The Italian Memorandum

from the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

“I will fear no evil” (Psalm 23:4)

Introduction: As we approach Jesus’ famous sermon of  Matthew 5-7, we see three important indicators of  God–each of them absorbed by the Son of God and communicated with consummate skill.

1.  God is _______________________ (5:48; Gen. 17:5; Jer. 10:10; Lev. 19:2)

2.  Major in _____________________ (6:25-33; 6:6,18; Ps. 77:19)

3.  Recognize _________, but do not ______________ it. (6:34; Ps. 23:4)

Conclusion:    Are you ready to do the Life thing–the right thing–by coming out into the tempest of living?  (Matt. 22:14).

“And sinners shall be converted to you”

(Psalm 51:13, NKJV)

Strong’s Greek Dictionary gives the meaning of “conversion” as moral evolution (32).  See Acts 15:3.    Other essential information about “conversion” include:

1.       The Hebrew term shoob means to turn back.  Psalm 19:7 shows the  process of conversion being brought about by God’s law (torah) upon the  human soul.  The Hebrew shoob also has a godly motivation behind it,  propelling it into action (see Psalm 51:13 in context).

2.       The verb form epistrepho (see Luke 2:39) involves 5 groups:

a.      Mk. 4:12 (Isaiah 6:9,10) – outsiders

b.      Lk. 22:32 – former disciples

c.       Acts 3:19 – non-Christians

d.       Acts 28:27 – those in need of spiritual healing

e.       James 5:19,20 – errant Christians

In conclusion, conversion is a turning or returning to God.  The wrong turn is possible, according to Acts 7:39.  But, the primary opportunity is from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to the power of God (Acts 26:18; 1 Thess. 1:9). Moral revolution well expresses Christian conversion.

-Robert M. Housby

Do you have a Christian worldview about the Moon? Look up into the night sky with the following data in mind (Ps. 19:1-2; 2 Cor. 10:5,NASB).

1. Gen. 1:14-16 (the principal luminary of the night has interdependence with the sun)

2. Ps. 72:5 (both the sun and the moon are expressions of permanence)

3. Ps. 8:3 (the moon is the work of the Lord; set it in place by him)

4. Mk. 13:24 (portrayed as eclipsed at the coming of the Son of Man)

5. Matt. 4:24 (the moon is associated with mental affliction, literally “moon-struck” (from selena, the moon = lunatics, NASB Zondervan Interlinear.  Other translations interpret as epileptic, etc.)

6. Ps. 121:5 (the moon was once thought to influence the mind-loony thinking).

7. Job 31:26-28 (the moon is associated with idolatry-worship; Nanna, Sumerian/named Sin by the Assyrians)

8. The moon’s appearance is that of highlands (craters); maria (lava); mnt. ranges (debris); and, valleys (1000’s of km).  The moon is geologically dead.  Its average distance from Earth is 3.8 x 10.   It is the only satellite of the Earth.  Its diameter is 3,476 km./ .25 that of Earth’s.    All lunar rocks are formed by cooling lava (igneous).  Its gravity is 1/6 that of Earth’s.  Its period of rotation is 27 1/3 days; period of revolution is 29 ½ days.

9. Four Major Theories of Lunar Origin – (1)  Condensation (same material and time of formation as Earth)  (2)  Fission (the moon was once part of the Earth and split away)  (3)  Capture (a separate stellar object captured by Earth’s gravity, and (4)  Large impact theory (a Mars sized object hit Earth; splashed off and formed the moon).

-Robert M. Housby

“And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being  saved” (Acts 2:47)

Introduction: Acts 2:41 and 2:47 indicate that the Lord does the adding when it comes to church membership.  Let’s review Acts 2 and notice how this adding is a great at last in God’s plan of salvation (see also Acts 5:14 and 11:24).

Outline of Acts 2

2:1-13 -   Excitation (Heaven => Jerusalem)

2:14-21 -  Explanation (Joel 2:28-32 => Holy Spirit)

2:22-36 – Application (David => Jesus)

2:37-47 – Activation (Pentecostians => Church)

Conclusion:    Man may add to his faith virtue (2 Pet. 1:5ff.); man may add an addition on to his house; man may add mathematically; but, only the Lord can add to his church. Once again, there are certain things that a man cannot do-add to a ratified covenant (Gal. 3:15); by worrying add years to one’s life (Lk. 12;25); and, no man can add himself to the church-for only the Lord does the adding; not man, not the church, not a religious association-only the Lord.  Have you been added to the Lord’s church according to Acts of the Apostles?

“Tell of his salvation from day to day”

(1 Chron. 16:23; see also Ps. 96:1-13)

If the name of the Savior is precious to you, If his care has been constant and tender and true, If the light of his presence has brightened your way, O will you not tell of your gladness today?  O will you not tell it today?  Will you not tell it today?  If the light of his presence has brightened your way, O will you not tell it today? (Jesse Brown Pounds, Will You Not Tell It Today?)

Evangelical churches and individuals are fond of focusing on one particular tenet of the Christian system, to the exclusion and detriment of the whole counsel of God (Acts 20:27; Ps. 119:160; see example in James 1:24).  Notice, however, that the Bible clearly portrays salvation as being ascribed to multiple logical causes; and, not to any singular emphasis of man’s selection.

1. Grace, the moving cause (Eph. 2:5)

2. The life of Christ, the efficient cause (Rom. 5:9,10)

3. The gospel, the procuring cause (1 Cor. 15:1-2)

4. The death, burial, and resurrection  of Jesus, the disposing cause (1 Cor. 15:13-4)

5. Faith, the formal cause (Acts 16:31)

6. Baptism, the immediate cause (1 Pet. 3:21; Tit. 3:5)

7. Endurance, the concurring cause (Rev. 2:10; 13:10; 14:12)

The New Testament plan of salvation is much too important to relegate to human speculation.  Tell it today!

-Robert M. Housby

Telling the Story of Passover

“And when in time to come your son asks you, What does this mean?   You shall say to him, By a strong hand the LORD brought us out of Egypt, from the house of slavery”  (Ex. 13:14)

Introduction: Our story begins with a reading of Deut. 26:5-8.

I. The Telling (Ex. 13:8-vehigadeta labincha; see also, 13:14).    The Passover meal would not be eaten until the Passover story (maggid) was re-told.  The meaning preceded the meal.

II.     A Parable of Four Sons (4 kinds of sons)

A.           The ____________ (chakam) son

B.           The ____________ (rasha’) son

C.           The ____________ (tam) son

D.           The ____________ (lishol yodea) son

II. Making Passover your own (The 3 Essentials)…

A.           _____________________________

B.            _____________________________

C.            _____________________________

Conclusion:     In every generation, the people of God must feel that they themselves came out of Egypt (Deut. 6:23).  Still waiting for Elijah (Mal. 3:1;4:5)?  He has already come; along with Jesus of Nazareth.  We tell it today for those with ears to hear.

“Some are born great, others achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them”

(William Shakespeare, Twelfth Night)

Introduction:    National Geographic (March, 2009) reminds us that Moses and Mount Sinai are still newsworthy.  Who was this Moses, and what might we learn from this man?

I. Michaelangelo’s “Moses“ (1515)

A.    (Ex. 34:29-35)

B.     Sigmund Freud’s failure to see Moses (The Moses of Michaelangelo)

C.    Will we see Moses?

II.        What might we learn from Moses?

A.    __________________________

B.     __________________________

C.    __________________________

D.    __________________________

Conclusion:    Moses once inspired a weary and sorely oppressed people into a united nation; from whom came the Messiah.  Now, Biblical biographical data may be used productively, or set aside.

“You shall tell your son on that day, ‘It is because of what the Lord did for me when I came out of Egypt'”

(Exodus 13:8)

The commandment (mitzvah) to make sure to tell your people’s narrative (Haggadah, recital) to their children is expressed in Exodus 13:8.  The specific expression in Hebrew is vehigadeta labincha, translated “…tell your son…” Reflecting on this command, one can readily assess its importance in communication and transmission of the facts to the formation of faith for each generation. This telling, as commanded by the LORD, is prompted by repeatable questions, which each generation is encouraged to make (see Exodus 12:26,27).  What do you mean is the right attitude toward divine religion.  It is cognitive, factual, and understandable.  The obligation of  arents to transmit the gospel message, today, is a priority with a powerful design.  Of course, the Christian’s Red Sea-Exodus experience is from the  bondage of sin, not Egypt (Rom. 6:15-23).

The New Testament, too, carries on this same communication-transmission of facts, which leads to faith formation.  Several New Testament passages which convey vehigadeta  labincha (the telling) include, Ephesians 6:4 and 2 Tim. 3:14,15.   “O will you not tell it today?  Will you not tell it today?  If the light of his presence has brightened your way, O will you not tell it today? (Jesse Brown Pounds, 1887).  Let the pillar stand.  When we sing it-we tell it; when we pray it-we tell it;  when we read it-we tell it; and, when we preach it we tell it. Will you not tell it today?

-Robert M. Housby