Victory in Jesus

Jesus came to destroy the works of the devil—flesh, sin, the grave, death.

In the incarnation, God met flesh, and flesh lost.

In the wilderness temptation, God met sin, and sin lost.

In the cross, God met death, and death lost.

In the resurrection, God destroyed the grip, fear, pain, and power of death (the power of death is sin, and sin has lost).

In Messiah Jesus all these things have been overcome. God will put all things under his feet. 

Victory is found in Jesus and in Jesus alone. No other foundation will suffice, and no other person can truly save us.

Thanks for reading!

Some thoughts today . . . Community, Truth, Humility.

The following are things I'm finding in my Twitter feed today, and I wanted to share them here:

We speak of truth and lovely things, but transparency and honesty can sometimes be messy. It is fine, though, God doesn't mind messy.

If Jesus is truth, then why are we so quick to lie to each other as Christians? Are we really that concerned with how we "look" to others?

Too often I compare myself to others whose situation is no better--without Christ, they are also nothing. Jesus is the Model to imitate.

Church should be community, and community is sometimes messy. Unity only comes when we humble ourselves and serve others.

Unity is not uniformity. My brother/sister may look quite different, but our unity is based on what Jesus has done and the example he set.

Come to grips then with this truth--you are not God, but you need God. The only way God fills your need is by Jesus, his Incarnate Word.

If you find a substitute to fill your void, you will always have "less-than-God." This idol will always fail. It cannot do anything less.

God became one of us to reach us. He served humbly, what more can he ask of us? To love one another calls for humble service. It is enough.

Thanks for reading! 

Theology Matters: A Good Foundation Brings Joy, 1 John 1:1-4

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 and questions for our meeting on July 11 and 18, 2010. We started a new series on 1 John entitled "Theology Matters." As a result, I have a little introduction of the letter before the lesson. The lesson then looks at 1 John 1:1-4 and discusses the theological foundation for real joy. We looked at the issue of the incarnation and how our relationship with God must begin with a proper doctrinal understanding of who Jesus is and what he accomplished. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

Theology Matters
And What We Do With It Matters Too
1 John

Introduction to 1 John

Author
a. Probably the apostle John, the author of the Gospel, Revelation, and two other epistles
b. Internal Evidence—similarities to the Gospel
c. External Evidence—Polycarp (associate of John), Irenaeus (disciple of Polycarp), Clement of Alexandria, Tertullian—all claim John as the author of this work
d. The author claims to be an eyewitness

Date—depends on who you ask
Could be anywhere from AD 66 to AD 90.
Probably written around the time of the Gospel

Recipients—churches in Asia (Rev. 1-3) or perhaps Ephesus

Main theme—1 John 5:13 (cf. John 20:30-31)—”that you may know”—the goal is eternal life and an assurance of that life

Life Situation of 1 John
a. The author has responsibility for a circuit of churches (probably located throughout Asia, see Rev. 1-3), and he addresses his fellow Christians as “little children” since he is now aged. The churches appear to be engaged in an ideological struggle that involves the possibility of interpreting the Christian faith as just another philosophy. More specifically, the problem revolves around the character of Jesus of Nazareth. Some were saying that he was not the Son of God come in the flesh. This belief is known as Docetism (a belief similar to later Gnostic ideas) and is directly addressed in 1 John. 1 John may also be written as a cover letter to introduce the Gospel of John.

b. There is a doctrinal issue here. Some folks have declared an elitist position that seems to put them in possession of “special knowledge” or “revelation” or even “anointing” that sets them off as better prepared that others (1 John 2:18-24; 27).
These opponents of John also claim that Jesus was not really a human being. He only “appeared” to be human (i.e., Docetism). Like later Gnostics, they seem to claim that only spiritual things matter, therefore physical is evil. As a result, the Savior cannot be physical. John explicitly addresses this especially in 1 John 4.

Purpose of 1 John:
(a) To introduce the Gospel of John and apply its truth to certain practical situations. 1 John deals more directly with spiritual problems and false teaching than the Gospel (cf. 1:3-4; 2:1; 4:1; 5:13).
(b) To strengthen Christians who were perhaps weak in faith or who required a word of encouragement (cf. 2:1, 7, 12-14; 4:1, 7, 19; 5:13, 21).

Several “so that” statements show purpose:
1 John 1:3-4—”So that our/your joy may be complete”
1 John 2:1—”So that you may not sin”
1 John 2:26—”So that you may not be deceived”
1 John 2:28; 4:17—”So that you may have confidence”
1 John 5:13—”So that you may know that you have eternal life”

That brings us to the prologue of our book and our passage for today—1 John 1:1-4

A Good Foundation Brings Joy
1 John 1:1-4
Theology Matters Series

Introduction
A good foundation
The opponents of John’s message had been proclaiming a message that was not true
That message was causing division and doubt in the believers in Asia
John wrote to tell them the truth and to help them regain confidence and joy
John knew that a good foundation can bring joy

Three things in our passage
a. The Foundation
b. The Fellowship
c. The Resulting Joy

Joy begins with truth

1. The Foundation
1 John 1:1-2

The Incarnation as foundation for good theology
“From the beginning” (cf. John 1:1, Genesis 1:1)
What “beginning” is in sight here?
It is either “creation” or the “beginning” of Christ’s ministry

Eyewitness and first hand experience of John (Acts 4:19-22)
John is telling them what he heard, saw, studied (“look at” or “gaze upon”), and touched. How much more thorough could he be?
John is establishing the veracity and strength of his doctrine
This is not something he made up, it has a history and is tied to real life
The “Word of Life” is tied to historical events—it can be studied, even proven

The “Word of Life” (John 5:19-29; 10: 10-18; 11:25-26)
a. Life revealed—it was manifested to and in us
b. Life proclaimed—it was announced and discussed, it is not a secret
c. Life eternal

The Incarnation is tied to Jesus’ relationship with the Father (John 1:1-5)
Good theology starts with the solid foundation of the Trinity and the Incarnation
Without Jesus (“fully God and fully human”) we cannot have relationship with God/eternal life

Joy is built on good theology

2. The Fellowship
1 John 1:3 (cf. Acts 4:19-22)

What we have seen and what we have heard—that is what we proclaim
John reminds us that as important as good theology is, good practice must also follow
If we know good theology, we must proclaim it
We must stand for what we know to be true
We must announce what God has done in and for us

The concept of koinonia
Fellowship (Acts 2:42; Philippians 2:1)
Having things in common
Sharing a “ship” (story of sailors)
Koinonia implies sharing a life, indeed sharing the “Life” that only comes from God and the relationship between the Father and the Son

The Fellowship of the Father and the Son (1 Cor. 1:9)
The unity of the Godhead
The order of the Godhead
The relationship between Jesus and the Father (John 17:3)

The Fellowship of believers

Joy is found in God’s fellowship

3. The Result: “Joy”
1 John 1:4—textual variant—”our” or “your” joy (cf. John 15:10-12)

Proclamation of true doctrine and the practice of real fellowship leads to the experience of true joy
Note the progression—good doctrine (knowing what God says, knowing the truth), acting on it (proper fellowship and proclamation), and then experience (joy)
We do not start with experience only
We do not rely only on practice or application
We must start with a proper foundation

Joy is built on the foundation of truth and the fellowship only God can provide(John 15:10-12)
For joy to be complete, we must act on what we know
In order to know, we must learn and act

We need time in God’s Word (doctrine), time with God (fellowship), and time with likeminded believers (more fellowship)

Joy is complete when we know truth, live truth, and proclaim truth

Application
How do we respond?

Story of student who didn’t want to spend time learning things he thought were useless

Theology matters
A bad foundation leads to a crooked or cracked house.
The same is true of our lives. A good foundation will lead to joy

This week
a. Learn the truth
Read through 1 John every day (it is only 5 chapters)
Look for the “so that” statements and the “these things we write” statements. Pay close attention to the theological issues John raises

b. Spend time with God
Make a special time each day to be alone with him. Listen, pray, meditate. Let the truth of his existence pervade all you do and think. Fellowship with God.
Spend time with others

c. Find ways to be with likeminded believers. Let them challenge you in the truth.
Find ways to bless others, to share the “Word of Life” with them

Theology matters
True joy comes in knowing and doing the truth

Discussion Questions
1. What is that which was from the beginning? How does the beginning verse (1:1) in this epistle compare to the beginning verse in the gospel according to John?

2. What did John say he had done with this? In what ways can we do these things with the Word of Life?

3. Who or what is the Word of Life?

4. What does John testify regarding this Word?

5. Why does John declare this Word to us? How should we declare this word to others?

6. Who needs to hear the Word of Life in your circle of influence? How can you proclaim this truth to them and help them come to a relationship with God?

7. If we have fellowship based on this Word then with whom do we have fellowship? How does fellowship with the Word enhance or increase fellowship with other believers?

8. Why did John write these things?

9. What is the message that John seeks to get across?

10. What message do we need to believe and live?

11. Why does theology matter?

Thanks for reading!

Jesus Jumpstarts a Life, John 5:1-17

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 and questions for our meeting on May 30, 2010. The lesson is on John 5:1-17 and looks at Jesus' encounter with the sick man at the pool of Bethesda. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

Jesus Jumpstarts a Life
John 5:1-17

Introduction
The reluctant lawnmower
Did the jumpstart or the prayer work?

The reluctant “preacher”
How God’s “call” jumpstarted my education

The reluctant witness
Where do we find it difficult to get “started” to do what God commands?
Where do we need a “jumpstart”?

John 5—the man at the pool of Bethesda
Jesus finds a life that needs a “jumpstart”

When Jesus jumpstarts a life, it is never the same

1. The Condition
John 5:1-5

The Man’s Condition
a. The Pool of Bethesda and the Possibility of Healing

b. The Man
38 years sick—crippled? Cancer? Tuberculosis? Multiple Sclerosis?
We don’t know—but he couldn’t walk apparently

c. Crippled people today
In what ways are people crippled, lame, incapacitated today?
What paralyzes us from doing what we should do?
What hinders us?

When Jesus jumpstarts a life, condition doesn’t matter

2. The Question
John 5:6

a. Jesus’ Question
Jesus found out that the man had been sick for a while
He may have discovered that the man came to the pool on a regular basis to get his “healing” or his “quick fix” for his situation.
He knew that the man had a need, he was desperate and incapable of healing himself

b. Jesus didn’t call all the people at the pool to healing—it was not a “healing service”

c. Jesus asks a strange question: “Do you want to be well?”
Is Jesus being cruel? Is this a rhetorical question?
I think that Jesus is asking the man to involve himself in the process. He is asking the man if he really wants to change. Many of us are comfortable in our “lame” conditions. We don’t want or desire a real conversion. I may require a change of lifestyle.
In this man’s situation, if he is healed, then he would have to find something else on which to focus. He would no longer have his “condition” as an excuse to be immobile or inactive. He may have been a beggar before, but with healing he would have to work.
Could it be that the man was “comfortable” with his helplessness and the “attention” it gained him?

d. Jesus’ Question to Us
How do we respond? What is Jesus asking us today?
Do you want to be “well”? Do you want to be free from whatever is keeping you immobile?
Are we ready to leave our dependency on our “condition” to be “cured” or “freed” to follow God?
What is it you want? What immobilizes you? Do we like the attention our “immobility” gives us?

When Jesus jumpstarts a life, he doesn’t avoid the hard questions

3. The Response
John 5:7-9

The Response: This man apparently wants to be healed by his response, but he gives an odd response

a. Placing the blame
The man responds at first by placing the blame on others
“It isn’t my fault, Jesus, no one will help me!”
“My needs aren’t being met!”

b. Pointing out the inability
He acknowledges he is incapable
He also points out that he has (in a sense) given up
“I’ve tried everything, and nothing works!”

c. How about us?
What do we blame for our lack of “healing” or change?
Where have we given up because “nothing seems to work”?

d. The Command: Look how Jesus responds to someone who have given up (Ray Stedman)
He asks an impossible thing: “Get up”
He removes the possibility of a relapse: “Take up your bed”
He expects continued success: “Walk”

When Jesus jumpstarts a life, he expects obedience

4. The Result
John 5:10-13

a. The Result of the man’s obedience was immediate
The man was healed
The impossible happened—the man got up, grabbed his bed, and walked
He didn’t spend too much time thanking Jesus apparently
He didn’t even ask Jesus his identity
Do we acknowledge God when he does something notable?

b. The man was questioned
The Jews didn’t like him “working on the Sabbath
They had a tradition against healing and carrying things on the Sabbath
What traditions keep us from being open about God and his works?
What traditions keep us quiet?

c. The man was quiet
He had no idea who to thank/blame for his current situation

When Jesus jumpstarts a life, he sometimes resists tradition

5. The Finale
John 5:14-17

a. Jesus finds him
Are there any sweeter words here? “Jesus found him.”
What could be change in our lives if “Jesus found” us?

b. Jesus warns him
Don’t take your blessing for granted
Don’t be apathetic about God’s mercy
Don’t walk in sin

c. The man talks about Jesus
He immediately informs the Jews—Why?
To protect himself?
To give Jesus praise?

d. The Jews want to stop Jesus

e. Jesus keeps working
He is even healing folks today
Not just physical healing, but the healing of changed lives/souls

When Jesus jumpstarts a life, he works to make that life effective for God

Application
Have we experienced Jesus transforming power? Has he “jumpstarted” our lives? If so, how should we respond?

We must obey his command to “Get up”: He tells us all to go and make disciples (Matt. 28:19-20). We may experience obstacles or our own inadequacies, but the command is still real. This week, “get up” and tell one person what Jesus has done to jumpstart your life.

We must make plans to avoid a relapse, we must “take up our bed.” Whatever causes hindrance to obedience in your life, this week make a plan to respond to it. Be brutally honest with yourself. Get accountable to others. Do not leave yourself an excuse.

We must continue in what God has done (“Walk”): Plan on success. Start praying today for one person with whom to share God’s love. Make time this week to be with God and ask his help to overcome your barriers. Tell someone else your plan. Then do it.

This week focus on the transforming power of Jesus and not your immobility or your incapacity. Spend time listening to God by reading his word and praying. Let his Spirit guide you. Then share the story of your success with another follower of Christ.

When Jesus jumpstarts a life, nothing is the same.

Discussion
1. What do you think of the man at the pool? Is he portrayed as a positive character? How would he have felt when Jesus came to speak to him? Why did Jesus choose him out of all the people in the crowd? What does this say about God's relationship to us?

2. Considering the dialogue and actions of the invalid throughout this chapter, what is his attitude toward those with him at the well, the Jews chastising him for carrying his mat on the Sabbath, and Christ?

3. What barriers keep us from obeying God and living transformed lives?
How does Jesus break down those barriers? What does he ask us to do?

4. Where does your life need a “jumpstart”?

5. In what ways have you experienced Jesus’ transforming power? Healing? Salvation? Freedom?

6. Who are the people in your area of influence who need a fresh touch, a “jumpstart,” from Jesus? How can you help them?

7. What would the world look like if we all lived transformed lives of obedience? What has God called us to do?

Thanks for reading!

When Jesus Comes to Church, Mark 3:1-6

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 and questions for our meeting on May 16, 2010. The lesson is on Mark 3:1-6 and looks at Jesus' encounter with the man with the withered hand at the synagogue. In this lesson I consider what would happen if Jesus came to our assembly and what would happen at that point. If you have any questions or would like to add a comment or two, that would be great!

When Jesus Comes to Church
Mark 3:1-6

Introduction

Growing up at First Baptist Church
“Don’t run in God’s House”
Prompted me to look for God
I always wondered why God never seemed to be at home

As I got older, I realized that I was a bit naïve
God wasn’t physically there
Have you ever wondered, though, what would happen if Jesus actually came to church?

Mark 3:1-6—Jesus goes to Synagogue (kind of like going to church)—four things happen when Jesus comes to church
1. Jesus looks for a problem/need to meet
2. Jesus issues a call
3. Jesus offers a command
4. Jesus expects a response

1. The Problem: A Withered Hand
Mark 3:1-2; 5a: When Jesus comes to church, he looks for a need/problem to address

The withered hand
Was this man a plant or not?
Luke 6 tells us it was the right hand that was withered
Means that the man would be hindered from doing business
Means that the man would be considered a sinner
Means that obstacles (social and religious) would be placed before this man

Put yourself in the man’s place
You can’t hold a regular job, have normal relationships, etc.
The religious leaders think of you primarily as a sermon example of how God judges sinners or they attack you for your “deformity”
You can’t even greet people normally without opening yourself to rebuke or attack

How are we like this man?
What are our withered hands?
What obstacles (real or perceived) keep us from doing what is right?

A withered hand wasn’t the only problem/need Jesus faced at this meeting

Another Problem: Hard Hearts

The hard hearts
The Pharisees were watching to see if Jesus would break the law
They were more concerned for their religious tradition than for the needs of others
They were more interested in “outing” Jesus or catching him in a mistake than in doing the right thing

They had hard hearts, but they were just as hindered as the man with the withered hand
Their hard hearts kept them from seeing the needs of others
Their hard hearts kept them focused on doctrinal correctness instead of obedience
Their hard hearts kept them from doing what was right
Their hard hearts grieved Jesus

How are we like the Pharisees here?
Do we focus on doctrine alone or do we put into practice what we know?
Do we consider the needs of others as more important than our own standing or reputation?
Do we look for opportunities to accuse instead of circumstances to serve?

When Jesus comes to church, he looks for needs to address
What need/problem stands in your way of working with Jesus?

2. The Call
Mark 3:3-4: When Jesus comes to church, he issues a call to act

The man’s perspective
“Oh, great! I get to be a sermon illustration!”
“Here it comes, another lesson on how sinful I must be with my hand as exhibit A.”
“Why is he picking on me?”
“Oh well, I might as well go forward”

What has God called us to do? Why are we hesitating? Are we afraid he might make an “example” out of us?

Jesus’ purpose
The call was given to illicit a response: faith responds to God’s Word
The call was given to do the right thing
Jesus intended to do good, not harm
He wanted to show the benefit of the Sabbath, not the legality of it

The Pharisees’ response
They were silent
Not all silence is golden—silence can sometimes kill (or at least wound)
How does our silence wound others?

When Jesus comes to church, he issues a call to act
Will we be silent?
Or will we take a stand?

3. The Command
Mark 3:5a: When Jesus comes to church, he gives a command

Jesus’ anger and grief
Jesus was angry at their silence
He was grieved at their lack of concern for doing God’s works

The command: “Stretch out your hand”
The man’s perspective
Why is everyone picking on me?
Why does he ask such impossible things?
How am I supposed to do what I’ve never done?

Comparison time
How are we like this man again?
What impossible task has God given you? What has he called you to do that you are sure you simply cannot do?
What should your response be?

Jesus’ expectation(?)
He intended to do good, to save a life
He expected something positive to happen
He expected God to act in response to the man’s act of faith

When Jesus comes to church, he gives a command to do the impossible

4. The Response
Mark 3:5b-6: When Jesus comes to church, he looks for a response

The man attempts the impossible
Against all odds, the man attempted to stretch out his crippled and unusable hand
Against all odds, he did the impossible
By acting in faith on Jesus’ words, the man was able to accomplish the command he was given

Faith responds to God’s Word by acting on it
Faith says, “If God wants it done, he will give me what I need to do it!”
Faith acts and God moves

The Pharisees conspire
When things don’t turn out their way, they decide to attack Jesus
They missed a great miracle!
They acted in disappointment or anger instead of faith

When Jesus comes to church, he expects a response
Will we attempt the impossible?
Or will we simply conspire against God’s plan?

Application
What would you do if Jesus actually came to G.A.P. and stood here?

How would you respond to his “impossible” command?

If we expect to be known as followers of Christ, as his disciples, then we must be ready to ignore our obstacles (real or perceived) to act in faith on his command
We must be ready to do the “impossible”
Only by acting in faith can we see withered hands or hard hearts changed

This week:
a. Set aside time to get alone with God: Ask Jesus to give you guidance by the Spirit of Truth into the commands God has given you, the call that God has offered you. Look in God’s Word for direction
b. Spend some time (10-15 minutes a day) asking God to show you any areas where a withered hand or a hard heart has kept you from obeying his command: Then, repent and do it
c. Set aside some time to act on what you know God has called you to do: serve someone, share your faith, offer a word of encouragement, go the extra mile, or simply love as Jesus has loved you
d. Stretch out your withered hand—attempt the impossible at God’s command and see what happens

When Jesus comes, be prepared to respond with faithful obedience
Only radical and abandoned faith will result in true transformation

Thanks for reading!