What must I do to be saved?

    Let us randomly grab HOW DO I STUDY THE BIBLE?
Leviticusa book of the Old Testament to illustrate our point… Leviticus, a book not known for being at the top of our “favorite books” list. Here’s how we would recommend approaching a study of this book.

    First, consider the historical context. Leviticus 1:1 begins by saying that the Lord spoke to Moses from the tent of meeting. This verse tells us a few things. First, Moses is the recipient and the transmitter of this message from God. Leviticus forms a part of the broader “law of Moses” so that he is the author of the book. That indicates to us that Moses wrote Leviticus while the Israelites were assembled around Mt. Sinai, if not during the 40 years of wondering in the wilderness.

    The book as a whole was written to and for the whole nation of Israel. That suggests this point: even as the tribe of Levi was to teach the nation of Israel the law, the nation of Israel was to hold the priests accountable for fulfilling their responsibility as well.

    Secondly, decide on the limits of your chosen passage. Most modern translations break the text into smaller “bite-sized” paragraphs. My NASV, for example, has Leviticus 23 divided into 11 smaller paragraphs. If you were studying Leviticus at home, by yourself, then you will have (likely) started with 1:1 and worked your way to this point. That is the best way to study.
But, let’s suppose that we are here in Leviticus 23 and we have arrived at 23:23-25. This paragraph is an isolated paragraph, to some degree, because it begins with “Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,” and then verse 26 also begins: “The Lord spoke to Moses saying…” That shows that 23:23-25 is a separate idea. While we will interpret every paragraph within the overall context, we can study this individual paragraph by itself.

    Become thoroughly acquainted with the paragraph. Read it and reread it and read it again, in several translations and in different languages if you have the ability. You are listening to the Holy Spirit speak. It will benefit us to see what God expected out of Israel and ask ourselves how those principles could make us a stronger Christian.

    Analyze the sentence structure and the flow of the passage. In our chosen text, we see that in verse 23, Moses writes that God speaks to Moses. In verse 24, Moses is commanded (for surely that is the force of the verb “Speak;” it is, in fact an imperative in the Hebrew), to speak to Israel and share the following information.

    A time frame is given in verse 24: “in the seventh month, on the first day of the month…” Here is one place where your Bible study helps can be beneficial. What was the Israelite calendar? That is, what else was going on during the seventh month? You can do your own research by looking up “seventh month” in your concordance. You could also look up in a Bible encyclopedia (like the ISBE) an article on the Israelite/Jewish calendar.

    By the same token, we have the word “rest” in verse 24. My marginal rendering has “lit. sabbath rest.” What do other translations have? This gives you potentially another word to study in your concordance or encyclopedia.

    God says this assembly is a “holy convocation,” announced to the nation of Israel by the blowing of trumpets. What type of trumpet was this? Do some research and imagine in your mind what is happening when the Israelites fulfill these regulations. It can help make the events more real and memorable in your mind.

    Verse 25 also has an imperative: “You shall not do any laborious work.” As you read and study on the “sabbath rest,” you will come to better understand what “laborious work” referred to. Verse 25 has another imperative in it as well: “you shall present (lit.) a fire to the Lord,” that is, “an offering by fire.”

    Fifthly, analyze the grammar. I have pretty much done that already in looking at the commands in the text. Here, you are asking yourself what the verbs in the text are; what the subject of the verb is and the objects of the verb and perhaps indirect objects. How does the sentence fit together? We are not wanting to study grammar for the sake of grammar but in order to better understand the intention of the original author.

    Analyze significant words. I have also already hinted at this point. In our passage, some of the words we might want to do some deeper studies on might be: “rest,” “holy convocation,” or even “sabbath.” Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Biblical Words is a good source of information for those who cannot do studies in the original languages or William Mounce’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words.

    Seventh, research the historical and cultural background through the use of encyclopedias and so forth.

    Eighth, what are the broad theological themes presented? In our text, we have the idea of inspiration: The Lord spoke to Moses. Revelation – Moses speaks the message to the people. Obedience to divine commands. The idea of rest. The idea of worship. The idea of an assembly, a “holy convocation.” The idea of work. Those are some of the ideas that we have touched on in this particular paragraph.

    Ninth, consult commentaries to see if you have missed anything. Notice how far down the list is consulting the works of other men! You are wanting to learn from your own study and not rely on what other men have said. There is a place for commentaries and they can be quite beneficial. But, you will be better enriched and your studies will be remembered longer if you do the bulk of your research for yourself.

    Tenth, in this step, you ask yourself what the message meant for the original audience. When you can answer that question, then you know what the message is, in principle, for us today.

    For example, in broad terms, we are looking at these three questions:

        a. What does the text want us to know?

        b. What does the text invite us to feel?

        c. What does the text call on us to do?

    I have gone through this text with my own family and asked my two teenage daughters to make a list of some lessons they learned, as NT Christians, from Leviticus 23. Here are their answers:

    1. The OT laws were specific rules required by God, in order to be pleasing to Him. The same is true with us.

    2. Holiness of the people of Israel was important. They were told to “afflict” themselves.

    3. These rituals were to be done “perpetually.” They could not be done once and then forgotten. They must be continually practiced.

    4. Remember what He has done.

    5. Take care of others.

    6. Take a break. Pause and reflect on God. We should have times to set aside from work to focus on God.

    7. Some might go even further and do more. There were a lot of days to celebrate one’s relationship with God.

–Paul Holland

• The prophet Jeremiah was told to make the type of yolk worn by oxen.
• In Jer. 27:2 this is called “bands of bars.”
• After Jeremiah made this ox yolk he was told to wear it.
• Agents from several kingdoms (Moab, Edom, Tyre, etc.) had come to see the king of Jerusalem.
  1. It appears these kingdoms were worried about Babylon (verse 6).
  2. Babylon was a noteworthy threat, so these kingdoms were talking about unity to stay safe.
• America has significant problems and turmoil; if we can’t see the problems daily, we can read about them.
• Jeremiah’s day also had its share of turmoil.
• Let’s read and then break down Jer. 27:5-7 – READ
• At the end of verse 5 God spoke about using this power in the affairs of men.
• In verse 6 God’s prophet said what God was going to do: He would let Babylon rule.
• Babylon would be God’s “servant.”
• We may most often think about human beings being a servant of God.
• Some would look at the church as being a servant of God.
• God is also able to use NATIONS to do His will.
  In verse 7 Jeremiah said “all the nations” would come to serve Babylon.
  1. UNTIL God determined Babylon should no longer be in power, it would be the major power.
  2. At the proper time – when God so willed – Babylon would be overcome.
  3. Verse 8 READ
• God said His will would be done.
• Verse 9 – READ
• Saying someone is a liar is a strong accusation; Jeremiah did not hold back – verse 10 – READ

AS WE LEAVE THIS CHAPTER AND TURN TO THE NEXT, WE ENCOUNTER A MAN (HANANIAH) WHO DECIDED TO OPENLY CHALLENGE JEREMIAH’S PREDICTIONS.

1. Jeremiah said God would not break the yolk of bondage from Babylon until the proper right time.
2. Hananiah said this was not true – he said there was not really much to worry about.

• 28:10 – READ
• This verse needs to be contrasted with what we started with in Jer. 27.
• After the false prophet removed & broke the yolk, the “word of Jehovah” came to Jer. (verse 12).
• The “word” Jeremiah received from God is found in verses 13-14 – READ
• The word “rebellion” is used to describe Hananiah.
• This chapter ends by saying this false prophet died.
• Sometimes God has asked people to do what we might view as unusual.
• As we look at this chapter we are reminded of how there are people who will deny what God has said.
• In our time some will say certain Bible verses do not mean what they say.
• If a person denies a Bible truth, don’t get upset.
• Don’t question truth because someone is affirming error.
• From the two chapters examined we also see a great lesson about God’s power.
• God has the power to fulfill His will in the world.
• Acts 17:26 – part of the reading – says God has “appointed seasons” and given “bounds of habitation” for countries.
• This is another way of saying what Jeremiah affirmed —
• God has a plan when it comes to the rising and demise of countries.
• God also has a hand in far how countries go as far as boundaries.

  Jeremías 26-27

  1) Se le dijo al profeta Jeremías que hiciera el tipo de yema usada por los bueyes.
  2) En Jer. 27: 2 Esto se llama “bandas de barras”.
  3) Después de que Jeremías hizo esta yema de buey, se le dijo que lo llevara.
  4) Los agentes de varios reinos (Moab, Edom, Tiro, etc.) habían venido a ver al rey de Jerusalén.
  A) Parece que estos reinos estaban preocupados por Babilonia (versículo 6).
  B) Babilonia era una amenaza digna de mención, por lo que estos reinos hablaban de unidad para mantenerse a salvo.
  5) América tiene problemas significativos y agitación; Si no podemos ver los problemas diariamente, podemos leer sobre ellos.
  6) El día de Jeremías también tuvo su parte de la agitación.
  7) Vamos a leer y luego derribar Jer. 27: 5-7 – LEER
  8) Al final del versículo 5 Dios habló de usar este poder en los asuntos de los hombres.
  9) En el versículo 6, el profeta de Dios dijo lo que Dios iba a hacer: dejaría que gobernara Babilonia.
  10) Babilonia sería el “siervo” de Dios.
  11) Podemos pensar más a menudo que el ser humano es un siervo de Dios.
  12) Algunos mirarían a la iglesia como si fuera un siervo de Dios.
  13) Dios también puede usar las NACIONES para hacer Su voluntad.
  En el versículo 7, Jeremías dijo que “todas las naciones” vendrían a servir a Babilonia.
  A) HASTA que Dios determinara que Babilonia ya no estaría en el poder, sería la potencia mayor.
  B) En el momento oportuno, cuando Dios así lo quisiera, Babilonia sería vencida. C) Verso 8 LEER
  14) Dios dijo que Su voluntad se haría. 15) Verso 9 – LEER
  16) Decir que alguien es mentiroso es una acusación fuerte; Jeremías no se detuvo – versículo 10 – LEER

  A medida que dejamos este capítulo y volvemos al siguiente, reunimos a un hombre (HANANIAH) que decidió desafiar abiertamente las predicciones de JEREMIAH.
  A) Jeremías dijo que Dios no rompería la yema de la esclavitud de Babilonia hasta el momento adecuado.
  B) Hananiah dijo que esto no era cierto – dijo que no había mucho de qué preocuparse.
  2) Jer. 28:10 – LEER
  3) Este versículo necesita ser contrastado con lo que comenzamos con Jer. 27.
  4) Después que el falso profeta sacó y rompió la yema, la “palabra de Jehová” vino a Jer. (Versículo 12).
  5) La “palabra” que Jeremías recibió de Dios se encuentra en los versículos 13-14 – LEER
  6) La palabra “rebelión” se usa para describir a Hananías.
  7) Este capítulo termina diciendo que este falso profeta murió.
  8) A veces Dios ha pedido a la gente que haga lo que podríamos ver como inusual.
  9) Al mirar este capítulo se nos recuerda cómo hay personas que niegan lo que Dios ha dicho.
  10) En nuestro tiempo algunos dirán que ciertos versículos de la Biblia no significan lo que dicen.
  11) Si una persona niega una verdad bíblica, no se enoje.
  12) No cuestione la verdad porque alguien está afirmando el error.
  13) De los dos capítulos examinados también vemos una gran lección sobre el poder de Dios.
  14) Dios tiene el poder de cumplir Su voluntad en el mundo.
  15) Hechos 17:26 – parte de la lectura – dice que Dios ha “designado estaciones” y dado “límites de habitación” para los países.
  16) Esta es otra manera de decir lo que Jeremías afirmó:
  17) Dios tiene un plan cuando se trata del surgimiento y desaparición de los países.
  18) Dios también tiene una mano en la medida en que los países van tan lejos como fronteras.

    There are many reasons why the church is not growing in modern times as it did in earlier times. Some of those factors are external and we have little control over them, such as an increasingly antinomian culture. Some of those factors are internal; we lack the “fire in the belly” for the lost as perhaps we once did.

    Greg Forster has written a book with the title of this Daily Droplets in which he argues that Christianity has lost its influence in our society because we do not live a life of joy around our non-Christian friends. Building on Paul’s interaction with the philosophers in Athens in Acts 17, Forster writes: “we are as believers to both listen to and also challenge dominant cultural ideas, respectfully yet pointedly, in both our speech and our example” (pg 15).

    Through his book, Forster wants to challenge and encourage Christians to engage our society with the joy that comes from being a Christian. “The centerpiece of my answers,” he writes, “is the joy of God. …Christianity… needs to rely on what truly makes it distinct – the work of the Spirit in our minds, hearts, and lives” (pg 18). The joy that comes from being a Christian, the joy brought into our minds and hearts through the Holy Spirit’s word in our lives (Rom. 14:17) should make us “happier, but also wiser, humbler, more patient, and so forth” (pg 19).

    Forster was actually trained in political science and has been a political activist since he was a teenager. It is from that perspective that he writes, “Christians should show the world (in the right way) that Christianity makes life work better. …I call this holistic Christian life, ‘the joy of God.’ When I say joy, I don’t mean an emotion. I mean the flourishing of the whole person in mind, heart, and life” (pg. 58).

    Reminding the reader that Jesus was/is prophet, priest, and king, Forster suggests that Christians, by our personalities, can fit into one or more of those “categories.” A prophet shares God’s message. The priest brings reconciliation. The king is steward over another’s resources. He then dedicates one chapter to each category in an effort to inspire Christians with abilities in those areas to use them joyfully for the service of the community and our broader country.

    In the final three chapters, Forster focuses on three areas in which Christians can particularly exercise a joyful influence in our spheres of influence, particularly by showing others that these areas are spiritual areas, not just physical. Those areas are the sexual relationship, work, and citizenship.

    In “Sex and Family,” Forster writes: “What we really need is for Christians coast to coast to become models of marital blessing, starting with their own homes but reaching out and blessing marriages around them as well” (pg 209). 

    In “Work and the Economy,” he says, “Treating people with dignity causes them to do better work and produce more value. But at the same time, setting high expectations for productivity is essential to treating people with dignity” (pg 221). In that chapter, Forster argues that work is a spiritual discipline, which makes it ideal for being susceptible to Christian influence. At the same time, Christians need to strike a balance between being generous and being focused on productivity.

    In the chapter on citizenship, Forster calls on Christians to involve ourselves in our communities at all levels – nation, state, region, county, city, and neighborhood. It is certainly a relevant question to ask: If the church where you worship were to close its doors, would your neighborhood notice? Would they care?

    Frequently, elders will ask their preachers to do something that involves them in the community, such as being a member of the Lions Club, for example. That is a good idea. But not just for the preachers. The more involvement Christians have in our society, the more opportunities we all will have to share the joy of Christ with the world.

–Paul Holland

Jury Trial

• JURY SELECTION.
• 2 Cor. 5:10 says we must ALL stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
• Have we ever wondered if people will be praying at the end of time judgment?
• 2 Cor. 5:10 tells us prayers will have no effect at the end of time.
• Acts 17:30,
• Paul said God has appointed “a day” in which He will “judge the world.”
• The trial at the end of time will not be rescheduled. No one will be excused for a short or long time.
• The trial took place as scheduled and it contained A LOT of details; LOTS of notes were taken.
  1. Imagine being judged for things DONE IN THE BODY which are embarrassing, sinful, and public.
  2. We have expressions about “airing dirty laundry in public.”
  3. 1 Cor. 4:5 says Jesus will bring the “secret things to light.”
  4. What men thought would be hidden from all and forever will be clearly revealed.
• The alleged victim was asked for some details she could not remember.
• God is not like us; He never forgets anything because He knows all.
• With the judgment at the end of time, there will be no “hard cases” –
• The judgment bar of Christ will not have all the back and forth bickering seen in human courts.
• Some will try to object on the Day of Judgment (Mt. 7:22 – Lord, “but DID WE NOT”) –
• The case being described had a key witness recalled to rebut the defendant’s testimony.
• At the end of time there will be no need to find or recall witnesses; any necessary facts will be available.
• I was surprised at the small number of people in the courtroom for every day of this trial.
• At the end of time, we will find a lot of people present.
• Paul (2 Cor. 5:10) said ALL will be there. From the first person born to the last; no one will be absent.
• For the most part, the jurors I sat with believed the prosecutors failed to prove their case.
• The difference between reasonable doubt and NO POSSIBLE DOUBT.
• 2 Cor. 5:10 says judgement will be based on THINGS DONE IN THE BODY.
• Judgment will not be based on what people claim or want someone to think.
• Behind the judge was a wall; on this wall was nothing but a sign with one word: INTEGRITY.
• God has integrity, but much, much more. His judgment will be perfect in every possible way.
• Jurors were asked if they could and would vote based on the law instead of feelings.
• If we are not in a right relationship with God, we need to correct that and correct that today.
• SLIDE
• The jury room where I spent several hours buzzed with activity.
• People were allowed to think, dig, ask questions, and likely walk away with newfound knowledge.
• The Bible class can be and should be one of the greatest highlights of our week.
• We can calmly think, reason, discuss, and draw conclusions about a book better than any civil/criminal trial.
• I would strongly encourage you to take each of those reasons and find a way to overcome them.
• SLIDE – the judgment is coming – are we ready?

    The fruit of the Spirit is found in Galatians 5:22. The Greek word translated “faithfulness” (NASV) is simply the word “faith.” But, there is a difference between “faithfulness” and “faith.”

    Faith is “complete trust or confidence in someone or something.” We trust, having complete confidence in God, even though we cannot see him. That is faith.    

    Faithfulness – “the quality of being loyal, constant, and steadfast.” In other words, faithfulness is being dependable, constant.

    Some people’s faithfulness, or loyalty, lasts only as long as the blessings flow. A wealthy old man was enthusiastic about marrying his lovely young bride but sometimes wondered if she might marry him just for his money. So, he asked her, “If I lost all my money, would you still love me?”

    “Of course I would still love you,” she retorted. “Don’t be silly. But I would miss you.”

THE ORIGIN OF FAITHFULNESS IS THE NATURE OF GOD:

    As the Israelites were getting ready to cross into the Promised Land, Moses told them, “Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments; but repays those who hate Him to their faces, to destroy them; He will not delay with him who hates Him, He will repay him to his face. Therefore, you shall keep the commandment and the statutes and the judgments which I am commanding you today, to do them” (Deut. 7:9-11).

    The Hebrew word translated “faithful” here is actually a verb, a passive verb and the verb is “trust.” So, Moses is saying God is the “being trusted” One. You can trust God. Why? Because He doesn’t change.

    To say that God is faithful is to say that God is real. He is firm, stable, reliable, dependable, upright. Can cannot be unfaithful to His own nature. Therefore, He must be consistent.

THE EXAMPLE OF FAITHFULNESS IS JESUS CHRIST:

    Jesus Christ is, of course, God in the flesh. In which case, we would expect to see the same unchangeableness, infinite faithfulness in Jesus Christ while He was in the flesh on earth. The Hebrew writer tells us: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

    How do we see Jesus being faithful while He was on earth? First, Jesus was dependable in fulfilling the responsibility that the Father sent Him to fulfill, even though it meant death on the cross (John 17:4).

    Secondly, Jesus was dedicated to that task so that when it arose, Jesus praised those who were otherwise His enemies (Matt. 23:2-3) and He rebuked those who were otherwise His friends (Matt. 16:21-23).

    So, Jesus was faithful, dependable while He was on earth. He is our example of faithfulness – being dedicated to the truth of God regardless of whether it supports one person or another. Christianity is not a popularity contest. It is the pursuit of honoring God, and if we do that, we can also be dependable.

YOU AND I CAN BE FAITHFUL:

    1. Remember that God has a reward for those who are faithful –  1 Samuel 26:23 – “The Lord will repay each man for his righteousness and his faithfulness.”

    2. Fear God; it will stimulate faithfulness – Nehemiah’s brother, Hanani, is said to be a “faithful man and feared God more than many” (Neh. 7:2).

    3. Don’t ever lie! “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, But those who deal faithfully are His delight” (Prov. 12:22).

    4. Stay faithful to God’s word – “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy” (Prov. 27:6).

    5. Remember that greater blessings will come if we stay faithful: “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master” (Matt. 25:21).

    6. Just stick with it! 

    Let us be reliable so that God can trust us with the blessings and the Gospel He has given into our hands.

–Paul Holland