Restitutio

by Sean Finnegan What’s the difference between God and Jesus.  Many Christians believe they are mysteriously one in being, but what do the scriptures teach?  It turns out the bible clearly distinguishes between these two individuals and their attributes preclude their metaphysical oneness.  Listen in to hear the evidence for why Jesus is the son of God not God the son. This lecture was part of a class called “Exploring Scripture.”  To access more of this class, Exploring Scripture Class. Who is God? The people meet their God (Deuteronomy 4.32-39; 5.1-10, 22-26) The Shema (Deuteronomy 6.4-6, 13-15; Mark 12.28-34) Verses that speak of Yahweh as the only true God (2 Samuel 7.22; 2 Kings 19.19; 1 Chronicles 17.20; Nehemiah 9.6; Psalm 86.8-10; 135.5-7; Isaiah 37.16,20; 44.24; 45.5-7, 18, 21-22; 46.9-10; Jeremiah 10.10-16; Zechariah 14.9; Mark 10.18; John 17.3; 1 Corinthians 8.4-6; 1 Timothy 2.5; James 2.19; Jude 24-25) Who is God? Are there any other gods besides Yahweh? How many Yahwehs are there? Other words we use to refer to Yahweh: God, Father, Savior, Lord, Most High, Almighty, Redeemer, etc. Why do we call Yahweh Father? Yahweh had a son Who is Jesus? The birth of the Son of God (Luke 1.31-35) The king of the Jews (Matthew 2.1-6) Who did his followers think he was? (Mark 8.27-30) The Son of Man (Daniel 7.13-14, 18, 22, 27) The sacrifice for our sins (1 Corinthians 15.3-4; Galatians 1.4) The Lord at the right hand of God (Psalm 110) Shared Attributes of God and Jesus They are both called Lord, Savior, Redeemer, King, Judge, and Rock They both forgave sins, loved, will establish the kingdom and judge the world We could list many other commonalities between God and Jesus Chart of the Differences between God and Jesus (slide)   May we worship the same God that Jesus worshiped (John 20.17; Revelation 3.12)  

by Sean Finnegan Why did Jesus so often tell people to be quiet when they discovered he was the messiah?  Christianity is all about telling the world this truth.  In fact, Jesus’ last words–the Great Commission–include the mandate to spread the gospel around the world.  So, why was it that in his own ministry he was so reticent about who he was?  Was it because of humility or did he have another reason?  Listen to this message to find out about the messianic secret and the glorious moment when Jesus publicly announced his messianic claim during his triumphal entry into Jerusalem. initial narrative (Mark 11.1-11) Hosanna is “Save now”, rejoicing! jubilation! excitement! turn to Zechariah 9 messianic secret examples of Jesus telling people not to tell about him (messianic secret) Demon in Synagogue at Capernaum (Mark 1.21-28) Raising Jairus’ Daughter (Mark 5.21-24, 35-43) Peter’s Confession (Mark 8.27-30) So, casting out spirits he told them “shhhh don’t tell” healing people like Jairus’ daughter he said “shhh don’t tell who I am” even his own disciples he said “shhh don’t tell” ALL THAT CHANGED WHEN HE ENTERED JERUSALEM the triumphal entry as revealing the ultimate secret JESUS IS MESSIAH! But what is a “Messiah?” is it a sensai like Woo who teaches spin-jitsu? is it a power ranger megazord robot? is it an Ariel sea horse? <<slide it is a King like David (1 Chron 17.11-14) three ways: (coded actions) riding the donkey (Zechariah 9.9-10 prophecy) palm branches called “Son of David”, “King of Israel” Gabriel promised Mary that Jesus would rule over Israel forever (Luke 1.31-33) “The Son of David”, “Hosanna! Hosanna in the highest!”, “The King of Israel” but the Romans, the bad guys, would not like that, because they wanted to stay in charge so any time someone called themselves a king the Romans would kill them we’ll talk about what happened to Jesus when the Romans found out about him being called the King of the Jews next week Jesus is Messiah! Jesus is Messiah! Jesus is Messiah! is this a secret? is it a secret in your life? we have an opportunity (Easter is coming up) best time to invite friends, relatives, co-workers

by Keith Daniel Hailing from South Africa, Keith Daniel is one of the best preachers I’ve ever heard.  His unmitigated passion and lived experience colors his biblical exposition in a way that urges the listener to be better for God.  This sermon is not really a sermon but a biography of his father.  In it Daniel recounts the remarkable life of his “daddy” who went through not only the Great Depression and World War II, but also came to make piles of money in the business world before realizing that he was about to lose his family due to his insane work habits and his alcohol addiction.  Although the audio quality is not very good, the content couldn’t be better.  Listen in to the phenomenal testimony of an unlikely man who changed so much that his wife once asked, “I don’t know who you are anymore,” since she was so overwhelmed by the dramatic change in his life.

by Sean Finnegan Why do we believe that Jesus is the Jewish messiah?  What is our evidence?  Taking a look at contemporary miracle workers like Honi the Circle Drawer and Hanina ben Dosa, Jesus of Nazareth stands out as an exceptional healer and exorcist.  Taking our cue from ancient Jewish interpretations of Isaiah 53, we can see how Jesus of Nazareth best fits the prophesied suffering servant.  These two lines of inquiry intertwine in the historical Jesus to produce a compelling case that he really is the long-awaited Jewish messiah. Miracles Isaiah 35: The prophet envisions a renewed world when the desert will bloom, the weak will find encouragement, the blind will see, the deaf will hear, the lame will leap, the mute will shout, and all will worship God joyfully. Isaiah 61: God acts bringing good news to the afflicted, liberty to the captives, vengeance to the wicked, and comfort to all who mourn. His people will rebuild, serve as priests, and possess a double portion in the land. As the earth brings forth sprouts, so God will cause righteousness and praise to spring up. Other miracle workers: Honi the Circle Drawer (1st century bc), Hanina ben Dosa (1st century ad) Messiahs Isaiah 53: He will not have a majestic appearance, but he will be despised, forsaken, acquainted with grief. He will bear our griefs and sorrows, be pierced through for our transgressions, be crushed for our iniquities. By his scourging we are healed. Oppressed and afflicted, he remained silent. He was cut off yet found his grave with the rich; thereby, he interceded for transgressors and justified the many. Jewish sources that thought Isaiah 53 referred to the Messiah: Babylonian Talmud ad 180 Targum Jonathan ad 200 Midrash Ruth Rabbah ad 850 Rabbi Moshe Maimonides ad 1200 Zohar via Moses de León ad 1290 Moshe Ibn Crispin ad 1375 Other leaders of messianic movements: Athronges (4 bc), Judah the Galilean (ad 6), the Samaritan Prophet (ad 36), Theudas (ad 45), the Egyptian Prophet (ad 58), Simon bar Giora (ad 69), Simon ben Kosiba (ad 132) Who best fits the Kingdom age and suffering servant prophecies?

by Craig Blomberg This is one of those areas where, as a preacher, I can’t help but be very sensitive.  Although most pastors struggle with just enough to get by, a few have amassed great wealth or even embezzled people’s contributions.  Because of some very public bad examples, people tend to be leery of listening to pastors talk about finances.  However, it’s an extremely significant topic that the bible talks about quite a lot: both how to steward your possessions and how to give.  Join Craig Blomberg as he surveys the bible, basing his remarks on his book Neither Poverty nor Riches.  I think you will be surprised by the breadth of his presentation as well as gain some insight into this important topic.

by Sean Finnegan Have you ever wondered what happened between the Old Testament and the New Testament?  When the Old Testament closes the people have returned to their land after the 70 year captivity and are living under the Persian empire, though they have significant freedoms, including the right to worship God in the rebuilt temple.  However, when we begin reading the New Testament, the whole scene is different.  Now the Romans are in power and we encounter these new religious groups likes Sadducees and Pharisees.  Where did they come from?  What happened in between?  Though you might assume the Romans just took over from the Persians, the story in ancient Israel is more complicated than that.  The people fought and won their independence from their Greek overlords and established a kingdom that lasted over a century–called the Hasmonean dynasty.  Often times historians refer to this time as the Maccabean period, named after the revolutionary freedom fighter, Judah the Maccabee.  Understanding this interim is crucial for New Testament studies and explains why so many Judeans in Jesus’ day were naming their kids John, Judah (or Judas), and Simon. This lecture was part of a class called “Exploring Scripture.”  To access more of this class, go to Exploring Scripture. If you can’t see the slides to this lecture, click here. Overview from Abraham to the Return from Exile Abrahamic Covenant Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Egypt as a good place to sojourn Egyptian oppression, Moses, the 10 plagues, Red Sea Law given (10 commandments) Disobedience to enter the land (40 years wandering in the wilderness) Entering the land (Joshua and the Judges) First three Kings Kingdom Divides Israel taken into captivity Judah taken into captivity Judah returns Age of Empires Assyrian Empire Babylonian Empire Persian Empire Greek Empire Alexander the Great At 20 years old Alexander (son of Philip of Macedon) became king in 336 bc. military commander (undefeated in battle) defeated Darius III at the Battle of Issus in 333 bc conquered most of the world known to the ancient Greeks pressing east into India (map slide) Judah became a Greek province he founded Alexandria in Egypt In 331 bc, Alexander was welcomed as a liberator in Egypt and was pronounced the son of Zeus by Egyptian priests of the god Amun. From then on, Alexander referred to the god Zeus-Ammon as his true father. Alexander was a brilliant and fearless military strategist Aristotle was his personal tutor Hellenization: Alexander’s idea to make the world Greece Greece is “Hellas” or the “Hellenic” Republic in Greek he wanted to make the world like Greece, civilizing it. wanted people in his domain to speak Greek, act Greek, be Greek. Hellenizing: civilizing people to the Greek way of thinking and acting all conquered provinces were to be Hellenized method of indoctrination was simple & effective ordered his officers and men to intermarry with the native populations and to beget many children. in 10 years he founded 25 Greek cities in the Middle East most notably Alexandria He spread: Greek language, religion philosophy city structure recreation educational structures sports attitude towards the body (i.e. circumcision) by the time of Jesus Greek was the international language

by Ben Witherington III Have you heard about the controversial James Ossuary?  An ossuary is a small coffin, often made of limestone, that the Jews in the second Temple period used for the bones of their deceased loved ones.  Someone found an ossuary with the inscription “James son of Joseph, his brother is Jesus.”  Could this find be the actual ossuary of Jesus’ brother, James?  Join world class scholar, Ben Witherington, as he defends it’s authenticity.  If Witherington is correct, this archaeological find is the best material evidence of early Christianity.

by Sean Finnegan What is the meaning of life? What is the reason to live? Why are you here? What are you living for? In what ways does your life make a difference? How do you lead a meaningful life?  Listen to this message to discover not only what happiness experts says, but, more importantly, what Jesus’ purpose statements were and how that can affect your purpose today. Rick Warren’s Three Levels of Living survival success significance Martin Seligman’s Three Levels of Happiness pleasant life good life meaningful ilfe Both put purpose at the pinnacle of human experience. Jesus’ Purpose Statements to preach the kingdom of God everywhere (Luke 4.43; Mark 1.38) to seek and save the lost (Luke 19.10; 1 Timothy 1.15; also Luke 4 in Nazareth) to call sinners to repentance (Mark 2.17; Acts 3.26) to give his life a ransom for many (Matthew 20.28; 1 John 4.10) to provide others with an abundant life (John 10.10) As he was sent so he sends us (John 20.21) We are his witnesses (Luke 24.46-48) Our great commission (Matthew 28.18-20)