Dakota Community Church
November 23, 2008
Foundational Truth 6
(Week 7)
Hebrews 5:11-14
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
Hebrews 6:1-3
Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And God permitting, we will do so.
Introduction and review:
1. Christians are to grow up spiritually.
2. Repentance from acts that lead to death.
3. Faith in God.
4. Water baptism
5. Holy Spirit baptism
Laying on of hands (Part One – Transference of guilt)
Laying on of hands (Part Two – Bestowing of blessing)
This week we are going to finish up:
6. Laying on of hands (Part Three)
One more thing on bestowing of blessing:
Mark 10:15-16
I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
Sometimes we will get you to lift your hands toward someone when we are praying for them, or you may recall that at the end of the service I always raise my hands and pronounce a blessing benediction upon you as you are dismissed.
Leviticus 9:22
Then Aaron lifted his hands toward the people and blessed them. And having sacrificed the sin offering, the burnt offering and the fellowship offering, he stepped down.
For the setting apart to an office or purpose.
Numbers 8:9-11
Bring the Levites to the front of the Tent of Meeting and assemble the whole Israelite community. You are to bring the Levites before the LORD, and the Israelites are to lay their hands on them. Aaron is to present the Levites before the LORD as a wave offering from the Israelites, so that they may be ready to do the work of the LORD.
Numbers 27:18-23
So the LORD said to Moses, "Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. 1Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in."
Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.
Acts 6:1-6
In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word."
This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.
Acts 13:2-3
While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
I think this brings up the question as to just what are people called to? What is a calling? What is a good work that we do for the Lord?
A good work is that by which we love God and love our neighbor.
1 Thessalonians 4:9-12
Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other. And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia. Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.
Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody.
Your job is a good work if you do it as if you were working for God and it enables you not to be a burden to others!
Instead of work being a selfishly motivated task that we have to do it becomes a sacrificially giving work that we get to do.
2 Thessalonians 3:6-13
In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we command you, brothers, to keep away from every brother who is idle and does not live according to the teaching you received from us. For you yourselves know how you ought to follow our example. We were not idle when we were with you, nor did we eat anyone’s food without paying for it. On the contrary, we worked night and day, laboring and toiling so that we would not be a burden to any of you. We did this, not because we do not have the right to such help, but in order to make ourselves a model for you to follow. For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: "If a man will not work, he shall not eat."
We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. Such people we command and urge in the Lord Jesus Christ to settle down and earn the bread they eat. And as for you, brothers, never tire of doing what is right.
If anyone does not obey our instruction in this letter, take special note of him. Do not associate with him, in order that he may feel ashamed.
This is a command from God! Doing your job is pleasing to God, he wants us to settle down and earn our dinner! This is a calling! It is as important as feeding the hungry or visiting the sick or pastoring a church.
Colossians 3:18-24
Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
Husbands love your wives and do not be harsh with them.
Children, obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord.
Fathers, do not embitter your children, or they will become discouraged.
Slaves, obey your earthly masters in everything; and do it, not only when their eye is on you and to win their favor, but with sincerity of heart and reverence for the Lord. Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving.
The Christian Hydro worker serves his fellow man by keeping the lights on, the Christian farmer serves his fellow man by putting food on the market, the Christian salesman serves his fellow man by doing it not for selfish motives but for the Lord.
Prayer Ministry
Acts 28:7-8
There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and for three days entertained us hospitably. His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him.
For some reason this practice gets mocked or feared these days; perhaps because of some of the silliness that has gone on with television ministry, but Jesus prayed for people this way, the early church leaders considered it foundational, and we need to keep on practicing it.
Holy Spirit baptism
Acts 8:17-19
Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit."
Healing
James 5:14-16
Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Now let’s get into the next point in this series on foundational truth:
7. The resurrection of the dead
Surprisingly this has become a controversial issue in the church. Many self-proclaimed post-modern leaders suggest that the idea of heaven as a “literal place” is not what Jesus or the gospel writers embraced or taught. Belief in this doctrine, they claim, results in a kind of “other world” focus that is not helpful in our quest to create paradise in the here and now through environmentalism and good deeds.
The problem with this enlightened position is that it is not even mildly supported in scripture. Although it is true that Jesus taught us to pray “Thy Kingdom come”, He did not do so at the expense of a firm focus on the afterlife speaking continually about going to the Father and making a way for us to join Him.
In Matthew 22 He takes the Sadducees to task over this very issue rebuking them for being in error because they do not know the scriptures or the power of God.
The resurrection of the dead is foundational to the Christian faith.
Read 1 Corinthians 15
1 Corinthians 15:1-19
Now, brothers, I want to remind you of the gospel I preached to you, which you received and on which you have taken your stand. By this gospel you are saved, if you hold firmly to the word I preached to you. Otherwise, you have believed in vain.
The word, the good news by which you are saved – on which you take a stand – if you have not believed in vain
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me. Whether, then, it was I or they, this is what we preach, and this is what you believed.
Whether you heard the good news from Paul or one of the other apostles – “THIS IS WHAT WE PREACH, THIS IS WHAT YOU HAVE BELIEVED”.
What is? …first importance: that Christ died for our sins… and that he was raised and appeared!
But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.
If Christianity is only about living well in this life, we are to be pitied more than all men.
1 Corinthians 15:20-28
But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For he "has put everything under his feet." Now when it says that "everything" has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.
Some mistakenly take this passage to mean that everyone is now saved because of the line “in Christ all will be made alive” but in fact we are all “born” into Adams sin with membership in the human family and that is why Jesus said we must be “born again” this time into Christ’s righteousness and the family of God.
1 Corinthians 15:29-34
Now if there is no resurrection, what will those do who are baptized for the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized for them? And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised,
"Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character." Come back to your senses as you ought, and stop sinning; for there are some who are ignorant of God—I say this to your shame.
I was tempted to skip this part because of the controversial bit about baptism for the dead but I am really endeavoring to use the scriptures in context as they appear so side stepping difficult parts is out of the question.
Possible explanations according to William Barclay:
The Greek word “for” in “for the dead” is huper – it can mean “above” or “over” but far more often means “instead of” or “in the place of”.
i. Some scholars have taken the above or over definition to say that it refers to a practice of honoring martyrs by being baptized over their graves.
ii. Some suggest it is saying that when a member of the church dies the next new convert is baptized for them as in into their place in the Body.
iii. Another explanation that has been put forth is that some become believers because of the witness and prayers of a deceased family member or friend and so they are baptized “for” the dead person.
iv. The most likely explanation is that the early church practiced some form of baptizing people for dead believers who passed away before they got a chance to be baptized themselves but that this view eventually came to be seen a superstitious and not supported by the rest of scripture.
It is important to note that Paul is not endorsing the practice he is simply saying if there is no resurrection why practice it at all.
Next week: 1 Corinthians 15:35-38
PowerPoint available (Free of charge) on request dcormie@mts.net
