God doesn't need you

PALM SUNDAY
"God Doesn't Need You"
(Luke 19:37-40)
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Some people have an inflated view of their own importance. Whether it is because of good looks, unusual talent, or social status, they imagine they have an advantage that warrants them special treatment from others... until they meet someone whose importance is not imaginary.

There was a hierarchy among the university faculty that dictated how long students were to wait for the teacher before leaving if he were not there for the class at the appointed time. A full professor rated fifteen minutes. An associate professor only ten. A mere instructor was expected to be on time, if not early. This system worked only one way, however; and students were afforded no such grace. One professor, the foremost authority in his field—by his own admission—registered distinct annoyance when a certain student, recently out of the military, was late to class for the third day in a row. "Tell me," the professor asked, "exactly what did they say in the Army when you sauntered in late like this?" "Well," the student replied... "first they saluted, then asked, 'How are you this morning, sir?"

Some people have an inflated view of their own importance... until they meet someone whose importance is not imaginary. It was so in Jesus' day among the religious elite, who thought God had given them an indispensable role in Jewish society, and they were probably shocked to hear him say, "God doesn't need you."

Palm Sunday celebrates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem during the last week before his death. There is no thought yet of that unhappy event. This is a joyous occasion when the disciples proclaim openly their belief that Jesus is the messiah. As they draw close to the city, others join the procession, lining the pathway with palm branches, which symbolize a leader's victory¹ and anticipate the deliverance from foreign oppression the messiah will bring. It is a festive atmosphere as Jesus'...

I. Disciples praise the Lord (Luke 19:37-38).

Luke 19:37 When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen: 38 "Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!" [Ps 118:261 "Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!"

On the third day

THE DAY OF JESUS' RESURRECTION ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
Contradiction or Approximation?
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Dr. Paul Manuel—February, 2001

The New Testament provides several details of Jesus' final days that enable modern readers to reconstruct a relative chronology of that fateful period. He was crucified on the "Preparation Day," which refers to Friday, the day before the Sabbath, and each of the gospel writers uses this phrase.

Matt 27:62 Now on the next day, the day after the preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered together with Pilate,

Mark 15:42b it was the preparation day, that is, the day before the Sabbath,

Luke 23:54 It was the preparation day, and the Sabbath was about to begin....56b And on the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.

John's use of this phrase has made some wonder if it referred to the day before the Passover.

John 19:14a Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover; it was about the sixth hour.... 31 Then the Jews, because it was the day of preparation, so that the bodies would not remain on the cross on the Sabbath (for that Sabbath was a high day), asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and [that] they might be taken away.... 42 Therefore because of the Jewish day of preparation, since the tomb was nearby, they laid Jesus there.

The power of praise

THE POWER OF PRAISE
2 Chronicles 5:1-14; 20:1-24
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

One of life's challenges is knowing when to speak your mind and when to hold your tongue; especially in marriage, and especially early in that relationship.

Late one night, the wife of a newly married couple thought she heard a noise downstairs. Nudging her husband, she whispered, "Wake up, wake up!" "What's the matter?" he asked. "There are burglars in the kitchen. I think they're eating the tuna casserole I made tonight." As her husband rolled over, she heard him mutter... "That'll teach 'em!"

In marriage, it is usually best for a husband to praise his wife; otherwise he should probably hold his tongue, especially early in their relationship. In worship, it is always best to praise the Lord, including early in the relationship, as the Israelites do during the reign of King Solomon, when they also learn The Power of Praise.

The writer of Hebrews understands the importance of praise and exhorts his audience, saying...

Heb 13:15 ...let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise....

Why should we do that? ...The NT author does not give a reason, probably because it is obvious to his readers. They are familiar with the reason the author of
Ps 33 gives, that...¹

Ps 33:1b it is fitting [or warranted] for the upright to praise him.

This is the primary reason, of course. We praise God because He deserves our praise, in part, because He does wonderful things for us.²

• He delivers us from evil.
• He forgives us our sin.
• He heals us of disease.
• He provides us with food.

These and other divine blessings give us countless reasons to praise our God,³ but praise is usually after the fact. That is, we are usually extolling God's goodness to us in response to what He has done for us. Is there such a thing as praise before the fact, (proleptic) praise that anticipates or invokes God's response. In other words, does our general praise of God ever bring a response from God? If so, then we may actually be missing a blessing by waiting for Him to act before we express our appreciation.

Two judgments

TWO PERIODS OF JUDGMENT
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

The Bible speaks about two periods of judgment. The first period of judgment ("particular judgment") is after death. The author of Hebrews says,

Heb 9:27 [M]an is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.

This judgment determines a person's intermediate state (i.e., between death and resurrection) and coincides with a degree of reward (in the form of comfort) for the righteous or a degree of punishment (in the form of torment) for the unrighteous. Jesus notes the difference in a story about two individuals.

Luke 16:23a In hell, [the rich man] was in torment.... 24 So he called... 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.' 25 "But Abraham replied, 'Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in agony.'"

This preliminary judgment also determines (but does not officially finalize) a person's ultimate state, either of continued existence with God or of continued existence apart from God. Having reached this point, however, it is not possible to revise one's fate.

Later, the dead will be raised, a change from their intermediate state, albeit in the order Paul indicates.

1 Cor 15:22 [A]s in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. 23 But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. 24 Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Investigative Judgment?

INVESTIGATIVE JUDGMENT¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—1995

In examining the person and work of Jesus, we noted how certain groups deviate so much from clear biblical teaching that they cannot be classified as Christian, because they do not hold to what we would consider essential (orthodox) beliefs. That implies there are non-essential or marginal beliefs, areas in which Christians can disagree without jeopardizing or compromising their faith.

One such tenet for Seventh-day Adventists is investigative judgment. It is a complex idea that is not always clear to those who espouse it and often generates misconceptions among non-Adventists.² According to SDA doctrine, part of Jesus' present work consists of three phases (Representative Group 1957:422).

It is our understanding that Christ, as High Priest, concludes His intercessory ministry in heaven in a work of judgment. He begins His great work of judgment in the investigative phase. At the conclusion of the investigation, the sentence of judgment is pronounced. Then...judge Christ descends to execute, or carry into effect, that sentence.

This particular notion has its roots in three suppositions: one about Jesus' ministry, one about man's destiny, and one about biblical prophecy. I will list them, indicating their significance for investigative judgment, and then we will evaluate them.

I. Suppositions of this belief

A. Regarding Jesus' ministry³

• The Old Testament sacrificial system was a type of Christ's sacrifice.⁴

• Typology, at least the way many Christians use it, implies a kind of revelation—"God intended this to mean that."

According to this view, the reason God instituted the sacrifices was to prefigure Jesus' atoning work. Consequently, by studying what took place in the earthly sanctuary, we can understand what took place in the heavenly sanctuary. Proponents appeal to New Testament writers, especially to the author of Hebrews, who use the temple service to explain what Jesus achieved. Investigative judgment depends heavily on typological interpretation, especially for the Day of Atonement.

B. Regarding man's destiny⁵

• Believers do not enter God's presence immediately upon death but sleep until the resurrection.

Thus, is it possible for Jesus to leave the investigation of their lives until the end of his heavenly ministry, just prior to his return, rather than having to make a decision at the moment each person dies.

C. Regarding biblical prophecy

• In 1844 Jesus fulfilled the prophecy to re-consecrate the heavenly temple (Dan 8:14; Heb 9:23).

A particular interpretation of Dan 8:14 fueled messianic expectation in Europe and America during the first half of the nineteenth century.

Dan 8:13 Then I heard a holy one speaking, and another holy one said to him, "How long will it take for the vision to be fulfilled—the vision concerning the daily sacrifice, the rebellion that causes desolation, and the surrender of the sanctuary and of the host that will be trampled underfoot?" 14 He said to me, "It will take 2,300 evenings and mornings; then the sanctuary will be reconsecrated."

Calculating one day as equal to one year, 2300 years would pass from the construction of the second temple, which began in 457 B.C., to its re-consecration when Jesus would return in 1844. The expectation seems to have been that Jesus would use the temple site as headquarters for his millennial reign. One of the advocates of this view in the U.S. was the Baptist preacher William Miller, whose followers increased as the time drew near.

Belief and baptism

BELIEF AND BAPTISM
Mark 16:15-16
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Dr. Paul Manuel—November 10, 2012

We are here to witness Jim's baptism. A variation of this event took place much earlier in his life. In the New Testament, however, there are no instances of infant baptism. That is because baptism accompanies decisions a child cannot make and his parents cannot make for him, such as confession of sin and repentance from sin.¹ Another personal decision baptism accompanies is belief, which raises two questions.

• First, what must a person believe?

• Is there a prescribed subject for this faith, or can he believe anything he wishes?

• Second, when must a person believe it?

• Is there a proper sequence to these steps, or can he do them in any order he wishes?

Jesus answers both questions with the final instructions he gives the disciples before his ascension.²

A communion meditation

COMMUNION
A Spiritual Chain Reaction
Romans 5:1-2
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2011

When one event precipitates another, which then precipitates another, we describe that series variously as a chain reaction (nuclear physics), as a cascade (chemical engineering), domino (political theory), or a snowball effect. These are all terms for events that occur in science, politics, or nature, that is, in the physical realm. What we do not often consider is that a similar process occurs in another realm as a result of Jesus' sacrifice on our behalf—A Spiritual Chain Reaction. The apostle Paul describes this series in his letter to the church at Rome.¹ In Rom 5, the apostle lists four consequences of Jesus' death, four ways that believers benefit from what others might regard solely as a tragic event.

Rom 5:1 ...since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2 through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Worshiping in the House of God

GOING TO THE TEMPLE
  Psalm 84 [Sermon]
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2010

When you are traveling, it is important to keep your destination in sight. Some people, preoccupied with where they have been, repeatedly look back.

A SS teacher was describing how Lot's wife looked back and turned into a pillar of salt, when little Jason interrupted, "My mom looked back once while she was driving...and she turned into a telephone pole!"

When you are traveling, it is important to keep your destination in sight. That is easy if where you are going is attractive or if what you will do when you arrive is exciting, like Going to the Temple.

Our text is Psalm 84, which is a pilgrim psalm, probably sung by those who traveled to the temple in Jerusalem.¹ God commanded that all adult males in Israel appear before Him three times a year—during the feasts of Unleavened Bread (Passover), Weeks (Pentecost), and Tabernacles.² We do not talk much about what went on at these festivals; even less do we consider the difficulty they must have posed.

• People had to arrange their schedules around these holidays.

• Some men probably took their families with them, but others had to leave their wives and children behind to tend the farms and livestock or to keep the business going.

• In addition to the social and economic difficulties these holidays entailed, the depletion of manpower from the outlying regions left the countryside vulnerable to foreign invasion?³

Despite these hardships, however, the prospect of going to the temple was exciting, because it reaffirmed the people's relationship with God and reminded them of the blessings they enjoyed as a result of that relationship.

The psalmist is one of those who makes the journey, and he writes about it here.

• In Psalm 84:1-4, he extols the wonder of God's house, explaining what it is that attracts people to Zion.

• In Psalm 84:5-8, he recounts the way to God's house, testifying about the Lord's care as they travel.

• In Psalm 84:9-12, he describes the worship in God's house, what it means for the author to be in the divine presence.

As we move through the psalm together, try to picture what it must have been like to be part of a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, and consider how this writer's journey to fellowship with God relates to your journey here. He begins with...

Suicide, hope, and despair

SUICIDE IN THE BIBLE¹
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2010

How does Samson's last request—"Let me die with the Philistines!" (Judg 16:30)—inform our understanding of suicide? ...That God would empower Samson to take his own life should make us cautious about adopting too rigid an opinion on the matter. The Bible contains no specific prohibition against suicide, no designation of it as a 'mortal sin' (as in Catholicism). Commentators and ethicists often cite the laws on murder in this regard, but those statutes govern homicide not suicide (Manuel 2006). The penalty for transgressing the commandment against murder is death (i.e., execution), indicating that this particular prohibition concerns the taking of another person's life not the taking of one's own life. In other words, the Bible distinguishes suicide from homicide. Although scripture contains several examples of suicide, the writers simply record the act without comment, neither commending (as courageous) nor condemning (as cowardous) the party responsible.

So, what can we say about suicide? At its heart, suicide is linked to suffering. It is either an act of despair by one who is experiencing great suffering or an act of dread by one who is expecting great suffering. Incidents of suicide in the Bible include the following:²

Disobedience is not without consequence

DIET
A Demonstration of Depravity or Devotion
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2013

Once a person establishes a relationship with God (through repentance and faith), he must maintain that relationship by obedience to God. For many Christians, obedience is a nebulous process, marked by uncertainty about what He expects. For Jews, there is little ambiguity, because God has issued clear commands to His people covering many aspects of life. To what extent these commands are relevant also for gentile Christians is a separate matter that depends on several factors.¹

This brief study will consider an issue that is clear for Jews, involving a matter common to all and one that appears several times in scripture as it recurs in the nation's history: food, specifically what constitutes the proper fare for God's people. Although His commands are clear, His people's compliance has not been consistent. There have been periods of gross disobedience with serious and far-reaching consequences. While not the most important matter, diet can be a demonstration of depravity or devotion.

Christians and the Law

THE SINAITIC LAW AND THE GENTILE BELIEVER
How Many of the 613 Commandments Apply to Christians?
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2007

This paper, because of its length, does not appear in its entirety in this post, but can be found, with footnotes and bibliography, here as a pdf.

Should you, as a believing gentile, keep the law God gave to Israel? Which of those many commandments apply to Christians? The short answer might be the one person gave when the Young Adult class began this study. She said, "all of them." I could leave it at that, except you would probably prefer a more substantial response, so we will approach this topic in three ways.

• First, we will deal with the issue broadly, by looking at some basic principles from scripture, which is our primary source of authority on such matters.

• Second, we will deal with the issue closely, by looking at specific precepts from scripture, a sampling of the many God gave through Moses at Sinai.

• Third, we will consider the issue again, by looking at where we are.

When we finish, you should be in a more informed position to answer the question and to decide what you should be doing. Let us begin by...

Praying for the Church

WHAT ARE YOU PRAYING FOR THE CHURCH?
Colossians 1:3-14
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

As we grow up, we need to learn how to deal with peer pressure and with people's opinions, including their opinions about us.

On Sabbath morning a mother knocked on her son's bedroom door and said, "It's time to get up and go to church." "I'm not going to church this morning," came his sullen response. "You have to get up and go to church," his mother insisted. "No, I'm not." "Yes you are." "No, I'm not," This was getting her nowhere. Trying another tack, she said, "Tell me why you don't want to go." "They don't like me," her son replied, "and I don't like them. Give me one good reason why I have to go." His mother said, "I'll give you two reasons. First, you're 55 years old...and second... you're the minister!"

As we grow up, we need to learn how to deal with peer pressure and with people's opinions, including their opinions about us. Nevertheless, staying in bed is not the way to deal with them. God has given us other means to address individual and corporate concerns, one of which is appealing to Him for help. That is the apostle Paul's advice as he writes to believers at Colosse and asks, in light of the difficulties you are facing as a congregation, What Are You Praying for the Church?

The apostle Paul often opens his letters by assuring his readers that he has been praying frequently and fervently for them.¹ As I was reading his epistle to the Colossians, I saw not only Paul's constancy in prayer but also his content—what he prayed for the church. This assembly in Colosse was not without its problems. The gospel was competing with a particular form of Gnosticism, a heresy that promoted theological division in the church, so it would have been natural for Paul to allow the problem in the church to direct his petition to the Lord.² Yet Paul's focus in prayer is not on the church's problem but on its potential. Turn to the first chapter of Colossians, and we will examine the substance of Paul's prayer, both his thanksgiving and his petition for this church.

The purpose of the Sanctuary

WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE SANCTUARY?
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2004

The traditional Christian view holds that the tabernacle/temple was necessary as a place for the sacrificial system, because that institution provided a temporary means of atonement (and pardon) for the sins of God's people. Later, Jesus' death on the cross provided the permanent means of atonement (and pardon) for the sins of God's people. There are at least three problems with this view:

• First, it misses the purpose of the sanctuary, which is to provide a place for sacrifices.
• Second, it implies that, in the absence of a sacrificial system during the Babylonian exile, God did not or could not forgive people's sins.
• Third, it renders inexplicable the many passages that speak about or that assume a rebuilding of the temple and a reinstatement of the sacrificial system in the Messianic Age.

Contributing to this misconception regarding the sanctuary is a related misunderstanding concerning Jesus' atoning work on the cross.

During the late Second Temple Period (1st C.E.), there were some within Judaism who were familiar with the gospel but who considered it a competing alternative to the temple service as a means of reaching God. They also viewed angels as having an important role in the divine cosmology and seemed to regard Jesus as a lesser being in the hierarchy of creation. The author of Hebrews addresses both these issues. He deals briefly with Jesus' superiority to angels,¹ then devotes considerably more attention to the relationship of Jesus to the temple (implying that the second concern is the more pressing).

Although the Church has long recognized Jesus as "head over everything" (Eph 1:22), including the angelic realm, it has generally accepted the notion that the temple offerings and Jesus' death were competing (or at least chronologically sequential) methods of atonement; in either case, that the efficacy of Jesus' sacrifice replaced the deficiency of animal sacrifices. This misunderstanding has generated a number of difficulties for Christians, such as an inability to understand biblical references to a future temple and to renewed animal sacrifices.² What could possibly be the reason for restoring them if Jesus' atoning work accomplished the same end once for all?

Related to an erroneous view of sacrifices is the false assumption that the temple's purpose was to provide a place for sacrifices. On the contrary, the purpose of sacrifices was to provide a place for the temple.³ That is, the LORD chose to manifest His presence among His people as visible proof of His covenantal commitment to be their God,⁴ and He instituted the sacrificial system to preserve the holiness of that sacred place from the inevitable defiling influence of those same people. Hence, the kind of atonement that animal sacrifices provide is different from the atonement that Jesus' sacrifice provides, as the author of Hebrews makes clear.

Teach us to number our days

SHORT BUT MEANINGFUL
Psalm 90
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2012

(This was a New Year's sermon, and originally contained several references to that day. It is, however, perfectly relevant any time of the year so I have removed some of the references which can be found in the pdf linked above)

There are certain accommodations that often come with age.

• Younger folks hold the door open for you.
• You qualify for the senor citizens discount.
• People in general may be more deferential.

... or not.

Just as she was celebrating her 80th birthday, Margaret received a jury-duty notice. She called to remind the court office that she was exempt because of her age. "You need to come in and fill out the exemption forms," the clerk said. "I've already done that," she replied. "I filled it out last year." "You have to do it every year," the clerk answered. "Why? ....Do you think I'm going to get younger?"

Contrary to what that clerk might have thought, age only goes in one direction. The sole exception is God, who is ageless, and He alone is able to give the span of your life meaning.

Please turn to Psalm 90, which is about time. In fact, Moses makes more than twenty references to time in this psalm (e.g., "day" 6x). It is titled "a prayer" which Moses addresses to God, and it falls neatly into two parts:¹

• Moses' Description of God (vv. 1-12)

...and...

• Moses' Petition to God (vv. 13-17)

Each part has three subsections in which this "man of God" reflects on what he considers a proper outlook for the future, appropriate for us as we, too, consider the future.

The name of the Lord

THE DIVINE NAME IN MODERN SPEECH
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Dr. Paul Manuel—2008

The biblical scholarly community has made extensive and free use of the tetragram(maton) for many years, both in writing and teaching. The practice is gaining acceptance among pastors and is even prevalent among the laity of certain denominations (e.g., Sacred Name). Some view this as a positive trend, one that enables people "to call on the name of the LORD" (Ps 116:13, 17), yet the result may actually be to make profane (common) what should remain sacred. Although use of the divine name is not a doctrinal issue basic to the faith, it is a concern to some of God's people and, as such, is a matter about which others should be aware. This brief discussion, in part, reflects the attitude and custom of many observant Jews (Messianic and non-Messianic), but the position it espouses derives support from what God has said on the matter, from the many traditions that have arisen as a result, and from the likely negative implications of a more tolerant approach.

The third commandment of the Decalogue is a suitable place to begin. Its most obvious meaning is that people should not use God's name in any way that would reflect improperly on His character, whether directly or by inference.

Exod 20:7 [= Deut 5:11] You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name.

Commentators and preachers frequently read this passage as a prohibition against vulgar language¹ or (less directly) as a metonymy for wrong behavior. The most obvious meaning, however, does relate to speech, but examples from the biblical text point primarily to speech of a specific kind: the use of the Name in oaths.²

Lev 19:12 Do not swear falsely by my name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

Deut 6:13 ( 10:20) Fear the LORD your God, serve him only and take your oaths in his name.

The Bible offers one other example of improper use of the tetragram in speech: blaspheming the Name.