The Word Is Not Imprisoned

There have been two words in this opening paragraph that I have lingered over for some time! They are “began” and “after.”

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus *began to do and teach,

2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

3 He presented himself alive to them *after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. – Acts 1:1-3

“Began” most certainly means that God’s Kingdom will advance and continue. And the means of advancement is to do and teach-discipleship!

And most certainly, this would not have happened had not Jesus been raised! The contrast between the disciples in Luke and Acts can only be attributed to the truth and effects of the resurrection.

Had not it been true, these men would have continued fishing. They would have never risked their lives for a dead Jesus!

May the Kingdom advance through us as we risk, do, and teach! “May the Lamb receive the reward of his suffering!”

www.youtube.com/watch

Cultural Christians must love this song for it is a Christianity without Christ. What he loves about Sunday has nothing to do with Jesus. At best he is assumed and altogether left out of this song. This song is false.

Let me be clear, if Jesus is not what you love about Sunday (indeed everyday) then you are NOT a Christian.

There are moments in reading the Scriptures that something grabs my attention. Time does not always allow for digging deeper but when I do it is always beneficial. I would also add that the extra time spent soaking in a particular text doesn’t have to take that long. Even brief meditation makes a difference. That was the case this morn!

As I read through the Bible each year, I use that time to wash me with the Word while I am also doing sermon prep on a particular text to which I am giving much attention. I am in the beloved Psalm 119 right now and it us full of “wonderful things” to quote verse 18.

This morning verse 17 struck me wrong because of my culture and how words are taken. Let me quote the text: Psalm 119:17 Deal bountifully with your servant, that I may live and keep your word.” I thought there’s something wrong with this translation so I checked the Hebrew in BibleWorks along with other translations.

I thought something was wrong because what I heard commanded in this verse was give me lots of stuff…deal bountifully with your servant! I asked myself how that would help me do what was supposed to result from the bounty, namely, “that I may live and keep your word.” I could only think of how the bounty would keep me from obeying the word.

As I dug into that command, the optional nuances were striking. Initially, I began to get of feel for why they chose “deal bountifully” because the word means to ripen. As I considered how “ripen” would fit I could see how that idea would cause me to live and keep his word.

But as I thought about the ripening of fruit it struck me that that was on the end of its life. Then I noticed the most frequent use of the word was to wean, which is at the beginning of life. I needed to familiarize myself with the definition of wean, which means:

accustom (an infant or other young mammal) to food other than its mother’s milk.

• accustom (someone) to managing without something on which they have become dependent or of which they have become excessively fond.
• be strongly influenced by (something), especially from an early age.

Now the idea was forming the right ideas of how this command would result in living and keeping God’s word. It made me think of Paul addressing the saints in Corinth in (1 Cor. 3:1-2) “But I, brothers, could not address you as spiritual people, but as people of the flesh, as infants in Christ. I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it. And even now you are not yet ready,”

Or in (1 Pet. 2:2-3) “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation–if indeed you have tasted that the Lord is good.” It seems the psalmist is longing for God to mature him so that he might live and keep His Word. Now I understand. But it took digging deeper into the Word (a word) to see it. I hope you will too!

https://herviewfromhome.com/church-is-hard/

The idea behind this meme is very unhelpful in the fight against sin. It reminds me of the classic Bob Newhart clip where he simply says, “Stop it!” As much as we might want to use this method, it obviously doesn’t work.

However, I would like to point out an observation that might help. I think there is something to be noticed (be warned) from the swiftness of this scene. In a matter of 4 verses that can be read in about 30 seconds, David is absent in battle to the impregnating of a woman who is married and it’s not to David.

I would suggest that sin moves quickly in our hearts. Whether David should have been in battle or not is somewhat irrelevant. The same thing could have happened out in the field of battle. It’s how you respond to temptation wherever you are that you need to be concerned with.

Read the passage:

2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” – 2 Samuel 11:2-5

What could he have done?

Maybe it’s hard for kings with such power to have advisers who are godly and do not mind losing their job (or life) by reminding him of God’s law but I would suggest having those kind of people around you.

Recognize that success will do things to your heart. Seeing those signs of pride may indicate that you need to step away. The world will continue on without you, I promise.

Another thing, when you see something like David did, act fast in opposition. Start saying out loud what the consequences would be if you do this all the while praying that God would forgive you for even entertaining the thought. Let’s be people who take our thoughts captive instead of being captive of our thoughts.

We never know how we will respond in temptation. Therefore you already need to be satisfied in Jesus daily and be satisfied with your wife (and I mean in more ways than one). If you are full then you will not need.

Do you have suggestions on fighting sin?

As I begin reading 2 Samuel, I am amazed by the unique love of God. As the scene opens in this book, King Saul has died but the oddness comes from David’s response to the death of his violent enemy who was the LORD’S Anointed. It is strange how broken David and his men are over this news.

I contribute this to God choosing a man after His own heart. In other words, David responds like God does to his enemies. I might also add that David’s men are following his heart and in turn are following God’s heart. This was a good observation for me to see. Those whom God has given us to lead can and will model our hearts. Therefore, we need to pay particular attention to our own.

As I ponder this, I can’t help but think of how the Lord responded to me when I was His enemy. He loved me by sending/giving His only Son that if I believe in him I will have eternal life. It is one thing to avoid your enemies so as not to quarrel with them. It is something unique to purse your enemies and reconcile them to yourself through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. It is the unique love of God on display here in 2 Samuel through His servant David and a looking forward to David’s greater Son!

When we think of God’s unique love towards man, we must acknowledge that all are enemies of God. I can’t imagine what that is like but I also cannot imagine the perfect love within the Trinity that has never been anything but full and complete. The trinitarian nature of God is essential to understand the love of of God. All other concepts of god do not have this unique and fundamental love as we see displayed through David, a man after God’s own heart. Wow!

As I finish reading 1 Samuel today it struck me that David (the LORD’s anointed) looked more like a wandering vagabond hiding out from one place to the next than the next king of Israel. He was unwanted every where he went.

I was also amazed how the Lord directed his path even when it seemed his path was very crooked. Like when he wanted to go with the Philistines into battle the commanders would not have it. Yet in returning (reluctantly) he found his village burned and empty.

In the providence of God he was sent back to rescue his people. Amazingly, he did not assume this but inquired of the Lord BEFORE going to rescue them. Maybe it was while he prayed that his men wanted to stone him!

It is interesting how helpless and crazy David’s life seemed to be before he was actually king. Humility precedes exaltation.

I heard someone recently say that God draws straight lines with crooked sticks. David’s path appeared crooked to us but in God’s economy it was straight.

I appeal to our church documents once again and that beautiful purpose statement which says:

In article 2—Purpose of the constitution of this church it states: The purpose of this church is for public worship of Almighty God; to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to the end that the unsaved might be saved; to promote spiritual growth and fellowship among its members, to educate in the Holy Bible, to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of one another and to humanity and to carry out Jesus Christ’s Commission to spread the Gospel to all the world, and to evangelize the lost and disciple the saved in our community, our county, our state, our nation, and the world till Christ returns.

Again, let us be reminded of our confession of faith.

VI. The Church

A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel; observing the two ordinances of Christ, governed by His laws, exercising the gifts, rights, and privileges invested in them by His Word, and seeking to extend the gospel to the ends of the earth. Each congregation operates under the Lordship of Christ through democratic processes. In such a congregation each member is responsible and accountable to Christ as Lord. Its scriptural officers are pastors and deacons. While both men and women are gifted for service in the church, the office of pastor is limited to men as qualified by Scripture.

Tonight, I will focus on the office of pastor.

Our by-laws state the duties of a pastor are this: The pastor shall proclaim the gospel to believers and unbelievers; lead the church to engage in fellowship of worship, witness, education and ministry; administer the ordinances and exercised general guidance and watch care over the spiritual as well as the physical welfare of the church.

In the portion on calling a pastor, the committee is to call a pastor “that meets the qualifications of our Baptist faith and New Testament Doctrine as cited in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.”

Let me cite the passage:

(1 Tim. 3:1-7) “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

 ² Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,

 ³ not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.

 ⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,

 ⁵ for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?

 ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

 ⁷ Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.”

So, let me first point out that our by-laws refer to this passage for calling a pastor but the passage in question calls the office an overseer. What are we to make of this?

Let’s look at an older translation to see how it was translated.

(1 Tim. 3:1-2 KGV) “This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. ² A bishop then must be….

The King James Version translates overseer as bishop not pastor. That still doesn’t answer our question. I will say the newer translations translate bishop as overseer because that is what the word bishop means. —2. position or office as an overseer Ac 1:20; office of a supervisor 1 Ti 3:1.* [episcopate]

Again, our by-laws and confession do not address why we look to 1 Tim. 3 for instructions on the office of pastor when it talks about the office of overseer or bishop. Let’s push on.

Isn’t there another passage about the pastor’s qualifications in Titus? Yep. Let’s see what it says.

(Tit. 1:6-9) “⁶ if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.

 ⁷ For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,

 ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.

 ⁹ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.”

Paul uses overseer or bishop again. And yes, the KJV uses bishop here as well. but this letter to Titus complicates this even more. Let me back up and quote verse (Tit. 1:4-5) ” ⁴ ¶ To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.

 ⁵ ¶ This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you–”

Let me point out what Paul did here. He tell Titus to put what remained into order by appointing elders in every town. Then in verse 7 Paul gives the “as I directed” part. But, Paul tells Titus to appoint elders then calls then overseers.

Let me give you the definition of elder: [GING] πρεσβύτερος πρεσβύτερος, α, ον—1. of age older, often subst. olde*r) person Lk 15:25; J 8:9; Ac 2:17; 1 Ti 5:1f. Of a period of time οἱ π. the men of old, our ancestors Mt 15:2; Mk 7:3, 5; Hb 11:2.—2. as a designation of an official elder, presbyter—a. among the Jews Mt 16:21; 27:41; Mk 14:43, 53; Lk 7:3; 9:22; Ac 4:23; 6:12.—b. among the Christians Ac 11:30; 14:23; 1 Ti 5:17, 19; Tit 1:5; Js 5:14; 1 Pt 5:1; 5:5; 2 J 1; 3 J 1; Rv 4:4; 7:11.

We now have two terms being used for what we call pastor. You should notice that the Greek word for bishop sounds a like Episcopalian and the Greek word for elder sounds like Presbyterian. Many denominations were divided based on how they understood church government. Episcopalians have a polity that looks much like the Catholic Church. They govern themselves with a bishop as head of all the Episcopal churches. The leading bishop (or archbishop) is Michael Bruce Curry. Their organization would then follow lower ranking bishops. The Presbyterian Church is ruled by a group of appointed elders (or the General Assembly), not just one man. They have authority over all the Presbyterian churches in a particular country or region.

Baptist are local and autonomous. There are numerous structures within this group. We will look at them maybe next time.

Let me get back to the text. We have yet to see the word pastor in anything we have looked at. The truth is there is only one place in the NT that uses the word Pastor, which is also translated shepherd. The text is in Ephesians.

(Eph. 4:11-12) “¹¹ And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, ¹² to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,”

Is this confusing yet? It was for me too. That’s why I am teaching you what I have been taught. But you needed to see the work of how we have decided to call bishops and elders, pastors. Let me now say that we understand all three terms to be synonymous. The three different terms describe the same office. Each word describes the function of the one office. A pastor/shepherd is an overseer and an elder. Elder in its technical use in the Titus passage means office of the overseer. He is to be like the elders of Israel who were older men full of wisdom and truth. We understand the pastor/elder to be mature in the faith. Mature in his character. And mature in teaching the bible.

Let me see if I can prove to you that pastor/bishop (overseer)/elder are all the same office. In 1 Peter 5, all three terms are used to speak of the one office. Though some are the verb form of the word, it is easy to pick up on the interchange.

(1 Pet. 5:1-4) “So I [Peter] exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ² shepherd

the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight

, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

In other words, the elders of the church were to shepherd the flock by exercising oversight of the sheep. Peter tells them how to handle their authority in the church. The chief Shepherd is over the shepherds and the sheep. As I stated before, Jesus is the Head of his church. He has given the church gifts of pastors and teachers to equip the body for the work of the ministry. Jesus has charged the pastors/elders/overseers to have oversight. They are to lead the church in righteousness according to the word of God. The members are to submit to that righteous leadership unless it is unbiblical, as would a wife who was being led by her husband to violate God’s word. However, although the wife should resist her husband’s unrighteous ways, she is to have a disposition towards him to lead her according to God’s word and when he does to submit and follow his leadership. The same is true of the church.

I suspect there’s some pushback in your minds about this. Let me start with the Trinity. First, let me define Trinity. God eternally exists as three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and each person is fully God, yet he is one God.

God the Father is full God and God the Son is fully God. Equal in nature in every respect but the Son submits to the Father as a father. The same is true of the Spirit who is fully God. Yet, the Spirit submits to the Father and the Son.

The truth of submission has nothing to do with the lesser. A wife is not less than her husband like the Son is not less than the Father. Children are to obey their father and mother not because they are shorter and smaller—they are human too. Rather, they submit because God designed the world like this. He made us in his likeness. So, when we submit rightly in these relationships, we honor and image God in the world.

Some disobey God’s word because they do not even see that they are to submit to God. I do not understand why someone would call himself or herself a Christian yet would not obey the Lord. To love the Lord is to obey him gladly and eagerly. On the authority of Scripture, I can affirm to disobey the Lord gladly means you are not a Christian. I do not imply that we do that perfectly but we desire to by God’s grace. And we are ever increasing in our likeness to Christ who fully obeyed the Father.

Now, back to this notion that the church is to submit to the pastors’ leadership. It say in (Heb. 13:17) ” ¹⁷ ¶ Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

Let me clarify. Leadership does not imply ultimate authority. We understand the Bible to teach that we are a local autonomous (self-governed) church with congregational rule. Our government works in a very similar way. The power lies in the voters to elect its leaders to whom they will submit to by law.

There’s much more to be said about the office of pastor in the coming weeks as well as the office of deacon. I think we can conclude that bishop, elder, and pastor all speak of the one office. this man who is an elder which is mature in character, mature in wisdom, mature in the faith, and mature in his understanding of doctrine is to shepherd to flock and exercise oversight according to God’s word.

If he doesn’t do that, then the bible has an answer for that. (1 Tim. 5:17-20) “¹⁷ ¶ Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. ¹⁸ For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” ¹⁹ Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁰ As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.”

As a church of Jesus Christ, we are not our own. Like a marriage where the husband’s body is not his own and the wife’s body is not her own so too we are not our own.

Notice. (Eph. 5:21-33) “²¹ ¶ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. ²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. ²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

If the president of the United States joined our congregation, the most powerful person in this country would be expected to submit to the leaders and the congregation as a member because that is God’s design. He could certainly refuse but the office of president does not change what the Bible commands.

WE are seeking to know God and his ways. I believe the healthiest church is one that follows God’s design. May God’s word speak clearly and may we gladly follow for his glory.

1 Peter 1:3-5 ” Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.”

There is no hope apart from the resurrection. Only those who believe in Jesus Christ and the resurrection have hope. It is one of the fundamental beliefs that cannot be denied. In other words, you cannot be a Christian “if you do not believe in the physical death and physical, literal, bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ.” Without the resurrection, this life is hopeless!

We live is a hopeless world. Death is all around us. It’s always lurking in the shadows.

• 55.3 million people die each year

• 151,600 people die each day

• 6,316 people die each hour

• 105 people die each minute

• Nearly two people die each second

Why? Rom. 5:12 “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man [Adam], and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned”

We all have the same father—Adam. In him, we have inherited a sin nature that leads to death. But not just any death—eternal death. To remain in his family will result in condemnation forever.

But God did something stupendous. He did only what he could do. He loved the world in a particular way by sending his only Son that whosoever believes in him will have eternal life.

This letter from Peter begins with blessing and praise. In this Easter season, Peter is an excellent example for us to look at. After following Jesus for three years, he denied him three times. I’m sure he thought it was over. No doubt he thought his sin was too big and too much. His life seemed hopeless. He runs to the lake to go fishing. He goes back to the beginning. Back to where Jesus first called him.

If it were up to Peter, he would have died a Bass Pro contestant instead of a fisher of men. And so would we. You are not the hero of your story. Your failures do not define you. If you are in Jesus, your identity in him defines you. Jesus is the hero. That’s why we praise God because we have nothing to offer him but thanksgiving. He is enough. You need nothing else.

The obvious basis of blessing and praise to God is the reality that he did not give us what we deserve. His mercy is abundant.

Notice this in verse 3–Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy

So the reason for our praise is according to his great mercy!

What does this great mercy look like? What are the benefits of God’s mercy?

His mercy begins when, as it says, “he has caused us to be born again” 1 Pet. 1:3. It reminds me of the conversation Nicodemus had with Jesus in John 3:3 “Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Though Nicodemus seemed to be confused about what Jesus meant, later we understand he became a follower of Christ. He even helped bury the body of Jesus. He must have been born again to risk his life like that.

Peter goes on to tell us that the rebirth resulted in three amazing realities. Take note of these four.

1. a living hope
2. an inheritance
3. and a salvation

The problem is how can the just and holy God have mercy on us? Well, he can’t have mercy on anyone unless sufficient payment has been made for our sins. That’s what the scales of justice demands! God would not be a just God if he overlooked our sin.

Imagine with me for a moment. I am 44 years old. Picture that I have only sinned once a day in my life which would mean that I have at least 15,000 sins of debt that I owe. Much of the world thinks a good deed counters a bad deed. And at the end of life if my good deeds outweigh my bad deeds then God will accept me. If that is true, how will I know where I stand? Who could keep an accurate tally? What if I am injured and cannot do any good deeds? What if I am only two short what happens?

That’s doesn’t sound like hope to me. That sounds hope-less.

But like the great hymn says, “my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus’ blood and righteousness, I dare not trust the sweet frame but wholly lean on Jesus’ name.”

The only just way God can have mercy on us is squarely placed in the perfect and sufficient sacrifice of Jesus Christ. “Jesus paid it all and to him I owe. Sin hath left a crimson stain but he washed it white as snow.”

That ransom payment Jesus made to God for our sins was accepted as paid in full. How do we know? Because the resurrection of Jesus from the dead was the signature that sealed the deal. No resurrection; no hope, no inheritance, and no salvation.

It’s not a hope so, maybe so, find out when I get there. It’s not a perishable hope. A defiled hope. Or a fading hope. It is a living hope. It is resurrection hope…because we have a living Savior!

“Without Jesus, we approach life with the expectation of death.”

“With Jesus, we approach death with the expectation of life.”

Life that has an inheritance that, like our hope, is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading. If you are in Christ then you have been adopted into God’s family. And all of God’s family are heirs according to the promises made in the gospel, all because of the resurrection of Christ who was crucified for us.

How do we not lose this glorious inheritance? Well we have a living hope through the resurrection and that inheritance is being kept and reserved in heaven (where no one can steal it), who by God’s power are continually…steadfastly guarding through faith.

Faith is the believing and receiving the gift of forgiveness of sins and the counting us righteous in Jesus. We have a right legal standing with God and that rebirth into new creations for a new Kingdom with God forever will come to fruition when he delivers us to a salvation ready to be made known in the last day.

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the claim that death has been defeated because sin has been atoned. Jesus conquered the grave so that we could have eternal life with him.

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