Joy To The World

One of the outstanding marks of the Christmas Season is this idea of joy and happiness! As I was thinking on the pursuit of happiness, it dawned on me that we pursue this joy and happiness because in reality we haven’t yet found it. The truth is that everything we claim that brings us this joy in this world soon fades away. Joy is such an elusive dream for so many.

It is often good news, such as a baby being born, or the news of a loved one who has been lost for days finally being found, that produces a joyful response. In Luke 2:10 the angel messenger to the shepherds announced, “I bring you good news of great JOY which will be for all the people”, and it is this phrase that caught my attention and I hope will catch yours.

The scene being described is no mere everyday scene. This is not even explainable by natural phenomena. What we have here is the God of the universe, the God who is self existent, eternal, all powerful and all knowing, breaking into time and space through one of His messengers to deliver this message, this good news of great JOY!

What Luke highlights in Luke 2:10-14 are four essential reasons that the good news from God will produce “Great Joy” in you. Consider these reasons with me.


I. The Good News of Christmas is True for all People: v. 10 “I bring you good news of great JOY which will be for all the people”

You will never know great joy until you find good news that is truly universal. This joy being proclaimed here by the angels is based on something much greater than the individual or the circumstances one might be in. It is a joy that transcends cultures. It is a joy to ALL the PEOPLE. This good news is good news no matter what your ethnic background.

So, the good news of Christmas is a transcendent message for all people, including you personally this morning. This is worthy of great joy! The second essential reason for great joy is that…


II. The Good News of Christmas Declares God’s Salvation Plan: v. 11 “For today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior”

You will never know great joy without knowing the good news of the Creator God’s plan of salvation. The true JOY of Christmas is based on the eternal plan of God to offer salvation to mankind. Mankind as a whole is unsatisfied with life. Like a man who has been lost in the mountains for many days, he is hungry, cold, miserable, and fearing death. He is longing to be found. This state of emptiness exists in the heart of man because he knows he was created for much more than what this life has to offer and so searches for it all the days of his life.
God had set a particular day - “Today” - for the Savior to be born.

Galatians 4:4-5 But when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, 5 so that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.

Not only was there to be a precise point in history, but there was to be a precise place in which the Savior of the world would come. “For today in the city of David,” which is called Bethlehem. It was no accident that the baby was born in Bethlehem. This fulfilled a 700-year old prophecy found in Micah 5:2.

“But as for you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you One will go forth for Me to be ruler in Israel. His goings forth are from long ago, from the days of eternity.”

There is great joy in knowing that God has a plan of salvation, and He is working out that plan in the person of Jesus the Baby who was born in Bethlehem.


III. The Good News of Christmas Identifies the Savior: v.11-12 “a Savior Christ the Lord. This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

You will never know great joy until you discover the One whom God said would be the Prophet, Priest, and King of the earth. What will bring great joy to your life is when you know and have relationship with Jesus Christ as your Prophet, Priest and King. We see all three offices of Jesus’ saving work in this verse.

As the Savior, He assumes the role of a Prophet and proclaims salvation through Himself. He said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through me.” “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.”

As the Christ, which means anointed one, He is our Priest chosen by God, and as that priest He offers up His body as the only acceptable sacrifice for sin and sheds his blood to cover our sins from a holy and just God.

As the Lord, He is King of Kings and provides for us a kingdom where there is no more sin, sickness, pain, or dying. He exercises His dominion over all and casts Satan and His demons into the Lake of Fire forever.

There is no greater joy, no more lasting reality of joy to be found anywhere, than in the saving work of Jesus Christ.

The Bible says that this message is foolishness to the Greeks’ rational mind. It is a stumbling block to the Jewish national kingdom mind-set, but to those who are being saved, the good news of a Savior is the power of God unto salvation - a salvation where life is eternal, where there is peace forevermore, where there is everlasting joy!


IV. The Good News of Christmas is Praiseworthy: v.13-14, 20

"And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."”

v. 20 "The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."

You will never know great joy until the good news becomes yours and fills your heart and life with the praises and glory of God. The reason for great joy is that through Jesus Christ there is the possibility of being at peace with God. No more fear or anxiety. No more guilt over sins committed - only pure, unadulterated peace.

The reason God created mankind in His image is that they might praise and glorify Him. This is why we exist. However, mankind thought he knew better and so sort to glorify himself and thus found that God does not share His glory with another. Mankind found himself an enemy of God, hostile to God, warring in his soul against God and all that God commanded. This is who you and I are. We are at war with God, and if you read the Bible, you know who is going to win - and it isn’t you. The Bible declares that there is no peace for the wicked (Isa. 48:22).

The good news that brings great joy is that Jesus has obtained peace with God for you. Romans 5:1 states, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When we understand the good news of God correctly, there is truly great joy to those who receive it. I love the way Peter puts it as he describes this joy in the life of a true disciple of Jesus.

1 Peter 1:6-9 In this you greatly rejoice, even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, 7 so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ; 8 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, 9 obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.

Can you say that you have this great joy of an eternal hope?

Can you say you greatly rejoice with a joy inexpressible and full of glory even in the midst of difficult and trying times?

Can you say that regardless of what circumstances you find yourself in I have a deep, abiding Joy?

The personal experience of “Great Joy” is the result of God’s good news, news of the plan of salvation for all people, news of the Savior Jesus Christ who paid the price to purchase us from the slave market of sin, news of peace with God made possible at the cross. All this can only illicit one response, and that is praise and glory to God. This is the good news of Christmas.

Learning from Jesus the Master Evangelist

By Andy Woodfield

John 4:7-42 gives us an incredible insight into personal witnessing. The Lord Jesus exemplified this thrilling process in his dialogue with the Samaritan woman.

Consider with me eight basic lessons we must learn if we are to be an effective in personal witnessing for Jesus.

I. You must Engage People in Conversation: vv. 7-9

John 4:7 There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give Me a drink.”

There is really no such thing as a silent witness. A witness by definition must speak of that which they have observed and experienced. In order to do this you must first get the attention of another. Jesus does this by asking her for a drink. He knew this would get her attention because He was a Jew and she was a Samaritan.
You must have a mindset and preparedness to engage in conversation.

II. You Must Guide the Conversation from the Natural Realm to the Spiritual Realm. vv. 10-14

“Jesus answered and said to her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”
Jesus takes the current request of natural water and then turns it towards the realm of spiritual water.

• First, notice that Jesus at this point has not talked about sin or judgment or hell.
• Second, Jesus has presented a valuable gift to her. A gift that will meet her deepest needs in life.
• Third, look at the spiritual language He uses in the transition: Gift of God; living water (I mean how does one kill water?); eternal life.
• Fourth, notice that Jesus doesn’t react to her challenges about, nothing to draw with, and being greater than Jacob.

There is no Bible bashing, or forcing the conversation, there is simply an opening of the door to spiritual things and the Woman of Samaria seems quite prepared to walk through. Jesus up until now is sowing seeds and has in the process aroused this woman’s spiritual interest.

III. You Must Expose the Individuals Spiritual Need. vv. 15-18

v. 16 He said to her, “Go, call your husband and come here.” 17 The woman answered and said, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “You have correctly said, ‘I have no husband’; 18 for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband; this you have said truly.”

Jesus had to help this woman see where her true thirst in life was. She needed to see that her multiple and adulterous relationships were sinful and sin separates us from God. She is and has lived a sin laden life. She feels exposed by his knowledge of her life. She doesn’t want to be exposed in her sin but through this exposure she perceives Jesus to be a prophet because she feels he has laid her bare before God.

At the same time as Jesus exposes her sin He also commends her for her truthfulness. Jesus has used the Law that this woman knew so well to expose her need. He doesn’t hammer her ungodly lifestyle He simply affirms that she has been truthful to God about her sin.

This step is absolutely crucial when sharing the gospel. If the person you are speaking to doesn’t acknowledge they have broken God’s law and are under His condemnation, then they will not see the need to be rescued from their condition of spiritual death. So we must learn to expose the persons spiritual need by using the Law of God which is acts like a school master to bring us to Christ (Gal. 3:24).

IV. You Must Provide Spiritual Solutions to Sin and Corrections to Wrong Thinking. vv 19-24

The first thing that often happens once a person understands that they stand condemned before God is they seek to find a reason for not believing or seeking God as they should. For the Samaritan, the excuse was related to confusion over worship. Jesus supplies the solution to her confusion.

Jesus also corrects wrong thinking by showing her that salvation is of the Jews. This wasn’t a slap down but a reminder of the source of her faith and that the Messiah she and her people were looking for was coming though the lineage of the Jewish people.

Deuteronomy 18:15 “The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your countrymen, you shall listen to him."

So, we must provide the solution to the questions being raised, whether legitimate or simply a self defense mechanism. We must also be actively correcting wrong thinking by pointing people to the Word of God. We must find ourselves in this process if we are to be effective in our witnessing.

V. You Must Present Jesus as the Savior of Mankind. vv. 25-26

John 4:25-26 “I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ); when that One comes, He will declare all things to us.” 26Jesus said to her, “I who speak to you am He.”

Jesus presents Himself to her as the God-sent Messiah which she says she is looking for. He is in effect calling her to trust in Him and His spiritual promises of living and thirst quenching water.

We also must make it clear to those we witness too that Jesus Christ is the rightful Sovereign Lord over all. He is sovereign over His Creation and He is Sovereign over death. He is the Creator and we are His Creatures, therefore He has the right to rule over us.

VI. You Must Be Motivated By Obedience to God not the Political correctness of Man. vv. 27, 31-34

First in verse 27 we see that obedience to God’s will is not always in accord with man centered protocol or political correctness. The disciples were amazed that Jesus has been speaking to a woman and at the very point at which they returned that had heard Him declare himself as Messiah. This was politically and culturally incorrect.

Second, when we do the will of God our souls are most satisfied. We must be about the Fathers business, we must feed our souls and when you feed something it grows…

VII. You Must Believe In and Encourage others To Gather the Harvest: vv. 28-29. 35-38
Jesus believed in this woman that she would be able to go and effectively witness of Him. It is the witness of the woman that brought great blessing to her town.

Jesus was expectant of a harvest and encourages others to see what He sees. This is not a harvest bound by the limits of natural laws, but a harvest that can be gathered right on top of the seed that has just been sown. This is a perpetual harvesting. We need to get on board. (1 Cor. 3:6)

We are most satisfied when we are fulfilling the ongoing purposes of God for our lives. We got saved for the purpose of becoming soul winners and helping the Lord of the Harvest gather in the harvest in its due season. That season to be sowing and harvesting is right now!

VIII. You Must Establish Those in the Faith Who Believe: vv. 39-42

What we have in these final verses is the grounding of those who have been harvested to eternal life. Jesus went to the village and spent two days to establish them in the truth before moving on.

So the question goes out, who can be a soul winner? Anyone who is saved! Who will you go and personally evangelize?

Robert Murray McCheyne, was one of Scotland's greatest preachers, who died when he was only twenty-nine. A biographer wrote that everywhere he stepped, Scotland shook. Whenever he opened his mouth, a spiritual force seemed to sweep in every direction. Thousands followed him to the feet of Christ. A traveler, eager to see where McCheyne had preached, went to his old church. An old sexton agreed to give him a tour. He led the way into McCheyne's study. "Sit in that chair," he ordered. The traveler hesitated a moment, then sat in the chair. On the table before him was an open Bible. "Drop your head in that book and weep. That is what our minister always did before he preached," said the old man. With such a passion for God's Word and the souls of the lost, is it any wonder the Holy Spirit used McCheyne to draw so many to the Savior?

May we be found praying for the lost, engaging the lost, caring for the lost, exposing the need of the lost, preaching Christ to the lost and establishing those who believe in the faith.

A Remarkable Love

John 3:16-17 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."

How often have you heard the question, “God is a forgiving God isn’t He?” The thinking behind this question goes something like this: “Even though I have done wrong things I hope that God will look at all that I have done and see that I have done good things as well, and will forgive the wrong things and accept me into His kingdom based on the good things I have done.” Yet the Bible paints a very different picture of how God will deal with our sin. John 3:16 which is most often quoted to support the idea that God will forgive everyone in the end clearly does not teach such a truth-less and unjust love. Yet it is true to say that God’s love is a remarkable love and John 3:16 puts this love on full display.

Consider with me six remarkable realities of God’s love:

1. It is A Divine love – For God so loved – Here John presents us with the greatest Lover who has loved to the greatest degree. This love is not the love of the creature but the love of the Creator to the creature. God is presented here as the great initiator of love. There is no greater or more glorious love than divine love.

God does not need to be pacified and drawn out by our plight and human efforts to love Him He simply loves because that is His nature. God is not a stern angry unforgiving God, but rather a God whose love motivated Him to create this world knowing that His beloved Son would need to be sent to die for us, to take our place under judgment for our sins. This truly is divine love, a giving love not based on anything man could do but rather on what God had decided to do for mankind.

Romans 5:6-8 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. 8 But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

2. It is A Universal love – …world – God’s love is expressed without partiality or particularity of peoples. An old children’s song says it best, “Red and yellow black and white all are precious in His sight.” To love the world means that God’s love is not conditioned on nationality, or social status. This love smashes through all the national and natural boundaries and saves men of every kindred, tribe, nation, and tongue, and in the process saves the worst of sinners. His love is able to save to the uttermost those whom he has chosen.

3. It is A Sacrificial love – …gave His only begotten Son –In this statement we behold the greatest act, and the greatest gift ever given in the entire universe.
The phrase only begotten means “unique.” Jesus is the unique Son of God; there is no one like him, no one who is his equal. Therefore when God gave Jesus, he gave the best gift in the universe.

The verb he gave must be taken in the sense of he gave unto death as an offering for sin. This is what Calvary’s cross is all about. Jesus Christ came to give His life a ransom for many.

The cross displays in full measure the heinous nature of sin, heinous, because the ransom price cost God the death of His unique and only Son.

The cross displays the way of forgiveness consistent with the justice of God. A holy God cannot wink at sin or else He would no longer be holy or just. God provided a way by having the judge (Jesus Christ) stand and receive the punishment of the condemned.

The cross displays the full measure of sacrificial love in that God simply gave… He was not coerced, or manipulated to love. He wasn’t moved by any good thing in us, He simply set His love upon us, and it cost Him the very best of Heaven.

John 15:13 “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.
Romans 8:32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?

The very best of heaven died a cruel death and endured a holy wrath that was fitting for sinful men causing the eternal Son to cry out “My God My God why have you forsaken me?”

4. It is A Dividing love – …that whoever believes – here we see that this love divides humanity into two camps – those who will believe and those who won’t. So while it is true to say that the God of the Bible is a forgiving God that forgiveness flows unconditionally only to those who have put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ. Having turned from their sin to follow Him they will personally experience the reality of this love. To everyone else this message is simply foolishness.

1 Corinthians 1:18 For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

To reject and harden your heart towards the love of God is to remain in the camp of unbelief and condemnation. To believe is to leave the loves of this world behind and embrace the only love worth holding on to – God’s love. How you respond to this love will determine your eternal destiny. You will either spend eternity in the Fathers house or you will spend eternity in hell.

5. It is A Delivering love – …shall not perish – This love delivers us from eternal judgment

To “perish” does not merely speak of losing your physical existence; nor does it mean you will be annihilated. As the context (verse 17) indicates, the perishing of which this verse speaks indicates divine condemnation, complete and everlasting, so that one is banished from the presence of the God of love and dwells forever in the presence of a God of wrath.

6. It is A Purposeful love – …but have eternal life - This speaks to the hope and destiny of such love. It means that the relationship between God and man which was broken by mankind’s sin has been restored never to be broken again.

The sweet communion and fellowship with the creator of the universe becomes a reality to the believer here and now. We are able to live our lives in the reality of fellowship with God.

Romans 8:14-17 For all who are being led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. 15For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” 16The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God, 17and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

So then, we can see divine loves incredible purpose in that it is a love that stretches all the way from heaven to earth, from the holy to the unholy, to bring us back to a right relationship with God. It is an infinite love in that it extends from eternity past to eternity future, it is a grace filled love because it gave the precious gift of the only begotten son of God and it is an immutable love because it never changes for it flows from the God who is the same yesterday, today and forever.

The question remains to be asked, “Have you experienced this love? Do you live your life in or outside the circle of such love?” Remember your eternal destiny depends on your answer to these questions.

The Father I Never Knew

In preparing a Father’s Day message, I was somewhat sickened, shocked, and appalled as I discovered that the majority of my church congregation do not, or did not, have a godly example of fatherhood in their lives.

For most people the word father represents that which is selfish, hurtful, and detestable at best. Angry, abusive, selfish, and sinful fathers have blurred the vision of fatherhood as God originally intended, and have left behind the wreckage of so many who were never able to please, or gain approval, from their earthly fathers.

Fathers play such a primary and vital role in the development of a child’s identity and security as they experience either a loving acceptance and approval, or a cold, distant disapproval from their fathers. Where do we go to gain a correct view of fatherhood in times like these? I found myself reading Luke 15:11-24 with a new focus on the Father-heart of God.

In this parable we discover five qualities that are true of the Father-heart of God so that we might regain what our society has lost.

The first quality of the Father’s heart is that…

I. He is a Giver Providing Mankind’s Needs: (vv. 12,17), So he divided his wealth between them …”How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!”

Firstly, in v.12 we see the father’s provision as he divided his inheritance to both sons. This inheritance was not based on what the sons did or would do with it - he simply gave it because that is his nature. As this planet spins around on its axis, God gives and provides for mankind every day. Like the son in this story, mankind has taken the inheritance of life all right, and we have squandered it for our own selfish ends.

The tragedy is that the human race in general lives with the expectation that we deserve this world and all its many blessings, and when something goes wrong we curse God at best and at worst live with the notion that there is no God.

I am sure that the father in our story was deeply hurt by his son’s shocking request and morally depraved lifestyle. You must understand that when the son asked for his inheritance, he was in effect saying, “Dad, I want to live as though you were already dead.” He demonstrated no love to the father at all, yet the father still gave!

Secondly, the father provided not only for his own offspring, but in v. 17 we see him providing for the needs of his hired men. The son who was starving in a distant land cried out, “How many of my father’s hired men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger!” It is the knowledge of his father’s generous provisions for day laborers that stimulated the rebellious son to rethink his position in life.

The Father in Heaven is the great provider, and although He will not force you to come home from eating the unsatisfying husks of this world, He wants you to be wooed by His abundant provisions for you. God alone can satisfy the human heart. God alone can meet your soul’s deepest needs.

The second quality of the Father’s heart is that…

II. He is a Seeker of the Spiritually Lost: (v.20a) But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him…

This indicates he was constantly scanning the horizon, straining his eyes, looking for his son. This father had a seeking heart; he was not bitter and angry at his son who tarnished his good name. He was not sitting at home waiting for the door to open and his son to come on in. No! He was out at the city gate looking down the road in the direction that the son had left. His seeking wasn’t private; it was in a public gathering place. His heart was longing and aching for the return of his son.

The seeking call of God the Father goes out every day as the gospel is preached and Jesus Christ is proclaimed. The Father seeks us, even in our rebellion. John tells us that the Father seeks after true worshippers (John 4:23).

Fathers, do you seek the hearts of your children? Do you parent for convenience, or do you parent for relationship? Men, we live in a self centered society where life is - all about us. This is reflected in our parenting as so often we see our children as nothing but an inconvenience to our selfish agendas. This is nothing new! In Luke 1:17 speaking of John the Baptist, it says, “It is he who will go as a forerunner before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers back to the children, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

The third quality of the Father’s heart is that…

III. He Overflows with Compassion to Those Who Return: (v. 20b) and felt compassion for him and ran and embraced him and kissed him.…

Firstly, the father’s compassion is seen in the fact that he ran: Middle Eastern noblemen don't run. It was undignified. The word running here is the Greek word that is a technical word for racing in a stadium. This father literally sprinted down the road to his son. Now, to do this he would have had to lift up his long flowing garments and expose his legs, which was a social “no-no!”

Secondly, the father’s compassion is seen in that he embraced and kissed his son: In a situation where the son had shamed the family name, it would have been unthinkable for the father to embrace or kiss the son. Instead, the son would receive a rather cool reception, and he would be required to bow low and kiss the father's feet. He would then be told what he would have to do and for how long. After reparation and restitution was made, then he could be reconciled.

But the father in the story kissed his son repeatedly. This is truly incredible! God will embrace the sinner with all His strength and plant kisses all over the sinner's head. God is not a reluctant Savior. His kisses are kisses of affection flowing from a heart of compassion. The embrace and kisses were a gesture in the culture of acceptance, friendship, love, forgiveness, restoration, reconciliation.

This is the picture of God’s compassion to us. The moment you turn from your sin, God will run toward you. Compassion wells up within Him, [and] He sprints toward the sinner. Exodus 34:6 …the Lord passed by in front of [Moses] and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth.”

Fathers, we need to show compassion to our children when they return to us and say sorry. We must avoid exasperating our children. Our children must know we love them; they must feel we love them and would sacrifice ourselves for them.

The fourth quality of the Father’s heart is that…

IV. He Desires Reconciliation and Restoration of the Broken Relationship: (v.22) But the father said to his slaves, “Quickly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet;”

The father’s heart was not to isolate and distance himself from the son, but rather to reconcile and restore him. "The father said to his slaves, 'Quickly, bring out the best robe, put it on him, put a ring on his hand, sandals on his feet’,"

The father showed no shame. The best robe in the closet represented dignity and honor being bestowed on the son. In effect, the father was saying in this act alone that everything I have belongs to you. The ring would have been a signet ring, and it would have on the ring the family crest or seal. This was used in wax as an authentication for sending documentation; it represented the family authority. More than that, the servants were to put sandals on his feet! The hired men went barefoot and servants went barefoot. Only masters and sons wore sandals. What happened here was the father was restoring the son to the full honor of sonship.

This is our Heavenly Father’s greatest honor: to reconcile men to Himself by His grace, and restore the broken relationships of those who have gotten lost and who have died spiritually.

Fathers, the greatest blessing you can ever leave to your children is a knowledge of the grace of God in your lives. Salvation, to God, is by grace alone. It is the gift of God. God doesn’t want you coming to Him in any different way than this prodigal son. You must come to the Father in the stench of your sin, in the rags of your sinful lifestyle, with empty hands, nothing to offer the Father but a repentant heart. That's how you are to come because God justifies the ungodly.

Romans 5:6 For while we were still helpless, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.

Finally, the fifth quality of the Father’s heart is that…

V. He Celebrates Saving Faith: (vv. 23-24) ‘…and bring the fattened calf, kill it, and let us eat and celebrate; 24 for this son of mine was dead and has come to life again; he was lost and has been found.’ And they began to celebrate.

The father had only one response, and that was that this reconciliation deserved to be celebrated. Why? Because this was a glorious moment of grace. That which was dead was now alive, and that which was lost was now found. That’s why there is joy in the house of God…

You have to understand that the basis of the celebration was that the son came to his senses, recognized his foolishness to live as if the father didn’t exist, saw that his sin was against heaven as well as his father, and then repents from his self-seeking, sinful lifestyle. With a broken, contrite, and humble, scattered heart, he goes back to the father in faith, believing he will have his needs met.

A lesser father would have waited for his son to arrive; a lesser father would have outlined the conditions of his son’s return; a lesser father would have wanted explanations; but our Father in Heaven has embraced us and kissed us, has brought us into the full rights of sonship, and has called us to His joyous celebration of grace.

Foundations of a Family that Glorifies God

What’s the problem with families today? The real problem with the family today is our failure to examine and understand the Scriptures instruction on what underlies strong families.
Deuteronomy 6:1-9 reveals five foundation stones of the Christian family that if understood and applied will help you raise a strong Christian family.

The first foundation stone you must build on as a believer is the…
I. The Family was instituted by God it is not the pragmatic result of some cultural expectation:

Deuteronomy 6:1 “Now this is the commandment, the statutes and the judgments which the LORD your God has commanded me to teach you, that you might do them in the land where you are going over to possess it.”

Deuteronomy 6 is fundamental to family life in the nation of Israel. Moses is not just making this directive up as some form of social engineering experiment, no! We read that the Lord had commanded him to teach them.

In John MacArthur’s book Successful Christian Parenting, he writes on the demise of the Family in America and says: “To be perfectly frank, many people today would happily carve out the tombstone for the family. In his 1971 book, The Death of the Family, (New York: Pantheon, 1971), British psychiatrist Dr. David Cooper suggested that it is time to do away with the family completely. A similar suggestion was made in Kate Millet’s 1970 feminist manifesto, Sexual Politics (New York: Doubleday, 1970), She claimed that families, along with all patriarchal structures, must go because they are nothing more than tools for the oppression and enslavement of women.”

Furthermore he writes, “Mrs. Hillary Clinton’s book, It Takes a Village, (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996), was written to set forth an agenda that would move America closer to state- sponsored parenting. Although she gives lip service to the importance of the parents’ and grandparents’ roles, she clearly believes that parents should not be permitted to train their own children unsupervised by the secular government. She also suggests that a more socialist approach to parenting should be the new norm, including state-sponsored day-care centers and full-day preschools for children as young as three.

Contrary to the worlds current view of the family the Bible clearly teaches that God is the one who came up with this institution.

Genesis 1:26-28 “Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; and let them rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28God blessed them; and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it; and rule over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

After creating man in His image as male and female God instructed them to go forth and multiply. Now, note there is no cultural expectation in Genesis only the purposes of God being unfolded in His Creation. God wanted man to be blessed and part of that blessing was the procreation of children for the purpose of possessing and ruling over His creation.

Genesis 2:22-24 further defines the family as a unit with a mother and father. "The LORD God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23The man said, “This is now bone of my bones, And flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” 24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh."

Every family unit is established by the union of a husband and wife. Therefore, families are the result of God’s design and will only function well when we accept His design as the right one…

Since the family was instituted by God it is obvious that the second foundation stone you must build on as a believer is the…

II. The Family exists for the glory and purposes of God not for the glory and purposes of Man:

Deuteronomy 6:2-3 “So that you and your son and your grandson might fear the LORD your God, to keep all His statutes and His commandments which I command you, all the days of your life, and that your days may be prolonged. 3“O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
To fear the LORD refers to the community of those who worship Yahweh We worship that which we glory in. Everything created by God exists for His glory. Therefore since God is the Creator of the family the family exists for His glory!

Psalm 86:9 All nations whom You have made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, And they shall glorify Your name.

Isaiah 42:8 “I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not give My glory to another, Nor My praise to graven images."

Isaiah 43:7 "Everyone who is called by My name, And whom I have created for My glory, Whom I have formed, even whom I have made.”

The family that glorifies God is built on a covenant relationship: As Moses comes to the end of his life he calls the Nation to remember who they are and upon what they are established. The whole basis of the existence of the nation of Israel was built on a covenant that God made with Abraham.

Genesis 12:1-2 Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go forth from your country, And from your relatives And from your father’s house, To the land which I will show you; 2And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing;

Christian Families are Christ centered family we are under the covenant of Christ which He secured through His death and resurrection – Therefore, Jesus Christ is the one we all mutually submit to in our distinctive roles. He is the One whom we are to serve and glorify.

The third foundation stone you must build on as a believer is the…
III. The Family’s Goal is Oneness not Individualism: – Mutual Submission to God

Deuteronomy 6:4 “Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD is one!

The greatest way any Christian family can glorify God is through the expression of oneness. The more a family is unified and functioning as a single entity under the headship of Jesus Christ the greater the glory that goes to God because God is ONE.

The Lord is ONE… This statement was unique in that Israel was to be a nation who worshiped one God not many like the nations around them. The worship of the one true God provides the basis for oneness and unity not individualism in the family.

The command to HEAR this truth is not just to hear the words but to hear it in such a way that it impacts the way you live. Moses is saying that you must first have personal relationship with God.

The difference between a Christian home and the home next door where there has been no professions of faith in Jesus Christ is huge:

1. Christian families admit their sins. The Christian knows that there is no purpose in covering up sin because God knows our sins even before we commit them and has already provided one who has made payment for that sin the Lord Jesus (Rom 8:1). There is therefore an ability to be open and honest about sin not for the purpose of being cavalier about it but for the purpose of growth through it.

2. Christian families walk in the provision of God’s grace: The Bible gives Christian’s clear instructions how to function in the grace of God not the guilt of punishment. The Bible teaches us that by the grace of God alone we can be forgiven and set free from the control and subservience to sin. With the freedom to confess sin comes the freedom to repent of it and seek God’s forgiveness. Knowing God’s forgiveness gives us the ability to ask and receive forgiveness from those we have sinned against.

3. Christian families are growing out of sins as they are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. Where there is spiritual life there is spiritual growth. No true believer can remain the same. Christ by His Spirit is constantly sanctifying us and will continue to sanctify us till the day we are taken to glory.

The Christian home is a place where sinful people face the problems of sinful people and by God’s grace yield to the truth, repent of sin, and seek forgiveness which is able to be forgiven because they have been forgiven.

God alone provides hope to families, God alone is the one who has made provision for sin, God alone can set us free and restore the damage done by our pride and selfishness.

In contrast to the worship of YHWH, where there is the worship of many different and competing gods there can be no true unity. I would go so far as to say that the brokenness of families today is because the one true God has been pushed out of the family and raised up in His place we have the humanist agenda of self love and self worship. However, when a husband and wife sin against each other they are no longer worshiping ONE God – they are no longer monotheists but polytheists. The reason there is division and conflict is because they are worshiping and loving another God (normally themselves) other than YHWH.

The fourth foundation stone you must build on as a believer is the…
IV. The Family Mission is Sacrificial Love not Selfish Lust:

Deuteronomy 6:5 “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might."

This sacrificial love is not an option, it is not a partial love but a total love for God. This is a love without rivals. Furthermore there is a fervency and urgency in this mission to love God. This love involves ALL your heart, ALL you soul, ALL your might.
Our love for God is expressed in our love for others especially those of our family.

The fifth foundation stone you must build on as a believer is the…
V. The Family is the channel through which truth is passed on to future generations:

Deuteronomy 6:7-9 “You shall teach them diligently to your sons and shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise up. 8“You shall bind them as a sign on your hand and they shall be as frontals on your forehead. 9“You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."

You must be a teaching parent – to teach means more than to impart information. To teach means to instruct someone in such a way that the things you have taught them are now part of their lives so that they are able to impart them to others.

You must teach diligently - this involves a plan, a measurable course of action. The Hebrew root of this word means to sharpen. You are to sharpen your children, and it implies aggressive and assertive involvement

You must teach always – it is to be done at all times. This directive means that just because you have a family devotion you are not of the hook. There is to be a constant informal focus in your teaching. What stops us so often from teaching our children is our own selfishness.
This call to teach is at the heart of the Christian family structure as well. Ephesians 6:4 Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.

CONCLUSION: So what are the options we face if we ignore building our families on these Biblical foundation stones?

A warning from Moses should be clear enough of an answer. Deuteronomy 6:13-15 “You shall fear only the LORD your God; and you shall worship Him and swear by His name. 14“You shall not follow other gods, any of the gods of the peoples who surround you, 15for the LORD your God in the midst of you is a jealous God; otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.

Where Do You Find True Satisfaction?

Last night our church met for a praise and worship night. We sang some of our favorites songs of praise to God and focused on certain themes to help in our exaltation of God. One of the themes was that God is the only One who can truly satisfy us at a soul level. The world offers so much but delivers so little. We find ourselves trying to be satisfied on the cotton candy of life and yet we know that deep down we are empty and barren. Sadly this dryness of soul is the experience of many who call themselves Christians. Yet Jesus said that if we drink the living water He gives we will never thirst again (John 4:14), and if we eat the bread that comes down from heaven we will be truly satisfied (John 6:35).

In Psalm 63 King David bares his soul and reveals to us three ways that he found true and lasting satisfaction. David is a fugitive in the wilderness of Judah fleeing from either Saul or Absalom. Yet despite his adverse circumstances his heart is turned towards God - "O God, You are my God" - and he pens this amazing song that shows us where David drew his strength.

As Christians we can know that God is our sufficiency and complete satisfaction when:

1. As a Believer God is your true desire: vv. 1-4 show David's soul thirsting for God because this world is a dry and weary land which provides no water. The bread and water of this world may satisfy your flesh but they will never satisfy your soul. It is only as your soul thirsts and yearns for God that you can find a source of true sufficiency. When like David you contemplate the power, glory, and lovingkindness of God, you will be able to magnify God with the fruit of lips that praise Him. Can you say that God is the desire of your soul?

2. As a Believer God is your true delight: vv. 5-7 reveal David delighting in God even in the darkness of the midnight hour. When his physical sight was restricted by the darkness, the eyes of his soul saw the blessings of God. He saw that his soul was satisfied as with marrow and fatness. In other words he lacked no good thing. There was a richness, a bounty, a fullness of soul that saw the protecting and caring hand of God in his life and led him to sing for joy. Do songs of joy flood your heart, even when the darkness shrouds your life?

3. As a Believer God is your only defense: vv. 8-11 picture David clinging to God as one would cling to a tree or a rock while climbing a vertical rock face. David is being hunted like a wild animal through mountains, caves and valleys, and here we see that his security is clearly in the Lord. His soul clings to God not by His own strength, but because the Lord upholds him by His right hand. He knows that nothing can separate him from the love of God. He perceives the end of his enemies, that their lives will be overpowered by the sword, and their lies will be stopped. Is God your defense against your enemies? Do you leave room for the vengence of God?

As you contemplate your own life, can you clearly see these three evidences of delighting on the Lord, desiring the Lord, and looking to the Lord as your defense? If you can, then join David in praising God; but if not, then turn from looking to what the world offers for temporary satisfaction and turn and seek out earnestly the only One who can truly satisfy your soul.

Standing Firm In A World Of Constant Change

As the new year dawns, I have been encouraged by some fellow explorers to enter a new world - the blogging world, one of the many new forms of communication today. The goal of this blog is to point you, the reader, towards the immovable and unchanging truth of God's Word. In a world of relativism and pluralism, it is the truth we need most as we seek to navigate our way through an ever changing world. God's truth provides us a pathway to the true meaning and reality of life. It is my prayer and desire that you might not only discover this ancient path to God, but that you will also walk on the ancient pat;. that you might find rest for your soul, and enjoy the goodness of the One who is named the Ancient of Days. This infinite, eternal, glorious Creator, God, spoke to a nation that, like us, had lost its way by the prophet Jeremiah saying...

"Stand by the ways and see and ask for the ancient paths, Where the good way is, and walk in it; And you will find rest for your souls. But they said, 'We will not walk in it." (Jer. 6:16)

I trust you will not be unbelieving, or filled with doubt, but in faith join together with me and discover true rest for your soul.