Question Series Part 3

Why was it important to be circumcised?

Circumcision was commanded

This was God commanded by God

Genesis 17:9–11 ESV

9 And God said to Abraham, “As for you, you shall keep my covenant, you and your offspring after you throughout their generations. 10 This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised. 11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

The covenant of circumcision came in the context of the promise of an abundant seed (Gen. 17:16) that would inherit and inhabit and therefore be fertile on the land that Yahweh promises.

Circumcision sealed the deed of inheritance for the land, but demonstrated that Abraham’s children were not going to inherit the land by the power of their arm of flesh, their battle prowess, or heroism.

Yahweh promised fertility, but indicated that Abraham would father the seed only when he gave up fleshly hope.

Circumcision was the “fruitful cut” in Abram’s flesh. It is no accident that Abram could father the child of the promise, Isaac, only after he was circumcised.

This was a covenant, a promise that must be kept. This was an act of obedience but more so a command.

Genesis 17:14 ESV

14 Any uncircumcised male who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin shall be cut off from his people; he has broken my covenant.”

I was talking to Pastor Bill about these questions, and he says that “they needed to cut it off, so that God would not cut them off!” Circumcision is nasty and it’s truly painful. This often happens when they were a baby, but in this time, sometimes they would do this a lot later in their life. Especially if they were foreigners brought into their house.

Circumcision was more than just this physical representation of God’s people, circumcision was also related humility and obeying our creator.

Circumcision signified sin

Jeremiah 4:4 (ESV)

4 Circumcise yourselves to the Lord;

remove the foreskin of your hearts,

Deuteronomy 30:6 ESV

6 And the Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

To circumcise the heart means to remove the cold, dead, calloused, stiff-necked hearts that so often marked the people and to instead turn fully — with the whole self — to the LORD in dedication

Circumcision signified what to come

Genesis 17:11 ESV

11 You shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and you.

Without going into gross detail, this was one a nasty, bloody, painful process.

It was so painful, there is an instance in the bible where Jacob’s sons, tricked some men into getting circumcised, don’t ask me how at the moment, and then attacked them the next day since they were in pain.

There was blood and pain, and we know the blood and pain of the cross.

We don’t need to be circumcised anymore because of what Christ has done (Galatians 5:1-15)

Colossians 2:11–12 ESV

11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.

Leslie, Aslie, and Chance, who I apparently was very aggressive when baptizing, i apologize for that. I was just pumped. They were baptized this Sunday!

Baptism on one hand now represents the new covenant that Christ has given us. Freedom from our sins.

How do we know when God is talking to us and what he is saying?

His Word (2 Timothy 3:16-17 and 2 Peter 1:3)

2 Timothy 3:16–17 ESV

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The first and most important step when wanting to know if it is God or not, memorize or know His word more. As you read scripture, you will gather wisdom from the wisest of sources, and a cheat sheet for what is right, what is true, what is honorable. Always refer back to scripture! If you are in doubt, go to scripture, even if you are confident, go to scripture. We are blessed to have a copy in front of us, we must utilize this beautiful book.

We must know Him more:

2 Peter 1:3 ESV

3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence,

As you read His word, practice it! Think about it! Let it change your mind.

I started to struggle with this question last year. I felt like my mind was playing tricks on me that I’m not being a good enough Christian, not doing enough as a pastor, and it actually discouraged me. Would present anxiety to me. These verses encouraged me:

Philippians 4:8–9 ESV

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

What this shows here is that we must practice thinking of the right things, however, before you think of the right things, you have to know what is right. As you learn and know what is right, you have to put it into action. Action in your mind and of course action in your actions.

Through Prayer in His Spirit

Ephesians 6:18 ESV

18 praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints,

Praying in the spirit often is connected with praying what the bible says. Don’t pray for your wish list, don’t pray for your dreams and aspirations, pray for what God wants you to do. Pray that He fills your mind with truth, wisdom, and discernment (knowing what is true and false). They didn’t always have the word of God available to read, but they often had snippets of verses that they would have memorized and they knew quite a lot of scripture at moments, especially if they were Jewish. The main thing is to pray at all times and come with a humble heart, not a prideful one.

How many times do we pray in the spirit? All times

The spirit of God is the spirit of truth, which says that in John. We have the mind of Christ! Don’t doubt but believe in the power of God with confidence. How do we know God? Well we have the spirit of God? Who know.

1 Corinthians 2:11 ESV

11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except the spirit of that person, which is in him? So also no one comprehends the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.

1 Corinthians 2:16 ESV

16 “For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

I’ve been in grocery stores where i’m on the other side grabbing some snack or some grocery item and if my wife talks I can recognize her voice. Because it’s loud, but because I know her. She is my wife, when she talks I know it’s her. I know many of you can say the same thing for your siblings, parents, or friends. When I heard "Jacob Michael" that was a scary thing to hear from my mom.

The voice of God does not have to be audible to be heard or known. If you want to know when God is talking versus something else, pray at all times, think at all times what is true and right, and do what the bible says. Maybe God has been speaking to us but we are ignoring him so we are nullifying His “voice.” Sinning can lead to a dullness of your relationship with God. Obey Him and start loving Him, you’ll start to easily know if it’s God or not. And when you don’t, go back to God’s word and see for yourself.

If God created the world then where did God come from? What was he doing before? Was he just there?

God is the creator of time, He has always existed. He is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end.

Our brains are too tiny to fully grasp what life is like without time!

Logically, there has to be something that always has existed. Even atheists believe that the world is created from another continuum that is outside our universe and that is the cause.

Here are verses that explain the character of God and how He is infinite:

Psalm 90:2 says “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Isaiah 57:15 says “For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity…”

1 Timothy 1:17 says “To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen.”

Habakkuk 1:12 says “O LORD, are you not from everlasting? My God, my Holy One, we will not die. O LORD, you have appointed them to execute judgment; O Rock, you have ordained them to punish.”

God says in Revelations 1:8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End: says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”