In Matthew 19 - we see religious leaders coming to Jesus in an attempt to justify their beliefs on marriage and divorce, which had very clearly evolved over centuries to a point where the earlier interpretations of scripture had been abandoned for a much more inclusive definition.

Jesus responds by pointing them back to the beginning, back to creation. His answer wasn't received well then, as his own disciples said “If such is the case of a man with his wife, it is better not to marry.”

The nature of the questions has changed, but Jesus' answer on marriage and gender roles remains the same, pointing us back to the purpose for men and women in creation - not simply to establish some sort of order or authority structure, but more importantly to teach us valuable lessons about our own relationship to God.

And when the world tells us those roles are outdated and need to be rejected in our current culture, it is a reflection of the world's rejection of God and His pattern for us. But Jesus' response in Matthew 19 leads us back to Creation as God creates man and woman - a pairing ultimately fulfilled as a living example of Christ and the church in Ephesians 5.

Last month we talked about Romans 9 in our continued study through the book of Romans, and we set the stage by clarifying some basic concepts on God's sovereignty and His plan for the salvation of mankind. As we discussed, understanding this passage becomes much easier when we eliminate some of the interpretations of the passage that seem reasonable on the surface, but which contradict well-established truths throughout scripture. 

When we eliminate the idea that Paul is teaching that God saves individuals on an arbitrary basis without regard to free will or human character (see the first part of this lesson for more details), his meaning becomes much clearer - particularly when we go back to the context of the passages he cites from the Old Testament.

Paul's discussion in chapter 9 centers around the question of God's plan of salvation, which he brought into the world through Christ as a fulfillment to the promise He made to Abraham and his descendants. Was it just for God to change His covenant with Israel after having used the nation to fulfill His purpose? And was it just for God to condemn and punish the nation for rejecting His plan, considering that their rejection was what led to salvation flowing to the Gentiles as well?

Paul makes the argument that God had been patient with Israel through its rebellion, preserving the nation until such time as the Christ was brought into the world, and the plan had been fulfilled through Jesus' death and resurrection. At that time, he established a new covenant available to all who believe in Jesus - and He was just in taking His previous covenant out of the way.

The story of Ahab in 1 Kings 16-22 shows us a king who personifies Israel at its most rebellious. Under Ahab, the northern kingdom had become as bad or worse than the nations God had called them to displace, worshiping idols and embracing all the corruption that they brought into the culture. 

But God continued to call Ahab - and Israel - back through His prophets. In fact, God granted Ahab military victories and economic success, showing Ahab that the Lord is God. And yet ultimately Ahab refused to listen, and God ended his life through the Syrian army.

The Bible records four stories from the life of Ahab that show his stubborn and rebellious responses, which in closer inspection look much like the same responses we give today:

- Ahab considered God's invitations of mercy as the acts of an enemy
- Ahab trusted the faithlessness of the surrounding nations instead of the faithfulness of God
- Ahab modified the worst of his behavior, thinking this would entice God to accept his continued rebellion in other areas
- Ahab believed he could avoid the punishment God had promised

God’s people are called to wait. In fact, while it’s not always the thing we think of first when we describe what it means to be a Christian, the fact is that waiting is one of - if not the biggest part - of our life on this earth. Because when we answer the call to follow Jesus, we do so with the promise of something greater, a reward that is waiting for us that we can attain through the grace of God. And we are promised that it is beyond our wildest imaginations, and that there is nothing in this life that can compare.

In fact, there are only three books in the New Testament that do not make at least some admonition or encouragement to wait for the revelation of Jesus, to anticipate the reward he is bringing those who love his appearing Heb. 9:28 

That’s particularly important because there’s a growing position among some professing a faith in Christ that we shouldn’t be thinking about heaven at all! Or at least we shouldn’t emphasize it, because it takes our attention away from this world - from the work we have to do here, from our stewardship of the planet, or even from the joys that God provides us in this life. Or maybe the argument is that we ought to be more altruistic in our faith - we should be serving God for the here and now, we shouldn’t need to have that carrot dangled out there for us.

Paul describes the Thessalonian church in 1 Thes. 1 and talks about how their faith and their acceptance of the gospel was evident to everyone in the region - and the primary reason for that was that as he says in v. 8

8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. 

How do I know you believe the gospel? Because you’re willing to wait for something that no one around you thinks is going to happen. 

There is a value in waiting as a Christian, spending my time not engrossed in the things of this world, and not passively sitting back until the Lord comes again - but actively preparing myself for that day:
- Developing into someone who will enjoy the Heaven that God has promised - not the one I would create on this earth
- Creating an anticipation that puts being with God above anything else I might want out of this life
- Developing an attitude of service, knowing that my life today is not about myself, and the awaiting reward in Heaven isn't, either!
- Maintaining a faith that God will fulfill all His promises in a way that surpasses my greatest expectations

In a culture that exalts happiness to a divine right, it's not surprising that so many people struggle with unhappiness - or at least a happiness level that they see as insufficient. And we're constantly looking for things to make us happy right now, and once that's gone, we move on to the next diversion.

Ecclesiastes describes the efforts to find happiness in material blessings as seen by Solomon - the wisest and richest king of his day. And while he ultimately finds vanity and emptiness in the pursuits of his life, he actually provides a positive, optimistic message for those who want to hear it.

He describes God's formula for happiness in this life - but it requires that the person accept certain limitations: life is finite, and nothing in life can fulfill our ultimate desire for something that lasts beyond this life, something that does not have to continually be refilled or recaptured.

And the only way to find an eternal solution to an eternal need is to seek it from God, who created us, who gave us purpose in life, and who provides so many blessings and joyful moments in this life. And when we see our lives as God sees them - not as the moment in time, but in a collection of events, experiences, emotions, and challenges, it changes our perspective, adjusts our expectations, and realigns our priorities to seek and serve the God who loves us, and who seeks to provide true lasting happiness.

In Romans 9, having completed his description of God's plan of salvation by faith in Christ, Paul goes back to address the question of Israel. What happens to the nation which had previously enjoyed a covenant relationship with God through the law of Moses? 

Paul makes some arguments in this section that taken out of context can often seem to describe a plan of salvation in which God controls our lives, dictates our outcomes, and arbitrarily decides our eternal fates. But when we keep the passage in the context of the letter as a whole, and when we come in with an understanding of what the Bible teaches on the sovereignty of God, the message becomes much easier to understand.

In this lesson, we will look at some foundational points about how we can understand God's sovereignty - to what degree does God actively control the world and its population? Does man have free will? Is Paul teaching here that God hates some and loves others independent of their actions?

What we learn from the rest of scripture is that God is not an unjust God, He does not save arbitrarily, but plainly describes to us what He requires and how He offers salvation to each and every one of us if we're willing to accept the gospel of Jesus.

The parable of the dishonest manager (or the unjust steward, depending on your translation) is one that often causes some confusion because it's distinct from other parables Jesus told. The main difference is that while other parables may feature a main character that is not righteous, this is the only time where the unrighteous character actually succeeds. And there is some added confusion in understanding what Jesus means when he states "Make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth."

While some of the specifics of the parable may be unclear, the basic meaning is simple. As we talked last week, there are some important rules to interpreting parables that can help us understand this one. And in this case, we can take what Jesus observes about this story and apply it in the context of Luke's gospel to understand Jesus' point more clearly.

Jesus' parables are wonderful examples of the power of storytelling in teaching. But they also demonstrate God's ability to reveal His will in a way that forces the listener to demonstrate the state of his or her heart. Parables are often general enough to allow someone to superimpose his own lesson onto the text, if his intent is not to put away his own ideas and focus on the lesson Jesus is trying to teach.

Parables are intended to teach us spiritual truths about the kingdom of God, but they do it in a way that is different from other types of scripture, and they have to be studied differently. In this lesson, we talk about how we can read and understand the parables not from the perspective of our own interpretation, but with open hearts seeking to understand God's word in all truth.

We often overlook the books of 1 and 2 Chronicles as "supplementary material" when we study the books of Samuel and Kings. In fact, the Greek translation of the books titled them "The Things Left Out." But the Chronicle writer wrote to a different audience at a different time in history - possibly the last book of the Old Testament written around 400BC. And its themes seem intended to inspire the post-exile Jews to remember God's promises of a kingdom and a great king to come - even when there was no evidence that either was on the horizon.

The Chronicler (possibly Ezra) starts in 1 Chronicles by showing David as the "prototype" of God's anointed: a king not so much focused on military conquests (although he had his share) but rather focused on the construction and worship of the temple. David is shown as a leader intent on directing the people to "seek the Lord with a whole heart."

After casting out a demon, Jesus tells the story of what happens after the demon is cast out. And while there is discussion on whether Jesus is describing what actually happens to demons after they have been expelled, or whether Jesus is simply drawing an analogy, the application is clear: when we do not replace the evil in our hearts with good, evil will always have a place to return.

Through the rest of the chapter, Luke carries the thread forward from Jesus' audience and their unwillingness to recognize the significance of what they witnessed, instead claiming that Jesus was casting out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons. He describes their own unwillingness to hear and do the word proclaimed to them, linking it to the state of their own hearts, and showing an example of how external-only religion can corrupt us and block out the light of God's word.