Revelation Intro

Revelation Introduction notes
Wednesday night July 8 2009

Worship led by Jimmy Robeson - talented young man, awesome worship
There is a youtube video of him here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m6oALYERjA

Service is now live on the internet http://www.calvarychapelnewlife.com

Other videos of past studies will be posted there eventually

Apocalypse from the Greek apokalupsis which means "laid bare" "revealed"

Revelation not a hard book to understand - consider the title - revelation means disclosure

Chapter 1 divides into three parts Opening, Occasion, Outline
"the answers are truly in the back of the book"

1-8 Opening of the letter
9-18 Occasion of the letter
19-20 Outline of the letter

Opening 1-8
Purpose - reveal
1. more of Jesus Christ
2. the things that must shortly take place

Person - written by John
John wrote several books. One that you might believe. The next that you would know you have eternal life, and the last so that you would be ready

history - Caesar nero began the persecution of the Christians then Emperor Domecian who continues and intensified the persecution, blaming everything including natural disasters on the Christians. Had John brought to Rome, beaten, poisoned, boiled in oil and stil John survived. Banished him to Patmos where he in the spirit on the Lords Day (worship was the first day of the week after the Shabbot or Sabbath - gathered together for worship). God chose John because John bore witness to the Word of God, that is, he didn't keep it to himself - he shared it. It was "signified" or coded with symbols from the Old Testament to protect it from people who didn't know the bible - not to make it difficult to understand, but to protect it.

Promise - 1:3 says you will be blessed in the the reading of it.
1. read - out loud
2. hear - corporately
3. keep the words of the prophecy - or heed

People - written to the seven churches of Asia Minor (what is modern day Turkey)
except for Ephesus they were small churches

Proper Source - NOT the National Enquirer
God the Father
Holy Spirit (Isaiah 11:2)
God the Son

Occasion 1:9-18
John is God's own messenger but humbly addresses the church as "your brother"
occasion was the Lord's Day (day of worship) Acts 20:7

Also see Romans 14:5 for dissention on what day should be worship - main point being, what day is not as important as worshipping period. "Should be a seven day a week relationship"

The letters reveal a piece of Jesus to each church so the only way to have the whole picture is when they get together - a word for dissention among churches today. God is big enough to allow for many ways to approach Him

Outline of the Letter 1:19-20 "Divine Outline" John Coursin
1. Things you have seen
2. Things that are (the church age)
Things that will take place after (the church)

layers of application:
letter to the literal church (individual churches at that time)
all churches - message to the "Church" the body
all believers - prophetic look at church history

Chapter 4 and 5 - the church in heaven (7 year wedding feast)
Chaper6-19 hell on earth 7 year tribulation
ending with the battle of Armegeddon when the armies of the earth come against Christ in the valley of Megiddo
Chapter 20 Millenium
100 year reign of Jesus on earth
satan released one more time to lead one last rebellion
New Heaven, New Earth

Beauty From Ashes

For the band and in memory of Charles Bush

Please keep all our kids in your prayers. They are all so busy, doing so much and we easily forget how things can turn so quickly. I posted this on my Thought Have Wings after their UIL competition. They go to compete at Area in Longview today.

Eye make-up washed off by tears - $10.00

Lotion for hands sore from clapping - $ 3.99

Cough drop for throat raspy from yelling - $1.98

Heart full of pride - PRICELESS!

I’m scribbling this in the car on the way home from the UIL band competition. We made it in time to see the Paris Blue Blazes Band take the field and their show was just beautiful and graceful. We stayed til after the North Lamar Panther Band finished playing and until we knew both bands had made ones!

I yelled and clapped for both bands and it made me incredibly proud that I work with these wonderful creatures who overcome so much everyday. Band teaches a sense of community, responsibility, accountability, and that practice really DOES make perfect.

Today, it taught them that beauty can come from ashes, that you can move and work through grief, and you can create meaning from senseless loss.

They proved to themselves that you can step up and do what needs to be done even when it is painful, and that the beat is still in your heart and head even when the drummer stops playing. I am humbled.

What We As The Church Are To Be Doing

8/10/8
What We As The Church Are To Be Doing
Even 100 years out the church was flawed
A good model for us is the early church in acts
Peter preached and 3000 souls were added to them
The priorities for the New Testament church are
1. Number i priority is to study the Word
2. Fellowship - basic to the early church Koinonia
Connection - we are connected through many different things
We divide over even more - we divide over what church - the question should be are you going to church - we divide over baptism - are you sprinkled or immersed - the question should be are you walking in the spirit?
We major in the minors - does Jesus ever look down and think "how Sad"?
God doesn't see denominational lines
Inward things are more important than outward differences
Sharing - kinship - share with one another
all had everything in common was how sharing worked itself out in this particular early church - this was not universal or forever
Is god calling us to sell everything - communism? No - scripture is usually one of two types - prescriptive - something we should follow, or descriptive - something God is reporting.
Prescriptive - prayer, communion, baptism
There were some problems, Paul was taking up offerings for them - they were in trouble partly because of persecution and partly because they had sold everything.

Prescriptive - they saw their stuff was not their own but tools to use for the kingdom 1 Timothy 4:32
no one in their midst had any need - as they saw the need they filled it
our stuff is to be used to honor God in any way He wants.
God becomes for us the living God because that is sharing
Partnership - We are not made to survive alone - parts of the body cannot survive alone. The body can survive but there will be limitations
If you leave the body - it wil survive but there will be limitations because God has a roll for everyone to play.
Hebrews - stir one another up
Protection against an unGodly culture
Early church saw Koinonia as critical

2nd timothy 7 Pictures of Encouragement

Leadership or pastoral epistles (letters)
1 Timothy was more a nuts and blots how it is all to run kind of letter
2 Timothy more personal - Paul pours out his heart to his son in faith and protege

May have been Paul's last letter
Paul is in prison again. The first time he was in prison in Rome it was house arrest - people could pretty much come and go as thye pleased. He makes his appeal and probably preached the gospel to caesar nero. Some scholars think that Nero's insanity could be attributed to him rejecting the gospel. Paul was released and went to Spain to preach and Nero got crazy and starting burning the place down. Paul was arrested again and this time he was in a dungeon awaiting execution. As he writes this letter to Timothy it is probably getting close to the end for him. We need to be aware of his situation and perspective as we read the 7 examples he gives Timothy who from past reading seems to be sickly, afraid, and a bit of a cry baby
1. HImself - how he trusts God though trials
For I know who I have believed and and persuaded that He is able to keep that which I've committed until that day 2 Timothy 1:12
Even in his situation he tells Timothy he is not ashamed - thanks God for Christ who abolished death

This is the heart of the apostle even though he is getting close to death
He prayed - he saw his prison as an opportunity to pray and be used in a different way

2. A teacher - be strong in the grace that is Jesus Christ - to be strong or good at your relationship with the Lord, This matters for eternity.
The word BE in be strong is passive - it doesn't come from you.
doesn't mean work harder (do more Jesus push-ups?)
Be in Jesus - depend on His strength, abide in Him, yield to Him
Peter says to cast your cares on Jesus - you push them up to him and just like anything you push uphill, gravity brings it back down. You keep pushing it up to Jesus and you develop muscles (or a habit) of pushing things up to Jesus - you get strong from being found more and more in the Lord.

Then - give it away - pour into others.

The teacher is a link in the living chain that stretches all the way back to Jesus Christ.

We pour into others what God has entrusted to us.
"Milk many cows, make your own butter"

3. Soldier - a good soldier on active service - ready to serve at a moments notice. Don't entangle ourselves in the things of this life. This doesn't mean it is wrong to have things - it is wrong for our things to have us.

We are in a battle - the enemy is trying to take us and our kids out.

if we have hang-ups, secret sins we don't want to let go of.
Be ready to please the one who has enlisted you - The Lord is who we are to live for.

4. Athlete - compete according to the rules. from athleo - struggle/contend
this is a marathon - a life time commitment to the Lord
We need to be willing to put out a little spiritual sweat for the Lord
Eternity is at stake - what God wants to do through us matters - according to the rules
Breaking the rules can negate 2 Timothy 2:11-13
11 This is a faithful saying:

For if we died with Him,
We shall also live with Him.
12 If we endure,
We shall also reign with Him.
If we deny Him,
He also will deny us.
13 If we are faithless,
He remains faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.

If you don't want to love Him or have Him rule over you He won't - He won;t push Himself on you, but even when we are faithless, He is faithful.

Blessings continually flow from the Lord when you show up - you draw near to Him and He will draw near to you

5. Farmer - gets up early, stays late. Doesn't wait for it to be convenient. The farmer is also patient to wait for God to do the work. He plants and cares for the crops but waits for God to cause them to grow. Be obedient but then wait for the Lord to work

Farmer is the first to partake - be the first to do the spiritual things - don't just exhort others - do it yourself - lead by doing

6. Workman - rightly dividing the Word of truth - not the body of Christ
a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 16Avoid godless chatter, because those who indulge in it will become more and more ungodly. 17Their teaching will spread like gangrene

Don't waste time arguing about things that have no eternal value

The answer is always in the Word - the answer is always the Word

story about 2 young men. One wants the other to smoke pot with him and says hey, it was made by the Lord - how can it be bad?
possible answer: All things were good before sin came into the world
What day is the sabbath? Romans 14:5-6
5 One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it.

"Not essential to my salvation"

7. Like a vessel of honor - an instrument for noble purposes in this life.
20In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. 21If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work.

Cleanse yourself - flee from youthful lusts
Everyone - even old folks struggle with youthful lusts
pursue righteousness
With those who call out, we lock arms, become vessels of honor, prepared for every good work
Know WHOM you believe and trust that WHOM because He went to the cross for you.

Tuesday Night Handout Beatitudes Part 4

Beatitudes Part 4

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Matthew 5:6

I. Introduction
Satan was not satisfied living in God's glory
Isaiah 14:13-14 tells what he wanted, verse 15 – what he got

Nebuchadnezzar lusted for praise just as Lucifer lusted after power
Daniel 4:29-30 What he wanted
Verse 31 – 32 What he got

The rich farmer in the parable Luke 12:16-21

Because they hungered for the wrong things and rejected God's good things, they forfeited both.

The American Declaration of Independence asserts that “Citizens have the right to the pursuit of happiness. Sadly most US citizens like people through history, have chosen to pursue the wrong kind of happiness in ways that provide no kind of happiness.”

II. Necessity For Spiritual Hunger
Hunger and thirst represent physical needs. Food and water are required for physical life and righteousness is required for spiritual life.

A starving person has a single all - consuming passion for food and water.

Those who are without God's righteousness are starved for spiritual life.

We are all created with a heart that has a sense of inner emptiness and need but without God we do not recognize what the need is or what will satisfy it. Like the prodigal son, we will eat pig's food because we have nothing else.

Isaiah 55:2 Jeremiah 2:13

We are warned not to “love the world or the things of the world” 1 John 2:15-17

Those who belong to the King hunger and thirst for the King's righteousness. They desire that sin be replaced with virtue and disobedience with obedience. They are eager to serve the Word and will of God.

The first three beatitudes are essentially negative. Poverty of spirit, turn from self-seeking; Mourning, turn from self-satisfaction; Meekness, turn from self-serving

The fourth beatitude is more positive and is a consequence of the other three.

When we put aside self, sin, and power and turn to the Lord, we are given a great desire for righteousness. We want to obey God while still struggling with flesh.

III. Meaning of Spiritual Hunger

Moses - over and over Moses sought and saw God's glory Exodus 33:11

Burning bush
Miracles and plagues
Parting of the sea
pillar of cloud, pillar of fire
God's Glory over the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle


Because Moses continually longed for God, he found favor.

David - Psalm 63:1
Paul - Philippians 3:9-10
Peter - 2 Peter 3:18

John Darby wrote " To be hungry is not enough, I must be really starving to know what is in God's heart for me. When the prodigal son was hungry, he went to feed on the husks. When he was starving, he turned to the father.

IV. Object of Spiritual Hunger
For the unbeliever - salvation
For the believer - sanctification

Salvation - The Jews' greatest obstacle to receiving the gospel was their self-righteousness, their confidence in their own holiness and purity, which they imagined was created by good works. The Messiah told them however, that the only way to salvation was hunger and thirst for God's righteousness to replace their own self-righteousness, which was really unrighteousness.

Isaiah 51:5
Daniel 12:3

Sanctification - For believers, the object of hunger and thirst is to grow in the righteousness received from trusting in Christ. That growth is sanctification.

Philippians 1:9-10
Matthew 5:48
1 Peter 1:15-16

Jesus speaks of the only true righteousness - that which comes from God - God's own righteousness which He has in Himself

Because it is God's own righteousness, we can't ever have our longing satisfied in this life, so we continually hunger and thirst (more and more) until the day we are clothed in Christs' righteousness.

V. Result of Spiritual Hunger

Being Satisfied chorazo~ was frequently used of the feeding of animals until they wanted nothing more.

Jesus pronouncement is that those who hunger and thirst for righteousness will be given total satisfaction. Our part is to seek, His is to satisfy.

"Paradox - because though saints continually seek God's righteousness, always wanting more and never getting all, they nevertheless will be satisfied. We may eat steak or our favorite pie until we can eat no more, yet our taste for those things continues and ever increases. It is the very satisfaction that makes us want more.

God's satisfying those who seek and love Him is a repeated theme in the Psalms.
Psalm 107:9
Psalm 34:10
Psalm 23
Jeremiah 31:14
John 4:14
John 6:35

VI. Test of Spiritual Hunger

There are marks of genuine hunger and thirst for God's righteousness

1. Dissatisfaction with self - Romans 7:24
2. Freedom from dependence on external things for satisfaction. A hungry man cannot be satisfied by an arrangement of flowers or beautiful music. These things are good, but they don't have the ability to satisfy hunger. Neither does anything but God's own righteousness satisfy the person who has spiritual hunger and thirst.
3. Craving for the Word of God, the basic spiritual food He provides for His kids. A hungry man does not have to be begged to eat. Jeremiah 15:16
4. The pleasantness of the things of God Proverbs 27:7 Hebrews 12:6
5. Unconditionality - When spiritual hunger and thirst are genuine we will make no conditions; they will seek and accept God's righteousness in whatever way He chooses to provide it and will obey his commands no matter how demanding they might be. The least of God's righteousness is more valuable than the greatest of anything we posses in ourselves or that the world can offer.

The Rich young ruler wanted only the part of God's kingdom that fit his own plans and desires, and he was therefore unfit for the kingdom. His conditions for God's blessings barred him from them.

The spiritually hungry want only Christ and what God in His wisdom and love sovereignly provides through Christ - whatever that may or may not be.

Psalm 119:20
Isaiah 26:9

What The church is to Do

What is the Church Series continued

Review
Purpose of the church
1. Body in-reach
2. Believers out-reach
3. Bride up-reach

Leaders
Head of the church is Christ
Elder/Bishop/Pastor
three words meaning same position, elder speaks of the man, bishop speaks of the ministry, and pastor speaks of the method
Deacon/deaconess (servant)
Saints (minister to each other)

What are we to be doing as a church Acts 2:40:47

40 And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.” 41 Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them. 42 And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers. 43 Then fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles. 44 Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common, 45 and sold their possessions and goods, and divided them among all, as anyone had need.
46 So continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.

There were 2 to 3,000 people meeting in the newly born church and there are 7 things listed that they were doing and their numbers were added to.

The first thing mentioned was
1. They studied the apostles doctrine.
Getting into the Word was to be the number one priority of a congregation. The contemporary expression of this is bible study - both corporately and privately.

Public - preaching is central Acts 6
3Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."

They were not saying that they were too good to serve - they wanted everything taken care of and the Word needed to be their priority. (my question - do we in the traditional churches set ourselves and our pastors up for failure because we expect their priorities to be everything BUT the teaching of the Word?)

Bringing the Word of God to the flock of God is still the greatest need of the church today.

"If the Spirit of God takes a man of God and opens the Word of God, then people will attend.

*If emphasis is not on the Word then there will not be fuel for sustained revival.

Even Charles Spurgeon said that his pulpit was more influential than the King of England.

A Pastor has to have "the burden of the Lord"
Jeremiah, Isaiah, and Ezekiel
awesome responsibility - taking the very Word of God to the people of God

no light thing - costly thing
integrity and humility to go through the scriptures - all of them
teach the bible simply

Why study privately?
*Protection
Psalm 119:11
11 I have hidden your word in my heart
that I might not sin against you.
When Jesus was tempted in Matthew 4 He answered each time "it is written"

The Word is for protection and
*Direction
Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
Psalm 23:3 3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
The Word is our guide, not fortune cookie, not Oprah

How to begin? Pick a translation you can read.
It doesn't have to be the King James version. someone once told Jason that the King James Version was good enough for Paul, it was good enough for him???
Buy a notebook and a pen

There are different ways you can read. Cover to cover, section by section - the key is to read it and read it consistently. Like you would exercise. Like you would eat physical food. If we ate physical food the way we eat spiritual food we would be dead. That is why we have spiritual death.

In 2 Kings 3 When Elisha told Jehoshaphat to dig ditches and he obeyed, a great victory was won - because they were faithful to dig ditches. We need to be faithful to dig ditches (do the work - read the Word)

Read expectantly - expect the Lord to speak to you. Not a chore - but a privilege. Does the Lord want to speak to people who don't want to hear?

Read conversationally. Blessed is the man who meditates (speaking to yourself)
1 Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.

Worship is interactive - bible study should be too. Ask the Lord - how does this aply to me? Bible study becomes interactive. Reading about the tabernacle cubits might be boring but it tells you that God is into details - He wants to be involved with every detail of your life.

Read obediently
You say God never speaks to you - was there ever a time when He did? Did you obey?

Hebrews Hebrews 5:12

12In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid
food!

Wordle

http://wordle.net

Tuesday Night Handout Beatitudes 3

Beatitudes 3

Blessed are the gentle for they shall inherit the earth Matt 5:5

"The Jews rejected Jesus as the Messiah because he didn't fulfill their messianic expectations. He even preached against the means in which they put their hope. They first rejected, then hated, and finally killed Him because instead of approving their religion, He condemned it, and instead of leading them to independence from Rome, He disdained revolutionary acts and offered a way of even greater subservience.

Deuteronomy 21:22-23 anyone hanged on a tree is "accursed of God"

This was a stumbling block to the Jews 1 Corinthians 1:23

They ignored Isaiah pictures of what the Messiah would be like.
Isaiah 53:2
He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.

Isaiah 53:6-8

6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.

7 He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and as a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth.

8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
Isaiah 53:9
He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.

Meaning of Meekness

Matthew 21:5
2 Corinthians 10:1

Difference between meek and poor in spirit?
poverty of spirit focuses on our sinfulness
meekness focuses on God's holiness
The sequence of the Beatitudes

1. Poverty of spirit is negative and results in 2. Mourning. We are comforted by and our attention is now directed towards God which produces 3. meekness. Meekness is positive and results in 4. seeking righteousness.

Blessings of the Beatitudes are for those who are
1. Realistic about their sinfulness
2. Repentent of their sins
3. Responsive to God in His righteousness

The proud Pharisees wanted a miraculous kingdom
The proud Saducees wanted a materialistic kingdom
The Essenes wanted a monastic (live like a monk) kingdom
The proud Zealots wanted a military kingdom

The humble Jesus wanted a meek kingdom

Job 5:11
Psalm 25:9
Numbers 12:3
Ephesians 4:1-2
Colossians 3:12
Titus 3:1-2

Meekness is not weakness
the word refers to the breaking of an animal - power under control, God's control

Proverbs 25:28 and 16:32 Hebrews 10:34

"The spirit of meekness is the spirit of Christ, who defended the glory of His father, but gave Himself in sacrifice for others."

Leaving us an example to follow.
1 Peter 2:21-23

He was the only human being who did no wrong, always had a perfect defense, but never defended Himself (He had the right)

He made a scourge of cords and drove out the money changers and sacrifice sellers from the temple (He had the power)

Meekness is not weakness, but it doesn't use it's power for it's own defense or selfish purpose. Meekness is power and rights completely surrendered to God's control.



Manifestation of Meekness

Abraham Genesis 13:5-9
Joseph Genesis 45:2 5,8 Genesis 50:19-20
Moses Numbers 12:3 Exodus 3:11 and 4:10
David 1 Samuel 24:5-6 2 Samuel 16:5-12
Paul Philippians 3:3 4:13
Contrast what happens to King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles26:4-5 and verses 16-21

Result of Meekness

inherit the earth Genesis 1:28

Most Jews believed that the coming great kingdom of the Messiah would belong to the strong, of whom the Jews would be the strongest. The Messiah himself said that it would belong to the meek, Jew and Gentile alike

Psalm 37:11 1 Corinthians 3:21-23

Unrighteous will not inherit 1 Corinthian 6:9 Psalm 149:7-9

Necessity for Meekness

Required for salvation
-Only the meek will inherit the earth, because only the meek belong to the King who will rule the future kingdom on the earth.

Psalm 149:4 Matthew 18:2-4

-It is commanded Zepaniah 2:3 James 1:21

-Because we cannot witness effectively without it
1 Peter 3:15

"Pride will always stand between our testimony and those to whom we testify - they will see us instead of the Lord, no matter how orthodox our theology or how refined our technique."
Only meekness gives glory to God - pride seeks it's own glory, but meekness seeks God's.

Meekness is reflected in our attitude towards other children of God

Humility in relation to other Christians gives God Glory

Romans 15:5-7

Biblical Description of the Church Part 3

Biblical Structure of the Church

1. Jesus is the head
Ephesians 5:23
23For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior.

- Because HE died for us - not the pastor, not anyone else. He made all the rest possible
-He is the image of the invisible God
Col 1:15-20
15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. 17He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

2. God gives elders, bishops, and pastors
-these are actually three names for the same thing.
Elder comes from presbyter (hope I spell these correctly)
speaks of the man - one who is mature in the Lord
1 Timothy 5:17-20
17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18For the Scripture says, "Do not muzzle the ox while it is treading out the grain," and "The worker deserves his wages." 19Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses.
-Deuteronomy 25:4 Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
- Luke 10:7 Stay in that house, eating and drinking whatever they give you, for the worker deserves his wages. Do not move around from house to house.
Bishop comes from episcopus or overseer
speaks of the ministry
1 Timothy 3 Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer,[a] he desires a noble task. 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 6He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
Pastor comes from feeder
Speaks to the method
1 Peter 5:2-4 2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

Feed the lambs, equip the saints

Titus contains a basic job description for a pastor
preach
raise up leadership
protect the congregation from false teaching

There are other needs in the congregation
3. For those needs God gives deacons

Comes from one diakonos which means one who serves
hupereteo "to do the service of a huperetes", properly, "to serve as a rower on a ship,"
To serve the Lord - be an under rower - get the ship where it needs to go

Deacon can be male or female

4. Saints One who is set apart
Philippians 1:1-2 1 Paul and Timothy, bondservants of Jesus Christ, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, with the bishops[a] and deacons: 2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

We are a living organism, a body, knit together by many joints
Romans 12:3-13

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. 9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. 10 Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; 11 not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; 12 rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; 13 distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.

"If a pastor is expected to do all things then his bible studies will be undercooked and he will be fried"

Acts 6 1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution. 2 Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. 3 Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; 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 the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, 6 whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them. 7 Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

At first reading you might wonder who Peter thinks he is - too good to wait tables? But if you remember this is the same Peter who asks to be turned upside down at his crucifixion because he doesn't think it right he should die the same way as his savior.

It is not good for the church, and because they put their priorities in the teaching of the Word, Word of God spread, revival broke out, disciples increased, and the most unlikely people came to Christ.

SOAP: Habakkuk 1

I guess I'll kick things off for Habakkuk.

Habakkuk is one of my favorite books of the Bible. For a small bit of background, it's a theodicy which simply a branch of theology dealing with reconciling God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil. It was written around 606 BC by the prophet Habakkuk in anticipation of the coming of the Babylonian invasion.

I am listing the whole first chapter below, and this is the NASB version.

Habakkuk 1

1The oracle which Habakkuk the prophet saw.
2How long, O LORD, will I call for help,
And You will not hear?
I cry out to You, "Violence!"
Yet You do not save.
3Why do You make me see iniquity,
And cause me to look on wickedness?
Yes, destruction and violence are before me;
Strife exists and contention arises.
4Therefore the law is ignored
And justice is never upheld
For the wicked surround the righteous;
Therefore justice comes out perverted.
5"Look among the nations! Observe!
Be astonished! Wonder!
Because I am doing something in your days--
You would not believe if you were told.
6"For behold, I am raising up the Chaldeans,
That fierce and impetuous people
Who march throughout the earth
To seize dwelling places which are not theirs.
7"They are dreaded and feared;
Their justice and authority originate with themselves.
8"Their horses are swifter than leopards
And keener than wolves in the evening
Their horsemen come galloping,
Their horsemen come from afar;
They fly like an eagle swooping down to devour.
9"All of them come for violence.
Their horde of faces moves forward.
They collect captives like sand.
10"They mock at kings
And rulers are a laughing matter to them
They laugh at every fortress
And heap up rubble to capture it.
11"Then they will sweep through like the wind and pass on
But they will be held guilty,
They whose strength is their god."
12Are You not from everlasting,
O LORD, my God, my Holy One?
We will not die
You, O LORD, have appointed them to judge;
And You, O Rock, have established them to correct.
13Your eyes are too pure to approve evil,
And You can not look on wickedness with favor
Why do You look with favor
On those who deal treacherously?
Why are You silent when the wicked swallow up
Those more righteous than they?
14Why have You made men like the fish of the sea,
Like creeping things without a ruler over them?
15The Chaldeans bring all of them up with a hook,
Drag them away with their net,
And gather them together in their fishing net.
Therefore they rejoice and are glad.
16Therefore they offer a sacrifice to their net
And burn incense to their fishing net;
Because through these things their catch is large,
And their food is plentiful.
17Will they therefore empty their net
And continually slay nations without sparing?

Verse 1-4
Observation: Habakkuk is upset that God has not punished the wickedness of Judah.

Verse 5-11
Observation: God reveals to Habakkuk that He is going to use the wicked nation of Babylon (the Chaldeans) to punish Judah.

Verse 12-17
Observation: Habakkuk is now upset with God's plan. He does not understand how God can let the evil in Babylon seemingly go unpunished.

Application: I pretty much had the same application for this whole chapter. We cannot see the "big picture" like God can, so we should trust God's actions and plans. He is the only one who is omniscient. We need to remember that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). Even if it doesn't make sense to us, God has is under control. He knows what He is doing and is working things to His glory.

Prayer: I pray that God would teach me to trust Him more. Even when things are hard and difficult to understand, I pray that I would cling to His promises.