LHIM Weekly Bible Teaching

Genesis 1:14-20, 28; Matthew 6:26 “Heaven” refers to the sky, air, or atmosphere.

Isaiah 66:1-2 Heaven is also God’s throne--where He makes plans and rules.

Matthew 6:20; 1 Peter 1:4; Philippians 3:20 Heaven is where our citizenship, treasures, and inheritances are stored with God.

Deuteronomy 10:14; 1 Kings 8:27 Even before Yuri Gagarin punctured the heavens and failed to see God’s throne, the Scriptures recognized God’s “heaven” is actually beyond the sky.

Matthew 5:5; 6:9-11; 19:28-29; 25:31-34 According to Jesus, the destiny of God’s people is not heaven, but living on a renewed earth, which he called the Kingdom of God.

Genesis 3:19; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10; Psalm 146:3-4; John 5:28-29 In between death and the resurrection on the last day, the dead are unconscious and inactive. Perhaps this is where the epitaph “RIP” originated.

“For I choose to follow not men or men's doctrines, but God and the doctrines by him. For if you have fallen in with some who are called Christians, but who do not admit this, and venture to blaspheme the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; who say there is no resurrection of the dead, and that their souls, when they die, are taken to heaven; do not imagine that they are Christians.” --Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, chapter 80, trans. George Reith, circa a.d. 165

Ancient religions typically taught that the dead were awake either in a state of reward/punishment or reincarnated into a new body. The Bible stands apart in its teaching that the dead are asleep until Christ returns to resurrect and reign over a renewed world.

Luke 24:13ff With the two men on the road to Emmaus and the apostles, Jesus clearly illustrated the importance of Scripture.

Psalm 138:2 God’s attitude toward His word

Psalm 19:7-11 God is perfect, His work is perfect, His way is perfect; therefore, His word is perfect.

Jeremiah 36:1-4 God told Jeremiah what to write, and he dictated to Baruch who wrote it down.

36:16-18 The king heard God’s word and had a devilish response.

36:28 God told him to write it again. The king destroyed the scroll but not the author.

1 Peter 1:23-25 Yahweh’s word endures forever. God has protected His communication (Scriptures) throughout the ages.

Matthew 24:35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.

2 Timothy 2:15 There are not contradictions for Scripture always fits together.

Matthew 17:2-9; Mark 9:1-9; Luke 9:27-37 Mount of transfiguration

2 Peter 1:16-21 More sure than the vision Peter experienced is the written word of God.

Galatians 1:11 The Scriptures are not the words of men, but the words of God or Jesus.

2 Peter 1:1-5 Everything pertaining to life and godliness is found through knowledge in the Scriptures.

Psalm 119:11, 12, 18, 24, 33-41 God’s and Jesus’ mindset regarding the Scriptures is evident. What should be our attitude and action?

John 12:7; Matthew 26:10-13 Anointed for his death

Mark 15:42-46 Entering the court of a Gentile and touching a dead body, Joseph became ceremonially unclean to eat the Passover. It is hard to conceive how difficult a task this was for Joseph.

Luke 23:50-51 Joseph was a member of the Sanhedrin.

John 19:38-42 Nicodemus wrapped his body according to their burial custom.

Matthew 27:62-66 Guards at the tomb

Matthew 28:2-4 This is the only information about his actual resurrection; no one else saw him get up, but many saw him in his resurrected body.

John 20:1-10 The first person to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead

John 20:11-17 Mary Magdalene is the first one to see our Lord in His resurrected body!

Luke 8:3 Mary was delivered from 7 demons.

John 20:18 The disciples did not believe her.

Mark 16:11 They did not believe her.

Luke 24:1-11 The women along with Mary believed, but the disciples did not.

Matthew 28:5-10 These women saw Jesus.

Matthew 28:11-15 Bribed the guards

Luke 16:31 Raised from the dead

Luke 24:12 Peter goes to the tomb a second time.

Luke 24:13-33 Two unbelieving disciples

Luke 24:34ff Because he got up, we too will do so. When he returns, his resurrection is the beginning of the end.

The importance that Jesus placed upon the Scriptures is astonishing. Christianity should be founded upon the truth contained in the Scriptures and not on man-made traditions.

Proverbs 21:21 -- He who pursues righteousness finds life, righteousness, and honor.

How would you define righteousness?

Doing the right thing; easy as A-B-C... or is it?

Paul wrote in Romans 7:15, 19, 23-24 - New Living Translation

15 - I don’t really understand myself, for I want to do what is right, but I don’t do it. Instead, I do what I hate.

19 - I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.

23-24 - But there is another power within me that is at war with my mind. This power makes me a slave to the sin that is still within me. Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?

Who can relate to Paul’s struggle? Where do you struggle?

Pain of Same

What will happen if you don’t change?

Pain of Change

What will you gain if you do change?

Pain Relievers

What Scriptures can you apply, as an antidote, to live righteously?

Pain of Same

Choosing unrighteousness. How would you define it?

Some answers may include -- self-righteousness, wickedness. A definition of wickedness -- conduct that is out of gross self-centeredness; neither reveres God nor respects man.

Another answer is sin. What does Scripture teach us about sin?

Romans 6:23 - The wages of sin is... DEATH!

Pain of Change

Deuteronomy 30:19 -- Choose LIFE!

Pain Relievers

Ephesian 6:11-17 -- Put on the armor of God! Roar into battle; you are a child of the most high God!

Pursuit of Righteousness Challenge

1. What prevents you from pursuing righteousness?

2. What encourages you to seek righteousness?

3. What Scriptures can we apply to encourage ourselves and each other to pursue righteousness?

What would it mean if we didn’t struggle?

Romans 7:25 - New Living Translation

25 -- Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ, our Lord...

Be relentless in your pursuit of living righteously in the light of the Kingdom to come!

notes not available

Our culture longs for authenticity. We’re tired of fakers and phonies who say one thing and do another. People should just be true to themselves and have the courage to flout tradition when it holds them back from genuine self-expression. However, this mentality results in major individual and social problems from sexually transmitted diseases to sexual harassment to racism and mass shootings. Christianity offers a better way, by providing a standard to conform ourselves to that maximally enables human flourishing.

Colossians 3:1-5 The terminology in v5 is excessively hostile: “put to death what is earthly in you.” Don’t reason with it, or seek to diminish its influence. Don’t try to understand it, or make excuses for it. Kill it! Put it down.

Colossians 3:6 God did not design us to behave this way. He gave us passions but placed boundaries on them. When people defy His original intention, it bothers Him.

Colossians 3:7-10 This is the language of clothing: put off and put on. We must strip off the old way of being a human (Adam) and clothe ourselves with the new way of being a human (Christ), which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its Creator--the way God originally designed us.

Colossians 3:11 Not only behavior but social barriers need to change. Ethnicity, social status, education, independence are all outshone by the splendor of Christ’s radiant glory, enabling harmony between us all.

Colossians 3:12-17 Imagine that there are two towns that live by each of these opposing ways: Freetown and Corpus Christi. Which would you rather live in? As you conform to the Christian lifestyle, it becomes second nature. It does not crush you or rob you of your humanity, but it provides the necessary boundaries to make human growth and flourishing possible.

Matt. 12:46-50 - Jesus radically redefines what constitutes being family.

Why can the church love those outside the church, but fail to love those inside?

The issue comes down to identity. We have forgotten who we are, thus it affects our treatment of each other.

We have forgotten that our battle is not against flesh and blood - Eph. 6:12

How we should treat one another is with love: 1 Corinthians 13

1. Love is patient / love is not frustrated or indifferent

2. Love is kind / love is not mean or vindictive

3. Love is not arrogant / love is humble

4. Love does not seek its own / love serves others

5. Love is not provoked / love sees through the out lash

Galatians 6:9-10 - Treat the household of God well!

Hebrews 10:24-25 - Stir people to life!

1. Remember you and the family of God are royalty. Treat each other as such.

2. The enemy is not people but the spiritual forces of wickedness.

3. Love, encourage, and stir one another to good deeds.

God’s demonstration of His love for you

Romans 5:6-9 - Much More - Even more than being justified, we are saved from the wrath to come.

10 -- Much More than enemies reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.

11 -- The Greek word translated exult is also translated rejoice, boast, glory, and exalt. “Exult” in English means show or feel elation or jubilation, especially as the results of a success.

12 -- Begins to show the relationship of the two Adams that are parallel and the antithesis, counterpart. As one of a pair of gloves is to its mate, corresponding but in reverse, so is Jesus Christ to Adam.

15 -- Much More The result of Adam had a specific ending -- death; however, in Christ much more the result is unending life.

17 -- Much More With Adam death reigned; much more with Christ, we reign in life.

20 -- Finally, Much More (worded a little differently “abounded all the more”) - Sin had increased; now, much, much more grace abounds.

1 Corinthians 15:20-22, 45-49 - As one of a pair of gloves is to its mate, corresponding but in reverse, so is Jesus Christ to Adam.

Since God so abundantly demonstrated to you His love, you should unalterably pursue Him.

Matthew 5:6 - Do not lose the passion, or make a point to regain the passion.

6:33 Seek His Kingdom unendingly; seek His righteousness

7:7-12 Ask, seek, and knock. Do more, much more, like He did for you. Do not lose heart; and if you do, ask Him to revive you.

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 All His ways are just.

Psalm 89:13-14 Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.

Isaiah 30:18 Yahweh is a God of justice.

Luke 23:13-25 Jesus was interrogated by Annas, Caiaphas, the Sanhedrin, Pilate, and Herod, and no fault was found.

Jesus was innocent, and Barabbas was guilty. The innocent should be freed, and the guilty be punished, but the opposite happened. Little did anyone understand that the situation with Jesus and Barabbas was a type for all humanity’s redemption.

To understand God’s justice, we must first understand sin.

Romans 6:19 Sin is lawlessness. Matthew 7:23; 13:41-43; 1 John 3:4

Romans 5:10 Sin makes us God’s enemies.

Romans 8:6-8 We were hostile toward God.

Just like Barabbas was insurgent against Rome, we were against God and deserved death by crucifixion. The reason Pilate eventually agreed to crucify Jesus was the people saying he made himself out to be king in the stead of Caesar, basically insurrection, sedition. The Romans punished the insurgent this way so everyone would fear and not rebel. Jesus died for insurrection, and the really guilty one, Barabbas, was freed.

Luke 23:33 When viewed with the other gospels, we understand that 4 others were crucified with Jesus. Luke focuses on these two.

39-43 Again we see a type here, justification through God’s grace, mercy received by the one of faith.

Romans 3:23-31; 5:6-11; 6:1-3 We are justified through Jesus by faith.

Ephesians 6:11-12 Notice the Apostle Paul doesn’t just say “the devil” here, rather he warns about rulers, authorities, cosmic powers, and spiritual forces of evil.

Psalm 89:5-7; Job 1:6-7; 38:4-7 According to these verses there are heavenly beings beside God, including the sons of God and Satan

Genesis 6:4; Deuteronomy 4:19-20; 32:7-9; Daniel 10:12-14; 12:1 We can glean a few details about these heavenly beings. God may have assigned these heavenly beings to serve as guardians over the nations.

Psalm 82:1-8 These “gods” did not guide the people aright; instead they showed partiality to the wicked! As a result of this behavior, God will judge them.

1 Corinthians 10:19-21 It could be that the idols of the nations were not merely statues, but physical pointers to powerful spirits.

Ephesians 6:11-12 Regardless of what the backstory is, it is clear that these spiritual powers are real, and we need to take them seriously.

Christ has defeated them through his ministry (John 12:31-33; 14:30-31), crucifixion (1 Corinthians 2:6-8), resurrection (Colossians 2:13-15), and ascension (Ephesians 1:19-23).

Ephesians 2.4-6; Colossians 2:10 We are seated with him in heavenly places, above all rule and authority.

Colossians 3.1-4 This fact should affect how we live, giving us both confidence and victory.