Justified By Faith 17 SEP 07

Justifieth By Faith

Commentary

• Justification – to be made just or righteous
• You can’t become righteous by works
• God does not pay attention to good deeds
• When you become justified by the faith, works will follow BUT works don’t save you
• You perform righteous works with the Lord, because you’re saved, not in order to be saved

James 2:14

14	What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Commentary

• James would say no. This is the James who’s the half brother of Jesus. He’s the one Jude writes about in his epistle, “crept in unawares.”

Galations 1:11-18

11	But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.
12	For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.
13	For ye have heard of my conversation in time past in the Jews' religion, how that beyond measure I persecuted the church of God, and wasted it:
14	And profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals in mine own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions of my fathers.
15	But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace,
16	To reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood:
17	Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18	Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.

Commentary

• Paul says ‘Not after man’ meaning Paul did not defend a denomination, organization, he said his sermon came straight from God.
• There are very few men called from God because their denominations kick them out.
  A direct God message will cause conflict
• After 3 years, Paul left Jerusalem to see Peter
  
• Paul got saved on the road to Damascus
  
• His plan was to put saved folks in jail on his way to Damascus but instead he got saved

Matthew 16:13-19

13	When Jesus came into the coasts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?
14	And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.
15	He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?
16	And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
17	And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.
18	And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.
19	And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

Commentary

• Paul looked for Peter because he was the head Apostle.

Galations 1:17-19

17	Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus.
18	Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter, and abode with him fifteen days.
19	But other of the apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.

Commentary

Paul is saying the time he spent with James wasn’t worth mentioning because James preached justification by works.

James 2:14

14	What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

Romans 4:1-3

1	What shall we say then that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found?
2	For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before God.
3	For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.

Commentary

• “As pertaining to the flesh” – Justification by works

Acts 1:4-22

4	And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5	For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6	When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7	And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8	But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9	And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10	And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11	Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.
12	Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.
13	And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14	These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
15	And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)
16	Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
17	For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18	Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.
19	And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20	For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishopric let another take.
21	Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22	Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.

Commentary

• Three times God repeats a key word: let
  
• If its desolate let it be desolate. Don’t give his seat to anyone else. Allow another to take his office of overseer

If the Holy Ghosts speaks, let the Holy Ghost do it

Genesis 15:1-5

1	After these things the word of the LORD came unto Abram in a vision, saying, Fear not, Abram: I am thy shield, and thy exceeding great reward.
2	And Abram said, Lord GOD, what wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless, and the steward of my house is this Eliezer of Damascus?
3	And Abram said, Behold, to me thou hast given no seed: and, lo, one born in my house is mine heir.
4	And, behold, the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, This shall not be thine heir; but he that shall come forth out of thine own bowels shall be thine heir.
5	And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

Commentary

• Be glad we aren’t saved by works because God can give us work to do (verse 5)

Romans 4:4-5

4	Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt
5	But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness.

James 2:16-25

18			Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: show me thy faith without thy works, and I will show thee my faith by my works.
19			Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.
20			But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?
21			Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?
22			Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?
23			And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.
25			Likewise also was not Rahab the harlot justified by works, when she had received the messengers, and had sent them out another way?

Commentary

• Rahab got saved by faith without works

Cut the good deed stuff out, they won’t save you!

153 Fish / Sion Message 9 SEP 07

Hebrews 12:18

18	For ye are not come unto the mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest,

Exodus 20:18

18	And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.

Exodus 19:21-24

21	And the LORD said unto Moses, Go down, charge the people, lest they break through unto the LORD to gaze, and many of them perish.
22	And let the priests also, which come near to the LORD, sanctify themselves, lest the LORD break forth upon them.
23	And Moses said unto the LORD, The people cannot come up to mount Sinai: for thou chargedst us, saying, Set bounds about the mount, and sanctify it.
24	And the LORD said unto him, Away, get thee down, and thou shalt come up, thou, and Aaron with thee: but let not the priests and the people break through to come up unto the LORD, lest he break forth upon them.

Exodus 3:1-4

1	Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.
2			And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed.
3			And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.
4			And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I

Commentary

• Horeb mountain ranged held Mt. Sinai.
• Mt. Sinai was known as God’s mountain
• God can get your attention anyway he wants
• Moses didn’t expect to find god there

Exodus 2:10

10	And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name Moses: and she said, Because I drew him out of the water.
11	And it came to pass in those days, when Moses was grown, that he went out unto his brethren, and looked on their burdens: and he spied an Egyptian smiting an Hebrew, one of his brethren.
12	And he looked this way and that way, and when he saw that there was no man, he slew the Egyptian, and hid him in the sand.
13	And when he went out the second day, behold, two men of the Hebrews strove together: and he said to him that did the wrong, Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?
14	And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
15	Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well.

Commentary

• God was preparing Moses for his destiny.
• This was stage 2 of Moses’ life.
• When God calls you, he is going to re-train you.

Exodus 3:10

10	Come now therefore, and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth my people the children of Israel out of Egypt.
11	And Moses said unto God, Who am I, that I should go unto Pharaoh, and that I should bring forth the children of Israel out of Egypt?
12	And he said, Certainly I will be with thee; and this shall be a token unto thee, that I have sent thee: When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain.

Commentary

• Moses was not sure God was with him and his first encounter with Pharaoh
• Hessop symbolic for faith
• God’s word confirms miracles
• God’s voice greater than his works

Second Service (153 Fishes/Sion/Zion)

Hebrews 12:22

22	But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels

Commentary

• Sion is a misinterpretation in Hebrews Chp 12
• The 153 in John 21:11 is the final catch but God didn’t give us enough information initially.

John 21:11

11	Simon Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet was not the net broken.

Commentary

• 153 represents the end or finality
• God’s final catch will be 153, which will be the size of our congregation.
• These great fishers are men or a particular group.
• Steve is claiming it for us but its not for us.
• The word Sion occurs 153 times in the Bible.
• The great catch is Sion, its all Jews.
• In Hebrews 12, theres an error. Sion is all Jewish and it was in the new testament so its not for us. It should be Zion, which is the same Mt. but difference reference point. Sion is found in many old testament books. Zion does not appear in the new testament. The greatest catch is the Sionist. Theres a certain number he will catch.
• Sion, the first reference is in Det 4:48, where it sets Isreal boundaries. We come to the Jewish lineage through Abraham.
• The next reference is in Mat, John, Rom, Heb, 1 Pet, Rev. Whats unique? All new testament references. Together there are 8, meaning new beginnings.

Mat 21:5

5	Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass.

Joh 12:15

15	Fear not, daughter of Sion: behold, thy King cometh, sitting on an ass's colt.

Commentary

• Daughters are always secondary. When Jeremiah kept the Kings line alive, Jeremiah took the Kings daughters and went to Ireland. God moved it three times. It now sits in England. Englands monarchy is a direct line of King David.
• When it talks about Sons of Jacob, its speaking of the first right. When it speaks of Daughters, its talking about the second group. When it says “oh daughter of Jerusalem” its speaking about the church. We are the Daughter or sister of the Son of Jacob. That’s Zion, we’re Sion because we’re the daughters of the Church.