WHO CARES??? .......God's People Care....

For the past few months we have been talking about neighboring at our church, learning ways to build relationships with the people God has placed around us for the sake of the Gospel. But what about the people who don’t live next door? Around our country and on social media, there has been a lot of talk about the Gospel and Social Issues that should cause us to think about some challenging questions such as: How should Christians react to foreigners and immigrants in need or in crisis? What should our attitude be toward the poor, homeless or hungry? What does the Bible teach about racism? How should we treat people who are sick? What about those who are locked up behind the bars of a jailhouse or prison? 

As you think about these things, please Read Matthew 25:31-46 ,where Jesus teaches about the Separation of the Sheep and the Goats. It should be easy to tell sheep apart from goats. They don’t look alike at all. In the same way, it should be easy to tell Christians apart from the world by the mercy, compassion and love that we show to those who are suffering, overlooked, rejected and in need.

There’s a Difference Between Sheep and Goats

Jesus begins this illustration by painting a vivid portrait of Himself sitting on His throne at the final judgement. Here he sits as the Good Shepherd, guarding the entrance to heaven in the same way a Shepherd guards the sheepfold, only allowing his own sheep to enter in.

Who do the sheep represent? CHRISTIANS. Why are sheep valued? What are they primarily raised for? WOOL. When a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, the sheep will be led away to be sheared and cleaned up. If you have ever been to the fair and watched them shear sheep, you know that when they are finished, the sheep are fresh and clean and their wool is bright and white. This should remind us of how God has promised to wash us clean, white as snow. What does that symbolize? FORGIVENESS OF SINS. The sheep’s old clothing is removed and it has a new coat. The Bible describes this as being robed in righteousness and clothed with garments of salvation. (Isaiah 61:10) The illustration of the sheep represents believers being forgiven, put in a right standing with God, having our old sinful nature sheared away, receiving glorified bodies and being allowed to enter heaven and enjoy God’s rest.

Who do the goats represent? Unbelievers or Unsaved people.  What are goats primarily raised for? Milk and MEAT. A milk goat would have been kept at home for supplying the household’s daily needs. Goats being brought in from the fields like these would have been raised for meat or sacrifice. Jesus depicts this type of goat as being led away to be slaughtered. During their lives on earth, shepherds feed, watch over and care for goats. This reminds us of the way that every blessing, food and good thing unbelievers enjoy in this life comes from God. What they fail to realize is that God’s kindness is meant to lead us to repentance. There is a day of judgement coming when unbelievers will perish in the fire of God’s justice while by grace through faith believers will receive eternal life in heaven. We are reminded that since creation, from the very foundation of the world, God has lovingly planned this moment of blessing and reward for those who follow Him.

Now I have a question for you. Are any of us natural-born sheep? NO. Because all of us sin, we are all goats by nature, sinful and selfish. We are born again by the Spirit as sheep when we are saved. Who can be born again as a sheep, or child of God? Anyone who believes and places their faith in Jesus Christ. And when we are born again, there should be evidence of change in our lives.

Central Idea of Text

Jesus taught that his followers would be known for ministering to the needs of others and that a day of judgement was coming when they would be rewarded and the cursed would be punished.

Lesson Idea

As Followers of Christ, we should be known for ministering to people in need and a day of judgement IS coming when believers WILL be rewarded and unbelievers WILL be punished.

We should care for the needs of others because Jesus cares for their needs. In verses 35-46, Jesus emphasizes this idea, using repetition to draw the attention of his followers to six specific groups of people by mentioning them four times. He focuses on caring for the Hungry, the Thirsty, Strangers, those Without Clothing, the Sick and those In Prison. As His disciples, we should be known for ministering to those who are suffering, rejected by society or in need.

1. God’s People Care for the Hungry, the Thirsty and the Naked

           

The reason the tithe was established in the Old Testament was to care for widows, orphans, and strangers living among God’s people (Deut. 26:12, 10:18). Here we see that this is an important New Testament ministry as well. In fact, the first deacons, or ministers, in the New Testament were ordained for the purpose of making sure that widows received their fair share of food. (Acts 6:3)  But this isn’t just the job of a few individuals, all believers are called to the task, which Jesus expands to cover anyone in need. God cares for their well-being and has entrusted us with the service of meeting those needs. Tithing was the minimum requirement under the law to help care for the poor. Under grace, we should do so much more. What are some practical ways we can minister to the poor and hungry in our society? [discuss]  

To this day, I remember the deacons in my church giving out free, and very much appreciated, cups of water at the 4^th of July parade with Mark 9:41 on a sign: Whosoever shall give you a cup of water to drink in my name.....shall not lose his reward. Growing up, the churches in our community formed a ministerial alliance to provide a food bank with non-perishable items which our church hosted. They also had diapers, baby formula, a closet filled with donated clothing, and a loan closet with various tools and items a person might need to borrow. That’s wonderful. But as individuals, we are called to minister as well. Sometimes you might feel the Holy Spirit urge you to give money to a specific person in need, buy them a meal or donate a sack of groceries. Perhaps you feel led to serve meals at a homeless shelter or make a specially designated contribution. The point is that we should care and if our heart is filled with the love of Christ, we will care.

           

The call to minister to those who are hungry, thirsty or in need of clothing has a double meaning, a Gospel meaning. Jesus also taught that those who hunger and thirst after righteousness will be filled. All people need to be clothed with salvation. We show how much we care for people by taking care of their physical needs but we must go beyond that to care for their spiritual needs, teaching them the Word of God and proclaiming the Gospel. Our compassionate care for the poor is a powerful way we can demonstrate the love of Jesus to them.

2. God’s People Care for the Sick

           

What are some practical ways we can care for the sick? Hospital visits come to mind. But what about giving a person a ride to treatment or holding their hand as they wait for news from the Doctor? We can’t all afford to pay for their medical bills, but we can babysit children while someone goes to the doctor and we can do housework, yardwork or barnyard chores for someone who is sick or injured and can’t do it for themselves. And most importantly, we can pray. We can join our faith together with other believers and pray in agreement for the sick to be made well and for God to give them comfort, strength, endurance and faithfulness.

To Visit the sick means to look in on someone and look after their well-being. We should all be on the look-out for people who are missing from worship and checking in on them to let them know we care. We can organize meals, write cards and letters, send encouragement and check in on their family members. We can show compassion and bring comfort and hope through Christ to the elderly or terminally ill. We can help raise funds for someone with insufficient health care who needs treatment. It doesn’t have to be hard, there are all sorts of ways to show that we care. To someone who is sick with the flu and living alone, even dropping off a can of soup with some crackers and Sprite can mean the world, as I can personally attest. Whatever the situation, we can offer people comfort, hope and the promise of perfect healing in heaven one day.

3. God’s People Care for Strangers

Who were the strangers in the first century? We know in the Old Testament that strangers or sojourners were foreigners who chose to live among God’s people and follow His laws. According to Leviticus 19:34, these people were to be loved and treated like native born Israelites. A stranger in the first century could have been a fellow Jew in need of a place to stay or a traveler in need of assistance, but throughout the Bible the term strangers usually refers to foreigners. We know that Jews did not associate with Gentiles. These words of Jesus are a confrontational call to end that practice for the sake of the Gospel. Who are the strangers in our society? [discuss]

A stranger might be a new person who has just moved to town, the new kid at school or a new church member. They might be an immigrant or refugee in need of assistance. It is our responsibility to show them the love of Christ.

I was forever impressed as a kid to see how my church dealt with strangers in need. One time, such a stranger came passing through town. Because of the dangers in our society, it might not always be possible to invite a stranger into your home around your children, but some men from our church got him a hotel room for the night and food and gas to get him safely on his way. In fact, our Pastor rarely gave people money, but he always had vouchers from local Christian business men for groceries, gas, diapers, formula and various other needs so that if anyone came to the church needing help, they could receive it in Jesus’ name, with a Gospel presentation of course.

What are some other groups of people who might be considered strangers? We should definitely remember college students far away from their families. Helping a student with a flat tire, inviting them to your home for a meal or a Holiday if they can’t go home, performing car repairs for free or even boarding a student in your home are all ways that you can reach out to them. Providing meals through the Baptist Student Union, care packages to new students in dorms or a free tailgate before a football game are all ways that we can connect with college students, help them find a new church home and keep/get them involved with the family of God in their new town. Hosting a get together such as a hayride in a positive Christian environment can have life-changing positive consequences for young adults.

Our church hosts English classes to help immigrants. We can all help with our attitudes and our online postings as well as our support for fair, kind and Christ-like treatment of immigrants and refugees.

Strangers, to the Jews, meant people of a different race or ethnic background. For us, showing kindness and hospitality to strangers means showing equality and brotherly love to all people. To a first century audience this meant sitting down to share a meal with Gentiles, sharing fellowship and accepting each other as equals made clean, worthy and accepted in Christ. To us, this means doing all we can to show dignity and respect to all of the sons of Adam and daughters of Eve. We should be doing everything within our power to show all people the love of Christ. We can look out for the new person, inviting new community members into our home for a meal or taking them a pie just to say Hi. From sitting with the new kid at school and showing them around to sitting with the new couple at church and introducing them to our friends, we can give a loving welcome and reach out to invite the people in our community into our churches. There are many ways to help strangers. Those of us who are in Christ should empathize with their situation and do what we can to help.

4. God’s People Care for Prisoners

           

Let’s talk about ministering God’s grace to prisoners. In the New Testament we have seen cases of men who were wrongfully imprisoned and in need of ministry. We study examples of believers laboring in prayer to God for them to much avail, like the time the people gathered to pray for Peter and an angel showed up to miraculously lead him out of jail, rescuing him from Herod’s wrath. Psalm 33:5 tells us: He loves righteousness and justice. The earth is full of the lovingkindness of the LORD. God cares about those who have been treated unjustly. But in this passage, Jesus makes no distinction between guilty or innocent prisoners. The same God who loves justice is also the God who offers Grace. There is mercy and forgiveness at the cross for the very worst of sinners. Prisoners need the hope that comes through the good news about Jesus Christ. Clearly, this passage is a call for individuals and their churches to support and engage in prison ministry. The Gideons deliver Bibles to inmates. Our own Southwestern Seminary provides the opportunity to earn degrees while incarcerated. We can all pray for missionaries and others who have been wrongfully imprisoned. What are some other ways we can minister to prisoners? [discuss]

Are people in jail the only types of prisoners mentioned in the Bible? Who was Jesus talking about when He said “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim release to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free the oppressed”? [discuss] Jesus did give blind people their sight, but He was also talking about those who are spiritually blind and in bondage and slavery to sin. It is our job as believers to preach the gospel and set the captives free, leading them to Jesus who can break the chains of sin. We help prisoners of all sorts find true freedom and a hope that can never be taken away by teaching them about the salvation offered through Jesus Christ.

A Time of Judgement is Coming

Three times, at the beginning, middle and end of this teaching, Jesus reminds us that a day of judgement is coming when the sheep will be separated from the goats, believers from unbelievers, the blessed from the cursed, the righteous from the unrighteous. Those in a right standing with God will enter into eternal reward in Heaven. Those who are not will be punished in the fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels. Like a goat led off to the slaughterhouse, they will be cut off from the source of life forever. Kolasis, translated here as punished, is a form of the root word kolazo, the word for pruning a tree. It means unbelievers will be permanently cut off from God, eternally pruned from the tree of life. Like a branch that is cut from Abraham’s family tree, as an evil tree that is chopped down and thrown into the fire, sinners will be consumed by the flames. Scripture teaches that God alone is immortal, that we live, move and have our being, our very existence, in Him.  (1 Tim. 6:15-16, Acts 17:28). Jesus said: I am the vine, you are the branches, apart from me you can do nothing. Eternal life can only come from being connected to Jesus. To be cut off, severed from God completely and cast into the Lake of Fire is what He called the second death, the destruction of the soul (Matthew 10:28, Revelation 20:14). But there is good news. From the very foundation of the world, God designed a way for us to be grafted into Jesus’ family tree, reconciled and joined with Him. Jesus promised that He was going to prepare a place for us and that He would come back for us. Heaven is a place of eternal reward with infinite pleasures where we will experience fellowship with each other in the joy, love and peace of God’s Presence. So, how do we receive this reward?

Conclusion

Are these good deeds some sort of list that we must check off in order to enter heaven? NO. Of course not. We are saved by grace through faith. We are made right with God through our relationship with Christ, not through works so that we can’t brag about it. Jesus said that people will know us by our fruits. This fruit is the goodness and the good works that are produced by the Holy Spirit working in our lives. As believers, knowing that a time of judgement and reward is coming, we should have a sense of urgency for sharing the Gospel. It is easy to tell sheep apart from goats because they don’t look alike. In the same way, it should be easy to tell Christians apart from the world by the mercy, care, compassion and love that we show to people who are in need. God’s people clothe the poor, visit the sick, feed the hungry, quench the thirsty, welcome strangers and bring hope to prisoners. These good works are the natural overflow of a grateful heart that has been filled with the love of Christ.

There might be one of you here today that isn’t sure if you will be counted among God’s sheep at that great judgement. If you’ve never repented of your sins and asked Jesus to come into your life, to fill your heart with love and compassion and save you, then I urge you to do that today.

Maybe there is someone else here who would say you’ve known the Lord for a long time, but this morning, you realize that you’ve had an ungodly attitude or a lack of concern for those in need. I encourage you to examine yourself and your relationship with God and repent. Do acts of charity, where people are given something they didn’t earn, make you feel resentful? Isn’t that what Jesus did when He saved us?

Maybe you have expressed an unbiblical perspective toward immigrants or refugees. What about other strangers? Perhaps you harbor hatred toward foreigners, or mistrust for your brothers and sisters in Christ whose skin is a different tint than your own. Now is the time to repent of those sinful attitudes and start fresh.

I am always happy to discuss, share and pray with you about these things.

Jesus taught that when we feed someone who is hungry, provide clothes for someone in need, welcome a stranger, give a thirsty person a drink, visit prisoners or care for the sick, we have done those things for Him and when we refuse, we have rejected Christ Himself. When we accept the truth, that each person is created in the Image of God, worthy of dignity, honor, respect and a good faith presentation of the Gospel, it changes us, aligning our perspective with God’s will. How can we refuse to care for someone Jesus loved enough to die for? I encourage you to sit down with your family at home this week and talk about practical ways to reach out, offer a helping hand and show God’s love and grace to hurting people in our society by ministering to their needs. 

Closing Prayer

Let’s pray together. Father, Thank-you for the many ways you have blessed us and provided for us. Forgive us for the times we have failed to care for those in need. Help us to share with them from the blessings we have received. Lead us as we go throughout this week, help our attitudes to reflect your mercy and help us to look for opportunities to show your love and demonstrate your compassion. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

Soaring On Wings Like Vultures

On a recent hiking trip, I became fascinated by some large birds of prey soaring over Eagle Mountain Lake. As I watched them, I realized they rarely flap their wings. They gracefully glided on the currents of the wind, letting it carry them along. I spent hours hiking up to high ground for a brief, but spectacular view. In contrast, they were soaring along with ease experiencing a perspective I could only imagine. I began to understand in a fresh, new way the beauty of Isaiah 40:31:

They who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength. They will mount up with wings like Eagles. They will walk and not grow weary. They will run and not faint. 

Those birds were not holding themselves up. It was the wind and draft beneath their wings that provided strong support and kept them in the air. When I read this I think about God holding us up with his righteous right hand as He has promised to do. 

The words for spirit and wind in the Bible are often the same word. As I watched the birds riding the wind, I was impressed with the thought that God wants us to allow His Spirit to lead and guide us where he wants us to go in the same way those birds follow the wind. Humming birds and small hard flapping birds don't fly very high, but other birds regularly soar up to 10,000 feet. In fact, the wind can carry these birds up above a raging storm so that they can navigate safely past it. Stop and meditate on that for a moment and think of how God guides us through the storms of life. Entire flocks have been recorded as high as 29,000 feet and a vulture was once encountered by a commercial airplane at an altitude of 37,000 feet. 

I mention vultures for a reason. The noble eagle is a helpful picture for our American minds and rightly depicts the majesty intended by the author. Even the ancient Romans used it as a symbol. But the word translated as Eagle in this text is the Hebrew word Nesher, which also refers to the Griffon Vulture. In appearance, it has some similarity to an eagle, but to the Hebrew mind, this was the king of all birds, with a wingspan of up to 8 feet. These noble birds were revered in Israel. There are a number of qualities about these birds that bring out the magnitude of depth and meaning of this verse.

Lost in translation is the idea of a bird molting. The bird gets old, ragged and nearly dead looking and in no species is this more dramatic than in the Griffon Vulture. After the bird sheds its old feathers, they are replaced with fresh, vibrant, new plumage and it looks to have renewed its youth. I believe it may be the Griffon Vulture that gave rise to the myth of the Phoenix which dies, burns up into ashes and then rises from the ashes renewed. The early commentator Jerome wrote almost as if he believed Phoenixes were real. He certainly understood the symbolism. This passage relates to Isaiah 61:3 which tells us that God will comfort those who mourn and give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit. The head covering and garments being mentioned by Isaiah represent the renewal and refreshing of salvation and priestly garments that are worn by God's representatives. The Griffin Vulture has a white head consisting of downy. It can look dramatically bald, ashen and sickly when molting, but will have a bright, white head covering when it is finished, like the clean, white linen God clothes his people with which represents being forgiven, restored and put into a right relationship with Him. Those who wait on Jesus, or put our hope and trust in Him, will be rescued, comforted, strengthened and upheld in God's hands. 

Last Spring, we took a family vacation to Disney World. During our day at Animal Kingdom, while my niece and nephew waited in line for pictures and autographs with Rafiki , I watched a presentation from a zookeeper holding a vulture. Vultures feed on carrion. They keep our environment clean and healthy and they have a remarkable constitution. She explained that vultures have the incredible ability to ingest a wide variety of diseases such as botulism and other bacteria or viruses and not be harmed. The diseases are neutralized in their bodies. It made me think of Jesus, who took death in His body, in our place, but couldn't be held by it. He defeated death. And it makes me think of us. One day, if the Lord hasn't come back yet, we will all face death. But it can't affect us. Like this bird that conquers death in its body, we will rise again and have eternal life. 

The eggs of the Griffon Vulture have a longer incubation period than most birds and both father and mother spend a lengthy amount of time caring for their offspring. I have read that this vulture will guard its eggs to the point it would even die protecting them. Perhaps it was this fact that led to the idea of a Phoenix dying and coming back to life as a baby. Maybe someone saw a body combust, who knows? I would imagine they can get looking pretty awful by the time their young are ready to leave the nest. The ancient world was intrigued by this bird. It's dramatic rejuvenation and willingness to sacrifice for it's offspring provide an important object lesson. Jesus died and then rose again, glorified, to give new life to us, his offspring. We will also rise again and receive glorified bodies in heaven. But even now, on this earth, we are blessed. In the same way that a vulture receives new feathers, Isaiah uses clothes to describe what God does for us in the here and now: 

He has clothed me with garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a groom wears a priestly headdress, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. (Isaiah 61:10)

The symbolism of a bird receiving new feathers, being refreshed, restored and renewed is a picture of the way that Jesus works in the hearts and lives of anyone who places their trust and hope in Him. Like a Phoenix rising from the ashes, He will bring us out of despair and restore us to be all that He meant for us to be. We can journey through this world with wisdom and a birds-eye perspective that comes from a higher purpose found in Christ. In the same way the birds are guided by the currents of the wind, He will lead us through His Spirit. While we wait for His coming, He will hold us up like the wind upholds the birds. 

Double Meaning: Sharing Good News with Jews through God's Covenant with David

Sometimes, Bible passages have more than one meaning. One of the most fascinating ways this happens is with a "Dual Fulfillment Prophecy." This is when a prophet made a prediction which came true, but which also broadcast the future coming of Jesus or forecasts something about the End Times. Sometimes the first fulfillment would be partial and the second complete. It is also common for a text to have both a literal or immediate meaning and then have a second meaning which is spiritual, symbolic or prophetic. These are especially useful when ministering to Jews. It is always good to connect the Old Testament with the New Testament. It helps to build bridges and encourage faith. 

Testament is another word for Covenant. 2nd Samuel Chapter 7 describes the Covenant God made with King David. He makes 7 promises to David about his future and the future of his descendants, but first, he reminds David of something very important, where he came from:

God said to David: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel. 

Jesus, who is frequently called the Son of David, said: I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). 

Here are the 7 Promises God made to the Shepherd of His people, David:

Promise #1: I will make a great name for you like that of the greatest on the earth.

Fulfillment #1: David is revered as the greatest King of Israel and one of the greatest Kings the world has ever known. His name is known throughout the earth.

Fulfillment #2: Jesus IS the name above all names. Philippians 2:9-10 declares: God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth

Promise #2: I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done...I will give you rest from all your enemies.

Partial Fulfillment #1: God did give the people rest during Solomon's reign. No wars were recorded during that time and they had great peace and prosperity. But God's covenant was conditional and Solomon disobeyed, so enemies were allowed to rise up. Later, all the people would disobey and have to be punished by being turned over to various enemies and ultimately to the Assyrians and Babylonians. God always keeps his promises. But this one could not reach it's ultimate fulfillment because of the sins of ancient Israel.

Complete Fulfillment #2: Ultimately, this promise will be fulfilled completely in Heaven. God has not forgotten His promise. It is still valid and will be honored through Jesus. (Revelation 21:1-22:5)

Promise #3: I will raise up after you your descendant who will come from your body and I will establish his kingdom.

1st Fulfillment: David's son Solomon became king over Israel. He reigned over one of the wealthiest empires that ever existed and was highly exalted. God established His Kingdom....So the Kingdom was established in Solomon's hand (1 Kings 2:46).

2nd Fulfillment: Jesus, was also a direct descendant of David, legally through Joseph's lineage and physically through Mary's bloodline. Jesus is called "The King of Kings and the Lord of Lords" (Rev. 17:14, 19:16, 1 Tim 6:15) 

Promise #4: He is the one who will build a house for my name.

1st Fulfillment: Solomon built God's temple. (1 Kings 6-8) When Solomon finished building the temple of the Lord, the royal palace and all that Solomon desired to do, the Lord appeared to Solomon a second time... (1 Kings 9:1)

2nd Fulfillment: Jesus is building God's church and a place for Him to dwell, as prophesied here and in the *quotations below. I've included the OT Scriptures referenced in this passage because they are so important in proving Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy:

You, yourselves, like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: "Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone, a cornerstone chosen and precious, and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame. Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, "The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone." and "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense," They stumble because they disobey the word.... (1 Peter 2:5-7) *Isaiah 28:16, *Psalm 118:22, *Isaiah 8:14

Paul's letter to the Ephesians elaborates on this same concept and on the unity between Jewish and Gentile believers. (Chapter 2:19-22)

You are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, having been BUILT on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a Holy Temple in the Lord, in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. 

Promise #5: I will be a father to him and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will discipline him with the rod of men and blows from mortals.

Fulfillment #1 When Solomon sinned, was unfaithful to God and worshipped other gods, God raised up enemies against him. (1 Kings 11:14-40). God used Assyria as his rod to punish Israel. (Isaiah 10:5)

Fulfillment #2 Jesus is called the Son of God. Matthew 3:17 records that God's voice spoke from heaven saying: This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. 

Unlike Solomon, Jesus did not sin. But he took our punishment anyway: For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Cor 5:21) Isaiah had prophesied:

He was pierced for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was on him and by his stripes, we are healed. (Isaiah 53:5) 1 Peter 2:24 quotes this passage as being true about Jesus. 

Jesus was beaten (Luke 22:63), palm slapped (Matthew 26:67), scourged/striped (Matthew 27:26) beaten with a staff in the head repeatedly (Matthew 27:30) and ultimately killed on a cross, then pierced with a sword to verify his death.

The punishment Jesus took fulfilled this prophecy, even though He didn't deserve it. You see, there came a time in David's life when he and Israel had sinned greatly. I will be writing in depth about this later in the summer, but for right now it is sufficient to explain that David basically says to God, Wasn't I the chief around here? Aren't I responsible? He asks God to let all the punishment be on him and his descendants and God says, Yes. The covenant He made with David was modified---Jesus as a descendant of David, took all the punishment for us and fulfilled that part of the covenant.

Promise #6: My faithful love will never leave him.

Fulfillment #1: Even though Solomon was unfaithful to God. God remained faithful to him

Fulfillment #2: God did not abandon Jesus or leave him dead, He rose Him up from the grave. 

Promise #7: I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever....Your house and kingdom will endure before me forever and your throne will be established forever

This promise is fulfilled through Jesus. It looks beyond Solomon and all other Kings to the promised Messiah. Because of Solomon's sin, the kingdom was torn in two after his reign. Ultimately, because of their sin, the people of Israel and Judah were taken into captivity and the line of Davidic Kings was cut off. There has not been a King from the Davidic line to sit on the earthly throne of Israel since 586 B.C. because the Covenant was broken. But God remained faithful. He remembered His promise to David. Isaiah 11:1 prophesied that from that cut off line of Kings, or stump, a shoot would grow. Revelation 5:5 and Romans 15:12 show that Jesus is that shoot, that new tree. He will reign over both Jews and Gentiles. Isaiah also prophesied:

Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from that time and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this. 

Luke 1:32-33 records these words to show that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's covenant with David:

He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David, He will reign over the house of Jacob forever. His kingdom will never end. 

This passage, like many Old Testament prophecies, will not be completely fulfilled until Jesus comes again and we are with Him in heaven. But we can see how many of these promises have already come true through Jesus. And we can have great hope for the future because God always keeps His promises.

What If She Was Your Sister?: Paul's Advice for Men

Ok brothers, whether you are a teacher, pastor, or work in a secular vocation, there is one piece of advice that we all need to heed. In Paul's first letter to Timothy, He writes:

Set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, and in purity....Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but appeal to him as you would a father. Talk to younger men as brothers. Treat older women as mothers. Treat younger women with all purity as you would your own sisters. Support widows...

Over the past few months there have been a disturbing number of prominent male Christian leaders who have resigned, been fired or disqualified themselves from ministry by making inappropriate comments about women, straying from their marriages, mistreating victims of abuse and assault and other issues regarding their relationships with the women entrusted to their care. We need a change in attitude and action, beliefs and behavior. As a leader, the most important piece of advice I have found comes from Paul's instructions to Timothy to treat the women under his care and in his ministry as his own sisters. Here are a series of questions we all need to consider:

Would you ogle your little sister and comment on her body?
Job said: I have made a covenant with my eyes, not to look lustfully upon a young woman. 

Jesus said: I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

There is no sin in recognizing that a woman is beautiful. But we have to discipline our eyes not to look them up and down. We have to avoid indulging in the lingering gaze. It is normal, natural and healthy for a young man to notice attractive women. But I will never forget the moment in High School when, at the commenting, elbowing and insistence of a friend, I took a lengthy look. A well respected teacher discretely called us on it and told us to "Do the right thing." He didn't humiliate us, but he admonished us to show the proper respect. He had seen me at FCA meetings and told me that he expected more from me. None of us are perfect, but we can all discipline our eyes and comments

Should you joke inappropriately in front of our about your sister?

Ephesians 5:4 teaches: Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Don't make jokes that insult the intelligence of women, or the theological capability, emotions or interests of women. Don't mock women's programs or belittle any work done inside or outside of the home by women. Don't make crude or sexual jokes. View women as equal heirs of the grace of God. And here is the hard part: Don't Laugh. It can feel awkward not to laugh when someone tells a joke. But think about how awkward she feels. Don't Laugh. Let him feel awkward. Lovingly confront and correct as you would a brother. Don't Laugh. 

If your sister was raped, how would you respond? 

Would you "break her down?" Would you confront her for "her" sin? Would you tell her to be silent and not go to the authorities? Would you coerce or convince her to retract? Would you put her under church discipline or on probation at her school? Would you tell her it was God's plan or His will for her life? I didn't think so. But these things have happened. And if you would say that last one, you're a Heretic.

Crisis Counseling: Sexual Assault

Would you talk dirty in front of your little sister?

Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. (Ephesians 4:29)

All of our communication needs to be respectful and encouraging of the callings and giftings of women and protective of their reputations, feelings and future ministries. 

Never engage in gossip or lower your level of conversation to that of students/congregants, etc. You can be friendly and relational to build positive interpersonal relationships. But elevate their conversation to your level, not the other way around. Crude talk is out of place, even among men, and should never happen around women. The things we talk about and the conversations we participate in display the level of respect and honor we have for the hearers. 

How would you want another man to treat and talk about your sister if they were dating?
For this is God's will, your sanctification: that you keep away from sexual immorality, that each of you knows how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not with lustful passions...This means one must not transgress against or take advantage of a brother or sister in this manner... (1 Thessalonians 4)

We should treat all women with the level of purity, honor and respect we would want our own sister to be treated with. The purpose of dating is to find someone to marry. Christian men should only date Christian women and we must, first and foremost, treat them as sisters in Christ. The marriage bed is holy and pure. It needs to be respected in dating relationships. Unless you have made the promises and covenant of marriage with a woman, you have no right to touch her. You are stealing something away from her if you do. I'm not suggesting you think of a woman you are dating as you would a biological sister--that's creepy and weird. But our behavior needs to be pure and we need to treat women with the same level of respect we would want our own sister to be treated with. 

We know that sexual immorality is wrong. But what about our conversations? Most of us have had or heard conversations we aren't proud of--whether with women or about women, especially when we were young. I've tried to be careful not to talk about women I dated disrespectfully, but I havn't always spoken up against others who did. One of the worst feelings I ever had was walking up in the middle of a conversation between some friends. The speaker was not a Christian, the listener claimed to be. It was kind of loud around and I laughed along before I became aware of what they were talking about, and I didn't know who they were talking about. I walked away the moment I realized they were discussing an intimate encounter between boyfriend and girlfriend, but just around the corner was the girl they were making fun of, devastated, crying her eyes out, and she was a friend of mine. She had heard me laughing and I couldn't do or say anything to minister to her or to help. If only I had made them stop. Don't Laugh.

As an adult, years ago, during a time when I wasn't attending church, I had a few conversations with women (adults of course), which might not have been dirty or explicit, but they weren't full of respect and honor either. They might have been normal conversations coming from an unbeliever, but did not meet the standard required of God's men. I'm sorry. I'm ashamed. And I know that I'll never be able to minister to them without seeming like a hypocrite. 

It's time to stop and ask ourselves this question: 

If a woman's only way of learning what Jesus is like was by looking at our lives, what conclusions would she draw? 

We have to make it a priority to protect the purity, honor, dignity, future family, reputation, self-respect and ministry of any woman we date or talk to. We need to see the purpose God has for her life, value her future ministry and actively promote and protect her. And we need to teach this to young men from an early age.

Would you want men viewing your sister in pornographic scenes?

1 Corinthians 6:18 tells us to Flee Fornication.

The word fornication is the Greek word PORNeia. Viewing porn is a sin. Even if you don't purchase it, when you visit a website, you increase the number of hits they receive and increase the influence and marketability of the website. Those views support the sex industry and human trafficking. Those girls are somebody's daughters, somebody's sisters, someone created in the image of God with a purpose and a plan for their lives and that purpose does NOT include selling themselves to survive. Viewing them is taking advantage of the most vulnerable. Run away from pornography. It is poison to the soul. 

How would you want your little sister to interact with men in authority on social media?

Through experience, I have learned to make it my personal policy to politely decline to be connected on social media with students. They can be my friends when they graduate--but only if they initiate the request. Ministers should not send friend requests to female congregants and every word posted on social media should be posted with the Gospel in mind. Of course I post vacation pictures and share life events. It is great to be relatable and friendly. But I rarely share links, never share memes, and over time I have learned to carefully consider every post, trying not to put anything out there that could be a stumbling block to my friends, but rather a stepping stone toward faith or a deeper understanding of the Bible. I never allow anyone to post on my timeline except for Birthday wishes one day a year and I monitor all tagging. 

If you are in a position where it is necessary to communicate electronically with women under your care, then it needs to be brief, informative, professional and ministerial. Don't use textspeak or emojis. That is too "cute" and informal. Spell words out. And do not engage in texting conversations with women under your care or authority. Obviously, If someone in crisis reaches out for help, help them--if you're married, bring your wife in or be accountable to someone. But don't engage in regular, long-term electronic communication with someone under your care or oversight.

If your sister was beat up by her husband what would you do?
If your little sister came to you for help because she was afraid of her husband what would you do? If she sought refuge and protection from you after being assaulted by her husband what would you do? Would you send her back into that house? Of Course Not!!! Consider this: Every woman you minister to IS your sister in the family of God. 

Crisis Counseling: Abuse and Abandonment

How would you like your sister taught and preached to?

Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, they should do so as one who speaks the very words of God... (1 Peter 4:10-11)

There is a reverence, awe and respect that should be employed when teaching as God's representative. Don't joke in ways that demean women. Don't make jokes at the expense of your wife or any other woman. Don't joke about gender stereotypes. And when you hear those types of jokes...Don't Laugh. Give a fair amount of sermon time to the important ministries entrusted to women throughout scripture. Give a proportionate amount of teaching space to female Bible heroes as compared to male Bible heroes. Don't take things out of context. Recognize, honor, respect and highlight the many valuable contributions women made in Scripture.

Conclusion

All of us have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) 1 John 1:9 teaches: 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

That's really great news. You can seek forgiveness from God and anyone you have wronged. The moment we confess and repent, is the moment we stop being the problem and become part of the solution. We've got to learn to protect, encourage, teach, support and honor women. We should treat younger women the way we would want our own sisters to be treated, because they are. I leave you to think on the words of Romans 12:10:

Love one another deeply as brothers and sisters. Outdo one another in showing honor.

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The Southern Baptist Convention has responded with strong resolutions about ministering to and respecting women:

www.sbc.net/resolutions/2285/resolution-2--on-abuse

www.sbc.net/resolutions/2284/on-the-dignity-and-worth-of-women