ROBBED Of The KING-II—Luke 19:41-44
Attention:
Lack of discernment brings us a great deal of grief.
Likewise we can be robbed of something & someone of much grander importance....We can be robbed of our King!
Need:
Spiritual ignorance can be intentional(volitional) or can be unintentional(passive), but either way Spiritual ignorance is detrimental.
Jesus wept over Jerusalem’s lack of discernment in the midst of her visitation.
Our Savior is grieved over a lack of discernment in spiritual matters.
Why is God grieved over the spiritual ignorance of His people?
7 faults of spiritual ignorance.
Spiritual ignorance Robs us of....
1. JOY(:41)
2. OPPORTUNITY(:42)
3. PEACE(:42)
4—Spiritual ignorance Robs us of...
SIGHT(:42)
Explanation:(:42)
:42—“saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.”
God never intentionally keeps us from truth, life, peace.
We choose their absence!
How?—Our prejudices, desires,
The very “things” of peace are “hidden from” the “eyes” of those who are seeking & desire such peace. It is implied here that peace is sought, yet there is no concept of how to find it or truly possess it.. Rather the lives/lifestyle of Jerusalem—& what it stand for spiritually— is built around a limited(human/fleshly) concept of how to attain & possess it. How ironic it is to seek for something(peace) earnestly while disregarding the very obvious means to it. God has sent the means of peace & He stands in their midst.
Jesus told Nicodemus that the kingdom of God is hidden from the eyes of those who are not born again.
Jn. 3:3—“Jesus answered & said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.””
“Hidden”—kruptw—1) To hide, conceal, to be hid; 2) Escape notice; 3) metaph. To conceal (that it may not become known). Strong—a primary verb; To conceal (properly, by covering):-- Hide (self), keep secret, secret[-ly].
Argumentation:
Rom. 2:5—“But because of your stubbornness & unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”
2Cor. 5:7—“for we walk by faith, not by sight--”
Jn. 9:39—“And Jesus said, “For judgment I came into this world, that those who do not see may see; & that those who see may become blind.”
Ps. 81:11-12—““But My people did not listen to My voice; And Israel did not obey Me. “So I gave them over to the stubbornness of their heart, To walk in their own devices.”
Eze. 12:1—“Son of man, you live in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see but do not see, ears to hear but do not hear; for they are a rebellious house.”
Rev. 3:17-18—“‘Because you say, “I am rich, & have become wealthy, & have need of nothing,” & you do not know that you are wretched & miserable & poor & blind & naked, I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire, that you may become rich, & white garments, that you may clothe yourself, & that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; & eye salve to anoint your eyes, that you may see.”—Laodiceans saw themselves as rich
2Cor. 3:13-16—“& are not as Moses, who used to put a veil over his face that the sons of Israel might not look intently at the end of what was fading away.” But their[Jews] minds were hardened; for until this very day at the reading of the old covenant the same veil remains unlifted, because it is removed in Christ. But to this day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their heart; “but whenever a man turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.”
Acts 13:27—“For those who live in Jerusalem, & their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled these by condemning Him.”
Illustration:
What’s really happening?
Before Berlin wall/Little old man 2 days a week pushes a wheelbarrow of straw to the guard shack separating East Berlin from West Berlin/Every time Guards rifled thru straw looking for contraband/Guards always baffled find nothing year after year/Finally Berlin wall comes down & city is united/Guards lose jobs/Guards ask “What were you smuggling?”/Wheelbarrows!
Application:
?You Robbed yourself of SIGHT?
?Are you Robbed of your King?
5—Spiritual ignorance Robs us of...
PROTECTION(:43-44)
Explanation:(:43-44)
:43—“For the days shall come upon you when your enemies will throw up a bank before you, & surround you, & hem you in on every side,”
The “hiddenness” of “the things that make for peace” is of quality wherein the absolute negation of peace will be their portion. In fact, Jerusalem’s very enemies will besiege them, “leveling” the city & destroying all those of the generations within. The destruction will be so complete that not even “one stone” would be left “upon another.”
:44—“& will level you to the ground & your children within you, & they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
Within 40 yrs. the Romans, under Titus, would literally level the city wall & Temple at Passover with 30,000 troops. Est. 600,000+ people slaughtered.
The reason for such destruction of God’s people is that they have refused to recognize the presence of God in their midst. Thus they missed His word for them, His direction, His power, & His salvation!
This obviously implies that a right relationship with God is an assurance of God’s protection. Personal decisions & actions have a direct correlation to our relationship with God. & our specific & unique relationship with God has a direct correlation to God’s protection of His interests in us.
“Come”—hkw—1) To have come, have arrived, be present; 2) metaph.—2a) To come to one, i.e. to seek an intimacy with one, become his follower: to come upon one (unexpectedly), 2b) To come upon one, of things endured. Strong—a primary verb; To arrive, i.e. Be present (literally or figuratively):-- Come.
“Enemies”—ecyrov—Adj.—1) Hated, odious, hateful; 2) Hostile, hating, & opposing another—2a) Used of men as at enmity with God by their sin—2a1) Opposing (God) in the mind, 2a2) A man that is hostile, 2a3) A certain enemy, 2a4) The hostile one, 2a5) The devil who is the most bitter enemy of the divine government. Strong—from a primary ecyw(to hate); Hateful (passively, Odious, or actively, Hostile); usually as a noun, An adversary (especially Satan):-- Enemy, foe.
“Build...around/Cast...about/Throw up...before/Build...against”—periballw—1) To throw around, to put around—1a) To surround a city with a bank (palisade), 1b) Of garments, to clothe one—1b1) To put a thing on one, 1b2) To clothe one with a thing, 1c) To put on or clothe one’s self. “Embankment/Trench/Bank”—carax—1) A pale or stake, a palisade; 2) A palisade or rampart—2a) Pales between which earth, stones, trees, & timbers are heaped & packed together. Strong—from carassw(to sharpen to a point; akin to grafw through the idea of scratching); A stake, i.e. (by implication) A palisade or rampart (military mound for circumvallation in a siege):-- Trench.
“Surround”—perikuklow—1) To encircle, compass about—1a) Of a city (besieged). Strong—To encircle all around, i.e. Blockade completely:-- Compass round. Used 1X.
“Close...in”—sunecw—1) To hold together—1a) Any whole, lest it fall to pieces or something fall away from it; 2) To hold together with constraint, to compress—2a) To press together with the hand, 2a) To hold one’s ears, to shut the heavens that it may not rain, 2b) To press on every side—2b1) Of a besieged city, 2b2) Of a strait, that forces a ship into a narrow channel, 2b3) Of a cattle squeeze, that pushing in on each side, forcing the beast into a position where it cannot move so the farmer can administer medication; 3) To hold completely—3a) To hold fast—3a1) Of a prisoner, 3b) metaph.—3b1) To be held by, closely occupied with any business, 3b2) In teaching the word, 3b3) To constrain, oppress, of ills laying hold of one & distressing him, 3b4) To be held with, afflicted with, suffering from, 3b5) To urge, impel 3b51) of the soul. Strong—To hold together, i.e. To compress (the ears, with a crowd or siege) or Arrest (a prisoner); figuratively, To compel, perplex, afflict, preoccupy:-- Constrain, hold, keep in, press, lie sick of, stop, be in a strait, straiten, be taken with, throng.
“Every side”—pantoyen—1) From all sides, from every quarter. Strong—From (i.e. on) all sides:-- On every side, round about.
“Level...to the ground/Lay...even with the ground/Dash...to the ground”—edafizw—1) To throw to the ground—1a) Both of cities & buildings, to raze, level with the earth, 1b) metaph. Of men. Strong—To raze:-- Lay even with the ground. Used 1X. From—edafov—a basis (bottom), i.e. the soil:-- ground.
“Children”—teknon—1) Offspring, children. Gives prominence to physical & outward aspects of parentage. Paiv, teknon denote a child alike as respects to descent & age, reference to the later being more prominent in the former word. Strong—A child (as produced):-- Child, daughter, son. (CONT...)5—Spiritual ignorance Robs us of...
PROTECTION(:43-44)
“Know”(See :42)—ginwskw—1) To learn to know, come to know, get a knowledge of perceive, feel—1a) To become known; 2) To know, understand, perceive, have knowledge of—2a) To understand, 2b) To know; 3) Jewish idiom for sexual intercourse between a man & a woman; 4) To become acquainted with, to know. Ginwskw is a knowledge grounded on personal experience. Strong—To "know" (absolutely) in a great variety of applications & with many implications (as follow, with others not thus clearly expressed):-- Allow, be aware (of), feel, (have) know(-ledge), perceived, be resolved, can speak, be sure, understand.
“Time”—kairov—1) Due measure; 2) A measure of time, a larger or smaller portion of time, hence:—2a) A fixed & definite time, the time when things are brought to crisis, the decisive epoch waited for, 2b) Opportune or seasonable time, 2c) The right time, 2d) A limited period of time, 2e) To what time brings, the state of the times, the things & events of time. A definitely limited portion of time with the added notion of suitableness Strong—An occasion, i.e. Set or proper time:-- X always, opportunity, (convenient, due) season, (due, short, while) time, a while.
“Visitation/God’s coming to you”—episkoph—N. f.—1) Investigation, inspection, visitation. Strong—Inspection (for relief); by implication, Superintendence; specially, the Christian "episcopate":-- The office of a "bishop", bishoprick, visitation.
Argumentation:
Ps. 18:2—“The LORD is my rock & my fortress & my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; My shield & the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.”
2Sam. 22:31—““As for God, His way is blameless; The word of the LORD is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.”
Isa. 25:4—“For Thou hast been a defense for the helpless, A defense for the needy in his distress, A refuge from the storm, a shade from the heat...”
Heb. 4:16—“Let us therefore draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy & may find grace to help in time of need.”
Illustration:
Chuy(48 yrs.) & Maria Avila/NAMB Missionaries to Laredo TX/Nuevo Laredo to Laredo is a thoroughfare for an estimated $20 billion drug market operated by drug cartels between Mexico & the U.S. With the drugs come unchecked violence & bloodshed. A recent local shootout between Mexican Federal Police officers & drug cartel members left a dozen dead & over 20 wounded. It’s routine for Laredo citizens to hear gunfire echoing across the Rio Grande from the Nuevo Laredo side of the border. “Laredo is a dangerous place to minister,”...“I need prayers & support from my Christian brothers & sisters”/
Alligator on trail/Dive into water to get away/Robs of PROTECTION
Portuguese Man-of-War/Beautiful—Different/Tempting to examine closely/Stingers—hospitalized/Ignorance/Desire Robs of PROTECTION
Application:
?You Robbed yourself of PROTECTION?
?Are you Robbed of your King?
6—Spiritual ignorance Robs us of...
WORSHIP(:45-46)
Explanation:(:45-46)
:45—“Then He went into the temple & began to drive out those who bought & sold in it,”
Jesus’ first order of business at having wept over Jerusalem’s sin, is to enter the courts of the temple. Upon His entrance, Jesus begins to cleanse(“drive out”) it of that which gives evidence of an ignorance as to God’s presence(“visitation”).
Of course this action of Jesus was questioned by those who saw themselves the keepers of the temple(Pharisees & Sadducees) ritual/tradition & what have you. They had allowed such unacceptable behavior as merchandising, while declaring themselves righteous. They stood to make plenty money in the exercise of prescribed worship.
There were people within the temple grounds who were selling goods. Likewise there were those purchasing the seller’s product. Though the products sold were, no doubt, religiously/worship oriented or related.
It is known that there were money exchangers(from foreign currency to the shekel of the sanctuary), & Animal vendors(for sacrifice)—Doves, Oxen, Sheep—within the temple grounds. This merchandising was an affront to Jesus, as it discombobulated the temple’s purpose. It is one thing to supply for another’s need, but it is an entirely different thing to supply that need within an area designated for personal & corporate prayer & thus worship.
Mat. 21:12—“Then Jesus went into the temple of God & drove out all those who bought & sold in the temple, & overturned the tables of the money changers & the seats of those who sold doves.”
Mk. 11:15-16—“So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple & began to drive out those who bought & sold in the temple, & overturned the tables of the money changers & the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple.”
Jn. 2:14-16—“And He found in the temple those who sold oxen & sheep & doves, & the moneychangers doing business. When He had made a whip of cords, He drove them all out of the temple, with the sheep & the oxen, & poured out the changers’ money & overturned the tables. And He said to those who sold doves, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise!””
“Temple”—ieron—1) A sacred place, temple. Strong—A sacred place, i.e. the entire precincts (whereas naov denotes the central sanctuary itself) of the Temple (at Jerusalem or elsewhere):-- Temple.
“Drive out”—ekballw—1) To cast out, drive out, to send out. Strong—To eject (literally or figuratively):-- Bring forth, cast (forth, out), drive (out), expel, leave, pluck (pull, take, thrust) out, put forth (out), send away (forth, out).
“Bought”—agorazw—1) To be in the market place, to attend it; 2) To do business there, buy or sell; 3) Of idle people: to haunt the market place, lounge there. Strong—properly, To go to market, i.e. (by implication) To purchase; specially, to redeem:-- Buy, redeem.
“Sold”—pwlew—1) To barter, to sell; 2) Sellers. Strong—probably ultimately from pelomai(to be busy, to trade); To barter (as a pedlar), i.e. To sell:-- Sell, whatever is sold.
:46—“saying to them, “It is written, ‘My house is a house of prayer,’ but you have made it a ‘den of thieves.’””
In defending his actions, Jesus quotes specific Scripture applying it directly to the situation as a harsh reprimand/rebuke.
The temple in Jerusalem is representative of God’s favor extended to Israel. We must be reminded that the temple is indeed God’s house. It is in the place of His choosing(Deut. 12:5, et al). it is therefore a sacred place dedicated to specifically honor YaHoVeH. And it is designated by Him as a place for actively seeking His face in “prayer.”
However, the opposite has occurred at the hands of the religious. The purpose of the temple has instead become dedicated to thievery. It has become a hideout for those who steal from others. The “den” is where those who steal congregate, plan, concur, live & are comfortable with their deceitful dealings.
Thru their actions, the merchandizers are stealing God from those who earnestly desire to approach God, & that, in the very place where open & honest prayer is most appropriate! Worship in prayer was never intended to be limited by the whims of men, however, the whims of men have always been intended to be limited thru worship.
What a slam upon the supposed faith of the keepers of the temple. How they have strayed from God’s intent. This is one very strong call for anyone to make himself aware of God’s will & intent!
Jesus quotes from Isa. 56:7 & Jer. 7:11(below)...
One of the references(Isa. 56:7) recorded is an encouragement to those who are foreigners or eunuch who have nonetheless joined themselves to YaHoVeH.
The other of the references recorded is a God-driven rebuke of religious arrogance expressed by the native-born(Jews) adherents to mere outward religious behaviors.
As ENCOURAGEMENT:
Isa 56:1-7—“Thus says the LORD: “Keep justice, & do righteousness, For My salvation is about to come, And My righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man who does this, And the son of man who lays hold on it; Who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And keeps his hand from doing any evil.” Do not let the son of the foreigner Who has joined himself to the LORD Speak, saying, “The LORD has utterly separated me from His people”; Nor let the eunuch say, “Here I am, a dry tree.” For thus says the LORD: “To the eunuchs who keep My Sabbaths, And choose what pleases Me, And hold fast My covenant, Even to them I will give in My house And within My walls a place & a name Better than that of sons & daughters; I will give them an everlasting name That shall not be cut off. “Also the sons of the foreigner Who join themselves to the LORD, to serve Him, And to love the name of the LORD, to be His servants-- Everyone who keeps from defiling the Sabbath, And holds fast My covenant-- Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, And make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings & their sacrifices Will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.””
As REBUKE:
Jer 7:9-15—““Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, & walk after other gods whom you do not know, “& then come & stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, & say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? “Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the LORD. “But go now to My place which was in Shiloh, where I set My name at the first, & see what I did to it because of the wickedness of My people Israel. “And now, because you have done all these works,” says the LORD, “& I spoke to you, rising up early & speaking, but you did not hear, & I called you, but you did not answer, “therefore I will do to the house which is called by My name, in which you trust, & to this place which I gave to you & your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. “And I will cast you out of My sight, as I have cast out all your brethren--the whole posterity of Ephraim.”
They trust in the place, not the God of the place. “House”—oikov—1) A house; 2) The inmates of a house, all the persons forming one family, a household—2a) The family of God, of the Christian Church, of the church of the Old & New Testaments; 3) Stock, family, descendants of one. Strong—A dwelling (more or less extensive, literal or figurative); by implication A family (more or less related, literal or figuratively):-- Home, house(-hold), temple.
“Prayer”—proseuch—1) Prayer addressed to God; 2) A place set apart or suited for the offering of prayer. A word of sacred character, being limited to prayer to God. Gives prominence to the... element of devotion. Strong—Prayer (worship); by implication, An oratory (chapel):-- X pray earnestly, prayer.
“Den”—sphlaion—A cave, den. Strong—neuter of a presumed derivative of speov(a grotto); A cavern; by implication, A hiding-place or resort:-- Cave, den.
“Thieves”—lhsthv—1) A robber, plunderer, freebooter, brigand. Denotes one who steals openly, as opposed to a klepthv who steals by stealth.
Argumentation:
Jn. 4:23-24 ““But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.””
Ac 7:42-43—““Then God turned and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the Prophets: ‘Did you offer Me slaughtered animals and sacrifices during forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? You also took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of your god Remphan, Images which you made to worship; And I will carry you away beyond Babylon.’”
It is possible to believe you are worshiping when you are in reality, being sentimental & hopeful.
Rev. 13:3-9—“And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, “Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?” And he was given a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies, and he was given authority to continue for forty-two months. Then he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. It was granted to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them. And authority was given him over every tribe, tongue, and nation. All who dwell on the earth will worship him, whose names have not been written in the Book of Life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If anyone has an ear, let him hear.” (CONT...)6—Spiritual ignorance Robs us of...
WORSHIP(:45-46)
Illustration:
My former life in church as a teenager/Unsaved/Hated Church/Boring/Useless/Robbed myself of WORSHIP
When ‘Doing church’ is purely social or sentimental, or forced, then you cannot Worship/WORSHIP
Application:
?You Robbed yourself of WORSHIP?
?Are you Robbed of your King?
7—Spiritual ignorance Robs us of...
POWER(:47-48)
Explanation:(:47-48)
:47—“And He was teaching daily in the temple. But the chief priests, the scribes, & the leaders of the people sought to destroy Him,”
Though Jesus taught God’s truth every day in the temple environs, those who had self-proclaimed authority(aside from God) there, earnestly looked for ways to “destroy” Him physically, & presumably, His teaching & influence.
The ruling religious had a strangle hold on the theology disseminated & thus the religious behavior of the people.
“Teaching”—didaskw—Strong—a prolonged (causative) form of a primary verb daw(to learn); To teach (in the same broad application):-- Teach.
“Daily”(See :42—“Day”)—hmera—Strong—feminine (with wra implied) of a derivative of hmai(to sit; akin to the base of edraiov) meaning tame, i.e. gentle; Day, i.e. (literally) The time space between dawn & dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively, A period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):-- Age, + alway, (mid-)day (by day, [-ly]), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years.
“Chief priest”—arciereuv—1) Chief priest, high priest.
‘It was lawful for him to perform the common duties of the priesthood; but his chief duty was, once a year on the day of atonement, to enter into the Holy of Holies (from which the other priests were excluded) & offer sacrifices for his own sins & the sins of the people, & to preside over the Sanhedrin, or Supreme Council, when convened for judicial deliberations. No one could aspire to the high priesthood unless he were of the tribe of Aaron & descended from a high priestly family; & the office was conferred till death. But from the time of Antiochus Epiphanes, when the kings of Seleucideae & afterwards the Herodian princes & the Romans arrogated to themselves the power of appointing the high priests, the office neither remained vested in the Aaronic family nor was conferred on any for life; but it became venal, & could be transferred from one to another according to the will of civic or military rulers.’—Thayer
“Scribes”—grammateuv—Strong—A writer, i.e. (professionally) Scribe or secretary:-- Scribe, town-clerk. Thayer—1) A clerk, scribe, esp. a public servant, secretary, recorder, whose office & influence differed in different states; 2) In the Bible, a man learned in the Mosaic law & in the sacred writings, an interpreter, teacher. Scribes examined the more difficult & subtle questions of the law; added to the Mosaic law decisions of various kinds thought to elucidate its meaning & scope, & did this to the detriment of religion. Since the advice of men skilled in the law was needed in the examination in the causes & the solution of the difficult questions, they were enrolled in the Sanhedrin; & are mentioned in connection with the priests & elders of the people; 3) A religious teacher: so instructed that from his learning & ability to teach advantage may redound to the kingdom of heaven.
“Leaders/Chief/Leading men”—prwtov—1) First in time or place—1a) In any succession of things or persons; 2) first in rank—2a) influence, honor, 2b) Chief, 2c) Principal; 3) First, at the first. Strong—Foremost (in time, place, order or importance):-- before, beginning, best, chief(-est), first (of all), former.
“Sought/Trying”—zhtew—1) To seek in order to find; 2) To seek i.e. require, demand. Strong—To seek (literally or figuratively); specially, (by Hebraism) To worship (God), or (in a bad sense) To plot (against life):-- Be (go) about, desire, endeavour, enquire (for), require, (X will) seek (after, for, means).
“Destroy/Kill”—apollumi—Strong—To destroy fully (reflexively, to perish, or lose), literally or figuratively:-- Destroy, die, lose, mar, perish.
:48—“and were unable to do anything; for all the people were very attentive to hear Him.”
The religious leadership could find no method/means of destroying Jesus. This is because in order to destroy him, they would have to do it in a manner which would not draw attention to themselves & their own selfish intent. The people(aside from the spiritual leadership) were so rapt at Jesus’ ministry that their committed attention brought fear to the hearts of said leadership.
Such fear would have been legitimate if its had been directed toward an examination of their own theology/beliefs/sin. However their fault consisted of a fear that an aberrant religion(Jesus) would consume the people & circumvent that which they saw & accepted as ‘true’(their own interpretations), even though it contradicted God’s word.
“Unable to do anything/Could not find”—euriskw—1) To come upon, hit upon, to meet with; 2) To find by enquiry, thought, examination, scrutiny, observation, to find out by practice & experience; 3) To find out for one’s self, to acquire, get, obtain, procure. Strong—To find (literally or figuratively):-- Find, get, obtain, perceive, see.
“Attentive/Hanging upon”—ekkremamai—1) To hang from. Strong—To hang upon the lips of a speaker, i.e. listen closely:-- be very attentive. Used 1X.
Argumentation:
Acts 1:8—““But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; & you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, & in all Judea & Samaria, & to the end of the earth.””
Rom. 1:16-17—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.””
Rom. 15:13-14—“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy & peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Now I myself am confident concerning you, my brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, able also to admonish one another.”
2Tim. 1:6-9—“Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power & of love & of a sound mind. Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God, who has saved us & called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose & grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,”
1Cor. 1:18-19—“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written: “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, And bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.””
1Cor. 2:4-5—“And my speech & my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit & of power, that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”
1Cor. 4:19-20—“But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord wills, & I will know, not the word of those who are puffed up, but the power. For the kingdom of God is not in word but in power.”
2Cor. 4:7—“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God & not of us.”
2Cor. 12:7-10—“And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
Illustration:
Hatred throughout the world/No ability to quell it/Robbed of POWER
Real Power brings a Denial of Self & a subsequent focus upon the Lord!
Life in Christ, on-the-other-hand, gives on tremendous power above & beyond themselves to give their vengeance over to the Lord, to give themselves to love the sinner but hate the sin which ruins the sinner/Real POWER
Application:
?You Robbed yourself of POWER?
?Are you Robbed of your King?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
7 Faults of Spiritual ignorance are
Spiritual ignorance Robs us of....
4. SIGHT(:42)
5. PROTECTION(:43-44)
6. WORSHIP(:45-46)
7. POWER(:47-48)
1. JOY(:41)
2. OPPORTUNITY(:42)
3. PEACE(:42)
Presented 04/10/2011pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
Presented 04/08/01am to:
Providence Baptist Church
975 Providence Road
Whigham, GA 31797
