This week we continue in Luke Chapter 1. Gabriel comes to see Mary and has an even more miraculous message. John was the forerunner to the Christ. But God is still preparing for the coming Savior. 

We see some great responses today to God’s expected work. How we will respond to God’s completed works is an important question that everyone must answer. If you know Jesus as Savior, thank God that you have been the recipient of His Grace. If you do not know Him, I pray that you respond to His work with a heart like Mary’s

1. The Coming Savior (vv. 26-33)
   • We have seen the Angel Gabriel appear to Zechariah and now he is appearing to Mary
   • And, like last week, we have a similar statement that has to be made “Do not be afraid”
   • I won’t go into that too much this week because we touched on it last week but it bears repeating that fear would be a logical response to this. It is also worth noting that fear is a common response to God’s Work in the book of Luke. When God does the amazing, without some understanding on our side it can be overwhelming.
   • Gabriel begins speaking to Mary and he gives this phrase in v. 28 “Rejoice, highly favored one”
     1. A lot is made of this verse. The Catholics take this verse and a later verse by Mary and they really run with it on Mary’s position. 
     2. This phrase, “highly favored one” literally means “Full of Grace” and if you have heard the prayer Hail Mary, you know that is part of it. 
     3. But I want you to also look at Eph 1:6. The word translated “accepted” here is actually the same word, full of grace. So Paul is letting ALL believers know that we have this same standing
     4. Believers, like Mary, are recipients of God’s Grace. So the teaching that Mary is a dispenser of Grace is a misreading of the text. She was a recipient of God’s Grace. And all who are in Christ are also recipients of God’s Grace
   • Mary is then told she will conceive. Listen to the language here “You will bring forth a Son and shall call His name Jesus” Jesus is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew Joshua and means “The Lord is Salvation”
   • This Jesus, The Lord is Salvation, will be called the SON OF THE HIGHEST
   • Zechariah understood his son John as a “Prophet of the Highest” (v 76) but Jesus is no mere prophet. He will be King. He is the Son, He has the position, He is equal to the Father. Remember, we must look at Son as positional, not offspring. 
   • Mary does give birth to the physical body of Jesus, but the Christ has always been. Christ is Son in His position to the Father. They are one God in Three Persons, Father, Son and Spirit. The Son is equal to the Father, seeing the Son is seeing the Father, the Son and the Father are one. 
   • This Jesus, the Son, will reign FOREVER. He is a coming SAVIOR
2. A Model Response (vv. 34-45)
   • Mary responds to this news in an Amazing way. She does ask a question, like Zechariah, but notice the difference
     1. Zechariah v. 18 “How shall I know” implying doubt
     2. Mary v. 34 “How can this be” implying process
     3. She needed to know how it would work. Was she supposed to marry Joseph early? Would it not be fulfilled until after the wedding? Was Joseph even meant to be the father?
   • So Mary asks “How will this happen? I’m a virgin.” And her virginity, without being too crass, is important. Luke, remember, is speaking to a Gentile audience. He does not relate it back to the Prophecy in Isaiah like Matthew does, because his audience would not have been raised in the Old Testament. 
   • Luke let’s us know that the Holy Spirit will place this child. Remember, this will be known as God’s Son. The Christ, who had the eternal position of Son, will now be placed in the womb in flesh as a Son.
   • He lets her know of Elizabeth, relating that miracle to this one. 
   • Mary says “I am your maidservant, your handmaiden. Let it be” Wow what an  amazing  response.
   • The responses don’t stop there. In the next section, Elizabeth responds in amazement at the Christ.
   • But it doesn’t stop there either. John, the infant in the womb, leaps for joy.
   • Even Mary’s response continues with a song
3. A Song for Our Savior (vv. 46-56)
   • Notice Mary refers to this Son as Her God and Her Savior. Mary needed this also.
   • This song is filled with Old Testament references and allusions. It shows us that Mary was very aware of God’s Word and aware of His Work.
   • She is very humble, regarding herself as a maidservant once again.
   • This prayer has similarities with Hannah’s prayer from 1 Samuel.

Sermon/Bible Study- https://fb.watch/2z1L1RfZQw/

Luke 1:1-25, 57-79

We are beginning a new series today, the Gospel of Luke. Between Luke’s Gospel and its sequel, Acts, Luke wrote more words of the New Testament than any other author. His Gospel was written primarily to a Gentile Audience, so you see his handling of OT prophecies a little different than say, Matthew, who wrote to a primarily Jewish audience. Many scholars believe that the different Gospels paint pictures of Jesus by emphasizing different characteristics since no Gospel could capture the fullness of Him, as John tells us. Following that thought, Matthew shows the Kingship of Jesus, as we do not see the shepherds at His birth, but wisemen. Mark shows the servanthood of Jesus, as there is no nativity scene because a servant’s ancestry is not important. John shows the divinity of Jesus, telling us the Word was with God in the beginning, the Word was God, and the Word took flesh and dwelt among us. 

Luke then, shows the humanity of Jesus. Luke’s summary of Jesus’ genealogy in Chapter 3 goes all the way back to Adam, connecting Him to each of us. Luke shows a humble birth observed by humble people, letting each of us know we can worship our Savior. 

1. Luke’s Purpose and Effort (vv. 1-4)
   • Not an eyewitness, but visited with many
   • Many were alive at the writing
   • Detailed historian, well-educated Physician, who was an excellent Greek writer.
   • Spent much time with Paul, noted by the “we” passages that pop up throughout the Book of Acts
   • He tells us how he has followed the things of Christ
   • He wrote it for the audience to have certainty
2. The Other Christmas Birth (vv. 5-25)
   • John’s birth is miraculous, but not Divine
   • Elizabeth was barren, which at that time, would have meant scorn and shame
   • Most looked at barrenness as a curse from God and there was open hostility towards barren women in those days. 
   • Luke makes sure that we understand that Elizabeth’s sinfulness is not the case here, but God’s plan
   • Zechariah was a Priest, of the Tribe of Levi. There were many descendants of Levi, so they were broken up into 24 sub-family groups
   • Each group would serve for about two weeks out of the year and then return to their homes, most likely to other occupation
   • Burning incense was a privilege. Lots were cast to see who would get the honor and once you received that honor, you could not do it twice. 
   • Most priestly workers never got this opportunity and it would have been a great honor for Zechariah
   • Gabriel, the promised son, his role, etc.
   • Zechariah’s doubt, his sign, and punishment, 
   • He would have been supposed to offer prayer upon leaving (Num 6:23-27)
   • His prayer must wait
3. Responding to God’s Miraculous Work (vv. 57-79)
   • Specifically (VV 76-79)
   • There is salvation in Christ
   • There is forgiveness of sins
   • Our God displays His tender mercy upon us (Oh what a beautiful God we serve, who bestows tenderness and mercy upon us who least deserve it!)
   • A new sunrise shall visit us from Heaven, a possible picture of the re-creation of our persons through this wonderful Work of the Lord!
   • This sunrise shall give light to those who are in darkness and death’s shadow! What light there is now that leads us to our physical deaths, because our physical death means presence with Jesus! We no longer have to worry about what lies beyond our last breath as Christ has defeated this greatest of enemies and conquered death, walking triumphantly out of a borrowed tomb!
   • This light guides our feet to the way of peace! How thrilling that is for those who previously sat in darkness! Just as the blind saw at His healing ministry, our blind hearts receive their sight by His power upon our lives!

SERMON LINK

During the month of November, our sermons focused on Psalm 103. The purpose was to reflect on Thanksgiving and all of the blessings God has bestowed upon His people. David spends time in this Psalm reflecting on the Greatness of God. He shows us how God reveals this greatness. God has done amazing things in history, continues to do amazing things, and will always be amazing in the minds and hearts of believers. Let’s look at this Psalm together.

Verses 1-5

In the first five verses, David gives us a great glimpse of worship. We are called to worship God completely (“Bless the Lord, Oh my soul and all that is within me. Bless His Holy Name.”) This lets us know that worship is deeper than words on the lips or thoughts on the mind. Worship is surrendering everything about you, everything you have, and everything you are to God and His Glory.

David continues by giving thanks to God for forgiveness of sins. It is interesting that David, the shepherd boy who became king, opens up with forgiveness. But that should be telling to us as we study. Forgiveness is perhaps God’s greatest blessing because it is God’s willingness to forgive that makes salvation possible. Without God’s forgiveness, we would not experience God’s grace or mercy. Often when we count our blessings, we begin with material things in mind. David begins with God’s forgiveness.

After forgiveness, David reflects on Salvation and Satisfaction. These two items are only found completely in Christ. We may be temporarily saved form a bad situation by a job promotion, or a gift from a friend, or a lucky break. But True, Biblical Salvation is found in Christ alone. And it is a salvation that is everlasting. The same is true for satisfaction. Many things in life seem to temporarily satisfy but again, Christ satisfies our deepest need for all time.

Verses 6-16

In these verses, David describes different aspects about the Care God gives His people. God cares deeply for His people but He also cared deeply enough to die for, and provide salvation to, all who would call upon His name. God cares about the wealthy and the poor. The marginalized and the popular. The healthy and the sick.

Too many times when we think of justice and righteousness, we let modern dictionaries define these words. We either fall so far one direction that we do not believe God has any concern for the poor or weak and that if they just had more faith they would be better and do better. Or we fall to the opposite direction and say God desires to make the poor physically wealthy here on earth by removing from the rich and giving to the poor. So we tend to make God a rather harsh ruler or a rather powerful Robin Hood.

Scripturally though, God cares because God created. He cares for us faithfully (vv. 6-7. He cares for us patiently (vv. 8-10). He cares for us abundantly (vv. 11-12). And He cares for us intimately (vv. 13-16). David paints beautiful pictures of our Great God in these lyrics.

Verses 17-22

I was recently reading an article yesterday that said the average person complains between 15 and 30 times a day. God has done so much for His people, for this whole world, that we cannot run out of reasons to be thankful. But too many times, we cannot run out of reasons to complain.

David closes this Psalm with great testimony of what God has done and who God is. He shows us in verses 17-18 that God blesses us through His eternity. God is from everlasting to everlasting, meaning He always was, He currently is, and He forever will be. We have a specific beginning in time. There is a time when I was not. Even though God has created me for eternity, either with Him in Glory or facing His wrath, I am not from everlasting to everlasting. But thankfully, God IS.

In these same verses, we see that God makes a covenant with His People. This means that God’s promises are not bound to my ability and power but to His. This is something to be thankful for! God has placed His word on the promises He makes.

In the last four verses, God shows us that He blesses us from His position and His power. This means that He makes promises, offers blessing, executes judgement, and many other works because He has the position to do so. Have you ever had someone make a promise to you that they did not have the power to keep? Perhaps it was negotiating a car price. Maybe it was what you would be able to accomplish in your job. People often make statements that they do not have the authority to back up. God, however, is in the ultimate position to do what He says He will do.

Not only does He have the position, He also has the power, or the ability. We have seen incompetency in high places in this life. One of my favorite cartoon strips is Dilbert. In this cartoon, the office workplace is lived out in subtle hilarity. One of the most recurring themes in this cartoon is the incompetence of the “pointy-haired boss”. He shows over and over again that, although he is in the position, he does not have the power. This causes a lot of problems in the office. However, our God is ABLE. Thank God that He has both POSITION and POWER!

Sermons

November 8th Sermon Content (vv. 1-5)- https://youtu.be/dr4BpyOwfcU

November 15th Sermon Content (vv. 6-16)- https://youtu.be/u6xEeC5PS7M

November 22nd Sermon Content (vv. 17-22)- https://youtu.be/Qq6EVj4Ntv4

A pastor friend in Oklahoma shared in a Facebook group today that he had visited with a friend who was facing discouragement. He himself had faced discouragement. I responded with a comment that I, too, had faced discouragement.

What did all of this discouragement center around? Ministerial life (and everything else) in 2020. Discouragement can be overwhelming. Perhaps your attendance is down. Perhaps your giving is down. Perhaps your baptisms are down. Perhaps your everything is down. This has been a ridiculous year for the unprecedented. And if pastoral ministry is tough in the best of times, it can be extremely difficult in the worst of times.

My wife and I cried together this past weekend because honestly, we were just tired. We felt overwhelmed. But God has blessed us with great people in our lives. We went to our Sunday School class (small group for you youngsters) and we shared our hearts. We cried again. Some of our small group cried with us. All of our hearts were seeking God for how to move forward.

On top of all of this, our printer at the church was not working and we were having internet issues in a portion of our church building. That may seem like something small compared to everything else that has happened, but in reality, it was just ANOTHER thing on top of everything else that has happened. Another problem that needed to be fixed.

So you know what I did? I set my mind on this “something small”. The first task was getting our printer working. I spent a lot of hours over several days trying to make this happen. It just so happened that I had time tonight because my wife and children were out of town. So in the evening, I came to the church and I went to work. In a couple of extra hours, that Lanier MP C2003 was producing! Working like a champ. It was something small, but it felt good.

With more evening left, I began to tackle our internet. Like many of you, our church building was designed and built BEFORE networks and the internet and ethernet cables were even a thought. So our cables had been run much later. Earlier this spring, we did a major remodel of our sanctuary. During that time, apparently someone had cut the ethernet cable going to the north portion of our building. So here is a picture of what I started with:

Two cut lines and a disconnected port.

I have never done this type of work but I knew what needed to be done. So I set out to accomplish it, little by little.

One line connected, one to go.

Two lines now connected.

Working internet in the north section of our building, woohoo!

This was something small. In most cases, our church would have called in technicians for this type of work. But I knew how to do what needed to be done. And I had the time. And I had the want to.

This was something small. But it was something our church needed. We needed our printer/copier to be working correctly. Our Sunday School clerk’s office is on the north end of our building and she needed internet to perform her role.

This was something small. But I was able to save our church money. I’m assuming between the two jobs, I was able to save AT LEAST two $100 service calls. Possibly more.

This was something small, but I found satisfaction in being able to accomplish a goal that benefited our people. Most in the church won’t know it was not working properly. Most in the church won’t know I am the one who fixed it. Most in the church will simply be able to use the benefits of it.

This was something small, but in 2020, I needed to accomplish something, even if it was small. So here is my exhortation to you: Find Something Small. There is an old saying that I think in most cases is very wise: Begin with the end in mind. However, we do not know what the end of the changes 2020 has brought us will look like. We do not know when these changes will end. We do not even know IF it will end. In times like these it is hard to begin with the end in mind.

So, begin with what you can begin with. Find something small. I do not know what your something small is but I challenge you to create personal momentum by finding it AND doing it.

We are reaching the end of our Truth, Love, and Faithfulness series and we are exploring the second half of Third John. 

So far in these letters, we have seen several commendations: The Lady and Her Children, Gaius, those who walk in love and truth. We have also seen some warnings: Do not follow the deceivers, be on guard for the work of those who are anti-christ, we must remain in the doctrine of Christ if we are to abide with Father, Son, and Spirit. 

Today, we are going to read of a church trouble maker named Diotrephes and of a trusted worker named Demetrius. We are called to imitate the good and call to mind, or reprimand, the bad. Let’s look at verses 9-14.

1. The Church Agitator (vv. 9-10)

After the praises of Gaius in the first half of the letter, the tone quickly changes as John must address a church trouble maker. At some point, John had written to this local church, but Diotrephes was not willing to receive his teaching. What was the teaching? It was what we spoke about last week, blessing and sending the faithful workers of God. Itinerant Missionaries who were traveling needed help to continue the Gospel ministry. Some, who are stayers, were called to aide the goers. 

For entirely selfish reasons, Diotrephes wants nothing to do with aiding these ministers. Listen to what it says, “Diotrephes, who loves to have the preeminence among them”. Preeminence is greatness or superiority. So Diotrephes wants to rule over the body, have all authority, and does not want to bless the missions work (compare his attitude with Romans 12:3-8). Desiring superiority is nothing new in the church, as even the Disciples disputed who was the greatest and who would sit at Christ’s right and left hand.

There are times when we must stand up against false teaching and heretical doctrine. There are times when we must stand up against abuse and abuses of power and authority. Nothing leads us to believe that this is what Diotrephes was doing. In fact, his argument was so weak that he attacked the character of John, rather than doing the work of ministry. This is called an “ad hominem” and is a terrible way to argue. 

Reading Hebrews 10:23-25 lets us see how we are supposed to conduct ourselves in church and with brothers and sisters in Christ.

• Hold fast to the confession, make sure the doctrine is correct
• Stir up good works. Too many times people stir up gossip, or dissension, or animosity, etc. Scripture commands us to stir up good works, if the doctrine is correct, see the order
• If the doctrine is correct, and we are thinking of others, and we are stirring up good works, commit to the Fellowship. Too many today want to jump ship and leave if they don’t get their way. Or they create trouble like Diotrephes. 

As we saw last week, let us love one another, let us care deeply for one another, and let us praise one another. 

2. The Calling of Faithful Membership and Discipline (vv. 9-10)

What do we do then with the church agitators, with those who insist on causing trouble?Well, too often, we do nothing. We simply let it continue. Sometimes, even if it is causing people to leave, we let it continue. As we see here, Diotrephes puts out of the church those who are giving charitably to the Gospel mission. 

But what does John say he is going to do? He is going to call to mind these deeds when he comes. What John is telling us is that he is going to bring Church Discipline as needed against Diotrephes.  Church Discipline is something that no one wants to talk about. It is something that is rarely enforced. Even mentioning it can make people uncomfortable. But it is 100% Biblical.

We cannot have meaningful church membership without loving, Biblical church discipline. Let’s look at some discipline models from the New Testament.

• The Matthew Model- Matthew 18:15-17
• The Corinthian Model- 1 Corinthians 5:9-13
• The Roman Model- Romans 16:17-18
• The Titus Model- Titus 3:9-11

But meaningful membership and loving church discipline has a purpose. The following verses show us that restoration and re-commitment is the purpose of Church Discipline.

• Hebrews 12:11
• Galatians 6:1
• James 5:19-20
• 2 Corinthians 2:5-11

So discipline is for the purpose of keeping peace in the church AND bringing the offender to repentance, restoration, and back to fellowship

3. What am I Imitating? (v. 11)

We could also ask who. Paul said to imitate him as he imitated Christ. So what am I imitating . . . And what would people who imitate me look like. If my example was the normal for my church, what would the result be?

4. Praise the Faithful (vv. 12-14)

Throughout recorded Biblical history, we have names that bring something to mind:

• Negative- Jezebel, Goliath, Judas, Ananias and Saphira, Balaam, King Saul, Diotrephes
• Positive- Noah, David, Barnabas, and here Gaius and Demetrius

What are we saying about the faithful in our lives? Are we praising them like John or are we maligning them like Diotrephes? If John, the Elder, were to visit my church, what would he have to say to me?

We are continuing our study of Second and Third John. These are beautiful letters that have a very personal feel. Remember, Danny Akin described them as “Postcard” Epistles. John is combatting an early form of Gnosticism or Docetism, that Christ was not in the flesh and that the Christ in the flesh was not God. Today, we will be examining verses 7-13.

Let’s real quickly tie the two sections together. 

• In verses 5-6, he tells us he is not teaching a new commandment but emphasizing what has been there from the beginning. 
• We are to walk in love and walk according to the will and way of God
• With Truth and Love in Mind, we turn to the Faithfulness or Unfaithfulness described in this section today.

1. The Mission of Deceivers and antichrists (v. 2 John 7)

The danger that is being presented is false teachers who distort and deny the truth about Jesus the Christ, Son of God. We see in Verse 3 and here again in Verse 7 the relationship between Father and Son. In our understanding of Father and Son,  we must understand that the Title Son is Positional. The Eternal Son of God, the Eternal Position of The Christ, as Son, is one with and united with the Father. God as Father, God as Son, and God as Spirit are one in essence, unity, and Deity. 

We must present the Christ as coming in the Flesh. This is important, the Eternal Person, came and took on flesh. Not that a person became the Christ but the Christ, the Son of God, became a person. So the Eternal Son lived among us as the God-Man, fully God and fully man. And there are those who deny this. They are deceivers and antichrists.

Deceiver describes their relationship to humanity, while antichrist describes their relationship with God. We must see here that there is a mission among those who are against: they go out into the World. Much like Christ sent His disciples into the world to proclaim the Gospel, the Enemy sends his false teachers into the world to deceive (1 John 2:18, 21-22, 4:2-3).

2. Be on Guard (v. 2 John 8)

The NKJV uses the phrase “Look to yourselves” and what it is saying is we need to “WATCH OUT!” This is a warning word, calling us to be on guard. It is written as a continual command, as in “Always be looking to yourselves, or always be watching out”. Jesus uses this warning several times against false teachers as well (Mark 8:15, 12:38, 13:22-23).

Watch out for the false teaching because following the False Teacher will result in tragedy. It is debated what is actually being lost here. Some say that you are losing your reward, our heavenly treasures. Others say you are losing your salvation. Still, others say you are proving you were never saved.

In our doctrine, we believe you cannot lose your salvation. Therefore it is either reward or a mark that you were never saved. While one is better than the other, let’s approach with a different attitude: An attitude that understands NEITHER ONE OF THESE IS A GOOD THING.

Do not follow false teaching so that you will have rewards or stay in Christ to show we belong to Him. That is how we approach these warning passages. The same goes for the warning passages in Hebrews and elsewhere.

3. Living in Disobedience (v. 2 John 9)

John shows us the importance of this commitment to Doctrine by his statement in verse 9. The one who does not remain in, or live in, or abide in the Doctrine of Christ does not have God. To be wrong on the Son is to be wrong on the Father.

This is the ultimate end for those who continue in the denying of Godly Doctrine. They do not have God. We can stumble, we can mess up, we can fall into a sin, but we cannot remain there if we belong to Him. 

These are the ones who go out from us that John warns us about in his first letter (1 John 2:19, 2:23). If we remain, if we persevere, we are Christ’s. Let’s phrase that better. The ones who really belong to Christ will remain. They will persevere. They will endure. (Romans 5:1-5, 15:4, 2 Cor 4:16-18, Galatians 6:9-10, 1 Thess 1:2-3, Hebrews 12:1-2).

4. Guarding Our Fellowship (vv. 2 John 10-13)

If perseverance or endurance is essential, then we are not to even potentially bring this false teaching around us. He tells us here do not receive them who bring false teaching. Do not support them. Do not approve of them. Do not give any grounds to their false teaching. 

Now, he is not saying we are to not love and be charitable. Christians are called, as we saw in the Sermon on the Mount, to love our enemies and to pray for those who are against us. So he is not removing the responsibility of Love. But he is separating it from support. 

Christians have been called to receive those of the brotherhood throughout the New Testament. And Paul and the other missionaries would travel from place to place RELYING on the brethren for support during their ministry. John is saying it cannot be so for one who is not bringing the correct teaching. We cannot provide for their ministry. We cannot support it. We must profess the truth of Christ. The Full Truth is the Gospel Message.

We are going to spend the next few weeks looking at Second and Third John. These are beautiful letters that have a very personal feel. Danny Akin described them as “Postcard” Epistles: Letters that get straight to the point and encourage and exhort. John seems to be combating an early form of Gnosticism or Docetism, that Christ was not in the flesh and that the Christ in the flesh was not God. He begins a treatise that is short, succinct, and full of timeless Truth. Let’s Begin

2 John 1-6

1. Loving the Lady and Her Children (vv. 2 John 1-2)-

The first thing that John does is introduce himself as Elder. It was a common letter writing practice to begin by stating the Author.John does this by calling himself The Elder- the Presbyter. This word would have several implied meanings:

First- A specific Lady and her actual biological children

Second- The Church Universal and Christians at large

Third- A specific church and its members

I personally favor the last of these. This was written to a specific church and her people. The recipient might have been needed to be concealed to protect from persecution.Though as Scripture, it is applicable to the Church everywhere and to individual Christians of any place and time. One reason I favor this reading is the word Lady is the feminine form of the Greek word Lord (kuria).The Elect or Chosen Kuria (Lady) represents the Church, who God chose as the Bride for the Son and will be presented to Him in Glory in the imminent future.

***Please note though that there is nothing wrong with following any of the above possibilities for the recipient.***

The Elder, the Presbyter, the Apostle John, loves the Lady and Her children. This is a deep and affectionate love and the wording means something akin to “I love you now and always.” 

Church, we are to love one another. We are to love one another now. And we are to love one another always. Let us be known for our deep and affectionate love.

2. The Unity of Truth and Love (vv. 2 John 1-3)

In these verses, John is going to introduce us to some major themes of the Epistle: Truth and Love. John says that he “Loves in Truth”- This is both “True Love” and to “Love because of the Shared Truth”.

Have you ever met someone and in the introductory conversation, you find out you have something in common? There is an instant connection that almost immediately builds a friendship. That is similar, but not as deep, as the connected love of believers.We love because of the Shared Truth of Christ. And we Truly Love because of Christ’s True Love. 

All who have known the truth share this deep love for the Elect Lady and Her Children. Why? Because of the Truth which abides in us and will be with us forever:The Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. We share this love because of the Grace, Mercy, and Peace poured out upon us in Christ

*Grace- Unmerited Favor, Receiving the Good Things of God that we do not deserve

*Mercy- Compassion and Gentleness, Not receiving the punishment from God that we do deserve

*Peace- The security and joy and comfort that comes from God’s Mercy and Grace

We receive this from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ- He emphasizes both to show the Unity of Father and Son. We must recognize that when speaking of the Trinity, the word Son is Positional. Christ, as Son, is one with and united with the Father. God as Father, God as Son, and God as Spirit are one in essence, unity, and Deity. 

So to reflect, Grace, Mercy, and Peace are with us. How? In Truth and Love. Without God’s Truth, we cannot understand God’s Love. If we have God’s Love, it is because we are united to His Truth. 

3. The Joyful Endurance of Truth and Love (vv. 2 John 4-5)

It is a blessing for Christians to hear when other Christians are living faithfully. John is pleased to hear this of the Elect Lady and Her children, as we are now when we see it in others. 

In order to be this blessing, we must continually walk in the Truth. This implies that I am walking in it now, I will walk in it in the future, and I will continue to walk this way. We walk in this truth because the Gospel of Christ is the power of the Church. 

John next turns to a pleading. And he is not pleading anything new.Christ commanded love: (Matt. 22:36-40, John 15:11-14, 1 John 4:7-11).We walk in the Truth of the Gospel and this truth calls us to Love. This is God’s Message to the Church from the beginning.

4. Walk In Truth (v. 2 John 6)

This closes out and connects this section of the letter. John states that Love is walking according to the commandments of Christ (John 14:15-18, 1 John 5:1-5).Again, John is emphasizing the command to Love and Obey is early, the command is current, and the command endures. God’s love for His Elect Lady will Endure, as John’s love will, and the Christian, in God’s love will endure (continue to walk in obedience to Christ in Truth and Love, see v. 4 and v. 6). 

The pastor Vance Havner once said, “What we live is what we believe. Everything else is just religious talk.” Christian, are you walking in Truth and Love? Is your life marked by Obedience to God: Father, Son, and Spirit. Are you growing in you understanding of His commandments and their impact on your life?

Sermon from Kellyville FBC on October 4th, 2020: https://youtu.be/mg_NZUgbj2Q

When we look at the comparison of the Wise and the Foolish Builders, we see Jesus’ conclusion to His most famous sermon. There is much to be mined here. In doing so, we are able to answer a few questions:

1. What do the storms in this parable represent? (vv. 7:24-27)

How many times have you heard a sermon preached on this passage and it has talked about the storms and compared them to storms of life?

I have heard it and I have done it. It isn’t a terrible application of the passage, but understand this, it is not the direct meaning of the passage. Storms do come in life. We face sickness, death, job loss, broken relationships, etc. And during these storms, those who are in Christ can withstand with much greater consistency than those apart from Christ.

But this isn’t a storm of life in the context. It is God’s coming judgment. (Refer to the following Old Testament Passages: Psalm 50:3-4, Jeremiah 23:19-20, 30:23-24, 25:32, Isaiah 28:16-22, and Ezekiel 13:10-16)

The coming judgment has been a common theme in this last chapter of the Sermon on the Mount particularly (See previous verses: Matt 7:13-14, 19-20, 22-23).

Christ has been showing the Two Ways, the Two Prophets, and the Two Confessions. He has shown us those who are His enter into Life and those who are not, enter into a terrible judgment.

Judgement is Coming

2. What is the firm foundation, or the rock, that the wise builder uses? (vv. 7:24-25)

The word THEREFORE connects us to the preceding verses. You have probably heard this in a literature class before, but if not, remember this little phrase: When you see the word “Therefore” see what it’s “there for”.

The immediate context is the Two Confessions- Those who were obedient to God’s Word vs. those who were disobedient. If you remember, both called out “Lord, Lord” but only one group obeyed God.

The longer context is the Contrasting Pairs we have already discussed- two Ways and Gates, Two Trees and Prophets, Two Professions and now Two Foundations

The full context would be the entirety of this Sermon on the Mount, from the Beatitudes until now.

And again, here in the conclusion, we get another High Christological Picture of Jesus proclaiming “My Words”.

So what is the foundation? Many say Jesus Christ and throughout Scripture, that is a great response. He is the “rejected cornerstone that becomes the Capstone”. He is the “rock upon which the Church will stand and even Hell cannot stand against it”. He is the foundation of the Gospel and Church as Paul teaches us in 1 Corinthians. 

Here though, the foundation is specifically the Words and Testimony of Christ, “whoever hears these sayings of Mine AND DOES THEM”. The doing of the words shows that Christ AND His Message are the intended foundation

So we ask ourselves again, “Are we following Christ?” We cannot be simply professing, we must be following.

3. What is the poor foundation, or the sand, that the foolish builder uses? (vv. 7:26-27)

We saw this previously when we read about the Wide Way/Gate and the Narrow Way/Gate but the striking reality is that there is God’s Way and there is every other way combined to make the Broad path.

Here it is the same thing. Either we are resting on God’s Word and the Work of Christ and having obedience flow from our relationship with Him . . . Or our foundation is built on sand. 

There are some things we must see: The houses seem to look similar, as in, just by glancing you and I wouldn’t know the difference. The wording implies craftsmanship in the builder, as in these aren’t just houses thrown together but put together with care. Therefore, the builders SHOULD know the difference, as in, they should know what their houses stand upon.

Both houses seemed to meet the needs of the occupants . . . That is until the storm or the judgment came. I want you to get a picture of the type of structure we would be looking at in the minds of the hearers of Jesus’ words. Oftentimes, clay bricks could be used for the structure of the house. They would be formed and baked and be pretty sturdy. The bricks, if placed on a rock foundation, could withstand a lot of the elements. These bricks though, if placed on dirt or sand, would weaken. What would happen is, the dirt underneath gets wet and begins to wash and to erode and to shift. When that happens, the clay bricks then would be resting on the mud and themselves absorbing the water and therefore when the pounding wind comes, the structure of the house would give.

Not only does the house fall, But the FALL IS TERRIBLE. IT IS MAGNIFIED. IT IS TREMENDOUS. Let’s look at some different translations of the destruction in verse 27:

NKJV- “and great was its fall”

NIV- “fell with a great crash”

CSB- “collapsed with a great crash”

The NET Bible- “it collapsed, it was utterly destroyed”

NLT- “It will collapse with a mighty crash”

It is a devastating event. And the builder thought it would stand, just as the person thinks they can withstand God’s Judgement

4. What is the authority that I base my life on?

When Jesus finished, the crowds were amazed at His teaching. They were astonished. Why?

They were amazed because of the Authority of His teaching. The great teachers of the day, the Scribes and Leaders, had to appeal to another’s authority. They might refer to “Moses giving the Law” or to “Abraham fathering their people” or to one of the prophets giving a proclamation from God. Christ, however, in the Sermon on the Mount: spoke HIS words, raised the bar for Old Testament understanding, declared Himself Lord, and put out His words as the foundation because Christ, as God, is the Authority.

He does not appeal to anyone else, He does not defer to anyone else, He needs no permit, for His Words have the King’s Seal. 

What is your response?

I want to apologize for the language included in a Tweet I am going to share. I normally wouldn’t share this type of material. But I want you to hear the desperation in her words and voice. I want you to see it in her eyes and expressions.

Watch this

******Language Warning******

"I wish I wasn't f**king born." pic.twitter.com/f28llzcMpa

— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) September 21, 2020

It is very easy for many in the church to mock her. It would be easy for many to use their political opposition to belittle her or say she deserves this due to her beliefs.

But I want you to hear this: She is MORE heartbroken over the fact that there are people who are PRO-LIFE than many professing Christians are for the lost world. Let that sink in. It is worth repeating. She is more upset about there being PRO-LIFE people than we, the Church, often are about there being lost people.

Christian, let’s ask ourselves this question. Are we more upset that there are people with different political opinions or that there are people who are lost and going to hell? What gets you more fired up? What stirs your passion? What is more likely to bring a response from you (or me)? To what do you more often attempt to convert people: Christ or a candidate?

We should be heartbroken over the lost. This video and the many others like it should stir within us the desire to see people saved, the desire to share the Gospel with all who need to hear it. Preach Christ and Him crucified. Preach the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. If we win a vote, but fail to win the soul, what have we really accomplished?