Revival and Revelation: Ezra 10
Second, we see the revelation the Lord gave through Ezra.
During this time, the Lord expanded the canon of Scripture. Ezra not only authored the book that bears his name, but also the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles. He most likely wrote or completed them after the captivity.
The genealogy we find in 1 Chronicles takes the line of Jehoichin several generations past the exile (1 Chr. 3). There are also references to what the Jews did after their return from captivity (1 Chr. 9; cf. Ezra and Nehemiah).
That they both had a common author can be seen by comparing the closing verses of 2 Chronicles with the opening verses of Ezra: they are virtually identical: “Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia – in order to fulfill the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah – the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia, so that he sent a proclamation throughout his kingdom, and also put it in writing, saying, ‘Thus says Cyrus king of Persia, “The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and He has appointed me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Whoever there is among you of all His people, may the LORD his God be with him, and let him go up!”’” (2 Chr. 36:22-23).
Ezra was also the scribe who collected all the existing books of Scripture and arranged them in their modern order (the Jewish order, not our English order).
The Lord was further establishing the foundation of His church not only through revival, but by adding to His holy Word – a foundation that would remain as long as heaven and the earth. He doesn’t always add to the canon of Scripture during revivals – certainly He doesn’t today since revelation has ceased – but He virtually always opens the eyes of His church to understand its meaning more accurately.
Now what is the Spirit teaching us through this passage?
He is teaching us first, that the Lord is willing and able to carry out His plan of redemption. It didn’t look as though the Jews would ever return to their land, but they did. It didn’t seem as though the Jews themselves would ever submit to God’s Law, but they did – God made sure that they would.
It may seem today as though the world will eventually put a stop to God’s work, but it won’t: God will preserve His church and us, and He will complete His purpose no matter how dark He allows things to get.
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Ministry Reflection - December 08, 2009
Revival and Revelation: Ezra 10
We read in Nehemiah that the people gathered to Ezra who read the book of the law from early morning until midday; and the people listened (Neh. 8:1-3).
In keeping with God’s Law, they kept the feast of Tabernacles such as it had not been kept since Joshua’s time (Neh. 8:13-17). They humbled themselves for their sins with fasting and sackcloth, separated themselves from foreigners, and confessed their sins (9:1-2).
At a critical crossroad in the history of redemption, the Lord revived and refreshed His church, as He had done before and would do again.
When the Lord intends to establish His church in a new direction, He gives them a larger measure of His Spirit to do this. We’ve seen that this is what He did when He brought His people into the land of Canaan and settled them there under Joshua.
This is what He would do when He established the Christian Church following Christ’s resurrection on the Day of Pentecost.
This is what He did during the time of the Reformation and Puritan Era.
This is also what He does periodically when His church begins to degenerate and the world gets the upper hand: He sends His Spirit to renew His church.
This is what He did now, as the clock of Daniel’s 70 weeks began to tick towards the Messiah’s coming.
One additional benefit of this revival was that He seems finally to have cured His people from intermarrying with the Gentiles.
We need to pray that the Lord would pour His Spirit out on His church today so that we too would put off all our worldliness and be the instruments through which He will spread His glory.
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We read in Nehemiah that the people gathered to Ezra who read the book of the law from early morning until midday; and the people listened (Neh. 8:1-3).
In keeping with God’s Law, they kept the feast of Tabernacles such as it had not been kept since Joshua’s time (Neh. 8:13-17). They humbled themselves for their sins with fasting and sackcloth, separated themselves from foreigners, and confessed their sins (9:1-2).
At a critical crossroad in the history of redemption, the Lord revived and refreshed His church, as He had done before and would do again.
When the Lord intends to establish His church in a new direction, He gives them a larger measure of His Spirit to do this. We’ve seen that this is what He did when He brought His people into the land of Canaan and settled them there under Joshua.
This is what He would do when He established the Christian Church following Christ’s resurrection on the Day of Pentecost.
This is what He did during the time of the Reformation and Puritan Era.
This is also what He does periodically when His church begins to degenerate and the world gets the upper hand: He sends His Spirit to renew His church.
This is what He did now, as the clock of Daniel’s 70 weeks began to tick towards the Messiah’s coming.
One additional benefit of this revival was that He seems finally to have cured His people from intermarrying with the Gentiles.
We need to pray that the Lord would pour His Spirit out on His church today so that we too would put off all our worldliness and be the instruments through which He will spread His glory.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Morning Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
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Ministry Reflection - December 07, 2009
Revival and Revelation: Ezra 10
At the start of this week, we see another way the Lord advanced His work: through revival and revelation.
Artaxerxes commissioned Ezra to return and establish order in Jerusalem; and so he did by setting his heart to proclaim and minister God’s Law. But what if he had done this, and the people hadn’t listened? Telling others what they need to do is one thing, getting them to do it is another. In this case, the Lord didn’t leave Ezra on his own: He poured His Spirit out on His people, and they responded in a righteous way. He also worked through Ezra further to establish the Scriptural foundation that would secure the church for ages to come.
We’ll consider the revival the Lord brought through Ezra’s ministry and how the Lord advanced His revelation through Ezra. First, we see the revival the Lord brought through Ezra’s ministry. It appears to have begun as the result of Ezra’s prayer. When Ezra came up from Babylon his heart was already revived and set on reforming the vice and corruption he found among the Jews. When he saw the sins the exiles had so soon fallen into – the same sins that brought about the captivity in the first place – he tore his clothes, pulled out some of his hair, and sat down appalled until evening (9:1-3).
When evening came, he fell on his knees, and in his anguish, stretched out his hands towards heaven (vv. 5-15); and the Lord heard his prayer. We know that revival is soverignly in God’s hands: we don’t make it happen through our prayers; but prayer is the means by which the Lord brings it, and stirring up our hearts is how He gets us to pray in a way He will hear: if we find our hearts are appalled at what we see going on in this nation, and we humble ourselves and earnestly seek the Lord, it may very well be that He is intending to send revival.
Even if He isn’t, it’s still something we must stir ourselves up to do.
In answer to his prayer, the Lord also revived His people and brought them to repentance. Consider: The congregation mourned over their sins: “Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly” (10:1).
They separated themselves from their foreign wives – which the Lord had specifically prohibited – and renewed their covenant with God: “Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, ‘We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law’” (Ezra 10:2-3).
They encouraged Ezra to lead them in this reformation and pledged their support: “‘Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act’” (v. 4). They called for an assembly of all the returned exiles at Jerusalem under penalty of excommunication if they failed to come: “They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles” (vv. 7-8).
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Go to Morning Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
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At the start of this week, we see another way the Lord advanced His work: through revival and revelation.
Artaxerxes commissioned Ezra to return and establish order in Jerusalem; and so he did by setting his heart to proclaim and minister God’s Law. But what if he had done this, and the people hadn’t listened? Telling others what they need to do is one thing, getting them to do it is another. In this case, the Lord didn’t leave Ezra on his own: He poured His Spirit out on His people, and they responded in a righteous way. He also worked through Ezra further to establish the Scriptural foundation that would secure the church for ages to come.
We’ll consider the revival the Lord brought through Ezra’s ministry and how the Lord advanced His revelation through Ezra. First, we see the revival the Lord brought through Ezra’s ministry. It appears to have begun as the result of Ezra’s prayer. When Ezra came up from Babylon his heart was already revived and set on reforming the vice and corruption he found among the Jews. When he saw the sins the exiles had so soon fallen into – the same sins that brought about the captivity in the first place – he tore his clothes, pulled out some of his hair, and sat down appalled until evening (9:1-3).
When evening came, he fell on his knees, and in his anguish, stretched out his hands towards heaven (vv. 5-15); and the Lord heard his prayer. We know that revival is soverignly in God’s hands: we don’t make it happen through our prayers; but prayer is the means by which the Lord brings it, and stirring up our hearts is how He gets us to pray in a way He will hear: if we find our hearts are appalled at what we see going on in this nation, and we humble ourselves and earnestly seek the Lord, it may very well be that He is intending to send revival.
Even if He isn’t, it’s still something we must stir ourselves up to do.
In answer to his prayer, the Lord also revived His people and brought them to repentance. Consider: The congregation mourned over their sins: “Now while Ezra was praying and making confession, weeping and prostrating himself before the house of God, a very large assembly, men, women and children, gathered to him from Israel; for the people wept bitterly” (10:1).
They separated themselves from their foreign wives – which the Lord had specifically prohibited – and renewed their covenant with God: “Shecaniah the son of Jehiel, one of the sons of Elam, said to Ezra, ‘We have been unfaithful to our God and have married foreign women from the peoples of the land; yet now there is hope for Israel in spite of this. So now let us make a covenant with our God to put away all the wives and their children, according to the counsel of my lord and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God; and let it be done according to the law’” (Ezra 10:2-3).
They encouraged Ezra to lead them in this reformation and pledged their support: “‘Arise! For this matter is your responsibility, but we will be with you; be courageous and act’” (v. 4). They called for an assembly of all the returned exiles at Jerusalem under penalty of excommunication if they failed to come: “They made a proclamation throughout Judah and Jerusalem to all the exiles, that they should assemble at Jerusalem, and that whoever would not come within three days, according to the counsel of the leaders and the elders, all his possessions should be forfeited and he himself excluded from the assembly of the exiles” (vv. 7-8).
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Ministry Reflection - December 06, 2009
Hindrances to Following Christ: Psalm 14:1-3
Second, the desire for the things of the world can keep you from following Christ. Jesus told His disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24). If you have a lot, or want a lot, it’s hard to follow Jesus, since this means you must be willing to part with whatever He says to follow Him. He may tell you to give it all up and go to the mission field; He may tell you to stay at home and use what you have to promote the Gospel here. The fear that we’ll lose what we have and won’t have enough to take care of ourselves at the end of our lives can keep us from following Christ.
What you need to do in this case is to trust Him. Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30). He says, “Do not worry . . . saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:31-33). He will take care of you if you trust and follow Him.
Third, the desire to fit in with the world can keep you from following Jesus. You’re afraid if you follow Jesus, you’ll be considered a freak, a religious fanatic. You won’t fit in; you’ll be an outcast at your school at your work. You won’t have any friends; or people will make fun of you.
This is true to some extent. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). John writes, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:11-13). If you follow Jesus, you will not fit in with the world; but remember two things: If you fit in with the world, it means your morals have already become corrupted by the company of the world: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33). If you fit in with the world, you will perish with the world: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Trust in the Lord and follow Him, and you won’t be destroyed with the world.
Finally, the fear of the world can keep you from following Christ. Following Christ makes you go against the current of the world and puts you at odds with them, as we’ve seen. Most who profess Christ aren’t willing to pay this price and have the world as their enemy. Most would not follow Athanasius who at times stood alone to defend the truth of the deity of Christ. But we have to be willing to pay this price, or we will not enter into heaven.
And so what should you do? As the hymn writer put it, “Fear Him, ye saints, and you will then have nothing else to fear” (“Through All the Changing Scenes of Life”). Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). You should be more afraid of God than of the world; one fear cures the other. And so fear the Lord and turn from your sins; trust in Jesus, follow Him, and you will be saved. Amen.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Evening Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
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Second, the desire for the things of the world can keep you from following Christ. Jesus told His disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matt. 19:24). If you have a lot, or want a lot, it’s hard to follow Jesus, since this means you must be willing to part with whatever He says to follow Him. He may tell you to give it all up and go to the mission field; He may tell you to stay at home and use what you have to promote the Gospel here. The fear that we’ll lose what we have and won’t have enough to take care of ourselves at the end of our lives can keep us from following Christ.
What you need to do in this case is to trust Him. Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children, for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life” (Luke 18:29-30). He says, “Do not worry . . . saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matt. 6:31-33). He will take care of you if you trust and follow Him.
Third, the desire to fit in with the world can keep you from following Jesus. You’re afraid if you follow Jesus, you’ll be considered a freak, a religious fanatic. You won’t fit in; you’ll be an outcast at your school at your work. You won’t have any friends; or people will make fun of you.
This is true to some extent. Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you” (John 15:18-19). John writes, “For this is the message which you have heard from the beginning, that we should love one another; not as Cain, who was of the evil one and slew his brother. And for what reason did he slay him? Because his deeds were evil, and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, brethren, if the world hates you” (1 John 3:11-13). If you follow Jesus, you will not fit in with the world; but remember two things: If you fit in with the world, it means your morals have already become corrupted by the company of the world: “Do not be deceived: ‘Bad company corrupts good morals’” (1 Cor. 15:33). If you fit in with the world, you will perish with the world: “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever” (1 John 2:15-17). Trust in the Lord and follow Him, and you won’t be destroyed with the world.
Finally, the fear of the world can keep you from following Christ. Following Christ makes you go against the current of the world and puts you at odds with them, as we’ve seen. Most who profess Christ aren’t willing to pay this price and have the world as their enemy. Most would not follow Athanasius who at times stood alone to defend the truth of the deity of Christ. But we have to be willing to pay this price, or we will not enter into heaven.
And so what should you do? As the hymn writer put it, “Fear Him, ye saints, and you will then have nothing else to fear” (“Through All the Changing Scenes of Life”). Jesus said, “Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28). You should be more afraid of God than of the world; one fear cures the other. And so fear the Lord and turn from your sins; trust in Jesus, follow Him, and you will be saved. Amen.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Evening Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
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Ministry Reflection - December 05, 2009
Hindrances to Following Christ: Psalm 14:1-3
Still others think they don’t need to trust and follow Jesus because they’re good enough without Him. Like the rich young ruler, they think they’ve kept the commandments. We haven’t done anything really bad, at least not when we compare ourselves with the Charles Mansons and Hitlers of the world. Maybe we’ve done a lot of good, helped other people, given money to the church. When we compare ourselves with those who made it to heaven, we don’t fall that short of their mark: We haven’t become drunk like Noah; we haven’t committed adultery and murder like David; we haven’t denied Christ like Peter; God will accept us.
Is that what you think? Do you think you’re good enough without Jesus? Why don’t you measure yourself by God’s standard and see? Have you loved God with all your heart? With all your mind, soul and strength? Have you loved your neighbor as yourself? Have you done these things even for one moment? Do you think that because somehow you’ve managed to avoid some of the more serious sins that God will accept you? What do you think God means when He says, “There is none righteous, not even one”? “There is none who does good, there is not even one?” (Rom. 3:10, 12). Don’t forget that Noah, David and Peter all repented, and trusted and followed Christ. You must do the same, or you will perish in your sins.
Still others believe that God is a God of love and would never send anyone to hell. They think hell doesn’t even exist. A God of love couldn’t create hell, and even if He did, He would never send anyone there. Even the devil and his fallen angels will be restored. God is love; it’s against His nature to punish anyone like that.
Again, I hope you’re not banking on this. Don’t you realize that the same Bible that tells you about heaven also warns you against hell? God tells us that He is intending to cast His greatest creation – Satan – and His fallen angels into hell, because they rebelled and sinned against Him: “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:41). He tells us that the majority of mankind will perish with them, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). Why do you believe that God will receive you into heaven when you don’t believe what He says about whom He will send to hell? You need to trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him, or you will perish.
If you’re holding back from trusting in Christ for any of these reasons, then consider: The God who exists will hold you accountable for your sins; He will condemn you for those sins if you are not forgiven; but He will save you if you trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and follow Him.
On the other hand, there are those of us who believe God exists, that we need Christ, and have already trusted Him, but we’re having a hard time following Him. What are some of the things that hinder us from following Christ? First, a weak faith can keep you from following Christ. Faith is what gives substance or reality to the invisible things we can’t see, such as God, Jesus Christ, heaven, hell, the Day of Judgment. When your faith is weak, these things don’t seem as real; and when they don’t seem real, they don’t affect your life as they should. When our grace is low and our corruption is high, we can even begin to think like an unbeliever. We begin to doubt whether God exists. We begin to prefer that there not be a God. We begin to live though God didn’t exist (Titus 1:16).
What you need is more grace, so you will have a stronger faith. You get this through reading the Word, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). By using the other means of grace: praise, prayer, fellowship and the Lord’s Supper. And by repenting of every sin that you’re aware of, since sin weakens the Spirit’s work in your heart. When you are filled with the Spirit, then you will follow Christ.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Evening Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
http://www.graceopmodesto.org
Still others think they don’t need to trust and follow Jesus because they’re good enough without Him. Like the rich young ruler, they think they’ve kept the commandments. We haven’t done anything really bad, at least not when we compare ourselves with the Charles Mansons and Hitlers of the world. Maybe we’ve done a lot of good, helped other people, given money to the church. When we compare ourselves with those who made it to heaven, we don’t fall that short of their mark: We haven’t become drunk like Noah; we haven’t committed adultery and murder like David; we haven’t denied Christ like Peter; God will accept us.
Is that what you think? Do you think you’re good enough without Jesus? Why don’t you measure yourself by God’s standard and see? Have you loved God with all your heart? With all your mind, soul and strength? Have you loved your neighbor as yourself? Have you done these things even for one moment? Do you think that because somehow you’ve managed to avoid some of the more serious sins that God will accept you? What do you think God means when He says, “There is none righteous, not even one”? “There is none who does good, there is not even one?” (Rom. 3:10, 12). Don’t forget that Noah, David and Peter all repented, and trusted and followed Christ. You must do the same, or you will perish in your sins.
Still others believe that God is a God of love and would never send anyone to hell. They think hell doesn’t even exist. A God of love couldn’t create hell, and even if He did, He would never send anyone there. Even the devil and his fallen angels will be restored. God is love; it’s against His nature to punish anyone like that.
Again, I hope you’re not banking on this. Don’t you realize that the same Bible that tells you about heaven also warns you against hell? God tells us that He is intending to cast His greatest creation – Satan – and His fallen angels into hell, because they rebelled and sinned against Him: “Then He will also say to those on His left, ‘Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels’” (Matt. 25:41). He tells us that the majority of mankind will perish with them, “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matt. 7:13-14). Why do you believe that God will receive you into heaven when you don’t believe what He says about whom He will send to hell? You need to trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him, or you will perish.
If you’re holding back from trusting in Christ for any of these reasons, then consider: The God who exists will hold you accountable for your sins; He will condemn you for those sins if you are not forgiven; but He will save you if you trust in Jesus Christ and follow Him. Trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, and follow Him.
On the other hand, there are those of us who believe God exists, that we need Christ, and have already trusted Him, but we’re having a hard time following Him. What are some of the things that hinder us from following Christ? First, a weak faith can keep you from following Christ. Faith is what gives substance or reality to the invisible things we can’t see, such as God, Jesus Christ, heaven, hell, the Day of Judgment. When your faith is weak, these things don’t seem as real; and when they don’t seem real, they don’t affect your life as they should. When our grace is low and our corruption is high, we can even begin to think like an unbeliever. We begin to doubt whether God exists. We begin to prefer that there not be a God. We begin to live though God didn’t exist (Titus 1:16).
What you need is more grace, so you will have a stronger faith. You get this through reading the Word, “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:17). By using the other means of grace: praise, prayer, fellowship and the Lord’s Supper. And by repenting of every sin that you’re aware of, since sin weakens the Spirit’s work in your heart. When you are filled with the Spirit, then you will follow Christ.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Evening Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
http://www.graceopmodesto.org
Ministry Reflection - December 04, 2009
Hindrances to Following Christ: Psalm 14:1-3
We’ve seen that to be saved, we must trust in Christ. We must do more than simply believe the facts. We must trust Him to save us. We’ve seen that trusting is not all there is to the Christian life: we must also follow Him. We are saved by grace through faith alone, but true saving faith is never alone. Faith without works is dead; and if all we have is a dead faith, we cannot enter at last into life. We must obey Jesus; we must follow Him. And we’ve looked at several reasons why we should trust and follow Him. Because we are indebted to Him: for making us, taking care of us, and providing His Son for us. Because He has the right to command us; and He does in fact command us to trust and follow Him. Because if we trust and follow Him, we will receive many blessings and avoid many dangers in this life. Because it is foolish to trade the few years we have in this life for the worthless things of the world in exchange for an eternity of perfect happiness in heaven. And because there is a day coming when we will have to account for all the sins we have committed, and the only way to be delivered from them is by trusting and following Christ.
By now, you should all be convinced that this is the right thing to do, but perhaps some of you still aren’t, while others of you struggle to follow Him. In the later reflections of this week, we’ll see some of the reasons why this might be the case and consider how to overcome these problems.
Many don’t begin to trust and follow Christ because they don’t believe they really need Him. Many believe that God doesn’t really exist. As our passage reminds us, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1). Of course, if God doesn’t exist, then there’s no judgment. If there’s no judgment, then there’s no hell to fear. And if there’s no hell, there’s no real need for a Savior. We can just live our lives as we please, without any concern for the consequences.
I hope no one here believes this is true; I hope none of our children here believe this. If there’s any one thing you can be absolutely certain of, it’s that the God of the Bible exists. There’s no other way to explain what we see and experience. There’s no other way to explain how you got here: You didn’t evolve from a single cell that just spontaneously generated. You didn’t come from apes. There is absolutely no evidence; there are no missing links; all those strange looking animals we should find in the fossil record between an ape and a man aren’t there; we find only the animals we see today – except those that have become extinct – and man. We also don’t see any new animals evolving.
There’s no other way to explain the laws we find in the Creation: of physics, of mathematics, of thought and reason. There’s no other way to explain your personality: a conscious, reasoning, purposeful being can’t come from rocks and dirt clods. The only things that can explain what we see is an infinitely wise and powerful designer: God. You know God exists; don’t use evolution as an excuse not to trust and follow Christ. You need to follow Him, or you will perish forever.
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Go to Evening Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
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We’ve seen that to be saved, we must trust in Christ. We must do more than simply believe the facts. We must trust Him to save us. We’ve seen that trusting is not all there is to the Christian life: we must also follow Him. We are saved by grace through faith alone, but true saving faith is never alone. Faith without works is dead; and if all we have is a dead faith, we cannot enter at last into life. We must obey Jesus; we must follow Him. And we’ve looked at several reasons why we should trust and follow Him. Because we are indebted to Him: for making us, taking care of us, and providing His Son for us. Because He has the right to command us; and He does in fact command us to trust and follow Him. Because if we trust and follow Him, we will receive many blessings and avoid many dangers in this life. Because it is foolish to trade the few years we have in this life for the worthless things of the world in exchange for an eternity of perfect happiness in heaven. And because there is a day coming when we will have to account for all the sins we have committed, and the only way to be delivered from them is by trusting and following Christ.
By now, you should all be convinced that this is the right thing to do, but perhaps some of you still aren’t, while others of you struggle to follow Him. In the later reflections of this week, we’ll see some of the reasons why this might be the case and consider how to overcome these problems.
Many don’t begin to trust and follow Christ because they don’t believe they really need Him. Many believe that God doesn’t really exist. As our passage reminds us, “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Ps. 14:1). Of course, if God doesn’t exist, then there’s no judgment. If there’s no judgment, then there’s no hell to fear. And if there’s no hell, there’s no real need for a Savior. We can just live our lives as we please, without any concern for the consequences.
I hope no one here believes this is true; I hope none of our children here believe this. If there’s any one thing you can be absolutely certain of, it’s that the God of the Bible exists. There’s no other way to explain what we see and experience. There’s no other way to explain how you got here: You didn’t evolve from a single cell that just spontaneously generated. You didn’t come from apes. There is absolutely no evidence; there are no missing links; all those strange looking animals we should find in the fossil record between an ape and a man aren’t there; we find only the animals we see today – except those that have become extinct – and man. We also don’t see any new animals evolving.
There’s no other way to explain the laws we find in the Creation: of physics, of mathematics, of thought and reason. There’s no other way to explain your personality: a conscious, reasoning, purposeful being can’t come from rocks and dirt clods. The only things that can explain what we see is an infinitely wise and powerful designer: God. You know God exists; don’t use evolution as an excuse not to trust and follow Christ. You need to follow Him, or you will perish forever.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Evening Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
http://www.graceopmodesto.org
Ministry Reflection - December 03, 2009
The Return: Ezra 1
As the Lord had originally brought His people and settled them in the land under Joshua, so He brought them in again to reestablish them to prepare for the coming of His Son. Now the Temple was ready to be filled again with God's glory, as the Lord said He would. "On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying, 'Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying, Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts. 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!' For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts. The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts" (Hag. 2:1-9). That glory would come in the person of Jesus Christ, "'Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,' says the LORD of hosts" (Mal. 3:1).
We should again be encouraged by these things that whatever the Lord has planned, He will do no matter what stands in His way. Babylon stood against Him – the city of man – but it could not prevail. He divided their languages, He humbled their king, and He overthrew them. We might have thought that the kings of Persia would have stood in their way as well, but they didn’t. The Lord turned their hearts to become His servants, and they actually promoted His work. No one can stop what God intends to do. The world may stand in the church’s way and threaten to destroy her, but they will not succeed – God’s work will go forward. The work move forward because Jesus is on the throne and He rules over all. He controls the heart of all men: they are in His hands. What we see happening now is all in His plan, every decision of our government – this doesn’t make what they’re doing right, but it reminds us that the Lord will use even their ungodly decisions to promote His work. And even though it may sometimes seem that the kingdom of darkness has the upper hand, it never does: the Lord is fully in control and He will bring about what He intends. If we could just apply this to all the situations we face, we would never need to worry or be afraid. The author to the Hebrews, seeking to encourage his Jewish-Christian audience not to abandon Christ because of the fear of Rome, writes, “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we may confidently say, ‘The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’” (13:5-6). Are you a believer and yet afraid this morning? Learn to trust in the Lord’s faithfulness; “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Gen. 18:25); He will do what He says. Are you not a believer and afraid not only of what might happen to you in this world, but also in the world to come? Then put your trust in the Lord now to save you; He will take away your fear, and give you the confidence you need to stand before Him on that great day. Amen.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Morning Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
http://www.graceopmodesto.org
As the Lord had originally brought His people and settled them in the land under Joshua, so He brought them in again to reestablish them to prepare for the coming of His Son. Now the Temple was ready to be filled again with God's glory, as the Lord said He would. "On the twenty-first of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came by Haggai the prophet saying, 'Speak now to Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people saying, Who is left among you who saw this temple in its former glory? And how do you see it now? Does it not seem to you like nothing in comparison? But now take courage, Zerubbabel,' declares the LORD, 'take courage also, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and all you people of the land take courage,' declares the LORD, 'and work; for I am with you,' declares the LORD of hosts. 'As for the promise which I made you when you came out of Egypt, My Spirit is abiding in your midst; do not fear!' For thus says the LORD of hosts, ‘Once more in a little while, I am going to shake the heavens and the earth, the sea also and the dry land. I will shake all the nations; and they will come with the wealth of all nations, and I will fill this house with glory,' says the LORD of hosts. The silver is Mine and the gold is Mine,’ declares the LORD of hosts. The latter glory of this house will be greater than the former,' says the LORD of hosts, 'and in this place I will give peace,' declares the LORD of hosts" (Hag. 2:1-9). That glory would come in the person of Jesus Christ, "'Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple; and the messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight, behold, He is coming,' says the LORD of hosts" (Mal. 3:1).
We should again be encouraged by these things that whatever the Lord has planned, He will do no matter what stands in His way. Babylon stood against Him – the city of man – but it could not prevail. He divided their languages, He humbled their king, and He overthrew them. We might have thought that the kings of Persia would have stood in their way as well, but they didn’t. The Lord turned their hearts to become His servants, and they actually promoted His work. No one can stop what God intends to do. The world may stand in the church’s way and threaten to destroy her, but they will not succeed – God’s work will go forward. The work move forward because Jesus is on the throne and He rules over all. He controls the heart of all men: they are in His hands. What we see happening now is all in His plan, every decision of our government – this doesn’t make what they’re doing right, but it reminds us that the Lord will use even their ungodly decisions to promote His work. And even though it may sometimes seem that the kingdom of darkness has the upper hand, it never does: the Lord is fully in control and He will bring about what He intends. If we could just apply this to all the situations we face, we would never need to worry or be afraid. The author to the Hebrews, seeking to encourage his Jewish-Christian audience not to abandon Christ because of the fear of Rome, writes, “He Himself has said, ‘I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you,’ so that we may confidently say, ‘The Lord is my Helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?’” (13:5-6). Are you a believer and yet afraid this morning? Learn to trust in the Lord’s faithfulness; “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” (Gen. 18:25); He will do what He says. Are you not a believer and afraid not only of what might happen to you in this world, but also in the world to come? Then put your trust in the Lord now to save you; He will take away your fear, and give you the confidence you need to stand before Him on that great day. Amen.
Click here to access audio, video and speaking notes
Go to Morning Service Blog for Order of Service and Video
Click Here for today's Bible in a Year reading in the NASB
http://www.graceopmodesto.org
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