Many of us learn by doing. Others demonstrate something and we do it. When the disciples asked Jesus, "Teach us to pray...", the Lord prayed, demonstrating a pattern of prayer for His followers.
In the same way, Psalm 51 is a teaching Psalm. In it, David offers a demonstration of how a sinner can approach God to confess our sin and to trust in the goodness and loving kindness of a God who is at once both Holy and gracious and merciful.
In Psalm 51, we see that David makes no attempt to down play or cover his own sin. We see David confessing that his sin, although involving others, was ultimately against God alone. And finally we see David repenting of his sin; acknowledging that God is just and blameless in His judgment.
But then David turns his demonstration to trust; for He turns to the very character and nature of God as both Holy and righteous, but also gracious and merciful. And in his prayer, David asks three things of God:
- Purify me with hyssop; literally De-Sin me
- Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow
- Blot out all my iniquities
During today's lesson, may we be exhorted to look honestly at our own sin, then come to a Holy and Gracious Father, trusting Him to forgive our sin through the blood of His Son.
Thank you for listening. May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.
If a mouse were to enter our house, we would most often do all we could to trap the mouse, either through gentle means so as to not kill the mouse, or through more "permanent" means. But how can we draw the little varmint to the trap? We can use fear to push the mouse toward the trap; and we can use bait, temptation, to lure him to his destruction.
In today's lesson, we see that, in many ways, Satan uses the same methods on the believer. When Satan sees a life changed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ, he lays a trap for us. And while he cannot destroy those who belong to Christ,we must realize each day that Satan is trying to make us stumble. We therefore examine some of the traps Satan uses as well as the means that God provides for us to resist the schemes of the Devil.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson. May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.
When David wrote Psalm 51, he did so with the following introduction, "For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. (NASB)" As a psalm of contrition, seeking the Lord's pardon, Psalm 51 touches the sinner to our very core, because Psalm 51 sees us at the depth of our sin, but it also sees God at the heights of His mercy.
To get a full grasp of this Psalm, we must first look into the historical background that led David to write it. In today's lesson, we conduct a quick examination of the rise, and downfall of King David. We see him at his best; favored by God, receiving blessings from the Lord and showing great faithfulness to the Lord. But we see him at his worst; the 'Man after God's own heart,' tempted to and caught up in sins of adultery and murder.
But at his lowest point, David turns to the only place he can go; into the extended arms of the Lord's mercy. And it is there that we find our forgiveness.
As you listen to today's lesson, may you be struck not just by the depth of our own sin, but by the great heights of God's mercy toward undeserving sinners.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson.
It has been approximately five years since the birth of the church at Pentecost. The church continues to see phenomenal growth. As noted in Acts 4, the generosity within the church was unique as the members of the body in Jerusalem did not consider anything to be their own, but shared it with each other, having all things in common.
But this growth also brought some administrative issues. The Hellenistic Jews felt their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. These were Jews who, as descendants of the dispersion, grew up outside Israel and therefore spoke Greek and grew in a Greek culture.
This was an issue which, if left unchecked, could threaten the unity of the the still young church. How the Apostles dealt with this issue serves as an example for us and drives home the primacy of the Gospel in the life of the Church.
Thank you for listening to today's message. May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.
As we pass through another Easter Season, we are met with many images throughout the media. Easter bunnies and Easter eggs abound. In addition to these non-religious images, media tends to return to the question of who is this Jesus? How are we to understand Him? Was He just a good moral teacher, a great example to follow? Or was He something more?
Join us for a special Easter message share by four members of the Atlantic Gospel Chapel Leadership as we explore four topics:
- Who is Jesus?
- Why does His life matter?
- Why does His death matter?
- Why is His resurrection so important?
As we explore these topics together, my you be blessed as we come face-to-face with the real Jesus and discover that He is fully God and fully man, and that His life, death and resurrection give us a certain hope, a knowing hope, of eternity in heaven for all those who have trusted in His finished work.
Thank you for listening. We hope you enjoy today's teaching.
As the place of worship for the nation of Israel, the temple became the place where the Apostles would gather to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. But doing so also brought resistance and persecution from the Jewish religious leaders.
Ordered to stop preaching in the name of Jesus, Peter, speaking for the rest of the Apostles made the choice clear; they had to obey God rather than men. The question for us becomes, when face by persecution, which will inevitably come, how will we respond?
Thank you for listening to today's lesson. May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.
As Peter faced the end his life on earth he found rest in the certainty of his salvation. His farewell address to the church sought to encourage them with the same assurance he drew from God's Word.
But he also sought to warn the believers of danger that lurked ahead, namely in the form of false teachers seeking to draw the church away from the truth. Just as it was relevant to the situation facing the church in the first century, so the church faces the same threats today.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson. May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.
The Bible frequently calls to mind the faults and failures of Biblical heroes. We remember Noah growing a vineyard and getting drunk on the wine produced from its fruit. And there is Moses who, against God's command, struck the rock to bring forth water. Samson is noted for, among other things, fornication. David committed adultery followed by murder to cover his sin.
We may think it exciting to see God pouring out judgment upon His enemies, but how do we respond when His anger is poured out upon His own people.
In Acts, we see a church marked with love and compassion for its own; Scripture recording that there were no needy among them for those who possessed property sold it and gave the proceeds for the apostles to distribute among those with need (Acts 4:34).
But this also brought temptation and sin. In the opening verses of Acts 5, we are told of Ananias and Sapphira. As believers, this husband and wife were caught up in sin which, if not dealt with, would threaten the nature of the new church.
As you listen to today's lesson, may we be reminded of the serious nature of sin, even within the hearts, minds and lives of believers. But may we also be reminded of the grace and mercy of our Lord and Savior.
Thank you for listening. May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.
Following the life of Abraham, we are presented with a picture of the life of every believer. We see great mountain top experiences characterized by tremendous faith and courage. But right next to these, we see dark valleys characterized by doubt and fear. But throughout, God reveals Himself to us through these dark times.
In Genesis 22, we see the climax of Abraham's walk with the Lord. Called to an impossible task, we see Abraham respond in obedient faith. But more that Abraham's tremendous faith, no other Old Testament story gives such clear glimpse into the heart of God. Just as Abraham was called to offer his own son, our Heavenly Father offered up His own Son, to bear the burden of our sin.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson. May the Lord bless you through the teaching of His Word.
From her very beginning, the church has faced persecution in various forms and through various means. In our modern times, the church in China meets in secret. Elsewhere, in opposition to government demands to stop meeting during COVID, some pastors have been jailed, with freedom offered if they agree to stop preaching.
In Acts we read about the earliest persecution against the church. Fresh from being arrested for proclaiming the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Peter and John are released with orders to stop speaking in the name of this Jesus. But rather than sink into despair, Peter and John returned to the church, turning instead to the Lord in prayer.
The message for the church today is the same. In times of persecution, we find comfort, together with the church, calling upon the Lord in prayer.
Thank you for listening to today's lesson. May the Lord bless you and comfort you through His Word.
