Text: Romans 16:25-27

God is able to establish us through His word. Here, Paul describes the word of God in several different ways, showing how it is able to establish us

The Gospel

• “Good news” — the message is beneficial to us
• Man is enslaved to sin (John 8:24; Hebrews 2:15) — the gospel announces freedom from sin (Romans 6:17)
• Man was lost (Isaiah 53:6) — the gospel shows us the right path (Matthew 7:13-14; John 14:6)

Preaching of Jesus Christ

• Preaching about Jesus — foundation of the gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
• Preaching of Jesus (His message) — truth (John 18:37); words of eternal life (John 6:68)
• Jesus is the cornerstone in the foundation which we are built upon (Ephesians 2:20-21)

Revelation of the Mystery

• Done by the Holy Spirit to inspired men (1 Corinthians 2:7-10)
• God has not revealed everything we might wonder about, but what He has revealed is sufficient to establish us (Deuteronomy 29:29; cf. 2 Peter 1:3)

Scriptures of the Prophets

• The prophets were God’s spokesmen — revealed the mystery [previous point]
• Part of speaking for God included foretelling of certain events — fulfilled prophecy should produce faith (Deuteronomy 18:18-22)
• The OT is intended to help lead us to faith in Christ (Galatians 3:24)

Commandment of the Eternal God

• Many want to think of the gospel only as “good news” — unconditional salvation by grace
• Jesus plainly taught that His disciples were to follow His commandments (Matthew 28:20)
• The preaching of the gospel was to lead to the “obedience of faith” (Romans 16:26; 1:5)
• We must obey the gospel (2 Thessalonians 1:8)

Made Known to All the Nations

• The apostles were to go into all the world and preach the gospel (Mark 16:15)
• The gospel is God’s power to salvation for both Jews & Gentiles (Romans 1:16)
• God will welcome people from every nation (Acts 10:34-35)

Read the article: How God is Able to Establish You

Text: Luke 13:1-5

When disasters occur (terrorist attacks, hurricanes, earthquakes, accidents etc.), people often wonder if/how God was involved, and if these events occurred as a sort of divine judgment against the victims/nation. It is important that we know why these events happen & what these events can teach us.

Why These Things Happen

• Divine act of judgment — Bible examples (flood, Sodom, ten plagues, captivities, etc.); each was announced beforehand by God (Genesis 6:13; 18:17-21; Exodus 3:19-20; Hosea 8:8-10; Jeremiah 25:8-11); no such prophecy exists today, so we must be wary of attributing such things to God (1 Peter 4:11)
• Actions of evil men — there will always be wicked people who cause suffering for others; government was ordained to deal with this (Romans 13:4); but sometimes the government is the force behind the evil (Revelation 17:5-6; Luke 13:1)
• Happenstance — time & chance affect us all (Ecclesiastes 9:11); people want to believe that all things happen for a reason, but this is just not the case (Luke 13:4)
• Consequences of foolish or sinful behavior — our choices/actions impact our lives, positively or negatively; choices/actions of others can also affect us as well (ex: poor construction (Luke 13:4), inattentive drivers, etc.)

What These Events Teach Us

• Life is uncertain — our lives are but a vapor (James 4:13-16); therefore, we must set our minds on things above (Colossians 3:2)
• Obedience to God is a priority — with these disasters in mind, Jesus told them to repent (Luke 13:3,5); obedience is not an option (John 14:15; Hebrews 5:9)
• God will ultimately judge us — all unrepentant sinners will suffer the same fate (Romans 6:23); we must prepare for our appointment before the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10)

Read the article: When Disaster Strikes

Text: Leviticus 23

This lesson takes a brief look at several feasts & observances from the Law of Moses and some of the lessons they provide for us today.

Weekly Sabbath (v. 3)

• Creation — Sabbath patterned after Creation week (Exodus 20:11); reminds us that He is all-powerful (Romans 1:20) & the only true & living God (1 Thessalonians 1:9)
• Rest — this was a shadow of the true rest to come (Hebrews 4:9-11)

Feast of First Fruits (v. 9-14)

• Providence — God sustains us here (Colossians 1:16-17; Acts 14:15,17); but we must work to take advantage of His blessings (Acts 15:17; Proverbs 28:19)
• Priorities — first fruits; God expects us to place spiritual things as our top priority (Matthew 6:33)

Passover & Feast of Unleavened Bread (v. 4-8)

• Deliverance — the Israelites were in bondage in Egypt just as we are in bondage to sin (John 8:34); in both cases, God provides deliverance for those who meet His conditions (Exodus 12:7,13; Romans 6:17-18)
• Purity — leaven was not even to be in their houses (Exodus 12:15); in NT leaven symbolizes sin (1 Corinthians 5:6-9); we must work to remove sin from our lives (1 John 3:3)

Day of Atonement (v. 26-32)

• Forgiveness — sin has been a universal problem since the beginning (Romans 5:12); God provides a way of forgiveness through the blood of Christ (Ephesians 1:7)
• Wrath — atonement saves from wrath (Romans 5:9), not by eliminating it, but by giving us a second chance (Romans 2:5); even after deliverance, sin still needs to be dealt with (1 John 2:1; 1:9)

Feast of Booths (v. 39-44)

• Pilgrimage — our homes here are temporary dwellings (2 Peter 3:10); citizenship is in heaven (Philippians 3:20); as pilgrims we must act a certain way (1 Peter 2:11-12), not become attached to the world (1 John 2:15-17)
• Hope — the Israelites did not leave Egypt to wander in the wilderness, they left for Canaan; we have a specific place we are headed (heaven) & must keep our eyes on the goal (Philippians 3:13-14; Colossians 3:2)

Text: 1 Corinthians 13:6-7

One Who Simply Believes Error

• It is expected that our knowledge will grow from infancy to maturity (1 Peter 2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14)
• Growth can only happen through the teaching of the word (1 Peter 2:2)
• Error needs to be explained & refuted (2 Corinthians 10:5)

One Who Openly Promotes Error

• This one has a greater accountability (James 3:1)
• Mark & avoid him (Romans 16:17), do not receive him (2 John 10-11)
• Confront their teaching (Titus 1:10-11; Acts 15:1-2) — do so with urgency (Galatians 2:4-5)
• When one publicly teaches error, does Matthew 18:15 require us to go to him privately first? … No — that was for private sin, this is public error
• What about Apollos? (Acts 18:24-26) — he was not a Christian (“acquainted only with the baptism of John” — v. 25), not parallel with our response to brethren who teach false doctrine
• Are we to ignore error outside our own congregation? … Not if the influence of the error has the potential of reaching members of our congregation — What about autonomy? … This is about self-governance (1 Peter 5:2), not a prohibition against noticing and pointing out error when it is being taught

Word of God (Psalm 19:10; 119:72)

• Valuable because it comes from God (2 Timothy 3:16) — He Himself is more valuable than gold (Job 22:24-25)
• Addresses the biggest problem in the history of man — sin (Romans 3:23; 6:23) — and provides the only solution (Acts 4:12)
• It will never become outdated (Jude 3; Galatians 1:8-9)

Wisdom (Proverbs 8:19; Job 28:12-15)

• Provides life & prosperity (Proverbs 3:13-18)
• Delivers us from evil (Proverbs 2:10-22)

Blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19)

• Pure & perfect sacrifice (Hebrews 9:14,28; 7:26-27)
• Provides forgiveness (Ephesians 1:7)
• Poured our for many (Matthew 26:28) — How many? … The world (John 3:160

Faith (1 Peter 1:7)

• Faith is a product of the word (Romans 10:17) which already has value in itself
• Faith saves us (Hebrews 11:6; Romans 5:1)
• Faith will be tested (2 Timothy 3:12) — we must remain faithful no matter what (Revelation 2:10)

Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21)

• Treasures on earth are temporal (1 Timothy 6:17; 2 Peter 3:10)
• Treasures in heaven are eternal (1 Peter 1:4)
• Description of heaven (Revelation 21:18-21) — the point is that heaven is far greater than anything this world has to offer

Our Soul (Matthew 16:26)

• This is the only part of us that is eternal
• Our bodies decay (2 Corinthians 4:16-18); flesh & blood cannot inherit the kingdom, we must be changed (1 Corinthians 15:50-53)
• When we die our soul will return to God (Ecclesiastes 12:7) — we will then be judged according to what we have done (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)

1 Corinthians 13:6-7

Dealing with sin must always involve love for truth so that sin is not tolerated, it is dealt with in God’s way, and that we are careful to deal with facts, rather than assumptions and rumors.

Private Sin a Brother Commits Against You (Matthew 18:15-17)

• No one else is involved until you make personal contact with the offending brother (v. 15)
• Next step: witnesses taken to confirm facts — this could not be public sin, or else they would already know (v. 16)
• If he refuses to repent, take it before the church — make it public (v. 17)

Private Sin without Witnesses — Rumor (John 8:1-11)

• Woman allegedly caught in adultery — Guilty? … Popular opinion said ‘yes,’ but maybe not?
• No witnesses (v. 7; cf. Deuteronomy 17:7), incomplete evidence (no man — Leviticus 20:10)
• Crowd leaves, Jesus tells her to go and sin no more (v. 9-11)

Public Sin Requiring Withdrawal of Fellowship (1 Corinthians 5:1-13)

• Has the potential to lead others into sin (v. 6)
• Well-known, not a rumor (v. 1-2)
• Do not associate with the offender (v. 11), take note of him (2 Thessalonians 3:14)

Public Sin Requiring Immediate Public Rebuke (Galatians 2:11-14)

• Has already led others into sin (v. 13)
• Documented, public evidence (v. 12-13)
• No private meetings beforehand (v. 11,14)

Text: Mark 10:13-16

Disciples First Turned the Children Away, Then Jesus Welcomed Them — Why?

• They were important — even from a young age, children are to be trained in the right way (Proverbs 22:6)
• They provided an important reminder — “the kingdom of God belongs to such as these” (v. 14)

Characteristics of Children Needed for the Kingdom

• Innocence — forgiven (Acts 2:38), dead to sin (Romans 6:11), striving for perfection (Matthew 5:48)
• Trust — complete trust in the Lord (Proverbs 3:5), His word (Psalm 119:160), His way (Jeremiah 6:16), His promises (Hebrews 6:18-19)
• Dependence — we are dependent upon God for our salvation (Acts 4:12)
• Curiosity — desire to learn about God & His will (2 Peter 3:18; 1 Peter 2:2)

Not to Be Like Children in All Things

• Foolishness (Proverbs 22:15) — we must not be foolish in spiritual matters (Ephesians 5:17) or in matters pertaining to this life (Matthew 10:16)
• Immaturity (1 Corinthians 14:20) — all will be immature at some point (1 Peter 2:2), but we must not remain in that state; we are expected to grow (Hebrews 5:12-14)

Text: Ecclesiastes 1:2-11

All is Vanity

• Futility of wisdom (Ecclesiastes 1:12-18; 2:12-17)
• Futility of pleasures (Ecclesiastes 2:1-3, 10-11)
• Futility of possessions (Ecclesiastes 2:4-11)
• Futility of labor (Ecclesiastes 2:18-26)

Yet These Things Can Have Profit

• Profit of wisdom (Proverbs 3:13-18)
• Profit of pleasures (Ecclesiastes 11:9-10)
• Profit of possessions (Proverbs 10:15,22)
• Profit of labor (Proverbs 14:23)

Is the Wise Man Contradicting Himself?

• No — Scripture always harmonized with Scripture (John 10:35)
• Difference between profitability & futility is purpose (Ecclesiastes 12:13)

Our Pursuits Must Be According to Our Purpose

• Pursuit of wisdom — seek God’s wisdom (Proverbs 3:5-7), look in the right place to find truth which leads to wisdom (Proverbs 23:23), as wisdom is the application of knowledge, seek to obey God (James 1:22)
• Pursuit of pleasures — enjoy life, but remember that we will be held accountable (Ecclesiastes 11:9), limit ourselves to wholesome things (Philippians 4:8), must not neglect our responsibilities (spiritual, family, work, etc.)
• Pursuit of possessions — remember where blessings come from (James 1:17), use blessings to glory of God (1 Timothy 6:18), do not develop the love of money (1 Timothy 6:9-10)
• Pursuit of labor — work hard (Ecclesiastes 9:10) as for the Lord (Colossians 3:23); with fruit of our labors provide for ourselves & our families (2 Thessalonians 3:7-10; 1 Timothy 5:8), help those in need (Ephesians 4:28), give back to the Lord (1 Corinthians 16:1-2)

Read the article: Finding Purpose Amidst the Vanity of Life

Text: Leviticus 19

Chapter begins with a call for holiness (v. 2; cf. 1 Peter 1:15-16) — What will holiness look like?

Honor God

• Keep My sabbaths (v. 3,30) — consistent, ongoing action; reminded them of God’s work in creation (Exodus 20:8-11)
• Revere My sanctuary (v. 30) — respect the place of worship; specifically for today, appreciate the reason for coming together to worship (Revelation 4:11)
• Your body belongs to God (v. 26-28) — we must glorify God in our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)

Respect Authority & Wisdom

• Reverence father & mother (v. 3) — position of authority; children are to obey their parents (Ephesians 6:1)
• Honor the aged (v. 32) — Why? … wisdom & experience (Job 12:12)
• These relate to the idea of humility, similar to how we are to respect God – willing to submit to one in authority (1 Peter 5:6); willing to admit that we need guidance (Jeremiah 10:23)

Love Your Neighbor

• Love your neighbor as yourself (v. 18; cf. Matthew 23:39) — do not hate him, though you may reprove him (v. 17), do not take vengeance (Romans 12:19) or hold a grudge (James 5:9)
• Do not oppress your neighbor (v. 13) or do wrong to a stranger among you (v. 33-34) — do not mistreat others, even if they are unaware (deaf, blind — v. 13-14); do not withhold what you owe to someone (v. 13; James 5:4)
• When reaping the harvest, leave the corners of your field for the needy (v. 9-10) — help those who are willing to help themselves (cf. 2 Thessalonians 3:10)

Value Truth & Justice

• We must love the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:10) — do not deal falsely or lie to one another (v. 11); do not swear falsely by God’s name (v. 12); honor commitments, even when we might not prefer to do so (v. 20)
• We must act justly with others (Amos 5:24) — do not show partiality (v. 15); do not speak evil of others and bring harm to them (v. 16); do not cheat people in business dealings (v. 35-36)

Purity & Integrity

• 3 things were not to be mixed (v. 19) — breeds of cattle, kinds of seeds, materials in garments — there is a lesson here that God expects His people to be pure
• Under the Law of Moses — no mixed marriages (Deut. 7:3-4), no false gods (Exodus 20:3), this instruction & others
• Under the law of Christ — do not be bound together with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), do not participate in unfruitful deeds of darkness (Ephesians 5:11), walk in Light as He is in the Light (1 John 1:5-7)

Be Willing to Wait Patiently

• When they entered the promised land & planted trees, they were not to eat of them until the 5th year (v. 23-25) — by doing this the trees would be more fruitful in the future
• God’s people must wait patiently for His will, rather than rush for an inferior substitute (James 5:7) — Jesus’ heavenly kingdom vs. earthly kingdoms (Daniel 2:44; Matthew 4:8-9), marriage vs. pre-marital sex (Hebrews 13:4), treasures in heaven vs. treasures on earth (Matthew 6:19-21)

Listen to His Will

• Do not turn to mediums or spiritists (v. 31) — consulted to find some spiritual, divine, hidden information
• People today are still seeking for answers in the wrong places — creeds, popular opinion, feelings, human wisdom, world religions/philosophies
• We must look to God’s word (1 Corinthians 2:10) & be content with what He has said (1 Corinthians 1:22-24) — don’t go beyond it (2 John 9), fall short of it (Acts 20:27), or change it (Galatians 1:6-9)

Obey Him in All Things

• Observe all My statutes, do all My ordinances (v. 37) — Why? … He is the Lord
• Same requirement today for same reason — He has all authority (Matthew 28:18), we are accountable to Him (2 Corinthians 5:10)
• If we believe Jesus is Lord, we must obey Him (Luke 6:46) — necessary for salvation (Hebrews 5:9)

Text: 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Keep from Exalting Self

• Pride is a persistent problem (2 Timothy 3:2) — no matter who we are, we each have things we could boast about; but we must not
• Paul could have boasted in the revelations (v. 7) and other things (Philippians 3:4-6) — the thorn in the flesh prevented that
• We need to have humility (Philippians 2:3-5)

The Thorn in the Flesh

• We don’t know what Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, even though some have proposed different theories based on certain passages (Galatians 6:11; 2 Corinthians 10:10)
• Our thorn in the flesh could have to do with almost anything — health, finances, family, work, etc.
• It is appropriate to pray for these things to be removed (v. 8; Philippians 4:6)

Grace is Sufficient

• Despite his prayer, Paul’s thorn in the flesh wasn’t removed — the Lord answered, “My grace is sufficient for you” (v. 9)
• We may pray for our thorn in the flesh to be removed and nothing changes — this does not mean God is unconcerned about us
• God has already well demonstrated His love through His grace (Titus 2:11; Acts 20:24)
• Even if we live a miserable life here (by the world’s standards), we still have the grace of God (2 Corinthians 4:16-5:2; 1 Corinthians 15:19, 54-57)

Content with Weaknesses

• Physical limitations — weaknesses (infirmities, KJV)
• Trouble from outside sources — insults, distresses, persecutions, difficulties
• We can do all things through Christ (Philippians 4:13)

Important: It Does Not Say “Content with Shortcomings”

• Paul does not say he is content with sin or spiritual weakness
• We must overcome sin (Romans 6:11, 17-18) and press on to maturity (Hebrews 6:1)
• This does not negate the message of grace (Romans 3:23; 6:23) — rather, grace instructs us to live to a higher standard (Titus 2:11-14) and provides no license to sin (Jude 4)