The Great Commission Did you know that the phrase ‘Great Commission’ does not appear in the Bible? Bible translators have added headers to the chapters of every book. But they are not in the original text, whether in the Hebrew Old Testament or the Greek New Testament. So, what does it mean? Why his it such a big part of Christianity? Finally, does it have anything to do with God’s chosen people, Israel? What Does Commission Mean? Without diving into a theological discussion, let’s first take a look at the meaning of this phrase. What is a commission? The term itself could be described as a directive, instruction, or charge. Have you heard of commissioning an art piece, like a portrait? That means a task was assigned to a competent person. Commissioning can also mean giving authority, for example putting someone in a higher position, like in the military. A commission can mean a group of people, an official body, that is entrusted with authority or chosen to address a problem. A great example of that is the European Commission, which is the executive body of the European Union. Why do these definitions matter to us? It is because each meaning somehow relates to the instructions that Jesus gave His followers. We were assigned, the Messiah deemed us competent, and gave us authority. What is the Great Commission? Now that we have a good understanding of what the words mean, let’s hear them! The Great Commission is an assignment that God gave the church in our age. Jesus shared it with His friends right before He ascended to Heaven: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’ (Matthew 28:19-20) While there is much more to the church than the Great Commission, it is a concise summary of our task here on earth as the Body of Messiah. It is common for believers to understand this commission primarily as sharing the Gospel. But the task includes much more. In this article we will often turn to a book that may be small in size but is massive in significance. Samuel Whitfield’s “Israel and the Great Commission: How the Great Commission Fulfilled God’s Purpose for Israel and the Nations”dives deep into the topic. Whitfield skillfully unravels the beauty of God’s redemptive plan, Israel’s importance, and our role in it all. How does Israel relate to the Great Commission? Does it really have a place in this great directive that Jesus gave His followers? After all, many Jewish people rejected Jesus in His day (and continue to do so to this day). So, is this relevant to His greatest redemptive calling? By now, you probably know that the answer must be "yes”, but you might still be wondering “how” (or “why”). Past church history in certain circles, mainly the Roman Catholic Church, were led to think that God is finished with a destiny for the Jewish people, because He transferred all His promises to the church (Huh? ouch! This kind of severe misunderstanding is what happens when religious institutions put clergy or hierarchy above all people to equally discern the word of God for themselves). This all changed after the holocaust, and establishment of the state of Israel, when the Roman Catholic Church (which by the way, Catholicism has a lot of bad theology and doesn't represent all collective Christian history) made huge advancements and with Jewish-Christian relations. God's Continuing Plan; The Global Upheaval and its Spiritual Impact Then, the sudden reemergence of the State of Israel defied all odds. It forced the world to deal with both the repercussions of the Holocaust as well as the continuation of a Jewish legacy in the Middle East. Unexpectedly, not only the church but entire nations had to wrestle with the question of Israel, the Jewish people and… God’s sovereignty and unique ongoing purpose for Israel in God’s redemptive plan…” Sharing the same promises and spiritual legacy would be divisive enough. But an even greater challenge looks us in the eye when we acknowledge that we – the Church and Israel – simultaneously share our calling and commission. The Primary Assignment for Children of God Whitfield also points out another major issue in today’s theological approach to the Great Commission: “Many believers see the Great Commission as a New Testament assignment that shifts the focus of the church away from Israel’s story to the nations.” But is that factual? Is the focus on the nations of the earth new? You will find your answer as soon as you turn your attention to one of the first covenants established by God. Our Creator chose Abraham to make a covenant with him, but also with all mankind. God begins His redemptive plan with both Israel and the nations in mind. This means that Israel and the nations are deeply connected in the context of the Great Commission. We are commanded to go to the nations, because that was his plan all along. This profound truth is grounded in Scripture and carried forth by historical events that God put in motion. And He will continue working in every generation, until His Word comes to pass, and His promises come to fruition. The Great Commission in the Old and the New Testament By looking to Abraham – but not only him; think even as far back as Adam or Noah – we are reminded of omnipotence of God. The Old Testament and the New are not separate books and were always meant to be studied together. And so, the themes, including God’s commandments and His blessings, intertwine throughout the entire Bible. There are undeniable links between key passages in the Jewish Tanach (OT) and the Christian New Covenant (NT). “We will discover the Great Commission has its roots in the Old Testament. It is not a new command, but part of the progression of God’s redemptive work. In the same way, Israel’s story does not end with the Old Testament. It’s an ongoing story that depends on the nations to come to fulfillment,” What does the Bible Say? This is always the right course of action. Check everything with the Word of God. Does God's word give us a clear picture of what God thinks or feels about any given matter? ‘All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.’ (2 Timothy 3:16) God revealed Himself, in large part, in the context of relationship. This explains why the Bible is composed of stories and not just attributes of God’s character. We learn them too, but the Creator revealed His heart mainly through His interactions with humanity. In light of that, we need to be honest with ourselves in answering the question, which relationship God established and described in His Word to serve as an example. Is it the nations in general? Or does He choose a specific nation to meet with, talk with and even dine with? As Whitfield put it: “[God] designed His interaction with Israel and the nations to reveal who He is. Israel in particular is a gift of God to the nations to instruct us in the knowledge of who God is and who man is. Therefore, we study Israel to better understand the knowledge of God.” Israel’s Story Is Ultimately about Israel’s God Israel's story is ultimately about Israel’s God, and His glory is at stake in her story: ‘Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of my holy name.’ (Ezekiel 36:22) The chosen people set the context for the life of Jesus. Consequently, it also means that Israel sets the context for the church. And with that, it involves both in the Great Commission. “If we make Israel the primary point of the Bible, we will get off track. 'But if we keep Jesus central in Israel’s story, we will avoid a number of errors and receive the full benefit of Israel’s role in the redemptive story" Shout, O Israel! God Loves You!
They are a minority. They always have been a minority. Moses, their first national leader, described them as “the least of all peoples” (Dt. 7:7); and that assessment remains true today, more than 3,500 years later. Among the world’s population of approximately 7 billion, they are a mere handful: 14 million to 15 million, a scant one-fifth of one percent. In fact, they are so few in number that some cities have greater populations than there are Jewish people in the entire world. Yet Jewish people have made an enormous impact on the world because of a legacy that began more than 4,000 years ago when God entered into a unique relationship with Abraham in Ur of the Chaldeans. Though circumstances have changed, God does not change. He loved the Jewish people in ancient days, and He loves them today. Unsolicited Love Abraham’s relationship with God was not a modification or evolution of anything else around him. It was distinct from everything. When Abram (later called Abraham) obeyed God’s call, he not only walked away from a sophisticated, cosmopolitan city, but he also turned his back on the prevailing worldview and entered into a unique relationship with the one true God. The apostle James in the New Testament recognized this relationship: “‘Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.’ And he was called the friend of God” (Jas. 2:23). No one else in Scripture can claim this title, and God’s enduring relationship with Israel is founded on His unsolicited friendship with Abraham. On the basis of that friendship, God confirmed an unconditional, unilateral covenant with Abraham that would be reiterated to Abraham’s son Isaac and his grandson Jacob, the father of the 12 tribes of Israel. Confirmation of the covenant followed the cultural protocol of the day. At God’s request, Abraham brought a three-year-old heifer, a she-goat, and a ram, along with a turtledove and a young pigeon. As prescribed, he cut the offerings into halves and laid them in a line with each half opposite the other (Gen. 15:9–10). The ceremony, referred to as “cutting a covenant,” required the responsible parties to walk the line between the halves of the animals spread before them. After causing a deep sleep to fall on Abraham, God alone walked the line. The Bible says God “appeared [as] a smoking oven and a burning torch that passed between those pieces” (v. 17). God thereby established Himself as the sole party responsible for keeping the covenant with Abraham and subsequently with the nation of Israel. Unending Love The psalmist encapsulated the magnitude of the covenant: "He remembers His covenant forever…the covenant which He made with Abraham, and His oath to Isaac, and confirmed it to Jacob for a statute, to Israel as an everlasting covenant” (Ps. 105:8–10). The Hebrew word for “remembers” is in the perfect tense, signifying a “practically pledged certainty.”1 It is a covenant validated by God’s eternality. Later Moses, Israel’s first national leader, emphasized God’s covenant relationship with the nation and highlighted an overlooked essential. As the nation gathered at the banks of the Jordan River, preparing to enter the land God promised Abraham and his offspring through Jacob, Moses reminded the Israelites, The Lᴏʀᴅ did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any other people, for you were the least of all peoples; but because the Lᴏʀᴅ loves you, and because He would keep the oath which He swore to your fathers (Dt. 7:7–8). God’s ongoing relationship with Israel is based on more than a covenantal requirement; God voluntarily chose to love the Jewish people in perpetuity: “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but My kindness shall not depart from you, nor shall My covenant of peace be removed,” says the Lᴏʀᴅ, who has mercy on you (Isa. 54:10). Unconditional Love The Bible gives an honest account of Israel’s history—failures and all. Yet despite the nation’s waywardness, the Bible teaches that God’s love has remained constant. The prophetic book of Hosea, a chronicle of Israel’s infidelity, concludes with God’s plea, “O Israel, you are destroyed, but your help is from Me. O Israel, return to the Lord your God” (13:9; 14:1). God pledges, “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (v. 4). Both the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities were a consequence of national disobedience. Yet even while the Israelites were exiled in Babylon, God reassured them through the earlier ministry of the prophet Isaiah, "Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand” (Isa. 41:10). Through the prophet Jeremiah, God told them, “yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you” (Jer. 31:3). The message of God’s love for Israel runs consistently throughout the Bible. He has vowed to fulfill His covenant to Abraham in the last days and initiate a new covenant: "I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more” Quoting God’s message to Israel through the prophet Amos, the apostle Paul declared, “The Deliverer will come out of Zion, and He will turn away ungodliness from Jacob; for this is My covenant with them [Israel], when I take away their sins” (Rom. 11:26–27). Love was at the heart of God’s attitude toward Israel in the past, and it is at the heart of His attitude toward it today: “Whenever I have turned against him [Israel], my thoughts would dwell on him still, that is why my heart yearns for him; I will receive him back in love declares the Lᴏʀᴅ” (Jer. 31:20, JPS). God’s love will continue to characterize His dealings with Israel in the future. Looking forward to that reality in the Messianic Kingdom, the prophet Zephaniah declared, Sing, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O Israel! Be glad and rejoice with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! The Lᴏʀᴅ has taken away your judgments….You shall see disaster no more. The Lᴏʀᴅ your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing (Zeph. 3:14–15, 17). Just look at the modern state of Israel, which is evidence of God's care and provision. God cares so much about unsaved people—Jewish and Gentile—that He sent Jesus to die for them, that they might be forgiven and have everlasting life. God's love is a redeeming love. The fact that God is in the redemption business is the main message of the Good News! And it is why Israel’s past has not negated its future, and why our past does not negate our future. God explains the driving force in His dealings with Israel: “But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the descendants of Abraham My friend” (Isa. 41:8). Down through the centuries of Israel’s existence, regardless of the circumstances, God’s message to the Jewish people has been consistent. He tells them now--and will tell them forever--I love you. and so, Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews had been anticipating for centuries! (see Luke 2:25; 3:15). As such, He was born into a Jewish family and was reared according to Jewish law in a Jewish town (see Luke 2:27; Galatians 4:4). Jesus selected Jewish disciples, spoke in Jewish synagogues and the Jewish temple, and traveled mostly in Jewish areas. His mission, in fulfillment of the Jewish prophets, was to the Jewish people. However, none of this means that Jesus’ ministry was limited exclusively to the Jews. In Matthew 15, there is an incident that, at first, seems to confirm the idea that Jesus came only for the Jews. Jesus was traveling through Tyre and Sidon, a Gentile region, and “a Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, ‘Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly’” (Matthew 15:22). This Gentile woman recognized Jesus as the Messiah (“Son of David”), but “Jesus did not answer a word” (verse 23). As the woman kept up her appeals, Jesus finally responded, but His words seemed to hold little hope: “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel” (verse 24). However, the woman did not give up, and Jesus eventually granted her request, based on her “great faith” (verse 28). The fact that Jesus helped the Canaanite woman, even though His mission was to the Jews, is a significant detail in the Gospel narrative. Throughout His earthly ministry, Jesus gave other indications that His power and compassion reached to all people. He healed a Roman centurion’s servant (Luke 7:1–10). He traveled through the Gentile region of the Genisis (Mark 5:1). He ministered in a Samaritan city (John 4). Jesus came to save everybody (1 John 2:2). Jesus Christ is God Himself (John 1:1). Jesus died on the cross as the payment for all our sins, and He rose from death in resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:3–4). Jesus said He was the Good Shepherd, and He predicted that His flock would be greatly expanded: “I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd” (John 10:16). It took a while for the early church to recognize that salvation was available to the Gentiles. The Jewish Christians who fled the persecution in Jerusalem went into the Gentile regions of Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, but they were “spreading the word only among Jews” (Acts 11:19). Peter was hesitant to bring the gospel to a Gentile household, but God made it plain that Cornelius was also one of the elect (Acts 10). “Is God the God of Jews only? Is he not the God of Gentiles too? Yes, of Gentiles too” (Romans 3:29). Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, but He had come to offer salvation to everybody. The Messiah was to be a “light for the Gentiles” (Isaiah 42:6). So call on Jesus, because “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21). Jesus’ Parable of the Leaven is found in two of the Gospels. It is a very simple story-- a snapshot of life, really: “The kingdom of heaven is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough” (Matthew 13:33; cf. Luke 13:20-21). Jesus uses this story as an object lesson to illustrate the kingdom of heaven. A woman takes yeast (leaven) and mixes it into dough. Eventually, the whole of the dough is leavened. What does it mean? First, it’s important to define “kingdom of heaven.” By this, Jesus is referring to His domain as the Messiah. In the current age, the kingdom of heaven is spiritual, existing within the hearts of believers (Luke 17:21). Later, the kingdom will be manifest physically, when the Lord Jesus establishes His throne on this earth (After the tribulation, at the End of Jacob's Trouble). (Revelation 11:15). In the Parable of the Leaven, we learn several things about the working of the kingdom in our present age. Each of these lessons stems from the nature of yeast. First, the kingdom of God may have small beginnings, but it will increase. Yeast is microscopic in size (like an apple seed), and only a little is kneaded into the dough. Yet, given time, the yeast will spread through all the dough. In the same way, Jesus’ domain started with twelve men in an obscure corner of Galilee, but it has spread throughout the world. The gospel makes progress. Second, the kingdom of God exerts its influence from within, not from without. Yeast makes dough rise from within. God first changes the heart of a person, and that internal change has external manifestations. The gospel influence in a culture works the same way: Christians within a culture act as agents of change, slowly transforming that culture from within. we praise the joy found in the living God! Our identity is found in the living God! Jesus changed culture through contagious love Third, the effect of the kingdom of God will be comprehensive. Just as yeast works until the dough has completely risen, the ultimate benefit of the kingdom of God will be worldwide (Psalm 72:19; Daniel 2:35). "The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14). Fourth, although the kingdom of God works invisibly, its effect is evident to all. Yeast does its job slowly, secretly and silently, but no one can deny its effect on bread. The same is TRUE of the work of grace in our hearts. The nature of yeast is to grow and to change whatever it contacts. When we accept Christ, His grace grows in our hearts and changes us from the inside out. As the gospel transforms lives, it exerts a pervasive influence in the world at large. As we “reflect the Lord’s glory, [we] are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit” (2 Corinthians 3:18). Unleavened bread is bread that is made without leaven, which is another word for yeast. Yeast makes bread rise, so when bread is unleavened, it remains flat and dense. The Israelites ate unleavened bread as part of the Passover celebration. It was symbolic of the haste with which the Israelites fled Egypt during the Exodus-- they left so quickly that the bread did not have time to rise. God instructed them to commemorate the event by eating unleavened bread: "You shall eat no leavened bread with it. Seven days you shall eat it with unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you came out of the land of Egypt in haste—that all the days of your life you may remember the day when you came out of the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 16:3). Other verses that command the eating of unleavened bread are found in Exodus 12:8; 29:2; and Numbers 9:11. Leaven is also a symbol of separation from God. Even a small amount of leaven is sufficient to affect an entire lump of dough, and likewise, a little sin-or separation, will hurt the church, nation, or the whole of a person's life (Galatians 5:9). wandering from God starts out small, in the thoughts, and then affects the will and the actions (James 1:14-15). Paul warns the Corinthians that "a little leaven leavens the whole lump" and is using this analogy to refer to our need for God's sovereignty, spiritual unity, and repentance. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed" (1 Corinthians 5:6-7). Now, once a lump has been leavened, it is not possible to cleanse out the leaven, because it has permeated the dough. What Paul is asking the Corinthians to do in "cleansing out the old leaven" is impossible, for sin cannot be eliminated by human effort or obedience to the law- but through Repentance in Yeshua The law was given to make us aware of sin (Romans 3:20; Romans 7:7). The law is not meant to discourage us, but to encourage us toward Christ, who is the propitiation for our sins. His sacrifice on the cross paid for our sin and made it possible for us to remove the leaven from the lump, as Paul puts it. Another word for this is sanctification (Hebrews 10:10, 14). As we come into the light, and confess that we are indeed stained by sin, He is "faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9). Thankfully, unleavening is His work, not ours (Ephesians 2:8-10). The Bible teaches that we do not have the power to remove sin. It has permeated us completely, from birth, because—despite future good or evil actions—every person is born in sin simply because we are members of Adam. The first Adam brought separation from God, but the second Adam (Jesus Christ) ❤️ brought life ❤️ (1 Corinthians 15:22). The Lesson of the Fig Tree
Love is the greatest force. agape is used 116 times in the NT Think of the love a parent has for their child. Love wants their children to flourish. Love does not give a child merely what they want, because agape love gives the child what they know they need. Let’s look at how the Bible describes love, and then we will see a few ways in which God is the essence of love. “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails” (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a). This is God’s description of love, and because God is love (1 John 4:8), this is what He is like. In love, God does not force Himself on anyone. Those who come to Him do so in response to His love. In love, God shows kindness to all. In love, Jesus went about doing good to everyone without partiality. In love, Jesus did not covet what others had, living a humble life without complaining. In love, Jesus did not brag about who He was in the flesh, although He could have overpowered anyone He ever came in contact with. In love, Jesus willingly obeyed His Father in heaven. “The world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me” (John 14:31). In love, Jesus was/is always looking out for the interests of others. The greatest expression of God’s love is communicated to us in John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” Romans 5:8 proclaims the same message: “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” We can see from these verses that it is God’s greatest desire that we join Him in His eternal home, heaven. He has made the way possible by paying the price for our sins. He loves us because He chose to as an act of His will. Love forgives. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). So, what does it mean that God is love? Love is an attribute of God. Love is a core aspect of God’s character, His Person. God’s love is in no sense in conflict with His holiness, righteousness, justice, or even His wrath. All of God’s attributes are in perfect harmony. Everything God does is loving, just as everything He does is just and right. God is the perfect example of true love. Amazingly, God has given those who receive His Son Jesus as their personal Savior the ability to love as He does, through the power of the Holy Spirit (John 1:12; 1 John 3:1, 23-24). First Corinthians 13:13 says, “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.” This comes just after Paul’s eloquent and famous description of what true love--agape love—is. There are several ways in which love can be said to be the greatest. First Corinthians 13:13 lists love along with faith and hope as a gift that lasts forever. The lasting nature of faith, hope, and love make them greater than all other gifts of the Spirit, which are temporary; the gifts of prophecy, tongues, and knowledge are mentioned in 1 Corinthians 13:8 as coming to an end. Of the three “forever gifts,” love is the greatest. Love is greater than faith and hope in that both faith and hope depend on love for their existence. Without love, there can be no true faith; a loveless faith is nothing but an empty religious exercise. As Paul says, “If I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2). Without love, there can be no genuine hope; a loveless hope is an oxymoron, because we can’t truly hope for something that we do not love. Faith and hope are dead, sterile things if not accompanied by love. One of the reasons that love is the greatest gift is that it is essential to God’s nature. First John 4:8 tells us that God is love. The book of John and John’s three letters are replete with the theme of love. God gives us His love, and we reflect that love back to Him: “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19). Jesus said, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. . . . You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other” (John 15:9–17). Here we see that love is something that has always existed among the persons of the Trinity. Love has no beginning and does not end. And this is the love into which we are invited. Jesus desired for future believers to be part of His love as well: “I have made you known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them” (John 17:26). Jesus taught that the greatest two commandments both include love, the greatest gift: “‘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” (Matthew 22:37–40). John Calvin puts forward a very simple reason why love is the greatest gift: “Because faith and hope are our own: love is diffused among others.” In other words, faith and hope benefit the possessor, but love always benefits another. In John 13:34–35 Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Love always requires an “other” as an object; love cannot remain within itself, and that is part of what makes love the greatest gift. 1. Truth aims at love ''The goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith" (1 Timothy 1:5). Note: instruction is not the goal, love is. Instruction is the means. It is subordinate. Truth serves love. Education serves relationships - mainly the relationship between us and God, but also between Christian and Christian, and between us and unbelievers. The "goal" of all our education is love. "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful; and let us consider one another how to stir up to love and good deeds, . . . encouraging one another" (Hebrews 10:23-25, literal translation). The aim of our "considering one another" and "encouraging one another" is that we stir up love. We mingle insight into "the confession of our hope" with insight into "each other," and the effect is stirring each other to love. The truth of doctrine and truth of people-watching unite to aim at love. 2. Love aims at truth ''Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth" (1 Corinthians 13:6). Love is glad when truth is spoken. Therefore love aims at truth. It supports truth. "Out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you with many tears; not so that you would be made sorrowful, but that you might know the love which I have especially for you" (2 Corinthians 2:4). Here is an example of how love aims at truth. Paul is filled with love and it compels him to write a letter that was hard, and caused sorrow in him and in the Corinthians. But it needed to be said. So love said it. Love speaks the truth personally and doctrinally. 3. Love shapes how to speak the truth "'Speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ" (Ephesians 4:15). There is an unloving way to speak the truth. That kind of truth-speaking we should repudiate. But there is a way to speak the truth in love, and that we should seek. It is not always a soft way to speak, or Jesus would have to be accused of lack of love in dealing with some folks in the Gospels. But it does ask about what is the most helpful thing to say when everything is considered. Sometimes what would have been a hard word to one group is a needed act of love to another group, and not a wrong to the group addressed. But in general, love shapes truth into words and ways that are patient and gentle (2 Timothy 2:24-25). 4. Truth shapes how to show love. "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and observe His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments; and His commandments are not burdensome" (1 John 5:2). It is not always obvious which acts are loving. So John tells us some truth will help us know if our acts are loving. One truth test for our love is whether we are keeping the commandments of God toward people, In other words, love cannot be cut loose from the truth of God's will. Truth shapes how to show love. Love is core to God’s character and central to the Christian life. The law of Christ is to love God and love others. Love infuses all that God does and should infuse all that we do. "Love never fails ” (1 Corinthians 13:8), and it will never cease. Because of this, love is greater than even hope and faith. We have heard the warning of living in the “last days” for as long as we can remember whether we have been within or outside of the church. The “end times” refer to the rapture of the church and the beginning of the seven years of tribulation upon the earth prior to Jesus’ triumphant return. Sermons are preached about it, books have been written about it, and movies have been made about it. Jesus in Matthew 24:6-7 warned, “ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.”
We do not have to search far to see the increased tensions between nations and society in general. The recent Russia/Ukraine war and its associated speculation as to Putin’s ultimate desires have only increased “end of times” speculation. Our lawmakers are boldly legislating and legalizing late-term abortions, recognizing same-sex relationships, legalization of illicit drugs, and even the ability to choose our own gender, availing the rights of the chosen gender. These enactments are contrary to the Word of God and are abominations to his eyes and holiness. As a result, we have separation from God. Peace is scarce when we are detached from the Heavenly Father. Paul wrote to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-5, “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, high-minded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof.” No great explanation is needed for this verse as our families and communities have been torn apart by sexual abuse, lack of respect toward our police officers, and rebellion towards teachers and parents causing great discontent and a lack of peace within our society. Why We Pray for God’s Peace We have no promise in God’s Word that things upon the Earth will ever become more peaceable or easier for the believer during this current dispensation. In fact, Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:13 that “evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse.” Paul’s warnings to Timothy serve also as a sign for us during the season in which we live. Our world checks the box for each of the aforementioned precursors. So, what chance of peace do we have these days? First, the unbeliever or the person who has not accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and lives today unoccupied by the Holy Spirit has absolutely no chance for real peace. His or her reliance upon legislators, presidents, senators, judges, kings, wealth, and/or accumulation will only serve as a means for temporary happiness resulting in heartbreak. The next election, the next pandemic, or the next depression is guaranteed to bring unrest to any worldly happiness. Thankfully the believer’s peace rests in none of these things or people. By placing our faith in Jesus Christ and His finished work on the cross, “our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin” (Romans 6:4). Our joy, peace, and happiness are no longer dependent upon the desires of that “old man.” Sin and separation from God were the roots of our lack of peace. Sin is the cause of our separation from an all-holy triune God. Sin is the source of our lack of peace and discontent. Our souls have been crucified to this world and our hearts renewed by Christ’s conquering of sin on the cross. This assurance is true peace; yet, our flesh abides in this sinful world and is affected by it. In Romans 5:1-2, we “being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” Great peace is guaranteed, and ultimate salvation awaits the believer at Jesus’ return, as our flesh will finally be heavenly. We are to pray for a greater realization of this peace and for the Holy Spirit to guide each of us toward peace. Prayer for the Lost Our first prayer is for a change in heart for those who are lost and without any hope in the imminent judgment. This change is a new heart promised in Ezekiel 36:26 and a “new spirit” “put within” which “remove[s] the heart of stone from [our] flesh.” The sinner saved from a destiny of hell is granted the peace of salvation. This change in destination will also give peace to the convert’s friends and family. A great portion of our unrest today falls upon knowledge of the judgment and wrath awaiting the unsaved child, parent, coworker, or neighbor. Thus, we should fervently pray for a change of heart in the lives of those around us who we know to be lost and undone. We pray for a desiring heart for the sinner and for God to send a convicting spirit upon them drawing them unto Jesus Christ identifying his or her lost condition. We pray that no comfort will be given to them until they are converted by this convicting spirit. Prayer for More GuidanceThankfully we who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ have promised peace and joy knowing that our ultimate redemption is near. In Romans 5:1, we know “since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The signs of the times are exciting as we realize our redemption draweth nigh. However, we cannot rest idly on this assurance. We have to be “about the Father’s business” and ministering to perform as mandated by “The Great Commission.” Our prayer for guidance includes a leading and guidance toward the audience and the means of which we should utilize to proclaim the good news of salvation through Jesus Christ’s finished work on the cross. We pray for the ability to steer others to the cross which includes His finished work of resurrection and ascension to the Heavenly Father. We pray for the boldness because His sacred blood was applied to the Mercy Seat in heaven. The peace of the believer rests in a right relationship with the Almighty God. Additionally, we have “The Comforter.” Jesus promises in John 14:16 that he “will pray for the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever.” The disciples were concerned because Jesus was going to leave them in the flesh. The believer is indwelled with the Holy Spirit who serves as “the comforter.” In Galatians 5:22, Paul wrote, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, [and] faithfulness.” This peace given through the Holy Spirit supersedes our “worldly knowledge” and wisdom. Paul assured us that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” when writing to the church in Philippians 4:7. We must pray for a leading and guiding of the Holy Spirit as to our instructions as to the where and why of our ministry upon this Earth. The same great comfort is given to our Savior as he was “about the Father’s business” is available to us when we are prayerfully engaged in it. Prayer for More Dedication to the Study of the WordThe believer has peace through the living Word of God. These words give us great comfort in the knowledge of our sovereign God. The Holy Spirit brings both the comfort of Christ but also the recollection of the Word of God. Psalm 1:2directs us that “His delight is in the law of the Lord, and on His law he meditates day and night.” We cannot focus our attention on Fox News, CNN news alerts, or the headlines of today’s newspapers. It is detrimental to our peace for us to consume our time reading and perusing supposed religious writings on new age prophecy. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God give us all of the prophecy necessary in order to know what is coming and our instructions for the season in which we live. The Word of God is our sustenance. In Psalm 63:5-6, David wrote his focus on God and His word was “sweet to him as marrow.” The prophet in Jeremiah 15:16 wrote, “the words were found, and I did eat them, and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart.” A portion of Samson’s riddle written in Judges 14:14 hinted “out of the strong came forth sweetness.” Indeed, peace and sweetness result when we focus on God’s strength and sovereignty. Further, His Word is a saving word. In Psalm 107:20, we are told “He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.” This prayer is a petition requesting a renewed desire and excitement for the Word of God. We pray for those within our church who neglect regular reading, study, and meditation on His Word. The believer realizes great peace through a prayerful dedication to the reading, study, and meditation of the Word of God. Prayer for Less Focus on MeIt is easy for us to get focused on ourselves, our families, our careers, and life in general. As a result, we lose a great portion of our peace. As John the Baptist declared in John 3:30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” We are able to see Jesus as a comfort when we “decrease ourselves.” In the story of Mary and Martha during their visit by Jesus in Luke 10, we see the importance of keeping our minds on “one thing is necessary.” We are told, “March was cumbered about much serving” while Mary was positioned at Jesus’ feet. Martha came to Jesus and complained, “Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to service alone? Bid her therefore that she help me.” Not affected by the “tattle-telling,” Jesus told her she is worried about many things, “but one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part.” Praying that God focuses on “that good part” will give us great peace. Consider the replies by Jesus’ potential disciples in Matthew 8 after he warned them “the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.” Thus, there was no promise of earthly comforts when signing on to be a disciple of Jesus. One disciple said to Him, “Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father.” Note the usage of “me first.” This convicting prayer is a dangerous prayer as it is necessary for “self” to be eliminated from our passion. We pray for a renewed eagerness for “me” to be lessened and “He” to be magnified in our lives. We must pray, “Lord, keep my mind upon that good part.” Our desire is more of He and none of “me.” Prayer for Realization of Our Sword and ShieldIt is productive to look at the hopes and peace of David and Job in a time of supposed “last days.” The expected “ends” for each of them were not immediately in anticipation of the end of civilization, but the termination of their wealth, family, riches, worldly comfort, or position. Job, in his season of temptation, recalled the comfort of not neglecting the Word of God. In Job 6:10, he stated, “then I would still have this consolation – my joy in unrelenting pain – that I had not denied the words of the Holy One.” David suffered similar earthly hopelessness when he was pursued by his son Absalom. In Psalm 3:3, he wrote “but thou, O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory, and the lifter up of mine head” in referring to his protection. In verse five, he noted his comfort when he was able to lie down and sleep “for the Lord sustained me.” He had the full realization of the peace and comfort in the deliverance of God by noting he “will not be afraid of ten thousands of people, that have set themselves against me” because “salvation belongeth unto the Lord.” We are to have this same trust in our Savior and cast upon him all of our fears, issues, and worries. This prayer is a recollection and testimony of God’s provision and protection with His grace and mercy throughout our lives. By recalling His past provisions and sustenance, we have confidence and boldness that He is both able and willing to give us the armor, shield, and sword. Prayer for the Strength of the Local ChurchWe have peace by surrounding ourselves with our brothers and sisters in Christ. When the church is strong, the surrounding communities are strong and thus are able to strengthen one another. Paul prayed for the church at Ephesians 3:14, “for this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.” By modeling Paul’s prayer, we should make it our heart’s desire for the unobstructed filling of the Holy Spirit. In turn, this indwelling will naturalize our love for both the church and the lost. This “filling of the fullness of God” gives us full recognition and appreciation for God’s sovereignty, immutability, justness, and holiness. As a consequence, we will have great peace no matter the circumstances of our world. When writing about the “day of the Lord”, Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica to “comfort one another with these words.” “These words” were assurances that Christ will not forget “his people.” Instead of the church focusing negatively and gloom, we should be strengthening each other with the words from scripture. By centering on these truths, we edify Him both in word and the way we live our lives as a testimony to the mortification of the empowerment of sin and the flesh over our souls. Truth Taught-
God will cause Jew and Gentile alike to one day bear fruit by grace through faith in Jesus Christ As I scroll through and thumb through various commentaries on the Book of Romans I discovered something very peculiar. Some of them were going strong until they came to Chapter 8. It seems that at chapter 8 some commentators and some preachers skipped from chapter 7 to chapter 12 leaving out 8-11. Now I’m convinced the reasons are basically two. These are the chapters that deal very strongly with election and God’s foreknowledge and these commentators rather than dealing with those doctrines would rather pretend they weren’t there than to have to teach them because if they taught them their people could easily see what the Bible says and their theology would be shaken. So, they skip them. The next reason is that 8-11 involves some very difficult material. Rather than spend time dissecting and studying the passages it’s easier to just skip them and get back to the easier material than to delve into the hard things of God’s Word. And it is this second reason we’ll be skipping over the rest of Chapter 11…Just kidding, sort of. What we see in this passage is the amazing wisdom and grace of God. He has been extremely long suffering with the Jews and He could have simply cut them off and left it there. Instead, He fills the olive tree with Gentile branches, which is wonderful news for us. God has taken those who were strangers and made us family. Ephesians 2:11–20 (ESV) 11 Therefore remember that at one time you Gentiles in the flesh, called “the uncircumcision” by what is called the circumcision, which is made in the flesh by hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility 15 by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, 16 and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility. 17 And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, While we should be excited to be God’s children we must not get puffed up and forget what took place to allow us to be grafted into the olive tree, namely, God broke off the natural branches, His covenant people were torn away. So we praise God in humility and we pray to God for the Jewish people that He would move and cause them to believe the gospel of their Messiah. So, lets launch out to the deep and see what God has for us today… To help us understand this passage before us we need to understand a little about pruning and grafting trees. All over Palestine there are olive groves or orchards. The olive tree is the accepted symbol of Israel. It’s on most of their coins and has appeared as an emblem for Israel in other places. It was a symbol for Israel even in Paul’s day. In our text today the Apostle uses this image of the olive tree to explain the relationship between Jew and Gentile within the church and the relationship between Christian Gentile and the unbelieving Jew. It’s important for us to understand this dynamic and symbolism before we look at the passage… Cultivated Olive Tree- People of God Roots- The Patriarchs and Prophets OT Broken Off Branches- Unbelieving Jews Wild Olive Shoots/Grafted in Branches- Believing Gentiles We will see the issue of the unbelieving Jews broken off and in contrast the believing Gentiles grafted in. Another important part of this passage is some ancient practices of grafting in branches into an olive tree. Some theologians have made fun of Paul, calling him a city boy because, according to them, he didn’t understand how grafting works. They say that normal horticulture procedure calls for cultivated branches to be grafted into a wild tree not the way Paul’s allegory is set up with its wild branches grafted into a cultivated tree. However, there was another ancient practice that, I believe, Paul is referring to and which sheds light on what Paul is telling us here. There was the ancient practice of causing a cultivated tree that wasn’t bearing fruit to bear fruit by grafting in a wild olive branch. What this did was cause the olive tree to begin to bear fruit when before it was fruitless. So, the purpose is to graft wild branches into the tree which causes the entire tree to bear fruit which was previously not fruit bearing. This purpose would fit very nicely with things Paul tells us. Romans 11:11–12 (ESV) 11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! Romans 11:14 (ESV) 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. Romans 11:26 (ESV) 26 And in this way all Israel will be saved, as it is written, “The Deliverer will come from Zion, he will banish ungodliness from Jacob”; So, the grafting in of Gentiles will invigorate the Jews and the tree will one day bear the fruit it was intended to bear all along. In the mean time the wild branches grafted in will enjoy the blessings from the roots of the tree. The wild branches will receive spiritual nourishment through the root system of Judaism, which is the Patriarchs and the Prophets. Paul addresses two issues to Gentiles: First is that we could become proud while God works out His sovereign plan and Second, realize that this hardening is just for a time, one day the Jews will discover who their Messiah truly is. Romans 11:11–24 (ESV) 11 So I ask, did they stumble in order that they might fall? By no means! Rather, through their trespass salvation has come to the Gentiles, so as to make Israel jealous. 12 Now if their trespass means riches for the world, and if their failure means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full inclusion mean! 13 Now I am speaking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch then as I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry 14 in order somehow to make my fellow Jews jealous, and thus save some of them. 15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead? 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, 18 do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. 19 Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” 20 That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but fear. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. 22 Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off. 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again. 24 For if you were cut from what is by nature a wild olive tree, and grafted, contrary to nature, into a cultivated olive tree, how much more will these, the natural branches, be grafted back into their own olive tree.
Here Paul is showing us that the firstfruit as stated in 16 If the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, so is the whole lump, and if the root is holy, so are the branches. If the original lump of dough is holy as the yeast permeates the other lump be The charge Paul gives us, as Gentile believers, to not become arrogant and think we are better than those Jews who were taken away or broken off from the root. We may become arrogant as we consider things like…I cant believe the Jews crucified Jesus. I can’t believe that after all their Scriptures, when Jesus came they still missed Him. I can’t believe that they have no faith and are still trying to work their way to God. I can’t believe they think they’re children of Abraham when we Gentiles who believe are the real Israel. So how does Paul warn us to not become arrogant? He does this by three warnings…
Just like grafted in branches receive the sap and nourishment from the root system in the olive tree, now Gentiles will receive nourishment from the root of Israel, which is the Patriarchs and the Prophets. Beloved we are currently discovering the riches of Christ through the Psalms. King David in this case is the root that we receive nourishment from. The entire Old Testament is a wealth of nourishment for the Gentile believer. We can read about the Patriarchs and see what they did and learn from them. We can be warned through the Prophets of the very things we too may be guilty of. We can learn what God expects from His people. We can be those who delight in God’s Law and are nourished for eternal life through the pages of the OT. 2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV) 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. 1 Corinthians 10:1–12 (ESV) 10 For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, 2 and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, 3 and all ate the same spiritual food, 4 and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank from the spiritual Rock that followed them, and the Rock was Christ. 5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. 6 Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. 7 Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” 8 We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. 9 We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, 10 nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. 11 Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come. 12 Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall. God’s Word contains words of life for the Gentile believer. Much like being connected to the roots give nourishment to the branches so too being connected to God’s Word gives life to the believer. Even though people of Jewish descent wrote the entire OT, it is nourishment for the Gentile believer.
We cannot be arrogant because our being grafted in and our stability remain by faith alone. The Jewish branches were broken off because of unbelief and Gentile branches grafted in by belief alone. Knowing this should cause us to remain humble and meek when considering that this is God’s work alone and not my works at all. We are saved by grace through faith not of works. When we consider that it is grace that grafted us and grace that keeps us all boasting must be put aside.
We cannot forget what happened to the Jews who were hardened and cut off by God. If we are not careful the same could happen to us. The Jew thought he was in because of his ancestry. We must be careful to be superficial with our status in Christ. We are His provided we stand fast till the end. Matthew 24:13 (ESV) 13 But the one who endures to the end will be saved. Hebrews 3:6 (ESV) 6 but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope. In humility we stand fast.
So far we’ve seen that the exclusion of the Jews meant inclusion of the Gentiles. God is not finished with His covenant OT people. Here I think we can sense Paul’s spirits being uplifted as he considers the future hope Israel has. At first he was encouraged that while his kinsmen were not being saved, at least God was using him to preach the gospel to the Gentiles and they were being saved. Still there’s this underlying disappointment that his kinsmen were dying lost and without Christ. He even said Romans 9:3 (ESV) 3 For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh. As he considers the grace of God, Paul begins to realize something amazing. God’s grace will one day be poured out on the Jews and they will respond to the Gospel as well. When that day comes everything changes. Notice his reasoning… If the Jews believe they will be grafted in. God has the ability to regraft cultivated branches back into the cultivated olive tree. His language is that it will be much easier to graft natural branches back into their own tree than it was to graft wild branches into a cultivated tree. Paul’s language is that of anticipation. Beloved Israel will be included again into God’s covenant. They will return to God through their Messiah, Jesus Christ. Also notice God is not offering the Jews plan B as some of our dispensational friends would try to teach us. No, they will come in the exact same way Gentiles do by grace through faith. if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in. What is the condition of their being grafted in? It’s not works is it? The condition is faith just like us. All of this is designed by God to demonstrate, first, that he can and will save all Israel without being bound to save anyone in Israel who demands to be saved because he is part of Israel; and to demonstrate, secondly, that God can and will save Gentiles who are not in Israel if they trust Christ and do not boast over the broken off branches. In other words, all of redemptive history is designed from beginning to end to put a stop to human boasting in Jewishness or over Jewishness, or in Gentile ethnicity or over Gentile ethnicity. Free and sovereign grace stops boasting, and leads to humble, brokenhearted gratitude and worship: “From him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory for ever. Amen” (Romans 11:36). [1] Application Here’s our command by God…be humble! Ephesians 4:2 (ESV) 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, Philippians 2:3 (ESV) 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Be humble pray for the Jews that God would also grant them faith in Jesus Christ. Not a day goes by that we're not in need of God's huge grace and peace. Every morning we need his Spirit to fill us again, to strengthen us for what's ahead. Every day we need a fresh word that he speaks to our hearts, to keep our focus on what's most important. Trying to run this race of life without him will do nothing but drain us dry. In the book of Exodus, we read the story of how God’s people had endured years of bondage under the Egyptians. They were oppressed, abused, mistreated people. They needed rescue, they needed a way of escape. God saw their need, he didn’t miss a thing, and in his perfect timing, he acted on their behalf. Miracle after miracle God performed, leading them straight out of slavery, away from the cruel hand of the Egyptians. He set them free. Free from oppression. Free from captivity. Free from bondage. And the adventure was just getting started. The people of Israel spent 40 years in the desert. 40 years of wandering. 40 years of journeying towards the promised land that God had given them. That’s a very long time. The days must have been intense, hot, dry, I'm sure they got weary. But God met them where they were, he made sure they had what they needed. They learned through every hard and grueling step, how much they had to rely on Him. When Pharaoh let the people go, God didn’t lead them on the road that made the most sense. The Bible tells us in Exodus 13, that though the path was shorter right through the Philistine country, God said, “If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.” Exodus 13:17 So He led them around the desert road over towards the Red Sea. Hot, dry, barren wasteland, the sea looming off in the distance. We can almost hear the grumblings starting then. Feel the fear rising. And that was just the beginning of their journey. God had promised his people land that would be full of blessing, it was worth fighting for, it was worth going the distance. But the way there would stretch their faith and lead them through journeys where they’d have to depend on God like nothing before. We too often face these journeys as God leads us into our own “promised land.” Maybe you feel like the blessing is too long in coming, maybe you feel like giving up. Be assured again today that God is faithful and he will use all things to strengthen our faith and bring goodness to his people. Stay strong, keep pressing through. As the Israelites got closer that sea must have looked bigger and deeper. An obstacle that seemed too difficult to overcome. Their eyes focused on the problem. They forgot about the bigness of their God. But God didn’t forget about them. He split the sea in two so that his people walked through on the dry ground. The enemy in hot pursuit had no idea what they were up against. They lost the battle that day and were swallowed up in the waves. God had rescued his people and led them straight through the biggest obstacle they’d ever encountered, and that was just the beginning of his miracles. Even if the way He’s leading doesn’t seem to make much sense and His timing seems off, or the wait feels long, and wandering in desert places is the last thing we want to do, we can trust Him. Always. He knows our way. He sees the big picture. He has good in store. And though it may not have been what we would have chosen, or how we would accomplish things, we can thank Him for His Sovereignty, His care over us, and His powerful leadership. “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to given them light…” Exodus 13:21 God never left his people alone in their journey. His presence was always there, a reminder to them that they hadn’t been left on their own in the wilderness. As a pillar of cloud in the day and fire by night, He guided them, giving them shade from the fierceness of the desert sun, and a light in the darkest of nights. God will not leave us to fend for ourselves, struggling to find our way. He will lead us. He promises to be faithful. We may not see him in a pillar of cloud or fire these days, but we have his Word, and the Holy Spirit to give guidance to our days. He is with us, he gives wisdom, he provides direction, so we never have to fear being left on our own to figure things out. He goes ahead of us, he walks with us, and he guards our way against behind. His Word gives truth and life, it shows us the way to walk in this world. “Then the angel of God…withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them…” Exodus 14:19 Even when the Israelites faced cruel attacks from the enemies surrounding them, God was faithful to deliver them. He works in miraculous ways and the toughest of battles are never too hard for God to work through. He gives us victory and power even when it doesn’t make sense. After a battle against the fierce Amalekites, when God gave his people a great victory, the Bible says, “Moses built an altar and called it The Lord is my Banner. He said, ‘For hands were lifted up to the throne of the Lord…” Exodus 17:15-16 Still today, God will send his angels to fight for us and guard us. He Himself will fight for us and guard us. That’s how much He loves us and desires to set His protection over us. He will hem us in from all sides and keep us under His care. It doesn’t mean we won’t ever face the battle, but we can know that He is sure with us right in the midst of it all. He reminds us from the very start of this desert journey, “The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 We’re never left to wrestle through on our own in hard places. He doesn’t send us out to fight the enemy in our own strength. He just tells us to be still, to stand strong, and to know he’s fighting on our behalf. “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘I will rain down bread from heaven for you…” Exodus 16:4 “Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” Exodus 17:6 They were hungry. God sent manna. They were thirsty. God sent water gushing from a rock. Every day a miracle was right before their eyes. They just had to pick up the manna, drink the water, accept the blessing. Another time he made the bitter waters sweet again, so they could drink. Over and over, God provided for their needs. And just like the people of Israel had to look to God to meet their needs, to be refreshed by what he offered, and gather the manna every morning in the wilderness, so it is with us. They couldn't store it up, they had to look for it daily. And God always provided, each morning it was there, waiting for them. Every day he made sure it met their needs, they were satisfied, they were nourished, they were cared for. And they never lacked, for God's resources never run dry. Sometimes we miss the miracles of his provision, out of busyness or stress. We try to get things going too fast all on our own, spinning around, trying to get it all done. Or other times we might start to forget what matters most. But even for those days, there's His grace. He waits for us. His provision and blessing, they never run dry. Every day, his miracles lie right before our eyes. We just have to choose to look for them and stay close in his presence. “I have seen these people, ‘the Lord said to Moses, ‘and they are a stiff-necked people…” Exodus 32:9 Grumbling, complaining, sin, hearts far away from God – these things were far too common for the Israelites in these desert wandering years. And often like us, they lost sight of how far sin could carry them down the road we never wished to go. God had great mercy over them for all those years, they tested him even after he graciously provided for all their needs and offered them protection and strength. In Exodus 32 we read the story of how the people turned away from God when Moses seemed too long in coming back down from the mountain. The very people that just had watched God perform miracle after miracle on their behalf, and guide them through desert days, were now bowing down to a golden calf they’d set up in the place of God himself. How easily we often forget. What starts as complaining, grumbling, hearts going astray, leads us deeper into pathways we wished we’d never entered. Sin gets ahold of our minds and hearts. It’s like a disease we can’t shake off on our own strength. ONLY the POWER of CHRIST Can cure Diseases. He can do what the human can not possibly do. Without him we are powerless. No amount of earthly effort, will, hope, work, or sincere desire can possibly heal all inequities. The power of Christ is the only thing that is great enough to conquer, resurrect, cure, redeem, and renew. He overcomes with earth-shattering Victory, and when that encounter is experienced, one will be forever changed, forever aware of his presence and capabilities. He's proven to be true with all glories majesty. Such an earth-shattering majesty causes unworldly joy and devotion, the kind that will make you want to SING ANEW SONG! That's the point- that's how he displays his power and sovereignty, that's the Gospel Story! But God, in His MERCY forgives and sets FREE. He breaks the chains of our forefathers. He redeems us from the pit that far too many of us have wandered into and been stuck in. He lifts us out and places our feet on solid ground. He gives us fresh purpose and hope. Even after all these things the Israelites had done, and how they’d wandered away from God, he said these words just a few verses later, “The Lord replied, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Exodus 33:14 God’s presence is powerful and strong. It is never dependent on how good we are, he is faithful even in our hardest struggles. Only in him can true rest and peace be found. The years of desert wanderings must have been difficult to endure. 40 years is a very long time. But God doesn’t always work on our timetable. And he saw them through to the end. He never abandoned his people. They kept pressing through and God continued to be with them, and he is with us as well. “The hardest struggles we face have the greatest potential to teach us patience and endurance.”We often face battles and problems that press hard. We feel forgotten, all alone. And yet the hardest struggles we face have the greatest potential to teach us patience and endurance like nothing else can. The years of our own “desert wanderings” may prove to be our most power-packed, strengthening, faith-building time of life, but we may not fully recognize it until after we’ve passed through. And sometimes when we find ourselves there, we just need that reminder from the whispers of God down deep in our soul, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest…” In whatever you’re facing, be assured, God is with you, he’s providing for your needs, he has a plan, and nothing is too difficult for him. The God of miracles fights for you today, and he will never let you go. https://biblehub.com/hosea/11-1.htm Out of Egypt I Called My Son (Matthew 2:13–15) 1When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called My son.a 2But the more I called Israel, the farther they departed from Me.b They sacrificed to the Baals and burned incense to carved images. 3It was I who taught Ephraimc to walk, taking them in My arms, but they never realized that it was I who healed them. 4I led them with cords of kindness, with ropes of love; I lifted the yoke from their necks and bent down to feed them. 5Will they not return to the land of Egypt and be ruled by Assyria because they refused to repent? 6A sword will flash through their cities; it will destroy the bars of their gates and consume them in their own plans. 7My people are bent on turning from Me. Though they call to the Most High, He will by no means exalt them. God’s Love for Israel 8How could I give you up, O Ephraim? How could I surrender you, O Israel? How could I make you like Admah? How could I treat you like Zeboiim? My heart is turned within Me; My compassion is stirred! 9I will not execute the full fury of My anger; I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim. For I am God and not man-- the Holy One among you-- and I will not come in wrath. 10They will walk after the LORD; He will roar like a lion. When He roars, His children will come trembling from the west. 11They will come trembling like birds from Egypt and like doves from the land of Assyria. Then I will settle them in their homes, declares the LORD. 12Ephraim surrounds Me with lies, the house of Israel with deceit; but Judah still walks with God and is faithful to the Holy One.d The Promises of God (Exodus 23:20–33) 12If you listen to these ordinances and keep them carefully, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant and the loving devotion that He swore to your fathers. 13He will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your womb and the produce of your land—your grain, new wine, and oil, the young of your herds and the lambs of your flocks—in the land that He swore to your fathers to give you. 14You will be blessed above all peoples; among you there will be no barren man or woman or livestock. 15And the LORD will remove from you all sickness. He will not lay upon you any of the terrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but He will inflict them on all who hate you. 16You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you. 17You may say in your heart, “These nations are greater than we are; how can we drive them out?” 18But do not be afraid of them. Be sure to remember what the LORD your God did to Pharaoh and all Egypt: 19the great trials that you saw, the signs and wonders, and the mighty hand and outstretched arm by which the LORD your God brought you out. The LORD your God will do the same to all the peoples you now fear. 20Moreover, the LORD your God will send the hornet against them until even the survivors hiding from you have perished. 21Do not be terrified by them, for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God. 22The LORD your God will drive out these nations before you little by little. You will not be enabled to eliminate them all at once, or the wild animals would multiply around you. 23But the LORD your God will give them over to you and throw them into great confusion, until they are destroyed. 24He will hand their kings over to you, and you will wipe out their names from under heaven. No one will be able to stand against you; you will annihilate them. 25You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God. 26And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction. Prophetic statements sometimes apply to more than one fulfillment, a principle we could call "duality." A prime example of duality is Christ's first coming to atone for our sins and His second coming to rule as King of Kings. Such dual themes are common in Bible prophecy. Jesus specifically alluded to the dual application of some prophecies in Matthew 17:11-12. Asked about the prophecy of "Elijah," who would precede the coming of the Messiah (Malachi 4:5), Jesus responded: "Indeed, Elijah is coming first and will restore all things. But I say to you that Elijah has come already …" (Matthew 17:11-12). The disciples understood that the "Elijah" who had come already was John the Baptist (verse 13). Jesus Himself explained that John, already dead when Christ uttered these words, was a first fulfillment of Malachi's prophecy. But Christ's clear implication is that another Elijah will precede His second coming, announcing His return just as John the Baptist preceded Christ's first coming. John no longer could do anything in the future. But as a forerunner, John had fulfilled, at least in part, Malachi's prophecy. Another prophecy with dual application is Jesus' Olivet prophecy (Matthew 24; Mark 13; Luke 21), so named because He gave it on the Mount of Olives or Mount Olivet, overlooking Jerusalem. Many conditions described in this prophecy existed in the days leading up to the Romans' siege and destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. But Christ makes it clear that similar conditions would prevail shortly before His return. Another example of dual fulfillment is in references to the "Day of the Lord" such as in Isaiah 13:6: "Wail, for the day of the Lord is at hand! It will come as destruction from the Almighty." Verse 1 of that chapter identifies the time setting as when the Babylonian Empire threatened the kingdom of Judah (Babylon invaded Judah and captured Jerusalem in 586 B.C.), and it is in this setting that Isaiah wrote that "the day of the LORD is at hand!" However, he again mentioned the Day of the LORD in Isaiah 13:9: "Behold, the day of the LORD comes, cruel, with both wrath and fierce anger, to lay the land desolate; and He will destroy its sinners from it." His subsequent inspired words, though, show that he is writing about the time of the end: "For the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its going forth, and the moon will not cause its light to shine. "I will punish the world for its evil, and the wicked for their iniquity; I will halt the arrogance of the proud, and will lay low the haughtiness of the terrible. I will make a mortal more rare than fine gold, a man more than the golden wedge of Ophir. Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth will move out of her place, in the wrath of the Lord of hosts and in the day of His fierce anger" (Isaiah 13:10-13). We must carefully examine the context of prophecies to understand their meaning and discern whether the prophecy seems incomplete after its first fulfillment. It is equally important to avoid reading duality into passages that do not support such interpretation. We should take great care to properly discern whether duality is a factor in any particular prophecy. Often we may recognize a prophecy's fulfillment only after it is well under way or already has taken place. What are parables? Parables were short, relevant stories that Jesus told to communicate spiritual truths. Jesus used "well-known" aspects of first-century life to help illustrate and communicate the message of the kingdom. The parables showcase the wisdom of Jesus as the master teacher. But the parables served a unique function in Jesus’ ministry in polarizing the crowds between those who hear him and those who truly understand him. It is to that function of the parables I want to look at together today as we begin this series. Jesus teaches this parable of the sower in verses 1–8 and then explains this parable to his disciples in verses 18–23. Between its teaching and explanation, Jesus speaks to the purpose of his teaching parables. In many ways, the parable of the sower is a parable about the parables. Thus, it makes it a fitting place to start as we begin this series on the parables. Traditionally called “The Parable of the Sower,” the sower really isn’t the main point of the parable. I think a better name for it might be “The Parable of the Four Soils.” The point of the parable explains the various "reactions" to the gospel. We will see that the good seed of the gospel can fall upon various soils of the human heart. In other words, the parable is trying to answer the question, “Why do so many people respond so differently to the Gospel?” In sum, the secrets of the kingdom can only be understood by God’s gracious aid. We will first consider the purpose of the parables, focusing on verses 10–17, before then explaining and applying the parable of the four soils. The Purpose of the Parables (Matthew 13:10–17) Jesus tells the parable to the crowd. A sower goes out to sow. Some seed fell on the path; birds ate it. Some seed fell on rocky ground; the sun scorched it. Some seed fell among the thorns; the thorns choked it. Some seed fell on good soil and produced fruit. Then Jesus wraps up the parable with, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Amazingly, Jesus doesn’t seek to explain the parable to the crowd or interpret it for them. That’s not the way the parable works. Parables forced the hearer to think about the message, wrestle with its meaning, and thus examine their own hearts. Jesus intends the parable to force people to contemplate and respond to his teaching. Parables were culturally relevant illustrations that functioned like a "puzzle box" enclosing the nature and purpose of the kingdom of heaven. Yet, only those who have ears to hear the truth can hear it. As Jesus taught by the sea, all audibly heard the teaching of the parable; not all will comprehend its message. This leads to verses 10-17 of the passage, in which Jesus explains the purpose of the parables. While Jesus taught the parable to the crowd, he explains his purpose in the parables to his disciples. He pulls them in and discloses to them the secret of the kingdom. The word “secret” comes from the Greek word mysterion. The word is used similarly by Paul when he talks in Ephesians of how God made known “the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ” (Eph. 1:9). The secrets of the kingdom refer to the hidden purposes of God’s kingdom that must be spiritually understood. The secret isn’t obscure, possessed only by a few entrusted folks. Rather, the kingdom of God is proclaimed publicly through Jesus’ teaching in parables. Yet, few understand the nature of Christ’s kingdom. They see but do not perceive. They hear but do not understand. In Matthew 13:12-13, Jesus speaks of the polarizing reaction to his teaching in parables. Those who wrestle, engage, and ponder over Jesus’ teaching will discover increasing truth. More understanding will be given. They will know the secrets of the kingdom. Yet, for the one who ignores, discards, and casts aside Jesus’ teaching will have what little truth received taken away. He says, “For to the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance, but from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away.” (Matthew 13:12, ESV) Jesus taught in parables because the parables create and expose these spiritual realities—the parables spiritually harden or spiritually enlighten. Look at verse 13, “This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.” Jesus roots his teaching in Isaiah 6 and quotes this prophecy in verses 14 and 15. In many ways, Jesus intends the parables to polarize the crowd. He’s separating the wheat from the chaff. He is separating true spiritual seekers of Christ’s kingdom from phony impostors. Notice what Jesus says in verse 11, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given.” You see, understanding of Christ’s kingdom must be given. Some receive this understanding, and others do not. We must pause here for a moment and consider how do we gain spiritual truth? How does anyone understand the kingdom of God? How can anyone believe in the gospel? Jesus points to God’s sovereignty as the reason any one of us understands the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. As he explains to the disciples, they see and hear, not because of their brilliance but because they are blessed. Blessed by who? Blessed by God. He tells them in verses 16–17, “But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. For truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.” Just as Jesus will say a few chapters on in Matthew, in Matthew 16:17, when Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, the Lord responds, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has -not revealed- this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.” It is God who reveals to anyone the secrets of the kingdom. We can’t comprehend the identity of Jesus without God’s help and aid. Our sin causes such blindness and such deafness to the truth that it requires the supernatural aid of God to regenerate our hearts and enable us to behold the glory and salvation of Christ. Just as Paul taught the Corinthians, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned” (1 Cor. 2:14). So, the parables then identify those who are supernaturally enabled to understand the teaching of Christ and behold the glory of Christ. Yet, there is a lesson as well here in terms of how the Spirit works in bringing us into the knowledge of the secrets of Christ’s kingdom. The parables provoke spiritual interest and spur the pursuit of more understanding to meaning. It says in verse 12, “For the one who has, more will be given, and he will have an abundance.” There is a lesson for those of us who know the Spirit of God as our teacher. Our ability to understand spiritual truth is spiritually given. But once we have the Holy Spirit, knowing the truth is like a muscle. If you train and exercise your muscles, they will grow stronger, and you will be able to lift a heavier and heavier weight. However, if you don’t use it, it atrophies. It gets weak and shrivels away. Similarly, if we understand the truth that’s been revealed, we will have a greater ability to comprehend more truth. The disciples, who have already latched on to Jesus’ teaching, have demonstrated that they are true hearers, and Jesus gives them greater insight into his message and kingdom. Truth gives way to greater truth. The more truth we respond too, the more truth we can understand. Those who reject the truth, cannot understand Jesus’ parables. There is also a warning here if you are not a Christian. It is vital that you respond to the truth of God. When we fail to respond to the truth of the gospel, whether it is from a friend or from a sermon, our hearts begin to harden against the truth. Though we hear it, we do truly hear it in our hearts. Before long, truth ricochets off of us, and the result is hard-hearted resistance. The Parable of the Four Soils (Matthew 13:1–9; 18–23) In many ways, Jesus gives us a detailed interpretation of this parable because it’s so essential in understanding all the other parables. It is the key to understanding all the parables. This is the parable about parables. Now before we get into the specifics of the parable, we must note that in first-century Palestine, plowing came after sowing. So as the sower scatters his seed, he is not being careless as he’s throwing the seed, thus accidentally throwing some on the path. The purpose of the parable isn’t to urge us to be discriminatory in sharing the gospel, “Well that guy looks to be like the soil on the path, so I’m not going to share Jesus with him.” Or, “Oh well she looks like the superficial seed on the rocky ground, best not share the Gospel with her!” No, that’s not the point of the parable. If anything, the parable encourages us to be as widespread as possible with the sowing, but the parable helps give us a framework for understanding the various responses that come after the sowing. The sower sows the good seed of the Word upon the various soils. This good word is the gospel itself, of how Jesus has come to die on the cross to save us from our sins. It’s the message of his kingdom. Jesus came to fulfill the demands of God’s Law, and as the messiah, he will lay down his life for sinners so that anyone who would repent and believe in Christ would not perish but have everlasting life. The seed sown is the message of the gospel, the announcement of the kingship of Christ, the heralding of the way of salvation through God’s Son. The gospel is a good seed, a good word! It is news—the best of news! However, not everyone receives the gospel with joy. As the seed is sown, the four soils represent different types of human hearts. The parable asks us both to examine our own hearts while at the same time giving God’s church a framework for understanding the variety of reactions to our evangelism. So as we walk through Jesus’ interpretation of this parable, the question that should be in our minds is this: what type of soil is my heart? Keep that question in the back of your mind as we discuss these four types of soils. 1. The Unreceptive Path: The Hard Heart As the sower sows the seed, some of it falls upon the path. The seed has no time to grow on the hard, compacted soil and a bird quickly snatches it up. Our hearts can become so hard that the gospel bounces off of our hearts, and Satan quickly snatches it away. The image of the path brings to mind the idea of travel, commerce, and busyness. There is so much traffic and activity upon the heart that the word of God cannot take root in their heart. They hear the gospel, but they have no understanding. This person keeps themselves so busy with activity that they do not have time to contemplate spiritual things. They run to and fro at a frantic pace. When they do slow down, they keep their minds busy by the bombardment of media, news, and entertainment options available. No room, no time, no opportunity exists for the gospel to take root. If they hear the gospel, their heart is so trampled down by frantic activity they have no time to consider it. The evil one snatches it away with speed. This is a frightening reality because you can hear the gospel so frequently taught and preached and yet not understand it. A hard-heartedness can easily seep into active churchgoers. You get into the habit of going to church because that is how your mom raised you, or you want to look moral and important somehow. You sit week after week under the teaching of the gospel, and your heart is so hard that the word just bounces off of you. You leave unchanged, unmoved, and unresponsive to the word of God. If you are unresponsive to the gospel, then your heart may have been hardened against the gospel. And I pray that somehow God would get your attention before it is too late. Often, what this type of heart needs is a good plowing up to soften up the soil. Your heart needs good breaking with the cutting of the plow. It is a mercy for God to bring tragedy and suffering into your life in order to soften your heart and unclog your ears. With a heart tiled by suffering and softened by pain, you are ready to truly hear the gospel message. 2. The Superficial Gravel: The Shallow Heart The seed was also sown upon rocky ground. The terrain of Palestine is a rocky one. Much of the land is covered with 2-3 inches of soil over limestone bedrock. As a result, seeds scattered in such areas would begin to take root, but the roots couldn’t grow deep into the soil. When the heat of the sun beamed down upon the young plant, it dried out and died. The shallow roots couldn’t take the heat. Such hearts hear the gospel and initially find great joy in it. Filled with zeal, they become quite impassioned about Jesus, but as soon as tragedy or persecution hits, they abandon Jesus. More often than not, these people become the greatest antagonist against Christianity. When they hear about Jesus, they superficially attach themselves to the church, but their excitement does not last. It withers once life becomes difficult and dies out. Here we must caution against the dangers of emotionalism. Experiencing great feelings doesn’t necessarily mean that you know Christ. It’s common for people to chase experiences—whether it’s a conference, a youth camp, or a worship service. You can chase an experience all you want, but you might not have necessarily gained Christ. Such experience chasers are often like this soil. It’s all frothy emotions and crocodile tears, but there are no roots. They never develop a deep faith and trust in Jesus. Thus, as soon as the heat of the sun bears down upon them, they reveal themselves as the imposters they truly are. As soon as life gets hard, persecution occurs, or suffering strikes, they go from praising Jesus to blaming Jesus. For the true Christian, deeply rooted in the gospel, the heat of the sun strengthens us grow by forcing our roots to go deeper. Sufferings and trials grow and mature the Christian, yet for those who have only superficially attached themselves to Jesus, the heat shrivels them up. Emotions are by no means a bad thing for the Christian. Indeed, we should have great feelings and love for Jesus, but true faith in Jesus is a deep trust and confidence in God’s Word that goes beyond how we feel in any given moment. Only the true Christian can praise Jesus through sorrow and cling to Christ in tragedy. 3. The Worldly Weeds: The Divided Heart The third type of soil is that of the worldly weeds. This is the divided heart. It’s the type of heart that refuses repentance. It’s a divided heart because it attempts to add a love of Jesus along with love for the world. But, no matter how hard you may try, you cannot sustain split loves like that. As Jesus says in Matthew 6:24, “No one can serve two masters.” Or, as James puts it, “Friendship with the world is hatred towards God” (Jam. 4:4). Or, as John puts it, “If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 Jn. 1:15). You see, true faith, saving faith is a complete and total devotion to Jesus. Those who have divided allegiance to Jesus end up rejecting Jesus in the end. It’s not as if they were Christians and then they lost their salvation. They were never Christian at all. They never truly repented of their former way of life. The roots of the world lie beneath the surface of their hearts. As the good seed of the gospel comes to them, it begins to grow, but the thorns and thistles of the world quickly choke out the seed. For each of these three soils so far, we must state firmly that none of them were truly Christian, though they may initially seem to be Christian. The first soil obviously rejects the seed, and Satan swallows it up. The second soil, the shallow heart, never truly becomes a Christian as the seed of the gospel doesn’t last. The third soil, the divided heart, also never truly becomes a Christian, as the gospel is choked out. Though to us looking at the outside, there may be initial signs of spiritual life; it doesn’t last. Time reveals their so-called faith as phony. The roots are too shallow to endure hardship or worldly desires choke out the gospel plant. These three soils help us understand the various responses to the Gospel message. However, there is a fourth soil Jesus gives us. 4. The Good Soil: The Fruitful Heart This fourth soil is the good soil of the fruitful heart. The message of the gospel comes into their life and begins to take root and grow. Their heart is ready, supernaturally prepared, for accepting the Gospel seed. The soil is soft, ready to receive the word, not hardened like the path. The soil is deep, ready to put down roots deeply, not like rocky like the gravel. The soil is pure, not contaminated by worldly weeds that choke out the gospel from their hearts. The Holy Spirit had gone before and prepared the heart in regeneration for true faith in Christ to take root. Jesus tells us that this soil represents the one who hears, accepts, and bears fruits. This person hears the gospel and accepts it as true. They hear of what Jesus has done for them, how he is the son of God who came down from heaven, became flesh, and dwelt among us. They hear of his death for the sins of humanity. They hear of his victorious resurrection, conquering sin and death. They hear it and accept it—they truly believe in him, that Christ is the king! It is only by the power of God that any of us can truly hear this gospel! So the message of the gospel is received, but what is the evidence of authentic hearing of the gospel? Well, Jesus is pretty clear: it is a life lived in fruitfulness. The seed of the gospel produces fruit thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold! What sort of fruit does this look like in the Christian life? Well, it means the fruit of the Spirit is evident in your life, and not just evident by continually increasing. Paul tells us: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.” (Galatians 5:22–24, ESV) Fruit in the Christian life is also displayed through evangelism. A tree produces fruit for reproduction. In the same way, we, through our witness, must proclaim the gospel to others. We speak of what Christ has done for us and invite others to put their faith in Jesus! The mark of the true Christian is Spirit-empowered, persevering fruitfulness. Final Thoughts The four soils indicate four types of hearing, with only one soil representing the true hearing and acceptance of the Gospel message. Examine yourself and ask which type of soil reflects my heart?
I pray that today the Spirit would show you the depths of your heart and help you to truly hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ this morning. He has come to deliver you from your sin and save your soul. Through this sermon (and every sermon), I’m throwing out the seed of the gospel. If you’ve been coming to Redemption a while and hearing the gospel, I pray that the Lord has brought great fruit into your life as you accepted and received Christ. As you believe the truth, may the Lord give you greater understanding and enjoyment of Christ. May truth beget an increasing knowledge of the truth in your life, manifested by the fruitfulness that comes from Christian maturity! However, if you’ve been coming here a while and there is no fruit in your life, the problem isn’t with the good seed of the gospel but your heart. Receive Christ. Grow deep roots into Christ. Uproot the worldly weeds that choke out Christ from your life. For some of you, you may have never truly, authentically heard the gospel. The message has hit your ears but never your heart. I pray today you would respond for the first time in saving faith. May the Lord give you to know of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven. May he bless your eyes, for they see. May he bless your ears, for they hear. He who has ears, let him hear. Why did Jesus often tell those he healed to remain silent? It is interesting that on a number of occasions after Jesus performed a mighty deed, he commanded those who benefited to not tell anyone. This is especially the case in Mark’s gospel. Why did Jesus do this? The messianic secret is a feature of the Gospel. Another major part of the answer to my initial question has to do with the nature of miracles and their main purpose. It seems they were mostly about confirming the man and his message. They were not ends in themselves. They pointed to the nature of salvation and the long-awaited messiah. The connection between miracles and salvation can be seen in many places. For example, the story of the healing of the paralytic in Matthew. 9:1-8 shows the inseparable link between forgiveness of sins and the man’s healing. “Although Jesus’ miracles teach about his power to heal physically, these signs are especially meant to turn attention to the kingdom of God (6:33; 9:12). Similarly, in the Book of Acts signs and wonders constitute the primary method of drawing attention to the claims of the gospel, but it is the gospel itself that is paramount (e.g., Acts 14:3).” The same can be said about Mark’s gospel. Miracles are primarily pointers, and they point to a person. As James Edwards comments: “For Mark the significance of Jesus cannot be fully conveyed by what he does, but only by who he is. One can be amazed by a miracle, but one can only trust and believe a person.” Moreover, Jesus did not want to be sidetracked from the main purpose of the incarnation: the cross. Jewish expectations at the time of what the messiah would be like were quite different from his. They were looking for a military conqueror, a political liberator. Although this was a proper expectation based on much Old Testament teaching, it was not the whole package. That the coming messiah should first suffer, then rule, was not part of most Jewish expectations. But the idea of a suffering messiah was there nonetheless (as in the Suffering Servant passage in Isaiah 52:13-53:12). What the Jews were eagerly looking forward to from the day of the Lord was God’s vindication: God’s salvation of his people and judgement on their enemies. The coming messiah was looked on as a great deliverer or judge, in the tradition of Moses, Samson or Gideon. Jesus knew these skewed expectations would become an obstacle to his appointed task of his substitutionary death. He could not allow those who wanted to make him a political revolutionary to deter him from his true mission. Thus he had to urge quiet, so that he might follow his father’s will, not the misguided will of the crowd. Here's an interesting thought experiment -- if you knew you had a finite amount of time to teach people everything they needed to know about abundant life now and eternal life to come ... how would you do it? If we're honest, I'll bet most of us would choose as straightforward a method as possible. Maybe contract law, or exhaustive doctrine? Among several kinds of teaching, one of Jesus' favorites was story. Moreover, his stories were sometimes strange or enigmatic, and he did not always try to explain them. What was he up to? Jesus knew that human beings are "story-formed people." We perceive and process our lives in the form of characters, plot, conflict, and resolution. So he used stories as a primary way of engaging our imaginations and inviting us to explore the deep truths he wanted us to know. One such story is the parable of the vineyard, in Matthew 20:1-16. (Click the scripture reference to read it online!) When reading parables, remember the principles we've outlined so far in this series, "Lost in Translation." Be aware of your own cultural lens; give priority to the historical context in which it was written; beware of creative normative commands from narratives meant to illustrate truth. In this parable, the vineyard would conjure in the first-century Jewish mind the important metaphor of the vineyard for God's people (see Isaiah 5:7). This isn't a story about how to do business, or about a free capitalist market, or about employing day laborers. It's a story about God's people...especially who's in and who's out. Jesus often designed his parables to begin with a setup, then offer an unexpected ending. It was a skillful way of exposing us, especially when we have hard hearts. This parable is a classic reversal of expectations: not only does the landowner pay the last workers first, he pays them a full day's wage! So what is Jesus trying to get across, if it's not about fair wages or being a generous employer? Parables aren't allegories (stories in which every element symbolizes something else -- think Orwell's "Animal Farm"). So we can't pick them apart piece by piece -- if we pull the petals off a rose, we'll lose the beauty of the whole! Instead, the parables are illustrating truth about "the kingdom of heaven." Jesus even starts this parable that way! In this case, Jesus is challenging people who feel that they somehow deserve privilege in God's kingdom. These might be people who have lived faithfully, tithed generously, even made personal sacrifices for God's glory. In these cases, it can be all too easy to mistakenly believe we "deserve" something from God, or that there are degrees of belonging in God's kingdom. But the simple fact is that everything we have is the result of God's grace -- a gift from our generous Landowner. Philip Yancey brilliantly put it this way: "God give gifts, not wages." When we accept the fact that we are recipients of God's grace rather than earners of God's favor, we will discover the kind of gratitude that permeates the hearts of so many people we read about in the Gospels and Acts. And oh, how we need this gratitude today! How we live in a cultural grace-drought! The Church has been called and equipped with the Holy Spirit to lead the way within our divisive, petty and backbiting culture to let God's rivers of living water flow through us into this dry and thirsty land. But it starts with remembering that we are all latecomers to the vineyard. We are all recipients of God's scandalous grace. We are all given more than we deserve from the One who wants us to have abundant lives. For reflection: 1) Which characters do you primarily relate to in this parable? 2) Do you feel like a "latecomer" to God's kingdom? How does it make you feel to consider that you are a latecomer, rather than one of the faithful all-day laborers? 3) Do you know anyone that you would find difficult sharing an equal share of the Church? (If you don't think of anyone, consider people who have wronged you, or wronged someone else. Think of people who do things you don't approve of. This is how many 1st century Jews thought of Gentiles and others they considered "unclean.") 4) What can you do to change your attitude toward the person(s) you thought of in #3? How can you bring all of this to God honestly in prayer? In Grace! The Church has not replaced Israel and God has not finished with His chosen people, and should anyone doubt this truth, they should familiarise themselves with three chapters in Romans where Paul details their past history (chapter 9) their present position (chapter 10) and God's future plans for His people (chapter 11). Due to pride and disobedience, Israel were set aside for a season. Because they rejected their Messiah and because of their unbelief and apostate ways, God's promised kingdom of peace and prosperity on earth was postponed. However, Israel's terrible loss became a glorious gain for the Gentiles, for by His grace He redeemed believing men and women from every nation and language – every kindred and tribe. The nation of Israel may have broken their covenant with God, rejected their Messiah, and failed to complete in the good work that God had prepared them to do, but their sinful lack and foolish rebellion meant that the rest of the world received great blessings: "Their stumbling brings untold wealth for the world, and their failure, riches for the Gentiles." The Law of Moses, the Psalms of David, and the prophetic writings of holy men of God, had painted a clear and exciting picture of Jesus, their long-awaited Messiah. He was to come as their anointed King in fulfilment of God's redemptive plan for mankind. But Israel had wandered far from the Lord. They chased after foreign gods and sadly they missed the day of their visitation, which angered the Lord and caused Him to punish His disobedient people and set them aside, for a season. Israel still has a spirit of slumber and are blind - in part, which has continued throughout the entire Church age. Because of their unbelief, God gave His errant nation a spirit of stupor, with ears that were deaf to His voice and eyes that were unable to see the truth of the glorious gospel of God. This was not to be a permanent impediment, but would prove to be a stumbling block to those who would not believe on His name. The spirit of stupor would be a prolonged period during the 'dispensation of grace' when God would call out of the Gentiles a people for His name. Blindness in part is to continue to the end of the Church age, when all Christians will be removed at the Rapture and at long last, Israel will be reinstated as God's witness on earth – and the gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the world. Not all Israel received this shocking spirit of slumber. Only those who rejected Him as their God and Saviour had blinded eyes and deafened ears. But as Paul pointed out, "IF Israel’s stumbling brought such wealth for the world, and their failure produced riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full number bring?" How much greater will be the blessings and abundant riches for the Gentiles, when the nation of Israel finally recognises Jesus as Lord and welcomes Him as their Messiah and King? |
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