Further Conquest Of The Promised Land.
Judges 1:1-26 Lesson 1
Key verse 1: 1 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF
“After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the Lord, ‘Who of us is to go up first and fight against Canaanites?”
Part l: Introduction To The Book of Judges
The book of Judges covers the period of history between the death of Joshua and the establishment of the monarchy. (1375 B.C. to 1055 B.C.) It spans a period of about 325 years recording six successive periods of oppression and deliverance. It is an account of a lengthy and gradual conquest of the Promised Land. Generally speaking, Judges is a book about sin and its consequences and about God who raises up his leaders to deliver his people during times of crisis.
First, Judges is a book about sin and its consequences. After the death of Joshua there was a leadership void. Under Joshua, the Israelites began strong, but soon they were sidetracked by fear, weariness, lack of discipline, and a pursuit of their own interests. As a result their faith began to wane and they were unable to completely defeat the powerful Canaanites.
The Canaanites lived in city states where each city state had its own government, army and laws. One reason that Canaan was so difficult to conquer was that each city had to be defeated individually. There was no single king who could surrender the entire country into the hands of the Israelites. They fought hard and met many political and military challenges, but facing spiritual challenges proved much more difficult for Canaan’s biggest threat to Israel was not its army, but its religion. The unholy but attractive lifestyle of the Canaanite proved more dangerous that their military might. Canaanite religion idealized evil; cruelty in war; sexual immortality; selfish greed; and materialism. The Israelites fell into idolatry and cultural pressures and compromised their faith. This happened time after time, one generation after another. Each time, God removed his hand of protection from his people, and allowed hostile neighbors to harass them. The Lord withdrew his promise to help drive the people out and bless the Israelites in battle.
What was the result of the Israelites abandonment of following God and worshipping idols? Judges 21:25 reads, "In those days Israel had no king; everyone did as he saw fit." After Joshua's death, there was no central government; there was no one who stood up as shepherd for the people of Israel. Each person became a law unto themselves. God could not bless them and they suffered endlessly. But there is a bright side to this story.
Second, Judges is a book about God who raises up leaders in times of crisis to deliver his people. When the people turned to God in repentance and cried out for help, he raised up a judge, a leader, who would deliver them. Then, for the rest of the judge's lifetime, the land would have peace. And so Judges is a book about these “heroes”…twelve men and women whom God worked through to deliver Israel from its oppressors. There were a variety of deliverers from Othniel to Samson. They were used to deliver God’s to freedom and bring about true worship of God. The major judges are listed among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11. Listen to what verses 30-32 says about four of them, Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, “…I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, David, Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” These judges were people. They were not perfect, but sinners in need of God’s salvation. They too, did what was right in their own eyes. But they were people of faith and who stood up for the Lord at the critical moment. They were submissive to God and God used them. As a result they stood out like bright stars in a night sky.
Nowadays it is hard for anyone to rise to greatness. It is easy for us to think that we are simply a cog in the wheel among other cogs. Who can be our heroes? Sports stars? Movie stars? Big business CEO’s? If we do want to rise to the occasion, what do we rise up to? The judges and their courageous lives of faith are great encouragements to us today. As we study the book of Judges, take a good look at these Biblical heroes. Learn their dependence on God and their obedience to his commands. Be amazed at God’s unlimited grace and mercy as he delivers his people again and again. Let’s see God who strengthens the weak and makes them strong and uses them to bring about wonderful deeds of salvation. Most of all let’s discover Jesus and the Gospel nestled in these exciting Bible accounts.
Part ll: Israel Fights The Remaining Canaanites (1-2)
And now let’s think about Judges chapter 1. The book of Joshua ends with the tribes taking a stand for God. They were ready to experience all the blessings of the Promised Land. The Lord had given Canaan to the Israelites, but they needed faith to go in and take it. Each tribe was responsible to take hold of their own particular region. But the problem is that their, leader, Joshua had died. Joshua was a great commander, for he had kept the people focused on God and his purposes. He faithfully obeyed the Lord and led the Israelites to one military victory after another until the people occupied the land. Joshua had been the obvious successor to Moses, but, now after his death, there was no obvious successor to Joshua. Soon, Israel began to loose its firm grip on the land.
During this crisis of leadership, Israel had to a make very important decision to turn to God. And so they did in verse 1, “After the death of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, “Who of us is to go up first to fight against the Canaanites?” Joshua died but God did not die and the Israelites asked the Lord for direction. The peoples’ real leader is always God himself. In times of difficulty and transition, we should always ask the Lord what we should do. And when he answers, it is best to obey. Don’t get me wrong. God uses leaders. He works through leaders. But we must always ask the Lord as we acknowledge God as our commander-in-chief. He will come through with is his wisdom and clear direction every time, as we depend on him in prayer.
God called and inspired one tribe to stand up in the gap and take leadership. Let’s read verse 2. “The LORD answered, ‘Judah shall go up; I have given the land into their hands.’” Is it any mistake that Judah was asked to go first? I think not? The leadership of the tribe of Judah is alluded to in Genesis. Five hundred years previous, the man, Judah, was a great sinner. He even sold his brother Joseph into slavery. He lied to his father about Joseph’s condition. He slept with prostitutes. But when God worked through Joseph to help his brothers to repent, Judah was the first to repent. Later on, Jacob blessed his sons and their descents in Genesis 49. In regards to Judah, Genesis 49:8-12 reads, “Judah, your brothers will praise you; your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; your father’s sons will bow down to you. 9 You are a lion’s cub, O Judah; you return from the prey, my son. Like a lion he crouches and lies down, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? 10 The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, until he comes to whom it belongs and the obedience of the nations is his. 11 He will tether his donkey to a vine, his colt to the choicest branch; he will wash his garments in wine, his robes in the blood of grapes. 12 His eyes will be darker than wine, his teeth whiter than milk” The tribe of Judah would be totally blessed. His tribe would be strong and take the lead in battle against its enemies. His tribe would be first among the others. King’s and prophets came from Judah. King David was from the Judah. Jesus is the Lion of Judah. Judah was one the last of the tribes of Israel to exist. Most Jewish people today, I believe, are from the tribe of Judah. God clearly blessed Judah’s repentance and faith, by blessing his descendants. God still blesses the live and the descendants of those who embrace repentance and faith today.
The tribe of Judah accepted the challenge and took the lead. Let’s read verse 3, “The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, ‘Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.’ So the Simeonites went with them.” It is noteworthy that the men of Judah took the lead in battle. To take the lead meant sacrifice and suffering. It meant the possibility of failure and even death. But they had faith, courage and a deep sense of calling. There are times when we must hear the voice of the Lord and stand up and take leadership. It is never a time to shrink back, but a time to embrace faith and manifest courage.
Part lll; The Tribe Of Judah Is Like Christ (3)
Judah’s standing in the forefront and taking the lead is alluding to Jesus. Jesus Christ is from the house and the line of Judah. He is the Lion of Judah. So in essence, by showing that Judah is taking the lead in the conquest of the Promised Land shows us that Jesus has taken the lead and conquered the way for us to enter the Kingdom of God. If we follow our heavenly Judah, the Lion of Judah, Jesus, we will victoriously pass through this world and navigate the narrow way that leads to eternal life.
Simeon has been cursed because of the slaughter of the Schecemites. (Gen 34:1-31) Simeon and Levi did not like what Prince of Schecum did to their sister Dinah and so they put all the men of Schecem to the sword. They were men of violence. Jacob’s blessing to Simeon in Genesis was not good. Genesis 49:5-7 reads, “Simeon and Levi are brothers— their swords are weapons of violence. 6 Let me not enter their council, let me not join their assembly, for they have killed men in their anger and hamstrung oxen as they pleased. 7 Cursed be their anger, so fierce, and their fury, so cruel! I will scatter them in Jacob and disperse them in Israel.” The curse meant that they would have no inheritance in Israel to their own. Their people would be scattered among the other tribes. This is a serious matter for any Israelite tribe for they really wanted their own identity and inheritance in the Promised Land. Not to have it constantly reminded them that they somehow being cursed.
But Judah stepped up and revealed the grace of God towards the Simeonites. Look at verse 3 again, “The men of Judah then said to the Simeonites their fellow Israelites, ‘Come up with us into the territory allotted to us, to fight against the Canaanites. We in turn will go with you into yours.’ So the Simeonites went with them.” First, Judah referred to them as brothers. Judah embraced them and gave them hope and a future in the land. They were to fight side by side in the battle as brothers. Second, Judah, who had the largest inheritance in the land, gave some of their inheritance to Simenon. It lay within their inheritance. (Gen 49:5-7; Josh 19:1) This is verified in Joshua 19:1, which reads, “The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon, clan by clan. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.”
The tribe of Judah is revealing the wonderful grace of God. Actually, we all, because of our sin, had no inheritance in the kingdom of God. We were like spiritual orphans, alone and destitute in this world. We were no part of God’s family and had no part in God spiritual blessings. We were destined to spend an eternity separated from God. Actually the whole humanity was cursed because of the fall; consequently, we all had no inheritance. But Jesus took pity on us. He saved us from our poor spiritual condition. He heard the cry of our hearts. He reached down to us and forgave us. He cleansed us of our sins and made us holy by his grace poured out on us on the cross. He made each of his us precious children. God is our Father. We are now part of his family with a rich inheritance in the Kingdom of God. And as we live in this world we fight the spiritual battle side by side with our Savior Jesus Christ.
The inheritance also reveals the origin of our salvation. Look at Joshua 19:1 again, which reads, “The second lot came out for the tribe of Simeon, clan by clan. Their inheritance lay within the territory of Judah.” Our salvation lies within Jesus. When we are in Christ we are saved and have a rich inheritance in the Kingdom of God. Nothing can take this away from us.
Part lV: The Battle Is Not Over (8-26)
Entering the Promised Land did not mean that the fighting was over. Look at verses 4-6 and 8-11. “When Judah attacked, the LORD gave the Canaanites and Perizzites into their hands, and they struck down ten thousand men at Bezek. 5 It was there that they found Adoni-Bezek and fought against him, putting to rout the Canaanites and Perizzites. …. 8 The men of Judah attacked Jerusalem also and took it. They put the city to the sword and set it on fire. 9 After that, Judah went down to fight against the Canaanites living in the hill country, the Negev and the western foothills.10 They advanced against the Canaanites living in Hebron (formerly called Kiriath Arba) and defeated Sheshai, Ahiman and Talmai. 11 From there they advanced against the people living in Debir (formerly called Kiriath Sepher).” There are more accounts of battles and victories in verses 16-26.
There is also some beautiful co-working going on in these accounts. Can we see some examples? In verse 17, The men of Judah and Simeon fought together. We can see that the individual men or each tribe, coming together to fight hard under one unit. The work of God is always done through co-working together. It is never a “one man” show.
Just because we have been saved and are part of God’s family does not mean that our struggles are over. We still have a spiritual struggle to grow and mature as Christians. We need to battle temptations and idol worship in our hearts, fighting the idols of our cultures around us, which are? I think you know what the idols of our land are. The Bible says, in our struggle against sin, we have not resisted to the point of shedding our blood. What about Paul’s exhortation to run like an athlete who wants to win the prize? This sounds harsh to some. But we need to struggle and grow and not be self confident in ourselves but rather confident in Jesus who goes along with us in the spiritual battle. If we think we are so confident we will fall.
There was one women who knew how the fight inwardly. Look at 1:12-15, “And Caleb said, ‘I will give my daughter Aksah in marriage to the man who attacks and captures Kiriath Sepher.” 13Othniel son of Kenaz, Caleb’s younger brother, took it; so Caleb gave his daughter Aksah to him in marriage. 14 One day when she came to Othniel, she urged him[a] to ask her father for a field. When she got off her donkey, Caleb asked her, ‘What can I do for you?’ 15 She replied, ‘Do me a special favor. Since you have given me land in the Negev, give me also springs of water.’ So Caleb gave her the upper and lower springs.” She was given some land. If the field was to be given to her family, then she felt she also had the right to ask for the springs of water to make the field fertile, which she did and which she received. She had great faith. She asked and received God’s blessing and favor. She had a spirit of conquest in her heart. God blesses those who ask. The Bible says that we can ask for the Holy Spirit. There is the parable of the persistent widow. Those who ask and dedicate what they ask for, to be used for God’s purpose and glory, receive from God. We need bold, claiming faith, not just for blessings and money for our own need, but for spiritual blessings that God wants bless us with. But be careful what you ask for, because those who are given much, much more will be asked.
In today’s study, we learn the importance of coming to God in prayer in times of crisis and transition. We learn the importance of standing up as leaders and taking the lead in the spiritual battles we face in this life. We also learn the importance of co-working and possessing a fighting spirit within us. Most of all we learn about the grace of Jesus, who calls us brothers and fights along side with us. We learn of his grace that conquered the way for us to enter into our eternal inheritance, the kingdom of God. All of this comes when we are found in Christ. Let us praise God for his “including” grace. May we be more inclusive to others.
1. What happened soon after Joshua’s death? Who did the Israelites turned to? (1) What direction did God give his people? Why did the tribe of Judah take the lead? (Gen 49:8-12) Why would taking the lead be difficult? Is God calling you to take the lead?
2. Who were the Canaanites and tell what you know about them? Can you explain how the strategy of conquering the land changed?
3. Why didn’t the tribe of Simeon receive and inheritance? (Gen 49:5-7; Josh 19:1) How does Judah’s treatment of the tribe of Simeon reveal the grace of God and the gospel?
4. What revealed the bold faith of Aksah, Caleb’s daughter? (15) What was she offered? What did she request? How can this be related to the spirit of conquest? Think about asking God for things in through prayer? (esp. think about the Holy Spirit, wisdom and strength and direction, to name a few)
Monday, February 20, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Numbers 13:1-14:25
Explore The Promised Land
Numbers 13:1-14:25 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 1-22-12
Key Verse 13:2 Inspired by the message delivered by P. Abraham Kim UBF director
“Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.
From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
The Israelites reached the border of the land God had promised them. At the Lord's command, Moses sent twelve spies, one from each tribe, to explore it. They discovered that the land was good, but the people were fearsome. Almost everyone was dismayed. Caleb and Joshua, however, believed that the Lord would give them the good land if they had faith that pleased the Lord. They were men of faith and obedience who followed God wholeheartedly. There is also a promised land God has given to each of us and every community in Christ. The land that needs to be conquered is the land of our inner person and the mission field we have been called to serve. It also is the Kingdom of God that Jesus has conquered for us. Through as study this passage may God fill our hearts with a spirit of conquest and a spirit of victory. May we conquer the promise lands that God has led us too, beginning with our own hearts. May we also be sources of encouragement to others, like Caleb and Joshua were. May God bless you.
Part I: God Commands Exploration Of Canaan (13:1-25)
The Book of Numbers begins with numbering the Israelites who could go to war at Mt. Sinai, a year and a month after the Exodus. During that time, the Israelites made a covenant with God and became a special people who had fellowship with God at the Tent of Meeting. In spite of their sin of idolatry, God forgave them and led them to the Desert of Paran where they could see the Promised Land. This took forty years. When they got there, God commanded through Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” (1-2) Why did God want to send in explorers? There were several reasons. Let’s see…
First, to go and explore the land required faith. In the land were great, walled cities. The people were huge and known for their cruelty in battle. They even had iron chariots. Why not just overwhelm the enemy with vast numbers of Israelites, for they numbered two or three million? God had his reasons. They needed to trust God that God had the best strategy in mind.
Second, exploring the enemy camp is a basic step before any military operation. It is true that God wants us to do everything by faith, but he doesn’t want us to do things blindly not knowing the situation and developing a strategy. In fact, the Bible records wars in which God commanded his servants to explore the battle fields, instructed strategies and tactics, whereby they won victories….how?…by obeying God’s instructions with faith. May we find God strategy in the coming year for serving our mission field. I believe it is through 1:1 Bible study, discipleship and alliance building with local Christians and Christian ministries.
Third, God wanted to encourage and inspire his people. God repeatedly called the land of Canaan “the land I am giving to the Israelites” or “the land I promised them on oath” (13:2, 14:16, 23, 30, 15:2). God’s command to explore the land is similar to his command to Abraham when he said, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever….Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” (Ge 13:14-17) Just like Abraham, God wanted the explorers to encourage the Israelites by helping them to know the beauty of the land, be thankful to God, and be filled with desire to conquer and possess the land. God wants us to look at the land he gives us and explore it. He wants us to walk through the land by faith and possess it in our hearts. Maybe we should go the walk around the campus, see its beauty and pray.
Part ll: The Promised Land God Has Called Us To Conquer
The land, in every generation, in every locale, (without and within) is full of idol-worship and corrupt secular cultural forces that oppose the Gospel. God wants to bring about His kingdom through our spiritual conquest and taking possession of the land. We aren’t talking about literal war, for our battle is never against flesh and blood. (Eph 6:11-13) Spiritually, however, the world is at war and the war will continue until our Lord’s Second Coming. We are leaders and foot soldiers of the Lord’s army. There is battle to win. And so, what is the Promised Land for us to conquer? The first is conquering our own hearts with the gospel. Second is entering the kingdom of Heaven following our conquering general, Jesus Christ. This is the most important aspect. And the third is “conquering” the mission field that God has placed us into.
First, conquering ourselves...our inner hearts. This means overcoming our sinful nature and growing in spiritual maturity. God’s will for us is to restore us in the image of Christ (Ro 8:28-29). For this purpose, God has given us the word of God and the Holy Spirit and works in all things in our lives. Christ’s image is formed through continuous battle with our old self, that is, the sinful nature. When our old self dies through obedience to God, we put on the new self and become spiritual men and women.
We should check where we are in this spiritual campaign. We should press on like Apostle Paul to be united with Christ by following Christ’s example in his death and resurrection (Php 3:10-12). Ephesians 4:22-24 reads, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” To put off our old self, often requires a spiritual battle to the point of shedding our blood. The only way to do this is to repent of loving our sinful nature more than God and give our hearts to God newly. The moment our old self dies, we experience the power of the resurrection and receive freedom in Christ.
Our inner spiritual enemies, such as pride, self-glory seeking, and lust, to name a few, have deep roots. To uproot them, we need a hydraulic hoe and dynamite. When we dig deep with the hoe of the word of God, we expose the root of our sin and the Holy Spirit blows it off by his power and transforms us to be a new creations. When we put on the new self, we can enter into life to the full which the Lord Jesus promised in John 10:10b, “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Which is our 2012 ministry key verse.
In order to conquer our hearts, we should also grow in love and righteousness until our own local church and the Christian community radiates the love of God. The kingdom of God comes when we obey the Lord’s new command, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34). What a beautiful and precious community of brothers and sisters we have in our fellowship! Where can we find such wonderful friends in the world? Nowhere else, but in Christ! While focusing on our ministry, work, school and social life, we often miss the blessed love fellowship among those who love Jesus. Let’s continue building up a beautiful community of love among us so that the world may know God’s love through us. This is part of conquering our hearts with the gospel.
Second, conquering the land is entering the kingdom of Heaven following our conquering general, Jesus Christ. We can talk about the various “lands” that we need to conquer in this world, but by far, the most important land to conquer is the land that Jesus has already conquered for us, the Kingdom of God. Jesus conquered this land through his suffering, death and resurrection. (1 Cor 15:20-29) Jesus placed all of his enemies under his feet. That means sin, death and Satan and his cohorts. Jesus goes on ahead of us to prepare a place for us. We have assured victory because our Lord and Savior Jesus went ahead of us and fought for us and won the victory. All we need to do is repent and claim, through faith, what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross. We need to follow him and dwell in the kingdom of God, even now, for the Kingdom of God is within you. When you dwell in the kingdom of God, Jesus will reign over you with his peace and his love. It sounds easy but not always. There are still many spiritual battles to engage as we walk by faith. When we have done everything to stand, God’s grace will be shown to be sufficient.
Third, exploring and conquering our own mission field. For us, it is the campus that we are ministering to, NIU and the grade schools and the people of DeKalb. The mission field is also our homes and work places that God has brought us into. God wants us to lift up our eyes and look at the Promised Land, both locally and globally and continue the conquest.
How do we know that our land is being conquered? It does not necessarily mean that there are 1000 people worshipping together to a fantastic praise band. It does not mean when 16,000 of us gather for a Bible conference at the Convo Center? To conquer our land means that the Gospel message is being faithfully preached there. It is occurs when God’s people are praying that Jesus may rule in the hearts of the people in that mission field. It is when one person is being changed and transformed by the grace of God, and that heart could be the one called to that mission field. It can not be measured in numbers.
Part lll. Reports of Exploration (13:26-14:9)
The 12 leaders returned with a huge cluster of grapes, some pomegranates and figs after exploring the 250 miles of the land. They said, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey. Here is its fruit.” (13:27) People must have shouted with joy. But when they heard the explorers saying, “But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there,” (13:28) the atmosphere changed. Peoples’ hearts sunk within their chests. They were filled with fear. How could the Israelites ever conquer a land occupied by such people? .
At this time of crisis Caleb stepped up as a true leader. He silenced them, and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (13:30) But the ten men countered him and said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” (31) And they spread among the Israelites a bad report. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (32-33) What was their problem? Here, to “spread a bad report” means to “falsely accuse.” The land did not devour the people living in it, for if it did then those living in it, would have been ill-fed and weak. But that was not the case. They said, “All the people we saw are of great size.” They were exaggerating. They even exaggerated their weaknesses, reducing themselves to grasshoppers. (Which they were not!) When the ten leaders saw the land of Canaan with human eyes, they saw no possibility of victory in war, and so they gave up. Caleb, on the other hand, saw the same things the other explorers saw. But he could see the land with God’s eyes through the Holy Spirit who dwelt in him. He saw God at work among his people. He was convinced that God would use his people as His instrument and give them the land. So he could say, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (30).
All twelve experienced God’s power, character, and guidance together. Why then couldn’t the ten have the spirituality that Caleb and Joshua had? The problem was that these people had eliminated God from the equation. This was unreasonable. It is just as the Apostle Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 3:1 which reads, “1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.” There are believers who grow mature to live by the Spirit and believers who remain worldly, spiritually immature. What determines one’s spiritual maturity? It is one’s reverence for Jesus and their obedient attitude toward God. One who reveres God and lives before him experiences God in all things, learns from Him and thus…grows. On the other hand, one who eliminates God from the equation and sees things from a human point of view cannot grow spiritually.
We are fighting against secular humanism, materialism, the goddess of pleasure and the spirit of ambivalence in this post-modern era. From the time of inviting young people to Jesus to the time of raising them as disciples, we feel as if we are fighting with giants. When we see our mission field with human eyes, we are filled with negative thinking, fear and feel small and powerless. We are weak but God is strong. God is indeed great. When we fix our eyes on God, God becomes bigger and bigger in our minds and hearts and the problems become smaller and smaller until they disappear. And the Holy Spirit fills our minds and hearts with courage and conviction that “We can certainly triumph and conquer in Jesus’ name.” Amen.
People who heard the report of the ten leaders raised their voices and wept aloud all night. It was not tears of repentance and faith. It was tears of despair, anger and frustration. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron and said, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (14:2-3) “If only we had died in Egypt!”—this was the habitual grumble of the Israelites (Ex 14:11, 16:3, Nu 20:3). Think about the scene of two million people sitting and wailing under the light from the pillar of fire, which was a sign of God’s protection and love. This was a grave sin of forgetting the grace of God who had redeemed them from their miserable life of slavery. They even thought of going back to Egypt. Their reaction shows the tragedy of unbelief and leaving God out of the equation. Even though we forget all other things, we should not forget the grace of God who redeemed us.
These faithless people finally discussed about abandoning the place that God had led them and choosing a leader to take them back to Egypt. Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the congregation. (4-5) They were grieved. They might have expected God’s judgment at any moment. At this critical moment, Joshua and Caleb again stood up as true spiritual leaders and tore their clothes. In ancient times, clothes were rare and expensive. Therefore tearing clothes was a big decision as well as an expression of great sorrow and righteous anger. They said, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (7-9). What can we learn from Joshua and Caleb?
First, faith that believes God’s promise. Joshua and Caleb had a conviction of conquest because they believed God’s promise. God had promised Abraham to give his descendants the land and had foretold their slavery in Egypt, their exodus and return to the Promised Land (Ge 15:7-21). God confirmed this promise to Isaac and Jacob and later said to Moses, “So I have come down to rescue them from the land of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey”—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (Ex 3:8). God surely keeps his word. Faith is 100% of trust in God’s promise. This is faith that pleases God. We have the Lord’s promise, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20). When we believe in the Lord’s promise 100%, we can have the conviction and courage to challenge any situation and reveal God’s glory.
Second, faith in God’s sovereignty and power. Joshua and Caleb said, “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, … and will give it to us.” (14:8) To them, the strong enemies in the land were not a problem, for no one can stand against God if God leads his people into the land. If God Almighty, the Sovereign Lord goes ahead of us, nothing is impossible. We must believe this and do his work. When people says, “It is not possible,” we can say, “God can do it.”
How can we please God? We can please God by believing in him 100% (Heb 11:6). God is pleased with our obedience, devotion and shepherd heart. We should pray for raising 100,000 UBF missionaries by 2041 to evangelize the world’s major campuses by faith. We should pray for the pioneering of all of the campuses in our nation by faith. We should be praying for the evangelization of the students of NIU and the people of DeKalb. God is with us. He will lead us into the Promised Land and he will give it to us when we have faith that pleases God.
Third, victory in spiritual battle. Joshua and Caleb said, “Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them.” (14:9) Other versions translate the latter part of this verse as “we will swallow them up.” Here we can see their appetite, confidence and desire to conquer in the Lord’s name. Joshua and Caleb were filled with the Holy Spirit because they defeated Satan’s attack. They were powerful servants of God. They remind us of the Lord’s promise, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Ac 1:8).
Satan attacks us with arrows of doubt and fear whenever we try to do anything. When we are hit, we lose our strength and desire, and fall into negative thinking and complaints. As commanders and leaders in God’s army, we must first win the spiritual warfare against Satan by holding on to God’s words of promise. When the Holy Spirit works, the evil spirits of secular humanism, materialism, and carnal pleasure seeking run away. Ephesians 6:16-17 says, “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can have a burning desire and vision from God and we can work by the power of God.
Joshua and Caleb warned the Israelites, “Only do not rebel against the LORD.” (14:9a) This verse teaches us that giving up the promised land due to unbelief is rebellion against God. Unbelief is a backward road that leads to failure and shame, while faith is a forward road that leads to victory and glory. In Christ we don’t have a backward road. The Holy Spirit points to only a forward road towards the Promised Land. Let’s not be afraid. Let’s not be disappointed because there seems to be little fruit in ministry. It’s all right if we love God with all our hearts and do what we should do each day by faith. We are doing what God wants us to do if we love our spouses, and our kids and those brought near to us. We are conquering our land when we raise the Bible students whom God gives us and our children to be spiritual men and women. God is working with us and He will fulfill His will in His way and in His time.
Part lll; Caleb’s Spirit
How did God see Caleb’s faith? Read verse 14:24. “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” The land Caleb went to was the hill country of Hebron. There lived the Anakites, the giants (Jos 14:12). God said, “my servant Caleb has a different spirit.” God was pleased with Caleb and promised that He would bring him into the land and his descendants would inherit it. Why could Caleb have a different spirit? God testified that Caleb followed God wholeheartedly. Here “wholeheartedly” means to fill a vacuum with something— 100%. Caleb filled his soul with God only. He did not allow anything else to occupy his heart along with God. He gave his whole heart to God. (Dt 6:5) God loved him and was pleased to dwell in him and wanted to bless him and his descendants. God leads those who follow Him wholeheartedly to the Promised Land and gives it to their descendants. Here we learn what kind of person God seeks. God does not seek able people. God seeks men and women whose hearts are wholly devoted to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a reads, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him….”
In today’s passage, we learned to obey God’s command to go and explore the land and be encouraged by what you will find. The land that God calls us to conquer is first our own hearts and then the various mission fields that God has led us to. We must thank Jesus for being our conquering general and leading us into the Promised Land of the Kingdom of God. Let’s also pray to have faith that pleases God, like Caleb and Joshua and engage our faith in order to be a blessing to all of God’s people.
Numbers 13:1-14:25 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 1-22-12
Key Verse 13:2 Inspired by the message delivered by P. Abraham Kim UBF director
“Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites.
From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.”
The Israelites reached the border of the land God had promised them. At the Lord's command, Moses sent twelve spies, one from each tribe, to explore it. They discovered that the land was good, but the people were fearsome. Almost everyone was dismayed. Caleb and Joshua, however, believed that the Lord would give them the good land if they had faith that pleased the Lord. They were men of faith and obedience who followed God wholeheartedly. There is also a promised land God has given to each of us and every community in Christ. The land that needs to be conquered is the land of our inner person and the mission field we have been called to serve. It also is the Kingdom of God that Jesus has conquered for us. Through as study this passage may God fill our hearts with a spirit of conquest and a spirit of victory. May we conquer the promise lands that God has led us too, beginning with our own hearts. May we also be sources of encouragement to others, like Caleb and Joshua were. May God bless you.
Part I: God Commands Exploration Of Canaan (13:1-25)
The Book of Numbers begins with numbering the Israelites who could go to war at Mt. Sinai, a year and a month after the Exodus. During that time, the Israelites made a covenant with God and became a special people who had fellowship with God at the Tent of Meeting. In spite of their sin of idolatry, God forgave them and led them to the Desert of Paran where they could see the Promised Land. This took forty years. When they got there, God commanded through Moses, “Send some men to explore the land of Canaan, which I am giving to the Israelites. From each ancestral tribe send one of its leaders.” (1-2) Why did God want to send in explorers? There were several reasons. Let’s see…
First, to go and explore the land required faith. In the land were great, walled cities. The people were huge and known for their cruelty in battle. They even had iron chariots. Why not just overwhelm the enemy with vast numbers of Israelites, for they numbered two or three million? God had his reasons. They needed to trust God that God had the best strategy in mind.
Second, exploring the enemy camp is a basic step before any military operation. It is true that God wants us to do everything by faith, but he doesn’t want us to do things blindly not knowing the situation and developing a strategy. In fact, the Bible records wars in which God commanded his servants to explore the battle fields, instructed strategies and tactics, whereby they won victories….how?…by obeying God’s instructions with faith. May we find God strategy in the coming year for serving our mission field. I believe it is through 1:1 Bible study, discipleship and alliance building with local Christians and Christian ministries.
Third, God wanted to encourage and inspire his people. God repeatedly called the land of Canaan “the land I am giving to the Israelites” or “the land I promised them on oath” (13:2, 14:16, 23, 30, 15:2). God’s command to explore the land is similar to his command to Abraham when he said, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring forever….Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” (Ge 13:14-17) Just like Abraham, God wanted the explorers to encourage the Israelites by helping them to know the beauty of the land, be thankful to God, and be filled with desire to conquer and possess the land. God wants us to look at the land he gives us and explore it. He wants us to walk through the land by faith and possess it in our hearts. Maybe we should go the walk around the campus, see its beauty and pray.
Part ll: The Promised Land God Has Called Us To Conquer
The land, in every generation, in every locale, (without and within) is full of idol-worship and corrupt secular cultural forces that oppose the Gospel. God wants to bring about His kingdom through our spiritual conquest and taking possession of the land. We aren’t talking about literal war, for our battle is never against flesh and blood. (Eph 6:11-13) Spiritually, however, the world is at war and the war will continue until our Lord’s Second Coming. We are leaders and foot soldiers of the Lord’s army. There is battle to win. And so, what is the Promised Land for us to conquer? The first is conquering our own hearts with the gospel. Second is entering the kingdom of Heaven following our conquering general, Jesus Christ. This is the most important aspect. And the third is “conquering” the mission field that God has placed us into.
First, conquering ourselves...our inner hearts. This means overcoming our sinful nature and growing in spiritual maturity. God’s will for us is to restore us in the image of Christ (Ro 8:28-29). For this purpose, God has given us the word of God and the Holy Spirit and works in all things in our lives. Christ’s image is formed through continuous battle with our old self, that is, the sinful nature. When our old self dies through obedience to God, we put on the new self and become spiritual men and women.
We should check where we are in this spiritual campaign. We should press on like Apostle Paul to be united with Christ by following Christ’s example in his death and resurrection (Php 3:10-12). Ephesians 4:22-24 reads, “You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.” To put off our old self, often requires a spiritual battle to the point of shedding our blood. The only way to do this is to repent of loving our sinful nature more than God and give our hearts to God newly. The moment our old self dies, we experience the power of the resurrection and receive freedom in Christ.
Our inner spiritual enemies, such as pride, self-glory seeking, and lust, to name a few, have deep roots. To uproot them, we need a hydraulic hoe and dynamite. When we dig deep with the hoe of the word of God, we expose the root of our sin and the Holy Spirit blows it off by his power and transforms us to be a new creations. When we put on the new self, we can enter into life to the full which the Lord Jesus promised in John 10:10b, “…I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” Which is our 2012 ministry key verse.
In order to conquer our hearts, we should also grow in love and righteousness until our own local church and the Christian community radiates the love of God. The kingdom of God comes when we obey the Lord’s new command, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another” (Jn 13:34). What a beautiful and precious community of brothers and sisters we have in our fellowship! Where can we find such wonderful friends in the world? Nowhere else, but in Christ! While focusing on our ministry, work, school and social life, we often miss the blessed love fellowship among those who love Jesus. Let’s continue building up a beautiful community of love among us so that the world may know God’s love through us. This is part of conquering our hearts with the gospel.
Second, conquering the land is entering the kingdom of Heaven following our conquering general, Jesus Christ. We can talk about the various “lands” that we need to conquer in this world, but by far, the most important land to conquer is the land that Jesus has already conquered for us, the Kingdom of God. Jesus conquered this land through his suffering, death and resurrection. (1 Cor 15:20-29) Jesus placed all of his enemies under his feet. That means sin, death and Satan and his cohorts. Jesus goes on ahead of us to prepare a place for us. We have assured victory because our Lord and Savior Jesus went ahead of us and fought for us and won the victory. All we need to do is repent and claim, through faith, what Jesus has accomplished for us on the cross. We need to follow him and dwell in the kingdom of God, even now, for the Kingdom of God is within you. When you dwell in the kingdom of God, Jesus will reign over you with his peace and his love. It sounds easy but not always. There are still many spiritual battles to engage as we walk by faith. When we have done everything to stand, God’s grace will be shown to be sufficient.
Third, exploring and conquering our own mission field. For us, it is the campus that we are ministering to, NIU and the grade schools and the people of DeKalb. The mission field is also our homes and work places that God has brought us into. God wants us to lift up our eyes and look at the Promised Land, both locally and globally and continue the conquest.
How do we know that our land is being conquered? It does not necessarily mean that there are 1000 people worshipping together to a fantastic praise band. It does not mean when 16,000 of us gather for a Bible conference at the Convo Center? To conquer our land means that the Gospel message is being faithfully preached there. It is occurs when God’s people are praying that Jesus may rule in the hearts of the people in that mission field. It is when one person is being changed and transformed by the grace of God, and that heart could be the one called to that mission field. It can not be measured in numbers.
Part lll. Reports of Exploration (13:26-14:9)
The 12 leaders returned with a huge cluster of grapes, some pomegranates and figs after exploring the 250 miles of the land. They said, “We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey. Here is its fruit.” (13:27) People must have shouted with joy. But when they heard the explorers saying, “But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large. We even saw descendants of Anak there,” (13:28) the atmosphere changed. Peoples’ hearts sunk within their chests. They were filled with fear. How could the Israelites ever conquer a land occupied by such people? .
At this time of crisis Caleb stepped up as a true leader. He silenced them, and said, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it.” (13:30) But the ten men countered him and said, “We can’t attack those people; they are stronger than we are.” (31) And they spread among the Israelites a bad report. They said, “The land we explored devours those living in it. All the people we saw there are of great size. We saw the Nephilim there. We seemed like grasshoppers in our own eyes, and we looked the same to them.” (32-33) What was their problem? Here, to “spread a bad report” means to “falsely accuse.” The land did not devour the people living in it, for if it did then those living in it, would have been ill-fed and weak. But that was not the case. They said, “All the people we saw are of great size.” They were exaggerating. They even exaggerated their weaknesses, reducing themselves to grasshoppers. (Which they were not!) When the ten leaders saw the land of Canaan with human eyes, they saw no possibility of victory in war, and so they gave up. Caleb, on the other hand, saw the same things the other explorers saw. But he could see the land with God’s eyes through the Holy Spirit who dwelt in him. He saw God at work among his people. He was convinced that God would use his people as His instrument and give them the land. So he could say, “We should go up and take possession of the land, for we can certainly do it” (30).
All twelve experienced God’s power, character, and guidance together. Why then couldn’t the ten have the spirituality that Caleb and Joshua had? The problem was that these people had eliminated God from the equation. This was unreasonable. It is just as the Apostle Paul pointed out in 1 Corinthians 3:1 which reads, “1 Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ.” There are believers who grow mature to live by the Spirit and believers who remain worldly, spiritually immature. What determines one’s spiritual maturity? It is one’s reverence for Jesus and their obedient attitude toward God. One who reveres God and lives before him experiences God in all things, learns from Him and thus…grows. On the other hand, one who eliminates God from the equation and sees things from a human point of view cannot grow spiritually.
We are fighting against secular humanism, materialism, the goddess of pleasure and the spirit of ambivalence in this post-modern era. From the time of inviting young people to Jesus to the time of raising them as disciples, we feel as if we are fighting with giants. When we see our mission field with human eyes, we are filled with negative thinking, fear and feel small and powerless. We are weak but God is strong. God is indeed great. When we fix our eyes on God, God becomes bigger and bigger in our minds and hearts and the problems become smaller and smaller until they disappear. And the Holy Spirit fills our minds and hearts with courage and conviction that “We can certainly triumph and conquer in Jesus’ name.” Amen.
People who heard the report of the ten leaders raised their voices and wept aloud all night. It was not tears of repentance and faith. It was tears of despair, anger and frustration. All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron and said, “If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the LORD bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword? Our wives and children will be taken as plunder. Wouldn’t it be better for us to go back to Egypt?” (14:2-3) “If only we had died in Egypt!”—this was the habitual grumble of the Israelites (Ex 14:11, 16:3, Nu 20:3). Think about the scene of two million people sitting and wailing under the light from the pillar of fire, which was a sign of God’s protection and love. This was a grave sin of forgetting the grace of God who had redeemed them from their miserable life of slavery. They even thought of going back to Egypt. Their reaction shows the tragedy of unbelief and leaving God out of the equation. Even though we forget all other things, we should not forget the grace of God who redeemed us.
These faithless people finally discussed about abandoning the place that God had led them and choosing a leader to take them back to Egypt. Moses and Aaron fell facedown before the congregation. (4-5) They were grieved. They might have expected God’s judgment at any moment. At this critical moment, Joshua and Caleb again stood up as true spiritual leaders and tore their clothes. In ancient times, clothes were rare and expensive. Therefore tearing clothes was a big decision as well as an expression of great sorrow and righteous anger. They said, “The land we passed through and explored is exceedingly good. If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the LORD. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them.” (7-9). What can we learn from Joshua and Caleb?
First, faith that believes God’s promise. Joshua and Caleb had a conviction of conquest because they believed God’s promise. God had promised Abraham to give his descendants the land and had foretold their slavery in Egypt, their exodus and return to the Promised Land (Ge 15:7-21). God confirmed this promise to Isaac and Jacob and later said to Moses, “So I have come down to rescue them from the land of the Egyptians and to bring them up out of that land into a good and spacious land, a land flowing with milk and honey”—the home of the Canaanites, Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites and Jebusites (Ex 3:8). God surely keeps his word. Faith is 100% of trust in God’s promise. This is faith that pleases God. We have the Lord’s promise, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Mt 28:19-20). When we believe in the Lord’s promise 100%, we can have the conviction and courage to challenge any situation and reveal God’s glory.
Second, faith in God’s sovereignty and power. Joshua and Caleb said, “If the LORD is pleased with us, he will lead us into that land, … and will give it to us.” (14:8) To them, the strong enemies in the land were not a problem, for no one can stand against God if God leads his people into the land. If God Almighty, the Sovereign Lord goes ahead of us, nothing is impossible. We must believe this and do his work. When people says, “It is not possible,” we can say, “God can do it.”
How can we please God? We can please God by believing in him 100% (Heb 11:6). God is pleased with our obedience, devotion and shepherd heart. We should pray for raising 100,000 UBF missionaries by 2041 to evangelize the world’s major campuses by faith. We should pray for the pioneering of all of the campuses in our nation by faith. We should be praying for the evangelization of the students of NIU and the people of DeKalb. God is with us. He will lead us into the Promised Land and he will give it to us when we have faith that pleases God.
Third, victory in spiritual battle. Joshua and Caleb said, “Do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them.” (14:9) Other versions translate the latter part of this verse as “we will swallow them up.” Here we can see their appetite, confidence and desire to conquer in the Lord’s name. Joshua and Caleb were filled with the Holy Spirit because they defeated Satan’s attack. They were powerful servants of God. They remind us of the Lord’s promise, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you” (Ac 1:8).
Satan attacks us with arrows of doubt and fear whenever we try to do anything. When we are hit, we lose our strength and desire, and fall into negative thinking and complaints. As commanders and leaders in God’s army, we must first win the spiritual warfare against Satan by holding on to God’s words of promise. When the Holy Spirit works, the evil spirits of secular humanism, materialism, and carnal pleasure seeking run away. Ephesians 6:16-17 says, “Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we can have a burning desire and vision from God and we can work by the power of God.
Joshua and Caleb warned the Israelites, “Only do not rebel against the LORD.” (14:9a) This verse teaches us that giving up the promised land due to unbelief is rebellion against God. Unbelief is a backward road that leads to failure and shame, while faith is a forward road that leads to victory and glory. In Christ we don’t have a backward road. The Holy Spirit points to only a forward road towards the Promised Land. Let’s not be afraid. Let’s not be disappointed because there seems to be little fruit in ministry. It’s all right if we love God with all our hearts and do what we should do each day by faith. We are doing what God wants us to do if we love our spouses, and our kids and those brought near to us. We are conquering our land when we raise the Bible students whom God gives us and our children to be spiritual men and women. God is working with us and He will fulfill His will in His way and in His time.
Part lll; Caleb’s Spirit
How did God see Caleb’s faith? Read verse 14:24. “But because my servant Caleb has a different spirit and follows me wholeheartedly, I will bring him into the land he went to, and his descendants will inherit it.” The land Caleb went to was the hill country of Hebron. There lived the Anakites, the giants (Jos 14:12). God said, “my servant Caleb has a different spirit.” God was pleased with Caleb and promised that He would bring him into the land and his descendants would inherit it. Why could Caleb have a different spirit? God testified that Caleb followed God wholeheartedly. Here “wholeheartedly” means to fill a vacuum with something— 100%. Caleb filled his soul with God only. He did not allow anything else to occupy his heart along with God. He gave his whole heart to God. (Dt 6:5) God loved him and was pleased to dwell in him and wanted to bless him and his descendants. God leads those who follow Him wholeheartedly to the Promised Land and gives it to their descendants. Here we learn what kind of person God seeks. God does not seek able people. God seeks men and women whose hearts are wholly devoted to Him. 2 Chronicles 16:9a reads, “For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him….”
In today’s passage, we learned to obey God’s command to go and explore the land and be encouraged by what you will find. The land that God calls us to conquer is first our own hearts and then the various mission fields that God has led us to. We must thank Jesus for being our conquering general and leading us into the Promised Land of the Kingdom of God. Let’s also pray to have faith that pleases God, like Caleb and Joshua and engage our faith in order to be a blessing to all of God’s people.
Mark 1:1-11
John’s Baptism And The Coming Of The Holy Spirit
Mark 1:1-11 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF (University Bible Fellowship) ChristianfamilyonChristsmission.com
Key verse 1:11-12 Waterman Presbyterian Church 1/8/2012
“As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
What an honor and a privilege it is to be here to preach in this beautiful and historical church, a church where several of my friends have grown up and worship. I am eager to see them. Who am I and who is my family that I could be so blessed to stand in this pulpit where so many great servants of God have stood before? For example, I was here 1 ½ years ago when Dr @Prahbakar came to speak about his missionary work in India. Who remembers that day? @Jenn Kallas@ told me that there are families who have historically worshipped here for several generations. That makes me feel like you have included me in your family, by inviting me to preach. That is special to me and my family. It is also a privilege to preach at the beginning of the year. That is a pretty prestigious slot in my books. New Year’s is a time of new beginnings and new hopes for a fresh start. I was wondering what should I preach on? I asked Jenn, “what are the prescribed readings for this Sunday?” and she gave me a list. The passages were wisely chosen and a great choice for a New Year’s message!
In this passage we will talk briefly how Jesus’ Gospel ministry began, first through God’s promises and then through the ministry of John the Baptist. We will think about what John’s Baptism is and the importance of John’s baptism and its relationships to Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit. I pray that 2012 may be a year where God can bless us with a spirit of repentance and brand new relationship with God with new beginnings in him, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let’s see.
Part l: The Gospel Began With Prophecy (1-3).
Mark takes us to the beginning of Jesus’ Gospel ministry in verse 1. It reads, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” “Gospel” literally means “good news.” This world is filled with bad news that saps us of strength. But good news fills us with joy, life, and hope. We all want good news. We all need good news. Especially at the beginning of the year! This good news is about Jesus Christ the Son of God.
“Jesus” means “Savior.” Our Savior, Jesus, came into this world as a tiny, baby in the manger, to save us from our sins (Mt 1:21). “Christ” means the “anointed king.” Jesus is descended from David, was anointed with Holy Spirit, and authority and power, to reign over all God’s people forever and ever, with peace and love. What a great king we have! “The Son of God” means that he is the promised Savior, sent by the Father, who can completely save all who put their faith and trust in him. Those who receive Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as their savior King, receive the forgiveness of sins, adoption as children of God, new hope, a glorious mission, the promised Holy Spirit as well as eternal life. What a great package deal. This is the Gospel. This is our Christ! How wonderful it is to learn about the Gospel this New Year! And so let’s see how this gospel began.
God prepared the peoples’ hearts for centuries. Look at verses 2-3. “It is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way’–‘a voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’.” Though Mark mentions only Isaiah, this verse is actually a quotation of both Malachi and Isaiah. (Mal 3:1; Isa 40:3) Isaiah was the most prominent prophet in the Old Testament and Malachi was the last Old Testament prophet. Malachi wrote around 430 B.C. He proclaimed the Messiah’s coming. But before the Messiah would come, God would send “his messenger”. (Mal 3:1). Isaiah wrote around 700 B.C. He foretold that God’s messenger would live in the desert and preach a message of repentance. (Isa 40:3-5) John the Baptist precisely fulfilled these prophecies. Jesus came according to prophecy. Only God, who knows the end from the beginning, can do this. This gospel is not some “man-made” story. The gospel is the truth from God supported by historical facts. This sets Christianity apart from all other religions. You can build your life and stake your future on the Jesus and the Gospel.
Part ll: The Baptism of John - A Baptism of Repentance (4-8).
Isaiah said that God’s messenger would “Prepare the way for the Lord.” This did not mean that John was going to finance the building of an expressway from Nazareth to Jerusalem. No. He was referring to the Lord entering into the peoples’ hearts in a spiritual sense. Jesus started his ministry when he was 30 years old. For this great work to begin, peoples’ hearts needed to be prepared. That’s where John the Baptist comes in.
Luke refers to the nature of John’s ministry in Luke 3:4-6, “As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” Peoples’ hearts were not prepared to accept the Savior. Some peoples’ hearts were like valleys made impassable by self condemnation. Some peoples’ hearts were like mountains and hills, made impassable by varying levels of pride. Some peoples’ hearts filled with crooked ways, too crooked for God to navigate his way into them. Others had rough paths hindering God’s approach. And so thousands of people, with different hearts, came to John the Baptist, some self condemning, some proud, some crooked and rough. But despite of the varying condition of hearts, they all had one thing in common. They submitted to John’s baptism of repentance. They were attracted to his message. To be certain, they were tired of living without God and without hope and they wanted to see God’s Messiah. And so they humbly came to John.
John knew that there was only one way to prepare any heart. Let’s read verses 4 and 5, “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” John knew the eternal truth that hearts need to be changed in order for God to dwell there. God is holy and can not co-exist with sin. God is the powerful, almighty Creator. He opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6b) He is the King of the Universe and will not dwell amidst challenges to his lordship. But yet this holy, powerful, Creator God really wants to come and dwell among his people, personally. But how is it possible? Our own efforts could never produce a suitable pathway. But God did not give up. He has shown us the way. Look at verse 5b, “…Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” It is the way of humble confession and repentance. (James 4:5-6)
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. (Mk 1:4) Repentance is such a heavy word. Some pastors have been sued for using this word. But I feel safe around you all. To put it simply, to repent means to turn from sin and the world towards Jesus and his kingdom. It is a condition of heart, involving changing one's mind about something and dedicating oneself to the amendment of one's life. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repent) In a word, to repent is to acknowledge one’s sin before God and to ask for his forgiveness and then chart a new course.
Repentance is a good thing and a pre-requisite for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When Peter was addressing the crowds in Acts 3:19-20, he said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” Most people live in this world, loaded down with guilt, regrets and vague feelings of condemnation and failure. We don’t know how to unburden our hearts. But when we repent of our sins and come to Jesus, our hearts are strangely refreshed. The Lord forgives all of our sins. We are made right with God, by his grace, and have true peace. We experience the love of God. We can make a brand new beginning with new strength to follow the truth and to follow Jesus. With repentance we can become the happiest people in the world. Repentance is indeed a refreshing, healing balm to our souls.
There are different classes of repentance. First-class repentance is willing, and it is done with godly sorrow, recognizing the pain we have caused God and others. Second-class repentance may be done without emotional contents, simply as a matter of principle. Third-class repentance is the most reluctant, simply because we want to avoid punishment. Sometimes, our hearts are too hard to repent at all. It is never easy to repent. I will never forget one episode of Happy Days when Author Fonzerelli, better known as “The Fonz” had to say he was sorry. He stumbled and stammered and tried to force out the words, “I am sorry” and was barely able to do it. Repentance requires great humility. Mostly we must ask God for a spirit of repentance and when we do God will tenderize our hearts and help us.
People really want to hear the word, "repent". The response to John’s preaching was phenomenal. Look at verse 5. “The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” This teaches us that deep down inside people really want to repent. They want times of refreshing and power to change. They want to find a solution to their spiritual problems. They just need to know the way.
John was an excellent instrument for God to reach the peoples’ hearts. Look at verse 6. “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” John lived a pure and poor life, studying the Old Testament and praying in the desert. He wore humble camel hair clothes and ate humble food, like grasshoppers. He lived the message that he preached. When a servant of God is like this then the words he/she speaks are very powerful and people will listen.
Part lll: Jesus’ Baptism – The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:7-8)
Repentance must not be half way. We need to follow through and come to Christ, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist also knew secret of following through repentance unto faith. He did not want to leave the crowds pummeling themselves with self condemnation. Let’s see how he helped them in verses 7-8, “And this was his message: ‘After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” John explained that his water baptism was merely a first step in coming to God. It alone could not solve their sin problem. They needed forgiveness and to be changed in their “inner person”. In short, they needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit that only Jesus could give.
We see this same principle at work in Acts 19:1-7, Here Paul finds twelve new disciples who had only taken repentance half way. Let’s read verses Acts 19:1-3 together, “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ 3 So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied.” These 12 disciples looked incomplete. They only received John’s baptism, which is a baptism of repentance. They admitted they were sinners. They knew they deserved God’s righteous judgment. But they did not know the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ or the work of the Holy Spirit. They remind us of people who always look grumpy and condemned, even after believing in Jesus.
Paul could not leave these young disciples in their misery. In Acts 19:4, Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.” He told the people to believe in the one coming after John the Baptist, that is, Jesus. Then, on hearing these words from Paul, they were baptized into the name of the Lord. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them. They were filled with power and joy. They could speak about God and his marvelous work. They could see the coming of the kingdom of God. It was the beginning of God’s great work in Ephesus.
Let’s think why this baptism of the Holy Spirit so important? There are many reasons. Countless books have been written on the subject…but let’s think of six of them in order to wet our appetites for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
First, Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit transforms our inner person. The Holy Spirit is God himself who comes to dwell in us. Where God dwell’s, nothing stays the same for the Holy Spirit is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we die to sin and rise to newness of life with Christ (Ro 6:4). We are transformed.
Second, Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit, enables us to live a new life in the holiness of God bearing good fruit (Gal 5:22) for his glory.
Third, the Spirit gives us a burning passion to seek God and serve God. After Jesus’ ascension into heaven, when the apostles gathered to pray together in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit came upon them in power. Their fear vanished and they became bold witnesses of Jesus Christ (Ac 2:4).
Fourth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with power, love and self discipline. Young Timothy was willing to serve God together with Paul. But he was timid and weak. Paul believed he would be changed into a spiritual leader, by the Holy Spirit. That is why Paul said to him, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim 1:7).
Fifth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit sets our minds free from the gravity of sin and enables us to think of heavenly things. Romans 8:6 says, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”
Sixth, the Holy Spirit gives a confirmation of the love of God. Verse 11. “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” We will talk more about this in the upcoming section.
Wow! This sounds really great! The baptism of the Holy Spirit is good news for all people. Where can we get this Holy Spirit? Do they sell it at Walmart? God really wants to give us the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that even human fathers, know how to give good gifts to their children. Then Jesus said, “...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Lk 11:13) God really wants to give us the Holy Spirit. He really wants to dwell in hearts. All we need to do is ask. Have you asked? If you have asked, you can ask again for God to come and dwell in your heart newly. As we begin this New Year, let each of us ask God for the Holy Spirit.
Part lll: God Anointed Jesus As Christ (9-11).
To inaugurate his ministry, Jesus humbly submitted to John’s baptism. Look at verse 9, “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But Jesus did not need to repent for he was sinless. Still, Jesus made sure he was baptized. Why? Jesus’ baptism by John was a time of decision. Jesus, was committing himself to God’s holy purpose to take up his cross and live and die as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29) This reveals that there is more to baptism than repentance. Baptism is also a decision of commitment.
After Jesus humbly submitted to John’s baptism, something amazing happened. Look at verse 10. “As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” As Jesus was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on him (Lk 3:22), physically represented by a dove. This was literally God the Father, breaking through the darkness of the world, and anointing Jesus, his Son, with the Holy Spirit. What does this mean?
God’s great work always begins with a movement of the Holy Spirit. This is consistent throughout the whole Bible. Genesis 1:1-3 reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” There was a time, when this world was formless, empty and dark. Not much was going on. The earth was without beauty, without life, and with meaning. But God was there. His spirit was hovering over the waters. That formless, dark and empty world was ready to be changed into a world full of life, light, beauty and meaning.
Think about the beginning of the Christian church. 120 followers of Jesus gathered in the upper room. The Holy Spirit came upon them as the Risen Jesus promised. They were all transformed and powerful Christian church was born. God’s work always begins with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ anointing is unique. Being without sin, Jesus could receive the Holy Spirit without an atoning sacrifice on his behalf. Being without sin, Jesus could live in absolute obedience to the Holy Spirit all the days of his life. The Spirit was Jesus’ source of power and love. Jesus, in turn can baptize his disciples of all ages, with the Holy Spirit. Again, all we need to do is ask.
Another interesting event occurred in this passage. God the Father, declared his love for and his approval of his Son, Jesus. Look at verse 11. “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” God confirmed Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. God, the Father said, “...whom I love.” Jesus treasured his Father’s confession of love in his heart and lived in assurance that he was God’s beloved Son all the days of his life. Jesus always called God, “Father” even in his passion when he was suffering and dying on the cross. Jesus shares this love relationship, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with all who come to him in faith.
In today’s passage we learned about the baptism of John. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. Repentance is a turning away from sins and a turning to God for forgiveness and newness of life. It is a necessary pre-requisite to receive Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit. This New Year’s let’s enter into John’s baptism through humble repentance making a clear path for Christ to enter into our hearts. Let us pray newly for the indwelling of the holy spirit of God. We will enter into a new, life giving relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be enlightened to see new hope and new possibilities.
Let’s read the key verse together…
Key verse 1:11-12
“As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:1-11 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF (University Bible Fellowship) ChristianfamilyonChristsmission.com
Key verse 1:11-12 Waterman Presbyterian Church 1/8/2012
“As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
What an honor and a privilege it is to be here to preach in this beautiful and historical church, a church where several of my friends have grown up and worship. I am eager to see them. Who am I and who is my family that I could be so blessed to stand in this pulpit where so many great servants of God have stood before? For example, I was here 1 ½ years ago when Dr @Prahbakar came to speak about his missionary work in India. Who remembers that day? @Jenn Kallas@ told me that there are families who have historically worshipped here for several generations. That makes me feel like you have included me in your family, by inviting me to preach. That is special to me and my family. It is also a privilege to preach at the beginning of the year. That is a pretty prestigious slot in my books. New Year’s is a time of new beginnings and new hopes for a fresh start. I was wondering what should I preach on? I asked Jenn, “what are the prescribed readings for this Sunday?” and she gave me a list. The passages were wisely chosen and a great choice for a New Year’s message!
In this passage we will talk briefly how Jesus’ Gospel ministry began, first through God’s promises and then through the ministry of John the Baptist. We will think about what John’s Baptism is and the importance of John’s baptism and its relationships to Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit. I pray that 2012 may be a year where God can bless us with a spirit of repentance and brand new relationship with God with new beginnings in him, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Let’s see.
Part l: The Gospel Began With Prophecy (1-3).
Mark takes us to the beginning of Jesus’ Gospel ministry in verse 1. It reads, “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” “Gospel” literally means “good news.” This world is filled with bad news that saps us of strength. But good news fills us with joy, life, and hope. We all want good news. We all need good news. Especially at the beginning of the year! This good news is about Jesus Christ the Son of God.
“Jesus” means “Savior.” Our Savior, Jesus, came into this world as a tiny, baby in the manger, to save us from our sins (Mt 1:21). “Christ” means the “anointed king.” Jesus is descended from David, was anointed with Holy Spirit, and authority and power, to reign over all God’s people forever and ever, with peace and love. What a great king we have! “The Son of God” means that he is the promised Savior, sent by the Father, who can completely save all who put their faith and trust in him. Those who receive Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as their savior King, receive the forgiveness of sins, adoption as children of God, new hope, a glorious mission, the promised Holy Spirit as well as eternal life. What a great package deal. This is the Gospel. This is our Christ! How wonderful it is to learn about the Gospel this New Year! And so let’s see how this gospel began.
God prepared the peoples’ hearts for centuries. Look at verses 2-3. “It is written in Isaiah the prophet: ‘I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way’–‘a voice of one calling in the desert, “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’.” Though Mark mentions only Isaiah, this verse is actually a quotation of both Malachi and Isaiah. (Mal 3:1; Isa 40:3) Isaiah was the most prominent prophet in the Old Testament and Malachi was the last Old Testament prophet. Malachi wrote around 430 B.C. He proclaimed the Messiah’s coming. But before the Messiah would come, God would send “his messenger”. (Mal 3:1). Isaiah wrote around 700 B.C. He foretold that God’s messenger would live in the desert and preach a message of repentance. (Isa 40:3-5) John the Baptist precisely fulfilled these prophecies. Jesus came according to prophecy. Only God, who knows the end from the beginning, can do this. This gospel is not some “man-made” story. The gospel is the truth from God supported by historical facts. This sets Christianity apart from all other religions. You can build your life and stake your future on the Jesus and the Gospel.
Part ll: The Baptism of John - A Baptism of Repentance (4-8).
Isaiah said that God’s messenger would “Prepare the way for the Lord.” This did not mean that John was going to finance the building of an expressway from Nazareth to Jerusalem. No. He was referring to the Lord entering into the peoples’ hearts in a spiritual sense. Jesus started his ministry when he was 30 years old. For this great work to begin, peoples’ hearts needed to be prepared. That’s where John the Baptist comes in.
Luke refers to the nature of John’s ministry in Luke 3:4-6, “As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all mankind will see God’s salvation.’” Peoples’ hearts were not prepared to accept the Savior. Some peoples’ hearts were like valleys made impassable by self condemnation. Some peoples’ hearts were like mountains and hills, made impassable by varying levels of pride. Some peoples’ hearts filled with crooked ways, too crooked for God to navigate his way into them. Others had rough paths hindering God’s approach. And so thousands of people, with different hearts, came to John the Baptist, some self condemning, some proud, some crooked and rough. But despite of the varying condition of hearts, they all had one thing in common. They submitted to John’s baptism of repentance. They were attracted to his message. To be certain, they were tired of living without God and without hope and they wanted to see God’s Messiah. And so they humbly came to John.
John knew that there was only one way to prepare any heart. Let’s read verses 4 and 5, “And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” John knew the eternal truth that hearts need to be changed in order for God to dwell there. God is holy and can not co-exist with sin. God is the powerful, almighty Creator. He opposes the proud and gives grace to the humble. (James 4:6b) He is the King of the Universe and will not dwell amidst challenges to his lordship. But yet this holy, powerful, Creator God really wants to come and dwell among his people, personally. But how is it possible? Our own efforts could never produce a suitable pathway. But God did not give up. He has shown us the way. Look at verse 5b, “…Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” It is the way of humble confession and repentance. (James 4:5-6)
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. (Mk 1:4) Repentance is such a heavy word. Some pastors have been sued for using this word. But I feel safe around you all. To put it simply, to repent means to turn from sin and the world towards Jesus and his kingdom. It is a condition of heart, involving changing one's mind about something and dedicating oneself to the amendment of one's life. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repent) In a word, to repent is to acknowledge one’s sin before God and to ask for his forgiveness and then chart a new course.
Repentance is a good thing and a pre-requisite for receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. When Peter was addressing the crowds in Acts 3:19-20, he said, “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus.” Most people live in this world, loaded down with guilt, regrets and vague feelings of condemnation and failure. We don’t know how to unburden our hearts. But when we repent of our sins and come to Jesus, our hearts are strangely refreshed. The Lord forgives all of our sins. We are made right with God, by his grace, and have true peace. We experience the love of God. We can make a brand new beginning with new strength to follow the truth and to follow Jesus. With repentance we can become the happiest people in the world. Repentance is indeed a refreshing, healing balm to our souls.
There are different classes of repentance. First-class repentance is willing, and it is done with godly sorrow, recognizing the pain we have caused God and others. Second-class repentance may be done without emotional contents, simply as a matter of principle. Third-class repentance is the most reluctant, simply because we want to avoid punishment. Sometimes, our hearts are too hard to repent at all. It is never easy to repent. I will never forget one episode of Happy Days when Author Fonzerelli, better known as “The Fonz” had to say he was sorry. He stumbled and stammered and tried to force out the words, “I am sorry” and was barely able to do it. Repentance requires great humility. Mostly we must ask God for a spirit of repentance and when we do God will tenderize our hearts and help us.
People really want to hear the word, "repent". The response to John’s preaching was phenomenal. Look at verse 5. “The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.” This teaches us that deep down inside people really want to repent. They want times of refreshing and power to change. They want to find a solution to their spiritual problems. They just need to know the way.
John was an excellent instrument for God to reach the peoples’ hearts. Look at verse 6. “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” John lived a pure and poor life, studying the Old Testament and praying in the desert. He wore humble camel hair clothes and ate humble food, like grasshoppers. He lived the message that he preached. When a servant of God is like this then the words he/she speaks are very powerful and people will listen.
Part lll: Jesus’ Baptism – The Baptism Of The Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-7; Mark 1:7-8)
Repentance must not be half way. We need to follow through and come to Christ, receiving the baptism of the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist also knew secret of following through repentance unto faith. He did not want to leave the crowds pummeling themselves with self condemnation. Let’s see how he helped them in verses 7-8, “And this was his message: ‘After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’” John explained that his water baptism was merely a first step in coming to God. It alone could not solve their sin problem. They needed forgiveness and to be changed in their “inner person”. In short, they needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit that only Jesus could give.
We see this same principle at work in Acts 19:1-7, Here Paul finds twelve new disciples who had only taken repentance half way. Let’s read verses Acts 19:1-3 together, “While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2 and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ 3 So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied.” These 12 disciples looked incomplete. They only received John’s baptism, which is a baptism of repentance. They admitted they were sinners. They knew they deserved God’s righteous judgment. But they did not know the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ or the work of the Holy Spirit. They remind us of people who always look grumpy and condemned, even after believing in Jesus.
Paul could not leave these young disciples in their misery. In Acts 19:4, Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance.” He told the people to believe in the one coming after John the Baptist, that is, Jesus. Then, on hearing these words from Paul, they were baptized into the name of the Lord. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them. They were filled with power and joy. They could speak about God and his marvelous work. They could see the coming of the kingdom of God. It was the beginning of God’s great work in Ephesus.
Let’s think why this baptism of the Holy Spirit so important? There are many reasons. Countless books have been written on the subject…but let’s think of six of them in order to wet our appetites for the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
First, Jesus’ baptism with the Holy Spirit transforms our inner person. The Holy Spirit is God himself who comes to dwell in us. Where God dwell’s, nothing stays the same for the Holy Spirit is the power of God and the wisdom of God. Through the work of the Holy Spirit we die to sin and rise to newness of life with Christ (Ro 6:4). We are transformed.
Second, Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit, enables us to live a new life in the holiness of God bearing good fruit (Gal 5:22) for his glory.
Third, the Spirit gives us a burning passion to seek God and serve God. After Jesus’ ascension into heaven, when the apostles gathered to pray together in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit came upon them in power. Their fear vanished and they became bold witnesses of Jesus Christ (Ac 2:4).
Fourth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit fills our hearts with power, love and self discipline. Young Timothy was willing to serve God together with Paul. But he was timid and weak. Paul believed he would be changed into a spiritual leader, by the Holy Spirit. That is why Paul said to him, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline” (2 Tim 1:7).
Fifth, the baptism of the Holy Spirit sets our minds free from the gravity of sin and enables us to think of heavenly things. Romans 8:6 says, “The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.”
Sixth, the Holy Spirit gives a confirmation of the love of God. Verse 11. “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” We will talk more about this in the upcoming section.
Wow! This sounds really great! The baptism of the Holy Spirit is good news for all people. Where can we get this Holy Spirit? Do they sell it at Walmart? God really wants to give us the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained that even human fathers, know how to give good gifts to their children. Then Jesus said, “...how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?” (Lk 11:13) God really wants to give us the Holy Spirit. He really wants to dwell in hearts. All we need to do is ask. Have you asked? If you have asked, you can ask again for God to come and dwell in your heart newly. As we begin this New Year, let each of us ask God for the Holy Spirit.
Part lll: God Anointed Jesus As Christ (9-11).
To inaugurate his ministry, Jesus humbly submitted to John’s baptism. Look at verse 9, “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. But Jesus did not need to repent for he was sinless. Still, Jesus made sure he was baptized. Why? Jesus’ baptism by John was a time of decision. Jesus, was committing himself to God’s holy purpose to take up his cross and live and die as the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. (John 1:29) This reveals that there is more to baptism than repentance. Baptism is also a decision of commitment.
After Jesus humbly submitted to John’s baptism, something amazing happened. Look at verse 10. “As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” As Jesus was praying, the Holy Spirit descended on him (Lk 3:22), physically represented by a dove. This was literally God the Father, breaking through the darkness of the world, and anointing Jesus, his Son, with the Holy Spirit. What does this mean?
God’s great work always begins with a movement of the Holy Spirit. This is consistent throughout the whole Bible. Genesis 1:1-3 reads, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3 And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.” There was a time, when this world was formless, empty and dark. Not much was going on. The earth was without beauty, without life, and with meaning. But God was there. His spirit was hovering over the waters. That formless, dark and empty world was ready to be changed into a world full of life, light, beauty and meaning.
Think about the beginning of the Christian church. 120 followers of Jesus gathered in the upper room. The Holy Spirit came upon them as the Risen Jesus promised. They were all transformed and powerful Christian church was born. God’s work always begins with the coming of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus’ anointing is unique. Being without sin, Jesus could receive the Holy Spirit without an atoning sacrifice on his behalf. Being without sin, Jesus could live in absolute obedience to the Holy Spirit all the days of his life. The Spirit was Jesus’ source of power and love. Jesus, in turn can baptize his disciples of all ages, with the Holy Spirit. Again, all we need to do is ask.
Another interesting event occurred in this passage. God the Father, declared his love for and his approval of his Son, Jesus. Look at verse 11. “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” God confirmed Jesus’ identity as the Son of God. God, the Father said, “...whom I love.” Jesus treasured his Father’s confession of love in his heart and lived in assurance that he was God’s beloved Son all the days of his life. Jesus always called God, “Father” even in his passion when he was suffering and dying on the cross. Jesus shares this love relationship, through the baptism of the Holy Spirit, with all who come to him in faith.
In today’s passage we learned about the baptism of John. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. Repentance is a turning away from sins and a turning to God for forgiveness and newness of life. It is a necessary pre-requisite to receive Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit. This New Year’s let’s enter into John’s baptism through humble repentance making a clear path for Christ to enter into our hearts. Let us pray newly for the indwelling of the holy spirit of God. We will enter into a new, life giving relationship with Jesus Christ. We will be enlightened to see new hope and new possibilities.
Let’s read the key verse together…
Key verse 1:11-12
“As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
12/11/11 Christ Jesus: Our Unique Mediator, Our Hope
1 Timothy 1:1; 2:5 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 12/11/11
Inspired by a message delivered by Steve Stastinos 10/24/11
“Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope…”
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
In our last message we focused on God our Savior. We learned about God’s awesome nature…that he is eternal, invisible and lives in unapproachable light. But yet he makes himself accessible to us, through his grace and forgiveness… through the gospel. We can meet this great and awesome God of ours through having a personal life experience with God. We learned that God is our creator and provider. He graciously provides us with all things, especially he gave us a Savior, Jesus, whom we are celebrating and worshipping this Christmas. Though God is extremely holy, and lives in unapproachable light, we can approach him through faith and by his grace. He saves completely those who come to him repenting of their sins and placing all of their hope and trust in him. Only God can save us. Only God can be our hope to come out of the darkness and live eternally in the kingdom of God.
Today we want to think about who Jesus is. To put it simply, God, Our Savior, wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (2:3-4). He did this by sending his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, as our hope. He is the hope of the individual and of the world. He is our hope personally, nationally and internationally. This great hope of ours was born as a tiny baby in a manger 2,000 years ago.
To understand how Jesus is our hope, we must think about who Jesus is. That is a mystery revealed in the gospel. 1 Timothy 3:16 reads, “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” The fact is, Jesus incarnated among us. The Holy Spirit vindicated his ministry through mighty acts of power, such as healing the sick. raising the dead, driving out demons, and forgiving sins. Sinful mankind put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him from the dead. This was witnessed by angels and by his disciples. He was taken up into glory. This story of the gospel has been preached and believed on for the past 2,000 years. At the center of his Gospel, is Jesus, especially his identity and his work as our mediator. Let’s think about this Jesus a little deeper.
First, Jesus Christ as our mediator. Verse 2:5 reads, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,” What is a mediator and why do we need one? A mediator is an intermediary, the person in the middle, who effects a reconciliation between two rivals. (John R.W. Stott, the message of 1 Timothy and Titus, p.69) He is the mediator between God, the Father and mankind. We really need a mediator, because God and mankind are at odds with one another because of our sins. God is holy and just. Sin separates us from God. (Isa 59:2). Sin makes us objects of God’s wrath. (Eph 2:3). Sin hurts God and plunges us into misery and pain. (Gen 6).
God, who is absolutely just, should punish and destroy mankind for his sins. But instead God longs to reconcile with us. We also long to be reconciled to God. But frankly, we are totally helpless to do what God requires. All of our “righteous” acts are like filthy rags before the holy and just God. We all fall short of the glory of God, leaving us in a conundrum. In this regard we can relate to Job’s plea: “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together.” (Job 9:33) We could do nothing. So God took it upon himself to establish a means of mediation. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to be our mediator.
Jesus is ideal as a mediator because he understands both parties. Let me tell you why. Jesus is in very nature God (Php 2:6), in whom all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. (Col 2:9) Yet in verse 5 Paul says, “The man Christ Jesus.” Jesus knows both sides of the issue. He is God and so he understands God’s side of the conflict fully. Jesus is also a man and so he understands humanity’s side. Jesus is fair and just. (Jn 5:30)Therefore in him, we find a trustworthy advocate.
Sending Jesus as the mediator has been on God, our Savior’s mind and heart since the beginning, since the fall of man in Genesis. In Genesis 3:15 God promised to send the offspring of a women as a savior who would crush the head Satan. But he would suffer in doing so. God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins that God sacrificed. The skins of these sacrificed animals would cloth them and cover their shame. The gates of paradise were not destroyed, but only blocked for time, in anticipation when God and mankind would be reconciled. God foreshadowed the need for a mediator in the Old Testament through priests and sacrifices. The High Priest would sacrifice the sin offering for the people, and they would be forgiven. He is presented as a kind mediator between the Holy God and sinful people. But the priest was only a fallen sinner. He could not be a perfect mediator. Therefore this system of mediation could not be permanent, as it was flawed and pointed to a more perfect mediator…Jesus.
Jesus is different from any human High Priest. Jesus, while tempted and tested in every way, was without sin (Heb 4:15) The High Priest eventually died, but Jesus lives forever in glory. The sacrifices also were imperfect, since animal’s blood can never take away sins and had to be offered again and again. (Heb 10:4,11) But Jesus’ blood was completely sinless and holy blood. His blood was totally sufficient. Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God was one sacrifice for all (Heb 9:26b, 28a, 10:10) The priesthood and the temple were made obsolete and no longer exist. It is because it is no longer necessary. Jesus is all we need. Jesus is alive and his perfect mediation is as valid today as it was 2,000 years ago.
In view of who Jesus is, we know that he is worthy to be our mediator, and he fully meets our needs. But he also meets God’s needs in a mediator. We understand how desperately we need a mediator, in that we fail and fall short of God’s glory everyday. Yet God also needs Jesus as a mediator, in order to accept us as his children. In Jesus, God’s justice and God’s love are fully reconciled. Romans 3;26 puts it this way, “…he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus, true reconciliation with God is possible. God has provided the perfect and only way to come to him. In Jesus, our mediator and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12) as his precious children.
Second, How Jesus Became Our Mediator. We have thought about who Jesus is, as our mediator. We have also thought about why we need a mediator. But what does it mean that Jesus is our mediator? This is more than just a simple title for Jesus. Let’s see. Look at verse 2:6a, “…who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” In order to be our mediator, Jesus had to give himself up, leaving the glory of heaven to dwell among us. He, who is in very nature God, made himself nothing, taking on flesh, becoming a human being. (Php 2:7). Becoming a human being was done in order to bear our sins and weaknesses in his own body. (1 Peter 2:24) He came in this way to take up our pain and to bear our sufferings. (Isa 53:4). This was the sacrifice Jesus made in order to be our mediator. Jesus, the Son of God became the Son of Man. He is fully able to empathize with our weaknesses because he became like us. (Heb 2:17-18) In our sins, we are burdened and hopeless, weak and powerless like sheep without a shepherd. Yet, Jesus has hope. He called sinners to be his disciples. He bore with them and loved them until they could be changed even at great risk to himself. He gave his life to be our mediator. We can fully trust our Lord Jesus, who committed himself to this task in loving obedience to God, the Father, and out of his great mercy towards sinners.
In verse 2:6, we read that he gave himself as a ransom for all people. A ransom is the price paid to free a slave from bondage. The Bible teaches us that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:34) A slave has no rights. A slave can not go free, but is held in bondage as a possession of their master. So we are all in bondage to our salve master, sin and the devil. To buy a person out of such slavery required a ransom. What was the ransom price set to buy our freedom? The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23b). To pay our ransom, Jesus gave himself as the sacrifice of atonement. Jesus shed his blood in agonizing pain until he died on that cross to buy our freedom. Who would do such a thing? I mean, for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But for a sinner? God’s great love is demonstrated in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8) When we believe in Jesus, our mediator, all our sins are forgiven once and for all. (Heb 10:10) and we were reconciled to God. But there is more. By ransoming us from slavery to sin, Jesus broke the power of sin over our lives. In this way Jesus deals with the root problem of sin. We live a new life, free, because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Some think that Jesus is just “the Christian way” to God. With philosophical arguments, they reasonably try to explain God’s existence as a mountain. At the top is God, and all the religions are paths going up the hill, all equally valid, some harder than others. To insist that Jesus is the only mediator often makes Christians appear ignorant and foolish.
But in view of what we have studied, Jesus is the only mediator. All other ways, no matter how noble in intention or hardworking in effort, or how much sense they make philosophically, fail because they ultimately depend on man’s ability and effort to save himself. Since these other ways can not forgive the sins of the past, or deal with the power of sin at work in our lives today, they are fundamentally incapable of helping us to reach God. Even if a person were to adhere to all their religious efforts, these would never be able to bridge the gap separating sinful man from the holy God. Instead, they leave man arrogant and self seeking, or broken and hopeless.
Only Jesus, the true mediator is able to solve our sin problem and reconcile us to the Holy God. Therefore, Christ Jesus is the only hope for mankind. We can see this in the analogy of Jesus as a rocket. God is in heaven, we are on earth. There are many ways that people try to come to God. But all these fail because they ultimately they have no power to break free from gravity: the weighing down of sin. But Jesus is like a rocket. The cross where he suffered once for sins, has power to bring us to God, like a powerful rocket! (1 Peter 3:18) (You may also think of it as a bridge diagram. There are also various other ways to illustrate what God had accomplished for us through Jesus.)
This knowledge of Jesus as a mediator needs to come out of the realm of intellectual ascent and into personal experience. Ask yourself, “Is Christ Jesus my mediator?” I can clearly say that Jesus is my mediator, because he ransomed me from the power of sin, reconciled me to God and gave me a new life. In 1981 and the spring of 1982 I had reached a low point in my life. I was living a hedonistic lifestyle, partying on the weekends and trying to study for college during the week. I was constantly bored and empty and required more corrupted sins to quench my thirsty heart. I knew my life was fruitless and meaningless, but I didn’t know how to come out of it. Studying, exercise, rock music, partying with my friends didn’t help me. I knew I was junk man because of my many sinful desires. One day I cried out in my pillow, “Oh God!” I had turned my back on Jesus during the days of my youth growing up in the Catholic Church. I chose hedonistic, pleasure seeking sins instead of Jesus. Yet Jesus did not abandon me. I was spiritually blind and did not know him. I didn’t know how Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Yet, at the lowest point, Jesus Christ revealed himself as my mediator in three very clear ways.
Firstly, through the sacrifices of good ministers of Christ Jesus. God sent me a great Bible teacher, Msn Ruth Hwang. She was a soft spoken, Korean missionary. She was humble and shorter than me. She was also poor, working as a sewing machine operator. I was an arrogant, hedonistic student, full of sins. At several occasions, during Bible study, I would tell her to “hurry up!” because I had to meet my friends at the bar. As she learned of my sinful life, she became weary of me. Once, I was told that the men missionaries were posted outside the room while we studied the Bible for Msn Ruth’s safety. Early on, when I started Bible study, I became insincere, not thinking deeply about the word of God and becoming heart hearted. Instead of rejecting me, she pleaded with me to repent and become sincere towards Jesus and she even shed tears. She fed me at her home. She taught me the Bible faithfully. She even took me to the ballet. It was through her life of faith and her unconditional acceptance of me, that I was able to begin to behold my mediator, Jesus Christ.
The second way was though a personal encounter with Jesus at the 1986 Summer Bible conference at MSU. I saw myself as a Samaritan man, who was quenching my thirsty heart with sin and the things of the world. But Jesus came to quench my thirsty heart with his living water. I accepted John 4: 13-14, as my life key verse, “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’" I repented of my hedonistic sins and yielded to Jesus as Lord. As he quenched my heart, Jesus gave me strength and power to leave my life of sin and begin to follow him.
The third powerful way has been through Bible study and discipleship that I have received over the last 25-1/2 years. Time and again Jesus has given me his word to quench me and grow me spiritually. Time and again he has intervened in my life through his word, reminding me of his grace, giving me direction and strength to do what is right and also rebuking me from time to time. Nowadays he is mediating on my behalf and saving me from despair, fear, fatalism and anger and is helping me to do the right follow him. Jesus has shown me in so many wonderful ways that he is my mediator. I have great hope, because Jesus my mediator.
God intended this saving grace to be a foundation upon which we build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus. Paul is a good example. In 1:14 Paul remembered the saving grace of Jesus that was poured out on him abundantly. This grace became the foundation of his life. His relationship with Jesus grew, and he found God’s good work in him to do. He worked hard, bearing any and all difficulties, learning contentment and joy, all because of the grace of Jesus.
Jesus remains our intercessor and mediator throughout our life. Jesus promised his disciples, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20b) Jesus was taken up in glory, and is at this moment at the Father’s right hand, interceding for us (Romans 8:34), with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (1 Peter 3:22) Jesus’ grace to me was not just a single event 25 years ago, but it is daily. He is my living mediator. He is mediating for me daily, 24/7. By his help I am building a life and ministry on this grace of God. As you all know, my mediator helped me to marry Julie back in 1992. He gave us five wonderful children. Together we are building a holy family and a house church ministry. He has called us to a 1:1 Bible and discipleship ministry at NIU in DeKalb. This is God’s grace and privilege given to us. With God’s help we can build on the foundation of God’s grace through Jesus my mediator and my hope. Sometimes the task gets hard. I get overwhelmed with the spiritual forces of darkness and my own sins. Elements of death, like sorrow, despair, fatalism and anger, fill my heart. I fall into ruts and loose hope that the work of God can be accomplished through me. I begin to feel that all I want to do is retreat, to hide, sitting in front of the computer, sleeping, walking the dog and working out as quiet little gym. I am reminded of how limited I am in so many ways. I dwell on my weaknesses. Yet I can testify to one enduring truth…Jesus has been so faithful and steady. He is a firm foundation in troubled times. I must always remember that my life is built on the solid foundation: God our Savior and Christ Jesus our Hope. Thank you Jesus!
Christ Jesus is our hope! He is our mediator. This is not only for our past, and not only for our present, but for our future as well. Someday, Jesus is coming again. (6:14) Because of his work of redemption Christ Jesus is now our hope, our hope for past sins forgiven, our hope for present victory, our hope for future glory. (D. Edmond Hiebert, First Timothy, p. 22). On his grace as our mediator and hope, he established a firm foundation that will never be shaken. This foundation is for our personal lives, our families, our ministries, our nation and the world. Upon this foundation of faith, let’s build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:1; 2:5 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 12/11/11
Inspired by a message delivered by Steve Stastinos 10/24/11
“Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope…”
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
In our last message we focused on God our Savior. We learned about God’s awesome nature…that he is eternal, invisible and lives in unapproachable light. But yet he makes himself accessible to us, through his grace and forgiveness… through the gospel. We can meet this great and awesome God of ours through having a personal life experience with God. We learned that God is our creator and provider. He graciously provides us with all things, especially he gave us a Savior, Jesus, whom we are celebrating and worshipping this Christmas. Though God is extremely holy, and lives in unapproachable light, we can approach him through faith and by his grace. He saves completely those who come to him repenting of their sins and placing all of their hope and trust in him. Only God can save us. Only God can be our hope to come out of the darkness and live eternally in the kingdom of God.
Today we want to think about who Jesus is. To put it simply, God, Our Savior, wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (2:3-4). He did this by sending his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, as our hope. He is the hope of the individual and of the world. He is our hope personally, nationally and internationally. This great hope of ours was born as a tiny baby in a manger 2,000 years ago.
To understand how Jesus is our hope, we must think about who Jesus is. That is a mystery revealed in the gospel. 1 Timothy 3:16 reads, “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” The fact is, Jesus incarnated among us. The Holy Spirit vindicated his ministry through mighty acts of power, such as healing the sick. raising the dead, driving out demons, and forgiving sins. Sinful mankind put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him from the dead. This was witnessed by angels and by his disciples. He was taken up into glory. This story of the gospel has been preached and believed on for the past 2,000 years. At the center of his Gospel, is Jesus, especially his identity and his work as our mediator. Let’s think about this Jesus a little deeper.
First, Jesus Christ as our mediator. Verse 2:5 reads, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,” What is a mediator and why do we need one? A mediator is an intermediary, the person in the middle, who effects a reconciliation between two rivals. (John R.W. Stott, the message of 1 Timothy and Titus, p.69) He is the mediator between God, the Father and mankind. We really need a mediator, because God and mankind are at odds with one another because of our sins. God is holy and just. Sin separates us from God. (Isa 59:2). Sin makes us objects of God’s wrath. (Eph 2:3). Sin hurts God and plunges us into misery and pain. (Gen 6).
God, who is absolutely just, should punish and destroy mankind for his sins. But instead God longs to reconcile with us. We also long to be reconciled to God. But frankly, we are totally helpless to do what God requires. All of our “righteous” acts are like filthy rags before the holy and just God. We all fall short of the glory of God, leaving us in a conundrum. In this regard we can relate to Job’s plea: “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together.” (Job 9:33) We could do nothing. So God took it upon himself to establish a means of mediation. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to be our mediator.
Jesus is ideal as a mediator because he understands both parties. Let me tell you why. Jesus is in very nature God (Php 2:6), in whom all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. (Col 2:9) Yet in verse 5 Paul says, “The man Christ Jesus.” Jesus knows both sides of the issue. He is God and so he understands God’s side of the conflict fully. Jesus is also a man and so he understands humanity’s side. Jesus is fair and just. (Jn 5:30)Therefore in him, we find a trustworthy advocate.
Sending Jesus as the mediator has been on God, our Savior’s mind and heart since the beginning, since the fall of man in Genesis. In Genesis 3:15 God promised to send the offspring of a women as a savior who would crush the head Satan. But he would suffer in doing so. God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins that God sacrificed. The skins of these sacrificed animals would cloth them and cover their shame. The gates of paradise were not destroyed, but only blocked for time, in anticipation when God and mankind would be reconciled. God foreshadowed the need for a mediator in the Old Testament through priests and sacrifices. The High Priest would sacrifice the sin offering for the people, and they would be forgiven. He is presented as a kind mediator between the Holy God and sinful people. But the priest was only a fallen sinner. He could not be a perfect mediator. Therefore this system of mediation could not be permanent, as it was flawed and pointed to a more perfect mediator…Jesus.
Jesus is different from any human High Priest. Jesus, while tempted and tested in every way, was without sin (Heb 4:15) The High Priest eventually died, but Jesus lives forever in glory. The sacrifices also were imperfect, since animal’s blood can never take away sins and had to be offered again and again. (Heb 10:4,11) But Jesus’ blood was completely sinless and holy blood. His blood was totally sufficient. Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God was one sacrifice for all (Heb 9:26b, 28a, 10:10) The priesthood and the temple were made obsolete and no longer exist. It is because it is no longer necessary. Jesus is all we need. Jesus is alive and his perfect mediation is as valid today as it was 2,000 years ago.
In view of who Jesus is, we know that he is worthy to be our mediator, and he fully meets our needs. But he also meets God’s needs in a mediator. We understand how desperately we need a mediator, in that we fail and fall short of God’s glory everyday. Yet God also needs Jesus as a mediator, in order to accept us as his children. In Jesus, God’s justice and God’s love are fully reconciled. Romans 3;26 puts it this way, “…he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus, true reconciliation with God is possible. God has provided the perfect and only way to come to him. In Jesus, our mediator and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12) as his precious children.
Second, How Jesus Became Our Mediator. We have thought about who Jesus is, as our mediator. We have also thought about why we need a mediator. But what does it mean that Jesus is our mediator? This is more than just a simple title for Jesus. Let’s see. Look at verse 2:6a, “…who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” In order to be our mediator, Jesus had to give himself up, leaving the glory of heaven to dwell among us. He, who is in very nature God, made himself nothing, taking on flesh, becoming a human being. (Php 2:7). Becoming a human being was done in order to bear our sins and weaknesses in his own body. (1 Peter 2:24) He came in this way to take up our pain and to bear our sufferings. (Isa 53:4). This was the sacrifice Jesus made in order to be our mediator. Jesus, the Son of God became the Son of Man. He is fully able to empathize with our weaknesses because he became like us. (Heb 2:17-18) In our sins, we are burdened and hopeless, weak and powerless like sheep without a shepherd. Yet, Jesus has hope. He called sinners to be his disciples. He bore with them and loved them until they could be changed even at great risk to himself. He gave his life to be our mediator. We can fully trust our Lord Jesus, who committed himself to this task in loving obedience to God, the Father, and out of his great mercy towards sinners.
In verse 2:6, we read that he gave himself as a ransom for all people. A ransom is the price paid to free a slave from bondage. The Bible teaches us that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:34) A slave has no rights. A slave can not go free, but is held in bondage as a possession of their master. So we are all in bondage to our salve master, sin and the devil. To buy a person out of such slavery required a ransom. What was the ransom price set to buy our freedom? The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23b). To pay our ransom, Jesus gave himself as the sacrifice of atonement. Jesus shed his blood in agonizing pain until he died on that cross to buy our freedom. Who would do such a thing? I mean, for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But for a sinner? God’s great love is demonstrated in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8) When we believe in Jesus, our mediator, all our sins are forgiven once and for all. (Heb 10:10) and we were reconciled to God. But there is more. By ransoming us from slavery to sin, Jesus broke the power of sin over our lives. In this way Jesus deals with the root problem of sin. We live a new life, free, because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Some think that Jesus is just “the Christian way” to God. With philosophical arguments, they reasonably try to explain God’s existence as a mountain. At the top is God, and all the religions are paths going up the hill, all equally valid, some harder than others. To insist that Jesus is the only mediator often makes Christians appear ignorant and foolish.
But in view of what we have studied, Jesus is the only mediator. All other ways, no matter how noble in intention or hardworking in effort, or how much sense they make philosophically, fail because they ultimately depend on man’s ability and effort to save himself. Since these other ways can not forgive the sins of the past, or deal with the power of sin at work in our lives today, they are fundamentally incapable of helping us to reach God. Even if a person were to adhere to all their religious efforts, these would never be able to bridge the gap separating sinful man from the holy God. Instead, they leave man arrogant and self seeking, or broken and hopeless.
Only Jesus, the true mediator is able to solve our sin problem and reconcile us to the Holy God. Therefore, Christ Jesus is the only hope for mankind. We can see this in the analogy of Jesus as a rocket. God is in heaven, we are on earth. There are many ways that people try to come to God. But all these fail because they ultimately they have no power to break free from gravity: the weighing down of sin. But Jesus is like a rocket. The cross where he suffered once for sins, has power to bring us to God, like a powerful rocket! (1 Peter 3:18) (You may also think of it as a bridge diagram. There are also various other ways to illustrate what God had accomplished for us through Jesus.)
This knowledge of Jesus as a mediator needs to come out of the realm of intellectual ascent and into personal experience. Ask yourself, “Is Christ Jesus my mediator?” I can clearly say that Jesus is my mediator, because he ransomed me from the power of sin, reconciled me to God and gave me a new life. In 1981 and the spring of 1982 I had reached a low point in my life. I was living a hedonistic lifestyle, partying on the weekends and trying to study for college during the week. I was constantly bored and empty and required more corrupted sins to quench my thirsty heart. I knew my life was fruitless and meaningless, but I didn’t know how to come out of it. Studying, exercise, rock music, partying with my friends didn’t help me. I knew I was junk man because of my many sinful desires. One day I cried out in my pillow, “Oh God!” I had turned my back on Jesus during the days of my youth growing up in the Catholic Church. I chose hedonistic, pleasure seeking sins instead of Jesus. Yet Jesus did not abandon me. I was spiritually blind and did not know him. I didn’t know how Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Yet, at the lowest point, Jesus Christ revealed himself as my mediator in three very clear ways.
Firstly, through the sacrifices of good ministers of Christ Jesus. God sent me a great Bible teacher, Msn Ruth Hwang. She was a soft spoken, Korean missionary. She was humble and shorter than me. She was also poor, working as a sewing machine operator. I was an arrogant, hedonistic student, full of sins. At several occasions, during Bible study, I would tell her to “hurry up!” because I had to meet my friends at the bar. As she learned of my sinful life, she became weary of me. Once, I was told that the men missionaries were posted outside the room while we studied the Bible for Msn Ruth’s safety. Early on, when I started Bible study, I became insincere, not thinking deeply about the word of God and becoming heart hearted. Instead of rejecting me, she pleaded with me to repent and become sincere towards Jesus and she even shed tears. She fed me at her home. She taught me the Bible faithfully. She even took me to the ballet. It was through her life of faith and her unconditional acceptance of me, that I was able to begin to behold my mediator, Jesus Christ.
The second way was though a personal encounter with Jesus at the 1986 Summer Bible conference at MSU. I saw myself as a Samaritan man, who was quenching my thirsty heart with sin and the things of the world. But Jesus came to quench my thirsty heart with his living water. I accepted John 4: 13-14, as my life key verse, “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’" I repented of my hedonistic sins and yielded to Jesus as Lord. As he quenched my heart, Jesus gave me strength and power to leave my life of sin and begin to follow him.
The third powerful way has been through Bible study and discipleship that I have received over the last 25-1/2 years. Time and again Jesus has given me his word to quench me and grow me spiritually. Time and again he has intervened in my life through his word, reminding me of his grace, giving me direction and strength to do what is right and also rebuking me from time to time. Nowadays he is mediating on my behalf and saving me from despair, fear, fatalism and anger and is helping me to do the right follow him. Jesus has shown me in so many wonderful ways that he is my mediator. I have great hope, because Jesus my mediator.
God intended this saving grace to be a foundation upon which we build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus. Paul is a good example. In 1:14 Paul remembered the saving grace of Jesus that was poured out on him abundantly. This grace became the foundation of his life. His relationship with Jesus grew, and he found God’s good work in him to do. He worked hard, bearing any and all difficulties, learning contentment and joy, all because of the grace of Jesus.
Jesus remains our intercessor and mediator throughout our life. Jesus promised his disciples, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20b) Jesus was taken up in glory, and is at this moment at the Father’s right hand, interceding for us (Romans 8:34), with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (1 Peter 3:22) Jesus’ grace to me was not just a single event 25 years ago, but it is daily. He is my living mediator. He is mediating for me daily, 24/7. By his help I am building a life and ministry on this grace of God. As you all know, my mediator helped me to marry Julie back in 1992. He gave us five wonderful children. Together we are building a holy family and a house church ministry. He has called us to a 1:1 Bible and discipleship ministry at NIU in DeKalb. This is God’s grace and privilege given to us. With God’s help we can build on the foundation of God’s grace through Jesus my mediator and my hope. Sometimes the task gets hard. I get overwhelmed with the spiritual forces of darkness and my own sins. Elements of death, like sorrow, despair, fatalism and anger, fill my heart. I fall into ruts and loose hope that the work of God can be accomplished through me. I begin to feel that all I want to do is retreat, to hide, sitting in front of the computer, sleeping, walking the dog and working out as quiet little gym. I am reminded of how limited I am in so many ways. I dwell on my weaknesses. Yet I can testify to one enduring truth…Jesus has been so faithful and steady. He is a firm foundation in troubled times. I must always remember that my life is built on the solid foundation: God our Savior and Christ Jesus our Hope. Thank you Jesus!
Christ Jesus is our hope! He is our mediator. This is not only for our past, and not only for our present, but for our future as well. Someday, Jesus is coming again. (6:14) Because of his work of redemption Christ Jesus is now our hope, our hope for past sins forgiven, our hope for present victory, our hope for future glory. (D. Edmond Hiebert, First Timothy, p. 22). On his grace as our mediator and hope, he established a firm foundation that will never be shaken. This foundation is for our personal lives, our families, our ministries, our nation and the world. Upon this foundation of faith, let’s build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus.
11/27/11 God’s Household: The Church Of The Living God
1 Timothy 3:15-16; Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 11/27/11
Inspired by a message delivered by @Greg Lewis@ 10/25/11
“if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”
In this study we want to broaden our understanding of Christian community, otherwise called the church. The church is a unique place, unlike any other. God establishes the church as his own household in the world. The church is where God comes to dwell among his people. This morning let is answer two important questions: (1) What is the church and (2) What does the church do?
God has always wanted to dwell among his people. God dwelt with his people on the Garden of Eden, the Tabernacle and the temple. God came to dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. When early believers gathered in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and God began to dwell among them. At the end of the Bible, it is promised that at last, God’s dwelling place will be among his people. It has always been God’s heart’s desire to dwell among his people.
Why such an historical effort on God’s part just to be with his people collectively? Individually, we are all sinners, but collectively our sinfulness becomes exponential. It is so hard for the holy God to dwell among us. God is holy and without sin, and at the same time God is also love. For God to dwell among his people, the church must be a place of both love and holiness. If it is not, then God can not and will not dwell there. But the church has not historically been a place of love and holiness. In addition to lacking love and holiness, today it is popular to bring business or worldly, psychological principles into the church. Also people who work hard in the church think that the church is theirs and not God’s dwelling place.
But the church consists of people who have been drawn through the blood of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual leaders know the true nature of the church and help church members conduct themselves accordingly. They help to create an atmosphere of love and holiness so that God can come and dwell among his people.
Part 1: The Church Of The Living Church is God’s Household, God.
God was very concerned the about in Ephesus. Ephesus was the 2nd largest city in the Roman Empire. It was a commercial, entertainment, and religious center. In this environment, God began a great work. The word of God spread widely and grew in power throughout Asia Minor and through this church body (Acts 19:20) Now the world was seeping back into God’s church.
The first part of our key verse reads, “If I am delayed you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household.” (3:15) Paul shared God’s concern for this precious community. They were in a pivotal moment on their development. They had a plurality of leaders working together in Paul’s absence. And these leaders faced many obstacles. There were some dangerous elements knocking at the door and finding their way into the church like false doctrine, godless chatter, lack of spiritual order and the love of money. Paul sent his spiritual son Timothy to curtail and stand against the issues they were facing. Timothy was not fully prepared or equipped to handle such circumstances, but Paul sent him anyway believing that God would work to both raise Timothy up as a strong leader and to make the church spiritually strong again. Paul planned to come soon, but he knew that delay was possible. In the meantime, he emphasized Timothy’s need to know how the people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household.
And so how should we conduct ourselves in God’s house, the church? In God’s household, God is our Father. (1 Tim 1:2), and we are his children. We become members of God’s household when we make the good confession of faith in Christ (6:12) God adopts us as his children. This means that the church is a place where our Father God lives and cares for his children. After spending time in God’s household, people should be able to sing from their hearts, “How Great The Father’s Love For Us!” and truly understand what they are singing.
If God is our Father, then our fellow household members are our church family. They are more than co-workers or servants. Even Jesus once encouraged people around him saying, “For whoever does the will of my Father is heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt 13:50) A relationship-oriented mindset is at the heart and the core of all interactions in God’s household. Even Timothy was specifically instructed by Apostle Paul to exhort older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters (1 Tim 5:1-2). The church is to be a place that is rich with family-like relationships on all levels. It is the place where we desire to spend time and be together with God and with each other.
The Biblical concept of household is different from a nuclear family with 3-5 members. Once, Abram called out 318 men born in his household in order to rescue Lot. Joshua committed himself and his household to serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14) In Acts, the jailer and his whole household came to believe in the Lord Jesus. God’s household could be 2, 5, 10, 20, or several hundred people, which was likely the case in Ephesus. Such extended households require deep love and care and strong household management. For this, God raises up overseers, elders, deacons, and good ministers of Christ Jesus. God’s household has recognized leaders who are called by God and given the authority to carry out their areas of oversight. The first part of 1 Timothy 3 describes the qualifications for such positions like being respectable, temperate and trustworthy, and managing one’s own family well. Such leaders instill love, respect, purpose and order throughout the church community. Their conduct in God’s household upholds God’s love and holiness and enhances its relationships in structure and depth.
This family atmosphere is what attracted me and Julie to fellowship in the UBF church and eventually it was this atmosphere that helped me to open my heart up to Jesus. When I was first drawn to Winnipeg UBF more than 25 years ago, I was so moved by its church family-like environment. Church with the missionaries and the students there reminded me of the “little house on the prairie.” Actually I have 29 reasons why I was attracted to fellowship with the missionaries.(http://christianfamilyonchristsmission.com/why-i-admired-the-christian-fellowship-among-ubf-missionaries-as-a-new-believer/ ) Of course it was not perfect, but the Spirit of God was alive in the ministry and the truth was honored and respected. At one point the household of God was about 70 regular members. Despite of everyone’s tight schedules, with school, work and Bible study, the household of God was very beautiful. It was a place of love and holiness and people wanted to come and spend time together. Julie can testify to the family like, church atmosphere at Downy UBF.
I thank God for the household of God at our Triton Ministry. From Nov 1990 to 1998 we were part of the church family there. At that time there were 50 core members who were like spiritual family members together. Yesterday we went to the Hyde Park UBF dedication. They have a beautiful Bible house. Their ministry is the fruit of 20 years of prayer. It is also the fruit of the relational fellowship between 4 families and 2 shepherds. It is more than just the nice renovated Bible house...it is the people that make up the church and their love for God and love for one another.
It is very hard to maintain the household of God as a community of love. There is a tendency, that over time, our fellowship may seem less and less like God’s household. We get busy surviving in this hard world. We don’t want to come together and spend time together. We don’t even want to talk together. Jenn told me that the average teenager speaks to their parents three minutes a day. This social trend spills over into the church. The church becomes less and less a destiny to be and also less of a place of love and holiness. But we must realize that we have a responsibility to make a church family a spiritual home. We need to listen to, properly support, and embrace our brothers and sisters in Christ. Especially we must pray for one another. That is one reason why we initiated our Sunday night sharing time so we can listen to and pray for each other. Though we are busy we must make room in our lives to serve, care for, and build up relationships with others. We must commit to spend more time praying, meditating, preaching and teaching the Bible. When each member commits to such spiritual expressions of love, then greater things ahead will develop among our small fellowship.
From our key verse, Apostle Paul also characterizes the church as the “the church if the living God.” This is about the church being the place of God’s living presence among his people. Paul emphasizes the primacy of God’s ownership and presence in the church. This means that the church both belongs to God and houses the glorious presence of God. God is the rightful owner and the Lord of the church. The church is where the living God dwells and loves to spend his time. God’s ownership and presence make the church unlike another place or institute in the world.
God is not static; he is living and working to draw us together to become a dwelling in which he lives by his spirit. This is the true Christian church everywhere. Jesus promised that where even two or three gather together in his name, he is there (Mt 18:20) God wants the church to be a united vessel of his loving and holy presence. God wants to live, breath and reveal himself in and through each individual in the church. When a person reflects God and his living presence individually, collectively, the church becomes instructionally incarnate. In this state, the church is magnetic and unstoppable. The living God uses the church to draw people nearer to Jesus and save their lost souls. The next time someone asks, “What is the church?” We can answer, “The church is God’s household, the church of the living God.”
Part ll: The Church Pillar And Is The Foundation Of God’s Truth
The church in Ephesus seemed to be loosing sight of its direction and focus. Certain people were teaching false doctrine and promoting controversies rather than God’s work. Some had wandered away from the Biblical foundation that was once at the centerpiece of their fellowship. They wanted to be biblical teachers but did not know what they were talking about or what they so confidently affirmed. The love of money also had a strong hold on the people in the church. Pride, arrogance and hope in worldly treasures kept many from taking hold of the life that is truly life. In this environment, Paul needed Timothy to be a good minister of Christ Jesus who could re-establish, uphold and maintain the important functions of God’s church in the world.
In the key verse, Paul describes the church as being “the pillar and the foundation of the truth.” This unique distinction of the church was rooted in Paul’s experience in church building, especially in Ephesus. Usually we think about the foundation of the church, not the other way around. But Paul saw firsthand how the institution of the church was able to withstand fierce societal persecution, intense political pressure, and all kinds of false teachings of the world. Paul saw the permanence and eternal significance of what God was doing through his church. God transformed societies, cultures, nations, and even the flow of history through the church.
In construction, laying the foundation comes first. In God’s church the pillar of the truth is prominent. Pillars are intimately linked to foundations. Strong pillars mean strong foundations. Pillars best display the strength of any building’s foundations. Strong pillars also help the overall building structure to stand firm in the wind, storms and rains.
The church as the pillar of truth means that the church makes God’s eternal truth visible to the watching world. Even though the worst storms are thrown at God’s pillars of truth in any generation, the truth of God remains strong, living and active in the church. The church keeps the deep truths of God alive, available and accessible to a world in need. Truth is proclaimed and stands out clearly in the church environment. The church demonstrates God’s truth so that people can feel it, see it, taste it, touch it, and smell it. Church is the place where the truth is proclaimed, honored, and practiced to reveal God and build up his people.
The church is also the foundation of the truth. In the church, God’s truth is deposited and stored for the safekeeping. God’s truth is guarded and kept pure and powerful, not tainted, corrupted or watered down by the influence of a fallen world. The church is the instrument that preserves God’s truth in the world, the truth that transforms lives. Church is the place to go to know the truth and find salvation. It is the one place where God’s truth is the foundation of life in the past, present and future.
In the last part of our key verse, Paul records a doctrinal creed in the form of a hymn about Jesus. It is a deep and poetic description of what mysteriously springs out of the church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Let’s read verse 16, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.” The mystery from which true godliness springs is Jesus. More than anything God wants the mysteries of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to spring forth into the world through the church. God wants the church to be the place where godliness and the glory of Jesus overflows and spills over into the world. The next time someone asks, “What does the church do?” We can say that the church is the foundation of truth that reveals Jesus Christ to the world.
Part lll: The life of spiritual leaders in God’s household
Having the right view of the church and its foundations is central to Christian life and in our ministry. For this, each chapter needs leaders like young Timothy, who can be champions of the church as (1) God’s household, (2) the church of the living God, (3) the pillar and foundation of the truth, and (4) the place from which the mysteries of Jesus Christ spring forth into the world. God can make a church spiritually vibrant and strong when even one person wholeheartedly commits to this task.
Spiritual leader ensure God’s household is governed not by human ideas but by the clear teachings of God’s word. They have great faith in God’s desire to dwell with and care for his children as a loving Father. They view the church as one relational family unity and foster acute relational awareness of how people are interacting with the living God, each other, and the overall church atmosphere.
Spiritual leaders both build upon the pillars of truth and draw from the deep foundational reservoirs of truth in the church. They stand together in love and truth to bind the church’s components. Mere human relationships in themselves will not last. They need God’s grace and truth that binds people together for eternity.
The constant joyful tasks of spiritual leaders are seeing the profound, mysteries about Jesus Christ being revealed, believed and taught by more and more people. They bear the responsibility and privilege of conveying the “mystery of our religion” in many Bible studies and messages over a life time. They passionately serve the church to proclaim and affirm the godliness and glory of Jesus through worship, fellowship and daily life.
In conclusion, the church is where God dwells among his people. We are drawn to God’s household by the blood of Jesus and by the spirit of God. The church is like a family, filled with loving relationships that must be nurtured and protected. The church is also the pillar and foundation of truth. It is the entity for the mystery of godliness, Jesus Christ, may springboard into the world. May God may help us to be spiritual leaders who hold onto this right view and foundation of the church, all the days of our lives.
Let’s read the key verse together, 1 Timothy 3:15-16, “if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”
1 Timothy 3:15-16; Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 11/27/11
Inspired by a message delivered by @Greg Lewis@ 10/25/11
“if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”
In this study we want to broaden our understanding of Christian community, otherwise called the church. The church is a unique place, unlike any other. God establishes the church as his own household in the world. The church is where God comes to dwell among his people. This morning let is answer two important questions: (1) What is the church and (2) What does the church do?
God has always wanted to dwell among his people. God dwelt with his people on the Garden of Eden, the Tabernacle and the temple. God came to dwell among us in the person of Jesus Christ. When early believers gathered in the name of Jesus, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and God began to dwell among them. At the end of the Bible, it is promised that at last, God’s dwelling place will be among his people. It has always been God’s heart’s desire to dwell among his people.
Why such an historical effort on God’s part just to be with his people collectively? Individually, we are all sinners, but collectively our sinfulness becomes exponential. It is so hard for the holy God to dwell among us. God is holy and without sin, and at the same time God is also love. For God to dwell among his people, the church must be a place of both love and holiness. If it is not, then God can not and will not dwell there. But the church has not historically been a place of love and holiness. In addition to lacking love and holiness, today it is popular to bring business or worldly, psychological principles into the church. Also people who work hard in the church think that the church is theirs and not God’s dwelling place.
But the church consists of people who have been drawn through the blood of Jesus and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Spiritual leaders know the true nature of the church and help church members conduct themselves accordingly. They help to create an atmosphere of love and holiness so that God can come and dwell among his people.
Part 1: The Church Of The Living Church is God’s Household, God.
God was very concerned the about in Ephesus. Ephesus was the 2nd largest city in the Roman Empire. It was a commercial, entertainment, and religious center. In this environment, God began a great work. The word of God spread widely and grew in power throughout Asia Minor and through this church body (Acts 19:20) Now the world was seeping back into God’s church.
The first part of our key verse reads, “If I am delayed you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household.” (3:15) Paul shared God’s concern for this precious community. They were in a pivotal moment on their development. They had a plurality of leaders working together in Paul’s absence. And these leaders faced many obstacles. There were some dangerous elements knocking at the door and finding their way into the church like false doctrine, godless chatter, lack of spiritual order and the love of money. Paul sent his spiritual son Timothy to curtail and stand against the issues they were facing. Timothy was not fully prepared or equipped to handle such circumstances, but Paul sent him anyway believing that God would work to both raise Timothy up as a strong leader and to make the church spiritually strong again. Paul planned to come soon, but he knew that delay was possible. In the meantime, he emphasized Timothy’s need to know how the people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household.
And so how should we conduct ourselves in God’s house, the church? In God’s household, God is our Father. (1 Tim 1:2), and we are his children. We become members of God’s household when we make the good confession of faith in Christ (6:12) God adopts us as his children. This means that the church is a place where our Father God lives and cares for his children. After spending time in God’s household, people should be able to sing from their hearts, “How Great The Father’s Love For Us!” and truly understand what they are singing.
If God is our Father, then our fellow household members are our church family. They are more than co-workers or servants. Even Jesus once encouraged people around him saying, “For whoever does the will of my Father is heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” (Matt 13:50) A relationship-oriented mindset is at the heart and the core of all interactions in God’s household. Even Timothy was specifically instructed by Apostle Paul to exhort older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters (1 Tim 5:1-2). The church is to be a place that is rich with family-like relationships on all levels. It is the place where we desire to spend time and be together with God and with each other.
The Biblical concept of household is different from a nuclear family with 3-5 members. Once, Abram called out 318 men born in his household in order to rescue Lot. Joshua committed himself and his household to serve the Lord. (Joshua 24:14) In Acts, the jailer and his whole household came to believe in the Lord Jesus. God’s household could be 2, 5, 10, 20, or several hundred people, which was likely the case in Ephesus. Such extended households require deep love and care and strong household management. For this, God raises up overseers, elders, deacons, and good ministers of Christ Jesus. God’s household has recognized leaders who are called by God and given the authority to carry out their areas of oversight. The first part of 1 Timothy 3 describes the qualifications for such positions like being respectable, temperate and trustworthy, and managing one’s own family well. Such leaders instill love, respect, purpose and order throughout the church community. Their conduct in God’s household upholds God’s love and holiness and enhances its relationships in structure and depth.
This family atmosphere is what attracted me and Julie to fellowship in the UBF church and eventually it was this atmosphere that helped me to open my heart up to Jesus. When I was first drawn to Winnipeg UBF more than 25 years ago, I was so moved by its church family-like environment. Church with the missionaries and the students there reminded me of the “little house on the prairie.” Actually I have 29 reasons why I was attracted to fellowship with the missionaries.(http://christianfamilyonchristsmission.com/why-i-admired-the-christian-fellowship-among-ubf-missionaries-as-a-new-believer/ ) Of course it was not perfect, but the Spirit of God was alive in the ministry and the truth was honored and respected. At one point the household of God was about 70 regular members. Despite of everyone’s tight schedules, with school, work and Bible study, the household of God was very beautiful. It was a place of love and holiness and people wanted to come and spend time together. Julie can testify to the family like, church atmosphere at Downy UBF.
I thank God for the household of God at our Triton Ministry. From Nov 1990 to 1998 we were part of the church family there. At that time there were 50 core members who were like spiritual family members together. Yesterday we went to the Hyde Park UBF dedication. They have a beautiful Bible house. Their ministry is the fruit of 20 years of prayer. It is also the fruit of the relational fellowship between 4 families and 2 shepherds. It is more than just the nice renovated Bible house...it is the people that make up the church and their love for God and love for one another.
It is very hard to maintain the household of God as a community of love. There is a tendency, that over time, our fellowship may seem less and less like God’s household. We get busy surviving in this hard world. We don’t want to come together and spend time together. We don’t even want to talk together. Jenn told me that the average teenager speaks to their parents three minutes a day. This social trend spills over into the church. The church becomes less and less a destiny to be and also less of a place of love and holiness. But we must realize that we have a responsibility to make a church family a spiritual home. We need to listen to, properly support, and embrace our brothers and sisters in Christ. Especially we must pray for one another. That is one reason why we initiated our Sunday night sharing time so we can listen to and pray for each other. Though we are busy we must make room in our lives to serve, care for, and build up relationships with others. We must commit to spend more time praying, meditating, preaching and teaching the Bible. When each member commits to such spiritual expressions of love, then greater things ahead will develop among our small fellowship.
From our key verse, Apostle Paul also characterizes the church as the “the church if the living God.” This is about the church being the place of God’s living presence among his people. Paul emphasizes the primacy of God’s ownership and presence in the church. This means that the church both belongs to God and houses the glorious presence of God. God is the rightful owner and the Lord of the church. The church is where the living God dwells and loves to spend his time. God’s ownership and presence make the church unlike another place or institute in the world.
God is not static; he is living and working to draw us together to become a dwelling in which he lives by his spirit. This is the true Christian church everywhere. Jesus promised that where even two or three gather together in his name, he is there (Mt 18:20) God wants the church to be a united vessel of his loving and holy presence. God wants to live, breath and reveal himself in and through each individual in the church. When a person reflects God and his living presence individually, collectively, the church becomes instructionally incarnate. In this state, the church is magnetic and unstoppable. The living God uses the church to draw people nearer to Jesus and save their lost souls. The next time someone asks, “What is the church?” We can answer, “The church is God’s household, the church of the living God.”
Part ll: The Church Pillar And Is The Foundation Of God’s Truth
The church in Ephesus seemed to be loosing sight of its direction and focus. Certain people were teaching false doctrine and promoting controversies rather than God’s work. Some had wandered away from the Biblical foundation that was once at the centerpiece of their fellowship. They wanted to be biblical teachers but did not know what they were talking about or what they so confidently affirmed. The love of money also had a strong hold on the people in the church. Pride, arrogance and hope in worldly treasures kept many from taking hold of the life that is truly life. In this environment, Paul needed Timothy to be a good minister of Christ Jesus who could re-establish, uphold and maintain the important functions of God’s church in the world.
In the key verse, Paul describes the church as being “the pillar and the foundation of the truth.” This unique distinction of the church was rooted in Paul’s experience in church building, especially in Ephesus. Usually we think about the foundation of the church, not the other way around. But Paul saw firsthand how the institution of the church was able to withstand fierce societal persecution, intense political pressure, and all kinds of false teachings of the world. Paul saw the permanence and eternal significance of what God was doing through his church. God transformed societies, cultures, nations, and even the flow of history through the church.
In construction, laying the foundation comes first. In God’s church the pillar of the truth is prominent. Pillars are intimately linked to foundations. Strong pillars mean strong foundations. Pillars best display the strength of any building’s foundations. Strong pillars also help the overall building structure to stand firm in the wind, storms and rains.
The church as the pillar of truth means that the church makes God’s eternal truth visible to the watching world. Even though the worst storms are thrown at God’s pillars of truth in any generation, the truth of God remains strong, living and active in the church. The church keeps the deep truths of God alive, available and accessible to a world in need. Truth is proclaimed and stands out clearly in the church environment. The church demonstrates God’s truth so that people can feel it, see it, taste it, touch it, and smell it. Church is the place where the truth is proclaimed, honored, and practiced to reveal God and build up his people.
The church is also the foundation of the truth. In the church, God’s truth is deposited and stored for the safekeeping. God’s truth is guarded and kept pure and powerful, not tainted, corrupted or watered down by the influence of a fallen world. The church is the instrument that preserves God’s truth in the world, the truth that transforms lives. Church is the place to go to know the truth and find salvation. It is the one place where God’s truth is the foundation of life in the past, present and future.
In the last part of our key verse, Paul records a doctrinal creed in the form of a hymn about Jesus. It is a deep and poetic description of what mysteriously springs out of the church, the pillar and foundation of the truth. Let’s read verse 16, “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.” The mystery from which true godliness springs is Jesus. More than anything God wants the mysteries of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ to spring forth into the world through the church. God wants the church to be the place where godliness and the glory of Jesus overflows and spills over into the world. The next time someone asks, “What does the church do?” We can say that the church is the foundation of truth that reveals Jesus Christ to the world.
Part lll: The life of spiritual leaders in God’s household
Having the right view of the church and its foundations is central to Christian life and in our ministry. For this, each chapter needs leaders like young Timothy, who can be champions of the church as (1) God’s household, (2) the church of the living God, (3) the pillar and foundation of the truth, and (4) the place from which the mysteries of Jesus Christ spring forth into the world. God can make a church spiritually vibrant and strong when even one person wholeheartedly commits to this task.
Spiritual leader ensure God’s household is governed not by human ideas but by the clear teachings of God’s word. They have great faith in God’s desire to dwell with and care for his children as a loving Father. They view the church as one relational family unity and foster acute relational awareness of how people are interacting with the living God, each other, and the overall church atmosphere.
Spiritual leaders both build upon the pillars of truth and draw from the deep foundational reservoirs of truth in the church. They stand together in love and truth to bind the church’s components. Mere human relationships in themselves will not last. They need God’s grace and truth that binds people together for eternity.
The constant joyful tasks of spiritual leaders are seeing the profound, mysteries about Jesus Christ being revealed, believed and taught by more and more people. They bear the responsibility and privilege of conveying the “mystery of our religion” in many Bible studies and messages over a life time. They passionately serve the church to proclaim and affirm the godliness and glory of Jesus through worship, fellowship and daily life.
In conclusion, the church is where God dwells among his people. We are drawn to God’s household by the blood of Jesus and by the spirit of God. The church is like a family, filled with loving relationships that must be nurtured and protected. The church is also the pillar and foundation of truth. It is the entity for the mystery of godliness, Jesus Christ, may springboard into the world. May God may help us to be spiritual leaders who hold onto this right view and foundation of the church, all the days of our lives.
Let’s read the key verse together, 1 Timothy 3:15-16, “if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world,
was taken up in glory.”
12/11/11 Christ Jesus: Our Unique Mediator, Our Hope
1 Timothy 1:1; 2:5 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 12/11/11
Inspired by a message delivered by Steve Stastinos 10/24/11
“Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope…”
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
In our last message we focused on God our Savior. We learned about God’s awesome nature…that he is eternal, invisible and lives in unapproachable light. But yet he makes himself accessible to us, through his grace and forgiveness… through the gospel. We can meet this great and awesome God of ours through having a personal life experience with God. We learned that God is our creator and provider. He graciously provides us with all things, especially he gave us a Savior, Jesus, whom we are celebrating and worshipping this Christmas. Though God is extremely holy, and lives in unapproachable light, we can approach him through faith and by his grace. He saves completely those who come to him repenting of their sins and placing all of their hope and trust in him. Only God can save us. Only God can be our hope to come out of the darkness and live eternally in the kingdom of God.
Today we want to think about who Jesus is. To put it simply, God, Our Savior, wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (2:3-4). He did this by sending his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, as our hope. He is the hope of the individual and of the world. He is our hope personally, nationally and internationally. This great hope of ours was born as a tiny baby in a manger 2,000 years ago.
To understand how Jesus is our hope, we must think about who Jesus is. That is a mystery revealed in the gospel. 1 Timothy 3:16 reads, “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” The fact is, Jesus incarnated among us. The Holy Spirit vindicated his ministry through mighty acts of power, such as healing the sick. raising the dead, driving out demons, and forgiving sins. Sinful mankind put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him from the dead. This was witnessed by angels and by his disciples. He was taken up into glory. This story of the gospel has been preached and believed on for the past 2,000 years. At the center of his Gospel, is Jesus, especially his identity and his work as our mediator. Let’s think about this Jesus a little deeper.
First, Jesus Christ as our mediator. Verse 2:5 reads, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,” What is a mediator and why do we need one? A mediator is an intermediary, the person in the middle, who effects a reconciliation between two rivals. (John R.W. Stott, the message of 1 Timothy and Titus, p.69) He is the mediator between God, the Father and mankind. We really need a mediator, because God and mankind are at odds with one another because of our sins. God is holy and just. Sin separates us from God. (Isa 59:2). Sin makes us objects of God’s wrath. (Eph 2:3). Sin hurts God and plunges us into misery and pain. (Gen 6).
God, who is absolutely just, should punish and destroy mankind for his sins. But instead God longs to reconcile with us. We also long to be reconciled to God. But frankly, we are totally helpless to do what God requires. All of our “righteous” acts are like filthy rags before the holy and just God. We all fall short of the glory of God, leaving us in a conundrum. In this regard we can relate to Job’s plea: “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together.” (Job 9:33) We could do nothing. So God took it upon himself to establish a means of mediation. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to be our mediator.
Jesus is ideal as a mediator because he understands both parties. Let me tell you why. Jesus is in very nature God (Php 2:6), in whom all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. (Col 2:9) Yet in verse 5 Paul says, “The man Christ Jesus.” Jesus knows both sides of the issue. He is God and so he understands God’s side of the conflict fully. Jesus is also a man and so he understands humanity’s side. Jesus is fair and just. (Jn 5:30)Therefore in him, we find a trustworthy advocate.
Sending Jesus as the mediator has been on God, our Savior’s mind and heart since the beginning, since the fall of man in Genesis. In Genesis 3:15 God promised to send the offspring of a women as a savior who would crush the head Satan. But he would suffer in doing so. God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins that God sacrificed. The skins of these sacrificed animals would cloth them and cover their shame. The gates of paradise were not destroyed, but only blocked for time, in anticipation when God and mankind would be reconciled. God foreshadowed the need for a mediator in the Old Testament through priests and sacrifices. The High Priest would sacrifice the sin offering for the people, and they would be forgiven. He is presented as a kind mediator between the Holy God and sinful people. But the priest was only a fallen sinner. He could not be a perfect mediator. Therefore this system of mediation could not be permanent, as it was flawed and pointed to a more perfect mediator…Jesus.
Jesus is different from any human High Priest. Jesus, while tempted and tested in every way, was without sin (Heb 4:15) The High Priest eventually died, but Jesus lives forever in glory. The sacrifices also were imperfect, since animal’s blood can never take away sins and had to be offered again and again. (Heb 10:4,11) But Jesus’ blood was completely sinless and holy blood. His blood was totally sufficient. Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God was one sacrifice for all (Heb 9:26b, 28a, 10:10) The priesthood and the temple were made obsolete and no longer exist. It is because it is no longer necessary. Jesus is all we need. Jesus is alive and his perfect mediation is as valid today as it was 2,000 years ago.
In view of who Jesus is, we know that he is worthy to be our mediator, and he fully meets our needs. But he also meets God’s needs in a mediator. We understand how desperately we need a mediator, in that we fail and fall short of God’s glory everyday. Yet God also needs Jesus as a mediator, in order to accept us as his children. In Jesus, God’s justice and God’s love are fully reconciled. Romans 3;26 puts it this way, “…he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus, true reconciliation with God is possible. God has provided the perfect and only way to come to him. In Jesus, our mediator and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12) as his precious children.
Second, How Jesus Became Our Mediator. We have thought about who Jesus is, as our mediator. We have also thought about why we need a mediator. But what does it mean that Jesus is our mediator? This is more than just a simple title for Jesus. Let’s see. Look at verse 2:6a, “…who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” In order to be our mediator, Jesus had to give himself up, leaving the glory of heaven to dwell among us. He, who is in very nature God, made himself nothing, taking on flesh, becoming a human being. (Php 2:7). Becoming a human being was done in order to bear our sins and weaknesses in his own body. (1 Peter 2:24) He came in this way to take up our pain and to bear our sufferings. (Isa 53:4). This was the sacrifice Jesus made in order to be our mediator. Jesus, the Son of God became the Son of Man. He is fully able to empathize with our weaknesses because he became like us. (Heb 2:17-18) In our sins, we are burdened and hopeless, weak and powerless like sheep without a shepherd. Yet, Jesus has hope. He called sinners to be his disciples. He bore with them and loved them until they could be changed even at great risk to himself. He gave his life to be our mediator. We can fully trust our Lord Jesus, who committed himself to this task in loving obedience to God, the Father, and out of his great mercy towards sinners.
In verse 2:6, we read that he gave himself as a ransom for all people. A ransom is the price paid to free a slave from bondage. The Bible teaches us that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:34) A slave has no rights. A slave can not go free, but is held in bondage as a possession of their master. So we are all in bondage to our salve master, sin and the devil. To buy a person out of such slavery required a ransom. What was the ransom price set to buy our freedom? The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23b). To pay our ransom, Jesus gave himself as the sacrifice of atonement. Jesus shed his blood in agonizing pain until he died on that cross to buy our freedom. Who would do such a thing? I mean, for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But for a sinner? God’s great love is demonstrated in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8) When we believe in Jesus, our mediator, all our sins are forgiven once and for all. (Heb 10:10) and we were reconciled to God. But there is more. By ransoming us from slavery to sin, Jesus broke the power of sin over our lives. In this way Jesus deals with the root problem of sin. We live a new life, free, because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Some think that Jesus is just “the Christian way” to God. With philosophical arguments, they reasonably try to explain God’s existence as a mountain. At the top is God, and all the religions are paths going up the hill, all equally valid, some harder than others. To insist that Jesus is the only mediator often makes Christians appear ignorant and foolish.
But in view of what we have studied, Jesus is the only mediator. All other ways, no matter how noble in intention or hardworking in effort, or how much sense they make philosophically, fail because they ultimately depend on man’s ability and effort to save himself. Since these other ways can not forgive the sins of the past, or deal with the power of sin at work in our lives today, they are fundamentally incapable of helping us to reach God. Even if a person were to adhere to all their religious efforts, these would never be able to bridge the gap separating sinful man from the holy God. Instead, they leave man arrogant and self seeking, or broken and hopeless.
Only Jesus, the true mediator is able to solve our sin problem and reconcile us to the Holy God. Therefore, Christ Jesus is the only hope for mankind. We can see this in the analogy of Jesus as a rocket. God is in heaven, we are on earth. There are many ways that people try to come to God. But all these fail because they ultimately they have no power to break free from gravity: the weighing down of sin. But Jesus is like a rocket. The cross where he suffered once for sins, has power to bring us to God, like a powerful rocket! (1 Peter 3:18) (You may also think of it as a bridge diagram. There are also various other ways to illustrate what God had accomplished for us through Jesus.)
This knowledge of Jesus as a mediator needs to come out of the realm of intellectual ascent and into personal experience. Ask yourself, “Is Christ Jesus my mediator?” I can clearly say that Jesus is my mediator, because he ransomed me from the power of sin, reconciled me to God and gave me a new life. In 1981 and the spring of 1982 I had reached a low point in my life. I was living a hedonistic lifestyle, partying on the weekends and trying to study for college during the week. I was constantly bored and empty and required more corrupted sins to quench my thirsty heart. I knew my life was fruitless and meaningless, but I didn’t know how to come out of it. Studying, exercise, rock music, partying with my friends didn’t help me. I knew I was junk man because of my many sinful desires. One day I cried out in my pillow, “Oh God!” I had turned my back on Jesus during the days of my youth growing up in the Catholic Church. I chose hedonistic, pleasure seeking sins instead of Jesus. Yet Jesus did not abandon me. I was spiritually blind and did not know him. I didn’t know how Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Yet, at the lowest point, Jesus Christ revealed himself as my mediator in three very clear ways.
Firstly, through the sacrifices of good ministers of Christ Jesus. God sent me a great Bible teacher, Msn Ruth Hwang. She was a soft spoken, Korean missionary. She was humble and shorter than me. She was also poor, working as a sewing machine operator. I was an arrogant, hedonistic student, full of sins. At several occasions, during Bible study, I would tell her to “hurry up!” because I had to meet my friends at the bar. As she learned of my sinful life, she became weary of me. Once, I was told that the men missionaries were posted outside the room while we studied the Bible for Msn Ruth’s safety. Early on, when I started Bible study, I became insincere, not thinking deeply about the word of God and becoming heart hearted. Instead of rejecting me, she pleaded with me to repent and become sincere towards Jesus and she even shed tears. She fed me at her home. She taught me the Bible faithfully. She even took me to the ballet. It was through her life of faith and her unconditional acceptance of me, that I was able to begin to behold my mediator, Jesus Christ.
The second way was though a personal encounter with Jesus at the 1986 Summer Bible conference at MSU. I saw myself as a Samaritan man, who was quenching my thirsty heart with sin and the things of the world. But Jesus came to quench my thirsty heart with his living water. I accepted John 4: 13-14, as my life key verse, “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’" I repented of my hedonistic sins and yielded to Jesus as Lord. As he quenched my heart, Jesus gave me strength and power to leave my life of sin and begin to follow him.
The third powerful way has been through Bible study and discipleship that I have received over the last 25-1/2 years. Time and again Jesus has given me his word to quench me and grow me spiritually. Time and again he has intervened in my life through his word, reminding me of his grace, giving me direction and strength to do what is right and also rebuking me from time to time. Nowadays he is mediating on my behalf and saving me from despair, fear, fatalism and anger and is helping me to do the right follow him. Jesus has shown me in so many wonderful ways that he is my mediator. I have great hope, because Jesus my mediator.
God intended this saving grace to be a foundation upon which we build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus. Paul is a good example. In 1:14 Paul remembered the saving grace of Jesus that was poured out on him abundantly. This grace became the foundation of his life. His relationship with Jesus grew, and he found God’s good work in him to do. He worked hard, bearing any and all difficulties, learning contentment and joy, all because of the grace of Jesus.
Jesus remains our intercessor and mediator throughout our life. Jesus promised his disciples, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20b) Jesus was taken up in glory, and is at this moment at the Father’s right hand, interceding for us (Romans 8:34), with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (1 Peter 3:22) Jesus’ grace to me was not just a single event 25 years ago, but it is daily. He is my living mediator. He is mediating for me daily, 24/7. By his help I am building a life and ministry on this grace of God. As you all know, my mediator helped me to marry Julie back in 1992. He gave us five wonderful children. Together we are building a holy family and a house church ministry. He has called us to a 1:1 Bible and discipleship ministry at NIU in DeKalb. This is God’s grace and privilege given to us. With God’s help we can build on the foundation of God’s grace through Jesus my mediator and my hope. Sometimes the task gets hard. I get overwhelmed with the spiritual forces of darkness and my own sins. Elements of death, like sorrow, despair, fatalism and anger, fill my heart. I fall into ruts and loose hope that the work of God can be accomplished through me. I begin to feel that all I want to do is retreat, to hide, sitting in front of the computer, sleeping, walking the dog and working out as quiet little gym. I am reminded of how limited I am in so many ways. I dwell on my weaknesses. Yet I can testify to one enduring truth…Jesus has been so faithful and steady. He is a firm foundation in troubled times. I must always remember that my life is built on the solid foundation: God our Savior and Christ Jesus our Hope. Thank you Jesus!
Christ Jesus is our hope! He is our mediator. This is not only for our past, and not only for our present, but for our future as well. Someday, Jesus is coming again. (6:14) Because of his work of redemption Christ Jesus is now our hope, our hope for past sins forgiven, our hope for present victory, our hope for future glory. (D. Edmond Hiebert, First Timothy, p. 22). On his grace as our mediator and hope, he established a firm foundation that will never be shaken. This foundation is for our personal lives, our families, our ministries, our nation and the world. Upon this foundation of faith, let’s build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus.
1 Timothy 1:1; 2:5 Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF 12/11/11
Inspired by a message delivered by Steve Stastinos 10/24/11
“Paul an apostle of Christ Jesus by the command of God our Savior and Christ Jesus our hope…”
“For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus.”
In our last message we focused on God our Savior. We learned about God’s awesome nature…that he is eternal, invisible and lives in unapproachable light. But yet he makes himself accessible to us, through his grace and forgiveness… through the gospel. We can meet this great and awesome God of ours through having a personal life experience with God. We learned that God is our creator and provider. He graciously provides us with all things, especially he gave us a Savior, Jesus, whom we are celebrating and worshipping this Christmas. Though God is extremely holy, and lives in unapproachable light, we can approach him through faith and by his grace. He saves completely those who come to him repenting of their sins and placing all of their hope and trust in him. Only God can save us. Only God can be our hope to come out of the darkness and live eternally in the kingdom of God.
Today we want to think about who Jesus is. To put it simply, God, Our Savior, wants all people to be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (2:3-4). He did this by sending his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, as our hope. He is the hope of the individual and of the world. He is our hope personally, nationally and internationally. This great hope of ours was born as a tiny baby in a manger 2,000 years ago.
To understand how Jesus is our hope, we must think about who Jesus is. That is a mystery revealed in the gospel. 1 Timothy 3:16 reads, “Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” The fact is, Jesus incarnated among us. The Holy Spirit vindicated his ministry through mighty acts of power, such as healing the sick. raising the dead, driving out demons, and forgiving sins. Sinful mankind put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him from the dead. This was witnessed by angels and by his disciples. He was taken up into glory. This story of the gospel has been preached and believed on for the past 2,000 years. At the center of his Gospel, is Jesus, especially his identity and his work as our mediator. Let’s think about this Jesus a little deeper.
First, Jesus Christ as our mediator. Verse 2:5 reads, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus,” What is a mediator and why do we need one? A mediator is an intermediary, the person in the middle, who effects a reconciliation between two rivals. (John R.W. Stott, the message of 1 Timothy and Titus, p.69) He is the mediator between God, the Father and mankind. We really need a mediator, because God and mankind are at odds with one another because of our sins. God is holy and just. Sin separates us from God. (Isa 59:2). Sin makes us objects of God’s wrath. (Eph 2:3). Sin hurts God and plunges us into misery and pain. (Gen 6).
God, who is absolutely just, should punish and destroy mankind for his sins. But instead God longs to reconcile with us. We also long to be reconciled to God. But frankly, we are totally helpless to do what God requires. All of our “righteous” acts are like filthy rags before the holy and just God. We all fall short of the glory of God, leaving us in a conundrum. In this regard we can relate to Job’s plea: “If only there were someone to mediate between us, someone to bring us together.” (Job 9:33) We could do nothing. So God took it upon himself to establish a means of mediation. He sent his one and only Son, Jesus Christ, into this world to be our mediator.
Jesus is ideal as a mediator because he understands both parties. Let me tell you why. Jesus is in very nature God (Php 2:6), in whom all the fullness of the deity lives in bodily form. (Col 2:9) Yet in verse 5 Paul says, “The man Christ Jesus.” Jesus knows both sides of the issue. He is God and so he understands God’s side of the conflict fully. Jesus is also a man and so he understands humanity’s side. Jesus is fair and just. (Jn 5:30)Therefore in him, we find a trustworthy advocate.
Sending Jesus as the mediator has been on God, our Savior’s mind and heart since the beginning, since the fall of man in Genesis. In Genesis 3:15 God promised to send the offspring of a women as a savior who would crush the head Satan. But he would suffer in doing so. God clothed Adam and Eve in animal skins that God sacrificed. The skins of these sacrificed animals would cloth them and cover their shame. The gates of paradise were not destroyed, but only blocked for time, in anticipation when God and mankind would be reconciled. God foreshadowed the need for a mediator in the Old Testament through priests and sacrifices. The High Priest would sacrifice the sin offering for the people, and they would be forgiven. He is presented as a kind mediator between the Holy God and sinful people. But the priest was only a fallen sinner. He could not be a perfect mediator. Therefore this system of mediation could not be permanent, as it was flawed and pointed to a more perfect mediator…Jesus.
Jesus is different from any human High Priest. Jesus, while tempted and tested in every way, was without sin (Heb 4:15) The High Priest eventually died, but Jesus lives forever in glory. The sacrifices also were imperfect, since animal’s blood can never take away sins and had to be offered again and again. (Heb 10:4,11) But Jesus’ blood was completely sinless and holy blood. His blood was totally sufficient. Jesus’ sacrifice as the Lamb of God was one sacrifice for all (Heb 9:26b, 28a, 10:10) The priesthood and the temple were made obsolete and no longer exist. It is because it is no longer necessary. Jesus is all we need. Jesus is alive and his perfect mediation is as valid today as it was 2,000 years ago.
In view of who Jesus is, we know that he is worthy to be our mediator, and he fully meets our needs. But he also meets God’s needs in a mediator. We understand how desperately we need a mediator, in that we fail and fall short of God’s glory everyday. Yet God also needs Jesus as a mediator, in order to accept us as his children. In Jesus, God’s justice and God’s love are fully reconciled. Romans 3;26 puts it this way, “…he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Christ Jesus.” In Jesus, true reconciliation with God is possible. God has provided the perfect and only way to come to him. In Jesus, our mediator and through faith in him, we may approach God with freedom and confidence (Eph 3:12) as his precious children.
Second, How Jesus Became Our Mediator. We have thought about who Jesus is, as our mediator. We have also thought about why we need a mediator. But what does it mean that Jesus is our mediator? This is more than just a simple title for Jesus. Let’s see. Look at verse 2:6a, “…who gave himself as a ransom for all people.” In order to be our mediator, Jesus had to give himself up, leaving the glory of heaven to dwell among us. He, who is in very nature God, made himself nothing, taking on flesh, becoming a human being. (Php 2:7). Becoming a human being was done in order to bear our sins and weaknesses in his own body. (1 Peter 2:24) He came in this way to take up our pain and to bear our sufferings. (Isa 53:4). This was the sacrifice Jesus made in order to be our mediator. Jesus, the Son of God became the Son of Man. He is fully able to empathize with our weaknesses because he became like us. (Heb 2:17-18) In our sins, we are burdened and hopeless, weak and powerless like sheep without a shepherd. Yet, Jesus has hope. He called sinners to be his disciples. He bore with them and loved them until they could be changed even at great risk to himself. He gave his life to be our mediator. We can fully trust our Lord Jesus, who committed himself to this task in loving obedience to God, the Father, and out of his great mercy towards sinners.
In verse 2:6, we read that he gave himself as a ransom for all people. A ransom is the price paid to free a slave from bondage. The Bible teaches us that anyone who sins is a slave to sin. (John 8:34) A slave has no rights. A slave can not go free, but is held in bondage as a possession of their master. So we are all in bondage to our salve master, sin and the devil. To buy a person out of such slavery required a ransom. What was the ransom price set to buy our freedom? The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23b). To pay our ransom, Jesus gave himself as the sacrifice of atonement. Jesus shed his blood in agonizing pain until he died on that cross to buy our freedom. Who would do such a thing? I mean, for a good person, someone might possibly dare to die. But for a sinner? God’s great love is demonstrated in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:7-8) When we believe in Jesus, our mediator, all our sins are forgiven once and for all. (Heb 10:10) and we were reconciled to God. But there is more. By ransoming us from slavery to sin, Jesus broke the power of sin over our lives. In this way Jesus deals with the root problem of sin. We live a new life, free, because of Jesus’ sacrifice.
Some think that Jesus is just “the Christian way” to God. With philosophical arguments, they reasonably try to explain God’s existence as a mountain. At the top is God, and all the religions are paths going up the hill, all equally valid, some harder than others. To insist that Jesus is the only mediator often makes Christians appear ignorant and foolish.
But in view of what we have studied, Jesus is the only mediator. All other ways, no matter how noble in intention or hardworking in effort, or how much sense they make philosophically, fail because they ultimately depend on man’s ability and effort to save himself. Since these other ways can not forgive the sins of the past, or deal with the power of sin at work in our lives today, they are fundamentally incapable of helping us to reach God. Even if a person were to adhere to all their religious efforts, these would never be able to bridge the gap separating sinful man from the holy God. Instead, they leave man arrogant and self seeking, or broken and hopeless.
Only Jesus, the true mediator is able to solve our sin problem and reconcile us to the Holy God. Therefore, Christ Jesus is the only hope for mankind. We can see this in the analogy of Jesus as a rocket. God is in heaven, we are on earth. There are many ways that people try to come to God. But all these fail because they ultimately they have no power to break free from gravity: the weighing down of sin. But Jesus is like a rocket. The cross where he suffered once for sins, has power to bring us to God, like a powerful rocket! (1 Peter 3:18) (You may also think of it as a bridge diagram. There are also various other ways to illustrate what God had accomplished for us through Jesus.)
This knowledge of Jesus as a mediator needs to come out of the realm of intellectual ascent and into personal experience. Ask yourself, “Is Christ Jesus my mediator?” I can clearly say that Jesus is my mediator, because he ransomed me from the power of sin, reconciled me to God and gave me a new life. In 1981 and the spring of 1982 I had reached a low point in my life. I was living a hedonistic lifestyle, partying on the weekends and trying to study for college during the week. I was constantly bored and empty and required more corrupted sins to quench my thirsty heart. I knew my life was fruitless and meaningless, but I didn’t know how to come out of it. Studying, exercise, rock music, partying with my friends didn’t help me. I knew I was junk man because of my many sinful desires. One day I cried out in my pillow, “Oh God!” I had turned my back on Jesus during the days of my youth growing up in the Catholic Church. I chose hedonistic, pleasure seeking sins instead of Jesus. Yet Jesus did not abandon me. I was spiritually blind and did not know him. I didn’t know how Jesus died on the cross for my sins. Yet, at the lowest point, Jesus Christ revealed himself as my mediator in three very clear ways.
Firstly, through the sacrifices of good ministers of Christ Jesus. God sent me a great Bible teacher, Msn Ruth Hwang. She was a soft spoken, Korean missionary. She was humble and shorter than me. She was also poor, working as a sewing machine operator. I was an arrogant, hedonistic student, full of sins. At several occasions, during Bible study, I would tell her to “hurry up!” because I had to meet my friends at the bar. As she learned of my sinful life, she became weary of me. Once, I was told that the men missionaries were posted outside the room while we studied the Bible for Msn Ruth’s safety. Early on, when I started Bible study, I became insincere, not thinking deeply about the word of God and becoming heart hearted. Instead of rejecting me, she pleaded with me to repent and become sincere towards Jesus and she even shed tears. She fed me at her home. She taught me the Bible faithfully. She even took me to the ballet. It was through her life of faith and her unconditional acceptance of me, that I was able to begin to behold my mediator, Jesus Christ.
The second way was though a personal encounter with Jesus at the 1986 Summer Bible conference at MSU. I saw myself as a Samaritan man, who was quenching my thirsty heart with sin and the things of the world. But Jesus came to quench my thirsty heart with his living water. I accepted John 4: 13-14, as my life key verse, “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’" I repented of my hedonistic sins and yielded to Jesus as Lord. As he quenched my heart, Jesus gave me strength and power to leave my life of sin and begin to follow him.
The third powerful way has been through Bible study and discipleship that I have received over the last 25-1/2 years. Time and again Jesus has given me his word to quench me and grow me spiritually. Time and again he has intervened in my life through his word, reminding me of his grace, giving me direction and strength to do what is right and also rebuking me from time to time. Nowadays he is mediating on my behalf and saving me from despair, fear, fatalism and anger and is helping me to do the right follow him. Jesus has shown me in so many wonderful ways that he is my mediator. I have great hope, because Jesus my mediator.
God intended this saving grace to be a foundation upon which we build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus. Paul is a good example. In 1:14 Paul remembered the saving grace of Jesus that was poured out on him abundantly. This grace became the foundation of his life. His relationship with Jesus grew, and he found God’s good work in him to do. He worked hard, bearing any and all difficulties, learning contentment and joy, all because of the grace of Jesus.
Jesus remains our intercessor and mediator throughout our life. Jesus promised his disciples, “…And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt 28:20b) Jesus was taken up in glory, and is at this moment at the Father’s right hand, interceding for us (Romans 8:34), with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him. (1 Peter 3:22) Jesus’ grace to me was not just a single event 25 years ago, but it is daily. He is my living mediator. He is mediating for me daily, 24/7. By his help I am building a life and ministry on this grace of God. As you all know, my mediator helped me to marry Julie back in 1992. He gave us five wonderful children. Together we are building a holy family and a house church ministry. He has called us to a 1:1 Bible and discipleship ministry at NIU in DeKalb. This is God’s grace and privilege given to us. With God’s help we can build on the foundation of God’s grace through Jesus my mediator and my hope. Sometimes the task gets hard. I get overwhelmed with the spiritual forces of darkness and my own sins. Elements of death, like sorrow, despair, fatalism and anger, fill my heart. I fall into ruts and loose hope that the work of God can be accomplished through me. I begin to feel that all I want to do is retreat, to hide, sitting in front of the computer, sleeping, walking the dog and working out as quiet little gym. I am reminded of how limited I am in so many ways. I dwell on my weaknesses. Yet I can testify to one enduring truth…Jesus has been so faithful and steady. He is a firm foundation in troubled times. I must always remember that my life is built on the solid foundation: God our Savior and Christ Jesus our Hope. Thank you Jesus!
Christ Jesus is our hope! He is our mediator. This is not only for our past, and not only for our present, but for our future as well. Someday, Jesus is coming again. (6:14) Because of his work of redemption Christ Jesus is now our hope, our hope for past sins forgiven, our hope for present victory, our hope for future glory. (D. Edmond Hiebert, First Timothy, p. 22). On his grace as our mediator and hope, he established a firm foundation that will never be shaken. This foundation is for our personal lives, our families, our ministries, our nation and the world. Upon this foundation of faith, let’s build a life as a good minister of Christ Jesus.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
