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Year 2 Day 89
Pray (ACts) Read - Acts 22v30-23v11 Message - Scott Woodburn The tribune may have been nervous after his ill judged treatment of Paul but at the same time he still wanted to know how one man could stir up so much trouble in Jerusalem (v30). Paul was brought before the chief priests and council to give account and he began by stating they he had a good conscience before God (v1) which caused the high priest Ananias to order someone to strike Paul in the mouth. Paul responded fiercely calling Ananias a whitewashed wall, basically declaring that Ananias looked good on the outside but was actually unclean and insecure. Furthermore Paul warned that the Lord would strike Ananias, for the high priest was breaking the law of God (Leviticus 19v15) by allowing such injustice in the court. The high priest deserved respect and so there were those who believed Paul had gone too far (v4). Paul had not recognised the high priest and immediately submits himself to God’s law which states “You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.” (Exodus 22v28) Soon Paul realised that his audience were a mixed bunch. Some were Pharisees and some were Sadducees (v6) and so calling on his Pharisee roots he declared “It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.” (v6) Immediately this caused much discussion among the two camps. The Pharisees agreed with Paul on the resurrection, angels and the spirit while the Sadducees did not (v8). Suddenly when the Pharisees declared that Paul had done nothing wrong (v9) the dissension became violent and the tribune was afraid that the crowd would tear Paul to pieces (v10). We can only imagine the stress that such an event would have had on Paul. As we read the Scriptures we sometimes believe that individuals like the Apostle were superhuman and didn’t know fear, anguish or worry. It is simply untrue as Paul would later explain to the Corinthians he was under daily pressure and filled with anxiety for the church (2 Corinthians 11v28). Yet the Lord drew near to Paul and urged him to take courage. Paul had been faithful in his testimony in Jerusalem and so the Lord would take him to testify in Rome (v11). Brothers and sisters, the anger of the crowd should not surprise us. No one is neutral to the things of God and while some might shrug, others might throw punches both physical and verbal. Yet it is no excuse for us to meet fire with fire. Paul with wisdom pulled back from his challenge to Ananias and spoke to the gathered audience in a manner that they could understand. Paul wasn’t aggressive. He didn’t mock or scorn and soon he found that even the Pharisees took his part. As we heard on Tuesday we are always to be prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3v15), yet we do not give that reason with hand grenades and barbs. The Lord is sovereign and He is the One who gives us an audience in Rome, in Jerusalem and wherever He pleases. When that audience comes, we put aside cunning, craftiness and deceitful schemes and for Christ’s sake, we speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4v15). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q93 Which are the Sacraments of the New Testament? The Sacraments of the New Testament are Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper.
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Year 2 Day 88
Pray (ACts) Read - Mark 4:1-20 Message - Alan Burke We thought about it on Monday, how the sower in this parable is Jesus. He sows, he sows his word on the path, those who have hard hearts and the birds came and ate it (15) and Jesus explains that as the word goes out not birds come and take it away but Satan. That’s what happens when the word is preached. But here we are told this is what Satan does to the word in some of those who hear. This is spiritual warfare, as Satan come in and steals the word. You only need to think to the pharisees, Satan was coming and stealing the word before anything happened. Then we have the seed that sprang up quickly, but it that was scorched and withered because it had no root, that is those that received the word with joy, it looks hopeful but then trouble and persecution come and it is gone (16-17). Then there are those who the thorns and worries of this life (18-19) the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires of others things take their told one the word. Notice how these things are a more serious threat to the seed than Satan coming and snatching it away, these things are more serious than trouble and persecution when they come, they have stood in the midst of Satan’s attacks, they have faced trouble and persecution have stood firm until that is health, wealth and prosperity. Good things have become the biggest cares. Ultimately though there are only two times of soil in this parable, the good and the bad, and there is only one type of human heart and that is bad unless God transforms it, to a good heart, a heart that is receptive to his word. The word produces a crop, thirty, sixty or even a hundred times that what was sown (20). In the one who hears and is fruitful it is seen in their character, in the outworking of that salvation, in their works, it bears fruit for the kingdom. This happens by the work of the word in the lives of those who hear. We do not know the heart of those who hear, our friends and family, those whom we work with or interact with, but this parable of the sower reminds us to sow, sow, sow, sow, sow, we don’t know what the soil is, we don’t know its reception, but sow, sow, sow the word. This parable teaches of the kingdom of God and the variety of ways people respond to his word, and it is God’s word is what people need to hear. It is God’s word is what gives people no excuse. It is God’s word that many reject and it is God’s word is what produces results. Let us be people who trust in the word to do the work. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q92 What is a sacrament? A sacrament is an holy ordinance instituted by Christ, wherein, by sensible signs, Christ, and the benefits of the new covenant, are represented, sealed, and applied to believers. (Gen. 17:7,10, Exod. 12, 1 Cor. 11:23,26) Year 2 Day 87
Pray (ACts) Read - Acts 22v23-29 Message - Scott Woodburn The Christian is someone who understands their incredibly unique position in this world. We are born to parents into families all across the world. Christians speak different languages and come from different cultures. Christians cheer for different nations at the Olympic Games and come under the authority of various government systems. Christians live in democracies and Christians live under communist rule. Christians live in countries that regard Christianity as the national faith and Christians live in countries where they are a very small minority. Simply stated, Christians live and work and love in a secular kingdom. It may look different depending on where you call home, but each Christian lives their life in this world. Paul understood this and in today’s passage he calls upon his secular status to protect him from Roman whips. The tribune wanted to know why the crowd were going to beat Paul to death and so, ironically, he ordered Paul to be flogged with whips to get to the bottom of the issue (v24). Just as they were about to inflict great pain on the Apostle, Paul shared that he was in fact an uncondemned Roman citizen (v25). The tribune had bought his own citizenship with a large sum of money but Paul was a citizen by birth (v28). This citizenship meant that Paul couldn’t be flogged at the whim of a tribune. Roman citizens enjoyed certain rights and privileges protected by law. Such a citizen should not be bound or flogged and they had the right of appeal directly to Rome. That Paul was treated so poorly was a crime in the Roman world. Just like Paul we too have an earthly or secular citizenship which comes with certain rights and privileges. How are we to live in the secular kingdom? In Romans 13 Paul tells us that we are be subject to the governing authorities for God Himself has placed them over us. I think a useful summary of the Christian’s life in the secular world is found in Romans 13v7 “Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honour to whom honour is owed.” Therefore as Christians we keep the speed limit, we pay our taxes and we seek to honour (when possible) the ruling authorities. Yet the Christian is someone who is of two kingdoms. Just as we live and work and play in the secular kingdom, so too by faith, we have received a kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12v28). Not by birth, by passport, by country or by skin colour but by saving faith in Christ Jesus. The Christian understands that the secular world is passing away and only the kingdom of God will stand for eternity. This gives us great hope and assurance in this secular world. Things may seem incredibly bleak at this present moment and like many Christians throughout history we believe these to be the worst days that there have ever been. But brothers and sisters take heart! Christ calls us to honour Him as we live in the secular world and Christ calls us to never forget that this place is not our home. Paul the man steeped in Judaism who was a Roman by birth but a Christian by faith put it this way “Our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” (Philippians 3v20-21) Amen! Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q91 How do the Sacraments become effectual means of salvation? The Sacraments become effectual means of salvation, not from any virtue in them, or in him that doth administer them; but only by the blessing of Christ, and the working of his Spirit in them that by faith receive them. Year 2 Day 86
Pray (ACts) Read - Mark 4:1-20 Message - Alan Burke I’ve been told on more than one occasion, what we need is more preachers who teach Jesus, who tell stories, things easy to understand, parables, preachers who just tell us about the love of God. Normally I smile, and agree, but it’s in the knowledge that they know not what they ask for because they haven’t given time to consider the things that Jesus said and taught or the reasons for using parables. Maybe I should try taking this advice on Sunday because the parables are like an insider joke. You know what I mean by an insider joke, it’s a joke known to those who are on the inside and it may only take a word like “game” some people who know me will know immediately what I’m on about, but you likely have no idea and may be scratching your head because it’s known to those on the inside. What Jesus was doing in the parables as we are told here is that Jesus told… “everything is in parables, 12 so that “ ‘they may indeed see but not perceive, and may indeed hear but not understand, lest they should turn and be forgiven.’ ””. Here Jesus quotes from the prophet Isaiah (6:9-10). Isaiah was called by God to preach the good news but in a way that the people of God would be ever seeing but never perceive, ever hearing but never understand. For the people of God had been faithless and Isaiah was being sent to preach a message of judgement and Jesus comes to do the same. Here in this passage we have, the disciples and the follower are insiders, they can understand the secret of the kingdom, but the outsiders are blinded by the parable. The kingdom has come, Jesus the king is among them, it is only through faith that they would see and perceive the truth, it is only through faith that they would hear and understand, but God had veiled the truth from them in judgement because of their sin. There were many who heard the teaching of Jesus, who saw the miracles he preformed but although they could see, they did not perceive, although they heard they never understood. The only reason the disciples and the others with Jesus understood is because their understanding had been given to them by God. This is the truth of the kingdom of God, it is the work of God in the lives of human beings, it cannot be achieved by human means but by the work of God the Spirit. For the insiders the disciples and others with Jesus, he had been given the secret of the kingdom, because God had chosen to reveal himself in this with in the incarnate Word Jesus Christ, only by faith could they recognise the Son of God, and Jesus is the secret of the kingdom. What an assurance this is for those of us who have seen and heard, who have come to understand and know who Jesus is and that he is the Son of God, the King of a new kingdom, that he has revealed to us who he is and what he has done. We have ears to hear because God has given them to us. What joy should rise in us know that God has given us ears to hear, calling us to himself. Give God the thanks and Glory for the faith you have. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q90 How is the Word to be read and heard, that it may become effectual to salvation? That the Word may become effectual to salvation, we must attend thereunto with diligence, (Prov. 8:34) preparation, (1 Pet. 2:1–2) and prayer; (Ps. 119:18) receive it with faith and love, (Heb. 4:2, 2 Thess. 2:10) lay it up in our hearts, (Ps. 119:11) and practice it in our lives. (Luke 8:15, James 1:25) Year 2 Day 85
Pray (ACts) Read - Acts 21v37-22v22 Message - Scott Woodburn Paul was being carried into the barracks to keep him from the baying mob and yet he still asked permission from the Roman tribune to address the crowd who wanted his blood (v39). With the tribune’s agreement, Paul addressed the crowd in the Hebrew language (v40). Hearing Paul speak in their native tongue calmed the crowd (v2) and soon they would give Paul their full attention. The Apostle would use the opportunity to tell his full story. He was a Jew like them (v3) who had been educated by the famous Gamaliel (v3). Paul was zealous for God even leading him to persecute the Christian faith (v4-5). But something happened to him as he travelled to Damascus to ravage the church. Paul met with Jesus. Christ asked Paul directly “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” (v8) and from that moment on Paul’s life would never be the same again. He would be led into Damascus (v11) where a man named Ananias would pray for him to receive his sight, for Paul had been blinded by his interaction with Jesus (v13). Later the Lord would speak to Paul via a trance in Jerusalem (v17) warning him that the Jews would not accept Paul’s testimony about Jesus. Paul couldn’t understand their resistance. Paul’s experience with Christ was genuine, how could they think anything else? They knew Paul imprisoned and beat Christians (v19) and he approved of the murder of Stephen (v20). Nevertheless, the Lord knows best and His plan for Paul was a mission to the Gentiles (v21). Unfortunately the crowd had heard enough and shouted “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” (v22). The tragedy of this response cannot be overstated. By the grace of God, Paul was standing before his own countrymen sharing the Gospel of Christ and yet their preference was for Paul to die. Perhaps if they’d listened a little bit longer they would have come to realise what Paul now understood. In his letter to the Philippians he would put it this way “If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord.” (Philippians 3v4-8) Paul knew that all our accolades, all our heritage, all our ethnicity, all our learning…everything…every inch of our lives…nothing compares to the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus our Lord. Paul was no longer spiritually blind but tragically the attitude in Jerusalem was still “Away with this man!” Brothers and sisters, take every opportunity to speak about Jesus. I pray that we will never face a rabid mob but even if such a day comes may the Lord give us courage to speak the Gospel. We know that nothing and no one compares to Christ and by the hearing of the Word of Christ, faith comes. Therefore in our hearts we “honour Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3v15) Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q89 How is the Word made effectual to salvation? The Spirit of God maketh the reading, but especially the preaching, of the Word, an effectual means of convincing and converting sinners, and of building them up in holiness and comfort through faith unto salvation. Year 2 Day 84
Pray (ACts) Read - Mark 4:1-20 Message - Alan Burke I’m going to start with where I normally would end, because today’s passage is one that we are all so familiar with. We’ve heard it in Sunday school, harvest services, preachers preach on this and the question is usually asked “what kind of soil are you” and the application usually revolves around that. Here’s the thing though, by my nature, by your nature, “there is no one righteous, not even one” (Rom 3:10), “There is no one who does good” Ps 14:1-3 “the heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick” (Jer 17:9), “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). I could go on here and just take us to scripture, reminding us that by our very nature we and our hearts are not good, because of that I’m not going to ask you which soil are you, because in our sinfulness we all think we have good hearts and obviously the good soil but that is not the case. It’s not the case, you might recoil against that but we inherently sinful, but here in the parable of the sower we learn what changes that. So the passage, a parable, a parable of the sower, familiar to us. In verse 1 we are given the scene, idillic isn’t it. We’re told he was teaching many things in parables (2) and then Jesus tells them to “Listen to the parable of the sower”. Let’s think about this sower, what on earth is he doing, worst farmer of the year award for this sower. Like who throws three quarters of the seed on the path, on poor ground, and among the thorns. What was the fella thinking!? No farmer would do this, they prepare the ground, they work hard at it, I imagine anyone with some sense in the crowd shaking their head, muttering, saying to each other ‘this fella knows nothing’, ‘such a townie’, maybe even a cry "go back to where you came from city boy”. If parable were called ‘the parable of the silly farmer who didn’t know much about sowing' it might be more realistic. What then is this parable about? Well look to verse 11 because this is about the secret of the kingdom of God. This parable is about the secret of the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God that Jesus had come proclaiming, remember how he was declaring “the time has come, the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the gospel” (1:15). Well Jesus is the sower in this parable, he was as the Son of God doing the work of God in sowing. For in Old Testament sowing is a metaphor for God’s work, God had promised to sow Israel to begin her renewal (Jer. 31:27–28; Ezek. 36:9; Hos. 2:21–23; 4 Ezra 8:6; 9:31). When we understand this then we begin to understand that this parable is concerned with the coming of the Kingdom of God, it is God who is at the centre of what is happening here in this parable thought God the Son, Jesus, the sower is sowing and what is he sowing is the word (14). The word of Jesus was and is heard by many but ultimately because our hearts our sinful by nature we cannot change the soil of our hearts, it requires the work of God the Spirit within us, that is what God promised to do to his people in the book of Ezekiel, (11:19) "I will give them an undivided heart and put a new spirit in them; I will remove from them their heart of stone and give them a heart of flesh.”. To those who are give a new heart they are like the good soil that experiences thirtyfold, sixtyfold, and a hundredfold yield, a heart that is transformed all through the word of God. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q88 What are the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to usthe benefits of redemption? The outward and ordinary means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption, are his ordinances, especially the Word, sacraments, and prayer; all which are made effectual to the elect for salvation. (Matt. 28:19–20, Acts 2:42,46–47) Year 2 Day 82
Pray (ACts) Read - Acts 21v27-36 Message - Scott Woodburn The prophet Agabus had not lied. His word was true. He warned Paul that a visit to Jerusalem would end up with his imprisonment. It began with Jews from Asia recognising Paul and immediately stirring up the crowd. They said “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” (v28) They had assumed (incorrectly) that Paul had brought Trophimus the Ephesian into the temple with him. For many Paul was a disgrace, trampling all over the traditions of the past. To use a name familiar in certain quarters of Northern Ireland, Paul was a Lundy. He was once a true blue Jew but had turned his back on the faith and it seemed he was now seeking to destroy Judaism. The city was in chaos as a result of Paul’s presence and many sought to seize him and kill him (v30-31). Thankfully the Roman tribune heard the news and sent his men to stop the beating of Paul. Yet the crowd was so violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul into the barracks as his opponents shouted “away with him” (v36). Such anger and such fury. Where does it come from? In Paul’s day, as ours, there are unseen spiritual forces who rage against the church of Christ. All it took in Jerusalem was the presence of Paul who was held up as the poster boy of anti Jewish sentiment. Soon a crowd had gathered fully prepared to beat Paul to death. Brothers and sisters we must always be on guard against the enemy. In the history of own fellowship of Edengrove the congregation once split over a minister and pews were ripped up and used as weapons against one another. On a lesser scale we’ve all heard slanderous gossip and we’ve sighed when we’ve heard about the turmoils in other fellowships. All of this finds its source in sin and Satan. Paul would warn “For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.” (Ephesians 6v12) Most of us (praise God) will never experience aggressive mobs or warring fellowships but all of us must be prepared to work hard for the peace and unity of the church of Jesus Christ. We can be sure of Satan’s hatred of the church but we can be sure too that if we resist him, he will flee from us (James 4v7) The Jerusalem crowd wanted nothing of Christ and to do away with Paul. Our cry is different. To Satan we shout “away with you!” and in our souls we cry “we want to see Jesus!” (John 12v21) We must decrease. Christ must increase. May it be so in our church. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q87 What is repentance unto life? Repentance unto life is a saving grace, whereby a sinner, out of a true sense of his sin, and apprehension of the mercy of God in Christ, doth, with grief and hatred of his sin, turn from it unto God, with full purpose of, and endeavor after, new obedience. Year 2 Day 81
Pray (ACts) Read - Mark 3:28-30 Message - Alan Burke We focus on the negative rather than the positive. Think to yourself how many times has someone said something negative to me, those things that have hurt, those things that years later we still live with and now think to all the positive things that have been said to us? I hope that you were able to rhyme of positive after positive thing that people have said to you but more often than not it’s the negative things that we can rhyme off. I’m going to suggest that’s what we do with these three verses, we focus on the negative in v29 of the ‘unforgivable sin’ rather than the positive that comes in verse 28. Let’s start with v29-30 then go back to to v28. Here we are told of “…whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit never has forgiveness, but is guilty of an eternal sin” for they were saying, “He has an unclean spirit.””. Think of what’s happening here, the pharisees saw the living word, they saw Jesus do these things and rejected him, they are blaspheming the Holy Spirit, they are rejecting the work of God and calling it evil. Their blasphemy of the Spirit did not arise out of their ignorance of the scriptures for they knew them, they were learned in them so this sin doesn’t come out of their ignorance but their refusal to see and their hearts were hardened. What makes this unforgivable is that it is when the Spirit is deliberately and knowingly refused, this happens when people hear the word and reject it. This is something you don’t just fall into, this is an intentional rejection of the work of God and calling it evil. If you’ve ever thought is that me then I assure you this is not you. We focus on the negative rather than the positive, if the fear of eternal damnation grasp your attention, it cases you anguish? If that’s you remember that Jesus said just before, the promise of sins forgiven, look at verse 28, the positive it is that of assurance of sin forgiven where Jesus says "I tell you the truth, all the sins and blasphemies of men will be forgiven them". What an assurance, all sins and blasphemies, think of how Jesus said, whoever comes to me I will never drive away (Jn 6:37). Think how in scripture there are examples of God forgiving, those who had committed incest, murders, adulterers, lawyers, cheats, tax collectors like Levi, even Paul’s persecution of the church was forgiven. We will be forgiven if we turn to him in repentance and faith. Turn to the Saviour, trust in the Saviour, be assured of the forgiveness we receive not through what we have done but in Christ Jesus! Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q86 What is faith in Jesus Christ? Faith in Jesus Christ is a saving grace, (Heb. 10:39) whereby we receive and rest upon him alone for salvation as he is offered to us in the gospel. (John 1:12, Isa. 26:3–4, Phil. 3:9, Gal. 2:16) Year 2 Day 80
Pray (ACts) Read - Acts 21v17-26 Message - Scott Woodburn There is mixed opinion about today's passage. As some look at it they see Paul as a culturally sensitive and wise man doing his best to present the Gospel to Jew and Gentile alike. Others aren't so charitable and they see Paul's actions as a rotten compromise. What's the story? Paul arrived in Jerusalem and was received gladly (v17) indeed as he told of the Gospel work among the Gentiles his audience glorified God (v20). In turn the news in Jerusalem was positive as many thousands of Jews had come to believe in Christ (v20). Wonderful! So far so good! But...but...there’s always a but! Many of these Jewish Christians had heard that Paul was urging Gentile Christians to leave Moses behind. They'd heard that Paul was anti circumcision and that Jewish customs were being consigned to the history books. Paul had arrived in Jerusalem to bring financial help from Gentile Christians but there was a real danger the situation would unravel as the Jew-Gentile tension would explode. To ease the tension James had an idea. Four men were under a vow (perhaps a Nazarite vow from Numbers 6) and James thought that if Paul joined these men in their vow it would show his critics that Paul was living in observance of the law (v24). This seemed like a good idea to the Apostle and he joined the men in their vow (v26). Like we’ve said, some see Paul here as a wise and gentle compromiser, doing his best to bring peace to the church. Others see Paul making a massive mistake and settling for peace instead of war. The late great James Montgomery Boice once said “This, what Paul did here, was hypocrisy. It was compromise. He was going to offer a sacrifice? In front of the very priests who had killed, who had crucified Jesus? It is a turning of his back on the sufficiency of Christ.” I’ll leave you to read the passage and make up your own mind. Do we see a call to moderation and compromise or do we see Paul wilting in the face of opposition? For my own part I’m somewhere in between. I can imagine Paul’s concern for church unity and the salvation of the Jews. Equally I think Boice isn’t wrong in highlighting Paul’s perceived hypocrisy. Whatever our take on these verses I’m still very sympathetic towards Paul. Each one of us will sometimes find ourselves in a place with a decision to make. We wrestle with it before Almighty God and weigh up the pros and cons of each decision. We consider how our decision will be perceived by our friends and our enemies. We imagine the response of the wider church and community. Then, when we’ve finished wrestling, we make what we think is the best decision only to find criticism and scorn on all sides! We can’t win! We can’t do right for doing wrong! The Apostle wasn’t a perfect man and I think we see the reality of that as he arrives in Jerusalem. Yet I am deeply thankful for God raising up such a man as Paul. He preached Christ and Him crucified and the church owes much to the foundational ministry of the both the prophets and the Apostles. Brothers and sisters, we will make good and bad decisions. Sometimes we will hear praise and other times scorn. I encourage you by saying that the Lord is sovereign over the mistakes we make and His plans aren’t thwarted when we mess up. I remind you that the Lord is gracious to those who fall and I tell you again that the Lord brings order from chaos and good from evil. Was Paul right? In this instance, I don’t think so, but thankfully the Lord always is. Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q85 What doth God require of us, that we may escape his wrath and curse, due to us for sin? To escape the wrath and curse of God, due to us for sin, God requireth of us faith in Jesus Christ, repentance unto life, with the diligent use of all the outward means whereby Christ communicateth to us the benefits of redemption. Year 2 Day 79
Pray (ACts) Read - Mark 3:22-27 Message - Alan Burke “He’s out of his mind”, that’s what the family of Jesus thought about him, the Pharisees accused him of “being possessed by Beelzebub” that he was in league with Satan. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture of what Jesus faced, when those who were closest to him and those who in a sense should know better after all the Pharisees were ‘religious’ were saying these thing. They show a lack of understanding in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Here the accusation of the Pharisees shows how little they understood, they didn’t deny he had the power to cast out demons, they did not deny he had the power to heal the sick, but they attribute his power, not from the living God but to Beelzebub. They are attributing the authority that Jesus had to do these things to the prince of demons Satan. Now we’ve all heard the idiom, seeing is believing, well these men, the Pharisees, they had seen, they like the crowds had seen Jesus miracles, in the synagogue they watched Jesus heal a man with a withered hand and they saw many other things, but they didn’t believe that he was from God. Believing is not a sight problem, a hearing problem, it is a spiritual problem, these Pharisees could not see unless God worked by his grace. No matter how much evidence we are given for the work of God and the identity of Christ, people will not believe unless they are granted new hearts to submit to the Lord’s revelation (see Ezek. 36:26–27; John 3:1–8). And as Jesus responds to their accusations, he logically explains how their accusation cannot be true. How can Satan drive out Satan. If this was Satan then he would be working against himself and not bringing healing but bringing harm. Then if a kingdom is divided against itself and a house is divided against itself, they cannot stand. If Jesus were an agent of Satan he would be destroying himself. Rather Jesus is routing Satan, and Satan’s kingdom is crumbling, there is nothing that he can do to thwart the plans and purposes of God. What is happening is not the result of a civil war within Satan’s ranks but a direct onslaught from outside. Jesus has come, he is more powerful than Satan, he has bound him, plundering his house (27). Notice there is no caricature of Satan here Jesus instead speaks of a kingdom, a house of those places ruled by Satan and a strong man bound. Satan is bound, but he is still the at work in this world, this is his dominion yet he is bound and the end of his reign comes closer with each passing day. Know this, in your battle with indwelling sin, Satan is a defeated foe, know this as this world that is under his power (1 Jn 5:19), his power is limited and he is a defeated foe and he will be thrown into the lake of fire (Rev 20:10). Pray (acTS) Sing WSC Q84 What doth every sin deserve? Every sin deserveth God’ s wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come. (Eph. 5:6, Gal. 3:10, Lam. 3:39, Matt. 25:41) |
Alan
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