Sermons and short lessons by our preacher

The Lord’s Supper pictures the Great Feast of Revelation 19

I want you to imagine a scene with me…a scene of beauty and wonder and grace. The King of heaven and earth has prepared a feast in honor of His Son. The table has been prepared, the Son has taken His place at the head, and it is you and I who have been invited to sit and dine and fellowship. As we look around the table we see one another…men and women, boys and girls loved by God, here by invitation. The Son, Jesus Christ, is prepared to receive us as guests and honor us as friends. He has prepared a feast before us.

Can you imagine such a scene? To be asked to eat with the King of Glory? Were He a physical king with a physical kingdom and you and I were invited to feast at his table, we would certainly prepare ourselves for the occasion. Our dress and demeanor and language and disposition would all reflect great joy and honor toward the one who has invited us.

God has indeed prepared a feast in honor of His Son and Revelation 19 describes that great Supper (Revelation 19:9, 17). The Lord’s Supper is symbolic of that feast.

What are your favorite "coming  together" times? They probably deal with family and friends get together for such events as family reunions, Thanksgiving, Christmas, etc.! These are great times of celebration, friendship and encouragement.

That is what God intended for our church services. Times when we meet as a family to celebrate, remember, and encourage. Listen to these OT worship passages.

Psalm 47:1

"Clap your hands, all you nations; shout to God with cries of joy."

Psalm 47:5a

"God has ascended amid shouts of joy …".

Psalm 42:4
"…  leading the procession to the house of God, with shouts of joy and thanksgiving among the festive throng."

Psalm 100:4

"Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name."

As in the Old Testament, in the New Testament (NT) era, the worship service was intended to be a time of celebration, encouragement and remembering. And at the center of this celebration was the Lord's Supper. It was such an important event that the Bible even calls it a "Love Feast" (Jude 1:12).

How often did the Christians of the NT meet to partake of the Lord's Supper?

They met every Sunday to partake of the Lord’s Supper! Twice in Scripture we are told this: Acts 20:7; and the second place is in 1 Corinthians. When we look at 1 Corinthians 11:20, we find that when the Christians came together for their special worship service, they always ate the Lord's Supper. And in 1 Cor 16:2, we find that the Christians came together on the first day of every week. – They came together every Sunday. And they came together to give a portion of their income and they came together to eat the Lord's Supper. Because of this divine example, we too, meet every Sunday to partake of the Lord’s Supper.

By the way, early second century church history clearly supports the weekly practice of assembling on the first day of the week to celebrate the Lord's Supper (see Everett Ferguson, Early Christians Speak, ACU Press, 1999).

The Symbolism of the Lord’s  Supper

In instituting the Lord's Supper, Jesus took two elements of the OT Passover feast – the bread of haste and  the "fruit of the vine" (Matthew 26; Mark 14; Luke 22). The bread of haste was flour mixed with a little water – and probably some sort of vegetable oil. It did not have yeast in it. This reminded the Jews how quickly they left Egyptian slavery (Exodus 12).

The fruit of the vine is grape juice of some kind. This is some times translated as "wine." The wine of the Bible can be three kinds of juice. First is fresh squeezed …  pure and sweet. It has no alcohol at all. This is the "good wine" that Jesus made for the wedding feast in John 2. Then there was mildly alcoholic wine. This is the bitter grape juice one gets by storing the juice too long. It's still OK to drink but it has a bitter taste to it. (It is not the 12% wine sold in liquor stores today. This is called "alcohol infused wine" and that process wasn't even invented until three hundred years after Jesus' death.)

It must be pointed out that the early Christians preferred fresh squeezed juice over the mildly alcoholic wine for drinking. The third wine is made from dried grapes (we call them raisins). The raisins are boiled in water and which makes a bitter grape juice. (Cakes of raisins are mentioned in the OT – see 2 Samuel 6:19; Song 2:5; Hosea 3:1, RSV – not translated correctly in KJV). This is how missionaries in the bush – where refrigeration isn't available – prepare the Lord's Supper. (See Bible Wines by William Patton and this website: http://www.gospelway.com/morality/drinking_alcohol.php.)

When we partake of the Bread – Jesus tells us to remember his body. When we partake of the wine, we are to remember his blood. As the Passover lamb was slain to provide us life; likewise Jesus was killed that we might have eternal life.

My dad died in 1996. My mother died in 2003. I think of my mom and dad every day.

And every time I go to cemetery on S. 14 in Abilene, I remember them even more. Their spirits are long gone but in that cemetery is a memorial to them. It’s a grave stone with their birth and death dates and the date of their marriage.  I stand over their graves and remember them in a special way. I remember days gone by. I remember their love for me. They gave me life, provided for me, taught me, directed me, loved me.

Every time I go to their gravesite it’s a special time of remembrance. And isn’t this what we do every week when we come to the Lord’s Table? It’s a special memorial to the one who gives us life and the promise of eternal life.

At this time, we are going to eat the bread … and as we do let's remember Jesus. How he suffered. How he died. "By his wounds, we have been healed" (1 Peter 2:24).

Blood has always held a special significance in the Bible. Long ago, God told us that when He created us, he made us in such a way that our life is in our blood (Leviticus 17:11). Jesus gave his precious blood of life that we might have eternal life (see 1 John 1:7). And so, today, as we partake of the fruit of the vine, let us remember that Jesus' blood cleanses us from our sins. Jesus highlighted the importance of this when said:

John 6:53-54:

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day."

What about the contribution?

We now come to another part of our worship. It is the contribution. Please understand, the contribution is not the same thing as the Lord's Supper. It is another act of worship. 1 Cor. 16:1-2 tells us that the Christians of the NT dedicated some funds every Sunday. There was no clear percentage one should give (like the 10% tithe of the OT). But it was an amount decided by each member. Likewise, we are to give “of our means.” It is to given freely and it is an act of worship. It is not a part of the Lord's Supper … but this is more than a convenient time. I think that it is right and proper to have the contribution at this time because, as we remember all that Jesus has given for us – his very life – then we respond by giving back a portion of the rich blessings God has bestowed on us.

Three key points to remember

Now as conclude this less, I like for you to understand  these 3 key points.

(1) First of all the bread and the cup reminds us of Christ's sacrifice.

You see, that night as they shared their last supper, the apostles did so in the shadow of the cross. The disciples didn't realize this, but Jesus did. Our Lord was keenly aware of what was ahead for Him. He said of Himself, "The Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many" (Matthew 20:28). And so one thing these elements are supposed to remind us of is this fact that by dying on Calvary's cross, Jesus paid for our sins. He sacrificed His own life for each of us. He substituted His life for ours.

October 2, 2006, a dark day dawned for the community of Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania.  On  that morning, a local milkman named Charles Carl Roberts barricaded himself inside the West Nickel Mine Amish School. He was armed with three guns, knives, and over 600 rounds of ammunition. When police attempted to intervene less than half an hour later, Roberts opened fire on eleven girls-all less than 14-years-old ,,, he killed five. After these brutal acts, he turned his weapon on himself and committed suicide. It was a dark violence..

According to two of the survivors, when 13-year-old Marie Fisher began to understand what Charles Carl Roberts intended to do, she made a request. "Shoot me first," she said, "and leave the other ones loose." As the oldest child in the group, she hoped that her death might somehow spare the other children or at the very least provide more time for their rescue.

Now, I don't know this for a fact, but I believe-and many people who knew the girls believe this as well-I believe these young Christian girls offered to die first inspired by the example Jesus set on the cross. They knew-they remembered-that He died for us. He died so we could live, and this memory motivated them to give their lives for their friends.

(2) The Lord's supper is a reminder of Jesus' love.

In John 15, Jesus said, "Greater love has no man than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." Well, that is what Jesus did for us on the cross. As someone put it, "It was not the nails that held Him to the cross. It was His love for you and me."

Jesus showed His love for us by coming to our rescue on Calvary's cross. Jesus' scars are visible reminders of his great love for you and me. The Lord’s Supper points us to the cross. And we only need look to the cross to see how much Jesus loves us!

(3) And then the third thing the Lord's Supper helps us never forget is Jesus' future return.

In 1 Cor. 11, the apostle Paul wrote concerning the Lord's Supper and said, "As often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you show the Lord's death till he come." You see, we observe the Lord's Supper in the midst of history, but we do so with an eye to the end of history and our Lord's triumphant return. This is our great hope as Christians: that the Christ Who was born in Bethlehem, Crucified on Calvary, and resurrected on the third day is going to return to earth someday. And this is something we must never forget, for it is a promise that gives us bright hope even in the darkest hours of life. We know that when Jesus comes back, He'll take us home and we'll all be together again with parents and grandparents and spouses and children and dear friends …  never to be parted again!

Hallelujah! “Give thanks to him and praise his name.”

How to achieve 101%

A note from Larry Fitzgerald
A friend recently reminded me of this wonderful mathematical symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321


What does it mean to give more than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?
We have all been in situations where someone wants you to give over 100%.
What equals 100% in life? And, how do we achieving 101%?
Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

D R E A M S

4+18+5+1+13+19 = 60%

K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E

11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K

8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%

A-T-T-I-T-U-D-E

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

Then, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D

12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:

Just Dreaming will not get you close.

On the other hand, Knowledge and Hard Work will get you close. Attitude will get you 100%.

However, it's the Love of God that will help you exceed 100%.

Forgive to be Forgiven

By Larry Fitzgerald

Although whole books have been written about "The Lord's Prayer" from Matthew 6, I find it interesting (and very challenging) that Jesus had only one comment on this. It is found in Matthew 6:14-15: "For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins." This reminds me of another verse from the mouth of our Lord: "And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins" (Mark 11:25).

Wow! The Lord Jesus Christ commands us to forgive people. And he punctuates it with this statement: "so that your Father in heaven may forgive you." If you forgive, God forgives you. If you don't forgive, God will not forgive you.

But forgiveness should be more than that. It should bubble up from the heart. Jesus told a parable about a king who forgave a servant who owed a very large sum of money. However, this same servant refused to forgive another a very small amount. In the story, when the king heard about the actions of this unmerciful servant, he was "white hot" with anger and punished the servant severely. Jesus concludes that story with these words: "This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart" (Matthew 18:35).

So there it is … forgiveness from the heart.

Forgiveness involves an attitude -- abandoning negative attitudes like ill will and hatred. To use the Bible, we "get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice" (Eph. 4:31). This passage makes it clear that it is up to us to make this effort. Of course, if we ask God, he will help us in this task. "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14).

One of the more challenging things about forgiveness is that it's not a once in a while kind of thing. We are to continuously forgive each other. To emphasize this point, Matthew records a conversation between Jesus and the Apostle Peter.

Peter asked: "' Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, "Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?" Jesus answered, "I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times'" (Matthew 18:21-22).

By the way, Jesus does more than just command us to forgive. He gave us the ultimate example. When he was dying for crimes he did not commit, Jesus looked down at his tormenters and said: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34a).

God's Great Grace!

Ephesians 2:1-10

Everything we have. Everything we are is the gift of God’s grace (2 Peter1:3-9).

The fullest expression of grace is this: "We, who were once dead in trespasses and sin, have been made alive through faith in Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 2:5).

We, who were once found dead in trespass and sin, have been transformed according to abundance of God’s grace, into a child of God.

The Bible says: “Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

But there is good news.

Where there was once a legacy of sin through disobedience to God, there is now available a legacy of life through the obedience to God of Jesus Christ.

"But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" (Romans 5:15).

Here is God’s grace in action.

- To the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.”

- For the crowd who crucified him, Jesus prayed, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

- To the thief crucified alongside, Jesus said, “Today, you shall be with me in paradise.”

- To all people God reminds us: “And being found in appearance as a man, (Jesus) humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). And, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

But God's gift does not negate the importance of obedience. Indeed, Faith demands Obedience or it isn't true faith. "… through whom (Jesus) we have received grace and apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith among all the Gentiles for His name's sake" (Romans 1:5).

Living With Dragons
by Larry Fitzgerald

One day in England a "gentleman of the road" (we'd call him a hobo) stopped by a restaurant named "St. George and the Dragon." He knocked at the back door and asked if he might have a bite of some leftover to eat. A very stern lady looked the fellow in the eye and said: "I'll not give you one crumb. You're a fit fellow. Get yourself a job, you bum!" And then to punctuate her point, she slammed the door in the fellow's face. The shabbily dressed fellow stood looking at the establishment's sign for a moment and then knocked, again.

The door opened and the same stern lady asked in a hateful voice: "Well, what is it you want, now?"

"I was just wondering," he said, "could I please talk to St. George, this time?"

Unfortunately, we all face "Dragons." Sometimes we work for them. Sometimes they are relatives. But let's face it, sometimes WE are the dragons! (Not you, right?).

So I look for a dragon slayer I can count on. It's called LOVE.

What makes the dragon in you appear? Petty problems, real or imagined slights, jealously, insults, someone cheats you? Do you really like yourself when the dragon appears? I know I don't like it when it is me. So let's try this formula from the Bible …

"Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves" (Romans 12:10).

"… show perfect courtesy toward all people" (Titus 3:2).

God has purpose for you!
by Larry Fitzgerald

God has a purpose for you. God wants us to have an intimate relationship with Him. That is the principle reason why Jesus died on the cross for you. So that you could become a part of God’s family … and receive an inheritance. There is a very good discussion of this in Galatians 3:23-4:7.

Here, basically, the Bible says,
1. In Christ Jesus you are a son (or daughter) of God (Gal. 3:26).
2. When you are baptized into Christ you become Him {"put on Christ"} (Gal. 3:27).
3. Therefore you were adopted in God’s family with all the privileges of being a member of that family (Gal. 4:1-7).

Sing to me of heaven
By Larry Fitzgerald

Philippians 3:17-21

Have you ever been so excited about something that was going to happen that it just made your entire day?

More than a few years ago, I had the privilege to travel to Sacramento, California, to speak at the Northern California Bible teacher’s seminar. The organizer of the event was a friend of mine from Abilene. I stayed in his home. Spoke Friday and Saturday. Preached Sunday. It was a tremendous weekend.

But instead of flying home on Monday morning, my boss had given me permission to stay an extra day. But we did not sleep in Monday morning. Instead, we got up at 4:30 in the morning to make a long trip in the snow, through a treacherous pass to Squaw Valley.

Why did we do this? Because both of us loved to ski.

For us, it was a great little vacation. We were both so excited about going that we didn’t mind getting up early and shaking the cob webs out of our brains to make the trip.

This is what I call the vacation attitude.

Now, the perfect vacation is different for different people. For some the perfect vacation is spent shopping. "Shop til you drop" is their motto. Others, it might be going on a cruise or scuba diving off the coast of New Zealand or going to a ballgame. Or simply staying at home doing quiet things you enjoy.

But whatever your favorite vacation is, aren’t you in a better mood when you know that you are about to have such a rest? And don’t you handle the things of life a little better at those times?

But the problem is we don’t always have a vacation to look forward to. Therefore our attitude is not always that positive. Things are not always that easy to handle and we are not always that cheerful as we live this life.

Sometimes there is not much joy seen in our eyes or heard in our voice.

For me … for you … for us … to make it through this life with a bounce in our step - we need something to keep us going... we need something to look forward to... we need what the Bible calls: "a living hope..." (1 Peter 1:3). We need a hope that can never perish, spoil or fade away.

And friends it is possible for us to have this kind of hope – every day! The words, "rejoice in the lord always, I will say it again. Rejoice!" were not written by a man whose life was going great, but rather by a man who was in prison, a man who had in his life been beaten, flogged, stoned and betrayed (Phil. 4:4).

But he was not the first to use this power of a future hope to press on and endure in this life...

Listen to Hebrews 11:13,16

"All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised they only saw and welcomed them from a distance...they were longing for a better country - a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them...".

They were still living by faith - they didn’t have the things promised - but they could see them in the distance and they knew that someday this promise would be theirs. They knew that someday they would possess the promise. They would possess heaven.

Today, if you are a Christian, here is something to look forward to. Here is a "before vacation" attitude about your life. Hopefully you will re-kindle, anew, the fires of your hope. And today if you are not a Christian I pray that the hope that those who are in Christ will move you to be baptized into Christ -- in order that you to may be born again into a living hope.

Brother’s and sisters we are at this very moment "Marching to Zion, beautiful, beautiful Zion - we are marching upward to Zion the beautiful city of God." (Old Hymn). Do you believe that? Really believe that? This world is not our home we are just passing through.

We are headed home - we are going to heaven - and let me tell you heaven is going to be wonderful! It’s going to be the best experience in your life!

Today, I’d like to briefly share with you some of the many reasons why I think heaven is going to be the best trip you’ve ever taken.

Reason # 1 heaven is going to be the best trip you’ve ever taken is because when we get to heaven WE WILL GET A NEW BODY

1 Cor 15:50-54 tells us that when Christ comes again, he will change our pain-filled bodies into glorious, beautiful, immortal bodies.

And we are given a glimpse of what those bodies will be like. For the Bible tells us, "….but we know that when (Christ) appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is..." (1 JOHN 3:3).

And …

"While we live in this earthly tent, we groan with a feeling of oppression; it is not that we want to get rid of our earthly body, but that we want to have the heavenly one put on over us, so that what is mortal will be transformed by life..." (2 COR 5:4)

Phil 3:21 tells us that Jesus will change our bodies to be just like his glorious body".

In heaven we get a new body... And if we’re honest we’d have to admit that living in this body is not so great. Our earthly bodies get tired, feel pain, get sick, and our bodies grow older; move slower. They sag, our eyes dim, our ears dull, and things falls out (eg hair & teeth).

And most People are not really happy with their body anyway , billions are spent every year to cover up, make up, lift up and change the flaws in our bodies.

Well, in heaven we won’t need to do that anymore because -- we get a new body, a better one, an eternal one; one that doesn’t get tired, feel pain, get sick, sag or fall out...

Getting a new body is one reason that heaven is going to be the best trip you ever took.

Reason #2. Heaven is going to be the best trip you’ve ever taken because we’ll get to live in a custom built house

JOHN 14:1-3 Jesus told his disciples (and us) that he was going to prepare a home for us. A great mansion.

HEBREWS 11:10 calls it the city whose builder and maker is God, himself.
Over the years, Lynn and I, because of finances (or other circumstances) have stayed in some pretty run-down motels (Tell story of Zane Grey motel). {Lynn and I once had to stay in a run down old motel that was accessed by a dirt road. When we turned off the lights, we could hear the roaches running across the floor. Our feet stuck to the floor when we walked barefoot.}

But heaven is not like that! Heaven is the perfect house. Because it was planned and built by the best builder in the business. God himself!

Yes, heaven is going to be the best trip you’ve ever taken because of the home we will live in.


Reason #3. The 3rd reason why heaven is going to be so wonderful is because… We will have the best family reunion you could ever imagine.

This weekend we’ve had a good school reunion. Many of the classes have met together. One of the graduating classes met in our fellowship hall. But those reunions are sometimes bittersweet. Because they remind us of our age.* And they remind us of who is not there. Each year, a high class grows smaller. And the same goes for our family reunions.

But when we all meet together in heaven, it won’t be that way!
Read 1 THESSALONIANS 4:13-17

When Christ comes back to this earth, the dead in Christ will arise and those who "ARE STILL alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (1 Thess. 4:16-17).

I am looking forward to being with my friends and relatives again. Aren’t you?

What a great family reunion!

Reason #4. Heaven is going to be the best trip you’ve ever taken because of what will not be there.

NO MORE: hunger, thirst, scorching heat, no more tears, no more pain. no more bad guys , no more bullies, no more hate, no more sickness, no more old age, no more death! (Read Revelation 7: 16-17; and Rev. 21:4).

Reason #5 Heaven is going to be the best trip you’ve ever taken because of the great family reunion waiting you there.

Every friend and relative who died in Christ will be waiting for you in heaven (see Revelation 7:9ff). Don’t you know that there will be a great party when you get there! Every Christian who meant a lot to you in this life will be waiting to greet you and celebrate with you. And with one voice we will all praise God from whom all blessings flow.


Conclusion

There is a story told about an 11-year-old boy. He was dying of lung cancer. (I have been around far too many friends and relatives who have experienced this disease.)

It is a terrifying disease in its final stages. The lungs fill with fluid, and the patient is unable to breathe. It is terribly claustrophobic, especially for a young child who really couldn’t understand what was happening to him. But that boy had two things that many adults do not have. First, that young boy was a Christian. (Just before he came down will his illness, he obeyed the Lord in baptism. He put on Christ, calling on his name.)

And, second, this little boy had a Christian mother who loved him and stayed by his side through the long ordeal. She cradled him on her lap and talked softly about the Lord. Instinctively, the woman was preparing her son for the final hours to come. One day as death approached, and the nurse heard this lad talking about a wonderful Chorus singing. "They’re singing, Mom," he said. "I can hear them."

The nurse thought he was hallucinating because he was already slipping away. She left and returned a few minutes later and again heard him talking about hearing the great song. The nurse said to his mother, 'I'm sure you know your boy is hearing things that aren't there. He is hallucinating because of the sickness."

The mother pulled her son closer to her chest, smiled and said, "No, he is not hallucinating. I told him … when he was frightened — when he couldn't breathe — if he would listen carefully, he could hear the angels of heaven singing for him. That is what he's been talking about all day." That precious child died on his mother's lap later that evening, and he was still talking about the songs of heaven when the angels came to take him.

"They sing in heaven a new song of Moses and the Lamb."

Therefore….

"Sing to me of heaven, let me fondly dream, of its golden glory, of its pearly gleam. Sing to me when shadows of the evening fall, sing to me of heaven. Sing the sweetest song of all" (Another old hymn).

If you are ready for heaven … then rejoice. If you are not, then I urge you to come forward today. Know the joy of being prepared for the most important trip you will ever take!

The Two Contracts
By Larry Fitzgerald

A mother yelled to her son on Sunday morning to make sure he got out of bed and was ready for Church.

"I'm not going," he told his mother.

"Yes you are going, so get out of that bed!" his mother demanded.

He said; “No mom, no one likes me. No one listens to me. No one wants me there. Give me ONE good reason why I should go.

"I'll give you four good reasons," she said. "One, I'm your mother, and I say you're going. Two, you're 25 years old, so you're old enough to know better. Three, the people there really do love you ... and four, … you're the Preacher!"

I remind you that God gave us the Ten Commandments for our benefit. The purpose of the Ten commandments, in the words our Lord, himself, is so he could show "love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments” (Exodus 20:6).

So the purpose of the Ten Commandments, indeed the whole law, is to show you love.

Now the question is … what about the fourth commandment?

Exodus 20:8-11: "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”

As we look at this command, I have two observations. The first is this: Sunday is not the Sabbath. It has never been the Sabbath … and it never will be the Sabbath. Some religious groups have called Sunday – the “Christian Sabbath.’ That concept is not found in the New Testament. The Sabbath day has always been Saturday.

The second observation is this. Do you know what the most misunderstood page in all the Bible is? I’ll show you. Please turn to Matthew chapter one and verse one in the your Bible. Now turn one page back.

It should look something like this  (The New Testament intro page). The New Testament title page is, I believe, the most misunderstood page in the Bible throughout the whole world.

What does the word, “testament” mean … when it is used in the Bible?

It does not mean “testimony” as some people use it today. (As in "another testament of the life of Christ.")

It simply means a “covenant” or “contract.” When you make out you last will and testament – you are not making out a testimony. Instead, you are making a contract between you and your heirs.

This becomes evident when we read the Bible:

Hebrews 9:15-17

“And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.”

“For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives.” (NKJV).   

The NASV version puts it this way:

“For this reason (Jesus) is the mediator of a new covenant, so that, since a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant, those who have been called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance. For where a covenant is, there must of necessity be the death of the one who made it. For a covenant is valid only when men are dead, for it is never in force while the one who made it lives. (Note how covenant and testament are used interchangeably.)

When you look up the word, testament, in a Bible dictionary such as Homan’s Bible Dictionary or any other credible dictionary, the dictionary will either define the word as a "covenant" or "contract" or it will simply say: “See covenant.”

Here is what the Holman Bible dictionary says: “A pact, treaty, alliance, or agreement between two parties of equal or of unequal authority. The covenant or testament is a central, unifying theme in Scripture …”.

What we are talking about here are two covenants. Two contracts. Two Testaments.

The first contract is the Old Testament. In fact, we could call this – the Old Covenant. And the New Testament we could call the New Covenant.

Indeed some English versions put this on their title pages.

What is a covenant or contract? It is an agreement between two parties. For instance, when you borrow money at the bank, to buy a house, you are entering into a contract or covenant with the bank.

They agree to give you money. You agree to pay it back at a certain interest rate. And the bank might require other things such as you will probably have to provide adequate fire insurance on the house. And because of the creek by your house, they will make you carry flood insurance, too.

These are the terms of the contract. If you sign that contract, you are agreeing those terms.

Now, here’s a question: When are these terms no longer binding? The obvious answer is – when you fulfill the contract.

When you pay the money with interest.

Well, God established a contract or covenant with the nation of Israel. This is the Old Testament.

When would that contract no longer be in force? When it was fulfilled! Well, Jesus fulfilled the contract for us. Jesus said:

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).

That’s why Ephesians 2:14-15 says:

“For (Jesus) himself is our peace … by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations” (Ephesians 2:14-15).

In Hebrews 8, the Bible discusses how there are both two testaments or covenants. Then verse 13 says: “By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear” (Hebrews 8:13).

So it is that Jesus – dying on the cross – paid the bill. He fulfilled the contract!

Now, going back to our bank illustration …

After you fulfill your contract, does the bank have the right to make you pay them more money? Can they make you provide fire insurance on your house?

No, the bank can no longer hold you to these terms. However, should you go back to the bank to borrow more money (say to add a garage on to your house), then they will make a new contract with you. You will have to pay back the money you borrow plus interest. And they will probably require you to carry fire insurance. But what if the creek near your house has been re-routed? They won’t require you to carry the flood insurance.

Well, that’s what happened when God established the New Covenant with us. Some provisions he carried over – such as Do not worship idols and Do not commit adultery.

As you can see from this list, Nine of the ten commandments were repeated in the N.T. The only command not repeated was the fourth one – "Remember the Sabbath day."

Other commands also changed. For instance, we no longer slaughter lambs as a sacrifice for our sins. And the food laws in Leviticus are no longer binding, because they are not repeated in the New Testament (our new contract).  In fact, the New Testament reveals that they ended (Mark 7:19; Acts 10:14-15; 1 Timothy 4).

So you can enjoy catfish or shrimp today for lunch, if you wish.

Question: do we, as NT Christians, have a Sabbath rest? The answer is YES!

Our Sabbath rest is Heaven! Hebrews 4:6-11 makes this plain.

Now, having said all this. Is there something we can learn from the fourth commandment?  Yes, please notice the following two truths.

#1. It’s a good idea to rest one day in seven.

There are some people who are "workaholics." Personally, I love my job. But Lynn has to keep reminding me that there is a time a for rest.

I have a bow used in archery. It is made of laminated wood. Do you know why I keep it unstrung? If I don’t then the bow will eventually loose its power … and the string will probably break.

That’s the way it is with us. God gave us the principle of rest. It is a blessed thing. Now, he didn’t say “rest 6 days and work one.” That’s what some people think – they never work. Work is a blessing from God, too. When God created paradise, when the world was perfect, not marred by sin, the first thing he did was give Adam a job (Genesis 2:15).

But God also said that it is a good idea to rest.

Yes, it is a good idea to rest one day in seven.

#2. There is a deep need for spiritual rest, too!

Just as the body gets tired and weary, so does the spirit and the soul within us become tired and weary. If we allow stress and weariness to overtake us, even when we are doing good, it is very possible to become discouraged – even depressed. Pressured from the inside out!

It is interesting to me, that the Sabbath day of the O.T. was marked with worshipping God. It was not a day to lay around and watch T.V. It was a day marked with singing and praying and reading scriptures and bringing offerings to the Lord. Jeremiah 17:26 describes this day of worship.

Under the New Testament, we can worship any day of the week. Often the N.T. Christians worshipped every day (Acts 2:46-47). But there is one special day. It is the day that the Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead (Matthew 28:1). It is the day that the church was born (Acts 2:1).

On that day – which we call Sunday – the Christians of the N.T. met to take the Lord’s supper (Acts 20:7). On the first day of every week, the Christians met together to worship God (1 Cor. 16:2).

This a time when our souls rest … and our spirits our rejuvenated.

I remember when I was working in public relations and advertising in Fort Worth, Texas. Every day was a deadline. By the time Sunday came around, I was often worn out. (Weary and run down.) The alarm would ring and I would think “I’m too tired to go to church, today.”

But with my wife’s encouragement, I would push myself and go Bible class and worship. And, when I left church, I always felt much better, uplifted and encouraged.

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

This is more than a command. It is sound advice. Because, there is a deep need for spiritual rest.



Conclusion

A young man in Tennessee said his father was not a Christian and never went to church. He said everyone else in the family would get ready and go to church and his dad would stay home. The preacher would come by and visit and his dad would always give him the same pat answer; I know why you’re here and I know what you want, you want another name on your roll and another dollar in the contribution plate. You and your church don’t care about me.

This young man said: “if I heard my dad say it once I heard him say it 20 times.”   Then one day, that man got throat cancer. This is many times fatal. He had surgery and couldn’t talk nor could he work. He said as his dad was wasting away in the hospital room it was filled with someone in the church.

Later, food came to his house from the church. Christians came and prayed with the man. He said one day even though my dad couldn’t talk he took a scrape of paper and with trembling hands wrote these words: “I was wrong, I was wrong about the church.”         A few days later, he was baptized into Christ. For the rest of his life he enjoyed salvation but he regretted the many times could have enjoyed the fellowship of the Saints.

Released from the Law
By Larry Fitzgerald

“So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death. But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code” (Romans 7:4-6).

Sally was married to Jack for many years. Then Jack died. A couple of years latter, Sally remarried a man named Bill. Jack was in many ways different than Bill. Bill didn’t like to eat breakfast (he just grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out the door) and Jack liked to start his day with a big breakfast. Bill didn’t care if the house was kept clean and Jack wanted the house to be neat and tidy.

After the marriage, Bill got aggravated. Sally spent too much time making the house spotless – when he wanted her to spend time with him. And she kept insisting on them eating a big breakfast which gave him heartburn for the rest of the day. When Bill voiced his dissatisfaction with the situation, Sally said “well that’s the way Jack liked things”.

Bill said, “Sally, Jack is dead. You are my wife now. You have to stop living like you are still married to Jack.”

In a way, that’s what Paul told the Jewish Christians in Rome. For years, the Jews were under a covenant given through Moses. But Jesus fulfilled that contract and a contract fulfilled is no longer binding (Hebrews 8-10).

To illustrate this point, Paul uses the marriage covenant. According to their law, a wife was bound to her husband until he died (Romans 7:2). However, once the first husband died, the widow was free to marry again. Before we became Christians, we were married to the wrong spouse – sin. (Literally “slaves of sin” Ro. 6:20.) There was nothing wrong with the Law. However, once we died to the Law (and sin) (Romans 6:11), then we are no longer bound to the Law. (Also read Galatians 3:15-22.)

What does the New Testament mean by "not saved by works of the law?"
By Larry Fitzgerald

What does the Bible (both Old and New Testament) mean by the phrase, "the law?" (Using the definite article, THE, what did Paul, Jesus, and all the others mean by this phrase?)

The Jews divided their Bible (what we call the Old Testament) into three sections: The law, The Prophets, and The Writings (or Psalms). Jesus used that three-fold division in Luke 24:44. Often they just referred to the first two divisions (The Law and The Prophets) (i.e. Matthew 5:17). I have a Jewish Bible that still has these three-fold divisions.

To the Jew, and later to the readers of the New Testament, "The law" was the Old Covenant or what we call "The Old Testament." That covenant/testament/contract is what Jesus nailed to the cross (Colossians 2:14-17; Hebrews chs. 8-10). In Paul’s extensive discussion of the way of faith (the New Testament) vs. the law, in Galatians, Paul quotes Deuteronomy 27:26, when he says, "For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them’" (Galatians 3:10). When you look at the context of that quote in Deuteronomy 27, you discover that Moses was renewing the (old) covenant with the Jews (Deut. 27:1-14). Note particularly Deut. 27:3 (when you go into the Promised Land, "you shall write upon (stone pillars) all the words of this law"…. And, Deut. 27: 8, "And you shall write upon the stones all the words of this law very plainly." Then in Deut. 27:15-25, Moses repeats, and elaborates on, the Ten Commandments (the highest part of the Old Testament law). V. 15 – no idols; v. 16 -- honor parents; v. 17 -- landmark laws (no stealing); etc., etc. Then in v. 26 (the end of the chapter) Moses says, "Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the book of the law, and do them."

The use of the phrase, the law, as meaning the Old Testament, is seen in such New Testament passages as Hebrews 8:4, "Now if he were on earth, he would not be a priest at all, since there are priests who offer gifts according to the law." Hebrews 9:21-22, "And in the same way he sprinkled with the blood both the tent and all the vessels used in worship. Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood…". Hebrews 10:1, "For since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, it can never, by the same sacrifices which are continually offered year after year, make perfect those who draw near."

The book of Romans deals extensively with "works of the law." Note Romans 7:1, "Do you not know brethren – for I am speaking to those who know the law – that the law is binding on a person only during his life?" Romans 7:6, "But now we are discharged from the law, dead to that which held us captive, so that we serve not under the old written code but in the new life of the Spirit." Romans 2:25, 27, "Circumcision indeed is of value if you obey the law; but if you break the law, your circumcision becomes uncircumcision … Then those who are physically uncircumcised but keep the law will condemn you who have the written code and circumcision but break the law." {Also note the used of the "written code in 2 Corinthians 3:6, "… who has made us to be ministers of a new covenant (New Testament) not in a written code but in the Spirit; for the written code kills, but the Spirit gives life."}

Galatians 4:21, "Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not hear the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons…".

One of the main problems that Paul had to face was the problem of the Judaizers. These were the first Christian legalists who insisted that Gentile converts had to adhere to part of the law (the Old Testament) – specifically circumcision, keeping of the Old Testament holy days, food requirements, etc. Acts 15 records the Jerusalem conference in which these issues were considered. Also, Paul talks about them in Colossians 2:16-23; Galatians 4:8-10; Galatians 5:1-6, etc.). It is to these Judaizers that Paul wrote: "You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen from grace. "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working in love" (Galatians 5:4, 6).

Does this mean that there is no law under the New Testament? Of course not! The writers of the New Testament indicate that there is a law. In fact, they give it new names like "The Law Of The Spirit of life in Christ Jesus" (which has set me free from the law of sin death – the Old Testament) (Romans 8:2). The Royal law (James 2:8); The Law Of Liberty (James 2:12); "The Law of Christ" (Galatians 6:2); etc.

When Paul tells us that we are not under the law, he does not mean that we don’t have to keep God’s NEW TESTAMENT commandments.

Jesus said, "If you love me you will keep my commandments" (John 13:35). Thus obedience is required of love.

James said, "You see that a man is justified works and not by faith alone" (James 2:24) [the only use of the phrase ‘faith alone’ in the Bible]. "For as the body apart from the spirit is dead, so faith apart from works is dead." (James 2:26).

Paul tells us in the beginning and in the end of Romans that his aim is to bring the "obedience of faith" (Romans 1:5; Romans 16:26). And he tells us what is of value is "faith working in love" (Galatians 5:6, RSV).

It was Martin Luther, reacting against the Roman Catholic form of legalism, who interpreted Romans 4 and Galatians 2:16 to mean that we are justified by only our belief (or faith) in God. However, up to that point in the history of Christianity, we do not find that belief. Luther, then, excluded the book of James from the Bible – calling it a "straw epistle." Some historical legends say that he took a penknife and cut the book out of his Bible. This is interesting because one of the marks of a cult or cult leader is the rejection of part (or all) of the Bible (A. A. Hoekema, The Four Major Cults, Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, pp. 2-3). I’m not implying that Luther was a cult leader, though.

However, it is plain, when you understand what Paul meant by "the law," what he was saying. Also, the context of each of these passages is clear – Paul is talking about justifying your salvation by the works of the Old Testament. In each instance in which Paul talks about being saved by faith and not works of the law, he is always referring to some form of Judaism … usually the act of circumcision. Some examples of this are: Romans 4:10-12; Galatians 5:2; Ephesians 2:11; and Colossians 2:11-23.

Furthermore, there are some actions --which are not works -- but are essential to salvation. Sometimes, people (not the Bible) call these actions "works" but they are not. An example of this is baptism. Baptism is not a work of man. In it, the recipient does nothing. (Even the physical act of plunging is done by someone else.) In baptism, the recipient pleads with God for a clear conscience and God grants to him that clear conscience. Hence, Peter says, "Baptism, which corresponds to (the flood of Noah) now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:21, RSV).

Galatians 5:6 is a very important verse in the understanding of this topic. "… in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision is of any avail, but faith working through love." Unfortunately, the NIV did not do a good job of translating the verse. The NIV says what counts is "faith expressing itself in love." Following are some more accurate translations of that verse.

"… faith which worketh by love" (KJV).

… faith working through love" (ASV).

… faith working through love" (NASV).

… faith working through love" (NKJV).

… faith working through love" (RSV).

"The important thing is faith – the kind that works through love" (ERV).

As you can see, the term "expressing" was a commentary made by the NIV translators not a translation.

All people were made in the image of God (Genesis 1:26). Therefore, all people have an inward longing to be in fellowship with God. Paul mentions this longing in his sermon on Mars Hill. He also notes that even in the pagan religions there is some religious truth expressed since he quotes Epimenides and Aratus (Pagan Greek poets) in Acts 17:28-29. This does not make the pagans correct in all their teachings. However, even many non-Christians lead lives of service and devotion. Yet, they cannot be said to be "Spirit led." Notwithstanding, they feel good about their religion and claim to be led by their ‘spirits.’ The truth is, our feelings are important. We are to be emotional creatures practicing love, etc. But our feelings are poor leaders. Instead, we should search the scriptures to see if the things we believe are true, just as the Borean Christians did (Acts 17:11).

Now, concerning THE Law. Any rule or regulation is "A law." However, if we say "THE law," we are referring to a specific legal system. If I travel to Canada and I say, I do not have my rifle in my car because THE law prevented me from crossing the border with a gun, then I am not referring to U.S. law. I am referring to Canadian law. When Jesus said, "Think not that I have come to abolish THE law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them but to fulfill them" (Matthew 5:17), he was referring to a specific law.

Baptist commentator, Alvah Hovey, wrote about this phrase in His Commentary on Matthew, published by the American Baptist Publication Society, 1886, p.99.

Dr. Hovey wrote: "… ‘the law’ being the five books of Moses, and ‘the prophets’ the remainder." "In some other cases ‘the law’ denotes the whole (Old Testament)." For this last statement, Dr. Hovey lists 1 Cor. 14:21 as an example. "In THE law it is written…".

John tells us: "For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ" (John 1:17). Thus it is obvious that when the Bible uses the phrase "the law" it refers to the Old Testament, as Dr. Hovey points out. Hence, "THE law was a shadow of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities" (Hebrews 10:1). "Therefore he is a mediator of a new covenant…" (Hebrews 9:15).

Therefore, when Paul uses the term "works" he adds the phrase "of the law" meaning "works of the law of Moses" as the basis of justification. Notice Galatians 2:16; 3:11; 5:4. He insists that Abraham’s justification (in Romans 4) is apart from works of THE law because Abraham came before Moses’ law of circumcision. The obvious conclusion is this: when Paul says, "we are not saved by works of THE law," he is telling us that the Old Testament does not save us.

False Runways
by Larry Fitzgerald

In the Melanesian islands of the South Pacific during World War II, the natives watched closely as the American and British engineers came in and built airstrips. The islanders were amazed to see that when the airstrips were completed, planes began to arrive filled with cargo: food, building materials, machinery, even vehicles.
This, they decided, was something they wanted in on.

The Melanesians deduced, that if they built airstrips, then planes would come to them, too, likewise bringing cargo … marvelous gifts. So they hacked makeshift runways, built mock control towers out of grass and mud. And even put a man in the grass-hut control tower, with two coconut halves on his head for headphones.
Then they waited for the airplanes to land. As far as they could see they were doing everything right. The form was perfect. It looked exactly the way it was supposed to. Of course, it didn’t work. No airplanes ever came.
(John Derbyshire, National Review Online, June 14, 2002).

In James 1:19-27, the Bible discusses how true religion is clearly visible in the life of the Christian. Throughout his book, James focuses on the behavior of belief. At one point he says that “Faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26). Our claim to have faith is empty if our actions do not reflect that claim.
James chapter 1 makes it plain that true religion is going to be reflected in two ways, our speech and our deeds. How we speak and how we act!

How We Speak
Is our language the same language that Jesus would use? Do we curse, cuss and run down people? Or do we bless, help and encourage people with our words?

James 1:26 says: "If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless."

How we act
Do we strive to do what God asks? Are we willing to not do what God says not to do … despite what society says. For instance, God said "Do not commit adultery" (Luke 18:20). Society says "sexual intimacy is natural so it doesn't matter if you're married or not."
But God created sexual intimacy for the marriage relationship only.
The application is to other forms of sin – lying, theft, not going to church, etc.
Also, this applies to doing good deeds – helping the poor, etc.