The Tabernacle Today

In the Time We Have Left

The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away. -Psalm 90:10 (Moses)

Currently, the average life expectancy in Virginia is 79.1 years (76.8 for men, 81.3 for women); in North Carolina it is 77.6 years (75.0 for men, 80.1 for women).

“I have heard that if we remain healthy, that our most productive decade is in our sixties and our second most productive decade is in our seventies. The Bible doesn’t say anything about retiring. I am a big believer in Ephesians 2:10, which says, ‘For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.’ I want to be able to stand before the Lord and hear him say, ‘Well done, thou good and faithful servant.’” -Christian Philanthropist Dr. Terry Douglas, inventor of the PET Scan

5 G Living – Do everything you do…

For the Glory of God.

For the Good of your fellow man.

For the Growth of your fellow believers.

To get the Gospel to non-believers.

With a Grateful heart.

Ephesians 4:11-16

God gifts the church with leaders to equip us for ministry V. 11-12

Notice something profound from verses 11-12: It is not the job of church leaders to do the work of the ministry; no, their ministry is to equip their church members to do the work of the ministry.

Biblically speaking, how many ministers does a church have?

According to Ephesians 4, a church has as many ministers as it has members!

The mission of the Tabernacle is to reproduce faithful and fruitful followers of Jesus Christ. We seek to do this through:

Teaching the Scripture

Adoration and Prayer

Baptist Principles

Evangelism and Missions

Radical Generosity

Nurtured Partnerships

Age-appropriate Ministries

Congregational Love and Encouragement

Leadership Development

Excellence and Fun

The first big result of letting yourself be edified and equipped is growth!

There is growth in doctrinal understanding.

When the New Testament says “the faith” it is referring to the biblical doctrines that define true Christians. True believers are united on the essentials of “the faith.”

There will be growth in our personal relationship with Jesus.

The second big result of letting yourself be taught and equipped is impact!

There will be impact as we speak.

There will be impact as we serve.

Notice the implication if you as a member fail to do your part – if every member doing their part means the church will grow, what will happen if you don’t do your part? The growth of the church will be hindered.

But notice also for each church to have full impact each member needs not only to be working at their part but working properly. In the context of this passage that means with true love for their fellow members (v. 16) and under the leadership of their God-given leaders (v. 11).

Since January 1st, our members have spent over 2,750 hours in community ministry engagement (outside the church walls).

Here at the Tabernacle, we’re glowing, we’re growing, and we’re going into our community and around the world! What do you have your name on as part of the Tabernacle ministry?

Psalm 62 Worksheet

There are 3 Psalms that are to Juduthun – 39, 62, and 77 – one in each of the first 3 of the 5 books of the Psalms. Jeduthun’s name means “_____________________,” and he was one of David’s first praise leaders, leading one of the 3 main sections of musicians.

The main theme of Psalm 62 is ________________________ in God.

The 2 Selah’s help outline the Psalm neatly into three 4 verse sections.

God keeps me _______________________ when others want to topple me                                      V. 1-4

What 3 things does David say God is for him in verse 2?

What kind of position does David describe himself in in verse 4?

In contrast to the strong tower of refuge that God is for David, the things his enemies are relying on are ‘leaning walls,’ ‘tottering fences’ that easily ______________________ over.

What indications do we have in verse 4 that some of these people who would do David harm have been close to him before?

God will keep you who ___________________ Him from falling over also                                          V. 5-8

Verses 1-2 are almost identical with verses 5-6.

When you pray, do you have a sense of _________________________ of what God is going to do in your life?

Like David let’s ______________________ what God is to us!

David calls the nation to have the same kind of trust in God that he had, and to be in constant prayer to the God their _________________________ come from.

The ___________________ of trusting in anyone but God                                                                            V. 9-12

In verse 9 David brings to mind a scales you weigh things on. We are more impressed by people the world calls “somebodies” than by people the world calls “nobodies.” But neither has the substance to _______________________ the scales when compared to God.

David has already said God is our Glory! The root word for Glory is the same root word for ______________. Compared to people, God has REAL substance, real weight, real glory!

Wicked people making wicked decisions will relatively quickly lead to ___________________ of eternal significance – stick with God.

Note the once-twice device David uses in verse 11. This is a memory device in Hebrew. Two-Three occurs in Dt. 17:6; Three-Four occurs in Proverbs & Amos; Six-Seven occurs in Prov. 6:16. 

David emphasizes 2 key truths about God they can trust in and build their lives around: his power and His mercy.

Notice the Psalm doesn’t end there, though – it ends with a helpful reminder that we will each render an _____________________ to God for how we have lived – so live by trust in God, not by compromises made with the world.

Honoring Marriage

Every time I preach I want people to think and feel love, truth, and hope.

Jesus always extends kindness and grace to repentant sinners desiring to build and rebuild their lives around faith and the Bible’s truth. But He also allows unrepentant sinners to continue in their sin and experience the built-in consequences each sin has.

Matthew 5:27-32 Honoring Marriage

Josh McDowell taught us that behind every precept is a principle based on God’s Person.

So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him, male and female He created them. -Genesis 1:27

Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh. -Genesis 2:24-25

The biblical plan for human flourishing includes the home as the foundational unit for the entire earth. Sex is only supposed to happen between a husband and his wife for bonding and possible procreation.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God. AND SUCH WERE SOME OF YOU. BUT YOU WERE WASHED, you were sanctified, your were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of God. -1 Cor. 6:9-11

All sexual sin dishonors marriage V. 27-28

The other commands spoke of the external things you can make a law about. But the 10th command and Jesus’ words here focus internally on what only God can see – what’s going on in your heart.

But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for Gods holy people. -Eph. 5:3

Get serious about fighting sexual sin at its root V. 29-30

Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. -1 Cor. 6:18

“You must always be a killin’ sin, or sin will always be a killin’ you.” -John Owen (1616-1683)

Don’t take a casual attitude about divorce V. 31-32

Sometimes in the Old Testament God regulated what He didn’t endorse so the most vulnerable in Israel would be protected by the hard-hearted actions of others.

The marriage vow is serious enough that you should not divorce your spouse and marry another unless your spouse committed adultery (Matthew 5, 19), has abandoned you (1 Cor. 7:15), or abused you.

I love the wisdom found in Philippians 3:13 & 16. Verse 13 says “forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead.” Verse 16 says “Only let us live up to what we have attained.”

3 Tips to bolster your marriage/ friendships:

“We” before me.

Wag.

Work.

Psalm 61 Worksheet

This is a simple Psalm of ________________________ and prayer

A sweet opening ________________________ V. 1-2

Synonymous parallelism like that in verse 1 is a frequent device in Hebrew _______________.

What do you think of when you think of God as a High Rock?

Verse 2 led William O. Cushing to pen the hymn “Hiding in Thee.”

O safe to the Rock that is Higher than I, My soul in its conflicts and sorrows would fly.

The Lord is my Rock and my Fortress and my Deliverer. -Psalm 18:2

Faith in Jesus and living according to His words will be a rock-like _______________________ in the believer’s life, getting us through the storms of life intact (Matthew 7:24-29).

A precious ___________________________ V. 3-5

What 4 kinds of refuge does David compare God to in verses 3-4?

Note the reflections of verse 3 lead to the ________________________ of verse 4!

God is everywhere, but these words mean even more to those who intentionally ________________ near to God and sense Him raising His “wing” to let us underneath!

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” -James 4:8a

David continues his testimony in the first person in verse 5, which is why I put it with verses 3-4 as testimony.

Vows are serious commitments made to the Lord that we want to carry out by faith in Him and through the _____________________________ of the indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Hebrew word for heritage is the word yerussa (H3425), and occurs 14 times in the Old Testament. It is translated as possession, inheritance, and heritage. It is used primarily of the Promised Land as _______________________’s possession.

According to Ephesians 1:3, how has God blessed believers in Jesus Christ?

With ________________________ spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ.

A sweet ___________________________ V. 6-8

David led a hard life and then died when he was 70 years old (2 Sam. 5:4-5). That was a long life by their standards, but I think David has in mind __________________________ life, as in Psalm 23 – I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever!

David asks for God’s Hesed (mercy, steadfast love) and God’s Emets (Truth, faithfulness) to be given him and ______________________ him.

AHA! Here we see that one of David’s vows was to daily ________________________ the Lord! May we make that one of ours as well!

The Heart of the Matter - Matthew 5:21-26

Introducing one of Jesus’ teaching formulas - V. 21-22

In our last message, we saw Jesus call us to proper understanding of the Old Testament’s teaching as it points to faith in Him. In the rest of chapter 5, Jesus teaches us what He means by 6 times using the formula “You have heard that it was said, but I say to you.”

The Scribes and Pharisees focused their teaching on external obedience to God’s commands, but Jesus focused His lessons on internal obedience that comes from love for God from the heart.

Josh McDowell understood this when he wrote Truth Matters: Behind every precept is a principle based on God’s Person.

Jesus makes His disciples work harder by faith than the Pharisees did – because Jesus takes you beyond checklists of external obedience and makes you as His follower deal with root issues in your heart by faith!

Heaven finds you guilty of a type of murder - V. 21-22

Jesus’ teaching leads us to conclude that sinful anger inside our hearts is the root problem behind outward acts of violence and murder, and that letting sinful anger go undealt with is already liable to Heaven’s judgment.

In the Greek Jesus specifically says, “Whoever calls his brother, “Raca” will be liable to the Sanhedrin. When they said the word Raca they were calling them “empty-head,” someone with nothing inside their head.

This is the first time that Jesus compares Hell to Gehenna, the place in Jerusalem they burned garbage. Jesus is essentially saying, “If you call another person garbage, you’re the person who deserves judgment.”

Our problem is that even when we are right to be angry we usually don’t handle our anger in right ways. And because of our selfishness many times when we have felt our anger was justified, it really was not – it was just a sinful outburst.

Put relationship mending ahead of even your church obligations - V. 23-24

In the spirit of Family Feud, where is the number one place that verses 23-24 need to be applied? In the Home.

Resolve conflict ASAP before the consequences get worse - V. 25-26

“Be angry, and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger.” - Ephesians 4:26

If you hold on to anger and don’t try to restore broken relationships proactively, it will continue to cost you dearly, affecting spiritual health, physical health, emotional health, even financial health.

Some things are not going to get fully resolved. But we can agree to disagree on some matters and still agree in the Lord (as the 2 ladies were asked to do in Philippians chapter 4).

Practical tips for dealing with anger:

Be growing in your relationship with your Triune God. That is the only way you will have the spiritual resources to overcome sinful anger.

When you feel angry, PAUSE, count to three, and quote James 1:19-20.

“Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” -James 1:19-20

Pray about the underlying spiritual things going on in people’s lives.

Be proactive as God leads you.

React with God’s grace rather than nurse resentments.

Jesus Christ is Raised From the Dead!

Jesus Christ is alive in Heaven right now, and can relate to your hurt, pain and longings in ways you can’t even imagine. And while on earth He did everything it would take to meet your true needs and change you forever.

Isa. 52:13-53:12

The prophesy’s overview - 52:13-53:1

The prophesy of Jesus’ life - 53:2-3

The way Jesus came made Him relatable to every one of us – don’t miss this – if you have ever felt despised, rejected, full of sorrow and grief, not esteemed as you think you should be, Jesus can relate (Heb. 4:14-16).

The prophecy of Jesus’ death - 53:4-8

Jesus was rejected and disrespected and felt distress 60 ways in the 6 days between Palm Sunday and His execution on Good Friday.

“Eli, Eli, Lama Sabacthani” – “My God, My God, why have you forsaken Me?”

The question of whether or not Jesus cares for you was settled on the cross!

The prophecy of Jesus’ burial - V. 9

Believers refer to what Jesus was doing in His Spirit on ‘Silent Saturday’ as the Harrowing of Hell. Jesus ‘raided’ Sheol/ Hades, the place all departed spirits were, and brought all believers with Him to Heaven. All unbelievers were left there for the coming day of judgment (Rev. 20:13-15).

Therefore it says, “When He ascended on high He led a host of captives, and He gave gifts to men.” In saying “He ascended,” what does it mean but that He first descended into the lower regions (of) the earth? - Eph. 4:8-9

For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, in which He went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison. - 1 Peter 3:18-19

And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, and coming out of the tombs after His resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. - Matthew 27:52b-53

The prophesy of Jesus’ resurrection and its implications - V. 10-11

God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. - 2 Cor. 5:21

But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. - 1 Cor. 15:20

The prophecy of Christ’s present intercession - V. 12

Jesus’ resurrection was the dawning of eternal life and light to all who repent and believe in Him!

Consequently, He (Jesus) is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. - Hebrews 7:25

Psalm 60 Worksheet

It’s to the chief musician, as ______________ total Psalms are!

There is something unique in the heading, the words “for teaching.” This is the only occurrence of that in the Psalms! I wonder based on the tone of the Psalm if David wants to teach something to _________________, the General he had a complicated relationship with!

The events referred to in the heading probably refers to events described in 2 Samuel 8 and 1 Chronicles 18.

Victory feels like defeat when the Lord isn’t ______________________ V. 1-3

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. -2 Sam. 11:27b

And God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel. -1 Chr. 21:7

Those who are especially sensitive to things that displease the Lord need to remember to always start their evaluation with __________________________.

Help us to remember we represent you, Lord V. 4-5

Those who love the Lord are called to both fear Him and revere Him. The fear of the Lord helps us repent and line up with what He wants of us. That leads to a life where others can see us _______________ God reverently.

David doesn’t want to just wear a Star of David t-shirt here – he wants Israel’s talk to _____________ their walk – he wants to worship in Spirit and in Truth like John 4:24 calls for!

Help us to remember that You gave ________________ victories, Lord V. 6-8

The entire north of the country is sometimes referred to as Ephraim because of the importance of the tribes descended from Joseph. The other tribe that overshaded them all was Judah, the Kingly tribe. David’s point is that God is over ________________ part of Israel, all 12 tribes.

Moab is a neighbor to the east of Israel, Edom is a neighbor to the southeast, and Philistia were neighbors to the southwest. All had acted out in the past against Israel, and were rightfully subdued and paying ______________________ to Israel under David’s rule.

As God’s nation, it was even more ____________ for Israel to fear and trust God than it was to be military ready.

Help us to remember that You give the __________________ victory, Lord V. 9-12

As Obadiah indicates, Edom as a nation never got over Esau’s losing the blessing to Jacob, and as a people constantly made Israel it’s _____________________. David entrusts this ongoing mess to God’s help.

David asks God here to help them overcome trouble, some of which they may have brought on themselves by acting in the _______________________.

David ends the Psalm with a great prayer for God’s help in doing God’s right things in God’s right ways, acting valiantly through faith, and leaving the _____________________ to God.

No Time for Silence!

“It is a thing most expedient for the edification of the church to sing some Psalms in the form of public prayers by which one prays to God or sings His praises so that the hearts of all may be roused to make similar prayers and to render similar praises and thanks to God with common love.” -John Calvin, Worship Leader, 1537

Luke 19: 28-40

The Old Testament prophets predicted that the Messiah would be BOTH a conquering king and a suffering servant. In Jesus day Israel’s leaders had minimized the Suffering Servant passages like Isaiah 53 & Zechariah 9 and looked for the Conquering King passages like Isaiah 9 & Zechariah 14.

Donkeys, Lambs, and God’s Suffering Servant V. 28-35

Don’t miss that the donkey was unbroken (no one had sat on this donkey). We would have to break a donkey before riding it, but not Jesus! He who calmed the Sea by speaking to it, broke this donkey without sweating!

But why did Jesus ride into Jerusalem on a donkey instead of a conqueror’s white horse?

Because a donkey was a beast of burden, a working animal, and Jesus had work to do in this first coming – dying on the cross for our sins

“Fear not, daughter of Zion; Behold your King is coming, seated on a donkey’s colt.” -Zechariah 9:9

In His first coming Jesus was the Suffering Servant riding in on a donkey, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; At His return He will be the Conquering King riding a white horse, the Lion of the Trib of Judah.

Jesus hears the corporate praise He had experienced in Heaven V. 36-40

Think about this time of praising Jesus – I believe this is the one time a massive crowd praised Jesus on earth TOGETHER, a small picture of the way He was and is constantly praised in Heaven (see Jn. 17:5; Rev. 5:9-10).

Let me make a plea for the biblical value of congregational singing and for the appreciation of choirs!

Psalm 59 Worksheet

Psalm 59 is another Trouble and Trust Psalm within the series of 8 complaint Psalms from 52-59. This is the 3rd straight Michtam of David set to the tune “Do not destroy.”

David wasn’t going to kill Saul even though he had multiple _______________________ to do just that. He was not going to harm the ‘Lord’s anointed.’ In these unfair circumstances, David took his concerns to God in prayer.

What are the repeated verses?

First verse: Plea for God to arise and help David ____________________ V. 1-5

What vivid verbs does David use to ask for God’s help in verses 1-2?

Remember that David was a mighty warrior. He could defend himself and kill Saul. But he is ___________________________ not to act in his own strength because he believes that in this case that would be sin against God. And so he prays.

One key to understanding declarations like verses 3-4 in the Psalms is that David is not claiming to be without sin (remember Psalm 51:5), but he is stating his ___________________ in the matter at hand.

David really was powerless in this situation because of Saul’s incredible authority as king, and all he could do was ask the Ultimate Authority to _____________________.

What are the 2 things David asks God to “wake up” and do in verses 4-5?

Chorus: David compares his enemies to ____________________ dogs V. 6-7

What do you think David has in mind by saying his attacking enemies are saying, “Who hears?”

Verse 2: David’s plea for God to ______________________ this matter justly V. 8-13

What earlier Psalm does verse 8 remind us of?

Verse 8 reminds us that God will always have the __________________________ word!

What are some of the benefits of waiting on the Lord?

Verse 11 makes me think of how when Saul did die David mourned greatly for him and wrote a song about it in 2 Samuel 1:17-27

Chorus: David compares his enemies to ____________________ dogs V. 14-15

I get the feeling David is thinking here about how _____________________ Saul’s actions are when there are so many Philistines to deal with!

David’s final ________________________ of trust and praise V. 16-17

I fought the Law and…

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from His sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. -Hebrews 4:12-13

For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. -Romans 15:4

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. -2 Timothy. 2:15

Read Matthew 5:17-20

I fought the Law and… the Law won! V. 17-19

Already in Jesus’ day there were those who abolished some or all of the O.T.. For instance, the Sadducees rejected everything after the Torah.

Every part of the Old Testament had a purpose to fulfill, and every bit of it will fulfill its purpose.

Here Jesus reinforces the verbal, plenary inspiration of the Bible. That phrase means that every WORD of the Bible (verbal) is inspired, as well as the ENTIRETY (plenary-fullness) of the Bible!

But more than anything else when referring to ‘Law’ the Old and New Testament both speak of the Law of Moses, also called the Law of the Lord and the Book of the Law, located in the first 5 books of the Bible.

After Deuteronomy the remaining Old Testament books are filled with stories, sermons, songs, and sayings illustrating Israel’s life as it did and didn’t follow the Law before the prophesied Messiah came.

For by works of the law no human being will be justified in His sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it. -Romans 3:20-21

For Ezra had set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach His statutes and rules in Israel. -Ezra 7:10

Careful study shows the Law of Moses had 3 components:

Moral Law (applicable for all time)

Anything repeated as sin in the New Testament is Moral Law, it is always sinful.

The moral law STILL shows us our need of Christ.

The moral law becomes the Christian’s guide to faithful living.

Priestly Law (laws about priests, sacrifices, rituals- all fulfilled in Christ)

Civil Law (rules just for Israel at that time- made obsolete in Christ, although it still teaches us much about the character of God)

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian. -Galatians 3:24-25

I fought the Law and… Grace won! V. 20

Whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of it all. -James 2:10

God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him! -2 Corinthians. 5:21

Under the law everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin. -Hebrews. 9:22

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree,” – so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. -Galatians. 3:13-14

Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. -Genesis 15:6

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to all who believe. -Romans 10:4

Run John run, the law demands,

But gives him neither feet nor hands.

Far better news the gospel brings,

It bids John fly, and gives him wings!

-John Bunyan

Psalm 58

Psalm 58 is another Trouble and Trust Psalm within the series of 8 complaint Psalms from 52-59.

Psalm 58 has some of the most difficult Hebrew to understand in the Psalter, both in how specific words should be translated and the understanding of certain phrases.

Vivid description of what the wicked are like V. 1-5

The first hard to translate word is in verse 1, translated by the New King James as “silent ones.” It is the Hebrew word elem, and is only found here!

In cases like this, we have to be humble as to the meaning of the word, and make sure we make much of how the words around it and the context help us understand what is meant.

Instead of living by God’s truth about what is right, the wicked people David is referring to think that they are right because they have gotten away with what they have done, and nobody has stopped them. They embraced pragmatism, “the end justifies the means” and did not reallt believe God would hold them to account one day.

Psalm 58 has elements of chiastic structure in it. Chiastic structure has parallel words and/or thoughts at the beginning and end, and the verses unfold with parallel thoughts with a middle thought.

Notice the progression of wickedness in verse 2 – first wicked plots are made in the head, and then carried out with the hands.

According to verse 2, the sinful actions people think are okay because they get away with them are actually wickedness in God’s eyes!

We need to judge things using His standard of right and wrong, the Holy Bible – First for ourselves, and then as we call the wicked to repentance.

Verse 3 goes right along with what David taught in Psalm 51:5 – we all have a sin nature that leads to sin choices early in life. Instead of turning to God, the perpetually wicked keep living in sin.

Imprecatory prayer for the destruction of the wicked V. 6-11

A toothless snake or lion can still lash out and try to bite you, but can’t do you lasting damage. So David prays that God will de-fang the wicked, make them only able to ‘gum’ at the saints instead of devour them!

Notice David is turning vengeance over to the Lord, and not taking action himself. The Lord may lead us to fight in a just cause and defend ourselves and others, but Old Testament saints weren’t just looking to take matters into their own hands.

Interestingly, teeth are featured in almost all the Psalms in the Psalm 52-59 series – 52:2; 53:4; 55:21; 56:1-2; 57:4; 58:6; 59:7,12.

What do you think he has in mind by the figures of speech in verse 7?

What do you think he has in mind by the figures of speech in verse 7?

What do you think he has in mind by the figures of speech in verse 7?

Taken together, David is obviously praying for the wicked’s plans to be frustrated, his resources wasted, his instruments of harm to be rendered ineffectual, his movements to be stopped in their tracks, and for their judgment to come.

Verse 10 reminds us of the difference between the spiritual dispensation we are now living in compared to the age of Old Testament Israel. Israel had physical enemies that would do them harm, and it was a good thing when God gave His people victory over them, and the blood on their feet was the enemy’s blood, not their own. During this age of grace, Christians pray for their enemies to find the same salvation in Christ that they have.

This is also a good place to say that Baptists have always been right to reject the idea of the state and church being tied together in supposedly “Christian” countries.

Christians may serve their country to stop the Adolph Hitler’s of the world, and rejoice when they stop him. But we are leaving the physical defense of Christ’s honor to Christ Himself for when He returns to earth, and as Revelation 20 tells us, the blood of His enemies will again flow.

Shine, Christians, Shine!

Shine, Jesus, shine, fill this land with the Father's glory

Blaze, Spirit, blaze, set our hearts on fire

Flow, river, flow, flood the nations with grace and mercy

Send forth Your word, Lord, and let there be light

(Chorus of Shine Jesus Shine by Graham Kendrick)

“I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” - Jesus in John 8:12

Last time we saw that if we follow Jesus and His upside down teachings, we can expect trouble. Today we will see that as we follow Him, we will get to have a preserving and light giving influence in the world.

Read Matthew 5:13-16

Followers of Jesus ‘season’ life on the earth - V. 13

Can that which is tasteless be eaten without salt? - Job 6:6a

How do we do ‘salt’ the earth? By showing up and living out our faith in Jesus, loving others like He would if He was physically here. Jesus is spiritually present when His committed followers are physically present!

Make sure you see clearly that Jesus did not say you are just the salt of the church, but of the entire earth.

Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. - Col. 4:5-6

Make sure you don’t lose your ‘saltiness’ by damaging or ruining your testimony.

Interestingly, pure salt cannot lose its saltiness! Sodium Chloride is a stable compound. But Jesus knew that most salt they used came from salt marshes and contained impurities mixed in.

But Jesus puts this warning to us here to guard our testimonies, because He wants us to make the maximum impact we can on the lives of others, and have maximum reward when the Day of Christ comes!

Watch yourselves, so that you may not lose what we have worked for, but may win a full reward! - 2 John 1:8

Followers of Jesus ‘light up’ the world - V. 14-16

As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. - John 9:5

The path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day. - Proverbs 4:18

Your Christian faith will never grow to maturity if your aren’t sharing good words and works with others. You will always just be a flickering flame.

These pews are filled with the light of the world – God’s plan for the world to see goodness, to hear truth, to learn about salvation through Jesus – don’t leave your light here – Shine, Christians, Shine!

Psalm 57 Worksheet

Psalm 57 is another Trouble and Trust Psalm within the series of 8 complaint Psalms from 52-59.

David gives notes to the Chief Musician, with the note that the tune should be “Do Not Destroy,” which is also the suggested tune for Psalms 58, 59, and 75.

What kind of tune do you think will best bring out the concept “do not destroy?”

Michtam (H4387) appears in the heading for Psalm 16, and then every Psalm from 56 to 60. It’s meaning is uncertain, but definitely refers to a type of poem. Based on the 6 Psalms it is over, I think it may refer to something like a prayer for ___________________________.

As I read Psalm 57, look for the 2 different ways we could outline it.

What 2 verses are identical?

David’s _________________________ from his “Lion’s den” V. 1-5

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say “Destroy!” -Deut. 33:27

The concept of going to God for refuge goes back to Moses (Deut. 33:27), but David’s family owned it in such a way that when he didn’t have a ___________________ to go for refuge, he went to God!

Sometimes the Selah is there to make you think of what came before – here it may be to emphasize the ________________________ line: God shall send forth His mercy and His truth.

Mercy is the great Hebrew word Hesed and truth is the great Hebrew word emets, which often go together like peanut butter and jelly!

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. -Prov. 3:3 Remember also Ex. 34:6ff

Saul and his men were hunting David like lions do; The Philistines would love to get him back for the tens of thousands he killed; Here he is in a cave with men described as distressed, in debt, and discontented (1 Samuel 22:1-2). I would be __________________________ out to God also!

Verse 5 is a benediction to end the first section. David has full confidence that God is in control despite the seeming chaos he is in the middle of. I believe the ____________________ of God is the number one theme in the Bible.

David’s ____________________ in his “Lion’s Den” V. 6-11

I love how David describes what will happen to his _______________________ – they spread a net for him, but they got trapped in it; they dug a pit for him to fall into, and in they went.

In verse 1 David doubled up on asking for God’s mercy; here he doubles up on pledging his own steadfastness no matter his _______________________________!

I love how often the words of David show his heart for the peoples beyond Israel to hear the praises of God. His own future reign shows people from different backgrounds who had turned to Yahweh with him.

There’s those words again, Hesed and emets – God’s faithful love and His truth are the _______________________’s defining realities for David and Israel.

Jesus turns the world upside down! - Matthew 5:1-12

Today we come to Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount(ain), the first of 5 sermons in Matthew’s gospel. Having called sinners to repentance, the sermon shows the traits Jesus expects of His repentant followers. Doing these things is not the root of salvation – that’s faith in Jesus. Doing these things are the fruit of repentance and true faith in Jesus.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. - Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)

The Sermon begins with the Beatitudes, so named from the Latin word for Blessed, Beatus. As we will see, every Beatitude is the opposite of what the Satanic world system says will make you successful and happy.

Jesus came into a world that does everything upside down from Heaven’s perspective. Jesus was from the “Upside,” Heaven! He brought the “Upside” down so that we would learn how to put the rightside “Up!”

The world says successful and happy are the rich, but Jesus says blessed are the wretched (v. 3)

Jesus starts the beatitudes by going right to the heart of the matter – all people are ‘bankrupt’ spiritually before God no matter how rich they are. The richer we are, the more self-sufficient we tend to be, failing to comprehend our true need as sinners before a holy God.

The word blessed is the Greek word Makarios, which occurs 50 times in the New Testament (9 in this passage). It refers to the inner gladness that will characterize followers of Jesus in this life and later in Heaven.

The world says successful and happy are those who laugh things off, but Jesus says blessed are those who mourn (v. 4)

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. - Ecclesiastes 7:2 (ESV)

Jesus Himself wept at Lazarus’ death, because death is a by-product of sin. And we should take time to mourn what sin has cost the world and look to redemption in Christ.

The world says successful and happy are the mighty, but Jesus says blessed are the meek (v. 5)

When processing what makes something right to do, one cynical philosopher said, “Might makes right.” If you can do it, and no one can stop you, it becomes the right thing to do.

The world says that ‘meekness is weakness.’ But biblically meekness is not weakness but putting any strength we have under God’s control.

The world says successful and happy are those who act on their lusts, but Jesus says blessed are those who desire righteousness (v. 6)

Positional righteousness happens when we trust Christ (Gen. 15:6; 2 Cor. 5:21). Personal righteousness is our desire to do the kind of things that Christ would do if he was living my life for me (Galatians 2:20).

The world says successful and happy are the cruel, but Jesus said blessed are those who show mercy (v. 7)

The world says successful and happy are those who sinfully indulge, but Jesus says blessed are those who get clean (v. 8)

The word for pure is the Greek word catharos. We think of medical people cauterizing something to clean it out so it can heal.

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem…do not stir up or awaken love until its time. - Song of Solomon 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 (ESV, paraphrased)

The world says you are successful and happy if you don’t get involved, but Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers (v. 9)

The Son of God became the Son of Man so that children of men could become children of God!

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. - 1 Timothy 2:5-6a (ESV)

The world says you are successful and happy if you lash out against belief, but Jesus says blessed are those the world persecutes (v. 10-12)

Not only will it be worth it to have lived by faith in Jesus in a world that does not, verse 12 says it will be greatly rewarded in Heaven!

Psalm 56 Worksheet

Psalm 56 is another Trouble and Trust Psalm within the series of 8 complaint Psalms from 52-59.

What would it be like to be a silent dove far from your homeland?

Who is probably the most famous man in the Bible from Gath?

1 Samuel 21:7-15 1 Samuel 27:1-12

As we read Psalm 56 look for the occurrences of “I will” and “I will not” as we read!

David complains to God about ___________________________ by enemies V. 1-2

The word swallow in verse 1 and the word hound in verse 2 are actually the exact same word in the Hebrew, so I am not sure what is gained in using 2 different words to translate sa’ap (H7602).

What other words also occur in both verses 1-2?

David’s ___________________ in God helps him not be afraid when he is very afraid V. 3-4

What three words or phrases occur in both verses 3-4?

Verses 3-4 could be summarized by saying, “Because I trust in God when I am afraid I will not be afraid.”

David gets more _____________________ about how his enemies mistreat him V. 5-7

As a matter of fairness, seek to avoid twisting people’s words to present them in a __________________ light.

I resolved a long time ago to spend more time trying to catch people doing things right and commend them for it rather than to try and catch people doing something wrong so I will feel _____________________ to them.

David turned his frustration into a _____________________ in verse 7. Saul was telling others to “Get David.” David did not let his men “get Saul.” Instead he left it with God to take care of Saul.

David gets more specific about his trust in God despite his ____________________ V. 8-11

Now when He had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fell down before the Lamb, each having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. -Rev. 5:8

Sometimes we wonder if anybody sees us trying to live for God and do right things for Him. Here David assures himself that God sees it all, remembers it all, and will __________________ the life of faith.

Malachi 3:16-18

Indeed, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan, who say they are Jews and are not, but lie – indeed I will make them come and worship before your feet, and to know that I have loved you. -Rev. 3:9

Note verses 10-11 is a “callback” of verse 4, ______________________ by restating it using Yahweh!

David preached trust in God to himself in the ______________________ of life’s fears and frustrations – and we need to do the same thing!

David expresses his ______________________ commitment to the things of God V. 12-13

The question of whether or not God cares was settled on the _____________________!

A Beautiful Savior for a Broken World!

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

Isaiah 6:1-9

God’s Calling (commissioning) on Isaiah’s life!

God is on a Mission!

Isaiah's Vision of the Lord

6 In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple. 2 Above him stood the seraphim. Each had six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called to another and said:

“Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts;the whole earth is full of his glory!”

4 And the foundations of the thresholds shook at the voice of him who called, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!”

6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Isaiah's Commission from the Lord

8 And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9 And he said, “Go, and say to this people:

“‘Keep on hearing, but do not understand;keep on seeing, but do not perceive.’

Uzziah was, for the most part, a good king. 52 years. Sought out the prophet Zechariah, was a strong king with an honorable name. He defeated the Philistines and others godless nations in various battles.

But sadly, Uzziah’s life ended tragically.

2 Chronicles 26:16 says: “…But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the LORD his God by entering the temple of the LORD to burn incense on the altar of incense.” In response, God struck Uzziah with leprosy, and he was an isolated leper until his death.

“*How many Christian men and women start out well for the Lord and finish tragically?”

Why?

“Isaiah’s 7 C’s”

A comprehension of God.

A conviction of personal & collective sin.

A confession of His sin.

A cleansing of his heart.

A call to Go

A cooperation with God.

A commission by a Holy God!

5 SAWS!

1. He SAW the Lord

2. He SAW himself

3. He SAW the Source of his need-God’s grace

4. He SAW his calling

5. He SAW the lost!

Six Key Points

1. Isaiah Saw the Lord in His Glory!

2. He saw that God was holy and he was not!

3. Isaiah got right with the Lord in sincere repentance.

4. God is looking for (calls) His messengers? Who will GO?

5. Isaiah showed his repentance in a response of life surrender and sacrifice. I’ll GO!

6. GOD COMMISSIONED ISAIAH TO A PEOPLE WHO WOULD, BY IN LARGE, REJECT GOD AND REJECT ISAIAH’S MESSAGE!

What Can The Tabernacle Do?

You are already doing so much here at the Tabernacle. Praise God! Keep at it. Open your homes and hearts continually.

VLIF Started 2/27 Every Saturday night!

Getting on site at TSMC to start relationships. Ken Lin Contact Person.

Taiwanese pastor.

Pray, Come join us when you can, Give financially-Thank you.

Pray for us as we start the church-open & searching hearts, attendees, open doors, leadership united in Christ, strength for volunteers.

1. Touch Others by Your Life, Conduct & Words.

2. Build trust then Start Faith Conversations: “So thankful for this beautiful day; great weather.

3. Share Your OWN Story.

4. Be Ready to Answer Questions: Be ready to defend the faith that is in you.

5. Inviting People for a meal, a hike, a game of tennis, etc,.

6. Invite them to Believe in Jesus.

Psalm 55 Worksheet

Psalm 55 is another Trouble and Trust Psalm within the series of 8 ________________ Psalms from 52-59.

At 23 verses, Psalm 55 is one of the longer Psalms…

1 to 10 verses = 58 Psalms (39%)

11-20 verses = 59 Psalms (39%)

21-30 verses = 20 Psalms (13%)

31-40 verses = 6 Psalms (4%)

41-49 verses = 3 Psalms (2%)

50+ verses = 4 verses (3%)

David is having a hard time ___________________________ what is happening to him V. 1-8

Verses 1-8 are some of the _____________________ expression of emotions in the Bible.

What other ways can you describe things a restless person experiences?

David actually says he is having _______________________ pains because of his stress.

What is David saying there in verses 7-8?

That he just wishes he could _____________________ these rough circumstances.

David asks God to destroy evil works and __________________ evil tongues V. 9-11

David’s problem was ___________________ by one he previously trusted V. 12-15

According to verses 13-14, what are some of the words David used to describe his one-time friend?

I believe the best candidate for this one-time counselor is Ahithophel, whose son was Eliam (2 Samuel 23:34) and whose granddaughter was Uriah’s wife _________________________ (2 Samuel 11:3).

2 Samuel 15:10-14 2 Samuel 16:15-17-23

David ___________________ personal trust in God with imprecatory prayers V. 16-23

Notice David expresses confidence that he can pray to God and be heard at _____________ time of the night or day!

Verse 22 reminds us of many great verses in the New Testament. Can you think of any?

Matthew 11:28 1 Peter 5:7

The Healer’s Demands

Like so many people today, back in the 1500’s Martin Luther was making a critical mistake – he thought for God to accept him, he first had to clean up his act in his own strength, and then he could come to God.

Matin Luther discovered in 1517 that the word repent, the word metanoia in the Greek, had been wrongly translated into Latin as “do penance.” For 1,000 years people had been reading it wrongly. They were trying to “be perfected” in their own strength to bring themselves to Christ, whereas Christ was calling for a change of mind that would lead them to ‘be perfected’ by faith in Christ alone.

And to the one who does not work but believes in Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness. -Romans 4:5

For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love. -Galatians 5:6

Read Matthew 4:12-25

Jesus changes His address V. 12-16

John’s arrest brought his public ministry to an end. He would never leave prison, and be executed there. The forerunner’s public job was done – Jesus’ public ministry was just beginning.

Capernaum was an important town on the trade route at the northern end of the Sea of Galilee, linking Damascus of Syria in the North with Egypt in the South. It was also the home of Peter, Andrew, John, James, and…Matthew (9:9).

Jesus demands we change our minds V. 17

Jesus didn’t tone the message back because He already had encountered opposition – He demanded repentance from everyone He met. Change your mind and turn to Jesus for eternal life.

Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, and that repentance for the forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in His name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. -Luke 24:46-48

Jesus demands we change our focus V. 18-22

Following Jesus means putting Him first in every area of your life.

If these men had rejected following Jesus they would have been the ones to miss the eternal blessing of being on mission with God. They said yes and became their best selves, although it cost them and their families.

Christ heals, but His call to repent and follow disrupts our agenda. Sins we once did with no thought we now cast away, and we embrace being His disciples in every area of our life.

The vast extent of Christ’s ministry (and ours) V. 23-25

Notice the threefold ministry of Jesus – Teaching; testifying; healing.

We want to be like Jesus, don’t we? So we teach each other here at church, and then we testify everywhere following Him takes us during the week, and meet needs for people in all the ways we can as His followers.

Speaking of valuing people, look at the extent of Jesus’ ministry. From Galilee He reached out to Jews and Gentiles, men and women, rich and poor, soldiers and those they occupied. He ministered beyond borders – to Jews in Gentile places and Gentiles in Israel, as Isaiah the prophet had predicted!

Psalm 54 is another Trouble and Trust Psalm within the series of 8 ________________ Psalms from 52-59.

You will remember that Psalm 52 was a complaint against Saul and Doeg’s evil actions that led to the death of the Priests of Nob. Here in Psalm 54 David complains about another group that meant him harm – the Ziphites.

1 Samuel 23:14-29

David recounts his ___________________ to the LORD V. 1-3

Note David’s use of 4 imperatives in verses 1-2 to sum up his request.

Notice the parallel of God’s name and strength in verse 1. To the Jews, a name represented the person _______________________. To invoke God’s name was to invoke the person.

Vindicate me could be translated “__________________ me.”

There are 5 ______________________ for trouble in the Psalm – two in verse 3; One in verse 5; and two in verse 7.

What does David say the Ziphites real problem is in verse 3?

They are ___________________ – they have not set God before them.

We think again of how Psalm 53 is between these two Psalms about those who have troubled God’s man David.

David states his ______________________ in the LORD V. 4-7

In 1 Samuel 23 David actually delivered the Kenites from the Philistines, and then they too betrayed him into the hands of Saul, but after getting divine guidance in ________________ David and his men got out of there before Saul got there.

And there’s the greatest promise in the Bible there in verse 4 – The Lord is _____________ you. David knows God is with him, and that since his cause is just, God is with those who help him stay alive rather than assist paranoid King Saul.

Sometimes all we can do is turn our situation over to God. We need to trust God to take care of those who unjustly cause us ____________________.

Notice David does not say that ___________________ his troubles clear up he will sacrificially worship the Lord. He says He will do it even as he trusts God to deliver him this time, even as God has done in past times!

Battle for the Bride - Matthew 4:1-11

A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns

O, my luve’s like a red, red rose, That’s newly sprung in June.

O my luve’s like the melodie, That’s sweetly played in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonie lass, So deep in luve am I,

And I will luve thee still, my Dear, Till a’ the seas gang dry.

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my Dear, And the rocks melt wi’ the sun!

O I will love thee still, my Dear, While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve, And fare thee weel a while!

And I will come again, my Luve, Tho’ it were ten thousand mile!

When Jesus came to earth, He knew that saving His bride would mean He would need to engage in multiple battles with Satan, the terrible adversary. Jesus also knew He would need to go undefeated against sin and Satan to save His bride.

Jesus readies Himself for the battle V. 1-2

The spiritual high moment of Jesus’ baptism was followed by a spiritual fight, which is often the case for us as well! Spiritual mountain top experiences will be tested in life’s wilderness.

Adam and Eve were tempted by Satan in the garden and failed and were booted from Paradise. But the second Adam was tempted by Satan and overcame, not just for Himself, but for all of His disciples He will bring to Paradise!

Fasting is when people miss one or more consecutive meals. In the Bible there were 2 main times they fasted – when they were mourning and when they had a spiritual burden and needed to focus their prayers.

“Go, gather all the Jews to be found in Susa, and hold a fast on my behalf, and do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my young women will also fast as you do. Then I will go to the king, though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.” -Esther to Mordecai in Esther 4:16

“As soon as I heard these words (about Jerusalem’s troubles) I sat down and wept and mourned for days, and I continued fasting and praying before the God of Heaven.” -Nehemiah 1:4

Who is our biggest battle first against?

Ourselves.

But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. -1 Cor. 9:27

The battle to delay gratification V. 3-4

Be sober-minded: be watchful. Your adversary the Devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. -1 Peter 5:8

Satan’s purpose was to get Jesus to sin and thus disqualify Him to save anyone. God’s purpose was to prove His Son to be sinless and thus a worthy Savior.

Jesus knew He needed to face this moment as a human, not using His deity. We can’t work miracles. If we saw Him justify using His deity to personal advantage, we may justify stealing or taking other short cuts to meet our needs.

Later Jesus would use His divine power to meet the needs of others, including the feeding of 5,000 and 4,000. But Jesus faced these temptations as the Son of Man; voluntarily limiting His power as the Son of God.

The battle to serve rather than entertain V. 5-7

Now what is different about Satan’s approach in this second temptation?

He quotes, really misquotes Scripture, like he did with Adam and Eve! He slyly leaves a phrase out not suited to his purpose, like he did with Eve!

The point is that Jesus knew that it would be foolish to take Psalm 91 (a beautiful passage about God protecting His people as they follow Him) and made that a justification for rash, presumptuous actions. Jesus didn’t come to entertain but to serve.

The battle to glorify God rather than oneself V. 8-11

Satan’s offer: “Get glory for yourself the easy way, Jesus. I will give it to you without suffering, without a cross, without having to put up with disciples that will disappoint you over and over and over and over again!”

The Bible makes clear that now that Jesus has defeated Satan on the cross, the time is coming when the entire world will worship Him (Phil. 2:9-11). But first He would embrace the whole human experience, die, be buried, and rise!

Psalm 52 Worksheet

Psalm 52 is set when Doeg the Edomite went and tattled on David to Saul, “David has gone to the house of Ahimelech.” 1 Samuel 22

Psalm 52 is the first of 8 _________________ psalms in a row by David, going through Psalm 59.

Description of an _____________________ man V. 1-4

The mighty man in verse 1 is probably King Saul, who acted so viciously on this occasion by killing the priests of Nob. Their only crime was ______________________ David, who had made clear he meant Saul no harm.

Actually, the word for goodness is actually our word Hesed, God’s lovingkindness. David was not going to stop ______________________ in God’s lovingkindness because of the evil words and actions of Saul.

There are of course times God has us fight back in a “just war” way, but never in a way where we ourselves _____________________ in evil actions.

Verse 3 is a great challenge to us today – let us love God and hate sin. Let us not love evil more than good, and lying rather than speaking what is _____________________.

What God will do with an evil man V. 5-7

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. -Galatians 6:7

In verse 1 David had spoken of how God is about goodness even when evil men do evil things. Here in verse 5 we see part of the confidence behind that assertion – God will bring __________________ to those who bring evil upon others.

Rarely do evil men see judgment come upon their fellow evildoers and stop doing evil themselves. In their __________________ they think they will keep getting away with what other evil men used to.

When godly people see judgment finally come to evildoers, it reinforces that they were right to _________________ God instead.

Isn’t it interesting how Psalm 53 follows Psalm 52, where again we learn that “the fool says in his heart, there is no God.” Atheism is such folly that Psalm 53 is virtually identical to Psalm 14. Don’t be a fool!

The thought there in Psalm 53:5 (the one big difference between Psalm 14 and 53) goes right along with David’s teaching in Psalms 52-59: God will deal decisively with the wicked fool who ______________________ God and hurts God’s people.

Desire of a _________________ man V. 8-9

Instead of meeting evil with evil, David seeks God and goes to His house. The word mercy in verse 8 is also Hesed. One of the main ways we can respond to evil in the world is by ________________________ God with like-minded believers.

A Fitting Founder

State of Southern Baptists and Baptisms:

Southern Baptist Baptisms by select years:

1972 445,725 (most ever)

2000 414,657

2018 246,442 (74 year low)

2020 123,160

2022 180,177

Baptisms 2022: Percentage of Churches:

ZERO 43%

1-5 34%

6-9 9% Tabernacle baptized 8 in 2021-22

10+ 13% Tabernacle baptized 11 in 2022-23

Overall, Southern Baptist churches averaged 5.4 baptisms per church in 2022.

Urban churches (8.6) averaged more than suburban (5.5) and rural (3.1) ones.

Newer churches averaged more baptisms than older churches:

Source: Lifeway Research

Read Matthew 3:13-17

John knew he was not worthy to baptize Jesus V. 13-14

But from verse 14 we understand that John knew Jesus had no sin to confess and repent of. Indeed, from John 1:29, we know that John understood that Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.

Jesus got baptized anyway, viewing it as the right thing to do V. 15

The Greek word for fitting is the word prepo (G 421). It occurs 7 times in the New Testament, and means fitting, proper, appropriate, and acceptable.

For it was fitting that He, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the Founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. -Hebrews 2:10

What Jesus is indicating here is that He came to earth to fully identify with humans in every way, and would model doing the right thing no matter how much He was tempted or suffered.

“Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.” -Matthew 20:28

Two ways Jesus’ baptism show He is our Fitting Founder:

First, His identification with us in His baptism foreshadows His identification with us on the Cross.

Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. -Romans 6:4-6

I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. -Galatians 2:20

He will cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge. -Psalm 91:4

Secondly, from His baptism we learn that Jesus will never ask us to anything He didn’t personally model for us.

The Triune God’s presence and pleasure in Jesus’ baptism V. 16-17

“Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about 3,000 souls were added to them” -Acts 2:41

“Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, “See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized? -Acts 8:36

“…Although it is evident that the term baptize means to immerse, and that this was the form used by the primitive church.” -J. Calvin, Institutes, Bk. IV, Pg. 524

All three members of the Trinty were present at Jesus’ baptism – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on Earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. -Matthew 28:18-20

Consequently, He is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a High Priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. -Hebrews 7:25-26

Psalm 51 Worksheet

This is the classic psalm on repentance and __________________________!

David asks for God to deal with his sin based on God’s own faithful and loving nature, not his own ____________________ nature (v. 1) 1 John 1:9

Guilt is a great _________________ from God (v. 2)

David calls his sin what it was - ___________________________ (v. 3)

In what sense can he say that it is against God alone that he has sinned? (v. 4)

Now even though this is an intensely personal prayer, there is a lot of excellent ______________ in it (v. 5-6)

He is saying that people are more than sinners by choice, they are sinners by _______________ (v. 5-6)

Hyssop was used by priests in the O.T. It was a leafy plant that they would use to sprinkle water or blood on a person being cleansed from ___________________ (v. 7)

David is acknowledging the ___________________ by Nathan was a good thing (v. 8)

This is the second time he refers to ___________________. It really can be like a megaphone in our lives (v. 9)

The word for _____________________ is the same word used in Genesis 1 to speak of God creating ex nihilo (out of nothing) (v. 10)

You can tell a lot about a person by what they are concerned about _________________ after they sin (v. 11)

How do we reconcile Psalm 51:11 with Ephesians 1:13-14? Hint: John 7:37-39

God may not like ‘yes’ men, but He loves “Yes, ____________” men! (v. 12)

God says, “Now that you’ve confessed your sin and been restored, I’ve got future _________________ for you!” (v. 13)

David looks forward to when he will enjoy ____________________ again! (v. 14)

David looks forward to when he will ___________________ again! (v. 15)

External worship means nothing without the _________________ reality! (v. 16-17)

David prays that despite his sin, for God’s glory, Zion will ________________ (v. 18-19)

Christ’s Advance Man - Matthew 3:1-12

The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then the good news of the kingdom of God is preached… - Luke 16:16a

In all 4 gospels Jesus’ public ministry began after His baptism by John the Baptist. Of the 283 verses in the first four gospels leading up to Christ’s baptism, 135 (48%) are about His prophesied advance man, John the Baptist.

The man, the message, and the movement - V. 1-6

The man

And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people in the forgiveness of their sins… -Luke 1:16-17

The message

The word repent is the Greek word, “metanoia,” which means “change of mind.” True repentance is seen when that change of mind leads to change of direction and change of actions.

The Kingdom was at hand because Jesus the King was at hand!

There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. - John 1:6-8

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me comes a man who ranks before me, because He WAS before me.” - John 1:29-30

“He (Jesus) must increase, and I must decrease.” - John 3:30

Many came to Jesus and said, “John never did a sign (miracle), but everything John said about this Man (Jesus) was true.” And many of them believed in Him there. - John 10:41-42

The movement

Now we to understand that this was a unique baptism, different than Christian baptism (Acts 19).

The symbolism was powerful. Jews of the day had begun baptizing Gentile converts to Judaism, but never Jews. John The Baptist was saying the entire filthy nation needed to be washed! He was calling them to both repentance of sin and readiness to follow Jesus.

The moral courage to rebuke the unrepentant V. 7-12

If your way of fleeing the wrath to come is as self-centered & self-focused as the religious leaders who came to JTB, you are heading toward ‘unquenchable fire.’

Note the order: first, repent and place faith in Jesus; then, demonstrate your faith by bearing fruit.

But to all who did receive Him (Jesus), who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. - John 1:12-13

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. - Ephesians 2:8-10

Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he. - Matthew 11:11

Which group would you have been in? Repentant and ready for Jesus? Or unrepentant and rejecting of Jesus?

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” - John 1:29

John’s baptism represented cleansing and readiness; Spirit baptism occurs at the moment of salvation for believers (1 Cor. 12:13; Eph. 1:13-14; Jn 7:37-39); Baptism with fire represents the coming judgment when everyone whose name is not in the Book of Life will be sent to the Lake of Fire (Rev. 20:11-15).

It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment. - Hebrews 9:27

Psalm 50 Worksheet

We come now to the first Psalm attributed to Asaph. Asaph wrote 12 psalms, this one, then 73 through 83.

Who was Asaph in the Bible?

Asaph was one of David’s ____________________ song leaders, and his sons carried on as song leaders at the Temple for generations to come. 1 Chr. 16:7 2 Chr. 29:30

For in the days of David and Asaph of old there were chiefs of the singers, and songs of praise and thanksgiving to God. -Nehemiah 12:46

The Great God calls the __________________________ to order! V. 1-6

What is God calling the earth to in verse 1?

To be a ________________________ to the charges God is about to make.

Men often have to think and live like practical atheists to sin the way they do. But God will come, men will ________________________, and God will have the last word!

Although Ps. 50 may be a rhetorical challenge, it reminds us of 2 great judgments to come:

The Great White Throne Judgment of unbelievers. Revelation 20

The Bema seat Judgment for ____________________. Romans 14:8-13

God’s indictment on _______________________ sacrifice V. 7-15

Notice that God is not just the Judge, but the ________________________!

The essence of verses 8-9 is that God doesn’t need us the way we need Him, so when you bring your offering to Him, don’t think you are doing Him a ____________________, bringing Him something He doesn’t possess!

Deuteronomy 8:11-20

Verses 14-15 tell us what to do when we have not been bringing God right sacrifices from a __________ heart.

God’s indictment on _______________________ practices V. 16-23

Sometimes we talk a lot about the sins of others and minimize and ____________________ our own and others close to us. Israel did it too. Here God calls that wickedness.

God is basically charging them with _____________________, as Jesus did when He came to earth.

Asaph’s song is very clear that God is not up in Heaven ‘________________________’ at our sin.

The last couple of verses don’t take away from God’s teaching about justification by faith, such as Genesis 15:6 – “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” The last couple verses call for the “_________________________ of the faith,” or as James said, being “doers of the word.”

By the way, note that James 1:18 comes before James 1:22 and James great statement that “faith without works is dead” in James chapter 2.

“The faith that saves is faith alone, but the faith that saves is never alone.”

True faith will do good works = true new birth will result in fruit being born.

Protecting Life’s Potential - Matthew 2:13-23

Any nation who comes to view children as an unwanted burden rather than a blessing will face significant problems.

China’s fertility rate has now dropped to 1.09, drastically below the 2.1 birthrate needed to maintain population year after year. And its freefall continues.

“Wishing you sweet love and marriage at an appropriate age – let’s extend the Chinese bloodline.” - Chinese Communist Party automated greeting to youth

Last year there were only 3.6 million births in the U.S... That’s a fertility rate of 1.7, below the replacement rate of 2.1. And in 2020 there were 620,327 abortions. We must return to God’s design for marriage and family.

The preservation of the "new" Moses through human action - V. 13-15

We also see Matthew’s gospel laid out in a way that emphasizes how Jesus is like Israel’s great leader Moses, yet far greater. As Matthew faithfully records the life of Christ on Earth, we see numerous parallels with the life of Moses.

The wise men practiced civil disobedience and refused to help Herod kill Jesus. They remind me of the wise women in Moses' day – the midwives who protected life’s potential by sparing Hebrew babies, defying Pharaoh’s order to kill them. Wise men and women still act to protect life’s potential today.

Hebrews 13:1 tells me that the times I have been hospitable to strangers, I may have very well been talking with an angel. Hebrews 1:14 also says that angels are ministering spirits sent to serve and protect those who will be saved.

God providentially uses angelic and human activity to protect life’s potential; trust God that angels are doing their part, and you do yours like Joseph & Mary!

Remember that another Joseph had been responsible for bringing the children of Israel to safety in Egypt! And as Moses had brought them out, Jesus would lead an even greater exodus from sin for all who believe!

The attempts to destroy life through evil human activity - V. 16-18

A thief comes to kill, steal, and destroy; but I have come that they might have life, and have it more abundantly. - John 10:10

It makes me admire all the more the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah, who acted to let the babies live in their days, despite what Pharoah might do to them. They chose to protect life, whereas Herod’s soldiers chose death.

From her grave, Rachel (one of Israel’s “mothers”) had “witnessed” and “wept” as Jewish refugees were marched 400 miles to Babylonian captivity (Jer. 31:15). Now she “wept” as murderers walked over her grave with blood on their hands.

The continued protection of life’s potential - V. 19-23

So common sense led Joseph to be appropriately afraid for Jesus and want to protect him. And because he was a man of God, God continued to lead him as he did his job as Jesus’ earthly father.

Isaiah 9:1 had prophesied that Galilee would experience the Messiah. And Jesus grew up personally identifying with the obscure and overlooked city of Nazareth. He will identify with you as well, no matter how overlooked you feel.

Psalm 49 Worksheet

Psalm 49 is a _________________ psalm, in which the righteous are exhorted not to trust in temporary riches. In the end, the man who trusts in riches is no better off after death than dead beasts. In fact, he is worse off.

Introduction: Now hear this, everybody! V. 1-4

The teaching of this Psalm is for everyone everywhere, haves and have nots ___________________!

Something about how verse 4 is phrased delights me! I WILL DISCLOSE MY DARK SAYING ON THE HARP!

In verses 5 and 15 the author refers to _____________________, book-ends to the main teaching that is in verses 6-14.

When we put verse 5 and 15 together, both in the first person, we realize that if we love God, we need not fear _______________________ troubles because eternity awaits us!

The folly of ___________________ in riches and not serving God V. 6-14

“What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world but forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?” -Matt. 16:26; Mk. 8:36; Lk. 9:25

But one of the main things money can’t buy is the _______________ thing that will matter once we have died – eternal salvation. Money can’t buy that!

Of course, the Bible extols many godly people who used their riches for God – Job, Abraham, etc… But the Bible warns of the _______________________ of departing from God’s plan for us as stewards by obsessively pursuing riches.

1 Timothy 6:6-10

We need to be careful that the things we possess don’t actually possess us and keep us from ______________ God!

The message of verses 8-9 is that no amount of money can save our soul, and no amount of present comfort money can buy will keep us from _____________________ misery. 1 Peter 1:17-21

When shall the upright have dominion over them? In the _______________________

Sounds like language about time to come, such as eternity.

So in verses 12-14 we have language of _____________________, but also language of existence beyond this present life! Bodies gone like animals; reversal of fortunes in days to come. It’s a bit of a mystery that becomes fully clear in the New Testament.

Don’t be afraid (or envious) of godless people who have a lot now – they _____________ in the age to come.

This is the only “Hell” the believer will ever know; it’s the only “Heaven” the unbeliever will know.

The implication is that the righteous will see light ______________________ this life; but the wicked will experience soul crushing darkness.

Final conclusion: what you do with what God has entrusted to you will matter _____________________; nothing else will!

The Simple Man - Assorted Proverbs Passages

So that’s why the first 20 years we eat, sleep, play, and enjoy ourselves; then for the next 40 we toil in the sin to support our family; the next 10 we do monkey tricks to entertain the grandchildren; and the last 10 years we sit on the porch and bark at everyone.

Proverbs 1:1-7

“Boy, don’t you worry, you’ll find yourself. Follow your heart and nothing else.” - Lynard Skynyrd, Simple Kind of Man

There’s a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” - Proverbs 14:12 (NHEB)

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? I, the Lord, search the heart and test the mind, to give to every man according to the fruit of his deeds. - Jeremiah 17:9-10 (ESV)

The word for simple in the Bible in the Hebrew language is pethi (H6612); it occurs 19 times in the Old Testament (15 in the Proverbs). It carries the idea of being simple, naïve, and seducible.

Biblically, a simple man is 3 things:

First, he doesn’t know what God wants him to know and act on yet.

Secondly, he won’t take the time and commitment necessary to find out what what God wants him to know and act on.

Third, he is easy prey to the temptations of Satan.

Here’s the instruction Proverbs gives us about being a simple man:

We all start simple

To give prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the youth. - Prov. 1:4 (ESV)

The Lord preserves the simple; when I was brought low, he saved me. - Psalm 116:6 (ESV)

The simple are called to learn and apply God’s word so they can become prudent.

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. - Psalm 19:7 (ESV)

The unfolding of Your words gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple. - Psalm 119:130 (ESV)

You call yourself a simple man; God’s word calls you a seducible man, ready to give in to the same kinds of temptations that ruin testimonies and hold entire churches back as you choose your ‘ease’ over knowing and serving God.

Leave your simple ways, and live, and walk in the way of insight. - Prov. 9:6 (ESV)

The simple believes everything, but the prudent gives thought to his steps. One who is wise is cautious and turns away from evil, but a fool is reckless and careless. - Prov. 14:15-16 (ESV)

To stay simple is willful rebellion against God

How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? - Prov. 1:22 (ESV)

The fool rejects the things of God, the simple man simply won’t do the work to become prudent.

Those who stay simple are not ready to face battle with the Devil.

The simple inherit folly, but the prudent are crowned with knowledge. - Proverbs 14:18 (ESV)

The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it. - Proverbs 27:12 (ESV)

As we age, being simple is no excuse for disobedience.

Strike a scoffer, and the simple will learn prudence; reprove a man of understanding, and he will gain knowledge. - Prov. 19:25 (ESV)

What part of commitment to God have you ignored, scoffed at, etc…?

God won’t bless what He can’t bless in your life; He will judge what He must judge (discipline).

SIMPLE – Satan Intentionally Manipulates People Loving Ease.

Or is the problem that you are ashamed of Jesus Christ? You don’t want to alienate those ‘simple man’ friends of yours who don’t know, won’t learn, and don’t obey Jesus Christ.

Therefore, let us leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. - Hebrews 6:1-2 (ESV)

Psalm 48 Worksheet

Psalm 47 praised the God of Zion, and Psalm 48 follows it by __________________________ the Zion of God.

Psalm 48 celebrates Jerusalem as Israel’s capitol and the key city of God’s dealing with mankind on earth. But don’t miss the key to what makes it special is God, who will be __________________________ on the earth.

God and His city are put there for the entire earth’s _______________! V. 1-3

Wherever a person lives on earth, even in places of higher elevation, spiritually speaking to go up to Jerusalem is to go up to the ______________________ ‘mountain’ from which everything else makes sense.

Jerusalem is only about 2,500 feet above sea level. It is actually a tad in the shadow of the Mount of Olives, which rises 100 feet higher.

Remembering when God miraculously ______________________ Israel V. 4-8

Isaiah 36-37 2 Chronicles 32 2 Kings 18-19.

In John 3 Jesus said you see the impact the wind has, but not the wind. Israel knew the only explanation for their enemies’ fear was the movement of their ____________________ but ever-present God!

God is the source of deliverance for His people, but He is also a greater ___________________ to our temporary prospering than any of our enemies.

God is the ____________________ we must always turn back to V. 9-14

All the way back to Genesis 12 we see that Israel was blessed to be a blessing. I love how the Psalms appreciate that Jerusalem was not there only to be a blessing to Jewish folks but also so that the ends of the earth would ________________________ the Lord.

Missions is not the main purpose of the church: worship is. Missions exists because there are still places on earth where worship does not. -John Piper

Singers like the Sons of Korah had stayed as close to Jerusalem as they could, waiting for the days to come when they would again be _____________________ upon to lead out in the singing of praises to our great God in the city of God! See Nehemiah 12:27-29

Death is probably not an adequate translation for the last word in verse 14. It should be the word ______________________ or forever! That is how the Greek Septuagint translated it.

THIS IS OUR GOD, OUR GOD FOREVER AND EVER; HE WILL BE OUR GUIDE EVEN TO ETERNITY!

Wise Men Still Worship Him - Matthew 2:1-12

Wise men followed the guidance of 2 stars. - V. 1-2

But who were these wise men from the east, and why did Pastor Danny say they followed the guidance of 2 stars?

The word Magi only appears in one book of the Greek Old Testament. Can you tell me which one it is?

In the book of Daniel, Daniel is described as having a wisdom from God that made him excel all of the Magi (the wise men) of both Babylon and then Persia.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight. - Proverbs 9:10 (ESV)

There is a man in your kingdom in whom is the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, light and understanding and wisdom... of the gods were found in him, and King Nebuchadnezzar your father... made him CHIEF of the magicians, enchanters, Chaldeans, and astrologers, because an excellent spirit, knowledge, and understanding to interpret dreams, explain riddles, and solve problems were found in this Daniel… - Daniel 5:11-12 (ESV)

I believe that the wise men who came to seek the Jewish King came because they had been influenced by Daniel and his prophecies. Centuries had passed; their knowledge was incomplete, but they followed the knowledge they had.

And those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the sky above; and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever. - Dan. 12:3 (ESV)

An insecure king is counseled by Israel’s unmoved shepherds. - V. 3-6

What a contrast! The Gentile wise men with limited revelation travelled hundreds of miles to seek out the Savior of the world. The unmoved shepherds of Israel couldn’t be bothered to walk 5 miles to see if the Messiah was here.

We are too often religiously educated far beyond the level of our spiritual obedience.

Wise men find the Real Star and shun the fake king. - V. 7-12

God led Israel toward the promised land using a pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night that stood above the Holy tent. Here another pillar was shining directly above the Holy child, and led the wise man to God incarnate.

What does it mean to worship someone or something? Worship means to ascribe worth to someone or something. A worshipper of Jesus shows in word and deed and how much they value Jesus!

The Wonder of THE Birth

Every good story has a hero, a goal, a conflict, and a resolution. -Charlie Wetzel

Read Matthew 1:18-25

The Christmas story includes Anxious Parents - V. 18-19

The Christmas story includes Angels Proclaiming - V. 20-21

Jesus means “God saves,” and YES He does!

If you are anxious about a matter of obedience, and like Joseph considering all the ‘what ifs’ and ‘what nows’, FEAR NOT, know God is with you, and the resources of Heaven are available to help children of God as they walk by faith!

The Christmas Story includes Ancient Prophecies - V. 22-23

It also backs up for us a biblical principle – When we think God is calling us to do something, we need to check it out using the Bible as our evaluation tool!

From Joseph we learn that when we are anxious we are not to act rashly; Instead, we are to thoughtfully pray over and process biblically matters before us. Our first concern needs to be God’s glory, not personal embarrassment.

The wonder of THE Birth - V. 24-25

What I wonder is if Jesus as a full human also had a touch of wonder about being in a human body?! I think He did!

Jesus called Himself the Son of Man 75 times in the gospels. By comparison, the other 40 things He calls Himself add up to 132 occurrences.

Even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many. - Matthew 20:28 (ESV)

For there is one God, and there is one Mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. - 1 Timothy 2:5-6 (ESV)

When the fulness of time had come, God sent forth His son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. - Galatians 4:4-7 (ESV)

But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God. - John 1:12 (NASB)

Donkeys in the Plan of God

Donkeys are so useful they are actually put in the 10 Commands. Do you know which one?

Even the parts of a donkey are powerful – How many men did Samson kill with a donkey’s jawbone?

But at His first coming Jesus rode in on a donkey, a beast of burden – He was the ___________ of sacrifice who was offering Himself up for the sins of the world, and the perfect animal to ride in on was a donkey, representing His work for us on the cross!

Matthew’s Extended Manger Scene

When the Holy Spirit had Matthew write his gospel, he began by adding over 40 more people to his manger scene, trailing all the way back to Abraham. He did it to beautifully demonstrate that Jesus was indeed the Promised Redeemer!

Matthew 1:1-17

Genealogies are especially important to establish a King’s right to a throne. Royalty depends on heredity. In verses 1-17 Matthew establishes Jesus’ human heredity, and then in verses 18-25 he establishes Jesus’ divine heredity!

The days of the kinsmen V. 2-6

But instead of including Sarah and other ladies of note, Matthew chose stories that illustrate God’s mercy, grace, steadfast love and forgiveness of sins – stories that show He is the God of new beginnings.

He can do it for you as well! With God it’s not where you come from, it’s where He is taking you to!

By faith Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she had given a friendly welcome to the spies. -Hebrews 11:31

Christ is the true and better Boaz – the ultimate Kinsman Redeemer!

The days of the kings V. 6-11

In 2 Samuel 7 David was promised by God that the future Messiah King of Israel would come from his descendants.

Every individual generation had to decide to love and obey God; but our totally faithful God kept His unconditional promises to Abraham and David to keep the line going and to bless the world through their Seed, the coming Messiah King.

The days of the curse V. 12-16

The name Jechoniah (also called Jehoiachin) means “God anointed.” But he was such a wicked man that Jeremiah stripped God out of his name, calling him just Coniah. This also included a curse on the descendants of Coniah going forward.

Thus says the Lord: “Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days, for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah.” -Jeremiah 22:30

In Jeremiah’s first mention of Jeconiah, he is cursed, childless, and deported. In Jeremiah’s second mention years later, he is released, restored, and the father of many!

Matthew’s genealogy through the Kings of Judah shows Jesus’ legal right to rule. But Mary’s line in Luke 3, shows Jesus was also descended through David’s son Nathan, ensuring the biological line is intact.

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us – for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who is hanged on a tree.” -Galatians 3:13

Bethlehem – Birthplace of the Savior

Bethlehem means House of _____________________!

And Jesus said to them, “I Am the Bread of Life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” -John 6:35

So Rachel died and was buried on the way to Ephrath (that is, Bethlehem). -Gen. 35:19 (see also Gen. 48:7)

Genesis 38:12-30

Judah and Tamar became the parents of the twins Perez and Zerah. We will see the significance of that in a moment. In Genesis 49:8-12 Judah was given the great prophecy that the Messiah would come from his _________________________.

Ruth 4:1-22

The blessing of Ruth and Boaz in Ruth 4 shows how God’s grace can bring beauty even in the aftermath of sinful _____________________ like the ones seen in Genesis 38 and Ruth 1. Ruth ends with the genealogy of David traced through Boaz back to Perez!

Now this is the genealogy of Perez: Perez begot Hezron; Hezron begot Ram, and Ram begot Amminadab; Amminadab begot Nahson, and Nahshon begot Salmon; Salmon begot Boaz, and Boaz begot Obed; Obed begot Jesse, and Jesse begot David. -Ruth 4:18-22

1 Samuel 16:1-13

David of Bethlehem went on to be Israel’s greatest King, the King all others were ___________ by! In 2 Samuel 7 David was promised that the Messiah would come through his descendants.

Isaiah 9:6-7 Micah 5:2-4

The Prophet Micah lets us know that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, but also that He had ______________________ existed before that coming birth!

But when the fulness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. -Galatians 4-4-5

The law required perfect righteousness, but grace __________________ perfect righteousness through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone!

Luke 2:1-20 Matthew 2:1-18

Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the seed of David and from the town of Bethlehem, where David was? -John 7:42

Psalm 47

Psalm 47 is a tribute to God, the _______________________ King over all the earth.

Did you see a touch of chiastic structure in the Psalm as I read it?

Chiastic structure is when the first and last verses have corresponding thoughts, and then the next verses in, with a key point made in the middle.

Praise God because He is King over Israel and the __________________ earth V. 1-4

What joyful expressions of worship are called for in verse 1?

God is not just the King of His people Israel, but the King of all peoples with a special place for __________________ in His plan.

What are some things about God that elicit AWE in us?

If only Israel’s ancient and current ______________ realized that God’s plan of blessing for them includes doing it through Israel and Israel’s Messiah Jesus.

Praise God the King with __________________________ V. 5-9

The phrase “go up” let us know this is a type of enthronement Psalm. Just as a King of Israel would “go up” to Jerusalem to be crowned over Israel, God deserves to “go up” and be _______________________ King over all the earth (Psalm 2).

“And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.” -Jn. 12:32

As verse 9 indicates, pagans hoped appeasing their idols would shield them from bad things happening. But God alone is every nations’ ___________________ shield, and biggest threat if a people defies Him!

How many times in verses 6-7 do the sons of Korah bid us to sing praises to God?

Book 2 of the Psalms usually uses the more general God, or Elohim, as in Genesis 1:1 – in the beginning God created the Heavens and the Earth. Here the nations that instinctively know that there is a Creator God are urged along with Israel to sing praises _____________ understanding.

The God of Abraham is the God _________________ peoples need to worship.

And the Lord shall be King over all the earth. -Zechariah 14:9 (see also 14:16)

- - From our 12/10/2023 Worship Service - -

Turn in your Bibles and join Daniel Ritchie in his sermon from Romans chapter five. We pray that this recording is a blessing for you!

To tune in live for next Sunday's worship service, check out our Facebook page (link at bottom)!

__________________________

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Ephesians 3:21-22 (NKJV) - "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."

Last Call Hebrews 13:18-25

Our Great Savior and our great salvation help us make it through even great struggles (Chapters 1-12)

Love those you know; love those you don’t know. Honor your marriages; honor your God-given leaders (Chapter 13).

What do you suppose is the last thing the author asks them to do? ___________________ 1 Timothy 2:1-2

The ________________ to pray V. 18-19

Verse 18 tells us that what he is asking them to do, he himself has done – he has persevered amidst ______________________

He is saying, “The issue is settled for me – I am 100% committed to living honorably, ___________________ well!”

Poem: Let me get home before dark by Robertson McQuilken

When you gather with other believers to pray, you are _________________ to the Lord.

The reasons we pray V. 20

We can pray with _____________ because we know the God of peace

We can pray with _____________ because of Jesus’ resurrection

Ephesians 1:19-20

We can pray with _____________ because we have a Great Shepherd

Ps. 23:1 John 10:11-12 John 10:14 1 Peter 5:4

We can pray as the blood-washed ________________ of an everlasting covenant!

The author’s prayer for us: ____________________ V. 21

GROW UP = Godliness Ruling Over Worldliness Under ____________

Psalm 46 Worksheet

In the inscription we read that this is a Psalm for Alamoth. Some think this refers to a musical instrument, or a voice range for singers, like __________________, connecting it with the word for maidens. Still others think it refers to a melody.

But the theme of Psalm 46 is the same throughout – God’s presence and help during times of _____________________.

God’s presence gets us through the ________________ of life V. 1-3

What great hymn of Martin Luther came from this verse?

The word refuge makes us think about how God is our defense when we need it; The word strength makes us think of how God is our __________________ as we serve Him!

What kinds of natural disasters are spoken of here?

Matthew 7:24-27

God’s presence keeps us ‘___________________’ through the storms of life V. 4-7

Jerusalem’s waters come from two springs, Gihon and En-Rogel.

BUT…

Both Isaiah 33:21 and Ezekiel 47:1-2 speak of a ___________________ river near Jerusalem. And Revelation 22 speaks of the river of life in the middle of the coming New Jerusalem.

What early Psalm does verse 6 remind us of?

Do you remember a time when Jesus dealt with a storm?

Matthew 8:23-27

God’s presence keeps us ___________________ during the storms of life V. 8-11

I can’t tell you how many times I think about verse 10 when I am trying to get through a _________________________ time in my own strength!

Proverbs 3:5-6

Matthew 28:18-20

Did you notice what word is in the first verse and the last?

The Beginning of the New Beginning

Hanukkah means dedication, and it celebrates the ‘rededication’ of the Temple after it had been desecrated by Antiochus Epiphanes, who sought to forcibly convert all his subjects to Greek ways.

The most popular game during Hannukah is the spinning of the dreidel. It is a 4 sided top with 4 Hebrew letters on it. The letters are short for Nes Gadol Hayah Sham, “A great miracle happened there.”

Matthew’s gospel was written about 25 years after its events by an eyewitness of those events, Jesus’ disciple Matthew the tax collector.

It’s no surprise then, that Matthew’s gospel breaks 400 years of silence since the last writing in the Jewish Old Testament by showing that Jesus has the genealogical credentials needed to be the Messiah, the Christ, the Savior.

Matthew using the word for both beginning and genealogy reminds us of how Genesis lays out. Ten times Genesis says “this is the genealogy of…,” using the Hebrew phrase eleh toldot.

And I will establish my covenant between Me and you and your offspring after you throughout their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and to your offspring after you. And I will give to you and to your offspring after you the land of your sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession, and I will be their God. -Genesis 17:7-8

Here’s what is cool as the New Testament begins: Each gospel begins with a “new beginning” statement!

Genesis begins the Old Testament with the beginning of the world and its fall; The gospels begin the New Testament with the beginning of the world’s salvation and coming restoration.

The name Jesus means “God saves,” and yes He does! He saves everyone who turns to Him in repentance and faith.

Now don’t get the idea that Jesus is His first name and Christ is His last name. Christ is the Greek way of saying Messiah, which in Hebrew means “Anointed One.” Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament prophecies.

The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. -Isaiah 61:1 (See Luke 4:16-22)

Also don’t get the idea that Jesus came into existence when He was born in Bethlehem. No, the Bible makes clear that He had always existed as God the Son. The Author of Life stepped into time when He was born in Bethlehem.

For to us a child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to uphold it with justice and righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of Hosts shall accomplish this. -Isaiah 9:6-7

And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed My voice. -Genesis 22:18

“I will multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and will give to your offspring all these lands. And in your offspring all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.” -God to Isaac in Genesis 26:4

“I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near: A Star shall come from Jacob, and a scepter shall rule in Israel.” -Numbers 24:17

Now therefore, please let your servant (Judah) remain instead of the boy as a servant to my lord, and let the boy (Benjamim) go back with his brothers. -Genesis 44:33

Others have written you off, but Jesus wants to write you into His story – won’t you let him this Christmas time?!

What to Do With Leaders Hebrews 13:7-17

Remember your ____________________ leaders V. 7

Rejoice in your __________________ Leader V. 8-16

Obey your _________________________ leaders V. 17

When leaders lead in Israel, when the people willingly offer themselves, bless the Lord! -Judges 5:2

Psalm 45 Worksheet

This Psalm is both a _____________________ psalm and a _______________________ psalm.

The occasion appears to be a _______________________

A _______________________ for the King! V. 1

Our King is the _________________________! V. 2-9

Micah 6:8

Earthly Kings are inferior to the ___________________________ V. 6-7

Psalm 2

Proverbs 30:4

Psalm 110

Daniel 3:25

Isaiah 9:6-7

Micah 5:2

Hebrews 1:8-9

The ________________________ males herself ready for the King! V. 10-15

She has 2 duties mentioned in Genesis 2: leave and cleave.

The King of Kings is ____________________ V. 16-17

2 Chron. 20:13-19

Matt. 1:6-8, 16

Revelation 19:6-18

Do you know that we are in Psalm 45?

God Reveals What He Will Not Do

One ship drives east and another drives west,

With the selfsame winds that blow.

‘Tis the set of the sails, and not the gales,

Which tells us the way to go.

Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate,

As we voyage along through life:

‘Tis the set of a soul, that decides its goal,

And not the calm or the strife.

-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

When God tells us who He is, we need to believe Him, and turn from our sin to Him or back to Him, and re-build our life around His steadfast love and truth.

Read Exodus 34:1-9

In the first message we saw God tell us He is merciful and gracious!

In the second message we saw that God is slow to anger.

In the third message we saw God tell us He is abounding in steadfast love.

In the fourth message we saw God tell us He is also abounding in truth.

In the fifth message we saw God tell us that He forgives sin.

What will God not do?

He will not clear guilty sinners who refuse to repent of their sin and turn to God.

You and I can’t be forgiven of sin if we don’t repent.

None of what’s in verses 6-7 is for you if you refuse to repent and live by truth as God defines it in the holy Bible. You are simply deluding yourself, and to keep you from doing it God tells you one final component of His name.

What do we expect a Judge to do with a guilty person?

Declare them guilty, pronounce their penalty, and insure that justice is satisfied.

Why is it one way in Exodus 20 and the reverse in Exodus 34?

Because to live a balanced faith sometimes we need to be reminded of God’s grace and forgiveness first, and other times we need to first be reminded of God’s holiness and how much sin can mess up!

Our sin can have consequences for years to come, but turning back to God and His steadfast love will impact eternity.

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? -Romans 6:1-2

“Nothing the enemy offers me is better than what God has already given me or plans to as my future unfolds.” -Chuck Lawless

By the end of Exodus 34 we see that Moses’ face was glowing because he had met with God. And that still happens to people today who repent, believe, and buld their life around their relationship with God.

“My own plans are made. While I can, I shall sail east in the Dawn Treader. When she fails me, I paddle east in my coracle. When she sinks, I shall swim east with my four paws. And when I can swim no longer, if I have not reached Aslan’s country, or shot over the edge of the world in some vast cataract, I shall sink with my nose to the sunrise.” -Reepicheep, the Aslan-loving mouse in C.S. Lewis’ Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Lost person, how can you be declared not guilty of your sin?

Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. -Romans 5:1

Even more astounding, how can you be declared righteous in God’s eyes?

Abraham believed God, and it was counted to Him as righteousness. -Gen. 15:1

How can that be?

God made Him who knew no sin to become sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. -2 Corinthians 5:1

Honor, Romance, and Commitment - Hebrews 13:4-6

Six simple things that should be true of Christians:

Christians ________________ marriage V. 4a

1 man + 1 woman + mutual _____________ to each other = marriage

Nothing good comes when __________ is given without commitment

Christians accept that sex is ____________ for marriage V. 4b

Fornicators and adulterers God will _____________

God’s standard is that your _____________ sexual satisfaction be derived from your spouse.

How to remain pure to your now or future marriage:

Keep the standard high

____________ your eyes Job 31:1

Avoid compromising ________________

Talk to a friend

Go ______________ and love your family

Christians don’t ________________ what’s not theirs V. 5a

Christians are _______________ with what is theirs V. 5b

Christians are ____________ in knowing their God stays V. 5c

It says here that Jesus has promised, “I will never leave you nor forsake you. In the Greek that’s a _____________- fold negative.

“It’s a forever never with no exceptions ever.” -Dr. David Johnston

Christians take ____________ because their God helps V. 6

Dr. Andrey Shirin

Psalm 44 Worksheet

God’s ___________________ care for Israel brings praise V. 1-3

Israel’s ___________________ confidence in God V. 4-8

Israel’s consternation over present ____________________ V. 9-16

Israel’s plea for present ______________________ V. 17-26

God Reveals His Response to Humbled Sinners

Today we will see that when God shared the components of His name, He wanted it to get into our hearts and minds that He is the God who forgives sin!

Forgiveness is when you give up all claim on a debt owed to you, and treat the person as if the debt never existed going forward.

The word for forgiveness is nasa (H5375), which occurs 613 times in the Hebrew O.T. Its simple meaning is to lift, to bear up, to carry off, to take away.

When we confess (say the same thing about) our sins as sin, repent (change our minds about) and turn to or back to God in faith, He forgives us and restores us to right relationship with Himself.

The word for iniquity is awon (H5771), which occurs in 213 verses. It means depravity or perversity and is sometimes translated punishment. God has a perfect way for us to live, but we have ‘perverted’ it and deserve punishment.

The word for transgression is pesa (H6588), which occurs in 91 verses. It means rebellion or offense. God is our Creator and King; we are treasonous rebels.

The word for sin is hatta - at (H2403), which occurs in 296 verses. This is the word we think of when we think of sin against God, with its accompanying guilt, punishment and the need for a substitute sin-offering.

“There is a way that seems right to a man – but in the end it leads to death.” -Proverbs 14:12

And he shall bring to the priest as his compensation to the Lord a ram without blemish out of the flock, or its equivalent, for a guilt offering. And the priest shall make atonement for him before the Lord, and he shall be forgiven for any of the things that one may do and thereby become guilty. -Lev. 4:6-7

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned – everyone – to his own way; but the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. -Isa. 53:6

Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. -John 1:29

“Which one of you convicts Me of sin?” -Jesus in John 8:46

“Unless you believe that “I am,” you will die in your sins.” -Jesus in John 8:24

If my people who are called by My name humble themselves, and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land. -2 Chronicles 7:14 (See 2 Chr. 6:21)

The opposite of pride is not humility. Pride glorifies yourself; the opposite of pride is glorifying God – finally desiring to turn to God and glorify Him in your life from now on. Humility is the foundation that leads to a life of glorifying God.

As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief…godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. -2 Corinthians 7:9-10

God’s jealousy is a good and holy jealousy. He really does know what’s best for us based on His steadfast love and truth, and when we don’t choose it, it grieves Him because we are making poor choices that won’t help us flourish.

God is zealous for you and jealous for you to experience what’s best for you rather than the empty ways you try to fill the hole in your soul. He knows the satisfaction you are looking for will only be found in your relationship with Him.

To be continued… Hebrews 13:1-3

Georges Sada

Recap of the Book of Hebrews: Our Great Savior and our great salvation helps us make it through even our great struggles.

Three things to be continued among Christians:

__________________for Christians you already know V. 1

The word for brotherly love here is Philadelphia.

John 13:35 John 15:12 Rom. 12:10 1 Pet. 4:8 1 Jn. 3:23

Agape love, which was in almost all the verses quoted above, has the idea of a love that is a deliberate __________________. Phileo has more of the idea of attachment and personal _________________.

Love for those you ___________________ know V. 2

Philadelphia means brotherly love; Philoxenia is _____________ love.

Galatians 6:10

God will give us many opportunities to show __________ philadelphia and philoxenia.

Love for those experiencing ____________________ V. 3

In the context we need to say that the author of Hebrews is probably referring _________________ to those Christians who have been imprisoned due to persecution.

We should remember our brothers and sisters _________________ for their faith.

Psalm 42 and 43 Worksheet

This is the first Psalm of Book ________________

This is the first Psalm attributed to someone other then ____________________

Who was Korah?

1 Chronicles 6:31-38 1 Chr. 12:1-7 2 Chr. 20:13-19

Originally Psalm 42 and 43 were probably ________________ Psalm, like 9 & 10.

Is there a phrase that is repeated in these 2 Psalms?

42:5 42:11 43:5

An Outline:

First “verse”: A lament (42:1-4) Chorus (42:5)

Second “verse”: A lament (42:6-10) Chorus (42:11)

Third “verse”: A petition (43:1-4) Chorus (43:5)

This is one of the “Trouble and _________________” Psalms.

What is new about how God is addressed in verse 1?

In verse 2, the Psalmist is sad because he desperately wants to meet with God, but feels complete __________________ between him and God.

In verse 3, far from finding that refreshing drink, the Psalmist is having to drink his own _______________.

Verses 4-6 indicate this may have been written during the time of exile in ______________.

The location in verse 6 is in the north of the country, where what becomes the Jordan River starts as a ____________________ off of Mount Hermon.

Verse 7 seems to indicate that the only “water” he is experiencing is the “flood of ___________________” that has been allowed by God.

He immediately turns back to trust in verse eight, which is neat because it is the ___________________ of the two psalms.

Have you ever gone back and forth between worry and trust, fear and faith? According to Psalm 42-43, you are _____________________.

He lamented in Psalm 42; Psalm 43 is his _____________________.

We do well to join the Psalmist in the prayer of verse 3:

“Send Your light and Your truth; let them ________________ me to where you live, God!”

When we are distressed, and around us things seem to be changing for the worse, we must put our hope in our ____________________ God and Savior!

God Reveals His Norming Norm

We are often arbitrary in how we evaluate ourselves and others – But God has a perfect standard we are evaluated by – the Truth He has revealed to us in His holy word.

Read Exodus 34:1-9

Dictionary.com defines truth as the actual state of a matter; conformity with fact or reality.

What is the opposite of truth? Falsehood, or lies.

Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolators, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. -Rev. 22:14-15 (ESV)

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work. -2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

Every biblical command God gives is based on His truth and is to help you flourish as His child. Every sin listed in the Bible has built in consequences that will be experienced when you reject God’s truth for you and engage in that sin.

Precept, Principle, Person (Josh McDowell).

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. -John 1:14 (ESV)

Jesus said to him, “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me.” -John 14:6 (ESV)

So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed Him, “If you abide in My Word, you are truly My disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free…So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” -John 8:32, 36 (ESV)

The one who rejects Me and does not receive My words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. -John 12:48 (ESV)

The word for truth in Exodus 34:6 is the Hebrew word emet (H571), which occurs 125 times in the O.T. It is usually translated truth or faithfulness.

The sum of Your word is truth [emet], and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever. -Psalm 119:160 (ESV)

The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth [emet]. -Psalm 145:18 (ESV)

Let the [lying] prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully [emet]. -Jeremiah 23:28 (ESV)

Hear the word of the LORD, O children of Israel, for the Lord has a controversy with the inhabitants of the land. There is no faithfulness [emet] or steadfast love [hesed[, and no knowledge of God in the land; there is swearing, lying, murder, stealing, and committing adultery; they break all bounds, and bloodshed follows bloodshed. -Hosea 4:1-2 (ESV)

Moreover, look for able men from all the people, men who fear God, who are trustworthy [emet] and hate a bribe, and place such men over the people as chiefs of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens. -Ex. 18:21 (ESV)

Now therefore fear the Lord and serve Him in sincerity and in faithfulness [emet]. Put away the gods that your fathers served beyond the River and in Egypt, and serve the Lord. -Joshua 24:14 (ESV)

Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth [emet]; Unite my heart to fear your name. -Psalm 86:11 (ESV)

They are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever. Amen. -Romans 9:4-5 (ESV)

Do not be arrogant toward the branches [i.e., currently unbelieving Jews]. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. -Romans 11:18 (ESV)

My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world. -1 John 2:2 (ESV)

The Consuming Fire Heb. 12:25-29

Great talkers…and great listeners!

There are at least 5 warnings in the Book of Hebrews:

The danger of drifting away from our salvation commitment (2:1ff)

The danger of hardening our hearts through unbelief (3:7ff)

The danger of not growing; being content with immaturity (5:11ff)

The danger of willfully sinning when we know better (10:26ff)

Today’s text has the last major warning in the book:

The danger of refusing to _________________ to God.

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God is speaking – are we listening? V. 25a

Turning from ________________ is worse than turning from law V. 25b

Whole lot of __________________ going on V. 26-27

Revelation 6:12-14 2 Peter 3:10-13

The Kingdom of God __________________ be shaken or burned V. 28-29

Ecc. 3:12-13 Col. 2:20-23

And so we have a challenge: to let heavenly priorities guide our earthly living while avoiding the _________________ of legalism and hedonism.

Applications:

Don’t take your _________________ too seriously

1 Cor. 2:13b-15

__________________ your life around what really matters

Matthw 6:33

__________________ when God speaks

Give one-___________________ of your time to rejuvenation

Receive and give ___________________

Serve God with reverence and godly ________________

I believe it boils down to this: those who fear God respect the _________________ he has imposed on us for our own good.

“If our souls were properly ordered, we would love our limits, not despise them.” -Ken Meyers