“A Word for the Generations of the Church”

(1 John 2:12-14)

Series: A Word for the Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

September 12, 2021

The Passage

1 John 2:12-14

12 I am writing to you, little children,

since your sins have been forgiven

on account of his name.

13 I am writing to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the one who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have conquered the evil one.

14 I have written to you, children,

because you have come to know the Father.

I have written to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the one who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men,

because you are strong,

God’s word remains in you,

and you have conquered the evil one.

Introductory Comments:

If you’ve ever been a part of a family, team of any sort, or staff of any sort, you know that sometimes you have to get tough love and tough teaching. You have to have the hard truth shared with you and the leader has to be very clear about what he or she is teaching. However, the effective leaders know that there are times for encouragement as well. You also want to let your people know where they are excelling. 

Well, John has been sharing some clear truths that may even seem a little too direct at times with those under his influence. He has talked about walking in darkness, living a lie, and the danger of not following the commands of God. By the way, these were all things that the people needed to hear! Now, however, John shares sort of a “pick-me-up” with his readers. That’s what we’ll see today in 1 John 2:12-14. 

Let’s pray together as we begin this passage.

(prayer)

Today, we’re going to walk through the passage a little differently. We’re going to read the entire passage and then make some observations about the passage. Let’s look at it together. Look at 1 John 2:12-14:

12 I am writing to you, little children,

since your sins have been forgiven

on account of his name.

13 I am writing to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the one who is from the beginning.

I am writing to you, young men,

because you have conquered the evil one.

14 I have written to you, children,

because you have come to know the Father.

I have written to you, fathers,

because you have come to know

the one who is from the beginning.

I have written to you, young men,

because you are strong,

God’s word remains in you,

and you have conquered the evil one.

John’s intention here is to remind his readers who they are in Jesus and to encourage them as they follow Jesus. 

As you first read this, it may sound like John is merely speaking to different age groups in the church. However, nearly all experts on this passage agree that John is more than likely speaking to stages of spiritual growth in the church. 

Further, because John is referring to stages of spiritual growth, these words would also apply to women and girls, in addition to boys and men.

In fact, it’s probably best to read this passage with the understanding that every one of us can learn something from everything that John mentions here. 

By the way, you’ll also see that John repeats things in this passage, almost in a poetic manner. As we said last week, when John repeats something, it’s for emphasis. He really wants us to understand what he’s saying. 

So, let’s see three areas of encouragement that John will provide for us. 

First, . . .

I. An encouragement for everyone.[on screen]

John says in verse 12, “I am writing to you, little children,” and in verse 14, “I have written to you, children.”

Remember, John often refers to those in his church, and in the other churches to whom he is writing as, “little children.” John can do this because he’s older than all the rest of the believers. 

So, John is speaking to all the followe

“Considerations Concerning Christianity”

(1 John 2:3-11)

Series: A Word for the Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

September 5, 2021

The Passage

1 John 2:3-11

3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

7 Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old command that you have had from the beginning. The old command is the word you have heard. 8 Yet I am writing you a new command, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 The one who says he is in the light but hates his brother or sister is in the darkness until now. 10 The one who loves his brother or sister remains in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 11 But the one who hates his brother or sister is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and doesn’t know where he’s going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.

Introductory Comments:

Do you ever see an animal, bug, or plant and wish that you could identify what it was? Well, I have an app on my phone called, Seek. [show picture on screen] This app is helpful to identify certain things. You can take a picture of a bug, a plant, or an animal and it will help identify the species of that living thing. Pretty cool, huh? 

Here’s a question for you: how do you identify if someone is really a follower of Jesus? Don’t you wish there was an app where you could point your phone at someone and it would tell you if that person were really a Christian? Perhaps you want to know whether or not you are really a Christian?

Today, John is going to talk to us about how we can know whether or not we know God. In fact, the very first words from this passage are: This is how we know that we know him . . .

Today’s sermon is entitled: “Considerations Concerning Christianity.” [on screen]

Before we consider these considerations, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us as individuals and as a church.

(prayer)

We are, indeed, continuing our series in 1 John. Thus far, we have heard that there is something special about Jesus, John experienced it, and he wants us to know about it. Then, we learned that fellowship with God is found and fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Jesus is found when we walk with God in the light.

Today, we’re going to consider a few things concerning Christianity. 

First, let us consider . . .

I. Truth and lies (verses 3-6)[on screen]

Let’s look at the passage and let us discover what is true and what is a lie. 

Look at verses 3-6:

3 This is how we know that we know him: if we keep his commands. 4 The one who says, “I have come to know him,” and yet doesn’t keep his commands, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5 But whoever keeps his word, truly in him the love of God is made complete. This is how we know we are in him: 6 The one who says he remains in him should walk just as he walked.

Ok, first of all, pay attention to this: John answers the question of how we can know if we truly know God. This is how we know if we know God: if we keep his commands! [on screen]

That’s pretty straightforward, right? If you keep the commands of God, that indicates that there is a change in your life; it indicates that you have a new heart and a new mind; it indicates that the Holy Spirit of God dwells inside of you.

So, do you keep the commands of God? Just think about that for a second. 

Listen: we don’t keep the commands of God in order to be changed by God (only Jesus can change us)! However, once we are changed by God, John says that we should keep the commands of Go

“Step into the Light”

(1 John 1:5 – 2:2)

Series: A Word for the Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 29, 2021

Passage: 

1 John 1:5 – 2:2

1:5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth. 7 If we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say, “We have no sin,” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say, “We have not sinned,” we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

2:1 My little children, I am writing you these things so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ the righteous one. 2 He himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for those of the whole world.

Introductory Comments

How many of you prefer the darkness over the light? Probably no one, right? [show picture on screen]When we’re children, we’re often afraid of the darkness. We put night lights in our rooms so it’s not too dark. When a hurricane comes through and we lose power, we try to find a way to prevent darkness. When you’re at the beach and a dark cloud rolls up, you know that your beach fun is going to be ruined. Once we get to a certain age, we don’t even like to drive when it is dark outside. There’s something about darkness that most of us don’t like.Well, we are continuing our series in 1 John called, “A Word for the Church.” Today, we’re going to hear what John has to say about darkness and light. This is a theme that he will continue beyond the passage that we are covering today, so be sure and pay attention. 

Before we go any further, let’s pray together and ask God to speak to us. 

(prayer)

Last week we learned that Jesus was real, that He came to the world, and He has made it possible for us to know God.

This week, John talks more about what it means for us to know God and walk with God. As John describes this, he’s going to speak of light and darkness.  So we’re going to look at four realities of this light that John is writing about.

First, . . . 

I. Light is who God is (1:5-6)[on screen]

John speaks really straightforwardly in these verses. I love that he writes that way: he gets right to the point.Let’s look at verses 5 and 6. 

5 This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light, and there is absolutely no darkness in him. 6 If we say, “We have fellowship with him,” and yet we walk in darkness, we are lying and are not practicing the truth.

John wants us to know that God is 100% light. John says that there is, “absolutely no darkness in him.”

Did you know that some food is not what you think it is? So often with food these days we have to read the label to find out if something is really what it’s supposed to be. Is it 100% juice? Is it 100% real cheese? Is it 100% maple syrup? Often when my wife asks me to get something special, I spend half my time at the grocery store just reading labels. Well, John has put it on the label for us: God is 100% light and there is no darkness in Him!

God is light in that He is 100% good. God is light in that He reveals all that we need to see! God is light in that there is only truth in Him! He is perfectly good, perfectly holy, perfectly powerful, and perfectly just. 

There is no darkness in God. There is nothing bad, nothing wrong, nothing that needs to be hidden, and no amount of evil. 

John goes on to say that God is so full of light and so absent of darkness, that if we claim that we are following God, and there is darkness

“You Gotta Hear about this!”

(1 John 1:1-4)

Series: A word for the Church [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 22, 2021

The Passage

1 John 1:1-4

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2 that life was revealed, and we have seen it and we testify and declare to you the eternal life that was with the Father and was revealed to us— 3 what we have seen and heard we also declare to you, so that you may also have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. 4 We are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.

Introductory Comments:

Think about the different held beliefs you’ve heard concerning Jesus. Many people believe that Jesus was a good moral teacher. Many people speak of Jesus as, “Little Baby Jesus.” Many picture Jesus as someone hanging on a cross, wearing a crown of thorns. Some people admit that Jesus walked on the earth, but they say that He was merely a man. Some people are even so hard-hearted as to say that Jesus never even existed. 

You know, a little less than two thousand years ago, there were also varying beliefs concerning Jesus. In fact, there was a heresy among Christians present at that time called Gnosticism. [on screen] This false belief taught that Jesus could not have had a physical body because the physical (or material) world was evil. In fact, around 50 years or less after Jesus rose from the dead, some were questioning whether Jesus really even walked the earth.

It was on the heels of this heresy, and other misunderstandings about Jesus and following Jesus, that a man named John wrote a letter to the early followers of Jesus. That letter is what we’ve come to know as 1 John. 

So, we begin our study in 1 John called “A Word for the Church.” This message for the Church long ago is also a message that we need to hear in the Church today. 

Before we begin this sermon, and before we begin this series, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us. 

(prayer)

First John was written by . . . John, one of the original twelve apostles of Jesus. He was the brother of James and one of the sons of Zebedee, also known as the “Sons of Thunder.”

John was also the author of the Gospel of John, the fourth book of the New Testament;  as well as 2 John, 3 John, and the book of Revelation. 

It is well accepted that John was quite old when he wrote this letter and he was probably living in Ephesus at the time. In fact, a church sits near where it is believed that John wrote part of the New Testament. I’ve had the privilege of going there and it’s a special place. 

More than likely, John’s letter was not just intended for only one church, but for many churches located in Asia Minor, which was located in what is modern-day Turkey. 

Because this is one of the latest letters in the New Testament (meaning it is not as old as the others), a lot of time had passed since Jesus rose from the dead and the Church had started. Many different beliefs about Jesus had come about and John sought to bring some clarity to the situation. 

One study Bible said, “John wrote this letter to put believers back on track.” I think that’s right: John is trying to get the early Christians back on track about who Jesus is and how we are supposed to follow Him. 

John talks about something in these first four verses. Let’s see what it is that he’s talking about. 

First, we see that . . . 

I. This was from the beginning. (1:1) [on screen]

Let’s start at the beginning. Look at 1 John, chapter 1, verse 1:

1 What was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen with our eyes, what we have observed and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life

Now, when we first read this verse, there’s something familiar, isn’t

“The Return”

Series: A Journey through the Old Testament [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 15, 2021

Introductory Comments:

What a journey this has been in the Old Testament! We’ve talked about Creation, the Fall, the Flood, the Tower of Babel, the Patriarchs, Joseph, the Exodus, the Law, the Promised Land, the Judges, the Kings, the Prophets, Exile, and now we are here to talk about the Return. [on screen]

I don’t know about you, but I love when I get to return to a place that is special to me. Every time I go out of town, I’m always glad when I return home. When I’ve been away from the church building for a few days, I’m always glad when I get back on the property. To this day, when I go back to The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky, it’s always special to be back on campus because I spent eight years of my life there. There’s something special about the return. 

Today, we’re going to learn about the return of God’s people to the city of Jerusalem. After seventy years of exile, they were allowed to come home. 

Before we go any further, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us. 

(prayer)

As we journey through this sermon today, we’re going to look at seven major elements, three major truths, and two ways that the Gospel speaks to us through the message of the return. This is our last sermon in this series, so soak it up!

Let’s start by looking at the . . .

I. Major elements[on screen]

First, . . .

1.  King Cyrus of Persia permits the Jewish exiles to return to Jerusalem (Ezra 1:1-4). [on screen]

Remember, the people of Judah are under Babylonian captivity at this point. The prophet Jeremiah prophesied that they would be in captivity for seventy years, and indeed they were. 

Babylon conquered Jerusalem and the people of Judah were taken captive. 

Then, the Babylonian empire was conquered by Persia. This happened around 539 BC.

Cyrus the Great, king of the Persian empire, wanted to keep his subjects relatively happy, as well as the gods of the lands of his subjects, so he thought that it might be nice to allow the people of Judah to go back to Jerusalem. 

We learn about this in Ezra 1:1-4 (read in paper Bible)

So, Cyrus permits the exiles from Judah to return. 

Next, we discover that . . .

2. The Jewish exiles would progressively return over the next century. [on screen]

The exiles didn’t all return at once. They would return in four different groups. 

Group 1 – Sheshbazzar led a group to Jerusalem around 537 BC (Ezra 1:11).  [on screen]

Sheshbazzar was a man who was allowed to be a leader to the Jewish people while in Babylon. So, he was also allowed to lead some of the people back to Jerusalem. 

Group 2 – Zerubbabel and Jeshua led a second group to Jerusalem in 525 BC (Ezra 2:1-2). [on screen]

Zerubbabel was a descendant of King Jehoiachin, one of the last kings of Judah. Jeshua was one of the leading priests of the day. These men would lead a second group to Jerusalem, from Babylon. 

Group 3 – Ezra led a group from Babylon in 458 BC (Ezra 7:1-10). [on screen]

Ezra was a priest and a scribe who was serving among God’s people in Babylon and he would lead a third group to Jerusalem. 

Group 4 – Nehemiah led a fourth group to Jerusalem in 445 BC (Nehemiah 2:1-10). [on screen]

Nehemiah was the cup-bearer of the Persian king, Artaxerxes. Later, Nehemiah would become governor of Judah. He led the fourth group back to Jerusalem. 

Next, we learn that . . . 

3. There would be much opposition to their return. [on screen]

The enemies of God would oppose them returning and rebuilding the city of Jerusalem. 

Perhaps the most famous of those who opposed the Jews’ return and their rebuilding of the city was a man named, Sanballat (that’s quite the name, isn’t it?). 

Even though there was a lot of opposition from many people, don’t you know chur

“Exile”

Series: A Journey through the Old Testament [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 8, 2021

Introductory Comments:

Have you ever done something and you had to live with the consequences of that action? I’m sure that this is true for all of us. Perhaps it pains you to even think about this. I remember once when I was in middle school there was a guy that was kind of bullying me (not badly, but kind of) and I was tired of it, so I insulted him. That didn’t go well for me. There were consequences for my actions. I remember another time, when I was a kid, I disrespected my mother in front of my grandfather. There were consequences for my actions. The decisions that we make have consequences; sometimes those consequences are drastic and devastating. 

Well, the people of Israel and Judah would learn that there are consequences for their actions. God would bring about something drastic and devastating because of the decisions that His people made over a period of years and years. 

Today, as we continue our journey in the Old Testament, we are going to discuss the exile of God’s people. [on screen]

Before we go any further, let’s go to God in prayer and ask Him to speak to us. 

(prayer)

Well, here we are on our journey. We have almost come to the end, but we’re not quite there yet. We’ve learned that God created the world; mankind messed up the world through sin; God called a particular people to be His own chosen people; they messed up things as well (many times); God gave them judges, kings, and prophets; and all the while God is pointing them to their need to be brought back to Him. Of course, we know that there’s only One who could truly bring them back to Him, and His name is Jesus the Messiah. 

Now, as we near the end, we learn that Israel’s problems finally catch up with them. We will learn today that they will experience exile. By the way, to be exiled means that you are somehow cast out of your home country or land. You are taken away from the place where you belong. 

So, first, let’s look at the . . .

I. Major elements [on screen]

First, . . .

1. God brought judgment on His people because of their sin, resulting in them going into exile. [on screen]

Church, we have to understand that God was the one who brought this judgment upon His people. Even though they were conquered by evil empires, it was the holy God of the universe who brought this judgment on them. 

Listen to what we read concerning the conquering of Israel (the Northern kingdom):

1 Chronicles 5:26 says, “So the God of Israel roused the spirit of King Pul (that is, Tiglath-pileser) of Assyria, and he took the Reubenites, Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh into exile.”[on screen]

This passage says that God roused the spirit of King Pul. 

Listen to what we read concerning the conquering of Judah (the Southern kingdom of God’s people):

Jeremiah 25:8-9 says, “Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies says: ‘Because you have not obeyed my words, I am going to send for all the families of the north’—this is the Lord’s declaration—‘and send for my servant Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and I will bring them against this land, against its residents, and against all these surrounding nations, and I will completely destroy them and make them an example of horror and scorn, and ruins forever.’” [on screen]

In this passage, God calls Nebuchadnezzar, “my servant.” God is using Nebuchadnezzar for His purposes to carry out judgment against His people. 

Moses prophesied this moment for God’s people:

Deuteronomy 28:62-63 says, “Though you were as numerous as the stars of the sky, you will be left with only a few people, because you did not obey the Lord your God. Just as the Lord was glad to cause you to prosper and to multiply you, so he will also be glad to cause you to perish and to destroy you. You will be ripped out of the land you are enterin

“The Prophets”

Series: A Journey through the Old Testament [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

August 1, 2021

Introductory Comments:

Have you ever gone to hear someone speak or sing or something like that it takes a while to get to the person you want to hear? I remember going to Christian concerts at Carpenter’s Home Church in Lakeland when I was a teenager. The concerts would always start with the opening band, but I was always looking forward to hearing from the main attraction. Or, just recently I went to a conference and there were several preachers, but I really wanted to hear from Dr. Tony Evans. Maybe you’ve been on a trip away from home and you can’t wait to get home and speak to your family. You just want to hear from them. 

Well, listen, church: we should want to hear from God, shouldn’t we? If He is our Lord, if He is our Father, if He is our King, we should want to hear from Him!

In the days of old, the primary way that God would speak to His people was through the prophets. God would often have a message for His people and He would deliver that message through His prophets. 

We are continuing our series called, “A Journey through the Old Testament.” Today, we’re learning about the prophets.[on screen]

Before we go any further, let’s pray to God and ask Him to speak to us now through His Word. 

(prayer)

As we study the prophets of the Old Testament, we are going to look at the major elements, the major truths, and how the Gospel speaks to us through this aspect of the Old Testament. 

So, first, let’s look at the . . . 

I. Major elements [on screen]

1. God gave prophets to His people to deliver His word to them. [on screen]

Very simply, the prophets were regular people whom God called to deliver His message. 

Most of the time, the prophets were called to deliver God’s word to God’s people. At other times, God’s prophets delivered His message to neighboring nations. 

God called many different types of people to be prophets. For instance, there were some prophets like Elisha who were trained to be prophets from a very young age. There were other prophets, such as Amos who was a shepherd, who  had normal lives, but God called them to be a prophet in the middle of all they were doing. 

By the way, we need to distinguish between the people who are prophets and the books of the Bible that are labeled “the Prophets.”  There are books of prophecy in the Bible. We often call these “major prophets” and “minor prophets.” We don’t call them that because some are more important than others. Rather, the major prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentation, Daniel, and Ezekiel) are longer than the others, so they’re called major. Hosea through Malachi are shorter, so we call them the minor prophets. 

There are, however, certainly some more famous people who were prophets like Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, and Elijah. 

So, that’s a little bit about who the prophets were. 

Also, we learn of that . . .

2. The prophets served during the same time as the kings. [on screen]

The prophet often spoke the message of God to the king and the king was to lead the people. In other words, the prophet represented God and the king represented the people.

Sometimes there were good interactions between the king and the prophet, such as when Nathan called David to repentance in 2 Samuel 12. 

Other times, things did not go so smoothly between the prophets and the kings, such as when Elijah and King Ahab had a confrontation in 1 Kings 18.

Let’s read about this because there’s so old-fashioned biblical trash-talking, or taunting, in 1 Kings 18:17-18. It says, “When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, ‘Is that you, the one ruining Israel?’ He replied, ‘I have not ruined Israel, but you and your father’s family have, because you have abandoned the Lord’s commands and followed the Baals.’” [on screen]

This was before “your mama” insult

Psalm 90:12 – Teach us to number our days [to realize the brevity of life], that we may gain a heart of [or grow in] wisdom.

Someone who understood the principle of numbering their days was Jonathan, the son of King Saul.  What most remember about Jonathan is that he be-friended David and submitted to God’s calling of David to be the next king of Israel.  Jonathan never demanded that the throne be passed down to himself as the reigning prince.  As we’re about to see In 1 Samuel 14, Jonathan was an incredible soldier who had real, practical, and inspiring faith in the LORD.

Here’s the Context

1 Samuel 14 begins with Israel’s army, The Lord’s Army hiding in a desolate area with a lot of caves in Gibeah.  In Chapter 13, Israel defeated the Amorites, and Jonathan defeated a group of Philistines in a small skirmish; as he saw tensions grow, Saul foolishly declared war against the Philistines, who were suddenly “as numerous as the sand on the seashore” from their perspective, according to v5 – he “kicked the hornets’ nest”.  Saul’s soldiers knew they were over-matched, and they “were quaking with fear” (v7).  Saul’s arrogance in going to battle against a superior enemy without seeking wisdom from God led to more and more disobedience.  Saul sees things are falling apart.  And to make things worse, instead of waiting for Samuel to arrive before offering a sacrifice, like he was told to do, Saul arrogantly and foolishly offered a sacrifice [but what He was really doing was desperately asking God to bless his disobedience, rather than striving to be bless-able!].  And guess who shows up as soon as he’s finished?  The prophet Samuel.  Instead of giving divine blessing, Samuel rebuked Saul saying in v14, “But now your kingdom will not endure; the Lord has sought out a man after His own heart and appointed him ruler of His people, because you have not kept the Lord’s command.” (1 Samuel 13:14).

Then the army of the Lord retreated and hid in caves in Gibeah.  While they were hiding, the Philistines raided the neighboring villages, confiscating all weapons.  When we come to Chapter 14, the Bible says that only 2 swords remained:  Saul’s and Jonathan’s.  The rest of the army had to resort to using sharpened farm tools for weapons.  And under Philistine control, the local towns charged ridiculous prices for iron work and basic needs, so some of the Israelites resorted to crossing over and hiding among the Philistines just to survive. [They blended in]

In this defeated, depressed, desperate, and discouraging circumstance, Jonathan chose to depend on God.

1 Samuel 14:1-23 – 1 One day Jonathan son of Saul said to his young armor-bearer [think personal assistant], “Come, let’s go over to the Philistine outpost on the other side.”  But he did not tell his father.

Why not?  Saul may not have approved of Jonathan’s bold decision.  We then find out where Saul was in v2:

2 Saul was staying on the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree in Migron.  With him were about six hundred men, 3 among whom was Ahijah, who was wearing an ephod [think priest utility- belt, except it’s a smock with pockets].  He was a son of Ichabod’s brother Ahitub son of Phinehas, the son of Eli, the Lord’s priest in Shiloh…

So Jonathan sets out on this adventure of faith, just him, the Lord, and his armor-bearer.

…No one was aware that Jonathan had left.

1. Seek God

From chapter 7 we know Jonathan knew God promised He would deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines if they would repent and turn to God with their whole heart.  Jonathan also realized that the Lord was not blessing hiding in the caves of Gibeah where his father had set up camp.  He was convicted and compelled to go where God was working.  In Isaiah, God says He shares his glory with no one, but will show His glory thru anyone who trusts Him.  There is no glory in hiding instead of trusting God.  “You can’t go with God and stay where you are.”  Jonathan chose to go w

“The Kings”

Series: A Journey through the Old Testament [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

July 18, 2021

Introductory Comments:

Most of us here in America don’t know what it’s like to be led by an earthly king. In fact, our very founding as a nation was based on the fact that we didn’t want a king to rule us. However, many cultures and nations from the history of the world were not only used to being ruled by a monarch, but many of them wanted to be ruled by a monarch. 

That was the case for the people of Israel as well; they wanted to be ruled by a king. 

Today, in our journey through the Old Testament, we’ll learn about the period of Old Testament history called “The Kings.” [on screen]

Before we go any further, let’s pray together.

(prayer)

As we speak about the kings, there’s a lot to say that won’t be covered today. We’re not even going to name all of the kings, although there is a handout available that lists the kings, how long they were on the throne, and whether they were generally good or bad. 

Remember, we’re on a journey through the Old Testament, not a camping trip in the kings. So, thinking of the big story of the kings, let’s start with the . . .

I. Major elements [on screen]

1. As Samuel grew old, the people of Israel demanded a king. (1 Samuel 8:4-5) [on screen]

Samuel was a major figure in Israel who sort of served as the last judge and a prophet (we’ll talk more about the prophets in a different sermon). 

Towards, the end of Samuel’s days, the people wanted a new leader. 

Listen, to what the people said in 1 Samuel 8:4-5, “4 So all the elders of Israel gathered together and went to Samuel at Ramah. 5 They said to him, ‘Look, you are old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Therefore, appoint a king to judge us the same as all the other nations have.’” (read in paper Bible)

Pay attention to the end of this passage. This is problem number one: the people said the reason they wanted a king is because they wanted to be the same as the other nations. 

Church, when we neglect what God wants for us so that we can have what we want for us, we have a problem. 

When we trade what God plans for us for what others think about us, we have a problem. 

When we find our identity in anything else, whether it’s the way we dress, how many “likes” we have on social media, how much money we make, who accepts us, or what kind of leader we have for our country, we have a problem. 

The people of Israel wanted a king so they could be like the other nations who surrounded them. 

Next, we learn that . . .

2. The demand for a human king was a rejection of God’s kingship. (1 Samuel 8:6-7)  [on screen]

Not only was the people’s motivation wrong in demanding a king, but they were outright rejecting God as their true king.

Listen to what God said about this in 1 Samuel 8:6-7, 7 But the Lord told him, “Listen to the people and everything they say to you. They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king. 8 They are doing the same thing to you that they have done to me, since the day I brought them out of Egypt until this day, abandoning me and worshiping other gods. (read in paper Bible)

Remember Gideon, one of the Judges? Gideon understood that the Lord was supposed to be their ruler, not an earthly king. Gideon spoke to this in Judges 8:23: “But Gideon said to them, ‘I will not rule over you, and my son will not rule over you; the Lord will rule over you.’”[on screen]

Isn’t this moment in 1 Samuel a sad moment? The Lord Himself makes clear that His people have rejected His leadership in their lives and in their land.

Church, may we never come to a place where we reject God’s leadership over us and His ways for us. He is the king who we need. 

However, God gave the people what they wanted; He gave them kings. Things started off fairly well for the kings:

3. The first three kings would rul

“The Judges”

Series: A Journey through the Old Testament [on screen]

Rev. Matthew C. McCraw, EdD

First Baptist Church, Bartow, Florida

July 11, 2021

Introductory Comments:

Have you ever noticed how styles change over time? They’re popular at one moment, and then all of a sudden, they’re not. Here are some pictures of styles from previous decades. [show pictures on screen] The reason that these styles change is because the preferences and opinions of people change.

Now, we’re not going to talk about fashion this morning. I’m completely unqualified to talk about that. However, we are going to talk about changing opinions. It’s one thing for that to happen with clothing, but it’s an entirely different reality for that to happen with the way that we live. We’re seeing shifting opinions with how we live in our day and time, where morality and values change nearly every day. Well, the people of Israel also experienced this moral instability during the time of the Judges. 

Today, we’re continuing our journey in the Old Testament and we’ll be talking about the period of the Judges of Israel. We’re going to see that this was a tremendously unstable time for the people of Israel. 

Let’s pray together as we get started. 

(prayer)

In our journey through the Old Testament we have learned how God created all things, set apart a people as His own, the people of Israel, and then led those people to their own land, the Promised Land. Now, their leader, Joshua, has passed away and they need new leaders. That takes us to the Judges. 

So, let’s look at some major elements as we begin this part of our journey:

I. Major elements [on screen]

1. After Joshua came a new generation of Israelites who did not follow God. (Judges 2:8-13) [on screen]

Read Judges 2:8-13. (Read in paper Bible)

At first thought, it may seem striking to see how quickly the people could turn away from the Lord. However, remember that Joshua’s generation came after a generation of people who were not allowed to enter the Promised Land because they were complainers and doubters. Then, even during Joshua’s generation, you had some who disobeyed the Lord. 

Then, the generation that came after Joshua also turned away from God. These people not only forgot about God, they actively worshiped false gods. They were totally unfaithful to the Lord. 

We must catch this, church: when we are not careful—when the people of God are not careful—we can quickly forget about the name of God and the ways of God. We must take heed lest we also fall. We must pay attention and learn from God’s Word or the same thing will happen to us. We must stay focused on and faithful to God!

Second, . . .

2. Judges were raised up to lead the people. (Judges 2:14-23) [on screen]

Before the Judges of Israel, the Israelites were led by monumental figures like Moses and Joshua. Then, the Judges came. 

The Judges were like spiritual, civil, and military governors to lead the people as a nation and as the people of God. 

God knew that they needed leaders, so God gave them the Judges. 

The Judges were Othniel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah, Gideon, Abimelech, Tola, Jair, Jephthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, and Samson. [on screen]

Some of these judges were more famous than others. 

Ehud, for instance, is famous for stabbing evil King Eglon of Moab in the stomach with a double-edged dagger. Eglon was so fat that the dagger was swallowed up inside his belly and Ehud escaped undetected. You can read about Ehud in Judges 3. 

Deborah is famous for being the only judge who was a woman and she had to encourage a man to be brave and go out to battle on behalf of Israel. He said that he would only go if she went with him. You can read about Deborah in Judges 4 and 5. 

Gideon is famous for putting out a fleece to confirm what the Lord is saying to him.Samson is famous for being super strong, yet having a weak spot for women. 

So, God raised up these leaders t