When hope comes to life…

A few rambling lines on the tension and facts of Christmas.

Isaiah 9:2-7

2 The people who walk in darkness


Will see a great light;


Those who live in a dark land,


The light will shine on them.

3 You shall multiply the nation,


You shall increase their gladness;


They will be glad in Your presence


As with the gladness of harvest,


As men rejoice when they divide the spoil.

4 For You shall break the yoke of their burden and the staff on their shoulders,


The rod of their oppressor, as at the battle of Midian.

5 For every boot of the booted warrior in the battle tumult,


And cloak rolled in blood, will be for burning, fuel for the fire.

6 For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us;


And the government will rest on His shoulders;


And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,


Eternal Father, Prince of Peace.

7 There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace,


On the throne of David and over his kingdom,


To establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness


From then on and forevermore.


The zeal of the Lord of hosts will accomplish this.

 Introduction

1.     It’s Christmas!

2.     What would it be like if we unlocked the security door over our hearts and looked at our secret Christmas wish list? What would we discover if let honest be the voice in our heads?

3.     A secret Christmas wish list may look something like…

a.     I want a new friend. The friends I have are good, but no one truly understands me.

b.     I want a new friend – someone worthy of my trust.

c.     I want to be able to fix people around me.

d.     I want true love. Will I ever find true love?
(cf., Christmas and the Hallmark channel)

e.     I want a political change I can believe in and trust.

f.      I want a new job – I have so much untapped potential.

g.     I want a new body.

h.     I want to be needed and appreciated.

i.      I want my family back.

j.      I want a new car!

k.     I want a new house!

l.      I want a redo on my marriage – my husband needs improvements.

m.   I want a redo on my marriage – my wife needs improvements.

n.     I want so much money that I could take care of everyone who is important to me, all the poor people and then surprise strangers with kindness.

4.     Sometimes we are sad because we know that what we really want will not be under the tree.

5.     Depression: According to the National Institute of Mental Health, people with depressive illnesses don't all experience the same symptoms. How severe they are, how frequent, and how long they last will vary depending on the individual and his or her particular illness. Here are common symptoms people with depression experience:

a.     Difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions

b.     Fatigue and decreased energy

c.     Feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness

d.     Feelings of hopelessness and/or pessimism

e.     Insomnia, early morning wakefulness, or excessive sleeping

f.      Irritability, restlessness

g.     Loss of pleasure in life

h.     Overeating or appetite loss

i.      Persistent aches or pains, headaches, cramps, or digestive problems that do not ease even with treatment

j.      Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" feelings

k.     Thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts

6.     I think I'm depressed.

Luke 1:26-33

26 Now in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, 27 to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the descendants of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. 28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” 29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was. 30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God. 31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. 32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

Exegesis: Linguistics

28 And coming in, he said to her, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.”

• Favored one κεχαριτωμένη χαριτόω, Perfect Passive Participle
• With you

29 But she was very perplexed at this statement, and kept pondering what kind of salutation this was.

• she was very perplexed διεταράχθη διαταράσσω, Aorist Passive Indicative
• Kept pondering διελογίζετο διαλογίζομαι Imperfect Middle Indicative

30 The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; for you have found favor with God.

• Do not be afraid μὴ μή φοβοῦ φοβέω, Present Middle Imperative
• You have found favor χάριν χάρις

31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus.

• You shall καλέσεις καλέω Future Active Indicative
• Jesus Ἰησοῦν Ἰησοῦς

32 He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David;

• great μέγας μέγας
• Throne θρόνον θρόνος

33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and His kingdom will have no end.”

• He will reign βασιλεύσει βασιλεύω Future Active Indicative
• Kingdom βασιλείας βασιλεία
• End τέλος τέλος

Nouthetics

1. Sometimes we may become jaded and cynical by life and we bear a kind of subterranean depression. This thing under the surface of our lives that constantly drains our emotional batteries.
2. Someone said, if you are not depressed, it’s because you don’t have all the facts! Agreed!
3. It’s also pretty easy to take a shot at God. After all, this whole mess is ultimately His fault.
4. The post-modern, post-Christian person easily blames God for the mess of this world. It’s easy to say to God, “If you do exist, you do a lousy job running things.” And then proceed to question Him, saying, “Why don’t you do anything about the mess we are in?”
5. It is through the birth of Jesus that God did the big thing. JESUS IS THE BIG CORRECTIVE TO THIS WHOLE MESS.
6. Jesus, as the answer to the problem, is what Christmas is all about.
7. What will you do this Christmas to instill into your family what the birth of Christ really means.

Special thanks to Ernie Elbert, Mike Waldron, Amy Stineman, Emily Knox, Ed Lowry, Mary Ann Page, Chris Cross and Steven Vuong for leading in worship on Sunday. 

New resources posted for you:

• Justin Allison's new paper: Galatians 3:12
• Matt Aughtry's short film for Advent: God with us

December 7, 2014
The Dogs of Satan (Exchanging Truth for Lies and the Lies We Believe)

Romans 1:24-25

24 Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. 25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

24 Διὸ παρέδωκεν αὐτοὺς ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις τῶν καρδιῶν αὐτῶν εἰς ἀκαθαρσίαν τοῦ ἀτιμάζεσθαι τὰ σώματα αὐτῶν ἐν αὐτοῖς, 25 οἵτινες μετήλλαξαν τὴν ἀλήθειαν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν τῷ ψεύδει, καὶ ἐσεβάσθησαν καὶ ἐλάτρευσαν τῇ κτίσει παρὰ τὸν κτίσαντα, ὅς ἐστιν εὐλογητὸς εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας· ἀμήν.

Introduction

1. Ivan Pavlov and classical conditioning.
2. Revlon and Chevrolet commercials.

Linguistics

24 Therefore God gave them over

1. Διὸ - therefore. This word is connective-consequential and refers back to the truth suppression of pagans.
2. Gave over παρέδωκεν παραδίδωμι 3rd Person Singular Aorist Active Indicative.
• Essential meaning: to hand over, give over, deliver a thing, entrust, give up a person or transfer custody (per police and courts), and to hand over or pass down information such as stories (oral traditions).[1]
• In the Gospels:[2]
• Mark 14:10, Judas betrays (παραδίδωμι) Jesus to them.
• Mark 15:1, Jesus was παραδίδωμι over to Pilate.
• Luke 23:25, Pilate παραδίδωμι Jesus to the will of the people.
• In Paul’s Letters:
• 1 Cor 5:5, Paul will παραδίδωμι such a one to Satan for the destruction of his flesh.
• 1 Tim 1:20, regarding Hymenaeus and Alexander, Paul has  παραδίδωμι to Satan, so they will be taught not to blaspheme.
3. in the lusts of their hearts to impurity,
• Lust ἐπιθυμίαις ἐπιθυμία
• Hearts καρδιῶν καρδία
• Impurity ἀκαθαρσίαν ἀκαθαρσία. Meaning: uncleanness. ἄλφα = privative + καθαίρω = meaning to cleanse, of filth impurity, etc. Ancient usage included impurity, dirt. The word was literally used of refuse and even the contents of graves. Used in the moral sense, it refers to immorality, to have impure motives.[3]
4. so that their bodies would be dishonored among them.
• Bodies σώματα σῶμα. This word refers to the human body and not a metaphor for the soul (see Paul’s use of flesh).[4]
• Would be dishonored ἀτιμάζεσθαι ἀτιμάζω Present Middle Infinitive. Meaning; to dishonour, insult, treat with contempt, disgrace, shame, to treat as insignificance.[5] The root of this word is directly associated with the name of one of Paul’s dearest colleagues, Timothy (honored of God).

25 For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,

1. For they οἵτινες ὅστις, adjective, pronominal, relative, nominative, masculine, plural. This word, according to Cranfield, functions as an introduction to a relative clause indicating a cause of the action described in the preceding main sentence.[6] Sanday and Headlam suggest it is used like qui or quipped qui with the subjunctive.[7]
2. Exchanged μετήλλαξαν μεταλλάσσω 3rd Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative. Meaning: from meta, "implying change," and "to change one thing for another, or into another” or one thing for another thing.[8] See ancient usage.[9] Technically:
• μετά - with, after, behind, among, meanwhile.[10]
• ἀλλάσσω (Moo argues there is no change of meaning in the compound form μεταλλάσσω)[11] – to make otherwise, to alter, to given in exchange, or take in exchange.[12]
• See usage in Psalm 106:20, “Thus they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox that eats grass.”
• Rogers argues the word suggests volitional choice.[13] Cf., usage in the Testament of Naphtali Concerning Natural Goodness and the idea of exchanging God’s will for human desires.[14]
3. Truth of God ἀλήθειαν τοῦ θεοῦ  
• Truth ἀλήθειαν ἀλήθεια – according to Daniel Wallace, refer to the “true God.”[15] Or, as James Denney indicates, is essentially the same as the glory of God and “the God in His truth.”[16]
• Lie ψεύδει ψεῦδος
4. and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,
• Worshiped ἐσεβάσθησαν σεβάζομαι 3rd Person Plural Aorist Passive Indicative
• Served ἐλάτρευσαν λατρεύω 3rd Person Plural Aorist Active Indicative
• Creature κτίσει κτίσις
• Creator κτίσαντα κτίζω Accusative Singular Masculine Aorist Active Participle
• who is blessed forever. Amen.
• Blessed εὐλογητὸς εὐλογητός
• Forever, αἰῶνας αἰών
• Amen, ἀμήν ἀμήν

Exegesis

1. Why does Paul use the term σῶμα and not σάρξ (Galatians 5:16)? Paul is referring to the actual human body and to a figure of speech for man's capacity for sin.
2. What is idolatry? Believing that worshiping (honor and devotion) people, pleasure, ideologies, things, money…will be more satisfying than Creator-Redeemer God. [17]
3. What would idolatry look like in the first-century Mediterranean world?
• Throughout the Greco-Roman world “idols were venerated in temples,[18] shrines, with statutes, as well as an homes where figurines were worshiped at the hearth to honor to household and bloodline gods.[19]
• Why would people worship idols?
• Ensure blessing
• Protection
• Punish competitors
• Obligation to give honor where honor was due (Caesar).
• Cultural cohesion (dyadism).
• Social stability.
4. Joseph A. Fitzmyer argues that, “idolatry, the consequence of the failure to honor God duly, becomes the source of immorality, for it is the ‘big lie.” Fitzmyer continues stating, the opposite of Paul intent is found in 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10.[20]
5. James Dunn indicates the language used by Paul of exchanging truth for lies is an intentional polemic against idolatry.[21] The believing in what is false (lies) is an “obvious antithesis to man’s proper response to God (cf., Psalm 4:2; 5:6; Jeremiah 3:10; 13:25; and in the Epistle of Jeremiah 47).[22]
6. The phrase “For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie,” echoes: Adam and Eve in Genesis 3:1-7, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.” Israel in Isaiah 5:20-21, 20 “Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; Who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; Who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter! 21 Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes and clever in their own sight!” Isaiah 44:9-20, “9 Those who fashion a graven image are all of them futile, and their precious things are of no profit; even their own witnesses fail to see or know, so that they will be put to shame. 10 Who has fashioned a god or cast an idol to no profit? 11 Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are mere men. Let them all assemble themselves, let them stand up, let them tremble, let them together be put to shame. 12 The man shapes iron into a cutting tool and does his work over the coals, fashioning it with hammers and working it with his strong arm. He also gets hungry and his strength fails; he drinks no water and becomes weary. 13 Another shapes wood, he extends a measuring line; he outlines it with red chalk. He works it with planes and outlines it with a compass, and makes it like the form of a man, like the beauty of man, so that it may sit in a house. 14 Surely he cuts cedars for himself, and takes a cypress or an oak and raises it for himself among the trees of the forest. He plants a fir, and the rain makes it grow. 15 Then it becomes something for a man to burn, so he takes one of them and warms himself; he also makes a fire to bake bread. He also makes a god and worships it; he makes it a graven image and falls down before it. 16 Half of it he burns in the fire; over this half he eats meat as he roasts a roast and is satisfied. He also warms himself and says, “Aha! I am warm, I have seen the fire.” 17 But the rest of it he makes into a god, his graven image. He falls down before it and worships; he also prays to it and says, “Deliver me, for you are my god.” 18 They do not know, nor do they understand, for He has smeared over their eyes so that they cannot see and their hearts so that they cannot comprehend. 19 No one recalls, nor is there knowledge or understanding to say, “I have burned half of it in the fire and also have baked bread over its coals. I roast meat and eat it. Then I make the rest of it into an abomination, I fall down before a block of wood!” 20 He feeds on ashes; a deceived heart has turned him aside. And he cannot deliver himself, nor say, “Is there not a lie in my right hand?” Ephesians 4:17-23, 17 “So this I say, and affirm together with the Lord, that you walk no longer just as the Gentiles also walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 being darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the hardness of their heart; 19 and they, having become callous, have given themselves over to sensuality for the practice of every kind of impurity with greediness. 20 But you did not learn Christ in this way, 21 if indeed you have heard Him and have been taught in Him, just as truth is in Jesus, 22 that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, 23 and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, 24 and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”
7. One of the root problems with man according to N. T. Wright, is when man who is “designed to reflect God’s glory and wise sovereignty into the world,” decides to worship creation and not the Creator.[23]

Nouthetics

1. Is it possible that one of the side effects of the “Separation of Church and State” Culture we live in is infecting us at a level far deeper than we realize? We will invest 40-60 hours per week in very secularized environments compared to 2-4 hours per week in direct relationship with the corporate Body of Christ. This does not include exposure to social media, TV and movies.
2. Classical Conditioning and Marketing and the Commercial Industry
3. The Screwtape Letters – …keep them busy and let them think they have lots of time.
4. What lies do we believe?
• Radical faith is unnecessary
• My current commitment is more than adequate
• People, things, power, pleasure will make me happy
• Beautiful people are happier
• Our scientific advances make faith unnecessary
• Beautiful people experience true love
• Wealthier people are happier people
• My race is superior to other races/I am inferior to other races
• My gender is superior/inferior
• God’s love is conditional
• It’s not worth it to serve God
• God is a creation of man wishful thinking
• God really doesn't understand my pain
• God doesn't hear my prayers/Prayer really doesn't work
• My sin has ruined my chance of a happy life
• God is fundamentally cruel
• God has no plan - no intelligent integrated purpose for my life
• The power of temptation is greater than God's grace
• God is negligent and its up to us to take matters into our own hands
• The blood of Jesus Christ is not enough to forgive you and you to perfect intimacy and fellowship with God.
• There is no intelligent purpose in the silence of God. When God is silent I do not believe he's up to anything good.

---

[1] Bauer, Gingrich and Danker. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1979), p. 614.

[2] Büshsel, Friedrich. παραδίδωμι in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol 2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), p. 169.

[3] Bauer, Gingrich and Danker. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1979), p. 28-29.

[4] Perry, Christopher A. November 28, 2014.

[5] Bauer, Gingrich and Danker. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1979), p. 120.

[6] Cranfield, C.E.B. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans, Vol 1 (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1979), p. 123. 

[7] Sanday, William and Arthur C. Headlam, A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Epistle to the Romans (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1958), p. 46, “that or since that…”

[8] Bauer, Gingrich and Danker. A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature (Chicago: Chicago University Press, 1979), p. 511.

[9] In the New Testament, we see 1 Corinthians 15:51-52, “Behold, I tell you a mystery; we will not all sleep, but we will all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed.” Galatians 4:20, “but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.” In secular usage consider the Sibyllene Oracles.  “130 The undefiled, whom hands did not produce. Sardinia, weighty now, thou shalt be changed To ashes. Thou shalt be no more an isle, When the tenth time shall come. Amid the waves Shall sailors seek thee when thou art no more” (7:130), “180 Unto her altars, cheated, turned to smoke Through the changed air; and they shall undergo Much suffering who for gain shall prophesy Shameful things, nourishing the evil time. And the Hebrews who put on the shaggy skins” (7:180).

[10] Trenchard, Warren C. Complete Vocabulary Guide to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondevan, 1998), p. 70.

[11] Moo, Douglas J. The Epistle to the Romans NICNT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996), p. 112.

[12] Büshsel, Friedrich. ἀλλάσσω in the Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, Vol 1 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999), p. 251, 259.

[13] Rogers, Cleon, Jr and Cleon Rogers, III. The New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), p. 317.

[14] The Testament of Naphtali was discovered at Qumran among the Dead Sea Scrolls - Cave 4 (4Q215). Date of writing c. 200-100 BC. From the Testament of Naphtali Concerning Natural Goodness, 8.3. “Be ye not therefore eager to corrupt your doings through excess, or with empty words to deceive your souls; because if ye keep silence in purity of heart, ye shall be able to hold fast the will of God, and to cast away the will of the devil.  Sun and moon and stars change not their order; so also ye shall not change the law of God in the disorderliness of your doings.  Nations went astray, and forsook the Lord, and changed their order, and followed stones and stocks, following after spirits of error.  But ye shall not be so, my children, recognizing in the firmament, in the earth, and in the sea, and in all created things, the Lord who made them all, that ye become not as Sodom, which changed the order of its nature, in like manner also the Watchers changed the order of their nature, whom also the Lord cursed at the flood, and for their sakes made desolate the earth, that it should be uninhabited and fruitless.”

[15] Wallace, Daniel B. Greek Grammar Beyond the Basics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996), p. 90.

[16] Denney, James. St. Paul’s Epistle to the Romans in The Expositor’s Greek Testament, Vol 2 (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), p. 593.

[17] Perry, Christopher A. December 4, 2014.

[18] Comfort, Philip W. Idolatry in Dictionary of Paul and His Letters (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 425.

[19] Perry, Christopher A. December 2, 2014.

[20] 1 Thessalonians 1:9-10, “9 For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, 10 and to wait for His Son from heaven, whom He raised from the dead, that is Jesus, who rescues us from the wrath to come.”

[21] Dunn, James D. G. Romans 1-8 – The Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Publishing, 1988), p. 63.

[22] Dunn, James D. G. Romans 1-8 – The Word Biblical Commentary (Waco: Word Publishing, 1988), p. 63.

[23] Wright, N. T. Paul and the Faithfulness of God, Vol II (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2013), p. 754.

Here are addition resources for you to study on the subject of evolution vs creation, etc.

1. The Case for a Creator by Lee Strobel
2. Intelligent Design by William Dembski
3. Darwin’s Doubt by Stephen C. Meyer
4. The Origins Answer Book by Paul S. Taylor
5. The Privileged Planet by Illustra Media
6. http://www.leestrobel.com
7. www.discovery.org (resource for Intelligent Design)
8. http://www.theocca.org (The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics)

Defining leadership and the signs of success
And He said, “Certainly I will be with you, and this shall be the sign to you that it is I who have sent you: when you have brought the people out of Egypt, you shall worship God at this mountain.” (Exodus 3:12)

It is striking to me that YHWH tells Moses that he will know He sent him, when he leads Israel back to the same mountain for worship. This is the place where Moses first encountered YHWH at the burning bush. This is the place where Moses heard the voice of YHWH. This is the place where Moses was commissioned to lead the people of YHWH. 

So, it reminds of me of Luke 6:40, where Jesus said, "A pupil is not above his teacher; but everyone, after he has been fully trained, will be like his teacher."

The very place where Moses began is the very place where Israel must start. Christian leaders (dads, pastors, coaches, bosses, etc) take their followers where they have been and certainly where they are going. 

I was so encouraged at all the Lord was doing Sunday morning. I am grateful for Christ Church.
How did God encourage/challenge you?

I'm grateful for all who spoke wisdom and grace to CC this morning. Our lives should bring about the "obedience of faith" in others - light of the world and salt of the earth influence.

Praying and working through the wisdom of guiding a church in organizing herself around her spiritual giftings. Your thought? What are the dangers of making too much or too little of spiritual gifts in the Body of Christ?