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WHAT THE LAW COULD NOT DO. #2

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By Ken Blue

 

Ro 8:3. “For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:”

 This is one of the three laws found in these verses. The first law we dealt with was the “law of sin and death.” That law is a law of progression, and is the end result of sin. The law in this article is the Law of Moses, or the Ten Commandments.

 The above text says the Law was powerless to control the flesh because sin had control of it before the Law came. Romans 5:20 “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound:”

Sin will not allow the flesh to obey the Law. Romans 7:7-22 “What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet. 8 But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead. 9 For I was alive without the law once: but when the commandment came, sin revived, and I died. 10 And the commandment, which was ordained to life, I found to be unto death. 11 For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it slew me. 12 Wherefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy, and just, and good. 13 Was then that which is good made death unto me? God forbid. But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful. 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin. 15 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I. 16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good. 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not. 19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me. 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man:”

The above lengthy passage and others show the weakness of the Law. Galatians 3:24-25 “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” Since Jesus has come, no one is under the Law of Moses. It could not make us righteous, and we could never obey it because of indwelling sin. Abraham was justified by faith four hundred years before Law was given.

The Law could not make us better because of our sin. However, Jesus delivered us from every demand, and the condemnation of the Law. Since we died in Christ, the Law has no more power over any believer. Praise the Lord!

 

LET’S STUDY REVELATION #20

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Revelation

“And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands; Saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing.”  (Revelation 5:10-12).

It is the believing Hebrews who overcome, that are represented by this song. The statement, “we shall reign on the earth,” signals us that Hebrews are the subjects. Verse 10 sheds more light on who they are. “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.” We covered this in the letters to the churches (see Revelation 1:6; 2:26, 27).

Although the scene in verse 11 is in heaven, it has fast-forwarded to the end of the Day of the Lord, and perhaps the end of the Millennium. The number of those, who are compelled out of love and gratitude to worship the Lamb and Him who sits on the throne, continues to grow. Innumerable hosts of angels, along with the beasts and the elders, have gathered to give glory and praise to Him on the throne. Johncan only describe the scene as, “ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands.”

Like an endless sea, every creature with breath is now singing in unison to the One who is worthy to receive power, riches, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing (v.12).

“And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever. And the four beasts said, Amen. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that liveth for ever and ever.”  (Revelation 5:13-14).

We must lay aside our pen and join with these in giving praise to so great a God and Savior! What words can one use describe Him who is indescribable? That is why there is so much symbolism in this wonderful book. He is clothed with a garment down to the foot, girded with a golden girdle. His head and his hairs are white as snow. His eyes, as a flame of fire; his feet like fine brass in a furnace; his voice as many waters. In his right hand are seven stars and out of his mouth, a sharp sword. His countenance is as the sun. His voice is like a trumpet. He is like jasper and a sardine stone to look upon. There is a rainbow round His throne and He has the appearance of an emerald. Lightning, thundering, and voices sound through the heavens. There are lamps of fire, a sea of glass like unto crystal; four beasts full of eyes before and behind who looked like a lion, like a calf, as a man and like an eagle. There are crowns and a choir with millions of creatures singing praise to Him day and night! All this is an attempt to describe the wonder and the greatness of the indiscernible Almighty God!

 

THE MISUNDERSTOOD TRANSITION # 3

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The transition ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ reveals that John the Baptist, and  none of the disciples knew or understood that Jesus must die and be raised again. These articles are about that transition.
II. HIS BURIAL AND RESURRECTION WAS NOT PART OF THEIR KINGDOM GOSPEL- Again, our text makes it clear that John, Jesus, and the Twelve preached the gospel, or good news, in the four gospels. Yet, the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus was completely absent from their gospel!
a. Notice that His resurrection was not part of their gospel. “From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day” Matthew 16:21.
b. Notice that they had no knowledge of his upcoming death, burial and resurrection. “Then he took unto him the twelve, and said unto them, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem, and all things that are written by the prophets concerning the Son of man shall be accomplished. For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. And they understood none of these things: and this saying was hid from them, neither knew they the things which were spoken” Luke 18:31-34. Notice carefully verse 34. They could not have been preaching what they did not understand or believe. Yet, they preached a gospel!
c. Notice that the preparation of His body showed that they did not believe in His upcoming resurrection. “Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury” John 19:40. They would not go to the effort of wrapping the body in burial cloth if they expected His resurrection in three days. Yet, they had heard His gospel.
d. Notice that the concern of the women was who could roll the stone away from the tomb. “And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint him… And they said among themselves, Who shall roll us away the stone from the door of the sepulchre?” Mark 16:1, 3. If they expected His resurrection, they would not be coming to anoint His body or be concerned about the stone.
c. Notice the unbelief of the eleven when Mary Magdalene brought news of His resurrection. “Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept. And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not” Mark 16:9-11. Now, we can’t believe that the Twelve preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ for three years, and then all of them changed their theology! Yet, they had preached a gospel.
d. Notice that Thomas did not believe the report of the other disciples. “But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe” John 20:24-25. Are we to believe that Thomas preached the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus for sin for three years, and now he is an unbeliever?
e. Notice that Jesus rebuked the eleven sharply for their unbelief. “Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen” Mark 16:14. The Lord actually scolded the eleven for not believing that He was alive. Now, are you going to hold on to a tradition that has not one verse to support it?

“…UNTIL JOHN…”

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By Ken Blue

 Matthew 11:13 “For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.”

 At this point in John’s ministry he finds himself in Jail, and is beginning to question his mission, and if Jesus was the Christ. This in no way diminishes the character or ministry of John. Like all great men, John was operating in the limited light he had. The rejection and death of Christ was not part of that light.

Jesus sends his disciples with a message of reassurance, and then turns to the crowd exonerating John, and explaining his ministry. In the context of the light John had, and the nature of his ministry, he was greater than all men were. However, as great as John was, the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, when it is established, will be greater. That means that John was not in the Kingdom, and that it was not his to offer.

John’s ministry was a pre-kingdom ministry. His task was to get Israel to repent, and to prepare the way for the King. Israel would show their repentance as illustrated in his baptism. However, their sins were never taken away at baptism. That will happen when Christ returns to Israel to establish His Kingdom with them. “Acts 3:19 “Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;”

 John was not the last of the prophets, nor did the Law end with his ministry. Even a casual reading of the four gospels shows that the Law of Moses was still in practice, and that prophets were present. Prophecy ended with the book of Revelation, and the Law of Moses ended when it was nailed to the cross in Christ. Colossians 2:14 “Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;”

The idea here is that the Old Testament prophets merely foretold Christ’s coming. John’s ministry was greater than that of all the prophets. He was privileged to have the ministry of baptizing converts in preparation of their King. His ministry was also to introduced Him to Israel.  John 3:29 “He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom’s voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled.”

John is never called “a Baptist,” He was “the Baptist,” because his ministry was one of baptizing “unto repentance.” He was never a member of the Kingdom of Heaven, nor the body of Christ. He was martyred before the church, which was a mystery started, or the Kingdom offer was withdrawn from Israel. Every Baptist knows that there is no such thing as the Baptist Church.

Finally, John’s ministry is unique in that his was a transition ministry. The former prophets foretold of Christ’s coming; whereas, John proclaims that He was there, and he was preparing the way for Him. The failure to rightly divide the Word of God, even concerning Johns ministry, has led to all kinds of divisions, bitterness, and false teachings. The statement that John was the greatest man born of women was not all inclusive without exception. (Matt. 11:11). The emphasis should be on the word “prophets,” not on, “…until John.”

 

WHEN SEARCHING FOR A STAFF MEMBER

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By Ken Blue

Eventually the pastor is going to be forced to search for staff members. This will be someone to work with him, or to replace him when he leaves. Regardless, it could be one of the most important decisions you could make. Therefore, there should be much prayer and counsel when searching for new staff.

I believe the ideal place to look for staff is right within your church. If a church is doing what it should, it will be constantly developing and training men and women for ministry. Although I have hired some good staff from without, the most success has been with those who have been longtime members of our church.

The pastor should constantly be observing the flock for prospective staff and leaders. There are some specific things one should watch for.

The most important is the character of the individual. Are they committed to Christ and His church? Are they faithful to the services, and are they prompt and on time? Do you trust them?

Does the person under consideration work well with others? Can he adjust his personality to you and others? He or she must be likeable and acceptable to others. There can be no room for outburst of anger, or pouting. These are signs of selfishness and immaturity. Don’t underestimate the importance of this quality. He must be able to work under authority, with his peers and subordinates.

Is the person qualified or capable of filling the position? I have seen several staff members who fit the character and personality qualifications, but could not do the job. This is awkward and a frustrating situation for the pastor and the staff member. This is why people need to be observed and trained before they are installed in a position.

The advantages, when hiring from within, is they know the people and the people know them. When hiring from without, you usually get someone who already has his or her own standards, doctrines, and ideas of ministry. If this is the case, they will be critical of you.

I remember on two different occasions when I hired assistant pastors from without, they could not wait to resign because some ladies in our church wore pants. We have power point and large screens in our church. Some students, when coming from college, would not sit through the song service. They had been conditioned to believe these were wrong. Those from outside may have issues with the type of music, and instruments you use. One young man grew up in our church, was saved there and left for Bible College. After the college had him four years, he returned to the Seattle area, but would not attend our church. So, hire from within and avoid the heartache. Let those whose standards differ, go start their own church.

Pastor Jason Murphy grew up in Open Door, and worked on staff for six years. He is now the senior pastor. Both of his pastoral staff were saved, married, trained, and ordained at Open Door. Also, the church secretary, and the custodian were hired from within the church. Pastor Murphy understands the importance of what we have been saying.