Introduction
There is much that happens between Revelation chapter 1 and chapter 20.  A considerable amount is abysmal, some of it is cautionary, but all of it points to the holiness, sovereignty, and magnificence of the Almighty God.  Unfortunately, I cannot cover all of it as it would take weeks to delve deeply into this letter.  We will dive into that pool sometime next year.  So, today we will conclude our year long series God’s Story from Beginning to End as we look at the end of the God’s story. 
 
The final two chapters of Revelation (21 & 22) are the fulfillment of Isaiah 65:17 “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.”  This final vision contains some major components of the Apocalypse (unveiling) which is the renewed fellowship, it is in these passages we read about how God dwells amid His people. This encourages the recipients to see in the final section a re-formation of God’s perfect paradise, the garden of Eden.  It shows how everything comes full circle.  The Bible begins with God’s fellowship with his creation, then it documents the fall and separation of humanity and God’s desire to restore fellowship with His people.  It also highlights the restoration of God’s children through Jesus Christ and concludes with a restored and renewed eternal fellowship with his creation.
 
Revelation 21
Vs 1 – 2:  In this final vision heaven and earth are replaced by a new heaven and a new earth. The concept of a New Jerusalem that comes down from God is a common teaching in Jewish apocalyptic tradition.  Some hold that the New Jerusalem is a physical city, but many suggest it is symbolic of the church in its perfected and eternal state.  Regardless, Jerusalem is and always has been the site of the temple which is the place where the presence of God dwells.  This New Jerusalem is adorned as a bride for her husband.
In Chapter 19 we see the people of God are presented as a bride; thus, it could be equated with the heavenly Jerusalem. The major difference between the earthly city of Jerusalem is that it is described as a prostitute and the heavenly city is described as a bride.
 
Vs 3 – 4:  The voice from heaven declares that the dwelling place or the home of God is with His people, and He will live among them.  When John writes that God’s home or tabernacle of God is with us, he is saying that God in his glory has come to dwell with his people. This does not suggest a temporary dwelling, but a permanent one.  From this point forward God will dwell with his people forever.  It is the presence of God, and the fellowship with him of ALL believers, that comprises the fundamental trait of the coming age. Death, sadness, and pain are all part of the “old way” and has now passed away.
 
Vs 5 – 7:   God’s silence is broken when he declares, “I am making everything new!”  The throne upon which He sits represents his sovereignty and splendor. It is from this position of tremendous power that he announces his intention of creating the new order.
 
God proclaims, “It is finished!” He then declares that He is the Beginning that not only refers to the first in point of time but also, he is the source and origin of all things. He is the end in the sense that he constitutes the goal or aim.   He also allows those who are thirsty to drink from the spring of the water of life. Scripture often employs the figure of thirst to depict the desire of the soul for God.
 
Those overcomers/victorious will receive these blessings. In the letters to the seven churches, we learn that the overcomers would eat from the tree of life, would not be hurt by the second death, would be given hidden manna and a white stone, would receive authority over the nations, their names would not be blotted from the book of life, they would be a pillar in the temple of God, and they would sit with Christ on his throne. All of this is the inheritance of those who remain faithful to Jesus Christ during their time of trial and persecution. Those who deny Christ and are seduced by the solicitations of the prostitute (the world) will have no inheritance in the family of God.
 
Vs 8:  The cowards, unbelievers, the corrupt, murderers, the immoral, those who practice witchcraft, idol worshipers, and all liars will receive their destiny… the second death… burning sulfur and hellfire.  The same fate as the Beast, False Prophet, and Satan.
 
Vs 10 – 14:  John is taken in the Spirit to a great mountain to see the Holy City descending from heaven.  As the holy city descends from heaven, it shines with a brightness that shows the presence and glory of God. It is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Israel that in the restoration the glory or presence of the Lord will rise upon them, and he will be their everlasting light.
The city is surrounded by a great wall with twelve gates, which are guarded by twelve angels. The wall is not needed for security reasons. It is simply a detail of an ideal city as conceived by ancient peoples accustomed to the security of strong outer walls.
 
Vs 14:  The mention of the “Twelve apostles” is a reference to the disciples without specific mention of Judas.  In Ephesians 2:20 Paul teaches that the house of God is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. Historically, the church rests upon the apostles and prophets, this means it is built upon the faith and efforts of those who first proclaimed the gospel message. The combination of the twelve tribes and the twelve apostles shows the unity of ancient Israel and the NT church.
 
Vs 22 - 27: John notes that there is no temple in this new city.  There is no temple because the symbol of God’s dwelling place (the temple) has now become a reality (God dwells among his people). There is no need for a temple because it has been replaced by “the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb.”  The reason John tells us there is no temple is not so much to describe the manner or design of heaven but to speak significantly to a people for whom the temple equated as the supreme dwelling place of God’s presence.
 
Vs 23: The New Jerusalem does not have a sun or moon to shine because everything is illuminated by the glory of God.
 
Vs 24 – 26:  The gates of the New Jerusalem are open because with the destruction of evil there is no need for security. Day continues forever without interruption because darkness never comes. Thus, there is no need of closing gates.
 
Vs 27:  Everyone who enter the city are not evil or wicked, only those whose names are written in the book of life.  Only those who dwell in the new city have access to it.
 
Chapter 22
Vs 1 - 5
Vs 2: In the New Jerusalem the river in the street is pure and gives life. It is a sign of blessing.  On each side of the river grows a tree of life and in the early chapters of Genesis we read that if Adam had eaten of the tree of life, he would have lived forever.  Thus, the tree of life was a regular feature in Jewish portrayals of Paradise. To eat of its fruit would give eternal life. The tree bore twelve kinds of fruit and there was both an abundance and the variety of fruit that are emphasized. This is seen as God’s provision is new and plentiful.
 
The tree also has leaves that bring about healing. Is there need for healing in this New Jerusalem?  This is intended to show that in the restored Eden everything has been reversed: originally eating of one tree brought the curse—now eating of this tree brings eternal life.  The healing leaves signify the complete and total absence of physical and spiritual want. The life to come will be a life of abundance and perfection.
 
Vs 3 - 4: There will be no more curse of humanity. The curse that humanity brought upon itself in the Garden of Eden will be removed for all eternity. In return the greatest of all eternity’s blessings is reflected in the one phrase, “They will see his face.” Remember Moses, the great lawgiver was not permitted to see the face of God because God had declared, “No one may see me and live”.  To see God’s face means direct communion with him.
 
On the foreheads of God’s servants will be stamped the name of God. His name stands for his character.  The followers of the beast bore the mark of the beast upon their foreheads, contrarily the faithful will bear the name of God upon theirs. This metaphor emphasizes ownership and likeness.
 
Vs 5:  In the New Jerusalem God’s presence, and his glory makes all other sources of light unnecessary and pointless, thus there is no darkness or night.  Revelation ends with the promise of the restoration of all things.   In Romans Paul teaches creation is currently in bondage to deterioration, at it groans as it eagerly awaits the time when it will be freed from its captivity of death and decay. This takes place when the children of God are brought into the eternal glory that God has prepared for them. The Revelation of John is the final chapter in God’s eternal plan for his children. It brings us full circle to the original intent of God in his creation of all that is.
 
Epilogue
Verses 6–21 of chapter 22 form the Epilogue of the book of Revelation. 
Vs 6 - 10
Vs 6: The angel verifies that this revelation is authentic throughout the whole vision. These words that relate the visions are trustworthy and true. The angel confirms that he was sent by God to show John all the things that must come to pass.
 
Vs 7: The speaker is now Jesus, and he informs the reader that he is coming soon.  He announces a blessing to those who stand fast in the great persecution about to break upon the church. They are those who keep the prophetic commands of the book.
 
Vs 8 – 9:  John now attests that he has heard and seen all the things that are recorded in the book.  John once again falls to worship the angel but is prevented from carrying out his intention by the angel, who explains that he is a fellow servant with John, the other prophets, and those who keep the words of the book.  The angel’s urging, “Worship God!” puts in the most concise form of the theme of the book of Revelation.
 
Vs 10:  The angel now tells him that it is important is that the visions should not be sealed up and all that John has seen is prophetic and should be shared, heard, and understood.  Since “the time is near,” the message of judgment and hope is to be proclaimed among the churches.
 
Vs 11 – 22: Jesus announces again that he is coming soon and when he comes, he will bring rewards to repay the deeds of the people. 
 
The chapter closes out with another blessing to those who remained faithful to God during this time as they will have access to the eternal city.  Those who denied him will be left and thrown outside the gates with the dogs.
 
The revelation concludes with a stark warning against adding to or taking away from this message. This warning is not addressed to scribes who might be tempted to corrupt the text (but to “everyone who hears,” (the members of the seven churches of Asia) where the book was to be read aloud. The caution is against malicious alteration of the message.
 
The Apocalypse closes with Christ speaking again and informing everyone that he is coming soon to which John says, Yes Lord come soon.
 
Conclusion
The apocalypse or Revelation is now complete. It is intended to inform the readers of the day (and for us) that God is and remains sovereign, and his eternal plan will come to fruition. However, until that time there will be aggression and resistance, but it all must come to pass. People will be faced with the choice of pledging their allegiance to the beast or to the Lamb. Those who choose the mark of the beast will eventually share the same fate. The great city Babylon will fall. Those who choose to follow the Lamb, will be brought into eternal fellowship with God in the city of New Jerusalem. The end has been explained to the recipients of Revelation. Believers are encouraged to remain faithful and wait eagerly for the return of Christ, who will forever destroy evil and bring in the eternal state of blessedness.


[1] Tyndale House Publishers, Holy Bible: New Living Translation (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 2015), Re 4:11.

​Introduction
There have been times in my life where I have had an overwhelming sense of God’s presence.  These encounters are vivid, life-changing, and transformative.  There are at least three times that I can recall when my surroundings faded away and I sensed the presence of God.
 
My first occurrence was in Bible College.  I was in a Chapel service, and one specific evening I was feeling convicted that I had allowed pride to creep into my life.  I was not only convicted of pride, but I also had a conviction of unrepented sin in my life.  I began praying as the music played and I prayed for brokenness and repentance.  I prayed… and I prayed… and I prayed...  Suddenly the music of the praise band started to fade in my mind, and I had a sense that I was alone in the presence of God.  I spent what felt like a lapse of time in the presence of God repenting and crying over my sinfulness.  It was beautiful, it was transformative, and it was scary but freeing.
 
The second time was at a staff meeting at a church in Erie, PA. Every Monday the Pastoral staff would gather for lunch.  We would eat, talk, and pray together.  One afternoon when we had finished our lunches, we entered a time prayer like we always did; except this time nobody started with prayer.  We were silent for a few moments. At first it felt a bit awkward.  Then a few seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into about a half an hour.  We were in complete silence. I prayed and sought God and his plan for my life, ministry, and family.  I cannot begin to explain this time in the holy presence of God.  When we ended, we all just looked at each other and didn’t really say much to each other but we all knew that we had spent time in the presence of the King.  It was refreshing.  
 
The third time was at my friend Thom Potts’ funeral service.  It may sound strange to have an encounter with God at a funeral, but it was a funeral like I had never attended before.  The service began with a time of praise and worship.  As soon as the few men began playing the songs the presence of God was sensed by us all.  Carrie and I both recall the amazing time of worship we experienced.  In our time of grief and celebration Jesus showed up and ministered to us all.
 
Encounters with God are special, life changing, and transformative for individuals who enter the presence of God almighty. Today we will look at an encounter the Apostle John had with Jesus Christ that not only changed his life but changed the face of Christianity.  
 
Revelation
Today and the next couple of weeks we will spend in the book of Revelation. This letter is full of symbolism, visions, and strange occurrences (i.e., multi-headed beasts emerging from the sea, stinging locusts, false prophets, and angels).   

• Thus, it is not surprising that Revelation can be interpreted in differing ways.
• Since it was written at a specific time for the persecuted church we can assume that the recipients of the letter understood the central message without much difficulty. 

1. Title – Revelation (or the Apocalypse): The supernatural unveiling of what is about to take place.  The book of Revelation belongs to a class of literature referred to as apocalyptic.  Many consider Revelation to be the NT counterpart to the OT apocalyptic book of Daniel. 
2. Date – Written between AD 64 (persecution under Nero), and AD 70 (the fall of Jerusalem).
3. Author – John the Apostle, the beloved disciple of Jesus.  He is banished to the island of Patmos “on account of the of the word of the Lord.”  
4. Purpose – It was written as a testimony of God’s plan in Christ for his world, and to disclose by a series of a series of visions the fulfilment of his salvific purposes, through his judgment, both in history and in eternity.
   • The background is one of conflict between the demands of a totalitarian secular power (Rome) and allegiance to the Christian faith (Jesus).
   • The author writes to encourage to be steadfast in faith and endure hardships of persecution.
   • John encouraged the believers to direct their faith and hope towards the worship of Jesus Christ and not of Caesar even if it leads to martyrdom.
5. Audience – It is commonly held that this letter was written to congregations in Asia Minor, and the church in general because the church was facing persecution and oppression.

Prologue
Revelation 1:1 – 3
Vs. 1: “This is a Revelation of Jesus Christ” – The Greek word for Revelation is “apocalypse” means unveiling, more specifically unveiling of something that was once hidden.  This means that this is a revelation given to John by Jesus as the Father revealed it to Him.
 
“the events that must soon take place.” – History is not a random sequence of unrelated events, but divinely orchestrated events that must come to pass.  Now, many have an issue with the word, “shortly” or “soon to take place”.  According to theologian Robert Mounce, “One solution is to understand ‘shortly’ in the sense of suddenly, or without delay once the appointed time comes.” (Mounce p. 65). However, some also believe that John is speaking of the persecution of the church that did, in fact, take place shortly.  And some hold to taking the word in a straightforward sense.  This means that in the prophetic or futuristic view of the word, the end is always impending or imminent.
 
Vs 3: “God blesses the one who reads…” A blessing is pronounced on those who read this letter.  Not only to those who read it, but those who read it aloud.  Reading scripture aloud publicly was a Jewish practice.  At first, someone from the congregation was chosen to read and this person probably had proficiency in the art of reading.  The ability to read well was not something that was a common trait.  The position of Scripture reader became an official office in the early church. 
 
“the words of this prophecy…” We also understand that John sees this work as prophetic literature that on par with the OT prophetic books thus possessing an authority which required the obedient response of all believers.
 
“he blesses all who listen to its message and obey what it says…” Not only are those blessed who read it, but also to those who both hear (by faith) and keep (obedience) to all that is written in the letter
 
Revelation 1:4 - 9
Verse 4: “Seven Churches in the province of Asia” – Normally the NT refers to Asia as the Roman province that is known as Asia Minor or as it is known as modern day Turkey. It is not clear why Revelation is addressed to these seven churches.  There were other churches in Asia Minor other than the seven mentioned here and they are of equal importance. 
 
One of the reasons it is believed that the letter was written to seven churches is because the number seven represents completeness.  In Judaism seven has a specific significance because of the Sabbath.
 
“Grace to you and peace from him who is, who always was, and who is still to come.”  Grace and peace come from a threefold source…. “who was, who is, and who is to come.”  John paraphrases the divine to remind his readers that God is eternally existent… He has no beginning or end.  It is written at an appropriate time where the church was in the shadow of impending persecution.  The future is uncertain, so they needed to have hope in the one who is sovereign over all humanity.
 
“Sevenfold Spirit…”  Some interpret this to represent the complete manifestation of the Holy Spirit’s being.  Some see this as a reference to the seven archangels of Jewish Tradition.   In Enoch 20:1 – 8 these angels are named Uriel, Raphael, Raguel, Michael, Saraqael, Gabriel, and Remiel.   However, this is unlikely since it would be a strange intrusion of Jewish tradition into Christian thought.  There is uncertainty as to what these seven angels represent conclusively but we can deduce that they are part of a heavenly entourage that has a special ministry in connection to Christ. 
 
Verse 5:  Grace and peace proceed from the eternal God, the seven Spirits, and from Jesus Christ who has the threefold title of …

1. “faithful witness” – Jesus bears witness to the truth. From God.  
   1. Witness – Gk “martys” – where we get the English word martyr, which means one who has suffered death because of allegiance to a cause.  Through Jesus’s death he showed himself to be a faithful witness to the truth of God.
2. “risen from the dead” – Since Jesus, the faithful witness resulted in a martyr’s death, the result is him being the firstborn from the dead (resurrection)
3. “the ruler of all the kings of the world” – Vindicated by the resurrection, he is thus acknowledged as supreme leader.

Once again, the threefold title was intended to encourage and sustain believers about to enter severe persecution.  They are reminded of the death, resurrection, and supreme victory of Jesus.
 
Verse 7:  cf. Daniel 7:13 & Zech. 12:10. Jesus will be returning as the victorious Christ and when HE returns his sovereignty will be openly manifested “every eye will see him, even those who pierce him…” The wailing will not be the same as in Zech. Instead, it will be a wailing because of impending judgment.
 
Verse 8: “Alpha and Omega…”  This represents the Hebrew Aleph, and Tau, which is regarded not only as the first and last letters of the Hebrew alphabet, but also including all letters in between.  Thus, God is the sovereign Lord of all human history.  As the sovereign Lord he is the “the Almighty”.
 
Verse 9:  The Apostle John writes this letter from the island of Patmos.  It was a rocky island located in the Aegean Sea.  It was an exile island where people were sent who banished for religious or political reasons.  The Apostle John tells us he was sent there for preaching the Gospel.
 
Revelation 1:10 - 16
Verse 10 - 11: “It was the Lord’s Day, and I was worshiping in the Spirit.”– Some have suggested “In the Spirit” meant that John was taken from the Island of Patmos and transferred to the throne room of Heaven (we see this in Chapter 4).  Others suggest and probably more rightly that John was in a trance like state, or he had a holy vision or revelation.  
 
Early Christians recognized Sunday as the day Jesus rose from the dead thus the Lord’s Day was recognized as Sunday.  Pagans would also set aside a day to honor the emperor, and in response Christians chose the first day of the week to honor Christ.[i]   
 
John hears a loud thunderous voice telling him to write down what he is told and send it to the seven churches.  
 
Verse 12 – 16:  John turns around to see the person who is speaking to him, and I am certain he is not prepared for what he is about to see.  
 
In the next few verses John gives the reader a vivid description of the risen and glorious savior.  These verses are filled with symbolism and give us a glimpse of our Savior in his full glory in the heavenly places.
 
The number 7:  The number seven is significant in this passage and in the Bible for that matter.  In this passage there are seven lamp stands, churches, stars, and angels.  Seven is the number of completeness.  This is something we should keep in our minds as we continue along.

• Seven Lamp Stands represent the seven churches.  This represents or is symbolic of the complete church.  The Church universal (thus this letter is certainly applicable to the church today).
• Amid the lamp stands is Jesus.  This is very significant.  It tells us the presence of Christ is in the ancient church and he is in the center of the church today regardless of the state the church may be in.  
• Clothed in a long robe – This points to the priestly character of Jesus.  He is our high priest who makes intercession for us.
• White hair – Purity
• Eyes of fire – Eyes that penetrate and burn to the heart and is the one who judges.
• Feet of bronze – Strength and stability.  Jesus is our fortress and our solid foundation who will not be moved.
• Voice of rushing waters – The mighty and powerful voice of God.
• The seven stars – The seven angels of the Churches.
• The double-edged sword – The power of his word (Hebrews 4:12)
• His shining face – The shekinah glory of God

 
Revelation 1:7 - 20
Verse 17:  John’s response was no different than yours or mine would be if we encountered Jesus in His full glory.  He falls at Jesus’ feet as if dead.  In fact, his response is similar to the reactions of Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel when they had visions of Jesus as well.  
 
Verses 17b – 20:  Jesus reassures John.  “Do not be afraid…” These are words Jesus uses repeatedly to comfort his people.  We must remember John was living in a time of persecution and it was going to get worse, and Jesus tells him not to be afraid.  He comforts John and restores his confidence so he can hear the words that he is about to speak.  He assures him that he is the one who was at the beginning, has no end; and he has conquered death.  He lived, he died, and he rose from the dead.  He holds the key to death and Hades which means he has the power over death and Hades and the Bible is clear that this power belongs to God and God alone. 
 
John is then commanded to write down the things he has seen (the vision of Jesus), the things he is about to hear (the letters to the church) and the things that take place after this (the future and heavenly glories). 
 
Conclusion/Application
So how does all this translate for us today?  For starters it should stir up in us a sense of awe and wonder because of the greatness of our savior.  It should pique interest in what Jesus has to say to the Church.  On a personal level it should speak to you about the magnificence of Jesus.  In Revelation we see He is sovereign over the world.  He is present in the Church today.  He is our high priest who makes intercession for us.  He is our judge.  He is the head of the Church.  He is pure.  His Word is powerful.  He has all power and authority over death and Hades.  He was once dead but is now alive.  He is the King who is seated on the throne in heaven.  If you skip ahead and read the conclusion, you will see Jesus is victorious over evil and because of this we are as well.
 

[i] The New International Commentary on the New Testament: Revelation (1977) Mounce, Robert:  Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdman’s Publishing.  P. 76

​Introduction
The largest church fire in modern history was the destruction the Church of La Compania in Santiago, Chile, on the night of December 8, 1863. The service was to be the last of a month-long celebration; and the walls, ceiling and altar were decorated with thousands of yards of muslin, gauze and tinsel and illuminated by 2,000 long candles and 20,000 oil lamps, the latter being strung from pillar to pillar throughout the building. 
 
A moment before high mass was to begin, a bit of the flimsy material swayed too close to the flame of a candle, it ignited and, within three or four minutes, the whole interior of the church was an inferno. As the terror-stricken people frantically struggled in the aisles, the lamps fell and sprinkled them with blazing oil and those who managed to reach the doors and exits found them blocked with tightly wedged bodies. Of the nearly 3,000 worshippers in this congregation, some 2,500 perished in the fire or died from their injuries.   Entire families were wiped out. The clean-up of the bodies took about ten days, and since most of the bodies were burned beyond recognition, they were placed in a mass grave at the Cementerio General de Santiago.     
 
James 3:1 -12
Tongues and Fire
Fire can be a very dangerous thing.  As I just read you can see that even a tiny spark or flame can be very dangerous and deadly if it is not properly contained.  Parents may say to their children, “Do not get too close to the fire or you may get burned.”  Since fire has the potential to cause a great deal of pain, damage, and death it is no wonder why James uses fire as his example to describe the destructive powers of the words we speak.  Improperly used words have been responsible for starting wars, causing abuse, breaking up marriages, tearing people down, and dividing or destroying relationships.  
James uses the tongue as an analogy of the potential harm our words can cause.  The tongue of a human is considered to be one of the smallest muscles in the body, and yet it has the potential to cause some of the greatest of damage or destruction if left unchecked and unfiltered.  
 
James 3:1 – 2
Today we will talk about the power of the tongue or the words we speak.  Before James tackles this subject, he first gives a warning to his readers.  He cautions about becoming teachers.  According to commentator and scholar Douglas Moo, “Teachers were prominent in the life of the early church from the beginning… the teacher had the task of expounding the truth of the Gospel on the growing Christian tradition… The teacher in the early Jewish Christian church would have considerable prestige.”[1]  
 
James informs his readers as to why they should not be eager to become teachers; and it is because those who teach will be judged more harshly and notably for the words they speak.  I have heard people say that being a preacher would be an easy job; since all we must do is preach a sermon on Sunday, tell people how to live, and guilt people into attending and giving to the church.  James tells us differently.  The job of a Pastor is to be discouraged (unless one is clearly called by God) because he (I) will be judged more strictly for the words they speak.
 
Vs 3 – 5:  James now gets to the point he is trying to make… the power and danger of our tongues or words.  Keep in mind, James is not only speaking to leaders and teachers; he is talking to Christians in general.  The tongue is analogous for the words we speak.  In this passage, he is talking specifically about the power of words.  He compares our words to fire.  A fire, if used irresponsibly, or without care will cause great destruction.   It’s safe to assume that we all know the power of negative or hurtful words as we probably have, at one time or another, been on the receiving end of some hurtful words.  Throughout my 27 plus years of ministry, I have had some hurtful things said to me personally and as a pastor.  Hurtful words sting and they stick with you for a long time.  The words we use can cause great pain and suffering if not used properly.   
 
Proverbs 18:21: “The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences”. This is true!  The words we use have the power to leave everlasting positive or negative impact on someone.  Evangelist and author Leonard Ravenhill says, “Our words reflect what’s in our hearts.  If a man loves sports, he talks about sports.  If he loves money, he talks about money.  If he loves art, he talks art… Our speech shows where our hearts are.”  You tell what kind of person someone is by his or her words.  It doesn’t take too long to find out what a person values, or what they are like just by engaging in a casual conversation with him.
 
Vs 6:  James does a good job talking about the potential damage words can cause to others.  He equates words with fire, unrighteousness, and hell.  He knows and understands our human nature and the tendency to take something beautiful and wonderful and use it for harm and destruction.
 
When I read this passage, I am often convicted, because I often forget the power my words have.  There may be times that I lose my cool with my kids or may speak harshly to my wife and not consider the potential negative impact of my words.  I have spoken unkind words and know that I cannot take those words back.  
 
Vs 7 – 8: James says wild animals, reptiles and sea creatures can all be tamed by humans, but the tongue cannot be tamed by any human being.  We say what we say because we have no control over that little 20 oz. muscle in our mouths.  Can we use this as an excuse though?  Can we justify using hurtful words or cursing others simply by saying we have no control over our tongues?  Or we rationalize by saying, “I have to say what I say otherwise I wouldn’t be true to who I am.”  regardless of who I am harming in the process… I call this as verbal regurgitation.   No, we are responsible for every word that comes out of our mouths.  
 
Vs 9 – 12:  Our words have the potential to be positive, affirming, and glorifying to God.  We go to church, we sing praises, and we proclaim the wonderful love of God to one another.  We pray for one another, and we lift each other up for the edification of the body.  We tell someone you love them Etc.  Yet in the same way we curse our fellow brothers or sisters through gossip, slander, abusive language, and harsh tongue lashings.  It is not rare to hear things like “Did you hear what so and so did?  I can’t believe she would do that.  What a _________.”  You fill in the blank.  Or we say, “He did what?!   What a jerk!  I can’t believe he would even call himself a Christian.  I hope God gets him in the end.”  Or the ever so famous “but” statements, “She’s a nice person, but she annoys the heck out of me.  I just walk away from her when I see her walking in my direction.”  Then there is the always helpful, “I’m not trying to gossip BUT did you hear what she did?”  Some of us have been on the receiving end of some of the harshest words ever spoken, “I hate you!”, “You are worthless!” or “I wish you were dead!” We can say the sweetest of things to one another, but we can also speak venomous and vile things as well.
 
With our mouths we praise God and with the same mouths we speak evil of those around us.  James says, “This is not right!” And I concur.  It does not make sense.  How can something so wonderful be capable of being so harmful?  He writes, “Can a fresh spring produce fresh and salt water?  Can fig tree bear olives?”  No.  These things are not natural.  A fig tree should produce figs.  A fresh spring should produce fresh water.  James is saying “The words we use should be a reflection of the God we serve.”  If God gave us tongues, then we should use them for his glory and edification to his children.  Or let me put it the way I would have written it had I written this verse…” If you are a Christian then you should not gossip, slander, curse, abuse, or tear people down with your words.  You should speak well of one another, be kind to each other, lift your brother or sister in Christ with words of encouragement and blessing.”
 
So, if I cannot tame my tongue then who can?  Only God can give us the power to use our words positively.  We need to submit our mouths to Him, and He will give us the power to be disciplined to use our words positively and for His glory.  
 
In Acts 2 the Holy Spirit fell upon the people and tongues of fire were present over each person speaking in other languages.  These tongues of fire were evidence of the people being filled with the Holy Spirit.  The words they spoke were Spirit driven Words spoken for the glory of God and the edification of the body of Christ.  So, to answer the how question, I suggest we pray for the tongues of fire to be present in our speech instead of using the tongue as a fire.  The difference between these kinds of tongues is the tongue of fire is driven by the spirit and the tongue as a fire is driven by man.  
 
Conclusion
In Psalm 141:3 King David prayed, “Take control of what I say, O Lord, and guard my lips.” And in Psalm 19:14 he prays, “May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” Let these be your prayers as well as you consider how you use your words.  The king of Israel knew the power of his words and he also knew the potential of harm his words could cause.  He knew that his tongue could not be tamed so he prayed that God would be the watcher of his words.  He prays that God would help him to speak no evil words that would bring harm or destruction to anyone.  Ultimately, he wanted his words to be pleasing to God and acceptable to Him as well.
 
The challenge for us today… Gossip, negative talk, criticism, and back biting are present around us all the time.  I know it exists in the church… It is present in any church.  However, as believers we have the responsibility to stop harmful speech in the body of Christ.  The intent of the church is to glorify God, worship Him and edify one another in Christ.  
 
The big challenge is for us to be conduits of change here in this body of Christ.  Let’s begin by putting a stop to the use of harmful words against one another or against others in general.  If gossip, negative talk, criticism, and back biting come up then let us put a stop to it.  Let’s be honest, the reason it is present is because we allow it to be present.  God has given us voices, he has given us intellect, and he has given us new hearts so let us use all these God given gifts for his glory and not the tearing down of the body.
 
Determine today, will you use your words as bombs of death and destruction, or will you allow the Spirit to be present in your speech to be a balm of comfort to those around you and for praise to God? 


[1] Moo, Douglas: The Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 2000, p.

Introduction
James is a controversial book and has not always been widely accepted as authoritative by Christians throughout history. Some have even contested that it should be in the Bible.  For example, German reformer Martin Luther called it an “epistle of straw” because it does not refer to the Apostle Paul’s teaching on salvation by grace (which was the foundation of his faith). He believes James “mangles scripture” and thereby opposes Paul and all Scripture. It is also believed that up to the 4th century that parts of both the Eastern and Western church did not accept James as a canonical or divinely inspired book. 
​
The author of this letter (as stated in verse 1) is a person named James who refers to himself as a servant of God and of Jesus Christ. Most scholars believe this James is none other than the brother of Jesus, who was also known as James “the just”. There are other James’s mentioned in scripture that some believe could have been the author, however, most of the arguments support the idea that the author was in fact James, the brother of Jesus and this is the position I will take for this message.

James was not only the brother of Jesus, but he was also the first bishop of the church in Jerusalem (Acts 12, 15). One can imagine that being the half-brother to the Savior of the universe would have been interesting. James was not a follower of Jesus until after his resurrection, so I am sure James knew the Savior in a way that many never had the opportunity to know him. We also know that he didn’t parade around and brag about being the brother of the Savior. He could have used this title to pull some clout but instead he chooses not to mention it and instead calls himself a servant to Jesus. 

The letter was probably written around A.D. 49, but some have dated it as late as late as the early A.D. 60s. Regardless the date it is known as the oldest Epistle. If in fact it was written in A.D. 49, we should note that this is only 15 or so years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

The letter of James may receive negative response by holars but this Epistle quite possibly is the most relevant (and popular) letters of the N.T. Not surprisingly it appeals to the common, ordinary believer and deals with real life issues that are still pertinent today. 

According to theologian Douglas Moo James appeals generally to believers for three notable reasons... 

1. James is intensely practical; and believers looking for specific guidance in the Christian life naturally appreciate such an emphasis. 
2. A second factor making James so attractive to believers is his conciseness. He rarely develops the points he makes at any length, being content to make his point and move quickly on. 
3. James’s lavish use of metaphors and illustrations makes his teaching easy to understand and to remember.[1]

Faith and Works 
Today we will look at James 2:14 – 20 and this passage is considered on one hand the most theologically significant statements in the letter and on the other it is probably the most controversial topics brought up in the Bible and it is faith and works.

The topic of faith and works reminds me of a story about a chaplain who walked up to a wounded soldier who had been lying on the ground some time without anyone treating his wounds. 

The chaplain asked, "Would you like for me to read to you from the Bible?" "No!" came the angry reply. "Is there anything else I can do for you?" the chaplain asked. 

"I'm thirsty!" the soldier said. The chaplain gave him a drink from his own canteen. 
"Anything else?" he asked. "I'm cold!" came the reply. The chaplain took off his coat and spread it over the soldier. 

"Anything else?" he again asked. "My head is uncomfortable!" was his reply. The chaplain took off his cap and arranged it under the soldier's head. 
The chaplain asked again, "Anything else?" 
The soldier looked up at him and tears came to his eyes as he said, "I think now I'd like for you to read to me from the Bible."

As you probably noticed in the story; the injured soldier had no desires to hear the words of the God the chaplain served until he saw the God He served was evidenced or present in him through his actions. It reminds me of the words of one of my professors in college, “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” 

The argument James introduces in the passage is that a general carefree or verbal faith with a few good works added in is not sufficient to save individuals. Instead, he argues that the genuine faith of a true believer is clearly evidenced by good works or deeds. You see one cannot just tack on good works to any old empty or dead faith and think it is sufficient. This kind of faith (as James states) is futile or useless. 

This kind of faith reminds me of a commercial Febreze air freshener commercials from years ago. In the commercial people are blindfolded and brought into a condemned house, smelly kitchen or someplace that would not have a pleasant smell. However, the room had been sprayed down with the air freshener and the blindfolded participants respond with how wonderful the room smells only to find when the blindfolds are taken off, they are in the disgusting room which should reek of stench. The room may smell nice, but it was still a gross room. The point of the commercial is to show their product can cover up any foul smell. 

Unfortunately, some believe they can do this with their faith. They may say, “I am a good person. I believe in God. I go to church occasionally. I try to be honest. I give some money to the church.” Yet the way they live Monday through Saturday doesn’t always match up with the faith they proclaim. They believe they can cover up their dead faith by doing some good deeds, but the reality is a dead faith is a dead faith no matter what you put on it to make it look better. 

Verse 14 – James asks two rhetorical questions about faith – 

1. what good is it for a person to have a verbal faith but no good works to back it up?
2.  Is this verbal faith enough to save someone? 
   
   

Verse 15 – 16 – The rhetorical question is answered, and a negative response is intended ... James answers his question by giving an illustration: If one believer sees another believer who is poor, hungry and in need of clothing and their response is a lackadaisical blessing then this faith is not a true faith. 
Modern day example: Someone presents an immediate need, and you have the means to help them and your response is a flippant, “I’ll pray for you” and do nothing more. It appears “I’ll pray for you or about it” has become our excuse for doing nothing. 

1. “It is not the form of the statement that is reprehensible, but its functioning as a cover for the failure to act.”[2]
2. It is suggested that the uncaring believer is vaguely wishing well the Christian Brother or sister in need as they go out and find food and clothes. 
3. The main point is the believer does nothing to help the other believer in need. 
4. Ultimately the rhetorical question is asked... “What good is it to wish one well and do nothing to help?” Answer: No good at all. 
   
   

Verse 17 – The moral of the illustration... James shows the uselessness of a deedless faith. Faith without action is dead or feeble. James states three times that faith without works is dead in this passage. He speaks of the kind of faith spoken of in the previous verse as not only outwardly ineffective but inwardly dead; thus, it is useless. Faith spoken is nothing if there is no evidence to back it up. Empty faith doesn’t work outwardly, nor does it work inwardly... it is a useless faith. 

It is important to note that James is not contrasting faith and works as if they were two separate options (i.e., one can have a faith without works and another can have faith with works), instead he contrasts the two kinds of faith. One produces no works which is dead and one that results in action which is genuine. There is one that is in word only and the other is evidenced by deeds. 

Verse 18 – James introduces a hypothetical character in this passage that is referred to by some as the objector (someone) and he argues... You may have the gift of faith and I may have the gift of works. – The objector thinks the two can be separate. However, James shows that faith and works are not two separate gifts that a believer may or may not possess. Either one has genuine faith that produces good deeds, or he does not have a faith at all. He insists that the objector show him a faith without works (and will reveal a false or futile faith) however the one who is able to show his faith through the good deeds that he produces will reveal a true and genuine faith. The two need each other. Faith and works go hand in hand. If you say you have faith and you have no works, it is meaningless. Saying you have faith is not enough. 

Verse 19 – James compares the faith of the objector with the faith of the demons. It is an interesting twist, but James does not hesitate to make his point. He says, “You acknowledge God is one.” And his response some believe should be read with a touch of sarcasm, “Good for you!” Belief is entry level Christianity. However just having a general belief or acknowledgment that Jesus is Lord or that God is one is not true faith. By doing this you are on the same level as the demons. In fact, you are probably on a lower level than them because their belief isn’t apathetic like a person who just says he believes. The stunning truth is at least the demons shutter or tremble when they acknowledge God is one or Jesus is Lord. Those who have a futile faith don’t even do that. 

Douglas Moo writes, “The demons perfectly illustrate the poverty of verbal profession in and of itself. They are among the most ‘orthodox’ of theologians, James suggests, agreeing wholeheartedly with the Shema (The most basic Jewish belief... God is one) ... But James might also want to suggest an ironical contrast between the demons and people who have faith without works: At least the demons display some kind of reaction to their ‘faith’!”[3]

Verse 20 – James refers to this objector as a foolish man. Do you need examples? Well, here are two examples of faith from the O.T. about individuals whose faith are evidenced by their actions. This is where things start to get a bit hairy as it would seem at first glance that James contradicts Paul, who states that one is justified by faith and not by works (Romans 3:28). James makes the claim in verse 24 that a person is justified by works and not faith alone. 

Conclusion
A true works-based faith is important in a believer’s life, but not salvation. One cannot just have faith to be a believer, nor can one just have h frfworks and be a believer. True Christian faith affects the whole person. When you have genuine faith in Jesus Christ it not only changes the spiritual side of your life (which it certainly does); it also impacts the outer person as well. Good works will flow a plenty from one who has genuine faith in Jesus Christ. Your faith and your works MUST go hand in hand for it to be life changing, genuine, and apparent to others. 

Genuine faith affects the whole being thus a person with true faith will endure trials patiently and joyfully, have wisdom in decision making, put no stock in their wealth or status, find their significance in Jesus, overcome temptation, and grow closer to God in the process, be quick to listen and slow to anger, practice true religion that does not show partiality to the rich and neglect the poor. Genuine faith in Jesus gushes forth from the believer’s life and is evidenced by the good deeds we do.


[1] Moo, Douglas: The Letter of James. Grand Rapids, MI/Cambridge UK: William B. Eerdmans Publishing
Company, 2000, p. 1,2

[2] 1 Johnson, L.T., “The Letter of James” (Garden City: Doubleday, 1995) p. 239 
 

[3] Moo, 131

Introduction
In an L.A. Times article titled: A sea cruise on a boat made of kiddie pools and buckets — what could go wrong? Dated May 9, 2021, recounts this story.

Two college students in a homemade boat made from plastic kiddie wading pools, plywood, 20 5-gallon buckets and duct tape were rescued off the coast of Santa Barbara early Saturday. 
​
The two male college students in their 20s set off from Isla Vista near UC Santa Barbara sometime Friday evening or early Saturday. Fire personnel received an emergency call at 2 a.m. from someone on shore who saw strobe lights they carried on board. 

They appeared to be drifting out to sea, said Mike Eliason, the Santa Barbara County fire spokesman. Fire personnel rescued them about 300 yards from the shore at 2:37 a.m.
The students did not explain why they were out at sea at that hour. Eliason said that alcohol was not involved and that the voyage may have been part of a school project. Their school was not identified.

“If this is happening at 1 p.m., I’m not sure there’s much commotion,” Eliason said. “When you’re going out in the middle of night in a pitch-black environment, the timing is odd.” 
The students were not dressed in wet suits in the mid-50-degree weather. In photos, one student had on only swim trunks, while the other was in shorts and a shirt. They were in separate wading pools bonded to a single large piece of plywood and appeared to be paddling out to sea.
Eliason said the natural course and strength of the tides pulled the duo in a southerly direction against their efforts to navigate north.

“They didn’t seem to be in any distress, but they were just floating out there,” Eliason said. “We managed to bring them back to shore and they were grateful. I just wish they had planned whatever they were doing a little better.”

Hebrews chapter 2 contains the purpose in writing this letter.  The author saw the great difficulty his readers were facing as he saw many of them were crumpling under the pressure, persecution, and doubt they were facing and he is writing to encourage or exhort the recipients of this letter to stay grounded or anchored in their faith in Jesus Christ
 
Hebrews 2: 1 - 4
Vs 1:  This verse contains a warning to his readers.  The writer states that since Jesus is the creator, the radiance of God’s glory, the exact imprint of God, the sustainer of the of the universe, he sits at the right hand of the Father, his name is more excellent than the angels and thus superior to the angels they need to pay attention to the message they received.  They are to pay attention so that they do not “drift away” or lose sight of their salvation.

Drift away – The author warns to guard against drifting off course.  The overtones to hold a ship toward port, or for to be anchored or fastened to the seabed so they will remain grounded and immoveable.  The implication is that the recipients must keep a firm grasp on the truth, so they do not drift away from the faith out of carelessness or apathy. Drifting is subtle.  You only need to go to the beach, go to the Gulf and sit in an inner tube or floating device and just float.  If you do not pay attention or take measures to stay close to the shore, you are in danger of slowly drifting further from the shore.  If you are not fully careful you could be in danger of drifting to a point where you are too far out and need rescuing.  This is the picture the writer of Hebrews is painting.  Be proactive in your pursuit, understanding, and planting yourself in the firm foundation of the truth.
 
Vs 2 – 3: “the message declared by angels…” is another way of saying the word of God was spoken through prophets.  This message is reliable and proved to be legally valid because it was spoken by God.  
 
There is no indication that Angels were present at the giving of the Law, however Deut. 33:2 does declare that “God came with ten thousand holy ones.  Holy ones can be defined from the Hebrew word that means “Set apart ones.”  
 
This critical demand to pay attention to what we have heard in verse 1 anticipates the warning that the message of salvation can be ignored, which resulted in devastating consequences or just retribution.  A lack of concern and care for God’s word invites the “just retribution.”  Just retribution is a fair payment that is proportional to the offense or crime according to God’s judgment.  
 
“Such a great salvation” The question remains then, if one neglects the message of salvation then they will be faced with greater responsibility and greater consequence.  How shall we escape is a rhetorical question and the response no escape is possible.
 
Hebrews 2:5- 8
Vs 5: ‘the world to come’ is the main subject both of this passage and the letter to the recipients of this letter; and therefore ‘hope’ is a recurring theme throughout the book. A good deal of the argument in Hebrews is that, in Jesus the Messiah, hope has come into the world already, and giving signs of the new world that will eventually come to be.
 
The continuing theme is that God from the beginning appointed his unique son to be superior to the angels, even to the angels through whom the Jewish law had been given. This time, though, he speaks of this superiority in terms of the future role that has been given to the son. In his coming world, God intends that the original order of creation should finally be realized: the world is to be ruled, wisely and creatively, by human beings who themselves live in trusting obedience to God himself
 
The author quotes Psalm 8:4 - 6
 
Psalm 8: 4 – 6
Vs 4:  David realizes the “smallness” of man in comparison to the expanse of the universe.  He is in awe to know that in our “smallness” God still remembers us.  He is not a distant God who is far off.  God doesn’t just acknowledge us, but we are on his mind, and He thinks about us.
 
No branch of science proclaims God’s greatness and man’s insignificance more eloquently than astronomy. The simple fact that distances must be reckoned in light-years (the distance that light travels in a year) illustrates the point. Light travels 186,000 miles per second, and there are 31.5 million seconds in a year, so light travels roughly six trillion miles in a single year! Yet some stars are billions of light-years from the earth.
 
One would almost think God is too busy running the universe to take time to have any part to play in our lives.  Sometimes we think of Him as a busy and distant father who is so involved in his work that he neglects his family (children).  
 
David knows better though; God is not too busy for us.  We are always on his mind.
 
“Son of man” – emphasizes the frail mortality of the human.  David’s question is, “Why does an infinite God even care about mortal man?”  The answer is found in Jesus… Jesus often referred to himself as the son of man.
 
This is Jesus' favorite self-designation, indicating the true meaning of his identity and ministry: 

1. The humble servant who has come to forgive common sinners (cf. Matt. 9:6)
2. The suffering servant whose atoning death and resurrection will redeem his people (Matt. 16:13, 27–28)
3. The glorious King and Judge who will return to establish God's kingdom on earth (Matt.  25:31; 26:64).

 
“care for him” – pay attention, to visit, to look after.  God cares so much for humanity that he became human, the lowest of humans and gave his life a ransom so we could forever be in fellowship with our loving Creator.
 
Vs 8:5: “You have made him…”  We are created by God.  We are not an afterthought or an accident of nature, but we are a beautifully crafted creation of God.  (Genesis 1:26-27)
 
“a little lower” … in the created order we are created a little lower than the divine beings (some translations would imply angels, but others say imply that we are lower than God).  This is a position of distinction and honor.  God has placed humanity in the highest position of honor over any earthly creature.  We are a little lower than the heavenly beings, but God has put us in a place of honor.  If we are not in awe of the fact that God cares for humanity, then certainly it is awe inspiring to know that we are exalted to a place of honor.
 
“crowned with glory and honor” … God has placed on our heads the right to be his Kingly representatives.  We have the honor to bear the image of God since we are made in his likeness.  We represent God… Let that sink in a bit.  Maybe that will help you determine how you live your life. 
 
Vs 8:6: “You have given him dominion…”  God has appointed humanity to have authority and rule over His creation.  This does not mean abusive, careless, and dictatorial authority but as one who is lovingly and carefully tending for someone else’s belongings.  (Genesis 1:26-28)
 
If it wasn’t enough to be thought of and cared for by God, and placed in a position of honor, we are also given charge to care for His creation.  He has entrusted us with all He has created. 
 
Hebrews 2:8 - 9
Vs 8: This clearly hasn’t happened yet. Humans are not ruling the world, bringing God’s order and justice to bear on the whole of creation. Everything is still in a state of semi-chaos.  The verse corresponds to the divine goal spoken in Gen 1:26–28. Humanity was created in God’s image; we were assigned with the obligation to care for and tend to the earth. This mandate was unfulfilled because of sin and death, but this promise has not been forgotten

Vs 9a:  Jesus is the representative of humanity. His exaltation as Lord, after his earthly ministry, suffering and death (in which he was indeed ‘lower than the angels’) has placed him in the role marked out from the beginning for humanity. He has gone ahead into God’s future, the future in which order and justice—saving order, healing justice—will come to the world. The exaltation of Jesus, and the fact that we who follow him can celebrate this and live in the light of it, is one of the major themes of the whole book.

Vs 9b: The author of Hebrews sums up: in his suffering of death, Jesus has, by God’s grace, been enabled “to taste death for everyone”. A good deal of the remainder of this letter is devoted to describing how this comes about, and what it means. Until this day, we need to rejoice in the fact that in Jesus God has already conquered death on our behalf, and he is already ruling the world as its just and rightful Lord.

Conclusion
The world may see Jesus as a man crucified on a cross, dead, and buried… a martyr.  Or the world may see him as a myth, legend, or antihero who had the courage to defy the powers of darkness and face his evil nemesis the devil in the boxing ring of hell.  Or the world may not even consider Jesus, he is not real and he has no relevance to us to today or in history.  He is just a made-up story because people need to believe in something.  

But to us who believe, we see Jesus’ coronation and installation into the priestly glory and majesty as hope.  Since Jesus tasted death for everyone by the grace of God, it is thus fitting that that he would bring salvation to humanity.  God’s purpose is to bring people to glory, and this happens through Jesus.  He was the perfect champion to bring this about.  Jesus was never imperfect morally, but through his suffering, temptation, death, and exaltation to the right hand of the Father he is now adequate, complete, and fully qualified to carry out salvation and be proclaimed savior of all.

Introduction
​
Hebrews is a mysterious New Testament book.  It is mysterious because its unknowns.  The identity of the author is unknown. The location of the church or community to whom this epistle is written is unknown.  The date of writing is unknown.  The circumstances as to why the letter is written is uncertain. The nature of the crisis to which this letter was in response to is unclear. 

It is believed that the letter is addressed to men and women who realized they can be subverted by adversity and that there is a cost of discipleship.  Some have called it a pastoral response to people who were tired, run down, and seriously considering abandoning their Christian commitment.  The writer seeks to encourage the recipients of this letter to stand firm in their faith in Christ.

As stated already, the author of Hebrews is anonymous.  It is believed the author is within the Pauline circle.  He mentions in Hebrews 13:23 that he expects to travel with Timothy “our brother”.   It is widely believed and accepted that the author is not Paul, but someone who considered himself as one who is among those to whom “the immediate hearers of the Lord had delivered the gospel”[1]  It is almost certain that the author was a Hellenist Jewish Christian.  This was one who was a Greek speaking Jew and had adopted in many or some ways the Greek culture.  It is also quite certain that it was written by an inspired theologian who was well trained and versed in the exposition of the Greek Scriptures.

Hebrews was most likely written to a house church in an undisclosed city.  Christians often met in ordinary rooms in various private residences. They were unquestionably a small group, consisting of the members of a household and some of their associates and close friends.  According to the World Biblical Commentary on Hebrews, “The cumulative weight of the evidence points to men and women who participate in a small house fellowship, loosely related to other house churches in an urban setting, whose theological vocabulary and conceptions were informed by the rich legacy of Hellenistic Judaism.”[2]

Hebrews Outline
Introduction (1:1–4)
First Theme in Only One Section: Jesus Superior to the Angels (1:5–2:18)

Second Theme in Two Sections: Jesus, Compassionate and Faithful High Priest (3:1–5:10)
1: Jesus, faithful high priest (3:1–4:16)
2: Jesus, compassionate high priest (5:1–10)

Third Theme in Three Sections: Jesus, Source of Eternal Salvation, Perfected Priest, High Priest like Melchizedek (5:11–10:39) Exhortation (5:11–6:20)
1: Jesus, high priest like Melchizedek (7:1–28)
2: Jesus is the perfected priest (8:1–9:28)
3: Jesus is the source of eternal salvation (10:1–39)

Fourth Theme in Two Sections: Perseverance in the Faith (11:1–12:13)
1: Faith (11:1–12:2) O.T. examples of faith
2: Perseverance (12:3–13) Persevere in faith

Fifth Theme in Only One Section: The Need to be Holy (12:14–13:21)
Conclusion: Final Recommendations (13:22–25)[3]
 
Hebrews 1:1 - 4
Vs 1: Give some examples of some ways God spoke to Biblical prophets and to ancestors?

1. He spoke personally to Adam and Eve in the Garden
2. Moses through a burning bush
3. In the tabernacle – Tent of Meeting
4. Verbally, Samuel
5. Through Prayer
   
   

Vs 2: God has spoken to us through Jesus Christ.  To know Jesus is to know God.
He is the “Heir of all things,”.  This is a title of dignity and shows that Christ has the rightful and supreme place in all the universe. His exaltation to the highest place in heaven when he was finished with his work here on earth, did not mark some new place of respect but his reentry to his rightful place in heaven.[4]

Vs 3:  Jesus radiates God’s own glory… What does this mean?
According to theologian N.T. Wright, “The word used for ‘radiates’ is the Greek word character, the origin of our apparently identical English word… The word character in ancient Greek was widely used to mean just that: the accurate impression left by the stamp on the coin… And this is what our writer is saying about Jesus. It is as though the exact imprint of the father’s very nature and glory has been precisely reproduced in the soft metal of the son’s human nature. Now it is there for all the world to see.”[5]
 
Jesus is also the sustainer of all things.  What does it mean to sustain?  How does Jesus sustain?
Jesus is actively holding all things together through the power of his word.  Just as the universe was created by spoken word so is all of creation sustained by the spoken word of God.
In what way did Jesus cleanse us from our sins?
 
Once Jesus gave his life on the cross of Calvary, was resurrected, and eventually ascended back to the Father.  Once he ascended to the Father, he sat at the right hand of God the Father.  The right hand is a position of honor and authority.

Vs 4:  How is Jesus greater than the angels?
 
Hebrews 1:5 - 9
Superior name
Vs 5:  Jesus is superior to the angels because of his inherited excellent name.  The author establishes this truth by citing two OT passages. 

1. Psalm 2:7

1. 2 Samuel 7:14

 
Psalm 2:7
This Psalm was an established Messianic Psalm.  It was understood and believed to be fulfilled in the future by a descendant of David.  
Jesus is and always has been the eternal son.  It is believed this passage refers to Christ’s exaltation and enthronement as Son post-resurrection.
 
2 Samuel 7:14
This is another Messianic prophecy given to David in the Davidic covenant.  The prophet tells David his son would build the temple (after his death) and he would establish a royal throne that will endure forever.  Solomon did build the temple, but he and all proceeding kings failed to fulfill the eternal throne that endured forever.  Thus, the prophets sought after one greater than the kings would fulfill this prophecy.  It was only fulfilled through Jesus Christ.
Jesus is superior because he is and has been the Son of God proven by OT prophecies.
 
Superior Honor
Vs 6: Jesus is the firstborn.  In the Jewish culture the first born is considered prestigious and honoring.  The first born receive twice the inheritance than the siblings.  
Jesus was not created, so he is not born, but the title first born is a title of honor expressing priority in rank.
 
Deuteronomy 32:43 – This verse is not in the Hebrew OT, but in the Greek OT.  This seems to be a reference to the Nativity.  When Jesus was born the angels came and worshiped Him.  Angels do not worship angels; they only worship the one who is greater than they.
Jesus was worshiped in the past and will be worshiped in the future… Rev. 5:11 – 13
 
Superior Status
Vs 7:  Quote of Psalm 104:4
Angels are servants and Jesus is sovereign.  
Wind and fire – The meaning of this is not all clear but the writer of Hebrews emphasizes that angels sometimes inhabit the wind and fire to do God’s bidding.
 
Vs 8 – 9: Quote Psalm 45:6 – 7
Points to Jesus’ sovereignty

• Throne – He will rule for all eternity
• Scepter – His authority is supreme
• Anointing – Heavenly joy that he is the sovereign king.

 
Hebrews 1:10 - 14
Supreme Existence
 
Vs 10 -12: Quote of Psalm 102:25 – 27
Jesus is eternal… The heavens will perish but Jesus remains forever
The heavens will be rolled up like a cloak and it will change, but Jesus remains unchanging for all eternity.
 
Vs 13 – 14: No angel has ever had the privilege of sitting at the right hand of God.
Angels’ positions are not for ruling or supremacy.  Their role is to serve and minister to those who are saved and will inherit eternal salvation.
Jesus’ role is to rule supremely.
 
Conclusion
Jesus is superior

1. He created the world
2. Radiance of God’s glory
3. Exact imprint of God the Father – character
4. He sustains the universe by His Word
5. Sits at the right hand of the Father
6. His excellent name
7. His superior honor – Title of honor and rank
8. His superior status – sovereignty

1. His existence - eternal

 
[1] Lane, W. L. (1991). Hebrews 1–8 (Vol. 47A, p. xlix). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
[2] Lane, W. L. (1991). Hebrews 1–8 (Vol. 47A, p. lv). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
[3] Lane, W. L. (1991). Hebrews 1–8 (Vol. 47A, p. lxxxvi). Dallas: Word, Incorporated.
[4] Leon Morris, “Hebrews,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews through Revelation, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 12 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 13.
[5] Wright, T. (2004). Hebrews for Everyone (pp. 2–3). London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.

​Introduction
(Emmitt Cornelius Jr.) came to Grace Fellowship while pursuing a doctorate degree in theology at a local seminary. Shortly after (his) arrival, (he) was invited to join the church staff full-time as Christian Education Director. A few years later (he) became the senior pastor upon the retirement of Pastor Doug, the only other senior pastor Grace Fellowship had known. It seemed like a perfect transition. However, upon reflection, it was more like the quiet before a storm. Most of the congregants had appreciated (his) ministry over the years, and (his) installment as senior pastor generated incredible excitement over the future of (their) church.
The biggest problem in the church was one that many churches face: one or more prominent members who are hungry for power. These people often feel their membership, relationship to the founder or financial means give them some sort of carte blanche in exerting control in the church. In this situation, the controlling members belonged to the former pastor's family. Pastor Doug's wife was particularly challenging. From day one, she saw (Emmitt’s) appointment as a threat to the status and control the "first family" had enjoyed. Teaming up with the former "first lady" was her influential and successful son-in-law, Deacon Hall. He believed his status, prominence and influence as a deacon was threatened by the (new Pastors) role. At first, the opposition was insignificant. But as time went on, it became more overt, and more people were slowly but methodically recruited to their cause. Though this was a major problem in itself, there were (some) conditions that combined to make a perfect storm.
 
Pastor Doug remained in a key leadership position upon his retirement and (Cornelius’) installation. He continued as a voting elder and was given the title "Pastor Emeritus.” Some of the congregants exalted Pastor Doug and his family in such a way that made it difficult to correct them when they were wrong. At one point, Pastor Doug's wife would routinely leave the sanctuary when (the new pastor) preached. When Pastor Doug was confronted about his wife's disrespectful behavior, he defended her actions by commenting that she didn't want to be a hypocrite. the leadership was divided. Division existed at two levels. First, the elders and deacons disagreed over the role of deacons. (Pastor Emmitt) even presented a paper on the roles of elders and deacons, but Deacon Hall was infuriated. Disagreement and power struggle continued for several years.
Eventually, all these conditions collided to produce a perfect storm that caused a devastating church split, and it led to (Conelius’) early resignation.[1]
 
Church splits and divisions are, unfortunately, far too common place today and throughout history.  Some of them are good and legitimate reasons and some are ludicrous.  Churches have split over buildings, locations, music, sacred cows, leadership, and just plain ole stubbornness.  As I stated it is true that there are some legitimate splits (i.e., heresy preached from the pulpit, sin issues of the pastor, denomination is not holding to biblical truths and so on).  One thing is for certain though, church splits or even inner church conflicts rarely happen in a healthy manner, they are almost like a divorce.  I know of one church that split and the two churches literally divided everything in half… Each church received half the chairs, desks, office staff, and other assets.  
 
Apparently church conflict is an age-old thing since James is dealing with similar issues that we are continuing today.
 
James 4:1 - 10
Quarrels and Fights
Vs 1- 3:  The beginning of this chapter is not an introduction to a new topic; instead, James shifts his focus from wisdom and words of believers to the worries and woes of the church.  Apparently, there were struggling in this community, people were sowing discord among the congregations.  They were starting fights and disputes with others for their own selfish reasons and desires without regard to how many people were hurt in the process.  This was and is a problem because James addresses the topic and then asks the rhetorical question, “Where do quarrels and fights among you come from?”  He answers, “It comes from selfish desires that are at war in us.”  Disunity and conflict in a church is almost always the result of selfish desire.  
We need only to look at churches in more recent times that were at war over the style of music that is played for the time of worship.  How ironic is that?  We argue and split over something that is designed to draw believers together into the presence of God.  This was was/is all based in preference or selfish desire.  Some churches divide over communion, others over where the pulpit should be placed, some fight over whether there should be a pulpit at all?  The list goes on.  
 
Conflict often happens because we don’t want to change something because we might not like it even if it is from God.  Some peoples’ attitude can be that it doesn’t really matter if God is behind something, I really don’t like it.  Now, I have never heard someone say that, but I have sure seen someone believe it.  Theologian and Biblical scholar Douglas Moo writes, “The seventeenth century Jewish philosopher Spinoza observed: ‘I have often wondered that persons make boast of professing the Christian religion – namely love, joy, peace, temperance, and charity to all men – should quarrel with such rancorous animosity and display daily towards one another such bitter hatred, that this, rather than the virtues which they profess, is the readiest criteria of their faith.’  Some battles to be sure, need to be fought.  But even they must be fought without sacrificing Christian principles and virtues.”
 
The source of many quarrels comes from one place… selfish desires that war within us.  Maybe to the individuals James was writing felt justified in their fighting?  Maybe they thought they were noble in their efforts or zeal for something to happen or change but apparently, they were not honoring to God.  
 
Vs 2:  James expands on the nature of these sinful desires, and he uses some strong words to describe their actions, words like desire, murder, and covet.  Now it is uncertain as to whether these people were literally killing one another out of selfish desire (which wasn’t entirely out of the picture) but it’s safe to assume that he is using analogy in the same way Jesus describes a person as a murderer as one who hates his/her brother or sister in Christ.  A person who holds animosity in his heart towards another is just as guilty as the person who commits murder.  This is probably what James is suggesting.  
 
All this conflict was fruitless because as they were seeking God’s counsel, they were seeking with wrong motives.  They were not seeking God’s will; they were seeking God’s approval for what they were doing.  They were asking for God’s stamp of approval on their selfish motives.
 
The Problem: Frenemies
Vs 4 – 10: “You adulterous people!”  Some versions say, “Adulteresses!”  These are robust words and have deep implications to the body of Christ.  Up to this point in the letter James has referred to his recipients with affection by calling them “brothers” and “my dear brothers”.  Now, he speaks harshly to them because in all this warring and fighting with each other they were acting like the rest of the Godless world.  Christians and the church should be unique because of our love towards one another.  However, the recipients to the letter are embracing the world’s ways of doing things and not God’s thus ultimately committing spiritual adultery with the world.  Spiritual adultery always ends with those involved becoming enemies of God.  Being an enemy of God is a two-way street as it does show God’s hostility towards the believer but also shows the hostility of the believer towards God.  
 
These people have been living worldly lives up to this point by showing partiality to the rich, neglecting the poor, speaking negatively to others, and starting fights in the body to fulfill their selfish desires.  When believers start living as the world lives, we are showing where our allegiance lies… to the world, and God will not take backseat to the world.  
 
The Solution: Submit, Resist, and Draw Near
God is always willing to give grace to those who humble themselves, but He is an opponent to those who are prideful and self-dependent.  Since God is willing to pour out as much grace needed James exhorts his listeners…

1. Submit to God.  Repentance is what James is calling these people to and what God desires.  Submission is the first act of repentance; it is acknowledging that we are dependent on Jesus.  The act of submission is one where a person resigns himself to or be put into subjection or to yield to someone.  As believers we do well in acknowledging and believing that we are not in control, God is.  The sooner we can submit ourselves fully to God the sooner we will see that when we do, things are on the way to how they should be.  Submission is probably one of the most difficult things because we are giving the controls of our lives over to someone else and as humans, we like to feel like we are in control.  
2. Resist the devil and he will flee.  This can only be done in the power of the Spirit and in complete submission to God.  In repentance it is not enough to just say, “I am done sinning now let’s move one.”  Repentance means stopping what you are doing and doing the complete opposite.  Resistance is key and it is ongoing.  Just as taming the tongue cannot be done by humans alone, resisting sin and the desires of the flesh cannot be done by human will alone.  We need the power of the Spirit dwelling in and through us to resist.
3. Draw near to God.  Godliness is not attained by association.  Hanging around godly people does not make one godly.  It may give the appearance of godliness, but this doesn’t matter.  After we have submitted to God, giving the Spirit dominion over our lives so we can resist sin, desire, and temptation daily; we are then to draw near to God and in so doing He will draw near to us.  What does it look like to draw near to God?  There is no standard formula or mold to help us draw near to him; there is however a surefire way to drawing near and that is through submission to him, allowing the Spirit to dwell in and through us and through continual communication (i.e., prayer, reading the Bible, Christian fellowship, Church, etc.). 

 
When we follow the words of James, we see that fellowship or friendship can be restored between person and God.  We must note that this portion of scripture is not a method for salvation because there are some key components missing (i.e., faith in Jesus and public confession of sins) this is intended for restoring fellowship with God.
 
Vs 10:  James returns to the act of humbling oneself before God.  When we recognize our spiritual deficiency without God is when we truly can stand in humility before Him.  When we can stand humbly before God in spiritual poverty then and only then will God lift us up and exalt us thus victorious Christian living.
            
 
 
Conclusion
There is a lot packed into these 10 verses and I have merely scratched the surface; but they are very practical to us.  We know for certain that church fights, splits and disunity happen all the time.  It has happened since the beginning of the Church age. And it will, unfortunately, continue throughout time.  However, we have the key right to avoiding and confronting conflict and division right in front of us.  It is important for us to seek unity in Christ together, we need to strive to not be divisive in our words, slanderous in our talk and hypocritical in our worship.  We should not seek friendship with the world but instead be single-minded in our devotion to God.  We must submit to God and his will (not our selfish desires), be Spirit-driven so we can resist the devil in his attacks, draw near to God in our private and corporate times of worship, and lastly humble ourselves before the Great and Mighty King knowing our place before him and in doing this, and in doing so He will lift us up.
 


[1] CT Pastors, December 2012 Anatomy of a Church Split Heeding the early signs of conflict can save churches untold heartache. EMMITT CORNELIUS JR.|POSTED DECEMBER 10, 2012 
 
 

Introduction
Colossians was written during Paul’s imprisonment, but the letter does not tell us where he is imprisoned. Paul wrote to the church in Colosse in response to the disturbing news about the presence of heretical teaching being taught and threatening the well-life of the church. 

​Paul’s reason for writing Colossians was threefold:

1. To express his vested interest in the church.
2. To warn them against going back to their old pagan practices.
3.  To disprove the false teaching and heresy that was threatening the Colossian church

The third reason was most likely Paul’s greatest concern. He met the Colossian heresy, by making an appeal for true understanding and wisdom found in Christ. He faced the false teachings by focusing on the exalted nature and unmatched glory of Christ.
 
Regarding the heresy a dangerous position making its way into the Colossian church was the devaluation of the person of Jesus Christ. To those holding to and teaching this heresy, Jesus Christ was not the victorious Savior to whom all authority in heaven and on earth had been committed. To them he was only one of many spirit beings who spanned the space between God and men.
 
So, in response to the heresy Paul writes to the Colossians to proclaim the ultimate supremacy and sole sufficiency of Jesus Christ.  It is essentially Paul’s full thesis on Jesus Christ.  Today we are going to look at some of his teaching that refutes the widespread heresy in Colosse. 
 
Colossians 1:13 - 23
Vs. 13: “For He has Rescued us from the kingdom of darkness”.  The word rescued is from a Greek word that means to liberate, save, or deliver someone from something or someone.  Jesus has delivered or saved us from eternal damnation.  Before any of us became a Christ follower we were at enmity with or an enemy of God… We were bound for hell.  But Paul tells us in verse 13 that Jesus intervened, and he rescued us from eternal damnation through his willing sacrifice on the cross. 

He transferred or removed from one place and put into another those who believe in faith.  This transfer meant that when you believed you were plucked from the shackles of death, sin, and brokenness and placed into the glory of God’s presence, His Kingdom and placed under the rule and dominion of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.
 
Kingdom of his dear Son – According to John MacArthur in his commentary on Acts, “The Father gives the kingdom to the Son He loves, then to everyone who loves the Son.”  This kingdom is the royal power granted or given to all who believe in Christ.
 
Vs 14:  In Christ we have redemption which leads to forgiveness.
Redemption – Liberation or being redeemed.  Redemption is a term that speaks of a release brought about by the payment of a price[1] The ransom payment or price was paid on the cross of Calvary.  Christ took our debt of sin that we could not pay and paid the ultimate price so we can receive salvation to any who believe faith.    This redemption leads to forgiveness.  When we are redeemed we are pardoned from sin and by faith we are released from its bondage.  God no longer sees the sin we lived in, for in Christ He has thrown our sins as far as the east is to the west and remembers them no more.
 
The Supremacy of Jesus Christ.
 
Vs 15:  In this verse Paul acknowledges the heresy being spread and puts it to rest by declaring the supremacy of Jesus Christ.  He writes, “He is he image of the invisible God”  Jesus Christ is God in human flesh.  He is the true representation and replica, if you will, of God Almighty.  In Jesus Christ, the invisible God has become visible.  If we want to know the father, then we must look at the son.  John 10:30 says, “I and the father are one.”  There is no distinction between the two. 
 
Vs 16:  In Christ all things were created by Him (He is the Creator).  Everything in Heaven and earth was created by Him. He is the Lord of all creation.  In Christ all things were created in Him and for Him (God).  All of creation was created for His purpose and His glory.  
 
Vs 17:  He is before all things and in Him all things are held together.  Jesus is eternal and he is not only the author of all creation, but he is the sustainer as well.
 
Vs 18 -19: Jesus is the head of the Church.  To be head of the church is to be sovereign or supreme.  In the ancient to modern church, the pastor, the Deacons, Trustees, church council, not even the congregation are the ultimate authority.  Preeminent – Hold first place.  IN EVERYTHING Jesus must hold first place in our lives and Church.  We need to affirm the headship of Christ as our authority.  Therefore, prayer is a vital aspect of Church life.  If we want to know the direction our church should be heading, it is important that we find out what the “boss” wants us to do.  This includes every aspect of the body from the music we play, the sermons I preach and the future of our congregation.  Christ is the head of the Church, and He is also the head of the believer’s life as well.  We are subject to him.
 
Vs 20: It pleased the Father to reconcile us to Him.  He enjoys restoring fellowship with Him.  In our redemption we are forgiven and restored to proper fellowship with God Almighty.  This includes all of creation.  

The only way we may be brought back to proper standing with the Father is through the blood of Jesus Christ.  He has made peace with us through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
 
Vs 21:  B.C.  Before Christ we were enemies of God and were shut from his intimacy and fellowship.  We were hostile toward God because of the sin in our lives.
 
Vs 22: Reconciled and presented holy in His sight, perfect and without guilt.  Christians we need to start living this and believing it.  We are Holy in God’s sight, we are without blemish, and we stand innocent before Him, NOT because of who we are or what we have done but because of what Christ has done.  He has reconciled us through his blood, and we are now his children
 
Vs 23:  IF you continue in your faith, if you have been reconciled to God then live like it.  Our works are not the reason we are saved, they are the evidence of our redemption.  
Many people have become followers of Jesus by responding to an altar call given at church, camp, or a conference. I have seen numerous people go forward and experience some intense emotion but soon (usually a couple of days) find themselves slowly going back to their old habits and sinful lifestyle.  A lot of people have the misconception that all they need to do is go forward for an altar call and they become a Christian.  Unfortunately for many it is all too common that it is just an intense emotional response that rarely makes an impact in someone’s life.  

The NLT says, “You must continue to believe this truth (the Gospel message) and stand firmly in it.”  Paul warns the believer to not “drift away”.  Drifting from God is a subtle thing.  Mostly when people drift away they don’t even realize they have.  Have you ever been to the beach and seen a person floating on a raft or boat?  The person starts out near the shoreline and may fall asleep or isn’t paying attention and eventually finds himself a good distant from the shoreline… sometimes dangerously far away.  This person drifted away, and he may not have even realized it at the time.  This happens to so many Christians.  We make the commitment to Christ and just float around in the world, trying to fit in and not having a care about anything.  We begin to neglect our relationship with Christ and start spending more time in the world and less time with Christ and eventually we find ourselves so far away from Him we no longer have a relationship with Him.  It’s a subtle and sad thing, but it happens all the time.  The subtlety of drifting is dangerous, and this is why Paul tells us to stand firmly in the message of Christ.

 If you are truly reconciled, you will remain in the faith.  This does not mean that you have permission to live however you want because you are saved.  Nowhere in the Bible does it give anyone permission to live however they want because they are saved and cannot lose their salvation. 
However, if we are truly reconciled to God, our lives will be changed forever.  2 Corinthians 5:17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.”   When you are saved your life will change.  I believe this means more than you won’t swear as much, or you will cut back on drinking, or you will become a better father.  It is true those things will be a result, but the true change happens in your heart.  You will begin to desire the true spiritual things.  You will become more than a better person; you will become a man or woman who is completely submitted to God.  You will begin to understand what it means to “take up your cross and follow me”, you will know and experience what it means to love your neighbor as yourself and how to show true forgiveness.  Your life will be turned upside down.  People won’t recognize you because you are now a new creation in Christ.
 
So, what is the purpose of this message?  Let me tie it all together for you so you will leave with an undisputed understanding of what the core of Christianity is.  For this believer the following is true for you to the unbeliever this is what God’s plan of redemption is for you…

1. You were an enemy of God.  Hostile towards Him and at war with Him and on the path to hell and damnation
2. You were called by the Holy Spirit. He made you aware of your sinful state and the sin in your life and called you to be a child of God by placing your faith in the eternal Jesus Christ who is God in the flesh, the true representation of God.
3. You were rescued.  Through faith in Christ, He rescued you from this path of destruction and made you a resident of the eternal kingdom.
4. You are forgiven.  When you believed you were forgiven of your sins and reconciled to God.  You are no longer an enemy but a friend of God.
5. You are a new creation. As a believer you have become a new creation in Christ.  The old things are gone, and the new things are to come.
6. You are justified.  It pleased God to restore his relationship with you and you are forgiven completely, you are without blemish or stain and stand guilt free before the King of Kings
7. You are a child of the King.  Part of the new things to come is Christ reigns supremely in your life and you are now completely submitted to his will for your life.
8. You will remain in Christ.  If you are in Christ, you will remain in Christ.  This is a promise and a command.

Do you feel like you have drifted in your relationship with Christ?  If so, pray that God would bring you back to where you once were with Him.  If you feel you haven’t drifted, then continue to stand firm in the faith of Jesus Christ and live your life for Him
 

[1] Curtis Vaughan, “Colossians,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Ephesians through Philemon, ed. Frank E. Gaebelein, vol. 11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House, 1981), 180.

​Introduction
What is your perception of God?  Is it based on the Bible or is it based on your personal feelings, thoughts, and theories about God? People have varying ideas about God and more specifically the God of the Bible. Does it really matter what we think about Him?  Maybe you think about God as a big mean giant in the sky waiting to strike sinners dead, or you view Him as an uninvolved spiritual entity that doesn’t meddle in human affairs, or as an all loving, all-encompassing grandpa who never disciplines or condemns this does not change who He is.  
 
I believe that on the one hand it does not matter how we perceive Him, because how we think of him does not change WHO He is.  He is the same regardless of our opinions. On the other hand, I do believe the way we identify with Him does affect how we live for and worship Him.  If we only perceive him as a mean and vengeful God, our relationship with him will be based on an unhealthy fear and dread of Him.  If we think He is an undisciplined grandpa who tolerates everything, then we may live our lives with very loose moral boundaries and lack proper a healthy reverent view of God.  Here is the reality, God is a loving God who is slow to anger, tolerant of our misgivings, and He absolutely extends forgiveness to those who seek it.  He is also a God of wrath, vengeance, judgment, and He will punish those who deny Him as LORD, King, and savior. 
 
Today we are going to talk a subject that pastors either avoid or focus on all the time and that is the wrath or anger of God.  In my life whenever I heard a sermon about God’s wrath and judgment it was either hellfire and brimstone preachers shouting at congregations to get saved so they won’t spend an eternity in hell.  Or they were soft spoken preachers who would dodge or glass over the subject and not want to focus on God’s anger because it made God look mean. Personally, I think many pastors and Christians in general avoid the subject all together and choose not to talk too much about it because first, let’s face it, God’s wrath is a downright terrifying subject. A quick reading of much of the Old Testament and Revelation shows us this.  Second, we think it makes God look bad and mean.  We think it is bad PR for God to talk about his judgment. Third, we don’t like to think God gets angry with us.   
 
Before I continue, I do want to make a disclaimer.  I am focusing on God’s wrath today because we see in the Bible His holy and righteous wrath, as much as His loving kindness.  It is good thing to have a healthy perspective and respect for God’s anger because it will ultimately help us to have a relationship with God that is healthy and respectful. 
 
We are made aware of God’s wrath in this world and the passage we will look at establishes the truth that God does get angry, He does have wrath, and He will punish and discipline. We see there are indeed certain things that make Him angry. Today we will look at three specific things (in this passage) that makes God angry.  These three sins are a succession of attitudes that lead to eventual godlessness, full blown sin, and complete condemnation. 
 
Before we move along it is important to determine that the God’s wrath God is not the type of wrath, and anger we have as humans which can be uncontrolled, hot, and explosive.  God’s wrath is a righteous anger that is holy and completely controlled and stems from God’s hatred of sin and not the sinner. The following three acts of sin can serve as warnings to us and give us insight as to why some never do come to faith in Christ.  
 
Romans 1:18 - 23
Suppress the Truth

Vs 18 - 20:  The first act of the unrighteous that angers God is how humanity is prone to suppress the truth. Paul writes in verses 19 and 20 that God has revealed himself to us.  In His revelation and creation, He has revealed the truth to us. God in his wonderful mercy gave humanity a glimpse of who He is (verse 19), his divine nature, and His power through His creation (verse 20). God gave us the beauty of His creation to point us to Him, the Creator. This revelation is a theological term called general revelation. General revelation is God revealing himself to humanity through his creation (note this is a revelation that points to him and is not a saving revelation). God will be known to all humanity.  His desire and our purpose is for all creation to worship Him; He wants us to give Him full acknowledgement of His divine power and nature, so much so that he reveals himself to us through nature. General revelation it is a peek at who God is, not a full revelation. I have asked you all on various occasion how often do you go out on a clear night and gaze awe of the beauty and immensity of the stars in the sky?  Do you ever look up before or after a storm hits at dusk and observe the beautiful pink sky highlighting the massive cumulus clouds.  Or spent an evening at the beach watching the sun set into the Gulf.  It’s beautiful! I do this often!  Have you witnessed the majesty of God when you see his beautiful creation that surrounds us? God has revealed himself so clearly that we are all without excuse.  We cannot stand before and say, “I never knew you existed because you never revealed yourself to me!”   WRONG ANSWER!
 
Paul writes there are people who know this and yet they still choose to not believe.  The truth is evident (God’s revelation) yet they suppress this truth.  The cost is too high for them, and they choose not to follow. Simply put, they are unwilling to exchange what they think is their freedom, happiness, fun and individuality to follow God.  Yet if they would truly follow Him, they would know that only true freedom, fun, happiness, and individuality comes with a right relationship with God.  They suppress the truth of God in their lives. The word suppress is an action word and it means to actively hold down by authority or force. Suppression leads to the second act that makes God angry.
 
Dishonoring God
Vs 21: People who intellectually know God exists but choose to deny him and live according to their own selfish motives live dishonoring lives. I can’t tell you how many books I have read or movies that I have watched by renown scientists who are either agnostic, atheists or irreligious intellectuals who acknowledge a Creator, but refuse to give credit to Him because it does not fit in their scientific worldview and acknowledgment would entail having to rethink their views, education, and beliefs. I am not anti-science because I believe science is wonderful and has been helpful to humanity throughout history.  I am a supporter of science.  What I am not a supporter of is taking God out of science. When scientists refuse to acknowledge God as being part of the equation and giving credit to science is plagiarism in the extreme. Plagiarism is taking the credit for something that is not your own.  This is what science has done, it takes the credit for something it did not create. In the eyes of God when we give precedence to human intellect and science instead of the Creator, we thus become fools.  When we do not give God the proper credit and honor, He deserves I believe makes God rightfully and righteously angry.

People often say that science and God are at odds with each other, but I disagree whole-heartedly.  There are many Christian scientists in the world who are willing to acknowledge God as creator and still acknowledge science as important.  There are 1,000s of scientists who belong to a foundation called BioLogos. There statement of faith is BioLogos explores God’s Word and God’s World to inspire authentic faith for today. Our vision is faith and science working hand in hand.  We can still honor God and still value science.

Idolatry 
Vs 23: The result of suppressing the truth and dishonoring God leads to idolatry. When we refuse to give God proper credit, we in turn give the credit to someone/something else and this is not only plagiarism, but it is also idolatry.  Anything that takes precedence over God becomes an idol. God is very clear that He is a jealous God, and He will not share the glory with ANYONE OR ANYTHING. This verse talks about the fact that the unrighteous would rather serve an empty, dead, vain idol rather than give credit to the true Creator.  These people would rather worship a lie than acknowledge the truth.  
 
So What?  Now What?
So what?  Now what?  These are the two questions I want to ask and conclude this sermon. 

​The first question “So what?” asks “What is the purpose of this message?”   Why should I care about what you have been talking about for that past few minutes?  The answer… to show that God is a loving, merciful, and forgiving God, but He is also a God of wrath and will not let sin go unpunished. We need a healthy perspective and fear of God’s wrath.  When His truth is suppressed, we dishonor him and ultimately turn to full-fledged idolatry and God cannot and will not tolerate this.  
 
The second question, “Now what?” responds with so what do we do with this information?  Answer, “Since God has made Himself known to us through creation, we need give him proper the praise, glory, and honor He deserves.” How do we do this?  Look at the beauty of His Creation around us and the miracle of life He has given us all and acknowledge Him as the author of it all.  In response let our lives be full of worship and praise for His beauty and majesty for He is worthy of all praise.

The letter to the Romans is not one that we can be casually read or skimmed over.  There are deep sayings, teachings, or doctrines found within.  Romans was written by the Apostle Paul on his third missionary journey (probably from Corinth) when he was heading back to Jerusalem with money, he had collected from the Gentile churches throughout Asia to take back to the Church in Judea. It is a doctrinal book, and as Martin Luther wrote, it is the “purest Gospel”.  It is at its core the Apostle Paul’s theology which is deeply rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It is believed to provide the fullest extent of Paul’s theology, but it is not necessarily his complete theology. 

If I may mansplain for a moment, theology means study of the nature of God and religious belief. There are multiple themes throughout this letter, so it is difficult to pinpoint one specific theme, but it is widely accepted that theme is the gospel or God’s plan or act of salvation to those who believe & God’s judgment to those who reject it. However, the theme is not just about knowing about the Gospel, it was also Paul’s vision to see the gospel spread throughout the world. According to the ESV Study Bible, “A closer look at Romans reveals another purpose as well (other than the Gospel). Paul wanted the Christians in Rome to rally around his gospel so that Rome would become the base of operations by which he could proclaim the gospel in Spain (15:22–24). If Roman Christians did not agree with Paul's gospel message, especially on the issues being debated among Jews and Gentiles, then they would not support his proposed mission to Spain. Paul needed to explain the gospel in some detail so that the Christians in Rome would become the base from which he could proclaim the gospel in new regions.” 

Romans 1:1 - 7
Vs: 1 – 7:  Three key statements in this passage…

1. “a slave of Jesus Christ”
2. “a called Apostle”
3.  “Set Apart for the Gospel of God. 

Paul’s first key statement is identifying himself as a servant of Christ.  This is significant because he establishes that he is not a great and mighty theologian who is to be revered and honored, instead he is a servant (his position) of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Greek word for servant or slave is Duolous which means a slave or a bondman.  It is one who is devoted to the disregard of one’s own interest. This is not a forced slavery, as we come to understand slavery in the worldly and unfortunate historical sense.  It was a place of mutual submission. Paul was a servant or a willing and obedient slave to Christ and his desire was to please the master and not the masses.  (Galatians 1:10)

Paul’s second key statement is that he is called to be an Apostle (his power).  The words “called Apostle” are defined as one who is divinely selected by decree of God to be a delegate or messenger. Paul is not a self-appointed Apostle.  He is a God appointed Apostle. Being called as an Apostle was imperative to Paul’s ongoing service.  He needed to establish his authority to affirm what he is doing was not by the appointment of man, but by the appointment of God.

Paul’s third key statement was that he was set apart for the Gospel (his purpose).  According to Acts 13:2 - 3 Paul was appointed or set apart for the purpose of sharing the Good News. The gospel (Good News) was a promise from the beginning and was delivered by the prophets of the Holy Scripture.  The Gospel was promised since the beginning of time.  We can go back to Genesis 3 and see the salvation message proclaimed by God after Adam and Eve fell in the garden. The Gospel is the message and hope of the O.T. and all the prophets and the forefathers of faith as they eagerly anticipated the fulfillment of the promise foretold to them 1,000’s of years before they came to pass in Jesus Christ. We will look more closely at the message of the gospel shortly.

Vs: 8 – 15: Paul continues as he thanks God for the believers in Rome.  Since there were believers in Rome the word was starting to get around about this body of Christ followers and his prayer is for God to provide a way for him to come visit them. If you recall God had hindered Paul from going to Rome, yet he believed wholeheartedly God wanted him to go there (which eventually he did in chains). So why did Paul want to visit Rome?  It was purposeful and precise

1. To impart a Spiritual gift to strengthen the believers.
2. To reap a harvest
3. To preach the Gospel.

Romans 1:16 - 17
The Gospel:  Nothing to be Ashamed Of
We now get to the theme of this letter namely the Gospel.
Vs 16:  Paul declares, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel… Why do you think Paul declares this so boldly? Paul was in some ways “prideful” or “boastful” of the Gospel.  The cross of Christ and the Gospel were considered by many outsiders (and even today) to be foolishness.  It was considered a crutch, or superstitions, or a fairy tale or just plain idiotic.  People who followed the cross were thus considered fools as well.  

1. I Cor. 1:18 – For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing.  But the power of salvation to those who believe.
2. I Cor. 1:21 – Through the foolish preaching of the cross people get saved.
3. I Cor. 4:10 – We are fools for Christ’s sake but we are wise in Christ’s eyes.

Paul was not going to shy away from preaching this Gospel nor was he going to hide it or try to act like it didn’t impact his life. How many of us shy away from boldness in the Gospel?  We use excuses like I don’t want to come across as a pushy Christian or I don’t want to be made fun of for my faith or we think that for some ridiculous idea we may come across as “overly righteous”. We need to learn from Paul… We have nothing to be ashamed.  This Gospel message is to be proclaimed boldly both through our words and our actions.

The word Gospel is derived from the Greek word Euaggeleion (Yoo-ang-ghel-ee-on) which means good tidings or good news. The glad tidings of the kingdom of God that is still to come and also the good news of Jesus the Messiah. Central themes of the Gospel – Ultimately it is salvation through Christ

1. Preaching the death of Christ for our salvation to those who believe.
2. The resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ.
3. The return of Christ in majesty and His coming Kingdom.

Why is Paul so bold about this Gospel and how can we take on this same attitude? It is the power of salvation.  It is a mighty work of God to deliver, preserve and keep safe in Christ those who believe in Christ in faith. Future salvation – The redemption we will all receive when we pass from this life to eternity. A.W. Pink states, “We are saved from the penalty of sin, saved from the power (influence) of sin, and the pleasure of sin” (no true believer can find pleasure in sinful acts without guilt to follow). Douglas Moo writes about salvation “(Salvation) can denote generally God’s provision for a person’s spiritual needs… It must also include the restoration of the sinner to share in God’s glory.”

Many Christians have the idea of salvation wrong.  They think that the Gospel is a “get out of hell free” card or is a “fire protection” policy.  It is more than being saved from eternal death.  It is the guarantee of a fruitful and abundant life on earth and the inheritance of future glory (eternal life). Salvation is for everyone who believes.  Saving faith or putting complete faith and trust in God who justifies sinners through the cross of Chris“To the Jew first and also to the Greek” – Salvation (through the Gospel) is for everyone (Jews and Greeks) however this verse means the Gospel was first given to the Jews originally and eventually was made available to Gentiles.   

The Gospel and the Righteousness of God
Not only does the Gospel show the power of God unto salvation but also in this Gospel the righteousness of God is revealed. Righteousness – This is an attribute which means all that is right.  The Gospel brings light to or uncovers the faithfulness, goodness, kindness, grace, mercy justice and proper(ness) of God.  There is no wrong, evil or injustice in Him. God’s righteousness is unveiled from faith for faith.
From faith – God’s faithfulness (he keeps his promises). For faith – The faith of an individual (believing unto salvation) This ultimately means nothing but faith can make us right with God.  Without faith it is impossible to please God. Since in the Gospel God’s faithfulness is shown and our faith is sustained the end result is living by faith. We are made right with God by the Gospel thus we live by faith. The word live means made alive or enjoy life.  We are made alive and enjoy life through faith.  
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Conclusion

1. Pray this body could become world renown (for the glory of God) for our faith because people are coming to Christ through the preaching of the Gospel.
2. A while back I encouraged you to pray about inviting someone to church.  Some of you are still praying and waiting and others have invited.  Let us continue in this challenge, but I would like to ad one more aspect to the invite.
3. Pray that God will lead you to someone to share the gospel with and commit to sharing the Gospel with that someone
4. Pray you will never, ever, never shy away from or be ashamed of who you are as a believer and the powerful message of the Gospel.  For there is a saving power in this gospel.
5. Pray you will live your Christian life to the fullest, that you will be fully alive in Christ through faith.