Bowling Green Covenant Church

O LORD,

I  bless Thee that the issue of the battle

between Thyself and Satan

has never been uncertain,

and will end in victory.

Calvary broke the dragon’s head,

and I contend with a vanquished foe,

who with all his subtlety and strength

has already been overcome.

When I feel the serpent at my heel

may I remember Him whose head was bruised,

but who, when bruised, broke the devil’s head.

My soul with inward joy extols

the Mighty Conqueror.

Heal me of any wounds received

in the great conflict;

if I have gathered defilement,

if my faith has suffered damage,

if my hope is less than bright,

if my love is not fervent,

if some creature comfort occupies my heart,

if my soul sinks under pressure of the fight.

O Thou whose every promise is balm,

every touch life,

draw near to They weary warrior,

refresh me, that I may rise again

to wage the strife,

and never tire until my enemy is trodden down.

Give me such fellowship with Thee

that I may defy Satan,

unbelief, the flesh, the world,

with delight that comes not from a creature,

and which a creature cannot mar.

Give me a draught of the eternal fountain

that lieth in Thy immutable, everlasting love,

and decree.

Then shall my hand never weaken,

my feet never stumble,

my sword never rest,

my shield never rust,

my helmet never shatter,

my breastplate never fall,

as my strength rests in the power

of Thy might.

–The Valley of Vision,

A Collection Puritan Prayers and Devotions,

Arthur Bennet, ed.,

The Banner of Truth Trust, Carlisle, PA, © 1975

Sermon #1 of “The King, the Cross, and the Empty Tomb” series
Rev. Dr. Michael Malanga - Luke 4: 1-13
This sermon begins our lent series titled “The King, the Cross and the Empty Tomb”

 

 The King, the Cross and the Empty Tomb [35:37m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

~ The King, the Cross and the Empty Tomb ~

A Sermon Series for the Season of Lent – Sermon 1: Luke 4.1-13

~Jesus stood up to the devil’s every temptation by standing firm on the word of God ~

“As Jesus turned down Satan and consciously chose to follow God down the hard road of His ministry, so too we must be prepared to walk into events under His leading, even where the outcome is not clear.”

—Darrell L. Bock, Luke, The NIV Application Commentary

Jesus stood up to the devil by trusting God to take care of Him— Luke 4.1-4

¹And Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness ²for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And he ate nothing during those days. And when they were ended, he was hungry. ³The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread.” ⁴And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’”

1. Read Luke 3.21-22.
   1. What event preceded the temptation of Jesus?
   2. How did what happened in Luke 3.21-22 prepare Jesus for what happened in Luke 4.1-13?
   3. What is the significance of Jesus’ being “full of the Holy Spirit”?
2. Why did God the Holy Spirit lead Jesus into the wilderness to suffer temptation?

(Cf. Genesis 3.1-13; Deuteronomy 8.2-6; Hebrews 5.7-10)

1. Discuss how the devil addressed Jesus when he tempted Him.
2. Although Jesus was hungry, why would it have been wrong for Him to take matters into His own hands and “command this stone to become bread”?
3. How did Jesus respond to the devil’s temptation? (Cf. Deuteronomy 8.3)
   1. What does “Man shall not live by bread alone,” mean?
   2. What are some ways in which we are tempted to take matters into our own hands rather than live by faith?

Jesus stood up to the devil by worshiping God and God alone— Luke 4.5-8

⁵And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, ⁶and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. ⁷If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.” ⁸And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘”You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve.’” [Cf. Deuteronomy 6.13; 10.17-20]

1. What did the devil promise Jesus in exchange for His worship?
   1. How true was the devil’s offer?
   2. Given God’s sovereignty, did the devil really have it in his power to confer “all this authority,” etc. upon Jesus?
2. Why would it have been wrong for Jesus to give in to this temptation?
   1. Who, ultimately, has the power to confer “all authority,” etc. upon Jesus? (Cf. Matthew 28.18-20; John 5.26-27; Acts 2.29-36; Hebrews 1.8-9)
   2. How was Jesus to receive this “all authority”? (Cf. Philippians 2.5-11; Hebrews 12.2)
3. Read Deuteronomy 8.11-20 and Matthew 6.25-34.
   1. What are some ways in which we are tempted either to worship other gods, or to trust in ourselves?

Jesus stood up to the devil by refusing to put God to the test — Luke 4.9-12

⁹And he took him to Jerusalem and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down from here, ¹⁰for it is written, “’He will command his angels concerning you, to guard you,’ ¹¹and “’On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” ¹²And Jesus answered him, “It is said, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” [Deuteronomy 6.16; cf. Exodus 17.2-7]

1. Here the devil quotes Psalm 91.11-12. Read Psalm 91.11-12.
   1. Did the devil quote the text accurately?
   2. What does your answer tell you about how the devil uses Scripture in his temptation?
2. Why would it have been wrong for Jesus to give in to this temptation?
3. What are some ways we are tempted to God to the test?

Jesus stood up to the devil knowing He would be tempted again— Luke 4.13

¹³And when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time.

1. Why was it important that Jesus not give in to the devil’s every temptation?
2. Given that Jesus is fully human and fully divine, how real were the temptations He suffered?
3. What other “opportune time(s)” did the devil tempt Jesus?

The Traveler’s Advisory

Friday 23 February 2007

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”–Paul the Apostle, First Epistle to the Thessalonians 5.16-18

There were no better keepers of Paul’s exhortation than the Puritans. Their enthusiasm for prayer is captured in a collection of prayers known as The Valley of Vision. In one section of this most helpful book (Approach to God) I found the following prayer expressed my own recently renewed desire to pursue deeper intimacy with the Lord in prayer. In keeping with the Puritans’ straightforward faith, the prayer bears the simple title, Living By Prayer.

O God of the open ear,

Teach me to live by prayer as well as by Providence, for myself, soul, body, children, family, church;

Give me a heart frameable to Thy will; so I might live in prayer, and honor Thee, being kept from evil, known and unknown.

Help me to see the sin that accompanies all I do, and the good I can distil from everything.

Let me know that the work of prayer is to bring my will to Thine, and that without this it is folly to pray;

When I try to bring Thy will to mine it is to command Christ, to be above Him, and wiser than He; this is my sin and pride,

I can only succeed when I pray according to Thy precept and promise, and to be done with as it pleases Thee, according to Thy will.

When Thou commandest me to pray for pardon, peace, brokenness, it is because Thou wilt give me the thing promised, for Thy glory, as well as for my good.

Help me not only to desire small things but with holy boldness to desire great things for Thy people, for myself, that they and I might live to show Thy glory.

Teach me that it is wisdom for me to pray for all I have, out of love, willingly, not of necessity; that I may come to Thee at any time, to lay open my needs acceptably to Thee; that my great sin lies in my not keeping the savor of Thy ways; that the remembrance of this truth is one way to the sense of Thy presence; that there is no wrath like the wrath of being governed by my own lusts for my own ends.

The Puritans knew the secret to obeying Paul’s exhortation to rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in all circumstances is that such things are the will of God in Christ Jesus for His people. To live by prayer as well as by Providence requires a firm grasp on the realization that “the work of prayer” is to bring our will to the Lord. Sometimes the “the work of prayer” is hard work. At such times it is good to consider such work to be a labor of love done in obedience according to God’s will. Sometimes “the work of prayer” amounts to little more than raising the sails of our souls to allow the wind of the Spirit to carry us along. Whether the work is laborious or joyous, tedious or exhilarating, the aim is the same, to live by prayer as well as by Providence.

To live by prayer is to resolve always to be in communication with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is to build an ever-increasing bond of fellowship with the Trinity as well as with our brothers and sisters in Christ. To live by prayer is to cultivate the soul continually so that its soil remains fertile to produce the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of repentance as well as the evidence we are furnishing our faith with the qualities of moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, steadfastness, godliness, brotherly affection and love.

During the season of Lent it is customary we give up something. So let me suggest we resolve to give up being governed by our own lusts for our own ends. Let us resolve to do the work of prayer and so bring our will to the God of the open ear. Let us resolve to live by prayer as well as by Providence.

You think about that.

MM

Our first sermon podcast at BGCC titled, “Carried Along, Not Carried Away”
Topic: 2 Peter 2: 16-21

 Carried Along, Not Carried Away [35:35m]: Download

The Traveler’s Advisory

Friday 16 February 2007

“Consider how I love Your precepts! Give me life according to Your steadfast love.

The sum of Your word is truth, and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.”

— Psalm 119.159-160

They are two of my favorite Hebrew words. That they appear in consecutive verses of the longest psalm is a bonus. The Hebrew words to which I refer are hesed and emeth. In the verses above hesed is translated steadfast love and emeth is translated truth.

In some ways, hesed is deliciously difficult to define. On the one hand, in addition to steadfast love, it carries the sense of mercy, kindness, and lovingkindness. On the other hand, when it is used of God in His dealings toward humanity, hesed describes the covenant loyalty or covenant-keeping faithfulness of God’s character. Some translators find the phrase unfailing love to be an apt definition of this word.

Thus when the psalmist prays, “Give me life (or, Revive me) according to Your steadfast love,” he is trusting God to answer his plea based on the character of God as the God who maintains covenant-keeping faithfulness toward His children. We must keep God’s word because, as the covenant-keeping, covenant-faithful God, He keeps His word, His covenant with us. Those who keep God’s word out of love for Him can expect Him to give them life when they ask for it.

An additional reason for keeping God’s word is, “The sum of Your word is truth (emeth), and every one of Your righteous rules endures forever.”

Emeth carries the underlying sense of certainty, dependability, and faithfulness. When something is emeth it is as sure as the sunrise and as dependable as the ground beneath our feet. In the Old Testament (OT) emeth is used in several contexts, all of which relate to God either directly or indirectly, and is often applied to God as an attribute of His character, especially that which makes up His goodness.

As an attribute of God that is revealed to humanity, emeth is the means by which we come to know and serve God as our Savior. Because it is an attribute of God, which is revealed in our salvation, and life of service as God’s children, emeth is often used in association with hesed. Very often, since God’s truth and steadfast love lead to God’s peace toward sinful humanity, saved by His grace, emeth is often joined with “peace” (shalom).

In verse quoted above the psalmist speaks in absolute terms, “The sum of Your word is truth.” His meaning is as a clear as the blue sky of a crisp winter morning—there is no truth, in the biblical sense, outside God. All truth, all valid truth, comes from God because truth is connected to God. It is interesting to note that the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT, translates the Hebrew word emeth into the Greek word for truth, aletheia. This is the same Greek word used in the New Testament (written in Greek) by Jesus to describe Himself as “the Way, the Truth (aletheia), and the Life,” in John 14.6.

Thus in the NT, we encounter the sum of God’s word in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Savior of the world. He is the Truth. He is the Word. In the OT truth was mediated to humanity through the word of God, which included His righteous rules. Under the OT, those who kept God’s word out of love for Him could expect Him to give them life when they asked for it. Under the NT, those who keep God’s word out of love for Jesus can expect Him to grace them with eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ who kept God’s word perfectly.

Thus the prayer of the psalmist is fulfilled in the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. For He it is who is the epitome of God’s hesed and He it is who is the sum of God’s emeth.

You think about that.

MM

Friday 9 February 2007

“…I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” — Paul the Apostle, 1 Corinthians 2.3-5

Preachers are like golfers. We are always looking for ways to improve how we communicate the Gospel. Much of the recent literature about preaching focuses on meeting the felt needs of the audience. Additionally, there is the added pressure to learn how to communicate the meta-narrative of Truth to a post-modern generation dubious of meta-narrative, as well as any attempt to use definite language regarding Truth.

Helpful as such books are, they place the erstwhile preacher in a querulous double bind. On the one hand, we exegete the ancient text responsibly as we attempt, literally, “to get into the head” of the author even as we attempt to understand the sitz im leben (the situation in life) of his audience. On the other hand, once we have accomplished this task we must “walk the ancient text across the hermeneutical bridge” into the 21^st century. Whereas purchasing car insurance may be so easy a caveman can do it, (as one insurance company suggests), walking the ancient text across that bridge requires considerably more skill. When done well there is illumination “in demonstration of the Spirit and power.” When done poorly, the result is best captured by this quote from Haddon Robinson, “A mist in the pulpit becomes a fog in the pew.”

So you can imagine my joy in discovering a book recently that defines the exegetical task in a manner both refreshing and challenging. The book is Listening to the Spirit in the Text by Gordon D. Fee (Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI © 2000). Here is the statement that caught my attention:

“I want to say with great vigor that even though the first task of the exegete is the historical one (= to determine the biblical author’s intended meaning), this is not the ultimate one. The ultimate task…is the Spiritual one, to hear the text in such a way that it leads the reader/hearer into the worship of God and into conformity to God and his ways … My point is that true exegesis attempts to engage in the author’s Spirituality, not just in his words,” (p. 11; italics his, bold my emphasis).

True exegesis should lead to true preaching. True preaching attempts to communicate the biblical author’s Spirituality so as to engage the hearer’s Spirituality. It is Spirituality with a capital “S” since Fee defines Spirituality as “nothing less than life by the (Holy) Spirit,” (p. 6). Fee asserts:

“Hence the aim of exegesis: to produce in our lives and the lives of others true Spirituality, in which God’s people live in fellowship with the eternal and living God, and thus in keeping with God’s own purposes in the world. But in order to do that effectively, true “Spirituality” must precede exegesis as well as flow from it,” (p.6).

So here is my challenge to us all. Let us who preach do our best to have our Spirituality, our life by the Spirit, “precede exegesis as well as flow from it.” Let our preaching be Spiritual as our exegesis is Spiritual. Let us who hear the word preached do our best to have our Spirituality, our life by the Spirit, precede the hearing of the word, knowing that the speech and the message proclaimed “is not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Let us together be Spiritual, let us live by the Spirit so that we might more closely follow Jesus with a faith resting in the power of God the Father.

You think about that.

MM

The Traveler’s Advisory

Friday 2 February 2007

“Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” — Paul the Apostle, Philippians 3.13-14

One morning last Fall Joe Bieger, 59, walked out of his house in Dallas, Texas to take his two dogs for a walk. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and assistant high school athletic director. By the time Joe Bieger reached the end of his street his memory was gone. He spent the next 25 days wandering the streets of Dallas unable to remember his name, what he did for a living, even where he lived. His ordeal ended when a local contractor who was building a house for Mr. Bieger, recognized him.

By the time he was found, Mr. Bieger had wandered 20-miles from his home, lost 25 pounds and a full, white beard covered his once clean-shaven face. Doctors diagnosed Mr. Bieger as suffering from psychogenic fugue, an extremely rare form of amnesia. He is now back at home, has returned to work and is under the care of a physician specializing in his form of amnesia. And should he wander off again, his cell phone is equipped with a GPS tracking device (from an Associated Press story that appeared in The Toledo Blade January 27, 2007.)

When most people think about forgetting what lies behind, Joe Bieger’s rare form of amnesia is usually not on their short list. It was definitely not the kind of amnesia Paul referred to near the end of his letter to Philippians.

For those who have been born-again through faith in Christ, pressing on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus requires a deliberate amnesia. We must choose to forget what lies behind. We must refuse to carry the baggage of past failures. We must choose to resist the temptation to wrap ourselves in the glory of past victories. If pressing on is hard work, forgetting what lies behind is even harder work. But let’s face it, compared to the anxiety of not knowing what tomorrow will bring, sometimes the past is just a more comfortable place to live.

But we were not made to live in the past. We were made to press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. We were made to finish the race. We were made for eternity. And that means we must live with a God-given discontent for the things of this world. It is instructive to see that Paul says he forgets what lies behind by straining forward to what lies ahead. And what lies ahead is the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Scholars tell us Paul is here using an image borrowed from the Olympic games. Having won the race, the champion awaits to hear the upward call of the official to the top step of the podium and receive the gold medal. During the race the runner had to have a deliberate amnesia. He had to forget what lies behind by straining forward to what lies ahead. Perhaps he had to ignore a bad start. Or perhaps he had to ignore a nagging injury with which his body tried to persuade him to quit. Perhaps he had to ignore his place in the field and fight to focus on finishing the race. This much is certain: he strained forward to what lies ahead by pressing on in order to finish the race and reach the goal for the prize of the upward call.

And so must we.

We must forget what lies behind by straining forward to what lies ahead. With God’s help we can overcome a bad start. With His help we can overcome an addiction, a bad relationship, an emotional setback, even an illness tempting us to just give up and give in. We must practice a deliberate amnesia. We must not allow past success to predict or influence current devotion. We forget what lies behind by straining forward to what lies ahead. We must press on. We must finish the race.

Where we finish is not important. It is only important that we finish. It is only important that we press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. So let us forget what lies behind by straining forward to what lies ahead.

Oswald Chambers distills Paul’s exhortation into this mm, “Let the past sleep, but let it sleep on the bosom of Christ. Leave the Irreparable Past in His hands, and step out into the Irresistible Future with Him.”

You think about that.

MM