Religion as Commerce

Our study in the Book of John continues.
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Recap of the sermon from December 18, 2011 (John 2:12-25):
1. “It is noticeable that Jesus began His ministry with an act of holiness rather than of power. He wished to teach the nation that the supreme need was their spiritual cleansing…” (Dr. Charles Erdman)
2. Cleansing the Temple of the sellers of animals and exchangers of money was a symbolic act of judgment to declare His Messiahship and to deal with the corruption of worship caused by a commercial spirit in a place meant for worship, sacrifice and prayer.
3. Four threats to worship:
-going through the motions (Malachi 1)
-treating God as a “good-luck charm” (1 Samuel 4:1ff)
-worshipping without obedience to God’s revelation (1 Samuel 13:1-14; 2 Samuel 6:1ff)
-worshipping the wrong things (the creation/created things rather than the Creator) (Psalm 135:15ff)
4. Four pre-requisites to worship (from: The Ultimate Priority by John MacArthur):
-“we must be yielded to the Holy Spirit”
-“our thoughts must be centered on God”
-“we must have an undivided heart”
-“we must be repentant” (we must deal with sin in our lives)

Saving the Best 'Til Last

Our study in the Book of John continues.
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Recap of the sermon from December 11th (John 2:1-11):

Lessons at a wedding:

-Jesus brings joy: “…, it is most significant, therefore, that [Jesus] first miracle, which was an index to His whole ministry, was so related to the joy of a wedding feast. It rebukes the foolish fear that religion robs life of its happiness, or that loyalty to Christ is inconsistent with exuberant spirits and innocent pleasure. It corrects the false impression that sourness is a sign of sainthood, or that gloom is a condition of godliness. It indicates the transforming, enabling, transfiguring power of Christ, and shows how He came that we ‘may have life, and may have it abundantly.” (Dr. Charles Erdman)

-The new replaces the old: Judaism had become empty and bankrupt of meaning through its emphasis on ritual and externals while neglecting true spiritual matters. Jesus was the best that was saved till last.

-Jesus transforms: Even as He turned the water into wine, Jesus transforms sinners into saints. Jesus ministry is a ministry of transformation (regeneration) not renovation.

-Faith is not a static thing, it grows: The Disciples’ initial faith in Jesus grew and developed as they observed the ministry and power of Jesus.

Discipleship 101

Our study in the Book of John continues.
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Here's the recap from this sermon:
(John 1:40-51):

Characteristics of a Disciple (What should a disciple learn?)

1. A disciple is learning to put Christ first in their lives. Matthew 6:19-34
2. A disciple is learning to put everything under the control of Christ: money, time, family, marriage, friendships, work. 1 Peter 3:15
3. A disciple is learning to die to self, to come alive to Christ and the Holy Spirit within. Mark 8:34
4. A disciple is learning about proper goals in life. Philippians 3:12-14
5. A disciple is one who is learning to love Christ. Matthew 22:34-40
6. A disciple is one who is learning to keep His commandments in all areas of life: purity, relationships, right and wrong, ethics, integrity. John 14:15
7. A disciple is learning to take everything to Christ, even the smallest things in their lives, day to day incidences and concerns, "haphazard circumstances" (Oswald Chambers) Philippians 4:6,7
8. A disciple is learning to be obedient to the will of God. Colossians 1:9
9. A disciple is one who is learning to please God in every way. Colossians 1:10
10. A disciple is one who is learning to speak to God in prayer, learning to bring all their needs before God. Matthew 6:9-13
11. A disciple is one who is learning to love God's Word. 1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:11-14
12. A disciple is one who is learning to bring every thought into the captivity of Christ, bringing their thoughts and attitudes in line with the Word of God whether about marriage, family, politics, etc. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5
13. A disciple is one who is learning to care for others. Philippians 2:4
14. A disciple is one who is learning to serve others. Luke 22:26-27
15. A disciple is one who is learning to let God's Spirit dominate his life. Ephesians 5:18

Good News...Pass It On

Our study in the Book of John continues.
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Recap of the November 27th sermon (John 1:35-39):
1. One of the features of the fourth gospel is John’s use of personal contact in communicating the message of the gospel.
-“John always brings actors upon the scene that they may bear testimony.” (Charles Erdman)
-“Of great importance in communicating his message is John’s use of personal interviews. Again and again, people are brought into contact with Jesus. They are never the same again. Either they believe and follow Him, or they turn away in unbelief.” (Walter Dunnett)
-“Jesus called a few men to follow Him, and He transformed their lives and used them to transform the lives of others.” (Warren Wiersbe)

2. Illustrating this point is that John the Baptist’s testimony was primarily the catalyst which influenced his disciples to follow Jesus.

3. Evangelism was a way of life among the men and women of the New Testament. They were active in influencing others toward Jesus Christ.

4. In the article “Relationship Evangelism” in the Navigator’s 2:7 series the author identifies four attitudes essential to effectively reaching others with the gospel: “1. We must be willing to initiate relationships; 2. We must show the same kind of love and acceptance toward sinners that Jesus displayed; 3. We must be willing to boldly identify with Christ early in a relationship; 4. We must demonstrate dependence on God through persevering prayer.”

The Lamb of God

Our study in the Book of John continues.
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Recap of the November 20th sermon from John 1:29-34:

1. John the Baptist was passionate about pointing people to Jesus Christ. As one writer said, John’s witness “focused on Jesus not himself.”

2.Oswald Chambers expresses the need for a John the Baptist kind of attitude in the following quotation from My Utmost for His Highest: “The tendency is to look for the marvelous in our experience; we mistake the sense of the heroic for being heroes. It is one thing to go through a crisis grandly, but another thing to go through every day glorifying God when there is no witness, no limelight, no one paying the remotest attention to us. If we do not want medieval haloes, we want something that will make people say—What a wonderful man of prayer he is! What a pious devoted woman she is! If you are rightly devoted to the Lord Jesus, you have reached the sublime height where no one ever thinks of noticing you; all that is noticed is that the power of God comes through you all the time. Oh, I have had a wonderful call from God! It takes Almighty God Incarnate in us to do the meanest duty to the glory of God. It takes God’s Spirit in us to make us so absolutely humanly His that we are utterly unnoticeable.”

A First Century "Who's Who"

Our study in the Book of John continues.
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Recap of 11/13/11 (John 1:19-28):


1. In his book Ordering Your Private World, Gordon McDonald asked the question: “Are we driven people or called people?”

2. He lists the following characteristics of drivenness:

-gratified only by accomplishment

-preoccupied with the symbols of accomplishment (status, power, title, pay, etc.)

-uncontrolled pursuit of expansion

-limited regard for integrity (concerned only with the ends not the means)

-limited or undeveloped people skills (uses people instead of developing them)

-highly competitive

-driven by anger/resentment

-usually abnormally busy, a workaholic

-King Saul is the Biblical example of a driven person.

3. He lists the following characteristics of the called person:

-called people understand stewardship (one who manages something for the owner) of our careers, assets, natural and spiritual gifts, health. 1 Corinthians 4:7

-called people know exactly who they are, they do not confuse who they are with what they do.

-called people possess an unwavering sense of purpose

-called people understand unswerving commitment

-peace and joy

-John the Baptist is the Biblical example of a called person.

From Eternity to Here, Part 2

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Recap of the sermon from November 6, 2011:
1. John’s prologue is unique among the Gospels. “One reason why the Gospel of John was symbolized in the ancient church by an eagle is due to the lofty heights attained by its prologue.” (Burge). John begins with a theological prologue because his premise is that we won’t understand Jesus’ teaching and activities without understanding who He is theologically.

2. John’s prologue answers in condensed form the three questions with which John is occupied in the rest of the book: Who is Jesus? What is the evidence? What does it matter? He answers that Jesus is God incarnate who existed before the incarnation and in fact is the Creator. The evidence for who He is is based upon eyewitnesses such as John the Baptist and John the Apostle (among others). It matters who He is because the eternal destiny of every person is dependent upon their response to Jesus. To accept him (believe in Him) is to be made a child of God. As one has said: “Belief in Him affects life and determines destiny.”

3. “So what difference does it make that Jesus is God? It makes all the difference when we consider our sin. God became flesh so that He could take care of sin. He was the only one who could. As fully man, He died on the cross, taking our punishment. As fully divine, He conquered death, and offered the world forgiveness and the promise of eternal life. Only God could do that. Only God did. So what difference does it make that Jesus is God? All the difference in the world.” (Daily Devotional Bible)

From Eternity to Here

A study of the book of John.  Click here to download the sermon.

Recap of the sermon from October 30th:
1. The Gospel of John gives a distinctive portrait of Jesus Christ. Ninety-two to ninety-three percent of the content of the book is unique to John as compared with the synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Dr. Edwin Blum writes: “When one compares the Gospel of John with the other three Gospels, he is struck by the distinctiveness of John’s presentation. John does not include Jesus’ genealogy, birth, baptism, temptation, casting out of demons, parables, transfiguration, instituting of the Lord’s Supper, His agony in Gethsemane, or His Ascension. John’s presentation of Jesus stresses His ministry in Jerusalem, the feast of the Jewish nation, Jesus’ contacts with individuals in private conversations, and His ministry to His disciples.”
2. John’s purpose in writing is seen in the key verses of the book, 20:30,31. Walter M. Dunnett writes: “Thus, John has stated his purpose. In writing the story of Christ, he has sought to bring his readers face to face with this person who by His words and His works confronts men and women with a great decision. From first to last Christ is described as deity (1:1; 20:28). Yet He has come in human form (1:14) so that He might give Himself to bring life to those who sit in the shadow of death (12:23,24). No only did Christ die, but He rose again (chap. 20). As the living Lord, He calls forth the devotion and loyalty of His followers (21:15-19).
3. The outline of the book is as follows:
Prologue 1:1-18
Public teaching and miracles 1:19-12:50
Private teaching 13-17
Passion and Resurrection 18-20
Postlude (or epilogue) 21

The Marks of a Cult

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Recap of the sermon from October 23, 2011 (I John 4:1-6):

The nine marks of a cult (sources: Understanding the Cults by Josh McDowell & Don Stewart; The Four Major Cults by Anthony A. Hoekema):
1. A source of authority other than, or in addition to, the Bible (including new truth or new interpretation of Scripture).
2. Salvation by works, denial of justification by faith.
3. Devaluation of the person of Christ (denying His deity or His humanity).
4. Denial of the Trinity or an inadequate view of the Trinity.
5. The group as the exclusive community of the saved.
6. A strong, charismatic leader.
7. False prophecy.
8. Changing theology and subsequent practices.
9. Deceptive double talk, saying one thing in public and another in private.

Choosing What Is Better

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Recap of the October 16, 2011 sermon (Luke 10:38-42):

1. There are three incidents recorded in Scripture involving Mary of Bethany, sister of Martha and Lazarus. They are found in John 11:17-37; John 12:1-8 (and its parallels in Matthew 26 & Mark 14); and Luke 10:38-42. In each incident we find Mary at Jesus’ feet in devotion to Him.

2. The point of Luke 10:38-42 is that activity for Jesus (life, ministry) must be built upon time with Jesus. As a writer put it to be occupied with Jesus is more important than to be occupied for Jesus. It is a call to a balanced life with right priorities.

3. “The great enemy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the present day is the conception of practical work that has not come from the New Testament, but from the systems of the world in which endless energy and activities are insisted upon, but no private life with God. The emphasis is put on the wrong thing. We have to get rid of the plague of the spirit of the religious age in which we live. In Our Lord’s life there was none of the press and rush of tremendous activity that we regard so highly, and the disciple is to be as his Master.” (Oswald Chambers)

4. Gordon MacDonald, in Ordering Your Private World, put it this way: “If my private world is in order, it will be because I am convinced that the inner world of the spiritual must govern the outer world of activity.”

5. Dr. Stanley Toussaint suggested the following six priorities for the Christian: persons before things; home before occupation; partner before children; children before friends; partner before self; and spiritual before material.

Previews of Coming Events, Part 3

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Recap of the sermon from October 9th (Daniel 12:2-13):

1. In Daniel 12:2 Daniel mentions the resurrection to everlasting life and the resurrection to shame and everlasting contempt. Resurrection refers to the re-animating of a physical body sometime after death and re-uniting it with a person’s spirit. The biblical order of the resurrections is as follows:

-Church-age saints will be raptured and resurrected before the start of the Tribulation (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18; 1 Corinthians 15:51-58)
-Tribulation saints and Old Testaments saints will be resurrected at the second coming following the Tribulation but before the Millennium (Revelation 20:4-6), though some scholars believe Old Testament saints will be resurrected with the church or at the conclusion of the Millennium.
-All unbelievers of every age (Old Testament, Church age, Tribulation) will be resurrected at the end of the Millennium; they will be judged at that time and cast into the Lake of Fire (Revelation 20:5, 11-15). The Bible describes Hell or the Lake of Fire as a place of torment, of darkness, of the complete absence of God and of good, and a place where there will be anguish, despair, weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2. Those who survive the Tribulation period, living Jew and Gentile alike, will face a judgment to determine if they go alive into the Millennium or are cast into Hades (temporary abode of the dead). Living Israelites will be judged on the basis of faith in the Messiah (Ezekiel 20:33-44). Living Gentiles will be judged on the basis of their treatment of the Jews during the Tribulation thus showing their faith or absence of faith (Matthew 25:31-46).

Previews of Coming Events, Part 2

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Recap of October 2, 2011 (Daniel 12:1,2):

1. Daniel is a prophetic book; a revelation of things to come. Prophetic revelation should have the following effect upon us:

2. “Revelation of the future is for encouragement and the development of hope, faith, and love, rather than for speculation. The godly will always find comfort in the revelation of God.” (Willem A. VanGemeren)

3. Dr. Charles C. Ryrie, in his book Basic Theology, writes: “For the believer, the knowledge of prophecy
(a) provides joy in the midst of affliction (2 Corinthians 4:17)
(b) cleanses and encourages holy living (1 John 3:3)
(c) is profitable, like all Scripture, for a number of important needs in the Christian’s life (2 Timothy 3:16,17)
(d) gives facts about life after death (2 Corinthians 5:8)
(e) gives truth about the end of history
(f) gives proof of the reliability of all Scripture, for the number of prophecies that have come to pass precisely as predicted cannot be accounted for by chance but only by God
(g) draws our hearts out in worship to the God Who is in complete control and Who will accomplish His will in history. To slight prophecy is to miss these benefits.”

Previews of Coming Events

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Recap of the September 25th sermon (Daniel 12:1,2):

1. When the persecution of Israel is the fiercest in the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation (called the Great Tribulation) God will send Michael the Archangel (who bears a special relationship to the people of Israel) their champion to deliver them. As one author writes: “When it seems as if their strength will collapse, the kingdom will be established.”

2. At that time living believers will be delivered to enter the Millennial kingdom. Believers who died in the Tribulation will be raised to everlasting life (one of several resurrections which the Scripture speaks of). Unbelievers will also be raised to shame and everlasting contempt at the end of the Millennial Kingdom.

3. Though the body “sleeps,” that is dies, and is buried (death appears as sleep) the soul is immortal, it never dies. At a future time the body and soul will be reunited. This is resurrection. The soul (the immaterial part of man, sometimes called spirit) experiences conscious existence after death either in the presence of God or in the torment. The following Scriptures affirms this truth: Matthew 22:29-33; 2 Corinthians 5:8; Philippians 1:22-24; Luke 23:43; Luke 16:19ff.

4. Some unscriptural views of what happens to the soul at death are: Purgatory, Soul Sleep, and Annihilationism.

Defiance And Defeat

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Recap of the sermon from September 18, 2011 (Daniel 11:36-12:3):

1. “The entire section from Daniel 11:36 to 12:3 constitutes a revelation of the major factors of the time of the end, namely: (1) a world ruler, (2) a world religion, (3) a world war, (4) a time of great tribulation for Israel, (5) deliverance for the people of God at the end of the tribulation [those who become converted after the NT church has been removed by the Rapture at the beginning of the seventieth week], (6) resurrection and judgment, and (7) reward of the righteous. All of these factors are introduced in this section.” (John Walvoord)

2. Daniel 11:36-45 describes the Antichrist of the end times; his character, activities, and demise. He is self-willed with absolute power; he defies God and exalts himself above God abolishing all religion; he deifies himself; through political and religious power he becomes vastly wealthy; he controls the economies of the world; he will be attacked from the South and the North; he will defeat Egypt and her allies and make Palestine his base of operations; he will be defeated by Jesus Christ at His return. His career is catalogued in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-10 and Revelation 13:1-10; 19:20; 20:10.

3. These events all take place during the last three and one-half years of the Tribulation period. The land and people of Israel will be the focal point for the end times wars, the world will be in turmoil and without hope, God’s people [believers of that day, the Church will already have been raptured out] will be persecuted and be without hope except in the Lord. God will intervene to deliver them and those killed in the persecution will be resurrected at the end of the Tribulation.

4. The lesson for believers of all era (Old Testament, Church Age, Tribulation) is as expressed by Warren Wiersbe: “No matter what kind of affliction or tribulation God permits you to experience, He is still in control.”

The Greatest Threat

The study in Daniel continues in Chapter 11. Click here to download the sermon which is about 47 minutes in length.

Recap of the sermon from September 11, 2011 (Daniel 11:21-35):

1. Some purposes of suffering:
-to strengthen our faith, James 1:2
-to demonstrate that our faith is genuine, 1 Peter 1:6,7
-to remind us of eternity and of our dependence upon God
-to make us more human, more vulnerable and compassionate toward others
-to spread the gospel
-to show that Satan’s worst won’t stop God
-to unite us with Christ, identifying with Him, growing in intimacy with Him

2. How to deal with our suffering?
-know that God will use it for good, Romans 8:28
-seek good uses, seek to glorify God and draw unbelievers to Christ, learn compassion for others, learn to depend upon God and grow in faith
-get support, through prayer and Bible reading, through fellowship with other believers
-don’t rationalize; don’t make up reasons why God allowed the suffering
-focus on good; be thankful for the good people and things in your life; praise God for them
(credit for the above to: A Compact Guide to the Christian Life by K.C. Hinckley)
3. Scripture to meditate on in the midst of trials: Isaiah 26:3; 41:10; 43:1-3; 43:5; Psalm 31:14-15a

Who's in Charge?

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Guest speaker Marvin Wood asks the question, Who's in Charge?

Troubling Times for God's People

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A recap of the August 28th sermon from Daniel 11:2-20:

1. Dr. Merrill F. Unger writes about Daniel chapter 11: “This marvelous pre-writing of history by the Spirit of prophecy through Daniel of the 6th century B.C. seems impossible to rationalistic critics and is the chief reason for the rejection of the genuineness of the book of Daniel. History has minutely verified these prophecies fulfilled by Persian kings, 2; Alexander the Great, 3-4; the Ptolemies of Egypt, 5, ‘the king of the South’ and the Seleucids of Syria, ‘the king of the North’, 6-35. Even the Romans, 30…”

2. Daniel is writing in approximately 536.B.C. and records events, Kings, and Kingdoms that would not come into existence for several hundred more years. J. Vernon McGee writes of this passage: “The prophecy of this chapter is so detailed and so accurate that the liberal critic will not accept the fact that it was written before it happened. He insists that Daniel’s prophecy was written after it had become history.” “Obviously, this chapter before us is one of the most remarkable passages of pre-written history in the Word of God, and conservative scholarship can sustain the early date of Daniel. This means that you have a miracle on your hands.”

3. Though these prophecies concern the people of Israel and the nations around her, we can make several applications for Christians today:

-Fulfilled prophecy should give us the utmost confidence in the accuracy and reliability of the Word of God. We can trust our lives to God’s Word, the Bible.

-God in His sovereignty sets up one ruler and puts down another according to His purposes.

-God’s plans always succeed

-God cares for His people and will deliver them in the midst of difficulties.

The Invisible War, Part 3

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Recap of the sermon from August 21st (Daniel 10:14-11:1):

1. Daniel 10 is a fascinating look at spiritual warfare in action. As one writer puts it: “This report [of the angel concerning the delay in answering Daniel’s prayer] gave Daniel some insight into the unseen spiritual battles going on in this world.”

2. The Bible teaches the following about spiritual warfare:
-Demons are fallen angels who joined in Satan’s rebellion against God, who have great intelligence and power. They promote Satan’s agenda in this world.
-They are spirit beings, however, they are not omnipresent (they can only be in one place at a time), nor are they omniscient (they are not all-knowing). Their effectiveness is due to their long existence and their observations of humans in all kinds of situations.

3. Dr. Charles Ryrie categorizes the work of demons as follows:
-they promote a system of false doctrine (teaching) that includes salvation by good works, denial of the deity or humanity of Jesus Christ, is deceptive (can promote evil or good to accomplish their purposes, 2 Corinthians 11:13-15)
-they promote destruction of men’s bodies and/or minds, they promote moral impurity, they will torment humans physically in the Tribulation (Revelation 9:11)
-they delude the nations (Daniel 1013,20; Revelation 16:13-14,16)

4. The believer’s defense against Satan and his demons is as follows:
-don’t take Satan lightly, Jude 8,9
-be alert to Satan’s attacks, 1 Peter 5:8 (but see 2 Chronicles 16:9)
-use the armor of God, Ephesians 6:11-18, especially prepared by knowledge of the Word of God and prayer
-flee sexual situations, Genesis 39, 2 Timothy 2:22
-make no provision for the sin nature, Romans 13:14
-be careful about attitudes toward sin (especially repetitive sin), toward your mate, secret sin, the things slipping into your language, actions, thought life.

The Invisible War, Part 2

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Recap of August 14th sermon from Daniel 10:9-13:

1. When we become active for the Lord, especially in prayer, we energize the enemy. Speaking of Daniel 10, Dr. Gleason Archer writes: “These verses give us a fascinating insight into the supernatural forces involved when a believer engages in protracted and earnest prayer.” “…mighty forces are unleashed when we really devote ourselves to intercession before the throne of grace.”

2. Daniel was called “highly esteemed” in 10:11 (see also 9:23; 10:19). Literally, Daniel was precious to God. This description showed how much God loves and cares for His own. We who are on the other side of the cross should understand God’s great love and care for us even greater than Daniel did. Do we take God’s love for granted? Do we take our position for granted? Sometimes trials can cloud God’s love and care for us making us question that love.

3. The other side of the coin is that Daniel was wholly committed to God. He held back nothing.

The Invisible War

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Recap of 8/7/11 (Daniel 10:1-9)

1. J. Vernon McGee said of Daniel 10, “We are moving into a very eerie section. Maybe you would call it weird or strange. The veil of the spiritual world is partially and momentarily pulled aside, and we get a look into the unseen world. There is nothing here to satisfy the morbid curiosity of an idle spectator. However, there is enough to produce a beneficial and sobering effect upon the humble believer similar to the effect that it produced upon Daniel.”

2. The background to Daniel 10-12, the last vision of the book, is as follows. The Jewish exiles had begun to return to Jerusalem, the exile was ending, the Temple was being rebuilt, and it seemed that at last Israel might be in the land in peace. The year of the vision is 536 B.C. Daniel’s vision, however, is not a vision of peace but a vision of war, of suffering, of persecution, of testing and crisis for Israel. This prompts Daniel to mourn, to fast, and to pray for clarification.

3. Daniel has a vision of an angelic visitor. All his companions fled leaving Daniel alone with the angel. God often moves in our lives to remove the props which unwittingly get in the way of our hearing Him. He separates us from the familiar, the routine, the comfortable to have our complete attention. He uses that alone time with us to give us a fresh vision of Himself, to renew our commitment to Him first. Often other people and circumstances (not bad in themselves) serve to distance us from really knowing God.

4. The first casualty of that aloneness was Daniel’s strength. As Matthew Henry said: “Before God gives strength and power to His people he makes them aware of their own weakness.”

A Disturbing Vision of the Future

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Recap of 7/31/11 (Daniel 9:27-10:1)

1. Daniel 9:27 describes the seven years called Daniel’s 70th week or in other places in Scripture, the Tribulation. Sometime after the rapture and resurrection of the church (1 Corinthians 15:51ff; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18) Israel will sign a peace pact with the Antichrist (called the “little horn” in Daniel 7:8). In the middle of the seven years the Antichrist will break his covenant with Israel by putting an image in the Temple (called the Abomination which causes desolation), putting an end to the sacrificial system and organized worship. He will receive worship (2 Thessalonians 2:4; Revelation 11:1,2; 13:8). Jesus, in Matthew 24:15,29,30, places these events of Daniel 9:27 at the time of His second coming.

2. The Antichrist will come to the end appointed him by God, being cast into the Lake of Fire along with the False Prophet (Revelation 19:20). “Men are free to make decisions and even rebel against God if they want to, but He will accomplish His purposes in the world. With confidence you can pray, ‘Thy Kingdom come!’” (Warren Wiersbe)

3. Just as the events of the first 69 weeks (483 years) of Daniel 9 were fulfilled completely so we would expect that the 70th week (7 years) will be also.

4. Daniel 10 introduces the last prophecy of the book of Daniel which will cover chapters 10-12. It unveils a fascinating and sober view of the warfare that is going on all the time in the realm of the spiritual (the realm that is real though beyond our five senses).

A Glimpse of the Future, Part 2

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Recap of the sermon from July 24th (Daniel 9:24-27):


1. Daniel’s understanding that the Babylonian exile of Israel was about to end caused him to ask several questions: What would happen after that? What about the Messiah and the Kingdom? How and when would God’s promises (Abrahamic, Palestinian, and Davidic Covenants) be fulfilled? What about the people of Israel, the city of Jerusalem and the Temple? God sends the angel Gabriel to give Daniel a panoramic view of the future of Israel. In Exploring the Old Testament, the author writes: “God told Daniel through the angel Gabriel that it would be seventy weeks of years [490 years] before God would remove all sin, bring in everlasting righteousness, anoint the holy temple, and fulfill all prophecy (9:24). During this period, Jerusalem would be rebuilt, the anointed Messiah would come and be cut off, and then the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed, and the people would undergo great persecution and war (9:25,26). In the middle of the last week of years all worship at the temple would be halted. But by the end of that week, the one who desolated and persecuted the people of God would be defeated.”

2. To understand this passage it is essential to understand verse 24. This passage specifically concerns Daniel’s people and the city of Jerusalem. J. Dwight Pentecost writes: “This prophecy, then, is concerned not with world history or church history, but with the history of Israel and the city of Jerusalem.”

3. This passage predicts the coming of Messiah (and His rejection and death) some 483 years from the issuing of the decree to restore and rebuild Jerusalem by Artaxerxes (Nehemiah 2:1-8) in 445-444 B.C. Thus the Kingdom would be delayed.

4. Daniel 9:27 contemplates the Seventh week of Daniel, also called the Tribulation. The seven years begins with the signing of a peace treaty between Israel and the Antichrist. All throughout Israel’s history they had a tendency to trust in earthly alliances instead of in the Lord. We are not unlike Israel in this area. As several writers expressed it. “How prone we are to choose earthly alliances, confederacies of the world and the flesh, instead of God’s gentle way.” ”We recite: ‘Some trust in chariots and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the Lord our God,’ we boast that our God is able to deliver us; but in an emergency we go to Egypt for help….It ought to embarrass us to ask help from this world.” By nature it is easier for people to trust limited human resources than God’s inexhaustible supply….are you trusting others to do what only God can—and will—do on your behalf?”

A Glimpse of the Future

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Recap of 7/17/11 (Daniel 9: 20-24)

1. Daniel had a habit of prayer, especially at the times of the morning and evening sacrifices which Israel would have been observing had they still been in the land. Though they were in exile in Babylon (and Jerusalem and the Temple were destroyed at this time) Daniel still observed these as appropriate times for adoration, praise, and prayer requests. Worship for Daniel was a thing of the heart, not just going through the motions. God’s repeated accusation against His people is that they just went through the motions of worship, without a heart commitment (See Malachi 1 for example).

2. The issue of Israel’s restoration to the land, but more importantly restoration to the Lord, was so important to Daniel that he took an extended time in prayer. God rewarded his diligence by sending the angel Gabriel to give him the answer to his prayer. In the words of Dr. Ronald Gibson, “Some of the deep things of God only come with an investment of time.” Yet so often in our lives we do not give spiritual issues sufficient time, we are too busy with so many things. We can be so busy that we lose our way spiritually. Again, Dr. Gibson warns against what he called “the danger of the barrenness of busyness in God’s work.” We can even substitute business in God’s work for building intimacy with Him.

3. Dr. James M. Gray (early leader of Moody Bible Institute for over 30 years) said this about this passage: “What mystery is shrouded in these verses! The nearness of heaven, the interest of God in the petition of His people, the nature and ministry of angels, the divine estimate of the saints, who can fathom these things?”

A Model for Prayer, Part 3

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Recap of 7/10/11 (Daniel 9: 4-19)

1. Daniel was well practiced in prayer; according to Daniel 6:10 it was his practice to pray three times a day. Because of this he was prepared for this moment in his life. The Daily Walk Bible asks this question: “How well do you pray ‘on the spot?’ Have you learned through practice and persistence to communicate often and long with your heavenly Father? Standing side by side with Daniel’s confidence in God was his communication with God. The two are inseparable, for to trust God is to talk to Him, and to talk to God is to trust Him all the more. We must be practiced in prayer so that we are ready for prayer in times of confusion, doubt, trial, discipline.

2. Daniel’s prayer, by the numbers:
-4 Parts (Adoration, Confession, Acknowledgment of God’s rightness in His actions, Request)
-4 Themes from Evangelical Commentary on the Bible: (Israel’s rebellion against God, the Law, and the Prophets; God’s righteousness, especially in judgment; the Fulfillment of the Curses of the Law – Deuteronomy 28:1,15,49,64; and Hope in God’s grace and mercy) (Evangelical Commentary on the Bible)
-4 Predications (1. That God forgives and restores—if He didn’t Daniel would have no reason to pray; 2. He and Israel are in a relationship with God; 3. God is a merciful God; and 4. His concern that the world would take God seriously, His name and reputation would be restored.)
-3 Contrasts (God is righteous, the people are sinful; God is merciful, the people are rebellious; Contrast between God’s law and the lawlessness of the people).

3. “Daniel realized he could not urge on God any merit of His nation for they had forfeited all claim to divine mercy. They lacked any ground of merit on which to beg God’s favor. The only basis for Daniel’s approach to God was his earnest desire for the Lord to glorify Himself by displaying the riches of His mercy and grace in pardoning and restoring His guilty but repentant people.” (Dr Gleason Archer)

A Model for Prayer, Part 2

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Recap of 7/3/11 (Daniel 9:3,4)

1. Prayer energizes our work, our worship, and our walk (for example, prayer is an essential part of the abiding life of fruitfulness spoken of by Jesus in John 15).

2. Biblical prayer is relationship-oriented, not results-oriented. God is our Father and wants us to come to Him with our needs, joys, weaknesses, hurts, etc.

3. Eugene Peterson describes prayer as “the means by which we get everything out in the open before God.” He teaches about prayer that we should:

-pray our tears (prayer for that which makes us cry, keeps the balance between self-pity and suppressing our emotions)

-pray our doubt (Doubt is not sin. It is an essential element in belief. No mature faith avoids or denies doubt. Doubt forces faith to bedrock.)

-pray our death (Psalm 90:10,12 – death is inevitable, we must seek God’s help to live wisely and live well)

-pray our praise

-pray our sin (we must confess not just individual sins, but the tendency to want our own way, the demand to our right to ourselves, the tendency to go away from God)

-pray our fear (“The world is a dangerous place. Prayer brings fear into focus and faces it and affirms God’s presence in it.”)

-pray our hate (“Prayer, we think, means presenting ourselves before God so that he will be pleased with us. We put on our ‘Sunday best’ in our prayers. But when we pray the prayers of God’s people, the Psalms, we find that will not do. We must pray who we actually are, not who we think we should be.”)

-pray the Scriptures (turn God’s Word into prayer)

-pray for our enemies

A Model for Prayer

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Recap of the June 26th sermon (Daniel 9:1,2):

1. One writer said the following about Daniel 9: “This is another one of those remarkable chapters in Scripture. Dr. Philip Newell evaluates it, ‘The greatest chapter in the book and one of the greatest chapters of the entire Bible.’ The double theme is prayer and prophecy. If one were to choose the ten greatest chapters of the Bible on the subject of prayer, this chapter would be included on any list. If the ten most important chapters on prophecy were chosen, this chapter would be included on any list.” (J. Vernon McGee)

2. Daniel was a student of Scripture. While studying the prophecy of Jeremiah he came to understand that the exile of the people of Israel would last 70 years. This meant that the termination of the exile (and thus God’s discipline upon His people) was at hand. This prompts Daniel to pray.

3. Prayer and the reading/study of Scripture should go together. Too often we separate them into two separate things. We read the word and then pray our list. Or we read and study Scripture for teaching or Bible study but don’t see its connection to prayer. A lot of teaching on prayer encourages that kind of division. But what if before praying our list we prayed the Scripture? We could read and mark our Bible using our Bible reading schedule, and then pray back to God what He is teaching us. Or another way to do that is to pray our “Season of Life.” For example: if we are going through a time of trial we could read Job or Psalms and pray what we learn back to God; or if a time of restlessness, we could read Ecclesiastes and pray back to God what we learn there; or if we are wondering what service we should be involved in, we could read the Gospel of Mark (where Jesus is portrayed as the Servant in action) and pray back to God the things we see there; or if we must make an important decision we could read and pray back the Proverbs (especially chapter 16) or Romans 12:1,2. Whatever our Season, we search Scripture and pray it back to God.

The Storm Before the Calm

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Recap of the sermon from June 19, 2011 (Daniel 8:1-27)

1. Daniel 8 records another of Daniel’s visions concerning kingdoms, kings, and events future to the time in which Daniel is living. The vision occurred in 551 B.C. but foresaw events which wouldn’t occur ‘til hundreds of years later.

2. Fulfilled prophecy is one of the six evidences for the reliability of the Bible (the others being: Unity and consistency; Archaeology; Canonicity; Transmission of the text; and Self-testimony).

3. Hank Hannegraf in Defense of the Faith writes: “The Bible records predictions of events that could not be known or predicted by chance or common sense.” “Careful research affirms the predictive accuracy of the Bible. For example, the book of Daniel (written before 530 B.C.) accurately predicts the progression of kingdoms from Babylon through the Medo-persian Empire, the Greek Empire, and then the Roman Empire, culminating in the persecution and suffering of the Jews under Antiochus IV Epiphanes, his desecration of the temple, his untimely death, and freedom for the Jews under Judas Maccabeus (165 B.C.).” “It is statistically preposterous that any or all of the Bible’s specific, detailed prophecies could have been fulfilled through chance, good guessing, or deliberate deceit.” “Clearly, statistical probability concerning biblical prophecy is a powerful indicator of the trustworthiness of Scripture.”

4. Daniel 8 concerns the coming Medo-Persian regime which would conquer Babylon, which would then by conquered by Alexander the Great and the Greeks. Alexander would die young and his kingdom would be divided into four parts. Out of one of the four would come a wicked leader, Antiochus IV Epiphanes, who would mercilessly persecute the Jews, desecrate the Temple with pigs’ blood and an idol of Zeus, and prevent the practice of Judaism. He would be cut off by God. Once again, as in the personal section of the book in chapters one through six, God’s people are delivered out of life threatening situations.

Everything Is Under Control

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Recap of 6/12/11 (Daniel 7:1-28)

1. Chapter seven begins the second division of the book of Daniel. Chapters one through six were personal in nature recounting the tests of faith endured by Daniel and his three friends, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah. Chapters seven through twelve are prophetic concerned with dreams and visions pertaining to God’s people Israel and their future persecution and triumph through Messiah.

2. As in Chapter two, four world empires are predicted which would subjugate Israel: Babylon, the lion with wings (head of gold of Dan. 2); Medo-Persia, the bear (arms and chest of silver of Dan. 2); Greece, the leopard (belly and thighs of bronze of Dan. 2); and Rome, the ten-horned beast (the legs and feet of iron and iron and clay mixed of Dan. 2). “There has never been a world empire since. Napoleon tried it; he failed. The Kaiser tried it; he failed. So did Hitler, but in vain” (Halley’s Bible Handbook). In chapter two these kingdoms are seen as shiny metal, a human point of view, but in chapter seven, they are seen as ravenous, selfish, destructive, vicious beasts.

3. These four kingdoms would be conquered by a fifth, the Millennial Kingdom of God after which His eternal kingdom would commence.

4. After the vision of the beasts in 7:1-8, God grants Daniel a reprieve from the terror of the beast, as God gives him a vision of heaven and of God’s ultimate control over the events of earth. Often we as Christians are too focused on the events of earth (political, economic, etc.). We must look to heaven to get perspective. We need to be reminded that there is a God in Heaven Who is sovereign, eternal, and in control of the events of men and nations. Without God’s perspective we will inevitably fight the wrong battles personally, politically, and spiritually.

5. Three questions for us from Daniel 7: are we focused on Heaven or on earth; are we more concerned with protecting our investments or investing in God’s program (Mt. 28:19,20); are we willing to endure in faith for God’s sake even when it seems we are losing (Habakkuk 3) knowing that He is faith to His promises (2 Tim. 1:12)?

The Lion Tamer

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Recap of the sermon from June 5, 2011 (Daniel 6:1-28)

1. Daniel 6 teaches us that when it is as bad as it can get, it’s not too bad for God to handle.

2. After God delivers Daniel from the mouths of the lions, Darius issues a proclamation with four emphases:

-Daniel’s God is a living God (in contrast to the dead idols of the pagans)

-God’s rule is indestructible and eternal (in contrast to human kingdoms which are temporal)

-God delivers His people strengthening their faith in Him. “…He intervenes in people’s affairs and delivers those who trust Him” (J. Dwight Pentecost).

-“God miraculously delivers His people, with wonders in heaven and on earth” (Gleason Archer, Jr.). “He works by miraculous power to perform His will’ (J. Dwight Pentecost)

3. Daniel 6 is:

-a call to live by faith, to live a committed life whatever the cost

-a call to trust in the power of God

-a call to live without fear, with courage

-a call to recognize we are in a vicious spiritual warfare

The First Sin (Continued)

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1. Following his ordeal from the hand of God to teach him (and God’s people) of God’s sovereignty over the affairs of mankind, Nebuchadnezzar praises the God of the Hebrews. “Perhaps Nebuchadnezzar was beginning to realize that only by submitting to God’s program and entering into fellowship with Him could his own life find true meaning.” (Gleason Archer)


2. New Testament warnings about pride (especially the Book of James); the one who is proud:

-thinks that they will last forever, that they are in absolute control of their fate

-trusts in their riches, skill, and strength without acknowledging God

-is an angry person, easily slighted, unforgiving of the failings of others

-has contempt for other people, especially not of their standing

-thinks of themselves first (others are in the way)

-boasts about themselves (though pride can exhibit itself in an “I am nothing” attitude)

-is energized by Satan whose sin was pride

-is double-minded

-thinks that they alone are responsible for what they are and have

-doesn’t recognize their own short-comings

3. Belshazzar of Daniel 5 was unknown in secular history and critics denied his existence (and thus Biblical accuracy). But as Edward Young states: “The fifth chapter of Daniel, although it has often been attacked as inaccurate in its statements, is nevertheless noteworthy for its accuracy….However, the name of the king…had been found upon cuneiform tables, and there can be no question about his historicity. The Bible is thus shown to be accurate in its mention of Belshazzar.”

The Oldest Sin

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Recap of of the May 22nd sermon from Daniel 4:1-33:

1. Chapters 4 and 5 of Daniel both deal with the sin of pride. Each one had different ways it was exhibited, but in both cases God dealt with it to humble King Nebuchadnezzar and King Belshazzar.

2. God was demonstrating to the nation of Israel that, though they were exiled to Babylon, He was still sovereign over the Kings and Kingdoms of the Earth, no matter their greatness or their victories, and that He would one day deliver them.

3. Nebuchadnezzar’s praise for God bookends chapter four. It begins with his proclamation that the God of Heaven was indeed sovereign over all men, proceeds to explain how he came to that conclusion, and ends with his acknowledgment of God.

4. Verse 17 is the heart of the passage in which it is explained that mankind must learn (especially Nebuchadnezzar) that God is sovereign over the kingdoms of men and gives them to whomever He wishes.

5. Daniel interprets the dream which troubled Nebuchadnezzar and identifies him as a tree which filled the whole earth, whose fruit fed the people of the earth, and whose branches sheltered them. The tree then is cut down, with only the stump left. Nebuchadnezzar himself would be given the mind of an animal and for seven years live as a beast of the field. After that time, when he acknowledged God’s sovereignty, he would be restored to power.

If You Can't Stand the Heat...

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Recap of the sermon from May 15, 2011 (Daniel 3:1-30)


1. Instead of humbling himself before the God of Daniel who gave Daniel the knowledge of the king’s dream as well as the interpretation in Daniel 2, Nebuchadnezzar exalts himself. As with many others, he turns away from God’s revelation and enlightenment and instead of bowing to the God of Heaven, he builds a golden image to which others must bow in obeisance to him. The image of gold he had made was a response to his dream in which he was the head of gold.

2. Nebuchadnezzar’s purpose in exacting this worship was so that he might be glorifies, that his gods might be honored, and that the peoples of his kingdom would be politically unified under him.

3. When the music was played, under penalty of death, all complied in bowing down to the image except Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, the three Hebrews. As Gleason Archer writes, “For them the will and glory of YHWH [Jehovah] meant more than fame, position, or security. Loving Him with all their heart, they were ready to lay down their lives for Him.” Their enemies among the Babylonians took their action as an occasion to gain political advantage over them. Given an second chance to comply by the King they refuse. They would not sin against God in that way.

4. The three Hebrews express such confidence and faith in God. God could, if He desired, deliver them from the flames, but if not they would trust Him. God could deliver from death or through death. Job 1:21; 2:9,10; 13:15; Isaiah 41:10; 43:2; Hebrews 13:5,6.

5. In the midst of the fire they are joined by the pre-incarnate Christ, even as in our trials God is with us in a special way and reveals Himself in new ways. “As Jesus was with the three Hebrews in the midst of the trial, He is with you and me today as we go through our trials. God is able to keep His children, even in the fiery furnace, and He is able to bring them out of it. We simply do not trust the Lord like we should—we do not have the faith of these three Hebrew children.” (J. Vernon McGee)

Between a Rock and a Hard Place, Part 2

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Recap of the sermon from May 8, 2011 (Daniel 2:24-49)
1. God reveals to Daniel the King’s dream and its’ interpretation. Daniel, throughout chapter two, credits the God of Heaven - not himself - with the revelation. He uses this circumstance as an opportunity to glorify God and witness to His reality and power.

2. “Humans are prone to swell with pride over their growing understanding of nature and its laws, when only by God’s gifts do they achieve anything. Moreover even the cleverest minds will never understand certain areas of mystery and foreknowledge—namely, ‘the deep and hidden things’ and that which ‘lies in darkness.’ The bafflement of the pagan wise men in Nebuchadnezzar’s court illustrates this. All their knowledge could not deliver them from imminent death. So the great existential questions of life and death continue to be insoluble to the worldly wise. Without divine revelation, there is only conjecture and subjective opinion. Only in Yahweh, the God of Scripture, is ultimate truth to be found: light dwells with Him.’” (Willem A. VanGemeren) (cp. 1 Corinthians 1:18-31)

3. The king’s dream centered around an image with a head of gold (Babylonian Empire); a chest and arms of silver (Medo-Persian Empire); belly and thighs of bronze (Grecian Empire); and legs of iron with feet of iron mixed with baked clay (the Roman Empire).

4. The empires of the world would be crushed by a rock uncut by human hands, which fills the whole earth (the Messiah of Israel, Psalms 2:7-9; 118:22; Isaiah 8:14; 28:16). This rock, the Messiah, would set up an eternal kingdom.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place

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Recap of the sermon from May 1st (Daniel 2:1-23)

1. “Though we never read of Daniel preaching a sermon, that’s precisely what he did with his life—in the choices he made, the wisdom he demonstrated, the priority that he gave to prayer, and the diligence he demonstrated toward every task set before him.” (Wilkinson)

2. Two things stand out about Daniel in the Bible and are illustrated in Daniel chapter two. Daniel was a man of wisdom (Ezekiel 28:3) and a man of prayer.

3. Daniel’s response to this challenging circumstance in his life is an illustration to us of how to deal with the challenges we face (even life and death challenges)

-He didn’t panic, he knows that God is able to handle the situation, so he responds with wisdom and does what he can humanly do, leaving room for God to work

-He didn’t try to handle the situation alone; he enlisted the aid of other believers (Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah)

-He prayed for God to provide a solution for the situation

-He took time to praise God for the answer, to thank Him

-He uses the situation as an opportunity to witness to God’s power

No Stone, No Body, No Nonsense

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Recap of the sermon from April 24th:  (Luke 24:1-12)


1. “The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. Without it the believer has no hope for this life or for the life to come. The apostle Paul wrote, ‘And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain’ (1 Cor. 15:17). Our belief in this great teaching is not based upon some religious feeling or upon an unfounded idea about what may have happened in the past. Nor are we talking about an isolated rumor, but about an historical fact with solid evidence to support it.” (Author unknown)

2. Luke was a careful historian who piled evidence upon evidence, verse upon verse, concerning the truth of Jesus’ resurrection. Sir William Mitchell Ramsey, a Scottish archaeologist and New Testament scholar said this about Luke’s scholarship and reliability: “You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian’s and they stand the keenest scrutiny and the hardest treatment.” “The author of Acts [and thereby of the Gospel of Luke] is not to be regarded as the author of historical romance, legend, or third- or second-rate history. Rather he is the writer of an historical work of the highest order.” This is significant because Ramsay began as a skeptic concerning the historical value and truthfulness of the New Testament.

3. Some of the evidences of the resurrection that Luke alludes to in Luke 24:1-12 are: the skepticism of the disciples; the change in worship from Saturday to Sunday; the removal of the stone in light of soldiers presence and a seal on the stone; the empty tomb; the women as the first to be told of the resurrection; the presence of and orderly arrangement of the grave clothes; and the changed lives of the apostles, from a dispirited, fearful group to those who just 50 days later were boldly proclaiming the gospel including the resurrection in Jerusalem.

Daring to Stand for Godly Values, Part 2

Click here to download the sermon file, a continuation in the study of Daniel and 40 minutes in duration.

Recap of the sermon from April 17th, 2011 (Daniel 1:8-21):

1. “At the very beginning of their career in a three-year program, the young Yahweh worshippers were faced with a clear cut issue of obedience and faith. They were doubtless subjected to intense social pressure from their classmates and teachers to do what everyone else was doing. They might have argued with themselves about the apparent folly of letting a ceremonial quibble destroy their chances of attaining high positions in the government. Should they not accept the royal diet and thus avoid giving needless offense to their classmates or to the officials of the king himself? Worldly wisdom pointed in that direction.” (Dr. Gleason L. Archer, Jr.)

2. Daniel and his three friends (apparently alone out of all the Hebrews in the program) were more concerned with pleasing God than pleasing earthly rulers. Thus they refused to defile themselves with the king’s food and drink. The issue was not vegetables versus meat. Though not all meat was prohibited by the Mosaic Law, the meat served them would no doubt have first been sacrificed to the pagan gods of Babylon. Thus the food, though not unclean in itself, would have been made unclean by its use in pagan ritual. Daniel and his friends were determined to be obedient to God in all they did, to please Him above all.

3. Daniel’s response to this challenge to godliness in his life was to respectfully propose an alternative. They would eat vegetables and grains for ten days and have their progress evaluated. The test was so successful that they were allowed to continue. At the end of three years they were tested and Daniel and his friends were found to be the best of the best. God blesses those who honor Him. Daniel himself held high government offices under four different rulers in three different kingdoms

Daring to Stand for Godly Values

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Recap of the sermon from April 10th; reference Daniel 1:1-7:

1. “[Daniel] is one of the few well-known Bible characters about whom nothing negative is ever written. His life was characterized by faith, prayer, courage, consistency, and lack of compromise.” (DWB)

2. God uses people—often in places and circumstances they don’t want to be. Some biblical examples are Joseph, Esther, Moses, and Daniel. As Warren Wiersbe writes: “Don’t complain about the place where God puts you. Ask Him to use you while you are there.” Wherever and in whatever circumstances we find ourselves we must ask what God’s purpose is and seek to be a witness to His name.

3. Daniel found himself in Babylon because God delivered the Hebrews into the hands of heathen leader Nebuchadnezzar. God’s people had turned away from Him. They turned instead to idolatry, apostasy, and immorality. In accordance with the blessings (for obedience) and cursings (for disobedience) in the Mosaic Law, God had to discipline His people (Deuteronomy 28, especially vv. 49-68). Though we are not under the Law, God still disciplines His people today (Hebrews 12:4-11).

4. Daniel and his three friends are given new names to reflect their new circumstances. Where formerly their names reflected their commitment to the God of Israel, their new names reflected the false gods of the Babylonians. They are enrolled in a three year course of study in Babylonian language, learning and culture with a view to assimilating them into Babylonian culture.

Daring to Stand When Standing is Uncomfortable

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We are beginning a new study on the book (and the life) of Daniel. 
Today's sermon comes from Daniel 1:1-21 and is entitled "Daring to Stand When Standing is Uncomfortable".  The duration of today's message is about 35 minutes.

A recap of the sermon from April 3rd (Daniel intro.):

1. The following quotes capture the essence of the man Daniel, namesake of the Book of Daniel:

-“When you read about Daniel, you meet a man of God who was faithful to the Lord and glorified Him in the enemy’s land.” (Warren Wiersbe)

-“Dare to be a Daniel is more than a gospel song. It is a timeless challenge for each new generation intent on being God’s ‘change agents’ wherever He might send them. You may never see the inside of a kingly castle (or lion’s den), but you can be sure your life will be full of excitement and challenge.” (the Daily Walk Bible)

2. Daniel lived, served, and wrote about the time of the exile when the Israelites were in exile in Babylon. He was probably 16 or 17 at the time of the beginning events in the book. Daniel was called a prophet by Jesus in Matthew 24:15 and is mentioned in the Book of Ezekiel along with Noah and Job (14:14,20) calling him righteous; and wise (28:3). Throughout his life he was uncompromising and faithful to God. He was a role model for the exiles.

3. The Book of Daniel is valuable in helping us to answer:

-how do I live in a pagan post-Christian society?

-is God in control over nations and peoples?

-is God faithful even to his disobedient children?

-what is God’s program for the Gentile nations and for His people Israel?

-what is the place and value of prayer?

Life in Tandem

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Recap of the sermon from March 27, 2011 (Ephesians 6:18-24)

1. “Even in his imprisonment Paul was not thinking primarily of his own welfare but of his testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Alfred Martin)

2. Why we need each other in the Body of Christ:

-Christian maturity cannot be achieved alone.

-Our most effective witness is our love for one-another.

-We need each other’s gifts to accomplish the work God has set before the church.

-To keep us on the right path (our perceptions, ideas, attitudes, beliefs)

-We need the ministry of other believers to us, such as: prayer, encouragement, material provision.

3. Qualities of friendship (from The Daily Walk Bible):

-Am I someone with whom others can share their deepest hurts?

-Am I someone who will listen without lecturing, comfort without condemning, encourage without criticizing?

-Am I someone who will defend others when they are not around?

-Am I someone whose greatest joy comes from other’s happiness?

-Am I someone who watches out for other’s well-being, even at the cost of my own?

-Am I someone who grieves when others are grieved, rejoices when others are promoted, bleeds when others are wounded?

-Am I someone who accepts others failings, who accepts them “warts” and all?

A Call To Arms, Part 5

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A Call To Arms, Part 4

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Recap of the sermon from Sunday, March 13, 2011 (Ephesians 6:12-14)

--Spiritual Warfare quiz (answers next week):

1. How many books of the Old Testament teach the reality of Satan? A.5 B.7 C.12 D.none

2. What are the central passages in the Bible concerning the origin and fall of Satan? ___

3. Satan is a created being? T or F

4. Of the 29 passages in the Gospels that speak of Satan, how many are from the mouth of Jesus? ___

5. How many of the New Testament authors affirm Satan’s existence and activity? ______

6. The two passages which illustrate Satan’s strategies and scheming are? _______ & _______

--Five Biblical observations from Ephesians 6:12

1. There is personal evil in the world

2. There are ranks of Satanic forces

3. Their activities are in the heavenly realms (the unseen spirit world).

4. We face more than only the temptations of the flesh; demons instigate people to do evil.

5. Satan is effective in what he does because of these well organized Satanic ranks (along with their long experience with humankind.

--Paul’s call to believers is to stand in God’s strength, that is, in His truth, His righteousness, His peace, His salvation, His faith, using His Word.

A Call To Arms, Part 3

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Recap of the sermon from March 6, 2011 (Ephesians 6:10-11)

1. Paul warned believers to be aware of Satan’s schemes (his strategies, trickery, subtleties, 6:11).

2. Genesis 3:1ff is a great Old Testament illustration of Satan’s craftiness. Through subtly questioning God’s word, misquoting God’s word and denying God’s word he leads Eve (followed by Adam) into disobeying God thus bringing the “fall” into creation.

3. Dr. Allen Ross identifies three characteristics of Satan’s work in this passage:

-Temptation comes in unexpected way (Satan came in the form of a serpent) - (he comes to believers as an angel of light, his demons come as ministers of righteousness, 2 Cor. 11)

-“Eve didn’t know the Word of God well or didn’t want to remember it.” She “disparaged the privileges,” added to the prohibition,” and “weakened the penalty.”

-Satan promises self-fulfillment, divinity (he promised they would be like God, usurping His place in their lives

4. “Satan is a master at taking the blessings of God and turning them into something that brings a curse instead. If given the chance, he’ll convince you to seek the pleasures of sex outside the bonds of marriage…to exchange the worship of the Creator for the worship of the creation…to substitute what is convenient for what is obedient. The temptation will be cunning, the promise inviting. But as Adam and Eve discovered, the painful consequences will far outweigh the temporary pleasures.” (The Daily Walk Bible, p. 4)

A Call To Arms, Part 2

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Recap of February 27, 2011 (Ephesians 6:10-11)

1. “If one accepts the Scriptures as revelation from God, rather than merely a record of man’s thoughts about God, then the reality of Satan cannot be denied. Satan did not evolve as a personal being; he existed and acted from the earliest to the last books of God’s revelation. Seven books of the Old Testament teach his reality (Gen., 1 Chron., Job, Ps., Isa., Ezek, Zech.). Every writer of the New Testament affirms his reality and activity. Christ’s teaching also assumes and affirms Satan’s existence and activity. In twenty-five of the twenty-nine passages in the Gospels which speak of Satan, our Lord is speaking.” (Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology)

2. Satan works to counterfeit the work of God with the goal of thwarting Christ’s purposes. He deceives nations (Revelation 16), blinds unbelievers to the gospel (2 Corinthians 4:4), and attacks believers to neutralize their testimony through lying, immorality, anger, an unforgiving spirit, and persecution.

3. Satan’s minions (fallen angels) promote a false gospel of works salvation, and denying the deity and/ or humanity of Christ (1Timothy 4:1-3). They seek to destroy the bodies and minds of human beings, and they work among the nations promoting deception and delusion (Daniel 10; Revelation 16).

4. Paul warns believers especially to be aware of Satan’s “methodeias,” his strategies, schemes, craftiness, and cunning trickery as demonstrated in Genesis 3 and Matthew 4. Satan comes as an angel of light (2 Corinthians 11:3, 13-15); as such believers, to be victorious must fight with spiritual weapons especially that of a Biblically conditioned mind (2 Corinthians 10:3-5).

A Call To Arms

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Recap of February 20, 2011 (Ephesians 6:10-11)

1. Paul closes out his section on the worthy Christian walk which covered Ephesians 4:1-6:9. In 6:10 he begins the final topic of the book, that of spiritual warfare. Rather than walk, he now tells them (and us) to stand in the victory over sin and Satan which God has provided (vv. 11, 13, 14).

2. Concerning the existence of Satan and demons, C.S. Lewis famously wrote in The Screwtape Letters, the following: “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors…” Developing the theme further, John White in the book, The Fight, writes: “C. S. Lewis’s remark, that humanity falls into two equal and opposite errors concerning the devil, is now more famous than the book (The Screwtape Letters) in which it is found. The errors, according to Lewis, consist either in taking the devil altogether too seriously or in not taking him seriously enough. The devil welcomes a Hume or a Faust with equal zest. He is equally delighted by an atheist, a liberal theologian or a witch. And, it may be added, he feels as happy with a Christian whose mind is preoccupied with demons all day long as he is with one who never gives them a thought. But he is living and virulent. His supreme objective is to hurt Christ and Christ’s cause.”

3. Satan is a created being (Ezekiel 28:11-19); as such he is not the evil equivalent or opposite of God. Satan is neither omniscient, omnipresent, nor omnipotent. Ezekiel also tells us that Satan is of the class of angels called cherubim. He is a fallen angel (whose fall is described in Isaiah 14:12-14) who through pride sinned against God by coveting His position. Many believe that a third of the angels followed him in his rebellion based upon Revelation 12:4.

The Christian on the Job, Part 3

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A recap of the sermon from February 13, 2011 (Ephesians 6:9)


1. “The danger on the job is the employee who is a clock-watcher and does not obey from the heart, and the ‘boss’ who forgets that he is second in command and must one day give an account to the Lord.” (Warren Wiersbe)

2. Those in authority over others were to:

-do their best on behalf of their workers

-treat them as they wished to be treated (Matthew 7:12)

-please the Lord by their actions

-be concerned with the welfare of those who served them

-not use threats or intimidation/fear tactics over those under their authority

-must provide, not just the minimum required, but must provide them with what is right and what is fair

-not show favoritism since God doesn’t play favorites.

3. Principles for those who supervise others: 1) take the eternal view (your authority is only temporal, you have a Master in Heaven to whom you must answer for your exercise of authority); 2) treat those under you in the same way you would like to be treated; 3) remember that Jesus said that the exercise of authority is an opportunity to serve others (Matthew 20:28; John 13); 4) be concerned for the welfare of those who are under your care; 5) don’t use intimidation or fear as motivators; 6) don’t play favorites on the job.

The Christian on the Job, Pt 2

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Recap of February 6, 2011 (Ephesians 6:6-8)


1. Paul instructs those who are under the authority of others (slaves in the Biblical context – applied to employees today) that there are seven aspects to the kind of work that pleases God, we are to: respect those in authority over us (vs. 5); fear dishonoring Christ (vs. 5); be loyal not hypocritical (vs. 5); remember our ultimate master is Jesus Christ, we serve him by submitting to the authority over us on the job (vs. 5); be consistent, work when the boss is watching and when they are not (vs. 6); serve with our whole being, not just going through the motions (vs. 6); and serve with enthusiasm, not under compulsion (vs. 7).

2. The motivation for our faithfulness on the job is that Jesus will reward us in eternity. All believers will appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ (the Bema). This judgment is not for salvation, all there are already secure in their salvation, it is to evaluate the way we used the opportunities God gave us; and the attitude and motivation with which we served Him. (Romans 14:12; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:11-16; 4:5)

3. Eight principles of work from Ephesians 6:5-8: Keep an eternal perspective, ultimately we work for God and will be rewarded by Him; follow the example of Jesus, His servanthood, the way He endured mistreatment and injustice; show initiative; do more than those around you; be Christian where you are; serve Christian employers even more faithfully (1 Timothy 6:1,2); witness on the job by the quality of your work and your work habits; and have a good attitude and lead others in a good attitude.

The Christian on the Job

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Recap of January 30, 2011 (Ephesians 6:5-6)

1. In Ephesians 6:5-9 Paul dealt with what the control of the Holy Spirit would look like in those who worked under the authority of others (as in slaves of his day); and in those who were in authority over others (as in masters of his day). As observed by Dr. Alfred Martin: “The principles apply to any kind of employees and employers.”

2. The New Testament approach to slavery and other social ills of that day are instructive for us today in our response to social/cultural issues. Dr. Wm. Erdman says: “It is instructive to note how Christianity dealt with slavery, the most iniquitous institution of man. In the days of Paul it was universally accepted and approved by the most advanced civilization of the world. Furthermore, it was attended by abuses and abominations too revolting to detail. However, Christ and His followers attempted no political or social revolution; they led no armed revolt; they did not encourage disloyalty or lawlessness. What they did was to undermine the institution of slavery by advocating the principles of Christ. The gospel proved to be a proclamation of emancipation. Slavery must ultimately disappear when men accept the doctrines of human equality and spiritual brotherhood and the Lordship of Christ.” Dr. Warren Wiersbe concurs: “Nowhere in the New Testament is slavery per se attacked or condemned, although the overall thrust of the Gospel is against it. Paul’s ministry was not to overthrow the Roman government or any of its institutions, but to preach the Gospel and win the lost to Christ.”

The Christian Home, Part 9

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Recap of the sermon from January 23, 2011
Ephesians 6:1-4
Ten Positive Parenting Skills (from: How to Love With Them Since You Can’t Live Without Them by Roger & Becky Tirabassi)
1. Model your faith – teach your children to have a loving relationship with God (Deuteronomy 6:4-9)
2. Pray regularly for your children.
3. Treat your children with respect, speak to them in the way you wish to be spoken to.
4. Teach your children to give.
5. Whenever possible attend a church that has an excellent children’s program (good doctrine, good role models).
6. Say or do the things that you want your children to say or do.
7. Apologize to your children when it is appropriate.
8. Don’t say no unless you have to. Don’t be constantly negative. Be creative, find something to say “yes” to.
9. Be loving toward your spouse in front of your children.
10. As your children get older, discuss and evaluate with them curfews, discipline measures, expectations and finances. The goal is to help them develop disciplines and habits that will positively affect their futures.

The Christian Home, Part 8

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Recap of the January 16th sermon from Ephesians 6:1-4:

1. Paul instructs Christian parents to provide for their children’s physical and spiritual needs. We do this by “training” (“education by discipline,” this is corrective) and by “instruction” (“education by instruction,” this is preventive).

2. “…, since children, and especially young children, can scarcely be expected to have the sophistication necessary for recognizing the long-range benefits of present obedience, it is up to loving parents to ensure that their children learn obedience early. This is not an easy task, but its neglect is a terrible disservice to a child and will reap misery upon him or her in future years.” (Richard J. Erickson)

3. Principles of discipline:

-the Bible warns against passive parenting (Proverbs 13:24; 19:18; 22:15; 23:13,14; 29:15,17)

- discipline involves: training & guidance; and correction (verbal and physical, i.e. spanking)

-the limits of discipline: it should not be harsh or inconsistent

-our example in discipline is God the Father (Hebrews 12:5-11)

-the benefits of discipline are, generally speaking, that disciplining our children when they are young will produce a disciplined, godly life when they are adults.

-the goal of discipline: we discipline our children to shape their will, counter their sin nature, to save them from death, and to lead them to Christ.

The Christian Home Part 7

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Recap of the January 9 sermon entitled The Christian Home, Part 7:  (Ephesians 6:1-4)


1. “By profession I am a soldier and take pride in that fact, but I am prouder to be a father.” (Gen. Douglas MacArthur)

2. In Ephesians 6:1-3, Paul expresses the duty of children in the home. Children submit by obeying their parents, that is, listening to their advice, understanding that their parents by virtue of age and experience have more knowledge and wisdom. This is both pleasing to the Lord and the right course of action in God’s order of things.

3. Obedience carries with it the general promise of a long and fruitful life. One writer says it this way: “This states a general principle that obedience fosters self-discipline, which in turn brings stability and longevity in one’s life. (Stated conversely it is improbable that an undisciplined person will live a long life …” Warren Wiersbe explains it this way: “…when children obey their parents in the Lord, they will escape a good deal of sin and danger and thus avoid the things that could threaten or shorten their lives.”

4. In the Bible study book, Growing in the Family: Eight Vital Relationships for the Growing Christian, the following principles are enumerated to pre-adults: Parents are priceless, they deserve your honor; parents are chosen by God; parent are human, they are not perfect, they make mistakes; and parents are to be obeyed.

The Christian Home, Part 6

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Recap of the sermon from January 2nd, 2011:  (Ephesians 5:33)

1. In Colossians 3:19 (the parallel passage to Ephesians 5:25-33) Paul instructs Christian husbands to love their wives and not be harsh with them. The word “harsh” means a surly, irritable attitude or to be harsh and unfeeling. It is a constant criticalness, a person who is never satisfied. It can be prompted by a perfectionistic bent, bringing tension home from the job, or unresolved or unrealistic expectations, etc.

2. In the book “How to Live With Them Since You Can’t Live Without Them,” Roger and Becky Tirabassi write that the key to successful relationships is understanding three truths about relationships:

-Every couple is bound to struggle (a struggle sparked by “…differing personalities and needs, our unique idiosyncrasies, not to mention our personal pasts…”) These struggles are also sparked by the fact that we all have a sin nature which tends toward selfishness, a desire to have our own way.

-Every relationship goes through phases (Infatuation, Reality, Adjustment): too many relationships fail at the reality level without making the commitment to make the adjustments necessary to build a strong relationship. At the reality phrase singles are free to seek another relationship, those who are married have a responsibility to get through this phase.

-Current relationship are affected by our past (past issues such as: feeling rejected, being critical, not feeling valued, difficulty in trusting, need to please, fearful, perfectionism, not feeling accepted, feelings of insecurity, poor self-image, excessive spending, among others.