Coeburn Presbyterian Church Sermons - Pastor James Ensley

Introduction: Jonah 4….Jonah 3 Ninevah repents, “who knows” (behind the curtain: God relents). Jonah 1-3 could be a wrap. But the lesson the invitation for reflection is in chapter 4 as Jonah reveals his heart and God’s sovereign mercy.

Remember tis about God: God shows mercy to sin. In his grace he offers a substitute. The wages of sin is death, but Christ Jesus bore that penalty on himself, purchasing patience, forbearance, and forgiveness for all who trust in God’s forgiveness.

What Jonah shows is that for many of us we like the mercy and pity of God for ourselves but not for others. We approve of God’s smiling providences, but we are angered by his frowning providence.

READ: Jonah 3:9-4:11

Prayer of Illumination

Outline

#1 What Didn’t Happen…

#2 Praying while Angry – vv. 1-3 The Mercy of God ought to produce forgiveness

#3 Hoping for Judgment vv.4-11

God’s Sovereign Appointment

Jonah’s Fragile Heart

Our Hearts: The call for self-reflection

Jonah’s message is not wishy washy, each time the Lord calls him to preach AGAINST Ninevah, it is because they are truly a wicked people. I said last week, Jonah KNEW God was merciful, but the message was one that said “This is what justice deserves,” overturning the word is to “flip-over your city” which 99% of the time means destroy….” But It can mean….to cause to repent. Philip Cary makes this point of Chapter 3

By leading us to anticipate the terror of what the LORD might do, the narrative shows us the glory of what he does do. Were it not for this sequence we might think that the reason the LORD has mercy is because he is not the kind of God who would ever take vengeance on the wicked. Such a god would be an indulgent fantasy, giving us a picture of mercy without justice—which is to say, a concept of mercy that is not really mercy at all but only a failure to uphold what is right and to vindicate the oppressed. To undermine that fantasy, the word of God undertakes the strange project of telling a story about unchanging divine mercy. – Phillip Cary

A story of what God decided NOT to do? That is, NOT Give Ninevah what it deserved for its sins. Just as wicked in many ways as Canaan, which was judged, as the nations at the end of the age are judged when Christ returns are…But in Jonah chapter 3, God accepts repentance. He relents.

And Jonah is Angry.

What the lord has NOT done in our life is perhaps the trickiest to tell our children. The mercies of God, telling of the kinds of judgments NOT or only partially experienced. The evils we did NOT reap because we are under mercy and not judgment.

I would encourage you to reflect deeply on this.

Like Ninevah What didn’t happen because God showed mercy on you, calling you to himself, forgiving your sins, giving you a new heart, and placing you in a community.

Note I didn’t say “what didn’t happen because “you were the perfect Christian with no sin…”

But what didn’t happen because there is great forgiveness and great love in Christ to pursue us when we are wayward sheep.

Think of While Ninevah is NOT destroyed: how many people turned from their evil ways? How many slave master blows didn’t land on backs? How many were not murdered, stolen from, or abused because of this revival?

The same is true for us. In your heart bless the Lord for the dozens of times the Lord either kept you back from a path with sorrow in it OR in his mercy chased you down that path, brought you back, and restored you. Tell of the mercies of God. God’s justice NOT falling on you.

Transition: And if that is true of you, what of Jonah?

#2 Praying while Angry – vv. 1-3 The Mercy of God ought to produce forgiveness

[1] But it displeased Jonah exceedingly, and he was angry. [2] And he prayed to the LORD and said, “O LORD, is not this what I said when I was yet in my country? That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster. [3] Therefore now, O LORD, please take my life from me, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

First, this IS A Prayer: I was in my country, and said how I felt, I fled to tarshish, I did go to Ninevah, but in my heart I don’t want a people such as this to listen to the word of God.

Jonah is STILL PRAYING, that is commendable. There are many psalms with anger… Questions…but David usually resolves the psalms with the PROMISES of God and the Character of God. “Lord, you have promised to be my God. God, you are good, your steadfast Love endures forever. Praise the Lord.”

The psalmist is usually applying God’s character and promises to his difficult circumstance.

But Jonah angry? Because of the character of God.

God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

Oh man, I knew God was “a spirit, infinite, eternal, and unchangeable in his being, wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth.

What should we do when the goodness of God IRKS us?

Or in other accounts, what should we do when the Justice of God angers us exceedingly. When God’s choices and plans make us angry.

God showed Jonah mercy in sending the plant for shade. (YES, a smiling providence; a free parking space God is on my side), God sends the worm, He removes mercy (God hates me, God is unjust, unfair) – How dare you remove the mercy of the plant on me!

Mercy for me but not for thee, says Jonah

We need some more context of the city Jonah is camping out at for why he is EXCEEDINGLY ANGRY: We need to feel Jonah’s struggle to see the Assyrians receiving mercy.

Persians, Romans, Baylonians, and Assyrians. Ninevah is an Assyrian city. So, a tour of four empires.

Best: Persians — Generally Humane

particularly under Cyrus the Great and Darius, is widely viewed as the least barbaric of the major Near Eastern empires.

Persians were an empire of order, law, and toleration, not terror. (relatively).

Romans: The Romans were extremely violent, but with a different flavor from Assyrians: Their brutality served law, order, and deterrence, not theatrical cruelty.

Typical Roman Atrocities: Crucifixion (the iconic Roman method); Mass enslavement after conquest;Sacking cities (e.g., Carthage, Jerusalem in AD 70); Colosseum games (state-sponsored killing as entertainment); Decimation of rebellious legions. Law and order keeping not religious or sadistic.

Romans were brutal in a legal and militaristic manner, not celebratory terror like Assyria.

Babylonians: Typical Babylonian Practices: Siege warfare (Jerusalem, Tyre); Exile as population control (e.g., Judean exile); Destruction of cities and temples (including Solomon’s Temple); Harsh reprisals against rebellion They could be ruthless, but: They do not record torture as public spectacle. Their inscriptions emphasize building projects, not cruelty.

Summary: Babylonians were violent conquerors, but comparatively bureaucratic, not terror-theatrical.

Assyrians, Ninevah’s is part of the Assyrian empire. The Assyrian Empire is the ancient world’s most explicitly brutal imperial regime in terms of recorded atrocities.Why we know this: Their own royal inscriptions boast of cruelty as a tool of psychological warfare.

Mass deportations of conquered peoples; Flaying alive enemies and displaying skins on city walls; Impalement of rebels; Beheading pyramids; Burning cities completely; Blinding captives (sometimes whole populations); Cutting off limbs, noses, ears; Parading defeated kings with hooks through the jaw

One Assyrian inscription from Ashurbanipal:

“I tore out their tongues and smashed them… I cut off their limbs.”This is typical of their royal annals’ self-presentation.

The Assyrians were unique in celebrating their atrocities in official propaganda.

A truly atrocious people, individual atrocious Ninevites, the king who put on sackcloth had condoned atrocities.

And Jonah sits there, and they are not getting punished for it.

God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.

And Jonah says, Oh man, I knew this would happen. In the major and minor prophets, the message of condemnation always offers the hope repentance and turning to God, the redeemer of Israel, and through Abraham the nations would be blessed by a redeemer. And Jonah is angry.

The repentant Guard (Corrie Ten Boom).

Corrie Ten Boom – Background in concentration camps, where her sister died.

Corrie Ten Boom, sister Betsie – Ravensbruck.

Two years after the war, Corrie spoke at a church in Munich, to a defeated Germany, bringing with her, the gospel, the message that God does indeed forgive us our sins in Christ Jesus.

Yet, Corrie was unexpectedly struck by a familiar face that stared back at her from within the crowd; a man that she recognized as a particularly cruel guard from Ravensbruck.

After Corrie’s speech had ended, the man approached Corrie. His words to her were as follows: “You mentioned Ravensbruck in your talk. I was a guard there,” he said. “But since that time, I have become a Christian. I know that God has forgiven me for the cruel things I did there, but I would like to hear it from your lips as well.” He extended his hand toward her and asked, “Will you forgive me?” Corrie stared at the outstretched hand.

Listen to the account that she would later give regarding that experience: “And as I stood there – I whose sins had again and again been forgiven – and could not forgive. Betsie had died in that place – could he erase her slow terrible death simply for the asking? It could not have been many seconds that he stood there – hand held out – but to me it seemed like hours as I wrestled with the most difficult thing I had ever had to do, for I had to do it – I knew that. The message that God forgives had a prior condition: that we forgive those who have injured us.

‘If you do not forgive men their trespasses,’ Jesus says, ‘neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses’ (Matthew 6:15). I knew it not only as a commandment of God but as a daily experience…And still I stood there with the coldness clutching my heart. But forgiveness is not an emotion – I knew that too. Forgiveness is an act of the will, and the will can function regardless of the temperature of the heart. ‘Jesus, help me!’ I prayed silently. ‘I can lift my hand. I can do that much. You supply the feeling.’ And so woodenly, mechanically, I thrust my hand into the one stretched out to me. And as I did, an incredible thing took place. The current started in my shoulder, raced town my arm, sprang into our joined hands. And then this healing warmth seemed to flood my whole being, bringing tears to my eyes. ‘I forgive you, brother!’ I cried. ‘With all my heart.’”

Who, if they came to know Jesus, truly, with repentance, a changed heart, the old man is dead only a new creation remains, who would you struggle to call brother or sister in Christ?

That is who we ought to ask the Lord to save. TO pray for their salvation…

Not sit and wait for the city to be burned with fire from heaven.

And in doing so, ask the Lord to come to your own heart to fix the wounds, heal the holes, and bear the pain, the sin, and the loss there.

Christians may pray imprecatory psalms, right the psalms that curse, “for the sake of the righteous, the wicked be Judged.”

Believers always know there is a duel and the greater prayer there that the wicked would repent and turn to Christ before they fall into judgment. Before they do any more harm to the righteous.

But which do we hope for?

Jim McCarthy says, “Sometimes, it seems impossible to pray for some people. Maybe you have such a person in your life? Whose name you can’t even utter? The very thought of whom causes a dark cloud to overcast your heart? In such cases the first step of obedience is to beg God to grant you a heart of forgiveness and a desire to pray for them. He who said, ‘Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you (Matt. 5:44), is faithful.”

Caveat: This of course, does not mean we must physically put ourselves in danger or under the power of a wicked person in a false since of piety.

But desire for the salvation of our enemies starts in the heart?

Look with me in verses 5-11

#3 Hoping for Judgment

God’s Sovereign Appointment

Jonah’s Fragile Heart

Our Hearts: The call for self-reflection

[5] Jonah went out of the city and sat to the east of the city and made a booth for himself there. He sat under it in the shade, till he should see what would become of the city. [6] Now the LORD God appointed a plant and made it come up over Jonah, that it might be a shade over his head, to save him from his discomfort. So Jonah was exceedingly glad because of the plant. [7] But when dawn came up the next day, God appointed a worm that attacked the plant, so that it withered. [8] When the sun rose, God appointed a scorching east wind, and the sun beat down on the head of Jonah so that he was faint. And he asked that he might die and said, “It is better for me to die than to live.”

God shows pity to Jonah with the Plant. God creates. God comforts. Jonah for a time is alright with the Lord’s providence. The Lord’s dominion over his creatures and all their actions.

What are God’s works of providence? Answer: God’s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving, and governing all his creatures, and all their actions

God initiated: the word, the storm: God appointed creatures: fish, plant, worm, storm.

Deism vs. Providence. (overseeing, decreeing, sustaining, governing,

Jonah is a-ok with some of the lord’s special providences but not with others.

John Mackay says, This dry, hot wind which withers green growth, and causes considerable physical distress, is a well-known phenomenon in the area - but it is under God’s control and serves his purpose. Jonah at once feels the effect of the plant’s death, and begins to suffer from sunstroke. He wanted to die, and said, “It would be better for me to die than to live… If the provision of the plant had eased Jonah’s lot and his bad temper somewhat, the situation was now reversed. He was back into his old mood again, and wishing he were dead.

In a twist of IRONY, JONAH “challenges God’s right to destroy” – John Mackay, 68.

A plant….

He is waiting for a city to be destroyed…And he challenges God’s right to send the worm to destroy a plant. Jonah’s heart is Fragile.

Jonah’s Heart is fragile…

A little bit of physical comfort… Exceeding Joy

Heat and distress…Jonah Wishes he was dead. (

Ninevah didn’t get to hear the narrator at the end of chp 3. – They are still just hoping to be spared. They probably don’t realize yet they’ve been spared. There city with 120,000 people and their livestock has a nuclear bomb hanging over them.

And Jonah is worrying about shade, comfort, he is feeling pitiful, angry, rage, and then comfort, then pitiful again.

He is tired and away from his home country. He is watching and waiting for a the city to be destroyed and he is not getting his felt vindication.

Look in v. 9-11 God asks a question…GOD Draws out Jonah’s Heart with a comparison.

DO you do well to be angry for the plant?

“Yes, Jonah says”

Jim McCarthy puts his finger on Jonah’s problem: what Jonah pitied, prized, and loved most of all was himself. This plant only made him glad because of what it did for him.

Yes, I do well to be angry. Does Jonah believe this yes?

God says, : You “labored” for the Ninevites, they are human beings…Do you pity how ignorant they are of the darkness of their lostness?

No, because the Ninevites don’t make Jonah happy.

John Mackay, “He felt he was being victimized by what had happened to him. Jonah was sure he was right in what he considered should have happened to Nineveh. Not only was God wrong in what he had done to the city, but also in what he had done to the prophet.” (68).

Remember, Strong emotions of pity, and exceeding gladness do not make your course of action correct

Events that feel like “god opening doors” do not validate your emotions or moral state of heart. Jonah could’ve said “Look at the plant, the shade, the nice cool weather, God approves….”

Jonah should’ve rejoiced at the Character of God, the Mercy of God, and searched the word of God to see, yes, God will bless the gentile nations, and perhaps this is a foretaste of how a descendant of Abraham, would one day place many believing gentile communities throughout the world.

Transition: God reminds Jonah of the Imago dei, the value and dignity of mankind – God’s creation, and that it is good, and that We (v.11) were created to steward the animals.

You are so angry at Assyrians, do you remember that you were made to at least care for and pity the animals?

If you don’t pity your fellow man because you hate them, do you perhaps pity the cattle?

God is reminding Jonah of 3 things

First, We were made in his image to love and live in fellowship with God “They do not know their righthand from their left. Pity them.

Second, we were made for fellowship with one another. Rejoice there will be a better life in a god-fearing city than a godless city.

Third, we were made to guard, to keep, to tend and steward the creatures. Rejoice in the life spared.

What is the book is all about? God is a merciful and a gracious God.

Our Hearts: Are you watching people around you to see a merciful and gracious God at work to save sinners? Or are you watching people around you to see if you approve of how God in his providence is treating you and them, who do not know there right hand from there left? Have Pity. Because if you are in Christ Jesus, he pitied you.

Man of sorrows what a namefor the Son of God, who cameruined sinners to reclaim:Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Guilty, helpless, lost were we;blameless Lamb of God was he,sacrificed to set us free:Hallelujah, what a Savior!

Prayer

Benediction.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com

Imagine you have never heard of Jonah before…You are reading your bible for the first time

The World in the Flood (Genesis 6–7); Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18–19); Egypt (Pharaoh’s kingdom warned through Moses—Exodus 7–12); Canaan and its cities (especially Jericho; Leviticus 18; Deut. 7; Josh. 6)

What was Jonah’s task: The evil stench of Ninevah has come up before the Lord, Go, Call out against that great city: “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!”

What do you think is going to happen to Ninevah in Chapter 3 – no spoilers? If you had to put money on it.

What did Jonah think was going to happen?

What is the overall problem? Ninevah is under judgement. They need a call to repentance, the Lord to grant them repentance, and it needs to be true repentance, and lasting revival. Jonah needs to assume his prophetic role, preach faithfully, and rejoice as the Lord does all according to his Holy and Merciful will.

We need to ask: Do we resist God’s Word, do we remain dead in our sin?

And if we have sorrow for sin we can ask is it godly sorrow or temporary? We need to remember God graciously grants repentance through His Word and shows saving mercy in Christ to all who turn to Him. And it is vital that we are enfolded into the covenant community as members of God’s multi-generational body.

Read Jonah 3:1-10

Prayer of Illumination

#1 Jonah: Deja Vu 1-4

#2 The People and The King 5-9

#3 The Lord Relents 9-10

#1 Jonah: Deja Vu 1-4

Look again in vs..1-4 [1] Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time…

Introductory Illustration: How often do we get it the first time? What about in the bible? When we do “get it” are we perfect?? When you are young you often think I’ll do this the first time, or if I get it right once then I’m good to go going forward…I infuriated my mother because I assumed if I understood the words she was saying about Math, then I would be able to do it my first try, or…after I did it once I thought I was done with math! No, drill, repetition, some successes, some failures…Jonah has had a failure. Now a success is coming…but does that make him the perfect prophet going forward? Is this how the Christian life works?

Deja Vu!

[Retell Jonah 1] The Word, To Jonah, Ninevah, Call out against it! (Chapter one) The Word, To Jonah, Ninevah, Call out against it! (chapter 2).

And here we are, Déjà vu! Its not subtle…second time…hear we go again.

Once again, the Word of God, calls the prophet of God, to speak the message of God. Remember, “no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” – 2 Peter 1:21

What does God desire in response by Jonah?

Whole-hearted obedience is wanted…second chances are given…not earned or deserved, but mercifully given….God gives Jonah’s grace instead of the death penalty of a soldier abandoning his post. Grace is undeserved mercy.

And now here we can say, Yay – Jonah obeyed – he’s been converted. Some Christians believe in “perfection” after conversation. But Jonah makes it not that simple.

I think it is simplistic to say, Jonah was or was not a believer in Chapter 1,2,3, or 4.

Maybe he was a true follower of God in Chapter 1

Maybe he truly converted in chapter 2.

Yay Chapter 3 seems good.

But hmmm…Chapter 4 he is grumbling and wishing to die …because god shows mercy…

But then again – we have the book of Jonah, which seems like a first-hand detailed account given by Jonah…

Quite simply, all believers are battling indwelling sin and growing in obedience.

Paul in Romans 7 Says, “I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.” (Rom. 7:15) “I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” (Rom. 7:18)

We are going to see reluctant obedience from Jonah throughout. This is not good. We ought to have Joyful obedience and not resist the mercy of God. But this is also the normal experience, to some extent, of believers throughout the bible…

Reluctant hearts need the grace of God to come to them again, and again, not just willpower. The Christian life is a lifelong growth in obedience.

AND Jonah doesn’t excuse himself. He honestly rights of his mistakes and the ways he falls short in this part of his life.

SO keep following Jonah’s ups and downs. And remember, you hold a full and honest account of his sin and failures in your hands…I suspect that some age and wisdom helped Jonah pen his many failures here.

Remember, the Christian life is a gracious, Spirit-empowered, Long obedience. The Christian life is a long obedience in a Godward direction. Jonah’s prayer is his cry of distress; his obedience to go to Ninevah does not make him now a “super Christian” one who’s heart thought rightly, felt rightly, and acted rightly.

Going into the exceedingly great city, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!

Population? Size? A city God had set his sight on. The three days is likely the differences between the city proper and the metropolitan area, or the administrative district (e.g. 500K Atl proper vs. 5 Million large Atlanta Metro)

What does God want us to do with ultimatums of Judgement? _____ (Appl)

There are several Insufficient responses to the word

Apathy and no action taken when we hear of our sin or our conscience is pricked.

Panic – And temporary response with no knowledge of God or love for God no trust in his mercy or covenant promises. Just I heard of fire and brimstone and I don’t want to go to hell.

As Jesus says, of the parable of the seed and the soils, some hearts are unresponsive, some temporarily respond, and some seeds fall on good soil and bear fruit 100-fold in keeping with repentance.

What of us and our lives being overthrown?

Will your life be overthrown if you do not heed Jonah’s warning? The Lord’s warnings to you in the word:

Yes, He who seeks to gain his life will lose it. If you live for yourself and seek life in this world. Either in apparently sinful things, or just the selfishly “this life is all there is” life you will lose your life.

What does it profit a man to gain the world but forfeit his soul?

40 Days God says….No one is guaranteed 40 days.

This is a merciful warning. Remember.

Today, Today is the day of salvation. (Heb. Quote).

Remember God is reconciling sinners and enemies of God and man to himself in Christ Jesus. And his word preached is me acting as his ambassador to say, “now is the favorable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”“Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts…”(Hebrews 3:7–8; also 3:15; 4:7, ESV)

2 Corinthians 5:21 For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. The apostles and prophets in the word of God on behalf of God appeals to you not to receive the grace of God in vain.

Transition: The people of Ninevah heard this warning, and with much less certain offers of grace, much less light and information, they responded in repentance of their sins. Look in verses 5-9.

#2 The People and The King 5-9

2A The People, v. 5

[5] And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. [What does it mean “Nineveh believed God”]

The people Believed God

Jim McCarthy says, Jonah did not know it, but the Holy Spirit was tilling and softening the rocky heart-soil of the Ninevites to receive the seed of the God’s word…”

That is they heard the message as from God: He is Real. This message is from him. I have offended him. I am cut to the heart and sorrow and turn away from my offending sin.

It is a repentance in which God does Relent. So something of it is commendable.

It fits with what Jesus says Matt. 12:38-42…

Matt. 12:38-42 Then some of the scribes and Pharisees answered him, saying, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.” [39] But he answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. [40] For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth. [41] The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. [42] The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. (See also Luke 11:32)

How much greater should our faith and repentance by now that the Light of the World has come, Christ the Great and True Prophet has come, now that the Holy Spirit is being poured out on all nations and we have the whole counsel of God in a whole and entire word from him.

Jesus has the same message of urgency as the “yet 40 days” and he cites them to call the men of his do to Believe to not Ignore the warning. Jesus says, The men of Ninevah on judgement day will witness against you if you delay in repentance and trust in HIM to save you from the condemnation of your sins and the evil of your heart.

The revival, the groundswell of sorrow and fasting makes its way to the ears of the king.

2B THE KING, v. 6 and following.

6] The word reached the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. [7] And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, [8] but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands.----

Off the throne, off with his royal robes, on with the clothing of the poor and mourning - Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs in the kingdom of God.

The people called for a fast…the King both responds to what is happening to the people and then he formalizes with a decree what is already happening.

There is a positive feedback loop: Right a microphone picks up the speaker, which get loud and screechy, which the microphone picks up, and it gets louder and louder.

The people > the king > the people > the king and the nobles.

John L. Mackay points out that it does indeed seem that response of the people cause the stirring of the action of the King!

Entrusted with particular care for the well-being of his city and he took God’s warning as a real event that would happen if he did not repent.

Do you view things this way for yourself and your family?

Family members each of you in your role within the family can encourage spiritual growth and revival

My Father contributed to my spiritual growth, my mother did certainly in bible reading and catechism…But my brothers in my bedroom at night we sometimes had spiritual conversations and we encouraged each other…My siblings walking with the lord I’m sure has encouraged the faith of our parents through the years in a way that is greater than if we had grown spiritually cold.

So young people encourage the next generation and be encouraged. Older people use your position to encourage the next generation!

Second concerning the king and the people what did both groups repentance look like? Here are a few traits:

First, External acts in keeping with repentance

Prayer, on the floor, in tears. (my story).

But these things must match the heart.

Second, Public Call for revival. It was not a private keep-it-to-yourself religion with no zeal for the Lord.

Derek Thomas – Story: Saved listening to Billy Graham on the radio…Told his mother that he had been saved in the morning. Kept on her the whole day. Mother called the doctor, the doctor told her he was suffering from trauma, prescribed tranquilizer…

Praise God he survived a liberal minister attempting to shake his newfound faith, got connected with brothers and sisters who taught him the word and to love the Church.

Third, true repentance Turns from “General” to “specific” sorrow for sin.

V. 8 – evil way, the violence that is in his hands.

Ninevah is confessing particularly Ninevite sins.

Jim McCarthy tells the story of the impact when the bible truly strikes us to confess our sins.

When our hearts are specifically and particularly exposed he says, “It was the summer before my eighth-grade year and my parents sent me to an FCA’ camp on Black Mountain in North Carolina. One night, we were gathered in the great hall. It was the first time I had ever heard a man preach about sin. Though hundreds were in the room, I felt like I was the only one there as this man told me all that I ever did’ John 4:29). He lifted the hood of my soul and exposed the secret sins within. He declared that the wages of my sin is death because God is holy. And I knew he was right. I knew I deserved hell. But then he finished the verse, ‘but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord’ (Rom. 6:23). Now, more than twenty years later, I don’t remember the preacher’s name or anything else he said. I only remember that was the first night I believed the Lord.” (Mccarthy, 44-45).

So for a time it was acceptable, popular, even expected by the King of Ninevah to turn to the LORD. TO reform the cities injustices and to have a reverence for the God of Israel.

But will it translate to a deep rooted abiding in Worship of God alone. Absolute monotheism? A worldview of singular devotion and fear of YHWH and recognizing others so-called “gods” are false idols…Nahum’s letter is the context for where this will go in 100 years. [in January…]

Because more than these things is repentance accompanied by Faith, Hope, and Love. Faith, Hope, and Love for God.

A prizing of God. A lifelong communion with the living God in prayer, sitting under the word, in fellowship with others who share the same direction of life.

It is why Christians MUST Marry in the Lord. You must have a common horizon of pursuing God and you pursue God you grow closer together

Sorrow for sin that remains unjoined with Faith, Hope, and Love for God will fade with the years.

Sorrow for sin unaccompanied by fellowship with believers. By meaningful membership in Christ’s church will fade.

The devil attempted to tranquilize Derek Thomas’ newfound faith, his sent a Wolf-In-priests garbs to intellectually destroy it, but God by the Spirit enfolded him into fellowship with fellow believers. We must prize the body of Christ and meaningful church membership which the Lord’s supper is pointing us to later this morning.

Consider…

Large scale revivals can be good, mixed, or sometimes detrimental (First great awakening good, second great awakening…well it less so great and mores so “ok to not so great awakening.” Those regions of constant manipulative style revivalism are called the “burned over regions” and are among the most godless regions of America.

Remember: The stronger grounded the visible church and faith of the church the more equipped we are to enfold people into her.

Revivals that have centered around religious fervor and emotion that reject the Church and gathering with God’s people for discipleship fade quickly.

How does God respond to this revival:

#3 The Lord Relents; look in verses 9-10

[9] Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” [10] When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. (ESV)

The question: “Who knows?, God may turn and relent that we may not perish”

The Response: God relents

Because he see they truly turn from their evil way.

God knows the heart the external fasting, sackcloth, and signs of mourning and remorse for sin are true and not just skin deep.

God is merciful and relents.

The ultimate reason God can be merciful is not because he winks at sin, tears doesn’t absolve us from sin. The mercy and salvation of God ultimately for all people comes from : Christ’s work as our prophet and high priest and king. WSC 24-26.

Christ calls us to repentance and turning to the Lord as our father: He does this as prophet by his Word and Spirit making the will of God for our salvation known to us.

Christ promises us that when we turn from sin we are turning to him as savior and God as Father.

He does this as priest: by offering himself up as a sacrifice to satisfy divine justice, and reconcile us to God; and in making continual intercession for us.

His pleads on our behalf. He does not grow tired in being our merciful priest. He does not grow old or weary. New morning mercies are found in Christ Jesus.

No Disaster shall overtake those in Christ Jesus.

He does this as King. The decree Christ makes for us in not in sackcloth as ashes for he is a risen and a righteous king. Christ righteously in our repentance subdues us to himself, rules, defends, and conquers our enemies.

Nothing can snatch us from the hands of our savior.

When God relents. He relents for the sake of the perfect work of Christ on your behalf, and his ongoing reign intercedes for you all the days of your life.

Prayer

Communion

Benediction

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com

Good Evening: It is Fall. I love the Fall…Yes I do get my Pumpkin Spice Oatmilk Latte every year…Just one because they are $8 after tip… The stores though are already Christmas themed. I’ve seen Lights for Christmas. But what about Thanksgiving? Hold the line. It is the week before thanksgiving and it is appropriate for us to ponder below the surface of turkey, gravy, and pumpkin pie. So 1 Thanksgiving sermon followed by 4 advent sermons.

READ: Matthew 6:25–33 (Not page 61…beginning on page 811).

[25] “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? [26] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Pray

#1 The Problem – We live in an anxious disenchanted world. (vv. 25)

#2 The Solution – Re-Enchanting Providence: (vv. 26-30)

#3 The Priority – Seek the highest good and then enjoy the ordinary. (vv. 31-33).

#4 Practical Implications for A Re-enchanted Thanksgiving Day.

#1: THE PROBLEM: We live in an anxious world

One of the reason, One of the reasons this is a very anxious world is that we’ve lost sight of PROVIDENCE

· Because we have lost a view of Providence, we are anxious and fearful for things outside of our control.

o We fear THE BIG PICTURE. We fear where HISTORY is going.

o And such fear harms our Gratitude and Thanksgiving to God and his providence. This mode of living makes Thanksgiving an inconsequential and unpleasant Holiday to most modern Americans…Put a pin in that I think there is a reason why American currently Obsess over Halloween in October and then Jump to Santa Claus Christmas in December and have a smaller, stressful little “Turkey Day” and Macy’s Day Parade in November…

· We are anxious and by and large americans live in a disenchanted world and we fear for the Big Picture.

o Writer Aaron Renn says, “I think a large part of this angst is the feeling that we don’t control our own narratives anymore. Everything’s run by big political or corporate forces. It’s out of our hands…we’re stuck in this pervasive sense of catastrophe fatigue.

§ In a disenchanted world …We rightly realize we don’t control the big pictures. There are 300 Million people in the U.S. And common worldviews and beliefs are highly fractured. We are out of control…And if there is not a God is who is in control…Our Fears…Our Anxiety as we scroll twitter and social media is only going to increase and increase….

o We fear for tomorrow…many feel impending doom… Renn continues “This is born out by the data on Americans’ greatest fears…In 2014, Americans’ top ten biggest fears included public speaking, heights, scary animals…flying, strangers, zombies, and darkness.

o But by 2023, that had wildly shifted. Instead, it was corrupt government officials, economic/financial collapse, Russia using nuclear weapons, the US becoming involved in another World War, people I love becoming seriously ill, people I love dying, pollution of drinking water, biological warfare, cyber-terrorism, and not having enough money for the future.

§ There is some overlap…But there is a clear shift….

§ “What many of these [new items] have in common is the shift from being afraid of things you have some degree of control over (like public speaking) to things you have a lot less control over (biological warfare, the economy, war, or loved ones dying….” End Quote.

§ Economies made up of millions of people…Death, Dying, the Unknown….Powerful people in our world who hold our lives in their hands…whether The Roman Empire….The Feds…

§ Why these anxieties? Americans are the least equipped to suffer than they ever have been. To make sense of their suffering. To have strength and courage of Body and Soul…[1]

o And I believe this is because people have lost Providence. Lost a heavenly Father.

§ People do not believe Jesus’ teaching, here in Matthew 6…we don’t talk like we believe it, do we?…we don’t celebrate holidays that conform to this…Or celebrate our holidays consistently with Providence, and we often don’t live our family lives like we believe this.

§ As a people, We have lost Providence. We have lost a Heavenly Father. We have lost the Gospel with the promise that there is a Kingdom with a King who has promised Certain salvation of our Souls.

· And this is a Thanksgiving sermon…It could easily sound like booo secularists, godless progressives… Thanksgiving is going to be a pain with my unbelieving family and friends.

· No – there is broad societal suffering that comes from disenchanting Providence.

· We, like Jesus should have compassion, Pity and sorrow for the anxious and fearful, for their lostness, for lives cut off from having a heavenly Father. Pity and sorrow for the lost. They are Orphaned. To be an orphan is a fearful and anxious thing.

· Thankfully, Jesus’ words, his teaching, his solution to this problem offers encouragement to the lost and an explanation of their misery.

§ The world we live in is a far better. Far more Transcendent. A Far more Spectacularly Enchanted world than the anxious one people think they are living in.

§ We have a heavenly Father and having a Heavenly Father who is Sovereign changes everything.

o ILLUSTRATION: Who do you call when you have a car wreck? Everything is out of your control. Your Father….

o Having a higher authority who loves you changes everything.

o But When you have no higher authority…No ultimate Faith, Hope, and Love, no Kingdom. No King. No God our Father with the Holy Spirit in your Heart. When suffering and scary things happen in the world you are Alone….

Jesus rebukes such functional atheism…And offers the Antidote of a robust Fatherly Providence.

We need to believe in and remember God’s active presence, reducing life to mere mechanics or chance feeds anxiety. Re-enchantment invites a return to a worldview that embraces God’s intimate, wise, and involvement in all aspects of creation.[2] An enchanted interest – definitionally, feeling greater pleasure and delight, the pleasure and delight of Providence.

And My prayer is that it will address both your very close daily fears. What about my food, my body, my life, AND Big Picture fears, all those big scary forces of human history that I have no control over those things will doom me.

· Vv. 25. Jesus says, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life. And he asks Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Yes. Yes it is.

o And from the outset we must say, Jesus is not forbidding, future planning, hard work, even a stress response to a difficult circumstance that gives you focus and care for some weighty and important matters.

o But there a disordered care, an over-concern that leaves God out of the Picture. That Disenchants God’s providence in your life.

o

Jesus continues in v. 26…

[26] Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? [27] And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? [28] And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, [29] yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. [30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

In (vv. 26-30) Jesus is saying, Consider Your Father’s smiling providence towards the Birds & Lilies and remember you are made in his image, you are loved and cared for, you are more valuable to God! Then any of these things.

· It is true but so easy to forget. But if we do believe it…would not much of our anxiousness would be removed?

· So I exhort you (and I preach this to myself) to Re-enchant two areas the Ordinary and the extraordinary your Salvation

o re-enchant ORDINARY Happinesses (what we call blessings) and Ordinary Sadnesses (difficult providences, or miseries of this life),

o And the extraordinary: God given rescue from sin and misery as we are caused to hate sin, and trust God in a fallen world, and have joy in redemptive grace being brought into the Kingdom of God, the Church.

· Our Culture struggles to do this. In common American conversation, we talk frequently of: fortune, fate, or luck, or chance.

o The Reformation study bible reminds us that

§ Fortune is Blind – God in his fatherly care watches over us.

§ Fate is impersonal God is “my Father” “our Father” in heaven.

§ Luck is dumb luck. It cannot speak. God says, I have made you, I have called you by name and you are mine!

§ Providence says, you may not know how, or when, or why but both the frowning providences you cry through and the smiling providences you rejoice in and in Both of these; Give thanks! For God is over all!

§

· And so we must wrestle to Talk like we believe in providence.

o The you know that the youth do not have Potluck’s we have: “Pot-providences”

· Why would people talk like this! Because they are well taught from the bible! And they are Presbyterian & Reformed to the core of heart, speech, and exhortation towards eachother

· Oh and we don’t just talk like this WE SING LIKE THIS!

· We sang these truths earlier as all good hymns do

o We Gather together…. Sing praises to His name, He forgets not His own Beside us to guide us, our God with us joining,ordaining, maintaining His kingdom divine;so from the beginning the fight we were winning:the Lord was at our side- the glory be Thine!

· We Write Documents that talk like this.

o WSC 11: What are God’ s works of providence? God’ s works of providence are, his most holy, wise, and powerful preserving, and governing all his creatures, and all their actions.

o WCF 5.1 God our great Creator upholds, directs, disposes, and governs all his creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least,) by His most wise and holy providenceaccording to his free and immutable counsel of His own will, For what purpose? to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.

· What glorious shining jewels of Truth.

o Teach your children the golden truths of Providence.

o How much better than our Current cultural Creed: “YOLO” “vibes” “luck” “privilege”

o instead we have: A Heavenly Father, Covenant Faithfulness, God’s provision to us, and we in gratitude and praise offer provision to others.

o Providence not chance. “Lord willing,” Gratitude to their creator and Father. Every good thing is a Gift from God to be stewarded and cultivated.

· It Changes how you interpret the Events of your life.

o STORY: My Dad how he viewed Jobs and gifts from God not economic downturn and upturns. …Once processed through providence it wasn’t “people” it was God’s provision for the next thing. He took an enchanted interpretation of providence. (though I’m sure my Mom got the less theologically processed version that the kids got in the end).

· The world is re-enchanted when God’s wisdom, his meticulous and good care for us is our reflexive thoughts.

·

o A Car nearly hits you on the highway – not phew that was lucky. –vv. 28 which of you by being anxious can add an hour to his life? No that life event if you are spared means God in his Providence still has a plan for your life a calling.

· On the other hand….When the Car wreck happens…We encounter difficult Providence right.

o And our theology does not remove trials and weightiness…It does not remove tears or mourning.

o but it does tell us where to reach for, for the solid rock, the firm ground, the Person, a heavenly Father to cling to in the good and the bad.

o The Hymnast write…Whate’er my God ordains is right:here shall my stand be taken;though sorrow, need, or death be mine,yet am I not forsaken.My Father’s care is round me there;he holds me that I shall not fall:and so to him I leave it all.

o And though sung with tears….We have the antidote to despair.

We’ve looked at the Problem. The Solution. And now Briefly #3 The Priority. (vv. 30-33).

30] But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? [31] Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ [32] For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. [33] But seek first [prioritize] the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

· Seek the Kingdom of the Lord Jesus… particularly make sure you don’t have a a little Jesus. Make sure you have him who enters down into the pit of your sin and shame and lifts you out. Who calls you by name. Jesus is a King, with a Kingdom, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.

· Christ’s Kingdom is forever. And his kingdom is your priority.

· We are members of that Kingdom but we are placed to live here and now. And I believe with Jesus’ teaching on God as our Father who exercises Providence over all things we are equipped to live in the midst of an Anxious generation, and an anxious country

· And so My prayer is here locally we may be a trusting congregation, a courageous people, who Excel in Thanksgiving.

· Paul in his letters often gives 2 or 3 Chapters explaining a great theological truth and then you get this one chapter where he lists rapid fire implications of it…That is what I want to suggest…I not Paul or the Lord ask what are implications for

#4 How Shall we than live: The New Testament is filled with examples of how to have a mindset that seeks first the kingdom of God. That puts on the mind of Christ.

And this is after all a thanksgiving sermon so that is how we will apply ourselves. But this is also a timeless sermon because I would argue every family meal is an opportunity to return thanks. Every Christian conversation. Every holiday. Every life event births, death, healing, and sickness offers many of this things.

So to Close in Pauline Fashion 15 Or so Exhortations.

Practical Advice for Thanksgiving.

1. Psalm 145:15-16 The eyes of all look to you [God], and You give them their food in season. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

a. Take time to give thanks throughout the year but especially appropriate is Harvest time, and at thanksgiving supper. To consider Providence and Return Thanks.

2. Be thorough about what you are thankful for. Do not make it perfunctory, fathers and mothers perhaps write down a list so as to teach your children and give them ideas. Warn people ahead of time, or search for a list of questions to HELP people be thorough.

a. Ephesians 5:20 always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

3. if you have had trying and weary year and Ask God to be your shield and defense in it, but thank him for his comfort. Give thanks for the Lord for his steadfast love, and faithfulness in the midst of it.

a. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 Give thanks in every circumstance [Every means every], for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

4. Acknowledge thanksgiving is difficult. Rejoice with the who rejoice and weep with those who weeps.

5. Give thanks to the Lord for his smiling providence if you have had provision.

6. Give thanks in the name of Jesus. Praise for your salvation.

a. always giving thanks to God the Father for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. – Eph. 5:20

b. Which is short-hand for faith in Christ and trust in his holding you fast.

7. Spend time in Prayers of thanksgiving after having heard them around the table and pray for the coming year.

a. Something like…”Heavenly Father, thank You for the abundant blessings You have bestowed upon us. As we gather around this table, Bless this food, the hands that prepared it, and the hearts that share it. May our gratitude extend beyond this day, reflecting Your love and generosity in our lives. Amen

8. Sing Songs of thanksgiving

a. Keep your Bulletin from Today and look at all the preludes and hymns sung and meditate on the lyrics. They will instruct your heart and mind this coming week.

9. Exercise Christian Hospitality beyond your immediate family: If you are in town and you are alone, I know, I know for a fact there are families with open homes, and open tables. If you are in town and have the large table and the extra space, consider opening that invitation up.

10. Be intentional with your STORY and Traditions of Thanksgiving…Its not just Turkey Day.

a. The Westminster Directory for Publick Worship Give this direction to Churches for “special days of thanksgiving.” That mostly have to do with the worship service but I think it is helpful to the church and the family: When God gives a special providence and we ought to return thanks then it is appropriate to designate a day for Thanksgiving, Prayer, Singing, and to seal the memory of those events in the current and next generation.

b. So I would encourage Families to in miniature to not just let people lounge around the house the whole day (I said the whole day, I will be on the couch napping part of the day) but my encouragement is for Father’s to give notice that a the Meal or at 3PM we will pray, sing a hymn, and I will tell of the mercies of God to our families. If its not planned for it won’t happen.

i. The Directory for Publick worship says, Let him then make some pithy narration of the deliverance obtained, or mercy received, or of whatever hath occasioned that assembling of the congregation, that all may better understand it, or be minded of it, and more affected with it.

ii. Do you believe truly, that magnifying God’s providence in your family and over the events of history and his Fatherly care will help stem the tide of our “anxious generation” this generation of young people is more anxious than any before it?

1. I firmly Believe that reclaiming Providence, Thanksgiving, A Family history and fostering true belief in a Merciful God will help stem the tide.

11. Lastly, #11 the Westminster directory for publick worship says, At one or both of the public meetings that day, a collection is to be made for the poor, that they poor may bless us, and rejoice the more with us. And the people are to be exhorted, at the end of the latter meeting, to spend the residue of that day in holy duties, and testifications of Christian love and charity one towards another, and of rejoicing more and more in the Lord; as becometh those who make the joy of the Lord their strength.

a. I think for americans this happens all in the lead up to thanksgiving, but do remember the poor in the lead up to Christmas as well. God in his Providence has provided for your family, do not anxiously hoard up treasure on earth but out of love, out of charity make a provision for the poor. The outreach team has a host of ideas for this I am sure.

- V. 33: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

o You have a King and Kingdom, a promise and a great salvation. Do not be anxious. Fulfill your calling with courage and conviction, and your food, your home, and provision will be added unto you.

- Prayer

Benediction

[2] Note also re-enchanting providence allows us to take sin and the problem seriously again.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com

Introduction: LOTR Sam sinking into the river until Frodo arm grabs him and pulls him into the boat.

So (1) Jonah is hurled into the ocean (2) the sailors rejoicing…(3) simultaneously Jonah Sinking, down down down, and the question becomes will anyone or anything reach down and save his life.

First time reading 1:17…spoilers…what if you had never read Jonah before? 1:17 and the last verse of 2. Form excellent bookends.

…v. 17 says this anticipates: Christ dying and Rising…]

Recall the Captain in chp 1 saying call out to your God. Pray to your God…. Jonah Never does, until he sinking down down down. [Never too late to pray] We can mock, we can think why did it take so long to repent or turn to God, but at the end of the day. It is Never too late so long as you have breath in your body…or thoughts in your head to turn to the Lord in Prayer

Read Jonah 1:17-2:10

17 And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights.

2:1 Then Jonah prayed to the LORD his God from the belly of the fish,2 saying,

“I called out to the LORD, out of my distress,

and he answered me;

out of the belly of Sheol I cried,

and you heard my voice.

3 For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas,

and the flood surrounded me; all your breakers and your waves passed over me.

4 Then I said, ‘I am driven away from your sight;

yet I shall again look upon your holy temple.’

5 The waters closed in over me to take my life;

the deep surrounded me; weeds were wrapped about my head.

6 To the roots of the mountains I went down,

to the land whose bars closed upon me forever.

Yet you brought up my life from the pit, O LORD my God.

7 When my life was fainting away,

I remembered the LORD, and my prayer came to you,

into your holy temple.

8 Those who pay regard to vain idols forsake their hope of steadfast love.

9 But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you;

what I have vowed I will pay. Salvation belongs to the LORD!”

10 And the LORD spoke to the fish, and it vomited Jonah out upon the dry land.

Prayer of Illumination

Outline:

The Prayer of Distress

The Reservoir of Prayer

The Prayer of Salvation.

Everything is calm above the waters. We see the sailors make it to shore [expand]. And then the camera sinks down below the water and we see Jonah, sinking down, down, down the fish is coming but Jonah for a little while is drowning.

Sinking, seaweed, then a fish, swallowed, Jim Mccartney says he is in the warmth of the guts of the fish, hearing its heart beat.

Look throughout Chp 2: [Images in the prayer tell the story]

#1 Jonah’s Prayer of Distress (follow along in v. 1-4) Can we cry out to God in our distress?

This section shows reflex of the believer in distress. Jonah Prays, The Problem, the depths of the situation (v.1-4a)

Jonah prays: Prayer is talking to God.

God is not a stranger. He is all caps LORD, YHWH, Jehovah God who is HIS God.

Generally, God is your creator, your maker, he made you and you owe him your allegiance, but God also draws close, makes promises, says, I will be your God and you will be my people.

Jonah has God as HIS God by right of covenant as an Israelite, who was circumcised, worshipped in the temple, and probably knew his Westminster Shorter Catechism….

Of Course this didn’t stop Jonah from attempting to Run from God.

He Prays. He prays to HIS God.

He prays From the belly a Great-Fish, which in this moment is the place of salvation. Life itself.

Because Jonah is Crying from Sheol – land of the dead….He feels as good as dead.

The Lord heard him even in the belly of death. What does God hear? The cry of distress. The cry of distress.

Throughout the bible God’s people find themselves in distress.

Hagar Genesis 21:16–17 (ESV): “And she lifted up her voice and wept. And God heard the voice of the boy…”

Joseph

Ruth

Israel as a whole in Exodus “groan and cried out for help”

Elijah, Job, The disciples in the STORM. Peter.

Hannah – 1 Samuel 1 – she has no child, cries in distress

David Numerous times

Psalm 3:4: “I cried aloud to the LORD, and he answered me.”

Psalm 18:6:“In my distress I called upon the LORD… from his temple he heard my voice.”

Psalm 34:17: “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears.”

Hebrews 5:7: “In the days of his flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears…”

Early Church under persecution Acts 4:24: “They lifted their voices together to God…”

REMEMBER: God hears distress immediately; the cry of distress is an act of faith NOT a lack of faith, it is trust.

Jesus himself weeps and cries out for us.

God wants a people who cry “Abba! Father!” even in suffering (Rom. 8:15).

“Only when you have been brought to an end of yourself and made to see your own helplessness will you flee to Christ in the reckless abandon and total dependence of saving faith. Necessity really is the best classroom. That’s why Charles Spurgeon said, ‘I have learned to kiss the wave that casts me upon the Rock of Ages.’ We pray most, and most ardently, when we are convinced of our desperate need for Christ.” – Jim Mccartney, 29.

Two take-aways

First, God uses distress as an alarm bell to pray

Second, If the bible is not afraid to address and show us prayers coming from Great distress.

Be confident the same God who hears the big cries for distress. Will he not also hear you from the greatest to the least of life’s troubles?

So, cry out to God from school stress, exam anxiety, fatigue, when your sin puts you in a mess, cry out for deliverance, even if you feel foolish or weak for feeling distressed.

Look in v. 3; Jonah says you, God, cast me into the deep

Wait – The sailors did or God did???

God is merciful, gracious, and sovereign in the whole of Jonah. He Hurls the wind, he appoints the fish, the plant, a worm, a scorching east wind…

The sailors hurl Jonah into the Sea. Equally, In God’s sovereign providence we can say, God cast Jonah into the sea. Nothing is outside God’s sovereign decree.

This shows, Jim McCartney says “The lens through which Jonah viewed the world and the good, bad, and ugly details of his own life was not the lens of accident but the lens of appointment.”

Jonah describes what he Physically Experiences in verse 3, 5, 6, 7?

Go over the images and metaphors of the whole chapter briefly…

[ Go over being eaten and the fear of that ]

3, 5, 6, 7

[#2 The Reserves of Prayer]

So Distress. The Call to prayer. BUT…. Second what are the Reservoirs of Prayer? (the source, the fountain, the content, the stuff of prayer, where do we get our Prayer Reserves?

What are reserves?

Collection of Bolts, now is the time to break them all out and use them…

“Like a tree storing sap in winter, ready to send life surging when the spring finally breaks. (Hidden reserves released at the right time.)

“Like someone downloading maps before entering a place with no signal.”

What you may miss is that Jonah is drawing from a well of Scriptural Reserves in his distress. I’ll tell you what that is in a second…

Re-read v. 3 [3] For you cast me into the deep, into the heart of the seas, and the flood surrounded me; all your breakers and your waves passed over me. (ESV). THAT IS JONAH 2:3. Beautiful Jonah is a poet right? Jonah is original? He just happens to pray pretty prayers because he is a good prayer-er…?

[7] Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. (ESV)

That is David in Ps. 42:7…

Jonah is a plagiarist! Jonah has been hoarding psalms!

Flip to Psalm 42…skim read.

In PS. 42:7 David said he in his distress felt like this. Jonah literally feels this.

I won’t highlight all the places But the images of Ps. 42, 18, 120, 30, 69 have all the images of distress, sheol, the deep ocean, and salvation from drowning. About 15-18 references…

They are Thanksgiving psalms. He doesn’t invent the order, it is like one using the ACTS prayer acronym, Distress, Cry, Deliverance, Vow of Praise….The Belly of a whale is not the time to figure out how to pray.

So Jonah is Quoting the Psalms of David

David uses the metaphor of drowning, and uses the image of the temple to show us our HEARTS and where worship is directed and salvation is found...

God literally drowns Jonah to wake him up to the state of his Heart. And because Jonah knows the psalms his situation snaps into reality for him and he had the words for prayer.

Christian, meditate on the psalms, read the scriptures they will reveal your heart.

They discern the thoughts and intents of your heart.

They give words of Joy and words of sorrow and words of distress and even despair.

The bible has words for you no matter your situation!

Matthew Henry says, “If ever any man’s case was singular, and not to be paralleled, surely Jonah’s was, and yet, to his great satisfaction, he finds even the man after God’s own heart [David] making the same complaint of God’s waves and billows going over him that he has now occasion to make. When God performs the thing that is appointed for us we shall find that many such things are with him, that even our path of trouble is no untrodden path, and that God deals with us no otherwise than as he uses to deal with those that love his name. And therefore for our assistance in our addresses to God, when we are in trouble, it is good to make use of the complaints and prayers which the saints that have been before us made use of in the like case. See how good it is to be ready in the scriptures; Jonah, when he could make no use of his Bible, by the help of his memory furnished himself from the scripture with a very proper representation of his case: All thy billows and thy waves passed over me.”

This is why we have bible reading plans that read the psalms twice a year…This is why we sing the psalms!

To work them into our heads and hearts. This is why our hymns are often richly tethered and tied to the psalms, and further scripture in the gospels and epistles.

ILL: Rosario Butterfield – her Mother’s Hospital conversation, singing the psalms to her both before and after her conversion.

Store up. Read. Pray. Sing.

Now go back

If you don’t save the Collection of Bolts, you won’t have it when you need to fix a fence, hang the picture…

If the tree has no sap. It will die and never send forth life for new leafs

And if you don’t download the map. You won’t have it when you are in that no cell-phone zone.

You must store up the Word in your heart today, for the day of distress

So now. Pray the scriptures! Sing the scriptures!

Jonah has the words to express that he is spiritually Driven from God, Far, Out of his Sight (before his eyes)!

But remember last week, where can I go from your presence?

The psalms, our prayers, our talking with God needs to begin with a clear profession of Who God is and the Cry of the depths of the problem.

And from the depths of your problem, cry out to God!

We begin to preach to our souls. Preach to our hearts. Speak promises of life and salvation that God has given us.

#3 In Prayer: Speak of God’s Salvation and God as the source of your Life

“YET” “Akh” I will again look upon your holy temple

I will continue to look toward the temple of your holiness (your holy Temple)

“Jonah’s defiant ‘yet’ reaches through his circumstances to take hold of eternal truths and everlasting realities. Though he was cut off from Jerusalem’s temple, he knew that his prayers reached God’s ear (Jon. 2:7). Though he was on the brink of death, he knew that everlasting life and steadfast love are gifts God alone can give (Jon. 2:8). It is true to say that heaven got into Jonah long before Jonah got into heaven. That is why he can give thanks in a living hell: ‘But I with the voice of thanksgiving will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed I will pay (Jon. 2:9)”. – Jim McCarthy, 33.

He will experience once again the holy presence of God. That he had been fleeing from.

Yet I shall again look upon your Holy Temple

V. 6 Yet You brought up my life from the Pit O LORD MY GOD

I REMEMBERED THE LORD! MY prayer did Come into your presence. You do Save!

Idols are VAIN: Idols are Useless, lifeless, and cannot save, the living and true God saves! To turn to an idol is to give up HOPE In this life.

Because to turn to an idol is to turn to pride of some human sin or pride in some creature that cannot save.

In prayer, our hearts are Wrestling with God. Wrestling with Faith and Confusion. Wrestling with Faith and Fear. Wrestling with Faith and Circumstances.

Prayer always has the hallmark of wrestling with our hearts to trust in God’s salvation.

To turn away from sin, idols, and other things that falsely promises life to the one who actually gives LIFE.

Capital L life.

Jonah is saying in the moment I finally believed this despite:

The battering of my soul and body.

Despite, Floods taking my breath, my soul to the depths, the Abyss.

Despite, being Surrounded! Seawead was wrapped about my HEAD.

Despite, bottoming out at The roots of the mountain on the sea floor.

This was like a prison of bars forever closing around me and I was about to perish forever.

Kind of claustrophobic

We could forgive Jonah for not praying in the moment. For his thoughts to be occupied with the wall of flesh and belly around him.

We too can be forgiven for our circumstances overwhelming our awareness of God.

Christians in conversations with the hurting your job is to remind them of the goodness of God, the goodness of the gospel, and the hopelessness of their idols. Draw their eyes to Christ. Draw their eyes to the vanity of sin and idols.

Restore a sense of Holy Glory. For Jonah this is a literal memory of the Glory of the Israelite Temple. For us it is a Knowing of the revelation of God in Christ Jesus.

In the New covenant Jonah might pray, my prayer came to you, Christ Jesus, on your heavenly throne my great high priest who loves me and ever lives to intercede for me.

A son of God by your Holy Spirit united to you In Christ.

V. 7 says Prayer enters God’s Holy Temple.

Can we be confident God hears our cry, our prayer in his presence? Does he see? Does he hear?

Matthew Henry again, “He that has Christ dwelling in his heart by faith, wherever he goes carries the altar along with him, that sanctifies the gift, and is himself a living temple. Jonah was here in confinement; the belly of the fish was his prison, was a close and dark dungeon to him; yet there he had freedom of access to God, and walked at liberty in communion with him. Men may shut us out from communion with one another, but not from communion with God. Jonah was now in the bottom of the sea, yet out of the depths he cries to God; as Paul and Silas prayed in the prison, in the stocks.”

Jonah cries out promising,

I will Sacrifice with the voice of thanksgiving.

I will keep my vows

SALVATION BELONGS TO YHWH

Below the waters Jonah worships.

Above the waters the Sailors worship.

Here and now we Worship:

Much of this chapter is captured in this song Before the Throne of God above by Irish Hymnist, Charitie Lees Smith.

1. Before the throne of God aboveI have a strong and perfect plea:A great High Priest whose name is Love,Who ever lives and pleads for me.My name is graven on his hands,My name is written on his heart.I know that while in Heav’n he standsNo tongue can bid me thence depart, No one can tell you you cannot cry out to God in prayer in your distress!

2. When Satan tempts me to despairAnd tells me of the guilt within,Upward I look and see him there,Who made an end of all my sin.Because the sinless Savior died,My sinful soul is counted free,For God the just is satisfiedTo look on him and pardon me,

3. Behold him there, the risen Lamb,My perfect, spotless righteousness,The great unchangeable I AM,The King of glory and of grace.One with himself I cannot die;My soul is purchased by his blood.My life is hid with Christ on high,With Christ, my Savior and my God,With Christ, my Savior and my God

Jonah has spoken in prayer, the Lord speaks to his creature, And the Fish spat him back out on dry ground. Jonah must pick himself up and begin his journey again across Israel actually up north to Ninevah this time.

Remember 1:17, Christ’s death and resurrection is the sign of what our sin deserves but the fulfillment of the promise of Jonah’s prayer and Jesus’ Trust – “YET YOU BROUGHT MY LIFE FROM THE PIT”

If you do not cry out in prayer you will continue to drown and you will die.

If you are in Christ Jesus your soul is purchased by his blood. Your life is now resurrected, risen, reigning, and HID with Christ on High.

Prayer

Benediction

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com

· Intro Have you ever fled in response to what you heard? (parent to child. Me, Great Book Tutorial High School exam…)

1. Themes in Jonah vividly speaks to: Creation. Mission. Word & Spirit

a. The use of creation is stark: Winds, waters, whales, worms, and plants…

b. Missions: Sneak preview of Matt. 28:19 (the mercy of God to Jonah, the sailors, and the ninevites

c. God’s Word and Spirit changes the hearts of a king and his people.

2. Mccarthy argues: The core theme is, “The gospel is for all people.”

a. I agree, all people, the sailors, the king, the people, implications for the cattle, for Israel….And even for Jonah himself.

b. All people and all creatures everywhere are called to worship a gracious God.

i. The unrepentant and wicked have a clear pronouncement, without repentance all sin everywhere will be judged.

ii. Many respond and receive the gifts of relationship, mercy, and grace

iii. Some have stubborn hearts and hardened hearts… and the book may be named after just such a stubborn heart.

iv. Lets read about a stubborn heart. And maybe see our stubborn and wayward hearts…

3. Read: Jonah 1

4. Prayer of Illumination

Outline

1. Called by the Word (v.1-2)

2. Fleeing from the Word (v. 3)

3. Fleeing from the Word is a Bad Idea (v. 4-6).

4. Finding Mr. Bad Ideas (v. 7-11)

5. Fixing Mr. Bad Ideas (v. 11-15)

6. Fearful Salvation (v. 16-17).

#1 Called by the Word (v.1-2)

[1] Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, [2] “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” The Word, Arise, and Go (The call of a prophet)

1. Who is Jonah? A real historical prophet mentioned in 2 Kings 14:25, he has a happy message of prosperity to this king despite him living around (780-755 BC After Elijah, Elisha, King Ahab, this was during the years of Assyrian Empire when it was exacting tribute on the north, Israel.

a. Jonah worshipped the LORD, but in a country that had mixed in Baal worship. And many had turned from God to worship Idols.

2. But God is still living and active in his prophets. God calls and sets apart prophets by his word and spirit.

a. Prophets do not call and proclaim themselves to be such.

3. Prophets are called to confront kings, the Lord’s people, to remind them of the covenant God had made with his people…

4. Jonah had a nice commission before go say Israel will prosper for awhile…So it cames as a shock to him…this Less popular call, God says, go to a gentile city, go into the world and bring a word of the lord to another nation.

5. Nineveh: A Great City

a. A huge Assyrian city-district.

b. Against them, Why?

c. Their Evil is a Stench

i. Smell is offensive

ii. Evil is offensive to a Holy God.

6. You have a prophet, a problem, and how does Jonah feel about this call???

The unwanted call: Ill: James McCarthy: The Chaplain asked to serve as chaplain for all the high ranking Nazi officials…

7. To where was he called – Ninevah – A City of Blood

a. Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians (Mean > Nice empire progression).

b. During Jonah’s day Assyria was dominate and exacted tribute, taxes, making the North a Vassal state.

c. Two Reasons this is unpopular for Jonah

i. He cites later he was afraid that God would show mercy

ii. Second he is going into the capital of a foreign power and calling them dirty rotten sinners who need to repent.

1. Should you go to Moscow or Beijing and call out against Russia and China? Might cause some problems for your lifespan and political relations.

8. Why now? Ninevah’s stench to the Lord

An uncomplicated but difficult application God being God. God being the creator and sustainer of the world, meaning he made it, he owns it, we are not our own but belong to our heavenly father and in this passage he places, John Mackay says, a “personal demand mode on the prophet. God requires individual obedience, even when the task is one which we do no understand, or with which we are out of sympathy.” (Mackay, 8).

· Jonah needs to align his heart with God’s word simply because the Word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Ammitai. Ninevah will need to align their hearts and mind with God – You are a wicked stench in my nostrils repent. What of us? Where do our hearts struggle when we encounter the Whole Counsel of God’s word to us from Genesis – Revelation. Every Attribute. Every historical action of God. Every aspect of salvation in Christ and then his call to our daily lives.

· One aspect of sanctification of course is to understand the mind of God (which scripture is God’s mind revealed and written for us) and not only to renew our minds so that we understand, agree, and can give our amen to God’s direction in our life and in the bible.

o But throughout the bible Abraham, Jonah, Peter among others are called to the Lord to tasks they do not initially have a gut agreement with.

§ In Jonah’s case he says in chapter 4, what his gut disagreement was, God is too merciful to sinners. He flees to Tarshish because he just knew God would be merciful to the Ninevites…

§ In every culture and every era we may have a gut disagreement with God’s revealed will to us in the bible…

§ Do not flee the word of God to Tarshish. Wrestle with it. Meditate on it. Obey it and seek to come to understand It from an eager posture of obedience.

Transition: And Jonah listened and obeyed the Lord even though he hated the Ninevites, the End…

No…Verse [3]

#2 Fleeing from the Word (v. 3)

In v. 3 we are supposed to get in a Hebrew narrative get either the brief “and Jonah did all that the Lord said…” or the longer version where you the montage of him doing all that was said…So it is jarring when you get to verse 3 and it says, Jonah gets up and Runs away in the opposite direction…

· Jonah took the first boat in the opposite direction of Ninevah, Tarshish… If God said go to Washington D.C. He is headed for Dallas.

· He gets on the boat…and hides in the bottom of it…curls up and goes to sleep.

o Jonah explains in chapter 4 he does this because he fears the Merciful nature of God

· Twice the point is emphasized He is fleeing the presence of the LORD.

o Forgetting the words of King David Ps. 139: Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I fleefrom your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you arethere! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea….

o God is not a little trible deity…you cannot ever fall off God’s radar.

o You are allowed to chuckle at the irony here.

o Tarshish isn’t off the grid for God. The Ocean isn’t out of God’s control.

o And Yet…And Yet…finish laughing at Jonah.

§ We do the same thing…its exhausting to flee from God.

§ Two thoughts I want deep in your memories, covenant children, believers in Jesus. And you are right now if you are still fleeing from God.

· First, It’s exhausting to flee from God.

· Jonah was fleeing God because he might be merciful…last verse of Jonah: He gets on the boat…and hides in the bottom of it…curls up and goes to sleep.

§ My prayer is you remember this as a covenant child, If you move cities…and somehow failed to connect with a church…if you were ever to stop worshipping on Sundays…and find a deep dark corner of shame…and think I’ll just go spiritually to sleep, God’s presence is far from him, he’ll leave me alone.

§ I dearly pray like Jonah in fact that he will not. If you are a child of the covenant he has placed his name on you. God will not be done with you.

· If you are just tired…in the middle of family life…in the middle of retired life, and feel like you are hanging by a rope that you are seeing the threads snap off one by one…do not bow your head and think you will just go to sleep…you have fled the presence of God and the covenant land of God and the covenant people of God.

o Where shall I go from your Spirit? Or where shall I flee from your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven,you are there! If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there! 9 If I take the wings of the morning and dwellin the uttermost parts of the sea….even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall hold me.11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,” 12 even the darkness isnot dark to you; the night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you. 13 For you formed myinward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. 14 I praise you, for I am fearfully andwonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

§ And Jonah…Jonah fled a merciful God…”Should not I pity Ninevah…120,000 persons who do not know their right hand from their left…

§ You might feel you don’t know what is left or right or up or down. But God Knows! And God will be merciful…if he will offer mercy to those outside the people of God how much you who have shared in belonging in God’s covenant.

§ His word calls you to return in moments like these. He will place the train back on the tracks…he will cast you another rope….

§ He MAY, He MAY Hurl a great wind and nearly kill you…He may use you as the world’s worst evangelist to call people to Fear and worship the Lord.

§ Maybe we are a bit like Jonah. So Chuckle at Jonah. Tarshish is a funny city name. But God remembers, the Lord, Jesus knows his sheep by name.

Verse 4…

#3 Fleeing from the Word is a Bad Idea (v. 4-6).

[4] But the LORD hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship, she threatened to break up. [You know you are in trouble when boats start making threats…I’ll do it, I’ll break up and we’re all going down…that’s how bad the groans and creeks were…]

[5] Then the mariners were afraid, and each cried out to his god. And they hurled the cargo that was in the ship into the sea to lighten it for them. – You know you are in trouble when the pagan sailors…are screaming, and crying, and throwing all the things that make them money away….

But Jonah had gone down into the inner part of the ship and had lain down and was fast asleep. [running from God is exhausting…In fact, yes ]

[6] So the captain came and said to him, “What do you mean, you sleeper? Arise, call out to your god! Perhaps the god will give a thought to us, that we may not perish.”

- the captain unintentionally echoes God’s command earlier to Jonah, “arise, go, call out to your God.

· Perhaps your God will give a thought to us.

o Note the themes. Presence. Mercy. What might save them is the very traits Jonah is fleeing from.

o Sin leads to spiritual apathy. After the initial sting of your conscience, sin sings you a lullaby to sleep.

o But God so often echoes his words, the gospel, his teachings to you and in this case it was a pagan captain.

o Awake O sleeper, rise up from the dead, and Christ will shine on you… - Ephesians.

o But Jonah still needs to be backed into the corner…

#4 Finding Mr. Bad Ideas (v. 7-11)

[7] And they said to one another, “Come, let us cast lots, that we may know on whose account this evil has come upon us.” So they cast lots, and the lot fell on Jonah. [8] Then they said to him, “Tell us on whose account this evil has come upon us. What is your occupation? And where do you come from? What is your country? And of what people are you?” [9] And he said to them, “I am a Hebrew, and I fear the LORD, the God of heaven, who made the sea and the dry land.” [10] Then the men were exceedingly afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done!” For the men knew that he was fleeing from the presence of the LORD, because he had told them.

· The interrogation, who, what, where, when, why?

o A Hebrew prophet fleeing from YHWH the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

o You’ve doomed us!

o The Lord in his providence allows them to know accurately the cause of their distress. Mr. Bad ideas flee from the presence of God.

o So when they are spared, they know it was the Lord God of heaven and earth. Not a small Trible deity. A greater claim has been made.

o The Transcendent God.

o Creator of all things. [Expand and Riff…]

o Therefore, Fear the Lord. The sailors will soon fear the Lord as well. True reverence of God, leading to true worship.

o The question we should be asking, will Jonah live up to his essentially citing the Apostles creed here “I believe in God the father almighty, maker of heaven and earth”.

o It’s a nice creed…good orthodox words… But will he be Christian in name only or will he turn to the Lord and be true to the confession of his lips. Will he turn into a dead orthodox man.

o If a pagan asks him, yes I’m a Christian, I know Jesus…But his words don’t control me, I’ll keep living in disobedience to how I know I am called to live. To the missions and call of God…That question will be resolved in Chapter 2. Dead orthodoxy or living faith…???

o God through the sailors, is saying, “remember who you are son of the covenant.”

o Today. Will these sailors be spared? Yes, Jonah gives them the way of escape.

o And to their credit they don’t just immediately throw him overboard…

§ Can you imagine, [airplane in middle of ocean, parachute, ocean, throw me out]….

o Hear these next verses once again as a stinging MERCY from pagan sailors…Jonah did not want extended to Ninevah…

#5 Fixing Mr. Bad Ideas (v. 11-15) [Summarize story]

[11] Then they said to him, “What shall we do to you, that the sea may quiet down for us?” For the sea grew more and more tempestuous. [12] He said to them, “Pick me up and hurl me into the sea; then the sea will quiet down for you, for I know it is because of me that this great tempest has come upon you.”

· Hurl / God Hurled they hurled, its just fun word choice in the way Jonah chose to write this for us

[13] Nevertheless, the men rowed [the word the men dig. They tried to dig their way back. Rowing…Sorry I just love Hebrew idioms…] they hard to get back to dry land, but they could not, for the sea grew more and more tempestuous against them.

· They extended sweat, and risked their life for a foreign man. God’s law written on the human heart, holding them conscience bound to avoid murder.

· Mercy of Sailors / Jonah’s worry Ninevah would receive moercy

[14] Therefore they called out to the LORD, “O LORD, [this is a new name on their lips they don’t know YHWH, the LORD] let us not perish for this man’s life, and lay not on us innocent blood, for you, O LORD, have done as it pleased you.” [15] So they picked up Jonah and hurled him into the sea, and the sea ceased from its raging.

· They don’t want to be murderers. Once again. They rowed, they then cried out to this God they do not know and said, LORD we don’t want the blood of your prophet on our hands…But he has told us to do this. So even the Lord hurled the storm on them they hurled Jonah into the sea.

· Quiet. Peace. Ceased. Stillness. Where else do we see this?

· Jesus, the sea immediately ceases from its raging…Why? Because God the creator of the universe the lord of nature told it to….When else does a sea immediately CEASE, Still…because Christ Jesus, the very God and very Man, begotten not made, the Lord God, the second person of the trinity is the Lord of creation. When Jesus speaks the creator is speaking.

#6 Fearful Salvation (v. 16-17).

1. [16] Then the men feared the LORD exceedingly, and they offered a sacrifice to the LORD and made vows.

a. Feared – Worship – Vowed.

i. They moved from fear of the storm to fear of the Lord of Heaven and Earth.

ii. Accidental first-fruit converts of gentile men. That will

iii. He’s a horrible prophet…its almost like salvation belongs to the Lord.

iv. You are probably not a worse evangelist than Jonah.

v. God continues to save and if you live long enough you know he saves through people throwing bibles out of trains, and people quoting scripture at plays means to mock God and the bible…The word of the Lord cuts the heart and changes heart.

vi. Because God not only preserves our life but our Lives – our souls…Look in 17.

2. [17] And the LORD appointed a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights. (ESV)

a. Jonah was rescued. He fled God. He thought his life was over and not worth living. But God spares him in mercy, and will restore him for ministry…

b. God, “appointed” He is sovereign over creatures, creation, and history: Jonah is a wonderful anticipation of Christ’s being thrown into death and chaos only for God to after he had gone down into the grave to be raised again to life after 3 days and 3 nights.

c. Christ is risen for you! If you are in Christ you to have died to sin. This means you are no longer fleeing from God’s word. And you have been made alive again to now pursue God and pursue God’s word in your life.

d. God in his intricate overseeing of History worked hundreds of these details thoughout the Old Testament…the serpent in the wilderness lifted up like Christ on the cross…Jonah descending down only to be raised again after three days and three nights..

e. When the apostles who witnessed Christ in the flesh bore witnesses to the reality that Christ died and is alive again, they do not preach the truth that Jesus, being the God man died and was made alive again into a vacuum.

f. The preach it into the context of a string of beautiful references to the messiah and what he would do.

g. When the disciples first hear of the resurrection it’s like a movie flashback of all that Christ said and the Old Testament anticipations of this climactic event

h. Jonah 1:17 is Another pearl In the neglace of evidences that makes the resurrection plausible and persuasive.

i. It is taking this small pearl of anticipation and placing and stringing it together with all that is said of Jesus, born of woman, born to be the new prophet, priest, and kind, of the tribe of Judah, in the line of David, in Bethelehm, in humility, and on and on that you step back and see what the apostles understood in a thunderclap of clarity. Christ was crucified an he is risen again!

i. Jesus said in the parable of the rich man, “they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them” let them read and believe them.

ii. God saves sinners through the Resurrected Jesus.

iii. Do you believe this? How will you respond to the Word of the Lord? Flee from it? Or hear it with joy. Christ died. Christ is risen. Christ is reigning

iv. PRAY.

v. Benediction.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com

Last week, we saw that divine grace, divine mercy, is found in a simple prayer of trust in the mercy of God. This week we will go to Jesus’ crucifixion and the brief conversation of Jesus and the thief on the cross will show how divine mercy is found in Jesus and his saving work alone…Salvation for sinners is found in Christ.

Read: Luke 23:39-45

[39] One of the criminals who was hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” [42] And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” [43] And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Prayer of Illumination

Outline:

#1 Context: What are these two criminals seeing? (v. 32-37 Briefly)

#2 What The Argument Reveals? (v.39-42)

#3 The Request & The Promise, The Proof (v. 42-43)

#4 Guarding the Truths of Christ Alone against Common Errors

#1 Context: What are these two criminals seeing? (v. 32-37).

[32] Two others, who were criminals were led away to be put to death with [Jesus].

This is in fulfillment of Isa. 53:12 “he would be numbered with the transgressors and Jesus’ own self-awareness that this would happen to fulfill the Scriptures Lk. 22:37. Jesus was just, he was innocent, he was merciful, but wrongly condemned and counted among the wicked as our innocent substituted…

[33] And when they came to the place that is called The Skull (Golgatha), there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. [34] And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

He loves his enemies. While they pettily condemned the innocent, Jesus prays seeking pardon for his enemies. And the thief heard this…Father, God of the universe, forgive my enemies…

And they cast lots to divide his garments [fulfilling Ps. 22:18]. [35] And the people stood by, watching

The crowd bears abundant witness to the historical accounts of the gospels…It is a testimony to the accuracy of the four gospel crucifixion accounts because they were publicly witnessed events. Real History. And …They stood by and watched as an innocent man was crucified…They will have to reckon with this when Peter preaches the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus to them in a few weeks at Pentecost in Acts 2.

V. 35 but the rulers scoffed

Listen to this word for scoff: Blaspheme, blasphemed. This is the word the Greek uses to translate Psalm 22:7-8, which is the famous psalm that Jesus has quoted, “my God, my God, why have you forsaken…” saying Psalm 22 is about me…And it says… Ps. 22:7-8 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; “He trusts in the LORD; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him!”

And verse 35 they sneer up at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!”

Remember the temptations of Jesus particularly prepared him for, yes, his ministry of 3yrs, but this particular moment. He is laying down his life voluntarily, and how difficult that is when he does truly have the POWER to make the suffering end…But he lays down his life to save us.

[36] The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine [37] and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” [38] There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

All the events are swirling around the two thieves on either side of Jesus….IS he the king of the Jews? Is he the Christ of God? That has been the claim these last 3 years? That is what all the miracles I have heard about would suggest

And that brings us to our main text, where Luke highlights how one of them wants in on the action of the rulers, the soldiers, and a dying man to “rail” against him. And sparks an argument between two dying men.

#2 What The Argument Reveals? (v.39-42).

[39] One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” [40] But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? [41] And we indeed justly [righteously] judged, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.”

Hendrickson notes 5 truths here that lead to this man’s conversion

“Do you not fear God” – do you not Fear falling unprepared into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31). While one mocked, the other said, We are dying! We are dying as criminals! we are about to fall into the hands of a just God who will punish evil. That is us, “Do you not fear, God,” and second, did you not just hear what he said, to God himself, whom he called FATHER. The Son of God just said…forgive them…

For this man had in fact just heard Jesus earlier say v. 34, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do” – If he is familiar with Jesus’ teaching at all then he knows that Jesus says, we both pray to God to forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors and now he has witnessed a cry to the Father to forgive his murderers…If they can be forgiven, can I ask Jesus for forgiveness? And would he be merciful and give it to me? Surely he might?

But to do this, he must admit his guilt, admit true reverence of a righteous judge; the other gospels tell us both men had been mocking Jesus. This man now shows FEAR of judgement, but more and better than just trembling, he shows remorse and repentance, he turns on his partner saying, “we are justly, we are righteously judged.”

To come to Christ is to admit that God is just to judge our sins. To come to Christ is to recognize that he was innocent and was judged in our place. As an innocent substitute.

Jesus is merciful; He also has, as Hendrickson says, a “calm and majestic behavior.”

He is fulfilling Isaiah 53…Not physical form of beauty and majesty (53:2) No, greater and fuller than that “he was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief….we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted…upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed….He was oppressed, and he was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth… yet he opened not his mouth. There is indeed a calm majesty to Jesus.

We capture this truth when we say he suffered as the Lion and the Lamb. The lamb in humility and bearing our sins. But a Lion in majesty…The king who offers pardons to enemies…Who holds court with this thief? The thief is not merely talking to a lamb being slain, he is coming and in spirit and heart kneeling before the throne of King Jesus, asking pardon for sin and presence in paradise before his throne forever.

Jesus was not stuck on the cross, he had legions of angels who could rescue him from the cross.

He is the King, who lays down his life as a innocent lamb…He humbles himself to death.

And the Thief has been hearing of Jesus, his powerful miracles and teaching; he heals the blind, he says he can forgive sins, he says the Kingdom of God is at hand and we must enter by childlike faith

….the Holy Spirit works in the thief’s heart to regret his mockery of who is a suffering King, dying to save a people and a kingdom for himself.

And all these things swirl in the mind and the heart of this thief to look to Christ in trust, and make a simple…impossible…request, a simple prayer…

#3 The Request, The Promise, The Proof (v. 42-46)

The Request v. 42: remember me. Remember me when you come into your kingdom…

The request Remember of Jesus echoes Exo 2:24 the Israelites call out for mercy and redemption from slavery in Egypt and we hear “God heard their groaning, and God remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob…” Remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

This is trust that Jesus is the Messiah, that he is the king of his kingdom, and that he can fulfill covenant promises.

Christian, today Jesus is ruling, reigning, resurrected, ascended, and sitting on the throne now as King of Kings: Eph. 3:20-21 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, [21] to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.

And Jesus gives his promise: verse 43: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Jesus will remember him, he is faithful to the covenant promises.

And there are at least 3 massive implications in the details of Jesus’ promise.

First, he says, Today – NOT the distant future, TODAY!

Second: Is it today you will start your soul sleep? Unconscious, etherealness, or today you will fade back into nirvanabecause everything is ultimately one, today you will be happy but no longer you?

By No Means –Second, you yourself, still being you, will be truly with me.

Where will we spend our eternity? With Jesus, and all who trust in him, with the angels, with our heavenly father,

And Third, WHERE? in Paradise. Paradise.

Heaven. Heaven, infinitely complex and mysterious and YET…I would argue It’s as simple as the children’s song, “Heaven is a wonderful place, filled with glory and grace, I want to see my savior’s face, heaven is a wonderful place, I want to go there…”

ILL: Story: Phone call at Lifeway Christian Bookstore (in the back, people always sent calls back to me) “Will I know other people?”

You will be you. You will be loved, and he will be the beloved. And we will be at peace. No more sorrow, no more tears.

Now brief caveat: heaven currently is not yet consummated and fulfilled to the extent after Christ returns because then it will be the NHNE, and we will have resurrected bodies, and it will be a heavenly earth, and an earthy heaven. NO sin. No death. No evil. Life. Goodness. Beauty. The glorious presence of God which we will not exhaust in 10,000 10,000 years.

The thief sorrowed for his sins, because he saw Jesus was his savior and king, that Jesus was kind and ready to offer pardon, even to a thief, robber, or even an insurrectionist who deserved to die.

v. 44-46 as our passage offers a two-fold proof that Jesus can keep this promise.

Creation itself is trembling at the event in a publicly verifiable way

And the symbol of the veil in the temple being torn in two.

[44] It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, [45] while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two (Mark 1:10 heaven torn open). [46] Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this, he breathed his last.

Three things

First, the sun fails as the wrath of God is poured out on Jesus assumes the weight of the sins of people from every tribe, tongue, and nation – bearing the sins of his bride, the church.

Second, the temple is torn in two, showing that nothing separates us from the presence of a Holy God, if we are in Christ Jesus. Jesus makes his people Holy and able to simply approach the throne of grace. The old covenant passes away with the sacrificial system, and we now worship through Christ Jesus alone.

Last, Jesus lays down his life. Jesus has strength—with a loud cry—He commits his spirit, his soul to the Father, and He finishes his mission, voluntarily laying down his life.

Three days later, the body of Christ is raised from the dead, reunited with his Spirit, and he spends some time commissioning and strengthening the apostles and initial 70 disciples, giving the great commission, and ascending to heaven, where he is presently physically reigning as Head of his Church.

The Church has, from then until now, been filled by the Spirit, proclaiming Christ, and we will stay on mission, in fellowship, and in communion with Christ until he returns.

But that day, some 2,000 years ago, that thief died. After repenting of his sin and looking to Christ. And that same day, he was in paradise. It is astounding, and implications abound that guard a precious truth.

#4 Guarding the Truth of Christ Alone against common errors.

The Thief on the Cross, put his trust in Jesus Christ and believed in him; that in Christ he would be forgiven and brought into the presence of a holy God in heaven.

He was accepted to be WITH Christ Jesus and stand Justified before the throne of grace.

First truth we must keep Justification clear in our minds from our Sanctification. Sanctification is the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit to make us more and more like Jesus because we are justified and united to Christ. That takes work, effort, and involves in our sanctification the ordinary means of word, prayer, and sacraments…

But many people have taken Sanctification and viewed it not as a fruit of salvation but as a root. Sanctification is squashed back into our justification. So first distinguish justification and sanctification. Next, remember the sufficiency of Christ and the simplicity of Christ in the new covenant age.

In the New Covenant, in the gospel-age, there is a much greater simplicity to how God works in his people; greater simplicity but also more pervasive power.

Greater Simplicity: there is no more sacrificial system or priests or temple or 20 different kinds of feast days, no more ceremonial law (read all of Heb. 7-10).

More Pervasive Power: All are now indwelt by the Holy Spirit and equipped with his gifts, graces, and callings.

This means we ought to guard 3 areas:

First, Always point faith and assurance to Christ alone — not to rituals, leaders, or feelings. Is this ritual scriptural? Are the leaders servants of Christ or elevated beyond scripture? Is faith a feeling or a trust in a person?

Am I doing this because I am saved in Christ OR am I starting to believe this IS what saves me? Christ is the center and the motivation of holiness and devotion. This is what Solus Christus guards.

We can define Solus Christus this way: “Jesus Christ is the only savior of sinners and his atoning sacrifice is sufficient to save them.” – Dr. James Anderson

Acts 4:12 “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

The Author of Hebrews drives home that Jesus’ sacrifice as our savior is sufficient to save you.

“When Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come...he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

His work is entirely different from the complex, and repeated OT sacrificial system with its priests and rituals…Heb. 10 says, “Since the law has but a shadow of the good things to come... it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near”… “Every priest stands daily at his service, offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:11–12). It is finished.

You have the bulletin inserts if you want to read some of the other verses and statements on how the covenant of grace is simpler…But Let us plainly state a couple of the ways we can violate this principle. I want a firm alarm bell In your mind to violations of what the Thief was promised by Jesus. “Today you will be with me in paradise.”

So Alarm bells:

Any Mediator Other Than Christ such as prayers to saints, Mary, or angels. Jesus saves alone. Not Jesus + saints, their merits, or Jesus + prayers through Mary. Christ alone.

Adding things to “stay saved” such as penance, indulgences, or ritual acts for forgiveness. Simply go to Christ repenting of sin to him alone. And he will forgive you. Christ certainly gives us the Lord’s supper to strengthen our faith and help us but not to give us extra righteousness.

This is very different than Mass as earning grace or in and of themselves conveying grace. Or people that insist you must be baptized not as an act of obedience but as what saves you. The thief on the cross was never baptized… Though certainly if given time he would have loved to have been baptized one day.

We cannot says Baptism wipes the slate clean or changes our nature regenerating us. It represents the work of the Holy Spirit it doesn’t do the work of the spirit or automatically cause it. It is a sign and seal and not tied to the moment or automatically rendered by a priest.

Mass, baptism saving, praying to Mary as a co-redeemer those are obvious but what are more subtle ways we can abandon “Christ Alone” and not trust in his full and final sacrifice onour behalf, his righteousness…

Confidence in prayer, fasting, meditation, or emotional devotion as if they contribute to salvation or are guilt trips that feel like they are re-saving us after we sin…

In Christ they certainly are pleasing fruits of our salvation. But when you feel inadequate go straight to Christ in prayer in repentance and asking him for strength not to the complicated prayer rules and emotionally manipulated techniques.

As those who love the Lord and what he has done for us let us remember

Always point faith and assurance to Christ alone indwelt by the Holy Spirit, assuring us we are Christ’s and he is ours and we are sons and daughters of our Father in heaven…in Christ the Son.

The thief on the Cross clearly displays Christ Alone Saves Sinners.

The hymn writer Augustus Toplady once again proclaims this well:

1 Rock of Ages, cleft for melet me hide myself in thee;let the water and the blood,from thy riven side which flowed,be of sin the double cure,cleanse me from its guilt and pow’r.2 Not the labors of my handscan fulfil thy law’s demands;could my zeal no respite know,could my tears for ever flow,all for sin could not atone;thou must save, and thou alone.3 Nothing in my hand I bring,simply to thy cross I cling;naked, come to thee for dress;helpless, look to thee for grace;foul, I to the Fountain fly;wash me, Savior, or I die.

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Intro

“What a man is alone on his knees before God, that he is –and no more.” – Robert Murray M’cheyne

While our good works, our religious attendance, may be a fruit of salvation, they are not what causes us to one day be able to stand before God and answer the question, “Why should I let you who have committed so many sins into my holy heaven and my holy presence?”

It will all come down to what we are trusting in…Are we trusting in our selves or are we trusting in a salvation outside of ourselves. This is demonstrated by what we pray from our hearts on our knees before the Lord in Prayer… Terry Johnson, remarks… “the content and manner of our prayers reveal our true convictions about God, life, and eternity...”

And Jesus illustrates this clearly and pointedly for us this morning…what are you trusting in? Is it yourself? What are you living for?

Read Luke 18:9–14

[9] He also told this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and treated others with contempt: [10] “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. [11] The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’ [13] But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ [14] I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.” (ESV)

Prayer of Illumination

The Way Luke tells this parable is like a teacher including the answer key on a test…V. 9 says he told it about those who trusted in themselves that they were righteous and treated others with contempt…Thus 3 questions and 1 Conclusion this morning:

How does the Pharisee view Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith?

How does the Tax-Collector View Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith?

What is Jesus’ final pronouncement of the Grace of Justification by faith alone?

Thinking Carefully about Faith and Grace

First Question, How does the Pharisee view Himself? And what does this say about Grace and Faith?

Luke answers, The Pharisee “trusted in himself that he was righteous.” This leads to self-righteous condemnation for others because he was not a sinner saved by grace, but supposed, he was a man who was personally righteous. Yes, maybe with some help from God and the help of the law.

This leads to a weak thankfulness. The prayer of thanksgiving in v. 11 is actually a prideful looking to himself and his characteristics and traits, Not a thankfulness for God’s sovereign gift of grace and God’s loving him while he was still a sinner.

In his view, the Pharisee is loved because he is good….NOT that he was first loved, forgiven, cleansed, and had Christ’s righteousness and the gift of the Spirit poured out in his heart…

He does not believe “blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.” He does not believe the church is a hospital for sinners. Nor does he believe that “nothing in my hand I bring simply to thy cross I cling.”

And as Terry Johnson remarks, an inflated view of self brings a deflated view of others.

Let us look more closely at this pharisee, What does it mean to be a pharisee? What does he highlight in his prayer

He is thankful, he believes, that he is Not like other men and their sins,

Are these other things sins in v. 11? Yes, certainly. – Though, he does seem careful to avoid sins of the heart like coveting and pride…he lists the EXTERNAL sins he avoids

And He lists his External good works: Fasting and Tithes.

Very particularly, he is trusting in religious good works and religious rituals.

Can we say these are good things? Certainly from a humble heart, and if actually obeying the law of God for his people who have been REDEEMED BY GRACE, then these are pleasing to the Lord.

...But not done by this man. This is a heart of legalism. Specifically, a legalism of going beyond the law of God, and a legalism of believing these works were the grounds of salvation not the gracious fruit of salvation.

Terry Johnson remarks, “In each case, the Pharisee goes beyond what the law of God required. The law required only an annual fast, on the day of atonement (Lev. 16:29). He fasts not weekly, but twice weekly. Tithing was required of only some income, not of all. Yet he tithed ‘all,’ as did many Pharisees (Deut. 14:22; Luke 11:42). This all sounds good, doesn’t it? (Terry Johnson, Parables, 115).

But there is no mention of sin. Of Need. Of humility. Of the Mercy of God on him, a sinner. He only stresses what Luke calls the point of the parable, Jesus calling out those trusting in his own righteousness…

The bible consistently says good works are a pleasing fruit of salvation, a fruit of grace, and the fruit of faith. But Works are NOT the ROOT. Of justification, not what brings about forgiveness of sins, these are not things being added to the scale of justice tipping us towards being acceptable to God.

We do not have a few little sins that we need to throw some good works on top of to make ourselves pleasing to God.

The Pharisee needs to learn from another former Pharisee, the Apostle Paul, and recognize that he is dead in his trespasses and sins, walking according to the passions of his flesh and by nature a child of wrath, like all mankind (Eph. 2:1–3) ... none is righteous, no, not one; no one understands or seeks God, and all have turned aside, so that by works of the law no one is justified (Rom. 3:10–12, 20) ... everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin, and apart from Christ cannot break its bondage (John 8:34; Rom. 6:20) ... the natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God and cannot understand them because they are spiritually discerned (1 Cor. 2:14) ... the wrath of God is revealed against all ungodliness and unrighteousness, leaving men without excuse (Rom. 1:18–20) ... yet God demonstrates his love for the helpless, sending Christ to die for the ungodly while we were still sinners, so that while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son (Rom. 5:6–10)

... therefore, apart from grace, the Pharisee is spiritually dead, blind, enslaved, and under God’s righteous judgment, entirely dependent on God’s mercy and the gift of Christ for justification and life (Eph. 2:8–9; Rom. 3:24).

The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. [12] I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

The Pharisee needs to see the actual nature of his sinfulness…And if he does he will see the weakness of his supposed righteousness.

Jesus calls this kind of righteousness a white-washed tomb

This man’s righteousness is early 2000s CGI, it looks good and shiny until you pause the movie for closer inspection.

Human righteousness fails on closer inspection.

This is why the tax collector is so amazing in this parable. He gets his spiritual poverty. He sees his spiritual need.

You see, Jesus says, he who is forgiven little loves little. He who is forgiven much loves much.

But all human beings, all of us, when we look to Jesus, are actually forgiven MUCH. We are all in great need, so every last human being is in need of great forgiveness.

All sins cause a need for forgiveness.

This doesn’t mean all sins are equal. Some sins are more heinous in the sight of God than others. (“WSC 83). But all sins great and small are against an infinitely great and holy God. WSC 84; Every sin deserves God’ s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come.

If this is true we can see the importance of us being disillusioned of trusting in ourselves that we are righteous.

We need a better example of what to say to God when it is just God and us in prayer…

Transition statement: Let us look at the prayer and example we need…Verse 13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’

#2 How does the Tax-Collector View Himself and what does this say about Grace and Faith

Note four actions of the tax collector.

First action, He stood far off

He felt far off from God; he felt far off from the religious people.

And indeed, tax collectors were traitors to Rome, unclean, and corrupt in the minds of others…but not an untrue reputation

But what should we take him standing far off to mean? It means that He is wrestling in prayer about his worthbefore the Lord. He feels unworthy to approach God’s holy presence.

Second action, He wouldn’t even lift up his eyes to heaven

You can feel this; he didn’t dare “meet God’s eyes” if you will. He is ashamed, low…because unlike the pharisee, he is dealing alone with himself and God, not comparing himself to others…The Pharisee looks at God only after going through his comparison with others. This man is looking at his own heart through the eyes of God.

Third Action, He beat his breast

He is grieving his sin; he is mourning the state of his soul.

This is accurate. And you know it is accurate for every one of us in this room.

At night, between us and God, in our sane moments in considering the sin in our hearts and lives, we feel low, unworthy, unclean, mourning, and wondering if we can lift our heads up to meet the gaze of God into our hearts and souls…

And the Answer, very simply, is we ARE all those things; IF God does not show love, mercy, acceptance, cleansing, restoration, lifting up, restoring us as sons and daughters.

Fourth action, in prayer, the Tax-Collector speaks of mercy, not earned righteousness.

“God be merciful to me, a sinner.”

The form of this mercy is specifically the mercy of propitiation, the mercy of God in covering over sins. to be propitious, be gracious, be merciful by a sacrifice to cover sins. This man knows his sins are as scarlet and that for him to be declared Just, another innocent must take his place. The Word does not allow any merit or saving work from the tax collector.

He knew he was a sinner. I won’t re-read the verses…but the tax-collector is correct. He doesn’t suffer from low self-confidence; he has been broken by guilt and shame.[1]

And Jesus is a merciful savior. Jesus shed his blood, taking our guilt and covering over our sin.

Richard Sibbes says, “There is more mercy in Christ than sin in us; there can be no danger in thorough dealing. It is better to go bruised to heaven than sound to hell.”(Sibbes, The Bruised Reed)

#3 What is Jesus’ final pronouncement of the Grace of Justification by faith alone

v. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified, rather than the other. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Justified: That is to be declared righteous and accepted in the courtroom of God.

And it is the one who humbly entrusted himself to the mercy of God.

Note the contrast “rather than the other man.”

It is impossible for man to exalt himself

Humility, humble faith, entrusting our exaltation to the grace, power, and mercy of another.

Humble-Faith, Is the posture in which God pardons us and accepts us as righteous in his sight, only for the righteousness of Christ imputed (credited) to us and received by Faith Alone.

So this morning, if you have never before, acknowledge your sins before God. Entrust yourself to the mercy of God provided for you in the death and resurrection of Jesus for sinners.

Entrust your sin to Christ to be covered by his blood and trust that if you cry out for mercy in prayer to the Lord Jesus,

he will cover your poverty in his righteous robes, calling you son or daughter. [PAUSE]

This wonderful truth needs both protection and recovery every generation. In the protestant reformation, the Roman Catholic church of the time took on numerous parallels to the Pharisees in Jesus’ day. God’s grace was seen as working in cooperation with human accomplishments (human merit); Or God’s grace mediated through the merit of religious ceremonies, pouring out grace into our hearts.

So let us carefully state what we believe about Faith and Grace and then see what some key scripture passages have to say to us.

#4 Thinking Carefully about Faith and Grace

The slogan Sola Gratia, or Grace Alone, simply says, “Our salvation is not earned in any part; it is the free gift of God from start to finish

The scriptural evidence is clear and straightforward in three truths of scripture.

We are fallen in sin and all our best moral efforts are corrupted by sin.

Therefore, we cannot earn God’s favor and eternal life by our moral efforts.

Therefore, we can obtain God’s favor and eternal life only by divine grace.

Paul clearly tells us these three truths in Ephesians 1-2, but particularly in 2:8-9 “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

The scriptures teach us that we are declared in a right relationship with God, that we are Declared Just by Faith Alone:

“For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law (Romans 3:28) ...(Again) to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted/credited as righteousness (Romans 4:5) ... a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ (never faith in faith, it is TRUST in Jesus) (Galatians 2:16)... not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ Philippians 3:9) (why he was the one who took our sin and gave us his righteousness…Not our moral efforts…Jesus’ perfect moral efforts…Jesus succeeds where we fail…where Adam failed…)( ... since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God (Romans 5:1) ...he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy (Titus 3:5–7) ... whoever believes him who sent me has eternal life, and has passed from death to life (John 5:24) ... by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous (Isaiah 53:11).”

So we are saved by faith, by believing on the name of Jesus…But What is this Faith, this believing, that Jesus and Paul speak of? (4 quotes who said it?)

“Faith is a firm and certain knowledge of God’s benevolence toward us, founded upon the truth of the freely given promise in Christ, both revealed to our minds and sealed upon our hearts by the Holy Spirit.” John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, III.2.7

“Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation, as he is offered to us in the gospel.” (WSC Q.86)

“Faith is the hand that receives Christ, the empty vessel that is filled with his grace, the mouth that drinks the living water.” - Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 4, p. 116

Faith is not work, nor merit, nor effort; but the cessation from all these, and the acceptance in place of them of what another has done—done completely, and forever.” (Horatius Bonar, The Everlasting Righteousness)

Faith is the moment when you are on a climbing wall that you swing your body over the wall and believe that the rope is ABLE to hold you, and you actually rest your full weight on it, doing just that. But for a moment your weight is swinging over the wall…you can’t go back…you are committed, but its nots yet holding your weight do you trust the nature of that rope? Trust Christ and believe he is who he says he is. Repent and sorrow for your sin, knowing that he accomplished what he said he did in his life, death, and resurrection. YOUR SINS are forgiven, you are a child of God, you have the righteousness of Christ, and you are declared Just!

The Scriptures are clear that salvation by faith alone is because of God’s Grace Alone.

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus (Romans 3:23-24) ... he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy (Titus 3:5) ... ‘I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion.’ So then it depends not on human will or exertion, but on God, who has mercy (Romans 9:15–16) ... who saved us and called us to a holy calling, not because of our works but because of his own purpose and grace, which he gave us in Christ Jesus before the ages began (2 Timothy 1:9) ... for from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace (John 1:16–17) ... so too at the present time there is a remnant, chosen by grace. But if it is by grace, it is no longer on the basis of works; otherwise grace would no longer be grace (Romans 11:5–6) ... for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich (2 Corinthians 8:9).”

What is this grace? “Grace is the undeserved favor of God, rooted in his eternal good pleasure, revealed in Christ, and bestowed by the Holy Spirit.” - Herman Bavinck, Reformed Dogmatics, Vol. 3, p. 523

Remember, God saves sinners by Christ Jesus as a gracious gift. And Jesus says in our passage today your walk with Christ begins with a humble prayer.

So in prayer, like the tax-collector look away from your sin, hating it, and turn to Christ for mercy and covering by his blood…

When we do this know you are pardoned, cleansed, accepted, and loved by the Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit in your heart will begin to bear good fruit in keeping with being a son and daughter, and you.

If you have done this before then keep your eyes on Christ, delight in the forgiveness you have received, remain humble, and do not forget the wonders of his mercy to you. Do not forget the grace of Jesus and fall into pride of your own righteousness. That righteousness is but the gracious fruit of the Spirit worked in your heart, so humbly delight in the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit in your life, delight in the Heavenly Father’s love for you, delight in knowing the Angels of heaven rejoice to see sinners receive grace through Jesus our Lord.

Prayer

Benediction

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com

We are in Matthew Chapter 4 this morning. Where we will see Jesus’ teaching us to forsake trusting as a final authority in anything else besides the written word of God. God’s written word alone as the full, final, and sufficient guide for our faith and life.

The context for Matthew 4 is that Jesus has just been baptized by John, The Father has spoken from heaven that He is the beloved Son of God who has left heaven, taken on our nature, and now stands as our righteous Messiah.

Jesus is going into a confrontation with Satan, but as one anointed, indwelt by the Holy Spirit who rests on him. It is going to be a confrontation with Satan based on Jesus’ role as our representative, doing what Adam, and Israel could not do, living a perfect life. Jesus says in John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”

So Jesus enters this fight clear on who he is, what his mission is, and we will see he will contest Satan with the Sword of the Word of God illuminated by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Read: Matthew 4:1-11

[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3).

[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

[7] Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

[8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” [10] Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Just two questions this morning

#1 How does Jesus Use Scripture Alone to guide his response to temptation?

#2 How should this inform Our Use of Scripture Alone to guide our lives?

Our passage says Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days,

And [understatement] he was hungry…Jesus had a true humanity and true natural desires and responses to hunger.

Verses 1 says it was the Holy Spirit that led him there in order to be tempted. The word can also mean trials or tests. This echoes Israel’s 40 years of testing in the wilderness, where they were provided manna in the wilderness and the Lord there tested their hearts to see if they would trust in their own hearts, minds, desires, and instincts on how things ought to be.

Would they live according to the instincts they gained in pagan Egypt? Would they live according to what popular leaders said was, ok?

Or Would their hearts be receptive to God’s Word and God’s leading them? Would they trust their lives to God and his every word to them alone? Well spoilers, it was a very spotty record for Israel, and for the Christian church down through the centuries.

Jesus will be quoting Deuteronomy 6 & 8 so Jesus will be quoting individual verses but hear the passages he is thinking about, First Deut. 6:4–9

[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 8:1–3 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. [2] And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. [3] And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (ESV)

So Jesus will be doing what Israel ought to have done. But Second, Jesus is also doing what Moses did – but Better.

Remember, Moses spent 40 days up on Mount Sinai. But what was Moses doing during these 40 days?

· Exodus 34:28 So [Moses] was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Will we from our hearts respond to every word of God or will we listen to Satan “has God really said?” will we listen to our flesh, our culture, or to God?

Look in verses 3-4, How does Jesus Use Scripture to guide his response to temptation?

3] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3).

1. What is Jesus’ Situation: He is hungry. He has a very normal and good human need. Food. And a normal question will God provide for me in my need?

2. Satan comes to Jesus and says, well “We have studied the situation and common sense says, you need to act this way to address the problem.

3. Scripture supplies a sufficient interpretation for how I should respond to my human desires. In this case completely natural and even good and God-given desires.

4. But Jesus is not just hungry. He IS the son of God. He does not need to prove that to Satan. And God has already spoken by the Holy Spirit to tell him where he is supposed to be and what is he supposed to be doing.

5. Satan appeals to natural desire and challenges Jesus’ identity and what he knows of his mission; Satan challenges God’s Word.

a. Jesus answers Satan with Scripture as the final authority. 3x It is written.

i. Jesus is saying, God’s Word sustains life; reliance on Scripture, not self, governs obedience.

ii. Satan BEGINS with the obvious problem and need and the OBVIOUS solution without consulting any scripture!

b. What about Us? We are not the messiah, we are not Jesus, but we are told by the mouth of God who we are, our place in the story of History.

i. We must start with a scriptural view of creation, God, humanity: made in God’s image with value and dignity, the fall; sinners in need of forgiveness, redemption; a savior who died for our sins, grace; a savior giving a free and undeserved gift, and now we are sons and daughters living for God’s glory.

1. Do not begin with the problem, and then allowing the world to define the words used to talk about the problem, giving the world’s definitions control of the solution.

ii. In our passage, Jesus recalls Deut. 6 in order for Jesus to step back and remember why he is there. He is in a spiritual trial. He is watchful. He knows who God is and who he is, and he will apply scripture as the Son of God.

iii. So for you in difficulties, you must go back and begin again and talk with the bible’s words for your situation, the bible’s diagnosis, and the bible’s solution. As Jesus does here.

1. Why the trial? Who are you, who is God? How should we then live in submission to God and his word?

2. Jesus is not simply a hungry man, or just suffering. No, he is the Messiah going through a trial in order to redeem Israel. You are not simply a random person as you go through life if you’re following Jesus, then throughout your life, there is a spiritual backdrop to your job, your marriage, your relationships, so your diagnosis of your trials and the solutions must be seen that you are a son or daughter of God going through the situation with your spouse, children, or coworkers around you

3. Or you are a lost sinner who needs to repent of your sin and confess the name of Jesus as your savior and so become a son or daughter of God.

4. Deut. 8:3 “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Bread from heaven reminds us of the bigger perspective, as we need food for our souls and that only comes from the Word of God

Ah But Satan gets trickier…Satan can quote scripture too in v. 5-7. He uses scripture but twists it; now his uses Jesus’ identity as the messiah but attempts to get him to misuse his identity.

The Second Temptation: Throw yourself off the temple. (5-7)

[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” ((Psalm 91:11–12))

[7] Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Deut. 6:16).

Satan can quote the bible too…but he is twisting Scripture to Hide the higher principle of Faithfulness to God not prideful self-displays.

Think of it this way, Satan is asking Jesus to commit insurance fraud, Ps. 91 is a guarantee…Might as well test that car insurance…

Jesus recognizes that Satan is seeking to stir up a prideful testing and display of his identity as the son of God that had nothing to do with his mission and so reminds Satan to one both quote scripture faithfully and not misapply it but second to compare scripture with scripture.

a. Do not let circumstances or the need for extraordinary wonders. Signs. Or the need to force an act of God causes you to find ways to force God’s hand.

b. The bible would direct you to ordinary faithfulness: scripture, prayer, and wise counsel. Let Scripture Interpret Scripture. The Whole Counsel of God informs itself.

c. We can ask ourselves “Am I honoring and worshipping God alone in how I am apply this text?” Or am I proudly putting God to the test?”

Satan has one more temptation for Christ v. 8.

[8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” [10] Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

* This Temptation appeals to worldly power and glory.

* Satan is offering immediate earthly and worldly power to Christ without him having to go to the cross.

* Remember in 1 Peter that humiliation precedes glory, suffering and the cross purchases Christ’s bride the church.

* The 1st coming of Christ is one of humility and suffering.

* Christ’s second coming at the end of the age is one of glory and power.

* Satan seems to be offering a shortcut to immediate rule of the world rather than the long term vision of the gospel going and gathering people from every tribe and tongue and nation.

* But the shortcut the prize of the twisted messianic rule violates our exclusive call to glorify and enjoy God forever. And God shares his glory with no other.

* Jesus sticks to quoting Deuteronomy.

* His Scripture response: Deut 6:13 emphasizes exclusive worship and obedience to God.

* Jesus three times uses God’s Word as a spiritual sword (Eph. 6:17) to combat temptation.

* Jesus shows that true obedience is measured against God’s Word alone, not circumstances, desire, or misapplied promises.

* Every temptation—physical, presumptuous, or idolatrous—is met with Scripture as the decisive authority.

We’ve already been applying this to ourselves all along but we can ask

#2 What are some ways Jesus’ informs Our Use of Scripture?

First, Every time Jesus responds “It is written” he entrusts himself to the written word of God. HE says in Matthew 5 that he trusts every jot and tittle, every letter. He proves this trust throughout his interactions with the pharisees.

In Matt. 22 When the pharisees ask Jesus how he knows the resurrection is true he responds quoting Deut.3:6 When God tells Moses that he IS the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and thus the god of the living. He trusts a single ongoing present verb tense God IS not God was, the god of these men.

#1 We do not put tradition or church authority over the bible Jesus shows ultimate authority resides in God’s Word.

In Matthew 15 Jesus confronts the way the the Pharisees have added man-made laws to the word of God. And yet in other places have created workarounds to the plain commandments of scripture. Asking them why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? verse 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

· If Jesus had used scripture the way the Pharisees had, he could have found loopholes to accept Satan’s call to worship him.

· Traditions can be good, the bible even says to hold fast to tradition, but they must not add or take away from the word and commandments of God but be an accurate application of the word of God.

#2 We do not put scripture below our personal preference or moral reasoning. Jesus shows obedience to God’s Word above desire. So, when you come to difficult passages of the bible you submit your heart, mind, and will to it, and seek to not only obey the word but to love the word.

#3 we do not put the bible below spiritual experiences. Jesus shows Scripture is the standard for testing spiritual claims. We interpret our experiences through the lens of scripture. The bible is the highest authority according to Jesus.

Recall in Luke 15, Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus and the rich man says, send an angel to my brothers…Jesus’ response? They have Moses, they have the bible…if they haven’t responded to the written word of God an angel wouldn’t do it…

#4 We should not reduce Scripture to exclusively emotional comfort with no plans to obey the directions found in it. While certainly we do find comfort and encouragement in the word, we should not use it as a therapeutic tool while ignoring its demands for repentance, relationship to God, and relationship to the Lord’s people. Jesus could have turned stones into bread to soothe suffering, but Scripture teaches spiritual sustenance above comforts (Deut 8:3). Now, we will find comfort in Scripture; we can entrust our emotions to God.

#5 The bible isn’t a secret code book. We do not treat Scripture as secret knowledge or personal revelation beyond its written, demonstrable meaning. Jesus reads Scripture plainly and contextually, showing Scripture interprets Scripture; no hidden meanings justify presumption.

Instead: Jesus believes the whole of the bible reveals who God is, our relationship with God, his care for us, and his wise counsel for all of our lives.

In it we not only know how to love and obey God, but we come to know God and can loyally live for him. Because for us when we come to the bible we meet the Word of God in it. Christ, our great high priest who defeated Satan with the written word as the living Word of God.

Now through the word we come to know and believe in Jesus. And the bible is given to us that we might know, love, and obey him.

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

It is spiritual bread for our souls. It is nourishment, and Christ himself gave his life that we might be redeemed.

And as his people, he blesses us as the people of the book. We are a people gathered and fed by the word of God. The Holy Spirit uses the word to strengthen and nourish. The word of God strengthens our faith, encourages us and fuels our prayers, our fellowship with each other, and our communion with Jesus.

So when you are troubled, turn to your Bible, ask the Lord to by the Holy Spirit work in your heart and mind to be fed by the word as true spiritual food for your soul. And like a child, when we eat our meals. Day by day, the Spirit will use it to grow us.

SO my encouragement for you is to daily take up and read, feed your soul, feed your mind, feed your relationship with Christ, and ask the Spirit to work through this simple means to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

Benediction

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com

We are in Matthew Chapter 4 this morning. Where we will see Jesus’ teaching us to forsake trusting as a final authority in anything else besides the written word of God. God’s written word alone as the full, final, and sufficient guide for our faith and life.

The context for Matthew 4 is that Jesus has just been baptized by John, The Father has spoken from heaven that He is the beloved Son of God who has left heaven, taken on our nature, and now stands as our righteous Messiah.

Jesus is going into a confrontation with Satan, but as one anointed, indwelt by the Holy Spirit who rests on him. It is going to be a confrontation with Satan based on Jesus’ role as our representative, doing what Adam, and Israel could not do, living a perfect life. Jesus says in John 4:34 “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work.”

So Jesus enters this fight clear on who he is, what his mission is, and we will see he will contest Satan with the Sword of the Word of God illuminated by the work of the Holy Spirit.

Read: Matthew 4:1-11

[1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. [3] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone,

but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3).

[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and

“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”

[7] Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

[8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” [10] Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

Just two questions this morning

#1 How does Jesus Use Scripture Alone to guide his response to temptation?

#2 How should this inform Our Use of Scripture Alone to guide our lives?

Our passage says Jesus was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness, where he fasted for forty days,

And [understatement] he was hungry…Jesus had a true humanity and true natural desires and responses to hunger.

Verses 1 says it was the Holy Spirit that led him there in order to be tempted. The word can also mean trials or tests. This echoes Israel’s 40 years of testing in the wilderness, where they were provided manna in the wilderness and the Lord there tested their hearts to see if they would trust in their own hearts, minds, desires, and instincts on how things ought to be.

Would they live according to the instincts they gained in pagan Egypt? Would they live according to what popular leaders said was, ok?

Or Would their hearts be receptive to God’s Word and God’s leading them? Would they trust their lives to God and his every word to them alone? Well spoilers, it was a very spotty record for Israel, and for the Christian church down through the centuries.

Jesus will be quoting Deuteronomy 6 & 8 so Jesus will be quoting individual verses but hear the passages he is thinking about, First Deut. 6:4–9

[4] “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. [5] You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. [6] And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. [7] You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. [8] You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. [9] You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (ESV)

Deuteronomy 8:1–3 “The whole commandment that I command you today you shall be careful to do, that you may live and multiply, and go in and possess the land that the LORD swore to give to your fathers. [2] And you shall remember the whole way that the LORD your God has led you these forty years in the wilderness, that he might humble you, testing you to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not. [3] And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. (ESV)

So Jesus will be doing what Israel ought to have done. But Second, Jesus is also doing what Moses did – but Better.

Remember, Moses spent 40 days up on Mount Sinai. But what was Moses doing during these 40 days?

· Exodus 34:28 So [Moses] was there with the LORD forty days and forty nights. He neither ate bread nor drank water. And he wrote on the tablets the words of the covenant, the Ten Commandments.

Will we from our hearts respond to every word of God or will we listen to Satan “has God really said?” will we listen to our flesh, our culture, or to God?

Look in verses 3-4, How does Jesus Use Scripture to guide his response to temptation?

3] And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” (Deut. 8:3).

1. What is Jesus’ Situation: He is hungry. He has a very normal and good human need. Food. And a normal question will God provide for me in my need?

2. Satan comes to Jesus and says, well “We have studied the situation and common sense says, you need to act this way to address the problem.

3. Scripture supplies a sufficient interpretation for how I should respond to my human desires. In this case completely natural and even good and God-given desires.

4. But Jesus is not just hungry. He IS the son of God. He does not need to prove that to Satan. And God has already spoken by the Holy Spirit to tell him where he is supposed to be and what is he supposed to be doing.

5. Satan appeals to natural desire and challenges Jesus’ identity and what he knows of his mission; Satan challenges God’s Word.

a. Jesus answers Satan with Scripture as the final authority. 3x It is written.

i. Jesus is saying, God’s Word sustains life; reliance on Scripture, not self, governs obedience.

ii. Satan BEGINS with the obvious problem and need and the OBVIOUS solution without consulting any scripture!

b. What about Us? We are not the messiah, we are not Jesus, but we are told by the mouth of God who we are, our place in the story of History.

i. We must start with a scriptural view of creation, God, humanity: made in God’s image with value and dignity, the fall; sinners in need of forgiveness, redemption; a savior who died for our sins, grace; a savior giving a free and undeserved gift, and now we are sons and daughters living for God’s glory.

1. Do not begin with the problem, and then allowing the world to define the words used to talk about the problem, giving the world’s definitions control of the solution.

ii. In our passage, Jesus recalls Deut. 6 in order for Jesus to step back and remember why he is there. He is in a spiritual trial. He is watchful. He knows who God is and who he is, and he will apply scripture as the Son of God.

iii. So for you in difficulties, you must go back and begin again and talk with the bible’s words for your situation, the bible’s diagnosis, and the bible’s solution. As Jesus does here.

1. Why the trial? Who are you, who is God? How should we then live in submission to God and his word?

2. Jesus is not simply a hungry man, or just suffering. No, he is the Messiah going through a trial in order to redeem Israel. You are not simply a random person as you go through life if you’re following Jesus, then throughout your life, there is a spiritual backdrop to your job, your marriage, your relationships, so your diagnosis of your trials and the solutions must be seen that you are a son or daughter of God going through the situation with your spouse, children, or coworkers around you

3. Or you are a lost sinner who needs to repent of your sin and confess the name of Jesus as your savior and so become a son or daughter of God.

4. Deut. 8:3 “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Bread from heaven reminds us of the bigger perspective, as we need food for our souls and that only comes from the Word of God

Ah But Satan gets trickier…Satan can quote scripture too in v. 5-7. He uses scripture but twists it; now his uses Jesus’ identity as the messiah but attempts to get him to misuse his identity.

The Second Temptation: Throw yourself off the temple. (5-7)

[5] Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [6] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” ((Psalm 91:11–12))

[7] Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” (Deut. 6:16).

Satan can quote the bible too…but he is twisting Scripture to Hide the higher principle of Faithfulness to God not prideful self-displays.

Think of it this way, Satan is asking Jesus to commit insurance fraud, Ps. 91 is a guarantee…Might as well test that car insurance…

Jesus recognizes that Satan is seeking to stir up a prideful testing and display of his identity as the son of God that had nothing to do with his mission and so reminds Satan to one both quote scripture faithfully and not misapply it but second to compare scripture with scripture.

a. Do not let circumstances or the need for extraordinary wonders. Signs. Or the need to force an act of God causes you to find ways to force God’s hand.

b. The bible would direct you to ordinary faithfulness: scripture, prayer, and wise counsel. Let Scripture Interpret Scripture. The Whole Counsel of God informs itself.

c. We can ask ourselves “Am I honoring and worshipping God alone in how I am apply this text?” Or am I proudly putting God to the test?”

Satan has one more temptation for Christ v. 8.

[8] Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. [9] And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” [10] Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

[11] Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.

* This Temptation appeals to worldly power and glory.

* Satan is offering immediate earthly and worldly power to Christ without him having to go to the cross.

* Remember in 1 Peter that humiliation precedes glory, suffering and the cross purchases Christ’s bride the church.

* The 1st coming of Christ is one of humility and suffering.

* Christ’s second coming at the end of the age is one of glory and power.

* Satan seems to be offering a shortcut to immediate rule of the world rather than the long term vision of the gospel going and gathering people from every tribe and tongue and nation.

* But the shortcut the prize of the twisted messianic rule violates our exclusive call to glorify and enjoy God forever. And God shares his glory with no other.

* Jesus sticks to quoting Deuteronomy.

* His Scripture response: Deut 6:13 emphasizes exclusive worship and obedience to God.

* Jesus three times uses God’s Word as a spiritual sword (Eph. 6:17) to combat temptation.

* Jesus shows that true obedience is measured against God’s Word alone, not circumstances, desire, or misapplied promises.

* Every temptation—physical, presumptuous, or idolatrous—is met with Scripture as the decisive authority.

We’ve already been applying this to ourselves all along but we can ask

#2 What are some ways Jesus’ informs Our Use of Scripture?

First, Every time Jesus responds “It is written” he entrusts himself to the written word of God. HE says in Matthew 5 that he trusts every jot and tittle, every letter. He proves this trust throughout his interactions with the pharisees.

In Matt. 22 When the pharisees ask Jesus how he knows the resurrection is true he responds quoting Deut.3:6 When God tells Moses that he IS the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and thus the god of the living. He trusts a single ongoing present verb tense God IS not God was, the god of these men.

#1 We do not put tradition or church authority over the bible Jesus shows ultimate authority resides in God’s Word.

In Matthew 15 Jesus confronts the way the the Pharisees have added man-made laws to the word of God. And yet in other places have created workarounds to the plain commandments of scripture. Asking them why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? verse 4 For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 5 But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” 6 he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition, you have made void the word of God. 7 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said:

8 “‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me;9 in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”

· If Jesus had used scripture the way the Pharisees had, he could have found loopholes to accept Satan’s call to worship him.

· Traditions can be good, the bible even says to hold fast to tradition, but they must not add or take away from the word and commandments of God but be an accurate application of the word of God.

#2 We do not put scripture below our personal preference or moral reasoning. Jesus shows obedience to God’s Word above desire. So, when you come to difficult passages of the bible you submit your heart, mind, and will to it, and seek to not only obey the word but to love the word.

#3 we do not put the bible below spiritual experiences. Jesus shows Scripture is the standard for testing spiritual claims. We interpret our experiences through the lens of scripture. The bible is the highest authority according to Jesus.

Recall in Luke 15, Jesus’ parable of the rich man and Lazarus and the rich man says, send an angel to my brothers…Jesus’ response? They have Moses, they have the bible…if they haven’t responded to the written word of God an angel wouldn’t do it…

#4 We should not reduce Scripture to exclusively emotional comfort with no plans to obey the directions found in it. While certainly we do find comfort and encouragement in the word, we should not use it as a therapeutic tool while ignoring its demands for repentance, relationship to God, and relationship to the Lord’s people. Jesus could have turned stones into bread to soothe suffering, but Scripture teaches spiritual sustenance above comforts (Deut 8:3). Now, we will find comfort in Scripture; we can entrust our emotions to God.

#5 The bible isn’t a secret code book. We do not treat Scripture as secret knowledge or personal revelation beyond its written, demonstrable meaning. Jesus reads Scripture plainly and contextually, showing Scripture interprets Scripture; no hidden meanings justify presumption.

Instead: Jesus believes the whole of the bible reveals who God is, our relationship with God, his care for us, and his wise counsel for all of our lives.

In it we not only know how to love and obey God, but we come to know God and can loyally live for him. Because for us when we come to the bible we meet the Word of God in it. Christ, our great high priest who defeated Satan with the written word as the living Word of God.

Now through the word we come to know and believe in Jesus. And the bible is given to us that we might know, love, and obey him.

“‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

It is spiritual bread for our souls. It is nourishment, and Christ himself gave his life that we might be redeemed.

And as his people, he blesses us as the people of the book. We are a people gathered and fed by the word of God. The Holy Spirit uses the word to strengthen and nourish. The word of God strengthens our faith, encourages us and fuels our prayers, our fellowship with each other, and our communion with Jesus.

So when you are troubled, turn to your Bible, ask the Lord to by the Holy Spirit work in your heart and mind to be fed by the word as true spiritual food for your soul. And like a child, when we eat our meals. Day by day, the Spirit will use it to grow us.

SO my encouragement for you is to daily take up and read, feed your soul, feed your mind, feed your relationship with Christ, and ask the Spirit to work through this simple means to guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

Benediction

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Intro: Every letter must have an ending…Peter has assured us of who we are in Christ Jesus. He has reminded us that we have been born again to a living Hope, we are the Temple of God, Living Stones built on the cornerstone Christ Jesus. He has called us to Holy Lives, to face suffering as a faith purifying fire and to respond to suffering with upright lives by God’s grace, we are Exiles headed to our heavenly hope but as ones who have a Christian family and home here and now, we have many relationships of authority to government, Husbands, wives, Elders, and ultimately a Suffering, Crucified, Shepherd Savior Christ Jesus, our living Hope seated in heaven…But the Letter must end.

Read 1 Peter 5:6-14 “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. [14] Greet one another with the kiss of love. Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (ESV)

Prayer of Ilumination:

Points 1-2 are the major ones and Points 3-4 are brief.

#1 Embrace Humility (v. 6-7)

#2 Embrace Watchfulness (v.8-9).

#3 Embrace the Glory of Grace (v.10-11)

#4 Embrace Encouragement (v. 12-14).

#1 Embrace Humility, look in verse 6

[6] Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, [7] casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.

Pride and Humility are always in relationship to God. Its not just a you thing. Simon Kistemaker says, “As man must love both God and man, so he must demonstrate humility toward God and man.” (Kistemaker, 197).

If Pride is us elevating and puffing ourselves up in comparison to others.

Then Humility is a lowering, a down to earth-ness, remembering I am a creature. I have a sovereign creator who watches over me, He is my Father, and HE cares for me.

Do you truly see your life as flowing from God? Is he the fountain of your meaning and purpose? Is he the fountain of your soul and life? Is he the confidence and strength you turn to as you leave the house each morning? Is he your hope that when you are brought low by the world or your flesh, that he will lift you up and seat you at his table, that he will raise you up and give you a home? A place of belonging.

This is the promise of Jesus to us,

Recall Jesus and the Tax Collector [Retell Luke 18:9-14]…I thank you I am not like other men vs. God be merciful to me a sinner…only one left Justified…, those who exalt themselves will be humbled, those who humble themselves will be exalted

Consider Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of God. The Poor in spirit, low and emptied are raised up and made Sons and Daughters of the King in the Kingdom of the Son.

Peter is not being hypothetical or philosophical about this. Remember how pridefully he said, Jesus, everyone may leave and abandon you but I won’t! I will stand by you. Peter was confident. Yet he was NOT watchful, he was NOT prayerful, he was prideful.

And so he was brought low…by the questions of a servant girl [Expand on story], and he cursed his savior mere feet away from him. John says he was close enough to look through the window and make eye contact with Jesus. Then he swore He did not know him.

Peter is Humbled in his denials; his pride cast him down…

But as he is humbled, he realizes he is poor in spirit, but he is in danger of being bruised and broken by sin. So as to Give up Hope.

How does Jesus respond to us when we are bruised and broken by our sin and pride? He restores. Peter is restored in sorrow and repentance by Christ, and Jesus asks him if he “loves him” and he is restored and picked back up and made a shepherd of the Church by Jesus.

Peter knows if we are under the mighty hand of God then in Humility we can face suffering, loss, and Satan himself.

We can face these things because we are in the mighty hand of God. The strong hand that delivered Israel from Egypt. Remember to be in God’s hand to be rescued by him from slavery and darkness.

Ex. 3:19 God says “I will stretch out my hand and strike Egypt with all the wonders that I will do in it; after that he will let you go!” When God lifts us up he does not leave us empty but he blesses us. We are freed from the kingdom of Darkness and well supplied for the Christian life, just as Israel left Egypt with silver and gold from the Egyptians.

Next Peter call us to entrust our anxieties to God. We humble ourselves by casting our anxieties to God

The ESV study bible notes that, “Worry is a form of pride because it involves taking concerns upon oneself instead of entrusting them to God.

Why should we entrust ourselves to God? Because he is not a disinterested distant deity. He cares for you.

V. 7 Because he Cares for you – The word for God’s care for us is actually a word play that sounds like the word for distraction or anxiety….So Peter is saying, Do not be anxious because God is anxious for you…Why should you be anxious when God cares, his mind is occupied with his children and his care of them. If you are a child of God you are not out of sight and out of mind to him.

Speak to him of your cares and as a father, he cares for you…

[#2 Embrace Watchfulness]

Peter has warned of pride and called us to humble dependence on GodSecond, Peter warns of an unwatchful, unaware attitude towards Satan, who can use suffering combined with pride to cause us to be easy prey. Look in verse 8. Embrace Watchfulness.

[8] Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Two part story….ILL: 1980s 90s. movies and tv shows have a common opening trope: In order to quickly show us the movies main monster and how dangerous a threat it is, the movie will open will show a man or a woman running through the woods, clearly fearful. You might hear the alien, or the bear, or some threat searching for them, they hide behind a tree, and you hear it prowling for them. They are fearful, but the fear produces watchfulness. They are straining to HEAR. They are Looking every direction, they are planning their next step…

The same is true a team of soldiers searching dark abandoned nuclear facilities and tunnel system as the alien invasion seems unstoppable…every soldier is on watch, alert, Sober….in fact there often are scenes where due to the strain of the events of the movie a soldier snaps and maybe they end up drinking on duty becoming drunk and so dooming everyone (except the main character) because they fell asleep on duty.

God tells us that we are on Duty. We wage spiritual warfare. We have an enemy and a foe. And so we must remain awake, alert, WATCHFUL.

Man the watchtower of your soul and know your enemy.

Everywhere the bible says things like, “watch and pray….the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak…Pay Careful attention to yourselves…Stay dressed for action, keep your lamps burning, testing produces steadfastness…keep your hearts with all diligence, be sober-minded, be watchful, be self-controlled.

We are called to Watch over our souls for moral and spiritual decline. Because Satan seeks to ensnare us in sin and devour us. And he hopes that suffering will cause us to respond pridefully or indulgently in our flesh for comfort.

Michael G. Brown says, “[ Satan’s]roar may take the form of accusation, persecution, false teaching, or the deceptive voice of temptation. Whatever the form, his aim is always the same: to oppose Christ by attacking the church. The devil is not idle. He is restless, cunning, and cruel. Like a lion stalking its prey, Satan watches for the vulnerable, the isolated, and the careless. He seeks not merely to tempt but to devour—to destroy faith, sow division, and lead souls into ruin.”[1]

Pastor Brian Hedges says, Christian Watchfulness means, staying awake both morally and spiritually; BY paying attention to God’s word, to our own souls, and especially to Christ Himself;maintaining vigilance against our mortal enemies: the world, the flesh, and the devil; and hoping in the Lord—in His promises and His return.”

What might be signs that you are falling asleep, that the glory of Christ and the gospel is NOT what you are humbly and soberly trusting in? Think of it in terms of being on a boat, if you are supposed to be on WATCH in a boat you are making sure you are headed in the right direction. When you fail to soberly watch you will drift of course. You will drift.

So we can ask, Have I been watchful in my spiritual habits, have I been watchful in the way I respond to sinful temptations that the world, the flesh, and the devil me?

Satan wants sleepy, cruise control Christians so that he can cause us to drift of course Morally; One area in particular is Conscience “drift”

Conscience drift Is a gradual ignoring the moral clarity of a bible filled conscience controlled by the living and active Holy Spirit in our hearts. Where we ignore or downplay the warnings and commands of scripture and begin turning to and tuning our hearts more and more to the standards and norms of our culture.

“Conscience” is so often “caught” not “taught’

You may be drifting, if your speech, your language has grown harsh, and you find yourself speaking in ways you didn’t used to...

Or perhaps you enjoy and approve what used to shock you, whether TV, Movies, Social media, or the actions of your friends.

Ask yourself, is it edifying? Is it God honoring? Are you watchfully focused on Christ? Are you feeding your soul, feeding your heart your mind on the ordinary blessings of Christ? Is the Holy Spirit your conscience? OR just your most influentials peers or social media personalities?

Christ calls you to man the watchtower of your soul.

Ok Second part about 1980s-90s movies with creatures, aliens, Invations, and threats.

In the beginning of The Movies, it is always the case where the aliens seem mysterious and undefeatable all around the world. Soldiers are being picked off…No one knows how to resist…until the last 30 minutes of the movie…We don’t know when the movie will end but we know it’s time for the Heroes to start winning. And so yes, finally the heroes find out, oh, they are weak to water, or radio waves, or whatever plot device they came up with….And then you pass the word. You can defeat the aliens; they can be beaten! Peter is reminding us that throughout the world the family of God is both suffering like us and Satan will flee from us.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

We humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God. And ask him to strengthen us against Satan. Because in manning the watchtower, we learn that Satan, Our Flesh, and the world is defeatable and defeated by Christ.

Look again in verse [9] Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world.

Jesus has defeated Satan. John 12 says, “Now the ruler of this world, Satan, will be cast out” by the work of Christ on the Cross and his ascension into heaven as King and ruler of the world. Satan is defeated therefore withstand him, resist him, oppose him. Firm in your knowledge of Christ and the good news that you are now alive and united to a church family, a global kingdom of life and light..

Ephesians 6:10–16 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. [11] Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. [12] For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. [13] Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. [14] Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, [15] and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. [16] In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; (ESV)

Be firm in the faith, and so take up the shield of faith…Be firm in the faith as the last passage said, we have the Apostolic faith given to us by witnesses to Christ Jesus, and witnessed to us in all of scripture, and stewarded by the Church throughout the ages, and as verse 9 says the truth guarded and shown true by the sufferings of our brothers throughout the world.

Michael Brown gives us this encouragement, “We are not helpless before the enemy. We can resist Satan by being “strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might” (Eph. 6:10), putting on the whole armor of God. To be firm in our faith means to be rooted in the content of the Christian faith, wearing the breastplate of Christ’s righteousness and wielding the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Moreover, we do not stand alone.… Our union with Christ also unites us to His people. The roaring lion preys on the isolated, but the flock that stays together under the Chief Shepherd’s care is guarded. …. It is true that we are no match for Satan, but it is also true that Satan is no match for Christ (Rom. 8:33–34; 1 John 4:4).” – Michael Brown).

1 John 4:4 Little children, you are from God and have overcome them (evil spirits), for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

#3 Embrace the Glory of Grace: What God’s Grace does in us who humble ourselves, watch, and resist. (v.10-11).

[10] And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. [11] To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

The god of all grace…shelters you under his wing, under his mighty hand, and the end of the story is written. Eternal glory in Christ. We have been called to this.

In our humility recognize that as we live our lives God graciously feeds us by his word. He will strengthen around the Lord’s table, he will restore relationships, establish families,

Humbling ourselves frees us to know the strength and the armour we have in Christ by God’s grace. Grace upon grace. Glory because of Grace. Received Humbly.

Samuel Medley, I believe captures the tone of being called to eternal glory in Christ. in his famous hymn, I know that my redeemer lives.

1 I know that my Redeemer lives– glory, hallelujah!What comfort this sweet sentence gives– glory, hallelujah!

Refrain: Shout on, pray on, we’re gaining ground– glory, hallelujah!The dead’s alive and the lost is found– glory, hallelujah!

2 He lives, he lives, who once was dead– glory, hallelujah!He lives, my everlasting Head– glory, hallelujah!

3 He lives, to bless me with his love– glory, hallelujah!He lives to plead for me above– glory, hallelujah!

4 He lives, all glory to his name!- glory, hallelujah!He lives, my Jesus, still the same- glory, hallelujah

Refrain: Shout on, pray on, we’re gaining ground– glory, hallelujah!The dead’s alive and the lost is found– glory, hallelujah[2]

#4 Embrace Encouragement (v. 12-14)

[12] By Silvanus, a faithful brother as I regard him, I have written briefly to you, exhorting and declaring that this is the true grace of God. Stand firm in it. [13] She who is at Babylon, who is likewise chosen, sends you greetings, and so does Mark, my son. [14] Greet one another with the kiss of love.

God chooses to encourage his people not by their getting away from other people and finding a rock to meditate on…He uses people; he uses the word by the Holy Spirit. Yes, he encourages us to get apart and pray and spend much time in prayer. But here notice Silvanus (aka Silas, carried the letter to them. And encouraged them to Stand Firm! You have the love and grace of God! You have brothers and sisters in Rome! You are not alone. You have a brother who is earnest to know how you are doing.

There is a multi-generational element beginning as Mark is a spiritual Son, the next generation, and Paul has disciples Timothy. And 2,000 years later this is still true for us, Satan is resisted, we are strengthened, and the Faith is beingpassed on from one generation to the next.

Verse 14 reminds us that we are a connectional people, so take the opportunity when given to host brothers and sisters from around the country, to greet people with warmth and love, if you are Italian American, then that very well could be with a holy kiss…I suspect we are holy hugging people…and some are holy leave room for Jesus people…But we are connected to brothers and sisters in every place. I hope that gives you encouragement.

Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus, Christ has Conquered Satan. Hear this promise from you savior Jesus in John 14.

John 14:25-27 “These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. 26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. 27 Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.

Prayer

Benediction

Receive now this good word from the Lord from 1 Peter 5:14, “Peace to all of you who are in Christ.”

[1] Watchful and Sober-Minded | Tabletalk, https://tabletalkmagazine.com/article/2025/10/watchful-and-sober-minded/.

[2] 281. I Know That My Redeemer Lives– Glory, Hallelujah!, https://hymnary.org/hymn/TH1990/281.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit jamesensley.substack.com