Sojourning Under the Sun: Israel (Genesis 32:22-32)

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We conclude our series regarding our Christian sojourn or as have titled it, “Sojourning Under the Sun.”  As we summarize and conclude this series an important question is: what is Israel?  Is Israel someone who lived in history, a nation, a people in a land, or a people that have ceased to exist with the coming of Christ?  These are important questions to define Israel.  So, what do we do with the nation of Israel?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Benediction (Revelation 22:17-21)

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The book of Revelation concludes with a blessing, but there is a warning in the midst of the benediction.  Why would John give us a warning in the midst of the blessing?  Does this imply that we cannot freely draw near to the Lord?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Sighting (1 Corinthians 15:50-58)

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The goal of the Christian life is to make it to the end of the age without turning from the Lord.  How can we do this, and what assurance do we have that our Sabbath rest is worthwhile?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Silence (1 Thessalonians 4:11)

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The Apostle Paul exhorts us to live a life to the Lord without stirring up controversy.  Why would Paul say such things and what does Paul by living a peaceful and quiet life?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Pilgrim (1 Peter 1:1,2)

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Peter and James greet the church in the dispersion.  What is the dispersion?  Why would they greet the church with such strange language?  What can such language communicate about our Christian Sojourn?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Union (Ephesians 2:1-10)

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We are getting towards the end of our series of Sojourning Under the Sun.  The intention of this series is for us to consider our placement in the Lord.  A very significant passage that covers our placement in the Lord is Ephesians 2 where the Apostle Paul makes clear that we have undergone a significant transformation in Christ.

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Shining (1 Corinthians 13)

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The Apostle Paul has written many letters to new churches.  His letters to the Corinthian church discloses that Paul is frustrated by the lack of unity in that church.  The people claim elitism, they call attention to social class, they call attention to their giftedness, they fail to discipline those who need some Godly correction, and there are more issues that we can list.  So, what is the positive solution?  What is the church called to do as we sojourn together through this age?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Suffering (Luke 14:25-35)

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Christ uses very strong language regarding our Christian life.  He tells us that we are to actually hate our families.  Is this a contradiction of the 5th commandment?  I thought that we were to honor our parents?  I thought that we were to love our Lord as first priority and love our neighbor as ourselves?  How can Christ command us to hate our families?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Spread (Luke 14:1-24)

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Christ is invited to dine with the leader of the Pharisees.  It seems that Christ’s ministry is moving in a positive direction where he is making inroads with the movers and shakers of the society.  This seems to be underscored when we notice Luke tells us that the Phariesses were watching Him carefully.  This has to mean that Christ is being accepted by significant people.  Or is this banquet hosted for more nefarious reasons?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

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The parable of the Good Samaritan is a parable that certainly teaches us to be concerned for our neighbor, it teaches us to care for the physical needs as well as the spiritual, but is there a deeper meaning to this parable?  In other words what other information can this parable be teaching us about the kingdom?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Situated (Matthew 28:16-20)

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We all know that the great commission is the call for the church to go out and to make disciples.  This is something that Christ explicitly states, but is this really the Great Commission?  What are we missing when we only talk about the call for the church to go out?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Conforming: Self Examination (Matthew 7:13-29)

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We conclude Christ’s sermon on the mount.  Christ is laying out an ethic that we are called to follow as a people set apart unto the Lord.  Do we just say that these laws are difficult so we can ignore them?  Do we more purposefully set out to obey these laws in our strength?  What are we to do with this challenging sermon that is set before us?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Cross Ethic (Matthew 7:1-12)

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It is easy for fallen man to be judgmental.  If we are honest we would much rather fix someone else’s problem than our own because overall we are doing pretty well right?  This is not what Christ says, and Christ speaks in a parabolic way showing the absurdity of such a judgmental spirit.  So, what is the problem of being judgmental and what is the solution?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Conforming: Cross Focused (Matthew 6:19-34)

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The potential temptation we can have as Christians is to think that this kingdom is only spiritual and that there is nothing physical that our Lord provides.  However, Christ makes this strange promise that as we pursue the kingdom of God there is the assurance that the Lord will provide for us.  How does this work?  Why not worry about the physical things when the the Kingdom is Spiritual?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Conforming: Humility (Matthew 6:1-18)

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The Lord has called us to honor Him and to live a life exclusively for our God.  Christ makes this life a challenge when Christ is very explicit that the law is something that cuts to the heart rather than just being an outward superficial conforming.  It is impossible for us to conform to the Lord from our heart, and so how do we conform to the Lord?  How do we come before the Lord in light of such impossible exhortations?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Conforming: Magistrate (Matthew 5:33-48)

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Christ tells us not to take an oath, we are not to get vengeance, and we are called to a radical love.  If those things are not hard enough we hear that we are supposed to be perfect as our heavenly father is perfect.  How can we measure up to this standard?  Do we just ignore these commands because they are impossible?  Do we strive to keep them in the hopes that God will still accept us?  What do we do with these difficult commands?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Conforming: Marriage (Matthew 5:27-32)

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Christ goes through the law and lays out the challenge of the seventh commandment.  This is another commandment that one might think is rather easy to keep, but is this really such an easy command to keep?  Is this one of the least commands or do we make it one of the least commands?  What are some of the implications regarding this commandment?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Conforming: Murder (Matthew 5:21-26)

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Christ continues to instruct the disciples on the mountain regarding life in this kingdom.  His presentation now is that the law of God has more meaning than just a few external commands that are easy to follow.  Christ goes through the command to murder which we might think is pretty easy to obey.  I mean there are a lot of people who have gone through this life without taking another human life.  Our temptation might be to skip over this command and to move onto a commandment that is probably a little more challenging.  So, what is the real challenge for us not to murder someone?

Sojourning Under the Sun: Sabbath Conforming (Matthew 5:17-20)

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Christ stands on the mountain and tells us that in order for us to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven our righteousness has to exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the pharisees.  That is pretty serious because they really understood the Lord’s Word and seemed to take it seriously.  So, how can one enter into the Kingdom of Heaven?