Messianic Teachings From Nachamu Ami Messianic Synagogue

Did Jesus have the authority to change the Sabbath? The answer seems obvious, right? Ever heard it said that Jesus was a rebel, intent on tearing down traditions of men, and at war with the Jewish leaders of his time? Maybe you’ve also noticed that one of the main topics where Jesus seemed to come to blows with the Jewish leadership of his day was the Sabbath? He’d had enough of bondage and legalism that the common people were being put under and he was going to turn over some tables and fix the problem. And why not? After all, he’s Lord of the Sabbath. But this answer has serious implications that you might not have heard about. This message will make sure you do.

Last week we considered the background of Jesus teaching by looking at the Jewish root from which it sprung. This message discusses some specific examples — Sabbath, dietary laws, and even the message of the Gospel itself — to show how Jesus’ words stayed connected with the word of God spoken in Torah. And maybe more importantly, to show that he never set out to change what God has previously said, only to return his people to it.

The word "Rabbi" means "teacher." The word has a somewhat different connotation today than in the 1st Century. Jesus was a "rabbi", which means he taught. But what was he teaching? Did he come with a radical new message designed to upend his disciples from the Jewish faith they knew? Was he waging war against the Pharisees and their Jewish teaching? Or was he sharing a message rooted in Judaism, that resonated within the Jewish world he sought to impact?

WWJD — What Would Jesus Do? In its day, this acronym connected deeply with disciples of Yeshua, and the reason is obvious — we want to do what Jesus did, right? But what if the world has no real idea what he actually did? What if the Jesus we think we’re emulating wouldn’t actually recognize the things we do? Part of knowing Jesus is to understand the life he lived on this earth, his Jewish life, and consider how that should matter to us.

We all know about the Great Commission. But what about the Great Omission? It sounds so simple and obvious: The Jewish Jesus. But this essential truth has been lost to nearly all of his followers. Why has the Jewishness of Jesus been downplayed or even denied throughout a large part of history? Why is this one simple fact critical to our relationship with him? Join Rabbi Damian as he walks us through the history of anti-Semitism, Replacement Theology, and the reinvention of Jesus in the first installment of our mini-series, The Jewish Jesus.

“Baptizing them in the name of …” These are familiar words with a very powerful message behind them. The meaning and significance of baptism “in the name of …” would have been communicated to new disciples in the elementary principle known as “instructions about washings.” After this message, you’ll know what they knew.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…” It’s the Great Commission and its central to the instruction is to “baptize.” Is it a surprise that an Elementary Principle of Messiah then would be “instructions about washings?” No, but how much do we actually understand even the basics of this process? It’s not what you might think.

“They believed in the Lord and also in his servant, Moses.” That’s Exodus 14. In John 14, Yeshua says, “Believe in God, believe also in me.” Wow! That’s pretty similar. But Moses and Jesus? What do they have to do with each other? You’ve likely heard this answer — absolutely nothing. That’s wrong. Seeing the similarities illuminates so much and that’s the purpose of this teaching which concludes the elementary principle of faith toward God.

There is likely nothing more important in the relationship between God and his people or between Messiah and his disciples than faith. It is certainly no surprise to see it listed among the “elementary principles of Messiah” in Hebrews 6. But do we really understand what it means to have “faith in God” as Hebrews describes it? Is my belief in God the same as my faith toward Him? This is our topic in the 8th installment of "Got Milk?".

Considering the January 6 assault on Congress that ended in 4 deaths, as well as new outbreaks and mutations of the COVID-19 virus and other current events leading to panic and confusion across the globe, can we really be certain God is in control? In the United States we have the motto, "In God We Trust" written on our currency. But do we really believe this if we consider our responses to recent events? Join Rabbi Damian as he shares a word of clarity and comfort to help us through these dark and uncertain times.

Does the Bible condone slavery? Was the United States founded on slavery? Is the concept of biblical slavery any different than what we saw in our country before the Civil War? Join Lance Slater as he expounds on each of these questions in his eye-opening message, "Is Slavery Kosher?"

What is true repentance? It’s certainly important, so If we’re supposed to do it, we better know what it means, right? This teaching focuses on the traditional Christian understanding of repentance as a change of mind and compares that with word’s fullest meaning as intended by Messiah Yeshua and the Apostles.

Repentance is where it begins. It’s the foundation of the gospel. It’s the first of six elementary principles the author of Hebrews says we must know and live by: repentance from “dead works.” But what does this mean? The common interpretations of dead works suggest we must change our mind and stop doing things to try to earn salvation. We’ve got to repent from this behavior that surely kills! Is this correct? Would the audience of Hebrews have understood this interpretation? More importantly, what does it mean for us today as we attempt to understand the basics, the “milk” we’re called to know and to teach?

Thus far, we’ve restored the importance of the kingdom and redefined the accurate gospel message. Yeshua called on those who followed him to become “converts” to his message of hope for the future. But what was his message and why? Was it a call to personal salvation above all or was it a cry to a nation to return to God? The answer is, “Yes” and this installment will help you see it clearly.

Is the church the Kingdom? Possibly one of the most important messages you will ever hear, "Replacing the Kingdom" helps us to understand the thread that was pulled to unraveled a large portion of Yeshua's Gospel message. By examining church history we can see how the promises God made to Israel were appropriated by the church and the Scriptures lost their literal meaning and became simply stories and allegories to support anti-Jewish theology. How then do we address the question of whether or not Yeshua brought the Kingdom? Join Rabbi Damian in this powerful message that is purposed to re-center our beliefs, hopes, and teachings on what Yeshua considered of utmost importance.

In our last sermon, we acknowledged that the Gospel message being proclaimed by most believers today was lacking a central component: the Kingdom. Why was this essential component lost in the centuries following the resurrection of Yeshua? Was it because it was too Jewish? Why is the Kingdom crucial to the Gospel message? Join Rabbi Damian as he unravels this ancient mystery and helps us to look forward to the fulfillment of the long-awaited prophecies anticipated by Yeshua and his disciples.

In our discussion of the "Elementary Principles" of the book of Hebrews, we can't escape the nagging question, "How is this relevant to the Gospel?" Yes, the Gospel, the Good News, is central to everything Yeshua and his disciples taught. But is the Gospel being preached from our pulpits today the same Good News Yeshua and his disciples proclaimed? And if it isn't why isn't it? Join Rabbi as he peels back centuries of misinformation to reveal the heart of the Gospel message absent from our modern evangelistic efforts.

The author of the book of Hebrews says that his audience is "dull of hearing" and can't handle deep teaching. He says they "need milk, not solid food." Are we in any better position to understand the great mysteries of God two thousand years later or are we in an even worse condition—one that doesn't even understand the "milk" that the author speaks of: repentance from dead works, faith toward God, instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And if we think we understand these things, do we understand them as the earliest disciples would have? Join Rabbi Damian in this introduction to the Elementary Principles of the book of Hebrews as we spend several weeks working to understand these from a thoroughly biblical, and therefore Jewish, perspective.

The world is being turned on its head. We live in a time of uncertainty and fear. Powershift in governments, the continued worldwide COVID epidemic, and economic instability are all sending signals of doom and dismay. Do we have any hope? Is there anything we do about it? How should we react? What is our responsibility? Join Rabbi Damian as he tackles these difficult questions in order to bring some much needed shalom to disciples of Yeshua. You'll be challenged and encouraged, instructed and uplifted to be able to face the uncertainty of the days ahead.

The United States is divided now more than we have seen in a very long time. Much of the division is over who should be the Commander In Chief at the end of this year's elections. Will the United States go belly-up if "the other candidate" wins the election? Does God really want Candidate X or Candidate Y to be president? In all of the political turmoil of our day, there are still answers waiting to be given by a loving and caring God. Join Rabbi Damian in part two of this important message as he helps us navigate the turbulent waters of our immediate future with shalom.