Core Values
Shomair Yisrael Messianic Jewish Congregation
Community
B. Foundation Of Hope and Healing
Let's review…
Kingdom Authority and Power
· Power of God’s presence in corporate and personal life
· Centrality of Yeshua
· Pre-eminence of Word of God
· Apostolic/5 fold ministry
· World revival
Community
· Atmosphere of unconditional love
· Foundation of hope and healing
In our lesson last week on unconditional love, we studied 1 Cor 13:
1 Cor 13:7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. NKJV
As we said before, there is a relationship between and among each of these core values.
Ps 38:15 For in You, O LORD, I hope; NKJV
We are admonished in Scripture…
1 Peter 3:15 But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear; NKJV
Each of us should be able to answer to answer this question… How is my life different now from how it was before I knew the Lord?
For many of us the outward difference isn’t so different… but when trouble comes, then the differences become visible. When a believer gets squeezed, out comes all the good stuff. When a non-believer gets squeezed, out comes all the bad stuff. Begs the question, “Is He in you?”
The Hebrew word for “Hope” is “Mikayvah.” It is the same root as the Israeli national anthem, Hatikvah. It is also the root of the Hebrew word for a Baptismal, Mikvah.
In a mikvah there is a dirty side and a clean side. We go in dirty and come out clean, washed by the blood of the Lamb. Who washes in blood anyway?
There is a principle in Bible study called the principle of first mention. When we want to understand a Biblical concept we go to the place it is first mentioned in Scripture for a foundational understanding. Since Scripture cannot contradict itself, every other mention of that principle must build upon, or refer to the original mention.
Being washed in blood (the blood of the grape) is first mentioned where Jacob is giving his last words to his 12 sons…
Gen 49:3 "Reuben, you are my firstborn, My might and the beginning of my strength, NKJV
Gen 49:4 Unstable as water, you shall not excel,
Because you went up to your father's bed; NKJV
Gen 49:5 "Simeon and Levi are brothers; Instruments of cruelty are in their dwelling place. 6 Let not my soul enter their council; Let not my honor be united to their assembly; For in their anger they slew a man, NKJV
Gen 49:7 Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce; NKJV
Gen 49:8 "Judah, you are he whom your brothers shall praise; NKJV
Gen 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor a lawgiver from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes; And to Him shall be the obedience of the people. NKJV
Gen 49:11 He washed his garments in wine, And his clothes in the blood of grapes. NKJV
Rev 7:14 So he said to me, "These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them. 16 They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; 17 for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes." NKJV
We seem comfortable placing hope and healing in the same core value…
We expect God to move… Phil 1:6 being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Yeshua The Messiah; NKJV
2 Cor 8:12 For if there is first a willing mind, it is accepted according to what one has, and not according to what he does not have. NKJV
Acts 3:6 Then Peter said, "Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Yeshua The Messiah of Nazareth, rise up and walk." 7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. NKJV
We must be careful to follow God and not a healer or healing…
Rev 13:3 And I saw one of his heads as if it had been mortally wounded, and his deadly wound was healed. And all the world marveled and followed the beast. 4 So they worshiped the dragon who gave authority to the beast; and they worshiped the beast, saying, "Who is like the beast? Who is able to make war with him?" NKJV
Luke 9:2 He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. NKJV
Was this something new?
Ps 107:19 Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
And He saved them out of their distresses.
20 He sent His word and healed them,
And delivered them from their destructions. NKJV
Do we have the atmosphere of hope and healing the Lord desires at Shomair Yisrael?
Well, yes and no. Yes, we have an atmosphere of hope and healing; but no, we cannot say we’ve arrived without room for improvement.
Let me share these Scriptures from 1 Thess 4…
1 Thess 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus. NKJV
1 Thess 4:9 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; NKJV
1 Thess 4:13 But I do not want you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning those who have fallen asleep, lest you sorrow as others who have no hope. NKJV
1 Thess 4:17 And thus we shall always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore comfort one another with these words. NKJV
Should hope be characteristic of the people of God?
1 Cor 2:9 "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard,
Nor have entered into the heart of man
The things which God has prepared for those who love Him." NKJV (Is 64:4)
I want to end this message the same way Paul ended his letter to the Hebrews… Heb 13:20 Now may the God of peace who brought up our Lord Yeshua from the dead, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, 21 make you complete in every good work to do His will, working in you what is well pleasing in His sight, through Yeshua The Messiah, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. NKJV
Next week…long term covenant relationships.