Beyond the Wardrobe

Do You Hear What I Hear? John 1:14-18

2011-12-29T00:05:00.004-05:00

The following are notes from a Christmas sermon I delivered at Leesville Road Baptist Church on December 18, 2011. Feel free to leave some comments. I hope it is a blessing to you!

Do You Hear What I Hear?
John 1:14-18

Introduction

What’s the good word?

Our world seems obsessed with communication. We have phones that are not for making calls only, but are also used to surf the internet, to send text messages, to even read books and watch movies!

All around us we are bombarded by some sort of communication—billboards, text messages, commercials, even pop up ads on-line.

We are a people drowning in information who at times seem to be longing for meaningful communication.

We want to hear a “good word,” something that is helpful or communicates hope. We want to hear some good news.

Have you ever noticed how often “words” play a role in Scripture?

1. In the beginning, God “said” and there was

2. God spoke to Adam and Eve in the morning

3. God spoke the Law to Moses

4. God spoke to the Jews through prophets (Heb 1)

5. On the first Christmas, God spoke through dreams and angels

6. God speaks to us today through his Son the Word and through his written Word Scripture

Whenever God wants to make something known, he speaks

God likes to communicate, he wants us to know what is going on

Three elements in communication—the speaker, the message, the hearer

For good communication to happen, all three have to function properly

What happens when God communicates?

God is the speaker, and he reveals himself to us by his message (i.e., his Word)

God is infallible, and his Word is perfect, so that puts the emphasis on the hearers

God speaks, but are we listening?

This Christmas, God offers us a Word—that Word is his self-disclosure, his speaking of himself through his Son

When God speaks, we should listen

Do you hear what I hear?

John 1:14-18

In this passage I hear God saying three things. Let’s see if we hear the same thing.

1. I hear that the Word is among us, vv. 14, 18 (The Word Among Us)

a. The Word became “flesh”—when God spoke, it was personal and a bit messy. God spoke in these last days to us through his Son (Heb. 1:1-3), This “Word” takes on flesh (Romans 8:3). The word “flesh” here is not a pretty word. God doesn’t say that his “Word” became simply “human.” No, Jesus became “flesh,” he took on our situation, he identified with us, he was tempted like us (yet without sin—cf. Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16; 2 Cor. 5:20-21). Jesus got involved in our messy existence and by doing so offered a means to clean up our mess. By being one of us, Jesus healed and redeemed our situation. Do you hear what I hear?

b. The Word dwelt among us (tabernacle)—When God spoke, he didn’t do it from a distance. He came among us. In the OT, God’s presence among his people was signified by the tabernacle and its three chambers. The inner chamber (where God’s glory dwelt) was only accessible once a year by one person on the Day of Atonement. Jesus coming as God’s Word makes that glory accessible to all of us by pitching his tent (taking up his dwelling place) among us. He lives with us, he lives among us. He has not left us nor forsaken us. Do you hear what I hear?

c. The Word is full of glory—When God spoke, he made his glory known. When Jesus came, we saw God’s glory. In the OT, God’s glory was hidden (remember Moses and the Tabernacle), but with the birth of Jesus God’s glory now becomes obvious to all. God makes himself known in Jesus. Do you hear what I hear?

d. This Word was never seen before, but now we see him—That which was invisible has now become visible (Colossians 1:15-17; cf. Rom. 1:18-20). In Jesus we see the invisible attributes of God. Jesus makes God visible and known. Do you hear what I hear?

e. The Word has explained God—Jesus showed the way to God, he exegeted God. He explained God. Jesus made God understandable. What was inexplicable now is explained. What was inscrutable is now “scrutable.” In Jesus God is capable of being understood. Do you hear what I hear?

f. When God speaks, we should listen

g. Do you hear what I hear?

h. When God “spoke” in Jesus, he became one of us (flesh), he pitched his tent among us (tabernacle), he made visible his invisible glory (we saw his glory, that which no one had seen), he offered an explanation of God’s grace and truth, and our response is to witness his glory and proclaim it to others

2. I hear that The Word is Before Us, v. 15 (The World Before Us)

a. He is superior to us because he existed before us (John 1:1-3; Phil 2:5-8)

i. Jesus’ superiority is explained in detail in the letter to the Hebrews

ii. Although the author of that letter dwells on Jesus’ superiority to many things and people (i.e., angels, Moses, Aaron, the Levites, the sacrifices, etc.), he also goes out of his way to remind us that Jesus is one of us (cf. Heb. 2:14-18; 4:14-16). He is not an alien. He is superior, yes, but in his humanity the child in the manger brings God’s glory to all people (remember the angels, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased."—Luke 2:14)

iii. Jesus is “before” us

iv. Do you hear what I hear?

b. Because of his position, we are called to testify of his superiority and glory (this is what John does here)

c. But Jesus also lives “before” us in the idea of being right in front of our eyes. God is not hidden, he is in our midst. Jesus is known to us. Remember, what was unseen is now visible. The babe in the manger makes the glory of God known to all humanity. Jesus’ very existence has explained God to us all. He is right in front of us. Will we pay attention?

d. When God speaks, we should listen

e. Do you hear what I hear?

f. When God reveals himself, he sometimes uses the testimony of others (John), he reveals his superior nature (he is before us and existed without us), as a result he is worthy of our worship and our testimony

3. I hear that The Word is full of Grace, vv. 16-17 (The Word of Grace)

a. We have all received from his fullness (full of grace and truth—cf. John 1:14; Col. 1:5-6)

i. Jesus is the fullness of God (Col 2:9-10)

ii. Christ is the ultimate expression of grace and truth

1. He is grace in that he was freely given for us all (John 3:16; 1 John 2:1-2)

2. He is truth in that he reveals clearly who God is and how to get to God (John 14:6)

b. Grace stacked up on grace (cf. Heb. 4:16)

i. The idea here is an endless supply of grace

ii. Like a warehouse with an unending supply of boxes stacked up against each other, so Jesus offers an ongoing and never exhaustible warehouse of grace

iii. He is grace beyond measure, He is grace yesterday, today, and forever

iv. His grace is never shallow and is trustworthy

c. Law reveals God, but Jesus brings grace and truth to reality (grace and truth “became” through Jesus, same word as “became” flesh)

d. We all receive his grace

i. 1 John 2:1-2 reminds us that Jesus is the propitiation for the sins even of the whole world (i.e., in 1 John 5, the “whole world” is described as those in the hands of the devil)

ii. The grace of God is available to all people by means of the incarnation as Jesus reveals and explains God’s grace

iii. The grace of God is effective in the crucifixion as the blood of Jesus is applied to the sins of humans

iv. The grace of God is sealed by the resurrection in which God declares his work completed and finished

e. When God speaks, we should listen

f. Do you hear what I hear?

g. When God “spoke” the word of grace, he provided an unlimited storehouse of the gift of grace, he made it available to all (we “all” received it), and he makes grace and truth a reality in Jesus, our response is to live God’s grace and truth as a tangible example of God’s Word spoken to us—we “incarnate” God’s grace and truth in our own lives

4. Application/Conclusion

a. Are we listening to God during this Christmas season? Are we paying attention to the “Word” he speaks in Jesus and the Incarnation? Do people see his “grace and truth” in how we live in response to God’s Word?

b. Have you experienced his grace? What a Christmas gift you could receive today if you yield yourself to God and receive his grace in Jesus Christ. John 1:11-13 reminds us that to those who receive him (i.e., put their trust in him) he gives authority to be called the children of God. (Give an overview of Gospel here, offer salvation to all).

c. For those of us who have experienced this wonderful gift, how can we respond to this “word” from God? Do you hear what I hear? If so, here are some suggestions for you:

i. This Christmas, testify of his glory in the “baby Jesus”

ii. Speak of his superiority

iii. Speak of his grace and truth

iv. Take opportunity to share the truth of God’s Incarnation during the Christmas season

When God speaks, people ought to listen

Do you hear what I hear?

Thanks for reading!

My Annual Christmas Post--the Mystery of Christmas

2011-12-18T16:13:00.004-05:00

Hey y'all:

Since I started this blog about 7 years ago, I have posted a piece I wrote around Christmas 2003. It kind of sums up for me what is the "Mystery of Christmas" as I meditated on the Incarnation and its implications for humanity (and for God!). The very idea of God becoming "one of us among us" (Immanuel, anyone?) still fascinates and overwhelms me. God, the creator of all things, entered his own creation so as to renew and redeem us (and, ultimately, all of creation as well). God, the Creator of all things, became flesh so that he might be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. The God who never knew death would die for us. The God who never knew sin would become sin for us. What amazing love! Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! As you celebrate the first coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, I hope you enjoy this rerun. Feel free to make comments if you'd like.

A little over 2000 years ago, a tiny child was born in some pretty bleak conditions. Oh, he wasn’t the only one born in a bad state. In fact, in some ways, he was one of the lucky ones. He and his mother actually survived childbirth and thrived. Still, this story is unique and amazing on several levels.

First, this child would literally change the way time is reckoned in the world. His life and abilities would so impress generations of others that a brand new movement would be created, one that would radically change the very face of the earth (sometimes for good, sometimes for bad). His name would become recognized among the names of the greatest of humans, yet he never forgot his humble beginnings or lost a sense of who he was.

The second thing about this child is tied to the first in that this baby, this helpless lad full of spittle and mush, was born as the very Son of God. When Mary held his little head to her breast, he drank human milk. Yet, he was (and is) the God of the universe. Can you picture this simply ridiculous, yet somehow poetic scene? God, who calls the stars by name, pressed to the human breast for sustenance. Humble, yet almighty, is how most folks would no doubt recall this child.

A little over 2000 years ago, God proposed that the only remedy for the human condition of sin would be if he humbled himself, stepped out of eternity and into human flesh, and suckled at Mary’s breast in preparation for the greatest, most impressive conversion of all. God, in Mary’s arms, toddling around Joseph’s shop, learning to talk, learning to walk, tasting and touching things with human hands! As the Psalmist says in Psalm 139, “Such knowledge is too wonderful for us, we cannot contain it!”

God knew that the only way to redeem us was if he did it himself. Haven’t you ever had that thought? You know, the one where you say, “If I want something done right, I’ll just have to do it myself?” Imagine God having that thought about bringing us to proper relationship with him. Imagine again that the only way he knew he could do that is if he came to earth as a baby. Think of it—-how vulnerable the almighty God was at that moment, how paradoxical that the God of all creation had to learn to walk! And why did he put himself in this situation? Out of his divine sense of justice and righteousness, out of his inexpressible love for each of us he acted in this manner.

In a sense, he became insane that we may be sane. He became flesh so that we might walk in the Spirit. He became sin that we might be righteous. He became poor so that we might be rich. He who had the reputation of Creator became a humble servant with no reputation. He became a toddling, dribbling, helpless babe so that we could become mature humans in the image of the almighty God. What wondrous love! What humility and service! How then can anything he asks of us be too difficult?

Lord, in this Christmas season, remind me of your sacrifice and love so that I might be a light shining in darkness to others. Teach me to live a life of humble service like your Son did on my behalf so many years ago. As I celebrate the babe in the manger, may the glory he revealed in his life shine through me towards others that they may know God. May the grace of God and the peace of Christ rule in my family and my life.

Thanks for reading!

Merry Christmas!

No Reputation--A Christmas Meditation and Plea

2011-12-06T12:18:00.003-05:00

Philippians 2:5-9 NASU

"Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross."

This passage may not usually be associated with Christmas, but for some reason that is how it comes to me this year. Look closely at the passage above, then read the quote from The Jesus Style by Gayle D. Erwin below.

“Christ Jesus . . . made himself nothing.

“He made himself nothing, he emptied himself—-the great kenosis. He made himself no reputation, no image.

“I can recall my father shaking his head and repeating over and over to himself, ‘If only I knew what this meant. There is something powerful here. If I only understood it.’ Maybe that is why this Scripture has glued itself to my mind and equally disturbs me. Reputation is so important to me. I want to be seen with the right people, remembered in the right light, advertised with my name spelled right, live in the right neighborhood, drive the right kind of car, wear the right kind of clothing. But Jesus made himself of no reputation.”

Christmas in America means lots of things to lots of different people.

For some it becomes a political event that pits “the true meaning of Christmas” against the bias of some against religion. For others Christmas is just another time to visit families and to pretend to get along with each other. For others Christmas is a season that involves incredible profits (or expenses) and lots of activities. This year some may see Christmas as a bleak season filled with bad economic news and the dread of a new year. For still others Christmas is simply a winter break, a time to regroup for a new year.

I know I’ve left a large group out! There are those who see Christmas as the celebration of the birth of the world’s Savior. But I want to twist the prism a bit and look at Christmas from a different angle.

Almost all of the views above look at Christmas from the perspective of what humans gain from the season. I wonder if we can look at the season as something we can offer to others, a gift of sorts. I wonder, can we make a gift of Christmas? Can we this year find a way to give the "spirit" of Christmas to those around us?

Hear me out . . .

This passage from Philippians reminds me that Christmas for Jesus wasn’t about what he would gain. In fact, he lost just about everything! He left the comfort of his Father’s place, he became a tottering, dribbling little baby, he had to learn to talk, to walk, to eat, he left his riches behind for the poverty of a manger, and ultimately he would even become sin and even die, two things he had never experienced. As Paul says, he made himself of no reputation.

Imagine what Christmas would be like this year if those of us who follow Jesus would do as Paul admonishes here and have this approach to the season. Imagine if we actually attempted to have the same attitude towards others that Jesus has towards us! What would Christmas look like if we didn’t care about what we got out of it but became more concerned about what we could give to others? How would our world change if we laid down our lives . . . our reputations . . . our desires in order to bless others this Christmas? What if we even went further and did it anonymously, with no expectation of reward or recognition?

Ronald Reagan is credited with the saying “There is no telling what you can accomplish if you don’t care who gets the credit.” We don’t like that approach though, do we? We kick against it! I mean, we deserve to be recognized, don’t we?

You came up with the idea that made the company money, shouldn’t you be rewarded? Maybe you found a problem and fixed it, and that fix saved someone’s job. Shouldn’t you be shown gratitude? Maybe you did some kindness for someone you knew couldn’t pay you back, shouldn’t you get credit for that? You gave that money to charity, shouldn't someone say "thank you"? You gave of your time to that charitable organization, shouldn't there be some "benefit" in it for you?

Don’t we all think that we should be center stage, center of the world, the most important person in the world? How many times have you heard “I quit going to that church because MY needs weren’t being met”?

No reputation.

Let that sink in.

NO Reputation!

No fame, no credit, no automatic acceptance, no celebrities, and no place where who you know or what you know earns you admittance or recognition.

Jesus made himself of no reputation. The very God of the universe became nobody. He emptied himself, he became a servant. As Isaiah said, he was not handsome or attractive in such a way as to draw attention to himself. He lived to give attention only to God. He had "no reputation."

Ouch!

We love our awards, the acceptance of others, the glamor of being “somebody,” or the wonderful happiness of fame, don’t we? We like to be recognized, remembered, acknowledged, accepted, and celebrated.

“Don’t neglect me” is the motto of many in our society and our churches.

The motto of Christ and his followers should be “No reputation.” God chooses such people to further his agenda. Will we be involved, or do we like our perks too much?

In Job 1, Satan appears in God's court. God acknowledges the good job done by Job, and asks Satan if he has noticed what a righteous person Job has become. Satan's response is a tough challenge: "Does Job fear God for nothing?"

Think about what the evil one is implying here. He is asking, "Will a human serve God with no expectation of something in return?"

Will humans serve God for nothing?

That hurts, doesn't it? Even the mere thought of it as a possibility smarts a bit. Surely the mighty God of the universe wouldn't expect me to show him respect and serve his purposes without expectation of payment for services rendered, right?

RIGHT? (yeah, the question kinda lingers harshly, doesn't it?)

Will you serve God for nothing?

Can we humble ourselves to the point where we realize that God owes us nothing? Quite literally, we have done nothing to merit a reward. Even our service is a response to his continued mercy.

Will we, like Christ, humble ourselves to the point of no reputation? Are we willing to be "nobodies" in God's service, among his people, even among those who ought to "recognize" us?

What would Christmas look like this year if we (all of us) decided to give with no expectation of return? What if we humbled ourselves and expected no acknowledgment? What if we chose to serve anonymously and to bless others without receiving a blessing in return? What would happen?

What can you do this Christmas season that will bless others and garnish no reputation for you? Who can you serve that can't repay you? This year let's commit ourselves to serving, giving, and loving as Christ did. Let's look for opportunities to bless others in a way that does not give us recognition. Instead of asking for things for ourselves, let's give to the needs of others. Instead of expecting gifts, let's give our lives away in blessing others.

How would that change Christmas in your neighborhood?

Thanks for reading!

A Psalm of Thanksgiving, Psalm 138

2011-11-27T20:33:00.004-05:00

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on November 27, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

A Psalm of Thanks

Psalm 138

Introduction

Season of Thanksgiving

We just celebrated Thanksgiving, so many of us are still full of good food and fond memories of friends and family

Did we take time to actually be thankful?

There is a lack of thanks in our world today

Gratitude seems to be in small demand

Think of Black Friday

Lots of arguments over “stuff”

Shots were fired

People were injured

Many were offended

People were pursuing possessions and were not thankfulf

Our passage today deals with the issue of thanks

In fact, Psalm 138 is a Psalm (or Hymn) of Thanksgiving

This passage can be broken down into three sections in which David offers us insights into why we should be thankful

Before we look at my notes, however, let’s read the passage and ask the question: “Why does David offer thanks with his whole heart?”

Proper perspective prepares us to give proper praise

Psalm 138:1-3

In these verses, David reminds us that we can give thanks to God because of God’s unchanging and enduring character

First, v. 1 admonishes us to give thanks (which means something like “to confess” or “to make known” or “to give praise”) with all of our hearts

“Giving thanks" Old Testament style has little to do with an internal feeling of gratitude, but it carries the idea of giving God a note of thanks. The best way to do that (according to David) is to tell others what God has done, i.e., to proclaim the good news of God's gracious actions to the assembly of believers, to the surrounding neighborhood, and even to the world

To “thank God with all my heart” implies a full throated, uninhibited, even expansive act of confession or expression of God’s gracious actions—it is not a short note of thanks

Then, David begins to give us some things about God for which we can give thanks

He describes for us aspects of God’s character for which we can be truly thankful

1. There is no god like the God of the Bible (v. 1)

The Triune God is not a part of his creation, nor is his subsistence dependent on it. He is above all things, and by him all things exist. In fact, Paul tells us in Colossians 1:17 that Jesus holds all things together and is the author of creation

In other words, there is nothing outside of God's authority

To praise the Lord "before the gods" (verse 1) is to exalt the Lord above lesser gods or rulers. Giving thanks to God with our whole heart has an effect on our system of loyalties. When we praise the Lord with all we have, other things competing for our trust and worship seem to lose their power

On the other hand, David may be saying something like “I will be a testimony to God by saying thanks to God in the hearing of those who believe otherwise.”

2. God's lovingkindness and truth are made available (v. 2a; cf. Psalm 26:3; 40:10-11; 57:3)

Jeremiah (Lamentations 3:22-23) reminds us that God's lovingkindness is new every morning

The Psalmist reminds us on numerous occasions that God is patient and longsuffering, showing mercy and faithful love to many generations (cf. Psalm 86:15)

His love is such that he gave us what he treasures most: Jesus, his only Son (John 3:16ff)

His lovingkindness not only gave us life, but it also provides us with all we need to live this life and to obey his ways. His mercy is amazing!

His truth is convicting. God does not lie.

He reveals truth inside humans, but he also makes truth known in nature itself. Even God's very attributes are observable in nature around us. (Romans 1:20)

God has made Truth known, and he is the very essence of Truth. All truth points to him, and he alone knows all truth.

His truth and lovingkindness lead to salvation

3. God has given us a Word that will never fail. He has magnified, valued, advanced, enlarged, even exalted his Word above his own name (v. 2b)

If the name of God is the name above all names, then his Word must be the Word above all words

He has revealed himself in Jesus who is the Logos, the Word of God in flesh, the exact representation of the image and character of God himself (John 1:1-4; Hebrews 1:1-3)

The Word God has provided for us is active, alive, and powerful (Hebrews 4:12-16). It can bring knowledge, life, and salvation.

God has given us his Word, and his Word will not fail!

4. God is faithful to answer prayer (v. 3)

When we call on God, he is faithful to respond. And his response emboldens us and gives us courage (1 John 5:13-15)

Conversation with God leads to conversion of our souls. His response to our requests shows his presence, his love, and his great kindness towards us. He hears when we call, and he responds (1 John 3:21-22)

Songs of thanksgiving such as this sometimes refer to a specific action of God for which the psalmist is thankful (cf. Psalm 30:6-12), but here the psalmist's language is comprehensive, strong and simple: “On the day I called, you answered me" (verse 3).

God’s character is a solid foundation for our thanks and our praise

Proper perspective prepares us to give proper praise

Psalm 138:4-6

In these verses, David reminds us that we can give thanks to God because God of how God relates to the systems of the world

Simply stated, God is the ultimate authority with which all rulers must primarily deal, and as such he will demand worship and praise

God subverts the systems of the world and turns them on their heads

He will ultimately make all rulers to acknowledge his authority and rule (Philippians 2:9-11)

As the rulers of this world hear God’s Word and see God’s glory (see John 1:1-4; 14; 16-18), they will respond with praise and thanks to God for his gracious actions and steadfast love and loyalty

God befriends the humble, but he is an enemy to the proud (v. 6; 1 Peter 5:5-7)

We can be grateful that even though our God is so exalted, he finds it desirable to dwell with those who are humble and lowly

He is not at home with those who think too highly of themselves, but he chooses to dwell with those who humble themselves to him

Proper perspective prepares us to give proper praise

Psalm 138:7-8

In these verses, David reminds us that we can give thanks to God because of his presence and deliverance

God will be with us in trouble (v. 7)

There is no obstacle or problem that can separate us from God (Romans 8:28-39). His love for us is never ending and his reach cannot be blocked

No matter the circumstances in your life, God is faithful and will be your closest friend. He will walk with you in the midst of your problems and provide what you need to live a life of godliness even in hard circumstances (Psalm 23)

He does not always deliver us from trouble, but he never abandons us in it. Like the three Hebrew children in the fiery furnace, God is with us in the midst of trials, troubles, or problems. He bears them with us, he walks with us, he gives us his joy in spite of trouble, and he never fails

God will complete the task he has begun (v. 8; Phil. 1:6)

He will not forsake the works of his hands

He will accomplish all those things that pertain to life and salvation

He will not fail

He is constant, kind, considerate

He will finish what he starts and will bring to pass all that he has promised (Isaiah 66:9)

His Word is true and he is faithful to complete it

Not a single stray mark of his Scripture will fail to happen (Matthew 5:18)

If God speaks it or if God begins it, it will be done in his time and by his unfailing hand

There is nothing too difficult for God, and he is worthy of my praise (Jeremiah 32:26-27)

Proper perspective prepares us to give proper praise

Application

I know Thanksgiving is over, but the need to give thanks or to offer God praise is a present tense need

This week, take time to express your gratitude for God

Start with the material in this lesson—look at God’s character, God’s relationship to the world systems, and God’s presence and deliverance and find room to say “thank you” to God

Check your perspective to see if it is proper for praise

Express your gratitude to God out loud to others

Tell others what God has done for you

Express your gratitude to God in service to others

Show your gratitude for loving and serving others as God has loved and served you

Proper perspective prepares us to give proper praise

Thanks for reading!

Recording of "Confidence in Christ and the Sin Unto Death: When should a Believer not Pray?" 1 John 5:13-21

2011-11-19T21:47:00.005-05:00

With thanks to Elke Speliopoulos, here is a personal recording of the paper I read at the 2011 Evangelical Theological Society meeting in San Franscisco, CA. When I get the chance, I'll attach a copy of the paper and the "color coded passages" to which I refer in the lecture. Thanks for listening!

Confidence in Christ and the Sin Unto Death: When should a Believer not Pray

What's Playing Today?

2011-11-10T14:05:00.002-05:00

As I'm working on my paper for the Evangelical Theological Society ("Confidence in Christ and the Sin unto Death: When should a Believer not Pray?" 1 John 5:13-21), I am enjoying some of my favorite tunes on my computer.

1. Jennifer Knapp, "A Diamond in the Rough"--very visceral and moody, I thoroughly enjoy the lyrics and her wonderful voice

2. U2, "No Line on the Horizon" and "How to Dismantle an Atom Bomb"--c'mon, it's U2, need I explain this one?

3. Bob Dylan, "The Essential Bob Dylan," "Slow Train Coming," and "Saved"--this one should shock no one who knows me. I'm jamming right now to "You Gotta Serve Somebody." I may listen to the Grateful Dead version later (yeah, nothing like the Dead's eclectic style on a crazy Dylan tune about serving God or Satan, right? grin).

Okay, that's enough of an update for now. You may return to your regularly scheduled 'net surfin'!

Thanks for reading!

A Word on/of Encouragement, 2 Corinthians 1:3-5

2011-10-30T22:05:00.003-05:00

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on October 23 and November 6, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

A Word of/on Encouragement

2 Corinthians 1:3-5

Introduction

• Last week we spoke about the idea that true power may be found in weakness—we investigated the idea that every rose has its thorn

• In that lesson we acknowledged that it is often in our lowest moments that God works his greatest gifts and reveals his all sufficient grace and perfects his power in us

• The problem is that it is often at the lowest moments that we get the most discouraged and render ourselves incapable of seeing God’s great kindness

• That has certainly been true in my life

• Finishing a PhD with no place to teach

• Going back to “retail” instead of doing ministry

• Being humbled when I thought it was time to be exalted

• We often experience trouble or afflictions at our low moments

• Isn’t that why we call them low moments?

• When life is tiring, when you are struggling, when family members aren't where you want them to be, when bills aren't paid, when school is difficult, when work is exhausting, when your health is failing, when your loved ones are hurt, when the future is unsure, and when a good friend leaves, in our time of weakness, it is easy to be discouraged

• Discouragement blinds us, but encouragement enlightens and enlivens

• Anyone here need a bit of encouragement in hard times?

• Our passage today speaks of encouragement (using the word “comfort” some six times in three verses). In 2 Corinthians 1:3-5, Paul tells us four important things about encouragement:

• It is a person

• It has a place

• It has a purpose

• It has a point

1. The Person

• 2 Corinthians 1:3—Here Paul identifies encouragement or comfort as coming from a person

• Okay, strike that, not just any person, but the Person

• Paul describes God as the Father of “mercies”

• The word for “mercies” here refers to “pity” or “compassion”

• Paul also describes this person as “The God of all comfort”

• The word “comfort” here translates a Greek term that means “encouragement” or a calling to the aid of someone

• It is a word used to describe our “Helper” or “Comforter,” the Holy Spirit (John 14:26)

• It is the idea of someone who is there to help by encouragement

• Too often we look for encouragement in a host of other places

• Sometimes we compare our problems to other people’s problems and try to find comfort

• Sometimes we just try to have a positive “attitude” that things will get better

• Sometimes we fill our lives with other things in an effort to “forget” our problems

• Sometimes we try to find “comfort” in the pleasures of the flesh

• Sometimes we simply complain

• When Paul wants to discuss “comfort” or encouragement, he points his readers to a person—to God himself

• This is the God and Father of Jesus—just as he cared for his own Son, so Paul reminds us that God has compassion and care for us

• The idea of “Father” here has to do with origin or source

• God is the source of all mercy and the true source of encouragement or comfort

• There is no limitation to the amount of mercy or comfort God offers

• He is the source for all the mercies we need

• Encouragement is one of the mercies God gives

• If God is the true source of comfort/encouragement, then the question arises as to where we may receive it?

• The place of encouragement may surprise you

2. The Place

2 Corinthians 1:4a—Paul now reveals the surprising place where we may find encouragement

Encouragement comes “in all of our afflictions”

Read that again—Pay close attention to the words

Comfort/Encouragement comes from God and reveals itself in “all our afflictions”

What are “afflictions”?

The word here has to do with tribulations, anguish, or distress

Encouragement is often revealed in our deepest valleys

Think of the people of the Bible

Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon, Daniel and the three Hebrew young men

Timothy and Paul

In all of these situations and to all these people God proved faithful

Although he did not always remove the problem (remember, every rose has its thorn), God is faithful to show mercy and to encourage

What are your “afflictions”?

What is the darkest valley you face?

Where do you need the most encouragement?

That is the place that the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort wants to meet you

Notice that it doesn’t say that God encourages us in “some” of our afflictions (cf. Psalm 23:4; Heb. 13:5)

The word “all” covers a lot of ground

There is no place of trouble that God’s mercies and comfort cannot reach

On the other hand, he will not force his grace or encouragement on us

“Your love is too pure to force me to love you” sings Dennis Jernigan

The same may be said for his mercies and encouragement

God meets us in “all our afflictions” to offer us his mercy and encouragement, but he does not simply swoop in with a provision (Heb. 13:5—he is always there)

No, God has a purpose

If you are in distress, if you face affliction, God offers to you today his mercies and comfort

But these things come with a purpose in mind (James 1:2-4)

3. The Purpose

2 Corinthians 1:4b—Paul continues his thought by moving beyond the place of comfort to its purpose

Simply stated, Paul tells us that encouragement is given to us so that we can in turn give it to others

That is, God comforts us in our afflictions/distresses so that we can then do the same for others

Sounds like a no brainer, right? The purpose of your afflictions may have something to do with preparing you to be a help to someone else

As you are afflicted, so are you prepared to encourage

Your “problems” become the mission field into which God will pour mercy and encouragement for others

You think it is a “hindrance” or some kind of “obstacle,” yet your very place of affliction may be your future mission

Where you suffer today, where God wants to meet you with his mercies and encouragement may well become the place of greatest ministry for you in the future

Remember, every rose has its thorn—true power is found in weakness—the place where you are suffering, struggling, aching, or even in despair can be the spot where God perfects his power and shows his all sufficient grace

There is a pattern here, so what’s the point?

4. The Point

2 Corinthians 1:5—Paul reminds us that Jesus is the point of all these afflictions and God’s mercies and encouragement

Remember, God worked in Jesus’ life in a similar way

Hebrews 2:14-18 reminds us that Jesus became one of us so that he might give us freedom from the fear of death

Jesus stood in solidarity with us, even to the point of death, and by his suffering and death provided for us the victory

His “afflictions” provide comfort for us

As God comforted him, so God comforts us

Hebrews 5:8 reminds us that Jesus even “learned obedience from the things he suffered”

If Jesus suffered (with loud cries and tears, Heb. 5:7), how can we expect any less?

But by his suffering, Jesus becomes for us the very comfort and power we need to stand strong in our “afflictions”

Hebrews 2:18 and 4:15-16 remind us that through Jesus we receive help

The point is this—as our Lord suffered and received his Father’s mercies and encouragement, so also we receive mercies and encouragement from him when we suffer “afflictions”

What’s the point of all this? Jesus is the point

God works in our afflictions to make Christ’s image known in us and shown through us

Paul has gone out of his way to remind us that some of the afflictions we face are actually the sufferings of Christ

We may have an abundance of these issues, but in many cases they are not “ours” alone, the afflictions or sufferings belong to Jesus

That means that our afflictions are not meaningless, there is purpose and meaning to them

That means that many of the things we face are actually God ordained and God given

They belong to Jesus and are not our property

Therefore we need to see Jesus suffering with us (Acts 9)

He also reminds us that encouragement is abundant in Christ

If the afflictions belong to Jesus, then we can rest assured that encouragement or comfort will also come from him

We are not alone, we face these things with and in Christ

Whatever your affliction, Jesus is with you in its midst

You do not face these afflictions alone, you have help

As a result, we can be confident of encouragement and grace (Hebrews 4:16)

The point is that God intends to use our afflictions as a means to work in us the character of Christ

In our times of “distress,” God works his grace and mercy in and through us

By this work, he then reveals his grace and mercy to others

By encouraging us, he empowers us to encourage others

Application

In light of all this, how should we respond?

If God is the person of encouragement . . .

If he shows that encouragement in our afflictions . . .

If the purpose of our afflictions and our encouragement is to comfort others as Christ comforts us . . .

Then how can we receive and give comfort/encouragement this week?

First, make sure you understand God’s character and God’s purpose for your afflictions. If you have any doubt about God’s intentions, this week spend some time with God and his Word. Read Hebrews 1-5 or 2 Corinthians 1. Spend some time seeking to understand God’s character as an encourager and one who comforts. Act on what you know about God as the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort. Stand firm on Romans 8:28-39 (try memorizing these verses). God’s encouragement is received just like his mercies, by faith. Remember, faith acts on what it knows

Second, take time to show gratitude to God for his mercies and comfort. Say “Thank you” to God a lot. Develop an attitude of gratitude

Third, look for opportunities to encourage or to comfort others

Show genuine interest in another person and his or her situation (especially the afflictions). Spend time with them in their situation and let them know you care. Express genuine interest by asking questions. Get them talking. Like Jesus, be with them.

Acknowledge what’s important in their situation. Most of us crave an acknowledgement about our situation. If the person is mad at God (or if you are mad at God), admit it and discuss it. Sometimes the simple act of affirmation or validation provides encouragement and builds confidence.

Finally, encourage others by offering to lend a hand. Show someone you care by doing something to bless them. Surprise them in their “affliction” with an unexpected kindness.

Thanks for reading!

Every Rose Has Its Thorn: The Power of Weakness, 2 Corinthians 12:1-10

2011-10-16T17:15:00.002-05:00

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on October 16, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

The Power of Weakness

2 Corinthians 12:1-10

Introduction

Today’s topic is Paul’s thorn in the flesh—in other words, we will be discussing the power of weakness in the life of a Christian

As I struggled with the opening for this lesson, I realized how hard it is to explain this idea—in weakness we are strong

Can you think of any illustration of strength being shown in weakness that isn’t a biblical illustration?

Some ideas came to my mind as I wrote the introduction

Copper and Gold—these are two metals that on their own do not have much tensile strength

You aren’t going to manufacture an entire building out of copper or gold

On the other hand, you won’t find two metals that are worth more

They are very rare and valuable, yet they aren’t very strong

Copper is has a high conductivity rate—it conducts electricity well

Copper also is 100% recyclable (it is said that 80% of all the copper ever mined is still in use today)

The point here is this—copper is valuable even though weak on its own, but when combined with other things it is amazingly useful and strong

Sometimes a weakness may actually be a strength

That is the point of our lesson today

Paul’s Experience with the Corinthians

Planted the church with Aquila and Priscilla

Stayed there a long time

Turmoil and division

The “super” apostles

In 2 Corinthians 12:1-10, Paul discusses the idea that true power is revealed in weakness

He does this by offering an illustration of his own life

In this illustration, he shows that with an appearance of strength there may also be an underlying weakness that God is using

Just like a rose has both its beauty (the bloom) and its pain (the thorn), so also our spiritual life will reveal true strength in weakness

We will look at Paul’s Bloom and Thorn

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True power is shown in weakness

1. The Bloom

2 Corinthians 12:1-6—the bloom is the part we see that seems to look good or beautiful or nice

It is the part of the Rose that attracts us by appearance or scent or some other “positive” aspect

Earlier in 2 Corinthians, Paul had boasted about some of his apostolic experiences

So, in these verses Paul continues the “boasting” he began earlier in the book

Earlier he boasted in the things he suffered on behalf of the Corinthians

In other words, he boasted in the things he did and endured for them

However, since the Corinthians were interested in people with great credentials, Paul decides to list some of his credentials (cf. 2 Cor. 11:21-29; Philippians 3:2-6)

Paul’s opponents were more interested in appearance, titles, and prestige than in the power of God (2 Corinthians 10:12-11:33)

They measured themselves by themselves (they were conceited—too important to “fail”)

They expected the Corinthians to take care of them financially (something Paul refused to do)

They mistreated and “enslaved” the Corinthians (i.e., they expected to be waited on and to be served)

They took advantage of their position to demand perks and privileges

They demeaned other leaders who did not agree with them

Paul’s opponents focused on the beautiful, the prestigious, and acted in arrogance—they were interested only in the bloom

The Problem of Pride, Self-Confidence, Focus on Personal Image (Self)

Pride leads to putting us in the place of God

Our “image” becomes more important than his

Paul makes his list because his opponents were focused on “what looked good”

Paul “brags” to show how he “rates” in comparison

Paul kept this “vision” secret for 14 years

Paul didn’t feel the need to brag

He wants to brag primarily in his weakness (cf. 2 Cor. 11: 30-33; Phil. 2:5-8)

Paul sees this kind of “authority” or “boasting” as foolish and a waste of time for God’s people—the boasting of image or great accomplishments

Paul wants no more credit than what people can see in his life or hear in his teaching

His focus was on the message and the power of God

Paul wanted Jesus to be the focus, not the “accomplishments” of Paul

As a result, he sees this attention to “prestige” as foolish

What Looks Good isn’t always Best

We work hard to keep weakness out of our lives. We desire no deficiencies

We want to be physically, emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and relationally strong

So we work out, get counseling, practice spiritual disciplines, read books, and spend time with others to improve ourselves

This isn’t necessarily wrong, but with strength unfortunately comes some problems

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True Power is shown in weakness

2. The Thorn

2 Corinthians 12:6-10—the thorn represents the hidden part, sometimes even the “least appreciated” part

This is the negative side of the issue, the part that many of us would prefer to live without

The “thorn” is the part that sometimes hurts, but it is also a part of the total package of the Rose

Remember, with great privilege comes great responsibility

Paul’s initial call includes a mention of what great things he would do and what he must “suffer” for God (Acts 9:15-16)

Paul’s ministry included both the “bloom” and the “thorn”

Paul’s Thorn

The Nature of the Thorn

÷ Unknown

÷ Some say it was a physical condition (e.g., bad eyesight, Gal. 4:12-16; 6:11)

÷ Some say it was emotional or spiritual

÷ Some say it was other people

÷ Maybe it is kept a “secret” so that we might realize that issues like Paul’s “thorn” in the flesh come in many forms, and God want us to see that his work with Paul here is one he can do with us as well

The Purpose of the Thorn

Whatever the thorn, it served to bring Paul low, to keep him humble, and to keep him looking up to the Lord of glory and grace

÷ The thorn’s purpose was to serve as:

A reminder of weakness—he needs God’s power to do God’s work

A means to keep Paul humble—he is an instrument for God, not God

÷ Thorns are painful—they are uncomfortable

÷ The word here means “stake” or something on which to impale a person

This is not a mere splinter

÷ Geoff Thomas: "The thorn was a humiliating disability acting as a counterpoise to enforce the great truth that a Christian can only survive and achieve anything for God by a sense of his natural helplessness…God subjects us to a regimen of suffering because our usefulness is to be much greater"

Paul’s Thorn Didn’t Disappear

Even though Paul asked to be delivered from the “thorn,” God said “No.”

Prayers answered in this manner are not often seen as a blessing. In fact, if we are honest, we tend to see this answer as a challenge to our faith. We think God will always answer in the affirmative for some reason, but sometimes thorns are necessary to produce in us what God needs to complete his plan

The Result of the Thorn

÷ Sufficient grace

÷ God’s power

÷ Contentment—Paul resigns himself to the fact that with a bloom comes a thorn

Weakness can be a source of great power

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True Power is shown in Weakness

Some Quotes

"I discovered an astonishing truth; God is attracted to weakness. He can't resist those who humbly and honestly admit how desperately they need him. The first step in any spiritual awakening is DEMOLITION. We cannot make headway in seeking God without first tearing down the accumulated junk in our souls. Rationalizing has to cease.“ Jim Cymbala

"Every believer must learn that human weakness and divine grace go hand in hand together.” Philip Hughes

Every Rose Has Its Thorn

True power is shown in weakness

Application

The apostle Paul learned that a position of power and prestige is not necessarily the place of God’s greatest accomplishments

Humility is God’s favorite starting point for ministry that matters

True power comes in weakness

In our weakness, God shows his strength

How can we put these truths into action?

This week, let your weakness be a starting point for God’s power by being willing to start with humility

Be willing to acknowledge your weakness, your vulnerability, your “kryptonite” to God (and to others where needed)

Take a look at your image and ask, “Who am I trying to impress?” If the answer is anyone but God, repent

Allow God to use your weakness this week to show his grace to someone else—if you aren’t good at something, ask for help, etc.

Questions

What do you think of a community of believers who are more interested in image than in character? Do you want to belong to that group?

How can we move from image to substance? What can we do to avoid the trap of self-reliance or pride?

What happens when we rely on our own abilities to do God’s work?

What would the church look like if we dropped our masks, quit pretending, and actually engaged in honest conversation with each other?

What “weaknesses” do you see in your neighborhood or place of influence (don’t name names please)? How do you contribute to it?

Where do you need God’s strength to work in your weakness?

How will you humble yourself this week so that God’s power can shine through you?

Thanks for reading!

The Story of Paul’s Conversion: An Example for Us All Acts 9:1-9

2011-10-05T17:35:00.005-05:00

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on October 2 and
October 9, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

The Story of Paul’s Conversion:
An Example for Us All
Acts 9:1-9

Introduction

•When you hear the words “Damascus Road Experience,” what typically comes to mind?

•Those of us raised in a church environment no doubt think of the conversion of Saul to become Paul the apostle

•But the phrase is used a lot today to mean a sudden and unexpected shift in someone’s position or values

•That certainly defines the experience in which the angry Saul of Tarsus becomes the missionary apostle Paul

•He changed from murderer to missionary

•He changed from a persecutor to an apostle

•But today I don’t want to focus only on the dramatic and divine change in Paul’s life, I also want to sketch for all of us what conversion looks like

•I want us to work through Paul’s story to see an example for us in our own conversion and for our lives today

•Let’s look at Acts 9:1-9, and note these three aspects of conversion

•The condition

•The confrontation

•The conclusion

•Remember, an encounter with Jesus changes everything

•We could all stand with regular encounters with Jesus

•We need the change that a relationship with him brings

•1. The Condition

•Acts 9:1-2—The first thing to note when talking about conversion is the condition of the person. None of us come to God complete or whole. We all come broken. Some may seem better than others, but none of us is able to avoid the taint of sin. That is the situation in which we find Saul (who will soon become Paul)

•What do you know about the life of Paul? (Philippians 3:2-6)

•Paul was an accomplished man/He had reason for a fleshly confidence

•He was circumcised on the eighth day

•He was a good Jew (a Hebrew of the Hebrews) from the prestigious tribe of Benjamin

•He was a Pharisee, zealous for the Law

•He was blameless according to the righteousness from the Law

•He was a very religious man

•No one could touch him in the area of religion

•Yet in spite of his religious beliefs, he was full of anger

•Paul breathed threats and murder against the early Christians

•He was a very angry young man, mad at the “heresy” of Christianity that had sprung up among his fellow Jews

•He even intended to wipe out this heretical faith and destroy them completely

•He had no use for false doctrine—he had a religious background but was full of hatred—he wanted to murder others—he was a sinner (1 John 3:10-18)

•Paul was the aggressor against the fledgling and newly born church

•He got permission to go and arrest them so that he can put an end to them

•Perhaps he was tired of hearing the story of Jesus, the story of redemption

•Perhaps his heart was heavy as the words of Christ were spoken

•Whatever was going on, Paul hated Christians

•Paul’s hatred turned him into the “terrorist” against Christianity

•Like some Muslims (and other religions too), he believed that those who disagreed with him should convert or die

•Having them die was easier, so he pursued that option

•He wanted to murder those who disagreed with him

•Paul was a sinner who resisted the truth and lived as an “enemy” of God (Romans 5:6-11)

•Like us, Paul stood against Christ. He was lost

•An encounter with Jesus exposes our condition

•Such an encounter can also result in a change of our condition

•The confrontation with Christ causes a change in us

•2. The Confrontation

•Acts 9:3-6—Once the person’s condition is acknowledged, the next aspect of conversion is the confrontation between the sinful person and the risen and exalted Jesus. The confrontation is between one who cannot save himself and the only One who can save. That is what happens to Paul

•Notice that Jesus confronts Paul as he is going about his everyday experience.

•Paul is doing what he would normally do

•Often Jesus confronts us in our mundane or normal surroundings

•We must remember that the revelation of God does not necessarily require special circumstances (like a special worship service, or complete quiet, or special music or technical expertise).

•God is more than able to meet us right where we are

•Jesus confronts Paul miraculously—this seems to be a special case

•Light from heaven—the glorified and risen Jesus reveals some of his glory

•Falls to the ground—in the presence of a heavenly revelation, Paul gets low

•Paul is humbled when Jesus is revealed

•This is a divine encounter!

•Most of us will not get a miraculous Damascus Road experience like Paul’s

•We will not meet Jesus in a visionary experience

•We will encounter him in a more mundane way

•That doesn’t make the encounter any less significant

•We go through some of the same steps nonetheless

•We encounter Jesus in his resurrected glory through the proclamation of his Truth

•We humble ourselves in his presence

•We listen for his direction

•These are the same steps Paul experienced

•Salvation requires revelation and response

•The Questions in this Encounter—notice that Jesus initiates the conversation by asking Paul a question (Questions are often a good way to start a conversation about conversion)

•Jesus confronts Paul with a question—why are you against me?

•Paul responds with a question—Who are you?

•Jesus gives Paul a chance to respond, and Paul wants to know who he is addressing

•There is a confrontation going on here, one that leads to conversion

•Like all of us before we came to Christ, we cannot know God until God makes himself known to us

•When Jesus confronts Paul, he is revealing himself to Paul

•Paul does not argue, he simply acknowledges the superiority of the one addressing him—Paul wants more information

•Jesus gives Paul the answer—I am Jesus—one thing this tells us is that when we do the work of God and receive mistreatment, Jesus suffers with us. That is, people are not attacking us only, they are taking on Jesus!

•Jesus gives Paul the answer—I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting

•Jesus makes himself known to Paul

•The nature of this revelation no doubt convinced Paul that he was in the presence of God

•Jesus then gives Paul a command—”Arise and go into the city, and you will be given more instructions”

•Jesus acknowledges Paul’s willingness to submit by giving Paul something to do

•How Paul responds makes the difference

•What will Paul do?

•Salvation for all of us is similar (without the bright lights probably)

•We are going about our everyday tasks, ignoring or even resisting God and being his enemies

•Then God confronts us with his person and truth, and we are humbled

•We want to know more and perhaps ask some questions, and God responds by calling us to obedience

•So, how do we respond?

•Faithful response to Christ leads to salvation

•An encounter with Jesus poses a challenge

•A confrontation with Jesus forces us to choose

•Will we obey him or not?

•3. The Conclusion

•Acts 9:7-9—The conclusion of our story reveals Paul’s response. In a similar way, our response to God will write the conclusion to our story of conversion. If we humble ourselves and obey God’s call to repent, salvation will come

•Let’s remember though, that not all who were present at the encounter/confrontation get the point or get salvation (verse 7)

•This is true in our lives as well

•When the story of salvation is told, it is not a guarantee that everyone present will be converted

•It is possible to witness God’s divine grace and still miss the truth

•These people heard the voice but did not apparently get the point

•Paul, on the other hand, understands that he has encountered the divine, that he has run into God, and he is dramatically changed

•He is physically blinded, but he nonetheless obeys—he obeys Jesus’ command even though his physical circumstances have made it difficult

•How often do we try to excuse ourselves from obedience due to physical circumstances?

•“I’m not gifted in evangelism” or “I can’t make disciples” or “I’m shy” or even “I don’t hang around non-Christians much”

•Physical circumstances do NOT hinder obedience—only our wills can do that!

•Though physically blinded, he is now spiritually focused—food and drink no longer matter, he wants to know this person Jesus (verse 10 reveals that Paul is praying while fasting)

•Paul obeyed Christ and focused on Christ

•We should follow his example

•Circumstances don’t matter, obedience alone matters

•So, what’s the rest of the story?

•Paul goes on to plant churches all over the Roman Empire

•He writes 13 letters (almost half of our New Testament)

•He becomes an example for all of us (1 Timothy 1:15-16)

•When a person is brought to Christ and becomes a follower of Christ, it is not for that individual’s good alone, it is for salvation for others

•Like Paul, our redemption is for the benefit of others as well

•Can others see the salvation of God in us?

•Do they want what they see?

•What kind of example are we?

•The conclusion to Paul’s story is written, but the story of salvation/redemption continues. What will the conclusion be?

•An encounter with Jesus changes our story

•Application

•We just admitted that the story doesn’t end with an individual’s conversion

•As important as a person’s salvation is, that is only the first part of the story

•So, how do we respond to this information? Seeing that Paul’s conversion story is in a sense an example or model for us all, how do we respond?

•First, check your condition. Are we followers of Christ or are we religious bigots looking to destroy all those who oppose us? What is our condition? Do we rely on our own strength and efforts, or are we confident in God’s plan of salvation? If we do not have a relationship with Jesus, that is the starting point. This week, focus on your relationship with Jesus. Like Paul, be willing to even give up some of the important things in life to pursue a knowledge of Jesus and his righteousness (Philippians 3:7ff)

•Second, humble yourself and obey God. What is it that God has asked of you that you have ignored? We must never allow anything to deflect us from obedience. When we refuse to obey Jesus, we are backing away from the recreating power of his redemption. As Oswald Chambers says, “It is a matter of indifference to God’s grace how abominable I am if I come to the light but woe be to me if I refuse the light.” (John 3:19-21). What was the last thing God told you to do? Leave here today, go and do it. Live in God’s light. Do not wait another minute to do the right thing

•Third, share with others the story of your encounter with God. Take time to let others know what God has done. Make a list of people you would like to see have an encounter with God, then begin to pray for them and seek an opportunity.

•An encounter with Jesus changes everything

•How has it changed you?

Thanks for reading!

True Worship, Pslam 95

2011-10-01T13:36:00.003-05:00

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on September 11 and 18, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

True Worship: Psalm 95

Introduction

Today’s topic is worship. Remember, a few weeks ago we discussed the issue of “Committed or Complacent?” while looking at the early church in Acts 2:41-47.

In Acts 2:42, we noted that the early church was continually committed or devoted to three things: the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, and to worship.

We have already looked at the need for continual devotion to God’s Word (sound teaching), and the last two weeks we looked at the issue of fellowship.

Today, our topic is proper worship.

Let's look at the Word

Below there are three texts listed. Each one deals in some way with our topic today.

I want the class to break into three groups and take 5 or 10 minutes to consider one of these passages and answer the following questions:

What does true worship look like?

What are the components of true worship?

Psalm 95

John 4:19-24

Acts 17:22-31

Some background

Now that we have all discussed several passages on worship, let me point out that this word appears in some form in almost 200 passages of the Bible.

Apparently the issue of worship is very important to God.

In some cases, worship results from passion.

Everyone is passionate about something, right?

Name some things people about which people are passionate

When it comes to worship, however, we must realize that passion is not enough. The thing we worship must have weight, it must be worthy, it must be more than a mere emotional attachment.

To worship means to give worth to something.

Our passage today calls us to worship.

Our Passage

Psalm 95

We have already discussed this passage in our groups, but let me give you a bit of background before we look at three aspects of worship found here.

Psalm 95 was used in a particular time of worship in the life of Israel called The Feast of Tabernacles or Booths. It happened in the fall, and people would go outside and live in little huts that they made.

They would take their meals there for seven days to remember that they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years.

And they would remember their mistakes that led to the wilderness.

And they would remember God's grace as well.

This Psalm then is a reminder to worship God for who he is and what he has done.

This worship has three aspects

Joy, Awe, and Obedience

In each of these remember—Worship is a right response to God

1. Joy

Psalm 95:1-5—The psalmist reminds us to “sing for joy to the Lord.”

What does this look like?

Shouting

Giving thanks

Singing

Did any of you watch football games yesterday?

Are you like me?

When I watch a game, it is not a “quiet” or “laid back” enterprise.

All of me gets involved

I yell, I stand up, I raise the roof

When my team scores, I don’t sit quietly by and say, “Good job.”

In fact, at football stadiums all around our country yesterday, when the home team scored, pandemonium probably erupted

Yet when we worship God, we seem to act as though what he has done is worth less excitement than a touchdown

I’m not saying that we need cheerleaders or a marching band at church (although the band thing could be cool, right?).

What I mean is that we should show some excitement at what God has done

Our worship should involve some emotional and joyful expressions

What is the source of this joy according to Psalm 95? What has God done?

He has given us salvation

He is a great God (he is the best!)

He is the High King over all Kings

He holds the whole world in his hands

He made everything, and it all belongs to him (Hebrews 1:1-4)

Our God is worthy of our joy, of our excitement, of our worship

True worship includes a joyful response to God’s person and work

2. Awe

Psalm 95:6-7—Now we see the tone shift a bit. The Psalmist goes from excitement and loud rejoicing to a more subdued tone.

Worship, bow down, kneel—you can almost feel the action slowing down. We’ve had our shouting moment, now we are called to reverence, to quiet reflection, to a recognition of God’s presence as an awe-full experience

Think of Isaiah 6:1-6—how did Isaiah respond when he saw God in the temple?

He pronounced “woe” on himself

He felt undone

He got as low as he could in the presence of a holy God

Throughout the Bible we find these kinds of responses

Moses

Daniel

John the Apostle

These people understood the need to get low before their mighty God

They understood God as their creator, as the holy one

Our passage contains that kind of feel.

Yes, it is appropriate to come to God with rejoicing, dancing, shouts of joy, and excitement.

But sometimes we need to slow down, to wait in his holy presence, to just sit still in front of the one who made us (the one who provides for us)

What kinds of things cause “awe” in you? Why do you feel that way?

Usually awe or a sense of reverence is caused by something “bigger” or “grander” than us

That is how the psalmist sees God

That’s how we should see him

Like last week, we need to have a humble heart before our God (Hebrews 12:28-30).

We are receiving from God the amazing gift of salvation and citizenship in his unshakeable kingdom.

We didn’t earn it or buy it, we were given it by his grace and mercy

Therefore we should show gratitude and awe

We should respond with humble service to God

True worship responds with reverence to God

3. Obedience

Psalm 96:8-11—the sense of awe and reverence should lead to an offer of acceptable service to God (remember Heb. 10?). This is the final point of our passage. True worship requires obedience.

In the end of verse 7, our author calls us to pay attention, to give heed to the voice of God, while verse 8 warns us not to harden our hearts.

The call here is to hear and obey. To hear and disobey or to ignore is not only dangerous, it may be deadly (cf. James 2:21-25; Hebrews 2:1-4)

Note the change in tone again in verse 9.

God is speaking now, and he does not sound happy!

Worship has moved from our communications to or about God to God’s communication to us.

God is speaking, we must hear and obey.

God now tells us what happens when hearing his Word is not mixed with faithfulness and obedience (Heb. 4:1-2)

In verse 10 he says “I loathed that generation.” Other translations say, “I was angry with them.”

The word “angry” has to do with God being disgusted

Verse 11 reminds us that a lack of obedience may lead to a strong rebuke (Heb. 3:7-12 quotes these verses; Heb. 4:11-13)

We must be careful not to harden our hearts to God’s Word

We must respond with obedience

True worship waits for God to speak, then responds with obedience

Conclusion

True worship then involves at least three things:

Joy at who God is and what he has done

Awe in the presence of God’s character

Obedience to God’s Word to us in worship

In other words, when we worship God, we should include exuberance for his kind gifts, quiet reverence at his enduring holiness, and expectant hearts to hear him speak and to be quick to obey

If only it was that easy, right?

Worship can actually be very messy.

Too often we focus on only one aspect and miss the others.

We are too loud and never reverential.

We are always quiet and never rejoice.

We simply do not listen for God’s voice.

If the truth were known, we would realize that worship “in Spirit and in truth” (John 14) can be serious stuff.

If we understood the gravity of it, we would center our lives on seeking to worship a worthy God in a worthy manner

Every thought and act would be connected to that desire

So, how do we do it?

First, let’s find a way to, as A. W. Tozer says, develop “an everlasting preoccupation with God.” It is not an option, it is our calling! Where do you need to remove obstacles that keep you from being preoccupied with God? What keeps your focus off of Jesus and his accomplishments on your part? This week take some time to look for and to remove those obstacles. Become obsessed with Jesus!

Second, spend some time in corporate and individual worship. Read the book of Hebrews aloud this week. Hear the admonitions from that author to hear and to obey God. Pay attention to the amazing attributes and surpassing superiority of Jesus. Focus on that. Be obsessed with that. Make special time this week to pursue this worship.

Finally, obey what God has told you. Share his message of grace with others. Love your brothers and sisters. Spend time living the life of Jesus among and toward others. Get involved in community by investing time and energy in blessing those in your life.

True worship is a right response to God.

Thanks for reading!

Sermon from August

2011-09-18T22:09:00.001-05:00

Hello all:

I preached at Rocky Mount Baptist Church about a month ago, and Pastor Jeffrey Robinson posted my sermon on their web page. If you want to hear me preach, feel free to check it out. The sermon is on John 11. Here is the link: What Does Worship Smell Like ? Comments are welcome!

Thanks for reading!

Keys to Christian Fellowship, Philippians 2;1-4

2011-09-03T20:53:00.003-05:00

Here are the notes from my lesson for G.A.P. (Graduates and Professionals) at Thomas Road Baptist Church. This lesson was presented on August 28 and September 4, 2011. I hope it is a blessing to you! Please feel free to leave a comment or contact me if you have any questions.

Keys to Christian Fellowship
Philippians 2:1-4

Introduction
•A couple of weeks ago we addressed Acts 2:41-47 and asked whether or not we are complacent or committed
•In Acts 2:42, we saw that the early Christians committed or devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship and the breaking of bread, and to worship.
•Last week we talked about devotion to God’s Word, and this week we will look at some keys to fellowship
•The church in Acts spent time with each other and worked diligently to meet each others’ needs
•Today we want to ask how we can develop a similar fellowship

•The church today is a bit more focused on separation than on unity or fellowship
•We focus on minor details that lead to division
•While God calls us to focus on more important things

•Diversity doesn’t have to lead to a lack of unity or fellowship
•We don’t have to try to divide ourselves over minute (and possibly unnecessary) details
•We don’t have to be all alike, but we should strive to have the same mind and be like Jesus

•Our passage today discusses true Christian fellowship

•In Philippians 2:1-4, Paul gives us two keys to Christian fellowship:
1) Solid Resources
2) Right Attitude

Let’s look at our passage

1) The Resources

•Philippians 2:1—True fellowship is founded on what Christ gives. The resources for fellowship are fourfold and are founded on our horizontal relationship with God through Christ
a) Encouragement in Christ
b) Consolation of love
c) Communion of the Spirit
d) Affection and Compassion

•Paul lists these four resources in “if” statements, but these should not be read as hypotheticals. They should be read as “since” statements. Paul thinks that the Christians in Philippi had experienced these

a) Encouragement in Christ: Have you gotten anything out of following Christ?
•Salvation/Abundant Life
•Encouragement
•Empowerment

•The word for “encouragement” here has a similar root to the word Paraklete, which is used to describe the Holy Spirit as one called alongside to help (John 14:16-17)
•The word can mean “exhortation” or “encouragement”

•When life gets unsettling and we are shaken, Jesus is our foundation and stability (1 Cor. 10:4)

•The idea here is that our relationship to Christ is a source for encouragement
•Christ is our sufficiency
•He is our foundation
•His work of grace encourages us to share his love

b) Consolation of love: How has Jesus’ love made a difference in your life?
•His love is an example
•His love comforts us
•His love controls us

•“Consolation” has the idea of comforting someone who has experienced grief or loss
•Strained relationships or lack of fellowship gives a sense of loss to others
•The love of Christ is a means of overcoming loss
•The love of Christ can mend strained relationships
•God does not abandon those who grieve, he intensifies his love and concern for them (Hebrews 13:5-6; Deut. 31:8; Joshua 1:5)

•Love does not depend on the other person’s response (Rom. 5:8)
•Love expresses itself without expectation of recognition or even acceptance
•Love simply loves

•We should abide in and tap into God’s love in our relationships

c) Communion/Fellowship of the Spirit: What does being in communion with God’s Spirit offer to us? What does it mean to you?
•Communion or Fellowship of the Spirit is a two way street
•It has a horizontal part—we receive God’s Spirit and learn to have communion with God through his Paraklete (1 Cor. 12:13)
•It has a vertical part—we share with others as God shares with us (1 John 4:20)
•Being in communion with God’s Spirit should be revealed not only in personal holiness or “spirituality,” but also in how I relate to others God brings in my life

d) Affection and compassion: Since we have the resources above, we should have a heart and care for others (John 15:17)

•Affection and compassion flow from a proper understanding of our foundation in Christ (1 John 4:19-21)
•Jesus loved even when he was offended
•He showed compassion even to those who hated them
•How can I act any differently?
•If I have tasted Christ’s affection and compassion, I should be marked by the same kind of life
•Am I?

•These resources give us the basis or foundation for true fellowship
•But for true fellowship to happen, we need a right attitude

2) The Right Attitude

•Philippians 2:2-4—Paul reminds us that Christian fellowship flows from a proper attitude or mindset. In these verses he offers two basic attitudes we must adapt: 1) an attitude of unity, and 2) an attitude of humility
•In truth, you cannot have one without the other

•True fellowship is revealed in unity, not necessarily uniformity
•We need to be “like minded,” but not mindless drones

•Paul gives us three requirements for unity

a) The first requirement for unity is being like minded or having the same mind
•The idea is that we think on the same important things—our focus is on the same Lord
•The idea here is not that we agree on every little detail of doctrine, but rather that we should approach life with the same biblical or Christ-like worldview
•This is the mindset of loving God and loving others (Remember Acts 2:41-47—they met each others need and worshiped together)
•This is how Christ lived (Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:43-45)

•We will never agree completely on doctrinal issues, but we can agree on the importance of Christ

•Major on the major issues, not the minor ones

b) The second requirement is a shared love or a shared heart (1 John 3:11-12; 16-18)
•This speaks of the love of God and love for others that we mentioned above, but more importantly it refers to God’s love for all of us as expressed in Phil. 2:5-8
•Acts 2:44-45 is a great example of this love expressed in real life

•We must have the love of Christ as our central focus as our most heart-felt way of life
•Without the same love, we will never have true fellowship

c) The third requirement is to be one in spirit and purpose
•The Message says it like this: “Be deep-spirited friends”
•The idea is something like being “same souled” or even (to some degree) being “soul mates”
•This is such a deep unity that we are unanimous in our love for God and others—our respect for each other will know no bounds

•A. T. Robertson describes this kind of fellowship as being “like clocks that strike at the same moment.”

•Think of a football team—many positions with one goal

•We need a shared heart, a shared mind, and a shared goal

•This is the attitude Paul wants for the church, but to accomplish it we must learn a bit of humility

•The world in which we live espouses a self centered approach to life: “Assert yourself” or “Build up your own self esteem” and even “Don’t let others take advantage of you” is the primary approach to living a “full life”
•Such an approach is not only self-destructive in many ways, it is also the opposite of the life to which God calls us

•The attitude that Paul espouses here is one of humility
•It is the idea of lowering myself to serve others
•It is the idea of putting someone else before me

•Paul tells us that this attitude of humility will reveal itself in how we see ourselves and how we see others (Ephesians 4:1-3)

•How do we see ourselves?
•Paul calls us to have “lowliness of mind” or to be careful how we think of ourselves
•This was not the typical approach in the first century—Paul turns this negative in his day into a Christian virtue
•We must learn humility
•Augustine: The mark of true religion is humility
•This means we must remove from ourselves any self-seeking or high minded or selfish ideas (Col. 3:13-14)
•We must be humble

•Of course, how we see ourselves affects how we see others
•Serving others requires me to see them as important, and humility helps

•How do we see others?
•Paul calls us to think more highly of others than we do of ourselves
•He encourages us to think about the other person and his needs and interests rather than just think about things from our own perspective (Acts 2:44-45)

•How do we get there?
•First, we must admit our pride
•Second, we must follow Christ’s example
•Finally, we must obey God’s Word

•We must consider others, not just ourselves
•If we want true fellowship, we must put God first and others second

Application
•How then do we respond? What can we do this week to build true fellowship?

•First, we must make sure we are on the right foundation, we must focus on the resources that God has provided us. This requires us to spend time with the One who provides these resources. Make sure this week you are tapping into the Source by spending time with God and his Word.

•Second, we must act on what we have heard. Where can you practice true fellowship this week? In what situations can you show Christ’s humility and grace? Put into practice the right attitude Paul discusses. Put others before yourself. Practice humility. Do not focus on your own interests only, but find creative ways to focus on the needs and interests of others.

•True fellowship is not easy, but what a blessing it will be if we practice what God prescribes!

Thanks for reading!

What's the Good Word? The Importance of the Bible

2011-09-01T21:48:00.002-05:00

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on August 21, 2011. This lesson focuses on the need for Christians to be devoted to the Word of God by looking at the importance of Scripture and the impact it has (or should have) in the life of a Christian. I hope you get something from it! If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

What’s the Good Word?
The Importance of the Bible

Introduction
A couple of weeks ago we addressed Acts 2:41-47 and asked whether or not we are complacent or committed

In Acts 2:42, we saw that the early Christians committed or devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles, to fellowship and the breaking of bread, and to worship.

We mentioned that the devotion to the apostles’ teaching today would translate into a commitment to the Bible

Since the teaching and writings of the early apostles came from the Old Testament and in many ways became the New Testament, for us as Christians today to be committed to their teachings means we must have a commitment to God’s Word

This commitment requires knowledge and action

We must know the Bible
This requires time
The truth of Scripture will not simply enter our hearts by osmosis, we must go looking for them

We must act on it
Obedience is not an accident
As we learn God’s truth, we must do it

Today I want us to consider the importance of God’s Word by looking at four truths about the Bible
1. It is the inspired Word of God
2. It is sometimes difficult to understand
3. It is powerful
4. It must be studied

So, what do you know about the origin of the Bible?

1. The Bible is the Inspired Word of God

2 Timothy 3:16-17
“All Scripture is inspired by God”

What does it mean that the Bible is inspired?
The Holy Spirit exerted his influence upon the writers of the Bible (2 Peter 1:20-21)—the writers of the Bible were moved by God’s Spirit to write

The Bible does not contain the Word of God, it is the Word of God
Every word of this book is inspired by God’s Spirit, yet it is written in the language/tenor of a variety of human authors

The Bible is free from error and absolutely trustworthy (Ps. 119:89-91; Matthew 5:17-18; 24:35)

The Bible is our trustworthy source of God’s self-disclosure

As a result of its inspiration, the Bible is a rather unique book
It is a library of 66 books written by close to 40 different authors
These authors were from a variety of backgrounds, some educated and some not so educated
There were farmers, fishermen, tax collectors, kings, teachers, physicians, and others
They wrote in different eras over thousands of years

In spite of this diversity, the book has a single focus—God’s revelation of himself to humanity

The Bible agrees on its primary topic—God—because it was inspired by him to reveal himself to us

2. The Bible is Sometimes Difficult

What areas of the Bible do you find most difficult? What are the books you tend to avoid?

2 Peter 3:14-16
Peter writes under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and acknowledges that some of Paul’s letters contain things “hard to understand,” all the while encouraging diligence in pursuing an understanding of God’s ways

Just like Paul’s letters, there are other places in the Bible that contain things difficult to understand
That is why we must be filled with the Spirit of God
God’s Spirit often guides us to a better understanding of God’s Word (John 16:12-15)

We must read the word, but we must also rely on God to help us to understand it

We should acknowledge the Bible’s difficulties rather than run from them

We cannot exhaust the knowledge of God, but we can act with obedience on what we understand—but are we?

3. The Bible is Powerful

Hebrews 4:12-13
God’s Word is living and active

How is God’s Word alive? Active?

The Word is like a scalpel, it can cut and divide and discover
Like a sword, it can separate
Like a scalpel, it can heal

It reveals to us God’s nature and our own nature (James 1:22-25)—by doing what it says, we show God’s life in our lives

It is the judge of our very thoughts and intentions

God’s Word can keep us from sin (Psalm 119:9-11)
The Bible can cleanse us (Ephesians 5:26; Psalm 51:2)

God’s Word is a seed of life, producing the redeeming life of God in us when we respond in faith (1 Peter 1:22-25; 1 John 3:9)

The Bible is our nourishment and spiritual food for us (1 Peter 2:1-3)
Like natural food, it can strengthen us and empower us for life in God

God’s Word, like the promises of God, are certain and true and will accomplish all the God intends (Isaiah 55:10-11)
When God speaks, things happen. God’s spoken revelation (his Word) contains what every human heart needs to flourish with a garden of God’s virtues and grace. The Word provides life and nourishment (cf. Luke 8:4-18)

4. The Bible Must be Studied

2 Timothy 2:14-15
This verse is a command, not a suggestion

Studying the Bible, digging into its heart and soul, accomplishes several things
As we act on it, it keeps us from being ashamed
Reading and heeding its instructions helps us avoid worldly and vain chatter that leads to ungodliness
It makes God’s will known to us and show us how we ought to live

As you study the Bible, ask:
Who is speaking here?
To whom are they speaking?
What is the main principle or truth revealed in this passage?
How can I apply this to my own life?

Reading the Bible is fine, but we are called to cut a straight path in our study of the word

We are called to diligence in plowing into God’s Truth, the Bible

Application

Since we are commanded to be diligent in properly understanding and obeying God’s Word, the application is rather obvious—we need to spend time with the Bible

This does not mean that we can be content with merely reading what the words say. We must learn to dig deeper. As Luther said, “I study my Bible like I gather apples. First, I shake the whole tree that the ripest may fall. Then I shake each limb, and when I have shaken each limb, I shake each branch and every twig. Then I look under every leaf. I search the Bible as a whole like shaking the whole tree. Then I shake every limb--study book after book. Then I shake every branch, giving attention to the chapters. Then I shake every twig, or a careful study of the paragraphs and sentences and words and their meanings.”

Some Resources
We must study Scripture like Martin Luther, taking it as a whole and interpreting its pieces as thoroughly as possible. Remember, the Word can never mean what it never meant. We must keep it in its proper context

This week I want to you spend an extra 15-20 minutes a day not simply reading the Bible, but studying it and digging deep into it. To help facilitate that, here are some on-line resources that may help:

http://www.preceptaustin.org/the_key_inductive_study_%28pt2%29.htm
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
http://bible.org/

These resources are not exhaustive, but they are pages I trust

The most important thing this week is to be diligent in properly understanding God’s Word and then acting on what you learn

What we really believe, we live. All the rest is just religious talk. (Peter Lord)

Will we live what God says?

Thanks for reading!

Complacent or Committed? Acts 2:41-47

2011-08-06T17:52:00.003-05:00

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on July 31 to August 7, 2011. This lesson begins a short series asking the question: To what are we as Christians committed? My goal is to give an overview of the attitudes, passions, and even practices in which the early church engaged as a means of gauging where we are as an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church. I hope you get something from it! If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

Complacent or Committed?
Acts 2:41-47

Introduction

I have to confess, I am a college football fanatic.
Not a fan, but a fanatic
My wife will tell you, I can watch just about ANY college football game and get passionately involved
I’ll even cheer loudly for teams I barely know
I’m certainly not a complacent fan

On the other hand, I don’t know that I am committed to college football.
I’m certainly not as committed as the young people who play the game
They practice regularly, they sweat together, they plan together, they even bleed together every week just to get ready for one game
They are passionate and committed to the success of their team

Have you ever been part of a church that was like that?

Someone describe an experience in a passionate and committed body of believers

I don’t know about you, but I could be attracted to a gathering like that—a group of people on fire

A fire creates excitement and attracts people
Charles Finney said: If your church is on fire, people will come from miles around to watch it burn.

Today I want us to take a look at a passage in Acts and ask: What can we gain from this passage to become a committed community for Christ?

How can true community be generated in a world that puts a premium on privacy?

Who are these People?

Remember that this gathering started with 11 men—a conglomeration of fishermen, tax collectors, and other undesirables
In fact, these individuals weren’t even properly educated
On the day of Pentecost, few of those present had walked with Jesus for 3 years, the rest were relatively new believers
None of them were “ordained” or “licensed” to preach
They only had what we call the Old Testament, and even then they probably didn’t have a personal copy to read daily

They simply put into action what they saw Jesus do

What did these people have that we need?
They had passion and commitment

Acts 2:41-47—They were committed
1. To God’s Word
2. To Others
3. To Worship

Commitment requires effort/Complacency is easy

1. Committed to God’s Word

Note in verse 42 that the new believers in Christ were “continually devoting” themselves to something

What does it mean to be continually devoted to something?
To what did the early Christians continually devote themselves?

"Continually devoting" is the idea of "giving constant attention to," or "being steadfast.” These early Christians set the proper example for us to follow in "continually devoting themselves" to some important elements for Christian life. I doubt that many of us are quite as committed. We make a false dichotomy between secular and sacred so that “Christian life" is separate and distinct from the rest of life. Being a Christian becomes merely a part of what we are, but it is not our focus or commitment. We compartmentalize our lives and then our Christian life is just another “part” of it, just another routine to mark off of our daily “to do” list. When the body does not function correctly, then both the whole and the individual parts that make it up are unhealthy.

These first Christians devoted themselves first to the “apostle’s teaching”

What is meant by “the apostle’s teaching”?

What was it that the apostles taught?

These early believers had no New Testament to read, so the teaching of the apostles probably represented teaching from the Old Testament and from the life and teaching of Jesus
This teaching became the “Word of God” to the early believers
They staked their lives on God’s communication to them via Scripture

What was happening was thoroughly rooted in Scripture. It was biblical. The Lord guided them through the teaching and preaching of his Word. (Psalm 119:9, 11, 36-38, 89-90, 105)

Now that the apostles are gone, we have their witness in the New Testament

God endeavors to lead and to teach us through Scripture
The “apostle’s teaching” for us is the Bible itself (Heb. 2:1-4)

Of course, this commitment required time and effort

To learn what God is teaching, we must take time to read his Word and act on it (2 Timothy 2:14-15)
Remember, the first believers were active participants in what was being taught by the apostles. What they were being taught was impacting their hearts and lives. They acted on it

We should do the same today—being committed to God’s Word means more than simply reading it, it means doing what it says (Heb. 4:1-2, 6-7; Romans 16:25-27)

Commitment to God’s Word requires time with and a response to God
Complacency ignores Scripture and leads to ignorance

That brings us to our next point, part of doing God’s Word is to be committed to others

2. Committed to Others

The key word here is koinonia, which means sharing, participation, contribution, or (most commonly) fellowship

The idea here is not coffee and donuts, especially since they were several centuries away
The idea is one of sharing life together

This is not a mere sentimental feeling, it is not mere uniformity or “getting along”

As Jim Davis puts it: “Church attendance is often substituted for fellowship. To some fellowship is like a jar full of marbles. The marbles are in the same jar but there is little togetherness. The marbles have little effect on each other as they roll around in a jar. They just bump into one another. But real fellowship is more like a jar of grapes that bleed on one another. Fellowship should allow our faith to rub off on one another. The first believers had real spiritual needs that led them into fellowship with others. As they came into this fellowship of other believers with the same needs, they naturally bled on one another. “

Philippians 2:1-4; 12-16
Working out our salvation is a corporate act, the “you” here is plural
The goal is to live life together, the life of Christ
Fellowship of this type is encouraging, it is focused on the cross, on humility, and on service

Our technology today conspires against this type of interaction and fellowship

This fellowship manifests itself as an intense sense of responsibility for each other (Romans 12:13; in fact, the whole chapter is good on this issue)
The early church was known for its love (1 John 3:18-19)

Does our fellowship manifest itself in how we take care of each other? Yes, but what does it say about us?

The early Christians continually devoted themselves to “breaking bread” together—they even did it daily and in each others houses

What does it mean to “break bread” together?

How would you like eating meals regularly with others in G.A.P.?

“Breaking bread” may refer to the Lord’s Supper
Of course, it could simply mean sharing a meal too (cf. Luke 24:30-32)

The early church apparently spent a lot of time with each other
Daily they worshiped at the Temple and ate together in each others’ houses

Fellowship means living life together
It means being involved in each others lives—the good and the bad, the clean and the messy—all of it

Commitment requires us to be involved in each others’ lives
Complacency results in our neglect of one another

3. Committed to Worship

We’ve already mentioned that “breaking bread” may refer to the Lord’s Supper, which was a regular act of worship among the early Christians

Whenever they met, they had a meal and commemorated Christ’s death and resurrection
But as we have already noted before, worship is not simply what we do in a building, it is what we do with and for each other

The early Christians were devoted to “the prayers”
The term here may refer to the daily prayers of the Temple and the synagogue
At the very least, this reminds us that “living life together” means to pray regularly

We are called to pray regularly and not only when “the Spirit moves”

The heart of their worship was a focus on God—who he is and what he has accomplished (2 Cor. 5:18-21)

The early believers understood that God’s love made their love for each other possible (2 Cor. 5:13-15)

God’s love and devotion made new life a reality for those who place their faith in Christ (Eph. 2:8-10)

Their experience of salvation led to worship in all of life—in how they responded to God and how they responded to each other

Their worship was both private and public

Commitment to worship requires us to focus on what is important to God
Complacency causes us to look out for our own interests

Application

This is a lot of stuff to understand. We need to remember, however, that this is not simply a list of things “to do” in order to become a healthy or committed group. We cannot simply add these three to our list and say we’re committed or healthy

We must develop the passion and attitudes that are depicted in this passage
And to do that will require self-examination and then action

Will we do it? How can we?

Here are some suggestions:

First, make up your mind that being a part of G.A.P. is not simply an opportunity to hang out with others and be a part of something. From today on, we will ask ourselves the hard questions about how to be the body of Christ and how to live by his Word and by his Spirit. This week you need to ask yourself the hard question—am I committed to helping this group of people become on fire with the passion of Christ?

Second, we need to devote ourselves to those things that are mentioned in our passage today: God’s Word, one another, and worship. Make a point this week to set aside time for each of these daily. I don’t care how much time you give (15 minutes, an hour, etc.), but make a conscious choice to spend time reading and doing God’s Word; getting involved in encouraging and supporting each other; and praying and worshipping together.

In the next three weeks, we will look more specifically at these things.

Are we committed or complacent?

One requires effort, the other is way too easy

Thanks for reading!

And Now For Something Completely Different: An Exercise in Finding our Way, Romans 12:1-8

2011-07-19T21:49:00.003-05:00

Hello all:

I teach an Adult Bible Community at Thomas Road Baptist Church called the G.A.P. (for Graduates and Professionals), and each week I post the outlines and discussion questions from my lessons on the G.A.P. page on Facebook. A while back I started posting these notes on the blog too. So, here is the outline for our meeting on July 17, 2011. I just finished a year long series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters," and I had a long week of teaching 7 hours a day (5 days) in a PhD seminar as well. As a result, I decided to take a slightly different approach to a lesson for Sunday. Instead of working up a "teaching," I decided (with my wife's help) to do something a bit more like serendipity. As a result, the lesson is a bit more discussion oriented. I also decided to give it a "different" title. I hope you get something from it! If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

And Now For Something Completely Different
An Exercise in Finding Our Way
Romans 12:1-8

Introduction
I don’t know about you, but sometimes I simply need a change in approach
I just finished a week long PhD intensive on Pauline Theology
I taught two night sessions at a youth camp
Not to mention that we just finished a year long look at the letter of 1 John
I decided today we’d simply try a different approach

Today, we are going to have a conversation rather than a lesson
We are going to look at Paul and see what we can learn

But before we do that, two questions
1. What should a church look like?
2. What do you think a church should be?

Romans 12:1-2

Paul’s text here is the practical application of some of the theological materials he has mentioned in the earlier 11 chapters

In this section, Paul calls his readers to a life radically separated from that of the world, a life that is counter-culture

Questions:
a. How does Paul tell us we should worship God?
b. What does this look like?
c. Where do you see Christians “conforming” to the world instead of being transformed? Do you have any struggles there?
d. What earthly things do you place more value on than the gift that God has given you? What do you think causes this?
e. Do you ever feel the urge to pull away from the world around you or to not conform to its standards? Where do you experience this in your life?
f. What is God’s will for us as a church? For us as individuals? For G.A.P?

Transformation even affects motivation
A church of renewed minds should show a different kind of life

Romans 12:3

Paul reminds us here that all of us have received something from God to contribute to the work of God (note that Paul expects us all to do the work of ministry!). The danger is arrogance and pride

Questions

a. Where has pride had a negative effect on the church in your experience?
b. Where does pride show up in your life?
c. How does understanding God’s grace give us strength to resist pride?
d. Should we seek humility? How?
e. How has God humbled you? Will you humble yourself?

Transformation affects our perspective
A church of renewed minds should act with humility instead of arrogance

Romans 12:4-5

The Church has a call from God to worship him, but that worship is not centered only in the singing of songs or hearing of sermons. Part of that worship involves serving one another. Paul here reminds his readers that the function of the body of Christ (i.e., the Church) is to serve one another in the unique and different functions to which God has gifted us. The church should exhibit diversity in unity. Diversity in function, unity in faith. We are one body of many members.

Questions

a. Here Paul compares the Church to a body. What do you think of that comparison?
b. How have you seen this body life in your experience of church?
c. How does Scripture describe members of the early church? In what ways is your life comparable to that described in God’s Word?

Transformation affects our service
A church of renewed minds serves others without compulsion

Romans 12:6-8

Paul now moves to the specific kinds of gifts and functions that may be found in the church. This is not a complete list, but it includes the following:
Prophecy: a proclamation of what God says
Serving: serving others as a gift of faith
Teaching: communicating truth and doctrine with knowledge and clarity
Exhorting: those who encourage or who give a clear explanation of the goal or vision for the church
Contributing: More than just money, this seems to aim at sacrificial giving
Leading: those who provide guidance and administration
Acts of mercy: those who see the needs of others and are quick to respond

Questions
a. What is the importance of serving in the body of Christ? How does our serving mimic the life of Jesus?
b. Which of these gifts do you think God has given you?
c. How are you contributing to the body of Christ?
d. Are you committed to serving at TRBC? In GAP? Are we only coming for our own needs, or are we plugged in and contributing to the growth of the body?
e. What would the church look like if all its members were committed to exercising their gifts?

Wouldn’t you like to find out?

Transformation affects our ministry by enabling us to use the gifts God gave us
A church of renewed minds functions like a body with each part doing its part to make sure the whole is healthy

Thanks for reading!