Q & A Why is preaching necessary?
Acts 8:4 εὐαγγέλιον - denoting the act of proclamation; as denoting the work of evangelization; as denoting the content of the message as an offer of salvation
Romans 10:14 κηρύσσω - official acitivy of a herald; make known extensively, tell everywhere; in a religious sense, denoting proclamation of a sacred message
If a person calls on the name of the Lord they are saved.
How can a person call on one they have not believed in?
How can a person believe in one thy have not heard of?
How can a person hear unless someone preaches to them?
How can a person be preached to unless the preacher is sent?
Faith comes from hearing and hearing only comes by the word of Christ.
Luke 4:43
Here Jesus has been teaching in Galilee and now he was in Judea. The geographical change indicating a coponent of preaching that the other word we will look at captures. That is the idea of an extensive covering of every territory.
Acts 6:2
In this passage the twelve have to make some qualitative decisions about the use of their time. There is a mandate to proclaim the good news, and the twelve’s time is being taken up with the day to day routine of feeding the widows.
They do not diminish the importance of serving the widows, in fact they highlight the importance of that ministry by appointing the first deacons to minister to those needs so that the preaching of the good news would not stop but continue on.
Acts 16:10
On the second missionary journey, Paul, Timothy and Silas receive Holy Spirit direction on the location in which they are to make a proclamation of the good news. They encounter Lydia, a merchant and thus influential person in Philippi, and the Lord opens her heart to pay attention to what is said and she believed, he whole house believes and is baptized.
Romans 15:20
Once again the concept of proclamation is to make known a message as an ambassador of a royal figure to the territories belonging to the royal leader.
It is interesting to note the tone of this command to preach, proclaim, to a king’s people his message to them when these people do not yet know they are under his rule.
In essence, Jesus is saying through the command to preach that these peoples are already his. And they are, for he is their creator and savior whether they know it yet or not, and thus the need to tell them.
Matthew 12:41
Here Jesus shows us some of the intended meaning of this call to preach. Jonah told of the Lord’s intention and the offer to repent. And the people responded to the message.
Titus 1:1-3
Paul says here that the preaching he does is resulting from the command of God to go and proclaim what has been show from his word (Scriptures). It is this preaching that brings that message to light.
2 Timothy 4:2
Here Paul instructs Timothy, the pastor/teacher at Ephesus, to preach the word in all seasons. This is a mandate to not neglect the proclamation of the gospel among his own people and, when needed, correct patiently while teaching them.
His reason is that the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching and will go and bring to themselves teachers that will suit their still fallen passions and will wander off into myths.
So, what is preaching?
1. Preaching is an act of boldly announcing royal news
a. Preaching is a divine mandate resulting from Jesus command to make
disciples. Therefore, people must have this message communicated to them
because they do not know.
b. Preaching is a bold act because it requires us to inform people of something
they do not yet know or understand.
1. Preaching is a strategic work. In our context this is a much harder work
because our activity includes much clarifying in order to bring
understanding to ingrained vocabulary.
a. In Rome, GA preach by defining terms using the biblical text
b. In Rome, GA preach by knowing the various beliefs of Romans
2. Preaching requires intentionality and that is bold
2. Preaching is an activity that must be contextualized
a. The message never changes
b. The message needs to be communicated in the terms of the hearers so
that there are no barriers, humanly speaking, to the message.
3. Preaching is a super natural activity
a. Preaching is an activity that all Christians can engage in that has the dynamic
component of Holy Spirit activity to open blind eyes, resurrect cold and dead
hearts and remove centuries of idolatrous behavior.
4. Preaching is an activity that requires a response
a. Preaching produces either faith or hardness (passively or actively)
b. It is the preachers job to understand what the hearers response is
c. It is the preachers job to treat each person they way they need to be
treated because each person is different and will not always respond the
way others do.
5. Preaching is an officially licensed activity of the church
a. Preaching is not reserved for church leadership only.
b. Preaching is mandated for all Christians.
c. Preaching is not a special call to ministry, but a privilege of all Christians
inside their vocations thus making their vocations holy.
6. Preaching is exhaustive in it’s scope
a. Preaching must not be contained to the preacher’s immediate context only.
b. Preaching must have urgency to it.
1. Preachers must seek audiences that have not heard now not later. The
call is global and local.
a. Thus, our vision:
For the glory of God we will build the church, both local and global, by being and producing radial followers of Jesus Christ.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Is Man's Will Free?
Is Man’s Will Free?
Resources:
Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther
Willing to Believe, R.C. Sproul
Freedom of the Will, Jonathan Edwards
John Locke
John Wesley
Clarification
1. Whenever this issue is handled terms need to defined
A. Freedom
B. Will
C. Heart
A. Freedom - the quality or state of being free; as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: independence; the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous; freedom from care
B. Definition of the will – “That by which the mind chooses any thing. The faculty of the will, is that power, or principle of mind, by which it is capable of choosing: an act of the will is the same as an act of choosing or choice.”
C. Definition of the heart –
A. לֵב, לֵבָב in the OT.
The use of לֵב and לֵבָב1 is not promiscue. C. A. Briggs2 has shown that “the earliest documents use לב.לבב ״ ״ appears first in Isaiah.” For details cf. Briggs and Holzinger.3
1. “Heart” in the literal sense, a. in men and animals, the “neighbourhood of the heart,” “breast,” passim; סְג֥ר לֵב the “caul of the heart,” Hos. 13:8. b. “Seat of physical vitality,” vitalising (סעד) by nourishment, e.g., Gn. 18:5; “physical brokenness,” כָּל־לֵבָב דַּוָּי Is. 1:5.
2. Fig. the “innermost part of man.” Men look on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart,” 1 S. 16:7; par. to קֶרֶב Jer. 31:33; to talk to oneself, to think (אמר, דבר passim, חשׁב Zech. 7:10, ברך Dt. 29:18; Job 1:5). The heart is the seat of mental or spiritual powers and capacities.
a. The heart stands firm in bravery and courage (עמד Ez. 22:14): לֵבָך. par. כֹּחַ Da. 11:25, מָצָא אֶת־לִבּוֹ to find the heart, 2 S. 7:27, יִגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ his courage arose, 2 Ch. 17:6, אַבִּירֵי לֵב the stouthearted, Ps. 76:5. The failure of courage רכך ׃(לֵב) e.g., Dt. 20:3, מסס e.g., Dt. 20:8, חרד e.g., 1 S. 4:13, יצא Gn. 42:28, עוב Ps. 40:12, נפל 1 S. 17:32, מוג Ez. 21:20, דִּבֶּר עַל־לֵב to encourage, e.g., Gn. 34:3. Joy: שִׂמְחַת לֵב e.g., Dt. 28:47. Of merriness of heart: βφψ e.g., Ju. 19:9, טֹוד e.g., 2 S. 13:28, שׂמח e.g., Zech. 10:7. רנן Job 29:13, רחשׁ Ps. 45:1, עלץ 1 S. 2:1. Trouble and sorrow (כְּאֵב לֵב Is. 65:14) lurk in the sides of the heart (קִירֹת לֵב Jer. 4:19). Of sorrow of heart: רעע Dt. 15:10 (רֹעַ לֵב Neh. 2:2), שׁבר ni e.g., Ps. 34:18, חיל Ps. 55:4, הפך ni Lam. 1:20, חמץ hitp. Ps. 73:21, כאב Prv. 14:13, סְחַרְחַר Ps. 38:10, זעק Is. 15:5. Pride: זְדוֹן לֵב Jer. 49:16, רֻם לֵב Jer. 48:29, גֹּבַהּ לֵב 2 Ch. 32:26. Of arrogance of heart, רום e.g., Dt. 8:14, גבהּ e.g., Ez. 28:17, נשׂא 2 K. 14:10. Inclination of heart, הָיָה לֵב אַחֲרֵי 2 S. 15:13, הִטָּה (הֵסֵב) לֵב e. g., 1 K. 8:58; Ezr. 6:22, הֵשִׁיב לֵד לֵב עֵל Mal. 3:24, נָטָה לֵב מֵעִם 1 K. 11:9. Anxious concern: אֶל or שִׁים אֶת־לֵב לְ. 1 S. 9:20; 1 S. 25:25. Sympathy: נֶהְפַּךְ לִדִּי Hos. 11:8. Incitement: חמם e.g., Dt. 19:6, קנא pi Prv. 23:17; dereliction: לֵב מַרְפֵּא Prv. 14:30. Desire: תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ Ps. 21:2; lusts: לֵב par. to עֵינַיִם e.g., Nu. 15:39, אַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי Job 31:7.
b. The heart as the seat of rational functions. The heart is given by God לָדַעַת Dt. 29:3. Those who have won understanding (קנה לב Prv. 19:8) are אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב Job 34:10 or חַכְמֵי לֵב e.g., Job 37:24, with far-reaching insight (רֹחַב לֵב 1 K. 5:9). To them belongs לֵב חָכָם וְנָבוֹן 1 K. 3:12; of them may be said לֵב נָבוֹן יִקְנֶה־דַּעַת Prv. 18:15; they speak out of the treasures of their knowledge (מִלִּבּם Job 8:10). Accordingly לִבּוֹ חָסֵר: his understanding fails him, Qoh. 10:3, חֶסֶר־לֵב (or חֹסֶר־לֵב, cf. BHK2, 3) folly, Prv. 10:21, חֲסַר־לֵב: lacking in understanding, e.g., Prv. 6:22, אֵין לֵב without understanding, e,g., Hos. 7:11, גָּנַב אֶת־לֵב: to deceive someone, e.g., Gn. 31:20, wine takes away understanding יִקַּח לֵב Hos. 4:11, תִּמְהיֹן לֵבָב confusion of mind, Dt. 28:28. Thoughts dwell in the heart רַעְיוֹנֵי לֵבָב Da. 2:30; חִקְרֵי־לֵב Ju. 5:16, including evil thoughts מַשְׂכִּיּוֹת לֵבָב Ps. 73:7, fantasies תַּרְמִית לֵב e.g., Jer. 14:14, self-invented visions חֲווֹן לֵב Jer. 23:16, artistic sense חָכְמַת־לֵב Ex. 35:35 (חֲכַם־לֵב artist, e.g., Ex. 28:3). עָלָה עַל־לֵב to come into the mind, e.g., Is. 65:17, הֵשִׁיב אֶל־לֵב to remember, e.g., Lam. 3:21, שִׂים (שִׁית) לֵב to direct attention to, e.g., Hag. 1:5; Jer. 31:21.
c. From the heart comes planning and volition (תְזִמּוֹת לֵב e.g., Jer. 23:20): בִּלְבָבוֹ it is in his purpose, Is. 10:7, הָיָה עִם־לֵבָב to have a purpose, e.g., 1 K. 8:17, עָשָׂה בִלְבַב וּבְנֶפֶשׁ to act according to the will, 1 S. 2:35 (כְּלֵב 1 S. 13:14 etc.), נָתַן לֵבָב לְ 1 Ch. 22:19 or הֵכִין לֵבָב לְ Ezr. 7:10, to direct one’s purpose to, שִׂים עַל־לֵב to purpose, Da. 1:8, עָלְתָה עַל־לִבִּי it has been my purpose, e.g., Jer. 7:31. Inner impulse comes from the heart: כָּל־אִישׂ אֲשֶׂר נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ each whose heart moved him thereto, e.g., Ex. 36:2 (with מלא Est. 7:5), נְדִיב לֵב one who is willing, e.g., Ex. 35:5. לאֹ מִלִּבִּי not of one’s own impulse, e.g., Nu. 16:28. Attitude of will, or character, is rooted in the heart (comprehensively כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב Jer. 11:20). If the will (דֶּרֶךְ לֵב Is. 57:17; יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לֵב Gn. 6:5) is inclined in the right direction (הִטָּה לֵב Ps. 119:36, הֵכִין לֵב e.g., Job 11:13), this is renewal of heart (לֵב חָדָשׁ e.g., Ez. 18:31). The whole man with his inner being and willing is comprised in לֵב: full committal בְּכָל־לֵב (par. to בְּכָל־נֶפֶשׁ e.g., Jos. 22:5, בֶּאֱמֶת 1 S. 12:24, בְּכָל־רָצוֹן 2 Ch. 15:15, בְּכָל־מְאֹד Dt. 6:5) or בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם e.g., 1 Ch. 29:9 (par. to בְּנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה 1 Ch. 28:9, בֶּאֱמֶת 2 K. 20:3). Thus לֵב can be used for “person,” e.g., Ps. 22:26 (along with כְּלָיוֹת Prv. 23:15 f., כָּבֵד Ps. 16:9,4 שְׁאֵר Ps. 73:26, בָּשָׂר Ps. 84:2), though with a slightly different nuance.
d. Religious and moral conduct is rooted in the heart. With the heart one serves God (1 S. 12:20; par. to בֶּאֱמְת 1 S. 12:24; “with the whole heart” passim). In it dwells the fear of God, Jer. 32:40. The heart (לוּחַ לֵב) accepts the divine teachings, Prv. 7:3 (תּוֹרָתִי בְלִבָּם Is. 51:7). The heart of the righteous (יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב e.g., Ps. 7:10) trusts in God. Prv. 3:5, is faithful to Him לֵבָב נֶאֱמָן (Neh. 9:8), and is without fear אמץ hi, Ps. 27:14. We read of the defection of the heart: רחק pi, Is. 29:13, סור e.g., Dt. 17:17, סוג e.g., Ps. 44:18, פנה e.g., Dt. 29:17, פתה Dt. 11:16, זנה Ez. 6:9; of the hardening of the heart, חזק q and pi, e.g., Ex. 4:21; 7:13, כבד and hi, e.g., Ex. 9:7, 8:11, קשׁה hi, e.g., Ex. 7:3, אמץ pi, e.g., Dt. 2:30; the hardened: חִזְקֵי לֵב. 2:4 (par. to קְשֵׁי פָנִים), אַבִּירֵי לֵב Is. 46:12; obduracy: שְׁרִירוּת לֵב e.g., Dt. 29:18, מְגִנַּת לֵב Lam. 3:65. The heart of the sinner (sin is written עַל לוּחַ לִבָּם Jer. 17:1) is uncircumcised: עָרְלַת לֵבָב e.g., Dt. 10:16, עַרְלֵי לֵב Jer. 9:25. Circumcision of the heart (מול e.g., Dt. 10:16) comes with conversion of heart: שׁוב Jl 2:12, הֵשִיב אֶל־לֵב 1 K. 8:47, לֵב נִשְׁבָּר Ps. 51:17. וַיַּךְ לֵב is used for conscience smiting us at 1 S. 24:5, and מִכְשׁוֹל לֵב for a scruple of conscience at 1 S. 25:31. The righteous is pure in heart, בַּר־לֵבָב Ps. 24:4, אֹהֵב טְהָור־לֵב Prv. 22:11; cf. ישֶׁר לֵבָב Dt. 9:5, תָּם־לֵבָב Gn. 20:5, יִשְׁרַת לֵבָב 1 K. 3:6, לֵב טהוֹר Ps. 51:10. He speaks the whole truth, אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ Ju. 16:17. The ungodly man has a corrupt heart, עִקְּשֵׁי־לֵב Prv. 11:20, חַנְפֵי לֵב Job 36:13; he speaks with a double tongue, בְּלֵב וָלֵב Ps. 12:3.
What does the Bible Say?
Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21; Numbers 15:39; Ecclesiastes 9:3; Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 17:1, 5-9; Mark 7:21; Mark 10:5; Ephesians 2:1-10
What Do We Conclude?
1. Mankind is in desperate need of liberation from the bondage of sin
a. Man is under the just wrath of God
b. God does not have to save man at all
c. The flood in Genesis reminds of God’s right condemnation on fallen man
but also his great mercy to provide salvation for those he shows mercy to
2. There is nothing the fall has not touched
a. All of mankind is fallen and his best only ends in idolatry and death
3. Sin is radically evil
a. We must not be ok with our sin
b. We must not be ok with sin’s work of death in our culture
c. We must work to alleviate sin’s consequences in our culture while
preaching the Good News
4. The Gospel has never been more relevant to mankind
a. The preaching of the Gospel is the only way that a sin coerced heart can
be transformed (Romans 10:11-17)
1. The gospel is preached
2. The hearing is quickened by the preached gospel
3. Faith springs from this hearing quickened by this good news
4. Thus the inextricable link between Ephesians 2:8, 9 and Romans
10:17
5. The “Good News” is viewed as really good not just a good option on a shelf at Wal-Mart
a. Man’s evil heart cannot be awakened by any other means
b. God has not given this message to be scoffed at by evil men, but to conquer
the rebellion and restore all things through the advance of the Great
Commission
5. If we are in Christ, we have been made alive
a. We have Holy Spirit in us leading us into truth
b. We have Holy Spirit healing taking place to unchain our volition to begin
making holy decisions (sanctification)
6. In Christ, we can begin executing the sinful nature Romans 8:12-14
7. We can sell out to the preaching of the Gospel to the nation knowing that the Gospel does the work of convincing and all we have to do is preach indigenously.
a. Adoniram Judson believed this
b. William Carey believed this
c. Charles Spurgeon believed this
d. Martin Luther believed this
e. George Muller believed this
f. David Brainerd believed this
g. George Whitfield believed this
1. This belief fueled their mission fire to make sure the nations had
access to the only thing that could awaken them from their dead state.
8. We must come and rejoice in worship that we, who were incapable, have been made alive.
a. We come with Paul in Romans 11:33 at the end of his expounding on the justifying work of God in the Gospel to overcome man’s condition with this:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who as given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Resources:
Bondage of the Will, Martin Luther
Willing to Believe, R.C. Sproul
Freedom of the Will, Jonathan Edwards
John Locke
John Wesley
Clarification
1. Whenever this issue is handled terms need to defined
A. Freedom
B. Will
C. Heart
A. Freedom - the quality or state of being free; as the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action; liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another: independence; the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous; freedom from care
B. Definition of the will – “That by which the mind chooses any thing. The faculty of the will, is that power, or principle of mind, by which it is capable of choosing: an act of the will is the same as an act of choosing or choice.”
C. Definition of the heart –
A. לֵב, לֵבָב in the OT.
The use of לֵב and לֵבָב1 is not promiscue. C. A. Briggs2 has shown that “the earliest documents use לב.לבב ״ ״ appears first in Isaiah.” For details cf. Briggs and Holzinger.3
1. “Heart” in the literal sense, a. in men and animals, the “neighbourhood of the heart,” “breast,” passim; סְג֥ר לֵב the “caul of the heart,” Hos. 13:8. b. “Seat of physical vitality,” vitalising (סעד) by nourishment, e.g., Gn. 18:5; “physical brokenness,” כָּל־לֵבָב דַּוָּי Is. 1:5.
2. Fig. the “innermost part of man.” Men look on the outward appearance, God looks on the heart,” 1 S. 16:7; par. to קֶרֶב Jer. 31:33; to talk to oneself, to think (אמר, דבר passim, חשׁב Zech. 7:10, ברך Dt. 29:18; Job 1:5). The heart is the seat of mental or spiritual powers and capacities.
a. The heart stands firm in bravery and courage (עמד Ez. 22:14): לֵבָך. par. כֹּחַ Da. 11:25, מָצָא אֶת־לִבּוֹ to find the heart, 2 S. 7:27, יִגְבַּהּ לִבּוֹ his courage arose, 2 Ch. 17:6, אַבִּירֵי לֵב the stouthearted, Ps. 76:5. The failure of courage רכך ׃(לֵב) e.g., Dt. 20:3, מסס e.g., Dt. 20:8, חרד e.g., 1 S. 4:13, יצא Gn. 42:28, עוב Ps. 40:12, נפל 1 S. 17:32, מוג Ez. 21:20, דִּבֶּר עַל־לֵב to encourage, e.g., Gn. 34:3. Joy: שִׂמְחַת לֵב e.g., Dt. 28:47. Of merriness of heart: βφψ e.g., Ju. 19:9, טֹוד e.g., 2 S. 13:28, שׂמח e.g., Zech. 10:7. רנן Job 29:13, רחשׁ Ps. 45:1, עלץ 1 S. 2:1. Trouble and sorrow (כְּאֵב לֵב Is. 65:14) lurk in the sides of the heart (קִירֹת לֵב Jer. 4:19). Of sorrow of heart: רעע Dt. 15:10 (רֹעַ לֵב Neh. 2:2), שׁבר ni e.g., Ps. 34:18, חיל Ps. 55:4, הפך ni Lam. 1:20, חמץ hitp. Ps. 73:21, כאב Prv. 14:13, סְחַרְחַר Ps. 38:10, זעק Is. 15:5. Pride: זְדוֹן לֵב Jer. 49:16, רֻם לֵב Jer. 48:29, גֹּבַהּ לֵב 2 Ch. 32:26. Of arrogance of heart, רום e.g., Dt. 8:14, גבהּ e.g., Ez. 28:17, נשׂא 2 K. 14:10. Inclination of heart, הָיָה לֵב אַחֲרֵי 2 S. 15:13, הִטָּה (הֵסֵב) לֵב e. g., 1 K. 8:58; Ezr. 6:22, הֵשִׁיב לֵד לֵב עֵל Mal. 3:24, נָטָה לֵב מֵעִם 1 K. 11:9. Anxious concern: אֶל or שִׁים אֶת־לֵב לְ. 1 S. 9:20; 1 S. 25:25. Sympathy: נֶהְפַּךְ לִדִּי Hos. 11:8. Incitement: חמם e.g., Dt. 19:6, קנא pi Prv. 23:17; dereliction: לֵב מַרְפֵּא Prv. 14:30. Desire: תַּאֲוַת לִבּוֹ Ps. 21:2; lusts: לֵב par. to עֵינַיִם e.g., Nu. 15:39, אַחַר עֵינַי הָלַךְ לִבִּי Job 31:7.
b. The heart as the seat of rational functions. The heart is given by God לָדַעַת Dt. 29:3. Those who have won understanding (קנה לב Prv. 19:8) are אַנְשֵׁי לֵבָב Job 34:10 or חַכְמֵי לֵב e.g., Job 37:24, with far-reaching insight (רֹחַב לֵב 1 K. 5:9). To them belongs לֵב חָכָם וְנָבוֹן 1 K. 3:12; of them may be said לֵב נָבוֹן יִקְנֶה־דַּעַת Prv. 18:15; they speak out of the treasures of their knowledge (מִלִּבּם Job 8:10). Accordingly לִבּוֹ חָסֵר: his understanding fails him, Qoh. 10:3, חֶסֶר־לֵב (or חֹסֶר־לֵב, cf. BHK2, 3) folly, Prv. 10:21, חֲסַר־לֵב: lacking in understanding, e.g., Prv. 6:22, אֵין לֵב without understanding, e,g., Hos. 7:11, גָּנַב אֶת־לֵב: to deceive someone, e.g., Gn. 31:20, wine takes away understanding יִקַּח לֵב Hos. 4:11, תִּמְהיֹן לֵבָב confusion of mind, Dt. 28:28. Thoughts dwell in the heart רַעְיוֹנֵי לֵבָב Da. 2:30; חִקְרֵי־לֵב Ju. 5:16, including evil thoughts מַשְׂכִּיּוֹת לֵבָב Ps. 73:7, fantasies תַּרְמִית לֵב e.g., Jer. 14:14, self-invented visions חֲווֹן לֵב Jer. 23:16, artistic sense חָכְמַת־לֵב Ex. 35:35 (חֲכַם־לֵב artist, e.g., Ex. 28:3). עָלָה עַל־לֵב to come into the mind, e.g., Is. 65:17, הֵשִׁיב אֶל־לֵב to remember, e.g., Lam. 3:21, שִׂים (שִׁית) לֵב to direct attention to, e.g., Hag. 1:5; Jer. 31:21.
c. From the heart comes planning and volition (תְזִמּוֹת לֵב e.g., Jer. 23:20): בִּלְבָבוֹ it is in his purpose, Is. 10:7, הָיָה עִם־לֵבָב to have a purpose, e.g., 1 K. 8:17, עָשָׂה בִלְבַב וּבְנֶפֶשׁ to act according to the will, 1 S. 2:35 (כְּלֵב 1 S. 13:14 etc.), נָתַן לֵבָב לְ 1 Ch. 22:19 or הֵכִין לֵבָב לְ Ezr. 7:10, to direct one’s purpose to, שִׂים עַל־לֵב to purpose, Da. 1:8, עָלְתָה עַל־לִבִּי it has been my purpose, e.g., Jer. 7:31. Inner impulse comes from the heart: כָּל־אִישׂ אֲשֶׂר נְשָׂאוֹ לִבּוֹ each whose heart moved him thereto, e.g., Ex. 36:2 (with מלא Est. 7:5), נְדִיב לֵב one who is willing, e.g., Ex. 35:5. לאֹ מִלִּבִּי not of one’s own impulse, e.g., Nu. 16:28. Attitude of will, or character, is rooted in the heart (comprehensively כְּלָיוֹת וָלֵב Jer. 11:20). If the will (דֶּרֶךְ לֵב Is. 57:17; יֵצֶר מַחְשְׁבֹת לֵב Gn. 6:5) is inclined in the right direction (הִטָּה לֵב Ps. 119:36, הֵכִין לֵב e.g., Job 11:13), this is renewal of heart (לֵב חָדָשׁ e.g., Ez. 18:31). The whole man with his inner being and willing is comprised in לֵב: full committal בְּכָל־לֵב (par. to בְּכָל־נֶפֶשׁ e.g., Jos. 22:5, בֶּאֱמֶת 1 S. 12:24, בְּכָל־רָצוֹן 2 Ch. 15:15, בְּכָל־מְאֹד Dt. 6:5) or בְּלֵב שָׁלֵם e.g., 1 Ch. 29:9 (par. to בְּנֶפֶשׁ חֲפֵצָה 1 Ch. 28:9, בֶּאֱמֶת 2 K. 20:3). Thus לֵב can be used for “person,” e.g., Ps. 22:26 (along with כְּלָיוֹת Prv. 23:15 f., כָּבֵד Ps. 16:9,4 שְׁאֵר Ps. 73:26, בָּשָׂר Ps. 84:2), though with a slightly different nuance.
d. Religious and moral conduct is rooted in the heart. With the heart one serves God (1 S. 12:20; par. to בֶּאֱמְת 1 S. 12:24; “with the whole heart” passim). In it dwells the fear of God, Jer. 32:40. The heart (לוּחַ לֵב) accepts the divine teachings, Prv. 7:3 (תּוֹרָתִי בְלִבָּם Is. 51:7). The heart of the righteous (יִשְׁרֵי־לֵב e.g., Ps. 7:10) trusts in God. Prv. 3:5, is faithful to Him לֵבָב נֶאֱמָן (Neh. 9:8), and is without fear אמץ hi, Ps. 27:14. We read of the defection of the heart: רחק pi, Is. 29:13, סור e.g., Dt. 17:17, סוג e.g., Ps. 44:18, פנה e.g., Dt. 29:17, פתה Dt. 11:16, זנה Ez. 6:9; of the hardening of the heart, חזק q and pi, e.g., Ex. 4:21; 7:13, כבד and hi, e.g., Ex. 9:7, 8:11, קשׁה hi, e.g., Ex. 7:3, אמץ pi, e.g., Dt. 2:30; the hardened: חִזְקֵי לֵב. 2:4 (par. to קְשֵׁי פָנִים), אַבִּירֵי לֵב Is. 46:12; obduracy: שְׁרִירוּת לֵב e.g., Dt. 29:18, מְגִנַּת לֵב Lam. 3:65. The heart of the sinner (sin is written עַל לוּחַ לִבָּם Jer. 17:1) is uncircumcised: עָרְלַת לֵבָב e.g., Dt. 10:16, עַרְלֵי לֵב Jer. 9:25. Circumcision of the heart (מול e.g., Dt. 10:16) comes with conversion of heart: שׁוב Jl 2:12, הֵשִיב אֶל־לֵב 1 K. 8:47, לֵב נִשְׁבָּר Ps. 51:17. וַיַּךְ לֵב is used for conscience smiting us at 1 S. 24:5, and מִכְשׁוֹל לֵב for a scruple of conscience at 1 S. 25:31. The righteous is pure in heart, בַּר־לֵבָב Ps. 24:4, אֹהֵב טְהָור־לֵב Prv. 22:11; cf. ישֶׁר לֵבָב Dt. 9:5, תָּם־לֵבָב Gn. 20:5, יִשְׁרַת לֵבָב 1 K. 3:6, לֵב טהוֹר Ps. 51:10. He speaks the whole truth, אֶת־כָּל־לִבּוֹ Ju. 16:17. The ungodly man has a corrupt heart, עִקְּשֵׁי־לֵב Prv. 11:20, חַנְפֵי לֵב Job 36:13; he speaks with a double tongue, בְּלֵב וָלֵב Ps. 12:3.
What does the Bible Say?
Genesis 6:5; Genesis 8:21; Numbers 15:39; Ecclesiastes 9:3; Jeremiah 11:8; Jeremiah 17:1, 5-9; Mark 7:21; Mark 10:5; Ephesians 2:1-10
What Do We Conclude?
1. Mankind is in desperate need of liberation from the bondage of sin
a. Man is under the just wrath of God
b. God does not have to save man at all
c. The flood in Genesis reminds of God’s right condemnation on fallen man
but also his great mercy to provide salvation for those he shows mercy to
2. There is nothing the fall has not touched
a. All of mankind is fallen and his best only ends in idolatry and death
3. Sin is radically evil
a. We must not be ok with our sin
b. We must not be ok with sin’s work of death in our culture
c. We must work to alleviate sin’s consequences in our culture while
preaching the Good News
4. The Gospel has never been more relevant to mankind
a. The preaching of the Gospel is the only way that a sin coerced heart can
be transformed (Romans 10:11-17)
1. The gospel is preached
2. The hearing is quickened by the preached gospel
3. Faith springs from this hearing quickened by this good news
4. Thus the inextricable link between Ephesians 2:8, 9 and Romans
10:17
5. The “Good News” is viewed as really good not just a good option on a shelf at Wal-Mart
a. Man’s evil heart cannot be awakened by any other means
b. God has not given this message to be scoffed at by evil men, but to conquer
the rebellion and restore all things through the advance of the Great
Commission
5. If we are in Christ, we have been made alive
a. We have Holy Spirit in us leading us into truth
b. We have Holy Spirit healing taking place to unchain our volition to begin
making holy decisions (sanctification)
6. In Christ, we can begin executing the sinful nature Romans 8:12-14
7. We can sell out to the preaching of the Gospel to the nation knowing that the Gospel does the work of convincing and all we have to do is preach indigenously.
a. Adoniram Judson believed this
b. William Carey believed this
c. Charles Spurgeon believed this
d. Martin Luther believed this
e. George Muller believed this
f. David Brainerd believed this
g. George Whitfield believed this
1. This belief fueled their mission fire to make sure the nations had
access to the only thing that could awaken them from their dead state.
8. We must come and rejoice in worship that we, who were incapable, have been made alive.
a. We come with Paul in Romans 11:33 at the end of his expounding on the justifying work of God in the Gospel to overcome man’s condition with this:
Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor? Or who as given a gift to him that he might be repaid? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Q & A How do we read the Old Testament (Part 5)
Q & A. How do we read the Old Testament
Jeremiah 31:27-40
1. All Scripture Predicts (prophecies, Messianic Psalms, etc.) Christ’s person and/or work.
In Jeremiah 31 there is the prediction of a coming change in how God is going to relate to his people.
The Lord has spoken to Jeremiah in a dream reassuring him that he would restore his people.
This is a comfort to Jeremiah because he has been preaching a message of repent or else from the Lord and has been persecuted for it.
Jeremiah believes the Lord, but he does not take joy in the message to the point of great distress (Jeremiah 15).
The Lord promises Jeremiah he will preserve him and keep him only be faithful to proclaim what he is given.
So, the Lord relieves some of Jeremiah’s distress and shows Jeremiah what his coming work is going to be in his people by establishing a “new” covenant.
The Abrahamic and the Davidic covenants are clearly a continued extension of the “new” covenant and is key in understanding the Person and work of Christ and the implications on the church and it’s mission (of which we have dealt with earlier).
With this “new” covenant, however, the Mosaic covenant is no longer the operating manual for how God interacts with his people.
Even though it is very clear in the texts we have looked at that Father saved by grace through faith, there was a “veil” so to speak that kept the heart and mind from assimilating the meaning of the law into inner transformation.
What was missing was the work of God to place his Holy Spirit permanently inside of his people, person by person, and so mark them as his children, transform their very make up as people and give them the light of understanding who God is and his righteousness.
What God was promising to do in the coming Messiah was not another covenant renewal ceremony that was skin deep and did not turn away the right wrath of God.
What God was going to bring about for the people was an internal transformation of the being of the person and as a whole, his church, in which they would be made righteous forever and he would forever be their God.
Because of changing circumstances, especially occasioned by Israel’s sin, the religious history of Israel had been dotted with covenant renewals under Moses (Exod 34; Deuteronomy), Joshua (Josh 23–24), Samuel (1 Sam 12), and Hezekiah (2 Chr 29–31). When King Josiah led Judah in the greatest of all covenant renewals to remove idolatry and to reinstitute true worship in Judah in accordance with the Mosaic covenant (2 Chr 34:3–7), it may have looked to many (perhaps even Jeremiah at first) like the dawn of a new spiritual day for God’s people. Discovery of the Book of Law (2 Kgs 22:8–10; 2 Chr 34:8–18) led to the celebration of the greatest Passover feast since Samuel (2 Kgs 23:1–25; 2 Chr 34:19–35:19). Nevertheless, even such great revivals could not turn the tide of sins committed and wrath deserved because of the extensiveness of sin and the greatness of wrath (2 Kgs 23:26–27) and because of the superficiality of the revivals (2 Kgs 23:9; 2 Chr 34:24–25; 36:15–16; Jer 3:10; 25:1–3; 37:1–2).
“What was needed, as God revealed through Jeremiah in this passage,49 was not another covenant renewal but an internal transformation of the people based upon the divine provision of complete forgiveness. These would be the provisions of what the Lord referred to here as a “new covenant,” which he promised to institute with Israel and Judah in days to come to replace the one made at Sinai (11:1–17).50 This new covenant relationship would not be “skin-deep” and subject to the waywardness of the people but “heart-deep” and permanently enduring.”51
1. The New Covenant is based on the work of the Messiah, Jesus
Hebrews 8:1-7
A. This is going to be a growing debate as the Muslim world clashes with the
church.
2. Fallen Humanity is the Culprit for the Failure of the First Covenant
Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:7-8
3. Man is Incapable of Continuing in the Righteousness of God
Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:9
4. God, Being Rich in Mercy, Places his Spirit into His People Who is the Inspirer of the Law, Communicator of Truth, Reminder of What Messiah Jesus Said, the Guarantee of our Inheritance as Children of God and our Wonderful Counselor (2 Timothy 3:16; John 14-16; Ephesians 1)
Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10
A. New Covenant people have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them from salvation on
at full strength.
B. We must learn to listen to him and obey him as he leads us according to what
Messiah Jesus has said
C. We must respond to his Fatherly rebukes to correct our behavior as we grow
in sanctification
5. All of the New Covenant People (church) Will Know God
Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:11
There will no longer be a need for a faithful “remnant” within the covenant people toe teach the unfaithful majority to know God.
All covenant partners will know him.
To know God means that one has been made aware of their sin problem and their alienation from God. They have responded to the invitation of the Gospel to repent and believe Jesus. They have begun pursuing Jesus and his mission and walk in constant fellowship with God via the work of Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
A. Each of God’s people have the same capacity to know and enjoy God
1. Each person may experience Father differently and have different gifts
but they each have the capacity to know and enjoy God in their pursuit of
him
2. Jeremiah 29:13
B. Pastors do not have a corner on the market of knowing God
1. Pastors are to teach to equip those who know God to do his work
C. If it is in the text, God gave it to be pursued and understood to know him
better.
6. People of the New Covenant have NO sin record with Father anymore
Jeremiah 31:34: Hebrews 8:12
A. My sin, past, present and future is forgotten
B. We must imitate that in our relationships with each other
1. We do not hold each other’s faults against each other
2. We forgive as we have been forgiven
3. We treat each other as if each is without the guilt of sin
Jeremiah 31:27-40
1. All Scripture Predicts (prophecies, Messianic Psalms, etc.) Christ’s person and/or work.
In Jeremiah 31 there is the prediction of a coming change in how God is going to relate to his people.
The Lord has spoken to Jeremiah in a dream reassuring him that he would restore his people.
This is a comfort to Jeremiah because he has been preaching a message of repent or else from the Lord and has been persecuted for it.
Jeremiah believes the Lord, but he does not take joy in the message to the point of great distress (Jeremiah 15).
The Lord promises Jeremiah he will preserve him and keep him only be faithful to proclaim what he is given.
So, the Lord relieves some of Jeremiah’s distress and shows Jeremiah what his coming work is going to be in his people by establishing a “new” covenant.
The Abrahamic and the Davidic covenants are clearly a continued extension of the “new” covenant and is key in understanding the Person and work of Christ and the implications on the church and it’s mission (of which we have dealt with earlier).
With this “new” covenant, however, the Mosaic covenant is no longer the operating manual for how God interacts with his people.
Even though it is very clear in the texts we have looked at that Father saved by grace through faith, there was a “veil” so to speak that kept the heart and mind from assimilating the meaning of the law into inner transformation.
What was missing was the work of God to place his Holy Spirit permanently inside of his people, person by person, and so mark them as his children, transform their very make up as people and give them the light of understanding who God is and his righteousness.
What God was promising to do in the coming Messiah was not another covenant renewal ceremony that was skin deep and did not turn away the right wrath of God.
What God was going to bring about for the people was an internal transformation of the being of the person and as a whole, his church, in which they would be made righteous forever and he would forever be their God.
Because of changing circumstances, especially occasioned by Israel’s sin, the religious history of Israel had been dotted with covenant renewals under Moses (Exod 34; Deuteronomy), Joshua (Josh 23–24), Samuel (1 Sam 12), and Hezekiah (2 Chr 29–31). When King Josiah led Judah in the greatest of all covenant renewals to remove idolatry and to reinstitute true worship in Judah in accordance with the Mosaic covenant (2 Chr 34:3–7), it may have looked to many (perhaps even Jeremiah at first) like the dawn of a new spiritual day for God’s people. Discovery of the Book of Law (2 Kgs 22:8–10; 2 Chr 34:8–18) led to the celebration of the greatest Passover feast since Samuel (2 Kgs 23:1–25; 2 Chr 34:19–35:19). Nevertheless, even such great revivals could not turn the tide of sins committed and wrath deserved because of the extensiveness of sin and the greatness of wrath (2 Kgs 23:26–27) and because of the superficiality of the revivals (2 Kgs 23:9; 2 Chr 34:24–25; 36:15–16; Jer 3:10; 25:1–3; 37:1–2).
“What was needed, as God revealed through Jeremiah in this passage,49 was not another covenant renewal but an internal transformation of the people based upon the divine provision of complete forgiveness. These would be the provisions of what the Lord referred to here as a “new covenant,” which he promised to institute with Israel and Judah in days to come to replace the one made at Sinai (11:1–17).50 This new covenant relationship would not be “skin-deep” and subject to the waywardness of the people but “heart-deep” and permanently enduring.”51
1. The New Covenant is based on the work of the Messiah, Jesus
Hebrews 8:1-7
A. This is going to be a growing debate as the Muslim world clashes with the
church.
2. Fallen Humanity is the Culprit for the Failure of the First Covenant
Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:7-8
3. Man is Incapable of Continuing in the Righteousness of God
Jeremiah 31:32; Hebrews 8:9
4. God, Being Rich in Mercy, Places his Spirit into His People Who is the Inspirer of the Law, Communicator of Truth, Reminder of What Messiah Jesus Said, the Guarantee of our Inheritance as Children of God and our Wonderful Counselor (2 Timothy 3:16; John 14-16; Ephesians 1)
Jeremiah 31:33; Hebrews 8:10
A. New Covenant people have the Holy Spirit dwelling in them from salvation on
at full strength.
B. We must learn to listen to him and obey him as he leads us according to what
Messiah Jesus has said
C. We must respond to his Fatherly rebukes to correct our behavior as we grow
in sanctification
5. All of the New Covenant People (church) Will Know God
Jeremiah 31:34; Hebrews 8:11
There will no longer be a need for a faithful “remnant” within the covenant people toe teach the unfaithful majority to know God.
All covenant partners will know him.
To know God means that one has been made aware of their sin problem and their alienation from God. They have responded to the invitation of the Gospel to repent and believe Jesus. They have begun pursuing Jesus and his mission and walk in constant fellowship with God via the work of Jesus and the indwelling Holy Spirit.
A. Each of God’s people have the same capacity to know and enjoy God
1. Each person may experience Father differently and have different gifts
but they each have the capacity to know and enjoy God in their pursuit of
him
2. Jeremiah 29:13
B. Pastors do not have a corner on the market of knowing God
1. Pastors are to teach to equip those who know God to do his work
C. If it is in the text, God gave it to be pursued and understood to know him
better.
6. People of the New Covenant have NO sin record with Father anymore
Jeremiah 31:34: Hebrews 8:12
A. My sin, past, present and future is forgotten
B. We must imitate that in our relationships with each other
1. We do not hold each other’s faults against each other
2. We forgive as we have been forgiven
3. We treat each other as if each is without the guilt of sin
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