The Gospel of John Week 13
Scripture: John 9:1-41.

Pastor loves today’s scripture and he shares it with great enthusiasm that will draw you right into the middle of this story!

This story is a powerful story of Jesus healing a blind man. We will see tragedy, sorrow, wonder and even humor in this fascinating story. We will also see many amazing pictures of recent discoveries that will bring this story to life.

Today’s study opens with the story of a man blind from birth. Jesus in His love and compassion, heals this man. Jesus places mud on the man’s eyes and sends him to the Pool of Siloam to wash the mud off his eyes, when he rinses them off, he is no longer blind. 

Pastor shares many pictures showing the area in which this story takes place, an area that has been recently excavated. These pictures show where Jesus was walking, where He would have met up with the beggar, along with pics of the Pool of Siloam, Gilhon Spring, and Hezekiah’s Tunnel. 

Pastor share how in the last 100 years things that have been hidden for century upon century are suddenly being uncovered.  Pastor shares how in these last days, God is pulling out all the stops for a world that is often skeptical and rebellious and saying, “See, this is what I did! And this is REAL!”  God is bringing a host of reminders, that this is not a story, this really happened, and that these events really did indeed take place.

In this story we see once again that Jesus is doing really great God-things on the Sabbath.  Why? Because what he is doing is confronting the religious hypocrisy of His day, the kind of religion that wants to turn everything into a matter of rules and regulations which makes it all about me. And Jesus instead is calling us into relationship with Him.

When human beings set up regulations that God has not set up, Jesus confronts them. His desire is to wake them up to the fact that religion is often the greatest opponent of God.

When the religious leaders hear of the healing of the blind man, they interview him, his parents and then interview the healed man again. Jesus ends up being accused of breaking their man-made laws of having kneaded together the clay and put it on this man’s face. 

As our story ends, we see this man who was blind, but now sees, standing bravely before the religious leaders and he’s not backing down from their onslaught of questions and accusations. The man tells the religious leaders, “Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of one born blind. If this man was not from God, he could do nothing. Open your eyes! Can’t you see this?!”

And then in anger they threw the healed man out of the temple – but then we read that Jesus found the healed man and asked him, “Do you believe in the Son of Man?” The man replies, “Who is He? Tell me so I may believe in Him!” Jesus says, “You have now seen Him. In fact, He is the One now speaking with you.”

Jesus reveals Himself to the man and the man replies, “Lord, I believe!” And he worshiped Jesus. Jesus wants  us to believe He is who He says He is, too!  He wants to hear each of us say to Him, “Lord, I believe!”  

Jesus wants us to encounter Him. Just as this man who was blind, now sees, Jesus invites us to see Him, too.

Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Check out this episode!

Solomon: Builder
    ⁃    Temple construction – 1 Kings 6 (took 7 years to build)
    ⁃    Temple dedication – 1 Kings 8
    ⁃    God appears to Solomon – 1 Kings 9
    ⁃    Solomon’s palace – 1 Kings 7 (took 13 years to build)

Pastor shares archeological discoveries around Solomon in recent years including a massive stone wall and gate and more.

Solomon: Reputation
    ⁃    Fleet at Ezion Geber – 1 Kings (for the first time Israel had its own navy – 1 Kings 9:26-28 – we read that they brought gold from Ophir. Pastor shares ideas of where Ophir may have been.) 
    ⁃    Solomon’s wealth – 1 King 10 (1 Kings 10:14-15 we read he received 25 tons of gold yearly. Solomon brought financial wealth to the nation.)
    ⁃    Queen of Sheba – 1 Kings 10 (Pastor shared the ideas of where this queen came from to visit Solomon. She’s overwhelmed by Solomon’s wisdom and by the wealth that she sees in her visit. Yet we know there is a wisdom and wealth greater than gold and that is our Lord Jesus Christ. Matthew 12:42 tells us  … Jesus says, “for the Queen at the South ….came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon’s wisdom, and now something greater than Solomon is here.” That something is a Someone and that Someone is Jesus, Himself.  It is easy to fall into the trap of wanting stuff and being financially secure. And we can have everything the world has to offer and still be bankrupt if we don’t have a relationship with the living God through faith in Jesus.)
    ⁃    Solomon’s Wisdom – 1 Kings 10 (1 Kings 10:23-24 we read he was greater in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of the earth. He wrote Ecclesiastes and Song of Solomon and also some Psalms as well.)
    ⁃    Labor Policies – 1 King 5 (Soloon had labor practices that caused difficulties with his people – 1 Kings 5:13-14 we read that 30,000 men were under forced labor.)

Solomon: Decline & Fall
    ⁃    Solomon’s Wives – 1 Kings 11 (One man and one wife for life, that has always been God’s plan. But in 1 Kings 11:3-4 we read that Solomon had 700 wives of royal birth and 300 concubines and his wives led him astray.  As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord his God as the heart of David his father had been. This incredibly gifted king who started so well descended into idolatry in his last days. Solomon even built a high place for Chemosh and Molek for his foreign wives who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods. He was led away from God.)
    ⁃    Solomon’s enemies – 1 Kings 11 (As Solomon wandered further from God, God raised up enemies against Solomon.)
        Three main adversaries:
    ⁃    Haded the Edomite
    ⁃    Rezon in Damascus
    ⁃    Jeroboam son of Nebat was an Israelite (a prophetic word come to Jeroboam – God would give him 10 tribes. And Solomon’s successor, his son Reheboam, would have 2 of the tribes. God told Jeroboam that he was to obey Him and follow Him.)

Conclusion
Solomon writes in Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. For God will bring every deed into judgement, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.”

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class

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Check out this episode!

Scripture: 1 Kings 2:1-4, 2 Samuel 7:16, Daniel 2:44, Daniel 7:13-14, Daniel 9:26, Acts 2:29-32. 

We will take a look at David’s legacy. 
1 Kings 2:1-4, “When the time drew near for David to die, he gave a charge to Solomon his son, “I am about to go the way of all the earth,” he said. “So be strong, act like a man, and observe what the Lord your God requires: Walk in obedience to him, and keep his decrees and commands, his laws and regulations, as written in the Law of Moses. Do this so that you may prosper in all you do and wherever you go and that the Lord may keep his promise to me: ‘If your descendants watch how they live, and if they walk faithfully before me with all their heart and soul, you will never fail to have a successor on the throne of Israel.'”

Prosper – by obedience to God, faithful to God.
Promise – He wants to know there will continue to be godly men on the throne.

(Our next questions are: What do we know and what happened? Find out more about the descendants of David in our weekly Bible class “Kings and Prophets from Solomon to Jeremiah” on Tuesdays at 9:30am CT watch here:  https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class )

Back to today’s story….  In 2 Samuel 7:16 we read a promise God gave David, “Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.” FOREVER!  Two times!  So the question is, “Did God break His word?” We know David’s line did end… Zedekiah, was the last descendant of David on the throne at Jerusalem. 586 BC. 

The answer – “But Daniel…”
Pastor shares the story of Daniel’s interpretation of King Nebuchadnezzar’s  dream. Daniel 2:44, “”In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever.”   There’s the “forever” word again. In Daniel 7:13-14 Daniel has a vision, “”In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He approached the Ancient of Days and was led into his presence. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and peoples of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.” 

The book of Daniel, through the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls and some recent discoveries, has theologians, linguists and historians reexamining and taking a fresh look at the ancient past – they are discovering that what Daniel shared was actually true. David’s prophetic statements challenge world-views.

Daniel 9:26 “The Anointed One will be put to death and will have nothing. The people of the rule who will come sill destroy the city and the sanctuary.”  (When the 4th kingdom comes the Messiah will be killed, the temple and the city will be destroyed.)

Daniel predicted 100’s of years in advance:
    ⁃    Four great empires will arise (Daniel 2:44)
    ⁃    Son of Man given all authority (Daniel 7:13)
    ⁃    All nations will worship him (Daniel 7:14)
    ⁃    His kingdom will be forever (Daniel 7:14)
    ⁃    Anointed One will be killed (Daniel 9:26)
    ⁃    Second Temple will be destroyed (Daniel 9:26)

Daniel predicted 100’s of years in advance that the Messiah would come at the time of the Romans (4th empire) an empire that had not yet risen at the time of the prophecy, that the second temple which had not yet been built would be destroyed by the 4th empire (the Romans – who actually did destroy the temple and the city of Jerusalem), that the Messiah would be killed (He was crucified and died on the Roman cross) and the Messiah’s death would happen before the second temple was destroyed.  The Messiah is Jesus who is also a descendant of David! And Jesus the Messiah will reign FOREVER!

It is a remarkable prophecy – As believers this reinforces our faith and if you are not a believer, our prayer is that this causes you to seek Jesus out because you will find Him! 

Pastor closes with Peter’s testimony in Acts 2:29-32 where we read that David’s greatest legacy is Jesus the Messiah. The scriptures – recorded and preserved things going back hundreds and thousands of years, and continue to show itself to be reliable, trustworthy and true. They call us back to Jesus, they call us to come back to Him and respond to Him, to repentant and receive Jesus as our Savior, Lord and King. 

God does keep His word and may He bring the legacy of David – our Lord Jesus Christ – to the very heart and center of all of our lives.

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/david-and-gods-heart

Join us Sundays 
https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Check out this episode!

The Gospel of John Week 12
Scripture: John 7:53 – 8:58.

Pastor begins today’s class with the story found in John 7:53-8:11, which is a controversial piece of the Bible because not all manuscripts have these verses. Pastor shares that whether originally there or whether they were added later, there’s much to learn from these verses about who Jesus is.

As this text opens we see that the Jewish religious leaders continue to struggle with unbelief in who Jesus is and work to discredit Him using religious traps. Their desire is to come up with reasons to show Jesus needs to be punished – put to death – so they continue working at setting Him up hoping for a major blunder that they can accuse Him of. But Jesus is too brilliant! This is a story with some wonderful truths about Jesus. We see the following behaviors of Jesus:
    ⁃    Total Comprehension of all that is going on
    ⁃    He shares a Full Disclosure
    ⁃    He has Holy Compassion for the woman that is at the center of this story
    ⁃    Gives True Forgiveness
    ⁃    Offers a New Beginning

As we continue at verse 12 of chapter 8 we read the story of the “dispute over Jesus’ testimony.” He says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”  

Pastor shares that when Jesus says that He’s the Light of the World, He is in the Temple Courts in Jerusalem for the festival, the Feast of Tabernacles. Tabernacles is the most joyous of the major Jewish festivals. During this festival four extremely large golden menorahs were set up in the Temple court. Each was 75 feet high with a huge golden bowl. Each of the four bowls for the four stands was filled with oil and during the festival the menorahs were lit every evening at sundown burning through to midnight. From rabbinic writings we read how these bowls of lights could be seen from all over the city and people sang and danced while they were lit. This is then that Jesus cries out, “I am the Light of the World!” 

Jesus is claiming to be Deity! But the religious leaders respond with a challenge to His testimony and Jesus responds with several truths and is very direct with them.

Then He goes on to say, “I am going away, and you will look for me, and you will die in your sin. Where I go, you cannot come.”  To the religious leaders Jesus goes on to say they do not know Him because they do not know God. And the dispute over who He is continues. Many people in the courts listening, believed, but the religious leaders continued in disbelief and their anger toward Jesus continued to escalate.

In chapter 8 verses 31-47 we read the dispute over whose children Jesus’ opponents are. Are they God the Father’s or are they the devil’s? Jesus confronts them with a description of the devil and that the devil is the father of lies. Jesus tells the religious leaders that they belong to the devil because they cannot see the truth of what He continues to tell them about who He is.

In verses 48-58 the conversation continues with Jesus going on to make several more claims of who He is. Jesus closes with, “Very truly I tell you, before Abraham was born, I am!”   Again Jesus claims deity so they become so angry they pick up stones to stone him, but Jesus hid himself and slipped away from the temple grounds.

Next week we will read of Jesus healing a blind man. We will study the story of this physical healing but also explore spiritual blindness and how this story has much to teach us still today.

Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Check out this episode!

Scripture:  1 Kings 3:1, 1 Kings 3:4ff, 1 Kings 3:16ff, 1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 8, 2 Chronicles 5-7, 2 Chronicles 3:1, Genesis 22, 1 Kings 9, 2 Chronicles 7:14, 1 Kings 9:4-5

This study helps us dig deeper into Solomon: Wise Leader
    ⁃    Pharaoh’s Daughter – 1 Kings 3:1 – Solomon secures a peace treaty with Egypt and a strategic marriage to one of the Pharaoh’s daughter’s.
    ⁃    Sacrifices at Gibeon – 1 Kings 3:4ff – shortly after taking the throne we see Him following his father David’s advice. We see Solomon going to Gibeon to offer sacrifices to God and commits his life to God. The Lord appears to Solomon in a dream saying “ask for whatever you want.”  Solomon replies in humility, and asks to be given a discerning heart to distinguish between right and wrong so that he can govern the nation justly and well. He sought God’s wisdom and guidance so that he could bless and nurture the children of Israel. The Lord was pleased with Solomon’s reply and gave him what he asked for, plus God told him He would give him even more than what he had asked for: wealth and honor. 
    ⁃    2 Prostitutes – 1 Kings 3:16ff – Two prostitutes come to Solomon. Both have birthed boys but one had rolled over on her son and the child died. But they each claimed the living son as their own. Solomon says, “bring me a sword and cut the living child in two and give half to one and half to the other.” But at that point the real mother says, “oh please don’t do that.” And the other woman says, “yes, do it.” Solomon then gives the living child to the one who had asked for the child to be spared because she was the real mother. King Solomon was admired greatly by his people for his wisdom from God in administering justice.  He is recognized as very wise.

Solomon: Builder
    ⁃    Temple Construction – 1 Kings 6 – in the 4th year of his reign Solomon begins building the Temple of the Lord. ca. 966 BC. It will take 7 years to build this incredible temple. Temple was only for priests, but people would gather in the courtyards around the temple. The temple has 3 sections: The Porch, The Holy Place, and the Holy of Holies. The interior was covered in gold. The Ark of the Covenant was placed in the Holy of Holies where the High Priest went once per year on the Day of Atonement – Yom Kippur. A place of shed blood pointing to the One who is the Lamb of God/The Mercy Seat/The Messiah/Jesus our Savior. In 2 Chronicles 3:1 we read that the Temple was build on Mount Moriah. The place of the story where Abraham had taken his only son Isaac. Pastor shares prophetic likeness to Jesus in this story of Genesis 22. (This will also be the location of the Second Temple).
    ⁃    Temple Dedication – 1 Kings 8 & 2 Chronicles 5-7. When the Ark of the Covenant was brought into the Holy of Holies, the glory of the Lord filled the temple!  Solomon shares a sermonette and a powerful prayer. Solomon’s heart is to win people to the Living God – that they walk in faith and obedience to God. And when he finished praying a fire came down from heaven and consumed the burnet offering and the sacrifices and the glory of the Lord filled the temple. The people began shouting praises and thanks to God. And a multiple sacrifices were given to God.
    ⁃    God appears to Solomon a second time – 1 Kings 9 & 2 Chronicles 7:14 – God speaks to Solomon and tells him that He wants to bring blessing saying, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 
This too is our prayer  –  it is a prayer for us still today – a prayer for our nations, that we would seek God, turn from our wickedness, because He will hear from heaven and heal our land.

God closes His time with Solomon with these words: (1 Kings 9:4-5) “As for you, if you walk before me faithfully with integrity of heart and uprightness….and do all I command …. I will establish your royal throne over Israel forever, as I promised David…”. 

God calls Solomon to Himself and God calls each one of us to Himself!

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

View live or on demand: https://www.awakeusnow.com/tuesday-bible-class

Join us Sundays 
https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Check out this episode!

Scripture: 2 Samuel 13-19.

Father Wounds – are wounds brought into our lives through family members. Deep wounds with lasting consequences. 

Father’s wounds – are wounds to parents by their children. It is grieving because their children turned their backs on the things they were taught from the time they were little. 

Both are deep and painful wounds.

How to deal with the pain and how to go beyond it.

Our study covers:
Amnon rapes Tamar (2 Sam 13)
Absalom hates Amnon (2 Sam 13)
Absalom murders Amnon (2 Sam 13)
Absalom flees to thalami (2 Sam 13)
Absalom conspires against David (2 Sam 15)
Absalom revolts against David (2 Sam 15-17)
Joab executes Absalom (2 Sam 18)

In our study we see that wounds eliminate the spiritual strength of King David. We also see wounds that bring about rebellion and hatred, anger and murder. We see wounds experienced by a father who feels he has failed his son.

A tragic horrible story. Yet God desires to speak to us through it. This story is in the Bible for a reason and purpose. The purpose is not just to inform but to transform. God desires to bring healing, hope and strength and to reverse the painful trajectory of what we have experienced.

Divine Prescriptions

    ⁃    Sow and Reap – Galatians 6:7-8 Consequences of our behavior can be negative or positive. “Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.” Also, as seen in David’s story, God forgives, but the consequences of sin are still there.
    ⁃    Nurture or Anger – Ephesians 6:4  encourages fathers to teach their children to live uprightly and faithfully before God and for fathers to model an upright life to their children.
    ⁃    Truth and Love – Ephesians 4:15 We are to speak truth to our kids but speak that with love.
    ⁃    Forgive and Release – Whether we have father wounds or father’s wounds we are to forgive and letting go. Colossians 3:13 We are to forgive as the Lord forgives us – even those who have disappointed us, hurt us deeply, and in that forgiveness and releasing there is healing and there is hope.
    ⁃    Father and Son – 1 John 2:1-2 Jesus is the atoning sacrifice for our sin and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. God loves us and His love goes beyond the love of any father. Our Heavenly Father offers each of us healing, hope and life-transforming power.

If you have been the victim of a father wound or if you are experiencing a father’s wounds, you need to know there is a Father who loves you more than you could imagine. Who understands the wounds because those wounds were placed in the very body of His Son and He offers to us forgiveness, eternal life, and the ability to start all over.

Now What? Learn about God at https://www.awakeusnow.com EVERYTHING we offer is FREE.

Check out this video series from our website: https://www.awakeusnow.com/david-and-gods-heart

Join us Sundays 
https://www.awakeusnow.com/sunday-service

Watch via our app. Text HELLO to 888-364-4483 to download our app.

Check out this episode!

The Gospel of John Week 11
Scripture: John 7:22-59.

Pastor opens by sharing details of the Feast of Tabernacles and the scriptures of the Living Water that were read during this 8 day festival. Festival readings included: Ezekiel 47:1-12, Zechariah 14:8 and Jeremiah 17:13b. 

As our story opens, it is the Feast of Tabernacles and these scriptures would have been read. Pastor goes on to share that there has been much learned over the last 100 years and especially in the last 15 or so that helps to bring this text and the story alive. As we look at what we know about the time of Jesus and what we are discovering, they are changing our understanding of the Bible, bringing a new sense of significance and even urgency as what we are discovering is a testimony that says, “This is real!”

Some recent archeological work has found what is believed to be the City of David – but not at all where it was thought to be, and the discovery of the Hezekiah Tunnel, and more recently the Pool of Siloam show us a different location than originally thought for the Pool and also that it was a very large pool, not a small one. Also that it was filled with fresh water by the Han Spring flowing through the Hezekiah Tunnel into the Pool. The Pool of Siloam was the only fresh – or living water in the city of Jerusalem.

Pastor shares the events of Tabernacles and the pouring out of water into the Temple by the priests carrying it from the Pool of Siloam for the first 7 days of the festival.  On the 7th Day they carried and poured water 7 times in the Temple. 

So as our story continues, it’s either Day 7 (7 times the priests poured water in the Temple) or it’s Day 8 (the day of rejoicing, and celebration) when we read verse 37-38, “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”

He is essentially telling them that what you’ve been doing for the last week with the pouring of water, point to Me and it’s what the prophets said would happen when Messiah comes, that living water would pour out of the Temple. And then it goes on in verse 39, “By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.and that the Living Water is the Holy Spirit.”  Jesus is saying that He is the fulfillment of what the prophets have declared and that everyone who believes on Him will receive the Holy Spirit.  Jesus is calling us to a new day – the fulfillment of what the prophets have said – Messiah-  is here!  And He, the Messiah, gives the Holy Spirit. Jesus is claiming to be God.

At this some called Him prophet, others called Him Messiah and others were in disbelief and angry. The crowd became divided with many wanting to seize Jesus.  The temple guard go and report back to the chief priests.

The chief priests were Sadducees and they united with the Pharisees, a group that they did not get along with but they did unite together over their desire to do away with Jesus.  The very ones who should have embraced Jesus as the Messiah, instead say, “Let’s kill Him.”

Pastor concludes by saying in 6 months from this event  of Tabernacles, the Passover will be celebrated and we will see Jesus dead, and raised during another important festival and how this festival too, finds its fulfillment in Jesus.
    

Our website – https://www.awakeusnow.com

Watch the video from our website! https://www.awakeusnow.com/2-year-study-of-the-gospels-upper

Watch the video from our YouTube Channel!! https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTaaqrC3dMOzMkhPyiNWwlJRpV6Bwpu01

    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

Check out this episode!

Scripture: 1 Kings 1-11, 1 Chronicles 28-29, 2 Chronicles 1-9, 2 Samuel12:24-25, 1 kings 1, 1 Kings 2:2-3, 1 Kings 2:13ff.

This study will take us on an adventure through a period of approximately 400 years, a highly significant time when God was moving in a mighty way among His people, Israel. It will cover from around 970 BC when Solomon took the throne until 586 BC when Solomon’s Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians. It is a time filled with incredible stories, amazing truths, especially applicable truths and lessons for us in our lives today. There is an amazing cast of characters, people like you and me, sinners, all, but individuals whom God used in a wide variety of ways. And it all ultimately points to the Hope of the world, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the Messiah, and King of Kings.

Background:
Moses & Exodus – ca. 1446 BC
Joshua’s Conquest – ca. 1406 BC
Judges rule – ca. 1390-1050 BC
King Saul – ca. 1050-1010 BC
King David – ca. 1010-970 BC

We begin our study with Pastor encouraging us to read about the reign of Solomon from around 970 – 931 BC in the following books of the Bible: 
1 Kings 1-11
1 Chronicles 28-29
2 Chronicles 1-9

Solomon is believed to be the author of:
Proverbs
Ecclesiastes
Song of Songs

David and Solomon each reigned for 40 years and their combined 80 year reign ushered in Israel’s Golden Age.

David known for being a warrior, a worshiper of God, musician and writer, he was also devout – while not perfect, he did follow the Lord. A man who followed God’s heart.

Solomon was known as a man of peace, a man wisdom – authoring hundreds of proverbs, a man with literary gifts, but Solomon was divided – starting well but not finishing well.

Solomon: Early Years
    ⁃    Birth – 2 Samuel 12:24-25 – the son of David and Bathsheba.  
    ⁃    Adonijah’s Conspiracy – 1 Kings 1 – Adonijah’s the oldest living son of David and attempts to take the throne so that Solomon could not. 
    ⁃    Solomon’s Coronation – 1 Kings 1 – Solomon is anointed while Adonijah’s party is going on. Solomon was crowned king while David is still alive.
    ⁃    David’s Words – 1 Kings 2:2-3 – David encourages his son, Solomon, to be strong, observe the commands and decrees of the Lord, and the laws and regulations as written in the Law of Moses.
    ⁃    Adonijah’s Appeal – 1 Kings 2:13ff – works to undermine Solomon’s throne.but Solomon ordered Adonijah’s execution thereby preserving his throne and reign.

Israel grew in size under David so Solomon receives a very powerful, large kingdom.

Next week we will take a look Solomon as a Wise Leader.

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Scripture: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Corinthians 10:12, Psalm 51, Matthew 21:9.

This message deals with the difficult topic of moral collapse, specifically in David’s life. Painful as it is, it can teach us much about the importance of walking faithfully before the Lord and resisting temptation.

David fell into temptation after seeing Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam (a trusted soldier) and the wife of Uriah (one of David’s elite soldiers). David had her brought to the palace and he slept with her resulting in her pregnancy.

Instead of coming clean, David goes deeper into a dark place with more plans. After trying multiple times to cover his actions, David arranges for Uriah’s death and has him killed.

2 Samuel 11:27 tells us that what David had done displeased the Lord. What does the Lord do? 2 Samuel 12:1, God sends Nathan to David. Nathan, in great wisdom, tells David a story and when David hears the story he was incensed saying that the man must die. At this point, Nathan looks at David and confronts him eye to eye, and says, “YOU are the man!”

David is confronted with the horror of what he has done. He had committed a huge moral failure, but David was also a man who understood the heart of God. His response to Nathan is, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Here’s what we can learn from David. 

LESSONS
    ⁃    Awareness – recognizing that we are all vulnerable and we are all sinners. Be aware of the temptations.
    ⁃    Consequences – come when we go against God’s purpose and plan in our lives. Consequences can be horrific. There are consequence to disobedience.
    ⁃    Repentance –  after his sin was exposed David freely admitted he had sinned, he did not try to make excuses, he repented. Repentance brings about a change of direction, a turning away. David understood he had fallen. We all sin, but God calls His people to repentance, to not only admit our sin, but to turn away from it and begin anew all over again.
    ⁃    Forgiveness – The Lord takes away our sin through the death of His Son and we see how good and gracious God really is. He loves us and offered up His own son for us all.  **Pastor shares divinely given wisdom around the loss of David’s son, be sure to listen to this message so you don’t miss out on some profound revelation.**
    ⁃    Restoration – comes from our Father who restores us to relationship with Him through His Son. God restores to us the joy of our salvation and sustains us with the Holy Spirit.

David is described as a man after God’s own heart, yet he made some horrible decisions in his life. David’s story compels us to take seriously the danger of going against God’s plan and purposes for our lives. But this story also shows us the grace and mercy of God. These truths powerfully impact and transform us all.

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The Gospel of John Week 10
Scripture: John 6:22-7:24.

Our teaching today starts with Jesus saying He is the Bread of Life.  He is teaching from the synagogue at Capernaum. Jesus is the rabbi that is teaching. In a service in the synagogue in the first century, people talk back and forth asking questions and engaging with the rabbi.  It can get heated – and what Jesus says is causing things to become heated.  He continues to say many things in this dialogue:
    ⁃    I am the Bread of Life
    ⁃    Believe in Me and you will not hunger or thirst
    ⁃    You’ve seen Me yet you still do not believe
    ⁃    Whoever comes to Me I will not drive away
    ⁃    I have come down from heaven to do the Father’s will
    ⁃    I will raise them on the last day
    ⁃    My Father’s will is that everyone look to the Son and believe in Me 
    ⁃    In Me is eternal life

Pastor talks about a current day synagogue built on the first century synagogue there in Capernaum in Jesus’ day and shares pictures. This current day synagogue is built on the foundation of the synagogue of Jesus’ day.The foundation of black basalt from the first century is still visible. On this basalt foundation is built the several other synagogues with the newest synagogue built over these others. But the basalt rock shows us just where Jesus was as He gave the teaching we are studying today.  

Pastor also shares what the inside of a synagogue in Jesus’ day would have looked like in order to help us visualize today’s story

As our story continues, John 6:53-57 “Jesus said to them, “Very truly I tell you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day. For my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink.  Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in them. Just as the living Father sent me and I live because of the Father, so the one who feeds on me will live because of me.”  

Pastor helps us understand this:
    ⁃    Jesus is Jewish
    ⁃    The crowd He’s talking to is Jewish
    ⁃    Hearing what Jesus is saying – the listeners would have processed what Jesus was saying through a Jewish perspective – their thought would have gone to temple sacrifices where they brought their sacrifices to the Temple
    ⁃    The blood was drained from the animal and sprinkled on the altar because without the shedding of bleed there is no forgiveness
    ⁃    We have sinned against a Holy God and that requires blood to be shed
    ⁃    Jesus is saying here that He is the real sacrifice
    ⁃    “I am the One who offers up My flesh and blood for the life of the world”
    ⁃    “If you do not realize who I am, that I am the One the Father has promised, then you don’t have life”The scriptures all along have said that God Himself would pay the price for our sin.

Old Testament offerings were offered up day after day, year after year, but Jesus is the offering made once for all.  Jesus is saying that He is the “Once for all sacrifice” and many of the people following Jesus turned away from Him after He said this. 

Jesus then turns to His disciples and asks if they want to leave Him too, but Peter answers: “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.”

Note Peter says, “we have come to believe” and then he says, “and to know that You are the holy One of God.”This is highly significant as we human beings think that we know in order to believe. Pastor shares a personal story of an interaction from a friend who brought this truth to light that “I do not know in order o believer, instead, I believer in order to know God.” 

So many time we say, “if you prove this to me (once I know it)  then I’ll believe.” But what Jesus calls us to do is to believe FIRST and then we will know Him. When we trust and follow Him – He reveals himself to us.

Pastor comes with a look at three Jewish festivals – and how each has its ultimate fulfillment in Jesus.
    

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    ⁃    The Gospel of John study is part five of five of our Two Year Study of the Gospels. 
    ⁃    The Gospel of John may be one of the most powerful books ever written. Many people have come to faith after reading only this book of the Bible.  Scholarly and archeological discoveries in recent decades give us new insight on details in the Gospel of John. We can now understand it as the most Jewish rather than the most “Gentile/Greek” of the Gospels, and when we do that we see many things that we missed before.

Our 2 year study of the gospels is great for large group, small group or home group study and can be started at any time!

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