WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD?-V—1Peter 1:3-12(:3-9; 10-12)
Attention:
Our Mini-van:
We’ve had 3 of them! It’s been the perfect car for our family of 6. It offers...a solid solution to our needs—Carries our family 7 people(we have 6) comfortably(which many larger cars do not!), Aesthetics(color/shape/attractive), Worry free operation(most anything breaks eventually), Reliability(never left us stranded), Cruising speed, Powerful & smooth acceleration, Good gas mileage(?), User friendly, Fair purchase price, etc. We can take the rear seats out & use it as a truck, We can tie luggage to the luggage rack on the roof, We can tie a canoe or kayak on the rack, We have hauled mattress box springs on the roof & a mattress inside, It doesn’t move the van when an 18-wheeler passes as full speed on a two-lane.
For our family, a Mini-Van has a lot to commend itself!
Likewise, God is great because He offers every solution for our lives!
Ironically we can miss the power of God preferring rather to enjoy the social aspects of ‘our church.’ And when confronted with our fears in such situations, we come to a standstill, not realizing ‘What’s So Great About God!’
Peter recalled basic justifications for glorifying God.
Blood-bought believers are justified in their glorifying/pointing to God.
Why are believers justified in glorifying/blessing/pointing to God?
Why is God Worthy?
WHAT’s So GREAT About GOD?
Previously, we found that,
God is Great because He offers...
1. GOD(:3a)
2. His MEANS OF SALVATION(:3a)
3. MERCY(:3b)
4. REGENERATION(:3b)
5. VIBRANT HOPE(:3b-c)
6. STANDING INHERITANCE(:4-5)
7. INTERNAL JOY(:6)
8—God is Great because He offers...
GENUINE FAITH(:7)
Explanation:(:7)
:7—“that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, & glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,”
Our trials are what make the authenticity of our faith & its quality very plain.
Js. 1:2-4—“Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, that you may be perfect & complete, lacking in nothing.”
This certain type of faith along with its “proof” is “more precious” than the most precious & sought after of temporal objects—even gold. Gold is itself even perishable.
Gold is valuable because it is uniquely untarnishable & scarce.
What is the proof?....Withstanding the fire & being of the same caliber as before the fire, & thus producing “praise, honor & glory”(toward the triune God) in the believer, even to the last day. This speaks of Christ’s second coming to earth.
When genuine saving “faith” is “tested,” as it were, by fire, it will result in/produce “praise, honor & glory” upon the day when Jesus is fully & tangibly “revealed” as the Christ(Anointed) of God.
He will be revealed as Prophet, Priest, Savior, Mediator, King, Lord, Judge, & Advocate.
“Genuine” faith always indicates/points to our Lord Jesus. It is always sourced in the believer’s allowing his life to be driven by Christ.
Ps. 119:67—“Before I was afflicted I went astray, But now I keep Thy word.”
“Genuineness/Proof/Trial”—dokimion—The proving; That by which something is tried or proved, A test. Strong—A testing; by implication--Trustworthiness. Used 2X.
“Precious/Of greater worth”—polutimov/timiwterov—Very valuable, of great price. / As of great price, precious; Held in honor, esteemed, especially dear. Strong—including the comparative timiwterov; & the superlative timiwtatov; Valuable, i.e. objectively--Costly, or subjectively--Honored, esteemed, or figuratively--Beloved.
“Perishes/Perishable”—apollumi—To destroy. Strong—from apo[Off/Away from] & the base of oleyrov[Ruin, i.e. Death, punishment]; To destroy fully(reflexively--To perish, or lose), literally or figuratively.
“Tested”—dokimazw—1) To test, examine, prove, scrutinize(to see whether a thing is genuine or not), as metals; 2) To recognize as genuine after examination, to approve, deem worthy. Strong—To test(literally or figuratively); by implication--To approve.
“Found/Result”—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).
“Praise”—epainov—Approbation(official approval), commendation, praise. Strong—Laudation; concretely--A commendable thing. Used 11X.
“Honor”—timh—1)A valuing by which the price is fixed; 2)Honor which belongs or is shown to one. Strong—A value, i.e. Money paid, or concretely & collectively--Valuables; by analogy--Esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself.
“Glory”—doxa—1)Opinion, judgment, view; 2)Opinion, estimate, whether good or bad concerning someone; 3)Splendor, brightness; 4)A most glorious condition, most exalted state. Strong—Glory(as very apparent), in a wide application (literal or figurative, objective or subjective).
Argumentation:
Heb. 3:6—“but Christ[was faithful] as a Son over His own house, whose house we are if we hold fast the confidence & the rejoicing of the hope firm to the end.”
Heb. 3:14—“For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginning of our assurance firm until the end;”
Rev. 2:24-29—“‘Now to you I say, & to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine, who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say, I will put on you no other burden. But hold fast what you have till I come. And he who overcomes, & keeps My works until the end, to him I will give power over the nations--‘He shall rule them with a rod of iron; They shall be dashed to pieces like the potter’s vessels’--as I also have received from My Father; & I will give him the morning star. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’’
Jn. 1:12-13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Rom. 10:9-10, 13—“...if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus & believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, & with the mouth confession is made unto salvation......“For “whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved.”
Jn. 3:18, 36—“He who believes in Him[Jesus] is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”.....“He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; & he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”
Mat. 10:22—““And you will be hated by all on account of My name, but it is the one who has endured to the end who will be saved.”
Rom. 2:5-8—“But in accordance with your hardness & your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath & revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each one according to his deeds: eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, & immortality; but to those who are self-seeking & do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness--indignation & wrath,”
1Cor. 1:4-8—“I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance & all knowledge, even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you, so that you come short in no gift, eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end, that you may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Rev. 2:8-11—“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: The first & the last, who was dead, & has come to life, says this: ‘I know your tribulation & your poverty (but you are rich), & the blasphemy by those who say they are Jews & are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. ‘Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that you may be tested, & you will have tribulation ten days. Be faithful until death, & I will give you the crown of life. ‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. He who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death.’”
Illustration:
(just kidding!)This last month I walked into the city hall to pay our water bill/I counted out the cash in front of the clerk & then handed her the cash!/But she looked at me very sternly & chuckled to herself at the same time, not knowing whether I was serious or not/I don’t know what the problem was, I just bought that Monopoly set & the money I gave her was crisp & unused!
Do you have faith in your ‘Monopoly Money’/Could you seriously buy a car or house or pay a bill with it?/Chances are, you will not use Monopoly Money’ outside the game!/GENUINE FAITH
Charles Blondin—a famous turn-of-the-20th-century high-wire walker/Walked over a portion of Niagra Falls/In fact, he pushed a wheelbarrow full of bricks across the same wire/Crowds of excited onlookers were stationed themselves at both ends of the wire/Blondin asked the crowd as he bagan, “Who believes I can push this load of bricks across the chasm without dropping a single one?”/The crowd excitedly yelled in affirmation!/As he reached the other side(proving he could in-fact do it), Blondin asked the cheering onlookers if they believed he could carry a person back across the chasm?/Every one of them yelled in affirmation!/Blondin then dumped the entire load of bricks into the chasm & they disappeared silently into the watery mist below/Blondin then asked, “Who will let me take them? Hop in!”—Absolutely no one got in the wheelbarrow!/Lesson: Mental belief(agreement/assent) is vastly different from Heart belief(genuine faith)!/You will always follow you heart’s belief!/GENUINE FAITH
Application:
?You accepted God’s offer of GENUINE FAITH?
?In your opinion is God Great & to be Blessed?
9—God is Great because He offers...
LOVE(:8a)
Explanation:(:8)
:8—“whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible & full of glory,”
This faith holds to “Jesus Christ”(:7) even though most have not ever “seen Him” nor see Him presently.
Israel was forbidden to make any image of their God for He is never to be limited to that which He created.
Ex. 20:3-6—““You shall have no other gods before Me. “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. “You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third & the fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me & keep My commandments.”
“Seen”—eidw[TR] or [MT]—Strong—a primary verb; used only in certain past tenses, the others being borrowed from the equivalent optanomai & oraw; properly--To see(literally or figuratively); by implication(in the perfect only)--To know.
“Love”—agapaw—1) of persons—1a) To welcome, to entertain, to be fond of, to love dearly; 2) of things—2a) To be well pleased, to be contented at or with a thing. Strong—perhaps from agan(much) [or compare bge[a primitive root; To breathe after, i.e. To love (sensually)]]; To love(in a social or moral sense).
Argumentation:
Jn. 20:24-29—“But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. The other disciples therefore were saying to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I shall see in His hands the imprint of the nails, & put my finger into the place of the nails, & put my hand into His side, I will not believe.” And after eight days again His disciples were inside, & Thomas with them. Jesus came, the doors having been shut, & stood in their midst, & said, “Peace be with you.” Then He said to Thomas, “Reach here your finger, & see My hands; & reach here your hand, & put it into My side; & be not unbelieving, but believing.” Thomas answered & said to Him, “My Lord & my God!” Jesus said to him, “Because you have seen Me, have you believed? Blessed are they who did not see, & yet believed.””
Jn. 21:14-19—“This is now the third time Jesus showed Himself to His disciples after He was raised from the dead. So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep. Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself & walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, & another will gird you & carry you where you do not wish.” This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, “Follow Me.”
Jn. 8:37-48—“I know that you are Abraham’s descendants, but you seek to kill Me, because My word has no place in you. “I speak what I have seen with My Father, & you do what you have seen with your father.” They answered & said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham. “But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God. Abraham did not do this. “You do the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Him, “We were not born of fornication; we have one Father--God.” Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love Me, for I proceeded forth & came from God; nor have I come of Myself, but He sent Me. “Why do you not understand My speech? Because you are not able to listen to My word. You are of your father the devil, & the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, & does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar & the father of it. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me? He who is of God hears God’s words; therefore you do not hear, because you are not of God.” Then the Jews answered & said to Him, “Do we not say rightly that You are a Samaritan & have a demon?”
Ps. 42:1—<
Mat. 10:34-39—“Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword. For I have come to ‘set a man against his father, a daughter against her mother, & a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law’; & ‘a man’s enemies will be those of his own household.’ He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross & follow after Me is not worthy of Me. He who finds his life will lose it, & he who loses his life for My sake will find it.”
Lk. 9:62—“But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, & looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”
Jn. 14:21-27—“He who has My commandments & keeps them, it is he who loves Me.[1Jn. 5:3] And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, & I will love him & manifest Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, how is it that You will manifest Yourself to us, & not to the world?” Jesus answered & said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; & My Father will love him, & We will come to him & make Our home with him.[Rev. 3:20] He who does not love Me does not keep My words; & the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. These things I have spoken to you while being present with you. But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, & bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”
1Jn. 4:15—5:4—“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, & he in God. And we have known & believed the love that God has for us. God is love, & he who abides in love abides in God, & God in him. Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. **We love Him because He first loved us.** If someone says, “I love God,” & hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also. Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, & everyone who loves Him who begot also loves him who is begotten of Him. By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God & keep His commandments. For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.[Jn. 14:21] And His commandments are not burdensome. For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world--our faith.”
Mat. 13:3-9, 18-23—“Then He spoke many things to them in parables, saying: “Behold, a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seed fell by the wayside; & the birds came & devoured them. Some fell on stony places, where they did not have much earth; & they immediately sprang up because they had no depth of earth. But when the sun was up they were scorched, & because they had no root they withered away. And some fell among thorns, & the thorns sprang up & choked them. But others fell on good ground & yielded a crop: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. He who has ears to hear, let him hear!”.....“Therefore hear the parable of the sower: “When anyone hears the word of the kingdom, & does not understand it, then the wicked one comes & snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is he who received seed by the wayside. But he who received the seed on stony places, this is he who hears the word & immediately receives it with joy; yet he has no root in himself, but endures only for a while. For when tribulation or persecution arises because of the word, immediately he stumbles. Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, & the cares of this world & the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, & he becomes unfruitful. But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word & understands it, who indeed bears fruit & produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.”
Illustration:
The Galapagos Islands are a unique place on our planet/They are home to many unique species of animals/Supposedly in 1959 some sailors released 3 domestic goats on just one of the 21 major islands(there are also 107 islets) to provide meat for the sailors(must’ve been lousy fishermen!)/The goats began to multiply & expanded to three of the islands & by 1997, 100,000+ goats had ransacked the natural habitat!/With the expansion of the goats, the Galapagos Tortoise populations began dying(these massive turtles can live for upwards of 200 yrs.!)/The goats were eating the tortoise’s food causing them to starve to death!/The Ecuadorian Govt., seeing the damage to these unique tortoises, started systematically killing the goats by using snipers positioned in helicopters/By 2006 all of the goats were eradicated & are under control & the tortoise population is increasing/LOVE
Remember the picture of the dog separated from its master?/The dog wants to come into the room with its master/Though the dog does not see him it knows him because it has been with the master previously & knows & experiences his ‘love’/LOVE
Vandalism/Vandals do not have an attachment to “love”...They are disjointed from “love”, Therefore they destroy the hard-earned property of others!/LOVE
Your children/?Have they ever done anything that ‘displeases’ you in the Lord Jesus Christ?/Loving the sinner yet ‘hating’ the sin that envelopes them/LOVE
Weeding a garden/Deciding what to keep & what to pull up/Subsistence farmer loves his family & provides for them/Thereby the weeds must be removed!/LOVE
Application:
?You accepted God’s offer of LOVE?
?In your opinion is God Great & to be Blessed?
10—God is Great because He offers...
HOPE(:8b-9)
Explanation:(:8b-9) Tangible Hope/Know-so Hope
:8—“whom having not seen you love. Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible & full of glory,”
Though ‘unseen’ the ‘Christ-loving believer will thereby, “believe” Him & “believe” in Him. Thru their “believing,” exercised in faith, all of the true church of God thus “rejoice.”
Their “rejoicing” is of a particular character:...
1)Such “rejoicing” is expressed “with a joy” that is incapable of being properly articulated thru means of any relational/sharing language(vocal or other). This is another way of explaining ‘the peace that passes all understanding’(Php. 4:7).
Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
2)Such “joy” is also “full of glory” or “glorious” in that it is a “joy” unattainable thru the world, in that it presents its own unique “fullness of glory,” which is centered upon the love one has for the Lord & thus the certainty of one’s salvation possessed in Christ.
Believers have a peace they cannot rightly/fully explain(Php. 4:6-7:) & a “joy” that they cannot rightly/fully express! However both can be lived out before others!
Php. 4:6-7—“Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer & supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; & the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts & minds through Christ Jesus.”
“Believing”—pisteuw—1) To think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in; 2) To entrust a thing to one, i.e. his fidelity. Strong—To have faith(in, upon, or with respect to, a person or thing), i.e. Credit; by implication--To entrust(especially one's spiritual well-being to Christ).
“Rejoice/Exult/Greatly Rejoice”—agalliaw—To exult, rejoice exceedingly, be exceeding glad. Strong—from agan(much) & allomai[middle voice of apparently a primary verb; To jump; figuratively--To gush]; properly--To jump for joy, i.e. Exult.
“Joy”—cara—Joy, gladness. Strong—from cairw[ To be "cheer"ful, i.e. Calmly happy or well-off; impersonally, especially as salutation(on meeting or parting), Be well]; Cheerfulness, i.e. Calm delight.
“Inexpressible/Unspeakable”—aneklalhtov—1) Unspeakable.—Strong—from A(as a negative particle) & a presumed derivative of eklalew[To divulge]; Not spoken out, i.e. by implication--Unutterable. Lit. ‘Not divulgible’. Used 1X.
“Full of Glory/Glorious”—doxazw—1) To think, suppose, be of opinion; 2) To praise, extol, magnify, celebrate; 3) To honor, do honor to, hold in honor; 4) To make glorious, adorn with luster, clothe with splendor—4a) To impart glory to something, render it excellent, 4b) To make renowned, render illustrious—4b1) To cause the dignity & worth of some person or thing to become manifest & acknowledged. Strong—To render(or esteem) glorious(in a wide application).
:9—“receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.”
Such joy(:8) for the believer is directly tied into the surety of “the outcome of your faith” which is “the salvation of your souls.” Individual souls are saved which manifest themselves corporately in the church. Thus the church should be filled with those who “rejoice with joy inexpressible” as well as being “full of glory.”
Jesus spoke of rest for our souls(Mat. 11:28-29). The “soul” is that part of us which is our very essence apart from the flesh. Our “soul” is that of mankind which is eternal & is, apart from Christ, destined for eternal loss. In Christ, the “souls” of all who are His are “saved” eternally.
“Receiving/Obtaining”—komizw—To care for, take care of, provide for.; 2) To take up or carry away in order to care for & preserve.; 3) To carry away, bear off.; 4) To carry, bear, bring to, to carry away for one's self, to carry off what is one's own, to bring back.
“End/Outcome”—telov—1) End—1a) Termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be (always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time), 1b) The end—1b1) The last in any succession or series, 1b2) Eternal, 1c) That by which a thing is finished, its close, issue, 1d) The end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose; 2) Toll, custom (i.e. indirect tax on goods). Strong—from a primary tellw(to set out for a definite point or goal); properly--The point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literally, figuratively or indefinitely], result [immediate, ultimate or prophetic], purpose); specifically, an impost or levy (as paid).
“Salvation”(See :10)—swthria—1) Deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation—1a) Deliverance from the molestation of enemies, 1b) in an ethical sense--That which concludes to the souls safety or salvation—1b1) Of Messianic salvation; 2) Salvation as the present possession of all true Christians; 3) Future salvation, the sum of benefits & blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated & eternal kingdom of God. Strong—feminine of a derivative of swthr[A deliverer] as (properly, abstract) noun; Rescue or safety (physically or morally).
“Souls”—quch—1) Breath—1a) The breath of life—1a1) The vital force which animates the body & shows itself in breathing—1a1a) Of animals, 1a1b) Of men, 1b) Life, 1c) That in which there is life—1c1) A living being, a living soul; 2) The soul—2a) The seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.), 2b) The (human)soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end & secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life, 2c) The soul as an essence which differs from the body (distinguished from other parts of the body). Strong—from pneuma[A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. human--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or superhuman--An angel, demon, or divine--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit]; Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely(the animal sentient principle only); thus distinguished on the one hand from pnew[To breathe hard, i.e. Breeze], which is the rational & immortal soul; & on the other from zwh[Life], which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew vpn[properly--A breathing creature, i.e. Animal of (abstractly)vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense(bodily or mental)], xwr[Wind/Breath] & yx[Alive]).
Argumentation:
This “rejoicing with joy”(See :6 & pt. 7) is based upon certain HOPE!
Rom. 15:13—“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.”
Php. 3:3—“For we are the circumcision, who worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus, & have no confidence in the flesh,”
Php. 4:4—“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice!”
Gal. 5:19-23—“Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, & the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”
Eph. 1:11-14—“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will, that we who first trusted in Christ should be to the praise of His glory. In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation; in whom also, having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”
Rom. 3:23—“for all have sinned & fall short of the glory of God,”
BUT:
Rom. 5:1-6—“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, & rejoice in hope of the glory of God. And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; & perseverance, character; & character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.”
Rom. 8:18-25—“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creation eagerly waits for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of Him who subjected it in hope; because the creation itself also will be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groans & labors with birth pangs together until now. Not only that, but we also who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, eagerly waiting for the adoption, the redemption of our body. For we were saved in this hope, but hope that is seen is not hope; for why does one still hope for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Rom. 15:8-13—“Now I say that Jesus Christ has become a servant to the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made to the fathers, & that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, And sing to Your name.” And again he says: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people!” And again: “Praise the LORD, all you Gentiles! Laud Him, all you peoples!” And again, Isaiah says: “There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope.” 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.”
Col. 1:3-6—“We give thanks to the God & Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus & of your love for all the saints; because of the hope which is laid up for you in heaven, of which you heard before in the word of the truth of the gospel, which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, & is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard & knew the grace of God in truth;”
1Thes. 4:13—“But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope.”
1Thes. 5:8—“But let us who are of the day be sober, putting on the breastplate of faith & love, & as a helmet the hope of salvation.”
Heb. 6:16-20—“For men indeed swear by the greater, & an oath for confirmation is for them an end of all dispute. Thus God, determining to show more abundantly to the heirs of promise the immutability of His counsel, confirmed it by an oath, that by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure & steadfast, & which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Illustration:
Lewis & Clark’s expedition(1804-1806) from the Mississippi River to the west coast(Washington-Oregon)/Returned to Washington D.C. with news/Those who had never been there or seen it by eye trusted their word/The word was publicized & many traveled out west because...having not even seen the land they would inherit, they ‘loved’ it & ‘Hoped’ in it!/That ‘Hope’ caused them to change their lives completely so that...they packed up their families, everything they had, threw away what they didn’t need, sold what they could, bought what they needed for the journey, & moved!/HOPE
Scuba diver at limits of his depth/His air malfunctions yet cannot ascend or will get ‘decompression sickness’ which will either cripple or kill him/The diver pins his hopes on rescue from above/HOPE
Woman leaving North Pole Alaska for home on a frigid bone-chilling -25 deg. winter night/Her alternator quits & her lights go out then her car grinds to a halt/No heat, no hope/She has a phone & calls the authorities/Her Hope is in the response of the authorities/HOPE
Application:
?You accepted God’s offer of HOPE?
?In your opinion is God Great & to be Blessed?
11—God is Great because He offers...
INTENTION(:9)
Explanation:(:9)
:9—“receiving the end of your faith--the salvation of your souls.”
Such joy(:6 & 8) for the believer is directly tied into the surety of “the end/outcome of your faith” which is “the salvation of your souls.” Individual souls are saved which manifest themselves corporately in the church. Thus the church should be filled with those who “rejoice with joy inexpressible” as well as being “full of glory.”
Jesus spoke of rest for our souls(Mat. 11:28-29). The “soul” is that part of us which is our very essence apart from the flesh. Our “soul” is that of mankind which is eternal & is, apart from Christ, destined for eternal loss. In Christ, the “souls” of all who are His are “saved” eternally.
God’s intention in Christ is for your soul’s health!
“Receiving/Obtaining”—komizw—To care for, take care of, provide for.; 2) To take up or carry away in order to care for & preserve.; 3) To carry away, bear off.; 4) To carry, bear, bring to, to carry away for one's self, to carry off what is one's own, to bring back.
“End/Outcome”—telov—1) End—1a) Termination, the limit at which a thing ceases to be (always of the end of some act or state, but not of the end of a period of time), 1b) The end—1b1) The last in any succession or series, 1b2) Eternal, 1c) That by which a thing is finished, its close, issue, 1d) The end to which all things relate, the aim, purpose; 2) Toll, custom (i.e. indirect tax on goods). Strong—from a primary tellw(to set out for a definite point or goal); properly--The point aimed at as a limit, i.e. (by implication) the conclusion of an act or state (termination [literally, figuratively or indefinitely], result [immediate, ultimate or prophetic], purpose); specifically, an impost or levy (as paid).
“Salvation”(See :10)—swthria—1) Deliverance, preservation, safety, salvation—1a) Deliverance from the molestation of enemies, 1b) in an ethical sense--That which concludes to the souls safety or salvation—1b1) Of Messianic salvation; 2) Salvation as the present possession of all true Christians; 3) Future salvation, the sum of benefits & blessings which the Christians, redeemed from all earthly ills, will enjoy after the visible return of Christ from heaven in the consummated & eternal kingdom of God. Strong—feminine of a derivative of swthr[A deliverer] as (properly, abstract) noun; Rescue or safety (physically or morally).
“Souls”—quch—1) Breath—1a) The breath of life—1a1) The vital force which animates the body & shows itself in breathing—1a1a) Of animals, 1a1b) Of men, 1b) Life, 1c) That in which there is life—1c1) A living being, a living soul; 2) The soul—2a) The seat of the feelings, desires, affections, aversions (our heart, soul etc.), 2b) The (human) soul in so far as it is constituted that by the right use of the aids offered it by God it can attain its highest end & secure eternal blessedness, the soul regarded as a moral being designed for everlasting life, 2c) The soul as an essence which differs from the body (distinguished from other parts of the body). Strong—from pneuma[A current of air, i.e. Breath(blast) or a breeze; by analogy or figuratively--A spirit, i.e. human--The rational soul, by implication--Vital principle, mental disposition, etc., or superhuman--An angel, demon, or divine--God, Christ's spirit, the Holy Spirit]; Breath, i.e. by implication--Spirit, abstractly or concretely (the animal sentient principle only; thus distinguished on the one hand from pnew[To breathe hard, i.e. Breeze], which is the rational & immortal soul; & on the other from zwh[Life], which is mere vitality, even of plants: these terms thus exactly correspond respectively to the Hebrew vpn[properly--A breathing creature, i.e. Animal of (abstractly)vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense(bodily or mental)], xwr[Wind/Breath] & yx[Alive]).
Argumentation:
John 3:14-17—“And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life. For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”
Jn. 1:12-13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”
Jn. 10:7-11—“Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves & robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, & will go in & out & find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, & to kill, & to destroy. I have come that they may have life, & that they may have it more abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”
Jn. 3:16-21—“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, & men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light & does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed. But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
Php. 2:12-16—“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear & trembling; for it is God who works in you both to will & to do for His good pleasure. Do all things without complaining & disputing, that you may become blameless & harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked & perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life, so that I may rejoice in the day of Christ that I have not run in vain or labored in vain.”
1Thes. 2:19, 20—“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Is it not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming? For you are our glory & joy.”
1Thes. 3:12-13—“And may the Lord make you increase & abound in love to one another & to all, just as we do to you, so that He may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God & Father at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints.”
1Jn. 1:8-2:6—“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, & the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful & just to forgive us our sins & to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, & His word is not in us. My little children, these things I write to you, so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. And He Himself is the propitiation for our sins, & not for ours only but also for the whole world. Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He who says, “I know Him,” & does not keep His commandments, is a liar, & the truth is not in him. But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.”
1Jn. 4:17-19—“Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.”
1Jn. 2:28—“And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence & not be ashamed before Him at His coming.”
Mat. 5:29-30—“If your right eye causes you to sin, pluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.”
Illustration:
On October 14, 1987 it was discovered that 18 month old toddler, Jessica McClure, fell down an 8” abandoned well shaft(casing) in her aunt's backyard in Midland, Texas/She had fallen 22 feet & was wedged in the shaft/Rescuers piped fresh air & heat down the shaft/They also drilled a parallel shaft thru solid rock & dug a perpendicular connector between the two in order to save her/It took rescuers 2 1/2 days(58 hrs. total) to free her/She suffered a broken arm in the fall, but while trapped in the well, she sang nursery rhymes to herself/One of her toes had to be amputated due to gangrene from loss of circulation while in the well/She also has a scar on her forehead where her head rubbed against the well casing/Their intention was to save Jessica!/INTENTION
An adult Jessica, was asked by Matt Lauer if she has ever been able to understand why so many people became so emotionally involved in her rescue & her life. She responded, “I explain to myself that I believe that people cared so much because they would hope that somebody would care that much about them.”
Application:
?You accepted God’s offer of INTENTION?
?In your opinion is God Great & to be Blessed?
CONCLUSION:
Visualization:
A Mini-van is the perfect vehicle to meet our needs.
Action:
God is Great because He offers...
8. GENUINE FAITH(:7)
9. LOVE(:8)
10. HOPE(:8b-9)
11. INTENTION(:9)
1. GOD(:3a)
2. His MEANS OF SALVATION(:3a)
3. MERCY(:3b)
4. REGENERATION(:3b)
5. VIBRANT HOPE(:3b-c)
6. STANDING INHERITANCE(:4-5)
7. INTERNAL/TRUE JOY(:6)
Pts. 8-11 Presented 04/19/2014am to:
FBC Cbelle
206 Storrs Ave.(Ave A) SE
Carrabelle, FL 32322
