The Revelation of Jesus Christ – part 2
Revelation 1:1-8 (4-8)
May 15, 2016

I want to begin our study this morning looking at a Psalm that I think
Best depicts our reason for studying the book of the Revelation.

If you’d turn for a moment to:
Psalm 11

If you want some context just know that David is living in the midst of a horrific situation. (If you’ve studied the life of David you know that he endured several)

We don’t know the specific situation, but we know it appeared hopeless
• Maybe it was when Saul was on the warpath
• Maybe it was when he had to flee from Absalom
• Maybe it was when the Philistines appeared too powerful

Whatever the situation, it was bad and because of the dire circumstances David was receiving some pretty depressing counsel from his advisers.

You see this counsel in the first 3 verses
And you also see that David doesn’t agree.

(1-3) “In the LORD I take refuge; How can you say to my soul, “Flee as a bird to your mountain; For, behold, the wicked bend the bow, They make ready their arrow upon the string To shoot in darkness at the upright in heart. If the foundations are destroyed, What can the righteous do?”

The counsel David is receiving (and doesn’t like) is simple to see:
“Flee as a bird to your mountain;”

They want David to run in fear.
WHY?
THE DANGER IS LETHAL
“the wicked bend the bow, they make ready their arrow upon the string to shoot in darkness at the upright in heart.”

• It was a day in which wickedness seemed to be triumphing over righteousness and those who would love the truth had become a target.

THE SYSTEM IS LIBERAL
“If the foundations are destroyed”

• That is to say that we used to stand on principle. There were moral guidelines and absolutes that seemed unshakeable, but now they are all destroyed.

HOPE IS LOST
“What can the righteous do?”

You understand why David’s counselors would advise him to flee.
• Society no longer sees the difference between right and wrong.
• Truth is no longer preserved or honored or followed.
• Those who love righteousness are the minority and are under attack.
• And since this whole thing is corrupt all the way to the core, there is no hope of things getting better.

The only logical solution is to flee.
EVER FEEL THAT WAY?

Well David didn’t buy that counsel, and let me show you why.
(4-7) “The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men. The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, And the one who loves violence His soul hates. Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.”

David listened to his friends who saw a corrupt world system.
DAVID SAID, NOW LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I SEE.

THE FOUNDATION ISN’T SHAKEN
“The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD’S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men.”
• David told his counselors they were looking at the wrong throne.
• The government may be corrupt, but there is One who sits higher.
• God is still on His throne.

JUSTICE ISN’T FORSAKEN
“The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and the one who loves violence His soul hates.”
• Just because the rulers of the land promote wickedness does not mean that wickedness is ok. God is still on the throne, and He is still jut.

JUDGMENT ISN’T FORGOTTEN
“Upon the wicked He will rain snares; Fire and brimstone and burning wind will be the portion of their cup. For the LORD is righteous, He loves righteousness; The upright will behold His face.”

• David wanted his counselors to look past the authorities of this world and look to the ultimate authority of the universe.

Yes, things were backward in his world,
But God was still on the throne,
And that meant that one day everything would still be set right.

That is also why we study the book of the Revelation.
It is meant to remind us that the foundation isn’t shaken,
Justice isn’t forsaken, and Judgment isn’t forgotten.

It may seem unlikely in our day and time,
But rest assured righteousness will win the day!
The book of the Revelation reminds us of that.

IN SHORT, IT IS A GOOD READ!
And if you’ll remember that is precisely what John told us last week.

We began looking at what we called “The Introduction” to this book.

Like any trip into a book store you’d look at books on the shelf and make a decision as to whether or not that particular book was worth reading.
• You’d read the title
• You’d read the author
• You’d read the credits
• You’d read the inside cover (preview)
• You’d read the introduction or forward

And based upon that information you’d make a decision
As to whether or not this book was worthy of your time and focus.

That is precisely the information John is giving you in these first 8 verses.
He is giving us 6 pieces of information regarding this book.

We already saw the first 3 last week.
#1 THE TITLE
Revelation 1:1a

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

Don’t get confused as to what this book is really about.
This book is meant to reveal Jesus to you.

Jesus walked this earth for 33 years in virtual obscurity.
Oh, He was popular, and He was controversial, but He was still virtually unrecognized.

By in large the world totally missed Him.
You’ll remember Isaiah prophesied that this would happen way back in chapter 53. “Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed…He was despised and we did not esteem Him.”

• The world saw a carpenter
• The world saw a teacher
• The world saw a blasphemer
• The world saw a criminal dying on a cross

But Jesus wanted more for His followers so He prayed that
The Father would show His glory to His disciples.

The book of the Revelation is the answer to that prayer.
This book reveals the real Jesus, the glorified Jesus, the eternal Jesus.

And the title indicates that.

#2 THE AUDIENCE
Revelation 1:1b-2

“which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants…”

This message is not for the world.
The gospels are for them.

This message is for His slaves (His bond-servants),
Those who have surrendered their lives to His Lordship.

• It is a book meant to encourage the faithful.
• It is a book meant to enlighten the confused.
• It is a book meant to exhort the discouraged to press on.

This book is for the redeemed.
It is for them to see Jesus and be encouraged
To endure through the temporary hardships of this life.

So if you are a bond-servant of Jesus and you’d like to see the real Jesus
And His plan for redeeming this world, this is the book you’ll want to read.

And if that were not enough, John even gave a promise regarding this book.
#3 THE PROMISE
Revelation 1:3

“Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

The promise is blessing (happiness)
• Partly because this book reveals the good news that Jesus wins.
• Partly because this book gives detailed instruction of how to handle the coming temptation so that you will know how to preserve your soul and be happy for all eternity.

This is valuable information.
Knowing it and following it is the path to eternal blessing or happiness.
In short, READ THIS BOOK

This morning I want to look at the rest of this introduction.

The Title, The Audience, The Promise
#4 THE AUTHOR
Revelation 1:4-5a

This is really more than just the author, it is the complete bibliography.
Everyone who had any input in the information here is listed here for you to see.

After all, you aren’t going to read a book about baseball
From someone who never played it.
We want the authors to have credentials and we want their sources to be valid, otherwise, what is the point?
Here we find the author and his sources.

Now of course the simple answer when looking for the author is to say that “John” wrote it.

• This would have been John the Apostle.
• He was one of the sons of thunder in the gospels.
• His brother was James and together they were quite a duo.
• Famous for wanting to call down fire on the Samaritans
• Famous for having their mother ask if they could sit on the right and left

But also famous for being those who loved Jesus passionately.

They were hand-picked by Jesus to be His followers
And Jesus took the raw passion and blind ambition these men had
And literally transformed them into two of the greatest Christians
The world has ever known.

I suppose the first question should be WHY SHOULD WE LISTEN TO JOHN on this subject?

There are a couple of passages that indicate why.

First of all because John was an apostle. (eye witness of the resurrected Lord)

He was part of the group to whom Jesus said:
John 20:21-23 “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you; as the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” And when He had said this, He breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. “If you forgive the sins of any, their sins have been forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they have been retained.”

This didn’t indicate the power of forgiveness (no one can do that but God alone).
It did however indicate authority to announce who was and who wasn’t forgiven.

The office of the apostles was a unique office of authority
By which these men literally disseminated
The truths and judgments of God.

As they penned the New Testament and began to die,
The New Testament became our source of authority in their stead.

But John was an apostle.
Uniquely given authority to write Scripture.

Coupled with that,
We all remember the statement Jesus made regarding His plans for John.

After revealing to Peter that he would die an undesirable death, Peter asked Jesus about John’s fate. To that Jesus replied:
John 21:21-22 “So Peter seeing him said to Jesus, “Lord, and what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If I want him to remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow Me!”

That didn’t indicate that John would live forever,
But in hindsight it helps us understand Jesus’ plan
For John to see the Revelation.
John was clearly the hand-picked author to write this book.

But honestly, you and I know that
A WRITER IS REALLY ONLY AS GOOD AS HIS SOURCE.

If you want to know the authenticity of any work, you really need to check out the bibliography at the back and find out where the writer got his facts.

WHO IS THE SOURCE?
That is who John lists here, and there are three of them.
Notice who John says this Revelation came “from”

“from Him who is and who was and who is to come,”

Obviously there is only One who is eternal, and that is God.
John here speaks of God in His fullness, the One who has always been.

“and from the seven Spirits who are before His throne,”

This is the Holy Spirit in His fullness.
Isaiah 11:2 “The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.”

“and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth.”

And there we have Jesus in His fullness.
“faithful witness” – sinless humanity (man)
“firstborn of the dead” – savior and Son of God (God)
“ruler of the kings of the earth” – sovereign Lord of all (King)

Now pull back a second and let all of that sink in
As you look at this book and examine the authorship.

• We have here a book written by an apostle; one who was an eye-witness of
the resurrection of Jesus, and one handpicked by Jesus to reveal His perfect word.

• The sources this handpicked apostle used were none other than God the
Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

It is a book revealed by God and recorded by an apostle.
Credible enough for you?
The point being that the author knows what he is talking about.

We just pulled a book out that is supposed to Reveal Jesus to us,
And now we find that it was written by a close follower of Jesus
Who got His information from Jesus, the Father who loves Jesus,
And the Spirit whose sole purpose is to glorify Jesus.

I don’t think you can get a more qualified bibliography than this.

If the title and the promise of the book peaks your interest,
You can rest assured that it’s accurate.

It is so accurate in fact that the end of this book even comes with a severe warning.
Revelation 22:18-19 “I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his part from the tree of life and from the holy city, which are written in this book.”

The authorship is reliable
The information is accurate

The Title, The Audience, The Promise, The Author
#4 THE DEDICATION
Revelation 1:5b-6

Often times when you open a book, before the writer begins they will often times record a small word of dedication.

Dedicated to a spouse…
Dedicated to a colleague…
Dedicated to a friend…

This book also has a dedication.
Sure this book was written TO you, but it was written FOR Jesus.

As I told you last week, it was the desire of Jesus
That His followers be allowed to see His glory.
This book is written for that purpose.

WHY?
Well namely because He deserves it!

I MEAN, LOOK AT WHAT ALL JESUS HAS DONE FOR US.
“To Him who loves us”

Well that’s obvious isn’t it?
John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”
“and released us from our sins by His blood”

Galatians 3:13-14 “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us — for it is written, “CURSED IS EVERYONE WHO HANGS ON A TREE” — in order that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we would receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.”

• It was Jesus who died upon a cross to pay our debt before God.
• It was Jesus who then set us free from sin’s power.

Romans 8:1-2 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.”

“and He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father”

We just studied Hebrews about how Jesus was our great high priest
Who continually intercedes for us before the throne.

But we are also reminded that Jesus also made us “priests to His God”
That is He granted us access to the Father.

John 16:23 “In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to you.”

So if you are following along, John reminds us that
It was Jesus who came and died for us that He might set us free from our sins and grant us unlimited access to God.

Don’t you think He should receive a little credit for that?
Absolutely!

That is why John says this book is for Him!
“To Him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.”

That is the dedication of the book.
• It is a book written to reveal Jesus.
• It is written to those who are His followers.
• It is written by God’s handpicked servant.
• It is a book written to make sure that Jesus receives all the glory due Him!

What a great book!
I would certainly think any and all who love Jesus
Would be chomping at the bit to read it over and over.

So, you walked into the bookstore
• You thumbed through the titles.
• You found this book that said it was about Jesus.
• It said it was only for believers and it promised to bless you if you’d read it.
• The authorship was solid
• The dedication was certainly on point
AND SO NOW THERE IS ONLY ONE THING LEFT TO DO.
(you know you’re going to…)

• You are going to buy one of those mocha-choca-frapa-locka’s

• Then you’re going to sit down in one of those big old arm chairs and read just a little bit of it while you wait for your wife to come back from Bath and Body Works.

Let’s take a look at this introduction…this preview
#6 THE PREVIEW
Revelation 1:7-8

So what sort of stuff am I going to read in this book?
Well obviously the book carries information about Jesus and the end,
BUT THE CENTRAL EVENT IS UNMISTAKABLE.

This is where someone should say “Spoiler Alert”
Because John is about to give you the final score right here and now.

You want to know what this book is about?

1) A PROMISED RETURN!
“Behold, He is coming with the clouds”

Many this point you want to go on a wild goose chase trying to figure out the symbolism of “clouds” here.

I hear people talk about literal clouds or a great cloud of witnesses or a symbolic angel army and go on this huge debate about exactly what that means.

TALK ABOUT MISSING THE POINT!
The point is “HE IS COMING”

And honestly, the whole clouds thing should be rather obvious.
Acts 1:9-11 “And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.”

John saw Him ascend, and John now sees Him descend!

To the church, there is no greater word of encouragement
Or excitement or thrill or anticipation than this!

Imagine the sheer exhilaration if someone ran in the back door right now and said, “I SEE HIM, HE IS COMING!”

The church is those who have “longed for His appearing”
All throughout the New Testament
Those who served the Lord anticipated it greatly.

Non-believers have even begun to mock that it won’t ever happen.
But John here says, “O yes it will! I saw it!”

“He is coming with the clouds”
• Are you tired of our fallen world?
• Are you tired of this immoral system?
• Are you tired of the corruption and decay and struggle against the darkness?
• Are you tired of sickness and death and pain?

Well, “He is coming”
And if you want to know more about it, read this book.

A Promised Return
2) A PROMISED RECOGNITION!
“and every eye will see Him, even those who pierced Him;”

The first time He came (just as Isaiah said) they did not recognize Him.

Matthew 13:14-15 “In their case the prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled, which says, ‘YOU WILL KEEP ON HEARING, BUT WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; YOU WILL KEEP ON SEEING, BUT WILL NOT PERCEIVE; FOR THE HEART OF THIS PEOPLE HAS BECOME DULL, WITH THEIR EARS THEY SCARCELY HEAR, AND THEY HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES, OTHERWISE THEY WOULD SEE WITH THEIR EYES, HEAR WITH THEIR EARS, AND UNDERSTAND WITH THEIR HEART AND RETURN, AND I WOULD HEAL THEM.’”

• The first time people were blind and deaf and hard.
• They accused Him of being demon possessed.
• They accused Him of being a lunatic.

But that won’t happen the next time.
No one will miss Him the next time He comes.

• He won’t slip in the back door, hide in a virgin’s womb, and lay in a manger.
• He won’t grow up in obscurity, heralded only by a hermit in the desert.
• He won’t live in meekness, followed only by the weak and down-trodden.
• He won’t suffer in shame at the hands of the godless.
NOT THIS TIME…

This time when He comes,
He will come like you and I would have come the first time.

He will come in full glory.
Pomp and Circumstance to the hilt.

No boxer, No wrestler, No Super Bowl Champion, No Presidential Candidate ever entered a room like He’ll reenter this world.
“every eye will see Him”
He will be absolute center stage, unmissable!

And when we say “every” we mean “every”
“even those who pierced Him.”

That is to say even those who reject Him.

Hebrews 6 reminded us about people who willingly reject Jesus.
Hebrews 6:4-6 “For in the case of those who have once been enlightened and have tasted of the heavenly gift and have been made partakers of the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.”

• All those people who heard of Jesus and knew of Jesus and deemed Him unworthy of being Lord in their life.

• All those people who heard His words, and knew His truth, but decided He was not worthy to be loved and obeyed.

Everyone of those people is going to see Him in all His glory.
They are going to see what they missed.

And that leads to the third preview in this book.

A Promised Return, A Promised Recognition
3) A PROMISED RESPONSE!
“and all the tribes of the earth will mourn over Him.”

If you’ll remember Jesus was pretty clear that mourning was important.
He taught us way back in the beatitudes.

Matthew 5:4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Jesus taught us that we should be mourning over our sin before God
So that we might find forgiveness and comfort.

But there have always been those who refused to do so.
• Instead of mourning over their sin, they celebrated it.
• Instead of hating their sin, they loved it.
• Instead of reaching for Jesus, they pushed Him away.

But that response won’t last forever.
When Jesus returns those who refused to mourn over their sin
Will mourn over their fate.

There will be no doubt who is King and who is Lord
And there will be no doubt how much trouble they are in.

It is hard to be a Christian in this world.
• It is hard to love our enemies
• It is hard to pray for our persecutors
• It is hard to submit to our corrupt governing authorities
• It is hard to leave room for the wrath of God
• It is hard to turn the other cheek

We find within ourselves the groanings of the psalmists
In the Old Testament.

Psalms 90:13-17 “Do return, O LORD; how long will it be? And be sorry for Your servants. O satisfy us in the morning with Your lovingkindness, That we may sing for joy and be glad all our days. Make us glad according to the days You have afflicted us, And the years we have seen evil. Let Your work appear to Your servants And Your majesty to their children. Let the favor of the Lord our God be upon us; And confirm for us the work of our hands; Yes, confirm the work of our hands.”

That has certainly been our cry.

Well here John says, He’s coming!
Those who rejected Him will see Him
And everyone will know that He alone is King!

AND IF YOU WANT THE DECLARATION, HERE IT IS.
“So it is to be. Amen. I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

That is another way of saying, it is going to happen!

This book is about the day
When King Jesus returns to punish His enemies,
Reward His followers,
Remove the curse of sin,
And to reign upon the earth.

It’s a good read!

I suppose the only question now is: Are you willing to commit yourself to hearing it and heeding it?

We’ll do the work and study this book,
But the commitment level is up to you.

All I can promise is that if you’ll commit yourself to it,
You will be blessed.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ – part 1
Revelation 1:1-8 (1-3)
May 8, 2016

This morning we begin a new study together in the word of God.
It seemed fitting to me that with both our previous studies ending around the same time
That we could study Revelation and Daniel simultaneously
And probably greatly enrich both studies at the same time.

That being said, I know that some of you have already studied Revelation with us on Wednesday nights and are already experts on the end times,
So you’ll just have to bear with us a little as we walk through this.

THE MAIN MOTIVATION HOWEVER IS SIMPLE.

We live in a world where we are literally bombarded with news.
When I was a kid the paper only came on Sunday,
And the news only came on at 6 and 10.
If you missed that, you missed it all.

But today..?
• We have 24 hour news stations.
• We have the internet going nonstop.
• And even if you don’t watch those channels or go to those websites, Facebook is filled with posts about politics and tragedies and independent stories.
Whether you want to know it or not, the news gets out.

And quite frankly if you let it all sink in, it is quite TERRIFYING!
(Might I go ahead and fill you in on a little secret…THEY MAKE IT TERRIFYING ON PURPOSE!)

If you think the weather is going to be beautiful, you won’t check your weather app again for the rest of the day,
But if they can convince you that a category 27 hurcinado quake
has a 72% chance of hitting your house at 3:24pm then you will
check that app religiously until the threat is over.

(You’ll check the app, their adds will get hits, and they make money)

You’re more likely to watch the news
If they sell a story of terrible fear, or threat, or shock.
They terrify you on purpose.

THE FALL out however is that if you believe everything you hear,
You’ll become convinced that we are all doomed!

• The presidency is being hijacked by socialists, liars, and criminals…
• Our borders are being overrun by jihadists who want to behead you…
• The next super tornado should hit any minute…
• Our farmers will be bankrupt within 6 months…
• And you will soon be attacked in a Target bathroom…
Is there truth to some of it?
Sure, that’s what makes it sell.

But if you linger on it long enough
You will no doubt begin your plans for a bomb shelter
And start rationing all your food.

Now, MY POINT is most certainly NOT meant
To renew your faith in America, or in our fallen world.

If you are placing all your faith in America,
Then you need to have your reality checked.

Isaiah said:
Isaiah 24:20 “The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again.”

Isaiah saw it.
You can’t set a 400lb TV on top of a TV dinner tray, the legs won’t hold it.

So it is with this world.
• The sin just keeps piling up and the legs are starting to wobble.
• This earth is going down…fast.
• It is a sinking ship.

But Isaiah saw more than just that:
Isaiah 24:20-23 “The earth reels to and fro like a drunkard And it totters like a shack, For its transgression is heavy upon it, And it will fall, never to rise again. So it will happen in that day, That the LORD will punish the host of heaven on high, And the kings of the earth on earth. They will be gathered together Like prisoners in the dungeon, And will be confined in prison; And after many days they will be punished. Then the moon will be abashed and the sun ashamed, For the LORD of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem, And His glory will be before His elders.”

• This earth will be destroyed
• The rulers will be judged
• The sun and moon will be retired
• BECAUSE KING JESUS WILL BEGIN HIS REIGN

THAT IS WHERE OUR HOPE LIES.

We are under no misconception
That this world will make a dramatic recovery,
But we are under every expectation
That Jesus is on His way to set all things right!

THAT IS WHY WE STUDY THIS GREAT BOOK.
If there was ever a day when we in the church needed a little perspective,
IT IS TODAY.
This world is falling apart,
But we who belong to Jesus Christ have NO REASON TO FEAR.

1 John 2:15-17 “Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.”

We are studying this book for some much needed encouragement.
(Incidentally, that is also why we are studying Daniel on Sunday nights)

The goal and the aim is
The absolute encouragement of the body.

So this morning we begin our study of the book of Revelation.

We are going to begin by looking at the first 8 verses of the book because John here gives as wonderful an introduction as you can find written about any book…ever.

If you were to go to a bookstore and start picking up books off the shelf,
Undoubtedly you’d check a few things.
• You’d want to know the title
• You’d want to know the premise of the book
• You’d want to know the author
• You might read the notes on the back
• You might read the intro

In short, you’d be curious as to whether or not this book
Was going to be worth the time it would take you to read it.

Those are precisely the questions John answers
In the first 8 verses of the book of Revelation.

After 8 verses you will have a handle on whether you want to proceed.

6 things John shows us
#1 THE TITLE
Revelation 1:1a

I don’t have any doubts whatsoever that in any bookstore
Before you pull a book off the shelf, the first thing you look at is the title.

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ”

Boy can you learn a lot from a title!
Right off the bat we see why so many
Have had such difficulty with this book.

(If you wanted to learn about gardening you wouldn’t buy a book with the title:
“The Secret to Hitting a Golf Ball”)
But that is what many have done with the book of Revelation.
They read it in search of the wrong information.
(Namely a timeline about the end)

Then when many of those realities are hard to discern
They get confused and the book gets a bad reputation.

• There are some denominations that won’t study this book at all.
• John Calvin wouldn’t touch it.

MUCH OF THE REASON IS BECAUSE
PEOPLE HAVE IGNORED THE TITLE AND MISSED THE POINT.

Today there is more fascination surrounding this book
Than any other in the Bible.
Without a doubt it is the most book preached on television and radio.
(Adrian Rodgers preached through it twice even after he died!)

In short…it sells!
• It has inspired entire book series
• It has inspired numerous movies

People are fascinated with this book,
And yet, 90% of what I see and hear regarding this book
TOTALLY MISSES THE POINT.

• Most study this book because they want a timeline of the end.
• Many study this book because they are fascinated by things like giant scorpions and demonic armies.
• Some study this book because they enjoy a good puzzle and want to try and crack some secret code.

This book has appealed to conspiracy theorists,
Science fiction crowds, code crackers, and the like.

The sermons and theories that have been produced are both numerous and often times ridiculous.
• Is the locust in Revelation 9 a helicopter?
• Does 666 point to Hitler, or Kennedy, or the Pope, or Obama?
• Is the Harlot Catholicism?
• Is the 100 million man army China?
• And on and on and on and on…

If that’s what you are out to know
Then let me tell you how this study will play out.
• You’ll develop theories that you can argue, but you can’t prove.
• Many of your theories will most likely be wrong.
• You’ll end up more confused than when you started.
• And no one will be better off for it.

BECAUSE FILLING IN YOUR TIME LINE IS NOT THE GOAL.
The Title of this book should tell you that.

This book is “The Revelation of Jesus Christ”
• That means this book does not reveal the end times timeline.
• This book does not reveal every mystical secret you want to know.
• This book reveals “Jesus”

WHY?
1. Because in large part that didn’t happen in the gospels.
2. And also because Jesus asked for it.

The gospels are glorious books to be sure and we love nothing more than to camp out in those books and learn of our Savior’s earthly ministry.

But if you wanted to sum up the 4 gospels, you could do it like this.
“GLORY IGNORED”

And that should come as no surprise.
Isaiah 53:1-4 “Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted.”

Isaiah called it.
The Son of God was about to show up on earth,
And no one would recognize Him.

Would there be flashes of glory? Absolutely!
• Watch Him cleans the lepers…
• Watch Him open the eyes of the blind…
• Watch Him raise the dead…
• Watch Him calm the storms…
• Watch Him feed the multitudes…

Oh yeah! His glory was put on display.
So much so that when John wrote his gospel he said:
John 1:14 “And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

But most of the world failed to see that glory.
They saw Him only as One who didn’t look kingly,
And who ultimately died in shame on a Roman cross.

THEY NEVER SAW HIS GLORY.

To be honest, EVEN HIS FOLLOWERS didn’t see it well.
On the night before Jesus died, in the upper room,
He mentioned this several times.

John 13:31-32 “Therefore when he had gone out, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him; if God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and will glorify Him immediately.”

Jesus proclaimed His own glory because He could see that
His disciples were not getting it.

Jesus even concluded His time with the disciples with this prayer.
John 17:24 “Father, I desire that they also, whom You have given Me, be with Me where I am, so that they may see My glory which You have given Me, for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.”

Jesus prayed to the Father that the Father
Would allow His followers to see His glory.

Imagine what it must have been like for Jesus on this earth.
Philippians details the story.
Philippians 2:6-8 “who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”

Could you imagine being the Son of God…God made flesh and no one being able to recognize that about you?

What humiliation Jesus endured while walking on this earth.
It’s no wonder He desired to let His glory out for just a moment!

He certainly did this on the mountain when He was transfigured,
But if you’ll remember only 3 saw that and they were adamantly instructed not to tell anyone about what they saw.

“and like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.”

THIS BOOK SETS OUT TO REMEDY THAT PROBLEM!

This book is JESUS CHRIST REVEALED
The real Jesus, not the One you see
Hidden behind a veil of human flesh in the gospels.

This is the Jesus of all eternity.
This is the Jesus of glory.

Those 33 years when Jesus was in the form of a humble servant
Were not the norm, those 33 years were the exception.
This book is about to show us what Jesus really looks like!
That is exciting!
I think we’ll definitely want to pull this book off the shelf.

So, who is it written for?

The Title
#2 THE AUDIENCE
Revelation 1:1b-2

This book is for “His bond-servants”

Jesus asked that the Father show His glory to those who loved Him,
And that is precisely who this book is for.

“The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants”

The Father inspired this book so that Jesus
Might be able to manifest His glory to His “bond-servants”

I realize we have covered it many times over,
But it is always worth repeating exactly what a bond-servant is.

In the Old Testament, if money was hard one of the options you had
Was to sell yourself into slavery to one of your Jewish brothers.
(Don’t think pre-civil war connotation, it wasn’t like that)

In fact, in Bible times (especially the New Testament)
A slave often times had more honor than a son.

It was a sort of agreement to help you get back on your feet,
While having your basic needs met in the service of another.

However, according to Jewish Law,
• If you bought your brother,
• You could only keep him for 6 years
• On the 7th year you had to set him free
• With one exception.

Exodus 21:2-6 “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. “If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. “If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”

This was a bond-slave.

It was the title gratefully accepted by the writers of the New Testament.
Read the opening verses of the New Testament books
And see how many of them identified themselves as “bond-servants”
(literally the Greek word is “SLAVES”)

They identified themselves as willing slaves of Jesus Christ.

This is important because it helps us make a distinction
Between what Christianity is and what it isn’t.

Too many in America today claim to be Christians simply because
They are moral, or because they are “good”
Or because they are American.

Many think that if they simply agree that Jesus did in fact die and rise
That they are automatically Christian.

But that has never been the distinction.
There has always been an implied submission, and implied trust,
An expected surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.

The apostles were more than “believers” they were “bond-servants”.

And that is who this message is for.
It is given to the willing slaves of Jesus Christ.

For what purpose?
“to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place;”
• Preacher, I thought you said it was about Jesus?
• Doesn’t this verse teach that it is about the facts of the end?

Yes, so much as they pertain to the return and reign of Jesus.
• This book is meant to settle your faith.
• This book is meant to get your focus off of the lunacy of our world.
• This book is meant to cause you to quit trusting in world leaders for deliverance.
• This book is meant to fix your hope solely on King Jesus and the government He will establish.

THIS BOOK IS MEANT TO SHOW THE SLAVES OF JESUS
THAT THEIR MASTER HAS IT ALL UNDER CONTROL.

In short, it is meant to encourage you.
• It should give you hope that things won’t always be this way.
• It should give you encouragement to press on.
• It should give you motivation to live holy in light of certain judgment.
• It should give you peace that the enemy will not win.
• It should give you assurance to see that God is firmly in control.

It is so that you can see who He is and what He will do
So that your faith might be firmly established.
Let me put it to you this way.
As a Christian (a bond-servant of Jesus)
Your hope rests firmly on the truths revealed in this book.

Regardless of the turmoil and confusion around us
It is the fact that Jesus will return and set this world right
That gives us hope for tomorrow.

That is why Jesus looked at His disciples the night before the crucifixion and said:
John 14:1-3 “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. “In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. “If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also.”

That is why the Old Testament prophets continually pointed to that day.
Isaiah 9:6-7 “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, On the throne of David and over his kingdom, To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness From then on and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”

The fact that Jesus is going to return
And take His rightful place on the throne of the world
Is the genuine hope of the true believer.

In fact, true believers are defined as those who long for this reality.
Paul wrote:
2 Timothy 4:7-8 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

This is the day we are waiting for!
This is the day we are longing for!
This is the day we are hoping in!

That one day Jesus will return just as He said,
And that when He does this world
Will finally be put the way it is supposed to be!

2 Peter 3:13 “But according to His promise we are looking for new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells.”

• This message is for you who are grieved by the sin in our world…
• This message is for you who long for righteousness to dwell…

It is the lost and immoral who love the darkness
And who love the sin and who love the moral decay.

• This message is for those who are clinging to any sliver of hope that we will not forever be consigned to a sin-fallen world.

We long for sin to be removed
We long for the curse to be reversed
We long for God’s people to be redeemed

God gave this message to Jesus who communicated it to John
That He might tell it to you, that you might be encouraged!

(1-2) “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show to His bond-servants, the things which must soon take place; and He sent and communicated it by His angel to His bond-servant John, who testified to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ, even to all that he saw.”

That is the title and the expected audience of this book.

Let me give you one more piece of information about this book:
#3 THE PROMISE
Revelation 1:3

• How many of you have ever watched an infomercial that made a guarantee that if you’d just try their product you’d be totally satisfied?

This book makes that type of promise.
In fact, it’s the only book in the Bible that does make such a promise.

“Blessed (happy) is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things written in it; for the time is near.”

That may be something you did not realize.
• The book of the Revelation was not meant to scare you.
(although it should scare those living in sin)
• The book of the Revelation was not meant to confuse you.
(although it routinely confuses those looking for the wrong thing)
• This book was written to BLESS YOU.
That is, this book was written to make you happy!

HOW DOES IT DO THAT?
• It certainly makes me happy to know that Jesus is returning in all His glory and will set this world right!

• It certainly makes me happy to know that the devil is not going to be allowed to be free forever, but will certainly be destroyed.

• It certainly makes me happy to know that regardless of the peril of this life, there is a throne and God sets upon it!

But even more than that, this book encourages behavior
That also leads to happiness or blessing.

For example:
Many times in this book you’re going to see the phrase, “To him who overcomes…”

The implication is that we are going to face obstacles
That might cause us to want to quit or give in.
This book points them out ahead of time and encourages us to overcome.

If you “read” and “heed” as John said in verse 3,
Then the outcome will most certainly be happiness and blessing.

Another example would be chapters like chapter 13.
It’s a famous chapter because that chapter talks about the infamous “666” mark of the beast.

We’ll talk about that more when we get there,
But the overwhelming point of the chapter is DON’T TAKE IT.

In fact in that chapter, John says:
Revelation 13:10 “Here is the perseverance and the faith of the saints.”

In other words, his instruction regarding the mark of the beast
Is all about perseverance and faith.

You need to “read” and “heed” what he says
If you want to end up being blessed.

Because:
Revelation 14:9-12 “Then another angel, a third one, followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives a mark on his forehead or on his hand, he also will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed in full strength in the cup of His anger; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. “And the smoke of their torment goes up forever and ever; they have no rest day and night, those who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.”

Do you get the point then?
• John is going to tell you about the coming danger under the anti-christ.
• He’s going to tell you what to do and what not to do.
• If you listen to him, then you will be “happy” or “blessed”.
• If you don’t listen to him, you won’t like it very much.

Make sense?
This book is the ultimate form of encouragement
To prepare you for what God knows is coming.

One could easily argue that the supreme problem of humanity
Is that MAN CONTINUALLY CHOOSES TODAY OVER ETERNITY.

Jesus and every apostle warned severely against this.
They knew it would do a person little good to spend 70-80 years in comfort here if it meant an eternity of torment.

Matthew 16:26 “For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Luke 6:20-26 “And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied. Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when men hate you, and ostracize you, and insult you, and scorn your name as evil, for the sake of the Son of Man. “Be glad in that day and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven. For in the same way their fathers used to treat the prophets. “But woe to you who are rich, for you are receiving your comfort in full. “Woe to you who are well-fed now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep. “Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for their fathers used to treat the false prophets in the same way.”

Paul wrote:
Romans 13:11-14 “Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts.”

They understood that it would be foolish
To trade an eternity of blessing for 80 years of comfort.

The book of the Revelation spells it out for you.
• Those who forsake this world in order to follow Jesus may indeed suffer momentarily for it, but they end up being rewarded.

• Those who forsake Jesus in order to obtain comfort in this world, may receive momentary comfort for it, but they end being destroyed.

Now you know why John says:
“Blessed is he who reads…and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.”

We’re out of time this morning,
Next week we’ll continue looking at this introduction
To see what glorious information this book is going to reveal to us.

THIS MORNING I simply want you to be devote yourself
To being the type of person this book was written to.

• It was written for those who are “bond-servants” of Jesus.
• It was written for those who will “read” and “heed” the message.

SURRENDER TO JESUS, AND LET THIS BOOK ENCOURAGE YOU.

 2016 Tournament Bracket (pool play)

Softball Rules 2016

We wish to STRESS that this tournament is purely for recreation and enjoyment.  It was established to help raise money for the summer camps that the children and youth of First Baptist Church will be attending.  These rules are given only to preserve a fair, even, timely, and fun experience for all participants.  We appreciate you helping us keep it that way.

Sign up deadline will be June 10 or whenever the team slots are filled. (We can accomodate up to 8 teams)

Currently signed up are:

1. Holy Sox,
2. Smashers,
3. FBC Spur 2,
4. Benchwarmers,
5. Crosbyton 2,
6. Bateman Bombers,
7. Freedom Mafia,
8. Leftovers

 

UNIFORM OPTIONS:

This year we have uniform options available if you want to order through us.  The DEADLINE for uniform orders is MAY 22.

UNIFORM ORDER FORMS

 

 

 

 

The Rise of Daniel
Daniel 1:1-21
April 24, 2016

Well tonight we begin a new study in the word of God,
And it is one that presents us with a truth that we all must remember.

Almost immediately those who have ever read Daniel get excited
Because they know there is a lot of prophecy that is recorded here.

Daniel has a lot to say about the tribulation and return of Christ.
One could really argue that Daniel gives more information
About some of those things than the book of Revelation.

But unlocking the future is not the main aim of the book of Daniel.

The main point of the book of Daniel
Is to remind you who is in control of the future.

The main purpose is to remind you that God is SOVEREIGN
The Sovereignty of God literally drips out of the book of Daniel.

The book covers a time span of over 70 years,
Through two world dynasties and multiple world rulers
And the theme that emerges time and time again is that
Regardless who sits on the throne, God is still in control.

• In chapter 4 God will humble Nebuchadnezzar
• In chapter 5 He’ll humble Belshazzar
• In chapter 6 He’ll humble Darius the Mede

Through visions of prophecy God will literally spell out for Daniel
That He is in absolute control of even the smallest details
Regarding the rise and fall of kingdoms.

Nebuchadnezzar learned it.
Daniel 4:34-37 “But at the end of that period, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my reason returned to me, and I blessed the Most High and praised and honored Him who lives forever; For His dominion is an everlasting dominion, And His kingdom endures from generation to generation. “All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, But He does according to His will in the host of heaven And among the inhabitants of earth; And no one can ward off His hand Or say to Him, ‘ What have You done?’ “At that time my reason returned to me. And my majesty and splendor were restored to me for the glory of my kingdom, and my counselors and my nobles began seeking me out; so I was reestablished in my sovereignty, and surpassing greatness was added to me. “Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise, exalt and honor the King of heaven, for all His works are true and His ways just, and He is able to humble those who walk in pride.”

Darius the Mede learned it:
Daniel 6:25-27 “Then Darius the king wrote to all the peoples, nations and men of every language who were living in all the land: “May your peace abound! “I make a decree that in all the dominion of my kingdom men are to fear and tremble before the God of Daniel; For He is the living God and enduring forever, And His kingdom is one which will not be destroyed, And His dominion will be forever. “He delivers and rescues and performs signs and wonders In heaven and on earth, Who has also delivered Daniel from the power of the lions.”

Those were two pagan rulers both learned that God is in control.
And hopefully by the time the book is over you’ll learn it too.

What makes this book then so important to us?

It was written in a time of national disaster for Israel.
• Their kings were dead…
• Their temple would soon be burned…
• Their people were deported…

If there was ever a time for Israel to feel like God had lost control
It would have been the 70 year exile,
And yet nothing could be further from the truth.

This book serves as a reminder that even in the darkest of times
God is still on the throne perfectly accomplishing His purposes.

You may not realize this but we are currently in an election year.
And it doesn’t appear to me that anyone I know is too happy about our options.

With every passing year there seems to be
A genuine concern for where we are headed.

And then we read strange passages like this in Scripture:
Romans 13:1 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

• Could it really be true that the 4 candidates we have for President are God’s final four?
• Are we really to assume that God put Barack Obama in office?

Well according to Paul that is precisely what you are to assume.

Listen to Peter:
1 Peter 2:13-17 “Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether to a king as the one in authority, or to governors as sent by him for the punishment of evildoers and the praise of those who do right. For such is the will of God that by doing right you may silence the ignorance of foolish men. Act as free men, and do not use your freedom as a covering for evil, but use it as bondslaves of God. Honor all people, love the brotherhood, fear God, honor the king.”

First you tell me that it was God’s will that these leaders take office
And now you tell me that it is God’s will
That we submit to them and give them honor.

Bearing in mind of course that “the king” in Peter’s day was Nero who was harder on the church than you and I can imagine.

That was the whole “feeding Christians to the lions” day and time.

But God selected him, put him in power
And then commanded His people to submit.

This is even true right down to the ruler whom God appointed to command that His very own Son be crucified.

John 19:10-11 “So Pilate said to Him, “You do not speak to me? Do You not know that I have authority to release You, and I have authority to crucify You?” Jesus answered, “You would have no authority over Me, unless it had been given you from above; for this reason he who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.”

God gave Pilate the authority that he used to kill His own Son.

WHAT ARE YOU GETTING AT PREACHER?
That just because things seem dark and bad
Does not mean that God has somehow lost control.

He is ever in control!
He is sovereign over all things.

Psalms 103:19 “The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.”

1 Timothy 6:11-16 “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He will bring about at the proper time — He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.”

Paul reminded Timothy that regardless of his circumstances
He should maintain the life that pleases God,
Because whether it looks like it or not, God is still in control.

And no book in the Bible reveals that better than the book of Daniel.
God is about to use a Jewish refugee
To humble kings and show a nation that He has it all figured out.

And tonight I want you to see the rise of that young man.

The story of Daniel is not so different from the story of Joseph.
• Both were mere boys when they left their home land.
• Both failed to ever return.
• Both spent time in prison.
• Both were exalted to positions of leadership.
• Both were used to encourage their people that God was in control.

God was at work in the life of Daniel,
Much like He was through the life of Joseph.

Now you may not get visions and prophecies like Daniel and Joseph did,
But that doesn’t mean that where God has you is some sort of a mistake.

Tonight we learn that your setting and circumstances are not a mistake.
God is at work around you and seeks to work through you.
God is in control!

• I don’t care how corrupt the government becomes…
• I don’t care if the land is saturated in pagan worship…
• I don’t care if there is oppression on every side…
• I don’t care if it looks like God has been completely removed from every walk
of life…

Read the book of Daniel and learn to see who is really in control.

Tonight let’s look at this first chapter which is: The Rise of Daniel

4 points to consider
#1 DANIEL’S SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES
Daniel 1:1-7

The first chapter of Daniel is interesting to me
Because it reads very much like a missionary bio.

Daniel was a young man in a difficult situation
Who allowed himself to be used of God in a great way.

WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM THAT.
I want you to see how it was God’s sovereign plan and provision
That gave Daniel this unique opportunity.

THE FIRST THING you’ll notice about these specific circumstances is that GOD SELECTED THE LOCATION.

(1-2) “In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the vessels of the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and he brought the vessels into the treasury of his god.”

You are aware that Jehoiakim was not the last King in Judah.
There would be two more arise after him.
This was not the final fall of Jerusalem.
That comes 19 years later when Zedekiah is king and Nebuchadnezzar burns the temple.

This is the first wave of deportation.
(Ezekiel’s group is going next)

What is very important for you to recognize is the phrase that begins verse 2, “The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand”

God didn’t lose here, this was God’s decision.
This was God’s plan.

And incidentally this had been God’s plan for quite some time.
• All the way back to the days when Hezekiah was king in Israel and Isaiah was the prophet, you may remember Hezekiah showed the temple treasure to some delegates from Chaldea.

Isaiah said:
Isaiah 39:3-7 “Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah and said to him, “What did these men say, and from where have they come to you?” And Hezekiah said, “They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.” He said, “What have they seen in your house?” So Hezekiah answered, “They have seen all that is in my house; there is nothing among my treasuries that I have not shown them.” Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, “Hear the word of the LORD of hosts, ‘Behold, the days are coming when all that is in your house and all that your fathers have laid up in store to this day will be carried to Babylon; nothing will be left,’ says the LORD. ‘And some of your sons who will issue from you, whom you will beget, will be taken away, and they will become officials in the palace of the king of Babylon.'”

When you read through the Kings,
God’s decision is reiterated over and over.

• When Hezekiah’s son Manasseh became king he was exceptionally evil, and the Lord said:
2 Kings 21:10-15 “Now the LORD spoke through His servants the prophets, saying, “Because Manasseh king of Judah has done these abominations, having done wickedly more than all the Amorites did who were before him, and has also made Judah sin with his idols; therefore thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Behold, I am bringing such calamity on Jerusalem and Judah, that whoever hears of it, both his ears will tingle. ‘I will stretch over Jerusalem the line of Samaria and the plummet of the house of Ahab, and I will wipe Jerusalem as one wipes a dish, wiping it and turning it upside down. ‘I will abandon the remnant of My inheritance and deliver them into the hand of their enemies, and they will become as plunder and spoil to all their enemies; because they have done evil in My sight, and have been provoking Me to anger since the day their fathers came from Egypt, even to this day.'”

• Manasseh’s grandson Josiah became king and he served the Lord, but regardless of his obedience, God still said:
2 Kings 23:26-27 “However, the LORD did not turn from the fierceness of His great wrath with which His anger burned against Judah, because of all the provocations with which Manasseh had provoked Him. The LORD said, “I will remove Judah also from My sight, as I have removed Israel. And I will cast off Jerusalem, this city which I have chosen, and the temple of which I said, ‘My name shall be there.'”

The point is that God had decreed this.

Jeremiah 29:10 “For thus says the LORD, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.”

We have a tendency to want to think that
All bad things were not the will of God.

We have difficulty understanding how
God could allow a pagan nation to conquer a nation of His chosen people.
To us that seems wrong.

It certainly seemed wrong to Habakkuk.
• When God told him this would happen, he said:
Habakkuk 1:13-17 “Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And You can not look on wickedness with favor. Why do You look with favor On those who deal treacherously? Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up Those more righteous than they? Why have You made men like the fish of the sea, Like creeping things without a ruler over them? The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook, Drag them away with their net, And gather them together in their fishing net. Therefore they rejoice and are glad. Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net And burn incense to their fishing net; Because through these things their catch is large, And their food is plentiful. Will they therefore empty their net And continually slay nations without sparing?”

Habakkuk just couldn’t understand that
God would bring something like this on Israel.
We tend to think the same thing.

But that is exactly what happened.
• The exile was God’s idea.
• He promised it and He delivered.

Incidentally most agree that Daniel was somewhere around the age of 15
When he was deported to Babylon.
BUT GOD SENT DANIEL TO THE LAND OF BABYLON

I ALSO WANT YOU TO RECOGNIZE that God had set Daniel and his friends apart for this by reason of their NATURAL ABILITY AND STATUS.

(READ VS. 3-7)
It is highly likely that the first wave of refugees
Were the most noble and sophisticated of the land.
They took the most educated and powerful first.

And from these the king of Babylon was looking for
The cream of the crop to serve him.

He looked for “youths in whom was no defect, who were good-looking, showing intelligence in every branch of wisdom, endowed with understanding and discerning knowledge, and who had ability for serving in the king’s court;”

(I think most of us would have been safe)

The point is that Daniel certainly had no say in whether or not he was good looking or intelligent.

All of those years of prosperity and good fortune
Were not just so he could have a better life than those around him.

He was created this way for this specific purpose.
• He had to be good looking
• He had to be intelligent
• He had to be educated

In order for him to get the opportunity God had ordained for him.

You should look at your own personal situation in the same manner.
It is by no mistake that you are who you are.
It is by no mistake that you can do what you can do.

• Do you suppose one can sing and another can’t because God just liked one better than another?

• Do you suppose one can speak and another can’t because God just liked one better than another?

Of course not.
God ordained everything about you
For the purpose He in which intends to use you.

Paul wrote:
Romans 12:3-8 “For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.”

God created you like you are for His purposes.
This is seen clearly in Daniel.

Daniel was the right man at the right place at the right time.
Incidentally, so are you.
Acts 17:26 “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation,”

• You may wonder why you were fortunate enough to be born in America (as opposed to a third world country)

• You may wonder why you have the abilities and privileges that you do as opposed to those who do without.

It is not because God favors you more than others.
It is because this is part of how God seeks to use you.

God created you as perfect tool to accomplish His purpose.
You can see that in Daniel, learn to see that in yourself.

Daniel’s Specific Circumstances
#2 DANIEL’S SPIRITUAL CONVICTION
Daniel 1:8-16

Now the setting is only half of the equation.
It is no mistake that you are where you are at an appointed time.

That does not mean that you just need to sit back and do nothing.
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO MAKE THE MOST OF THAT OPPORTUNITY.

Ephesians 5:15-17 “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

1 Peter 3:15 “but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;”

In other words, God placed you where you are, now be faithful there.
• Maybe He placed you in the ministry…
• Maybe He placed you in the school…
• Maybe He placed you in your work place…
• Maybe He placed you in the NFL…
• Maybe He placed you in prison…

Now you must choose to be faithful to that calling
And make the most of that opportunity.

Daniel does, and it is so simple what he does.
(8) “But Daniel made up his mind that he would not defile himself with the king’s choice food or with the wine which he drank; so he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.”
This serves as a good reminder that
Faithfulness doesn’t always have to be something massive.

• Daniel didn’t start a Bible study among Chaldonian servants…
• Daniel didn’t organize a revolt among Jewish refugees…
• Daniel didn’t form an underground railroad to take Jews back home…

Daniel just decided to stay faithful to God’s commands
In the midst of a corrupt society.

And he wasn’t even unruly about it.
“he sought permission from the commander of the officials that he might not defile himself.”

One of the truly remarkable aspects of this book is that
You are going to see people make amazing declarations of faith
And yet not one of them will do so
With an unsubmissive or disrespectful attitude.

Daniel didn’t get on facebook and blast the Babylonian government and say, “Enough is enough! I’ll eat that food when you pry it into my cold dead hand!”

He was submissive to the governing authorities.
• Later you’ll see his three friends refuse to bow to Nebuchadnezzar’s idol but
they aren’t disrespectful or unruly when they do it and they willingly accept
the consequences.

• You’ll see Daniel be faced with the den of lions, but there is no fight in him
against those in authority.

Sometimes our culture thinks faithfulness requires rebellion,
BUT THAT IS NOT TRUE.

The same God that told us to be faithful also told us
• To be submissive to the governing authorities,
• To pray for those in power,
• To honor the king,
• To live in peace with everyone.

There may very well come a day when we must submit to the consequences of refusing to obey godless commands,
But I never see a place where revolting and slandering is the answer.

Daniel chose faithfulness and he did so in a submissive way.
He honored the ruler while honoring his God.

AND LOOK AT THE RESULT. (We see sovereignty again)
(READ 9-14)
Did you catch that?
“God granted Daniel favor and compassion in the sight of the commander”

God took care of it.
Daniel proposed a test, which incidentally put all the weight on God’s back.

Daniel could control what food he ate,
But he could not control how it would affect his body.
That was totally up to God.

God came through
(15-16) “At the end of ten days their appearance seemed better and they were fatter than all the youths who had been eating the king’s choice food. So the overseer continued to withhold their choice food and the wine they were to drink, and kept giving them vegetables.”

God opened the door.
And now, because of their faithfulness,
They were a testimony to those around them.

WE MUST ALSO CHOOSE FAITHFULNESS

Now, at this point, you should know that
This is still not enough on its own.

Jesus made this clear to the disciples after He rose from the dead.
Luke 24:49 “And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

• They were in the right place at the right time
• They were called to be faithful
• But they were called to wait for help that only God could supply

Daniel’s Specific Circumstances, Daniel’s Spiritual Conviction
#3 DANIEL’S SUPERNATURAL CAPABILITY
Daniel 1:17

Daniel chose faithfulness, God supplied the rest.
“God gave them…”

“knowledge and intelligence in every branch of literature and wisdom”

To show you how remarkable this was, we read:
“Daniel even understood all kinds of visions and dreams.”

This goes well beyond simple natural ability.
God had to supply what was lacking
In order for them to accomplish His purposes.

We see the same in the New Testament:
Acts 4:13-14 “Now as they observed the confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus. And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in reply.”

Acts 6:8-10 “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen. But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.”

It is the reminder that Christ is the vine and we are the branches
And that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Faithfulness is important, but it is not enough.
There must still be supernatural ability which flows only from God.

You can do nothing by your own
Strength, Intelligence, and Ingenuity.
God must do it through you.

And that is what is happening here.
• Daniel is in God’s place at God’s time
• And Daniel desires to be faithful.
• Therefore God is giving Daniel all that he needs to be faithful and accomplish that purpose.

Are you afraid that where you are
You can’t accomplish what God has in store for you?

You choose faithfulness, let God do the rest.
Let Him open the doors
Let Him create the opportunities
Let Him grant the privileges

That is what he is doing for Daniel.
It is supernatural power.

Specific Circumstances, Spiritual Commitment, Supernatural Capability
#4 DANIEL’S STEADY COMMITMENT
Daniel 1:18-21

God made Nebuchadnezzar’s decision an obvious one.
Nebuchadnezzar didn’t choose these boys, God did.
God knows what He is about to do.

What we love is the last verse of this chapter.
(21) “And Daniel continued until the first year of Cyrus the king.”

Somewhere around 69 years.
(Would have made Daniel around 85 years old)

That is what you call a life of faithfulness and dedication.
• Daniel will be faithful through the Babylonian reigns of Nebuchadnezzar and Belshazzar.
• Daniel will be faithful when the Medes and the Persians conquer Babylon and through the reigns of Darius and Cyrus.
• Daniel will face annihilation several times, the most famous being the lion’s den.
• Daniel will faithfully stand before kings on numerous occasions.
• And throughout his life, regardless of the way the world changes around him, Daniel remains steady.

We all agree that the story about the lion’s den is pretty amazing,
But honestly it is Daniel’s entire life that is amazing.

70 years in a pagan nation and Daniel is a steady faithful force.

One thing I’ve learned in my short time in the ministry is that
God very rarely works like a flash in the pan.
He is the gentle blowing that He revealed to Elijah.
He requires the faithful steadiness of His people.

1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord.”

• Here was a 15 year old boy,
• Who was uprooted from his comfortable home in Judah.
• He was thrown into a pagan culture where there was an attempt made to brainwash him into that sinful culture.
• This young man simply chose to be faithful to God where God has placed him
• And God used that man in mighty ways over the course of his entire life.

Who knew that a decision not to defile himself with pagan food
Would be such a big decision?

Do you understand then how important it is
That you see God’s sovereign hand in your circumstances?
• That you are where you are for a reason.
• That you are who you are for a reason.
• That those little daily decisions can in be very big decisions of faithfulness.

Daniel’s faithfulness was simple, but it was consistent for his entire life
And God would use this young refugee
To show 4 of the most powerful rulers this world has ever seen
That they really aren’t as big as they think.

And He’d use Daniel to encourage a nation
That the real Ruler is on His way.

The Sheep and Their Shepherd
Hebrews 13:17-19
April 24, 2017

Well I think we can all agree that
This is probably the most important verse in the entire Bible!
Actually I can tell you that this is a pretty difficult verse to preach
And yet one that I can definitely tell you needs to be better understood.

You would be amazed if I told you
How many people from other churches I have come and talk to me
About how they don’t like their pastor.

You might also be surprised to know that I NEVER see this
As an opportunity to grab a new church member.

I’ve figured out, and so have many of you,
That ungrateful grumblers who fail to understand
The importance of submission and selflessness
Don’t make for healthy churches.

The writer of Hebrews knew this too.

We are now in the practical section of the book of Hebrews.
• We spent 12 chapters on theology, and now he closes the letter with a chapter of practical application and it has been tremendously valuable.

Thus far we’ve been given 3 really good pieces of advice.

1) Don’t let your difficult circumstances cause you to revert to some sort of self-preservation mode. “Let love of the brethren continue. Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers…Remember the prisoners…and those who are ill-treated.”

We were reminded that no amount of hardship
Is justification to neglect our most important command, which is to love.

2) Be careful about the obvious temptations that will wreck your faith. “Marriage is to be held in honor among all…for fornicators and adulterers God will judge.” And “Make sure that your character is free from the love of money.”

Satan is the god of this world who prowls around like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. Don’t eat the deer corn, it will wreck your life!

3) Make a conscious decision to follow Jesus even though it appears costly. “For here we do not have a lasting city, but we are seeking the city which is to come.”

We were called to consider the cost, then look to the reward and make a conscious decision to take up our cross and follow Jesus.
So the advice thus far has been profitable in many respects.
• It is profitable to your brother whom you are called to love
• It is profitable to your life since you avoid temptation
• It is profitable to your eternity since you inherit an eternal city

And here the writer continues with what is profitable to you
And that is for you to obey and submit to your leaders.

In fact the writer says that A FAILURE TO do this, or making the job of your leader grievous “would be unprofitable for you.”

This PASSAGE ISN’T ABOUT the leaders
Getting some sort of perceived deserved recognition.

This PASSAGE IS ABOUT you understanding God’s order
And what is in the best interest of your spiritual well-being.

Now, as you look at this section of practical application the writer asks for two responses for those who lead you.
#1 SUBMISSION
Hebrews 13:17

I know we live in a culture that thinks “submission”
Is probably the dirtiest word you can say.

The Bible outlines 7 areas where submission is important
Our culture rejects all 7, and the even the church questions some of them.

1) Children to parents
2) Wives to husbands
3) Employees to their bosses (slaves to masters)
4) Citizens to the governing authorities
5) Believers to one another
6) The church to Christ
7) The church to her earthly leaders

Lost people reject every single one of those.
Never have we seen a culture where
• Feminism,
• Child hood disobedience,
• Workplace grumbling,
• Disrespect of civil government,
• And lack of a fear of God
HAVE THRIVED LIKE OUR CULTURE.
People hate submission.

The danger is that it has become such the norm for our society
That this mindset is even CREEPING INTO THE CHURCH,
Where it has absolutely no place.

Submission is foundational to Christian living.
In order to be a Christian we are called to submit to Christ as Lord,
And this entails then honoring every level of authority which He institutes.

• It is Christ who gave authority to parents over their children
• It is Christ who gave authority to husbands over their wives
• It is Christ who gave authority to civil government
• It is Christ who gave authority to bosses over their employees
• It is Christ who gave authority to overseers over their congregation

To reject any level of this authority is to reject Christ’s authority.
That’s just the way it is.

Here the writer zones in on the particular area of submission
Dealing with believers to their earthly leaders.

And there are 4 reasons given here why you should submit to them.
1) THEIR POSITION (17a)
“Obey your leaders and submit to them,”

You are called to submit to them because they are “your leaders”

Romans 13:1 “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.”

That verse certainly refers to civil government but the underlying principle is still the same which is that “there is no authority except from God”

If they are your leader, it is not a mistake.
And incidentally there is NO CLAUSE HERE GIVEN
Regarding how good of a leader they are.

To be fair, Scripture does give explanation
Regarding how to deal with a sinning leader.

1 Timothy 5:19-20 “Do not receive an accusation against an elder except on the basis of two or three witnesses. Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest also will be fearful of sinning.”

Now that refers to a leader who is continuing in sin.
That leader is to receive public rebuke.

But simply not agreeing with the way your leader does something
Is NOT grounds for grumbling or rebellion.

Authority all trickles down from God, and therefore must be respected.
IT IS NOT THE PERSON, IT IS THE POSITION.

John MacArthur wrote:
“Someday God will rule all the earth through His Son, the King of kings, but in the meanwhile He rules His church through godly men. Submission to these men, therefore, is submission to God…In many churches today, the congregation rules the leaders. This sort of government is foreign to the New Testament. Church leaders are not to be tyrants, because they do not rule for themselves but for God. But the command is unqualified: Obey your leaders, and submit to them. It is the right of such men, under God and in meekness and humility, to determine the direction of the church, to preside over it, to teach the word in it, to reprove, rebuke, and exhort (Titus 2:15). They are to “shepherd the flock of God…exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to [their] charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3). Pastor’s and elders are undershepherds, who serve under the “Chief Shepherd”
(MacArthur, John; The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Hebrews [Moody Press, Chicago, Ill; 1985] pg.444-445)

I know in America we love democracy and majority vote
And all of that sort of idea.
But the church has never been a democracy.
The church is a theocracy.

Jesus is King, He has absolute and total authority.
And that authority then trickles down through those He gives it to.

So submission to “your leaders” is in fact submission to Christ.

You submit because of their position.

2) THEIR PURPOSE (17b)
“for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account.”

In short, you submit to them and obey them
Because their entire purpose is to protect your soul.

Paul told Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:16 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

Paul told the Ephesian elders:
Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

When Jesus was about to ascend to return to the Father, He looked at Peter and three times said:
• “Tend My lambs”
• “Shepherd My sheep”
• “Tend My sheep”

The role is a protective one.

Let me illustrate this to you.
There are 3 pastoral epistles in the New Testament (that is epistles written to pastors about their role to the flock) (1 & 2 Timothy, Titus)

TURN TO: 1 Timothy 1

(READ 1 Timothy 1:1-7)

Do you see the danger there?
The church at Ephesus was falling prey to bad doctrine.

And listen, bad doctrine condemns people to hell.
It is the truth that sets you free.

Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.”

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Bad doctrine destroys people and the church at Ephesus was being fed it.
Paul sent Timothy in to “keep watch over” the souls of the Ephesians
By correcting the bad doctrine there.

TURN TO: TITUS

(READ Titus 1:1-4-16)
Did you catch where Paul told Titus to appoint elders (leaders)?

Why?
Because according to verse 10 there are “many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers…who must be silenced”

It’s like sending someone out to watch over your flock of sheep
Because there are coyotes who are seeking to eat them.
You send a shepherd out to the flock to protect the sheep.

This is the purpose of the elder or overseer or leader,
However you want to put it.
“they keep watch over your souls”

The sheep should always submit to the direction of the shepherd
Because the shepherd has the best interest of the sheep in mind.

You get the idea.
You should submit to and obey your leaders
Because Christ made them your leaders
And because their entire purpose is to protect you from destruction.

Now that DOESN’T MEAN that they just have cart blanch autonomy.

The writer is clear they are “those who will give an account.”
Make no mistake, Christ is watching, and Christ will judge.

James said:
James 3:1 “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment.”

Peter said:
1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

The implication there being that Christ is watching
And will reward accordingly.

In fact, we’ve already seen Jesus do this once.
You can read Ezekiel 34 about how God promised to punish the selfish shepherds who didn’t care about the flock.

Jesus did this when He came.
Remember Matthew 9?

Matthew 9:36 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”

The shepherds of Israel had scalped and discarded the sheep of Israel.

Now you tell me, when Jesus came, who was He the hardest on?
It was the shepherds who had neglected the flock.

In Zechariah 11 it speaks of how Jesus would respond
To those false shepherds when He would come.

Zechariah 11:8 “Then I annihilated the three shepherds in one month, for my soul was impatient with them, and their soul also was weary of me.”

Boy that was true.
He attacked them and they hated Him for it.

The point is:
JESUS WILL DEMAND AN ACCOUNT.

That means He forces shepherds to do their job properly,
And He expects that the sheep will follow them.

You should submit to them because of their position and because of their purpose.
3) THEIR PLEASURE (17c)
“Let them do this with joy and not with grief,”

Are you kidding me?
You mean I’m told to submit to my leaders just so they can have a better day?

That is precisely what the writer says.
You ought to make the job of your leader a job that they can enjoy.

How do you do this?
• No, it’s not money…
• No, it’s not fame or prestige…
• No, it’s not banquets and honor…

Those are what pleases the false prophets.
That’s what the false shepherds of Israel were after.

Matthew 23:5-7 “But they do all their deeds to be noticed by men; for they broaden their phylacteries and lengthen the tassels of their garments. “They love the place of honor at banquets and the chief seats in the synagogues, and respectful greetings in the market places, and being called Rabbi by men.”

If it takes money or fame to make your shepherd joyful
You’ve got a bad shepherd.

Scripture is clear how you bring joy to your leader.

3 John 4 “I have no greater joy than this, to hear of my children walking in the truth.”

Philippians 2:1-4 “Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion, make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Obedience is the greatest joy

And this is what the writer is referring to.
Don’t make life miserable on your leader
By continually refusing to walk in submission and obedience.

Tell me parents, do you enjoy parenting more when your kids are obedient or when they are rebellious?

It’s the same idea here.
You should submit to and obey your leaders because of
Their Position, because of their Purpose and for their Pleasure.

These people have taken on an enormous responsibility (your soul) and you should hope that they can enjoy the job.

But here is the main reason that you should pay attention to.
4) YOUR PROFIT (17d)
“for this would be unprofitable for you.”

I remember a few years ago there was A DRIVE FOR OUR MILITARY when they were fighting in Irag and Afganistan to provide window units for the soldiers in the desert.

My dad bought one and said, “Well, I like to sleep with an air conditioner I figure those people fighting for us like it to.”

Do you want the job of a soldier to be so miserable
That no one wants to do it?

Of course not. We want them to be able to enjoy it as much as possible.
The job itself is going to be hard enough.

This is what the writer is referring to here with your leaders.
Which pastor do you think is going to do a better and more faithful job for you, the one who enjoys it or the one who is grieved by it?

It really is common sense.
• Employees who enjoy their job always do a better job.
• Leaders who enjoy their followers always lead better.

Now, shepherds are called to shepherd regardless
Leaders are called to lead regardless
But it sure goes better when you allow them to enjoy their job.

And I certainly feel compelled at this point
To tell you how much I enjoy pastoring this church.
(The treasurer is a little mouthy, but other than that!)

I have no complaint, and that is good for you.

I’ve been in a church where I dreaded preaching the truth because I could anticipate the meeting that would occur during the coming week.

There were definite times of temptation to say,
“Maybe I’ll just leave that part out.”

It is good for a congregation when a pastor feels at liberty preach truth.
THAT’S JOYFUL FOR HIM AND GOOD FOR THEM.

So this is the first command: SUBMISSION
#2 SUPPLICATION
Hebrews 13:18-19

The second thing the writer wants from us is prayer.
He wants us to lift them up in prayer.
And there are two reasons why we should lift up our leaders in prayer

1) IT IS DESERVED (18)
“Pray for us, for we are sure that we have a good conscience, desiring to conduct ourselves honorably in all things.”

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?

This writer basically says, “We deserve your prayers”
“We have a good conscience” before God about how we have led you.

Now this doesn’t suggest that the leader is perfect,
It suggests that the leader has been faithful.
And a faithful leader deserves your support.

Paul was a man like this.
Acts 23:1 “Paul, looking intently at the Council, said, “Brethren, I have lived my life with a perfectly good conscience before God up to this day.”

Now even Paul didn’t want you to think that meant he was perfect.
1 Corinthians 4:4 “For I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted; but the one who examines me is the Lord.”

The point is, when a leader is faithful to follow God,
Then he has earned your support. It is deserved.

Think about Paul’s ministry.
He certainly was one who earned people’s support.

Galatians 1:10-12 “For am I now seeking the favor of men, or of God? Or am I striving to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a bond-servant of Christ. For I would have you know, brethren, that the gospel which was preached by me is not according to man. For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ.”

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.”

IF WE WERE A PEOPLE UNDER PAUL, WOULDN’T WE OWE IT TO HIM TO PRAY FOR HIM?

Wouldn’t we owe it to him to continually lift him up to God?

• If you have a person who is willing to watch out for wolves…
• If you have a person who is willing to correct bad doctrine…
• If you have a person who is willing to lead you correctly…
• If you have a person who will enter that spiritual battle for you…
THEN THEY DESERVE YOUR PRAYER SUPPORT (they need it!)

We should pray for those who lead, it is deserved.
2) IT IS DESIRED (19)
“And I urge you all the more to do this, so that I may be restored to you the sooner.”

Not only should our leaders be lifted up because they deserve it,
BUT BECAUSE THEY WANT IT.

This was certainly the request of Paul’s life.
1 Thessalonians 5:25 “Brethren, pray for us.”

Ephesians 6:19 “and pray on my behalf, that utterance may be given to me in the opening of my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel,”

Colossians 4:2-3 “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving; praying at the same time for us as well, that God will open up to us a door for the word, so that we may speak forth the mystery of Christ, for which I have also been imprisoned;”

Paul wanted the people to pray for him
That he would have the strength to continue preaching the gospel.

Regardless of the fact that submission is required,
I don’t suppose any Christian leader will ever deal with
A completely submissive congregation.
Therefore it is all the more important that
Those who are submissive continue to pray for the man.

Good shepherds aren’t looking for money or fame & recognition
Good shepherds merely want to be faithful
To their role of protecting the flock.

But every shepherd knows that
THIS IS AN IMPOSSIBLE TASK BY HUMAN MEANS.

There are two main reasons for that.
1) Sheep are sinful and rebellious and hard-headed
2) Shepherds are sinful and rebellious and hard-headed

If this whole arrangement is going to work,
It is definitely going to take the intervention of God.
PRAYER IS THE ANSWER

Pray for these leaders, that is what they want.
• I want you to pray that I’ll be everything God intends for me to be.
• I want you to pray that God will confront the areas where I fall short.
• I want you to pray that God will burden my heart for the right things.
• I want you to pray that I won’t get discouraged or distracted or deceived
• I want you to pray that I will be bold and compassionate and merciful and faithful
• I want you to pray that I will stay focused on eternity
• I want you to pray that God will open my eyes to His direction
• I want you to pray that He will give me grace for every moment

LEADERS DESIRE YOUR PRAYERS.

So why wouldn’t you?
If this guy is going to watch over your soul, certainly you want him to have all the help from God that he can get!

Pray for this man and do it “all the more”

AND HERE the specific request was “so that I may be restored to you the sooner.”

Here we are confronted, for the first time,
That our writer may actually be in prison.
It may be that the only reason this was a letter instead of a sermon is because that is the only way our writer has to contact this church that he loved.

• His heart’s desire was to shepherd this flock
• His heart’s desire was to care for these sheep
• His heart’s desire was to watch over their souls

But for some reason he was not able to be there with them.
And for that he wants prayer.

Not prayer for his life to be easier,
But prayer for him to be able to care for them the way he desires.

AND THIS IS GOOD PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR THE CHURCH.
• You should pursue love regardless of the cost
• You should resist temptation as that which will wreck your life
• You should follow Jesus and bear His reproach
• You should obey your leaders and pray for them

BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE THINGS WILL PROFIT YOU!!!

This is a chapter filled with good advice
For living the best Christian life possible on this earth.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another.”