12/20/15 "Unto us a child is born..." - Revelation 12

By w:Herrad of Landsberg ([1]) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

Revelation 12

Intro: We tend to think of the birth of Christ from an earthly perspective: the manger, the shepherds, the wise men, etc. But there is much to learn from the cosmic perspective.

Genesis 3:15 starts our journey down this path, but it continues throughout the Bible...

Setting the Stage (identity of the Woman & Child): Revelation 12:1-6

“sign in heaven” - first time this term is used in Revelation & certainly represents a symbolic teaching will follow. So what do the following symbols represent?

The Woman – the faithful ones of God

Many suggestions have been made as to the exact identification of this woman. Some suggest Mary (the mother of Jesus), the nation of Israel, or the church.

It seems this woman is the faithful ones of God – she changes throughout the chapter. At first she seems to represent the faithful of Israel (v.1-6) but after she gives birth she seems to represent the church (v.13-17). The woman is not the main character of this chapter and we will not spend much time looking at her. It is more important to notice her children...

The Male Child – Jesus Christ

The identifying phrase “rod of iron” – see Psalm 2:9, Revelation 2:27, 12:5, 19:15

If this phrase was the only identifying mark of this child, then it would be clear the child is none other than Jesus Christ. He “was caught up to God and to His throne” (v.5) which most certainly happened when Jesus ascended into heaven.

The War in Heaven: Revelation 12:7-12

The Dragon – Serpent, Devil, Satan

“ancient serpent” - this phrase brings back memories of his first appearance in Gen. 3
“devil” - means accuser or slanderer

“Satan” - means adversary

All of the above titles give us a glimpse of who this dragon is and what his intentions are. There is nothing good spoken about him here and he is easily defeated by the Lord's angel (Michael). It is clear that God is in control and He is the only all-powerful being!

Application for today: How do we overcome Satan? v.11 clearly teaches it is by “the Lamb's blood and because of the word of their testimony”

The Others: Revelation 12:13-17

“devour” - this is what the devil does (see 1 Peter 5:8)

Satan's influence from v.1 to v.13 changes from heaven to the earth

“wings of an eagle” - see Ex 19:4, Deut 32:10-12, Is 40:31These wings represent God's protection given in times of need. The woman seems to represent the church in these verses because they are the faithful ones of God during this time.

The dragon sees his own incapability to destroy the woman or her son. He then turns his attention to the other children of the woman. These are the ones “who keep God's commandments and hold Jesus' testimony.” (v.17) Satan has decided to attack Christians and he is still trying to do this even today. But we can overcome him just as others have before us... by “the Lamb's blood and because of the word of their testimony” (v.11).

Conclusion:

Our Lord's birth, life, and death impacted not only life on this earth but also the heavens. The gospel message is bigger than this earth and its influence reaches everywhere! We have been blessed to be a part of God's plan!

12/13/15 God's Plan for the Remnant - Zephaniah 3:9-20

Zephaniah 3

Intro: Zephaniah 3:7-8 The Day of the Lord is a day all must face. The children of God thought that this judgment was only for the “other nations” and they looked forward to the others being judged harshly. Little did they know that they too would have to face God's judgment and God was not very happy with their actions.

Remnant of the faithful – Zephaniah 3:9-13

key verse: v.12b

God spoke here of an almost unimaginable time when the faithful remnant will return to the destroyed nation of Israel. This is possible because of God's amazing grace. This remnant consists of those who trust in the name of the Lord and call upon it (v.9&12). If God could restore a broken nation, then what would He do today if we will choose to be part of His “faithful remnant”.

Reason to rejoice – Zephaniah 3:14-17

key verse(s): v.14b-15 Notice the reasons to rejoice...

- punishment – has been taken away by the mercy of the Lord

- the enemy – He has turned them back (or changed their course away from you)

- the Lord is with you – Is there a better reason to rejoice then this! See also v.17

Notice that these reasons applied to them but they are also still reasons to rejoice today.

Restoration – Zephaniah 3:18-20

key verse: 20

Notice all the things that God says “I will...”. Ultimately there will be a total restoration of God's children. We can see from the Bible and from history that God did restore Israel. But more importantly than this temporary physical restoration of a nation, God sent His Son into that very nation to bring about a full restoration of all those who choose to be faithful to the Lord and call on His name.

Conclusion: Most of the above passage is speaking of a time when the faithful remnant of God will return from the exile among the nations and be restored as a nation once again. However, the points God make are very relevant to us today as well. This passage can also apply to God giving us a reason to rejoice and praise Him in the time of the New Testament.

12/6/15 Zechariah's Song

Luke 1:67-80

Intro: Try to image it is the time when B.C. turns to A.D. God has been silent for hundreds of years. There has been a promise of the coming of Elijah who will usher in the age of the Messiah (Mal. 3:1-4,4:5-6). The nation of Israel (God's chosen people) is under Roman rule (as well as the whole world). How long will God wait before sending hope?

Then the events of Luke 1:57-67 happen...

God's Promise to David – Luke 1:68-71

 

- visit from God –Finally, the wait for God's action is over! He has come to His people!

- redemption - see Romans 3:24-25 for further explanation of God's redemption

- horn of salvation (a horn is a symbol for power)

     Salvation from enemies – this statement is made as Israel remains under Roman rule

God's Covenant with Abraham – Luke 1:72-75

 

- what God did – rescued us from our enemies

- Our reaction → He has enabled us to serve Him!

     without fear – only because God has enabled us to do so

     in holiness & righteousness – Abraham was credited as being righteous -Gen. 15:6

     how long? – all our days

     Didn't Abraham serve as a wonderful example of this entire process?

God's Plan for John (the Baptist) – Luke 1:76-80

- knowledge of salvation – deliverance from oppression comes through remission of sins (Acts 2 sermon “repent & be baptized for the forgiveness of sins...”

- tender mercy – justice does not require God to save us, it is His mercy that allows it!

- The sun/Son

the dawning of a new day – is like Christ coming & bringing a new way (of peace v.79)

Conclusion: see Luke 1:76 -John was given the task to prepare the way of the Lord. We have been entrusted with the task of preparing the way for Christ's return. Will you step up and become a servant of the Most High?

11/29/15 God (Christ) as King - who is, who was, & who is to come!

Daniel7:9-10, 13-18 & Revelation 1:4-8

Intro: This sermon has one simple task – to praise God as our King!

God as King has been misunderstood by many: the Israelites, king Saul, king David (got a little closer), Jesus' disciples, Pilate, etc... This is an important truth to hold on to!

THE KING in the Old Testament – Daniel 7:9-10, 13-18

- Context – understand the time Daniel prophesied

     Daniel 7:1 – 1^st year of King Belshazzar's reign

     understand who this king was (prideful) – Daniel 5:18-23a

- “Ancient of Days” - God appears here as an old man (He has always existed!)

- “Son of Man” - here is seen as the coming Messiah (for all the nations)

- “came with the clouds of the sky” - was planned by God & sent by Him!

THE KING in the New Testament – Revelation 1:4-8

- Halley's Bible Handbook

“In a world where empires rise and fall, where all things die and pass away, we are reminded that God is Changeless, Timeless, and Eternal, and promised by Him that His Nature may be imparted to us, and that we, like Him, and by His Grace, unhurt by Death, may Live On and On. Alive Forevermore! Immortal Youth! What meaning it gives to Life! And what a comfort to saints then facing Martyrdom!”

- “faithful witness” - we are His witness but Jesus was the witness of the Father

- “firstborn of the dead” - first raised never to die again

- “the ruler” - the King of Kings

- “loves us & washed us from our sins” - continually loves & has already freed us

- “made us to be a Kingdom & priests” - was always God's original intention for us

- “who is and who was and who is to come” - The I Am is!

     “who was” - God was the King of Israel

     “who is to come” - God will sit on His throne in Heaven

     “is” is listed first – if we are not careful, then we might overlook He reigns today!

Conclusion: Christ is THE King of Kings – we must never forget this fact!

The kingdom of heaven/God has come & we can be part of it today... will you?

11/22/15 Thanksgiving - thankful for God's grace & the church

Joel 2

Intro: Joel 2:1-11

The day of the Lord's judgment has come upon the people (Joel 2:1). This is supposed to be a time for God's children to see Him disciplining those who are against God and His will. What happens when those against God turn out to be His own chosen people? Welcome to the book of Joel...

Repentance: Joel 2:12-17

God's judgment reveals itself through the imagery of a locust plague (Joel 1:4-10) and an army (Joel 2:2). God offers a time to repent even after His judgment has been pronounced (Joel 2:12-13). This only further illustrates God's grace and compassion. Even if the destruction is coming, there always remains a need to repent. God has shown us from examples in the Old Testament that He will restore things (on His time & not our time).

Restoration: Joel 2:18-27

If the Lord's people will repent, then all the negative will be reversed (you can be positive of this fact). The most spectacular thanksgiving feast will pale in comparison of what the Lord can do if they only returned to Him. If this was true for them, then why should we assume it would be any different for us?

Resting of the Spirit: Joel 2:28-32 (Acts 2:16-21), Acts 2:33-41

The pouring out of the Spirit of the Lord was extremely significant during this time. The Spirit had come upon many individuals, but He rarely ever fell on a group (most certainly not an outpouring like Joel speaks of). Many years later, the Apostle Paul quoted Joel to explain what was happening on the day of Pentecost immediately following Christ's ascension into heaven. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit sparked the birth of the church.

Conclusion:

Peter preached the gospel message to those present at Pentecost. He taught them that their response should be very similar to the message Joel preached. They needed to repent and be baptized.

11/15/15 Watch! - Mark 13

Mark 13

Intro: God will keep us humble

sometimes subtle: last Sunday I spoke of the widow's mite & giving of our offerings

Yet I forgot to set aside money in my wallet for our weekly offering!

sometimes severe: destruction of the Temple (& Jerusalem) in 70 AD

1. Why is this happening? Mark 12:38-40, 13:1-2

God's chosen people (the Jewish nation) had been going through the motions for some time by now but their hearts were far from the Lord. Their leaders were mistreating those truly in need. God will not simply look the other way. His wrath came upon the city of Jerusalem when He allowed it to be destroyed by the Romans.

2. What do you trust in? Mark 13:1-8

The Lord taught that all who desire to live by the sword will also die by the sword (Matthew 26:49-54). Where do you put your trust? The only true foundation to place our hopes upon is on the only true and living God!

3. When will it end? Mark 13:14-16, 20-23

Here we see the mercy of God even among His wrath. Yes, He is allowing the city to be destroyed but He shortened the days of distress for the sake of His elect!

Conclusion: Mark 13:32-37

Let us allow Jerusalem to be an example to us today. They were God's chosen people yet they chose to forsake Him. A temple to a false god stands today on the site of what once was the Lord's temple! God's judgment was carried out on Jerusalem when it was destroyed. There will be a day in the future when God's judgment will come upon the entire world. Our job is to watch and be ready for that day!

11/8/15 The Widow's Mite - Mark 12:35-44

Widow's mite - image from Wikipedia

Mark 12:35-44

The usual interpretation: focus on the widow & her selfless giving (v.41-44)

     The usual understanding of the widow's mite is focused on how much we should give to God. The widow serves as an example to us because even though she only had a few cents, she was completely determined to give everything over to God. 

 

     All too often we find ourselves only giving out of the surplus of “blessings” that God has given to us. I often pray that God will help us to use our blessings as He intends them to be used. If we are not careful enough, then we might find God's wonderful blessings as a “curse”. The difference is how we use what God has given us.

     Yes, the widow does serve as an example to us in how we should give. But there is more to the story than just the widow...

The less usual interpretation: focus on the context of passage & why she gave up all

     Reading the story of the widow's mite within its context will allow us to gain a better understanding of righteous giving according to God. Mark 12:35-37 tells us plainly that the crowd enjoyed listening to Jesus because He had worthy lessons to share. This established Jesus as a well respected teacher among this group of people.

     When Jesus is given this captive audience, He responds by giving them a strong warning against the “teachers of the law”(Mark 12:38-40 NIV). He specifically mentions their attitude toward widows when He states, “They devour widow's houses...” Mark 12:40 (NIV). They will not get away with treating the helpless unfair. They will receive a severe punishment.

     Only after these previous verses have been factored into the conversation will the story of the widow's mite be a more complete teaching on what it means to give. It is not simply that the widow gave all she had... it is the fact that the widow should not have been put in that place from the beginning if they treated her as God demands widows to be treated! The teachers of the law should have given to the widow so that her needs were already met... not that she had to give up what little she already had to live on.

Conclusion:

     The widow serves as an example of a faithful giver. We are also called to contrast her example with that of the teachers of the law. Perhaps when it comes to our giving, we need to look a the big picture to see what God would have us to do. Some passages that will help teach us on this matter include Psalm 146, Acts 6, & 1 Timothy 5.