Scott LaPierre Ministries

The Jews misunderstood Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' Coming. The Old Testament compressed prophecies of Jesus' first and second coming, leading the Jews to believe all the prophecies would be fulfilled in one coming. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/old-testament-prophecies-of-jesus-coming/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Misunderstanding Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus' Coming 09:02 Lesson One: The Old Testament prophecies of Jesus' coming were compressed. 26:28 Lesson Two: The Jews expected Old Testament prophecies to be fulfilled in one coming. 34:17 Lesson Three: The Jews wanted salvation from Rome versus salvation from sin. The Old Testament Prophecies of Jesus' Coming Were Compressed Zechariah 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10 I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Ephraim is another name for Israel because Ephraim was the largest tribe. Zechariah is prophesying of the Second Coming when Jesus defeats the nations that assemble against Israel: he cuts off the chariot, warhorse, and battle bow. Jesus’s rule stretches from the river, referring to the Euphrates, to the ends of the earth. He speaks peace to the nations, because with all the enemies destroyed peace is established. The order of prophetic events: Jesus returns, destroys enemies at the battle of Armageddon, and then sets up his kingdom on the earth. Many well-known verses describe this as a time of peace: Isaiah 2:4 They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. Isaiah 11:6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. 7 The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. Zechariah 9:9 is about Jesus’s first coming, and Zechariah 9:10 is about Jesus’s Second Coming. The arrival of the Savior in verse 9 is immediately followed by a description of his reign in verse 10. There have been at least 2000 years between verses 9 and 10, but the Bible puts them back-to-back. This is known as “prophetic compression.” Isaiah 9:6a For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. So, talk about a compressed prophecy! Now we don’t even have verses back-to-back. In the same verse we just went from Jesus’s birth to Jesus ruling the nations. You don’t expect to see words like this about a child. A child can’t carry the government on his shoulder. Again, this looks forward to the second coming followed by the millennial kingdom. You say, “I thought we were talking about a Child. Now we’re talking about a Father? Are we talking about God the Father or God the Son?” The child is Jesus. He is not to be confused with God the Father. It’s best to understand the title “Father” means “originator” or “source of.” For example, in John 8:44, Jesus said Satan is the “father of lies.” It’s referring to lies originating from him. In saying Jesus is the Everlasting Father it means he is the father – or originator of – time: Jesus Himself is eternal: John 8:58 Jesus said to them,“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was,I am.” Jesus is also unchanging: Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ isthe same yesterday and today and forever. Isaiah 61:1 The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/old-testament-prophecies-of-jesus-coming/

Jesus's triumphal entry into Jerusalem is one of the unique accounts that's found in all four gospels (Matthew 21:1-11, Mark 11:1-10, Luke 19:28-40, and John 12:12-19). The account fulfills the prophecy in Zachariah 9:9 and reveals Jesus's Messiahship and Kingship. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/jesus-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Jesus's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem 05:51 Lesson One: The triumphal entry (Part One) fulfilled prophecy. 22:35 Lesson One: The triumphal entry (Part Two) reveals Jesus’s Messiahship. 26:49 Lesson One: The triumphal entry (Part Three) reveals Jesus’s Kingship. 34:54 Lesson Two: We should be willing to give up whatever the Lord needs. 39:47 Lesson One: The triumphal entry (Part Four) reveals Jesus’s omniscience. 47:19 Lesson Three: Jesus came to bring peace between God and man. The Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem Fulfilled Prophecy Let’s begin by looking at the prophecy of the triumphal entry: Zechariah 9:9a Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; Because Zion is another name for Jerusalem, saying daughter of Zion and daughter of Jerusalem are both ways of referring to Jerusalem’s inhabitants, the Jews. They are told to show great exuberance, and rejoice greatly and shout aloud, because their king is coming. A coronation is a time of celebration, but the Jews have even more reason to celebrate, because listen to the way their king is described: Zechariah 9:9b righteous and having salvation is he, They should celebrate because of who Jesus is (righteous or just), and what he brings (salvation). Many kings throughout history have been selfish. Instead of serving people, they used people for personal gain. When Israel rejected God as king, and asked for an earthly, human king, God could have justly given them what they wanted and let them suffer for it. But first, he graciously warned them what it would be like to have their earthly king. Listen to the repetition of the word take: 1 Samuel 8:11 [Samuel] said, “The king who will reign over you will take your sons…13 He will take your daughters…14 He will take the best of your fields…15 He will take the tenth of your grain…16 He will take…the best of your young men and your donkeys. 17 He will take the tenth of your flocks, and you shall be his slaves.” If you would expect anyone to have a good king, it would be Israel. But God said their kings would be unjust takers. But when Zechariah prophesied about Jesus, he would be the ideal ruler. He would be just and give people the greatest gift: salvation or eternal life. A Surprising Prophecy Now the prophecy becomes completely shocking and contrary to anything anyone would have imagined for such a king: Zechariah 9:9c humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. These words don’t reconcile with the previous part of the verse. You would expect to read, “Behold, your king is coming to you, great, mighty, and powerful, riding on a magnificent horse.” Instead, we read this. Though the triumphal entry was a joyful celebration, anyone watching would wonder what was so triumphal about it. The king himself would not look like some great victor. He would look like a humble servant. A Full Understanding of the Triumphal Entry Many of the triumphal entry’s important details can’t be found using just one gospel. If we use just Luke’s gospel, it looks like this is the order of events leading up to the triumphal entry: Jesus heals blind Bartimaeus, Jesus visits Zacchaeus, Jesus preaches the parable of the Minas, then Jesus makes his triumphal entry. But John’s gospel records an important event that took place before the triumphal entry, and that’s when he raised Lazarus. It’s important to know this happened. When Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead (John 11:38-44), it did two things related to the triumphal entry. First, it caused the religious leaders to start plotting Jesus’s death: John 11:53 So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. Imagine that: Jesus raised someone from the dead and the religious leaders wanted to murder him. It gets even... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/jesus-triumphal-entry-into-jerusalem/

Romans 11:22 says, “Behold the kindness and severity of God,” which is illustrated in this parable. The faithful servants experience the master’s kindness. They were commended, put in charge of cities, and will spend eternity in heaven. The unfaithful servant was rebuked, called wicked, and his mina was taken from him and given to someone else. And this is nothing compared to what the master’s enemies experienced: they were brought before him, slaughtered, and will spend eternity in hell. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/behold-the-kindness-and-severity-of-god/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Behold the Kindness and Severity of God 08:06 Lesson One: We all fail, but the sin is not trying. 16:52 Lesson Two: Knowing God is severe makes us more accountable. 24:20 Lesson Three: God expects something. 27:45 Lesson Four: People can be wicked because of what they don’t do. 33:03 Lesson Five: Use or possibly lose what God has given you. 46:54 Lesson Six: Believers experience God’s kindness and unbelievers experience his severity. Before I became a Christian, I believed in God. I wasn’t an atheist, but I hadn’t heard the gospel, repented of my sins, and put my faith in Jesus Christ. At that time, if you had asked me about God, I would’ve told you how good, gracious, loving, and kind He is. But I would not have told you how severe, holy, just, and righteous He is. When we describe God with some of His attributes but leave out others, we create a false god, or idol. Instead, we must do what Romans 11:22 commands and “Behold the kindness and severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but God’s kindness to you.” We see the kindness and severity of God on full display in the parable of the talents as He deals with the three servants. Let’s consider the first two servants, who were recipients of God’s kindness, and then the third servant, who was a recipient of His severity. The Kindness of God to Faithful Servants Because the first two servants had been “faithful over a few things,” it would make sense for the master to make them rulers over few things. Instead, he said he would “make [them] ruler over many things.” God is gracious. We will receive more from Him than we’ve done for Him. It should encourage us that the master was pleased with the servants even though they had been “faithful [only] over a few things.” If we thought we had to be faithful over many things to please the Lord, we might feel like failures. Instead, God is pleased with faithfulness over only a few things if that’s all He’s given us. In addition, the “few things” needn’t be big things. In Matthew 10:42, Jesus said, “Whoever gives one of these little ones only a cup of cold water in the name of a disciple, assuredly, I say to you, he shall by no means lose his reward.” Talk about being faithful over little! What’s littler than giving someone a cup of water? With God, even the smallest acts will be rewarded. When the master said, “I will make you ruler over many things,” he promoted those men. They went from being servants to rulers. The reward for serving the Lord is greater service in the future. Bringing God Joy I’m sure when we have marriages that reflect Christ and the church, when we raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, and when children obey their parents, it brings God joy. Although there’s one thing in Scripture that seems to bring God more joy than anything else, and that’s people being saved. In Luke 15 are three well-known parables about salvation, and joy is the theme of each. In the parables of the lost sheep and the lost coin, Jesus said, When he has found [the lost sheep], he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, “Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!” I say to you that likewise there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninetynine just persons who need no repentance…When she has found [the lost coin], she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, “Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!” Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/behold-the-kindness-and-severity-of-god/

In the parable of the minas the servants have been “entrusted with the gospel” (1 Thessalonians 2:4). To be a faithful steward we must preach the gospel so that the mina multiplies. The servants are told they will be “over cities,” (Luke 19:17, 19) which means ruling with Christ during the Millennium. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/parable-of-the-minas/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Entrusted with the Gospel in the Parable of the Minas 09:30 Lesson One: The minas represent the gospel each of us have been entrusted with. 15:39 Lesson Two: God judges our faithfulness versus our sin. 18:31 Lesson Three: Multiplication of the minas represents the spread of the gospel. 32:22 Lesson Four: Faithfulness with the gospel is rewarded with authority during the Millennium. In the parable of the talents, the talents represent the gifts and abilities God has given us. The servants received different amounts because we have different gifts and abilities. But in the parable of the minas, each servant receives the same amount, one mina, because the mina represents the gospel, which we have all received in equal measure. Numerous commentaries made this point: Matthew Henry wrote: “The principal difference [from the parable of the talents] is that the [mina is] the gift of the gospel, which is the same to all who hear it; but [with] the talents…God gives different capacities.” William Hendrickson wrote, "With that mina each of these servants must do business. That is the point of the parable. Those who have heard the gospel must proclaim it!" Joseph Benson wrote the 10 servants and the mina given to them represent: “The apostles and first preachers of the gospel, to whom Jesus gave endowments fitting them for their work, and from whom he expected a due improvement of those endowments in the propagation of the gospel [and] all who did or should hereafter profess to receive his gospel, and to be his disciples and servants.” It is fitting for the minas to represent the gospel, because the New Testament says the gospel is something we have been entrusted with, like a stewardship: 1 Thessalonians 2:4 We have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. 1 Timothy 1:11 The gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted. Maybe you have never thought of the gospel as one of our most important stewardships, but I would encourage you to do so. If someone asked you about the most important stewardships in your life: Maybe you would say, “I have children. I have to be faithful to them.” I’d say, “Amen!” Or maybe you would say, “I’m married. This is one of my most important stewardships. I must be faithful to my spouse.” I’d say, “Amen!” Or maybe you would say, “God has given me time and money. These are two of the most important stewardships in my life, so I must be careful how I spend them.” I’d say, “Amen.” The parable of the minas should encourage us to see the gospel as one of our most important stewardships as well. Faithfulness with the Gospel 1 Corinthians 4:1 [We should be regarded] as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover, IT IS REQUIRED OF STEWARDS THAT THEY BE FOUND FAITHFUL. “The mysteries of God” refers to the gospel. We’re stewards of the gospel and faithfulness is required. This means spreading the gospel with others so that your mina multiplies. Perhaps there’s someone you’ve felt burdened to share the Gospel with. Maybe it’s a coworker, neighbor, fellow student, or family member. And maybe you’ve been procrastinating! You’re like the servant in Luke 19:20 who said, “Lord, here is your mina, which I kept laid away in a handkerchief. It’s nice and safe for you, Lord.” If you’ve been putting off preaching the gospel, you could be bordering on unfaithfulness. Maybe you have been telling yourself, “I’m waiting for just the right moment.” But deep down you know this is just an excuse. I hope this parable encourages you, like it encourages me, not to put off preaching the gospel any longer. Make a commitment to preach to that person, or those people, God has put on your heart. God Judges Our Faithfulness Versus Our Sin... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/parable-of-the-minas/

Sometimes people wonder, “Is restitution needed for salvation? I committed all these sins before becoming a Christian. Do I need to do anything about them now?” If there’s one place in Scripture that could cause us to think restitution is needed for salvation, it is the account with Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10. Let’s look at it in detail to see what it does and doesn’t teach about restitution for salvation. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/does-zacchaeus-teach-restitution-for-salvation/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Does Zacchaeus Teach Restitution for Salvation? 09:21 Lesson One: (Part One) Zacchaeus sought Jesus... 38:29 Lesson Two: Restitution is not needed for salvation, because (Part One) Zacchaeus’s behavior is descriptive versus prescriptive. 40:10 Lesson Two: Restitution is not needed for salvation, because (Part Two) there are too many sins to count. 45:17 Lesson Two: Restitution is not needed for salvation, because (Part Three) we’re saved by grace through faith. 47:18 Lesson Three: Restitution is not needed for salvation, but (Part One) repentance produces fruit. 55:22 Lesson Three: Restitution is not needed for salvation, but (Part Two) God might convict us to make restitution. 59:55 Lesson One: (Part One) Zacchaeus sought Jesus (Part Two), but Jesus sought him first. Jesus declared Zacchaeus was saved after Zacchaeus made a declaration about righting his wrongs. This makes it look like restitution is needed for salvation. So, let’s talk about what’s going on here. I’m going to go through many parts of this quickly. And this brings us to the first part of lesson two… Reason One: Restitution Is not Needed for Salvation Because Zacchaeus’s behavior is descriptive versus prescriptive The Bible can be descriptive without being prescriptive. In other words, parts of the Bible describe what happened without prescribing for us to do the same. Jesus was comfortable commanding Zacchaeus. He commanded him to come down from the tree. But he didn’t command him to give away half his possessions and restore fourfold. Zacchaeus chose to do this on his own, but we don’t have to do the same. Reason Two: Restitution Is not Needed for Salvation Because There Are Too Many Sins to Count Who can remember all the sins they committed, just yesterday? Zacchaeus was a tax collector, so maybe he had thorough records that would allow him to see who he ripped off over the years. But even if he could fix the sins he committed as a tax collector, there were lots of other sins that he couldn’t make right, simply because he couldn’t remember all of them. If restitution was needed for salvation, nobody could be saved. We can’t remember all the sins we’ve committed, and even if we could, we wouldn’t have the means to make all of them right. People who have had abortions often struggle with guilt for years. They can’t make restitution for their sin. My heart would break for any deathbed conversions. Imagine someone saying, “I want to be saved, but I don’t have the time to fix these things I did.” Reason Three: Restitution Is not Needed for Salvation Because We Are Saved by Grace Through Faith If restitution was needed for salvation, salvation wouldn’t be by grace through faith. Salvation would be by restitution through human effort. The point of the famous hymn, “Just as I Am” is God wants us as we are…not as we would be after we make things right. Instead of restitution, what is required is repentance and faith. Repentance means change versus repayment. Zacchaeus Is an Example of Repentance Producing Fruit John the Baptist said, “Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” This is exactly what Zacchaeus did. He was genuinely repentant, and his repentance produced fruit. Zacchaeus did what he did, not to be saved, but because he was saved. Repentance isn’t just stopping something, it is also starting something, or bearing fruit. This is the biblical principle of putting off and putting on, which is taught clearest in Ephesians 4. Consider how well what Paul wrote describes Zacchaeus: Ephesians 4:22 Put off your old self…24 and put on the new self…28 Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/does-zacchaeus-teach-restitution-for-salvation/

The account of Jesus healing blind Bartimaeus is found in Matthew 20:29-34, Luke 18:35-43, and Mark 10:46-52. Unbelievers are as spiritually poor and blind as Bartimaeus was physically poor and blind. When they cry out for mercy, he gives them spiritual sight. Like blind Bartimaeus they move from darkness to light, become Jesus’s follower, and glorify him. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/jesus-heals-blind-bartimaeus/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Jesus Heals Blind Bartimaeus and Us (Luke 18:35-43 12:01 Lesson One: Jesus’s physical miracles were signs illustrating spiritual truths. 19:32 Lesson Two: Like Bartimaeus, unbelievers (Part One) are blind. 23:03 Lesson Two: Like Bartimaeus, unbelievers (Part Two) are poor. 37:07 Lesson Two: Like Bartimaeus, unbelievers (Part Three) must cry out for mercy. 46:13 Lesson Three: Like Bartimaeus, believers (Part One) move from darkness to light. 49:11 Lesson Three: Like Bartimaeus, believers (Part Two) become Jesus’s followers. 50:18 Lesson Three: Like Bartimaeus, believers (Part Three) glorify God. 52:38 Lesson Three: Like Bartimaeus, believers (Part Four) lead others to glorify God. In Jesus’s day, blindness was a common affliction that had no cure. Because blind people could not work, they had to make their living as beggars. Bartimaeus spent his days sitting by the side of the road begging for money from people who passed by. It is hard to imagine a more miserable existence. Perhaps only a leper’s life could rival Bartimaeus’s depressing life. If he was fortunate enough to receive money, he would make his way into Jericho and struggle to buy food. This was a good day. On a bad day, he would spend the night hungry. Thinking about Bartimaeus’s life, one of the words that comes to mind is boring. I cannot think of many things more boring than spending days sitting on the side of the road begging. One of the only things that could make the boredom worse would be blindness, because then you can’t even see anything of any interest while the hours pass by. But on this day Bartimaeus noticed the excitement: Luke 18:36 And hearing a crowd going by, he inquired what this meant. 37 They told him, “Jesus of Nazareth is passing by.” Bartimaeus had no idea what was happening. He asked those around him, hoping they would be kind enough to answer. Because as we will see in a moment, the crowd was very inconsiderate. He would not have expected the answer he received. This would have been an exciting moment for anyone, and we know that because so many people had gathered for the occasion. But for blind Bartimaeus, a man whose life was characterized by boredom and monotony, this likely would have been the most exciting moment of his life. How Much Did People Want to See Jesus? Just so you can picture this scene better, consider what happened right after this when Jesus entered Jericho: Luke 19:1 He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. 3 And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. Huge crowds were following Jesus and people, like Zacchaeus, wanted nothing more than to be able to see him. As Jesus approached Jericho numerous others gathered on the sides of the road. Jesus’s Miracles Were Signs Illustrating Spiritual Truths We must pause the account with blind Bartimaeus for a moment to make sure we view it correctly: John 6:1 After this Jesus went away to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, which is the Sea of Tiberias. 2 And a large crowd was following him, because they saw THE SIGNS that he was doing on the sick. Notice Jesus’s miracles Jesus were called “signs.” In the following verses Jesus feeds the 5,000: John 6:14 When the people saw THE SIGN that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Again, the miraculous feeding of the 5,000 was called a sign. Jesus didn’t perform miracles for the sake of performing miracles. He performed miracles because they served as signs. If you read about Jesus’s miracles and don’t understand that they serve as signs, then you will... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/jesus-heals-blind-bartimaeus/

Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 loosely state that, "With God all things are possible." This verse and some others (such as Isaiah 54:17 and Philippians 4:13) sound wonderful, but are they true the way people quote them? Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/with-god-all-things-are-possible/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 With God All Things Are Possible, Right? (Luke 18:26-34) 02:57 Lesson One: “You keep using that verse. I do not think it means what you think it means.” 28:01 Lesson Two: With God it is possible for man to be saved by divine grace. 44:56 Lesson Three: Jesus’s sacrifice puts our sacrifices in perspective. Do Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 Teach that With God All Things Are Possible? People love to loosely quote Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 and say, “With God all things are possible.” I get why people say this. Not only does it sound really good, this verse makes God himself sound good. The other two misquoted versus, Isaiah 54:17 and Philippians 4:13, are about us, but this verse is about God. It exalts him. Who wouldn’t want to say this? But are the verses really saying, “With God all things are possible”? No, they are not. The verses sound like they are saying God helps people do anything, but: It is impossible for God to help people sin. It is impossible for God to help people do anything against his will. So, what are Matthew 19:26 and Luke 18:27 saying? To correctly understand the verses, like we must do with every verse, we must look at the context. The verses flow from Jesus speaking to the rich young ruler who wanted to go to heaven. He was convinced he was righteous, so Jesus tried to help him see his sinfulness by exposing his covetousness: Luke 18:22 When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” :23 But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich. 24 Jesus, seeing that he (the rich young ruler) had become sad, said, “How difficult it is for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God! 25 For it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” We don’t all need to do this. It is descriptive for us, but it was prescriptive for the rich young ruler. When presented with the choice between his possessions and following Jesus, he chose his possessions. Two Applications from Jesus’s Statement about Rich People Entering the Kingdom of God One application is obvious and the other is less obvious. The obvious application is that it is harder for rich people to enter the kingdom of God. It is not impossible. Many of the greatest people in Scripture were rich: In the Old Testament, there were Abraham, Job, and Solomon. In the New Testament, there was Joseph of Arimathea, Lydia, and those who hosted churches in their homes because they were wealthy enough to have homes that accommodated large groups. But we must acknowledge that there are certain temptations or struggles that rich people would face, that non-wealthy people would not face. This makes entering the kingdom of God harder. The other application, which is less obvious, deals with the common belief in Jesus’s day that rich people enter the kingdom of God. There are two reasons people thought this: There was the belief that wealth is evidence of God’s approval. The richer people were, the more righteous they must be. If people had money, God was pleased with them, and they were going to heaven. Think about it: if God was displeased with people, why would he give them so much money? There was the belief that rich people’s money allowed them to be more righteous. They had more money to give and they had more money to offer sacrifices: The Jews believed that with alms a person purchased salvation (as recorded in the Talmud), so the more wealth one had, the more alms he could give, the more sacrifices and offerings he could offer, thus purchasing redemption. John MacArthur, The MacArthur Bible Commentary, page 1161. Jesus dispelled this belief a few times. One of the most familiar instances is when he taught on... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/with-god-all-things-are-possible/

The account of Jesus and the rich young ruler is sobering (Luke 18:18-23 and Mark 10:17-27). The rich young ruler looks zealous, humble, and sincerely interested in spiritual matters. But he was willing to walk away from Jesus because earthly wealth meant more to him than heavenly wealth. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/jesus-and-the-rich-young-ruler/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Jesus and the Rich Young Ruler (Luke 18:18-25) 11:25 Lesson One: We would be justified by the law if we kept it perfectly. 14:50 Lesson Two: We must be justified by faith because we can’t keep the law perfectly. 22:31 Lesson Three: The rich young ruler is the opposite of little children. 25:07 Lesson Four: Following Jesus requires repentance. 33:06 Lesson Five: Jesus isn’t chasing us down. 39:28 Lesson Six: Riches can choke Jesus out of our lives. Luke 18:18 And a ruler asked him, “Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” The parallel account in Mark 10:17 says, “As [Jesus] was setting out on his journey, [the rich young ruler] RAN UP and KNELT BEFORE HIM.” The rich young ruler sounds: zealous: he ran up to Jesus. humble: he knelt before him. respectful: he called him Good Teacher and seems to think highly of him sincerely interested in spiritual matters: he asked one of the most important questions we can ask: What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He believes in God and he wants to go to heaven. Jesus responded… Luke 18:19 And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except God alone. Jesus isn’t saying he isn’t good, and he isn’t saying he isn’t God. Instead, He’s saying there’s only One who is good and that’s God. If the rich young ruler calls Jesus good, he must also recognize he is God. Or another way to say it is, if the rich young ruler doesn’t recognize that Jesus is God, he shouldn’t be calling him good. Luke 18:20a You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, The seventh commandment. Luke 18:20b Do not murder, The sixth commandment. Luke 18:20c Do not steal, The eighth commandment. Luke 18:20d Do not bear false witness, The ninth commandment. Luke 18:20e Honor your father and mother.’” The fifth commandment. Apparently, when you’re Jesus, you can put the commandments in whatever order you want! Why Didn’t Jesus Preach the Gospel to the Rich Young Ruler? If you weren’t familiar with this account, or in other words, if you didn’t already know how Jesus answered the rich young ruler’s question about inheriting eternal life, what would you expect Jesus to say? What would you say if someone asked you about inheriting eternal life? “Repent and believe!” Our minds can go to Paul and Silas receiving this question from the Philippian jailer… Acts 16:30 [the Philippian jailer] said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” 31 [Paul and Silas] said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” So, why did Jesus respond this way? Was he describing another way to be saved? I’m not trying to sound irreverent, but did he forget the gospel? And believe it or not, this isn’t even the only place Jesus responded this way! This account has similarities with the lawyer who tested Jesus. Luke 10:25 And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The similarity between the lawyer and the rich young ruler is they both asked the same good question: “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” The difference is they had completely different motives: The rich young ruler asked to learn. The lawyer asked to put [Jesus] to the test. He wanted to trap him and make him look bad. Not Courtroom Lawyers When you read about lawyers, don’t think of courtrooms. Instead, think of the way lawyers in our day study the law for a living, and the lawyers in Jesus’s day studied the Mosaic Law for a living. Even priests and Levites didn’t know the law as well as them because they spent so much of their time performing sacrifices and serving in the temple. The NIV and amplified Bibles say “expert in the law” versus lawyer. In the NKJV and NASB there’s a footnote that says lawyer could also be translated as “expert in the law.” If anyone who... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/jesus-and-the-rich-young-ruler/

All three synoptic Gospels record one of the most beloved accounts: Jesus blessed little children (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17). Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, because the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” Learn why Jesus said the kingdom of God belongs to infants and those like them. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/let-the-little-children-come-to-me/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Let the Little Children Come to Me 08:49 Lesson One: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” because (Part One) the kingdom of God belongs to them. 19:51 Lesson One: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” because (Part Two) they exemplify salvation apart from works. 25:15 Lesson One: Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me,” because (Part Three) the kingdom of God belongs to people like them. 33:43 Lesson Two: The kingdom of God probably also belongs to the mentally handicapped. 40:21 Lesson Three: Regarding disabilities, God (Part One) is sovereign over them. 44:50 Lesson Three: Regarding disabilities, God (Part Two) wants to use them for his glory. All three synoptic Gospels record the beloved account of Jesus blessing little children (Matthew 19:13-15, Mark 10:13-16, Luke 18:15-17). We will be focusing on Luke’s version: Luke 18:15 Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them. And when the disciples saw it, they rebuked them. 16 But Jesus called them to him, saying, “Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Jewish parents commonly sought out prominent rabbis, which Jesus was, to bless their infants. Not only did the disciples try to stop the parents from bringing their children, they rebuked them. It looks like the disciples rebuked the parents, but then Jesus rebuked the disciples. This is not one of the shining moments for the disciples. If you ever wonder if God can use you, think of some of some of the things the disciples did, and you will be encouraged he can. When I look at the behavior of the disciples at times, I’m encouraged that God can use me. In the parallel account Mark 10:14 says, “When Jesus saw [what the disciples did], HE WAS INDIGNANT.” Based on what Jesus said, he seemed to be indignant because the disciples were destroying a spiritual truth he was trying to communicate. Infants were supposed to be able to come to Jesus physically, because it pictures infants being able to come to him spiritually, not just in this life but in the next. Preventing infants from being brought to Jesus could communicate they don’t have access to him. Jesus Said, “Let the Little Children Come to Me,” Because the Kingdom of God Belongs to Them Jesus made it clear infants have access to him with the words, “To such belongs the kingdom of God.” The words “to such” are incredibly important. In the NIV, NASB, and Amplified, it says, “such as these.” These words show Jesus wasn’t only saying the kingdom belongs to the infants brought to him. The kingdom also belongs to EVERY infant. I’m not alone in interpreting this as a guarantee of babies’ salvation. When preaching on this passage John MacArthur said: I am convinced that the Scripture is absolutely clear that when babies die and children die before reaching the point of personal accountability, they go to heaven. And I have collected all that material in a book. I have a copy of his book, Safe in the Arms of God, which I referenced during these sermons. If you desire to understand infant salvation deeper than what I have taught, I highly recommend this book. [This] passage gives Kingdom citizenship to both children and those who are like children. [They] have not yet any understanding to desire His blessing but when they are presented to Him, He gently and kindly receives them and dedicates them to the Father by a solemn act of blessing. It would be cruel to exclude that age from the grace of redemption. It is an irreligious audacity to drive from Christ’s fold those whom He held in His arms and shut the door on them as strangers when He did not wish to forbid them. John Calvin (2013). “Commentary on Matthew”, p.388... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/let-the-little-children-come-to-me/

One of the reasons babies go to heaven is sin is not imputed to them. Romans 5:13 says, "Sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law." The law brings sin, and sin brings death. If there is no law, there should be no sin. There was no law between Adam and Moses, but people still died because of original sin: "Death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam" (Romans 5:14). Babies die in the womb because of original sin. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/sin-is-not-imputed-where-there-is-no-law/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Sin Is Not Imputed Where There Is No Law 14:10 Lesson One: Babies haven’t committed disqualifying sins. 23:29 Lesson Two: Sin nature is different than sinning. 27:15 Lesson Three: Sin is not imputed to babies. 44:32 Lesson Four: Babies die because of original sin. Babies Have Not Disqualified Themselves By disqualifying, I mean disqualifying from heaven. Babies haven’t committed sins that disqualify them from heaven, such as those in Romans 1:20-21. We will start at Romans 1:18 for context. Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron’s Way of the Master’s strategy involves helping people recognize their sinfulness, so they see their need for the Gospel. Paul takes this approach in Romans. He explains the Gospel in Romans 3 and 4, but before that he shows us our need for the gospel by convincing us of our sinfulness: Romans 1:18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. This helps us understand what the gospel does: it delivers us from the wrath of God. The end of the verse says people “suppress the truth.” People can only suppress truth that is known to them. If they were ignorant of the truth, they would not be able to suppress it. The truth they suppress is that that there is a Creator. They deny that God exists. Romans 1:19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. The truth that God exists “is plain” or obvious. It is not difficult or complicated to believe that God exists. Instead, it is difficult or complicated to believe that God does NOT exist. God plainly revealed his existence through creation: Romans 1:20a For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. “Have been clearly perceived” is similar to “is plain to them” (verse 19). Creation makes the evidence for God overwhelming: The painting is evidence there is a painter. The building is evidence there is a builder. The invention is evidence there is an inventor. Similarly, creation is evidence there is a Creator. Because of the greatness and majesty of creation, it is evidence that the Creator is great and majestic. The verse identifies two things we can learn about God from his creation: he has “eternal power and [a] divine nature,” because only a being with these qualities could create a universe like ours. Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. The universe gives God’s glory. Creation is the display case for his beauty and attributes. When Isaiah received his famous vision of the throne room of God immediately before his commissioning, he described what the angels were saying: Isaiah 6:3 One [Angel] called to another and said: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; THE WHOLE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS GLORY!” The angels recognize that creation itself reveals God’s glory and they worship him for it. Babies Are Not “Without Excuse” Because the evidence for God is so strong, when people deny it, they [have no] excuse: Romans 1:20b So they are without excuse. 21 For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. The verse says “they knew God” because creation revealed it to them. There are no atheists. The problem is not that man does NOT know God. The problem is that man does know God... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/sin-is-not-imputed-where-there-is-no-law/

Children are innocent until they reach the biblical age of accountability. Isaiah 7:15-16 twice states that until a certain age a baby will not know, "how to refuse the evil and choose the good." Similarly, Deuteronomy 1:39 says, "little ones...have no knowledge of good or evil." This post will allow you to read, watch, or listen if you want to learn about the age of accountability in the bible. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/biblical-age-of-accountability/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 The Biblical Age of Accountability 04:06 Lesson One: Jews disobey the Mosaic law and Gentiles disobey their consciences. 09:07 Lesson Two: Babies can’t choose between good and evil. 27:06 Lesson Three: (Part One) Babies are ignorant... 32:01 Lesson Three: (Part One) Babies are ignorant (Part Two), and God is merciful to the ignorant. 41:05 Lesson Four: God is less merciful to the knowledgeable. Babies “Have No Knowledge of Good or Evil” Until They Reach the Biblical Age of Accountability In Numbers 14 the nation of Israel rebelled when the 12 spies come back with a report that the enemies in the land were too great for them. God told the people they would not get to enter the land because of their unbelief, but he added something interesting: Numbers 14:31 But your little ones, who you said would become a prey, I will bring in, and they shall know the land that you have rejected. If these little ones were as guilty as their parents, why weren’t they judged? Why did they get to enter the land? We aren’t told in Numbers, but when Moses recounted Israel’s history to the nation in Deuteronomy, right before they entered the land, God revealed why the infants were able to enter: Deuteronomy 1:39 And as for your little ones, who you said would become a prey, and your children, who TODAY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD OR EVIL, they shall go in there. And to them I will give it, and they shall possess it. They were able to avoid the judgment their parents experienced, because they couldn’t choose between good and evil. Notice the way it’s worded: it says TODAY they have no knowledge of good and evil. It won’t always be that way. At some point they’ll have that knowledge. The Famous Sign to Ahaz Ahaz is the king of Judah and he’s terrified of being attacked by two kings, Rezin and Pekah. God gives Ahaz a sign that within a few years both kings will be dead, so he has nothing to worry about. The sign that God gives Ahaz is one of the most famous in Scripture: Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. Even though the word “you” is singular, it can be used plurally, like if someone said to a group of people, “I am talking to all of you,” which is the case here. In other words, the prophecy isn’t just for Ahaz. We know how the prophecy is for others: There was a virgin, Mary, who gave birth to a Son, Jesus. But this verse says his name would be Immanuel, so how do we explain that? Listen to Isaiah 7:14 quoted in the New Testament… Matthew 1:21 [Mary] will bear a son, and you SHALL CALL HIS NAME JESUS.”…22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet [Isaiah]: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and THEY SHALL CALL HIS NAME IMMANUEL” (which means, God with us). The Child Is Named Jesus or Immanuel? These verses state his name would be Jesus and Immanuel. We know his name was Jesus, but how do we explain the Immanuel title? Immanuel means God with Us. Jesus didn’t fulfill this by being given this name. He fulfilled this by literally being God with Us. Isaiah said, the Lord Himself will give YOU a sign, referring to Ahaz. Ahaz lived about 700 years before Jesus was born, so how could Jesus’s birth be a sign to Ahaz, who was long dead when Jesus was born? Prophecy often has a future, complete fulfillment, and a near, partial fulfillment. The future, complete fulfillment is Jesus, the true and greater Son born of a Virgin. The near, partial fulfillment took place in Ahaz’s day. There would have been a young woman who was, at the time of this prophecy, a virgin. She would get married, cease... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/biblical-age-of-accountability/

Do you wonder, “Are children innocent?” There are many bible verses about children’s innocence, such as Jeremiah 2:34 Jeremiah 19:4, 2 Kings 21:6, and Psalm 106:38. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/are-children-innocent/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00:00 Sermon Lessons for Are Children Innocent? 00:03:37 Lesson One: The Bible teaches that babies (Part One) go to heaven. 00:20:24 Lesson Two: Adam and Eve’s innocence was lost when they ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 00:26:50 Lesson One: The Bible teaches that babies (Part Two) are innocent. 00:54:58 Lesson Three: Babies are innocent, but our older children are not. Many people’s beliefs about babies going to heaven come more from wishful thinking or sentimentality than Scripture. We all want to believe babies go to heaven. We would probably all say that it seems right for babies to go to heaven. But the question is NOT, “Do we think babies go to heaven?” or “Does it seem right that babies go to heaven?” The question is, “Does the bible TEACH that babies go to heaven?” Even though I want to believe that babies go to heaven, and it seems right to me that babies to go to heaven, that is not why I believe that babies go to heaven. I believe this because that’s what the Bible teaches. If you have experienced a miscarriage, I don’t want you wondering what happened to your child and whether you will see that child again. I also don’t want you saying things like, “I believe my baby is in heaven because that’s what so many people have told me,” or “I think my baby is in heaven because the alternative is too terrible to imagine.” I want you saying, “I know my baby is in heaven because that’s what the Bible teaches.” If you read this as a young person, you face the very real possibility of experiencing a miscarriage, or miscarriages, yourself. But even if, by God’s grace you never have to know the loss of a baby, you are going to meet people who have lost a baby. Few things cause people as much heartache. I want you equipped to minister to people experiencing that trial. I want you to be able to comfort these people, not with clichés and platitudes, but with a biblical defense for their baby’s salvation. When those parents say something like, “How do I know I will see my child again?” I want you to be able to share Scripture with them. Even Babies Wouldn’t Go to Hell as Babies Everyone, believers and unbelievers alike, receive resurrection bodies. Nobody spends eternity in their earthly body. Here are a few verses making the point that our earthly bodies are much different than our resurrection bodies: 1 Corinthians 15:42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown (referring to our earthly bodies) is perishable; what is raised (referring to our resurrection bodies) is imperishable. 43 It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown in dishonor; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised in glory. It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown in weakness; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised in power. 44 It (referring to our earthly bodies) is sown a natural body; it (referring to our resurrection bodies) is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body (referring to our earthly bodies), there is also a spiritual body (referring to our resurrection bodies). We can tell there are considerable differences between our earthly bodies and resurrection bodies. From what I have learned, most scholars don’t believe that our resurrection bodies will be the same age as our earthly bodies. This means that if a 90yo Christian woman dies, she doesn’t spend eternity looking like a 90 year old. If people thought they would spend eternity at the age they died, they might not want to live as long. So, for lack of a better way to say it, what age will we look like for eternity? Many scholars believe we will be the age Adam and Eve were when they were created. We don’t know exactly what age that was, but we know they were old enough to work and reproduce. If I had to guess, I would say twenties or thirties. If a baby dies, the baby doesn’t spend eternity looking a few months old. Or if we back up even further, if a woman miscarried... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/are-children-innocent/

The tax collector prayed, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" and went home justified, or declared righteous (Luke 18:13). How do we explain this when he didn't offer any sacrifices? He offered what God wanted: "the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart" (Psalm 51:16-17). Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/god-be-merciful-to-me-a-sinner/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 "God, Be Merciful to Me a Sinner" 18:39 Lesson One: Justification is receiving forgiveness and righteousness. 28:37 Lesson Two: Propitiation turns away the wrath of an offended person. 45:18 Lesson Three: (Part One) God didn’t want physical sacrifices... 50:54 Lesson Three: (Part One) God didn’t want physical sacrifices (Part Two) as much as spiritual ones. Eight times in the synoptic Gospels it says “tax collectors and sinners,” instead of murderers and sinners, or adulterers and sinners. Why is it written this way, as though being a tax collector is the worst sin imaginable? Because to the Jew, it pretty much was! —The Romans severely taxed the Jews, and the tax collectors who collected the taxes for Rome were Jews. The Jews hated the Romans and the Jewish tax collectors who worked for them were traitors to their own people. —Tax collectors were wealthy and it was a wealth made off the backs of their already oppressed Jewish brethren. —Tax collectors had to collect a certain amount and anything they collected over that amount they were able to keep for themselves. They had Rome’s support, which prevented Jews from resisting them. —Tax collectors were notoriously dishonest. When they came to be baptized by John they said, “Teacher, what shall we do?” [John] said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” (Luke 3:12-13). John said to stop stealing because that was their major sin. Three Things to Observe about the Tax Collector Luke 18:13 But the tax collector, standing far off, would not even lift up his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, a sinner!’ There is so much to learn about the tax collector just from this verse. I don’t want to miss anything so we will break it up one part at a time. First, it says he was standing far off. Let me ask you a trick question that reveals the tax collector’s brokenness: Did he want to approach God? You want to say he did because “[he] went up to the temple to pray” (Luke 18:10), but you also want to say no, because he was standing far off. You can see the struggle: he wanted to have a relationship with God, but he also felt too sinful to approach God. Second, it doesn’t say the tax collector DID NOT lift up his eyes to heaven. It says he WOULD NOT even lift up his eyes to heaven. He was so aware of his sin that he felt unworthy to even look up to heaven where God dwells. Third, he hit himself. More than likely he did this because he was angry about his sin, and he knows he is the source of it. He wasn’t blaming anyone or anything other than himself. He hit his heart, because that’s where sin comes from: Matthew 15:18 What comes out of the mouth proceeds FROM THE HEART, and this defiles a person. 19 For OUT OF THE HEART come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. All this comes out of the heart! Why Did the Tax Collector Beat His Breast? The only other place in Scripture we see people beat their breast is at the cross just after Jesus died: Luke 23:46 Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last…Luke 23:48 And ALL THE CROWDS THAT HAD ASSEMBLED FOR THIS SPECTACLE, WHEN THEY SAW WHAT HAD TAKEN PLACE, RETURNED HOME BEATING THEIR BREASTS. We want Scripture to interpret Scripture, which means when we see something in Scripture and want to know what it means, we look elsewhere in Scripture where we see the same thing. If we consider why they were beating their breasts it helps us understand why the tax collector did the same. John MacArthur said: “There has never been a more horrific event than the cross. Therefore there could never be a place [of] more profound... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/god-be-merciful-to-me-a-sinner/

The Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector reveals how righteousness is and is not attained. The Pharisee in Luke 18:9-12 shows that righteousness is not attained by works. The tax collector shows that righteousness is attained by grace through faith. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-parable-of-the-pharisee-and-tax-collector/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 The Danger of Self-Righteousness in the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-12) 04:15 Lesson One: Our works can’t make us righteous before God. 18:39 Lesson Two: Self-righteousness leads us to look down on others. 27:52 Lesson Three: Self-righteousness comes from thinking about (Part One) what we don’t do. 31:44 Lesson Three: Self-righteousness comes from thinking about (Part Two) what we do. 39:02 Lesson Four: Only one Person is righteous enough. The Pharisee in the Parable of the Pharisee and Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-12) Job asked the most important question: Job 9:2 (NKJV) How can a man be righteous before God? The question comes up again later in the book… Job 25:4 (NKJV) How then can man be righteous before God? This is the most important question we can ask because it determines where we spend eternity. There can’t be a more important question than this one. This is the question that every religion asks. This sounds good at first, because it means religions are asking the most important question. But the problem is, every religion outside of Christianity gets the answer wrong. Every religion believes we are righteous, or right before God by being good, or by works. But the Gospel is that we are righteous, or right before God by grace through faith. Our Works Can’t Make Us Righteous Before God Job continued wrestling with being righteous before God: Job 9:15 (NKJV) Though I were righteous, I could not answer Him; I would beg mercy of my Judge. Job said he couldn’t even be righteous enough to ANSWER God. Instead, he would have to beg for mercy. Job 9:20 (NKJV) Though I were righteous, my own mouth would condemn me; though I were blameless, it would prove me perverse. Job said even if he was righteous, his mouth, or his words would still condemn [him] and show him to be perverse. Even Job Was Not Righteous Enough It is interesting that Job, of all people, recognized he couldn’t be righteous before God, because if there is anyone who looked righteous before God, it is him. Consider how God himself described Job to Satan: Job 1:8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN, WHO FEARS GOD AND TURNS AWAY FROM EVIL?” Can you imagine a better description of someone, from God himself? Satan told God that Job only feared God because of how much God blessed him, so God let Satan remove almost every blessing Job had, and then again: Job 2:3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that THERE IS NONE LIKE HIM ON THE EARTH, A BLAMELESS AND UPRIGHT MAN, WHO FEARS GOD AND TURNS AWAY FROM EVIL? He still holds fast his integrity, although you incited me against him to destroy him without reason.” Job was so righteous, even Satan himself couldn’t turn him from God! Yet he still couldn’t be considered righteous before God. Even the Pharisees Were not Righteous Enough Consider what Jesus said to the people in his day who thought they could be righteous enough: Matthew 5:20 I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The religious leaders were the picture of righteousness attained by human effort. Everyone knew it was impossible to be more righteous than them. When Jesus said this people would’ve said, “There is no way we can, not just match, but EXCEED the righteousness of these men.” At this point it should be obvious we can’t be righteous in our own effort, but is there a sacrifice we could bring that would allow us to be righteous before God? Is there an offering we could bring that would allow us to be in God’s presence? The prophet Micah asked this: Micah 6:6 “With what shall I come before the Lord, and bow myself before... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-parable-of-the-pharisee-and-tax-collector/

We see male leadership in the Bible even with Deborah (Judges 4). The pattern began at creation and is maintained with patriarchs, priests, kings, apostles, and elders. Paul said, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority” (1 Timothy2:12). If you’re wondering, “What does the bible say about leadership?” read or listen to this chapter from Your Marriage God’s Way for answers. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/male-leadership-in-the-bible/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Male Leadership in the Bible is God’s Pattern…Even with Deborah! 09:22 Lesson One: We see the pattern of male leadership throughout the Old Testament. 23:49 Lesson Two: Deborah supports male leadership because (Part One) there’s no mention of Deborah being appointed by God. 27:24 Lesson Two: Deborah supports male leadership because (Part Two) her ministry was private versus public. 28:18 Lesson Two: Deborah supports male leadership because (Part Three) she encouraged Barak to lead. 33:25 Lesson Two: Deborah supports male leadership because (Part Four) she rebuked Barak for failing to lead. 34:50 Lesson Two: Deborah supports male leadership because (Part Five) her account is descriptive versus prescriptive. 38:46 Lesson Three: The pattern of male leadership continued into the New Testament. The pattern of male leadership began at creation and is maintained throughout Scripture: —There were patriarchs instead of matriarchs. —The tribes of Israel were named after men. —The only legitimate mediators between God and people were men (i.e., priests instead of priestesses). —God appointed kings instead of queens. —God called men to serve as the focal points of His covenants with mankind (for example, Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, David, and Jesus). Female Leaders in the Bible Don’t Conflict with God’s Pattern of Male Leadership So why do we see examples of female leadership in Scripture? What about queens, prophetesses, and at least one female judge—Deborah? Were these women anomalies? Are they examples of rebellion against God’s design, or is there another explanation? To answer these questions, let’s look at them individually. Queens Scripture mentions three prominent queens, and they fall into two categories: evil and good. Jezebel and Athaliah Jezebel (1 Kings 16-22; 2 Kings 9) and Athaliah (2 Kings 8, 11) were evil women who seized control and became tyrannical leaders. Jezebel instituted the worship of the false god Baal across Israel and persecuted followers of Yahweh. Athaliah murdered her grandchildren upon the death of her son and then seized the throne of Judah. Clearly, neither woman serves as a good example. Esther On the other hand, Esther stands in contrast as a godly queen. We see through the account of her life that she supported male leadership through her submission first to her adopted father, Mordecai, and then to her husband, King Xerxes of Persia. This wasn’t the only factor that allowed her to save her people from annihilation. There was also her courage in going before the king knowing “that any man or woman who goes into the inner court to the king, who has not been called, he has but one law: put all to death, except the one to whom the king holds out the golden scepter, that he may live” (Esther 4:11). All of this reveals a heart that’s yielded to God. The whole of her life contributed to her submissive attitude and made her useful to God. Priestesses Under the Mosaic covenant, only men could be priests because they were the teachers: “[The priests] may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord has spoken” (Leviticus 10:11). When priestesses are mentioned, they are associated with pagan religions such as the worship of Astarte or Baal. Wayne Grudem, professor of theology and cofounder of the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, explains: “Think of the Bible as a whole, from Genesis to Revelation. Where is there one example in the entire Bible of a woman publicly teaching an assembled group of God’s people? There is none.” Wayne Grudem, Evangelical Feminism & Biblical Truth (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2012), 82. Prophetesses While we find no scriptural examples of women publicly teach... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/male-leadership-in-the-bible/

The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge in Luke 18:1-8 is commonly misunderstood. The wrong interpretation is, “Be persistent in prayer until God gives you what you want.” The correct interpretation is if an unjust judge can be persuaded to give justice to a woman he has no regard for, then how much more will God, who is just, give justice to his elect whom he loves. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-parable-of-the-persistent-widow/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge (Luke 18:1-8) 06:52 Lesson One: “Ought always to pray” involves a disposition toward God. 11:23 Lesson Two: We can “lose heart” when praying because it is hard work. 27:23 Lesson Three: The widow represents us…to an extent. 33:28 Lesson Four: The parable is primarily about God giving His people justice. 40:27 Lesson Five: Do we have faith like the widow? The chapter breaks in Scripture are helpful, but they were added by man. One of the dangers with them is they can cause us to think, “This is a new chapter, so it must not be related to the previous chapter.” But it’s the opposite with The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge. We need to keep the previous chapter in mind to interpret the parable correctly. Everything Jesus taught in Luke 18:1-8 flows from his teaching at the end of Luke 17 on his Second Coming. The second half of Luke 18:8 says, “when the Son of Man comes.” This is the context. The parable is related to Jesus’s Second Coming. Robert Stein wrote, “The parable serves as a concluding illustration to Luke 17:22-37 [about Jesus’s Second Coming].”1 John MacArthur’s sermon on The Parable of the Persistent Widow and the Unjust Judge is titled, “Persistent Prayer for the Lord’s Return.” Always Praying Without Losing Heart Jesus knew that as his disciples waited for his return, they could become discouraged, lose heart, and begin to doubt, so… Luke 18:1 And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart. It’s a theme in Scripture that we ought always to pray: —Romans 12:12 says, “be constant in prayer” —Ephesians 6:18 says, “praying at all times” —Colossians 4:2 says, “continue steadfastly in prayer” —1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “pray without ceasing” When I was Catholic, there was only one way to pray: kneeling with your eyes closed, head bowed, and hands folded. I remember one time when someone wanted to pray with me and I thought we couldn’t pray, because we couldn’t kneel. When I became a Christian I learned that we didn’t have to pray this way, but I read verses like this one that we ought always to pray, and I was confused. I thought, “How could I pray all the time? I won’t have time for anything else, such as eating, working, or even sleeping, because I can’t pray while I sleep.” To be honest, if you’re like me, and you have trouble sleeping, you pray because you know it will help you fall back to sleep. “Ought Always to Pray” Involves a Disposition Toward God We are not expected to – literally – pray all the time. There’s a place for concentrated prayer times, but praying all the time refers to a receptive disposition toward God. Let me give you an example that I believe illustrates this. When we lived in California, one of my good friends, Pat Mundy, was a cop. One time I was with him, and he noticed someone he said, “didn’t look right.” I asked him why he noticed this person, and he said, “As a cop you’re always looking around at people and situations, seeing if things seem off. Even though I am off duty, I can never really be off duty.” This is the same for Christians. Even when we are, “Off duty,” which is to say not praying, we are never really “off duty,” in the sense that we haven’t flipped off a switch and started ignoring God. We are not out of communion with him. Instead, have a receptive disposition toward God. We are still sensitive to him and what he wants from us. We are always ready to seek him in whatever situation we face. in 1 Samuel 3:4-9 God repeatedly called out to Samuel, but Samuel thought it was Eli. Samuel kept going to Eli, but Eli told Samuel it was not him... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-parable-of-the-persistent-widow/

When you think of Jesus's Second Coming, think of the lion of the tribe of Judah, not the lamb who was slain. Revelation 19:11 says, "Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war." Jesus has two comings to His people, and both times He comes on animals. His First Coming: "Your king is coming to you…humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey" (Zechariah 9:9). This is Jesus’s humble first coming to make peace between God and man. It stands in stands in stark contrast to contrast to His Second Coming "on a white horse [to] judge and [make] war. God is longsuffering, but His patience is finally exhausted with sinful, rebellious men and He’s coming to unleash His fury. Watch the full sermon here: https://youtu.be/AqSbMD94btA #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ Here's the accompanying podcast episode: https://www.scottlapierre.org/family-integrated-church/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ If invited for a speaking engagement, you can expect: • Professionally prepared and delivered messages • A handout with lessons and discussion questions • Copies of Pastor Scott's books to offer as gifts to increase registrations (if you desire) • Advertising of your event on Scott's website and social media (if you desire) • Facebook ads and/or a Facebook event page so the event can serve as an outreach (if you desire) • Prompt responses to any communication • Prompt replies to phone calls, emails, and/or text messages

In Luke 17:33-37 Jesus taught "one will be taken and the other left." People are “left” to enter the kingdom. Other people are “taken” in judgment to the Battle of Armageddon (Revelation 19:11-21). This resembles the way the wicked people in Noah’s day were "taken" by the flood. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-battle-of-armageddon/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 Lessons for The Battle of Armageddon and One Will Be Taken and the Other Left 08:10 Lesson One: Give up this life to receive eternal life. 11:02 Lesson Two: Lot’s wife sought to preserve her life but lost it, and Noah and Lot lost their lives to keep them. 18:08 Lesson Three: People are “taken” to the Battle of Armageddon or “left” to enter the kingdom. 22:29 Lesson Four: Associate Jesus’s Second Coming with birds (visibility) and corpses (judgment). 33:47 Lesson Five: The Battle of Armageddon is an execution versus a battle. People Are “Taken” to the Battle of Armageddon This is where it gets a little confusing: Luke 17:33-36 describe one will be taken and the other left, which sounds like the rapture. But the context is the Second Coming of Christ (Luke 17:24), which is seven years after the Rapture. When you think of the people taken away to the Battle of Armageddon to be judged, think of the way the wicked people in Noah’s day were taken away by the flood. Consider the parallel account: “As were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man…39 and they were unaware until the flood came and SWEPT THEM ALL AWAY, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:37, 39). It says very clearly that the way the people were taken away by the flood looks to the way people are taken away at that Second Coming. People Are “Left” to Enter the Kingdom The people who are left, are left to enter the millennial kingdom that Jesus physically establishes on the earth. Think of these people being left to enjoy a new beginning the way: —Noah and his family was left to enjoy a new beginning after the whole population of the earth was taken in the flood. —Lot and his family were left to enjoy a new beginning after the people in Sodom were destroyed by the fire and brimstone. Consider the way it’s worded in the Amplified Bible: Luke 17:34 I tell you, on that night [when Messiah comes again] there will be two [sleeping] in one bed; the one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the other (the believer) will be left. 35 There will be two women grinding [at the mill] together; the one (the non-believer) will be taken [away in judgment] and the other (the believer) will be left. The Amplified clarifies that the unbelievers are taken, and the believers are left, and there are two important footnotes: The first footnote: “This is not the sudden catching up (or rapture) of believers as described in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 when Christ returns in the air (not to earth), and gathers believers to be with Him.” This is one of the main differences between the Rapture and the Second Coming: —At the rapture Jesus meets the church in the air without stepping foot on the earth. —At the Second Coming Jesus returns to the earth. The second footnote: “The believers are left and will be with Christ on the earth during the Millennium.” The Birds (Visibility) and Corpses (Judgment) of the Battle of Armageddon Luke 17:37 And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” They mean, “Where are the people who are judged taken to?” Some Bibles say eagles instead of vultures, because the Greek word can be translated either way, but it’s more appropriate to think of vultures because they are the birds that gather or circle above corpses. It might seem strange, or even graphic, to associate Jesus’s Second Coming with vultures and dead bodies, but when you study it out, it makes perfect sense. Consider what God said to Job when He questioned him: Job 39:27 Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes his nest on high? 28 On the rock he dwells and makes his home, on the rocky crag and stronghold. 29 From there he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it from far away... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-battle-of-armageddon/

For Ricky's first time leading worship he played I’ll Fly Away, Be Thou My Vision, and Are You Washed in the Blood?. The background to him leading is special. On Saturday afternoon I learned that there was no one to lead music on Sunday. We both looked at Ricky, but he's only 14 and has never even led a small group before. Ricky surprisingly said he was willing. Our hearts were filled with joy to watch him and sing with him. It's extra special thinking about how he wasn't even two years old yet when we moved to Washington and started attending WCC! What a gift to watch him grow in the same church family. 00:00 Here are the songs: 00:09 I’ll Fly Away 02:20 Be Thou My Vision 05:21 Are You Washed in the Blood? Here are the lyrics... I’ll Fly Away 554 [Verse 1] Some glad morning when this life is o'er, I'll fly away To a home on God's celestial shore, I'll fly away [Chorus] I'll fly away, O glory, I'll fly away When I die, hallelujah, by and by I'll fly away [Verse 2] When the shadows of this life have grown, I'll fly away Like a bird from prison bars has flown, I'll fly away [Chorus] [Verse 3] Just a few more weary days, and then, I'll fly away To a land where joys shall never end, I'll fly away [Chorus] Be Thou My Vision [Verse 1] Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art Thou my best thought, by day or by night Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. [Verse 2] Be Thou my wisdom, and Thou my true word I ever with Thee, and Thou with me, Lord Thou my great Father, and I Thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one. [Verse 3] Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise Thou mine inheritance now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart High King of heaven, my treasure Thou art. [Verse 4] High King of heaven, my vict’ry won, May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heaven's Sun! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, O Ruler of all. Still be my vision, O Ruler of all. Are You Washed in the Blood [Verse 1] Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power Are you washed in the blood of the lamb Are you fully trusting in his grace this hour Are you washed in the blood of the lamb CHORUS Are you washed(are you washed) In the blood(in the blood) In the soul cleansing blood of the lamb Are your garments spotless are they white as snow Are you washed in the blood of the lamb [Verse 2] Are you walking daily by the Savior's side Are you washed in the blood of the lamb Do you rest each moment in the Crucified Are you washed in the blood of the lamb [Chorus] [Verse 3] When the bridegroom cometh will your robes be white Pure and white in the blood of the lamb Will your soul be ready for the mansions bright And be washed in the blood of the lamb [Chorus] [Verse 4] Lay aside the garments that are stained with sin And be washed in the blood of the lamb There's a fountain flowing for the soul unclean Oh be washed in the blood of the lamb [Chorus] Read the rest of the blog post: ???

Every youth had the same fear when I took them to camp: “Are you going to ask my parents to chaperone?” The last thing any youth want is to have their parents around when they are trying to have fun. Youth would ask me, “My parents chaperoned last time, so can you be sure not to ask them this time? Isn’t it some other youth’s turn to have to have their parents go?” Now fast-forward to me coming to Woodland Christian Church and we go to camp as families. I’m listening to young people and their concern is, “I hope my dad doesn’t have to work so he can come to camp with us.” Which one of these environments do I want to foster? • One where children don’t want their parents around? • One where children are sad when their parents are NOT around? Watch the full sermon here: https://youtu.be/j6V15FxM4FU #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ Here's the accompanying podcast episode: https://www.scottlapierre.org/family-integrated-church/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ If invited for a speaking engagement, you can expect: • Professionally prepared and delivered messages • A handout with lessons and discussion questions • Copies of Pastor Scott's books to offer as gifts to increase registrations (if you desire) • Advertising of your event on Scott's website and social media (if you desire) • Facebook ads and/or a Facebook event page so the event can serve as an outreach (if you desire) • Prompt responses to any communication • Prompt replies to phone calls, emails, and/or text messages

The prodigal son's father could have come out and rebuked the older brother for his ugly attitude and rebelliousness in refusing to join the party. But Luke 15:28 says the father, "came out and entreated [the older son]." Most translations say he pleaded with him. Think about what it took for the father to minister to the older brother: • He had to leave the celebration • He had to leave the other guests • And he had to leave the younger brother When we read this parable, we tend to think about the father’s grace and patience toward the younger brother, but he was equally gracious and patient toward the older brother. Watch the full sermon here: https://youtu.be/d3Muma2HlCM #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ Here's the accompanying podcast episode: https://www.scottlapierre.org/serve-the-lord-with-gladness/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ If invited for a speaking engagement, you can expect: • Professionally prepared and delivered messages • A handout with lessons and discussion questions • Copies of Pastor Scott's books to offer as gifts to increase registrations (if you desire) • Advertising of your event on Scott's website and social media (if you desire) • Facebook ads and/or a Facebook event page so the event can serve as an outreach (if you desire) • Prompt responses to any communication • Prompt replies to phone calls, emails, and/or text messages

In Luke 17:22-30 lightning is a metaphor for the Second Coming of Christ. Just as lightning is visible, quick, and unexpected, Jesus's Second Coming be too. In Acts 1:11 the angels said Jesus would return from heaven the same way that He ascended to heaven: bodily and physically for all to see. Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-second-coming-of-christ/ View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons 00:00 The Second Coming of Christ Will Be… 06:07 Lesson One: Like lightning, the Second Coming of Christ will be (Part One) visible. 13:17 Lesson Two: Preterists believe the future is in the past. 24:19 Lesson One: Like lightning, the Second Coming of Christ will be (Part Two) quick. 35:49 Lesson One: Like lightning, the Second Coming of Christ will be (Part Three) unexpected. 42:03 Lesson Three: Jesus’s first coming was for salvation and His Second Coming is for judgment. Contrast allows things to stand out. For example, when the moon is out during the day, we can’t see it very well, because it is close to the color of the sky. But we can see the moon very well at night, because its white and gray color stands out so sharply against the black night sky. Similarly, lightning stands out incredibly well against the night sky, because of its bright white color against the black background. Jesus chose lightning as a metaphor for His Second Coming: Luke 17:22 And he said to the disciples, “The days are coming when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, and you will not see it. 23 And they will say to you, ‘Look, there!’ or ‘Look, here!’ Do not go out or follow them. 24 For as the lightning flashes and lights up the sky from one side to the other, so will the Son of Man be in his day. Jesus was going to be gone from the disciples and they were going to long to see Him. But he said they would not be able to, because they would not be alive when He returned. Maranatha was the common greeting among Christians in the early church. It is an Aramaic word that means “the Lord is coming” or “come, O Lord.” The desire the disciples would have to see Christ is the same desire we should have. Many New Testament verses encourage us as believers to have this desire. Here are a few: 1 Corinthians 1:7 As you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Thessalonians 1:10 Wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead. Titus 2:13 Waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ Jude 20 Waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. There were going to be people claiming that Jesus had returned, and he did not want His disciples misled into thinking that He had returned in some secret or mysterious way that was concealed from the world. Because, the truth is, there will be no mistaking when Jesus has returned. There are three reasons it is very fitting to compare Jesus’s Second Coming with lightning. First, Like Lightning, the Second Coming of Christ Will Be Visible The disciples would not need to believe people who said, “Look, there!” or “Look, here!” because the Second Coming will be as visible as lightning that lights up the whole sky. In the Amplified Bible, Luke 17:24 reads, “For just like the lightning, when it flashes out of one part of the sky, gives light to the other part of the sky, so [visible] will the Son of Man be in His day.” There will be no mistaking when Jesus returns. It will be universally visible. Acts 1:6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” 9 And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-second-coming-of-christ/

The rich man and Lazarus are on opposite sides of the spectrum: • The rich man experiencing great prosperity • Lazarus experiencing misery They serve as bookends on human enjoyment, and whether prospering or suffering they still both encourage us to look forward to the next life: • If your life is good, like the rich man, make sure you think about eternity. The temptation is to let our prosperity distract us from preparing for heaven. James 5:5 describes the rich man: "You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. The rich man was like the rich fool in Luke 12 who lived only for this earthly, temporary life. He did not think about God or eternity, so he spent eternity in torment. • If you feel like you identify more with Lazarus. You are suffering, whether it is physical, emotional, mental, or spiritual. Look to eternity as 2 Corinthians 4:17 instructs: "This light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison." Watch the full sermon here: https://youtu.be/iYyuj7ooakg #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ Here's the accompanying podcast episode: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-prodigal-son-came-to-himself/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ If invited for a speaking engagement, you can expect: • Professionally prepared and delivered messages • A handout with lessons and discussion questions • Copies of Pastor Scott's books to offer as gifts to increase registrations (if you desire) • Advertising of your event on Scott's website and social media (if you desire) • Facebook ads and/or a Facebook event page so the event can serve as an outreach (if you desire) • Prompt responses to any communication • Prompt replies to phone calls, emails, and/or text messages

What are the characteristics of agape love (1 Corinthians 13)? What kind of love is agape? It is unconditional and sacrificial like God’s love for man (John 3:16). View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ Here's the accompanying blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/characteristics-of-agape-love/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ 00:00 What Are the Characteristics of Agape Love? (John 3:16 and 1 Corinthians 13) 04:15 Agape is (Lesson One) unconditional. 17:58 Agape is (Lesson Two) sacrificial. 25:17 Agape is (Lesson Three) superior to phileo. 38:50 Agape is (Lesson Four) man’s love for sin. 43:22 Agape is (Lesson Five) God’s love for man. How does the world think about love? Cupid comes to mind. As popular culture states, he shoots people with his arrows and they fall in love. Society has also made it “normal” for people to fall out of love because supposedly love is an emotion over which we have no control. It’s as though people are walking along, they trip, and the next thing they know, they’ve developed feelings for someone. According to this understanding of love, a man could tell his wife that he was at work and he didn’t mean to develop feelings for his coworker. They just kept running into each other in the hallway and the break room, and before he knew it, he “fell” in love with her. A man could also tell his wife, “I’m sorry, but I no longer love you. I don’t know how or when it happened, but I just fell out of love with you.” Feelings come and go, and because so many people today define love as a feeling, they assume that love comes and goes. The biggest problem with this incorrect understanding is that it completely contradicts the way Scripture presents love (agape – for the Greek). It’s not a feeling or emotion. Agape is a choice, an act of the will. We choose whether we do or don’t love. God can command us to show this kind of love because we do, in fact, have control over it. Two of agape’s characteristics make this clear. Agape Is Unconditional Phileo is conditional. Two friends might have phileo for each other because of qualities they share or circumstances that bring them together, but if those qualities or circumstances change, their phileo for each other might also change. In contrast, agape is unconditional. It is not affected by a person’s actions, looks, or possessions. People might successfully create phileo for someone else by being a better friend, but agape cannot be earned or merited. Nothing can be done to increase or decrease agape. It can only be given. Agape does not demand reciprocation and it is independent of how it is treated in return. Agape loves even when rejected, mistreated, or scorned. That is what makes this form of love so unique and distinguishable. Hosea Pursuing Gomer The Old Testament provides a beautiful picture of agape’s unconditional nature. In fact, if a husband asked me, “Pastor, how far should I be willing to go in my love for my wife?,” I would tell him to read the book of Hosea (chapters 1 and 3 specifically). The prophet Hosea’s story began when God told him to marry a woman named Gomer as an object lesson about God’s relationship with Israel: “The Lord said to Hosea: ‘Go, take yourself a wife of harlotry and children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the Lord’” (Hosea 1:2). We don’t know whether Gomer was already a harlot when Hosea married her or she became one later, but at some point, Gomer left Hosea—either to resume her career as a harlot or to pursue adulterous relationships. Eventually she found herself destitute and she either sold herself or someone else sold her into slavery. We know this was a sexual slavery, akin to human trafficking today, because God commanded Hosea, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by a lover and is committing adultery” (Hosea 3:1). Notice the present—versus past— tense of the verse. Hosea was to love Gomer even while she was in an adulterous relationship. In obedience to God, Hosea purchased Gomer back from slavery and restored her to her position as his wife. It is significant that God not only instructed Hosea to return to Gomer. He commanded him to love her: “Go again, love a woman.” Going back to Gomer after her unfaithfulness would have... Read the rest of the blog post: https://www.scottlapierre.org/characteristics-of-agape-love/

Hebrews 12:11 says, "For the moment all discipline seems painful." I really appreciate the Bible’s candidness; it tells us discipline is painful. So, I would like to provide a few reasons we can be encouraged even when we are being disciplined, because verse 8 says in which all have participated. Watch the full sermon here: https://youtu.be/Ipeis6tkq_4 #expositionalbibleteaching #bibleteachingsermons #christiansermonsonfaith #biblepreachingsermons #christianpreachingsermons #biblepreaching #christiansermons #expositionalbiblestudy #sermon #bible #christian #jesus #scottlapierre #expositorypreachingsermons View all of Pastor Scott LaPierre's books on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Scott-LaPierre/e/B01JT920EQ Receive a free copy of Pastor Scott's book, "Seven Biblical Insights for Healthy, Joyful, Christ-Centered Marriages": https://www.scottlapierre.org/subscribe/ Here's the accompanying podcast episode: https://www.scottlapierre.org/the-prodigal-son-came-to-himself/ For Scott LaPierre's conference and speaking information, including testimonies, endorsements, and contact info, please visit: https://www.scottlapierre.org/christian-speaker/ If invited for a speaking engagement, you can expect: • Professionally prepared and delivered messages • A handout with lessons and discussion questions • Copies of Pastor Scott's books to offer as gifts to increase registrations (if you desire) • Advertising of your event on Scott's website and social media (if you desire) • Facebook ads and/or a Facebook event page so the event can serve as an outreach (if you desire) • Prompt responses to any communication • Prompt replies to phone calls, emails, and/or text messages