The Valley Of Elah (Strength) - 1 Samuel 17
Read verses 1-3. Define mountains and valleys in our lives. Some examples: The Valley of the Shadow of Death (Psalm 23), the Valley of Baca (Weeping, Psalm 84).
Then verse 16.
40 is symbolic of a time of testing. Examples:
- Spies checking out the promised land. Numbers 13:25-33.
- 40 years wandering in the wilderness.
- Jesus’ temptation by Satan in the wilderness.
- After Jesus’ resurrection, time spent showing He was alive.
Giants of Gath - Anakim:
- See Numbers 13:25-33; Joshua 11:21-22; 1 Chronicles 20:4-8. If the Israelites had destroyed the Canaanites as the Lord had commended them to do, there would never have been this battle. As the verses in this section show, Goliath and his four brothers came from one of the cities that they did not conquer by faith.
Comparison between Goliath, Saul, and David, and their strengths:
Size: Goliath – 9 ½ feet or taller. (The main cubit used in Bible times was a foot and a half long.)
Saul – Head and shoulders above everyone else. 1 Samuel 9:2.
David – Average size.
Armour: Goliath – Coat of mail (approximately 125 pounds), helmet, brass leg greaves, shield, target (means either a small shield – as extra protection for his back - or a javelin).
Saul – Coat of mail, helmet, perhaps more. Vs. 38-39.
David – none. Vs. 40-47, 50. The problem with Saul’s armour was that to David it was untried in battle, not that it was too big.
Weapons: Goliath – Sword, spear (head weighed about 15 pounds). (Sword later used by David – See 1 Samuel 21:9.)
Saul – Sword.
David – Sling and five stones, staff.
Age: Goliath – Perhaps middle age. Vs. 33.
Saul – Approximately 60-70 years old. We do not know how old he was when he became king, but he reigned for 40 years, and at this point in time it was about 30 years into his reign. (See next point.)
David – Around 20 years old. Vs. 33-37. Israels’ soldiers were usually 20 years old and up. After this point in time, David becomes part of Saul’s army. Saul’s daughter was offered to him (so he could not have been any younger than mid to late teens). The history of the rest of the book of 1 Samuel (ie. David serving in Saul’s court, in the Israelite army, and fleeing from king Saul) does not seem to cover more than approximately ten years, and David was 30 when Saul died and he became king – so this would again make him somewhere around 20 (ie. late teens to early twenties).
Status: Goliath – Seasoned Warrior, Philistines’ Champion.
Saul – King, Warrior.
David – Musician, Shepherd, Armourbearer.
Military Might: Goliath – Whole Philistine army, shield bearer.
Saul – Israelite army, Valiant men, David’s 3 oldest brothers, Jonathan. 1 Samuel 14:47-48, 52.
David – All alone… (With the Lord!!)
Mental State: Goliath – Fierce, scornful.
Saul – Fearful. Vs. 11.
David – Full of faith, bold, courageous. Vs. 23-24, 26, 29. We see his love for the Lord, and his desire to defend the Lord’s honour.
Spiritual State: Goliath – Lost, wicked.
Saul – Backslidden, Holy Spirit departed from him. 1 Samuel 16:14.
David – The Holy Spirit came upon him (like the Judges). 1 Samuel 16:13.
Spiritual Might/Strength:
Zechariah 4:6 Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.
- Might: from Strong's # 2342; probably a force, whether of men, means or other resources; an army, wealth, virtue, valor, strength.
Philippians 4:13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
Joshua 23:9-10 For the LORD hath driven out from before you great nations and strong: but as for you, no man hath been able to stand before you unto this day. One man of you shall chase a thousand: for the LORD your God, he it is that fighteth for you, as he hath promised you.
Proverbs 28:1 The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
Ephesians 6:10-12 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
- Strong: empowered, enabled.
- Power: vigor, strengthened.
November 3rd, 2010
Jerry Bouey
Friday, November 5, 2010
Thankful For The Love Of God
At the Gospel Mission, we finished a series on Ruth, and started a couple of weeks of messages on a Giving Thanks in preparation for our Canadian Thanksgiving (which is today, October 11th). I preached the main part of this study for the lunch devotional yesterday, and added more verses today to round out it out.
Thankful For The Love Of God
Love is not an emotion (though it may effect them) - love is a choice. Love is an action verb. Always seeking the best for others.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Romans 5:6-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
When we were at our worst, God gave His best! He proved/showed/demonstrated His love to us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins.
1 John 4:8-10 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
We learn love through the Lord Jesus Christ's example for us - He loved us first!
Consider each point of the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13, thinking about Christ’s/God’s love as an example for us, and how our love is to be towards others and towards the Lord in return.
The word translated as charity here is the Greek word agape. It means "love," and is often referred as the deep love of God, a self-sacrificial love that desires the best for others. Matthew Henry points out that the word charity was used by the translators to indicate when they believed love towards BOTH God and man was in view in that particular verse or passage.
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, - Longsuffering, forbearing. Webster's 1828 Dictionary gives this as one of his definitions for forbearance: "The exercise of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us; lenity; delay of resentment or punishment."
In the Gospel Mission, we often see people at the lowest point in their lives, and there are some that are extremely difficult to handle at times - but love forbears and still reaches out to them, helping them and caring for them.
The Bible speaks in various places of God's forbearance towards us. Several references are:
Colossians 3:13-14 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
and is kind; - Webster’s: Kind: "1. Disposed to do good to others, and to make them happy by granting their requests, supplying their wants or assisting them in distress; having tenderness or goodness of nature; benevolent; benignant.
2. Proceeding from tenderness or goodness of heart; benevolent; as a kind act; a kind return of favors."
Real love is not just wishing others well, but putting shoe leather on our intentions and doing good to others.
Psalm 92:1-2 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
charity envieth not; - Webster's: Envy: "v.t. [L. invideo, in and video, to see against, that is, to look with enmity.]
1. To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.
2. To grudge; to withhold maliciously.
EN'VY, n. Pain, uneasiness, mortification or discontent excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied with some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, and with pleasure in seeing him depressed. Envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess."
Love does not hate/despise someone else because of what they have or because they are better off in some way than you. The love of God in believers - produced through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit in us - enables us to desire and work towards the best for others, just as the Lord is working out all things for good in our own lives.
Romans 5:5b ...because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1 John 3:17-18 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
charity vaunteth not itself, - Is not boastful; doesn’t brag about themself.
is not puffed up, - Is not inflated with pride.
I have seen many in our community and even some that come through our doors that look down on others - whether these others are clients or staff at the Mission - because the image of homelessness or low income families disgusts them. That is pride - agape love cares for others and does not elevate themselves above those in need. Neither does it look down on those who are struggling with sin in their lives, knowing we are just as prone to wander, and just as much in need of the Lord's forgiveness and cleansing in our own lives. There is no place for pride in the heart of a saved individual - the ground is level at the foot of the cross.
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, - Does not act in an inappropriate manner towards others.
True love will do what is right around others, will not treat them wrong or act towards them in an ungodly way.
One passage that comes to mind about our Saviour shows that He did not flip out or act inappropriately, even when dealing with lost sinners. I cringe whenever I hear shouting in the hallways where I live, where a husband and wife (or parents and children) are yelling at each other, cursing each other out, but Jesus never did that when He ministered here on earth. He showed His love towards those around Him (and still shows it towards us), even when He needed to correct their sin.
Matthew 12:18-21 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
seeketh not her own, - Is not selfish, self-centered, is looking out for the best for others, not simply for themself.
is not easily provoked, - Not easily exasperated with others.
Following up on the book of James (which we covered at the Mission last month), love is slow to wrath, slow to be angry or frustrated with others, slow to retaliate or respond in the same manner (leaving vengeance in the Lord's hands). Sometimes it is hard not to react badly when someone is cursing you out or dumping on you (as we sometimes say), but true love tries to react in a Christ-like manner. And, no, that does not mean we never get upset at sin or someone's bad behavior - but we learn more how to bear it and deal with it it a right way that honors the Lord and responds appropriately.
thinketh no evil; - Strong's Concordance: Thinketh: "to take an inventory, i.e. estimate...:--conclude...."
- Strong's: Evil: "worthless (intrinsically such...), that is (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious:--bad, ...harm[ful], ...wicked."
Of course, love means we should not be thinking wicked or harmful thoughts about/towards others - but I find the definition here interesting. We are not to think of others as "worthless." In this ministry, we have many coming through our doors that no longer feel they are of value to others - YET God considers them of worth, and we should too - if we claim to have love for them.
1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, - Strong's: Rejoiceth: "to be full of 'cheer',... be glad."
- Strong's: Iniquity: "(legal) injustice (properly, the quality, by implication, the act); morally, wrongfulness (of character, life or act):--iniquity, unjust, unrighteousness, wrong."
Not glad for injustice done to others. There are many in our society, even on the street, that take pleasure when wrong is done to others, when someone is ripped off, when others are treated unfairly (kind of like bullies in school). Part of the definition refers to legal injustice done - we see a lot of that in our world, when a judge lets the wicked off and the righteous or innocent get charged falsely and lose what they have. Love does not rejoice in this!
but rejoiceth in the truth; - Strong's: Rejoiceth: "to sympathize in gladness, congratulate:--rejoice in (with)."
- Strong's: Truth: "true (as not concealing)."
Real love rejoiceth when the truth comes out, when the righteous and the innocent are vindicated. The Lord will right the injustices we face in life - whether now or in eternity.
Psalm 37:5-6 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, - Strong's: Beareth: "to roof over, i.e. (figuratively) to cover with silence (endure patiently)."
Love covers the sins of others, overlooks them, does not hold them against someone.
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
One of the main themes of the Bible is Christ's atonement for our sins. Atonement means "to cover." Jesus' blood covers the repentant believer's sins and washes them away; therefore, they are no longer held against that believer. Only God's love can do that!
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Psalm 103:10-14 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
believeth all things, - Strong's: Believeth: "to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ)."
How is your walk with the Lord? Are you growing in your faith? Love towards God is believing all that He has said.
hopeth all things, - Hope means "confident expectation."
Loving God is believing and receiving His promises - confidently expecting Him to fulfill them as He is working in your life.
endureth all things. - Strong's: Endureth: "to stay under (behind), i.e. remain; figuratively, to undergo, i.e. bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere."
Loving the Lord is enduring the trials He allows in your life - knowing every single one of them has a purpose, and one of those purposes is to make you more like your Saviour. Are you trusting in your Heavenly Father - believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things He has planned for you?
1 Corinthians 13:8a Charity never faileth: - Never: "Not even at any time, i.e. never at all."
- Strong's: Faileth: "to drop away; specially, be driven out of one's course; figuratively, to lose, become inefficient:--...take none effect."
God's love will NEVER, EVER fail! He will ALWAYS fulfill His work in your life. He will NEVER be driven out of course in His plan for you. His love will NEVER lose its power, NEVER become inefficient, NEVER be of no effect in your life.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when His love is shed abroad in our hearts and we are actively showing that love to those around us in a Christlike and Biblical manner (emphasis on loving others in a Biblical manner, because there is much fluff in our modern thinking of love), it WILL have a lasting, powerful, transforming effect on others - just as the Lord's love has had a life changing effect on you (if you are His child).
Loving others is in accordance with obeying the Lord and following His Word - ie. loving others is doing right towards them.
1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
2 Peter 1:3-11 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Right now, faith, hope, and charity (love towards God and man) abide - they remain, are lasting, endure. In eternity, faith and hope will be done away with, they will have fulfilled their purpose. There will be no more need for faith, as we will be walking by sight, we will see our Saviour and our saved loved ones face to face. There will be no more need for hope, for confidently expecting the Lord to keep His promises, as we will see the fulfillment of all He has promised and all Bible prophecies come to pass.
However, charity - love towards God and man - will last forever. We will be dwelling in God's presence, worshipping and loving Him, and living in love with our brethren in Christ. Charity will endure forever - no wonder the greatest of these is charity (love)!
1 John 4:16-17 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect (complete), that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Most of us are quite familiar with John 3:16, but how many of us know 1 John 3:16?
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Are you thankful for God's love? Have you responded to it by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Are you showing that love to others?
Ah, the love of God - one of my favourite themes, and one of my favorite hymns:
Thankful For The Love Of God
Love is not an emotion (though it may effect them) - love is a choice. Love is an action verb. Always seeking the best for others.
John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
John 15:13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
Romans 5:6-9 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
When we were at our worst, God gave His best! He proved/showed/demonstrated His love to us by sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins.
1 John 4:8-10 He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
1 John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us.
We learn love through the Lord Jesus Christ's example for us - He loved us first!
Consider each point of the description of love in 1 Corinthians 13, thinking about Christ’s/God’s love as an example for us, and how our love is to be towards others and towards the Lord in return.
The word translated as charity here is the Greek word agape. It means "love," and is often referred as the deep love of God, a self-sacrificial love that desires the best for others. Matthew Henry points out that the word charity was used by the translators to indicate when they believed love towards BOTH God and man was in view in that particular verse or passage.
1 Corinthians 13:4 Charity suffereth long, - Longsuffering, forbearing. Webster's 1828 Dictionary gives this as one of his definitions for forbearance: "The exercise of patience; long suffering; indulgence towards those who injure us; lenity; delay of resentment or punishment."
In the Gospel Mission, we often see people at the lowest point in their lives, and there are some that are extremely difficult to handle at times - but love forbears and still reaches out to them, helping them and caring for them.
The Bible speaks in various places of God's forbearance towards us. Several references are:
Colossians 3:13-14 Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Romans 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance?
and is kind; - Webster’s: Kind: "1. Disposed to do good to others, and to make them happy by granting their requests, supplying their wants or assisting them in distress; having tenderness or goodness of nature; benevolent; benignant.
2. Proceeding from tenderness or goodness of heart; benevolent; as a kind act; a kind return of favors."
Real love is not just wishing others well, but putting shoe leather on our intentions and doing good to others.
Psalm 92:1-2 It is a good thing to give thanks unto the LORD, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High: To shew forth thy lovingkindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night,
Jeremiah 31:3 The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
charity envieth not; - Webster's: Envy: "v.t. [L. invideo, in and video, to see against, that is, to look with enmity.]
1. To feel uneasiness, mortification or discontent, at the sight of superior excellence, reputation or happiness enjoyed by another; to repine at another's prosperity; to fret or grieve one's self at the real or supposed superiority of another, and to hate him on that account.
2. To grudge; to withhold maliciously.
EN'VY, n. Pain, uneasiness, mortification or discontent excited by the sight of another's superiority or success, accompanied with some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, and with pleasure in seeing him depressed. Envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess."
Love does not hate/despise someone else because of what they have or because they are better off in some way than you. The love of God in believers - produced through the work of the indwelling Holy Spirit in us - enables us to desire and work towards the best for others, just as the Lord is working out all things for good in our own lives.
Romans 5:5b ...because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.
Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
1 John 3:17-18 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.
charity vaunteth not itself, - Is not boastful; doesn’t brag about themself.
is not puffed up, - Is not inflated with pride.
I have seen many in our community and even some that come through our doors that look down on others - whether these others are clients or staff at the Mission - because the image of homelessness or low income families disgusts them. That is pride - agape love cares for others and does not elevate themselves above those in need. Neither does it look down on those who are struggling with sin in their lives, knowing we are just as prone to wander, and just as much in need of the Lord's forgiveness and cleansing in our own lives. There is no place for pride in the heart of a saved individual - the ground is level at the foot of the cross.
1 Corinthians 13:5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, - Does not act in an inappropriate manner towards others.
True love will do what is right around others, will not treat them wrong or act towards them in an ungodly way.
One passage that comes to mind about our Saviour shows that He did not flip out or act inappropriately, even when dealing with lost sinners. I cringe whenever I hear shouting in the hallways where I live, where a husband and wife (or parents and children) are yelling at each other, cursing each other out, but Jesus never did that when He ministered here on earth. He showed His love towards those around Him (and still shows it towards us), even when He needed to correct their sin.
Matthew 12:18-21 Behold my servant, whom I have chosen; my beloved, in whom my soul is well pleased: I will put my spirit upon him, and he shall shew judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not strive, nor cry; neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets. A bruised reed shall he not break, and a smoking flax shall he not quench, till he send forth judgment unto victory. And in his name shall the Gentiles trust.
seeketh not her own, - Is not selfish, self-centered, is looking out for the best for others, not simply for themself.
is not easily provoked, - Not easily exasperated with others.
Following up on the book of James (which we covered at the Mission last month), love is slow to wrath, slow to be angry or frustrated with others, slow to retaliate or respond in the same manner (leaving vengeance in the Lord's hands). Sometimes it is hard not to react badly when someone is cursing you out or dumping on you (as we sometimes say), but true love tries to react in a Christ-like manner. And, no, that does not mean we never get upset at sin or someone's bad behavior - but we learn more how to bear it and deal with it it a right way that honors the Lord and responds appropriately.
thinketh no evil; - Strong's Concordance: Thinketh: "to take an inventory, i.e. estimate...:--conclude...."
- Strong's: Evil: "worthless (intrinsically such...), that is (subjectively) depraved, or (objectively) injurious:--bad, ...harm[ful], ...wicked."
Of course, love means we should not be thinking wicked or harmful thoughts about/towards others - but I find the definition here interesting. We are not to think of others as "worthless." In this ministry, we have many coming through our doors that no longer feel they are of value to others - YET God considers them of worth, and we should too - if we claim to have love for them.
1 Corinthians 13:6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, - Strong's: Rejoiceth: "to be full of 'cheer',... be glad."
- Strong's: Iniquity: "(legal) injustice (properly, the quality, by implication, the act); morally, wrongfulness (of character, life or act):--iniquity, unjust, unrighteousness, wrong."
Not glad for injustice done to others. There are many in our society, even on the street, that take pleasure when wrong is done to others, when someone is ripped off, when others are treated unfairly (kind of like bullies in school). Part of the definition refers to legal injustice done - we see a lot of that in our world, when a judge lets the wicked off and the righteous or innocent get charged falsely and lose what they have. Love does not rejoice in this!
but rejoiceth in the truth; - Strong's: Rejoiceth: "to sympathize in gladness, congratulate:--rejoice in (with)."
- Strong's: Truth: "true (as not concealing)."
Real love rejoiceth when the truth comes out, when the righteous and the innocent are vindicated. The Lord will right the injustices we face in life - whether now or in eternity.
Psalm 37:5-6 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday.
1 Peter 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.
Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
1 Corinthians 13:7 Beareth all things, - Strong's: Beareth: "to roof over, i.e. (figuratively) to cover with silence (endure patiently)."
Love covers the sins of others, overlooks them, does not hold them against someone.
1 Peter 4:8 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins.
One of the main themes of the Bible is Christ's atonement for our sins. Atonement means "to cover." Jesus' blood covers the repentant believer's sins and washes them away; therefore, they are no longer held against that believer. Only God's love can do that!
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Isaiah 43:25 I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
Psalm 103:10-14 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us. Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear him. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.
believeth all things, - Strong's: Believeth: "to have faith (in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. credit; by implication, to entrust (especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ)."
How is your walk with the Lord? Are you growing in your faith? Love towards God is believing all that He has said.
hopeth all things, - Hope means "confident expectation."
Loving God is believing and receiving His promises - confidently expecting Him to fulfill them as He is working in your life.
endureth all things. - Strong's: Endureth: "to stay under (behind), i.e. remain; figuratively, to undergo, i.e. bear (trials), have fortitude, persevere."
Loving the Lord is enduring the trials He allows in your life - knowing every single one of them has a purpose, and one of those purposes is to make you more like your Saviour. Are you trusting in your Heavenly Father - believing all things, hoping all things, enduring all things He has planned for you?
1 Corinthians 13:8a Charity never faileth: - Never: "Not even at any time, i.e. never at all."
- Strong's: Faileth: "to drop away; specially, be driven out of one's course; figuratively, to lose, become inefficient:--...take none effect."
God's love will NEVER, EVER fail! He will ALWAYS fulfill His work in your life. He will NEVER be driven out of course in His plan for you. His love will NEVER lose its power, NEVER become inefficient, NEVER be of no effect in your life.
When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, when His love is shed abroad in our hearts and we are actively showing that love to those around us in a Christlike and Biblical manner (emphasis on loving others in a Biblical manner, because there is much fluff in our modern thinking of love), it WILL have a lasting, powerful, transforming effect on others - just as the Lord's love has had a life changing effect on you (if you are His child).
Loving others is in accordance with obeying the Lord and following His Word - ie. loving others is doing right towards them.
1 John 5:2-3 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.
2 Peter 1:3-11 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But he that lacketh these things is blind, and cannot see afar off, and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins. Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall: For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
Right now, faith, hope, and charity (love towards God and man) abide - they remain, are lasting, endure. In eternity, faith and hope will be done away with, they will have fulfilled their purpose. There will be no more need for faith, as we will be walking by sight, we will see our Saviour and our saved loved ones face to face. There will be no more need for hope, for confidently expecting the Lord to keep His promises, as we will see the fulfillment of all He has promised and all Bible prophecies come to pass.
However, charity - love towards God and man - will last forever. We will be dwelling in God's presence, worshipping and loving Him, and living in love with our brethren in Christ. Charity will endure forever - no wonder the greatest of these is charity (love)!
1 John 4:16-17 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect (complete), that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world.
Most of us are quite familiar with John 3:16, but how many of us know 1 John 3:16?
1 John 3:16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.
Are you thankful for God's love? Have you responded to it by receiving the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour? Are you showing that love to others?
Ah, the love of God - one of my favourite themes, and one of my favorite hymns:
The Love Of God
(Lyrics: Frederick Lehman)
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Chorus:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Preached October 10th/2010
Written October 11th/2010
Jerry Bouey
(Lyrics: Frederick Lehman)
The love of God is greater far
Than tongue or pen can ever tell;
It goes beyond the highest star,
And reaches to the lowest hell;
The guilty pair, bowed down with care,
God gave His Son to win;
His erring child He reconciled,
And pardoned from his sin.
Chorus:
O love of God, how rich and pure!
How measureless and strong!
It shall forevermore endure
The saints’ and angels’ song.
When years of time shall pass away,
And earthly thrones and kingdoms fall,
When men, who here refuse to pray,
On rocks and hills and mountains call,
God’s love so sure, shall still endure,
All measureless and strong;
Redeeming grace to Adam’s race—
The saints’ and angels’ song.
Could we with ink the ocean fill,
And were the skies of parchment made,
Were every stalk on earth a quill,
And every man a scribe by trade,
To write the love of God above,
Would drain the ocean dry.
Nor could the scroll contain the whole,
Though stretched from sky to sky.
Preached October 10th/2010
Written October 11th/2010
Jerry Bouey
Monday, June 7, 2010
True Worship
Many people in our day call attending a church service or listening to some music (for example, a Christian rock concert) as worshipping the Lord (ie. a worship service, praise and worship). While we certainly can worship the Lord through our singing (ie. praising Him and giving Him glory through song - of course, through God-honouring music!), but worship is not primarily that or limited to that. Many can go through the motions; and getting some feeling (or emotional high) through the music is not worship.
Basic definitions of worship, based on the words used in the Bible: to bow down or prostrate onself in humble submission/homage; glorifying the Lord through praise, prayer, and song; to serve; to kiss or adore; to revere (to have Godly fear of the Lord); to be pious towards (ie. devoted to).
Way Of Life Encyclopedia gives this definition: "To bow down; to honor; to exalt; to pay homage; to reverence."
The word worship basically means to give worth to something. What do you give worth to in your life?
As mentioned, worship involves serving, spending time with, adoration. What do you spend all your time and focus on? There are people that worship their possessions, their money and cars, themselves.
One of the words for worship in the Bible is latreuo or latreia, which means "to serve." We get our word "idolatry" from this - which is serving or revering idols (false gods), whether physical or spiritual.
Ways Of Worship:
A) Praise: Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
This is something the Bible refers to as "the sacrifice of praise" - praising the Lord when it is not easy. That is real worship.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
See also Jeremiah 33:11.
B) Adoration: Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Worship - "(meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)."
- In a negative sense, regarding the world following the Antichrist:
2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Worshipped - "something adored, i.e. an object of worship (god, altar, etc):--devotion, that is worshipped."
C) Service: Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
D) Fear/Reverence: Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Worshipped - "to revere, i.e. adore:--devout, religious, worship."
- Notice: Lydia did not yet know the Lord, but her reverence (fear of God) led her to pay attention to the Word of God when she heard it. Before I got saved, my fear of the Lord led me to cast off certain sins that were in my life when I was younger - but I still needed the knowledge of the truth and understanding/reception of the Gospel to worship the Lord in a manner that would please Him.
How To Worship:
1) In The Beauty Of Holiness:
Psalms 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Beauty - decoration, from a word meaning "magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor."
Holiness - "from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary."
6942: "to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally)."
Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Kneel - "to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration)." Also, "praise."
2) In Spirit/Sincerity And Truth:
John 4:20-24 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
In spirit - means that our worship of God is not to be some external show, but coming from our heart, from our inner man.
- God is not limited by location. We can seek Him and worship Him anywhere.
- He is not some physical object that we make offerings or pray towards. He is a Spirit.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Joshua 24:14-15 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Sincerity - "entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth:--without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright(-ly), whole."
In truth - means that our worship of the Lord God must be according to His Word - His way. That means our worship of God the Father must be through the Son. We can't worship the Lord any old way we choose.
3) By Our Whole Life And Our Daily Service:
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Reasonable - rational, logical.
Service - Latreia, "from 3000; ministration of God, i.e. worship."
3000: "from latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage:--serve, do the service, worship(-per)."
In Heaven for all eternity, we will be worshipping the Lord:
Revelation 4:8-11 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 5:11-14 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 7:9-12 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 11:15-17 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Revelation 19:1-4 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
Basic definitions of worship, based on the words used in the Bible: to bow down or prostrate onself in humble submission/homage; glorifying the Lord through praise, prayer, and song; to serve; to kiss or adore; to revere (to have Godly fear of the Lord); to be pious towards (ie. devoted to).
Way Of Life Encyclopedia gives this definition: "To bow down; to honor; to exalt; to pay homage; to reverence."
The word worship basically means to give worth to something. What do you give worth to in your life?
As mentioned, worship involves serving, spending time with, adoration. What do you spend all your time and focus on? There are people that worship their possessions, their money and cars, themselves.
One of the words for worship in the Bible is latreuo or latreia, which means "to serve." We get our word "idolatry" from this - which is serving or revering idols (false gods), whether physical or spiritual.
Ways Of Worship:
A) Praise: Job 1:20-21 Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, And said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.
This is something the Bible refers to as "the sacrifice of praise" - praising the Lord when it is not easy. That is real worship.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
See also Jeremiah 33:11.
B) Adoration: Matthew 2:2 Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.
Matthew 2:11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.
Worship - "(meaning to kiss, like a dog licking his master's hand); to fawn or crouch to, i.e. (literally or figuratively) prostrate oneself in homage (do reverence to, adore)."
- In a negative sense, regarding the world following the Antichrist:
2 Thessalonians 2:4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God.
Worshipped - "something adored, i.e. an object of worship (god, altar, etc):--devotion, that is worshipped."
C) Service: Luke 4:8 And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
D) Fear/Reverence: Acts 16:14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul.
Worshipped - "to revere, i.e. adore:--devout, religious, worship."
- Notice: Lydia did not yet know the Lord, but her reverence (fear of God) led her to pay attention to the Word of God when she heard it. Before I got saved, my fear of the Lord led me to cast off certain sins that were in my life when I was younger - but I still needed the knowledge of the truth and understanding/reception of the Gospel to worship the Lord in a manner that would please Him.
How To Worship:
1) In The Beauty Of Holiness:
Psalms 29:2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
Beauty - decoration, from a word meaning "magnificence, i.e. ornament or splendor."
Holiness - "from 6942; a sacred place or thing; rarely abstract, sanctity:--consecrated (thing), dedicated (thing), hallowed (thing), holiness, (X most) holy (X day, portion, thing), saint, sanctuary."
6942: "to be (causatively, make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally)."
Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Kneel - "to kneel; by implication to bless God (as an act of adoration)." Also, "praise."
2) In Spirit/Sincerity And Truth:
John 4:20-24 Our fathers worshipped in this mountain; and ye say, that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship. Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father. Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
In spirit - means that our worship of God is not to be some external show, but coming from our heart, from our inner man.
- God is not limited by location. We can seek Him and worship Him anywhere.
- He is not some physical object that we make offerings or pray towards. He is a Spirit.
Philippians 3:3 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
Joshua 24:14-15 Now therefore fear the LORD, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the flood, and in Egypt; and serve ye the LORD. And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
Sincerity - "entire (literally, figuratively or morally); also (as noun) integrity, truth:--without blemish, complete, full, perfect, sincerely (-ity), sound, without spot, undefiled, upright(-ly), whole."
In truth - means that our worship of the Lord God must be according to His Word - His way. That means our worship of God the Father must be through the Son. We can't worship the Lord any old way we choose.
3) By Our Whole Life And Our Daily Service:
Romans 12:1-2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
Reasonable - rational, logical.
Service - Latreia, "from 3000; ministration of God, i.e. worship."
3000: "from latris (a hired menial); to minister (to God), i.e. render religious homage:--serve, do the service, worship(-per)."
In Heaven for all eternity, we will be worshipping the Lord:
Revelation 4:8-11 And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within: and they rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. And when those beasts give glory and honour and thanks to him that sat on the throne, who liveth for ever and ever, The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honour and power: for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.
Revelation 5:11-14 And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.
Revelation 7:9-12 After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; And cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.
Revelation 11:15-17 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
Revelation 19:1-4 And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia.
On My Knees
On my knees I will worship
the King of heaven and earth.
Lord of all creation,
You alone are worth
More than a million diamonds,
or pearls from the sea,
For they will pass away, my Lord,
but You will always be.
When troubles come, my God,
I know You will conquer all.
You will heal my heart and rescue me
every time I fall.
In the darkest night of despair,
my Jesus, You'll pull me through.
There is no other Saviour, Lord,
there is only You.
When my heart is tempted away, Lord,
I know You will pull me back.
When riches start to sway me,
remind me there's no lack
Of Your glorious blessings.
I have no use for greed.
You are love eternal;
that is all I really need.
When the world grabs at my attention
don't let me be lured away.
All the money I can dream of
is not worth one single day
Of being without You,
my Lord, my God, my King.
You alone are worth forever,
You're worth everything!
Poem May 18th, 1994
Outline June 7, 2010
Jerry Bouey
On my knees I will worship
the King of heaven and earth.
Lord of all creation,
You alone are worth
More than a million diamonds,
or pearls from the sea,
For they will pass away, my Lord,
but You will always be.
When troubles come, my God,
I know You will conquer all.
You will heal my heart and rescue me
every time I fall.
In the darkest night of despair,
my Jesus, You'll pull me through.
There is no other Saviour, Lord,
there is only You.
When my heart is tempted away, Lord,
I know You will pull me back.
When riches start to sway me,
remind me there's no lack
Of Your glorious blessings.
I have no use for greed.
You are love eternal;
that is all I really need.
When the world grabs at my attention
don't let me be lured away.
All the money I can dream of
is not worth one single day
Of being without You,
my Lord, my God, my King.
You alone are worth forever,
You're worth everything!
Poem May 18th, 1994
Outline June 7, 2010
Jerry Bouey
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Who I Am
This study builds a little on the themes covered in these two studies: The Giver, Or The Gifts? and Blessed Contrasts In Scripture Please read these two studies for more Scripture references on some of these points below.
Many before the time of Christ were waiting for the Messianic kingdom to right the wrongs in this world (grievances, violence, wrong judgment, sin - Hab 1:3-4, 13; 2:2-3). They were looking for a time (ie. an event) when a King would rule over the earth and restore order (in fulfillment of the “vision”, ie. of the Old Testament prophecies) – Jesus directs us to Himself. Hebrews 10:38.
Many of the Jews in the time of Christ were looking for a political and social Messiah. Many rejected Christ because when He came the first time, He was not here to right all the political or social wrongs, but to deal with our sins. He did not come as “King” (though He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and will come back one day to reign), but as Saviour.
Some followed Jesus for the wrong reason – because He did a miracle that provided for their needs. John 6:24-26.
They sought to make Jesus king – by force, seizing Him by violence! John 6:14-15.
When He was betrayed by Judas and surrounded by the armed guards in the Garden of Gethsemane, He refused to fight back, but gave Himself up to them. John 18:3-9, 12.
When speaking to Pilate, He stated His kingdom was not yet of this world; therefore His followers would not fight back with physical weapons. John 18:33-36.
40 days after Jesus arose, just before He ascended to Heaven, His disciples asked Him a question about His coming kingdom: Acts 1:6-7. Jesus changed their focus, then the angels pointed to His return, not just to His kingdom – ie. pointed to Him. Verses 9-11.
The Samaritan woman was waiting for the Messiah to reveal all things. Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah.” John 4:25-26.
Martha was waiting for a coming day, an event (ie. the future day of resurrection) - Jesus redirected her to a person, Himself. I Am the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:23-26.
The end of all arguments – whatever is going on in the world or in the lives of His people, God declares:
I am the LORD (or the Lord GOD - 164 times)
I am God (9 times)
I Am, and there is no other god (or saviour) beside Me (Deut 4:35, 39; 1 Sam 2:2; 2 Sam 7:22; 1 Kings 8:60; 1 Chron 17:20; Is 43:10-12; 44:6-8; 45:5-6, 18, 21-22; 46:9; Hosea 13:4; Joel 2:27)
Many in the world are running around looking for each of these things – even God’s people – but what we need more than provision, more than something to happen – what we need is Jesus Himself!
When we need (spiritual) light - He is our Light. He is Light. Psalm 27:1; 1 John 1:5.
When in need of strength - He is our strength. Psalm 28:7.
When we need wisdom - He is our wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:30.
When we need understanding - He is understanding. Proverbs 8:14.
When we need mercy and grace - He is merciful and gracious; that is His name (in the Bible, a name represents who someone is, their character). Exodus 33:19; 34:5-7.
When we need peace with God, peace of mind, peace with man - He is our peace. Ephesians 2:14.
When we are hopeless - He is our hope. 1 Timothy 1:1.
When we have no purpose or reason for living - He is our life. Colossians 3:4.
When we are scrambling, seeking the truth - the truth is in Jesus. He is the Truth. Ephesians 4:21; John 14:6.
When we are desperately seeking for someone to love us, He not only provides love - He is Love. 1 John 4:8, 16.
When we are looking for safety, security, shelter from the storms of life – He is our shield. Genesis 15:1.
When we are looking for something lasting in life, something to carry on from generation to generation – He is our inheritance. Numbers 18:20.
When we are looking for a way to be right with God, not only does the Lord provide righteousness - He is our righteousness. Jeremiah 23:6.
When looking for salvation, Jesus not only provides salvation – He is our salvation. Psalm 35:3.
Not only does Jesus save – He is our Saviour, and it is to be Him we are looking for – not just some future day or some kingdom, some future event – Jesus Himself! Titus 2:13; 2 Timothy 4:8.
What is our focus? Even as believers, are we seeking the Lord Jesus Christ for what He can do for us (and yes, we should be seeking Him for every need we have) – OR for who He is? Seeking for something we need, for something to happen - OR for Jesus Himself?
May 9th/2010
Jerry Bouey
P.S. I didn't know which blog to post this in - on my regular study blog (Buy The Truth) or on this outline blog. It fits both, as it is basically self-contained notes. This is part of the series I have been preaching on the I Ams of Jesus, and some of the thoughts that came out of it. I think the message was received pretty well today. It certainly gave some food for thought, and was a blessing to study out and preach. I hope it is also a blessing to you.
Many before the time of Christ were waiting for the Messianic kingdom to right the wrongs in this world (grievances, violence, wrong judgment, sin - Hab 1:3-4, 13; 2:2-3). They were looking for a time (ie. an event) when a King would rule over the earth and restore order (in fulfillment of the “vision”, ie. of the Old Testament prophecies) – Jesus directs us to Himself. Hebrews 10:38.
Many of the Jews in the time of Christ were looking for a political and social Messiah. Many rejected Christ because when He came the first time, He was not here to right all the political or social wrongs, but to deal with our sins. He did not come as “King” (though He is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and will come back one day to reign), but as Saviour.
Some followed Jesus for the wrong reason – because He did a miracle that provided for their needs. John 6:24-26.
They sought to make Jesus king – by force, seizing Him by violence! John 6:14-15.
When He was betrayed by Judas and surrounded by the armed guards in the Garden of Gethsemane, He refused to fight back, but gave Himself up to them. John 18:3-9, 12.
When speaking to Pilate, He stated His kingdom was not yet of this world; therefore His followers would not fight back with physical weapons. John 18:33-36.
40 days after Jesus arose, just before He ascended to Heaven, His disciples asked Him a question about His coming kingdom: Acts 1:6-7. Jesus changed their focus, then the angels pointed to His return, not just to His kingdom – ie. pointed to Him. Verses 9-11.
The Samaritan woman was waiting for the Messiah to reveal all things. Jesus told her, “I Am the Messiah.” John 4:25-26.
Martha was waiting for a coming day, an event (ie. the future day of resurrection) - Jesus redirected her to a person, Himself. I Am the Resurrection and the Life. John 11:23-26.
The end of all arguments – whatever is going on in the world or in the lives of His people, God declares:
I am the LORD (or the Lord GOD - 164 times)
I am God (9 times)
I Am, and there is no other god (or saviour) beside Me (Deut 4:35, 39; 1 Sam 2:2; 2 Sam 7:22; 1 Kings 8:60; 1 Chron 17:20; Is 43:10-12; 44:6-8; 45:5-6, 18, 21-22; 46:9; Hosea 13:4; Joel 2:27)
Many in the world are running around looking for each of these things – even God’s people – but what we need more than provision, more than something to happen – what we need is Jesus Himself!
When we need (spiritual) light - He is our Light. He is Light. Psalm 27:1; 1 John 1:5.
When in need of strength - He is our strength. Psalm 28:7.
When we need wisdom - He is our wisdom. 1 Corinthians 1:30.
When we need understanding - He is understanding. Proverbs 8:14.
When we need mercy and grace - He is merciful and gracious; that is His name (in the Bible, a name represents who someone is, their character). Exodus 33:19; 34:5-7.
When we need peace with God, peace of mind, peace with man - He is our peace. Ephesians 2:14.
When we are hopeless - He is our hope. 1 Timothy 1:1.
When we have no purpose or reason for living - He is our life. Colossians 3:4.
When we are scrambling, seeking the truth - the truth is in Jesus. He is the Truth. Ephesians 4:21; John 14:6.
When we are desperately seeking for someone to love us, He not only provides love - He is Love. 1 John 4:8, 16.
When we are looking for safety, security, shelter from the storms of life – He is our shield. Genesis 15:1.
When we are looking for something lasting in life, something to carry on from generation to generation – He is our inheritance. Numbers 18:20.
When we are looking for a way to be right with God, not only does the Lord provide righteousness - He is our righteousness. Jeremiah 23:6.
When looking for salvation, Jesus not only provides salvation – He is our salvation. Psalm 35:3.
Not only does Jesus save – He is our Saviour, and it is to be Him we are looking for – not just some future day or some kingdom, some future event – Jesus Himself! Titus 2:13; 2 Timothy 4:8.
What is our focus? Even as believers, are we seeking the Lord Jesus Christ for what He can do for us (and yes, we should be seeking Him for every need we have) – OR for who He is? Seeking for something we need, for something to happen - OR for Jesus Himself?
May 9th/2010
Jerry Bouey
P.S. I didn't know which blog to post this in - on my regular study blog (Buy The Truth) or on this outline blog. It fits both, as it is basically self-contained notes. This is part of the series I have been preaching on the I Ams of Jesus, and some of the thoughts that came out of it. I think the message was received pretty well today. It certainly gave some food for thought, and was a blessing to study out and preach. I hope it is also a blessing to you.
Monday, April 26, 2010
Come - Invitations From God
Come - Invitations From God
Come to the Marriage Supper of the Lamb:
Luke 14:16-23 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Come reason with the Lord:
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 41:1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
Come, walk in the light of the Lord:
Isaiah 2:2-5 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Come learn of the Lord (let Him take your burdens):
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
John 1:37-39 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
John 1:45-46 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Come seek the Saviour at the throne of grace:
Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Come worship the Lord:
Psalms 66:5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
Psalms 66:16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
Psalms 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Come away from the distractions of this world:
Song of Solomon 2:10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Come, eat and drink:
Isaiah 55:1-3 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 21:9-13 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Psalms 34:8-11 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Come to the Lord Jesus Christ today:
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
Luke 14:16-23 Then said he unto him, A certain man made a great supper, and bade many: And sent his servant at supper time to say to them that were bidden, Come; for all things are now ready. And they all with one consent began to make excuse. The first said unto him, I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused. And another said, I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come. So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. And the servant said, Lord, it is done as thou hast commanded, and yet there is room. And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.
Come reason with the Lord:
Isaiah 1:18 Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.
Isaiah 41:1 Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
Come, walk in the light of the Lord:
Isaiah 2:2-5 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and let us walk in the light of the LORD.
Come learn of the Lord (let Him take your burdens):
Matthew 11:28-30 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.
John 1:37-39 And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.
John 1:45-46 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.
Come seek the Saviour at the throne of grace:
Hebrews 4:14-16 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Come worship the Lord:
Psalms 66:5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
Psalms 66:16 Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
Psalms 95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.
Psalms 95:6 O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the LORD our maker.
Come away from the distractions of this world:
Song of Solomon 2:10 My beloved spake, and said unto me, Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.
Come, eat and drink:
Isaiah 55:1-3 Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me: hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David.
Isaiah 55:6-7 Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near: Let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
John 7:37-39 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)
John 21:9-13 As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. Jesus saith unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken. Jesus saith unto them, Come and dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou? knowing that it was the Lord. Jesus then cometh, and taketh bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise.
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Psalms 34:8-11 O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him. O fear the LORD, ye his saints: for there is no want to them that fear him. The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing. Come, ye children, hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.
Revelation 21:6 And he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely.
Revelation 22:17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.
Come to the Lord Jesus Christ today:
Isaiah 45:22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.
It's Jesus
Poem written October 22nd, 2003
(Edited slightly and added middle verse on February 19th, 2022)
Devotional put together May 18, 2009
Jerry Bouey
There's a refuge to be found in the midst of life's storms,
There's a peace so profound it will guard your heart from harm,
Where is this shelter under the everlasting arms?
It's Jesus.
There's only one Saviour who died to make men free,
One source of Living Water that flows abundantly,
One plan of salvation - Are you thirsty? Come and see.
It's Jesus.
God was manifest in the flesh when He came down to earth,
The Son of God who became a Man through the virgin birth,
One sacrifice for sins forever - His love gives us worth,
It's Jesus.
There's only one sinless Man whose life He gave,
Only one Man who arose victorious over the grave,
There's only one Saviour who can ever save,
It's Jesus.
There's only one fountain of blood that can cleanse from all sin,
Only one Spirit of Life that will dwell within,
True righteousness is found only in Him -
It's Jesus.
Poem written October 22nd, 2003
(Edited slightly and added middle verse on February 19th, 2022)
Devotional put together May 18, 2009
Jerry Bouey
First 156 Messages Preached At The Gospel Mission
First 156 Messages Preached At The Gospel Mission
When I submitted to the call to preach* and started preaching in 2004, I kept a list of the titles/themes and main passages preached at the Kelowna Gospel Mission. Friday was the day I was scheduled to come in each week and preach before the supper meal (sometimes I was also given the opportunity on Saturdays, though I was not scheduled on that day - more as a fill in if someone needed me to do it). When my computer crashed in fall 2006, I thought I had lost this list, so I stopped keeping track of the messages preached, except to date the studies if I later typed them up and developed them. Looking through an old file folder tonight, I found that original list among some files that were recovered from my harddrive.
*(Ie. as a regular part of my life. During my four years as a bus runner - the man that ran to the doors to pick up and drop off the children - I had preached about two or three times to the children on our Sunday School bus [the two lessons I remember are "Loaves and Fishes," and Leprosy, where I put my hand in a jar of water then into a bag of floor to give the kids a gross picture of leprosy - which they loved!]; and I had also led several Sunday services, including preaching short messages, at a Senior's home during my one semester in Bible College. For a few months in 1999, I also wrote devotionals for a friend to preach at the Mission while I also was volunteering there.)I am posting this list here as a reminder to myself of the messages God laid on my heart in my first three years of preaching, as well as an encouragement to others who may be called to preach. Perhaps you are just a friend or visitor who is blessed by the studies and devotionals posted on this blog (as well as Eagle's Wings Ministries), and are curious to know what some of those earlier messages are. (For the record: I prefer to use the term messages when referring to the devotionals I preached at the Mission, because to me a sermon is something that is preached for 1/2 hour or more - something more developed and fleshed out, not something you covered in perhaps 10-15 minutes. Overall, my average preaching time would be about 7-10 minutes. Below, there are two 20 minute "sermons" [20 minutes was about the limit of their attention span] that I preached at a local Senior's home, and there was a message I preached at a church service last year at the Mission that went exactly 30 minutes - and that was My Seven Most Used Passages.)
Devotions preached at the Gospel Mission (*ones later turned into studies - some of these were expanded and contain more material than was originally preached; **ones that were already studies before being preached - some of these were shortened or highlighted due to their length):
2004:
February 6th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of Trouble (Hosea 2)*
13th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death (Psalm 23:1-3)*
14th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death (Psalm 23:4-6)
20th - The Prodigal Son (Luke 15)
27th - Leprosy And How It Pictures Sin (Leviticus 13-14)*
March 5th - The Importance Of The Word Of God: five comparisons (like a love letter, last will and testament, a biography/historical book, instruction manual, a diary).
12th - Jesus, The Friend Of Sinners (John 15:13)
19th - Living Water (John 4)
20th - Repentance
26th - Is Your Name Written Down?**
April 2nd - Foundation On The Solid Rock (Matthew 7:24-27)
9th - He Loved Them Unto The End (John 13:1)
16th - The Promises Of God* (Not sure what study I developed this into, as I have no study posted on my sites by that name)
23rd - The Value Of One (Luke 15 - one sheep, one coin, one lost son - plus read an excellent song by that title)
30th - The Christian's Race
May 7th - Forgiveness (John 8:1-11)
14th - Abraham On Mount Moriah (Genesis 22)
21st - Isaiah 53
28th - My Hiding Place (Psalm 32)*
June 4th - Who Touched Me? (The woman with the issue of blood, Luke 8)
11th - Two Cries From The Cross (Luke 23:34, 43)
18th - Father, Into Thy Hands (Luke 23:46) - The example of Jesus' relationship with our Heavenly (Abba) Father.
25th - The Storms Of Life (Matthew 14 and Psalm 107)
July 23rd - God Has Not Forgotten You (Isaiah 49:13-16 and Luke 12:6-7) (Also preached at the Senior's home - about a 20 minute message)
30th - Three Appointments*
August 6th - The Simplicity Of Salvation*
13th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Lily Of The Valleys (also preached at Senior's Home - about a 20 minute message)*
20th - My Strength*
27th - Laodicea: The Lukewarm Church (Revelation 3:14-22)*
September 3rd - The Father's House (John 14:1-6)
10th - Two Debtors (Luke 7:36-50)
17th - The Great Supper (Luke 14:16-24)
24th - The Great Change Salvation Brings (Zacchaeus and the maniac of Gadara)
October 1st - What Is The Purpose For Trials? (Amos 4:6-12 and Romans 8:28-29)
8th - The Reasons Why Jesus Came*
15th - Romans 8:28 (contrast between Adam Aulin's and Brian's stories - probably posted within my Daily Devotionals, though I cannot find the specific entry right now. Adam's testimony is the Foreward to my second poetry book)*
22nd - Present Tense Salvation (ie. how the Bible states we are saved, are forgiven, are sanctified, have already passed from death to life, etc.; also shared some of my testimony)
29th - The Story Of Three Gardens: The Garden Of Eden*
November 5th - The Story Of Three Gardens: The Garden Of Gethsemane*
19th - The Story Of Three Gardens: The Garden With The Empty Tomb (John 19:41)
26th - Abraham - Following, Not Knowing
December 17th - Have You Any Room For Jesus? (Luke 2)*
24th - Immanuel (God is with us - dealing with depression, and the victory in the assurance of knowing that God is always with us) and Hosanna (O Save Us Now poem)
2005:
January 7th - Forgiveness and New Mercies (Micah 7; Psalm 103; Lamentations 3; Philippians 3)
14th - Jacob's Ladder (Started a series on Lessons From The Life Of Jacob, preached an intro* and Jacob's vision in Genesis 28 - how it pictured salvation through the Lord Jesus Christ)
21st - Jacob Wrestling With God** (Some of this message made its way into Wrestling Until The Daybreak and certain aspects of it were used to start and end my second poetry book - see the title poem, The Seasons Of Your Pilgrimage - when studying the life of Jacob out in November 2004, one of the primary lessons the Lord impressed upon my heart was how walking with the Lord will change you forever, and this has been one of the most life-changing messages I have learned - consider Hebrews 11:21 in light of Genesis 32 - why was Jacob leaning on a staff? Not because he was old, but because his wrestling with God transformed him and affected him for the rest of his life!)
28th - What God Did In Jacob (Jer 29:11; Heb. 11:21; Eph. 2:10; Phil. 1:6 - dealt with how Genesis emphasized the name Jacob when he was carnal or unbelieving, but Israel when he was walking in faith - and how this increasingly became his name as he walked more with the Lord)
February 4th - Why Paul Was Not Ashamed*
11th - One More Night With The Frogs (Plagues of Egypt contrasted with sin in our lives - the title of this message came from Hugh Pyles sermon/book on the same name; though I did not copy his message, I did use his general theme. This was the first in a series of messages I did on the 10 Plagues Of Egypt and the Lord leading them out of bondage.)
18th - Separation between God's dealings with the Israelites and the Egyptians (contrast between the saved and lost as portrayed during the Plagues Of Egypt)
25th - The Passover and how it was a type of Christ (the final message on the Plagues Of Egypt, and God's greatest deliverance)
March 4th - The Rapture (read Rising In The Arms Of Love)
11th - What Is Man? (Series on Questions from Job)*
18th - If A Man Die, Will He Live Again? (Questions from Job)
25th - Six Things The Lord Opened**
April 1st - The Touch Of Faith (the woman with the issue of blood)*
8th - Paul's Sermon On Mar's Hill
15th - Heart Disease*
22nd - Jesus Only (Mount Of Transfiguration)
29th - Jonathan And David's Friendship
May 6th - A More Sure Word (2 Peter 1 - His comments on experience of the Mount of Transfiguration)
13th - All Thy Waves And Thy Billows (Jonah 2 & Psalms - Developed into a study on Psalm 42-43)*
20th - God Would, But They Wouldn't
27th - Devotion from Days Of Praise (Make It As Sure As You Can)
June 10th - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of Strength (1 Samuel 17)
11th - The Blood Of Jesus (Hebrews 12:22-24 and Genesis 4)
17th - What Jesus Takes Great Joy In*
18th - Matthew 6:24-34 (also read The Fifth Sparrow)
24th - All Our Tomorrows (Psalm 139:1-12)*
25th – The Lord Thinketh Upon Me (Psalm 139:13-18)*
July 1st - Jesus And Barabbas (How Jesus' substitution and dying in place of Barabbas pictures His substitution for the guilty sinner)
8th - My Personal Testimony (of salvation)*
9th - My Victory Over Depression*
15th - What Is Truth? (Pilate's question as the springboard to present the Bible as the source of all truth)
22nd - Lessons In The Valleys: The Valley Of Weeping (Psalm 84)
August 5th - When Life Doesn't Go As You Planned (Joseph's life)*
12th - The Lord Is Like An Eagle (Message written by someone else)
19th - What God Cannot Do (also read God Is)*
26th - Ye Must Be Born Again (conversation with Nicodemus)
September 2nd - The Crippled Man with No Man to Help Him (John 5)
9th - Jesus Washing His Disciples Feet (John 13)
16th - Jesus' 7 I Am statements
22nd - Shared some thoughts on John 11 and read Through This Valley (This was the day my Mom went home to Heaven - and these thoughts are what led to the Eulogy/Gospel message I was able to preach at her Memorial - Our Mom's Victory Through Faith)
October 7th - John 14 (Father's House, and the Comforter)
14th - The Fountain Of Living Waters*
21st - Does God Care? (Mark 35-39, and Revelation 4, about the rainbow around the throne)
22nd - Read excerpt from God's Abounding Love
29th - Paul's Defense Before Felix (Acts 24, with illustrations from A More Convenient Season)
November 4th - Paul's Defense Before Agrippa (Acts 25-26, with illustrations from Almost Persuaded)
11th - The Roman Guards - three types of responses (Matthew 27:27-38; John 19:31-34; Mark 15:37-39)
18th - What Is Written On Your Record?*
25th - Sinking In The Mire*
December 2 – It Is Well With My Soul (2 Kings 4; the story behind the hymn)*
16 - The Meaning Of Christmas*
30 – The God Of Second Chances (Abraham, Jonah, Peter, Mark)
2006:
January 6th – The Word Of God In These End Times (2 Tim. 3)
7th – Abba, Father (Presented the Gospel by using the three times the phrase, Abba Father is used, then recounted the story of the Prodigal Son from the perspective of God's desire to have close fellowship with us)*
14th – Abraham Offering Isaac (Genesis 22)*
21st – David and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9)**
28th – The Bondservant (Exodus 21:2-6)
February 3rd – Seven Benefits of Faith in Romans 5:1-11* (Most of the time when preaching to the crowd at the Mission I do not see immediate fruit - but right after this message, a coworker asked the crowd if there was anyone who wanted this peace with God that was just preached about, and if so to raise their hands and pray with him to trust the Lord for salvation. Several people raised their hands, but one that I noticed was a friend of mine who before that point in time was "just not ready to receive Christ" - but now she trusted Him for salvation, shortly thereafter following in believer's baptism. While I do not put a lot of stock in a "sinner's prayer" - ie. a "repeat after me" prayer - in this case, I know the person truly did get saved. Pat is one of the most attentive listeners to the messages at the Mission, and there have been some definite changes in her life. I can only trust the Lord with those others who prayed, as He knows whether they understood what was preached and were truly repentant when they prayed.)
10th – Doing God’s Will & Having Our Needs Met (Matthew 6)
17th – Living Inside The Veil (Hebrews – Christ’s death opened the way to God - Used the first part of this message: Inside The Veil And Outside The Camp - Harry Ironside)
24th – Wake Up Calls For The Lost And Saved (Jonah 1 - How God used the trial of the storm to awaken the lost mariners' to their need for salvation, and to chasten Jonah and wake him up and bring him to repentance)
March 3rd – Why I Am An Ambassador For Christ (2 Corinthians 5)*
10th – The Passover Lamb
17th – The Rich Young Ruler & The 10 Commandments
18th – Running The Race Of The Christian Life*
31st – John 14 (This was, I think, the message I preached just before I left to go to my Dad's funeral - God gave me tremendous comfort to pass on to my family.)
April 7th – The Trial Of Your Faith (Job 23:8-10; 1 Peter 1:6-8; Rev. 3:18)
14th – Psalm 22
21st – Buy The Truth/What Is Truth?*
28th – The Prodigal Son (Tackled from the perspective of repentance and how it affected the Prodigal Son's life)*
May 5th – Hidden In The Cleft Of The Rock*
12th – The Lord Looseth The Prisoners (Ps. 146:7; Isaiah 61:1-2; 2 Chron. 33)* (Not sure what study I was using for this, unless it was something I never posted on my personal sites, but instead posted on a message board. I think in this message I touched down on how the Lord can free those from the bondage of their addictions.)
19th – Jesus, The Sinner's Surety (Genesis 43-44)*
26th – Mustard Seeds And Mountains*
June 2nd – Resting On The Promises*
9th – Earthen Vessels (John 9)
16th – A Song In The Night/In The Dark (Job 23:8-10 and 35:10, 14)
23rd – Psalm 63 (plus 55:6-7)
30th – The Armour Of God
July 7th – The Apostles #1 - Simon the Zealot*
14th - The Apostles #2 - Bold And Rash Peter*
21st – The Apostles #3 - Thomas The Doubter*
28th – The Apostles #4 - Jesus Loved Them To The End*
August 4th – John 3:16 - The Gospel In A Nutshell*
11th – When The Wicked Prosper (Hab. 1 & Ps. 73)
18th – Discouragement (Ps. 61:1-4 & 62:5-8)
25th – No Man Cared For My Soul (Ps. 142 – not the study, just the Psalm)
September 1st – His Banner Over Me Was Love (Song Of Solomon 2:4)**
8th – Matthew 14 (If I remember correctly, I focussed on Jesus' reaction to the news of His cousin's death - that even in His grief He ministered to others)
15th – Seeking And Searching
23rd – Read Devotional on Love by Paul Chappel (This was my first or second day as staff at the Gospel Mission; therefore my preaching opportunities greatly increased from this point on.)
October 1st – Pharaoh's Four Proposals*
3rd – The Lord Uses Clean Vessels* (After this message, I had one of the men from the Mission's Recovery program come to me and tell me he wanted to be one of those clean vessels the Lord could use. Encouraging results!)
8th – The Danger of Being Unthankful (Romans 1:19-22; 2 Timothy 3:1-2; Psalm 105:1-7)
9th – Why God Gives Us Another Day (Acts 17:23-28; 14:17; Romans 8:32; 12:1)* (Unsure of what study I was using for this, unless it was also something posted in my Daily Devotionals or on a message board)
12th – Safety And Rest Only Found In The Ark (Gen. 7&8, quote by Spurgeon - how the Ark pictured our rest in Christ)
14th – John 3:16 (Read from Commentary by Ironside)
15th – Childlike Faith
16th – The Samaritan Woman (John 4)
17th – Leprosy And Jesus’ Compassion
21st – David and Mephibosheth (2 Samuel 9)**
22nd – God’s Guidance (Psalm 25)
23rd – David And Jonathan’s Friendship
24th – Proverbs On Friendships
25th - ? (I believe I tackled a third message on the theme of Friendship, but not exactly sure where I took the message or what passages I used)
28th - Love Your Enemies** (A childhood friend who I had not seen for 20 years came and stayed at the Mission. I opened up my home to him, lent him a key, then came home from work to find my house ransacked and various items stolen by him to sell for drugs. God taught me a powerful lesson on choosing to love my enemies.)
30th - Owe Nothing But Love (Romans 13:8)
31st - Are You Burdened?
November 1st - Don’t Worry About Your Daily Needs (Jehovah-Jireh - using Genesis 22:8 and Romans 8:32 to show that if we trust God with our greatest need - ie. salvation - we can also trust Him to meet all our other needs)
2nd - The Presence Of The Lord (Dwelling in God's presence, both in this life and in Heaven)
3rd - How To Understand The Bible (Probably some basic Bible principles and promises to claim while studying God's Word, such as John 7:17; 8:31-32; and James 1:5)
7th – The Lord My Shepherd (Names Of God)
8th – Jehovah, I Am (Exodus 3:14 and John 8:58)
156 so far...
A little later in November, I preached two messages consecutively. One on Hell (what it contained, and how to be saved from it), then another on Heaven (what it contained, and how to be assured of going there when you die). As bleak as the message on Hell was, more people attentively listened to that one than the one of Heaven! I think people take Heaven for granted. One man had gone through some serious health issues that brought him to the mission. The message on Hell got his attention, and made him realize where he stood before God. A fews days later, I preached a message on Romans 10:1-13, and 17, and calling on the Lord for salvation (looking through some of my notes, though undated, this one seems to be the one this man referred to), and this man trusted the Lord to save him. That week he went back into the hospital. While I was visiting him, he related what I posted above about those two messages that got his attention and brought him to the Saviour. I gave him a couple of studies to strengthen his faith. Very shortly thereafter, he went to some kind of care home, and I have not seen him since. I don't know if I ever got his last name - and all this time later, I can't even remember his first name. I was hoping he would contact me from his new home - but he never did, and the hospital won't give that kind of information out. I trust he did get saved - I don't think he was faking the peace and joy that I saw on his face - and that even if I don't know where he is, the Lord does - and I will see him in Heaven too one day.
Sunday, April 25, 2010
I Am The Light Of The World
Darkness hides things - but Light reveals (try to find something you lost without adequate light, as soon as you have enough light, it is easy to spot).
Darkness blurs things - but Light makes things apparent (such as showing the spots on a white shirt).
Darkness obscures the path - but Light shows the way (imagine trying to find your way through a crowded room without a light).
Darkness causes fear and oppression - but Light brings freedom and dispels fear (fears of the night are dispelled when the day comes).
Darkness (lack of sunlight) can often bring bad health over time - but Light brings with it healing (pale as opposed to robust health).
Genesis 1:1-4 - Light was the first thing created after God made the earth. It was the creation of the light that God declared good.
Genesis 1:14-18 - The creation of the sun, moon and stars dividing/separating the light from the darkness was the fourth thing that He declared good.
All through man's history, there has been a battle between light and darkness. 69 verses that speak about the contrast between light and darkness in the same verse.
John 1:1-9, 14 - Jesus is the Creator; He is Almighty God. He is the source of all life and light.
He has given light to every man in three main ways:
1) The light of nature (Romans 1)
2) The light of conscience (Romans 2)
3) The light of revelation - the Scriptures (Romans 3)
John 3:19-21 - The darkness hates the Light and will run from the truth (the Word of God). Jesus came to show the division between Light and darkness, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.
John 11:9-10; 12:35-36, 46 - Man needs to receive the Light and walk in His light, or else they remain forever in apiritual darkness.
John chapters 8-9 deal with Jesus Christ being the Light of the world.
John 8:12 - Sum up verses 1-11, showing how the Light of the world came to save, rather than condemn - to reveal their sin so they would turn to the Saviour; not just bring condemnation, like many of the religious crowd.
John 8:23-24, 28 - We need to realize that Jesus is the Messiah, the Saviour, the LORD God Himself who died upon the cross for our sins, if we want to be forgiven of our sins and have fellowship with Him.
John 8:30-36. Receiving the Light and walking in His light will bring freedom from sin.
John 8:51-53; 56-59 - Promise of spiritual life from the self-existent God, the LORD, I Am.
John 9:5; 39-41 - Rejection of spiritual Light proves someone is still blind; Reception of the Light will give true spiritual sight.
Preached April 25th/2010 (lunchtime)
Jerry Bouey
Lord willing, I will preach this message dealing with John 9 at Supper: Earthen Vessels
Darkness blurs things - but Light makes things apparent (such as showing the spots on a white shirt).
Darkness obscures the path - but Light shows the way (imagine trying to find your way through a crowded room without a light).
Darkness causes fear and oppression - but Light brings freedom and dispels fear (fears of the night are dispelled when the day comes).
Darkness (lack of sunlight) can often bring bad health over time - but Light brings with it healing (pale as opposed to robust health).
Genesis 1:1-4 - Light was the first thing created after God made the earth. It was the creation of the light that God declared good.
Genesis 1:14-18 - The creation of the sun, moon and stars dividing/separating the light from the darkness was the fourth thing that He declared good.
All through man's history, there has been a battle between light and darkness. 69 verses that speak about the contrast between light and darkness in the same verse.
John 1:1-9, 14 - Jesus is the Creator; He is Almighty God. He is the source of all life and light.
He has given light to every man in three main ways:
1) The light of nature (Romans 1)
2) The light of conscience (Romans 2)
3) The light of revelation - the Scriptures (Romans 3)
John 3:19-21 - The darkness hates the Light and will run from the truth (the Word of God). Jesus came to show the division between Light and darkness, the kingdom of light and the kingdom of darkness.
John 11:9-10; 12:35-36, 46 - Man needs to receive the Light and walk in His light, or else they remain forever in apiritual darkness.
John chapters 8-9 deal with Jesus Christ being the Light of the world.
John 8:12 - Sum up verses 1-11, showing how the Light of the world came to save, rather than condemn - to reveal their sin so they would turn to the Saviour; not just bring condemnation, like many of the religious crowd.
John 8:23-24, 28 - We need to realize that Jesus is the Messiah, the Saviour, the LORD God Himself who died upon the cross for our sins, if we want to be forgiven of our sins and have fellowship with Him.
John 8:30-36. Receiving the Light and walking in His light will bring freedom from sin.
John 8:51-53; 56-59 - Promise of spiritual life from the self-existent God, the LORD, I Am.
John 9:5; 39-41 - Rejection of spiritual Light proves someone is still blind; Reception of the Light will give true spiritual sight.
Preached April 25th/2010 (lunchtime)
Jerry Bouey
Lord willing, I will preach this message dealing with John 9 at Supper: Earthen Vessels
Friday, April 23, 2010
Compound Names Of The Lord
Compound Names Of The Lord
When you are struggling, meditate on the nine compound names (there may also be others) of Jehovah in the Old Testament and Jesus' seven I Am statements in the Gospel of John, and marvel at how the LORD meets every need you could possibly ever face.
The nine compound names and their translations into English are as follows:
1) Jehovah-Jireh, The LORD my Provider. (Genesis 22:8, 13-14)
2) Jehovah-Rapha, The LORD my Healer. (Exodus 15:26)
3) Jehovah-Nissi, The LORD my Banner. (Exodus 17:15)
4) Jehovah-Qadash, The LORD thy Sanctifier. (Exodus 31:13)
5) Jehovah-Shalom, The LORD our Peace. (Judges 6:23-24)
6) Jehovah-Raah, The LORD my Shepherd. (Psalm 23:1)
7) Jehovah-Sabaoth, The LORD of Hosts. (Isaiah 6:3)
8) Jehovah-Tsidkenu, The LORD our Righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16)
9) Jehovah-Shammah, The LORD Is There (ie. Present). (Ezekiel 48:35)
The name "Jesus" means "the LORD our Salvation," a further revelation of the magnitude of the LORD. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21.
Jesus’ seven I Am statements are:
1) I Am the Bread of Life. (John 6:35, 48, 51)
2) I Am the Light of the World. (John 8:12; 9:5)The nine compound names and their translations into English are as follows:
1) Jehovah-Jireh, The LORD my Provider. (Genesis 22:8, 13-14)
2) Jehovah-Rapha, The LORD my Healer. (Exodus 15:26)
3) Jehovah-Nissi, The LORD my Banner. (Exodus 17:15)
4) Jehovah-Qadash, The LORD thy Sanctifier. (Exodus 31:13)
5) Jehovah-Shalom, The LORD our Peace. (Judges 6:23-24)
6) Jehovah-Raah, The LORD my Shepherd. (Psalm 23:1)
7) Jehovah-Sabaoth, The LORD of Hosts. (Isaiah 6:3)
8) Jehovah-Tsidkenu, The LORD our Righteousness. (Jeremiah 23:6; 33:16)
9) Jehovah-Shammah, The LORD Is There (ie. Present). (Ezekiel 48:35)
The name "Jesus" means "the LORD our Salvation," a further revelation of the magnitude of the LORD. And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name JESUS: for He shall save His people from their sins. Matthew 1:21.
Jesus’ seven I Am statements are:
1) I Am the Bread of Life. (John 6:35, 48, 51)
3) I Am the Door of the Sheep. (John 10:7, 9)
4) I Am the Good Shepherd. (John 10:11-14)
5) I Am the Resurrection and the Life. (John 11:25)
6) I Am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6)
7) I Am the True Vine. (John 15:1, 5)
By the way, the number seven in the Bible represents perfection, fullness, completion. Just thought you should know Jesus is all you need!
(Quoted from my study, Leaning On The Lord)
7 other I Ams in John: 4:26 (I Am the Messiah); 8:24, 28, 58; 13:19; 18:5, 8. These last two really show the Lord Jesus Christ's power.
John 18:4-6 Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
He just had to declare who He was, and the crowd fell over backwards!
Each one of these names reveal who the Lord is, reveals something about His character, and His desire to meet all the needs we will ever face in this life.
My Name Is I Am
I Am Jesus
Preached April 23rd/2010
Jerry Bouey
Thursday, April 22, 2010
The Shepherd's Rod And Staff
This is actually the second message on the Good Shepherd I preached in this series, but I had the notes already typed up so decided to post it first. I will post the first sermon outline as soon as I get it typed up.
"Well has it been said 'without Psalm 22, there could be no Twenty-third Psalm.' While the former Psalm reveals Christ as the good Shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep, this Psalm makes Him known as the great Shepherd of the sheep, whom the God of Peace hath brought again from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20). And all who deny the atoning work of Christ have no claim whatever upon the assurance and comfort of this Psalm... Much has been written devotionally on this Psalm. Hundreds of books have been published, but it has never been exhausted nor ever will be. The assurance of the first three verses belong to every believer on the Lord Jesus. He is individually the Shepherd and each child of God can say, 'Jehovah is my Shepherd, the Shepherd who never fails, who never changeth, the Jehovah-jireh -- the LORD who provides.' He gives pasture, peace and rest, with the never failing waters, the supply of His Spirit. Then He restoreth after failure and leads in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake." (Arno Clement Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible)
Read Psalm 23 - Assurance
Psalm 23 is probably the most popular Psalm, and one of three most memorized or known passages of the Bible. The other two being John 3:16 and the Lord's Prayer. Many people may never have read the Bible, but most are familiar to some degree with these three passages.
Psalm 23 written about 3000 years ago - probably millions upon millions of sermons or studies preached upon this chapter alone - and yet, each preacher or teacher can always learn and teach something new from it.
To learn more about the Lord, we need to learn about Him and His character - this is often revealed through the various names He gives us about Himself.
9 Compound names of the Lord God (this theme will be developed later): Jehovah-Raah, the Lord my Shepherd. Not just a statement about the Shepherd, but one of His names revealed to His people.
Notice how the Old Testament refers to the Lord God as being the Shepherd, and in the New Testament, Jesus Christ Himself claims to be that Shepherd in John 10. (I Am The Good Shepherd was covered as a separate message.)
Notice how the Psalmist goes from talking about the Shepherd in the first half of this Psalm to speaking with Him.
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Explain rod and staff - could be one instrument with two uses.
Rod used to defend against wild animals or robbers. Used to count the sheep as they passed under.
Staff used to stop the sheep from wandering away - ie. by placing it next to or in front of them, much like a parent or friend might put out their arm to halt a child from rushing into the street when it is not clear. The Shepherd's crook or the curved hook on the end of the staff is often used to pull a sheep back from danger, such as rescuing it from drowning in the creek or pulling it up from a pit or ledge it had fallen off of.
Give a little of my sister's testimony of raising her children by herself when she was in Canada and unable to go to the States to be with her husband (and vice-versa) - how she had many cares and concerns for her young children; then relate how the following verse brought her comfort.
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Read The Straying Lamb
Preached April 18th/2010
Jerry Bouey
"Well has it been said 'without Psalm 22, there could be no Twenty-third Psalm.' While the former Psalm reveals Christ as the good Shepherd, who gives His life for the sheep, this Psalm makes Him known as the great Shepherd of the sheep, whom the God of Peace hath brought again from the dead, through the blood of the everlasting covenant (Heb 13:20). And all who deny the atoning work of Christ have no claim whatever upon the assurance and comfort of this Psalm... Much has been written devotionally on this Psalm. Hundreds of books have been published, but it has never been exhausted nor ever will be. The assurance of the first three verses belong to every believer on the Lord Jesus. He is individually the Shepherd and each child of God can say, 'Jehovah is my Shepherd, the Shepherd who never fails, who never changeth, the Jehovah-jireh -- the LORD who provides.' He gives pasture, peace and rest, with the never failing waters, the supply of His Spirit. Then He restoreth after failure and leads in paths of righteousness for His Name's sake." (Arno Clement Gaebelein, The Annotated Bible)
Read Psalm 23 - Assurance
A good way to read this Psalm is by asking the question, "What shall I not want?"
I shall not want--
Rest -- for He makes me to lie down in green pastures.
Drink -- for He leadeth me beside the still waters.
Forgiveness -- for He restoreth my soul.
Guidance -- for He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.
Companionship -- for Thou art with me.
Comfort -- for Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me.
Food -- for Thou preparest a table before me.
Victory -- in the presence of mine enemies.
Joy -- Thou anointest my head with oil.
Overrunning joy -- for my cup runneth over.
Everything in time -- for goodness and mercy shall follow me.
Everything in eternity -- for I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.
Quoted from The Annotated Bible by Arno Clement Gaebelein
Psalm 23 is probably the most popular Psalm, and one of three most memorized or known passages of the Bible. The other two being John 3:16 and the Lord's Prayer. Many people may never have read the Bible, but most are familiar to some degree with these three passages.
Psalm 23 written about 3000 years ago - probably millions upon millions of sermons or studies preached upon this chapter alone - and yet, each preacher or teacher can always learn and teach something new from it.
To learn more about the Lord, we need to learn about Him and His character - this is often revealed through the various names He gives us about Himself.
9 Compound names of the Lord God (this theme will be developed later): Jehovah-Raah, the Lord my Shepherd. Not just a statement about the Shepherd, but one of His names revealed to His people.
Notice how the Old Testament refers to the Lord God as being the Shepherd, and in the New Testament, Jesus Christ Himself claims to be that Shepherd in John 10. (I Am The Good Shepherd was covered as a separate message.)
Notice how the Psalmist goes from talking about the Shepherd in the first half of this Psalm to speaking with Him.
Psalms 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Explain rod and staff - could be one instrument with two uses.
Rod used to defend against wild animals or robbers. Used to count the sheep as they passed under.
Staff used to stop the sheep from wandering away - ie. by placing it next to or in front of them, much like a parent or friend might put out their arm to halt a child from rushing into the street when it is not clear. The Shepherd's crook or the curved hook on the end of the staff is often used to pull a sheep back from danger, such as rescuing it from drowning in the creek or pulling it up from a pit or ledge it had fallen off of.
Give a little of my sister's testimony of raising her children by herself when she was in Canada and unable to go to the States to be with her husband (and vice-versa) - how she had many cares and concerns for her young children; then relate how the following verse brought her comfort.
Isaiah 40:11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Read The Straying Lamb
Preached April 18th/2010
Jerry Bouey
I Am The Bread Of Life
I recently started a series on the Seven I Ams of Jesus found in the Gospel of John.
Introduction:
In this Gospel (and even in the book of Revelation), many times when Jesus made a statement beginning with "I am...," He wasn't just declaring something about Himself, but was identifying Himself as the Lord God. The primary name for God used in the Old Testament is LORD, which is a translation of Jehovah, the self-existent God. When the Lord sent Moses to deliver and lead His people out of Egypt, the question of who had sent him was on Moses' heart. Notice God's reply:
Exodus 3:13-15 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Jesus claimed to be the LORD God of the Old Testament - He claimed to be that same I Am!
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
The passage and claim I want to cover today is found in John 6, and occurs the day after the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 men (which would make approximately 15000-20000 people altogether when you count the women and children present as well). In His discourse with the multitude, Jesus uses the historical account of the Lord feeding the Israelites manna during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness as the starting place to teach them something about Himself and His care for them.
The Background Of Manna and its definition, plus its description and taste:
Exodus 16:14-15 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exodus 16:31-35 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Numbers 11:7-9 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
Nehemiah 9:19-21 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
Psalms 78:23-25 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
Psalms 105:39-41 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
All their needs were met, including their physical needs, while they journeyed to the Promised Land. Bread has always been considered a staple of life. This manna, this bread from Heaven, this angels' food, tasted like wafers made with honey, and yet it also contained all the nutrients they would need to live as they made this rugged journey.
Use pastry as an object lesson here.
Something so good, tasty and nutritious - who could ask for more?
Deuteronomy 8:1-3 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
This manna was intended to teach them something foundational about their daily provision - just as the people of God needed physical food to survive (ie. their daily bread - see Matthew 6:11), so also they needed daily spiritual food to prosper spiritually - and that food was the Word of God and their fellowship with the Saviour. Yet they took God and His provision for granted and despised His leading in their lives.
Numbers 11:4-6 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
John 6, the day after the feeding of the 5000:
John 6:26-34 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
The Bread from Heaven was a person. The manna was a type or a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Jesus offers to fill that aching spiritual hunger and thirst inside of us - and fill it to the full, so that we would never hunger or thirst the same way again if we believe in Him.
John 6:41-43 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
John 6:47-51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Physical bread (including manna) could only fill physical needs. Its effects were temporal. They needed spiritual bread to fill their spiritual needs. That bread was Christ - feeding on Him through faith was what would give them eternal life and fulfillment/satisfaction in this life.
John 6:52-63 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
It is faith in the Word of God that will bring life, faith in the finished work of the Saviour upon the cross that gives life. The Spirit of God takes that faith and brings to life (quickens) the lost soul that trusts in Christ.
One final reference to manna is found in Revelation. I love some of those Hidden Picture games, where you have to intently look, intently seek a hidden object. There is satisfaction when you find what you were looking for all along.
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Jesus is that hidden manna, and He gives Himself in fellowship to that person who will look away from the world and will look only to Him in faith. Seek, and ye shall find. Only faith in and fellowship with the Saviour can bring contentment and satisfaction in this life.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Are you hungry?
Remind them of the pastry object lesson. Who is hungry? Offer pastry. Recap difference between physical hunger and spiritual hunger. One can lead to temporal fulfillment, one can lead to eternal fulfillment.
Not only does the Lord promise to meet your physical needs as you walk with Him, but your spiritual needs as well.
Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Preached April 13th/2010
Jerry Bouey
(Due to time constraints, I could not read all these passages, but they were part of the outline I prepared while studying, and I made sure I was familiar with their content, so could sum them up or refer to them as needed.)
Introduction:
In this Gospel (and even in the book of Revelation), many times when Jesus made a statement beginning with "I am...," He wasn't just declaring something about Himself, but was identifying Himself as the Lord God. The primary name for God used in the Old Testament is LORD, which is a translation of Jehovah, the self-existent God. When the Lord sent Moses to deliver and lead His people out of Egypt, the question of who had sent him was on Moses' heart. Notice God's reply:
Exodus 3:13-15 And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. And God said moreover unto Moses, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, The LORD God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, hath sent me unto you: this is my name for ever, and this is my memorial unto all generations.
Jesus claimed to be the LORD God of the Old Testament - He claimed to be that same I Am!
John 8:58 Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.
The passage and claim I want to cover today is found in John 6, and occurs the day after the miracle of the feeding of the 5000 men (which would make approximately 15000-20000 people altogether when you count the women and children present as well). In His discourse with the multitude, Jesus uses the historical account of the Lord feeding the Israelites manna during their forty years of wandering in the wilderness as the starting place to teach them something about Himself and His care for them.
The Background Of Manna and its definition, plus its description and taste:
Exodus 16:14-15 And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat.
Exodus 16:31-35 And the house of Israel called the name thereof Manna: and it was like coriander seed, white; and the taste of it was like wafers made with honey. And Moses said, This is the thing which the LORD commandeth, Fill an omer of it to be kept for your generations; that they may see the bread wherewith I have fed you in the wilderness, when I brought you forth from the land of Egypt. And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a pot, and put an omer full of manna therein, and lay it up before the LORD, to be kept for your generations. As the LORD commanded Moses, so Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept. And the children of Israel did eat manna forty years, until they came to a land inhabited; they did eat manna, until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.
Numbers 11:7-9 And the manna was as coriander seed, and the colour thereof as the colour of bdellium. And the people went about, and gathered it, and ground it in mills, or beat it in a mortar, and baked it in pans, and made cakes of it: and the taste of it was as the taste of fresh oil. And when the dew fell upon the camp in the night, the manna fell upon it.
Nehemiah 9:19-21 Yet thou in thy manifold mercies forsookest them not in the wilderness: the pillar of the cloud departed not from them by day, to lead them in the way; neither the pillar of fire by night, to shew them light, and the way wherein they should go. Thou gavest also thy good spirit to instruct them, and withheldest not thy manna from their mouth, and gavest them water for their thirst. Yea, forty years didst thou sustain them in the wilderness, so that they lacked nothing; their clothes waxed not old, and their feet swelled not.
Psalms 78:23-25 Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels' food: he sent them meat to the full.
Psalms 105:39-41 He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give light in the night. The people asked, and he brought quails, and satisfied them with the bread of heaven. He opened the rock, and the waters gushed out; they ran in the dry places like a river.
All their needs were met, including their physical needs, while they journeyed to the Promised Land. Bread has always been considered a staple of life. This manna, this bread from Heaven, this angels' food, tasted like wafers made with honey, and yet it also contained all the nutrients they would need to live as they made this rugged journey.
Use pastry as an object lesson here.
Something so good, tasty and nutritious - who could ask for more?
Deuteronomy 8:1-3 All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers. And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.
This manna was intended to teach them something foundational about their daily provision - just as the people of God needed physical food to survive (ie. their daily bread - see Matthew 6:11), so also they needed daily spiritual food to prosper spiritually - and that food was the Word of God and their fellowship with the Saviour. Yet they took God and His provision for granted and despised His leading in their lives.
Numbers 11:4-6 And the mixt multitude that was among them fell a lusting: and the children of Israel also wept again, and said, Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
Numbers 21:5 And the people spake against God, and against Moses, Wherefore have ye brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? for there is no bread, neither is there any water; and our soul loatheth this light bread.
John 6, the day after the feeding of the 5000:
John 6:26-34 Jesus answered them and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Ye seek me, not because ye saw the miracles, but because ye did eat of the loaves, and were filled. Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign shewest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread.
The Bread from Heaven was a person. The manna was a type or a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ.
John 6:35 And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.
Jesus offers to fill that aching spiritual hunger and thirst inside of us - and fill it to the full, so that we would never hunger or thirst the same way again if we believe in Him.
John 6:41-43 The Jews then murmured at him, because he said, I am the bread which came down from heaven. And they said, Is not this Jesus, the son of Joseph, whose father and mother we know? how is it then that he saith, I came down from heaven? Jesus therefore answered and said unto them, Murmur not among yourselves.
John 6:47-51 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life. I am that bread of life. Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead. This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die. I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
Physical bread (including manna) could only fill physical needs. Its effects were temporal. They needed spiritual bread to fill their spiritual needs. That bread was Christ - feeding on Him through faith was what would give them eternal life and fulfillment/satisfaction in this life.
John 6:52-63 The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat? Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum. Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it? When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you? What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before? It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
It is faith in the Word of God that will bring life, faith in the finished work of the Saviour upon the cross that gives life. The Spirit of God takes that faith and brings to life (quickens) the lost soul that trusts in Christ.
One final reference to manna is found in Revelation. I love some of those Hidden Picture games, where you have to intently look, intently seek a hidden object. There is satisfaction when you find what you were looking for all along.
Revelation 2:17 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.
Jesus is that hidden manna, and He gives Himself in fellowship to that person who will look away from the world and will look only to Him in faith. Seek, and ye shall find. Only faith in and fellowship with the Saviour can bring contentment and satisfaction in this life.
Matthew 5:6 Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.
Are you hungry?
Remind them of the pastry object lesson. Who is hungry? Offer pastry. Recap difference between physical hunger and spiritual hunger. One can lead to temporal fulfillment, one can lead to eternal fulfillment.
Not only does the Lord promise to meet your physical needs as you walk with Him, but your spiritual needs as well.
Psalms 37:3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.
Preached April 13th/2010
Jerry Bouey
(Due to time constraints, I could not read all these passages, but they were part of the outline I prepared while studying, and I made sure I was familiar with their content, so could sum them up or refer to them as needed.)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)