Sunday, June 26, 2011

Clothed With The Spirit

Leviticus 8.10-13, 30

The men who were with Jesus on the Road to Emmaus came back to the Eleven and told them what had happened. While they were still talking about this, Jesus Himself stood among them... Luke 24.36
Luke 24.45-49 I am going to send you what My Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.

It is amazing that after all they went through to make the clothing for the High Priest and the other priests, Aaron and his sons, the expense, the craftsmen, the embroiders, the blue,purple and scarlet yarn, the weavers, the gold woven in that oil was poured upon Aaron's head and that it ran down on his beard, down upon the collar of his robes and that Moses took some of the anointing oil and some of the blood from the altar and sprinkled them on Aaron and his garments and his sons garments. (Psalm 133, Leviticus 8)

Oil was a symbol of the Holy Spirit- anointing, power, light
It served as a constant reminder that the work of the priests were a spiritual work.
It showed God's ownership of them and His mark upon the work He does through man.

We are told in I Peter 2.9 But you are a chosen people, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.

Aaron and his son's garments being stained with the anointing oil foreshadowed Jesus' words for us to be clothed with power from on High.

Paul's admonition to the Ephesians (5.18) Be filled with the Spirit(=be filled and keep on being filled). The story of the friend at midnight interrupting sleep (Luke 11), Jesus interrupting the travel plans of His Disciples, spontaneous prayer meetings taking place in Acts 4 we see being filled with the Spirit, being clothed with power from on High is all important. Why?!

1. We need the Holy Spirit to do God's Work.
It was imperative that before Aaron and his sons began the work of God in the tabernacle that they be ordained and anointed with the special anointing oil, symbolic of God's Spirit.

Jesus was leaving the disciples to witness and work for Him but He knew that they could not do it without the baptism of the Holy Spirit.

Acts 2.1-4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues (languages) as the Spirit ENABLED them.
Acts 4.29-31 Enable= supply, furnish necessary things, a gift, to endue, to cause to come forth
The early church knew they needed the enabling of the Spirit to carry out the work of God.
We need it today! nothing can substitute for His enabling.
His Spirit gives power Acts 1.8 you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.
power to witness, to do His work, to do the works God has prepared in advance for you to do.
His Spirit gives encouragement- Romans 15.5
His Spirit gives comfort- John 14
His Spirit gives endurance Romans 15.5

2. We need the Holy Spirit to do God's Will.
To pray what Jesus prayed (Matthew 26.42) we need the power of God's Spirit.
Not my will but Thine be done.
He taught us to pray to the Father the same way, "May Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." In Luke where the LORD's prayer is recorded Jesus gives a parable about the Holy Spirit, human will and prayer.

c.10 Leviticus Nadab and Abihu, Aaron's sons self will in worship, not God's will, was self destructive.
God's will is for us to be His witnesses- we need the infilling of His Spirit.
God's will for us is to live a holy life. We need the Spirit's power.
Wherever God wants us to be, to go or to do we need the power of His Spirit.

3. We need the Holy Spirit today as we read His Word.
Come Holy Spirit. He is the promise of the Father, the gift of God.
God Spirit- power= dunamis. God's Word is living and active- in order for us to understand it so we might obey it we need the Spirit Who breathed it Believers are to be baptized with Him. We need to keep on being filled.


Come Holy Spirit!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Flock Under His Care



Leviticus 1.1-13



There is a marked difference between a flock and a herd, between sheep and cattle and other live stock (like oxen).


Cattle are driven. Sheep must be led. Sheep are made to follow.



In Luke 12.32 Jesus said, "Fear not little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom."


In Psalm 95.6-7


Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the LORD our Maker;
for He is our God and we are the people of His pasture,
the flock under His care.


The men of God, the leaders of Israel: Abraham, Joseph, Moses and David were shepherds when God called them. Our LORD Jesus is that Great Shepherd of the Sheep (Hebrews 13.20)

In Psalm 77.20 You led Your people like a flock by the hand of Moses and Aaron.



There have been a few books which I have read the past 50 years which I reread from time to time. One of them is a simple book entitled, The Minister As Shepherd. Delivered as lectures a hundred years ago by a pastor from the city, Charles E. Jefferson, there are timeless truths for the Christian Ministry in it pages. Throughout the New Testament the image of a pastor is that of a shepherd and his flock. The people of God are a flock under the care of the Great Shepherd, the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, under Him there are overseers of the flock.

Sheep are interesting animals. They are much like human beings in their behavior.
We are told about the relationship between the LORD and us in the 23rd Psalm.


The LORD is my Shepherd, I shall lack nothing.

I shall not want.


1. Christ Fulfills All the Needs in Our Lives.

Philippians 4.19 And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus.

The difference between a flock and a herd is amazing.

Sheep require the care of a shepherd.

David wrote is Psalm 23.2 He makes me lie down in green pastures.

A sheep will not lie down unless:

*They are free from all fear.

*They are free from friction with other sheep.

*They are free from torment of flies and parasites.

*They are free from hunger.

Jesus sets us absolutely free!


2. The LORD Restores Our Souls.

Psalm 23.3 He restores my soul. He is our shepherd. He is our Father in Heaven.

Psalm 103.13-14 As a Father has compassion on His children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him; for He knows how we are formed, He remembers that we are dust.


Our Father in Heaven loves us deeply. His love is higher then the heavens (Psalm 108.4)

The word "formed" means pottery. We carry the treasure of salvation in an earthen vessel.

Jeremiah 18.4-5 the pot that he was shaping from the clay was marred in his hands; so the potter formed it into another pot, shaping as it seemed best to him. Can I not do with you as the potter does to the clay? declares the LORD.


3. The LORD Jesus Anoints Us With His Spirit.

Psalm 23.5 You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.

I John 2.20 But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.


Last week we spoke of Pentecost (Acts 2). In Acts 4.31 there was another infilling of the Holy Spirit to continue to serve the LORD.


Ephesians 5.18 Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead be filled with the Spirit. In Acts 2 they accused the apostles of being drunk on too much wine. There are some similarities of being drunk and being filled with the Spirit:

*Truth comes out when you are filled with the Spirit (speaking it in love).

*Fear is dispelled when you are filled with the Spirit.

*Generosity abounds when a person is filled with the Spirit.

*The is a boldness that comes from being filled with the Spirit (What they were praying for in Acts 4.


He fills us with His Spirit, power from on high, to do His will, to live for Him.


You are the flock under His care. He loves you. He wants you to know these truths

and experience them this week.


Sunday, June 12, 2011

Becoming Strong In The Faith

II Thessalonians 2.13-17

Today is the Day of Pentecost (Acts 2). It is the birthday of the church. In Leviticus 23.15-22 Moses wrote down the instructions concerning this feast. 50 days after the Sabbath of Passover this was to be celebrated. It was a festival of joy which gave thanks to the LORD for the blessing of the harvest, particularly the first fruits of the wheat harvest.

The Day of Pentecost after Jesus died , rose again and ascended into heaven, was God's appointed time to pour out the gift the Father promised.

The Spirit was poured out. Peter preaches a message to the Jews there in Jerusalem for the feast- Jews from every nation under heaven- from Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, Greece, Italy, Africa- they all heard the apostles declaring the wonders of God in the languages of the countries where they were from. Within a few chapters persecution (c.4-8) broke out against the church. The church also experienced some internal problems. They sought to solve these problems with the help of God's Spirit.

One who led the persecution was a head strong Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus. After surrendering to Christ himself and spending some alone time with the LORD he went out and started churches all over the world. In Acts 17.1-9 we read of the beginnings this church we have been studying recently. The church at Thessalonica like the church at Jerusalem had its challenges but through Paul's letters it was giving instructions on becoming strong in the faith, even in the midst of false teachers and rumors circulating about Christ's Return.

To become strong in the faith you must

1. Stand Firm
Building your life upon the Rock, the Solid Rock Christ Jesus.
Standing firm has to do with where your feet are, what we basing our lives on.
Standing firm is to persevere, persist and to be steady
Ephesians 6.13-15 The Full Armor of God
Stand your ground, and after you have done everything to stand
v.14 stand firm then
v.15 with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace
If you read this passage carefully this soldier is not moving- He is standing.
I Corinthians 15.58a Therefore my dear brothers, stand firm,- Let nothing move you. First thing (and it is continuous) to becoming strong in the faith is to stand firm.
Right along side this is...

2. Hold Fast
We stand with our legs and feet and we hold with our arms and hands.
What does the man of God hold in his hand? Ephesians 6.17 the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God.
Be powerful in the Word, master the Word (try to it is a life long work), lay your hands on it and hide it ion your hearts and you will become strong in the faith.
Keep God's Word carefully and faithfully.
Jude 3 Contend for the faith
Titus 1.9 Hold firmly to the trustworthy message
I Timothy 1.19 Holding on to the faith
3.9 They must keep hold to the deep truths of the faith

3. Take Encouragement From the Holy Spirit
call near, stirring address, comfort- listen to those promptings- Respond to those stirrings
Strengthen= make stable, place firmly

Becoming strong in the faith is not difficult to understand. God is there to help us in the living out of this truth. Let's keep our eyes fixed upon Him.

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Holding Onto Hope

II Thessalonians 1.3-12

This church had literally lost its Blessed Hope- v.7 When the LORD Jesus is revealed from heaven or as it is put in Revelation 1.2 The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The same Greek word is used in both places. It is where get our English word apocalypse, which means "an unveiling, disclosure of truth visible to all, an appearance or manifestation."

They thought that the day of the LORD had already come (2.2)

Among other things that will take place when the LORD Jesus is revealed from heaven there will be:
1. Punishment for those who do not know God and do not obey the the gospel v.8
What a horrible time (endless) for unbelievers and the disobedient.
Jesus spoke of this Matthew 7.23 I never knew you. shut out- everlasting destruction.
2. He will be glorified in His Holy People and marveled at.
Wonder and admiration. He will be the leading one! We will see loved ones and be with them forever, however Christ will be the center. Just speaking to one of my Sunday School teachers I had as a kid in Bellmore. She is now retired. Her mom is in her 90's, looking forward to joining her dad in heaven. She will one day. One of the coolest things about being a pastor is that all the dear souls who knew Jesus that I did funerals for will be there! But as an old gospel song goes Jesus will outside them all.

It was important for those church to have its hope restored. The church in America needs to have renewed hope in Christ's Coming.

Thoughts about Christ's Return effect many things - one thing is our prayers. We pray for healing in each other's bodies and that is right. We are told in
James 5.16 Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The first thing we should tend to is the spiritual eternal things. The healing of the body, as wonderful as it is, is a temporal thing. Everyone healed by the LORD before 1900 is now with Him!

Here are things we are to continually pray for (spiritual things since Century One the church has prayed for). Let's keep praying for people to be healed but move our prayers up a notch to this level:

1. That Our God May Count You Worthy of His Calling- v.11
Pray that we will all fit into His plan for our lives and we will live that plan out.
I Thessalonians 4.3 It is God's will that you should be sanctified.
I Peter 1.15 Just as He Who called you is holy so be holy in all you do.
Our call is to be holy. May God count us worthy of His calling.
Romans 12.1-3 Therefore I urge you brothers, in view of God's mercy to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-which is your spiritual worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is- His good, pleasing and perfect will.

Pray for people to obey the LORD, for His church to fulfill its call to be a Holy Nation (I Peter 2.9)
Pray for the church in light of Christ's Return II Peter 3.11-14

2. By His Power May He Fulfill Every Good Purpose in You - v.11b
Ephesians 2.10 For we are God's workmanship (Poema=work of art), created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God has prepared in advance for us to do.
Psalm 139.16 All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.
These good works are every act prompted by your faith. It is wonderful to serve the LORD- to be His messenger, His courier, His envoy, His servant and to know because people prayed and cared about your soul- like my parents, grandparents, pastors, Sunday School teachers, my congregation you are doing His will.
Pray for one another. The LORD's Prayer is about His kingdom coming to this earth.

Finally pray:
3. That the Name of Jesus May Be Glorified in You and you in Him. -v.12
It is the LORD Jesus Christ you are serving. All for Him. May His name be glorified in His church. I get concerned because so often we hear less of Him and more about everything else in the church! We need to aim the glory to Him.


Hold onto Hope Through Prayer- Praying for things Eternal.