Son of God

The Son of God

Book of John Chapter 5

We as Christians sometimes forget why Jesus did all the things that He did.

We sometimes make Him small when He is Great.

We sometimes forget the reason that Jesus Christ was upon this earth.

Jesus Christ was led to do all the things He did because of the love of our Father in Heaven!

Joh 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

This is why Jesus did all the things He did when He was upon this place called Earth.

There was this great pool of water called Bethesda and at certain times of the year an Angel would stir up the waters and the first one who entered the water after seeing this would be healed of their infirmities or we would say disease.

This sounds like a wonderful place and a great thing for those who were sick or lame, but it was not a fair place!

Those who were truly in need could not get to the water because of those with stumped toes or more simple things that maybe would have healed on their own would step over them to be the first to get in the water.

We can doubt that such a pool existed but then we would be rejecting the written Word of God.

Even today Christians are much the same. Those who truly have need of our Pastor sometimes do not get the attention they need because someone with a minor problem had taken the time of our Pastor and he could not get to where he needed to be.

Jesus knew what was going on and there was this one man who had been trying to get in the waters of Bethesda for 38 years and he would have never made it even if he lived to be 100 years old.

His chances decreased with every passing year, but God sent His Son into this world to make some changes to this world.

One of the many things that Jesus does every day is that He provides opportunities for a changed life!

If we understand the Words of Christ, it seems that this man was in the condition, he was in, because of the sin in his life.

You want to know the truth, all those that doubt the truth of Jesus Christ and deny His Deity are taking a stand with those who were His murderers.

When we doubt the Word of God we are calling God a liar, so do it to His face and quit hiding behind social issues.

*****Joh 5:14 Afterward Jesus findeth him in the temple, and said unto him, Behold, thou art made whole: sin no more, lest a worse thing come unto thee.

We should realize that many of the ailments we have late in our life are due to the sin in our life or that was in our earlier life before we invited the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts.

By this time this man who was healed by the hand of the Lord had taken his bed home and in doing so was confronted by certain Jews who were probably Pharisees scolding him for doing this work on the Sabbath.

What was the law of God?

Exo 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exo 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Exo 20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

Exo 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

The truth is, what we must observe is that our Righteous God has holy and righteous standards and we should try our best to observe those standards every day!

We begin to understand these things when we allow the Holy Ghost free will in our lives!

The very same God that gave us these wonderful commandments was the very same God who healed this man who had suffered for 38 years and the very same God who told him to pick up his bed and walk.

Which command are we to follow? Both.

It was sin that had brought this bad health to this man. This man was healed, and that sin was forgiven.

It was not sin for him to pick up his bed and take it home because it was not work by which he would be paid to do. He was taking care of a piece of personal property but more than that he was obeying the Word of Jesus Christ.

Jesus says it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath!

Luk 6:9 Then said Jesus unto them, I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil? to save life, or to destroy it?

Since the Lord Jesus Christ went about doing good 7 days each week, we should know that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath, on Sunday and on every other day of the week.

By this same line of thought, it is not lawful to do bad things on the Sabbath or any other day of the week and certainly never lawful to destroy a life on the Sabbath.

Which means animals had to be fed and watered.

Which means animals had to be milked.

Which means the sick had to be cared for.

Which means children had to be cared for.

Which means the people had to be fed even though fasting was also encouraged.

To the Jew, this Sabbath would begin Friday at 6 PM and last through Saturday until 6 PM.

The seventh day of the week to the Christian is Sunday, which is the Lord's Day to be observed by the Church and it should be obvious that we are to take note of what God has said here.

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

These are not things open for discussion, they are settled by the Word of God.

In fact the Word of God is not open for discussion or for a vote, the Word of God is settled in Heaven and this is all we need to know!

God rested on the seventh day showing us that our own bodies need physical rest and Spiritual fulfillment(Worship) at least one day of the week and as time passes and we see this world getting worse then we are to gather more often to worship the Lord and not less often.

Heb_10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Many modern so-called places of worship have abandoned the Wednesday night service and also the Sunday evening service ignoring Hebrews 10:25.

There may be some real reasons in some nations but not in America.

Before we worry about the Sabbath or the Sunday worship service, we should concentrate on the more important things in the Scriptures.

The Jews choose the Sabbath or Saturday and they are right. They follow the laws given specifically to the Jews by Moses.

The Church chooses Sunday, the first day of the week, the Lord's Day(Day of Resurrection) and the Church is right.

Rev_1:10 I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet.

When we have been made whole by the Lord Jesus Christ then we should put forth the effort to sin no more!

Before we go any further let’s look at this word Jews.

1) There was the Jews, the race of the people of Judah and then all of Israel.

2) There were Jews, who were the hard line observers of the Law(legalism) and these same Jews rejected all things of Jesus Christ the Son of God. These were the same ones who in their customs and manners despised, persecuted, and hated all those who did not follow the written and the oral(tradition) laws of Moses.

*****Joh 5:15 The man departed, and told the Jews that it was Jesus, which had made him whole.

Joh 5:16 And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus, and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day.

We may not understand it, but it was a very serious matter to break the laws of the Sabbath and this man, having never met anyone like Jesus did not realize the harm it would cause to tell these supposed men of God about what Jesus had done and then point Him out to these hypocrites dressed as the men of God.

In this day the people could not travel but for a short distance, they could not cook or even draw water and certainly not open their businesses on the Sabbath.

Even a doctor could not make any attempt to heal unless that life was at stake.

A person could not even be caught thinking about his work for the next day!

Those that broke the Sabbath Law could be put to death by stoning.

These things may seem to be ridiculous to us today but after the return of the Jews from Babylon it was the commands of God that had kept this nation together.

Ezra had brought them back to the Word of God from which they had strayed. This tiny nation had been dominated by many nations over the years and at this time they were under the tyranny of Rome and the Jewish leaders had not followed in the lines of David or Solomon.

Herod was just as much their enemy as was Rome. Herod was a descendant of Ishmael.

The High Priests were selected by how much they could bribe Herod or the Roman rulers.

God had not spoken to these people by a prophet for 400 years until John the Baptist.

It was now only their God, Jehovah, that was the force that kept them together as a nation of Jews.

They refused to be swallowed up by the other nations and demanded that Jews marry other Jews to keep their national structure in place.

They were beginning to realize that Jesus had a whole new line of thought that included not only Jews, not only sinners, not only Gentiles, but also mixed marriages such as the Samaritans.

They had decided that Jesus was just some evil man using sorcery to control the people and work miracles by the power of Satan.

The religious leaders other than those appointed by Herod, were very concerned about this man named Jesus, claiming to be the Messiah.

They rejected God's way of righteousness.

They rejected God's Messiah.

They rejected the Son of God because they rejected the Word of God!

They allowed tradition and ritual, ceremony and rules, to become more important than meeting the basic needs of human life.

The truth of Jesus Christ was about to expose their error and they simply could not allow God's Messiah to change any of these things!

After all they held an office of prestige without God's involvement or so they thought.

The ordinary Jewish man of God and Jewish patriot needed to be released from all these things!

The Lord Jesus Christ brought something new and they rejected it!

1Co 11:24 And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.

1Co 11:25 After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.

2Co_3:6 Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

Just as what happens to that "Born Again" child of God, we must be liberated from the claws of Satan, so we can be saved.

These Jews needed this same liberation from their own religion before they could be saved but they refused to allow this to happen.

They were bound by the laws they had written themselves and they could not keep themselves and they just could not see it.

Joh 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

Joh 7:20 The people answered and said, Thou hast a devil: who goeth about to kill thee?

Joh 7:21 Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

Joh 7:22 Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

Joh 7:23 If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

How did Jesus answer these accusations?

*****Joh 5:17 But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work.

Joh 5:18 Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God.

There is little doubt that Jesus was saying that He was the Son of God and the Jewish Messiah!

We should all give this same answer, when asked.

God our Father is truly working every day to complete His plan of salvation, but we must not forget that God uses humans to do those things for Him.

Therefore since our Father is at work to complete the promises He has made to us, we should be at work doing the things He has called upon us to do! It is just that simple!

The Lord Jesus Christ is certainly the same as God, but in His ways while He was upon this earth, He is also our example of what we should be!

We cannot be Christian and reject the ways of Jesus Christ!

We cannot be Christian and reject any part of the Word of God!

We cannot be Christian and reject the Will of the Holy Spirit who abides within each Christian!

Jesus Christ speaks with authority because He is the Author of the Word of God and the Author of our salvation.

Heb_12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

The truth is when we are approached by Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit, we must make a choice. We either accept what Jesus says or we reject Him as just some man.

Either way the choice we make is a choice about life! This opportunity might never come again!

And we must remember that these things Jesus did on the Sabbath did not change the truth of the Scriptures.

Jesus obeyed all the Laws of Moses but Jewish traditions are not part of God's Law!

The Lord said we needed one day each week to rest our bodies and worship the Lord.

The truth is, it is OK to do good things on the day of worship but again we must not just be trying to avoid Church!

Just because the world runs 24/7 does not mean God's people are supposed to.

Some do, because it means life or death. Others do it to make more money and miss the worship service for the wrong reasons.

When we get on up in years, we realize why the Lord said we need to rest one day each week!

Let us not forget Jesus, The Messiah is truly the God of the Bible!

We must also not forget that the theme of this piece of Scripture is "Obedience".

*****Joh 5:19 Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise.

Jesus Christ cannot do anything differently from the Father, because they are the same person! We can say the same thing of the Holy Spirit(Ghost).

There is only one time there was any separation at all and it was when the Lord Jesus took on all the sin of the world, past, present and future.

Mar_15:34 And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

This onetime, Jesus said "my God" and not "My Father"!

Jesus did this in obedience to the Father and momentarily the human side of Jesus gave up the Ghost and He had already said no one could take His life and if He gave it up He would then take it back up again!

It could be said that the Father shows, the Son sees, and the Father purposes, and the Son executes.

Joh 8:28 Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

Joh 8:29 And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

This is the relationship our Father in Heaven is seeking from each of us!

*****Joh 5:20 For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel.

Joh 5:21 For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them; even so the Son quickeneth whom he will.

Joh 5:22 For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son:

Joh 5:23 That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him.

Our Holy Father in Heaven is seeking those who will be obedient to Him, not out of fear but out of Love!

There was never one moment that the Father did not love the Son, the Father just cannot look upon sin!

The Father has the power to give life and so the Son will give life to all those that He chooses to do so!

The Lord Jesus cannot be constrained nor restrained from doing as He pleases!

Joh 3:17 For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.

Joh 3:18 He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

No matter what the world says it is the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge this world at a time that He so chooses!

Jesus has already given us an approximate time when we will return to begin all these things and we are command to be watching for Him!

It is because we all are commanded to honor the Lord Jesus Christ that He will be the "Judge" of this world!

1Jn 2:21 I have not written unto you because ye know not the truth, but because ye know it, and that no lie is of the truth.

1Jn 2:22 Who is a liar but he that denieth that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denieth the Father and the Son.

1Jn 2:23 Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth the Son hath the Father also.

1Jn 2:24 Let that therefore abide in you, which ye have heard from the beginning. If that which ye have heard from the beginning shall remain in you, ye also shall continue in the Son, and in the Father.

The truth means nothing if we do not abide in the truth!

*****Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

Again Jesus says that it is very important that we understand these things just as it was very important that those Jews understood all these things!

It is wondrous knowledge to know that our soul will never see death!

We know that Jesus came to save all those who are lost.

Salvation can only come the hearing of His Word and applying those words to our life. It takes commitment and obedience to do this thing!

People will tell you that there are many ways to do this, but this cannot be true because we must do exactly as Jesus says. There is no other way!

Those that think there is another way to get to Heaven are worshiping a false god!

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Joh 14:7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Those that disagree with what Jesus says here will never get to God's Heaven but those that do have faith in what Jesus says, will live eternally in God's Heaven or I should say in God's New Heaven!

Joh 6:47 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.

It should be obvious that this is a choice that we make for ourselves! God has already made His choice and God has already told us what He is going to do!

We must believe that God has sent His Son into this world to save those that truly believe what God says!

Amen.

Let's Pray!

Christ Faced Temptations

The Certainty Of Christ's Temptations

Book of Luke 4


Temptation actually means "being put to a test".

Most people see temptation as being enticed to do evil.

We will see that this is the way Jesus Christ was tempted in the wilderness.

In fact Satan is called "the tempter".

Mat 4:3  And when "the tempter" came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

The "tempter" is not internal but is truly a real, an active, and a subtle being!

Satan is a real person!

Hell is a real place!

The Burning Lake of Fire is a real place>

The Burning Lake of Fire was created for Satan and his angels!

Victory over temptation is essential before we can live righteously and be a vessel fit for God's use!

It is in this lesson where we will learn that no temptation has ever confronted mankind that Jesus Christ has not already faced.

We can believe that because it is true!

Satan will use 3 strategies in his attacks;

1) Satan will raise doubt concerning God's Word!

Gen 3:1  Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden"?

Satan will create suspicion about the goodness of God.

2) Satan will lie!

Gen 3:4  And the serpent said unto the woman, "Ye shall not surely die":

3) Satan will only speak in partial truths!

Gen 3:5  For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, "then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil".

Satan did not tell Adam and Eve that knowing about good and evil would not protect them from the pain, the suffering, and the surety of death that comes from sin.

Jesus was God but was also 100% Man.

As moral being whose nature had to develop under the limitations of humanity, Jesus could not escape the exposure to the perils of humans.

A real human could never escape with a fictitious temptation!

I have already stated the temptation Jesus faced was being enticed to do evil and is different from a mere test or a trial.

It is God who tests and tries us because we cannot have a testimony without a test of our faith!

Jas 1:13  Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:
Jas 1:14  But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

It is Satan who is the tempter!

It is not sin to be tempted, it is sin to fall into that temptation!

In our last lesson we know that Jesus was again filled with the Holy Ghost when He was baptized by John the Baptist.

Luk 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

This is where we will pick up in this lesson:

*****Luk 4:1  And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness,
Luk 4:2  Being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered.

The humanity of Jesus was being prepared to serve the Lord.

We should not forget Jesus was about to launch the most important work ever performed by man, the salvation of humanity!

The fate of the world and of every human had been laid in the hands of the Messiah!

The truth is, where Adam had failed, then Jesus must have victory!

The truth is, The Lord could not use His power for His own gratification!

The truth is, The Lord had to abide within the limitations of this world!

The truth is, The Lord knew he would win His kingdom at the cross and that is where His battle would occur and not until then!

Jesus had been endowed with supernatural power and Satan would tempt Him to use it to further His own interest therefore showing little regard for the will of His Father.

This was Satan's attempt to divide the Holy Trinity of God!

From this point till the cross, Jesus would follow the lead of the Holy Spirit!

Jesus had to be totally committed to carry out God's plan no matter what happened and God's plan was the cross, anything less than the cross would have been a failure of God's plan!

It is easy to see that the devil will take advantage of any of our weaknesses.

Jesus had gone without food for 40 days and was tempted for 40 days by the Devil.

*****Luk 4:3  And the devil said unto him, "If thou be the Son of God", command this stone that it be made bread.
Luk 4:4  And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.

At the Baptism of Jesus, a voice from Heaven had said, "this is my Son, in whom I am well pleased".

Jesus certainly had the power to to create some food if He so chose to do it!

Those words "if thou be the Son of God" were the Devil's way of taunting Jesus.

The Devil was saying, if you are truly the Son of God why are you so hungry, creating food is not such a great task for God.

Notice the wording when Jesus on the cross:

Mat 27:40  And saying, Thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself. "If thou be the Son of God", come down from the cross.

In the deserts of Israel are many loaf-shaped fossil rocks and the Devil used one of these to further entice Jesus.

Satan temptation, was for Jesus to misuse His power and His ability on sustaining Himself.

This would have defeated His purpose!

The powers given to the human Jesus could not be used to sustain Him in any way!

Jesus could not in any way use His deity to show people He was the Son of God!

The only way Jesus could use His power was to help mankind!

If Jesus had used His power on Himself, it would have shown that He trusted Himself and not His Father!

If Jesus had used His power on Himself, it would have shown that mankind had the ability to save themselves, instead of helping a world that was lost and in need of a Savior.

If Jesus had used His power on Himself, it would show that man had the ability to build themselves up instead of honoring God and God's will.

Satan is a devious and subtle person!

Jesus responded with the Word of God:

Deu 8:3  And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; "that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live".

We must all realize that we need much more than physical food to sustain us in this world!

We also have Spiritual needs!

The point of this Scripture is that only Jesus can meet all of our needs!

Jesus could only use His power to meet His Father's will!

And we must realize that it is not just the thoughts of the Scriptures that are important but It IS EVERY WORD!

There is no doubt that we all have certain necessities of life!

When we reject the fact that God has given us the many abilities to sustain ourselves, we are wrong.

God has a will and a purpose for each of us and He will provide our needs to fulfill His will and His purpose!

When we live for just the physical side of life and ignore the spiritual side of life, we will suffer a terrible hunger that can only be satisfied with Christ Jesus!

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
Eph 1:4  According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Eph 1:5  Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will,

Since this did not work Satan tried something else.

We should also take note, this shows us that the Devil is relentless!

*****Luk 4:5  And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
Luk 4:6  And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it.
Luk 4:7  If thou therefore wilt worship me, all shall be thine.
Luk 4:8  And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

We must remember why Jesus, the Messiah had come to this earth.

Luk 19:10  For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.

Jesus came to this earth to seek out the lost and provide them eternal salvation!

Jesus came to set up God's eternal Kingdom!

The only way to fulfill the will of His Father was by way of the Cross!

Satan provided an opportunity for Jesus to rule this world without going to the Cross.

1) Satan enticed Jesus with a moment in time, maybe even our day, when the kingdoms of this world were in their glory.

2) Satan claimed that he controlled the possessions and the glory of this world.

There are 3 "moments" that are mentioned in the New Testament.

Each one using a different Greek word and each one used only one time.

The Apostle Paul says we shall all be changed "in a moment" the Greek word "atomis" meaning an indivisible particle of measured time. This is the smallest measure of actual time.

The Apostle Paul also writes about Christian persecution and says we are experiencing "light affliction" which is "for a moment". The Greek word used here is "parautika" which means the present moment.

Here in our Scripture the Greek word "stigma" is used and it means "a point in time" but ruling the world just an instant in time, (compared to eternity) would certainly be a poor bargain and Jesus rejected that immediately.

We should realize that Satan was the prince of this world until the cross:

Joh 12:31  Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out.

Joh 14:30  Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

After the cross, it is our Lord Jesus who holds the keys to God's Kingdom and gave them to Peter to build His Kingdom:

Mat 16:18  And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
Mat 16:19  And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
Jesus will rule God's Kingdom for eternity!

Jesus answered quickly and decisively and was totally dependant on the Scriptures.

Verse 8: "Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve"

Jesus is our example in this, we must worship, follow, and serve the Lord our God!

We absolutely steer away from the standards of this world!

2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

We must avoid the path of worldliness!

We can have ambitions and goals.

We should desire to fulfill the calling of God for our lives.

We are wrong when we try to satisfy our own ambitions instead of following the will of God!

Mat 16:26  For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

So Satan tried still another approach.

*****Luk 4:9  And he brought him to Jerusalem, and set him on a pinnacle of the temple, and said unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down from hence:
Luk 4:10  For it is written, He shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee:
Luk 4:11  And in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
Luk 4:12  And Jesus answering said unto him, It is said, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

We already know that there is nothing impossible for God.

Our God is an awesome God!

It is certain that God would not allow any harm to come to Jesus until His plan was complete.

AND, God has set specific scientific rules that keep our world operating as it should.

When we expect things to happen, contrary to the rules that God has set, we boldly presume upon His will.

Satan had also taken Jesus to the Temple and the last place we should defile should be the place where we worship the Lord God!

When Satan uses that word "if" he is always trying to inflict doubt on the Word of God.

We that know the Lord, all know that when we die we will immediately be in the presence of the Lord.

2Co 5:8  We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

It is true that there is a Scripture that describes this action that Satan uses:

Psa 91:11  For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.
Psa 91:12  They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

1) We should consider that in every case Satan has tempted Jesus to choose some other way than God's way!

God's way was by way of the cross!

Joh 3:14  And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

2) We should next consider that Satan tempted Jesus to misuse Scripture by twisting it and taking it out of context to suit His own purposes.

The Scriptures do not say that God would take care of His Son, no matter what!

The heavenly angels were certainly given charge to help Jesus in any way.

BUT, the Scriptures must be fulfilled in the context that God gave them!

Mat 26:53  Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?
Mat 26:54  But how then shall the scriptures be fulfilled, that thus it must be?

3) Satan tempted Jesus to show people sensations, religious feelings, spectacular works of God.

Satan tempted Jesus to meet all the needs of this world with a quick fix.

And Jesus said: "Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God"

All the Scriptures that Jesus used came from the Book of Deuteronomy and every Hebrew child was expected to know these things by the time they were 12 years old. They were to be taught to them by their parents!

In our world today there are many that say all religions in effect worship the same God and there are many ways to get to Heaven.

We should never miss the lesson that we have learned in these Scriptures, where our Lord has proven to Satan that there is only one way and that is God's way!

If Jesus had changed the plan of God in any way then, could none of us be saved!

Jesus Christ had to go by way of the cross in order that we be saved!

All mankind are tempted to bypass God, to choose another way!

The way of the cross may seen to hard and to difficult for some, but it is truly the only way to God!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 14:7  If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Tit 3:5  Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
Tit 3:6  Which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Saviour;
Tit 3:7  That being justified by his grace, we should be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Trying to seek another way to Heaven will only bring the doom of Hell!

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
1Co 1:19  For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

This world we live in today in these last days have used every means they can think of, to twist the truth out of the Scriptures to allow them to do what they want, but that is still the sin of unbelief!

The sin of unbelief is the greatest of all sins and cannot be forgiven!

There is not other way to reach God but by the cross!

Mat 10:38  And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

And Satan departed from the Lord "for a season".

*****Luk 4:13  And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season.

The Devil lost this first battle with Jesus in His human form because Jesus rebuked him with the Word of God.

Satan left Jesus alone, but only for awhile!

We must remember faith that cannot be tested is faith that cannot be trusted!

The next lesson to learn is, those who are called into the ministry of the "Gospel" should never use that ministry for personal gain!

The next lesson for us all is no matter what Satan throws at us, we should never quit on God it is Satan who has to retreat from the Word of God!

Every battle we win over temptation will make us stronger!

Jesus began His ministry!

*****Luk 4:14  And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee: and there went out a fame of him through all the region round about.
Luk 4:15  And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified of all.

Before Jesus went back to Nazareth, He began His ministry in Galilee, which includes the city of Nazareth.

Galilee was a province and not a city at this time.

Of the 32 parables Jesus spoke, 19 were spoken in Galilee.

Of the 33 miracles recorded in the New Testament 25 of them happened in Galilee.

His first miracle was at the wedding of Cana.

His last miracle was after His resurrection on the shore of Galilee's sea.

In Galilee was the "Sermon on the Mount".

Jesus preached Himself as the "Bread of Life", Purity, Forgiveness, and Humility in Galilee.

Jesus called His first disciples in Galilee.

In was in Galilee where the "Transfiguration took place.

Jesus had a great ministry in Galilee before He went to His home in Nazareth.

We can see that victory over temptation will lead to great results!

It leads to more power.

It leads to a greater testimony.

It leads to a greater ministry.

Jas 1:12  Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

It leads us into the throne room of God.

Rev 3:21  To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne.

A Synagogue was a recognized place of Jewish worship.

The hours of worship were the same as those of the Temple in Jerusalem.

1) First there would be prayer and the Jews had at least 18 prayers they would recite.

2) Next there would be the reading of the Scriptures in certain definite portions.

3) Next there would the exposition to those portions of Scripture that were read. Ezra said ("making sense of the Word") Explaining the meaning of what God had said!

Jesus was welcome in most all synagogues until the Pharisees became hostile toward Him!

The Lord Jesus Christ had the general admiration of all the people, until the religious rulers felt threatened by the truth that He taught!

And then Jesus came to Nazareth to the synagogue in His home town.

*****Luk 4:16  And he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath day, and stood up for to read.

We should immediately notice that Jesus regularly attended the weekly services in the synagogue.

We know that as a boy of 12, His knowledge of the Scriptures had impressed the rabbis of Jerusalem.

We should not be surprised that Jesus was called on to read, but this day things would be a little different.

*****Luk 4:17  And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Esaias. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,
Luk 4:18  The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Luk 4:19  To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
Luk 4:20  And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.

In the Sabbath service there were usually two lessons read.

The first lesson was always from the Pentateuch, the 5 books of Moses.

The second lesson was from the prophets which were on single rollers.

The scroll of Isaiah was given to Jesus and He opened it until He came to the Scripture He had chosen.

Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Jesus taught like He never had before.

On this day, Jesus the Christ declared that He was the Messiah.

The Scripture that Jesus read was this:

Isa 61:1  The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;
Isa 61:2  To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, {and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;}

Notice Jesus did not read the last portion of this verse.

In the day of Jesus there were no chapter and verse designations!

These people were first impressed, then shocked, and then angered as what Jesus said began to sink in.

It is no coincidence that this passage mentions the three persons of the Holy Trinity.

The Spirit, The Lord God, and Jesus the Messiah.

1) We should always trust the Word of God to be the truth and we should reverence the Scriptures.

Here at Gethsemane, we know that we always stand when our Pastor reads the Scriptures.

The Jews did the same:

Neh 8:5  And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up:

2) The Jews understood that the Messiah would be anointed by the Holy Spirit. In fact the Messiah would be called and equipped by the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was filled with the Holy Spirit when He was within the womb of His mother Mary.

The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus when He was Baptized.

The Holy Spirit led Him into the wilderness where He defeated the Devil.

There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was upon Jesus as He read this Scripture.

It was the Lord Jesus Christ who was anointed to first preach the "Gospel"!

The truth is, when God calls, He anoints, He equips, and He sends and the Holy Spirit goes with everyone chosen of the Lord wherever God sends them!

The Messiah was to preach the Gospel! (Evangelize)

He was to preach the "Gospel" to the poor. (Those who are poor in spirit)

He was to preach the "Gospel" to deliver the captives. (Those caught in Satan's snares)

He was to minister to the brokenhearted and heal them!

He was to give sight to the blind. (those who are spiritually blind, and those blind physically)

He was to set at liberty all those who are bruised. (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually)

He was to preach the age of salvation!

The acceptable year, is the era of salvation that we still live in now!

2Co 6:1  We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain.
2Co 6:2  (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)

We now live in what is said as the Church Age.

Jesus stopped His reading before He read all of verse two.

Because the last part refers to the Judgement of God and in His present ministry until He returns in the clouds we are still in His present ministry, the Age of Grace.

*****Luk 4:21  And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.

To be a prophet of God, then there had to be a fulfillment of those prophecies!

Luk 24:44  And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me.

We should consider that God already knew that Jesus would be rejected in Nazareth.

By saying He was the promised Messiah, the Son of God, Jesus placed Himself on the same level as God, which we know is true but this place where He was raised as a child, raised by a carpenter, to be a carpenter just would not accept Him and this included most of  His family at this time.

There was only one thing to do and that to just give them the truth!

By saying "this day" Jesus proclaimed to be the Messiah!

The people were looking for a King and they got a poor carpenter who preferred to be a Shepherd over them and a Fishermen of all men!

Those people who had known Him from childhood first were impressed with His eloquence.

Next they began to question His words and His motives.

Then they demanded proof, and became offended at His words!

We can be certain that even Christ Jesus faced the same temptations we face.

We can be sure the Christ Jesus overcame all temptation and without sin.

We can be sure that Christ Jesus is the only way to get to Heaven.

Because we can be sure that Jesus is the Messiah sent from God.

And we can be sure that most of this world will still reject Him until He returns in glory, when it will too late.

Many people are impressed with the life of Jesus but when they stand at the cross they are offended and He is rejected and despised!

Questions?

Let's Pray!

Jesus Christ, Our Example

Jesus Christ Our Example

Book of Hebrews Chapter 12

Who are you looking at?

What is our process of Christian growth?

A "faith" that is never tested cannot be trusted!

The challenge of every Christian is to persevere until Jesus comes or until God takes us home to be with Him!

Unless you are a "citizen of Heaven" while you are still alive on this Earth, you cannot even take part in God's challenge to remain "faithful" at all cost.

This chapter in the Book of Hebrews will teach us to have endurance and this endurance cannot happen without patience!

There is "saving faith":

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

"Saving faith" requires knowledge, conviction, and trust!

But there is also the "gift of faith":

1Co 12:9 [To another faith by the same Spirit]; to another the gifts of healing by the same Spirit;

The "gift of faith" comes only after salvation!

It is the "gift of faith" that brings brotherly love and the good works of the believer!

It is the "gift of faith" that is measurable and seen by others.

It is a great privilege to serve the Living God BUT we cannot expect to serve God and not go through some trials.

It is easy to become a Christian, but Jesus said to pick up our own cross and follow Him.

A cross is a symbol of pain and suffering!

My worse day being saved is better than my best day when I was lost.

Our example is Jesus Christ!

It is only when we follow in His ways that we can be called a Christian.

If we are not involved with the work of God, how can we say we are Christians. If you are not being obedient to the Word of God you are not like Christ and therefore not a visible Christian.

It is in our obedience where we will find fulfillment and joy!

It is not our behavior that pleases God as much as it is our belief that we can only do all things through Christ Jesus who gives us the strength and the endurance to accomplish whatever God has for us to do!

God wants us to realize that we cannot stand on our own two feet, we must rely on Him to meet all our needs and He will!

When we look back to chapter eleven we can see that each and every individual suffered hardship as they walked in "their faith"!

*****Heb 12:1 "Wherefore" seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and [let us run with patience the race that is set before us,]

Wherefore means that since we have all these great witnesses of the "faith" in chapter 11!

[The Greek word "martoos" is translated as witness in this verse but the meaning is also of a martyr!]

To these Jewish believers, most of these men and women would have been "Heroes" to them.

We must not forget it is Our God that inspired the writing of His Word so it is God that is bearing witness for these heroes of the "faith".

As we live out our lives, with Jesus as our example, do you think your name could have been written down in God's Book because of your "faith".

God saw that we of the New Covenant would need to learn endurance and patience from the Heroes of "faith" in the Old Testament.

When a marathon runner is practicing for the big race, they will used ankle weights to increase their endurance but when it comes race day, they will not be wearing any weights because they would only slow them down.

So, what are the weights that are hindering our service to the Almighty God? We need to remove them, so that we might win the race of our "faith"?

There are no losers in the "Race of Faith"!

BUT, we must remove everything that hinders our progress!

This can even mean we must remove some things that others think are good things.

Our choices cannot be between good and bad!

Our choices must be between better and best!

But, this surely means we cannot carry unconfessed sin!

And, it surely means we must remove all unbelief!

Remember what we have learned?

Heb 11:6 But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

That word "faith" was used 21 times in chapter 11.

Faith Brings With It Endurance!

The Greek word "agon" used for our English word "race" means a contest that is intense.

Satan, the Devil is real and we can be sure that he is very serious about taking as many of God's people to Hell with him as he can!

We are in a marathon race and not a hundred yard dash! We will need endurance!

That word weight also means we we must physically and mentally get in shape for this race.

We must have knowledge of the Word of God and be spiritually fit to get into this race.

This race is only on one course!

Mat 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

As Christians we are to run this race no matter the cost!

We cannot just drift along we must be a true competitor!

A Christian that gets into the race for God cannot ever be a looser:

1Co 9:24 Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain.

We cannot allow the sin of this world and the sin of unbelief to hinder us:

Gal 5:7 Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Every question we have of ourselves should not be about right or wrong, our main concern should be "How Does It Affect My Testimony?"

*****Heb 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

In Chapter 11 we saw many heroes of "faith" but to these Jewish believers many of these were actually national heroes to be honored and to look up to.

In our verse they are told to look to Jesus. Notice it does not say to Jesus Christ. By just using the name Jesus these people are told to just look at the man Jesus.

Jesus had always honored the children and many of those children were now adults and it can be said that some of these of the early church had actually met the man Jesus.

So they were told to look at the man Jesus, what He had stood for, what He had accomplished, how He had suffered being innocent and how He had died.

They knew of these things. Some of these things had happened in their own life times.

They knew of the resurrection and they had now believed because they were converts to the early church. So not only look upon Jesus as the Messiah but look upon Him as a man. An example "or the example" to follow much more so than all those Old Testament heroes.

Jesus is all our example of what it is to be a Christian!

Jesus is the "author" of our faith.

The Greek word "archegos" is used here which means Jesus is the "chief leader" and the "prince" of our "faith"!

Jesus pioneered Christianity!

Jesus is the Captain of God's army!

Not only is He the "Author" but He is the "Finisher"!

The Greek word "teleiotes" is used here and in only one other place in the Bible.

This means Jesus was the "Perfecter" of our "faith".

He was "The One" that in "His own Person" raised "faith" to it's perfection!

Jesus is The One that walked in this world and set the highest example of "faith"!

The best example in the Old Testament that was given was in the time of Moses:

Num 21:6 And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died.

Num 21:7 Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.

Num 21:8 And the LORD said unto Moses, [Make thee a fiery serpent, and set it upon a pole]: and it shall come to pass, that every one that is bitten, when he looketh upon it, shall live.

Num 21:9 And Moses made a serpent of brass, and put it upon a pole, and it came to pass, [that if a serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent of brass, he lived.]

Jesus said Himself:

Joh 3:14 And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

Joh 3:15 That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

If we look to anyone or anything besides Jesus we have looked in the wrong direction!

Our Lord endured far more than any of the Old Testament heroes of "faith"!

It was a shameful thing for a Holy God to pour Himself in a body of flesh to redeem His people but it had to be done to restore mankind to the fellowship that God once had with Adam!

God gets His joy from fellowship with His greatest creation which is man!

Psa 16:11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: [in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.]

Pro 4:18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

It brought Jesus great joy to present His "Born Again" children to His Father:

Jud 1:24 Now unto him [that is able to keep you from falling] and [to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy],

And not one can ever fall again!

Don't you just love the Word of God that tells us in so many ways that we were certainly lost but now we are found by "our Creator" who has also become "our Savior"!

*****Heb 12:3 For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.

Heb 12:4 Ye have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin.

This entire Book of Hebrews was given to these of the early church to teach them of the hope of looking forward by "faith".

All those Old Testament heroes had looked forward. That is the principle of "faith".

We must live for the future to be able to deal with the nasty here and now!

Just like Peter when we take our eyes of the Savior we will sink in this nasty world!

Mat 14:28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

Mat 14:29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

Mat 14:30 [But when he saw] the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

Another lesson to learn from this verse is that immediately when Peter asked, "the Lord to saved him and it happened at that very moment.

God does not have to think about it when a lost soul has repented and ask for forgiveness in faith!

Salvation happens immediately!

Mat 14:31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, [O thou of little faith], wherefore didst thou doubt?

It is our lack of "faith" that hinders the fruit that God intended to come from our salvation!

*****Heb 12:5 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

As a saved people, we have only one resource and that is Christ.

Christianity is based on the "Work of One", Jesus Christ!

Not in any Temple!

Not in any ritual!

Not in any religion!

Not in any denomination!

That word "chastening" usually brings the thoughts of punishment but the true interpretation of the Greek word "paideia" [is that of tutoring, educating, and training that can come with some disciplinary action of the Lord.]

And the Greek word "elegcho" for "rebuke" really means [to convict and sometimes to convince] which means [our shame of failure] is revealed to us by the Holy Spirit.

God is not sitting in Heaven with a whip to correct us but He is sitting in Heaven with a loving guiding Hand of Correction!

The Christian experience is a long steady process that requires endurance. We must prepare our minds and our hearts for the long haul because, It Will Be Worth Every Mile Of The Trip!

*****Heb 12:6 For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

Heb 12:7 If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

When we are suffering, it is easy to think that God does not love us.

In verse 5 we saw the word "children". We now see the words "son" and the word "sons".

None of these words refer to little children but they refer to adult children.

A parent that repeatedly chastens infant children is truly a monster.

Remember we are adopted into the family of God at any age!

Rom 8:15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

Gal 4:6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.

Gal 4:7 Wherefore thou art no more a servant, but a son; and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ.

And adult children require a different approach than babies.

We must all become mature adult sons and daughters who can be trusted with the responsibilities of life, where God has placed us!

Psa 34:18 The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart; and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

Psa 34:19 Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all.

Why do God's people suffer:

1.) We do stupid things which shows our immaturity. We continue in our old sin.

2.) We suffer because we take a stand for Jesus. He suffered and so will we.

3.) We suffer because of unconfessed sin in our lives. We must repent as soon as we have sinned. If we refuse to deal with the sin in our lives God will deal with it!

4.) We will suffer in our flesh because of past sin. When we have smoked all our days, or have been addicted to alcohol, or drugs or the many other things that destroy our bodies and our minds we cannot and He will not heal us of these things. He will comfort us through these things.

Gal 6:7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

5.) We will suffer sometimes because, we are in God's plan and not our own and we are a tool in His hands and for His purpose. We simply do not know the big picture that God sees.

6.) We will also suffer for our "faith"! We will face many battles in the name of the Lord but we may not be victors in our own eyes. Again we do not see the big picture. God says to put on the "armor of God". That should tell us we are going to war. Their are casualties in all wars!

7.) We will suffer last of all sometimes because, as children we require discipline at the loving hand of God!

*****Heb 12:8 But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

But if you are going through life all happy go lucky with no chastisement, thinking you are saved then you need to have a checkup at the altar. God says you are not in the family yet!

*****Heb 12:9 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

Whether or not you listened too by your earthly father, you had better listen to your Heavenly Father!

God disciplines in "His Wisdom and in His Love" that we might truly live!

Our Father will discipline us in severe ways sometimes!

And we should remember:

1Jn 5:16 If any man see his brother sin a sin which is not unto death, he shall ask, and he shall give him life for them that sin not unto death. [There is a sin unto death

: I do not say that he shall pray for it.

1Jn 5:17 All unrighteousness is sin: and there is a sin not unto death.

I believe that there is a boundary for each Born Again child of God that we should not ever step over because it will mean our death. BUT, It does not mean we loose our salvation!

Pro 3:7 Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Pro 3:8 It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

*****Heb 12:10 For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Heb 12:11 Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Any child who does not learn subjection to authority will never become useful in any family!

Any child of God that does not learn this early in their spiritual life are in danger of physical death!

We have proof of this in scripture:

1Co 11:28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup.

1Co 11:29 For he that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself, not discerning the Lord's body.

1Co 11:30 [For this cause many are weak and sickly among you, and many sleep].

We can see that not being reverent to the things of God can lead to our death!

Our health can depend on how we serve Our Father who is in Heaven!

God will not allow any of His children to disgrace His good name beyond His purpose!

Our lesson skips a few verses down to verse 18.

God emphasizes in these verses to not get in despair and to not be discouraged when he allows things of discipline to happen in our lives.

In most cases it is the coward who gives up when things get hard!

Cowardice is contagious!

It takes courage to be a Christian!

It take courage to revive God's people!

Pro 4:25 Let thine eyes look right on, and let thine eyelids look straight before thee.

Pro 4:26 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

Pro 4:27 Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

It is better to repent and move on than "to wallow in our guilt"! We must remember we are still sinners saved only by God's "Grace"!

Now let us continue:

*****Heb 12:18 [For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched], and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

Heb 12:19 And the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard intreated that the word should not be spoken to them any more:

Heb 12:20 (For they could not endure that which was commanded, And if so much as a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned, or thrust through with a dart:

Heb 12:21 And so terrible was the sight, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake:)

Do we really want to know the difference between "Grace" and "The Law"?

We see here a picture of the Law, a picture of the Old Covenant with Israel.

There were at least 2 million people that came out of Egypt with Moses. They were unorganized. They did not have the things with them to sustain the necessities of life. They were a traveling mob and very discouraged.

When they reached Mount Sinai and God showed His Power they were in great fear for their lives.

But verse 18 says to the child of God that Mount Sinai has been replaced with Mount Calvary!

A Born Again child of God we will never face Mount Sinai!

It is the cross and the shed blood of Jesus and our own "Faith" that will drive the Church!

*****Heb 12:22 But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels,

Heb 12:23 To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect,

Heb 12:24 And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.

The Laws of Moses had their beginning at Mount Sinai.

The true Gospel of God would have it's beginning in Jerusalem!

AND, Mount Sion represents the New Covenant of "Grace"!

Gal 4:22 For it is written, that Abraham had two sons, the one by a bondmaid, the other by a freewoman.

Gal 4:23 But he who was of the bondwoman was born after the flesh; but he of the freewoman was by promise.

Gal 4:24 Which things are an allegory: for these are the two covenants; [the one from the mount Sinai, which gendereth to bondage, which is Agar.]

Gal 4:25 For this Agar is mount Sinai in Arabia, and answereth to Jerusalem which now is, and is in bondage with her children.

Gal 4:26 [But Jerusalem (which is above is free), which is the mother of us all.]

Mount Zion is God's Heavenly city!

This where the Lord dwells at this time and this is our eternal home! The blood of Jesus has given us a right to a place in this city.

Joh 14:2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

Joh 14:3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also

Even after Lucifer and his angel followers were tossed out of Heaven there are still more angels in Heaven than can be counted!

Luk 10:18 And he said unto them, I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.

Isa 14:12 How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

This took place the very day Lucifer defied God.

The word "innumerable" is what is called a "Myriad"!

The "first born" child in the families of Israel inherited the birthright, BUT every Born Again child of God has a birthright in Heaven and so are called "the Church of the First Born".

These are all the ones written in the Lamb's Book of Life.

Luk 10:20 Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; [but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven].

There is a final judgment on all those that have persecuted "the Church of the First Born"!

The spirits of just men made perfect are those that have gone on before us!

1Pe 3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, [the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God], being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

"Were it not for the blood" of the New Covenant we would not ever be able to enter into this Heavenly city!

Jesus says:

Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

There is an econumicle movement going on in the world right now, which means that everyone is going to the same Heaven even though they are traveling different paths.

This is an absolute lie of Satan. There is still only one way to Heaven and that is to be washed in the blood of Jesus! The "Blood" of the New Covenant!

Preachers are wrong when they refuse to preach on Heaven and the truth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

There can be no marriage counseling until you are married to Jesus Christ!

It is the truth that we had no life to commit to Christ Jesus until He gave us a new life!

If we are not looking up to Heaven we are looking to the wrong place.

Php 3:20 For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ:

Php 3:21 Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious body, according to the working whereby he is able even to subdue all things unto himself.

The "blood " of Abel cried for vengeance!

The "Blood" of Jesus Christ calls for forgiveness, and cleanses the guilty conscience, and OPENS THE WAY TO HEAVEN!

*****Heb 12:28 Wherefore we receiving a kingdom which cannot be moved, let us have grace, whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear:

Heb 12:29 For our God is a consuming fire.

We must pay close attention to the Holy Inspired Word of God:

2Ti 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

2Ti 3:17 That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.

We must hold on to this Gospel because it gives life!

God is still speaking to us today through His Word!

As God shook Mount Sinai and as the days grow closer to the Second coming of Christ Jesus, we will see more shaking of this world we live in!

The difference for the Christian is that we will one day live in an unshakable world!

Our God is a consuming fire!

A fire will not go out until all fuel has been consumed.

When judgment comes, God will perfectly cleanse this world of sin to the point of destruction. If not why would there be a New World, a New Jerusalem and even a New Heaven?

Rev 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.

Rev 21:2 And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

We cannot play games with God, by playing church.

Hag 2:6 For thus saith the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land;

Hag 2:7 And I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, saith the LORD of hosts.

There is a whole lot of this shaking going on right now!

Questions?

Let's Pray!