I've been praying and thinking about deleting this blog for a while know, and I believe that's what I should do. As you have all probably noticed I haven't posted anything in months due to lack of time. I will continue to blog on Revitalize Our Youth, but as for this one...I think it's high time to get rid of it. Thanks to you all for reading what I've posted on here. I appreciate it.
God bless and take care!
Saturday, July 7, 2007
Monday, April 9, 2007
Humility, Worship, and Our Advesary the Devil (Part 2) (Sunday Evening 3-25-07)
Resisting the devil starts with humility (a deep sense of my littleness and God's greatness).
When you resist pride you are resisting the devils foothold in your life. The two most pointed passages about believers and pride also include a warning about spiritual warfare? Both James 4 and this passage in Peter, cite the devil and his constant warfare against us in the context of pride.
Pride opens the door of our lives to the devouring influence of Satan.
That is the warning we see in God's Word, and what does God say is our protection from being devoured? HUMILITY! Check out James 4.
James 4:4-10 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Humility not only closes the door to the prowling devil, it opens the door to worship. Nothing is more powerful about humility than the increased freedom in worship.
The conclusion of God's Word says all of us born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ be doing what one thing forever around God’s Throne? Yes, endlessly offering humbly-adoring, reverently-lifted worship!
Humility is the most prominent feature of Heaven from our perspective as believers. Every believer we see in Heaven is constantly doing one thing over and over—falling on their faces before an Awesome God who alone is the One to be worship-worthy, adoration-receiving, and humility-receiving.
Remember how Paul described true believers as humble-worshipers? Those two, humility and worship seem to be tied. Check out Philippians 3:3.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
Worship flows from a humble heart. Paul said that worship flows from the life emptied of selfishness and pride. When we are liberated from the tyranny of our own self-driven agenda and onto Christ's we find worship rising from our lives.
So Paul is here giving us a …
Lesson in Godly Humility
Humility is “the virtue by which a man becomes conscious of his own unworthiness” so said
Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote that grand hymn “Jesus the Very Thought of Thee”.
Humility begins with an honest, unadorned, unretouched view of oneself. The first thing the honest person sees in them self is sin, and therefore one of the surest marks of true humility is systematic confession of sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9).
“We are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves,” Paul says; “but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).
It is not only unspiritual but unwise to judge ourselves by comparison with others. We often exaggerate our own good qualities and minimize the good qualities of others. Humility takes off our rose–colored glasses and allows us to see ourselves as we really are.
Second, humility CONTINUES WITH Christ–awareness.
Humility opens our eyes to see Christ clearly; but pride fogs and obscures the Glory of Christ.
Pride compares self with others and feels better; humility compares self to Christ as like Job, Isaiah, Peter, and John falls at Christ's feet as unclean and melting away before His Glory and Majesty.
Humility sees Jesus as the only standard by which righteousness and anything that pleases God can be judged. Humility sees God’s goal for us is “to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6), and then confesses that only Jesus Christ walked in perfection. Only of Jesus has God ever said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well–pleased” (Matt. 3:17), and so only in Jesus can we be pleasing to God.
Our business success, fame, education, wealth, personality, good works, or anything else we are or have in ourselves only hinders our access with God.
Approaching God with the attitude of the humbled tax–collector, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner,” brings God’s immediate and loving response. “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:13–14).
Third, humility ENDS IN God–awareness.
Our ultimate and eternal goal is to “worship God in the Spirit” (Phil. 3:3) as Paul says. This involves “rejoicing in Christ Jesus” and His Cross. But the starting place is ever and always “having no confidence in the flesh”. We neither please God by our own works, nor serve Him by them. Only humble and Spirit-energized ministry and Spirit-energized worship is accepted.
So the more we see the Lord as Isaiah saw Him, “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted” the more we want to join in the cries of the seraphim, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory,” and then, we will become aware with Isaiah of our utter unworthiness. Then our humble worship begins as his began with the confession, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:1, 3, 5). [1]
So how do we start? We begin the earnest pursuit of humility, energized by the Spirit, and always remembering the Cross of Jesus. Here are a few areas we can begin:
Growing True Humility:
WE MUST FOCUS OUR LIVES AWAY FROM SELF:
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (KJV)
The first step we must take to experience godly humility is to turn our eyes off ourselves and to look to God. We can do this each time we stop our self-driven lives and pause to study His Word. We can do this as we jump off the treadmill and learn to humbly seek His face in prayer. We humble ourselves when we sincerely desire to be near Him and please Him, all of these choices move us toward humility, the admission that we are poor in spirit.
As we grow in God's Word and stay in the shadow of the Cross, the Spirit opens through the Scriptures a vision of the infinitely Holy God in all His sinless purity and perfection—then we can see ourselves as sinners by contrast. To seek humility, we do not look at ourselves to find the faults, but at God Almighty to behold His perfection.
WE MUST DENY OUR OWN UNGODLY, WORLDLY LUST FOR PRIDE:
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (KJV)
Secondly, we must starve the flesh by removing the things on which it feeds. The essence of the fleshly nature is pride, and to starve the flesh is to remove and avoid those things that promote pride.
Rather than looking for praise, compliments, and popularity, we should we be wary of them. Yet because our human sinfulness has a way of turning even the best intentions to its advantage, we need to be careful not to make an issue of avoiding praise and recognition.
The evil is not in being given praise but in seeking it and glorying in it. When, without having sought it, we are praised or honored, to ungraciously reject the recognition may be an act of pride rather than of humility.
WE MUST REQUEST CHRIST TO CLOTHE US OVER AND OVER WITH HIS HUMILITY:
1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (KJV)
The third principle in coming to humility is asking God for it. Humility, like every other good gift, comes only from God. Also as with every other good thing, He is more willing to give it than we are to ask for it, and He stands ready to give it long before we ask for it[2].
Remember the atmosphere of Heaven is always servant-hearted, submission-prompted, humility-clothed worship.
Seeing God’s glory always makes God’s servants want to get into as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
When you resist pride you are resisting the devils foothold in your life. The two most pointed passages about believers and pride also include a warning about spiritual warfare? Both James 4 and this passage in Peter, cite the devil and his constant warfare against us in the context of pride.
Pride opens the door of our lives to the devouring influence of Satan.
That is the warning we see in God's Word, and what does God say is our protection from being devoured? HUMILITY! Check out James 4.
James 4:4-10 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. 5 Or do you think that the Scripture says in vain, "The Spirit who dwells in us yearns jealously”? 6 But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 7 Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.8 Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.9 Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom.10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and He will lift you up.
Humility not only closes the door to the prowling devil, it opens the door to worship. Nothing is more powerful about humility than the increased freedom in worship.
The conclusion of God's Word says all of us born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ be doing what one thing forever around God’s Throne? Yes, endlessly offering humbly-adoring, reverently-lifted worship!
Humility is the most prominent feature of Heaven from our perspective as believers. Every believer we see in Heaven is constantly doing one thing over and over—falling on their faces before an Awesome God who alone is the One to be worship-worthy, adoration-receiving, and humility-receiving.
Remember how Paul described true believers as humble-worshipers? Those two, humility and worship seem to be tied. Check out Philippians 3:3.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,
Worship flows from a humble heart. Paul said that worship flows from the life emptied of selfishness and pride. When we are liberated from the tyranny of our own self-driven agenda and onto Christ's we find worship rising from our lives.
So Paul is here giving us a …
Lesson in Godly Humility
Humility begins with proper self-awareness.
Humility is “the virtue by which a man becomes conscious of his own unworthiness” so said
Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote that grand hymn “Jesus the Very Thought of Thee”.
Humility begins with an honest, unadorned, unretouched view of oneself. The first thing the honest person sees in them self is sin, and therefore one of the surest marks of true humility is systematic confession of sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8–9).
“We are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves,” Paul says; “but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).
It is not only unspiritual but unwise to judge ourselves by comparison with others. We often exaggerate our own good qualities and minimize the good qualities of others. Humility takes off our rose–colored glasses and allows us to see ourselves as we really are.
Second, humility CONTINUES WITH Christ–awareness.
Humility opens our eyes to see Christ clearly; but pride fogs and obscures the Glory of Christ.
Pride compares self with others and feels better; humility compares self to Christ as like Job, Isaiah, Peter, and John falls at Christ's feet as unclean and melting away before His Glory and Majesty.
Humility sees Jesus as the only standard by which righteousness and anything that pleases God can be judged. Humility sees God’s goal for us is “to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6), and then confesses that only Jesus Christ walked in perfection. Only of Jesus has God ever said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well–pleased” (Matt. 3:17), and so only in Jesus can we be pleasing to God.
Our business success, fame, education, wealth, personality, good works, or anything else we are or have in ourselves only hinders our access with God.
Approaching God with the attitude of the humbled tax–collector, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner,” brings God’s immediate and loving response. “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:13–14).
Third, humility ENDS IN God–awareness.
Our ultimate and eternal goal is to “worship God in the Spirit” (Phil. 3:3) as Paul says. This involves “rejoicing in Christ Jesus” and His Cross. But the starting place is ever and always “having no confidence in the flesh”. We neither please God by our own works, nor serve Him by them. Only humble and Spirit-energized ministry and Spirit-energized worship is accepted.
So the more we see the Lord as Isaiah saw Him, “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted” the more we want to join in the cries of the seraphim, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory,” and then, we will become aware with Isaiah of our utter unworthiness. Then our humble worship begins as his began with the confession, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:1, 3, 5). [1]
So how do we start? We begin the earnest pursuit of humility, energized by the Spirit, and always remembering the Cross of Jesus. Here are a few areas we can begin:
Growing True Humility:
WE MUST FOCUS OUR LIVES AWAY FROM SELF:
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (KJV)
The first step we must take to experience godly humility is to turn our eyes off ourselves and to look to God. We can do this each time we stop our self-driven lives and pause to study His Word. We can do this as we jump off the treadmill and learn to humbly seek His face in prayer. We humble ourselves when we sincerely desire to be near Him and please Him, all of these choices move us toward humility, the admission that we are poor in spirit.
As we grow in God's Word and stay in the shadow of the Cross, the Spirit opens through the Scriptures a vision of the infinitely Holy God in all His sinless purity and perfection—then we can see ourselves as sinners by contrast. To seek humility, we do not look at ourselves to find the faults, but at God Almighty to behold His perfection.
WE MUST DENY OUR OWN UNGODLY, WORLDLY LUST FOR PRIDE:
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (KJV)
Secondly, we must starve the flesh by removing the things on which it feeds. The essence of the fleshly nature is pride, and to starve the flesh is to remove and avoid those things that promote pride.
Rather than looking for praise, compliments, and popularity, we should we be wary of them. Yet because our human sinfulness has a way of turning even the best intentions to its advantage, we need to be careful not to make an issue of avoiding praise and recognition.
The evil is not in being given praise but in seeking it and glorying in it. When, without having sought it, we are praised or honored, to ungraciously reject the recognition may be an act of pride rather than of humility.
WE MUST REQUEST CHRIST TO CLOTHE US OVER AND OVER WITH HIS HUMILITY:
1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (KJV)
The third principle in coming to humility is asking God for it. Humility, like every other good gift, comes only from God. Also as with every other good thing, He is more willing to give it than we are to ask for it, and He stands ready to give it long before we ask for it[2].
Remember the atmosphere of Heaven is always servant-hearted, submission-prompted, humility-clothed worship.
Seeing God’s glory always makes God’s servants want to get into as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
And there it is, we have traced through the entire book of Revelation the gift God seeks from each of us which I call humility clothed worship.
Worship clothed in humility is the description of the atmosphere of Heaven;
Worship clothed in humility is the protocol God expects;
Worship clothed in humility is the reverence John describes, and
Worship clothed in humility is the way worship is offered and received in the place where God is magnified and adored.
Humility is the most prominent feature of Heaven from our perspective as believers. Every believer we see in Heaven is constantly doing one thing over and over—falling on their faces before an Awesome God who alone is the One to be worship-worthy, adoration-receiving, and humility-receiving.
[1] Adapted from MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 4, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983
[2] These three points were adapted from MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 4, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983
Tuesday, March 27, 2007
Humility, Worship, and our Adversary the Devil (Morning service 3-25-07)
This morning we are God's servants and living a life that worships God. But while we are living a life of worship we are being stalked by the most deadly and harmful predator in existence. His name is Satan our Adversary. His goal is to devour us, making us stop serving and worshiping God.
That is the warning we see in God's Word. And what does God say is our protection from being devoured? Of all things it is HUMILITY!
1 Peter 5:5-9 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
The word Peter uses for "humility” is Strong"s # 5012 tapeinophrosune { tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay}; n f; 7 x KJV; GK - 5425 {tapeinofrosuvnh} = having a humble opinion of one"s self, a deep sense of one’s littleness, modesty, humility, lowliness of mind[1]
Resisting the devil starts with humility (a deep sense of my littleness and God’s greatness); when you resist pride you are resisting the devil’s foothold in your life. Isn’t it amazing that the two most pointed passages about believers and pride also include a warning about spiritual warfare? Both James 4 and this passage in Peter, cite the devil and his constant warfare against us in the context of pride.
Pride opens the door of our lives to the devouring influence of Satan.
Pride makes me always do things my way; and often do them without first consulting with God by prayer. That is the essence of self-driven rather than Spirit-led ministry. Waiting upon the Lord is abandoned and the energy of the flesh takes over; like blood in the water to sharks—so pride in the life of a believer is to the Devil.
Are you resisting the devil? Only if you are walking through life clothed in humility.
Humility not only closes the door to the prowling devil, it opens the door to worship. Nothing is more powerful about humility than the increased freedom in worship.
Remember how Paul described true believers as humble-worshipers? Those two, humility and worship seem to be tied. Philippians 3:3-"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confudence in the flesh."
When Jesus spoke with the woman at the well in John 4, what did He say that God was seeking? Worshipers!
And when we get to the end of all things in Revelation, what does the Bible show us doing forever? Worshiping!
The conclusion of God's Word says all of us born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ be doing what one thing forever around God’s Throne? We will endlessly offer humble-adoring, reverent-lifted worship!
The atmosphere of Heaven is always servant-hearted, submission-prompted, humility-clothed worship.
Let those word pictures settle into your heart for a moment: the atmosphere of Heaven is always servant-hearted, submission-prompted, humility-clothed worship.
As a gathered body of believers in Christ's church, let’s review each of those precious scenes describing our everlasting occupation from the last book of God's Word. (Check out Revelation 1:17.)
When John first sees Jesus as He is forever in Heaven, what is his response?
Immediate, collapsed-prostration of himself at Christ's feet, face down, unmoving as if dead! That is as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
Revelation 1:17- "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.'"
So as soon as John sees the Glorified and Majestic Christ of Heaven, he makes an immediate, collapsed-prostration of himself at Christ's feet, face down, unmoving as if dead! Again, for emphasis--that is as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
Moving past chapters 2-3 and the seven letters to the seven specific, literal churches of Asia Minor in Century One (and by the wonder of the inspired Scriptures, to all of us believers through all the ages since)—and arrive at God’s Throne, the epicenter of the Universe, in Revelation chapter 4.
To best review this scene, read the description below of the atmosphere of Heaven, the protocol God expects, the reverence John describes, and note that worship clothed in humility is the way worship is offered and received in the place where Jesus is magnified and adored.
Read Rev 4:1-11 .
Now, with you Bibles open, and maybe a pen or pencil in hand, join me as I trace through the entire book of Revelation the gift God seeks from each of us which I call humility clothed worship.
Worship clothed in humility is the description of the atmosphere of Heaven;
Worship clothed in humility is the protocol God expects;
Worship clothed in humility is the reverence John describes, and
Worship clothed in humility is the way worship is offered and received in the place where God is magnified and adored.
Revelation 1:17 "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. '"
Now note some keys words in the verses we just read in chapter 4.
Revelation 4:9-10 “Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne…”
Humility is so apparent in both their positions (fall down before) and their actions (cast their crowns); because they are aware that God alone is responsible for any rewards they have received, they divest themselves of all honor and cast it at the feet of their King[2].
So the immediate falling in collapsed-prostration humbly at Christ's feet, face down, in worship is ongoing.
Note John says “whenever” the four creatures make an offering of praise and worship to the Lord the response is “falling down”! How often do these four living creatures show up around the Throne offering praise and worship? Back up to the middle of verse 8 (4:8) and see the timing of this offering of worship and the resulting immediate response of the elders:
Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
So this scene of worship and falling face down in obeisance is played out continuously 24/7 as we would call it in our round-the-clock busy world.
The songs, doxologies, worship chants, and ascriptions of praise and worship to the Lord that are offered during this guided tour of Heaven are an education in themselves. Note the elements that are shown to us in the fourteen offerings of worship recorded in Revelation.
The Worship Offerings of Revelation
Reference
Those Offering Worship
Those Receiving Worship
4:8
4 Living Creatures
1. God the Father
4:11 (3-fold)
24 Elders
2. God the Father
5:9-10
24 Elders + 4 Living Creatures
3. The Lamb (Christ)
5:12 (7-fold)
Many Angels
4. The Lamb (Christ)
5:13 (4-fold)
Every Creature
5. God the Father and the Lamb
7:10
Tribulation Martyrs
6. God the Father and the Lamb
7:12 (7-fold)
Angels, 24 Elders, and 4 Living Creatures
7. God the Father
11:16-18
24 Elders
8. God the Father
15:3-4
Tribulation Saints
9. God the Father and the Lamb
16:5-6
Angel
10. God the Father
16:7
“The Altar”
11. God the Father
19:1-3 (4-fold)
A Great Multitude
12. God the Father
19:4
24 Elders + 4 Living Creatures
13. God the Father
19:6-8
A Great Multitude
14. God the Father
The atmosphere of worship clothed in humility as the way worship is offered and received in the place where Jesus is magnified and adored continues in Revelation 5.
Revelation 5:8, 14 "Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever."
Again this scene of worship and falling face down in obeisance is played out continuously 24/7 as we would call it in our round-the-clock busy world.
And in Revelation 7 we find that at the shout of the great multitude of martyrs slain for their faith in Christ during the Tribulation every angel, every saint and even the four living creatures fall before the Lord God Almighty in humble obeisance.
Revelation 7:9-12 "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Again what is the response to those given an opportunity to worship God? They are falling face down in humble obeisance.
In chapter eleven the record continues, and again the same response.
Revelation 11:15-16 "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,"
Again what is the response to those given an opportunity to worship God? They are falling face down in humble obeisance.
On to Revelation 19, and we see more humble worship.
Revelation 19:1-4 "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!2 “For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”
Again what is the response to those given an opportunity to worship God? They are falling face down in humble obeisance.
John gets so overwhelmed at this scene of worship that he starts to fall before an angel.
Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
What is the immediate response when overcome with awe for the Majesty and Glory of God? Humble, submissive, face-down obeisance!
Now look at the ending in chapter 22. Once again John gets overwhelmed. He has seen the consummation of God’s plan, the defeat of the Devil, the Lake of Fire, the New Heavens and Earth…and then John turns to fall at the feet of the messenger who had shown him God’s Glories.
Revelation 22:8-9 "Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
Seeing God’s glory always makes God’s servants want to get into as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
And there it is, we have traced through the entire book of Revelation the gift God seeks from each of us which I call humility clothed worship.
Worship clothed in humility is the description of the atmosphere of Heaven;
Worship clothed in humility is the protocol God expects;
Worship clothed in humility is the reverence John describes, and
Worship clothed in humility is the way worship is offered and received in the place where God is magnified and adored.
And that is why we must never forget that only those who are humbled, who have no confidence in the flesh, only they can worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus!
Humility is the most prominent feature of Heaven from our perspective as believers. Every believer we see in Heaven is constantly doing one thing over and over—falling on their faces before an Awesome God who alone is the One to be worship-worthy, adoration-receiving, and humility-receiving.
We have fast forwarded to the way we will be once God finishes what He began, and now we come back into our lives today. What does all that mean about choices we can make for humbling ourselves to worship Him right now?
This morning we are being stalked by the most deadly and harmful predator in existence. His name is Satan, he is our Adversary. His goal is to devour believers.
Pride opens the door of our lives to the devouring influence of Satan.
Remember how Paul described true believers as humble-worshipers? Those two, humility and worship seem to be tied.
Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,"
Worship flows from a humble heart. Paul said that worship flows from the life emptied of selfishness and pride. When we are liberated from the tyranny of our own self-driven agenda and onto Christ's we find worship rising from our lives.
Much worship and ministry these days is so self-generated, self-focused, and self-exalting. From musicians to performers there seems to be a drive to be recognized, seen, honored and sought after. But isn’t all that what the Lord also desires? Isn’t pride competing with God for the glory?
So Paul is here giving us a …
Lesson in Godly Humility
Humility begins with proper self-awareness.
Humility is “the virtue by which a man becomes conscious of his own unworthiness” so said Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote that grand hymn “Jesus the Very Thought of Thee”.
Humility begins with an honest, unadorned, unretouched view of oneself as we saw last week in the 101 ways we are proud. The first thing the honest person sees in himself is sin, and therefore one of the surest marks of true humility is daily confession of sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
“We are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves,” Paul says; “but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).
It is not only unspiritual but unwise to judge ourselves by comparison with others. We often exaggerate our own good qualities and minimize the good qualities of others. Humility takes off our rose–colored glasses and allows us to see ourselves as we really are.
Second, humility CONTINUES WITH Christ–awareness.
Humility opens our eyes to see Christ clearly; but pride fogs and obscures the Glory of Christ. Pride compares self with others and feels better; humility compares self to Christ as like Job, Isaiah, Peter, and John falls at Christ's feet as unclean and melting away before His Glory and Majesty.
Humility sees Jesus as the only standard by which righteousness and anything that pleases God can be judged. Humility sees God’s goal for us is “to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6), and then confesses that only Jesus Christ walked in perfection. Only of Jesus has God ever said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well–pleased” (Matt. 3:17), and so only in Jesus can we be pleasing to God.
Our business success, fame, education, wealth, personality, good works, or anything else we are or have in ourselves only hinders our access with God. Whenever we rely on and glory in these things, they block our communion with God. Each of us must come to the Lord with nothing to commend us and everything to condemn us.
Approaching God with the attitude of the humbled tax–collector, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner,” brings God’s immediate and loving response. “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:13–14).
Third, humility ENDS IN God–awareness.
Our ultimate and eternal goal is to “worship God in the Spirit” (Phil. 3:3) as Paul says. This involves “rejoicing in Christ Jesus” and His Cross. But the starting place is ever and always “having no confidence in the flesh”. We neither please God by our own works, nor serve Him by them. Only humble and Spirit-energized ministry and Spirit-energized worship is accepted.
So the more we see the Lord as Isaiah saw Him, “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted” the more we want to join in the cries of the seraphim, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory,” and then, we will become aware with Isaiah of our utter unworthiness. Then our humble worship begins as his began with the confession, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:1, 3, 5). [3]
So how do we start? We begin the earnest pursuit of humility, energized by the Spirit, and always remembering the Cross of Jesus. Here are a few areas we can begin:
Growing True Humility:
WE MUST FOCUS OUR LIVE AWAY FROM SELF:
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (KJV)
The first step we must take to experience godly humility is to turn our eyes off ourselves and to look to God. We can do this each time we stop our self-driven lives and pause to study His Word. We can do this as we jump off the treadmill and learn to humbly seek His face in prayer. We humble ourselves when we sincerely desire to be near Him and please Him, all of these choices move us toward humility, the admission that we are poor in spirit.
As we grow in God's Word and stay in the shadow of the Cross, the Spirit opens through the Scriptures a vision of the infinitely Holy God in all His sinless purity and perfection—then we can see ourselves as sinners by contrast. To seek humility, we do not look at ourselves to find the faults, but at God Almighty to behold His perfection.
WE MUST DENY OUR OWN UNGODLY, WORLDLY LUST FOR PRIDE:
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (KJV)
We must starve the flesh by removing the things on which it feeds. The essence of the fleshly nature is pride, and to starve the flesh is to remove and avoid those things that promote pride.
Rather than looking for praise, compliments, and popularity, we should we be wary of them. Yet because our human sinfulness has a way of turning even the best intentions to its advantage, we need to be careful not to make an issue of avoiding praise and recognition.
The evil is not in being given praise but in seeking it and glorying in it. When, without having sought it, we are praised or honored, to ungraciously reject the recognition may be an act of pride rather than of humility.
WE MUST REQUEST CHRIST TO CLOTHE US OVER AND OVER WITH HIS HUMILITY: The third principle in coming to humility is asking God for it.
1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (KJV)
With David we should pray,
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).
Humility, like every other good gift, comes only from God. Also as with every other good thing, He is more willing to give it than we are to ask for it, and He stands ready to give it long before we ask for it.[4]
[1] Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.
[2] John F. MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible, (Dallas: Word Publishing) 1997.
[3] Adapted from MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 4, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983
[4] These three points were adapted from MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 4, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983
That is the warning we see in God's Word. And what does God say is our protection from being devoured? Of all things it is HUMILITY!
1 Peter 5:5-9 Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time,7 casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.9 Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.
The word Peter uses for "humility” is Strong"s # 5012 tapeinophrosune { tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay}; n f; 7 x KJV; GK - 5425 {tapeinofrosuvnh} = having a humble opinion of one"s self, a deep sense of one’s littleness, modesty, humility, lowliness of mind[1]
Resisting the devil starts with humility (a deep sense of my littleness and God’s greatness); when you resist pride you are resisting the devil’s foothold in your life. Isn’t it amazing that the two most pointed passages about believers and pride also include a warning about spiritual warfare? Both James 4 and this passage in Peter, cite the devil and his constant warfare against us in the context of pride.
Pride opens the door of our lives to the devouring influence of Satan.
Pride makes me always do things my way; and often do them without first consulting with God by prayer. That is the essence of self-driven rather than Spirit-led ministry. Waiting upon the Lord is abandoned and the energy of the flesh takes over; like blood in the water to sharks—so pride in the life of a believer is to the Devil.
Are you resisting the devil? Only if you are walking through life clothed in humility.
Humility not only closes the door to the prowling devil, it opens the door to worship. Nothing is more powerful about humility than the increased freedom in worship.
Remember how Paul described true believers as humble-worshipers? Those two, humility and worship seem to be tied. Philippians 3:3-"For it is we who are the circumcision, we who worship by the Spirit of God, who glory in Christ Jesus, and who put no confudence in the flesh."
When Jesus spoke with the woman at the well in John 4, what did He say that God was seeking? Worshipers!
And when we get to the end of all things in Revelation, what does the Bible show us doing forever? Worshiping!
The conclusion of God's Word says all of us born-again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ be doing what one thing forever around God’s Throne? We will endlessly offer humble-adoring, reverent-lifted worship!
The atmosphere of Heaven is always servant-hearted, submission-prompted, humility-clothed worship.
Let those word pictures settle into your heart for a moment: the atmosphere of Heaven is always servant-hearted, submission-prompted, humility-clothed worship.
As a gathered body of believers in Christ's church, let’s review each of those precious scenes describing our everlasting occupation from the last book of God's Word. (Check out Revelation 1:17.)
When John first sees Jesus as He is forever in Heaven, what is his response?
Immediate, collapsed-prostration of himself at Christ's feet, face down, unmoving as if dead! That is as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
Revelation 1:17- "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last.'"
So as soon as John sees the Glorified and Majestic Christ of Heaven, he makes an immediate, collapsed-prostration of himself at Christ's feet, face down, unmoving as if dead! Again, for emphasis--that is as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
Moving past chapters 2-3 and the seven letters to the seven specific, literal churches of Asia Minor in Century One (and by the wonder of the inspired Scriptures, to all of us believers through all the ages since)—and arrive at God’s Throne, the epicenter of the Universe, in Revelation chapter 4.
To best review this scene, read the description below of the atmosphere of Heaven, the protocol God expects, the reverence John describes, and note that worship clothed in humility is the way worship is offered and received in the place where Jesus is magnified and adored.
Read Rev 4:1-11 .
Now, with you Bibles open, and maybe a pen or pencil in hand, join me as I trace through the entire book of Revelation the gift God seeks from each of us which I call humility clothed worship.
Worship clothed in humility is the description of the atmosphere of Heaven;
Worship clothed in humility is the protocol God expects;
Worship clothed in humility is the reverence John describes, and
Worship clothed in humility is the way worship is offered and received in the place where God is magnified and adored.
Revelation 1:17 "And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, 'Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. '"
Now note some keys words in the verses we just read in chapter 4.
Revelation 4:9-10 “Whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, who lives forever and ever,10 the twenty-four elders fall down before Him who sits on the throne and worship Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne…”
Humility is so apparent in both their positions (fall down before) and their actions (cast their crowns); because they are aware that God alone is responsible for any rewards they have received, they divest themselves of all honor and cast it at the feet of their King[2].
So the immediate falling in collapsed-prostration humbly at Christ's feet, face down, in worship is ongoing.
Note John says “whenever” the four creatures make an offering of praise and worship to the Lord the response is “falling down”! How often do these four living creatures show up around the Throne offering praise and worship? Back up to the middle of verse 8 (4:8) and see the timing of this offering of worship and the resulting immediate response of the elders:
Revelation 4:8 The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, Who was and is and is to come!”
So this scene of worship and falling face down in obeisance is played out continuously 24/7 as we would call it in our round-the-clock busy world.
The songs, doxologies, worship chants, and ascriptions of praise and worship to the Lord that are offered during this guided tour of Heaven are an education in themselves. Note the elements that are shown to us in the fourteen offerings of worship recorded in Revelation.
The Worship Offerings of Revelation
Reference
Those Offering Worship
Those Receiving Worship
4:8
4 Living Creatures
1. God the Father
4:11 (3-fold)
24 Elders
2. God the Father
5:9-10
24 Elders + 4 Living Creatures
3. The Lamb (Christ)
5:12 (7-fold)
Many Angels
4. The Lamb (Christ)
5:13 (4-fold)
Every Creature
5. God the Father and the Lamb
7:10
Tribulation Martyrs
6. God the Father and the Lamb
7:12 (7-fold)
Angels, 24 Elders, and 4 Living Creatures
7. God the Father
11:16-18
24 Elders
8. God the Father
15:3-4
Tribulation Saints
9. God the Father and the Lamb
16:5-6
Angel
10. God the Father
16:7
“The Altar”
11. God the Father
19:1-3 (4-fold)
A Great Multitude
12. God the Father
19:4
24 Elders + 4 Living Creatures
13. God the Father
19:6-8
A Great Multitude
14. God the Father
The atmosphere of worship clothed in humility as the way worship is offered and received in the place where Jesus is magnified and adored continues in Revelation 5.
Revelation 5:8, 14 "Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 14 Then the four living creatures said, “Amen!” And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever."
Again this scene of worship and falling face down in obeisance is played out continuously 24/7 as we would call it in our round-the-clock busy world.
And in Revelation 7 we find that at the shout of the great multitude of martyrs slain for their faith in Christ during the Tribulation every angel, every saint and even the four living creatures fall before the Lord God Almighty in humble obeisance.
Revelation 7:9-12 "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands,10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”11 All the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four living creatures, and fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,12 saying: “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Again what is the response to those given an opportunity to worship God? They are falling face down in humble obeisance.
In chapter eleven the record continues, and again the same response.
Revelation 11:15-16 "Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!”16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God,"
Again what is the response to those given an opportunity to worship God? They are falling face down in humble obeisance.
On to Revelation 19, and we see more humble worship.
Revelation 19:1-4 "After these things I heard a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and honor and power belong to the Lord our God!2 “For true and righteous are His judgments, because He has judged the great harlot who corrupted the earth with her fornication; and He has avenged on her the blood of His servants shed by her.”3 Again they said, “Alleluia! Her smoke rises up forever and ever!”4 And the twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, “Amen! Alleluia!”
Again what is the response to those given an opportunity to worship God? They are falling face down in humble obeisance.
John gets so overwhelmed at this scene of worship that he starts to fall before an angel.
Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. But he said to me, “See that you do not do that! I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren who have the testimony of Jesus. Worship God! For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”
What is the immediate response when overcome with awe for the Majesty and Glory of God? Humble, submissive, face-down obeisance!
Now look at the ending in chapter 22. Once again John gets overwhelmed. He has seen the consummation of God’s plan, the defeat of the Devil, the Lake of Fire, the New Heavens and Earth…and then John turns to fall at the feet of the messenger who had shown him God’s Glories.
Revelation 22:8-9 "Now I, John, saw and heard these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel who showed me these things.9 Then he said to me, “See that you do not do that. For I am your fellow servant, and of your brethren the prophets, and of those who keep the words of this book. Worship God.”
Seeing God’s glory always makes God’s servants want to get into as humble a position as the human body is able to get!
And there it is, we have traced through the entire book of Revelation the gift God seeks from each of us which I call humility clothed worship.
Worship clothed in humility is the description of the atmosphere of Heaven;
Worship clothed in humility is the protocol God expects;
Worship clothed in humility is the reverence John describes, and
Worship clothed in humility is the way worship is offered and received in the place where God is magnified and adored.
And that is why we must never forget that only those who are humbled, who have no confidence in the flesh, only they can worship God in the Spirit and rejoice in Christ Jesus!
Humility is the most prominent feature of Heaven from our perspective as believers. Every believer we see in Heaven is constantly doing one thing over and over—falling on their faces before an Awesome God who alone is the One to be worship-worthy, adoration-receiving, and humility-receiving.
We have fast forwarded to the way we will be once God finishes what He began, and now we come back into our lives today. What does all that mean about choices we can make for humbling ourselves to worship Him right now?
This morning we are being stalked by the most deadly and harmful predator in existence. His name is Satan, he is our Adversary. His goal is to devour believers.
Pride opens the door of our lives to the devouring influence of Satan.
Remember how Paul described true believers as humble-worshipers? Those two, humility and worship seem to be tied.
Philippians 3:3 "For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh,"
Worship flows from a humble heart. Paul said that worship flows from the life emptied of selfishness and pride. When we are liberated from the tyranny of our own self-driven agenda and onto Christ's we find worship rising from our lives.
Much worship and ministry these days is so self-generated, self-focused, and self-exalting. From musicians to performers there seems to be a drive to be recognized, seen, honored and sought after. But isn’t all that what the Lord also desires? Isn’t pride competing with God for the glory?
So Paul is here giving us a …
Lesson in Godly Humility
Humility begins with proper self-awareness.
Humility is “the virtue by which a man becomes conscious of his own unworthiness” so said Bernard of Clairvaux who wrote that grand hymn “Jesus the Very Thought of Thee”.
Humility begins with an honest, unadorned, unretouched view of oneself as we saw last week in the 101 ways we are proud. The first thing the honest person sees in himself is sin, and therefore one of the surest marks of true humility is daily confession of sin.
“If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8-9).
“We are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves,” Paul says; “but when they measure themselves by themselves, and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding” (2 Cor. 10:12).
It is not only unspiritual but unwise to judge ourselves by comparison with others. We often exaggerate our own good qualities and minimize the good qualities of others. Humility takes off our rose–colored glasses and allows us to see ourselves as we really are.
Second, humility CONTINUES WITH Christ–awareness.
Humility opens our eyes to see Christ clearly; but pride fogs and obscures the Glory of Christ. Pride compares self with others and feels better; humility compares self to Christ as like Job, Isaiah, Peter, and John falls at Christ's feet as unclean and melting away before His Glory and Majesty.
Humility sees Jesus as the only standard by which righteousness and anything that pleases God can be judged. Humility sees God’s goal for us is “to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:6), and then confesses that only Jesus Christ walked in perfection. Only of Jesus has God ever said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well–pleased” (Matt. 3:17), and so only in Jesus can we be pleasing to God.
Our business success, fame, education, wealth, personality, good works, or anything else we are or have in ourselves only hinders our access with God. Whenever we rely on and glory in these things, they block our communion with God. Each of us must come to the Lord with nothing to commend us and everything to condemn us.
Approaching God with the attitude of the humbled tax–collector, saying, “God, be merciful to me, the sinner,” brings God’s immediate and loving response. “For everyone who exalts himself shall be humbled, but he who humbles himself shall be exalted” (Luke 18:13–14).
Third, humility ENDS IN God–awareness.
Our ultimate and eternal goal is to “worship God in the Spirit” (Phil. 3:3) as Paul says. This involves “rejoicing in Christ Jesus” and His Cross. But the starting place is ever and always “having no confidence in the flesh”. We neither please God by our own works, nor serve Him by them. Only humble and Spirit-energized ministry and Spirit-energized worship is accepted.
So the more we see the Lord as Isaiah saw Him, “sitting on a throne, lofty and exalted” the more we want to join in the cries of the seraphim, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory,” and then, we will become aware with Isaiah of our utter unworthiness. Then our humble worship begins as his began with the confession, “Woe is me, for I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts” (Isa. 6:1, 3, 5). [3]
So how do we start? We begin the earnest pursuit of humility, energized by the Spirit, and always remembering the Cross of Jesus. Here are a few areas we can begin:
Growing True Humility:
WE MUST FOCUS OUR LIVE AWAY FROM SELF:
James 4:10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (KJV)
The first step we must take to experience godly humility is to turn our eyes off ourselves and to look to God. We can do this each time we stop our self-driven lives and pause to study His Word. We can do this as we jump off the treadmill and learn to humbly seek His face in prayer. We humble ourselves when we sincerely desire to be near Him and please Him, all of these choices move us toward humility, the admission that we are poor in spirit.
As we grow in God's Word and stay in the shadow of the Cross, the Spirit opens through the Scriptures a vision of the infinitely Holy God in all His sinless purity and perfection—then we can see ourselves as sinners by contrast. To seek humility, we do not look at ourselves to find the faults, but at God Almighty to behold His perfection.
WE MUST DENY OUR OWN UNGODLY, WORLDLY LUST FOR PRIDE:
Titus 2:12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; (KJV)
We must starve the flesh by removing the things on which it feeds. The essence of the fleshly nature is pride, and to starve the flesh is to remove and avoid those things that promote pride.
Rather than looking for praise, compliments, and popularity, we should we be wary of them. Yet because our human sinfulness has a way of turning even the best intentions to its advantage, we need to be careful not to make an issue of avoiding praise and recognition.
The evil is not in being given praise but in seeking it and glorying in it. When, without having sought it, we are praised or honored, to ungraciously reject the recognition may be an act of pride rather than of humility.
WE MUST REQUEST CHRIST TO CLOTHE US OVER AND OVER WITH HIS HUMILITY: The third principle in coming to humility is asking God for it.
1 Peter 5:5-6 Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: (KJV)
With David we should pray,
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” (Ps. 51:10).
Humility, like every other good gift, comes only from God. Also as with every other good thing, He is more willing to give it than we are to ask for it, and He stands ready to give it long before we ask for it.[4]
[1] Enhanced Strong’s Lexicon, (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.) 1995.
[2] John F. MacArthur, Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible, (Dallas: Word Publishing) 1997.
[3] Adapted from MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 4, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983
[4] These three points were adapted from MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Ephesians 4, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983
Tuesday, March 20, 2007
The Message Of Jesus March 18, 2007 (Sunday Evening)
The Message of Jesus
As believers this evening, one of the greatest privileges we have is knowing and sgaring the message of Jesus. What is the message of Jesus? In a moment we will examine it word by word from Mark 1. But before that, think of the wonderful change that the message of Jesus has brought.
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.
I have light in my soul for which long I had sought, since Jesus came into my heart!
Have you ever thought about what a wonderful change the sweet message of Jesus has brought? Think with me about two dramatically different lives, one accepting and touched by the message of Jesus, the other rejecting the message of Jesus.
Two lives, one message, two responses
Ancient sources give a remarkably clear picture of the destruction of Ninevah, the city Jonah preached to. The year was 612 B.C. the doom of the city arrived. Combined armies of Babylonians and Scythians marched up the left bank of the Tigris River and surrounded the city. It happened in early spring at the time of the annual rainfalls. Since the rains were especially hard that year, the Tigris and other rivers flooded and apparently washed away a portion of the walls, leaving a breach for the armies to enter the city.
The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (c. 20 B.C.) says that the river not only broke down the walls of the city, it also inundated part of it. At this point, the king, Sardanapalus, remembering an oracle to the effect that Nineveh would only fall when the river itself declared war against it, believed that the oracle was fulfilled and abandoned any hope of saving himself. He built a gigantic funeral pyre in the royal precincts, heaped up large quantities of gold and costly clothes, shut his concubines and eunuchs in a chamber he had made in the midst of the pyre, and then burned himself, his family, his concubines and eunuchs, and the palace.
Whatever had not been burned in this conflagration was destroyed by the entering armies. There was a terrible slaughter. Diodorus said, "So great was the multitude of the slain that the flowing stream, mingled with their blood, changed its color for a considerable distance[1]." What a wasted life without the Goodness of God's Message.
Then remember with me the passing of CT Studd. A former lean and fit athlete, now gaunt and emaciated. All his formerly gleaning white teeth now brown or long gone. Stooped, halting with each step he is surrounded by thousands of glistening black bodies. They have come to hear their beloved Bwana for the last time. He speaks after over two hours of singing. There in front of him sit 5,000 former headhunters. Now their oiled bodies, clothed in banana leaves sit in an immense sea of white toothed smiles. With faces turned heavenward they sing of the sweet by and by and that beautiful shore they will someday see.
Passed now are the years of darkness and savagery. The former enemies sit shoulder to shoulder. No weapons of war are left, only the bond of love. This would be the last sight of his dear saintly convert Studd would see. After his message uttered between gasps for air, with every ear strained to catch each word, he is carried back to his hut. Exhausted, he rests, though only his Savior knew it was his last. In the night the Faithful Shepherd who had led him to China, then India and finally to the very heart of Africa - took CT home. In the morning only the shriveled earthly tent was left. But around that hut and to the furthest reaches of the jungles and on mission stations around the world, the footprints of this giant can be found today.
CT Studd responded to the message of Jesus, gave every thing to Christ. And in return he lost nothing. Sardanapalus kept everything to the end, rejected the message God had sent his city, and dies as it was destroyed. Jim Elliot summed it up the best, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This morning let’s find what we can give up that will last forever!
What is this life changing message?
In our passage this evening we will only cover two verses in Mark's Gospel, but these verses span over 8 months of Christ's life and ministry. Mark has an agenda as the Spirit led him. The purpose? To show the message of Jesus. What is that message? Let me first sketch where we are going:
So what is the message of Jesus? It is what He said, and what He did. In these 8 events over 8 months here is His message. Each of these events teach us wonderful lessons:
Lamb of God? Jesus is all we need to get to Heaven.
Water to wine? Jesus enjoyed life's pleasures.
Cleansing the Temple? Jesus wants undistracted worship.
Nicodemus? Jesus meets us where we are, and meets us there.
John the Baptist imprisoned? Jesus gives us hope to the end that to die is gain!
Woman at Well? Jesus loves us no matter what we have done, He knows it all and still loves us.
Galilean Sermon? Jesus says salvation is so simple, that it is impossible.
Look at Mark 1:12-13 and then Mark 1:14-15. In that tiny space in your Bibles is over 8 months of the life and ministry of Jesus. In those 8 months are some of the best known scenes from Christ's life: the Wedding at Cana, the Woman at the Well, and Nicodemus and John 3:16. Yet in the time from between the Temptation of Jesus, which we saw last time and the start of Christ's Galilean Ministry we see before us tonight, Mark skips over 8 months of Christ's life.
The other Gospel writers cover these events, mainly John. The events of those 8 months really frame the ministry and message of Jesus. What do I mean? Watch as I sketch the events in chronological order, of Christ's life and ministry.
John baptizes Jesus (#2)
Matthew 3:13-17
Mark 1:9-11
Luke 3:21, 22
Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness (#3)
Matthew 4:1-11
Mark 1:12, 13
Luke 4:1-13
John the Baptist declares his mission
John 1:19-28
John the Baptist proclaims Jesus as the Messiah
John 1:29-34
The first disciples follow Jesus
John 1:35-51
Jesus turns water into wine
John 2:1-12
MESSAGE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
Jesus clears the temple
John 2:12-25
Nicodemus visits Jesus at night
John 3:1-21
John the Baptist tells more about Jesus
John 3:22-36
Herod puts John in prison
Luke 3:18-20
Jesus talks to a woman at the well
John 4:1-26
Jesus tells about the spiritual harvest
John 4:27-38
Many Samaritans believe in Jesus
John 4:39-42
Jesus preaches in Galilee (ALL FOUR MENTION!)
Matthew 4:12-17
Mark 1:14, 15
Luke 4:14, 15
John 4:43-45
What do the lessons of the 7 events in Christ's life teach us? Literally volumes of some of the dearest moments we cherish in the life of Jesus.
John the Baptist points at Jesus and says "Behold the Lamb of God" is the first event after Christ's temptation and the first four disciples follow Him. John 1:29-51
An incomparable identification: “the Lamb of God”
1. Specific – “the” – John saw Christ Jesus as the fulfillment of all the lambs. Especially ties to Isaiah 53:7
- He was a man of the hills and of the Old Testament. He was the son of a priest. He was the last and greatest of the old prophets and the first of the new age. He could see … (Robertson, p. 47).
a. Christ was the Passover lamb – Exodus 12 – As important as that lamb whose blood covered the door posts and protected those inside, Christ was that to the world. He caused God’s wrath to pass over those who hide beneath the shadow of the cross.
b. Christ was the daily Lamb – Exodus 29 – All the way through its history, Israel had been reminded of God’s presence, made open by the daily offering up for satisfaction the sin offering. Christ made the way ever open to the Father.
c. Christ was the suffering Lamb – Isaiah 53 – step by step, the Messiah fulfilled even as spoken of by the prophets the position of “the lamb before its shearers is dumb.” Yes, Christ suffered and bled and died for us.
d. Christ will be the Lamb in the midst of the throne – Revelation 1 – As through John could see through time to the risen and ministering Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, even so is He even this day ever living for us.
2. Sacrificial – “Lamb” – Even though Christ had not yet even told of His work to come: God reveals through His herald the sacrificial nature of this One He sent.
3. Sinless – “of God” – Who but God could take away sins? – and even so, who but God’s own Lamb sent usward could be the sacrifice?
But you and I do not have to go and find a lamb: God has provided a lamb already .. and is it not a wonderful thing, that He against Whom all sin was leveled, Himself provided the sacrifice for sin? Behold the sin of man and the Lamb of God. Jesus is the Father’s best beloved, His choice one, His only one, and yet He delivered Him up for us all. (Spurgeon, p. 571). Can you refuse so great a love that gave so much?
Jesus joins His family at a wedding and performs His 1st miracle turning Water to wine in Cana next. John 2:1-12
You know the story. A wedding (on Wednesday for virgins, Thursdays for widows was their custom) , a feast, the wine runs out., 6 pots of stone each holding about 20 gallons are transformed to the brim with the best wine they ever had tasted.
What was Jesus doing? He was saying the world's joys fade away and always run dry, but Jesus never fails!
The world's joys and attractions always look good at first but in the end are not. But Jesus looks great at first and is better by far in the end!
He continues south heading up to Jerusalem and takes charge of His Father's House as He Cleanses the Temple. John 2:12-25
Jesus revealed His zeal for God first of all by cleansing the temple (John 2:13–17). The priests had established a lucrative business of exchanging foreign money for Jewish currency, and also selling the animals needed for the sacrifices. No doubt, this “religious market” began as a convenience for the Jews who came long distances to worship in the temple; but in due time the “convenience” became a business, not a ministry. The tragedy is that this business was carried on in the court of the Gentiles in the temple, the place where the Jews should have been meeting the Gentiles and telling them about the one true God. Any Gentile searching for truth would not likely find it among the religious merchants in the temple.
Our Lord suddenly appeared in the temple and cleaned house! He was careful not to destroy anyone’s property (He did not release the doves, for example); but He made it clear that He was in command. The temple was His Father’s house, and He would not have the religious leaders pollute it with their money-making enterprises.
The condition of the temple was a vivid indication of the spiritual condition of the nation. Their religion was a dull routine, presided over by worldly minded men whose main desire was to exercise authority and get rich. Not only had the wine run out at the wedding feast but the glory had departed from the temple. [2]
He stays in the Jerusalem area and receives an inquirer by night, Nicodemus. John 3:1-21
Jesus guide Nicodemus through four illustrations of God's supernatural power:
*v. 1-7 Birth. We can observe and be amazed by it but only God grants and creates life.
*v. 8-13 wind. We can study and try to harness it, but the wind only obeys God's commands, never ours.
*v. 14-18 Brazen Serpent in the wilderness. We can read and we can study but snakes don't obey us, move where we send, strike when we say and depart. Also only God can make a brass serpent on a pole save a person dying of snake toxins.
*v. 19-21 light and darkness. We see it, live around it all our lives but we don't even understand the fullness of all that light is and only now are becoming aware of the dark areas of the universe.
What was Jesus saying? He was showing Nicodemus some divine truths!
As we review John 3, you can see that the Apostle John is emphasizing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
*It is a living relationship that begins with the new birth, the birth from above. When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we share His very life and become children in the family of God.
*It is also a loving relationship, for He is the Bridegroom and we are a part of the bride. Like John the Baptist, we desire that Jesus Christ increase as we decrease. He must receive all the honor and glory.
*It is a learning relationship, for He is the faithful Witness who shares God’s truth with us. What a delight it is to receive His Word, meditate on it, and make it part of our very lives. [3]
Next He hears of John the Baptist's imprisonment as He heads north.
The castle[4] of Machaerus was known as "the diadem," or "the black tower." It lay on the east side of the Dead Sea, almost on a line with Bethlehem. The ruins of the castle are still to be seen, in great masses of squared stone, on the top of a lofty hill, surrounded on three sides by unscaleable precipices, descending to such depths that Josephus says the eye could not reach their bottom. The fourth side is described as only a little less terrible. Wild desolation reigned far and near. A German traveler mentions the masses of lava, brown, red, and black, varied with pumice-stone, distributed in huge broken masses, or rising in perpendicular cliffs; whilst the rushing stream, far below, is overgrown with oleanders and date-palms, willows, poplars, and tall reeds. Here and there, thick mists of steam arise, where the hot sulphur springs gush from the clefts of the rocks.
On this impregnable site, Dr. Geikie tells us that Herod had erected a great wall, enclosing the summit of the hill, with towers two hundred feet high at the corners, and in the space thus gained had built a grand palace, with rows of columns of a single stone apiece, halls lined with many-coloured marbles, magnificent baths, and all the details of Roman luxury, not omitting huge cisterns, barracks, and storehouses, with everything needed in case of a siege. From the windows there was a magnificent view of the Dead Sea, the whole course of the Jordan, Jerusalem, Hebron, the frowning fortress of Marsaba, and away to the north, the wild heights of Pisgah and Abarim. Detached from the palace was a visible, hewn down into the solid rock. This was the scene of John's imprisonment, and ultimately his death.
On the way to Galilee Jesus stops by Divine appointment in Samaria at the Well and meets the Woman at the well revealing to her His Deity. John 4:1-26
Because He was on a divinely appointed schedule, it was necessary that Jesus go through Samaria. Why? Because He would meet a woman there and lead her into saving faith, the kind of true faith that would affect an entire village. Our Lord was no respecter of persons. Earlier, He counseled a moral Jewish man (John 3), and now He would witness to an immoral Samaritan woman! He arrived at Jacob’s well at 6 o’clock in the evening, the usual time for women to come for water. The disciples went to the nearby town for food while Jesus deliberately waited at the well. He was weary, hungry, and thirsty. John not only presents Jesus as the Son of God but also as true man. Our Lord entered into all the normal experiences of our lives and is able to identify with us in each of them. [5]
Then He returns to His home base in Galilee and starts preaching in Galilee. Mark 1:14-15
Preaching was a central part of Jesus’ ministry and remains a central part of the ministry of His church. From that time, when He went to Galilee, Jesus began to preach. The Greek word means “to proclaim” or “to publish,” that is, to publicly make a message known. R. C. H. Lenski comments, “The point to be noted is that to preach is not to argue, reason, dispute, or convince by intellectual proof, against all of which a keen intellect may bring counterargument. We simply state in public or testify to all men the truth which God bids us state. No argument can assail the truth presented in this announcement or testimony. Men either believe the truth, as all sane men should, or refuse to believe it, as only fools venture to do” (The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1964], p. 168).[6]
To turn from sin is to repent, to change one’s orientation, to turn around and seek a new way. Metanoeoµ literally means a change of perception, a change in the way we see something. To repent, therefore, is to change the way a person looks at sin and the way he looks at righteousness. It involves a change of opinion, of direction, of life itself. To repent is to have a radical change of heart and will-and, consequently, of behavior (cf. Matt. 3:8).
That was, and has always continued to be, the first demand of the gospel, the first requirement of salvation, and the first element of the saving work of the Spirit in the soul. The conclusion of Peter’s Pentecost sermon was a call to repentance: “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Many years later Paul reminded Timothy that repentance leads “to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25).[7]
So what is the message of Jesus? It is what He said, and what He did. In these 8 events over 8 months here is His message. Each of these events teach us wonderful lessons:
1. Lamb of God? Jesus is all we need to get to Heaven.
2. Water to wine? Jesus enjoyed life's pleasures.
3. Cleansing the Temple? Jesus wants undistracted worship.
4. Nicodemus? Jesus meets us where we are, and meets us there.
5. John the Baptist imprisoned? Jesus gives us hope to the end that to die is gain!
6. Woman at Well? Jesus loves us no matter what we have done, He knows it all and still loves us.
7. Galilean Sermon? Jesus says salvation is so simple, that it is impossible.
Jesus says salvation is so simple, but it is impossible. How is it simple? Think of the Biblical pictures of salvation.
Salvation is as simple as going up the ramp and into the door of the Ark.
Salvation is as simple as entering through a blood stained door and staying inside while the death angel passes over.
Salvation is as simple as following the pillar of fire through the Red Sea.
Salvation is as simple as looking up at the Brazen Serpent for rescue from death.
Salvation is as simple as being born into God's Family, following Jesus into His sheepfold, eating Him as the Bread of Life, drinking Him as the water of Life, believing in Him as the Way, Truth and Life.
Salvation is as simple as saying with the Publican "God be merciful to me the sinner". (Luke 18:13)
Salvation is as simple as saying with the Thief on the Cross, "Lord remember me". (Luke 23:42)
Salvation is as simple as saying with Peter, "Lord save me". (Matthew 14:30)
Salvation is as simple as saying with the leper, "Lord if you are willing you can make me clean". (Mark 1:40)
Salvation is as simple as saying with Thomas, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).
Jesus says salvation is so simple, but it is impossible. How is it impossible? Think of the Biblical pictures of those who were damned.
The rich Young Ruler sought out Jesus, ran to Him, and sliding in at His feet ask how to get to Heaven. He was bright, focused, energetic and sincere. When he heard the absolute level of Christ's Lordship, he declined and stomped away to the blackness of Darkness.
Judas walked, talked, slept, ate and watched Jesus for His entire public ministry. Yet Judas was on the three and a half year Road to Hell. So close and yet so far. Salvation is humanly impossible. Judas never let Jesus save him even though he was right next to Him for all that time.
If you reject God's Final Call of Grace,
You'll have no chance your footsteps to retrace,
All hope will then be gone, and Doom you'll face;
Oh hear it now, God's Final Call.
-J. W. Peterson
Salvation is so simple, and yet it is impossible apart from a work of God in a person's heart. While you hear His voice, say yes, and do not harden your heart and turn away. If you do, chances are you will never come back, and Doom you'll face!
[1] Maier, The Book of Nahum, p. 127. Diodorus's work is called the Chronicles. The material on the fall n in turn from Persica, a chronicle of Assyria and Persia in twenty-three books by a Greek physician named Cresias, of which only fragments survive.
[2]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.
[3]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.
[4] Meyer, F.B. John the Baptist. Harrisburg, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: Christian Literature Crusade, 1993, p. 105.
[5]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.
[6]MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983.
[7]MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983.
As believers this evening, one of the greatest privileges we have is knowing and sgaring the message of Jesus. What is the message of Jesus? In a moment we will examine it word by word from Mark 1. But before that, think of the wonderful change that the message of Jesus has brought.
What a wonderful change in my life has been wrought, since Jesus came into my heart.
I have light in my soul for which long I had sought, since Jesus came into my heart!
Have you ever thought about what a wonderful change the sweet message of Jesus has brought? Think with me about two dramatically different lives, one accepting and touched by the message of Jesus, the other rejecting the message of Jesus.
Two lives, one message, two responses
Ancient sources give a remarkably clear picture of the destruction of Ninevah, the city Jonah preached to. The year was 612 B.C. the doom of the city arrived. Combined armies of Babylonians and Scythians marched up the left bank of the Tigris River and surrounded the city. It happened in early spring at the time of the annual rainfalls. Since the rains were especially hard that year, the Tigris and other rivers flooded and apparently washed away a portion of the walls, leaving a breach for the armies to enter the city.
The Greek historian Diodorus Siculus (c. 20 B.C.) says that the river not only broke down the walls of the city, it also inundated part of it. At this point, the king, Sardanapalus, remembering an oracle to the effect that Nineveh would only fall when the river itself declared war against it, believed that the oracle was fulfilled and abandoned any hope of saving himself. He built a gigantic funeral pyre in the royal precincts, heaped up large quantities of gold and costly clothes, shut his concubines and eunuchs in a chamber he had made in the midst of the pyre, and then burned himself, his family, his concubines and eunuchs, and the palace.
Whatever had not been burned in this conflagration was destroyed by the entering armies. There was a terrible slaughter. Diodorus said, "So great was the multitude of the slain that the flowing stream, mingled with their blood, changed its color for a considerable distance[1]." What a wasted life without the Goodness of God's Message.
Then remember with me the passing of CT Studd. A former lean and fit athlete, now gaunt and emaciated. All his formerly gleaning white teeth now brown or long gone. Stooped, halting with each step he is surrounded by thousands of glistening black bodies. They have come to hear their beloved Bwana for the last time. He speaks after over two hours of singing. There in front of him sit 5,000 former headhunters. Now their oiled bodies, clothed in banana leaves sit in an immense sea of white toothed smiles. With faces turned heavenward they sing of the sweet by and by and that beautiful shore they will someday see.
Passed now are the years of darkness and savagery. The former enemies sit shoulder to shoulder. No weapons of war are left, only the bond of love. This would be the last sight of his dear saintly convert Studd would see. After his message uttered between gasps for air, with every ear strained to catch each word, he is carried back to his hut. Exhausted, he rests, though only his Savior knew it was his last. In the night the Faithful Shepherd who had led him to China, then India and finally to the very heart of Africa - took CT home. In the morning only the shriveled earthly tent was left. But around that hut and to the furthest reaches of the jungles and on mission stations around the world, the footprints of this giant can be found today.
CT Studd responded to the message of Jesus, gave every thing to Christ. And in return he lost nothing. Sardanapalus kept everything to the end, rejected the message God had sent his city, and dies as it was destroyed. Jim Elliot summed it up the best, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.” This morning let’s find what we can give up that will last forever!
What is this life changing message?
In our passage this evening we will only cover two verses in Mark's Gospel, but these verses span over 8 months of Christ's life and ministry. Mark has an agenda as the Spirit led him. The purpose? To show the message of Jesus. What is that message? Let me first sketch where we are going:
So what is the message of Jesus? It is what He said, and what He did. In these 8 events over 8 months here is His message. Each of these events teach us wonderful lessons:
Lamb of God? Jesus is all we need to get to Heaven.
Water to wine? Jesus enjoyed life's pleasures.
Cleansing the Temple? Jesus wants undistracted worship.
Nicodemus? Jesus meets us where we are, and meets us there.
John the Baptist imprisoned? Jesus gives us hope to the end that to die is gain!
Woman at Well? Jesus loves us no matter what we have done, He knows it all and still loves us.
Galilean Sermon? Jesus says salvation is so simple, that it is impossible.
Look at Mark 1:12-13 and then Mark 1:14-15. In that tiny space in your Bibles is over 8 months of the life and ministry of Jesus. In those 8 months are some of the best known scenes from Christ's life: the Wedding at Cana, the Woman at the Well, and Nicodemus and John 3:16. Yet in the time from between the Temptation of Jesus, which we saw last time and the start of Christ's Galilean Ministry we see before us tonight, Mark skips over 8 months of Christ's life.
The other Gospel writers cover these events, mainly John. The events of those 8 months really frame the ministry and message of Jesus. What do I mean? Watch as I sketch the events in chronological order, of Christ's life and ministry.
John baptizes Jesus (#2)
Matthew 3:13-17
Mark 1:9-11
Luke 3:21, 22
Satan tempts Jesus in the wilderness (#3)
Matthew 4:1-11
Mark 1:12, 13
Luke 4:1-13
John the Baptist declares his mission
John 1:19-28
John the Baptist proclaims Jesus as the Messiah
John 1:29-34
The first disciples follow Jesus
John 1:35-51
Jesus turns water into wine
John 2:1-12
MESSAGE AND MINISTRY OF JESUS CHRIST
Jesus clears the temple
John 2:12-25
Nicodemus visits Jesus at night
John 3:1-21
John the Baptist tells more about Jesus
John 3:22-36
Herod puts John in prison
Luke 3:18-20
Jesus talks to a woman at the well
John 4:1-26
Jesus tells about the spiritual harvest
John 4:27-38
Many Samaritans believe in Jesus
John 4:39-42
Jesus preaches in Galilee (ALL FOUR MENTION!)
Matthew 4:12-17
Mark 1:14, 15
Luke 4:14, 15
John 4:43-45
What do the lessons of the 7 events in Christ's life teach us? Literally volumes of some of the dearest moments we cherish in the life of Jesus.
John the Baptist points at Jesus and says "Behold the Lamb of God" is the first event after Christ's temptation and the first four disciples follow Him. John 1:29-51
An incomparable identification: “the Lamb of God”
1. Specific – “the” – John saw Christ Jesus as the fulfillment of all the lambs. Especially ties to Isaiah 53:7
- He was a man of the hills and of the Old Testament. He was the son of a priest. He was the last and greatest of the old prophets and the first of the new age. He could see … (Robertson, p. 47).
a. Christ was the Passover lamb – Exodus 12 – As important as that lamb whose blood covered the door posts and protected those inside, Christ was that to the world. He caused God’s wrath to pass over those who hide beneath the shadow of the cross.
b. Christ was the daily Lamb – Exodus 29 – All the way through its history, Israel had been reminded of God’s presence, made open by the daily offering up for satisfaction the sin offering. Christ made the way ever open to the Father.
c. Christ was the suffering Lamb – Isaiah 53 – step by step, the Messiah fulfilled even as spoken of by the prophets the position of “the lamb before its shearers is dumb.” Yes, Christ suffered and bled and died for us.
d. Christ will be the Lamb in the midst of the throne – Revelation 1 – As through John could see through time to the risen and ministering Jesus Christ in the heavenly places, even so is He even this day ever living for us.
2. Sacrificial – “Lamb” – Even though Christ had not yet even told of His work to come: God reveals through His herald the sacrificial nature of this One He sent.
3. Sinless – “of God” – Who but God could take away sins? – and even so, who but God’s own Lamb sent usward could be the sacrifice?
But you and I do not have to go and find a lamb: God has provided a lamb already .. and is it not a wonderful thing, that He against Whom all sin was leveled, Himself provided the sacrifice for sin? Behold the sin of man and the Lamb of God. Jesus is the Father’s best beloved, His choice one, His only one, and yet He delivered Him up for us all. (Spurgeon, p. 571). Can you refuse so great a love that gave so much?
Jesus joins His family at a wedding and performs His 1st miracle turning Water to wine in Cana next. John 2:1-12
You know the story. A wedding (on Wednesday for virgins, Thursdays for widows was their custom) , a feast, the wine runs out., 6 pots of stone each holding about 20 gallons are transformed to the brim with the best wine they ever had tasted.
What was Jesus doing? He was saying the world's joys fade away and always run dry, but Jesus never fails!
The world's joys and attractions always look good at first but in the end are not. But Jesus looks great at first and is better by far in the end!
He continues south heading up to Jerusalem and takes charge of His Father's House as He Cleanses the Temple. John 2:12-25
Jesus revealed His zeal for God first of all by cleansing the temple (John 2:13–17). The priests had established a lucrative business of exchanging foreign money for Jewish currency, and also selling the animals needed for the sacrifices. No doubt, this “religious market” began as a convenience for the Jews who came long distances to worship in the temple; but in due time the “convenience” became a business, not a ministry. The tragedy is that this business was carried on in the court of the Gentiles in the temple, the place where the Jews should have been meeting the Gentiles and telling them about the one true God. Any Gentile searching for truth would not likely find it among the religious merchants in the temple.
Our Lord suddenly appeared in the temple and cleaned house! He was careful not to destroy anyone’s property (He did not release the doves, for example); but He made it clear that He was in command. The temple was His Father’s house, and He would not have the religious leaders pollute it with their money-making enterprises.
The condition of the temple was a vivid indication of the spiritual condition of the nation. Their religion was a dull routine, presided over by worldly minded men whose main desire was to exercise authority and get rich. Not only had the wine run out at the wedding feast but the glory had departed from the temple. [2]
He stays in the Jerusalem area and receives an inquirer by night, Nicodemus. John 3:1-21
Jesus guide Nicodemus through four illustrations of God's supernatural power:
*v. 1-7 Birth. We can observe and be amazed by it but only God grants and creates life.
*v. 8-13 wind. We can study and try to harness it, but the wind only obeys God's commands, never ours.
*v. 14-18 Brazen Serpent in the wilderness. We can read and we can study but snakes don't obey us, move where we send, strike when we say and depart. Also only God can make a brass serpent on a pole save a person dying of snake toxins.
*v. 19-21 light and darkness. We see it, live around it all our lives but we don't even understand the fullness of all that light is and only now are becoming aware of the dark areas of the universe.
What was Jesus saying? He was showing Nicodemus some divine truths!
As we review John 3, you can see that the Apostle John is emphasizing a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
*It is a living relationship that begins with the new birth, the birth from above. When we receive Jesus Christ into our lives, we share His very life and become children in the family of God.
*It is also a loving relationship, for He is the Bridegroom and we are a part of the bride. Like John the Baptist, we desire that Jesus Christ increase as we decrease. He must receive all the honor and glory.
*It is a learning relationship, for He is the faithful Witness who shares God’s truth with us. What a delight it is to receive His Word, meditate on it, and make it part of our very lives. [3]
Next He hears of John the Baptist's imprisonment as He heads north.
The castle[4] of Machaerus was known as "the diadem," or "the black tower." It lay on the east side of the Dead Sea, almost on a line with Bethlehem. The ruins of the castle are still to be seen, in great masses of squared stone, on the top of a lofty hill, surrounded on three sides by unscaleable precipices, descending to such depths that Josephus says the eye could not reach their bottom. The fourth side is described as only a little less terrible. Wild desolation reigned far and near. A German traveler mentions the masses of lava, brown, red, and black, varied with pumice-stone, distributed in huge broken masses, or rising in perpendicular cliffs; whilst the rushing stream, far below, is overgrown with oleanders and date-palms, willows, poplars, and tall reeds. Here and there, thick mists of steam arise, where the hot sulphur springs gush from the clefts of the rocks.
On this impregnable site, Dr. Geikie tells us that Herod had erected a great wall, enclosing the summit of the hill, with towers two hundred feet high at the corners, and in the space thus gained had built a grand palace, with rows of columns of a single stone apiece, halls lined with many-coloured marbles, magnificent baths, and all the details of Roman luxury, not omitting huge cisterns, barracks, and storehouses, with everything needed in case of a siege. From the windows there was a magnificent view of the Dead Sea, the whole course of the Jordan, Jerusalem, Hebron, the frowning fortress of Marsaba, and away to the north, the wild heights of Pisgah and Abarim. Detached from the palace was a visible, hewn down into the solid rock. This was the scene of John's imprisonment, and ultimately his death.
On the way to Galilee Jesus stops by Divine appointment in Samaria at the Well and meets the Woman at the well revealing to her His Deity. John 4:1-26
Because He was on a divinely appointed schedule, it was necessary that Jesus go through Samaria. Why? Because He would meet a woman there and lead her into saving faith, the kind of true faith that would affect an entire village. Our Lord was no respecter of persons. Earlier, He counseled a moral Jewish man (John 3), and now He would witness to an immoral Samaritan woman! He arrived at Jacob’s well at 6 o’clock in the evening, the usual time for women to come for water. The disciples went to the nearby town for food while Jesus deliberately waited at the well. He was weary, hungry, and thirsty. John not only presents Jesus as the Son of God but also as true man. Our Lord entered into all the normal experiences of our lives and is able to identify with us in each of them. [5]
Then He returns to His home base in Galilee and starts preaching in Galilee. Mark 1:14-15
Preaching was a central part of Jesus’ ministry and remains a central part of the ministry of His church. From that time, when He went to Galilee, Jesus began to preach. The Greek word means “to proclaim” or “to publish,” that is, to publicly make a message known. R. C. H. Lenski comments, “The point to be noted is that to preach is not to argue, reason, dispute, or convince by intellectual proof, against all of which a keen intellect may bring counterargument. We simply state in public or testify to all men the truth which God bids us state. No argument can assail the truth presented in this announcement or testimony. Men either believe the truth, as all sane men should, or refuse to believe it, as only fools venture to do” (The Interpretation of St. Matthew’s Gospel [Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1964], p. 168).[6]
To turn from sin is to repent, to change one’s orientation, to turn around and seek a new way. Metanoeoµ literally means a change of perception, a change in the way we see something. To repent, therefore, is to change the way a person looks at sin and the way he looks at righteousness. It involves a change of opinion, of direction, of life itself. To repent is to have a radical change of heart and will-and, consequently, of behavior (cf. Matt. 3:8).
That was, and has always continued to be, the first demand of the gospel, the first requirement of salvation, and the first element of the saving work of the Spirit in the soul. The conclusion of Peter’s Pentecost sermon was a call to repentance: “Repent, and let each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Many years later Paul reminded Timothy that repentance leads “to the knowledge of the truth” (2 Tim. 2:25).[7]
So what is the message of Jesus? It is what He said, and what He did. In these 8 events over 8 months here is His message. Each of these events teach us wonderful lessons:
1. Lamb of God? Jesus is all we need to get to Heaven.
2. Water to wine? Jesus enjoyed life's pleasures.
3. Cleansing the Temple? Jesus wants undistracted worship.
4. Nicodemus? Jesus meets us where we are, and meets us there.
5. John the Baptist imprisoned? Jesus gives us hope to the end that to die is gain!
6. Woman at Well? Jesus loves us no matter what we have done, He knows it all and still loves us.
7. Galilean Sermon? Jesus says salvation is so simple, that it is impossible.
Jesus says salvation is so simple, but it is impossible. How is it simple? Think of the Biblical pictures of salvation.
Salvation is as simple as going up the ramp and into the door of the Ark.
Salvation is as simple as entering through a blood stained door and staying inside while the death angel passes over.
Salvation is as simple as following the pillar of fire through the Red Sea.
Salvation is as simple as looking up at the Brazen Serpent for rescue from death.
Salvation is as simple as being born into God's Family, following Jesus into His sheepfold, eating Him as the Bread of Life, drinking Him as the water of Life, believing in Him as the Way, Truth and Life.
Salvation is as simple as saying with the Publican "God be merciful to me the sinner". (Luke 18:13)
Salvation is as simple as saying with the Thief on the Cross, "Lord remember me". (Luke 23:42)
Salvation is as simple as saying with Peter, "Lord save me". (Matthew 14:30)
Salvation is as simple as saying with the leper, "Lord if you are willing you can make me clean". (Mark 1:40)
Salvation is as simple as saying with Thomas, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28).
Jesus says salvation is so simple, but it is impossible. How is it impossible? Think of the Biblical pictures of those who were damned.
The rich Young Ruler sought out Jesus, ran to Him, and sliding in at His feet ask how to get to Heaven. He was bright, focused, energetic and sincere. When he heard the absolute level of Christ's Lordship, he declined and stomped away to the blackness of Darkness.
Judas walked, talked, slept, ate and watched Jesus for His entire public ministry. Yet Judas was on the three and a half year Road to Hell. So close and yet so far. Salvation is humanly impossible. Judas never let Jesus save him even though he was right next to Him for all that time.
If you reject God's Final Call of Grace,
You'll have no chance your footsteps to retrace,
All hope will then be gone, and Doom you'll face;
Oh hear it now, God's Final Call.
-J. W. Peterson
Salvation is so simple, and yet it is impossible apart from a work of God in a person's heart. While you hear His voice, say yes, and do not harden your heart and turn away. If you do, chances are you will never come back, and Doom you'll face!
[1] Maier, The Book of Nahum, p. 127. Diodorus's work is called the Chronicles. The material on the fall n in turn from Persica, a chronicle of Assyria and Persia in twenty-three books by a Greek physician named Cresias, of which only fragments survive.
[2]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.
[3]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.
[4] Meyer, F.B. John the Baptist. Harrisburg, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania: Christian Literature Crusade, 1993, p. 105.
[5]Wiersbe, Warren W., The Bible Exposition Commentary, (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books) 1997.
[6]MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983.
[7]MacArthur, John F., The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, (Chicago: Moody Press) 1983.
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