The Ark Comes to Jerusalem - 4/19/09pm

Disobedience Contrasted with Obedience
II Samuel 6:1-8 -The ark loaded on a cart, Uzzah touches it and dies
Ephesians 5:1-7 -The wrath of God comes upon the disobedient
II Samuel 6:9-11 -David fears the Lord, the ark stays with Obed- Edom, who is blessed

Joyful Godliness Contrasted with Appearances
II Samuel 6:12-19 -David’s joy and exuberance at bringing the ark to Jerusalem
Acts 8:26-40 -The Ethiopian eunuch goes on his way, rejoicing
II Samuel 6:20-23 -Michal derides David for his exuberance
I Peter 2:19-25 -Follow Christ’s example of patient endurance


I Kings 8:1-5 -Solomon summons the leaders of Israel and brings the ark to the temple

The Presence of God
I Kings 8:6-9 -The ark is in the holy of holies
I Kings 8:10-13 -The presence of the Lord
II Thessalonians 1:3-10 -Unrighteous eternally separated from God’s presence

The Covenant of God
I Kings 8:14-21 -Solomon recounts the building of the temple and that the covenant is in the ark
I Corinthians 11:23-26 -The new covenant of Christ’s blood
Romans 1:16 -The gospel is the power of God unto salvation

Go - 4/19/09am

Genesis 12:1-9 -Abraham told to go to a strange land, and he goes

• Abraham had the faith to do as God commanded, even without full details or understanding.
• Abraham’s faithful obedience was immediate, not “after a while.”
• Abraham’s faithful obedience had effects that lasted for thousands of years.

Genesis 19:12-31 -Lot told to go out of Sodom and to the mountains, wants a compromise

• Lot wanted to compromise with God, to go to Zoar instead of the mountains.
• He is permitted to do as he wills.
• In the end, he does as he was told to: he goes to the mountains. However, he is in worse shape than he would have been if he obeyed when the Lord commanded.

Exodus 3:1-14 -Moses told to go to Egypt, makes excuses

• Moses was given a difficult instruction.
• Moses offered excuses to try to avoid doing what was difficult.
• In the end, Moses obeyed, and consider the consequences.

Jonah 1:1-16 -Jonah told to go to Nineveh, tries to flee

• Jonah is given a task which seems onerous to him.
• Instead of offering obedience or attempts at compromise or excuse, he directly disobeys.
• He is punished for his disobedience, yet is given a chance to repent. Doing so, much good is accomplished by following the Lord’s command.

Acts 9:1-19 -Saul/Paul told to go to Damascus, Ananias told to go to Saul, both do as instructed

• Saul is given instructions to go to Damascus, which he obeys.
• Ananias is told to go to the street named Straight, and find Saul.
• Because of their obedience, a soul is saved. And that leads to many more saved souls in the future.

Matthew 28:18-20 -Apostles are told to go do all the world, teaching and baptizing

• Just as these others were told to go, so are we commanded.
• We must not offer excuses, attempt compromises, or disobey. Rather, we must obey in faith, that souls might saved.
• This command is no less imperative than that given to Abraham, Lot, Moses, Jonah, Saul, or Ananias.

John 14:1-6 -Christ goes to the Father, preparing a place for the faithful

• Christ has gone to prepare a place for those who faithfully obey.
• If we truly follow Him, we too will go and join Him for eternity.

Saul's Hypocrisy - 4/5/09pm

I Samuel 28:3-6 -Saul inquires of God, who does not answer
I Samuel 28:7-10 -Saul consults a medium, regardless of forbidding it
I Samuel 28:11-25 -Samuel appears, tells Saul the outcome of battle
Saul, having outlawed mediums as he should have, goes and consults one. Instead of following what he had rightly said, he plays the hypocrite when it is more convenient. We must cautious not to do the same!

James 3:13-18 -Wisdom from above is without hypocrisy
I Peter 1:22-2:3 -Rid yourself of hypocrisy

Christ upbraided many for their hypocrisy. We see a number of specific occasions which Christ condemned as hypocritical. We must be careful not to fall into the same path.
Matthew 6:1-7 -Hypocritical charity and praying
Matthew 6:16-18 -Hypocritical fasting
Matthew 23:13 -Hypocritically shutting the kingdom against men
Matthew 23:14 -Hypocritical religion of pretense
Matthew 23:15 -Hypocritically seek others
Matthew 23:23-24 -Hypocritically keeping the measurable parts of law
Matthew 23:25-28 -Hypocritically appear clean, with internal uncleanness
Matthew 23:29-30 -Hypocritically ignore lessons

Colossians 3:17 -In word or deed to all in the name of the Lord

One of the issues of hypocrisy is that it is not just an action. As with other things, it comes from the heart. Perhaps we are deliberately working to make others think we are better than we are. Perhaps we are deceiving ourselves that our hypocritical actions are acceptable. Perhaps we do as Saul did, and act different from what we teach when it is convenient. Each time, it speaks of what is truly in our heart.
Matthew 5:8 -Blessed are the pure in heart
Matthew 15:10-20 -What comes out of man, from the heard, defiles him

We know that we will be judged by our actions in the last day. That does not mean that those actions can be hypocritically done, however. Our hearts must be in line with serving the Lord, as well as our deeds.
Psalm 7:9-17 -The Lord justly judges hearts

Innocence, Sin, and Turning Back - 4/5/09am

We often look at salvation. Usually we look at what God has done and what we must do. We consider the necessity of it. Today I would like to spend a few minutes examining salvation as a timeline. Beginning with when we are born, and ending when, hopefully, we pass from this life having faithfully served the Lord.

Innocence
When we are born, we are sinless and pure. This state continues until, knowing sin, we choose to transgress.
Ecclesiastes 7:29 -Man is created upright
Ezekiel 18:17-20 -No inherited sin: the soul who sins shall die
Matthew 18:1-6 -You must be converted and be like little children
Matthew 19:13-15 -The kingdom belongs to those like children
Genesis 2:15-17 -Man not to eat of the tree in the center of the garden
Genesis 3:1-13 -Knowledge of good and evil, sin

Sin
We have all sinned. We have all chosen to turn against the Lord and follow our own wills at some point, and so separated ourselves from God.
Romans 3:23 -All have sinned and fallen short
I John 3:4-9 -Sin is transgression of the law
James 4:17 -Sin of omission
I John 2:15-17 -Love for the things of this world
Isaiah 59:1-2 -Your sins have separated you from God
Genesis 3:14-24 -Adam and Eve driven from paradise in punishment

Turning Back
We each have opportunity in our lives to return to God and have our sins washed away. We must choose to do so.
II Corinthians 7:8-11 -Godly sorrow produces repentance
Luke 15:3-10 -Rejoice over repentant sinners
James 2:14-26 -Not only faith, but obedient works are required
Colossians 2:9-14 -Buried in Christ through baptism

Have you taken this step of turning back to God? Or are you content to stop in the second stage of life, with the guilt of sin? Will you not repent? If you have done so, are you continuing in it?
Matthew 24:13 -The one who endures to the end shall be saved
II Timothy 4:6-8 -I have fought the good fight, finished the course