The Branch: The King

During this Christmas Season I thought it would be a good idea to contemplate several Old Testament prophecies concerning the coming of our Savior Jesus Christ. The prophecies that we will look at concern someone known as “The Branch.” My goal is that as we study these prophecies together our faith will be strengthened and our joy increased.

Have you ever wondered why there are four gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, instead of just one account of Jesus Christ’s life? Did you ever wonder why there are genealogies concerning the lineage of Jesus in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark or John? Though similar in many ways each author gives us a view of Christ from a unique perspective. Matthew desires to show Jesus as the rightful heir to King David’s throne. Mark reveals Christ as the Servant of Yahweh, the one true God. Luke portrays Jesus as the perfect man. And John’s goal is to help us believe that Jesus is the Son of God.

Each of these perspectives in the four gospels flow from the Old Testament prophecies of the One called “The Branch.” The Hebrew word is tsemach. The word means a young plant, or sprout. The two prophecies that we will examine today concern a coming king. The first is from Isaiah and the second is from Jeremiah.

“There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch shall grow out of his roots. The Spirit of the LORD [Yahweh] shall rest upon Him, The Spirit of wisdom and understanding, The Spirit of counsel and might, The Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD. His delight is in the fear of the LORD, And He shall not judge by the sight of His eyes, Nor decide by the hearing of His ears (Isaiah 11:1-3).”

“Behold, the days are coming,” says the LORD, “That I will raise to David a Branch of righteousness; A King shall reign and prosper, And execute judgment and righteousness in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved, And Israel will dwell safely; Now this is His name by which He will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jeremiah 23:5-6).”

Both of the prophecies above concern the coming of a king. Jesse was the father of King David, Israel’s greatest king. By the time Isaiah and Jeremiah wrote these words there had been a long procession of kings from David’s lineage. Some were good but most were evil and because of this evil, Jerusalem would suffer great destruction, which it did. Centuries followed with no one ruling from the house of David. It was as if a great royal tree and been cut down never to flourish again. But God promised that from the “stem [or stump]of Jesse” He would “raise to David a Branch of righteousness.”

Matthew wrote his gospel to show that Jesus was this promised king. He began his account of Jesus’ life writing, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David (Matthew 1:1).” Jesus is called the son of David more times in Matthew than in any other gospel. The adoptive father of Jesus, Joseph, is also called by an angel “son of David (1:20), establishing the fact that Jesus had a legal and royal right to rule.” Only Matthew records the visit of the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12), who came looking for the new born king.

In Matthew’s gospel Jesus uses Psalm 110 (Matthew 22:41-46) concerning himself. This was a familiar Messianic psalm concerning David’s heir. Matthew’s gospel also speaks about the kingdom of heaven/God more than the others. And there are ten parables unique to the book all of which relate to a king. Finally, when Jesus was crucified this charge was hung above his head: “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews (Matthew 27:37).”

Matthew shows us that God kept His word about the birth of this promised king. Therefore we can trust that there is a day coming (and each new day brings us closer) when Christ will return and “The kingdoms of this world [will] become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever! (Revelation 11:15).”

This Christmas season remember that God keeps His promises (He always does!): a king was promised, a king was born and he will reign over the world. One day we will literally sing “Joy to the world! The Lord has come! Let earth receive her King.”

Thanksgiving

The American tradition of Thanksgiving as a time to focus on God and His blessings dates back about 400 years. The earliest celebration was probably in 1607 at Cape Henry, Virginia. But our current holiday traces its history back to the Separatist Pilgrims.

The Separatists were English Christians who wanted to serve and worship God according to the Bible rather than the traditions of men. Persecuted in their home country of England they initially moved to Holland. But the culture in Holland was very ungodly. Through the grace of God the Separatists were given the opportunity to colonize the New World. So in 1620 they sailed to New England committed to building a community that would help future generations come to faith in Jesus Christ. William Bradford, the first Governor of Plymouth Colony, wrote of their dedication stating that they were willing to sacrifice their lives “even though they be but stepping stones for future generations of believers.”

The Colonists arrived in the New World of America in November of 1620. Unprepared for the harsh New England winter, nearly half of the Pilgrims died before spring. Then early in 1621 they were offered the chance to return to England: no one did. With confidence in God and by His grace through the help of the Native Americans, the pilgrims learned to live and thrive in their new home. In fact the Indian Chief Massasoit and almost his whole tribe became followers of Christ and there was peace between the Pilgrims and the Native Americans for almost 50 years. In December of 1621 the Governor declared a three day feast to thank God for His many blessings and thus began America’s holiday of Thanksgiving.

America has strayed far from the biblical convictions of these early settlers. But we shouldn’t point fingers at others. Rather we should ask ourselves “Am I striving to live and promote biblical truth with the full energy of my convictions?” To paraphrase Bradford, are we willing to make the sacrifices needed for future generations to learn the truth about God, Jesus Christ and the coming kingdom? I pray that we are. Make time this week to allow your heart to express gratitude to God for His many blessings. Happy Thanksgiving!

The Consequences and Characteristics of Laziness

Earlier this week at the Asian Pacific Economic Conference in Hawaii, President Obama said that the United States has become a “little bit lazy” when it comes to bringing new businesses into our country. He went on to say that in the business world we have “lost our ambition” and “our imagination.”

Whatever the merits or non merits of the President’s position about corporate America the Bible has a lot to say about laziness. Here are some pertinent points on laziness from a more personal perspective.

Consequences of laziness:

1. You will bring harm to yourself

Proverbs 10: 4, 5 - He who has a slack hand becomes poor, But the hand of the diligent makes rich. He who gathers in summer is a wise son; He who sleeps in harvest is a son who causes shame.

Proverbs 19:15 - Laziness casts one into a deep sleep, And an idle person will suffer hunger.

2. You will cause harm to others

Best case scenario – Proverbs 10:26 - As vinegar to the teeth and smoke to the eyes, So is the lazy man to those who send him.

Worst case scenario – Proverbs 18:19 - He who is slothful in his work Is a brother to him who is a great destroyer.

Characteristics of laziness:

1. You're slow to start working

Proverbs 24: 30-34 - I went by the field of the lazy man, And by the vineyard of the man devoid of understanding; And there it was, all overgrown with thorns;  Its surface was covered with nettles; Its stone wall was broken down. When I saw it, I considered it well; I looked on it and received instruction: A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to rest; So shall your poverty come like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

2. You put off completing your work

Proverbs 19:24 - A lazy man buries his hand in the bowl, And will not so much as bring it to his mouth again.

3. You enjoy too much sleep

Proverbs 6: 9-11 - How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep? A little sleep, a little slumber, A little folding of the hands to sleep— So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler, And your need like an armed man.

4. You make excuses for not working

Proverbs 22:13 - The lazy man says, “There is a lion outside!  I shall be slain in the streets!

5. The lazy have unsatisfied desires

Proverbs 13: 4 - The soul of a lazy man desires, and has nothing;  But the soul of the diligent shall be made rich.

6. You are wise in your own eyes

Proverbs 26:13 - The lazy man is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

Laziness doesn’t come at us all at once in a loud abrasive manner. It creeps up on us and lulls us to sleep. But there is a cure. The Bible says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31).” When you wake up in the morning dedicate all that you will do to the glory of God. It doesn’t matter if you are going to school, flipping burgers, managing a business, doing research or raising children. Dedicate your work to the glory of God and both you and the work will prosper.

How To Listen To A Sermon

This coming Sunday, November 13^th I will finish a preaching series titled “The Word of Truth.” The series presents basic Bible doctrines on who God is, who we are, the tragedy of sin, life and death and the great redeemer from sin the Lord Jesus Christ. You can read or listen to the sermons at the “Teachings” section of our church’s web site (www.graceministryinternational.org). Now I begin preparing for our up coming Christmas series based on John 3:16. If you are in the Chicago area you are welcome to come hear the Word of God and worship with us. We meet at the Gorton Community Center, 400 E. Illinois Rd., Lake Forest, IL. The service begins at 10:30am.

In light of this I thought it would be good to provide some tips on listening to a sermon. First, pray for the person giving the sermon. Your pastor has worked hard in prayer and study to bring a biblical, fresh message to your heart. He has done this because he loves God and he loves you! Pray for him and his message.

Second, when you are going to church to hear a teaching, ALWAYS pray a prayer like this: “God please speak to me today through Your Word. Help me to hear the truth and apply it to my life by the power of your Spirit.”

Third, in every sermon you hear, you should be listening for truth to build on and an action point. Bring paper and pen and take notes. Then go back over the notes during the week and think through one truth to pray over and one action point to apply in your  life.

Fourth, be a Berean! A BERE-WHAT? A Berean. Real quick, turn to Acts 17 and read verses 10-12, I’ll wait... Now be like a Berean - always check out what a preacher says by the Word of God. Preachers can get it wrong sometimes. That’s why they should always be preaching the Bible instead of what they think, and the listener should be checking it out in the Scriptures.

Fifth, you should try to get to church early and sit as near the front as possible. Be prepared mentally, spiritually and physically. And share something about the sermon with someone afterward.

Finally, EXPECT God to speak to you. If you come expecting nothing, that’s probably what you’ll get. I decided as a young Christian always to take notes and always to apply something the minister said, and God has blessed my Christian growth greatly.

As you pray today, ask God to give you a love for the one who speaks God’s Word to you. Pray for his work, his family and his needs as well as your own. Ask forgiveness if you have let the Word you have heard go in one ear and out the other. And commit now to being both a hearer and doer of the Word (James 1:22-25).

Kraft Cheese and Tithing

How much do you give in offerings to your church? I know that’s a loaded question. Here’s why I am asking. Recently a report titled “The State of Church Giving” was released. The report used data from mainline churches across the United States and it noted that financial giving was at its lowest point in 41 years.  Church members were giving about 2.38 percent of their income.

I understand and you do too that times are tough financially. In fact the bad economic situation across our country and even around our world may get worse. But poverty is not an excuse for not giving. In the first century when the apostle Paul wanted to motivate the relatively well off Corinthians to give generously he pointed to the very poor Macedonians. He wrote that the Macedonian’s “great trial of affliction the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty abounded in the riches of their liberality (2 Corinthians 8:2).” In other words, troubles plus poverty plus joy in the Lord resulted in gracious, generous giving. It is our joy in the Lord that overcomes troubles and poverty when it comes to our offerings to the Lord (see also Mark 12:41-44).

The standard for giving set in the Old Testament was called a tithe, which means that giving was set at 10 percent of your income. Many times people gave more, much more and this was called a free will offering (Exodus 35:20ff). There is no set amount of giving required in the New Testament. Scripture simply says “He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or out of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver (2 Corinthians 9:6-7).

I know, I know you are all thinking when is he going to tell us about Kraft cheese? The answer is now. All of us have heard of Kraft Foods. Kraft is a huge international company founded by James L. Kraft. But not many of us know the story that began it all. Kraft was sent to Chicago in 1903 by a cheese company in Buffalo, New York to be their representative. But he was soon released from their employment and found himself stranded and alone. He took the little money he had left and bought a horse named “Paddy” and a wagon and began to sell cheese. But it didn’t go well at all.

After one very unsuccessful day Kraft had a conversation with Paddy. He remarked to his horse that he needed a business partner. Being raised in a faithful Christian family Kraft realized that he needed to reorganize his priorities. He needed to “seek first the kingdom of God” (Matthew 6:33) and then all that he needed would be provided. So he decided to give 25% of his personal profits to the Lord in his offerings. Things turned around in a very big way for James Kraft. And he gave 25% and more of his own personal profits to the church for the rest of his life. Later in life he made this statement: “The only investment I ever made which has paid consistently increasing dividends is the money I have given to the Lord.”

Now it would be good to find yourself prospering like Kraft did for your generosity. And the Bible says that we can (Proverbs 3:9, 10). But our first reason to give must be worship! The Bible says that “the tithe” was to be given so “that you may learn to fear the LORD (Numbers 14:23). Financial giving to the church shows that we honor God and that we trust Him to meet all of our needs, spiritually and materially. Therefore giving at church is not just a time when the offering plate is passed and we put in our two bits; it is an act of worship or it should be.

When we receive the offering in our church we use a cornucopia like the one pictured above. We do this for two reasons: our abundance towards God and God’s abundance towards us. The divine promise is that as you give with a cheerful heart “God is able to make all grace abound towards you, that you, always having sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). Don’t let the economy dictate how you honor God with your finances. Do I hear Paddy neighing in agreement in the background?