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Anyhow, here's what I'm reading today:
1 Chronicles 29 (David's Final Worship Service):
29:1-5 David's Appeal to the People
v.2 is really neat in the NAS "I have provided the gold for the things of gold..." etc....
v.3 David's delight in God spills over into his giving. His delight is manifest in the giving of more. He gives another generous gift (3), and then appeals to the people to consecrate themselves (5)to the temple project.
29:6-9 The People's Response
v.7 The people respond in turn.
v.8 Here is a trustworthy guy: Jehiel the Gershonite.
v.9 They gave with their whole heart... and therefore could rejoice in their gift.
29:10-22a David Leads the People in Worship
10-13 David Blesses the Lord
14-19 David's Appeal to the Lord for Perfect Hearts
20-22a The People Bless the Lord and Give Offerings
29:22b-25 The Second Coronation and Reign of King Solomon
29:26-30 Summary of the Reign of King David
v.29 a hint at the authorship of 1 & 2 Samuel? Samuel, Nathan & Gad?
2 Peter 3 (Fiery Words from a Grizzled Old Fisherman)
3:1-2 Peter's Purpose for His Second Letter: Remember!
v.2 The Word of the Lord is spoken through the Apostles
3:3-7 Mockers will Come
v.4 They mock his coming, and preach the doctrine of uniformitarianism
v.5-6 In their mocking, they neglect that the dry land came out of the water once, and that the whole world was flooded once upon a time.
v. 7 Take heed! What comes next is a flood of fire!
3:8-10 Know that He is Coming Again
v.8 Often abused to make Genesis 1 fit into a 'billions of years' scheme, Peter's intent here is to answer the charge in 3:4, "WHere is the promise of His coming?" He's coming, you just think He's taking a long time.
3:11-13 Future Facts are Given to Influence Our Present Acts
v.11-12 All the Ipods, Cruise Ships, TV's and SUVs are going to be burned up... Why not rather be holy?
V.13 Besides, the world we get, the one we are going to, will be so much better.
3:14-18 Closing Exhortation: You Know the End of the Story, Therefore Be Strong!
v.14-15a: Be diligent to be holy, knowing that God's delay in coming means salvation for more...
v.15b-16: Paul talks about these things in his letters, and people twist those writings to their own destruction.
v. 17-18a: So watch out and don't let the false teachers distract you or draw you into error!
v.18b: Closing benediction. To God be the glory.
Micah 6 (Strange Waters... What lies ahead?)
6:1-5 The Opening Argument Phase of the Indictment
v.3 I can hear the voice of God asking Israel, "Why don't you love me?"
v.4 I brought you out of slavery and gave you great leaders!
v.5 What are they supposed to remember? The story of Balak and Balaam. The vulgarity at Shittim, check out Phineas spear-work here!
6:6-8 The Evidentiary Phase of the Indictment
v. 6-7 What is the Offering this God Demands? What should we offer Him? (6) Sacrifices? Valuable animals? (7) 1000s of animals, doused in valuable oil? My first born child?
v. 8 No! God has told us what He requires!
To do justly, and love mercy, and walk humbly with Him!
Man! That is a powerful section of scripture!
Sermon Title: What will get the job done?
I. What can we offer to Him? (Micah 6:6-7)
Money given? Candles lit? Prayers said? Lighting oneself on fire? (Include all relevant forms of self-debasement that buy the approval of God.)
II. What has He asked for? (Micah 6:8)
How hard it is do to the simple thing He requests of us!
That'll preach!
6:9-16 The Sentencing Phase of the Indictment
v. 9-12 Will God continue to bless a sin-sick people?
v. 13-15 The Principle of Some-Equals-Nothing: This shows up in Haggai and Zechariah as well: The people work, they harvest, they deposit, but when they come to look for what they worked for... It is gone! God frustrates their efforts and brings them up short. We hear His voice call to us in the midst of our sin (6:9), and we fear the frustration to come: Need encouragement not to sin? There is some right there!
v. 16 Wicked Kings Ahab and Omri were long gone at this point, but the people lived according to the wicked statutes of those kings... And not according to the righteous statutes of the leaders he gave them (6:4).
Luke 15 (Familiar Territory, again..)
Luke 15:1-3 The Setting
v.1 The Crowd that Gathered.
v.2 The Hypocrites who Grumbled.
v.3 The Story He Told.
Luke 15:4-7 The Lost Sheep (99:1 odds)
v.4 Was this common practice, to leave the 99 and go after the one? would they have stayed there alone? Were those the good sheep? (15:7?)
v. 7 More joy over one sinner recovered... Than over a church of 150 meeting regularly for prayer and bible study? Hmm... Do we have our priorities right?
Is it missing the meaning of the passage to say, "Well, no one in the world needs no repentance! We all need to repent!"? I think it might be.
Luke 15:8-10 The Lost Coin (9:1 odds)
v.8 probably harder to find a missing coin on a dirt floor with an oil lamp, than on a tile floor with light bulbs or a flash light.
v.10 Focus is definitely on the 1, as opposed to the 9. They are safe, the lost are who Jesus is seeking.
Luke 15:11-32 The Lost Son (1:1 odds)
In a Jewish society, this kid was the worst of all... In our society, He's the prototypical American teen... Some of the stigma has been lost.
v.12-24 Arrogance, Descent, Realization, Return, Redemption
v.25-30 'Righteous Indignation' at the Reaction of the Father
v.31-32 The Testimony of the Father
You have always been with me (You're a good kid, I like you!)
All that is mine is yours (What have I withheld from you?)
But we had to celebrate, your brother is back from the dead (Be excited over the repentance of the lost, church!)
That'll preach
That was fun... See you tommorrow
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