Sermon Tone Analysis

Alêtheia's 101, 12-18-05         (Dad passed away 0830 12~/15~/05)

 

*Mexico Trip, Brief overview…*

This is the Fish or* **ICQUS**, **icquv* This symbol was used primarily amongst Christians of the early church years (1st and 2nd century A.D.)

*Psalm 119 Acrostic*

*א** Aleph*

*1    Blessed are they whose ways are blameless, who walk according to the law of the LORD.

*

*4    You have laid down precepts*

*    that are to be fully obeyed.*

*5    Oh, that my ways were steadfast*

*    in obeying your decrees!*

*ב** Beth*

*10    I seek you with all my heart;*

*    do not let me stray from your commands.*

*11    I have hidden your word in my heart*

*    that I might not sin against you.*

*13    With my lips I recount all the laws that come from your mouth.*

*ג** Gimel, **ד** Daleth, **ה** He, **ו** Waw*

*45    I will walk about in freedom,*

*    for I have sought out your precepts.*

*ז** Zayin, **ח** Heth, **ט** Teth*

*67    Before I was afflicted I went astray,*

*    but now I obey your word.*

* **י**  Yodh, **כ** Kaph, **ל** Lamed*

*89    Your word, O LORD, is eternal;*

*    it stands firm in the heavens.*

*מ** Mem, **נ** Nun*

*105    Your word is a lamp to my feet*

*    and a light for my path.*

*ס** Samekh*

*114    You are my refuge and my *

*shield; I have put my hope in your *

*word.*

*ע** Ayin, **פ** Pe*

*136    Streams of tears flow from *

*my eyes, for your law is not obeyed.*

*צ** Tsadhe, **ק** Qoph, **ר** Resh*

*160    All your words are true;*

*    all your righteous laws are eternal.*

*ש**Sin and Shin, **ת** Taw*

*176    I have strayed like a lost sheep.*

*    Seek your servant, for I have not *

*    forgotten your commands.*

* *

* *

*Ijhsou~~v Cristo>v qeou~~ uJio>v swth>r*

 

In Greece, fish Goddess, Aphrodite *Salacia*, was worshipped by her followers on her sacred day, Friday.

They ate fish and engaging in orgies.

From her name comes the English word "salâcious" which means lustful or obscene.

Also from her name comes the name of our fourth month, April.

In later centuries, the Catholic Church adsorbed this tradition by requiring the faithful to eat fish on Friday - a tradition that was only recently abandoned.

In Scandinavia, the Great Goddess was named *Freya*; fish were eaten in her honor.

The 6th day of the week was named "Friday" after her.

the earliest literary reference to the symbolic fish is made by *Clement of Alexandria*, born about 150,

according to the well-known passage of *Tertullian* "*we, little fishes, after the image of our /Ichthys/, Jesus Christ, are born in the water".

*

(c.AD 155-after 220) Born and educated in Carthage, he became impressed by the courage, morality, and uncompromising monotheism of Christian martyrs, and converted to Christianity.

* *

The *Piazza* at the Vatican and Ephesus stone with fish, ICQUS, Wheel & 3 Maltese Crosses circa 1000AD.

* *

*++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++*

* *

Hold the phone.

Tithe, gave up stuff, behavior maybe even friends, what happens?

I was beat down, I surrendered to you Lord, but I'm still getting hammered.

Now, it's* **even worse because I didn't expect** *it.

What's going on God?

* *

*Exodus 12&13:39 ~~** **Driven** *out of Egypt and did not have time to prepare food for themselves.

Neither the* **pillar of cloud** *by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.

* *

*Where did God drive them?** *To a trap at the Red Sea, to bitter water they couldn't drink, to a so-called promised land full of giants.

* *

*/IT IS ALL A TEST OF FAITH/*

* *

*Mark 1:11-13a ~~** *and a voice came out of the heavens: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.”

Immediately the Spirit* **impelled *Him /to/ /go/ out into the wilderness.

And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan.

* *

*(KJV: beaten) **dei>rontev**, *participle, literally remove the skin, i.e. flay open with a whip, flog.

*++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++*

* *

*Acts 6:1 ~~** *Now at this time while the disciples were increasing /in number,/ a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic /Jews/ (TM & NLT: Greek speakers) against the /native/ Hebrews (TM & NLT: Hebrew Speakers), because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving /of food./

* *

You are dead in the middle of God's Will, so much so that you are flayed open with a whip and then you deal with bickering in the church…IMAGINE THAT!

The cause was the *increase*

 

The problem was legitimate, but handled wrong!

*Grumble* against Moses in the *LXX* resulting in another lap around Sinai.

They did not *minimize* or ignore

 

Already an *organized* effort to care for believers primarily.

*Hellenistic **hJellhn*, hel-lane *Greek-ified* Jews.

Versus the stuck up better-than-you *eJbrai>ouv*.

heb-rye-ous.

Older people spent their life savings to travel to Jerusalem to die and be buried there.

The *resurrection* first happens there, so you might save a micro-second.

*Acts 6:2-6 ~~ *So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.

“Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

“But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timôn, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch.

And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

They're not saying their job is *more important*, they're saying that is the job they have been called to and if *a flogging won't stop* them….

The *whole* congregation led by the Apostles.

*Wait on tables* does not mean to serve food.

1- good reputation.

*marturoume>nouv*, from *marture>w*, bear a true witness unto death.

This means men who's yes is yes and no is no.

*Honest* and therefore open men.

2- full of the Spirit.

How do you know?

We know by our *love for others* and can gauge this best in others by the fruit of their love for others.

3- Wisdom is *sofi>a*, and in this sense it means a person with good judgment.

Someone who can make a *good decision*.

Stephen, 1st martyr

Philip, 1st traveling evangelist Samaria & the Eunuch

Prochorus, John's scribe?

Nicolas, Nicolaitans, a gentile from Luke's hometown