A. Jesus takes away sin (John 1:29; Isaiah 53:6)
B. John’s testimony of Jesus (John 1:30-35; Matthew 3:16-17)
C. John’s desire to turn people to Christ (John 1:36; 3:30)
II. “What do you seek?”
A. Jesus invites them to “Come and see” (John 1:37-40)
B. Andrew then brings Peter (John 1:41-42; cf. 6:8-9; 12:20-22)
III. “Come and see!”
A. Jesus to Philip: “Follow Me” (John 1:43; Luke 9:23-26, 57-62)
B. Philip to Nathanael: “Come and see!” (John 1:44-49; Acts 17:11)
C. “You will see greater things than these” (John 1:50-51)
A. Past: strangers and foreigners
B. Present: fellow citizens with the saints (Philippians 3:20; Matthew 5:3-12) and members of the household of God (Galatians 6:10; 1 Timothy 3:15)
II. The building (Ephesians 2:20-21)
A. The foundation (Acts 2:42; Matthew 16:16-19)
B. The chief cornerstone (Psalm 118:22 [cf. Mark 12:10; Luke 20:17; Acts 4:9-12; 1 Peter 2:7]; Isaiah 28:16 [cf. 1 Peter 2:6])
C. The integrity (Ephesians 4:13, 16; 1 Peter 1:15-16)
III. The purpose (Ephesians 2:22)
A. Unity (Ephesians 2:19, 21, 22)
B. For a dwelling place of God in the Spirit (Ephesians 3:17; Colossians 3:16; 1 Corinthians 3:16; Acts 17:24)
I. The vineyard as a symbol of Israel (5:1-2; Ps. 80; Jer. 12:10; Mark 12:1-10)
A. “My Well-beloved” = God
B. “The choicest vine” = Abraham, Isaac, Jacob
C. “Wild grapes” are poisonous and toxic
II. A song of lament (5:3-6)
A. Similar in method to Nathan (2 Samuel 12:1-15) and Jesus (Matthew 21:33-43; Mark 12:1-9)
B. Limits of God’s power: He will not violate man’s free will (Matthew 23:37; 2 Peter 3:9)
III. The meaning of the parable (5:7)
A. Paronomasia (pun in which the words sound similar but have different meanings)
B. Justice (mishpat) vs. oppression/bloodshed (mispah)
C. Righteousness (sedakah) vs. a cry (seakah)
IV. The first woe (5:8-10)
A. Against land-grabbing (Micah 2:2; Jeremiah 22:13-17; Habakkuk 2:9-12)
B. Drastically reduced harvest (Lev. 26:20; Deut. 26:15, 18; Haggai 1:5-6)
V. The second woe (5:11-12)
A. Against drunken revelry (1 Peter 4:1-4; Eph. 5:18; Rom. 13:13; Gal. 5:19-21)
B. God was not a priority (Amos 6:1-7; Matthew 6:33; Colossians 3:1-2)
A. Prophesied (Isaiah 9:6-7; 52:7; 53:5; 57:19-21)
B. Peace is a part of unity (Acts 2:42-47)
II. Peace among different nationalities (2:14-17)
A. The peace of Christ is found only in the church [“in one body”] (1 Corinthians 12:12-13)
B. Made possible for all “through the cross” (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-11)
III. Peace with the Father (2:18)
A. Access to the Father restored through Christ by one Spirit (Isa. 59:1-2)
B. There can be no peace apart from the blood of Christ (2:13), the cross of Christ (2:16)
A. God’s desire (2 Peter 3:9)
B. Our desire (Galatians 6:1)
II. The process of confrontation
A. Talk to the offender, not about the offender (Matthew 18:15)
B. If the problem persists, take witnesses (Matthew 18:16)
C. If he still refuses to repent, take the matter before the church (Matthew 18:17-20)
III. The reasons for withdrawal
A. Unsound doctrine (1 Timothy 6:3-5; 2 John 9-11)
B. Unbiblical practice (2 Thessalonians 3:6, 14)
C. Immoral behavior (1 Corinthians 5:1-9)
D. Instigation of strife (Romans 16:17-18; Titus 3:10-11)
E. All of this applies to withdrawing of fellowship from a Christian, not to our relationship with the world at large (1 Corinthians 5:9-13)
IV. The aim of discipline
A. In regards to the individual…
1. Admonishment (2 Thessalonians 3:15)
2. Restoration (James 5:19-20)
3. Forgiveness and reaffirmation of love (2 Cor. 2:6-8)
B. In regards to the church…
1. Protection of the flock (Acts 20:28; Titus 1:10-11)
2. Maintain the unity of the Spirit (Ephesians 4:1-3) and fellowship with God (Revelation 2:14-16)
A. Must come into contact with something to affect it (Romans 12:1-2)
B. What happens when it loses its effectiveness? (Luke 14:34-35)
II. Light (5:14)
A. Jesus (John 8:12; 1:4-5)
B. Disciples (Ephesians 5:8)
C. More than mere reflection, we must burn as lamps lit from His fire! (John 12:36; Philippians 2:14-16; 1 Thessalonians 5:4-8)
III. “On a hill” … “on a lampstand” (5:14-15)
A. Covert discipleship is forbidden (Matthew 10:32-33)
B. As part of the local church (Revelation 1:20)
IV. Motivation (5:16)
A. Marshall Keeble: “The Bible does not say to make your light shine, but it says to let it shine!”
B. Good works to glorify God (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 6:10; James 2:20-22, 24)
A. “Therefore” (Ephesians 2:1-3, 5-6, 10)
B. “Once Gentiles…called Uncircumcision” (Galatians 3:28)
II. Your former rank (2:11-12)
A. Physical/political separation (“aliens”)
B. Spiritual separation
1. “Strangers from the covenants of promise” (Genesis 12:2-3; 15:18-21; 17:1-21; Exodus 24:1-9; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Hebrews 8:6-13)
2. “No hope” (Ephesians 1:18) and “without God” (Romans 1-2)
III. Your present relationship: “now in Christ Jesus” (2:13)
A. Reconciliation of the “far off” (Isaiah 57:19; Acts 2:39)
B. There’s power in the blood (Romans 5:8-9; Hebrews 9:22; Matthew 26:28; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 1:17-19; 1 John 1:7; Acts 20:28)
A. “Together” / “Common” / “With one accord” (Acts 2:44-47)
B. Not “unity in diversity” but unity in the apostles’ doctrine (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 1:10; John 17:20-21)
C. Striving for peace (Acts 6:1, 7; Romans 14:19; Ephesians 4:1-3)
II. Their steadfast nature
A. Steadfast in doctrine, fellowship, breaking of bread, prayers (Acts 2:42; 1 Corinthians 15:58; 16:13)
B. Danger of not being steadfast (Galatians 1:6-9)
C. Self-discipline (Romans 12:1-2)
III. Their belief in the message
A. “Into all the world” (Mark 16:15 Colossians 1:23)
B. Unafraid when opposed (Acts 4:18-20; Galatians 1:10)
C. Despite persecutions, they believed (Acts 8:1-3; 2 Corinthians 11:24-27; Acts 12:1-2; Acts 8:4)
A. Not born lost, but because of sin we are lost, resulting in death (Ezekiel 18:19-22; Romans 6:23; James 1:14-15)
B. We must change who we are because of who He is (1 Peter 4:1-3; Ezekiel 18:23)
II. God’s involvement in our salvation (Ephesians 2:4-9)
A. Mercy (2 Corinthians 1:3; Micah 7:18; Psalm 51:1)
B. Love (1 John 4:8; Ephesians 2:4; Jeremiah 31:3; Romans 8:38-39)
C. Grace (2 Timothy 1:9; Romans 11:5; 1 Timothy 1:14; 1 Peter 5:12)
D. Kindness (Titus 3:4-5)
III. We are created in Christ for good works (Ephesians 2:10)
A. Not meritorious, boast-worthy works (Ephesians 2:8-9)
B. Works of service (Matthew 25:31-46; James 2:14-26; Galatians 6:10)
C. Works of love (John 14:15; 1 John 5:3)
VIII. Persecuted (Matthew 5:10-12; 2 Timothy 3:12; 1 Peter 4:19; Revelation 2, 3)
But when they believed Philip as he preached the things concerning the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized. (Acts 8:12)
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