Author: Bible Community Church

Do You Have the Proof of the Resurrection? Part 3 – Acts 2:36-42

They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Acts 2:42

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the primary proof of God’s existence, Jesus’ deity, and the infallibility of Scripture. God raised Jesus up from the dead to show all men that He is the Messiah who came to save His people from their sin. (Acts 17:31) Christians do not live in blind belief- we have the evidence of the resurrection that solidifies our faith in Jesus Christ. He lived on earth to fulfill all righteousness, He died on a cross to bear the judgment for our sin, and He was risen from the dead to become our eternal Lord and Savior.

In Acts 2, Peter preached to a crowd of Israelites of their guilt in crucifying the Son of God. By the Holy Spirit, they were stripped bare before the Word of God, pierced to the heart, and completely convicted of their sin. Hopeless in guilt, they cried out, “What shall we do?” to which Peter answered, “Repent.” (Acts 2:37-38) We are in the same situation as these Israelites. We have crucified Jesus with our sin- our sin of unbelief. We’ve rejected Jesus as Lord so that we can be lord over our own lives apart from God. (Jn 16:9) Peter’s admonishment to his hearers is meant for us as well. We must repent of our unbelief and believe in Jesus Christ in our hearts. The Lord is merciful. The Holy Spirit helps us see that Jesus is the incomparably precious treasure worth more than anything in the world. (Matt 13:44) He is God incarnate, who came to die for our sins, and be raised for our justification. The gospel is the believer’s power, because it is the power of God for salvation. To believe in Jesus in your heart is to love Him. Our love for the risen Lord causes us to see the world for what it is, in its darkness and sin. Our hope is no longer in the world, but in Christ alone.

Those who were converted by the Holy Spirit after hearing Peter’s message became the first church in the book of Acts. They lived by the grace of Jesus, filled with the Holy Spirit, set apart from the world. (2Cor 2:15; 1Cor 1:2) In the midst of persecution, believers renounced their lives by being baptized, publicly confessing faith in Jesus Christ. They continually devoted themselves to gathering together with fellow believers. This must be evident in the church today. True believers desire to gather together to experience fellowship, teaching, breaking of bread, and prayer. To the Christian, there is nothing in the world that can compare to these things. We are a people who have been called out by God to be His heavenly family. (Matt 12:50) We are the living church, and Christ is the head who leads us as our loving Shepherd. (Col 1:18) God has chosen each individual to be a member of His church. There is no one who is insignificant, but each member is essential to one another to grow as the body of Christ.

Love for the church is the first sign of those who have been born again in the risen Lord. Do you have a constant desire to come together with fellow believers? Let us examine ourselves, repent, and renew our devotion to the risen Lord and His church.
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Do You Have the Proof of the Resurrection? Part 2 – Acts 2:36-40

Therefore let all the house of Israel know for certain that God has made Him both Lord and Christ—this Jesus whom you crucified.” Now when they heard this, they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brethren, what shall we do?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call to Himself.” And with many other words he solemnly testified and kept on exhorting them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation!” Acts 2:36-40

The early church in the book of Acts overcame the threat of death by living in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection every day. Jesus died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and He was buried and was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1Cor 15:3-4) The church held fast to this one supreme miracle that proved God was with us- the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus’ resurrection is an actual historical event. The infallible and inerrant Word of God testifies of it, and includes the fact that He appeared to more than 500 of His followers after His resurrection. (1Cor 15:4-6) By His resurrection, Jesus overcame man’s most dire plight- death. God’s infinite power is at work in the resurrection, giving believers final victory over the sting of death, and anchoring us to a sure hope in salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. (2Cor 4:4; 1Cor 15:56-57) Why then, do so many Christians live unaffected by Jesus’ resurrection? It is because Satan will do whatever it takes to blind us from seeing the glory of God in Jesus’ resurrection. Therefore, based on this excerpt in Acts 2, before seeking to learn how to live in the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, there are necessary conditions that must first occur in each and every man and woman.

You must be converted. You must be saved according to the Scriptures. In his message to the crowd in Acts 2, Peter preached of the risen Lord and Christ- this Jesus, whom they crucified. He pointedly accused his hearers of killing Jesus, though the crowd was not the actual ones who nailed Jesus to the cross. But Peter was showing that all men are murderers of Christ because of their sin. Unless you realize that your sin nailed Jesus to the cross, you will remain blind to the gospel. Sin is to consider yourself lord over your own life. It is to hate Jesus’ reign; it is to reject Him so that you can preserve your self-centered, self-righteous life. Peter preaches of this Jesus, whom you crucified.

You must repent. The crowd heard Peter’s words and realized they rejected the only way God had provided for salvation. They were convicted; pierced to the heart by the gospel message. They therefore cried out, “What shall we do?” This is a true sign of impending conversion. It is only by an understanding of sin, that one can cry out to God. “Lord, what shall I do?” Peter answers, repent. Repentance is a thorough change of man’s natural heart. It can only be done when the Holy Spirit changes our hearts, helping us see how lost we are; how completely hopeless we are without God. We have tried so many ways to mend our lives and do good, but it has led to nothing but failure and guilt. Repentance is to turn to God in your heart, acknowledging His Word to be true. It is to confess Jesus as Lord, and to believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. It leads to faith and love for the risen Christ, who came to die for our sins, and was raised to make us perfectly righteous before God. (Rom 10:9)

You must be baptized. Baptism itself does not save- it is a symbol of inner faith in one who has been saved by God; a public confession that you have died with Christ in His death, and are raised with Him in His resurrection. (Col 2:12) The sign of true conversion is obedience, and baptism is the first command we must obey. When a person is converted by the Holy Spirit, he begins to see God and himself as never before. Many try to effect salvation on themselves through their own efforts, but they still remain in the bondage of sin. God gives us the gift of the Holy Spirit to work a genuine conversion in our hearts. (Jn 14:26) The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus- He dwells within us. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is now in us, decimating the sin of unbelief in our hearts, and convincing us of our true repentance and baptism. All sin comes from the sinful root of unbelief. Even believers practice unbelief. To believe in Christ is to walk with Him in all our ways, but believers often try to break away from Jesus, or they try to lead Jesus by their own desires and situations. They restrict Jesus’ lordship in certain areas of their lives- they refuse to surrender to Christ. This is why we need the Holy Spirit. He helps us to surrender to Jesus as Lord, and to love Him above any other. (1Cor 12:2-3)

The Holy Spirit separates us from the world. This is evident in every true Christian. If there is no clear distinction between you and the world, you are not saved. Salvation is a supernatural work- it is not by human will or effort. God changes our hearts to hate the world, and to hate our old life of sin. You can not love the world and love the Lord- the Bible declares this impossible. All that is in the world- the lust of the flesh and the eyes, and the boastful pride of life- is not from God; it is from the world. (1Jn 2:16) True salvation frees us from self- in other words, it makes us selfless. We now live by the Word of God and see all things through the lens of Jesus Christ, our risen Savior and Lord. His Word is sufficient for everything. By His Word, the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to repent and be baptized, and by His Word, He will guide to live in the light and power of Jesus’s resurrection.
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Do You Have the Proof of the Resurrection? Acts 17:30-31

“Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Acts 17:30-31

If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved… Romans 10:9

When Apostle Paul found himself in the city of Athens, he was exceedingly provoked by the city’s rampant idolatry and paganism. He could see that the Athenians desired to know the true and living God, but they sought truth in the darkness of their own ignorance. Stirring with conviction, Paul proclaimed that Jesus was the “unknown god” they sought to worship, and His resurrection was the ultimate proof that He was the Christ whom God had appointed to be the coming Judge, Savior, and Lord of all.

It is not a far-fetched idea to liken modern day Americans with the ancient Athenians. Millennials can often be dismissed as progressively secular and worldly, but it is apparent that a desperate desire for spiritual truth and peace moves this current generation to seek them through philosophy, knowledge, or New Age ideas. (Acts 17:22) Paul’s message to the Athenians is the same message the world needs today- God is now declaring all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world through Jesus Christ, whom He has raised from the dead as proof to the world that Jesus is the true and living God.

No miracle compares to Jesus’ bodily resurrection. In it, God’s supreme power is displayed, and this power- the Holy Spirit- dwells within those who are united to Christ by faith. The resurrection is the proof of who God declares Jesus to be, and it is the proof of our salvation in Christ. Many have been historically crucified, but only One was raised from the dead. Do you believe in Him? Paul writes, if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. What does it mean to confess? Paul wrote these words in a day when Christianity was despised in the world. It was a great cost to publicly confess Jesus as Lord. Doing so endangered all your possessions, and even your life. Christians expected to be hated for the sake of Jesus. In America today, our faith is not tested with the kind of persecution the early church faced. It is all the more reason to seriously consider and examine the genuineness of your faith. Before God, secret faith equates to no faith.

We confess Jesus as Lord. He is the image of the invisible God, through whom all things were made, and who is exalted above every name to receive worship, honor and glory forever. (Col 1:16-18, Jn 1:1-4; Phil 2:8-11) To confess Jesus as Lord is to say He is in charge of everything you possess, including your very life. When hard situations arise, who leads- you, or Jesus? To confess Jesus as Lord is to entrust all things to Christ. He has the complete right to do as He pleases with His supreme authority over all creation. Not only do we confess Him as Lord, but we believe in Jesus’ resurrection in our heart. Believing without the power to live out and obey is not truly believing- it is merely acknowledging. Genuine belief comes with understanding and obedience. It renders your body to live according to what you believe. It is not just of the mind, but in your heart- your emotions, intellect, will, and conscience. Your heart is who you are- therefore, when you truly believe in the resurrection of Jesus and love Him in your heart, you are ready to die for His sake.

We believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead. By this we are saved. It is the gospel. Without the resurrection, the crucifixion is meaningless. When the resurrection is not at the center of faith, there is no life, no power, and no hope. We must all seriously consider our salvation. How long have you believed? How long have you stalled in spiritual growth? Do you believe in your heart that Jesus was raised from the dead? If Jesus’ resurrection is not working in you, your faith may be in vain. (1Cor 15:14-17) The early church believers were able to withstand- more than that, rejoice- through Nero’s brutal persecution because Jesus Christ was alive in their hearts. (1Pet 1:8) Apostle Paul was overwhelmingly compelled to convince men that Jesus was alive, not because he simply knew, but because he experienced Jesus’ presence daily. (Acts 25:19; 23:11) We must repent of our unbelief in the resurrection. We too, can meet the living Jesus everyday through Scripture and the Holy Spirit. Let us continually meditate on the resurrection of Jesus Christ until it is the controlling belief in our lives. For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living. (Rom 14:9)
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The Jesus We Worship and Obey, Part 2 – Luke 1:31-35

And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered and said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy Child shall be called the Son of God. Lk 1:31-35

There are many men and women in this world who have merited our respect and admiration, but there is only one true God who alone is worthy of our worship and obedience. We continue through Luke’s account of the virgin conception to see why we must worship and obey Jesus Christ alone.

Jesus is the Christ. Gabriel the angel told Mary that she would conceive in her womb and bear a son, speaking specifically of Jesus’ humanity. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We read of moments through the gospels when Jesus wept, felt hunger and fatigue. He was fully man, yet He was sinless, because He was fully God. (Jn 10:30) He came to the world to reconcile sinners to God. (Matt 1:21) The gospel is all about Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus has freed us from sin, and He is our Mediator who has established peace between God and man. (1Cor 15:3-4; Rom 5:1) There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. (Acts 4:12)

Jesus Christ is great. Every renown man in history died in search of truth, but Jesus outrightly said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life…” There is no one who can compare to Jesus Christ. In terms of great men, John the Baptist was one whom even Jesus commended, declaring him to be the greatest man there ever was. Gabriel the angel prophesied that he would be great in the sight of the Lord. John was a mere man, great in the sight of Jesus Christ who is wholly other. All men die weak, broken, and sick- they all die in Adam, but in Christ, all are made alive. (1Cor 15:22) We must count all things as loss in view of the surpassing worth of knowing Jesus Christ. If Christ is not supreme in your heart, you can not worship and obey Him wholeheartedly. (Phil 3:7-8)

Jesus is the Most High God. Jesus is the Son of God, who inherits all things from God the Father. Scripture tells of Jesus as the Most High God. In His ministry on earth, even demons confessed who Jesus was. (Lk 8:28) John the Baptist clearly distinguished Jesus to be the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. Jesus upholds all things by the word of His power, and He sits at the right hand of God the Father. (Heb 1:3) Jesus is God Almighty- every form of authority belongs to Him. He is the source of all things, and He is sovereign over all. There is nothing outside of Jesus’ authority. (Col 1:15-17) He is the King of kings, the Lord of lords- Jesus is in absolute control. He is the final Judge of all men; all will be accountable to the Lord Jesus Christ. (Jn 5:22)

Jesus is the King. Jesus is the Messiah, and his kingdom will have no end. (2Sam 7:12-13) Jesus is not only King over the Church, but He is King over all- even over Satan and hell. We must understand the power of Jesus’ kingship. Only Christ has the power to save; He deserves all worship and obedience. He controls everything, and He works all things together for His good purpose. (Rom 8:28) Behold, the reigning King came as a suffering servant. He died and rose again for our sake- for our ultimate salvation. The early church was bold in faith because they understood Jesus’ complete reign. He was alive in their hearts, and by His power in them, they obeyed. As we understand Jesus’ power and His everlasting Kingdom, we will likewise be bold in faith to worship and obey Him. (Matt 11:12)

Jesus is holy. Mary was a virgin when she conceived Jesus. Jesus is completely different from created man- He is God. Jesus knew no sin. (2Cor 5:21) He pleased God perfectly, who demands us to be perfect like Himself. We ourselves can never be perfect before God. We need the righteousness of Jesus to be accepted. It is only by faith we can experience the resurrected Christ in our hearts. Because Jesus is holy and He lives in us, so are we. (Gal 2:20)

Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus shares the same nature of God the Father. He is pre-existent, and He came to us as God incarnate. On our own, we are hopeless. We are born in sin and we live in sin, unable to save ourselves, with guilt that earns the wrath of God. The Son of God came to carry our burdens to the cross. In love, He died in our place, and He was raised from the dead, that we might die with Him and be raised with Him to eternal life.

We must worship and obey Jesus alone. There is no neutrality in this matter. As we behold Jesus as He is, let us worship and obey our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
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The Jesus We Worship and Obey Pt.1 -Luke 1:26-30

And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God…”

Christians are blessed in Christ with every spiritual blessing from God. The grace we have in Christ should fuel our ongoing worship and love to our Savior, but far too often, our hearts grow cold, our zeal fades, and our service to God reduces to mere routine. As we delve deeper into today’s passage from Luke and see the significant implications of Jesus’ virgin conception, may our minds be renewed to continually obey and worship the Lord Jesus Christ.

The virgin conception shows the humility of God. Gabriel the angel visited Mary in Galilee, a region that was largely despised due to its strong pagan culture and unrefined conditions. Even Jesus’ disciple Nathanael, when he first heard of Jesus the Nazarene, questioned, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46) God’s will for Jesus to come from a humble hometown is one of many instances throughout Scripture where God shows Himself humble. God chooses the lowly to bring down the proud. Only the humble can worship Him. Fallen man is naturally boastful, but God’s redeeming grace makes humility a permeating mark of every believer. (1Cor 1:26-27, Eph 2:8-9) Christians are saved because they utterly depend on Jesus for salvation- they don’t rely on themselves because they know they can do nothing apart from Christ. Pride is the greatest enemy of worship. We must be humble to obey and worship Christ in spirit and truth.

The virgin conception shows Jesus’ royalty. Joseph and Mary’s genealogy in the book of Matthew and Luke is traced back to King David, meaning that by lineage, Joseph and Mary ought be king and queen. By inheritance then, Jesus is a king. But Scripture shows that Jesus is not merely an earthly king- Jesus is the Messiah. From Jesus’ divine conception, He fulfilled every prophesy of the Christ in Scripture. He was the Son of David, born in Bethlehem from the tribe of Judah. He testified of Himself to be the Messiah, and He displayed His awesome power through many miracles. (Matt 1:1, Mic 5:2, Gen 49:10, Matt 22:42-46) As the Messiah, Jesus is the only Savior, who came from heaven to pay the ransom for many. By His virgin birth, he did not inherit Adam’s sin. Man’s guilt before God is real, because he have sinned against a holy God. Only Christ can remove all guilt, because He died on the cross for sinners, offering up a perfect sacrifice, acceptable to God. He paid the debt, and gave His righteousness to those who turn to Him in faith for salvation.

As the Messiah, Jesus is Lord. In the last days- whether a man believes in Him or not- every knee will bow to Jesus, and every tongue will confess He is Lord. He is Lord of all, the sovereign King who has saved us by dying on the cross and raising up from the dead. He is alive today, ruling with absolute dominion over all things. (Phil 2:8-11)

The virgin conception shows how Jesus is unique. Jesus’ virgin birth has no parallel. No other man has ever been born of a virgin; it is a divine conception, a miracle. God became man and came into the world. In Jesus, all the fullness of deity dwelt in bodily form. The virgin birth is an absolutely essential doctrine. It does not attribute any divinity to Mary, but Mary was simply used by God. She received God’s grace and favor to carry the Christ in her womb. To receive God’s grace in Jesus Christ is an inconceivable blessing. God has shown us that He keeps His promise of salvation. Since the Fall and throughout the Old Testament, God promised to send a Savior. The virgin birth shows us God’s faithfulness to His Word. It displays God’s love for the sinner, that He would send Jesus Christ, His only Son to be the sinless Savior who redeems us from our sin. Jesus gave us eternal life by dying in our place, and raising us up with Him through His resurrection. Let us worship and obey Jesus Christ- He is our Savior, Lord, and King.

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How Will I Know This for Certain? – Luke 1:18-25

Zacharias said to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man and my wife is advanced in years.” The angel answered and said to him, “I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. And behold, you shall be silent and unable to speak until the day when these things take place, because you did not believe my words, which will be fulfilled in their proper time.” Lk 1:18-20

It is possible for any believer to doubt God’s power and Word. Zacharias was a man of God, strong in faith and character, but when Gabriel the angel delivered to him the good news of the promised birth of John the Baptist, Zacharias responded, “How will I know this for certain?” He was unable to believe God’s message in the face of his hopeless circumstances. We ourselves often practice practical atheism, distrusting God, questioning whether all things truly are possible with Him. But to doubt God’s power is sin, and moreover, it is completely unnecessary. As we continue in the gospel according to Luke, we examine the sinfulness of doubt, why it is unnecessary, and how we can avoid doubting the power of God.

Why is doubting God and His power sinful?

Doubt constrains God within the lines of circumstances. God told Zacharias he would have a son, but Zacharias couldn’t believe beyond the reality of his old age and Elizabeth’s barren womb. (v.17) God speaks clearly and directly to us in His Word, but doubt causes us to believe and act according to our circumstances. Many men of God have responded to God’s Word in this way. Abraham laughed with incredulity when God promised him a son at his old age; Moses couldn’t see beyond his shortcomings to accept that God would choose him to lead Israel; Gideon’s estimation of himself fell too short of God’s call for him to deliver Israel. (Gen 17:17; Ex 3:11; Judg 6:15) We continually reflect God in our own image and the limitations of our circumstances, rather than taking God at his Word.

Doubt is self-deceiving. How will I know this for certain? We live in a world that declares God is dead. People practice self-deception because they doubt the living God. Gabriel came to Zacharias as God’s representative. (Dan 8:16) In Zacharias’ doubt, He denied the Word of God delivered by Gabriel. To doubt God is to deny the authority of His Word.

Doubt denies the essence of God’s power in the gospel. I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to bring you this good news. Gabriel’s visitation foreshadowed the coming of Jesus. The gospel message- the good news– is the power of God. God became man to die in our place, and to rise again for our salvation. Doubting the gospel never leads to spiritual growth, and it is never profitable for evangelism. Zacharias’ delay in the temple caused the people outside to become confused and perplexed. In the same way, our doubt does not serve those who need Jesus Christ. Jesus said we are the salt of the earth- we are set apart by God to follow Christ and to testify of the gospel with our words and actions. (Matt 5:13-14) Doubt distorts our testimony, giving a confusing message to the world, which can cause unbelievers to become critics of Jesus and the church. If we doubt the power of God in the gospel, we can do nothing for His Kingdom.

Doubting God’s power is unnecessary- whether or not Zacharias doubted, God’s will was done. (v.24) To overcome doubt, we must have the right view of God according to sound doctrine. He is the living God who works beyond the world’s unbelief. Jesus Christ rose from the dead- He is living today. He can do all things, fulfill our every need, because He is the living God. (Acts 25:19) God is also faithful to keep His promises. All have sinned against God- He would be perfectly just to do away with the world, but because of His promise of redemption in Jesus Christ, He preserves us in His faithfulness. God is powerful. By His power He created the world, and by His power He controls and sustains it. (Gen 1:1) He is the One who saves, the only One who can redeem us. We were spiritually dead in sin, but by God’s power, He made us alive in Christ. (1Cor 5:17)
Doubting God’s power is unnecessary because His plan is different for everyone.
Elizabeth conceived at an old age, whereas Mary conceived as a young virgin. God’s will for each of them was distinct. If we compare ourselves to others, we will start to doubt God’s power and goodness. When we come across hardship, we must remember that God’s will is being done in His perfect plan for each of us. Our God is gracious. His kindness towards undeserving sinners has united us to Jesus Christ. It is by grace alone that we are saved, and it is by grace our faith is sustained day to day. By grace alone we will never be separated from God’s love. (Rom 8:32) As we grow in the understanding of God’s amazing grace, our doubt in God will diminish.

We ultimately avoid doubting God by living by faith, not by sight. Jesus Christ is the object of our faith. What we see- our circumstances, emotions, weaknesses- constantly change, but God never changes. He is our hope that we have as an anchor of our souls, a hope both sure and steadfast. (Heb 6:17-19) Let us forsake all doubt, and instead practice and obey God’s will in our lives.
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God Is Not Silent – Luke 1:8-17

And an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing to the right of the altar of incense. Zacharias was troubled when he saw the angel, and fear gripped him. But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your petition has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you will give him the name John. (v. 11-13)

We as Christians know God exists, but there are times when we become anxious about God’s seeming silence. It may feel like God is distant from us in moments when we desperately need His help, when our hearts cry out to God, “Why do You hide Your face?” (Job 13:24) But God is not silent under any circumstances. He is always working, accomplishing His sovereign will in His perfect timing. Based on our current passage in the first chapter Luke, we reflect on the reasons why God is not silent.

God loves His people. God will never abandon His elect, and nothing can ever separate us from His love. God did not forget Zacharias. By God’s will he was chosen by lot to perform priestly duties in the temple. (v.9) God reveals Himself to man; otherwise none would know Him, because in our sinful state we would never seek God ourselves. Do not listen to the lie that God would abandon you because of your sin. Jesus says He is the vine, and we are the branches. We are merely recipients; God is our supplier. He likens us to sheep, and He is our Good Shepherd. Unless the shepherd calls to the sheep, the sheep cannot respond. Jesus says God is our Father, and we are His sons. He is always with us to provide and care for us. (Jn 15:5; 10:3, 11) All these metaphors point to God’s everlasting love for His elect. He has demonstrated His own love for us, in that before we ever repented and followed Christ, He died for us. (Rom 5:8)

When God seems silent, the problem often lies in us. We doubt God’s love and presence. In times of prolonged suffering, we tend to trust our own rationality rather than God’s Word. (Job 7:4) Unbelief and doubt prevents us from seeing Jesus, and we register truth by the tumultuous waves of our emotions. Our disobedience hides God’s face from us, making Him seem hidden and silent. When your soul is in despair from longing for God’s presence, hope in God- leave the shell of your emotions and look to the unchanging truth in His Word. (Ps 43:5) God is here, ready to help you. Our God will not be silent to His elect.

God still speaks through His Word. God’s special revelation speaks as loudly and clearly as the voice of the angel that came to deliver God’s message to Zacharias. The Bible is God’s Word. It is living, active, sufficient and authoritative; it has the power of God that can make us wise unto salvation. (Rom 10:17) Obedience to Scripture brings blessings, and His Word nurtures and helps our conscience to live with the mind of Christ. We are able to endure all things by the Word of God, because through it, we hear the voice of God. (2Cor 4:7-10)

God loves to hear prayer. The central point in this excerpt of Luke’s account is how God heard Zacharias’ faithful and persistent prayers for his wife, Elizabeth. (v. 13) In a time when Zacharias could have simply divorced his barren wife, he instead turned to God in prayer. God heard his prayers, and He surely answered. Like Zacharias, we need to be convinced that God hears every one of our prayers. (Lk 18:1, 10) To pray is to come before the presence of God. When a believer truly believes God is not silent, he is already victorious. Pray by the Scriptures to experience God’s presence in prayer. Much of the Bible- like the Psalms- is designed to be prayed.

God wants you to have joy. Christians sometimes misunderstand God, thinking God loves to put us through misery and suffering with no purpose. It is not true. God disciplines those He loves. God wants us to be joyful. He rejoices over us, and He desires for us to rejoice in Him. Zacharias rejoiced in God’s promise of a son, despite the years of desperation he spent in prayer. In the same way, we can rejoice in God’s precious promises in Scripture. Those who know the Bible and receive it with faith can truly rejoice always, because every promise is fulfilled in Christ.

God is not silent. He loves us, speaks to us through His Word, hears our prayers, and gives us joy. We must therefore not be silent as well. By faith, through prayer and the Word, let us share with others the love of God that is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We can endure, for the joy of the Lord will be our strength. (Neh 8:10)

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The One Who God Uses – Luke 1:5-7

In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth. They were both righteous in the sight of God, walking blamelessly in all the commandments and requirements of the Lord. But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both advanced in years. Lk 1:5-7

The Westminster Catechism states, “Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever.” God employs every believer for His glory. He gives us spiritual gifts to serve the church, and He uses our lives- our words, actions, thoughts, and efforts- to edify the world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Idleness may indicate poor spiritual health, or worse, it may be evidence that you are not truly a Christian. Who then can be used by God? The Bible tells of the vastly different types of people God used, but one way to describe them collectively is that they were ordinary, unexceptional, everyday men and women. Moses was not the prince of Egypt when he was called by God to lead Israel. David was considered the least of his brothers when he was chosen by God to be king. (Ex 3:1; 1Sam 16:11) The world estimates a man’s capabilities by what is seen, but God uses the lowly to accomplish His work by His power for His glory. What kind of man does God use? Here in Luke’s introduction to Zacharias and Elizabeth, we see the characteristics of those whom God uses.

God uses those who know the real King. Luke begins this account with its historical context. Judea at this time was ruled by King Herod- a tyrannical madman whose kingdom was full of bloodshed. (Matt 2:16) However, while Herod ruled over Judea, the true King of kings and Lord of lords was born in Bethlehem. Scripture alludes to two kingdoms- the kingdom of man, and the kingdom of God. Jesus is the one and only King who reigns over all in absolute power and authority. Just as Zacharias and Elizabeth served God with all their heart, God seeks those who are single-minded in devotion to the kingdom of GOd. (Is 6:1; Ps 29:10) Many believers are not used by God because they abandon their first love, Jesus Christ. (Rev 3:15-17) We must examine our hearts to search out any rivals that divide our loyalty to Jesus, for no one can serve two masters. (Matt 6:24) Our passion for Christ will grow as we understand how amazing God’s love is for us, that He would give Himself up for us. To have Christ is to have everything. (Rom 8:32)

God uses those recognized by Him. Zacharias and Elizabeth were recognized by God because they were righteous in His sight. That is, their faith, love, and obedience for God had been witnessed and evaluated by Him. The central problem for every man is that there is no law that we can keep to the pleasure of God. There is no comparative righteousness – all men stand condemned by the truth of the cross, which is that there is none righteous (Roman 3:23) No one can be recognized by God to be righteous, because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Even our best works are like filthy rags that add only to our guilt before Him. Until you recognize your hopeless condition, you cannot be saved. How then, can man be righteous? God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. (Eph 2:4-6) We are saved by faith in Jesus Christ. God imputes the righteousness of Jesus to those who turn to Him in faith; those who believe in the promise of God’s salvation in the gospel. Man has always been declared righteous by faith alone- even in the Old Testament, it was faith that credited righteousness to men like Abraham. (Gen 15:6) To be righteous in the sight of God is essentially to be saved by God’s grace. How can man be recognized by God? The righteous live by faith. They live in obedience to God’s Word, which renders them useful to God. God declares those who have received salvation through faith as blameless, because they are washed in the blood of Christ of their sins. The truly saved are blameless, and they walk in the direction of God’s will while fleeing hypocrisy and legalism. Obedience is the fruit of true salvation and is a hallmark of every bondservant of Christ. (Lk 19:8-9; 2Cor 4:8-10)

God uses those who are faithful in suffering. All who desire to live a godly life will face persecution and suffering. (2Tim 3:12) In a time when infertility was considered a major disgrace, Zacharias and Elizabeth suffered through life with having no children. They had no hope for children because they were beyond child-bearing age, but nevertheless, they were faithful in their suffering by walking with the Lord. To be faithful is to be steadfast, dependable, trustworthy, and loyal. Those who are faithful in suffering pray, turning to God because they know that God alone is faithful. Even in this seemingly impossible predicament, Zacharias continually prayed. (Lk 1:13) Faithful men and women are patient through their suffering, enduring in prayer because of their confidence in God’s power and goodness. They praise God amidst their suffering, because they know God and take refuge in Him. (Ps 18:1-3) To be faithful, we must be filled with the Holy Spirit. As we continually mediate on Scripture to renew our minds, our lives will be increasingly controlled by the Word of God through the power of the Holy Spirit.

God uses the common man who honors Him as King, is righteous by faith, and is faithful in suffering. As we mediate on the faithfulness of Zacharias and Elizabeth, let us examine our lives and repent of the sins that have hindered our usefulness to God. As we depend on the Lord to live by faith, God will not hesitate to use us for His glory.

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The Reliability of Jesus – Luke 1:1-4

Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile an account of the things accomplished among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word, it seemed fitting for me as well, having investigated everything carefully from the beginning, to write it out for you in consecutive order, most excellent Theophilus; so that you may know the exact truth about the things you have been taught. Lk 1:1-4

We begin this comprehensive sermon series through the gospel of Luke with its preface, drawing out the background of its author (Luke), its intended audience (Gentiles), and most importantly, its main subject, Jesus Christ. Luke dedicates his account to Theophilus, a Greek officer and believer, hoping to fortify his faith by providing him a thorough account of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Being a Greek physician, historian, scientist, and a man of rationality and apologetic, Luke presents his account of Jesus through research, evidence, historical context, and reason. He writes to convince us why Jesus Christ is the One whom we must believe in and depend on for all things; why He alone is infallible, reliable, and trustworthy.

Jesus is the One who was prophesied by God. (“the things accomplished among us…” v.1) Jesus didn’t come into the world without context- He was the One promised by God throughout the Old Testament. There is no difference between a “historical” Jesus and the “biblical” Jesus. The Son of God came from the Father, born of a virgin, and dwelt among us. He taught us God’s Will, and supported His claims with miracles. (Jn 1:14) There are more than 300 prophecies in Scripture that relate directly to Christ. He was promised to be born of a woman, to be the Son of God, to die on behalf of sinners, and many, many more. (Gen 3:15; Gal 4:4; Ps 2:7; Lk 3:22; Is 53:12; Lk 23:43-33) The probability of someone to fulfill all the prophecies is a number so minute it is beyond our minds’ comprehension, but the fact that Jesus has indeed fulfilled every one of God’s prophecies proves only He is the One promised by God to redeem sinners.

The Bible is inspired. The Bible is not man’s word- it is the Word of God. It is inspired, in that the Holy Spirit had complete influence over all that was written, to render it an authoritative revelation from God. Though the text was composed by the minds and wills of men, God inspired not only the writers’ general thoughts, but also the very words each writer used, so that they were in essence merely instruments to write down God’s Word. This inspired book speaks of Jesus Christ; it is what give us the book of Luke. Scripture tells us of Jesus Christ- He is the name above all names, the Savior and Lord of all. (Phil 2:9; Rev 22:20)

History speaks of Jesus objectively. The fact that Scripture is inspired by God does not overlook the way God used a man like Luke to write his account of Jesus Christ. Luke provides an objective perspective on the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. As a doctor thoroughly reviews a patient’s medical history to make an accurate diagnosis, Luke carefully investigated the facts to present his case of who Jesus Christ was. He captured the details of the life of Jesus to show the historical reality and credibility of the gospel.

God endorsed Jesus Christ alone to save us. There are many false christs who may adorn themselves with eloquence and success, but none are ordained by God to have the authority to save. Jesus Christ is the only one whom we can trust and depend on, because He was sent by God the Father. He is alone is from the beginning; He alone is from heaven. (Jn 19:10-11)

Jesus is the only One who can change us. Luke writes his account so that Theophilus could have a thorough knowledge and conviction of the truth of Jesus that would help him mature and grow as a disciple of Christ. Jesus is the only One who can transform us, because only He has defeated sin and is able to deliver us from sin’s tyranny. Mere self-determination always fails- it is only by the grace of God that comes through Jesus Christ the self can be defeated. He is the One who empowers us to follow after Him. (1Cor 15:10)

That the historical and Biblical figure of Jesus Christ is reliable is a nonnegotiable, unbreakable truth, because Christ Jesus is Lord of all. Do you have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ? Let us all continue to pursue and seek the Lord. If you find that you have not been depending on Jesus Christ, repent, and re-commit yourself to the Lord, for as each of us can say with Paul, it is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all. (1Tim 1:15)
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Justification and Freedom – Select Scriptures

In the previous weeks, forecasts of record hurricanes have forced hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate from their homes in Texas and Florida. To stress the urgent need to evacuate, the governor of Florida exhorted the public saying, “We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life.” Life is precious, but even more than our physical lives, our spiritual lives are incomparably more valuable. Jesus asked, What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? (Matt 16:26) Paul’s letter to the Galatians was premised on how man can preserve his soul by being justified and reconciled to God. Justification is the principle ground on which every other doctrine of Christianity stands. It is a judicial term- in the heavenly court, it is a sentence whereby God declares an elect and believing sinner not guilty, while pronouncing him perfectly righteous by the merit of Jesus Christ. This is possible because God in His grace imputed all your sin onto Jesus when He died on the cross, and in turn, Jesus’s perfect righteousness was imputed onto you. (2Cor 5:21) This is the only means for salvation, yet this essential doctrine is often hindered within the church. As we take another look at Galatians and other various passages, we will identify how false gospels cloud our understanding of justification.

One of the direst issues within the early church was the infiltrating influence of a false gospel. Some false teachers, sometimes called Judaizers, declared Christ was not enough for salvation, and that man needed to be circumcised to be saved. (Acts 15:1-2) There are many other types of false gospels- the reliance on religiosity, church participation, familial heritage- and they all lead to hell. The only way to avoid going after false gospels is to know the true gospel. The gospel has three parts- problem, solution, and response.

Problem– God demands perfect righteousness, but man is born depraved and cannot be righteous. Man tries to create his own religion and work his way to salvation, but he falls infinitely short of God’s righteousness. (Matt 5:48; Rom 3:11)

God’s Solution– Man cannot resolve his problem. But God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16) This is the gospel. Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, he was buried, and he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures. (1Cor 15:2-4) Jesus Christ is the only solution from God for man’s problem.

Man’s Response– You must repent and believe in Jesus Christ. Repentance is turning away from sin, and turning towards God. Man can respond in this way only as he recognizes his problem and sees the solution God provides in the gospel.

Believers are vulnerable to straying from the true gospel. (Gal 2:11-13) Those under the influence of a false gospel forget the gospel’s transformative power and become hypocrites. (Rom 1:16) Their external behavior does not truly reflect their inner heart, because true transformation is possible only by the gospel. As Jesus turned water into wine, He makes us new creatures through His death and resurrection. The true gospel leads us to repent and love the Lord. If you find yourself under the influence of a false gospel, repent, and return to Christ Jesus. No matter how hard we try to deal with sin through our own determination, resolutions, and good works, our sin is an indelible stain that declares us guilty. (Jer 2:22) The gospel is the only way to be saved and to stay saved. The Galatians began to depend on the law for their justification, but the law is not meant to be a means of salvation. The law functions as a spiritual mirror- it makes us see how holy God is, and how sinful we are. It is meant to turn us to Christ- to flee from the curse of the law and take refuge in Christ. (Gal 3:10-11) The law serves to restrain evil with its justice, and it shows God’s redeemed children what pleases Him. (Jn 14:15)

How can I be justified? By faith alone- you must know that Jesus is the only way to be saved, and recognize that salvation is by grace alone. You must then agree to this truth, and commit to Jesus Christ as your only Lord and Savior. Those who are justified enjoy the peace of God. They come before God in prayer through all circumstances, with a hope fixed in heaven. The justified obey God, because God produces good works in those who have living faith. (James 2:26) They experience the true freedom of living like Christ- because of Jesus’s freedom, you are set free to resist sin. (Gal 5:1) Jesus frees us from the penalty of the law and futile attempts to please God in the flesh. In our freedom we walk by the Spirit, as the word of Christ dwells richly in us. We practice the freedom of Christ as we love one another. Jesus has loved us and gave Himself up for us. He is always with us, and as we experience His love everyday through the riches of the gospel, we are more than able to love one another for His glory. This is the outcry of the book of Galatians- Christian, you are justified and free in Christ.
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