Weekend Sermon-- I Peter-- Introduction

     Hello, and welcome to another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  Thank you for reading the blog again this week.  I pray that it is a blessing to you.
     I want to thank everyone for their prayers this week.  It was a struggle to make it through the week at work.  My new job is very difficult, and it is making me very nervous.  Without the help of the Lord Jesus, I would have probably handed in my resignation this week.  However, I thank the Lord that He did help me, and I made it through the week.  I am feeling much better about the job, and I am thankful to Jesus for providing me with this work opportunity.  Once again, thank you for your prayers, and I humbly ask that you continue to remember me in your prayers.
     In our prayers this week, let us pray for peace.  I heard a very distressing report on the radio this morning about the conflict that is occurring in Libya.  Let us pray for peace in this land.  Let us also pray for peace in Ukraine, Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.  Please continue to pray for the recovery of those afflicted by the Ebola virus.  Here in the U.S. there are many suffering with the flu.  Let us pray for the end of this flu epidemic.
     This week, I am beginning a series of messages on the New Testament book of I Peter.  We will go verse by verse and chapter by chapter and see what the Lord has to say to us.  Every four or five weeks, I will take a break from I Peter and post a sermon on a miracle of Jesus, a parable of Jesus, or some other Bible topic.
     When we begin to consider and study any book of the Bible, it is important at the outset to examine the authorship of the book.  Most conservative and evangelical scholars are in agreement that I Peter was written by the Apostle Peter sometime around 60 AD.  Most of the scholars during the first portion of church history were in agreement on this point as well.  A few scholars believe that this book was not written by Peter because, according to them, the language of the epistle is too Pauline.  These scholars would attribute the authorship of I Peter to an associate of  Paul.
     I firmly believe that this epistle was written by the Apostle Peter.  II Peter may be a different story, but that discussion is for another day.
     As we progress through I Peter, we will see that the theme of this epistle is suffering for the sake of Jesus Christ.  Those to whom Peter was writing were experience a significant time of persecution based on their devotion to the Lord Jesus.  Peter is writing to encourage them and give them hope during this hard time.  This is an important work filled with important themes, and I look forward to going through this book with you in the coming weeks.
     I Peter 1:1 introduces Peter as the author of this work.  Peter also identifies the audience of this epistle as those believers in Christ who reside in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Bithynia and Asia.  I find it interesting that Peter refers to those to whom he is writing as strangers.  That is what we as followers of Jesus truly are.  We are strangers in this world.  The book of Hebrews calls us strangers and pilgrims.
     Those who follow the path of Jesus are supposed to be different from those who do not follow Jesus Christ as Lord.  We are supposed to have different values.  Are actions are supposed to set us apart from the way of this world which is the way of sin that ultimately leads to death and destruction.
     As it says in the Bible, we are not looking for an earthly city.  We are seeking a heavenly city whose builder and maker is God.
     Verse 2 of chapter 1 presents us with one of the most controversial subjects in theology.  I guess this is as good a time as any to address the issue.  Verse 2 states, "Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ:  Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied."
     The entire theological concept of election and predestination is very controversial.  Let me try to explain what I believe the Scripture teaches on this matter.  Let's start by explaining things from a Calvinistic perspective.  Calvinists have an acrostic called TULIP to help describe their beliefs.  The T stands for total depravity.  I, along with Calvinists believe in total depravity.  Humanity is fallen and dead in sin.
     The U stands for Unconditional election.  Here is where I believe the problem comes in.  Calvinists believe in the complete sovereignty of God.  This means that God can do whatever He wishes to do.  I agree with them on this point 100 percent.  The Calvinist believes that God predestined people for salvation or reprobation before the foundation of the world.  They stress that it was an act of God apart from anything that humans did.
    I do not believe that this is quite what the Bible teaches.  According to what we see here in I Peter, and in other Scriptures, God in His sovereignty chose to base election and predestination on the response of individuals to the Gospel.  God in His foreknowledge saw those who would accept Jesus and those who would reject Jesus.  God then elected those whom He foreknew would accept Jesus.  God chose to do it this way.  He was perfectly free to do things anyway that He wished.
    The L in TULIP stands for limited atonement.  This presents a problem because it views the atonement purely in human terms.  While Jesus died to take away our sins, the death and resurrection of Jesus has cosmological significance.  Jesus' work of redemption was about bringing everything in the universe back to the state in which it existed before sin and rebellion entered into the universe.  I do not believe in limited atonement, and I see no place in Scripture where this doctrine is taught.
     The I stands for irresistible grace.  In other words, when the elect person is called by God, they are not able to resist.  I believe that all throughout the Bible people are presented as having free will given to them by God.  Jesus said that whosoever will may come to Him.  Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.  One of the best passages to refute the doctrine of irresistible grace is found in the defense Stephen gives in the book of Acts.  Stephen asks the Pharisees how long they will resist the call of the Holy Spirit.
    The P stands for perseverance of the saints also known as eternal security.  I believe that Jesus clearly taught that someone who believed in Him could decide to turn from Him and go back to a life of rebellion against God.  Jesus once spoke of someone putting their hand to the plow and then looking back.  Jesus said the one the looks back is not worthy of Him.  Contrary to what many Arminians believe, I do not see that the Bible teaches that you can sin away your salvation.  A person can apostasize by telling Jesus that they don't want to follow Him anymore.
    With that said, some may think that I am an Arminian.  I do not consider myself an Arminian or a Calvinist.  I firmly believe in the complete sovereignty of God, and I do not believe in open theism.  I believe that God sovereignly chose to base election on His foreknowledge of people's freely chosen acceptance or rejection of Jesus.  God was free to do otherwise.
    I would also find myself at odds with both Arminians and Calvinists about what the atonement consists of.  As a stated, the atonement of Jesus is cosmological.
    One thing that I truly believe in is that whosoever will may come to Jesus.  Whoever feels the conviction and enabling grace of the Holy Spirit and asks Jesus Christ to forgive them and to come into their heart and be their Savior and Lord will be redeemed.  Jesus will not cast out or cast aside anyone who comes to Him.  He will not cast out anyone who wants to follow Him and tries to do so with all of their heart.
    I realize that this has been a long discussion, but it is important to address this issue especially as it comes up here in verse 2 of chapter 1.
    Before I close this week, I just want to reiterate the fact that no matter who you are, Jesus loves you and cares about you.  He wants you to come to Him and receive His love and salvation.  Don't believe it if someone tells you that you have been rejected by the Lord.  He wants you to come to Him and let Him be your Good Shepherd.
    Next week we will continue our study of I Peter.  On Monday, I will post the verse, and I will have a review on Wednesday.  The Weekend Sermon will appear on Saturday.  May God bless you all this week.  Amen.

Book Review and an Update

    The book that I am reviewing today is one that I may have mentioned in the past, but I can't remember if I mentioned it here on the blog or not.  It is definitely worth mentioning again if I did mention it previously.  "I Have Heard You Calling In the Night" written by Thomas Healy is a great book about how a dog can help to bring about a great change in a person's life. 
     When the book begins, Thomas is a heavy drinker and a pretty rough customer.  Then he acquires  a  Doberman puppy, and Thomas' life begins to change.  Thomas names his new dog Martin, and Martin and Thomas quickly bond and form a deep relationship. 
     It doesn't take Thomas long to realize that if he doesn't bring his drinking under control, he won't be able to keep Martin, and Thomas loves Martin too much to let that happen.
    Much of the book details Thomas' battle to overcome his drinking problem with the help that Martin brings along with Thomas' growing religious faith.
     I would definitely recommend this book.  It is a good book about a man and his dog, and it is a good book dealing with how an individual works to overcome a problem.  This book is for older readers only as it deals in detail with adult themes.
   

Update
     My new job is very mind numbing.  While I am very grateful to the Lord for providing me with this job, I have to say that I do not like this job at all.  However, I have to stick with it in order to pay my debts off and get enough money for a larger ministry.  Please pray that I can do well and keep going.

Update 2
     I plan to post the Weekend Sermon on Saturday.  However, snow is expected.  If the weather is very bad, there might not be a sermon this week.  I plan to start a series on I Peter, Lord willing.  I will break from the series every month or so to do some topical sermons.

Verse For the Week and an Update

Hebrews 4:9-10 --"So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God.  For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his work, as God did from His."

I survived the day at work.  It was a hard day.  Please continue to pray for me.  Thank you Lord for Your help this day.  Amen.

Thoughts On A Sunday Afternoon

     I just have a couple of things that I would like to mention this afternoon.  First of all, I wanted to clarify something that I said in the sermon posted yesterday.   I did not mean to give the impression that people come to Jesus, and Jesus leaves them in the sinful state in which they came.  Jesus accepts anyone who comes to Him.  That is certainly true.  However, the Lord Jesus then begins the work by the power of the Holy Spirit to transform us into His image.  By the work of the Spirit, we grow in the grace and knowledge of the truth, and we as the followers of Jesus become more and more like our Lord as we obey His commandments and walk in His word.
     Second, I really need the prayers of everyone because I am very nervous about tomorrow.  I just don't feel that I have had the training necessary to move into the next step in this job.  Maybe I'm just being nervous for no reason.  However, I would ask that you all would pray that I will be able to do a good job.  I really want to keep this job so that I can get my debts paid and save enough to start a bigger ministry.  Thank you.  When I post the verse tomorrow, I will report on how things went at work.  Lord Jesus help me.
  

Weekend Sermon -- Luke 8:40-56

     Welcome once again to another edition of the Weekend Sermon.  Thank you for reading the blog.  It is good to be with you this week.
     I had a busy and eventful week this past week.  At my new job, I was required to pass several exams in order to receive the licensing that I needed.  The tests were difficult, but I thank the Lord that I was able to pass.  We also started more training this week.  Monday, I have to start implementing the training into the job.  I am not very comfortable about this at this point because I don't feel as if I have mastery of all the material.  I will do my best, and I will pray for the Lord's help.  Please pray for me that I will be able to do a good job on all of this.
    I have a couple of things I want to thank the Lord Jesus for this week.  I thank Jesus for the fact that He has let me have a good job.  I am also thankful that I passed the examinations.  I also prayed that the Lord would heal the pain in my foot, and the pain in completely gone.  Praise be unto the Lord.
     In your prayer time this week, please pray for peace in the world.  Let us focus our prayers on Ukraine where strife continues.  Also pray for the release of those being held hostage by the Islamic extremists in the Middle East.
     Over the past several weeks, we have been in a series about the kings of Israel and Judah.  That series of messages concluded last week.  This week we will study a miracle performed by the Lord Jesus.
     One day, as Jesus was going about His ministry of teaching the people, a man named Jairus came to Jesus asking Jesus to come and heal his daughter who was sick unto death.  Jesus said that He would come with Jairus to heal his daughter, and the multitudes followed the Lord.
     As the Lord was traveling to Jairus' home, a woman with an issue of blood came and touched the hem of Jesus garment.  She thought that if she could just touch Jesus' clothes that she would be healed of the problem that had trouble her for years.  She had been to many physicians and spent all her money, yet she was still suffering with her affliction.
     When this woman touched Jesus' garment, she was instantly healed.  Jesus felt healing power flow out of Him when the woman touched Him.  Jesus stopped, turned and asked who had touched Him.
     Peter said that with all of the people that were thronging around, how could they possibly know who had touched Jesus.  Jesus was determined to know who had touched Him.
    At this point, the woman though she was trembling with fear, identified herself to the Lord.  Jesus said to her, "Daughter, be of good comfort:  thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace."
    Jesus then went on His way to Jairus' house.  When He arrived, the girl was already dead, but Jesus raised the girl from death unto life.
    I don't want to focus on the miracle of Jairus' daughter in our message today.  That message will have to wait for another week.  Instead, I want to focus on what we can learn from Jesus' healing of the woman with the issue of blood.   When we really delve the depths of this miracle, we will see the profound depths of what happened on this day when our Lord walked the earth.
    The Bible does not say what  particular health condition afflicted this woman.  Obviously, it was a type of menorrhagia, but the cause is not revealed.  The physicians of Jesus day certainly had no clue as to how to help the woman. 
     What made this woman's situation even worse than just the physical problem was the fact that according to the religious beliefs of the day, this woman would have been considered unclean and anything and anyone she touched would have been considered unclean.  She would not have been allowed in the synagogue or in the Temple.  She would have been excluded and rejected for years.
     This is the reason that the woman didn't want Jesus to know that she had touched Him.  She feared that a rabbi of Jesus' stature would be angry that a woman in her condition had touched and defiled Him.
     Of course, Jesus wasn't angry with the woman at all.  He called her daughter, and recognized her great faith.
     So what can we learn from this miracle to help us in our day and age.  First of all, this miracle demonstrates that Jesus did not consider anyone to be unclean or unworthy of His love and acceptance.  The religious leaders of Jesus' day excluded people.  They felt as if those who were sick, disabled, unclean or in certain professions were under the judgment of God.  They didn't measure up and God didn't want them.  The religious leaders excluded the people who they thought were sinners, impure and unworthy.
    Jesus didn't feel this way, and this was one of the reasons that Jesus had many clashes with the religious leaders of His day.  Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners.  Jesus touched and healed the unclean lepers and people like this woman with the issue of blood.  Jesus expressed His love to everyone, and Jesus said that anyone could come to Him and receive His love and acceptance.
    Sadly, the church often acts more like the religious leaders of Jesus' day and not like Jesus.  They exclude people and heap condemnation on people.  Often, those who know that they are sinners are made to feel as if there is no hope for them based on the way they are condemned by those in the church and by religious leaders of this day.
    I know that I felt something similar to what the woman in this miracle story must have felt.  When I was a younger man, I had to deal with multiple medical issues.  In the fundamentalist churches that my parents attended, I was often looked down upon because I was sick a lot.  I must have committed some type of sin in order to be sick like this.
    When you are faced with this type of thinking, it begins to make you depressed and it makes you have a distorted view of Jesus.  I thank the Lord Jesus that He allowed me to escape from this fundamentalist way of thinking, and He allowed me to understand who He really is.
    While on this earth, Jesus loved and accepted those who others despised and rejected.  Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever.  He loves and accepts people today. 
     You may have a disease that makes people turn away from you.  Jesus loves and cares about you.  Jesus loves you even if you are in the depths of poverty.  Sometimes, I believe that those whom this world rejects are the ones that Jesus loves the most.
    Jesus came to show us how much God loves us.  He came to show us that anyone came come to the Father and experience His love.
    The church has found many ways to try to exclude people.  We say you aren't welcome because you are involved in one sin or another.  Your not "our" kind of person.  I actually heard that in a church once.  An elder said,  "we don't want them to come to this church; they aren't 'our' kind of people."  We try to exclude people based on race, socioeconomic condition, sexual orientation, gender and age.  I think the worst one is when churches say, "you're not one of the elect."
    Jesus demonstrated in His ministry, and in this miracle with the woman with the issue of blood, that He came to give His love to all.  Jesus loves everyone, and whosoever will may come and receive His forgiveness and salvation.  Jesus said that, "Whoever comes to me, I will in no wise cast out."
    If you have not come to know Jesus as your Lord, Savior and friend because some religious person or some church said that your not welcome or God doesn't care about you, don't listen to that.  Look to Jesus.  Jesus loves you, He cares about you, and He wants to have a relationship with you.  He longs for you to come to Him.  Jesus said, "Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."  Rest in Jesus today, and realize His great love for you.
    Next week, I will post a verse on Monday and a review on Wednesday.  The sermon will appear on Saturday.  May God bless you.  Amen.
    
    
    

Book Review -- An Excellent Book

     I just finished reading one of the best books that I've read in a very long time.  It was truly an excellent book.  The book in entitled "Judy" and the author is Damien Lewis.  "Judy" is the story of the only dog who was an official prisoner of war in a Japanese prison camp during World War II. 
     Judy was an English Pointer who was brought on board a British war ship in the late 1930s as the ship's mascot.  Lewis relates many of Judy's experiences with the crew of the war ship as they patrolled the rivers of China during the time of the Japanese invasion of Manchuria.
     Over time, Judy and her crew mates made their way to Singapore.  As Lewis says, Singapore was supposed to be Britain's impregnable fortress in Asia.  However, the Japanese were able to conquer the city in short order.  Thousands of refugees fled Singapore aboard whatever ships they could find.
    While transporting civilians away from Singapore, the ship Judy was on was destroyed by the Japanese.  The crew and Judy made their way to Sumatra in the hopes of getting Allied transport.  But, it was not to be.  Judy and her mates were taken prisoner by the Japanese.
    Lewis tells in great detail the horrendous treatment the prisoner's of war received in the camp.  Hundreds died as they were forced to work on a railway through the jungle.  During all this time, Judy stayed with her people and was a loyal friend.  She was a source of encouragement, and she was a morale booster for those facing hell on earth.
    As those of you who read this book will discover, Judy was an incredible dog.  However, what I like most about the book is that Lewis details the lives of the humans in Judy's life.  The men who withstood and survived what these British soldiers faced are truly remarkable people.
    I can't recommend this book highly enough.  Get a copy.  Read it.  It's a great book.  A must read.

Verse For the Week

John 15:9 -- "As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:  continue ye in my love."