Bread of His Presence

Lechem Panim #117 "Looking Back To See Ahead" (Acts 1:12-26) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. 

Experiential History— I want to open up today by talking a little bit about history. What is the goal and purpose of history? You know there is so much difference between our western (Greek rooted) way of viewing history and the Biblical (Eastern-rooted) way of viewing history. We see history as a bunch of facts and dates, which is why so many of our young people think that history is boring. And honestly, most of us are not interested in history for that very reason. But the Jewish way of viewing history is vastly different and infinitely more exciting. And that is because when they study history, when they celebrate their chagim (holidays) it is not just about ritual, but committing themselves to experiencing their history, to learn from it, and to allow it to re-shape the way they live their day to day lives. 

No Word For History-- I recently learned that in Hebrew there is actually no word for history. The word they use is zechira, which means “remembrance”. And zechira (the act of taking the time to remember) involves not just knowing what happened at any given time, but understanding those things that led to those events and what things came out of those events. And so they believe that it is in our looking back at our history that we begin to understand who we are and our place in God’s overall plan of salvation. And this is what was happening in that 40 day period following Christ's resurrection. Jesus was teaching His disciples about the Kingdom of God, but He was also connecting them back with the Old Testament, showing how He was the fulfillment of all the messianic prophecy’s. 

456 Prophecies-- Now, just so you are aware, [In total, there are over 456 prophecies stating specific things that the King {(the Messiah)} would do, and Jesus fulfilled them all right down to the smallest details. {In fact, there are}…twenty-nine prophecies that Jesus fulfilled just in the last twenty-four hours of His life.] How Jesus fulfills prophecy is actually one of the greatest evidences we have of the truth of His claims. 

Not Contrived or Accidental-- Now some have argued that Jesus tried to fulfill these prophecies in order to deceive us. The reason that hypothesis falls apart is because when you actually look at the prophecies, you discover that many of those prophecies He fulfilled during (and even prior to) the time He was born, while He was a young child, and also prior, during, and following his execution on the cross; all of which (if He were a mere man) He could have had no say over. Now others suggest that He fulfilled these prophecies by accident; that it is just a coincidence.

Texas Silver Dollars-- But [In his book, Science Speaks, Peter Stoner applies the modern science of probability to just eight prophecies regarding Christ. He says, "The chance that any man might have ...fulfilled all eight prophecies is one in 10 to the 17th. That would be 1 in 100,000,000,000,000,000." (one hundred quadrillion) {And just to give us a picture of these odds} Stoner suggests that "we take 10 to the 17th silver dollars and lay them on the face of Texas. They will cover all of the state 2 feet deep. Now mark one of these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly... Blindfold a man and tell him he can travel as far as he wishes, but he must pick up [that one marked silver dollar.] What chance would he have of getting the right one?" Stoner concludes, "Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing those eight prophecies and having them all come true in any one man,...providing they wrote them in their own wisdom.”] Now keep in mind that that is JUST 8 PROPHECIES being fulfilled by Jesus. And yet we now know that there are over 456 prophecies that have been fulfilled by Jesus Christ.
    This is why it is so important for us to study and know these scriptures; because if we know them we can prove that Jesus is who He says He was. And this is exactly what we will see a man named Apollos do later in the book of Acts. It says in…

Acts 18:28 (ESV)-- 28 for he powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

Peter’s Use of Prophecy at Pentecost-- Peter did this as well. In fact, when we will come to his famous sermon that immediately followed the Holy Spirit’s coming at Pentecost, we will see (a little more in depth) how that sermon is composed primarily of prophecies about Jesus that Peter pulls directly from the Old Testament. And the rest of his sermon is commentary on those passages; him connecting the dots for his Jewish listeners. And this was an exciting thing for the disciples. They understood for the first time how Jesus was the fulfillment of all the Old Testament promises. And so for those who knew the Old Testament, hearing the apostles show and prove that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah was a powerful powerful thing.

They Understood!!!-- Now one of the things that we wonder as we begin moving through these opening chapters of the book of Acts is: How did the disciples experience such an incredible change in their lives? How did they go from being fearful, Christ-denying and Christ-forsaking cowards to being courageous soldiers of the cross who were ready and able to move mountains on behalf of the gospel? Now you will of course say the Holy Spirit. And you are absolutely correct. The Holy Spirit plays a huge role in the transformation of the hearts and lives of these men (and women). And we will talk about the Holy Spirit more in the coming weeks. But there is another element that is often overlooked, which plays an equal role in their transformation; at it occurred before Pentecost. And that was that for the first time the eyes of the disciples were opened to understand the Old Testament. Now many of these Jewish men had much of the Old Testament memorized; that was just expected during that time. In fact, it was forbidden for any person to speak on any passage of the scripture that they had not first committed to memory. You were expected to know the text before even thinking of teaching it. Even the women were required to have at the very least Psalms, Proverbs, and Deuteronomy completely committed to memory. That’s why, by the way, you will notice that whenever Jesus speaks to a woman, He always quotes to them only from those three books; because those were the books they would have known by memory. And these traditions continue even to this very day.

The Only Man Who Hadn’t Memorized-- Recently I was listening to a man talk about his experience beginning Jewish studies. And as he registered for a class, his rabbi told him he wasn't qualified for the class. And he was a little bit offended, because he had his degree and felt that he knew a lot. But he was a gentile and the rabbi explain to him you don't know what you don't know. But he allowed him to join the class, which he did. But it was not long into the class when he realized that he was the only man in that class who did not have the entire Old Testament memorized from cover to cover. And for the first time he realized that he (though a well educated Christian man) knew nothing about the Bible (at least comparatively). And this same man shared how he once was with a group of Jewish 8-year-boys (my son’s age) in Israel and discovered that they also had massive portions of the Old Testament memorized. And he and the group that was with him decided to put them to the test; and so they asked them to name all the birds mentioned in the Old Testament. And together this group of 8-year-olds named those birds one by one merely by mentally working their way through the text. Because the Word of God (the Old Testament) was so deep in their bones! And what the speaker noted was that every time these 8-year-olds had a free moment, instead of pulling out their cell phones or their gaming machines or their iPads or whatever it is, they would pull out their Bibles and continue memorizing the text. Let me tell you something; the Jews understand what it means to hide the Word of God in the hearts of their children. And the reason they do this is because they know that if they don't, then they are only one generation away from being extinct. Their hope as a people (and our hope as well) rests in the promises given by God to our fathers in history (in time and space).

Knowing Without Understanding-- Now you can memorize something without ever really truly understanding it. Many Jews today have massive parts (if not the whole) of the Old Testament memorized. And yet they miss the very Messiah that the Old Testament prophesies about. 
    The experience for the disciples here in this upper room as they were awaiting the coming of the Holy Spirit was that they finally got it! They understood how God was working (and had worked) to bring his Messiah into the world and the Messiah's role in offering atonement (through his blood) for the sins of the world. And because they understood that, their history came together for them in their minds but also (most importantly) in their hearts; and they were willing to charge into the future under the banner of a risen Christ! 

Looking Back-- And this is one of the reasons that we must never let ourselves be convinced that the Old Testament (or history in general) doesn't matter. Winston Churchill once said "The further back you look, the further ahead you will see.” And that is true. If you want to understand current events, then you have to look back and truly understand the history of God’s people. And I want to tell you today that (as a whole) we have allowed ourselves to become very ignorant of our history, particularly our Jewish roots. The Jews in the early Church were able to live dynamic and powerful lives because (for the first time) they could truly see. And the reason they could truly see was because they knew the importance of looking back and the veil had been lifted from their eyes to where they could finally see and understand the Word of God; they finally understood God’s plan (at least in part) and their own role in helping that plan unfold. But it came through their wrestling and coming to grips with the Old Testament.

​Our History-- And so I want to encourage you today (and myself as well); may we also be intentional about studying and knowing the scriptures; because the Old Testament isn’t their heritage. No, it is OUR history. And when their history becomes our history (not just in our minds, but in our hearts), their hope and their joy and their salvation becomes our hope and our joy and our salvation as well. You want to know Jesus (fully) then you must understand His Word. If you want to hear God’s voice clearly; then you must become tuned to His voice in and through His Word. And if you want to have the right words to say at any given moment, fill the reservoir of your heart with His Words; and He will use them at the opportune times both for others and for yourself. And so let us commit (together) to know and walk in the light of His Word. Amen.

Lechem Panim #116 "The Ascension & The Promise" (Acts 1:9-14) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In our passage today from Acts chapter 1 we find Jesus getting ready to ascend into heaven. Now if I were one of the disciples who had been with Jesus during these 40 days following His resurrection, I cannot even imagine the grief I would feel. I’d be clinging to Jesus’ feet, never wanting to let Him go. To be in a world without the visible presence of Jesus was something these disciples did not want to experience again. But Jesus had said back in…

John 16:7 (ESV)— 7 Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you. But if I go, I will send him to you.

Comforter— And of course He was talking about the Holy Spirit, the One here called the Helper. Some translations read Comforter. And Comforter is not a bad translation; but the word incorporates much more than what we typically mean by our English word “Comforter”. Yes, the Holy Spirit comforts us, but a better translation is Helper or “the one who strengthens/empowers”; because the Holy Spirit is the One who enstrengthens and empowers us to be like Jesus. He is the One who had anointed Jesus’ own life and ministry and is the One Christ promises will empower ours as well, convicting us, drawing people to Christ, shaping us into His image, and helping us to carry out His mission. He is also the one who teaches us and reminds us of what Christ has said (John 14:26). But He is also Jesus’ guarantee that His followers (including us) will never be alone. Because He would bring the presence of God into their very hearts and lives. Jesus (Immanuel) had been God with them. The Holy Spirit would be God in them. And so (as unbelievable as it might seem) the Holy Spirit actually brings God even closer to us than Jesus had been to these disciples when He was on earth. And with God in them, they could finally be empowered to be like Jesus. Jesus had said in…

Acts 1:8 (ESV)— 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

“Be My Witnesses”— Now that verse, [Verse 8 is the thematic statement for all of Acts. It begins with the Spirit’s power that stands behind and drives the witness to Jesus. {And} Then it provides a rough outline of the book: Jerusalem (chs. 1–7), Judea and Samaria (chs. 8–12), and the end of the earth (chs. 13–28).] And so right at the outset we see God’s plan for the Gospel to reach beyond just Jerusalem; beyond just the Jews. God’s salvation would be for the whole world. Now it says in…

Acts 1:9 (ESV)— 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 

Here All Along— Not long ago, after preaching on this passage in my Church, I had a dear woman approach me afterwards with a look of disappointment on her face. And she told me why. She said that she appreciated the message, but wished that I had spoken more about the ascension. And she was right. I had gone through it way too quickly. And maybe that is because we naturally think of the ascension of Christ as kind of small potatoes in comparison to His death and resurrection; or even His future coming. And that is something I think a lot of us pastors I think rush through, missing some of the amazing applications that the ascension of Christ has for you and for me today. A godly man whose writings have been some of the most formative for me in and throughout the years is Dr. Dennis Kinlaw. And even he once said:  [As a pastor I had never preached a sermon on the ascension. I had preached on Christ’s birth, his baptism, the events in his life, his death, and his resurrection, but I had never preached on his ascension. {And so he said} Because I thought that there must be something significant in that story, I began to prepare a sermon on it, trying to understand what the significance is. {And he says} As I worked, I thought of two questions: How far did Jesus go? And how long did it take him to get there? Then {he said} I laughed at my own stupidity. How far is a space question. He created space. He was there before there was space. He is not in space; he transcends space. Space is in him. How long is a time question. He created time because it is a reflection of space, a reflection of the creation. Days, hours, and minutes are part of created experience; they are not part of God’s experience. He is not bound by time or space. {And he says} When I reached that point in my thinking, I had a moment of revelation. When Jesus returns, he will not have to travel through space; nor will it take him any time, for he is Lord of space and time. That means he is already here. He never really left. We just don’t have the capacity to recognize his holy presence. We speak of having Christ in our hearts. The reality though is that we are in him because there is nowhere he is not. As Paul said to the Athenians, “He is not far from each one of us; for in him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:27–28). {And he says} Suddenly I found that I had a sense of his nearness that I had never had before. When Jesus comes again and our eyes are opened to see him, I think we will realize that he has been here all along.] What an amazing thing to think about; the fact that Jesus (although He ascended) has actually neither left nor forsaken us. Perhaps we also often overlook the end of the Great Commission passage given to us in…

Matthew 28:20b (ESV)— …And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

He Has Never Left You— The reality is that Jesus has never left you. There has never been one single moment in your walk with Christ where He has ever left you. And He will never leave you. Now it says in…

Acts 1:10-11 (ESV)— 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”  

In A Human Body— Now a key thing to recognize here is that Jesus ascended to the right hand of the Father still bearing His physical resurrected body. [The amazing miracle of the incarnation is not only that the eternal Son of God took human nature on himself and became a person who is simultaneously God and man, but also that he will remain both fully God and fully man forever.] He has brought humanity into the very being of God. God has joined mankind in the flesh of Jesus Christ. And the angels reveal that someday Jesus is going to return just as they saw Him leave; with that same resurrected body. His [return, like his ascension, will be bodily and visible.]

Maranatha— And we as followers of Christ have been looking forward to His return ever since that very day. In fact, the early church didn’t say “hello” or goodbye.” Rather they said “Maranatha”, which is a Syriac expression that means: “our Lord comes.” They were always looking forward to that day when Christ would return. 

Get Going!!!— Now I think it is kind of humorous how the angels ask the disciples why they are standing there, as if it was an everyday thing to see our Lord ascend in a cloud into heaven. But it’s the angels’ way of saying, “All right guys, the show’s over. Christ gave you a very important commission to complete. Go prepare for it.” And the disciples turn and leave. And it says in…

Acts 1:12-14 (ESV)—12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.  

Waiting in Prayer— And so we see [The main activity in the upper room was prayer. Jesus had told them “to wait for the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4), but “waiting” on God and prayer are closely related in several places in the OT, and therefore it is likely that they were praying constantly that the promised Spirit would descend.]

An Explosion Through Prayer— Now (perhaps like the ascension) we often also skip over this section because we want to get to the good stuff; Pentecost and the awesome power of the Holy Spirit made manifest in and through the disciples. But what we so often miss is that the Holy Spirit only came after the disciples had a 10 day, nonstop prayer meeting. They were praying together, confessing sins, becoming of one mind and of one accord. They are saturating themselves in prayer. And throughout the book Acts we see that everything the disciples did was centered on prayer.

What is revival?— Now I hear a lot of people say how they want to see revival happen in our nation. But do we want revival like this? Are we hungry enough to seek the Lord like these few disciples did? You know, a lot of times we get it backwards when it comes to how we understand how revival comes. We don't want to pray or draw close to God by ourselves. We want God to do all the work for us; so we ask God to bring us revival; to make us hungry for prayer; hungry for him. But God says, “No no no. Pray first; then I’ll make you hungry. I don't think it's an accident that James 4:8 (ESV) says: 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you...

First comes obedience— You see, first comes obedience, then comes the presence of God. We obey first; we draw near to Him whether we feel like it or not and then He will draw near to us. We choose to go to church whether we feel like it or not; we read our Bibles whether we feel like it or not; we pray whether we feel like it or not. We seek God out every moment of the day because it is in the times when we don’t feel like doing these things and yet do them out of obedience; it is in those times that God is most pleased and often pours out His greatest blessings. And so I want to encourage you today to draw close to God. Allow His Holy Spirit to fill and renew you in the image of your Creator. And with that renewing will come a mighty power; a power He can use to help change the world. Draw near to Him today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #115 "You Will Be My Witnesses" (Acts 1:4-8) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. In today’s message from the book of Acts, we are going to discuss the greatest call that you and I can have on our lives.

Close to Extinction— I remember in one of the writings of the late Christian apologist Ravi Zacharias, his asking: [And what is the first call for each one of us? It is to understand God’s primary description of who and what we are. {Ravi Zacharias put it thus:} All the other accolades that people want to thrust at us are secondary at best. The fact that someone writes, another speaks, still others invest or play sports, is merely the means to express the greater end. {He said} Some time ago, I attended a Bible study session with some sports professionals. The speaker that morning challenged the players to leave a legacy they could be proud of. He began by asking them how many knew the name of their great-grandfather. A handful of hands went up. Then he asked how many of them knew where their great-grandfather was buried. Most of the hands stayed down. With each more specific question, fewer hands went up. He then made his point: “Each one of us is just three to four generations away from extinction.” {Ravi said} Silence gripped the room. How sobering to think that, just a few generations down the family tree, no one would even know I had ever existed! Then the speaker challenged these men about the legacy they would leave behind. One after another, the players responded. But then one said, “Really, I don’t care whether or not my great-great-grandson or great-granddaughter knows that I played ball professionally. It really doesn’t matter that much. I just want them to know the God I served and loved.” The words came from the heart, and for a moment, in the silence, {Ravi said} we all knew the truth of both thoughts. Our devotion to God’s call and to his claim on our lives provides the groundwork of all that ultimately matters. Words like those of the professional ballplayer are all the more profound, because many of our youth consider his calling a dream. But the greatest dream of all is to know God and to know what he has intended for your life.] The greatest call upon your life is the call He has given for you to follow Him in radical, world-changing discipleship.

Soldiers of the Cross— And that was Jesus’ ultimate mission while here on earth (aside from the cross); to make disciples who would be world-changers. As someone once pointed out: [He did not want to be just a Bible teacher to a group of spiritually hungry souls who would get their only ration of spiritual food once a week from his sermons. He wanted to train a band of strong, rugged soldiers of the Cross who would then collaborate with him in the work of the ministry in the church.]

No Other Plan— And the man who said that (LeRoy Eims) also shared a personal story in his book The Lost Art of Disciple Making. He said: [I had gone to a Christian conference and in one of the messages the speaker was emphasizing how vital these men were to Jesus’ mission. He told us a story that stirred our imaginations. He spoke of the return of Jesus to heaven—His ascension—and the excitement that it caused among the angels. He painted quite a picture, for he was good with words. He told of one of the angels who asked the returned Son of God a question, “What plan do You have to continue the work You began on earth?” Without hesitation Jesus answered, “I left it in the hands of the apostles.” Another angel asked, “What if they fail?” Again there was no hesitation, “I have no other plan.” The speaker assured us it was only a story, but it got the point across. The future of Christianity, humanly speaking, rose or fell on the ministry of these men.]

Our Responsibility— Now when you think about that, the implications are profound. Jesus has entrusted the success of His Great Commission to you and to me. He has placed the fate of the world in our hands. It is up to the obedience of individual men and women who (daily) have to choose how sold out they are to Jesus Christ; just how dedicated they are to Christ’s mission of discipleship. And that is a choice that you and I have to make as well. Are we going to orient our lives around Jesus Christ and His mission?

The 40-day gap— Now in our passage today, Jesus had recently risen. But the ascension doesn’t happen right away. There is a forty-day gap between the resurrection and the ascension in which Jesus is appearing to the disciples, instructing them, training them, and preparing them for His ministry that they are about to continue in the world. Verse 3 says that He was also speaking to them about the kingdom of God; that kingdom they would soon be bringing people into. And it says in…

Acts 1:4-5 (ESV)— 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; 5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Awaiting The Holy Spirit— So we see here that Jesus doesn’t want the disciples to leave Jerusalem until they have received the Holy Spirit. Why? Because He knows that in order for any ministry to be affective, we must have the Holy Spirit go with us (and also “before us”), because it is not ultimately our work. Rather we join in the work the Holy Spirit is already doing. And so Jesus is preparing the disciples for the more immediate event of Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit will come down upon them and cleanse them and empower their lives and ministry.

A Time of Excitement— Now just imagine the excitement the disciples had during this time. Their Lord had risen; He was walking and talking with them once again. The hope in Him as their Messiah, that hope they lost at His death, was restored. And they are beginning to get excited about knowing what comes next. And we see that Jesus has led them to [the Mount of Olives (v. 12), at the foot of which lay Bethany (Luke 24:50).] 

My Journey to Olivet— I remember when I went to Israel, coming to the Mount of Olives. And one of the things I remember seeing that I did not expect was a massive number of tombs; white sepulchers all over. And in fact there are an estimated 150,000 graves on the Mount. Tombs traditionally associated with Zechariah, Haggai, Malachi, and Absalom are among them. Numerous rabbis and Jews are buried there even to the present age; though at an exorbitant price. It is very expensive to be buried there. And when I asked why, our guide said it was because of a very interesting prophecy in the Old Testament. It says in…

Zechariah 14:3-4, 9 (ESV)— 3 Then the Lord will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle. 4 On that day his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives that lies before Jerusalem on the east, and the Mount of Olives shall be split in two from east to west by a very wide valley, so that one half of the Mount shall move northward, and the other half southward. {And verse 9 says…} 9 And the Lord will be king over all the earth. On that day the Lord will be one and his name one.

They Missed It— Now after telling me this, our guide said of many of the Jews then, “They missed it.” And you know, they still miss it even today because they are not being told. But the disciples see what is happening; they see Jesus, their Messiah, leading them up the Mount of Olives. And the whole time their knees are like buckling and shaking. They’re thinking “Is this the moment?” “I don’t know.” “Should we ask the Master?” So verse 6 says...

Acts 1:6 (ESV)— 6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 

What The Disciples Expected— And they asked Him this because they had drawn the conclusion from his resurrection and promise of the Holy Spirit that era of the Messiah had dawned and Israel’s final salvation and restoration was at hand. But keep in mind that they were still expecting the Messiah to drive out the Romans and restore Israel to physical, military, and political glory, as God had done numerous times in and throughout the Old Testament. But look at Jesus’ response. He says…

Acts 1:7 (ESV)— 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 

And in that we see that Jesus is not interested in revealing to us the hour of His return. Rather He wants us to focus on abiding in Him in the present, doing the work that He has commissioned us (as His ambassadors) to do in the world. Look at what He says in…

Acts 1:8 (ESV)— 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 

“Be My Witnesses”— [Jesus corrected them...but by telling them (Acts 1:8) that they would receive power from the Holy Spirit, not in order to triumph over Roman armies but to spread the good news of the gospel throughout the world.] The disciples wanted to know the hour of the coming of Christ’s kingdom. Jesus says, “Don’t worry about that. It’s in God’s hands. But until then, you are to proclaim my name; be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. And then He gives them the Great Commission, which is recorded for us in…

Matthew 28:19-20 (ESV)— 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

I am with you always— Now that last phrase I am with you always is an intriguing phrase. We often treat it like a separate promise of His presence to be with all believers. And that may be true. But you almost get the sense that this promise is also connected with the commission He just gave. It’s almost like He’s saying, “I am with you always, to the end of the age” as you continue in the work of making disciples. And what this may be hinting at is the reality that you and I are never going to experience Christ more fully or more closely (in our own lives) than when we are bringing somebody to Jesus or into a closer walk with Him. You want to experience Jesus Christ? Go where He’s at work and join with Him. And when you do, you will find that you will have connected yourself with one of the central purposes of your life; and that will allow God to bless you in ways He otherwise would never be able to. And so let us commit to live lives where we are intentionally reaching out to make disciples. Amen.

Lechem Panim #114 "Luke The Physician" (Acts 1:1-3) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. As we have started a new series on the book of Acts, we have been taking a look at the testimony of Luke (author of the both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts). Luke had become the companion of Paul and one the early Church’s greatest historians. Now although Luke writes as a historian, Luke’s occupation before this had been quite different. He had been a physician.

Medical Machinery— I remember not long ago I went to visit a gentleman in the hospital; to both minister and pray with him and just be with him through a very difficult time. And as I stepped into that hospital room I found myself almost instantly surrounded by all kinds of medical equipment. Now I didn’t know what much of that equipment does. But I remember a nurse came in with a rather large piece of machinery. And as she proceeded to hook my friend up to it and to press other pieces of machinery onto his chest, I saw on the computer screen live video images of my friend’s heart. And as she moved the equipment around, she began to take precise computer measurements, calculating every sound; every pulse. Laid out in visual form were the wavelengths; the very heartbeat of my friend.

Now that kind of thing is awe-inspiring to me. But it also leads me to wonder what it must have been like to receive medical care in the first-century world of Jesus. In talking about this, my wife remarked to me how she could not even imagine giving birth during that time. And in fact, if she had, she would probably never have made it because of how our son was positioned in her womb. She very likely would have died in childbirth. Conditions and injuries that we would consider relatively minor were so much more dangerous then. Some of you tuning in today may be in the medical field. Have you ever imagined what it would have been like to treat somebody in ancient times or during this time period in and around the life of Christ?

Luke’s Focus on Christ’s Birth— Well, Luke didn’t have to imagine, because that was his primary occupation; he was a physician. And interestingly, he is the gospel writer who gives us the most details concerning the events in and surrounding the birth of Jesus. Maybe as a physician he was just so captivated and couldn’t get over the fact that in the womb of Mary; that womb that medically sustained Jesus, was the very Creator of the Universe who was at that moment already sustaining her; that her very blood which was bringing Him life would one day be poured out on the cross, bringing life to her.

Luke’s Focus on The Healings of Jesus— Also we find that Luke places special emphasis on the healing ministry of Jesus; and when we understand he was a physician, we can kind of see through his eyes and recognize why he was so fascinated by it. Jesus needed no equipment; Jesus never prescribed any medication; He never had to make a single surgical cut. He merely spoke and the worst conditions imaginable; even those that were beyond the hope of cure; conditions that Luke had encountered over and over again, were cured. I wonder how many times Luke had to tell someone, “I’m sorry, you will never see again,” “I’m sorry, you will never walk again,” “I’m sorry, but this infliction is incurable.” Luke presents Jesus in a way that only a physician could; because Jesus had succeeded in many of the same kinds of situations where Luke himself had failed. Only one time in all four of the Gospel accounts is Jesus called or thought of as a medical Physician; and it is here in the Gospel of Luke; Luke 4:23. Luke simply could not get over the power of God made manifest in Jesus Christ in the absolute worst of medical situations; how every illness and every defect left at the mere touch (or even just the mere spoken word) of Jesus. And Luke, like Matthew, also recognizes this as a fulfillment of prophecy.

Isaiah 35:5-6a (NIV)— 5 Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. 6 Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy.

At one point John the Baptist sends messengers to ask Jesus if He truly is the promised Messiah. And Luke says in…

Luke 7:20-22 (NIV)— 20 When the men came to Jesus, they said, “John the Baptist sent us to you to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’”
21 At that very time Jesus cured many who had diseases, sicknesses and evil spirits, and gave sight to many who were blind. 22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

So Luke points out how Jesus knowingly fulfilled these prophecies from Isaiah; the last of which is that the good news is proclaimed to the poor.

Luke the Gentile— And this is another one of Luke’s major themes (particularly in his Gospel); [Jesus’ compassion for Gentiles, Samaritans, women, children, tax collectors, sinners, and others often regarded as outcasts in Israel. Every time he mentions a tax collector (3:12; 5:27; 7:29; 15:1; 18:10-13; 19:2), it is in a positive sense.] In a time in which women were on the bottom rung of society, [Luke emphasized the central role of women in the life and ministry of our Lord (e.g., 7:12-15, 37-50; 8:2-3, 43-48; 10:38-42; 13:11-13; 21:2-4; 23:27-29, 49, 55-56).] And the reason Luke has a special place in his heart for outcasts was because he himself was an outcast. In Colossians 4:11-14, Luke is clearly distinguished from those of Paul’s fellow workers who are of the circumcision. He isn’t circumcised because he’s a gentile. And in fact, that makes him the only non-Jewish writer of the New Testament. And because he was not a Jew, according to Jewish thought he was not an inheritor of the promise. And yet in his Gospel Luke shows how Jesus opened up the way for anybody, no matter who they were or what they had been through, to become a part of the family of God; that the mercy of God has been extended to all people; whether Jew or Gentile. And in Luke’s first book, the Gospel of Luke, he reveals this as the mission of Jesus; and here in Luke’s sequel to the book (the sequel being, of course, the book of Acts) we see revealed how that mission unfolded in the early life of the Church. Both books are united by that same central theme, and together they make up the largest part of the New Testament. Now where did Luke get this idea? Well, remember he was a companion of Paul, who wrote the epistles long before he wrote his gospel and no doubt mentored him. And Paul had said in…

Galatians 3:28 (NIV)— 28 There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

The Compassion of Jesus— Luke found hope and exceeding joy that he, though an outcast, could become a part of the family of God. This is why Luke was so fascinated by the compassion Jesus extended to all who were considered lost. In his Gospel he therefore records more of the parables of Jesus than any other gospel; many in which God’s mission (carried out by Jesus Christ) is shown to be one of pursuing; God being likened to characters who are searching for something that has been lost. He is like a shepherd seeking a lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7); He is like a woman searching for a lost wedding coin (Luke 15:8-10); He is like a father yearning for the return of a lost son (Luke 15:11-32). A.W. Tozer once wrote a book that has since become one of the great Christian classics, entitled The Pursuit of God. Yet this is somewhat of a misnomer because here we find that what Luke was captivated with was God’s pursuit of us; Jesus is seen to be the one who pursues us into the darkness; into the night; so that He might bring us back to God. This was absolutely central to Luke’s theology.

Luke 19:10 (ESV)— 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

A Misplaced Phone and Document— I remember one week when my wife and I misplaced two things. She misplaced her cell phone and I misplaced a very important document. And so on two separate occasions in that same week we found ourselves searching all over the house, overturning all kinds of things in order to find that cell phone and that document. And in each case there was joy when that item was discovered. 

A Misplaced Engagement Ring— I can still remember back when she and I first got engaged, her tearfully telling me some days afterwards that she had misplaced her engagement ring. She had woken up, looked at her hand, and discovered that it was gone. And she had been going frantically through every part of her dorm looking for it. And soon afterwards, after being allowed in to help her search, we found it in her bed; having slipped off while she was asleep. And I still remember the joy in her face and the tears in her eyes when she joyously put the ring back on her finger.

​God’s Pursuit of us— And I just think, what an amazing thing that God pursues each and every one of us with just as much (in fact infinitely more) fervency. God does not leave one stone unturned in His pursuit of us. We are all valuable to Him; Jew or Gentile, man or woman, adult or child, righteous or sinner; rich or poor. God is pursuing you. And He will find you if you let Him. And He will make you His own. And in every healing Luke records, he shows how Jesus points people to the part of them that needs to be healed the most; their hearts. In Jesus, God has provided that ultimate healing. All we have to do is receive Him, surrender to Him, and allow Him (as our Great Physician) to heal and transform our hearts. And so I want to encourage you today, if you need to receive that healing today, invite Him into your life and say, “Lord, I need you to heal my sin; I need you to heal my brokenness; I am crippled, blind, deaf and mute without the abiding presence of your Holy Spirit in my life. Come fill me, heal me, change, and transform me.” Receive healing from Jesus. Amen.

Lechem Panim #113 "Luke The Historian" (Acts 1:1-3) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Last week we started a new series on the book of Acts, beginning first by taking a look at the life and ministry of the author (Luke), who had formerly been a physician but who left everything to follow Christ and come alongside and minister with the Apostle Paul. And (as we will see today) God used Luke in remarkable way and (as He so often does) redirects Luke in a way he himself probably could never have imagined, as he went on to become the historian of the early Church.

Our Historian— You know, it’s interesting; whenever we visit my Grandmother in Kentucky, she will often tell us various stories of when she and my grandfather (and their children, my father, aunts, and uncles) were missionaries in Taiwan. And those stories are fascinating to listen to. But more often than not, when she is telling these stories, she has sitting by her side my dear Aunt Faith, whose memory surpasses the memory of anybody I have ever known. She can remember many addresses and phone numbers not only from the current time, but can also tell you what they were at any given stage of their life. She can remember every fact and every detail. She is, without a doubt, our family’s personal historian. She catches the mistakes and (when necessary) points them out in order to make sure the story is accurately passed down. And so far (thanks to her) they have been.

Luke the Historian-- And so we see here (and really throughout the entirety of his Gospel) that Luke writes with the same kind of precision as any first-class historian. He had said back in his introduction to his Gospel (which is the prequel to the book of Acts written to the same recipient: Theophilus)…

Luke 1:1-4 (NIV)— 1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Three Atheists Converted— Luke wanted his recipient Theophilus and all else who would read this account to know the facts, so that (knowing the facts) they might reasonably place their faith in Jesus Christ. Three great men I would put Luke in the same category with are C.S. Lewis, Josh McDowell, and Lee Strobel. All three of them were unbelievers until they began investigating the reliability of the accounts given to us in scripture. C.S. Lewis said he was very reluctant to the idea of becoming a Christian, but eventually was dragged (in his own words) “kicking and screaming into the kingdom” because the evidence he found for Christianity was so absolute and irrefutable. Josh McDowell likewise was very cynical of Christianity, but was challenged by a group of loving friends of his who were Christians to actually look at the evidence. And so he set out on a personal vendetta to try to disprove Christianity. He ended up also becoming a Christian; because of the overwhelming amount of evidence. Lee Stobel, author of The Case for Christ was a reporter for the Chicago Tribune; and a devout atheist. And the worst thing he thought could happen happened; his wife became a Christian. And he was terrified that she was going to become some kind of religious prude, and so he decided to take all his skills as an investigative journalist and expose Christianity for the cult he knew it had to be and convince his wife to get out of it. And his book chronicles his journey, as he interviewed scholars and numerous experts and authorities on the issue. But he was surprised at what he found; and that was that there are mountains of evidence stacked in Christianity’s favor. And he says he finally sat down and wrote a list of all the positive evidences for Christianity and then another (what he perceived to be) negative list of the evidences against Christianity and put the lists side by side. And he said he found (to his amazement) that after comparing those lists it would actually take more faith for him to maintain his atheism. And so he also was compelled to become a Christian. 

Luke’s Desire for Proof-- Now I say all this because Luke would have been like these men; he would have wanted proof beyond a reasonable doubt, which is why he investigated as thoroughly as he did. He wanted to be sure for himself; but he also knew that others were not going to believe unless they also had sufficient evidence. And so he became a historian; perhaps the greatest historian of all time. And as we move through the book of Acts, one of the things we will see is that Luke is a guy who (like in his Gospel) is very much concerned with the details; the facts in and surrounding the life and ministry of Jesus. This is why he is careful to give us the [details that helped identify the historical context of the events he described] He takes time to explain when they happened and what was going on during that time period. Phrases like In the time of…, In those days…, In the ____ year of.… Over and over again Luke ties his Gospel in with known history. And these details can be checked out.

Sir William Ramsay-- In the [Late 1800’s/early 1900’s Sir William Ramsay was a well-known archaeologist and historian…{and} was considered to be the world's most imminent scholar on Asia-Minor, and it's geography and history. He read the book of Acts and said,“the book of Acts is a highly imaginative and carefully colored account of primitive Christianity” (in essence, “of my knowledge of history, I have no respect for Luke as a historian”). {But} Then he went to the middle east for the express purpose of proving the Bible wrong in its history. He came home and wrote the book, “Luke, The Beloved Physician” in which he proclaimed Dr. Luke to be one of the worlds foremost historians. Here’s a quote from Sir William Ramsey…this was after looking carefully at the evidence: “I take the view that Luke’s history is unsurpassed in its trustworthiness. You may press the words of Luke in a degree beyond any other historian, and they will stand the keenest scrutiny, and the harshest treatment.”] [Luke is a historian of the first rank; not merely are his statements trustworthy . . . this author should be placed along with the very greatest of historians”]

Pretending The Bible Was True-- Now what is fascinating about the story of Sir William Ramsey is that he had decided (almost as a joke) to pretend that the Bible was true and to start using the Bible as the basis for his archeological digs. And what ended up happening is he made discovery after discovery after discovery using the Bible as his starting point. And he came to this conclusion (and we don’t know if he ever became a Christian or not). But this is the conclusion he came to (and I paraphrase): “If the Bible (Luke in particular) can be trusted at every single point that it can be checked out, I wonder if I shouldn’t take more seriously those areas that can’t be checked out.”

An Accurate Habit of Mind-- And this was his reasoning. He said: “There is a certain presumption that a writer who proves to be exact and correct in one point will show the same qualities in other matters. No writer is correct by mere chance, or accurate sporadically. He is accurate by virtue of a certain habit of mind. Some men are accurate by nature; some are by nature loose and inaccurate.” 
And so his conclusion was that Luke was this kind of accurate person; consistently accurate.

Why Luke Wanted To Get The Details Straight-- Luke was trustworthy in his investigation; and the reason was because Luke didn’t want have a false picture of Jesus (remember his own salvation was on the line); rather he wanted to know for certain who this Jesus really was. And he had to be thorough in his investigation because, unlike Matthew and John, he was not an eyewitness of the events of Christ’s life. And so he had to get most of that information second-hand.

Positioned to Examine Witnesses-- And Luke is in a fantastic position to gather information about Jesus because he was (as we said before) a close friend and traveling companion of Paul, which allowed him to come into contact with and interview those who were eyewitnesses; not just the disciples, but the many others as well. Jesus touched a lot of people and therefore there were a lot of witnesses. Think about all the people He touched; all the miracles He performed. It says in John’s Gospel…

John 21:25 (NIV)-- 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

Many Witnesses— And so we see that there would be many accounts because there were many witnesses of all these events. Even just the number of those who were witnesses to the Resurrection (to whom Jesus appeared to after He rose from the dead) is staggering. Paul writes in…

1 Corinthians 15:5-8 (NIV)-- 5…that he appeared to Cephas, and then to the Twelve. 6 After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers and sisters at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, 8 and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.

Eyewitness Records-- And Paul was a reluctant witness as well. He didn’t want to believe. But then he encountered the risen Christ and had to change his beliefs based on what he saw. But all this to say, there was a multitude of witnesses to all these events and therefore there was a multitude of stories and accounts. And many endeavored to write them down, as we see in verses 1-2 of Luke chapter 1.

Luke 1:1-2 (ESV)— 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us,

​A Reasonable Faith-- Now I say all this because sometimes we need to be reminded that the Bible is unlike other religious works in that (by giving us specific historical details) it puts kind of puts its neck on the line and says “come and see”; come and check this out; come verify that this is true. Are we to accept what it says by faith? Yes. But what we must always remember that it is not a blind faith (believing not having any real reason to) but rather we have a faith in Christ and His Word that rests on the sufficiency of the evidence. It is a reasonable faith. We can trust the scriptures and find in them solid reason to believe that Christ is who says He is. And consequently (because of that) we can also have assurance that He can do for us what He says He can do; and that is to redeem us from all our sins. And so let us give Him thanks for that today. Amen.

Lechem Panim #112 "Luke, Companion of Paul" (Acts 1:1-3) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for joining us today as we begin a new series on a book of the Bible that has so much to say to us as we face these difficult and unusual times. If you are seeking a book that shows what God can do in and through men and women sold out to Him, this is it, as it gives us an account of the dynamic birth and explosive growth of the Early Church. And of course I am talking about the book of Acts, a book that (in the midst of what we are facing now) will really help us to grasp what it means to be the Church during all these trials that we are facing in these days.

Who’d You Follow?— Now the way I want us to start off today is by having you think of the many giants of the faith in and throughout all of scripture; the men and women you admire the most. And I want you to think; which is the one (besides Jesus, of course) that (if you were given the opportunity) you would want to follow around the most? If you had the opportunity to minister with and be discipled by anybody (to share in their life experiences) who would that be? Would you join Noah in his ministry of building the ark and preaching repentance to the people? Would you sit under Daniel in Babylon and then Persia, joining him in prayer in that room with its windows open facing Jerusalem; would you even be willing to join him in a den of lions? Would you follow David through his many excursions; joining him on the battlefield to face Goliath or running with him in fear from King Saul, who would be seeking to take both of your lives? You know, what is amazing when we think of these giants of the faith is that nobody that we would want to seek to follow, to sit under, and to emulate had a perfect or stress-free life. Many (if not all) of them faced persecutions and dangers like we can’t even imagine. 

Following Paul— There are a number of men (and women) in scripture I look up to and would love to follow, but whom I also think would be very challenging to follow in ministry. And one of these in particular (although I would love to follow him), it would be incredibly difficult because of what he faced. He was the victim of numerous hate crimes, being pelted with stones; being whipped mercilessly; dealing with imprisonment and even shipwreck. And of course I am talking about the apostle Paul. I can think of few people I admire more than him; and yet at the same time I think about how difficult it would be to share in his ministry. And [We know enough of what Paul and his fellow travelers endured to know that anyone identifying with Paul and the cause of Christ were candidates for the same sufferings.]

Growing Pain— But suffering (especially for the sake of Christ) is not something we should seek to avoid. And that’s because suffering and difficulty is what causes us to grow. This is why James writes in…

James 1:2-4 (ESV)— 2 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. 4 And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

Strengthened Character— And so while in looking at the life of Paul our flesh might hesitate to want to share in his sufferings, we know that to walk with somebody like that through the things that they faced would be both an honor and a privilege; and would produce such a strength of character in us.

Luke, A Companion of Paul— Paul had that steadfastness; and those who walked with him had that steadfastness as well. And one of those men who walked with Paul is the author of our book; a man who was willing to follow Paul to the ends of the earth for the sake of the Gospel; and that was a gentile convert to Christianity by the name of Luke; author of both the Gospel of Luke and the book of Acts. [Although some of the material in Acts was no doubt collected from different sources by Luke, much of the material comes from his own experiences traveling with Paul (Col 4:14; 2Tm 4:11; Phm 24). {There are}…many instances in Acts where the point of view changes from “he/they” to “we,” implying that the author himself was there with Paul during those periods.]  He was with Paul in the midst of many of his trials and tribulations. He was with Paul on Paul’s second missionary journey and saw the savage and brutal attacks on Paul and Silas, their subsequent imprisonment, and their miraculous release (16:10-17). He was with Paul on Paul’s sea voyage from Caesarea to Rome when (as you remember) the ship was overcome by a storm of hurricane-like force that battered and ultimately wrecked their ship upon the coast of Malta. Luke had swum with Paul through the breakers as the ship ran aground before being broken apart by the waves. We also know that (among other circumstances) Dr. Luke also stayed by Paul’s side when Paul was under arrest in Rome (27:1—28:16; Col. 4:14). Now the question is, “Why go through all of this?” Why would anyone choose a religion like Christianity that would involve so much pain and suffering?

Beans or Songs— [Tim Stafford, a senior writer for Christianity Today, wrote in one of his articles, saying: A pastor I know, Stephey Belynskyj, starts each confirmation class with a jar full of beans. He asks his students to guess how many beans are in the jar, and on a big pad of paper writes down their estimates. Then, next to those estimates, he helps them make another list: their favorite songs. When the lists are complete, he reveals the actual number of beans in the jar. The whole class looks over their guesses, to see which estimate was closest to being right. Belynskyj then turns to the list of favorite songs. "And which one of these is closest to being right?" he asks. The students protest that there is no "right answer"; a person's favorite song is purely a matter of taste. Belynskyj, who holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Notre Dame asks, "When you decide what to believe in terms of your faith, is that more like guessing the number of beans, or more like choosing your favorite song?" Always, Belynskyj says, from old as well as young, he gets the same answer: Choosing one's faith is more like choosing a favorite song. Tim Stafford writes: When Belynskyj told me this, it took my breath away. "After they say that, do you confirm them?" I asked him. "Well," smiled Belynskyj, "First I try to argue them out of it.”]

Meaningful or True?— The concept of truth is an important issue because it affects how we view Christianity. Are we Christians only because it is meaningful to us, or is it because we know it to be true? You see a lot of people today (even many Christians) think that what is true for me is true for me and that what is true for you is true for you. But what they really mean is “what is meaningful for me is meaningful for me and what is meaningful for you is meaningful for you.” It is pretty much the same as choosing your favorite music artist; it simply comes down to what you feel speaks to you. But I want to stress to you that this is not how the early Christians came to faith in Christ. If choosing Christianity was like choosing a song, I am sure they would have sought a different tune. No, for the disciples it was more than that. Listen to what Luke writes in…

Luke 1:1-4 (ESV)— 1 Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, 2 just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, 3 it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

Eyewitnesses —> Certainty— You have the word “eyewitnesses”, which is why there were ministers by the way. People were willing to be ministers because there was eyewitness evidence that Christianity (founded on the resurrection of Christ) was actually true. And then you have in verse 4 this amazing word. And that is the word “certainty”. Luke writes to Theophilus in order (he says) that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught. Now look at the rest of Luke’s introduction at the opening of the book of Acts. It says in…

Acts 1:1-3 (ESV)— 1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.

Why Luke Followed Christ— Any Christian who says you can’t prove (at least beyond a reasonable doubt) that Christianity is true has not really read Luke; because Luke believed the resurrection was a proven event. And the evidence he uncovered is what provided Luke with the intellectual groundwork to be able to receive and accept Christ. You see, if you were a Christian at that time, you had a good reason. It wasn’t just because you found Christianity to be meaningful or because it gave you warm fuzzies inside. No, it is because it was true; it was verifiable; it was rooted in facts; in history; in geography. It wasn’t out there somewhere in the cosmos. No, Jesus had happened right there in their very midst! There were witnesses (hundreds of witnesses) to His resurrection. And these early Christians had nothing to gain in this world for following Christ other than pain, persecution, and even death. And what I want you to note is that Luke’s decision to follow Christ could not have been an easy one. Luke abandoned his whole livelihood. His whole medical career he abandoned completely to follow Christ. As the disciples who had been fishermen left their nets to become fishers of men, so Luke left his practice to become a physician (not just for people’s physical bodies) but for THE Body of Christ; for the sake of the Kingdom. He went from a clinic (whatever that looked like) to binding Paul’s many wounds and no doubt caring for him and nursing him back to health after his many beatings; and he himself may have endured some of that. This was a major life change for Luke; a change that can only be explained (not by the latest fad religion on the block) but rather in encountering the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The truth changed him; and Luke allowed it to re-shape and change the course of his entire life.

​Truth Shaping Us— And that is how it always is when we truly encounter Jesus. It changes us; it empowers us; it moves us out of our comfort zone and makes us willing to face any persecution necessary in order to bring people the good news of the hope of salvation in Jesus. My hope is that in and throughout our study, we also might not just learn the history of the early Church, but that we will also experience the same kind of Spirit-empowered change that Luke, the apostles, and the rest of the believers experienced as they followed Christ. May we embrace the truth as fully as they did. And may it shape us into being the men and women Christ has called us to be. Amen.

Lechem Panim #111 "Purim and Remembrance" (Esther 9:17-10:3) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. Thank you for joining us from wherever you are choosing to listen today.

Jesus' Deliverance Foreshadowed— As you know, we have in the book of Esther; and today we will be wrapping up this 20-week journey we have been taking together through this marvelous book. And the overall theme of the book of Esther has been the victory of God on behalf of His people; and so it is very pertinent to us today, as we need hope; we need victory during these very unusual and difficult times. In this book God gave His people victory over their enemies who sought to destroy them. He is shown to raise up the smallest of people (like Esther; like Mordecai) to bring about that divine victory. And in our passage today that victory has already taken place. The enemies of God’s people have fallen and His people are preserved. Now anytime there is an awesome victory, there is almost always celebration. And that is what we see here in Esther chapter 9. After the Jews experience this incredible victory that God has given them, they break out in spontaneous celebration. Verse 17 and following says…

Esther 9:17-19 (ESV)— 17 This was on the thirteenth day of the month of Adar [(February-March)], and on the fourteenth day they rested and made that a day of feasting and gladness. 18 But the Jews who were in Susa gathered on the thirteenth day and on the fourteenth, and rested on the fifteenth day, making that a day of feasting and gladness. 19 Therefore the Jews of the villages, who live in the rural towns, hold the fourteenth day of the month of Adar as a day for gladness and feasting, as a holiday, and as a day on which they send gifts of food to one another.

From Victory to Celebration— You know when God breaks through; whenever you have victory, there must always be celebration; a recognition of who God is and what He has done for you and for me. And that is what we see here, as Jews (all throughout the Persian empire) celebrate the faithfulness of God. But you know, we often forget the things God has done for us because we don’t take the time to look back. And you know, that harms our faith. Because it is in looking back that we observe how God has faithfully led us in the past and therefore it provides us the rational grounding we need to trust God also with our future. And so God therefore wanted His people to be a people who were constantly looking back; constantly remembering How He had moved faithfully in their midst time and time again.

Institution of Festivals— And one of the ways He led them to look back was in and through festivals. He had written into the lives of the Jewish people 7 festivals for them to observe throughout the year. And they would come together as a community at specific times of the year to throw (basically I’ll call them) God-parties. He wanted His people to come together to joyfully and collectively and remember. Now festivals (unlike just written reminders of God’s faithfulness) are participatory; they would not only help His people to remember, but they would also give them a personal way to actively and joyously orient their hearts, their minds, and really their entire lives around remembering and personally engaging with God.

Jesus Within a Culture of Remembrance— What would it be like to be a part of a culture in which every holiday; every feast; every communal celebration all revolved around remembering what God has done for us? That is what it was like to live as a Jew. And it is important to note that Jesus Himself observed all these festivals. In fact, many of the main events in His life took place in accordance with the timing of these Jewish festivals. And we’ll talk more about that in the future. But Jesus observed them.

Post-exile (Ordained by Man)— And I want to point out that the Feast of Purim is not among the feasts that God instituted, which were all instituted before Israel was sent into exile in Babylon and then Persia. Two human-ordained feasts were established post-exile that are still being observed even until today. And those are Hanukkah and Purim. But Jesus still observes both of them, Hanukkah in John 10:22 (also called the Feast of Dedication) and Purim, which is most likely the unnamed feast mentioned in John 5:1, which verse 9 reveals took place on a Sabbath. And chronologically, the only feast that occurred on Sabbath between the years of 25-35 CE was in fact Purim (in the year 28 CE). And it is ironic that this feast is not named explicitly in John because remember that the book of Esther doesn’t explicitly mention the name of God. And so perhaps God (who guided the Gospel writers) is showing a little bit of humor here. As His name is concealed in Esther, so in John the name of the feast is also concealed. 

Establishing Purim— But although Purim was not a festival ordained and commanded by God, Mordecai and Esther established it because they wanted God’s people to always remember what He had done for them in Persia. So they take this spontaneous outbreak of celebration by the people, and officially establish it as a feast to be kept annually from generation to generation. Verse 20 and following says…

Esther 9:20-22 (ESV)— 20 And Mordecai recorded these things and sent letters to all the Jews who were in all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, both near and far, 21 obliging them to keep the fourteenth day of the month Adar and also the fifteenth day of the same, year by year, 22 as the days on which the Jews got relief from their enemies, and as the month that had been turned for them from sorrow into gladness and from mourning into a holiday; that they should make them days of feasting and gladness, days for sending gifts of food to one another and gifts to the poor.

Now those Jews in Susa fought an extra day and therefore celebrated a day later. [Mordecai avoids any difficulties this might cause by ordering that both days be observed.] We see also that there were [gifts of food. This would enable all alike to share in the feasting, including the poor (cf. Deut. 16:11; Neh. 8:10, 12; note on Est. 2:18).] Everybody’s to celebrate. Nobody is left out. Verses 23 and following say…

Esther 9:23-32 (ESV)— 23 So the Jews accepted what they had started to do, and what Mordecai had written to them. 24 For Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of all the Jews, had plotted against the Jews to destroy them, and had cast Pur (that is, cast lots), to crush and to destroy them. 25 But when it came before the king, he gave orders in writing that his evil plan that he had devised against the Jews should return on his own head, and that he and his sons should be hanged on the gallows. 26 Therefore they called these days Purim, after the term Pur. Therefore, because of all that was written in this letter, and of what they had faced in this matter, and of what had happened to them, 27 the Jews firmly obligated themselves and their offspring and all who joined them, that without fail they would keep these two days according to what was written and at the time appointed every year, 28 that these days should be remembered and kept throughout every generation, in every clan, province, and city, and that these days of Purim should never fall into disuse among the Jews, nor should the commemoration of these days cease among their descendants. 29 Then Queen Esther, the daughter of Abihail, and Mordecai the Jew gave full written authority, confirming this second letter about Purim. 30 Letters were sent to all the Jews, to the 127 provinces of the kingdom of Ahasuerus, in words of peace and truth, 31 that these days of Purim should be observed at their appointed seasons, as Mordecai the Jew and Queen Esther obligated them, and as they had obligated themselves and their offspring, with regard to their fasts and their lamenting. 32 The command of Queen Esther confirmed these practices of Purim, and it was recorded in writing.

Purim Celebrated Today— Now the Jews still celebrate and remember the feast of Purim even to this day. And the way they do that is: [the day preceding (13th Adar) is kept as a fast day (called "the Fast of Esther"), in accordance with the command of the queen (4:15-16). As soon as the stars appear the festival commences, candles are lit, and all the Jews go to the synagogue, where, after the evening service, the benediction is pronounced, and the book of Esther is read {in its entirety}… As often as the name of Haman is mentioned in the reading, the congregation stamps on the floor, saying, "Let his name be blotted out. The name of the wicked shall rot!" While the children shake rattles. After the reading the congregation exclaims, "Cursed be Haman; blessed be Mordecai!" etc.; the benediction is said, and all go home and partake of milk and eggs.
On the 14th, in the morning, the people go to the synagogue; several prayers are inserted into the regular ritual; Ex 17:8-16 is read as the lesson from the law, and Esther, as on the previous evening. The rest of the festival is given up to rejoicing, exchanging of presents, games, etc. Rejoicing continues on the 15th, and the festival terminates on the evening of this day.] And that is how they remember what God did for them. 

Remembering Our Heritage— Now this leads me to ask, “How are we passing true remembrance and communal worship of God down to the next generation? What symbols do we have in our homes to remind us of what God has done for us?” God instituted these festivals so the Jews would constantly live in a spirit of remembrance. Do we remember? The book of Esther was written so that the Jews of a later generation might understand the mighty hand of God that moved on their behalf. What steps are we taking to make sure that the next generation knows what God has done for them? Are we modeling to them lives that are truly centered on Jesus Christ and on living in remembrance of what He has done for us on the cross, and in the empty tomb, and in the giving of His Holy Spirit and Pentecost? We need to; future generations are depending on our remembering and our teaching them to remember.

The Greatness of Mordecai— Now the book of Esther closes by telling us what happened to Mordecai; the one who remembered and obeyed the Lord; the one who (though Haman sought to destroy him) God chose to lift up. It says…

Esther 10:1-3 (ESV) The Greatness of Mordecai— 1 King Ahasuerus imposed tax on the land and on the coastlands of the sea. 2 And all the acts of his power and might, and the full account of the high honor of Mordecai, to which the king advanced him, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the kings of Media and Persia? 3 For Mordecai the Jew was second in rank to King Ahasuerus, and he was great among the Jews and popular with the multitude of his brothers, for he sought the welfare of his people and spoke peace to all his people.

​Lifted Up— If we are obedient to God as Esther and Mordecai were, He will lift us up. If we choose to live in remembrance and in the fear of Him, He will bless us and He will preserve us; and His favor will be and will remain with us. Let us be a people who are obedient; who remember; let us be a body that is truly centered on our Lord in every way. Let’s do so. Amen.

Lechem Panim #110 "Holy War Crossed Out" (Esther 8-9) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. We appreciate your tuning in to us today. We have begun to wrap up our study of the book of Esther, in which we have seen how God used a young Jewish girl by the name of Esther to be His instrument through whom He saved His people from a mass genocide at the hands of the wicked Haman, the king’s former right-hand man who had tricked the king into signing into irrevocable law that on one day (in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day) the Jews all throughout Persia would be rounded up and killed. Now through Esther this plot becomes known and Haman is executed. And the king allows a second decree to be written allowing the Jews to defend themselves and to attack those who were intent on bringing them harm. And so on that day, when Israel was supposed to fall at the hands of their enemies, they instead gained mastery over their enemies. And so there is a dramatic reversal that we observe. And the author of the book of Esther really highlights this in how he has structured the text.

[Chiastic Structure of Reversals— In 3:10 - the king gives Haman his ring. In 8:2 - the king gives Mordecai that same ring. In 3:12 - Haman summons the king’s scribes. In 8:9 - Mordecai summons the king’s scribes. In 3:12 - letters are written and sealed with the king’s ring. In 8:10 letters are written and sealed with that same ring now given to Mordecai. In 3:13 we see that the Jews, even women and children, are to be killed on one day. In 8:11 - the enemies of the Jews, even women and children, are to be killed on one day (though that was never carried out; it was just part of the law given to directly confront Haman’s decree). In 3:14 - Haman’s decree is publicly displayed as law. In 8:13 - Mordecai’s decree is publicly displayed as law. In 3:15 - couriers go out in haste. In 8:14 - couriers go out in haste. In 3:15 - the city of Susa is bewildered. In 8:15 - the city of Susa rejoices. In 4:1 - Mordecai wears sackcloth and ashes. In 8:15 - Mordecai wears royal robes] So in this we see a dramatic reversal of the fate of Israel.

But one of the questions we need to ask (especially in this latter part of the book of Esther) is “How does this passage (and really the book as a whole) shape our understanding of how you and I are to relate with our enemies? And moreover, how do we balance a desire for God’s justice with an understanding of His love and forgiveness?”

Our Motivation To Seek God’s Justice— What scripture points us to as we wrestle with this question is to how we are to model our justice after the pattern of a God who chooses to receive the just punishment due us upon Himself and to forgive the wounds inflicted upon Himself. God hates sin, but He loves the sinner and is always seeking to redeem each and every one of us. And you know the same ought to be true of us. Our central desire must not be to see our enemies pay, but to see sin conquered and people freed from the power of death. Whenever we cry out for the justice of God, it cannot be from a desire to see our enemies perish because of their wounding us. Our cry for the justice of God must always be tempered with the desire to see the hearts and lives of our enemies changed by the power of Jesus Christ. If your desire is to see people receive hell from Jesus, then your spirit is not right. The disciples, when offended by the Samaritans, make this mistake in Luke 9:54-55, where it says…

Luke 9:54-55 (ESV)— 54 And when his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” 55 But he turned and rebuked them.

Jesus was not out to punish, but to redeem. That is why He says in…

John 3:17 (ESV)— 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.

John 12:47 (ESV)— 47 If anyone hears my words and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world.

Not Against People, But Against Sin— Now you can argue from the Old Testament that Holy War was often used by Israel at the instruction of God. But what we must always remember is that [The essence of holy war in the Old Testament is not about two nations in warfare, one of which happens to be Israel. Holy war is about God warring against sin and evil on the earth.] It’s not against people; it’s against sin. And whenever God does wages war on a people, it is because those people have not repented and accepted the redemption offered to them. You see, God’s Holy War is not against people, but against the sin that enslaves people. Now given those who bind themselves to sin and never allow Christ to set them free have bound themselves to their own destruction. But even then Jesus is fighting tooth and nail for them to come to repentance in order that they might be saved. Hence, the CROSS!!!

The Cross Changes Everything— And really the cross changes everything in regards to how we think about the justice of God; because Jesus doesn’t cry out from the cross a plea for God to destroy those who pressed that crown of thorns into the capillaries of His forehead; who lacerated his back; who nailed his hands; who pierced his feet; who hung His body in such a way (from what we know of Roman crucifixions) so that every time he had to breath out he had to pull himself up. No, instead, with what strength He could muster between these breaths he was struggling to work out, Jesus uttered these words: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34 ESV) I confess to you, I have been a Christian for most of my life; I have been pastoring for many years now and have preached on that statement of Jesus many many times. And yet I still have trouble processing that. I still cannot wrap my mind around that kind of forgiveness.

Karen Jobes and Holy War— Holy War ends at the cross. An author I was recently reading said that: [The death of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, provides the only basis for the cessation of holy war, and the infilling of the Holy Spirit provides the only power by which one may love one’s enemies as oneself. All of the vengeance God’s people would like to wreak on those who practice evil has now been satisfied in the suffering and death of Jesus. He has taken the wages of sin, he has suffered the vengeance of evil. The vengeance due to us for our sins against others and due to them for their sins against us has been satisfied in Jesus’ body on the cross. It is only on the basis of recognizing that the penalty has been paid by Jesus that we can forgive others as we have been forgiven. True holy war in human history has ceased because Jesus has fought its last episode on the cross. It is no accident of history that the modern nations that still endorse the concept of holy war (Arabic, jihad) are nations that reject the gospel of Jesus Christ and the moral system he commands.]

Jonah’s Attitude— Now you and I can cry out for the judgment of God. There’s a place for that. But what we have to remember is that God’s judgment is always redemptive. If Jonah had had the right perspective, He would have rejoiced at Nineveh’s repentance. But did he? No. He wanted to see the justice of God exacted in the form of vengeance. He wanted to see Nineveh burn. Why? Because of their wickedness and particularly how they (Assyria, of which Nineveh was the capital) had injured his people.

What Would We Do?— But where do we stand on this issue? If your greatest enemy; the one who persecuted you the most; who was the greatest thorn in your flesh repented and therefore escaped the judgment of God, would you be happy for them? Or would there be bitterness in your heart? Would you be like the second son in the story of the prodigal son; angry because of the mercy of the father? Or would you, recognizing God’s own mercy towards YOU, be able to rejoice in their escaping God’s wrath? And more so; do we go beyond that to actually seek their salvation and help them to escape God’s wrath? One of the verses I find to be the most difficult passages in all of scripture to apply; and I think it is virtually impossible to apply without the infilling of the Holy Spirit is…

Matthew 5:43-45a (ESV)— 43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven.

Agape your enemies— Now that word “love” here in Matthew is a special kind of love in Greek. It’s not a casual kind of love or an entry-level kind of love; no, it’s agape; a sacrificial kind of love; the very kind of love Jesus Christ Himself demonstrated in His life and ministry and then on the cross. Well, how does sacrificial love translate into my relationship with my enemy? Do I extend to them the agape of Christ? Many of us struggle just to pray regularly for those close to us. How about how much time we actually devote to praying for our enemies? In thinking about our world, we often pray for justice. Yet I think the cross challenges what we mean when we pray for justice; because ultimately the Christian’s cry for justice is always and must always be a cry for people to find forgiveness and redemption from sin and find healing. And that can be hard to desire for those who have wounded us. And that leads me to think about the question, “Are we truly yearning for people to find freedom from God’s judgment in and through Jesus Christ?” Now we say we do. But if we are to take what Jesus says seriously, “How does our prayer life reflect that?” “What kind of prayers are we offering on behalf of those who have set themselves against us, against Christ, and against His Church?” “What kind of love are we showing to our enemies?” A love that merely tolerates? Or a pro-active, sacrificial, pouring out kind of love; an agape kind of love?

Burned Hands— [Corrie Ten Boom in the book, Reflections of God’s Glory (page 69), wrote, “In Africa a man came to a meeting with bandaged hands. I asked him how he had been injured. He said, “My neighbor’s straw roof was on fire; I helped him to put it out and that’s how my hands were burned. “Later I heard the whole story. The neighbor hated him and had set his roof on fire while his wife and children were asleep in the hut. They were in great danger. Fortunately, he was able to put out the fire in his house on time. But sparks flew over to the roof of the man who had set the house on fire and his house started to burn. There was no hate in the heart of this Christian; there was love for his enemy and he did everything he could to put out the fire in his neighbor’s house. That is how his own hands were burned.”] What a remarkable story.

Our Focus/Central Concern— We live in a culture that is in flames; and as we watch the news we see that is now often literally true. When we get to heaven, Jesus is going to ask us, “Where are your burn marks? Where are the marks of your intercession for those who needed me?” Folks, we need to make sure that we are actively seeking the redemption of those who are lost; that we are praying for them; that we are ministering to them; that we are leading them to Jesus. We need to allow Christ’s mission to seek and to save the lost to become the very center and focus of our lives. Peace is only found at the foot of the cross. Because it is through our reconciliation with God that we can then become reconciled with one another. That is is the message of the Gospel. And so let us make the decision to be instruments of peace by bringing people the Good News of the Gospel of Christ. Amen.

Lechem Panim #109 "From Ashes to Glory" (Esther 8:9-9:16) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. 

The Second Decree— We are entering into the final chapters of the book. You will remember that Haman (who had conspired to have all the Jews in the Persian empire exterminated) has himself just been executed; and executed in the very manner that he had wickedly devised for Esther’s cousin Mordecai. And so King Xerxes gives Esther the estate of Haman. And Mordecai comes into the presence of the king, for Esther had told how he was related to her. And the king gives Mordecai his signet ring, which he had reclaimed from Haman.; giving Mordecai his own authority and power; just as he had previously given to Haman. And Esther appoints Mordecai over the estate of Haman. Yet even though Haman has been killed, God’s people are still in danger from this decree that has been issued against them; this decree that has authorized the complete destruction of the Jews. So Esther pleads again for her people. Now the king cannot revoke or cancel the previous decree according to Medo-Persian law, but he can offset it by empowering the Jews to fight back and defend themselves. And so King Ahasuerus tells Esther and Mordecai to write another decree in the king’s name in behalf of the Jews as seems best to them and to seal it with his ring, encouraging them by saying, “for no document written in the king’s name and sealed with his ring can be revoked.” And so Mordecai writes the decree. And it says in…

Esther 8:9-12 (ESV)— 9 The king's scribes were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day. And an edict was written, according to all that Mordecai commanded concerning the Jews, to the satraps and the governors and the officials of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, 127 provinces, to each province in its own script and to each people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language. 10 And he wrote in the name of King Ahasuerus and sealed it with the king's signet ring. Then he sent the letters by mounted couriers riding on swift horses that were used in the king's service, bred from the royal stud, 11 saying that the king allowed the Jews who were in every city to gather and defend their lives, to destroy, to kill, and to annihilate any armed force of any people or province that might attack them, children and women included, and to plunder their goods,12 on one day throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus, on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar. 

A Cold War Missile Silo— Not long ago I was watching a show about an underground nuclear missile silo that was manned during the Cold War. President Eisenhower had given the military pre-authorization to launch their nuclear missiles from that silo if they were attacked by the Soviet Union. Now there was a reason they were buried deep underground. The idea was that although above-ground bases could be damaged by the Soviet attack, the silo would survive and be able to launch a whopping counter-attack. Now the silo never needed to be used. It was enough of a deterrent just to be there. Well, this counter-decree formed by Mordecai was to have a similar affect. Yes, you can attack us as Haman’s decree will allow you to do. But be prepared for a ready defense; a whopping counterattack backed by the king’s new right-hand man, Mordecai.

Esther 8:13-15 (ESV)— 13 A copy of what was written was to be issued as a decree in every province, being publicly displayed to all peoples, and the Jews were to be ready on that day to take vengeance on their enemies. 14 So the couriers, mounted on their swift horses that were used in the king's service, rode out hurriedly, urged by the king's command. And the decree was issued in Susa the citadel. 15 Then Mordecai went out from the presence of the king in royal robes of blue and white, with a great golden crown and a robe of fine linen and purple, and the city of Susa shouted and rejoiced. 16 The Jews had light and gladness and joy and honor. 17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict reached, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them.

The Robes of Mordecai— Now we see here that this second rewarding of Mordecai exceeded the first (cf. 6:6-9). Because blue and white (these colors that he is clothed with) were the royal colors of the Persian empire. He’s royalty now. Just think of that! Mordecai (the one who only a short time before this was sitting in sackcloth and ashes) is now adorned in the clothes of royalty. Now what I want to highlight for you in this is that God has the power to bring us from ashes to glory. He will (ultimately) humble our enemies and will lift us up. And that is God’s resounding promise to you and to me in every page of scripture, and especially here in the book of Esther.

The Tables Turn— Now after this Mordecai is seen to leave the king’s presence wearing royal garments of blue and white, a large crown of gold and a purple robe of fine linen it says that Susa has a joyous celebration. The Jews, filled with gladness and joy, are feasting and celebrating. And Mordecai rises in prominence; and fear comes on the people to the point that many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for fear of the Jews had fallen on them. Now just think about how ironic this is; because God’s people who (were hated and despised by many around them) have now become the desired people. Almost everybody wants to associate with Jews now, help them, and be on their side because the balance of power has shifted suddenly into Jewish hands. And so on the appointed day, the second edict is carried out; and Haman’s evil plot falls on his own head (9:25). It says…

Esther 9:1-10 (ESV)— 1 Now in the twelfth month, which is the month of Adar, on the thirteenth day of the same, when the king's command and edict were about to be carried out, on the very day when the enemies of the Jews hoped to gain the mastery over them, the reverse occurred: the Jews gained mastery over those who hated them. 2 The Jews gathered in their cities throughout all the provinces of King Ahasuerus to lay hands on those who sought their harm. And no one could stand against them, for the fear of them had fallen on all peoples. 3 All the officials of the provinces and the satraps and the governors and the royal agents also helped the Jews, for the fear of Mordecai had fallen on them. 4 For Mordecai was great in the king's house, and his fame spread throughout all the provinces, for the man Mordecai grew more and more powerful. 5 The Jews struck all their enemies with the sword, killing and destroying them, and did as they pleased to those who hated them. 6 In Susa the citadel itself the Jews killed and destroyed 500 men, 7 and also killed Parshandatha and Dalphon and Aspatha 8 and Poratha and Adalia and Aridatha 9 and Parmashta and Arisai and Aridai and Vaizatha, 10 the ten sons of Haman the son of Hammedatha, the enemy of the Jews, but they laid no hand on the plunder.

His Boast Was Toast— By the way it is so interesting how the text highlights how Haman lost everything he had bragged about back in 5:10-11; even his sons, who suffer the consequences of his sin. Now the next passage reveals what could be seen as very uncharacteristic of Esther, who up until this point has seemed like such a sweet, kind, innocent girl; but listen to what she says. It says in…

Esther 9:11-16 (ESV)— 11 That very day the number of those killed in Susa the citadel was reported to the king. 12 And the king said to Queen Esther, “In Susa the citadel the Jews have killed and destroyed 500 men and also the ten sons of Haman. What then have they done in the rest of the king's provinces! Now what is your wish? It shall be granted you. And what further is your request? It shall be fulfilled.” 13 And Esther said, “If it please the king, let the Jews who are in Susa be allowed tomorrow also to do according to this day's edict {(in other words, let there be another day of killing here in Susa)}. And let the ten sons of Haman be hanged on the gallows.” 14 So the king commanded this to be done. A decree was issued in Susa, and the ten sons of Haman were hanged. 15 The Jews who were in Susa gathered also on the fourteenth day of the month of Adar and they killed 300 men in Susa, but they laid no hands on the plunder. 16 Now the rest of the Jews who were in the king's provinces also gathered to defend their lives, and got relief from their enemies and killed 75,000 of those who hated them, but they laid no hands on the plunder.

Not Vengeance, But Self-Defense— So you have this massive slaughter of Israel’s enemies, including Haman’s 10 sons. And honestly, there are some Christians who shy away from the book of Esther (particularly this last section) because of what they perceive to be Esther’s (and the people in general’s) vengeful nature. How can a God who commands that we love our enemies and do good to them be pleased with this slaughtering of Israel’s enemies? But you know what I think we have to realize is that these were not merely enemies (people who hated them (9:5)); these were people 9:2 says sought their harm. This isn’t vengeance in the sense that you and I think about vengeance; this is self-preservation; we are talking here about self defense here. I want to make that very clear.

Taking Steps to Protect Themselves— Notice that although the edict allowed them to, the Jews are not said to have killed any women or children. They are only said to have killed men; 8:11 says any armed force. You see, we have to be careful to not miss the details given to us in the text. They were not trying to do what Haman tried to do to them. Haman was going to exterminate all of them (men, women, and children). But they, though the edict allowed (as a reversal to Haman’s decree), didn’t do that; but rather killed only those who were actively seeking their harm; any armed force that sought their harm. Now remember also that Haman sought to lay hands on their plunder; yet here the Bible emphasizes over and over again that they did not touch the plunder. It wasn’t about money; it wasn’t about vengeance. They were concerned for their very lives. And the same thing with hanging Haman’s ten sons on the gallows after they had been killed. Some see that as vindictive or vengeful. I see it as, “Hey, don’t ever touch us or your fate will be like these guys.” It was not for some barbaric purpose, but to be a deterrent against further attack. And it works. Israel prevails over their enemies and there eventually is peace. And so in a pagan land God establishes His people. And what this shows us is that God has always and will always stand with His people. Those who set themselves against His sheep He will bring down.

The Enemies Fall— Just recently I was talking with a woman who (though very kind and godly) had some people at her place of work who had set themselves against her (and against some other women of character and integrity who worked at the same establishment). And I remember praying with this woman and have been carrying her in prayer for some time, ever since she first let me know the situation. But just recently she approached me and told me that over the past several months, the most amazing thing has happened; almost ALL of those malicious people who had set themselves against her had started to drop off one by one due to various circumstances. And not only that, but her employers have begun showing her a greatly increasing amount of respect for the skill, character, and kindness that they say they see in her. There is a favor that seems to be going before and with her.

And I’m telling you, God always does this kind of thing. He always stands with His faithful ones. He always brings justice in due season, even if He allows us to suffer for a while. That is why I want to encourage you today to trust in Him. Give yourself over into God’s hands and (as He did for Esther, Mordecai, and the rest of His people) He will prove Himself to be a faithful Deliverer for you. Amen.

Lechem Panim #108 "When All Hearts Are Opened" (Esther 8:1-8) Pastor Cameron Ury

Hello, and welcome to Lechem Panim. It is good to have you with us today as we continue our study of the book of Esther. Now I have to share with you a story I read not long ago that made me laugh.

[The Gossiping Priest— Four priests met for a friendly gathering. During the conversation one priest said, “Our people come to us and pour out their hearts confessing certain sins and needs. Let’s do the same. Confession is good for the soul.”
​In due time all agreed. One confessed he liked to go to R-rated movies and would sneak off when away from his church. The second confessed to smoking cigars, and the third one confessed to gambling. When it came to the fourth one, he wouldn’t confess. The others pressed him saying, “Come now, we confessed ours. What is your secret or vice?” Finally he answered, “It is gossiping and I can hardly wait to get out of here.”]

It Takes One To Blow The Horn— It is easy to think that our sins will never be exposed; that we can get away with the wrong things we have thought, done, or intended to do. This was certainly true in the life of Haman, who set himself against God and His people Israel. Yet it only takes one person to blow the horn. And in this story it is Esther who, because of her faithfulness to act in obedience according to the will and timing of God, brings to light the wickedness of Haman and thwarts his plans. And what we ought to learn from this is that all sin will ultimately be exposed. 

Numbers 32:23 (ESV)— 23 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out.

Job 20:27 (ESV)— 27 The heavens will reveal his iniquity, and the earth will rise up against him.

Proverbs 26:26 (ESV)— 26 though his hatred be covered with deception, his wickedness will be exposed in the assembly.

Ecclesiastes 12:14 (ESV)— 14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil.

Luke 12:2 (ESV)— 2 Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.

1 Corinthians 4:5 (ESV)— 5 Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord comes, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.

The Ashley Madison Accounts Exposed—  You will remember that a number of years ago the famous website “Ashley Madison" (a website that was designed to promote marital unfaithfulness by encouraging married people to have an affair) was hacked; and numerous accounts were exposed. And many lives have been drastically affected by that exposure. Some even went so far as to take their own lives. They never thought that their sin would be found out. But it was.

The Exposed Purposes of the Heart— All sin will ultimately be exposed. And that last part of 1 Corinthians 4:5 is scary because it stretches beyond just outward sin into the very realm of the heart and mind. It says the Lord will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. So this brings us to the question, “Are we clean not only outwardly (like the Pharisees were), but inwardly?” Have we allowed Christ to change our hearts? Because one day our hearts and minds are going to be opened and the real depth of our Christian faith revealed. How deep did we allow Christ to touch us?

Haman’s Sins— Our sins will find us out. And Haman’s most certainly were. In the king’s eyes, he was guilty of three capital crimes. [One, he manipulated the king in planning to kill the queen’s people. Two, he was perceived to accost the queen. Three, he planned to execute a man whom the king had just greatly honored for extreme loyalty to the kingdom.]

God Reverses the Attack— And after his dark deeds have finally been revealed Haman is punished. And the very pole he set up for Mordecai to be impaled on, which towered above the city in its height to make a display of Mordecai’s corpse, he himself is impaled on. Now your translation may say that Haman was hung. But it is not what we typically think of when we think of hanging. He wasn’t hung with a noose, but on a pole. And the [Hebrew word translated “poles” literally means “tree” or “wooden object.”] And it was actually common practice during that time to impale victims on wooden stakes. And sometime it was an actual method of execution, but more often criminals were killed by other means and their bodies then impaled for public display. Now having said that, the [Persians {also} practiced crucifixion, and the punishment spoken of here might refer to that practice: impaling people alive on wooden posts and allowing them to die of exposure.]

The Attack Reversed— Now I know all of this is very graphic. But it very clearly demonstrates an important Biblical truth. And that is that God turns upon the very heads of the enemies of His people the persecution they themselves had sought to inflict. And this is the central theme we see in these closing chapters of Esther; God reverses the attack and His sovereign plan remains un-thwarted. And we will explore this more in our time together today. Go ahead and look with me at chapter 8, starting at verse 1…

Esther 8:1-2 (ESV)— 1 On that day King Ahasuerus gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman, the enemy of the Jews. And Mordecai came before the king, for Esther had told what he was to her. 2 And the king took off his signet ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordecai. And Esther set Mordecai over the house of Haman.

Haman’s Estate Given to Esther— And so with the King’s giving Mordecai that signet ring, he is giving Mordecai the very power and authority that had previously been Haman’s. And ironically, Mordecai would never have had that power had Haman not sought to destroy him to begin with. And the next turn of events is just as ironic. [Haman’s plot to destroy Mordecai leads to Mordecai’s acquiring both Haman’s position and property.]  He gets control of Haman’s estate. And what is important for us to note is that it is not Mordecai who takes that vengeance. It is God who brought it about by His sovereign hand. And this is how it is with us as well. God stands with us and He will bring justice; we never have to seize it for ourselves. And similarly, it is also God who protected Mordecai. Consider that Mordecai very likely knew nothing about Haman's plot to hang him. And yet despite that, God showed Himself to be a shield for Mordecai as well. 
    Now it was Persian custom during that time for the property of a traitor to be returned to the king. And in this case the king gives that estate over to Esther, who places Mordecai in charge of it. But for Esther, this is not enough; because her ultimate concern was not for honor; or for an estate; but for her people. Therefore it says in verse 3…

Esther 8:3-7 (ESV)— 3 Then Esther spoke again to the king. She fell at his feet and wept and pleaded with him to avert the evil plan of Haman the Agagite and the plot that he had devised against the Jews. 4 When the king held out the golden scepter to Esther, 5 Esther rose and stood before the king. And she said, “If it please the king, and if I have found favor in his sight, and if the thing seems right before the king, and I am pleasing in his eyes, let an order be written to revoke the letters devised by Haman the Agagite, the son of Hammedatha, which he wrote to destroy the Jews who are in all the provinces of the king. 6 For how can I bear to see the calamity that is coming to my people? Or how can I bear to see the destruction of my kindred?” 7 Then King Ahasuerus said to Queen Esther and to Mordecai the Jew, “Behold, I have given Esther the house of Haman, and they have hanged him on the gallows, because he intended to lay hands on the Jews. 

A Counter-Decree— Now I want to point out that the King had promised to grant Esther whatever she requested. He said, “Even up to half my kingdom, it will be given you.” And yet here we find that he is unable to grant Esther’s request; for doing so would mean rescinding the decree he had already made; something that he was not legally allowed by Medo-Persian law to do. And the reason behind this law could very likely be because revoking a previously made law would cause the king to lose face and would also undermine his authority. And so as frustrating as this is, we find that the decree of death instituted by Haman cannot be revoked by a mere word from the king. Yet although King Ahasuerus cannot revoke the first decree he has made, he can institute a counter-decree. It says in verse 8 and following...

Esther 8:8 (ESV)— 8 But you may write as you please with regard to the Jews, in the name of the king, and seal it with the king's ring, for an edict written in the name of the king and sealed with the king's ring cannot be revoked.”

Sin’s Consequences Cannot Be Rescinded— And we will see that this is exactly what Mordecai will do; he issues a counter-decree. Now the idea that the decree of death cannot merely be taken back is very important because it reflects (in a way) the larger decree of death pronounced on all of mankind as the natural result of sin. Now we know the king’s decree was unjust here. However, God’s decree against sin and the penalty of death that is the result of that sin is not unjust. And in a similar way, God cannot simply call off His decree without compromising who He is as a just and Holy God. 

All Sin Will Be Punished— All sin will (and must) be punished. Now in and throughout the book of Esther, we see the effects of sin. And as we know from scripture, sin always leads to death. And the lie of sin is that you can continue in it without there being any consequences. It should be noted that the first thing Satan ever says about sin is, "You shall not surely die." The lie of sin is that we can engage in it without consequence. Yet what we must realize is that all sin must and will be punished. 

​God’s Counter-Decree— An author I was reading just recently pointed out that: [Just as {Ahasuerus/} Xerxes king of Persia could not simply rescind the first decree of death, God, King of the universe, cannot simply rescind the decree of death pronounced in the Garden of Eden against humanity. Instead, he issues a counter-decree of life, the gospel of Jesus Christ.] Now I think he’s exactly right. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ lies in the fact that although God’s decree of punishment for sin cannot be undone, a counter-decree can and was made to preserve us from that death. Jesus Christ Himself became the recipient of God’s punishment. Jesus Himself was God’s counter-decree against sin and death. God’s judgement fell on Him, therefore paying for our sin and liberating us. And that salvation is available to anyone who is willing to receive and follow Christ. And if you have never done that, I encourage you to simply ask Him today to forgive your sins; and tell Him that you receive that counter-decree against the sin in your life and that you want to follow Him. And (as all of God’s people were delivered in this book) so you will be delivered also and given eternal life in Him. Choose Christ today. Amen.