The Perfect Son

Hebrews 1:1-3.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on Father's Day Sunday, June 15, 2025.

The relationship between father and son is a powerful one.  Every father was once a son, in the sense of being a child, but are generally still an “adult” son while raising their own son.  The child is destined to grow up and generally become a father too.  This cycle is not just powerful when a father is present and good.  It is powerful when a father is present, but uncaring for the child.  And, it is powerful when the father is absent.

It is not the kind of power that makes immediate and miraculous changes.  It is a powerful influence that builds up on itself over time.  That influence even carries a certain momentum to it when a kid becomes an adult and moves away.

An adult child goes through a transitional time.  They have been used to seeing their father through the immature eyes of a toddler, child, and then teenager.  As a adult, we gain an adult perspective of our father.

Let me say this to parents.  If you approach parenting with the goal of raising the perfect child, and  you are willing to do whatever it takes to make it happen, then may God help your child.  Nothing in our parenting and their child-life is going to be perfect.  However, God does His perfect work through our imperfection.  Of course, I am not saying it doesn’t matter what you do.  No, the biggest thing a child needs is God’s love expressed through their parents.

With that in mind, I would challenge us not to only think of this cycle as a process of physical and emotional maturation.  I believe that we are intended to see it as a shadow of God’s heart for humanity.

Let’s talk about one more thing before we look at our text.  In the story of the prodigal son (Luke 15), we can see different types that sons often fall into.  There is the Golden Son who takes on responsibility at a young age and works closely with their father.  We also see the Prodigal Son, or Black Sheep.  This is the troubled son who turns from responsibility and is lost no matter where he goes.  Yet, as the story progresses, we can recognize that neither of these sons were perfect sons.  In fact, they were both prodigals in different ways.  The elder son was close to his father, but his heart was not like his fathers.  For all of his appearance, he had so far wasted the opportunity to take on his father’s heart, to become like his father internally as well as externally.

Of course, no sons are perfect.  This is because only Jesus is the perfect son.  However, in Jesus, imperfect sons and imperfect fathers can become adult children of God who are perfected before Him.

Let’s look at our passage.

God is speaking to us through Jesus.  Who is He?

Many powerful things are packed into these three verses, but the overall point is the comparison of Jesus to all those prophets who came before him.  When it comes to knowing God, He must reveal Himself if it is going to happen.  Yet, the Bible is proof that God is a revealing God.  Francis Schaeffer made the great points that “God is here, and He is not silent.”  He may not be revealing new doctrines, but He is still helping us to understand what has been written down in Scripture.

Up until Jesus, God had spoken through prophets who were imperfect men, though they were loyal to God and sought to live righteously.  Still, they were all imperfect in imaging Father God to their people.  Before we turn to Jesus, we should recognize that God has always used imperfect people to impact the life of other imperfect people for His perfect purpose in their lives.  This is true whether we are talking about the prophets of the past, or about human fathers trying to raise a son.  We are given the job of imaging God’s love to our kids, to our world, and none of us do this perfectly.

This brings us to Jesus.  This passage has two aspects to it.  We will look first at just who Jesus was, is.  Essentially, he is the perfect revelation (imager) of God the Father.  There is no discrepancy between what we see in Jesus and the heart of God the Father.

In fact, by sending imperfect imagers and then a perfect one, God has hemmed us in.  We can’t complain that the prophets were not a good enough image, nor can we complain that Jesus was too perfect.  “I just can’t relate with his perfection.”  Thus, Jesus is the perfect image of the heart of the Father, both how He feels and what He desires (of us and for us).

This reiterates what I was saying earlier.  The prophets did not have to be perfect to affect God’s perfect work in the world, and neither do parents.  Still, we don’t use that as an excuse.  This is a serious task for God, and it has eternal consequences.

So, Jesus is God’s perfect word to humanity.  What else is he?  Jesus is the Son.  This is not a statement about how he came into being, but about his status among humanity.  It is a title that is found in the Old Testament, particularly in the prophecies to David about one of his descendants (2 Samuel 7), and in the prophecies of Isaiah.  It became equivalent to the Anointed One of God (Messiah or Christ).

Jesus is the perfect son of David who was a Son of God.  All the sons of David had failed and the monarchy had been broken for over 5 centuries.  When Jesus came forth, there was an expectation that he would restore the monarchy and deliver Israel from the Romans.  However, he came to save them from their sins (and us from ours).  Our moral failings had separated us from God, but through Jesus, we can be brought close to Him.

In fact, we are told in Romans 3:23 that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”  Yet, we can be justified freely by His  grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Jesus is also the Heir of all things.  We see this in verse 2.  In Scripture, Jesus is the only One who perfectly stood against the lies of the devil and lived out loyal love towards God the Father.  The failure of Adam and Eve had brought the dominion of humans over the earth in jeopardy.  Through our sins, the devil was able to exercise his dominion over the earth.  The Garden of Eden was a test of loyalty more than it was a test of knowledge.  Humans were not created with omniscience- neither were the angels by the way.  Jesus came forth as the Worthy One who can take up the dominion over the earth.  He inherits it.  Of course, he could keep it all to himself, but in his mercy, he shares it with those who come into a loving loyal relationship with him.

Of course, our enemy tries to get in our heads and use our unworthiness to sidetrack us, or derail us.  Yet, Jesus didn’t come to take the prize away from us.  He came to save us from our lost and plundered state.  This world belongs to Jesus just as much as your life belongs to him. 

The writer goes on to mention that God made the world through Jesus.  He is the creative agent of creation.  In case this verse isn’t clear enough for you, the Apostle John makes is abundantly clear in his Gospel, chapter 1 verse 3.  “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”  This shuts down the idea that Jesus is also a created being.  Of course, the body he used in the first century was created within time.  However, he has existed from eternity past as the Word of God.  Thus, John is interpreting Genesis chapter 1 in John chapter 1.  He is showing us that God the Father spoke, “Let there be light,” and the Word of god (the eternal Son of God) went forth and brought it into being.  Everything that is in the class of created things was made through the Word of God (who would later be called Jesus in his incarnation).    Thus, it is illogical to say that he is also a part of the created class.

Some people are confused by the phrase in Colossians 1:15 that calls Jesus the “Firstborn over all creation.”  Just like the term “Son,” the term “Firstborn” was often used of kings to refer to a status.  It was common in the ancient near east for emperors to refer to kings that had sworn fealty to them (often after being defeated in battle) as “sons.”  Similarly, the emperors would refer to a particular king as their firstborn.  This wasn’t a reference of their biology and birth order.  It was a reference to their status within the Kingdom.  They were the one who would inherit it all, and had a double-portion over all the others.

Think of it.  Everything that we see on this planet and throughout the cosmos is the perfect work of a perfect Son doing the will of a perfect Father.  Any imperfections have come about by the activity of other agents, whether fallen angels or fallen humans.

This is who hung on the cross for us.  God’s wasn’t suffering only in Jesus, and only while he was on the cross.  First, we see Jesus suffering through many things leading up to the cross, both physical pain and the emotional pain of rejection and persecution.  Yet, Jesus is only revealing to us that the heart of the Father has been suffering all along.

Of course, we can pretend like it was easy for him because he was God.  We can think that it is no big deal for God to suffer because He can handle it.  Perhaps, you are thinking about it backwards.  It is most likely that God’s suffering is far more acute because of being God.  Nothing is hidden from Him.  Whereas, we humans are limited creatures, and therefore, our suffering is limited.  Just as we cannot handle the full glory of God without being undone, we cannot handle the full suffering of God.  It would destroy us.

Verse three gives us two phrases that point to Jesus as the perfect imager of God the Father.  This is another way to see the failure of Adam and Even in the Garden.  They failed to image God even though He had made them in His image and likeness.  As descendants of Adam and Eve, we all fail in our imaging of God.  However, in Christ, we are being redeemed back to a perfect image of God.

Of course, you are not perfect yet.  Only Jesus is the radiance of God’s glory.  A good picture of what this means is the sun.  It glory projects forth in an electromagnetic sea of wavelengths and particles.  Jesus isn’t just mimicking God.  He comes forth from God very nature.  Just as Jesus healed people, taught people, and loved people, so he is showing us that God is a healer, a teacher, and the One who loves us.

At the cross, Jesus isn’t just revealing what God would do.  No, the Father already had a crucified heart back at Creation.  He had counted the cost, and He had agreed to pay the price.   It is the very nature of God to suffer with our sin for long periods of time.  He is slow to anger and willing to take our pain upon Himself in order to redeem us.  When Jesus says, “Father, forgive them.  They don’t know what they are doing,” he is revealing the very desire and purpose of God.  It is exactly what He wanted to do, and the cross was the mechanism for rectifying, justifying, that very act!

The second way that this is pointed out is in the phrase “exact representation of God’s nature.”  To see Jesus is to see the very nature of God.

Next, we are told in verse three that Jesus upholds all things by the word of his power.  Everything would fall without him.  This is similar to the phrase in Colossians 1:17.  There it says that in Him all things hold together.  He holds it up and holds it together.  He is the very power that holds the universe in a unified system doing the will of God.

Think about that when he is hanging on the cross, being kissed by a betrayer, and having a high priest cry out, “Blasphemy!” while tearing his robe.  He held the world together that day just so we could spit in his face. 

Welcome to fatherhood.  You are called to be the adult.  But even better, you are called to be the reflection of our heavenly Father, to take on suffering for the good of those who will die if you don’t do it, to do it because you love them!

Jesus is also the one who made purification for sins. He was not just showing us God’s heart for us in the sense of only giving us an example.  He truly was making a way for our sins to be covered and the guilt of it to be removed from us (purified).  This is the foundation of the Father’s ability to allow those who have sinned to become Children of god, dwelling with Him forever, and inheriting that for which we are disqualified.  Jesus paid the price for our redemption.  He lays his perfect life down so that we can no longer be disqualified from our inheritance.

Finally, Jesus is the one who sits at the right hand of the Father.  This too speaks to status.  He is in a position to exercise the authority and power of the Father.  He is there in order to give humanity time to respond to the Gospel of peace.  Through us, God is offering terms of peace to His enemies.  Of course, this puts the ball in their (our) court.  What will we do?  How will we choose?

God is speaking to us through Jesus.  What is His message?

So far, we have focused on who Jesus is, but the whole point of these verses is that God has spoken to us through Jesus.  The message of Jesus is the message of the Father.  This is what Jesus was talking about in John 7:16-17 and 12:29.  He was not teaching his own things.  He was teaching what the Father had sent him to teach.  The same is true of the deeds and miracles that he did.

So, what was Jesus saying, and therefore, what was the Father saying?

First, He is telling us, “I haven’t abandoned you.”  Israel’s problem was never that God was taking too long.  It was always that they were tone deaf to the message He was giving them.  The problem wasn’t Gentile powers, Serpents in the Garden, or giants.  The problem was always their inability to trust God, and the sin that resulted from it.  Sin always leads to separation from God and the good that He intends for us.  The separation is not just God turning from us because it starts with us turning from Him.

Yet, God does not and has not abandoned us.  It can feel like it.  Adam and Even were kicked out of the Garden.  Yet, they were also given a promise.  God was saying to them, “Will you trust Me now?”  When the people at the Tower of Babel were disowned by God and handed over to the Spirit-beings that they were seeking, it could feel like God had abandoned them.  Yet, His call of Abraham was all about blessing the nations.  God gives a promise through Abraham that would impact the whole world.

In Christ, a remnant of Israel was raised up, filled with the Spirit of God, and sent out to the nations with a message of peace. 

In the midst of a world that is full of the pain of sin, both our own sin and that of others, it is easy to think that God has abandoned us.  We want God to keep the pain from ever touching us, but sin is pain.  Instead, God joins us in the pain and suffering and gives that suffering meaning and purpose.  Our suffering can be redeemed and become a trophy of God’s saving power.  But, it can also be a strengthening in a person’s life.  They can become a warrior to help and to fight for the souls of others who are suffering.

A second part of what God is saying is this.  “I have paid the price to redeem you.”  The love of God is not just about good feelings and warm thoughts toward us.  It is about dealing with the unsolvable predicament that we have created with our own sin.  No amount of good works can make up for past sin.  Yet, in Jesus, God has stepped in and paid the price for your spiritual and physical freedom. 

Lastly, God is saying, “If you trust Me, I will help you overcome all that stands in your way so that you can sit with Me on My throne!”

In Jesus, it doesn’t matter what has happened to us.  No matter how painful, or how much failure we have done, He will help us to overcome it!

There have always been horrible things in this world since the Fall.  Yet, instead of them destroying you, God will destroy its destroying effects through your faith in Jesus.  What the devil, the world, or any individual, intends for evil in our life, God will turn it to the good if we will only trust Him.

The cross speaks a powerful word about the faithfulness of God in the face of “losing it all.”  If we listen to Him, though it leads to a cross, He will raise us up to sit with Him and inherit all things.

This is what Paul means when he talks about us being seated with Jesus in the heavenly places.  We are not physically there now, but it becomes our status when we put our faith in him.  He will help us to overcome all that stands in our way. 

We may be frustrated today as imperfect dads pointing imperfect kids to a perfect Son who images a perfect Father.  Yet, this is God’s perfect work in us!  He is not removing us from the problem, but rather, He is spotting us through the heavy lifting and bringing us into a glorious future.

Perfect Son audio

The Kingdom of God- 1

Subtitle:  Introduction

Various Passages.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on March 16, 2025.

As we finished the book of the Acts of the Apostles, we saw how the Kingdom of God was an important theme.  The book began with Luke describing the teaching of Jesus to his disciples, after the resurrection, as “speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God” (Acts 1:3).  Three verses later, the disciples ask Jesus this question.  “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”  Of course, our Lord told them that it wasn’t for them to know the times and the seasons.  Rather, it was for them to be filled with the Holy Spirit and be enabled to take the Gospel of the Kingdom to the ends of the earth.

Let me point out what Jesus didn’t say.  He didn’t say that their notion of a kingdom being restored to Israel was ludicrous or unfounded.  He didn’t lecture regarding the kingdom prophecies of the Old Testament that they were all intended to be read only symbolically, or spiritually.  Instead, he tells them that they are not supposed to worry about the timing of God’s seasons.

Of course, the book of Acts ends in chapter 28 with two more bookend-mentions of the Kingdom of God.  Paul explained and testified to the Jewish leaders of Rome concerning the Kingdom of God.  The book then ends with the statement that Paul was “preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ…”

A person may be tempted to ask the question, “What about the Gospel?”.  However, we saw in our sermon series on the Sermon on the Mount that the Gospel is essentially about the Kingdom. 

Matthew 4:23 says, “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.”  In Matthew 4:17, Jesus taught the crowds that they needed to repent because the Kingdom of heaven was at hand, or near.  This was true because Messiah the King (i.e., Jesus) was finally in Israel.  Later, Jesus rebuked the chief priest by telling them that “tax collectors and harlots are entering into the Kingdom of God before you.”

Thus, we can see that Jesus is telling them that the Kingdom and its King are at hand.  Yet, they need to enter it.  In fact, people who appeared to be disqualified from the Kingdom were finding the way to enter into the Kingdom at that time.  Of course, that way is to put your faith completely in God’s Anointed King, Jesus.  At its essence, the Kingdom is a reference to the King that administers it.  This is what the famous beatitudes of Matthew 5 emphasize.  Those who had been persecuted and were poor in spirit were told by Jesus that they were blessed because the Kingdom of heaven was theirs.  The King was there encouraging those who had ears to hear in Israel that their ability to participate in the Kingdom was not negatively affected by these things, but in fact, it seems to be in their favor! 

Matthew clearly shows Jesus as King Messiah giving his teaching (instructions) to those of Israel who wanted to be his citizens (his disciples).  The King is hear and they could enter the Kingdom!.

Let’s look at some passages.

The King/Kindom concept in the Old Testament

Psalm 29:10 pictures God seated on his throne during the flood.  The probability that the author means the flood during the time of Noah is extremely high here, in fact, hard to seriously question.  The Flood was a scary time for humans as a whole.  However, most of life throughout most of history has been difficult and scary for the average human.  Yet, the kings and kingdoms of the world are a cut above the average human.  At the Flood, kings and their kingdoms were just as powerless as the peasants who perished with them.  While the kings and kingdoms of men were washed away, never to return, God’s rule was not touched by the great destructive chaos on the earth. 

Of course, God’s heart is touched by the great destruction.  It was precisely because God cared for humanity that the Flood came.  Wickedness had filled the earth with violence.  The average experience was a boot in the face, death of loved ones, and death of self.  God was touched by the heinous violence that was playing out everyday upon the powerless by the powerful.  

Yet, God brings a remnant through the flood so that humanity is not extinguished, and His purpose for us would be obtained.

Yes, God is angry with the wicked, but His anger is not like our anger.  Human anger does not produce the righteousness of God.  However, God’s anger is pure and gracious.  It always has the redemption of humans at its core, and it is generally triggered by our treatment of one another.

The chaos of the flood, or even the chaos of those wicked kingdoms that existed before the flood, could attack or affect God on His throne.  His rule is absolute and cannot be harmed by the rebellion of the wicked.

Psalm 47:7-9 speaks of God in the terms of a great Emperor.  He is the King of all the earth (the kings of the earth).  He is King over all things.  He has always been King; He is King today; He always will be King.  The “shields of the earth” is a reference to kings and their governments.  They are supposed to be a shield to their people, but wickedness quickly infiltrates even the best of human kingdoms.  These kings and kingdoms all answer to God.  For the Christian, there is no question that God is King over all things.  By the way, He is also presented as King of the heavens as well, but that is not the place of our concern.

So, we can speak of the Kingdom of God as the simple reality that God has always been and always will be the Sovereign over all of creation.  We can call this the Universal Kingdom of God.

We may quibble over the things that are allowed to happen within His rule over the earth, but we do so because we don’t understand what He understands.  If a person finds themselves continually blaming God for all that is wrong on this planet and in their life, they need to read the Word of God and pray for understanding from the Spirit of God.  Our minds have been shaped by this world and by our flesh in a certain way of interpreting these things.  Our ability to hear what our Creator and Redeemer is trying to teach us and say to us needs His help.  It also needs us to be humble and ask for His help.  He is our loving Heavenly Father.  We will never benefit ourselves by trying to make Him the bad guy.

God is our King, but He is much more than that.  In some ways, it seems obligatory to trumpet the kingship of God and argue against anything that appears to diminish it.  However, I ask you to bear with me for a few moments.  When it comes to God’s Kingship compared to anyone on earth or even the devil, His Kingship cannot be questioned.  But, when it comes to contemplating all that God is, His Kingship is a subset, or facet, of Who He is.

If you start at the beginning of the Bible and walk through it (concordance queries will be quicker), you will go a long way before you run into the concept that God is King and that He has a kingdom.  Think about the picture in Genesis 1 and 2.  In chapter 1, God is presented as an all-powerful Creator, Artisan, Craftsman Who brings all things into existence.  Humans can create things that didn’t exist before, but we cannot do it like God does.  We merely assimilate matter that already exists and already has properties conducive to the effect we want.  God, however, is the One who made that matter and gave it the properties that it has.

Yet, God made humans to be His image-bearers on the earth.  This concept from Genesis 1 is fleshed out further in Genesis 2.  God is presented not only as Adam’s Creator, but also his Father.  He brings Adam into existence.  Men and women can do a similar thing today through procreation.  However, our method is a shadow of God’s absolute power to create a human being.  Adam is to bear the image of his Heavenly Father by giving himself to the purpose that his Father gave him, and by doing it in a matter that is like his Father.  This is why we see relationship, communication, and care happening throughout the passage.  Adam’s Heavenly Father even  obtains a bride for him.  Thus, Adam’s fathering of the children he produces with Eve is to be a reflection of God’s greater Fathering. 

There are kingly aspects to who and what a father is.  However, it would be a strange father who ran his home solely as if he were the king of it.  If he made everything become about how the kids could serve his purposes, and even treated their disobedience and defiance in the same way that a king would treat such from a rebel citizen, then that would not be a good parent.  He would essentially be a tyrannical man imaging that God is a tyrant, which isn’t true.  It would be a false image.  No, a father has a much more complex identity then to simply call him king.  God is King of all things, but He is far more than that.  He is something far grander than that.  He is our Heavenly Father.

First Corinthians 15:24 and 28 speaks of Jesus and part of his purpose.  His is going to abolish all rule, authority, and power.  The idea is clarified in verse 28.  When all things are subjected to Jesus, then he will also be subjected to the Father, Who has subjected all things under Jesus.  The rulers, powers, and authorities that are subjected to Jesus are both human beings and spiritual beings.  In the end, no one but God the Father will have rule, authority, and power.

Yet, notice the end result that is highlighted in verse 28.  The point is not about God becoming the only King, Kingdom, Rule, Authority, etc…  The point is about God taking His rightful place as the “All in all.”  The Father is our everything, which is so much more than our King.  We could even say that He is so much more than a Father.  He is our Everything.

I will point out that the word for subjected here simply means to take your proper place under one who has authority and power.  It is put in a passive form.  Thus, it points to something being done to human power, spiritual powers, and finally Jesus.  Yet, we should not see that as something that is necessarily forced.  The wicked will have their rule, authority and power forcefully taken from them.  However, the righteous and the Lord Jesus do so as volunteers, even as sons, glad to do the will of the Father at the time of His choosing.  Paul is looking far ahead into the final state of all things.  Humans will not rule and have authority over each other.  This picture is not about domination and subjugation.  In fact, it is about destroying all such warped imaging.  It is about all things being in harmony, taking their proper place, with God and not about establishing God as King over all things.

What you find in Genesis is that the use of king and kingdom is used of rebellious humanity.  Genesis 10:10 tells us that Babylon was the beginning of Nimrod’s kingdom.  His name means rebel.  Even his city building is reminiscent of Cain’s city building as he went into the land of Nod in Genesis 4.  These are not righteous men.  These are men who are trying to accomplish something in the face of God, in rebellion to God’s purpose and plan.  Kings and kingdoms arose among the wicked.  Yet, God knew that this would be.  He would use this sinful concept of power and authority in order to teach humanity a better way.

If you think about it, humans were given dominion over the earth by God.  However, there is no concept that we would have dominion over one another.  It was the sinful rebellion of humanity in league with fallen spiritual beings that created a world of “better men” harnessing the lesser men for the glory of humanity.  This realm of kings and kingdoms subjugating one another is, no doubt, at the heart of God’s description of the pre-Flood world.  “the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.”  Later in the same chapter, we are told, “The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence.”

The sinful rebellion of mankind creates a sinful warped concept of authority and power.  What should have been a godly dominion over the earth turns into an ungodly domination of one another through violence.  This was not God’s purpose.  He never designed humanity to be ruled by our betters (an aristocracy).

Before we go any further, I want to take a few moments to stop and flesh out the difference between authority and power. 

Authority refers to the right that one being has to give commands, create things, possess things, etc.  If you think of the word “authorize,” then you can begin to appreciate that authority among humans is a reference to certain rights we have.  Where do these rights, authorities, come from?  All authority comes from God.  He is the foundation of all authority.  We can know this is logically true when we ask what gave God the right, the authority, to create all that He has?  The answer is that He did.  If anything that was created has any authority, it received it from the Creator who is the ground of all authority.

If you imagine the right you have over your own body, mind, and possessions.  It is God who alone can be the foundation of that right.  Authority is a moral concept of a person’s right.

Let’s now add the concept of power.  Those who have authority (let’s say to have a child) may not have the power to do so.  A man chained in a prison may have a God-given right to marry a woman and have children, but he lacks the power to be able to do so.  On the other hand, a person may lack authority and yet, have the power to do whatever they want.  It is not too hard to come up with examples of that.  However, not all power is about that kind of force.  The serpent in the Garden used the power of persuasion, deception, lies, and temptation in order to interfere in a relationship in which he had no authority.  Powerful beings and powerful people tend to step on the authority that God has given to others.

When God rescued the people of Israel from Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, it was connected back to His promise to Abraham.  God promised that He would make a nation out of Abraham.  That nation would be His chosen vessel to bless the nations.  However, any nations that cursed Israel would be cursed by God.  When Israel comes to the promised land of Canaan, they are the invading Kingdom of God that God is using to confront the extremely wicked societies that lived there.  If those nations, people, would recognize God’s hand upon Israel and respect it, they would not have to be cursed.  Think about Rahab in Jericho.  She respected God’s close connection to Israel and chose by faith to throw her lot in with Israel.  God blessed her because of that.

Of course, the Old Testament historical books and the prophetic books present Israel as failing in its mission to bring the light of God’s justice to the nations.  Even the line of David is depicted as a fallen tent, a fallen dynasty. Yet, God promised through the prophets that He was going to raise up an Anointed Servant of God.  This servant would succeed where Israel had failed. 

The book of Isaiah is a great place to see this, although there are many examples.  Read Isaiah 42:1 and the following.  “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My Chosen one in whom My soul delights.  I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.”  This is the true purpose for which God raised up Israel in the first place.

Previously, in Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah prophesied of a special child that would be born.  This child would have titles that are incredible: Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, and Prince of Peace.  We are then told, “There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore.  The zeal of the LORD of hosts will accomplish this.”  This special son of David would raise up the fallen tent of David and fulfill what those before  him had failed to do.  This is what Jesus is announcing when he shows up.  He is not announcing the overall truth that God has always been the King of heaven and earth.  He is announcing that the Kingdom that would be brought forth under King Messiah had arrived.  God was fulfilling His promise to the people of Israel.  It was time for them to follow that King into the Kingdom.

We are going to stop there for today.  However, I want to ask you this.  Have you put your faith completely in Jesus?  Are you living your life for Him and His purposes?  Of course, it is easy to say that we are.  However, life has a way of testing just how resolved we are.  This is why we gather on Sundays and other days.  This is why we pray together, read the Word of God together, and fellowship with other Christians.  We are being tested all the time and we are going to need more than just our own strength to continue to trust the Lord Jesus.  Don’t delay.  Press into the Kingdom of God by putting all of your trust in Jesus and the message He gave to His disciples.

KoG 1 audio

The Acts of the Apostles 88

Subtitle:  Going in Circles

Acts 25:1-27.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on November 24, 2024.

This chapter sets up a longer defense by the Apostle Paul in front of King Herod Agrippa II in the next chapter.

However, chapter 25 also ties back to the earlier events of Paul’s arrest by Commander Lysias, and his removal to Caesarea under Governor Felix.  It has the feel of going back to square one and starting over.

When we feel like we have ended back where we started, it can be a discouraging event, especially when years are involved.  This feeling of going around in circles, facing the same things over again, and not making any progress will depress even the stoutest of hearts.

When this happens, it is good to recognize that there are various reason why we can be going in circles.  Israel traveled in the wilderness for 40 years as a discipline for following their flesh, instead of God’s Spirit.  That generation (besides Caleb and Joshua) physically perished in the wilderness and never entered the Promised Land.  Yet, they didn’t need to perish spiritually.   They could repent and trust even God’s discipline.  They could teach their kids about their failures to obey God’s command and the consequences that brought into their life.  Yet, God’s grace was still there, giving them time to make peace with Him.  Year forty-one was coming, and a wise parent would prepare their offspring.

Of course, Paul is not in this circular pattern because of his lack of faith, his sin.  You could say it was precisely his faith that had him in this situation.  Paul is following Christ, and sometimes, following Christ can feel like we aren’t getting anywhere.

Let’s look at our passage.

An attempt is made to trick Gov. Festus (v 1-5)

The change of governor (from Felix to Festus) gives opportunity to the religious leaders for a fresh chance to get rid of Paul.  People in power (high or low) generally look for ways to manipulate other people of power.  This can be a governor manipulating the elders of Israel in order to control the people in a way that satisfies Caesar.  Or, it can be the leaders of Israel manipulating the new governor in order to execute a man that they do not like, Paul.

History tells us that Felix had been recalled to Rome by Caesar.  It is unclear whether Drusilla accompanied him.  He eventually stood trial for accusations of maladministration during his time in Judea.  Yet, he was able to be absolved of the charges by Caesar.  Regardless, the situation puts a new governor in office, which stirs the leaders of Jerusalem to action.

Festus makes his first trip up to Jerusalem in order to meet the leaders and to give any instructions that he deems fitting.  However, he is met with a petition from the leaders.  Let’s take a minute to talk about this petition.

At face value, the leaders simply inform Festus about Paul’s imprisonment and request that he be brought to Jerusalem for a trial.  However, left unsaid is the fact that men would be sitting in ambush in order to kill Paul.  This is similar to the earlier plot that had been discovered by Paul’s nephew.  I am not sure if the same forty men were looking for redemption.  Regardless, there is no idea that this 2^nd plot was discovered.  Someone would spill the beans later, after it was moot.  Probably someone who later became a believer.

Let’s take a moment to talk about the reality that these “righteous men” employ a ruse in order to trick the governor.  How could they do this?  It starts with the fact that they are convinced in their own righteousness and of Paul’s wickedness.  They believe that the ends justify the means, as long as you can control how it is seen by the people (i.e., retain your moral cloak).

When those who are supposed to represent righteousness are doing wicked things behind a thin veil of due process, that nation is in trouble.   So, what is the solution?  What can righteous people do when such is the case?  Many people throw up their hands and say that it will never change.  However, the best thing to do is to repent and pray for the help of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the King of all kings and Lord of all lords.  Paul is an example of this.

Luke  tells us that Festus denies the petition and tells them to come to Caesarea to lodge their complaint.  It isn’t clear if he has guessed their ploy.  It is more likely that he is avoiding a prisoner transport that would take several days and run the risk of him escaping.  Instead, the petitioners can bear the expense of the travel, while the prisoner is held secure.

It isn’t always clear to us that God uses even unrighteous people.  Paul has run into some Romans who proved to be righteous, but God also used men who were not righteous in order to direct the events of Paul’s life. 

No matter what we do (righteous or wicked), it will always end up furthering the purposes of God.  We can serve His purposes willingly and be blessed, or we can unwillingly serve His purposes and eventually be destroyed.

Paul defends himself (v 6-12)

When the leaders show up in Caesarea, the “serious complaints” they make against Paul are, no doubt, the same as they were before Felix.  It would sound something like this.  Paul is the ringleader of a heretical, Jewish sect, and he causes dissension wherever he goes.  On top of this, he has been caught profaning our temple.

Yet, the only proof they have is about religious teachings that have nothing to do with stirring people up against Rome.  If Paul didn’t have Roman citizenship, he would likely be sacrificed for the sake of peace, and as a means of securing good will from the Jewish leaders.  This is what was done to Jesus.  Of course, Paul does have Roman citizenship, and Festus has to be careful to dot every “i” and cross every “t.” 

Paul responds by emphasizing that he hasn’t done anything against the law of the Jews, nor has he profaned their temple.  On top of this, he has not done anything wrong against Caesar.

Let us be clear that Jesus has not called his people to be lawless.  When you follow the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, you will be a test to lawless men (whether they are a peasant neighbor or a judge in a court).  Lawless authorities love to hide their lawlessness behind a pretense of law.  Christians would do well to be alert to this.

At this point, Festus tries to talk Paul into a trial in Jerusalem.  We are told that he wanted to do the Jews a favor.  His new governorship would be challenged by these men in this room.  The more he can get them on his side the more likely he is to have peace in Jerusalem, and the smile of Caesar.

It is not that the change of venue is up to Paul.  This might seem strange to us.  However, Festus has to be careful.  If something goes wrong, it could be pinned upon his decision to send Paul to Jerusalem.  However, if Paul is on record as wanting to go to Jerusalem, then Festus could make the charge that it was Paul’s fault.

Two things are happening at this point.  Paul knows exactly why the Jewish leaders want to change the venue to Jerusalem.  They intend to make good on their earlier assassination plot.  Yet, Paul is not just saving his skin  here.  He states clearly that he does not object to being put to death for true capital crimes.  However, he will not put up with being handed into the hands of brigands in robes under false charges.

The second thing is that Paul has been told by the Lord Jesus that he will testify in front of governors and kings, and that he must go to Rome.  This leads him to his next action.  Paul appeals his case to Caesar.  Every Roman had the right to have a capital case heard by Caesar.  It may take more years in prison, but it was his right.  Festus cannot ignore this appeal, unless he had solid evidence to back up his decision, which he doesn’t.

There are times when the course of our actions seem to have been a waste.  Yet, we need to be careful with hasty judgments.  If you are sincerely working for the Lord, then you need to trust the Lord’s ability to take the little that you have done and produce spiritual fruit from it.  In fact, Jesus is able to take the little deeds of hundreds of people and stitch them together in one great work of grace.  We must stay humble in our judgments, continue in faithfulness, and trust him.  Ultimately, all of our lives are poured out without knowing all that it will produce.  We simply need to trust him and stay faithful to the end of our course.

Paul is brought before Herod Agrippa II (v. 13-27)

Agrippa II and his sister Bernice (sometimes spelled Berenice) are the offspring of Herod Agrippa I.  He is the man who died in Acts 12.  He had executed the apostle James (John’s brother) and later died of intestinal worms.  His son, Agrippa II, had started out with a small area of authority in an area between Damascus and Syrian Antioch.  But, over the years, he had been given more and more authority.  At this point, Agrippa II was the authority over Galilee and the area north of it.

This is probably a social visit to welcome Festus and to create goodwill between them.  It is in this environment of wining and dining that the curious case of Paul comes up.

Herod Agrippa II jumps at the chance to hear Paul.  This is not a trial, but simply a powerful person obtaining a favor from another powerful person.  To them, Paul is entertainment.

Festus likes this idea and sets up a hearing the next day in an auditorium.  He also invites the commanders and the prominent men of Caesarea.  We are then told that Agrippa II and his sister, Bernice, arrive with great pomp.  Such an atmosphere would not strike Paul with great hope, when he is brought before them.  Besides, the Herodian family was well acquainted with the Jewish religion.  They would be the perfect ones to help Festus determine what to say to Caesar.

We will deal with Paul’s defense in chapter 26 during the next sermon on this matter.  But, for now, I want us to think about this whole going in circles thing.  For two years, Paul has been kept in prison and trotted out to be heard again and again.  He is going in circles, but in a way he is not.  Instead of becoming frustrated, Paul will speak the Gospel to Agrippa II and all those who are in attendance.  Do these pompous people deserve the Gospel?  No, they don’t, but then, neither did Paul.  Many who have heard the Gospel didn’t deserve it, and they went on to squander the opportunity.  Of course, God is trying to wake people up to the reality of Jesus.

These religious leaders who have been charging Paul with heresy and treason are only righteous in appearance only.  This is not what we should be.  We need to be in a relationship with Jesus by prayerfully spending time in His Word, and seeking the leading of the Holy Spirit.  We need to do this with great humility, rather than self-righteousness.

None of the men who have heard Paul’s preaching and defense of the Gospel deserved it.  Yet, God sent him in chains to them.  Paul doesn’t do this because he is in chains.  Rather, he does it because Jesus is worthy of such things.  The purpose of Christ is to let a dying world know that they don’t have to perish.  They can take his hand and be saved.

Yes, it may feel like you are not just going in circles, but that your life is spiraling down.  God’s purpose is to take a life that is spiraling down due to its sins and deflect it through Jesus Christ.  When we put our faith in Jesus, our lives begin to spiral upwards to Him.  Now that is a going in circles that we can rejoice in!

Going in Circles audio

The Acts of the Apostles 85

Subtitle:  A Plot Foiled

Acts 23:23-35.  This sermon was preached by Pastor Marty Bonner on November 03,  2024.

Note: There is no sermon for October 27 because we had a visiting evangelist that morning.

We are looking at Paul’s journey of being a witness for and of Jesus.  As we do so, it is good for us to contemplate and pray about our own journey of being a witness for Jesus.  We do not know all that will happen, but the Lord will be with us.

On one hand, a plot of some assassins will be foiled in this passage.  However, on another level, a plot of the Sanhedrin to have Paul executed is also being foiled.  This is not done by any one person (a Roman commander, or a Roman governor), but by the hand of God.

Yet, even with these good things happening, Paul is no longer in control of his day and his whereabouts.  He has had a lot of freedom over the last 20 years.  Now, he has been arrested, and will continue in some form of custody for something  like 4 to 5 years.

Regardless, the Lord, who led him during those decades of missionary work and helped him to establish churches throughout Anatolia and Greece, can also work mightily through this imprisonment.  During this time, Paul will write four letters that are called the “Prison Epistles,” or “Prison Letters.”  These powerfully describe the position and power of the Lord Jesus, while also calling for believers to have the joy of Christ.  Imagine being in prison and encouraging others to experience the joy that you have.  The New Testament letters are: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Philemon.

It is easy to see only the negative of our situations.  We need the same perspective that Paul had when he said, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” (Romans 8:28 NKJV).

Let’s look at our passage.

Paul is taken to Caesarea (v. 23-35)

Receiving news of a plot to assassinate Paul, the Roman commander realizes that he needs to get Paul out of town, not only for his safety, but also, to keep things from getting out of hand in Jerusalem.  Already several riots have occurred around Paul.  Volatile situations have a tendency to be triggered by smaller events that don’t seem so potent at the time.  Paul may be a nobody to this Roman commander, but he isn’t going to underestimate what can happen.

The commander formulates a plan to evacuate Paul to Caesarea on the coast that night.  This is where Governor Felix was.  Now, a night march is easier to ambush, but the commander would have the element of surprise on his side.  This would buy them the time needed to get Paul to a more secure location.

The threat is known to be 40 men who have vowed not to eat until they have killed Paul.  The commander’s response is to ensure that these 40 men, and any others who may join them, will not be successful, even if they do figure out that Paul is being moved.  The commander pulls together 200 soldiers, 70 cavalry troops, and 200 spearmen.  They will leave at 9:00 o’clock that night.

The 470 soldiers will be an intimidating force to the 40 men and any others.  This almost 12 to 1 ratio ensures that Paul will be safe.

The commander also sends a letter with the group that is addressed to Governor Felix.  There are a couple of things that we can know from the letter, which Luke includes in the story.  First we find out that the commander’s name is Claudius Lysias.

It is interesting that he tells the narrative of Paul’s arrest in a way that makes him look better.  He basically writes that he rescued Paul from a riotous crowd because he found out that he was a Roman citizen.  Of course, we know that he only found out Paul’s Roman citizenship because a soldier that he had ordered to whip Paul, found out that Paul had Roman citizenship.  This soldier then warned Commander Lysias about what he was about to do.

He does accurately describe that Paul is really accused of transgressions of the Jewish religion, and not things worthy of death.  Yet, there was a plot to assassinate him, so it was best to send Paul to the governor.  The Jews would then be able to appear before Felix and make their charges against Paul.

In the end, the commander is not doing Paul any favors.  He is protecting his own backside with the governor, who will be protecting his own backside with Caesar.  Yet, God is in control of those who think they are in control.  This is one of the underlying themes throughout the book of Acts, even the whole Bible.

The mission goes as planned, and the soldiers are able to take Paul to Caesarea without incident.  The march all night and make it roughly halfway to the city of Antipatris.  Then, the horsemen take Paul on to Caesarea while the other soldiers return to the barracks.

When Paul arrives in Caesarea with 70 horsemen, the letter from Commander Lysias is presented to Governor Felix.  After reading the letter, the governor briefly questions Paul.  The question of where he is from is probably an attempt to pass this case off to someone else, like Herod Agrippa II.  We are going to see him in chapter 25.  However, Paul’s origin in Tarsus of Cilicia ensures that Governor Felix has to deal with his case.  The “problem” cropped up in his jurisdiction, Jerusalem.  The governor most likely sees this as an undesirable situation that can acerbate relations between the Jewish leaders and him.

It is clear that the governor is not interested in hearing Paul’s story.  He will hear Paul’s side of the story when his accusers show up to press their charges.  Thus, Paul is kept in the praetorium, which was a fortress-like palace built by Herod the Great and currently used by the Romans as an administrative headquarters.

It is no fun to have your life is in the hands of an authority figure.  We do not know much about Felix, except what we see in the book of Acts.  He is going to keep Paul in prison/jail for two years.  On top of this, next week we will see that he was hoping for a bribe.

This is the kind of authority figure Felix was.  He was willing to leave an innocent man in prison for the hope of money and for the trade-off of somewhat warmer relations with the elders of Jerusalem.

You and I have not been in a situation that is exactly like Paul’s, but if we focus on the basic components of this situation we can learn some things.  First, we have a bureaucrat who has power over another.  All authority is supposed to be for the service of the people as a whole, but it is very common for bureaucrats to exercise power in ways that are best for them.  When your situation is in the hands of a bureaucrat who doesn’t care about helping you, and you are unable to move forward until you get their approval, you can end up in a kind of limbo. 

These can be very frustrating times that try our patience.  It is natural to feel these things.  You may even complain excessively and devolve into outright angry tirades against them.  These things will spoil our spirit.  It is important for Christians to learn how to step into that place of God’s peace that we see Paul demonstrating here in the pages of Acts.  Your circumstances may be dire, but God hasn’t changed, and the peace that He has for you hasn’t changed.  God has peace for you, even when the world around you is going crazy.  This is why Paul could write about joy while he was sitting in a prison cell, or under house arrest.

Paul will eventually be executed by Rome for serving God, and His Anointed King Jesus.  Paul’s ability to be frustrated and angry would be far more understandable than ours.  However, have you ever noticed that your flesh doesn’t care if your life is on the line or not?  Does your flesh care that Paul had it worse and demonstrated patience?  I don’t think so.  When something, or someone, gets in our way, we become frustrated and angry.

Think about how computers are supposed to make life better, but half of the time they make things harder and chew up your time trying to get them fixed.  What about government?  It is supposed to serve the people and make life better for us, but it often does the opposite.

We can find ourselves in a harassed, frustrated and angry place.  In those moments, it doesn’t take much to trigger a response that is less than Christ-like.  If that is you, then you are human like the rest of us.  Yet, God cares, and He has a plan for us in the midst of such harassing times.  The enemy of our souls wants us to explode as an individual and as a society.  Yet, we know that this is not what Jesus wants.

May God help us to fix our minds upon Jesus.  This reminds me of a verse in Isaiah 26:3.  “You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.”  Let us trust in the Lord, rather than letting a person on this earth who has some authority trouble our souls.

Plot Foiled audio