The Gospel of Christ-TGOC

The Gospel of Christ-TGOC

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The Gospel of Christ-TGOC episodes

  • 2 Chronicles: From Solomon to Captivity
    “For a long time, Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without law,” 2 Chronicles 15:2-3.
    Welcome to our study of the Old Testament books. As we think today about 2 Chronicles, many times when studying these books, people can become bogged down in the names and the genealogies and the history that they may not be real familiar with, and miss some of the powerful, relevant messages of 2 Chronicles. As we have mentioned before Romans 15:4 says, “The things that were written before time were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the scriptures, might find hope.” That tells the child of God that the old law has been written with a purpose of them in mind. That is, they can take that old law and learn living messages, practical, relevant teachings about God and how He relates to man, that will help us today.
    As we think about 2 Chronicles, the key ideas are restoration and worship. God is trying to get Israel to restore the rightful place to Him, by leaving sin, by giving up following the ungodly heathen people, and by worshiping Him correctly. Key verse is 2 Chronicles 7:14, where God pleads with His people, ‘if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and seek my face,’ God goes on to say, ‘I will forgive and I will heal the people and their land.’ Gods plea through Solomon, and
    through others, is that they must put God first; God will always be faithful to His promises, if His people trusted Him.
    Now key phrase, 2 Chronicles 30:19, mentions the idea of those who prepare their heart. Friend, a lot of the Bible is about making my heart what it ought to be. Please understand, when we talk about the heart were not talking about the blood-pump, the organism, or muscle in our chest. For the Bible says, in Proverbs 23:7, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” God is here encouraging men and women to prepare their heart. Whats that mean? To prepare their mind, to put Him first, Matthew 6:33. To be faithful into death, Revelation 2:10. To put Gods laws and Gods teachings in our hearts and in our minds, Psalm 119:10-12.
    As you think about 2 Chronicles, the book uniquely divides into these categories: chapters one through nine, in 2 Chronicles, tells us about the righteous reign of Solomon. Much of his reign was righteous. There were times when he fell away, but the reign of Solomon and the potential that he started out with, and bad things that got in the way for Solomon.
    Then chapters 10 through 36 talks to us about the road to captivity. This is the tragic picture of the declining state of Israel under ungodly kings, as an ungodly nation. The end result is when God has to punish Israel and her kings, for their sin. Solomon takes the first nine chapters, and the last few chapters of the book, of the last part of the book, is about Israels downfall.
    Now as we think about 2 Chronicles, what kind of messages and what kind of teachings can we learn from this book?
    Well right away, we learn, in Gods address to Solomon, as he is thinking about the temple and as he is preparing his heart for worship, and to seek God Almighty, we learn that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, as so many have envisioned. As was part of worship during that time, they often looked for the temple as the place of worship. In Acts chapter seven, Stephen quotes from the old law and says ‘God does not dwell, the Most High does not dwell in temples made with hands, as the Prophet says, Heaven is my throne, and Earth is my footstool. What place
    shall you build for me? Or where is the place of my dwelling.’ As I read 2 Chronicles, and I see the beautiful imagery and the ornate detail of that temple, I need to be reminded that that temple is not God. God is not just contained in that temple. God rules and reigns everywhere, from everlasting to everlasting. You are God. The Psalmist said, in Psalm 90:1-2, a man-made building cannot contain or house the Almighty who fills all places and is everywhere. Psalm 139:1-12, the Psalmist said “If I go into Heaven, youre there. If I make my bed in Sheol, youre there.” In the darkest, deepest place, God can be there, because God created all these things. Proverbs 15:3 says ‘the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the good and the evil.’ Hebrews 4:13 says ‘all things are naked and open before the eyes of Him, of whom we must give an account.’ All things are open and naked before God. God is not contained to a building.
    Now heres a real practical lesson that we need to learn from that, and that is: the Lords church is not the building, and the building does not contain God. You see, under the Old Testament, the people had put their hopes so much in the building that in time of great distress, heres what they cried out. Jeremiah 7:4, the people of Israel cried out: ‘the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord.’ What were they saying? ‘Save us, oh, our temple.’ And yet it was not the temple who saved, and ultimately those people went into captivity because their sanctuary had become their cemetery. They let the place where they went to worship God be as their salvation.
    Friend, today, in the Lords church, the church is not the building. The Bible says, in 1 Corinthians 12:27:25-27, to Christians, you are the Body of Christ, and members individually, one of another. How do I know that the church is not the building? Because when people obey the Gospel, in Acts chapter two, ‘they heard that gospel message preached and they repented and were baptized for their admission of their sins.’ And verse 47 says, ‘the Lord added to the church, daily, those who were being saved, added to the number of the saved, those who were currently being saved.’ And so what is the church? Its the collection. Its the group of the saved. Does God dwell in His people through the word and as they live their life according to His teaching? But lets not limit God to one place. For when we do, weve
    taken God who encompasses everything, and tried to put Him in a neat little package like we would like, and thats not how God works.
    What else do we learn about God from 2 Chronicles? Or what lessons can we learn? God sometimes used the nations to punish His people. I want you to listen to 2 Chronicles 36:17, about God using the nations to punish His people. The Bible says, “Therefore He, God, brought against them the kind of the Chaldeans, who killed their young men with the sword and the house of their sanctuary, had no compassion on the young man or the virgin, on the aged or the weak. He gave them all into His hand.” Well why did the God of Heaven, who chose Israel, who made them His special people, why did He allow this evil Chaldean king to come in and do these things, in His sanctuary and to His people?
    Friend, theres only one reason, and its the rebellion and sin of Gods people. Did God want this to happen? No. God wanted to save His people, to make them His own special people, and God did continue to work through the remnant, but those who got caught up in sin, and those who continually hardened their heart and rebelled against the Almighty, God used the nations around them to punish them. Friend, from this we learn a very practical lesson, and the powerful aspect of it is this: we must make sure that our hearts are softened to the will of God, so that God doesnt have to use these external forces to get us to see the error of our way, and maybe even bring catastrophe and calamity upon us. Does God still use these forces? Perhaps, as Paul would say in the Book of Philemon, but we know that God is able to use those things as He did in the past, to wake His people up and to punish them for their sin.
    Now heres another very practical lesson. I want you to notice 2 Chronicles 5:12-13, at the dedication of building of this great temple, the glory of God takes its presence in that temple. “And the Levites, who were the singers, all those of Asaph, and Heman, and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments, and harps. With them, 120 priests, sounding with trumpets. Indeed, it came to pass. When the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make sound, we heard, and praising, and thanking
    the Lord, when they lifted up their voice, with the trumpet and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying: for He is good. His mercy endures forever, that the house, the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God.” What is this picture all about? Here are people whose hearts have been made soft to the will of God, who have made great sacrifice and dedication in building this temple to honor God. Now with heartfelt emotion, they come together to sing and praise God, and God is impressed with their worship, to the point that His presence fills that temple. Friend, theres another very practical lesson that we learn from this teaching, and its this: when people gather to worship the Lord, in spirit and in truth, John 4:24, and as hes commanded in the word, Leviticus 10:1-2, the presence of God is still with His people. When we gather to worship, were in the very presence of God. We are the audience, we are the participants, and God is the audience, and He is viewing our worship. If our worship honors God, is according to spirit and truth, is with our whole heart, soul, mind, and body, 1 Corinthians 14:15, Mark 12:30-31, then God is just as happy with our worship as He was in 2 Chronicles Five. But for it to be that way, weve got to make sure we worship God correctly, and that were doing exactly what the Bible says.
    Now another very practical lesson from 2 Chronicles is found in 6:30. This teaches us that the God of Heaven, He knows our hearts. Notice 2 Chronicles 6:30. “Then here from Heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive and give to everyone, according to all His ways, whose heart you know, for you alone know the hearts of the sons of men.” It should be comforting, if I am living and doing like I ought to. It should comfort me to know that God knows my heart. You see, the same is true for us today. Acts 1:24, God knew what was in the heart of man. John 2:25, Jesus knows whats in the heart of men. Acts 15:24, God knows our hearts. Nothing is secret from God, even the secret things. The things we think are secret, on the Day of Judgment; thosell be brought out, Ecclesiastes 12:14. And so my mind, what I think, even though I may not say it, the things I think, Ill give an account of those. Every thought must be brought into captivity unto the obedience of Christ, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Is our heart really what it should
    be with God? Is my heart pure? Am I trying to think about the things that are good, and just, and noble, and right? Philippians 4:6-8. Do I have true love for God in my heart? John 14:15. Jesus said “If you love me, keep my Commandments.” Do I love my neighbor as myself? You remember the two greatest Commandments? Jesus was asked by a lawyer: ‘Lord, what are the greatest Commandments?’ Jesus said ‘the first is to love Lord, your God, with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. And the second, like unto it is, love your neighbor as yourself.’ God knows my heart, and God knows your heart. If we think were fooling God, friend, were in for rude awakening. So we must be cognizant of the fact that the maker of mankind is aware of whats in our heart, even when we dont express it with our mouth.
    Another powerful lesson in 2 Chronicles is that in our battles, in our struggles, just as in the time of Israel, so it is today, in my battles, I need to remember, the battle belongs to God. Notice 2 Chronicles 20:15. The Bible says, “Now all of Judah, with their little ones, their wives, and their children, stood before the Lord. Then the spirit of the Lord came upon Jahaziel the son of Zechariah, the son of Benaiah, the son of Jeiel, the son of Mattaniah, a Levite of the sons of Asaph, in the midst of the assembly.” And heres what this man said, and he said: ‘listen, all you of Judah and you inhabitants of Jerusalem, and you, King Jehoshaphat, thus says the Lord to you: do not be afraid nor dismayed because of this great multitude, for the battle is not yours, but Gods.’ The people didnt know whether they were going to win or lose. Some were getting discouraged, some had become faint-hearted. The King himself looks that way. This great man of God says ‘listen up, the battle belongs not to you, but to God.’ How encouraging it is today to know that as I fight the good fight of faith, 1 Timothy 6:10-20, as I wage war spiritually against the host of wickedness, Ephesians 6:10-12, as I wake every day to be sober and vigilant against my adversary, the Devil, 1 Peter 5:8- how good it is to know that the battle still belongs to God! If I will take up the whole armor of God, Ephesians 6:13-18, and if I will fight with every ounce and fiber of my being, God still promises us the victory. 1 Corinthians 15:57 is such an encouraging passage. The Bible says ‘Thanks be to God who gives us the victory
    through our Lord Jesus Christ.” The good news is, weve already, were already on the winning side if were Gods children. Do you remember Revelation 12:11? The Bible says of Christians, “They overcame him, the Enemy, by the blood of the Lamb, by the word of their testimony. And they did not love their lives unto the death.” If I will follow their pattern, the blood of the Lamb, thats Jesus sacrifice, if I obey the Gospel and I contact the blood of Jesus in baptism, Romans 6:1-4, the word of their testimony, that is the word of God today, which is a perfect road map, Psalm 119:105, and by not loving our lives to the death. That is self-sacrifice. Sacrifice of Jesus, scripture, and self-sacrifice, makes us sure that we can overcome the Enemy, and truly, we can honor and praise God because the battle does still belong to the Lord.
    Now I want you to see, as we think about the kings of Israel, along the way there were some kings who made good steps and who made good reforms. The bad outweighed the good kings, but we want to highlight a couple of good ones. Notice in your Bible, 2 Chronicles15:2-3 mention some of the good reforms Asa initially did. The Bible says in verse two, of Asa, ‘he went out to meet Asa,’ this is the Prophet. He went out to meet Asa, and said to him: ‘hear me Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin; the Lord is with you while you are with Him. If you seek Him, Hell be found by you, but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you for a long time. Israel has been without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without the law.’ Asa begins to establish some good reforms. What this man of God said is so practical for us today. ‘God is with me, and on my side, as long as Im with Him, and as long as I put Him first.’ Isnt this what Jesus taught us? ‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things, food, shelter, and clothing, shall be added unto you.’ If Ill make God my number-one priority, here are the promises I have: ‘the Lord has said Ill never leave you nor forsake you so that you may boldly say the Lord is my helper. What shall man do to me?’ Hebrews 13:5-6. The promise I have is: Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Past, present, and future. If Ill put God first, I have the promise that Christ will be with me and I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me, Philippians 4:13.
    On the flip-side of that, just as the man of God said here in 2 Chronicles 15, ‘if you forsake the Lord, Hell forsake you.’ God cant have anything to do with sin. Habakkuk 1:12-13, the Bible says that our ‘God is of pure eyes than to behold evil. He cannot look upon wickedness.’ Because of sin, God has to sever Himself from man. Isaiah 59:1-2, and all the blessings and benefits I lose, when I enter into a life of sin and I separate myself from the Almighty. The encouragement is: be faithful unto death, and God will always do His part.
    Then lets think about good King Hezekiah. I want you to take your Bible, and look with me in 2 Chronicles 29. Lets notice some of the good reforms that King Hezekiah made in this book. Chapter 29, look beginning in verse number one, as Hezekiah cleanses the temple. The Bible says ‘Hezekiah became king when he was 25 years old, and he reigned 29 years in Jerusalem.’ Verse two,’ he did what was right in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his father David had done.’ Well what do you mean he did what was right? Verse three, ‘in the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors to the house of the Lord, and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites.’ It goes on to tell us that he sanctified them. He got the temple like it should be. He cleansed that temple from ungodliness and sin.
    Now you remember, in the history of Israel, at times they didnt even know where their Bible was. 2 Kings the Bible had actually, the word of God had actually got lost in the temple of God. Yet here, Hezekiah goes in and cleanses the temple. He sanctifies the priests, and he gets things like they should be. Friend, before a person can worship God, his heart needs to be right with the Almighty. Do you remember in Pauls instructions concerning the Lords Supper? In 1 Corinthians 11:23-28, the Apostle Paul tells us that we first need to examine ourselves before we partake of the Lords Supper. Ive got to make sure my lifes right and that my life doesnt have sin that Im harboring inside of it, or that Im not fooling, trying to fool God and others. We need to have the fortitude to do whats right and to examine ourselves. Thats what the scripture teaches. 2 Corinthians 13:5, the Bible says ‘test yourselves to see whether youre in the faith. Examine yourselves.’
    Now in 2 Chronicles 29:20, Hezekiah, good King Hezekiah, then begins to restore true worship. ‘Then Hezekiah rose early, gathered the rulers of the city and went up to the house of the Lord, and they brought seven bulls, seven rams, seven lambs, seven male goats for a sin-offering for the kingdom, for the sanctuary, and for Judah. Then he commanded the priests, the sons of Aaron, to offer them on the altar of the Lord, and they began to go here and worship God. But before they enter that action of worship, they want to make sure that theyve got themselves right and that theyre prepared to worship God correctly.’ Friend, not any worship is acceptable to God. The worship must be the kind that God wants. Well, what kind is God looking for? The Bible says, in John 4:24, ‘God is a spirit and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and in truth. God is seeking men and women who will worship Him according to their whole heart, soul, mind, and strength, and who will worship Him according to truth.
    What does it mean to worship according to truth? We ask first: what is truth? Like Pilate in John 18:36-38, we want to know- what is truth? Well Jesus has already answered that. In John 17:17, Jesus said: “sanctify them by your truth, your word is truth.” This book contains all truth. John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except by me.”
    Are we really worshiping God in spirit and in truth? Are we really putting the principles of this book before what we want and what we think is right? Friend, just as importantly or maybe even more importantly, Ive got to make sure that I am truly a child of God. There are a lot of people who will say various ways of salvation, and give you various ways of salvation that you just dont find in this book.
    Heres what the Bible does say you must do to become a Christian. The scripture says you must first hear the word of God. Romans 10:17 says ‘faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.’ Having heard that word, I must believe in Jesus. John 8:24, Jesus said ‘unless you believe that Im’ He, you will surely die in your sins.’ Having believed, I must repent. For unless you repent, youll all likewise perish,’ Luke 13:3. Having
    repented I must make that good confession. Jesus is the Christ, the Son, the living God, Romans 10:10. As Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized will be saved. I must be immersed in water for the forgiveness of sins.”
    Friend, is your heart right with God? Are you sure that youre a child of God? If not, we encourage you today; obey the gospel so you can be sure all is well with God.
    Study Questions for:
    “Living Messages of the Old Testament: Lesson 14”
    1. According to 2 Chronicles 15:23, what had Israel been without?
    2. According to Romans 15:4, why were the Old Testament things written?
    3. What is God’s plea to the people in 2 Chronicles 7:14?
    4. What does Proverbs 23:7 say about the heart?
    5. What should we put first according to Matthew 6:33?
    6. How long should we remain faithful according to Revelation 2:10?
    7. According to Psalm 119:10-12, where should we put God’s teachings and law?
    8. According to Psalm 139:1-12, where is God?
    9. In Acts 2:47 what were the people added to that were being baptized?
    10. According to John 4:24, how must we worship God?
    29 min
  • Ezra: Let the Restoration Begin
    The Bible says, “Ezra prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord, to do it, and to teach its statutes and judgments in all Israel,” Ezra 7:10.
    Welcome to our study of the living messages of the book of Ezra. As you think about the history of the Israelites, we concluded in Second Chronicles with God carrying Israel away captive in 2 Chronicles 24 at the hand of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. God prophesied to His people in Jeremiah 29:11-12 that if they did not repent and if they did not turn back to him, God would cause them to go into 70 years of harsh captivity under the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon. Now, when those 70 years was completed, God also promised that a man by the name of Cyrus, Isaiah 45:1, would cause Gods people to go back into the land after the captivity was over. History records that there were three deportations of the people of Israel, in the year 606, the first wave of Israelites were taken captive, 597, another wave occurred, and then in 586, a final wave. If you calculate from 606 to 536, the writing of the time of the release of which Ezra is discussing, we have exactly 70 years of prophecy and fulfillment coming to completion.
    Ezra shows us the return of Gods people. The key words are to build or rebuild, or the idea of restore. When Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon came
    into Israel and Jerusalem, they laid waste to the city, the temple and the altar burned, the gates and the wall is tore down, and thus when these people go back, their hearts are broken, because everything they held dear has now been destroyed. Ezra and Nehemiah promote the people to have a mind to work in rebuilding and restoring what God had long ago established.
    The key verse is Ezra 1:5. The Bible says, “Then the heads of the fathers houses of Judah and Benjamin and the priests and the Levites with all who the spirits God had moved, arose to go up and build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem.” Here these people come back, and theyre motivated by the destruction to get up and do something for the cause of God at that time. The key phrase occurs in 1:1, and in 9:4. The phrase is “According to the word of the Lord.” Friend, just as God promises, you can be sure those promises will come true. This gives me affirmation in my faith in that I know when God says, theres a home prepared for me in heaven, you can be sure thats the case. When God says those who seek Him will be provided for, I can rest assured of that. When God promises the way of the transgressor is hard, you can be sure of that as well, Proverbs 13:15.
    Now the key chapter in the book of Ezra is chapter six and in this chapter, we see that the restoration of the temple is completed and that temple is once again dedicated to God. Just like in Solomon, in 2 Chronicles, when Solomon dedicated that temple, all that was destroyed, and now its rebuilt. Its restored, and the people have a renewed zeal to worship God. The restoration occurs, and worship is as it ought to be.
    Lets think for just a moment about this great man Ezra. Who was this Ezra who the book bears his name? Ezra is a unique individual in that he was both a priest and a scribe. According to Nehemiah 12:26 and verse 36, he was of priestly lineage. Ezra was more of a scribe. He was a historical note taker of the events of Israel and her kings. Mainly we need to realize that Ezra, as a scribe, was inspired by the hand of God. “The things were written before time, Romans 15:4, were breathed by the mouth of God, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Ezra was the human scribe of the Holy Spirit who penned the book of Ezra. Many believed he penned Psalm 119, and was the
    recorder of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Ezras greatest attribute is found in Ezra 7:10. Why did God choose this man? What made him so unique? Notice Ezra 7:10. The Bible says of Ezra, “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the law of the Lord and to do it and to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.” Why Ezra? What made him such a great leader?
    Number one, Ezra had prepared his heart. Hed already decided he was going to put God first. Hed already decided that the Lord was his first priority and that Gods kingdom worshiped the Lord and restoration was the main thing he was concerned about. Once then Ezra prepared his heart, he prepared it to seek Gods law. He wanted God to be first and not only to seek it, it wasnt just that Ezra was a man who sought to find factual truths in the law of God, he then wanted to apply it. Not just knowing, but Ezra was concerned with doing to seek the law of the Lord and to do it. You see, my friend, Jesus said, ‘not everybody who looks into heaven and says, Lord, Lord, is going there, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven.’ Jesus is the author of eternal salvation to all who obey him, Hebrews 5:8-9. The Lord requested of us, ‘if you love me, keep my commandments,’ John 14:15. It wasnt just enough for Ezra to know this book personally and to do what it said on a personal level, then Ezra felt a motivation to teach all Israel Gods statutes and ordinances. Not only was he concerned about himself in getting right, Ezra had a love for Gods people. Were to let brotherly love continue today, Hebrews 13:1. The Scripture teaches that Im to follow in the footsteps of Jesus, 1 Peter 2:21.
    A great scene in Matthew 9, as Jesus stood elevated over the people. He said to His disciples, “Truly, the harvest is plentiful but the laborers are few, pray the Lord of host that Hell send out laborers into His harvest or His vineyard.” Jesus looked upon the crowd, and they were like sheep without a shepherd. He was moved with compassion and said, “Pray that God will send somebody to reach those people.” Friend, that somebody is me and you. If Im a child of God, my commission and my mission is to go into all the world and preach the gospel unto every creature. I am to strive like the Lord to seek and to save the lost.
    Now, when we think about Ezra, another great attribute of this godly man was that he was a man of faith and prayer and moral conviction. We look to a tough text in Ezra 9 and 10, when Gods people had been involved in immorality and had married the heathen women. God said, and Ezra said, “Put those evil women away, ask God to forgive you, and get right,” for he knew the morality was not what it needed to be.
    Now, as we think about the book of Ezra, there are two basic distinctions in this book. In chapters one through six, we have the work of a man by the name of Zerubbabel, and Zerubbabel was a leader of Gods people who helped the people rebuild the altar, worship, and the temple foundation is restored. Then in chapters 7 through 10, under the work of Ezra, the temple is completed and that temple is dedicated back to God for worship. This is a book of hard work, sweat, blood, and tears ran through the people of Israels heart and mind as they made it their mission to restore and rebuild the temple and worship of Almighty God.
    Now lets direct our attention away from the historical aspect and lets ask, what does the book of Ezra do? How does it help me to be a faithful child of God under the New Testament? What living messages can I walk away with?
    Number one, know this, you can always trust the word of God that it will be true and right on every occasion. How do we know that? Look in Ezra 1:1. The Bible says, “Now, in the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia, that the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, might be fulfilled. The Lord stirred up the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia, so that he made a proclamation throughout all the kingdom, also put it in writing saying, and it goes on to tell what that great man said.” Now, heres what I learn from that passage. God prophesied; Jeremiah prophesied it, Jeremiah 29:10-12. Isaiah prophesied it, Isaiah 44:28, Isaiah 45:1, and now you see the exact, the exact fulfillment of these prophecies. This isnt some minute, vague promise. God doesnt say, some time, somebody somewhere will bring Israel back. God says, ‘Nebuchadnezzars going to take them away. Theyre going to be there until 70 years are completed. Then my servant Cyrus is going to rise up and allow them to come back home.’ Well, did that
    happen? A man by the name of Nebuchadnezzar took Gods people away in 606. They returned under the hand of Cyrus in the year 536, exactly 70 years just as God had said. Friend, from this it bolsters my faith in the trustworthiness of this book. The Bible says in 2 Peter 1:19-21 that this book is inspired by God. ‘Holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.’ Every word of this book is from the mouth of God, 2 Timothy 3:16-17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and this book is all true, John 17:17. This is not a book of fables. This is not a fiction. This is not the writings and work of men, this book is the most trustworthy book you could ever have, the word from the mouth of the Almighty God.
    A second lesson we learn, living message from Ezra, is this: there ought to be a sense of joy when people gather to worship and praise God. I want you to notice Ezra 3:10-12. The Bible says, “When the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the Lord, the priests stood in their apparel with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals to praise the Lord according to the ordinances of David, king of Israel, and they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the Lord for He is good. His mercy endures forever toward all Israel.” Now notice this, “That all the people shouted with a great shout when they praised the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid.” This people, when they came to worship, was that a dull and a dry and a boring event? Of course not. The temples just been finished. The foundations been finished. These people with a heart of thankfulness, to be released from their captors, back as the people of God. They sang responsively to Gods blessings. They shouted, and they praised God in the way that David had commanded them to.
    When we gather to worship, it ought not to be a dry or a dull or a boring event. Worship ought to thrill and bring a sense of enthusiasm to our hearts. Think about it. I have the opportunity to honor and to pay respect to the very God who not only created the universe, but sent his Son to die for me and give me a second chance. “Ill sing with the spirit and Ill sing with the understanding. Ill pray with the spirit and Ill pray with the understanding,” 1 Corinthians 14:15. Ill worship God in spirit and truth, John 4:24. Ill serve the Lord with my whole heart, soul, mind, and spirit,
    Mark 12:30 following. Lets not make worship out to be every day and common and ordinary. Lets get excited about worshiping God.
    Another lesson that we learn from the book of Ezra is just as it was then, so it is now, there will always be critics and adversaries trying to discourage the work of God. Listen to Ezra 4:1. The Bible says, “now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin had heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel, they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers houses and said to them, ‘Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do and we have sacrificed to him since the days of Esarhaddon, king of Assyria who brought us up here.’ But Zerubbabel and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of the fathers houses of Israel said to them, ‘You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God, but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel as King Cyrus, the king of Persia has commanded.’ Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building, hired counselors against them to frustrate their purposes all the days of Cyrus, king of Persia, even to the reign of Darius, king of Persia.” And the Bible says the critics of their work; they try to frustrate the work. They hire people to cause problems, and all the days of this good work, they were there in the background trying to cause problems.
    Friend, first lets realize that the work of the Lord is the greatest work in all the world. The Bible says, “Be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Working for God is the greatest work in the world, but just as it was then, so it is today, there will always be critics. There will always be somebody who says, why are you over there wasting your time doing that? Or why do you want to do it that way? Or why cant we do it a different way? Or is this really? Therell be people who complain. You know, the world is full of a lot of good complainers who really dont contribute much else, but when it comes time to criticize, and when it comes time to complain. Now, when its time to get your hands dirty and work, theyre scarce. Nobody knows where they are. When it comes time to get your hands dirty, or when it comes time to criticize or complain, theyre in the front of the line. Theyve got the best complaint. Theyve got the biggest
    criticism, and yet theyve never lifted a finger to do anything. Friend, we need to realize, those critics must be silenced, and they must not discourage the work of Gods people. In spreading the gospel, there are so many people who say, ‘it just wont work anymore, or your ways not a good way, or you need to be doing.’ Listen, if were out spreading the gospel, if were trying to teach the lost, if were talking to our friends and neighbors, or if in the local congregation, elders of that work establish a good way of reaching the lost- friend, we need to get behind it. Those who are trying to be critics need to get out of the way of the work of God, and let it go forth, and dont be a stumbling block to the cause of God as they were during the times of Ezra.
    Now, as it relates to that good work, theres another lesson that we learn in the book of Ezra. From the top to the bottom, from the highest to the lowest, everybody ought to pitch in for the work of God. Notice Ezra 5:1-2. The Bible says, “Then the prophet Haggai and Zachariah, the son of Iddo, prophets prophesied to the Jews who are in Judah and Jerusalem in the name of the God of Israel who is over them, so Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of Jozadak, arose up and began to build the house of God which is at Jerusalem and the prophets of God were with them helping them.” Well, notice that the princes sometimes didnt want to get involved in this, but the prophets from the lowest to the highest, from the one who maybe had an important job to the one who didn’t everybody pitched in and did their part. Friends, so much more could be done in the body of Christ if every person would pitch in and do their part. This is the best work, the only work I know that has an eternal reward. Revelation 14:13, the Bible says, blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors and their works do follow them. The Lords church is a kingdom. Its a vineyard, and a vineyard is a place of work where fruit is produced to the Almighty, Matthew 20:1.
    We need to look inside ourselves and ask, are we really busy working in the kingdom of God, or are we sitting back waiting for somebody to serve us? Thats not the way the church is set up.
    Then I want us to think a little bit ahead in the book of Ezra, and I want you to notice with me in Ezra chapter 8. I want us to see that Gods care and Gods protection will be upon those who put their trust in him. Look in Ezra 8:21-23. The Bible says, Ezra speaking, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God to seek from him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions. For I was ashamed to request of the king an escort of soldiers and horsemen to help us against the enemy of the road, because we had spoken the thing to the king saying, the hand of our God is upon all those for good who seek him, but his power and his wrath are against all those who forsake him. So we fasted and entreated our God for this and he answered our prayer.” Ezra is a great man of faith. Hes even ashamed to say the king, because hes already told the king, ‘Gods going to take care of us. Gods going to put his trust. Were going to put our trust in God. Hell provide.’ And so what do the people do? They get down on their hands and knees, and they pray to God. They ask God for help. The Bible says, ‘God answered and provided for them.’
    Friend, we see here that if well approach God in our time of need and in our time of difficulty, if well go to the true source of strength, ‘cast all your cares upon him; he cares for you,’ 1 Peter 5:7. If we will look to Christ who through him we can do all things, Philippians 4:13, and if we will come boldly to the throne of grace, we can find grace and mercy and help in time of need, Hebrews 4:16. Dont ever forget ‘the effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man overcomes much.’
    In the book of Ezra, there was a moral problem that the people had to deal with. Its so practical today, because many in our day and age have lost their moral standing. Heres the context. In Ezra chapter nine and 10, some of the people of Israel had taken foreign wives likely in their captivity. They had taken foreign wives, which was against the law of God. God told them not to marry the heathens. They now had children by these foreign wives, and as a result, theyre in an immoral state, and in an unscriptural marriage. I want you to notice what God says through Ezra in Ezra 10:3-4. The advice is “Now therefore, let us make a covenant with our God to put away all these wives and those who have been born to them, according to
    the advice of my master and of those who tremble at the commandment of our God, and let it be done according to the law.” Ezra says, “Arise, for this matter is your responsibility, we also are with you, be of good courage, and do it.” Friend, when you think about this context, and when you think about what was going on, such a practical teaching for us today, the people in Ezras day had married unscripturally. They were in unscriptural marriages, God commanded them to divorce their wives to separate from them, and it was the only way they could be back in a right relationship with God.
    Lets realize today, Jesus taught in Matthew 19:9 that theres only one reason for divorce and thats fornication. Then and only then does the innocent party have the right to remarry. What if two people who are not the innocent party, who have been divorced unscripturally, then go and get married? Or what if one person who might have scriptural reason or a right to remarry, marry somebody who doesnt? How do you deal with an unscriptural marriage today? Same way they dealt with it. God says, ‘Youve got to separate and youve got to get out of the marriage.’ How do we know that? Well, repentance demands that. The Bible teaches that repentance is a turning from sin, Acts 3:19. Repentance not only demands saying sorry, 2 Corinthians 7:10, but it demands stopping the sin in ones life. If adultery is a sin you live in, Colossians 3:7 says it is, then how do you stop adultery? Youve got to get out of the adulterous state. Why dont we say in full confidence, and with assurety, that you must get out of that marriage.
    Friend, we also say in compassion and love, youve got to do that to save your soul. Men and women, who are in unscriptural, ungodly marriages, will perish in a sinners hell forever. God doesnt want that. We dont want that, but it is a fact that if you remain in those, you cannot be right. Repent of that by getting out of the marriage and remaining in a celibate, single state as 1 Corinthians 7 teaches, to be right with God. We must realize that repentance demands a cessation of sin.
    Like in the days of Ezra, our encouragement for you today is to make sure that your relationship is right with God. If its not, rebuild it. Restore it
    and prepare your heart. Make sure nothing gets in the way of you putting God first.
    May we each have the courage to do as God teaches us, to follow His word.
    Then we can know were on the road to heaven as our only goal and with God as our only hope.
    Study Questions for:
    “Living Messages of the Old Testament: Lesson 15”
    1. According to Ezra 7:10, how did Ezra live his life?
    2. How does the Old Testament benefit us according to Romans 15:4?
    3. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, where does scripture come from?
    4. According to John 14:15, what will we do if we love Jesus?
    5. According to 1 Peter 2:21, in whose footsteps should we follow?
    6. In Matthew 9 what did Jesus say to pray for?
    7. According to John 17:17, what is truth?
    8. What does Revelation 14:13 say about those who die in Christ?
    9. What is the Lord’s Kingdom compared to in Matthew 20:1?
    10. According to Philippians 4:13, how can we deal with things?
    29 min
  • 1 Chronicles: The Righteous Reign of David
    “Give unto the Lord the glory due His name, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness,” 1 Chronicles 16:29.
    Welcome to our study of the Old Testament book of 1 Chronicles. These lessons, as we think about the Old Testament and its importance in our lives today, Im reminded of Romans 15:4. The Scripture says “The things that were written before time,” no doubt a reference to the old law, “were written for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of the Scriptures, might find hope.”
    The Old Testament was specifically given to the people of Israel, but it also applies to us in that I can learn about God, Jesus, about how to relate to the Father, and I can learn the type of faith and actions that are either pleasing or displeasing to God.
    As we study 1 Chronicles, we want to learn some key ideas and gain a little background knowledge to the book. As much as anything, we want to take these Old Testament books and apply their living messages to our lives today so that we can truly be faithful until death, Revelation 2:10.
    Now, whats 1 Chronicles all about? In Hebrew history, 1 Chronicles really takes us from Adam, point of creation, all the way to Solomon. He
    begins by backtracking all the way back in the genealogies to Adam. He traces those genealogies in the first nine chapters, bringing us up to David and to Solomon eventually to show the continual working of God through His people to accomplish His purposes.
    Now, in reality, 1 Chronicles is mainly about the righteous and godly reign of King David, how that David was a good man, how that he tried to worship and to live his life, and as the greatest king of Israel, save the Lord Jesus, King of the church today, he is a type of the Christ in many ways who was to come.
    Some of the key words in 1 Chronicles are the words worship and praise. David is helping the people to see that God is worthy not just of living for, but worthy of honor and praise and that they truly need to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. As we mentioned, I think one of the key verses is found in 1 Chronicles 16:29. Notice this passage. David says, “Give to the Lord the glory due His name, bring an offering and come before Him. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.” When we talk about God and our relationship to Him, I need to give God the glory He deserves. God deserves all glory in my life and yours.
    You ever wonder and ask one of the most important questions mans ever asked? ‘Why am I here?’ Well, lets let God tell us. Isaiah 43:7, God says to everyone ‘whos called by my name, whom I created for my glory.’ God says, ‘I formed him, yes, Ive made him.’ Why were you formed? Why was I created? I was created and so were you to glorify God. Give unto the Lord the glory due his name. Whats that mean? Let my life be a glorification to God. Everything I say, everything I do, needs to bring honor to the name of God. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 10:31, ‘whether we eat or whether we drink, or whatever we do, do all to the glory of God.’ Oh how our life needs to bring honor to the Almighty. Then he says, ‘bring an offering, come before him with praise, worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.’
    Have you ever thought about how beautiful holiness is? How that its something that is attractive, endearing, and that ought to draw men to
    God? God is the greatest example of holiness. I need to worship and praise Him in that holiness.
    In 1 Chronicles 17:11-14, the prophecy is made that one of the seed of David would reign on the throne of David and that he would set up a kingdom which would never be destroyed. A lot of people thought that was the kingdom of Solomon. I know ultimately it wasnt. Although Solomon was a great king in many ways, reined in Davids place, perpetuated the kingdom of Israel, Israel was ultimately destroyed and that kingdom is really no more. Well, who was God talking about? Luke 1:32-33, in prophecy to Mary it is said, “And you will call his name Jesus. He will save His people from their sins. He will reign over the house of David, and of His kingdom therell be no end.” Jesus is from the house of David, Matthew 1:14 following. Jesus and His kingdom is still reigning and ruling today, Revelation 11:14. Hes still King of all kings, and Lord of all lords. This great prophecy really points us forward to Jesus and God working through him to bring his message about.
    To help us understand, maybe the ideas in 1 Chronicles, Chapters one through nine are the genealogies from Adam to David, kind of an accounting of the great figures in the history of Israel, and to show ultimately that Jesus did have the right, coming through David, to be king, would be proved to the Jews on the day of Pentecost and in other places. Then in chapters 10 through 29, we find about the death of Saul and how David begins to reign over the united kingdom. The book from that point forward begins to show us the good works, the good heart, and how we ought to try our best in every way to follow the good example of King David. We see Sauls ultimate failure in 10:13-14, listen to what God says about King Saul and why he was ultimately removed as king. Chapter 10:13, the Bible says, “So Saul died for his unfaithfulness, which he had committed against the Lord, because he did not keep the word of the Lord and also because he consulted a medium for guidance, but he did not inquire of the Lord, therefore, he, God, killed him, and turned the kingdom over to David the son of Jesse.” Saul had great potential. He started out with good ideas, but what happened? Sin began to reign in his life. Sin took ahold of this man, and the Bible says he died for his unfaithfulness- even to the point,
    instead of going and asking God for advice; he went and asked the witch of Endor what to do in a certain situation. Trying to eventually use her to get Gods message, but thats the way he resorted to. Thats how low Saul got. So he died for his unfaithfulness and his sin against the Lord. He did not keep the word of the Lord. He ultimately consulted a medium, and just as important, just as important, he did not inquire of God to do right and to find out what was right in the sight of God.
    Now, I want to share with you a key in the book of 1 Chronicles that I think is one of the most important keys in understanding and knowing how to interpret the Bible correctly. Would you open your Bible to 1 Chronicles chapter 15, and you might want to underline this in your own copy of the Bible, look in 1 Chronicles chapter 15. The Israelites are transporting the ark of God back. Two men, Uzzah and Ahio, are transporting the ark. They come to a piece of ground called Nahshons threshing floor, and on this plot of ground, evidently, the new cart that they got this ark on, it hits a bump and it looks like the ark is about to fall off. Uzzah, who no doubt loves God, and no doubt respects the ark, out of love for God, he reaches up to stabilize that ark. He drops dead right there on the spot. Why did that happen? David didnt know, in fact the context tells us he got angry about the event. He went back and thought about it, and he gave us this great jewel of understanding and applying the Bible.
    Look in your Bible, in 1 Chronicles 15, concerning this same event, David says, “For because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us, because we did not consult Him about the proper order. And so the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the ark of the Lord God of Israel.” Now watch how they do it correctly. “And the children of the Levites bore the ark of God on their shoulders by its poles as Moses had commanded according to word of the Lord.”
    If you will study the book of Numbers, even some of the book of Exodus, you will find that God specified who was to carry the ark. He said the Levites were, and then he specifies a little further. “Inside the tribe of Levites, only the sons of Kohath.” And when they carried the ark, they were to put rods through the rings on the side of the ark, and they were to carry it
    on their shoulders- two men in the front, two men in the back. Thats Gods way of transporting it. What happened when the ark fell and Uzzah died? Notice verse 13 again. David said, “These things happened, because we did not consult Him about the proper order.”
    Friend, how today we need to take those words to heart when it comes to worshiping the Lord in the beauty of holiness, whats the right way and whats not the right way? Friend, there are a lot of folks who got a lot of ideas today and those ideas, do they consult God about the right order when it comes to things like women preaching, becoming real popular today? You might walk into a supposedly place of worship in the United States of America, and it might be the case that either a man or a woman might be standing up there preaching. Well, lets ask. Have we consulted God about the proper order on that? Not according to 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Paul said, “Let a woman learn in all silence with submission and I do not permit a woman to teach or be in authority over a man, but to remain in silence.” 1 Corinthians 14:24 says the same thing. Here youve got mans idea. Here youve got mans order and man says, ‘lets put a woman up there and let her preach.’ What does God say? ‘I do not permit a woman to teach or be in authority over a man.’ Like in the days of David, lets consult God about the proper order on worshiping Him.
    What about when it relates to the Lords Supper? You know the Lords Supper is a very special event. Jesus instituted it in Matthew 26 at the Passover. Jesus took that fruit of the vine, and he took that unleavened bread. He said, “This is my blood, this is my body, do this in remembrance of me.” And how did the church in the New Testament do that? Did they do it on Christmas? Did they do it on Easter? Did they do it on the first Sunday of every month? Well, lets see what their pattern was. Acts 20:7, the Bible says, “On the first day of the week, the disciples came together to break bread.” Well, how did the New Testament church worship God concerning the Lords Supper? It wasnt on Christmas. It wasnt on Easter. It wasnt the first Sunday of every month. They came together on the first day of the week. What week? Theres no specific week in mind, and thus, every first day of the week. Its really inconsistent when we say, well, thats hard to understand. Its really not, and heres how: 1 Corinthians 16, the Bible says
    that we are to give as we are prospered on the first day of the week. Same language of Acts 20:7. Now, how many places where you live dont take up a collection every first day of the week? Well, every place does. The language is similar to that of Acts 20:7, and yet we understand it in 1 Corinthians 16 when it comes to giving, but were baffled when it comes to Acts 20:7?
    Friend, that shows inconsistency, and more importantly, are we really consulting God about the proper order?
    Lets consult God about another matter of worship, what about singing. God has commanded singing, and its a wonderful part of our worship to Him. The Bible says, “If any mans happy, let him sing,” James 5:13. The Bible teaches that the church is to praise God in song, Ephesians 5:19. Were to sing and make melody to the Lord. But how do we do that? And whats the proper order for worship? Is it okay to have a 10-piece rock band on the stage? Is it okay to strum a guitar or play a piano or play on a flute to the Lord? Is that what Gods asked for? Whats the proper order? Thats what really matters.
    Lets hear what God says on the matter. 1 Corinthians 14:15, Paul says, “I will pray with the Spirit and I will pray with the understanding, I will also sing with the Spirit and with the understanding.” Singing identifies that were to understand correct singing means that we do it with our spirit, our whole heart, soul, mind, and body, and with our understanding, and thus our emotion is involved with the words of the song, and we think about it as we sing.
    Now, lets direct our attention to another passage that teaches us the proper order for singing. Look in Ephesians 5:19. The Bible says, speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord. What is it God has asked for? God said, ‘Speak,’ God said ‘sing to one another.’ Thats reciprocal. We all sing to each other, we praise God, and we teach one another through the singing. What am I to sing? Psalms, hymns, spiritual songs. Thats what God has identified. How am I to do that? Well, ‘Im to sing,’ and notice
    these words, ‘and make melody where?’ On a piano? Now, thats not what it says. On a guitar? No, the Bible doesnt say that. On a drum? No, God doesnt say that either. Where am I to make melody at? ‘And make melody in your heart.’ Thats not the blood pump. The hearts the mind. ‘As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.’ You think in your heart, and thus the heart is the mind, Proverbs 23:7. When I sing, I am to make melody, but where am I to make it? In my heart. How? ‘Ill sing with the spirit and Ill sing with the understanding.’ Thats what Gods asked for.
    What about all these other things? What about mechanical instruments of music? What about a drum or a guitar or a piano? Well, lets ask Uzzah. Uzzah, how well did it fare for you when you touched the ark? There lies his dead body. It isnt hard to tell it didnt work out very well for Uzzah. What did Uzzah do wrong? They didnt consult God about the proper order. How serious is it that we consult God about how he wants to be worshiped and praised? Remember Leviticus 10:1-2? ‘Two priests by the names of Nadab and Abihu, are working in the sacrifice of God.’ The Bible tells us ‘on this certain occasion, they offered a profane or unauthorized fire before the Lord.’ Listen, ‘which He had not commanded them. Fire rained down from heaven and devoured those men, and they died before the Lord.’ Sons of Aaron, who had the right to be priests, offered a strange or unauthorized fire to God. God didnt ask for it, they did it anyway. There lied their charred bodies. Didnt work out too well for them either.
    Friend, what I learn from these two examples is all God wants of me and you, of us, is to do what He says. God doesnt need my additions, and your additions, and mans inventions. God simply needs us to submit to His will.
    Lets learn another lesson from 1 Chronicles. This is a lesson about thanksgiving. Look in your Bible. In 1 Chronicles 16:34. Heres such a practical principle. The Bible says, “O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His mercy endures forever.” When I think about practical lessons from this book, Im reminded from the example of David here, how I ought to be a person of thanksgiving. Are we really a thankful people? The Bible
    says ‘in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you,’ 1 Thessalonians 5:17. Were to do everything in the name of the Lord with thanksgiving, Colossians 3:17. Do you remember that story of the 10 lepers? Luke 17:11, 10 lepers came to Jesus. Jesus healed all 10 of them. One man came back to give God the glory and to say thank you, and do you remember the haunting question of Jesus? ‘Where are the nine?’ What did Jesus say from that? In essence he teaches us that I need to be thankful to God.
    You see, my friend, every good and perfect gift comes down from above from the Father of lights, with whom theres no shadow or variation or turning, James 1:17. God has taken care of each of us, hes blessed us with much, and thus we need to be thankful to the Almighty for all that he does for us in this life.
    When I think about practical lessons from 1 Chronicles, Im reminded of a very practical lesson about sin from Davids own life. Turn with me to 1 Chronicles 21:7-8. The Bible says, “And God was displeased with this thing,” David numbering the people, “therefore he struck Israel” so David said to God, look at his attitude. “Ive sinned greatly because Ive done this thing, but now I pray, take away the iniquity of your servant, for I have done very foolishly.” You know, how did David feel about sin? Did David say, ‘oh, sins no big deal?’ Did David say, ‘somebody somewhere sinned?’ No, David said, ‘Ive sinned; Ive done foolishly. Ive transgressed the law of God.’ And then he said, ‘Im praying to you, that youll remove this sin from my life.’ Whats the proper response to sin? The proper response to sin is to acknowledge it. David said it, ‘I sinned.’ Achan said it, ‘Ive sinned.’ Saul said it, ‘Ive sinned.’ Judas said it, went out and hanged himself, ‘Ive sinned.’ I need to have the proper response to sin and say, ‘yes, Ive sinned.’ I need to own up to what Ive done. I need to be willing to confess it. The Bible says, if we confess our sins, Hes faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all iniquity, 1 John 1:7-10. I need to have the mindset of Im ready to repent of it when I do recognize and confess it.
    Do you remember Acts chapter eight? Simon the sorcerer sees the gift of the Holy Spirit, and he offers the apostles money. Peter says to him,
    ‘your hearts not right in this matter. Youve got neither part nor portion. You need to pray to God that the evil thought of your heart, you need to repent and pray that the evil thought of your heart might be forgiven you.’ I need an attitude of repentance, that I have done wrong, and yes, I know its wrong, Im owning up to it, and Im ready to make it right.
    Then I need to learn from sin, I need to learn not to do those things again. I need to let sin that Ive been involved in, the things Ive done wrong, I need to let those teach me. The Bible says, the way of the transgressor is hard, Proverbs 13:15. David had the right attitude about sin in his own life.
    When we talk about attitudes, lets look at an attitude that God wants men and women to have today. Look at 1 Chronicles 22:19. Heres the attitude that I need to have. Heres something David commands his people, he says, “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God.” He then says, “Therefore rise, and build a sanctuary of the Lord and bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.” Whats my attitude and mindset need to be? Set your heart to seek the Lord your God. Friend, I need the attitude of whatever God wants me to do, Im ready to do it. I can think of several people like that in the Bible. We mentioned Samuel. God spoke to the young man Samuel, and God said to him, ‘Samuel.’ He said, ‘here am I, speak. Speak, Lord, your servant hears,’ 1 Samuel chapter three. Isaiah chapter six, God, Isaiah was in the presence of God and Isaiah said, ‘speak, Lord, your servant hears.’ I need that same mindset. I want to hear what God says, and I want to seek the Lord with all my heart. Thats what Jesus taught us, isnt it? Matthew 6:33, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you.” God wants me to put Him first, before everything else in my life. That means my whole soul, heart, mind, and strength will be given in the cause of Christ, Mark 12:30.
    Another lesson that we want to learn from the book of 1 Chronicles and this is really a great question for all mankind that is asked- look at 1 Chronicles 29:5. The Bible says ‘the gold for the things of gold, and the
    silver for the things of silver,’ this is consecrating things to the temple and for all kinds of work to be done by the hands of craftsmen. And then this question is asked: ‘Who then is willing to consecrate himself this day to the Lord?’ What does it mean to consecrate yourself? Who then is willing to set himself aside? Who then is willing to take his life and make it especially usable for the purpose of God? Will you consecrate your life to the cause of God? Will you set yourself apart that means to be different and unique? Will you set yourself apart for service to God?
    Friend, there are a lot of people who are going down the wrong road. Jesus said the majority are headed down the road that leads to destruction, Matthew 7:13-14. Will you be different than the crowd? Will you make decisions that not everybody else is making? Will you set your life apart in service to Almighty God? What a haunting question and what a compelling question that is. Based on all that God has done for me and you, how we ought to be willing to set ourselves apart for him. Im mindful of the words of Romans 12:12 where Paul said, ‘I beg you, by the mercies of God that you present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.’ Whats that mean? In view of all that Gods done for me- its only reasonable, it only makes sense that I give myself as a living sacrifice to God every day. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ‘Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, who you have from God and you are not your own?’ What do you mean Im not my own? ‘You are bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit which are his.’ If Im a child of God, if Jesus paid the ultimate death for my sin, by his precious blood, then how should I live? Not as my own, but live for God every day.
    Friend, are you a child of God? Have you heard Gods word, believed in Jesus, repented of your sin, and have you been immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins? Acts 2:38.
    As a Christian, have you really made up your mind to set yourself apart and be unique from the crowd? Our prayer and our hope today is that each of us will leave with a zeal and a desire to worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
    Study Questions for:
    “Living Messages of the Old Testament: Lesson 13”
    1. What does 1 Chronicles 16:29 say about how to worship God?
    2. According to Romans 15:4 why was the Old Testament written for us today?
    3. How long must we be faithful according to Revelation 2:10?
    4. According to Isaiah 43:7, why are we here?
    5. According to 1 Corinthians 10:31, how should we do all things?
    6. What does Luke 1:32-33 say of Jesus’ Kingdom?
    7. Why did Uzzah die in 1 Chronicles 15?
    8. According to 1 Chronicles 16:34, why should we give thanks to the Lord?
    9. According to 1 Thessalonians 5:17, what are we to do in all things?
    10. What does James 1:17 say about what we get from God?
    29 min
  • Design Demands Designer

    The book of Genesis tells us ‘In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth,’ Genesis 1:1.

    What a powerful presentation of creation that is. It tells us something about God's nature as creator and
    designer. Welcome to our study of the nature of God as we're going to be looking at the evidence that there is a God and He is the God of the Bible, the Creator of all the universe.

    (The full transcript is available in the "Download Document" button above.)

    29 min
  • Standing on the Promises

    In 1 John 2:25, the Bible says ‘The promise he has promised us, eternal life.’

    Welcome to our study of the nature of God. Specifically today, we're thinking about the God who fulfills his promises. In the Bible, we are told that God cannot lie, Hebrews 6:18. We're living in hope of eternal life,
    which God who cannot lie promised before time began, Titus 1:2. God does not change, Malachi 3:6. He's the same yesterday, today, and forever. In view of that quality of God, we're going to be thinking about the God who cannot change and the promises that He has made to His children today.
    As we think today about the idea of the nature of God being the God who fulfills his promises, there are a lot of promises that are made in the Bible. There are approximately somewhere around 8,500 to 9,000
    promises that are made in the Bible. The Old Testament contains somewhere around 7,500 to 7,700 of those. The New Testament has over 1,100 wonderful promises. In fact, you read chapters like Deuteronomy 28,
    and there are 133 promises in that chapter alone. One of the great things of the Bible is God promises over and over and over again wonderful things that you as a Christian, that I as a Christian can take and believe in every day.

    (The full transcript is available in the "Download Document" button above.)

    29 min

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