Introduction

• Luke 5:8 → II Peter 1:16

Helping someone else starts with helping myself.

• Matthew 7:3-5
• Luke 22:61
• We are continual works in progress, so we can’t wait until we’re perfect to help others.

Courage to confront my own sins … so that I can help others do the same.

• Acts 26:18, 9

Learning God’s truth … so that I can help others do the same.

• I Timothy 4:15-16
• II Timothy 2:2, 14-15
• Acts 17:2-3

Wise decision-making … so that I can help others do the same.

• Colossians 1:9-11
• II Timothy 2:24-26

Zeal … so that I can help others do the same.

• Titus 2:14
• I Corinthians 12:14
• If everybody at Benchley was as zealous as me, what kind of church would it be?

Local churches are authorized to provide for needy Christians, continued

Objections

• James 1:27 – “Can’t the church practice pure and undefiled religion?”
  • This passage is talking about individuals – not the church acting collectively.

• Luke 10:30-37 – “Jesus taught us to do the same as the good Samaritan.”
• “Even the Old Covenant provided for the needy and the New Covenant is better than the Old Covenant.”
  • God defines what is “better.” We can’t pick and choose things from the Old Covenant.
• Acts 2:46 – “The early church broke bread from house to house.”
  • “All” must be kept in context. The passage is not saying that 100% of their goods were in the church treasury.
• II Corinthians 9:13 – “Paul said the money went to ‘them’ (needy saints) and to ‘all’ (non-saints).
  • This money would do more than just pay the bills – it would cause others to glorify God.
  • Paul mentioned this money seven times in three different letters, always noting it was for needy saints.
    • I Corinthians 16:1; II Corinthians 8:4; 9:1,12; Romans 15:25, 26, 31
  • Acts 10:28, 34-35; Galatians 2:11-13 – Relations were icy between Jews and Gentiles.
  • Romans 15:25-27
  • Paul is referring to the money and the message is sent about the relationship between Gentile saints and Jewish saints.

Herod the Great (37 BC – 4 BC)

• Matthew 2:1-8, 12-20 – Herod sought to kill Jesus in fear for his own power.
• Herod the Great was constantly paranoid about losing power.
• Herod was the great builder at the time, building fortresses (Herodium, Masada, etc.) and doing massive renovations on the temple and surrounding buildings.
• John 2:19-21
• Mark 13:1 – A few years later, the Roman army destroyed the temple as Jesus prophesied.
• I John 2:15-17 – God always wins. The world will pass away.

Herod Antipas, the tetrarch (4 BC – 39 AD)

• Mark 6:14-28 – Like his father, Herod was afraid of embarrassment before his dinner guests. He was also afraid of John the Baptist.
• Son of Herod the Great.
• Herod knew that there was power outside of him that he had no control over and it made him afraid.
• Luke 23:7-12

Herod Agrippa I (39-44 AD)

• Acts 12:1-3, 19, 21-23
• Nephew of Herod Antipas, grandson of Herod the Great.
• Matthew 10:28
• Herod had power over James’ body, but it did not go beyond that.

Herod Agrippa II (48-93 AD)

• Son of Herod Agrippa I.
• Acts 25:23; 26:1-32

Final take-aways

• Don’t be afraid of “power.”
  • Romans 13:1
• No one outlasts King Jesus.
  • Revelation 1:5-6
• Seize the truth!
  • Proverbs 23:23

Time

• Romans 7:9 – Paul was alive apart from the law because he didn’t know good from evil.
• Romans 3:23
• I John 1:8
• Mark 16:16
• Acts 2:38
• Romans 10:9-10
• Romans 8:24
• Ephesians 2:8-9
• Colossians 1:12-17
• Hebrews 9:27

Death

• Where did Jesus go?
  • Luke 23:40-43
  • Paradise – II Corinthians 12:1-4
• Did Jesus die?
  • Matthew 27:50; Luke 23:46; John 13:33-39
• What about the thief?
  • John 19:31-33
• Was that heaven?
  • John 20:12-17, 30-31
  • Acts 1:9-11 – Jesus ascended to heaven.
  • Luke 16:19-31
  • Revelation 20:11-15; 21:8 – The second death is eternal separation from God. That death is optional!
  • Physical death – Ecclesiastes 12:7
  • Spiritual death – Revelation 21:8

Hades

• All the dead will be raised (Revelation 20)
  • I Thessalonians 4:13-18
  • I Corinthians 15:35-55

Satan and sifting

• Job 1 and 2 – Satan asked permission to sift Job (to see what he was made of).
• Matthew 3:11-12 – “and his winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean his threshing floor” (wheat from chaff)
• Amos 9:9 – “shake the house of Israel as grain is shaken in a sieve”
• Acts 5:3 – Satan filled Ananias’ heart to lie
• Luke 22:3; John 13:2, 27 – Satan entered Judas’ heart

“Has requested permission”

• Satan was not content with Judas alone (John 13:2, 27)
• Mark 5:1-15 – Jesus has control over demons.
• Acts 19:10-19 – Paul had power over demons also.
• II Corinthians 2:11 – “We are not ignorant…”
• We like to think that we don’t have control over our errors because of fear, stress, emotions, etc.

Peter’s basic personality and demeanor

• Extremely self-confident and often not as smart or tough as he thought it was.
• Very motivated, to the point of appearing arrogant at times.
• Always the first to speak and relay his plan to all.

“To sift you like wheat”

• Some of Peter’s sifting:
  • Luke 22:54-61; Mark 16:7 – humiliation
    • Peter realized he was not as smart or as tough as he thought he was. Would Peter be excited to see Jesus again after His resurrection?
  • John 21:15-23 – not enough faith
  • Acts 4:3-11; 5:18; 12:4-11 – prison
    • Peter had quickly gone from somewhat of a coward to a man that would loudly proclaim Jesus without fear of death.
    • Peter was sleeping in prison the night before he was to be put to death!
  • Galatians 2:11-14 – publicly condemned by Paul
    • Peter was caught up in hypocrisy. He still needed sifting. This is no doubt something Paul did not want to do.\
  • I Peter 1:6-12; 4:1-2, 12-16
    • As you grow older, has your personality and understanding of God changed?
    • The testing of your faith makes you a different person.
    • Sifting and testing are the same thing. Peter is no longer concerned about death. He is concerned about having his name written in the book of life.

How does God prepare us for His service?

• By gifting us – Romans 12:6-12; I Peter 4:10; Matthew 25:29
  • This process allows us to grow talents we have and acquire new ones.
• By sifting us – I Peter 4:12-19
  • This process helps me to eliminate the bad thing in me and enhances the good.

Remember

• God always totally controls the sifting process.
  • Job 1-2
    • Job was being sifted, but he had no clue about it!
  • Philippians 1:19-21
  • I Corinthians 10:11-13

Two responses to the sifting process

• Anger, rebellion, depression, etc. – That leads to eternal death and destruction.
  • Romans 1:24-32
• Repentance and confession of wrong attitudes and actions – That leads to godliness
  • James 4:13-17; I Peter 5:6-7
    • How much of our anxiety can we hand to God? All of it!
• Eventually, we all repent!