Hebrew 4:14-5:10

The author first mentioned the theme of Jesus as High Priest in:

Hebrews 2:17-18
For this reason he had to be made like his brothers in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Some have argued that, even though Christ was tempted, He, since He was God, COULD NOT have sinned. This however seems to speak against the genuineness of the temptation and the true humanity of Christ. Besides, there are numerous things God CANNOT do that Jesus WAS susceptible to.

God is not susceptible to certain things
1. God CANNOT be tempted (James 1:13)
2. God CANNOT grow weary (Isaiah 40:28)
3. God CANNOT die (Genesis 21:23)
4. God CANNOT sin (Deuteronomy 32:4)

Jesus on the other hand was susceptible to such things:
1. Jesus WAS susceptible to temptation (Hebrews 4:15)
2. Jesus WAS susceptible to weariness (Matt. 8:20)
3. Jesus WAS susceptible to death (Luke 23:46)
4. Jesus WAS, therefore, susceptible to sin
* And yet was without sin despite true temptation and true susceptibility

Next, the author builds an argument on that topic. It may have been the case that Judaizers were claiming that Christianity was an insufficient religion due to its lack of a high priest. Hebrews responds to such an accusation by:

1. Stating Christ's qualifications as High Priest
2. Hinting toward the disqualification of Jewish priests
3. Referring to the eternal priesthood of Melchizedek

The Qualifications of Jesus for the role of High Priest
1. He has gone through the heavens (4:14)
2. He is the Son of God (4:14)
3. He is able to sympathize with our weaknesses (4:15)
4. He has been tempted in every way (4:15)
5. He is without sin (4:15)
6. He was called by God to fulfill such a role (5:5-6, 10)
7. He offered up prayers/petitions and was heard (5:7)
8. He learned obedience from what he suffered (5:8)
9. He became the source of eternal salvation to all who obey him (5:9)

Hinting Toward the Disqualification of Jewish Priests
1. They are not as fit for the role since they have to offer sacrifices for their own sins (5:3)
2. The priesthood in Jesus' day was no longer Aaronic (5:4)
3. The best high priest ever was Melchizedek, not the Aaronic or Levitical priesthood (5:6)

The Eternal Priesthood of Melchizedek
* To be discussed in section on Hebrews 6:13-7

Verses 6-10 Make the argument for Christ being a BETTER High Priest
Jesus is High Priest in the order of Melchizedek (6)
1. Verse 7 probably refers to Gethsemane
---Either He was saved 'through' death on the cross
---Or He was delivered from pre-mature death in Gethsemane (Matt. 26:38)
2. Verse 8 shows that tested innocense makes one a more sympathizing High Priest
---Adam & Eve had innocense in Eden, but un-tested.
---Heaven will be filled with those whoo have tested innocense.
3. Verse 9 shows that Jesus' humanity made him perfect for role as Savior
---This salvation is designated to all who obey him
Jesus is High Priest in the order of Melchizedek (10)

Hebrews 4:1-13

Chapter 3 ended by reminding the 'Hebrews' that Moses' generation did not enter the promised land. This is a reference to:

Numbers 14:20-23:
The LORD replied, "I have forgiven them, as you asked. ²¹ Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, ²² not one of the men who saw my glory and the miraculous signs I performed in Egypt and in the desert but who disobeyed me and tested me ten times- ²³ not one of them will ever see the land I promised on oath to their forefathers. No one who has treated me with contempt will ever see it.

The Greek word used, though, is 'Katapausis' (Rest) whereas the Hebrew word in Numbers is 'erets' (Land/Earth). The point at the end of chapter 3 being, then, that Moses generation never entered the land/rest (which the writer seems to equate).

Chapter 4 makes use of the above fact

Hebrews 4:1
Therefore, since the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us be careful that none of you be found to have fallen short of it.

The obvious implication being that the generation living in the 1st century was able to take part, somehow, in the fulfillment of God's promise regarding the land/rest. The bulk of Hebrews 4 explains this reality.

The situation of the 2 generations may be COMPARED
1. Both groups had a yet unfulfilled promise regarding land/rest
2. Both groups had good news preached to them
3. Both groups had the opportunity to obtain the land/rest through faith

The situation of the 2 generations may be CONTRASTED
1. The good news in Moses' day was not met in faith and so had no value
2. Moses' generation did NOT enter the 'land', the hearers of Hebrews were/could entering the 'rest'
3. The generation AFTER Moses did enter the 'land', but it was not the complete fulfillment of the promise!

Thus, like the other shadows of the Old Testament, the land seems to have been a 'shadow' for the 'rest' which is available through faith in Jesus Christ. We can begin to experience this 'rest' today by placing our trust in Christ instead of our own efforts.

Hebrews 4:3
Now we who have believed enter that rest

Hebrews 4:10
for anyone who enters God's rest also rests from his own work, just as God did from his.

The writer makes sure that no one misses the identity of the 'rest'
1. It does not refer to God's 'rest' on the 7th day, for that 'has been finished since the creation of the world'
2. It does not refer to the the 'land' obtained in Joshua's day or 'God would not have spoken later about another day'

So what, specifically, is this true 'rest'?
It is salvation! It is to be entered into TODAY!
*Salvation is experienced at justification, through sanctification, at glorification

God's rest was on the SEVENTH day (exodus 20:11)
National Israel's rest was during JOSHUA'S day (joshua 21:43-45)
The rest being spoken of here is for TOday!

Hebrews 4:7
Therefore God again set a certain day, calling it Today

Thus, it should be our passionate work to enter that 'rest' and enter it to the full! Just as in Joshua's day the Israeli armies had to conquer many kingdoms, so we must defeat the kingdoms of our hearts. And we are equipped to do so!

Hebrews 4:11-13
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will fall by following their example of disobedience. For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.

Whereas in Joshua's day they used physical weapons
Today we use spiritual weapons (the word of God)

The word of God is up for such a task
1. The word of God is living
2. The word of God is active
3. The word of God is sharper than any double edged sword
4. The word of God penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit
5. The word of God penetrates even to dividing joints and marrow
6. The word of God judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart

We must let God's word do God's work in our lives & our world
We must let the kingdoms in our hearts fall
We must let the kingdoms of this world fall

We must NOT pretend He won't prevail
1. Nothing is hidden from Him
2. Everything is uncovered before Him
3. We must give account

Wesleyan's After Wesley

Church History
“Wesleyan-Methodism”

Wesleyan Methodism in England

1. Gradually withdrew from the Anglican Church

2. Led by Coke, Clarke & Watson

3. Sects Emerge
---1797 Methodist New Connection (Kilham)
---1807 Primitive Methodist (Dow)
---1815 Bible Christians (O’Brien)
---1857 United Methodist Free Churches

4. Unity Restored
---1907 MNC, BC & UMFC unite as United Methodist’s
---1925 Only 3 Major Methodist Groups
------Wesleyan Methodists (500,000)
------Primitive Methodists (200,000)
------United Methodists (200,000)
---1932 All 3 united as the Methodist Church

5. Signed a covenant with Church of England in 2003

Wesleyan Methodism in America

1. Philip Embury & Barbara Heck
---1760 Emigrated from Ireland
---1766 Embury’s first sermon/meeting
---1768 Wesley Chapel erected in NYC
---1768 Thomas Webb & Others begin spreading Methodism

2. Francis Asbury & Thomas Coke
---1771 Asbury sent by Wesley to aid American Methoodism
---1773 First conference held in Philadelphia
---1784 Thomas Coke sent to be joint-superintendant

3. Christmas Conference (1784)
---Met in Baltimore on December 24
---Organized the Methodist Episcopal Church
---Asbury was architect of American Methodism
---Adopted Wesley’s 24 Articles of Religion
---New Church was characterized by doctrine of Christian Perfection
---By 1855, Methodism was the largest denomination in America


4. The Holiness Movement
---Eventually, the quest for ‘holiness’ faded in Methodism
---A revival began via a prayer meeting led by Phoebe Palmer
---The holiness revival spread outside Methodism

5. The Wesleyan Methodist Connection
---Seceded b/c ME leaders weren’t outspoken against slavery (1842)
---Orange Scott served as President of the 1st convention in Utica, NY
---The WMC began with about 6,000 members of various backgrounds
---From 1843-1867 the Church majored in social/political reform
---Many members returned to the ME church after slavery was abolished
---Those remaining made holiness their new purpose in 1867
---Remaining ministers pastured ‘circuits’ and met in homes
---Strong fellowships were able to build church buildings & hire pastors
---Once a quarter, the entire circuit would meet for a conference
---These churches & the denomination grew under Teter & Nicholson
---Small mergers took place, adding to the membership of the church

6. The Wesleyan Church
---1968 Wesleyan Methodist & Pilgrim Holiness churches merge
---1968 The group names itself ‘The Wesleyan Church’
---In North America there are about:
------2000 Wesleyan Churches
------200,000 Who worship in Wesleyan Churches

Burnt Over District
1. Jemima Wilkinson (early 1800’s)
2. Charles Finney (1830)
3. Mormonism (1830)
4. Millerites (1831)
5. Oneida Community (1840)
6. Fox Sisters, Lily Dale (1848)

Hess Road Wesleyan Church
1. Organized in Olcott on May 12, 1844
2. Moved to Hess Road in 1878
3. Building additions completed in 01, 26, 56, 66, 73, 92, 03

Genesis 13-14

10 Life Lessons we Learn from the story of Lot
1. Blessings received aren’t always blessings deserved
2. Sometimes, the quickest way is to go back
3. Close quarters often lead to conflict
4. In a family conflict, someone must initiate a plan
5. We make little progress when our first priority is our ‘rights’
6. If you’re serious about solutions, you must be prepared to sacrifice
7. Don’t judge a book by its cover
8. The path of least resistance isn’t always the path we should be on
9. God is a God of blessing
10. New ground should always be claimed in praise

The War of Kings

Group #1
Amraphel, King of Shinar (Babylonia...some suspect this is Hammurabi)
Arioch, King of Ellasar (in Babylonia)
Kedorlaomer, King of Elam (NE of Gulf of Persia...seems to have been most powerful)
Tidal, King of Goiim

Group #2
Bera, King of Sodom (name means 'son of evil', verified by 13:13)
Birsa, King of Gomorrah
Shinab, King of Admah
Shemeber, King of Zeboiim
???, King of Bela (Later, Zoar which means 'small'. See 19:22)
*For further info, see Deuteronomy 29:23, Hosea 11:8

Group #3
Abram
Mamre
Eshcol
Aner

Timeline of War
1. Kedorlaomer was powerful, taxing far off peoples
2. After 12 years of being taxed, 5 kings rebelled
3. Kedorlaomer & his allies went to fight these rebels
4. On their way, they defeated various other peoples
5. The 5 kings awaited the arrival of the 4 kings
6. The 4 kings soundly defeated the 5 kings
7. The 4 kings plundered Sodom & Gomorrah (captured Lot)
8. An escapee told Abram about Lot
9. Abram, his men & allies routed the 4 kings (rescued Lot)
10. Two kings met with Abram upon his return (Bera & Melchizedek)

5 Lessons from Abraham’s Rescue of Lot
1. It’s best not to get involved in worldly disputes
2. Family is worth fighting for
3. The enemy of my enemy isn’t always a friend
4. We must be careful with whom we accept support from
5. A good king is hard to come by and should be honored

Who was Melchizedek?
Is he a 'type' of Christ?
or
Was He a pre-incarnate Christ?

Characteristics of Melchizedek
1. He was King of Salem (Genesis 14:18)
2. He gave bread and wine to Abraham (Genesis 14:18)
3. He was Priest of God Most High (Genesis 14:18)
4. He blessed Abram (Genesis 14:19)
5. Abram gave him ‘of everything’ (Genesis 14:20)
6. He is a Priest forever (Psalm 110:4)
7. His name means King of Righteousness (Hebrews 7:2)
8. King of Salem means King of Peace (Hebrews 7:2)
9. He was without genealogy (Hebrews 7:3)
10. He was without beginning or end (Hebrews 7:3)

Characteristics of Jesus
1. He is the King of Jerusalem (Matthew 27:11)
2. He gave bread and wine to Abraham’s children (Matthew 26:26-28)
3. He is the High Priest of God (Hebrews 5:10)
4. He blesses Abraham’s descendants (Galatians 3:29)
5. Abraham’s descendants give Him everything (Romans 12:1-2)
6. He is a Priest forever (Hebrews 7:24)
7. He is the King of Righteousness (Matthew 3:15)
8. He is the King of Peace (Acts 10:36)
9. He was born of the Holy Spirit (Luke 1:35)
10. He is without beginning or end (Revelation 21:6)

*See John 8:52-58

Hebrews 3

Whereas Hebrews began by stating Christ's exalted position:
1. Heir of all things
2. Universe made through Him
3. Radiance of God's glory
4. exact representation of His being
5. Sustainer of all things
6. Sitting at right hand of the Majesty
7. Superior to angels

The first section of Hebrews ended by stating His humble position:
1. Was made lower than the angels
2. Suffered death
3. Was made perfect through suffering
4. Shared in man's humanity
5. Was tempted

That is, Hebrews corresponds with Philipians 2:6-7

In chapter 3, then, we are shown the superiority of Christ in some other ways:

1. Jesus is the ULTIMATE APOSTLE
---He is the truly 'sent-one' (John 5:23, 10:36)
---Compare with 1 Cor. 1:10-17

2. Jesus is the ULTIMATE HIGH PRIEST
---Compare with Hebrews 7:26-28

3. Jesus is the ULTIMATE BUILDER
---In fact, Moses was building in preparation for Him
---Moses was excellent IN God's house
---Jesus is excellent OVER God's house

4. Jesus is the ULTIMATE SON
---We are servants who can become sons
---But Jesus is the Son who became a servant

Chapter 3 also serves to exalt Christ's work over that of Moses, who's fame approached worship in Judaism.

The author quotes Psalm 95:7-11, which reminded them that...
1. Israel didn't always honor Moses (Numbers 20:3-5)
---That generation grumbled in the desert
---That generation did not enter the promised land
2. Moses didn't always honor God (Numbers 20:8-12)

The writer of Hebrews is comparing THAT generation, to the generation of his readers
1. Both generations have a choice whether to listen to their leader
---Would ancient Hebrews trust Moses who had saved them from their enemy (Egypt)
---Would 1st century Hebrews trust Christ who had saved them from their enemy (Sin)
2. Both generations face severe penalties if they refuse to listen
---Ancient Hebrews faced 40 years and no promised land
---1st century Hebrews faced 40 years and the desolation of Jerusalem

Mormonism

*Mormonism is the most deceptive branch of Christianity I have ever observed. They look right. They sound right…but they’re very wrong

Joseph Smith Background
1. Palmyra, NY 1819…series of revivals. Afterwords doctrinal debates between Methodists, Presbyterians, and Baptists left young Joseph looking for answers
2. After reading James 1:5 he decided to ask God for wisdom
3. In a vision, Smith ‘was answered that he should join none of them, for they were all wrong’
4. This first vision is the foundation for Mormonism, if Smith didn’t really meet with God that day…Mormons have no true beginning
5. Smith received various other visions in the years that followed. He was visited by Moroni. Moroni told Joseph about golden plates of new Scripture that were buried in New York.
6. Eventually Moroni deemed Smith worthy to dig them up, he gave Smith the location of the plates and he did so in 1827
7. There were only three witnesses to this expedition. All three eventually left the Mormon Church (although one did return). Doesn’t say much for the authenticity of this account.
8. Smith and a friend were later visited by John the Baptist (who granted them the Aaronic Priesthood) and Peter, James & John (who granted them the Priesthood in the order of Melchizedek).
9. On April 6, 1830 the ‘one true church’ was organized near Cayuga Lake, NY
10. During the meeting God revealed to Smith that he was to be the Prophet and Apostle of the new restored church. He would soon thereafter publish the other Mormon Scriptures (Doctrine and Covenants, The Pearl of Great Price).

Some Problems with Joseph Smith
1. His father was a treasure hunter and Joseph followed suit
2. He used seer stone divination regularly and even used them to translate the golden plates.
3. Was a polygamist
4. A book published in 1861, endorsed by former neighbors of Joseph Smith had this to say about him, “Joseph Smith was known for exaggeration and untruthfulness, his word was received w/the least confidence by those who knew him best.”
5. Another statement signed by 62 residents from Palmyra included this statement, “destitute of moral character and addicted to vicious habits.”

The Journey of early Mormonism
1. Early Mormons were forced to move regularly due to the unpopularity of their beliefs. They moved from Upstate NY to Kirtland Ohio to Independence Missouri to Nauvoo Illinois to Salt Lake City Utah.
2. Joseph Smith was murdered in Nauvoo by a mob in prison
3. Brigham Young took over leadership of the group and moved them to Salt Lake

Current Statistics
1. Number of Mormons 11,985,254
2. Converts per year 300,000
3. Converts with Protestant Background 75%
4. Church Assets $25-30 Billion
5. Missionaries 50-75 Thousand
6. Americans visited 40%
7. Inactive or disillusioned 35%

What do Mormons believe about God?
“Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe in God the Father, in his Son Jesus Christ and in the Holy Ghost. The three make up the Godhead -- one in purpose but separate in being.”

Sounds pretty decent, BUT when they say ‘God the Father’ they mean something completely different than you and I. Same thing with Jesus. Same thing with the Holy Ghost.

Mormons believe God is
Flesh and Bones
Mortal
Changeable
Localized
Tri-theistic (three Gods)

Mormons believe Christ
Was created, brother of Lucifer
Is one of many Gods
Was conceived by physical union of God the Father and Mary

Quotes from Mormon leaders:
“God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man” ~Joseph Smith
“The Father has a body of flesh and bones” ~D&C (130:22)
“Gods exist, we had better be prepared to be one of them” ~Brigham Young
“As man is, God once was: as God is, man may become” ~Prophet Snow
“Remember that God was perhaps once a child” ~Apostle Hyde

Mormon Scripture
1. The Bible (an altered KJV or Smith’s own translation)
2. The Book of Mormon (translated from golden plates, contains historical information about two ancient civilizations on American continent, has surprisingly little to do with Mormon theology)
3. Doctrine and Covenants (contains most of their theology)
4. The Pearl of Great Price (contains Book of Abraham, Joseph Smith- History, and Articles of Faith).
5. Mormon Presidents are basically Scripture since they speak directly from God

Problems with Mormon Scripture
1. Bad archeology- there is no evidence at all of the 2 civilizations mentioned in the Book of Mormon.
2. Bad anthropology- Mormons believe native Americans came from Israel, genetics tells us otherwise
3. Bad anachronism- Items that hadn’t been invented in the supposed time frame of the events mentioned in the Book of Mormon are included (steel, glass windows)
4. The Book of Mormon is likely plagiarized from writings of Smith’s day

Contradictions between Mormon teaching and Scriptural teaching

MORMON ‘TRUTH’
“The kingdoms of this world made war against the kingdom of God…and they prevailed against it” (Pratt)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
“I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it” (Matthew 16:18)

MORMON ‘TRUTH’
“Abraham received concubines…and it was accounted unto him for righteousness” (D&C, 132:37)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
“Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (Romans 4:3)

MORMON ‘TRUTH’
“Man is justified by works” (McConkie)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
“Man is justified by faith” (Romans 3:28)

MORMON ‘TRUTH’
“In Missouri we were taught to ‘pray for our enemies, that God would damn them, and give us power to kill them”
(B.F. Johnson)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
“Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you”

MORMON ‘TRUTH’
“There is no salvation outside the LDS church” (McConkie)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
“To those who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God (John 1:12)

MORMON ‘TRUTH’
“There really was no beginning because God and matter are eternal” (Wallace)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1)

MORMON ‘TRUTH’
Cornelius…could not receive the Holy Ghost until after he was baptized” (Joseph Smith)

BIBLICAL TRUTH
Cornelius received the gift of the Holy Spirit before he was baptized (Acts 10:43-48)

You’ll need a new dictionary if you try to talk with Mormons
GOD- (Elohim) An exalted man, ruler of earth
JESUS- (Jehovah) First Child of Elohim
TRINITY- Three Gods with one purpose, only Gods of this earth
HOLY GHOST- An exalted man with a spiritual body
SALVATION- Achieved by merit, goal of godhood
DEATH- Salvation is possible after death…a waiting area
HELL- More like purgatory, few will stay there
HEAVEN- Your own planet to rule as God

Jehovah's Witnesses

Founders: C.T. Russell, later ‘Judge’ Rutherford’
Scripture: New World Translation
Adherents: 6,429,351

5 BASIC CULT BELIEFS
Rejection of Holy Spirit- They believe He is an it, a force
Rejection of Christ’s Deity- They believe He is a created being
Rejection of the Trinity- They believe it is polytheism
Rejection of the Resurrection- They believe Christ was a spirit
Rejection of Hell- They believe non-believers are annihilated

5 VERSES THEY CHANGE
John 1:1- ‘God’ into ‘a god’
Hebrews 1:8- ‘Your throne, O God’ into ‘God is your throne’
Colossians 1:16- ‘All things’ into ‘all other things’
John 8:58- ‘I am’ into ‘I have been’
Luke 23:43- ‘I say to you, today…’ into ‘I tell you today,’

5 WORDS THEY DON’T UNDERSTAND
Begotten- They twist it to mean Christ was created
Greater- They fail to realize Christ has two natures
Firstborn- Refers to headship, not sequence
Death- They think it means annihilation
Soul/Spirit- They don’t think it can be separate from body

Islam

The Historical Context
1. Genesis 17:20- Many consider modern day Arabs the descendants of Ishmael
2. Genesis 25:13-16a- Provides a list of Ishmael’s 12 sons
3. Smith’s Bible Dictionary- “"The sons of Ishmael peopled the north and west of the Arabian peninsula. and eventually formed the chief element of the Arab nation.”
4. Kenneth Cragg- “The existence and Lordship of Allah were known and recognized in pre-Islamic Arabia…the Prophet’s contemporaries knew of a Supreme Being, but He did not dominate their minds.”
5. Thus, the Arab culture in Muhammad’s day was more inclined to monotheism than some of their neighbors. But since they were mostly non-religious, they were ready for a new religion.

Muhammad the Man
1. Born around A.D. 570 in Mecca
2. Had good reputation, respected in community
3. Married a wealthy widow at age 25
4. Discontent with paganism/idolatry…influenced by Judeo-Christian teaching
5. Received ‘prophetic call’ A.D. 610

Muhammad the Prophet
6. Began preaching ‘simple’ message: the Unity of God
7. Message rejected by Meccans
8. An ‘invite’ from Medina
9. Became leader of Medina in 622 (spiritual, political, military)
10. Defeated Mecca in 630, died 632

THE QUR’AN EXPLAINED
1. Revelations from Allah…delivered to Muhammad throughout his ministry
2. Made up of 114 ‘suras’ (chapters)
3. Arranged by length…longest to shortest, not chronological
4. Viewed as eternall…Our ‘Word became flesh,’ there’s became a book
5. ‘Hadiths’ also important…stories about Muhammads life, some legendary

THE QUR’AN DEFENDED- arguments Muslims use to prove divine authorship
1. Divine Literary Style…Muslims believe it is the greatest literary masterpiece
2. Muhammad was Illiterate
3. Perfect Preservation
4. Predictive Prophecy
5. Mathematical Structure- built around the number 19

Some Statistics
1. Number of Muslims 1-1.8 Billion
2. Countries of 99% Muslim population 14
3. American state with highest Muslim % New York

BRANCHES OF ISLAM
1. Sunni (close to 1,000,000,000)
2. Shi’ite (120,000,000)- Iran, parts of Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan
3. Ahmadiyya (10,000,000)- From teachings of Mirza Ahmad (d. 1908). He said he was the image of Muhammad and that Jesus had only fainted on the cross and later died in India. This group produces most anti-Christian literature and does the most proselytizing on American campuses.

ISLAM 101: MONOTHEISM
“There is no god but Allah and Muhammad is Allah’s Apostle”
“He is God, the One and Only; God, the Eternal, Absolute; He begetteth not, Nor is He begotten; And there is none like unto Him” (Sura 112)
1. For Muslims it is impossible to truly know who God is, we can merely see what He does
2. For Muslims God alone acts. It is an incredibly pre-determined worldview

ISLAM 101: CREATION
1. Heaven and Earth- Mostly a traditional 6 day creation as described in Bible
2. Angels- very important in Muslim life…Gabriel is almost like our Holy Spirit
3. Jinn- Somewhere b/w men and angels. Have free will. Satan may be a Jinn
4. Satan- Rebelled when Allah commanded him to bow before mankind
5. Mankind- A special creation of Allah

ISLAM 101: PROPHETS
1. Noah
2. Abraham
3. Moses
4. Jesus
5. Muhammad- The final prophet, the prophet for all people
a. “Perfect in intellect, absolutely graceful, completely generous, perfect in bravery, excessively humble, perfect in piety, the most perfect of mankind.” (Muslim scholar)

Problems with Muhammad’s Character
1. He was a polygamist. Though the Qur’an allows up to 4 wives, Muhammad had more and a later revelation gave him an allowance to be the exception to the rule
2. His view of woman. Sura 4:24 allows beating of women.
3. Asked forgiveness on many occasions (thus wasn’t perfect)
4. Idea of Jihad is quite immoral (Sura 9:5)
5. Assasinated poets who were making satirical comments about him

ISLAM 101: SALVATION
1. Life after Death- Good deeds weighed against your bad deeds
2. No Depravity- we’re not rebellious…we’re just weak and forgetful
3. Belief + Works =Saved (Sura 5:10)
4. No Assurance- This is a motivation to continued obedience
5. The Unpardonable Sin- Rejection of Allah’s oneness

ISLAM 101: FAITH
1. Recite the Shahadah (confession of Allah’s oneness and Muhammad)
2. Pray 5 Times a Day
3. Fast the Month of Ramadan
4. Give Alms (one-fortieth)
5. Take Pilgrimage to Mecca

Witnessing to Muslims: Keep the Focus on…
1. The nature of God
2. The identity of Jesus
3. Salvation by grace alone

Bahaism

In the story ‘The Blind men and the elephant’ Lillian Quigley retells an ancient fable of 6 blind men who travel to the palace of Rajah and run across an elephant. The first man touches the elephants’ side and forms the opinion that an elephant must be like a wall. The second man touches the trunk and considers the elephant comparable to a snake. The third man touches the tusk and compares the beast to a spear. The fourth man touches the elephants’ leg and believes elephants must be like trees. The fifth man touches the ear and thinks the elephant is similar to a fan. Finally, the sixth man touches the tail and let’s the other men know that elephants are like a rope. Argument ensued. Then the Lord of the palace walked out onto his terrorists and observed the folly of these men. He urged them to work together to determine the true nature of the elephant.

A HISTORY OF BAHA’ISM (Their Account)
1. Muhammad’s death in 632 A.D. created divisions within Islam
2. One division was the Shiite sect (about 10% of Islam today)
3. Within the Shiites there was a group known as the Twelvers. The twelvers were awaiting the return of the 12th Iman (One with spiritual authority) who had mysteriously disappeared
4. Siyyid Kazim led one such group awaiting this return and prior to his death in 1843 he told his followers to search for this returned Iman
5. Mula Huseyn was one of these followers and journeyed to Persia in his search
6. Huseyn was impressed by a meeting with Ali Muhammad and believed him to be the prophesied Iman. Muhammad came to be known as ‘The Bab’ which menas the gate. He acquired a small group of followers. Muslims considered the Bab and his followers heretics. They were persecuted and the Bab was jailed. The Bab was considered a manifestation of God. The Bab was also considered the forerunner of the next, even greater manifestation: Baha’u’llah.
7. After the death of the Bab, Huseyn Ali was recognized as the next manifestation. He came to be known as Baha’u’llah and his followers as Baha’is. Like the Bab, he was persecuted and jailed. During his imprisonment he wrote what today is considered Bahai Scripture. He also sent letters to numerous world leaders calling them to unite.
8. After the death of Baha’u’llah his writings were commentated by Abdul-Baha. Abdul-Baha was the new leader of the growing religion, but he was not considered a manifestation.
9. The last sole leader of the Bahai faith was Shongdi-Offendi
10. Today the religion is led by the 9 member Universal House of Justice with headquarters in Israel.

5 ERRORS IN BAHAI HISTORY
1. Bahai’s teach as part of their history that the Bab appointed Baha’u’llah as his successor and believed him to be the next manifestation. In reality, the Bab appointed another man his successor.
2. Bahai’s teach as part of their history that the Bab believed Baha’u’llah was the next manifestation but it is well documented that he believed the next manifestation would appear in about 1500 years, not 19.
3. Bahai’s teach a seamless transition between the Bab and Baha’u’llah. Here’s what really happened: After the Bab’s death, the man he appointed to lead the group was not a charismatic leader. Huseyn Ali recognized this, but couldn’t really do anything about it because the Bab had clearly picked another man as his successor in leadership. So Huseyn Ali did the only other thing he could do to gain authority, he declared himself the next manifestation. Many of the followers rejected this claim.
4. Huseyn Ali (Baha’u’llah) was a charismatic leader. Support for him grew. He had a couple of his detractors murdered and persecuted some others who would not support his claims. Eventually, his followers were an overwhelming majority.
5. Baha’u’llah wouldn’t allow many visitors in the later years of his imprisonment because he was afraid it would destroy their faith in him. Their was a saying at the time in Iran, ‘He who goes to Akka (the prison) loses his faith.’

CURRENT STATISTICS
1. There are about 6 million Bahai’s worldwide
2. India has the largest number with about 1.7 million
3. Bahai’s are established in 187 countries (2nd to only Christianity)

BAHA’I BELIEFS
1. ONENESS- Baha’is believe in the oneness of God, the oneness of religion, and the oneness of mankind. “The Earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”
2. MANIFESTATIONS- Bahai’s believe that founders of the major religions in the world were all manifestation of the one true God. This includes Moses, Jesus, Muhammad, Zoroaster, Buddha, the Bab, Baha’u’llah and others. It is said that “These ... have proceeded from one Source, and are the rays of one Light.”
3. NATURE OF GOD- Baha’is believe much like Muslims in regards to their view of God. God is one. God is unknowable. Incarnation is an impossibility. “The door of the knowledge of the Ancient Being [God] hath ever been, and will continue to be, closed in the face of men.”
4. SALVATION- Baha’is do not believe mankind has a sinful nature. They are saved through proper belief and good works. They believe in God’s unconditional forgiveness. “From the law man discovers what he owes God and only in striving to fulfill law does he come into the right relationship with God.”
5. AFTERLIFE- Baha’is don’t say much about the end-times or afterlife. They believe that heaven and hell are more likely states of mind than they are actual places, “These are not places. Heaven is knowing about God and doing what He wants. Hell is not knowing about God or not doing what He wants.”

Back to the story of the Elephant, Baha’is believe that all the major religions of the world are worshipping one God. In a sense, they have all touched different parts of the elephant. From their perspective, the Bahai faith is like the Lord of the palace, helping the blind men (other religions) to understand their common ground.

The elephant illustration is true in the sense that we are blind. But we are ALL blind. There is no man who has the advantage of sight and resides on the terrace looking down on the rest of us blind men. That is why God became flesh. God knew we were hopelessly lost in our sin so He revealed Himself to us. In reality, God is the Lord of the palace. “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” (Hebrews 12:1-2)

The Bahai faith is a beautiful religion. But religion falls short of God. Proverbs tells us that “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Baha’is believe Jesus was a great prophet/manifestation…but they fail to recognize Him as their God and Savior. Jesus is the only ‘Bab’ (door) to heaven.

World Religions

Below are links to my notes from a series I taught on world religions

Bahaism
Islam
Jehovah's Witnesses
Masonry
Mormonism

Genesis 11:28-12

God Picks a People
1. Why do you think Terah stopped half way to Canaan?
2. Why do you think God chose this time period to select a specific person?
3. Why do you think Abram was selected?

God Makes a Promise
1. God promised to make Abram into a great nation
2. God promised to bless Abram
3. God promised to make Abram’s name great
4. God promised to make Abram a blessing
5. God promised to bless those who blessed Abram
6. God promised to curse those who cursed Abram
7. God promised to bless all peoples on earth through Abram

A Decision for Abram
1. Do you think it was difficult for Abram to obey the command to ‘go’?
2. Was Abram told where he would be going?
3. What do you think was in Abram’s mind when he saw the Canaanites?
4. Did God reward Abram for his obedience in going?
5. What further promise did God give to Abram?
6. God promised to give Canaanite land to Abram’s offspring (promise #8)

A Debacle for Abram
1. What do you think went through Abram’s mind when he observed the famine?
2. Do you think Abram was right to leave Canaan for Egypt?
3. What emotion did Abram experience as he was about to enter Egypt?
4. What did Abram choose to do in response to this emotion?
5. Was Abram’s emotion well founded?
6. Do you think it was fair for God to inflict disease on Pharaoh for this?
7. What do you think God’s purpose was for sending disease to the Egyptians?
8. How do you think Pharaoh figured out the truth?
9. What orders do you think Pharaoh gave his men about Abram?

Hebrews 2

Though it is not recorded in the Old Testament, Jewish tradition stated that Angels had played a role in giving the law to Moses. This tradition is stated by Stephen & Paul.

Acts 7:53
you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it

Galatians 3:19
The law was put into effect through angels by a mediator

The author of Hebrews, here, states the same in the opening verses of chapter 2

Hebrews 2:2
For if the message spoken by angels was binding, and every violation and disobedience received its just punishment

His point being...

IF the Old Covenant, spoken by MERE ANGELS was binding
THEN the New Covenant, spoken by JESUS CHRIST is even greater

Why we should NOT IGNORE such a great covenant/salvation
1. It was given by the Lord (3)
2. It was confirmed by eye-witnesses (3, also see Luke 1:1-4, 1 Cor. 15:3-8)
3. It was accompanied by signs, wonders, miracles & gifts (4)

Next, he states that if we're still living under the law (begun by angels), then we should expect the 'end' to be via angels as well. But since such will not be the case, we must be under a new covenant. For, 'It is not to angels that he has subjected the world to come' (5).

He then quotes Psalm 8 as he builds his case AGAINST angels and FOR Christ

Psalm 8
what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet

Psalm 8
1. Establishes the greatness of God (1-3)
2. Questions His mindfulness of man (4-8)
3. Praises Him for such mindfulness (9)

Hebrews quotes section 2 of this Psalm, stating that mankind was made to reign over all of creation (Genesis 1:28).

The History of Reigning
1. God reigns (Psalm 8:1-3)
2. Man was made to reign (Psalm 8:4-8, Hebrews 2:6-8)
3. Man does NOT reign (Hebrews 2:8b)
4. Jesus is NOW reigning (Hebrews 2:9)
---Even though He was made a little lower than the angels
---Because He suffered death
5. In Christ, then, mankind can reign again

The rest of chapter 2 explains the necessity of the Incarnation
1. The incarnation made Christ PERFECT for His role as Savior to mankind (10)
2. The incarnation made Christ and mankind of the same family (11-13)*
3. The incarnation made Christ's victory over death transferable to men (14)
4. The incarnation made Christ able to free us from the slavery to fear of death (15)
5. The incarnation made Christ a merciful and faithful High Priest (17)
6. The incarnation made Christ able to help those who are tempted

*In making point #2, the author makes interesting use of 3 Old Testament verses
1. Psalm 22:22- It was David saying this of Israel
2. Isaiah 8:17- It was Isaiah saying this of himself
3. Isaiah 8:18- It was Isaiah saying this of himself

But the author of Hebrews is using these texts as proof that Jesus calls 'those who are made holy' His family. How is this writer justified in doing this? 1 particular verse helps us to understand:

2 Peter 1:21
For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

John Wesley

Church History
“The Story of John Wesley”

Family Background
Bartholomew Westley- A Puritan minister forced out of pastorate in 1662
John Westley- A noncomforming evangelical jailed for his preaching
Samuel Westley- Became a staunch defender of the established church
Samuel Annesley- A leading noncomformist pastor in London for 30 years
Susannah Annesley- Became a supporter of the Church of England

John Wesley’s Childhood
John was born the 15th of 19 children (9 died in childhood) on June 17, 1703
John was born into near poverty
John’s father Samuel was rarely home
John’s mother Susannah was influencing force on her children
John was born into a time of extreme morality
· Adultery and fornication were public and undisguised
· 11 million gallons of gin consumed in 1750
· In one part of London, 25% of buildings were gin-shops
· Church offices were available for bribe
· Many ministers never visited their parish
· Capital punishment was in place for 160 different offenses
· Hangings were viewed as public entertainment
· 75% of children died prior to their 5th birthday
John was saved from a house-fire in 1709
John was sent to Charterhouse at age 11
John’s family believed their home was haunted by ‘Old-Jeffrey’
John enrolled in Christ Church, a college at Oxford University
John finished his undergraduate degree in 1724

John’s Early Ministry
John was heavily influenced by ‘holiness’ writings
John was appointed ‘fellow’ at Lincoln in 1726, teaching Greek & Logic
John assisted his father in ministry and writing
John’s younger brother Charles joined a ‘Holy Club’
John returned to Oxford and became the leader of this club

The Methodists
There were 6 rules governing the meetings
There were 15 common questions asked of each individual
There were 15 requirements for joining the group
There were dozens ‘kicked out’ of the club
There were some notable members (John & Charles, George Whitefield)

The Missionary
Despite the success of the group, John was in a state of misery
John decided to become a missionary to Georgia under James Oglethorpe
The voyage was met by numerous life-threatening storms
John became an unsuccessful pastor of the Savannah Church
John fell in love with Sophia Hopkey, but this ended disastrously
Wesley was indicted on 9 counts relating to ecclesiastical usage
Wesley returned to England late in 1737 believing himself a failure
Wesley found 4 positives (Knowledge, Guidance, Faced Fear, Moravians)
John began preaching, but was not received well in most churches
John sought out further friendships with Moravian Christians

The Conversion
In 1738 Wesley met Peter Boehler, a Moravian on his way to Georgia
Boehler helped Wesley to admit that he did not have saving faith
Boehler told John to ‘preach’ faith until he ‘had’ faith
Charles Wesley was ‘saved’ in May and went on to write 8,500 hymns
Later that month, Wesley testified to his conversion at Aldersgate Street

Post Conversion
Wesley told everyone of his experience
Wesley traveled to visit the Moravians
Wesley was energized by the preaching styles of Edwards & Whitefield
Wesley became a circuit-riding preacher
Wesley preached an experiential faith

Wesley’s Hard Work
Wesley preached to all of England every 2 years
Wesley traveled 250 thousand miles (horseback/walking)
Wesley preached at least 40 thousand times in England
Wesley had a regimented 4am-10pm schedule
Wesley wrote or edited between 200 & 300 books

Wesley’s Distinctive Message
He preached a message of God’s love
He preached a message of God’s hatred for sin
He preached a message that ended in a decision
He preached a message of assurance of salvation
He preached a message of Christian Perfection

The New Institution
Wesley had no intention of beginning a new church
Wesley organized Methodist groups outside the church
Wesley excelled at ‘follow-up’
Wesley introduced hymns as part of his ‘meetings’
Wesley ruled his ‘societies’ with an iron hand

Wesley Life Comes to an End
Wesley almost married Grace Murray in 1748
Wesley married Mary Vazeille in 1751, she left him in 1771
Wesley advised loyalty to England during the American Revolution
Wesley’s last letter called for the abolition of slavery
Wesley died on March 2, 1791, leaving 65 thousand Methodists behind

Statement of Faith

God
I believe there is one true God.
God is both sovereign over creation and actively loving toward creation.
God is perfect and purposeful.
God's power, wisdom, and goodness are without logical limit.
I believe God is One "What" (being) and three "Who’s" (persons).
God eternally exists as Father, Son & Spirit.

Mankind
I believe that Adam and Eve were formed in the image of God and filled by the breath of God,
but later chose to serve self instead of God.
I believe this rebellion created a brokenness between God and mankind.
Mankind became spiritually broken, no longer willing or able to commune rightly with God.

Salvation
I believe salvation is the process by which God re-connects people to God.
Salvation is the work of the Trinity.
God wills for all people to be saved,
but they must genuinely repent in order to be saved by God’s grace.

Church
I believe the church is a relational organism made up of all those of whom Jesus calls followers.
The church is the people of God.
They were the remnant of the Old Testament and the disciples of the New Testament.
This church is the vessel through which Christ continues His ministry of reconciliation.

End-Times
I believe in the future second coming of Jesus.
Mankind will then be judged and separated by their deeds (which evidence their faith or lack thereof)
The righteous will then dwell with God in a new heaven and earth for all eternity.

Bible
I believe the Old Testament writers spoke from God
as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
I believe the New Testament writings are a reliable account of the life and teachings of Jesus
since they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word.

Hebrews

Below are links to a 19 week chapter by chapter study through Hebrews

Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4:1-13
Chapter 4:14-5:10
Chapter 5:11-6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9-10:18
Chapter 10:19-39
Chapter 11:1-7
Chapter 11:8-19
Chapter 11:20-31
Chapter 11:32-40
Chapter 12:1-13
Chapter 12:14-17
Chapter 12:18-29
Chapter 13:1-9a
Chapter 13:9b-25

Hebrews 1

The letter to the Hebrews sheds light on the shadows of the Old Covenant. It is the author's intent to show that Christ is that superior light.

The shadows of Old are replaced by the light of Christ

Job 12:22
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into the light.

Isaiah 9:2
The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Isaiah 59:9
So justice is far from us, and righteousness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.

Matthew 4:16
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.

Colossians 2:17
These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.

It is in this sense that Hebrews begins by saying

In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son

We are then given a list of why Christ is the great light

1. He is God's final Word
2. He is the heir of all things
3. The universe was made through Him
4. He is the radiance of God's glory
5. He is the exact representation of God's being
6. He is the sustainer of all things
7. He provided purification for sins
8. He sat down at the right hand of the majesty
9. He has a superiority over angels

Next we are given a course in how to understand the Old Testament by the light of Christ

Psalm 2:7
The shadow: Coronation of an Israelite king
The light: Coronation of Jesus, the King of kings
*see Acts 4:25-27

2 Samuel 7:14
The shadow: Solomon will build physical temple
The light: Jesus will build spiritual temple

Deut. 32:43
The shadow: Worship of God in unity
The light: Worship of God in trinity

Psalm 45:6
The shadow: Solomon as king & bridegroom
The light: Jsus as King & Bridegroom
*see Isaiah 61:1-3 & Luke 4:18-19

Psalm 102:25-27
The shadow: God's work in creation
The light: Creation was made through Christ
*see Isaiah 34:4

Psalm 110:1
The shadow: Messiah as David's son
The light: Messiah as David's son AND Lord
*see Matthew 22:41-46

Thus, Christ is far superior to angels who, in comparison, are merely...

ministering spirits sent to serve those who will inherit salvation

Genesis 10-11

GENESIS 10-11:27
The Books of Shem & Terah

Table of Nations














The Tower of Babel

Bad Beginnings
1. Unity is only as good as its cause
2. God told them to spread out, but man decided to settle
3. The rewards of disobedience are short-lived

Bad Motives
1. They wanted a city for themselves
2. They wanted a name for themselves
3. They didn’t want to be scattered

Bad Result
1. God had to ‘come down’ to see their tower
2. God, in His grace, broke their unity
3. False religion was taken to the ends of the earth
The Line of Shem

Notable Names
1. Eber- From whom we get the term ‘Hebrew’
2. Peleg- In his time the earth was divided
3. Terah- Took his family toward Canaan

God’s Reversal of Babel

God’s Plan
1. God chose Abram to bring the world back together (Genesis 12)
2. The whole world can be blessed through Abram’s seed (Galatians 3)
3. The whole world can be united by the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)

Compare & Contrast

Babel
Whole world together
Languages confused
Building Material Temporal
God came down to see tower
People capable of great evil

Pentecost
People from every nation together
Languages understood
Building Material Eternal
God came down to fill His people
People capable of great good