Matthew | Christ Came For The Sinner

 

SHARING CHRIST THROUGH RELATIONSHIPS.

CHRIST CAME FOR THE SINNER.

Matthew 9: 9-13

Tremendous Truth About The Miracles Of Jesus Christ,

His Wonders, His Mighty Deeds, Signs Of His Messiah-ship.

The Central Message Of The Christian Faith.

But It’s Amazing How That Is Misconstrued.

You Have Hear People Say:

Christians Certainly Aren’t Perfect. We Already Know That.

Churches Certainly Aren’t Filled With Perfect People. We Know That, Too.

Churches Are Full Of Hypocrites. So You And I Should Be Included In That Truth.

TRUTH ABOUT THE CHURCH: It’s For Imperfect People Who Know Just How Imperfect They Are.

THE LORD SAYS:

I AM NOT COME TO CALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT SINNERS.

God Has Come For The Sick Not The Well.

The Message Of Christianity,

The Essence Of The Gospel,

The Reason For The Incarnation.

It Gives Us A Full Perspective On His Ministry.

It Gives Us The Basic Rationale Of The Incarnation.

SO, WHY DID JESUS COME INTO THE WORLD?

To Call Sinners.

Those Who Know They Have A Terminal Disease,

Those Who Are Desperate,

Those Who Are Hurting,

Those Who Are Hungry,

Those Who Are Thirsty,

Those Who Are Weak,

Those Who Are Weary,

Those Who Are Broken,

Those Whose Lives Are Shattered.

Sinners Who Know They’re Sinners.

AGAIN, HE CAME TO CALL NOT THE RIGHTEOUS BUT SINNERS.

Peter Said It: Depart From Me, O Lord, For I Am A Sinful Man.

Paul Said It: That Christ Jesus Came Into The World To Save Sinners, Of Whom I Am Foremost.

If He Came Into The World Only For The Righteous,

There Wouldn’t Be Anybody In His Kingdom,

Because, “There Is None Righteous, No Not One.

BUT: MANY WHO THINK THEY ARE RIGHTEOUS:

He Can Not Help Them Because They Do See Their Need.

Someone Must See Their Problem.

Then Jesus Can Provide The Solution.

Someone Must See Their Sin Disease.

Then Jesus Can Provide The Healing.

Matthew Is Presenting Jesus The Messiah.

He Is Providing Proof In Every Way Possible.

He Verifies The Lordship Of Christ, The Deity Of Jesus, And The Proof Of His Power Over Sin Demonstrated In Miracles.

REALIZE THE CONTEXT OF THESE VERSES:

Jesus Has Just Forgiven Sins.

Matthew Makes That Point In Verses 1 Through 8.

He Has The Ability And The Power To Forgive Sin.

QUESTION PRESENTED:

But How Much Sin Can He Forgive?

Whose Sin Can He Forgive?

Whose Sin Does He Not Forgive?

What Are The Parameters And Dimensions Of His Forgiveness?

What Is Necessary To Experience HIS Forgiveness?

So, Jesus Had Just Performed Several Miracles And The People Were Amazed.

Matthew Went On To Say: JESUS Forgave Me.

SIGNIFICANT ? YES:

Matthew Was Categorically The Vilest Person In Capernaum.

Matthew: Most Wretched Sinner In Town: The Tax Collector.

That Is Why He Uses Himself As An Illustration.

Matthew Was A Publican. A Tax Collector.

They Were A Group Of People Who Served Rome.

Rome Wanted To Impose Taxes.

Individuals Living In The Land Of Palestine Would Buy Franchises From The Roman Government

This Gave Them The Right To Operate The Taxation System In A Certain District Or A Certain Town.

When Matthew Bought Into The Roman System, He Revealed Himself As A Traitor To The Cause Of Israel.

Rome Required That He Collect A Certain Amount Of Taxes.

Anything He Could Get Over That He Could Keep.

Collectors Extorted From The Middle Class And The Poor.

Tax Collectors Became Hated.

Getting Rich At The Expense Of Their Own People.

The Jews Believed That It Was Wrong Anyway To Pay Taxes.

They Felt That Only God Should Receive Their Money.

Matthew Was A Man Under Conviction.

Matthew Was Have Wanted The Forgiveness.

But The Jewish System Told Him He Could Never Have It.

You Know, True Conversion Is Like That.

Matthew Lost A Career And Gained A Destiny.

He Lost His Security And Gained An Undreamed Adventure.

He Lost Material Things And Gained A Spiritual Fortune.

He Knew Jesus Had Come To Save Sinners,

Matthew Knew He Was A Sinner.

And If You’re Not Willing To Admit That,

He Has Nothing To Say To You.

SO, JESUS DEFENDS HIS DISCIPLES FOLLOWING HIM.

HE HAS A THREEFOLD POWERFUL ARGUMENT FOR THE PHARISEES WHO HATED LEVI:

THE FIRST ONE IS FROM HUMAN LOGIC.

THE SECOND ONE IS FROM SCRIPTURE.

THE THIRD ONE IS FROM HIS OWN DIVINE AUTHORITY.

FIRST OF ALL, HUMAN LOGIC:

The Analogy. Verse 12,

Healthy People Do Not Need A Physician; Sick People Do.

He Is Indicting The Pharisees.

He Is Saying: You Pharisees Are The Ones Who Are Saying Others Are The Sickest.

Then By Your Own Affirmation, They Most Need The Physician.

The Analogy Is Simple.

A Physician Can Be Expected To Go Among Sick People.

A Forgiver Should Be Expected To Go Among Sinful People.

His Defense Is Simple.

Jesus Goes To The People Who Have The Deepest Need.

The Pharisees Perceived Others As Sinners.

If You Pharisees Diagnosis Is So Accurate, Where Is Your Passion? Where Is Your Concern?

Are You A Doctor Who Diagnoses But Has No Desire To Cure?

AN INDICTMENT OF THEIR SELF-RIGHTEOUSNESS !!

What An Indictment Of Their Judgmental Spirit.

What An Indictment Of Their Condemning Attitude.

They So Freely Defined All Others As Sinners.

They Were Utterly Indifferent About The Sinners Condition.

The Lord Says To Them (In A Later Chapter Of Matthew):

You Follow A Ritual Of Tithing On Even The Smallest Thing.

BUT You Have Omitted The Weightier Matters Of The Law, Like Justice And Mercy.

Where’s Your Mercy?

Where’s Your Compassion?

Where’s Your Love?

Where’s Your Care?

You Have Made The Diagnosis,

You Have Condemned Yourself Because You Stop There.

THE FIRST IS AN ARGUMENT FROM THIS ANALOGY.

THE SECOND IS AN ARGUMENT FROM SCRIPTURE.

“Go And Learn From The Rabbinic Writings.”

The Rabbis Used This Statement As An Exhortation.

They Rebuked Persons Who Didn’t Really Know What They Should Have Known.

“Go And Learn,” Meaning: Go Back To The Books. Come Back When You Learn What Your Own Text Says.

JESUS QUOTES HOSEA 6:6:

I Will Have Mercy, And Not Sacrifice.

In Other Words,

I Am Not Concerned With Ritual;

I Am Concerned With A Merciful Heart.

God Was Saying Through HOSEA:

You Have Gone Into Idolatry.

You Have Left Me.

You Have Forsaken Me.

And Still You Crank Out Your Little Religious Ritual.

It Is Not Sacrifice That I Want From You; It Is Mercy.

Blessed Are The Merciful, For They Shall Obtain Mercy,

So The Lord Is Indicting The Pharisees,

Saying: You’ll Never Get The Mercy Of God, Because You Show No Mercy.

This Indicates Your Hearts Aren’t Right.

JESUS SHOWS THE SELF-DELUDED RELIGIOUS LEADERS:

THAT THEY WERE FAR WORSE THAN THE PUBLICANS AND THE SINNERS.

Just Going Through A Certain Christian Routine,

Just Going To Church And Do Certain Things,

And Think That God Is Pleased.

GOD IS NEVER PLEASED WITH A ROUTINE

THAT IS SEPARATED FROM PERSONAL HOLINESS.

Without A Change Of Heart,

Without A Deep Sense Of Sin,

Sacrifices Were Dead Ritual, Loathsome, Hateful To God.

THE FIRST IS AN ARGUMENT FROM THIS ANALOGY.

THE SECOND IS AN ARGUMENT FROM SCRIPTURE.

THE THIRD IS FROM HIS OWN DIVINE AUTHORITY.

For I Am Not Come To Call The Righteous But Sinners.

WHAT IS THAT CALL OF CHRIST ??

TO REPENT OF SELF-RIGHTEOUS !!

TO COME TO HIM FOR FORGIVENESS OF YOUR SIN !!

TO COME TO JESUS FOR SALVATION !!

THAT’S THE WHOLE ISSUE.

Logic Says It, Scripture Says It, And Jesus Affirms It.

COULD THESE PHARISEES REALLY BE RIGHTEOUS:

When They Had No Mercy For Sinners,

When They Were Blind To The Word Of Their Own Prophet,

When They Were Raging At Jesus A Merciful Physician.

Remember The Lord Pictures His Kingdom Like A Banquet.

He Sends Out Invitations.

Not All The People Invited Come. Most Do Not Come.

That Is The Picture Of Israel.

So He Says: Go Out Into The Highways And Byways, And You Find The Poor, And The Lame, And The Crippled, And The Blind And Bring Them In.

YOU SEE, THE KINGDOM IS FOR THE HUNGRY AND THE THIRSTY; THEY SHALL BE FILLED.

The Kingdom Is For The Hurting And The Mourning And The Meek And The Sinful.

That Is What Jesus Is Saying.

This Is The Theme Of The Gospel,

That Jesus Came To Save Sinners;

That Is The Ringing, Recurring, Constant Theme.

UNTIL YOU KNOW YOU’RE A SINNER, THE LORD HAS NOTHING TO OFFER YOU.

 

Genesis | Lineage Of Life

Genesis 11: 10-32

In Our Last Lesson: The Tower Of Babel.

We Saw That Human Hearts Are Bent Toward Self-Glory.

Our Attempts At Greatness Are Lowly Compared To The Surpassing Greatness Of The Lord.

We Saw That God Judged And Punished Humanity By Confusing Languages And Spreading Families Throughout The Earth.

Today: Lineage Of Life:

Key Takeaway: God Is Steadily Moving In History To Accomplish His Plan Of Salvation.

Text Explained: Genesis 11: 10-32:

God Preserves a Family (11:10-26).

God Starts Something New (11:27-32).

INTRODUCTION:

A. From This Point In Genesis, God Begins To Deal With The Nation Israel.

His Dealings Are With Four Individuals: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob And Joseph.

B. The Main Emphasis Is Upon Abraham.

He Was God’s Chosen Channel To Fulfill The Divine Purpose Of Bringing Redemption For The Whole Human Race.

Through This One Individual, God Would Bring Blessing To The Whole World.

C. God Altered All Human History Through Abraham.

From Him God Gave A Nation That Completely Reshaped The History Of The Human Race.

D. Abraham Has The Unique Distinction Of Being Called THE MAN OF FAITH.

He Stands Out As The Supreme Example Of The Faith Life.

Although He Occasionally Falters, His Life Was Characterized By Faith.

E. Abraham Is Honored By Jews, Christians And Muslims As The Father Of Faith.

INTRODUCTION TO ABRAHAM:

GOD PRESERVES A FAMILY.

A. HIS ANCESTORS (11:10-26):

This Genealogy: God Gave A Record Of Abraham’s Tree.

Abraham Lineage Was Traced Back To The Line Of Shem.

The Line Of Shem Was To Bless The World Religiously.

Abraham Was Fully Qualified By His Blood Line.

Abraham Becomes Vital To God’s Religious History.

GOD STARTS TO DO SOMETHING NEW.

B. HIS PAST HISTORY (11:27-32): SUPPORTED IN ACTS:

Terah, The Father Of Abraham, Was An Idolater.

It Stands To Reason: ABRAM WAS ALSO AN IDOLATER.

Abram Was Called By God To Leave His Idolatry.

Abram Was Called To Follow The True God.

The God Of Glory Appeared To Our Father Abraham.

Abraham Was In Mesopotamia Before Haran.

The Lord Said To Him:

Go Out From Your Land And From Your Kindred.

Go Into The Land That I Will Show You.

God Promised To Give It To Him As A Possession.

God Also Would Give This Land To His Offspring.

NOTE: This Is Before Abraham Had Children.

Abraham Took Terah, His Father, And Sarai And Lot.

Abraham Took Extended Family But Was To Leave Them.

Abraham's Father Was An Idolater.

So He Went To Haran.

As Long As Abram Was Here, God Could Not Use Him.

He Was Not Separated From The Idolatry Of Terah.

Apparently Abram Lived In Haran Quite A Long Time.

Apparently He Did Not Pursue God’s Will Until Terah Died.

Apparently Abraham Put His Father Before The Lord.

So God Could Not Use Him.

God Will Not Use A Believer Until Totally Committed.

God Did Take Away His Father So God's Will Was Done.

THE GOD OF HISTORY AND YOU:

To Show Us God IS The God Of History.

To Show Us God IS Working Out His Eternal Plan.

To Show Us God IS Accomplishing This Plan Thru Us.

His Movements Sometimes Seem Slow By Our Standards.

But He Is Steadily At Work.

And This God Of History Is Our God.

He Has Called Us And Will Use Us In His Eternal Plan.

KNOWING THIS IT GIVES MEANING TO OUR LIVES.

GOD IS STEADILY MOVING IN HISTORY TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN OF SALVATION.

THE NEW TESTAMENT USES ABRAHAM:

To Explain The Doctrine Of Salvation By Grace.

To Explain Salvation Is Through Faith Apart From Works.

To Refer To The God Of ABRAHAM, Isaac, And Jacob.

Abraham Stands As The Father Of The Jewish Nation.

Abraham Is The Forefather Of Jesus Christ Through The Lineage Of Mary The Mother Of Jesus.

Abraham Holds An Important Place In Heaven Which Jesus Referred To As Abraham’s Bosom.

THE LINEAGE FROM SHEM TO ABRAHAM.

WHAT CAN WE LEARN FROM THIS GENEALOGY?

WE CAN LEARN HOW GOD IS AT WORK IN HISTORY TO ACCOMPLISH HIS PLAN OF SALVATION:

1. GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION IN HISTORY INVOLVES GOD'S CHOICE:

Chapter 10 Lists The Three Sons Of Noah.

God Chose Shem As The Lineage To Bless The World.

Of Shem’s Five Sons (10:22), God Chose ARPACHSHAD.

From Noah Through Shem To Abraham Eventually Christ.

God’s Choice IS UNVEILED Through History.

GOD’S CHOICE IS ACCORDING TO GRACE, NOT MERIT:

GOD CHOSE ABRAHAM.

According To Joshua 23:

Abraham Came From A Pagan Family.

Abraham Was Probably An Idolater Himself When God Called Him.

GOD’S SOVEREIGN CHOICE NEVER DEPENDS ON HUMAN MERIT.

GOD ALONE CHOOSES AND CALLS SINNERS TO HIMSELF.

ABRAHAM WAS A SINNER.

GOD CHOSE HIM SIMPLY BECAUSE OF GRACE.

GOD CHOSE HIM APART FROM ANYTHING GOD FORESAW IN ABRAHAM.

OR ABRAHAM COULD HAVE TAKEN CREDIT FOR IT.

ALL OF THESE MEN AND THEIR DESCENDANTS:

HAD KNOWN ABOUT GOD THROUGH THEIR ANCESTORS.

BUT THEY HAD SUPPRESSED THE TRUTH IN UNRIGHTEOUSNESS.

BUT REJECTED GOD'S REVELATION OF HIS ATTRIBUTES AND POWER THROUGH CREATION.

Mankind Is Responsible For Choices Made.

There Are Consequences For These Choices.

These Nations Were Going Their Own Way.

God Gave Them Up To Their Sin.

He Permitted Them To Go Their Own Ways.

God Could Not Choose A Good Man | There Was Not One.

He Chose Abraham To Demonstrate His Grace.

He Doesn’t Choose Anyone Because They Deserve It.

He Only Chooses Sinners Who Deserve His Judgment.

You Can Only Come To God Confessing Your Sin.

You Can Only Come To God Begging For Mercy.

He Will Grant Salvation Because He Is A Merciful God.

God’s Plan Of Salvation Involves His Choice Of Grace.

2. GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION IN HISTORY INVOLVES TIME:

This Genealogy Shows God’s Time, Both With The Nations And With Individuals.

A. GOD’S PLAN INVOLVES TIME WITH THE NATIONS:

The Time Between Noah And When God Chose Abraham.

Many People Were Born And Died During Those Years.

The Nations Spread Out Over The Earth.

Most Of Those Nations Had Strayed From God's Truth.

God Waited To Issue His Covenant TO BLESS ALL NATIONS THROUGH ABRAHAM.

B. GOD’S PLAN INVOLVES TIME WITH INDIVIDUALS:

God’s Timing Is Often Not In Line With Ours.

Even After God Called Abraham, He Grew Slowly.

God Had Originally Called Him When He Was In Ur.

He Got As Far As Haran And Settled There Until His Father Died (Acts 7:2-4).

That Seems To Be Wasted Time Yet God Still Used Him.

That’s An Encouragement To Me.

How Much Time Have We Wasted Yet God Still Uses Us ?

GOD'S PLAN FOR SALVATION INVOLVES HIS CHOICE AND HIS TIME:

3. GOD’S PLAN OF SALVATION IN HISTORY INVOLVES INDIVIDUALS:

A. GOD’S PLAN INVOLVED ABRAHAM:

We Do Know That God Used Abraham In His Plan Of Salvation In The History Of The Human Race.

ABRAHAM RESPONDED TO GOD’S CALL IN FAITH AND OBEDIENCE.

Millions To Choose From But God Chose Him.

His Life, Obedient To God, Made A Difference.

An Individual Life Yielded To God’s Purpose Can Make A Tremendous Impact On The Course Of Human Events.

Perhaps None Of Us Will Be Used To Shape History To The Extent That Abraham Did.

But We Can Know That God Is Weaving Our Lives Into The Tapestry Of History If We Are Obedient To His Call.

We May Not See The Final Results Even In Our Lifetime.

But We Can Know That Our Lives Are Not In Vain If We Walk With God.

B. GOD’S PLAN INVOLVES YOU:

God’s Hand Was Upon Abraham, So His Hand Is On You.

Like Abraham At A Specific Stage In His Life, You And I Can Be Faithful And Obedient To Him.

CONCLUSION:

The Important Thing Is, Wherever You’re At, To Yield Yourself To The Lord.

If You Will Yield Your Life To Him And Walk With Him Every Day,

He Will Use You In His Movement In History To Bring About His Great Plan Of Salvation For The Nations.

There Is No More Significant Way To Spend Your Life!

SO WHAT HAVE WE LEARNED IN GENESIS?

GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF THRU SCRIPTURE.

GOD HAS REVEALED HIMSELF TO US THRU HISTORY.

GOD HAS REVEALED HIS NATURE TO US.

HIS NATURE IS: LOVING, KIND, GRACIOUS, MERCIFUL, FORGIVING, REDEMPTIVE AND MORE.

HE HAS REVEALED THAT HIS WILL IS ALWAYS DONE.

HE HAS REVEALED THAT HE DESIRES A RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE WHO LOVE HIM AND TRUST HIM.

HE HAS REVEALED THAT HE HATES SIN AND JUDGES SIN.

Genesis | Apostasy Interrupted

Genesis 11: 1 Thru 9

Most Recently:

Preserving Life And Creation: See God’s Grace As He Renewed Creation.

Curse Or Blessing: See The Blessing And Curse Of Noah’s Sons.

Noah And Ham Both Fell Into Sin.

Shem And Japheth Approached Their Father With Respect And Honor.

They Are The Ones Who Will Know The Blessings Of Walking With God.

Filling The Earth: Evidence Of God's Guardianship Over His Chosen Chosen People.

Today: Apostasy Interrupted:

Key Takeaway: The Human Heart Is Inclined To Seek Its Own Glory Instead Of God’s.

Text Explained: Genesis 11: One Thru Nine:

THE TOWER OF BABEL.

I. Mankind's Rebellion (11:1-4).

a. Introduction (11:1-2).

b. Building a City, Tower, Name (11:3-4).

II. God's Response (11:5-9).

a. Judgment (11:5-7).

b. Punishment (11:8-9).

INTRODUCTION:

A. Chapter 10, A Record Of The Migration Of Noah's Sons.

B. Chapter 11, Some Explanation Of:

A Great Variety Of Different Languages.

A Great Variety Of Different Dialects.

Explains Why They Are Found GLOBALLY.

Explains How Languages Originated.

GENESIS 10 TELLS US WHAT WAS THE MIGRATION.

GENESIS 11 TELLS US WHY WAS THE MIGRATION.

I. THE RELIGION BEHIND THE TOWER OF BABEL:

A. After The Flood; A Unity And One Language.

Perhaps:

This Event Took Place Around 150 Years After The Flood.

The Population Was About 30,000.

B. Migrated To Babylon Where Nimrod Settled.

NIMROD:

A Grandson Of Noah.

From The Lineage Of Ham ( Not Shem ).

Nimrod Was Perhaps A Demon-Possessed Tyrant.

HE SET UP A RIVAL RELIGION TO THE ONE TRUE GOD.

Nimrod, Which Means REBEL.

Nimrod Made The First Attempt:

To Unify The Population.

To Unify Into A Political Entity.

To Unify Into A Religious Unity.

Nimrod's History:

Nimrod Was Running From God.

Nimrod Went To Babylon To Flee God's Revelation.

He Was An Apostate.

Nimrod Was Going To Build A False Religious System.

Nimrod Was Going To Build A New Approach To God.

His Religious System:

To Reach God His Way.

To Reach God Thru Human Achievement.

To Build A Tower By His Own Works

A Substitute For The One True Religion.

The First Organized Idolatrous Religious System Ever.

Idolatry Was A System Opposing The One True God.

FOUNDING OF NIMROD'S RELIGION:

Secular History States: Nimrod Married Semerimus.

She Was High Priestess Of The Babylonian Mysteries.

Babylonian Mysteries:

Consisted Of Sacred Religious Rites.

Developed As A Part Of The Worship Of Idols In Babylon.

REMEMBER:

The Revelation Of God Was Carried By Oral Tradition.

Semerimus Would Have Known God's Promise.

She Would Have Known About The Coming Messiah.

She Would Have Known Through Woman's Seed.

BUT:

Semerimus Set Out To Corrupt God's Promise.

She Set Out To Counterfeit God's Promise.

Semerimus Had A Son: Tammuz.

Semerimus Claimed:

Tammuz Was The Fulfillment Of God's Promise.

Tammuz Was Conceived In A Miraculous Way.

Tammuz Was Considered A Savior Of His People.

Purported To Be The Fulfillment Of The Promise To Eve.

But He Was A False Messiah.

What Was The Symbol Of This Apostate Religion

Of Semerimus And Tammuz?

A Figure Of A Mother Holding A Child In Her Arms.

It Was The Mother-Child Cult.

THE BASIC TEACHINGS OF THIS CULT:

A. Semerimus Set Herself As A Way Of Approach To God.

Worshipers Would Had To Go Through Semerimus To Approach God.

B. The Miracle Child Proved Semerimus Could Give Life.

She Called Herself The Queen Of Heaven (Jer. 44; Ezk. 8).

C. Salvation Was By Good Works And By The Sacraments Of Water And Ceremonial Cleansing.

D. Ultimate Cleansing After Death In A Place She Called Purgatory.

E. An Order Of Virgins Dedicated To Religious Prostitution.

An Order Of Earthly Male Priesthood To Further The Mother-Child Cult.

F. Tammuz Was Killed By A Wild Beast But After 40 Days Tammuz Was Resurrected From The Dead.

This Resurrection Was Celebrated Each Year By 40 Days Of Lent (Sacrifice).

This Celebration Ended With A Big Feast: The Feast Of Ishtar.

This Celebration Recognized The Egg As Sacred And Exchanged On The Feast Of Ishtar.

G. It The Evergreen Tree, The Symbol Of Life, Was Made The Symbol Of Tammuz;

It Was Prominently Displayed In Mid-Winter In The Month Of December, The Supposed Birthday Of Tammuz.

H. It Taught That Relics, Images, Holy Water, Lamps And Wax Candles Were Part Of Worship.

THE SPREAD OF NIMROD'S RELIGION.

Nimrod's Religion Spread Throughout The Ancient Nations.

The Names May Have Been Changed But The Characters And Worship Were Essentially The Same.

The Mother-Child Cult Spread:

To Phoenicia:

Characters Were Called Ashteroth And Tammuz.

Added The Worship Of The Sun.

Became The Worship Of Baal.

To Egypt:

Characters Were Called Isis And Hornus.

To Greece:

Characters Were Called Aphrodite And Eros.

To Rome:

Characters Were Named Venus And Cupid.

To India:

Characters Were Called Ushas And Vishnu By The Hindus.

NOTE:

The Cult Has Also Crept Into Christianity.

It Forms The Basis For The Idol Worship Of Mary.

Found In The Roman Catholic Church.

The Mother And Child Are Worshiped As Joint Redeemers,

NOTE:

The Final Form Of World Religion:

Will Be A Revived Form Of Nimrod's Religion.

Will Be Like The One That Began In Babylon (Rev. 17).

Will Be Called MYSTERY BABYLON: The Great, The Mother Of Harlots, Abominations Of The Earth.

A CITY.

Man, Seeking Unity And Power, By Building A City.

A Big Population Center Where Political Power Could Be Manipulated.  

This City Was Organized In Order Not To Obey God.

God Had Told Men To Scatter Over The Earth. (Gen. 9:1).

They Refused To Scatter (11:4).

They Were Acting In Defiance Of God Himself.

A TOWER.

This Tower As The Basis For A New Religion.

This Tower As A Rallying Point For The People.

This Tower As A Ziggurat.

This Tower Was A Pinnacle Of An Anti-God Religion.

A NAME.

This City, Tower And Religion.

Was Built To Exalt Man And Not To Glorify God.

This Whole System Was Built On Humanism.

This Whole System Left God Out Of The Society.

This Was A False Substitute Religion.

This Was Counterfeit For The One True Religion.

II. THE REASON FOR THE CONFUSION OF TONGUES:

A. The Lord Conveys The Thought That God Stands Amazed At The Apostasy Of Men.

B. God Must Stop This Apostasy OR Again There Would Be No Limit To The Evil They Might Do.

III. THE RESULT OF THE TOWER OF BABEL:

A. The Lord Confound Their Language.

The Lord Judges By Giving Them Various Languages.

They Are Forced To Break Off From One Another.

They Are Forced To Form Different Groups By Language.

B. The Lord Scattered Them Abroad.

God Did Not Want One False Religion And One Political Unity Headed Up By A Dictator.

The Prince Of Peace Will Be The Only One Qualified.

NOTE:

The Future Anti-Christ Or World Dictator Will Come To Power Through This One World Religious System.

C. BABEL Is The Place That Language Was Confused.

This Is Where It Happened.

This Is When It Happened.

This Is How It Happened.

This Is Why It Happened.

GOD INTERRUPTED APOSTASY.

Genesis | Filling The Earth

Genesis 10: 1 Thru 32

Most Recently:

We Learned About God’s Grace As He Renewed Creation.

We Learned About Blessing And Curse Of Sons Of Noah.

Noah And Ham Both Fell Into Sin.

The Hope After The Flood Quickly Faded.

God Promised To Be With Noah And His Family.

Two Of Three Sons Were Respectful To Noah.

Those Two Sons Will Be Blessed By God.

Today: Filling The Earth. Key Takeaway: Evidence Of God's Guardianship Over His Chosen People.

The Last Two Lessons In The Next Two Weeks:

Apostasy Interrupted.

Lineage Of Life.

Now, Why Spend Time With A Passage Like This?

Verse 32 Sums It Up:

This Is The List Of The Families From Noah’s Sons.

They Are Arranged According To Their Nations.

From This Family Came All The People Of The Earth.

IT IS:

EXTREMELY IMPORTANT: THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

HELPFUL TO REALIZE AND ACCEPT THESE FACTS.

We Study Facts Concerning The Word Of God.

We Study Facts Concerning The Truth About Life.

INTRODUCTION:

A. All People Groups Came From The Three Sons Of Noah.

Chapter 10: Panoramic View Of The Beginning Of Nations.

Biblical And Secular Archaeologists Agree:

The Middle East Is Rightly Called THE CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION.

B. The Nation Israel Was Elected As The Instrument Of Redemptive Blessing To The World.

So, The Nation Needed To Know Where They Originated.

Israel Might Know How To Act Toward Them Other Nations.

This Is The Primary Reason For Giving The Table Of Nations.

NOTE:

Incomplete Facts Cause Difficulty Tracing Nations Beginning.

But Enough Evidence To Make SOME Conclusions.

History Has Confirmed This Distribution Of Mankind.

It Is Exactly As The Bible Says.

THE TABLE OF NATIONS AFTER THE FLOOD:

NATIONS GROW AND SPREAD:

Noah Has Died And So Moses, By Inspiration Of The Holy Spirit, Begins A New Section In History.

THE REVELATION OF GOD’S WILL AND GOD’S WORD:

LIMITED AND FOCUSED ON THE DESCENDANTS OF SHEM.

DESCENDANTS OF SHEM WOULD BECOME THE HEBREW PEOPLE.

There Are Thousands Of People Groups Now Days,

ALL GROUPS ORIGINATED FROM NOAH AND HIS SONS.

I. THE GENEOLOGY OF JAPHETH (10:2-5):

Japheth Was Given Intellectual Favor.

The People Of Japheth: Gifted In Philosophy And Intellect.

The Widest Geographical Distribution Of The Three Families.

Most Americans Are From This Line.

A. Generally Speaking These People Went Into Europe And Asia:

One Group Settled In India And The Other In Europe.

Together They Form What Is Known As The Indo-European Family Of Nations.

B. Japheth Has Seven Sons:

Magog: Founded The Northern Barbarian Hordes Now Russia.

Madai: Easily Identified As The Medes And Persian Empire.

Tubal: Migrated Into Modern-Day Turkey.

Meschech: Also Migrated Into Modern-Day Turkey.

Tiras: Probably The Ancestor Of The Aegean People.

Gomer: Settled In The Balkan Area Migrated To Germany.

From Gomer, Came The Word Gaul.

From The Gauls: The Early Families Of Western Europe.

Consequently Most Of The Americas Until Recently Were Ancestors Of Gomer (Who Was The Son Of Japheth).

Javan: Unquestionably The Ancestor Of The Greeks Who Settled Around The Black Sea.

II. THE GENEOLOGY OF HAM (10:6-20):

Ham Was Given The Art Of Technical Proficiency.

The People Of HAM: The Technicians Of Mankind.

Showing An Amazing Adaptability In Our World.

A. Generally Speaking These Peoples Moved Into Egypt, Africa And Canaan:

Perhaps The Darker Skinned People.

Particularly Gifted With Technical Proficiency.

Great Adaptability To Primitive Conditions.

All The Great Early Civilizations Were Thru Ham.

Egyptians, Babylonians, Mayans, Aztecs, Sumerians.

B. Ham Had Four Sons:

Mizraim: A Clear Reference To Egypt.

Phut: Associated With West Egypt And North Africa.

Cush: Associated With Southern Arabia And Ethiopia.

Cush Had A Son Named NIMROD:

Nimrod Was A Descendant Of Ham Thru Cush.

So, Nimrod Would Have Been A Grandson Of Ham.

So, Nimrod Would Have Been A Great Grandson Of Noah.

Nimrod: Means: Let Us Rebel.

He Was A Mighty Hunter To His People.

Nimrod Was A Mighty One On The Earth.

Nimrod Had A Great Influence On Mankind.

Nimrod Was A Kingdom Builder.

People Followed Him.

He Build And Founded At Least Two Great Cities:

The City Of Babel And The City Of Nineveh.

Nimrod WAS NOT A Godly Man.

He Was In Rebellion Against God.

He Was Leading People Astray.

He Was Also Very Influential.

He Was Very Wealthy And Powerful.

He Was The Arch-Apostate Of The World After The Flood.

NOTE:

Nimrod Founded A Religion:

A Religion That Was Anti-God.

A RELIGION BASED UPON HUMAN WORKS AND HUMAN ACHIEVEMENT.

Canaan: His Descendants Are Associated With Area Around Palestine.

The Sons Of Canaan Are Also Identified.

These Tribes Occupied The General Area Of Palestine.

III. THE GENEOLOGY OF SHEM (10:21-31):

Shem Was Given The Religious Primacy Of Mankind.

The Semitic Peoples Develop The Spiritual Life Of Mankind.

The Semitic Peoples Have Come The 3 Major Religions:

JUDAISM, ISLAM, CHRISTIANITY.

A. Generally These Peoples Settled In The Middle East:

B. Shem Is Said To Be The Father Of The Children Of Eber:

From Eber Comes The Word Hebrew.

Abraham Was Six Generations After Eber.

So, Eber Is The Forefather Of Abram.

So, Abram Was An Eberite Or Hebrew.

His Sons Settled In Southern Mesopotamia, Assyria, Nineveh, Asia Minor and Syria.

THE EMPHASIS IN GENESIS FROM THIS POINT:

ON SHEM'S LINE. THIS IS THE LINE OF MESSIAH.

NOTE:

God's Word Begins To Focus On A Portion Of Humanity: To One Family: The Family Of Shem.

In Genesis 11:10, The Bible Begins To Narrow The Focus Even Further : One Man, Abraham.

Then, After Abraham, God's Word Begins To Broaden Out: To All His Descendants Of Abraham.

The Rest Of The Bible Is All About The Children Of Abraham, Both Physically And Spiritually.

SO, NOT ONLY:

THE HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF NOAH'S SONS.

THE EXPLANATION HOW THE NATIONS BEGAN.

It Is The Very Word Of God.

It Shows Us That We Can Trust Him.

It Shows He Has A Plan,

It Shows We Have A Place In That Plan.

God Cares About All Peoples.

God Cares Even Those Who Are Far Away From Us.

How Focused Are We On The Mission Of The Church?

Are We Prompted To Share The Gospel To Every Nation?

A BIG MISTAKE THAT SO MANY MAKE:

FAILING TO UNDERSTAND DIFFERENCES WHICH EXIST IN MANKIND.

PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT BUT THAT IS NO SIGN OF SUPERIORITY.

MISUNDERSTANDING SUPPOSED SUPERIORITY OF MANKIND.

THIS IS BASIC TO UNDERSTANDING THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH.

Goodness Is Better Than Greatness.

Grace Is Better Than Gold.

Eternal Pleasure Is Better Than Earthly Pleasure.

Your Walk With The Lord Is Worth It.