Scripture Reading: Revelation 13
A dragon with 7 heads and 10 horns pursues a women who gave birth to a “man-child”. He was “caught up into Heaven” to rule the nations. Chapter 12 is the background of the spiritual events that happen in the 2nd half of the 7-year tribulation period. John defines Satan as the dragon (Revelation 12:9) and the women as Israel. Israel gave birth to the Messiah, who is caught up to Heaven (Acts 1:9-11). Satan, the Dragon, pursues the Women who is protected for 3.5 years. Identification is important in understanding what is taking place in both the physical and spiritual realms. The book of Daniel is also essential in understanding what is to come.
Brief Summery:
Chapter 13 speaks of what takes place in Heaven at the Midpoint of the 7-year period. Satan and his angels are removed from Heaven are hurled to the earth for their final stand. Chapter 12 reveals the Heavenly view of these events and the battle of the ages between God’s plan of redemption, and Satan attempts to stop it. Satan’s final method of assault on the women, and her offspring (the saved) are revealed to us in the 13th chapter.
Satan on Earth will incarnate the leader of a “Revived Roman Empire” (many believe this to be the EU). This leader will have died, and resurrect, to the wonder of the world. His resurrected body indwelt with Satan, will assume control of the kingdom of the Beast.
Satan, portrayed as a 7-headed dragon in chapter 12, cast out of Heaven, is now the source of power and authority of the 7-headed beast arising from the sea. Satan will assume the controls of this kingdom pictured as the “Beast”. This future kingdom will focus on the glorification and exaltation of this “Satan-Man” and the persecution and destruction of those who refuse to accept his deity. This period will last for 42 months or 3.5 years, and will end with the return of Jesus Christ when surviving Israel, finally recognizes Him as Messiah and calls out in prayer and supplication for his return (Zechariah 12:9-10, Matthew 23:39 24:30 and Revelation 19)
Before the beast will be a false prophet who will perform great signs and wonders in the name of this world leader. He will instruct the world to worship the beast. An image of the Beast, will be the focus of worldwide worship. All who refuse to worship the Beast or his image will be killed. The False prophet is pictured as lamb with two horns, which speaks as a dragon. He is probably the leader of the world wide religion in the first half of the tribulation which persecutes the believers, the saints. Later, this world wide religion is destroyed (Revelation 17:15-17) as the Beast and Satan, become the focus of worship in the second half of Daniel’s 70th week.
In order to enforce worldwide religion an economic system will be established demanding total submission to this world leader. Those who refuse will be killed and cutoff from society. They will be unable to buy or sell without total submission.
The Beast Out Of The Sea: The Kingdom:
Vs 1-2 John’s witness of events now changes from Heaven to Earth. Satan expelled from Heaven, pursued the women who escaped into the wilderness, now Satan is about to war with the offspring of the women. (Rev 12:17). John is about to witness Satan’s method to his war.
“Sand of the sea” “Sand of the sea” is a phrase associated with population and growth of the descendents of Jacob. (Gen 32:12, Isaiah 10:22,Hosea 1:10, Rom 9:27). The dragon’s pursuit of the women ends with frustration and the dragon’s pursuit stops on the “Sand of the sea”. Then we see the continuation of the Dragon’s work.
“Beast rising up” (Greek “theôrion [a wild animal]) The Beast is the same as the one described in Daniel 7 and Revelation 17. The Red Dragon of Revelation 12 is different from the Beast described here, because this resembled a leopard, lion and bear as opposed to a “Red Dragon. The Beast here has “Seven heads” and “10 horns” like the Dragon. The “Red Dragon” has “Seven” Crowns as opposed to “ten”.
From verse 2, we learn, the Dragon is the source of power and authority for the Beast. In Daniel and Revelation the Beast seen by Daniel and John are portraits of the last Human government before the return of the Messiah. When Christ returns the Beast of Daniel and Revelation will be the dominant force on the Earth. Let’s see what the book of Daniel says.
Daniel Chapter 7:
Vs. 23-27 "He gave me this explanation: 'The fourth beast is a fourth kingdom that will appear on earth. It will be different from all the other kingdoms and will devour the whole earth, trampling it down and crushing it. The ten horns are ten kings who will come from this kingdom. After them another king will arise, different from the earlier ones; he will subdue three kings. He will speak against the Most High and oppress his saints and try to change the set times and the laws. The saints will be handed over to him for a time, times and half a time." 'But the court will sit, and his power will be taken away and completely destroyed forever. Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven will be handed over to the saints, the people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.'
Daniel Chapter 2:
Vs. 40-44 And the fourth kingdom shall be as strong as iron, in as much as iron breaks in pieces and shatters everything; and like iron that crushes, that kingdom will break in pieces and crush all the others. Whereas you saw the feet and toes, partly of potter’s clay and partly of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; yet the strength of the iron shall be in it, just as you saw the iron mixed with ceramic clay. And as the toes of the feet were partly of iron and partly of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly fragile. As you saw iron mixed with ceramic clay, they will mingle with the seed of men; but they will not adhere to one another, just as iron does not mix with clay. And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people: it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever.
The beast of Daniel will be a revived “Roman Empire”, this is based on the 70 weeks of Daniel (Dan. 9:24-27), Daniel 7 and Daniel 2. The people who destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple were the Romans, the “prince who is to come” is their descendent. (Dan. 9:26)
In Daniel 2, the image seen by Nebuchadnezzar is linked to Rom, described as legs of Iron, this kingdom later extends to the 10 ten toes and feet of Iron and clay. Daniel revealed these kings (10 toes) the God of Heaven would set up a kingdom which shall never end. There is a gap of time between the Iron legs and the Iron and clay feet and toes, this gap is described in Daniel 9:26 as a period of “Desolation”.
“Out of the sea” The Sea symbolizes the sea of humanity based on Rev. 17:15 “Then the angel said to me, "The waters you saw, where the prostitute sits, are peoples, multitudes, nations and languages.”
“Seven heads and ten horns” The Beast is identified in Daniel and Revelation. The Beast described in Daniel 7 has 1 Head and 10 horns not the same as the “red dragon” of Revelation chapter 12 which has 7 heads and 10 horns, which is the same beast in Revelation 13 & 17. It sounds difficult to understand but the explanation is within the texts.
1. The Beast represents the fourth and final government on Earth
2. 10 horns represent 10 future kings who turn their power over to the “Last-days” ruler. (Revelation 17:12)
3. 7 heads represent 7 kings or kingdoms. Five are fallen in John’s day and one is yet too come (Revelation 17:10). The Dragon, who pursues the women in Revelation 12, has 7 heads. These seven heads represent the seven kingdoms from the time of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob until the “end of Days” which tried to stop God’s plan of redemption by trying to stop Messiah’s birth. The Beast arising from the sea, is all seven kingdom in one “World kingdom” with the same Dragon, as the source of authority and power.
Revelation 17:10-12 “There are also seven kings. Five have fallen, one is, and the other has not yet come. And when he comes, he must continue a short time. "And the beast that was, and is not, is himself also the eighth, and is of the seven, and is going to perdition. "The ten horns which you saw are ten kings who have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority for one hour as kings with the beast.”
“On his horns ten crowns” Ten crowns or kingdoms make up the initial kingdom but at the Midpoint or earlier 3 of the 10 kings are subdued by the little horn.
“Blasphemous name”(Greek ... Blaspheômia … vilification) blasphemy, evil speaking. Each of these kingdom’s have railed against the God in their own way. The Antichrist incarnated by Satan, will be the ultimate blasphemer. Demanding worship from the whole earth.
“The beast which I saw” Verse 2, draws from the 3 additional beast of Daniel 7.
Daniel 7:3-6 “And four great beasts came up from the sea, each different from the other. The first was like a lion, and had eagle’s wings. I watched till its wings were plucked off; and it was lifted up from the earth and made to stand on two feet like a man, and a man’s heart was given to it. “And suddenly another beast, a second, like a bear. It was raised up on one side, and had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth. And they said thus to it: ‘Arise, devour much flesh!’ “After this I looked, and there was another, like a leopard, which had on its back four wings of a bird. The beast also had four heads, and dominion was given to it.”
The reason the beast of Rev 13 has characteristics from the 3 previous animals described in Daniel 7 depends on your understanding of Daniel. Most interpret Daniel 7 in combination with the rest of the book of Daniel in foretelling the succession of kingdoms leading toward the final kingdom.
The Lion represented Babylon, the Bear, Persia, the Leopard, Greece, the Beast, Rome. With Rome revived at the end, for the final conflict between Israel & the Messiah, and The World and Antichrist. This combination of “animals” composing the final kingdom on the Earth in Revelation 13 means two things.
1. The final kingdom “Revived Rome” will have characteristics of the 3 previous kingdoms, Babylon, Persia and Greece.
2. The final kingdom “Revived Rome” will be a “world kingdom” ruling the lands of the 3 previous kingdoms. Daniel 7:23 says it “shall devour the whole earth”
The kingdom of the Antichrist will be a world kingdom with a world capital. Revelation 18 and Isaiah 14 confirm the rebuilding of Babylon as the capitol city of Antichrist. Revelation 17 demonstrates he will try to unite the world through a “World wide religion”.
“The dragon gave him” The dragon is a reference to Satan. Now Satan is the power behind the Beast and his Kingdom. Satan before his expulsion from Heaven had tremendous power and influence in the kingdoms of Men. (Luke 4:5, 2 Corn.4:4, Job 1:12,2:6) At his last stand, Satan and his forces concentrate their power in one final attempt to thwart God’s plan.
The Beast out of the Sea: The Man:
Revelation 13:3 “One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.”
“I saw one of his heads” The heads represent the succession of kingdoms throughout history opposed to God’s redemption through Israel’s Messiah. This Seventh head represents a “Revived Roman” kingdom, which has recovered from its mortal wound. This head, is lead by the Antichrist, who is Satan himself. John like Daniel focuses on the Beast’s appearance and notices one of the 7 heads. Daniel notices one horn among the 10 and describes its appearance and actions.
Daniel 7:8 “While I was thinking about the horns, there before me was another horn, a little one, which came up among them; and three of the first horns were uprooted before it. This horn had eyes like the eyes of a man and a mouth that spoke boastfully.”
“Mortally wounded” The Beast is somehow mortally wounded, we know he dies or appears to die, goes into Hell and ascends out of Hell (Rev 17:8). The Beast is a satanic counterfeit of Christ resurrection. The death of the Beast corresponds with the fall of Satan from Heaven. At the death of the Beast, Satan was able to indwell the body and begin to rule the world thru the Antichrist.
Revelation 17:8 “The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come.”
The mortal wound becomes the focus of worship during the last half of the tribulation. Rev 13:12 “He exercised all the authority of the first beast on his behalf, and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose fatal wound had been healed.”
“All the world marveled” The mysterious death of this world leader and his resurrection will give credibility to the next phase of Satan’s plan. The world turns to the Beast not only as a political leader but also as “god on earth”. Satan’s pride was his demise in Heaven, he wanted to be God, he will seek to be god on earth as well.
Ezekiel 28:1-2 “The word of the LORD came to me: "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.”
2 Corinthians 4:3-4 “And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”
Daniel foretells the character of this coming world leader; he is the ultimate example of man’s fallen nature as he seeks to glorify himself above all.
Daniel 11:36-37 “The king will do as he pleases. He will exalt and magnify himself above every god and will say unheard-of things against the God of gods. He will be successful until the time of wrath is completed, for what has been determined must take place. He will show no regard for the gods of his fathers or for the one desired by women, nor will he regard any god, but will exalt himself above them all.”
Three verses and so much information. We have covered the Kingdom of chapter 13 and the man. Next week we will cover the religion of the beast, the persecution of Saints, the false prophet, satanic signs & wonders, the image of the Beast, and the Economic system of the Beast. Fifteen verses left and a ton of information. Till next week may God Bless you and yours.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 20, 2011
The Book Of Romans
Scripture Reading: Romans 1:1 & 16:22
Authored by Paul, written and transcribed by Tertius, written sometime between 56-58 AD. Paul’s purpose was to proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ by teaching doctrine, edifying, and encouraging believers who would receive his letter. His main concern was to those he wrote the letter to, the ones who were “loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). Paul was a Roman citizen, he had a passion for those in Rome. Since he had not visited the church in Rome, the letter served as his introduction to them. Tonight we look at the book of Romans.
Powerful Verses In Romans:
Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of every one who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” ... A proclamation of Salvation for everyone
Romans 3:9-11 “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’” ... A proclamation that we are all sinners
Romans 3:21 “But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and Prophets testify.” ... The presentation of Jesus Christ
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ... Reaffirming our sinful nature
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ... Assurance of God’s love for us
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ... The result of sin and the gift from God of eternal life through Jesus Christ
Romans 8:9 “You however, are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” ... Confirmation of the gift of the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ... We have been called by God to do His will
Romans 8:37-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ... Paul’s true belief that Jesus Christ is indeed the Savior and that eternal life means exactly that, Eternal Life through Jesus
Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” ... Simple steps to Salvation, we need to accept Christ in our heart’s and confess with our mouth’s
Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship.” ... Submit to the complete mercy of God
Romans 12:19 “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” ... God is in complete control and will handle those who have offended you, it’s not up to us
Romans 16:17 “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” ... A stern warning about those who will cause division
What Does It All Mean?:
Righteousness, guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul was excited about being able to minister in the church, everyone was aware of this fact (Romans 1:8-15). The letter was written in Corinth just before Paul’s trip to Jerusalem. He had intended to go to Rome and then on to Spain (Romans 15:24). His plans were interrupted when he was arrested in Jerusalem. He would eventually go to Rome, but as a prisoner. Phoebe was most likely the one who carried the letter to Rome (Romans 16:1) she was a member of the church at Cenchrea near Corinth.
The Book of Romans is a work of doctrine that can be divided into four sections:
1) Righteousness Needed: 1:18–3:20
2) Righteousness Provided: 3:21–8:39
3) Righteousness Vindicated: 9:1–11:36
4) Righteousness Practiced: 12:1–15:13
Righteousness, guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul first condemns all men for their sinfulness, he expresses his desire to preach the truth of God’s Word to those in Rome, and he wanted assurance they were staying on the right path. He points out that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16), because it is the power by which everyone is saved.
The Book of Romans tells us about God, who He is and what He has done. It tells us of Jesus Christ, and what His death accomplished. It tells us about ourselves, what we were like without Christ and who we are after trusting in Christ. Paul also points out that God did not demand we have our lives straightened out before coming to Christ. While we were still sinners Christ died on a cross for our sins ... For everyone.
The book makes it clear, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. God expressed grace and mercy by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. When we accept Christ, we are no longer controlled by our sinful nature, we are controlled by the Holy Spirit. We need to allow the Spirit to work in us. If we confess that Jesus is Lord, and believe that He is raised from the dead, we are saved, then we need to live our lives as a living sacrifice to Him. We need to follow God’s Word and we need to proclaim it to everyone.
Authored by Paul, written and transcribed by Tertius, written sometime between 56-58 AD. Paul’s purpose was to proclaim the glory of Jesus Christ by teaching doctrine, edifying, and encouraging believers who would receive his letter. His main concern was to those he wrote the letter to, the ones who were “loved by God and called to be saints” (Romans 1:7). Paul was a Roman citizen, he had a passion for those in Rome. Since he had not visited the church in Rome, the letter served as his introduction to them. Tonight we look at the book of Romans.
Powerful Verses In Romans:
Romans 1:16 “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of every one who believes, first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.” ... A proclamation of Salvation for everyone
Romans 3:9-11 “What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin. As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.’” ... A proclamation that we are all sinners
Romans 3:21 “But now a righteousness from God apart from the law, has been made known, to which the Law and Prophets testify.” ... The presentation of Jesus Christ
Romans 3:23 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” ... Reaffirming our sinful nature
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” ... Assurance of God’s love for us
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ... The result of sin and the gift from God of eternal life through Jesus Christ
Romans 8:9 “You however, are controlled not by the sinful nature, but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” ... Confirmation of the gift of the Holy Spirit
Romans 8:28 “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” ... We have been called by God to do His will
Romans 8:37-39 “For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” ... Paul’s true belief that Jesus Christ is indeed the Savior and that eternal life means exactly that, Eternal Life through Jesus
Romans 10:9-10 “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” ... Simple steps to Salvation, we need to accept Christ in our heart’s and confess with our mouth’s
Romans 12:1 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship.” ... Submit to the complete mercy of God
Romans 12:19 “Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” ... God is in complete control and will handle those who have offended you, it’s not up to us
Romans 16:17 “I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them.” ... A stern warning about those who will cause division
What Does It All Mean?:
Righteousness, guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul was excited about being able to minister in the church, everyone was aware of this fact (Romans 1:8-15). The letter was written in Corinth just before Paul’s trip to Jerusalem. He had intended to go to Rome and then on to Spain (Romans 15:24). His plans were interrupted when he was arrested in Jerusalem. He would eventually go to Rome, but as a prisoner. Phoebe was most likely the one who carried the letter to Rome (Romans 16:1) she was a member of the church at Cenchrea near Corinth.
The Book of Romans is a work of doctrine that can be divided into four sections:
1) Righteousness Needed: 1:18–3:20
2) Righteousness Provided: 3:21–8:39
3) Righteousness Vindicated: 9:1–11:36
4) Righteousness Practiced: 12:1–15:13
Righteousness, guided by the Holy Spirit. Paul first condemns all men for their sinfulness, he expresses his desire to preach the truth of God’s Word to those in Rome, and he wanted assurance they were staying on the right path. He points out that he is not ashamed of the gospel (Romans 1:16), because it is the power by which everyone is saved.
The Book of Romans tells us about God, who He is and what He has done. It tells us of Jesus Christ, and what His death accomplished. It tells us about ourselves, what we were like without Christ and who we are after trusting in Christ. Paul also points out that God did not demand we have our lives straightened out before coming to Christ. While we were still sinners Christ died on a cross for our sins ... For everyone.
The book makes it clear, there is nothing we can do to save ourselves. God expressed grace and mercy by sending His Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for us. When we accept Christ, we are no longer controlled by our sinful nature, we are controlled by the Holy Spirit. We need to allow the Spirit to work in us. If we confess that Jesus is Lord, and believe that He is raised from the dead, we are saved, then we need to live our lives as a living sacrifice to Him. We need to follow God’s Word and we need to proclaim it to everyone.
Monday, March 14, 2011
Church Discipline / Excommunication
Scripture Reading: Matthew 18:15-20
Excommunication, the formal removal of a brother or sister from church membership. It is also the informal separation from that person. Our scripture reading gives the procedure and authority for us to do this. It tells us that the person who is wronged is to go to the offending individual, if he or she does not repent, then two or three go to confirm the situation and ask for repentance. If they still refuse, it is taken before the church. This process is never desirable but sometimes is necessary. The purpose is not to be mean-spirited or to display a “holier than thou” attitude. The goal is the restoration of the individual to full fellowship with both God and other believers. It should be done in love toward the individual, in obedience and honor to God, and in godly fear for the sake of others in the church.
Biblical Examples:
The church in Corinth. Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Paul gives some principles behind the biblical use of excommunication. One reason is for the sake of the testimony of Jesus Christ before unbelievers. When David sinned with Bathsheba, one of the consequences of his sin was that the name of God was blasphemed by God's enemies. 2 Samuel 12:14 “But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.” The un-saved are watching, they use our sinful actions as reasons for not following God.
Sin is like a cancer, if allowed to exist, it spreads to those nearby in the same way. 1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?"
Paul explains that Jesus saved us to be set apart from sin, that we might be “unleavened” or free from things that cause spiritual decay. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.”
Christ's desire for His church (His bride), is that she might be pure and undefiled. Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Why Excommunication?:
For the long-term welfare of the one being disciplined. 1 Corinthians 5:5 “hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.” This means that excommunication can involve God using Satan (or one of his demons) as a disciplinary tool to work in the sinner's life physically to bring about true repentance in their heart. Prayerfully the disciplinary action of the church is successful in bringing about godly sorrow and true repentance. When this occurs, the individual can be restored to fellowship.
Restoration:
The man involved in the 1 Corinthians Chapter 5 repented and Paul encouraged the church to restore him to fellowship with the church.
2 Corinthians 2:5-8 “If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”
Disciplinary action, when done in love and the correct manner, is not always successful in bringing about restoration. Even when church discipline fails to achieve its goal, it is still needed to accomplish God’s work in us, His church.
We have all witnessed the behavior of a child who has been allowed to do as they please with no discipline. It’s usually an ugly sight and it usually foretells of a troublesome future. Such behavior will keep the child from forming meaningful relationships and performing well in any kind of setting. A parent should discipline out of love for their child. Likewise, discipline in the church, is not only necessary, but loving as well and it is commanded by God.
We, as the body of Christ, have the obligation to keep His church clean and free from sin. It is not up to us to punish, it is up to us to turn over the un-repentive sinner to the world. God will handle them, He has a plan. As a body, we need to obey the laws of scripture. For those who continually disobey and not repent the church must obey what scripture tells us. It’s not an easy decision to make but one we are commanded to do. My job as Pastor should be a joy not a burden. Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” … Let us live in peace together, obey God’s commands and prove to the world that we are indeed Children of God. I pray that if anyone of your brothers or sisters has offended you that you use the procedure set forth in Matthew 18. Let us come together as one as God has commanded us.
Excommunication, the formal removal of a brother or sister from church membership. It is also the informal separation from that person. Our scripture reading gives the procedure and authority for us to do this. It tells us that the person who is wronged is to go to the offending individual, if he or she does not repent, then two or three go to confirm the situation and ask for repentance. If they still refuse, it is taken before the church. This process is never desirable but sometimes is necessary. The purpose is not to be mean-spirited or to display a “holier than thou” attitude. The goal is the restoration of the individual to full fellowship with both God and other believers. It should be done in love toward the individual, in obedience and honor to God, and in godly fear for the sake of others in the church.
Biblical Examples:
The church in Corinth. Read 1 Corinthians 5:1-13 Paul gives some principles behind the biblical use of excommunication. One reason is for the sake of the testimony of Jesus Christ before unbelievers. When David sinned with Bathsheba, one of the consequences of his sin was that the name of God was blasphemed by God's enemies. 2 Samuel 12:14 “But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.” The un-saved are watching, they use our sinful actions as reasons for not following God.
Sin is like a cancer, if allowed to exist, it spreads to those nearby in the same way. 1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your boasting is not good. Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough?"
Paul explains that Jesus saved us to be set apart from sin, that we might be “unleavened” or free from things that cause spiritual decay. 1 Corinthians 5:7-8 “Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast—as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Therefore let us keep the Festival, not with the old yeast, the yeast of malice and wickedness, but with bread without yeast, the bread of sincerity and truth.”
Christ's desire for His church (His bride), is that she might be pure and undefiled. Ephesians 5:25-27 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless.
Why Excommunication?:
For the long-term welfare of the one being disciplined. 1 Corinthians 5:5 “hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the Lord.” This means that excommunication can involve God using Satan (or one of his demons) as a disciplinary tool to work in the sinner's life physically to bring about true repentance in their heart. Prayerfully the disciplinary action of the church is successful in bringing about godly sorrow and true repentance. When this occurs, the individual can be restored to fellowship.
Restoration:
The man involved in the 1 Corinthians Chapter 5 repented and Paul encouraged the church to restore him to fellowship with the church.
2 Corinthians 2:5-8 “If anyone has caused grief, he has not so much grieved me as he has grieved all of you, to some extent—not to put it too severely. The punishment inflicted on him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him.”
Disciplinary action, when done in love and the correct manner, is not always successful in bringing about restoration. Even when church discipline fails to achieve its goal, it is still needed to accomplish God’s work in us, His church.
We have all witnessed the behavior of a child who has been allowed to do as they please with no discipline. It’s usually an ugly sight and it usually foretells of a troublesome future. Such behavior will keep the child from forming meaningful relationships and performing well in any kind of setting. A parent should discipline out of love for their child. Likewise, discipline in the church, is not only necessary, but loving as well and it is commanded by God.
We, as the body of Christ, have the obligation to keep His church clean and free from sin. It is not up to us to punish, it is up to us to turn over the un-repentive sinner to the world. God will handle them, He has a plan. As a body, we need to obey the laws of scripture. For those who continually disobey and not repent the church must obey what scripture tells us. It’s not an easy decision to make but one we are commanded to do. My job as Pastor should be a joy not a burden. Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” … Let us live in peace together, obey God’s commands and prove to the world that we are indeed Children of God. I pray that if anyone of your brothers or sisters has offended you that you use the procedure set forth in Matthew 18. Let us come together as one as God has commanded us.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Spring Cleaning
Scripture Reading: Psalm 51:10
Spring Clean up for the Soul. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” It’s spring, it’s time to clean our houses. Winter has been long and we start itching to revive our homes. Outside we see signs of new life, we long to bring that newness into our living areas. Most of us by turning our homes upside down, cleaning, taking things apart, scrubbing and scouring. We reach into every dark corner of our homes to make it presentable, fresh, and new. Sometimes we need to do the same thing with our spiritual house. We need to clean up our spiritual home and give it a good strong scrubbing. All of us grow stale sometimes and need a spiritual freshening up.
Our Spiritual Home:
“What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost …” (1 Corinthians 6:9)
Things always get tucked away in our spiritual closet that aren't needed. We gather grime and dirt on our spiritual floors and walls. Every now and then we need to turn our spiritual homes upside down to clean it inside and out so we can present our bodies as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Romans 12:1) Let’s get started on that. Here are a few steps we need to take in the cleaning process.
Evaluate:
What do we need to do to clean our spiritual home? Only you know the areas that need cleaning up in your individual life. What needs to be improved? Evaluate everything you do and say and think. Is it pleasing to the Lord?
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” (Colossians 3:17)
Get Rid Of All Your Junk:
Are there things in your life that is just junk and cluttering up your life? Are there things getting in your way of serving Christ to your greatest potential? Are things like worry, anger, gossip, and bad habits cluttering up your life? If it’s something you should keep in your life it will pass the guidelines of:
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Get The Tools For Cleaning:
When you clean your house you get the tools to scrub, sweep and mop. All you need to clean your spiritual house is one tool, The Word of God. The all-purpose cleaner for our Spiritual Home.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Gather Cleaners:
Cleaning requires all kinds of cleaners, window cleaners, waxes, floor cleaners, bleaches, and disinfectants. We only need one all-purpose cleaning agent. The forgiveness of God. It is guaranteed to cleanse all grime and dirt, which embodies itself as sin buildup.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Get To Work!:
So, we have gathered all of our cleaning tools and supplies to clean our homes. Evaluated what work needed to be done and did nothing. What will we accomplish? We need to do the work, we have to use the supplies. The same is true with our spiritual homes. God gives us His Word and His precious forgiveness but we have to use them to keep our lives clean.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)
Determine To Keep It Clean:
When we finish cleaning our homes, we usually say, we’ll never let the clutter pile up that high again. We set our mind to it. We should do the same for our spiritual house. Determine not to let it get dirty again. The only way to accomplish this is to keep feasting on God’s Word. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.
“This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
Remember when cleaning our house, evaluate, get rid of all your junk, get the tools for cleaning, gather up your cleansers, get to work, and determine to keep it clean. The Holy Spirit lives in our house. Treat your home as if you have an honored guest. God dwells within us and wants to help us keep our home clean. It’s up to us. Do you have something in your Spiritual life that is cluttered? Is it time to clean your Spiritual house? If we walk in the Spirit those dust bunnies are easier to handle. Thank you Pastor Ron for inspiring this sermon.
Spring Clean up for the Soul. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” It’s spring, it’s time to clean our houses. Winter has been long and we start itching to revive our homes. Outside we see signs of new life, we long to bring that newness into our living areas. Most of us by turning our homes upside down, cleaning, taking things apart, scrubbing and scouring. We reach into every dark corner of our homes to make it presentable, fresh, and new. Sometimes we need to do the same thing with our spiritual house. We need to clean up our spiritual home and give it a good strong scrubbing. All of us grow stale sometimes and need a spiritual freshening up.
Our Spiritual Home:
“What know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost …” (1 Corinthians 6:9)
Things always get tucked away in our spiritual closet that aren't needed. We gather grime and dirt on our spiritual floors and walls. Every now and then we need to turn our spiritual homes upside down to clean it inside and out so we can present our bodies as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God.” (Romans 12:1) Let’s get started on that. Here are a few steps we need to take in the cleaning process.
Evaluate:
What do we need to do to clean our spiritual home? Only you know the areas that need cleaning up in your individual life. What needs to be improved? Evaluate everything you do and say and think. Is it pleasing to the Lord?
“And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus…” (Colossians 3:17)
Get Rid Of All Your Junk:
Are there things in your life that is just junk and cluttering up your life? Are there things getting in your way of serving Christ to your greatest potential? Are things like worry, anger, gossip, and bad habits cluttering up your life? If it’s something you should keep in your life it will pass the guidelines of:
Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.”
Get The Tools For Cleaning:
When you clean your house you get the tools to scrub, sweep and mop. All you need to clean your spiritual house is one tool, The Word of God. The all-purpose cleaner for our Spiritual Home.
“For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than a two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
Gather Cleaners:
Cleaning requires all kinds of cleaners, window cleaners, waxes, floor cleaners, bleaches, and disinfectants. We only need one all-purpose cleaning agent. The forgiveness of God. It is guaranteed to cleanse all grime and dirt, which embodies itself as sin buildup.
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
Get To Work!:
So, we have gathered all of our cleaning tools and supplies to clean our homes. Evaluated what work needed to be done and did nothing. What will we accomplish? We need to do the work, we have to use the supplies. The same is true with our spiritual homes. God gives us His Word and His precious forgiveness but we have to use them to keep our lives clean.
“Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee.” (Psalm 119:11)
Determine To Keep It Clean:
When we finish cleaning our homes, we usually say, we’ll never let the clutter pile up that high again. We set our mind to it. We should do the same for our spiritual house. Determine not to let it get dirty again. The only way to accomplish this is to keep feasting on God’s Word. Be sensitive to the Holy Spirit to work in our lives.
“This I say then, walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.” (Galatians 5:16)
Remember when cleaning our house, evaluate, get rid of all your junk, get the tools for cleaning, gather up your cleansers, get to work, and determine to keep it clean. The Holy Spirit lives in our house. Treat your home as if you have an honored guest. God dwells within us and wants to help us keep our home clean. It’s up to us. Do you have something in your Spiritual life that is cluttered? Is it time to clean your Spiritual house? If we walk in the Spirit those dust bunnies are easier to handle. Thank you Pastor Ron for inspiring this sermon.
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