Thursday, August 9, 2018

August 2018 eShmooze Letter from The Word of Messiah in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

August 2018 eShmooze Letter from The Word of Messiah in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States

August 2018
SAM AT THE YESHIVA!
I was invited to teach a 2-day course at a Messianic Yeshiva, sponsored by the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues, held on July 4th and 5th during the Messiah Conference, at Messiah College, Grantham, PA.
Sam At The Yeshiva! by Sam Nadler
I was invited to teach a 2-day course at a Messianic Yeshiva, sponsored by the International Alliance of Messianic Congregations and Synagogues, held on July 4thand 5th during the Messiah Conference, at Messiah College, Grantham, PA. With 1500 attendees, this is the largest of the Messianic conferences, and their Yeshivah (training for [Messianic] rabbis) is held in conjunction with the other activities.
Though the Lord has recently blessed our work with several Jewish people coming to faith in Yeshua as Lord, I wasn’t asked to teach on Jewish Evangelism (which, as some of you are aware, I’ve taught at other schools and training conferences). Actually, I taught on Transformational Talmidut (Hebrew for “Discipleship”), and I was thrilled!
If I were to say what the greatest need is in Messianic congregations – it’s not evangelism (though that is desperately needed), nor prayer (though that is always required), nor expository teaching (which is so essential to feeding the flock), the greatest need is discipleship. Why, because it is discipleship that trains believers-in-Yeshua to pray, evangelize and teach the word properly. Yet, discipleship is not normally being conducted in most Messianic congregations – not only not in Messianic congregations, but in almost all bible-believing, Yeshua-loving congregations (aka, churches)! Being able to help train future Messianic leaders at the Messianic Yeshiva was a great opportunity and of vital importance.
I began with the call of Messiah for all of His followers to make disciples (Matthew 28:16-20). This profoundly important portion of scripture is His last command that must be our first priority. As a young believer, I was taught that we’re commanded to “Go!” and get the Good News out. But the only command in this portion is “make disciples!” and to do that wherever we “go”.
When it comes to “making disciples,” people who grew up in the faith (and most others) assume that discipleship happened through osmosis, or “more caught than taught,” as some describe it. Can you imagine teaching your children to brush their teeth by osmosis?! The dentist would have to attend to the intentional, and now costly, training of tooth care for your kids! Discipleship is intentional and then reinforced by ongoing community values. There are several primary matters that we need to intentionally learn, teach and reinforce in the family and community that live by those same matters. (FYI: these “primary matters” are taught in my book, “Messianic Discipleship”).
For these Yeshivah ‘bochurs” (students), I demonstrated, from the Hebrew and Greek texts, that the various words the bible uses to describe and apply discipleship always have the same goal in mind. For all these words, the “teaching” always includes the idea of correction and discipline, along with the instruction. (God loves us too much to let us get away with it!) It was never meant to be merely ‘information transfer,’ but the instruction was always with application as the expected result (see Exodus 18:20). Torah was given to be lived, not just learned (see Leviticus 18:5; John 13:17; James 1:22-25). That means when you have instructed, you have to also ask and test for application, for people don’t do what you expect, but what you inspect. I learned this lesson as a small child. My mother would tell me to wash my hands. I’d reply, “I did”, showing her my palms. She’d say, “Let’s see the other side of your hands, too!” “Aw, mom!” and I’d have to go and wash both sides of my hands. Like the question all students ask their teachers, “Will this be on the test?” For if it’s not on the test, then why bother learning it? People do what you inspect.
Preliminarily, what was most important to learn are the matters that make the foundations for discipleship:
The discipleship mandate: you are responsible for your physical and spiritual children’s discipleship (Proverbs 19:18). Congregational programs cannot replace, but only reinforce the training in the home.
Your chief discipleship tool is the Bible: Know it and make it known, so that we can know Him and make Him known (2 Timothy 3:16-17)! God’s word alone is our milk (1 Peter 2:2), and our meat (Hebrews 5:14), for us to spiritually develop and become spiritually discerning.
The ultimate goal of discipleship is to learn of Yeshua, to be like the Son (Matthew 11:29). Everything in Scripture points us to Yeshua (Galatians 4:24), and everything works together for one purpose: to conform us to Messiah (Romans 8:28-29).
As we teach the word to others, disciples won’t follow what we taught, but how we lived the teaching (1 Corinthians 4:6; Hebrews 13:7).
Of course, I provided training on how one-on-one discipleship meetings should be organized, as well as step-by-step instruction on how the process of discipleship proceeds.
Typical of the comments from the Messianic leaders in the class was one from RC, “Through your course, I now know what I am to do and no longer have feelings of frustration in lack of direction and purpose for ministry.” PR stated, “With the teaching of the Good News of the Kingdom and how to foster healthy communities within our homes and congregations – I anticipate Good Fruit to grow through all the excellent Spiritual nourishment you supplied!”
Thank you for praying for Word of Messiah Ministries, as we not only have the privilege of leading Jewish people to faith in Messiah, but also, to “train them up in the way they are to go” (Proverbs 22:6), even from generation to generation until the Lord calls us home, or until He returns in glory!
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The Olive Tree
In history, our nation’s forefathers sought liberty from the tyranny of England’s King George. They believed that since we are creations, beings created to live in relationship to the Creator, certain truths are self–evident.
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The Olive Tree by Sam Nadler
One of the most misunderstood aspects of Romans 11 is the picture of the olive tree. Yet, it is clear that the symbol indicates unity of Jews and Gentiles in Messiah. The tree itself has some fascinating uses in Jewish history. Every part was used for food, oil and salve; its wood was most favored for its beautiful appearance and durability (1 Kings 6:23-33); its leaves could be used for feeding livestock, its dried leaves, for writing materials.
Olive oil was used in the Temple for the anointing of all sacred articles and to fuel the menorah. Even the olive pits were used for toothaches (Talmud, Avodah Zarah 28). Thus, the tree itself came to symbolize Israel’s service to God. The rabbis were pondering this symbolism even as late as the medieval era:
For just as oil gives forth light, so did the Temple give light to the whole world, as it says, “and nations shall walk at thy light” (Isaiah 60:3).
Our forefathers were accordingly called “A leafy olive tree” because they gave light to all (with their faith) (Midrash Rabbah Exodus 36:1).
The olive tree symbolized Israel’s ministerial life, Israel’s privileges of promise. It spoke of Israel’s calling and service: “The Lord called your name, ‘A green olive tree, beautiful in fruit and form’” (Jeremiah 11:16; Hosea 14:6). In Romans 9:4-5, Paul writes of Israel,
…to whom belongs the adoption as sons and the glory and the covenants and the giving of the torah and the temple service and the promises, whose are the fathers, and from whom is the Messiah according to the flesh, who is over all, God blessed forever. Amen.
Just as this passage connects God’s promise to Israel with Israel’s service to God, Paul uses the illustration of the olive tree to represent Israel’s service. Israel, as the olive tree, is a picture of our present and future service, via the Jewish remnant of present tense believers (Romans 11:5), and future tense, when by faith in Messiah all the natural broken off branches are grafted back, “and thus all Israel will be saved” (Romans 11:26). In the millennial kingdom when Messiah reigns, Israel will once more be the head of nations (Deuteronomy 28:13, Micah 7:16-17), fulfilling their calling before God.
The wild Gentile branches are grafted in for a vital service: of making Israel jealous (for Messiah, Romans 11:11). Thus in Romans 11:16-24, the olive tree is the means of that service with the promised result of that faithful Gentile service in Romans 11:25-27: the national redemption of Israel! In his address to Gentile believers, Paul transitions from Romans 11:15 with a declaration of the impact of national Jewish revival in the coming kingdom, to verse 16 and the olive tree, illustrating how that revival is inevitable if the Gentile believers would just faithfully fulfill their calling. God’s everlasting love for Israel is upon the heart of every faithful Gentile believer, for Paul also wrote in Romans 11:28, “they [Israel] are beloved for the sake of the fathers.” Because they are beloved by God, they will also be loved by Messianic Gentile believers.
Again, he would later write in Romans 15:8, “Messiah has become a servant to the circumcision [Israel] on behalf of the truth of God to confirm the promises given to the fathers.”
By faith, the fathers were first fruits, and, as such, were holy; that is, set apart unto the Lord. Also, their offspring, Israel, had a holy position as Moses noted: “For you are a holy people to the LORD your God” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Thus, Paul continued “if the root is holy, so are the branches.” The tree is Israel, and the root is the promises made to the fathers.
WILD BRANCHES GRAFTED IN
From that principle of the root, which refers to the Messianic promises to the fathers, Paul proceeds to describe the partaking of the root:
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them and became partaker with them of the rich root of the olive tree… (Romans 11:17)
Paul says to the Gentile believers, “and you, being a wild olive, were grafted in among them.”
Note that it is not instead of them, but among them.
Gentile believers, as wild olive branches, are added to the olive tree among the natural believing branches. Gentiles do not replace Jewish people. Partaking of the root means depending on the promises of God, which provide the spiritual nourishment for the soul. It is possible to be saved, but under-nourished: feeding on arrogance (Romans 11:17-18).
The promises to Abraham are certain, so we are certain that God will restore Israel when they come to faith in Yeshua. This certainty in God’s promises is seen in one’s attitude toward Jewish people, the natural branches.
There is a holy call upon the Jewish people to serve God, and the fulfillment of that call comes by faith in Yeshua the Messiah. Jewish people individually respond with faith in Yeshua in order to enjoy the blessings and service that accompany salvation. Faith sets you apart, unbelief sets you aside.
We are to “desire the pure milk of the Word that you may grow in respect to salvation” (1Peter 2:2), and to “seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you” (Matthew 6:33).
May we all be diligent to pray for the salvation of Israel and to seek that Jewish people be restored to the Lord.
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