More fruit: Lessons about the growth of the body, from the Apostles.

Matthew 13:18-23

King James Version (KJV)

18 Hear ye therefore the parable of the sower.
19 When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side.
20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it;
21 Yet hath he not root in himself, but dureth for a while: for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word, by and by he is offended.
22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.
23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

Ever wonder why we pray and speak the truth to folks and it seems to fall on deaf ears? It seems to me that there are two sides to this answer. 

First of all, I'd like to point out that there are four distinct types of hearers here in this passage.

Of those, 3 of the 4 (75%) do not reject the word of God outright. Indeed, they do receive it- happily. 

Of the 3 that receive it, 2 fall away (66%). One because of the trials of life (they get hurt). The other because of the cares of this life and the pursuit of success (they get sidetracked).

So preachers and teachers- indeed, saints of God- keep on telling it like it is. But, understand, that of the 4 you talk to, only one is going to stick around long term. 2/3 of those you reach will backslide. 

By all means do pray for and go after them. There will be some prodigals among them who will come to their senses and return to Jesus. Don't give up on them. You never know which one will respond.

Secondly, another reason for our lack of response is our own dedication to Jesus. This lack of dedication is shown in Jesus' words when he says that some will bear fruit a hundredfold, sixty fold, and thirty fold. If we all put forth the same effort with the same dedication, then we'd all bear fruit a hundred fold. 

In his opening remarks to his New Testament translation, J.B. Phillips made this statement: "Perhaps if we believed what they (the Apostles and early church) believed, then we could achieve what they achieved." 

I agree, but I would alter his statement for our modern audience: "Perhaps if we believed and practiced what they believed and practiced, then we could achieve what they achieved."

With that in mind, what did they practice, generally, that many of us no longer practice?

Luke 24:49

King James Version (KJV)

49 And, behold, I send the promise of my Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high.

Here Jesus gave them a direct command. And they obeyed. 

How many times does Jesus give us a direct command and we either disobey, or analyze it to death- trying to figure it out.

The early church was unquestioningly obedient to the Lord. Shouldn't we be the same?

Acts 2

King James Version (KJV)

2 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

First, they were ALL filled with the Holy Ghost. This was not guesswork. This was not an empty "just believe it." This was a fact. Jesus had promised them power from on high, and he fulfilled it in the lives of all 120 people in that upper room. So powerful was the experience that it got the whole cities attention. Before that day was out, there were another 3000 souls born again through the same truth and experience of the original 120.

Acts 4:8

King James Version (KJV)

8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,

Next, they spoke only when filled with his spirit. They didn't rest on the first experience with God. They pursued him all the more! So much so that three times in the first four chapters of Acts, they were filled with the spirit. We should not rest on our initial salvation. We should seek him for more of him. More truth. More love. More of his spirit. 

Acts 4:31

King James Version (KJV)

31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.

They stayed in a state of prayer. They had set times for prayer. They also prayed whenever they needed or wanted to in addition to those set prayer times. As such, they stayed in right relationship with God and he was able to do great and mighty things through them. 

Acts 6:4-6

King James Version (KJV)

4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.

They allowed others to handle needs. It wasn't a one man (or twelve man) show. It was about the whole body of Christ responding as God moves. Too many of our churches today believe it's all about "the ministry." Only the pastor (or staff) can do things. Everything must go through the "man of God." Sounds good to many, but in fact, it stifles the free flow of the Holy Ghost. 

The pastoral calling is not the whole five fold ministry. There are four other offices listed. Also, there are other offices (Bishop, deacon) listed as well in the scripture. The word pastor is only used ONCE in the whole New Testament. Where do we get the idea that they are the end all and be all of everything?

Look at the purpose of the five fold ministry: 

Ephesians 4:10-13

King James Version (KJV)

10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)
11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Notice the progression. Jesus gives the five fold ministry. Why? For the PERFECTING OF THE SAINTS. Ok. We seem to have that much right these days. 

But, why do the saints need to be perfected? To go to heaven? (Yes, but that's not what is listed here.) Notice, the saints need to be perfected, "for the work of the ministry."

Wait, I thought the five fold ministry did the work of the ministry. I challenge you to look up that word "ministry" in the Greek. It's not just about the preachers. It's about helping others. When we give food to the hungry, we are in ministry. When we visit the sick and shut ins, we are in ministry. When we give a testimony, we are in ministry. When we pray for others, we are in ministry. 

But, brother Mike, what if they mess up. Shouldn't they have to go through their pastor for permission first? NO! The pastor is not their Lord, Jesus is!
The pastor is to lead them and teach them the truth. He is to help them grow and pray for them. But, he is NOT in control of what they do when they leave the doors of the church building. Jesus IS!

Besides, what preacher is perfect? Which one of us has never made a mistake since we've been called into his glorious light? Why do pastors and leaders burn out? Because they try to do it all!

Pastors, help your people to grow in God. Teach them to rely on Jesus and his word. Stop trying to control people. It's not your job to control. It's your job to help them to walk in the calling God has laid on them. Let God be God!

If they make a mistake, help them to prayerfully fix it. When a baby falls down or breaks something, we don't lock the child in a corner and not allow them to do anything. We clean them up and teach them. We keep feeding them so they can grow.

So, the saints need to be perfected so that THEY can minister to others. Why? "For the edifying (building up) of the body of Christ."

A) People will get excited when they are used by God to minister to others. This builds up the church- in strength and power. B) When others are won to the Lord through the saints ministering, THIS also builds up the church- in numbers.

We get so caught up in numbers, that we stifle the ministry of the body. This begins to stagnate and kill the body. We have it backwards. 

"Till we all come into the unity of the faith..." We always like to hammer about being on one mind and one accord like the early church was. How do we achieve this? Through creeds? Through control? Through religious education? No! 

We do it through the steps we just covered. When the saints see that God can use them, they will jump at the chance to pray, study, and fast. Why? Because they will be excited about seeing others come to Jesus! They will know that God can use them. We will all be on one page- in unity. 

Unity is not achieved through our programs. It is achieved through our walk with God. It is achieved through the ministry that he gives each one of us. 

Yes. The preacher is important. But, so is the Sunday School teacher. So are the ones who are reaching out to addicts. So are the ones that feed the hungry. It all works together. We are all different parts of the same body of Christ.

The mouth can't grab someone and stop them from falling. It takes eyes to see the danger, a brain to process the danger, and a mouth to warn of the danger. It takes an arm and hand to reach out and grab the person. It takes feet and legs to anchor, so that the back and arms can pull backwards and stop them from going over the cliff. 

See, it all works together. That's how God's church: the body of Christ is supposed to be. 

If we try and do it differently, then we stunt the growth of the church. 

Finally, some people are naturally going to work harder for God than others. That's why some folks produce a hundred fold, while others produce thirty fold. But, they still produce! 

Let the body be the body. Let the vines be the vines. As long as we stay anchored in the branch (Jesus), we will be alright. Let's all do our own part. Let's all work out our own salvation with fear and trembling. 

It worked in the early church. When persecution scattered the church abroad, did it die? NO! It grew wherever it landed. 

If we let God be God, when persecution hits us, we will be fruitful wherever we land. When we let his spirit guide us and his love compel us, we can't help but grow wherever he plants us. 

Fruits of the spirit 4: A little honest love.

1 John 4:8
He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. 

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 

John 17:17

Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 14:6

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

Today we hear a whole lot about "haters." Usually it comes out something like this. A person disagrees with something someone says, or how someone dresses, or how they live. The other person then responds with: "Don't be a hater." 

Simply put, in today's society, any type of correction towards righteousness is considered hate speech. 

Preachers, teachers, writers, etc have been fined (and, in some cases- imprisoned) for hate crimes due to what the world says is hate speech. As a result, many people live their lives in fear of being called "a hater." It's grown so out of control that men are being fired from companies because they gave money to support traditional righteousness. One preacher was put in jail for holding Bible studies in his own home.

Let's face it. We live in a world that is doing it's level best to stamp out truth. Their version of love is to be patted on the back and told it's ok, regardless of how perverted their lifestyle is. 

Truth has become relative to the hearers viewpoint. Our world asks, as Pilate did years ago, "What is truth?" But rather than that being an honest quest for knowledge, it has become a sarcastic remark intended to say, "That's true for you, but not for me. Leave me alone."

Yet, if we are to truly be Christian, then we are to be like Jesus. In so doing, we need to take a hard look at how he taught. Was Jesus concerned with political correctness? Was he concerned with gathering as large a following as he could by watering down his message? 

The answer, of course, is no. Jesus was (and is) God in human flesh. His mission was simple. He came "to seek and to save that which was lost." (Luke 19:10) His declarations were clear and concise. He always told the truth- even when the truth wasn't popular.

Jesus called some of the leaders of his day, vipers! Not exactly what folks consider a loving statement.  

His true, but controversial words caused folks to ridicule and revile him, to mock and belittle him, to lie about and (ultimately) to beat and crucify him. 

However, Jesus told us (his followers) that we would be hated, afflicted, and killed for his names sake. (Matthew 24:9) He told us through the Apostles that "all that will live godly in Christ Jesus SHALL suffer persecution." (2 Timothy 3:12) 

Why did Jesus say this? Because the devil knows that the true disciple of Christ may be able to reach the lost- continuing Jesus' mission. After all, Jesus prayed for all those that would believe on him through (the Apostles) word- and by extension- our words. (John 17:17)

The devil is not going to give up his captives easily. He does not do this defensively. Instead, he has gone on the attack. He tries to intimidate believers into silence and (hopefully- for him) into turning away from Jesus. 

He has changed laws and culture to the point where (as one preacher put it) "right is wrong, wrong is right, and whatever's grey, have a happy day!"

Yet, Jesus tells us that if we "endure unto the end (we) shall be saved." So, what's a believer to do? FOLLOW JESUS. Tell the truth.

It's not hate to tell the truth. In fact, it's true love to tell the truth. Jesus is God. God is love. Jesus is truth. God is truth. TRUE love always tells the truth. It doesn't matter how much the world rails against us. God's word does not change. 

Society may say it's right. But, if God says it's wrong, then it's still (and always shall be) wrong. If society says it's wrong, but God says it's right, then it's still (and always shall be) right. Let God be true, and every man be a liar. 

This will not make us popular. This will not make us rich. This will make us targets for the worlds thought police. They will call us haters. They will drag us before judges and cast us into prison. But, it's all for HIS name's sake! And it's all to try and save a lost soul. 

Jesus told us to seek first the kingdom of God and HIS righteousness. Not, the worlds righteousness. So, we are to tell the truth without fear or favor. 

Proverbs 23:23 tells us to "buy the truth and sell it not..."

Ephesians 4:15 tells us to "(speak) the truth in love..."

It doesn't matter what the world may say. We are to speak the truth. Because if we truly have the fruit of God's love in us, we will speak the truth. God's Love ALWAYS speaks the truth.

Are we sheep or goats?

Matthew 25:31 When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory:

32 And before him shall be gathered all nations: and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats:

33 And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left.

34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:

35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:

42 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink:

43 I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.

44 Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee?

45 Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me.

46 And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

In this prophecy, the Lord tells us that there will be a judgement. He tells us that there will be two types of people at that judgement. Sheep and Goats. The sheep make it to enjoy everlasting joy with their Lord. The Goats are doomed to everlasting punishment. The difference between the two? One set obeyed their Lord's commands and reached out to others. They were service oriented. The other set cared only about themselves and didn't reach out to others. They were ME oriented. 

Yes, in order to become a sheep in the first place we must be born again (John 3:3-8, Acts 2:38) for we are all born as goats. But, are all of us that claim to be sheep really sheep? Or are some of us goats? 

Matthew 13: 24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field:

25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way.

26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.

27 So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? from whence then hath it tares?

28 He said unto them, An enemy hath done this. The servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up?

29 But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them.

30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.

Apparently, not all of us who say "Lord, Lord" will enter in. (Matthew 7:21) So other than being born again, what are some of the differences between sheep and goats that might help us to see what we are and change (with God's help) if necessary? 

First of all, both sheep and goats are pretty dumb animals. However, sheep know their dumb and need a shepherd. Goats resist authority and try to go it their own way.

Secondly, sheep love their shepherd and follow wherever he leads them. Goats are in it for themselves and only willingly obey their owners when it is for their own benefit (in their eyes). 

Sheep know their masters voice and will only listen to him. Goats are subject to many voices for they follow whatever voice suits what they want to do. 

Sheep are humble and gentle. Goats are always looking for a fight to prove who's right- meaning trying to show that they are right and others are wrong.

Sheep trust their shepherd to provide for them no matter what. Goats only trust themselves and do their best to show how "self-made" they are. 

Sheep usually are content to stay in the pasture their shepherd has provided for them. Goats are always looking for greener pastures. In their eyes, the grass on the other side always looks better than what they already have- until they get there. 

Sheep's wool is good to make others warm and comfortable. Goats have no wool and only a few folks can stomach goat's milk. 

Sheep study their shepherd and recognize him afar off. Goats study only what's right in front of them and usually ignore their master. 

Sheep are accepting of new members of the flock- even helpful. Goats usually try to show a new member of the flock just how high they are and how low the new member is. It's about control.

So, church, let's examine ourselves. Are we sheep? Or are we goats?

No middleman needed.

Exodus 20: ¹⁸ And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

¹⁹ And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

²⁰ And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

²¹ And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.

There are many religions on earth. All are man's attempt at getting God's approval. We try to come up with so many ways to reach God. We try to bargain with God. 

"If I do this, can I come be with you some day?" 

"I know what I'm doing is wrong, but I'm doing these things right. Does that count?"

Men also seem to love religions where they have a middle man between God and them. In our text today, Moses tells Israel to come with him to the mountain and let God change them into what he wants them to be.

I have a coworker that seems to come to me about all job related questions and problems. Yes, I'm a manager and he is not. But, I'm not his Supervisor. Yet, he insists upon using me as a middle man, rather than talk to the Supervisor (both of our's boss) directly for himself. One of the greatest frustrations our Supervisor has is that my coworker won't go to him.

I wonder if God- the ultimate Supervisor and judge of all- has the same frustration with mankind. Rather than pray to him and let him change us, we seek our answers from those that we look at as spiritual supervisors. They can be preachers, teachers, priests, a spiritual family member or coworker. Yet, all the while we use these folks as go-betweens, God is trying to reach out to us and beg us to come to him HIS way.

You see, God only allows us to come to him HIS way. We must conform ourselves to his word and ways. He will NOT just wink and allow us in. 

And just as I cannot gain approval for my co-worker, our go-betweens cannot gain approval for us with God. Using a go-between is a form of idolatry. And scripture says that no idolater will make heaven. 

God himself, robed himself in flesh to become the lamb of God, dying on a cross and paying for our sins with his own blood. He has opened the way for us to have a real relationship with him- a life changing and altering relationship. 

No priest, Rabbi, Moulla, or Preacher can ever take his place and act as a go-between for us. The Lord God almighty loves us and begs us to come to him his way. Any other way will not work. 

Yes, God is mighty and scary. But, just as he invited Israel so long ago, he invites us to him now. The question is, will we do as he asks? Or, will we try to stick with our go-betweens.  

Excuse me, but your insides are hanging out!

Imagine with me that your walking through the streets of your town. As you walk, you begin to notice that some folks are looking at you strangely. The farther you walk, the more folks keep looking at you. You don't wonder about yourself. You know there's nothing wrong with you. You're not sure what's gotten into these people, but they have problems. You decide to ignore their stares.

Finally, a kindly old gentleman approaches you. He begins to speak to you in a nice, but concerned manner. His words strike you as strange, for what he says is, "Excuse me, but your insides are hanging out." You're offended at first, but your automatic reaction is to look down. Sure enough, your insides are hanging out!

You are stunned! Fear takes a hold of you. You begin to feel weak and dizzy. Your breathing becomes rapid and shallow. But, the old man, places gentle hands on your shoulders, looks you in the eyes, and says, "It's OK. I'm a doctor. Let's get you into this hospital over here and we'll fix you right up.

Does this sound ludicrous to you? Of course. Yet, millions of people every day do just what you were doing in the above story: they walk around with their insides hanging out. Not physically, to be sure. But, all of our inner lives are on full display for all the world to see everyday. It's obvious by our actions and speech (remember, "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh", Jesus said.) to any who care to look closely, what we truly believe.

Proverbs 23: ^{7a "}For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he..."


Our actions always follow our emotions. Our emotions always follow our beliefs. Our beliefs always follow our thoughts. Who we are on the inside is- quite literally, who we are! 


This is why the scriptures warn us to think only on godly things and, in this way, to guard our hearts. If our thought life is in line, then our beliefs will be in line. If our beliefs are in line, then our emotions will be in line. If our emotions are in line, then our actions will be in line. 


As an example, lets look at Saul's life. 


King Saul's story begins in 1 Samuel 9. We find him out looking for his fathers donkeys with a servant. His father, according to verse 1, was a "mighty man of power." His father evidently was a man of some financial means, as he owned animals and had multiple servants. With money comes power. So, he was an influential man, as well. 


Saul, was a young man who seemed to have his life planned out ahead of him- beautifully! Grow up in wealth and prestige. Take over the family biz. Grow that wealth and prestige. But, the Lord God had other plans.


Israel had lived in a theocracy for hundreds of years. But, Israel wanted to be like everyone else and have a king. So, the Lord looks around and chooses Saul. He doesn't allow Saul to find the animals. He gets him so frustrated that Saul goes looking for the judge/prophet Samuel to learn where the animals were.


This is where Saul's life takes a sudden turn. Like Saul, most of the time, when God wishes to call us into a different direction, it seems he reaches into our everyday lives to work things to get our attention and point us in a different way. 


Saul is told that God is calling him to be King over Israel. Talk about unqualified! From herding animals to leading a nation- Oh what a change. God equips him by filling him with his spirit to strengthen and guide Saul in his new duties. God gave him a great start! 1 Samuel 10: 9-10)


Saul is a bold man, if nothing else. We've already been told of the wealth and prestige his Father had. Yet, he has the audacity to LIE to God's prophet about who he is in society: ^21"And Saul answered and said, Am not I a Benjamite, of the smallest of the tribes of Israel? and my family the least of all the families of the tribe of Benjamin? wherefore then speakest thou so to me?"


He's a liar who suffers from low self esteem- as most liars do. Already, his insides (who he really is) are beginning to show. To top that off, on the day of his coronation, Saul is nowhere to be found. Where is he? He's out "hiding amongst the stuff." (1 Samuel 10: 22) He doesn't want the responsibility God has given him. More of his insides were hanging out. 


How many of us RUN from the call of God on our lives because we don't want the responsibility, nor do we desire the necessary change in our lives. So, we hide in the stuff of life. We get caught up in entertainment, our jobs, finances, parties, status, etc. All the while, God has a job for us to do that will benefit many other people- IF we will submit.  


Later, he is told to wait on Samuel to come and sacrifice before he goes off to war. Samuel is late. Some of his men begin to leave him. Saul's lack of faith in the God who called him, his looking to others to validate his self esteem, and his impatience come rapidly to the surface. He steps out of his God-given role and tries to stand in Samuel's role. He performs the sacrifices.


As he's cleaning up his mess, Samuel comes. God requires obedience and listening to him MORE than he requires sacrifice. Saul's lack of letting God change him costs him dearly. He fulfills the ritual, in the wrong way. 


He should have been praying and seeking God all along. When he was hiding in the stuff, he should have been asking for God's direction. Instead of religion and ceremony, he should have sought relationship. 


Due to his bad insides, he has a bad ending. He loses his kingdom and loses out with God. 


Saul was placed under immense pressure. This pressure caused the real him to come out for all the world to see. 


Like Saul, God calls us- even with our bad insides hanging out. But, if we don't enter into relationship with him and allow God to change our insides, we will lose our promises and lose out with God as well. 


Let us be like David: "Create in me a clean heart, Oh Lord, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, Oh Lord. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me all the joy of thy salvation." 

Shalom Shabbath: Enjoy the peace of the atonement!

Exodus 20:⁸Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.

 ⁹Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

 ¹⁰But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:

 ¹¹For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

In continuing our lessons on the commandments, the fourth commandment seems simple: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy". But what does that mean, especially to the Christian? 

Do we have to keep the Sabbath? If so, what how do we do it? Can we work on the Sabbath day? There is much we need to learn about this commandment. After all, we cannot obey a commandment until we understand it. 

The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Shabbath and means: 

"1) Sabbath

a) sabbath

b) day of atonement

c) sabbath year

d) week

e) produce (in sabbath year)

When we celebrate the Sabbath, we celebrate our atonement!

There has been much debate over these eight words. Some say they no longer apply, but Jesus said, 

"¹⁷Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.

 ¹⁸For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

 ¹⁹Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-19) 

Obviously, the earth is still here and the kingdom of heaven has not yet been set up here on earth. We must, therefore, conclude that the law is still in force, to some degree. Of course some things, such as the sin sacrifices and the ceremonial aspects to the law are FULFILLED through Jesus' death on Calvary. Is the Sabbath one of them? 

The Lord's moral laws are still in force. "Looking at the ten commandments", it is obvious that these are part of God's moral laws. So, yes, we have to "keep the Sabbath day". But, how do we do this?

Some folks insist that Saturday (the Sabbath day- the seventh day) is the day we should meet and worship the Lord. They say that it was the Catholic church that changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday- in order to secretly worship "the sun God- Mithra". Is there any evidence in the scriptures to suggest the early church got together on the first day of the week (Sunday) to worship?

A few facts: 1) Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. (Mark 16:) 2) Jesus appeared to the disciples on the first day of the week. (John 20:19) 3) Acts 20:7 suggests that the apostles did meet on the first day of the week. 4) 1 Corinthians 16:2 suggests that the early church met and took up offerings on the first day of the week. 5)Romans 14:5-6 says that, in essence, whatever day you wish to set apart for the Lord- do so, but don't judge your brother because they chose a different day. 

So, it would seem, that even back then, there was controversy concerning the Sabbath. Yet, there is evidence that the church did, in fact, meet on the first day of the week. It even became known as "the Lord's day" because Jesus rose on the first day of the week. Jesus appeared to John on "the Lord's day" while he was imprisoned on the isle of Patmos and showed him the book of Revelations.

For these reasons, I chose to take Paul's position in Romans 14. Whatever day you wish to make holy- do so! Just don't judge your brother who does differently than you do. 

If your group chooses to gather together on Saturday, great! There are some Apostolics who do worship on Saturday, rather than Sunday. This is the original Sabbath day. You cannot be wrong in gathering together that day to worship. Most Apostolics gather on Sunday, the Lord's day. Great! The early church seems to have done this as well. I have known some that gathered on BOTH Saturday and Sunday. Awesome! We need to "forsake not the gathering together" of the saints. I say go for it!  

So, we've settled the day issue. Is this all there is to keeping the commandment? Or is there more? 

What does it mean to "remember" the Sabbath day? Are we to simply say, in passing, "Ah, it's the Sabbath. I remember that now", as if we're remembering a recipe or some other lost bit of knowledge? The word "remember here comes from the Hebrew word, zakar, and means: 

1) to remember, recall, call to mind

a) (Qal) to remember, recall

b) (Niphal) to be brought to remembrance, be remembered, be thought of, be brought to mind

c) (Hiphil)

1) to cause to remember, remind

2) to cause to be remembered, keep in remembrance

3) to mention

4) to record

5) to make a memorial, make remembrance

Notice definition 5, "to make a memorial". 

Now this opens up a whole other can of worms to fish with! When we make a memorial, in our society, we set up a special place. We put time, money, and effort into that place. And we go there to visit that place to remember. 

Jesus died for US ALL! He then defeated death, hell, and the grave, for US ALL! We gather together in this place we've set aside and put our time, money, and effort into in order to REMEMBER and CELEBRATE what our Lord has done or us! The creator of all, loved us so much that he died and rose again for us. If we can get excited about anything, we can get excited about this!

This is far better than the new car, the new job, the new house, the new clothes, etc. This tells me that God loves me so much he died for me! As unworthy as I feel, he died to make me worthy! He arose to lift me up into heavenly places and experience his love and glory and to see his awesome power at work! 

Do we get to that place, simply by showing up? Is it enough to gather together in this place to take part in all what God wants for us? He said he has plans for our good for our lives. How do we take part in those plans?

In Acts 10, Cornelius is told "thy prayers and thy alms are come up as a memorial" unto God. 

Let's give to the work of the Lord, both in and out of church. God always honors giving. If we see our brother in need, and we have it to give, let's reach out and help him! 

Let's pray! Let's keep getting together to seek God. Let's keep setting aside specific times, both in private and as a body, to pray and seek the Lord- not just for what he can do, but also (and more importantly), for who he is! 

We want power with God. He wants relationship. If we have the relationship with him, the power will begin to manifest itself. Apostolic power and ministry is not based on our doctrine (though doctrine is important). Rather, it is based on developing a strong relationship with Jesus! 

A memorial is also a place to get away and rest. 

Sometimes, we just need a break from our lives. That time of prayer and study. That time spent talking things over with God! He says "Come unto me, all ye who are weary, and I will give you rest." 

Isaiah put it this way: "¹¹For with stammering lips and another tongue will he speak to this people.

 ¹²To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear." (Isaiah 28:11-12)

The Lord of all that is has made the whole world and offer we should not refuse. We spend most of our lives fighting with the world, with our flesh, with family and friends (sometimes). We sometimes, in spite of Paul's instructions, DO grow weary in well doing. How do we not when we sometimes feel as if we are fighting the hordes of hell every day?

Every boxing match has a break between rounds. Jesus, in the days of his flesh, got away every day to recharge his batteries and get instructions. The reason the Lord gave us the baptism of the Holy Ghost goes WAY beyond it being part of becoming a child of God. Yes, he gives us the power to become what he wants us to be. But, he also gives us a place of rest. An unhindered access to connect with him.

Sometimes a child just needs to feel loved. Sometimes a child just needs to feel the strong arms of their daddy around them, holding them, keeping them safe. Sometimes when we fall down or get knocked down, we just need to hear daddy whisper in our ear, "Hush child. Daddy's here. It's gonna be alright. I'll see you through. I'll help you do this."

Having the Holy Ghost gives us access to: 

1) the love of God being shed abroad in our hearts (Romans 5:5)

2) the ability to speak truth and a witness to our conscience when we're right (Romans 9:1)

3) righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost (Romans 14:17)

4) a hope that is born in our hearts and brought on by God giving us hope to believe (Romans 15:13) in spite of the circumstances we face! 

5) Our offerings, be they money, time, giving to others, helping others in our labor, giving a friendly and understanding ear, bringing sinners in to the house of God, etc, are useless in our flesh, but are made acceptable by the power of the Holy Ghost. (Romans 15:16)

6) the understanding of the word of God, as well as help to teach it's precepts (1 Corinthians 2:13)

7) the understanding that we are NOT our own. That we are bought with a price and have no right to live however we wish to live. (1 Corinthians 6:19)

8)1 Corinthians 12:3 says we can't even call Jesus LORD (Supreme controller) except by the power of the Holy Ghost in our lives!

9)We can commune with God only through his spirit (the Holy Ghost) being in us (2 Corinthians 13:14)

10) The ability to walk uprightly as an example to others, and the power to minister to others comes only from the Holy Ghost living within us and working through us. (1 Thessalonians 1:5)

11) joy in the struggle (1 Thessalonians 1:6)

12) The ability to stay right with God and complete his will for our lives comes only through the Holy Ghost (2 Timothy 1:14) 

13) Our salvation comes through the Holy Ghost (Titus 3:5)

14) When God chooses to, miracles and signs and wonders can be done through the power of The Holy Ghost. (Hebrews 2:4)

15) Guidance comes through the Holy Ghost (Hebrews 3:7)

16) The Holy Ghost is how God writes his laws on our hearts! (Hebrews 10: 14-16)

17) The Holy Ghost allows us to prophecy. (2 Peter 1:21)

18) We can build up our most holy faith by PRAYING in the Holy Ghost! (Jude 1:20)

What is the Christian Sabbath? It is the Holy Ghost! It is God dwelling in us. 

How do we access that needed rest? How do we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Through praying in the Holy Ghost! 

For the christian EVERY day can be a Sabbath of rest! For, in essence, the Holy Ghost IS our relationship with God almighty! The Holy Ghost IS the power and love of God in our lives. 

What am I saying? If you need rest, healing, help, etc, the answer is found in a relationship with our Lord and Savior. When we Obeyed acts 2:38, we were born again. But, we need to actively work at our relationship with him to stay right. And we do this through the power he places in us out our new birth- the Holy Ghost. 

The Holy Ghost is NOT a person. It is the power, the connection with God that enables us to be used by him. This power is accessed through prayer. It is the phone line through which God almighty speaks with us and teaches us. It IS the Christian Sabbath! 

Shalom, Shabbath, dear friend! May the peace of the Sabbath (the joy of the Holy Ghost) be in you! 

Saying "I do" to God: HIS way and staying true! The third commandment.

^{Exodus 20: 7}Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.


Genesis 2: ²⁴Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh.


Revelation 21:9
And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.


We've covered two very important commandments so far. Today we do the third. Yet, as you will see, even though the third commandment is very well known- it is not very well understood. This verse is about FAR MORE than not using the name of God as a curse word!


From the beginning of time, God has been all about relationships. When God created the first humans, he created marriage. Some foot notes here. In the Old Testament, from the first marriage on, there have always been several necessary ingredients to create a marriage: a) one man, b) one woman c) A Patriarchal (or father's) blessing. 


In the case of Adam and Eve, this blessing was given by God almighty. In the case of Isaac, this blessing was given by Abraham through his servant. With David's first wife, the blessing was given by King Saul. Every marriage is not given in detail, besides the fact that the couple married, but there's enough evidence in the scriptures to show these elements as being the norm. 


In the New Testament, Jesus' first miracle was done at a wedding ceremony. A legally binding ceremony that included the rabbi (or priest) in conducting it. There was also a whole range of ceremonies and requirements that are alluded to in the parable of the 10 virgins. However, there is enough evidence in scripture to support that there must be a) a bridegroom (husband-male) b) a bride (wife-female), and c) a legally binding ceremony officiated by a man of God. 


Now, even in Bible times, the wife took on her husbands name. She became, for instance, Mary, the wife of Joseph. Her name would've been something like Mary Eeshah Joseph, Eeshah meaning wife. Taking his name gave her all the legal rights and responsibilities that a wife could have under the law of the land. She HAD to take his name or there was NO marriage. 


Our society, for centuries, followed this same plan. When the man and woman married, she took on his last name. If she refused, there was no marriage. Only in recent times (the last 20-30 years) has the law changed to allow her to marry her husband and NOT take her husbands name. Personally, I contend that this should not be allowed. I refuse to knowingly do ANY wedding ceremony, where the bride is not going to take the grooms name. 


Taking his name means submission to him. Taking his name means dedication and love for him. Taking his name means carrying herself and representing her husband in a way that befits her station as his wife. Taking his name means she accepts all the rights and responsibilities that come with being his wife. She forsakes ALL other suitors and clings to him and him alone.  


Think I am being ridiculous? Look at how God sees it! "Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain!" The word "vain" comes from the Hebrew word, "shav". It means: 1) emptiness, vanity, falsehood

a) emptiness, nothingness, vanity

b) emptiness of speech, lying

c) worthlessness (of conduct)

God declares that HIS bride: those of us in the church, do not take his name and then not hold to our vows to him! If we take his name as an empty promise on our part, and then refuse to carry ourselves in speech and conduct in a way that lifts up our husband and shows our dedication to our husband, then God doesn't take it lightly! In fact, he says "for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain." 


WOW! God's not playing here! The word for Lord here is JHWH (Jehovah to some. Jahweh to others) and it means the self existing one. The word for God here is Elohim and in this case means "the true God". (Note to trinitarians: What since would it make for God to say he is the self existing ONE and then try to say he is more than one? It doesn't! Elohim is a plurality of attributes, NOT of persons.) 


So, the self existing one, our true God, tells us not to take his name and not mean it. If we do, then he will NOT hold us guiltless! 


How does the "bride of Christ" take the name of our husband? 


"There is only one name, given among men, whereby we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Paul said we are "buried WITH HIM in baptism" (Romans 6:4). Peter said for us to be "baptized in the name of Jesus Christ FOR THE remission of sins" (Acts 2:38). Jesus said we "must be born of water..." (John 3:5). 


When we are baptized in water in Jesus name we have "put on Christ" (Galatians 3:27). He has become our husband. We have TAKEN HIS NAME! This is why the biblical prerequisite to water baptism is repentance. Baptism in Jesus name washes away our past sins. Therefore, repentance is required before hand for God to hold us GUILTLESS. If we do not repent (die to self and our old life of sin. Submit our all to him- to live for him, love him, be dedicated to him, represent him in all we do and say) before we are baptized, then our baptism is no Good. God will NOT allow his blood to wash us, because our commitment to be married to him isn't there. 


How many folks have we seen get baptized in Jesus name and there was no change? God didn't fill them with the baptism of the Holy Ghost. They kept on doing the same things, talking the same way, dressing the same ways. No evidence of God touching their lives at all. Why? Because there was no repentance before hand. No real love and dedication for their husband, so their groom never showed up at the altar! 


God became a man (Jesus) and died to create a bride (the church). He will not accept anything less than our all. False confessions, going through the motions, and checking the blocks are not accepted by him. Only our all will he accept. Then, he will show up at the altar and give us his saving name.


One more thing to drive this home. What does it mean to TAKE the name of the Lord? What does the word TAKE mean? Check out this list! Then, read each definition of "take" in place of "take" in the sentence, "Thou shalt not (take) the name of the Lord thy God in vain." I pray it will open your minds to just how serious this commandment truly is to God! 
  
Take:
        1) to lift, bear up, carry, take

a) (Qal)

1) to lift, lift up

2) to bear, carry, support, sustain, endure

3) to take, take away, carry off, forgive

b) (Niphal)

1) to be lifted up, be exalted

2) to lift oneself up, rise up

3) to be borne, be carried

4) to be taken away, be carried off, be swept away

c) (Piel)

1) to lift up, exalt, support, aid, assist

2) to desire, long (fig.)

3) to carry, bear continuously

4) to take, take away

d) (Hithpael) to lift oneself up, exalt oneself

e) (Hiphil)

1) to cause one to bear (iniquity)

2) to cause to bring, have brought

AV — (bare, lift, etc...) up 219, bear 115, take 58, bare 34, carry 30, (take, carry)..away 22, borne 22, armourbearer 18, forgive 16, accept 12, exalt 8,regard 5, obtained 4, respect 3, misc 74

Look through this list! Here's one chosen at random, as an example: "Thou shalt not (bear) the name of the Lord thy God in vain." That one will make you think some, huh? Remember that the next time the enemy tempts you to watch something, read something, or go somewhere you know God wouldn't approve. If you do, then you have just taken his name in vain! 

This verse includes cussing. However, it's so much more than that. It's a LIFESTYLE that honors our husband in all we do and say.