Sermon Notes 9/16/2012

Sermon Text: Luke 3:23-4:13

Sermon Title: The Second Adam Part 2

Scripture Reading: James 4:1-10

The three temptations recorded by Luke were the last three of many Jesus faced in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-2). In other words, the temptations recorded by Luke were the final three, not the only three.

1)   Jesus Christ was tempted to doubt the Father’s love and care for Him (Luke 4:3-4).

Remember the first Adam? “Indeed, has God said?” (Genesis 3) was intended to raise doubts in Eve’s mind. Eve, what is God secretly and wrongly keeping from you? Why would it be a sin for Jesus to turn a rock into bread? After all, Jesus did feed 9,000 men and countless women and children during His ministry by multiplying bread and fish.

Satan was aware that in the incarnation, Jesus had voluntarily set aside the independent use of His divine power. The Devil was attempting (as he had with Eve) to get Jesus to distrust God’s love and provision for Him. Satan hoped to entice Jesus to question the love of the Father and the care of the Holy Spirit. Like Jesus, believers are often tempted to doubt God’s love and provision for them. If He did love them, they reason, He would not have permitted whatever painful, disappointing circumstances they find themselves in.¹

The attempt was to get Jesus to act independently in His own power to get what the Father was not giving Him because the Father obviously wasn’t paying attention or didn’t care. Both Adam (Genesis 3 and discontentment with God’s provision of the trees) and Israel (Exodus 16 and discontentment with God’s provision of manna) were tempted with food.

“For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor. No good things does he withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, blessed is the one who trusts in you!” (Psalm 84:11-12). I am confused. I hurt. I hunger. I thirst. I desire. However, I will choose to depend on the Holy Spirit (Luke 4:1) to trust the Father’s Word (Luke 3:22; Exodus 8:3). If you can depend on Him to be your Federal Head, you can depend on Him with your uncertain future, illness, financial need, loss, etc.

2)   Jesus Christ was tempted to doubt the Father’s perfect plan for Him (Luke 4:5-8).

Why was it a sin for Jesus to obtain what was rightfully His? Jesus’ temptation was to bypass God’s path/plan of suffering. Is it really necessary to go through all of this difficulty and pain to get to my destination?

Turn to Romans 8

We eat sandwiches because bread helps us to grab on to the meat. You can grasp the meat better when it is surrounded by bread. Notice the sandwich:

·         The top piece of bread: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

·         The meat: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers” (Romans 8:28-29).

·         The bottom piece of bread: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?” (Romans 8:35). “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

“Christ never failed to distinguish between doubt and unbelief. Doubt is can’t believe. Unbelief is won’t believe. Doubt is honesty. Unbelief is obstinacy. Doubt is looking for light. Unbelief is content with darkness” (Henry Drummond).

“Some of us who have preached the Word for years, and have been the means of working faith in others and of establishing them in the knowledge of the fundamental doctrines of the Bible, have nevertheless been the subjects of the most fearful and violent doubts as to the truth of the very gospel we have preached” (C.H. Spurgeon).

3)   Jesus Christ was tempted to presume upon God’s grace (Luke 4:9-12).

We most commonly presume upon grace in two ways:

First, through twisting Scripture (Luke 4:10-11) to produce a false view of faith:

This type of temptation (Luke 4:9-12) is perhaps the most subtle and dangerous of the three, because it seemingly encourages people to exercise faith in God. In reality, it arrogantly, brazenly demands things from God, turning Him into a utilitarian genie who grants people’s every whim. That false view of faith, promoted in its most extreme form by the so-called prosperity gospel (also known as the “name it and claim it” movement), in essence makes man sovereign. If the right formula is used and enough faith is exercised, God has to respond. When He does not deliver the goods they have claimed by faith, however, many become disillusioned and abandon Him. In contrast to that false, even blasphemous view of faith, true faith humbly submits to God’s will. It prays, as Jesus taught, “Your will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven” (Matthew 6:10; Luke 22:42).¹

Such a test would be presumptuous of Jesus, because it would be artificially created and really would be unbelief masquerading as faith.³

Second, through a false view of grace:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” (Romans 6:1-2).

“For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the Word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to him up to contempt. For the land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6:4-8).

Luke 4:13

The Father does not appear here as he did at the baptism (3:22). When it seems as if the Father is absent, remember, He has left us His Word. Jesus overcomes Satan and temptation by knowing the Word, trusting the Father, and depending on the Spirit (two-fold mention of the Spirit in Luke 4:1.

By way of application, let us look briefly at three short passages:

·         Ephesians 6:17

·         Corinthians 10:3-6

·         James 4:1-10

The challenge before us then is not merely to do what God says because He is God, but to desire what God says because He is good. The challenge is not merely to pursue righteousness, but to prefer righteousness. Out of all the armor God gives us to fight Satan, only one piece is used for killing – the sword. It is called the sword of the Spirit (Eph. 6:17). So when Paul says, “Kill sin by the Spirit” (Rom. 8:13), I take that to mean, Depend on the Spirit, especially His sword. What is the sword of the Spirit? It’s the Word of God (Eph. 6:17). Here’s where faith comes in… The Word of God cuts through the fog of Satan’s lies and shows me where true and lasting happiness is to be found. And so the Word helps me stop trusting in the potential of sin to make me happy, and instead entices me to trust in God’s promise of joy (Psm. 16:11).

(John Piper, How Redeemed People Do Battle with Sin, Decision, Jan. 1990)

Sources

1)   MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-5. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009.

2)   Pink, AW. Our Accountability to God. Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1969, 1999.

3) Brock, Darrell. Luke 1:1-9:50. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1994.

Sermon Notes 9/9/2012

Sermon Text: Luke 3:23-4:13

Sermon Title: The Second Adam Part 1

Scripture Reading: Romans 5:12-21

Introduction

The first major section in the Gospel according to Luke is 1-2 (Jesus’ birth and childhood).

The second major section in the Gospel according to Luke is 3:1-20 (the ministry of John the Baptist).

The third major section in the Gospel according to Luke is 3:21-4:13 (The prelude to Jesus’ ministry: Jesus’ baptism, genealogy, and wilderness temptation). The three events recorded in Luke 3:21-4:13 are woven together to picture Christ as the Second Adam (1 Corinthians 15:20-28, 45-49). We must ignore the chapter division and put off the temptation to read Luke 4:1-13 as a contextual unit.

How are these three events woven together?

·         In Jesus’ baptism we see His deity affirmed (Luke 3:22). Because He is God, He can redeem.

·         In Jesus’ genealogy we see His humanity emphasized (Luke 3:38 contrasted with Matthew 1:1-2). Because He is human, He can represent. The key feature of Luke’s genealogy is that it goes past Abraham to Adam.  Matthew’s genealogy begins with David (showing Jesus’ regal claim) & Abraham (showing Jesus as the promised seed to Israel {Galatians 3:16}) and moves forward in time, while Luke’s begins with Jesus and moves back in time to Adam.

Matthew’s genealogy begins with Abraham, while the first name (chronologically) in Luke’s is Adam. The different starting points in their genealogies reflect the different purposes of the two Gospel writers. Matthew wrote primarily to the Jewish people, so it was natural for him to begin with Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel. Luke’s approach was more universal. He was concerned to present Jesus as the Son of Man, and demonstrate His solidarity with the entire human race. Matthew’s desire was to prove Jesus’ legal claim to the throne of David. Luke’s desire was to prove Jesus’ legal standing at the Second Adam.¹

As Luke moves “past” Abraham and David, he shows Jesus’ heritage preceding Jewish origin. Jesus is bigger than merely being from Jewish descent, saving only the Jews.

·         In Jesus’ temptation we see the God-man acting as man’s Federal Head (Luke 4:1-13). The human race had a Federal Head in the Garden of Eden, namely Adam, who represented the entire human race.

Our sermon this morning could answer the question, “How to overcome temptation.”

That kind of sermon would say a lot of true things, but would miss the entire point of this passage. Although this passage contains helpful principles in overcoming temptation, its intent is far, far away from answering the question of how you and I overcome temptation. To answer this question would be to center this passage around man by moralizing it and instructing man on what he can do rather than informing him of what Christ has done.

The narrative is contrasting Jesus with God’s “other” two sons, Adam and Israel.

The words used in Luke 4:1-2 ("and was led by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted") are so similar to the words used in Deuteronomy 8:2 ("the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you") – all of Jesus’ replies are from Deuteronomy and contrast Israel’s response in the midst of temptation.

So, Luke is giving us three sons here - Adam the son of God, Israel the son of God, and now Jesus the Son of God, but what does it all mean? What is Luke getting at? - is this all just fancy and abstract theology?

Adam and Israel failed to obey and trust God’s provision for them, God’s path for them, and presumed upon God’s grace and these are the very three temptations we will see presented to Jesus – this is not about trying to learn from Jesus’ example and do what He did – this is about knowing we have already failed and thankfully Jesus’ obedience covers our disobedience. Again, we are taking so much time establishing this point because if we get this wrong, we get the Gospel wrong. This passage is not first instructive. This passage is first declarative. This passage is not about good advice. This passage is about good news. This passage should not inspire you to walk out of here and handle temptation like Jesus did. This passage should inspire you to worship Jesus for doing for you what you never could.

Now, let me ask you - which son are you like? Are you like Adam, or Israel, or like Jesus? You see, come back to my imaginary sermon called "How to overcome temptation." That sort of sermon assumes that you and I are like Jesus - Jesus was tempted, we are tempted; He quoted the Bible to answer temptation, we should quote the Bible to answer temptation. But which of us here this morning have ever constantly and faithfully obeyed God? We are not like Jesus are we? Well, the answer is yes and no. We are like Jesus because He is our Federal Head.

What does “Federal Head” mean?

To be a Federal Head means to be a representative.

AW Pink:

The whole human race was placed on probation in the person of Adam, its legal representative and covenant head. Had Adam survived the appointed trial, had he faithfully and fitly discharged his responsibility, had he continued in obedience to the Lord God, then his obedience would have been reckoned to their account, and they would have entered into and shared his reward. Contrariwise, if the head failed and fell, then all his members fell with him. If he disobeyed, then his disobedience was charged to those whom he represented, and the frightful punishment pronounced on him fell likewise on those on whose behalf he transacted. Justice required that the whole human race should be legally regarded and dealt with as sharing the guilt of its representative, and subjected to the same penalty. In consequence of this arrangement, when Adam sinned we sinned, and therefore "by the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation" (Rom. 5:18).²

Instead of placing each member of humanity on probation separately and successively, it pleased God to put the whole race on formal trial once and for all in the person of their head. Probably it will make it easier to grasp the nature of Adam’s legal relation to his descendants if we make use of a simple contrast and analogy which have been employed by other writers on this subject. God did not act with mankind as with a field of corn, where each stalk stands on its own individual root. Rather He has dealt with our race as with a tree—all the branches of which have one common root. While the root of a tree remains healthy and unharmed, the whole of it flourishes. But if an ax strikes and severs the root, then the whole of the tree suffers and falls—not only the trunk but all the branches—and even its smallest twigs wither and die. Thus it was with the Eden tragedy. When Adam’s communion with his Maker was broken, all his posterity were alienated from His favor. This is no theory of human speculation, but a fact of divine revelation: "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned" (Rom. 5:12).²

“Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned – for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come. But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift is not like the result of one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. Therefore, as one trespass led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness leads to condemnation leads to justification and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience the many will be made righteous” (Romans 5:12-19 bold lettering and underlining are my emphasis).

Federal Headship, as much as any other doctrine, had once troubled my soul greatly. Let me save you a lot of time, brain cells, and trouble. Your flesh pleads, “That’s not fair!” Quiet the plea of your flesh with the following truth:

·         If it is not fair to have the first Adam as your head, you forfeit the Second Adam as well. If you wish to be treated as a “stalk of corn” regarding your sin, you must also be treated accordingly regarding your righteousness. Choose: corn or tree.

·         You must have a head. If corn, you are your own head (representative). If tree, another is representative of you. Therefore, you must either accept God’s design or have one good try at it yourself. Now how do you feel about “fairness”?

Jesus defeats the work of Satan by doing what Gentile Adam (Genesis 3) and Jewish Israel (Numbers 14:33; 32:13: Deuteronomy 8:2) could not do. Jesus is qualified to be the new Representative for Israel (40-day wilderness wandering; Matthew’s genealogy) and all mankind (Genesis 3; Luke’s genealogy).

Now we are ready to study Jesus’ Temptations

Sources:

1)   MacArthur, John. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary: Luke 1-5. Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009.

2)   Pink, AW. Our Accountability to God. Chicago, IL: Moody Bible Institute, 1969, 1999

3)   Brock, Darrell. Luke 1:1-9:50. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 1994.

Sermon Notes 9/2/2012

Sermon Text: Acts 6:1-7

Sermon Title: God’s Desire for Deacons

Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 4

The Reason for Deacons

In addition to the Pastorate, the Diaconate is one of only two formal offices given to the Church by our Lord.

Our Lord created the Diaconate to protect the ministry of the Word and Prayer (Acts 6:2, 7).

The pattern of church leadership that the New Testament follows finds its seeds in the earliest period. In Acts 6:1-6 we read of the frustration of some members of the early Church for not having their needs attended to. Because the church had grown so large, the twelve apostles were not able to handle all the physical needs of the body and proclaim the Word. They knew that if they neglected the ministry of the Word the church would suffer: "It is not right for us to give up preaching the word of God to serve tables" (v 2).

Keep in mind, the ministry of the Word and prayer are not the only duties of a Pastor. Pastors should humbly serve in other areas. Why? Pastors are Christians first and each imperative given to Christians is also required of Pastors. However, it is when other duties prohibit the Pastor from his primary God-given tasks that “serving tables” becomes a hindrance to the Church.

The same word is used in Acts 6:2 and 1 Timothy 3:8. The verb "serve" in v.2 is “diakonevw” (diakoneo). The cognate noun is “diavkono" (diakonos), from which we get "deacon" (1 Tim 3:8).

Does the mention of Deacons in Acts 6 inform our modern-day ecclesiology? When studying books that chronicle the early historical establishment of the Church (Acts) we must be careful to distinguish those things that seem to have abiding significance from those that do not (For example, Luke’s documentation of the apostolic office does not inform our modern-day ecclesiology). One way to get a clue is to look from the historical documentation of Luke to the specific instructions included in the Epistles. The point is that it is a bad hermeneutic to suggest we should have Deacons on the sole basis of the historical documentation of Acts 6 or that we should attempt to cast demons out of man into swine (Matthew 8:31).

Acts 6 becomes gives the reason for Deacons, but other passages such as Philippians 1 and 1 Timothy 3 establish the mandate. In Philippians 1:1, Paul addresses the saints at Philippi "together with the bishops (an interchangeable term for Pastor) and Deacons." Thus, a twofold division of leadership is clearly seen.

The third significant passage is 1 Timothy 3:8-13. The third chapter of 1Timothy addresses two categories of leaders in the church, Bishops (Pastors) and Deacons.

How many Deacons should a Church have? When the ministry needs grow such that the Pastors are pulled away from their primary ministry of studying the Word, teaching the Word, and prayer, Deacons are added.

The ministry demand, as discerned by the Pastors, dictates the number of Deacons needed.

The most instructive text regarding the question is Titus 1:5. Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders in every town. The qualifications list in Titus 1:6-9 parallels 1Timothy 3:1-7. However, in Titus there is no corresponding list for Deacons like there is in 1 Timothy. Why? The church in Crete was relatively young (Titus), while Ephesus (1 Timothy) had a long history and had been, in fact, Paul's base of operations for nearly three years. It seems likely that for new churches only Pastors were needed. As the local Church grew, Deacons would be added to the leadership so that the Pastors could devote themselves more to prayer, study, and teaching. This follows the pattern of Acts 6.

It is evident that the early Church did not always have Deacons. Acts 6:1-6 and Titus 1:5 show this, as do apparently Acts 14:23.

It is also evident that Deacons were added when the need was felt. That need was in relation to the demand on the Pastors. When the Pastors were detoured from the ministry of prayer and the Word, the Diaconate was created.

The Requirements of Deacons

Did you know the moral and character requirements for Deacons and Pastors is identical?

For more information of the Biblical requirements of Deacons, please visit www.opbiblechurch.org and click on the sermons tab à Sunday School tab à 1 Timothy

The following two messages will prove to be helpful in understanding the Biblical requirements for Deacons. We have included a message pertaining to Pastoral requirements because the requirements for Elders and Deacons are nearly identical, with the exception of Pastors being “apt to teach”.

• Part 7 God’s Requirement for Elders (7/29/12) by Pastor Scott Moore
• Part 8 God’s Requirement for Deacons (8/5/12) by Tom Chase

The Role of Deacons

Elders oversee souls. Deacons oversee ministries.

“Paul indicates that the office of deacon is not the office of elder-in-training; it’s not the office of janitor; it’s not the office of “one day I’ll grow up and be an elder” (Ligon Duncan).

The Deacons protects the primary place of the Word and prayer by overseeing individual ministries within the local Church. The Pastors lead ministry by delegating oversight to Deacons who facilitate congregational involvement.

• Pastors lead ministry
• Deacons implement the vision of the Pastors by facilitating membership involvement.

The Deacons role: To promote unity through ministerial administration

Pastors are required to govern their family well because they are governing the organization/organism of the Church. The same requirement is stated for Deacons, which shows the same need for “managing” the organization/organism of the Church.

Deacon Nomination and Installation

The Scripture is not definite on how Deacons are to be installed.

OPBC believes congregational nomination with unanimous Pastoral appointment is the wisest and healthiest method.

Our Deacon installation is signified by the laying on of hands (Acts 6:6). Why?

First, we are not suggesting this is a mandate (laying on of hands). However, by extension, instances in the NT of laying on of hands commonly signifies the transmission of power, authority, or Divine blessing (though on occasion it may have other connotations as well).