9.22.24 - Dr Jeff Raines

Living Well in Exile - Jeremiah 29:4-14

What does exile look like?

This was Israel’s plight in Jeremiah’s day. They were exiled thousand of miles away from Israel to Babylon. While they were there, their prophets were telling them things they wanted to hear. They told them the exile wouldn’t last long.

In many ways, we are all exiles today. There is something in our hearts that makes us yearn for “home”. We can yearn for our past and romanticize it. Scripture explains to us that the reason we have that ache in our hearts is because we were designed for Eden. We long for our heavenly home - the promised new creation, the new earth.

1 Peter tells us that we are foreigners and exiles on this earth. We are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven. It is spiritually dangerous to lose our sense of exile. We are called not to get too comfortable in this world. We are NOT in our homeland.

How should we as exiles live?

Jeremiah tells the Israelites and US to settle down in our place of residence. He called us to live life well and live our best RIGHT in our own city.

He tells us to seek the welfare of the city where we live. How can we build it up? How can we make it better? How do we do this?

Jesus calls us to love our neighbors. We need to invest in the institutions of our city - our churches, our schools, our public spaces. Complaining about our city is the work of short term exiles. That is not who we are. We are called to be a people that builds our city up. We make it better. We pray. We hope. We work to serve our neighbors and work to make our city the best that it can be.

Standing just 30 inches by 21 inches, the Mona Lisa by Leonardo Da Vinci has captivated millions of people over the centuries. With over 10 million people visiting this monumental painting annually, it can be argued as the most famous painting of all time. Da Vinci’s artwork typifies the Italian Renaissance, a period and country known for achievements and cultivation in painting, science, and architecture, among many other subjects. Da Vinci was a prominent artist, scientist, and inventor. His notebooks included artwork, studies, and inventions in flight, engineering, architecture, mechanics, and human anatomy. His artwork focused on realism, and he married his artistic skill with his scientific understanding to create works of reality. At that time, he was a supreme visionary for the arts and sciences, significantly advancing what had come before him. His supremeness was because of his skill and contributions in significant areas. He was supreme, or above, others in art and science, with contributions of greater importance and significance than anyone else at that time. Similarly, Jesus is supreme in all His aspects: His person and work. Let’s stop and think for a moment about how Jesus is supreme. He is fully God and fully man. He is before all things, and by him, all things were created and are held together (Col. 1:15-20). Jesus is the Word made flesh, God’s only Son, and the fulfillment of all prophesy for a redeemer. He is the true and better Adam, a greater prophet, priest, or king than any person or group before him. He is head of the church, and His power, authority, rule, and glory are unmatched. He is the unblemished lamb, the perfect sacrifice, and the obedient suffering servant. He is the only one with power over death and the only mediator between us and God the Father. That is supremacy! Philosopher and theologian Augustine of Hippo said, “Jesus Christ is not valued at all until He is valued above all.” May we behold Jesus' work far greater than Da Vinci's or any other person who has ever lived.

Jesus fulfilled and escalated all that came before Him and pointed to Him. Reading scripture linearly shows that everything in the Old Testament makes sense once Jesus comes. It is as though we figure out the ending of a mystery novel and then go back and reread everything that preceded the complete revelation. Once we have the answer, the questions, clues, and foreshadowing make total sense. First, Jesus is the true and better Adam. Both Jesus and Adam were identified as the son of God, tempted by Satan, and entrusted with God’s Word. Whereas Adam was tempted once in paradise and failed, Jesus was tempted three times in the wilderness and was faithful. Adam doubted God’s Word, yet Jesus spoke it to Satan. Adam failed to be a prophet by doubting God’s Word, a priest by not guarding the garden, and a king by not having dominion over the serpent. Jesus fulfilled these roles perfectly by being the Word incarnate and fully obedient to the law, serving as our High Priest, providing the ultimate sacrifice, and our King where he will reign forever and ever. As a result of sin, Adam’s life produced curses of death, shame, and judgment, but Jesus’ life produced blessings of reconciliation, salvation, and eternal life. Jesus was the full manifestation and revelation of God and the only way to provide life after death: victory over sin. He is supreme in His person and work.

Does the supremacy of Christ influence how you live and think? He is Lord of all and calls us to make Him Lord of our lives. Is Jesus supreme in your life? Does He rule your thoughts, stir your heart, guide your actions, and lead you to repentance of sin and faith in Him? When we see the supremacy of Christ, how can anything else matter? Jesus and His supremacy should influence everything we do. To live is Christ means that He is our supreme desire, and we live our lives where His supremacy is reflected to all.

9.15.24 - Dr. Jeff Raines

Raising Teenagers or Screenagers - Deuteronomy 6:1-9

Today we are talking about the technology that has taken root in our lives and how that is effecting the way we are raising our children.

In our text today, Deuteronomy boils down all of the law to one commandment - to love. As parents and leaders, Deuteronomy 6 tells us that the words that God tells us should be on our OWN hearts first. What we choose to be passionate about in our lives is the prevailing factor that will shape our children’s lives. The greatest gift that we can give our children is a life of devotion to Jesus Christ.

We also need to be devoted to teaching the core Christian spiritual principles to our children. In our text, the Hebrew word for teach here literally means “to sharpen”. To sharpen something means that we continually attend to it - again and again. This is the way we are called to teach our children - continually.

Our children are especially vulnerable to the technology of today that is DESIGNED to keep us addicted to our screens. This increased attention to our screens is creating an incredible amount of anxiety and depression today.

Let’s make sure that WE are teaching our children that fulfillment and peace and joy does NOT come through the world and its devices but ONLY comes from our relationship with Jesus and experiencing his presence.

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. Colossians 2:9-10

Science experiments help us understand seemingly abstract concepts in concrete ways. Most students love the moment their teacher transitions from a lecture to the lab because the creative experiment allows students to better understand the material from their textbooks and by applying real-life materials, objects, and processes to their newfound concepts. One science experiment that has always interested students is the surface tension of liquids. Water has a higher surface tension than other liquids due to its high polarity and the hydrogen bonds between molecules. The result is being able to add more water than what a container can hold, where the liquid forms a layer just above the top of the container. The container can have even more liquid than it was designed for. It is perfectly and completely full. This is the New Testament idea of fullness. The Greek word for fullness used throughout the New Testament is Pleroma, meaning something is completely and abundantly filled up.

When Pleroma is used in Scripture, the word is synonymous with the fullness and fulfillment of something. It helps us understand what is filled, what fills, and the fulfillment of something. It is both the fullness and completeness of something. Fullness appears in Colossians 1 and 2 and Galatians 4:4-7, and when taken together, we begin to grasp the idea about the fullness of God’s plan in redemptive history. We see the world’s need for a savior, the fullness of Jesus, and our fullness in Christ. First, God’s fullness dwelt in Jesus. “For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross” (Col. 1:19-20). We see that Jesus was both fully God and fully man (Col. 2:9). In Jesus’ deity, God’s fullness dwelt in Him, and in His humanity, He died on the cross to reconcile to Himself all things. Jesus was God in Pleroma (fulness) and fully man. This is known as the hypostatic union, an idea we will explore more in October. Next, In Galatians 4, Paul continues to discuss Jesus’ reconciling ministry and how, through His work, we are now God’s children. Jesus reconciled us to God and did so at the exact moment in redemptive history that God had always planned to do so. Paul writes, “when the time had fully come,” meaning that God sent his Son at the perfect time in history when the world was “pleroma,” or completely and fully ready according to God’s perfect and sovereign plan. Lastly, in Christ, we have also been brought to fullness. “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness” (Col. 2:9). In Christ, we have been brought to fullness. We have everything we need in Jesus.

Reformed theologian Charles Spurgeon says this about the fullness of Christ, “You will never know the fullness of Christ until you know the emptiness of everything but Christ.” To know this fullness available to you in Christ, we must remove everything that separates us from Him. Is that a habit or lifestyle choice? It might be a sin you are unwilling to repent and release. Think about the fullness of Christ, the emptiness of ourselves, and what we gain when we repent and run to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. We can only be made full when we are first emptied. In Christ, we have been filled and made complete. The God who brought forth his plan to redeem the world and put his fullness in Jesus is the God who has made you full in Christ.

September 8, 2024 * Dr. Jeff Raines

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

‭‭Philippians‬ ‭4‬:‭8‬ ‭

In our 40 steps closer sermon series, today's step is:

Think about what is good

Our actions flow out of our thoughts. The word "whatever" comes up a lot in Philippians 4:8. There is so much good for us to fix our thoughts on!

In today's world, our screen time is built to sell to us. In doing so, they grab our attention by trying showing us what is shocking, fearful, violent, pornographic, or polarizing. Companies and media groups want us to feel angry and afraid. How can we change this?

- spend time together

- spend time outside

- practice thanksgiving

- study scripture

We are imitative beings. We are formed spiritually by what we take in. Sometimes we need to change the channel, put the phone down, delete the app or put a time limit on it.

There is no lack of true, noble, praiseworthy, and good things in God's world. His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Let's think on these things.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6

The Guinness Book of World Records was first published on August 27, 1955. Since its first publication, it has been published in over twenty languages and over one hundred countries. To date, there are currently 53,000 records in the database. These records showcase everything from modern marvels and new technologies to human skills and anatomy. The Guinness Book of World Records records unique human achievements and incredible phenomena in the natural world, from the world's tallest man to the most prolonged duration of balancing on one foot. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, all records must adhere to their record-breaking criteria: breakable, measurable, standardizable, verifiable, and measured by a single superlative. While some individuals have just one record, others have multiple records that demonstrate uniqueness in the World Records and uniqueness in our world. Ashrita Furman currently holds the most number of Guinness World Records in history. He has set 600 Guinness World Records and currently holds 200 of them. From his first record doing 27,000 jumping jacks in 1979 to becoming the first person to hold 100 Guinness world records at once in April 2009, Furman has demonstrated incredible feats and uniqueness in both the number and type of records he has held and currently holds. We each have things about us that make us unique. From our hobbies and careers to families and personalities, the culmination of these things makes us unique. In the same way, the culmination of Jesus’ person and work makes him unique as both the Son of God and our only way to be reconciled back to God the Father. His uniqueness surpasses us, Furman, and anyone else who has ever lived.

Understanding Jesus’ uniqueness is important to understanding his person and work. The uniqueness of his person supports the uniqueness of his work and the uniqueness of his work supports the uniqueness of his person. In other words, Jesus can do what he does because of who he is, and because of who he is supports what he does. Let’s think for a moment about His uniqueness. Jesus existed in eternity past, before the creation of the world, and will exist into eternity future. He is God’s only begotten son and is both fully God and fully man. In his humanity, he lived a perfect life of obedience and without sin. He is a better prophet than Moses, a higher priest than Melchizedek, and a greater king than David. Jesus' life and ministry were also unique. He forgave those who persecuted him and performed miracles showing his power over creation, sin, and death. Jesus was fully obedient, even to death on the cross, so that we could be reconciled to God. His resurrection was unique, showing that he defeated death and the curse of sin. His ascension was unique as it shows Jesus as the triumphal messianic king, where he is seated in the heavenly places at the right hand of God. Lastly, Jesus is unique because He is the only way to God the Father. As the Son of God and Savior of the world, Christ has reconciled us back to God. All we have to do is believe. He has given himself as a ransom for all people and is the mediator between God and mankind (1 Tim. 2:5). Acts 4:12 teaches us, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Salvation comes from Christ alone; we can understand His work because of His person. Unlike the Guinness Book of World Records, Jesus' work is unbreakable and immeasurable. He has lived a life we cannot live, died a death we deserved, and provided the ultimate sacrifice—a way for us to be back in the presence of God. He took on our sins, yet we receive His righteousness.

Understanding Jesus’ uniqueness will help us better understand who he is and what he has done for us.

September 1, 2024 - Dr. Jeff Raines

Today’s Step:

Submit to one another

In Ephesians 5, we find this admonition:

“…Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

Many have a negative reaction to this word because of how it’s been misused in our lives. Any time we go searching in the Bible to find a verse to support our selfish impulses, or the worst elements of our culture, we are not on the right track. We need to look to the example of Jesus. Did Jesus ever demean or abuse or celebrate his power over others? He never did. We strive to be Christlike to one another. We are to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Husbands should think about how to love and serve their wives. Wives should think about how to love and serve their husbands.

Why practice mutual submission? Jesus did it and he calls us to do it as well. (See John 13:14-15)

Jesus raced to the bottom to lift others up and to serve. (see Philippians 2:7)

How can we rise by kneeling? Look to Jesus and follow his example.

Our character is formed when we practice submission.

We need each other- we are so much better together- none of us knows it all or does all things well.

The world needs something different.

We practice it together to better submit to God.

Is Jesus going to be Lord or are you?

We can bow our head and bend our knee because it brings grace, eternal life and freedom.

Our world gets better when we submit to Jesus’ will in our lives.

In today's devotional, we explore the question Jesus asked Simon Peter - "Who do you say I am?"

Scripture - Matthew 15:15-16

In the play Hamlet, an important question is asked during Hamlet’s soliloquy. In Act 3 Scene 1, Hamlet asks, “To be, or not to be—that is the question.” Others throughout history have posed important questions that are still relevant even today. Martin Luther King, Jr., in a speech given in 1957 in Montgomery, AL, said: “Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?’” a conviction King held strongly about helping others in our neighborhoods and communities. Abraham Lincoln asked, “Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?” in response to a person questioning his actions following the Civil War. These three questions by Shakespeare, King, and Lincoln explore ideas about life and death, serving one another, and loving our enemies—important topics still relevant in today’s society. Yet, these profound questions by historical figures still don’t contain the most important question ever asked. That question is this: “Who do you say I am?” Jesus posed that question 2,000 years ago, and it is one that we all must answer today. When we confess Jesus as Lord, we affirm both his person and work—all that he has done, is doing, and will do. We cannot say Jesus is Lord yet deny aspects of his humanity or divinity. We should seek to understand and affirm the complete Christ and how scripture identifies him—all that makes him our Lord and Savior.

Throughout the centuries, various responses have been given to Jesus's question. Some have called Jesus a great teacher or prophet, while others have rejected his existence entirely. Others might affirm his miracles of healing and walking on water but deny his divinity, that is, that he is God’s only begotten Son, made flesh and dwelt among us. In John 8, we see that the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees called Jesus a “teacher,” while the adulterous women called Him “Lord.” There are many responses to who Jesus is with little consensus, even among the same churches, to the person and work of Christ. The further we go into our circles—our homes, workplaces, communities, and the world—the less unified our understanding of Jesus becomes. We can all think of a family member, colleague, or acquaintance on social media with whom we strongly disagree about who Jesus is. How can so many people have such a different perspective on Jesus? We must stop and ask ourselves, “How do I seek to understand the person and work of Jesus faithfully and truthfully?” The Bible, God’s Holy Word, is the only way we can rightly understand who Jesus is. Some try to define Jesus based on the person they need, not the person He is. When we do this, we can, at best, give too much weight to one attribute of Jesus and leave our other; at worst, we can be heretical in our thinking and make up something about Jesus that was never true. In either case, we need Scripture to help us rightly understand the person and work of Jesus. If the Bible is truth, God’s inerrant Word, then all that scripture says about the person and work of Jesus is also true. Jesus is not just a historical figure or a great prophet; He is God’s Son, the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). Scripture helps us not only understand who Jesus is but God’s redemptive plan to save us from our sin in Christ alone.

This 40-week devotional series is a journey to understanding who Jesus is, why we need a savior, and how all scripture points to the person and work of Jesus. We will explore his role in creation, humanity and divinity, earthly ministry, atoning death, glorious resurrection, and ascension. We will learn more about who Jesus is and who we are in Him. We will all have to answer this question: “Who do you say I am?” This week, take time to reflect on this question and think about your answer or write it down. Who do you say that Jesus is?