Once Billy Graham was challenged when giving a message on the reality of God and His Son Jesus Christ; somebody said to him. “Hi, Billy, you talk very much about God as if He lives. He is dead. He has no more power in the affairs of men.” Billy Graham coolly replied “I do not know of His death. I spoke to Him this morning”
Of all of the mistakes, miscues, and blunders that Paul had to correct in the church at Corinth, the false doctrine mentioned in this chapter is the most deadly. Some Corinthian believers had come under the influence of philosophical intellectuals who cast doubt upon the literal fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The apostle Paul began counteracting this heresy by reviewing the essential elements of the Gospel they claim to have believed.
The Gospel is not subject to change
1 Corinthians 15:1 KJV
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
A. It is the same one they believed in the first place
Galatians 1:6–9 KJV
I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:
Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.
But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.
As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.
B. It is the same Gospel by which they stand before God forgiven
Romans 5:1–2 KJV
Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.
1 Corinthians 15:2 KJV
By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
The unchangeable elements of the Gospel
A. Christ died for our sins
1 Corinthians 15:3 KJV
For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
Isaiah 53:4–12 KJV
Surely he hath borne our griefs, And carried our sorrows: Yet we did esteem him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.
But he was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities: The chastisement of our peace was upon him; And with his stripes we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned every one to his own way; And the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, Yet he opened not his mouth: He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, And as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth.
He was taken from prison and from judgment: And who shall declare his generation? For he was cut off out of the land of the living: For the transgression of my people was he stricken.
And he made his grave with the wicked, And with the rich in his death; Because he had done no violence, Neither was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, He shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, And the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; For he shall bear their iniquities.
Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, And he shall divide the spoil with the strong; Because he hath poured out his soul unto death: And he was numbered with the transgressors; And he bare the sin of many, And made intercession for the transgressors.
1 Timothy 2:6 KJV
Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
2 Corinthians 5:21 KJV
For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
B. Christ was buried – He was literally dead
1 Corinthians 15:4 KJV
And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
Matthew 12:39–40 KJV
But he answered and said unto them, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonas:
For as Jonas was three days and three nights in the whale’s belly; so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
C. Christ rose again
Psalm 16:10 KJV
For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; Neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
Romans 6:3–4 KJV
Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?
Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
D. Christ was seen after His resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:5–8 KJV
And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.
After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles.
And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time.
1. By Cephas – Peter
2. By 500 witnesses
3. By James
4. By all the other apostles
5. By Paul
What if we had each person that witnessed the resurrected Lord come up here this morning and talk for 15 minutes giving a testimony to what they saw.
If we listened to the testimony of all the people that Jesus appeared to, we would be here all day, and all night, and Monday and Monday night and Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday and sometime early Friday morning they would just be wrapping up the testimony.
It would take over 128 strait hours just to hear, for 15 minutes each, the testimony of those that saw the Lord after he rose.
E. The Gospel is through God’s grace, not one’s merit
1 Corinthians 15:9–11 KJV
For I am the least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God.
But by the grace of God I am what I am: and his grace which was bestowed upon me was not in vain; but I laboured more abundantly than they all: yet not I, but the grace of God which was with me.
Therefore whether it were I or they, so we preach, and so ye believed.
1. Paul did not deserve salvation
2. Through God’s grace, Paul became a person
2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Centuries ago on the South Coast of China, high up on a hill overlooking the harbor of Macao, Portuguese settlers built an enormous cathedral.
They believed it would weather time, and they placed upon the front wall of this cathedral a massive bronze cross that stood high into the sky.
Not too many years later, a typhoon came and nature’s finger work swept away man’s handiwork. That entire cathedral was pushed down the hill and into the ocean as debris, except the front wall and that bronze cross that stood high.
Centuries later, there was a shipwreck out a little beyond that harbor. Some dies but a few lived. One of the men that was hanging onto wreckage from the ship, moving up and down in the crest of the ocean as the swells were moving, was disoriented, frightened. He didn’t know where land was. As he would come up on the swell, he’d spot that cross, tiny from that distance. His name was Sir John Bowring.
When he made it to land and lived to tell the story, he wrote this hymn:
In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.
The last stanza says:
When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me:
Lo! It glows with peace and joy.
John Bowring is telling us that we have a cross, we have an altar. And when all of life seems to crush in on top of us, we need to go back to the Cross and remember the empty tomb. Call to mind the fact that a Man is neither on the cross nor in the tomb, but He lives. He stands ready and able to give us victory through whatever we are going through at the time.
Come by grace to the Cross and say, “That is my sufficiency. That is my only hope.”
–Kenneth Osbeck, 101 Hymn Stories.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:19 PM November 3, 2022.
Five Smooth Stones (Sermon Kit) / 1 Samuel 17:1–11; 1 Peter 5:8
Death was handled differently in the ancient world. An archaeologist was digging in the Negev Desert in Israel and came upon a casket containing a mummy. After examining it, he called the curator of a prestigious natural history museum.
“I’ve just discovered a 3,000 year old mummy of a man who died of heart failure!” the excited scientist exclaimed.
To which the curator replied, “Bring him in. We’ll check it out.”
A week later, the amazed curator called the archaeologist. “You were right about the mummy’s age and cause of death. How in the world did you know?”
“Easy. There was a piece of paper in his hand that said, ‘10,000 Shekels on Goliath’.”
The story of David and Goliath is one of my favorite stories in the Bible. It shows that God can do anything with someone who will trust him to do so.
It’s a story about an unlikely hero named David, defeating a mighty giant and enemy named Goliath. But there is so much more to be learned from this story than a simple statement, “God is bigger than my giants.” While this is no doubt true, let’s unpack the whole story to see what we can learn.
As we kick off the series, first, we need to learn about the larger than life challenger, Goliath.
1 Samuel 17:1–3 KJV
Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Shochoh, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Shochoh and Azekah, in Ephes-dammim.
And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines.
And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them.
17:2 the valley of Elah This valley was in the Shephelah, the western foothills of Israel. It ran between Philistine territory in the west and Judah in the east. The Philistines were on the north side of the valley, and the Israelites on the south.1
1 Barry, J. D., Mangum, D., Brown, D. R., Heiser, M. S., Custis, M., Ritzema, E., Whitehead, M. M., Grigoni, M. R., & Bomar, D. (2012, 2016). Faithlife Study Bible (1 Sa 17:2). Lexham Press.
I Samuel to Esther Chapter 17
3. [In the middle of the broad open valley (v. 2) is a aeep trench (v. 3) with vertical sides, a valley within a valley: the sides and bed of the trench are strewn with water-worn pebbles. (Conder.)]
1 Samuel 17:4–7 KJV
And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span.
And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass.
And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders.
And the staff of his spear was like a weaver’s beam; and his spear’s head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him.
Goliath’s height is given in the text as about nine and a half feet. It is suspected that he is of the same stock as the Anakim, the giant inhabitants of the land that the Israelite armies were able to defeat in the conquest. The descendants of Anak are generally considered “giants,” though the description “gigantic” may be a more appropriate line of thinking. Champions of this size are not simply a figment of Israelite imagination or the result of embellished legends. The Egyptian letter on Papyrus Anastasi I (thirteenth century b.c.) describes fierce warriors in Canaan who are seven to nine feet tall. Additionally, two female skeletons about seven feet tall from the twelfth century have been found at Tell es-Sa’ideyeh in Transjordan.1
1 Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed., 1 Sa 17:4). InterVarsity Press.
Goliath’s armor. Goliath’s helmet was likely the typical Philistine feathered headdress known from Palestinian and Egyptian art. His body armor (“plaited cuirass”) was probably of a well-known Egyptian style of bronze scale armor that covered the entire body, weighing over 125 pounds. One of the best descriptions of scale armor comes from the Nuzi texts, where a mail coat was comprised of anywhere from seven hundred to over one thousand scales of varying sizes. These scales were sewn onto a jerkin of leather or cloth. The front and back were sewn together at the shoulders (with a space for the head) and probably reached to the knees. His greaves were probably made of molded bronze around the entire calf, padded inside with leather, a type known from Mycenaean Greece. His scimitar (niv: bronze javelin) was probably a heavy, curved, flat sword with a cutting edge on the outer side of the blade (see comment on Josh 8:18). His spear was something like a javelin, with an iron spear point that weighed over fifteen pounds. It may have been equipped with a ring for slinging, a type known both in contemporary Greece and Egypt. Although most of the weapons were made of bronze, the spear point was made of iron. Goliath’s shield was most likely a standing shield, which would have been larger that a round shield.1
1 Matthews, V. H., Chavalas, M. W., & Walton, J. H. (2000). The IVP Bible background commentary: Old Testament (electronic ed., 1 Sa 17:5–7). InterVarsity Press.
So the scene is set. Goliath, a seemingly unbeatable foe has a strategy that we have seen before.
1 Peter 5:8 KJV
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
2 Corinthians 2:11 KJV
Lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices.
The Enemy Will Question – Cause Doubt
1 Samuel 17:8 KJV
And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
You see there are many attributes we could probably name that are behind these words from Goliath. However, there’s one I think is most important in relation to our own battles with the enemy: doubt. And doubt is an age-old tactic used by the evil one in our lives today.
Have you ever struggled with doubt?
Hebrews 11:6 KJV
But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.
We believe on evidence. Now the most foolish part of many men’s doubts, is, that they do not doubt on evidence.
Mr. Fearing Comforted, Volume 5, Sermon #246 – Matthew 14:31
Charles Spurgeon
The reality is, we all have this natural tendency to doubt from time to time. And the devil, the evil one, is the king of doubts. He is constantly planting doubt in our heads that leads us to question God. Even all the way back in Genesis, the first book of the Bible, this is exactly how he operated.
Genesis 3:1 KJV
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
Here, the evil one asks a simple question that causes doubt to slip into the minds of Adam and Eve. He is in the business of distracting folks like you and me from the truth. Therefore, we need to be aware of the questions we may be confronted with.
In the case of Goliath, can’t you just see the Israelite heads dropping after this question? “He’s right, we are wasting our time. We can’t defeat him. We can’t fight against him.” But, do you want to hear something wild? I think the Israelites would be completely accurate in their assumptions. They are right! They can’t defeat Goliath on their own.
However, there will soon be a warrior who rolls up to the scene and doesn’t try to fight his enemy with his own strength. This is something we can’t miss. Some of us have allowed discouragement and doubt to slip in because we have the wrong perspective on our battle. The Bible makes it clear we were never meant to fight the enemy on our own. In fact, if we try to do it all on our own, we will fail.
Joshua 1:9 KJV
Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.
Interestingly enough, right after Goliath asks this question to the Israelite army, he makes a profound statement. He says, “I am the Philistine champion, but you are only the servants of Saul.”
The Enemy Will Condemn – Reproach
1 Samuel 17:8 (KJV)
And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.
Now, it’s clear, at least on paper, Goliath has the advantage. And therefore, he speaks with a tone of condemnation. He’s extremely confident going into this. However, there’s an important statement we can’t miss here, because it shows us a key tactic of the evil one in our lives as well. Goliath, when speaking about the Israelites, says, “you are only the servants of Saul.”
It was ancient custom for the king to allow other capable warriors to fight in his name… but the king was expected to step up if no one else could or would. Goliath was calling Saul out by name.
A few minutes ago, we spoke about doubt. But here, I want us to talk about trust. When we remove everything else, who do we trust? Who do we serve? Who do we look to? You see, it’s clear how prominent division is in our world. In fact, I would argue it is one of the most prominent tactics of the devil among God’s people. He will do whatever it takes to associate you with anyone but God. Some of us have associated ourselves with our denominational affiliation more so than our identity with Christ. Others of us are more inclined to look to a political leader than God Himself for our hope. And when we do, it only creates further division.
… it cannot be denied that the way of the cross is unpopular and that it brings a measure of reproach upon those who take it.
A. W. Tozer
The difference between the Israelite army and David, as we will see next week, is perspective on the situation. In our own lives, what kind of perspective do we have when we receive questions? When we hear a voice of condemnation, do we automatically just believe it to be true? If we claim to follow Jesus, that means we serve a risen Savior, One who is all-powerful. It’s important to remember this when we sense a false identity being thrown our way by the voice of condemnation.
The Enemy Will Strike Fear
1 Samuel 17:11 KJV
When Saul and all Israel heard those words of the Philistine, they were dismayed, and greatly afraid.
We already talked about how the devil wants to distract people like you and me from God. He will do whatever it takes to make that happen. One of his most prominent tactics, by using things like questions, doubts, and condemning words, is to strike fear.
1 John 4:17–19 KJV
Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.
We love him, because he first loved us.
2 Timothy 1:7 KJV
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
Fear will often try to keep us from stepping out in faith.
Matthew 14:24–28 KJV
But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary.
And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.
And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.
But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.
This story is one of Peter taking an action step of faith. There are four crucial words spoken by Jesus, however, prior to Peter taking his step: “Do not be afraid.” Peter seemed to have the confidence he needed because of the voice he chose to listen to and trust. That’s the question we must be confronted with today: which voice are we listening to in order to trust?
___
The early American Indians had a unique practice of training young braves.
On the night of a boy’s thirteenth birthday, after learning hunting, scouting, and fishing skills, he was put to one final test.
He was placed in a dense forest to spend the entire night alone.
Until then, he had never been away from the security of the family and tribe.
But on this night, he was blindfolded and taken several miles away.
When he took off the blindfold, he was in the middle of a thick woods, and he was terrified.
Every time a twig snapped, he visualized a wild animal ready to pounce.
After what seemed like an eternity, dawn broke and the first rays of sunlight entered the interior of the forest.
Looking around, the boy saw flowers, trees, and the outline of a path.
Then to his utter astonishment, he beheld the figure of a man standing just a few feet away, armed with bow and arrow.
It was his father.
He had been there all night long.
Conclusion
The word of God shows us consistently what God’s voice actually sounds like. That’s why it is so important to spend time reading and studying it. In fact, I’ve heard it said we must “soak and bathe in the word of God.”
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 10:54 AM November 3, 2022.
It’s a story about an unlikely hero named David, defeating a mighty giant and enemy named Goliath. But there is so much more to be learned from this story than a simple statement, “God is bigger than my giants.” While this is no doubt true, join us Sundays in November as we unpack the whole story to see what we can learn.
We are so excited to welcome 6 new people into membership! They will be professing their faith in Jesus through the ordinance of Baptism. Come celebrate God’s work of Grace with us!
Let me share this story to show you the position we have with the Lord in prayer. Billy Graham shares this story of an African mother who came to Christ and grew in her commitment and devotion to the Lord. She was a woman that prayed all the time and talked of her Jesus. As so often happens, however, this alienated her from her husband, and over the years he grew to despise and hate her new devotion to Christ. His anger and bitterness reached a climax when he decided to kill his wife, their two children and himself, unable to live in misery of conviction in his home. But he needed a motive to kill his family. So He decided that he would accuse her of stealing his precious keys – the keys on his chain were to the bank, the house, and the car. Early one afternoon he left his bank and headed for the Tavern. His route took him across a footbridge extended over the headwaters of the Nile River. He paused above the river and dropped the keys. He spent all afternoon drinking and carousing. Later that afternoon, his wife went to the fish market to buy the evening meal. She purchased a large Nile perch. As she was gutting the fish, to her astonishment, in it’s belly were her husband’s keys. She wondered how they could have gotten in the fish? What were the circumstances? She did not know; but she cleaned them up and hung them on the hook. Sufficiently drunk, the enraged African man came home that night and pounded open the front door shouting, “Woman, where are my keys?” Already in bed, she got up, picked them off the hook in the bedroom, and handed them to her husband. When he saw the keys, he was so shocked that by his own testimony he immediately became sober and was instantly on his knees sobbing, asked for forgiveness, and confessed Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. That African mother saved the life of her family because she understood her glorious position in prayer. Boldness before the Lord.
From a sermon by Tim Adams, Vision for Prayer, 12/1/2009
This is the last message in our “Discipleship 101” series. We have been looking at the zeal of the First Church at Jerusalem and have discovered several basic things the new believers did.
Acts 2:41–42 KJV
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
Once becoming born again, these new Christians immediately made that decision very public by becoming Baptized and then joining their local church. After that they continued steadfastly – or- persisted obstinately in doctrine, fellowship/ partnership/ breaking of bread/ Communion, and in prayers. Today we will discover what helped unlock the power of God that allowed that tiny band of believers to grow into a Force of belief that “turned the world upside down”. We will learn the power of Continued Prayer.
Continue Steadfastly In Prayer
A Greek-English Lexicon ????????????
????????????, Dor. ???????????? IG4(1).63.4 (Epid., ii B.C.):—persist obstinately in
• Waiting for the Promised Power of the Holy Spirit
Acts 1:14 (KJV)
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
• Latched on once they received it.
Acts 2:42 (KJV)
And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
• Leaders made it a priority.
Acts 6:4 (KJV)
But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
• Weathering the Storms
Romans 12:12 (KJV)
Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;
Continuing instant (????????????????). Compare Acts 1:14; 6:4. Rev., steadfastly for instant, which has lost its original sense of urgent (Latin, instare to press upon). Thus Latimer: “I preached at the instant request of a curate.” Compare A. V., Luke 7:4; Acts 26:7.
Vincent, M. R. (1887). Word studies in the New Testament (Vol. 3, p. 159). New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.
Let the kingdom be always before you, and believe steadfastly concerning the things that are invisible. Let nothing that is on this side the other world get within you. And, above all, look well to your own hearts and to the lusts thereof; for they are “deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked.” Set your faces like a flint; you have all power in heaven and earth on your side.
John Bunyan
Continue In Prayer With One Accord
Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
“The first rule of true prayer is to have heart and mind in the right mood for talking with God.”
John Calvin
• Bonding as a Body
Acts 2:46 (KJV)
And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
• Facing Adversity
Acts 4:23–31 (KJV)
And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
• Uniting In Power
Acts 5:12 (KJV)
And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon’s porch.
Tertullian was an author and apologist in the late second and early third centuries AD. He wrote over 31 works on theology after his conversion in his mid-thirties. Also: Quintas Septimius Florens Tertullianus; Quintus Septimius Florens Tertullian (African Church Father); Septimius Tertullianus; Tertullien
“One in mind and soul, we do not hesitate to share our earthly goods with one another. All things are common among us but our wives.”
Tertullian
Continue to Pray For One Another
• When Deliverance is Immediately Needed
Acts 12:1–5 (KJV)
Now about that time Herod the king stretched forth his hands to vex certain of the church.
And he killed James the brother of John with the sword.
And because he saw it pleased the Jews, he proceeded further to take Peter also. (Then were the days of unleavened bread.)
And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to keep him; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people.
Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him.
• For Boldness and Opportunity
Colossians 4:2–4 (KJV)
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:
That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.
Ephesians 6:18–19 (KJV)
Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;
And for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,
• For All Men -Especially Leaders
1 Timothy 2:1–2 KJV
I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
The New Testament Church was known as those that “turned the world upside down”. This power came because they were obstinately persistent in prayer. Do not discount our mid-week prayer service. The power of God is unleashed. Over and over our little band of prayer warriors have seen the hand of God in response to our corporate prayer… just like the early church did.
J. B. Phillips writes in the preface to The Young Church in Action, that one cannot spend several months in close study of this book, “without being profoundly stirred and, to be honest, disturbed. The reader is stirred,” he says, “because he is seeing Christianity, the real thing, in action for the first time in human history…Here we are seeing the Church in its first youth, valiant and unspoiled…a body of ordinary men and women joined in an unconquerable fellowship never before seen on earth.” But the reader is also disturbed, “for surely,” he adds, this “is the Church as it was meant to be. It is vigorous and flexible, for these are the days before it ever became fat and short of breath through prosperity, or muscle-bound by over organization. These men did not make acts of faith, they believed; they did not say their prayers, they prayed. They did not hold conferences on psychosomatic medicine, they simply healed the sick. By modern standards they may have been naïve, but perhaps because of their very simplicity, perhaps because of their readiness simply to believe, to obey, to give, to suffer, and, if necessary, to die, the Spirit of God found that he could work in them and through them, and so they turned the world upside down!
And that is Discipleship 101.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 2:31 PM October 13, 2022.
According to the first verse of the book of Ruth, the story took place during the time of the judges. That’s why Ruth comes right after the book called Judges in our Bibles. The time of the judges was a 400-year period after Israel entered the Promised Land under the leadership of Joshua and before there were any kings in Israel (roughly 1400 b.c. to 1000 b.c.).
Although some generations may be left out of the genealogy in Ruth 4:18–22, Boaz, who marries Ruth, is linked as a descendant from Rahab, the converted prostitute who lived when Israel first came into the Promised Land (Joshua 2:1, 3; 6:17, 23). We learn this from the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1:5. This signals to us that remarkable things are in the offing. Why would a prostitute and a Moabitess be mentioned back to back in the genealogy of Jesus? Why would they be mentioned at all? We are getting in at the ground level of something amazing.1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (pp. 21–22). Crossway.
God at Work in the Worst of Times
You can see from the last verse of the book of Judges what sort of period it was. Judges 21:25 says, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” It was a very dark time in Israel. The same gloomy pattern happened again and again: The people would sin, God would send enemies against them, the people would cry for help, and God would mercifully raise up a judge to deliver them (Judges 2:16–19).
From all outward appearances, God’s purposes for righteousness and glory in Israel were failing. But what the book of Ruth does for us is give us a glimpse into the hidden work of God during the worst of times.
Consider the last verse of Ruth (4:22). The child born to Ruth and Boaz during the period of the judges is Obed. Obed becomes the father of Jesse, and Jesse becomes the father of David who led Israel to her greatest heights of glory. One of the main messages of this little book is that God is at work in the worst of times.
Putting in Place the Ancestry of Christ
Even through the sins of his people, God plots for their glory. It was true at the national level. And we will see that it is true at the personal, family level too. God is at work in the worst of times. He is at work doing a thousand things no one can see but him. In the case of this story, God is at work preparing the way for Christ in a manner no one can see. The reason we know it is because the book ends by connecting Ruth and Boaz with David the king. The last words of the book are “Boaz fathered Obed, Obed fathered Jesse, and Jesse fathered David” (4:21–22).
Jesus identified himself as “the son of David” (Matthew 22:41–46). He forged a link straight from himself, over all the intervening generations, to David and Jesse and Obed and Ruth. Knowing how this book ends gives us a sense, as we begin, that nothing will be insignificant here. Huge things are at stake. God is putting in place the ancestry of Jesus the Messiah, whose kingdom will endure forever (Isaiah 9:7).1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (pp. 22–24). Crossway.
Caught In The Crossfire
Ruth 1:1–5 KJV
NOW it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Beth-lehem-judah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
And the name of the man was Elimelech, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Mahlon and Chilion, Ephrathites of Beth-lehem-judah. And they came into the country of Moab, and continued there.
And Elimelech Naomi’s husband died; and she was left, and her two sons.
And they took them wives of the women of Moab; the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth: and they dwelled there about ten years.
And Mahlon and Chilion died also both of them; and the woman was left of her two sons and her husband.
As a means to that end—and everything is a means to glorifying Christ—the book of Ruth reveals the hidden hand of God in the bitter experiences of his people. The point of this book is not just that God is preparing the way for the coming of the King of Glory, but that he is doing it in such a way that all of us should learn that the worst of times are not wasted. They are not wasted globally, historically, or personally.
When you think he is farthest from you, or has even turned against you, the truth is that as you cling to him, he is laying foundation stones of greater happiness in your life.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
What William Cowper says in these lines is a description of how God brings about the eternal salvation of his people. It’s the way he governs history, and it is the way he governs our lives. The book of Ruth is one of the most graphic stories of how God hides his smiling face behind a frowning providence.1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (pp. 24–25). Crossway
• This chapter is about a woman named Naomi – which meant Kind and Sweet.
• This was during the time of the Judges when God would use trials to get the Israelites to repent and turn to Him
Naomi knows who causes famines. God does. Perhaps she learned this from the Scriptures, which say in Leviticus 26:3–4, “If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase.” In other words, God rules the rain. When the rains are withheld, this is the hard hand of God.1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (pp. 25–26). Crossway.
• The man, Elimelech left the promised land to run to Moab because of a famine.
• There were several warnings not to be comfortable in the Pagan lands.
Judges 10:6 KJV
And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him.
• It is very possible that he was running from the chastisement that was supposed to get him closer to God.
“The efforts which we make to escape from our destiny only serve to lead us into it.”
The American essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote that in his book The Conduct of Life, and it’s just as true today as when the book was published back in 1860. Because God gave us freedom of choice, we can ignore the will of God, argue with it, disobey it, even fight against it. But in the end, the will of God shall prevail; because “the counsel of the Lord stands forever” (Ps. 33:11) and “He does according to His will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth” (Dan. 4:35, NKJV).1
1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Be Committed (p. 13). Victor Books.
• Elimelech’s decisions effected three people beside himself… his two sons and his wife Naomi.
Elimelech made the wrong decision when he decided to leave home. What made this decision so wrong?
He walked by sight and not by faith. Abraham made the same mistake when he encountered a famine in the land of promise (Gen. 12:10ff). Instead of waiting for God to tell him what to do next, he fled to Egypt and got into trouble. No matter how difficult our circumstances may be, the safest and best place is in the will of God.1
1 Wiersbe, W. W. (1993). Be Committed (p. 15). Victor Books.
• He died in the pagan land… the very fate he was trying to avoid in the promised land.
• The two sons married pagan wives and stayed another 10 years.
• The two sons died and left behind mom and their wives.
t is the message of the book of Ruth, as we will see, that all things mysteriously serve God’s good ends. Thousands of Christians who have walked through fire and have seen horrors embrace God’s control of all things as the comfort and hope of their lives. It is not comforting or hopeful in their pain to tell them that God is not in control. Giving Satan the decisive control or ascribing pain to chance is not true or helpful. When the world is crashing in, we need assurance that God reigns over it all.1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (p. 27). Crossway.
Nothing Left to Give
Ruth 1:6–13 KJV
Then she arose with her daughters in law, that she might return from the country of Moab: for she had heard in the country of Moab how that the LORD had visited his people in giving them bread.
Wherefore she went forth out of the place where she was, and her two daughters in law with her; and they went on the way to return unto the land of Judah.
And Naomi said unto her two daughters in law, Go, return each to her mother’s house: the LORD deal kindly with you, as ye have dealt with the dead, and with me.
The LORD grant you that ye may find rest, each of you in the house of her husband. Then she kissed them; and they lifted up their voice, and wept.
And they said unto her, Surely we will return with thee unto thy people.
And Naomi said, Turn again, my daughters: why will ye go with me? are there yet any more sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands?
Turn again, my daughters, go your way; for I am too old to have an husband. If I should say, I have hope, if I should have an husband also to night, and should also bear sons;
Would ye tarry for them till they were grown? would ye stay for them from having husbands? nay, my daughters; for it grieveth me much for your sakes that the hand of the LORD is gone out against me.
Deuteronomy 25:5 KJV
If brethren dwell together, and one of them die, and have no child, the wife of the dead shall not marry without unto a stranger: her husband’s brother shall go in unto her, and take her to him to wife, and perform the duty of an husband’s brother unto her.
• The Lord had visited the promised land giving them bread.
• Naomi was going back and intended to leave her daughters in law behind.
• They begged to come- Naomi thought this was yet another group of people depending on her and she had nothing to offer… nothing left
• Naomi had become so overwhelmed she lost sight of any positive news. She forgot about Boaz.
There’s a lesson here. When we have decided that God is against us, we usually exaggerate our hopelessness. We become so bitter we can’t see the rays of light peeping out around the clouds. It was God who broke the famine and opened the way home (1:6). It was God who preserved a kinsman to continue Naomi’s line (2:20). And it was God who constrains Ruth to stay with Naomi. But Naomi is so embittered by God’s hard providence that she doesn’t see his mercy at work in her life
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (p. 33). Crossway.
• Ruth had become a believer and wanted nothing in return but to love Naomi.
Ruth 1:16–18 KJV
And Ruth said, Intreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after thee: for whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou lodgest, I will lodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God:
Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried: the LORD do so to me, and more also, if ought but death part thee and me.
When she saw that she was stedfastly minded to go with her, then she left speaking unto her.
The more you ponder these words, the more amazing they become. Ruth’s commitment to her destitute mother-in-law is simply astonishing.
First, it means leaving her own family and land. Second, it means, as far as she knows, a life of widowhood and childlessness, because Naomi has no man to give her, and if she married a non-relative, Ruth’s commitment to Naomi’s family would be lost. Third, it means going to an unknown land with a new people and new customs and new language. Fourth, it was a commitment even more radical than marriage: “Where you die I will die, and there will I be buried” (1:17). In other words, she will never return home, not even if Naomi dies.
But the most amazing commitment of all is this: “Your God [will be] my God” (1:16). Naomi has just said in verse 13, “The hand of the Lord has gone out against me.” Naomi’s experience of God was bitterness. But in spite of this, Ruth forsakes her religious heritage and makes the God of Israel her God. Perhaps she had made that commitment years before, when her husband told her of the great love of God for Israel and his power at the Red Sea and his glorious purpose of peace and righteousness. Somehow or other, Ruth had come to trust in Naomi’s God in spite of Naomi’s bitter experiences.1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (pp. 34–35). Crossway.
Call Me Mara – Bitter
Ruth 1:19–22 KJV
So they two went until they came to Beth-lehem. And it came to pass, when they were come to Beth-lehem, that all the city was moved about them, and they said, Is this Naomi?
And she said unto them, Call me not Naomi, call me Mara: for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.
I went out full, and the LORD hath brought me home again empty: why then call ye me Naomi, seeing the LORD hath testified against me, and the Almighty hath afflicted me?
So Naomi returned, and Ruth the Moabitess, her daughter in law, with her, which returned out of the country of Moab: and they came to Beth-lehem in the beginning of barley harvest.
• Is this really Naomi? (What on earth happened to the kind sweetness?)
• The Almighty has dealt bitterly
• I went out full and returned empty.
• The Lord testified against me.
• Embittered Eyes Become Blind
• Naomi and Ruth Settled in Bethlehem
It was God who took away the famine and opened a way home. Naomi “had heard in the fields of Moab that the Lord had visited his people and given them food” (1:6). Just as surely as God brought the famine, God took it away. Naomi could see that. But she could not see all that God was doing. Later she will be able to look back, in the same way we can when we read the book a second time, and see the pointers of hope.
For example, notice the delicate touch of hope at the end of 1:22: “And they came to Bethlehem at the beginning of barley harvest.” If Naomi could only see what this is going to mean. The barley field is where Ruth will meet Boaz, her future husband.
Not only that, Naomi needs to open her eyes to Ruth. What a gift! What a blessing! Yet as she and Ruth stand before the people of Bethlehem, Naomi says in verse 21, “The Lord has brought me back empty.” Not so, Naomi! You are so weary with the night of adversity that you can’t see the dawn of rejoicing.1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (p. 39). Crossway.
On April 20, 2001, the Peruvian Air Force shot down a missionary plane, mistaking it for a drug courier. In the plane were the pilot Kevin Donaldson and a missionary family, Jim and Veronica Bowers and their two children, seven-month-old Charity and six-year-old Cory. Veronica had Charity in her lap sitting in the back of the Cessna 185. As the bullets sprayed the plane, one of them entered Veronica’s back and passed through her and into her daughter. Both died. The pilot, with shattered knees, crash-landed the plane in a river, and the other three survived.
Seven days later at the memorial service in Fruitport, Michigan, Jim Bowers gave his testimony and explained why the sovereignty of God in the deaths of his wife and daughter was the rock under his feet.
Most of all I want to thank God. He’s a sovereign God. I’m finding that out more now.… Some of you might ask, “Why thank God?” … Could this really be God’s plan for Roni and Charity; God’s plan for Cory and me and our family? I’d like to tell you why I believe so.
He goes on to give fifteen reasons. In that context, he says, “Roni and Charity were instantly killed by the same bullet. (Would you say that’s a stray bullet?) And it didn’t reach Kevin, who was right in front of Charity; it stayed in Charity. That was a sovereign bullet.”
But what about the Peruvian fighter pilots? Didn’t they have wills? Didn’t they make mistakes or, perhaps, even sin against an innocent missionary family? Jim Bowers said, “Those people who did that simply were used by God. Whether you want to believe it or not. I believe it. They were used by Him, by God, to accomplish His purpose in this, maybe similar to the Roman soldiers whom God used to put Christ on the cross.”
We will see from the story of Ruth and from the cross of Christ that in this life our hope in the next depends on God’s reign over all things. It may be hard to embrace when the pain is great, but far worse would be the weakness of God and his inability to stop the blowing of the wind and the flight of a bullet.1
1 Piper, J. (2010). A Sweet and Bitter Providence: Sex, Race, and the Sovereignty of God (pp. 27–29). Crossway.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 4:52 PM October 12, 2022.
Soul Winning: So Much More Than Evangelism / 2 Corinthians 5:11; Galatians 6:1; Jude 22–23
Don Richardson was a missionary to the cannibalistic, headhunting Sawi tribe of Irian Jaya, Indonesia. Try as he would, he could not find a way to make the people understand the gospel message, especially the significance of Christ’s atoning death on the cross.
Sawi villages were constantly fighting among themselves, and because treachery revenge, and murder were highly honored there seemed no hope of peace. The tribe, however, had a legendary custom that if one village gave a baby boy to another village, peace would prevail between the two villages as long as the child lived. The baby was called a “peace child”.
The missionary seized on that story as an analogy of the reconciling work of Christ. Christ, he said, is God’s divine Peace Child that He has offered to man, and because Christ lives eternally His peace will never end. That analogy was the key that unlocked the gospel for the Sawis. In a miraculous working of the Holy Spirit many of them believed in Christ, and a strong, evangelistic church soon developed – and peace came to the Sawis. Peace Child. (Glendale, Calif.:Regal, 1979)
This is soul winning, not because evangelism took place, but because the minds and hearts of a lost people were captured and persuaded to be receptive to the truth. Tonight is the last message in our series “Soul Winning: So Much More Than Evangelism”. Let us consider what we have learned over the last 8 weeks.
We discovered that the one place in the Bible that mentions winning souls was not directly talking about leading someone to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.
Proverbs 11:30 KJV
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; And he that winneth souls is wise.
We discovered that a soul is one’s heart and mind, and to “win” it is to grab hold of it, capture it. We learned that just grabbing a soul is not virtuous of itself. It has to be done as part of the fruit of the righteous.
We learned that the definition or indicator of this righteousness was not some man made external standard, but the fruit of a Spirit controlled heart.
James 3:13–18 KJV
Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom.
But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth.
This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish.
For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.
But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.
Since discovering these truths about what soul winning actually is, we went on to learn practically how to do it. We learned to Speak Graciously, Teach Meekly, Answer Softly, Live Peacefully, Love Truthfully, Communicate Sensitively and Reach Out Sympathetically. Tonight we will look at reaching people when the need is urgent and the stakes are especially high. We will learn how to Rescue Compassionately.
Make Your Case
2 Corinthians 5:11 KJV
Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men; but we are made manifest unto God; and I trust also are made manifest in your consciences.
• Based on what we know.
28.1 ???????a; ????a; ???????a; ??????a, ??? f: to possess information about—‘to know, to know about, to have knowledge of, to be acquainted with, acquaintance.’1
1 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 333). United Bible Societies.
The verb knowing here has the idea of experiencing or being aware of something. It is more than merely knowing about something. It includes an awareness of responsibility. Mft has “with the fear of the Lord before my mind,” while NAB reads “standing in awe of the Lord.”1
1 Omanson, R. L., & Ellington, J. (1993). A handbook on Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians (p. 98). United Bible Societies.
• Based on the terror of the Lord.
1. phobos (?????, 5401) first had the meaning of “flight,” that which is caused by being scared; then, “that which may cause flight,” (a) “fear, dread, terror,” always with this significance in the four Gospels; also e.g., in Acts 2:43; 19:17; 1 Cor. 2:3; 1 Tim. 5:20 (lit., “may have fear”); Heb. 2:15; 1 John 4:18; Rev. 11:11; 18:10, 151
1 Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, pp. 229–230). T. Nelson.
• Our accountability as believers
Acts 20:26–27 KJV
Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
• Compassion for the plight of the unbeliever
John 3:36 KJV
He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
• We Persuade – make our case
peitho (?????, 3982), “to persuade,” is rendered “agreed” in Acts 5:40, where the meaning is “they yielded to him.” See assure, believe, confident, friend, obey, persuade, trust, yield.1
1 Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 2, p. 20). T. Nelson.
Make Your Repairs
Galatians 6:1 KJV
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.
• If someone is overtaken=
“overtaken” in any trespass, Gal. 6:1, where the meaning is not that of detecting a person in the act, but of his being caught by the trespass, through his being off his guard.
1 W. E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, and William White Jr., Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Nashville, TN: T. Nelson, 1996), 454.
• You which are spiritual=
(and presumably that should be everyone’s goal)
The spiritual among the Galatians, namely, those who were still living their lives in dependence upon the Spirit, are exhorted to restore those Galatians who had abandoned that method for the one taught by the Judaizers.1
1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 165.
• Restore – Repair
The word restore is from katartiz? (?????????). This word has the following meanings: “to repair, to restore to a former good condition, to prepare, to fit out, to equip.” It is used of reconciling factions, of setting bones, of putting a dislocated limb into place, of mending nets, of manning a fleet, of supplying an army with provisions. It is used by Paul usually in a metaphorical sense of setting a person to rights, of bringing him into line. Those Galatians who had not abandoned their dependence upon the Holy Spirit, now are asked by Paul to set those Galatians right who had been seized unawares by sin because they had deprived themselves of the ministry of the Spirit.1
1 Kenneth S. Wuest, Wuest’s Word Studies from the Greek New Testament: For the English Reader, vol. 3 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1997), 165.
The following is from a sermon David Dykes, “How Should We Treat Someone Who Messed Up?” 8/11/2010
One of the most touching moments in NBA history took place in a 2003 playoff game between the Portland Trailblazers and the Dallas Mavericks. Actually, it happened before the game began.
Natalie Gilbert was a 13-year-old 8th grader who had won the chance to sing the national anthem a capella before the game. Even though she had been in bed all day with a flu, she was determined to do her best. She was obviously nervous, and a few lines into the song, Natalie forgot the words. She stood there embarrassed in the spotlight in front the crowd and a national television audience. It had to be the most agonizing moment in Natalie’s young life – and everyone there was embarrassed for her as well.
But after only a few seconds of uncomfortable silence, Maurice Cheeks, the Trailblazers head coach walked to Natalie’s side, put his arm around her and helped her with the words. They started singing together, and soon the entire crowd was singing the national anthem. His act of helping Natalie brought the entire crowd into the song. There was thunderous cheering when they all reached the words, “o’er the land of the free and the home of the brave!”
Natalie messed up, but fortunately there was someone there to help her recover, and she finished strong. Wouldn’t it be great if Christians would could come along side our brothers and sisters who have messed up and help them recover spiritually so they can finish strong?
Everybody messes up, even Christians. But we don’t have a very good reputation for how we treat them. Someone has said that “the Christian army is the only army that shoots its wounded.” When a Christian sins, and it becomes public knowledge, we often refer to them as “fallen.” They haven’t fallen from salvation, they’ve fallen down in their walk with God. But instead of extending a hand to help them up, many Christians react by kicking them when they’re down.
Make a Difference
With Compassion
Jude 22 KJV
And of some have compassion, making a difference:
????? or ?????; ?????, ??? n: to show kindness or concern for someone in serious need—‘to show mercy, to be merciful toward, to have mercy on, mercy.’
Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains. New York: United Bible Societies.
Because the words of the apostates were confusing, probably many believers were in doubt as to whether to follow them. Such persons, Jude wrote, should not be slandered or criticized. They should be dealt with in love and mercy—the same way in which the Lord dealt with them (cf. v. 21). They needed encouragement, not criticism. They needed to be built up, not torn down.
Pentecost, E. C. (1985). Jude. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 923). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
With a Sense of Urgency
Jude 23 KJV
and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire; hating even the garment spotted by the flesh.
And others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire” refers to sinners whom we consider hopeless. It seems impossible that they will ever be saved. And yet I have seen some of these folk come to know Christ by hearing God’s Word by radio. Jude admonishes us not to give them up—“others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire.” What a tremendous statement!
In Zechariah 3:2 we read this: “And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan; even the Lord that hath chosen Jerusalem rebuke thee: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?” When God intended to save Jerusalem, He said, “I am just taking a brand out of the fire.” Apparently there is no one who is beyond redemption, if they want to be saved.
McGee, J. V. (1997). Thru the Bible commentary (electronic ed., Vol. 5, p. 874). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
Conclusion:
So what have we learned? God is very much interested in us becoming soul winners. But the Biblical kind of soul winning is not just the ability to get someone to repeat a prayer or even just to get someone to genuine faith in Jesus as Savior. It is the skill, wisdom, and spirit control needed to grab a wayward heart and mind as redirect them to the glory of the Savior. The lost need to be won, and the believer needs to be won. May God give us the drive and discipline to be Soul Winners that are so much more than evangelists.
Exported from Logos Bible Software, 4:53 PM October 5, 2022.
