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Woodland Hills Church of Christ
By Woodland Hills Church of Christ
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FAQs about Woodland Hills Church of Christ:
How many episodes does Woodland Hills Church of Christ have?
The podcast currently has 1,186 episodes available.
Woodland Hills Church of Christ episodes:
November 21, 20242 Samuel Chapters 9, 10, 11 The post 2 Samuel Chapters 9, 10, 11 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 18, 20241 Corinthians 14:26-35 When the Church Comes Together #1 1 Corinthians 14 : 26 – 35
The post 1 Corinthians 14:26-35 When the Church Comes Together #1 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 17, 2024Job 1 – 2, Why Do You Serve God? Job 1-2 Why Do You Serve God?
Introduction: Job 1:13-20. There is no way that any of us have suffered like Job’s suffering described in this text. And yet, the full extent of his suffering is to come.
The most important thing we can do right now is relate to this moment in Job’s life. Maybe you do that by picturing how something this bad could happen to you. [story of El Cajon friend]
Now, would you have questions you would like to ask God? Would you be full of confusion and beyond the ability to even feel or have sense of reality? “This just cannot be! What is going on!”
Following this, Job would be struck with boils (“loathsome sores”) from his head to his feet. He would sit in an ash heap, covering the boils with ashes and using a piece of broken pottery to scrape off the puss from his sores.
It is apparently months before his friends arrive, long enough time that when they arrive they do not recognize him. He has become so thin from the disease and lack of nourishment that his bones are sticking out (chapter 29). So bad was Job’s condition that they could not even speak to him for a whole week because they saw that his suffering was very great. [by the way, there is no medication!]
Warning: A trial is coming! You and I need this book!
- Introduction to Job
- The book of Job is typically neglected. Of course, chapters 1-2 and 42 are not neglected, but there are 39 other chapters that are. Is that not scary? It ought to be. God is giving us wisdom to prepare us for our trials and we simplistically say to ourselves, “Well, it’s tough, and then it gets better!” Wow. That like knowing a little karate, having just enough knowledge to be dangerous to yourself.
- Primarily, this book teaches us about God more than it ever gives answers to our suffering. In other words, when suffering comes, it is God we need to understand. In the speeches of Job and his three friends, most of the conflict lies in their collective misunderstanding of God. That, more than anything else is what we need when we are suffering.
- First major point: God wants us to see the righteousness of Job (1:1, 8).
- Verse 8 gives us one of the beautiful glimpses of God. Just look at how God speaks of Job. He calls him “my servant” and boasts of his righteousness. Isn’t that great motivation for us?
- We are to see Job’s righteousness because we are to learn that living rightly before God does not exempt him or anyone from the worst of trials. If Job is not exempted, neither are we.
- If there is any question about Job’s righteousness, consider Ezekiel 14:13-14, “Son of man, when a land sins against me by acting faithlessly, and I stretch out my hand against it and break its supply of bread and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast, even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver but their own lives by their righteousness, declares the Lord GOD.”
- Further, Job’s righteousness is highlighted because we humans often attach foolishness and sin as the reason for tribulation and suffering. Certainly, poor choices, sin, and foolishness are reasons for suffering as is indicated in Proverbs, but it is not the only reason.
- The conclusion we are to learn from the introduction is that suffering is not always a result of sin and should not be the default conclusion when you or others suffer. Chapter 2:3 reinforces this point: “Job was afflicted without cause.”
- Design of the Book
- The book is written with a combination of prose and Hebrew poetry
- Ch. 1-2 Written in prose, we are given a historical introduction which informs us of the background needed to understand the discussion that will follow.
Seven of the eight persons in the book are introduced to us: Job, the Lord, Satan, Job’s wife, and the three friends. The only person not introduced is Elihu, a bystander who listens to the debate between Job and his friends and then responds beginning in chapter 32.- Ch. 3-25 The main body of the poem in which Job and his friends debate the cause of his suffering.
- Ch. 26-31 Job’s final speech to his friends.
- Ch. 32-37 The speech of Elihu in which he seems to introduce God.
- Ch. 38-42:6 God’s speeches to Job and Job’s responses to the Lord.
- Ch. 42:7-12 Epilogue: written prose, summarizes the vindication of Job.
- Concerning Elihu:
- He is the only “friend” who is not rebuked by God in the end.
- Job never answers Elihu, though Elihu pauses to give Job a chance to object to any of his answers. Elihu offered a fresh approach to the debate on suffering and rebuked both Job and the friends on the way they spoke of God.
- The Question before Us – is the question repeatedly asked by so many, whether believers or unbelievers. How can God, who created us and the world and could know that mankind would deal with horrible suffering, bear to look at the suffering of his own creation and not rescue them? Is this a God filled with all goodness, holiness, and righteousness? How and why would we trust and serve such a God?
- Lessons of Chapters 1-2
- Satan makes a very important challenge to God concerning Job and all mankind. Satan asks why Job fears God; what is the real motive of his righteousness? This is a critical question.
- The question indicates that being a religious person, a believer in God/Christ, is not enough! There is a much bigger issue. It is easy to “believe” in God and even serve God in all the outward forms that God requires. But how much loyalty do you have to God? It is the shallowness of faith that is the greater concern, and that is Satan’s challenge and attack as well as God’s concern.
- Can you imagine that every time you tell your child to do something, their response is, “I will do it if you pay me”? Would anyone conclude that your children respected you, loved you, or were in submission to you? In fact, the opposite would be true. If you didn’t bribe your children, they would dump you like a hot potato!
- 1:20 In praising God, Job did the exact opposite of what Satan said he would do. Though he ascribes the disaster to God, he makes clear his loyalty to God regardless of his suffering.
- Consider your own life. This question is asked of every person who has ever proclaimed their faith in God. Consider the words, “faith in God.” Can God be trusted to do what is right in regard with your life in spite of severe suffering?
- Second, is your love for him and faith in him motivated by what he gives you? Or, do you love and serve him because of him? In other words, do you love him because you believe he repays you for your service or because he is your “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace?”
- There is a fairly easy way to discern this. How much do you devote yourself to God now? A little bit? When it is convenient? Mostly? Or, with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your energy and strength? How you answer that question will tell you whether you serve God for nothing and what you will do when tribulation comes. But you won’t really know for sure until the trial!
- 1:21 Growing to a faith like Job’s comes by learning that nothing we have is deserved. Paul addressed the arrogance of the Corinthians by saying, “What do you have that you did not receive? If then you received it, why do you boast as if you did not receive it?” (1 Cor. 4:7). Everything we have has been given to us by God. Therefore, we have no right to demand that God bless us in the way we are accustomed. He has created us and bought us with the price of the blood of the Lamb. Who are we to talk back to God?
- 2:9-10
- This may be the most cruel part of the trial. Satan now uses the one person who could have provided some support and comfort in the midst of his pain. Job’s wife is mentioned again further indicating her withdrawal from him:
19:17, “My breath is strange to my wife, and I am a stench to the children of my own mother.”- The word translated “curse” is translated “renounce” in the ASV. The word carries the connotation of saying, “Goodbye.” She is not telling Job to actually utter a curse against God, but to abandon his trust in God. In other words, God is of no use to you. If God would let this happen to you, then what’s the point?
- This is exactly what Satan was looking for in Job, and was his argument before God. If there is no earthly reward for serving God, then humans will readily abandon him. Job’s wife seems to have lost her faith in the goodness of God. Note: she does not say she is abandoning God, but that if she were Job, she would.
- Important Lesson: In a trial, do not expect that everyone will rally to your side and comfort you. Even some with good intentions will say things that are deeply hurtful. Job’s three friends will come to comfort him, but after seeing him, they will do everything but give him comfort.
- Now, we need to be careful in how we think of Job’s wife and consider her with compassion.
- Remember, she also lost all 10 children in one day. She has suffered everything Job suffered with the exception of his illness. She is also now watching her husband she dearly loves waste away in agony. It is simply overwhelming; too much to watch.
- Job does not say she is a foolish woman, but that she speaks as one of the foolish women. Yes, Job rebukes her words. Does she repent immediately? Possibly. After all, at the end of the book she is not called upon to repent, and she has 10 more children.
- Primary message to us: when a severe trial strikes one in our physical or spiritual family or even an acquaintance, everyone has just entered the same trial, and we will also be judged on how we respond!
Conclusion: When your trial comes, whether your respond like Job or fail the test, will depend on your preparation and your growth to maturity. Are you doing the work necessary to avoid falling?
Berry Kercheville
The post Job 1 – 2, Why Do You Serve God? appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 17, 2024The Parables of Jesus – Lesson 7 The Rich Fool – Luke 12 : 13 – 21
The Wise & Faithful Servant – Luke 12 : 35 – 48
The post The Parables of Jesus – Lesson 7 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 14, 20242 Samuel Chapters 7, 8 2 Samuel 7 : 14 – 29
2 Samuel Chapter 8
The post 2 Samuel Chapters 7, 8 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 11, 2024Bearing Burdens with Each Other The idea of bearing the burdens of our brethren.
- Galatians 6 : 1 – 10
- 1 Thessalonians 5 : 1 – 22
Consider the below three stories about dealing with burdens:
- Jesus Heals the Paralytic – Mark 2 : 1 -12
- Widow of Zarapheth – 1 Kings 17 : 8 -16
- The Good Samaritan – Luke 10 : 25 – 37
What are the practical issues with serving each other in these ways? How do we overcome them?
The post Bearing Burdens with Each Other appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 10, 2024The Parables of Jesus – Lesson 6 The post The Parables of Jesus – Lesson 6 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 10, 2024Sons and Daughters of Our Father Sons and Daughters of God –
Are We Living Up to Our Calling?
Introduction: We studied this past Wednesday evening the promises God made to David and his offspring, specifically saying, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son” (2 Sam. 7:14). This promise was not just given to David’s offspring, Jesus, but to all those who become the offspring of Jesus.
Romans 8:12-17 expresses the benefit and challenge of becoming “sons of God.”
- As seen in our earthly families, there are immense advantages to “family” and immense benefits to becoming a heir. It is amazing to consider, we have been adopted into a heavenly family.
- As sons of our Father, we are no longer living as slaves, but adopted as sons & daughters, having all the full rights and benefits that would be given to a natural born child.
- But as is seen in verse 17, to be brought into God’s family means we are called to participate in the work and purposes of the family head. Therefore, if we are to be glorified with him, we will also suffer with him.
- Our Purpose as Sons of Our Father
- “Sons of God” is not a term used only for those who follow Jesus. It was first used in the heavenly realm.
- Deut. 32:8-9 The Lord placed angels (or spiritual beings) over the nations and called them “sons of God.” We also see this in Daniel 10
- Job 1:6, “Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themself before the Lord, and Satan (Accuser) also came among them.” In this case, we even see these sons of God gathered in a type of council possibly for the purpose of giving a report to God. Since Satan’s desire is to destroy mankind, it seems that he has taken it upon himself to accuse man before God in order to insist their destruction. Cf. Rev. 12:10. “The accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.”
- Psalm 82 describes a similar council, calling it a “divine council.” In this case, we see those within the council who have not kept their charge before the Lord. This again reminds us of Daniel 10 and the angel of the Lord mentioning his battle with the prince of the kingdom of Persia and the future battle with the prince of the kingdom of Greece.
- Compare John 10:33-36. They failed their purpose to faithfully deliver the word of God to the nations. “The Jews answered him, “It is not for a good work that we are going to stone you but for blasphemy, because you, being a man, make yourself God.” Jesus answered them, “Is it not written in your Law, ‘I said, you are gods’? If he called them gods to whom the word of God came—and Scripture cannot be broken—do you say of him whom the Father consecrated and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming,’ because I said, ‘I am the Son of God’?”
- Let’s stop and make a few conclusions:
- The fact that these beings are called sons of God indicates that their existence and purpose is defined as image-bearers of God. They not only serve God, they reflect all that God is and even stand in the place of God. This is evident in the Psalm 82 text in which the Lord condemned them for failing to reflect and teach God to the nations.
- The heavenly realm existed before the creation of the heavens and earth. In that heavenly realm, we get glimpses of how God ordered his spiritual universe. God did not just “do” everything by himself. In other words, he didn’t always just “speak” and it happened, like in the Creation story. Spiritual beings were created to participate in God’s work in the heavenly realm. Again, this is evident in Daniel 10.
- Now transition to the creation of our earthly realm (Genesis 1:27-28). When God created the heavenly realm, he also had in mind an eventual “expanded dwelling place” and a new creation. We also were made in the image of God. We also were given a high calling, not only multiplying the image of God throughout the world, but also having dominion over the world.
- In Psalm 8, David said, “What is man that you are mindful of him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You have given him dominion over the works of your hands; you have put all things under his feet.”
- This passage is quoted in Hebrews 2:5-10 proclaims that God’s plan is to put the world to come under our control. The writer then shows that though we have not yet attained that position, Jesus is leading us to the same glory and honor he received. But the path to the goal is through suffering.
- Therefore, we are immediately able to see our similarity in this earthly realm in comparison to the angelic beings. In each realm God created sons of God – image bearers – who have glory, honor, and dominion over that realm.
- Though we fractured ourselves as image-bearers, the Lord was determined to bring us back into his image. Romans 8:14-15 tells us, “For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” Further, both Paul and the Hebrew writer tell us that the path to glory, honor, and dominion is suffering.
- Why suffering? The creation of the earthly realm obviously did not sit well with Satan and a host of angels who have followed him. Thus, “there was war in heaven” (Rev. 12:7). Satan was determined to destroy God’s new creation. Thus, there are many answers to this question, but the two that fit this lesson are:
- The devil/serpent/dragon brought on this battle through his desire for power and his pride and arrogance. Thus, we are called into the battle. Satan has tried to defeat God, defame God’s goodness, and ultimately destroy us through the power of sin and death. That is why we suffer – we willingly join the battle.
- But most importantly, we are willing to suffer to show God’s manifold wisdom, to show that our God is worthy of praise, glory, and honor, and thus to judge these wicked angelic beings for calling God’s character into question.
- Through us God defeats the idea presented to Eve that God is “holding out on us” and doesn’t want us to enjoy what he has.
- Through us, God defeats Satan’s accusation in Job that God is just bribing man to obey him and that man would not love God if he had to suffer.
- Divine Power to Make Us Sons of Our Father (2 Peter 1:3-11)
- Peter begins his second letter by immediately making the connection with the same purposes we have previously seen. Through God’s divine power, he “called us to his own glory and excellence.”
- He has also “granted to us his precious and very great promises” (to say the least!!), so that we can “become partakers of the divine nature.” Do you recall the “divine council” of Psalm 82:1? Again we see God making us sons like him in order to participate with him in his purposes. “Partakers of the divine nature!” Who can grasp the thought? It is a pursuit above all pursuits!
- Please note some of the key words in the text:
- Vs. 5: “make every effort…”
- Vs. 8: “yours and increasing”
- Vs. 10: “be all the more diligent”
- Partaking of the divine nature; becoming like our Father:
- Virtue relates directly to the characteristic of God already mentioned in vs. 3. It means “excellence” or “goodness.” It is an excellence of character or moral excellence that is seen in how we live our daily lives.
- Knowledge: Not just knowledge of the Word, but knowledge that brings us to know God. God supplied us with a book that one can study for a lifetime and not learn it all or see it all; there is still more to understand. And yet, how many Christians remain satisfied with the basics?
- Self-control is the foundational quality of a person who is mature. Self-control has to do with what we do with food, with our tongue, with possessions, with sexual desire, with our emotions, with our work, and with our time. A person who lacks self-control is doomed. A self-controlled person does not allow his feelings and urges to control him. He is able to say, “No” to himself. He is disciplined.
- Endurance/steadfastness is the ability to bear up in the face of difficulty. One is able to remain steadfast whether he is dealing with persecution or dealing with the constant pressures of temptation or in the lap of luxury. He does not give in to the desire to relax and quit.
- Godliness is a loyalty toward God so that a person is fully conscience of God’s presence at all times and responds accordingly. Godliness is a mind and a life that is the opposite of the ways of the world.
- Brotherly affection is a love of family members and thus a love of brethren, our spiritual family. Peter has already gone to great lengths to stress this: “love one another fervently from a pure heart.” This is the most important command that Jesus left His disciples (Jn. 13:34), and yet it is repeatedly violated.
- Love: Jesus defined love when he sacrificed his life so all could be saved. This may be the one command in which we are most lacking, and yet it is the primary description of being God’s image-bearers. We involve ourselves in the lives of others so we can share Jesus with them. “Love” lays down his life, as John says (1 Jn. 3:16).
Conclusion: God made a heavenly realm and then expanded his dwelling place in an earthly realm. The time will come when God merges these two realms together (Eph. 1:10). In both realms, God created sons of God, those who would reflect him and bring about his purposes. And in both realms rebellion marred God’s creation. But when God created us as his sons and daughters, he also created us to be crowned with glory and honor and have “dominion over the world to come.” He said we would even judge angels (1 Cor. 6:3). Now, are we living up to the title sons and daughters of God?
We must not simply think in terms of us becoming better people, better Christians, better fathers and mothers to our own children. Those goals are certainly important but only when they are seen in how we practice and grow to the greater purpose of reflecting God’s image and preparing for the future goal of the world to come. God’s purpose for us is glory and honor, not becoming “Dad of the year.”
Berry Kercheville
The post Sons and Daughters of Our Father appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 07, 20242 Samuel Chapter 7 2 Samuel Chapter 7
The post 2 Samuel Chapter 7 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more November 04, 2024Helping Each Other Become Like Jesus Colossians 3 : 12 – 17
The post Helping Each Other Become Like Jesus appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
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FAQs about Woodland Hills Church of Christ:
How many episodes does Woodland Hills Church of Christ have?
The podcast currently has 1,186 episodes available.
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