Sermon of The Week:

Lamentations - Study 5

Lamentations 4 (read 1-2)

December 26, 2018

Introduction: We now enter into a study of Jeremiah’s fourth lamentation.  Here, the mighty prophet clarifies Jerusalem’s desperate situation and details the causes and events of the city’s destruction.  Finally, Jeremiah gives a strong warning to Edom.

This chapter, like chapters 1-2, is an acrostic.  You will notice in your Bibles that each verse begins successively with each letter of the Hebrew alphabet.

1.  Jerusalem’s current judgment.

- The consequences of Jerusalem’s destruction.

* God’s chastisement of His people affected everyone without exception.  This is the consequence of sin.  When Jerusalem was destroyed, it affected:

- The children, “How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them.”(Lamentations 4:1-4)

- The mothers, “The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (Lamentations 4:10)

- The rich people, “They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.” (Lamentations 4:5,6)

- The princes, “Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire: Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick. They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.” (Lamentations 4:7-9)

- The causes of Jerusalem’s destruction.

* The sins of the prophets and priests, “The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments. They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.” (Lamentations 4:11-16)

* The strength of the enemy, “As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.” (Lamentations 4:17-20)

* They trusted in the strength of man instead of God.  This kind of trust always ends up in a bad way.  The Psalmist wrote, “It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in man. It is better to trust in the LORD than to put confidence in princes.” (Psalm 118:8-9)

2.  Edom’s coming judgment. - Lamentations 4:21-22

“Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.”

- Said in a rather solemn way, verse 21 states, “Go ahead, laugh now while you can, because later, you won’t be able to.”

Conclusion: When you backslide, more damage is done than what you can imagine.  When a person backslides, he believes it causes no harm except to himself.  What are the affects of backsliding?  There are a number of characteristics of the backslider found in Jeremiah’s writings.  Notice Jeremiah’s warnings to God’s people in the book of Jeremiah concerning backsliding:

1.  Your backsliding will be noticed by others.  Jeremiah 3:6 says, “…Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done?”

2.  Your backsliding will influence others to backslide.  Jeremiah 3:8 says, “…her [Israel’s] treacherous sister Judah feared not, but went and played the harlot also.”

3.  Backsliding is always judged.  Jeremiah 2:19 says, “Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee…”

4.  Backsliders always justify what they’ve done.  Jeremiah 3:11, “…backsliding Israel hath justified herself…”

5.  Backsliding always increases.  Jeremiah 5:6 says, “…their backslidings are increased.”

6.  Backsliding is perpetual.  Jeremiah 8:5 says, “Why then is this people of Jerusalem slidden back by a perpetual backsliding? they hold fast deceit, they refuse to return.”

When Peter backslid, he took others with him including John, the disciple whom Jesus loved.  When judgment comes upon sin, it affects many, as we have seen in this study.  Innocent children were affected, as well as, their mothers.  Jeremiah suffered through the judgment.

When Abraham went to Egypt out of God’s will, it affected his entire family.  When Lot chose the well-watered plain of Sodom, it affected the family he did not yet have.

If you choose to backslide, before you do, think of everyone who may be affected by your bad choice.  It may cost you more than you are willing to pay.

If God Permit

Hebrews 6:1-8

December 30, 2018

Introduction:  The invitation, “…let us go on unto perfection…”  in Hebrews 6:1, is an invitation and encouragement to all Christians to go on to maturity.  It is meant to encourage us and should be taken personally by every born-again believer.  This week, we will continue our examination of this invitation; but first, a short review:

1.  Let us - Hebrews 6:1

- “Perfection,” of course, is used here, as throughout the book of Hebrews, to mean “completion” or “maturity.”

2.  Go on unto perfection - Hebrews 6:1

- This is not an exhortation to “sinless perfection.”  It is an invitation to victorious Christian living and should be understood only in that context.

3.  Not laying again the foundation. - Hebrews 6:1

- The writer here is speaking of addition, not substitution.  He is saying that there are things that should be added to the foundation.

4.  Go on. - Hebrews 6:1

- These two words come from one of the most exciting words in the book of Hebrews, “phero.”  This Greek word means “upheld or borne.”  (Hebrews 1:3; 2 Peter 1:21)

- Hebrews 6:1 is teaching us that the same power in operation at the writing of the Scriptures is available for our trip to Canaan.  God’s part in our spiritual victory is comparable to His part in giving the Bible to man or in holding the world together.

* Question:  What does all this mean?

- Answer:  No man can become a complete Christian on his own any more than he could uphold the universe or write Scripture on his own.  To say, therefore, that you are unable to cross the Jordan is meaningless.  It is not human effort, but divine power, that takes God’s people to Canaan.

* Question:  Why would God prevent a Christian from growing to maturity?  (Hebrews 6:1-3)

- Answer:  Because of sin!  Hebrews 6:4-8 speak of a sin that will keep Christians out of spiritual Canaan.

- The words “fall away,” found in verse 6, mean “to deviate from the right path, turn aside, to wander.”  It is in reference to the basic illustration used in Hebrews of the Israelites turning away from Canaan.

* Question:  Is the warning of Hebrews 6:1-8 for believers or unbelievers?

- Answer:  Obviously, I believe it is a warning to Christians.  Notice five Bible facts about the people to whom this warning was given.

1.  They were enlightened. - Hebrews 6:4

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened…”

- It is impossible to use this word to describe an unsaved man, because the Bible says the unsaved man’s mind is darkened.  This is the reason for Paul’s exhortation in Ephesians 4:17-18, “This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart.”

- An understanding of spiritual truth, which is what “enlightened” means, can only be possessed by the believer.  Paul prays for an increase of such an understanding for the Ephesians, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” (Ephesians 1:18)

- The unbeliever’s mind is darkened; the believer’s mind is enlightened.

2.  They tasted the Heavenly gift. - Hebrews 6:4

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift…”

- What is the Heavenly gift to man?

* In John 4, Jesus offered this gift to the woman at the well.  In Acts 8:20, Peter said that God’s gift could not be bought with money.

- The gift of Heaven can be summed up in this way:

* God gave His Son.  (John 3:16)

* God’s Son gave His life.  (Romans 5:6-8)

* Therefore, we can have the gift of salvation.  (Romans 5:15-21; Ephesians 2:8-9)

- Obviously, if the Hebrew Christians tasted the Heavenly gift, they had been born again.

3.  They were partakers of the Holy Ghost. - Hebrews 6:4

“For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, and have tasted of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost.”

- The word “partaker” is used several times in Hebrews.  It is used twice in Hebrews 2:14, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.”  In this verse, the phrase “part of” is the same word as “partakers.”

- This verse is saying that Jesus actually became flesh and blood.  Just as Jesus actually partook of flesh and blood, the Hebrew Christians actually partook of the Holy Ghost.  One is just as real as the other.

- The Bible teaches that the unsaved have not the Spirit of God, but Christians do.  The leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives is an evidence of salvation, “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” (Romans 8:14)

- Notice these words, “But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you.  Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.” (Romans 8:9)

* To partake of the Holy Spirit is to be born again, “And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.” (Romans 8:10)  One who has received the Spirit of God has also received eternal life!

4.  They tasted the good Word of God. - Hebrews 6:5

“And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.”

- In this passage, as throughout the Bible, the physical is used to illustrate the spiritual.  What food is to the natural body, the Bible is to the soul.

- Many times, the Bible refers to the tasting or eating of the Word of God.  For example:

* Jeremiah 15:16, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

* Ezekiel 2:8, “But thou, son of man, hear what I say unto thee; Be not thou rebellious like that rebellious house: open thy mouth, and eat that I give thee.”

* Revelation 10:9-11, “And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take it, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings.”

- To taste the Word of God means “to receive it into your life.”  This will involve reading the Word, or listening to the Word taught.  The people to whom the book of Hebrews was written had been receiving the Word of God into their lives.  This leads us to an important Biblical principle, “But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God:  for they are foolishness unto him:  neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.” (1 Corinthians 2:14)

- Since these people had received the Word of God, something the unsaved man cannot do, these were born-again believers.

5.  And…of the powers of the world to come. - Hebrews 6:5

“And have tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come.”

- The word “world” is a reference to the time when Christ reigns on earth.  This verse is suggesting a tremendous truth:  the victorious Christian experiences the power of the millennium today.  The one who is approaching victory has begun to “taste” of the power that will be his after he surrenders his all to God.

- The Old Testament provides us with a beautiful illustration of this experience:

* When the spies returned from Canaan, they brought with them the fruit of the land, “And they came unto the brook of Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, and they bare it between two upon a staff; and they brought of the pomegranates, and of the figs…And they told him, and said.  We came unto the land whither thou sentest us, and surely it floweth with milk and honey; and this is the fruit of it.” (Numbers 13:23, 27)  The Israelites were able to see, handle, and taste the fruit of Canaan before they actually crossed the Jordan River.

- Christians are able to taste the power of a surrendered life before they make that total surrender; they see souls saved, have prayers answered, and begin to understand the teachings of the Word of God.

- God is seeking to motivate them to make the surrender that will permit them to have the “fruit of Canaan” as their continual diet.

Conclusion:  Therefore, we conclude that this warning is written to born-again believers NOT the lost.  So the warning is this, “Let us go on unto perfection…and this will we do, if God permit. For it is impossible…to renew them again unto repentance; seeing they crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame…if they shall fall away.”

This is the “if God permit” in a nutshell.  Sin will keep the Christian from going on to perfection.

So, You Want God’s Blessing in 2019

Psalm 1

December 30, 2018

Introduction:  Let’s face it, 2018 was a mixed bag for most of us.  We grew in some areas, and we failed in others.

I want 2019 to be a year of great blessing.  I truly want God’s sweet blessing upon me, my family, and the entire Timberline Baptist Church family.  It is my sincere belief that God has placed some formulas for blessing throughout the Word of God.  After all, He does not want us to utterly fail, so He has provided the how-to’s of blessing.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at Psalm 1 all over again.  Just like Corn Flakes, let’s taste ‘em again for the very first time!

1.  Walk not in the counsel of the ungodly. - Psalm 1:1

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly…”

- Ungodly counsel has many sources including:

* Literature

* TV, commercials, advertisements

* Cartoons, child programming

* Music, lyrics and the music itself.

2.  Stand not in the path of sinners. - Psalm 1:1

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners…”

- “Way” speaks of a path or a direction.

- This “way” is described in Proverbs 6:12-15, “A naughty person, a wicked man, walketh with a froward mouth. He winketh with his eyes, he speaketh with his feet, he teacheth with his fingers; Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth mischief continually; he soweth discord. Therefore shall his calamity come suddenly; suddenly shall he be broken without remedy.”

* “Froward” speaks of perversity and being drawn toward it.  Sin has a certain allurement. (The root of this word is “lure,” as in a fish lure, etc.)  The more it sparkles and wiggles, the more alluring and attractive it appears.

- Gambling

- Casinos

- Bars and cocktail lounges

- Pornography

* If you are drawn toward these things, stay away from them!  This path will destroy you!

* By the way, you do not necessarily have to run with this crowd to do evil; it’s your direction that’s important!

3.  Stay away from the seat of the scornful. - Psalm 1:1

“Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.”

- One who walks with the ungodly and stands in the same path of sinners, will undoubtedly sit in the seat of the scornful becoming critical of those who do neither!

- Interestingly, the Word of God tells us how to deal with scorners, “Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.” (Proverbs 22:10)

4.  Delight in the Word of God. - Psalm 1:2

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”

- He delights in the Bible, not dreads!  Job said, “…I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12)

* Jeremiah 15:16, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.”

* Joshua 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”

- “Meditate” literally means “to ruminate,” to “think deeply about something over and over again.”

5.  Be a doer. - Psalm 1:3

“And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

- Dr. R.G. Lee said, “Work hard.  Laziness is like leprosy in life.”

* James 1:22-27, “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word, and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass: For he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”

* James 2:17, 18, “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.”

- Decide to be a volunteer for Jesus and serve, serve, serve!

Conclusion:  O, to be blessed of God in the new year!  O, to desire to follow these five steps to blessing:

- No ungodly counsel.

- No running with the wrong crowd.

- No critical spirit.

- Delight in God’s Word.

- Be a doer of the work of God.

Lamentations - Study 4

Lamentations 3:22-23

December 19, 2018

Introduction:  In our last time together, we learned of the afflictions of both the Prophet Jeremiah and the city of Jerusalem.  As we continue in Jeremiah’s third lamentation, we will look at three more A’s.

- First, the afflictions.

- Next, the agony.

- After that, the assurance.

- Finally, the admonition.

Having painstakingly listed all his afflictions from the Lord, the people, and their enemies, we now hear how all of this affected Jeremiah.

1.  The agony.

- Personal conflict and trials affect us deeply.  We may try to hide this as much as we can, but we cannot deny that we are affected.

* He was scared and felt snared.  He was desolate and felt destroyed, “Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.” (Lamentations 3:47)

* He cried with great compassion, “Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission.”(Lamentations 3:48,49)

* Here, Jeremiah is so much like the Lord Jesus, “And when he was come near, he beheld the city, and wept over it.” (Luke 19:41)  Often, Jeremiah pictures the Lord Jesus.

* What he saw moved him to brokenness, “Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.” (Lamentations 3:50,51)

- A great lesson to be learned here, especially from verses 50-51, is what you see and understand affects you deeply.  Therefore, you must be careful what you see and what you come to understand.  The eye does affect the heart.  In other words, what you see truly affects YOU personally.  This is borne out in Acts 4:20, “For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

2.  The assurance.

- Lamentations 3:21-24, “This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.”

- Lamentations 3:31-33, “For the Lord will not cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.”

* Despite Jeremiah’s groaning, he is still able to find hope in the Lord.

* Even though Jeremiah and God’s people were under the chastening hand of God, Jeremiah recognized God’s mercy in all of it.  Mercy is when God does not give us what we truly deserve.  Thus, Jeremiah says, “It is of the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed…”

3.  The admonition.

- Jeremiah lends a three-fold advice to the people of God:

* Wait patiently, “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.” (Lamentations 3:25,26)

* Accept your discipline, “It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach…To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?” (Lamentations 3:27-30; 34-39)

* Repent of your sin, “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.” (Lamentations 3:40-42)

Conclusion:  Trials and tribulations make us better or bitter; the choice is always ours.  Did you know that surrender and rebellion are opposites?

James wrote, “But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.” (James 1:4)  The word “let” means “to allow or to surrender.”  The deaf have a sign for the word “surrender” which is to raise both hands with palms open so as to indicate that one’s hands have been removed from the situation.  It also means “I give up.”  It means that I now surrender all and that I’m taking my hands off the situation and not fighting any more.

Take your hands off and surrender to what God is doing.  What trial are you facing?  Have you surrendered completely to the will of God and taken your hands off of your current trial or tribulation?  If indeed surrender is the opposite of rebellion, then you need to surrender and stop rebelling today.

God Is So Good!

Psalm 100

December 23, 2018

Introduction:  Truly, God is so good!  Notice again the words of verse 5, “For the LORD is good…”  Oh, yes He is very good!  I want all of us to understand that the Lord is good in all His ways.  As has been said in so many ways by so many Christians, “God is good…all the time!”  However, most of us need a constant reminder simply because tend to forget that God is so good.

Oh, we’ve had our share of difficult times.  Our hearts have been broken more times than not.  But we can still say that God is so good!  How is this possible?

1.  God’s past speaks for itself. - Philippians 4:19

“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”

- Jeff Easter penned some well-thought-out lyrics:

As the world looks upon me, as I struggle along.

They say I have nothing, but they are so wrong.

In my heart I’m rejoicing, how I wish they could see.

Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me.

There’s a roof up above me,

I’ve a good place to sleep.

There’s food on my table,

And shoes on my feet.

You gave me your love Lord

And a fine family.

Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me.

Now I know I’m not wealthy, and these clothes , they’re not new.

I don’t have much money, but Lord I have you.

And to me that’s all that matters, though the world cannot see.

Thank you Lord, for your blessings on me.

- So undeserving, yet He saved me on February 16, 1964!  That’s 55 years this coming February!

- He has also faithfully allowed me to have difficult times as well, but thats okay!

* Notice the Psalmist’s affliction, “Thou hast dealt well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word. Teach me good judgment and knowledge: for I have believed thy commandments. Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word. Thou art good, and doest good; teach me thy statutes. The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. It is good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. JOD. Thy hands have made me and fashioned me: give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments. They that fear thee will be glad when they see me; because I have hoped in thy word. I know, O LORD, that thy judgments are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me.” (Psalm 119:65-75)

* Notice Paul’s thorn in the flesh, “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10)

* Notice Paul and Silas praising God in jail, “And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one’s bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed their stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house.” (Acts 16:25-34)

* Notice how God can use our pain, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort; Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.” (2 Corinthians 1:3-6)

2.  God’s present speaks for itself. - 2 Corinthians 1:20

“For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”

- I honestly can say, after knowing the Lord for almost 55 years, that He has never let me down!  It’s as Phil Johnson wrote:

He didn’t bring us this far to leave us.

He didn’t teach us to swim to let us drown.

He didn’t build His home in us to move away.

He didn’t lift us up to let us down!

- Hard times?  Of course, but He has always been there for me, praise the Lord!

3.  God’s future will be no different.

- “Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)

- “Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever.” (Hebrews 13:8)

* Truly, the future is as bright as the promises of God!

Conclusion:  God really is so good, and I truly have nothing to complain about.  Have you known this goodness, or are you too caught up in your present affliction to see His hand of goodness?  “It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.” (Lamentations 3:22, 23) 

Let’s Learn from Their Mistakes

Psalm 78:1-8

December 23, 2018

Introduction:  Psalm 78 is a Maschil of Asaph.  This means that the purpose for this Psalm was to give instruction to the people of God.  “Maschil” simply means “prudent and wise.”

- “Prudent” means “to have discretion and balance in judgement.”

- “Wise” means “to discern biblically between right and wrong, between good, better, and best.”

In other words, Psalm 78 was given so that God’s people might learn from mistakes made in the past.  They are given the facts that they might form a wise judgement and not repeat the past.  As was said by George Santayana, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Notice the wording in verse 2, “I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old.”  In other words, there is more to this Psalm than what meets the eye.  The lessons, from which we are to learn, are listed in the remainder of the Psalm.

1.  Our nature is to turn back. - Psalm 78:9, 41, 57

“The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle…Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel…But turned back, and dealt unfaithfully like their fathers: they were turned aside like a deceitful bow.”

- Our nature is to refuse, “They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law.” (Psalm 78:10)

- Our nature is to question, “And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” (Psalm 78:18, 19)

- Our nature is to disbelieve, “Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.” (Psalm 78:22)

- Our nature is to be selfish, “He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea: And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations. So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire; They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths, The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.” (Psalm 78:27-31)

* When lust prays, wrath may answer!

- Our nature is to lie, “Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.” (Psalm 78:36)

- Our nature is to limit God, “Yea, they turned back and tempted God, and limited the Holy One of Israel.” (Psalm 78:41)

- Our nature is to disobey, “Yet they tempted and provoked the most high God, and kept not his testimonies.” (Psalm 78:56)

- Our nature is to become idolatrous, “For they provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images.” (Psalm 78:58)

* No matter what God does, God’s people find a way to go against Him and take full advantage of His mercy!

2.  God’s justice brings judgment. - Psalm 78:21, 31, 59

“Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel…The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel…When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel.”

- His justice demands that sin be punished.

3.  God’s mercy restores the sinner. - Psalm 78:38-39, 52, 72

“But he, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not: yea, many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. For he remembered that they were but flesh; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again…But made his own people to go forth like sheep, and guided them in the wilderness like a flock…So he fed them according to the integrity of his heart; and guided them by the skilfulness of his hands.”

- The purpose for God’s chastisement is to produce righteousness!  Hebrews 12:5-11 tell us, “And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.”

Conclusion:  Yes, this great and powerful God not only judges sin, but also love the sinner and has great compassion on him.

Can we learn the wisdom so as not to repeat the mistakes of God’s people as recorded in Psalm 78?  Remember, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Lamentations - Study 3

Lamentations 3

December 12, 2018

Introduction:  This study brings us to Jeremiah’s third lamentation.  Chapter 3 contains 22 verses, each verse having three lines, each line beginning with the same letter, and so on through the end of the Hebrew alphabet.

Because of its length, we’ll spend some extra time here over the next couple of weeks.  Jeremiah recalls his personal sufferings but expresses his hope in the Lord.

1.  The afflictions of Jeremiah.

- Afflictions from the Lord.

* The Lord brings him into the depths of darkness, “He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.”(Lamentations 3:2,3)

* The Lord makes him old and breaks his bones, “My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.” (Lamentations 3:4)  In a literal sense, this whole ordeal had weakened Jeremiah and had taken away his strength.

* The Lord walls him in a dark place and chains him down, “He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.” (Lamentations 3:5-7)

* The Lord ignores his prayers, “Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.” (Lamentations 3:8)

* The Lord blocks his path, “He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.” (Lamentations 3:9)

* The Lord attacks him like a bear, “He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.”(Lamentations 3:10,11)

* The Lord pierces his heart with arrows, “He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.” (Lamentations 3:12,13)

* The Lord makes him the object of ridicule, “I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.” (Lamentations 3:14)

* The Lord fills him with bitterness, “He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.” (Lamentations 3:15)

* The Lord takes away his peace and prosperity, “He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.” (Lamentations 3:16-20)

- Afflictions from the people.

* Lamentations 3:52-66, “Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause. They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause. Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick. Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.”

- Jeremiah was mistreated and imprisoned by his own people for preaching against their sins.

- Jeremiah calls upon the Lord to pay them back.

2.  The afflictions of Jerusalem.

- Afflictions from the Lord.  Jeremiah is saddened that the Lord has treated them in the following ways:

* He has chased them down and slaughtered them without mercy, “Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.” (Lamentations 3:43)

* He refuses to hear their prayers, “Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.” (Lamentations 3:44)

* He has discarded them like garbage, “Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.” (Lamentations 3:45)

- Afflictions from their enemies, “All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.” (Lamentations 3:46)

* They speak out against Jerusalem.

Conclusion:  Jeremiah said in Lamentations 3:1, “I am the man…”  Here, Jeremiah represents the nation of Israel and speaks in the name of the whole nation.  In this instant, Jeremiah is a type of Christ who took upon himself our sins and bore the iniquity of many.

Jesus is represented throughout the Bible in many places, especially in the Old Testament prophetical writings.  I’m not entirely sure that Jeremiah knew he was representing Jesus, but he was.  There are three Psalms in particular that show us this correlation between Jeremiah and Jesus.

- Psalm 22:1 is the beginning of a Psalm concerning the suffering of the Saviour, “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?”

- Psalm 69:8-9 is only a small portion of a prophecy concerning Jesus as He suffered for our sins, “I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother’s children. For the zeal of thine house hath eaten me up; and the reproaches of them that reproached thee are fallen upon me.”

- Psalm 88:6-7 speak of Christ’s rejection, “Thou hast laid me in the lowest pit, in darkness, in the deeps. Thy wrath lieth hard upon me, and thou hast afflicted me with all thy waves. Selah.”

In this way, Jeremiah was like the Lord.  Godliness should be a part of our lives where we act as God would act toward those in need.  Let’s remember to be compassionate toward those who need compassion, to weep with those who weep, and to mourn with those who mourn.

When You’re In Over Your Head

Psalm 77:1-10

December 16, 2018

Introduction:  David’s song leader, Asaph, complains about God’s people’s situation.  He says in verse 3, “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”  Literally, he felt as though he was in over his head.

The Bible used the word “overwhelm” nine times.  Four different Hebrew words are used for this one word “overwhelm”  Each one illustrates how the people of God can find themselves in over their heads.

1.  When they are taken advantage of. - Job 6:27

“Yea, ye overwhelm the fatherless, and ye dig a pit for your friend.”

- Here, “overwhelm” means “to be overtaken, overthrown; to fall or fail because of someone stronger.”

- In Minnesota, my good friend and father of one of the teens in my youth group, worked for IBM.  He wanted out of a very lucrative position because he felt as though he was just a computer chip to be used and discarded.

- There are those who see people only as resources to be used and taken advantage of.

- What do you do when you are overwhelmed in this way?

2.  When they are taken with fear. - Psalm 55:5

“Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.”

- Here, “overwhelm” means “to be covered; to be surrounded.”

- Notice also Psalm 78:53, “And he led them on safely, so that they feared not: but the sea overwhelmed their enemies.”

- With every new political administration and governmental change, there come a certain amount of uncertainty and fear.

* Politics

* Practices

* Positions

* Philosophies

- Not just that, but then there are the health issues that plague us all:

* Cancers

* Infectious diseases

* The AIDS virus

* Even chemical weapons like those we hear about in the news.

- Financial problems plague many.

- What do you do when you are overwhelmed in this way?

3.  When you are taken away with problems. - Psalm 124:4

“Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul.”

- Here, “overwhelm” means “to drown; to be washed away by a rush of deep water.”

- Notice Psalm 42:7, “Deep calleth unto deep at the noise of thy waterspouts: all thy waves and thy billows are gone over me.”

- Job would be the best example here.  In just a short time:

* He lost his wealth.

* He lost his health.

* He lost his children.

* He lost the loyalty of his wife.

* He lost the faithfulness of his friends.

- We hear of tragedies similar to this all the time:

* A terrible accident.

* The death of a husband of wife.

* The deaths of the children.

* The loss of an entire family.

- What do you do when you are overwhelmed in this way?

4.  When you are taken in darkness. - Psalm 61:2

“From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

- Here, “overwhelm” means “to be hidden; to be left in the dark; to be in over your head.”  In other words, there’s no light at the end of a very long and dark tunnel.

- Notice also these passages of Scripture that exemplify this truth:

* Psalm 77:3, “I remembered God, and was troubled: I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah.”

* Psalm 102:1 Title, “A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD.”

* Psalm 142:3, “When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then thou knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they privily laid a snare for me.”

* Psalm 143:4, “Therefore is my spirit overwhelmed within me; my heart within me is desolate.”

- In the dark, we must have someone who knows the way.  Psalm 136:16 says, “To him which led his people through the wilderness: for his mercy endureth for ever.”

* My Lord knows the way through the wilderness.  All I have to do is follow!

- What do you do when you are overwhelmed in this way?

- When you’re in over your head, USE YOUR HEAD!

* Verse 3, “I remembered God…”

* Verse 5, “I considered the days of old…”

* Verse 6, “I call to remembrance…I commune…”

* Verse 10, “I will remember…”

* Verse 11, “I will remember…”

* Verse 12, “I will meditate…”

- When we find ourselves overwhelmed, we all-too-often forget the Lord and all He has done in the past!  But, if we will just THINK, we’ll soon realize that God has never failed us, not ever!

- In 1962, John W. Peterson penned I Just Keep Trusting My Lord.

I just keep trusting my Lord, as I walk along,

I just keep trusting my Lord, and He gives a song;

Tho the storm clouds darken the sky,

O’er the heav’nly trail,

I just keep trusting my Lord,

He will never fail!

He's a faithful friend, such a faithful friend;
I can count on Him to the very end.
Tho the storm clouds darken the sky,

O’er the heav’nly trail,
I just keep trusting my Lord,

He will never fail!

Conclusion:  Are you overwhelmed and find it hard to see the way ahead?  Look back in order to see that God has been faithful!

Dullness to God’s Word - Part 2

Hebrews 6:1-20

December 16, 2018

Introduction:  Let’s review a bit from our last time together.  Hebrews contains five parenthetical warnings written to believers about the dangers of not growing in the Lord as they ought.  The first two warnings are these:

1.  Drifting from the Word of God through neglect.

2.  Doubting the Word of God through unbelief.

The third parenthetical warning given to the Hebrew believers is found in Hebrews 5:11-6:20, dullness to the Word of God through laziness.  The admonition here is that they would decide to grow up in Christ.

The Hebrew Christians are warned about a dangerous spiritual attitude; they found the spiritual truths of the Word of God dull, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11)

The problem, of course, was not the Bible but the condition of their hearts.  They were lazy when it came to spiritual things, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12)  Anyone who neglects to study the Word of God will find It to be a dull and difficult Book.

This parenthetical warning can be divided into two sections:

- Hebrews 5:11-14 describe the spiritual condition of the people to whom the book of Hebrews was written.

- Hebrews 6:1-20 are a warning that judgment will come if they fail to grow in grace.

Hebrews 5:11-14 describe these Hebrew spiritual babies, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5:13)  They were immature and needed to grow up.  This passage answers two important questions:  what are the marks of a mature Christian, and what are the needs of an immature Christian?

So, what are the marks of a mature Christian?  This passage gives the characteristics of a immature Christian; and by way of contrast, we can see the marks of a mature Christian.  So, let’s review the characteristics of an immature Christian:

1.  The mature Christian finds the Bible exciting, while the immature Christian finds It dull, “…ye are dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11)

2.  The mature Christian involves himself with teaching others; the immature Christian needs to be taught by others, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again…” (Hebrews 5:12)

3.  The mature Christian is skillful in handling the Word of God, but the immature Christian is not, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5:13)

4.  The mature Christian has a growing understanding of even the difficult parts of the Bible, but a immature Christian finds the Bible to be an impossible Book, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age…” (Hebrews 5:14)

5.  The mature Christian exercises his spiritual senses; the immature Christian is lazy, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised…” (Hebrews 5:14)

6.  The mature Christian works at understanding the Bible, while the immature Christian does not, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised…” (Hebrews 5:14)

7.  The mature Christian has discernment; the immature Christian does not, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

As a Christian, you ought to be growing and maturing each and every day of your life.  If you are not going forward, you are going backward; no one stands still as a Christian.

As promised, we will answer the second question:  what are the needs of an immature Christian as found in Hebrews 5:11-6:20?  This will help all of us but especially those who have a real desire to grow in the Lord.

What are the needs of an immature Christian?

1.  Immature Christians need a teacher. - Hebrews 5:12

“For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again…”

- An immature Christian cannot make it on his own; he needs a teacher to explain the Word of God to him.

2.  Immature Christians need teaching.

- Not only do they need to be exhorted to live right, but they also need to be taught the doctrines of the Bible.  They not only need to know how to behave, they also need to know what to believe.

- It is very important that we realize that what we believe determines how we behave.  Belief always influences behavior.  Our doctrine will always influence our practice.

- The mature Christian should involve himself in teaching those who are less mature.

3.  Immature Christians need the “milk of the Word.”

- The “milk of the Word” is also called “the first principles” and “the doctrine of Christ” in Hebrews 6:1.

- These are the basic doctrines relating to the cross and Christ’s death for us.

* The “milk of the Word” would include the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, the blood atonement, inspiration and preservation of Scripture, and many other rudimentary doctrines.

* The “meat of the Word” refers to the Priesthood of Christ.  This is obvious from the context.  The writer of Hebrews says to the people, “I would like to talk to you about the priesthood of Melchisedec.  Instead I must give you the milk of the Word, because you are not ready for the meat!”  So, the immature Christian needs the “milk of the Word.”

- No one can grow who ignores the Word of God, “As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby.” (1 Peter 2:2)

4.  Immature Christians need to exercise their spiritual senses.

- Hebrews 5:14 says, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”  We exercise our spiritual senses when we take the commandments and the principles of the Word of God and apply them to our daily living.

* For instance, teens are often concerned about which musical group they should listen to.  When a Christian takes the principles of God’s Word and applies them to that music which is available, deciding which is good and which is bad, he is exercising his spiritual senses.

- Immature Christians need this exercise in order to grow.

5.  Immature Christians need rules by which to live.

- Since an immature Christian cannot decide what is right and wrong and since he has little or no discernment between good and evil, he must be told what he can and cannot do.

- He needs fences, boundaries within which to live!

- This is the reason that youth groups need rules, and the reason Christian schools must have rules.

* Some of the young people will live far above the rules; and, if there were no rules, they would still live righteous lives.  The reason is, they are mature, and the rules never affect them.

* Other students find it difficult to keep the rules; they even question their validity.  These are the immature Christians; they are unable to see what is wrong with things that are evil, and so must have rules to tell them right from wrong until they develop a spiritual discernment themselves.

- This is the reason the Apostle Peter wrote, “And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” (2 Peter 1:5-8)

* Notice the first thing you are to add to your faith is virtue, i.e, rules and standards by which to live.  Knowledge follows virtue; this is the “why” for virtue, i.e. the rules and standards.

Conclusion:  These are the needs for immature Christians as listed in Hebrews 5-6.  Knowing these also reveals areas where even mature Christians need to grow!

Joseph and His Mother Knew Not of It

Luke 2:41-46; Psalm 106:21

December 9, 2018

Introduction:  When we liven in Rosemount, Minnesota, I was the assistant pastor at the First Baptist Church.  One of those years, we had one of the best Vacation Bible Times in the history of the church.  We averaged 1,543 per day with nearly 300 souls saved!

Each day, we ran busses to Minneapolis for our day-time VBT for the inner-city children.  On one of those days, the driver of the Minneapolis route accidentally left one of the bus workers in Minneapolis.  I really don’t believe he left her there on purpose, BUT she wasn’t missed until the bus reached the church back in Rosemount.

More often than not, we do the same thing with Jesus.  We get caught up in the activities of each day and soon forget about His.  We do not even notice that we have left Him out until the next day…or even later!

How is it that we leave Him out?

1.  We do not think on Him. - Psalm 48:9

“We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.”

- Look at Psalm 104:34, “My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD”

- We do not think about:

* His mighty works.

* His abundant blessings.

* His tender mercies.

* His lovingkindness.

* His forgiveness.

* His love.

* His salvation.

* His Word.

- God says of the wicked man, “The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts.” (Psalms 10:4)

- Proverbs 23:7 states, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he…”

* A life without the thought of God, is a godless life!

2.  We do not talk to Him. - 1 Thessalonians 5:17

“Pray without ceasing.”

- Luke 18:1, “Men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”

- Luke 21:36, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always.”

- Ephesians 6:18, “Praying always with all prayer.”

- We find ourselves too busy talking to, and perhaps about others than we are to talk to Jesus.

* Facebook

* Messenger

* Twitter

* Instagram

* Snapchat

3.  We do not listen to Him. - Acts 28:27

“For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.”

- As it was with Mary and Joseph, they were not listening for Jesus’ voice.

- We cannot obey His voice if we do not hear His voice.  His voice is heard clearly through:

* The reading and meditating on the Word of God.

* The preaching and teaching of the Word of God.

So, how do we keep from forgetting about Jesus?

1.  Make Jesus your priority every day.

- Do not allow any activity to interfere with your personal time with the Lord.

- Schedule a “quite time,” or you’ll not have one.

- Get ups earlier or go to be later if you must, but arrange your schedule to make and keep Jesus first.

2.  Make time to only think of Him.

- Psalm 48:9, “We have thought of thy lovingkindness, O God, in the midst of thy temple.”

- You will love the one you think about the most.

3.  Don’t participate where Jesus is not allowed.

- If you can’t include Jesus, don’t get involved.

Conclusion:  Have you forgotten about Jesus?  Would it be said of you as it was of Mary and Joseph, “They knew not of it,” or of Israel, “They forgat God their Saviour”?

Lamentations - Study 2

Lamentations 2:1

December 5, 2018

Introduction:  In our first study, Jeremiah described Jerusalem’s great sins and the great suffering that resulted from them.  Jeremiah’s heart is truly broken over the sins of God’s people.  Too bad God’s people were not remorseful and repentant over their own sins, for all of this judgment could have been avoided had they been.

The book of Jeremiah, shows us that God’s people were told they were going to go through a time of judgment because of their sins.  Had they repented, the judgment would have been stopped before it ever started, but they would not repent.  In fact, they could not understand why God was so upset with them.

They had been deceived by their own sin.  What used to be darkness to them now appeared as light.  What used to be sin to them now seemed to be righteousness.  The Apostle Paul wrote in Hebrews 3:13, “But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.” The Gospel did not harden these people.  The Word of God did not harden these people.  Sin hardened these people into what they became.  They were hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.  Such was the case with God’s people in Jeremiah’s day.  They had become so accustomed to their sinful lifestyles that they could no longer see that it was wrong.

During chastening, God’s people could be blessed if only they would choose to do rightly.  Chastening is simply an opportunity to learn how to be blessed by God.  Sadly, many Christians quit when chastening comes, asking the same question those in Jeremiah asked, “…Wherefore hath the LORD pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the LORD our God?” (Jeremiah 16:10)

Now, the city is laid waste, the people have been taken captive, and Jeremiah pleads with God.  In this study of Jeremiah’s second lamentation, Jeremiah describes the Lord’s wrath against Jerusalem and his own anger over the city’s desperate condition.

1.  Jerusalem’s crisis.

- The nation’s agony, “The Lord hath swallowed up all the habitations of Jacob, and hath not pitied: he hath thrown down in his wrath the strong holds of the daughter of Judah; he hath brought them down to the ground: he hath polluted the kingdom and the princes thereof. He hath cut off in his fierce anger all the horn of Israel: he hath drawn back his right hand from before the enemy, and he burned against Jacob like a flaming fire, which devoureth round about. He hath bent his bow like an enemy: he stood with his right hand as an adversary, and slew all that were pleasant to the eye in the tabernacle of the daughter of Zion: he poured out his fury like fire. The Lord was as an enemy: he hath swallowed up Israel, he hath swallowed up all her palaces: he hath destroyed his strong holds, and hath increased in the daughter of Judah mourning and lamentation.” (Lamentations 2:2-5)  The Lord’s anger consumes the land like a raging fire.

- The city’s agony, “(1) How hath the Lord covered the daughter of Zion with a cloud in his anger, and cast down from heaven unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and remembered not his footstool in the day of his anger!…(8-9a) The LORD hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion: he hath stretched out a line, he hath not withdrawn his hand from destroying: therefore he made the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates are sunk into the ground…(13) What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? what shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? for thy breach is great like the sea: who can heal thee?…(15-17) All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head at the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee: they hiss and gnash the teeth: they say, We have swallowed her up: certainly this is the day that we looked for; we have found, we have seen it. The LORD hath done that which he had devised; he hath fulfilled his word that he had commanded in the days of old: he hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: and he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, he hath set up the horn of thine adversaries.” (Lamentations 2:1, 8-9a, 13, 15-17)  The Lord humiliates the “too-proud-to-repent” city of Jerusalem by:

* Knocking down her walls.

* Sinking her gates.

* Wounding her deeply.

* Her enemies scoffing and jeering her.

- The temple’s agony, “And he hath violently taken away his tabernacle, as if it were of a garden: he hath destroyed his places of the assembly: the LORD hath caused the solemn feasts and sabbaths to be forgotten in Zion, and hath despised in the indignation of his anger the king and the priest. The Lord hath cast off his altar, he hath abhorred his sanctuary, he hath given up into the hand of the enemy the walls of her palaces; they have made a noise in the house of the LORD, as in the day of a solemn feast.” (Lamentations 2:6-7)  The tabernacle has now been broken down as though it were a simple garden shelter.  All the festivals are no longer observed.

- The people’s agony:

* Their displacement, “…her king and her princes are among the Gentiles:…” (Lamentations 2:9b)  The king and the princes are now in exile.

* Their darkness, “…the law is no more; her prophets also find no vision from the LORD…Thy prophets have seen vain and foolish things for thee: and they have not discovered thine iniquity, to turn away thy captivity; but have seen for thee false burdens and causes of banishment.” (Lamentations 2:9c, 14)  The law of God is no longer observed, and the prophets no longer receive visions from the Lord.

* Their despair, “The elders of the daughter of Zion sit upon the ground, and keep silence: they have cast up dust upon their heads; they have girded themselves with sackcloth: the virgins of Jerusalem hang down their heads to the ground.” (Lamentations 2:10)  The leaders sit on the ground in silence.  Note that they have “girded themselves with sackcloth.”  This was the outward symbol of mourning.

* Their deaths, “Mine eyes do fail with tears, my bowels are troubled, my liver is poured upon the earth, for the destruction of the daughter of my people; because the children and the sucklings swoon in the streets of the city. They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? when they swooned as the wounded in the streets of the city, when their soul was poured out into their mothers’ bosom.”(Lamentations 2:11-12)  The little children are dying in the streets.

- The people’s anguish, “Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, let tears run down like a river day and night: give thyself no rest; let not the apple of thine eye cease. Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord: lift up thy hands toward him for the life of thy young children, that faint for hunger in the top of every street.” (Lamentations 2:18,19)  Jeremiah admonishes the people of the city to cry out and pray for deliverance.  He encouraged them to turn to the God they had rejected for nearly 500 years.

2.  Jerusalem’s cry. - Lamentations 2:20-22

“Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord? The young and the old lie on the ground in the streets: my virgins and my young men are fallen by the sword; thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; thou hast killed, and not pitied. Thou hast called as in a solemn day my terrors round about, so that in the day of the LORD’S anger none escaped nor remained: those that I have swaddled and brought up hath mine enemy consumed.”

- In utter despair and anguish, Jerusalem calls out to the Lord, “Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this…” (Lamentations 2:20a)

- Two questions are asked in this prayer:

* “Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long?” (10½ inches)

* “Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?”

- Suddenly, the people are consumed and concerned with the reputation of the Lord.  It is amazing how when judgment comes, God is put on trial for the things He’s done.  Such was the case here.

Conclusion:  The people could have repented, but they did not.  Everything that came to them could have been avoided had they done rightly.

When you’re in this position, don’t shake your finger in God’s face for the judgment that has come because of your sin.  Sit back, and take it, and realize it’s your fault, not His.

Dullness to God’s Word

Hebrews 5:11-14

December 9, 2018

Introduction:  The third parenthetical warning given to the Hebrew believers is found in Hebrews 5:11-6:20.  The admonition here is that they would decide to grow up in Christ.

The Hebrew Christians are warned about a dangerous spiritual attitude; they found the spiritual truths of the Word of God dull, “Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11)

The problem, of course, was not the Bible but the condition of their hearts.  They were lazy when it came to spiritual things, “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” (Hebrews 6:12)  Anyone who neglects to study the Word of God will find it to be a dull and difficult Book.

This parenthetical warning can be divided into two sections:

- Hebrews 5:11-14 describe the spiritual condition of the people to which the book of Hebrews was written.

- Hebrews 6:1-20 is a warning that judgement will come if they fail to grow in grace.

Hebrews 5:11-14 describe these Hebrew spiritual babies, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5:13)  They were immature and needed to grow up.  This passage answers two important questions:

- What are the marks of a mature Christian?

- What are the needs of a baby Christian?

So, what are the marks of a mature Christian?  This passage gives the characteristics of a baby Christian; and by way of contrast, we can see the marks of a mature Christian.

1.  The mature Christian finds the Bible exciting, while the immature Christian finds it dull, “…ye are dull of hearing.” (Hebrews 5:11)

- If you find the Bible to be a dull and boring Book, you are simply identifying your spiritual condition.

- As you grow in grace, you will fall more and more in love with the Word of God.

- Christians who are spiritually mature find a joy and thrill in meditating upon the truths of the Scriptures.

- A preacher can almost judge the spiritual condition of his people by watching their reactions to the teaching of the Word of God:  mature Christians will be excited, and baby Christians will be bored.

- Perhaps, you are asking, “What if the preacher is boring?”  The answer to that question is simply this:  the Bible never speaks of dull preaching; the Bible only speaks of dull hearing.

- If you sit in a service and listen to the teaching of the Word of God and find it dull, the problem most likely is with you and not with The one who is delivering God’s message.

- Bob Jones used to say, “Perhaps, the problem is with you.”  This statement would certainly apply here.

2.  The mature Christian involves himself with teaching others; the immature Christian needs to be taught by others, “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again…” (Hebrews 5:12)

- The mature Christian not only studies the Word of God, but also shares what he learns with others.

- One who is growing in grace will seek out ways to share the truths he is learning.  He may share the truths with a friend, or teach a Sunday School class, or preach a sermon; but he will find some way to communicate what he is learning.

3.  The mature Christian is skillful in handling the Word of God, but the immature Christian is not, “For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe.” (Hebrews 5:13)

- Christians can develop a skill at studying, interpreting, and teaching the Bible.  This is one of the marks of maturity.

4.  The mature Christian has a growing understanding of even the difficult parts of the Bible, but a immature Christian finds the Bible to be an impossible Book, “But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age…” (Hebrews 5:14)

- The more you study the Bible, the easier it is to understand.

* Think of the Bible as so many pieces of a puzzle.  While the first pieces are difficult to place, the last few almost fall into place on their own.  So it is with the Bible; the more you know, the easier it is to understand the rest.

- The principle is this:  how well I understand the Bible reveals how much I’ve grown in grace.

5.  The mature Christian exercises his spiritual senses; the immature Christian is lazy, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised…” (Hebrews 5:14)

- The mature Christian takes the teachings of the Word of God and applies them to his life, determining what he should and should not do and what is right and wrong.

- Baby Christians are unable to apply the teaching of the Word of God to their lives; they need a teacher to do this for them.

6.  The mature Christian works at understanding the Bible, while the immature Christian does not, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised…” (Hebrews 5:14)

- Exercise is never easy; if it were, it wouldn’t be exercise.  The mature Christian is willing to put forth the effort to understand the Word of God.  He does not find it easy, but he is successful at understanding what God is saying to man.

- No one becomes a good Christian by accident, and no one understands the Bible without putting forth effort.  It is hard work, but it is certainly worth it.

7.  The mature Christian has discernment; the immature Christian does not, “…those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.” (Hebrews 5:14)

- It is not necessary to tell a mature Christian what is wrong with rock music, or what is wrong with going to the movies, or what is wrong with immodest dress, or what is wrong with even drinking alcohol or looking at pornography.

- A mature Christian has the spiritual discernment to determine both those things which are good and those things which are evil.

- He can take the Word of God, Its commandments and Its principles, and apply them to his life.  The immature Christian is not able to do this and must be told specifics about what activities are right and which are wrong.

Conclusion:  As a Christian, you ought to be growing and maturing each and every day of your life.  If you are not going forward, you are going backward; no one stands still as a Christian.

In our next time together, we will take a look at the needs of an immature Christian as found in Hebrews 6:1-20.  This will help all of us but especially those who have a real desire to grow in the Lord.

Lamentations - Study 1

Lamentations 1:1-7

November 28, 2018

Introduction:  Lamentations consists of five Elegies or Lamentations on the destruction of Jerusalem.  The great historian Josephus believed Lamentations was written upon the death of King Josiah basing his entire opinion on 2 Chronicles 35:25, “And Jeremiah lamented for Josiah: and all the singing men and the singing women spake of Josiah in their lamentations to this day, and made them an ordinance in Israel: and, behold, they are written in the lamentations.”  I believe Josephus was wrong in that the entire book was written about Jerusalem.

The book of Lamentations is still read on the Fast of the ninth day of the fifth month (called “Ab,” which corresponds with our August).  On that day, the Jews commemorate the five great calamities, which befell Israel:

1.  The return of the 12 spies and the decree of the 40 years’ wanderings because of the rebellion of God’s people.

2.  The destruction of the first Temple by Nebuchadnezzar.

3.  The destruction of the second Temple by the Romans under Titus.

4.  The taking of Bether by the Romans under Hadrian when 580,000 people were slain.

5.  The plowing of Zion like a field in fulfillment of Jeremiah 26:18 and Micah 3:12.

* “Micah the Morasthite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah, and spake to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Zion shall be plowed like a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.” (Jeremiah 26:18)

* “Therefore shall Zion for your sake be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of the forest.” (Micah 3:12)

The five Elegies or Lamentations are arranged quite remarkably.

- The first two (chapters 1-2) are made up of 22 long verses of three lines each.  Each verse begins with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

- The third (chapter 3) consists of 66 verses (3 X 22), each triad of verses begins with the same letter of the Hebrew alphabet.  The first three lines begin with the letter Aleph, the next three with Beth, and so on through the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet.

- The fourth (chapter 4) is arranged in 22 long verses of two lines each, also arranged acrostically.

- The fifth (chapter 5) is a prayer.  The only connection with the alphabet that it has is the number of verses in the chapter corresponds with the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, 22.

It will be interesting to note here that, in the Septuagint (the copy of Scripture Jesus quoted most often), the following words are used to preface the book of Lamentations, “It came to pass that after Israel was taken captive and Jerusalem was made desolate, Jeremiah sat weeping and lamented with this lamentation over Jerusalem and said…”  At this point, chapter one begins.

In chapter one, Jeremiah describes Jerusalem’s great sins and the suffering that resulted from it.

1.  Her sins. - Lamentations 1:8-9

“Jerusalem hath grievously sinned; therefore she is removed: all that honoured her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness: yea, she sigheth, and turneth backward. Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O LORD, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.”

- Jerusalem truly has sinned a great sin and defiled herself with the immorality committed with Asherah.

* Jeremiah 2:20, “For of old time I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot.”

* Jeremiah 3:6, “The LORD said also unto me in the days of Josiah the king, Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? she is gone up upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hath played the harlot.”

2.  Her suffering.

- Jerusalem sits alone like a grief-stricken widow, “How doth the city sit solitary, that was full of people! how is she become as a widow! she that was great among the nations, and princess among the provinces, how is she become tributary!…The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts: all her gates are desolate: her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness.” (Lamentations 1:1, 4)

- She weeps throughout the night with no one to comfort her, “She weepeth sore in the night, and her tears are on her cheeks: among all her lovers she hath none to comfort her: all her friends have dealt treacherously with her, they are become her enemies.” (Lamentations 1:2)

- Judah has been taken into exile, “Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits…Her adversaries are the chief, her enemies prosper; for the LORD hath afflicted her for the multitude of her transgressions: her children are gone into captivity before the enemy.” (Lamentations 1:3, 5)

- Note the phrase in verse 3, “…between the straits.”  It means that Judah was like a hunted animal driven where there is no escape.  Though translated in different words, this phrase appears in only three places.

* Psalm 116:3, “The sorrows of death compassed me, and the pains of hell gat hold upon me: I found trouble and sorrow.”

* Psalm 118:5, “I called upon the LORD in distress: the LORD answered me, and set me in a large place.”

* Lamentations 1:3, “Judah is gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude: she dwelleth among the heathen, she findeth no rest: all her persecutors overtook her between the straits.”

- Her former beauty and majesty are gone, “And from the daughter of Zion all her beauty is departed: her princes are become like harts that find no pasture, and they are gone without strength before the pursuer.” (Lamentations 1:6)  This verse also bears out the fact that Judah was trapped like a hunted animal and could find no escape.

- The enemy laughs as she falls, “Jerusalem remembered in the days of her affliction and of her miseries all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, when her people fell into the hand of the enemy, and none did help her: the adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths.” (Lamentations 1:7)

* Note here that the enemy specifically mocked her sabbaths or “sabbath-keepings.”  This is ironic in that God’s people had neglected their sabbath for nearly 500 years.

- She was looted and violated by her enemies, “The adversary hath spread out his hand upon all her pleasant things: for she hath seen that the heathen entered into her sanctuary, whom thou didst command that they should not enter into thy congregation.” (Lamentations 1:10)

- Her people are starving, “All her people sigh, they seek bread; they have given their pleasant things for meat to relieve the soul: see, O LORD, and consider; for I am become vile.” (Lamentations 1:11)

3.  Her speech.

- The punishment:  she is treated with contempt, “Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. From above hath he sent fire into my bones, and it prevaileth against them: he hath spread a net for my feet, he hath turned me back: he hath made me desolate and faint all the day. The yoke of my transgressions is bound by his hand: they are wreathed, and come up upon my neck: he hath made my strength to fall, the Lord hath delivered me into their hands, from whom I am not able to rise up. The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: he hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress.” (Lamentations 1:12-15)

- The pain:  she weeps uncontrollably over her people’s condition, “For these things I weep; mine eye, mine eye runneth down with water, because the comforter that should relieve my soul is far from me: my children are desolate, because the enemy prevailed. Zion spreadeth forth her hands, and there is none to comfort her: the LORD hath commanded concerning Jacob, that his adversaries should be round about him: Jerusalem is as a menstruous woman among them. The LORD is righteous; for I have rebelled against his commandment: hear, I pray you, all people, and behold my sorrow: my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity. I called for my lovers, but they deceived me: my priests and mine elders gave up the ghost in the city, while they sought their meat to relieve their souls. Behold, O LORD; for I am in distress: my bowels are troubled; mine heart is turned within me; for I have grievously rebelled: abroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is as death. They have heard that I sigh: there is none to comfort me: all mine enemies have heard of my trouble; they are glad that thou hast done it: thou wilt bring the day that thou hast called, and they shall be like unto me.” (Lamentations 1:16-21)

- The prayer:  she prays for God to do justly and punish the enemy just as He punished His own people, “Let all their wickedness come before thee; and do unto them, as thou hast done unto me for all my transgressions: for my sighs are many, and my heart is faint.” (Lamentations 1:22)

Conclusion:  When I think of the book of Lamentations, I picture Jeremiah, the weeping prophet, looking over the city just as Jesus looked over Jerusalem.  I see his great compassion, and I hear his sobs of grief.

This should teach us a great lesson concerning the destruction of those who sin against God.  This book bears out the meaning of Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death [a destroyed life]…”  The mighty prophet did not rejoice in their fall, rather he wept at their condition, their rebellion, and, finally, their judgment.  Jeremiah was a straight-shooter and never changed his message, no matter what the enemy did to him.  This did not mean he was unkind, nor did it mean he was vindictive.  I’m sure every time Jeremiah preached, there was a tear in his eye for the people he loved with all of his heart.