Prophecies Fulfilled Part 2

 

We will continue this week to look at Old Testament prophecies about the Messiah that are fulfilled in the New Testament by Jesus.

 

Isaiah 9:6-7

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulders, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of host will do this.

 

The Messiah would come as a male child.

 

This is fulfilled in Luke 2:7 where it says, “And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.”

 

The Father said that the Messiah would be a male and Jesus came as male.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is believing God, taking Him at His word because He is a faithful God who fulfills everything He says.

 

The Messiah will be:

 

The Wonderful Counselor – Jesus’s teaching has an eternal character about it

 

The Mighty God – The miracles Jesus did show Him as the Mighty God

 

Everlasting Father – Jesus says in John 10:30 that He and the Father are one

 

Prince of Peace – In Ephesians 2:14 Paul says that Jesus is our peace

 

Jesus fulfilled all of the things that Isaiah said the Messiah would be.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is letting Jesus be who He really is in your life.

 

The Messiah would have a zeal for God.

 

In John 2, when Jesus cleanses the temple, in verse 17 it says, “His disciples remembered that it was written, ‘Zeal for your house will consume Me.’”

 

Jesus had a zeal for the will and word of God. We are to share that same zeal or passion for the will and word of God.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is having a passion to know and do the will of God and to obey God’s word.

 

Psalm 2:7

I tell you of the decree: The Lord said to Me, “You are My Son; today I have begotten You.”

 

The Messiah is uniquely God’s Son.

 

Matthew 3:17

And behold a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

The Father declares that Jesus is His Son.

 

The word Son here does not mean offspring. It means of the same substance. Jesus and the Father are of the same substance. Jesus is God in the flesh.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing and serving Jesus as God.

 

Isaiah 61:1-2

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor; He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God.

 

The Messiah would bring a message of forgiveness and hope to all people.

 

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus reads this passage from Isaiah and in Luke 4:21 Jesus said, “Today this scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.

 

Jesus is saying that He had come to proclaim this message that Isaiah said the Messiah would proclaim, and He did.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is us as the church, God’s people, proclaiming the message of Jesus.

 

As God’s People Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                         Joe

Prophecies Fulfilled Part 1

 

I have been studying the Old Testament a lot over the past several months. I am teaching out of Isaiah and Ecclesiastes and reading through the prophetic books in the Old Testament.

 

There are two things that have come out of my study as I have shared it with others.

 

#1: People say that they don’t know the Old Testament very well.

#2: People say that the Old Testament and New Testament are not really

      connected.

 

So, over the next several weeks I want to show the prophecies in the Old Testament about the Messiah and their fulfillment in the New Testament.

 

Isaiah 11:1-5

There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. And His delight shall be in the fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteous He shall the poor, and decide with equality for the meek of the earth, and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His lions.

 

The Messiah would come from the line of David, and would be a righteous judge.

 

This is fulfilled in Jesus. In Matthew 1:1 It says, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the son of Abraham.”

 

Jesus is from the line of David.

 

In Luke 4:18-19 Jesus reads from the book of Isaiah a passage about the ministry of the Messiah.

 

In Luke 4:21 Jesus says, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

 

Jesus claims that the Spirit of God is upon Him and that He has come to proclaim good news to the poor, proclaim liberty to the captive, recovery of sight to the blind, set at liberty those who are oppressed, and to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is believing that Jesus comes from the line of David and is our righteous Judge.

 

Isaiah 7:14

Therefore, the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Immanuel.

 

The Messiah will have a unique birth, which itself would be a sign from God.

 

This is fulfilled in Luke 1:34 and 35. In verse 34 Mary asks how she can bear a son when she is a virgin. In verse 35 the angel Gabriel explains that the Holy Sprit will come upon her and by a miracle Mary will have a son who will be the Son of God.

 

In Matthew 1 Joseph is told that the child Mary will have is from God and in verse 23 He will be called Immanuel.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is believing that Jesus is the Son of God and He is Immanuel, God with us.

 

Micah 5:2

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days.

 

The Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, yet He would have a prior existence.

 

This is fulfilled in Matthew 2:1 where it says, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.”

 

Jesus was born in Bethlehem.

 

But according to John 1:1 Jesus is the Word and He was with God in the beginning and He was God.

 

Jesus the Son of God, God in the flesh, is the eternal God and was given a body as He became human in Bethlehem.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is believing that Jesus born in Bethlehem is the eternal, one and only God who became flesh.

 

With Jesus the Eternal God Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                            Pastor Joe

The Church is Different

 

The church is the community of faith that Jesus established in the new covenant based on His blood.

 

In the Book of Acts there are five functions of the church.

 

The five functions are:

Worship

Discipleship

Ministry

Evangelism

Fellowship

 

The church fulfills these functions so that they can do what Jesus commanded in Mathew 28:19 - to make disciples.

 

The church is also to operate based on God’s Kingdom principles and not as the world operates.

 

Matthew 5:43-46

You have heard that it was said, “You shall love your neighbor and hate do your enemy.” But I say to you, “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. He makes His sun rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same?”

 

The church loves our enemies.

The church prays for those who persecute us.

 

The world system says love people who are nice to them and who love them, and hate and hurt those who are not nice to them or do not love them.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is loving and praying for those who don’t love us and even try to harm us.

 

Acts 5:34-35

There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands and houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need.

 

The church gave sacrificially to meet the needs of all needy people.

 

The church is commissioned by Jesus to serve the powerless and marginalized people of the world.

 

Jesus welcomed children and raised the widow’s son from the dead.

James tells us to look out for widows and orphans.

Peter reminds us to minister to the poor.

 

The church is to not show partiality to certain types of people but to welcome all who come seeking Jesus.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is giving sacrificially to meet the needs of others.

 

Matthew 20:25-28

But Jesus called them to Him and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. It shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must ve your slave, even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.”

 

The church is to serve.

 

The church is not to demand that the culture honors and serves us but that we, as the Body of Christ, serve the people of the world.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is humbling ourselves and serving the people around us.

 

Amos 5:21-24

I hate, I despise your feasts, and I take no delight in your solemn assemblies. Even though you offer Me your burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept them; and the peace offerings of your fattened animals, I will not look upon them. Take away from Me the noise of your songs; to the melody of your harps I will not listen. But let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.

 

The church is to be a people who are righteous and practice justice.

We live in a broken and fallen world. In the world there is injustice and wickedness. The church is to show the world the kingdom of God and manifest justice and righteousness.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is living as God’s righteous people and showing forth real justice.

 

As God’s People Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                            Joe

Freedom to Know and Serve Jesus

 

I love God’s Word! I have just finished a one-on-one study of the Book of Galatians with a friend and was again reminded of the power and relevance of God’s Word.

 

Galatians 1:1-2

Paul an apostle – not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised Him from the dead – and all the brothers who are with me. To the church of Galatia.

 

Paul reminds us that our calling to know and follow and serve is not from a human source but from Jesus.

 

I have had the great privilege to serve God through the local church for almost forty-seven years and there have been times when I wanted to quit and go do anything else. I was reminded that it was not people who called me into ministry and only the One who called me into ministry had the authority to call me out of ministry.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is following God’s call on our lives and staying with that calling until God tells us something different.

 

Paul also reminds us of the power of God. God the Father raised Jesus from the dead.

 

There is no greater power than to bring life to someone who is dead. Jesus performed three resurrections of others in the New Testament. He raised Jairus’ daughter, the widow of Nain’s son and Lazarus. Each of these resurrections show Jesus’ power and Jesus’ resurrection shows the power of the Father over sin and death and Satan.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the power of new life through Jesus.

 

Paul reminds us that following Jesus is not an individual thing but a community thing.

 

Paul and all the brothers who are with him.

 

Jesus called twelve disciples. Paul didn’t go on missionary trips alone; he had others with him. Paul planted churches in the towns and cities he went to.

 

Jesus gives us new life and then puts us into faith communities to grow and serve.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is doing life together with other brothers and sisters in Jesus.

 

Paul reminds us that through God’s grace we can have God’s peace.

 

Knowing Jesus, following Jesus, and serving Jesus bring peace. It brings a rest and security because we know that Jesus loves us and has the power and authority to handle anything that comes into our lives.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is experiencing the peace of God because we have received the grace of God.

 

Paul reminds us that it is through Jesus’ death that we are delivered from the penalty and power of sin. It is also through Jesus’ death that we are delivered from the power of this present evil age.

 

Jesus’ death paid for our sins, and when we acknowledge our sin and ask God for forgiveness, that forgiveness is given because Jesus paid for our sins.

 

Jesus’ death also gives us the grace, mercy, hope, and strength we need to live in a fallen world and not be controlled by it or overwhelmed by it.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is knowing our sins are forgiven and experiencing the overcoming power of God in our lives daily.

 

Paul reminds us that Jesus is due our praise and worship forever.

 

The truth is that all humans and all things that are human are imperfect and cannot truly satisfy us. That people will let us down and disappoint us. But that God will never let us down or disappointed us. That truth is what makes Jesus the only One worthy of our worship and service.

 

Raise the Roof and Remove the Walls is worshipping Jesus and only Jesus.

 

Galatians is a book about freedom in Jesus. That freedom begins with knowing that, by God’s grace, we can know Jesus and follow Jesus and serve Jesus, and that then we will experience God’s peace.

 

In Freedom Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls,

                                     Joe