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Benjamin Lee <- Back Consider Your Ways Benjamin Lee July 26, 2026 Consider Your Ways Benjamin Lee 00:00 / 27:59 Download Outline File Download Presention File Haggai, prophets, consider, focus, reflect, reflection, direct, repent, repentance, encouragement, strength of God, dependent, dependent on God, dependence, dependence on God, minor prophets Request a File Looking for an outline or powerpoint file for a specific lesson? Let us know! Request Now Have any questions? Ask Us!

Benjamin Lee <- Back The Vision of Obadiah Benjamin Lee July 12, 2026 The Vision of Obadiah Benjamin Lee 00:00 / 42:51 Download Outline File Download Presention File obadiah, judgement, destruction, edom, edomites, prophets, minor prophets Request a File Looking for an outline or powerpoint file for a specific lesson? Let us know! Request Now Have any questions? Ask Us!

Introduction Who are God’s chosen people? It depends on who you ask. Many politicians say the modern nation of Israel is still God’s chosen people. Many religious leaders teach that God still has a special covenant with the Jewish Nation today. If true, it has enormous ramifications on salvation, the church, etc. To bring this into clarity, we begin with Abraham’s story, Genesis 12:1-3. “God promised never again to cleanse by flood, God chose another way – separating from the world a faithful family in order to bring into the world an eternal answer to wickedness, a dying savior.” The Nation Promise (Genesis 12:2) God promised Abraham that a great nation would come from him, Genesis 12:2. Specifically Israel. “This nation would be great in number and also in significance. How? It would be the nation to carry the Messianic line.” As we will see, Paul is going to argue that the ultimate great nation of Abraham is the community of the faithful, whether circumcised or not, Romans 4:9-12; Galatians 3:7-9. It would not be through Lot or Ishamel. Isaac was the child of promise, Genesis 17:16-21. Isaac would have Jacob who would have 12 sons that became the 12 tribes of Israel. They would become a great nation in Egypt, Genesis 46:2-4. God chose Israel, established a covenant and gave Laws to them, Exodus 19:4-6; Exodus 20; Deuteronomy 7:6. The Land Promise (Genesis 12:1) A land would be given to the offspring of Abraham. It’s not initially specified but is in Genesis 13:15. That would be the land of Canaan or the Promised Land. Instructions were given of how to live in this land, Deuteronomy 27:1-4; 28:1-3,15. This promise was fulfilled, Joshua 21:43-45. The Blessing Promise (Genesis 12:3; 22:18) Let’s break this verse down into two sections. Verse 3a, "Bless and curse," was personal to Abraham. This was made personally to Abraham, not a future nation; Genesis 20:1-8. Verse 3b, "All families of the earth shall be blessed..." ultimately points to Jesus as Savior. The Nation Promise and Land Promise were never the end of the story. Moses spoke of another prophet all needed to heed: Jesus, Deuteronomy 18:15-18. Jesus was a descendant of Abraham, Matthew 1:1. He would save His people from their sins, Matthew 1:21. He didn’t come merely to save Israel, but the world, John 3:16. Peter preached this and taught Deuteronomy 18:15-18 was fulfilled in Christ, Acts 3:18-19. He quotes from Genesis 12:3 demonstrating this was fulfilled in Jesus. Jews first entered the kingdom of God. Then Gentiles, Acts 2:41; Acts 10. In Acts 13, Paul emphasized "The Promise" pointing to Jesus fulfilling Genesis 12:3. Acts 13:17: God had CHOSEN ISRAEL. The NATION PROMISE was fulfilled. Acts 13:19: The LAND PROMISE was fulfilled. Acts 13:20-23: "According to promise" God brought a Savior Jesus. Acts 13:24-26: Paul recognized his audience as being physical descendants of Abraham who feared God! Yet they ignored the prophets and Jesus and killed him, Acts 13:27-30. He was resurrected, Acts 17:31-32. Paul preached the good news of the "Promise." The good news is Jesus, Galatians 3:8-9. Acts 13:33: This promise (Blessing Promise) has been fulfilled. Acts 13:38-39: Through Jesus is where forgiveness of sins is found. The chosen of God in the New Covenant today are those who belong to Christ, 1 Peter 2:9; Galatians 3:6-9; Galatians 3:29; Colossians 3:12. Is the Jewish Nation God's Chosen People Today? No. Consider Romans 9:1-8. The current state of Israel does not have a divine status in the New Covenant. We are NOT commanded by God from scripture to support the current state of Israel. Supporting the current state of Israel may or may not politically wise. That’s politics. More important than politics is that God’s chosen people today are not identified by physical descent from Abraham but rather identified by faith in Jesus Christ, Galatians 3:24-27. What does this mean for Israel in the first century and beyond, Romans 9:1-6; 10:1-4? In the first century, Paul’s desire was that they would be saved. Those outside of Christ are not saved. But there is hope for Israel if they believe in Jesus, Romans 11:23. What this doesn’t mean: Hatred toward any Jewish person, James 2:11. Conclusion God’s chosen people today are NOT those who are physical descendants of Abraham (Israel), but those who have faith in Jesus to be the Son of God. This means anyone in this room—Jew or Gentile, rich or poor, young or old—can become part of God’s chosen people through Jesus. A Christian's allegiance is NOT to ANY nation (Israel/America) but must be to King Jesus, Israel 6:16.

What John 6 Teaches About Faith John 6 is one of the most remarkable chapters in the Gospels. It contains the feeding of the five thousand, Jesus walking on the water, and His famous "Bread of Life" discourse. At first glance, these appear to be three separate events, but they're actually connected by a single theme. Jesus is testing faith. Not faith in the sense of simply believing He exists, but faith that trusts Him when circumstances seem impossible and His teachings become difficult. Why Were They Following Jesus? John begins by telling us why the crowds were following Jesus. "A large crowd was following Him because they saw the signs which He was performing on those who were sick." (John 6:2) Notice what John doesn't say. The people weren't following Jesus because they believed He was the Messiah or because they longed for eternal life. They were following Him because of what He could do for them. They loved the miracles. Instead of immediately engaging the crowd, Jesus went up on a mountain and sat down with His disciples. That detail is easy to overlook, but I don't think it's accidental. Before Jesus addresses the crowd, He first spends time with the men He is training. The crowd wanted miracles. Jesus wanted disciples. An Impossible Test As Jesus looked at the thousands of people gathering below, He turned to Philip and asked, "Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?" John immediately reveals something Philip didn't know. "This He was saying to test him." So what exactly was the test? It wasn't whether Philip could solve a logistics problem. There wasn't a solution. There wasn't enough money. There wasn't enough food. There wasn't enough time. Jesus intentionally presented His disciples with an impossible situation. Philip immediately did what most of us would have done. He started doing the math. "Two hundred denarii worth of bread isn't enough." Andrew wasn't much different. He found a boy with five loaves and two fish, but immediately dismissed the idea. "What are these for so many people?" Both disciples had the same problem. Their thinking was governed by what they could see rather than by who Jesus was. God Often Tests Us the Same Way I think this is where John 6 becomes deeply personal. How often do we face a situation that seems impossible and immediately begin calculating? We measure our finances, our abilities, our resources, and our opportunities. We determine what is and isn't possible based entirely on what we can accomplish. But what if that's exactly what Jesus is testing? God frequently allows us to encounter situations we cannot fix because those are the moments that reveal where our trust truly rests. If every challenge could be solved by our own wisdom, there would be very little reason to depend on Him. Faith begins where our ability ends. After hearing Philip's and Andrew's responses, Jesus gave an unexpected command. "Have the people sit down." Imagine being one of the disciples. You have just spent several minutes explaining why feeding this crowd is impossible. Now Jesus wants everyone seated for dinner. I can't help but wonder what they were whispering to each other. "Does He have a plan?" "Where is the food coming from?" "This is going to be embarrassing." Yet they obeyed. Then Jesus began breaking the bread. It kept multiplying. The fish kept multiplying. Everyone ate until they were full. Then Jesus told the disciples to gather the leftovers. Twelve baskets worth of left overs. Think about carrying one of those baskets back. Every step would have reminded them that they had completely underestimated Jesus. The baskets weren't simply leftovers. They were lessons. The Point of the Test The miracle wasn't primarily about feeding hungry people. It was about teaching the disciples. Jesus wanted them to fully grasp one truth: You don't have enough. And you never will. The resources required are impossible. That's the point. As long as they believed the outcome depended on their own resources, they would continue to fail the test. Only when they learned to trust the One who supplied the resources would they begin to understand faith. The Crowd Still Doesn't Understand The next day the crowd found Jesus again. At first, that sounds encouraging, but Jesus exposed their real motivation. "You seek Me... because you ate of the loaves and were filled." They wanted another meal. Jesus wanted to give them eternal life. He redirected the conversation away from temporary bread and declared that He Himself was the Bread of Life. "Show Us a Sign" Perhaps the most surprising moment in the chapter comes next. The people asked Jesus for a sign. Think about that. He had just fed more than five thousand people with five loaves and two fish. Less than a day later...They wanted more evidence. The problem wasn't a lack of miracles. It was a lack of faith. No amount of evidence will ever satisfy a heart that has already decided not to trust. The Hard Teaching As Jesus continued teaching, His words became increasingly difficult. He told the crowd they must eat His flesh and drink His blood if they wanted eternal life. The people immediately began arguing because they misunderstood Him. Jesus wasn't speaking literally. He was teaching that following Him requires complete dependence. Just as physical food sustains our bodies, Christ must become the very source of our spiritual life. Many people couldn't accept that. John tells us they stopped following Him. Not because the evidence wasn't convincing. Because the teaching was too hard. The Final Test After the crowds began leaving, Jesus turned away from them and looked directly at the Twelve. "Do you also want to go away?" Peter's response may be one of the greatest statements of faith in all of Scripture. "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." Notice what Peter doesn't say. He doesn't say, "We understand everything." He simply knows there's nowhere else to go. Sometimes faith isn't having all the answers. Sometimes faith is knowing Who has them. The Same Test Today That same question still confronts us today. Many people are willing to follow Jesus when He provides bread. Far fewer are willing to follow Him when He asks for surrender. The real test of faith has never been whether Jesus can perform miracles. The real test is whether we will continue following Him when trusting Him costs us something.

Introduction Everything I’m about to share I verified by visiting a Catholic Church, speaking to someone there, and also picking up a booklet they give out for free! I told them who I was, where I preach, and why I was there. The Eucharist: What Catholics refer to as the Lord’s Supper. Webster’s Dictionary: “Communion.” Word: From the Greek Word ‘Eucharistia’ which means thanksgiving or gratitude. It’s related to the Greek verb ‘Eucharisteo’ meaning ‘to give thanks.’ In Matthew 26:27; Luke 22:19; 1 Corinthians 11:24 the Greek text uses forms of Eucharisteo. The Belief: The elements LITERALLY becomes the body and blood of Jesus. “From the booklet Sacraments: The Seven Spiritual Wonders of the World: “The Catholic Church takes the words of John 6:53-55 literally.” Even though it remains in its regular substance. It’s believed when the priest pronounces sacred words “This is my body…” the bread and the fruit of the vine are transformed into the literal body and blood of the Savior. “The priest at each Mass repeats the words of Jesus over the bread and wine. An ordained priest is also required for the consecration of the bread and wine. The priest stands in the place of Christ, the one High Priest, and therefore must be a man. In the words of the consecration at each Mass, the bread and wine become the Body and Blood, the very Soul and Divinity, of Christ – a process is formally referred to as transubstantiation.” Also: It’s believed Jesus is LITERALY being sacrificed again. This is why it’s been called the ‘sacrifice of the mass.’ According to the dictum handed down by the Council of Trent, this sacrifice is identical with the type of sacrifice that Jesus suffered on the cross. For many centuries in Roman Catholic history, lay members commonly received only the bread while the priest alone drank from the cup, a practice known as ‘communion under one kind.’ The lay members eat only the bread (wafer), but supposedly he receives both elements (flesh and blood) within the bread. Some may offer both now. Talking to someone at the Catholic Church, they have only had the bread (which they refer to as the ‘host’) since 2020, due to COVID. The priest at the taking of the Fruit of the Vine also adds a little bit of water. This is the doctrine of Transubstantion. It developed later in church history. The Eucharist is part of the 7 Sacraments which derives from the Latin ‘sacramentum.’ The meaning is “a thing set apart as holy.” These are Baptism, Confirmation, Penance, the Eucharist, Sacred Orders, Holy Matrimony, and Extreme Unction. By Medieval Times (C.A. 500-1500), the Roman Church had become deeply steeped in considerable error. The Augustinian cleric, Hugo of St. Victor (1096-1141) characterized the sacraments as outward and visible signs of an inward and spiritual grace. Some Protestants, while rejecting five of the so-called sacraments, nonetheless adorned both baptism and the Eucharist. The formal doctrine of transubstantiation: not defined until the medieval period, especially at the Fourth Lateran Council (1215) and the Council of Trent in 1551. This is a part of Catholic Theology. But is it Biblical Reality? NO! Why is any of this important? The Eucharist, along with infant baptism, and sprinkling for baptism along with many other false doctrines are a result of a departure from the faith, 1 Timothy 4:1-4; 2 Timothy 4:1. What do scripture teach concerning the Lord’s Supper? And why do many believe the false doctrine of Transubstantion? First, let’s look at the truth: God’s word. The Lord’s Supper in the New Testament Designed by Christ Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper. “Lord’s Supper is found in 1 Corinthians 11:20. Jesus partook of it with His apostles prior to His death, Matthew 26:26-29. All About Christ Notice what Jesus emphasized. “Take, eat; this is My body…” “Drink from it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sin.” Matthew 26:27-28. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-24, as Paul rehearsed the words of Jesus, we learn how this meal is to be done in remembrance of Jesus. “We proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes…” It’s to Be Done Often It’s to be done often, 1 Corinthians 11:23-26. The frequence: The first day of the week, Acts 20:7. Through an approved apostolic example and necessary inference. A Meal That Can Bring Judgment It’s a meal that can bring judgment, 1 Corinthians 11:27-29. An Unseen Guest Is Present Matthew 26:26-29. “I will not drink this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.” Jesus had partaken this meal with the apostles physically, but that would change. In the kingdom (which is present), Christ would be them and the saints. He wasn’t literally eating and drinking with them, but through His death they had fellowship with Him. The kingdom exists. We’re in the kingdom of God. We have communion (this word is ‘koinonia’ and means fellowship) with Him, 1 Corinthians 10:16. There’s No Variety The Elements are the Unleavened Bread and Fruit of the Vine, Matthew 26:26-29. The Unleavened Bread represents His body which was given for us. Through His body and sacrifice, we have been delivered from death. The fruit of the vine “Was a Jewish idiom for the juice of the grape.” The fruit of the vine represents Christ’s blood of the New Testament. It is through His blood that we can obtain redemption from our sins. The emphasis in the New Testament is NOT the container, but rather the contents the container held. Comparing the New Testament with Catholic Tradition Everyone is to eat and drink. Yet in the Catholic church only the priests drink the cup. It’s to be done to remember the sacrifice of Jesus. It’s not Jesus being sacrificed over and over again, Hebrews 9:28. To believe so is to diminish what He accomplished on the cross. After giving thanks in Matthew 26:28-29 Jesus still referred to it as “The Fruit of the Vine.” Paul repeatedly calls it “Bread, Cup, Proclamation.” Even after the prayer/blessing, Paul still calls it bread and not the literal body of Jesus. If it literally changed, why still call it bread? As we give thanks, we’re not making some mystical statement asking God to somehow change the emblems into the literal body of Jesus. There’s no Bible evidence of Jesus, the apostles, or saints believing or teaching that they were literally consuming the physical body and blood of Jesus. Rather, these elements are symbols to help us remember His sacrifice. So, why do so many believe this to be true? Misinterpreting John 6 Part of the confusion that’s led some to believe this is their understanding of John 6. In John 6:51-54, Jesus says one must eat His flesh and drink His blood if they want to have eternal life. Even the Jews at that time grumbled with these words. Some believe John 6 is about the Lord’s Supper. That’s false! This chapter has nothing to do with the Lord’s Supper. Even some brethren are wrong. First: The Lord’s Supper had not yet been instituted by Jesus, John 13-17. Second, the context is about believing in Jesus. John 6:1-15: Jesus early had fed 5,000. Then He walked on water, John 6:18-22. The people searched for Jesus, John 6:25-26. They were seeking Him for more food. Jesus speaks of food that endures to eternal life, John 6:27. Is that literal food we consume through our mouth and into our belly? No! Rather, it’s belief in Jesus, John 6:29. This chapter is emphasizing faith in Jesus! Jesus repeatedly connects “eating” with faith, John 6:35. “He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and He who believes in Me shall never thirst.” Are we take that literally? If so, we’re all in trouble, because we continue to get hungry and thirsty! Even Paul was, 2 Corinthians 11:27. During His ministry, Jesus at times would use figurative language, John 16:23-29. He would describe Herod as a “Fox” Luke 13:32. He wasn’t a literal fox! Jesus described Himself as “The Door.” Are we take that as a literal door with a frame? He calls Himself the vine, John 15:5. He calls disciples the salt of the earth, Matthew 5:13. Are we take these literally? No one does! Now, connect that to when Jesus says, “This is My body.” Here, He was speaking figuratively. But what does it mean then when He says, “Eat My flesh?” In John 6:50-56, Jesus is emphasizing He’s the source of eternal life. If one is to have eternal life, they must have faith in Him. This is about fellowship with Jesus. “Abiding” language is used. One eats and drinks of Jesus when… They hear and our taught by Him, John 6:44-45. When they believe and abide. When they live for Him. This chapter has nothing to do with Transubstantiation or the LS. Literal Interpretation Creates Serious Problems Jesus would be commanding cannibalism. The disciples would have violated Jewish prohibitions concerning blood, Leviticus 17:10-12. Christ’s physical body would supposedly be present in thousands of places simultaneously. Scripture presents it as: Symbolic, Memorial, Spiritual Fellowship. Apostolic Tradition or Man-Made Tradition What’s happened with the Catholic church, is that they have departed from scripture. First century saints were to abide in the apostles doctrine, Acts 2:42. Anything that conflicted with apostolic teaching was/is to be rejected, 1 John 4:1-6. We’re to stand firm in the apostles tradition, 2 Thessalonians 2:15. Paul is speaking of words that are the very words of God, 1 Thessalonians 2:10-13. When people depart from Scripture they fall into error. When examining the first century church, worship was quite simple, Acts 2:42-47. The Catholic Church is an invention of men. See Matthew 16:18. This should encourage us to never lose the desire to search the scriptures, Acts 17:11. Some Catholics would have us believe we’re missing out if not partaking the Eucharist. Conclusion Jesus is head over His church, Ephesians 1:21-22. The King resides in Heaven. The Eucharist, Infant Baptism, Sprinkling give people false hope. They are to be rejected. True hope is found in Jesus and the words recorded for us.