an attack against them, to glom onto them, to isolate the problem. If you cut yourself, red blood cells rush to an area and deposit a certain kind of a substance that will provide a sticky ability for new skin to grow on top of it later on. And then once the wound is fully developed, it will begin to shrink. It's just you're fearfully and wonderfully made. The body is created to purge itself of problems. God did that. The body of Christ should have the same ability. We are the body of Christ. When God wants to do something on the Earth, when Jesus wants to do something on the Earth, he does it through us. We are his hands. We're his feet. We're his mouthpieces. If he's going to work a work on the Earth, he does it through his body. Well, his body can sometimes get infected. The church can get infected. And the church at Corinth was infected with-- well, we noted three things it was infected with. And Paul said, you need to come in and do something about that. You need to extra extricate that person who calls himself a brother, put him into Satan's domain that he may learn not to sin the way he's sending so flagrantly. Do that. That's what the body of Christ should do. Now continuing with that thought, he now moves from immorality-- though, he's going to get back to it in chapter 6-- but he includes now legality, the courtroom scene. We just sang a minute ago a beautiful statement of faith, and I know you believe it, because I just heard you singing it. You said-- the words we all sang is I have the authority. Jesus has given me. Well, in Corinth, it's like they didn't believe they had as the church the authority that Jesus had given them. You see one of the problems in the Greek culture was litigation. The Greeks were a very litigious culture, by and large. In fact, they even made fun of themselves. There was a saying going on just 60 miles to the Northeast over in Athens that every Athenian is a lawyer, that everybody just-- and people loved law cases, lawsuits back then. They loved to follow legal proceedings. In fact, people wanted to be called for jury duty, very different than today. We do everything we can to get out of it even though it is a civic duty that we should all perform. But back in those days, people loved it. I mean, they were into Judge Judy before there was ever Judge Judy. It was like entertainment to them. And the juries in those days were enormous, sometimes over 100 people on a single jury. So in that culture if there was a problem, you would usually go to an arbiter, somebody who would arbitrate the case, who wouldn't be taken to court. You tried to settle that dispute through a private arbiter and then another private arbiter. They would try to get together and settle the deal. If you couldn't settle it, you would take it into the public Greek courts that had a typical jury of 40 people. Now the typical jury today is 12 people in our country, in those days, 40 people. Good luck trying to come up with a good outcome in that. And if by the time you reach 60 years of age, you had to give yourself to a period of time to be on a jury. And so you had to have maturity. You had to have lived a while. So in your 60th year, you would then sign up for jury duty. And people were just-- I don't know if they just had time on their hands but, they love to do it. Some juries were over 1,000, according to the ancient records. So they loved this. And here's the problem with the church. Instead of believing I have the authority-- we as the church have the authority to settle disputes between ourselves, they were taking the disputes of the church into the civic law courts before unbelievers to make an adjudication or a judgment. So in chapter-- chapter 6, verse 1, dare any of you or how dare that you do this as God's people. Having a matter against another-- and this is, in particular, a Christian brother against another Christian brother, because he'll go on to say in the following verses brother against brother. So we know it's talking about some internal dispute in the church between brothers and sisters or one party and another who are all part of that Christian group. Dare any of you having a matter against another go to law before the unrighteous and not before the Saints. Now Paul has two concerns. Concern number one, you are not respecting the ability of the church and the authority given you by Christ himself to settle a matter of dispute from one Christian and another Christian. That's one concern. The other concern is by going to the unbelievers law courts, taking this out into the secular courts, you are airing the dirty laundry of the church before unbelievers. You are providing a terrible testimony to the unbelieving world. You're showing them just how bad it is. You're telling them that they should get saved and come to Christ and all of hope and peace and joy and all these great things, and they're seeing you take your brother to court going I don't need to be a part of that. There's no difference between them and us. So that is a concern of Paul. What are you doing taking this dispute into the law courts? Verse 2, do you not know that the saints will judge the world? Now I just want that to fall on your hearts. This is your future we're talking about. Do you know that one day you, all of you, all of us as the Saints of God, as the children of God are going to judge the world? I just want you to hear that, because, again, like we said last week, some people say, the Bible says don't judge. Really? Do you know that one day we're going to actually judge the world. Now I'm going to describe what that means as we go on. And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge in the smallest matters? OK, Jesus left this Earth. He went away, and he said if I go I am coming to you again. Ever since he said that, we're waiting for Jesus to come again. When Jesus comes again, Revelation chapter 19, the Saints are going to come with him at that second coming. After that judgment at the second coming, Jesus is going to set up a kingdom on the Earth that will last 1,000 years, according to the book of Revelation. It is called also the Millennium or the kingdom age. It is a glorious international ruling and reigning of Jesus Christ on planet Earth for 1,000 years called the Kingdom age. Jesus in Matthew 19 said to his 12 disciples even, he said you know, fellas, you guys are going to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. Now he said that speaking yet future. You're going to sit on 12 thrones judging the 12 tribes of Israel. So the apostles have an adjudicating position coming up. Also you and I, I think are going to help them. Don't you know that the Saints are going to judge the world. In Revelation chapter 2, Jesus addresses the church, one of the churches there, and he says to the over comers of the church, the true believers, he said, I have given you authority over all the nations. And you will rule with a rod of iron. Now we know that Jesus will have an iron rod rule in the Millennium. He will rule and reign with absolute authority for 1,000 years. It will be the only time there will be a perfect government on the Earth. Don't care who you voted for, you'll never get it on this Earth. We certainly don't have it now. It's far from perfect. But you say, oh, yeah, but if so-and-so runs, still not going to be perfect. Be better than what we have but still not going to be perfect, perhaps, perhaps not. Never know. One never knows. But one day when Jesus returns, he will set up his kingdom upon the Earth and give authority to the twelve apostles and to the saints, the body of Christ, God's people to rule and reign with him to have some kind of co-rulership with him in the kingdom. He has given us authority over the nations to rule with him with a rod of iron. That Is something that was talked about even in the Old Testament. It is alluded to many times and spoken about in the New Testament, but way back in the Old Testament in chapter 7 of Daniel, Daniel has a vision of the Son of Man. And the Son of Man is given a kingdom, and it says in that chapter I was watching in the night visions and, behold, one like the Son of Man coming with the clouds of heaven. He came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. Then to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom. This is all on the Earth that all peoples, nations, and languages, all that context is earthly in scope should serve him. His Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away, his kingdom the one which will not be destroyed. Same chapter, it says then the kingdom and Dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people, the saints of the most high. And his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey him. So in the future, there's some big stuff ahead for you. In the future in some role, you're going to help in the kingdom age with Jesus Christ as he rules and reigns. He's going to let you help him adjudicate that perfect government with a rod of iron. A lot could be said in describing that. Someday I'll preach a series just on the kingdom age. It would be a fun thing to study. But we're going to have some kind of rulership. So here's Paul's thinking, because he is thinking eschatological when he writes this in the ends times, don't you know you're going to judge the world. So if you're going to have that kind of a role in the future, if God is going to allow you to be on his Supreme Court in the kingdom age, why do you think you're unqualified to deal with issues between brother and brother in the church that you have to take it to a secular court to handle it? And he's writing that to their shame. They should be qualified. Now hear me out. When a Christian takes another Christian to court, nobody wins except the devil. You are saying, number one, I don't trust that this can be handled by God's people. It's a statement of faith against the church. And number two, it is allowing dirty laundry to be erred before the unbelieving world. Paul makes that point. Do you think you're unworthy to judge in the smallest matters? Verse 3 continues, chapter 6 1 Corinthians, do you not know that we shall judge angels? How much more the things that pertain to this life? Now if I'm an angel and I look at that, I'm not stoked. I say wait, wait, wait, wait. Hold up, God. They're going to judge us, those guys, right. Remember the Angels are looking into things pertaining to salvation, Peter said. They marvel at the fact that God could extend such grace and love to us. They're blown away at God's grace toward mankind. And yet God says, yeah, my people, my Saints, the ones that aren't getting along there on the Earth, they're going to judge the Angels. Now what does that mean exactly? Well, I don't think it means that you're going to find your guardian angel when you get to heaven to go, hey, I have a couple of questions for you. Remember that time I got in a car crash, where were you? What's up with that? I don't think that's the idea. I don't think we're going to be judging good angels. I think we're going to have some kind of role in judging evil angels. You remember both in the book of 2 Peter and in the book of Jude, both of them right almost the identical truth that God did not spare the Angels that sinned but cast them into hell and has them in everlasting chains of darkness awaiting judgment. Some kind of judgment call will be made that you and I are going to help administrate. That's what I believe it's a reference to, not the good angels, but the evil angels, the fallen angels. He's going to let us help in some kind of a capacity. So again, if you're going to judge the world and if you're going to judge angels to some degree in the future, you can't handle a squabble between brother and sister in the church? Here's Paul's point. The most untrained believer, the least, the most untrained believer in legal matters but who believes and knows the word of God and is filled with the Holy Spirit is much better at handling a case like that than the most trained Harvard Law student or professor who doesn't have the word of God or the Spirit of God. So Greeks put that in your pipe and smoke it. Verse 4, if you then have judgments concerning things pertaining to this life, do you appoint those who are least esteemed by the church to judge? I say this to your shame. See he's getting-- he's getting very pointed here. It's like he's saying to the Corinthians, shame on you Corinthians. You should know better. I say this to your shame. Is it so that there is not a wise man among you, not even one who will be able to judge between his brethren? But brother goes to law against brother and that before unbelievers. Now, therefore, it is already an utter failure for you that you should go to law against one another. Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded? No, you yourselves do wrong and defraud, and you do these things to your brethren. The whole idea here is an idea of love. So you know that Jesus said you're to love one another. You're to love each other. You're to even love your enemies. Paul the apostle will say to the Corinthians, if you have great gifts but you don't have love, you're like a noisy gong. You're like a clanging symbol-- that the expression, especially brother to brother, sister to sister, brother and sister in the body of Christ. The chief expression ought to be the expression of love. So what do you do if somebody wrongs you? Well, that was the question Peter had for Jesus. He said, hey, Jesus, you talk a lot about forgiveness. So how many times am I supposed to forgive my brother? Like, I don't know, seven times? Because that'd be a lot. If somebody messed with Peter, like, seven times, for me to forgive him-- that's huge. So I'm going to go big here, God-- seven times? Jesus said, nope, not seven times-- 70 times 7. So we talked about that kind of love, that kind of forgiveness, that kind of willingness to be defrauded-- and even be wronged-- by people. Just forgive. Just move on. Don't hold a grudge. But in that same chapter, Jesus gives a context. He says this-- if your brother sins against you, go to him personally, privately. That's how you handle it-- one on one. Try to work it out. Go charge him with the wrong. And say, you know what? What you said was offensive to me. That really hurt. I took that as an offense. Oh, I'm so sorry. I'll never do it again-- or they say, I didn't do anything wrong. You know, you're the idiot. So if you go and your brother that has sinned against you will not receive your admonition, your rebuke, your reconciliation, Jesus said, then you take with you two or three others-- that by the mouth of two or three witnesses, every word would be established. Now you have arbitration. Now you have some impartial witnesses who can give their wisdom and help you settle the issue. Jesus said, if that doesn't work-- do you remember what He said? He said, tell it to the church. Tell it to the church. Bring it within the context of church, the church environment, and the authority of the body of Christ. And let the church make that decision. It seems that Paul has this in mind when he writes that. Take it to the church. Isn't there one wise person among you who can make this decision and help you out on these matters instead of going to the secular courts? Now, here's a question. Because we're sharing this tonight. Maybe right now, you're in the midst of a lawsuit. And you go, man, I didn't know that verse was in there. But now I've got a lawsuit against a-- well, once it's in the courts, you have to let it-- usually, you have to ride it out. Although when you hire a lawyer-- I've given this counsel before. And I won't get into the detail. But the guy said, what do I do? I've already hired the lawyer. I said, well, that's it. You hired the lawyer. You can fire the lawyer. You just call them up and say, I don't need your services anymore. Bill me for whatever you've done. And then call it quits. Handle it a different way. But if it's in the courts already, you have to ride it out. If it's not in the courts already, number one-- go to your brother. Try to handle it. Number two, bring people with you. If they don't want to listen, then bring it to the leadership of the church. And get elders and deacons and leaders involved in that. You know, fortunately, we live in a city that has seen great success with biblical reconciliation. In fact, a national group was started in New Mexico by Christian lawyers some years ago, all for the purpose of fulfilling this passage as a biblical mandate-- keeping things outside the courts, getting people who are skilled in law-- but more than that, Spirit-filled believers, people who believe the word of God, to settle the issues, to settle the disputes outside of the secular courts in the context of the church. And because of their work, now around the country, the idea of independent arbitration or reconciliation before it goes to a judge is widely accepted because, largely, of the work that was done with that Christian group in town some years ago. He says in verse 7-- "Why do you not rather accept wrong? Why do you not rather let yourselves be defrauded?" That's a novel concept. What am I going to do-- like, let them walk all over me? Well? Well? Well, what did Jesus say? Jesus said, turn the other cheek. If somebody slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other cheek. Instead of, "Yeah, what am I supposed to do, let him slap my cheek?" No, both cheeks. And He says, if he sues you to take away your tunic, give him your cloak also. What, well, just let them take my cloak? He has no right. Go buy another cloak. Let yourself be defrauded. Because yeah, you can go to court. And you can win the case and lose your brother and lose your testimony. It's not worth it. He says, "No, you yourselves do wrong and defraud. And you do these things to your brothers, your brethren. Do you not know--" verse 9-- "do you not know that the unrighteous--" see, you're bringing this before the unrighteous, the unbelieving world. You're settling these court cases instead of playing the role of the judge, the arbiter, making adjudications, making discriminations when people have these behaviors, whether it's for incest or whether it's for legal cases. He's kind of tying these things together. If you're willing to take it before the unrighteous-- but He says, "Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God?" You're bringing kingdom matters before unrighteous judges. Don't you know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? "Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators--" fornication is sexual sin. Usually, it is a sin described in the Bible before marriage, when a person is single. "Nor idolaters--" worshipping false gods, false religious systems-- "nor adulterers--" usually a sin talked about as once a person is married-- "nor homosexuals, nor sodomites--" it's an unfortunate translation. Because you don't really get the force of the Greek language. Those two words, that homosexuals are sodomites, the Greek language is much more precise. And incidentally, the old King James version happens to be a more accurate translation than the New King James, or for that matter, most of the other translations of this particular verse. The old King James translates those last two sins by saying this way-- "Nor the effeminate, nor the abusers of themselves with mankind." The effeminate-- that word translated here, homosexuals-- usually refers to in a homosexual relationship the person who takes the passive role. In a male homosexual relationship, it would be who would take the female role, the softer role. And then the second word, sodomites-- or abusers of themselves with mankind, in the King James-- is, in a homosexual relational context, somebody who takes the more dominant, aggressive role. And he's bringing that up because he's speaking to Greeks. And highborn Greeks saw homosexuality, a couple thousand years ago, as the purest form of all love. Well, William Barclay says that Socrates was a homosexual-- as was Plato. In fact, Plato's writings-- that famous writing, The Symposium of love was Plato writing about homosexual lovers. And in those days, it was an adult with an underaged male child. And that was accepted in that culture. I think I mentioned last week that 14 of the first 15 Roman emperors were also homosexuals. So it was very, very common in those days. And in those days, the older male usually took the aggressive, dominant role. And the young boy in that culture took the passive role. That's the reference of the word. Sorry to be so explicit. But I figured you should know that's what he's writing about. So He says, "Do you not know that fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, homosexuals, nor sodomites--" whichever role they take-- "nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God." Now I know. You read that. Some of you go, man, that messes with me. It's not my problem. It doesn't mess with me. Well, that really bothers me. It's not my problem. My only duty is to declare to you what God has said through His word. And you either accept it or you don't. So in the book of Romans, chapter 1-- which we already covered. I'll just remind you of this. Paul writes about the gentile flow of sin throughout ancient culture-- throughout, actually, all time. "Therefore, God gave them up to uncleanness in the lusts of their hearts to dishonor their bodies among themselves who exchanged the truth of God for the lie and worshipped and serve the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever-- amen. For this reason, God gave them up to vile passions, for even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature"-- against nature. "Likewise, also, the men leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men, committing what is shameful and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due." Now you might say, well, you know, that was back then in that culture. But in today's culture, things are different. And you can't say those things. Because in this culture, that kind of stuff is acceptable. It was more acceptable in that culture. The reason it's becoming now acceptable after a long period of time is because of the rich Judeo-Christian heritage this country has had for so long to abate and stem the tide of that kind of stuff in modern history. It was the injection of Christianity in the world that put an end to that. Now you're seeing a resurgence back to an ancient culture. So understand when Paul wrote these things, it was like-- when people read this, like-- because if 14 of the 15 first Roman emperors were homosexuals and Paul is, like, talking smack pretty up-front, you know he got blowback for it. So here's what I want you to see. Paul says in Romans 1-- these things, they happen. They have happened. But it's against nature. And the word there in Greek is , And it means, "against God's natural created order"-- God's natural created order. God has set a created order from the beginning. And He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. God does not change. And His word does not change. So if you tell me, well, God made me this way, I'm going to say, no, he did not. You may be a product of your environment. You may be a product of some social conditioning. You may be a product of a lot of different messaging that is going on. You might even be the victim of some feelings that every human being has toward his or her own sexuality. But there is God's , and then there are those things that are against , against the natural creative order. And Paul says, "Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites." But let's not just stop with a few sins. Because you-- oh, yeah, that's right. Preach it, man. Well, keep going. "Nor thieves--" how are you doing on your income tax reporting? How are you doing with taking things home from the office that really don't belong to you? "Nor covetous--" that's just wanting something that you don't have and doing things you can to get what you don't have. "Nor drunkards nor revilers--" people who are in your face and talk negative, talk smack about other people-- "nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God." See, those are part of that same list. So none of us can say, well, that sin is really bad. But these sins are OK. Why? Well, because I do them. Now look at verse 11. This is key. "And such were some of you." Notice it's past tense, not "and such are some of you." Such were some of you. Hey, Corinthians, some of you were extortioners. Some of you were sodomites. Some of you were revilers. Some of you were adulterers. But that's in your past. That's in your rear view mirror. You may struggle with those things. You may even fall into those things. But you don't live in them. You hate them. You want to move on from them. You want to serve Christ. That's your past tense. And if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Corinthians 5 says, "All things are passed away. All things become brand new." God is in the business of fixing people, fixing broken things, adding the glue of His grace to fix the sin in our lives. "Such were some of you. But you were washed, cleansed by the blood. You were sanctified, set apart. You belong to God. You are justified." God declared you forgiven. God declared you His son, His daughter in the name of our Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of God. "All things are lawful for me. But all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me. But I will not be brought under the power of any-- foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods. But God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." It seems that Paul is using two slogans that were very popular around Corinth in those days, spoken by Corinthians or Corinthian Christians. Slogan number one-- "All things are lawful for me." In other words, I have complete liberty and freedom. Because I'm a Christian. I've been set free. I'm not under the law. "The law was the schoolmaster to lead me to Christ," Galatians says. Now that I belong to Christ, I'm not under that law any longer. I'm free. Paul said, "Indeed, all things are lawful for you." That seems to be a slogan that they used, that the Corinthians loved. Now it is true. You are not under the law. But it doesn't mean that you can act any way that you please. Because Paul then corrects that. And he says, "All things are lawful for me. But not all things are helpful." So if I do certain activities, if I drink certain things or smoke certain things, sure, I can do that. That's not the issue. Are they helpful? Do they benefit? Are they expedient? That's the old King James-- "expedient." Do they expedite me? Do they push me along my path, my journey, help me reach my goal? All things are lawful. But not everything's helpful. So keep that in mind. Look at the next. "All things are lawful for me. But I will not be brought under the power of any." Now I want you to keep a marker here. Turn a few pages to the right. Go to chapter 10. Because he writes something very similar. And I want to put all these together, all these three. 1 Corinthians chapter 10, verse 23-- "All things are lawful for me. But all things are not helpful"-- same thing he wrote back in chapter 6. But now he adds to that and changes something. "All things are lawful for me. But not all things edify." All things do not edify. So there's three principles. I want you to grab a hold of them tonight. If you are ever wondering what to do when it comes to the gray areas where the Bible is not very explicit about certain behavioral-- should I do this, can I do this, is it permissible for a Christian to do this or that-- apply these three principles. Number one-- is it helpful? If I do this, if I drink this, if I smoke this, if I get involved in this activity, if I go visit this person or do this thing, will it help me? Will it expedite me? Is it good for me spiritually? That's the first thing to sift it through. Second, all things are lawful for me. But I will not be brought under the power of any. So if I get involved in this right now, will later on it make me addicted to it? Will it bring me under its power? Oh, I have the power. I can do anything I want to now. But will I come to a point where I can't make that choice any longer? Right now I can. But if I keep drinking this, or smoking this, or doing that, maybe I'm going to be brought under its power. And I'll become a slave to it. Now it's not helpful, certainly. And now I've become a slave to it. Number three-- all things are lawful for me. But not all things edify. So if I do this thing, what will it-- what message will it say to other believers? Maybe it'll stumble a Christian. Maybe a Christian will look at that and go, uh, well what's he doing drinking that stuff? Or what are they doing smoking that? Well, I have the freedom. I have liberty. I'm a Christian. Right. Is it helpful? Could it become addictive, bring you under its power? Does it edify the body of Christ, others who are watching? That's the law of love-- love for yourself, the temple of the Holy Spirit, love for others, love for God, ultimately. So those three things are important. So they were-- that was slogan number one. All things are lawful. But Paul said they're not helpful. And those things may bring you under its power. And then later on, is it edifying? Second slogan-- verse 13. "Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods." Now that seems to have been a slogan that was popular in Corinth in general-- sort of like, no, I don't eat to live. I live to eat. I'm a foodie, man. It's all about the taste, the cuisine. So foods for the body and the body for foods was a common way of saying sort of the same thing. The body was meant to enjoy the pleasures of cuisine that is around me. Paul corrects that by saying, "But God will destroy both it and them." So your body is temporary. One day you'll die. But notice this. "Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body." So just like they were saying the body for food and food for the body, they were saying, sex for the body and the body for sex-- just like I eat a meal. And that's just simply a physiological choice that I make to grab that cheeseburger and eat it-- no big deal. You got to eat, you got to eat. They were looking at sexuality the same way. Look at it. It's a natural proclivity. It's a natural desire that we all have. And Christians were saying, God gave that to us. So this is how I seek to fulfill that. Paul corrects that and says, "The body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. And God both raised up the Lord and will also raise us up by His power. Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not." Remember, there was that temple outside of Corinth-- temple of Aphrodite. They were prostitutes, priestesses who were coming down into town at night. Men were indulging themselves. That was very common practice. Maybe some in the church thought they had the ability to do that. So foods for the body, body for foods-- he's equating that with sexuality and that, no, Jesus died for you. You belong to him. He'll say He bought you with the price. So glorify God in your body. Sex is God given. It's a gift. It's a good idea. It's a great idea God gave us. But because it is God given, it must be God governed. Everything that is God given must also be God governed. God gives us things. But then He governs the use of those things. He didn't say, just have at it, man. You decide. No. God says, I've decided. And this is how I've made you. And this is how I've made them. And this is what I want. And this is my , my order. And you do it for the Lord, especially as members of the body of Christ. I remember having this conversation with a man who was struggling against my Christianity. He was a Cambridge graduate in advanced science. And I lived with him on a kibbutz in Israel. And I was sharing the gospel with him. And he goes, Skip, I will not become a Christian because of the sexual negatives that the New Testament pronounces. I mean, he was just up-front-- if I do that, I can't have all the fun that I'm used to having. And I remember him saying, you know, I don't know why God is so negative. I said, Tony, if you saw a sign that said "Keep Out," what would you do? He said, I'd open the door and go in. I said, but keep reading the sign. What if the sign said, "Keep Out-- Danger-- Explosives"? Oh, well, that's a different thing. Exactly. So when God says keep out, He does it because He doesn't want you to blow yourself to smithereens-- sexually, morally, relationally. The negative command has a positive rationale attached to the negative command. Just like the sign that says, "Keep Out-- Danger-- Explosives," all God's commandments that are in the negative have a positive rationale. It's because God loves you. And He made you. And that which has God given must be God governed. He goes, well, I never thought of it that way. And about six months later, he gave me a call. He had read a book that I had given him. And he was very humble on the other end of the phone. He said, I just want you to know I've given my life to Christ. And it's the best decision I've ever made. "Do you not know--" verse 15-- "your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a harlot? Certainly not. Or do you not know that he who is joined to a harlot is one body with her? For--" notice the quote from the Old Testament. "The two," he says, "shall become one flesh. But he who is joined with the Lord is one spirit with Him." What is he doing? He's quoting Genesis. He's going back to the creation account, when God put man and woman on the Earth. And He said, "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother, be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh." So God established separation, permanence, unity, and then intimacy. "The man and his wife were naked. And they were not ashamed." That's what he's quoting from. He's going all the way back to that. And he's saying, look, when two people get involved sexually, they are actually becoming one with each other. And when a person goes out and is loose with somebody other than his permanent mate, he is giving a piece of his soul away to others. He's diminishing himself. He's not gaining anything by it. So he says, verse 18-- "Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man commits is outside the body. But he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you?" By the way, if you're wondering, there's only one reason that the New Testament allows for divorce. And that is adultery. Because of this truth, the oneness bond is broken when a person has sexual relations with somebody other than husband or wife. When that happens, the oneness bond that was intended to be permanent is now broken. That person becomes one flesh with another person. And for that reason, that's such a profound disruption that that becomes the only allowable biblical rationale for divorce. "Do you not know--" verse 19-- "your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own." Here it is. "You were bought at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit, which are God's." Your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The priestesses were from the temple of Aphrodite. They were coming down into town. Paul says, you join yourself to a harlot, you're becoming one with that person. Don't you know your body is a temple? And a temple is meant for worship. A temple is meant for the presentation of sacrifices. Romans 12:1-- "Present your body a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable under God"-- which is your reasonable service. You have a guest living inside of you. I hope He feels at home in your heart. It talks about God dwelling in us, settling down, and making Himself feel at home in our hearts. I hope He does. I hope He's in your life and not going, man, I don't-- I'm in this person. But boy, the trash this person looks at, and listens to, and gets involved in. You have a guest living inside of your body. You belong to Him. "Therefore, glorify God in your body and your spirit." How do you do that? By presenting yourself. By yielding yourself-- Romans chapter 12, Romans chapter 6. We are to yield ourselves minute by minute to the Lord. Lord, I'm yours. Use me. Lord, I don't belong to myself. You purchased me. Help me to glorify You. Father, as we bring this chapter to a close and we consider this wide variety of truth that Paul the apostle addressed with his church, I pray that we who live in the age in which we live in-- the things that we shared tonight seem so narrow, and so negative, and so old-fashioned and non-progressive to outsiders. We're here, Lord, at the end of this message to say, we don't care what they think. We really care what You think. We want to honor You. We give You our bodies, our minds. We pray, Lord, that we would serve You and worship You in integrity, in purity. And Lord, then even in those other activities that we could get involved in, I pray that Your Spirit will bring this little grid back to our remembrance. Is it helpful, expedient, beneficial? Is it something that will get me in its grip, under its power? Could I become addicted to it? And is it something that builds other people up or tears them down? I pray, Father, that we will live to glorify You since You bought us in Jesus' name.

Dear Roger, I moved  to a new place a year ago this past June 11th. Since I moved here, I have met many people and have friends that don’t believe in God and many of them find it ridiculous. They know that I am a Christian, and I want to help them since I noticed that most of them are missing the joy of having Jesus Christ in their life. As a teenager, in a school where religion does not matter, it is somewhat of a difficulty for me to talk to my fellow peers about the wonders of God. I know most of them are going through situations that are difficult to surpass without God’s help and presence. I want to help them and show them God’s glory, but I don’t know how to since they don’t like to talk openly about God or anything. I want to know how I can show them God’s will for their lives without trying to be impulsive to them about what their religious views should be. Sincerely, Jason Dear Jason, I am thrilled with your passion for your friends to know Christ. Jesus’ parting words recorded in Matthew 28:19 as He ascended to heaven were to “…go and make disciples of all nations”…. You are fulfilling His wish. So how do you share the Good News of Jesus with your friends? Do you need to be pushy? What do you tell them? How do you even start a conversation about spiritual things? Let me give you a few thoughts. First of all, evangelism is a partnership. The Bible teaches that the Holy Spirit is the only One who can convince (and/or convict) a person of his or her need for salvation through Christ. Jesus explained this truth to His disciples in John 16:7-11 : “But it is best for you that I go away, because if I don’t, the Counselor (Holy Spirit) won’t come…. And when he comes, he will convince the world of its sin, and of God’s righteousness, and of the coming judgment. The world’s sin is unbelief in me. Righteousness is available because I go to the Father, and you will see me no more. Judgment will come because the prince of this world has already been judged.” (NLT) You cannot convince your friends of their need for a personal relationship with Jesus without working closely with the Holy Spirit. What you can do is explain the benefits you have in Christ, and perhaps answer their questions, and perhaps share your own faith in Christ—and why you believe. Then, pray for the Holy Spirit to break down the unbelief in their hearts by convincing them of the beauty and reality of Christ. Now, let’s get personal. You mention that they “don’t want to talk about these things.” We know that relationships open the door to talking. The more time you invest with them—especially getting to know them—the more likely they are to open up to you and listen to your ideas. The more you get to know them, the more you will see deep into their hurts and struggles. Remember, everyone is fighting a battle. Ministering to their hurts often opens the door to their inner souls so we finally get a chance to talk with them about Jesus. In John 4:1-30 Jesus led a woman He met just moments earlier into the Kingdom of God. He opened the door by talking about her hurts. He knew that she had been married five times and was currently living with a man not her husband. He moved straight to the rejection issues that were crippling her life. Facing her needs and sensing the emotional healing power of a caring Person, she moved quickly into a deep, genuine relationship with Him. Everyone hurts. We are born into an imperfect world, live among imperfect people, and we ourselves have flaw. So we all have hurts. Sensitivity to others pain will open the door with anyone. I use a technique which works as well with brand-new acquaintances as well with folks I have known for years. One of my evangelism models is based on Romans 12:15: "Rejoice with those who rejoice and mourn with those who mourn." First, I ask, “What was the best day of your life?” People never hesitate to tell me. As they relate their joyous day, I rejoice with them. I reflect back how wonderful that day must have been. I get excited (genuinely excited) about their experience. This is rejoicing with those who rejoice. Not long afterward I ask, “What was the worst day you ever had? I have never had anyone fail to answer that question either. I listen as they share; I ask questions; I mourn with them. I say things like, “I am so sorry. How did you feel as you were going through that difficult experience? What an awful time for you. I am so sad you had to experience that.” Immediately, I see an openness and vulnerability I would never see if I went directly to dealing with their sin issues. Ministering to people’s hurts is often the key that opens the door to helping heal their “fallenness” and need for Jesus. Let me give you another Biblical model from Luke 19:1-8 . Zacchaeus was a hated, crooked tax collector for the Roman government. He used his position to line his own pockets with wealth. He was a traitor to his own neighbors and they hated him for it. His nasty behaviors were evident to all. He was a wicked, lying, stealing, cheating and selfishness man. Think with me now. Could you imagine that a man like Zacchaeus might have some feelings? Certainly he would. He had to! You know that he was feeling lonely, rejected, despised, hated and guilty. Now, could you imagine that a tax collector behaving like he was and feeling like he did, might have some needs? Certainly! Among other things he needed love, acceptance, companionship, forgiveness and affirmation? When Jesus arrived in town He walked immediately to Zacchaeus’ tree and called out, “You sneaky, thieving, selfish little man! Stop it!” No, of course, that is not at all what He said. Only a beginner starts like that. Christ gently said, “Zacchaeus, come down. I’m going to lunch with you today.” To go to his house and eat from the same bowls with your fingers was one of the greatest signs of acceptance Jesus could have done in this culture.Good things happened during lunch. During the next three hours Jesus ministered to his needs and healed his feelings Three hours later the front door flew open and Zacchaeus shouted for all to hear: “Half of all I have I give to the poor; and whatever I have stolen from any of you I will restore four times over!” Jesus declared, “Today, salvation has come to your house!” Zacchaeus found faith in Christ—not because Jesus yelled, “Stop it,” but because Jesus took the time to build a relationship and then ministered first to his deepest needs and hurts. The deeper the levels of trust we build into relationships the more we can share with our friends and the more they will listen and give credence to what we say. Many of us miss opportunities because we are not willing to invest time in the lives of others. To build relationships takes time, energy, and a passion for people. We cannot sit in the comfortable pews of our church and shoot “gospel bullets” over the walls. Jesus ate with tax collectors, sinners, prostitutes and social outcasts. He knew how much they needed Him. While relationship building takes time, it is not always essential. Sometimes the Lord Jesus puts some one in our paths who is ready to hear the gospel immediately and will respond by praying a prayer to receive Christ. This is often the case on the mission field where men and women have never heard about Jesus. We should always be prepared to share our faith. Paul advised his friend, Timothy, “Preach the Word; be prepared in season and out of season. Always be ready to give testimony to the hope that lives within you” ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ) . Finally, remember that we are not living in a “churched” society. We live in a “Post-Christian”. Millions of Americans have never darkened the door of a church. That does not mean that they are not spiritually hungry. New age teaching, occult practices, kabbalah, scientology, Mormonism, Islam and other spiritual avenues are being widely explored by our friends and neighbors. When you are discussing Christianity, be aware that some of the people you speak to don’t believe in God, or the Bible or even that Jesus existed. Instead of beginning with Christ and salvation, we most often will have to deal with their questions concerning atheism, agnosticism, suffering, God’s existence, evolution or comparative religions—among a myriad of others. Learn about these ideas so that you can answer their questions with at least some degree of information. But, remember, you don’t have to have all the answers to any of these questions. Your personal story of what Christ has done in your life is the most compelling truth you can share. I hope this helps. God bless you, R, as you love your friends and find open doors deep into their hearts. Love, Roger

Hi Roger, I am intrigued with your “One-Sentence Sermon.” I remember hearing about it but I was not there. I would like to hear the story and I’m sure others would too! Kathy Dear Kathy, “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God,” said Jesus in Matthew 6:4 . Anyone who desires to see and hear from God needs a pure spiritual heart. Cultivating a pure heart involves not “grieving” God the Holy Spirit ( Ephesians 4:30 ). Sin grieves the Holy Spirit. Few things impair our ability to hear His voice more than a heart soiled by sin. Cultivating a pure heart also involves not “quenching” the Holy Spirit ( 1 Thessalonians 5:19 ). We quench the Holy Spirit when we say “no” to His inner voice. Few things mature enhance our ability to hear God more than saying “yes” to His promptings. Saying “no” causes our inner spirits to shrivel, shrink and darken. Most of us want a pure heart to see and hear God—at any price! For many years Julie and I opened our home every Saturday night and invited anyone from our church family to meet with us for prayer. One Saturday night I had a deep impression that God was saying to me, “Roger, in the morning, I don’t want you to preach your usual sermon. I want you to walk to the microphone and say, ‘It is not possible to be content in your sins and really be a Christian.’ Then walk off the stage.” “That was strange,” I thought to myself—and promptly dismissed it from mind. Ten minutes later the same overpowering impression arose. I replied, “But, God, why would I want to do that? My sermon is ready to preach! It’s a good sermon.” God said, “No. Tomorrow, I want you to walk to the microphone, and say, ‘It is not possible to be content in your sins and really be a Christian.’ Then walk off the stage.” When the prayer meeting was over, I said to Julie, “The strangest thing happened to me tonight. I had this deep impression that God told me not to preach my sermon tomorrow.” I repeated His instructions to her. She replied, “You’re not really going to do that, are you?” “I don’t know. I don’t know.” Sleep came uneasily that night. I value my sermons highly. I never want to do anything stupid or desecrating or unholy during my preaching. The next morning when the clock alarm sounded Julie’s first words were, “You’re not really going to do that, are you?” “I don’t know.” When I gathered with my staff for our early Sunday morning prayer time I thought to myself, “I’ll tell these folks what I intend to do. That way it won’t be a total shock.” I sensed God say, “No, Roger. You may not tell a soul.” The first service began. Soon, it was my turn to preach. I walked to the pulpit and said, “It is not possible to be content with your sin, and really be a Christian.” I walked off the stage. Our worship leader whispered nervously as I passed him on the way off the platform, “Where are you going? Where are you going?” God said to me, “You can’t say a word.” I walked off the stage, down the stairs, out the side door, around the church building, into my office, opened the door, went inside, closed the door, and fell on my knees and wept: “Oh God! Oh God! How could you do this to me?” I had humiliated myself. Later I learned of the pandemonium in the worship center: “What happened?” “Did he retire?” “I think he had a nervous breakdown!” Finally, our worship leader led a couple of songs and dismissed the crowd. I had to repeat my “performance” for two more services that Sunday morning. Everyone in the final service knew what was coming. But, I did my duty. I did what I felt God told me to do. I preached my one-sentence sermon. I would like to tell you that hundreds of people came to know Christ as a result of that sermon. I don’t think so. In fact, I don’t know of a single soul who received Christ or whose life that was changed because of my one-sentence sermon. I can’t. I did not receive a single note or email about my actions that day. No one ever mentioned it to me at all. It was as if my one-sentence sermon never happened. Several months after preaching the one-sentence sermon I heard God deep in my inner spirit explaining that my one-sentence sermon was for me —not for the church. Was I willing to hear Him speak at any price—even to the point of my personal humiliation (see Isaiah 20 )? That sermon was not only a test, it was a time of strengthening and maturing my inner-most spirit. After all, I was praying to become a spiritual father at any price. Of course, God does not ask every Believer to preach a one-sentence sermon. But, I do believe that Jesus Christ engineers multiple opportunities for His children to grow and mature dramatically by their positive responses to the speaking of His voice deep within. Well, Kathy, that is the story of the one-sentence sermon. It was somewhat unusual; however, one of my preaching mentors would certainly have enjoyed it. He once said to me, “There is no such thing as a bad-short sermon. For example, I’m sure that the people in our third service loved the one-sentence sermon. They were first in line at the cafeteria that Sunday! Thanks again, Kathy, for asking the question. I hope it helps. Love,Roger

This is usually an “Ask Roger” question. But this time, I have a question, and I am going to ask my resident Thanksgiving expert, Tom Terry. Dear Tom, What is the significance of the Thanksgiving holiday, both politically and spiritually? Dear Roger, More than any other, Thanksgiving embodies both religious and political freedoms, and puts them in their proper place. Of the numerous holidays Americans celebrate each year, Thanksgiving is uniquely American, and uniquely Christian. In the early 1600s a small group of devoutly religious men and women sought to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience. These Pilgrims broke from the Anglican church and were persecuted from England to Holland until they boarded the Mayflower and set sail for the New World. The Pilgrims were separatists, seeking to restore the true nature of the Gospel to Christian practices from what they believed were the pollutants of Catholicism and the Anglican Church. Upon arrival, before disembarking their vessel they signed an agreement known as the Mayflower Compact. The text of the agreement included a vision for a new government: Solemnly and mutually in the presence of God and one of another, covenant and combine ourselves together into a civil body politick, for our better ordering and preservation, and furthering of the ends foresaid: and by virtue to enact, constitute, and frame such just and equal laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions, and offices, from time to time as shall be thought most meet and convenient for the general good of the Colony; unto which we all promise all due submission and obedience. It was this band of Pilgrims, after having lost half their population to an extreme winter, that stuck to the vision laid out in the Mayflower Compact. They were thankful for more than surviving harsh weather, they were also thankful that God has preserved their society and would see it to its conclusion. Most interesting about the Mayflower Pilgrims is what they did considering who they were. Essentially, they were normal men and women, devoutly religious, who wanted more than to escape the religious pollutions from the home they left. They wanted to build a new society with a new government founded upon the principles they held dear. Their principles were uniquely Christian, and planted the seeds of what would eventually become American liberties. The Mayflower Compact stated its purpose for the new colony’s existence: The “advancement of the Christian faith” and formation of a “civil body politick.” If the Compact made anything clear, it was that the new government of the colony proceeded from the religious convictions of the colonists—religious freedom giving birth to political freedom. In the 21st century we tend to turn things around. We view religious freedom as a guarantee of the State instead of a transformation of the heart. Even under the former regime of the Soviet Union, effective missionary work was viewed as a limited possibility as long as the communist remained in power. When the Iron Curtain fell, American missionary activity in the former Evil Empire surged. Yet American Christians working in Russia discovered that the Russian Church was alive and well. Likewise, American churches have discovered that in communist China a revival is taking place that will surely transform millions in that country. And many of those who have been transformed by their freedom in Christ have turned to political activism to try and free the nation further from the grip of communism. The Mayflower Pilgrims did not develop their convictions about religion, society, or government after they came to the New World. They had those convictions under the heavy hand of religious persecution in their native land. When they came to the New World they could have refused self-government. Instead they established their society for their own preservation. That government and the ones that followed were built squarely upon the foundation laid in their shared faith convictions. Those that would follow in the wake of the Mayflower and the footsteps of William Bradford and the colony he led, would enact laws and draft constitutions guided by many of those same principles Those early founding documents include, The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and The Massachusetts Body of Liberties. Most of the first State Constitutions contained language that placed the burden for the survival of America upon the backs of those who lived according to the principles set down in the Bible. Our concept of liberty has chanced in the last three centuries. What we think of as liberty today is anathema to the colonists of the Mayflower. Their reasons for declaring a day of Thanksgiving were quite different than the reasons most Americans celebrate the holiday today. Let us reclaim the holiday’s original meaning. On Thanksgiving take time to read the account that William Bradford wrote of the Plymouth Plantation. For each day after we should let the principles of those first Americans guide our ideas of religious and political freedom. Love, Tom

Dear Roger, Why does God Tell us to pray for the peace of Jerusalem? With everything that is taking place in the Mid-East, it is easy to see Bible prophecy playing out right before our eyes. The Bible is clear about what will happen to Jerusalem before God intervenes, and it isn’t pretty. Yet, we are continually encouraged to pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Are our prayers just an exercise in futility or can they actually affect the outcome in that region. Gary Dear Gary, The prayer for the peace for Jerusalem is a sweet prayer of Blessing and peace for the beloved city. The prayer is found in Psalm 12:2:6-9 and is worth repeating: “6 Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure. 7 May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels.” 8 For the sake of my brothers and friends, I will say, “Peace be within you.” 9 For the sake of the house of the LORD our God, I will seek your prosperity.” Many enslaved Jews have returned home to Jerusalem after 70 years in captivity in Babylon. Nehemiah has rebuilt the wall to bring some sort of security to their ancestral home. Ezra and others soon commenced rebuilding the Temple. Many years will pass before the ultimate destruction of Jerusalem you referenced in the end-time prophecies in the Books of Daniel, Zechariah, Matthew and Revelation. Unfortunately, Jerusalem has been a battle ground ever since the Jewish Return from captivity. The number of battles in the history of Jerusalem is staggering: decimation by Antiochus Epiphanies (200-175 B.C.); total annihilation by the Romans (70 A.D.);multiple Moslem invasions (700-1000 A.D.); the three-fold-European Crusader waves of invasion (1000-1200 A.D.) and the current, ongoing wars between the Arab nations and Israel which began in 1948 A.D. with the War for Independence and continuing with the 1967 Six-Day War, the Yom Kippur War and the present-day battles with Hezbollah—just to mention a few! Jerusalem, perhaps the holiest city of all time is a battle ground and will be until the last times! How sad! So why pray—because prayer can change things! Prayer often works like a safety deposit box at the bank which requires two keys to open. The bank has a key and the bank depositor has a key. When both keys are turned simultaneously the box will open. Answered prayer often occurs when God’s key (His will for a particular situation) combines with the bank depositor’s key (his/her prayers). Our prayers plus His will blend powerfully. So we pray. Who knows how much more destruction and how many more battles might have occurred there if not for the prayers of the concerned. Therefore, praying for Jerusalem is not futile. According to the Biblical-world view we live in a fallen worl d ( Genesis 3:17-19 ) . In fact Jesus recognized that the whole world is currently under the domination of Satan ( Matthew 4:9-10 ). The Book of Revelation is all about God retaking a cursed world back from Satan. In the last chapters of the Book God reveals to us the beauty of what the world will be like for 1000 years during the earthly reign of Jesus Christ! So, we pray for the present peace of Jerusalem—knowing that our prayers can make a difference today—even though we know that as prophecy is fulfilled Jerusalem will become the final-battle ground. Well, Gary, I hope this helps in some ways to answer your question. Love, Roger

Dear Roger, I am a pretty new Christian. I have some Bible studies that help me know about the facts of the Bible, but I am not sure how to apply the Bible to my life. Do you have any ideas? Sincerely, JG Dear JG, Let me make this as simple and practical as I can. I am going to share with you two sets of questions that I consider when I am applying a Bible passage to my life. The first set is designed to help us understand what we believe and how we behave. The second set is designed to help us along in our relationships with God and others. Remember the purpose of the Bible is not to make us smart. The purpose of the Bible is to mature us into more loving relationships with God and others. Jesus clarified this i n Matthew 22:37-40 : “One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Christianity is best understood in terms of what we believe, how we behave and how well we relate with God and others. I always try to open my heart and soul to the guidance of the Holy Spirit as I seek to apply a particular teaching to my life. I begin by asking a set of doctrinal and behavioral questions as I progress through the passage: Are there doctrines that God wants me to know and believe? Are there lessons here for me to learn? Are there examples for me to follow? Are there sins for me to avoid? Are there prayers for me to pray? Are there commands for me to obey? Then, I move to the relational questions. I take my time in meditating on these: What does this passage reveal about God’s heart? What does it do to my heart to realize that God wants me to know His heart? Sadden me?  Gladden me? Humble me? Intrigue me? Compassionate me? Anger me? How am I to respond to God and to His response to the people in the text? How will I live to improve and deepen my relationships? How can I better love the people around me? Well, JG, I hope this helps as you allow God to use the Scriptures to mold you more and more into Christ’s image. Thanks for asking. Love, Roger