The Weekend Bible Study - with Ronald L. Dart

The days between Passover and Pentecost were heady days for the first disciples. Jesus had been raised from the dead after they thought he was gone forever. They were joyful beyond belief. Down through the generations all sorts of people have tried to duplicate that excitement of the Pentecost. The problem is it's all been artificial, contrived, manipulated. But man-made excitement is temporary, and when the excitement is gone it may leave depression behind as a legacy. What the disciples were feeling during this period of time was certainly nothing like man-made excitement. They had a joy that I don't think we quite can understand. They also had a challenge before them of enormous proportions. I want to come today to four ideas that we need to take a look at, instead of just looking for some sort of excitement. They form a neat acronym: . These ideas, frankly, can transform your life and can also turn your church around in its tracks, if you just understand what is meant by these four words. (Apologies for the relatively poor audio of this message. Use the yellow bar at the top of this page & request a free emailed/printed transcript to help you follow along.)

Before I get too involved in the study, there’s something I want us all to think about. The technical discussions about the Passover will never have an end. What’s important is that we do not let them distract from what is important. When we come to partake of the symbols of Jesus’ shed blood and broken body, it’s important that our hearts and minds are focused—not on some novelty or argument—but on Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. With that said, grab a glass of milk and a cookie, open your Bible, and let’s take a look at what John has to say about the Passover. After that he poured water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel with which he was girded. Then came he to Simon Peter: and Peter said unto him, Lord, do you wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do you know not now; but you shall know hereafter. Peter said unto him, You shall never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash you not, you have no part with me. Simon Peter said unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus said to him, He that is washed needs not except to wash his feet, but is clean completely: and you are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, You are not all clean. So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was seated again, he said unto them, Know you what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord: and you say rightly; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet; you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you should do as I have done to you.

And he said unto them, Behold, when you are entered into the city, there shall a man meet you, bearing a pitcher of water; follow him into the house where he enters in. And you shall say unto the owner of the house, The Master says unto you, Where is the guest room, where I shall eat the passover with my disciples? And he shall show you a large upper room furnished: there make ready. And they went, and found as he had said unto them: and they made ready the passover. And when the hour came, he sat down, and the twelve apostles with him. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Christian Educational Ministries . We are glad to be with you and thank you for allowing us to make this weekly service possible. We continue with Ronald L. Dart’s timely series on one of the most sacred and widely-observed religious holidays—the Passover. Tonight, the Passover according the Luke.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Wilderness of Sinai, in the first month of the second year after they had come out of the land of Egypt, saying, And Moses spoke unto the children of Israel that they should keep the Passover. And they kept the Passover on the fourteenth day of the first month at evening in the Wilderness of Sinai. According to all that the Lord commanded Moses, so did the children of Israel. Hello everyone and welcome to the Christian Educational Ministries . Tonight we continue our timely presentation by Ronald L. Dart on the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, and one of the most sacred and widely observed religious holidays, the Passover.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, Hello everyone, and welcome to the Christian Educational Ministries . Join us tonight as we continue our special and timely presentation by Ronald L. Dart on the liberation of the Israelites from Egyptian slavery, and one of the most sacred and widely observed religious holidays, the Passover. In studying the Passover, I am reminded there is an illusion that people have a hard time shedding. It is that all questions of faith and practice are covered in detail in Scripture. It should be obvious that is not true. Why aren’t they? Because there isn’t enough paper in the world to print the law books that would require. And God is not a nit picker. He is the shepherd of our souls. Life is too complicated to run with a set of rules. So what are we supposed to do? How can we know what is right? One approach is legalism. Everything is governed by the letter of the law. It doesn’t work and leads to all manner of misery. Another approach is authoritarianism. It keeps people together, but it destroys freedom, which is a fundamental biblical value. So how did God design things so we would know what to do? God established, in Israel and in the church an authority structure to decide doubtful matters. It is the only way we can be held together on these things. What was the authority in the Old Testament? If there arise a matter too hard for you in judgment, between bloodsheds, between legal rights, and between assaults, being matters of controversy within your gates: then shall you arise, and get you up into the place which the Lord your God shall choose; And you shall come unto the priests the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days, and inquire; and they shall show you the sentence of judgment: And you shall do according to the sentence, which they of that place which the Lord shall choose shall show you; and you shall observe to do according to all that they inform you: According to the sentence of the law which they shall teach you, and according to the judgment which they shall tell you, you shall do: you shall not decline from the sentence which they shall show you, to the right hand, nor to the left. And the man that will act presumptuously, and will not hearken unto the priest that stands to minister there before the Lord your God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die: and you shall put away the evil from Israel.

And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in unto your houses to slay you. And you shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever. Hello everyone, and welcome to the Christian Educational Ministries . As Spring approaches, and the season of Christ’s last days before his death & resurrection draws near, we reprise Ronald L. Dart’s series of studies on the Passover—in both the Old Testament and New. And you shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out at the door of his house until the morning. For the Lord will pass through to smite the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood upon the lintel, and on the two side posts, the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in unto your houses to slay you. And you shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever.

And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, You know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified. Then assembled together the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders of the people, unto the palace of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas, And consulted that they might take Jesus by subtlety, and kill him. But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar among the people. This is important as to intent and circumstances, because there is a theory that Jesus was indeed killed on the 15th, which was the Feast day. They wanted it out of the way before the Feast. But above all, this speaks to the decay of the religion of the Temple elite, that they would contemplate murder. Here is a question for discussion: They knew the commandment, Thou shalt not kill. How do you think they justified killing Jesus?

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life; (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that you also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full. [GE_Study_Questions_Link]

And for this reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge self control; and to self control patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that you shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. [GE_Study_Questions_Link]

For even to this were you called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judges righteously: Who his own self bore our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes you were healed. For you were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. [GE_Study_Questions_Link]

Come now, you rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are moth-eaten. Your gold and silver is rusted; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as if it were fire. You have heaped treasure together for the last days. […] Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, and has long patience for it, until he receives the early and latter rain. Be also patient; establish your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draws near. [GE_Study_Questions_Link]

In Romans, Paul speaks of our inexorable duty toward God, as well as duty toward the church. But he also develops a concept of duty towards civil government. The 13 chapter of Romans is fairly familiar to most of us, and today I’d like us to take a look at this particular concept. It is very important, and to really understand it—to really grasp what Paul is saying—we have to understand the historical background in which these words were written. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. Will you then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and you shall have praise of the same: For he is the minister of God to you for good. But if you do that which is evil, be afraid; for he bears not the sword in vain: for he is the minister of God, an avenger to execute wrath upon him that does evil. Therefore you must be subject, not only for wrath, but also for conscience’s sake. For, for this cause pay you tribute also: for they are God’s ministers, attending continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honor to whom honor. That is a fascinating scripture even taken in our modern context. What should this mean to us? What obligations goes this lay upon us today? What is our relationship to the civil government in our time? Even before asking these questions, however, I’d like to take us back to the time when Paul wrote this… (This message is a direct continuation of Romans: The Heart of the Gospel.)

My perspective has changed on the Book of Romans. It’s not that I didn’t understand it before, but there are a lot of different ways of looking at this book. There are a lot of historical concepts that one might not be aware of, leaving some things left unseen. In the process of studying it, I began to ask myself a lot of questions about this book. One thing has become very clear to me: It is easily the most important of all the New Testament epistles. I am sometimes hesitant to say or or , as superlatives are sometimes a little hard to support. But in the case of the Book of Romans, it is easy to support—and for a deceptively simple reason…

As we work our way through these last chapters of Romans, it’s a good thing to remember what a different world those disciples lived in compared to ours. The recipients of this letter lived and worked in the —Rome. And this Rome was the center of empire—a very powerful place. Morally, the place was bankrupt. Being the one great power in the world had the obvious effects of power—it corrupted. The pagan religions were, at one level, a very big deal, but I often find myself wondering just how seriously they took it all. Having left these previous religious backgrounds, there was quite a variety of belief among the disciples in Rome. They must have come from every corner of the empire, bringing with them every kind of religion. Paul wants them to be understanding and tolerant of one another’s peculiarities. They didn’t have to be tolerant of sin, but there was a wide range of custom to be tolerated. He begins chapter 14: As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand.

And be not conformed to this world: but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God has dealt to every man the measure of faith. At this point in Romans, Paul seems to be moving away from his preoccupation with the Jewish Christians, and starts talking like a pastor. That said, we still need to remember who the first readers of this letter were and how it would impact them. What does it mean, for example, to offer your body as a living sacrifice? Well, normally, a sacrifice was slain. We are to be a sacrifice. And it is our —not merely our hearts and minds. We are to act with our feet, our hands, our bodies, as a sacrifice to God. Now, to be sure, their bodies were in danger in that world, but they had to throw themselves into the fight, anyhow. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God — this is your spiritual act of worship. Paul’s word choices here for what some translations render deserve a closer look. So let’s get started this evening in Romans, chapter 12.