“Building on a Firm Foundation”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop

Key Scripture: Matthew 7:24-29

There are many famous structures around the world:
1. Statue of Liberty, New York
2. Eiffel Tower, Paris
3. Great Wall of China
4. Taj Mahal, India
5. Burj al Arab Hotel, Dubai
6. Neushawanstein, Bavaria
7. Jin Mao & SWFC, Shanghai
8. Burj Khalifa, Dubai

Burj Khalifa is the tallest building in the world. Standing at an incredible 828 metres tall, (2717 feet) it towers above Dubai, UAE. It has 160 floors and was officially opened in 2010.

Structures like Burj Khalifa depend on their foundations. The purpose of a foundation is to spread the weight of the structure over a wide area.

There are a few kinds of foundations:

Shallow foundations – at least 3 feet below the surface of the ground; for small, light buildings such as residential homes
Deep foundations – 60 to 200 feet below the top of the ground; usually use piles (long cylinders of strong material like concrete pushed deep into the ground); used where there are layers of weak soil at the surface; for large, heavy buildings such as high-rise structures

Every building structure needs to built on a firm foundation.

The Leaning Tower of Pisa is famous for its unique structure. Construction began in 1173 and by the time the workers had finished the second floor it was already leaning. This is because it was built 0.2 degrees north of vertical. After completing the seventh floor it was leaning 1 degree to the south. Today is it leaning 4 degrees from vertical which is about 13 feet. At one time it was leaning 5.5 degrees after restoration attempts. The tower was built on soft group composed mostly of clay, fine sand, and shells. The foundation was only 3 meters deep for a 14,500 ton tower. Contrast this to the Burj Khalifa with a foundation that uses piles and goes 50 meters deep (164 feet).

Again, it is very, very crucial to build on a solid foundation. 

What can happen if something is not built on a firm foundation?
1. Cracks in the foundation walls
2. Walls fall apart
3. Structure settles
4. Structure tips over
5. Structure sinks (sink hole)
6. Structure is blown away by a storm, tornado, or hurricane
7. Structure is swept away by a flood
8. Structure crumbles by an earthquake

“Persistence”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop

You may have heard the famous saying: “The squeaky wheel gets the grease.” When I think of that phrase, I think of persistence.

Persistence is defined as “the quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is difficult or opposed by other people.”

Jesus told a story in Luke, just after He taught the disciples to pray that speaks of persistence.

Luke 11.5-8 (KJV):
5 And he said unto them, Which of you shall have a friend, and shall go unto him at midnight, and say unto him, Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 For a friend of mine in his journey is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him?
7 And he from within shall answer and say, Trouble me not: the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give thee.
8 I say unto you, Though he will not rise and give him, because he is his friend, yet because of his importunity he will rise and give him as many as he needeth.

Again, this story is just after Jesus taught the disciples the Lord’s Prayer in order to drive home the concept of persistence.

In this parable, a villager is in bed with his family at midnight and a neighbor comes to his door to get bread. Hospitality was a strictly observed custom in the Middle East, and a man caught without bread for a visitor would be in a shameful and desperately needy position.  Only such a need would drive a man to his neighbor’s house at midnight. And only such a need would drive the man to this level of persistence.

There is a word in verse 8 that we need to understand.  The word is importunity.  Importunity is when you beg someone to do something. The adjective, importunate, describes a plea that is persistent or demanding that becomes annoying. And that is what is happening here.

The Greek word translated “boldness” in the NIV and “persistence” in the NASB implies impudence and audacity. This is what Jesus is saying should be our attitude as we approach the throne of grace—a confident boldness that persists in pursuing God until he grants us mercy and grace (Hebrews 4:16), which says, “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.”

So in this parable, if this man would give his neighbor what he wanted not out of friendship, but because of shamelessness, how much more will God who loves us, give us when we come to Him?

Just before this in the Lord’s Prayer, Jesus said to pray, “Your will be done.” So putting this with Matthew 7.7, ask and keep asking, we are to be persistent in asking God to work in our lives and answer our prayers according to His will.

As Paul wrote in 1 Thessalonians 5:17, we are to “pray without ceasing.” Having confidence in God, we experience his goodness and love.

So, I encourage you to “A.S.K.” – that is, Ask, Seek, and Knock. And be persistent in prayer!

“Prayer”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop

{Content taken from “12 Types of Prayer from the Bible”, by Janelle, https://hubpages.com/religion-philosophy/11-Types-of-Prayer-from-the-Bible}

Prayer of Thanksgiving

Psalms 100 says we are to enter God’s gates with thanksgiving.

Examples:

• Moses and the Israelites expressed thanksgiving for God delivering them from Pharaoh (Exodus 15:1-21).
• Paul prayed with thanksgiving for churches.

Prayer of Confession, Forgiveness, and Repentance

We are to confess our sins, ask for forgiveness, turn away, and repent.

Examples:

• Moses prayed for forgiveness for the Israelites’ sin of making a god out of gold (Exodus 32:31-32).
• Nehemiah confessed and repented for the sins of Israel (Nehemiah 1). Later he described Israel’s assembly of humble repentance (Nehemiah 9).
• David’s prayer of repentance for his sin with Bathsheba (Psalm 51).
• Throughout the book of Daniel, we see Daniel’s prayers of confession. He acknowledged his great God and confessed the wickedness of Israel, their departing from God’s laws, and their lack of obedience to God’s ways and laws.

Prayer of Blessing

Examples:

• Jacob’s prayed blessings over Joseph’s sons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Exodus 48:12-22).
• Aaron and his sons prayed blessings on the people of Israel. “The Lord bless you, keep you. The Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.” – Numbers 6:24-27
• In Deuteronomy 33, Moses blessed the 12 tribes.
• Jabez’s prayer of blessing (1 Chronicles 4:9).
• King Solomon prayed blessing over the whole congregation of Israel before dedicating the temple (1 Kings 8).

Prayer of Dedication

King Solomon dedicated the temple to the Lord (1 Kings 8).

Prayer of Intercession

Intercessory prayer is earnestly praying for a particular person or situation.

Examples:

• Abraham interceded for Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 18).
• Moses interceded for the people of Israel with their grumblings and murmurings, when they sinned before the Lord (Numbers 14). He also interceded for Miriam’s healing of leprosy.
• Anna prayed and fasted, night and day, interceding for people (Luke 2:33-39).

The Lord’s Prayer

A model of how we should pray (Matthew 6).

Prayer of Agreement

Two or more believers agree on a specific thing to be prayed for.

Examples:

• Matthew 18:19
• Acts 1:14
• Acts 2:42

Prayer to Move Mountains

If you have obstacles, problems, or circumstances that seem like mountains which stand in the way, say to them, “be removed,” and cast them into the sea in the name of Jesus.

Praying in the Spirit

This is praying according to how the Holy Spirit leads you. It is not your list of needs.

Examples:

• “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;” – Ephesians 6:18
• “What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also.” – 1 Corinthians 14:15
• “But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.” – Jude 20-21

Prayer of Faith

This kind of prayer is based on James 5:15 which gives instruction in taking care of the sick and praying the prayer of faith for those who are ill.

• “And the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him.” – James 5:15

Prayer of Request

These prayers are when we take our requests to God.

Examples:

• “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.” – Philippians 4:6
• “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints” – Ephesians 6:18

Prayer of Worship

This is similar to a prayer of thanksgiving. The prayer of worship focuses on God while the prayer of thanksgiving focuses on what God has done.

• “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.” – Acts 13:2-3

Prayer of Consecration

A prayer of setting ourselves apart to follow God’s will. Jesus made such a prayer on the night of His crucifixion.

• “And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.” – Matthew 6:39

Prayer is conversation with God and should be made without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). As we grow in our love for Jesus, we will naturally desire to talk to Him.

“Anger and Lust”, A Closer Look by Reggie Koop

There is a saying, “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” The devil often tempts us to do, watch, or think about something we shouldn’t. We might apply this thought to King David.

King David was walking around on top of his palace. He should have been out with his men fighting a battle but was at home with idle time. While walking around, he saw a beautiful woman bathing. At that point he committed a sin, coveting and lusting after her. She belonged to someone else and he should have looked away.

The sins snowballed from there. Next King David committed adultery. Bathsheba was not his wife and she had David’s child. To cover it up, David had her husband killed (another sin) and then he took her as his wife.

In 2 Samuel 12, God sends Nathan to confront David about his sins. Nathan begins to tell a story which David thinks is true. We know this because verse 5 says that David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man and he said the man deserves to die. David’s anger was not necessarily sin but if he had acted on it it would have been.

God sent Nathan to confront King David because he committed these sins, thinking no one knew. We can be the same way, thinking no one knows about or sees our sin. But God does.

In the Bible, David is described as a man after God’s own heart. David consulted with God on what he was to do before making decisions. A key response of David was repentance and worship. God mercifully forgave David when he acknowledged his sin. His transgression was not without consequences but David still worshipped the Lord through those consequences.

Just like David, we must repent of our sin when God pierces our hearts. We must worship God when we are disciplined.

Your Righteousness by Reggie Koop

Key Scriptures:

• Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”
• Matthew 5:17-20: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Here Jesus proceeds to show the superiority of His message to that of the law of Moses. God’s moral and ceremonial laws were given to help people love God with all their hearts and minds. But throughout Israel’s history, these laws had often been misquoted and misapplied. By this time, the religious leaders had turned the laws into a confusing mass of Rules.

What did the Jewish people know of the law? They knew of two great laws:

1. The Law of God (Ten Commandments, moral law)
2. The Law of Moses (ceremonial law and sacrificial law)

What’s the relationship between the two? If an Israelite sinned, he broke the moral law of the Ten Commandments, the Law of God. Then he had to follow the Law of Moses and make an offering to receive forgiveness. When an Israelite sinned, he broke the first law. To make atonement for sin, he had to obey the second law. Thus, the moral law defines sin and the Mosaic law defines the remedy for sin.

What did the Jewish people know of the Pharisees?

The Pharisees were a group of very zealous Jewish leaders who took their faith seriously. They believed that they way to please God and make it to heaven was to meticulously follow a long list of religious rules and regulations.

The foundation of the Pharisaical rules was the Mosaic law just mentioned. This law, given to the people of the Old Testament, includes 613 commandments. Over time, the Jewish leaders began to slowly add to these laws. Their original intent was to clarify the law but they ended up adding layers of complicated regulations.

For example, the 4th commandment – keep the Sabbath holy – was meant to keep Jews from working on the Sabbath (Saturday). The Jewish leaders created 39 separate categories of “work” and within those categories are many subcategories. Thus, there are thousands of sub-rules to follow.

The Pharisees prided themselves on following the letter of the Mosaic law but they clarified it and followed the letter of their man-made rules. They were only concerned with the external appearance of keeping the law rather than the inward spirit of the law.

Matthew 23:27-28: “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.”

What was Jesus saying?

Verse 17: “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”

When Jesus talked about a new way to understand God’s law, He was trying to bring people back to its original purpose. Jesus did not speak against the law itself but against the abuses and excuses to which the people had been subjected. Jesus makes it clear, “I have not come to abolish them.” He takes the law beyond mere outward observance to the inner spiritual intention of what God intended. He came to “fulfill” the law and its fullest implications.

Jesus not only bore our sins but established a perfect righteousness which is given to us as a gift of God. Our sins were ascribed to Him and His righteousness was ascribed to us. Jesus Christ, our true passover lamb, permanently took the place of the Mosaic law when He cried out “It is finished” and bowed His head and died that Friday afternoon. When that unseen hand tore the temple curtain from the top down, the ceremonial law that pointed the people to Christ’s sacrificial death was once and for all nailed to the cross.

Hebrews 10:8-10: “First he said, ‘Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them’ – though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, ‘Here I am, I have come to do your will.’ He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. This is the covenant I will establish with the people of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.”

The first covenant had the ordinances of this ceremonial system but they are gone in the new covenant, leaving only the Ten Commandments, which God writes on our hearts and minds (see verse 10).

Question: If Jesus did not come to destroy the law, does that mean all the Old Testament laws still apply today?

In the Old Testament, there are three categories of law: ceremonial, civil, and moral.

• Ceremonial law related to Israel’s worship. The primary purpose was to point forward to Jesus Christ. But after Jesus’ death and resurrection, those laws are no longer necessary. We are free to worship and love God without rules.
• Civil laws applied to daily living in Israel. Because of our modern society and culture are so radically different from over 2000 years ago, most of those guidelines cannot be followed. However, the principles behind them are timeless and they should guide us today.
• Moral laws such as the Ten Commandments are a direct command from God and require strict obedience. The moral law reveals the nature and will of God and still applies today. Jesus obeyed the moral law completely.

Verse 18: “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished.”

This verse reaffirms the absolute authority of all the Scriptures down to the smallest components of individual words. They will endure for all time, “until everything is accomplished.”

With the coming of Jesus, many aspects of the law have been brought to completion, e.g., the need for sacrifices. Other requirements of the law, like loving God and our neighbor, endure until Jesus comes again.

In the KJV, the text says, “till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

What is a jot and what is a tittle?

A jot is the tenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet and the smallest. It was written above the line and looks like an apostrophe.

Jot is related to our modern English word iota, meaning “a very small amount.” The Hebrew spelling is yod or yodh. Many Bibles have a picture of a yod in Psalm 119. Check out the section title coming just before verse 73.

A tittle is even smaller than a jot. A tittle is a letter extension, a pen stroke that can differentiate one Hebrew letter from another. An example can be seen in the comparison between the Hebrew letters resh and daleth (or dalet).

                 

The resh (on the left) is made with one smooth stroke. The daleth (on the right) is made with two strokes of the pen. The letters are very similar to each other, but the distinguishing mark of the daleth is the small extension of the roof of the letter.

That extension is a tittle.

Because of the seriousness of the law, Jesus was emphasizing the importance of keeping even the smallest detail.

Verse 19: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

In God’s overall plan, the law was not to become an extra burden on the souls of men. Rather, to point the way of salvation, the law convinced men of their need of a Savior. Jesus was challenging some of the Pharisees and scribes on their view of ranking God’s priorities and misconstruing God’s will and, even worse, of leading others astray.
Verse 20: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Because righteousness is a requirement to enter heaven, Jesus declared to the people that their righteousness should, “surpass that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law.” The significance here is that the people of that time considered the scribes and Pharisees to be the most religious in all of Israel. They were looked upon as having arrived at the highest level of religion. The scribes were the most noted teachers of the law and the Pharisees were the most celebrated professors of the law. The people did not think themselves to be as good as them. So it greatly surprised them to hear that they must be better than them or they would not go to heaven.

The scribes and Pharisees’ religion was merely an outward show of righteousness, not from the heart. They did not allow God to change their hearts or attitudes. Jesus demands a kind of righteousness that is so godly that it cannot be a product of human effort, but a gift of God. Christ would establish this righteousness in his life and death and it would be made available as God’s free gift. This righteousness would exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees.

God judges our hearts as well as our works, for it is in the heart that our real allegiance lies. Jesus was saying that his listeners and all Christians need a different kind of righteousness altogether (love and obedience), not just a more intense version of the Pharisees’ righteousness.

Romans 2:12-13: “All who sin apart from the law will also perish apart from the law, and all who sin under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God’s sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous.”

How would having the knowledge of the glory of the Lord affect these ideas? How should we apply what Jesus said?

Galatians 6:2: “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”

Our righteousness must:

1. Come from what God does in us, not what we can do by ourselves
2. Be God-centered, not self-centered
3. Be based on reverence for God, not approval from people
4. Go beyond keeping the law to living by the principles behind the law

JOURNEY: Y – YOU

NEXT LEVEL STEP(S): LOVE. Examine your righteousness. Where does it come from?

Showing Jesus (Salt and Light) by Reggie Koop

Key Scriptures:

Habakkuk 2:14: “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Matthew 5:13-16: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”

There are 14,000 catalogued uses of salt. It is used as a preservative for meats, in the manufacturing of soap, in the production of glass, to soften water, as ice melt, to heal wounds, in the smelting and refining of metals, in farming to preserve wet hay, and as a salt-lick for cattle. In cooking it is used as a nutrient, for flavoring, to enhance color, and as texture.

Here are four ways salt was significant in Jewish culture. Salt was:

1. Enduring: Salt was used in burnt offerings as a symbol of God’s lasting covenant with His people. Salt is the opposite of leaven – the type of sin. In Ezra 7:22, Artaxerxes gave salt to Ezra the priest and set no limit to the quantity. Similarly, we can be sure that when the King of Kings distributes grace among His royal priesthood the supply is not cut short.

2. Pure: Germs can’t live in salt so it is rubbed into wounds as a disinfectant.

3. Precious/valuable: As stated before, salt was indispensable in sacrifices and for flavoring food. Large quantities were used in the temple service and it was very symbolic in the ceremony of the covenant.   

4. A Preservative: The only way that the Jewish people could preserve fresh meat was to cover it with salt to keep it from spoiling. Salt was also used in the tanning of hides.

Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

The “you are” refers only to genuine, born-again people. Believers are like salt and can help meet the needs of the world. Jesus’ teaching parallels the previously-mentioned Jewish significance of salt:

1. Enduring: Jesus told His disciples (and all Christians) to stop corruption and prevent moral decay in the world. Jesus admonished His disciples and all believers to remain steadfast and true – to endure in the way of life He had given them and has given us. He promises a great reward for those who endure: “To the one who is victorious and does My will to the end, I will give authority over the nations.” – Revelation 2:26

2. Pure: Jesus wanted His disciples to be a spiritual disinfectant for the world. Sin is like a culture of spiritual germs. We are to fight against sin to prevent it from multiplying.

3. Precious/Valuable: Jesus revealed that God’s children are precious. “Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants.” – Psalm 116:15. We are just as precious. There is a small, precious group of people called to do God’s work and fulfill the commission given by Jesus in Matthew 24:14: “And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.”

4. A Preservative: Just like the disciples, we are commissioned to preach the gospel of truth to the entire world.

“Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.” – John 17:17.

“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:32

A more literal meaning of “loses its saltiness” would be “is defiled.” During Jesus’ time it was possible that salt could become mixed with other impure substances or minerals, causing a weakness in flavor or a bland taste. If this happened, the salt became worthless as a preservative. “Losing saltiness” could symbolize abandoning or deviating from the gospel. It could also mean that in a world filled with sin and deceit, it is possible for a believer to become contaminated and an ineffective disciple.

“How can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.”

If salt loses its saltiness, it is worthless. Likewise, if Christians make no effort to affect the world around them, they are of little value to God. If we are too much like the world, we are worthless. Christians should not blend in with everyone else. Instead, we should affect others positively, just as seasoning brings out the flavor in food. If a Christian loses his effectiveness, his testimony will be trampled under the feet of man.

We have been called to do a very important job. We are to help preserve the entire world, saving it from utter destruction. It is an awesome responsibility. We must be willing to sacrifice, change, and repent of our old ways. We must be willing to truly become “the salt of the earth.”

“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.” – Matthew 5:14

Moving on to the concept of light in the Matthew passage, how do we get light?

1. electricity

2. batteries

3. sun by day, moon by night

4. candles

5. fueled containers

How did the Jewish people get light?

1. sun by day, moon by night

2. fire

3. lamps or candles

“You are the light of the world” describes the essential mission of the Christian to the world.  He is the condition (salt) to meet the needs of the world and he has a mission (light) to the world. His light must clearly shine forth into the darkness of human depravity. 

“When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” – John 8:12

Just as Jesus is the light of the world, we as Christians are to reflect that light. Like light from a city illuminates the dark countryside or a lamp inside a house provides light for all inside, Christians must let their works shine before the rest of the world so that others may praise God, bringing glory to God.

If we live for Christ, we will glow like lights, showing others what Christ is like. How are we to be light? We must do good works. First, we must do good works that others may see and approve of, giving them cause to think well of Christianity.  Second, the good works must be done for others’ edification so they are built up spiritually.

“Put it under a bowl.” How do we hide our light?

1. By being quiet when we should speak

2. By going along with the crowd

3. By denying the light

4. By letting sin dim our light

5. By not explaining our light to others

6. By ignoring the needs of others

Darkness is the absence of light and darkness alone cannot dispel the light. But the smallest light can dispel the greatest darkness.

Verse 16 is our vision statement, “In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Be a beacon of truth. Don’t shut your light off from the rest of the world. Let your light shine through a clean life before the Lord and before the world in which we live.

In order to be salt and light to this world, we must remain active preservative agents in calling the world to heed God’s standards. We cannot isolate ourselves from the world, but stand out.

How would having the knowledge of the glory of the Lord affect these ideas? How should we apply what Jesus said?

1. You are the salt of the world.

a. Be enduring. Remain steadfast and true. Speak the truth.

b. Be purifying. Prevent sin from multiplying.

c. Be valuable. Fulfill the commission. 

d. Be preserving. Be all over the world. Be in it, but not of it.

2. Let your light shine. Show what Jesus Christ is like to others.

JOURNEY: Y – YOU

NEXT LEVEL STEP(S): LIVE. How can you show others what Christ is like this week?

“John Knox,” A Closer Look by Reggie Koop

Knox’s Early Years In Scotland

• 1514 – born in Haddington
• 1536 – graduates from St. Andrew’s University; ordained as a priest
• 1540 – becomes a notary (a legal official) and a tutor
• 1543 – converted to Christ and embraces the Reformed faith
• 1545 – becomes follower of and bodyguard to George Wishart
• 1546 – Wishart martyred in St. Andrew’s; Cardinal Beaton murdered; Protestants besieged in St. Andrew’s Castle
• 1547 – takes refuge in the castle; preaches first sermon; castle falls; Knox becomes galley slave in France for 19 months

Knox Ministers In England

• 1549 – Berwick, England; preaches with much power and success
• 1550 – meets Mrs. Elizabeth Bowes and her Daughter Marjory
• 1552 – London; disputes practice of kneeling at Communion; refuses Bishopric of Rochester
• 1553 – forced into hiding when Catholic Mary Tudor is crowned

Knox Flees Persecution and Ministers in Europe

• 1554 – flees France, then Zurich and Calvin’s Geneva; pastors an English congregation in Frankfurt
• 1555 – liturgical dispute forces him out; goes back to Geneva and pastors an English congregation there; returns to Scotland secretly; marries Marjory Bowes and preaches idely
• 1556 – condemned for heresy in Scotland; returns to Geneva with wife and mother-in-law
• 1558 – writes The First Blast of The Trumpet Against the Monstrous Regiment of Women (advocates rebellion against ungodly rulers)

Knox’s Last Years In Scotland

• 1559 – returns to Scotland; preaches sermon condemning idolatry; leads rebellion
• 1560 – Reformation Parliament adopts Protestant Scots Confession; Marjory Dies
• 1561 – Knox helps write First Book Of Discipline; Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots returns; Knox preaches at St. Gile’s in Edinburgh; first interview with Mary, Queen of Scots
• 1564 – marries Margaret Stewart
• 1566 – writes much of his History of the Reformation of Religion in Scotland
• 1572 – dies in Edinburgh; buried at St. Gile’s Church

John Knox is regarded as the “Father of the Scottish Reformation” and the “Founder of the Scottish Protestant Church.” It has been said if Martin Luther was the “Hammer” of the Reformation and John Calvin the “Pen,” John Knox was the “Trumpet.”

At the beginning of the sixteenth century, spiritual darkness covered Scotland. The religious superstitions of Rome gripped the nation. The Bible was essentially a closed book and the belief was that righteousness come by works, not by grace. The religious leaders did nothing to spur spiritual growth but were ignorant of it. There was a great loss of hearing the Word of God which left the nation impoverished and very, very weak. This is the condition of Scotland that John Knox entered.

John Knox was born in Haddington, Scotland (15 miles East of Edinburgh) to Roman Catholic parents. He enrolled in the University of St. Andrew’s at age fifteen and graduated with an M.A. degree at age nineteen. Later that same year, he was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Church. Unable to find a parish to serve in, he became a papal notary who authenticated documents. He also served as a tutor for well-to-do families that held Protestant beliefs. This is where he was exposed to Protestant doctrine.

Then in 1543, Knox converted to the Christian faith under a Dominican friar and chaplain who went deep into Reformation doctrine with him. Seeing how corrupt and contaminated the Catholic system was, Knox spent the next two years devoted to in-depth study of Scripture. Knox was given even more intense exposure to Reformation doctrine by becoming a bodyguard to George Wishart, a very powerful Reformed preacher. Knox learned boldness courage, and faithfulness in ministry.

In 1545, religious persecution reached a fever pitch and Wishart was arrested and taken to St. Andrew’s Castle where he was burned at the stake in 1546. This is when and where the torch was passed on to Knox. Previously a Catholic stronghold, the St. Andrew’s Castle became a rallying point for those who embraced Reformation teaching.

From Knox’s inital preaching in 1547, he daringly upheld the truth of Sola Fide – justification by faith in Christ alone. He was a staunch defender of salvation by grace alone. Here Knox denounced Rome’s teaching on purchased indulgences, holy pilgrimages, forced fasts, and clerical celibacy. He declared them to be blasphemous and openly pronounced the Pope to be an antichrist. He went on to assert that the Catholic ceremonies went beyond the commands and instructions of Scripture, insisted that mass was idolatrous, and decried the church’s teaching on Purgatory.

In June of 1547, St. Andrew’s Castle came under siege. Knox and 120 defenders were captured and made to row in the hull of a Frnech battleship for nineteen months. They were released but could not return to Scotland at this time because of severe persecution. Knox went to London for the next five years and established reform in the Church of England. Knox traveled throughout England preaching at various churches and spreading the Reformation doctrine.

This Protestant cause came to an abrupt halt in 1553 when Queen Mary I (known as “Bloody Mary”) was crowned. 288 reformers, including women, children, and other prominent spiritual leaders, would be burned at the stake. This caused Knox to flee and go to Europe for the next five years for safety. Knox traveled to England, France, and Switzerland, preaching and upholding Reformation doctrine and denouncing the Catholic Church. In Switzerland, Knox traveled to Geneva where he sat under the teaching of Calvin. Then he traveled to Frankfurt, Germany establishing an English-speaking congregation in 1554.

One achievement that stands out is in 1558. Knox worked on an English version of the Bible known as the Geneva Bible. This translation would be the Bible of choice for the Reformers and Puritans. It would be the Bible the Pilgrims took to the New World in 1620.

John Knox finally returns to Scotland in 1559 after twelve tumultuous years in England and Eurpoe. By now his goal was to uproot Roman Catholicism and plant biblical Christianity in its place.

Another achievement came in 1560. The Parliament passed legislation that abolished Catholic religion in Scotland and adopted a document, the “Scots Confession.” It states the infallible Word of God is to be the exclusive authority of the Church – Solus Scriptura.

After his return to Scotland, Knox continued his preaching until his death in 1572. He continued to denounce the Roman Catholic Church’s practices and even went before the Queen many times to argue about Catholic practices and explain Reformation doctrine. Knox died in 1572, having been anchored to Jesus Christ by faith alone.

The Love God Hates (Love of “The World”) by Reggie Koop

1 John 2.12-17:
12 I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven for his name’s sake.
13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.
14 I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.

This passage is a warning from John. It is about a “wrong” kind of love that God hates. This love is a love for “the world.” There are four reasons why Christians should not love the world.
1. Because of what the world is.
2. Because of what the world does to us. (1 John 2:15-16)
3. Because of what a Christian is. (1 John 2:12-14)
4. Because of where the world is going. (1 John 2:17)

Let’s break these down one by one.

1. Because of What the WORLD Is
The New Testament word for world has three different meanings:
a. Physical world – (i.e. earth, Acts 17:24, “God made the world and all things therein.”)
b. Mankind – (John 3.16, “For God so loved the world”)
c. Both meanings together – (John 1:10, “He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made by Him, and the world (mankind) knew Him not.”)

This warning, “love not the world” is about not loving the world of men. The world here is our enemy – and invisible, spiritual system opposed to God and Christ.

Six Ways This World is Our Enemy:

a. The world is Satan’s system of opposing the work of Christ on earth.

b. The world is opposite of what is godly and holy and spiritual.

Consider these four points about Satan and this world.
1) 1 John 2:16: “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[c]—is not from the Father but is from the world.”
2) 1 John 5:19: “And we know that we are of God, and the whole world lieth in wickedness.”
3) John 12.31: Jesus called Satan “The prince of this world”
4) Ephesians 6:11-12: The devil has an organization of evils spirits working with him and influencing the affairs of this world.

c. Two opposite approaches for people

1) The Holy Spirit uses people to accomplish God’s will on earth.
2) Satan uses people to fulfill his evil purposes.

Unsaved people, whether they realize it or not, are energized by “the prince of the power of the air, that now worketh in the children of disobedience.” Ephesians 2:1-2

d. Unsaved people belong to this world. Jesus called them “the children of this world.”

“And the lord commended the unjust steward, because he had done wisely: for the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light.” Luke 16:8

When Jesus was here on earth, the people of “this world” did not understand Him, not do they now understand those of us who trust Him. 

“Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.” 1 John 3:1

“If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.” John 15:19

e. A believer’s citizenship is in heaven. “For our conversation is in heaven; from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ...” Philippians 3:20

f. If it were not for the Holy Spirit living in us and the spiritual resources we have – prayer, Christian fellowship and the Word – we could never “make it” here on earth.

2. Because of What the World Does to Us (1 John 2:15-16)

Worldliness

1 John 2:15: “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”

Worldliness is not so much a matter of activity but of attitude.  It is possible for a Christian to stay away from questionable amusements and doubtful places and still love the world, for worldliness is a matter of the heart.  To the extent that a Christian loves the world system and the things in it, he does not love the Father.

1 John 2:17: “and the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth forever.”

Worldliness not only affects your response to the love of God, it also affects your response to the will of God.  Doing the will of God is a joy for those living in the love of God. “If ye love me, keep my commandments.” But when a believer loses his enjoyment of the Father’s love, he finds it hard to obey the Father’s will.

Worldly Devices

The world uses three devices to trap Christians. 1 John 2:16: “for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world.”

a. The Lust (Desires) of the Flesh
b. The Lust of the Eyes
c. The Pride of Life

These same three devices trapped Eve in the garden.

“And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food (lust of the flesh), and that it was pleasant to the eyes (lusts of the eyes), and a tree to be desired to make one wise (pride of life), she took of the fruit thereof,” (Genesis 3:6)

The Lust of the Flesh
The lust of the flesh applies to anything that appeals to man’s fallen nature.  The flesh does not mean “the body,” but the basic nature of man that makes him blind to spiritual truth. 1 Corinthians 2:14 says, “but the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.”

The flesh is the nature we receive in our physical birth.  Spirit is the nature we receive in the second birth. Jesus words to in John 3:5-6 show this clearly. “Jesus answered, ‘Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

Galatians 5:17-23 shows the battle between these to two natures:
“For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”

God has given man certain desires, and these desires are good: hunger, thirst, weariness, and sex.  Nothing is wrong with eating, drinking, sleeping, and having children. But when the flesh controls them, they become sinful lusts.

Hunger is not evil – gluttony is sinful
Thirst is not evil – drunkenness is a sin
Sleep is a gift of God – laziness is shameful
Sex is a precious gift from God used rightly – used wrongly it is immoral

The truth is that the world appeals to the normal appetites and tempts us to satisfy them in forbidden ways.

What does God say about the old nature, the flesh?

Romans 7:18: “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.”

Other references:
John 6:63
Philippians 3:3
Romans 13:14

The Lust of the Eyes
The lust of the eyes are pleasures that gratify the sight and mind. The eyes are a gateway into the mind.  Look at Joshua 7, especially verse 21.

Joshua 7:1 & 21
1 But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi, the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing: and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
21 When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.

Boastful Pride of Life
God’s glory is rich and full; man’s glory is vain and empty. What is the American dream?  Why do people try to outdo others in their spending and their getting?  Why do we buy things that we can’t afford?

Once the world takes over in one of these areas, a Christian will soon realize it.  They will lose the enjoyment of the Father’s love and the desire to do the Father’s will.  The Bible will become boring and prayer will be a difficult chore. Even Christian fellowship may seem empty and disappointing.  
Becoming worldly doesn’t happen all of a sudden. Worldliness creeps up on a believer.  Three stages are involved.

a. Friendship of the World
James 4:4: “Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.”
Contrast 1 John 3:13: “Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you.”

b. The Christian becomes spotted by the world.
James 1:27: “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.”
Gradually a believer accepts and adopts the ways of the world. When this happens the world ceases to hate the Christian and starts to love him.  Thus, the warning “love not the world.”

c. The believer becomes conformed to the world.
Romans 12:2: “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
This can lead into being “condemned with the world.”
1 Corinthians 11:32: “But when we are judged, we are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world.”

3. Because of What a Christian Is
1 John 2:12-14: 
12 “I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake. 
13 I write unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I write unto you, young men, because ye have overcome the wicked one. I write unto you, little children, because ye have known the Father.
14 I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.”

What are the titles referring to?

“Little children” (1 John 2:12) refers to all believers. Literally, it means “born ones.” All Christians have been born into God family through faith in Jesus Christ and their sins have been forgiven. This fact of being in God’s family should discourage us from becoming friendly with the world. We begin as little children (born ones), but as we grow spiritually we overcome the world.

“Fathers” refers to mature believers who have an intimate relationship with God. Because they know God, they know the dangers of the world.  

“Young men” are the conquerors. They have overcome the wicked one (Satan). They overcame through the Word of God. They are not fully mature, but maturing because they use the Word of God effectively. The Word is the only weapon that will defeat Satan (See Ephesians 6:17).

The “little children” in verse 13 are different from verse 12. Two different Greek words are used. Here it refers to “immature ones” or little children under the authority of teachers and tutors. These have not yet grown up in Christ.

Review to This Point: A Christian stays away from the world:
1. Because of what the world is – a satanic system that hates and opposes Christ.
2. Because of what the world does to us – attracts us to live in sin.
3. Because of what the Christian is a child of God.

4. Because of Where the World Is Going (1 John 2:17)

The only sure thing about this world system is that it is not going be here forever. All are passing away. What is going to be left? Only what is part of the will of God!!

a. Spiritual Christians are to keep themselves “loosely attached” to this world. Because they are living for something better. Hebrews 11:13 says, “These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”

John is contrasting two ways of life.
1) A worldly person lives for the pleasures of the flesh.
2) A dedicated Christian lives for the joys of the spirit.    
A worldly-person lives for what he can see (lust of the eyes).
A spiritual-believer lives for the unseen realities of God.

2 Corinthians 4:18: “While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.”

A worldly-minded person lives for the pride of life – what appeals to men. A Christian who does the will of God lives for God’s approval.

b. 1 John 2.17 refers to Christians who dedicate themselves to doing God’s will. Those who obey will abide (remain) forever. After all of this earth and everything therein has been replaced by the new heaven and new earth, God’s faithful will remain, sharing the glory of god for eternity.

This present world system is not a lasting one. 1 Corinthians 7:31 says, “And they that use this world, as not abusing it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.”

The New Testament says a benefit of salvation is to know the will of God.

1) The privilege of knowing God’s will (Acts 22:14). Colossians 1:9 says God wants us to be filled with the knowledge of his will.

2) Understand His will. (Ephesians 5:17) It is important that we understand God’s will for our lives and see purpose he is filling.

3) After we know the will of God, we should do it from the heart. (Ephesians 6:6) We are to walk the talk. (Matthew 7:21) The more we obey, the better we are able to discover and follow God’s will. (Romans 12:2)

4) Mature in God’s will. God’s goal for us is that we will “stand complete in all will of god.”  By standing complete in God’s will, we know what the Lord wants us to do.

5) How does one discover the will of God?
a) Surrender – Romans 12:1-2; John 7:17
b) Revealed through God’s Word – Psalm 119:105.  Read God’s Word daily. Meditate on it. Apply it.
c) Through circumstances, God may open and close doors. Test this leading by the Word.
d) Through prayer and the working of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.  As we pray about a decision, the Spirit speaks to us. Test this by the Word, not by the flesh or circumstances or feelings, these could be led by Satan to lead us astray.

SUMMARY:
1. A Christian is in the world physically. (John 17:11)
2. A Christian is not of the world spiritually. John 17:14
3. We have been sent into the world to bear witness. John 17:18
4. The world gets into a Christian through the heart.
5. A Christian must decide – Will I live for the present only or will I live for the will of God and abide forever? (Consider Jesus’ words Matthew 7:24-27. Also see Paul’s words on two kinds of building – temporary or permanent in I Corinthians 3:11-15.)

APPLICATION:
1. Proper type of love: 2 Greatest Commandments
2. How can you show love toward others? This week?
3. What ways can you stay loosely attached to this world?
4. Tell others about Jesus.

Love for the world is the love God hates.  It is the love a Christian must shun at all costs.