Message from Scripture: 11/25/2020

 

Our message from Scripture today is Rom. 15:4; “For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope."

 

It is true that those who lived under the Patriarchal Age lived differently than we do, and that those who lived under the Mosaic Law had a different covenant than we do with the gospel. Still, no matter the age, or culture, or covenant under which one lives, we all are still human, and there are certain responses to God that everyone offers, either for good, or for evil.

 

When we examine the lives of people recorded in Scripture, we discover there is a reason why they are there. God didn’t randomly choose people to include for us to study. People in Scripture are remembered by us, either for their obedience to God, and their positive example for us to imitate, or for their disobedience to God, to avoid the pitfalls of life that they fell victim to.

 

For example, there is Epaphroditus, who was sent by the church in Philippi to help out Paul during his house arrest in Rome. Paul said of him, “For he nearly died for the work of Christ, risking his life to complete what was lacking in your service to me” (Phil. 2:30). What a positive example he provides for us to offer ourselves to each other in those difficult times we all go through, to be a source of help and strength to each other.

 

There is also Ananias and Sapphira, who tried to deceive the church in their giving, wanting the commendation for being generous when in fact they were greedy (Acts 5:1-11). The Lord struck them down, as an example of how serious God takes matters of the heart and whether we’re being genuine or not. Luke records, “Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things” (Acts 5:11).

 

There are powerful lessons for us to learn today, from people who lived yesterday. Will we learn from them so we can please God, rather than displease Him? Let’s allow Scripture to help us avoid the pitfalls of sin, and to follow those examples of faith which will commend us to God on the day of judgment. God bless.

 

Robert