I read this on the Gospel Coalition’s website:

https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/article/6-ways-to-teach-your-kids-the-bible

https://jdgreear.com/blog/confederate-memorials-productive-unproductive-habits-church-address-current-events/

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/let-your-children-go-to-him?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=962017%20-%20Time%20of%20Send%20-%20B&utm_content=962017%20-%20Time%20of%20Send%20-%20B+CID_2f828f1ef4ccd09ab4d3bbb94a5697b3&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Read%20more%20by%20author%20and%20counselor%20Tim%20Kimmel

The links below are a few good articles which I have recently read. You may enjoy them:

https://cbmw.org/the-nashville-statement/rosaria-butterfield-why-i-signed-the-nashville-statement/

http://www.reasonablefaith.org/where-have-christian-academics-been-hiding

Ephesians 4:7-10: By God’s grace we receive Spiritual gifts. Take these gifts seriously and use them for Him.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes at Bethel Friends Church on September 3, 2017

Intro:

I believe that I was in kindergarten and I believe I was five years old going on 6 years old. It was Christmas and we were opening gifts. I had a brother who was about 1 going on 2 at the time. I also had an older brother who would have been 7 years old. We were sitting in the living room of our bi-level house. I opened up a gift and looked at it and said, “Just what I didn’t want!” How rude was that! How disrespectful was that! You know what the gift was? It was Mr. Potato head.

Now, watch this young man open his gift:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZTZ_lxvBes

We are just looking at 3 verses today and next week.

Let’s read Ephesians 4:7-10:

⁷ But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift.⁸ Therefore it says,

“When He ascended on high,
He led captive a host of captives,
And He gave gifts to men.”

⁹ (Now this expression, “He ascended,” what does it mean except that He also had descended into the lower parts of the earth? ¹⁰ He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things.

My theme and application:

By God’s grace we receive Spiritual gifts. Take these gifts seriously and use them for Him.

1. Gifts are given to us.
   1. Notice how the passage begins with, “but”?
   2. The passage is moving on from what Paul had just written about. Paul had been writing about believers “walking in a manner worthy of their calling” (Verse 1).
   3. Paul had been writing about unity.
   4. These are the practical parts of Ephesians.
   5. Paul ended verses 1-6 writing about unity: There isone body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; ⁵ one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶ one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all.
   6. We are to be united and we serve one God, but God has given us distinct gifts.
   7. In verse 7, notice the passage it says that to each one grace was given.
   8. Grace, gifts are a grace. We don’t pay for grace, do we? No, then it would not be grace.
   9. We’ll come back to this idea. But notice grace. John MacArthur was preaching on this passage and talked about how the whole Gospel can be summed up in one words and that word is “grace.”
   10. Grace is foundational. We make the gifts about us and they are really about God, His grace.
   11. There is more to be said about these first few verses, but we will save that for the Wednesday night discussion group.
2. Jesus sacrificed to give us gifts.
   18. In verse 8 Paul quotes Psalm 68:18. Now if we look at that Psalm it says: You have ascended on high, You have led captive Yourcaptives;
       You have received gifts among men,
       Even among the rebellious also, that the Lord God may dwell there.
   19. Paul changes the text a little bit which as an Apostle He could do. Though there were Jewish traditions at Paul’s time who already had a different interpretation of that passage. One source says: Paul cites Ps. 68:18, where the one who ascends is the triumphant Lord God. Paul sees this as referring to Christ Jesus in his resurrection as head of the church. gifts. In Ps. 68:18, the divine victor is seen “receiving gifts among men,” but Paul adapts the passage to his purposes (as NT authors sometimes do in citing the OT) to show that Christ gave gifts to his people from his spoils of victory (interestingly, ancient Syriac and Aramaic translations of Ps. 68:18 also have “gave”). The “gifts” given by Christ turn out to be the church leaders described in Eph. 4:11. The captives over whom Christ triumphed are most likely demons (cf. this theme of victory over demonic forces in 1:19–22).
   20. Another source adds:
   21. I like what the Life Application Study Bible says about this passage: God is pictured as a conqueror marching to the gates and taking tribute from the fallen city. Paul uses that picture to teach that Christ, in his crucifixion and resurrection, was victorious over Satan. When Christ ascended to heaven, he gave gifts to the church…
   22. Paul adapts the text of Psalm 68:18, as ancient expounders of Scripture often did, to make his point (a later targum of the Psalms rewords it the same way he does). This psalm refers to God’s “going up” at Mount Sinai, as Jewish interpreters recognized, and Paul applies the principle of God’s arising to Jesus. (In some Jewish traditions, Moses ascended all the way to heaven to receive the law; if Paul or any of his readers knew such traditions, it would make the application of this psalm to Jesus all the more vivid. But it is questionable how widely known this tradition was in Paul’s day.) Paul’s point is in harmony with the image of the psalm, although he changed its language; once a conqueror had received tribute and plunder from the defeated (as in Ps 68:18), he distributed most of these spoils to his soldiers (as here).
   23. In the Bible Knowledge Commentary it shares: However, it is better to think that Paul was not quoting one particular verse of the psalm but rather that he was summarizing all of Psalm 68, which has many words similar to those in Psalm 68:18. The essence of the psalm is that a military victor has the right to give gifts to those who are identified with him. Christ, having captivated sinful people by redeeming them, is Victor and gives them as gifts to the church.
   24. Now, a few more comments:
       1. We have the idea of a king coming back victorious and giving gifts to His subjects.
       2. We are His subjects and Jesus gives us gifts.
   25. So we come to verses 9 and 10 and Paul is explaining the meaning, it is a parenthesis.
   26. Everyone gets tripped up with verses 9 and 10.
   27. Did Jesus go to hell?
   28. Did He give a second change at eternal life to demons or people in hell?
   29. I would say, no and no.
   30. First, hell does not even exist yet. When people die now they go to Sheol or Hades. Hell is the lake of fire in Rev. 20:10.
   31. Second, there are no second chances. We see this in Hebrews 9:27.
   32. So, there are different views on this passage.
       1. People believe the descent is Jesus taken the form of a human.
       2. Or, it is possible Jesus came to lead the people in Abraham’s Bosom to heaven (Luke 16:19-31).
       3. It is also possible that Jesus went to the abode of dead to show the demons that they did not win (Col. 2:15).
       4. It is possible that the lower parts of the earth is the grave.
       5. The ascension is Jesus ascending to Heaven (Acts 1:9-11)

• Use your gifts
  1. So, are you using your gifts?
  2. What gifts am I talking about? I am talking about spiritual gifts. We will get into those more in the coming weeks.
  3. Jesus died on the cross and rose again to GIVE you gifts.
  4. Your gifts come from His grace.

Close:

Sometimes we receive gifts that we really want. Watch this:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bZTZ_lxvBes

That was a gift he wanted. On one particular Christmas my dad did the same thing. He hid a BB gun all wrapped up behind the couch. We opened it up and we were excited. How do you feel about the gifts you received from King Jesus? Jesus went to the cross to save you and give you spiritual gifts. Are you using them?

Do you know Jesus?

Let’s pray.

Do you know Jesus? Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means being with Jesus forever. (Rev. 22:5)

This is a really good article by John Piper regarding the confederate memorials and souther culture. Piper is from the south:

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/charlottesville-confederate-memorials-and-southern-culture?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Daily%20Email%208292017&utm_content=Daily%20Email%208292017+CID_3f13264b43026256de9cea31632a522b&utm_source=Campaign%20Monitor&utm_term=Read%20John%20Pipers%20careful%20and%20extended%20treatment%20on%20the%20removal%20of%20monuments

Ephesians 4:1-6: be united in humility, gentleness, patience showing tolerance in love.

Prepared and preached by Pastor Steve Rhodes for Bethel Friends Church on Sunday, August 27, 2017

Introduction:

Writing about Ecc. 3:1-8 Chuck Swindoll writes:

Kids are nutty.

Some friends of ours in Texas have two little girls. The younger child is constantly on the move, rarely winding down by bedtime. So the nightly affair has become something of a familiar routine. A story from her favorite book. A drink of water. A prayer. A song. Her doll. Another drink of water. A kiss. A hug. A third sip of water. A trip to the bathroom. A warning. Another kiss. You know, the whole bit.

One night her dad decided he’d be Mr. Nice Guy, the epitome of patience and tolerance. He did it all. Not once did he lose his cool. When Miss Busybody finally ran out of requests, her daddy slipped out of the room, heaved a sigh of relief, and slumped into his favorite chair by the fireplace. Before he could stretch out and relax, however, there was a piercing scream from the jitterbug’s room. Startled, he dashed down the hall and rushed to her bedside. Great tears were rolling down the little girl’s face.

“What’s wrong? What happened?”
“I burnt my tongue.”
Baffled, he tried again, “You what?”
“I burnt my tongue!” she yelled.
“How in the world did you do that?” he asked.
“I licked my night-light.”

That really happened. She couldn’t control her curiosity. She simply had to discover how it would feel to lick that little thing that glowed so warmly and serenely by her bed. Rude was her awakening to the fact that lights are strictly for lighting . . . not licking. And tongues are made for tasting . . . not testing. You and I realize that the best thing our little friend could have done was to stay in bed, keep her tongue to herself, and allow the light to fulfill its appointed function.

But she didn’t—and she got burned.

In Ecclesiastes 3:1–8, Solomon, the wise, passes along to us a list of various types of “appointed times” on earth. Among them he mentions

a time to heal . . . a time to shun embracing . . . a time to give up as lost . . . a time to be silent

I see in these words of counsel one strong undercurrent of advice: BACK OFF! It is often wise to relax our intensity, refuse to force an issue, allow nature to take its course, “let sleeping dogs lie.” Backing off, says Solomon, provides opportunity for healing to occur, opportunity for perspective to break through the storm clouds of emotion and illuminate a difficult situation with a fresh understanding.

When the time is right, things flow very naturally, very freely. To rush or force creates friction-scars that take years to erase. Take it from one who has learned this difficult lesson the hard way—keep a tight bridle on your tongue, relax, and settle for a good night’s sleep. Otherwise, you’re going to get pushy, you’re going to get caught with your tongue in the wrong place . . . and you’re going to get burned.

Sometimes it’s best to back off, remain silent, and settle for a good night’s sleep.

I read that recently and I thought of it with today’s passage. In Ephesians 4 Paul begins exhorting the church to walk worthy of their calling. He is writing about their calling as Christians. But the focus in Eph. 4:1-6 is on unity. Many times we are pushy with other people, overly curious, not recognizing seasons and times, we get our tongue in the wrong place and we ruin the unity that we are called to. Now, let’s move from devotion to sermon.

My theme and challenge is: be united in humility, gentleness, patience showing tolerance in love.

1. Paul challenges and exhorts the church to Walk in a manner worthy of their calling.
   1. Notice how first he writes that he is a prisoner for the Lord. He had written that in chapter 3:1 as well.
   2. Paul implores them with this material. That is a strong word.
   3. Notice that we are called. We all have a calling. It is not only pastors and missionaries who have a calling. Jesus calls us all as Christians.
   4. How do we walk in a manner worthy of our calling? What does this look like? Or, at least right here what is he writing about?
   5. The answer is unity.
   6. This unity should be shown in:
      1. Humility: One writes: Humility” is a term not found in the Latin or Greek vocabularies of Paul’s day. The Greek word apparently was coined by Christians, perhaps even by Paul himself, to describe a quality for which no other word was available. Humility, the most foundational Christian virtue (James 4:6), is the quality of character commanded in the first beatitude (Matt. 5:3), and describes the noble grace of Christ.
      2. Gentleness: gentleness. “Meekness,” an inevitable product of humility, refers to that which is mild-spirited and self-controlled (cf. Matt. 5:5; 11:29; Gal. 5:23; Col. 3:12).

• Patience: The Greek word lit. means long-tempered, and refers to a resolved patience that is an outgrowth of humility and gentleness (cf. 1 Thess. 5:14; James 5:10).

1. Showing tolerance for one another in love: one writes: bearing with one another in love. Humility, gentleness, and patience are reflected in a forbearing love for others that is continuous and unconditional (cf. 1 Pet. 4:8).
   1. I have one more word about tolerance. We tolerate the smell of the outhouse, right? We don’t desire that smell, do we? I hope not.
   2. Society has changed the meaning of this word. To tolerate means that even though we have a problem with something, or someone, or even though some idiosyncrasies annoy us we still love them.
   3. Tolerance does NOT mean condoning sin. But in love we tolerate them.
2. Being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
3. The church is called to unity.

1. Paul gives the perfect illustration of Unity
   1. One body: The church is ultimately one body. We are all part of the bride of Christ. People say, “I don’t go to church becomes of hypocrites” yet that call themselves Christians.” Who are we going to be with in Heaven? The church.
   2. One Spirit: The Holy Spirit. Get this, we all have the same Spirit. Praise God!
   3. Called in one hope of your calling: We all have the same hope.
   4. One Lord: We believe in one Lord.
   5. One faith: We all have the same faith. All Christians have the same faith.
   6. One baptism: We are all baptized into Christ. This could be referring to spiritual or water baptism.
   7. One God and Father of us all who is over all and through all and in all. MacArthur shares: He focuses on the Trinity—the Spirit in v. 4, the Son in v. 5, and the Father in v. 6. His point is not to distinguish between the Persons of the Godhead but to emphasize that, although they have unique roles, they are completely unified in every aspect of the divine nature and plan.

Conclusion:

In Ephesians chapter 4 Paul gets into real practical matters. In the first three chapters he wrote about deep theology. But now, that theology is related to the practical. God has united Jews and gentiles, what God has united, let no man tear apart.

So, going back to that Swindoll devotional: let’s be careful to not rush in and lick light bulbs. Actually, let’s tolerate those nightlights. Let’s love them. Let’s have humility. Let’s be united in humility, gentleness, patience showing tolerance in love.

Let’s pray.

Do you know Jesus? Luke 9:23

God created us to be with him. (Genesis 1-2)

Our sin separated us from God. (Genesis 3)

Sins cannot be removed by good deeds (Gen 4-Mal 4)

Paying the price for sin, Jesus died and rose again. (Matthew – Luke)

Everyone who trusts in him alone has eternal life. (John – Jude)

Life that’s eternal means we will be with Jesus forever. (Revelation 22:5)

Pray

I found this interesting 

http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/17/god-or-the-divine-is-referenced-in-every-state-constitution/?utm_source=Pew+Research+Center&utm_campaign=af58cf2f8f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2017_08_23&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_3e953b9b70-af58cf2f8f-399934421

I read this and thought it was worth sharing. This is from Swindoll:

http://www.insight.org/resources/daily-devotional/individual/our-speech

Ephesians 3:14-21: Paul’s prayer and doxology

Introduction:

About nine years ago an HBO miniseries came out called John Adams. This was based off of the biography called John Adams by David McCullough. I read that book fourteen or so years ago and I watched the HBO miniseries after it was available on DVD. There is a scene towards the end of the 6^th episode where President John Adams confronts his son Charles who is addicted to alcohol. John says to him, “I renounce you!!” with that President John Adams walks away.

I want you to know that we serve a God in Heaven who loves us and His love for us is so great that He will never renounce us. Once we truly know Jesus Christ nothing can separate us from His love. God’s love is far beyond our understanding. In that respect today’s sermon could be titled, Why the Cross? God’s Love. Now, I know I preached about God’s grace a few weeks ago. God’s grace is the way God gives us salvation. God’s love is different as God’s love is the reason behind God’s grace. However, there is still a dilemma, God loves us, but God must punish sin and that is why the cross event happened.

My Theme:

Understand God’s Great love for you and the strength you receive through the Holy Spirit.

Application:

Be energized by the power in you through the Holy Spirit.

1. Paul prays, notice that first.
   1. Paul gets down on his knees and prays. ¹⁴ For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, ¹⁵ from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name,
   2. 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 and awesome and glorious salvation. This made Paul pray and praise.
2. Paul desires us to have strength.
   1. See that in verse 16: ¹⁶ that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man
   2. 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.
   3. John MacArthur preached on this passage and talked about being charged up by God. He preached about starting your engines.

• So, Paul also prays that we would know, or comprehend.
  1. See the next few verses: so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; andthat you, being rooted and grounded in love, ¹⁸ may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, ¹⁹ and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.
  2. Paul prays that Christ may dwell in our hearts…. How does Christ dwell in our hearts? Through faith. Then Paul prays that we be rooted and grounded in love.
  3. The word used for dwell in our hearts is the same type of word which 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?
     1. There is a little booklet titled “My Heart Christ Home.” It is really good. It is written about Christ going through your life as if it is a house and cleaning it up. Is Christ at home in your life?
     2. We want Christ to live with us, to live within our hearts.

• Paul goes on to pray that we be rooted and grounded in love.

1. A root needs to go deep down in order to get the water. That means that our root must go deep down to get water from the well that doesn’t go dry which is Jesus.
2. Grounded would be comparable to a foundation of a house. We want to a have a solid, a firm foundation in love.

1. Verses 18-19 speak of the love of God. So 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.
2. Verse 18-19: How wide, how long, how high, and how deep is the love of God
3. This is simply showing how vast and complete the love of God is.
4. 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)

I read the following about an old hymn:

There is an old hymn written by a man whose last name is Lehman. He was a man who lived before modern psychology and its medications, and seems to have been bi-polar or manic depressive. There were times of lucidity and times he would lose his grip on reality. Not surprisingly, living in the early 20th century he was institutionalized. Now the man was both a musician and a devout Christian. Despite his institutionalization he wrote some wonderful joyful hymns, and the most famous of which has a story behind it. The most memorable verse of this hymn was the last thing Mr. Lehman ever wrote, for it was found scrawled on the padded wall of his cell, in which he was found dead. It reads as follows:
“The love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can tell; it goes beyond the highest star and reaches lowest hell…Could we with ink the ocean fill, and were the skies a parchment made, were every stalk on earth a quill and every man a scribe by trade, to write the love of God above would drain the ocean dry. Nor could the scroll contain the whole if stretched across the sky.” Should we then despair of ever loving like God loves, or as God has commanded us to love?

God’s love is immense.

1. Now look again at verse 19: Paul prays that we know the love of God that surpasses knowledge
2. 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!
3. 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.

Close:

My Jesus I Love Thee

Author:      William R. Featherston

1       My Jesus, I love Thee, I know Thou art mine;
For Thee, all the follies of sin I resign;
My gracious Redeemer, My Savior art Thou;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ’tis now.

3       I’ll love Thee in life, I will love Thee in death,
And praise Thee as long as Thou lendest me breath;
And say, when the death-dew lies cold on my brow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ’tis now.

4       In mansions of glory and endless delight,
I’ll ever adore Thee in heaven so bright;
And singing Thy praises, before Thee I’ll bow;
If ever I loved Thee, my Jesus ’tis now.^[1]

Let’s pray.

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