Genesis 15

Hello Project Ezra!  This week’s reading is Genesis 15, and we will be addressing several aspects of God's character that we see in this chapter.  One claim that is often made, and sometimes even by professing believers, is that the God of the Old Testament and the God of the New Testament are radically different, with the God of the Old Testament being harsh and angry, and the God of the New Testament being loving and merciful.  But if you really read the Old and New Testament through, you will see clearly that is not the case.  Though it is certainly true that some of the ways God has chosen to deal with His people is different under the New Covenant, that has nothing to do with God's character or nature, but rather will the progression of God's plan and fulfillment of His promises over time.  God has not chosen to reveal Himself and His purposes all at once, but gradually over time.  So this week we will be encouraging people to take a step back, so they can see God revealing His sovereignty, fulfilling His promises, and showing us that He is trustworthy through the story of Abraham.  And ultimately, we pray that they will also see His mercy and grace provided through the cross. 

All for His glory,  Dan 

INTRO 

READ GENESIS 

BRIEF INTRO TO TEXT – You might want to give a brief introduction to the passage.  Talk about Abram vs Abraham, Issac and Jacob, how their decedents became nation of Israel, etc. 

In order to truly understand this passage, you need to understand some things about who God is 

First, our God is a Sovereign God.  That means he is in complete control over all time and eternity 

All that happens in this world, in this universe only happens because He either causes, or allows is 

Psalm 115 tell us “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” 

And Ephesians 1 reminds us again that it is He who works all things after the counsel of His will  

God had a plan from the beginning of time, and that plan continues today 

He knew the history of creation from Adam and Eve to the final judgment before you or I were born, and He knows our future as well. 

It was because He knew Abraham's future that He could tell him what his descendants would do, hundreds of years later. 

It was because he knew the future that He prophesied the exodus to Egypt, and even that Abraham's descendants would be there 400 years, which they were. 

It was because of His perfect knowledge that He could promise to bless Abraham's descendants and bring them into the promised land, which He did 

This shows us that God is a God of promise 

His actions are not random or arbitrary 

He has a plan, and His promises are based on that plan 

And God's plan cannot be thwarted by any power in heaven or on earth 

In Isaiah 46 He says “for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’ 

He promised Abraham that his heir would be his own son, and he was, even though Abraham and his wife were too old for children 

He promised to give the land of Canaan to his descendants, which He did, though many hundreds of years later. 

He even promised, from the time of Adam and Eve’s rebellion in the garden (Genesis 3), and through the prophets (Isaiah 7, Isaiah 53), to bring a savior through Abraham’s family, which He did in Jesus Christ 

Because God is Sovereign and can control all things, and because God keeps the promises He makes, we can also see that God is trustworthy 

Abram did not know or understand everything God has planned, but he trusted Him, and that faith was rewarded. 

Like Abraham, and many of the great men of scripture, we will never see all the details on this side of eternity 

God may or may not choose to reveal what He has planned for your life 

But you can trust God, that what He has commanded, and where He has placed you, and what He has directed for you, is good. 

Do you believe that?  Do you believe that God is good, and has a good plan for you?  Many people don’t. 

Many people look at the world around them, and see reasons to believe God is not trustworthy, is not good, or even does not exist. 

But we all know in our hearts that He does 

Ecclesiastes 3:11 tells us God has put eternity into the hearts of men 

Romans 1 says this:   For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world,[g] in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Claiming to be wise, they became fools, 23 and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. 

And the second chapter of Romans reminds us that the work of the law is written on our hearts, and our consciences bear witness, so that we are without excuse. 

GO THROUGH THE LAW TO BRING THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN 

The truth is that God is Just, and we are guilty 

Because of our guilt, we deserve His justice, His punishment 

And His punishment will be carried out in a very real place called Hell, a place of fire, and darkness, and eternal pain and despair 

But though Hell is what we all deserve, we do not have to go there 

God is not only just righteous, but also good, and patient, and kind 

He is a God who is merciful and gracious 

Mercy is not getting what you deserve. In our case, that means we do not receive the justice we deserve 

Grace is receiving what we don't deserve.  We receive God's love and all His good gifts and blessings.  And one day, we will even spend eternity with Him! 

But God's mercy and grace did not come cheap.  Justice still needed to be satisfied, because God always acts consistently with His justice as well as His mercy. 

So God did not ignore our sins.  He paid for them. 

Jesus Christ, God the Son, for whom and through whom all things exist, humbled Himself and came to live among His creation 

He lived the perfect life we could never live.  Though He was a man, and was tempted in every way as we are (Hebrews 4), He never sinned once. 

Then He went to a cross and was killed, a perfect sacrifice, slaughtered to put away sin 

Isaiah 53 even tells us that it pleased the Father to crush Him, for the sake of our sin 

Then, three days later, as He has prophesied He would, He rose again from the dead 

Now, because of that sacrifice, because He paid our debt, we can go free! 

We are told that freedom is received through repentance, and believing the gospel 

That means you must abandon your sin, and trust in Christ, and in Him alone, to save you 

And when you do, God will change your heart, and you will be born again 

The Bible says you will be made a new creature.  It tells us God will remove your heart of stone, and give you a heart of flesh, one that loves Him and desires to please Him 

So trust in the sovereign God of the universe, that He will save those who trust in Him, as He has promised 

Turn to Christ today, and be saved!

John 1 - The Lamb of God

Hello Project Ezra!  This week’s reading is John chapter 1.  I was surprised when I realized that I had not used this chapter in the past.  John 1 is one of my “go to” chapters when I am open-air preaching.  Since I rarely if ever start an open air presentation without reading scripture, there are a few chapters I always have ready, such as 1 John 1, Isaiah 53, Ephesians 2, and this one.  John 1 has so much to say about who Christ is, and the world is so often in denial about who he is (or just take it for granted without really considering what it means), that it is one of the best foundations to build on. 

The one thing I did not include in this particular outline is additional scripture.  Though the passage can stand on its own, I would encourage you to spend time memorizing scripture dealing with the gospel if you plan to share it regularly (as every Christian should).  It will ground and strengthen your gospel presentation, allowing you to keep the focus on God’s word, where it belongs.  So spend some time looking up key verses and integrating them into the message.  You might even want to keep a notebook, so that you can make note of relevant passages while doing your daily Bible study.  I have done so for several years now, and it’s been a great blessing.

Thanks for being part of Project Ezra, and I pray that blesses your efforts this weekend!

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND PROJECT EZRA

READ JOHN 1

The book of John is one of the gospels, the accounts of Jesus’ life.

In chapter 1 we are introduced to who Jesus Christ is, and why He came to earth.

The chapter presents many powerful truths about the Christ

He is said to be the Word, the speaking of God, God’s representation of Himself to us, full of grace and truth

We are told He was in the beginning, and that the world was created through Him

We are also told that He became flesh, taking on a human body and living here on earth

The chapter tells us that He was rejected by men, and history certainly bears that out

But most importantly, it tells us that all who receive Him, who believed in His name, have the right to become children of God

It is amazing to think that God would become man and walk among us

It is hard to image the being that created everything that exists taking part in His creation

And what a gift and privilege it must be to become one of His children!

But then, later in the chapter, it gives Him a stranger title.  It calls Him a lamb

Jesus Christ is called the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

But what does it mean that He is a lamb?  And what does that have to do with sin?

In the Old Testament, during the history of Israel, the Jewish nation ended up as slaves to Pharaoh, in Egypt.

And after many warnings in the form of miracles and plagues, God warned Pharaoh, through His servant Moses, that He would kill every first born son in the country, of both people and livestock.

Make no mistake my friends, God is a loving God, but He is also a God of justice and wrath.

When God was preparing to kill the first born, He commanded the Israelites to slaughter a lamb, and mark their doorposts with its blood, so that the Angel of Death would pass them by.

The Israelites did this, and were delivered from Egypt.

In the following years the nation of Israel celebrated the Passover, where they remembered God’s mercy and deliverance

Both in the Passover, and later in the temple sacrifices, the nation of Israel presented sacrifices, often a perfect lamb, at God’s command, to show His covering of their sins

God also gave His law, so that they would be aware of their sins, and look to His coming deliverance

Like those of the nation of Israel, we are all law-breakers

Scripture tells us God has written His law on our hearts, and our conscience bears witness.

It also tells us that God’s existence is clear us in what He has made, and that we are without excuse

Our conscience within and creation without clearly shows us that God exists.  If you deny that truth, then you are simply lying to yourself.

But that is exactly what we do.  We deceive ourselves so we can live the way we want

We deceive ourselves and cling to our sin.

GO THROUGH SOME OF THE COMMANDMENTS TO BRING CONVICTION OF SIN

We, like Israel, have no excuse for denying God’s existence, or His goodness to us, or denying our own sin

But just as God was merciful to Israel time and time again, He has been merciful to us

He provided a sacrifice, a perfect sacrifice, so that our sin could be dealt with

But the perfect sacrifice of the Lamb of God did not merely cover sin, but wiped it out completely.

On a cross on Calvary, nearly 2000 years ago, God the Son bled and died so that our sin could be atoned for

Then He rose again to stand for us at heaven’s throne, our advocate before the judgment seat

So that those who turn from their sin and trust in Him will be saved, and spend eternity in heaven with Him, instead of receiving the judgment they deserve

It is a gift we did not earn, and don’t deserve.  But it is a gift we all desperately need.

Without the sacrifice of the Lamb of God for our sin, we will spend eternity in Hell, under the weight of God’s justice

But through Christ’s sacrifice that justice has been satisfied

So don’t be foolish, as the Israelites, and put your trust in other things

Human power or wisdom will not help you.  Wealth cannot save you.  Worship of false gods will only bring greater wrath

Truth in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God

Trust in His death and resurrection as your only means of salvation

Turn to Him today, and be saved!

Acts 4 – We Cannot Help But Speak

Hello Project Ezra!  I pray you are all doing well today, and that you will be able to join us in sharing God’s truth through the reading of His word this weekend.  This week’s suggested reading is Acts 4.  The outline is shorter than usual, and the normal section regarding the law has been left open.  I would encourage you to send some time in consideration and prayer regarding how you can share the law in humility.  Though we can never compromise on God’s law, or our rebellion against it, we need to be careful not to come across as self-righteous and hypocritical, which sadly what many expect from professing Christians.  I pray this outline is a blessing, and look forward to hearing your testimonies of God’s faithfulness.

All for His glory,

Dan

INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND THE PROJECT

READ ACTS 4

As God’s word says, there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which you must be saved than the name of Jesus Christ!

It may seem odd to many of you that someone would go to a public place and raise their voice to tell others about what they believe

I know this is considered by many to be politically incorrect, or even offensive

But just like the disciples, we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard

In fact, it would be disobedient and hateful not to preach the truth of what God has done in Jesus Christ

Disobedient because God has called all his people to go and make disciples of all nations, to tell them the good news about Jesus Christ

Hateful because there is nothing that could be more hateful than seeing someone in deadly peril, knowing you could warn them or save them, and turning your back on them

And indeed, without Christ, you are in great danger

But we are not here out of hate or anger.  We are here because we care about you and want to see you saved!

And the only way you can be saved is through faith in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone.

But why Jesus Christ?  Why is it only through Him though you can be saved?

It is because only through Jesus Christ’s sacrifice on the cross can our sin be paid for

Romans 3 says all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  That means you and me.

When I look at myself in light of God’s law, I know that to be true

USE THE LAW IN SELF-REFLECTION – ONE OF THE GREATEST TOOLS WE CAN USE ON THE STREET (IF IT’S DONE WITH HONESTY AND NOT JUST FOR EFFECT) IS HUMILITY.  I’VE HEARD IT SAID THAT WE SHOULD PREACH THE GOSPEL TO OURSELVES EVERY DAY, AND I BELIEVE THAT.  SO PARTICULARLY WITH A TOUGH CROWD, OR IN A ONE-ON-ONE WITH A DIFFICULT PERSON OR A FAMILY MEMBER, TALK ABOUT HOW YOU CAME TO REALIZE YOUR OWN SIN THROUGH GOD’S LAW.  THE HOLY SPIRIT CAN AND WILL STILL BRING CONVICTION, EVEN IF YOUR STATEMENTS ARE NOT AIMED AT THEM.  SO GO THROUGH THE COMMANDMENTS AND LIST YOUR OWN SINS.  IT SHOULD BE DIFFICULT AND CONVICTING TO YOU TOO, AND THAT’S OK.  OFTEN, A BIT OF VULNERABILITY CAN BREAK DOWN BARRIERS.  JUST BE SURE YOU ARE APPROPRIATE.  THE FOCUS MUST NOT BE HOW BAD YOU WERE, BUT HOW GOOD GOD IS.

Looking at ourselves in light of God’s law can be difficult, and painful.  We have all broken God’s law, and rebelled against Him more times than we can count.

And because of our rebellion, we deserve God’s justice.   We deserve hell as the right punishment for our crimes

But His law is not meant to drive us to despair

It is meant to drive us to savior.

For Galatians 3 tells us the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith

Though we could not keep the law, Jesus Christ, God in human flesh, kept it perfectly

Our creator humbled Himself and came to live among His creation.

His life was perfectly lived, and His death on the cross was the perfect sacrifice for sin, a sacrifice that once, for all, took the penalty for our sin.

Hebrews 10 says that Jesus offered for all time a single sacrifice for sin, and then sat down at the Father’s right hand

Now if we will come to Him, if we will trust in Him, and in His sacrifice for sin, then we will be washed clean

Isaiah says that though are sins are like scarlet, He will make them white as snow, and Psalm 103 says He will remove our sin from us as far as the east is from the west.

So come to Christ, and have your sins washed away

Trust in Him and be clean

Repent of your sin, and turn to Christ, and you will have true peace with God, a peace that is beyond 

all understanding.

Turn to Christ today and live!