Wednesday 010125
Don’t let me or my writings influence or scare you in any way, instead, allow me to be used as a vessel to open the Word, just a little bit, and hopefully, together we are going to read and study His Word, and let God teach us what He wants us to hear.
So, as we work through our study, we MUST remember the two ground rules:
1st we’re only going to read and follow the words that we can find in the Holy Bible that are meant for us today.
2nd we’re only going to take away from this study, what we put into it. We need to open our Bible and read it every day. We need to teach ourselves what is the truth and arm ourselves against all the lies that we are confronted with every day.
Here are the verses we will be using in tonight’s study:
Matthew 10:5-8, 15:24; John 20:19; Matthew 28:19-20, 24:30, 24:36; Acts 9:1-6, 9:15; Romans 11:11; Acts 26:17-18; Galatians 2:9; Matthew 15:24; Ephesians 3:2-12; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Ephesians 3:5, 3:1-6.
So, let’s begin …
Before we get too far into tonight’s lesson, HAPPY NEW YEAR y’all. I pray that everyone has a great year, this New Year.
Jesus’ Ministry
Jesus chose 12 disciples to be His followers.
When Jesus sent His 12 disciples out to spread His message, they were told to go out, only to the Jews.
Matthew 10
vs5 ‘…Jesus sent out these 12 disciples. Before they left, he said to them, Do not go to any place where the people are Gentiles. And do not go to towns where only Samaritans live…
vs6 ‘… Instead, you must go to the people of Israel. They are like lost sheep with nobody to take care of them…’
vs7 ‘…While you travel, you must tell people about the kingdom of heaven. You must tell them that it has now become near…’
vs8 ‘…Make sick people well again. Cause dead people to become alive again. If people have a bad disease of the skin, make them well again. Send bad spirits out of people to leave them. God has been very kind to you, so you should be kind to other people. When you help people, do not ask them for money…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
When Jesus came to this earth, He came just FOR the house of Israel, not the Gentiles.
Matthew 15:24 ‘…But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel…’ KJV (King James Version)
In a newer version, maybe easier to understand.
vs24 ‘…He answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel…’ NIV (New International Version)
It wasn’t until after Jesus had been crucified and rose from the tomb that He told His disciples to go out into the entire world and teach everyone. Up until this time, Jesus only wanted His disciples to teach the Jews.
After His crucifixion, Jesus rose from the dead …
John 20:19 ‘…On the evening of that same day, the first day of the week, the disciples were meeting together. They had locked the doors of the room because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders. Then Jesus came and he stood among them. He said to them, Peace be with you…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
The disciples were hidden away and locked in the room for several reasons. First and foremost, they were afraid of being hunted down and killed the same way that Jesus had just been crucified.
Jesus calmed the apostles down by speaking with them. Thomas was not in the upper room when Jesus appeared. When Thomas returned, the disciples told Thomas the good news that they seen the Master, but he did not believe them.
Matthew 28
vs19 ‘…So you must go to people in every country of the world. Teach them how to become my disciples. Baptize them by the authority of God the Father, his Son and the Holy Spirit…’
vs20 ‘…Teach them to obey everything that I have taught you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will be with you until the end of time…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
The disciples had plans already in their minds that were clearly different from this NEW plan that Jesus had for them.
After Jesus told His disciples to go out into the entire world to spread His message, the disciples were hiding from the Jewish leaders. They were hiding from the Roman soldiers. The disciples were afraid.
The disciples also knew from the teaching by Jesus that He would one day return to start His Kingdom here on this earth.
Matthew 24:30 ‘…Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky; and all the peoples of earth will weep as they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
All through Jesus’ ministry, He taught there was coming the day when the ‘Son of Man’ would return to this earth.
These disciples, just as every other human being had no idea when this was going to take place,
Matthew 24:36 ‘…No one knows, however, when that day and hour will come-neither the angels in heaven nor the Son; the Father alone knows…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
The disciples had no intention on missing the returning of Jesus. They’d teach the Jew, but it would be from Jerusalem.
What do you think Jesus must have thought?
What do you think He would do because the disciples didn’t seem to be interested in leaving Jerusalem?
What about them only teaching the Jew?
After the stoning death of Stephen (Acts 7) by the Orthodox Jews, God put the Jewish nation on the back burner … Jesus decided it was a time for a change.
Saul was confronted by Jesus on the road to Damascus, on his way to kill and capture those believers of Jesus.
Acts 9
vs1 ‘…In the meantime Saul kept up his violent threats of murder against the followers of the Lord. He went to the High Priest…’
vs2 ‘…and asked for letters of introduction to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he should find there any followers of the Way of the Lord, he would be able to arrest them, both men and women, and bring them back to Jerusalem…’
vs3 ‘…As Saul was coming near the city of Damascus, suddenly a light from the sky flashed around him…’
vs4 ‘…He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, Saul, Saul! Why do you persecute me…’
vs5 ‘…Who are you, Lord? he asked. I am Jesus, whom you persecute, the voice said…’
vs6 ‘…But get up and go into the city, where you will be told what you must do…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
The disciples, they knew Jesus was going to return and they intended on being present ‘in Jerusalem’ for that return.
Our advantage today, in the 21st century, we know the return wasn’t going to happen in the disciple’s lifetime, however in the disciple’s defense and to a bunch of the other believers in Jesus, they didn’t know there was going to be 2000+ years, of the church age, before He would return again to this earth.
Saul / Paul was chosen by Jesus to spread the Good News to the Gentile people.
Acts 9:15 ‘…But the Lord said unto him, go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
God chose to offer Salvation to the Gentiles, just to make the Jews jealous.
Romans 11:11 ‘…I say then, have they stumbled that they should fall? God forbid: but rather through their fall salvation is come unto the Gentiles, for to provoke them to jealousy…’ AKJV (Authorized King James Version)
Paul explained to king Agrippa what Jesus had told him would be his ‘chosen’ assignment.
Acts 26
vs17 ‘…And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles…’
vs18 ‘…to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me…’ NLT (New Living Translation)
From the meeting in Jerusalem, between the original remaining apostles and Paul, a decision was made between these men, themselves.
It was decided that the original disciples would stay and teach the Jews, while Paul would travel and spread the Good News given by Jesus, to the Gentiles.
Galatians 2:9 ‘… James, Peter, and John, who seemed to be the leaders, recognized that God had given me this special task; so, they shook hands with Barnabas and me, as a sign that we were all partners. We agreed that Barnabas and I would work among the Gentiles and they among the Jews…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
My observation, along with several other teachers of the Bible today, not one (1) time during Jesus’ ministry before He was crucified, did He speak of GRACE. Not one (1) time is the word GRACE used in the Old Testament.
Jesus did not come to this earth to define God’s GRACE. He came to collect the lost sheep from the house of Israel.
Matthew 15:24 ‘…Jesus replied to his disciples, God has sent me to help only the people of Israel. They are like sheep that have lost their way…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
There are many that claim Jesus was sent to be the voice for God and His new gift of GRACE.
This is impossible since GRACE was not given to anyone until after Jesus had been raised back to life after His crucifixion.
This, to me, explains why the disciples were waiting in Jerusalem for Jesus’ return … they had no idea about anything called GRACE other than the prayer they said before they ate their meals.
In Ephesians 3, this is the apostle Paul speaking …
vs2 ‘…You must have heard that God has chosen me to do that. He has been very kind to give me this work to help you…’
vs3 ‘…God has clearly shown to me his true purpose. That was a secret before, but God has helped me to know it. I have written a few words about this already…’
vs4 ‘… When you read those words, you will be able to understand. I have come to know God’s true message about Christ…’
vs5 ‘…God did not tell this secret message to the people who lived before us. But now the Holy Spirit has shown it to God’s apostles and prophets…’
vs6 ‘…This is the message of God’s good news: Gentiles, as well as Jews, may receive the good things that God has prepared for his children. We may all belong to the same group of God’s people, like we are his body. Everyone who is united with Christ Jesus receives the good things that God has promised…’
vs7 ‘…I tell that good news to other people, because God chose me to serve him in that way. That was God’s gift to me, because he is so kind. God uses his great power to help me in that work…’
vs8 ‘…I am the least important of all God’s people. But God has given this special work to me because he is so kind. He has sent me to tell his good news to the Gentiles. Then they know about the many valuable things that Christ has prepared for us…’
vs9 ‘…I help everyone to know how God makes his purpose happen. God himself created all things, and he has hidden this secret during past times…’
vs10 ‘…But now God wants the people of his church to show everyone how wise he is in every way. He wants the spiritual rulers and everything that has authority in the heavens to know this…’
vs11 ‘…This had always been God’s purpose, from the beginning of all things. And it was our Lord Christ Jesus who made it happen…’
vs12 ‘…Because we are united with Christ, we can come near to God. We are not afraid to do that. We can be sure that God will accept us, because we trust in Christ…’ EASY (Easy English Bible)
This next part, please understand, I’m not trying to be morbid, but I am simply trying to speak the truth that is written in the Bible.
It is after Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection that made Everlasting Life possible for us Gentile’s.
The Gospel that we were given by the apostle Paul was all about the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15
vs1 ‘…Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand…’
vs2 ‘…By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain…’
vs3 ‘…For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ DIED for our sins according to the scriptures…’
vs4 ‘…And that he was BURIED, and that he ROSE AGAIN the third day according to the scriptures…’ KJV (King James Version)
It was in Ephesians 3:5 that informs us why this small detail was not known earlier during Jesus Ministry.
Here are several different translations.
Ephesians 3
vs5 ‘…No one knew about this mystery until God’s Spirit told it to his holy apostles and prophets…’ CEV (Contemporary English Version)
vs5 ‘…In past times human beings were not told this secret, but God has revealed it now by the Spirit to his holy apostles and prophets…’ GNT (Good News Translation)
And then finally, the same entire passage in a different translation.
Ephesians 3
vs1 ‘…For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the Messiah Jesus for the sake of you gentiles…’
vs2 ‘…Surely you have heard about the responsibility of administering God’s grace that was given to me on your behalf…’
vs3 ‘…and how this secret was made known to me through a revelation, just as I wrote about briefly in the past…’
vs4 ‘…By reading this, you will be able to grasp my understanding of the secret about the Messiah…’
vs5 ‘…which in previous generations was not made known to human beings as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This is that secret…’
vs6 ‘…The gentiles are heirs-in-common, members-in-common of the body, and common participants in what was promised by the Messiah Jesus through the gospel…’ ISV (International Standard Version)
Most of the time, all the many different religions/denominations found in this world today, all celebrate, theoretically, the same God, but for some reason, there is only a small, minor difference that stands between each one of these different religion/denominations.
Sometimes these denominations differ on how members are to dress, how long their hair can be, the definition of a marriage, do they need to go to a church building, the days they must go to church.
Hence, religions today are re-shaping our beliefs around how we must live in that particular religion instead of teaching us what God wants from us.
But none of these churches, more interested in dress and the length of our hair never teach us Acts 9:15 where Jesus made a change and Jesus CHOSE the Gentile that BELIEVES His Message.
This is a deep, heavy study and we ran very long this morning. Keep studying His Word for yourself, so that you will know the truth behind what God is trying to tell us.
Read what is written in the Word, God’s Word.
Not the commentary in your Bible but instead read the words God had written for you to hear.
We have been offered LIFE, but only if we BELIEVE the Message that God tells us … not the message a pastor, a church or a denomination want us to hear.
Read God’s Word for yourselves.
I love every one of y’all.
I am InHIM.
Jesus, I pray that those ears and eyes, either listening or seeing this message today would be opened to the very fullest and allow Your love to come inside their lives and comfort them. Teach us Jesus. Protect us. We love You. Amen.
InHIM. ><)))o>