Discerning Jezebel - Revelation 2:18-24

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Elijah, Jezebel, Ahab at Naboth's Vineyard

Revelation 2:18-24

The Bible tells us that the End Times will be marked by the conflict between darkness and light (Isaiah 9:2; John 1:5; 8:2; Acts 26:18; 2 Cor 6:14). Satan is using every scheme (Isaiah 32:7; 2 Cor 2:11) to oppose the church (Matt 16:18) in finishing the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20). 

One of those schemes, the Revelation tells us, is the controlling spirit the Lord calls Jezebel. Jesus of course is alluding to the biblical Queen Jezebel who was married to King Ahab of Samaria (northern Israel) found in 1 Kings 16-22 and 2 Kings 9. She attempted to combine the worship of Baal with worship of the Lord and stamp out all true worship, influencing her husband in it (1 Kings 16:33). Jezebel was responsible for the killing of Naboth and stealing the vineyard (1 Kings 21:1-16) and succeeded in killing all the prophets except Elijah whom she wanted dead (1 Kings 19:2). She was so evil she was singled out to die and be eaten by dogs (2 Kings 9:33-35). 

Ahab and Jezebel are representatives of the old Baal and Asherah religion, a partnership of rebellion and stubbornness, of witchcraft and idolatry (1 Sam 15:23). Jesus warned the church of Thyatira in the last days not to tolerate the spirit of Jezebel (Rev. 2:20). Some commentators see this Jezebel describing either a literal woman in the Thyatiran church in the first century, or the Church of the Middle Ages. Many, however, see symbolic or spiritual phraseology.[1] Both of these interpretations could be possible and Jesus still be speaking about a spiritual reality of wickedness in the church. 

The Jezebel spirit is an obstruction to restoration, revival, Gods’ order, and authentic faith. It is a system of control, manipulation, and intimidation that seeks worship. An Ahab cooperates with a Jezebel in letting her have her way and not pursue what God has purposed or planned. The historic Jezebel used fear to manipulate and control Ahab and send the prophet of God’s word, Elijah, running for his life.

Some characteristics of Jezebel at work in the local church:

• Craving attention, promotion, recognition, seeks teaching/leadership positions to gain control (Rev 2:20)
• Appearing to serve God, but it is an inroad to gaining control and a different agenda
• Playing religious games and camouflaging a desire for control with religious talk
• Often claims to have heard directly from God and the church should do what they say
• Searches the church for allies and gains power through political alliances
• Relentlessly criticizes organizations and leaders with exaggeration
• Manipulates or disregards male leadership and resents credible, mature believers
• Betrays leadership through probing their personal lives for weakness, then blackmailing them 
• Feels elitist – others are less spiritual. Often knows and uses Scripture to their benefit
• May appear loyal, pretends submissive and humble for strategic advantage
• Appears repentant, but hides from true heart repentance
• Vaunts strength of self and pride of achievement and gifts
• Places guilt and shame on others, uses partial truth to destroy reputations, undermines self worth and confidence of others
• Uses emotions, silent treatment, and pouting to advantage
• Plays individuals, groups, and friends against one another to destroy relationships
• Talks and pulls strings behind others' backs, claims to be misunderstood when challenged
• Fear of the Lord is absent, opening the door to their destruction

Jezebel’s greatest enemies are God’s authentic leaders who reveal her and speak against her, like Elijah. This spirit sets itself against them, but the real enemy is the Word of God. Jezebel’s chief fear is repentance which brings the presence of Jesus, cleansing the church, and bringing purity and power, defeating her control. 

We respond to Jezebel by distinguishing between the person and the spirit. Be compassionate toward the person under Jezebel control. Pray for the Holy Spirit to open her eyes and bring her to repentance. But have no sympathy toward the Jezebel spirit. If you challenge or confront Jezebel, it will erupt in rage and fight you. It will get even, often attacking a weakness in your life.

You can overcome Jezebel through prayer, repentance and tenacity, changing your actions and responses to be more Christlike, and resisting everything that prevents you from overcoming (Rev 2:26). 

God may have shown you that you have operated in this Jezebel way of control. Thank Him for opening your eyes to it. Repent on your knees to Him. Renounce Jezebel and surrender to Christ’s control. Seek a trusted friend to pray with you about this. 

Perhaps you have been a victim of Jezebel. Avoiding or ending a relationship is the simplest way to break free of Jezebel’s control. When that is not possible because family or work is involved, be alert, wise, and ask the Lord for discernment to understand Jezebel’s tactics and wisely and quietly meet or sidestep them. Do not submit or compromise, but show the love of Christ as he directs. Develop a deep prayer life and intimacy with Christ. Submit yourself to God and obey His Word. Ask for prayer and pastoral counsel as needed.

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[1] John Walvoord, The Revelation of Jesus Christ: A Commentary (Chicago: Moody, 1966), 73-5. 

Main source: Sylvia Gunter, Prayer Essentials for Living in His Presence (Birmingham, AL: Father’s Business, 2000), vol. 1

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Memorial Day

Romans 13:1-7 - God's Institution of Government

Opening thought: 

Over the last two weeks we have begun a series of sermons on current issues in our society. We have started with the three things which God has instituted on earth out of his grace for the benefit of society and the nations. We first talked about the institution of the family, the basic building block of society. Last week we looked at God’s institution of the church as God’s agent of His Kingdom in society.

Memorial Day weekend seems an appropriate time to talk about the third institution of God, and that is human government. Yes, I’m going to talk about government and politics in the pulpit today because God created and instituted government for the benefit of the nations. Turn with me to Romans 13 and let’s see what God says about government.

Read Romans 13:1-7

Contextual Notes:

Paul’s letter to the Romans has been called the Magna Charta of the New Testament. In the first eight chapters Paul lays out the depravity of sin and the wonder of salvation that Jesus Christ has accomplished for us. Then in Romans 9-11 Paul explains Israel’s place in the New Covenant and how the Old Testament clearly teaches that God’s promises to Israel are included in the redeeming work of Jesus the Messiah. Then a major change takes place at chapter 12 where Paul shifts to the end of the letter explaining how this theology calls us to live. He applies the theological truth of Romans 1-11 in chapters 12-16. Chapter 13 teaches how Christians are to live in relation to human governments. It fits firmly together in thought with Rom 12:14-21 in its peace-making response to others,[1] and Paul’s pen turns to the topic of dealing with the government as a peace-maker.

Remember Paul is writing to believers worshipping in the house churches of Rome, the capital of the Roman Empire. He informs them that though we who are in Christ are part of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ, we still have much to do with civil authorities. We are not to separate ourselves from government, but we are to engage it, submit to it, and work within it for Christ’s Kingdom purposes. In a city with a government which crucified their Lord and persecuted their people, Paul calls the church to submit to the governing authorities.

Key Truth: Paul wrote Romans 13:1-7 to explain to believers how God instituted government to establish order and authority in society, to motivate people to right living, and to encourage respect and honor.

Key Application: Today I want to show you what God’s Word says about government.

Key Verse: Romans 13:4

Sermon Points: God instituted Government to:

1.   Establish authority and order in society (Rom 13:1-2)

2.   Motivate us to right living in society (Rom 13:3-5)

3.   Encourage respect and honor in society (Rom 13:6-7)

Exposition:   Note well,

1.   GOD INSTITUTED GOVERNMENT TO ESTABLISH AUTHORITY AND ORDER IN SOCIETY (Rom 13:1-2)

a.   13:1-2– We are to submit to the governing authorities, those who represent the power of the state. In fact, wicked rebellion against what God has instituted is sin.

b.   But does submission mean that we must blindly obey an order from the state that is evil or goes against Christ’s command to love our neighbors? No. While the citizen is to obey the authorities, those authorities must obey God. If they stop rewarding good and punishing evil and do the opposite, the government loses its moral right to expect obedience.

c.   Government derives its authority to rule not from the power of the sword, nor from some universal ideals, nor even from the consent of the governed, but from God (Daniel 5:21; Prov. 8:15-16). Governments are thus accountable to Him even if they refuse that fact. The state’s job is to protect all its citizens, administer punishment, restrain evil, and promote peace and justice and the general welfare of its citizens (Rom 13:1-5). Some Christians believe there should be total separation between the church and the state with no interference at all with each other. Anabaptists and their descendants, conservative Mennonites and Amish believe this. That is why they do not run for office or serve in the armed forces. Mainline denominations (Anglicans/Episcopalians, Methodists, Presbyterians, Orthodox, and Roman Catholics) and evangelicals (Baptists, Pentecostals) support transformation, arguing that Christians are called to exert a Christian influence on the state and transform it with biblical values and principles.[2] Because the state upholds moral standards (or at least is responsible to do that), a Christian should view the government not as an enemy but as an ally and helper toward moral efforts.[3]

d.   Separation of Church and State means that the government has no business meddling in religious affairs, but it does not at all mean that the Church cannot influence government and its work. In the care and sovereignty of our God, the state is included. His Providence controls all the nations and the maintenance of civil order (Jer. 27:5f; Dan 2:21, 37f; 4:17; Isa. 45:1)

e.   ILLUSTRATION: Acts 4:18-20. In Acts 4, Peter and John stood up to the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, who held both religious and political power over the Jewish people. When the Sanhedrin told Peter and John to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, they said they couldn’t. They did this not because they were rebellious, but because at that point the government was trying to interfere in something that is “above their pay grade,” so to speak. Government is God’s servant (Rom 13:4), not God’s instructor.

f.    APPLICATION: The church has three functions in relation to the state:

                  i.    A Priestly Function: The church must pray for those in authority and for the protection and healing of the nation (1 Timothy 2:1-3).

                ii.    A Pastoral Function: The church must provide teaching, counseling, and direction to authorities in the government as part of its mission in the earth (Matthew 28:19-20). It must teach Christians to obey authority and pay their taxes (Rom 13:1, 7; 1 Peter 2:13). In areas such as health, education, and development, the state’s responsibilities and the church’s service to others overlaps. Here the church has a unique ability to partner with government, sharing the power and love of Christ for the benefit of all, but the church must be vigilant to keep its pastoral function through refusing to compromise the Gospel message.

              iii.    A Prophetic Function: The church must rebuke and oppose the state when it turns against God or acts unjustly (2 Samuel 12:1-14; Daniel 4:20-27; 5:17-28). When it comes to God or government, God must get our absolute obedience (Acts 5:29), even when it is costly.[4]

2.   GOD INSTITUTED GOVERNMENT TO MOTIVATE US TO RIGHT LIVING IN SOCIETY (Rom 13:3-5)

a.   Civil authorities promote stability (Rom 13:3), and the threat of judgment or punishment motivates us to do right (Rom 13:4). But we should not do right only because we might be punished.

b.   We should also do it because of our consciences (Rom 13:5). Our consciences tell us that God, the ultimate authority, has established government to maintain order and stability, and to resist them is to resist God’s desire for us to have a stable society.[5] We submit to authority not only to avoid God’s wrath but also from an understanding that the state is subordinate to God.[6]

c.   APPLICATION:  Some of us submit to the rule of law only because we are fearful of getting caught and getting punished. But Christians should submit to the rule of law because right living is how they want to conduct themselves. They do it because of their conscience. They do it because they know it is the right thing to do. Christians should have a higher moral law than the government. Do you do just enough to be legal, or do you do what is right because you serve Christ? What about the interest rates you charge? What about the way you supervise your employees? What about your manner of deal making? What about the way you conduct yourself on the job? What about the quotes you give customers? What about the way you take exams? What about the way you act behind your supervisor’s back? You certainly do not want to be in breach of the law, but do you do just enough to be legal, or do you do enough to be right before God?

3.   GOD INSTITUTED GOVERNMENT TO ENCOURAGE RESPECT AND HONOR IN SOCIETY (Rom 13:6-7)

a.   Christian responsibility includes paying taxes to the state, which allows the government as God’s servant, to devote their time to leadership. Paul then tells the church to give the government what is owed them: revenue, respect/fear, and honor.

b.   Taxes here are direct taxes (in the Gospels: tribute), which Roman citizens were exempt from paying in the city of Rome. Revenue is an indirect tax on goods such as revenue from rents on state property, customs duties, death taxes, and taxes on slave sales and manumissions.[7]

c.   Paul here is dealing with a situation regarding taxes which was brewing in Rome. The Roman historian Tacitus tells us that in A.D. 58 there were persistent complaints against Roman tax collectors and the high indirect taxes which brought reform. Paul wrote this letter from to the Roman churches while he was resting in Corinth, Greece, sometime from January to March A.D. 57, so the political situation might have been building. The Jews had a tax exemption under Roman law because they paid into the Temple treasury and early Gentile Christians were usually lumped in with them. Thus, the churches were viewed by ordinary tax-paying Romans as not carrying their fair share of the load. Paul here counsels them to share in their citizenship responsibilities by paying taxes to the government.[8]

d.   Paul is here speaking to a church of their political obligations under an authoritarian government. In a democracy, where every citizen has a responsibility and share in government, the political obligations are much more: to vote in every election you are able, to call your representatives and let them know what is important to you and how you want them to vote, to participate in and run for political office as part of our citizen republic.

e.   ILLUSTRATION: Jesus was clear that we are to render the things to Caesar that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s (Mark 12:17).

f.    APPLICATION: Do you cheat on your taxes? Do you deduct more than you have coming to you? If you cannot pay your taxes, have you sought out the authorities and spoken with them about help in that matter, or have you just let it go? Your witness as a believer in Jesus Christ is tied to paying taxes. In the matter of taxes, the Christian is under obligation to pay all that he owes, to deduct all that the law allows him to deduct, but to pay his dues to the state because he benefits from the state and owes some payment in return for the protection and amenities it provides.

Invitation:

Sources:

Leslie C. Allen, “Romans,” International Bible Commentary, F.F. Bruce, gen. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 1340.

James D.G. Dunn, Romans 9-16, Word Biblical Commentary (Dallas: Word, 1988), 38_B:757-74.

David M. Kasali, “Romans,” Africa Bible Commentary, Tokunboh Adeyemo, gen. ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 1370-72.

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[1] Dunn, 759.

[2] Yusufu, Turaki, “The Church and the State,” ABC, 1371.

[3] Allen, IBC, 1340.

[4] Turaki, ABC, 1371.

[5] Kasali, 1372.

[6] Allen, 1340.

[7] Allen, IBC, 1340; Dunn, 766.

[8] Dunn, 766.

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Memorial Day Weekend

Human Trafficking in Eastern NC: May 26

Could you spot & help a victim of human trafficking? Do you work in healthcare, social work, school counseling, a Christian ministry to the least of these? Are you a pastor? 

Then you need to come to this Free seminar and lunch May 26 at Union Missionary Baptist Church in Rocky Mount,NC http://t.co/X5hz9zQ Must register 252-977-9772. You will receive a certificate of completion to take to your supervisor.

May 26, 10am-3pm
Human Trafficking in Eastern North Carolina 

Call to Register! 252-977-9772

Union Missionary Baptist Church 

 9853 East NC 97, Rocky Mount, NC 27803

The seminar is free and lunch is provided. 

Instructors:

Kory A. Williford, FBI Victim Specialist

Rachel Braver,  Legal Aid of NC

 

 Since we are providing a meal, please call and

register with UMBC at 252-977-9772.

Again, the seminar is free, but we need a head count in order to plan our meal.

Acts 2:42-47 - God's Institution of the Church

The Day of Pentecost

Luke’s sequel to his first book, his Gospel, is the book of Acts. The book of Acts tells the story of the formation and spread of one of the three things God instituted – the Church. The other two are the family, on which civilization is built and government by which society is directed.

Acts begins with Jesus’ command to wait until the Holy Spirit comes and then the disciples would be His witnesses to the ends of the earth (Acts 1:8). At the beginning of chapter 2, the Holy Spirit comes at Pentecost and brings the Church to birth. Peter preaches a powerful sermon that wins 3,000 converts, and then we come to a paragraph that describes the early church.  That paragraph gives us incredible instruction about the nature and work of the Church. That’s where we will camp out today. Let’s read Acts 2:42-47.

Key Truth: Luke wrote Acts 2:42-47 to explain to believers how God instituted the Church to proclaim the Kingdom’s Good News, to demonstrate the Kingdom’s power, to care for those in need of the Kingdom, to worship the King, and to extend the Kingdom through evangelism and missions.

Key Application: Today I want to show you what God’s Word says about God’s institution of the church.

Key Verse: Acts 2:42

Pray and Read:  Acts 2:42-47

Sermon Points: God instituted the Church to . . .

1.   Proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom (Acts 2:42)

2.   Demonstrate the power of the Kingdom (Acts 2:43)

3.   Care for those in need of the Kingdom (Acts 2:44-45)

4.   Worship the King (Acts 2:46-47a)

5.   Invite others into the Kingdom (Acts 2:47b)

Exposition:   Note well,

1.   GOD INSTITUTED THE CHURCH TO PROCLAIM THE GOOD NEWS OF THE KINGDOM (Acts 2:42)

a.   Apostle’s Teaching: didache: “the act of teaching or doctrine taught.” In Hebrew, Torah means “teaching,” too. What did they teach? Things pertaining to the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). This teaching comes from the authority of the Messiah Himself, Jesus (Matthew 28:18-20) and is the same as Jesus’ teaching (e.g., Matthew 5-7-Sermon on the Mount), since Jesus’ covenant is based on better promises (Hebrews 8:6). The Apostles through the Holy Spirit now have the mind of Messiah (1 Cor 2:16) to be reminded of everything Jesus said to them (John 14:26) and to be guided into all truth (John 16:13).[1]

b.   Fellowship: koinonia “community, commonness, communion, fellowship” included deepening friendships and developing a common vision, goals, and priorities. This is the horizontal relationship with others. It is stressed heavily here, being mentioned in four of six verses here.

c.   APPLICATION: One of the key factors of a church’s health is to design ways and means for fellowship to be an integral part of church life week in and week out. When fellowship is absent, the church will plateau or decline. Are you involved in a Sunday School class on Sunday mornings? Sunday School is a tool of outreach and fellowship – not only a Bible lesson. Are you in a small group Bible study? Would you like to be part of one but none of them fit your schedule? Then start one to fit your schedule and invite your friends to it. Are you meeting weekly with someone with whom you can share your life and the Scripture? These are all so important.

d.   Breaking bread: Breaking bread means exactly that, eating together, sharing meals in each others’ homes (see Acts 2:46). Part of the early church’s congregation-wide meal included the Lord’s Supper to remember his sacrifice. Jesus broke bread at the Last Supper and said, “This is my body, broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:20; 1 Cor. 11:24).

e.   Prayer: Both individual and corporate prayer characterized the Jerusalem church. This has been a severely neglected area of our Christian life in many of our churches today. We want results, but we don’t want to pray. Prayer consumes a lot of talk but practiced little. It is the non-Western church that is reminding us of the importance of the practice of prayer, with early morning prayer year round, prayer when you enter someone’s home, prayer and fasting retreats, all night Friday prayer, and their practice has resulted in incredible growth of the church so much that worldwide the Body of Christ is 80% nonwhite today.

2.   GOD INSTITUTED THE CHURCH TO DEMONSTRATE THE POWER OF THE KINGDOM (ACTS 2:43)

a.   There was a constant sense of awe around the early church because of the incredible works of God going on among them.

b.   ILLUSTRATION: Do you remember the awe and joy we experienced just over a year ago when the Duke neurologists and neuro-surgeons had repeatedly told Pam Saunders that her husband was brain dead and there was no hope? As she prepared to move him to a nursing home to give him dignity in death, churches all over Nash County and places across the country prayed for him that Wednesday night. Then around 3:30 that January morning Steve miraculously woke up, wanted to know where he was and wanted something to drink. The Duke neurologists, among the best in the world – and I heard one of them say it myself – said that there was no explanation except a miracle of God. When Pam would ask them for direction, they would tell her that they were in uncharted medicine, that there was no medical record of any kind like Steve’s. I watched the neurology students from Duke Medical School filing into his room to look at him and marvel. The email and phone and facebook was ablaze with the news of Steve’s recovery, and he gave glory to God.

c.   APPLICATION: Contrary to those who take a verse out of context in 1 Corinthians 13, signs and wonders have not ended. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. While miracles are not our focus, we do trust the power and person of Christ in our time of need. It is right to pray for people to be healed  (spiritually and physically) or to command demons to leave us. There is a real spiritual world, and we must recognize it – not get giddy about it – but recognize and deal with it.

3.   GOD INSTITUTED THE CHURCH TO CARE FOR THOSE IN NEED OF THE KINGDOM (Acts 2:44-45)

a.   Many of these new believers had not been planning to stay in Jerusalem after Pentecost. They were headed home afterwards, but their conversion arrested them, and the early church took seriously their discipleship. Local believers sold assets to feed, house, and care for these new believers.

b.   Some mistakenly take these verses to back their personal and political agendas to live communally as some kind of Christian communists. The believers did not plan for such a response. These were 120 from the Upper Room caring to a daily increasing 3000 converts. They were scrambling in an emergency situation.

c.   Thus, these believers were more radical in their giving to the church and sharing material possessions than many of us are today. Their relationships with each other were so strong that they could not tolerate anyone in the church living with material need while others enjoyed prosperity. Just as family members will frequently do, they sold their possessions and good so that they would have resources to care for those in need. They were apparently giving above and beyond the tithe, i.e., ten percent of their income. Jesus taught that giving is an important outward sign of inward commitment to God. He said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Luke 12:34).

d.   APPLICATION: These verses teach unselfishness, unpossessiveness, and hospitality. Giving reflects one’s heart condition. A generous person is a joy to those around them. They go to see people and take something out of their garden or that they have made. Generous people love to have you at their house and nearly compel you to come in. You cannot leave without having something to eat. And have you noticed that it does not matter the financial situation generous people are found in, that they always have enough for themselves after giving of themselves. Who do you think provides for those who give of themselves with hospitality and generosity. The elderly black woman was right: You can’t out-give God.

e.   If you cannot give because you want to keep it for yourself, not realizing that everything you have comes from God anyway, then you are saying that you can provide for yourself better than God can. Foolish man. If you cannot give because you have some possessions that mean more to you, then you have an idol in your life.

f.    Churches in which members do not at least tithe their income (give 10%) to the local church are obviously not high-quality churches. And have you noticed that often the people who spit and spark the most about the way church monies are spent are the ones who give the least?

                  i.    Some people do not give 10% of their income because they have not had accurate Bible teaching on it.

                ii.    Some people do not give because it never occurred to them to give.

              iii.    Some people do not give because their family is going through a tough time financially. That is exactly the time to trust God. For them giving is a significant heart issue of trust in God, and maybe He is testing you in that area of trust and using dollars to do it.

               iv.    Some people do not give because they take no responsibility for the things they receive from the local church. They are just takers and users, not generous. That points to a problem in their own souls.

                 v.    Some people do not give because they are offended or in deep disagreement about something going on in the church. They are handling things in a wrong manner. The appropriate thing to do is to first talk with the person with whom they have an issue. If that does not resolve their offense, they should talk to the appropriate committee or deacons. If that does not resolve the problem, then they should bring the issue to a congregational meeting. If they cannot resolve the issue there, then they should consider whether the Lord is calling them to remain in that fellowship.

g.   One’s giving record – not the amount, but the percentage of income – is a fair measurement of one’s membership commitment. The believers in the Jerusalem church would not have been embarrassed by their giving records. If we were to see your giving record, would you be? The way one handles their giving says a lot about a person’s heart and their trust in the Lord. Just sayin’.

4.   GOD INSTITUTED THE CHURCH TO WORSHIP THE KING (Acts 2:46-47a)

a.   The believers were all Jews, and they went daily to the Temple to worship the Lord and thank Him for his Messiah. Worship today is becoming a more important part of our church services. A growing number of churches, even here locally, worship for an hour or more, then have a sermon for an hour, then have a meal together, similar to our ancestors who came to church to spend time in worship with God’s people, not to “get something out of it” and go out to eat.

b.   ILLUSTRATION: On Friday night the House of Worship Baptist Church from Queens, NY, was here. The service was about an hour of worship and an hour of testimony and sermon. We had a small crowd, but the One who counted was here. Afterward, the Indian worship leader, Boto Matthew, said to me, “I hope the service was not too long for your people. We are used to services lasting over three hours.” This has become the norm in nearly all churches except in the American South and the dead churches of Europe. The songs in these churches are typically directed to the Lord Himself and include the Biblical mandate of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Col. 3:16).

5.   GOD INSTITUTED THE CHURCH TO INVITE OTHERS INTO THE KINGDOM (Acts 2:47b)

a.   Reaching the lost was a priority of the church from the beginning. All that good fellowship, prayer, and Bible teaching did not make the believers turn inward to their own church, but it thrust them out to tell others about Jesus, both those who are close by culturally (evangelism) and those who have not yet had a chance to hear about Jesus (missions).

b.   ILLUSTRATION: Yesterday at our church’s outreach to Bethlehem Woods apartment complex, we invited many people to Vacation Bible School in June. We praised the Lord in song and word and deed. We fed the people a great meal. We played games with the children. And we had four people, two grown men and two grown women, make commitments to Jesus Christ. Marvin Stallings led them all to the Lord. All of them were African American. Barry Lawrence said to me, “Gene, I hope your people can see that the field is WHITE unto harvest among our precious Black friends” – no pun intended.

c.   APPLICATION: The very best method of evangelism, and it has been proven time and time again, is to plant churches. I am praying that our church one day will plant a church here in Rocky Mount primarily designed for African-Americans, though every church should be multi-ethnic and welcoming of every sinner regardless of ethnicity. There is a great harvest waiting out there, souls who need Jesus, and there are churches in our association that can help us and mentor us in this.

Invitation:

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[1] David H. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary, 226-8.

On fire for Jesus

Please do not laid the whole tongue on the food

Genesis 1:26-28; 2:20-25 - God's Institution of the Family

Image via Wikipedia

Brady Bunch

Opening thought: 

Families are important. In family we learn our first ideas. In family we build our first foundation about reality and life In family we first understand authority and how to get along together. I grew up in a family with one Dad and one Mom all my life, a family that these days is in the minority. Amanda grew up in what is called a blended family – kind of like the Brady Bunch. Her mother had two girls and her father had three girls and they had a son after marrying.

Today we begin a new series of studies on our world and God’s vision for it. The first three sermons will set the playing field with the three things God has instituted in our world: the family, the government, and the church. Then we will take several weeks to look at what the Bible teaches about several current issues involving these three institutions of God in more depth. My goal is for us to learn and grow in basic areas of Biblical worldview in such a way that you can see how it applies to your life and the lives of those you love and work with.

Today we will begin with the first institution on which the other two, government and church, are built. We will begin with God’s institution of the family.

Congratulations, graduates!

Nigeria: Pastor’s Wife, 3 Children Killed in Attack

The Rikes: wife Dune, 13yo Sum (in back) died

Kurum, NIGERIA, West Africa — As she lay on the ground after being shot and then slashed with a machete, Dune J. Rike looked into her husband’s tear-filled eyes and asked, “Is this the end between us, so we shall not be together again?”

Pastor James Musa Rike said he held the hands of his dying, 35-year-old wife and told her, “Hold on to your faith in Jesus, and we shall meet and never part again.”

In retaliation for the US killing of Osama bin-Laden, Muslims attacked Christians from three churches in Kurum village in Nigeria’s Bauchi state, at midnight May 4^th, killing 16. Nearly all the killed were children, including three from the Rike family. The jihadists also stole money and valuables and burned 20 homes before leaving the village. 

Nigeria’s population of more than 158.2 million is almost evenly divided between Christians in the south and Muslims in the north.

A destroyed home in Kurum

As armed attackers entered Pastor Rike’s home and tried to force their way into their bedrooms, he said, “I opened a backdoor, and we ran out into the dark night while the militants pursued us. They shot my wife and two of our kids as they tried to escape,” killing Rike’s daughter Faith and 1-year-old son Fyali, and cutting his wife’s abdomen with a machete. 

"I was shocked at what I saw,” he said. “I knew my wife would not last long, and the only thing I did was to encourage her to hold on to her faith in Jesus.”

Rike, pastor of a 30-member Church of Christ congregation in Kurum, next heard the cries of his 13-year-old daughter, Sum, a few yards away. “I rushed to my daughter, only to discover that she too was cut with a machete on her stomach, and her intestines were all around her,” he said. “I held her hand and began to pray, knowing she too was about to die. 

Image via Wikipedia

Bauchi State, Nigeria

She told me that the Muslim militants told her they would kill her and “see how your Jesus will save you.” The girl had responded by telling them that Jesus had already saved her, and by killing her they would only cause her to be with Him. Pastor Rike prayed with her as she died.

Pastor Rike and his son survived the attack unharmed, but his adopted daughter, Whulham, was hospitalized along with five other villagers. Three of those have since died, raising the death toll to 19. 

The attack has strengthened Pastor Rike’s faith in Jesus. “Whatever is the situation, I will never forsake Christ,” he said. “All human beings are created by God, and our attackers must know that they need to abandon anything that will lead them to destroy creations of God.” 

Source: http://www.worldchristianpress.com/story/7114.html 

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