Most Unread Bible Books

Habakkuk, 2 November 2014

Big Idea: We don’t always understand God and His timing, but He can be trusted.

Introduction

Today we examine our bonus eleventh book in our series The Most Unread Books of the Bible, based upon the ten least-read books on BibleGateway.com.

Time

Timing in life is vitally important. Photographers long for the perfect timing of an event to capture it forever. Runners and other speed racers can win or lose a race by 1/1000 of a second. I used to think I was a patient person, but I find myself frustrated at the brief delays in my life caused by red lights, slow microwaves (!), and seasons of life, both literal and figurative (unless it’s spring or summer!). God’s timing is perfect because He is perfect, He is sovereign and in control. Daddy knows best.

Sometimes we feel like God is sleeping or even a myth because He usually doesn’t respond to our prayers on demand. We want it now! Have you ever prayed, “LORD, heal them tomorrow” or “Please give me a new job next year”? We assume we know best and God should obey our every command. Fortunately He doesn’t! He has bigger plans and ideas…if we only trust Him.

Background

This is the only book in which the name Habakkuk appears. His name means to embrace or wrestle with God. He likely lived around 600 BC. He lived during Judah’s final days and Babylon’s domination.

Chapter 1: Wrestling. Why?

The oracle that Habakkuk the prophet received. (Habakkuk 1:1)

This word oracle in the original Hebrew language,
mas-saw’, meant an utterance, a doom, or a burden. Habakkuk is definitely burdened!

How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrong? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds. Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted. (Habakkuk 1:2-4)

Most prophets deliver God’s message to the people. Habakkuk brings the questions of the people to God. He begins with four questions.


Can you feel the anxiety? The frustration? Where are You, LORD? Do You see what’s going on? Are You really sovereign, in control? If so, surely You don’t want

  • Ebola spreading
  • the Islamic State to continue
  • innocent children dying from dirty water and starvation
  • Your chosen people, the Jews, in constant battle in Israel
  • natural disasters destroying communities

Whoever said following Jesus was easy?! This world is messed up! God knows. He sees. He does choose to intervene sometimes, but when? Why? It’s okay to ask God. It’s okay to have questions and doubts. God can handle them. It’s okay to ask why. Jesus even did it on the cross: “Why have You forsaken Me?”

Obviously our perspective is limited. Daddy knows best. The cross comes before the crown.

What is your favorite book of the Bible? Mine is the Psalms. As a musician, I especially love the poetic song lyrics contained within the Bible’s song book. However, they are not all happy songs of praise. One third are psalms of lament. They are songs of grief. There is an entire book of the Bible devoted to lament—Lamentations. Why? Because life is hard. There are many battles in which evil wins. As long as satan and his demons are allowed to roam we will experience death, destruction, and pain.

Today is not the end of the story, however. There is more to come. Much more. 75 or 100 years seems like a lifetime. Wait! It
is a lifetime, but compares to eternity, it’s instant. As Paul said to the church in Corinth

…we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. (2 Corinthians 4:16b-18)

Back to Habakkuk. Here’s God’s response to his lament.

“Look at the nations and watch — and be utterly amazed. For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told. I am raising up the Babylonians, that ruthless and impetuous people, who sweep across the whole earth to seize dwelling places not their own. They are a feared and dreaded people; they are a law to themselves and promote their own honor. Their horses are swifter than leopards, fiercer than wolves at dusk. Their cavalry gallops headlong; their horsemen come from afar. They fly like a vulture swooping to devour; they all come bent on violence. Their hordes advance like a desert wind and gather prisoners like sand. They deride kings and scoff at rulers. They laugh at all fortified cities; they build earthen ramps and capture them. Then they sweep past like the wind and go on — guilty men, whose own strength is their god.” (Habakkuk 1:5-11)

God says the solution is the Babylonians. Huh? God would use Babylon to judge Judah. How could God use the wicked Babylonians to judge His chosen people?

O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish. Your eyes are too pure to look on evil; you cannot tolerate wrong. Why then do you tolerate the treacherous? Why are you silent while the wicked swallow up those more righteous than themselves? You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler. (Habakkuk 1:12-14)

Again, God can handle our questions. I have found sometimes when I express my questions, I feel better even if I don’t get the answers I’m seeking.

Three young men refused to bow to an idol and were sentenced to burning in a fiery furnace. If you recall the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, they did not deny the reality of their situation, but understood God may or may not perform a miracle. Instead of denial, they were defiant.

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up.” (Daniel 3:16-18)

“Even if not.” They understood God knows best. He may choose to say yes, no, or wait. They knew God could be trusted, whatever His decision.

In this instance, He entered the fire with them. King Nebuchadnezzar said

“Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:25)

It’s better to be in the furnace with Jesus that without Him outside of it. Where is God when it hurts? With us. Always.

Chapter 2: Waiting on God. When?

“Waiting” means to pass time. It also means to serve another person like a servant waiting on his master.

Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it linger, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay. “See, he is puffed up; his desires are not upright — but the righteous will live by his faith — indeed, wine betrays him; he is arrogant and never at rest. Because he is as greedy as the grave and like death is never satisfied, he gathers to himself all the nations and takes captive all the peoples. (Habakkuk 2:2-5)

Do you like to wait? I hate to wait! When we wrestle with God we often ask “why?” When we wait, the question becomes “when?”

It’s time for a geology lesson! Geology is the study of pressure plus time. Pressure and time reveal our character. Do you know what pressure over time produces geologically? Diamonds. They are created from the carbon as coal but time and pressure create a jewel.

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-4)

This is your diamond, your reward. Can you wait? Can you trust God?

God wants us happy, but He especially wants us holy. Pressure plus time equals beauty.

What is the largest diamond in the world? The Hope Diamond!

Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. (Romans 5:3-4)

The judgment would occur very soon as God stated. They could remain proud like the Babylonians (we talked about the pride of the Edomites last week) or live by faith knowing God is in control.

Verse four is one of the most important verses in the Bible. In fact, it is referenced three times in the New Testament (Romans 1:17; Galatians 3:11, Hebrews 10:38). It is through faith in Jesus that we can receive the righteousness of God.

For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” (Romans 1:17)

Clearly no one is justified before God by the law, because, “The righteous will live by faith.” (Galatians 3:11)

But my righteous one will live by faith. And if he shrinks back, I will not be pleased with him.” (Hebrews 10:38)

We are saved by faith.
We are to live by faith.

Notice how Habakkuk is able to express his questions in the midst of faith.

Next Habakkuk offers a series of woes against the Babylonians. God would bring them down in His perfect timing.

“Will not all of them taunt him with ridicule and scorn, saying, “‘Woe to him who piles up stolen goods and makes himself wealthy by extortion! How long must this go on?’ Will not your debtors suddenly arise? Will they not wake up and make you tremble? Then you will become their victim. Because you have plundered many nations, the peoples who are left will plunder you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. “Woe to him who builds his realm by unjust gain to set his nest on high, to escape the clutches of ruin! You have plotted the ruin of many peoples, shaming your own house and forfeiting your life. The stones of the wall will cry out, and the beams of the woodwork will echo it. “Woe to him who builds a city with bloodshed and establishes a town by crime! Has not the LORD Almighty determined that the people’s labor is only fuel for the fire, that the nations exhaust themselves for nothing? For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea. “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbors, pouring it from the wineskin till they are drunk, so that he can gaze on their naked bodies. You will be filled with shame instead of glory. Now it is your turn! Drink and be exposed! The cup from the LORD’s right hand is coming around to you, and disgrace will cover your glory. The violence you have done to Lebanon will overwhelm you, and your destruction of animals will terrify you. For you have shed man’s blood; you have destroyed lands and cities and everyone in them. “Of what value is an idol, since a man has carved it? Or an image that teaches lies? For he who makes it trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak. Woe to him who says to wood, ‘Come to life!’ Or to lifeless stone, ‘Wake up!’ Can it give guidance? It is covered with gold and silver; there is no breath in it. But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth be silent before him.” (Habakkuk 2:6-20)

Chapter 3: Worship.

Chapter three is Habakkuk’s final response, a song (v. 19). He asks for mercy (2) and describes the character of God (v. 3-15).

A prayer of Habakkuk the prophet. On
shigionoth. LORD, I have heard of your fame; I stand in awe of your deeds, O LORD. Renew them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. God came from Teman, the Holy One from Mount Paran. Selah His glory covered the heavens and his praise filled the earth. His splendor was like the sunrise; rays flashed from his hand, where his power was hidden. Plague went before him; pestilence followed his steps. He stood, and shook the earth; he looked, and made the nations tremble. The ancient mountains crumbled and the age-old hills collapsed. His ways are eternal. (Habakkuk 3:1-6)

Habakkuk remembers what God has done. Sometimes the way forward is to first look back. The Old Testament is filled with spiritual amnesia, instances of people forgetting God’s goodness and faithfulness. We need to remember. Jesus told us to remember Him, His death, and His resurrection.

I saw the tents of Cushan in distress, the dwellings of Midian in anguish. Were you angry with the rivers, O LORD? Was your wrath against the streams? Did you rage against the sea when you rode with your horses and your victorious chariots? You uncovered your bow, you called for many arrows. Selah You split the earth with rivers; the mountains saw you and writhed. Torrents of water swept by; the deep roared and lifted its waves on high. Sun and moon stood still in the heavens at the glint of your flying arrows, at the lightning of your flashing spear. In wrath you strode through the earth and in anger you threshed the nations. You came out to deliver your people, to save your anointed one. You crushed the leader of the land of wickedness, you stripped him from head to foot. Selah With his own spear you pierced his head when his warriors stormed out to scatter us, gloating as though about to devour the wretched who were in hiding. You trampled the sea with your horses, churning the great waters. (Habakkuk 3:7-15)

What is the result of Habakkuk’s laments, woes, and anguish?

I heard and my heart pounded, my lips quivered at the sound; decay crept into my bones, and my legs trembled. (Habakkuk 3:16)

He accepts what God is doing and then trusts Him. Here’s the conclusion…

Yet I will wait patiently for the day of calamity to come on the nation invading us. Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. For the director of music. On my stringed instruments. (Habakkuk 3:16b-19)

He was willing to wait. No matter how hopeless the situation, there is hope in God. Tomorrow is coming. As Tony Campolo used to say concerning the crucifixion, “It’s Friday, but Sunday’s coming!”

God can be trusted. The righteous will live by faith. The best is yet to come. In the meantime, we can worship by faith, offering up a sacrifice of praise.

For Further Study

Where is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey

Walking With God Through Pain and Suffering by Tim Keller

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

Obadiah, 26 October 2014

Big Idea: God is sovereign (in control) and He is the ultimate judge. He hates sin, especially pride.

This series is designed to encourage reading the less-read books of the Bible (according to BibleGateway.com).

Overview: The nation of Edom in Mt. Seir sided against Judah, and they should have known better. The prophet Obadiah foresees Edom’s despise and Mt. Zion’s restoration.

Introduction

Today we examine our tenth book in our series The Most Unread Books of the Bible, based upon the least-read books on BibleGateway.com. Obadiah is the final book mentioned in the report, though we will do a bonus book next week, Habakkuk.

Like many of these small books in the Old Testament, Obadiah is a minor prophet. He is not inferior to the others, but rather his book is short. He could also be called minor in that we know nothing about him, not even the name of his father, a common detail in most biblical accounts. Obadiah was a common Old Testament name but it is unlikely that this prophet is mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. The name means “servant or worshiper of the Lord.”

We know little about the date of this book, some believing an early date of 850 BC and others as late as 587 BC.

The prime audience is the Edomites, descendants of Esau (Genesis 36). Abram’s name was changed to Abraham. He had two sons, Ishmael and Isaac. Isaac had twin sons, Jacob and Esau. We know quite a bit about Jacob and his sons, including Joseph. Esau, the oldest, gave up his birthright to Jacob and had a much less prominent place in history. Esau’s descendants were called Edomites. They treated the Judeans—Jews—cruelly. In the book of Obadiah—the shortest Old Testament book—God makes some bold declarations about the nation of Edom that reveal His heart and character.

This is the vision that the Sovereign LORD revealed to Obadiah concerning the land of Edom. (Obadiah 1a, New Living Translation)

Edom’s Judgment Announced

We have heard a message from the LORD that an ambassador was sent to the nations to say, “Get ready, everyone! Let’s assemble our armies and attack Edom!” The LORD says to Edom, “I will cut you down to size among the nations; you will be greatly despised. You have been deceived by your own pride because you live in a rock fortress and make your home high in the mountains. ‘Who can ever reach us way up here?’ you ask boastfully. But even if you soar as high as eagles and build your nest among the stars, I will bring you crashing down,” says the LORD. (Obadiah 2-4,
NLT)

Edom is an arrogant people. They have power, have mistreated their neighbor, Judah, and feel smug. The bad guys are winning, but the story is not over.

There is a cycle to power. God will get the final say at Judgment Day. History is filled with accounts of the good guys winning, but today the same battle between good and evil is raging, the enemy still wins sometimes, but the ultimate victor will be King Jesus!

Listen to God’s description of Edom’s upcoming humiliation:

“If thieves came at night and robbed you (what a disaster awaits you!), they would not take everything. Those who harvest grapes always leave a few for the poor. But your enemies will wipe you out completely! Every nook and cranny of Edom will be searched and looted. Every treasure will be found and taken. “All your allies will turn against you. They will help to chase you from your land. They will promise you peace while plotting to deceive and destroy you. Your trusted friends will set traps for you, and you won’t even know about it. At that time not a single wise person will be left in the whole land of Edom,” says the LORD. “For on the mountains of Edom I will destroy everyone who has understanding.The mightiest warriors of Teman will be terrified, and everyone on the mountains of Edom will be cut down in the slaughter. (Obadiah 5-9, NLT)

Why would a loving God treat people this way? We are so quick to judge God. Isn’t it His prerogative to do what He wants? Didn’t He create the universe? Who does He think He is, God?! Yes!!!

As God, He is the perfect judge. His assessments are perfect. He can tolerate sin for only so long. Throughout history He has stepped in, causing confusion at Babel, parting the sea for the Israelites and closing them upon the Egyptians, prompting walls to fall at the sound of trumpets, providing a way for a small boy to kill a giant, …

Perhaps you think God created the world and then abandoned it. This was the belief of many of our nation’s founding fathers. They were deists, believing in a creator but having no faith in miracles. What a boring faith!

I must confess I long to see more of God’s activity in the world. Part of the problem, I’m sure, is my inability to see what God
is doing. Another problem is my poor memory, forgetting the countless times God has been faithful, answering prayer and, sometimes, literally performing miracles. Arguably the greatest challenge to seeing God’s work is our impatience.

Sometimes when we pray God says yes. Sometimes He says no because He knows best. Many times, however, it’s just a matter of timing. Of waiting. People waited hundreds of years for the Messiah, Jesus. We have been waiting about two thousand years for His return. It will occur. He is alive. Just you wait!

Back to Edom. God is angry and wants them punished. Before you get too upset at God, wouldn’t you want Hitler punished if you were around in World War II? What do you think about ISIS? Pedophiles? The atrocities in North Korea or the fact that there are more slaves today in our world than at any point in human history? Sometimes the only way to keep the good guys alive is to destroy the bad guys. I’m not advocating for personal violence, but simply reminding us what God said:

I will take vengeance in anger and wrath upon the nations that have not obeyed me.” (Micah 5:15; “in that day”)

One commentator wrote

Vengeance in the Bible is a legal term signifying that a ruler secures his kingdom by protecting his subjects and punishing their persecutors. The disrespect of the unbelieving nations for his holy kingdom incurs his anger and wrath. Throughout history God has protected his rule against the nations that have not obeyed him, but he will finally execute his protective power at Christ’s second coming (Lk. 18:7-8; 21:22; 2 Thes. 1:8; Rev. 6:10). (IVP-NB Commentary)

Here’s the crime committed by Edom:

Reasons for Edom’s Punishment

“Because of the violence you did to your close relatives in Israel, you will be filled with shame and destroyed forever. When they were invaded, you stood aloof, refusing to help them. Foreign invaders carried off their wealth and cast lots to divide up Jerusalem, but you acted like one of Israel’s enemies. “You should not have gloated when they exiled your relatives to distant lands.You should not have rejoiced when the people of Judah suffered such misfortune. You should not have spoken arrogantly in that terrible time of trouble. You should not have plundered the land of Israel when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have gloated over their destruction when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have seized their wealth when they were suffering such calamity. You should not have stood at the crossroads, killing those who tried to escape. You should not have captured the survivors and handed them over in their terrible time of trouble. (Obadiah 10-14, NLT)

Edom’s capital, Sela, was on a high rock overlooking the territory below, making it easy to defend. Thieves steal what they need, but God would take everything!

God’s not done speaking.

Edom Destroyed, Israel Restored

“The day is near when I, the LORD, will judge all godless nations!
As you have done to Israel, so it will be done to you. All your evil deeds will fall back on your own heads. Just as you swallowed up my people on my holy mountain, so you and the surrounding nations will swallow the punishment I pour out on you. Yes, all you nations will drink and stagger and disappear from history. “But Jerusalem will become a refuge for those who escape; it will be a holy place. And the people of Israel
will come back to reclaim their inheritance. The people of Israel will be a raging fire, and Edom a field of dry stubble. The descendants of Joseph will be a flame roaring across the field, devouring everything. There will be no survivors in Edom. I, the LORD, have spoken! (Obadiah 15-18, NLT)

God concludes…

“Then my people living in the Negev will occupy the mountains of Edom.
Those living in the foothills of Judah will possess the Philistine plains
and take over the fields of Ephraim and Samaria. And the people of Benjamin
will occupy the land of Gilead. The exiles of Israel will return to their land
and occupy the Phoenician coast as far north as Zarephath. The captives from Jerusalem exiled in the north
will return home and resettle the towns of the Negev. Those who have been rescued will go up to Mount Zion in Jerusalem
to rule over the mountains of Edom. And the LORD himself will be king!” (Obadiah 19-21,
NLT)

Here we see again this phrase “the day of the Lord.” Judgment Day. The sheep and the goats, the righteous and the wicked, the good guys and the bad guys, Michigan and Ohio St…oops! Seriously, though, Judgment Day will usher in the rule and reign of King Jesus. His friends that have received the Father’s invitation will rule in His Kingdom forever while those that rejected God will be punished.

Judgment Day

What if it’s today? What if God chose today to judge the living and the dead? Are you ready? What about your friends and family? This is where things get uncomfortable in a hurry.

Peter, the first pope, said

He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. (Acts 10:42)

He also said of unbelievers,

But they will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead. (1 Peter 4:5)

This is why we’re still here! We’re on a mission from God to let the whole world know the Father loves them and invites them into a covenantal relationship with Himself. He will be king and we can begin kingdom life today by submitting to His authority rather than making ourselves the center of our own universe.

Every day I choose to rule my life or get off the throne, pick up my cross, and follow Jesus. Honestly, I don’t always make the right choice. Pride gets in the way. Selfishness is more attractive than servanthood. I’m self-righteous and judge others. I envy. I worry. Oh how I worry, allowing myself to be overcome by fear rather than trusting God completely.

I want to be faithful to God because He has been so faithful to me. He can be trusted.

Judgment Day is coming for all of us. None of us know when, but it is coming. Are you ready?

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

Nahum, 19 October 2014

Big Idea: Nineveh has gone too far, they’ve oppressed Judah and taken Israel into captivity and God isn’t going to let them get away with treating His people that way.

This series is designed to encourage reading the less-read books of the Bible (according to BibleGateway.com).

Background Information

We know little about Nahum.

One theme: the judgment of Nineveh, the capital of the Assyrian empire.

Nahum means comforter.

Elkosh was a city in Assyria a few miles north of Nineveh. There was also a village in Galilee named Elkosh. Capernaum is considered to be the village of Nahum. He was born there or lived there as a boy.

He was probably born in the northern kingdom, Israel. He moved to Elkosh in the south of Judah and raised there in the southern kingdom.

Nahum may have been a contemporary of Isaiah and Micah.

Date of writing: 720-636 BC, about 100-150 years after Jonah and about 100 years before the destruction of Nineveh.

Nineveh was the capital of Assyria. God was just in destroying Nineveh.

God told Jonah to bring a message to Nineveh. The city turned to God, seemingly the entire city, one hundred percent, an unprecedented spiritual awakening. Obviously the revival died over time and they returned to their paganism.

Nahum probably did not go to the city, unlike Jonah. They’ve had the light and rejected it. Our nation has the light and we have largely rejected it (yikes!). All revivals eventually die.

Scottish historian Alexander Tytler described the
life cycle of a democracy. Where are we today?

From bondage to spiritual faith to courage to liberty to abundance to selfishness to complacency to apathy to bondage.

Introduction

This morning we return to our series “The Most Unread Books of the Bible,” an overview of those parts of the Bible that are less read according to BibleGateway.com.

Before we look at today’s book of Nahum, I want to mention hermeneutics. That’s a fancy word for how to read the Bible. Because it’s a big, old collection of books, we can’t just pick it up and read it like we would
The Ann Arbor News or People magazine. Two books I recommend on the subject—which may seem odd, reading a book about how to read a book—are

How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth by Gordon Fee & Douglas Stuart
The Blue Parakeet by Scot McKnight

The hermeneutical process is rather simple but often ignored:

  1. What did the text originally mean?
  2. What does it mean for us today?
  3. So what? How do we apply it?

Each step, however, presents its own set of challenges. Let me illustrate why this is important.

As I usually do, I did a Google image search for Nahum, hoping to find a nice picture to put on the screen as I speak. I didn’t find much, but one verse repeatedly popped up with a colorful image: Nahum 1:7

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, (Nahum 1:7)

I love that verse. It makes me feel good. It makes me think happy thoughts about God. There is truth in these words. There’s more, though. The verse does not end with a period, but rather a comma. Look at what follows!

but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of [Nineveh]; he will pursue his foes into darkness. (Nahum 1:8)

Not so pretty. Not so happy!

This simple example reveals the importance of context. I have often had people ask me a question about a particular verse. Much of the time the answer can be found in the context. We can’t just pick a verse, stick it on a pretty picture, and hang it on our wall. We can, but we’re likely to miss the point.

Understood? Great!

While we’re on the subject, I came across a great article this week from
Relevant Magazine online entitled

9 Things Everyone Should Do When Reading The Bible by Bronwyn Lea

I want to briefly list a few here:

1. Read ‘King’ When You See ‘Christ.’

Christ, or Messiah, means “anointed one,” and priests and kings were anointed. Substituting "King Jesus" for "Christ Jesus" when reading draws attention to the fact that Christ was not Jesus' last name, but in fact His title: one of great honor and esteem. Making that one switch alone breathes new life into reading the New Testament.

2. Read ‘You’ Differently.

Almost all the "you" words in the New Testament are plural you's rather than singular y
ou's. The Southern "y'all" expresses it beautifully.

3. If You See a ‘Therefore,’ Find Out What It’s There For.

8. Remember What You Learned in English Class.

The Bible is not an instruction manual. It's not a "how-to" book for life. It is a collection of 66 books of literature, and to interpret it correctly, you need to remember what you learned in English class about interpreting different genres of literature.

9. Read to Study. But Also, Read to Refresh Your Heart.

Now…

Nahum

In many ways, we can get the big idea of Nahum in these two verses—but not just one! God is good…but just. He is merciful…but hates evil. He is God…and we are not!

Background

God made a covenant with Abram to bless him and his offspring and make them into a great nation—Israel. Israel split and God’s people were in Israel and Judah. The Jewish people had many enemies (as they still have today!). Nineveh was one of those enemies and the prophet Nahum writes to them, warning of His displeasure. Don’t mess with God or His people!

Nahum 1

Nahum is an undated book written about Nineveh, yes, the place Jonah to which Jonah was sent. Nahum’s name means consoler or comforter, a description of his role toward Judah but not Nineveh!

Notice the various attributes of God expressed in these verses.

An oracle concerning Nineveh. The book of the vision of Nahum the Elkoshite. The LORD is a jealous and avenging God; the LORD takes vengeance and is filled with wrath. The LORD takes vengeance on his foes and maintains his wrath against his enemies. The LORD is slow to anger and great in power; the LORD will not leave the guilty unpunished. His way is in the whirlwind and the storm, and clouds are the dust of his feet. (Nahum 1:1-3)

He rebukes the sea and dries it up; he makes all the rivers run dry. Bashan and Carmel wither and the blossoms of Lebanon fade. The mountains quake before him and the hills melt away. The earth trembles at his presence, the world and all who live in it. Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him. (Nahum 1:4-6)

Now we come to that lovely verse 7. Notice the happy verses before
and after it!

The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of [Nineveh]; he will pursue his foes into darkness. Whatever they plot against the LORD he will bring to an end; trouble will not come a second time. They will be entangled among thorns and drunk from their wine; they will be consumed like dry stubble. From you, [O Nineveh,] has one come forth who plots evil against the LORD and counsels wickedness. (Nahum 1:7-11)

It continues…

This is what the LORD says: “Although they have allies and are numerous, they will be cut off and pass away. Although I have afflicted you, [O Judah,] I will afflict you no more. Now I will break their yoke from your neck and tear your shackles away.” The LORD has given a command concerning you, [Nineveh]: “You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the carved images and cast idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile.” (Nahum 1:12-14)

Then this interesting verse emerges:

Look, there on the mountains, the feet of one who brings good news, who proclaims peace! Celebrate your festivals, O Judah, and fulfill your vows. No more will the wicked invade you; they will be completely destroyed. (Nahum 1:15)

We see similarities between Nahum and Isaiah, a text referenced in Romans 10:15).

How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 52:7)

The big picture of the book of Nahum is Nineveh has gone too far. They’ve oppressed Judah and taken Israel into captivity and God isn’t going to let them get away with treating His people that way.
Nineveh fell. They were literally wiped off the map! God said…

“I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will burn up your chariots in smoke, and the sword will devour your young lions. I will leave you no prey on the earth. The voices of your messengers will no longer be heard.” (Nahum 2:13)

You don’t want to be on the receiving end of that!

Woe to the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims! The crack of whips, the clatter of wheels, galloping horses and jolting chariots! Charging cavalry, flashing swords and glittering spears! Many casualties, piles of dead, bodies without number, people stumbling over the corpses — all because of the wanton lust of a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft. “I am against you,” declares the LORD Almighty. “I will lift your skirts over your face. I will show the nations your nakedness and the kingdoms your shame. (Nahum 3:1-5)

This explains why God is angry.

We’re not exactly sure when Nahum was written. Assyria fell in 612 BC so this book was either a prophetic warning in around 615 BC or a later narrative of what occurred. Regardless, the wicked were destroyed.

So What?

You’re on God’s team or your His enemy…and every day we choose. Every day we can pick up our cross and follow Jesus, making King Jesus Lord of our lives, or we can do it our way. He’ll let us…but He’ll be crushed when we experiences the consequences of selfish living.

Everything God said to Nineveh could be said to us. I don’t pretend to understand His timing, but He will bless those who love Him and curse those who hate Him.

We love having Jesus as Savior, but is He Lord? Is He King? Does your calendar reflect it? Do your actions show it? Does your bank account demonstrate it? Do your words communicate it?

Judgment Day is coming for all of us. None of us know when, but it is coming.
Are you ready?

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

2 John, 24 August 2014

Big Idea: Truth and love must consume the lives of every Christ-follower.

This series is designed to encourage reading the less-read books of the Bible (according to BibleGateway.com).

Overview: John briefly encourages a “chosen lady” to walk in truth, love, and obedience. He warns her about deceivers, and promises to come explain things in person.

Background

With the possible exception of a letter of introduction, letters have a context. They have a purpose. The writer wants to communicate a message, often responding to a previous letter or situation. Such is the case with the epistles—or letters—of John. As one of Jesus’ three closest friends and—allegedly—the only one of the eleven disciples that was not martyred, John was a prominent figure in the early movement of Christianity. Notice I did not say the religion of Christianity. It had no million-dollar buildings, global television audiences, or political power. It was a grass-roots movement of faith, hope and love that steadily spread from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the outermost parts of the earth.

Like the telephone game, the message was vulnerable to distortion over time and multiple generations of communication. They did not have the luxury of downloading the YouVersion Bible app and all reading the same verses at the same time. Early Christians were dependent upon Old Testament scrolls and letters, none of which were in the possession of every believer. This allowed self-serving teachers to promote false teachings to serve their agendas.

Throughout Church history there have been several prominent heresies. Some believed Jesus was God but not human. Others taught Jesus’ humanity while denying His deity. One popular group of false teachers were Docetic, denying the full incarnation of Christ and the necessity of His death on the cross.

Truth

Truth is an essential component of understanding. The Greek word used by John,
aletheia, means “truth, truthfulness, corresponding to reality.”

It should come as no surprise that in this environment John uses the word “truth” twenty times in his three short letters.

In today’s postmodern culture, one common belief is truth is relative. There is no such thing as absolute truth. There are several problems with such a statement, most notably how it declares an absolute truth in its very message—there is no such thing as absolute truth!

While it is true—pun intended—that some things are gray rather than black and white and messages are often subject to interpretation by the recipient, it does not negate the possibility of universal standards. Ironically many who deny absolute truth cling to science, a methodology that seeks consistent, repeatable results. We can debate whether or not it is true that the Detroit Tigers are a good baseball team or whether or not Lady Gaga is a good singer but I’m rather confident 1+1=2 and if I pour ice-water on my head it will be cold!

One of the greatest questions in the entire Bible came from the lips of Pilate as Jesus stood before him awaiting execution.

“What is truth?” Pilate asked. (John 18:38a)

John answered the question a few chapters earlier when he recorded Jesus’ words:

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:6)

Truth is more than words or ideas. Truth is a Person. Jesus is the truth. When we know Jesus, we know the truth. Even earlier in his biography of Jesus, John wrote

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Today our culture is often blind to the truth. As Jack Nicholason famously said, “Truth? You can’t handle the truth!”

We say, “Don’t confuse me with the facts.” “I want to believe whatever I want to believe.” “It doesn’t matter what they have discovered, ignorance is bliss.”

People in Ferguson, Missouri continue to react to things they have heard in the media, some of which has been deemed incorrect or untruthful.

Spirituality asks many questions about truth, including some good ones. What religion is true? What holy book is truth? What is the most truthful understanding of a difficult passage?

My friend, Alex McManus, says if the Bible isn’t true, it should be because it tells the most incredible story in history.

We don’t have time today to unpack all of the reasons I believe the Bible is true and billions throughout history have embraced it but suffice it to say truth is important. Without it we are lost, which is why many postmodern philosophers seem so detached from reality.

John obviously cared about truth. He wanted the Person and message of Jesus to spread to every man, woman and child—much as I do today. It was his task as a leader in the early Church to ensure the accuracy of the message.

Love

Love is the second prominent word in John’s letters. God is love. This does not mean God is nice or God wants us happy, but God is love which means…

Love means so many things in our English language. We love ice cream, we love our children, and we love God.

The famous Greek word used by John is agape. It is the active love of God for His Son and His people. It is the love we are to have for God, one another, and even our enemies. It is a love that looks out not for our interests but the interests of others. It is a giving, selfless love.

2 John

As we read this letter, truth and love will be repeated. It is not an accident!

The elder,

John. He is a church leader and an aged man (likely in his nineties).

To the chosen lady and her children, whom I love in the truth — and not I only, but also all who know the truth — because of the truth, which lives in us and will be with us forever: (1-2)

This may be written to a woman and her children or to a church and its members. The Church is the Bride of Christ.

Truth is prominent. The truth is both the Word of God—the Bible—and Jesus Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). He is also writing to early believers.

We are not to love the world. We are not to love sin.

Unfortunately, it is easy to confuse the world with the truth. Our culture shapes us into conformity. It’s incredible how many so-called Christians have beliefs and practices that oppose the politically incorrect teachings of God. We can rationalize anything—especially if “everybody is doing it”—and we do!

We can’t have it both ways, friends. We can follow Jesus—the truth—or the world.

Remember, following the world isn’t accidental. We have a very real enemy that wants to steal, kill and destroy (John 10:10) and lies are one of his greatest tools. That’s why we must know the truth. We must read the truth. We must discuss the truth. We must spend time with Jesus, the truth.

The light and the truth is the Word of God. Love and truth are inseparable. God is love. Jesus is Truth. We need to stand for the truth of God. We might be the only ones, but God will honor us for our faithfulness—and others around us might just discover the truth for the first time.

Grace, mercy and peace from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son, will be with us in truth and love. (3)

Grace. mercy. peace. truth. love. What a great list!

But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions — it is by grace you have been saved. (Ephesians 2:4-5)

Mercy is that in God which provided for the need of sinful man.

John 3:16

God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished — he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. (Romans 3:25-26)

God has to be righteous and just. How did He become righteous and just? His mercy provided a Savior. Why? Because He loves us.

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:7)

It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us. And now, dear lady, I am not writing you a new command but one we have had from the beginning. I ask that we love one another. And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love. (4-6)

Walking/Walk/Walk. Truth is essential. Walk is essential.

When I lived in Chicagoland I was in a band called Walk the Walk. We all know how easy it is to talk the talk, but walking the walk is something else entirely. Oh that we would all walk in the truth and not just talk about it.

God’s love language is obedience. Love is obedience. Obedience is love. We are to walk in that love. We are to live in that love. We are to share that love in word and deed.

John says this is old news. We are to love another. This is not mushy love or erotic love but agape love, unconditional love that looks out for the best interest of the other person.

What message would we send to Scio Township and the entire community if we loved one another well? It thrills me to hear about people loving one another, serving one another, helping one another, giving time and money to one another, encouraging one another, praying together, enjoying one another. That’s God’s design for the Church and for all of His children—that we love one another. We can’t run and hide and love God in a closet. We were created for community—messy community! I need you and you need me. We need to walk in love—together.

Many deceivers, who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh, have gone out into the world. Any such person is the deceiver and the antichrist. Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully. Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take him into your house or welcome him. Anyone who welcomes him shares in his wicked work. (7-11)

This is a huge warning. Last week we saw John emphasize the importance of hospitality—welcoming the stranger, especially traveling teachers. Here he says not all traveling teachers are worthy of hospitality. There were—and are—those who do not speak the truth. They do not know the truth. The speak heresy and falsehoods. They make people feel good but don’t communicate the deeper, more challenging things of God…like that hip and trendy message to DIE!

Aren’t we supposed to love our enemies? Yes. We must be careful with those who will lead us and others astray, though. You might love your uncle or aunt but not want them to spend extended time with your kids if they are a bad influence. John is warning these early Christians that not everyone is on the same team. There are wolves in sheep’s clothing. There are those who may claim to follow Jesus that teach and live a different gospel, a different “good news,” a different message.

Specifically, these false teachers denied Jesus as “coming in the flesh.” Today there are many non-Christians that believe in Jesus, but what do they believe? Muslims respect Jesus as a prophet but deny He ever actually died on the cross. If He didn’t die, the rest of the story is a waste! The Quran says Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God or claimed divinity. Don’t miss this—our faith has much in common with Islam, but many tremendous differences. I mention this because we can engage in dialog with people of other faiths and find common ground. We must discern, however, where the differences lie, respectfully disagree, and cast a compelling vision for a faith that features the Son of God who set aside His divinity to become one of us—fully human—who died and rose from the dead.

At the risk of over-complicating the nuances of our faith, let’s turn to the Apostle’s Creed, a series of statements from the 4th century that have served as something of a summary of our faith for hundreds of years:

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth:
2. And in Jesus Christ, his only begotten Son, our Lord:
3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary:
4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: He descended into hell:
5. The third day he rose again from the dead:
6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty:
7. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead:
8. I believe in the Holy Ghost:
9. I believe in the holy catholic church: the communion of saints:
10. The forgiveness of sins:
11. The resurrection of the body:
12. And the life everlasting. Amen.

John concludes…

I have much to write to you, but I do not want to use paper and ink. Instead, I hope to visit you and talk with you face to face, so that our joy may be complete. (12)

The children of your chosen sister send their greetings. (13)

These are personal greetings. This was a short letter, perhaps because he had limited paper and ink. He made his points…truth and love.

So What?

Hopefully the application to all of this is obvious—we must know the truth and live lives of love. Truth and love go together. Truth is expressed in love. Love is always concerned about the truth. Obedience to God necessitates both. We must be aware of counterfeit Christians and false teachings while declaring the truth with our words and deeds to bring honor to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

Credits: some ideas from J. Vernon McGee

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast
here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

3 John, 17 August 2014

Big Idea: Hospitality—welcoming the stranger— is a key characteristic of Christ-followers.

This series is designed to encourage reading the less-read books of the Bible (according to BibleGateway.com).

Overview: John writes to a Christian named Gaius, encouraging him to continue showing hospitality to others, even though a rogue church leader condemns it.

Background
Author: John (author of the Gospel of John, one of Jesus’ three best friends)
To: His friend Gaius (we know nothing more about him)
Date: around 90 AD (85-95 AD)
Setting: Diotrephes rejected itinerant teachers sent out by John. Gaius is encouraged to continue to extend hospitality to and support these teachers.

Gaius

He was beloved.
He was in a local church.
He is urged to extend hospitality to the true teachers of the Word.

The elder,

John is both a church elder and an old man when writing.

To my dear friend Gaius, whom I love in the truth. (1)

John is writing to a dear friend who is obviously a fellow Christ-follower.

Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well. It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
(2-4)

John clearly loves Gaius.
John prays for good health and blessing.
What health is to the body, holiness is the the spirit/soul.
Gaius has been faithful to the truth.
John delights in seeing his disciples walk in the truth.

Gaius may not have been in good health but still served Bible teachers.
He walked in love and truth.

Walking in the truth also means walking in love, loving others.

“walk in the truth”
“walking in the truth”

Dear friend, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you. They have told the church about your love. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. It was for the sake of the Name that they went out, receiving no help from the pagans. We ought therefore to show hospitality to such men so that we may work together for the truth. (5-8)

John commends the faithfulness of Gaius again.
Hospitality is important.

1Pet. 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.

Rom. 12:13 Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

Rom. 16:23a Gaius, whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.
1Tim. 5:9-10 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the saints, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

We are all different parts of the body. We can’t all preach, but we can all be a part of the proclamation of the Gospel.

2 John: warning against false teachers
3 John: receive the truth teachers

We don’t ask unbelievers to give to the cause of Christ.

I wrote to the church, but Diotrephes, who loves to be first, will have nothing to do with us. So if I come, I will call attention to what he is doing, gossiping maliciously about us. Not satisfied with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers. He also stops those who want to do so and puts them out of the church. (9-10)

Diotrephes is a jerk! He is a selfish, gossipping heretic. He opposed John. He wouldn’t open his home to traveling evangelists (they had no Holiday Inns!).

John had five issues with Diotrephes:

  1. must occupy the leading place
  2. refused to receive John
  3. made malicious statement against the apostles
  4. refused to entertain the missionaries (he wanted the spotlight)
  5. he ex-communicated those who supported the missionaries

This man wanted to run the church.

Humility is a rare trait in the church. We live in an era of Christian celebrity.

Why do you lead? Preach? Sing solos? For our glory or God’s? We need people in the spotlight, but search your heart first.

“If I come” may mean “when I come.”

Gaius: delightful brother
Diotrephes: dictator
Demetrius: dependable

Meekness does not mean weakness.

Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God. Demetrius is well spoken of by everyone — and even by the truth itself. We also speak well of him, and you know that our testimony is true. (11-12)

Imitate what is good. John is an example. Jesus is the ultimate example.
Demetrius is a good example.

We only have one verse about Demetrius. He is a humble saint. His name indicates he was raised a pagan. He was one of the men Diotrephes did not welcome.

I have much to write you, but I do not want to do so with pen and ink. I hope to see you soon, and we will talk face to face.

There’s nothing like face to face.

Peace to you. The friends here send their greetings. Greet the friends there by name. (13-14)

Peace and greetings.

So What?

In a word…hospitality.

Church leaders are required to be hospitable.

1Tim. 3:2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

Titus 1:8 Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

Heb. 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it.

What can you do to welcome strangers on Sunday? What can you do to welcome strangers during the week?

Credits: some ideas from J. Vernon McGee

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast
here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

Haggai, 10 August 2014

Big Idea: God blesses obedience and provides consequences for disobedience…because He loves His children.

Overview: The Jews had put off rebuilding God’s temple, but had made nice houses for themselves. The prophet Haggai rallies the people to finish the temple and enjoy God’s blessings again.

God made a covenant with Abraham who became the father of the Jews. God said if Abraham’s ancestors would obey, God would bless them. If they disobeyed, God would punish them—not because He is mean, but because He loves them and wants them to wake up and return to Him. God often used prophets to call people to repentance and alert them of their sinful ways. Jonah, Joel and Zephaniah are three prophets we have already examined and now we look at a fourth: Haggai.

We actually know little about Haggai the prophet. His name means “festal” or “feast.” He was the first of three post-exile prophets from the Neo-Babylonian Exile of Judah (along with Zechariah, a contemporary, and Malachi who lived about one hundred years later). He may have witnessed the destruction of Solomon’s temple (2:3) which would mean he was in his seventies when he ministered.

We have surprisingly great detail about the time of this writing. This book contains five separate messages. First, some background. In 538 BC, Cyrus king of Persia issued a decree allowing Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Zerubbabel led about 50,000 Jews back to Jerusalem where they completed the foundation of the temple in 536 (Ezra 3:87-11) causing great celebration. Unfortunately, the Samaritans and other neighbors felt threatened by this progress and opposed the continuation of the work. As we will see, the Jews abandoned the project leaving the temple unfinished.

  • First Message (1:1-11) Rebuild The Temple
September 1, 520 BC

In the second year of King Darius, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest: (1:1)

He used a gentile king to date his writing. He is very specific. September 1, 520 BC Zerubbabel (“sown in Babylon”) is the political ruler.

This is what the LORD Almighty says: “These people say, ‘The time has not yet come for the LORD’s house to be built.’” (1:2)

When the people returned to the land, they were enthusiastic but they encountered great obstacles. They decided to maintain the status quo.

When things get hard, we often say, “The LORD is leading me elsewhere.”

Nehemiah encountered great opposition when rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem.

Then
the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses, while this house remains a ruin?” (3-4)

People decide to follow the LORD’s will until it requires sacrifice. When we decide to follow our will, we overcome the obstacles.

They used time as their excuse. It’s not the LORD’s will. It’s not the right time.

Following Jesus is rarely easy, safe and comfortable.

How much do you spend on God and how much do you spend on yourself? Money? Time? Energy?

Many tip the waitress more than they tip God!

“Many Christians are like those ancient Hebrews, somehow convincing themselves that economy in constructing church buildings is all-important while at the same time sparing no expense in acquiring their personal luxuries. Contrast this with medieval Europe where peasants lived in squalid conditions while great cathedrals were being built.”
-Expositor’s Bible Commentary

We are so comfortable! Prophets were stoned, not stars. They woke up the people.

Now this is
what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. You have planted much, but have harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it.” (1:5-6)

These are biting words!

This is
what the LORD Almighty says: “Give careful thought to your ways. (7)

Twice God says, “Give careful thought to your ways.” “Put/set your heart upon your roads/ways” is more accurate. This is essential for us today. Why do you do what you do? What future are you planning? Most people spend more time planning for a vacation than they do eternity…or even the next season of their life.

Give careful thought to your ways.

God disciplines those He loves. (Hebrews 12:5-11; Revelation 3:19)

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. (Proverbs 14:12; 16:25)

“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. (Isaiah 55:9)

What road are you on today? Where is it leading?

Go up into the mountains and bring down timber and build the house, so that I may take pleasure in it and be honored,” says the LORD.
(1:8)

People look for miracles but God says go to work! He does not bless lazyness.

Student: “Professor, the book you gave us to read is dry.”
Professor: “Dampen it with a little perspiration from your brow!”

We have spectator sports but are not to have spectator Christians.
Get in the game. Get to work!

Go to the mountain
Bring wood
Build the house

“You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why?” declares the LORD Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with his own house. Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld their dew and the earth its crops. I called for a drought on the fields and the mountains, on the grain, the new wine, the oil and whatever the ground produces, on men and cattle, and on the labor of your hands.”
(1:9-11)

God withheld blessing.

Blame God. He says He’s responsible, but He will explain why.

- The Response of the People (1:12-15)
September 24, 520 BC


Then Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant of the people obeyed the voice of the LORD their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the LORD their God had sent him. And the people feared the LORD.

Then Haggai, the LORD’s messenger, gave this message of the LORD to the people: “I am with you,” declares the LORD.
(1:12-13)

God is with them. He is with us.

So the LORD stirred up the spirit of Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the LORD Almighty, their God, on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of King Darius.
(1:14-15)

The people responded during the previous 23 days.They are ready to build the temple. Haggai inspired the people to action.

The civil leader: Zerubbabel the governor
Shealtiel means “asking of God in prayer”

- Second Message: The Temple will be Filled with Glory (2:1-9)
October 21, 520 BC

On the twenty-first day of the seventh month, the word of the LORD came through the prophet Haggai: “Speak to Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, to Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and to the remnant of the people. Ask them, ‘Who of you is left who saw this house in its former glory? How does it look to you now? Does it not seem to you like nothing?
(2:1-3)

See Ezra 3:8-13

But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise. And the sound was heard far away. (Ezra 3:12-13)

There were shouts of joy and the sounds of weeping. This temple is small compared to Solomon’s temple. “Back in the good old days…”

But now be strong, O Zerubbabel,’ declares the LORD. ‘Be strong, O Joshua son of Jehozadak, the high priest. Be strong, all you people of the land,’ declares the LORD, ‘and work. For I am with you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.
(2:4)

“Be strong, be strong, be strong…and work!”

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. (Ephesians 6:10)

God determines who is great.

‘This is what I covenanted with you when you came out of Egypt. And my Spirit remains among you. Do not fear.’ (2:5)

“This is
what the LORD Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. I will shake all nations, and the desired of all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LORD Almighty. ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the LORD Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” (2:6-9)

All nations desire silver and gold. Solomon’s temple had millions of dollars worth of silver and gold. This new temple was nothing compared to the splendor of the first temple. A future temple is coming that may be in view here.

When Jesus returns to this earth, He will enter Jerusalem and bring peace.

God looks upon these series of temples as one house.

Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. (Romans 5:1-2)

- The Third Message: The Defiled People will be Blessed and Purified (2:10-19)
December 24, 520 BC

On the twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, in the second year of Darius, the word of the LORD came to the prophet Haggai:
(2:10)

“This is
what the LORD Almighty says: ‘Ask the priests what the law says: If a person carries consecrated meat in the fold of his garment, and that fold touches some bread or stew, some wine, oil or other food, does it become consecrated?’”

The priests answered, “No.”
(2:11-12)

Then Haggai said, “If a person defiled by contact with a dead body touches one of these things, does it become defiled?”

“Yes,” the priests replied, “it becomes defiled.”

Then Haggai said, “‘So it is with this people and this nation in my sight,’ declares the LORD. ‘Whatever they do and whatever they offer there is defiled.
(2:13-14)

On this day, Haggai went to the priests and asked two things about the law:

  1. Will the holy that touches the unclean make it holy? No.
  2. Will the unclean that touches the holy make it unclean? Yes.

Holiness is non-communicable.
Unholiness is transferrable/communicable.

The Mosaic law did not cover every possible scenario. The priests decided such matters and it became the law.

We have a similar method today. There is a difference between statute or statutory law (passed by legislation/congress) and common law (a matter brought before a court).

“‘Now give careful thought to this from this day on — consider how things were before one stone was laid on another in the LORD’s temple. When anyone came to a heap of twenty measures, there were only ten. When anyone went to a wine vat to draw fifty measures, there were only twenty. I struck all the work of your hands with blight, mildew and hail, yet you did not turn to me,’ declares the LORD. ‘From this day on, from this twenty-fourth day of the ninth month, give careful thought to the day when the foundation of the LORD’s temple was laid. Give careful thought: Is there yet any seed left in the barn? Until now, the vine and the fig tree, the pomegranate and the olive tree have not borne fruit.

‘From this day on I will bless you.’”
(2:15-19)

God says the people returned to the land but not to God. You can swim in holy water and it won’t make you holy. Baptism of your body won’t automatically change your heart.

“‘If a descendant of Aaron has an infectious skin disease or a bodily discharge, he may not eat the sacred offerings until he is cleansed. He will also be unclean if he touches something defiled by a corpse or by anyone who has an emission of semen, or if he touches any crawling thing that makes him unclean, or any person who makes him unclean, whatever the uncleanness may be. The one who touches any such thing will be unclean till evening. He must not eat any of the sacred offerings unless he has bathed himself with water. (Leviticus 22:4-6)

Ceremonies and religious rituals will not purify your heart.

“Don’t you see that whatever enters the mouth goes into the stomach and then out of the body? But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these make a man ‘unclean.’ For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what make a man ‘unclean’; but eating with unwashed hands does not make him ‘unclean.’” (Matthew 15:17-20)

By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. (Matthew 7:16-20)

You can’t make manure smell good by dumping perfume on it!

The heart must be changed. How?

Who can say, “I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin”? (Proverbs 20:9)

“Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

What can wash away my sin? Nothing but the blood of Jesus.

God is saying the reason the people are not blessed is they have unclean hearts. Now that their hearts are right, they will be blessed.

Is your heart blocking God’s blessing in your life?

- The Fourth Message: The Promise to Zerubbabel (2:20-23)
December 24, 520 BC

Why two messages on the same day? Good question!

The
word of the LORD came to Haggai a second time on the twenty-fourth day of the month: (2:20)

Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother.
(2:21-22)

God will overthrow all nations.

“‘On that day,’ declares the LORD Almighty, ‘I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,’ declares the LORD, ‘and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,’ declares the LORD Almighty.” (2:23)

The signet ring is an identification of royalty. Zerubbabel is in the line of David.

The Messiah will not only come through David but also Zerubbabel. He appears in both Matthew 1 and Luke 3 genealogies.

Jesus is King of kings and Lord of lords. He will rule and reign someday.

The little temple built in Haggai’s day will one day welcome Jesus.

So What?

There are a few vital lessons we must understand from Haggai.

  1. God must truly be first in our lives. No other gods. No idols.
  2. God will bless us when we obey and discipline us when we disobey.
  3. God’s grace is amazing. He never gives up on us. His love is unconditional.

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

Zephaniah, 27 July 2014

Big Idea: God loves His children through wrath and blessings.

Overview: God is going to remove and restore everything: Israel, Judah, the surrounding nations—everything will be judged, and then everything will be made much, much better.

Introduction

I have had many defining moments in my life, but one day changed my life more than any other. It was on that day that I became a daddy as my bride gave birth to our first child, Kailey.

Since I became a dad, I have cherished my relationship with each of our three kids. There have been moments when we have had our differences, but they have always known my unconditional love for them, and though they have occasionally said otherwise in the heat of the moment, I have been secure in their love for me. Next to God, my family is the most important thing in my life. When our kids are good, I’m almost always good. When they struggle, it’s hard for me to think of anything but their struggles. When they are sick, I am burdened to pray and seek any possible healing resource.

Imagine after raising, feeding, clothing, and sheltering our children they left. I don’t mean they moved away, I mean they left the family. They went to the court and changed their last name to…Jones! Imagine they unfriended me on Facebook, changed their phone numbers, and did everything possible to prevent me from having a relationship with them. How would I feel? How would you feel?

God is all about relationships. From the very beginning He has created males and females for the purpose of relationships—relationships with Him and one another. Thousands of years ago after our first ancestors broke God’s heart by turning away from Him and rebelling, He made a covenant with Abraham which began the nation of Israel and God was their God, their King. Perhaps there was no greater pleasure God experienced than being with His people who enjoyed being with Him.

The Old Testament is filled with stories of Israel following God and rejecting Him, running to Him and wandering off, obeying Him and ignoring Him. It’s starting to sound a little like
The Giving Tree, isn’t it?!

Although they had no King but God, eventually the people wanted a human king like the surrounding nations. God reluctantly granted them their wish, installing Saul as king, then David and Solomon. As they turned their attention from God and to the world, the nation of Israel split into two kingdoms, Israel and Judah. Both kingdoms fell as enemy armies invaded, first Israel and then Judah.

We are in the middle of a
series called the most unread books of the Bible as discovered by BibleGateway.com.

First we looked at Jonah.
Then we examined Joel.
Last week we studied Jude.
Our book of the week is Zephaniah.

The book of Zephaniah was written after fall of Israel and before the fall of Judah while Josiah was good, arguably the last good king of Judah. Zephaniah was a prophet—not to be confused with Zechariah (something I did all last week!). Prophets did not predict the future, but they spoke for God on behalf of the people, serving as messengers, in most cases calling God’s people to repentance before judgment, a time often referred to as “the day of the LORD.” It is a phrase used throughout the Bible, especially in the prophets (we saw it in Joel two weeks ago).

Zephaniah presents two radically different messages:

  1. Woe to those the reject God
  2. Blessings to those who follow God

This was true thousands of years ago and it’s still true today.

For the sake of time, we cannot read every verse in the book, despite it being only three chapters long. Instead, I want to highlight the beginning and the end (as read earlier during Scripture reading).

Zephaniah 1

The word of the LORD that came to Zephaniah son of Cushi, the son of Gedaliah, the son of Amariah, the son of Hezekiah, during the reign of Josiah son of Amon king of Judah: (1)

We get great details about Zephaniah’s family. He was not the only one with the name Zephaniah so this distinguishes himself from the others and offers the historical note of Josiah as king.

“I will sweep away everything from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will sweep away both men and animals; I will sweep away the birds of the air and the fish of the sea. The wicked will have only heaps of rubble when I cut off man from the face of the earth,” declares the LORD. “I will stretch out my hand against Judah and against all who live in Jerusalem. I will cut off from this place every remnant of Baal, the names of the pagan and the idolatrous priests — those who bow down on the roofs to worship the starry host, those who bow down and swear by the LORD and who also swear by Molech, those who turn back from following the LORD and neither seek the LORD nor inquire of him.
(2-6)

This does not sound pleasant! God’s more than a little angry, but it is holy anger. Daddy knows best and He knows what is best is for people to love, follow and serve Him, not themselves, and certainly not idols.

Once again we go back to the first two Commandments—no other gods and no idols.

Baal and Molech were two common idols of surrounding nations adopted by Zephaniah’s contemporaries and mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Molech, in particular, was associated with death and the underworld. There is some debate as to whether people would fire-walk to appease Molech or even sacrifice children in fire. Either way, worshipping Baal and Molech was detestable to God, a Father heartbroken by His wayward children.

We get a clue as to why the people abandoned God.

At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps and punish those who are complacent, who are like wine left on its dregs, who think, ‘The LORD will do nothing, either good or bad.’ (1:12)

They underestimated God. He will do nothing good or bad. They think God is dead…or sleeping…or aloof. Perhaps they simply forgot about God’s judgment. This was the first lie of satan in the Garden of Eden.

“You will not surely die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:4-5)

“The great day of the LORD is near — near and coming quickly. Listen! The cry on the day of the LORD will be bitter, the shouting of the warrior there. (1:14)

Here we see the phrase “the day of the LORD” as mentioned in Joel and elsewhere, a day in which God will judge. For the ungodly, it will be a terrible day.

That day will be a day of wrath, a day of distress and anguish, a day of trouble and ruin, a day of darkness and gloom, a day of clouds and blackness, a day of trumpet and battle cry against the fortified cities and against the corner towers. I will bring distress on the people and they will walk like blind men, because they have sinned against the LORD. Their blood will be poured out like dust and their entrails like filth. Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the LORD’s wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live in the earth.” (1:15-18)

God
will judge sin. He is a jealous God, not an insecure lover, but a loving Father who knows what’s best for His children. He wants an intimate relationship with them. He wants to be with them, to bless them, and to know them. When they run off and abandon Him, there is no greater pain, no greater loss.

Does that fit our view of a “loving” God? Theologian Miroslav Volf had a shift in his thinking after watching his country of Yugoslavia destroyed.

“I used to think that wrath was unworthy of God. Isn’t God love? Shouldn’t divine love be beyond wrath? God is love, and God loves every person and every creature. That’s exactly why God is wrathful against some of them. My last resistance to the idea of God’s wrath was a casualty of the war in the former Yugoslavia, the region from which I come. According to some estimates, 200,000 people were killed and over 3,000,000 were displaced. My villages and cities were destroyed, my people shelled day in and day out, some of them brutalized beyond imagination, and I could not imagine God not being angry. Or think of Rwanda in the last decade of the past century, where 800,000 people were hacked to death in one hundred days! How did God react to the carnage? By doting on the perpetrators in a grandfatherly fashion? By refusing to condemn the bloodbath but instead affirming the perpetrators’ basic goodness? Wasn’t God fiercely angry with them? Though I used to complain about the indecency of the idea of God’s wrath, I came to think that I would have to rebel against a God who wasn’t wrathful at the sight of the world’s evil. God isn’t wrathful in spite of being love. God is wrathful because God is love.”

So the people are in trouble with God. What are they to do?

Gather together, gather together, O shameful nation, before the appointed time arrives and that day sweeps on like chaff, before the fierce anger of the LORD comes upon you, before the day of the LORD’s wrath comes upon you. Seek the LORD, all you humble of the land, you who do what he commands. Seek righteousness, seek humility; perhaps you will be sheltered on the day of the LORD’s anger. (2:1-3)

Seek the LORD.
Seek righteousness.
Seek humility.

That’s their only hope.

Seek the LORD. Jesus said it plainly:

But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:33)

How much time do you spend seeking the LORD?

Seek righteousness. Do the right thing. Follow the perfect example of Jesus. Fill your mind with God’s Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you of any unknown sins. Get right with God.

Finally, seek humility. Don’t try to be humble. As soon as you think you’re humble, you’re not! We underestimate God when we overestimate ourselves. Humility isn’t thinking less of yourself but thinking of yourself less. It is how you think of others and God. How great is your God? It should put things in perspective quickly. Idolatry today does not usually involve statues of Baal and Molech but for me, at least, it involves the man in the mirror. Perhaps the best way to attack pride is serving those who cannot return the favor, anonymously blessing the poor, sacrificing your preferences for those of others. As Paul told the Church in Philippi:

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. (Philippians 2:3)

So What?

I wish I could view Zephaniah’s audience as a bizarre tribe doing unimaginable things, but it sounds too much like our culture. We often revel in arrogance and pride, praising ourselves for our accomplishments, all the while ignoring our Creator whose very purpose in creating us was relationship.

God is not a monster out to harm people that don’t obey Him. He’s a loving Father longing to know and be known by His children.

This week my daughter will move away from her Father, but that won’t end our relationship (thanks to the phone, texting, FaceTime, and transportation). If she ever abandoned me—or if any of our kids renounced our family—I would pursue her out of love, knowing her life and mine will be more satisfying in relationship.

We serve a gracious God who loves prodigals. He is eager to welcome home the departed. He is a God of wrath to those that dishonor Him, but He’s also a loving Father when His children seek Him.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.” “The sorrows for the appointed feasts I will remove from you; they are a burden and a reproach to you. At that time I will deal with all who oppressed you; I will rescue the lame and gather those who have been scattered. I will give them praise and honor in every land where they were put to shame. At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes,” says the LORD. (3:17-20)

No matter who you are or what you’ve done, God longs to know you. He takes great delight in His children, singing over us!

When our kids were little, I loved to sing to them. I loved to hold them and I still do! We can celebrate today knowing that God is alive, He is active, He loves us, and one day we will be with Him forever.

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

Jude, 20 July 2014

Big Idea: Know the Truth and He will set you free!

Overview: Jude warns believers that certain ungodly people are creeping into the church, distorting the grace of God, and denying Jesus Christ.

Introduction

Are you protected? Do you use protection? For many years we have been warned to guard against…computer viruses. They can sneak onto our computers and wreak all sorts of havoc with our valuable information—or so I’ve been told! I won’t contribute to the endless Mac versus PC debate, but I happen to know many who have had computers infected with viruses. How do they occur? It could be through software that is installed on the machine. Sometimes they are e-mail attachments that are activated when opened. It’s important to be on alert, pay attention to what you open and install on your computer, and generally a good idea to have some type of antivirus protection on your device.

Today we continue our series The Most Unread Books of The Bible, a survey of some of the least-read Bible texts according to BibleGateway.com.

We began with
Jonah. Last week we looked at another prophet, Joel. Today we examine another “J”—Jude.

Jude is one of a handful of books that are comprised of a single chapter.

genre: epistle/letter
author:
Jude
date:
between 70 and 80 AD
to:
Christians

The big idea of Jude is to be on guard against those who want to corrupt your faith and, therefore, your life. It continues to amaze me how relevant a two thousand year-old book can be in our progressive, 21st century culture.

Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and a brother of James, (1a)

Jude is not only the brother of James, he is also the half brother of Jesus, though he does not consider himself an apostle (v. 17).

To those who have been called, who are loved by God the Father and kept by Jesus Christ:
(1b)

Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.
(2)

Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. For certain men whose condemnation was written about long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
(3-4)

Notice the intentionality behind their actions. These are not uneducated, naive people. They are on a mission. They are secretive. They are subtle. They are godless. They change God’s grace, promote immorality, and deny Christ. They are false teachers, heretics, and liars. Have you ever encountered one? They’re all around! They take the Scriptures and twist them, distort them, and rip them out of context to be manipulated for their purposes. We should not be surprised. Satan did the exact same thing to Jesus while He was fasting in the desert for forty days.

Satan quoted Scripture!

He knows the Bible better than most of us!

The messages sound so good, so positive, so affirming, so politically correct.

“God helps those who help themselves.” Where is that in the Bible?

“God made me this way.” He created you and me, but we are all broken because of sin and The Fall, desperately in need of transformation by the power of the Holy Spirit.

“God loves everyone.” Yes He does, so much so that He wants what’s best for us which is often uncomfortable at the moment for our growth and future benefit.

“God wants me happy.” He is more concerned about Your relationship with Him and others than your temporary pleasure.

“God will forgive me.” Followers of Jesus are forgiven because of what Christ did on the cross, but that does not mean there won’t be painful consequences for our rebellion against God and others.

“God wants me rich.” He does want to bless us, but it may not be the way we envision and when we envision. His greatest blessings will be eternity with Him.

“I need to do great things for God so He will love me.” You’re already loved. We love Him and obey Him as a response because He first loved us. All of the social activism in the world won’t cause Him to love You any more than He already does.


Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe. And the angels who did not keep their positions of authority but abandoned their own home — these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. In a similar way, Sodom and Gomorrah and the surrounding towns gave themselves up to sexual immorality and perversion. They serve as an example of those who suffer the punishment of eternal fire. (5-7)

Jude says they already knew this, yet he offers a reminder of the consequences of sin. Tragically, many today think of Sodom and Gomorrah as an imaginary place that never existed—or worse, a place they’d like to visit. As Jude says, it was filled with sexual immorality and perversion and there are consequences—the punishment of eternal fire. The more I listen to the messages of our culture, the more it seems like we are told to seek immediate pleasure at all times. Nobody mentions responsibility, consequences, others, or even the radical idea of waiting, saving, delaying, or sacrificing now for rewards later. We not only want instant news, coffee, downloads, and entertainment, we want instant experiences, pleasures, and our every desire on demand.

Let me offer my most offensive statement of the day:

It’s not all about you!!!

I know that’s what we’re told, 24/7/365. I know it’s the prevailing message in our culture. I know every decision we make must first go through the “what’s in it for me?” filter, but it’s a lie!

The worst is when the religion of consumerism invades our relationship with God. I will love and serve God as long as He loves and serves me. I will go to church as long as I get something out of it. I will volunteer when it’s convenient and makes me feel good about myself. I’ll gladly share my leftovers of my time, talents and treasures with God if there is any!

In the very same way, these dreamers pollute their own bodies, reject authority and slander celestial beings. But even the archangel Michael, when he was disputing with the devil about the body of Moses, did not dare to bring a slanderous accusation against him, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” Yet these men speak abusively against whatever they do not understand; and what things they do understand by instinct, like unreasoning animals — these are the very things that destroy them.
(8-10)

Woe to them! They have taken the way of Cain; they have rushed for profit into Balaam’s error; they have been destroyed in Korah’s rebellion. (11)

These men are blemishes at your love feasts, eating with you without the slightest qualm — shepherds who feed only themselves. They are clouds without rain, blown along by the wind; autumn trees, without fruit and uprooted — twice dead. They are wild waves of the sea, foaming up their shame; wandering stars, for whom blackest darkness has been reserved forever. (12-13)

Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men: “See, the Lord is coming with thousands upon thousands of his holy ones to judge everyone, and to convict all the ungodly of all the ungodly acts they have done in the ungodly way, and of all the harsh words ungodly sinners have spoken against him.” These men are grumblers and faultfinders; they follow their own evil desires; they boast about themselves and flatter others for their own advantage. (14-16)

But, dear friends, remember what the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ foretold. They said to you, “In the last times there will be scoffers who will follow their own ungodly desires.” These are the men who divide you, who follow mere natural instincts and do not have the Spirit. (17-19)

So what?

But you, dear friends, build yourselves up in your most holy faith and pray in the Holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in God’s love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life. (20-21)

Be merciful to those who doubt; snatch others from the fire and save them; to others show mercy, mixed with fear — hating even the clothing stained by corrupted flesh. (22-23)

To him who is able to keep you from falling and to present you before his glorious presence without fault and with great joy — to the only God our Savior be glory, majesty, power and authority, through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all ages, now and forevermore! Amen. (24-25)

Conclusion

We are to guard our hearts against the devil’s schemes. They can be subtle. We need the full armor of God as we daily engage with the forces of God and the forces of evil whose mission is to steal, kill and destroy.

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

Joel, 13 July 2014

Big Idea: The day of the Lord is coming. Are you ready?

Overview: Joel explains that a recent plague of locusts is a judgment from God and calls Judah to repent. Although God judges Judah now, He will avenge Judah of her enemies.

Introduction

The day of the LORD. Today is Sunday which many call the LORD’s day. One could make a case that every day is the LORD’s day since the psalmist wrote

“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24)

This fascinating phrase, the day of the LORD, appears several times throughout the Bible.

Last week we began our series
The Most Unread Books of the Bible with a look at the book of Jonah. While the story is familiar, the book is infrequently read according to BibleGateway.com.

Joel

Last week’s lead character, Jonah, was called by God to proclaim God’s truth to the people of Nineveh.

Today we look at another prophet,
Joel. He also was sent to proclaim God’s truth, but we have more details about the content of his message.

The Day of the Lord

In the Old Testament, God created Adam and Eve, saved humanity through Noah and his family in the arc, and made a covenant with Abraham to bless his offspring—the Jews—and ultimately Gentiles, too. For generations, God’s people vacillated between following God and obeying Him. Prophets were sent to urge the people to repent and follow God or face dire consequences. The day of the LORD meant the day of judgment, whether it was judgment for Israel or other nations.

The flood itself was one example of God’s judgment. Other punishments included invasions by enemy nations or even natural disasters. The book of Joel highlights one of these tragedies.

The book of Joel begins with these words

  The word of the LORD that came to Joel son of Pethuel. Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in the land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation. What the locust swarm has left the great locusts have eaten; what the great locusts have left the young locusts have eaten; what the young locusts have left other locusts have eaten. Wake up, you drunkards, and weep! Wail, all you drinkers of wine; wail because of the new wine, for it has been snatched from your lips. A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white. Mourn like a virgin in sackcloth grieving for the husband of her youth. Grain offerings and drink offerings are cut off from the house of the LORD. The priests are in mourning, those who minister before the LORD. The fields are ruined, the ground is dried up; the grain is destroyed, the new wine is dried up, the oil fails. Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed. The vine is dried up and the fig tree is withered; the pomegranate, the palm and the apple tree — all the trees of the field — are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away. Put on sackcloth, O priests, and mourn; wail, you who minister before the altar. Come, spend the night in sackcloth, you who minister before my God; for the grain offerings and drink offerings are withheld from the house of your God. Declare a holy fast; call a sacred assembly. Summon the elders and all who live in the land to the house of the LORD your God, and cry out to the LORD. Alas for that day! For the day of the LORD is near; it will come like destruction from the Almighty. Has not the food been cut off before our very eyes — joy and gladness from the house of our God? The seeds are shriveled beneath the clods. The storehouses are in ruins, the granaries have been broken down, for the grain has dried up. How the cattle moan! The herds mill about because they have no pasture; even the flocks of sheep are suffering. To you, O LORD, I call, for fire has devoured the open pastures and flames have burned up all the trees of the field. Even the wild animals pant for you; the streams of water have dried up and fire has devoured the open pastures. (Joel 1)

A great plague of locusts has been unleashed on the earth as a consequence of sin and rebellion, with warnings of greater punishments.

If you’re like me you think, so what? They couldn’t stand a few locusts?

A few months ago I saw a moth in our home. It was small, easily captured, and didn’t seem to be much of a bother…until we discovered it had friends! For months we set traps to capture the dozens of flying pests that invaded our pantry and nearly every room in the house. We finally rid our home of them, but they were annoying and expensive to exterminate.

Locusts are pests like moths, but larger. They are basically grasshoppers. They look pretty cool when they are alone, but they can swarm and when they do it can be nothing short of a natural disaster.

Even small swarms may cover several square miles, and weigh thousands of tons. They eat the equivalent of their own weight in a day, and, flying at night with the wind, may cover over 300 miles! The largest known swarm covered 513,000 km², comprising approximately 12.5 trillion insects and weighing 27.5 million tons!
Wrath

Why would a kind, gentle, loving God ever send such disaster upon His children? Precisely because He
loves them! Their behavior was destructive, they forgot Him, and He wanted to get their attention before they self-destructed.

God chastens those He loves, and that chastening calls people to repentance. He keeps His covenant by showing mercy—giving them warnings before punishment. He often sends prophets like Jonah and Joel to get the attention of wayward people.

Chapter one of Joel describes the immediate locust plague which lead to a call for repentance and prayer.

Chapter two is similar. It begins

Blow the trumpet in Zion; sound the alarm on my holy hill. Let all who live in the land tremble, for the day of the LORD is coming. It is close at hand — (Joel 2:1)

A third scene (2:18-32) shows God’s response, returning destroyed crops and promising a future age of the Spirit.

Finally, judgment against the nations is presented, ending with God’s blessings on His forgiven people (3:17-21).

“Then you will know that I, the LORD your God, dwell in Zion, my holy hill. Jerusalem will be holy; never again will foreigners invade her. “In that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk; all the ravines of Judah will run with water. A fountain will flow out of the LORD’s house and will water the valley of acacias. But Egypt will be desolate, Edom a desert waste, because of violence done to the people of Judah, in whose land they shed innocent blood. Judah will be inhabited forever and Jerusalem through all generations. Their bloodguilt, which I have not pardoned, I will pardon.” The LORD dwells in Zion! (Joel 3:17-21)

Joel mentions little about the details for the disobedience that led to the punishment. His audience likely knew their transgressions.

Amos is the first prophet to mention “the day of the LORD.” The pattern is commonly judgment followed by salvation. The locust is followed by the restoration of God’s people.


The Day of the LORD in the New Testament

The New Testament speaks of the day of the LORD, the second coming of Christ. Jesus came once as a little baby, but He promised to return and the coming is unexpected.

…for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. (1 Thessalonians 5:2)

But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (2 Peter 3:10)

So What?

Thousands of years ago a guy wrote about plagues followed by restoration. So what?

God hates sin.
God judges sin.
We must repent of our sins and receive His merciful forgiveness.

I can hardly go a day without hearing about a tornado, global warming, mudslides, hurricanes, famine, drought, or some other natural disaster. Wars are raging in the Middle East and beyond. Is it God’s judgment? Is it the natural consequence of sin? I have no idea, but I do know we’re all one moment, one event from catastrophe. I also know our country has had a reputation for seeking God, an idea that seems like ancient history. God judges all sin, all people, all nations.

The good news is that we all have access to mercy, forgiveness and grace not because of what we have done, but because of the death and resurrection of Jesus. All other religions are about doing things to make God love and accept us. Only the Christian faith describes a loving God who sent His son for us. Nothing you can do can make God love you more. Nothing you can do can make God love you less…but you must repent and receive the gift of grace, unmerited favor. That’s why Jesus died. That’s why we worship and celebrate, remembering the great sacrifice of God.

The great “day of the LORD” is someday in the future. It could be today. It could be tomorrow. You don’t have to subscribe to a stack of periodicals to realize our nation has been increasingly turning from God. Sin abounds, often unrepentant and even filled with pride. Judgment day is coming for all of us. Are you ready?

This is not one of those warm, happy sermons. People hated prophets because they were called to sound an alarm. So, too, I urge you to repent of your sins, get right with God, run into His arms, receive His gift of grace and mercy, and experience forgiveness and deep shalom peace.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. (2 Chronicles 7:14)

Oh how we need that today!

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.

Jonah, 6 July 2014

Big Idea: God can be trusted and obedience is His love language.

Series Introduction

Do you like books?

The Bible. It’s a great book. It’s a big book. Actually, it’s 66 books.

Over the past three and a half years since I’ve served as your pastor, we’ve examined several of these 66 books. Specifically, we have studied James, John, and Ephesians. They are all popular books found in the New Testament.

But what about the other 63? What about the Old Testament and those short New Testament books nobody every seems to talk about?

Recently a list was assembled of the least-read books of the Bible according to
BibleGateway.com. This series will look at several of them, beginning with a popular story in an unpopular book…Jonah.

Most of you know the story. God sends Jonah to Nineveh, but Jonah runs from God. He's swallowed by a great fish, puked back up, and then goes to Nineveh to obey God…sorta! There’s a lot more to the book of Jonah than a whale—and there might not have even been a whale!

Before we look at the text of these books, we will briefly examine the context. This is essential when reading anything, especially the Bible. It has been said that you can make the Bible say anything you want, and that’s largely true, especially if you ignore the context, miss the big picture of the story of God, and merely extract sound bites. So here’s a little context:

First, the
genre or type of literature is narrative. It tells a story. It is not poetry or a scientific textbook or a history book.

Second, the
author was likely Jonah.

Third, the
date of the writing is between 782 and 745 BC.

The
location of the beginning is the city of Joppa.

Jonah is one of the minor prophets.

Veggie Tales made Jonah the subject of their first feature film.

Many know the main story. God tells Jonah to preach to the people of Nineveh, a wicked city but not a pagan city. They knew and worshipped God…at least they did at one point. This was not an evangelism mission to proclaim good news to unbelievers but a prophetic mission to call backslidden believers to repentance.

The story

The book of Jonah can be summarized in twenty words. Are you ready?

God decrees

The word of the LORD came to Jonah son of Amittai: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me.” (1:1-2)

Jonah flees

But Jonah ran away from the LORD and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the LORD. (1:3)

Storms follow

Then the LORD sent a great wind on the sea, and such a violent storm arose that the ship threatened to break up. (1:4)

Fish swallows

But the LORD provided a great fish to swallow Jonah, and Jonah was inside the fish three days and three nights. (1:17)

The book of Jonah is either historical or allegorical/parabolic. For thousands of years it was believed to be a true account of actual events. In the 19th century, however, some began considering it a parable or allegory because of the alleged impossibility of surviving 3 days and nights in the belly of a fish.

It seems many now believe the events were possible and large fish—not necessarily whales—have been discovered. Some say it was a shark. There is an account of a sailor in 1758 that fell overboard in the Mediterranean and swallowed by a shark (Carcharias). Upon being hit by a cannon ball, the shark vomited out the sailor who was picked up by a boat with little injury. (Haupt:
Jonah’s Whale in American Philosophical Society, vol. 46, 1907)

Some used to believe there were no whales in the Mediterranean, but sperm whales are found there and are large enough to swallow a man. The head of a giant sperm-whale may be more than 30 feet long!

I believe it is an historical account, but even if it was merely a story designed to teach like Jesus’ parables, it packs a punch! It’s also worth noting how Jesus referred to Jonah (Matt 12:38-41, Luke 11:29-30, 32).

Second chances

Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah a second time: “Go to the great city of Nineveh and proclaim to it the message I give you.” (3:1-2)

Jonah advances

Jonah obeyed the word of the LORD and went to Nineveh. Now Nineveh was a very important city — a visit required three days. (3:3)

God relents

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he had compassion and did not bring upon them the destruction he had threatened. (3:10)

Now we come to the part of the story I want to emphasize.

Jonah’s lament

But Jonah was greatly displeased and became angry.
(4:1)

Why? He hated the Ninevites. They were like Buckeyes! LOL! Seriously, though, they turned away from God and he didn’t want God to waste His love and blessings on those who abandoned the faith. It sounds a lot like the older brother in the story of the Prodigal son, doesn’t it?

Jonah is so upset about God showing grace—unmerited favor—to the Ninevites that he wants to die!

Jonah’s case

Now, O LORD, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.” (4:3)

These are strong words! Fortunately for the people of Nineveh, God wins the debate!

God’s grace

But Nineveh has more than a hundred and twenty thousand people who cannot tell their right hand from their left, and many cattle as well. Should I not be concerned about that great city?” (4:11)

So What?

Jonah disobeyed, obeyed, and was angry that God was gracious (ironic!). So what?

Are you obeying God? Obedience is His love language. Obey and avoid the detour!

Are you compassionate for others? Regardless of how they look, smell, vote, talk or act, they are created in the image of God with dignity, value and worth. Jonah wanted the Ninevites destroyed. God had other ideas. It’s not our place to judge. The Great Commandment is to not only love God but to love others, and, of course, we love God by loving others.

God is in control. We are not. The book of Jonah is about God’s all-sovereign power and care. He is the God of second chances. He’s the God of mercy and grace.

You can listen to this message and others at the Scio podcast here. You can also subscribe to our podcast here.
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