Calvary Chapel North Phoenix

Personal Faith Before Public Faith - Part 2

calvary-staff — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:54:45 +0000

“Personal Faith Before Public Faith - Part 2”

1 Kings 17:7-16

Introduction:
-we like to live a life that is secure, controlled and flows according to plan; it makes us feel like we are on the right track and are fulfilling our destiny
-but unfortunately that scenario doesn’t always take place; indeed, there are times in our lives, even as believers in Christ, when the very bottom drops out and we go into free-fall
-at those times we throw up all kinds of questions to the Lord: “How could You have let this happen? Why didn’t You warn me what was coming? I thought You were going to provide if I did this and that? After all the sacrifices I’ve made for You, now You let this happen?”
-God understands our heart; He knows our sufferings and questions; He also knows what He is doing
-God uses desperate situations to bring us closer to Him…if we will take the risk of trusting Him more than our feelings or our emotions
-tonight we are going to examine an account of God stepping into an impossible situation and leading a widow, her son, and one of His own prophets through a time of extreme lack
-we will apply the lessons to our own lives as we come to them

I. To Everything There is a Season vv. 7-16
A. The Brook Dries Up (v. 7)
-…And it happened after a while that the brook dried up, because there had been no rain in the land.: what was God doing here?
-Elijah had been obedient to the leading of the Lord to flee to the Brook Cherith on the eastern side of the Jordan River
-he had faithfully delivered the message of the Lord to King Ahab that there would be no rain on the land except at his word because of the king’s great idolatrous practices
-Elijah had experienced the provision of God in a time of famine in a miraculous way there by the Brook Cherith; he was fed by ravens morning and evening and had a constant flow of water from the brook
-surely he was in the will of the Lord; while the chastening was coming down upon the land of Israel, he was being sustained in time of famine
-ah, how good God is!
-but wait; the text tells us “And it happened after a while that the brook dried up…”
-how long was ‘after a while’? who’s fault was this? was Elijah being disobedient in some way that made the provision stop?
-it is easy to jump to those conclusions in our own lives as people of God; sometimes provision does stop because of disobedience to the Word of God
-this is one way God gets our attention and brings us in His mercy to turn back to Him
-but unless there is something really obviously askew in our lives, mostly there is that statement that seems to sum it all up: “And it happened…”
-there are seasons in our lives where God seems to work in a particular way; and then those seasons change; outward circumstances are temporary; it is just the nature of our pilgrimage here on this earth
-the famine seemed to have been allowed to eventually dry up the water resources east of the Jordan; but couldn’t God have opened up a rock and provided water?
-yes, but it wasn’t God’s will for this time; there were other reasons for allowing the brook to dry up; it had to do with preparing Elijah for the next phase of his life

B. The Breaking of Camp (vv. 8-10a)
-it was only after the brook dried up that Elijah received the next step in God’s direction for his life; it was a direction that probably had never, ever entered his thoughts
-some Bible commentators believe Elijah had been at the brook for about a year
-he was now directed to go up to the area south of Queen Jezebel’s town of Sidon in Lebanon; this was indeed enemy territory!
-Zarephath was about half way between Tyre and Sidon
-I find it very interesting that the town’s name means “smelting shop”, the place where metals are refined and smelted
-this was going to be a place where God would test and refine not only Elijah, but also a Gentile widow and her son
-notice that there were no specifics given to Elijah as to what her name was or exactly where she lived or what her living conditions were like
-the fact that she was a widow made it clear that she had very little to provide on her own
-as we will see in the next few verses, it doesn’t appear that the widow knew anything about this ‘command’ from the Lord to provide for Elijah
-but God knew what He wanted to do; He looked and found this widow out of all the region to be the one touched by the power and love of God
-why did God use a Gentile poor widow to accomplish this? as a witness to Israel
Luke 4:24-26
24 Then He said, “Assuredly, I say to you, no prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you truly, many widows were in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the heaven was shut up three years and six months, and there was a great famine throughout all the land; 26 but to none of them was Elijah sent except to Zarephath, in the region of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.NKJV

II. Tested and Proven vv. 10b-17
A. The Request (vv. 10b-11)
-Elijah, in faith and obedience, made the long trip up to Zarephath (about 100 miles)
-he had had no water and no food before or during the trip
-now as he arrived at the gate of the city he met a widow who was gathering sticks
-her own desperation and need drove her to this place just outside the city gates; God was watching and even directing her using her need and even her false reasoning
-Elijah asks of her a little water in a cup; he wasn’t asking for much; he is asking, not merely for a sign if she is the one the Lord was referring to, but because he was in great need physically
-this reminds me of what Jesus said to the woman at the well of Samaria in John 4
-this widow woman even in her own desperate need takes the time to serve this Hebrew
-because of her kindness, Elijah goes further: “Please bring me a morsel of bread in your hand.”; this was to be a step to prove if this was indeed the widow spoken of

B. The Reply (v. 12)
-notice here that she says, “As the Lord YOUR God lives…”; she was not a believer in the God of Israel; she must have recognized him as a Hebrew, even maybe as a prophet from his dress
-in her desperation she replies that she has nothing to give to the man of God; her resources are depleted; she is at her wits’ end; she is ready to perish
-she explained that she had only a handful of flour and a little oil; she was gathering sticks for a little fire to bake the final patty to split between her and her son and then eventually die of starvation
-apparently her son was not old enough to work and bring income into the family
-this cannot be a more desperate scenario; Elijah could have thought in the natural scope of things, “She must not be the one to provide for me. Not only is she without any resource, she has given up all hope of living.”
-but that is right where God wanted to work; only He would get the credit for how it would turn out
-maybe this is where you are at right now in your life; all resources have failed; people have let you down; you’ve done all you can; all you have is enough for one more meal and then that’s it!
-I want to tell you that God knows what’s going on; and believe it or not, God wants to show His work in your midst; when He comes through you will know it was Him

C. The Resource (vv. 13-16)
-Elijah’s instructions at first seem quite presumptuous and self-serving; how insensitive a request! she is suffering physically and emotionally
-how could Elijah say such things? because the word of the Lord had come to him letting him know the miraculous outcome
-the first word of Elijah was ‘do not fear’; fear can bring us into such desperation; it can blind us to see any hope whatsoever; fear really is one of the devil’s main arenas
-if the devil can move you from faith to fear, he has won part of the battle
-here was the instruction: “make me a small cake from it first, and bring it to me; and afterward make some for yourself and your son…”
-unfortunately many who have come in the name of the Lord have used this portion of Scripture to fleece the flock of God’s people into giving them money
-but just because there have been and will continue to be abuses with this concept, there is still a true principle behind what is going on here
-basically, here is the jest of the instruction: the woman was to take what little she had left and use it in service to the Lord and His servant
-she was not to lean on her own understanding on how things would work out
-yet the word from the Lord said that there would somehow be provision enough for her and her son after she responded in obedience to let go of what she had
-she could have just sent Elijah away in her unbelief; if she had done so, she would have missed out on several things:
being provided for over the next two years;
seeing a miraculous work of God toward her and her son
being used by God as a witness to the nation of Israel
-but I think there was probably a sense within her as she heard the word of the Lord that as ridiculous as it all sounded Elijah’s God would indeed come through
-remember, she didn’t know the Lord yet; but God was using her desperate situation as the starting point of real faith
-and notice that this whole circumstance was all tied in somehow with the drought that had been brought upon the nation of Israel
-the people of the widow’s town would find out about this quickly; news would travel up to Sidon, probably into the king’s house there; and then the king’s daughter, Jezebel, who as the Queen in Israel would hear about it
-the woman obeyed the word of the Lord and the word of Elijah; she and her household received the promise because she acted in faith
John 6:4-14
4 Now the Passover, a feast of the Jews, was near. 5 Then Jesus lifted up His eyes, and seeing a great multitude coming toward Him, He said to Philip, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” 6 But this He said to test him, for He Himself knew what He would do.
7 Philip answered Him, “Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little.”
8 One of His disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to Him, 9 “There is a lad here who has five barley loaves and two small fish, but what are they among so many?”
10 Then Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was much grass in the place. So the men sat down, in number about five thousand. 11 And Jesus took the loaves, and when He had given thanks He distributed them to the disciples, and the disciples to those sitting down; and likewise of the fish, as much as they wanted. 12 So when they were filled, He said to His disciples, “Gather up the fragments that remain, so that nothing is lost.” 13 Therefore they gathered them up, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves which were left over by those who had eaten. 14 Then those men, when they had seen the sign that Jesus did, said, “This is truly the Prophet who is to come into the world.” NKJV
-it was no wonder that the people in Jesus’ day thought He was Elijah who had returned
-the multiplication of the loaves and fish was very much like what happened with Elijah
-the disciples gave to Jesus all they had; they experienced the multiplying of the loaves and fish after they had taken and given out to others
-when they came back from distributing their portion, they saw that more was there until all were filled
-on top of it all they collected twelve baskets of left overs, one basket for each of them!
-it must be remembered that the flour in the bin and the oil in the jar probably only expanded after they were used up
-we can become so fearful of lack in our lives that we hesitate to really give God all He desires from us; what is that which He desires most? is it our money? is it our possessions? is it some promise or deal we make with Him?
-what God really wants is for us to believe Him and His word…believe to the point of action and obedience and trust
-when we read about the giving to God of a tithe of our income, it is not to put upon us another bill to pay; it has to do with it being a tangible reminder of Who is really the one who provides our every need
-I personally believe that the Scriptures support the paying of at least a tenth of our income to the storehouse where you are fed spiritually
-any special offerings you may be let to a mission work, or a missionary should come out of the remainder of your discretionary income
-when you give your tithe to the Lord’s work, you are letting go of the control of it
-you are putting it into service where those entrusted with the distribution know the needs not only of the storehouse itself, but of the families in need in the congregation
-the bottom line in this section is that God knows the deep need of your life; He knows when the resources are gone; He knows the desperation of your soul
-He is looking for you to just surrender all of who you are to Him

The Coming Years of Tribulation

calvary-staff — Sun, 24 Aug 2008 20:20:05 +0000

08-24-08

“The Coming Years of Tribulation”

2 Thessalonians 2:1-12

Introduction:
-when you teach through the Bible chapter by chapter, you come to places where specific events concerning the future are covered in detail; today we will be looking at one of those chapters
-the Bible tells us the truth about who God is, who we are, His plan of salvation for us; it tells us the truth about our world, our present condition and what we can expect in the future
-more than just a moral story of good reigning over evil, there are specifics given all throughout the Bible concerning certain events that would come to pass at certain times
-consider this:
-there are over 30000 manuscripts or pieces of manuscripts to back up the Bible; no other writings of any kind have that much documentation, or even close to it
-our manuscripts take us back 2000 years for the New Testament, and an additional 1800 years for the OT
-despite all the diversity involved in the writings of the Bible, there remains nonetheless one theme: the story of God’s plan of salvation for mankind and that this salvation is through the person of Jesus Christ and a person’s faith in Him
-look at some of the diversity of the Bible: it was written over a period of about 1600 years, by at least 40 different authors
-these authors were from a wide variety of backgrounds (military general, fisherman, cup bearer, etc.); they wrote from different settings (wilderness, prison, exile, etc.)
-the Bible was written in three different continents (Africa, Asia, Europe) in three different languages (Hebrew, Greek, and Aramaic)
-the findings of archeology have verified historical points of the Bible record and there are historical records, other than the Bible, which support the Bible record
-there have been over 400 fulfilled Bible prophecies so far
-with that much reliability, shouldn’t we be open to future prophecies regarding what will take place on the earth in the period of time referred to as the Last Days?
-today we will be looking at some details concerning events that are yet to take place on the earth; the foundation for these statements are based upon several prophetic passages in the Old Testament
-maybe you have never heard about the event called the Rapture of the Church; this is described in 1 Thessalonians 4 and referred to in Rev. 3 , as well as inferred in Jesus’ warning to the disciples in Matthew 24 , Mark 13 and Luke 21
-it could be that you have never considered that the restoring of the nation of Israel is a monumental point in Biblical prophecy for the Last Days calendar
-as we will see today, there is coming a time (I believe very soon) when there will be an unfolding of events that will bring the wrath of God down upon a Christ-rejecting world
-these events will culminate in a literal Second Coming of Jesus Christ to this earth to set up His worldwide Kingdom based from Jerusalem
-at the close of our study I will provide an opportunity for you to receive Christ as your Savior and Lord
-read 2 Thes. 2:1-12 ; pray

I.    Rumors Regarding the Day of the Lord vv. 1-5
A.    The Day of the Lord is Still Future vv. 1-2
-v. 1: concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him… these phrases have to do with the Lord Jesus coming for His church (which we refer to as the Rapture of the Church), as Paul mentioned in his previous letter
-v. 2: not to be soon shaken in mind or troubled… this has to do with the anxieties that were growing in their midst over the thought of missing this blessed event
-either by spirit or by word or by letter, as if from us… no dream or vision of a spirit telling them otherwise should be given a second thought
-even if word was spreading that “Paul had said”, or even if there was a letter supposedly written by Paul—these should be ignored as false
-as though the day of Christ had come… the day of Christ here is a reference to the Rapture of the Church, the day when Christ comes for His church
-the day of Christ is the starting point for the unfolding of the Day of the Lord, that period of God’s final calling upon the nation of Israel and the pouring out of His judgment upon the world for their iniquity
-it culminates with the literal return of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven to set up His earthly kingdom based from Jerusalem

B.    The Day of the Lord Will Come Only After Certain Events vv. 3-5
-v. 3: Let no one deceive you by any means… this is put in the strongest of terms by Paul; NO ONE…BY ANY MEANS
-for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed… there are a couple of main events that must take place before Christ returns to this earth as the reigning Messiah
-the falling away… this is the first event that must take place
-the Greek word is apostasia; it simply means “to depart”; it is where we get our word apostasize, to depart from the faith
-this means that there will be a departure from faith in Christ as the only way of eternal salvation just before the man of sin is revealed in the last days
-we have certain historical events that are going to take place that let us know the time period is upon us: the pouring out of God’s Spirit upon all believers in Christ (Acts 2 ; Joel 2 ) and the restoring of the nation of Israel (1948)
-we are hopeful for great revivals in these last days; but the reality of Scripture points to a falling away from the faith all over the earth in the last days
1 Tim 4:1-2
4:1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron,…NKJV
Luke 18:8 Nevertheless, when the Son of Man comes, will He really find faith on the earth?” NKJV
-since the Gr. word apostasia simply means ‘to depart’, many sound Bible commentators see this in context as a reference to the departure of the church which removes the light of Christ in the world and opens the way for the period of great darkness
-the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition… this is the second event that must take place before the return of Christ to the earth to reign
-there are seven other names given throughout the Bible for this “man of sin”:
-the son of perdition (destruction)
-the lawless one
-the antichrist (1 Jn. 2:18 )
-the beast coming out of the sea (Rev. 13 )
-the little horn (Dan. 7:8 ; 8:9)
-the prince that shall come (Dan. 9:26 )
-the willful king (Dan. 11:36 )
-v. 4: who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God… this is a short summary of why this man is named with such a name
-look closely at Paul’s description; there is one thing that must be there for him to reveal himself in this fashion: A JEWISH TEMPLE
-this man not only opposes the true and living God and every false god, he exalts himself above all that is so called or that is worshipped
-he will make the ultimate claim to the world that he himself is God by sitting in the Most Holy Place on the ark itself between the cherubim
-then he will make the worldwide proclamation that he is God and will “prove” it by miraculous signs and wonders
-the son of perdition…there are only two places in Scripture where this term is used: here and in John’s gospel; there it is used by Jesus in reference to Judas Iscariot
5: Do you not remember that when I was still with you I told you these things?… even though Paul was only in Thessalonica for three Sabbaths, he spent his time covering many principles of the Christian faith with them, including the details of the end times events

II. The Restraining Force vv. 6-12
A.    The Mystery of Lawlessness vv. 6-8
-v. 6: what is restraining… this is an interesting thought; there is a restraining force at work right now holding back this man of sin from being revealed
-the timing of God has precedence over this man being revealed to the world, even though Satan has tried to push his candidates throughout the centuries (Hitler, Caesars, etc.)
-v. 7: For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work… the mystery of lawlessness is in full throttle today; why is it that there is such a draw to the paranormal or the supernatural outside of the things of God?
-only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way… I believe that He who restrains is the Holy Spirit within the church today; the church filled with the Holy Spirit is being used by God as an active agent against the tide of evil;
-Jesus called the church salt and light; as salt is a preservative agent to hinder the growth of bacteria, so the church as it seeks to live out the character of Christ speaks out against the evil according to the heart of God
-as light, it makes manifest the works of darkness in the world from God’s perspective
-there will come a time—any time now—when the church will be taken out of the way
-the hindering force—the church filled with the Holy Spirit—will no longer be there; then all hell will break loose upon the earth, and Satan will have his way for a short season of time (seven years)
-v. 8: And THEN the lawless one will be revealed… he won’t be revealed to the world until the church is taken out of the way
-I’m sure he’s alive and well right now, maybe even a political leader on the world stage; but there won’t be that indwelling of Satan until the church is gone
-verse eight is like a short summary of the fact that even though he comes on the stage like gangbusters, his end is sure and final at the very hand of the Lord Himself

B.    The Man of Lawlessness vv. 9-12
-v. 9: The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan… this is the core reason for being consumed by the Lord;
-Satan will be setting up his counterfeit Messiah in this man; this is Satan’s final attempt to play God mimicking what the Father has done with the Son, Jesus
-will all power, signs, and lying wonders…the book of Daniel, and especially the book of Revelation gives us very graphic detail of just what this man will be doing
-this man of sin will rise on the world scene as one who seems to have all the answers to the problems facing the world
-he will work out a pact between the Moslems and the Jews for a term of peace, whereby the Jews will be able to rebuild their “prefab” temple, probably on the north side of the temple mount; it is recorded in Rev. 13
-there will be a growing persecution against those Jews who are receiving Jesus as their Messiah led by the two witnesses representing Moses and Elijah, the Law and the Prophets (Rev. 11 )
-it will be right after the antiChrist kills these two witnesses that he will go into the temple of God and proclaim himself to be God
-then the final plagues from God will be poured out upon the earth, culminating with the battle of Armageddon and the return of the Lord Jesus with His saints and His holy angels
-look again at vv. 10-12:
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
-a Christ-rejecting world will be easy prey for the deception which is coming; and there is also going to be a “strong delusion” sent from the Lord to seal their decision, much like Pharaoh’s heart when the Lord hardened his heart toward Moses
-v. 11: the lie…this is a reference to the antichrist being the answer to all the problems
-you might be thinking, “Come on, this is just so much symbolic reference to good triumphing over evil. Don’t get carried away”
-but in the face of the reliability of prophetic fulfillment historically, it will definitely take place; are you ready?

Personal Faith Before Public Faith

calvary-staff — Thu, 21 Aug 2008 13:54:14 +0000

“Personal Faith Before Public Faith - Part 1”

1 Kings 17:1-6

Introduction:
-as we continue our study through the book of 1 Kings we come to a new era in God’s dealings with the nation of Israel
-since the splitting up of the united nation after the death of Solomon, the northern ten tribes of Israel had banded together under the national name of Israel
-the southern two tribes of Judah and Benjamin had the name of Judah
-the northern kingdom began in idolatrous practices and continued in that vein for the next 300 years until they were conquered and taken captive by the Assyrian Empire
-we are now some 60 years later from the time of Solomon’s death; in that time the northern kingdom had gone ever deeper into their waywardness from the Lord
-now as Ahab takes the throne he will lead the nation into the worst idolatry they had ever experienced
-here is what we read at the end of the previous chapter:
1 Kings 16:29-34
29 In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah, Ahab the son of Omri became king over Israel; and Ahab the son of Omri reigned over Israel in Samaria twenty-two years. 30 Now Ahab the son of Omri did evil in the sight of the Lord, more than all who were before him. 31 And it came to pass, as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. 32 Then he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in Samaria. 33 And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to provoke the Lord God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him. 34 In his days Hiel of Bethel built Jericho. He laid its foundation with Abiram his firstborn, and with his youngest son Segub he set up its gates, according to the word of the Lord, which He had spoken through Joshua the son of Nun. NKJV
-chapter 17 can be divided into three sections: vv. 1-6; vv. 7-16; and vv. 17-24
-tonight we want to consider the person of Elijah and the first of his personal experiences of living by faith before he is brought into the public arena with power
-pray

I. Pronouncing Drought upon the Land (v. 1)
A.    The Person of Elijah
-as we alluded to earlier, the reign of King Ahab had brought Israel to one of the lowest spiritual points (if not the lowest point) in its history
-under the influence of Ahab’s wife, Jezebel, Israel had gone head over heels after Baal worship and had forsaken the true and living God
-we don’t have the details as to exactly when Elijah had been called by God to be a prophet to the northern kingdom of Israel; obviously it was during the early years of the reign of Ahab
-Jezebel the queen was not only pushing Baal worship as the state religion, she was determined to exterminate all vestiges of worship to Jehovah, including the assassination of all His prophets
-Elijah comes on the scene with such a suddenness here that it reminds us of his sudden departure at the end of his life in a chariot of fire in 2 Kings 2
-the text tells us that Elijah was from the city of Tishbe, located in the area of Gilead east of the Jordan
2 Kings 1:8 So they answered him, “A hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.” NKJV
-his name means, “My God is Jehovah”; and his entire life was a witness against the idolatry of the land
-he was called to draw the people of Israel back to the living God and away from idolatry

B.    The Prophetic Office of Elijah
-when you examine the life, work and words of Elijah, you are drawn immediately to the New Testament where John the Baptist comes in the spirit and power of Elijah
-not only did John the Baptist dress in Elijah-like manner, he confronted the leader of the nation (King Herod) in the name of the Lord
-but John did no miracles like Elijah; he only fulfilled the prophecies to turn the people of God to repentance, preparing them for the coming of the Messiah
Mal 4:5-6
5 Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet Before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. 6 And he will turn The hearts of the fathers to the children, And the hearts of the children to their fathers, Lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” NKJV
-because of this prophecy many believe that one of the two witnesses during the first 3 1/2 years of the Great Tribulation period will be Elijah himself
-this would make sense especially given the kind of judgments brought upon the earth from their prophecies during those years
-as we take the time to examine the life and work of Elijah over the next few weeks, we will make interesting comparisons between the miracles experienced and performed by Elijah, and those performed by our Lord Jesus Christ
-Elijah himself does appear with Moses before Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration
Luke 9:28-32
28 Now it came to pass, about eight days after these sayings, that He took Peter, John, and James and went up on the mountain to pray. 29 As He prayed, the appearance of His face was altered, and His robe became white and glistening. 30 And behold, two men talked with Him, who were Moses and Elijah, 31 who appeared in glory and spoke of His decease which He was about to accomplish at Jerusalem. NKJV
-Elijah saw himself as a servant of the Lord God of Israel (…before whom I stand…)
-he obeyed the word of the Lord to go to King Ahab and pronounce this judgment of drought; this was to be a chastening for the deep idolatry he had brought to Israel
Deut 11:16-17
16 Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, 17 lest the Lord’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you. NKJV
-Elijah was faithful and bold to go right up to King Ahab and pronounce the judgment
-it was right afterward that the word of the Lord came to Elijah and told him to leave Samaria and hide out by the brook Cherith
-we know later on that this was not only for his provision but for his protection

II.    The Private Experience of God’s Provision vv. 2-6
A.    The Promise (vv. 2-4)
-it was just after pronouncing of the judgment that the word of the Lord came to Elijah
-it was a five-part instruction:
-Get away from here
-turn eastward
-hide by the Brook Cherith which flows into the Jordan
-drink from the brook
-eat what the ravens bring to you
-this was not a multiple choice question; it was obedience to the command of the Lord
-there is no mention of ‘why’ or ‘how’ from the Lord; that is part of living by faith
-it didn’t matter what thoughts had gone through Elijah’s mind as possible scenarios that could have played out in front of King Ahab
-God knew what He wanted to do and why; there were reasons for His leadings that Elijah probably wouldn’t have understood at that moment
-does God still do this kind of thing with those who have come under the New Covenant in the blood of Jesus Christ?
-I believe He can and still does do these kinds of things, at least occasionally with those who have entered into a personal relationship with the Lord
-there are those times when He brings about certain impressions by the Holy Spirit upon the heart and mind of His children
-I believe there are several ways the Lord seems to use to give His direction and counsel
-the first and final authority is from the word of God, especially the New Testament; God will never, ever give direction that is contrary to the Word of God
-second, there are times when the Holy Spirit of God brings a conviction upon your heart about withholding or stepping into an area of service to God and His people
-it isn’t a matter of sinful behavior; it is a matter of directed service
-third, in your daily devotional reading there are those passages of Scripture that seem to jump out at you and speak directly to those matters of the heart you’re dealing with
-fourth, if the impression seems to linger and grow, then bring it before one of the pastors and see what witness comes into their heart regarding it (also use your spouse)
-fifth, there are times when the Lord moves upon another brother or sister in the faith to share with you strong impressions upon their own heart concerning you and possible future involvements or directions
-sixth, God can use circumstances to bring about a redirection or leading; this isn’t to be seen as a final proof of His leading
-there may be a few changes ahead before you see just what He’s doing and where He’s leading you to be
-seventh, there are those long-standing desires that have been deep in your heart for a long time; those desires keep coming up to the surface even after being put on the back burning time and again during your life
-many times those long-standing desires have been put there by the Lord because of His overall plan and direction for your life during your sojourn here on earth
-God will not play hide and seek with you; He will not be fickle with you; He has already crafted a plan for your life; the first step is to humble yourself and just stay close
Jer 29:11-14
11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. NKJV
-one more thing before we look at vv. 5-6; ravens were unclean animals according to the Law; they were scavengers eating the carrion of other dead things
-”yet what God has cleansed call not thou common”; this season of provision I believe was to condition him for being fed from a Gentile widow in the near future

B.    The Provision (vv. 5-6)
-here we read of Elijah’s obedience to the word of the Lord; it is one thing to hear and agree with counsel; it is another thing to put yourself into action and obey
-so off Elijah goes quickly across the Jordan River and puts himself by the Brook Cherith which flowed into the Jordan River
-remember, the rains had stopped in Israel; but God directed him to a spot where He knew there would be provision…for a season
-look closely at verse 6; it says that the ravens brought him both bread and meat; and this happened both morning and evening
-the provision of God was supplied after obedience on Elijah’s part; we want it the other way around; we want to be supplied first and then we’ll be obedient
-but faith always contains that element of risk…risking that you may have heard wrong, risking that it might not happen as you thought it would, risking that others will think disparagingly of you
-but after waiting upon the Lord, much prayer and soul-searching, sensing special Scripture portions that seem to give a more direct counsel to your situation…there comes that time when you must act one way or the other
-there is much to consider about our own lives as we look at Elijah’s person and work
-but one must first enter into a personal relationship with the Son of God, Jesus Christ by faith; this is the first step to finding the will of God for your life

He Sees All that is Done

calvary-staff — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:42:33 +0000

“He Sees All that is Done”

2 Thessalonians 1

Introduction:
-this is Paul’s second epistle to this small group of believers in the city of Thessalonica, Macedonia
-a few months may have gone by between Paul’s first epistle and the writing of this second epistle
-after receiving Paul’s first epistle, the Thessalonian believers were still troubled about the unfolding of events leading up to and including that final period of God’s judgment
-these events were to fall upon the earth prior to the second coming of Jesus Christ to the earth
-the believers in Thessalonica had radically changed since they had trusted Christ for their salvation
-they had been made a new creation in Christ Jesus by the Holy Spirit; but they had also suffered much persecution from some of the Jewish leaders and others in town
-they had been ostracized and had probably lost their source of income; this had impoverished them
-their outward lives had been made very difficult because of the persecution for their faith
-some of the believers were even wondering if what they were going through was really what the Bible teaches as the final Great tribulation
-this was the name for that coming judgment that was to befall the world prior to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ
-Paul writes this epistle to comfort them concerning their life condition
-he also desired to give them a little more detail on the Biblical time table of the unfolding of the Great Tribulation period of seven years; we will see this in ch. 2 and 3 in the next couple of weeks
-today we will cover the first chapter; it forms the introduction to the epistle
-it can be divided into two main sections: praise and prayer
-Paul gives praise and thanks to God for their endurance under persecution, and speaks of God’s coming retribution on their persecutors
-then he prays that God would count them worthy of their calling, fulfilling all the good pleasure of His goodness in them
-read 2 Thes. 1 ; pray

I. Paul’s Praise vv. 1-10
A. Growing Faith and Abounding Love vv. 1-4
-the first two verses of this epistle show that Paul, Silvanus (Silas) and Timothy were there together in Corinth when the epistle was penned
-Paul states that the believers there in Thessalonica were in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; they had placed faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ
-He was now their Lord and Master; they were now His disciples; and they were also fellowshipping in the sufferings of their Master
John 15:18-21
18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. NKJV
-in v. 2 Paul includes his normal greeting of grace and peace; I believe it was put in that order for a reason
-one can never experience the peace of God until he first has accepted the grace of God
-notice also that both the Father and the Son are the authors of such a privilege
-grace here mean ‘divine favor’; this not only applies in the offer of salvation through the work of Christ and not your own good deeds
-it also applies to the divine favor poured out during every moment of your life as a believer in Christ Jesus
-I liken it to oil in an internal combustion engine; that grace keeps things flowing smoothly and hinders overheating and seizing up spiritually
-in v. 3 Paul expresses the thanksgivings he continually raises to God for how these young believers are flourishing in their faith and love
-the persecution that was intended to squelch their faith turned into the seedbed that caused their faith to grow exceedingly
-one thing is for sure: persecution will sift out those who are not genuine in their faith in the Lord Jesus and in the hope of eternal life through Him
Mark 4:16-17
16 These likewise are the ones sown on stony ground who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with gladness; 17 and they have no root in themselves, and so endure only for a time. Afterward, when tribulation or persecution arises for the word’s sake, immediately they stumble. NKJV
-not only was their faith strong and growing, their love for one another was abounding
-persecution seems to sift out the petty issues of personality quirks and incidental offenses that can occur
-under persecution you are so appreciative of your brother or sister who is hanging in their along with you; you are soldiers together in this spiritual warfare
-the patience, endurance and faith of the Thessalonian believers was cause for much praise to God among the other newly established churches
-when we see other believers enduring through their trials and persecutions, we are strengthened to buckle down and press on through our own trials

B. God’s Righteous Judgment of God vv. 5-10
-the ill treatment that these believers were receiving from their persecutors was being observed and recorded by God Himself
-that persecution was counted as a crime against heaven itself; and God had appointed Jesus as the Judge of all things
-Jesus told His disciples that tribulation would take place in their lives
John 16:33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” NKJV
-the reason for this persecution was because they were now following Jesus
John 16:1-4
1 “These things I have spoken to you, that you should not be made to stumble. 2 They will put you out of the synagogues; yes, the time is coming that whoever kills you will think that he offers God service. 3 And these things they will do to you because they have not known the Father nor Me. 4 But these things I have told you, that when the time comes, you may remember that I told you of them. NKJV
-yet even though the troubles were coming down upon the disciples, God would use those troubles to refine and reward those who were enduring such sufferings
-v. 6: this verse has been misunderstood by some to say that God is a hateful God
-shouldn’t He just wave His hand one that last day and say, “Awe, shucks, why don’t you all just go in. I was only kidding!”
-let’s consider this scenario for a moment and maybe we can get a little perspective
-we are so troubled when we hear of those who abuse little children
-we want justice, we want to see punishment inflicted upon them for causing the pain, the confusion, the deep destructive patterns that are left in their soul
-so why, then, should we think it a strange thing for the God who has redeemed us from all destruction to not have a greater sense of outrage and justice against those who harm His own children?
-verses 7 and 8 say that the coming judgment meted out against the persecutors would bring a kind of rest to those who had endured such persecution for their faith
-these verses are troubling and unsettling for some; yet the reality is there is a coming day of judgment upon the world for their wickedness
-this is where the term ‘brimstone preachers’ comes from, a reference to those who dare to speak that there is coming a day of judgment upon the world for their iniquity
-God the Creator will hold all people accountable for their actions; He sees everything
Prov 15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good. NKJV
Job 34:21 “For His eyes are on the ways of man, And He sees all his steps. NKJV
Jer 17:10 I, the Lord, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. NKJV
Ps 7:9 Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, But establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. NKJV
-look at verses 9 and 10 again in our text; when the Lord Jesus returns to this earth to set up His earthly kingdom (the Second Coming), He will purify His kingdom
Acts 17:31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.” NKJV
-His return will also prove the faithfulness of those who have endured such suffering for their faith
-His return will also bring forth a certain rejoicing in that those who have trusted Christ for their eternal salvation
-but as Paul mentioned in his first epistle (ch. 4), before that Second Coming of Jesus to this earth, He will gather His church to Himself and meet them in the clouds
-this will take place approximately seven years prior to that Second Coming

II. Paul’s Prayer vv. 11-12
-I like how the NLT puts these verses:
2 Thess 1:11-12
11 So we keep on praying for you, asking our God to enable you to live a life worthy of his call. May he give you the power to accomplish all the good things your faith prompts you to do. 12 Then the name of our Lord Jesus will be honored because of the way you live, and you will be honored along with him. This is all made possible because of the grace of our God and our Lord Jesus Christ. NLT
-what does it mean to be ‘counted worthy of this calling’? does that refer to some standard of holiness to which one must attain before he will be accepted?
-the Bible teaches that our acceptance before God is based entirely upon the righteousness of One man: the Lord Jesus Christ
-that acceptance is ours as well when we trust Christ with our whole being
-counted worthy of this calling refers to the living out of that faith in everyday life
-it is putting feet to your faith by choosing daily to follow the counsels of Scripture–the Word of God–and if need be, suffering the consequences from the world
-the enabling to do this doesn’t come from the flesh; it comes from the grace supplied by God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ
-your supply is ready at all times; that supply is more than sufficient to enable you to not only endure but abound in faith and love, as it was seen in the Thessalonians
-this living out of your faith in everyday life proves the reality of your calling as His disciple
-it isn’t a reference to perfection in the flesh; when you fail, you repent and get up and get back on track
-when we go to meet the Lord in the air, the only thing that will matter at that moment will be this: how has my life glorified Him who died for me?

The Four Foundations of the Early Church

calvary-staff — Fri, 15 Aug 2008 12:21:50 +0000

Acts 2:42-47
42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.

46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.
NKJV