Sermon Notes & Videos
2021-05-21 | Numbers 4-7 | Vows and Vanity
It’s always something. Week after week, as we dive deeper into the Word of God, we get a glimpse of how far we’ve strayed from the truth. It’s not difficult to completely change the meaning of Y’shua’s teachings by strategically leaving out a few words here and there. You think I’m exaggerating? I challenge you; look up Matthew 5:33-34 in any English translation of the Bible and tell me if you don’t conclude that you are no longer to swear an oath to God!
Take a look: “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all…” Now, notice a completely different message when we add back the original language: “Again you have heard what was said to those of long ago: You shall not swear by my name falsely, but you shall return to the Lord your oath. But I say to you not to swear in vain in any matter…”
Do you see it? Y’shua never instructed us to NO LONGER take oaths to God, but rather to end your futile thinking that you can leave Yahweh’s name out of your promises. That is what Y’shua called “swearing in vain!” Leave out the phrases “by my name” and “in vain” and you have an utterly different message.
“You have heard that it was said…” and then Y’shua quotes Leviticus 19:12; “And you shall not swear by My name falsely, nor shall you profane the name of your God: I am Yahweh.” And the vanity reference was to bring you right back to the third commandment in Exodus 20:7: “You shall not take the name of Yahweh your God in vain, for Yahweh will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.” I’ll let you in on a little secret. Vanity is not a reference to curse words, but rather the devastating practice of forgetting His name, or in other words, leaving His name out of your life! That is why you are warned to never exclude His name from an oath!
It makes more sense now, doesn’t it? You see, what they were doing back then is swearing on all sorts of things, while they crossed their fingers behind their backs. No big deal, as long as you leave out God’s name. That’s how far they had fallen. And we, as the church, just shot all the way to the other end of the deception spectrum. We simply stopped making oaths altogether! So, let’s make it simple. Just do what you say you will do, as if your entire life is dedicated to Yahweh. I like to say it like this…” Freedom is when you have no other options!” Think about it the next time you make a promise!
2021-05-14 | Numbers 1-4 | My Redeemer Lives
There are times when arguing about minute details is a waste of effort, even contrary to your intended outcome. You must be wise to recognize when the little things matter and when to let them go. It is often said, “Don’t sweat the small stuff; and it is all small stuff.” I agree with the first half of this epitaph, but strongly oppose the latter.
At times, the smallest of what seem to be ancillary ideas, have the most poignant relevance. In one place we read the serious instruction of a spiritual father to his son, “Don’t give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith.” And yet we also see in the first census of Israel, how Moses and Aaron “took a man from every tribe, each one the head of his father’s house, and recited their ancestry by families.” It seems in this case genealogy mattered!
And then we have Matthew, the writer of the most comprehensive Gospel, who opens his greatest life’s work with microscopic details; “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham…” His ensuing words seem like “endless genealogies,” a meticulous list that fills space, but seems to lend no deeper meaning to the narrative. Be honest, how many times have you read Matthew? And how much attention have you given to those first seventeen verses? Be honest! By the way, if you had, you’d have noticed the serious math error!
But then, if you get out your prophetic magnifying glass, you’ll notice he mentions five very significant women, all named in what is usually reserved for a line-up of men. And they all have one thing in common; can you guess? One woman in particular alludes to something so significant that it could be the entire reason Matthew included the genealogy. Yet, it is a microscopic detail, strikingly easy to overlook, and likely you never noticed it! Hint: It’s NOT Mary.
2021-05-07 | Leviticus 25-27 | Ravens & Lilies
Have you ever come to the end of your faith? You know, that moment when you think, maybe even say out loud, “How can I possibly get through this? My circumstance is impossible! Where on earth will I find provision?” When the people of Israel were instructed to let the land rest for a full year, every seven years, they worried about the inevitable lack of provision; “Where will we get our food?”
On one occasion, thousands followed Jesus to a deserted place to hear His words and be healed, and by evening they were hungry. Jesus simply asked His disciples, “Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?” They responded in the same spirit as their ancestors; “Where will we get food to feed them? Send them away to get their own food.” Jesus went on to challenge them; “They do not need to go away. You give them something to eat.” We learn in John’s Gospel that He did this to test them! What was the test?
Later in His ministry, Jesus taught a parable explaining this very test. If a homeowner knew in advance the schemes of a thief, what would he do? It’s simple; he’d prepare for the break in. The lesson is that if you have advanced notice of an impending event, let’s say, like the Master asking you to “give the people something to eat in a deserted place,” you too must be prepared. It turns out Jesus has, indeed, given us such advanced notice! “Who is the faithful and wise steward, whom his master will make ruler over his household, to give the people food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes.” In other words, be prepared to feed My people when the famine comes!
Oh, and if you are worried about from where such provision will come, Jesus has something to say about that as well. “Do not worry about what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind. The pagans worry about these things. Your Father knows what you need; all you have to do is seek the kingdom of God.” Do that and you will have all the provision you will ever need! And blessed will that servant be!
2021-04-30 | Leviticus 21-24 | Are You Still Walking with a Limp?
It’s not the limp of Jacob I’m referring to here—not the limp of a man who has just wrestled with God and prevailed, a man fighting for a new name, a new identity, a new calling, even a new destiny. No, that would be a welcomed limp, as it bears the scars of a testimony of overcoming with God. I pray we would all live with the tenacity of Jacob, the fortitude necessary to emerge as Israel. He fought to the very end; “I will not let You go until you bless me!”
Is this not the exact opposite circumstance I am referring to here, scars that remind us that we have indeed already been blessed, but cannot see the blessing, will not see the blessings, two inches in front of us? You have been given all things needed to live a godly life, blessed with every spiritual blessing, imbued with resurrection power, and yet you still walk around like you have a defect, as if you were lame in the feet, a spiritual cripple. In other words, you are walking around with a limp when—indeed, you should be sprinting freely into your destiny, a useful tool for bringing the Kingdom and doing greater works!
It’s time for a spiritual hip replacement. Yes, it’s a major surgery and you will need lots of recovery time and rehab. But fear not, the surgeon is a world-renowned expert and His scalpel—well, it’s sharper than a two-edged sword!
2021-04-23 | Leviticus 16-20 | Blood, Law & Love
Sermon Notes | Sermon Notes (Yom Kippur Included) | Sermon Video
Get yourself in a quiet place in which you can think without any distractions. I want to ask you three critical questions that you should enjoy contemplating. Are you there?
Here’s the first one: Why does the blood of Jesus “save” you? Now, don’t give a snap answer; really think about it. Ready for the next one?
Here’s number two: What is the relationship between the righteousness of faith and the righteousness of the law? Again, take your time! Are you ready for the last question?
Here’s your final question: When God first commands us to love our neighbor, what specifically does He say we should do to demonstrate that love? Take as much time as you need.
These three questions can be challenging for many Christians. And they are not intended to put you on the spot, but rather to demonstrate the critical importance of knowing God’s Word, and more specifically, the Hebrew Roots of your faith.
If you enjoyed the challenge of answering any of these questions, you will thoroughly enjoy the upcoming message: Blood, Law, & Love
2021-04-16 | Leviticus 12-15 | Go to the Priest – He is Willing
It is not uncommon for man to walk around with secret sins, hidden deep within his heart. In stark contrast, leprosy was a horrific wasting disease which essentially rotted the body from the outside. There can hardly be a better depiction of sinful decaying flesh. And there is simply no way to hide it.
In the days shortly after the Levitical Priesthood was consecrated, we see provisions made to evaluate and manage this horrible affliction. At the first sign of a lesion, the person shall be brought before the priest. Through a series of assessments and isolation periods outside the camp, and various sacrifices, the priest would declare the afflicted clean or unclean.
So, is it any wonder why, when Y’shua first encounters a leper begging for mercy, desperate to be made clean, He simply and profoundly declares him clean? He partakes in no elaborate evaluation process, requires no quarantine or reassessment. Why? Because He is the Royal High Priest and the ultimate sacrifice for all lepers, even those of us you are instead decaying on the inside.
After He cleanses the leper, with unmistakable intention He says, “Go and show yourself to the priest.” And let’s not miss His assertion. He is not directing the “once leper” to go for an evaluation, but instead as a witness. “Offer the gift that Moses commanded, as a testimony to them,” He instructs. And tell no one along the way, this particular testimony is for the “whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness.”