Sermons From My Heart

Two-year-old Kenneth went missing, but within three minutes of his mom’s 9-1-1 call, an emergency worker found him just two blocks from his home. He was at the county fair. His mom promised he could go later that day with his grandfather, but he had driven his toy tractor there, and parked it at his favourite ride. When the boy was safely home, his dad wisely removed the toy’s battery. Kenneth was actually rather smart to get where he wanted to go, but two-year-olds are missing another key quality: wisdom.

Solomon also lacked wisdom when he became king of Israel. In 1 Kings 2:10-12 and 1 Kings 3:3-14, we see the “passing of the torch”. King David died, and the throne passed to his son Solomon. King David’s death marked the end of a momentous 40-year reign in Israel’s history. The line of David would continue on Israel’s throne, eventually culminating in the birth of the Messiah.

Solomon was known for his wisdom and wealth, and 1 Kings 3:3-14 tells how he got these gifts. Solomon’s rise to power was not easy. He had to wrestle the kingdom from his brother in a deadly campaign against popular military leaders and a high priest. The writer of 1 Kings thought it was important to show the other, more benevolent side of Solomon. He was not only a shrewd politician but also a mild and pious ruler (at least in the early part of his reign) whom God blessed with great abilities.

Before his coronation, Solomon married an Egyptian princess so that a political alliance would be formed between Egypt and Israel. This was at least his second marriage. Multiple marriages that were made for political alliances were common among kings in Old Testament times, but in Solomon’s case he went against God’s rule prohibiting multiple marriages. He also worshipped in forbidden places. These seeds of disobedience would eventually bring down Solomon’s kingdom and cause the kingdom to be divided.

In his book entitled Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the author Robert Louis Stevenson shows how sin can encroach in a person’s life. The magic potion that turned the respected Dr. Jekyll into the wicked Mr. Hyde provided the noble doctor with a convenient way to enjoy sinful pleasure without losing his reputation. When he had his fill of wickedness, all he had to do was take one sip of the antidote to become Dr. Jekyll again, all without a hint of scandal. One day, however, Dr. Jekyll woke to discover that in his sleep, without the help of the potion, he had become Mr. Hyde again. He took the antidote, but nothing happened. No formula he concocted would restore him to the genial, gracious, gentle man he had been. The evil he had voluntarily unleashed in his life had become dominant, supreme, and uncontrollable. Solomon became another example of the same situation, but that would not happen until later in life-long after the events in this passage happened.

Solomon went to the temple in Gibeon to make sacrifices. Gibeon was also the last resting place for the tabernacle and had become the centre of worship before the temple was built in Jerusalem. Here the God of heaven bent down to meet Solomon. God granted the supplication of Solomon and gave the key to all His treasures to the young man. God knew Solomon well enough to know that he could be trusted with the wide open offer to grant him anything he wished. God knows our needs better than we know them ourselves, and He often grants them without our asking. He still wants us to ask, and some of His gifts come only when we ask. God is like a wise parent who knows what a child needs but who also knows how important it is that the child be encouraged to talk to the parent.

Solomon’s dream was a means of direct revelation from God, not a symbolic vision needing interpretation. Scholars estimate that Solomon was about 20 years old at this time. His answer to God’s question marks his maturity as well as his love for the Lord. He was young and inexperienced. He stood in the shadow of his father David’s glorious reign, and that could be intimidating to a young man. He knew that the Israelites were great in number and difficult to lead. He knew that the people were looking to him to lead, to guide, and to judge.  He recognized that his burden was heavy, and he had the wisdom to tell God that he was inadequate.

Solomon encountered what is known as imposter syndrome. He felt that he was underqualified. He lacked skills compared to his father. He was learning the ropes of his new role. This could have been debilitating or paralyzing. It could have derailed him from entering this new venture. It was a steep learning curve that could have revealed his weaknesses-if he had not relied on the Lord.

In asking for wisdom, Solomon asked for the highest gift. In the Old Testament, wisdom was considered to be the greatest gift. It can put itself in the place of others because it includes sensitivity and imagination. Great leaders must know more than facts about others. They must also be able to feel for them and get inside their situation. Worthy leaders must be able to love the unlovable and see them as God sees them. A hearing heart is an indispensable quality of leadership. He who seeks this kind of wisdom first is already wise.

God is pleased when, in our hearts, we put others before ourselves. He delights in prospering us when prosperity is not our chief aim. When we get it right, and in our hearts we do place others before ourselves, God can bless us beyond our wildest dreams.

When we put God first, when we put God’s will before personal gain, He will bless us. The more we pour out to God, the more He pours out to us. The blessings we receive will not always be material, but living for the Lord will always result in a deeper and stronger relationship with Him. Solomon’s example reminds us of the truth found in Matthew 6:33- “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

The humility of an understanding heart births a spirit that is sensitive to what God says through His Word and His people. The word “discern” derives from the same root as the word “between” and refers to the ability to choose between two options. The additional gifts of riches and honour, along with the conditional offer of a long life, signaled God’s pleasure at Solomon’s request.

If we want to summarize the meaning of this passage, we will find some very clear and concise principles related to our asking:

1. God wants us to ask Him to meet all of our needs.
2. God loves to reveal to us His desires and His ways of doing things.
3. We can ask God for all things, including those that relate to the natural world.
4. We are wise to ask in agreement with others.
5. We must always ask in faith and in the name of Jesus.
6. God will respond to our needs not in a way that opposes His commandments, but in a way that pleases Him and brings Him glory.
7. We can be assured that whenever we ask God for something, He hears and answers us, giving us precisely what we need-which may not be what we think we need, but which always benefits us most.

An audio version of this message can be found at https://www.spreaker.com/episode/1-kings-2-verses-10-12-and-1-kings-3-verses-3-14-solomon-and-wisdom–61053280

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 443,445)
2. Dilday, R., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 9: 1,2 Kings (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1987; pp. 58-65)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F., Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Berni Dymet, “Wisdom and Wealth.” Retrieved from www.christianityworks.com
6. Ashley Moore, “How to Lead Well When Underqualified.” Retrieved from www.crosswalk.cim/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/
7. Anne Cetas, “Missing: Wisdom.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
8. Ed Young, “The Gift of Wisdom.” Retrieved from info@edyoung.com
9. Crystal B., “God Gives More Than Requested.” Retrieved from www.actsweb.org
10. Bayless Conley, “A Prosperous Attitude.” Retrieved from Bayless@AnswersBC.org

Has anyone ever told you that certain tasks or occupations are women’s work or men’s work? That attitude was very strong in Old Testament times because women and children were seen as nothing but property. Women had very few rights. They were seen as second class citizens in the eyes of everyone but God. We see a good example of how God uses women to do His work in Judges 4:4-23.

The people of Israel had the tendency to get themselves into a lot of trouble because of their disobedience to God, and this led to servitude at the hands of their enemies. You would have thought that the prosperity they experienced following the days of Joshua would have increased their faith, however this was not the case. How many times does the Bible record such things with Israel? The Bible also recorded many other nations going through the same things. Why don’t people learn from history?

Deborah was a wife and a mother. In that sense she was an obvious choice because of the gifts of wisdom, judgment, and pastoral direction which she was already exercising to the great benefit of God’s people. She was serving as a mother to the whole nation at a time when male leadership was conspicuous by its absence. She took the needs of the people to heart, watched over them, and worked things out for their best interests.

This role was not one that she chose for herself. She was a prophetess. God marked her out for a special task by giving her the gift of His grace, through which she was able to both receive and pass on His word of truth to His people. Deborah, the Jewish prophetess, is the only judge of Israel that the text says people came to her for judgment. Deborah was confident in God’s word, God’s will, God’s work, and God’s way. God chooses the person with the strongest character to lead His people to victory at crucial times. The key elements for such leadership are faith, trust, and worship.

The New Testament makes it clear that while the variety of gifts and abilities given to women are many and far-reaching, they are not without limit. God has often chosen to raise up godly women as agents of change in the history of His church, especially through their perception, their prayers, and their pastoral service. Deborah did not try to take the man’s role. She did not lead the army. That was God’s summons to Barak, through her, and she would not step beyond the task which God had given her to do.

Barak was given the divine command, the divine strategy, and the divine promise from God that He would deliver Sisera into Barak’s hand. Obedience is always the product of faith. In Scripture, it is by believing the promises that we are enabled to obey the commands. In God’s mercy, both of them run together. Barak was the recipient of both, but while he readily answered Deborah’s summons, he did not match up to her faith.

Barak tried to make his obedience conditional. He wanted Deborah to come with him; otherwise, he would not go. Deborah had already prophesied in detail how they would be victorious, so what was the point of her being there in person? Barak should have had the courage to do this without her. When we start to bargain with God about the clear terms of His Word which demand our obedience, we are bound to be wrong-footed. Barak had more confidence in Deborah’s presence than in God’s Word. Consequently, his lack of real trust excluded him from sharing the glory of the victory. Instead, he suffered the huge indignity for a military leader of his task being fulfilled by a woman.

God was not displeased with Barak’s request for Deborah to accompany him to the battlefield; God was glad. Barak wanted Deborah to travel with him because Deborah was God’s mouthpiece. Barak didn’t want to fight anyone without constant access to the heart and will of God in all matters. God has left us with His master plan for how we as His children can work side-by-side, each using our respective talents, to accomplish God’s work-especially when it means going up against the devil. Why leave half the team behind when God calls all of us!!

When God calls to us through Scripture to some fresh or renewed obedience, if through lack of faith we fail to obey, we will not hold up God’s work. He will simply drive around us and give the honour of being His agent to someone else. We can’t hold back God’s work by our little faith. All we do is disqualify ourselves from sharing in its blessings.

Verses 10-16 portray the battle against the Canaanites. God arranged the forces of nature so that the chariots became stuck in the mud in the river Kishon. The word “routed” literally means “confused.” This was another deliverance, like that at the Red Sea, where God won the victory and rescued His people.

As Deborah prophesied, the honour went to a woman. Jael killed the enemy general with simple household tools-a tent peg and a hammer. Jael’s bold stroke in a tent rather than on a battlefield drew praise from both Deborah and Barak. Her strength and skill had no doubt been toughened by a common duty of hammering down pegs to secure tents or striking them loose to take down tents.

The story of Sisera’s death is a violent one, but it is important because it foreshadows Christ’s victory and deliverance of humankind. Just as God answered the cries of His people and saved them through the efforts of a woman, He ultimately glorified Eve’s offspring, raised up His only Son, and gave the devil a fatal blow to the head. God hears our cries and He is always quick to deliver us. The devil’s plans will have no victory in our lives, because our souls are safely anchored in Jesus.

The contrast is striking. Jael, who did not have a clear word from God, acted courageously, unlike Barak, the military general who did have a clear word. God makes heroes out of ordinary people who will loyally and courageously carry out His mission. Today, that mission is making disciples of Christ and serving as His witnesses.

How would our world be different today if we promptly seized every Spirit-driven opportunity, using the tools at hand? If we fight every battle with faith and action, we can be confident that we will win in the end because ultimate victory is already ours through Christ!

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 316)
2. Jackman, D., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 7: Judges, Ruth (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1991, pp. 79-83)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 313-314)
6. Mike Slay and Matt Richardson, “Embarrassment.” Retrieved from noreply@ailbe.org
7. Bobby Schuller, “Crushing Evil.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
8. Alan Wright, “Deborah (Part 1).” Retrieved from www.sharingthelight.org
9. “It Doesn’t Matter Who Gets the Credit.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Ed Young, “Think Fast!” Retrieved from info@edyoung.com
11. “Deborah: An Example of Godly Leadership.” Retrieved from acts@actsweb.org
12. Don Ruhl, “Doing Evil Leads to Oppression.” Retrieved from comment-reply@wordpress.com

from 2 Samuel 11:1-15 is part of the larger story of David’s sin. This story does not gloss over anything. It dramatizes David’s humanness in an unforgettable way. It also reminds us that in accomplishing His purpose God is always forced to use fallible people. It warns against presumption upon position and status, that all people are vulnerable, and that no one is above God’s law.

The more likely reason for the inclusion of this story, which shows David in such a bad light, is to explain the events that come in the succeeding chapters as a result of God’s judgment upon David. The repercussions of David’s sins do not end with the death of his and Bathsheba’s son but seem to lay the foundation for a whole series of tragic events-rape, murder, and insurrection. The shock waves that began in a lustful heart on a rooftop were still being felt when David lay dying and was being pressured to make Solomon his successor on the throne.

In the Near East, kings normally went out to battle in the spring of the year because of the good weather and the abundance of food along the way. Had David been leading the troops as a king should, he would never have found himself in this moment of enticement. Also, he literally presided over a harem despite God’s command to refrain from multiplying wives and concubines. So that moment on the rooftop was part of a pattern: sin is never satisfied. It gets more and more daring as it opposes God. It was simply a matter of time before David’s sins would catch up with him.

David’s sin occurred because he ignored his duty and indulged his desire. David now had leisure he was not equipped to enjoy. He was a man of action with a bit of time on his hands, a warrior who now took naps in the afternoon and he may have felt the need for some excitement, for a new interest, or for an escape. David’s sin could have stopped with nothing more than an erotic fantasy, but it didn’t.

David did not sin by catching a glimpse of a bathing beauty. He sinned when he failed to take his eyes off of her. David was now the most powerful person in the kingdom and had grown accustomed to getting whatever he wanted, so he followed up his physical desire with an inquiry “about the woman.” David soon discovered that lust gives birth to sin, and full-grown sin brings forth death,

Caught in the passion of the moment, David ignored the statement  of his servant: “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite” The statement was David’s way out-if only he had heeded it. Uriah was one of David’s elite soldiers. To pursue Bathsheba would be not only foolish but also unjust.

What happened to David? The simple answer is altitude sickness. He was high too long. The thin air messed with his senses. He could not hear like he used to. He could not hear the warnings of the servant or the voice of his conscience. He is a good reminder of the old saying that “idle hands are the devil’s playground.” When someone wants to do wrong, it is never God who is tempting him or her, for God never wants to do wrong and never tempts anyone else to do it. Temptation is the pull of man’s own evil thoughts and wishes.

Nowhere does Scripture implicate Bathsheba in this event. She was innocently taking a bath, as she normally did within the supposed privacy of her courtyard. David saw her and he coveted her; then he sent for her and took her. She was a subject of the king and was required to do his bidding. When Bathsheba heard of Uriah’s death, she mourned for her husband. We do not know how she felt, since these words may be a reference to the prescribed ritual of mourning for the dead. It could have been as little as a week. We do know that she became one of David’s wives and bore him a son.

Hebrew law required that anyone caught in adultery should be stoned. While it was improbable that that the people would insist on such punishment for their king, his actions would have discredited him had they been known, so David tried to cover up his adultery and make it appear as if Bathsheba’s child belonged to Uriah. There is no limit to the depths of sin a person is capable of once he or she starts to walk away from God.

Uriah’s sense of duty, even when he was drunk, contrasted with David’s failure to even show up for battle. Some have wondered if Uriah heard rumours about his wife’s affair with David and refused to go home as a way of forcing David to live with the situation that he had created. Since David used servants in arranging the liaisons, there is little likelihood that his liaison had been kept a secret and word could have made its way to Uriah. The Scriptures tell us nothing of what Uriah felt or knew, only what he did. He is presented as a faithful and pious soldier who had more respect for the law of God when he was drunk than his king did when he was sober.

David was so anxious to cover up his sin that he was willing to commit murder, an act he had vehemently opposed regarding Saul. Committing just one sin often makes people callous to bigger sins, until they find themselves doing things they never imagined they would do. Once David began his effort to cover up his sin, each step seemed inevitable: first lust, then adultery, then deceit, and finally murder.

Our world has had its share of highly placed people who made matters worse as they sought to cover up their wrongdoing. A good example is Donald Trump’s recent conviction (as of 2024) for altering business records to cover up payments made to former prostitute Stormy Daniels to keep their affair secret. The world judges its’ own by a person’s greatest accomplishment, but it judges God’s people by their greatest moral failures. The world does not care if someone once touched the lives of millions for good, but it celebrates moral and financial failure. Should we expect more?

All of us are sinners. We lower our standards and values for just a little taste. The next thing we know, we have fallen into the trap of sin and don’t know how we got there. It starts with a small lie or a casual glance. One bad choice leads to a whole slew of other bad choices, and we are trapped. Temptation and sin often come in enticing packages. The problem is that once we have taken a bite, it gets easier and easier to fall into sin and harder and harder to stop pleasing ourselves.

Bad choices have consequences. David and Bathsheba suffered the loss of a child, but God remembered Bathsheba. God gives us second chances. He even gives us third and fourth chances. God forgives. When we mess up, God doesn’t give up.

So many believers don’t realize how susceptible they are to falling into sin. Many Christians are set up for a fall because they say, “Anything but that. Anyone but me!” Proverbs 16:18 says that pride comes before the fall. There is no sin that a Christian could not commit if his or her eyes are taken off Jesus Christ. When it comes to temptation, if we keep our eyes on Christ we will be able to resist temptation.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 2013; pp. 413-414)
2. Chafin, K.L., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 8:1,2 Samuel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 272-279)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 406-408)
6. Kelly McFadden, “Hooked.” Retrieved from https://homeword.com/
7. Allistair Begg, “Beware of Temptations.” Retrieved from newsletters@truthforllife.org
8. Jack Graham, “Winning Life’s Battles.” Retrieved from jgraham@powerpoint.org
9. “Dangerous Relationship.” Retrieved from Crosswalk@crosswalkmail.com
10. Harold Sala, “Here’s How Sexual Infidelity Happens.” Retrieved from info@guidelines.org

Have you ever paused to consider that you have a key part in God’s plan for salvation and reconciliation? We, as saved Christians, have been adopted into Christ’s family. The apostle Paul explains this in Ephesians 1:3-14.

Verses 3-14 contain the longest sentence in the Greek New Testament. It is as if Paul does not want to take a breath until he has communicated everything God has planned for His people, from eternity past until eternity future. This prayer is rooted in the content of Paul’s life. Expressed in prayer is a great new understanding that Paul has talked about but never fully developed in other letters: the abolishment of the barrier between Jew and Gentile in the fellowship of one church is not only a part of God’s plan for them, it is the key to understanding God’s plan for the whole universe-His intention to unify the entire universe in Christ Jesus. This is big thinking and big praying.

How we see ourselves, who we think ourselves to be, determines the direction of our lives and shapes our relationships. We need something to hold on to in our slippery world. That something is faith.  Our wide-open, permissive society has led to the comparing of our times with the period of sin and drunkenness in first-century Rome. We don’t use words like sin; we don’t take sin that seriously. Our society is bent on gratifying, titillating, and catering to our wants, whims, and wantonness-all for pleasure.

In talking about God’s plan and our place in it, Paul uses two phrases that deserve serious attention. The first phrase is “in the heavenly places.” This was not simply a designation for the habitat of God, or the place to which Christians go when they die. Heaven was a part of the created universe. For Paul it is a term of human topography. It was the realm of all unseen reality, good and evil. Not only God, but the evil powers have their operation “in the heavenly places.” Heaven also stands for man’s invisible, spiritual environment, as contrasted to the tangible, visible environment of earth.

The second phrase that Paul uses is “predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ.” The word “predestine” literally means to determine beforehand. In this context, it simply means that God the Father chose His people for a purpose and determined that His purpose would be their adoption as sons and daughters of Christ. In giving them all the corresponding rights and privileges-including free and unlimited access to the Father-He has assigned them the same status as Jesus. The salvation of Christ is universal in the sense that it is available to everyone. This phrase is the triumphant expression of the glory of the redeemed-those who have responded to their chosenness, to God’s grace.

In order to understand adoption as referred to by Paul, we have to understand Roman law. Girls were not adopted under Roman law. Only sons inherited property. Sons were frequently adopted in order to give them their grand inheritance, and the focus was on a Roman citizen who chose a son to be adopted. In adoption, it was the will of the father that was important, not the will of the son. All legal rights were with the father and none with the son. It was the father’s will which controlled everything. The concept of adoption was pleasureful, a source of happiness and joy as the father designated his adopted son to be his designated heir and receive a grand inheritance.

When we are adopted by Christ when we accept Him as our Saviour, we become full sons and daughters of Christ. We no longer remain as orphans who may grow up to be sold off as slaves. United as one loving family, we share our God-given, unique personalities and abilities. There is no greater privilege than to be sons and daughters of Christ. Together we will learn the mystery of God’s will and plans.

Against the backdrop of God’s concern of sin ravaging His children’s relationship with Him, Paul saw the Cross as the supreme revelation of love. This revelation was overwhelming-that the sinless One would become “sin for us,” ready and glad to endure the shame and agony of the Cross on our behalf. When Jesus Christ-the sinless Son of God-died on the cross, all our sins were transferred to Him, and He took upon Himself the judgment and hell that we deserve.

When Jesus said, “It is finished,” it meant that in every generation and from every nation, anyone who comes to Him and bows at His feet, receiving and accepting the blessings that come from that finished work of Christ, will be eternally saved. His sacrifice was once and for all, but its effect, it’s blessing, continues on and on and on to everyone who comes and bends their knees before Him, acknowledging Him as their Saviour and Lord. The action is finished, but the results continue. The work is done, but the effect continues.

Love and sacrifice go together. We are redeemed through the shed blood of Jesus. This is not a strange word for Paul. For sinners Jesus “made peace through the blood of His cross.” We are justified by His blood. Those who were once far off have been made near to God by the blood of Christ.

Paul was thinking about sacrifice, but the sacrifice was not an offering being made to secure favour; it is not a price paid to an enslaving power. The obedience of Christ’s life, the utter self-abandonment and self-consecration of love-an obedience unto death, “even death on a cross”-this was Christ’s sacrifice. The redemption wrought by this sacrifice is not the regaining of something through purchase, but deliverance by an act of divine power. Power, not price, is the key. That power is the very power of God because the love that initiated it is God’s love. The primary meaning of this redemption is forgiveness. The result of this forgiveness is that we can respond to God in all wisdom and prudence.

Those who are in Christ have every spiritual blessing needed for spirit, soul, and body; for the past, present, and future; for salvation and service; for time and eternity, both now and forever. The spiritual blessings believers have in Christ encompass every need and aspect in their lives. Paul specifies that these blessings are in the heavenly places so that readers will understand: this promise is not one of earthly blessings that will pass away but of spiritual blessings that will endure forever!

God is love, and love does not wish to live alone-by definition, love requires relationship, so God chose for Himself a people to be His own special possession. This is God’s gift to us, and we owe Him a boundless debt of gratitude for what He has done for us. Grace is God’s stance of giving, loving, and blessing.

The word “beloved” is a reference to Christ. The believer’s relationship with the sinless Christ is what makes him or her acceptable before God. God is a God of grace. His grace has been defined as His unmerited and undeserved love in action. It is by His grace that we are saved. It is by His grace that we are set free. It is by His grace that we are “accepted in the beloved.” The beloved is Jesus.

Six times in this Letter to the Ephesians, Paul reminds His readers of God’s riches: the riches of His grace, the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, the riches of His mercy, the exceeding riches of His grace, the unsearchable riches of Christ, and the riches of His glory. Because God is its source, this wealth can never be depleted and can never be lost. We think that anything worth having must require hard work and sacrifice on our part, but the grace of God is just the opposite. It is the supernatural intervention of God on our behalf.

The original force of the term “redemption” recalls the word “forum”, the place in ancient cities where slaves were bought and sold. Believers have been redeemed from the bondage of sin and freed by the shed blood of Christ. The purpose of God for our lives is not for us to receive honour and glory. All the good things that we accomplish are only possible because of Him, and He alone deserves all the praise for anything we do.

When the New Testament speaks of a mystery, it normally refers not to a secret, but to a truth that has previously been unknown. The mystery of God’s will focuses on God’s great plan to centre all things-both in heaven and on earth-in His Son, Jesus Christ. The mystery is now made known. The purpose that had been formed in divine counsel was expressed in the ordering of history: to “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven and which are on earth-in Him.

The dispensation of the fullness of the times refers to the time when God’s plan will be fully revealed at the second coming of Christ. Then everyone on earth will recognize that Jesus is Lord. The literal meaning of this mystery is packed with significance. It boggles our minds as it did Paul’s-that all history has been a preparation for, a planning and thinking for, an arranging and an administering for the goal of God-that the world would be brought together as one family in Christ.

The believer’s inheritance consists of the promise of eternal life with God and all the spiritual blessings the heavenly Father supplies until then. Not only does God give His people an inheritance, but His people also make up His inheritance. God has deposited a Christ seed in us. As it grows, we will change. It’s not that sin has no more presence in our lives, but rather that sin has no more power over our lives. Temptation will pester us, but temptation will not master us.

When something is sealed, it is marked with the owner’s name and secured as his or her possession. God marks believers as His very own by sending His Holy Spirit to live in them. When we accept Christ in faith, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit. How does the Holy Spirt function? He is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession. To get the full impact of this statement we need to remember that in the New Testament, salvation is three-sided.  It is a past fact, a present experience, and a future hope. The Spirit reveals God, makes effective in our lives the power of Christ’s sacrifice, perfects in love (making us holy and blameless), and seals us forever as belonging to God. The Holy Spirit was not an option, but an essential reality in the Christian experience.

The Bible says that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. This means that there is nothing incomplete or defective about us. When God made us, the last thing He did was check us out, thoroughly examining and inspecting us before placing His final seal of approval on our hearts. The seal of the Holy Spirit is also the guarantee that we will make it to our final destination.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1639)
2. Dunnam, M.D., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 31: Galatians/Ephesians/Philippians/Colossians/Philemon (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc., 1982; pp. 144-153)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Rosina N., “God Equips US With All the Resources We Need.” Retrieved from acts@actsweb.org
6. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 1631-1633)
7. Dr. Paul Chappell, “Praise Belongs to God.” Retrieved from daily@dailyintheword.org
8. Pastor Allen Jackson, “Grace Freely Given.” Retrieved from contact@allenjacksonministries.com
9. The Rev. Charles Qualls, “Redeemed, Forgiven, and Adopted.” Retrieved from www.day1.org
10. The Rev. Dr. Billy Graham, “Will God Forgive Me for Being a Lousy Mother?” Retrieved from https://www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham/
11.  Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Eternally Fulfilled.” Retrieved from mydevotional@ltw.org
12. The Rev. Edward Markquart, “The Strong Will of God.” Retrieved from www.sermonsfromseattle.com
13. The Rev. Sharron R. Blezard, “Redemption and Reconciliation: Why We’re Here.” Retrieved from www.stewardshipoflife.org
14. Mary Simonson Clark, “Ephesians 1:3-14.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu

The passage we heard from 1 Samuel 17:1,4-11 is one of the best-known and most loved stories in the Bible. The story has embedded itself in the culture and language of humanity. It is so well-known that it has become the way of describing any conflict in which there is a marked difference between the combatants, whether they are athletes, companies, or nations.

This story has a special appeal for Christians, partly because of the natural support for the underdog. A larger reason for its popularity is that so many of us can identify with the situation. We are constantly challenged in our lives by the giants of the world, and we find courage and inspiration in David’s idealism and his faith in God. This is not just a story about a young man fighting a much larger enemy. It depicts the conflict of the ages. It is a story about the battle that has been raging ever since Satan rebelled against God-the confrontation between good and evil, between God and His enemy.

A deep ravine between two giant cliffs in Israel’s valley of Elah is purported to be the very site where this battle took place, The gap between the cliffs is about 100 yards wide-the distance of a football field. The army of the Philistines would have gathered on one side, and the army of Israel on the other, to witness the battle between David and Goliath. In the ancient world, wars were sometimes decided in a head-to-head battle between two champions. People believed that the gods determined the matter through these two warriors. Throughout the account, David’s youth and Goliath’s experience were emphasized. By earthly accounts, only one of them was a man of war.

Goliath came from a culture that was compromised primarily of mercenaries who traveled from the Aegean Sea and wrought havoc from Syria to Egypt. He was the fiercest warrior of the Philistines. He was the largest and strongest human, long experienced in warfare, and prepared for both hand-to-hand combat with the sword as well as distance battles with the spear. Despite his size, he was very quick and nimble. Notice that Goliath was fully armed, in spite of his massive size. He even had a shield-bearer who went before him.

David would leave Saul’s armaments behind and face his foe with only five stones, a sling, and the shield of faith. David looked at Goliath, saw his heavy chain mail and his spear and knew that he had the weapon that was needed-namely, a rocket launcher. Goliath would be far too slow to either get close enough to David or dodge the stone. The Bible consistently minimizes the importance of military weapons and emphasizes their relative uselessness in warfare. God laughs at enemies who put their trust in weapons.

In human terms alone, Goliath was invincible, but David counted on the Lord being with him and making the difference. David had a special background. As a shepherd he was used to protecting the flock against wild animals. It’s not that David was stronger than bears or lions, but that lifestyle helped shape David to focus on God.

What distinguishes David from all the other characters in this story is his trust in God. Goliath was confident in his size and weapons. The Israelite soldiers lacked confidence in themselves and did not trust God. David was different. His trust in God was complete, and in this trust he offered both a model for kingship and a posture for the people of Isreal.

If his presence created fear, Goliath’s words added shame to the fear. The speech that he gave each day for forty days, morning and evening, is recorded in verses 8-10, and it represented a challenge not just to the army of Israel but to the God of Israel. To either ignore the challenge or to decline it was a humiliation both to Israel and to her God.

Can you imagine the state of the morale among the army of Israel? We’re not being called out by a giant, but we all know what failure feels like. When we’ve lost our courage or made a poor choice, the enemy will tell us that we are a failure, that we will never succeed. His objective is to break our will so that we will never try again. We must not let Satan win this spiritual battle. Our God is a gracious God of second chances and third chances, and His power that formed the universe is available to us as we face life’s challenges. When we see His power at work in our lives, our faith will grow and we will trust Him to show Himself faithful again.

David was outraged that this godless man was insulting the God of the Israelites, even in front of the Israelite king. David knew and was confident that his God was with him in the fight. This was the God he probably got to know very intimately on the hillsides of his home country, when things were quiet and he was isolated with his flocks. May we, in the face of real and sometimes very deep fears, remember our God, and that He is for us.

When Saul was appointed as king of Israel, everyone was struck by his size. When the Holy Spirit came upon him, he became a fearless warrior. In our Old Testament reading last week, we read that God rejected him as king, and then the Holy Spirit left Saul. Now, there was caution and fear. The challenges that seemed so possible in God’s strength now appeared as impossible missions.

All of Israel felt the way Saul did. This is an example of what happens to a people when their leadership is frightened. There is no place where fear is more contagious than in a leader. It is sad to observe this in a nation and even sadder when it happens in the church. Fear, left unchecked, can ruin us both spiritually and physically. Saul and Israel had proven themselves to be greatly concerned with outward appearances and were able to be influenced by the fear of men. It was only natural that Goliath would be their worst nightmare come true.

Though the Israelites feared losing to Goliath, they forgot who called them to enter the Promised Land. They saw God fight for them in many previous battles, but they neglected to trust Him in this one. David’s focus was not on the size of the enemy, but on God.

There are certain things anyone knows not to do. You don’t fight a lion with a toothpick. You don’t sneeze into the wind. You don’t go bear hunting with a cork gun. And you don’t send a shepherd boy to battle a giant…unless you are out of options. Saul was. It is when we are out of options that we are most ready for God’s surprises.

We might want to contemplate the identity of various giants who shout out to God’s people. These giants may be a giant rift in our families or wounds in our hearts, or they may be doubts, illness, or anything else that threatens our well-being. We should explore how we usually respond to these giants. When we do, we have to ask ourselves how the Lord would want us to respond. God’s adopted sons and daughters of all times and places essentially think and act as if God is dead, powerless, or uninterested. God sides with oppressed and powerless people.

When we hitch onto the Spirit, it is impossible to know what the future will hold. When it comes to our faith, we have the choice of whether we will live in fear or in trust. That applies to all aspects of our lives, but especially to what we do at church. Church growth is fairly simple. If you always do what you’ve always done, you will always get what you’ve always gotten. It seems that many think that the way to promote the vitality of a church is to take old familiar ways and just push them harder. Seeking new vitality requires new directions, and that takes courage and faith. It takes faith to step into the unknown like David did when he confronted Goliath.

The punch line about David and Goliath was something to the effect that God uses insignificant people and unlikely means to accomplish improbable feats. When we’re gripped by fear, let’s follow David’s example and fix our eyes on God to gain a right perspective of the problem. The threat may be real, but the One who is with us and for us is bigger than that which is against us. When we face impossible odds, we receive divine guidance and energy, and we can do greater things than we can imagine. The impossible becomes possible as we tap into God’s energy. When we trust God, we can respond with courage and strength to the forces that threaten to defeat us.

When the enemies of God and His people become brazen in their attacks, it is imperative that those of us who love God and the truth take a clear and definite stand. Yet it is often in those moments that we are tempted to stand back and hope that someone else will confront the problem. We do not have to be afraid of our enemies, for God is more powerful than all of them put together. When we face the giants in our lives, we must remember the greatness of our God! Though Satan can look threatening, he is only a shadow, and he flees at the Name of Jesus. While Satan can intimidate and make noise, he has no power over our future, so we do not need to live in fear of him.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 378)
2. Chafin, K.L., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 8: 1,2 Samuel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 1126-128)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 371-372)
6. Roger Nam, “Commentary of 1 Samuel 17: [1a,4-44,19-23] 32-39.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
7. Doug Bratt: “1 Samuel 17: (1a,4-11,19-23) 32-49.” Retrieved from https://cepreaching.org/authors/doug-bratt/
8. John C. Holbert, “In the Name of YHWH? Reflections on 1 Samuel 17:1a,4-11,19-23,32-39.” Retrieved from https://www.patheos.com/about-patheos/john-c-holbert
9. Ralph W. Klein, “Commentary on 1 Samuel 17: [1a,4-11,19-23]32-49.” Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
10.  The Rev. Dr. Alan Brehm, “In the Name of the Lord.” Retrieved from www.thewakingdreamer.com
11. Daniel Clendenin, “After He Killed Him, He Cut Off His Head: David, Goliath, and Sacred Violence.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
12. Albert Lee, “Overcoming Fear.” Retrieved from donotreply@email.rbc.org
13. Graham Slattery, “David and Goliath.” Retrieved from seeds@ellel.org
14. Pastor Allen Jackson, “Second and Third Chances.” Retrieved form emails@allenjacksonministries.com
15. Dr. Paul Chappell, “Don’t be Silent.” Retrieved from daily@dailyintheword.org
16. Bobby Schuller, “Giants Fall.” Retrieved from hourofpower@hourofpower.org
17. Meg Jenista, “1 Samuel 1: (1a,4-11,19-23), 32-49 Commentary .” Retrieved from https://cepreaching.org/authors/meg-jenista/

A man worked for a bank in a large city. On the ground floor of the bank building, there was a cafeteria. Every day this man would get a two-cent pat of butter and hide it under his roll so he wouldn’t have to pay for it when he got through the line at the cashier.

This went on for a month or so, and people began to watch him. They saw him steal the butter and reported it to the bank president. The president fired the man on the spot, saying, “If I can’t trust a man with a two-cent pat of butter, how can I trust him with thousands of dollars?”

1 Samuel 16 begins that part of 1 Samuel which tells of both Saul and David. It covers the rest of 1 Samuel and the first chapter of 2 Samuel. These chapters tell the deterioration of Saul who, though he has been rejected by God, still reigns as the king of Israel. They also tell the story of the development of David from the shepherd lad in his father’s house to his place as the shepherd king of Israel. While the events took place in a more primitive setting than ours, there is insight to be gained as we watch God relating to nations and to individuals in order to work out His eternal purpose for creation. Israel’s political history that began with the tragedy of Saul is a mirror in which we see our own reflection today. Our leaders today are hardly different from the rulers of old.

1 Samuel 16 follows God’s rejection of Saul with the choosing and anointing of the one who will eventually be his successor. The selection of Saul was initiated by the people, but the selection of David was a divine initiative. The people’s choice was a terrible king whose life ended in disaster. God’s choice was the ideal king whose life and kingdom reflected a heart for Him. It is more important that leaders be anointed by God than appointed by humans.

When Samuel came to Jesse’s house, David was tending his father’s sheep. In ancient Israel, a shepherd did not have a great position in life. We have romanticized the idea of shepherds because they were watching their flocks on the night the angels came to them and announced Jesus’ birth, but a shepherd in those days was pretty low on the socioeconomic ladder. In fact, the testimony of a shepherd wasn’t even allowed in a court of law. When Samuel asked Jesse if all of his sons were present, Jesse said that David was tending the sheep. He essentially said that David was just a shepherd. Those who are rejected by their parents often become beloved of God.

It can be easy to look upon those around us with judgment based on their flaws or faults. As we grow in our faith, the opposite starts happening. Instead of looking down on others, we begin to see them for who they truly are-children of God, unconditionally loved by Him.

David grew up in a time when leadership was in great demand. The judges had come to power and presided over a weak and wicked country for a time, but then the people pleaded with the prophet Samuel to anoint for them a king. As the leadership of King Saul began to fail, the nation worsened. Yet God was at work, preparing David to be king of Israel.

The Spirit of the Lord came upon David the same way it came upon Saul when he was chosen king in 1 Samuel 10:10, privately confirming that David was God’s choice to succeed Saul. David is mentioned in the New Testament more than any other Old Testament figure-59 times. Sixty-six chapters throughout Scripture are devoted to telling the story of his life. David could not succeed without the Spirit of the Lord any more than Saul could. We will enjoy true success only when we cooperate with the Lord by allowing His Spirit to fill us.

When the Lord describes David in Psalm 89:20, He calls him “David my servant.” God looks for leaders who put other needs above their own, no matter what their station in life. Leaders in the secular world want to know how many people are serving them, but leaders in the kingdom of God want to know how many people they are serving. God trained David for a leadership role with four disciplines, and these are the same four disciplines that He uses to train us:

1. God trained David in solitude. David needed to learn life’s major lessons all alone before he could be trusted with responsibilities and rewards before the public. Solitude nurtures qualities all its own.
2. David grew up in obscurity. God trains His best personnel in obscurity. Men and women of God, servant-leaders in the making, are first unknown, unseen, unappreciated, and unapplauded.
3. David was faithful in the menial, insignificant, routine, unexciting, uneventful, daily tasks of life.
4. Contrary to what we might think, David was not sitting out on some hilltop in a mystic haze, composing a great piece of music, or relaxing in the pastures of Judea and having a great time training sheep to sit on their hind legs. The reality was quite different.

Samuel mourned for Saul in 1 Samuel 16:1. Part of his grief was caused by his love for Saul and his family, and some of it must have been tied to his anxiety about what would happen to the country, so recently united. God reminded Samuel that He bases His decisions on inward character and the caliber of a person’s heart alone. Saul was taller and more handsome than anyone in Israel-he looked like a king. David was less impressive by human standards-and even less so than his brothers-but he possessed the heart of a king. He also had a heart for the true King of Israel, the Lord. Even a godly man like Samuel couldn’t help but judge a man’s character by his appearance. This is why we must continually go to the Lord for His wisdom; only He sees the heart. If we don’t periodically take time before God to have our hearts purified and cleansed, it will only be a matter of time until His blessings will no longer flow through us.

Samuel tried to hold on to the past. Through the centuries, Christians have often been trapped by their inability to let go of those things which no longer seem to serve God’s purpose. We grow accustomed to institutions, organizations, programs, ways of thinking, and ways of doing things. We develop such an emotional attachment to them that long after their usefulness to God is past we hold tenaciously to them.  We often pick leaders by credentials rather than character. When we have to select a leader, we should ask the candidates questions about character, not about their qualifications.

A little boy was passing the afternoon away in his backyard when suddenly he saw a huge rat. He knew that his parents didn’t want rats around the house, so he grabbed his baseball bat and took care of the rat rather quickly. He was so excited that he wanted to tell his parents right away. He went inside and yelled, “Mom, Dad…you’re not going to believe it! I found a rat, hit him in the head with my baseball bat five times, and them I stomped on it!” Just then the boy saw the pastor of the church was in the living room visiting his parents. He finished his story by saying, “And then the Lord called him home.” People with true character are those who live authentically in every area of their life. They’re the same people on Saturday night that they are on Sunday morning.

The choice of the least likely person, from a human perspective, is a theme found throughout the Bible. The apostle Paul, in discussing the gospel of Christ, states that God has always made choices that have surprised the world. The study of church history or the study of history of any congregation will usually reveal that God has often worked His purpose through some very unlikely choices. If you will let me get personal for a minute, I am one of these unlikely choices. Recently I celebrated 20 years of lay ministry. To this day I’m still amazed that God chose an unlikely person like me to do His work in my parish and the wider community. If we want God to do something extraordinary in our lives, we must be obedient in the little things, and then He’ll bless us beyond our imagination.

There is an old saying that beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, and that’s true. Our idea of who’s beautiful and who is not is quite different across cultures and indeed has changed rather a lot over time. When you meet someone for the first time, what thoughts go through your mind? How do their physical attributes influence what you think of them? That’s a confronting question, because most of us treat people quite differently, depending on whether we perceive them to be “good looking” or not.

In a world that is obsessed with influences, Instagram filters, Facebook followers, work-out routines, fad diets and fashions, this word from God is fresh and relevant today. We learn to look for the unexpected heir of David in our midst-not arriving with an entourage or emerging on the balcony of a castle, but tucked away in a manger, worshipped by shepherds. David was an unlikely choice.  If Samuel had his way, he would have deferred to Jesse’s oldest son, but when David came Samuel followed God’s prompting.

No matter who we are or where we are from, we are valuable. That is true for everyone, no matter what society tries to tell us today. No one is perfect, but the Bible tells us that God accepts responsibility for all our imperfections. That doesn’t mean He takes responsibility for the problems in our lives that we brought on ourselves by poor choices like overeating, smoking, or drinking too much. God accepts responsibility because He has a bigger perspective than any human. God sees us for exactly who we are, and He wants us to know that He loves us abundantly and wants to do mighty things through us!

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; pp. 376-377)
2. Chafin, K.L., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 8: 1,2, Samuel (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1989; pp. 120-124)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010; pp. 369-271)
6. Rick Warren, “You Are Valuable, No Matter Who You Are.” Retrieved from connect@newsletter.purposedriven.com
7. Jack Graham, “The Big Blessings of Small Obedience.” Retrieved from jgraham@powerpoint.org

• Bayless Conley, “Answers for Each Day: Clean and Committed.” Retrieved from Bayless@AnswersBC.org
• Jack Graham, “What It Means for You to Live a Genuine Life.” Retrieved from jgraham@powerpoint.org
• Greg Laurie, “An Inside Look.” Retrieved from greglaurie@harvestdirect.org
• Christine Caine, “Look Again.” Retrieved from no-reply@christinecaine.com

1. Christine Caine, “God Looks Inside.” Retrieved from no-reply@christinecaine.com
2. Charles R. Swindoll, “A Man od Integrity.” Retrieved from info@insightforliving.ca
3. Berni Dymet, “Beautiful People.” Retrieved from berni@christianityworks.com
4. Dan Clendenin, “When God Was Sad.” Retrieved from www.journeywithjesus.net
5. Meg Jenista, “1 Samuel 15:34-16:13 Commentary.” Retrieved from https://cepreaching.org/authors/meg-jenista/

Trinity Sunday is the one Sunday in the church year when we do something a little different. Instead of talking about Old Testament stories or Jesus’ teachings or healings, we talk about the Trinity-God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is not specifically mentioned in the Bible, but it is there. Trinity is not an easy concept to understand or explain. In fact, many preachers decide to take Trinity Sunday off!

In order to understand the Trinty, we have to understand both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The time of the Old Testament was the time of God the Father, and that is referred to indirectly in Isaiah 6:1-8. The New Testament era was the time of God the Son in the form of Jesus Christ, followed by the time of God the Holy Spirit, who dwells in the hearts and minds of all believers.

Isaiah’s vision is one of the most powerful witnesses to man’s encounter with the divine, or God’s breaking into human life in a life-changing way. God is always present in our lives. Sometimes He moves gently, and sometimes He moves dramatically. In any event, there are moments that change everything-moments that take us beyond the normal and horizontal to a deeper naturalism in which the heavens declare God’s glory and the whole earth is filled with God’s presence.

Every symbol in Isaiah’s vision of God is significant. In the first five chapters of the Book of Isaiah we learn that Israel had become too complacent in its security to heed God’s warnings and too corrupted in its prosperity to escape God’s wrath. In addition, King Uzziah, who was a good king for 52 years, had become arrogant, profaned the temple, contracted leprosy, and died in shame in 740 BC as judgment for his arrogance in entering the temple to burn incense-a job only the priest was allowed to do.

All of Israel needed to be shaken up by the vision of God sitting on a throne with the train of His robe filling the temple. The symbols of the title Lord-the throne, the lofty position, and the all-encompassing robe-reinforced His sovereignty over all of the universe, over all its kings, over all of their nations, and over all peoples, including the chosen children of Israel. God’s sovereignty is pronounced in Isaiah. Nations turn against Him, but His will prevails; kings compete with Him, but fall in shame; people turn from Him to worship idols, but their false gods crumble. Even His people refuse to trust Him, but they do not escape punishment.

Ca we see ourselves in this place? Well, we are in this place because we are always in the presence of the holy through the Holy Spirit living in us. We have been set free from guilt and shame through Jesus, who took our sins to the cross. Our relationship with God was restored.

Sovereignty is not the primary revelation of God’s character in Isaiah’s vision. It is the holiness of the Lord that Isaiah senses. Sovereignty is the powerful nature of God; holiness is the moral character of God. He is pure; He is complete; He is whole. We understand why the seraph use their wings to cover their feet and faces. Even without sin, they cannot stand to have the holy God look upon their created nature.

The moral character of the holy God is more than a matter of “being”. Isaiah sees that God’s holiness is also a matter of “doing”. As His holiness can’t tolerate sin among the people or the nations, wherever His holiness touches down we see the ethical imprint of His character in the glorious work of God. In God’s sovereignty we encounter the fact that His will can’t be known; in His holiness we learn of His purity that can’t tolerate sin; but in His glory we learn of His mercy that promises a remnant out of which will come a Saviour who will redeem the world and all nations.

How did Isaiah respond to God’s presence? He was both afraid and fascinated. We have the same reactions when we meet God. We tremble with fear and awe, but at the same time we are fascinated by His holiness. That is attractive, desirable, promising, and compelling. Worship should not begin with a focus upon ourselves and our own needs, but upon the character of God; we should not proceed without the expectation of the visitation of His Spirit but wait in His holy presence until He comes; we should not assume there is nothing new under the sun that we have not seen but come expecting a glimpse of His glory.

In the presence of the Holy Spirit, Isaiah’s heart caused him to cry out, “Woe is me, for I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips.” This confession confronts us with three uncomfortable and unpopular truths:

1. When we see the holy character of God, we feel anguish for our own sin. Whenever we see the King, the Lord of Hosts, our sinfulness is exposed.
2. When Isaiah saw God, he accepted responsibility for his sin. He did not shift the blame. Isaiah said that he had no place in the presence of God, no right to praise God, and no authority to speak for God. Jewish people saw lips as reflecting the motives of the heart and the decisions of the will.
3. After confessing his own sin, Isaiah went on to say, “I dwell in the midst of people of unclean lips.” Although sin is primarily personal, we can’t deny that sin has a social impact. When we see the holy character of God, we also see the pervasive influence of our sin. The phrase, “a people of unclean lips” represents corruption at the very heart of the culture.

Why all of this emphasis upon sin? Why not move on quickly to the anointing of Isaiah? The answer is in the Biblical qualifications for prophetic or apostolic ministry. In the early church, two qualities served as the credentials for ordination in what is called the apostolic succession. One quality was to be blameless in character; the other was to be true to the word of God. Later on, as the church drifted from its biblical foundations into institutional corruption, ordination became an end in itself so that even a scoundrel or a heretic could serve as an instrument for the means of grace.  Corrupt popes, priests, preachers, and pastors are a blight upon the history of the church. Isaiah’s encounter with God calls us back to the biblical requirements for ministry. Ordination seals the qualifications of a person who is blameless in character. Until Isaiah confessed his sin, he was neither ready nor worthy to be called a prophet of God.

The seraph touched Isaiah’s lips with a coal from the sacrificial altar. God gave the people of Israel the sacrificial system as a symbol of what Christ would do for them at the cross. Jesus had not yet come and so God gave them the symbol of the substitutionary death of an animal as payment for their sins. In reality it was the great sacrifice of Jesus for us that would make a way for our sins to be “taken away” and “atoned for.”

In the image of a coal of fire upon Isaiah’s lips, there is more uncomfortable truth for modern Christians. If our spiritual cleansing is partial, our spiritual consecration is dull, and our spiritual commitment is shaky. God has a word for us in Isaiah’s vision. The coal from the altar served as a symbol of sacrificial purification. When the coal touched Isaiah’s lips, he became purified in speech to thereby proclaim the words of God to Israel. Any doubt about the reality and frailty of human sin is erased in this image of cleansing fire. Only the fire of God can take away our guilt and only the white heat of a live coal from His altar can atone for our sin. A live coal from the altar of God reminds us that behind the love that takes away our guilt and the forgiveness that atones for our sin is a Cross that extracted a cost no less than the life of the Son of God Himself.

We will never deal effectively with our sin without first realizing who God is. When we study His Word and begin to grasp His holiness, a deep reverence for Him grows in our hearts. We, like Isaiah, are humbled before Him and realize that we fall far short of His holiness.

God first prepared Isaiah for service, then Isaiah offered himself to serve. God will never call us to do something for which He hasn’t equipped us, nor will He force us to serve Him. He wants equipped, willing servants. Every time we enter God’s presence in prayer and praise, we should feel as humbled as the prophet Isaiah. We should stand in awe of His holiness. We should feel overwhelmed with gratitude and thankfulness.

There are times when opportunities to serve are suddenly thrust upon us, We may not feel ready for them; but God isn’t obligated to ask our permission or opinion about who or how He wants us to serve. We often pray for God to use us for His purpose and then, when He interrupts our lives to answer our prayer, we start listing all our inadequacies. Moses did this when he spoke with God at the burning bush. He doesn’t ask us to cross the street because we have the capacity in and of ourselves to rescue or help people He asks us because He does. He doesn’t ask, “Are you capable?” He asks, “Are you willing?” For us today to answer the call of God there must be an awareness and acceptance of the pain and suffering that comes with the call. It is a tough place to live, especially in a world engrossed in comforts and pleasures.

Can we communicate the reality of God’s power, glory, and holiness to a world that considers the church irrelevant and/or corrupt? What does it mean for us that Isaiah paints a picture of God so large and imposing that the lower half of the divine robe filled the heavenly temple? Is that vision more real than the problems of the world and the infighting of the church itself?

We can’t afford to drown out the voice of God calling His people into action, nor can we drown out the one who is inspired to answer the call, no matter how much faith they have. We are called to be God’s witnesses by what we see in our world and by what we do in our world.  Seeing God’s power requires prayer; doing God’s will requires honesty and purpose.

It is impossible to compare anyone or anything to God. He is not like anyone or anything. God is God. He is separate. Because God is triune, we see reflections of His triunity in everything He created.  He created space, and space is height, width, and depth. We can’t get dimensions without width, or width without depth, or depth without height. They are all part of the same thing. Each is distinct, and yet each is indistinguishable and inseparable. Let’s also consider time. Time is past, present, and future. We can’t have a past without a present, or a future without a past. They are all indistinguishable, but each is part of the same thing. A man is body, soul, and spirit.

These are not illustrations of the Trinity, but reflections of the Trinty in creation. We have the Father above us, the Spirit within us, and the Saviour who died for us. The Trinity is not a far-off concept; it is a present reality to all who believe.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 887)
2. McKenna, D., & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 17: Isaiah 1-39 (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1993; pp. 106-116)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Michael Youssef, Ph.D., “Awestruck.” Retrieved from web@ltw.org
6. Christine Caine, “Across the Street.” Retrieved from no-reply@christinecaine.com
7. “Ready or Not, Here I Come.” Retrieved from support@leadlikejesus.com
8. Charles L. Aaron, Jr., “Commentary on Isaiah 6:1-8.: Retrieved from www.workingpreacher.org
9. Adrian Rogers, “Seeing the Trinity Reflected in Creation.” Retrieved from devotions@lwf.org
10. The Rev. Billy Graham, “Isn’t the Old Testament still relevant today?” Retrieved from www.arcamax.com/healthandspirit/religion/billygraham
11. Judy Bullock, “Isaiah 6:1-8.” Retrieved from communic@luthersem.edu
12. Bruce Epperly, “The Adventurous Lectionary, Trinity Sunday, May 26, 2024.” Retrieved from http://www.patheos.com

(An audio version of this sermon can be found at https://www.spreaker.com/episode/john-15-verses-1-8-i-am-the-vine-you-are-the-branches–59668747)

A newspaper reporter went to interview a successful small business owner. “How did you do it?” he asked. “How did you make all this money?”

“I’m glad you asked,” the businessman said. “It’s a great story. When my wife and I married, we started out with a roof over our heads, some food in our pantry, and five cents between us. I took that nickel, went down to the grocery store, bought an apple, shined it up, and sold it for ten cents. “

“What did you do then?” the reporter asked.

“Well,” he said, “I bought two more apples, shined them up, and sold them for twenty cents.” The reporter thought this would be a great human interest story, so he asked excitedly, “Then what?” The businessman replied, “Then my father-in-law died and left us $20 million”.

The businessman prospered not because of his own ingenuity, but because he was connected. What does it mean to be connected? Well, it means three things. First, it means that we have power. When we say we have connections, it means that we have access to power and wealth. It means that we can get things done. When we are connected to each other through our faith in Jesus Christ, it means that we are strong and can get things done. Our faith gets nourishment and strength from both Christ and our fellow believers. As our faith strengthens, it bears fruit in the form of bringing benefit to ourselves and to the lives of others while doing God’s work in the world.

The events in John 15:1-8 took place as Jesus and His disciples left the Upper Room and moved toward the Garden of Gethsemane. As they walked past the temple, they saw an ornament. That ornament was a golden vine with a cluster of grapes as large as a man. Jesus’ relationship with the disciples could not be stated in precise, theological terms, so He used the image of a vine and its branches to illustrate spiritual truth. His union with the disciples was as alive as the relationship of the vine to its branches.

The second thing that being connected means is that we have a presence. We are not alone. Someone shares our lives. Someone is there for us, just like all of you are here for each other. If we abide with Christ, it means that we have a close, daily relationship with Him. Thus, we become a branch of the vine called Christianity-a branch that bears fruit. As such, our wants will be his wants, we will pray according to His words, and he will be pleased with our prayers.

Being connected means that we will live a productive life. A vine and its fruit point to the giftedness of discipleship while also indicating the substance that will sustain new branches and abundant fruit. The relationship between the vine and the branches, as well as the connection between source and fruit, lies in the love between God and Jesus, and between Jesus and us. In other words, we are to love one another as Christ has loved us. If the branch is not attached to the vine, it withers and dies. The very life of the branch depends on being attached to the vine. The same thing happens if we try to operate in this life without Jesus.

What does it mean to abide in Christ? Let’s take a look at the letters in the word “abide”:

1. “A” stands for absolute surrender. We have to come to Him just as we are, confessing our sin and saying, “You are the potter and I am the clay.”
2. “B” stands for believe. We have to trust Him completely to do with us, for us, and around us what is very best while we stand on His promises.
3. “I” stands for insight. We have to pour ourselves into His Word each day, learning His ways and gaining His insights for living.
4. “D” stands for dedication. We have to persevere over time, separating ourselves from sinful habits and from people and places that may hinder our purity.
5. “E” stands for enthusiasm. We go about His work in the power and energy He provides.

God owns the vineyard and cares for it. As with any responsible vineyard owner, His main purpose in growing a vineyard is that it will bear fruit. The branches that bear fruit must get all the nourishment. The experiences in life that we call troubles-the hurts, disappointments, and defeats-are God’s way of pinching off those excess leaves that seem so attractive but bear no fruit. The branches that bear no fruit will be removed. When they become dry and lifeless He casts them out to be burned. This is the final judgment on those who no longer “abide” in the vine.

The disciples are not perfect, but they have been made clean, for the unnecessary lives have been cut off. This refers to Judas, who betrayed Jesus. The word which Jesus has spoken has pruned them so they might bear fruit. Each one has been searched, cleansed, and prepared for ministry. The fruit that the disciples bear is not what they do, but the life of Jesus in them. It is His character reproduced in them and shared with others in love. This cannot pass without the disciple abiding in Jesus, making his home in Him as Jesus makes His home in the disciple. His life is shared with the disciples as their life is given to Him.

The only way we can play a significant role in the kingdom of God is to allow Jesus to live His life in and through us. We can only be grafted to Christ by cutting our attachment to our way of life and its creature comforts just like a gardener prunes bushes to make then grow better. The useless branches have to be removed in order to save and strengthen the stronger ones, much like a surgeon cuts off a person’s diseased limbs in order to save his or her life. Only then can we truly be fruitful and multiply. While apart from Him we can do nothing, in Him we can do anything He calls us to do.

There is one main blight that attacks the branches of the Vine, which, if not severely dealt with, will destroy our fruitfulness. That blight is sin. Sin blocks the free flow of the sap of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Since the Holy Spirit is the One who truly produces the fruit that we bear, anything that grieves or quenches Him affects our fruitfulness.

Branches cannot bear fruit independent of the vine. The fundamental truth of being a Christian is that one must be connected to Jesus. The teaching about unfaithful branches is not a reference to believers losing their salvation; branches that are cast out are nonbelievers whose eventual destiny is fire.

We as the branches are completely dependent on the Vine not only for fruit, but for life. Whether because of pride or fear or some other reason, we as branches seem to struggle with being totally dependent on the Vine. We can overcome this struggle by remaining connected to the vine. All we have to do is rest in our positions and allow the sap of the vine to flow freely through us.

Jesus described this drastic pruning in a believer’s life when He explained that God the Gardner “cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit.” There are times when God cuts everything out of our lives except our relationship with Jesus. He forces us to pay attention to our relationship with Him because that’s all we have. In the process, our connection to the vine is enlarged and fruit is produced. As long as we walk closely with the Lord and keep our lives open to receive the daily filling of the Holy Spirit, our lives will be filled with the fruit of the Spirit.

Bibliography

1. Jeremiah, David: The Jeremiah Study Bible: New King James Version (Brentwood, TN: Worthy Publishing; 2013; p. 1469)
2. Frederikson, R.L.; & Ogilvie, L.J.: The Preacher’s Commentary Series, Vol. 27: John (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Inc.; 1985, pp. 226-229)
3. Stanley, C.F.: The Charles F. Stanley Life Principles Bible: New King James Version (Nashville, TN: Nelson Bibles; 2005)
4. MacArthur, J.F. Jr.: The Mac Arthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers; 2006)
5. Lucado, M.: The Lucado Life Lessons Study Bible (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson; 2010)
6. Anne Graham Lotz, “Drastic Pruning.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
7. Anne Graham Lotz, “The Blight of Sin.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
8. Anne Graham Lotz, “More Consistency.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
9. Anne Graham Lotz, “The Sap of His Spirit.” Retrieved from info@angelministries.org
10. Dr. David Jeremiah, “A.B.I.D.E.” Retrieved from turningpoint@davidjeremiah.org
11. Joel Osteen, “Remain in Him.” Retrieved from devotional@goto.joelosteen.com
12. Dr. Michael Youssef, “The Fruit of the Holy Spirit.” Retrieved from mydevotional@leadingtheway.org