Nehemiah 1:11b-2:8
If the culture of Gods Kingdom is going to be driven deeper into our DNA as a church, and that culture, expressed in our mission as a church is going to be lived out we must begin to understand that God does not need us. However, God graciously invites us to represent him well, have our faith strengthened and enjoy the show as he shows his might, power and mercy
2:1 Nehemiah persevered in mourning/repentance, prayer and fasting for roughly 4 months
- Chislev (9th month) to Nisan (1st month)
- Psalm 126:5 “Those who sow in tears shall reap with shouts of joy!”
- “restore the fortunes” v. 1, 4; “shouts of joy” v. 2, 5, 6
- Other nations see and give credit to Jesus
God values
- Perseverance
- Our best (mourning, repenting, praying and fasting people inherit the
kingdom)
-
1:11b Nehemiah, as cupbearer, was right where he needed to be and waited for Father to arrange the right time and means
Nehemiah was not trying to make things happen by shaking things up.
- Stay where you are until the mission demands you to
change positions barring any necessary survival requirements (loss of a job).
- This requires:
- Trust
- Personal patience to wait (don’t believe the lie that you are 27 and
missing life. 20’s you are finding your passion. 30’s you are
narrowing your passion and improving your game and must
focus your attention. 40’s you are refining what you do. 50’s
you hit your prime)
- Knowing what makes you pound your chest not what makes you
a better income
- This is the intersection of what you do well and enjoy
and what brings God great glory
1:11b Nehemiah, as cupbearer, was in an vital position although not
counted as vital personally
- Nehemiah was a slave
- Nehemiah was probably made a eunuch to serve in this position
- God does not need vital people, people need a vital God
- God delights to take humble people and use them vitally
- This humbles people to a place of usefulness
2:1 Nehemiah was consumed with Jerusalem and the Lord’s name there. He was so consumed it showed on his face.
- Nehemiah’s countenance showed the wear and tear of the internal emotive
struggle and he could not hide the internal state anymore. He was probably
unaware of the fact that he was showing this countenance. His fearful
seems to indicate he was taken aback and realized he had “goofed”.
- Don’t seek to happy up just because you are down over godless ills (I understand there are medical circumstances where this does not apply, but by and large we are a culture that seeks the immediate removal of the slightest feeling of the blues with entertainment)
- Seek the Lord’s directives and what needs to be done not what
makes one feel better quickly.
Illustration: only after divine confrontations do we usually act. It was Father confronting me with the fact that I was going to do what I say personally or show I really do not believe in regard to Daniel’s adoption.
The ensuing legal battle taught me to love and was a year long emotive tug of war that resulted in my love of that boy.
1:11, 2:4 Pray like the mission depends on it (it does)
Nehemiah had already gathered a team of prayers and planners (1:11 the plural indicates there were others praying the same prayer and it was probably Nehemiah who had gathered them) and when the Father gave the go he was ready.
- “...servants who delight delight to fear your name.”
- Luke 18:
- John 15:16
- Prayer is to be patient and persevering
- Prayer is also to be a quick request for instant direction usually
applying to a well prepared situation.
2:6-8 Nehemiah was mobilized to act
- Nehemiah was prepared
- Nehemiah mobilized a team of people 1:11
- Gather people who do not do what you do and do what you don’t
- Go
2:8b Understand and enjoy that God is providential.
This is the perfect safety net.
The “hand” of God is the visual image given to the reader to indicate that it is God in his goodness for his people guiding these events and not Nehemiah. Nehemiah is responding to the Lord’s promptings and Nehemiah can read them. Nehemiah knows when God is moving.
“God is continually involved with all created things in such a way that he (1 preservation) keeps them existing and maintaining the properties with which he created them ; (2 concurrence) cooperates with created things in every action, directing their distinctive properties to cause them to act as they do; and (3 government) directs them to fulfill his purposes. – Wayne Grudem
- This produces worriless action
- This produces confident action
- This produces worship in action and song
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Micah 5:1-2 What Jesus did in his coming as the Messiah
Micah 5
Verse 2
Bethlehem Ephrathah
- Ephrathah (older name) is added to distinguish Bethlehem from the town of the same name in the territory of Zebulun.
- Bethlehem is also addressed with the masculine pronoun to distinguish it
from the feminine reference to Zion being dominated by foreign soldiers in
verse 1.
A.1. This text is set up with the consistent use of the word “now” in chapter 4 and carried over into chapter 5 verse 1.
4:9-13 helps us see that this work of God is his sovereign plan to fulfill his purpose even if the other nations are not aware of it.
So God still works today. As he sovereignly brought Messiah into the world so he is sovereignly working history out to his appointed end even if nations are not aware of it.
A.1.1 This should comfort us
A.1.2 This should cause us to watch the world with awe
A.1.2.a Watch the news to see the sovereign hand of God in history
A.1.2.b Watch the news and read the prophets to strengthen your
trust in God
As we turn to Micah 5, what do we see about Jesus’ coming?
1. Jesus’ coming demolishes merit
A. Bethlehem was the expected location from which the Messiah would come
1. Matthew 2:6
2. John 7:42
3. This passage was applied to Jesus by Matthew and probably carries
future implications for Israel in the coming reign of Christ at his
return.
a. This creates a challenge for us in reading the OT.
1. What time is the prophet referring to? Now?
Five years from now? Five hundred years?
2. And the answer is usually, YES!
B. Bethlehem means “house of bread” and Ephrathah means “fruitful”
1. Jesus said “I am the bread of life” and taught about the “fruit”
produced by remaining in him. (John 6:35; 15)
2. Note the intricate way the Lord even chooses cities and their names
to speak to the nature of his work.
a. If he chooses even the names with care, how much more does he care for us? He cares for us down to the most minute detail.
C. Bethlehem’s insignificance is stressed
1. Joshua 15:21-63 does not even list Bethlehem among the more than
100 cities allotted to Judah. But clear references (Genesis 48:7) point
to the ancient existence of the city.
2. God chose a city that was so small that it was left off of the registry of cities to bring the Messiah.
3. What is the point?
a. God delights in choosing the weak to highlight his strength
(1 Corinthians 1:27-31)
b. God delights in choosing the weak to demolish and crush
any sense of merit (1 Corinthians 1:31)
c. As God would not allow there to be any claim to significance
to come from a city that Jesus would come from so God will not
allow there to be any boast to come from anyone he saves. God
chooses and saves on his own merit and perfection. We are
not saved by our own significance. We have none. We are
saved by the merit of God’s own perfection counted to us by
the justifying work of Jesus on the cross.
2. Jesus’ Coming Will Accomplish God’s Purpose v. 2 “shall come forth for me”
A. This is stated in contrast with how the King’s viewed their rule
1. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise
2. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise in being a king who leads his
people rightly
3. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise in being a prophet who tells
his people what God has said faithfully
4. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise in being a priest who faithfully
and constantly intercedes on his people’s behalf even when they don’t know what to say or do while making his people a kingdom of priests
themselves
3. Jesus is himself God v. 2 “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”
A. “from of old” (miqqedem) generally refers to ancient historical times
B. “from ancient days” (mime ‘olam) refers to ancient historical times
1. This text is referring to Messiah’s ancient Davidic lineage
confirming the ancient covenantal promises made to David stand
and are being kept
2. Isaiah 9:1-7 identifies this Messiah as Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
a. Jesus identifies Holy Spirit as “counselor”
b. Jesus is the Mighty God of the Old Testament
c. Jesus is the Everlasting Father
d. Jesus is the maker of peace between Holy God and
rebellious humanity
Verse 2
Bethlehem Ephrathah
- Ephrathah (older name) is added to distinguish Bethlehem from the town of the same name in the territory of Zebulun.
- Bethlehem is also addressed with the masculine pronoun to distinguish it
from the feminine reference to Zion being dominated by foreign soldiers in
verse 1.
A.1. This text is set up with the consistent use of the word “now” in chapter 4 and carried over into chapter 5 verse 1.
4:9-13 helps us see that this work of God is his sovereign plan to fulfill his purpose even if the other nations are not aware of it.
So God still works today. As he sovereignly brought Messiah into the world so he is sovereignly working history out to his appointed end even if nations are not aware of it.
A.1.1 This should comfort us
A.1.2 This should cause us to watch the world with awe
A.1.2.a Watch the news to see the sovereign hand of God in history
A.1.2.b Watch the news and read the prophets to strengthen your
trust in God
As we turn to Micah 5, what do we see about Jesus’ coming?
1. Jesus’ coming demolishes merit
A. Bethlehem was the expected location from which the Messiah would come
1. Matthew 2:6
2. John 7:42
3. This passage was applied to Jesus by Matthew and probably carries
future implications for Israel in the coming reign of Christ at his
return.
a. This creates a challenge for us in reading the OT.
1. What time is the prophet referring to? Now?
Five years from now? Five hundred years?
2. And the answer is usually, YES!
B. Bethlehem means “house of bread” and Ephrathah means “fruitful”
1. Jesus said “I am the bread of life” and taught about the “fruit”
produced by remaining in him. (John 6:35; 15)
2. Note the intricate way the Lord even chooses cities and their names
to speak to the nature of his work.
a. If he chooses even the names with care, how much more does he care for us? He cares for us down to the most minute detail.
C. Bethlehem’s insignificance is stressed
1. Joshua 15:21-63 does not even list Bethlehem among the more than
100 cities allotted to Judah. But clear references (Genesis 48:7) point
to the ancient existence of the city.
2. God chose a city that was so small that it was left off of the registry of cities to bring the Messiah.
3. What is the point?
a. God delights in choosing the weak to highlight his strength
(1 Corinthians 1:27-31)
b. God delights in choosing the weak to demolish and crush
any sense of merit (1 Corinthians 1:31)
c. As God would not allow there to be any claim to significance
to come from a city that Jesus would come from so God will not
allow there to be any boast to come from anyone he saves. God
chooses and saves on his own merit and perfection. We are
not saved by our own significance. We have none. We are
saved by the merit of God’s own perfection counted to us by
the justifying work of Jesus on the cross.
2. Jesus’ Coming Will Accomplish God’s Purpose v. 2 “shall come forth for me”
A. This is stated in contrast with how the King’s viewed their rule
1. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise
2. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise in being a king who leads his
people rightly
3. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise in being a prophet who tells
his people what God has said faithfully
4. Jesus is seeking the Father’s praise in being a priest who faithfully
and constantly intercedes on his people’s behalf even when they don’t know what to say or do while making his people a kingdom of priests
themselves
3. Jesus is himself God v. 2 “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.”
A. “from of old” (miqqedem) generally refers to ancient historical times
B. “from ancient days” (mime ‘olam) refers to ancient historical times
1. This text is referring to Messiah’s ancient Davidic lineage
confirming the ancient covenantal promises made to David stand
and are being kept
2. Isaiah 9:1-7 identifies this Messiah as Wonderful Counselor,
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
a. Jesus identifies Holy Spirit as “counselor”
b. Jesus is the Mighty God of the Old Testament
c. Jesus is the Everlasting Father
d. Jesus is the maker of peace between Holy God and
rebellious humanity
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Advent 2009 November 29 Luke 21
Advent 2009
November 29, 2009
Luke 21:24, 25-36
The season of Advent begins with a focus on the second Advent.
Our Christmas season is usually set apart from anything sad or unsettling.
This is not the point of Advent.
Advent requires that we be a little unsettled and realized that God does not accept sin and that he will shake the heavens and bring his redemptive purposes to his appointed end.
We do not want to deny the genuine good news of Christmas or the proper excitement and joy that the season brings, but we also don’t want the lies of our world to dampen the realities that make the season such good news.
For the good news to be really good news it must come to a dark, harsh and evil place to remind us that a Savior is needed.
Advent was once considered a “deep purple” season of preparatory penitence that gave equal time to Jesus’ first and second Advent.
Luke 21:24, 25-36 reminds us of the reason Jesus came to Bethlehem, not to be born in obscurity and start a movement among a tribe of former nomads, but to be exalted as the God of heaven and earth and redeemer of those who are waiting on him from every tribe, tongue and nation.
Without the Second Advent and the upheaval that comes with it, the first Advent does not make much sense.
So, we will see the First Advent through the lens of the Second Advent that is to come. Why?
a. Produce anticipation leading to urgency in the mission
b. Produce anticipation leading to holiness
c. Produce anticipation leading to perseverance
d. Produce anticipation leading to increased community over our common
mission and bond and need of each other to persevere, be holy and do the
work.
1. Jesus’ second advent is preceded by the “times of the Gentiles” 24
a. Salvation for Gentiles from all nations Romans 11:25
b. Gentiles, not of the faith of Abraham, will dominate and conflict with God’s
people Jew and Gentile alike
c. Notice, however, the Gentile season is not in domination
1. Take note of the advance of the Great Commission
a. Matthew 24:14 All nations and then the end will come
2. Take note of the dominant news
a. Iran’s (just about every non-Jew) desire to obliterate Israel
b. Denial of there ever having been a temple on the site of the
dome of the Rock (Muslim denial of YHWH as every being the
God of the Jews)
c. Israel’s discovery of oil reserves that could rival other
oil rich country’s output.
3. Take note of Muslim conversion to the Gospel
“At the time of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 there were only about 500 known Muslim converts to Jesus inside the country. By 2000, a survey of Christian demographic trends reported that there were 220,000 Christians inside Iran, of which between 4,000 and 20,000 were Muslim converts.”
3. The point? We are closer than ever before and salvation history is
closing.
2. Jesus’ second advent will be preceded by global upheaval 25-28
Luke does not give these verses so that a good timetable can be constructed.
Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know the times or seasons the Father has fixed by his own authority.”
Isaiah 13:9-11 Babylon
Ezekiel 32:7-8 Egypt
Amos 8:9 Prophecy to Israel and Judah (probably the first prophet in the canon Chronologically)
Habakkuk 3:11 Fall of Assyria and Judah (eventually) at the hands of Babylon
Joel 2:10, 28-31 A call to Judah to return to the Lord before the day of the Lord. This passages is applied by Luke to Pentecost in Acts 2.
Joel 3:15 The Lord’s judgment on the nations surrounding Judah
Revelation 6:12-17 The view of the near future history to befall the church as well as application to the time of severe tribulation preceding the Lord’s return
a. Watch for a continual decline in the west and a rise of power in the east
b. Watch for a continual focus on globalization and the conflict that arises
from the collision between competing world views
c. Watch for an increase in persecution by those who hate Jesus
1. Revelation 6:9-11
3. Jesus’ second advent is sure 29-33
a. Jesus staked his identity on these things coming to pass. If they do not
come to pass, then Jesus was a fraud.
b. “This generation” references humanity in general in light of the massive
upheaval.
“One deals with the reference to “this generation” not passing away until all has taken place. This expression has been interpreted as referring to (1) Jesus’ own generation, (2) the Jewish people, (3) humans in general, (4) the last generation in history, and (5) Luke’s contemporaries. (Compare how the Qumran community wrestled with the identity of the final generation in 1QpHab 2.7; 7.2.7 and how the “final generation” referred to several generations.) Even though every other reference to “this generation” in Luke can include Jesus’ own generation, it is quite unlikely that here Luke understood “this generation” in this manner because that generation had essentially passed from the scene, and the parousia still lay in the future. The fourth interpretation is so bland as to be meaningless. As long as humanity is present when the Son of Man returns, this by definition must be true; for unlike people in the nuclear generation who wonder if humanity may destroy itself in nuclear war, Luke and his contemporaries had no doubt that the return of the Son of Man would take place in the presence of people. The second suggestion fails to take into consideration that the scene of the coming of the Son of Man is not the “land” (Luke 21:23) of Judea but the “earth” and the “nations” (21:25), so that to restrict the audience here simply to the Jewish people would be to lose sight of the cosmic focus of 21:25–36. Furthermore why would Luke or his readers think that the Jewish people might be wiped from the face of the earth? The fifth suggestion is unattractive to many interpreters since it is obviously wrong. The Son of Man did not come in Luke’s generation. However, in the pursuit of Luke’s meaning one cannot rule out this possible interpretation simply because one does not like it. Nevertheless this interpretation would be strange if in his Gospel Luke was combatting a misunderstanding that the parousia already should have taken place. See Introduction 7 (3). Luke probably would have been hesitant to date the coming of the Son of Man in such a way.
The third suggestion appears to be the best option. Elsewhere in Luke this expression is used to describe sinful humanity unresponsive to God and oblivious to the possibility of immediately encountering him (cf. 12:16–21, 35–40; 17:26–36). “This generation,” which ignored the coming of the kingdom in Jesus’ ministry, continues in its rejection of the gospel message until the very end. Thus “this generation” of 21:32 stands in continuity and solidarity with “this generation” of Jesus’ day.”96
4. Jesus’ second advent must not be a surprise to his people 34-36
a. Do not be intoxicated by the alluring pursuits of a fallen world v. 34
b. All people present will experience these hardships v. 35
c. Stay alert to world events in anticipation of the Lord’s return v. 36a
1. Don’t be dissuaded by terrible teachers on this issue
d. Pray for perseverance to stand before the King v. 36b
November 29, 2009
Luke 21:24, 25-36
The season of Advent begins with a focus on the second Advent.
Our Christmas season is usually set apart from anything sad or unsettling.
This is not the point of Advent.
Advent requires that we be a little unsettled and realized that God does not accept sin and that he will shake the heavens and bring his redemptive purposes to his appointed end.
We do not want to deny the genuine good news of Christmas or the proper excitement and joy that the season brings, but we also don’t want the lies of our world to dampen the realities that make the season such good news.
For the good news to be really good news it must come to a dark, harsh and evil place to remind us that a Savior is needed.
Advent was once considered a “deep purple” season of preparatory penitence that gave equal time to Jesus’ first and second Advent.
Luke 21:24, 25-36 reminds us of the reason Jesus came to Bethlehem, not to be born in obscurity and start a movement among a tribe of former nomads, but to be exalted as the God of heaven and earth and redeemer of those who are waiting on him from every tribe, tongue and nation.
Without the Second Advent and the upheaval that comes with it, the first Advent does not make much sense.
So, we will see the First Advent through the lens of the Second Advent that is to come. Why?
a. Produce anticipation leading to urgency in the mission
b. Produce anticipation leading to holiness
c. Produce anticipation leading to perseverance
d. Produce anticipation leading to increased community over our common
mission and bond and need of each other to persevere, be holy and do the
work.
1. Jesus’ second advent is preceded by the “times of the Gentiles” 24
a. Salvation for Gentiles from all nations Romans 11:25
b. Gentiles, not of the faith of Abraham, will dominate and conflict with God’s
people Jew and Gentile alike
c. Notice, however, the Gentile season is not in domination
1. Take note of the advance of the Great Commission
a. Matthew 24:14 All nations and then the end will come
2. Take note of the dominant news
a. Iran’s (just about every non-Jew) desire to obliterate Israel
b. Denial of there ever having been a temple on the site of the
dome of the Rock (Muslim denial of YHWH as every being the
God of the Jews)
c. Israel’s discovery of oil reserves that could rival other
oil rich country’s output.
3. Take note of Muslim conversion to the Gospel
“At the time of the Islamic Revolution in 1979 there were only about 500 known Muslim converts to Jesus inside the country. By 2000, a survey of Christian demographic trends reported that there were 220,000 Christians inside Iran, of which between 4,000 and 20,000 were Muslim converts.”
3. The point? We are closer than ever before and salvation history is
closing.
2. Jesus’ second advent will be preceded by global upheaval 25-28
Luke does not give these verses so that a good timetable can be constructed.
Acts 1:7 “It is not for you to know the times or seasons the Father has fixed by his own authority.”
Isaiah 13:9-11 Babylon
Ezekiel 32:7-8 Egypt
Amos 8:9 Prophecy to Israel and Judah (probably the first prophet in the canon Chronologically)
Habakkuk 3:11 Fall of Assyria and Judah (eventually) at the hands of Babylon
Joel 2:10, 28-31 A call to Judah to return to the Lord before the day of the Lord. This passages is applied by Luke to Pentecost in Acts 2.
Joel 3:15 The Lord’s judgment on the nations surrounding Judah
Revelation 6:12-17 The view of the near future history to befall the church as well as application to the time of severe tribulation preceding the Lord’s return
a. Watch for a continual decline in the west and a rise of power in the east
b. Watch for a continual focus on globalization and the conflict that arises
from the collision between competing world views
c. Watch for an increase in persecution by those who hate Jesus
1. Revelation 6:9-11
3. Jesus’ second advent is sure 29-33
a. Jesus staked his identity on these things coming to pass. If they do not
come to pass, then Jesus was a fraud.
b. “This generation” references humanity in general in light of the massive
upheaval.
“One deals with the reference to “this generation” not passing away until all has taken place. This expression has been interpreted as referring to (1) Jesus’ own generation, (2) the Jewish people, (3) humans in general, (4) the last generation in history, and (5) Luke’s contemporaries. (Compare how the Qumran community wrestled with the identity of the final generation in 1QpHab 2.7; 7.2.7 and how the “final generation” referred to several generations.) Even though every other reference to “this generation” in Luke can include Jesus’ own generation, it is quite unlikely that here Luke understood “this generation” in this manner because that generation had essentially passed from the scene, and the parousia still lay in the future. The fourth interpretation is so bland as to be meaningless. As long as humanity is present when the Son of Man returns, this by definition must be true; for unlike people in the nuclear generation who wonder if humanity may destroy itself in nuclear war, Luke and his contemporaries had no doubt that the return of the Son of Man would take place in the presence of people. The second suggestion fails to take into consideration that the scene of the coming of the Son of Man is not the “land” (Luke 21:23) of Judea but the “earth” and the “nations” (21:25), so that to restrict the audience here simply to the Jewish people would be to lose sight of the cosmic focus of 21:25–36. Furthermore why would Luke or his readers think that the Jewish people might be wiped from the face of the earth? The fifth suggestion is unattractive to many interpreters since it is obviously wrong. The Son of Man did not come in Luke’s generation. However, in the pursuit of Luke’s meaning one cannot rule out this possible interpretation simply because one does not like it. Nevertheless this interpretation would be strange if in his Gospel Luke was combatting a misunderstanding that the parousia already should have taken place. See Introduction 7 (3). Luke probably would have been hesitant to date the coming of the Son of Man in such a way.
The third suggestion appears to be the best option. Elsewhere in Luke this expression is used to describe sinful humanity unresponsive to God and oblivious to the possibility of immediately encountering him (cf. 12:16–21, 35–40; 17:26–36). “This generation,” which ignored the coming of the kingdom in Jesus’ ministry, continues in its rejection of the gospel message until the very end. Thus “this generation” of 21:32 stands in continuity and solidarity with “this generation” of Jesus’ day.”96
4. Jesus’ second advent must not be a surprise to his people 34-36
a. Do not be intoxicated by the alluring pursuits of a fallen world v. 34
b. All people present will experience these hardships v. 35
c. Stay alert to world events in anticipation of the Lord’s return v. 36a
1. Don’t be dissuaded by terrible teachers on this issue
d. Pray for perseverance to stand before the King v. 36b
Sunday, November 8, 2009
All Saints Day Message 2009 Anna Gambold
All Saints Day Message
November 8, 2009
Anna Rosina Kliest Gambold
Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-16, 32-38
Born: May 1, 1762
Place: Bethlehem, PA
She is described as a “sprightly person as well as in fancy and imagination with the gift of making the hearts of her Indian pupils blossom like the rose.”
Death: February 19, 1821
She was one of the earliest female botanists in America
- She was an authority on both ornamental and medicinal plants
Anna married John Gambold at the age of 43
Together, John Gambold and Anna Rosin Kliest Gambold became the foundation of “Spring Place”.
At the close of the 18th century the Cherokee were in the process of giving away more of their land. As soon as a treaty was signed, the government would begin making a grab of more land and forcing another treaty.
At this auspicious time in the history of the Cherokees the Society of the
United Brethren, known as Moravians, authorized, in 1799, Reverend Abraham
Steiner of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to establish a mission in the Cherokee nation.
The Moravians
The name Moravian identifies the fact that this historic church had its origin in ancient Bohemia and Moravia in what is the present-day Czech Republic.
In the mid-ninth century these countries converted to Christianity chiefly through the influence of two Greek Orthodox missionaries, Cyril and Methodius.
They translated the Bible into the common language and introduced a national church ritual. In the centuries that followed, Bohemia and Moravia gradually fell under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Rome, but some of the Czech people protested.
The foremost of Czech reformers, John Hus (1369-1415) was a professor of philosophy and rector of the University in Prague. The Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, where Hus preached, became a rallying place for the Czech reformation.
Gaining support from students and the common people, he led a protest movement against many practices of the Roman Catholic clergy and hierarchy. Hus was accused of heresy, underwent a long trial at the Council of Constance, and was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.
ORGANIZED IN 1457
The reformation spirit did not die with John Hus. The Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), as it has been officially known since 1457, arose as followers of Hus gathered in the village of Kunvald, about 100 miles east of Prague, in eastern Bohemia, and organized the church.
This was 60 years before Martin Luther began his reformation and 100 years before the establishment of the Anglican Church.
By 1467 the Moravian Church had established its own ministry, and in the years that followed three orders of the ministry were defined: deacon, presbyter and bishop.
GROWTH, PERSECUTION, EXILE
By 1517 the Unity of Brethren numbered at least 200,000 with over 400 parishes. Using a hymnal and catechism of its own, the church promoted the Scriptures through its two printing presses and provided the people of Bohemia and Moravia with the Bible in their own language.
A bitter persecution, which broke out in 1547, led to the spread of the Brethren's Church to Poland where it grew rapidly.
By 1557 there were three provinces of the church: Bohemia, Moravia and Poland.
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) brought further persecution to the Brethren's Church, and the Protestants of Bohemia were severely defeated at the battle of White Mountain in 1620.
The prime leader of the Unitas Fratrum in these tempestuous years was Bishop John Amos Comenius (1592-1670). He became world-renowned for his progressive views of education. Comenius, lived most of his life in exile in England and in Holland where he died (God at work in his providence). His prayer was that some day the "hidden seed" of his beloved Unitas Fratrum might once again spring to new life.
RENEWAL IN THE 1700S
The eighteenth century saw the renewal of the Moravian Church through the patronage of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a pietist nobleman in Saxony. Some Moravian families fleeing persecution in Bohemia and Moravia found refuge on Zinzendorf's estate in 1722 and built the community of Herrnhut. The new community became the haven for many more Moravian refugees. Count Zinzendorf encouraged them to keep the discipline of the Unitas Fratrum, and he gave them the vision to take the gospel to the far corners of the globe. August 13, 1727, marked the culmination of a great spiritual renewal for the Moravian Church in Herrnhut, and in 1732 the first missionaries were sent to the West Indies.
TO AMERICA IN 1735
After an unsuccessful attempt to establish a Moravian settlement in Georgia (1735-1740), the Moravians settled in Pennsylvania on the estate of George Whitefield 1714-1770. Moravian settlers purchased 500 acres to establish the settlement of Bethlehem in 1741. Soon they bought the 5,000 acres of the Barony of Nazareth from Whitefield's manager, and the two communities of Bethlehem and Nazareth became closely linked in their agricultural and industrial economy. Other settlement congregations were established in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. All were considered frontier centers for the spread of the gospel, particularly in mission to the Native Americans.
WITH THIS HISTORY AS A BACKDROP
Abraham Steiner and Gottlieb Byhan were the first to come to “Spring Place” and establish the Moravian mission work , near what is modern day Chatsworth.
Chiefs James Vann and Charles Hicks (son of Nathan Hicks, a white man married to a Cherokee woman) encouraged the Cherokee council in 1800 to allow the missionaries to open a school for Cherokee children.
In 1801 Chief Vann’s daughter became the first student at the mission, making it the first school in the Cherokee nation.
It seems that Vann and Hicks viewed the mission work as a means to an end. They believed that the teaching of Christian doctrine would help merge the more traditional Cherokee lifestyle with a more Europeanized lifestyle and existence and perhaps secure the Cherokee’s place in this new world.
The mission seemed to struggle to get started and was even given an ultimatum to either get itself up and running or leave, and with the constant support of Chief Vann, the mission finally constructed its school and the work began.
John and Anna arrived in 1805, and the mission work took off.
Anna’s personality and spirit endeared her to the Cherokee.
Mrs. Gambold's amiability, sense of responsibility, and genius for imparting
knowledge as an educator made her the guiding spirit of the mission.
Under this couple’s work the mission became a working farm, a church and a school. The work lasted 31 years.
Anna was described as a missionary, teacher, author, scientist, farmer and friend.
The Cherokee would come to refer to Anna as “Mother Gambold”.
Anna was 43 when she married John, and they immediately came to work at the mission.
Chief Vann as a Providential Key to the work:
In 1809 Chief Vann was murdered. He was known as extremely generous when sober and brutal when drunk. He has participated in a massacre of settlers in the SW territory (Tennessee). He had negotiated with the co-raiders to spare women and children, but that to no avail. Men, women and children were massacred.
He had burned alive a slave for stealing and tortured a girl who knew of the details by hanging her from her thumbs.
The Gambolds rescued her.
He once said, when found on a remote trail after being sobered up, “good, I thought I was shot.”
He was extremely wealthy. He was the son of a Cherokee woman and a Scottish trader. He made much money and gained much land by trading and scheming.
He was very politically astute, and made many gains through politics.
He, however, favored the Gambolds and fought for their work there and supported it financially. The land of Spring Place was even donated by him.
I have not been able to find all the details of all that the Gambolds did, but acts that this give you a taste of their love of God and their love of the Cherokee.
It stands to reason that Chief Vann’s murder was probably for revenge or the like.
What is interesting is that the first convert to Christianity would be Margaret Vann, the widow of Chief Vann the following year in 1810.
The second convert was Chief Charles Hicks. On April 16, 1813 Chief Hicks was baptized in the barn at the mission and given the baptismal name “Renatus” which means, “Renewed”.
During the 32-year history of the Moravian work and 27 years for the Gambolds they saw 100 Cherokee begin their education there.
John and Anna grew the work there to include in addition to the school a chapel, missionaries residence, a dormitory for housing strangers, farm buildings, several large fields and an orchard.
Instruction included: religion (Christian doctrine), reading, writing, science, arithmetic, history, farming and housekeeping
Anna’s work in botany and medicinal gardens set a standard in the field for the day and her work was key in chronicling the natural resources present that could be used in medical advancement. Her work is listed in various journals and research work of the day.
Because of the success of the mission, the Gambolds were asked to take on a work at Oothcaloga (near modern day Calhoun).
Before they could move and take the work up, Anna died of heart failure February 19, 1821.
A Cherokee Chief named “The Warrior’s Nephew” said of the missionaries, “we do not look upon you as whites... you are looked upon as belonging to us.”
Well, the story begins to wind down on Christmas Eve of 1832.
One of the first actions Georgia took in preparation of the removal of the Cherokee was to close all mission stations.
On Christmas Eve of 1832, the Georgia Militia demanded that the Moravians close the mission.
On January 7, 1833 the missionaries bid farewell to Spring Place.
The Georgia Militia turned the mission into its headquarters during the Cherokee Removal.
The actual number of people who were baptized as followers of Jesus Christ is not found anywhere that I could find.
What is found is that upon arriving in Oklahoma, the Cherokee settled some Moravian Mission sites like the one they left in Georgia.
So, the Gospel had done it’s work and was then taken by the one’s who had received it and they preached among other nations.
What do we see of God’s grace here?
1. Father works through pleasant as well as bitter providences
A. Struggle of the work from 1801-1805
B. Murder of Chief Vann
C. The Abuses and generosity of a sometimes sober Chief
D. The salvation of the chief’s wife
E. The salvation of the chief
F. The forced removal of the Cherokee to Oklahoma
G. The landing of the Moravians in Pennsylvania rather than Georgia and
their connection to George Whitefield
H. The reformation heritage of the Moravians and their survival by
establishing of communities and the frontier approach of establishing
a mission base camp
I. The Moravian advancement of educational progression and teaching as
a means of advancing the Gospel
J. Exile to England and Holland as a base of the westward expanse of the
Gospel
K. An indestructible spirit that was trained through hardship that would
persevere through severe trials to see the advance of the Gospel
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
2. Father delights in using well-known means and unknown means to advance the Gospel
3. It does not require being a professional missionary to advance the Kingdom just a willingness to go and a tradition that makes that the status quo
- Long term – they leave and make the mission their life’s work
- Short term – they leave and help the long term guys and return home
4. As the Moravians loved the mission and did it and saw marvelous graces, we too, love the mission and have seen marvelous graces
- The timing on entering such a hard country was perfect
- The relational connections to be established
- The difficulty and hardship
- The transformation of some that promises more
5. We must not be daunted by little fruit early
- It was 9 years before Chief Vann’s wife would believe the Gospel
- It was 7 years for Judson
- We have seen fruit earlier, but not the full fruit of a church planting
movement
6. We must not be daunted by internal challenges and team member changes
November 8, 2009
Anna Rosina Kliest Gambold
Hebrews 11:1-3, 13-16, 32-38
Born: May 1, 1762
Place: Bethlehem, PA
She is described as a “sprightly person as well as in fancy and imagination with the gift of making the hearts of her Indian pupils blossom like the rose.”
Death: February 19, 1821
She was one of the earliest female botanists in America
- She was an authority on both ornamental and medicinal plants
Anna married John Gambold at the age of 43
Together, John Gambold and Anna Rosin Kliest Gambold became the foundation of “Spring Place”.
At the close of the 18th century the Cherokee were in the process of giving away more of their land. As soon as a treaty was signed, the government would begin making a grab of more land and forcing another treaty.
At this auspicious time in the history of the Cherokees the Society of the
United Brethren, known as Moravians, authorized, in 1799, Reverend Abraham
Steiner of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, to establish a mission in the Cherokee nation.
The Moravians
The name Moravian identifies the fact that this historic church had its origin in ancient Bohemia and Moravia in what is the present-day Czech Republic.
In the mid-ninth century these countries converted to Christianity chiefly through the influence of two Greek Orthodox missionaries, Cyril and Methodius.
They translated the Bible into the common language and introduced a national church ritual. In the centuries that followed, Bohemia and Moravia gradually fell under the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of Rome, but some of the Czech people protested.
The foremost of Czech reformers, John Hus (1369-1415) was a professor of philosophy and rector of the University in Prague. The Bethlehem Chapel in Prague, where Hus preached, became a rallying place for the Czech reformation.
Gaining support from students and the common people, he led a protest movement against many practices of the Roman Catholic clergy and hierarchy. Hus was accused of heresy, underwent a long trial at the Council of Constance, and was burned at the stake on July 6, 1415.
ORGANIZED IN 1457
The reformation spirit did not die with John Hus. The Moravian Church, or Unitas Fratrum (Unity of Brethren), as it has been officially known since 1457, arose as followers of Hus gathered in the village of Kunvald, about 100 miles east of Prague, in eastern Bohemia, and organized the church.
This was 60 years before Martin Luther began his reformation and 100 years before the establishment of the Anglican Church.
By 1467 the Moravian Church had established its own ministry, and in the years that followed three orders of the ministry were defined: deacon, presbyter and bishop.
GROWTH, PERSECUTION, EXILE
By 1517 the Unity of Brethren numbered at least 200,000 with over 400 parishes. Using a hymnal and catechism of its own, the church promoted the Scriptures through its two printing presses and provided the people of Bohemia and Moravia with the Bible in their own language.
A bitter persecution, which broke out in 1547, led to the spread of the Brethren's Church to Poland where it grew rapidly.
By 1557 there were three provinces of the church: Bohemia, Moravia and Poland.
The Thirty Years War (1618-1648) brought further persecution to the Brethren's Church, and the Protestants of Bohemia were severely defeated at the battle of White Mountain in 1620.
The prime leader of the Unitas Fratrum in these tempestuous years was Bishop John Amos Comenius (1592-1670). He became world-renowned for his progressive views of education. Comenius, lived most of his life in exile in England and in Holland where he died (God at work in his providence). His prayer was that some day the "hidden seed" of his beloved Unitas Fratrum might once again spring to new life.
RENEWAL IN THE 1700S
The eighteenth century saw the renewal of the Moravian Church through the patronage of Count Nicholas Ludwig von Zinzendorf, a pietist nobleman in Saxony. Some Moravian families fleeing persecution in Bohemia and Moravia found refuge on Zinzendorf's estate in 1722 and built the community of Herrnhut. The new community became the haven for many more Moravian refugees. Count Zinzendorf encouraged them to keep the discipline of the Unitas Fratrum, and he gave them the vision to take the gospel to the far corners of the globe. August 13, 1727, marked the culmination of a great spiritual renewal for the Moravian Church in Herrnhut, and in 1732 the first missionaries were sent to the West Indies.
TO AMERICA IN 1735
After an unsuccessful attempt to establish a Moravian settlement in Georgia (1735-1740), the Moravians settled in Pennsylvania on the estate of George Whitefield 1714-1770. Moravian settlers purchased 500 acres to establish the settlement of Bethlehem in 1741. Soon they bought the 5,000 acres of the Barony of Nazareth from Whitefield's manager, and the two communities of Bethlehem and Nazareth became closely linked in their agricultural and industrial economy. Other settlement congregations were established in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Maryland. All were considered frontier centers for the spread of the gospel, particularly in mission to the Native Americans.
WITH THIS HISTORY AS A BACKDROP
Abraham Steiner and Gottlieb Byhan were the first to come to “Spring Place” and establish the Moravian mission work , near what is modern day Chatsworth.
Chiefs James Vann and Charles Hicks (son of Nathan Hicks, a white man married to a Cherokee woman) encouraged the Cherokee council in 1800 to allow the missionaries to open a school for Cherokee children.
In 1801 Chief Vann’s daughter became the first student at the mission, making it the first school in the Cherokee nation.
It seems that Vann and Hicks viewed the mission work as a means to an end. They believed that the teaching of Christian doctrine would help merge the more traditional Cherokee lifestyle with a more Europeanized lifestyle and existence and perhaps secure the Cherokee’s place in this new world.
The mission seemed to struggle to get started and was even given an ultimatum to either get itself up and running or leave, and with the constant support of Chief Vann, the mission finally constructed its school and the work began.
John and Anna arrived in 1805, and the mission work took off.
Anna’s personality and spirit endeared her to the Cherokee.
Mrs. Gambold's amiability, sense of responsibility, and genius for imparting
knowledge as an educator made her the guiding spirit of the mission.
Under this couple’s work the mission became a working farm, a church and a school. The work lasted 31 years.
Anna was described as a missionary, teacher, author, scientist, farmer and friend.
The Cherokee would come to refer to Anna as “Mother Gambold”.
Anna was 43 when she married John, and they immediately came to work at the mission.
Chief Vann as a Providential Key to the work:
In 1809 Chief Vann was murdered. He was known as extremely generous when sober and brutal when drunk. He has participated in a massacre of settlers in the SW territory (Tennessee). He had negotiated with the co-raiders to spare women and children, but that to no avail. Men, women and children were massacred.
He had burned alive a slave for stealing and tortured a girl who knew of the details by hanging her from her thumbs.
The Gambolds rescued her.
He once said, when found on a remote trail after being sobered up, “good, I thought I was shot.”
He was extremely wealthy. He was the son of a Cherokee woman and a Scottish trader. He made much money and gained much land by trading and scheming.
He was very politically astute, and made many gains through politics.
He, however, favored the Gambolds and fought for their work there and supported it financially. The land of Spring Place was even donated by him.
I have not been able to find all the details of all that the Gambolds did, but acts that this give you a taste of their love of God and their love of the Cherokee.
It stands to reason that Chief Vann’s murder was probably for revenge or the like.
What is interesting is that the first convert to Christianity would be Margaret Vann, the widow of Chief Vann the following year in 1810.
The second convert was Chief Charles Hicks. On April 16, 1813 Chief Hicks was baptized in the barn at the mission and given the baptismal name “Renatus” which means, “Renewed”.
During the 32-year history of the Moravian work and 27 years for the Gambolds they saw 100 Cherokee begin their education there.
John and Anna grew the work there to include in addition to the school a chapel, missionaries residence, a dormitory for housing strangers, farm buildings, several large fields and an orchard.
Instruction included: religion (Christian doctrine), reading, writing, science, arithmetic, history, farming and housekeeping
Anna’s work in botany and medicinal gardens set a standard in the field for the day and her work was key in chronicling the natural resources present that could be used in medical advancement. Her work is listed in various journals and research work of the day.
Because of the success of the mission, the Gambolds were asked to take on a work at Oothcaloga (near modern day Calhoun).
Before they could move and take the work up, Anna died of heart failure February 19, 1821.
A Cherokee Chief named “The Warrior’s Nephew” said of the missionaries, “we do not look upon you as whites... you are looked upon as belonging to us.”
Well, the story begins to wind down on Christmas Eve of 1832.
One of the first actions Georgia took in preparation of the removal of the Cherokee was to close all mission stations.
On Christmas Eve of 1832, the Georgia Militia demanded that the Moravians close the mission.
On January 7, 1833 the missionaries bid farewell to Spring Place.
The Georgia Militia turned the mission into its headquarters during the Cherokee Removal.
The actual number of people who were baptized as followers of Jesus Christ is not found anywhere that I could find.
What is found is that upon arriving in Oklahoma, the Cherokee settled some Moravian Mission sites like the one they left in Georgia.
So, the Gospel had done it’s work and was then taken by the one’s who had received it and they preached among other nations.
What do we see of God’s grace here?
1. Father works through pleasant as well as bitter providences
A. Struggle of the work from 1801-1805
B. Murder of Chief Vann
C. The Abuses and generosity of a sometimes sober Chief
D. The salvation of the chief’s wife
E. The salvation of the chief
F. The forced removal of the Cherokee to Oklahoma
G. The landing of the Moravians in Pennsylvania rather than Georgia and
their connection to George Whitefield
H. The reformation heritage of the Moravians and their survival by
establishing of communities and the frontier approach of establishing
a mission base camp
I. The Moravian advancement of educational progression and teaching as
a means of advancing the Gospel
J. Exile to England and Holland as a base of the westward expanse of the
Gospel
K. An indestructible spirit that was trained through hardship that would
persevere through severe trials to see the advance of the Gospel
God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
2. Father delights in using well-known means and unknown means to advance the Gospel
3. It does not require being a professional missionary to advance the Kingdom just a willingness to go and a tradition that makes that the status quo
- Long term – they leave and make the mission their life’s work
- Short term – they leave and help the long term guys and return home
4. As the Moravians loved the mission and did it and saw marvelous graces, we too, love the mission and have seen marvelous graces
- The timing on entering such a hard country was perfect
- The relational connections to be established
- The difficulty and hardship
- The transformation of some that promises more
5. We must not be daunted by little fruit early
- It was 9 years before Chief Vann’s wife would believe the Gospel
- It was 7 years for Judson
- We have seen fruit earlier, but not the full fruit of a church planting
movement
6. We must not be daunted by internal challenges and team member changes
Thursday, November 5, 2009
1 John Assurance
How Do I Know if I am Saved?
Some would answer, "The Bible says, 'Once saved, always saved.' So if you believed in Jesus in the past, you have a ticket straight to heaven; you should never question your salvation."
But what does the Bible say? Does it support this statement? Consider these passages:
Matt 7:13-27
Col 1:21-23
Heb 2:13
Heb 6:4-6
Heb 10:38-39
John 8: 31-32
On the surface these passages seem to indicate that salvation depends on our continued faithfulness to Jesus.
On the other hand, consider these passages:
John 6:37-40
John 10:27-30
2 Cor 1:18-22
Eph 1:13-14
Conclusion: These passages are not in conflict. Security vs. Assurance is a question of perspective- God’s or ours.
Security describes the settled reality of salvation for those who have repented of sin and trusted in Christ alone for their salvation. Jesus knows those who are His and promises He will keep them secure. Assurance is our confident realization of our salvation in Christ. We can have a false sense of assurance if we have not been saved, or we can fail to have proper assurance although we have truly been saved.
Why do some who profess Christ lack assurance of salvation?
• Can’t remember a specific time when they received Christ
• Question the procedure they went through when they accepted Christ
• Struggles with certain sins
• Misunderstanding about the finished work of Christ
• Have not truly followed Christ and rightly have no assurance of salvation
1 John is all about assurance of salvation. In it John gives us four tests of assurance to test if our faith is genuine:
1. Is the pattern of my life one of obedience or is it one of sin? (1 John 1:6, 2:3-6, 3:3-6, 3:9, 5:18, Romans 6:2 and others)
2. Do I hold to the right doctrine about the person of Jesus? (1 John 2:22-23; 5:1,5 and others)
3. Do I love my brothers and sisters in Christ? (1 John 2:9-11; 3:11-15; 4:7-8 and others)
4. Does my desire for sin rival my desire for God? ( 1 John 2:15-17; others)
What are we assured of in Christ from 1 John?
1. Forgiveness of all sin. 1:7, 9
2. Eternal Life 2:25; 5:13
3. Propitiation (satisfaction) of sin and Justification 2:2
4. Called a child of God by faith 3:1
5. Freedom from condemnation 4:17-18
So can we ever know we are in Christ? Can we ever have assurance? Yes! That's why John wrote his first epistle! But we can never presume on past actions or past assurance to excuse or downplay present sinfulness. Scripture teaches that continuing in the faith is the mark of authentic faith.
What is the result of assurance? We understand and believe Romans 8:28-39 (this is good news to us in Christ!)
If nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, then we are free to completely trust him with our lives. This has huge implications for us individually and as a church.
What does your response need to be to the message of 1 John?
Some would answer, "The Bible says, 'Once saved, always saved.' So if you believed in Jesus in the past, you have a ticket straight to heaven; you should never question your salvation."
But what does the Bible say? Does it support this statement? Consider these passages:
Matt 7:13-27
Col 1:21-23
Heb 2:13
Heb 6:4-6
Heb 10:38-39
John 8: 31-32
On the surface these passages seem to indicate that salvation depends on our continued faithfulness to Jesus.
On the other hand, consider these passages:
John 6:37-40
John 10:27-30
2 Cor 1:18-22
Eph 1:13-14
Conclusion: These passages are not in conflict. Security vs. Assurance is a question of perspective- God’s or ours.
Security describes the settled reality of salvation for those who have repented of sin and trusted in Christ alone for their salvation. Jesus knows those who are His and promises He will keep them secure. Assurance is our confident realization of our salvation in Christ. We can have a false sense of assurance if we have not been saved, or we can fail to have proper assurance although we have truly been saved.
Why do some who profess Christ lack assurance of salvation?
• Can’t remember a specific time when they received Christ
• Question the procedure they went through when they accepted Christ
• Struggles with certain sins
• Misunderstanding about the finished work of Christ
• Have not truly followed Christ and rightly have no assurance of salvation
1 John is all about assurance of salvation. In it John gives us four tests of assurance to test if our faith is genuine:
1. Is the pattern of my life one of obedience or is it one of sin? (1 John 1:6, 2:3-6, 3:3-6, 3:9, 5:18, Romans 6:2 and others)
2. Do I hold to the right doctrine about the person of Jesus? (1 John 2:22-23; 5:1,5 and others)
3. Do I love my brothers and sisters in Christ? (1 John 2:9-11; 3:11-15; 4:7-8 and others)
4. Does my desire for sin rival my desire for God? ( 1 John 2:15-17; others)
What are we assured of in Christ from 1 John?
1. Forgiveness of all sin. 1:7, 9
2. Eternal Life 2:25; 5:13
3. Propitiation (satisfaction) of sin and Justification 2:2
4. Called a child of God by faith 3:1
5. Freedom from condemnation 4:17-18
So can we ever know we are in Christ? Can we ever have assurance? Yes! That's why John wrote his first epistle! But we can never presume on past actions or past assurance to excuse or downplay present sinfulness. Scripture teaches that continuing in the faith is the mark of authentic faith.
What is the result of assurance? We understand and believe Romans 8:28-39 (this is good news to us in Christ!)
If nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, then we are free to completely trust him with our lives. This has huge implications for us individually and as a church.
What does your response need to be to the message of 1 John?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Q & A Apologetics Philosophy (Baptism/Missions)
2. Baptize
I believe in believer baptism.
This issue is why I’m a Baptist and not a Presbyterian. As a matter of fact, I would rather be a member of a Baptist church tolerant and accepting of a Reformed theologian, although as a church they are not quite there, than a Presbyterian church, who throws away a precious doctrine for the sake of their inability to fully reform.
I joke with my Presbyterian friends that this is the issue on which they are just “hopelessly Catholic”.
It is on this issue that Presbyterians drowned us Baptists in 1525 and on in the Reformation as execution issuing from the church/state for not placing our children in the covenant community by infant baptism.
I’m proud of my Baptist heritage. Not because I value being Baptist above being Christian, but because I find biblical reason for identifying with being Baptist.
My desire is not to be contentious. Most of my heroes were infant baptizers. I just respectfully disagree.
I believe the Westminster Confession has a few blind spots. I love that document, but, it, as all of us, has it’s blind spots.
We don’t need to view this document or the Presbyterians that adhere to it with suspicion spiritually or morally. It should not hinder partnership for we have more in common than we do in distinction, but we need to be clear on what we believe.
Your thought on this issue can and should progress through the biblical text. There are a three stages that I see and we often cast away the third stage for fear that it makes Westminster’s point, when in fact it makes our point.
Stage 1: Every baptism recorded in the Bible was the baptism of a person who had professed faith in Christ. Nowhere in Scripture is there any instance of an infant being baptized.
1. Acts 16:15, 33
2. 1 Corinthians 1:16
These household baptisms are exceptions to this ONLY if you assume that “household” includes infants.
a. Acts 16:32
1. Luke steers us away from this assumption by showing that
a person needs to hear and believe “the word of the Lord” in
order to be baptized.
2. This is at least as plausible as the assumption that
unmentioned infants were in the jailer’s household.
Stage 2: The order of Peter’s command was, “Repent and be baptized.”
1. Acts 2:38
2. Romans 6:1-11
Romans 6:1-11 is not conclusive for either point except to affirm immersion as the normal mode in the early church because it does not contain a word about faith or any conscious response to the Gospel until verse 11.
Stage 3: Baptism is an expression of faith in God’s glorious work of the Gospel
1. Colossians 2:12
a. There are two mataphors in play here: 1. Circumcision 2. Baptism
1. Grammtically verse 12 is modifying the word circumcision in
verse 11.
Baptism is an internal work of the Gospel (via the means of the Holy Spirit) whereby a person’s sinful body of flesh is removed and they are baptized in the powerful work of God with Christ Jesus through faith.
In other words, by faith in Christ, one is circumcised by the work of God and baptized into Christ.
The external acts is a visible symbol of what happened on the inside.
2. 1 Peter 3:21
“1 Peter 3:21 is the nearest approach to a definition of baptism that the New Testament affords.”
This text scares many off because it seems to come close to the Roman Catholic notion that the rite of baptism saves (baptismal regeneration).
This text is our most powerful argument.
“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”
a. Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.”
1. Does that passage affirm that a person is saved effectually
by confessing with their mouth Jesus? No!
2. Verse 14-17 They call on the one they believe in and they
believe because of the preaching of the Gospel. Faith comes
and they confess.
3. The confession of the mouth is a result of faith in the heart
resulting from the preaching of the Gospel.
b. 1 Peter 3:21 makes the same affirmation regarding baptism.
“The movement of the lips in the air and the movement of the body in water save only in the sense that they give expression to the single justifying act, namely faith.”
Baptism is an expression of faith in the glorious work of the Gospel.
Application:
1. Baptism celebrates a new heart and the turning away from the dead state a person was in.
a. This directly says that the former way of life was deadness and effectively
shames Islam or any other religion as devoid of life but full of death.
2. Baptism creates a new community called the church
a. Acts 2:41; 46-47
1. The community of the church “grew” as people repented in faith
and were baptized into Christ as their new identity.
3. Baptism is key to the completion of the Great Commission
a. Baptism only happens if we go to the UPG’s of the globe
b. Baptism only happens if we preach the Gospel to make disciples
4. The church IS THE ONLY community of the saved and is the communal result of the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel
a. The Gospel is not propagated inside Islam or Hinduism
1. E. Stanley Jones and Paul Chandler Warren are wrong.
2. Evangelicals proposing “inter-faith” methodology are wrong.
3. We must be clear on our goals and our methods.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2009/4337_Should_Christians_Say_That_Their_Aim_Is_to_Convert_Others_to_Faith_in_Christ/
a. We do seek the conversion of the nations to faith in Christ
and inclusion in his church that takes the indigenous shape
of that distinct culture
I believe in believer baptism.
This issue is why I’m a Baptist and not a Presbyterian. As a matter of fact, I would rather be a member of a Baptist church tolerant and accepting of a Reformed theologian, although as a church they are not quite there, than a Presbyterian church, who throws away a precious doctrine for the sake of their inability to fully reform.
I joke with my Presbyterian friends that this is the issue on which they are just “hopelessly Catholic”.
It is on this issue that Presbyterians drowned us Baptists in 1525 and on in the Reformation as execution issuing from the church/state for not placing our children in the covenant community by infant baptism.
I’m proud of my Baptist heritage. Not because I value being Baptist above being Christian, but because I find biblical reason for identifying with being Baptist.
My desire is not to be contentious. Most of my heroes were infant baptizers. I just respectfully disagree.
I believe the Westminster Confession has a few blind spots. I love that document, but, it, as all of us, has it’s blind spots.
We don’t need to view this document or the Presbyterians that adhere to it with suspicion spiritually or morally. It should not hinder partnership for we have more in common than we do in distinction, but we need to be clear on what we believe.
Your thought on this issue can and should progress through the biblical text. There are a three stages that I see and we often cast away the third stage for fear that it makes Westminster’s point, when in fact it makes our point.
Stage 1: Every baptism recorded in the Bible was the baptism of a person who had professed faith in Christ. Nowhere in Scripture is there any instance of an infant being baptized.
1. Acts 16:15, 33
2. 1 Corinthians 1:16
These household baptisms are exceptions to this ONLY if you assume that “household” includes infants.
a. Acts 16:32
1. Luke steers us away from this assumption by showing that
a person needs to hear and believe “the word of the Lord” in
order to be baptized.
2. This is at least as plausible as the assumption that
unmentioned infants were in the jailer’s household.
Stage 2: The order of Peter’s command was, “Repent and be baptized.”
1. Acts 2:38
2. Romans 6:1-11
Romans 6:1-11 is not conclusive for either point except to affirm immersion as the normal mode in the early church because it does not contain a word about faith or any conscious response to the Gospel until verse 11.
Stage 3: Baptism is an expression of faith in God’s glorious work of the Gospel
1. Colossians 2:12
a. There are two mataphors in play here: 1. Circumcision 2. Baptism
1. Grammtically verse 12 is modifying the word circumcision in
verse 11.
Baptism is an internal work of the Gospel (via the means of the Holy Spirit) whereby a person’s sinful body of flesh is removed and they are baptized in the powerful work of God with Christ Jesus through faith.
In other words, by faith in Christ, one is circumcised by the work of God and baptized into Christ.
The external acts is a visible symbol of what happened on the inside.
2. 1 Peter 3:21
“1 Peter 3:21 is the nearest approach to a definition of baptism that the New Testament affords.”
This text scares many off because it seems to come close to the Roman Catholic notion that the rite of baptism saves (baptismal regeneration).
This text is our most powerful argument.
“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,”
a. Romans 10:9 “because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is
Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.”
1. Does that passage affirm that a person is saved effectually
by confessing with their mouth Jesus? No!
2. Verse 14-17 They call on the one they believe in and they
believe because of the preaching of the Gospel. Faith comes
and they confess.
3. The confession of the mouth is a result of faith in the heart
resulting from the preaching of the Gospel.
b. 1 Peter 3:21 makes the same affirmation regarding baptism.
“The movement of the lips in the air and the movement of the body in water save only in the sense that they give expression to the single justifying act, namely faith.”
Baptism is an expression of faith in the glorious work of the Gospel.
Application:
1. Baptism celebrates a new heart and the turning away from the dead state a person was in.
a. This directly says that the former way of life was deadness and effectively
shames Islam or any other religion as devoid of life but full of death.
2. Baptism creates a new community called the church
a. Acts 2:41; 46-47
1. The community of the church “grew” as people repented in faith
and were baptized into Christ as their new identity.
3. Baptism is key to the completion of the Great Commission
a. Baptism only happens if we go to the UPG’s of the globe
b. Baptism only happens if we preach the Gospel to make disciples
4. The church IS THE ONLY community of the saved and is the communal result of the baptizing work of the Holy Spirit in the Gospel
a. The Gospel is not propagated inside Islam or Hinduism
1. E. Stanley Jones and Paul Chandler Warren are wrong.
2. Evangelicals proposing “inter-faith” methodology are wrong.
3. We must be clear on our goals and our methods.
http://www.desiringgod.org/ResourceLibrary/TasteAndSee/ByDate/2009/4337_Should_Christians_Say_That_Their_Aim_Is_to_Convert_Others_to_Faith_in_Christ/
a. We do seek the conversion of the nations to faith in Christ
and inclusion in his church that takes the indigenous shape
of that distinct culture
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Great Commission TRCC Style
1. Make disciples of all nations
A. Make disciples
1. Individuals who come after Jesus
a. Repent
b. Believe the Gospel (faith)
1. Mark 1:15 “...repent and believe the Gospel.”
2. Just one of the reasons I’m not an advocate of child
evangelism.
3. Jesus said to not prevent the children from coming
to him. That’s right. Don’t either by preventing them
if they understand and desire to come or preventing
them by allowing them to pursue bad doctrine and
practice.
B. All nations (panta ta ethne)
1. People groups, ethno linguistically unique people groupings. Not
geographical political countries.
2. This is the church’s mission and this is missions. www.joshuaproject.net
a. 16,360 people groups
b. 6,641 UPG
c. 6.7 billion people in the world
d. 2.74 billion people in UPG
e. 41 % of the world’s population are unreached. That is,
there is no church and no Christians there. That defines
our task!
3. Misson’s is not maximizing the number of people who believe in
an area. That is the church’s task in evangelism and missional living.
4. The church’s task is seeing disciples made and the church birthed
to begin the work of evangelism and missional living.
5. Romans 15:17-21
a. Paul says the ministry of the Gospel of Christ was fulfilled
from Jerusalem to Albania! How is that?
b. It is because the Gospel had been preached, disciples made
the church functioning and now it was time to move on to
continue missions, and the church would then do evangelism
and become missional in it’s function to maximize the number
of disciples and to begin it’s own engagment of the unreached.
Strategy (transitive verbs)(participles = verbal / adjectives).
With participles, as we have here, it is not uncommon to assign the force of the main verb, “make disciples”, to the participles, which serve as transitive verbs (in the world of English).
However, the participles have clear meaning in definition of the strategy employed in carrying out the command.
1. Go
A. Often exegeted “as you are going”. This misses the contextual part of
translation and exegesis.
1. This gives the feel that as one goes about their daily routine if
they are preaching the Gospel they are doing Great Commission
work. Not true.
B. Literally: “going”
C. Going Strategy: Make disciples = Repent / Believe the Gospel
1. Learn where the Gospel has not been preached
“Find where hell is breaking loose and go”
a. We cannot avoid the hard places. We are mandated to go
to them.
b. This demands repentance from unbiblical values:
1. Safety
2. Independence
3. Internal ministry first or dominant
4. Exceptionally high pastoral salary
2. Begin praying about where to engage (which UPG)
1. Assess the skills of the congregation and determine what you can do in the region
3. Look for help from trusted sources engaged in that part of the
world (missions agencies, etc.)
4. Make the first trip
1. Take church members that are not Elders
2. Ask for workers to be sent
3. Look for people of peace and work with them
4. Heal – do good works that are needed
5. Teach the Gospel of the Kingdom
(see Luke 10:1-12; Matthew 9:37-10:24; Mark 6:7-13; )
5. Engage by the “front door” (be honest about who we are and
what we will and will not do)
6. Preach the Gospel
1. Baptize
2. Get the scriptures in their language
3. Allow them to take the scriptures and form the church in
their context with the Holy Spirit using the Scriptures as the
manual
A. Make disciples
1. Individuals who come after Jesus
a. Repent
b. Believe the Gospel (faith)
1. Mark 1:15 “...repent and believe the Gospel.”
2. Just one of the reasons I’m not an advocate of child
evangelism.
3. Jesus said to not prevent the children from coming
to him. That’s right. Don’t either by preventing them
if they understand and desire to come or preventing
them by allowing them to pursue bad doctrine and
practice.
B. All nations (panta ta ethne)
1. People groups, ethno linguistically unique people groupings. Not
geographical political countries.
2. This is the church’s mission and this is missions. www.joshuaproject.net
a. 16,360 people groups
b. 6,641 UPG
c. 6.7 billion people in the world
d. 2.74 billion people in UPG
e. 41 % of the world’s population are unreached. That is,
there is no church and no Christians there. That defines
our task!
3. Misson’s is not maximizing the number of people who believe in
an area. That is the church’s task in evangelism and missional living.
4. The church’s task is seeing disciples made and the church birthed
to begin the work of evangelism and missional living.
5. Romans 15:17-21
a. Paul says the ministry of the Gospel of Christ was fulfilled
from Jerusalem to Albania! How is that?
b. It is because the Gospel had been preached, disciples made
the church functioning and now it was time to move on to
continue missions, and the church would then do evangelism
and become missional in it’s function to maximize the number
of disciples and to begin it’s own engagment of the unreached.
Strategy (transitive verbs)(participles = verbal / adjectives).
With participles, as we have here, it is not uncommon to assign the force of the main verb, “make disciples”, to the participles, which serve as transitive verbs (in the world of English).
However, the participles have clear meaning in definition of the strategy employed in carrying out the command.
1. Go
A. Often exegeted “as you are going”. This misses the contextual part of
translation and exegesis.
1. This gives the feel that as one goes about their daily routine if
they are preaching the Gospel they are doing Great Commission
work. Not true.
B. Literally: “going”
C. Going Strategy: Make disciples = Repent / Believe the Gospel
1. Learn where the Gospel has not been preached
“Find where hell is breaking loose and go”
a. We cannot avoid the hard places. We are mandated to go
to them.
b. This demands repentance from unbiblical values:
1. Safety
2. Independence
3. Internal ministry first or dominant
4. Exceptionally high pastoral salary
2. Begin praying about where to engage (which UPG)
1. Assess the skills of the congregation and determine what you can do in the region
3. Look for help from trusted sources engaged in that part of the
world (missions agencies, etc.)
4. Make the first trip
1. Take church members that are not Elders
2. Ask for workers to be sent
3. Look for people of peace and work with them
4. Heal – do good works that are needed
5. Teach the Gospel of the Kingdom
(see Luke 10:1-12; Matthew 9:37-10:24; Mark 6:7-13; )
5. Engage by the “front door” (be honest about who we are and
what we will and will not do)
6. Preach the Gospel
1. Baptize
2. Get the scriptures in their language
3. Allow them to take the scriptures and form the church in
their context with the Holy Spirit using the Scriptures as the
manual
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