Give Our Prayers and Praise to Jesus– Introduction to sermon series on prayer: (Eph. 3:14-21)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, January 11, 2026

Tim Keller writes:

Blaise Pascal, great French philosopher and a Christian believer, great mind … Some of you may know, and you can find this on the Internet. Just look up Pascal and put in the word fire. When he died, they discovered he had sewn into the inner lining of his coat a journal entry, a kind of a spiritual diary where he wrote down about an experience he had one night. This is what it said.

I’m paraphrasing a bit, but this is the first part of it. “In the year of grace 1654, Monday 23 November … From about half-past ten in the evening till about half an hour after midnight, FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, Not of the philosophers and of the learned. Certainty. Joy. Certainty. Emotion. Sight. Joy! Joy! Joy! Tears of joy. My God, never leave me. Let me not be separated from you.” And on it goes.

Notice what he said there. “That night. FIRE. God of Abraham. God of Isaac. God of Jacob. Not the god of the philosophers and the learned.” But he was a philosopher and the learned. He was talking about himself, because that night he actually got what Paul is praying for you and me to have. That is something he had in principle, something he believed and knew in principle, that he actually experienced in his inner being, experienced in his heart.^[1]

My Theme:

Paul prays for them to have spiritual strength.

Application:

Seek the Lord and gain spiritual strength in Him.

1. Paul prays, notice that first.
   1. Paul gets down on his knees and prays.
   2. Ephesians 3:14–15 (ESV)
   3. ¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named…
   4. Paul says, “For this reason…” and that must look back. That looks back to what he had been writing about. He had been writing about salvation and unity to Jews and Gentiles alike. Remember Ephesians chapters 1-3 are all about our great, awesome, and glorious salvation. This made Paul pray and praise.
2. Paul desires us to have strength.
   1. See that in verse 16:
   2. Ephesians 3:16 (ESV)
   3. ¹⁶…that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being…
   4. You see that? Paul wants us to have strength in the inner man. How do we get strength? Through the Holy Spirit. Notice the wording: “Riches” of “His glory” that you would be strengthened through His Spirit.
   5. John MacArthur preached on this passage and talked about being charged up by God. He preached about starting your engines.
3. So, Paul also prays that we would know, or comprehend.
   1. See the next few verses:
   2. Ephesians 3:17–19 (ESV)
   3. ¹⁷…so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
   4. Paul prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts…. How does Christ dwell in our hearts? Through faith. Then Paul prays that we would be rooted and grounded in love.
   5. The word used for dwell in our hearts is the same type of word that would be used to live in our hearts. The word literally means to settle down and feel at home. Do you think that Christ feels at home in your heart right now?
   6. Paul goes on to pray that we would be “rooted and grounded in love.”
   7. A root needs to go deep to get water. That means that our root must go deep down to get water from the well that doesn’t go dry, which is Jesus.
   8. “Grounded” would be comparable to the foundation of a house. We want to have a solid, firm foundation in love.
   9. Verses 18-19 speak of God’s love.
   10. Paul had prayed that we be strengthened by the power of the Holy Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ will feel at home in our hearts through our faith, and that we are rooted and grounded in love, and now Paul prays that we understand the love of God, which we cannot understand.
   11. Verses 18-19: How wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of God.
   12. This is simply showing how vast and complete the love of God is.
   13. When believers accept Jesus Christ’s revelation of the mystery of the church, they are able to comprehend that God’s love is broad enough (“breadth”) to embrace both Jews and Gentiles in the church. They can appreciate that it is long enough (“length”) to reach the far off (Gentiles) as well as the near (Jews), and to stretch from eternity to eternity. They can see that it is high enough (“height”) to raise both Jews and Gentiles into the heavenly places. They can understand that it is deep enough (“depth”) to rescue both kinds of people from sin’s degradation and from Satan’s grip (Dr. Constable, Dallas Theological Seminary).
   14. God’s love is immense.
   15. Now look again at verse 19: Paul prays that we know the love of God that surpasses knowledge
   16. Can we know the love of God if it is so complex that it surpasses knowledge? I think we can. It surpasses knowledge in the world; however, through the Holy Spirit, as God’s children, we can know the love of God. We experience the love of God in a spiritual way!
   17. If we do know the love of God, we will be filled with the fullness of the Spirit. So, this passage is saying that God loves us. God loves us so much that he will never renounce us. God loves us so much that we can’t comprehend that love without the Holy Spirit. God loves us so much that we can only experience His love.
   18. How do we experience God’s love?
4. We must seek the Lord in prayer.
   1. Ephesians 3:20–21 (ESV)
   2. ²⁰ Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, ²¹ to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
   3. Look at this passage.
   4. Now, to Him…
   5. Paul is going to the Lord.
   6. The Lord can do far more abundantly.
   7. Notice the modifiers- far more abundantly. There is superlative language in this.
   8. God can do more than we ask or think.
   9. So, we can ask the Lord for things, but He can do far more abundantly than we ask.
   10. He can do far more abundantly than we think.
   11. This is according to the power at work within us.
   12. The power at work within us is the Holy Spirit.
   13. Tim Keller makes this come alive:
   14. In the old days photography required something called film. It also actually in some cases required photographic paper. Film and paper were sensitized by chemicals, so it was sensitive to light.
   15. Here’s a camera. The shutter opens, and in comes light bouncing off of a tree. It comes and hits the film or hits the photographic paper. If that film or that paper has been sensitized with chemicals, then it grips the image. It permanently stays on there. The light from the tree hits it, and it creates an image of a tree on the film. If it has not been treated, it opens, it shuts, the light comes in, and no difference.
   16. Without the work of the Holy Spirit … Maybe I should actually say to the degree you’re experiencing this work of the Holy Spirit, when you have presented to you Christian truth, God is holy, God is wise, God is absolutely sovereign, God is unconditionally loving and gracious, if the Holy Spirit has sensitized your heart and you are presented with a sermon, with a book, with a talk, with an idea, with a text of the Scripture, you’re presented with the idea of God being absolutely sovereign and good, if your heart has been spiritually sensitized, you feel safe.^[2]
   17. Eph. 3:21 is a doxology.
   18. …to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
   19. The end of Paul’s prayer is worship.
   20. Paul bows his knees before the Father.
   21. Paul worships.
5. We must go to the Lord.
   1. The Apostle Paul was closing three chapters of theology, and he closed with prayer.
   2. Seek the Lord in prayer.
   3. But don’t simply pray and be done with it. Live with Jesus (John 15).
   4. We have the Holy Spirit within us (Rom. 8:9).
   5. Please- if you know Jesus- join us in prayer this year.
   6. Think of a few close family members or friends who do not know Jesus and pray daily for their salvation.
   7. Pray daily for your spiritual growth. Notice that Paul’s prayer in this passage is spiritual; it is not for physical needs.
   8. Remember what I shared about Pascal, pray to experience Jesus in your life.
   9. Spend time each morning, afternoon, or evening in prayer.
   10. Start with 5 minutes in prayer and 5 minutes in the Bible.
   11. Take time in the car and turn off distractions and pray.
   12. Pray as you walk and do dishes.
   13. There are different types of prayer, and we will get into that in the coming weeks.
   14. Some prayer is interceding. We are asking for God’s help.
   15. Another type of prayer is worship.
   16. Another type of prayer is listening to the Lord for direction.
   17. As a church, we will be having prayer meetings, prayer walks, and other times to focus on prayer this year.
   18. Join us.

Let’s pray.

^[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[2] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

The Wise Men Worship Jesus (Matt. 2:1-12)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, January 4, 2026

With everything, there are truth statements, and there are also myths that arise. When something major happens, this is even more true.  The movie Braveheart is about William Wallace, who leads a grassroots Scottish revolt against England and almost succeeds. He is indeed a real historical figure, but we are unsure of the details of his life. In the movie, Mel Gibson plays William Wallace. There is a scene in the middle of the movie when someone says something like, “You can’t be William Wallace, he is 7 feet tall!” Following that, Mel Gibson as William Wallace jokes with that comment that “if he were here, he would shoot you with fireballs…” So, legend versus the truth. We have legends about George Washington, don’t we? Unfortunately, we also have legends, or not entirely true stories, about Jesus’s birth.

For example:

How many wise men were there? We cannot know. 

How many kings were there? These were the same. They may call them kings because of their wealth or wisdom.

How old was Jesus when the wise men came to visit Him? Why do our manger scenes show the wise men? Some time must have passed. Jesus was in a house (Matt. 2:11). In Matt. 2:16 Herod had the children two years old or younger killed, so Jesus was probably around this age when the wise men visited Him. In a minute, we are going to look at the part of Jesus’s birth dealing with the wise men. I hope to show you that, as the wise men worshipped Jesus, so should we.

That is my theme:

The wise men worship Jesus and so must we.

Also, as the wise men saw Jesus as worthy of worship, so should we; as the wise men brought their gifts to Jesus, so should we bring ours. As the wise men saw Jesus worthy of their time, energy, and gifts, He is still worthy of our time, energy, and expense. 

We see the Wise men in Matthew chapter 2, and only there. Matthew was a tax collector. It is well known that Matthew’s Gospel uses numbers frequently. This is probably because he, being a tax collector, dealt with numbers in his occupation. In the first two chapters of Matthew, there are five dreams, five places where it says Jesus is the Christ, and 5 Old Testament quotations:

Dream                                    Jesus is the Christ                        O.T. quotations

Let me read Matthew 2:1-12: (New American Standard Bible)

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ² “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.”³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. ⁵ They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

⁶ ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

⁷ Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” ⁹ After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way.

Now, this section can be broken into two smaller sections:

1. So, let’s talk about the Wise Men, or magi, and their plan to visit Jesus (Matt. 2:1-6).
   1. Verse 1 says, After Jesus was born in Bethlehem… So, we know that what is about to happen was after Jesus’s birth. You are likely thinking, “Good, I already knew that.”
   2. The verse continues In the days of Herod the king… We must realize that this is the first time these facts have been mentioned in Matthew’s Gospel. The original readers and/or listeners have not yet been told that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They also have not been told that Herod was the king. These are important facts for them. Later in this section, verse 6 quotes Micah 5:2 about Bethlehem: ‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
      Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
      For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
      Who willshepherd My people Israel.’”
   3. This passage from Malachi is very important. The people reading Matthew’s Gospel were likely familiar with the Old Testament Scriptures. They knew the prophecies about the Messiah, and Matthew needed to show how Jesus fulfilled these prophecies. Jesus was the prophesied Messiah.
   4. The Magi (wise men) came from Babylon. They would have known the Jewish prophecies about the Messiah, which helped them reach the area of Bethlehem.
   5. Micah prophesied between 700 and 650 B.C. How would the people of Babylon have heard the Jewish prophesies of Micah? Between 605 and 586 B.C., there were at least three deportations of Jewish people to Babylon. But when the Jewish people were taken to Babylon, they would have taken their Jewish culture and Scriptures with them. So, now close to 600 years later, these magi could have studied the Scriptures of ancient Israel and known that they were expecting a Messianic King.
   6. In verse 2, they say, Where is He who has been born King of the Jews…. They continue by talking about some star in the east, and they are there to worship Him. Isn’t that just awesome! Here they are to worship Jesus.
   7. Interesting I read that the ancients thought comets and falling stars predicted the fall of rulers; some emperors even banished from Rome astrologers who issued such predictions. By this period, many Jewish people accepted the idea that the stars could accurately predict the future. Even though these Magi were pagans, God had chosen to reveal Himself to them.
   8. Further, many rulers feared astrological signs of their demise; the Emperor Nero later reportedly slaughtered many nobles in the hope that their deaths (rather than his own) would fulfill the prediction of a comet. Jerusalem was an important trade center; the Magi must have come with quite an entourage for the whole city to notice them. Then again, many people resented Herod’s rule, and rumors could have circulated quickly. King Herod, who was aware of broad currents of thought in the Roman Empire and sponsored pagan temples among Gentile cities in his realm, might have been especially apt to consider the Magi’s mission significant.^[1]
   9. Numbers 24:17 is a good reference and references this star ¹⁷ “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near; A star shall come forth from Jacob, A scepter shall rise from Israel, And shall crush through the forehead of Moab, And tear down all the sons of Sheth.
   10. In verse 3, the Bible says that this troubled Herod. But it also troubled all those with him. Herod gathered all the religious leaders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and he wanted to find out where the Messiah was to be born. That is where they quote this passage from Micah.
   11. That is interesting. Why are others troubled? People like things as they are. These could also be people who worked for Herod.
   12. The chief priests and the scribes knew where Christ was to be born, yet none of them is recorded as going to see the baby Jesus.
2. In verses 7-12, we see what happens.
   1. Herod called the magi and wanted to find out exactly when the star appeared. Can you see the plot happening in this narrative? The Bible says he did this in secret. Interesting, he likely did not want people to know that he was giving any credit to the magi.
   2. Also know that the magi were not simply three men, as we often think. They likely had a long entourage and a very long journey. They would have been noticed as they entered Jerusalem with their caravan.
   3. Herod told them to report to him where this child was born so that he could worship them. We all know that Herod is not going to worship Jesus.
   4. If this were a movie, I would be thinking, “Oh no!” I must imagine how this was for the first readers and listeners. They must have had some prior knowledge of Herod, and they must be wondering what is going to happen. How is this Jesus going to get past this? They may even know about the slaughter of the babies that is about to happen.
   5. The star stood over the place where the child was born. That is what the term means is to stand. Something I read says about this:
   6. IVP Bible Backgrounds Commentary
   7. The text might imply only that the star appeared to move due to the Magi’s own movement. Even had the object been close enough to earth to calculate its relation to Bethlehem, Bethlehem was so close to Jerusalem that any distance would have been negligible unless the object was only a mile high. But the description of God’s leading of the Magi by a moving, supernatural sign may recall how God had led his own people by the fire and cloud in the wilderness (Ex 13:21–22).^[2]
   8. Verse 11: Jesus is in a house, and the family is very hospitable.
   9. They worshipped the baby.
   10. Remember, Jesus was God then, too.
   11. The wise men left another way because of a dream.
3. What can we take and apply from this passage?

1. We must be obedient to the Lord as the wise men were (verse 12).
2. We must worship the Lord as the wise men did (verse 2 and verse 11).
3. We must use our gifts and give joyfully to the Lord as the wise men did (verse 11).
4. We must sacrifice for Jesus as the wise men did. Considering they traveled for some time and incurred expenses. This means an expense of time, energy, and money.

The Wise men gave gifts to Jesus. Listen to this that someone wrote:

It’s Always Time for Gifts
by Charles R. Swindoll

Where is it written in the Bible that holidays are the only time to give gifts? I’m of the firm belief that it’s always a good time to give away some gifts.

Let me give you some ideas. Here are thirty-two suggestions; take your choice: Mend a quarrel. Seek out a forgotten friend. Dismiss suspicion. Write a long overdue love note. Hug someone tightly and whisper, “I love you.” Forgive an enemy. Be gentle and patient with an angry person. Express appreciation. Gladden the heart of a child. Find the time to keep a promise. Make or bake something for someone else—anonymously. Release a grudge. Listen. Speak kindly to a stranger. Enter into another’s sorrow. Smile. Laugh a little. Laugh a little more. Take a walk with a friend. Kneel down and stroke a dog. Read a poem to your mate or friend. Lessen your demands on others. Play some beautiful music during supper. Apologize if you were wrong. Talk together with the television and cell phone off. Treat someone to an ice cream cone (frozen yogurt would be fine). Do the dishes for the family. Pray for someone who helped you when you hurt. Fix breakfast on Saturday morning. Give a soft answer even though you feel strongly. Encourage an older person. Point out one thing you appreciate most about someone you work with or live near. Offer to babysit for a weary mother. Give your teacher a break—be especially cooperative.

Let’s make this season one long, extended gift of ourselves to others. Unselfishly. Without announcement. Or obligation. Or reservation. Or hypocrisy. That is Christianity, isn’t it?[3]

pray

^[1]Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament (Mt 2:2-3). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

^[2]Keener, C. S., & InterVarsity Press. (1993). The IVP Bible background commentary : New Testament (Mt 2:9). Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

[3] Adapted from Hear Me When I Call. Copyright © 2013 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. (Worthy Publishing). All rights reserved worldwide. Used by permission.

Christmas Eve: Jesus Was Born to Save Us (Matthew 1:21; John 12:44-47)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends in Poland, OH on Dec. 24, 2025

I have a few lights with me, why?

How many of us like darkness? I am a runner, that is not a secret. I have run at almost all hours. The only hours I have not been on the road are between 1:00 am and 3:30 am. I have been out at 3:45 am. I have been out until close to 1:00 am running. It is neat to be out running as the sun rises. I start out running, needing light to light my path. However, eventually I realize I can see. I don’t need my light.

Jesus came to save us. Jesus also came as the light of the world.

This Christmas season, we have been focusing on why Jesus came to us. Why did God become a man?

Jesus came to do the Father’s will (John 6:38-40).

Jesus came to give us fullness of life (John 10:10).

Jesus came to bear witness to the truth (John 18:37-38).

Jesus came to save us.

Matthew 1:21

“She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

John 12:44–47 (NASB95)

44     And Jesus cried out and said, “He who believes in Me, does not believe in Me but in Him who sent Me.

45     “He who sees Me sees the One who sent Me.

46     “I have come as Light into the world, so that everyone who believes in Me will not remain in darkness.

47     “If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world.

Jesus was born to save us.

1. Believing in Jesus means believing in God, the Father.
   1. In the previous two verses (John 12:42-43), John writes that many, even of the rulers, believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees, they were not confessing Him. They loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God.
   2. This is happening during Jesus’s passion week.
   3. Now, He speaks in John 12:44.
   4. Believing in Jesus means believing in He Who sent Jesus.
   5. Who sent Jesus?
   6. Gal. 4:4 shares that God, the Father, sent the Son.
   7. In John 12:45, Jesus says that when we see Jesus we see the One Who sent Him. That is God, the Father (John 14:9, Jesus says he who has seen Me, has seen the Father). Col. 1:15 and Hebrews 1:3 says that Jesus is the visible image of the invisible God.
   8. This is the mystery of the Trinity.
2. Jesus came as Light in the world so that we would not remain in darkness.
   1. In John 12:46, Jesus says that He has come as Light into the world.
   2. This is a common theme in John’s gospel (John 1:4; 3:19; 8:12; 9:5).
   3. Just think of it, Jesus opens our eyes to the truth about reality and Jesus saves us.
   4. Jesus gives us eternal life and fullness of life.
   5. This takes us out of darkness and into the light.
   6. It is like trying to understand something and then when one understands it we exclaim, “I see…”
3. Jesus came to save the world.
   1. In John 12:47, Jesus says that when one hears His sayings and does not keep them, He does not judge them, for He did not come to judge the world but save the world.
   2. There is a judgment; this is about Jesus’s first coming. When He returns, He will come as the judge (John 5:22, 27-30; Matt. 25:31-32).
   3. Jesus says He came to bring salvation.
   4. Why did Jesus come?
   5. He came to save us.
4. Do you know Him? Do you know the light of the world, or are you in darkness?
   1. Have you come to a point in your life where you have accepted Jesus into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins? Jesus didn’t come to earth just to live with us; He came to instruct us and to die in our place.
   2. The Bible says that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible says that the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). The Bible says that Jesus is the way the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except by Him (John 14:6). The Bible teaches that sin separates us from God (Isaiah 59:2). The Bible says that God will not let the guilty go unpunished (2 Thess 1:8-9). Yet, the Bible teaches that God loves the people of the world (John 3:16). That is a dilemma. God can’t tell a lie, or He wouldn’t be God (Numbers 23:19). God doesn’t change His mind (1 Sam 15:29). That is why God sent Jesus. The guilty must go punished. Jesus took our punishment on the cross. The penalty of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus, who is the way, the truth and the life.
   3. One of the most exciting things that you can do while celebrating Jesus’s birthday is to make it your spiritual birthday as well. You can accept Jesus’s free gift of salvation right now.

1. God created us to be with him (Gen. 1-2).
2. Our sin separated us from God (Gen. 3).
3. Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen. 4-Mal. 4).
4. Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again (Matt. – Luke).
5. Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life (John – Jude).
6. Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever (Rev. 22:5).

Prayer

^[1] John F. Hart, “John,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1644.

^[2] R. C. Sproul, John, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2009), 237.

Advent: Jesus Became Like Us to Save Us (Hebrews 2:14-18)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, December 21, 2025

Why did Jesus come?

Timothy Keller writes:

Hamlet was wrong. Where am I going next with that? Because Hamlet said, “… death, the undiscovered country from whose bourn no traveler returns, puzzles the will and makes us rather bear those ills we have than fly to others that we know not of? Thus conscience does make cowards of us all …” But he’s wrong. Someone has come back from death.

When I see Jesus Christ raised, when I see Jesus Christ having destroyed the power of death, when I see Jesus Christ having opened a cleft in the pitiless walls of the world, blown a hole through the back of death, and bids me come through, and says, “Believe in me, follow me, and I’ll take you through it,” I’m not a coward anymore. You don’t realize the degree to which you are enslaved to the fear of death until the faith in the resurrection of Jesus Christ comes into your life and begins to release you from it.^[1]

My theme today is:

Jesus became like us to save us.

1. By His death, Jesus broke the power of satan (Hebrews 2:14-15).
   1. Hebrews 2:14–15 (ESV) ¹⁴ Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, ¹⁵ and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.
   2. Through death, Jesus was able to destroy the devil.
   3. Piper:
   4. This, I think, is my favorite Advent text because I don’t know any other that expresses so clearly the connection between the beginning and the end of Jesus’s earthly life — between the incarnation and crucifixion. These two verses make clear why Jesus came; namely, to die.[2]
   5. We are flesh and blood, so Jesus took on flesh.
   6. Jesus did this for us. It is all about God, and the reason He did this is all about us.
   7. Jesus is not helping the angels, but us (verses 15-16). We have a fear of death, or we should. Jesus is here to conquer that fear.
   8. We were subject to lifelong slavery to sin. Jesus conquered that.
2. Having once suffered, Jesus is now able to sympathize with those suffering (Hebrews 2:16-18).
   1. Hebrews 2:16–18 (ESV)
   2. ¹⁶ For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. ¹⁷ Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. ¹⁸ For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
   3. In verse 16, the writer shares that Jesus did not die for the angels.
   4. No, He came for the offspring of Abraham.
   5. In Hebrews 1, the writer was sharing how Jesus is greater than the angels. So, now He writes that Jesus did not die for the angels.
   6. The offspring of Abraham would be us. Hebrews was a letter written to Jewish believers, but Romans and Galatians teach that Gentiles are grafted in (Romans 11:11-24; Galatians 3-4).
   7. Hebrews 2:17 continues the idea begun in verse 14 that Jesus had to be a human to be our high priest and to be a sacrifice for our sins.
   8. He is our merciful and faithful High Priest.
   9. He makes propitiation for our sins. This means that He appeases God’s wrath on our sin. His death appeases the wrath of God.
   10. This term means that He bore God’s wrath and curse that rested on “the people” who sinned (Rom. 3:25, 26).^[3]
   11. Hebrews 2:18 (ESV)
   12. ¹⁸ For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
   13. As C.S. Lewis says, our great Captain has opened a cleft in the pitiless walls of the world and bids us come through.^[4]
   14. John Piper writes:
   15. The Son of God, who existed before the incarnation as the eternal Word (John 1:1), took on flesh and blood, and clothed his deity with humanity. He became fully man and remained fully God.
   16. that through death . . .
   17. The reason Christ became human was to die. As preincarnate God, he could not die for sinners. But united to flesh and blood, he could. His aim was to die. Therefore, he had to be born human, mortal.
   18. In dying, Christ defanged the devil. How? By covering all our sin (Hebrews 10:12). This means that Satan has no legitimate grounds to accuse us before God. “Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies” (Romans 8:33). On what grounds does he justify? Through the blood of Jesus (Hebrews 9:14; Romans 5:9).
   19. Satan’s ultimate weapon against us is our own sin. If the death of Jesus takes it away, the chief weapon the devil has is taken out of his hand. In that sense, he is rendered powerless.
   20. So, we are free from the fear of death. God has justified us. There is only future grace in front of us. Satan cannot overturn that decree. And God means for our ultimate safety to have an immediate effect on our lives. He means for the happy ending to take away the slavery and fear of the present.[5]

Timothy Keller brings this to life:

I knew a guy years ago in my former church who was an x-ray technician. He worked in a hospital, and he put people up on the table. I went in to see him because he was in the hospital himself because I think, if I remember correctly, he had a kidney stone. When I spoke to him, he was in the hospital. He was in a lot of pain, and he had just been put on the table by one of his x-ray technician colleagues.

He had just come back to his room, and I said, “How’s it going?” He said to me, “When I get out of here I am going to have a radically different bedside manner.” I said, “Why?” He said, “Well, I really never knew what it was like to be on the table myself. I will never be impatient with a client again. I will never treat them like a cipher. I will never treat them like cattle, because I know what it’s like. I will never unnecessarily be brusque with them, because I’ve been on the table myself. I’ve been changed. I’ve been on the table. Therefore, I will never treat people on the table the same way.”

Jesus Christ, we’re told, was really human. He suffered. Here’s someone who knows everything we know. Have you been betrayed this year? So has he. Have you been isolated or lonely this year? So has he. Have you been broke this year? So has he. Have you faced death this year? So has he. He has faced pain and rejection and homelessness and misunderstanding and isolation and grief and loss.

We’re told in the Bible in Hebrews 5:7, when he was on earth, what does it say? “During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.” Not a little tear in the eye, but loud cries and tears. God not only came as a human being, but he refused to come as a human being with nerves of steel, somebody who was always crying, weeping over Jerusalem, weeping over his dead friend Lazarus, and sweating blood over his own doom.

What does this mean? It means if you have in your mind intellectually Jesus is fully human, but functionally you really think of him the way the Sunday school books used to picture him, tan, always beautifully tan, glowing, sort of porcelain-looking, his white clothes glistening, and always sort of hovering about six feet above the grass. He has been on the table, and he will never treat anybody else on the table in a way that’s inappropriate.^[6]

^[1] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[2] Devotional excerpted from “Born to Die for Freedom”

Desiring God. Org; accessed on Nov. 10, 2025

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/why-jesus-came?utm_campaign=Daily%20Email&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=80359528&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9sEIZCPQrqeQ0_q29aMS6UHrKG655aaCzSsFb8m72uIksVzgwWUyuYREO3O-faz23RKVPSdWOZGJj4253X-MsJuYP7bw&_hsmi=80359528

^[3] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 2200.

^[4] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

[5] Devotional excerpted from Future Grace, pages 354–356; accessed on 11.10.2025 published on Desiring God August 2.

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/afraid-of-death-no-more?utm_campaign=Daily%20Email&utm_medium=email&_hsmi=92284673&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-8_S2yKbJ7gHzlpvHMgCDC497DXRcW2ltwXYv2JVex7bo-KtioMpTkpzGlNM2-x0pIXooabJ1MkJTIudrRnCR50NvowOw&utm_content=92284673&utm_source=hs_email

^[6] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Advent: Jesus Came to Bear Witness to the Truth (John 18:37-38)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, December 14, 2025

In this Christmas series, we have been talking about why Jesus came to us.

When I was a child, Christmas was a big deal. I was so excited. It was exciting to come down the stairs and see presents under the tree. I did not grow up in the church, but I do know that Christmas was about Jesus. At the same time, Santa was a big part of our Christmas celebrations.

Who was St. Nicholas? A “Breakpoint” commentary shares the following:

Today, December 6, is the anniversary of the death of St. Nicholas in 343, a leader in the ancient Church in the city of Myra in Asia Minor, or modern-day Turkey. If you’ve ever heard of the Dutch tradition of children leaving their shoes out in hopes of finding goodies left in them, like gold-foil-covered chocolate coins, it’s based on a story that St. Nicholas gave three young women the funds to pay for their dowries. According to another story, likely a legend, St. Nick punched Arius at the Council of Nicaea for his heresy. 

Aside from his reputation for legendary generosity, what we know about St. Nicholas is that he was imprisoned and possibly tortured for being a Christian by the Emperor Diocletian, before being released from prison by the Emperor Constantine. That’s enough to make him a hero, and to honor him by hanging stockings in his honor. … Just remember that the True Gift of Advent is the Christ he was unwilling to forsake.[1] 

We talk and sing about Santa Claus coming to town, but why did Jesus come to us?

My theme today is: Jesus said that He came to testify to the truth.

1. We are going to look at John 18:37, but what is the context?
   1. This passage is during the trials of Jesus.
   2. In John 18:12, Jesus was arrested.
   3. In John 18:19 and the following verses, Jesus is questioned by the High Priest.
   4. Starting in John 18:28, Jesus is taken from Caiaphas’s house to Pilate.
   5. Jesus is before Pilate from John 18:28-40.
   6. Starting in John 19:1, Jesus is flogged and mocked. Pilate says that he found no guilt in Jesus (John 19:6). The crowd wanted Jesus crucified, and Pilate was afraid of the crowd. Pilate delivered Him over to be crucified (John 19:16).
2. Pilate questions Jesus about kingship (John 18:33-36).
   1. John 18:33–38 (ESV) ³³ So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” ³⁴ Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” ³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
   2. After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him.
   3. In John 18:33, Pilate enters his headquarters “again.” Why does it say “again”?
   4. This is because in the previous few verses, Pilate told the Jewish people to judge Him themselves.
   5. Pilate is going in and out of his headquarters. He is speaking with the Jews and then with Jesus.
   6. In John 18:33, Pilate asks Jesus “Are You the King of the Jews?”
   7. Jesus answers with a question.
   8. “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?”
   9. Pilate answers:
   10. “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?”
   11. Notice that Pilate admits that he is not Jewish.
   12. Pilate seems amazed that Jesus’s own people handed Him over to Pilate.
   13. Pilate was likely used to certain uprisings, but in this case, the Jewish people handed Jesus over to Pilate.
   14. Pilate wants to know what Jesus has done.
   15. Verse 36 is critical:
   16. ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.”
   17. Jesus is saying that His Kingdom is not of this world. Pilate said that His own people handed Him over, but Jesus said, “No, they are not from My Kingdom.”
   18. If His Kingdom were of this world, His servants would be fighting so that He would not be delivered over to the Jews.
   19. Remember, just earlier, Peter cut off the ear of a servant of the High Priest when they came to arrest Jesus.
   20. Jesus restored the ear (John 18:10-11; Luke 22:51).
   21. Sproul shares:
   22. He did not say that His dominion and authority did not include this world or that His realm was a transcendent spiritual Neverland. This was the same Jesus who affirmed, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matt. 28:18). He told Pilate: “My kingdom is not like your kingdom. My kingdom is not built on violence, on blood, on war. That’s the way the kingdoms of this world function. My kingdom is not a world-like kingdom.” In other words, Jesus said that He did not plan to establish a kingdom by force. He had no intention of leading a rebellion against the Romans, no matter what the Jews might say.^[2]
   23. In the next verse, Pilate asks Jesus if He is a King.
3. Jesus says why He came (John 18:37-38).
   1. John 18:37-38: ³⁷ Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”
   2. Jesus does not respond to the Kingship, but to why he came.
   3. Notice that Jesus says:
   4. For this purpose, He was born;
   5. And for this purpose, He came into the world;
   6. To bear witness to the truth.
   7. He was born and came into the world to bear witness to the truth.
   8. Interestingly, Jesus says He was born, but that was not His beginning.
   9. Jesus says that He came into the world.
   10. That was His incarnation.
   11. As John Piper writes:
   12. The uniqueness of his birth is that he did not originate at his birth. He existed before he was born in a manger. The personhood, the character, the personality of Jesus of Nazareth existed before the man Jesus of Nazareth was born.
   13. The theological word to describe this mystery is not creation, but incarnation. The person, not the body, but the essential personhood of Jesus existed before he was born as man. His birth was not a coming into being of a new person, but a coming into the world of an infinitely old person.[3]
   14. Micah 5:2 (ESV) But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.
   15. Further, from Piper: The mystery of the birth of Jesus is not merely that he was born of a virgin. That miracle was intended by God to witness to an even greater one; namely, that the child born at Christmas was a person who existed “from of old, from ancient days.”[4]
   16. He came to bear witness to the truth.
   17. Jesus did not say that He came to testify to “my” truth. No, He came to testify to “the” truth.
   18. New American Commentary:
   19. The theme of truth is a foundational idea in John. For Jesus and for John truth is not merely some intellectual concept of correct facticity. It also involves life-oriented integrity. Accordingly, we misunderstand Johannine truth if we merely speak of the truth about Jesus or doctrinal formulations about Jesus. Jesus is himself truth as he states: “I am the way, the truth and the life” (14:6). Jesus was not proposing to give the disciples a map or “triptik” to heaven or a theological description about himself. Jesus gave them himself. There is no doubt that truth is related to ideas and matters of facticity, but Jesus’ mission was to bring people to himself and to God and in the process thereby bring them to integrity of life. It is clearly possible to be academically right and theologically correct but still lack integrity in life.
   20. Jesus’ mission was to integrate truth into life. That is the reason the text here defines people who are of truth as those who hear the voice of Jesus. Hearing or obeying Jesus is not the same as affirming correct ideas. The Pharisees and legalists in Jesus’ day were very precise in their theological formulations, but God was remote for them. Moreover, they schemed his crucifixion in their correctness because they missed hearing the voice of God. That can still happen today. What Jesus did in this story was confront Pilate with himself and with the genuine nature of truth.^[5]
   21. Pilate asks, “What is truth?” That is what people ask today.
   22. Keller: Pilate says at the very end, “I am Rome, I have power, and I could crush you like a bug [John 19:10].” Do you know what Jesus says? There is a George Herbert poem in which the words of the Christian or Christ go like this …Spare not, do thy worst. I shall be one day better than before;
   23. Thou so much worse, that thou shalt be no more.
   24. Here’s what Jesus is saying. “You don’t realize this is all part of the plan. If you abuse power, you’re just going to bring your own house down. Go ahead. Try to destroy me. All you’ll do is put me on a cross and make me the Savior of the world. All you will do is put me up there as an emblem and a sign and a token and a power in the lives of people who eventually are going to turn your entire Roman world upside down. By you abusing your power, you are helping me show the world what power is for: giving, serving, giving away. Come on.”^[6]

Prayer

[1] “The Story of S. Nicholas.” Breakpoint article on Dec. 6, 2022. Accessed on Oct. 27, 2025

https://breakpoint.org/saint-nicholas-a-christian-hero/

^[2] R. C. Sproul, John, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Lake Mary, FL: Reformation Trust Publishing, 2009), 352.

[3] Piper, John. The Birth of the Ancient of Days. Advent|Day 21. Accessed on Oct. 27, 2025

https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/the-birth-of-the-ancient-of-days?utm_campaign=Daily%20Email&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&utm_content=80303787&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9WEOIi2rYuV6UDnfnl0O72kQMpoTFnHsDxDrIwwgvnPvNER9sSX6DhFqLBz_hSE1G2KxQ8FzJ43G8PmbCrw2ZELfPCHA&_hsmi=80303787

[4] Ibid.

^[5] Gerald L. Borchert, John 12–21, vol. 25B, The New American Commentary (Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2002), 243.

^[6] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive (New York City: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

Advent: Christmas program/sermonette: Jesus became Like Us to Give Us Fullness of Life (John 10:10)

Prepared and preached by Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends on Sunday, December 7, 2025

In AD 1190, King Richard the Lionhearted of England was sailing back from the Crusades when bad weather forced him to land in the unfriendly territory of Austria. King Richard and his men decided to travel by land back to England. But they couldn’t just travel as a king’s caravan. So they disguised themselves as the Knights Templar so they could sneak their way back, posing as religious pilgrims.

But their disguise wasn’t enough to protect them. While passing through Vienna, King Richard was identified and taken captive—all because he insisted on eating roasted chicken for dinner and wearing his fancy rings (some disguise). So he was put in chains and forced to live as a slave.

The Duke of Austria wanted to send England back their king, but he wanted some money for his troubles. So he set what was—and still is, today—the most expensive ransom of a person in history: $3.3 billion in today’s money. And England paid it.

[One person writes]:

The first time I read that story, my first thought was, “Would I ever be worth that high a price to someone?” I’m certain the United States wouldn’t think so. My family might wish to pay that, but they wouldn’t be able to.

Yet God paid infinitely more than that for every one of us.

When we came to Jesus, we weren’t particularly strategic to him—not like King Richard. It makes sense to pay through the nose to get your king back. But you and I weren’t kings to God. Before he chose us, we were his enemies. If you think dropping billions of dollars for your king is wild, imagine doing that for your enemy!

But that’s precisely what God did. Though we were far less valuable to him, and far more antagonistic toward him, God paid the fullness of our ransom price without a second thought. The price was much higher than billions of dollars: It was the cost of his own life. We are redeemed, Peter said, with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Why would he do it? So that he could transform his enemies into his sons and daughters. Because it may be impressive to pay a huge ransom for your hero. But it’s truly glorious to pay a ransom to redeem those who rebelled against you. God redeemed us—paid our ransom—because it brings him glory upon glory.

And like King Richard, we aren’t just redeemed to be set free. We’re redeemed for a purpose. The people of England wanted Richard back so that he could be their king again. They had a job for him to do; they were willing to pay the big redemption price so he could get back to it. So it is with us in God’s kingdom: We aren’t only saved from sin, but for good works. God pays the huge redemption price so we can get on to the tasks he has for us.

God brought us back to himself, not only with an incalculable price, but for an eternal purpose. We were bought to belong to him, to reflect his glory, to bring his light to the nations, and to be his instrument of blessing.

That’s the purpose behind your redemption—the biggest ransom ever paid.[1]

Every year we celebrate Christmas, but what are we really celebrating? Are we celebrating Christmas?

What is the purpose of Christmas?

Theme:

Jesus came, fully God and fully man, in order to die for our sins and give us life abundantly (John 10:10).

Application:

My application is that you repent and surrender to Jesus. Keep Christ the center of Christmas. 

Let’s read Luke 2:1-7:

In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. ² (This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) ³ And everyone went to their own town to register.

⁴ So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. ⁵ He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. ⁶ While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, ⁷ and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

1. Christmas is about God becoming a human being to save us from our sins.
   1. The Bible can be summed up with the acronym that spells GOSPEL.
   2. God created us to be with him (Genesis 1-2).
   3. Our sin separated us from God (Genesis 3).
      1. But don’t think of God as this megalomaniac wanting to inflict punishment on us.
      2. Think of it this way.
      3. Imagine you go to the roof of the empire state building and walk off the building, what happens?
      4. You fall and hit the ground, but why?
      5. Gravity.
      6. Gravity is part of the created order.
      7. There is no reason to be angry at gravity.
      8. There is no reason to cast blame. Gravity did not want to hurt you. It is part of the created order.
      9. Think of the wrath of God like gravity. God is holy and when we sin it is like violating the law of gravity. There is an automatic response. The response is separation from God. Hell is separation from God. But like gravity, God also does not want to hurt you. Back to the acronym.
   4. Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4).
   5. Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again (Matthew – Luke).
   6. Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life (John – Jude).
   7. Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever (Revelation 22:5).
      1. Do you know that when you trust in Jesus as Lord and Savior, you don’t only receive eternal life, but also abundant life?
      2. You are reconnected with God.
   8. John 10:10: The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
2. So, in a nutshell Christmas is all about Jesus’ birth. God became a human being so that He could die for our sins. God brought events involving kings, common people, and shepherds in order to bring His Son into the world. Jesus lived among us for 33 years and then died in our place. He died for our sins. Do you believe that? I want to ask you a personal question: have you come to a point in your life where you have accepted Jesus into your heart for the forgiveness of your sins? Jesus didn’t come to earth just to live with us; He came to instruct us and to die in our place.
   1. Whether you are part of the church or not, my question for you is: Do you know Jesus as Lord and Savior, and are you committed to him?
   2. The Bible uses four verbs to describe the Christian life, they are: Believe, confess, commit and trust. Let me explain:

1. The Bible teaches that we must believe in Jesus. We must believe that He is who the Bible says He is. The Bible teaches that He was born of a virgin; He lived a sinless life and died on the cross for our sins and He rose triumphantly over the grave (John 3:16; 14:6; 1 Cor. 15; 2 Cor. 5:17 and 21).
2. The Bible teaches that we must confess that we are in need of forgiveness. This means that we must confess that we are a sinner in need of a Savior. In other words, we have done wrong things and we need forgiven (Romans 3:23; 6:23 10:9-10). We tell God this.
3. The Bible teaches that we must commit to Jesus as Lord and Savior. This means we are not simply fans of Jesus, but instead we are followers of Jesus. Fans stay on the sidelines, but Jesus calls us to be on the field with Him. Jesus told them to count the cost before committing to Him (Luke 14:27-33).
4. The Bible teaches that we must trust The belief in Jesus as Lord and Savior is not a casual belief, but a firm trust (1 Timothy 1:15; John 3:16).

Firmly make the decision to be with Him in order to become like Him and to learn and do all that He says and then arrange your affairs around Him. 

This year, don’t miss Christmas. Make Christmas your spiritual birthday.

Pray to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord.

Pray

[1] Greear, J. D. June 24, 2024. Accessed on October, 20,2 025

https://jdgreear.com/the-biggest-ransom-in-history/

Advent: Why Did Jesus Come? He Came to do the Father’s Will (John 6:38-40)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, November 30, 2025

The Italian architect-believer, Fra Giovanni, wrote in 1513:

I salute you. There is nothing I can give you which you have not;

but there is much that, while I cannot give you, you can take.

No heaven can come to us unless our hearts find rest in it today.

Take heaven …

No peace lies in the future which is not hidden in the present.

Take peace …

The gloom of the world is but a shadow; behind it, yet within our

reach is joy. Take joy …

And so at this Christmas time I greet you with the prayer that for

you, now and forever, the day breaks and the shadows flee away.^1,[1]

It is the Christmas season. This is tied to be the most important season of the year.

Oklahoma City made startling and shocking news Sunday morning, December 6, 1964. A thirty-one-year-old mother gave birth to a child on the sidewalk at the corner of Sheridan and Broadway. A curious crowd “watched without helping.” The woman and her baby lay on the pavement for about forty-five minutes in a temperature of about thirty-four degrees.

A visitor from Tulsa summoned a taxi. When the cab arrived, however, the driver refused to take the mother to the hospital. Then the helpful stranger called the police, to no avail. During the time the woman lay on the sidewalk, two patrol cars passed the scene and neither stopped.

A former state representative chanced that way, stopped and called the fire department for an ambulance. He also sent a man across the street to a hotel to borrow a blanket, but a porter refused him. Meanwhile, the rescue squad arrived. While waiting for an ambulance, Captain Bill Latham of the fire department and the former representative, Bob Cunningham, decided to take the mother and her child to the hospital in the latter’s car. And they did.

This unbelievable story, heralded across America Monday, December 7, and doubtless around the world, is reminiscent of what happened in ancient Bethlehem, when another woman was heavy with child. “And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Luke 2:7).^2,[2]

Why did He come?

As we begin this Advent season, I would like us to focus on why Jesus came.

Today, we will focus on:

Why Did Jesus Come? He Came to do the Father’s Will (John 6:38-40)

Next week: there will be a Christmas program, but I will give a meditation on Jesus became Like Us to Give Us Fullness of Life (John 10:10);

December 14, 2025, I will focus on Jesus Came to Bear Witness to the Truth (John 18:37-38);

December 21, 2025, I will focus on Jesus Became Like Us to Save Us (Hebrews 2:14-18);

Then, on Christmas Eve, we will discuss how Jesus Was Born to save us (Matthew 1:21; John 12:44-47).

1. 1. Let’s look at the context.
   2. At the beginning of John 6, Jesus feeds the multitude.
   3. One source shares:
   4. …physical things we look to for meaning eventually fade. I love how C. S. Lewis put it: “I cannot find a cup of tea which is big enough or a book that is long enough” (cited in Hughes, John, 206). Do you know what he means? That which we think gives our lives so much meaning is never quite enough. We always need more, but even more won’t do it.^[3]
   5. This is also recorded in Matt. 14:13-21; Mark 6:30-44; and Luke 9:10-17).
   6. In John 6:15, Jesus was concerned that they were going to take him by force. Jesus withdrew to the mountain by Himself.
   7. Later, Jesus walks on water in John 6:19-20.
   8. In John 6:26, Jesus begins a message to the people.
   9. The message is pointing to Him as the Savior.
   10. John 6:29 (ESV)
   11. ²⁹ Jesus answered them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in him whom he has sent.”
   12. They were focused on signs, but He was talking about believing in Him.
   13. This chapter has correlations to Numbers 11.
   14. John 6:30–34 (ESV)
   15. ³⁰ So they said to him, “Then what sign do you do, that we may see and believe you? What work do you perform? ³¹ Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, ‘He gave them bread from heaven to eat.’ ” ³² Jesus then said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. ³³ For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” ³⁴ They said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.”
   16. The manna in the wilderness is described in Numbers 11:7-9.
   17. In verse 32, John 6:32, Jesus says, “truly, truly…” That is saying, “amen, amen…”
   18. Jesus then points to the “true bread…”
   19. ESV SB: The true bread from heaven would be something that nourishes people eternally and spiritually and thus is infinitely superior to the manna given to Israel in OT times, which was able to meet only temporal, physical needs. Jesus identifies himself as this “true bread” in v. 35.^[4]
   20. Then, look at John 6:35:
   21. John 6:35 (ESV) ³⁵ Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.
   22. Jesus is now saying that He is the bread of life…
   23. Coming to Him means never hungering or thirsting.
   24. One source shares: I am the bread of life is the first of Jesus’s seven “I am” sayings in John. Subsequently he said he is “the light of the world” (8:12; 9:5); “the gate” of the sheep (10:7, 9); the “good shepherd” (10:11, 14); “the resurrection and the life” (11:25); “the way, the truth, and the life” (14:6); and “the true vine” (15:1). Apart from these sayings, there are statements where Jesus referred to himself as “I am” (6:20 textual note; 8:24, 28, 58; 18:5), a clear allusion to God’s identification as “I AM” (Ex 3:14).^[6]
   25. Remember, Jesus had just fed the 5000. Also, in John 4, Jesus talked with the woman at the well regarding the water He gives.
   26. Now, look at John 6:36-37: John 6:36–37 (ESV) ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. ³⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
   27. They see, but do not believe.
   28. When the Father gives people to the Son, they come to the Son and Jesus will not cast them out.
   29. This is about salvation.
2. Jesus came to do the Father’s will (John 6:38).
   1. John 6:38 (ESV) ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.
   2. Now, Jesus continues to build on Who He is and why He is there.
   3. Jesus did not come in the same manner as other prophets.
   4. Jesus came from Heaven (Phil. 2:5-11).
   5. Jesus came not for Himself. Jesus came to do the will of Him Who sent Him.
   6. Who would that be?
3. The will of the Father is the salvation of those who trust in the Son (John 6:39-40).
   1. John 6:39–40 (ESV) ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”
   2. Verse 40 tells us “Him Who sent Him” is the Father.
   3. Father God sent Jesus.
   4. Verse 39 shows that Jesus came, He was sent so that He loses no one that the Father has given Him.
   5. There is a picture of the Father giving people to the Son, to Jesus, and Jesus saving them.
   6. Jesus raises them up on the last day.
   7. How?
   8. In verse 40, we see how.
   9. We look to the Son and believe in Him, and we have eternal life. Jesus will raise us up on the last day.
   10. Starting in John 6:40ff, we see the Jews grumbling, not believing.
   11. They do the opposite of what Jesus said.
   12. They do not receive Him.
   13. This continues an amazing passage.
   14. C. Sproul shares:
   15. John 6:37 is a universal positive principle of the gospel, and the universal negative principle of the gospel is in John 6:44.
   16. John 6:37 is positive: ³⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.
   17. John 6:44 negative: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day.
   18. One source shares:
   19. The believer’s security is founded on the Son’s faithfulness in doing the Father’s will.^[7]
4. Why did Jesus come?
   1. He came from Heaven.
   2. He was born and laid in a manger.
   3. Why, to grow up and save us.
   4. He was sent by God the Father to save us.

One writes:

Saint Augustine famously said, “You made us for yourself, and our hearts find no peace until they rest in you.” I want to keep the spirit of his statement but tweak the words just a bit. If he was reading this passage, he might say, “You made us to hunger for you, and our starving souls find no nourishment until they feast on you.” Only Jesus can fill the emptiness inside. Only Jesus can quiet the growling of your soul. Only Jesus can give you life.^[8]

In her syndicated column for November 11, 1971, Erma Bombeck reminded us that time hangs heavy over the heads of bored people, eludes the busy, flies by for the young, and runs out for the old. Perhaps we should view it, she counseled, through a child’s eyes.

“When I was young, Daddy was going to throw me in the air and catch me and I would giggle until I couldn’t giggle anymore; but he had to change the furnace filter, and there wasn’t time.”

There is always something else to do!^[9]

Remember to live in the moment now. But as we go through this Christmas season, I encourage you to remember that Jesus came to do His Father’s will. His Father’s will was to save us.

Look to Jesus and have life.

¹ Christian Century Pulpit, December, 1957, “Greeting at Christmas,” by Fra Giovanni, AD 1513, p. 22. Permission requested.

^[1] G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 56–57.

² The Daily Oklahoman, December 7, 1964.

^[2] G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 57.

^[3] Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg, Exalting Jesus in John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 152.

^[4] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2034–2035.

^[5] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2035.

^[6] Andreas J. Köstenberger, “John,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1678.

^[7] Andreas J. Köstenberger, “John,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1678.

^[8] Matt Carter and Josh Wredberg, Exalting Jesus in John (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 155.

^[9] G. Curtis Jones, 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1986), 346.

Always Be Thankful: Reframing things can help us cultivate gratitude.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, November 23, 2025

I read the following:

When I glimpse the well-worn spine of The Hiding Place on my bookshelf, I always think first of the fleas and the horror of human beings forced to sleep in flea-infested straw bedding in a concentration camp. And then I remember with amazement and deep conviction the prayer whispered on that straw by Betsie ten Boom and recalled by her sister Corrie: “Thank you, God, for the fleas.”

The first time I read The Hiding Place, I was in my mid-20s and, after a lifetime of assigned reading, was rediscovering the joy of reading for pleasure. Drawn to biographies of faithful Christians, I couldn’t devour them fast enough. I went to these books in search of worlds and experiences outside my own from which to mine wisdom. I gobbled up books such as Peace Child, Evidence Not Seen, A Chance to Die, Shadow of the Almighty, Surprised by Joy, Living Sacrifice, and Faithful Women and Their Extraordinary God. But I returned over and over again to Corrie ten Boom and the Beje in Holland, her jail cell, and the flea-ridden bunk she shared with her sister in Ravensbruck, deep in the cold, darkened heart of Nazi Germany.

Corrie’s memoir begins happily enough as she recalls her home, work, and family life in Holland. A cloud hangs over her telling, however, because as all students of history know, war looms on the horizon. When Nazi Germany invades and occupies Holland, Corrie notes small and confounding changes around her: stars of David appearing on passersby, windows of Jewish businesses broken by rocks, ugly words appearing on synagogue walls. Eventually Corrie and her family notice Jewish neighbors disappearing—to where, they aren’t sure—so they begin hiding Jews in their home and working with an underground network to spirit them to safety.

Corrie, her father (Casper), and her sister (Betsie) are eventually betrayed by a fellow Dutchman, arrested, and imprisoned. The two women are ultimately transferred to Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp. While in the camp, bedded down with the fleas, sickly Betsie shares a post-war vision with Corrie: She must tell what she’s seen—not merely the brutality but also how the love and forgiveness found in Christ surpasses the evil and hate of the world. Corrie must tell, Betsie implores, how God was there among them in their deepest suffering.

Betsie doesn’t live to see the reality of her vision, but Corrie does. She’s released from the concentration camp based, she’d later discover, on a clerical error. This divinely appointed clerical error set her on a trek all over the world to proclaim what she’d seen and experienced—a story of God’s faithfulness during some of the worst suffering humanity could invent.

As a young woman, I was a grateful recipient of Corrie’s story. I needed her honesty as she attempted to reconcile faith with suffering. When Betsie thanked God for the fleas, I was almost repulsed. I resonated more with Corrie than Betsie when Corrie said, “Betsie, there’s no way even God can make me grateful for a flea.” When Betsie expressed compassion for the Nazi guards, earnestly praying for souls hardened by hate, I stood with Corrie on the opposite side, uncertain if forgiveness could ever come. But through certain circumstances that revealed God’s goodness, God did make Corrie grateful for the fleas. And when, after the war, a former guard in her barracks extended a hand, asking for forgiveness, Corrie chose to offer it despite her feelings.[1]

Thankfulness is beneficial, but how do we thank God for difficult times?

My theme today is: Always find ways to give thanks.

Reframing things can help us cultivate gratitude.

1. The world is groaning.
   1. Romans 8:18 reads: For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
   2. Paul had been writing about how we are adopted. Paul had been writing about how we are fellow heirs with Christ. Paul had been writing about how the Spirit testifies that we are children of God. Now, Paul begins to write about how our present suffering does not compare with our future glory. Paul writes about our hope.
   3. I notice that Paul acknowledges suffering. Do you notice that?
   4. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time… Paul mentions “sufferings,” but also “present time.”
   5. We all suffer in the present time. We are all going through struggles. We all go through illnesses, whether it’s ourselves or our friends and family who face them. We all go through mental illness, if not ourselves, our friends and family face mental illness. We all go through spiritual attacks, temptations, and even spiritual warfare (Eph 6:10-12). This is true whether we realize it or not. We suffer.
   6. Paul acknowledges here that we suffer.
   7. Paul does not say, “the suffering is not real…” Paul does not say, “toughen up…” No, Paul is comparing the suffering with our future with Jesus.
   8. Paul says the sufferings of the present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
   9. Paul is contrasting the two.
   10. Paul is referring to the resurrection of the body.
   11. We are to make our present pain seem small in comparison to what is coming.[2]
   12. 2 Co 4:17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison…
   13. 1 Pe 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
   14. Someday God will make all things new. That is in Revelation 21:1-4.
   15. What is coming? Let’s look at the next few verses.
   1. Romans 8:19 reads: For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.
   2. Paul now broadens the subject matter.
   3. In verse 18 Paul used “I” and “us.” These are both personal pronouns. Now, Paul looks at this from a broader view. Now, he looks at this not from an individual perspective, but rather from a broader perspective. Now, Paul writes about all of creation suffering. All of creation is waiting with “eager” longing… or, literally, “eager expectations.” All of creation is waiting expectantly and how are they waiting “eagerly.” All of creation is earnestly waiting. As one writes: He personified it as leaning forward eagerly in anticipation of the great day in which God will fully redeem it too (cf. Gal. 5:5; Phil. 3:20; Heb. 9:28).^[3]
   4. What is all of creation waiting for? Creation is waiting for the revealing of the sons of God.
   5. Who are the sons of God? That is us, we are sons and daughters of God, and that is powerful. Remember verse 16 about this, the Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God.
   6. Creation is waiting for the sons of God to be revealed, and this would mean glorifying the sons of God when all is made new and right.
   7. What is wrong with creation? Sin. Everything is fallen, all creation is depraved and needs redeemed. “All creation” means all animals, insects, stars, asteroids, rivers, oceans, cells, everything is marred by sin.
   8. Look at Romans 8:20-21: For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.
   9. Everything, all creation, was subjected to futility. One source says: This refers to the inability to achieve a goal or purpose. Because of man’s sin, God cursed the physical universe (Ge 3:17–19), and now, no part of creation entirely fulfills God’s original purpose.^[4]
   11. One source shares: Verses 19–21 are Paul’s commentary on Gn 3. When Jesus returns to earth with His people, the curse will be lifted from the world. Inanimate creation is personified in this passage as looking forward to the restoration of creation.^[6]
   12. Creation was subjected to futility, but not willingly… how? Who is the “him” who subjected it? This happened at the fall. God ultimately subjected it, but this happened because of sin entering the world, but there is a goal. Verse 21 shows that creation is waiting to be set free.
   13. Look at Romans 8:22-23: For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.
   14. All of creation is waiting for redemption. Look at the language Paul is using. All of creation is undergoing labor pains. All of creation is going through childbirth. In verse 23, Paul comes back to us. All of creation is groaning in childbirth, and so are we. We, Christians, have the first fruits of the Spirit. That means that we have the first fruits, that is a pledge that more is to come.
   15. What is the first fruits? I think the first fruits would be the Holy Spirit and spiritual gifts (Romans 8:9; Galatians 5:22-23).
   16. We are first groaning and waiting eagerly for adoption as sons, but we are ultimately waiting on the redemption of our bodies.
2. We wait patiently and confidently (verses 24-25).
   1. Look now at Romans 8:24-25: For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.
   2. Paul talks about our hope. We were saved with the hope of when God will make all things new.
   3. We hope, not for what we see, but what we do not see.
   4. This is why we wait with patience.
   5. We do not see our hope, but we trust in the promises of God.
3.  Applications:
   1. Our suffering does not compare to our eternal life (verse 18). We must remember this. We must always remember that this world is the only hell we will experience. We must always remember to keep it in perspective.
   2. We must always remember that people in heaven are not thinking that they wish they lived longer.
   3. We must remember that God has a better plan, all of creation is fallen (verses 20-23).
   4. We must know that we have the first fruits, we have the Holy Spirit as a pledge of our inheritance (verse 23).
   5. We must remember that we have hope. In Christ, we always have hope.
   6. We must patiently wait for when God restores all things (verses 24-25).
   7. We must share the good news of Jesus with others.
   8. As we reframe, we can give thanks.
   9. Think about reframing-

Learning the Bicycle

by Wyatt Prunty

Learning the Bicycle

for Heather

The older children pedal past
Stable as little gyros, spinning hard
To supper, bath, and bed, until at last
We also quit, silent and tired
Beside the darkening yard where trees
Now shadow up instead of down.
Their predictable lengths can only tease
Her as, head lowered, she walks her bike alone
Somewhere between her wanting to ride
And her certainty she will always fall.
Tomorrow, though I will run behind,
Arms out to catch her, she’ll tilt then balance wide
Of my reach, till distance makes her small,
Smaller, beyond the place I stop and know
That to teach her I had to follow
And when she learned I had to let her go.[1]

[1] Poem: “Learning the Bicycle,” by Wyatt Prunty, from Balance as Belief. © John Hopkins University Press. Accessed on 11.19.2025

https://writersalmanac.publicradio.org/index.php%3Fdate=2004%252F05%252F15.html

Let’s get practical:

Pastor Ricks Sams writes:[1]

“The early morning hour should be dedicated to praise: do not the birds set us the example?” – Literary great, CS Lewis, quoting preaching great, Charles Spurgeon.

Let’s make the entire month of November 30 days of praise.

Research also shows that simply WRITING down three things every day for which you’re thankful is a key to happiness and a prescription that battles the blues—depression and anxiety. Don’t just say or think it if you want the power of this prescription.

Watch the mega-viewed youtube video on “Happiness At Work” by clinical psychologist, Dr. Shawn Achor, the doctor who actually prescribes writing your praise. In truth many doctors and social scientists have reported on the health-giving properties of praise & thanksgiving.

Hmm??? Who would have thought of that before all this research?

Actually, God did over 3000 years ago when the many Psalm writers penned commands like these: “Shout for joy to the Lord all the earth. Serve the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he that has made us, and we are his; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name; for the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations” (Psalm 100).

Note in this Psalm how connected thanksgiving and praise is with gladness and joy. Also contained in these commands is getting a firm grip on who we belong to, also tied to joy. How many references to “his” did you count?

Why commands? Because God loves us and wants us to experience the best life possible. He knows how we get that because He created us. Do you recall how giving us life abundant was one of the reasons Jesus came:?“I came that you might have life and have it more abundantly” (John 10:10).

On top of all this a growing body of research shows what we say or think first thing every morning sets the tone for the next 24 hours*.

[1] Rick’s Ramblings email on 11.18.2025

Blessed Assurance:

1       Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!

Oh, what a foretaste of glory divine!

Heir of salvation, purchase of God,

Born of His Spirit, washed in His blood.

2       Perfect submission, perfect delight,

Visions of rapture now burst on my sight:

Angels descending bring from above

Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.

3       Perfect submission, all is at rest,

I in my Savior am happy and blest:

Watching and waiting, looking above,

Filled with His goodness, lost in His love.

Chorus        This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long;

This is my story, this is my song,

Praising my Savior all the day long.^[7]

[1] From Insight for Living Daily Broadcast: Putting Grace into Action, Part 3, Nov 18, 2025

This material may be protected by copyright.

[1] Hoover, Christine. Gospel Coalition; July 1, 2019; accessed on 10.06.2025. https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/reviews/finding-courage-hiding-place/

[2] Paraphrased from Piper, Desiring God, pages 283–284

^[3] Tom Constable, Tom Constable’s Expository Notes on the Bible (Galaxie Software, 2003), Ro 8:19.

^[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ro 8:20.

[5] https://bibleworm1.wordpress.com/2019/03/15/the-redemption-of-possums-part-1/

^[6] Michael G. Vanlaningham, “Romans,” in The Moody Bible Commentary, ed. Michael A. Rydelnik and Michael Vanlaningham (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2014), 1757.

^[7] Logos Hymnal, 1st edition. (Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1995).

Paul Encourages the Churches in Macedonia and Greece (Acts 20:1–6)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes at Bethel Friends Church on Sunday, November 16, 2025

Tony Evans shares:

In the 1996 Olympics, Keri Strug, the Olympic gymnast, had the weight of the Olympic gold medal for her team on her shoulders. All she had to do was have a successful vault, and the United States would get the gold. There was one problem. When she did her first vault, she sprained her ankle, and she could barely walk. She fell; she did not get the score she needed for the U.S. team to win. As she sat there on the mat with tears falling down her face, she cried for two reasons. One, she was in pain. And two, there was no way she could make the score to win the victory in this situation.

But she had another jump. She had another vault. She got up. She felt like giving up, but her coach stood on the sidelines and said, “You can do it, Keri. You can do it, Keri. I believe in you. You can do it.”

As she limped to get ready to try to do a vault, she could barely move. She told an interviewer, after the vault, that all she could do to keep going was keep her eyes on the coach. He kept her from focusing on her ankle. This girl was really hurting. She was crying. But she had an encourager who believed in her. She found strength from his encouragement that she didn’t have. Even with the limp, she took off running, and did her flip on the vault. She had to nail the landing in order to win. She had to try to do this with an ankle that was injured. With her coach’s encouragement holding her up, she conquered her impossibility. She earned a high enough score for the U.S. team to win the gold—all because of her coach’s encouragement. Encouragement changes your performance.^233,[1]

My theme today is: Paul encourages the churches in Macedonia and Greece.

1. Let’s start with the context.
   1. Acts 20:1 reads: After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia.
   2. What uproar?
   3. Remember, in the previous verses, there was an almost riot in Ephesus.
   4. The town clerk (Acts 19:34) quieted the crowd.
   5. So, here in Acts 20:1 Paul is in Ephesus, but leaving for Macedonia.
   6. Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.^[2]
   7. The ESV SB: helps: Paul Completes His Ministry in Greece. Paul made a final visit to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, spending the winter in Corinth.^[3]
   8. Achaia would be the broader area around Corinth.
   9. The uproar ceases; Paul sends for the disciples.
   10. He says farewell and leaves for Macedonia.
2. Paul in Greece (Acts 20:1-3).
   1. Acts 20:1–3 (ESV)
   2. After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for Macedonia. ² When he had gone through those regions and had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. ³ There he spent three months, and when a plot was made against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. 
   3. Macedonia would include Berea, Thessalonica, Philippi, and other cities. Corinth was south of Macedonia in Greece.
   4. Picking up at verse 2, Paul had gone through those regions.
   5. Notice in Acts 20:1 and Acts 20:2, Paul is encouraging the churches.
   6. Paul is also carrying an offering for Jerusalem (Romans 15:25-27).
   7. One writes:
   8. Paul collected offerings from the Gentile congregations of Macedonia and Achaia (Greece), and presumably from Galatia and Asia Minor, in order to support the brothers and sisters in Jerusalem. This offering would serve as a concrete expression of love, support, and solidarity. Paul tells the church in Rome that those in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make this offering (Rom 15:26–27). They were “cheerful giver[s]” (2 Cor 9:7).^[4]
   9. Which regions? CSB: Paul probably went to Philippi and Thessalonica in Macedonia before going to Greece (Achaia), where he stayed for three months, possibly in Athens and Corinth. [In verse 3 we see] Paul’s Jewish opponents plotted against him, which caused him to change his travel plans. He decided to travel overland from Greece to Macedonia, where he caught a ship at Philippi.^[5]
   10. Notice that Acts 20:2 reads that he is giving them much encouragement.
   11. Do we aim to encourage?
   12. Then he comes to Greece. That is the same as the Roman province known as Achaia, which is where Corinth is located.
   13. He spent three months there (Acts 20:3).
   14. Once again, there is a plot against him by the Jews (Acts 20:3).
   15. He changes his travel plans to return through Macedonia. This is a land route, rather than a sea route.
   16. Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.^[6]
3. Paul heads to Troas (Acts 20:4-6).
   1. Acts 20:4–6 (ESV) ⁴ Sopater the Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and Trophimus. ⁵ These went on ahead and were waiting for us at Troas, ⁶ but we sailed away from Philippi after the days of Unleavened Bread, and in five days we came to them at Troas, where we stayed for seven days.
   2. In verse 4, we see that seven people joined him.
   3. In Acts 20:5 Luke writes they went ahead and waited for “us.” Since Luke writes “us,” I believe Luke is also with Paul.
   4. They sail from Philippi.
   5. It is interesting that they sailed after the days of Unleavened Bread. That would be Passover week.
   6. The days of Unleavened Bread refer to the week following Passover. Originally an agricultural festival commemorating the beginning of harvest, it was celebrated for seven days beginning on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan (March–April). It was later combined with Passover (Exod 12:1–20; Ezek 45:21–24; Matt 26:17; Luke 22:1).^[7]
   7. They stayed seven days in Troas.
   8. Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. From Philippi to Troas was about 125 mi (200 km).^[8]
4.  Applications
   1. How can we encourage our brothers and sisters this week?
   2. How can we encourage through giving to our brothers and sisters this week?
   3. How can we serve our brothers and sisters this week?
   4. Who can we visit this week?

Tony Evans writes:

Many churches are in need of what every football team has: cheerleaders. The job of a cheerleader is to tell everybody “we’re going to make it.” No matter how bad things look on the scoreboard, there is still hope. Cheerleaders cheer all the way to the end of the game and will act like the team is winning by a big score even when there may be no way that a victory is possible. Their job is to be a cheerleader.

When folks come into today’s sanctuary with broken lives, they need to run into some cheerleaders, folks who are willing to cheer them on and tell them that they are going to make it.^239,[9]

^[1] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 85.

^[2] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 20:1.

^[3] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2128.

^[4] Tony Merida, Exalting Jesus in Acts (Nashville, TN: Holman Reference, 2017), 299.

^[5] Stanley E. Porter, “Acts,” in CSB Study Bible: Notes, ed. Edwin A. Blum and Trevin Wax (Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2017), 1756.

^[6] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 20:3.

^[7] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 20:6.

^[8] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 20:6.

^[9] Tony Evans, Tony Evans’ Book of Illustrations: Stories, Quotes, and Anecdotes from More than 30 Years of Preaching and Public Speaking (Chicago, IL: Moody Publishers, 2009), 86.

Paul Experiences Violent Opposition at Ephesus (Acts 19:23–41)

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for and at Bethel Friends Church in Poland, OH on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025

Sproul writes:

When Paul preached the gospel, a conflict always arose from the confrontation between the truth of Christ and the false doctrine of idolatry. John Calvin tells us in the Institutes that the heart of every human being is an idol factory, a fabricum idolarum. We are by nature inventors, craftsmen who create for ourselves idols as substitutes for the living God. In his letter to the Romans, Paul said that God’s wrath is revealed against the whole world, not because there are isolated incidents of idolatry but because the penchant toward idolatry is universal. It is foundational to everyone. Every human being knows the living God because God has clearly revealed His character to everyone. Yet every person by nature represses that knowledge of the true God and exchanges it for a lie by creating idols as substitutes for the true God (Rom. 1:18–23). That propensity does not end with conversion. That strong drive within us to replace the living God with something more palatable to us remains even in the hearts and minds of the converted. Today we do not fashion idols from stone, but we do fashion idols from ideas.

There was probably no place in the ancient world where this conflict with idolatry was more severe than in Ephesus. The temple of Diana in Ephesus, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was four times larger than the Parthenon in Athens. It was constructed of 127 pillars, and each pillar was 60 feet high. The walls of the temple were adorned by the ancient sculptor Praxiteles, the Michelangelo of his time. The grandeur of the temple of Diana was known throughout the entire world. In fact, the cult of religion that focused on Diana, or Artemis, was one of the largest religions of that time worldwide. There were thirty-three shrines to the goddess Diana in the ancient world spread out across different cities. She was a fertility goddess and was also known as the goddess of the hunt. Worshipers built little household shrines in their backyards dedicated to Diana before which they would bow and pray. Additionally, a large economy was established on the worship of Diana.^[1]

My theme today: Paul’s violent opposition in Ephesus.

The application: Take down idols in your life

1. The lecture of Demetrius (Acts 19:23–27)
   1. The context and situation.
   2. Paul is in Ephesus.
   3. In the previous section, we had people trying to impersonate him to cast out demons.
   4. Then, in Acts 19:21, Paul resolved to pass through Macedonia and Achaia (Corinth) and go back to Jerusalem.
   5. But the following event is in Ephesus.
   6. Acts 19:23–27 (ESV)
   7. ²³ About that time there arose no little disturbance concerning the Way. ²⁴ For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought no little business to the craftsmen. ²⁵ These he gathered together, with the workmen in similar trades, and said, “Men, you know that from this business we have our wealth. ²⁶ And you see and hear that not only in Ephesus but in almost all of Asia this Paul has persuaded and turned away a great many people, saying that gods made with hands are not gods. ²⁷ And there is danger not only that this trade of ours may come into disrepute but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be counted as nothing, and that she may even be deposed from her magnificence, she whom all Asia and the world worship.”
   8. This section begins with “about that time…” This is as Paul is beginning to think about heading back to Jerusalem. He has sent Timothy and Erastus into Macedonia, but he stayed awhile (Acts 19:22).
   9. Notice that Christianity is called “the Way.”
   10. In verses 23-24, we see Demetrius the tradesman (Acts 19:23–24): He employs many craftsmen to make silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis.
   11. Verse 24 says that Demetrius brought “no little” business to these craftsmen. That seems to clue me in that the following is going to be about money.
   12. In Acts 19:25-27, we see Demetrius the troublemaker: He calls his associates together and lectures them concerning how Paul’s preaching is harming their business.
   13. Acts 19:25 says that he gathered these businessmen in similar trades to his. Then, we see his speech. It starts with him talking about the wealth in this business. He is referring to the pagan things.
   14. The NET Bible shares: In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.^[2]
   15. Remember this event follows many being saved in Acts 19:19-20. They were saved, and they burned all their things of the magic arts. Since they were now Christians, they aren’t going to be marketing these places.
   16. In Acts 19:25, Demetrius says that from this business they have their wealth.
   17. In Acts 19:26, He says that Paul has persuaded and turned people away from their business. Paul is saying they are not gods at all.
   18. IVP BBC NT: “Not gods at all” was the refrain of Isaiah (e.g., 44:9–20; 46:1–11) and Judaism. By the early second century the Roman governor of a nearby province complained that the temples of the gods were being forsaken due to conversions to Christianity. After the arrest of many Christians, the governor reported, more people did buy animals for sacrifices again.^[3]
   19. Sproul writes: The silversmiths made images and souvenirs for visitors who came from all over the world to see this great temple, and outside the temple they had booths for displaying and selling Diana-related paraphernalia.^[4]
   20. In Acts 19:27, he shares danger about losing the business but also not being able to take care of the temple of Artemis. The NET Bible shares: It is important to appreciate that money alone was not the issue, even for the pagan Ephesians. The issue was ultimately the dishonor of their goddess to whom they were devoted in worship. The battle was a “cosmic” one between deities.^[5]
   21. NET: Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.^[6]
2. The lunacy of the crowd (Acts 19:28–34):
   1. Demetrius’s fiery speech incites mob action against Paul and his associates.
   2. In Acts 19:28-34 wee see the mob.
   3. Acts 19:28 (ESV)When they heard this they were enraged and were crying out, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
   4. These businessmen meet in the amphitheater. They are crying out how great Artemis is.
   5. This location made the event a public spectacle. The Grand Theater in Ephesus (still standing today) stood facing down the main thoroughfare of the city toward the docks. It had a seating capacity of 25,000.^[7]
   6. In Acts 19:29 they rush in and take Paul’s companions- Gaius and Aristarchus.
   7. The ESV STB shares: Apparently Gaius and Aristarchus were eventually released, since Aristarchus reappears later as Paul’s frequent companion (see 20:4; 27:2; Col. 4:10; Philem. 24).^[8]
   8. Acts 19:29 (ESV)
   9. ²⁹ So the city was filled with the confusion, and they rushed together into the theater, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians who were Paul’s companions in travel.
   10. Paul then wanted to go in the crowd, but the disciples would not let him.
   11. Acts 19:30 (ESV)But when Paul wished to go in among the crowd, the disciples would not let him.
   12. Even other friends of Paul were urging him not to go into the crowd.
   13. Acts 19:31 (ESV)
   14. ³¹ And even some of the Asiarchs, who were friends of his, sent to him and were urging him not to venture into the theater.
   15. Asiarchs are high-ranking military officials.
   16. ESV SB adds: The Asiarchs were the keepers of the imperial Roman cult in Asia; they were of high rank and were concerned about the safety of their fellow citizen Paul. Many inscriptions testify to the use of the title Asiarch during this time (see also Strabo, Geography 14.1.42).^[9]
   17. In Acts 19:32-34 the mob gets worse.
   18. Acts 19:32–34 (ESV)
   19. ³² Now some cried out one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had come together. ³³ Some of the crowd prompted Alexander, whom the Jews had put forward. And Alexander, motioning with his hand, wanted to make a defense to the crowd. ³⁴ But when they recognized that he was a Jew, for about two hours they all cried out with one voice, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
   20. Confusion gets worse.
   21. Notice, most of them did not know why they came together.
   22. I once heard about the American Civil War. One person would be fighting for slavery, another for states’ rights, and another would be fighting because his friend was fighting. The initial reason gets blurred.
   23. Verse 33 says they thought it was Alexander.
   24. The Jews had put him forward.
   25. Alexander wanted to speak.
   26. He is not able to speak. Further, they realize that he was a Jewish man and they shout him down.
   27. The NET Bible shares:
   28. The nature of Alexander’s defense is not clear. It appears he was going to explain, as a Jew, that the problem was not caused by Jews, but by those of “the Way.” However, he never got a chance to speak.^[10]
   29. ESV SB: The role of the Jew Alexander is unclear. Perhaps he wished to dissociate the Jews from the Christians. But the crowd shouted him down, knowing that Jews opposed any foreign gods.^[11]
3. The mayor calms them down (Acts 19:35–41):

1. 1. Acts 19:35 (ESV) ³⁵ And when the town clerk had quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, who is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is temple keeper of the great Artemis, and of the sacred stone that fell from the sky?
   2. This town clerk quiets the crowd.
   3. I wonder how he did that. He must have had enough respect to leverage in this situation.
   4. Notice he talks about the city of Ephesus as a “temple keeper of the great Artemis…” Notice “Artemis” is always the “’Great’ Artemis.”
   5. Ephesus is also the keeper of the scared stone that fell from the sky.
   6. This was likely a meteor.
   7. In verse 36 he exhorts them to calm down.
   8. Acts 19:36 (ESV) ³⁶ Seeing then that these things cannot be denied, you ought to be quiet and do nothing rash.
   9. Look at Acts 19:37:
   10. Acts 19:37 (ESV) ³⁷ For you have brought these men here who are neither sacrilegious nor blasphemers of our goddess.
   11. I found his honesty revealing. Here is this man who is likely not a believer, but he says these Christians are not sacrilegious or blasphemous of their goddess.
   12. In Acts 19:38-39, the town clerk points Demetrius and the craftsmen to the courts.
   13. Acts 19:38–39 (ESV) ³⁸ If therefore Demetrius and the craftsmen with him have a complaint against anyone, the courts are open, and there are proconsuls. Let them bring charges against one another. ³⁹ But if you seek anything further, it shall be settled in the regular assembly.
   14. Keller: “” It was a pragmatic argument. “Watch out; we may get arrested,” and everybody went home. Okay, so the moral of the story is … what? Actually, most commentators across the spectrum say it’s very cagey of Luke to keep this in here and show us this.
   15. That’s because the city clerk is essentially saying, “You say that these guys are disrupting the social order, but you’re the ones disrupting the social order. You’re saying these people over here, because they are undermining idol worship, are disrupting the social order, but actually you’re the ones who are disrupting the social order, because the Romans could come down on us. They could declare martial law. This is a riot. You don’t have any good reason for it.”
   16. What he’s actually saying is, “You say idols are the basis of our social order, but actually, it’s the idolatry and the violence of the idolaters that’s disrupting the social order.^[12]
   17. He essentially says that there is an order for taking care of these things.
   18. This section wraps up with a warning that if they do not disperse, the Roman officials will come in.
   19. Acts 19:40–41 (ESV) ⁴⁰ For we really are in danger of being charged with rioting today, since there is no cause that we can give to justify this commotion.” ⁴¹ And when he had said these things, he dismissed the assembly.
   20. He then dismissed this assembly, and they followed his warning. In Acts 20:1 it begins with “After the uproar ceased…”
   21. The ESV SB is helpful:
   22. A “proconsul” (Gk. anthypatos) was the head of government in a Roman province (cf. 13:7; 18:12). The plural here may refer to the fact that at that time in Ephesus they were between the reigns of two proconsuls. in danger. The crowd in the theater (where regular assemblies were held) had the appearance of an unlawful assembly and risked bringing Roman reprisals. Luke’s extensive report of the careful reasoning of the town clerk may have provided an important basis with which Christians in other cities could have defended themselves, since Luke shows here (and elsewhere in Acts; see notes on 18:14; 23:27) that the Christian gospel was not contrary to the Roman rule of law and was not disruptive of public order, and that accusations made to that effect were untrue.^[13]
2.  Applications:
   1. This all begins because Paul preached against idols.
   2. How are we doing with that?
   3. Is our family an idol?
   4. Is our money an idol?
   5. Is our job an idol?
   6. An idol is anything we place in front of God.

Keller writing about a New York Times opinionator blog:

New York Times Opinionator blog (it wasn’t in the printed version), a man named Benjamin Nugent, a creative writer, wrote a very interesting column on what he called “monomania.” He basically says that for a big part of his life, like a lot of young people, he wanted to be a writer, and that was the only thing he wanted. He wanted to be a good writer. He wanted to have his stuff have an impact. He wanted to write beautiful stuff, great stuff. He began to realize he was shooting himself in the foot.

He says, “When good writing was my only goal, I made the quality of my work the measure of my worth. For this reason, I wasn’t able to read my own writing well. I couldn’t tell whether something I had just written was good or bad, because I needed it to be good in order to feel sane. I lost the ability to cheerfully interrogate how much I liked what I had written, to see what was actually on the page rather than what I wanted to see or what I feared to see.”^[14]

Further:

He went on and said what was interesting as a writer is he noticed that writers of the past couple of centuries were much better at describing what he calls “monomania.” He says, “… writers of the 19th century wrote deathless novels about monomania.” For example, he talks about Captain Ahab and Moby Dick and the fact that the whale had beaten him and now he had no self-esteem and he was going to get his honor back by finding that white whale.

Then he talked about Victor Frankenstein who knew if he could just scientifically unlock the secret of life, then he’d know … This is all in the same column. Benjamin Nugent says, “When Frankenstein’s creature opens its eyes, [he] is repulsed and runs away. Ahab’s confrontation with his whale does not restore his self-esteem.”

What Nugent calls monomania is what the Bible calls idolatry. It’s the same thing. It’s the very same thing. It always fails to give you what it says it’s going to give you. It gives you the opposite. Anything you make more important than God will do that. Anything. Another woman also wrote in the New York Times early this year. This was in the print edition. She was the CFO of a major investment bank at one point. She was really at the top of the field.

She wrote an article called “Is There Life After Work?” She dealt with what she considered one of the main New York City myths, which is: you work like a dog to make money for a while. You spend a number of years. You work like a dog to get up and make your money. Everything else is put second, and you work and you work and you work. Then you kick back, and you have the money to live the way you want. The last two-thirds or half of your life you’re able to do what you want.

She says what a lie that was, because she was successful. Why? Because she worked like a dog. But why? She says, “Inevitably, when I left my job, it devastated me. I couldn’t just rally and move on. I did not know how to value who I was versus what I did. What I did was who I was.” Work, she thought, was her servant. It actually had become her god. She couldn’t feel good about herself unless she was being incredibly busy. She couldn’t stop. She didn’t know who she was. The idols always, always do that to you.^[15]

^[1] R. C. Sproul, Acts, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 333.

^[2] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 19:25.

^[3] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1993), Ac 19:26.

^[4] R. C. Sproul, Acts, St. Andrew’s Expositional Commentary (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2010), 333–334.

^[5] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 19:27.

^[6] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 19:24.

^[7] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 19:29.

^[8] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2128.

^[9] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2128.

^[10] Biblical Studies Press, The NET Bible First Edition Notes (Biblical Studies Press, 2006), Ac 19:33.

^[11] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2128.

^[12] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2012-2013 (New York: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[13] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2128.

^[14] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2012-2013 (New York: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).

^[15] Timothy J. Keller, The Timothy Keller Sermon Archive, 2012-2013 (New York: Redeemer Presbyterian Church, 2013).