Lesson 8
BookD
GO IN MY NAME
The best description of God in the Bible – 1 Corinthians 13
This chapter shows us in black and white what God is like. 1 John 4:8 states that God is love, but Paul in Corinthians spells out the full meaning of this short statement, by exchanging the word love for God then a grand description of the divine nature appears:
"God suffers long and is kind, God does not envy, God does not parade himself, he is not puffed up, God does not behave rudely, he does not seek his own, God is not provoked, God thinks no evil, God does not rejoice in iniquity, but God rejoices in the truth, God bears all things, God believes all things, hopes all things, ensures all things, God never fails.
The old testament had stated the exact same thing, but in the language of blood covenant, when God had declared his name in Exodus 34:5-7, as:
"The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness for thousands…."
The Father Revealed in Jesus – John 14:1-14
Jesus came to Earth, not only to die as the ransom for the sins of many, but in order to "show us the father", to demonstrate to us the nature of God. When we see Jesus, we see perfectly the attitude and heart of our God. The lovingingkindness of God was made manifest to us in the flesh and blood of Jesus.
The word manifest means to easily be seen by the eye or perceived by the mind, to show plainly to be evidenced of, to display.
In other words, as we look at the life and attitude of Jesus, we can easily see and perceive what God is like. Jesus is the evidence and display of the love of God.
Jesus clashes with the Pharisees – John 8
Most people, particularly the religious, have a hard time accepting the unconditional love of God. This is why Jesus clashed so violently with the Pharisees. They got upset with him for merely releasing the woman caught in the act of adultery with the exhortation "go and sin no more". The religious crave to find and judge those who are worse in order to appear better by comparison in the eyes of God.
Those who do not have a revelation of the Hesed lovingkindness of God thrive on the downfall of others – they climb high toward God on the backs of the fallen and the sinful. They need a group of people to despise, a group of people who they can call sinners in order to appear special, set apart and chosen. That is why they could not Believe that Jesus was from God, they assumed in their ignorance of the lovingkindness and covenant of God, that any true holy person would naturally be like them and want to mix with them. Jesus though made the downtrodden, the despised, the tax collectors and the sinners his own friends.
Those who had no revelation of the love of God longed to see judgement on others, in order to promote their own positions, Jesus however, insisted on showing mercy.
On the Sabbath day, the Pharisees wanted God and the world to notice them exclusively, Jesus took the attention from them and onto the goodness and lovingkindness of God by purposely healing on the Sabbath.
The religious people loved the law, but they failed totally in understanding what the law was all about.
The greatest commandment – Mark 12:28-34
There were very few people who had a clue about the kingdom of God as revealed in the old covenant. However, a certain scribe came very close to unlocking its meaning. On this occasion he questioned Jesus asking which was the greatest commandment. Jesus answered by naming two commands as follows:-
The scribe demonstrating a profound and uncommon understanding of the nature of both God and the entire old covenant said that to do these "is more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices" as laid down in the law.
The requirement to show lovingkindness to both God and man was not a novel concept. It was the principle which ran through the entire old covenant and which now underpins the new.
Micah 6:8 declared for all to read – "He has shown you, O man what is good and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly to love lovingkindness and to walk humbly with your God".
The law and the sacrifices were signed posts to bring us to Christ, but the royal law of lovingkindness (James 2:8) to both God and man is what we find when we get there.
The Disciples taught a lesson in lovingkindness – John 13
Unfortunately not even the disciples understood this principle, like the Pharisees and like the religious, they too were so intent with jostling for position that they largely missed the message of Jesus ministry even after spending three years with him.
So at a crucial moment in the life of Jesus the master himself decides to teach them a lesson about God that they would never forget.
What is it that Jesus teaches the disciples in their final hours with him before the crucifixion? It is the principle of lovingkindness demonstrated through humility and servanthood. The Bible teaches us that at this point, Jesus knew a number of things.
He knew that his hour had come and that he was about to depart from the world. It is obvious that what he teaches and does now is going to be of immense importance.
He knew that the father had given all things into his hands, He knew that he had come from God and that he was going to God. In other words he was totally secure in his own self worth, he had no doubts at all about his own acceptance by God and about his own destiny in God.
It was because of this assurance of his own worth that he was free to serve. He knew that he was the master and this freed him totally to take the part of a slave in order to demonstrate what true humility and servanthood is like.
Jesus after taking the part of the slave boy then turns to his disciples and says "Do you know what I have done to you? If I your Lord and teacher have washed your feet you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you as an example that you should do as I have done to you".
Why do we not follow the example?
Jesus set the standard knowing two things, we fail to follow the example through not knowing these same two things. We have failed to discern the importance of servanthood and humility as expressed in practical ways, and if we have recognised its importance we have not served in humility because we have not know what we have from God, who we are in God and where we are destined in God.
Servanthood is not a sign of weakness, it is born from a position of absolute assurance and confidence in the Almighty.
The way of the servant, not of Salome – Matthew 20:20-28
Salome thought that her two boys James and John ought to be first in line for something special in the kingdom. She says to Jesus "Grant that these two sons of mine may sit one on your right hand and the other on your left in your kingdom". But Jesus answered and said "You do not know what you ask. Are you able to drink the cup that I am about to drink?" In other words Jesus was saying that the reason he would eventually rise to the heights is because he would first humble himself to the depths in serving mankind.
Jesus then summarises the covenant manifesto (The Sermon on the Mount) by saying "Whoever desires to become great amongst you let him become your servant and whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave, for the son of man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many".
Servanthood – Not just a means to greatness
Just in case any of his hearers thought that service was a means to greatness (i.e. the attitude which says I will be seen to serve you today, so that tomorrow everyone will be serving me)". Jesus later clarifies what he meant by saying "He who is greatest among you shall be your servant". (Matthew 23:11).
To strut around with fancy titles to insist on hand and foot waitress service is self-exaltation. Jesus warns that such a person will find himself abased by God. On the other hand, the man who does not care less if he gets the lowly seat at the table will eventually find himself exalted by God.
James 4:6 – "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble".
James 4:10 - "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up".
Servanthood, the key to successful evangelism – John 13:34-35
A new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.
Walking in lovingkindness will result in the world knowing for sure that Jesus is alive. Jesus perfectly expresses the nature of the Father and the nature of the Father is love. Now no man has seen God at any time (1 John 4:12). So how is the world going to come to a revelation of God? There is only one way, that is as the body of Christ, as those who are born of love, children of love, partakers of the divine nature of love, begin to express and channel their lovingkindness to one another.
We saw the love of God demonstrated or manifest to us in Jesus, the world now needs that same love of God demonstrated and made manifest to them through us. John goes on to say "If we love one another, God abides in us, and his love has been perfected in us". Failure to do this will result in the whole world perceiving us as nothing more than mere men (1 Cor 3:3).
Servanthood – The key to a Stable life – Matthew 7:24-29
The parable of the two builders was not meant to stand on its own, Jesus said as the introduction to the parable "Whoever hears these sayings"; the sayings that he was referring to were the principles as given during the Sermon on the Mount – the principles of living a fasted life, loving enemies going the second mile, turning the other cheek.
Servanthood – The key to answered prayer – James 4:2-3
You fight and war, you ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
The name of Jesus is not the signature on a blank cheque. You will receive if you ask in his name. But asking in his name is much more than simply tagging in the name of Jesus on the end of a prayer request.
To ask for something in Jesus name is to recognise that Jesus carries the name of God Almighty, which is lovingkindness (Phil 2:9) so to ask in Jesus name is to ask in accordance with the lovingkindness of God. Such prayers God will always answer.
This is why Paul stresses that faith works through love (Galatians 5:6). Often when prayers aren’t answered we immediately attempt to increase our faith. What may work better is a determination to walk and ask in accordance with the lovingkindness of God, rather than selfish ambition.
Servanthood – The key to the supernatural – Mark 16:15-18
A manifestation of the supernatural is obviously dependent upon the presence of the glory of God. As it is the believer who is commissioned to not only preach but also to work signs and wonders then it follows that the glory of God must be present in the life of a believer in order for the supernatural to manifest.
But so often we think of the glory as something apart from the nature of God. When Moses asked to see the glory of the Lord, God answered him by giving him his name, which was abounding in lovingkindness. The church has failed to bring a manifestation of the supernatural into the earth partly because it has failed to understand that go in my name means to in the lovingkindness of God, expressing that lovingkindness to each other and to the lost, sick and hurting wherever you find them.
Too often, people want to be seen ministering the supernatural through healings, miracles signs and wonders, and of course it is good to do these things. But these are not the only methods of service. There are many practical and unspectacular ways of serving others that are open to every believer. Jesus commanded us to do them.
Believers need to learn that they will not serve in the supernatural until they learn to serve in the natural. If it was good enough for Jesus, it must be good enough for us.
As we begin to do into the highways and byways with the attitude of lovingkindness, we will find that God will come on the scene in the fullness of his power and glory, because to demonstrate the lovingkindness of God is to demonstrate the glory and life and manifest presence of God himself.
QUESTIONS
Book D
Please write an essay of 500 words (2 Pages) on the:-
"Relevance of the Blood Covenant for Today"
Lesson 8
QUESTIONS FOR THIS SECTION
