Introduction

• Matthew 22:37
• Proverbs 23:7
• Matthew 12:34
• Romans 12:2
• I Corinthians 2:14-3:4 – They were not spiritually minded and that was the root of their issues.
• Galatians 5:16
• Matthew 16:23 – Peter had a mind problem.
• Acts 8:21
• When things are going wrong, we need to look on the inside.

Let God’s word does its work.

• Acts 28:24
• We must have an attitude that will let God’s word filter into our hearts.
• Acts 2:37
• Hebrews 3:7-8, 10, 12, 15; 4:6-7, 11

Trust in the God of Heaven.

• God is in control, even though bad things happen on earth.
• Hebrews 12:3
• Hebrews 13:5-6
• Do we trust in our health, finances, or something else?
• Philippians 4:6-7

Store of treasures in Heaven.

• Matthew 6:19
• Building up treasure in Heaven puts my heart in the right place.
• Philippians 3:18-20
• Colossians 3:5, 1-4
• Example: Bark beetle killing pine trees from the inside.

Deuteronomy 25

• Deuteronomy 25:1-19 – Miscellaneous laws
  • Deuteronomy 25:4 – See I Corinthians 9:9; I Timothy 5:17-18. This law has a broader application.
  • Deuteronomy 25:3 – The Pharisees were “making fences inside God’s fences” and being stricter than this law required. This was also wrong.

Deuteronomy 26

• Deuteronomy 26:1-11 – Praising God with the first produce from the land.
• Deuteronomy 26:12-15 – Tithe and prayer.
• Deuteronomy 26:16-19 – Obey God and be His people.
  • Moses is completing his second speech to the people.

Deuteronomy 27

• Deuteronomy 27:1-8 – Write the Law and build an altar on Mount Ebal.
  • Deuteronomy 27:4 – See Joshua 8:30-35. What might be an altar was found near Mt. Ebal, along with a small, folded lead tablet containing a curse written in Paleo-Hebrew (see Deuteronomy 27:14-26). Sound tests were done at the location prescribed by God in the 1800s and it was found that if the Israelites were arranged on the hills as God specified, they would be able to easily hear Joshua reading the law.
• Deuteronomy 27:9-10 – “This day you have become a people for the Lord your God.”
• Deuteronomy 27:11-26 – Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal

Deuteronomy 28

• Deuteronomy 28:1-14 – “All these blessings will come upon you and overtake you.”
• Deuteronomy 28:15-68 – “All these curses will come upon you and overtake you.”
  • Deuteronomy 28:47-48 – They would be cursed if they did not serve with joy.

Introduction

• II John 1:9
• We want to simply look at the Bible and do what it says.

Local churches are authorized to provide for the preaching of the gospel.

• Acts 11:21-23 – “they sent Barnabas”
• Acts 13:1-3 – “teachers … they sent them”
• Acts 14:26-28 – “commended … they began to report”
• Acts 15:1-3 – “sent on their way by the church”
• I Corinthians 9:1-18 – “get their living from the gospel”
• I Corinthians 14 – “for edification”
• II Corinthians 11:7-9 – “I robbed other churches”
• Philippians 1:3-5; 4:14-18 – “participation in the gospel”
• I Thessalonians 1:6-10 – “sounded forth from you”
• In the New Testament, churches sent money directly to the preacher. There was no “sponsoring church” arrangement.
• In the early days of the church, the pattern from the New Testament was followed. Over time, a hierarchy developed in some local churches, which eventually led to the Catholic organization, with one Pope over all Catholic churches.

Local churches are authorized to provide for needy Christians.

• Acts 2:44-45
• Acts 4:32-35
• Acts 6:1-3
• Acts 11:27-30
• Romans 15:25-27
• I Corinthians 16:1-3
• II Corinthians 8:3-4, 14
• II Corinthians 9:1
• I Timothy 5:16, 5 – “widows indeed”

Local churches are authorized to provide for worship and edification.

• The local church is a group designed for mutual encouragement as we serve God together.
• I Corinthians 14:3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 17, 26, 31
• Lord’s Supper – I Corinthians 11:26
• Studying / preaching – I Corinthians 14:26
• Giving – I Corinthians 16:1-2
• Praying – Acts 12:5
• Singing – I Corinthians 14:26
• Assembling – Hebrews 10:24-25

Significance

• Descriptive?
  • “From Dan to Beersheba”
    • Meaning the entire length of Israel
    • Judges 20:1; I Samuel 3:20; II Samuel 24:2, 15
  • Reference from united kingdom
• Relevance to northern kingdom?
  • Dan on northern frontier
  • Bethel on southern frontier
  • Same idea
• Opposites of Dan and Bethel
  • Topographically opposite
  • Geographically opposite
  • Spiritually opposite

Bethel

• First excavated in 1927
• Continuous digs to 1960
• One find posited to be Abram’s altar
• Canaanite tombs, houses, olive presses
• Canaanite temple
• Fortified around 1750 BC – Luz
• City gates were found in pieces
• Destroyed early 12th century BC
• New settlement built after destruction
• Skip to later – captured by Vespasian in 69 AD
• Crusades
  • Crusaders took it in 12th century AD and built churches there
• The name means, “House of God”
• Today it is the village of Beitin
• First seen in scripture in Genesis 12
• Lies in the very rocky terrain of Israel’s central ridge
  • Jacob’s vision – Genesis 28:10-22
    • He used a stone as a pillow for his sleep.
    • After the vision, he consecrated the stone – poured oil on its top
    • Named it “God’s House” or Bethel
  • “Mansion over the hilltop”
• Jacob flees to Bethel – Genesis 34-35
• Canaanites had a king there
  • Defeated by Joshua and sons of Israel
  • Ceded to Benjamin
• Border town
  • Between Ephraim and Benjamin
  • Between Israel and Judah after split
• During conquest, Benjamites failure
  • Didn’t drive out Jebusites
  • House of Joseph went up against Bethel
  • The Lord was with them – Judges 1:21-22
• Later (Judges 20-21)
  • Bethel center of ops – Israel versus Benjamin
  • Place of council in aftermath
• Deborah judged Israel (Judges 4:5)
  • From under a palm tree
  • Between Ramah and Bethel
• Samuel – circuit judge (I Samuel 7:15-17)
  • Four-town circuit
  • Bethel, Gilgal, Mizpah, Ramah
• Saul’s encounter after being anointed by Samuel

Dan

• Near headwaters of Jordan
• Occupied more than 6,000 years ago
  • Abandoned about that time
  • Rebuilt 1,000 years later
• Free-standing mud brick arches
  • Oldest ever found
  • Called Abraham’s gate
• Conquered by Tuthmosis III in 15th century BC
• Tel Dan Stele – 9th century BC
  • Stele heralded initial conquest
    • Assyrian Tiglath-Pileser III
    • Included “David King of Israel”
    • Other Historical info confirming scripture
  • Digs confirm idolatrous practices
• Little mention prior to Jeroboam’s rule
  • Abram defeated forces of Sodom and Gomorrah there
  • Descriptive “north-to-south” statements
  • Center of northern migration of tribe of Dan
• Danites impatience – spies go north (Judges 18)
  • Find Laish
  • Take small force
  • Seize Levite and the idols of Micha
  • Capture Laish, named it Dan

Jeroboam

• Jeroboam’s concern
  • Life, power – I Kings 12:26-33
  • Made two golden calves
  • Places them in Bethel and Dan
  • Designated a feast
  • Posted priests
  • Made sacrifice
  • Prophecy of Josiah’s reforms – I Kings 13

The abominable calves

• Major subject of idolatrous worship
• Multiple regional cultures used calves, bulls
  • Egypt – where Israel spent 400 years
  • Crete – where Philistines frequented
  • Persia – to the east
  • Anatolea – to the north
  • India – farther east

Some lessons

• Don’t hang our hat on a town’s reputation
• Don’t compromise faith for life or power
• Don’t have a “when in Rome” attitude

Introduction

• II Timothy 1:16-18 – Onesiphorus is only mentioned in three verses.
• III John 1:12 – Demetrius only gets a commendation in one verse, but it’s a good one!

“He often refreshed me.”

• Contrast II Timothy 1:15 – These men turned away from Paul in Asia.
• Am I refreshing or am I something else?
• I Corinthians 16:17-18
• Philemon 1:4-7, 20-21
• Proverbs 6:19
• II Corinthians 12:20
• Let us be refreshing and give people comfort and hope.

“Was not ashamed of my chains”

• II Timothy 4:6 – Paul had no expectation of release.
• Nero blamed the great fire in Rome (AD 64) on Christians and took that opportunity to persecute Christians. History tells us that Paul was executed in the days of Nero. It was certainly not safe to associate with Christians in those days, especially high profile ones like Paul.
• Romans 1:15-16
• Onesiphorus was not ashamed!
• Am I ashamed of Christ, His Word, or His people?
• Luke 9:26
• Psalms 119:46
• I Peter 4:12-19

“He eagerly searched for me and found me … and you know very well what services he rendered at Ephesus.”

• Do I only help people when it’s convenient?
• Romans 12:10-13