Jun 5, 2022. I Timothy 4:1-16

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HIDE HARDENED HERALD. I Timothy 4:12-16. 06/05/2022. #12.

12 Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 13 Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. 14 Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. 15 Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. 16 Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

1. Right at any age

                a. One of Timothy’s doubts was his age

                                a1. As Jesus was accused of being too young to teach truth (Jn. 8:57), so Timothy was told the same

                                a2. Timothy was probably about 40 yr. old

                b. One was not considered to have any wisdom to share until at least 50 years’ old

                c. Several people in Bible were deemed too young

                                a1. Job 32 Elihu refused to speak until he heard the wisdom of his elders (he was disappointed in Job and his 3 neighbors)

                                a2. Jeremiah 1 Jeremiah stated he was too young to speak to Judah for the Lord

                                a3. David was the youngest brother out in the field with the sheep (considered “but a youth” going up against Goliath)

                d. Paul tells Timothy not to let anyone disrespect his youth (lit., “to think down upon”, belittle)

                                a1. People = discounting Timothy’s message because he was young

                                a2. Paul stated that Timothy needed to boldly proclaim Word, even in the face of ridicule and doubters

                e. Truth is truth no matter who proclaims it

                                a1. Timothy was not to allow anyone to silence him in proclaiming the truth

                                a2. Timothy was to live truth and teach it

2. The calling

                a. Paul reminds Timothy that he was called by God to full time ministry

                                a1. Not a selection by man or inheritance

                                a2. God appointed Timothy to preach and teach

                b. Elders confirmed Timothy’s call with lay on of hands

                                a1. There was no granting power with hands

                                a2. Shows that they recognized the call

                c. By prophesy (the Spirit indicating his choice)

                d. Timothy was to ignore the naysayers and continue to preach (most pastors have detractors)

3. Keeping faithful

                a. Paul tells Timothy to concentrate on his calling:

                                a1. Reading the Word of God

                                a2. Being exhorted by Word and exhorting

                                a3. Study doctrine

                                a4. Develop and use the gift given by God

                                a5. Meditate on Word and obey (Psalm 1)

                b. Paul tells Timothy to focus on his studies and calling continually (don’t get distracted from it)

                                a1. The progress in Timothy spiritual walk will be seen by everyone (Luke 2)

                                a2. Diligence brings spiritual growth

                c. The stakes are high: save self and others

                                a1. Timothy could not “save” anyone

                                a2. By sound teaching and living, Timothy will deliver self and others he instructs

                                      from life sin

                d. Good mentoring leads people to Christ and life

Key Verse: Psalm 1

1 Blessed is the man

Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly,

Nor stands in the path of sinners,

Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;

2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

3 He shall be like a tree

Planted by the rivers of water,

That brings forth its fruit in its season,

Whose leaf also shall not wither;

And whatever he does shall prosper.

4 The ungodly are not so,

But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.

5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,

Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

6 For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,

But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Jun 5, 2022. I Kings 7:13-22

PILLARS OF GOD. I Kings 7:13-22. 06/05/2022. #17

13 Now King Solomon sent and brought Huram from Tyre. 14 He was the son of a widow from the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a bronze worker; he was filled with wisdom and understanding and skill in working with all kinds of bronze work. So he came to King Solomon and did all his work. 15 And he cast two pillars of bronze, each one eighteen cubits high, and a line of twelve cubits measured the circumference of each. 16 Then he made two capitals of cast bronze, to set on the tops of the pillars. The height of one capital was five cubits, and the height of the other capital was five cubits. 17 He made a lattice network, with wreaths of chain work, for the capitals which were on top of the pillars: seven chains for one capital and seven for the other capital. 18 So he made the pillars, and two rows of pomegranates above the network all around to cover the capitals that were on top; and thus he did for the other capital. 19 The capitals which were on top of the pillars in the hall were in the shape of lilies, four cubits. 20 The capitals on the two pillars also had pomegranates above, by the convex surface which was next to the network; and there were two hundred such pomegranates in rows on each of the capitals all around. 21 Then he set up the pillars by the vestibule of the temple; he set up the pillar on the right and called its name Jachin, and he set up the pillar on the left and called its name Boaz. 22 The tops of the pillars were in the shape of lilies. So the work of the pillars was finished.

1. Huram the metallurgist

                a. Solomon hired a metallurgist from Tyre

                                a1. Huram had an Israeli mom and Phoenician dad

                                a2. Even though God commanded to marry within one’s tribe, mixed marriages occurred

                b. Huram (“noble born”) = father a metallurgist

                                a1. Known for his great craftsmanship

                                a2. Sol. sought out the best to do his work

                c. Notice that even though the covenant was with the Jews, God allowed Gentiles to participate in work

                                a1. God’s temple, though mainly for the Jews, was open to all who believed

                                a2. No indication what Huram’s religion was

2. 2 impressive pillars

                a. Huram cast 2 large bronze pillars for the entrance of the temple (bronze = copper + tin; brass = copper + zinc)

                b. Pillars were enormous (27 x 5.7)

                c. The capitals on top of the pillars were 7.5 tall

                                a1. Capitals were made in likeness of lilies

                                a2. Capitals were decorated in the likeness of pomegranates

3.  Symbolism

                a. Sol. gave names to the 2 pillars: Jachin and Boaz

                                a1. Jachin = it is established

                                a2. Boaz = he gives strength

                b. The symbolism is obvious

                                a1. God established the covenant with Israel

                                a2. God gives strength to his people

                c. One either could see the grand pillars and marvel at the them, or meditate on what the pillars meant

                d. Many symbols in the temple

                                a1. Holy of Holies = throne room of God

                                a2. Ark of the Covenant = where God meets his people to give them grace

                                a3. Showbread = God provides for his people

                                a4. Incense = God hears his people’s prayers

                                a5. Altar = sacrifice for sin

                                a6. Laver = God washes away sin

                e. When the symbol becomes sacred within itself, one worships and idol and not God

                f. Christian symbols are the same

                                a1. Not to reverence the symbol, but the Lord

                                a2. Communion elements are a reminder of the Lord in his sacrifice for us, not holy in their own rights (not worship bread + wine)

                                a3. Baptismal water is not sacred, but the commitment to serve the Lord is

                                a4. We do not worship the Bible, but the Bible instructs us how to serve and worship God

                                a5. The cross is a symbol, but not to be worshiped

                g. If people came to the temple to admire the architecture and gold, they missed the point (Mt. 24)

                                a1. 1 Cor. 3:17 the temple of the Lord could not save anyone (just an object)

                                a2. Rom. 1 by transferring true worship and faith from God to an object, one is an idolater

                h. Symbols are aids (communion, baptism, Bible), but are neither objects of adoration nor givers of grace

                i. Jachin and Boaz were impressive, but manmade

May 29, 2022. I Timothy 4:6-11

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STAYING ON POINT. I Timothy 4:6-11. 05/29/2022. #11.

6 If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. 7 But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. 8 For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. 9 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. 10 For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. 11 These things command and teach.

1. The sum of ministry

                a. Paul summarized his instruction to Timothy with four points:

                                a1. Focus on sound doctrine

                                a2. Avoid fables, speculation, and myths

                                a3. Live a godly life

                                a4. You will suffer for the cause of Christ

                b. Staying true is hard to do

                                a1. There is a tendency to drift in beliefs, practice, zeal, and focus

                                a2. Revelation 2 the Ephesian church had left their first love (Jesus Christ)

                c. God doctrine must be continually studied, taught, and practiced

                                a1. Not study for knowledge alone

                                a2. Study for belief, witness, and protection against error (many temptations)

2. The rumor mill

                a. 4 ways to incorporate error into our lives:

                                a1. Heeding stories, rumors, anecdotes, gossip, myths, and hearsay

                                a2. Speculation – inventing answers when you have no evidence or when answers are not available

                                a3. Tradition – being a part of a group that have developed a system they hold to be true that may be full of error

                                a4. Peer pressure – yielding to what those around you believe

                b. Often told stories are viewed as truth

                                a1. If the story starts out as false, it does not improve with age or repeated telling

                                a2. Many times a commentary author will speculate on a matter and others repeat it as true (for example, the William Barclay commentary)

                c. Stay away from “just-so stories”

                                a1. Stay with what can be verified

                                a2. If an idea puts Bible teaching in doubt, it is wrong

3. Faith gym

                a. Paul states that bodily exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is far more valuable

                                a1. II Timothy 2:14-19, constant study, prayer, seeking the Lord, reaffirming beliefs, and guarding against error = ongoing activity

                                a2. Both the body and spirit was always being attended to so one won’t fall away

                b. Paul states that if we live a godly life and teach the truth, we will suffer for it

                                a1. The ungodly recoil at godly lives

                                a2. Since men love darkness, light is hated

                c. 3 admonitions concerning godly living:

                                a1. Continue to grow in Christ

                                a2. Unbelievers will reproach your faith

                                a3. God will strengthen us in our witness (fortifies belief, testimony, and in trials)

                d. These are not suggestions, but commands (not how we feel or want, but what we are called to)

Key verse: II Timothy 2:14-1914 Remind them of these things, charging them before the Lord not to [a]strive about words to no profit, to the ruin of the hearers. 15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and [b]idle babblings, for they will [c]increase to more ungodliness. 17 And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, 18 who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some. 19 Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Let everyone who names the name of [d]Christ depart from iniquity.”

May 29, 2022. I Kings 7:1-12

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SOLOMON, THE BUILDER. I Kings 7:1-12. 05/29/2022. #16.

1But Solomon took thirteen years to build his own house; so he finished all his house. 2 He also built the House of the Forest of Lebanon; its length was one hundred cubits, its width fifty cubits, and its height thirty cubits, with four rows of cedar pillars, and cedar beams on the pillars. 3 And it was paneled with cedar above the beams that were on forty-five pillars, fifteen to a row. 4 There were windows with beveled frames in three rows, and window was opposite window in three tiers. 5 And all the doorways and doorposts had rectangular frames; and window was opposite window in three tiers. 6 He also made the Hall of Pillars: its length was fifty cubits, and its width thirty cubits; and in front of them was a portico with pillars, and a canopy was in front of them. 7 Then he made a hall for the throne, the Hall of Judgment, where he might judge; and it was paneled with cedar from floor to ceiling. 8 And the house where he dwelt had another court inside the hall, of like workmanship. Solomon also made a house like this hall for Pharaoh’s daughter, whom he had taken as wife. 9 All these were of costly stones cut to size, trimmed with saws, inside and out, from the foundation to the eaves, and also on the outside to the great court. 10 The foundation was of costly stones, large stones, some ten cubits and some eight cubits. 11 And above were costly stones, hewn to size, and cedar wood. 12 The great court was enclosed with three rows of hewn stones and a row of cedar beams. So were the inner court of the house of the Lord and the vestibule of the temple.

1. A master builder

                a. Chapter 7 starts out, “but Solomon…”

                                a1. A point to be made: Sol. took 7 years to build the temple, but 13 years for his house

                                a2. Even though he took longer, he may not have used as many laborers

                b. Sol.’s house = no dimensions given

                c. Stones were 12-15 inches length (2-3 tons each)

                d. House of the Forest of Lebanon was larger than the temple (a secondary house)

                                a1. 150 feet x 75 feet x 45 feet (the White House is 168 feet x 85 feet x 70 feet, but has offices in it)

                                a2. Made of costly stones and cedar

                e. Built a similar house for his 1st wife, the daughter of pharaoh

                f. Hall of Pillars (75 inches x 45 inches) – perhaps a dining and reception hall to entertain guests

                g. Hall of Judgment – for his throne

                h. Great craftsmanship of similar material used in the temple, except for the Gold

                                a1. Emphasis on costly stones and skilled artisans

                                a2. A grand design with beveled windows, grand pillars, and great canopies

                i. Far beyond what David or Saul had built

2. Grandeur of Solomon’s rule

                a. Several features noted about Solomon’s buildings:

                                a1. Grand and costly

                                a2. They reflected glory on his reign (Matthew 6 – Solomon and all his glory)

                                a3. His subjects had to pay for, build, and foot the cost of maintaining all the buildings

                                a4. These buildings were in addition to his massive stables and other projects

                                a5. As Solomon accumulated more wives, concubines, and servants, he had to do more building

                b. Solomon had to decide if he wanted to honor the Lord or glorify himself

                                a1. His concentration determined his spiritual focus and effectiveness

                                a2. It is difficult to focus both on building great things and serving God (James 1)

                c. A king or leader must decide if he is going to serve the people or if the people are going to serve him

                d. Samuel had warned Israel that kings will take away from them in order to enhance their own pleasure

                                a1. Saul was arbitrary, egotistical, and cruel

                                a2. David did well, but allowed his lust and lack of good judgment to taint his kingdom

                                a3. Solomon lusted after many women, who turned his heart away from the Lord

3. Snare of wealth and power

                a. Wealth and power are cruel masters

                                a1. The insatiable desires of the lustful soul are never satisfied and soon end

                                a2. Concentrating on obtaining wealth brings one to a disappointing end (Ecclesiastes 12)

                b. All grandeur is left behind

                                a1. Solomon bemoaned leaving all behind (Ecclesiastes 2:19)

                                a2. What did Solomon send ahead into eternity?

                                a3. Who did Solomon help?  What example did he set?  What legacy did he leave behind?

                c. When this earth ends, what will be remembered?

May 22, 2022. I Timothy 4:1-5

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UNHOLY DECEPTION. I Timothy 4:1-5. 05/22/2022. #10.

1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, 2 speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, 3 forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. 4 For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; 5 for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.

1. Apostasy

                a. Paul tells Timothy that there will be a departure (apostia) of the faith by some in the end times

                                a1. One of the marks of the end times is deviation from Bible-based faith

                                a2. Many different ways to err

                b. The origin of heresy is demonic temptation

                                a1. Paul doesn’t state that the deceived can blame demons for their errors

                                a2. Seduced by doctrines of demons

                c. 3 levels of doctrinal deception

                                a1. Rejection of Christ and the Bible

                                a2. Corruption of biblical doctrine

                                a3. Replacement of biblical Christianity with false religion

                d. By pursuing minor errors, big errors emerge

                e. 2 areas of deviation:

                                a1. Following deceiving spirits (clever arguments sound good, plausible, and desirable, but are lies)

                                                b1. Outright lies are easier to spot

                                                b2. Subtle deceptions = easy to fall

                                                a2. Doctrines of demons = inventing unbiblical dogmas

2. Many ways to fall

                a. Characteristics of the deceiver:

                                a1. Speaking lies in hypocrisy (pretend to be believers, but undercut the ministry with false teachings, working inside the church, even in leadership and teaching positions Acts 20:25-32)

                                a2. Seared conscience = no guilt, shame, or remorse in teaching error and deceiving the saints

                b. Satan does his most damaging work from inside the church, pulling people away from true faith

                c. Replacement of spirituality with keeping rules

                                a1. False piety (forbidding marriage) of outward dedication

                                a2. Keeping religious rules about diets, dedication days, taboos,…

3. Beware of false teachers

                a. Everything wholesome is to be received from God with thanksgiving

                b. Forbidden by religious decree things that God has given is cultish

                                a1. Teaching that abstaining from certain things is holiness is trying to replace true spirituality with legalism (Matthew 23)

                                a2. Legalistic churches have many rules about dress, days, activities, hair, etc.

                c. True sanctification restricts sin, but not liberty

a1. Romans 14-15 the Christian walk is one of freedom to enjoy God’s creation

                                a2. Christianity is a relationship with God through Jesus, and not a religion of rules

                d. Prayer, Bible study, worship, and service is holy

Key verse:  Acts 20:25-32

25 “And indeed, now I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, will see my face no more. 26 Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27 For I have not shunned to declare to you the whole counsel of God. 28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. 29 For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 30 Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves. 31 Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears. 32 “So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

May 22, 2022. I Kings 6:14-38

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THE TEMPLE and GOD’S CHARACTER. I Kings 6:14-38. 5/22/2022. #15.

1 Kings 6:14-38

New King James Version

14 So Solomon built the temple and finished it. 15 And he built the inside walls of the temple with cedar boards; from the floor of the temple to the ceiling he paneled the inside with wood; and he covered the floor of the temple with planks of cypress. 16 Then he built the twenty-cubit room at the rear of the temple, from floor to ceiling, with cedar boards; he built it inside as the inner sanctuary, as the Most Holy Place. 17 And in front of it the temple sanctuary was forty cubits long. 18 The inside of the temple was cedar, carved with ornamental buds and open flowers. All was cedar; there was no stone to be seen. 19 And he prepared the inner sanctuary inside the temple, to set the ark of the covenant of the Lord there. 20 The inner sanctuary was twenty cubits long, twenty cubits wide, and twenty cubits high. He overlaid it with pure gold, and overlaid the altar of cedar. 21 So Solomon overlaid the inside of the temple with pure gold. He stretched gold chains across the front of the inner sanctuary, and overlaid it with gold. 22 The whole temple he overlaid with gold, until he had finished all the temple; also he overlaid with gold the entire altar that was by the inner sanctuary. 23 Inside the inner sanctuary he made two cherubim of olive wood, each ten cubits high. 24 One wing of the cherub was five cubits, and the other wing of the cherub five cubits: ten cubits from the tip of one wing to the tip of the other. 25 And the other cherub was ten cubits; both cherubim were of the same size and shape. 26 The height of one cherub was ten cubits, and so was the other cherub. 27 Then he set the cherubim inside the inner room; and they stretched out the wings of the cherubim so that the wing of the one touched one wall, and the wing of the other cherub touched the other wall. And their wings touched each other in the middle of the room. 28 Also he overlaid the cherubim with gold. 29 Then he carved all the walls of the temple all around, both the inner and outer sanctuaries, with carved figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers. 30 And the floor of the temple he overlaid with gold, both the inner and outer sanctuaries. 31 For the entrance of the inner sanctuary he made doors of olive wood; the lintel and doorposts were one-fifth of the wall. 32 The two doors were of olive wood; and he carved on them figures of cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers, and overlaid them with gold; and he spread gold on the cherubim and on the palm trees. 33 So for the door of the sanctuary he also made doorposts of olive wood, one-fourth of the wall. 34 And the two doors were of cypress wood; two panels comprised one folding door, and two panels comprised the other folding door. 35 Then he carved cherubim, palm trees, and open flowers on them, and overlaid them with gold applied evenly on the carved work. 36 And he built the inner court with three rows of hewn stone and a row of cedar beams. 37 In the fourth year the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid, in the month of Ziv. 38 And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul, which is the eighth month, the house was finished in all its details and according to all its plans. So he was seven years in building it.

1. Of wood and gold

                a. This passage describes the temple

                                a1. Unlike most temple representations

                                a2. Far more elaborate than the tabernacle

                b. The value of the material is beyond comprehension

                                a1. Not artificially assign meaning to each item

                                a2. Quality, durability, and beauty all represent the nature and essence of God

                c. 5 main materials:

                                a1. Stone (polished limestone or granite) – hard, durable, and costly

                                a2. Cedar wood – makes up the walls (resistant to decay, long lasting, beautiful)

                                a3. Cypress – used for flooring and doors (harder than cedar and more durable; used in ship building; resistant to splitting or splintering)

                                a4. Olive wood – doorposts and frame (a wood that bears fruit)

                                a5. Gold – overlays walls, floors, and doors (no wood or stone are showing; gold is app.

                                      $1800/oz. today)

                d. Precious stone is covered by precious cedar and Cyprus and cedar which in turn is covered by even more precious gold

                                a1. God is all precious and glorious throughout his being

                                a2. Comprehensive: stone is from the minerals of the earth bonded with water and earth;

                                      wood is of life nourished by water and earth; gold is a precious metal from the earth

2. Decorations of the temple

                a. Notice that God loves depictions of his creation

                                a1. These are not graven images (not for worshipping, but for honoring creator)

                                a2. Flowers, palms, vines, etc.

                b. Cherubim = not like depicted in pictures

                                a1. 2 cherubim = each 15’ high with 15’ wingspan, standing side by side with one wing of each cherub touching a wall and the other wing touching the wing of the other cherub

                                a2. These cherubim are different than the cherubim on top of the ark of the covenant

                c. If the cherubim were standing in front of the ark, the priest would have to pass under the adjoining wings to approach the ark (as the covering cherubim stands before God in heaven – Ezk. 1)

3. Nothing to compare with it

                a. Solomon took 7 years to build the temple (from the 4th year of his rule to the 11th year

                b. There were larger structures in the ancient world (the pyramids, Temple of Diana, Hanging Garden of Babylon, etc.), but none more glorious

                c. Nothing could compare with grandeur of temple

                                a1. Nothing can compare with God

                                a2. The temple reflected the glory of God

May 15, 2022. I Timothy 3:14-16

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THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. I Timothy 3:14-16. 05/15/2022. #9.

14 These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 16 And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness:

God was manifested in the flesh, Justified in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Preached among the Gentiles,

Believed on in the world, Received up in glory.

1. Conduct within the body

                a. Paul wanted to see Timothy, but was not sure when he would come

                b. Paul wanted to make clear how the church should probably run

                c. Conduct = manner of life (way of living)

                d. Christian living is comprehensive in belief, doctrine, behavior, attitude, purpose, and deeds

2. The ground of truth

                a. Paul just gave the qualifications of church leadership

                b. Now Paul refocuses attention back onto the foundation of the Christian life

                c. It is God, not the church, that is the pillar and ground (foundation) of all truth

                                a1. God is not only the reason for all things, but he directs all things

                                a2. God does not give us the prerogative to decide what to believe, how to run the church, or how to behave

                d. God defines godliness, ministry, and purpose

3. Christ as the foundation

                a. Paul states that Timothy is a steward of the mystery (hidden secret of godliness)

                                a1. The mystery centered in God’s plan through Jesus revealed to man

                                a2. The OT is God’s plan predicted and Christ is God’s plan revealed

                                a3. No controversy (agreed upon)

                b. One of the greatest passages defining the deity of Christ:

                                a1. Manifested (revealed) in the flesh

                                a2. Justified (declared to be righteous) in the Spirit

                                                b1. Spirit confirms person and ministry of Christ at his baptism

                                                b2. Spirit anointed disciples to proclaim his message at Pentecost

                                                b3. Spirit testified of him through the apostles and Word of God

                                a3. Seen by angels

                                                b1. Angels announced his birth

                                                b2. Angels proclaimed his resurrection (Hebrews 1:1-14)

                                                b3. Angels taught his 2nd coming at his ascension

                                a4. Preached among the nations (starting with Paul) and continues to today

                                a5. Believed on in the world

                                                b1. Christ’s church is global

                                                b2. Every nation has believers

                                a6. Acts 1 received in glory and sits at the right hand of the father (Heb. 4)

                c. We have a glorious savior and message

                                a1. Church = to be a glowing testimony for Christ in behavior, belief, and service                 a2. A focus on the Savior gives vibrant life

Key Verse: Hebrews 1:1-14

1 God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, 2 has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds; 3 who being the brightness of His glory and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4 having become so much better than the angels, as He has by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. The Son Exalted Above Angels

5 For to which of the angels did He ever say: “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You”? And again:

“I will be to Him a Father, And He shall be to Me a Son”? 6 But when He again brings the firstborn into the world, He says: “Let all the angels of God worship Him.” 7 And of the angels He says: “Who makes His angels spirits And His ministers a flame of fire.” 8 But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom. 9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness; Therefore God, Your God, has anointed You With the oil of gladness more than Your companions.” 10 And: “You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands. 11 They will perish, but You remain; And they will all grow old like a garment; 12 Like a cloak You will fold them up, And they will be changed. But You are the same, And Your years will not fail.” 13 But to which of the angels has He ever said: “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”? 14 Are they not all ministering spirits sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation?

May 15, 2022. I Kings 6:1-13

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THE TEMPLE. I Kings 6:1-13. 05/15/2022. #14.

1 And it came to pass in the four hundred and eightieth year after the children of Israel had come out of the land of Egypt, in the fourth year of Solomon’s reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv, which is the second month, that he began to build the house of the Lord. 2 Now the house which King Solomon built for the Lord, its length was sixty cubits, its width twenty, and its height thirty cubits. 3 The vestibule in front of the sanctuary of the house was twenty cubits long across the width of the house, and the width of the vestibule extended ten cubits from the front of the house. 4 And he made for the house windows with beveled frames. 5 Against the wall of the temple he built chambers all around, against the walls of the temple, all around the sanctuary and the inner sanctuary. Thus he made side chambers all around it. 6 The lowest chamber was five cubits wide, the middle was six cubits wide, and the third was seven cubits wide; for he made narrow ledges around the outside of the temple, so that the support beams would not be fastened into the walls of the temple. 7 And the temple, when it was being built, was built with stone finished at the quarry, so that no hammer or chisel or any iron tool was heard in the temple while it was being built. 8 The doorway for the middle story was on the right side of the temple. They went up by stairs to the middle story, and from the middle to the third. 9 So he built the temple and finished it, and he paneled the temple with beams and boards of cedar. 10 And he built side chambers against the entire temple, each five cubits high; they were attached to the temple with cedar beams. 11 Then the word of the Lord came to Solomon, saying: 12 “Concerning this temple which you are building, if you walk in My statutes, execute My judgments, keep all My commandments, and walk in them, then I will perform My word with you, which I spoke to your father David. 13 And I will dwell among the children of Israel, and will not forsake My people Israel.”

1. Building of the Temple

                a. Finally, the Temple is built

                                a1. Many years of planning & collecting material the Temple is started

                                a2. 418 years after the Exodus (app. 1450 BC), the temple began (1032 BC) in Sol.’s 4th year

                b. The Tabernacle is retired & its furnishings will be transferred to the Temple

                c. The Temple plan was that of the Tabernacle, but the dimensions were greater

                                a1. Temple proper: 90’ x 30’ x 45’

                                a2. 3 stories of side rooms for priests & storage (each room 7.5’ to 9’ wide)

                                a3. 2 outer courts (one where the priests made sacrifices & one for the people)

                d. The Temple building was divided into 2 rooms:             

                                a1. The Holy Place (60’ x 30’)

                                a2. The Holy of Holies (30’ x 30’)

                e. The Holy of Holies contained the Ark of the Covenant

                                a1. Divided from Holy Place by a veil

                                a2. High Priest entered the H of H once a year on the Day of Atonement

                f. Ziv = 2nd month in sacred calendar

                                a1. April-May (after 1st month of Nisan, which contains the Passover)

                                a2. Eighth month in seasonal calendar, which begins in Sept. (Tishrei), the month of Yom

                                      Kippur (Day of Atonement)

2. The Temple Mount

                a. The Temple was a small portion of the Temple Mount, which covered 35 acres

                b. Chambers were built into the wall around the entire Temple complex (many rooms)

                c. Zerubbabel’s temple was not as elaborate or expansive (temple was the same dimensions

                d. Herod the Great expanded the Temple, which was still unfinished when it was destroyed in 70 AD

                e. All the quarried stone was shaped & finished at the quarry, so there was no chiseling on site

                f. The support beams rested on narrow ledges outside the wall, so the beams would not rest in the wall

3. Temple etiquette

                a. The temple was a fixed structure, unlike the Tabernacle, so it had to stand on that particular spot

                b. God tells Solomon, that the Temple will only be useful if he obeys God’s commands & statutes

                                a1. The building provided no protection

                                a2. The building dispensed no grace

                c. God would perform his word given to David, if Israel would obey & honor God

                                a1. God’s words were superior to the temple

                                a2. Disobedience desecrated the temple

                d. David received an unconditional covenant

                                a1. Like the covenant with Abraham, God would fulfill his word to put David’s descendent on throne

                                a2. Blessings are always conditioned upon obedience to God

                e. God would stay dwell among Israelites as long as they walked in his ways (Deuteronomy 28)

                f. Romans 8 eternal life to the believer is unconditional

                                a1. Blessings upon the believer is conditioned upon our submission to God

                                a2. Tools can neither save, nor make one holy

May 8, 2022. Mother’s Day 2022

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ESTHER, QUEEN OF PERSIA. ESTHER MOTHER’S DAY 2022.

2 Kings 2:15-18 [New King James Version]

15 Now when the sons of the prophets who were from Jericho saw him, they said, “The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha.” And they came to meet him, and bowed to the ground before him. 16 Then they said to him, “Look now, there are fifty strong men with your servants. Please let them go and search for your master, lest perhaps the Spirit of the Lord has taken him up and cast him upon some mountain or into some valley.” And he said, “You shall not send anyone.” 17 But when they urged him till he was ashamed, he said, “Send them!” Therefore they sent fifty men, and they searched for three days but did not find him. 18 And when they came back to him, for he had stayed in Jericho, he said to them, “Did I not say to you, ‘Do not go’?”

1. Esther becomes queen

                a. Esther has no choice but to obey summons to be

                    taken as King Ahasuerus (Xerxes) to be placed in his harem (a maiden’s destiny was not her own)

                                a1. Esther must make the best of her situation

                                a2. God had obviously chosen her for this task

                b. God choses women to serve him is various tasks

                c. Several aspects not ideal: (1) king was divorced (2) polygamy (3) king intimate with Esther and other women before marriage (4) king = not a believer

                d. Esther and others prepared for a year before met king

                e. God moved king to pick Esther

                                a1. Esther did not reveal that she was a Jew

                                a2. 1 Peter 3:1-6 – Esther was lovely and gracious

2. Mordecai and Haman

                a. Mordecai, Esther’s uncle and surrogate father, overheard a plot to kill the king, so he told Esther

                b. Haman, a prince (not 1 of inner 7), sought to advance (enormous ambition)

                c. Mordecai refused to bow down before Haman

                                a1. Haman manipulates to king into signing a decree to kill the Jews

                                a2. He builds gallows to hang Mordecai

                d. Haman is forced to honor Mordecai, who had saved the king, by leading the royal horse with Mordecai on it in royal robes throughout the city

3. A time such as this

                a. Mordecai put on sackcloth and ashes to grieve

                b. Esther sent a servant to find out why Mordecai Mourned for she did not know about the decree

c. Esther had not been called before the king for a month

                                a1. To go unbidden earned execution

                                a2. Only if the king held his scepter = spared

                d. Esther tells Mordecai that it is illegal for her to go to king

e. Mordecai tells Esther that she would not be safe if all the Jews perished and another will rise up to save Jews

                f. Esther states that she will go, but the Jews must fast

                                a1. Her bravery is typical of godly women protecting their families

                                a2. The courage of godly women is inspiring

4. Clever to save

                a. Esther hatched a daring plot

               b. Esther reveals that Haman plotted to kill her and Jews

                                a1. In a fury, the king has Haman hanged

                                a2. The Jews were allowed to defend selves

                c. Jews killed many enemies and Esther Feast of Purim

Key verse: 1 Peter 3:1-61 Wives, likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the word, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, 2 when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear. 3 Do not let your adornment be merely outward—arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel— 4 rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God. 5 For in this manner, in former times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, being submissive to their own husbands, 6 as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are not afraid with any terror.

May 8, 2022. I Kings 5:13-18

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TEMPLE BUILDERS. I Kings 5:13-18. 05/08/2022. #13.

13 Then King Solomon raised up a labor force out of all Israel; and the labor force was thirty thousand men. 14 And he sent them to Lebanon, ten thousand a month in shifts: they were one month in Lebanon and two months at home; Adoniram was in charge of the labor force. 15 Solomon had seventy thousand who carried burdens, and eighty thousand who quarried stone in the mountains, 16 besides three thousand three hundred from the chiefs of Solomon’s deputies, who supervised the people who labored in the work. 17 And the king commanded them to quarry large stones, costly stones, and hewn stones, to lay the foundation of the temple. 18 So Solomon’s builders, Hiram’s builders, and the Gebalites quarried them; and they prepared timber and stones to build the temple.

1. Gonna build a Temple

                a. Now that Solomon had secured a contract for material, he needed to gather a labor force

                                a1. There were no building machines

                                a2. Had to use the six simple machines used from antiquity: wheel, wedge, incline plane,

                                      screw, lever and fulcrum, and pulley

                                a3. Oxen, horses, donkeys, and mules provided extra power and muscle

                b. Solomon wanted to expedite the project, so he gathered a massive labor force (7 years to build – cathedral at Chartes took 600 years to build)

                c. Shows God’s blessing on Solomon when he could afford such a payroll

                                a1. 183,300 worked on the Temple

                                a2. Need either massive time or labor force to expedite an enormous project

                d. God gave Solomon great engineering skills to do the job

2. A massive undertaking

                a. Sol sent 30,000 men in 3 shifts to work alongside Hiram’s men in the Anti-Lebanon Mountains

                b. 70,000 men were used to transport wood and other material from source and port to Jerusalem

                c. 80,000 were used to cut and shape stone blocks

                                a1. Stone carving is laborious, heavy, slow work with each stone cut out of the mountain, shaped, and fitted

                                a2. The work must be precise to work

                                a3. Carved images or scrolling on the stone took skilled artisans

                d. 3,300 foremen oversaw the work

                e. God blessed the work

                                a1. The work was well planned and organized with each stone precisely cut to fit in exact positions in the building

                                a2. All 3 groups (Jews, Phoenicians, and Gebalites) working well with each other (Gebal = a town at base of Mt. Herman, whose men were stone masons)

                f. Solomon showed a marked skill in organizing and supervising major building projects

                                a1. Solomon loved building so much that he kept building structures

                                a2. Building with a valid beneficial purpose is good, but building for self-satisfaction

                                      alone is wasteful and vain

3. The complete ministry

                a. Ministry requires all kinds of skills (evangelism, counseling, teaching, finance, child skills, care sick and elderly, music, administration, planning…)

                                a1. 1 Cor. 12 not everyone is gifted and tasked the same (all the skills fit to make a whole)

                                a2. The builder and preacher all play a part in the success of the ministry

                b. Solomon was not only given an abundant of gifts, but also the ability to recognize gifts and others and to use those skills effectively

                c. As exciting as building the temple was, the edifice was tool for a greater purpose (focus for worship)

                                a1. Tools are to be used to honor God                                 a2. Tools and aids are not sacred in themselves, nor is the activity sacred (offerings, communion, music, scripture, etc.), but is an aid