7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:7-11
21 Therefore put away all filthiness and rampant wickedness and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
James 1:21-25
CONVICTION AND COMFORT
7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you. 8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:7-11
26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
John 14:26 (NIV)
26 But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,
John 14:26 (CSB)
26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
John 14:26 (KJV)
HOW DOES THE COMFORTER COMFORT US?
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: 9 concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; 10 concerning righteousness, because I go to the Father, and you will see me no longer; 11 concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.
John 16:7-11
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
Proverbs 3:5
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?
Jeremiah 17:9
Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.
Proverbs 28:26
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
MOVIE CLIP***
10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers[a] has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.
Revelation 12:10
8 And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment:
John 16:8
elegchō: declare (someone) to be guilty of a criminal offense by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge in a court of law.
“The Spirit is the ‘advocate’ or helper of those who believe in Jesus, their counsel for the defense. But in relation to unbelievers, to the godless world, he acts as counsel for the prosecution.”
F.F. Bruce
Before the convicting work of the Holy Spirit one may say, I make a lot of mistakes. Nobody’s perfect. After the convicting work of the Holy Spirit one may say, I’m a lost rebel, fighting against God and His law – I must rely on Jesus to get right with God.
David Guzik
13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth…
John 16:13
8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
1 Peter 5:8
The devil will sometimes come to men's souls as a false comforter.
Charles Spurgeon
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2 Samuel 11:1
“The Holy Spirit never comes merely to make us feel good; He comes to make us holy, and that requires conviction before comfort.”
A.W. Tozer
“When the Holy Spirit comes, He is like a refiner’s fire. He burns away the dross, but never destroys the gold; He convicts to cleanse, and cleanses to comfort.”
Charles Spurgeon
5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
2 Samuel 12:5-7
“When He rebukes, He wounds only to heal; when He pierces the conscience, it is to pour in the balm of comfort.”
John Chrysostom
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:25-26
“The idea of the Spirit held by the average church member is so vague as to be nearly nonexistent. When it is thought of at all, it is likely to be misunderstood as an influence or an impersonal power.”
A.W. Tozer
“From my perspective, the Holy Spirit is tragically neglected and, for all practical purposes, forgotten... while no evangelical would deny His existence, I'm willing to bet there are millions of churchgoers across America who cannot confidently say they have experienced His presence or action in their lives.”
Francis Chan
What do you believe concerning the “Holy Spirit”?
First, that the Spirit, with the Father and the Son, is eternal God. Second, that he is given also to me, so that, through true faith, he makes me share in Christ and all his benefits, comforts me, and will remain with me forever.
Heidelberg Catechism, Q.53
THE HOLY SPIRIT IS NOT A PAST/PRESENT POWER APPLIED TO A CHRISTIAN, HE’S THE PERSON OF GOD WHO HAS COME TO MAKE HIS HOME IN A RESURRECTED HEART.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:25-26
THE TEACHER
Teacher: someone who helps others learn, understand, and grow in knowledge, skills, character, or wisdom.
MATH EQAUTION PIC***
Teacher: someone who takes what is formless and void to the student, and brings order to the chaos through words.
25 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.
John 14:25-26
ONE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT’S PRIMARY ROLES IS TO PARTNER WITH GOD’S WORD TO CREATE ORDER.
Suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested[a] on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Acts 2:2-4
Modalism: a theological view that posits the Trinity is not three distinct persons within one Godhead, but rather one God who reveals Himself in different "modes" or “manifestations"
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN CREATION
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2 The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.
3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:1-3
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life,[a] and the life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
John 1:1-5
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN EZEKIEL
The hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me out in the Spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of the valley;[a] it was full of bones. 2 And he led me around among them, and behold, there were very many on the surface of the valley, and behold, they were very dry. 3 And he said to me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” And I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” 4 Then he said to me, “Prophesy over these bones, and say to them, O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. 5 Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath[b] to enter you, and you shall live. 6 And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord.”
7 So I prophesied as I was commanded. And as I prophesied, there was a sound, and behold, a rattling,[c] and the bones came together, bone to its bone. 8 And I looked, and behold, there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them. But there was no breath in them. 9 Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath; prophesy, son of man, and say to the breath, Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe on these slain, that they may live.” 10 So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived and stood on their feet, an exceedingly great army.
Ezekiel 37:1-10
THE HOLY SPIRIT IN JESUS
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, 33 and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”
34 And Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?”
35 And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.
Luke 1:31-35
GOD’S SPIRIT WORKS IN TANDEM WITH GOD’S WORD
TRY TO SEPARATE GOD’S SPIRIT FROM HIS WORD AND YOU WILL GET
WORSHIP THAT IS “WITHOUT FORM” (John 4)
22 You worship what you do not know;
John 4:22
They worshipped a God whom they did not really know. The
reason for this was their rejection of most of His revelation in
the Old Testament. On top of this, the Samaritans had added
pagan concepts to their faith, concepts that came from their
Gentile forefathers.
Dr. Thomas Constable
WORSHIP THAT IS “VOID” (Matthew 23)
2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice.
Matthew 23:2
“AM I GIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT THE WORD TO WORK WITH?”
LEARNING TO DWELL AND FEAST ON THE BIBLE IS THE START TO A SPIRIT-FILLED LIFE
“AM I GIVING THE HOLY SPIRIT ROOM TO WORK WITH THE WORD?”
DON’T READ ALONE. INVITE THE HELP OF THE TEACHER....
Open-mic testimony night about all God did at camp this summer! 🕊️
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. 5 So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them.
Ezekiel 34:1-6
Shepherd
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. 5 A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
John 10:1-6
Strangers, Sheep, and Shepherds
“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber.
John 10:1
A shepherd in scriptures represents any spiritual leader who is called to lead, feed, and care for God’s people.
John 10 is Jesus’ response to John 9 and the Man born Blind
34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
John 9:34
The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? 4 You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally.
Ezekiel 34:1-2, 4
A stranger is anyone who operates in spiritual authority over another person without going through Jesus, with Jesus, and like Jesus
The man who makes much of Christ is a pastor after God’s own heart, whom God delights to honor. The minister who makes little of Christ is the one whom God regards as an imposter—as one who has climbed up to his holy office not by the door, but by “some other way”
J.C. Ryle
Confidence in a stranger leads to REJECTION.
34 They answered him, “You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?” And they cast him out.
John 9:34
DO I EASILY FEEL REJECTED BY PEOPLE?
He that enjoys the favor of the Son of God will not tremble at the frown of the Sanhedrim.
Charles Spurgeon
2 The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”
John 10:2-5
A sheep is anyone who belongs to Jesus, listens to Jesus, and follows Jesus
Confidence in a sheep leads to PRIDE
18 Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture, that you must tread down with your feet the rest of your pasture; and to drink of clear water, that you must muddy the rest of the water with your feet? 19 And must my sheep eat what you have trodden with your feet, and drink what you have muddied with your feet?
20 “Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: Behold, I, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. 21 Because you push with side and shoulder, and thrust at all the weak with your horns, till you have scattered them abroad, 22 I will rescue[b] my flock; they shall no longer be a prey. And I will judge between sheep and sheep.
Ezekiel 34:18-22
A true shepherd is anyone who feeds, leads, and cares for the sheep
Confidence in Jesus leads to WORSHIP
· Jesus is a man (John 9:11).
· Jesus is a prophet (John 9:17).
· Jesus is my master, I am His disciple (John 9:27).
· Jesus is from God (John 9:33).
· Jesus is the Son of God (John 9:35-38).
· Jesus is who I trust (John 9:38).
· Jesus is who I worship (John 9:38).
24 So for the second time they called the man who had been blind and said to him, “Give glory to God. We know that this man is a sinner.”
John 9:24
38 He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.
John 9:38
Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”
John 18:37
The goodness of God is so boundless that no mind can grasp it, no tongue declare it. To know Him is to worship, for His attributes are not just mighty—they are lovely.
Ulrich Zwingli
The divine attributes are not separate parts of God; they are how He is. And this God—eternal, infinite, unchanging—is the most beautiful being that ever was or could be.
A.W. Tozer
God’s attributes are the beams of the sun of His nature. Is He wise? His wisdom draws admiration. Is He powerful? His power begets awe. Is He holy? His holiness evokes reverence. The perfection of all His attributes makes Him infinitely beautiful.
Thomas Watson
King
Authority: the power or right to give orders, make decisions, and enforce obedience.
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” 37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
John 18:33-38
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him. 2 And the soldiers twisted together a crown of thorns and put it on his head and arrayed him in a purple robe. 3 They came up to him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” and struck him with their hands. 4 Pilate went out again and said to them, “See, I am bringing him out to you that you may know that I find no guilt in him.” 5 So Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. Pilate said to them, “Behold the man!” 6 When the chief priests and the officers saw him, they cried out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews[a] answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” 11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.
John 19:1-11
‘Any one might make himself king by putting himself at the head of a band of rebels whom he fell in with.’
Josephus, 4 B.C.
These [rebels] were the only types who would be foolish enough to claim to be the King of the Jews in the face of Roman domination. Pilate had seen these kinds of men before, and knew Jesus was not like them.
David Guzik
When the kingship of Jesus is misunderstood:
Worldly Power is OVERestimated
Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and crucify him, for I find no guilt in him.” 7 The Jews[a] answered him, “We have a law, and according to that law he ought to die because he has made himself the Son of God.” 8 When Pilate heard this statement, he was even more afraid. 9 He entered his headquarters again and said to Jesus, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 So Pilate said to him, “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?”
John 19:6-10
The same man who claimed to have all power tried to wash his hands of the decision (Matthew 27:24) claiming, “I didn’t really want to do this.”
Guzik
God’s Power is UNDERestimated
11 Jesus answered him, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.
John 19:11
What happens when we understand Jesus is truly king?
We find true power in:
37 Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” 38 Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
John 18:33-38
36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
John 18:36
33 So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
John 18:33
Whose authority are you under?
"If Jesus is King, then there is no part of our lives—no politics, no finances, no relationships—that He does not claim with authority and grace."
Tim Keller
16 Moreover, I saw under the sun that in the place of justice, even there was wickedness, and in the place of righteousness, even there was wickedness. 17 I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for there is a time for every matter and for every work. 18 I said in my heart with regard to the children of man that God is testing them that they may see that they themselves are but beasts.
Ecclesiastes 3:16-18
18 No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John 1:18
This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.
Psalm 18:10
“The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he.
Deuteronomy 32:4
“God alone is good essentially. Other things are good by participation.”
Thomas Aquinas
It [John 8:1-11] was omitted because of a prudish fear that it would encourage adultery.
Thomas Aquinas
1 but Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2 Early in the morning he came again to the temple. All the people came to him, and he sat down and taught them. 3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground. 7 And as they continued to ask him, he stood up and said to them, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 And once more he bent down and wrote on the ground. 9 But when they heard it, they went away one by one, beginning with the older ones, and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
John 8:1-11
15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning,[d] when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone's will is to do God's[e] will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.
John 7:15-19
3 The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery, and placing her in the midst 4 they said to him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in the act of adultery. 5 Now in the Law, Moses commanded us to stone such women. So what do you say?” 6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.
John 8:3-6
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of[a] his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
Leviticus 20:10
Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.
John 7:24
You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
Matthew 7:5
6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him.
John 8:6
WHAT KIND OF JUDGE IS JESUS?
WILL JESUS JUDGE WITH THE LAW? (NO MERCY)
WILL JESUS THROW AWAY THE LAW? (NO MORALS)
JESUS’ JUDGEMENT IS NOT HARSH OR LENIENT; IT’S PERECT
“There is no mistake in God’s court. No flaw in His evidence, no error in His verdict, and no miscarriage in His sentence.”
Charles Spurgeon
6 This they said to test him, that they might have some charge to bring against him. Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger on the ground.
John 8:6
O Lord, the hope of Israel,
all who forsake you shall be put to shame;
those who turn away from you[c] shall be written in the earth,
for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.
Jeremiah 17:13
Their names shall be written in the earth. This is what I think He wrote, linking their names with sins of their past. Perhaps He wrote the name of a woman living in Rome. One old pious Pharisee had had an affair in Rome when he was a young fellow. His wife didn’t know about it; no one in Jerusalem knew about it; but our Lord knew that old rascal. AS He just wrote the name of the old woman, the old Pharisee came over and saw—and suddenly remembered that he had another appointment. Perhaps one of the scribes made regular trips to Ephesus, a great sinning place, to a certain address over there which Jesus wrote in the sand. The scrub looked and said, “Oh, my gracious!” He left hurriedly. Another scribe may have left a girl in Galilee who was pregnant. He didn’t marry her, and he didn’t think anyone knew. Our Lord wrote the name of the girl and the scribe’s name with it.
J. Vernon McGee
Secret sin on earth is open scandal in heaven.
J. Vernon McGee
9 What then? Are we Jews[a] any better off?[b] No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written: “None is righteous, no, not one; 11 no one understands; no one seeks for God.
Romans 3:9-11
10 Jesus stood up and said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11 She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you;
John 8:10-11
Is Jesus reversing the Mosaic system? No. He is placing His cross between that women and her sin.
“Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.”
John 8:11
...
When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, “Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, 2 since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. 3 And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. 4 I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. 5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.
John 17:1-5
Anyone who has fasted understands the lethargy and fatigue that the body feels. So too, with your spirit. If you fast from the bread of God, your spirit will become lethargic and sleepy.
Peter K. Louis
Social Schema: A mental framework that helps organize and interpret information. People use social schemas to interpret others based on past experiences and expectations.
A bio is basically answering the question, “Who is _______?”
FACES OF GOD
“We must not think of God as like ourselves. We are creatures; He is Creator.”
Athanasius of Alexandria
“Your thoughts of God are too human.”
Martin Luther
“What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us.”
J.I. Packer
WHAT IS GOD LIKE?
What do you get from a God who is a CREATOR first?
If God’s very identity is to be The Creator, The Ruler, then he needs a creation to rule in order to be who he is.
Michael Reeves
What do you get from a God who is a JUDGE first?
What do you get from a God who is a FRIEND first?
What do you get from a God who is a KING first?
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
Colossians 1:15
He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.
Hebrews 1:3
No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known.
John 1:18
25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.
John 17:25-26
“He became what we are so that He might make us what He is.”
Athanasius of Alexandria
Father: ~165+
My Father: ~40+
The Father: ~60+
Your Father (to disciples): ~20+
Abba, Father: 1
God: ~15-20
Lord of Heaven and Earth: 1
Holy Father: 1
Righteous Father: 1
Bar Graph Picture***
“If you want to judge how well a person understands Christianity, find out how much he makes of the thought of being God’s child and having God as his Father.”
J.I. Packer
If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:9-11
“God is not only a father but the best and kindest of all fathers.”
John Calvin
What do you get from a God who is first a FATHER?
14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons[f] of God. 15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!”
Romans 8:14-15
Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
Matthew 7:9-11
7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline? 8 If you are left without discipline, in which all have participated, then you are illegitimate children and not sons.
Hebrews 12:7-8
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are.
1 John 3:1
“God loves each of us as if there were only one of us.”
Augustine of Hippo
“The greatest sorrow and burden you can lay on the Father, the greatest unkindness you can do to Him, is not to believe that He loves you.”
John Owen
25 O righteous Father, even though the world does not know you, I know you, and these know that you have sent me. 26 I made known to them your name, and I will continue to make it known, that the love with which you have loved me may be in them, and I in them.”
John 17:25-26
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
Let Down - “I tried faith and it didn’t work.”
Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!
Psalms 34:8
After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing on the sick. 3 Jesus went up on the mountain, and there he sat down with his disciples. 4 Now the Passover, the feast of the Jews, was at hand. 5 Lifting up his eyes, then, and seeing that a large crowd was coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?” 6 He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he would do.
John 6:1-6
11 Jesus then took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated. So also the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 And when they had eaten their fill, he told his disciples, “Gather up the leftover fragments, that nothing may be lost.” 13 So they gathered them up and filled twelve baskets with fragments from the five barley loaves left by those who had eaten. 14 When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”
15 Perceiving then that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by himself.
John 6:11-15
24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus.
John 6:11-24
35 Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
John 6:35
41 So the Jews grumbled about him, because he said, “I am the bread that came down from heaven.” 42 They said, “Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? How does he now say, ‘I have come down from heaven’?”
John 6:41-42
52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. 54 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 Whoever feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him.
John 6:52-56
66 After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. 67 So Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?”
John 6:66-67
Jesus helps us ask better questions.
24 So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor his disciples, they themselves got into the boats and went to Capernaum, seeking Jesus. 25 When they found him on the other side of the sea, they said to him, “Rabbi, when did you come here?” 26 Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves.
John 6:11-24
Instead of asking “why did you leave Jesus?”, we need to be asking “why did you seek Jesus?”
Hope deferred makes the heart sick,
but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.
Proverbs 13:12
3 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound[a] teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, 4 and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. 5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
2 Timothy 4:1-5
False Gospels that will never meet our expectations
THE PRODIGAL SONS
29 but he answered his father, ‘Look, these many years I have served you, and I never disobeyed your command, yet you never gave me a young goat, that I might celebrate with my friends. 30 But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your property with prostitutes, you killed the fattened calf for him!’ 31 And he said to him, ‘Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours. 32 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this your brother was dead, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.’”
Luke 15:29-32
GOD DELUSION SLIDES
wk. 4 God is a good Creator and He loves His creation.
“1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.” Job 38:1-4
The BIGOT myth
“WHY WOULD A LOVING GOD TELL PEOPLE WHO THEY ARE REGARDLESS OF THEIR FEELINGS?”
#1 For God to tell people who they are is in conflict or contradiction with Him being loving
#2 Who he would tell you to be is not in agreement with how you feel
#3 By “denying” your feelings he does not care for you and is not the loving God he claims to be
#4 Feelings are the same as truth. So, in essence it is your truth being denied
God is a good Creator who does in fact love his creation
“3For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will reject truth and chase after myths.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4 NLT
“The death of truth in our society has created a moral decay in which every debate ends with the barroom question, ‘says who?’”-Gregory Kovel
The truth Christianity asserts:
“1 Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:2 “Who is this who darkens counsel by words without knowledge? 3 Now prepare yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer Me.4 Where were you when I laid the foundations of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding.
5 Who determined its measurements? Surely you know! Or who stretched the line upon it?
6 To what were its foundations fastened? Or who laid its cornerstone….
8 Or who shut in the sea with doors….10 When I fixed My limit for it, and set bars and doors; 11 When I said, ‘This far you may come, but no farther, and here your proud waves must stop!’
12 Have you commanded the morning since your days began, and caused the dawn to know its place….
19 Where is the way to the dwelling of light? And darkness where is its place,20 that you may take it to its territory, that you may know the paths to its home. 21 Do you know it because you were born then, or because the number of your days is great? .....25Who has divided a channel for the overflowing water, or a path for the thunderbolt….
36 Who has put wisdom in the mind? Or who has given understanding to the heart?....
39 Can you hunt the prey for the lion….41 Who provides food for the raven, when its young ones cry to God, and wander about for lack of food?” Job 38:1-41NKJV
“Do you still want to argue with the Almighty? You are God’s critic, but do you have the answers?” Job 40:2 NLT
When truth is led by feeling, the creation begins to argue with the Creator
“So, God created man in His own image; in the image of God, He created him; male and female He created them.” Genesis 1:27
“3 Then Job answered the LORD and said: 4 Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer You? I lay my hand over my mouth. 5 Once I have spoken, but I will not answer; yes twice, but I will proceed no further.” Job 40:3-5 NKJV
“8 Would you indeed annul My judgement? Would you condemn Me that you may be justified?” Job 40:8 NKJV
“9 What sorrow awaits those who argue with their Creator. Does a clay pot argue with its maker? Does the clay dispute with the one who shapes it, saying, ‘Stop, you’re doing it wrong!’ Does the pot exclaim, ‘How clumsy can you be?’ 10 How terrible it would be if a newborn baby said to its father, ‘Why was I born?’ or if it said to its mother, ‘Why did you make me this way?’11 This is what the LORD says-the Holy One of Isreal and your Creator: ‘Do you question what I do for my children? Do you give me orders about the work of my hands? 12 I am the one who made the earth and created people to live on it. With my hands I stretched out the heavens. All the stars at my command.” Isaiah 45:9-12 NLT
#1 God is Creator. We are created
“When we reject God as creator, we reject the God of the Bible and serve a God of our own imagination.”- David Guzik
#2 He is a good Creator
The familiar satanic lie:
God’s withholding from you (Gen 3:1)
What God said, that’s not really the truth (Gen 3:4)
God just is keeping you down from being who you were meant to be (Gen 3:5)
“God comes not to answer. God comes as the answer.”- Jon Courson
It returns created to Creator
He says:
“I am the potter; you are the clay” Isaiah 64:8
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born, I set you apart.” Jeremiah 1:5
“ ‘For I know the plans I have for you’, says the LORD. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.’” Jeremiah 29:11
God is a good Creator who loves his creation
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
Colossians 2:1-4
Blind Faith - “I only believe in what can be proved through evidence.”
“[Faith is] believing what you know ain’t so.”
Mark Twain
To move from religion to secularism is not so much a loss of faith as a shift into a new set of beliefs and into a new community of faith, one that draws lines between orthodoxy and heresy in different places.
Timothy Keller
Science by its very nature is not fit to investigate whether there is more to reality than the natural world.
C. Stephen Evans
Reason depends on the faith that our cognitive senses—eyes and ears, our minds and memories—are not tricking us. Yet there is no noncircular way to establish that. We cannot test their reliability without using and therefore assuming their reliability. To explain what Wittgenstien means, consider the movie The Matrix. Can you prove that you aren’t actually in a vat somewhere with plugs coming out of the back of your head feeding you an alternate reality? We cannot, then, prove these fundamental premises for the operation of reasoning. We take them on faith…
To state that there is no God or that there is a God, then, necessarily entails faith. And so the declaration that science is the only arbiter of truth is not itself a scientific finding. It is a belief.
Timothy Keller
Christianity birthed universities, preserved classical learning, and encouraged scientific inquiry
Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. 2 For by it the people of old received their commendation. 3 By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of things that are visible.
Hebrews 11:1-3
To the writer to the Hebrews faith is a hope that is absolutely certain that what it believes is true, and that what it expects will come. It is not the hope which looks forward with wistful longing; it is the hope which looks forward with utter certainty. It is not the hope which takes refuge in a perhaps; it is the hope which is founded on a conviction.
Barclay
17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, 18 of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 19 He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.
Hebrews 11:17-19
Logizomai [considered]: to reckon, count, compute, calculate, count over. (Where the word “LOGIC” comes from.)
And the Pharisees and Sadducees came, and to test him they asked him to show them a sign from heaven. 2 He answered them,[a] “When it is evening, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red.’ 3 And in the morning, ‘It will be stormy today, for the sky is red and threatening.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times. 4 An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah.” So he left them and departed.
Matthew 16:1-4
The evidence is there, examinable and understandable for those who are open to it and who welcome it. The issue in the knowledge of God is not intellect but receptivity.
Hagner
Miracles will give confirmation where there is faith, but not where there is willful unbelief.
Wiersbe
1. Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus
2. Manuscript and Textual Reliability of the Bible
3. Fulfilled Prophecy
4. Philosophical and Moral Arguments for God’s Existence
5. Experiential and Transformational Evidence
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.
Colossians 2:1-4
Faith does not contradict reason, though it may go beyond reason. One may objectively prove the Bible is the most unique book ever published and has impacted society more than any other book. But only faith can prove that the Bible is the Word of God. Therefore, this is a belief beyond reason but not in contradiction to reason or against reason.
David Guzik
Even in times when it seems God expects a faith that contradicts reason, closer examination reveals He does not. For example, it might seem contrary to reason for God to expect Abraham to believe that Sarah’s dead womb could bring forth a child. But it is not unreasonable to believe that the God who created life and the womb could do this, and that He would do it according to His promise.
David Guzik
14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?[c] And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
Romans 10:14-17
6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and th...
Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.
Luke 12:2
Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, 15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,
1 Peter 3:14-15
HYPOCRISY - “Isn’t Christianity just full of hypocrites?”
HYPOCRISY IN THE CHURCH AND IT’S EFFECT
“How many people are radically and permanently repelled from The Way by Christians who are unfeeling, stiff, unapproachable, boringly lifeless, obsessive, and dissatisfied? Spirituality wrongly understood or pursued is a major source of human misery and rebellion against God.”
Dallas Willard
“The perception and reality of hypocrisy remain among the most significant barriers to evangelism and credibility in the modern age.”
Pew Research (2023):
Only 31% of U.S. adults now identify as Protestant (down from 51% in 2007).
One key reason cited: “Christians don’t act like Jesus.”
Barna Group (2019):
85% of non-Christians in the U.S. see Christians as “hypocritical.”
Among Millennials (Christian or not), 66% say churchgoers are “more judgmental than loving.”
Lifeway Research (2019):
66% of church-going teens stop attending church regularly in their twenties.
Top reason: “Church members appear judgmental or hypocritical.”
Edelman Trust Barometer (2022):
Trust in religious institutions is lower than in tech companies or NGOs globally.
Many still seek spirituality but avoid institutional religion due to perceived hypocrisy.
Pew (2021):
29% of U.S. adults now identify as religious “nones” (atheist, agnostic, or “nothing in particular”).
13 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.
Matthew 5:13
17 But in the following instructions I do not commend you, because when you come together it is not for the better but for the worse.
1 Corinthians 11:17
7 WOES / CONTEXT OF THE PHARISEES
No passage in the Bible is more biting, more pointed, and more severe than this pronouncement of Christ upon the Pharisees. The pharisees, while attempting to honor the Word of God and manifesting extreme form of religious observance, were actually the farthest from God.
Walvoord
Converting the Church - Church of the City NY
Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do. For they preach, but do not practice. 4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,[a] and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others. For they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, 6 and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues 7 and greetings in the marketplaces and being called rabbi[b] by others. 8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.[c] 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. 11 The greatest among you shall be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:1-12
HYPOCRISY FROM THE PLATFORM
26 “Today I am giving you a choice. You may choose the blessing or the curse. 27 You will get the blessing if you listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God that I have told you today. 28 But you will get the curse if you refuse to listen and obey the commands of the Lord your God. So don’t stop living the way I command you today, and don’t follow other gods that you don’t know.
Deuteronomy 11:26-28
4 They tie up heavy burdens, hard to bear,[a] and lay them on people's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to move them with their finger. 5 They do all their deeds to be seen by others.
Matthew 23:4-5
Majoring over minors
28 Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor's headquarters.[f] It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor's headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover.
John 18:28
Seeking honor of man vs. approval of God
“Honor is like a shadow, which flees from those that pursue it, and grasps at it, but follows those that flee from it.”
Henry
12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
Matthew 23:12
“They will be better through me.” - The Pharisees
HYPOCRISY FROM THE PEW
8 But you are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher, and you are all brothers.[c] 9 And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ.
Matthew 23:8-10
The perversity of the religious leaders of Israel does not excuse the people of Israel. They were guilty of willfully following blind guides.
Toussaint
“I will be better through them.” - The Israelites
HYPOCRISY FROM THE STREET
Whoever…
Matthew 23:12
FUNDAMENTAL ATTRIBUTION ERROR
“I will be better apart from them.” - The World
NO ONE IS SAFE (NONE ARE GO...
1 Corinthians 1:17-25
NATIONAL DAY OF PRAYER SLIDE***
Corporate Cry: “God we need you to move in our midst to see people AWAKEN WITH HOPE, LIVE IN GRACE, and REST ON FAITH.”
GOD DELUSION
30 “‘No, father Abraham,’ he said, ‘but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
31 “He said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’”
Luke 16:30-31
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
Romans 1:16
15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…
1 Peter 3:15
22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
1 Corinthians 1:17-25
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel…
Romans 1:16
“ISN’T RELIGION OUTDATED?”
“Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that; I’m right and will be proved right. We’re [the Beatles] more popular than Jesus now—I don’t know which will go first, rock and roll or Christianity.”
John Lennon
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 16:18
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
1 Timothy4:3-4
THE “GOSPEL” OF TECHNOLOGY
THE “GOSPEL” OF SCIENCE
One day, students in one of Albert Einstein’s classes were saying they had decided that there was no God. Einstein asked them, how much of all the knowledge in the world they had amongst themselves collectively, as a class. The students discussed it for a while and decided they had 5% of all human knowledge amongst themselves. Einstein thought that their estimate was a little generous, but he replied: “Is it possible that God exists in the 95% that you don’t know?”
THE “GOSPEL” OF PERSONAL FREEDOM
21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.
Romans 1:21-23
THE TRUTH IS WE ARE NOT GETTING BETTER OVER TIME
The record of personal achievements and spiritual milestones he attained while still in his childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood is int itself remarkable. He began devouring Puritan classics at the age of five or six years old. He was strikingly converted when he was only fifteen, began to preach regularly when he was sixteen, and took his first pastorate in a country village at just seventeen. He received a call to pastor perhaps the most prominent Baptist church in London when only nineteen years old, and by the time he reached the age of twenty, he had already preached over 600 sermons. The first biography of Suprgeon, written by an American, appeared when he was only twenty-one years old. By his mid twenties, he was pastoring the largeset church in the entire protestant world.
Alex DiPrima
THE TRUTH IS BELIEF IN GOD IS GROWING; NOT DECLINING
Barna's latest study shows that 66% of U.S. adults now say they have made a personal commitment to Jesus that is still important in their life today. That marks a 12-point increase since 2021, when the number reached its lowest level in more than 30 years of Barna tracking.
“Undeniably, there is renewed interest in Jesus,” said David Kinnaman, CEO of Barna. “This is the clearest trend we’ve seen in more than a decade pointing to spiritual renewal.”
The growth has been especially concentrated among Gen Z and millennials. Gen Z men reported a 15-point increase in personal commitment to Jesus between 2019 and 2025. Millennial men reported a 19-point increase over the same period.
Barna Research Group
WHY?
THREE THINGS THAT WILL NEVER GO AWAY OVER TIME:
10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.
Ecclesiastes 3:10-11
11 And every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when Christ[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, 13 waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. 14 For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.
Hebrews 10:11-14
“Then He said to Abram: “Know certainly that your descendants will be strangers in a land that
is not theirs, and will serve them, and they will afflict them four hundred years. And also the
nation whom they serve I will judge; afterward they shall come out with great possessions. Now
as for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried at a good old age. But in
the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.
””
Genesis 15:13-16 NKJV
In the crucible of hardship is the beginning of forming the nation
The moments of hardship bring with them blessings that are set to grow us to the next level of
our faith - if we see it.
“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because
you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work
so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, you
should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But
when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of
the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. That person should not expect to receive anything from
the Lord. Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. Believers in humble
circumstances ought to take pride in their high position. For the sun rises with scorching heat
and withers the plant; its blossom falls and its beauty is destroyed. In the same way, the rich will
fade away even while they go about their business. Blessed is the one who perseveres under
trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has
promised to those who love him.
”
James 1:2-9, 11-12 NIV
Perseverance = To remain under
“Now all the people witnessed the thunderings, the lightning flashes, the sound of the trumpet,
and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood afar off. Then
they said to Moses,
“You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we
die.
””
Exodus 20:18-19 NKJV
“In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various
ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all
things, and through whom also he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God’s glory
and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he
had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven. So he
became as much superior to the angels as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs.
”Hebrews 1:1-4 NIV
““Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. Make this tabernacle
and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
”
Exodus 25:8-9 NIV
“The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of
the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
”
John 1:14 NIV
God did not wait for them to get to the promised land before He made a way
to be in fellowship with them
God will not be worshipped in the same way as pagan gods are worshipped. He provides for
them a way of worship that is different, specific and unique.
The Tabernacle and all its artifacts are a representation of Jesus foreshadowing what was to
come.
The Most Holy Place
The Ten Commandments -
““Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish
them but to fulfill them.
”
Matthew 5:17 NIV
The Mana -
“Jesus said to them,
“Very truly I tell you, it is not Moses who has given you the bread from
heaven, but it is my Father who gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is
the bread that comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.
””
John 6:32-33 NIV
“I am the bread of life. Your ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, yet they died. But here
is the bread that comes down from heaven, which anyone may eat and not die. I am the living
bread that came down from heaven. Whoever eats this bread will live forever. This bread is my
flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
””
John 6:48-51 NIV
Aaron’s Rod that budded -
“So the Lord said to Aaron,
“You and your sons and your father’s house with you shall bear
iniquity connected with the sanctuary, and you and your sons with you shall bear iniquity
connected with your priesthood.
”
Numbers 18:1 ESV“All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord
has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
”
Isaiah 53:6 ESV
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18
23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint and dill and cumin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faithfulness. These you ought to have done, without neglecting the others.
Matthew 23:23
GOD WILL SHOW MERCY
Therefore the LORD waits to be gracious to you,
and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.
For the LORD is a God of justice;
blessed are all those who wait for him.
Isaiah 30:18
And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness 2 for forty days, being tempted by the devil.
Luke 4:1-2
"Misinterpretations of our Redeemer's delays are the occasion of a great deal of wickedness. Our Lord Jesus has gone up into the mount of glory, where he is appearing in the presence of God for us, but out of our sight; the heavens must contain him, must conceal him, that we may live by faith. Weariness in waiting betrays us to a great many temptations."
Henry
How we act in the wilderness is not the exception; its the rule (its who we really are)
Certain of God’s people are in trouble and distress, and they are eager for immediate rescue. They cannot wait God’s time, nor exercise submission to his will. He will surely deliver them in due season; but they cannot tarry till the hour cometh; like children, they snatch at unripe fruit. ‘To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven’; but their one season is the present; they cannot, they will not wait. They must have their desire instantaneously fulfilled, or else they are ready to take wrong means of attaining it. If in poverty, they are in haste to be rich; and they shall not long be innocent. If under reproach, their heart ferments towards revenge. They would sooner rush under the guidance of Satan into some questionable policy, than in childlike simplicity trust in the Lord and do good. It must not be so with you, my brethren, you must learn a better way.
Charles Spurgeon
HOW WILL YOU WAIT FOR GOD?
IN VIEW OF HIS ABSENCE
“Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20 and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21 But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.
Luke 24:19-21
32 They said to each other, “Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?”
Luke 24:32
God’s absence might be a lack of feeling or understanding; but it is never a true absence. God is always there.
IN VIEW OF OUR SIN
Like a dog that returns to his vomit
is a fool who repeats his folly.
Proverbs 26:11
God’s absence might be due to our pursuit of sin; but it does not stop Him from pursuing us.
HOW DID MOSES WAIT FOR GOD?
IN VIEW OF GOD’S MERCY
11 But Moses implored the Lord his God and said, “O Lord, why does your wrath burn hot against your people, whom you have brought out of the land of Egypt with great power and with a mighty hand? 12 Why should the Egyptians say, ‘With evil intent did he bring them out, to kill them in the mountains and to consume them from the face of the earth’? Turn from your burning anger and relent from this disaster against your people. 13 Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, your servants, to whom you swore by your own self, and said to them, ‘I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven, and all this land that I have promised I will give to your offspring, and they shall inherit it forever.’” 14 And the Lord relented from the disaster that he had spoken of bringing on his people.
Exodus 32:11-14
11 But Moses implored the Lord…
Exodus 32:11
ḥālâ — to become weak; to groan
26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. 27 And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because[g] the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.
Romans 8:26-27
HOW DOES JESUS WAIT?
25 Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost[a] those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.
Hebrews 7:25
JESUS MAKES INTERCESSION FOR US
The son’s intercession does not reflect the coolness of the Father, but the sheer warmth of the Son. Christ does not intercede because the Father’s heart is tepid toward us but because the Son’s heart is so full toward us. But the Father’s own deepest delight is to say yes to the Son’s pleading on our behalf.
Dane C. Ortlund
[teaching text]
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.”
Exodus 19:4-6
If Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.
1 Corinthians 15:14
GOD WILL INSTRUCT
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.
Exodus 19:4
4 ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine; 6 and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
Exodus 19:4-6
Too many people read the law of Moses thinking that it shows how they can be accepted by God. They get it the wrong way around. The people of Israel were redeemed by God, then they were given the law to keep as an expression of gratitude. This principle is the same in the New Testament: Christians are redeemed and then told how to live holy lives.
David Pawson
I appeal to you therefore, brothers,[a] by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.
Romans 12:1
"It is extremely important to remember that the Law of Moses was given to a redeemed people, not to redeem a people."
Ibid
Being a Christian isn’t a spectrum; it’s a position.
Purpose of the Mosaic Covenant
“5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant,”
“you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine;”
and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
“Suppose that a father tells his son that, if he does his chores faithfully, he will reward him with a bicycle at Christmastime. The son is already a member of the family, so doing his chores faithfully has nothing to do with becoming a member of the family. It is simply a way by which the son can enjoy blessing in the family. Similarly, God told His children, the Israelites, that if they carried out the responsibilities that He was laying on them, they could enjoy blessings from His hand.”
Thomas Watson
8 All the people answered together and said, “All that the Lord has spoken we will do.”
Exodus 19:8
Man naturally believes in, and depends on, himself. And he must learn, at bitter cost often, of his own helplessness.
Newell
Israel’s utter failure
When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron and said to him, “Up, make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.” 2 So Aaron said to them, “Take off the rings of gold that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me.” 3 So all the people took off the rings of gold that were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 And he received the gold from their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool and made a golden[a] calf. And they said, “These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!” 5 When Aaron saw this, he built an altar before it. And Aaron made a proclamation and said, “Tomorrow shall be a feast to the Lord.” 6 And they rose up early the next day and offered burnt offerings and brought peace offerings. And the people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.
Exodus 32:1-6
We are naive as Christians if we think that our thinking is not shaped by the cultural currents that surround us.
Carl R. Truman
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 17:20
12 Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing, 15 that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, 16 holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.
Philippians 2:12-16
1 Corinthians 10:1-11
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.
John 5:39-40
Exodus: exit, way out, or departure
God will redeem
God will provide
1. What does God naturally do?
2. What do humans naturally do?
3. What needs to change?
What Does God Naturally Do?
For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[a] 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.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
10 When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Exodus 14:10-12
Red Sea Map Pic***
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.
Exodus 14:21-22
11 And the Lord said to Moses, 12 “I have heard the grumbling of the people of Israel. Say to them, ‘At twilight you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread. Then you shall know that I am the Lord your God.’”
Exodus 16:11-12
During the Yom Kippur war of 1973 the Egyptian army was unable to last more than three days in the desert, yet in Exodus 2.5 million people survived there for 40 years.
David Pawson
Taking care of life is not something God does, it is in His nature
They believed that God providing a way out is something He COULD do; not something HE DOES DO.
32 “If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. 33 And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. 34 And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. 35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.
Luke 6:32-35
For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers,[a] 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.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
What Do Humans Naturally Do?
5 Nevertheless, with most of them God was not pleased, for they were overthrown[b] 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[c] 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.
1 Corinthians 10:1-4
Murmur (gongyzō): to say anything against in a low tone; of those who confer secretly together
In general, you might say you’d submit to anything, but what if it’s something specific that really challenges you? Then it’s like, “Anything but that.” We usually think any situation is better than the one God has given us, and that’s not true contentment.
Jeremiah Burroughs
13 No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.
1 Corinthians 10:13
What Needs To Change?
25 “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?[g] 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.
Matthew 6:25-34
33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,
Matthew 6:33
Being content because of something external is like warming your clothes by the fire. But being content because of your soul’s disposition is like your clothes being warmed by your body’s natural heat.
Jeremiah Burroughs
31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.
“40 Now the sojourn of the children of Israel who lived in Egypt was 430 years. 41 And it came to pass at the end of the 430 years-on that very same day-it came to pass that all the armies of the Lord went out from the Land of Egypt.” Exodus 12:40-41
the great escape of Exodus was not a random event, but a prophetic declarative promise for our own salvation
“12 But the more they (Egyptians) afflicted them, the more they (Israelites) multiplied and grew”. Exodus 1:12
Moses was born in a time when the powers at be (Pharaoh) tried to extinguish God’s promised people by killing every male infant (Exodus 1:15)
Like Moses, Jesus was born in a time when the powers at be (King Herod) tried to extinguish the promised messiah by killing every male infant (Matthew 2:13-16)
“11Now it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out to his brethren and looked at their burdens. And he saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew, one of his brethren. 12 So he looked this way and that way and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand.” Exodus 2:11-12
“24 By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 25 choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin, 26 esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt; for he looked to the reward.” Hebrews 11:24-26
Who being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death-even death on a cross!” Phil 2:6-8
“Moses tried to do the Lord’s work in man’s wisdom and power and it didn’t work”- David Guzik
“23Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren, the children of Israel. 24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong he defended and avenged him who was oppressed, and struck down the Egyptian. 25 For he supposed that his brethren would have understood that God would deliver them by his hand, but they did not understand.” Acts 7:23-25
“In Egypt, Moses learned to be somebody; In Midian, Moses learned to be nobody”- David Guzik.
“23Now it happened in the process of time that the king of Egypt died. Then the children of Israel groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage. 24 So God heard their groaning, and God remembered His covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob. 25 And God acknowledged them.” Exodus 2:23-25
“6Moreover He said, ‘I am the God of your father-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God. 7 And the Lord said: ‘I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows. 8 So I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up from that land to a good and large land, to a land flowing with milk and honey…9 Now therefore, behold, the cry of the children of Israel has come to Me, and I have also seen the oppression with which the Egyptians oppress them.10 Come now, therefore, and I will send you to Pharaoh that you may bring My people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt.’” Exodus 3:6-10
“1Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.’ 2 And God spoke to Moses and said to him: ‘I am the LORD. 3 I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name LORD I was not known to them….6 Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the LORD; I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, I will rescue you from their bondage, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments. 7 I will take you as My people and I will be your God. Then you shall know that I am the LORD your God who brings you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.’” Exodus 6:1-2,6-7
“Outstretched arms” means God’s sovereign involvement to bring a complete deliverance and redemption
“The plagues God brought against Egypt has a definite strategy and purpose. Each of them confronts and attacks a prized Egyptian deity. Not only did they bring punishment against Egypt, the plagues also answered Pharaoh’s original question: Who is the Lord, that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? God used this series of plagues to glorify Himself (especially above the gods, of the Egyptians) and to give Pharaoh a chance to repent.”- David Guzik
“An inscription by a Pharaoh on an ancient Egyptian temple gives the idea: ‘I am that which was, and is, and shall be, and no man has lifted my veil’. Pharaoh believed himself to be more than a man he considered himself a god, and the Egyptians agreed.”- David Guzik
“ ‘I am the Alpha and the Omega’, says the Lord God, ‘who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty.’” Rev 1:8
PLAGUES vs EGYPTAIN GODS
1)Water turned to blood - Hapi (God of Nile)
2)Frogs from the Nile - Heket (goddess of fertility; head of frog)
3)Lice from dust of earth - Geb (god over dust of the earth)
4)Swarms of flies - Khepri (god of creation; head of fly)
5)Death of cattle and livestock - Hathor (goddess of love; head of cow)
6)Ashes turned to boils and sores - Isis (goddess of medicine and peace)
7)Hail rained down in form of fire - Nut (goddess of the sky)
8)Locusts sent from the sky - Seth (god of storms and disorder)
9)3 days of complete/felt darkness - Ra (the sun god)
10)death of the firstborn - Pharaoh (ultimate power of Egypt)
“Pharaoh is grieved at the consequences of sin, but not sin itself”- David Guzik
In this Passover, “The blood of the lamb was essential to what God required. If an Israelite home didn’t believe in the power of the blood of the lamb, they could sacrifice the lamb and eat it, but they would still be visited by judgement. If an Egyptian home did believe in the power of the blood of the lamb, and made a proper Passover sacrifice, they would be spared the judgement. An intellectual agreement with what God said about the blood was not enough; they actually had to do what God said must be done with the blood.” -David Guzik
“God was manifest in the flesh…” 1 Tim 3:16
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, so that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have everlasting life” John 3:16
“40...
Teaching Text: Matthew 22:34-40 NRSVUE,”34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together, 35 and one of them, an expert in the law, asked him a question to test him. 36 “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” 37 He said to him, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the greatest and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Altar - a table for making sacrifices or offerings to God.
OUR ALTAR IS A SIGNAL THAT SAYS LORD WE WANT YOU HERE.
When we choose to encounter God this is where God’s will begins to come alive in our lives.
WHAT DOES GOD WANT FOR YOUR CITY FROM YOU?
REVIVAL - an instance of something becoming important again.
IT FIRST MUST START WITH YOU AND GOD.
1 Corinthians 1:26-31 NRSVUE,”26 Consider your own call, brothers and sisters: not many of you were wise by human standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, things that are not, to abolish things that are, 29 so that no one might boast in the presence of God. 30 In contrast, God is why you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 in order that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
We are partners with God in revival.
1 Corinthians 13 NRSVUE “If I speak in the tongues of humans and of angels but do not have love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and if I have all faith so as to remove mountains but do not have love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all my possessions and if I hand over my body so that I may boasta] but do not have love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient; love is kind; love is not envious or boastful or arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable; it keeps no record of wrongs; 6 it does not rejoice in wrongdoing but rejoices in the truth. 7 It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.””
Aim to love EVERY PERSON you encounter to make use of EVERY OPPURTUNITY we have.
Matthew 5:43-48 NRSVUE,”43 You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be children of your Father in heaven, for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers and sisters, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the gentiles do the same? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
“There are rare Christians whose very presence incites others to be better Christians. I want to be that rare Christian.” - A.W.Tozer
Get broken for your city through reading about Jesus’s way in Gods word.
Luke 23:34 NSRVUE,”34 Then Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots to divide his clothing. 35 And the people stood by watching, but the leaders scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Messiah of God, his chosen one!” 36 The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine 37 and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” 38 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.” 39 One of the criminals who were hanged there kept degrading him and saying, “Are you not the Messiah? Save yourself and us!” 40 But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? 41 And we indeed have been condemned justly, for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.” 43 He replied, “Truly I tell you, today you will be with me in paradise.””
We must AIM FOR RENEWAL not just for ourselves but for all people by TENDING THE FLAME SPIRIT WITHIN US and BURNING FOR REVIVAL and LIVING LIKE JESUS so that ALL PEOPLE KNOW THE LOVE OF GOD.
2. BURN FOR REVIVAL
Habakkuk 3:2,”O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy.”
The ______________ lasted from 1906-1915 and began with a small prayer meeting that erupted into a powerful outpouring of the Holy Spirit, marked by speaking in tongues, healings, and spontaneous worship. It was a powerful demonstration of unity, breaking down racial, social, and denominational barriers. The revival welcomed people from diverse racial backgrounds—African Americans, whites, Latinos, and Asians—worshiping together. This unity was groundbreaking during a time of racial tension, social issues, and political divide in America. The revival emphasized that all believers were equal before God, focusing on the shared experience of the Holy Spirit. Its legacy continues to inspire unity within many other movements, promoting inclusivity and oneness among Christians across cultural and social divides.
”O Lord, I have heard of your renown, and I stand in awe, O Lord, of your work. In our own time revive it; in our own time make it known; in wrath may you remember mercy.”
ALTARS Wk3
Altar of The Church 🪨
[Teaching Text]
'And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by people, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I am laying in Zion a choice stone, a precious cornerstone, And the one who believes in Him will not be put to shame .”
1 Peter 2:4-6
ALTAR OF THE CHURCH
'you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 1 Peter 2:5
TEAR DOWN
BUILD UP
TEND
“Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord handed them over to Midian for seven years.” Judges 6:1
24. ’Then Gideon built an altar there to the Lord and named it The Lord is Peace. To this day it is still in Ophrah of the Abiezrites. Now on the same night the Lord said to him, “Take your father’s bull and a second bull seven years old, and tear down the altar of Baal which belongs to your father, and cut down the Asherah that is beside it, and build an altar to the Lord your God on the top of this stronghold in an orderly way, and take a second bull and offer a burnt offering with the wood of the Asherah which you shall cut down.” Then Gideon took ten men from his servants and did as the Lord had spoken to him; and because he was too afraid of his father’s household and the men of the city to do it by day, he did it by night. ‘ Judges 6:24-27
OBEDIENCE is ESSENTIAL to growth.
ALTAR #1 - PREFERENCES
Matthew 24:35 'Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.’
ALTAR #2 - PROGRAMS
They stopped “Keeping the Main thing the Main thing”
A cornerstone, in construction, is the main stone used to build a building's FOUNDATION and ALIGNMENT. It was usually the largest and most solid stone in the entire building.
JOYFUL REPENTANCE & REMEMBRANCE
'Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord; '
Acts 3:19
'Therefore let’s approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace for help at the time of our need.'
Hebrews 4:16
“A lack of repentance is the first sign of a heart growing cold to God” J.C. Ryle.
'“Only be careful for yourself and watch over your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things which your eyes have seen and they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life; but make them known to your sons and your grandsons. '
Deuteronomy 4:9
TEND
Tend - regularly or frequently behave in a particular way or have a certain characteristic.
The SECRET PLACE is how we TEND to the fires of our hearts.
'The fire on the altar must be kept burning; it must not go out. Every morning the priest is to add firewood and arrange the burnt offering on the fire and burn the fat of the fellowship offerings on it. The fire must be kept burning on the altar continuously; it must not go out. '
Leviticus 6:12-13
