1 Chronicles 29

The end of David's reign drew near. He had given a solemn charge to his son and to the leaders of Israel looking forward to the great project ahead of them, the building of the Lord's temple. Above all, the king called Solomon and the other leaders to a life of obedience to God's commandments.

The king frankly admitted to the assembled leaders that Solomon was young and inexperienced. He would need help from God and men. David had done what he could for this great project of building a house for the Lord God. Now he called on others to give of themselves and of their substance. They were to give willingly and not out of compulsion. This was their opportunity to consecrate themselves to the service of the Lord.

The good response of the leaders was cause for much rejoicing. They celebrated together, but not as a matter of self-congratulation for their generosity. They knew that the Lord had done it all. They rejoiced in Him. They said something that people have said for centuries since: “Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty.”

The kingdom of Israel was God's kingdom. The One who made the heavens and the earth was the worthy recipient of all the praise of His people. He was the Ruler over all. The people were delighted to give thanks to God.

David and the men who were with him understood that their mortal lives on this earth were brief. They knew that anything of lasting worth came from God. Whether the people brought abundant riches or gave the unusual uprightness of excellent character to the Lord, God was the Source of these good gifts. They thanked Him and gave Him praise. Jerusalem rang with the joy of honest worship.

Before long, Solomon sat on his father's throne and David had lived to see the day. Soon after that great moment, David's time on earth came to an end. He had his forty years of strife and victory. He died at a good old age and Solomon reigned in his place.

It would not have been right for the people to worship David or to gather in assembly to give praise to Solomon. David and Solomon were great men, but they were not gods. They humbled themselves before the Almighty. The greatest leader of the Jews would be different from David or Solomon. He would be fully man and fully God. He was willing to receive the worship of His disciples. If the children had not cried out “Hosanna” to Him, the very stones on the streets would have declared His praise. In His divine nature, Jesus was not young and inexperienced. He did not need to ask others for gold and silver in order to accomplish His mission. He is God above all and our great King forever.

For Sure

September 29, 2013 Evening:

Title: Father Abraham had many sons...

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 32 – Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven

Gospel Passage: Mark 13:3-13 – You will be hated by all for my name's sake

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:16 … He helps the offspring of Abraham

Sermon Point: The Lord's covenant promises to Abraham find their fulfillment in Christ and the true children of the promise who receive His daily help.

[16] For surely

The first century Mediterranean world was the site of a great religious controversy. At first it was very easily ignored, particularly if you did not have any connection with Jews. It was within Judaism and starting in Jerusalem that the battle was raging.

What kind of Messiah did the Hebrew Scriptures proclaim? What kind of kingdom was He supposed to bring? Even the remaining eleven disciples were confused. Within a generation of that initial confusion, the Christian church knew what it was about. Some Jews had believed their report, and a massive number of Gentiles had received Jesus, the King of the Jews who died on a cross, as their Savior. Their numbers dwarfed not only the number of Jewish Christians, but very soon, the number of all Jews.

What had at first seemed to be very debatable was suddenly known by many to be very sure. This change came by the work of the Holy Spirit. He repairs damaged, doubting, humble sinners, and makes them able to receive certain truths as certain.

it is not angels that he helps,

One of those truths is the meaning of the death of Christ. This death was at the center of the controversy between what would become the Jewish and Christian positions. Not that there was a controversy concerning the factual reality of the death, but more about whether God would send His Son to win a resurrection victory through first dying on a sinner's cross.

For Jews that rejected Jesus, this crucified King was nonsense. For Christians, both Jews and Gentiles, it was certainty and power. The Christians had come to see that the death of Christ was the death of a Man for humanity. He was not an angel, nor did He die for angels. That would make no sense. Angels do not die as men, and a man cannot pay the price that God's justice demands for sinful angels. There is no redemption for angels that have rebelled against God.

but he helps the offspring of Abraham.

But there is help for those who have been counted as the offspring of Abraham. Abraham was one of the great forefathers of the Jews. In Romans 4, Paul makes the case that this same Abraham is the father of all those who follow him in faith. Abraham trusted God, and it was credited to him as righteousness.

But God still demanded the fulfillment of righteousness which He provided in Jesus. Here was the gift of a Man to help humanity. Through faith in Jesus, both Jews and Gentiles could be counted as the offspring of Abraham and as children of God. Through the death of Jesus, Jews and Gentiles could be delivered from death. So now, father Abraham has many sons. For sure.

Deep in the Heart of Man

Tune: Southwell, S.M.

Scriptures: Psalm 36, Matthew 13:10-17, Acts 28:23-31

1: Deep in the heart of man

Transgression speaks to him.

How precious is Your steadfast love.

O keep my soul from sin!

2: You made the blind to see.

The deaf have heard Your voice.

I see Your face. I hear Your Word.

In You I will rejoice!

3: When e'er Your servant speaks

Some hear and some will not.

O keep our hearts from growing dull!

Hold on to what You've bought.

1 Chronicles 28

The king of Israel was not alone in his service of the Lord. David had appointed many individuals to do the work of the kingdom. Now the time had come to gather them together and address them concerning this most important of all duties for the nation—the worship of the Lord.

David had it in his heart to build a permanent structure for God, but the Lord redirected him in his plan. Solomon, David's son, would build the temple. The Lord would be a Father to the great son of David. He would establish the line of David forever.

There was a note of warning in David's remarks. Solomon would have to continue strong in keeping God's commandments. This same condition was upon all of Israel if they hoped to keep the land that the Lord had given to them. The temple, the land, and the stability of the kingdom depended upon the obedience of the king and the children of Israel.

David addressed his son directly in the hearing of the entire assembly. God had chosen Solomon for this great task. The time would soon come for the fulfillment of this work. But Solomon needed to be faithful to the Lord. If the new king turned away from God, the Lord would cast him off forever.

David's address to the leaders of the people came at a great moment in the history of God's kingdom work upon the earth. Yet the plan for the future had a fatal flaw. God required obedience from David's son. How would Solomon measure up according to the Lord's holy standards? How would the nation do in their obligation to keep God's commandments?

David gave Solomon all the plans for the temple. He had amassed a great amount of silver and gold necessary for the work that needed to be completed. The temple would indeed be built. Solomon would have the help of thousands of chosen people, and the Lord himself would be with him. But how long would Israel be able to keep the temple that Solomon built? How long would the descendants of Jacob be able to stay in the land of Canaan? Within one generation the problem with this covenant arrangement would become painfully obvious. Israel needed a New Covenant based on an obedience that would be more robust than what Solomon supplied. They needed the perfect obedience of a different Son of David.

God's kingdom plans were always bigger than the land of Israel. He would build a far greater temple beyond anything that David or Solomon could ever have accomplished. That temple would stand on the holiness and goodness of Jesus. He is the Cornerstone of a New Covenant and the sure foundation of a kingdom that will never end.

1 Chronicles 27

The Lord brought forward men who were willing to serve King David in the battles that Israel faced. There were chosen men at the head of each division serving month by month according to the king's direction.

There were other leading men who served as tribal leaders. It was in the unauthorized counting of these tribes in the days of David that so much trouble came upon Israel. But, as the Chronicler had earlier recorded, it was through this sin of David that the location of the future temple was revealed to Israel.

There were other appointed men throughout the land that served the king. They were managers over David's property and his interests. David also had counselors and friends that played a prominent role in the affairs of God's people.

All of these great men of responsibility were necessary for the functioning of the nation of Israel in her prime. The Chronicler's great hope was to see this kingdom reestablished, though attaining the blessings of the days of David and Solomon must have seemed almost impossible to the returning exiles.

Immediately before Jesus ascended into heaven His disciples seemed to have a similar concern to bring back the glory days of the past. They asked Him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He first dismissed their inquiry regarding timing saying, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority.” But then He went on to correct their misunderstanding of the the geographic extent of the kingdom. Their vision of the kingdom was too small. He said to them, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

The kingdom of Jesus is being established throughout the earth through the proclamation of the gospel. But one day our King will come in judgment. He will establish the fullness of His reign throughout the great extent of the new heavens and earth. Many who have proven to be faithful in even small responsibilities during their brief days of mortality will serve Him in much greater ways when He has fully established His kingdom. Whether now or in that future Day of the Lord, we serve at the pleasure of the King. Our lives are not our own. We have been bought with a price.

1 Chronicles 26

David organized, priests, temple servants, and musicians for the Lord's good purposes. All of that organizing is useless unless people make themselves available. On the other end of all the organizing were people who were willing to be led. They were trusting that the king was God's man. They were willing to follow him.

We live in a world of danger. Anything of worth needs to be protected. Preparing for the future temple and the city of Jerusalem included identifying men of ability who would be available in a very special way. They needed to be ready to put their lives on the line to protect the Lord's possessions. These men were called gatekeepers and treasurers.

God blessed certain leading men with many sons and brothers who were able to answer this call. They were “qualified for the service.” They were men of “great ability.” Each one had their duties, just as all had special responsibilities in the Lord's kingdom. Wherever the hand of God was needed in order to determine a matter of timing or location, the lot was cast by those in charge, and the decision was made by the Lord.

There would be much in the temple treasuries and among the dedicated gifts of the people of Israel that would have been desirable to thieves. Men were required to guard these valuable items to ensure that they were used for God's purposes and not to enrich corrupt and greedy people.

Some of the wealth that had been dedicated to the worship of the God of Israel had come through the free gifts of Israel's leading men. Much was given to Israel through the defeat of her enemies. All of this wealth required the careful oversight of honest men of ability. The gatekeepers and treasurers were joined by officers, judges, managers, and administrators. All these men served the king and the king's God.

Why did the Chronicler record these details so many centuries after the reign of David? In every era of the history of Israel, men of valor were needed to provide honest and capable protection for the work of the Lord and the careful administration of what others have dedicated to God. In the days of the Chronicler this was an especially important task, since the people of Israel could have easily been overwhelmed by enemies in the land. Who would be ready to give his life to stand against the enemy? Perhaps the right men would be more ready to serve when they read of how their ancestors had done their part in an earlier time of blessing.

We have a great King over a new house of God. Much of His great work He had to do alone. We did not help with His cross. We added nothing to His resurrection. Those saving events happened long before we were born. We are beneficiaries of much hard work that we receive today as His gift to us. Since we have received such a great kingdom, is it too much to ask that men would be ready to serve when our King calls us forward? Is it too much to ask that we would be available to follow Him? Are we ready to give our lives as He would direct?

Stronger than Samson

September 22, 2013 Evening:

Title: A Better Temple

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 31:5 – Into your hand I commit my spirit

Gospel Passage: Mark 13:1-2 – There will not be one stone upon another that will not be thrown down.

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:15 ...and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.

Sermon Point: Jesus has freed us from the slavery of the ultimate fear.

[15] and deliver

The Lord Jesus Christ is a Savior. He is a deliverer who is more powerful than Samson. Samson was one of Israel's “saviors” in the book of Judges. His greatest act of deliverance came at the end of his life after his mortal body had been defaced by his enemies. But through his death he destroyed more Philistines than he had throughout the rest of his life. Now he has a better tent in the heaven.

How did that happen? Through the death of Jesus, Satan and his demonic host have been defeated, and the Lord's elect have been granted life. The work of Jesus was a very powerful deliverance.

all those who through fear of death

Why would anyone be afraid of death? There may be many reasons, some rational and some irrational. But here is a very rational concern: We know that sin deserves punishment, and we wonder what is ahead of us when we leave this mortal life. Can we stand before the holy God who made us?

This fear of death was the common experience of mankind. Some might deny it. But the fear can be there without an acknowledgment of it or even a recognition that it exists.

were subject to lifelong slavery.

Fear of death is a slavery that can captivate a person all of his life.

But now we have an answer for humanity in the death of Jesus. We do not need to be afraid of eternal torment. We can be honest about our sins. We have a rational basis to receive God's Word of forgiveness. We can believe His promises even if our current temple is destroyed. We have a better temple in heaven.

Some thoughts for those who have received God's Word regarding the death of Christ:

1. Learn to distinguish between an irrational fear of death and a rational fear of death.
2. Learn to trust God in life and death. You belong to Jesus. He will use you for His glory.
3. There is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
4. Jesus is our strong deliverer forever. One who is stronger than Samson is here!

Concluding Thought: Christ lives in us. We are a holy temple for a very strong deliverer.

I Waited for the Lord

Tune: Silver Street, S.M.

Scriptures: Psalm 31:19-24, Mark 12:41-44, Acts 28:11-22

1: I waited for the Lord,

But thought all hope was lost.

And then I saw my brother's face!

My courage was restored.

2: You gave me your last cent.

You would have given more.

Your love for me has made me rich.

I am no longer poor.

3: The load that I must bear

Through pain or poverty

Is lightened by the help of friends.

The Lord is good to me!

1 Chronicles 25

As we enjoy the New Testament privileges of being priests to God and servants of the Lord, we are also permitted the joy of singing to God in worship. Paul tells the Ephesian church that one of the signs of fullness of the Holy Spirit in the church is that God's people will sing in the presence of one another and of God. How was it that singing became a part of divine worship? We have little evidence of any command to sing as a regular order of worship in the books of Moses. Only with David's institution of what would soon be temple worship do we hear about the establishment of a regular pattern of singing and playing instruments.

There were specific families set aside for this work. In 1 Chronicles 25 we are told that they “prophesied” in their singing under the direction of chosen leaders who served the king. This singing was a part of the ministry of the Word in the temple, and prophetic in that sense. It is the essence of prophets to bring the Word of God to the people. Men like Asaph did that with song.

Singing for the Lord was not a performance for men. These chosen servants “prophesied with the lyre in thanksgiving and praise to the Lord.” Their gifts were used for “the service of the house of God.” The group of singers from designated families were “trained” and “skillful.” Like the priests and Levites, the order of their service was determined through casting lots, giving God the opportunity to direct His servants as He saw fit.

The role of singing praise to God has been greatly expanded in New Testament life. Every family of worshipers is called to do their part in this privilege of praise.

As the prophets of old were filled with the Spirit and spoke the Word of the Lord among the Lord's people, now all the people of God can “prophesy” to God in the hearing of one another. This is a birthright of those who have been born of the Holy Spirit. It is one of the gifts that our Savior has won for His church.

There is ample evidence that singing is useful for our being built up in faith here on earth. But singing is not a temporary activity that will be eliminated at the coming of the Lord. Our brothers and sisters who already live in heaven serve God right now by using their voices in song. May the Lord empower us to join in their praise. May He fill us with delight as we take up our spots together in whole-church choirs of men, women, and children that sing to God all over the earth.

1 Chronicles 24

The office of priest in the Old Testament was restricted to the sons of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Two sons of Aaron died as young men in a sad episode described in the book of Leviticus. The remaining sons and their male descendants had the duties and privileges that belonged to the priesthood.

King David organized the priests for service in his day. In the process that he used, the Lord chose the ordering of priestly clans according to the system of casting lots. What appeared to be chance according to what men could see was actually the choice of the Lord. “The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.” (Proverbs 16:33)

The leaders of the various clans of Levi were also recorded in the days of David. These matters were of importance to the Chronicler since the godly were seeking a restoration of the religious order that God had blessed in the days of David. Priests who were authorized to offer up sacrifices to God and to pronounce Aaron's blessing upon Israel were not chosen according to their individual merit. Levites who had other sacred duties associated with Israel's worship did not apply for those jobs based on their personalities or individual gifts. According to God's commandment they needed to have the approved family heritage. The Chronicler sought to reestablish the worship of Israel according to the clans of Levi that reached back at least to the days of David.

In the New Testament era, service to God in worship has been broadened far beyond one tribe in Israel. King Jesus has ordered His apostles to make disciples of all nations. All disciples have a priestly role. All are called to be servants of the Lord.

The family story that is of singular significance for the church today is this: We are now sons of God adopted into God's household because of Jesus. We no longer have to prove that we come from the right clan or tribe in order to serve the Lord as a priest or a temple worker. We are all part of a living temple of God built upon the foundation stone of Jesus. Christ. We are all commanded to offer up our bodies to God as living sacrifices as we follow God's Son.

1 Chronicles 23

As David prepared his son for the future, he provided him with materials that would be used for the building of the temple. He insisted that Solomon be ready to govern Israel's worship as God's chosen king.

As Israel's king, David had great concern for the worship of God's people. David considered it his duty to see that the various clans of the Levites were in place to serve according to the Lord's commandments. This required some additional direction in light of the change from a simple mobile tabernacle to a beautiful temple with some additional instructions for worship including the use of musical instruments and singing. David was used by God to provide whatever direction was necessary for this new phase of Old Testament life. The Lord worked through the king in order to provide whatever was lacking.

There would be officers, judges, gatekeepers, singers, and other musicians, all organized for the Lord's service. The clans of Levi—Gershon, Kohath, and Merari—still remained intact, but the king provided additional direction for them.

The change from Moses to David is often overlooked, as if all the worship of the Old Testament was given on Sinai. God brought something new through David.

Even more significant changes would come through a later Son of David. These would be appropriate because of a far more significant change in the temple of the Lord. No longer would a central structure be the focus of the Lord's people. A new worldwide church welcoming in the nations would lead many to wonder if the followers of Jesus had gone too far. Circumcision would be replaced by baptism, a new rite that could be received by both men and women. A new meal celebrating the death of Jesus our Redeemer would bring fulfillment to centuries of Passovers.

It was the right of Jesus to institute these changes as the new David. He is the Lord's Anointed forever. He has prepared the way for His church to worship God through Him. One day He will return with a new Jerusalem from above, and all God's people will worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.

I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living...

September 15, 2013 Evening:

Title: The Death of Death in the Death of Christ

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 29:1-2 – The Lord and other “heavenly beings”

Gospel Passage: Mark 12:35-37 – David's son and David's Lord

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:14b Satan and his reign of death is destroyed through the cross

Sermon Point: Because of the death of Jesus, we are now under the power of eternal life.

that through death

Jesus did a great work that required not only His life, but also His death. If our Lord had lived without sin and then went on to live forever, bypassing the grave, something very significant would have been missing—a most necessary ingredient in God's plan of salvation for us.

Why did Jesus have to die? There are many questions that we might want to ask the Lord about death for which we cannot expect an answer. The mysteries of His providence are profound. He reveals what He chooses to reveal. We need to trust Him not only in what He has revealed, but also in what He has chosen to not reveal.

Is the purpose of the death of Christ one of those things that we can never know? Surely the cross is full of meaning that I do not yet understand, but God has explained a big part of this great mystery to us in the Bible. If Jesus did not die, my debt to God's justice would still be unpaid. I could not be in His presence forever.

he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil,

There is another way of putting this: Someone had to kill death.

John Owen wrote a book about the definitive work of Christ on the cross showing how Jesus actually accomplished the salvation of His people rather than merely making salvation a possibility. He entitled that book, The Death of Death in the Death of Christ.

Jesus not only destroyed death for us. He destroyed the prince of death. This is a great mystery to ponder. The Lord had a plan that involved the role of a fallen angel who would be for a time the prince of this world. The world of Adam is under a sentence of death, and Satan, the devil, has had a role to play in the divine sanction of futility for sin. The devil's goals in his work were surely different than the goals of the Lord, just as the goals of the Babylonians in destroying Jerusalem were different than the goals of Yahweh in using them as agents of destruction.

Eventually the destroyer had to be destroyed. Somehow that happened on the cross. As Paul writes in Colossians 2:15, “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” through the cross.

Though we die, we live. Why? Because Jesus claimed us with His blood. We will not be turned over to a cruel adversary for God's just torment. Christ suffered the pains of hell for us. Our death is now dead, and so is the prince of death, though he still will trouble the church for a little while.

What is left for us now that the fangs of death have been removed? Life. Eternal life. And the present joy of the Lord even through trial. Be strong and of good courage. Death is dead. Jesus lives, and so shall I.

I Will Extol You, Lord!

Tune: Louisville, S.M.

Scriptures: Psalm 30, Mark 12:28-34, Acts 28:1-10

1: I will extol You, Lord

For You have lifted me.

I cried to you that you might heal.

You heard my earnest plea.

2: You are the only God.

I'll give You all my love.

I'll serve my neighbor as myself

As You give from above.

3: Because of Jesus Christ

I have a gift of life.

Use my embrace to heal the sick,

My lips to end their strife.

1 Chronicles 22

God chose the location of the Old Testament temple. David lived through the wrenching process of finding out that choice presented in the previous chapter. In this chapter we see the king's passion for this great endeavor.

The work ahead would require much preparation and sacrifice. Many hands would be involved. David's son, Solomon, would eventually lead this massive undertaking. David wanted to do all he could to prepare the way for Solomon.

Building the temple was never just a matter of designing the structure and gathering the raw materials. The work would require Solomon's leadership. David's zeal would not be enough. His son would have to see this project through to a glorious conclusion.

When David prepared his son for this mission he impressed upon him the fact that God's presence in this work would be essential. Solomon would not succeed unless the Lord was with him. This great son of David would have to obey the Lord's commandments not merely as an architect or project manager but as a man and a king.

Fear and discouragement would not be Solomon's allies in the work ahead. He needed courage and spiritual strength that comes from faith in God. David had done what he could. Solomon would have to do more. Most of all, Solomon would need the Lord.

David's son would be king, but he would need many other godly leaders under him in order for this great project to prosper. David charged all the leaders of Israel to help Solomon. He reminded them of God's faithfulness and told them that they needed to seek God first in their lives.

Solomon had an important mission before him. Is our task any less significant than his? The Lord Jesus Christ has called us to be with Him in the building of His church which is the temple of the Holy Spirit. The work that He has for us involves people for whom He died. We cannot build the Lord's temple with slogans and attractive pictures. We need to do the hard work of making disciples. This means loving the people that the Lord puts in our lives, starting with our own families. We need to look for the presence of God in their struggles and joys. When they are willing to grow in their faith and obedience we need to teach them everything that Christ has commanded. The Lord is with us. He is a great and faithful King. He must be first in our lives.

1 Chronicles 21

Satan is a powerful angelic adversary who stands against God and His people. Yet even the devil is under the sovereign control of Almighty God. Satan incited David to sin against God concerning this census, but that incitement was not an excuse for the king's sin. David and all Israel had to face the consequences for this serious error.

David later came to see his fault after the census had been completed. He faced God's discipline against the nation with faith in the Lord. The king trusted in God's great mercy even at this moment.

David was ready to take the punishment for his sin rather than see the Lord's correction fall upon the entire nation, but the Lord had another plan. God used this episode to identify the site for the temple that Solomon would later build.

David would pay the monetary price to buy the land for the Israel's central sanctuary. The Lord gave His own sign of approval for this particular holy place. He met David there in the fire that consumed the king's offering, and the plague against Israel that took so many lives was stopped.

The entire system of Old Covenant worship would from this moment forward be centered around the place of the king's offering. This location was identified through this moment of sin and suffering written of in the passage before us.

The New Testament no longer looks to any building made by the hands of men as the central place of our worship. We do gather around the sacrifice offered up by our King, the Son of David, Jesus of Nazareth. Our King did not offer up the blood of an animal to make atonement for anyone. He gave Himself to God. He was the Lamb of God who has taken away the sins of the world.

We gather around that one Lamb. We glory in His cross and find that we are even partakers in His resurrection. We have become the temple of the Lord. We are God's holy place.

1 Chronicles 20

At a time when kings go out to war, David stayed at home in Jerusalem and sent Joab to fight against the Ammonites to the east. No reason is given here for his behavior since the Chronicler is focusing on the glory of David's reign.

What Joab did, in this case overthrowing the capital of the Ammonites, he did in the name of the king. The crown of the Ammonites goes to the king and not to the general who led the troops in battle.

The details of why David stayed home and how Joab convinced David to come forth to victory were not recorded here. They were given to us in another place. The important point was that the glory of victory belonged to the Lord's anointed, David.

When David's servants performed great deeds of valor against enemies of imposing stature, it was David's hand that accomplished the victory. These great warriors were united to David. Their conquests were credited to the king that they loved.

We have a King, a descendant of David, who fights for us. If we have any accomplishment in His service, it is our joy to acknowledge that Jesus is the one who should receive the glory. If we have won any crowns, it is our to delight to lay them at the feet of the Christ.

The alternative to this way of life is to see ourselves as disconnected from our Lord. This we cannot agree to. We insist that His victories are for our well-being. If we have achieved anything, it is only because of Him. He must receive the praise. We will not be independent from Jesus.

Together with us in flesh and blood

September 8, 2013 Evening:

Title: Flesh and Blood

Old Testament Passage: Psalm 27:13-14 – I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Gospel Passage: Mark 12:18-27 – The Sadducees rebuked concerning the resurrection

Sermon Text: Hebrews 2:14a Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things,

Sermon Point: The shocking nature of the flesh and blood connection between the One and the many united to Him in His death and resurrection

[14] Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood,

The Lord intended to save a people for Himself. We are God's people. We have experienced life in this mortal world. We are sons of God by birth as image-bearers of the Almighty. We are especially His beloved children through our connection with the only begotten Son of God, Jesus.

We have come to believe that our destiny is for a life that is beyond our mortal death. Though we die, we live. We believe that we will see the Lord in the land of the living.

Even this dying world has become a “land of the living” because of the life that God has already given to us in Christ. But beyond this life there is another more permanent land of the living where Christ is. That land of the living is coming down upon this poor world, and we will walk before the Lord in the land of the living in the fullness that God has intended for us before all eternity.

he himself likewise partook of the same things,

We know the life of mortal flesh and blood now. We are subject to the infirmities of this dying world. We are led in paths of righteousness, but those paths take us into the valley of the shadow of death.

It was the will of the Lord that His own Son would walk in those same paths as a true man. He was a true partaker of flesh and blood.

This is a shocking gospel. Our Savior's connection with us is not only a soul connection. It is a flesh and blood connection.

He understands the challenges of mortal life in every way. In fact, there are aspects of mortality that Christ has faced that we will never face. He faced hell for us. Because of His sufferings, we will never fully know for ourselves what it is for a person to face the full weight of death.

In His resurrection, Jesus led the way for us into an existence of immortal flesh and blood. As He is, so shall we also be.

Why would God stoop so low? I can think of only two answers to that question.

1. He like His own plan for glory and has always intended to see it through to its conclusion.

2. He loved us, and this is what His love required.

The Lord Is Right and Good

Tune: St. Michael, S.M.

Scriptures: Psalm 25, Mark 12:13-17, Acts 27:1-44

1: The Lord is right and good.

He teaches me the way

Of steadfast love and faithfulness

He guards my soul from shame.

2: My life belongs to Him,

Not to another king.

I'll give them honor and obey,

But He means everything.

3: He rescues me from death

Through every stormy gale.

My soul is kept by His strong hand.

His Word saves me from hell.

1 Chronicles 19

David was God's appointed leader over Israel. The Lord gave him tremendous victories over his enemies. The best plan that any nation could have pursued would have been to submit to David and to seek his mercy.

Not every nation saw it this way. In the case of the Ammonites, advisers to their new king imagined that David's intentions were evil against them. David had sent messengers to console the king at the death of his father. The Ammonites were deeply disrespectful to David's emissaries, sending a message to David that they did not trust or honor him.

Because of this affront to the dignity of his soldiers, David moved against the Ammonites with a great army under the command of Joab. The Ammonites had hired Syrian mercenaries in order to defeat David with overwhelming force coming against him from two different fronts.

Joab led the army in a valiant assault upon the two armies. He urged the men of Israel to “be of good courage,” a very familiar word of instruction since the days of Moses and Joshua. Joab added another important note for everyone who fought for David: “May the Lord do what seems good to Him.” This combination of courage and faith in the Lord is needed for every battle where the people of God want to see the will of the Lord accomplished.

In this case the Syrians that the Ammonites hired to fight for them proved to be very unreliable helpers. After they fled from the field of battle, the Ammonites also lost their courage. The Syrian forces would try one more time to assemble a great force against Israel. This time David led the troops himself and won a second great victory for Israel. After that the Syrians did what would have been best to do at the outset, becoming subject to David.

Like the Philistines, Moabites, and Edomites, the Syrians needed to learn that God intended to bless the Israelites under the leadership of David. There was no point in refusing this great man. All those outside Israel should have surrendered to him, and all the fighting men of Israel needed to fight courageously with trust that both victory and defeat were entirely in the hands of Almighty God.

Though the battle that today's church fights, under the leadership of Jesus, may be very different than the war David fought against the Ammonites and the Syrians, there are principles for us to learn as those who seek to serve the Lord. First, we know that God's Holy Spirit is not a spirit of fear, but of courage. Secondly, there is no better place for us to seek the will of God than in the service of the great Son of David, who said in His darkest hour, “Not my will, but yours be done.” In His cross we see the epitome of courage and faithfulness.

1 Chronicles 18

God was true to His promise to David. He had told David, “I will subdue all your enemies.” The Lord accomplished this great Word.

Philistia to the west, Moab and Edom to the southeast, the Syrians in the northeast, and even the kingdom of Zobah-Hamath in the distant north felt the power of the king of Israel. All this came from the Lord.

David took from the spoils of war and honored his God. Bronze from distant cities was eventually used for the pillars in Solomon's temple. Articles of gold and silver were also dedicated to the Lord. “The Lord gave victory to David wherever he went.” David set up officials in positions of authority, “and he administered justice and equity to all his people.”

All these events had taken place long before First Chronicles was written. When the Lord was bringing His exiled remnant back to Jerusalem, the returning servants of God needed to remember the Lord's faithfulness to David.

The Chronicler and his generation longed to see a son of David favored again by the Lord of Hosts. They wanted a new David who would again establish the kingdom of Israel and dedicate the blessings of victory to the worship to the Lord God Almighty.

The returning exiles did not achieve all that they desired in their day. God's plan was far more glorious. Through what would look to men like weakness and foolishness, a perfectly holy Son of David would achieve a far greater victory over His enemies than David could have ever experienced.

We follow this righteous Son of David, Jesus Christ. He won His greatest battle through His own death on the cross. He is now the resurrection King over a very extensive eternal kingdom. Every one of His enemies will be subdued. His administration of justice and peace will be fully established. To Him be all glory, honor, and praise.