Raised: The Resurrection Changed The World

Luke 24:1-53 (Read Lk 24:25-32, 44-48); Key Verse: Lk 24:27, 44

"And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself." “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Change the world. In the movie trailer of The Son of God, Jesus meets Peter, got into his fishing boat and helped him experience a miraculous catch of fish. Then Jesus called him to be his disciple and said, "Come with me." Peter asked, "What are we going to do?" Jesus said, "Change the world." How would this ever be possible? Even according to secular historians (and not just Christian historians) there is a reason. Within a two to three centuries world history changed from a secular pagan society based on classical deeply rooted Greco-Roman culture and values to Christianity. The single reason for this was because of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In this sermon, let us consider how the resurrection changes the world. The Resurrection is:

1. Paradigm shattering: It shatters your strongly held assumptions.
2. Scripture clarifying: It elucidates, illuminates and clarifies the Bible.
3. Life altering: It changes not only your life, but the world.
4. King worthy: Finally, you have a worthy king.

(This is based on a 52 min sermon by Tim Keller at TGC 2013: Jesus Vindicated. Keller's theme: The resurrection, paired with the cross, is the key to understanding all of Scripture and to resolving life's deepest issue of death. Whatever is lost in this life (youth, health, loved ones) is lost forever. But the resurrection means that nothing will ever be lost. The resurrection is not consolation for something that is lost but the restoration of all that is lost. Can there be any better news than this?)

Luke 24 can be divided into four parts:

1. The Tomb (Lk 24:1-12): The women.
2. The Road (Lk 24:13-35): Two men.
3. The Room (Lk 24:36-49): The disciples.
4. The Mount (Lk 24:50-53): The ascension.

The four themes/messages that run through Luke 24 are:

1. The Resurrection is a Shattering Historical Event
   
2. The Resurrection is a Key to Understanding All of Scripture
   
3. The Resurrection Gives Us a Powerful Message for the World
   
4. Jesus is the True King

I. The Resurrection is a Shattering Historical Event (Paradigm Shattering: It Shatters Your Strongly Held Assumptions.)

Experiencing the resurrection. Christians tend to regard the resurrection as experiencing the power of God and experiencing some higher spiritual truths through the presence of the resurrected Christ being with us. We might say, "Have resurrection faith" as though when we have it and exercise it, we will be able to overcome anything in life. However, in Lk 24:38-42 Jesus basically says to his surprised disciples about his resurrection, "Touch me and give me something to eat." It seems so trivial. What is so relevant or spiritual or powerful about Jesus eating fish and chips with his disciples? Why is this even in the Bible? It is because it happened. It is an eyewitness account.

If you're making up the resurrection you would not have women be the first witnesses. In Lk 24:1-12 it is remarkable that the first witnesses of the resurrection were women. At that time women were regarded as low status compared to men. Their testimony was not admissible in court, neither in Roman jurisprudence nor in Jewish jurisprudence. Therefore, if someone wanted to make up a story or a legend about anything, they would never put women as the first eyewitnesses, for they would not be regarded as credible. It would undermine the plausibility of the account with any of the hearers or readers of the time. Thus, the only reason the gospel writers would put women as the first eyewitnesses of the resurrection, was because they were the first eyewitnesses.

Like footnotes in our books. Scholars have said that the gospel narratives including Luke 24 are eyewitness accounts from the limited vantage point of individuals at the actual scene of what is happening on the inside at ground level. This is as opposed to the perspective of an omniscient narrator that sees the whole big picture and reports everything that is happening. Why are certain names in the narratives, such as Cleopas (Lk 24:18), but not the other disciple? Why were the names of the women Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James (Lk 24:10) mentioned? These were like our footnotes in our books. Thus, if anyone wanted to check out the credibility of their accounts, they could go and ask those people mentioned. Also, why when Simon of Cyrene was asked to carry the cross for Jesus, Mk 15:21 mentions that he is the father of Rufus and Alexander, who are not involved in the story? According to historians, Simon was a well known person who was a witness of the resurrection for many decades.

Something shattered their paradigm. Lk 24:52 says, "they worshiped him." This is significant. Jewish people are the last people on earth who could be open to the idea that a human being could be God. This was like an absolute unshakable paradigm and worldview. They could not say the name of God (YHWH). They could not write the name G_D. But within a short time, they were worshiping a man. How did this happen? It did not happen gradually over time. Something must have shattered their paradigm. What what was it? A historic fact. They saw Jesus who had risen from the dead.

What do we learn here?

Like it or not the resurrection is a fact. In the early church the resurrection of Christ was not preached as experiencing some higher spiritual truth, or experiencing some supernatural power, or as having some glorious hope. The resurrection of Christ was preached as a hard, bare, uncomfortable, terribly irritating, paradigm shattering, horribly inconvenient fact, albeit a fact hard to dismiss or ignore. A fact may not be something that is liked. But like it or not the fact is there. What can one do about some fact they do not like? They have to accept it. But this is not the way our culture works. It is based on "likes" and "dislikes." 

The resurrection changed Paul's life. Paul is a good example. He disliked Christianity and Christians. He was offended by the gospel. He was offended that a temple and sacrifices was no longer needed. It was outrageous to him and it outraged him. He was terribly offended by the very idea of Christianity. But he saw Jesus risen from the dead. After that his likes and dislikes did not matter. Nothing else mattered. The resurrection was a fact to him.

The most offensive and unbelievable religion. We should be very sympathetic toward our skeptical friends. Christianity may be the most irritating and unbelievable religion on the face of the earth. How do people come to believe? They read the Bible and decide whether they like it or not. Many say they can never be a Christian because there are parts of the Bible they find offensive. They may find teachings about money or about sex offensive or restrictive. But do the "offensive" parts of the Bible mean that Jesus could not have been raised from the dead? For if Jesus has been raised from the dead, like it or not, someday we will have to face the fact and deal with it, including all the parts of the Bible that is felt to be offensive. If Jesus has not been raised from the dead, why even be offended and vexed by the offensive parts of the Bible. Paul was more offended by Christianity than most people today. He was killing Christians. But when he faced the fact that Christ was raised from the dead, nothing else mattered. Christianity is a paradigm shifting, life shattering historical event.

II. The Resurrection is a Key to Understanding All of Scripture (Scripture Clarifying: It Illuminates, Elucidates and Clarifies the Entire Bible.) (20 min)

The resurrection helped the women understand Jesus' words. Lk 24:6-8 says, "Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ Then they remembered his words." In light of the resurrection, Jesus' words began to make sense.

The resurrection, paired with the cross is the key. In Lk 24:10-11 the men on the road to Emmaus say, "The chief priests and our rulers handed him over to be sentenced to death, and they crucified him; but we had hoped that he was the one who was going to redeem Israel." They were expecting a Messiah who would save them, but he was crucified. Jesus rebuked them, “'How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?' And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself” (Lk 24:25-27). The resurrection, paired with the cross, makes sense of the crucifixion and opens all of Scripture.

How could one who was cursed and crucified by the Messiah? When Paul was blind for three days after meeting the Risen Christ (Ac 9:9), he had to confront his own thoughts about God and the Bible. He believed that the Messiah would come and save his people. This Messiah would love God and please God, and God would love him and be pleased with him and bless him. The Messiah would have the favor of God. But Jesus who was supposed to be the Messiah was crucified and died on the cross. The crucifixion was the most ignominious of deaths. Dt 21:23 says, "anyone who is hung on a pole is under God’s curse." Jesus also cried out, "Why have you forsaken me?" (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34). To Paul, Christianity made no sense at all. This totally baffled and confounded him. To him, the Messiah would be blessed by God and supported by God, not be crucified, abandoned, forsaken and killed. Jesus was cursed by God (Gal 3:13). What kind of salvation could this bring?

Then Paul met Jesus who rose from the dead. Paul had to completely rethink what he was always confident of: If Jesus was raised from the dead, it means that God did vindicate him. Then God is pleased with him, and that God does love him and bless him. Therefore, when Jesus was cursed and abandoned, then he must have been cursed and abandoned for somebody else's sin, not his own.

In light of the resurrection, what do the Scriptures say? Paul then had to re-look at the Scriptures again. In Isaiah God is the reigning King (Isa 52:7). But there is also a strange figure of a suffering servant (Isa 52:13-53:12). Could they both be the same person? What about the temple and the sacrificial system? Could the shedding of all the blood of the sacrificed animals have atoned for man's sin? Could this be pointing to someone else? To Jesus? If this was pointing to Jesus, what does this say about the temple and the sacrificial system? What about in Jeremiah when God was speaking about a new covenant and about writing his law in their hearts and minds (Jer 31:31-33)? What about in Ezekiel when God would give his people a new heart (Eze 36:26)? It would seem as though there would no longer be a need for a temple and the sacrificial system if God would speak to his people directly. Could Jesus be the One the (OT) Scriptures were pointing to? What about the promise to Abraham (Gen 12:2-3)? How could all nations on earth be blessed through Abraham? Once Paul understood the resurrection, paired with the cross, all of the Scriptures opened up to him. Upon meeting the Risen Christ, it all began to make sense to him. He would now read the Bible and see it differently from before.

Paul was expecting a strong Messiah to save the strong, as it were. The Messiah would come in power and glory and summon all those who are strong and resolute to summon up their strength to follow him and obey him fully. Instead, he began to realize that it was a Messiah coming in weakness who came to save those who admit their weaknesses and their need for a Savior. Once he understood this, the Scriptures opened up for him. In Luke 24, Jesus was repeatedly opening the Scripture to his people (Lk 24:32, 45).

Jesus says that all the Scripture is about Jesus (Lk 24:27, 44). The practical application is that when we teach the Bible or preach from the pulpit from whatever part of the Bible, to do it well and properly we need to show from the the text how it points to Jesus and leads us to see Jesus. This is a big and controversial subject. But Jesus seems to be saying here that "it is all about me." This does not mean that every single verse is about Jesus. In the Parable of the Good Samaritan, it is about an unexpected savior. At the risk of his life, he rescued a wounded Jewish man who would otherwise have died. Jesus was telling a parable. He was not saying that he is the Good Samaritan. But when we understand that all the plot lines of the Bible end in Jesus, how could we possibly see that it is not about Jesus. It is because Jesus is the ultimate Unexpected Savior who comes not at the risk of his life but at the cost of his life to give us the opposite of what we expect or deserve (anger, wrath and judgment). 

People can only watch The Sixth Sense twice. The first time we would be surprised by the big shocking ending. Watching it the second time, we cannot possibly watch the movie and see all the earlier parts and earlier scenes of the movie without thinking of the shocking ending: Bruce Willis is dead and he is a ghost. It is like an anti-gospel and the opposite of the gospel: The hero is dead but Jesus our hero is alive. Similarly, when we grasp the meaning of the Resurrection, reading the Bible would render meanings we may have never noticed before. We can now begin to read the Bible newly in light of the ending. It is not possible to do otherwise when we know how the story ends. We begin to see how Jesus is the ultimate example of a particular text, whether or not the author intended it to be a messianic prophecy when he wrote it.

Our sermons and Bible teaching would be entirely information and instruction unless and until and if we get to Jesus. Are we just explaining the biblical text or are we preaching the gospel of our salvation? Here is what John Calvin says about Christ in All of Scripture. The conclusion says, "This is what we should in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God the Father. If one were to sift thoroughly the Law and the Prophets, he would not find a single word which would not draw and bring us to him. . . . Therefore, rightly does Saint Paul say in another passage that he would know nothing except Jesus Christ, and him crucified."

III. The Resurrection Gives Us a Powerful Message for the World (Life Altering: It Changes Not Only Your Life, but the Entire World.) (34 min)

When anyone meets the Risen Christ, they take the message to others (Lk 24:9, 33-35, 46-48). Knowing about the resurrection gives Jesus' people a message to take out to the world. Reading through the book of Acts, the resurrection dominates the preaching of Peter and Paul. The message of the resurrection changed the world because it was unique. It was never heard of before. It was unlike everything that anyone had ever known. Mainly the resurrection gives us hope for the future in that the resurrection is:

1. there
2. personal
3. certain
4. unimaginably wonderful

The future is there. Epicurus believed that when you die you're gone, so there is nothing to be afraid of. Many people believe in an afterlife that is vague, nebulous or imprecise. Even the Sadduces among the Jewish religious leaders did not believe in the resurrection (Ac 23:8), which suggests that they did not believe in an afterlife. But anyone who met a Christian who had met the Risen Christ, their lives were different from the rest of the populace. Finally, you know that you are not just dust in the wind, that you are not just a rock sinking to the bottom. There is a future. The resurrection says that there is a future.

The future is personal. The Stoics believe that after death one continues to exist but not as ourselves, but as a part of the universe and the world. Without the Holy Spirit the deepest desire of the human heart is that we want to be loved. The one thing no one wants is to loose the one we loves. But death takes away and strips away everything that we love. Jesus shows up and says, "It is me. Touch me." Some people like to profess, "I'm not afraid of death." They are not being honest with themselves.

The future is certain. Suffering would be intolerable unless one is sure of their salvation. But Christians can be certain because of the resurrection. How can we be sure? If someone has served his 10 year jail sentence, the sentence is paid. If someone has a receipt of a purchased item, he or she does not have to pay for it again. Thus, Jesus has paid for the wages of sin through his death and resurrection.

The future is unimaginably wonderful. Edgar Allan Poe wrote a dark poem called "The Raven." After losing a loved one, Lenore, he was attempting to overcome his loss. He meets a raven who repeatedly says only one thing, "Nevermore." Whatever we lose in this life (youth, health, loved ones) is lost forever. But the resurrection means that you will lose nothing. The resurrection is not consolation for something that you lost but the restoration of all that you lost. There is no religion, philosophy or ideology that has offered anyone this kind of future,T a future that is there, is personal, is certain and is unimaginably wonderful. There is no more powerful message possible, and it is based on the historical fact of the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Some ethical teachings may bother skeptics and seekers. But the key of Christianity is the resurrection, paired with the cross, that promises a hope and life that is unimaginably wonderful. Would anyone really not want that?

IV. Jesus is the True King (King Worthy: Finally, You Have a Worthy King)

The true king. Twice Jesus alludes to himself as the king without referring to himself as such. Lk 24:25-26 says, “How foolish you are, and how slow to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Did not the Messiah have to suffer these things and then enter his glory?” Lk 24:46-47 say, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations...” Twice Jesus did not use the word "I" but refers to himself as "the Messiah," who is the King of kings. That is how Jesus goes out (Lk 24:51). He is saying, "I am the King. I am the true King."

We serve no sovereign here! After the war of independence, there was a big sign above a tavern in Philadelphia that was put up after the revolutionary war. It said, "WE SERVE NO SOVEREIGN HERE." Most nations of the world have some positive experience of bowing the knee. Asians also see the appropriateness of respecting authority. But Americans are unfamiliar with serving a monarch or a king, because their experiences are horribly negative under authoritarian British sovereignty. American sensibility, which is spreading throughout the world, says, "We serve no sovereign here. We don't bow the knee to anybody. I'm an individual and I decide what is right or wrong for ME!" A common spoken or unspoken catchphrase might be, "I am my own man. I will do my own thing in my own way according to how I feel, and no one is going to tell me otherwise."

Neither democracy nor imperialism. To overcome such a sentiment against authority, a church leader said, "The kingdom of God is not a democracy." This is true. But the kingdom of God is also not an imperialistic regime. Thus the striving for democracy and equality. C.S. Lewis, in his essay on Democratic Education, says, 

"The demand for equality has two sources -- one of them is among the noblest, the other is the basest of human emotions. The noble source is the desire for fair play. But the other source is the hatred of superiority."

No man can be trusted with unchecked power. Lewis understood man's need for democracy in his essay on Equality, "Mankind is so fallen that no man can be trusted with unchecked power over his fellows. Aristotle said that some people were only fit to be slaves. I do not contradict him. But I reject slavery because I see no men fit to be masters." But Lewis says that "medicine (democracy) is not food," and "deny it food and it will gobble poison." It means that democracy, though necessary for equality, will not satisfy man. It is because the ultimate reality is not democracy because we were created to be ruled by a king. 

Is Jesus your king? Like it or not, Jesus is the King. God created man in his own image to be ruled by a King. But if we refuse to be ruled by Jesus the true King, we will be ruled by some other king. We will bow the knee to someone or something, even if we refuse to admit that that is what we are doing. Mankind needs a king. We will serve someone or something. Jesus is our king. Obey him as your king. It means treat him as a king. Trust him as a king. Accept what he sends into your life whether you understand it or not. Rely on him.

What is your self-worth and identity derived from? All Christians say that Jesus is our King. But some of us may derive our self-worth from our career or our church. Then our real king is that, not Jesus. What may be ruling some Christians is an identity that is deeply rooted in money, materialism, moralism or even ministry success. Instead of loving immoral people, we think we are better than them and despise them and their wayward lives. We may say we worship Jesus. But what excites us and depresses us is whether or not I feel I am being honored, recognized, respected, successful and fruitful as a Christian. Our true king is ourselves and our perception of our own success.

Treat him like a king in your prayer: John Newton says, "Thou art coming to a King, Large petitions with thee bring; For His grace and power are such, None can ever ask too much."

Broken (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34)

Theme: Broken people often break the hearts of others, thus amplifying the brokenness of the world. Only One who is broken understands a broken world filled with broken people.

“And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, 'Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?' (which means 'My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?')” (Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34).

Question: Do you (and others) perceive yourself as truly broken, or as one who has it all together?

Brokenness:

• How does a young man born out of wedlock live his life when he hears the words of his depressed mother saying, "My life is miserable because of you"?

• Who can understand a wife who is devastated by the husband she loves leaving her for a younger woman?

• How does a mother with two young children overcome her heartbreak when her rich boyfriend leaves her and refuses to support her and their children adequately?

• How does a young woman in her 20s overcome her sorrow when the last time she saw her father was when she was four years old?

• How do Christians deal with disillusionment regarding gossip and politics in the church they love?

• How do the relatives and friends of the victims of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 coping?

• How does Leah live with being the girl nobody wanted?

• What do people do with a broken woman caught in the very act of adultery?
  

The End (Mk 14:53-15:39), Tim Keller, King's Cross.

26 Sermons/Bible studies in 19 Days

Based on my imprecise recollection, these are the 20 Bible studies and Daily Bread I oversaw and the 6 sermons I preached on 3 consecutive Sundays during the 19 days that I was in Manila in March 2014.

1. How I Met God (My Mystical Conversion): How God Worked Mysteriously in My Heart (Gen 2:16-17); Come to Jesus (Mt 11:28-30); How one is changed (Jn 1:12-13; 6:37,44). My first meeting at Fatima in Antipolo with about 30 students in Antipolo.
   

2. Critical Thinking (2 Tim 2:7; Phil 4:8). Without critical thinking one does not make progress and grow to maturity, but remains predictably robotic. My first daily bread with a few men.
   

3. Living the Christian Life: Fan Into Flame the Gift of God by the Power of God (2 Ti 1:8-9). Ignite day.
   

4. Love The God Who Loves You By Loving Others (Dt 6:5). Sermon at Valenzuela.
   

5. Sin (Dt 1:1-46). Sermon at Antipolo.
   

6. Sin is Crouching (Gen 4:7). My first meeting at Fatima at Valenzuela.
   

7. Follow Me (Mk 1:17); Repent (Mk 1:15); Fruit (Mt 7:17-18); You Sow What You Reap (Gal 6:7); Critical thinking. Daily bread
   

8. Syrophoenician Woman (Mt 15:21-28). Daily bread.
   

9. Repentance Is To Come To Jesus (Mt 11:28-30).

10. Finding An Identity Other Than In Christ. At University of the Philippines at Manila (UPM).

11. Sanctification by the Gospel (Phil 2:12-13).

12. Bible Study.

13. Gentle and Humble (Mt 11:28-30).

14. Obedience (Dt 4:1-40). Sermon at Valenzuela.

15. ABCs of Christian Living (Phil 2:12-13) Sermon at Antipolo.

16. Trials (Isa 43:2).

17. Monotheism (Dt 6:4).

18. One True Love (Gen 29:15-35). Fatima at Valenzuela.
    

19. How to Discern God’s Will (George Mueller). UPM.
    

20. The Hidden God (Gen 37:2-36). Fatima at Valenzuela.
    

21. Man and Woman - The ABCs (1 Ki 2:2; 1 Pet 3:3-4). Fatima at Antipolo.
    

22. Testing (Dt 8:1-20). Sermon at Valenzuela.
    

23. Freedom (Gal 5:1; 2 Cor 3:17; Jn 8:32; Gen 2:16). Sermon at Antipolo.
    

24. ABC of Sin.

25. The Grace of God (Ac 20:24). Grace is a major theme throughout the OT and the NT.
    

26. Identity In Christ/Grace (1 Cor 15:10; 2 Cor 5:17; Gal 2:20).

Freedom

Freedom is the unique distinctive of Christianity. If one is not free or does not proclaim and exemplify freedom through Christ, then they are either not a Christian, or they very badly misunderstand and miscommunicate Christianity. I shared this as a sermon in the Philippines based on these verses.

• "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" (Gal 5:1).
  
• "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Cor 3:17).
• And the Lord God commanded the man, “You are free to eat from any tree in the garden” (Gen 2:16).
• Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (Jn 8:31-32).

What Does God Require Of You? (Dt 10:12-22)

Dt 10:12-11:32 resembles Dt 4:1-40 (similar structure, vocabulary and application following history), moving on to the practical implication and outworking of Dt 9:7-10:11, and which resonates with language from chap.5-7. It builds up to a grand climax, completing the first part of Deuteronomy like a grand theological symphony, with Dt 10:12 resembling Dt 4:1 after the first recital of Israel's history in chap. 1-3.

Dt 10:12-22 are a reinstatement and filling out of the Shema (Dt 6:4-5), to enable Israel to begin again after the golden calf episode (Dt 9:7-10:11). They are a stiff-necked people (Dt 9:13). Thus, the central command of Dt 10:12-22 is Dt 10:16: "Circumcise your hearts, therefore, and do not be stiff-necked any longer."

In Dt 10:12-13, the Lord asks for five things which are frequently addressed throughout Deuteronomy:

1. Fear God (reverence [Dt 4:10; 5:29]).
2. Walk in "all his ways" (ESV, HCSB, NKJV) (Dt 5:33; 10:12; 11:22; 19:9; 26:17; 28:9; 30:16), in contrast to turning aside from the way (Dt 2:27; 5:32-33; 11:16, 28; 17:11, 17; 28:14), which is especially illustrated in the golden calf incident (Dt 9:12, 16).
3. Love God, illustrating the importance of the Shema (Dt 6:4-5) with its anchor in God's election and choice of Israel, to which Israel must respond in kind. Israel was to love God because God first loved her (Dt 10:15-16; cf. Dt 30:6).
4. Serve God with "all your heart and with all your soul," using language in Dt 6:5 for some attitude other than love.
5. Keeping (obeying) God's commands is for their own good (Dt 10:13), indicating that the law was not a burden to be borne, but was Israel's life in all its fullness (Dt 32:47).

Basic to all obedience is fear (reverence) of God (Dt 5:29) and love of God (Dt 6:4-5).

Unrighteousness (Dt 9:1-29; 10:1-22) [Review chap. 7-9]

Deuteronomy 9:1-10:22; Key Verse: Dt 10:12

"And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, to love him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul."

Along with Dt 6:5, 10:12 could be a key verse to the book of Deuteronomy. It contains four verbs that describes what God expects of his people who have been delivered from bondage to slavery in Egypt:

1. Fear God.
2. Obey God.
3. Love God.
4. Serve God.

Deuteronomy 7-9 have been said to address the gods of militarism (chap. 7), materialism (chap. 8) and moralism (chap. 9). These are testings and trials that the people of God can expect to encounter:

1. Power (Dt 7:1-26).
   
2. Pleasure (Dt 7:3-6).
   
3. Poverty (Dt 8:1-10).
   
4. Prosperity (Dt 8:11-20).
   
5. Purity [moral superiority] (Dt 9:1-6).

Deuteronomy 10-11 can be considered in the following parts:

1. (Self-)Righteousness (Dt 9:1-6).
   
2. Rebellion (Dt 9:7-29).
   
3. Renewal (Dt 10:1-11).
   
4. Requirement (Dt 10:12-22).
   

Study The Bible

1. Read the Bible.
2. Read commentaries.
   
3. Read books.
4. Read blogs.
   
5. #1: Read relationally.
6. Read and sense that there is one who is reading you.
7. Read, discuss and share with others in community, not in isolation.
8. Read with meditation, reflection and contemplation because you love God with all your mind, thoughts, feelings and emotion.
   

Man and Woman: ABCs

Man

1. Assertive
   
2. Bold
3. Courageous
4. Diligent
5. Energetic
6. Friendly
7. Gentle

Woman

1. Affectionate (unAvailable)
   
2. Beautiful
3. Courteous
4. Demure
5. Elegant
6. Fidelity
7. Gracious
   

The Girl Nobody Wanted (Genesis 29:15-35): Questions (3/11/14)

The Search for One True Love (Gen 29:15-35) [An alternate title (by Tim Keller): The Girl Nobody Wanted.]

I. The Desire of Love

1. What might Laban know about Jacob (Gen 29:10-14)? What was the motivation of Laban and Jacob (Gen 29:15-20)? How is Laban's scheme ingenious, though cruel (Gen 29:21-26)? What did Laban gain?

II. The Devastation of Love

2. Do you understand that "in the morning, it's always Leah...not Rachel" (Gen 29:25)? Though Jacob was shocked and furious (Gen 29:25), why did he agree so compliantly to Laban's explanation and further unreasonable offer (Gen 29:26-30)? How was Laban's deceit with Jacob parallel to Jacob's deceit with his old blind father? How might Leah feel through all of this?

3. How does the affirmation of Gen 28:13-15 and the discipline of Gen 29:15-30 work together for Jacob's good (Heb 12:5-6; Prov 3:12; Amos 3:2; Gen 50:20)?
   

III. The Deconstruction of Love

4. Identify the idols of Jacob (Gen 29:18,20,30), Leah (Gen 29:32-34), Rachel (Gen 30:1,8). How does God deal with the lovelessness of Leah (Gen 29:31)? The barrenness of Rachel (Gen 30:22-24)? What does this tell us about God's salvation (Isa 53:2; Jn 1:11; Mt 27:46; Mk 15:34; 1 Cor 1: 27-29)?

Reference: The Search For One True Love (Gen 29:15-35)

Consider Both Sides When You Express Yourself

I asked a friend why some UBFers are upset with this post that I wrote: Sin is having an identity other than in God. He explained it so well in an email to me:

"It was a good article, Dr. Ben. I think with any critical self reflection, we can inadvertently dismiss the heart of an entire community's efforts, which is ironically the antithesis of your article. It's not necessarily your duty to always cover all grounds, but I can see why people would feel dismissed by what you wrote since you didn't counter it with any mention of people's good underlying, heart's intention. It is probably true that not all people have the right heart's motive, but some, even many do. Though they may have been misled to think that using social pressures is okay, I find many people just want to be used by God for the salvation of souls and the development of Jesus' disciples."

Very useful points for me to always consider are:

1. "Dismissing an entire community's efforts." I failed to realize this.
2. "It's not necessarily your duty to always cover all grounds." Yet, I should always attempt to do so.
   
3. "Not countering what I write with any mention of people's good underlying, heart's intention." I've done this occasionally, but not often enough.
4. "Some, even many do have a right heart's motive." I believe that this is true, and that they would be hurt by the dismissive way I write.
5. "They may have been misled to think that using social pressure is okay." I keep pounding this point, but I perhaps should back off on this, or write about this very tenderly and gingerly (which I may not know how to do!).
6. "Many people just want to be used by God for the salvation of souls and the development of Jesus' disciples." Without a doubt I know that this is true. I should remember Phil 1:18.

I thought this is so useful for me to remember and consider every time I need to express myself or write something, anything. (Here is David Weed's very useful comment on (abusing one's) freedom.)

ABCs of Christian Living

1. Accountability (Heb 3:13; 2 Sam 12:1-14).
2. Bless others (Jn 13:34; Jas 1:19; Phil 2:3; Rom 12:3).
   
3. Constancy (Mk 1:15, 35; Ps 1:2; 1 Th 5:17; Gal 2:20). Community (Ps 133:1). Church (1 Tim 3:15).
   
4. DO IT! (Jn 13:17; 2 Tim 2:1-10)
   

Living The Christian Life

2 Timothy 1:6a

"For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God..."

Jn 10:10b - The life God promised us and called us to live through Christ and in Christ is a full and abundant life.

Consider the what, why and how of the Christian life:

Love (Dt 6:5)

Deuteronomy 6:4-5 (The Shema)

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength."

1. What love is
2. Why we love
3. How to love

I. What love is

• God is love (1 Jn 4:8, 16).
• Not words or feelings, but a practical demonstration (Rom 5:8; Jn 3:16).
  

II. Why we love

• God first loved us (1 Jn 4:19).
• God redeemed us from slavery (Dt 5:15; 15:15).

Deuteronomy, a book worthy to be read day and night

In his prologue to Deuteronomy, William Tyndale writes, "This is a book worthy to be read day and night and never to be out of hands. For it is the most excellent of all the books of Moses. It is easy also and light and a very pure gospel..., a preaching of faith and love: deducing the love to God out of faith, and the love of a man's neighbor out of the love of God."

An Example of How To Read Scripture Before The Congregation

Please watch and listen to the reading of 1 Kings 19:1-19 (in the ESV) from the 9 min to the 15 min point here. I blogged about this sermon with the title Elijah Blew It. It is about the lowest point of Elijah's life and ministry as a prophet of God. See what you might learn about how to read Scripture meaningfully in church. It took 6 minutes to read these 19 verses:

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. 2 Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So may the gods do to me and more also, if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow.” 3 Then he was afraid, and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there.

4 But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he asked that he might die, saying, “It is enough; now, O Lord, take away my life, for I am no better than my fathers.” 5 And he lay down and slept under a broom tree. And behold, an angel touched him and said to him, “Arise and eat.” 6 And he looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water. And he ate and drank and lay down again. 7 And the angel of the Lord came again a second time and touched him and said, “Arise and eat, for the journey is too great for you.” 8 And he arose and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the mount of God.

9 There he came to a cave and lodged in it. And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, and he said to him, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 10 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 11 And he said, “Go out and stand on the mount before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore the mountains and broke in pieces the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. And after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake.12 And after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.[a]13 And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And behold, there came a voice to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” 14 He said, “I have been very jealous for the Lord, the God of hosts. For the people of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword, and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.” 15 And the Lordsaid to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus. And when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael to be king over Syria. 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi you shall anoint to be king over Israel, and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah you shall anoint to be prophet in your place. 17 And the one who escapes from the sword of Hazael shall Jehu put to death, and the one who escapes from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha put to death. 18 Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat...

Learn Leadership From a Pagan King (Jonah 3:5-9)

It is interesting that Nineveh’s king, a pagan ruler, exemplified godly leadership, by humbling himself before God and his people (Jon 3:6-9). The king did not think of himself, his dignity or his privileges. He approached God with a deep sense of sinfulness, in shame and sorrow for sin.

“This is how things should be. Leaders are supposed to lead in spiritual and moral matters, although it is precisely those who lead that often find it most difficult to accept responsibility. It is hard to stand at the peak of the pyramid and admit your weaknesses. It is tough, when everyone’s eyes are on you, not to hide your sins. But in Nineveh, repentance began ‘from the greatest’ and proceeded ‘to the least of them’” (Jon 3:5b). “This should be the process in every context. Leaders and all who are looked up to need to set an example by leading others in the ways of God. (1) They should be the first to accept criticism, (2) the first to examine their ways, (3) the first to admit their own faults and (4) to correct them. A people, a church or a family will seldom be better than its leaders. Good leaders will strive for spiritual and moral perfection, and will seek purity of motive and action.” (Numerals mine.)

This quote about leadership is an excerpt from Prophet on the Run by Baruch Maoz. It is my favorite quote of the book, though it is not the main theme of Jonah. - See more at: Aren't We Christians All Jonahs?

Questions For The New Year

A new year just seems like a good time for reflection, for self-evaluation, for New Year's Resolutions, for change and for looking and planning ahead.

Here are some "tough probing" questions (from Don Whitney) to ask prayerfully in the presence of God.

1. What's one thing you could do this year to increase your enjoyment of God?
2. What's the most humanly impossible thing you will ask God to do this year?
3. What's the single most important thing you could do to improve the quality of your family life this year?
4. In which spiritual discipline do you most want to make progress this year, and what will you do about it?
5. What is the single biggest time-waster in your life, and what will you do about it this year?
6. What is the most helpful new way you could strengthen your church?
7. For whose salvation will you pray most fervently this year?
8. What's the most important way you will, by God's grace, try to make this year different from last year?
9. What one thing could you do to improve your prayer life this year?
10. What single thing that you plan to do this year will matter most in ten years? In eternity?

Paul Tripp says that we often need to commit to live in the small moments of our daily lives. We need 10,000 little moments to bring forth significant change (rather than expecting one big dramatic personal decision to bring forth change):

• 10,000 moments of sin confessed and sin forsaken

• 10,000 moments of humble submission

• 10,000 choice points of obedience

• 10,000 times of forsaking the kingdom of self and running toward the kingdom of God

• 10,000 moments of foolishness exposed and wisdom gained

• 10,000 moments of personal insight and conviction

• 10,000 moments where we abandon worship of the creation and give ourselves to worship of the Creator.

Resolutions? No!  Spiritual Depression by Martyn-Lloyd Jones is a book for all Christians—for the daily spiritual depressions we all face this side of heaven. He ends his second chapter with these challenging and refreshing words:

Would you like to be rid of this spiritual depression? The first thing you have to do is to say farewell now once and forever to your past. Realize that it has been covered and blotted out in Christ. Never look back at your sins again. Say: 'It is finished, it is covered by the Blood of Christ.' That is your first step. Take that and finish with yourself and all this talk about goodness, and look to the Lord Jesus Christ. It is only then that true happiness and joy are possible for you. What you need is not to make resolutions to live a better life, to start fasting and sweating and praying. No! You just begin to say:

I rest my faith on Him alone

Who died for my transgressions to atone.

Idolatry (Dt 4:15-31)

Deuteronomy 4:16-31; Key Verse: Dt 4:24

"For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God."

Tertullian (160-220 AD) says, "The principal crime of the human race, the highest guilt charged upon the world, the whole procuring cause of judgment, is idolatry." Paraphrased: “The principal charge against the human race, the world’s deepest guilt, the all-inclusive cause of judgement is idolatry.”

In Deuteronomy, the themes studied so far are Sin (Dt 1:1-46), Leadership (Dt 1:9-18), Faith (Dt 2:1-3:29) and Obedience (Dt 4:1-14). In Dt 4:15-31, Moses warns the Israelites about how grievous the sin of idolatry is.

1. What it does - How enticing it is (Dt 4:15-19).
2. What it results in - How devastating are its consequences (Dt 4:25-28).
3. What to do; what to remember - How to overcome it (Dt 4:20-24, 29-31).

2014 Key Verse Testimony (Dt 15:15)

2014 Key Verse: Dt 15:15a

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you."

Remembrance. I am tentatively choosing this key verse as as I prepare to preach through Deuteronomy. The three key imperatives of Deuteronomy are love (Dt 6:5), obey (Dt 10:12-13) and choose (Dt 30:19-20). But no one, however godly and holy, can long sustain such imperatives by their sheer resolve and will power with beauty and mystery. (They might do it grumpily, angrily or legalistically!) They need to remember the grace of God, which Moses scatters throughout his three farewell speeches in Deuteronomy in order to help God's people to live with God's blessing in the promised land. I pray that 2014 may be a year of remembrance so that the grace of God may compel us to love God (Dt 6:5) and to obey God (Dt 10:12-13) and to choose life (Dt 30:19-20).

Review. Each year over the last few years, a theme for West Loop UBF was chosen.

Confounding Paradoxes That Are True To Life

Paradoxes that are common in Christianity (and in life):

• If you die, you live (1 Cor 15:36). If you try to live, you die.
• If you work hard (Prov 14:23), you will live easy. If you live easy, your life will be hard (Prov 20:4).
• If you live poorly (Mt 5:3; Lk 6:20), you're rich. If you try to be rich, you're poor, no matter how much you have.
• If you limit yourself, you're free (Gen 2:16-17). But if you live without limits, you're a slave.
• If you listen (Jas 1:19), you're heard. If you demand to be heard, no one listens to you.

How To Be Productive Infographic

Take a minute to browse through the infographic: Get It Done: 35 Habits of the Most Productive People (Infographic). As a cerebral "heady" person, the habits regarding the MIND (right side of the infographic) resonates with me:

• 80/20 rule: Which 20% of your work produces 80% of the result? (Not sports, movies and facebook!)
• Focus on the important (Reading, preparing, planning, reflecting, exercising). Suppress the urgent (Checking sports stats daily, internet cruising, celebrity trivia).
• Idea dumping tips: Always carry paper (or note book). Be descriptive when writing it down. Ask why; think big picture. Don't force it. (First time I heard of "Idea Dump.")
• Learn to ignore. (But, but, this article was good!) No need to respond to everything.
• DO a bad FIRST DRAFT. You can't edit a blank page.

HACKS is pretty good too (third from left):

2014--A Year Of Remembrance; Preaching Schedule

For West Loop UBF, we chose a theme each year over the last few years:

• 2010 was a year of the gospel--the matters of first importance (1 Cor 15:1-4).
  
• 2011 was a year of grace (Acts 20:24)--the primary experience of the gospel.
• 2012 was a year of sanctification (Phil 2:12-13)--the scary/painful part of the gospel.
• 2013 was a year of considering the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27, ESV) or the whole will of God (NIV), or the whole plan of God (HCSB), or the whole purpose of God (NASB). This prompted me to study and preach through Revelation, the last book I wanted to study.
  
• For 2013, it may be a year of remembrance (Dt 5:15; 15:15), as I prepare to preach through Deuteronomy.

Preliminary schedule with the title of each sermon, the text and a short summation.

• Jan 12: Lesson 1 - Sin (Dt 1:1-46) (Read Dt 1:25-40). Sin brings God's severity.

Obedience (Dt 4:1-15)

Deuteronomy 4:1-15; Key Verse: Dt 4:1

"Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live..."

Theme: Obedience requires one to first hear (Hebrew: shamar).

Hear. In Deuteronomy 1-3, the themes discussed are Sin (Dt 1:1-46), Leadership (Dt 1:9-18) and Faith (Dt 2:1-3:29). In chap. 4, the theme of obedience is best understood by comprehending the word shamar (Hebrew), which is repeated 11 times in this chapter (Dt 4:1, 6, 10, 12, 28, 30, 32, 33, 36; twice in verse 33 and 36). In the 2011 NIV shamar is translated hear, heard and obey (Dt 4:30). [Strong's concordance: "to hear, listen to, obey."] The most famous use is in Dt 6:4: "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." This verse is known to all Jews by the first two words "Sh'ma Yisrael" or simply as "Shema." It encapsulates the monotheistic essence of Judaism (and Islam and Christianity). The Shema is considered the most important part of the prayer service in Judaism and its twice daily recitation as a religious commandment (mitzvah, which means commandment).

Obedience (Deuteronomy 4)

Deuteronomy 4:1-49; Key Verse: Dt 4:1

"Now, Israel, hear the decrees and laws I am about to teach you. Follow them so that you may live and may go in and take possession of the land the Lord, the God of your ancestors, is giving you."

Obedience. The themes covered so far are Sin (Dt 1), Leadership (Dt 1a) and Faith (Dt 2-3). The theme of Dt 4 is on obedience to the law (Torah). Generally, people think or act as though obedience is needed for their salvation. But biblical obedience is the fruit of salvation, not the means of salvation. Biblical obedience is not commanded of non-believers or non-Christians, but of the people of God--those who have experienced God's saving grace (Dt 1:30-31; 4:37; 5:6, 15; 15:15; 24:18). This is similar to Jesus saying to his disciples that their obedience should be because of their love (Jn 14:15, 21, 23; 15:10).

5 Things To Know About God (J.I. Packer)

To know God, what are some basic foundational principles we need to know?

In Knowing God (1973), J.I. Packer lists five basic truths we need to know:

1. God has spoken.
2. God is Lord and King who rules all things.
3. God is Savior.
4. God is triune.
5. Godliness means responding to God's revelation.

For reflection and discussion:

1. Are any of these beginning assumptions a problem or difficult for you? Do you lack a basic understanding of any of them? Which ones and why?

Sin (Dt 1), Leadership (Dt 1b), Faith (Dt 2-3), Obedience (Dt 4)

The tentative themes of each chapter of Deuteronomy (1-14).

1. Sin (Dt 1:1-46):
• What sin does - Destroys
  
• Why sin happens - Unbelief
  
• What the solution is - Remember God's grace/Believe God's promise
  
2. Leadership (Dt 1:9-18):
   
• The burden of leadership - Stress
  
• The solution of leadership - Delegation
  
• The practice of leadership - Fairness
  
3. Faith (Dt 2:1-3:29). Faith was expressed when God said:
• Pass
• Strike
• Allocate
• No
• Yes 
  
4. Obedience (Dt 4:1-30):
• What to obey: The Law (Torah)
  
• How to obey: The Covenant
  
• Why we obey: The Redemption
  

Leadership (Dt 1:9-18)

Deuteronomy 1:9-18; Key Verse: Dt 1:13

"Choose some wise, understanding and respected men from each of your tribes, and I will set them over you."

In the first lesson, Sin (Dt 1:1-46), Moses explained how sin set them back 38 years of going around in circles in the wilderness. It is sobering and wise to always consider what sin does (rebellion), why sin happens (unbelief), and how sin is solved (remember God's grace and believe God's promise).

In this second lesson, Moses shares the secrets of successful leadership. Leadership is always a hot topic because it affects everyone and is what everyone experiences. Leadership guru John Maxwell says, "He who thinks he leads, but has no followers, is only taking a walk." Here are a few other memorable and relatable quotes:

The Gospel in 1-2 Kings

God's faithfulness and man's unfaithfulness. 1-2 Kings belongs to a larger group of books in the OT, Joshua through Kings (the Former Prophets). Together, they record the faithfulness of God to keep all his covenant promises with regard to establishing his people in the promised land. There are two important texts that summarize this:

1. Josh 21:44-45: "The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord's good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled."
2. 1 Ki 8:56: "Praise be to the Lord, who has given rest to his people Israel just as he promised. Not one word has failed of all the good promises he gave through his servant Moses."

These two texts provide the two theological lenses through which we are invited to read Kings. The Lord was faithful to give his people rest and to keep all of his covenant promises. In contrast, the history of God's people was one of covenant breaking and ever increasing infidelity.

The Daniel Plan

Rick Warren's new book, The Daniel Plan, encourages healthy living based on the following essentials (Tim Challies' review.):

1. Faith (Phil 4:13).
2. Food (1 Cor 10:31).
3. Fitness (1 Cor 6:19a, 20b).
4. Focus (Rom 12:2).
5. Friends (Eccl 4:9).

I. FAITH

1. God Wants Us to Chew On His Word (Josh 1:8).
2. For Good Health, Confess Your Sin (Ps 32:3-5).
3. Eliminate Negative Self-Talk (Prov 4:23; Phil 4:8).
   
4. Be Grateful, Not Regretful (Eccl 6:9b; 1 Cor 4:7-8).
5. Your Life is Shaped by Your Thoughts (Rom 12:2).
6. You Need God's Power to Change (Rom 7:24-25).
7. You Need a Battle Buddy (Jas 5:16).
8. Trusting God is Good For Your Health (Ps 116:7; cf. Prov 14:30).
9. Stop Procrastinating (Phil 4:13; Prov 13:16; 27:1).

Faith (Deuteronomy 2 - 3)

The Theology of Remembrance. This may be a major theme of Deuteronomy: When the people of God remember the grace of God that redeemed them from slavery, they will want to obey him wholeheartedly. Ajith Fernando titles his sermons of Dueteronomy as "Loving Obedience to a Loving God." When we remember how much God loves us in saving us, we will thus want to lovingly (rather than grudgingly) obey him.

The theme of each chapter. Though there is much overlap and repetition throughout the book of Deuteronomy, the following may be identified as the single predominant theme of the initial chapters (in brackets):

1. Sin (1)
2. Faith (2-3)

What Sin Does (Dt 1:19-46)

Few passages in Scripture provide a fully study of what sin does than Dt 1:19-46.

1. Blinds: Sin blinds people to God's gracious providences. Moses highlights frequently the motif of "seeing" (Dt 1:19, 22-23, 25, 28, 30, 31, 33). But sin or "faithless eyes" are selective in what they allow to register in their hearts and minds. They only saw the obstacles and difficulties. Because they were blind to the greater One among them (1 Jn 4:4), they could not and would not see the prize (Dt 1:35-36). They had no "theology of remembrance." They could not remember God's many interventions on their behalf (Dt 6:20-25; 26:5-11).

Why Sin is Inexcusable (Dt 1:1-46)

Key Verses: Dt 1:8, 21, 30-31

"See, I have given you this land. Go in and take possession of the land..." "See, the Lord your God has given you the land. Go up and take possession of it..." "The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you, as he did for you in Egypt, before your very eyes, and in the wilderness. There you saw how the Lord your God carried you, as a father carries his son, all the way you went until you reached this place."

Deuteronomy 1 begins with a tragic negative story of failure by the people of God who were miraculously redeemed from slavery in Egypt. The recent sequence of events is as follows (See also An Overview of the Pentateuch):