Sermons By Ed

Study Notes Ed Underwood Matthew: Think Again; The Kingdom of Heaven is Near! “You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” (Peter to Jesus of Nazareth, Matthew 16:16) The four Gospels are corresponding accounts that provide a complex portrait of the person and work, the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, the Messiah of Israel, Savior of the world, and Son of God. These historical books encompass about 46% of the New Testament. Though they were not the first books written, the early church placed the Gospels at the beginning of the New Testament because they are the bedrock upon which the book of Acts and the Epistles are constructed. The Gospels are written as biographies with a purpose. They are thematic portraits of the life of Christ focusing on the brief public ministry of the Son of God. Each author selects distinctive events and teachings of the Lord Jesus to present a purposefully skewed account to accomplish their purpose: Matthew, a Jew, writes to persuade his countrymen that Christ i

Study Notes Ed Underwood The Bible, The New Testament, and the Gospels “And so he [Jesus Christ] is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive their eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant” (Hebrew 9:15). We’re all born with questions in our heart that the two most basic sources of human knowledge—reason and experience—cannot answer: Who am I? Why am I here? Does anyone care about me, I mean really? History seems out of control, where is this world headed? God in His grace has provided another source of knowledge—revelation—to answer the questions of humanity concerning meaning and significance in life. The Bible claims to be God’s special revelation to the beloved centerpiece of His creation—men and women, boys and girls. Though God demonstrates that He’s there through the general revelation of His creation (Psalm 19:1-6) and has given every human heart the knowledge that He exists (Rom

Study Notes Ed Underwood FROM MALACHI TO MATTHEW Galatians 4:4 But when the appropriate time had come, God sent out his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we may be adopted as sons with full rights (Galatians 4:4). Malachi closed the Old Testament with the last words the Jews would hear from God for four hundred years. A contemporary of Nehemiah, Malachi preached sermons about the problems Nehemiah faced (Nehemiah 13). Time had run out for that generation of Israelites. Refusing to follow the Law of Moses, their only hope to fulfill their mission of blessing the world by saving it from God’s curse (Genesis 12:1-3) was divine intervention. God will send Elijah before the great Day of the Lord. He will restore Israel to the covenant and save the world! Then, the Lord simply stopped speaking to Israel. Over 400 years later, John the Baptist, the Elijah-like prophet Malachi promised would prepare the way for Messiah (Malachi 3:2), broke the silence. After

Study Notes Ed Underwood Sermons By Ed: Malachi: The Only Hope for Your Hearts of Stone—The Lord You Are Seeking! “I am about to send my messenger, who will clear the way before me.” (Malachi 3:1) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for Him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these se

Study Notes Ed Underwood  Zechariah The King Is Coming! “‘Not by strength and not by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord who rules over all.” (Zechariah 4:6) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for Him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional

Study Notes Ed Underwood Haggai: Finish the Task! “I will also shake up all the nations, and they will offer their treasures; then I will fill this temple with glory, says the Lord who rules over all.” (Haggai 2:7) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for Him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed

Study Notes Ed Underwood Zephaniah: Judgment and Deliverance in the Day of the Lord “Be alert before the Lord God, for the Lord’s day of judgment is almost here.” (Zephaniah 1:7) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mi

Study Notes Ed Underwood Habakkuk God’s Judgment of Cruel Empires “Look, the one whose desires are not upright will faint from exhaustion, but the person of integrity will live because of his faithfulness” (Habakkuk 2:4). The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message c

Study Notes Ed Underwood Nahum God’s Judgment of Cruel Empires The Lord is good – indeed, he is a fortress in time of distress, and he protects those who seek refuge in him (Nahum 1:7). The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: Y

Study Notes Ed Underwood Micah: God’s People in Court He has told you, O man, what is good and what the Lord really wants from you: He wants you to promote justice, to be faithful, and to live obediently before your God. (Micah 6:8) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their mes

Study Notes Ed Underwood Jonah: Grace for SinnersShould I not be even more concerned about Nineveh? (God to Jonah, 4:11) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional covenants, Romans 11:29). Walk with me and

The Book of Obadiah—Servant of the Lord Obadiah’s message to Israel/Edom: To our enemies, God says—Vengeance is mine says the Lord, as you have done, it shall be done to you! To His people, God says—Entrust yourself to the Perfect Judge —The Kingdom will be the Lords! 722-721BC 612 606 597 586 536 516 457 445BC Obadiah 21 “And the kingdom shall be the Lord’s!” Setting: The prophecies of the Book of Obadiah are directed to the time of 586 BC when Nebuchadnezzar’s army laid siege on Judah, destroying Jerusa- lem, Solomon’s temple and deporting the Jews to Babylon. There is only speculation about the prophet Obadiah, very little is known about the one who wrote the shortest Book in the Old Testament (only 21 verses). The purpose probably wasn’t for Edom, but for the comfort of the surviving Judeans. Some have suggested that Obadiah follows the covenant-lawsuit format that would be presented when one nation violates their covenant with another nation. Obadiah describes 3 sentence

Amos: Burden Bearer Amos’s message to Israel: Repent of your idolatry, self-sufficiency, and exploitation of the poor and seek the Lord God of Hosts and live! 782BC 767 753 722-721 612 606 597 586 536 516 457 445BC Amos 9:11-15 describes the restoration of Israel and the royal house of David. They will be planted again in the land. Setting: The Book of Amos was written by a rancher/farmer and by his own confession— “was no prophet, nor was I a son of a prophet” (7:14). Sent from Judah (Tekoa, 1:1), Amos was called by God to confront Israel during one of its most prosperous and self- sufficient times. Uzziah and Jeroboam had formed an alliance and ruled an areas as large as the empires of David and Solomon. The Jehu dynast was one of the longest dynasties of the North and Egypt, Assyria, and Babylon were relatively weak at this time. Amos probably prophesied from 767-753 BC (40 years prior to the exile of Israel [the northern kingdom] by the Assyrians). Structur

Study Notes Ed Underwood Joel The Day of the Lord Yes, the day of the Lord is awesome and very terrifying – who can survive it? (Joel 2:11) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional covenants, Romans 11:2

Study Notes Ed Underwood Hosea: God’s Loyal Love I will heal their waywardness and love them freely (Hosea 14:4). The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional covenants, Romans 11:29). Walk with me and I wil

Study Notes Ed Underwood Daniel: The Key That Unlocks God’s Plan for the Ages! The Most High is ruler over human kingdoms and gives them to whomever he wishes! (Daniel 4:25) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Un

Study Notes Ed Underwood Ezekiel: Know that I am the LORD! They will know that I am the LORD! (Ezekiel 6:10) The seventeen Books of Prophecy record the messages of the writing prophets (those whose messages are preserved in writing) God raised up to speak for him following the ministries of the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The failings of the Divided Kingdom Era prompted God to speak to Israel in the north and Judah in the south. They continued to speak to God’s people for over 400 years, including the exile to Babylonia and the return to the Promise Land. (1 Kings 12-Esther) The prophets spoke for God to His people concerning the enforcement of terms of their covenant relationship with God. Each spoke to a specific generation of Israel or Judah to enforce the conditional covenant (Mosaic) in the context of the unconditional covenants flowing from the Abrahamic Covenant. Their message can be summed up in these sentences: You are mine! (Unconditional covenants, Romans 11:29). Walk with me and I will

All the Bible, Every Book Study Notes Ed Underwood The Book of Lamentation Despite the national suffering, destruction, and deportation of Judah, Yahweh’s faithfulness is great and hope is not lost. Jeremiah 31:31-34 describes a new covenant that has been implemented through Christ in the church and will be fulfilled with the house of Israel & Judah. Setting: The Book of Lamentations was probably written in Egypt (where Jeremiah was kidnapped just prior to or after the deportation) shortly after the Fall of Jerusalem. You can almost picture Jeremiah as he is being taken down to Egypt, looking back and watching the smoke and desolation of his beloved land and his heart breaking in his chest. The English title for this book that comes from the Talmud is “Lamentations” but the Hebrew Bible’s title is simply “Ahhhh How!?” How did this happen? What a great title for a Book. Lamentations aggressively deals with the issue of personal and national suffering. Jeremiah is a righteous and faithful prophet,

Sermons By Ed Ep. 31: Jeremiah Ed Underwood   The Book of Jeremiah (Yahweh establishes)—Weeping prophet to a wayward people Jeremiah’s message to Judah— Forsake idolatry and self-rule and return to covenant with your faithful God . If you don’t, God will not stop the im- pending judgment (loss of land, rule, & captivity). Yet in the end, there is hope—God will establish a new glorious covenant where He will remake and reestablish the people of God forever! Setting: Jeremiah is inserted in the turbulent years surrounding the decline of Assyria and the rise of the Babylonian Empire (627-582 [Jeremiah 1:2-3]).The backdrop is the rule of Josiah’s three sons and grandson (Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin & Zedekiah), the last four rulers of Judah. The nation’s independ- ence was ending and Jeremiah would witness the destruction of the city and the Temple. Jeremiah suffered for the message God gave him: whipped and put in stocks (20:2), accused of treason and desertion (26, 37:11-16), plotted against

Settings:The people of God lived in a time of unprecedented political, economic, and spiritual upheavals. The children of Israel had gotten sucked into all kinds of sick Ca- naanite idolatry and immorality (chs. 41, 44, 46, & 57; The Canaanite pantheon of gods involved sacred prostitution that would stimulate Baal and Ashtoreth to fertilize the land). There was also great temptation for idolatry because of political sway and power. As a result there was a constant shift in population and national boundaries. Isaiah’s call begins with the death of King Uzziah (possibly his cousin) who had been struck by God with leprosy because of his irreverence and “cut off from the house of the Lord” (2 Chron. 26:21). In this context, God calls Isaiah to warn His people during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah” (1:1). At the onset of Isaiah’s ministry, Amos and Hosea were preaching similar messages to the people of the northern kingdom and Jeremiah would take up Isaiah’s mantle 50 years after Isaia