网上牧师杂志–中文版（简体）, SCh Ed, Issue 20 2016年夏季

2016 夏季
作者：罗杰‧帕斯科博士（Dr. Roger Pascoe）
圣言宣讲学院院长
(President, The Institute for Biblical Preaching)
加拿大安大略省剑桥市
(http://tibp.ca/)

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「增强在教会里的讲道 与 领导能力」

第一部份：讲道的大能，第三点（续）

「圣灵的大能」

这网上杂志在过去三期，我们的主题是宣讲中圣灵的大能。上期，我们问了好些问题，例如：（1）甚么是得到圣灵加力，受膏的宣讲？（2）为甚么有些传道者拥有这能力，但有些却没有呢？

这期，我们会讨论这主题所引起的别的问题：被圣灵「充满」和从圣灵「得力」有甚么分别？认清从圣灵受洗、圣灵充满和从圣灵得力十分重要。（下文改编自司提反欧福德Dr. Stephen F. Olford著作）

1. 从圣灵受洗（哥林多前书 12:13 ）表示我们在基督里的「属灵地位」 。这在我们重生时发生，只会发生一次，从那时起，圣灵「住在」我们里面（哥林多前书3:16; 6:19；提摩太后书1:14；雅各书4:5）。所有信徒都从圣灵受洗∕圣灵住在信徒里。

2. 被圣灵充满（以弗所书 5:18 ）显示我们在基督里的「属灵状况」 。从圣灵受洗只有一次，但被圣灵充满却可以多次出现。被圣灵充满表示达到饱和状态，没有空间给属肉体的情欲、自己的利益和罪。这并非圣灵内住（那是重生的实情），我们以前已作探讨，这是由圣灵主管生命，是得到重生后生活的一种功能，这是在每天的生活里，服从圣灵、交托、倚靠和拥戴圣灵。「这是正常的基督徒生活和学效基督」（Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 216）。我们要被圣灵充满（以弗所书5:18），从文法角度来看，这是看似不可能的事：一个被动式的命令；命令我们去做一件别人在我们身上完成的事！但这矛盾可从以下的解说得到解决：我们服从这命令的方法是透过主动控制我们的生命，不让任何使圣灵忧伤或消灭圣灵感动的事情发生（透过生命的美德和圣洁等）；而在回应方面，我们被动地（即别人在我们身上完成的事）由圣灵按祂在我们里面和透过我们的生命和事工来管理我们。

3. 从圣灵得着能力（使徒行传 1:8 ），加强我们在基督里的「属灵使命」 。为使我们服事神的事工有效力，我们需要从圣灵得力（哥林多前书2:1-5；帖撒逻尼迦前书1:5）。我们不能靠自己得到属灵的果效。我们参与的属灵使命要求圣灵的批准和得到圣灵的效力才有功效。因此，我们首要被圣灵充满，才能从圣灵得力，才可以有效地宣讲神的道。我相信当我们被圣灵充满时，便从圣灵得到能力。

那么，让我发问一个和上期相同的问题：为甚么有些传道者拥有这能力，但有些却没有呢？这分别和圣灵内住无关，因为所有信徒都有圣灵内住。看来，分别在于是否被圣灵「充满」。有些传道者被圣灵「充满」，因此，他们能够带有圣灵的能力来服事，而有些却不是。假如传道者没有被圣灵「充满」，这便是他的宣讲没有得到圣灵授予能力的因由。有些传道者顺服圣灵而活，而有些却不是。有些传道者得到圣灵的恩赐作宣讲，但有些却没有。因此，这问题完全在于我们怎样生活（我们交托、倚靠圣灵而活，还是我们倚靠自己的资源），与及神给我们甚么恩赐。

所以，若你生命中的活动、思想、欲望等，有任何使「圣灵忧伤」的事情（以弗所书 4: 3 0 ），圣灵便不会活跃于你的生命和事工当中。但我却不否定拥有主权的圣灵，能使用不管是哑的驴子、还是未得救的人来达成祂的目的；我们不能忽视以下的原则：若信徒的生命不适合作圣灵的居所，圣灵不会给我们祝福。同样地，假若在我们的生命里有些东西「消灭圣灵的感动」（帖撒逻尼迦前书5:19），圣灵便不会活跃地给我们祝福或使我们的事工得力。

我们希望在生命和事工上得到圣灵授予能力，是正确和合适的。诚然，若没有圣灵授予能力，不让圣灵自由地在我们和我们的听众里工作，我们难以进行有意义、有果效的事工。

要作有能力的宣讲，我们必须要容让神的灵在我们里面工作，使我们成圣（因而合神所用），照亮我们（使我们正确地明白祂的话语），和使我们得着能力（使我们能正确地表达祂的话语）。与此同时，神的灵在我们的听众里作工，让他们对罪、对义和将来的审判信念坚定（约翰福音16:11），和转化他们成为神的子民、基督的追随者。这是从圣灵得力的证明，也是圣灵祝福的明证，传道者是合主用的器皿，而听众得到重大的改变。

让我在这里加一些警告的话和勉励的话。首先是警告的话：留意「有敬虔的外貌，却背了敬虔的实意」（提摩太后书3:5）。要避免下面的想法：因你能够在会众中营造气氛和从他们当中得到一些回应，你作的便是带有大能的宣讲。要避免将焦点放在经验、现象和主观的感觉上，而遗忘了是圣灵在真正工作。留意你不会混淆了在肉体作宣讲和在圣灵里作宣讲。「当你靠着肉体的能力来宣讲，你会感到受赞扬和被提升；当你在圣灵的大能中作宣讲，你会因神的工作而谦卑」（Martyn Lloyd-Jones, cited in Arturio G. Azurdia III, Spirit Empowered Preaching, Christian Focus Publications, 2003, preface）。

我们每次宣讲的时侯，我们必须确信「我们的信息若不是得到神的灵伴随，它对任何人都没有好处。」（Stuart Olyott, Preaching Pure and Simple, Wales, Bryntirion Press, 2005, 154）只有从神的灵得着能力时，信息才可以得出属灵的果效。单靠我们自己并不能作甚么。

那么，你怎能知道你的宣讲从神的灵得着能力和祝福？当神的道被神的灵应用而从人中得到回应时，你便知道。你也会知道人的生命有所改变，有些人得救、婚姻复和、关系修补、基督徒更敬虔、人更全神贯注于神的道等。

现在是劝勉的话：这有关从圣灵得力（恩膏）的分析，应能给予传道者莫大的鼓励。这些传道者日以继夜、年复年、安静地在他们的事工中服事神；他们忠心地、准确地解释和应用神的道；他们相信神的灵、接受神的道和使用神的道来改变灵魂，转化生命，使人成为完全敬虔的基督跟随者，「直等到我们众人在真道上同归于一，认识神的儿子，得以长大成人，满有基督长成的身量。」（以弗所书4:13）

那是从圣灵得力的事工 。传讲这信息的传道者，他首要的期望是荣耀神，彰显基督。他们的观点是「要把各人在基督里完完全全引到神面前」（歌罗西书1:28）。我认为，我们的宣讲应寻求神的祝福，它透过以下的途径显示出来：（1）事工结出果子（有人得救；在基督里成长等）；（2）我们自己的生命结出属灵的果子（加拉太书5:22）；（3 ）教会的领袖对我们事工的肯定；（4）在我们的宣讲，以基督和神的荣耀为中心。

因此，那些在讲道前、讲道期间或讲道后看不见果效的牧师和传道者，要鼓起勇气。「神却拣选了世上愚拙的，叫有智慧的羞愧；又拣选了世上软弱的，叫那强壮的羞愧。神也拣选了世上卑贱的，被人厌恶的，以及那无有的，为要废掉那有的。使一切有血气的，在神面前一个也不能自夸。… 如经上所记：夸口的，当指着主夸口。」（哥林多前书1:27-29, 31）

希望送篇文章成为我们作为传道者的鼓励，就算我们不能在我们的听众达成神在他们生命中的旨意，但透过我们过圣洁的生活、恳切的祷告祈求、倚靠神的灵，我们能被神使用为祂至高无上的旨意工作。有时，我们知道部份结果，但很多时我们却不会知道。我们的安慰来自是那工作是神的 – 唯有祂能拯救灵魂；唯有祂能改变生命。若没有这保证，我们的事工会使人气馁；但有了这保证，我们的事工却能使人满足。

第二部份：讲道的准备

讲章大纲

到目前为止，有关「讲道的准备」，我们已经讨论选择经文和课题、研读经文、分析和理解经文，找出经文结构。这个过程，既有趣，却又会使人气馁。有趣的地方是你发现所选择的经文的思路（即经文结构）；气馁的地方则是你可能花上好几个小时，仍找不到。也许，你能明白为甚么讲道的准备是困难的工作。

现在，你已经准备好为经文编写讲章大纲。你或会感到疑惑「经文结构和讲章大纲有甚么分别？它们不是相同的吗？」对于部份传道者来说，它们是相同的。有很多牧者按经文结构宣讲 – 那是可以的，但实际上这并不足够，因为我们的讲章大纲需要反映神学原则和经文在今天应怎样应用在我们身上，以致我们的会众能看见他们可以怎样应用经文。作为牧者的其中一项工作，是缩短古代的经文文本、人物、语言及文化和今天的距离。

所以，那按经文结构写成的讲章大纲和经文结构的分别是它已决定你怎样宣讲经文的内容。当你确定经文结构的时候，你已经知道那篇章的主题和作者在这主题要说的。换句话说，你知道作者所要表达的和他怎样编排他的材料。现在，你要决定怎样宣讲经文里的神学和在今天如何应用在你的听众身上。我认为这也许是传道者最重要的功能，因为我们的听众通常不会自己这样做。他们读经，他们知道经文说甚么，但他们通常不明白它的意义和含意，与及今天怎样应用在我们身上。我们的工作是将它传递给我们的听众。

你可能会发问另一个问题：「我们为甚么需要一个讲道大纲？」有很多牧者因为没有使用讲道大纲，结果没有成功阐释经文的神学意义和含意，同时亦没有表达今天的听众该如何应用经文。我们的讲章应有条理，因为：

1. 整本圣经都是有组织、有条理的，每位圣经作者都有他们的写作目的。圣经没有任何部份是杂乱无章（即没有结构和目的）。

2. 假如你没有一个按经文结构、思路的大纲，你的讲道不会合乎逻辑，人们难以跟随。

3. 假如你没有一个清晰、合乎圣经的结构，你难以宣讲一个清晰、合乎圣经的信息。

讲道大纲是讲章的「骨架」，在这个骨架，你将你的信息的「肉」挂上去。你将你的释经钉在这个「结构」上。这是你的讲章怎样分重点和怎样把材料结合。

一个好的讲道大纲能达到以下目的：

1. 它将你的讲章分成「重点」。（即讲章的不同部份）

2. 它协助你清楚、有条理、统一、有进展、完整地表达你的思路。

3. 它防止你离题或遗漏重点。

4. 它令引言、主体（解释、应用、例子）和总结得到平衡。

5. 它控制讲章的长度，避免过长或过短。

6. 它可作为会众跟随的地图（或目录）。

7. 它帮助听众更容易记得信息的内容。

讲道大纲将经文的主题分成主要部份，它们组成讲道内容的重点。这些重点可细分成子点，那是将重点分成较细的部份，使重点更清晰明确，不过把信息细分的情度则可按个人喜好而定。我认为若你的大纲只放重点，而子点只作为解释的材料，因为一个较简单的大纲，对听众来说会较容易跟随。你仍可以将子点文字化来突显它们，但它们要随从讲章的材料一起流动，不以子点的形式记下，否则，你的听众很容易迷失，不知你说到那里。

我尝试以简单、重复的字来突显我的重点。以下是腓立比书1:19-20的大纲例子：

1. 我们可以对基督徒的祷告有信心。（19a）

2. 我们可以对基督的灵的供应的有信心。（19b）

3. 我们可以为维持为基督作见证有信心。（20）

你从不希望你的讲道大纲盖过你的信息或打动你的听众。它只是你的信息的框架。

讲道大纲的起始点是经文文本的主要思想（主题），把主要思想和有关该思想的陈述（补语）组成讲章的核心。

每篇讲章都有结构。结构的主要元素包括：（1）引言；（2）主要部份（释经、应用等）；和（3）结语。这主要结构元素要达到以下目标：

1. 你的引言 ......

a. 吸引听众的注意

b. 营造你的讲章要处理的问题是有需要的

c. 与经文连接起来

d. 点出主题

e. 道出你的神学观点（即经文的整体教导）

f. 过渡到讲章的主体

2. 你的讲章主体是你 ......

a. 陈述和解释你的重点

b. 如有需要，恰当地举例说明你的重点

c. 给你的听众提出怎样应用你的教导

3. 在你的总结，你 ......

a. 为你刚才在信息带出的重点作概述

b. 协助你的听众将你解释的真理形象化（即看到这教导在日常生活中是怎样的）

c. 激励他们实行真理 – 即实践真理，回应他们刚才听到的真理。

从下期开始，我将会讨论讲章大纲的以下部份，这是按你预备讲章大纲的次序（而非宣讲时的次序）：

1. 把重点化成文字

2. 陈述论点，有些人称它为命题或「用一句话说出你的讲章」

3. 起草讲章的主体 – 解释（包括举例）和应用

4. 组织讲章的结束

5. 设计引言

第三部份：灵修

「福音的性质」（哥林多前书 1:18-25 ）

B y: Dr. Stephen F. Olford

现在我们来到最具启发性的经文的其中一篇，它的主题是福音与及在新约圣经俯拾即是的基督教事工的性质。在这段经文之前，保罗刚处理了教会分党的咒诅。保罗接着处理教会分党的诱因，从这里直到第四章，保罗提出了分党根源的两个错误观念：首先是对基督教信息的错误观念（1:18-3:4）；第二个是关于基督教事工的错误观念（3:5-4:5）。让我们先细想关于基督教信息的错误观念，它包含对福音的性质存有错误观念，这正是我们今天的经文哥林多前书1:18-25的信息。

当我们处理这几节经文时，我们要记着保罗是写信给一间出现分党的教会。我们已观察到有不少于四个党派，他们各有自己的口号。这个问题的部份原因是信徒被带到人面前，而非带到主那里去；但也出现了传信息者比信息有更崇高地位的倾向。因此，保罗被迫清楚地宣告有关福音的特性。他先说：

I. 福音是神给人特殊的启示

「 因为十字架的道理，在那灭亡的人为愚拙；在我们得救的人，却为神的大能 」（哥林多前书 1:18 ）。保罗在这里强调它和表达福音的方式没有太大的关连，因为福音的「言语」有别于第17节智慧的言语。他最重要的目的是指出福音作为启示神的智慧和大能的独特性。这是古代世界的钥字，希利尼人求智慧，而犹太人对神迹萦绕于心。因此，保罗使用以下两方面对比来描绘福音的独特性：

1. 神的智慧对比人的智慧：「基督总为神的能力，神的智慧」（哥林多前书1:24 ）。保罗不让我们对于甚么是神的智慧留下任何疑惑。稍后，他说：「但... 在基督里... 神又使他成为我们的智慧、公义、圣洁、救赎」（哥林多前书1:30）。这节经文包含完整的福音信息，没有比这更重要的陈述。首先，基督是我们的公义。在基督里和透过基督，在圣洁的神面前我们被称为义。福音在这方面回答了一个古老问题：「这样在神面前，人怎能称义？」（约伯记25:4）因基督为我们的罪死和复活，使我们称义；我们知道透过相信神的儿子，神的义就加给我们。第二、基督是我们的圣洁。我们永不能靠我们自己的能力达至圣洁；但透过祂在我们里面，我们便一天一天步向圣洁。为了达到神的目的，这恩典把我们完完全全的分别出来。从行为而言，它的意思是我们试验性地活出了我们在基督里的地位。第三、基督是我们的救赎。它的意思是我们被「释放」，按上下文，它不单指我们从处罚和罪的权势下得救赎，而且从所有罪出现的地方得救赎。神在基督再来时，终极地使我们和基督相似。

我们的主耶稣基督的福音，是神何等的智慧。与此成对比的是保罗所描述的人的智慧。雅各同意人的「... 智慧不是从上头来的，乃是属地的，属情欲的，属鬼魔的」（雅各书 3:15 ）。人的智慧是属地的，「世人凭自己的智慧，既不认识神，神就乐意用人所当作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人」（哥林多前书1:21）。这里有一个值得牢记的重点，神在祂的智慧里颁布：世界凭自己的智慧不应、也不可能认识神。这永远歼灭人可以透过理解力或智力可以寻见神的观念，更不用说认识神了。人类的教育就是达到最高、最好的水平，仍不足够。人的智慧是属情欲的，这是为何保罗讽刺地说：「希利尼人是求智慧」（哥林多前书1:22）。没有甚么比那老练的传道者或有口才的辩士使用「知性进路」（intellectual approach）对那些凭感观或属肉体的人更具吸引力。人类的智慧是属鬼魔的。这样描述是因它与因为骄傲而堕落的魔鬼联系。这也是为何人类的哲学除了理性上的高傲自负，便甚么都不是了。任何一个从根基破坏圣经权威的行动，你可称它为现代主义、自由主义、人文主义...都在哲学的范畴。因为人类自高自大，寻求和哲学有名的打交道，却没有留意到圣经谴责它为属鬼魔的。

因此，保罗提醒哥林多的信徒「... 就如经上所记：『我要灭绝智慧人的智慧，废弃聪明人的聪明。』智慧人在那里？文士在那里？这世上的辩士在那里？神岂不是叫这世上的智慧变成愚拙么？」（哥林多前书1:19-20）。这段经文的重点是叫人认识人若以自己的计划和努力去完成他自己的救恩是完全没有用的。（以赛亚书29:14）神只透过十字架作拯救。以赛亚书33:18描述神怎样混淆犹太统治者那以世俗的智慧提出的忠告。假若人类不愿意放弃他们哲理性的推论，而喜爱神的智慧，神会继续做祂在古时所做的。当描述这独特的启示时，保罗不单止以神的智慧对比人的智慧，他还以：

2. 神的大能对比人的能力 ：「因为十字架的道理，在那灭亡的人为愚拙；在我们得救的人，却为神的大能 」（哥林多前书1:18）。这提醒我们保罗在罗马书1:16，肯定地说：「我不以福音为耻；这福音本是神的大能，要救一切相信的，先是犹太人、后是希利尼人。」在福音的心脏地带是神的动力，神用以拯救和释放的大能。在这宇宙并没有别的，像我们的主耶稣基督的福音一般，能转化人的生命。十字架的大能是人类的罪的唯一答案。

与此成为对比的，是人类对自己能力的夸耀。「犹太人要神迹...」（哥林多前书1:22）。如莫里斯（Leon Morris）所说：「在历史中，犹太人极其重视事实，他们对推断出来的思想没有多大兴趣；他们要求证据，他们对实在有用的事情感兴趣。他们认为神在历史中透过神迹奇事彰显自己。」这说明了主在地上的事工时期，犹太人为甚么经常要求神迹（马太福音12:38; 6:1, 4；马可福音 8:11；约翰福音6:30）。他们认为弥赛亚会使用使人惊讶的能力和威严来彰显祂的权柄；对于他们来说，一位被钉死的基督和他们的祈望完全相反。

保罗在第 22, 23, 24 节以极不平常的话来总结他对神的智慧和能力对比人的智慧和能力的分析：「 犹太人是要神迹，希利尼人是求智慧， 我们却是传钉十字架的基督，在犹太人为绊脚石，在外邦人为愚拙； 但在那蒙召的，无论是犹太人、希利尼人，基督总为神的能力，神的智慧。」

有关福音的第二个特点，保罗这样说：

II. 福音是神给人救赎的邀请

「 但在那蒙召的，无论是犹太人、希利尼人，基督总为神的能力，神的智慧」（哥林多前书 1:24 ）。这里表达了基督的福音是一个完美的平衡，它不单止是神对人彰显祂自己，也是邀请人到祂自己那里去。这高于人的智慧和人的能力所能做到的。让我们考虑：

1. 在福音发出的邀请中，神的喜悦 ：「神就乐意用人所当作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人...」（哥林多前书 1:21 ）。在这节经文中「喜悦」一词的意思和在第18节的并不相同。这里强调宣告福音荣耀的信息。保罗在这里生诉我们神至高的喜悦，或按字义「神的美意」，那是透过传道者的愚拙，男人和女人被拯救。有甚么比神对人的众子所定下的心意 – 就是透过愚拙的传道者带出十字架的拯救信息 – 更崇高和美妙？让我们再思想：

2. 在福音发出的邀请中，神的目的 ：「因为十字架的道理，在那灭亡的人为愚拙；在我们得救的人却是神的大能」（哥林多前书 1:18 ）。这里把神在基督里的拯救工作扼要地用文字表达出来。我们要记着所有在基督以外的，都是失丧的人。「灭亡」这个动词的意思并非「灭绝」，而是毁坏和失去幸福的感觉。一个灭亡的人是指那人没有达成神创造他时的旨意，但这也是基督的福音与他相遇和拯救他到永恒生命的地方。「拯救」这词背后的概念不单是恢复，并且带来转化。

让我们再次观察我们被召：

3. 在福音发出的邀请中，神的处理 ：「... 神就乐意用人所当作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人... 基督总为神的能力，神的智慧」（哥林多前书 1: 21, 24 ）。在福音发出的邀请中，有两个字总结出神的处理。其中一个是「召」，另外一个是「信」。一个描述神的邀请，另一个则含有人所作的回应。耶稣经常呼召男人和女人到祂那里去。感谢神，不同的种族、说不同语言的人、不同宗族的人都作出回应。这个荣耀的过程继续至基督的身体完满。

由此，我们看到神的这个救赎的邀请，需要人作出决定，没有人在福音的启示和邀请下不作回应。相信的人就会得救，若他拒绝就会「灭亡」。

总结：哥林多信徒分党，因为他们对福音的信息出现错误的观念。这也正是保罗为甚么不怕痛苦，也要在第一段厘清福音的真正性质。就我们所见，他作出透彻的处理，并在总结时说：「因神的愚拙总比人智慧；神的软弱总比人强壮」（哥林多前书1:25）。哲学和人类展示出来的能力此起彼落，但耶稣基督的福音却不改变，并且耶稣基督自己也不改变 –「... 昨日、今日、一直到永远、是一样的」...

第四部份：讲道大纲

可点击以下链接收听这几篇英语讲章： Link 1 - 约翰福音 10:1-2; Link 2 - 约翰福音 10:3-4 ; Link 3 - 约翰福音 10:4-8 ; Link 4 - 约翰福音 10:9

标题：耶稣是门 (约翰福音 10:1-9)

第一点：假的宗教领袖是闯进者 (第1-2节)

1. 他们不从门进入，他们从别处爬进来

2. 他们是贼和强盗

第二点：真的宗教领袖是牧者 (第3-5节)

1. 他们引领神子民的方式是引起我们的回应 (3a-b)

2. 他们引领神子民的方式是按名呼唤我们 (3c)

3. 他们引领神子民的方式是给我们指引方向 (3d-4b)

4. 他们引领神子民的方式是得到我们的信任 (4c-5)

5. 他们引领神子民的方式是引我们到基督那里去 (6-9)

a) 基督是羊的门 (7-8)

b) 基督是通往救恩的门 (9a)

c) 基督是通往自由的门 (9b)

d) 基督是给我们滋养的门 (9c)

網上牧師雜誌 – 中文版（繁體）, TCh Ed, Issue 20 2016年夏季

2016 夏季
作者：羅傑‧帕斯科博士（Dr. Roger Pascoe）
聖言宣講學院院長
(President, The Institute for Biblical Preaching)
加拿大安大略省劍橋市
(http://tibp.ca/)

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「增強在教會裡的講道 與 領導能力」

第一部份：講道的大能，第三點（續）

「聖靈的大能」

這網上雜誌在過去三期，我們的主題是宣講中聖靈的大能。上期，我們問了好些問題，例如：（1）甚麼是得到聖靈加力，受膏的宣講？（2）為甚麼有些傳道者擁有這能力，但有些卻沒有呢？

這期，我們會討論這主題所引起的別的問題：被聖靈「充滿」和從聖靈「得力」有甚麼分別？認清從聖靈受洗、聖靈充滿和從聖靈得力十分重要。（下文改編自司提反歐福德Dr. Stephen F. Olford著作）

1. 從聖靈受洗（哥林多前書12:13）表示我們在基督裡的「屬靈地位」。這在我們重生時發生，只會發生一次，從那時起，聖靈「住在」我們裡面（哥林多前書3:16; 6:19；提摩太後書1:14；雅各書4:5）。所有信徒都從聖靈受洗∕聖靈住在信徒裡。

2. 被聖靈充滿（以弗所書5:18）顯示我們在基督裡的「屬靈狀況」。從聖靈受洗只有一次，但被聖靈充滿卻可以多次出現。被聖靈充滿表示達到飽和狀態，沒有空間給屬肉體的情慾、自己的利益和罪。這並非聖靈內住（那是重生的實情），我們以前已作探討，這是由聖靈主管生命，是得到重生後生活的一種功能，這是在每天的生活裡，服從聖靈、交託、倚靠和擁戴聖靈。「這是正常的基督徒生活和學效基督」（Olford, Anointed Expository Preaching, 216）。我們要被聖靈充滿（以弗所書5:18），從文法角度來看，這是看似不可能的事：一個被動式的命令；命令我們去做一件別人在我們身上完成的事！但這矛盾可從以下的解說得到解決：我們服從這命令的方法是透過主動控制我們的生命，不讓任何使聖靈憂傷或消滅聖靈感動的事情發生（透過生命的美德和聖潔等）；而在回應方面，我們被動地（即別人在我們身上完成的事）由聖靈按祂在我們裡面和透過我們的生命和事工來管理我們。

3. 從聖靈得著能力（使徒行傳1:8），加強我們在基督裡的「屬靈使命」。為使我們服事神的事工有效力，我們需要從聖靈得力（哥林多前書2:1-5；帖撒邏尼迦前書1:5）。我們不能靠自己得到屬靈的果效。我們參與的屬靈使命要求聖靈的批准和得到聖靈的效力才有功效。因此，我們首要被聖靈充滿，才能從聖靈得力，才可以有效地宣講神的道。我相信當我們被聖靈充滿時，便從聖靈得到能力。

那麼，讓我發問一個和上期相同的問題：為甚麼有些傳道者擁有這能力，但有些卻沒有呢？這分別和聖靈內住無關，因為所有信徒都有聖靈內住。看來，分別在於是否被聖靈「充滿」。有些傳道者被聖靈「充滿」，因此，他們能夠帶有聖靈的能力來服事，而有些卻不是。假如傳道者沒有被聖靈「充滿」，這便是他的宣講沒有得到聖靈授予能力的因由。有些傳道者順服聖靈而活，而有些卻不是。有些傳道者得到聖靈的恩賜作宣講，但有些卻沒有。因此，這問題完全在於我們怎樣生活（我們交託、倚靠聖靈而活，還是我們倚靠自己的資源），與及神給我們甚麼恩賜。

所以，若你生命中的活動、思想、慾望等，有任何使「聖靈憂傷」的事情（以弗所書4:30），聖靈便不會活躍於你的生命和事工當中。但我卻不否定擁有主權的聖靈，能使用不管是啞的驢子、還是未得救的人來達成祂的目的；我們不能忽視以下的原則：若信徒的生命不適合作聖靈的居所，聖靈不會給我們祝福。同樣地，假若在我們的生命裡有些東西「消滅聖靈的感動」（帖撒邏尼迦前書5:19），聖靈便不會活躍地給我們祝福或使我們的事工得力。

我們希望在生命和事工上得到聖靈授予能力，是正確和合適的。誠然，若沒有聖靈授予能力，不讓聖靈自由地在我們和我們的聽眾裡工作，我們難以進行有意義、有果效的事工。

要作有能力的宣講，我們必須要容讓神的靈在我們裡面工作，使我們成聖（因而合神所用），照亮我們（使我們正確地明白祂的話語），和使我們得著能力（使我們能正確地表達祂的話語）。與此同時，神的靈在我們的聽眾裡作工，讓他們對罪、對義和將來的審判信念堅定（約翰福音16:11），和轉化他們成為神的子民、基督的追隨者。這是從聖靈得力的證明，也是聖靈祝福的明證，傳道者是合主用的器皿，而聽眾得到重大的改變。

讓我在這裡加一些警告的話和勉勵的話。首先是警告的話：留意「有敬虔的外貌，卻背了敬虔的實意」（提摩太後書3:5）。要避免下面的想法：因你能夠在會眾中營造氣氛和從他們當中得到一些回應，你作的便是帶有大能的宣講。要避免將焦點放在經驗、現象和主觀的感覺上，而遺忘了是聖靈在真正工作。留意你不會混淆了在肉體作宣講和在聖靈裡作宣講。「當你靠著肉體的能力來宣講，你會感到受讚揚和被提升；當你在聖靈的大能中作宣講，你會因神的工作而謙卑」（Martyn Lloyd-Jones, cited in Arturio G. Azurdia III, Spirit Empowered Preaching, Christian Focus Publications, 2003, preface）。

我們每次宣講的時侯，我們必須確信「我們的信息若不是得到神的靈伴隨，它對任何人都沒有好處。」（Stuart Olyott, Preaching Pure and Simple, Wales, Bryntirion Press, 2005, 154）只有從神的靈得著能力時，信息才可以得出屬靈的果效。單靠我們自己並不能作甚麼。

那麼，你怎能知道你的宣講從神的靈得著能力和祝福？當神的道被神的靈應用而從人中得到回應時，你便知道。你也會知道人的生命有所改變，有些人得救、婚姻復和、關係修補、基督徒更敬虔、人更全神貫注於神的道等。

現在是勸勉的話：這有關從聖靈得力（恩膏）的分析，應能給予傳道者莫大的鼓勵。這些傳道者日以繼夜、年復年、安靜地在他們的事工中服事神；他們忠心地、準確地解釋和應用神的道；他們相信神的靈、接受神的道和使用神的道來改變靈魂，轉化生命，使人成為完全敬虔的基督跟隨者，「直等到我們眾人在真道上同歸於一，認識神的兒子，得以長大成人，滿有基督長成的身量。」（以弗所書4:13）

那是從聖靈得力的事工。傳講這信息的傳道者，他首要的期望是榮耀神，彰顯基督。他們的觀點是「要把各人在基督裡完完全全引到神面前」（歌羅西書1:28）。我認為，我們的宣講應尋求神的祝福，它透過以下的途徑顯示出來：（1）事工結出果子（有人得救；在基督裡成長等）；（2）我們自己的生命結出屬靈的果子（加拉太書5:22）；（3）教會的領袖對我們事工的肯定；（4）在我們的宣講，以基督和神的榮耀為中心。

因此，那些在講道前、講道期間或講道後看不見果效的牧師和傳道者，要鼓起勇氣。「神卻揀選了世上愚拙的，叫有智慧的羞愧；又揀選了世上軟弱的，叫那強壯的羞愧。神也揀選了世上卑賤的，被人厭惡的，以及那無有的，為要廢掉那有的。使一切有血氣的，在神面前一個也不能自誇。… 如經上所記：誇口的，當指著主誇口。」（哥林多前書1:27-29, 31）

希望送篇文章成為我們作為傳道者的鼓勵，就算我們不能在我們的聽眾達成神在他們生命中的旨意，但透過我們過聖潔的生活、懇切的禱告祈求、倚靠神的靈，我們能被神使用為祂至高無上的旨意工作。有時，我們知道部份結果，但很多時我們卻不會知道。我們的安慰來自是那工作是神的 – 唯有祂能拯救靈魂；唯有祂能改變生命。若沒有這保證，我們的事工會使人氣餒；但有了這保證，我們的事工卻能使人滿足。

第二部份：講道的準備

講章大綱

到目前為止，有關「講道的準備」，我們已經討論選擇經文和課題、研讀經文、分析和理解經文，找出經文結構。這個過程，既有趣，卻又會使人氣餒。有趣的地方是你發現所選擇的經文的思路（即經文結構）；氣餒的地方則是你可能花上好幾個小時，仍找不到。也許，你能明白為甚麼講道的準備是困難的工作。

現在，你已經準備好為經文編寫講章大綱。你或會感到疑惑「經文結構和講章大綱有甚麼分別？它們不是相同的嗎？」對於部份傳道者來說，它們是相同的。有很多牧者按經文結構宣講 – 那是可以的，但實際上這並不足夠，因為我們的講章大綱需要反映神學原則和經文在今天應怎樣應用在我們身上，以致我們的會眾能看見他們可以怎樣應用經文。作為牧者的其中一項工作，是縮短古代的經文文本、人物、語言及文化和今天的距離。

所以，那按經文結構寫成的講章大綱和經文結構的分別是它已決定你怎樣宣講經文的內容。當你確定經文結構的時候，你已經知道那篇章的主題和作者在這主題要說的。換句話說，你知道作者所要表達的和他怎樣編排他的材料。現在，你要決定怎樣宣講經文裡的神學和在今天如何應用在你的聽眾身上。我認為這也許是傳道者最重要的功能，因為我們的聽眾通常不會自己這樣做。他們讀經，他們知道經文說甚麼，但他們通常不明白它的意義和含意，與及今天怎樣應用在我們身上。我們的工作是將它傳遞給我們的聽眾。

你可能會發問另一個問題：「我們為甚麼需要一個講道大綱？」有很多牧者因為沒有使用講道大綱，結果沒有成功闡釋經文的神學意義和含意，同時亦沒有表達今天的聽眾該如何應用經文。我們的講章應有條理，因為：

1. 整本聖經都是有組織、有條理的，每位聖經作者都有他們的寫作目的。聖經沒有任何部份是雜亂無章（即沒有結構和目的）。

2. 假如你沒有一個按經文結構、思路的大綱，你的講道不會合乎邏輯，人們難以跟隨。

3. 假如你沒有一個清晰、合乎聖經的結構，你難以宣講一個清晰、合乎聖經的信息。

講道大綱是講章的「骨架」，在這個骨架，你將你的信息的「肉」掛上去。你將你的釋經釘在這個「結構」上。這是你的講章怎樣分重點和怎樣把材料結合。

一個好的講道大綱能達到以下目的：

1. 它將你的講章分成「重點」。（即講章的不同部份）

2. 它協助你清楚、有條理、統一、有進展、完整地表達你的思路。

3. 它防止你離題或遺漏重點。

4. 它令引言、主體（解釋、應用、例子）和總結得到平衡。

5. 它控制講章的長度，避免過長或過短。

6. 它可作為會眾跟隨的地圖（或目錄）。

7. 它幫助聽眾更容易記得信息的內容。

講道大綱將經文的主題分成主要部份，它們組成講道內容的重點。這些重點可細分成子點，那是將重點分成較細的部份，使重點更清晰明確，不過把信息細分的情度則可按個人喜好而定。我認為若你的大綱只放重點，而子點只作為解釋的材料，因為一個較簡單的大綱，對聽眾來說會較容易跟隨。你仍可以將子點文字化來突顯它們，但它們要隨從講章的材料一起流動，不以子點的形式記下，否則，你的聽眾很容易迷失，不知你說到那裡。

我嘗試以簡單、重複的字來突顯我的重點。以下是腓立比書1:19-20的大綱例子：

1. 我們可以對基督徒的禱告有信心。（19a）

3. 我們可以對基督的靈的供應的有信心。（19b）

3. 我們可以為維持為基督作見證有信心。（20）

你從不希望你的講道大綱蓋過你的信息或打動你的聽眾。它只是你的信息的框架。

講道大綱的起始點是經文文本的主要思想（主題），把主要思想和有關該思想的陳述（補語）組成講章的核心。

每篇講章都有結構。結構的主要元素包括：（1）引言；（2）主要部份（釋經、應用等）；和（3）結語。這主要結構元素要達到以下目標：

1. 你的引言……

a. 吸引聽眾的注意

b. 營造你的講章要處理的問題是有需要的

c. 與經文連接起來

d. 點出主題

e. 道出你的神學觀點（即經文的整體教導）

f. 過渡到講章的主體

2. 你的講章主體是你……

a. 陳述和解釋你的重點

b. 如有需要，恰當地舉例說明你的重點

c. 給你的聽眾提出怎樣應用你的教導

3. 在你的總結，你……

a. 為你剛才在信息帶出的重點作概述

b. 協助你的聽眾將你解釋的真理形象化（即看到這教導在日常生活中是怎樣的）

c. 激勵他們實行真理 – 即實踐真理，回應他們剛才聽到的真理。

從下期開始，我將會討論講章大綱的以下部份，這是按你預備講章大綱的次序（而非宣講時的次序）：

1. 把重點化成文字
2. 陳述論點，有些人稱它為命題或「用一句話說出你的講章」
3. 起草講章的主體 – 解釋（包括舉例）和應用
4. 組織講章的結束
5. 設計引言

第三部份：靈修

「福音的性質」（哥林多前書1:18-25）

By: Dr. Stephen F. Olford

現在我們來到最具啟發性的經文的其中一篇，它的主題是福音與及在新約聖經俯拾即是的基督教事工的性質。在這段經文之前，保羅剛處理了教會分黨的咒詛。保羅接著處理教會分黨的誘因，從這裡直到第四章，保羅提出了分黨根源的兩個錯誤觀念：首先是對於基督教信息的錯誤觀念（1:18-3:4）；第二個是關於基督教事工的錯誤觀念（3:5-4:5）。讓我們先細想關於基督教信息的錯誤觀念，它包含對福音的性質存有錯誤觀念，這正是我們今天的經文哥林多前書1:18-25的信息。

當我們處理這幾節經文時，我們要記著保羅是寫信給一間出現分黨的教會。我們已觀察到有不少於四個黨派，他們各有自己的口號。這個問題的部份原因是信徒被帶到人面前，而非帶到主那裡去；但也出現了傳信息者比信息有更崇高地位的傾向。因此，保羅被迫清楚地宣告有關福音的特性。他先說：

I. 福音是神給人特殊的啟示

「因為十字架的道理，在那滅亡的人為愚拙；在我們得救的人，卻為神的大能」（哥林多前書1:18）。保羅在這裡強調它和表達福音的方式沒有太大的關連，因為福音的「言語」有別於第17節智慧的言語。他最重要的目的是指出福音作為啟示神的智慧和大能的獨特性。這是古代世界的鑰字，希利尼人求智慧，而猶太人對神蹟縈繞於心。因此，保羅使用以下兩方面對比來描繪福音的獨特性：

1. 神的智慧對比人的智慧：「基督總為神的能力，神的智慧」（哥林多前書1:24）。保羅不讓我們對於甚麼是神的智慧留下任何疑惑。稍後，他說：「但…在基督裡…神又使他成為我們的智慧、公義、聖潔、救贖」（哥林多前書1:30）。這節經文包含完整的福音信息，沒有比這更重要的陳述。首先，基督是我們的公義。在基督裡和透過基督，在聖潔的神面前我們被稱為義。福音在這方面回答了一個古老問題：「這樣在神面前，人怎能稱義？」（約伯記25:4）因基督為我們的罪死和復活，使我們稱義；我們知道透過相信神的兒子，神的義就加給我們。第二、基督是我們的聖潔。我們永不能靠我們自己的能力達至聖潔；但透過祂在我們裡面，我們便一天一天步向聖潔。為了達到神的目的，這恩典把我們完完全全的分別出來。從行為而言，它的意思是我們試驗性地活出了我們在基督裡的地位。第三、基督是我們的救贖。它的意思是我們被「釋放」，按上下文，它不單指我們從處罰和罪的權勢下得救贖，而且從所有罪出現的地方得救贖。神在基督再來時，終極地使我們和基督相似。

我們的主耶穌基督的福音，是神何等的智慧。與此成對比的是保羅所描述的人的智慧。雅各同意人的「…智慧不是從上頭來的，乃是屬地的，屬情慾的，屬鬼魔的」（雅各書3:15）。人的智慧是屬地的，「世人憑自己的智慧，既不認識神，神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人」（哥林多前書1:21）。這裡有一個值得牢記的重點，神在祂的智慧裡頒布：世界憑自己的智慧不應、也不可能認識神。這永遠殲滅人可以透過理解力或智力可以尋見神的觀念，更不用說認識神了。人類的教育就是達到最高、最好的水平，仍不足夠。人的智慧是屬情慾的，這是為何保羅諷刺地說：「希利尼人是求智慧」（哥林多前書1:22）。沒有甚麼比那老練的傳道者或有口才的辯士使用「知性進路」（intellectual approach）對那些憑感觀或屬肉體的人更具吸引力。人類的智慧是屬鬼魔的。這樣描述是因它與因為驕傲而墮落的魔鬼聯繫。這也是為何人類的哲學除了理性上的高傲自負，便甚麼都不是了。任何一個從根基破壞聖經權威的行動，你可稱它為現代主義、自由主義、人文主義…，都在哲學的範疇。因為人類自高自大，尋求和哲學有名的打交道，卻沒有留意到聖經譴責它為屬鬼魔的。

因此，保羅提醒哥林多的信徒「…就如經上所記：『我要滅絕智慧人的智慧，廢棄聰明人的聰明。』智慧人在那裡？文士在那裡？這世上的辯士在那裡？神豈不是叫這世上的智慧變成愚拙麼？」（哥林多前書1:19-20）。這段經文的重點是叫人認識人若以自己的計劃和努力去完成他自己的救恩是完全沒有用的。（以賽亞書29:14）神只透過十字架作拯救。以賽亞書33:18描述神怎樣混淆猶太統治者那以世俗的智慧提出的忠告。假若人類不願意放棄他們哲理性的推論，而喜愛神的智慧，神會繼續做祂在古時所做的。當描述這獨特的啟示時，保羅不單止以神的智慧對比人的智慧，他還以：

2. 神的大能對比人的能力：「因為十字架的道理，在那滅亡的人為愚拙；在我們得救的人，卻為神的大能」（哥林多前書1:18）。這提醒我們保羅在羅馬書1:16，肯定地說：「我不以福音為恥；這福音本是神的大能，要救一切相信的，先是猶太人、後是希利尼人。」在福音的心臟地帶是神的動力，神用以拯救和釋放的大能。在這宇宙並沒有別的，像我們的主耶穌基督的福音一般，能轉化人的生命。十字架的大能是人類的罪的唯一答案。

與此成為對比的，是人類對自己能力的誇耀。「猶太人要神蹟…」（哥林多前書1:22）。如莫里斯（Leon Morris）所說：「在歷史中，猶太人極其重視事實，他們對推斷出來的思想沒有多大興趣；他們要求證據，他們對實在有用的事情感興趣。他們認為神在歷史中透過神蹟奇事彰顯自己。」這說明了主在地上的事工時期，猶太人為甚麼經常要求神蹟（馬太福音12:38; 6:1, 4；馬可福音 8:11；約翰福音6:30）。他們認為彌賽亞會使用使人驚訝的能力和威嚴來彰顯祂的權柄；對於他們來說，一位被釘死的基督和他們的祈望完全相反。

保羅在第22, 23, 24節以極不平常的話來總結他對神的智慧和能力對比人的智慧和能力的分析：「猶太人是要神蹟，希利尼人是求智慧，我們卻是傳釘十字架的基督，在猶太人為絆腳石，在外邦人為愚拙；但在那蒙召的，無論是猶太人、希利尼人，基督總為神的能力，神的智慧。」

有關福音的第二個特點，保羅這樣說：

II. 福音是神給人救贖的邀請

「但在那蒙召的，無論是猶太人、希利尼人，基督總為神的能力，神的智慧」（哥林多前書1:24）。這裡表達了基督的福音是一個完美的平衡，它不單止是神對人彰顯祂自己，也是邀請人到祂自己那裡去。這高於人的智慧和人的能力所能做到的。讓我們考慮：

1. 在福音發出的邀請中，神的喜悅：「神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人…」（哥林多前書1:21）。在這節經文中「喜悅」一詞的意思和在第18節的並不相同。這裡強調宣告福音榮耀的信息。保羅在這裡生訴我們神至高的喜悅，或按字義「神的美意」，那是透過傳道者的愚拙，男人和女人被拯救。有甚麼比神對人的眾子所定下的心意 – 就是透過愚拙的傳道者帶出十字架的拯救信息 – 更崇高和美妙？讓我們再思想：

2. 在福音發出的邀請中，神的目的：「因為十字架的道理，在那滅亡的人為愚拙；在我們得救的人卻是神的大能」（哥林多前書1:18）。這裡把神在基督裡的拯救工作扼要地用文字表達出來。我們要記著所有在基督以外的，都是失喪的人。「滅亡」這個動詞的意思並非「滅絕」，而是毀壞和失去幸福的感覺。一個滅亡的人是指那人沒有達成神創造他時的旨意，但這也是基督的福音與他相遇和拯救他到永恆生命的地方。「拯救」這詞背後的概念不單是恢復，並且帶來轉化。

讓我們再次觀察我們被召：

3. 在福音發出的邀請中，神的處理：「…神就樂意用人所當作愚拙的道理，拯救那些信的人…基督總為神的能力，神的智慧」（哥林多前書1:21,24）。在福音發出的邀請中，有兩個字總結出神的處理。其中一個是「召」，另外一個是「信」。一個描述神的邀請，另一個則含有人所作的回應。耶穌經常呼召男人和女人到祂那裡去。感謝神，不同的種族、說不同語言的人、不同宗族的人都作出回應。這個榮耀的過程繼續至基督的身體完滿。

由此，我們看到神的這個救贖的邀請，需要人作出決定，沒有人在福音的啟示和邀請下不作回應。相信的人就會得救，若他拒絕就會「滅亡」。

總結：哥林多信徒分黨，因為他們對福音的信息出現錯誤的觀念。這也正是保羅為甚麼不怕痛苦，也要在第一段厘清福音的真正性質。就我們所見，他作出透徹的處理，並在總結時說：「因神的愚拙總比人智慧；神的軟弱總比人強壯」（哥林多前書1:25）。哲學和人類展示出來的能力此起彼落，但耶穌基督的福音卻不改變，並且耶穌基督自己也不改變 –「…昨日、今日、一直到永遠、是一樣的」…

第四部份：講道大綱

可點擊以下連結收聽這幾篇英語講章： Link 1 - 約翰福音 10:1-2; Link 2 - 約翰福音10:3-4; Link 3 - 約翰福音10:4-8; Link 4 - 約翰福音10:9

標題：耶穌是門 (約翰福音 10:1-9)

第一點：假的宗教領袖是闖進者 (第1-2節)

1. 他們不從門進入，他們從別處爬進來

2. 他們是賊和強盜

第二點：真的宗教領袖是牧者 (第3-5節)

1. 他們引領神子民的方式是引起我們的回應 (3a-b)

2. 他們引領神子民的方式是按名呼喚我們 (3c)

3. 他們引領神子民的方式是給我們指引方向 (3d-4b)

4. 他們引領神子民的方式是得到我們的信任 (4c-5)

5. 他們引領神子民的方式是引我們到基督那裡去 (6-9)

a) 基督是羊的門 (7-8)

b) 基督是通往救恩的門 (9a)

c) 基督是通往自由的門 (9b)

d) 基督是給我們滋養的門 (9c)

19. Marcas de Maturidade (Gênesis 18:1-33)

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Introdução

Cresci numa região onde havia muitos cervos e, quando jovem, eu gostava de caçar. Nós, pessoas do campo, sempre ficávamos incomodados com a gente da cidade que vinha para atirar em nossos cervos, aqueles que tinham se alimentado em nossos pomares e mordiscado as nossas hortas durante o ano. Certa vez ouvi falar de um malandro que não sabia quase nada de caça e parou em um armazém local para perguntar como um veado se parecia. Se você não acredita, eu ouvi isso de um fazendeiro que estava tão preocupado que seu gado pudesse ser atingido durante a temporada de caça, que pintou a palavra VACA em letras garrafais em suas reses.

Uma vaca ser morta por um cara da cidade pode ser meio patético, mas não é o fim do mundo. Muitos cristãos, no entanto, estão em busca de maturidade, mas não sabem quais são suas marcas. Alguns acreditam que a maturidade esteja no conhecimento, enquanto outros a equiparam com experiência pessoal ou com obedecer algum tipo de regra ou usar algum método. Embora conhecimento e experiência sejam importantes, essas coisas por si só não são características pelas quais devemos lutar.

Em nosso estudo da vida de Abraão, no capítulo 16 nós o encontramos numa maré bem baixa. Ali, Abrão, pressionado por sua esposa, teve um vacilo na fé e tentou obter por meio de esforço humano o que Deus havia prometido. Uma criança nasceu de Agar, mas não o filho da promessa. O pecado de Abrão só resultou em dor de cabeça para ele, Sarai e Agar. Até onde a Bíblia nos diz, passaram-se treze anos até Deus falar com ele novamente. E então, no capítulo 17, Deus quebra o silêncio e reitera Sua aliança com Abraão, bem como a promessa do nascimento de um filho por meio de Sara dentro de um ano.

Em contraste com o capítulo 16, o capítulo 18 é o ponto alto da vida de Abraão. Embora sua fé não fosse infalível, ela se tornou mais forte. Suas atitudes e ações servem como exemplo de fé madura. A descrição da sua fé no capítulo 18 estabelece o cenário para o fracasso de Ló no capítulo 19, cujas sementes foram plantadas no capítulo 13. Essa história vamos guardar para a próxima lição, mas o contraste entre os dois homens nestes dois capítulos é evidente.

Portanto, no capítulo 18 vamos dar uma olhada mais de perto em Abraão e nas características da sua maturidade.

O Trio Celestial e a Hospitalidade de Abraão (18:1-8)

Embora esta não fosse a primeira aparição de nosso Senhor a Abraão, com certeza foi única. Antes, Deus tinha falado com ele diretamente (12:1-3; 13:14-17), por meio de um porta-voz (14:19-20), por uma visão (15:1 e ss) e em uma aparição, a qual talvez tenha sido acompanhada de glória e esplendor (17:1 e ss). Aqui, Deus veio a Abraão na forma de um homem comum, acompanhado por dois outros homens, os quais depois são identificados como seres angélicos (compare 18:2, 22; 19:1). Não se sabe o que poderia distinguir esses três “viajantes” de quaisquer outros:

Apareceu o SENHOR a Abraão nos carvalhais de Manre, quando ele estava assentado à entrada da tenda, no maior calor do dia. Levantou ele os olhos, olhou, e eis três homens de pé em frente dele. (Gênesis 18:1-2a)

Abraão, à típica maneira oriental, estava assentado à porta da sua tenda no maior calor do dia. Quem, como eu, vive em Dallas (Texas, EUA), após quarenta dias de temperatura na casa dos 37º C, ou mais, conhece a moleza resultante do sol do meio-dia. Esse horário tornava a necessidade de ser hospitaleiro ainda maior, pois os visitantes deviam estar sedentos e exaustos por causa do calor. A hospitalidade de Abraão ia ser colocada à prova, pois sua “siesta” precisava ser interrompida para ele poder atender suas visitas.

Mesmo que tal hospitalidade seja parte da cultura oriental, o cuidado de Abraão no desempenho da sua tarefa foi evidente:

Vendo-os, correu da porta da tenda ao seu encontro, prostrou-se em terra e disse: Senhor meu, se acho mercê em tua presença, rogo-te que não passes do teu servo; traga-se um pouco de água, lavai os pés e repousai debaixo desta árvore; trarei um bocado de pão; refazei as vossas forças, visto que chegastes até vosso servo; depois, seguireis avante. Responderam: Faze como disseste. Apressou-se, pois, Abraão para a tenda de Sara e lhe disse: Amassa depressa três medidas de flor de farinha e faze pão assado ao borralho. Abraão, por sua vez, correu ao gado, tomou um novilho, tenro e bom, e deu-o ao criado, que se apressou em prepará-lo. Tomou também coalhada e leite e o novilho que mandara preparar e pôs tudo diante deles; e permaneceu de pé junto a eles debaixo da árvore; e eles comeram. (Gênesis 18:2b-8)

Ele não foi descuidado nem negligente no cumprimento do seu dever. Ele reduziu ao máximo as provisões necessárias e as dificuldades para prepará-las — um pouco de água, um bocado de pão, um pequeno descanso e um momento para lavar os pés. No entanto, a refeição servida foi simplesmente suntuosa. Grande quantidade de pão foi feita na hora ¹, um novilho escolhido a dedo foi abatido e preparado, além de coalhada e leite. Esta não era, de forma alguma, uma refeição simples! E Abraão recusou-se a se sentar com seus convidados, ficando em pé para servi-los ².

Qualquer um ficaria feliz em preparar um banquete como aquele se soubesse a identidade de seus convidados; mas, ao que tudo indica, Abraão, naquele momento, não sabia. Sem dúvida, era sobre isso que o escritor aos Hebreus falava quando escreveu:

Não negligencieis a hospitalidade, pois alguns, praticando-a, sem o saber acolheram anjos. (Hebreus 13:2)

Mas que cena deve ter sido! Abraão, em pé, servindo seus convidados celestiais sem sequer saber sua identidade. Ao mesmo tempo, um pouco além e mais abaixo, as cidades de Sodoma e Gomorra, com suas festas e orgias, gozava o último dia da temporada de pecado, e Ló, em algum lugar por lá, ainda não sabia o que lhe reservava aquele dia.

A Promessa de Deus Confirmada, Embora Questionada (18:9-15)

Em lugar algum é dito em que momento ocorreu a Abraão que seus visitantes não fossem deste mundo; no entanto, pelo versículo 27 sabemos que este era um fato conhecido.

Creio que a promessa reiterada nos versículos 9 a 15 determinou a identidade daqueles homens quando os ligou à revelação do capítulo 17.

Então, lhe perguntaram: Sara, tua mulher, onde está? Ele respondeu: Está aí na tenda. Disse um deles: Certamente voltarei a ti, daqui a um ano; e Sara, tua mulher, dará à luz um filho. Sara o estava escutando, à porta da tenda, atrás dele. Abraão e Sara eram já velhos, avançados em idade; e a Sara já lhe havia cessado o costume das mulheres. Riu-se, pois, Sara no seu íntimo, dizendo consigo mesma: Depois de velha, e velho também o meu senhor, terei ainda prazer? Disse o SENHOR a Abraão: Por que se riu Sara, dizendo: Será verdade que darei ainda à luz, sendo velha? Acaso, para o SENHOR há coisa demasiadamente difícil? Daqui a um ano, neste mesmo tempo, voltarei a ti, e Sara terá um filho. Então, Sara, receosa, o negou, dizendo: Não me ri. Ele, porém, disse: Não é assim, é certo que riste. (Gênesis 18:9-15)

Era costume da época, e ainda é em algumas culturas, as mulheres não serem vistas nem ouvidas enquanto convidados do sexo masculino eram recebidos. Por isso, Sara preparou o pão longe da vista dos homens (cf. versículo 6); depois permaneceu dentro da tenda enquanto eles comiam. Embora ela se mantivesse cuidadosamente fora de vista, sua curiosidade falou mais alto. Talvez ela tenha espiado por entre as dobras da tenda, embora isso não seja afirmado em parte alguma. No entanto, ela realmente estava com o ouvido à porta, ansiosa para escutar a conversa lá fora. Duvido que qualquer um de nós também consiga resistir a essa tentação.

Quando perguntaram a Abraão onde Sara estava, ele respondeu que ela estava dentro da tenda. O Senhor, então, assegurou-lhe que dali a um ano ela teria um filho. A essência desta promessa pouco difere da promessa anterior, conforme registrado no capítulo 17 (versículos 19, 21). Para Abraão, isso deve ter resolvido a questão da identidade de seus visitantes.

Ao que parece, ou ele deixou de contar a promessa anterior a Sara ou não conseguiu convencê-la da sua exatidão. Creio que as palavras de nosso Senhor foram ditas mais para o benefício de Sara do que para o de Abraão. Era vital que ela, também, tivesse fé na promessa de Deus.

A reação de Sara foi quase a mesma do marido:

Então, se prostrou Abraão, rosto em terra, e se riu, e disse consigo: A um homem de cem anos há de nascer um filho? Dará à luz Sara com seus noventa anos? (Gênesis 17:17)

Riu-se, pois, Sara no seu íntimo, dizendo consigo mesma: Depois de velha, e velho também o meu senhor, terei ainda prazer? (Gênesis 18:12)

Humanamente falando, um filho estava fora de questão, tanto para Abraão quanto para Sara. A risada de ambos, creio, foi uma combinação de surpresa, choque, exultação e incredulidade. Como isso poderia suceder? Todavia, mesmo num momento tão estranho, Sara pensou em seu marido com respeito ³. Ficamos nos perguntando se a risada de Sara não foi ouvida fora da tenda. O Onisciente teria percebido, mas isso não seria necessário.

Observe que a suave repreensão foi dirigida, inicialmente, a Abraão não a Sara: “Disse o SENHOR a Abraão: Por que se riu Sara…” (Gênesis 18:13).

Será que Abraão, deliberadamente, tinha escondido dela a promessa de Deus? Será que sua fé era tão fraca que ele não podia nem convencer a esposa? De alguma forma ele teve de prestar contas pela reação de Sara. O mais interessante é que a reação dela espelhava a reação dele. Ele deu a ela o exemplo.

As palavras ditas pelo Senhor soam tão fortes para os cristãos da nossa época quanto soaram para Abraão: “Acaso, para o SENHOR há coisa demasiadamente difícil?” (Gênesis 18:14a).

Eis uma questão fundamental. A única razão para tal desconfiança é não conseguir entender a extensão da capacidade de Deus de operar em nós e por meio de nós.

O outro lado da moeda é: se a questão de ter um filho não fosse impossível, a glória de tal milagre não seria dada a Deus. A demora no nascimento de Isaque foi intencionada tanto para tornar necessária a fé de Abraão e Sara, quanto para nutri-la.

Além de tranquilizar Abraão e (talvez) informar Sara sobre o nascimento do filho prometido, as palavras do Senhor nos versículos 10 e 14 serviram para confirmar a identidade do terceiro visitante como o próprio Senhor. No capítulo 17, Deus tinha prometido um filho a Abraão, por meio de Sara, falando na primeira pessoa (17:15-16, 19, 21). No capítulo 18, a promessa também é confirmada na primeira pessoa (versículos 10 e 14). Além disso, aquele “visitante” foi capaz de saber os pensamentos íntimos de Sara quando ela se riu dentro da tenda (versículo 13). Naquele momento, não restaram mais dúvidas acerca da identidade daquela Pessoa e de Seus companheiros de viagem.

Sara parece ter saído da tenda quando Abraão foi questionado a respeito da sua desconfiança. Temendo, ela negou ter rido consigo mesma. Curiosamente, ela não negou os pensamentos denunciados pelo Senhor. Sua negação foi logo tachada como falsa.

O Propósito de Deus Confiado a Abraão (18:16-21)

A hospitalidade de Abraão foi um ato magnífico de generosidade cristã, mas não foi (em minha opinião) a mais elevada expressão de serviço cristão neste capítulo. O ponto alto da sua vida espiritual se encontra na intercessão junto ao Senhor pela vida dos justos de Sodoma.

Algumas pessoas podem concluir que a preservação dos justos foi resultado da oração fervorosa de Abraão. Não penso assim, por mais nobre que tenham sido seus esforços. Creio que Deus propositadamente revelou Sua intenção de julgar aquelas cidades a fim de Abraão poder interceder por elas. Creio que a narrativa irá sustentar minha posição.

O Senhor e os dois anjos seguiram para Sodoma, escoltados em parte do caminho por Abraão. Parece que o Senhor havia se voltado para os dois anjos quando perguntou, quase de forma retórica:

Ocultarei a Abraão o que estou para fazer, visto que Abraão certamente virá a ser uma grande e poderosa nação, e nele serão benditas todas as nações da terra? Porque eu o escolhi para que ordene a seus filhos e a sua casa depois dele, a fim de que guardem o caminho do SENHOR e pratiquem a justiça e o juízo; para que o SENHOR faça vir sobre Abraão o que tem falado a seu respeito. (Gênesis 17:17b-19)

A intimidade da relação entre Deus e Abraão serviu como motivação para a revelação de Deus sobre os propósitos relacionados à Sodoma. Além disso, a base desse relacionamento encontrava-se na aliança abraâmica. No versículo 19 é acentuada a necessidade da fé professada por Abraão ser mantida e transmitida por seus descendentes ⁴. Embora os propósitos de Deus sejam realizados, Seu povo é responsável por guardar Seus mandamentos.

Em contraposição à fidelidade dos descendentes de Abraão está a perversidade de Sodoma e Gomorra.

Disse mais o SENHOR: Com efeito, o clamor de Sodoma e Gomorra tem-se multiplicado, e o seu pecado se tem agravado muito. Descerei e verei se, de fato, o que têm praticado corresponde a esse clamor que é vindo até mim; e, se assim não é, sabê-lo-ei. (Gênesis 18:20-21)

Os versículos 20 e 21 retratam de forma dramática o pecado de Sodoma e a justa reação de um Deus santo. O pecado da cidade é tão grande que praticamente clama aos céus por retribuição (versículo 20). O interesse pessoal e a atenção de Deus são descritos como “descer”⁵ para tratar do assunto. Isso não significa que o texto esteja diminuindo a onisciência de Deus, pois Ele sabe de todas as coisas. Deus não está “descendo” para saber dos fatos, mas para cuidar pessoalmente deles e corrigir o problema. Foi assim que Abraão compreendeu que Deus ia destruir a cidade, embora isso não seja afirmado de modo específico.

Abraão Intercede junto a Deus por Sodoma (18:22-33)

Os dois anjos foram para Sodoma e deixaram nosso Senhor e Abraão a sós observando a cidade do alto (cf. 19:27,28). Mesmo falando com reverência, Abraão manifestou diante de Deus uma ousadia sem precedentes.

E, aproximando-se a ele, disse: Destruirás o justo com o ímpio? Se houver, porventura, cinquenta justos na cidade, destruirás ainda assim e não pouparás o lugar por amor dos cinquenta justos que nela se encontram? Longe de ti o fazeres tal coisa, matares o justo com o ímpio, como se o justo fosse igual ao ímpio; longe de ti. Não fará justiça o Juiz de toda a terra? (Gênesis 18:23-25)

Sem dúvida, a principal preocupação de Abraão era com Ló e sua família. Embora isso não esteja expresso, está implícito (19:27-29). Seu apelo tinha como base a justiça de Deus. A justiça não iria permitir que o justo sofresse o castigo devido ao ímpio (versículo 25). Abraão apelou para Deus poupar Sodoma a fim de poupar Ló ⁶, não tanto para salvar a cidade ou os ímpios. Todavia, é possível que ele tivesse a esperança de que Ló fosse poupado junto com os ímpios a fim de que estes pudessem chegar à fé em Deus no devido tempo.

É preciso reconhecer que Abraão forçou um pouco a barra, mas não creio que tenha sido por isso que Deus garantiu a ele a concessão do seu pedido.

O fundamento da abordagem de Abraão era que Deus certamente, em justiça, não poderia tratar o justo e o ímpio de igual forma. O justo não merecia perecer junto com o ímpio. Por isso, o pedido feito foi para poupar o ímpio e o justo, caso fosse encontrado um número suficiente de justos. Aceito o pedido, teve início a barganha sobre quantos justos seriam necessários para salvar a cidade.

Deus concordou em poupar a cidade caso 50 justos fossem encontrados (versículo 26). Abraão deve ter desconfiado que tal número não pudesse ser alcançado, por isso, começou a pleitear uma quantidade menor.

Disse mais Abraão: Eis que me atrevo a falar ao Senhor, eu que sou pó e cinza. Na hipótese de faltarem cinco para cinquenta justos, destruirás por isso toda a cidade? Ele respondeu: Não a destruirei se eu achar ali quarenta e cinco. (Gênesis 18:27-28)

Abraão foi muito eloquente nestes versículos. Ele tinha recebido uma promessa acerca de 50 justos. A questão agora era se esse número era fixo ou não. Ele fez o teste diminuindo cinco dos cinquenta. Repare que ele apresentou o caso de tal forma que a destruição da cidade com 45 justos condenaria todos eles pela ausência de cinco cidadãos justos. Pela falta de cinco, quarenta e cinco seriam destruídos. Deus atendeu seu pedido, mas não devido à habilidade oratória de Abraão.

A partir dali, Abraão sentiu-se encorajado a tentar reduzir ainda mais o número mínimo de justos necessários para poupar Sodoma. Primeiro foram 40, depois 30, depois 20 e, finalmente, 10. Nesse ponto, quase soltamos um suspiro de alívio, temendo que Deus perca a paciência com ele. Pessoalmente, creio que o coração de Deus ficou enternecido com a compaixão e o cuidado demonstrados por Abraão. Aquela não era uma petição egoísta, mas uma intercessão por outras pessoas.

Por que, então, Abraão parou em dez? Por que não continuou até cinco, ou até mesmo um? Alguns pensam que ele não ousou pressionar Deus ainda mais. Pode ser, mas não creio que ele teria parado se não tivesse certeza de que Ló e sua família estavam a salvo da ira de Deus.

O número dez devia proteger Ló com alguma margem de segurança. Afinal de contas, pelo visto, só a família dele já era grande o suficiente para atingir esse número. Ló e sua esposa, duas filhas solteiras, suas filhas casadas e seus maridos e, quem sabe, algum filho (cf. Gênesis 19:12); dez justos certamente podiam ser encontrados. Abraão parecia satisfeito, e talvez outras pessoas também tivessem chegado à fé pelo testemunho de Ló.

No entanto, como somos informados no capítulo 19, as esperanças de Abraão eram maiores que a realidade. Isso seria uma tragédia, não fosse uma grande verdade divina: a graça de Deus sempre excede as nossas expectativas. Numa análise final, só havia três justos em Sodoma: Ló e suas duas filhas. Alguns podem questionar a retidão das filhas de Ló, devido ao seu comportamento no capítulo seguinte. Ainda assim, Deus lembrou-se do pedido de Abraão. Embora não tenha poupado a cidade de Sodoma, Deus poupou os justos. Ele é capaz e Se dispõe a fazer muito mais do que pedimos ou pensamos, como ensinam as Escrituras (cf. Efésios 3:20).

Conclusão

Esta passagem nos dá uma visão melhor da questão da maturidade cristã. Examinando mais uma vez estes versículos, muitos sinais de maturidade parecem emergir do texto.

(1) O cristão maduro se torna menos dependente das manifestações espetaculares de Deus e mais envolvido em íntima comunhão diária com Ele. Anteriormente, Deus tinha Se revelado a Abraão com mais esplendor e glória. Desta vez Deus não teria sido reconhecido não fosse o prévio conhecimento sobre Ele e os olhos da fé. Deus foi reconhecido pelas Suas promessas, pela Sua palavra, não por uma presença espetacular ou cheia de esplendor.

Será que pode haver comunhão mais íntima do que partilhar uma refeição com Deus?

Chegada a hora, pôs-se Jesus à mesa, e com ele os apóstolos. E disse-lhes: Tenho desejado ansiosamente comer convosco esta Páscoa, antes do meu sofrimento. (Lucas 22:14-15).

E aconteceu que, quando estavam à mesa, tomando ele o pão, abençoou-o e, tendo-o partido, lhes deu; então, se lhes abriram os olhos, e o reconheceram; mas ele desapareceu da presença deles. (Lucas 24:30-31)

Eis que estou à porta e bato; se alguém ouvir a minha voz e abrir a porta, entrarei em sua casa e cearei com ele, e ele, comigo. (Apocalipse 3:20)

Não é admirável que um dos pontos altos da semana do cristão seja a comunhão com o Senhor à Sua mesa? (1 Coríntios 11:23-26). Nem sempre devemos buscar a Deus de forma espetacular, mas sim nas coisas mais rotineiras da vida (1 Reis 19:11-14). Isso é sinal de maturidade.

Creio que um casamento ilustra bem este ponto. Quando encontramos “a mulher dos nossos sonhos”, queremos levá-la ao melhor restaurante ou fazer alguma coisa empolgante. Mais cedo ou mais tarde descobrimos que sentimos o mesmo prazer andando de mãos dadas no parque ou sentados na varanda. A emoção não está no lugar ou na atividade, mas na intimidade compartilhada por duas pessoas que se amam em tudo o que fazem. Com a maturidade cristã é a mesma coisa.

(2) A maturidade cristã desloca a nossa atenção de nós mesmos para os outros. Ló era alguém que estava sempre pensando em si mesmo. Os melhores momentos de Abraão neste capítulo são empregados em servir aos outros: primeiro na hospitalidade oferecida àqueles “estranhos”, depois na intercessão por Sodoma. O amor de Deus deve ser refletido na preocupação com os outros (cf. Mateus 23:37-39).

(3) A maturidade cristã equilibra atividade e passividade. Anteriormente neste estudo de Gênesis, havíamos falado sobre o problema de quando agir e quando esperar. Há tempo para ser ativo e há tempo para ser passivo. Abraão não deveria ter ido ao Egito quando a fome chegou a Canaã. Abraão não deveria ter armado um plano para proteger sua vida com uma mentira. Abraão foi passivo quando concordou com o plano de Sara para ter um filho.

Nos versículos 1 a 8, Abraão foi ativo, oferecendo hospitalidade a três estranhos, e agiu certo. Aquela era uma coisa que ele podia e devia fazer. Quanto a Sodoma, algumas pessoas teriam a tendência de serem passivas. Deus já tinha falado; a cidade ia ser destruída; o que Abraão podia fazer? Ele podia fazer o que eu e você podemos fazer quando não há mais nada a fazer — orar. Nada está além da capacidade de realização de Deus (18:14). Se Abraão fez sua súplica de acordo com a vontade e o caráter de Deus, nada poderia ser impossível. Quando alguma situação está fora do nosso controle, não está fora do controle de Deus. Cristãos maduros são aqueles que não deixam de suplicar a Deus mesmo quando as coisas parecem sombrias.

Isso, naturalmente, não quer dizer que devemos orar apenas em situações impossíveis. Devemos orar sempre. No entanto, cristãos maduros oram na confiança de que Deus irá agir de acordo com Seu caráter, e com poder infinito, e em resposta às nossas petições. Quando somos impotentes, não ficamos desesperados, pois muito pode, por sua eficácia, a súplica do justo (cf. Tiago 5:16).

(4) Cristãos maduros veem as profecias como incentivo para orar e servir com diligência, não como questão de mera curiosidade intelectual. Hoje em dia é muito comum cristãos ficarem fascinados por profecias como se isso fosse uma questão mais para agradar o intelecto do que para tocar o coração. Os propósitos proféticos de Deus são dados para fazer os homens agir. Esta é a resposta do cristão maduro (cf. Daniel 9; 2 Pedro 3:11-12).

(5) Cristãos maduros têm clara compreensão destas duas verdades eternas: a grandeza de Deus e a bondade de Deus. Estas verdades são o embasamento do capítulo 18 de Gênesis. A primeira se encontra na pergunta de nosso Senhor no versículo 14: “Acaso, para o SENHOR há coisa demasiadamente difícil”? A segunda é base da intercessão de Abraão no versículo 25: “Não fará justiça o Juiz de toda a terra”?

A primeira verdade reprova toda preocupação e falta de oração, pois “para Deus não haverá impossíveis” (Lucas 1:37). Toda vez que nos preocupamos com o futuro, deixamos de lado a verdade de que Deus é todo-poderoso.

A segunda verdade provê uma resposta para os problemas mais angustiantes e desconcertantes da vida. O Deus que é todo-poderoso também é amoroso, bondoso, justo, misericordioso, e assim por diante. Poder infinito age em conjunto com pureza infinita.

Nosso primeiro filho, e único menino, morreu com apenas três meses e meio de idade. Muitos anos depois, quando eu estava no seminário, durante uma aula surgiu a pergunta sobre o que acontece com quem morre ainda na infância. Diversas passagens da Bíblia foram sugeridas, mas alguns acharam que elas não eram suficientes. Finalmente, compartilhei a segurança que encontramos quando perdemos nosso garotinho. Embora fosse reconfortante termos as Escrituras para nos consolar, não precisávamos de textos específicos para responder às nossas perguntas. Deus é infinitamente maior do que é revelado sobre Ele nas Escrituras. O Juiz de toda a terra fará justiça. Essa era a nossa confiança. Você já perdeu alguém querido sobre cuja salvação não tinha certeza? Existem problemas e situações que você não consegue entender? Então, descanse nisto: nosso Deus é todo-poderoso; nada é impossível para Ele. Além disso, esse poder é sempre empregado com justiça, verdade, misericórdia e amor. Que consolo! Que incentivo para orar!

(6) Finalmente, a maturidade cristã é demonstrada quando nossos pensamentos são parecidos com os pensamentos de Deus. Abraão não mudou a opinião de Deus; ele a demonstrou. Deus não alterou repentinamente Seus propósitos; Ele os informou a Abraão para Abraão poder evidenciar a Sua misericórdia e justiça e compaixão. A revelação do que Deus ia fazer com Sodoma e Gomorra foi dada para que a fé de Abraão pudesse ser manifestada em um magnífico ato de intercessão. Devido ao grande conhecimento de Abraão sobre Deus, ele sabia que Deus não poderia destruir o ímpio com o justo. Maturidade é aquele ponto onde nossos pensamentos e ações se tornam mais parecidos com os de Deus.

… até que todos cheguemos à unidade da fé e do pleno conhecimento do Filho de Deus, à perfeita varonilidade, à medida da estatura da plenitude de Cristo (Efésios 4:13)

A fim de não começarmos a nos sentir culpados diante da percepção de que não estamos no mesmo patamar de Abraão, e muito menos de nosso Senhor, devemos nos lembrar de que o processo de maturidade leva muitos anos. É preciso ter em mente que Abraão em breve cometeria outro erro muito grave (capítulo 20). No entanto, sigamos em frente, na força de Deus, rumo à maturidade.

Tradução: Mariza Regina de Souza

¹ “O pão do oriente é sempre preparado imediatamente antes de ser comido. Por isso, Sara teve de ir prepará-lo para aqueles convidados. Embora os visitantes fossem apenas três, a comida simples oferecida seria servida em grande abundância. “Três medidas” foram calculadas para fazer nove galões (Skinner). O que sobrou podia ser facilmente consumido pelos servos de um estabelecimento tão grande quanto o de Abraão”. H. C. Leupold, Exposição de Gênesis (Gran Rapids: Baker Book house, 1942), I, p. 538.

² “A expressão idiomática ‘stand by’ (‘madh’al) implica em ficar à disposição para servir e pode até ser traduzida como ‘e eles os serviu’. Cf. 1 Samuel 16:22; 1 Reis 1:2; 1 Reis 17:1, na expressão ‘estar perante’”. Ibid, p. 539.

³ Cf. 1 Pedro 3:6

⁴ Cf. Salmo 132:11, 12

⁵ A primeira coisa que devemos entender é que a tenda de Abraão estava armada num lugar alto com vista para o vale onde Sodoma e Gomorra estavam localizadas (cf. 19:27, 28). Foi nesse sentido que os dois anjos “desceram” para Sodoma e Gomorra. No entanto, não creio que aqui seja este o significado principal das palavras do Senhor: “Descerei e verei se, de fato, o que têm praticado corresponde a esse clamor que é vindo até mim; e, se assim não é, sabê-lo-ei” (Gênesis 18:21). Em primeiro lugar, só os dois anjos realmente entraram em Sodoma, não nosso Senhor (cf. 19:1 e ss). Além disso, não havia necessidade de Deus fazer uma inspeção pessoal na cidade a fim de conhecer os fatos. A onisciência de Deus não é limitada pela distância. A solução para esse problema se encontra (para minha satisfação) nos outros usos da expressão “descer”. Em Gênesis 11:5, 7 ela é usada no envolvimento de Deus com Babel e a confusão de linguas. Em Êxodo 3:8 fala da intervenção de Deus no Egito para libertar Seu povo. Em todos esses exemplos, “descer” transmite a ideia de “envolver-se pessoalmente” ou de “intervenção pessoal”. Foi isso o que Deus fez, sem entrar fisicamente em Sodoma, Babel ou no Egito.

⁶ Inicialmente, todas as cidades do vale iam ser destruídas (cf. 19:17, 20-21, 25). Deus falou a Abraão sobre o julgamento de Sodoma e Gomorra (18:20). No entanto, Abraão suplicou apenas por Sodoma, “a cidade” (18:24, 26, 28).

1. The Rapture

Article contributed by www.walvoord.com

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Editor’s Note: This is a lightly edited transcription of the audio message. Thanks goes to Marilyn Fine for the transcription work.

Passage: I Thessalonians 4

Introduction

It is great to be back here once again at Word of Life. I have been coming in and out some 30 years and it has been marvelous to see how the Lord has blessed this work and spread it all over the world. I just see a constant miracle here as God leads souls to Christ, provides the financial means, the personnel, and everything else involved. It is a great privilege to have part in this week. I am sure that through the years they have many, many famous and capable, gifted Bible teachers here. For a teacher to come in for a week like this and bring something that is helpful to people is not an easy choice.

But I want to speak on a familiar subject this week on the Rapture of the Church. By the word “Rapture,” I am referring to I Thessalonians 4:17 where it says “we are going to be caught up, or snatched up, to Heaven when the Lord comes for His Church.” We call this the “Rapture.” The Rapture means to snatch up. That is the prospect that is before us.

Now, have you ever met a person who was really excited about the Rapture of the Church? Well, I suppose we have, but they have not been very many. It is amazing to me how people can know this truth and believe it and tuck it away in their doctrinal statement, but it does not really affect what they are doing today. They do not wake up in the morning and say, “perhaps today.” It seems to me that there should be an excitement about this and I would like to give you some reasons for that as we go through this week and, hopefully, also give this doctrine and hope of the Rapture a larger place in your thinking and in your evaluation of your own life.

Now, many of you studied this before, but it is rather amazing how frequently when I speak on this subject someone will come up to me after the service and say, “I never heard this before.” Is that true of you? Well, if you came into Word of Life here you have heard probably it before, but in some churches there simply is no preaching of prophecy.

I ran across a senior citizen one time who told me that she had not heard a sermon on prophecy since she was a teenager, but she had been going to church regularly every Sunday. We are raising a whole generation of people who are just ignorant as to what God has planned for their future. We understand. They are caught up in what is in philosophy called “existentialism.” It is an attempt to evaluate everything in the present tense. They are not interested in history. Young people are often quite impatient with what was done in the past. They want to do now and they are also often quite impatient with the future. They do not want to be bound down to a future program. They want it now. Thus preaching is sometimes limited to the perspective of the problems that are here and now instead of also relating to the broader perspective of the Word of God.

The Meaning of the Rapture

I thought tonight we would simply turn to the Bible and get clearly in mind what we mean by the Rapture. I am surprised that sometimes people have studied this and have not caught on to some of the most obvious facts about this truth about the Word of God. This is found, of course, in the New Testament.

In the Old Testament they had the doctrine of the First and Second Coming of Christ. There are many passages that deal with this, sometimes whole chapters. Some of them like Isaiah 53 talk about the sufferings of Christ and others talk about His glorious reign like Psalm 72, but, you know, throughout the Old Testament and throughout the Gospel period, apart from Christ Himself, nobody understood that there were two comings. They all thought there was one coming, but as Peter tells us in his epistles the Jewish rabbis and scholars puzzled how could the Messiah be a suffering, dying Messiah and at the same time a glorious reigning Messiah. They never solved their problems.

Some thought that perhaps there were two Messiahs – one fulfilled the suffering, the other the glorious reign. But, the tendency was to gloss over the suffering part and to emphasize the glorious Kingdom of Christ when He reigned on earth. And that is why the disciples followed Christ, you see. They did not know He was going to suffer and die. That had never entered their thinking. They thought He was going to gloriously reign. When they recognized that He was indeed their Messiah, they followed Him because they had visions of glory and honor and prominence as Christ delivered Israel from the oppression of the Roman Empire and brought in the fulfillment of these glorious promises. Then, as time went on, three years, three-and-a-half years, they began to wonder. This was not happening. It seems as if Christ was not as popular as He once was. They knew the leaders of Israel hated Him because they did not like the competition. What is going to happen to this glorious Kingdom?

Judas, you remember, finally began to lose faith that this was going to happen so he made a deal with the high priest to identify Christ and betray him, for 30 pieces of silver. Judas argued this way. He said “now if Christ is the Messiah they won’t be able to hurt him, but if he is not the Messiah, 30 pieces of silver.” We can’t lose. This is the same argument we do when we sin against God. We say we are getting something we would otherwise be deprived of. Of course, he lost everything – his life, his soul, his future.

But, the other disciples were equally disturbed. So when Christ assembled the disciples in the upper room on that night before His crucifixion they had an ominous feeling that something was about to happen. Then, Christ told them “one of your number is going to betray me” and they did not have the slightest idea who that was. Then, He said “I am going to leave you and you cannot follow me.” They had been following Christ because they thought He was going to bring a kingdom on earth. How could He leave them? The kingdom was not here.

Peter, you remember, had said, “Lord, well, I will die for you!” And the Lord said, “No, you will not, Peter. You will deny me three times before dawn, before the cock crows.” He did not know Peter very well, did He? Rather, Peter did not know himself!

Then, Christ went on to give us this marvelous 14th chapter of John. If you were going to be with your disciples for the last time in three-and-a-half years as Christ was, what would you tell them? You would tell them important things, wouldn’t you? The whole 14th chapter of John is devoted to having peace in the midst of trouble. How desperately we need that truth in our lives today.

Let not your heart be troubled: You believe in God, believe also in Me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you where I am also. (John 14:1-3)

The disciples did not understand at all what He was talking about. Their kingdom was on earth. He was talking about believing in heaven, about coming back to take them to heaven. But they were in no condition to receive a brand new truth that we call “the Rapture of the Church.” Before the end time reaches its climax and before the great tribulation with the Second Coming of Christ, Christ will take His own out of the world. The Church, living and dead, will be transformed and meet Him in the air and go to the Father and Son.

Christ did not bother to explain. How could He explain the Rapture to people who did not understand the difference between the First and Second Coming? I do not think that the disciples ever really caught on that there were two comings until they saw Him ascend into heaven. And then they realized He had come once, He had died, He was resurrected, and now He is gone—so He would be coming a second time.

Now, today we have this same type of confusion between the Rapture and the Second Coming. People try to put it together, but it does not work together any more than the First and Second Comings do. You see, the Rapture is a movement from earth to heaven. The Second Coming is a movement from heaven to earth. It would be hard to imagine two comings of the same person that would be so radically different in purpose, in character, in movement and everything else. The Rapture is a movement from earth to heaven.

Christ did not enlarge on it here. It was not until later when the apostle Paul became a Christian and God gave him a post-graduate course in the doctrine of grace and also in the doctrine of prophesy that this wonderful truth was unfolded. But now, what follows was this. The apostle Paul felt this truth of the Rapture was so important that it was in the cardinal message which he delivered in his evangelist work. He would preach that Christ was the Son of God who died on the cross for our sins and rose again and that salvation comes to those who put their trust in Him. Then, he would also tell them He is coming back and He is going to take us out of the world and take us to heaven. It could happen any day. It is part of his dynamic message.

Well, today there are churches where the gospel is not preached faithfully but in some churches, where it is preached faithfully, they still miss this most important and dynamic fact that Christ is coming back and He could come back any day.

I Thessalonians 4

Now, let’s turn to I Thessalonians 4 where the apostle Paul explains the rapture. You see, the Thessalonians accepted this doctrine, and Paul has left them because there was opposition. They were plans to kill him on the part of his enemies. Then a bit later on he sent Timothy back to see how they were getting along. Timothy came back to Paul. He reported they had a problem, a theological problem. You see, the Thessalonians believed that when Christ came He would take all the living to heaven who were saved. But, since the time Paul had left, some of that number who had just gotten saved had died. Now what?

You know, death confronts us with this question of when will we see our loved ones again. They could not answer that question. They asked Timothy about it. He could not answer it. We do not know exactly what they had in mind, but probably they had an inkling that after the Rapture there would be the time of trouble or tribulation and then there would be a Second Coming of Christ to the earth. We do not know just how much they knew because Paul only taught them for a short time. Anyway, they thought it would be sometime later and they were troubled by the fact that if the Lord came for them they would not see their loved ones. In the process of explaining this, Paul wrote this section and set forth in precise details exactly what is going to happen when this so-called Rapture, this coming of Christ for His Church, takes place.

First of all, he reminds them that God has written prophecy with a purpose. One-fourth of the Bible is prophetic when it was written. If you do not speak on prophecy, you cut out one-fourth of your Bible. It is quite apparent that God wanted us to know what He reveals in that one-fourth prophecy of the Bible. Now, He has not revealed everything. There are all sorts of questions and sometimes in question/answer sessions, most of the questions deal with things that God has not told us. But, He told us plenty. He told us all we need to know. That is, the facts.

Now, here he tells them exactly what is going to happen. In verse 13, we read this,

“I do not want you to be ignorant, brothers, concerning them which have fallen asleep lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”

The Christian is set aside from the world as people who have hope, wonderful hope. The hope of the future. The hope of heaven. The hope of the Lord’s return. Then, he goes on to point out that this hope is not insecure, but if they believe, verse 14, that Christ died and rose again, and they did, so then they can also believe that He is coming again, just as certain, even though it is still future. Now, you see from God’s standpoint, all prophecy is certain, just as certain as history. That is why when prophecy is fulfilled it meticulously follows exactly what God predicts. The more I study prophecy, and I have studied now for many years, I am impressed with the relentlessness of the prophetic word to do exactly, when it is fulfilled, what the Bible predicts.

A few years ago, I wrote a book called, “Prophecy.” Now it’s a hand book. And I attempted, because this is what the publisher wanted, a book which would cover every prophecy in the Bible from Genesis to Revelation. It is an 800-page book. When I got through, I counted up the prophecies and I dealt with 1,000 passages - sometimes verses, sometimes whole chapters, about the future and when it was written. I discovered something I had not fully comprehended before that. Half of these prophecies had been literally fulfilled already. You want proof that the Bible is the Word of God? Is there any other book like this? Obviously, only God knows the future. So there is this relentless accuracy in the Word of God concerning the future that has been demonstrated hundreds of times. Thus we can approach the future ones that are not yet fulfilled with absolute certainty that within God’s time and in God’s ways they will have a literal fulfillment. This idea that prophecy is not fulfilled literally is wrong. It is a false doctrine. Prophecy that is fulfilled is always fulfilled literally. In other words, God’s Word is the same by the facts that come afterward. Now, he tells us here that just as surely as Christ died and rose again, God is going to bring the souls of Christians who have died with Him from heaven to earth, to the air above the earth.

Now, when a Christian dies we call the medical doctor and he can pronounce a person dead. Theologically, a person dies when the soul leaves the body and the Bible indicates in II Corinthians 5, “To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.” One of our comforts in the case of Christians who die is that they go instantly to the presence of God. We leave their body to rest here, but the soul is not there. They are not there. Their soul is in heaven. Now, when the Rapture occurs, Christ is going to bring their souls with Him from heaven back to the sphere of earth. Why? Well, as the verses which follow indicate He is going to resurrect their bodies and the soul is going to re-enter their new bodies permanently.

Notice how He describes this in verse 15,

“For this we say unto you by the Word of the Lord, that we who are alive remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep for the Lord Himself will be sent from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, with the trumpet of God and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then, we (that is Christians) who are alive and remain shall be caught up (and that is the word Rapture), caught up, snatched up, Raptured together, with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air and, thus, we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore, comfort one another with these words.”

Now, suppose it happens tonight. It could. First of all, Christ would bodily descend from His place at the right hand of the Father to the air above the earth. He would give a shout which is a shout of command and all over the world Christians who have died will be resurrected and living Christians will be instantly changed in their bodies. According to I Corinthians 15:51-53, these are bodies that are suited for heaven, bodies without sin, bodies without age, and bodies that are immortal. You see, we need a different kind of body.

We are going to rise from earth and meet the Lord in the air. There is going to be the voice of the archangel. Michael, the archangel, has been fighting the forces of the demon world and the devil for these thousands of years and now in spite of all the devil has tried to do against the Church to spoil it, here is the Church triumphant, the body of the saved greeting the Lord in the air. Then, there is the trump of God which is a signaling device, of course, used throughout scripture to signal an event. The trumpet sounds. All over the world this happens instantaneously.

Now, you remember their question was, would they have to wait to see their loved ones who died? And the answer is “no,” because they are going to be caught up first. Just a split second perhaps. The Bible does not explain why. Perhaps it is because we bury them in the ground and they have a little bit farther to go, so they start a little sooner than the rest of us who are on the earth. In any case, we go up together to be forever with the Lord. Wherefore, comfort or encourage or exhort one another by this wonderful fact.

The Exciting Rapture

Now, to me this is exciting. It could happen today. As far as scripture is concerned, (and you can read all the passages on the Rapture) not once are we told to look for a preceding event. It is quite different than the Second Coming. The Second Coming has all kinds of major events which precede, but not the Rapture. This is an event which could occur any time and could occur tonight.

Why should we be excited about it? Well, I am sure that all of us have loved ones on the other side. The older you get, the more you have. I suppose I have more friends in heaven than I have on earth. Time marches on and one by one they are taken away from us. Some of them are very precious. I worked with Louis Sperry Chafer who was president of Dallas Seminary for many years before he died. First I had five years under his teaching ministry and then I joined the faculty at his invitation and worked as his associate in theology. He was a beloved character. He loved the Lord. He loved the Lord so dearly. He was a man of prayer and faith and we missed him when he left. I missed him. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to talk to him about the school? He never dreamed that Dallas Seminary would go from the small school he started to a school of 14, 15, 1600 students. He never dreamed of such a thing. I do not know how much he knows in heaven about it. Maybe he knows, but he would be thrilled in what God has accomplished through those who followed Him. What a wonderful thing to be together.

Then, most of us have parents on the other side, some with two at least. There are people who love the Lord and who influenced our lives and ministered to us. Just imagine seeing them and talking and renewing our friendship. And, of course, some of us have those who are very dear there. We have a son who was killed 16 years ago now in an auto accident, two weeks after he graduated from medical school. We still miss him. Then, we have in our home two children who are handicapped mentally. One of them quite severely handicapped, in institutions, but when the Lord comes suddenly they are going to be made whole. This is thrilling!

This is wonderful and it could happen today. Why don’t people get excited about it? I am going to be answering that all week. There are a number of reasons, but, you know, all the reasons I have stated are important but they are not the most important reason. The most important reason is that we love the Lord. Do you ever long to see Him? When you do you are not going to see Him as He was in Galilee, the prophet, the lowly prophet who hid His glory. You are going to see Him as He is in Revelation, chapter 1—the glorious, magnificent King of Kings and Lord of Lords in all His heavenly glory. We are going to realize then as never before that He left it all. He went through all the humiliations of earth and finally the cross itself where He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. We can never understand this completely. He loved us. The love of Christ constrains us. And because He loved us, we love Him. If you love somebody, I think it is perfectly normal to want to see them.

A few years ago when I was in Bible conference ministry, sometimes for a week at a time or more, Geraldine had to stay home. We had children at home who needed care and we would be separated. Whenever we were separated, it does not seem like everything is quite right, you know. I used to try to write her every day and then I discovered the mail was so slow I got home before the letters did. So, then we gradually shifted to the telephone . It is wonderful to talk on the telephone to be brought up to date, you know, and it’s a familiar voice, and you feel like they are almost there. That is not quite like being face to face, is it? You know we can have that same experience with the Lord. I think it is wonderful to have fellowship with the Lord. I think for some Christians it is sort of marginal. It is a wonderful experience to talk to the Lord and have Him talk to you. You know, the Bible tells us we are indwelled by the triune God, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. He is as close as our breath, as our life. But, in order to grasp this little bit I like to think, when I am at my desk, for instance, and working on things that He is in a chair right beside me. I have a letter. What should I saw about this problem letter. I can talk to Him about it. He can tell me.

I do not buy this idea that some scholars say that God never gives guidance. I could not have worked a day with God’s guidance. When you are President of a school you are making decisions that determine other people’s lives. The teacher may move to Dallas and bring his family. You have changed their whole course of life by your decision to invite them. His children are going to marry somebody different than if they had stayed where they were. It is a change. I do not like to play God. You have got to be right when you make a decision. Only God can guide you.

As wonderful as that is, it is not the same as seeing Him face to face. I would generally always be asked the question when I left town, “when are you coming back?” She wanted to know exactly the day, the time, the means that she can meet me. Now, there are thousands of people in Dallas who could have cared less when I got back, but she did. Why? Because she loved me. When you love somebody you want to see them. You want to be with them. I cannot imagine anything more exciting than the possibility that tonight, tomorrow, the next day, suddenly that shout from the blue and we are on our way to the most wonderful experience we have ever had of seeing the Savior face to face! That is what is ahead.

When we see Him, the Bible says we are going to be like Him. No more sin. No more impurity. No sin nature. Death, sickness, all these things pass forever. We are going to be perfectly comfortable in the holy presence of our omnipotent Savior. Now, I think that that is what is ahead for us and that is the marvelous truth of the Rapture of the Church.

Now, why aren’t people excited? Well, I think there are a number of reasons and I want to explore some of them. One of them is that they do not think Christ is coming soon. They really do not. I read—now this man was a liberal, he was not a believer in the Bible—but he said that the world had to go on at least another hundred million years for evolution to run its course. Well, that is a little bit long to wait, one hundred million years!

No, even Christians who believe in the Bible and the marvelous pattern of belief do not always believe that Christ is coming soon. You know, I think there is some evidence mounting up in the last few years that point unmistakably to a conclusion, not only that Christ is coming, but He could be coming very soon. Are you prepared for that? You see, prophecy was given to us not to argue about or not to debate and write books about. It is written to prepare us for things to come. The question is are you ready?

You see, there comes a day when it is too late. It is too late. It is too late, but now there is still time. It is too late for some to receive Christ. Oh, I think people will be saved after the Rapture, some will be. But, how much more wonderful it is to be saved when He comes.

Then, there is this whole system of values. What is important in your life? What are you doing with your time and your destiny and your money and your talents, and so on? Are you living for eternity? Eternal values? You see, that is the issue and that is why prophecy was given to us.

Angels, God’s Ministering Spirits

Related Media

Introduction

Theologians have often viewed angels as a very difficult subject.¹ Why? Because, while there is abundant mention of angels in the Bible, the nature of this revelation is without the same kind of explicit description we often find with other subjects developed in Scripture: Every reference to angels is incidental to some other topic. They are not treated in themselves. God’s revelation never aims at informing us regarding the nature of angels. When they are mentioned, it is always in order to inform us further about God, what he does, and how he does it. Since details about angels are not significant for that purpose, they tend to be omitted.²

Though theologians have been cautious in their study of angels we have been bombarded in recent years by what could easily be called Angelmania. In fact, this is the title of an article by Dr. Kenneth Gangel in “Kindred Spirit” on the widespread discussion and fascination with angels in our time by the secular world.³

Gangel writes, In his 1990 book, Angels: An Endangered Species, Malcolm Godwin estimates that over the last 30 years one in every ten pop songs mentions an angel. But that was just romantic fun.

Now our culture takes angels seriously, if not accurately. In the last two years Time, Newsweek, Ladies’ Home Journal, Redbook, and a host of other popular magazines have carried articles about angels. In mid-1994, ABC aired a two-hour, prime time special titled “Angels: the Mysterious Messengers.” In Newsweek’s November 28, 1994 issue an article titled “In Search of the Sacred” observed that “20% of Americans have had a revelation from God in the last year, and 13% have seen or sensed the presence of an angel” (p. 54).

Newsweek is right; modern society, so seemingly secular and hopelessly materialistic, desperately searches for some spiritual and supernatural meaning. If angels can provide it, then angels it will be.⁴ The bookstores abound with books on this subject. These books not only claim encounters with angels, but instruct people on how to contact them. We now have a weekly program on one of the major networks entitled “Touched By An Angel.” Certainly, one might argue, this is just a story for entertainment. However, this show not only demonstrates our fascination with this topic, but a illustrates a very poor grasp of what the Bible really teaches about angels and about God along with some very definite distortions of Scripture. By these comments I do not mean to discount all the so-called encounters with angels that we occasionally read or hear about. Why? Because, as will be discussed in more detail later, angels are servants of God and described by the author of Hebrews as, “ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” See also Psalm 91:11 and Matthew 4:11. So certainly, for those who believe the record of Scripture, we can trust completely in the Bible’s teaching on angels and, “with a perhaps lesser degree of certainty, consider the personal accounts of reputable Christians.” ⁵

A good illustration of the latter can be found in an article by Sue Bohlin entitled, “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.” She writes: I was about thirteen years old when I had my first encounter with an angel. I was going upstairs to my room, pulling my entire weight on the handrail, when it suddenly came off in my hand. I fell backwards, head first. Halfway into a terrible fall, I felt a strong hand on my back push me upright. There was nobody there—well, nobody visible!

Angel stories are always fascinating, and in this essay I address angels: the good, the bad, and the ugly. The good angels are the holy ones, the bad angels are the evil ones, which the Bible calls demons, and the ugly angels are demons disguising themselves as good angels. These ugly angels have deceived many people in a culture that has embraced “angel mania.” ⁶ While many details about angels are omitted in the Bible, it is important to keep in mind three important elements about the biblical revelation God has given us.

(1) The mention of angels is inclusive in Scripture. Depending on the Bible translation searched, these celestial beings are referred to from 294 to 305 times in the Bible. References to angels occur at least 116 times in the Old Testament and 175 times in the New Testament.

(2) These many references are found in at least 34 books from the very earliest books (whether Job or Genesis) to the last book of the Bible (Revelation).

(3) Finally, there are numerous references to angels by the Lord Jesus, whom Scripture declares to be the creator of all things, which includes angelic beings. Paul wrote, “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities (a reference to angels)—all things have been created by Him and for Him” (Col. 1:16).

It is out of the this extended body of Scripture that the study presented here will be developed. The Bible will be the authority for this study and not the speculations of men nor their experiences nor what people think sounds logical.

A Simple Definition

Angels are spiritual beings created by God to serve Him, though created higher than man. Some, the good angels, have remained obedient to Him and carry out His will, while others, fallen angels, disobeyed, fell from their holy position, and now stand in active opposition to the work and plan of God.

The Nature of Angels

Angels are created beings

The fact of their creation is brought out in Psalm 148. There the psalmist calls upon all in the celestial heavens, including the angels, to praise God. The reason given is, “For He commanded and they were created” (Ps. 148:1-5).

The time of their creation is never stated, however, we know they were created before the creation of the world. From the book of Job we are told that they were present when the earth was created (Job 38:4-7) so their creation was prior to the creation of the earth as described in Genesis one.

The agent of their creation is specifically stated to be Christ as the One who created all things (cf. John 1:1-3 with Col. 1:16).⁷

The nature of their creation is as a host or a company, simultaneously. Unlike human beings and the animal kingdom created in pairs and who procreate, angels were created simultaneously as a company, a countless host of myriads (Col. 1:16; Neh 9:6). This is suggested by the fact they are not subject to death and they do not or were not to propagate. They are nevertheless an innumerable host created before the creation of the earth (cf. Job. 38:7; Neh. 9:6; Ps 148:2, 5; Heb 12:22; Dan 7:10; Matt 26:53; Rev. 5:11; with Matt. 22:28-30; Luke 20:20-36).

Angels are spirit creatures

(1) Angels are spirit beings.

Though at times they have been given the ability to reveal themselves in the form of human bodies as in Genesis 18:3, they are described as “spirits” in Hebrews 1:14. This suggests they do not have material bodies as we do. Hence, they do not function as human beings in terms of marriage and procreation (Mark 12:25) nor are they subject to death (Luke 20:36). Mankind, including our incarnate Lord, is “lower than the angels” (Heb. 2:7). Angels are not subject to the limitations of man, especially since they are incapable of death (Luke 20:36). Angels have greater wisdom than man (2 Sam. 14:20), yet it is limited (Matt. 24:36). Angels have greater power than man (Matt. 28:2; Acts 5:19; 2 Pet. 2:11), yet they are limited in power (Dan. 10:13).

Angels, however, have limitations compared to man, particularly in future relationships. Angels are not created in the image of God, therefore, they do not share man’s glorious destiny of redemption in Christ. At the consummation of the age, redeemed man will be exalted above angels (1 Cor. 6:3).⁸ This also means they are not omnipresent. They cannot be everywhere at once.

(2) All angels were created holy, without sin, and in a state of perfect holiness.

Originally all angelic creatures were created holy. God pronounced His creation good (Gen. 1:31), and, of course, He could not create sin. Even after sin entered the world, God’s good angels, who did not rebel against Him, are called holy (Mark 8:38). These are the elect angels (1 Tim. 5:21) in contrast to the evil angels who followed Satan in his rebellion against God (Matt. 25:41).⁹

(3) As created beings, they are mere creatures.

They are not divine and are not to be worshipped (see Rev. 19:10; 22:9). As a separate order of creatures, they are both distinct from human beings and higher than humans with powers far beyond our abilities in this present age (1 Cor. 6:3; Heb. 1:14; 2:7). But as creatures they are limited in their powers, knowledge, and activities (1 Peter 1:11-12; Rev. 7:1). Like all of creation, angels are under God’s authority and subject to His judgment (1 Cor. 6:3; Matt. 25:41).

The Types of Angels
(Good and Evil)

While all the angels were originally created holy and without sin, there was a rebellion by Satan, who, being lifted up by his own beauty, sought to exalt himself above God and rebelled. In his rebellion, he took with him one-third of the angels (Rev. 12:4). This rebellion and fall is probably described for us in Isaiah 14:12-14 and Ezekiel 28:15 embodied in the kings of Babylon and Tyre.¹⁰

Prophesying of a future angelic conflict that will occur in the middle of the Tribulation, John wrote, “And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels waging war with the dragon. And the dragon and his angels waged war” (Rev. 12:7). In other words, there are good angels and there are evil angels.

As is clear from Revelation 12:7 and many other passages, the leader of these fallen angels (or demons as they are also called) is Satan (cf. Matt. 12:25-27). Satan, the leader of unholy angels, is a liar, a murderer, and a thief (John 10:10). As God’s great antagonist, He hates God and God’s people. Scripture teaches us that he prowls about like a roaring lion in search of those whom he may devour by his nefarious schemes (1 Peter 5:8). As an angelic being, Satan, along with his demon-like angels who operate under his authority, is supernaturally powerful and brilliant, and he uses all his powers against humanity. Not only is he a liar, a thief, and a destroyer, but that which characterizes him above all else is deception. John describes him as the one “who deceives the whole world” (John 12:9). In his cunning, he disguises himself as an angel of light (2 Cor. 11:14). So, in view of this, the Apostle Paul wrote, “Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness . . .” (2 Cor. 11:15). More will be said on this below.

The Ministry of Good Angels

The good and loyal angels are the mighty servants of God who constantly serve him always doing His will. The Psalmist described them as, “Bless the LORD, you His angels, Mighty in strength, who perform His word, Obeying the voice of His word! Bless the LORD, all you His hosts, You who serve Him, doing His will” (Ps. 103:20-21). It is no wonder, then, that the author of Hebrews, in showing the superiority of Christ to even the mighty angels, asked (the question here demands a positive answer both in the Greek text and contextually), “Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to render service for the sake of those who will inherit salvation?” (Heb. 1:14). The answer is “Yes!” Though God can always act independently without the use of agents, He has chosen to use both angelic and human instruments to accomplish His will. In keeping with this, over and over again in the Bible, we find angels acting as God’s servants involved in variegated ministry to people.

Angels Protect

Perhaps no aspect of their ministry to man is more talked about than the idea of a “guardian angel.” Over the years, I have often been asked, “Does everyone have a guardian angel?” While no passage specifically states that every person has a guardian angel, the Bible does teach that angels do guard or protect as Psalm 91:11 declares.

In addition, Matthew 18:10 may suggest a guardian angel because of the statement Christ made regarding little children when He said, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you, that their angels in heaven continually behold the face of My Father who is in heaven.” But it should also be pointed out that Psalm 91:11 is directed to those who make the Lord their refuge. The psalmist explained that no harm or disaster can befall those who have made the Lord their refuge (mahseh, “shelter from danger”; . . . ) because He has commissioned angels to care for them. angels protect from physical harm and give believers strength to overcome difficulties, pictured here as wild lions and dangerous snakes. Satan, in tempting Christ, quoted 91:11-12 (Matt. 4:6), which shows that even God’s most marvelous promises can be foolishly applied.¹¹

Some would claim that this Old Testament passage should not be applied in modern times, but the author of Hebrews does not seem to draw that distinction. That they are ministering spirits who minister to the saints is presented as a general truth of the Bible and should not be restricted to Bible times. Also, Scripture suggests that Michael, the archangel, is particularly involved in ministry to Israel. Concerning the reference to Michael in Daniel 10:13, Ryrie writes: Michael, which means “who is like God?” (v. 21; 12:1; Jude 9; Rev. 12:7), is the special guardian of the affairs of Israel (12:1) and is designated the archangel (Jude 9). One of the chief princes shows a hierarchy among the angels (cf. Eph. 1:21). I had been left there with the kings of Persia. The good angel (cf. vv. 5-6), with Michael’s help, was left in a place of preeminence in influencing Persia. But the battle between good and evil angels over the control of nations continues (see v. 20 and Rev. 20:3).

Regarding accounts of angelic protection, Dr. Kenneth Gangel gives the following account which is similar to others I have heard about, especially with missionaries: A veteran missionary friend of mine (now retired) tells the story about a woman missionary alone on a compound in northern Africa during a riot by one of the local tribes. She hid in a closet and prayed as warriors advanced along the dusty road toward the houses where the white intruders lived. Amazingly, she never heard them. No one ever entered her building, and there was no evidence of any turmoil. My friend learned later that the warriors, who intended to kill everyone at the missionary compound and burn it to the ground, instead retreated when they found the compound guarded by tall warriors dressed in white and carrying large swords. Angels?

Another and similar account was also reported by a medical missionary at his home church in Michigan: While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, I traveled every two weeks by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This required camping overnight half way. On one of these trips, I saw two men fighting in the city. One was seriously injured, so I treated him and witnessed to him of the Lord Jesus Christ. I then returned home without incident.

Upon arriving in the city several weeks later, I was approached by the man I had treated earlier. He told me he had known that I carried money and medicine. He said, “some friends and I followed you into the jungle knowing you would camp overnight. We waited for you to go to sleep and planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. Just as we were about to move into your campsite, we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards.”

I laughed at this and said I was certainly all alone out in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, “No, sir, I was not the only one to see the guards. My Jave friends also saw them and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.”

At this point in the church presentation in Michigan, one of the men in the church jumped up and interrupted the missionary, and asked, “Can you tell me the exact date when this happened?” The missionary thought for a while and recalled the date.

The man in the congregation told this side of the story: “On that night in Africa it was morning here. I was preparing to play golf. As I put my bag in the car, I felt the Lord leading me to pray for you. In fact, the urging was so strong that I called the men of this church together to pray for you. Will all of those men who met with me that day please stand?”

The men who had met that day to pray together stood—there were 26 of them! Again we ask, were these angels? While I cannot verify this story, I have no doubt whatsoever that it could be true.

Angels Provide

As angels were sent by God to provide sustenance for the Lord at the end of his forty days in the wilderness (Matt. 4:1-11), so he has undoubtedly on occasion done so for believers in our day. Some would include the provision of bread and water for Elijah (1 Kings 19:5-6), but this was a ministry of “the Angel of the Lord” which could simply mean, angel sent from the Lord, but it’s probably best to understand this as a reference a theophany, a manifestation of God to Elijah.¹²

As an illustration of possible angelic provision, Sue Bohlin gives the following account: In 1944, the penniless wife of a pastor and evangelist in Switzerland, Susie Ware prayed, “God, I need five pounds of potatoes, two pounds of pastry flour, apples, pears, a cauliflower, carrots, veal cutlets for Saturday, and beef for Sunday.” A few hours later, someone knocked on the door, and there was a young man carrying a basket, who said, “Mrs. Ware, I am bringing what you asked for.” It was precisely what she’d prayed for—down to the exact brand of pastry flour she wanted.

The young man slipped away, and even though Rev. and Mrs. Ware watched at the window to their building, the man never exited. He just disappeared (Anderson, Joan Wester. Where Angels Walk, New York: Ballantine Books, 1992, pp. 60-62).¹³

My wife’s sister, Connie, had an experience about 15 years ago which is recorded in Jodie Berndt’s book, Celebration of Miracles.¹⁴ Connie, and her husband Geoff, were missionaries in Africa working with Hindu people and had an opportunity to visit missionaries in India. The trip involved a 38-hour train ride from New Delhi to an orphanage in the south. They had been warned not to eat the food on the train, but they had taken very little food with them and Connie was so famished she decided to take her chances. She ate some curried mutton, and was soon extremely ill.

After arriving at the orphanage, Connie went to bed where she remained for three days. Geoff was traveling during that time and the missionaries thinking she was reacting to the miserable poverty of their surroundings thought she didn’t want to be bothered and left her alone. It was not until it was time to move on to the next orphanage that they realized she was desperately ill. They realized she needed to get to a hospital fast so they set out for the nearest one which was three hours away. About fifteen minutes into the ride Connie’s muscles began to cramp. First her fingers then her knees and toes curled inward and her facial muscles contracted so she was unable to speak. Finally she found herself paralyzed as the jeep bounced along the primitive road.

They were concerned, thinking she might not make it because she was so dehydrated. Geoff cried out to God, “please do a miracle! Do something!” Suddenly the missionary who was driving spotted a small Red Cross building just off the trail. As the jeep pulled to a stop, Connie tried to protest. She was concerned about the rampant AIDS epidemic in these remote areas and the practice of reusing needles.

As the group made their way into the building which was well lit and very clean, an Indian man, dressed in white shirt and baggy pants, greeted them in perfect English. He said, “I know what’s wrong with her. She’s dehydrated. I have some electrolytes here in this packet. This water has already been boiled.” He mixed the electrolytes with the water and handed Geoff an eye dropper encased in a plastic bag. “It’s sterile,” he said, looking right at Connie.

Geoff was given instructions to put one drop at a time in Connie’s mouth (which had locked open) until they reached the hospital. When they reached the hospital an hour-and-a-half later, her muscles had relaxed and she was able to walk into the hospital. The doctor said it was the worst case of dehydration he’d ever seen. Her body had literally sucked the water out of the cells and she’d come within hours of dying.

A few weeks later, after returning to Africa, they received a letter from the missionary couple in India. They said, “You won’t believe this, but when we returned to our village via the route we had taken to get you to the hospital, that Red Cross building was gone. There was nothing there in the place where it was.” Was this the work of one of God’s ministering spirits? One day we will know, but in the meantime, we can certainly give praise to the Lord.

Angels Proclaim God’s Truth

Throughout the Bible we find angels involved in communicating God’s truth or message as the Spirit of God directed them.This is, of course, is very much in keeping with the basic meaning of the word angel. Both the Hebrew word for angel (mal`ak,) and the Greek word (aggelos, pronounced angelos) mean “messenger.” In a number of passages we are told that angels were instruments God used to reveal His Word (cf. Acts 7:38, 53; Gal. 3:19; Heb. 2:2). But that is only half the story. Numbers of times they appeared to announce an important message. They announced the birth of John the Baptist and Jesus (Luke 1:11f, 26f; Matt. 1:20f). In the Tribulation, God will use them to announce key events (cf. Rev. 14:6). Today, however, God’s canon of Scripture, the Bible, is complete. Beware, therefore, of anyone claiming to have new revelation as given by an angel or of anyone claiming to be an angel with new revelation. Remember, Satan is a deceiver with his own angels of deceit promoting false doctrine (2 Cor. 11:1-4, 12-13; 1 Tim. 4:1).

Angels Punish or Carry Out God’s Judgments

With their enormous God-given power, they can carry out anything God sends them to do. It is no wonder then that we find them as vital agents in pouring out the awful judgments of the Tribulation as described in Revelation and even in doing battle with Satan and his evil angels to restrict them from any access to heaven, confining them to the realm of this earth and its immediate atmosphere in the middle of the Tribulation (Rev. 12:7f). This will be done in anticipation of Satan’s bondage and final defeat as described in Revelation 12 and 20.

But such is not the picture we find in our modern day fascination with angels. As Gangel writes, “I doubt that many figurines of punishing angels found their way into gift boxes last Christmas, but the Bible doesn’t hesitate to describe this part of their activity.” ¹⁵

Final Thoughts on the Ministry of Angels

Surely it is comforting to know that God may protect, provide, and encourage us is supernatural ways, but this does not always guarantee such deliverance and certainly and we should never presume on this provision of God. So having consider the various ways angels minister, we should keep in mind that God does not always deliver us from danger or supply our needs in such miraculous ways whether by angels or by His direct intervention. For His own sovereign purposes in His plan for using suffering (a tool of growth, to manifest the character of Christ, to witness to others, etc.), the opposite is sometimes His will, as life clearly illustrates and Scripture declares (see Heb. 11:36-40).

The Deception of Evil, Fallen Angels

Just as people usually do not think of the punitive ministry of angels, so here is another area that is completely ignored by the popular ideas of angels, but that it is ignored is not without reason. The reason lies in Satan’s deception and in the vacuum of man’s heart as he seeks answers apart from God and His revelation of Himself and His plan of salvation as it is revealed in the Bible. As the arch deceiver and antagonist to God, the church, and mankind as whole, Satan is the master of disguise. It is clearly his masquerade as an angel of light with his servant angels ,who also disguise themselves in one way or another, that are behind the current Angelmania in our society today. As Bohlin points out: . . . there are many books, publications, and seminars that are filled with demonic deception of the ugliest kind. Because when you start talking to angels, you end up dealing with demons.¹⁶ Sue Bohlin has an excellent discussion of what to look for to discern the activity of these demonic, evil angels. She writes:

You know you’re around “ugly angels,”or demons masquerading as angels of light and holiness, when you see or hear these terms:

1. Contacting or communing with angels.

There are now books available with titles like Ask Your Angels (Daniel, Alma, Timothy Wyllie, and Andrew Ramer, Ask your Angels, New York: Ballantine, 1992) and 100 Ways to Attract Angels (Sharp, Sally, 100 Ways to Attract Angels, Minnesota: Trust Publications, 1994). But the Bible gives neither permission nor precedent for contacting angels. When people start calling on angels, it’s not the holy angels who answer. They’re demons, disguising themselves as good angels to people who don’t know how to tell the difference.

2. Loving our angels, praying to our angels.

Some self-styled “angel experts” instruct their followers to love their angels and call upon them for health, healing, prosperity, and guidance. But angels are God’s servants, and all this attention and emphasis and glory should go to God, not His servants. God says, “I will not share my glory with another” (Isaiah 42:8). Scripture makes no mention of loving angels—only God, His word, and people. And it never tells us to pray to angels, only to the Lord Himself.

3. Instruction, knowledge, or insight from angels, particularly ones with names.

Some angel teachers are proclaiming that angels are trying very hard to contact us, so they can give us deeper knowledge of the spiritual (Karyn Martin-Kuri, in an interview with Body, Mind and Spirit Journal, May/June 1993. Also, Albright, Naomi, Angel Walk, Tuscaloosa, Alabama: Portals Press, 1990). Invariably, this “angel knowledge” is a mixture of truth and lies, and never stands up to the absolute truth of Scripture.

There are four angel names that keep popping up in the angel literature: Michael, Gabriel, Uriel, and Raphael. Michael and Gabriel are the only angels mentioned by name in the Bible. The other two show up in the apocryphal First Book of Enoch, which includes a fanciful account of the actions of these four beings. Those who report modern day angel teachings are actually channeling information from demons.

4. Special knowledge or teachings from angels.

Naomi Albright distributes teachings about the deep meanings of colors, and numbers and letters of the alphabet which she claims is “knowledge given from above and brought forth in more detail by the High Angelic Master Sheate, Lady Master Cassandra, and Angel Carpelpous, and the Master Angel, One on High.” (Paths of Light newsletter, Angel Walk F.O.L., Followers of Light, No. 24, July 1994, p. 6-10). These same beings told Mrs. Albright to stress two main teachings: first, that God accepts all religions, and second, Reincarnation.(Albright, Angel Walk, p. 77-78). These two teachings keep showing up in much of the New Age angel literature, which shouldn’t be surprising since they are heretical lies that come from the pit of hell, which is where the angel teachers are from.

Other angel teachings are that all is a part of God (pantheism); the learner is set apart from others by the “deep” knowledge that the angels give (this is a basic draw to the occult); and that eventually, the one who pursues contact with these angels will be visited by an Ascended Master or a Shining Angel (which is a personal encounter with a demon).

We need to remember that God’s angels are not teachers. God’s word says they are messengers—that’s what “angel” means—and they minister to us. God has revealed to us everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3), so any hidden knowledge that spirit beings try to impart is by nature occultic and demonic.

5. Human divinity

The message of the ugly angels is that we need to recognize that we are one with the divine, we are divine... we are God. In Karen Goldman’s The Angel Book: A Handbook for Aspiring Angels, she says things like, “Angels don’t fall out of the sky; they emerge from within.” (Goldman, Karen, The Angel Book—A Handbook for Aspiring Angels, New York: Simon & Shuster, 1988, p. 20). And, “The whole purpose in life is to know your Angel Self, accept it and be it. In this way we finally experience true oneness.” (Ibid., p. 95).

The following bit of heretical garbage was channeled from a demon posing an angel named Daephrenocles: “The wondrous light of the Angels, from the Elohim to the Archangels to the Devas and Nature Spirits, are all bringing to you the realization that you are magnificent—you are divine now and divine first.” (These Celestial Times newsletter, Vol. 3, No. 1, Gaithersburg, Maryland, p. 4).

Much of the angel literature refers to “the angel within.” But angels are a separate part of the creation. They were created before man as a different kind. They are not within us. The movie “It’s a Wonderful Life” notwithstanding, when we hear a bell ring it does not mean that an angel is getting his wings. Nor do good people, especially children, become angels when they die. We remain human beings—not angels, and certainly not God.

What our culture needs in response to the angel craze is strong discernment built on the foundation of God’s word. We need to remember, and share with others, three truths about angels:

1. The ministry of holy angels will never contradict the Bible.

2. The actions of holy angels will always be consistent with the character of Christ.

3. A genuine encounter with a holy angel will glorify God, not the angel. Holy angels never draw attention to themselves. They typically do their work and disappear.

It’s very true that many have “entertained angels unaware” (Hebrews 13:2). But we need to make sure we’re entertaining the right kind of angels!¹⁷

Some Warnings
(Things to Do and Not to Do)

In addition to the above warnings and in view of the deceptions of Satan, we need to be on our guard. In this regard, here are a number of things that I would like to suggest.

Never Worship Angels

As pointed out in the introduction to this study, everywhere we find angels mentioned in the Bible, the reference to angels is incidental to some other issue. They are not the primary subject of the passage. God’s love and grace is. When they are mentioned, it is always in order to inform us further about God, what He does, and how He does it. This very fact should teach us that not only are angels not the focus, but they should certainly not be worshipped.

In two places in the book of Revelation, John was so awed by the revelation he had received from God through an angel, a very glorious creature, that he bowed down to worship the angel. Revelation 19:10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and your brethren who hold the testimony of Jesus; worship God. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.” And then again in Revelation 22 we are told:

Revelation 22:8-9 And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I heard and saw, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who showed me these things. 9 And he said to me, “Do not do that; I am a fellow servant of yours and of your brethren the prophets and of those who heed the words of this book; worship God.”

We told not to worship angels, but why? First, they are but “fellow servants” with believers called upon to serve the Lord. Then he was told to “worship God.” Angels are powerful and awesome in many ways, but, like us, they are only creatures and servants of the living God who alone deserves our worship. This means we don’t pray to them or trust in them, even though God may use them as our guardian. Our trust is to be in God, not angels. They minister at His bidding.

Remember, the church at Colossae had been invaded by false teachers who were teaching a false humility and the worship of angels, claiming special mystic insights by way of visions in connection with their worship of angels (Co. 2:18). This was demonic because it was usurping the preeminent place and sufficiency of Christ as Savior and Lord. The claim was, He is not enough for salvation and spirituality. What you need is to worship angels, etc.

Do Not Participate in Angel Gimmickry

Closely associated with the worship of angels, but in a more subtle way, is all the angel gimmickry going on in our culture today. Sometimes this is not just a matter of collecting and enjoying angel figurines much as someone would collect and enjoy figurines and pictures of eagles. Regarding this, Gangel has a word of advice: Of course there is nothing wrong with enjoying angel figurines on the coffee table as long as they do not become icons that somehow replace our dependence upon God’s Word and the role of the indwelling Holy Spirit in our lives.¹⁸

Do Not Become Critical of the Reports of Angels

When we hear of reports of angels, it is only natural for us to be skeptical, but and there is the need for a certain amount of skepticism, what Gangel calls “healthy skepticism.” The reasons a healthy skepticism is needed are the deceptions of Satan referred above and the spiritually bankrupt condition of our culture and its willingness to accept anything but the truth.

The gullibility of people today is due in part to pendulum swings of society. Society had swung from the gross mystical speculations of the middle ages to the rationalism of the late 1800s and early 1900s. Now due in part to the failure of rationalism, the vacuum that naturally occurs in the minds of people, and the rise of demonism and the occult in these last days, the pendulum has swung back to mysticism seen so prominently in the New Age movement, the occult, and in the cults.

So belief in Satan, demons and angels is more and more common place, not because people are believing the Bible, but because of the rise of their spiritual emptiness. Angels have become an easy substitute, a handy compromise to the reality of the Living God as He is revealed in Scripture. When asked “Do you believe in angels?” Jamal Mashburn, star forward of the Dallas Mavericks, responded, “Yes. For me it is like an inner voice that tells me what to do and what not to do, where to go and where not to go. It’s somebody like God that protects and cares for me” (Dallas Morning News, 18 December 1994).

Why not? God seems so distant and austere. Angels seem so friendly.¹⁹ On the other hand, angels are the ministering spirits of God and He can send them to anyone whom he pleases. I have never seen an angel or had an experience where I was sure an angel was involved, but I do believe many reports are true.

A good friend of ours who has gone through a whole series of very difficult health problems told me last Sunday that at one point he was so low that he’d given up hope of ever getting well again. During the night a nurse came into his hospital room to check his IV and she said to him, “You seem to be really down and are without hope, aren’t you?” He responded with, “Yes, I am.” She knelt down, took his hand, and prayed for him. Afterward, his spirits picked up and he quickly began to improve physically. He never saw this nurse again, though he asked about her and watched for her. He told his doctor about this, who happened to be a Christian, and he asked my friend if he had considered that this might have been an angel. Was this angel? Perhaps. We simply don’t know, but it certainly could be.

In addition, we need to avoid the critical spirit that questions and belittles the claims of others, especially those who do not know the Scripture. Laughing at or belittling their claims will only close the door to opportunities to witness and point them to the truth of the Gospel and the Bible.

Some Positive Things to Do

First, when confronted with claims of angels about which we are skeptical, let us seek ways to use these claims to show interest in the person and to engage them in discussion about the realities of the Savior or the truths of God’s Word.

Second, let’s be thankful to God for the ministry of angels and for those reports that do not contradict Scripture and may very well be genuine cases of angelic ministry. Even though we may not be able to validate that it was an angel, we can and should certainly praise God for the aid or encouragement experienced, as with my friend in the hospital.

Finally, let’s know what the Bible teaches about God, Jesus Christ, salvation, true spirituality, and the ministry of angels that we might not fall for the satanic counterfeits that seek to cause people to bypass the sufficiency of the person and work of Jesus Christ. The book of Colossians is an excellent commentary on this.

Gangel closes his article on angels with the following fitting comment:

So you’ve never seen or heard an angel? Be patient—I guarantee it will happen. Like John we’ll all someday see and hear “the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand.” With them we will praise the Savior singing, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:11-12).²⁰

1 The following is a short study on angels in view of the present day fascination with angels. It will be followed by an in depth study on the doctrine of angelology, the study of angels as it is developed in the Bible. S

2 Millard J. Erickson, Christian Theology, Baker Book House, Grand Rapids, 1983, p. 434.

3 “Kindred Spirit,” a magazine published quarterly by Dallas Theological Seminary, Summer 1995, pp. 5-7.

4 Gangel, p. 5.

5 Gangel, p. 7.

6 Sue Bohlin, “The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” Probe Ministries at http://www.probe.org. Probe is an excellent Christian resource and I highly recommend it.

7 The Son’s Creation includes “all” things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible. These indicate the entire universe, both material and immaterial. A highly organized hierarchy of angelic beings is referred to with the word “thrones” (qronoi), “powers” (kuriothtes), “rulers” (arcai), and “authorities” (exousiai). This not only indicates a highly organized dominion in the spirit world of angels, but shows that Paul was writing to refute an incipient form of Gnosticism that promoted the worship of angels in place of the worship of Christ (cf. Col. 2:18). In this, Paul demonstrates superiority and rightful place of worship as supreme (cf. Eph. 1:21; 3:10; 6:12; Phil. 2:9-10; Col. 2:10, 15).

8 Paul Enns, The Moody Handbook of Theology, Moody Press, Chicago, 1996, electronic media.

9 Charles C. Ryrie, Basic Theology, Victor Books, Wheaton, IL, 1987, electronic media.

10 The terms and descriptions given there certainly go far beyond that of any human monarch. Further, other passages clearly teach us that there are often angelic or demonic forces behind the reign of human kings or kindgoms (cf. Dan. 10; and Eph. 6:10-12).

11 The Bible Knowledge Commentary, OT, John F. Walvoord Roy B. Zuck, Editors, Victor Books, 1983, 1985, electronic media.

12 Regarding the mention of “the angel of the LORD” in Genesis 16:9, Ryrie writes: “A theophany, a self-manifestation of God. He here speaks as God, identifies Himself with God, and claims to exercise the prerogatives of God. See 16:7-14; 21:17-21; 22:11-18; 31:11, 13; Ex. 3:2; Judg. 2:1-4; 5:23; 6:11-24; 13:3-22; 2 Sam. 24:16; Zech. 1:12; 3:1; 12:8. Because the angel of the Lord ceases to appear after the incarnation, it is often inferred that the angel in the OT is a preincarnate appearance of the second person of the Trinity” (Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Ryrie Study Bible, Expanded Edition, 1986, 1995, Moody, p. 27).

13 Bohlin.

14 Jodie Berndt, Celebration of Miracles, Thomas Nelson, Nashville, 1995, p. 105-112.

15 Gangel, p. 7.

16 Bohlin.

17 Bohlin.

18 Gangel, p. 7.

19 Gangel, p. 7.

20 Gangel, p. 7.

God’s Reluctant Missionary (Jonah 1-4)

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November 6, 1994

Special Missions Message

If you could pick an ideal spot to live and raise your family, where would it be? The ideal for many Christians would be to live in a beautiful, remote area where they could live off the land and raise their kids apart from all the crime, pollution and problems that go along with crowded cities. Many Christians dream about retiring in some beautiful spot where they can get away from people. We don’t want to be bothered with the problems of this messed up world! But I’d like to suggest that an isolationist mindset, as appealing as it may be, goes against the heart of God and removes God’s people from the very people God wants them to reach with His good news.

If you had been a Jew living in the ninth century B.C., you wouldn’t have wanted to live in or even visit the city of Nineveh. It was inhabited by a godless, wicked, violent people, the Assyrians. Archaeological inscriptions have been found in which Assyrian kings boast of their own cruelty, such as flaying their enemies and hanging their skin on the city walls. In our text, when the king calls his people to repentance, he specifies their violence (3:8). Much of that violence was aimed at the surrounding nations, such as Israel, which Assyria tried to conquer and, about 125 years later, did conquer. It was to this violent, wicked enemy of Israel that God called the prophet Jonah. It would be like calling a Jew during World War II to go witness to Nazi Germany. I think we can understand why Jonah boarded the next ship headed in the opposite direction!

When you study this book, you have to ask: Why did God pick an unwilling man to go to Nineveh? Weren’t there any willing prophets in Israel who may have swallowed hard, but at least would have said, “All right, Lord, I’ll go”? Why pick Jonah?

I think God picked Jonah because he reflects the attitude of so many of God’s people down through the centuries. Israel was God’s covenant people, supposed to be His channel of salvation for all people (Gen. 12:1-3). But they had bottled the blessings for themselves. They had lost God’s heart for the nations. But before we condemn those comfortable covenant people, we need to see that, like Jonah, we often value our own comfort above the souls of millions of lost people who need to hear of God’s judgment and mercy.

Jonah was an orthodox believer. He had his theology straight. He knew that God created the earth (1:9). He feared God (1:9). He knew that God is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abundant in lovingkindness (4:2). That’s a paraphrase of Exodus 34:6, which shows that Jonah knew his Bible. If he had been a New Testament believer, he would have known the Great Commission and John 3:16.

But the problem wasn’t Jonah’s knowledge or beliefs. The problem was Jonah’s heart: He lacked God’s heart for lost people. The message of the book of Jonah is summed up in the question God asks Jonah in the last verse of the book: “Should I not have compassion on Nineveh, the great city ...?” What do you think: Should God have compassion on a bunch of wicked, violent people? Be careful how you answer, because your answer will have drastic effects on how you live! Since God leaves it as a question, I want us to think about it as a question:

Since God has compassion on lost people, should not we?

1. God has compassion for lost people.

God’s heart for Nineveh comes through in 4:11, where He refers to it as “the great city in which there are more than 120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand, as well as many animals.” In fact, every time God mentions Nineveh to Jonah, He calls it a great city (1:2; 3:2, 3; 4:11). I’m sure that Jonah would have used some other adjectives to describe it: That rotten city ... wicked city ... evil city ... expletive deleted city .... God called it a great city, because there were many lost people there on whom He had compassion.

Commentators are divided over the meaning of “120,000 persons who do not know the difference between their right and left hand.” Some say it refers to the total population, meaning that they were morally ignorant. In support of this view, it can be argued from archaeology that Nineveh couldn’t have been much larger than this, since the inner city wall was only about eight miles around (although it was 100 feet high, 30 feet thick!).

But 3:3 mentions that Nineveh was an exceedingly great city, a three days’ walk. This must refer not just to the city within the walls, but to the population in outlying areas (“suburbs”). Thus I prefer the second view, that the 120,000 refers to young children who were not yet old enough to know their right from left hands. This view is especially appropriate in the context, where God is appealing to his hardhearted prophet, who had compassion on a silly plant, that he must share God’s compassion toward the people of Nineveh. God is saying, “Jonah, even if you can’t stand the adults, look at the children! Look at the animals!” Little children and animals will melt the hearts of the most crusty of men. God is saying, “Jonah, if I wipe out Nineveh as you want Me to do, 120,000 small children and many animals will die. Is that really what you want Me to do?”

Isn’t it significant that God knew all about that foreign city? He had the infants and toddlers counted. He even knew about the animals! God never puts the value of animals above the value of people, as those in the animal rights movement of our day do. They kill unborn babies and spend millions to save the whales. But God does want His people to treat animals with kindness (Prov. 12:10). God also knew about the wickedness of Nineveh (1:2). But even so, He had compassion on it.

Not all lost people are wicked and violent, like those of Nineveh. The text also shows that God had compassion on the pagan sailors, who were much nicer than Jonah was! They had to throw their cargo overboard to try to stay afloat in this storm. When they finally figure out that Jonah is the cause of it, I could see them flying into a rage and saying, “Throw the bum overboard! Look at all the trouble he’s caused us!” And yet they did everything they could to avoid throwing him overboard.

What irony! Here’s the man of God who is more concerned about a silly plant that provided shade for him for one day than he is for a whole city full of people who are about to perish. And yet here are these pagan sailors who are concerned for the life of one man, even though that man has caused them to lose their cargo and almost lose their lives! But even though they were nice guys, they needed to repent and believe in the one true God, which they did when He calmed the sea (1:16).

The point is, God has compassion on lost people, whether they’re outwardly wicked or “nice” lost people. They all need to turn from their sin and trust in God’s provision for their sin, the Lord Jesus Christ. God wants His people to reflect His compassion so that all people will see that He is “gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abundant in lovingkindness, and one who relents concerning calamity” (4:2). But,

2. God’s people don’t always share His compassion for lost people.

You would think that those who have received God’s mercy would be quick to extend it to others. But it doesn’t work that way. Like Jonah, we’re all quick to want God to judge people we dislike, forgetting that apart from His grace, we would be just like them. “Judge them, God, but don’t judge me! I’m one of your chosen people!”

Let’s be honest: Just like Jonah, we all have people we dislike. Maybe it’s noisy, rude neighbors who blast their stereos and throw empty beer cans on your property. I get irked with irresponsible people who blame others for their problems. Sad to say, but there’s a lot of racial prejudice among Christians. I’ve heard Christians make derogatory comments about African Americans, Jews, Mexicans, Native Americans, and other ethnic groups. I can hear Jonah complaining, “Lord, if these people weren’t so wicked, they wouldn’t be in this predicament. So why should I go help them?” I’ve often felt like that.

It’s just a short step from dislike to disobedience. Like Jonah, it’s easy to turn away in dislike from the very people God wants us to reach. And it’s always easy to excuse our disobedience with theological reasons. I can imagine Jonah thinking, “The Lord didn’t stop me from getting a ticket to Tarshish. This must be His will.” Or, “The people of Nineveh couldn’t be open to God. They’ll laugh me out of town. Besides, there are so many unreached in Israel. Why go to Nineveh?”

But, after his unplanned submarine ride, Jonah finally went to Nineveh. But he went reluctantly. His preaching must have been as exciting as hearing somebody read through the phone book. But, amazingly, everybody from the king on down believed God and repented! It was an evangelist’s dream! Over 500,000 conversions in one short campaign! You would think Jonah would be ecstatic.

But he was greatly displeased and angry (4:1). If he had gone and preached judgment and God had rained fire and brimstone on Nineveh, Jonah would have returned to Israel as a national hero: ticker tape parade through Jerusalem! Maybe he would have made it out of the minor prophets into the major prophets! But of all things, they repented. Jonah justified his anger by quoting the Bible back to God! “God, I knew this would happen. That’s why I didn’t want to go there in the first place.”

Have you ever thought about the fact that Jonah, sleeping in the ship while the sailors are about to perish, is a graphic picture of God’s complacent people? The captain’s rebuke to Jonah is as pointed as you can get: “How is it that you are sleeping? Get up, call on your god. Perhaps your god will be concerned about us so that we will not perish” (1:6). Ouch! Isn’t that just what we do--we snooze comfortably while the world around us perishes and wonders if our God cares?

Even after Nineveh repents, Jonah is more concerned about his own comfort than he is about the needy people in this great city. God never told Jonah to leave the city. He may have wanted Jonah to stay and teach these people His word. But Jonah still holds to his hope that God will blast the city. So he goes a safe distance outside of town and pulls up his lawn chair to watch the fireworks (4:5). It’s a bit warm, even under his umbrella, so God sends a plant that grows up overnight to shade the pouting prophet.

It’s the first time in the book that Jonah is happy. He was unhappy about God’s command to go to Nineveh; he was unhappy about the storm; he was quite unhappy inside the fish; he was unhappy about the repentance of Nineveh; but he was very happy about this plant that gave him temporary comfort. But just as Jonah is pouring himself a glass of lemonade, God sends a worm to destroy the plant and a hot wind to make Jonah miserable. So Jonah gets angry about the plant, so angry that he again asks God to take his life. Note how God deals with his reluctant missionary: He asks him three questions which lead to an unstated, but implicit fourth question:

1) Do you have good reason to be angry (4:4)?
2) Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant (4:9)?
3) Should I not have compassion on Nineveh ... (4:11)?

The implied fourth question to Jonah and to us is:

3. Should we not have God’s compassion for the lost?

The Book of Jonah could have ended quite nicely after chapter three: Everybody repented and lived happily ever after. But there was still a problem with God’s reluctant missionary. In chapter one, God had Jonah’s mind. He knew the truth about God. His theology was straight. In chapter two, God got Jonah’s will. He repented and agreed to pay what he had vowed. In chapter three, God got Jonah’s body, as he went to Nineveh to preach in obedience to God’s renewed command. But as chapter four shows, God still didn’t have Jonah’s heart. God’s final question is, “Jonah, should I not have compassion on Nineveh?” The implicit question behind it is, “Should you, too, not have My compassion for Nineveh?”

The book ends with this unanswered question. Did Jonah get the point and repent? I think that the existence of the book shows that he did. The abrupt question at the end catches the reader off guard. As we read along, we tend to think, “How can Jonah be so callused and selfish? How can he be so concerned about his own comfort while a whole city is on the brink of judgment?” But just when we’re clucking our tongues at Jonah, God ends the book with a swift knockout blow that drops us to the canvas: “Your problem is that, like Jonah, you’re self-centered. You lack My compassion for lost people!” POW!

Notice how God gets Jonah to see his petty selfishness. First God asks him, “Do you have good reason to be angry?” (4:4). At this point, Jonah may have thought, “Yes!” After all, he’s angry at God for showing mercy to Israel’s enemy. That sounds noble enough. But God’s next question, after the incident with the plant, is, “Do you have good reason to be angry about the plant?” (4:9). Being angry about a silly little plant and a worm isn’t quite as noble as being angry about a “just” cause! God is saying, “Jonah, the fact that you’re angry over such petty little annoyances shows that you’re totally caught up with yourself. You care more about your momentary comfort than you care about the eternal destiny of thousands of lost people.”

That’s God’s question to us: “Since I have compassion on lost people, should not you?” I would guess that most of us have trusted Christ as Savior. We hold to orthodox theology. I hope most of us have yielded ourselves to Jesus as Lord. Many of us are involved in serving Him in some way. But, like Jonah, we’re so caught up with pursuing our own comfort that we’re insensitive to those around us who are perishing without Christ. The question I need to ask myself frequently is, “Do I have God’s heart of compassion for the lost?”

Conclusion

I want to apply this message in two specific ways. The first has to do with the fact that God has brought over 400 students from every continent on the globe to our doorstep. Many are from countries where missionaries are not allowed. Many are lonely and want American friends. If they come and live in our city for four or more years and we never reach out to them in friendship, if we’re not burdened about their relationship with God, are we not, like Jonah, sleeping obliviously in the hold of the ship or sitting comfortably under our shade tree, while the world around us is about to perish?

According to International Students, Inc., less than 15 percent of international students in the United States today are touched by any Christian ministry. That means that fully 85 percent are never touched by the gospel in any way. In addition, 70 percent will never see inside an American home, and 80 percent will never have a Christian friend. Those are tragic figures! If you let us know, we will try to link you with an international student so that you can become their friend. I have resources available which will help you know how to befriend an international student. I know we’re all busy people. But shouldn’t we make time to show God’s kindness to these dear people He has brought to us?

The second application has to do with our church adopting an unreached people group. This is a strategy that makes the task of world evangelization more bite-sized. As you may know, there are approximately 11,000 unreached people groups in the world today. A “people group” is defined as the largest number of people among whom the gospel can spread without encountering barriers of culture or language. They are “unreached” if they do not have a viable, indigenous, self-evangelizing church in their midst, open to everyone in that people group.

There are approximately 600 evangelical churches in the world per unreached people group. The adopt-a-people strategy tries to link churches with unreached peoples so that the church focuses on the particular group until it is reached. It involves making a commitment to pray, to give and, where possible, to send personnel to see a particular people group reached. It also involves linking our church with a mission agency that has targeted that people group or even has begun to engage them in ministry.

Flagstaff Christian Fellowship has supported a missionary couple, who came to Christ years ago as students at NAU, and who were sent out from this church. They now work with NGM Indian Tribal Outreach, with their focus on several unreached Indian tribes in Mexico. They have encouraged us to focus on and formally adopt the Durango Aztec Nahuatl people, a tribe of about 800 who live in two remote regions in central Mexico. Two NGM families, the Silks and the Elkins, who live in Durango, about 125 miles away, are seeking to reach this tribe. There is one believing family in the tribe, but no church or pastor. Wycliffe Bible Translators is just beginning the work of translating the Bible into their language. Gary Milton from our church has gone down twice to do dental work for them.

We want this to be a burden that God puts on your heart, not just another program the church comes up with. We believe this is a tangible, practical way that we, as a church, can be a part of the final task of seeing the church planted amongst every people group, the Lord willing by the year 2000. Over the next several weeks we’ll be doing more to inform you about what it means to adopt a people group and how you can be involved. If you’re not informed about the area of world missions, commit to educating yourself. For now, will you begin to pray regularly for the Durango Aztec Nahuatl people? Pray for your own heart toward the lost, that God will break through any apathy or selfish focus that you may have fallen into and give you His compassion for the lost. Since our God has compassion on lost people, should not we?

Discussion Questions

The needs are so many and my time and resources so few. How can I know where to be involved?
We all have many luxuries. How can we know how much we should give toward missions?
Do missionaries need a special “calling” or are we all called to take the gospel to every people?
How can we fight apathy and develop God’s heart of compassion toward the lost?

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, © The Lockman Foundation

Lesson 104: Dreaming Big for God (Romans 15:22-29)

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December 16, 2012

In Don’t Waste Your Life ([Crossway], pp. 45-46), which you all should read, John Piper contrasts two stories. The first story is about two women, one over eighty, the other in her late seventies, who had given their lives to make Jesus Christ known among the unreached people of Cameroon. In April, 2000, their brakes failed, their car went over a cliff, and they were both killed instantly. Piper asks, “Was that a tragedy?” He answers, “No, that is not a tragedy. That is a glory. These lives were not wasted. And these lives were not lost. ‘Whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it’ (Mark 8:35).”

The second story shows how to waste your life. The February, 1998, Reader’s Digest, told of a couple who took early retirement when he was 59 and she was 51. They moved to Florida where they cruise on their boat, play softball, and collect shells. At first Piper thought that the story was a spoof on the American Dream, but then he realized that this is the dream: “Come to the end of your life—your one and only precious, God-given life—and let the last great work of your life, before you give an account to your Creator, be this: playing softball and collecting shells.” “That,” says Piper, “is a tragedy.”

It’s especially tragic when Christians waste their lives in light of eternity. Far too many Christians have been sucked into the American dream: to retire as young as possible and then devote your final years to living for yourself. The justification is, “I’ve worked hard for many years, so now it’s my turn to indulge myself for a while.”

I agree that we need to provide adequate financial resources for the time when we’re no longer able to work. I also understand the need for more leisure time as we get older, especially for spending more time with grandkids before they’re grown. But it seems to me that as those who are commanded by our Lord Jesus to seek first God’s kingdom and righteousness (Matt. 6:33), we ought to think and even dream about how God might use our few remaining years on earth for His purposes. If you no longer have to work 40-60 hours a week to earn a living, shouldn’t you give some thought to how you could use at least 20-30 hours a week to help fulfill the Great Commission?

If anyone deserved a retirement condo near the golf course or seashore, it was the apostle Paul. The man had endured threats on his life, beatings, imprisonment, being stoned, three shipwrecks, and numerous other dangers and hardships for the sake of the gospel (2 Cor. 11:23-28). “Slow down, Paul! At least take a little vacation time! You’re not getting any younger!” But, here he is telling the Roman Christians that he wants to visit them, but he won’t be staying long. He wants to go to Spain to preach the gospel there. His driving ambition was to keep preaching the gospel where Christ was not yet known (15:20). As he looked toward the final years of his life, he was still dreaming big for God. Following Paul’s example here …

Dream big and plan for how God might use you, but submit to God’s will and seek His blessing in the outworking of your plans.

If God has left you on this planet, He has a purpose for you to fulfill. Perhaps due to bodily weakness, all you can do is pray. Then pray! Perhaps you can give to the cause of missions. Then give! But you may be able to do much more. Then do it! I just read in a missionary newsletter of a woman who recently retired to Green Valley, Arizona. While still in the Chicago area, she had been asking God how she could honor Him in her retirement, and she kept hearing the words, “Green Valley Mall.” She didn’t know what that meant until she met this missionary and a co-worker with the Scriptures in Use mission. She asked them if they needed a volunteer in their office. She didn’t know it at the time, but the office is located in the Green Valley Mall, where she now serves with Scriptures in Use. There are three lessons that we can draw out of Paul’s future plans and dreams:

1. Dream big and make plans for how God might use you (15:22-24).

Romans 15:22-24: “For this reason I have often been prevented from coming to you; but now, with no further place for me in these regions, and since I have had for many years a longing to come to you whenever I go to Spain—for I hope to see you in passing, and to be helped on my way there by you, when I have first enjoyed your company for a while—”

Paul wanted to see Rome (Acts 19:21) and spend a little while with the saints there, but he didn’t want to stay for very long. He wanted to use Rome as a base to reach further west into Spain, at the edge of the Roman Empire. Did Paul ever get there? We don’t know for sure. Some scholars doubt it, but others think that he did. About 96 A.D., Clement of Rome wrote to the church of Corinth and mentioned that Paul had reached “the limit of the west” before he died. For someone who lived in Rome, “the limit of the west” arguably could have referred to Spain. Another work dating from the late second century, the Muratorian fragment, takes Paul’s Spanish journey for granted (F. F. Bruce, Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free [Eerdmans], pp. 447-449). So it’s possible but not certain that after his first Roman imprisonment, Paul was released and went to Spain before returning to Rome, where he was arrested again and finally executed.

We can draw four applications from these verses:

(1). Dream big for God!

Have a holy ambition to see God use you in ways beyond what you can ask or think. We spend time thinking about how we can enjoy our retirement years. We plan and talk and dream about where we can go and what we can do. But why not spend time thinking about how God could use your retirement years to advance His kingdom?

William Carey was a self-educated shoe cobbler in England who had a vision of taking the gospel to India. When he shared that idea with some ministers, one seasoned pastor called him a “miserable enthusiast” and told him that God would reach the heathen in His own way without human aid (William Carey [Zondervan], Mary Drewery, p. 31). But Carey persisted and overcame setback after setback. He eventually got to India, learned and translated the Bible into almost 40 languages, founded a university that still exists, and saw God make a substantial impact on the Indian subcontinent (see The Legacy of William Carey [Crossway], Vishal and Ruth Mangalwadi). Carey’s motto was, “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God” (Drewery, p. 39).

Maybe you’re thinking, “But I don’t have those kinds of talents. I can barely speak English, let alone learn another language! I don’t have much to offer in terms of advancing God’s kingdom.” But remember, in Jesus’ parable of the talents, the slave who received five talents and the one who received two talents both invested those funds on behalf of their master. The slave who only received one talent buried it and felt the wrath of his master (Matt. 25:14-30). Surely one lesson to take away from that story is that if you think that you don’t have much that you can do for the Master, you’re the one most in danger of doing nothing. And remember the miracle of the feeding of the 5,000 from a boy’s meager lunch of five loaves and two fishes: Little becomes much when you yield it to the Lord Jesus.

So where should you begin? First, consider the local church. Talk to one of the pastors or our children’s coordinator about how you could use your gifts in ministry here. Become a mentor to younger men or women. Think about what you could do to reach others in your neighborhood for Christ. Volunteer to help tutor kids who need help in school or teach reading through the library literacy program and tell your students about Jesus. Help out at Sunshine Rescue Mission or Hope Cottage. Also, there are several local mission organizations that could probably use some help. If you can use a computer, there are ministries that will feed you contacts of those who want to know more about the faith. Use your creativity and your interests and ask God to use you to make an impact for His kingdom.

(2). Don’t let good things crowd out God’s best for you.

Paul wanted to get to Rome and that was a good desire. But something better had kept him from getting there, namely, preaching the gospel from Jerusalem to Illyricum. And while Paul wanted to visit Rome, there was something better that meant that he could not stay long, namely, going to Spain.

It’s difficult to understand Paul’s comment (15:23), “with no further place for me in these regions.” Surely Paul could find much to do in those regions! But as Everett Harrison explains (The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, ed. by Frank Gaebelein [Zondervan], 10:157), we can only understand his comment in light of Paul’s “restless pioneer spirit.” There were plenty of good things that Paul could have done in those regions. But in light of his gifts and calling, the best thing that he could do was to press on to areas where Christ had not yet been named, such as Spain.

So ask yourself, “What is the unique contribution that I can make to the cause of Christ in light of my gifts and resources? Where can I best be used of God?” Don’t let good things crowd out the best way that God can use you.

(3). Work out a plan for God’s will for you in line with your desires.

Paul had a desire and plan to go to Jerusalem with the Gentile gift for the poor Jewish believers, then to visit the saints in Rome, and then to move on to Spain. As we know, things didn’t work out exactly as Paul had envisioned, in that he got arrested in Jerusalem, spent several years in custody, and finally went to Rome as a prisoner. But he wasn’t wrong to lay out a plan in line with the desires that God had put into his heart.

Sometimes Christians have the mistaken notion that if you hate the thought of going to the jungle to a primitive tribe as a missionary, then that’s what God will have you do. Maybe the idea is that it is more spiritual to do something that grates against your will! While it’s true that God wants you to be yielded to whatever His will for your life may be, He’s not a sadist who delights to make you miserable! He’s a loving Father who wants to see His children happy and fulfilled. He gives us the desires and personality bents that we have. If He calls you to go to a primitive jungle tribe, He will give you the grace to live there. I’m not saying that it will be easy, but at least you’ll be able to shrug off the inconveniences and hardship and love what you’re doing. When we were in Central Asia for a month this summer, there were things about the culture that grated on us. But the missionaries who have been called to serve there just shrugged these things off with a laugh.

So God works through our desires or gives us the grace to endure hardship cheerfully. Work out a plan for how He might use you in line with your desires and abilities.

(4). Serve God in relationship with other likeminded believers.

Paul always worked in conjunction with others. We’ll see this in 16:21-23, where he sends greetings to Rome from eight men who were with him, along with greetings from the whole church. Part of Paul’s strategy in stopping for a while at Rome was to get them on board as his western base to reach out to Spain. He may have hoped to recruit one or more brothers from Rome to accompany him to Spain.

When Paul says (15:24), “to be helped on my way there by you,” many commentators think that at least in part he is asking for financial help. But I respectfully disagree. In my seminary master’s thesis (which the faculty accepted!), I argued that Paul had a fixed policy of not asking for personal support or making his own financial needs known to potential donors. When he ran out of funds, he went to work making tents. When support came in, he devoted himself more fully to the ministry (Acts 18:3, 5; Phil. 4:10-18).

But what about this phrase, “to be helped on my way there by you”? This (or a similar phrase) occurs eight other times (Acts 15:3; 20:38; 21:5; 1 Cor. 16:6, 11; 2 Cor. 1:16; Titus 3:13; 2 John 6). In 2 Corinthians 1:16, Paul tells the church there that perhaps they can help him on his way to Judea. But he is not suggesting that they provide him with financial support, because he resolutely states later that he will not accept such support from them (2 Cor. 11:9, 12; 12:14). William Sanday & Arthur Headlam (A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans [T & T Clark, fifth ed.], p. 411) say that this phrase “need not mean more than to be sent forward on a journey with prayers and good wishes.” It was the custom for people to escort a respected guest for a short distance on his journey.

But here in Romans the phrase could be Paul’s asking the church there to partner with him in prayer (at the least) and perhaps for someone in Rome to go with him to Spain. Paul always worked with a team. So should we. Look for a local church or a mission agency that you can partner with.

So the first lesson from Paul’s future plans is, “Dream big and make plans for how God might use you in serving Him.”

2. In your planning, consider what will have maximum impact for Christ’s church (15:25-28).

Romans 15:25-28: “but now, I am going to Jerusalem serving the saints. For Macedonia and Achaia have been pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the saints in Jerusalem. Yes, they were pleased to do so, and they are indebted to them. For if the Gentiles have shared in their spiritual things, they are indebted to minister to them also in material things. Therefore, when I have finished this, and have put my seal on this fruit of theirs, I will go on by way of you to Spain.”

When you read Paul’s letters, you realize that this gift from the mostly Gentile churches for the poor saints in Jerusalem was a really big deal to Paul. He spends two chapters in 2 Corinthians (8 & 9) urging them to be generous in this effort. He spent several months that ended up (when he got arrested) being several years diverting his efforts from his normal priority of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles in order to administer this gift and make sure it got to Jerusalem safely. He could have delegated this to a trusted associate, but he felt that it was important enough to go personally. He even went against two warnings from believers that Luke says came from the Holy Spirit (Acts 21:4, 10-14) not to set foot in Jerusalem. Although most commentators would not agree with me, I think that Paul was so intent on going to Jerusalem that he wrongly ignored God’s direct warnings not to go. So you have to ask, “Why was this so important to Paul?”

My answer is that he thought that taking the gift to Jerusalem would have maximum impact for Christ’s church. In 15:25 he puts it, “serving the saints.” He saw it as putting his seal on this fruit of the Gentile churches (15:28). I think he means that this gift confirmed the bond of unity between the Gentile and Jewish factions of the church. Paul insisted that in Christ there is no Jew or Gentile (Gal. 3:28). The gift also authenticated the reality of the conversion of the Gentiles to the Jewish believers in Israel, who tended to be skeptical of Paul’s Gentile mission. It showed the power of the gospel to bring these former pagans to obedience to Christ and it authenticated Paul’s gospel. Also, it fulfilled the commitment that Paul had made to James, Peter, and John to remember the poor as he went to the Gentiles (Gal. 2:10). And, perhaps Paul saw it, at least in part, as fulfilling the Old Testament prophecies that the Gentiles would bring their wealth to Jerusalem (Isa. 2:2-3; 45:14; 60:5-17; 61:6; from Thomas Schreiner, Romans [Baker], p. 776).

There are several helpful principles of giving in these verses that I do not have time to develop. Note briefly that giving is both a duty and a delight. It is a duty to share in material things with those who have shared with you in spiritual things (15:27). And yet Paul mentions twice (15:26, 27) that the Gentiles were pleased to do it—it was a delight. The idea that the Gentiles are indebted spiritually to the Jews is the major theme of Romans 11. Also, note that giving is a form of fellowship. The Greek word translated “contribution” (15:26) is koinonia, “fellowship,” or sharing together. Giving to missionaries or to needy saints builds a bond of fellowship between you.

But the overall principle is, as you dream and plan for how God might use you, consider what will have maximum impact for Christ’s church. Finally,

3. Submit to the Lord’s will and seek His blessing for all your plans (15:29).

Romans 15:29: “I know that when I come to you, I will come in the fullness of the blessing of Christ.”

Paul is probably referring both to the spiritual blessings that he hoped to impart to the Romans and to the blessings that they would impart to him (see 1:11-12, 15). But in Paul’s case, it didn’t happen in quite the pleasant way that he envisioned! His trip to Rome was as a prisoner via a shipwreck. After he got there, some mean-spirited believers in Rome preached Christ out of envy and strife, thinking to cause Paul distress in his imprisonment (Phil. 1:15, 17). The point is that while Paul sought for and expected God’s blessing, he had to submit to God’s sovereign will in the outworking of what those blessings actually entailed. As Proverbs 16:9 says, “The mind of man plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.” Or as the saying goes, “Man proposes; God disposes.”

So we should seek God’s blessing in all that we dream and plan for how He might use us, but we have to submit to how all of that actually works out. It may not go according to our plans, but if we walk with God and submit to Him, He will use us for His glory.

Conclusion

To take action on these verses, first ask God to show you how to spend your life (both now and in the future) in light of eternity. Don’t waste your life! With Moses (Ps. 90:12), pray, “So teach us to number our days, that we may present to You a heart of wisdom.” He concludes that psalm with the repeated plea (90:17), “And confirm for us the work of our hands; yes, confirm the work of our hands.” Give some thought to what abilities and desires He has given you to use for His purpose. If you’re married, talk about it with your mate. Think ahead to when you’ll be 75 or 80 and dream about how you would like for God to have used you by that time. Life is short—don’t waste it!

Then educate yourself about the needs of the world in light of the gospel. How can you strategically use your gifts and desires to have maximum impact for Christ’s kingdom? Work out some plans that will take you in that direction. Perhaps it will be to pray for and support missionaries or national believers to reach the unreached. But for some of you, it may be to go to the unreached with the good news of the Savior who has come. Whatever you do, dream big for God and use what He has entrusted to you for His kingdom and glory!

Application Questions

If we “dream big” for God, there is the inherent danger of pride, of thinking that we are indispensable to God. How can we avoid this trap?
What are some good things that might crowd out God’s best for you? What is God’s best for you?
Many Christians rightly have plans for financial security. Why don’t we all have plans for how we can best be used by God?
How can you determine what your spiritual gifts and abilities are? Then how do you figure out how to use those gifts for maximum impact in Christ’s kingdom?

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

Lesson 2: Are You Elect? (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4)

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July 17, 2016

I realize that my topic for today is a touchy one with many Christians. Differing views on the doctrine of election have created a huge divide in the Christian world. Some have left this church because they didn’t like what I have taught on it. So it would be easier just to skip it or touch on it lightly and move on. Why risk upsetting some people? Why preach on such a divisive subject?

There are several reasons: First, it’s in our text and I preach whatever the text says without dodging it. Paul didn’t say, “I thank God knowing how you all decided to choose Jesus,” but rather, “I thank God knowing His choice of you.” To accurately handle God’s word of truth (2 Tim. 2:15) we need to be faithful to what the Bible says, not to what we may wish it said. By the way, if the text says, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom. 10:13), I preach that. You can look it up!

A second reason to preach on this subject is that it’s a frequent theme in Scripture from Genesis to Revelation. In Genesis 12, God chose Abram out of a city of idolaters and promised to work through him to bring His salvation to the nations. He didn’t choose Abram’s entire city or even his entire family. God chose Abram, but He didn’t choose anyone else in Asia, Africa, Europe, or the Americas. Then He refused to choose Abram’s son Ishmael and chose Isaac. He rejected Isaac’s son Esau and chose Jacob, whom He renamed Israel.

Centuries later, Moses said to Jacob’s descendants (Deut. 4:37), “Because He loved your fathers, therefore He chose their descendants after them. And He personally brought you from Egypt by His great power.” He repeated (Deut. 7:7-8), “The Lord did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the Lord loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the Lord brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” To drive the point home, he repeated again (Deut. 10:15), “Yet on your fathers did the Lord set His affection to love them, and He chose their descendants after them, even you above all peoples, as it is this day.”

We would be here all day if I traced this theme through all of Scripture. The New Testament often refers to believers as God’s elect or those chosen by God (Matt. 22:14; 24:22, 24, 31; Luke 18:7; Acts 9:15; 11:18; Rom. 8:29, 30, 33; Eph. 1:4, 5, 11; Col. 3:12; 2 Tim. 2:10; Titus 1:1; 2 Pet. 1:10. See, also, Luke 10:21-22; John 6:37, 44, 65; 10:26; 15:16; 17:2, 6, 9; Acts 5:31; 13:48; Rom. 9:11, 15, 16; 18 11:5, 7, 28; 1 Cor. 1:27, 28, 30; Gal. 1:15; 2 Thess. 2:13; 1 Pet. 1:1-2; 2:8, 9; Rev. 5:9; 7:10-12). We can’t skip over such an important biblical theme. We need to understand it properly.

A third reason not to skim over what Paul states in our text is that this doctrine is profitable for us, including new believers. As Paul states (2 Tim. 3:16-17), “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.” Although Paul had only been with these new converts, many out of pagan backgrounds, for a few months, he had taught them this truth so that here he just mentions it in passing and assumes that they were tracking with him. In 2 Thessalonians 2:13, he repeats it, “But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.”

So if you’ve struggled with this doctrine or just skipped thinking about it because it’s difficult, I’m appealing for a hearing. Look up the many verses (listed above) and ask God to give you understanding and a teachable heart.

I’ve had people ask, “Since election is a mystery hidden in the secret counsel of God, how can you know if you’re elect?” Since we’re talking about the matter of our eternal destiny, it’s not just an academic question! Paul’s assurance that God had chosen the Thessalonians rested on what he observed about their faith and their changed lives. Thus we can say:

You can know that you’re elect if God has powerfully changed your life through your reception of the gospel.

As a result of preaching the gospel, Paul saw that these people had received the word in spite of much tribulation (1 Thess. 1:6). They had become imitators of the evangelists and of the Lord. Their faith in God was evident by their good works (1 Thess. 1:3, 8). So he was confident that God had chosen them for salvation.

There are a number of objections that are often raised against the doctrine of election. One of them is, “If God has predestined everything, including who will be saved, why pray? What will be, will be, right?” Wrong!

1. Election does not negate prayer, but rather encourages it, since salvation is God’s doing.

1 Thess. 1:2: “We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers.” Also, “constantly bearing in mind” (v. 3) refers to Paul’s frequent, repeated prayers. Later, he exhorts these new believers (1 Thess. 5:17), “Pray without ceasing.” He didn’t mean “without a break,” which would be impossible, but rather that we should pray repeatedly and often.

Some who deny the doctrine of election argue that God has done everything that He can do to save people, but now the choice is up to them. They say that God never forces His will on anyone. So salvation depends upon people’s free will. But Jesus said that if we sin, we’re slaves of sin (John 8:34). We’re not free. If salvation depended on free will, then you shouldn’t waste your time praying for anyone to be saved, because God would be in heaven saying, “I’d like to see them saved, too. But they’ve got that free will. I can’t override their choices. Let’s hope they decide to choose Me!”

But Scripture shows that God always accomplishes His purposes (Isa. 46:10; Job 42:2). He sent His Son to earth to save a people for His glory (Eph. 1:4-12). He doesn’t leave that purpose up to sinful human will. Jesus said (John 6:44), “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up on the last day.” Although some of His larger company of “disciples” grumbled and turned away from Him because they didn’t like this teaching, He repeated (John 6:65), “For this reason I have said to you, that no one can come to Me unless it has been granted him from the Father.” If the Father is able to draw lost people to Christ, then we should pray that He will do so.

God ordains the means as well as the end. Prayer and proclaiming the gospel are His ordained means to save His elect. So we should pray for open doors for the gospel, both for ourselves and for other believers (Col. 4:3). God works in response to our prayers. We don’t know the ones to whom God has granted that they will come to Jesus until after they get saved. None of us would have predicted that Saul, the persecutor of the church, was one of God’s elect. Even after he came to faith, many of the disciples were skeptical that his conversion was genuine (Acts 9:13-14, 26).

But God’s hand is not so short that He cannot save whom He chooses to save (Isa. 50:2). If He wants to save the wicked people of Nineveh, He does it in spite of the lackluster preaching of His reluctant prophet, Jonah. So we should pray for God to accomplish His sovereign purpose by saving a people for His glory.

2. Because election is God’s purpose which cannot fail, it results in changed lives.

1 Thess. 1:3: “constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father.” Paul knew that God had chosen these people for salvation because he could see the results in their lives: work stemming from faith; labor motivated by love; and steadfastness flowing from hope in the Lord Jesus Christ in spite of severe persecution. He goes on to mention how they had become imitators of himself and of the Lord and that the gospel was sounding forth from them all over the region (1 Thess. 1:6-10). So their dramatically changed lives were evidence that God had chosen them for eternal life.

Paul mentions three cardinal virtues, faith, love, and hope, which showed that the Thessalonians’ faith was genuine. John Calvin (Calvin’s Commentaries [Baker], p. 239) called these three qualities “a brief definition of true Christianity.” Gene Getz builds his book, The Measure of a Church [G/L Regal Books], around these three qualities, showing how they are a biblical standard for maturity (Paul mentions them in Rom. 5:2-5; 1 Cor. 13:13; Gal. 5:5-6; Eph. 1:15-18; Col. 1:3-6; cf., also, Heb. 6:10-12; 10:22-24; 1 Pet. 1:21-22). Paul mentions them again in 1 Thessalonians 5:8: “But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation.” Later, the Lord indicts the church in Ephesus because although they had deeds and toil and perseverance, they did not do these things out of love for the Lord (Rev. 2:1-7). So motivation is important.

A. A changed life is evidenced by work stemming from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

The genitive (“of”) points to the source: work that comes from faith. This mainly points back to their saving faith in Jesus Christ. While Paul taught that we are saved by grace through faith apart from works, he also taught that genuine saving faith always results in works. If you know Ephesians 2:8-9, you should also be familiar with verse 10: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.”

Paul and James are not at odds. Paul was battling the Judaizers, who taught that you must keep the Jewish law to be saved. So he emphasized that we are saved by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. James was confronting those who claimed to have faith, but had no works to show for it. So he emphasized that genuine saving faith produces good works. But both men agree that we are saved by faith that necessarily works (see my sermons on James 2:14-19 & 20-26 on the church web site).

By “works,” Paul is referring to all of the good deeds that we are called to do as believers. This includes helping the poor, visiting the sick and helping them with whatever they may need, giving comfort to the grieving, or spending time listening to and counseling a needy brother or sister (1 Thess. 5:12-14, where Paul uses both “labor” and “work”).

It also includes sharing our faith, which the Thessalonians were actively doing (1 Thess. 1:8). A frequent charge against the doctrine of election is that if God has determined who will be saved, then they will be saved. So we don’t need to share the gospel. But as I said, God ordains the means along with the end. He has ordained whom He will save, but He does it through our proclaiming the gospel. As Paul said (2 Tim. 2:10), “For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory.” God has His elect, but Paul had to suffer and preach so that they would obtain salvation. (See, also, Acts 18:9-11.)

B. A changed life is evidenced by labor motivated by love for the Lord Jesus Christ and for others.

“Work” and “labor” are somewhat interchangeable, although “labor” emphasizes the difficulty and toil. I understand “love” here to refer both to love for the Lord, which is our motivation, and love for others, both believers and unbelievers, which is the result (1 Thess. 3:6, 12; 4:9; 5:13). As we’ve seen, love is a self-sacrificing, caring commitment that shows itself in seeking the highest good of the one loved. The highest good for every person is to know Christ and be conformed to Him, to the glory of God. And, love for Jesus is the primary motivation for serving Him. When Jesus restored Peter after his denials, He asked three times (John 21:15, 16, 17), “Do you love Me?” As I mentioned, the church in Ephesus was doing good deeds and toiling for the Lord, but He rebuked them because they had lost their first love for Him (Rev. 2:1-7).

This labor motivated by love should be evident in our homes. We should display the qualities of love that Paul mentions (1 Cor. 13:4-7), “Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” Such love often involves labor or work. It isn’t effortless ecstasy! Husbands, loving your wife often means getting out of your recliner in front of the TV and helping her with the dishes or dealing with the kids. It involves putting down the newspaper and listening to your wife’s concerns. It’s labor motivated by love for the Lord and for her.

This labor motivated by love should also be evident in our church. Helping those in need is usually inconvenient. It sometimes requires physical work, such as helping an elderly person clean up their yard or house. It will cost your time and sometimes some money. By using the word labor, Paul implies that it’s not always easy. It involves self-sacrifice.

C. A changed life is evidenced by steadfastness produced by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

This is the hope of His coming that enables us to endure trials and even persecution with joy because we know that Jesus is coming back to reign. In New Testament Words ([Westminster], p. 144), William Barclay comments on the Greek word for “steadfastness”:

It is the spirit which can bear things, not simply with resignation, but with blazing hope; it is not the spirit which sits statically enduring in the one place, but the spirit which bears things because it knows that these things are leading to a goal of glory; it is not the patience which grimly waits for the end, but the patience which radiantly hopes for the dawn.

He goes on (p. 145) to tell of the Scottish hymnwriter and pastor, George Matheson. Even though he was blind by age 18, he wrote a prayer in which he pleads that he might accept God’s will, “not with dumb resignation, but with holy joy; not only with the absence of murmur, but with a song of praise.” That kind of steadfast joy under trials comes from hope in the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will right every wrong and reward every good deed done in His name.

Paul adds (1 Thess. 1:3), “in the presence of our God and Father.” Some translations (NIV, ESV) and commentators connect that phrase with Paul’s “constantly bearing in mind.” In other words, his prayer was “in the presence of our God and Father.” But others (e.g. F. F. Bruce, Word Biblical Commentary, 1 & 2 Thessalonians [Thomas Nelson], pp. 12-13; Gary Shogren, Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament, 1 & 2 Thessalonians [Zondervan], p. 60) argue that the phrase is grammatically too far removed from the start of the verse to be connected with Paul’s remembrance of them. Thus it probably means that the Thessalonians’ work of faith, labor of love, and steadfastness of hope are exercised in God’s presence. We should be aware that all we do for the Lord is done in His loving presence.

So the point of verse 3 in the context is that if God has chosen us for salvation, it will be seen in changed lives. Faith in Christ results in work for Him. Love for Christ results in labor for Him and love for others. Hope in Christ results in steadfastness through trials and even persecution. Finally,

3. The main reason we receive the gospel and our lives are changed is that God loved us and chose us for salvation.

1 Thessalonians 1:4: “knowing, brethren beloved by God, His choice of you.” Here, as elsewhere (cf. Deut. 4:37; 7:7-8; 10:15; 2 Thess. 2:13), election is linked with God’s love. As Paul says (Eph. 1:4-5), “He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will.” The doctrine of election means that God took the initiative in our salvation because of His great mercy and love.

But this raises an objection: Doesn’t God love everyone (John 3:16)? And if He does love everyone, why doesn’t He show mercy to everyone? But we need to recognize the obvious fact that God has not shown His love and mercy to everyone in the same way or to the same degree. He loved Abram and chose to reveal Himself to him and bless him, but He didn’t choose any others around the world. As Paul says (Acts 14:16), “In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways.” God showed mercy to the Jews in Egypt, but He did not show mercy to Pharaoh or to any of the Egyptians (Rom. 9:15-18). The Lord hardened Pharaoh’s already hard heart and he and all the Egyptians lost their firstborn in the final plague (Exodus 12).

Was God unloving or unfair to do this? In Romans 9, Paul argues that He is the potter who has the right to do with the clay as He chooses, and that we don’t have any right to challenge Him. He does not owe us an answer! The only answer Scripture gives is that God does what He does, including the salvation of His elect and the judgment of other sinners to display His glory (Rom. 9:17, 22-24). Rather than causing us to stumble, this should fill us with gratitude that in His kindness, He chose us to hear His gospel and respond in faith.

Conclusion

So, how can you know whether you’re elect? Have you truly repented of your sins, received God’s word as true, and put your trust in Christ to rescue you from the wrath to come (1 Thess. 1:6, 8, 9, 10)? If so, you’re elect. Your repentance and faith did not come from you, but from God, who chose you in love and grace.

But why does Paul bring this up in verse 4? Why mention this doctrine here? We can’t say for sure, but John Stott (The Message of 1 & 2 Thessalonians [IVP Academic], p. 28) offers a plausible thought: “Because he knew the insecurity felt by a young and persecuted church, he wanted to remind them that in the midst of their trials their security was in God.” He adds (p. 31), “The topic of election is nearly always introduced for a practical purpose, in order to foster assurance (not presumption), holiness (not moral apathy), humility (not pride) and witness (not lazy selfishness).” Or, as Leon Morris states (The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians [Eerdmans], p. 55), “Nothing gives security to the idea of salvation like the concept of election. Salvation, from first to last, is a work of God.”

My desire and prayer is that if you struggle with assurance of your salvation, this biblical truth will make you feel secure in His love. And if you’re going through trials, I pray that this truth will comfort and encourage you that you are His child and that nothing can separate you from His love.

Application Questions

To further study this difficult topic, I recommend The Doctrines of Grace [Crossway] by James Boice and Philip Ryken.
How does the doctrine of election encourage prayer, not negate it?
Why is evangelism a futile prospect if it depends on the fallen sinner’s “free will”? See Rom. 8:8; Eph. 2:1-3; 2 Cor. 4:4.
Does the doctrine of election bring you comfort or consternation? If the latter, why? How can this be changed?

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture Quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation

2. The Rapture

Article contributed by www.walvoord.com

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Editor’s Note: This is a lightly edited transcription of the audio message. Thanks goes to Marilyn Fine for the transcription work.

Introduction

Last evening I spoke on the whole matter of being excited about the Lord’s return, the Rapture of the Church, and my concern that many have not heard about it. In fact, one person last night said he had never heard of the Rapture before. There are always some who have not heard. But, for those who have heard, my point was that they ought to be excited about it! And sometimes they are not. So I have asked myself, “why not?”

Well, I think there is another reason. A lot of people do not think the Rapture is going to occur soon. In other words, they have heard for years about all the things that are going to happen and they think the Rapture is going to be at the end of a parade. That is not the way it is. The Rapture begins the parade. While it is possible for us to have a sensitivity that the Rapture could be near, sensitivity is not enough.

You know through the history of the Church, there have been constant efforts to try to pinpoint the time of the coming of the Lord. There have been dates set again and again and again, all to be of no avail. Back in 1988, we had one of the most popular ones. He wrote a book called, “88 Reasons Why the Lord is coming is 88,” and he sold two million copies of his book. But, it didn’t happen because the Bible does not give that information. I cannot set any dates, but I do think today, right in 1995, there is some good, solid reasons for believing the Lord is coming soon. I would like to have you understand it. Now, the background is a little bit complicated but if you stay with me this week I think you will see the reason how it all hangs together.

Now, obviously, the Bible doesn’t give us any signs for the Rapture. You can read all the passages on the Rapture. It never tells you to look for something first. It always implies it could happen today and that is the way Paul presented it to the Thessalonians and they understood it that way. It is an imminent event. It has been that way ever since the first century.

Immanent…And Soon

One of my friends said, “Well, you have been saying for years the Lord could come at any time and He has not come. That proves you are wrong, doesn’t it?” No, in the nature of immanency you do not put a date on it; you just say it is possible for the Lord’s coming at any time.

There is a second question, “If it is imminent how do you know it is soon?” During the war with Kuwait in the Gulf, some commentator or reporter in Washington said I was the person to consult. The result was that I got a lot of national attention. About 50 church editors called me and wanted me to explain what I viewed on it. I had interviews with over 100 radio stations plus a whole bunch of television stations. I recall one person from a Florida station. He obviously did not agree with what I was saying. He said, “After all, the Lord has not come for 2000 years. How do you know He is not going to come for another 2000?” Well, that is putting it pretty bluntly, isn’t it? So how do you know? You see with the Lord 1,000 years is a day and a day is 1,000 years. What is seen as soon to the Lord is not necessarily soon to us. So, that is the question.

Now, I believe there are some good, sound reasons for believing the Lord is coming soon. In order to do that, we need to turn once more to the Bible and see what the Bible has to say about this. Did you know the Bible has something to say about this?

In I Thessalonians 4, He presented the truth that the Rapture could occur any time. It is supposed to be a comfort to them in the loss of their loved ones because if the Rapture occurred they would be reunited with their loved ones again forever.

Then in Chapter 5, (and you will understand there were no chapter divisions as Paul wrote this) he said,

“But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you for you, yourselves, know perfectly that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night.”

In other words, Paul is picking up this very question of “when.” He says the times—that is the particular time—and the seasons—the general time—he said I have already told you about when I was there. It does not answer the question “when” because this day is going to come like a thief in the night.

Now, obviously, in Dallas there is a lot of daytime robberies these days, but normally in the ancient times it would be at night that they would rob your house. But, they never sent their calling cards to say I am coming. It was always unexpected, there was no warning, no indication it is going to happen. So it is going to be like a thief in the night.

As far as signs are concerned, there are no signs for the Rapture. Well, if that is the case, how can we start talking about signs for the Rapture? Well, the answer is not as complicated as it seems. While the Bible does not give us anything about what is going to happen just before the Rapture as a sign, it tells us in very plain language what is going to happen after the Rapture. It details a series of world-shaking events that ultimately lead up to the Second Coming of Christ.

These events are very noticeable, very obvious. They are not just idle things that you might escape notice of if you were not studying the Bible. But, they are important things. Now, what I am finding today is in the last 50 years since World War II the world stage has changed dramatically. One by one the things you would expect to be there if the Rapture is going to occur any day have come into place.

Now, I want you to see that while this does not date the Rapture it does serve notice to us that God is getting the world ready for the tremendous events that follow the Rapture. If that is the case, then the Rapture could be very near.

I sometimes tell the story, you may have heard me, about the man who bought his Christmas presents early. He was walking down the street in November and one of his friends saw the Christmas present. He said, “My! Thanksgiving must be close.” What is the logic of that? Well, it is very simple, Thanksgiving is a month before Christmas. The person getting ready for Christmas thinks Thanksgiving must be close. If the world is getting ready for the events that follow the Rapture, and the Rapture is first, as I believe the Bible teaches, then the Rapture could be very, very near. So, it is not only “possibly could occur at any time,” but now there gets to be a probability that it is going to happen before long. That is what I want you to see.

Now, first of all in Chapter 5 you will notice it introduces a phrase called “the day of the Lord.” The day of the Lord is a well-worn scriptural term in the Old Testament. It applies to any period of time, not just a single day, but a period of time when God dealt in direct judgment on the world. You see, Israel would stray from God and God would bring in a catastrophe. They would have a drought, they would have a crop failure, they would have an invasion. These were called “The Day of the Lord,” a day when God intervened directly to the world.

Today we do not have a Day of the Lord. We have the day of Grace. God is not dealing with this world according to its sin. He is not trying to straighten out things. You see this world is operating today on the grace of God if He tries to call out from the world, the Church, the body of Christ, to salvation and prepare them for their heaven journey at the Rapture. That is what is going on now.

Once the Rapture, the day of grace ends, the Day of the Lord begins. The Bible is very plain this a time of terrible judgments on a wicked world which rejected Christ and was not ready for His coming when He came for his Church.

Now, “the Day of the Lord” is mentioned here. Well, how is it related to the Rapture? Very simply. When the Rapture occurs, the end of the day of grace and when the Day of the Lord begins, the day of judgment begins at the Rapture. One terminates, just like midnight. It terminates one day and it starts the next day.

The Day of the Lord, then, is something that is in contrast to the day of grace. As you read in this passage in Chapter 5, there is a contrast between the day which applies to the day of grace which believers have. We are in the daytime and the rest of the world in the Day of the Lord is in the night. They are subject to judgment. He contrasts these two time periods. As a matter of fact, we are in the day of grace now and that ends at the Rapture. The day of the terrible judgment, the Day of the Lord, the night, follows. That is what He is trying to teach us here. So, he tells them in Verse 3 “for when they say, ‘Peace and safety’ then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman and they shall not escape.”

We are going to see that one of the elements of the end time is a peace treaty which leads up to the Second Coming. When the peace treaty is signed, they are going to say “peace and safety.” But, suddenly, that period ends and the Great Tribulation begins.

Sequence Of Events

In order to get this before us, I am going to have to sketch what I believe to be the sequence of events and I am not going to try to prove it all this morning, but throughout the week you will see why the Bible teaches this.

If the Rapture occurred today what would happen? One of the first things which would happen if it has not just happened before the Rapture is that the Roman Empire is going to be revived in the form of 10 nations. I am going to get at that a little bit later this morning. Ten nations are going to band together in a political union and Europe was the main country of the old Roman Empire. Of course they also had states in western Asia and Northern Africa. The Bible does not give us the names but presumably it is going to be largely a European alliance of some sort, a political alliance.

When this is formed, there are going to be ten nations, according to scripture. A dictator is going to arise out of one of these countries, apparently, who is going to gain control of three. How, the Bible does not say whether it is by treaty or by influence, but, anyway, they come under his power. Then, from there onward the scriptures regard all ten countries under his power. It does not explain why, but, nevertheless, he becomes the leader of this ten-nation group and, as such, is the most powerful political person in the Europe area.

When he gets to that position of power, he is going to try to attempt to solve the problem of Israel, which is a thorn in the side of the Muslim world. They are at odds with their neighbors and have been ever since Israel was formed in 1948. He is going to impose a seven-year peace treaty on the situation. It is not going to be negotiated like they are trying to negotiate today, and I do not think any of these peace treaties they are working on today are going to work out for very obvious reasons, but he is going to impose this on them for seven years. Israel is going to rely upon his protection and they are going to give up some of their military preparedness, apparently. They are going to depend on him to defend them and care for them. He is going to give them certain things.

I do not know all about it, but I think one of the things he is going to permit is the building of the temple which has not been built. Of course, they want to build it on the mountain, nearby in Jerusalem in the holy place and the Muslims think that it belongs to them and they will not permit it today. They had a riot, you remember, when they even suggested they might start the temple.

They are doing a lot of things on this according to the facts that come to me. They are training hundreds of young Jews to be priests and they are preparing the furniture of the temple, but they have not built it. Apparently, one of the things he is going to permit is for them to build this temple. Orthodox Jews will reactivate the sacrificial system under the Law of Moses. Now, they are not Christians, you understand, but they are going to try to reactivate that system. That is going to go on for three-and-a-half years.

Then, certain dramatic things are going to take place, one of them is a sneak attack upon Israel by six nations that are going to attack Israel from the north. One of them is going to be one of the states of the Soviet Union. We do not have the name of it in Scripture, except that it says it comes from the far north. Of course, Russia is the only country to the far north. Ezekiel 38 and 38 gives a graphic picture of how God intervenes and wipes out the invader and destroys their invasion. That is going to happen at a time of peace.

As he gets to the middle of that seven years, this ruler of the ten nations has become so powerful that overnight he proclaims himself dictator over the whole world. Nobody in the world is strong enough to stand against him. Revelation 13 asks the question “who can make war with the beast?” You see, he is a brilliant man but he is also aided by Satan and, apparently, he is dominated by Satan. So, for the next three-and-a-half years, the second half of that seven-years we have what is called by Daniel and by Christ and by Revelation “a great tribulation,” a time of unprecedented trouble.

This dictator is going to demand that everybody worship him as God. This involves the worship of Satan, as well, and thousands are going to be beheaded, apparently. Then, God begins to pour out the terrible, catastrophic judgments from the book of Revelation which wipe out most of the world’s population in that three-and-a-half years.

Finally, at the end the nations become discontent with the situation. They mass a mighty world war, with Israel as a battlefield, and that war is underway right up to the day of the Second Coming of Christ. In fact, Zechariah 14 says there will be house-to-house fighting in Jerusalem on the very day of Christ’s return. These armies which have come there to fight it out for power, apparently, when they see the glory of Christ in the heaven all unite to fight this army from heaven. That is why Satan has them there. Christ speaks the word and they all are instantly killed. Awful slaughter of millions of men and animals.

Then, he is going to take steps to introduce his millennial kingdom. That is a very dramatic series of events. Well, let me rehearse it. First of all, the Roman Empire revives, 10 nations, then a dictator rises who gets control of three then all ten. Then, a seven-year covenant and the first half of it is a time of peace, although there is an invasion from the north for Israel. The second half is a great tribulation of the world government, the world dictator, the antichrist and now it is going to climax in a world war and the Second Coming of Christ.

Now, our world is all set up for this. That is what I want you to see up until today and in the days which are ahead. It has not been set up before. Now, it could be set up after the Rapture to be sure but now we see this stage and it’s actors already somewhat in place. Chapter 5 goes on and talks about how there is going to be this terrible time of judgment, but he says to those of us who are saved:

Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. For they that sleep sleep in the night; and they that be drunken are drunken in the night. But let us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love; and for an helmet, the hope of salvation. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ, Who died for us, that, whether we wake or sleep, we should live together with him. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another, even as also ye do. 1 Thessalonians 5:5-11

In other words, we face the facts that this Day of the Lord may come at any time the Rapture may occur. While we are waiting, we should be sober and carrying on our Christian life and testimony to the best of our ability and laboring for the Lord until He comes.

So, what is our world situation today? Well, we have been occupied in our 20th Century with two great world wars. The first one, of course, early in the century and the second one in the 40s. In each case, the major nations of Europe fought each other.

As history demonstrates they have been doing it for several hundred years. It seems that every time they had a war that when one side or the other would gain the victory. Then, as soon as the war was over, both sides would start arming for the next war. That went on with World War I. They fought and we helped them win the battle, you know, and they start arming for World War II. World War II came along and they fought it out and, again, with the help of the United States, Great Britain, France, and other nations won the victory and conquered the Germans and all the others who were against them.

Something happened though, since World War II, that had never happened before. Great Britain and France and Germany did not start to re-arm. Why? Well, you see out of World War II came the atomic bomb. It was obvious that if another war broke out that the nations on both sides would have the atomic weapons which would enable them to completely annihilate the other nations. That, of course, would not serve any useful purpose.

So, instead of arming they got together and what we call the Common Market, an economic union where instead of fighting each other they cooperated with each other. This has been a flourishing now with 10 to 12 nations involved. And with some abandoning of man-made borderline restrictions and movement of material and goods and workers we have this so-called Common Market. Now, the Common Market is not what the Bible talks about. In order words, the Bible is talking about a political union which we do not have now. It is rather interesting for many years now the secular press has had articles along the line of a coming United States of Europe. They visualize that sooner or later the nations of Europe will get together and form a united states, something like our states are formed in our own land.

Now, it is very interesting to me that for the first time in history the nations are friendly with each other. There is some war going on internally, some strife, as you know, but not the major nations. They are friendly. That is exactly the soil and the situation you would expect if those nations did suddenly get together voluntarily and form a United States of Europe. Now, there have been some obstacles. They are struggling with the currency problems and they have a common currency, but they have had a number of meetings where they have drawn up tentative plans for the ten-nation group and the ten-nation rules. So, I take it that it is somehow related to this period, but if it does not occur before Rapture I can see how after the Rapture very quickly this United States of Europe will be formed and then the scene will be set for the events that follow. Now, this is not something I have manufactured. This is found in the Old Testament in the prophecies of Daniel.

Daniel’s Prophecies

I would like to take just a moment to go through that because you see the book of Daniel is an amazing book because it does something that no other book in the Bible does. That is, it puts together God’s prophetic program for the nations of the Gentiles, as well as for Israel. Two major areas of prophecy. The third one, of course, is God’s prophecies about the Church since these are not found in the Old Testament but in the New Testament.

In the book of Daniel, Daniel had revealed to him first of all in Chapter 2 Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the image. He pointed out how that image represented four empires. Then, many years later after Nebuchadnezzar had died and Daniel was left, he had a series of four visions himself. These four visions in Chapter 7 and following we have an amplification of God’s prophetic program for these four empires. Now, you will bear in mind that when Daniel came along, the first three empires had already come and gone. History had accurately, meticulously fulfilled exactly what is anticipated in those three empires. There was first of all, of course, the empire of Babylon and that is what Daniel is living in. Prior to that, there were two empires that could also be named – the empire of Greece and the empire of Assyria. They put it all together the four empires of Daniel and these two, Egypt and Assyria, and add to it the Millennial Kingdom which will come when Christ returns. You have seven major kingdoms revealed in the Old Testament. So, Daniel is in this Babylonian Empire and he predicts this course that will be succeeded by another empire. He lived long enough to see it. He saw the Medes and the Persians come in October 539 B.C. Archeology has pretty well pinpointed the time. Babylon conquered Jerusalem, and did other things in the various parts of the Babylonian Empire but the result was that Medes and Persians took over. For 200 years, they went on their way and fulfilled exactly what Daniel predicted in the book of Daniel. Then, when it had run its course for 200 years, the kingdom of Greece, Alexander the Great, and his lightning conquest came in and conquered the Medes and Persians around the year 230 B.C. and took over. Of course, he died as a young man from debauchery and drinking when he had the malaria and his empire was divided among his four generals. That went on until the Roman Empire came along, the fourth empire, and conquered what was left of the Grecian Empire.

Now, in Chapter 7 in Daniel you have these four empires portrayed as four beasts. Babylon is a lion, Medo-Persia is a bear. You know, some people think it refers to Russia, but it does not. The bear represents Medo-Persia and then the leopard represents the empire that followed that of Alexander the Great and the other things that related to his kingdom. Then, the fourth empire is described in Verse 7 and while it is not given a name, the other three are named so we do not have to guess at it, is the Roman Empire, the greatest empire of all time. This is what he writes down in Daniel 7:7.

“After this, I saw in the night visions and, behold, a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, exceeding strong. It had huge iron teeth. It was devouring, breaking in pieces and trampling the residue with its teeth and it was different from all the beasts that were before it.”

That is a very accurate description of what happened to the Roman Empire. Daniel is writing this hundreds of years before, but it pictures well the Roman’s disciplined armies that move into a country and conquer it. They would carry off the able-bodied men as slaves. All the work of the Roman Empire was done by slaves. Then, they would leave a detachment of the soldiers to collect the taxes and they would move on to the next country. They literally did what this said. They devoured and broke in pieces and trampled these various countries with their military might.

Now, that is all history. It is very interesting, however, that in the last part of Verse 7 it adds this, “And, this beast had ten horns.” Sometimes prophecy is given in the word of various imagery. What are the ten horns? Well, it is true here as is very often in the Bible in the book of Revelation and the book of Daniel that if you read on you will find an explanation. The book of Daniel in verse 24 tells us that the ten horns are ten kings who shall arise to his kingdom. It then goes on to describe what is going to happen after that.

In other words, there is going to be a ten-nation group. Then, it moves on, of course, to the climax when Christ returns. What have you noticed about that? It just fits the present age. It acts as if the Roman Empire is still in power and, of course, it is not. It is dead today. Why is that? Well, it is a very interesting principle which scholars have been a little bit slow to catch on to. That is, the Old Testament in its fore view of prophecy would take you up in detail to the First Coming of Christ. Then, it would skip what we call the “Church Age” and more on to the events of the tribulation time and the Second Coming of Christ as if there were no gaps. In other words, you have to put the day before Pentecost and the day after Pentecost together and just ignore this present age of the Church age until the Rapture of the Church takes place and you divide it up and just ignore the present age.

So, as far as the Old Testament is concerned, the Roman Empire is going to be in power in the end times. But, here we have the explanation. It is going to be a ten-nation group, something that was never true in the history of the Roman Empire. As I pointed out, in Europe today for the first time we have a situation where such a ten-nation group could be formed voluntarily, not by an outside conqueror but by the consent of the various nations involved. That is exactly what is implied here that it is a self-propelled thing and that they are going to be formed as this political state. Of course, they are exactly in that situation.

When we study the passages of this period leading up to the Second Coming of Christ you will find that when the Rapture of the Church occurs that this ten-nation group would either be already there or is very shortly formed afterward because it is part of the picture. In other words, the fact that Europe today is at peace and ripe for such a situation is exactly what you would expect if the Rapture is going to occur today.

We have never had this before. This is a sign that Rapture could be very, very soon. I cannot predict times as God has a different plan than I do. Of course, He gives us an explanation why there seems to a delay. In II Peter 3 we are told that God is not willing that any should perish. He does not want anybody to die. He wants all to come to repentance and He is waiting for some to hear that have not heard the gospel. He is waiting for some to respond who have heard who have not responded and that is going to be the way it is until the Rapture occurs. Then, suddenly the day of opportunity ends.

I think there is a parallel with the time of Noah. You know Noah was told there is going to be a flood. He was warned over 100 years ahead of time. He was told to build this ark on dry land where there had never been a flood. He built this ark. It took him over 100 years and his neighbors thought he was crazy. He may have hired some of them to be carpenters, I do not know, but they built the ark. Then, finally, the ark was finished. Now, before the ark was finished there was no danger of a flood. They did not have to worry about it. Now, the ark was finished. This totally changed the situation. Then, as they watched they saw a very strange spectacle. They saw animals filing in two by two into the ark in a military precision. Animals do not do that. There they were going into the ark. They wondered what in the world is about to happen. Then, they saw Noah’s three sons go into the ark and their wives. Then, Noah and his wife went into the ark. Then, the door was shut. What happened? It started to rain. You see, it is an illustration of opportunity. Day-to-day, as far as we know, the “ark” is getting pretty close to being finished. God’s plan for this age, for the Church of Jesus Christ, the body of Christ, it may be a lot near completion than we realize. We do not know when it is going to be complete. Sooner or later, there is going to be the last person saved as a member of the Church and I believe the Rapture will take place immediately.

God’s plans for the ark was they would have a flood after it was finished. God’s plans for His Church is going to be complete and then the Rapture is going to take place. So, I believe on the basis of what we are seeing in Europe today, we are seeing a sign that God is about to do something because it is creating exactly the situation that would be true at the time of the Rapture of the Church.

Paul’s Teaching In Second Thessalonians

There is one other thing here I would like to have you see in II Thessalonians. You know wherever the truth is taught, there are also errors bringing up and so it was in Thessalonica. After Paul had left the Thessalonians and after he sent them this first epistle, some teachers got in who told them that Paul had sent them another manuscript that taught that they we are already in the Day of the Lord and that their sufferings (they were going through terrible persecutions) were part of the Day of the Lord. They were upset. Why? Because Paul had taught them the Rapture would occur first and that they were already in the Day of the Lord. The implication was they had missed the Rapture.

When Paul heard about that, he was very, very indignant and he wrote II Thessalonians. Particularly in chapter 2 he takes them to task about this. He says beginning in verse 1, “Now, brethren, concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering together to Him we ask you.” Now, remember what He is appealing to? He is talking about Christ coming to gather His Church. He said, “Do not be soon shaken in mind or trouble, either by spirit or by word of our letter as from us that the day of Christ (it should be the day of the Lord) has come.

You see, they had taught that a spirit had given this. Today we have this Korean, you know who says that a spirit told him that Christ was coming. He received thousands of people over there and it did not happen.

Or the Thessalonians had taught it by a letter. They claimed to have a letter. They did not have a letter from Paul though that taught this! So he said it was not true that the day of the Lord already came. (This was a mistranslation here to put “day of Christ” and the wrong text. It should the day of the Lord has come.) He said, “Let no one deceive you.” Now, why shouldn’t they be deceived? He goes on to tell them what is going to happen.

“That day will not come unless the falling away comes first and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, who opposes and exalts himself with all that is called God or worshiped, for he sits as God in the temple of God showing himself that he is God, do you not remember when I was still with you and I told you these things?”

What he is saying is the day of the Lord involves the emergence of the antichrist, the man of sin. He said that has not happened. You do not have any evidence that you are in the day of the Lord because this first major event is that the man of sin is going to be revealed. Now, this gets a little bit complicated but let’s take a look at it.

When is he going to be revealed? Well, you see, according to the sketch that I gave you that last seven years he reveals his true character in the middle of that last seven years when he portrays himself dictator over the whole world and claims to be God. It is very clear, then, that he has manifested at least three-and-a-half years before the Second Coming.

Then, back up a bit. Do you see any evidence earlier? Why, of course! When he conquered three of those ten countries. You might suspect immediately he is the person, or when he gains control of all ten. You see he is pictured that way all through the end times. Certainly, he is the person. Then, the third place he is seen when he makes that seven-year covenant found in Daniel 9:27. Thus it is absolutely certain that he is that person. It says he cannot be revealed to be that person until after the Rapture. The day of the Lord has as its first major feature the emergence of this man. In effect he is saying the Rapture has to occur first before this man can be revealed before the day of the Lord could take place.

Now, there is a second support here. He also says in verse 6 and following,

“Now, you know what is restrained that he may be revealed in his own time for the mystery of lawlessness has already worked. Only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then, the lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and restore the brightness of His coming.”

Here, He tells us that the one who is restraining sin is going to be taken out of the way. Who is that? I think if you examine it carefully you will find the only one who is merely holding back the flood tides of sin is God Himself. More particularly, the indwelling Holy Spirit in the Church. While we may be a small remnant as far as the world is concerned, the fact that churches here are indwelt by the Holy Spirit has been a deterrent to evil in the world. We have had a tremendous influence on law and order and morals, even though some of that is dissipating in our country now.

In other words, it says he is going to be taken out of the way. Now, you cannot remove God, He is omnipresent. So, what it really means is He is lifting His restraints. You see, today, God is holding down the flood tides of evil to some extent. He is permitting the work of the Church to go on. He is allowing you and I to live and have a testimony for God. If Satan had his way, none of us would be here. He would kill us all. So, God is restraining sin to some extent.

Once this happens, the Rapture of the Church occurs. He has taken the lid off and is letting man be just as wicked as he wants to be and he certainly demonstrates that. The Great Tribulation is a great outcry against God and blasphemy against His name in a way that no preceding generation was able to do.

So, you have these two proofs: first of all, the restrainer has to be taken out of the way and he cannot be taken out of the way as long as the Church is here because He is indwelling the Church. That constitutes the restraints. You cannot change that without taking the Church out of the world until the Rapture has occurred.

The early reason in the chapter was that this man of sin, the antichrist, cannot be revealed until the Rapture takes place and, obviously, then it takes place more than seven years before the Second Coming and solves all this controversy as to when the Rapture is going to take place. So, if you just follow these two scriptures of I Thessalonians 4 and 5 and then II Thessalonians 2, you have God’s answer, you see. The Rapture is the next event and when it happens the other things will fall in good turn.

Conclusion

So, we are living in the very unusual day today. Tomorrow I want to take up another aspect of this. You know I mentioned there are three major areas of prophecy in the Bible: one is concerning the Church. We considered that last evening. The second is that what concerns the nations of the world. The reformation of the Roman Empire, the coming world rulers. That is the Gentile part. Then, there is a third line of prophecy concerning Israel and I want to see where that has brought us to this present hour and what the token and significance of what is happening in Israel is in relationship to the Rapture of the Church.

It seems to me that God is giving us a lot of evidence that He could be coming. Are you ready? Are you ready because you are saved? Are you ready because your life is in line with the Lord’s will for your life? Are you walking in fellowship? These are the critical questions.

That is the important part of prophecy, not the details, but are you ready for the Lord when He comes?

Shall we pray. Our Father, how grateful we are that we are the objects of your wonderful grace, saved by grace and kept by grace and have this marvelous future ahead that God is going to shower His grace upon us, not because we deserve it but because Christ died and paid the price for our blessings. So, help us, Lord, to understand these things. Help us to get alert and excited about the possibility that the Lord may be coming very soon. Then, getting our life in line and our faith and our activities in line. This ought to be true if we believe that Christ is coming soon. So, bless us and dismiss us for this day and guide us in the remaining activities of the day, for we ask in Christ’s name. Amen.

Wait And Watch With Patience

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Introduction

Waiting is a familiar experience, so much so that it is often found in writings and sayings Thus Longfellow wrote, “All things come round to him who will but wait,”¹ a saying which is commonly rendered, “All things come to those who wait.” Several old well-known songs speak of waiting. For example: “Wait Till The Sun Shines Nellie,” “Wait For Me Mary,” and “Waiting For The Robert E. Lee.” Likewise watching is often found in lyrics, such as in the hymn “My Father Watches Over Me.” As well, patience is often cited. Thus a character in Shakespeare’s King Henry The Fourth said, “I am poor as Job, my lord, but not so patient”; or as Tolstoy wrote, “The strongest of all warriors are these two—time and patience.”² As well, the Chinese often spoke of patience. For example: “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster; one moment of impatience may ruin a whole life”; and “A second’s patience can save you months of trouble.”³

In what follows we shall note significant scriptural passages in which waiting, watching, and/or patience are featured. A summary together with their importance will conclude the study.

Scriptural Lessons Concerning Waiting

Old Testament

In Psalm 27 David concludes his teachings by saying,

Wait for the LORD;
Be courageous and let your heart be strong.
Wait for the LORD. (Ps. 27:14; HCSB)⁴

Despite life’s many difficulties, the believer finds courage and strength to meet them in waiting on the Lord, for “God is our strong refuge” (Ps. 46:1).⁵ A practical lesson for doing so is found in Psalm 104, where all creatures are said to wait for the Lord, “to give them their food at the right time” (v. 27; HCSB), for “You give them food and they receive it; you open your hand and they are filled with food” (v. 28). Such may well be a good lesson for humans, As Vance Havner said: “Simply wait upon Him. So doing, we shall be directed, supplied, protected, corrected, and rewarded.” ⁶

Psalm 33 is designed for readers to give full praise to the Lord. David gives many reasons for doing so. He begins his psalm with a call to rejoice and praise the Lord (vv.1-3). He follows this with several reasons to praise the Lord (vv. 4-9). He then proceeds to contrast the Lord’s dealings with both the unrighteous and the righteous (vv. 10-12), before once again magnifying God’s sovereign control over all the earth (vv. 13-19). He brings the psalm to a climactic conclusion by urging all believers to place their full trust in the Lord and to pray for His continued and everlasting faithful love:

We wait for the LORD;
he is our deliverer and shield.
For our hearts rejoice in him,
for we trust in his holy name.
May we experience your faithfulness, O LORD,
for we wait for you. (Ps. 33:20-22)

David’s declaration of waiting for the Lord (v. 20) emphasizes the need for complete dependence on God. In so doing a believer can rejoice and trust “in his holy name” (cf. vv. 1-2).

By God’s “name” the psalmist intends complete trust in the Lord himself in accordance with what the term “name” entails when referring to God as the eternally existing source and sustenance of life. For as Strong declares, “God is the infinite and perfect Spirit in whom all things have their source, support and end.”⁷ Christians may join with David’s praise because of all that they have in their Lord and Savior Christ Jesus. Thus Martin remarks in his hymn,

The name of Jesus is so sweet,
I love its music to repeat;

It makes my joys full and complete,
The precious name of Jesus.⁸

David ends his psalm by beseeching the Lord, “May your faithful love rest on us” (v. 22; HCSB). By ”faithful love” (Heb. ħesed) is meant God’s loving-kindness toward mankind (cf. Pss. 116:1-2; 136), and especially his covenant people, Israel (cf. Deut. 7:9, 12; 1 Kings 8:23). God’s love is often attested in the Scriptures (e.g., Ps. 36:7). It is better than life itself” (63:3). It is an everlasting love (Jer. 31:3) so that God’s people may always call on Him with confidence in all circumstances (Ps. 86:7). The Lord is also faithful to His person and standards, and also in His promises to His people...Because of His faithfulness, God’s people may rejoice in His presence and praise Him with joyful hearts (Ps 92:1-4).⁹

If God displays such concern and affection for mankind, should believers do less? Certainly not! Even all nature waits on God;

All of your creatures wait for you
to provide them with food on a regular basis.
You give food to them and they receive it;
You open your hand and they are filled with food. (Ps. 104:27-28)

Believers may also be assured that the Lord’s help and strength are available for any and all situations. Thus Isaiah observes:

He gives strength to those who are tired;
to the ones who lack power he gives renewed energy.
Even youths get tired and weary,
even strong young men clumsily stumble,
But those who wait in the LORD’s help find renewed strength;
they rise up as if they had eagle’s wings,
they run without growing weary,
they walk without getting tired. (Isa. 40:29-31)

Accordingly, Smith remarks that believers should and need to exercise genuine hope:

This hope is an active dependence on God that patiently awaits his timing with confident expectation. This trust in God will replace any false leaning on a person’s own strength. Placing hope in God implies that a spiritual bond exists that allows people to admit their own helplessness and commit their welfare completely into the hands of his strong power.¹⁰

The psalmist gives an example of the need of putting hope in the Lord in times of trouble:

I long for your salvation; I put my hope in your word.
My eyes grow weary looking, for what you have promised;
I ask, “When will You comfort me?”
Though I have become like a wineskin dried by smoke,
I do not forget your statutes. (Ps. 119:81-83; HCSB; cf. Ps. 38:15)

As Leupold observes, till help comes he fixes his hope on the Word in which God has promised His children such help as may be needed by them.¹¹ Quite obviously the psalmist is in deep, troubling circumstances, but he knows that his only hope of deliverance lies with the Lord. Therefore, he puts his full trust in the Lord and remains faithful to God’s revealed standards. It is a good lesson for all believers.

Such is clearly expressed by the prophet Micah as well (Micah 7:1-6). Micah points out further that even the members of family or the best friends we may have may not be able to alleviate fully the overwhelming difficulties that may come upon us. Ultimately, it is the Lord in whom we must put our full confidence:

But I will keep watching the LORD;
I will wait for the God who delivers me.
My God will hear my lament. (Micah 7:7)

Micah’s trust was not in self—whether power, prestige, or wealth but in God. It was the Lord in whom he put his trust, for God was his help (cf. Pss. 27:9-10; 33:20: 40:17; 46:1; 63:7; 121:1-2). Without going into the specific background of the setting and or occasion of Micah’s prophecy, we nonetheless conclude that Micah reinforced the truth that the Lord is a God who cares for his own and is available for help in all circumstances.

We note that Micah goes on to say:

My enemies, do not gloat over me!
Though I have fallen, I will get up.
Though I sit in darkness, the LORD will be my light. (Micah 7:8)

Likewise, though we may feel humbled or crushed by life’s unexpected or even unprecedented happenings, we can rest assured that the Lord is with us through it all.¹² Indeed, the spiritually wise will not live for self or conduct themselves unethically toward others, but live in close fellowship with the Lord. Their desires will be fulfilled when they are in harmony with God’s desires for them.

The author of Proverbs gives a further lesson, “Do not say, ‘I will pay back evil!’ Wait for the LORD so that he may vindicate you” (Prov. 20:22). As McKane points out, the truly righteous man, the genuine believer, “Has no need to take the law into his own hands, since he can rely on Yahweh to avenge evil and should await his retributive action.”¹³

In so doing believers may then echo the psalmist’s testimony:

I waited patiently for the LORD,
and he turned to me and heard my cry for help.
He brought me up from a desolate pit,
out of the muddy clay and set my feet on a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD. (Ps. 40:1-3)

No situation, however desperate, is beyond the Lord’s sustenance for those who wait patiently for the Lord’s intervention and help. As John Sammis remarks:

Not a burden we bear, Not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He does richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, Not a frown nor a cross,
But is blest if we trust and obey.¹⁴

David’s praise of the Lord and petition to him in Psalm 25 (a psalm that is built around the Hebrew alphabet) demonstrates the high value of waiting for God’s assistance. Having declared his hope and confidence in God, (vv. 1-3), David prays to the Lord that in accordance with His “faithful love” (vv. 6-7) God will enable David to understand his situation and fully rely on the Lord (vv. 4-5). Thus David declares, “I wait for you all day long” (v. 5b; HCSB). David continues to point out his full trust in the Lord’s leading and help in the following verses (vv. 8-14), in which he says,

All the Lord‘s ways show
faithful love and truth
to those who keep his covenant and decrees. (Ps. 25:10; HCSB)

The Lord is indeed a God who teaches his faithful followers “the way they should live” (v. 12), with the result that they only live so as to experience God’s favor and guidance (vv. 13-14).

David begins the final section of the psalm (vv. 15-22) by reaffirming his continued confidence and dependence on the Lord: “I continually look to the LORD for help, for he will free my feet from the enemy’s net” (v. 15). Therefore he can pray for God’s help in his present distress (vv. 16-20). He caps all of this off with a petition to the Lord for so living as to gain God’s protection (v. 21a), for indeed, “I wait for you” (v. 21b; HCSB). David closes his psalm with a plea to the Lord that not only David himself but all Israel will be rescued “from all their distress” (v. 22).

Psalm 25 thus stands as a strong acknowledgement of and testimony to the necessity and high value of waiting in full reliance on the Lord as well as the need to live in compliance with the Lord’s revealed standards. As Perowne rightly observes, the psalm is also that “God is the teacher of the afflicted and the guide of the erring.”¹⁵

Psalm 27 serves as a fitting conclusion and climax to Old Testament instances of the necessity and importance of waiting on the Lord (cf. vv. 1-9). It also confirms the basic underlying source of being enabled to do so, namely, living out a faith that is permeated by a whole soul commitment to God: intellectually (v. 3), emotionally (v. 4), and volitionally (vv. 5-6). Our mind, emotions, and will should be in full compliance with the Lord’s will as revealed in his Word. When such is the case, the believer may “wait confidently for him” (v. 7). As I have pointed out elsewhere,

When real faith resides in an individual, it enables the believer to “rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (v. 7; NASB; NKJV). Where such strong faith and trust exist there is a proper perspective on the issues of life. Rather than envying the seeming successes and state of the wicked or worrying needlessly concerning various matters, the believer can be assured that the Lord’s way is the best way. God’s plans will ultimately succeed and the believer’s faith will be fully rewarded.¹⁶

In distinction from the unbeliever or unfaithful (vv. 8-10), “The oppressed will possess the land and will enjoy great prosperity” (v. 11). Indeed, a bright and glorious future awaits the faithful believer who lives in full faith and compliance with the Lord’s revealed standards. Thus the Old Testament teachings display the necessity and blessings associated with living a life in full dependence on the Lord, namely in genuine, continuous waiting on him. Such becomes magnified in the New Testament, especially in association with faith in God’s Son and man’s Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

New Testament

Paul tells the Philippian Christians that in sharp contrast with those who are anxious and obsessed with the things of this world, “Our citizenship is in heaven—and we also await a savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Phil. 3:20). Why should believers, then, be overly concerned with things that ultimately will not endure? Quite the opposite, we believers await the return of our Savior, Jesus Christ, who will “transform theses humble bodies of ours into the likeness of his glorious body by means of that power by which he is able to subject all things to himself” (v. 21). Indeed, when Jesus returns and sets up his eternal kingdom, believers will share in a glorious everlasting life with him (cf. 1 Thess. 4:16-17). As O’Brien remarks,

The particular of the Lord’s saving activity at his parousia here singled out by the apostle is his transformation of our weak mortal bodies into the likeness of his own glorified body…. So in place of earthly bodies characterized by frailty, physical decay, weakness, and mortality, believers will have bodies that are suitable to the life of heaven (1 Cor. 15:38-49 and thus imperishable, spiritual, glorious and powerful.¹⁷

What a blessing awaits us! This does not mean that we should be idle. Quite the opposite, Paul reminds his readers that even a chosen apostle like himself needed to keep spiritually maturing while living in consecrated, dedicated service to the Lord: “I strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Therefore let those of us who are ‘perfect’ embrace this point of view” (Phil. 3:14-15a; cf. Rom. 12:1-2; Phil. 2:3, 13-18; Col. 3:17). As the hymn writer expresses it,

Give me a faithful heart, likeness to Thee,
That each departing day, henceforth may see
Some work of love begun, some deed of kindness done,
Some wandr’er sought and won, some-thing for Thee.
All that I am and have-Thy gifts so free—
In joy, in grief, thru life dear Lord for Thee!
And when Thy face I see, my ransomed soul shall be,
Thru all eternity, some-thing for Thee.¹⁸

Elsewhere Paul commends the Thessalonian believers for their salvation and service to God, while watching for Christ’s return: “For… you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus our deliverer from the coming wrath” (1 Thess. 1:9b-18). As Comfort reports, “This categorically expresses the fervent expectation of the early Christians who believed the Jesus, who only recently ascended to heaven (20 years prior), would soon return (1 Thess. 1:3; 2:19; 3:13; 4:14; 5:10, 23; 2 Thess. 1:7-10; 2:1,8).”¹⁹ It is of further interest to note as Morris observes, “The word for ‘to wait’ is found only here in the New Testament, and Grimm-Thayer suggest that in addition to the thought of awaiting someone expected, it includes ‘the added notion of patience and trust.’”²⁰ As Fanny Crosby asks in song,

Have we been true to the trust He left us?
Do we seek to do our best?
If in our hearts there is naught condemns us,
We shall have a glorious rest.
Blessed are those whom the Lord finds watching,
In His glory they shall share;
If He shall come at dawn or midnight,
Will He find us watching there?²¹

As we shall note below, a dedicated believer not only waits for the Lord but watches patiently for Christ’s blessed return. How is this accomplished? Peter gives his readers a splendid example. It is found in no less than God himself. After Peter Speaks of Christ’s self-sacrifice for the sins of mankind, he tells of Christ’s preaching to a generation of disobedient people in the days of Noah:

Christ also suffered once for sins, the just for the unjust,
to bring you to God by being put to death in the flesh
but by being made alive in the spirit.
In it he went and preached to the spirits in prison,
after they were disobedient long ago
when God patiently waited in the days of Noah
as an ark was being constructed. (1 Pet. 3:18-20)

For our purposes it is important to focus on God’s great patience with those who were disobedient during the 120 years of Noah’s constructing of the ark, before the flood overwhelmed the earth.²² Thankfully, the Lord still exercises patience with mankind. If God can be patient with mankind, should not believers show great patience, regardless of their trouble, as they await the second coming of Christ and his putting an end to sin? Moreover, as they do so believers should display a distinct contrast with the disobedient (cf. 1 Pet. 4:7) even in the midst of any possible suffering as did their Savior. Then, they may “rejoice in the degree that you have shared in the sufferings of Christ, so that when his glory is revealed you may also rejoice and be glad” (1 Pet. 4:13). As Osborne observes, “We never enjoy our afflictions, but we rejoice because God is in charge and because we know what the future holds.”²³ May we bear this in mind so as to reflect God’s “awaiting patiently” for the Lord’s return.

Moreover, as Jude challenges his readers, believers should reflect God’s love in their relations with one another:

But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God’s love can bless you as you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. (Jude 1:20-21; NLT)

Living a Christ filled life thus has great benefits not only for this earthly life, but “The believer receives eternal life at the Second Coming (also Matt. 19:29; Rom. 2:7; Titus 3:7).”²⁴ Thus regardless of our tribulation here and now,

It will be worth it all when we see Jesus,
Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ;
One glimpse of His dear face all sorrows will erase,
So bravely run the race till we see Christ.²⁵

Scriptural Lessons Concerning Watching

Old Testament

Solomon advises his readers to:
Watch the path of your feet,
and all your ways will be established.
Do not turn to the right nor to the left;
turn your foot from evil. (Prov. 4:26-27)

Beneath the surface reading of these words lies the deeper wisdom that Solomon wishes to convey. As Schwab points out, “Understanding circumstance and situation, one puts this into practice, actually doing the deeds consistent with wise counsel (4:26), careful not to turn aside to the right or left (4:27).” ²⁶ Thus Solomon challenges people to consider carefully the things they do and places where they go. One is reminded of the song that encourages people (especially the young ones):

Be careful little feet where you go,
Be careful little feet where you go,
There’s a Father up above
And He’s looking down in love,
So be careful little feet where you go.

We should put a watch not only on our feet but all of our being. As David says,

“I will watch what I say
and make sure that I do not sin with my tongue.
I will put a muzzle over my mouth
while in the presence of an evil man. (Ps. 39:1-2)

The psalmist in Psalm 141 pleads with the Lord:

LORD, set up a guard for my mouth;
keep watch at the door of my lips. (v. 3)

The psalmist was apparently in some great difficulty, in which only God could help (cf. vv. 1-2, 8-10). The psalmist’s prayer to the Lord is that he would keep the psalmist from responding rashly or in an ungodly fashion (v. 4). Cohen suggests that, “His enemies had resorted to language of a blasphemous character; may God withhold him from allowing similar words to pass his lips!”²⁷ May this be a timely warning for all of God’s people. One must trust in the Lord and not speak or act rashly even in the most oppressive of situations, such as being accused falsely of some sinful word or act. The believer must seek never to bring discredit to the Lord or worship any other god (cf. Deut 4:23). Indeed, “When harassed, the wise trust in the Lord as guard ‘Over the door’ of their lips.”²⁸

This in turn is reminiscent of Job’s pleading with the Lord: “

If I have sinned, what have I done to you,
Watcher of mankind?
Why have you made me Your target,
so that I have become a burden to You?
Why not forgive my sin and pardon my transgression?
For soon I will lie down in the grave,
You will eagerly seek me, but I will be gone. (Job 7:20-21; HCSB)

Job is concerned. Has he committed some sin so that the Lord has brought on his troubles? Is this the reason that the Lord, who supervises all things, is treating him this way? Later Elihu will remind Job of his further remarks, which have been misguided (cf. Job 33:8-11):

I tell you that you are wrong in this matter,
since God is greater than man.
Why do you take Him to court
for not answering anything a person asks? (Job 33:12-13)

After all, Job is a mere human being and as such had no right to summon God to court. Moreover, if he has sinned, he cannot find fault with God. Still further, God is gracious and forgiving to all who follow Him (cf. vv. 14-31). Let us learn a lesson from Job. Rather than living self-righteously or failing to follow God’s will and revealed standards, let us live in close fellowship and dependence on the Lord. Assuredly, the song writers are correct in affirming:

I trust in God wherever I may be,
Upon the land on the rolling seas,
For come what may, from day to day,
My heav’nly Father watches over me.²⁹

The old proverb is also most specific: “The highway of the upright is to depart from evil; he who watches his way preserves his life” (Prov. 16:17; NASB). Living in accordance with God’s standards is a key to a far better life, even here on earth. As Kidner remarks, ”The highway consists in shunning what is wrong; and by keeping on this straight course, one is guarding one’s whole being.”³⁰ This includes one’s social life and especially one’s spiritual life, which is infinitely most important. As McKane remarks, “The upright man who walks along a road with an even surface, built up from a good foundation, keeps out of harm’s way.”³¹

The psalmist adds to this truth that not only should a person watch his course of life, but even more so he should look to God for guidance and strength, even in the face of harsh adversaries:

I will keep watch for you, my strength,
because God is my stronghold
My faithful God will come to meet me;
God will let me look down on my adversaries. (Ps. 59:9-10; HCSB; cf. Ps. 18:1-3).

Thus after God had delivered Israel from the mighty Egyptian army that had pursued them, Moses could sing, “The LORD is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation” (Exod. 15:2). Moses’ song of redemption (Exod. 15:1-18) is echoed in several other scriptural texts (cf. especially Ps. 77:16-19: Hab. 3:3-15). Similarly David declares:

The LORD is my light and my salvation—
whom shall I fear?

The LORD is the stronghold of my life—
of whom should I be afraid?

…

Though an army is deployed against me,
my heart is not afraid;
though war break out against me.
still I am confident. (Ps. 27:1, 3; HCSB)³²

The prophet Habakkuk, having uttered two complaints to the Lord (cf. Hab. 1:5-17),wisely steps aside and looks to God for wisdom:

I will stand at my watch post;
I will remain stationed on the city wall.
I will keep watching, so I can see what He says to me
and can know how I should answer
when He counters my argument. (Hab. 2:1)

As I have commented elsewhere, the prophet

is not so much challenging God with a complaint as he is desiring to have his perplexities alleviated and his viewpoint corrected.

Habakkuk also probably wanted to know God’s will and wisdom that he might respond properly to God’s correction and also communicate God’s intentions to others.³³

Knowing that God is keeping watch over all things, including our lives, believers should be encouraged to seek God’s wisdom and his approval in all that they do. As in the case of Habakkuk, such will have a proper effect on their spiritual condition and their daily lives.

New Testament

The theme of watching is also found in the New Testament. One of the most significant places is in association with Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane. It was just after what has become known as the Lord’s Supper (Matt. 26:26-35) that Jesus took Peter, James, and John with him as he went into the garden to pray. Having told his disciples to “remain here and watch with me” (v. 38; ESV), Jesus went apart from them a little way and began to pray for the Father’s will with regard to his own life (v. 39). After doing so for awhile, he came to the three and found fast asleep: “And he said to Peter, ‘So you could not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit is indeed willing, but the flesh is weak’” (vv. 40-41; ESV). Not only should they have been concerned for their master’s life but their own spiritual condition, especially at this crucial time. Interestingly, France suggests: “To his earlier instruction to ‘keep awake’ Jesus now adds “Pray.” Their prayer is not to be for him but for themselves, who have been shown to need it even more than he does.”³⁴

Believers should learn from all of this that being spiritually alert and prayerful are key elements in spiritual growth. Where such is realized, “A sure remedy is set before us, which is not far to seek, nor sought in vain. Christ promises that [people] earnest in prayer, who can fully put away the idleness of their flesh, will be victorious.” ³⁵ Let us, indeed, be faithful and consistent in our prayer lives.

The author of Hebrews says that such is particularly essential for Christian leaders. For it is their responsibility to, “Keep watch over your souls and will give an account of their work” (Heb. 13:17; NASB). Thus Bruce remarks, the

Readers are invited to cooperate with their leaders, to make their responsible task easier for them, so that they could discharge it joyfully and not with sorrow… [for local leaders] had a real concern for the welfare of the church and a sense of their accountability to God in this respect. If the discharge of their responsibility and the ultimate rendering of their account were made a burden to them, the resultant disadvantage who fall on those who were led as well as on the leaders.³⁶

Although this was designated especially for conditions in the early church, where good leadership was an essential commodity, it is still applicable to today’s churches. Such should be accompanied by Christian love and fellowship in the assembly, which radiates in the community. Where such is the case, “It will be found that not only does love promote fellowship but also that fellowship stimulates love, because it is by meeting together as a true community that Christians have the opportunity for encouraging one another by mutual support, comfort, and exhortation.”³⁷

Underlying the command is the spiritual truth that in good and proper Christian living, especially in the church in its work and witness, is the need for spiritual togetherness. Where a genuine concern for God’s name and standards is lived out, there will doubtless be spiritual growth in the church, in the community, and in personal lives. Thus the author’s closing charge is still relevant today:

Now may the God of peace who by the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead the great shepherd of the sheep, our Lord Jesus Christ, equip you with every good thing to do his will working in us what is pleasing before him through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. (Heb. 13:20-21; cf. 2 Pet. 3:18)

Spiritual Lessons Concerning Patience

The high value of patience has often been attested. An old Chinese saying declares, “One moment of patience may ward off great disaster; one moment of impatience may ruin a whole life.”³⁸ Tolstoi remarked that, “The strongest of all warriors are these two: Time and Patience.”³⁹ Ste. Theresa adds that, “Patient endurance attaineth to all things.’⁴⁰ The high value of patience is also mentioned in the Scriptures. Thus it is listed among several fruits of the Spirit such as, “Joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and self-control” (Gal. 5:22-23). Paul points out that not only is personal patience an admirable quality (Col. 1:11), but living in loving unity entails honesty, gentleness, and a patience while, “bearing with one another” (Eph. 4:2; cf. Col. 3:12).

As noted above, such a character quality originates in God himself (1 Pet. 3:20). Indeed, “Patience is a characteristic of God we may often overlook, yet…God’s patience with his people is an outstanding example of the virtue.”⁴¹ Personal patience may be said to begin with a person’s constant waiting for the Lord’s guidance. Thus having reminded his hearers of the necessity of a whole-soul committal to the Lord (Ps. 37:3-6), David adds: “Wait patiently for the LORD! Wait confidently for him! (v. 7).⁴²

While instructing Timothy, Paul points out that a good Christian, especially a leader, should show distinct patience with all people, including those who oppose him (2 Tim. 2:24). Lashing back when wronged or criticized by others is not a proper response. Thus Laansma remarks,

Quarreling is beneath the dignity of the King’s representative, it misrepresents and demeans the Good News, mistakenly believes that the power resides in us rather than in God’s work, empowers the lie, distracts from the truth, and entangles and discredits the messenger. In every way it is counterproductive.⁴³

A fitting example of human patience is that of Abraham:

When God made a promise to Abraham, since He had no one greater by, He swore by Himself:
I will most certainly bless you,
and I will greatly multiply you.
And so, after waiting patiently, Abraham obtained the promise. (Heb. 6:13-15; NASB)

God had promised Abraham that He would make of him a great nation that would prove to be a blessing for many (Gen. 12:2-3). The citation here in Hebrews 6, however, is from Genesis 22:16-17, where God promised him that because he had not withheld the possibility of sacrificing his only son, Isaac, “I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars in the sky and the sand on the seashore” (v. 17; NASB). So it would prove to be that while he was still alive that Abraham began to see the fulfilling of God’s promise (cf. Heb. 6:15).

The author of Hebrews goes on to say that God’s promise through Abraham is available also to Christian believers. For as Westcott points out:

This promise partially, typically, yet not exhaustively fulfilled, has been handed down to us doubly confirmed so that we cannot doubt as to its uttermost accomplishment (16-18); an accomplishment which is presented to us in the exaltation of the Son, whom hope can follow now through the veil (19-20).

Moreover, that promise has eternal rewards. As Olivers declares:

The God of Abraham praise, at whose supreme command,
From earth I rise, and seek the joys at His right hand.
I all on earth forsake, it’s wisdom, fame and pow’r;
And Him my only portion make, my shield and tow’r.⁴⁴

Such may include helping others in their time of need. As Paul tells the Thessalonian believers, “Admonish the undisciplined, comfort the discouraged, help the weak, be patient toward all” (1 Thess. 5:14). Morris makes Paul’s instructions very explicit by saying,

The Christian should not be putting his own interests first, and taking a strong line with those who do not agree with him. Rather, must be patient with all men, bearing their manners and patiently seeking to lead them in the way of the Lord. It is more important for him that he be able to render some service than that his ego should be satisfied.⁴⁵

Rather than satisfying our own desires, above all else we would be advised to follow the time honored observation of C.T. Studd: “Only one life, ‘Twill soon be past; Only what’s done for Christ will last.” Indeed, it has often been said, “Patience is an admirable quality.” May it be one that believers seek and is vastly appreciated by all.

James (probably the brother of Jesus) urges his fellow believers to be patient, “Until the Lord’s return” (James 5:7). As a further encouragement he adds, “Be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near”(v. 8). Theirs was to be a warm fellowship (v. 6) despite whatever they were experiencing. Still further, he reminds them of the old prophets: “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers and sisters, take the prophets who spoke in the Lord’s name” (v. 10; cf. Heb. 11:32-38). No matter how difficult the times, believers may rest in the Lord, while waiting patiently for Christ’s return, which can come at any moment. James’ advice serves as solid instruction to serve in the face of whatever good or troubles they encounter. The believer may indeed endure all things with patience, confident of a blessed future with the Lord Jesus Christ. “The path to blessing, therefore, is patient endurance.” ⁴⁶ As the hymn writer expresses it:

Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.⁴⁷

Concluding Thoughts

We noted above that there is a distinct need to wait confidently for God at all times, especially in times of trouble (Mic. 7:1-7; cf. Ps. 40:1-3). Indeed, God is ever available to all (Ps. 104:27-28). Therefore, we may take courage and find our strength in God, for he alone can provide true deliverance and protection, A we saw in Psalm 33, David serves as a prime example of one who placed full trust in a holy, righteous and sovereign God. The Apostle Paul points out the high value of waiting expectantly for Christ’s return to set up his everlasting earthly kingdom (1 Thess. 4:16-17). In support of all of this, David clearly points to the need for believers to wait in full reliance on the Lord and live in accordance with his standards (Pss. 25:27:1-9).

The Scriptures also challenge believers to watch how they carry on their lives before God, for the Lord watches over all things (cf. Ps. 141:1-3; Prov. 4:26-27). Such will enable believers to fulfill the charge that God communicated through the author of Hebrews to do the Lord’s will (cf. Heb. 13:20-21).

Waiting and watching should be accompanied by distinct patience, even as exemplified in the life of Abraham (cf. Heb. 6:13-15). This entails not only striving to live a righteous life before God, but doing so in whole-soul committal to him, as well as desiring to be of help to all, especially to those in need. Because true patience and strength exist and originate in God, believers should “also be patient and strengthen your hearts, for the Lord’s return is near” (James 5:8). This should be done with a whole-soul commitment to God in genuine heart-felt patience (Ps. 27:1-7).

What great truth underlies all of this? It is simply that believers should wait for the Lord’s guidance and direction, keep a distinct watch to be certain that they reflect the character of God and his holy standards, and live patiently and expectantly before Him who is their deliver, refuge, and guide as they await Christ’s return.

¹ See John Bartlett, Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, ed. Justin Kaplan, (Boston: Little, Brown and Company, 16th ed. (1992), 431: note 2.

² See further, ibid. 183;510.

³ Lloyd Cory, Quotable Quotations (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books (1989), 276.

⁴ Unless otherwise cited (as here), all scriptural citations are taken from the Net Bible.

⁵ See further, my remarks in, “The Source of True Strength,” Biblical Studies Press, 2013.

⁶ Vance Havner as cited in Quotable Quotations, 421.

⁷ Augustus Hopkins Strong, Systematic Theology (Philadelphia: The Judson Press (1907), 52.

⁸ W. C. Martin, “The Name of Jesus.”

⁹ Richard D. Patterson, “Singing The New Song: An Examination of Psalms 33, 96, 98 And 149,” Bibliotheca Sacra 164 (2007), 419.

¹⁰ Gary V. Smith, “Isaiah 40-66,” in The New American Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen (Nashville: Broadman and Holman (2009), 122.

¹¹ H. C. Leupold, Exposition of The Psalms (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House (1969), 841.

¹² See Richard D. Patterson in “A God Who Cares,” Biblical Studies Press (2014), 13.

¹³ William Mc Kane, Proverbs (Philadelphia: Westminster Press (1970), 548.

¹⁴ John H. Sammis, “Trust and Obey.”

¹⁵ J.J. Stewart Perowne, The Book of Psalms (Grand Rapids: Zondervan (1966) 2 vols. in one) 1: 258.

¹⁶ Richard D. Patterson, “Rest in Troublesome Times,” Biblical Studies Press (2014), 6.

¹⁷ Peter T. O’Brien, The Epistle to the Philippians, in The New International Greek Testament, eds. I. Howard Marshall and W. Ward Gasque (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, `991), 463, 465.

¹⁸ Sylvanus D. Phelps, “Something for Thee.”

¹⁹ Philip W. Comfort, “1-2 Thessalonians” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary; 18vols. (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House, 2008) 16: 340.

²⁰ Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 63-64.

²¹ Fanny J. Crosby, “Will Jesus Find us Watching?”

²² For a full discussion concerning the problems associated with these verses, see E. Schulyer English, The Life and Letters of Saint Peter (New York: “Our Hope,” 1941), 202-212.

²³ Grant R. Osborne, “James, 1-2 Peter, Jude,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, 18 vols. (Carol Stream, Il: 2011) 18:248.

²⁴ Osborne, op.cit., 389-90.

²⁵ Esther Kerr Rusthoi, “When We See Christ.”

²⁶ George M. Schwab, “The Book of Proverbs,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, ed. Philip W. Comfort, 18 vols. (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House (2009) 7:495.

²⁷ A. Cohen, The Palms, in Soncino Books of the Bible (London: Soncino Press, 13th ed. (1985), 458.

²⁸ Willem A. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, 13 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008) 5:972.

²⁹ W. C. Martin and Chas. H. Gabriel, “My Father Watches Over Me.”

³⁰ Derek Kidner, The Proverbs, in Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove: InterVarsity (1964), 120.

³¹ McKane, Proverbs, 500-501.

³² The psalmist’s words have been adopted and set to music. See, Frances Alliston, “The Lord is My Light.”

³³ Richard D. Patterson, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (Richardson, TX. Biblical Studies Press (2003), 150.

³⁴ R.T. France, The Gospel of Matthew, in The New International Commentary on The New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans 2007), 1005.

³⁵ John Calvin as cited by Grant R. Osborne, Matthew, in Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on The New Testament, ed. Clinton E. Arnold (Grand Rapids: Zondervan (2010), 980.

³⁶ F.F. Bruce, The Epistle to The Hebrews, in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans (1964), 408.

³⁷ Philip Edgcumbe Hughes, A Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans (1977), 408.

³⁸ See Lloyd Cory, Quotable Quotations (Wheaton: Victor Books,1989), 276.

³⁹ Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoi, “War and Peace,” in Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations, 510

⁴⁰ Ste. Theresa, as cited in James Dalton Morrison, Masterpieces of Religious Verse (New York: Harper, 1948, 39.

⁴¹ See Dictionary of Biblical Imagery, eds. Leland Ryken, James C. Wilhoit, and Tremper Longman III (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1998), 632.

⁴² For further details, see, Richard D. Patterson, “Faith, Hope, and Love,” (Richardson TX: Biblical Studies Press, 2016), 3-4.

⁴³ Jon C. Laansma, “2 Timothy, Titus,” in Cornerstone Biblical Commentary, ed. Philip W. Comfort, 18 vols. (Carol Stream, Il: Tyndale House, 2009) 17:180.

⁴⁴ Thomas Olivers, “The God of Abraham Praise.”

⁴⁵ Leon Morris, The First and Second Epistles to the Thessalonians in The New International Commentary on the New Testament (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1959), 169.

⁴⁶ George H. Guthrie, “James,” in The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, eds. Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland, 13 vols. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006) 13: 267.

⁴⁷ Katharina von Schlegel, trans Jane L. Borthwick, “Be Still, My Soul.”

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From the series: 网上牧师杂志–中文版（简体） PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

网上牧师杂志–中文版（简体）, SCh Ed, Issue 20 2016年 夏季

第一部份：讲道的大能，第三点（续）

第二部份：讲 道 的 准 备

第三部份：灵修

I. 福音是神给人特殊的启示

II. 福音是神给人救赎的邀请

第四部份：讲道大纲

From the series: 网上牧师杂志–中文版（简体） PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: 網上牧師雜誌 – 中文版（繁體） PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

網上牧師雜誌 – 中文版（繁體）, TCh Ed, Issue 20 2016年 夏季

第一部份：講道的大能，第三點（續）

第二部份：講 道 的 準 備

第三部份：靈修

I. 福音是神給人特殊的啟示

II. 福音是神給人救贖的邀請

第四部份：講道大綱

From the series: 網上牧師雜誌 – 中文版（繁體） PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: Gênesis: Do Paradise aos Patriarchs PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

19. Marcas de Maturidade (Gênesis 18:1-33)

Introdução

O Trio Celestial e a Hospitalidade de Abraão (18:1-8)

O Propósito de Deus Confiado a Abraão (18:16-21)

Abraão Intercede junto a Deus por Sodoma (18:22-33)

Conclusão

From the series: Gênesis: Do Paradise aos Patriarchs PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: The Rapture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

1. The Rapture

Introduction

The Meaning of the Rapture

I Thessalonians 4

The Exciting Rapture

From the series: The Rapture PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Angels, God’s Ministering Spirits

Introduction

A Simple Definition

The Nature of Angels

Angels are created beings

Angels are spirit creatures

The Types of Angels (Good and Evil)

The Ministry of Good Angels

Angels Protect

Angels Provide

Angels Proclaim God’s Truth

Angels Punish or Carry Out God’s Judgments

Final Thoughts on the Ministry of Angels

The Deception of Evil, Fallen Angels

Some Warnings (Things to Do and Not to Do)

Never Worship Angels

Do Not Participate in Angel Gimmickry

Do Not Become Critical of the Reports of Angels

Some Positive Things to Do

God’s Reluctant Missionary (Jonah 1-4)

1. God has compassion for lost people.

2. God’s people don’t always share His compassion for lost people.

3. Should we not have God’s compassion for the lost?

Conclusion

Discussion Questions

From the series: Romans PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Lesson 104: Dreaming Big for God (Romans 15:22-29)

1. Dream big and make plans for how God might use you (15:22-24).

(1). Dream big for God!

(2). Don’t let good things crowd out God’s best for you.

(3). Work out a plan for God’s will for you in line with your desires.

(4). Serve God in relationship with other likeminded believers.

2. In your planning, consider what will have maximum impact for Christ’s church (15:25-28).

3. Submit to the Lord’s will and seek His blessing for all your plans (15:29).

Conclusion

Application Questions

From the series: Romans PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

From the series: 1 Thessalonians PREVIOUS PAGE | NEXT PAGE

Lesson 2: Are You Elect? (1 Thessalonians 1:2-4)

1. Election does not negate prayer, but rather encourages it, since salvation is God’s doing.

2. Because election is God’s purpose which cannot fail, it results in changed lives.

A. A changed life is evidenced by work stemming from faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

B. A changed life is evidenced by labor motivated by love for the Lord Jesus Christ and for others.

C. A changed life is evidenced by steadfastness produced by hope in the Lord Jesus Christ.

3. The main reason we receive the gospel and our lives are changed is that God loved us and chose us for salvation.

Conclusion

网上牧师杂志–中文版（简体）, SCh Ed, Issue 20 2016年夏季

第二部份：讲道的准备

網上牧師雜誌 – 中文版（繁體）, TCh Ed, Issue 20 2016年夏季

第二部份：講道的準備

The Types of Angels
(Good and Evil)

Some Warnings
(Things to Do and Not to Do)