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SEEKING THINGS ABOVE
“If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above,
where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. “(Col. 3:1)
Volume I Number 10
January 2021
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BIBLICAL AUTHORITY (5)
Obedience and the Old Testament
Mike Johnson
One of the most vital questions involved in the study of Christianity is the question of authority. As was noted earlier, during the life of Christ, the chief priests and elders raised this question when they asked Jesus (Mt. 21:23), “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You this authority?” Authority is undoubtedly needed, and we must recognize the importance of the authority of God, Christ, the apostles, the Holy Spirit, and God’s Word.
Many passages in the Old Testament emphasize a basic principle—we must obey God! Various Old Testament passages make it clear that we are to follow God’s instructions and not deviate from them in any way.
An example of this is Deuteronomy 4. Earlier, Moses had addressed the people, and he gave a survey of the events which had occurred in their history, showing what God had done for them. In this chapter, he admonishes Israel concerning what they should do as subjects of God. Verse1 says, “Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the judgments which I teach you to observe, that you may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers is giving you.” Israel needed to both listen and obey God’s Words. Many today are interested in religion and might even like to hear a good sermon from time to time, but they have no desire to obey God. It is not enough to just listen to teaching from the Word of God. We must also be willing to obey God’s commandments. (In the New Testament, James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.”) Verse six points out that we must “keep” and “do” God’s commandments. Thus, the law did not exist merely for their information, but God expected them to obey it. Verse two says, “You shall not add to the word which I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.”. This verse is very much like a New Testament passage (Rev. 22:18-19), which we will examine later. Verse 3 gives an example where they had disobeyed the Lord, which resulted in many receiving punishment. Verse 4 then says, “But you who held fast to the Lord your God are alive today, every one of you.” The Pulpit commentary points out that the word used here “is expressive of the closest, most intimate attachment and communion,” and it is “frequently used of devotion to the service and worship of the true God.” (p. 58)
In Deuteronomy 5:32-33, Moses pointed out to the people the importance of strictly obeying God’s commandments. It says, “Therefore you shall be careful to do as the Lord your God has commanded you; you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. You shall walk in all the ways which the Lord your God has commanded you, that you may live and that it may be well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land which you shall possess.” Moses pictured God’s Word as a highway from which one could not deviate in any direction.
After Moses died, Joshua became the new leader of the people. He also pointed out the importance of obeying God’s Word. Israel was now on the verge of entering the land God had promised them. Joshua told them (Josh. 1:7), “Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.”
In Numbers 22, Israel was about to battle Moab. Israel had been very successful militarily, and Balak, the king of Moab, was afraid of Israel. As a result, he tried to get Balaam to prophesy against Israel. Balaam was a greedy person (Jude 11) who wanted to prophesy against Israel for the rewards offered. Nevertheless, Balaam stated it correctly when he said to the servants of Balak (22:18), “. . . Though Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord my God, to do less or more.” He said later (24:13), ‘If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I could not go beyond the word of the Lord, to do good or bad of my own will. What the Lord says, that I must speak’?” We need to have that same attitude today toward the Word of God.
Consider a few other passages, which emphasize the need to adhere strictly to God’s Word. Proverbs 4:26-27 says, “Ponder the path of your feet, and let all your ways be established. Do not turn to the right or the left; remove your foot from evil.” Proverbs 30:5-6 says, “Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who put their trust in Him. Do not add to His words, lest He rebuke you, and you be found a liar.” In Leviticus 18:4-5, God told Moses to tell the people, “You shall observe My judgments and keep My ordinances, to walk in them: I am the Lord your God. You shall therefore keep My statutes and My judgments, which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.”
Today we are no longer under the Old Testament. However, the Old Testament is for our learning today (Rom. 15:7, 1 Cor. 10:11). God required respect for His Word under the old law, and various passages, as we will see, in the New Testament make it clear that we must respect it today. What is your attitude toward God’s instructions?
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Why I Pray
Warren Berkley
I pray because I believe God listens. “Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us” (1 John 5:14).
I pray because God has told me that He cares and is able to help. “Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7; see also Luke 12:6-7; Hebrews 4:16).
I pray because I lack wisdom. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him as of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).
I pray because my Savior said I ought to pray. “Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart” (Luke 18:1).
I pray because I’m thankful for all the good things God has given. “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God” (Philippians 4:6; see also Colossians 4:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).
I pray because I need pardon. “My little children, these things I write to you, that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1; see also Acts 8:22; Psalm 51:1-9).
I pray because I adore and love my Father. “In this manner, therefore, pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name’” (Matthew 6:9).
I pray because I’ve read so many accounts of people who prayed to God with great results. “Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain; and it did not rain on the land for three years and six months. And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth produced its fruit” (James 5:17-18). “The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much” (James 5:16).
I pray because of Paul’s exhortation. “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior” (1 Timothy 2:1-3).
I pray because I believe God has the ability to grant even more than I’m able to think and ask. “For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height; to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians. 3:14-21).
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That Preacher Offended Me!
Harry Osborne
What would you think of a preacher whose sermons offended people and were taken as insulting by the hearers? What if a preacher caused the audience to be filled with anger because of the hard things he said? What if he went so far as to mock false beliefs? Regardless of his intent, many would denounce such preaching as wrong. Even if he did not intend to insult people, but merely sought to preach the truth boldly, many would condemn him for offending others.
However, the Bible is filled with cases of those who preached the truth boldly in an effort to bring sinners to repentance, only to see those addressed react with anger because of taking offense at the message. Preachers of the truth in Bible times were not men of timidity and a totally “positive” message which was pleasing to the hearers. Their message had elements that were not always appreciated by all who heard it. Notice the reactions to Jesus’ preaching.
In Matthew 15, Jesus reproved the Pharisees for their replacement of the law of God with their human commands and traditions. This reproof was in forceful terms as He said, “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you, saying, This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from me. But in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:7-9).
How did the hearers take this reprimand? Did they accept it gladly? No, that is made clear by the disciples who came to Jesus about the matter. “Then the disciples came and said to Him, Do You know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this statement?” (v. 12). Jesus did not apologize for offending the hearers but rather reinforced His rebuke as He answered His disciples in the next verse. Did Jesus do anything wrong?
In a rebuke found in Luke, Jesus brought a similar reaction from the audience. After He finished exposing the hypocrisy of many who heard Him, we read of one man who responded to Jesus. “And one of the lawyers said to Him in reply, Teacher, when You say this, you insult us too” (Luke 11:45). Did Jesus make a mistake in His approach?
In another case, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and then taught about the proper use of the Sabbath. The hearers did not appreciate Jesus’ teaching. In fact, the Bible says, “But they themselves were filled with rage, and discussed together what they might do to Jesus” (Luke 6:11). Was Jesus at fault for their reaction?
When Jesus did the same thing on the Sabbath later, there was a mixed reaction from the crowd. The record says, “And as He said this, all His opponents were being humiliated; and the entire multitude was rejoicing over all the glorious things being done by Him” (Luke 13:17). The same message which put some to shame caused others to rejoice. The difference was not in the approach of the preacher, but the attitude of the hearers toward the truth.
Long before the time of Jesus, Elijah reproved the prophets of Baal (a false god) and challenged them to a contest on Mount Carmel to prove who was the true God. When the prophets of Baal prayed for their god to bring fire down upon their sacrifice, nothing happened. After this continued from morning until noon, Elijah began to emphasize the folly of their actions as is recorded in the Bible. “And it came about at noon, that Elijah mocked them and said, Call out with a loud voice, for he is a god; either he is occupied or gone aside, or is on a journey, or perhaps he is asleep and needs to be awakened” (1 Kings 18:27). Clearly, the statements of Elijah were meant to mock the foolishness of believing in Baal and bring rational people to reject such error. Was Elijah wrong for so mocking that error and openly exposing its folly? No, for the very next verse we see is that God was with Elijah. In fact, God continued to be with Elijah as His prophet. Remember that God defined the concept of a prophet from the time of Moses and Aaron onward as one whom God used as a mouthpiece. If Elijah was God’s mouthpiece, God must have approved such speech. If God approved such speech by causing inspired men to so speak, should we not respect the fact that an approved example authorizes such speech at times when it is needed to pierce the arrogance or folly of error?
We could look at many, many more cases where teachers of truth in the Bible were not well received by their offended, humiliated or enraged hearers. In every case, the attempt of the teacher was to boldly declare the truth, not to maliciously mistreat or intentionally anger the hearer. However, the sinner who refuses to repent of sin will not react positively to being exposed as a sinner. God desires those who have first been humbled (Isaiah 57:15; James 4:10).
Several years ago, I heard a wise older preacher make a statement about the unpleasantness of the sinner accepting the fact of his sins. He said, “You know, there must be a hundred ways to skin a cat, but from a cat’s point of view, there’s not a good way.” When we are tempted to condemn the messenger because we do not like the message, let us examine ourselves to see if we are reacting properly. It may not be pleasant, but the lesson is needed if it is the truth.
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Rejoice Always
Mike Johnson
I Thessalonians 5:16 says we are to “Rejoice always.” In the Greek, this passage is the shortest verse in the Bible. In contrast, the shortest verse in the English deals with the opposite emotion, which is sorrow. This verse is John 11:35, which says, “Jesus wept.”
It is incredible how many times the concept of joy occurs in the New Testament. Earlier, in I Thessalonians 1:6, Paul speaks of the joy of the Thessalonians while facing persecutions. In Jerusalem, the apostles faced arrests and beatings during the days of the early church. In the midst of this, they rejoiced as they were counted worthy to suffer for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41). The preaching of the gospel in Samaria also caused great joy (Acts 8:8). When the Ethiopian was converted (Acts 8:39), “he went on his way, rejoicing.” Acts 15:3 tells us that the brethren in Jerusalem rejoiced when they heard of the Gentiles’ conversion, and the Philippian jailor rejoiced after his conversion (Acts 16:34). Even though Paul wrote Philippians from prison, he used the word “joy,” or some form of it, 17 times in this book. The verse sometimes called the theme of the entire book is Philippians 4:3, which says, “Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice.”
How can a Christian “rejoice always”? Christians face hardships and shed tears, like everyone else. God’s people, however, always have a reason to rejoice no matter what happens. This situation exists because their joy pertains to their relationship with God instead of external circumstances. Nothing, not even death, can ever rob Christians of their abundant, spiritual blessings and the joy they have in Christ.
Many happy events can happen to Christians. However, they will also face hardships. Even in these, they can continue to rejoice. Believers can “smile through their tears.”
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Tomorrow
Hollis Creel
What a familiar word! What a dangerous word. “I will do it tomorrow.” The tragedy of it all is that tomorrow never comes. If we don’t do the things we should today, then today’s things will never be done.
Solomon said, “Boast not thyself of tomorrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth” (Prov. 27:1). So uncertain is tomorrow that we dare not to trust our souls to it. If your soul is not right with the Lord, now is the time to do something about it. The apostle Paul said, “I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation I have succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Cor. 6:2).
Tomorrow may find me unable to do the things I should do today. I may not be alive tomorrow. James says, “Come now, ye that say, Today or tomorrow we will go into the city and remain there a year and trade and get gain: Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is a vapor, that appeareth for a little while, and then vanisheth away. For ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall both live, and do this, or that” (James 4:13-15).
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Short Audio Messages
A Day the Lord Has Made (3:25)
Mike Johnson
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Sermon
Living With Dying
Sewell Hall
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Editor: Mike Johnson
www.seekingthingsabove.org