Expositional Archives - Page 60 of 109

The Finger of God

Christ Church on November 8, 2020

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THE TEXT

John 4:27-54

THE WILL OF HIM

Why are you here? What are you here for? There are fundamental questions that, unanswered, can leave us with deep uncertainties. And there are people making millions of dollars giving you cheap, trivial platitudes that pretend to be answers. One of the things that is most striking about Jesus is his certainty of who he is and what he is here for (John 4:34, cf. 5:30, 6:38). He is immune to the trivial insecurities that plague us because he has a deep understanding of who he is and what he is here for.

THE SIGNS

We have in this passage two different responses to Christ. The woman at the well who abandons her waterpot to run and tell the village (v. 28) and the man from Capernaum whose son was dying (v. 47). The need for signs (v. 45 and 48) is a weakness that Jesus bears with. But it reveals a problem that we have with understanding what Christ is for. The woman at the well, on the other hand, abandons her waterpots and runs to point others to Jesus.

THE FINGER OF GOD

Jesus comes to point us towards eternal life. We, in our sin and in our finitude, can’t understand what life really means, especially the life that God is pointing us towards. Instead, we are like a dog who can’t trace the line from the master’s finger to what the master is pointing at. Instead, we keep looking blankly at the fingertip. But Jesus’ signs are pointing to so much more.

THE WHITE HARVEST

Because we don’t see what God is pointing at, we miss the significance of right now. Now is the harvest (v. 35). And the virtue of right now is that it is always right now. Life and all that God is offering to you in that life are all right before you now. Go to the ant you sluggard! The present matters. Eternal significance is in the moment before you.

Psalm 121: Jehovah Keeps

Christ Church on November 1, 2020

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Introduction

This psalm is a brief word of great encouragement. God’s providential care is true help, and it is a help that is promised to everyone who has the faith to receive it. And who has the faith to receive it? Anyone who lifts up his eyes to the hills, looking for God to undertake on his behalf.

Every time God is named in this psalm, He is called by His personal name YHWH, or Jehovah—the covenant name of Israel’s covenant God.

The Text

“I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, From whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: He that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: The LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: He shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore” (Psalm 121:1–8).

Summary of the Text

This is likely a psalm for the pilgrim, for someone traveling up to Jerusalem, or perhaps a soldier on a campaign. The imagery indicates the circumstances of some kind of traveler. Regardless, the psalmist is experiencing some difficulty, and he looks up to the mountains for his help (v. 1). This is a metaphor for where his help really comes from, which is from the Lord (v. 2). This Lord is the one who made everything. He is the Creator God. He is the one who made heaven and earth. This Lord never sleeps (v. 3), and so He will not permit the psalmist’s foot to be moved—which, in mountainous country, could be disastrous. The promise is then repeated, and it is for the individual as well as for the nation. The one who keeps all of Israel never slumbers or sleeps (v. 4). The Lord is your keeper. The Lord is your right-hand shade (v. 5). You will be protected from both sun and moon (v. 6). Again, the Lord will keep you from all evil. He will preserve your soul (v. 7). This covenant-keeping God is going to be keeping you, watching over you, in every circumstance—in your going out and coming in (v. 8). This is a constant thing; it is a forever commitment.

Jehovah Keeps

If there is one thing that we must take away from this psalm, it is the fact that Jehovah keeps. He will watch over every footfall; the one who keeps you will not slumber (v. 3). He not only keeps the individual believer He also keeps Israel (v. 4). The psalmist moves on to identify the Lord in these terms; the Lord is your keeper (v. 5). The Lord will preserve you (same word) from all evil (v. 7). The Lord shall preserve your soul (v. 7). The Lord shall preserve your going out and coming in (v. 8). Try to find out anything about you or your life that He doesn’t keep. Jehovah keeps.

Night and Day

So Jehovah keeps you, and He keeps you in every circumstance. He protects you from both the sun and moon (v. 6), and anything that happens to you will either happen during the day or in the night. He will prevent sunstroke. He will guard you against being moonstruck. He will keep you during the prosperity of daylight, and through the adversity of night. He will protect you from the sweltering heat, and He will guard you from the biting cold. He is your keeper in open battle, and He is your keeper against the night riders.

Going Out and Coming In

You go out in the morning to your labors. You come in at evening in order to rest from your labors, and God keeps you both coming and going (v. 8). He keeps you while abroad and He keeps you at home. You young people—you who are most eager to be “going out” into your lives, consider this. And those of you approaching the end of your lives—you are coming in. When you go out, Jehovah keeps the door. When you are coming back home for refuge, Jehovah welcomes you. And on top of everything else, He keeps you on the journey.

The Names of God are Promises

In v. 5, we are told that the Lord is our keeper. Consider this as a name, or even as a title. And then remember that all of God’s names are virtual promises. If we call Him Savior, which we do by faith, this is His promise to save. If we call Him Lord, in faith, this is His promise to rule. If we call Him our Shade in faith, this is His promise to shield us. If we call Him Keeper, again in faith, this is His promise to keep. Jehovah is your keeper.

A Covenant Keeping God

God is a covenant-keeping God. “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations” (Deut. 7:9). And every time Scripture mentions how God keeps covenant, it also says that He keeps covenant and mercy (hesed). See also Neh. 9:32 and Dan. 9:4.

And because God keeps covenant, this is the reason He keeps you. You may therefore look up to the mountains for your help, where you can see the castle-keep that Christ Himself built. And every block of granite in that fortress is three feet thick, and each one of them is one of God’s promises. And all of them together are yes and amen in Christ (2 Cor. 1:20).

So at the conclusion, this is why the psalm can promise that God’s providential care is constant and forever. “From this time forth, and even for evermore.”

Living Water

Christ Church on November 1, 2020

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THE TEXT

Therefore, when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus made and baptized more disciples than John ²(though Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples), ³He left Judea and departed again to Galilee. ⁴But He needed to go through Samaria.⁵So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar, near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. ⁶Now Jacob’s well was there. Jesus therefore, being wearied from His journey, sat thus by the well. It was about the sixth hour.⁷A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.” ⁸For His disciples had gone away into the city to buy food.⁹Then the woman of Samaria said to Him, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.¹⁰Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water” . . . (John 4:1-25)

A WOMAN AND A WELL

There are numerous accounts in the Gospels of Jesus encountering various women. But the disciples never “marveled” (v. 27) at any of these. Why was this so different? This whole encounter looks like the setup for a man finding a wife. Moses (Ex. 2:15-21), Isaac (Gen. 24:14-16), and Jacob (Gen. 29:1-9) all meet their brides at a well in a foreign land.

HER FIVE BAALS

We can infer that this woman has had a rough life with five different husbands (v. 16-18), probably the result of a string of divorces. It is interesting that the Hebrew word for husband is baal, the same word that is used to describe the pagan gods (Hos. 2:16-18). Samaria is the land of false gods and religious syncretism (2 Kings 17:29-40) and a woman with five baals is a picture of this land. Jesus corrects her theological misunderstanding (v. 20-22), while pointing her to a much more significant truth.

LIVING WATER

Living water is a Hebrew expression to describe running water of a spring or a river, as opposed to standing, stagnant water. In Jewish legend, when Jacob rolled back the stone from the mouth of the well for Rachel, he also turned the water of the well into living water that overflowed the well. Living water was required in the ceremonial washing to be clean from an impurity (Num. 19:17-20). One of the occasions that required this kind of washing with living water was the bride before her wedding, to purify her for the ceremony.

THE TEMPLE AND THE RIVER

The Old Testament prophesied that the time would come when a river of water would flow out of the Temple (Ez. 47) or out of Jerusalem (Zech. 14:8), as Israel looks on the One whom they have pierced (Zech. 12:10). Jesus was announcing to the Samaritan woman, what would be revealed on the cross (John 19:34).

The Bridegroom

Christ Church on October 25, 2020

THE TEXT

John 3:22–36

A Cluster of Exhortations

Christ Church on October 18, 2020

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INTRODUCTION

Virtues, like vices, are like grapes—they come in clusters. Paul is following his usual pattern here, which is to conclude his letter with a burst of ethical exhortations, all of which should be arranged within the larger framework that he established earlier in the letter.

THE TEXT

“And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you; And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves. Now we exhort you, brethren, warn them that are unruly, comfort the feebleminded, support the weak, be patient toward all men. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men. Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit. Despise not prophesyings. Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil. And the very God of peace sanctify you wholly; and I pray God your whole spirit and soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it. Brethren, pray for us. Greet all the brethren with an holy kiss. I charge you by the Lord that this epistle be read unto all the holy brethren. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen” (1 Thess. 5:12–28).

SUMMARY OF THE TEXT

The letter to the Thessalonians concludes with a cluster of rapid-fire exhortations. Remember this, and also that, and here is something else. The first thing Paul reminds them of is their duty to the leaders in their church. Know those who labor, who rule, and who admonish (v. 12). Paul says to esteem them highly, and to be at peace (v. 13). And being at peace with one another is actually a good way to esteem them. In the next verse, he says to be hard and to be soft, depending on who you are dealing with (v. 14). Don’t be the kind of person who retaliates, whether inside the church or outside (v. 15). Rejoice all the time (v. 16). Pray without ceasing (v. 17). Give thanks in every circumstance (v. 18). Don’t quench the Spirit (v. 19). Don’t treat prophecy with contempt (v. 20). Test everything, and cling to what passes the test (v. 21). Abstain from every form of evil (v. 22). Do these things and God will preserve you till the coming of Christ. He is faithful and He will do it (vv. 23-24). Paul then requests prayer for his work (v. 25). Greet one another with a kiss (v. 26). The letter is to be read to all (v. 27). And may the grace of Christ with be you (v. 28). Amen.

CHURCH MEMBERSHIP

There are a number of places where we quietly assume that certain practices are human traditions when they are actually profoundly biblical. One of those things is the biblical practice of church membership. We think that it is a human invention when it is actually a scriptural requirement. Set vv. 12-13 alongside Hebrews 13:7, 17 and see what happens.

“Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation” (Heb. 13:7).

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17)

What would you think of someone who argued that husbands did have to love their wives as Christ loved the church (Eph. 5:25), but that this did not mean that they had to know who they were? Nonsense, right?

These exhortations absolutely require the leaders of the church to know the names of those they are responsible for, and it requires the members of the church to know the names of those they are responsible to.

Members have to remember their rulers. They have to remember their sermons. They must imitate their lives. They must render obedience, and they must be submissive. They must know those who labor in their midst. They must esteem them highly. And all this means that they must know their names.

And what must elders do? They must rule, speak, and live lives worthy of imitation. They must joyfully watch over souls, as men who will give a reckoning. They must work and work hard, and they must admonish those who are erring. And all of this requires them to know their parishioner’s names. What would you think of your tax accountant if he said you owed a couple thousand dollars, and you said, “you sure?” and he said, “more or less.” Accountants count. Shepherds count. Are they all here?

THE CRITICAL EYE

These exhortations require discernment. You have to discern who is lazy and who not. You have to discern who is unruly, and who is feeble. You have to discern the word of the Spirit, and you must have nothing to do with charlatans. God told you, eh? But there is a true balance that has to be struck, which we can see in v 21. Test everything, but do it with a certain spirit—a spirit that is eager to embrace what passes the test. In other words, you are to be a judge, but not a hanging judge. Be like the Ephesians in your hatred of the Nicolaitans, but do it without falling from your first love, the way the Ephesians did.

In the flesh, people who like to test tend to be ornery, and they like to see people crash and burn. In the flesh, people who are eager to hold fast to what is good tend to want everythingto be good. This is why everybody gets a participant ribbon. And these two errors feed off each other.

FINAL RECKONING

All of these traits are to be pursued and embraced in the light of the coming of Christ (vv. 23-24). And given how God has directed history, this means that you must pursue this lifestyle with your death in view, or with the Final Coming of Christ in view. Going back to the previous point, those who love to hold people accountable must remember that the day is coming when they will be held accountable. Those who are allergic to every form of accountability must remember that the day is coming when they will be held accountable.

“For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad” (2 Cor. 5:10).