Monday Morning Coffee with Mark
Monday Morning Coffee with Mark. A spiritual boost to start the week.
Monday Morning Coffee with Mark
Dead in the water: Why Baptism Matters
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Welcome to the Westside church’s special Monday Morning Coffee podcast with Mark Roberts. Mark is a disciple, a husband, father and grand dad, as well as a certified coffee geek, fan of CS Lewis’ writings and he loves his big red Jeep. He’s also the preacher for Westside church.
Hello, and welcome to the Westside Church's special Monday Morning Coffee podcast. On this podcast, our preacher, Mark Roberts, will help you get your week started right with a look back at yesterday's sermon so that we can think through it further and better work the applications into our daily lives. Mark will then look forward into this week's Bible reading so that we can know what to expect and watch for. And he may have some extra bonus thoughts from time to time. So grab a cup of coffee as we start the week together on Monday Morning Coffee with Mark.
SPEAKER_01:Good morning, good morning. Welcome to the Monday Morning Coffee Podcast for Monday, July the 14th. I'm Mark, and I am holding shockingly cold coffee. Yes, there's a whole story behind that. It is Youth Lectures Week here at Westside. All kinds of great things are happening. I'm ready to talk a little bit more about baptism out of yesterday's sermon. And yes, I am certainly ready to think about daily Bible reading with you. In fact... Oh, that is cold coffee. I had a tooth extraction last week and I have to avoid things that are hot. And so I have turned to cold coffee. That is largely the fault of one of our podcast listeners who's always talking about iced coffee that she has and she knows who she is. You are to blame. I'm doing the best I can with cold coffee. It is a struggle. But whether your coffee is cold, hot, or Laodicean lukewarm, pour that cup of coffee. Let's get ready. Let's get set. Let's go. Yesterday's sermon did focus on baptism and why it's so important, why it matters, why being buried with Christ dead in the water is still something we want to emphasize and teach on and be certain people understand and, yes, obey. And every now and then that will meet some resistance, maybe out of a passage like Acts 16 31, where the Philippian jailer says to Paul and Silas, verse 30, sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, believe in the Lord Jesus and you That's the kind of passage where people try to blunt the emphasis on baptism and make faith-only salvation work. But can I ask this? Why does it say, verse 32, and he washed their wounds, and he was baptized at once, he and all his family. Let's just ask this. If baptism is not essential to salvation, why is it the first thing anyone in the New Testament does when they come to faith in Christ is be baptized? Not later. It's not treated as optional. It's not scheduled for a ceremony weeks later. From the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 to the Ethiopian eunuch to Saul of Tarsus to this jailer in Philippi, as soon as someone understands Jesus, they are baptized immediately. If baptism isn't essential, why is it so urgent every single time? So the passage, Acts 16, that people try to use to say you don't need to be baptized just reminds us baptism matters. And now, let's turn our attention to daily Bible reading. It is Monday, and today begins Youth Lectures Week, and in fact, I have Narnia Club in my house today, so all kinds of wonderful things are happening this week. Love teaching C.S. Lewis's Narnian Chronicles. That's just a joy. But our Bible reading before all of that gets going is in 1 Kings chapter 17, and today we meet Elijah the Tishbite. One writer said, with the king embracing Canaanite religion and the queen aggressively promoting it, what chance did authentic faith in Israel have of surviving. In a wonderful, mysterious way, the Lord, however, had prepared an Elijah to come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Elijah is super important. He has been called the most important figure since Moses and Samuel, and it is important to remember he meets Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration along with Moses. Moses represents the law. Elijah represents prophecy. And We don't know anything about him. We are not even certain where Tish is. He is a Tishbite. We don't know where Tish is. But he is a dramatically powerful prophet. And I should add here, the many miracles done during both his and Elisha's ministry just indicates how bad things were. Because Miracles have a tendency to cluster in the Bible during times of great spiritual need. And this is a time of great depravity. And Elijah shows up and says, it's not going to rain. Please be mindful. It was so long before I realized this. That this is not something that Elijah just plucked out of his hat, just kind of an arbitrary thing. I just don't think it's going to rain because I don't like mowing my grass. No, this is... This is straight out of the book of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 11, verse 16. Deuteronomy 28, verse 23. There's also references in Leviticus that when God's people don't do what's right, God would withhold the reins. So what Elijah does is show up and say, I'm praying that God will do what God said he would do to bring these people back. That's what Elijah is all about, and God takes care of him. The operative phrasing in chapter 17 is, Word of the Lord, or sometimes just the Word. And if you underline that in your Bible every time, you'll see in this chapter that occurs a lot. The Brook Cherith, where Elijah goes and is cared for by God, is a brook that empties into the Jordan, but its location is uncertain. And We need to think about this, verse 7, after a while the brook dried up, that brook would be getting thinner every single day and Elijah's faith would be severely tested. But God then moves him to Zarephath. And this is a key episode to show God's interest in non-Israelite people. In fact, Jesus quotes out of this in Luke chapter 4 to say there are times when there are no faithful folks in Israel, but there will be some faithful people outside of Israel. It does not go well for Jesus when he reminds people of that in Luke chapter 4. It does seem, if you do the chronology, Luke 18 verse 1 and so forth, that Elijah is here about two years. Now, Zarephath is seven miles south of Sidon, and it is a Phoenician town. And there is some irony in that because Jezebel is Phoenician. And so Elijah is fleeing the Phoenician queen, and he is doing that in Phoenicia. I guess she would never look for him there. And in verse 12, And just a wonderful way of reassuring the prophet. She says, as the Lord your God lives, and of course the word Lord there is in small caps, and that is the word Jehovah or Yahweh, depending on how you want to say that, and that would indicate she has some understanding of the Israelites and the God of the Israelites. And that all goes really well, and they're eating, and God is miraculously providing for them, and then her son dies. Verse 18, What have you against me, O man of God? You have come to me to bring my sin to remembrance and to cause the death of my son. She certainly seems to be a spiritually minded person. And this loss, of course, would be intensified by the fact that in Bible times, there's no social security network, there's no retirement, and a woman without a son to take care of her is a woman who will be in real trouble. She has no one to care for her in her old age. And, of course, what we'd all like to know is why Elijah stretches himself upon the child, verse 21 through times, and we just don't know that. We just don't know. Sometimes miracles don't look like anything that we would expect, and maybe if we knew more about how to do a miracle, if we'd ever done one ourselves, we might understand this kind of thing. We just don't know. And we'll just have to say, we just don't know. But the woman says, verse 24, Now I know you are a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in your mouth is truth. So a Phoenician woman gets it, while the Phoenician queen Jezebel doesn't, and while the Israelites King doesn't either. Our reading for Monday, 1 Kings chapter 17. It is Tuesday. It is Tuesday, and our reading is 1 Kings 18 verses 1 to 19. The reading for Tuesday, 1 Kings 18, 1 to 19, and Westsiders, we will have Zoom this evening, and so I'll get ready to talk about this reading a little further. In 1 Kings 18, we get some really powerful lessons about the value of miracles. I think all of us every now and then have just wanted God to do something really powerful and really amazing and really, really under undeniably visible. Maybe the next time the atheists are marching down the streets, wouldn't it be cool if God suddenly levitated all of them? That would be amazing, and we would like to see the Lord vindicated. Sometimes we would like to see faith in God vindicated, and that's going to happen here in 1 Kings 18. There are times where God has made unmistakably clear His presence and power. I'm thinking about the 10 plagues on Egypt, for example, and in 1 Kings 18, there is no question who is God. That is the real challenge of 1 Kings the 18th chapter, and it is set up in our meeting between Elijah and Obadiah in our reading today. And as we advance in this chapter, just hold on to this idea of God vindicating himself, because I think I would imagine that will cause everybody to convert. Pay attention, and let's see if that will work out. So After many days, verse 1, the word of the Lord came to Elijah in the third year saying, go show yourself to Ahab and I will send rain upon the earth. So we need to remember here that no rain is a direct assault upon Baal because he's the rain and fertility God. But how can God send rain again without people thinking that Baal did it? Finally, Baal has relented. Maybe all the offering we've been doing to Baal finally breaks through. So there will need to be some teaching here and Obadiah is going to be used by God to get that teaching to Ahab. Now Obadiah is not the prophet by name who is named Obadiah. He's not that prophet, but he is a really good man who works for a really evil boss in a really bad place. If you don't like your work conditions, Obadiah is your character. He is showing you that it is possible to be faithful in a really, really hard place. And so Elijah meets Ahab. And Elijah and Ahab come together, verse 17, and Ahab says famously, is it you, you troubler of Israel? And Elijah answered, I have not troubled Israel, but you have. I love Elijah's courage and we will see that just in huge quantities in our reading as we journey further in 1 Kings 18. Now I will try to post some pictures today from Mount Carmel. Mount Carmel is not a snow-covered mountain. This is not the Rocky Mountains. It's not the Matterhorn in Switzerland. It's just a craggy, hilly area peak and there's lots of places there where a huge crowd could gather and watch. Lots of natural amphitheaters. And I have been there. Dean and I were there in 2023. We were blessed to get to go to Israel. And I'm trying to post some of our pictures of that. You stand on the top of this large hill. Hill is not enough. Mountain is too much because it evokes, like I said, the Rocky Mountains. It's somewhere in between all of that. But when you stand on the top of that thing, you can see where a And you can even see the brook where the prophets of Baal are taken at the end of the chapter. Spoiler alert. And they are brought down to the brook Kishon and slaughtered there. You can see all of that. And it is very emotional to stand there and to see that. It is very, very powerful to know this is the place where the prophet of God set up this amazing showdown to answer the question, who is God, Jehovah or Baal? And we'll read about that. tomorrow. Westsiders, don't forget, Zoom tonight at 7. Everybody else, see you on the podcast tomorrow. Our reading for Tuesday, 1 Kings 18, verse 1 to 19. It is Wednesday. It is Wednesday and Jerry King is with us tonight to talk further about Gideon as we continue our summer series on the judges. But before that, we want to do our daily Bible reading. 1 Kings 18 verses 20 to 46 is the reading for Wednesday. 1 Kings 18 verses 20 to 46. Please notice in verse 21, Elijah says, how long will you go limping between two different opinions? I expect that maybe, maybe you think, I think that Israel has wholly gone over to the worship of Baal but the suggestion here may be that they're trying to worship both Baal and Jehovah that they are serving both as kind of the pantheon of gods. We're just expanding how many gods there are, and so Jehovah has blessed us in some ways, brought us out of Egypt, but now we're in the land of Baal, and Baal's the rain god, and we just need to worship both ends of that. And I think there's something to be said for seeing that in verse 21. By the way, in verse 27, when Elijah says, cry aloud for he is a god, either he is musing or he is busy, some translations have, or really believing himself, the ESV has, properly rendering what is most likely a euphemism there for using the restroom. And that was a euphemism right there, answering nature's call, another euphemism. But of course, that would be quite a slam on a god. That doesn't seem like a very dignified thing for deity to be doing. And I think maybe Elijah's just recognizing how so many people, when they construct their own gods, just construct a god that acts like a human and Elijah is putting it on them. He is making them look as foolish as they are. The time of the evening sacrifice comes then, verse 29, that would be at about 3, but it would take some time to prepare all of this so you can easily imagine that Elijah finally gets underway as the shadows of the evening begin to lengthen. In his quiet way. beginning verse 30, would contrast to the wild screaming and pagan practices the people had seen all day. Amodes deeply moved to read that he repaired the altar of the Lord. The word repaired there is literally healed. And although I don't think it should be translated healed, it is a great metaphor for what has happened to the nation of Israel and the fact that he takes 12 stones is a clear announcement that the divided kingdom is not God's will. And this ought not so to be. And so then he says, verse 36, O Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known that this day you are God in Israel. That's what this is about. That's the purpose of this miracle. And indeed, I think you could make a good argument that's the purpose of all miracles, to make God known. And God does make himself known in an incredibly powerful way. The result of that, verse 39, is momentary conversion. I want to emphasize that. Momentary conversion. The prophets of Baal are executed, and rain does come, 41 to 46. But Jezebel will have none of it, and the people don't permanently turn to God. We'll talk more about that in 1 Kings 19 in tomorrow's reading. Our reading for Wednesday is 1 Kings 18, 20 to 46. Welcome to Thursday and today we're talking about 1 Kings 19. 1 Kings 19, the entire chapter, is our reading for Thursday. This is a difficult chapter. I love Elijah and I respect his courage and fire so very, very much and he really falls apart here. He just really falls apart. It seems that Elijah expects a national revival which would include, for example, turning Jezebel out of office at bare minimum and that doesn't happen. Instead, she flexes And he just absolutely bottoms out. He just completely falls apart, and he runs away. away. He runs away. Beersheba is about a hundred miles south of Jezreel, verse 3, and then Sinai is another 200 miles further south. He really gets out of Dodge. And please take a look at verse 5. He lay down and slept under a broom tree, and behold, an angel touched him and said to him, Arise and eat. And if that's not proof that a snack and a nap will do you some good, then I don't know what would be. I do think as Elijah and the Lord talk beginning in about verse 9 down through about verse 18 that you do get a sense of pride in Elijah's words notice verse 4 and verse 10 and verse 14 but that God cares for him taking care of him those 40 days verse 8 to bring him to Sinai but as Elijah complains verse 10 almost rebuking God what's the matter with you Lord it seems like the Lord needs to help Elijah come back to faith And so finally, verse 13, a voice says, What are you doing here, Elijah? It is a quiet voice. It's not, verse 12, it's a low whisper. It's not power. It's not rumbly. It's not that deep voice of God that we always assume God uses. And it seems to say that God does not always need the extraordinary. Elijah, you saw something incredible, but... But I don't always have to use that. I can use people like you and like the 7,000 who have not bowed the knee. Now you need to go back to work knowing that I am with you. I have some things for you to do. New King in Israel, verse 16, and Elisha, the son of Shaphat, verse 16, will be the prophet in your place. New King in Syria, I jumped that in verse 15, but it seems that God is ready for Elisha to go to work. work. And so Elijah journeys to meet Elisha. I have to be careful here, beginning in verse 19. And when he puts his cloak upon him, Elisha knows he's been called. Well, that last phrase then in verse 20, go back again for what have I done to you, is difficult to translate. The words may emphasize permission. Go! Hey! What have I done to you? Or it may say, I'm not doing anything to prevent that, or There may be a cautionary note there. Yes, you can go, but you remember, I put my cloak upon you, and now you're going to be the next great prophet in Israel. Our reading for Thursday, 1 Kings 19. Welcome to Friday. Welcome to Friday. Our youth lectures begin tonight at 7 with a half hour of singing. We have two wonderful speakers tonight, two speakers tomorrow beginning at 1 and two speakers on Sunday along with breakout sessions. Our theme for the youth lectures this year is what is in your backpack and we're challenging young people to think about what they need to add to their life as they make this journey from earth to heaven. It will be a wonderful, wonderful weekend. The men that have been selected and asked to come. are highly capable. Tyler Sams, Phil Robertson, Caleb Churchill, Tim King, Jonathan Golightly. These are men who study the Word, live the Word, and are ready to help young people understand the Word. And I should add, it's a joy for me to get to be a part of the lectures again. I'll finish the lectures in the 1040 on Sunday. And I should say here, it's not just about young people. This event is widely attended, and there will be a ton of adults here, parents and grand And I'll see you next time. Everybody benefits from the preaching of God's Word. All of us are carrying a backpack, and all of us need to add to that backpack what will help us, young or old, get to heaven. Before we arrive tonight at 7-4, the beginning of the lectures, our 31st youth lectures, can you believe that, we'll do our daily Bible reading in the Psalms. This is Psalm 29, and it is one of my favorite, favorite psalms. This psalm has been called the seven thunderclaps of God. It uses a powerful to emphasize the amazing power of God. And I have a note here. This is the antidote. Psalm 29 is the antidote to little godness. And sometimes we just don't think enough of God. We just don't give Him the power and majesty that He deserves. But 15 times we read the name of God here, Jehovah. That's that Lord in small caps. And that expression, the voice of the Lord is repeated again and again. That's a thunder clap. That's what that is. David hears those thunder claps and he sees the power of the storm smashing the cedars of Lebanon, verse 5, like they are toothpicks. The cedars of Lebanon is what Solomon built the temple out of. They are huge, impressive trees. And Syrian is Mount Hermon, verse 6. That is a mighty mountain about 10,000 feet tall and God makes it shake and quake. God flashes forth, verse 7, in flames That's lightning across the sky. Verse 10, God is not in nature. God is not part of nature. God is over the flood, over the flood, and over fake gods like Baal who claim to control the rain. It is God who makes it rain. It is God who brings the storm. Love Psalm 29. The reading for Friday is Psalm 29. And that closes the podcast for the week. I certainly do appreciate you listening. If the podcast is helping you, please tell others about it so that it will help them as well. Well, until next week when we'll open our Bibles together again, I'm Mark Roberts, and I want to go to heaven, and I want you to come too. I will see you on Monday with a cup of coffee.
SPEAKER_00:Thanks for listening to the Westside Church of Christ podcast, Monday Morning Coffee with Mark. For more information about Westside, you can connect with us through our website, justchristians.com, and our Facebook page. Our music is from upbeat.io. That's upbeat with two Ps, U-P-P-B-E-A-T, where creators can get free music. Please share our podcast with others, and we look forward to seeing you again, with a cup of coffee, of course, on next Monday.