Community of Believers

The Lord’s Supper, along with Baptism, is one of the two ordinances that the church is to practice. There is much to say and learn about both, but I want to focus on just one aspect of the Lord’s Supper and that is community. 

The Lord’s Supper, which is also known as “Communion”, represents the community and fellowship that we should have as believers in Christ. If we look at 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, we will see that Paul is upset with the Corinthian believers for their lack of community toward the body of Christ. Half of the group was rushing to the Lord’s Supper, eating all the food and getting drunk, while the other half, the poor and the needy, were slow to the meal, missing it completely. There was no community, no fellowship, no concern for the well-being of others. The Corinthian believers were acting in complete contradiction to the purposes of the Lord’s Supper. In the previous chapter, speaking of the Lord’s Supper, Paul says, in 1 Corinthians 10:17, “Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.” Christians are united together through Christ. We come from many different backgrounds and walks of life yet we are joined together in Jesus. “We who are many”, Paul says, “are one body.”  And the Lord’s Supper reminds us of this truth. 

Christianity is not meant to be lived in isolation, it is designed to be lived in community. When we sit down together and partake of this Lord Supper we should not only be reminded of Christ’s sacrificial work on our behalf (which is of greatest importance), but we should also be reminded that He has joined us together as one body. 

Christians are in this life together. We’re here to help each other walk through this life while we follow Jesus. That’s why Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:29 that “anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself.” We are to discern the body. That is, we are to be mindful of our brothers and sisters in Christ. So, when part of the body is hurting we don’t ignore that, we don’t dismiss that, we should take notice and do all that we can to alleviate the pain. When part of the body is neglected or malfunctioning we should do what we can to help nourish and correct it. When part of the body is missing or absent we should do what we can to bring it back. Even when the body is healthy and well we should do what we can to strengthen it, to advance it. But we can’t do these things in isolation. If my left hand is broken, I need my right hand to pick up the slack until my left hand is healed. If my face is dirty I need my hands to wash it clean. It is difficult, nearly impossible to do these things in isolation of each other. If you just had a face, absent from your body, it would be a struggle to wash it clean. And all of us (believers), the Bible tells us, are the hands and feet of Jesus. We are one body and we need each other.

Christian, you need the church and the church needs you. I need the church and the church needs me. We all have different strengths and abilities, given to us by God, for the purpose of ministering to each other. But you cannot minister to others if you are not around them.

So be intentional to build community. Be proactive to make Christian community a priority for you and your family. Get plugged into the local church (Sunday morning worship, small groups, men’s and women’s ministries, youth and children’s ministries) and as you do, look to encourage and disciple those around, even as those around you look to encourage and disciple you. Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Christian community is very important. 

The Lord’s Supper points us to the community that we have as believers. It reminds us that we are one body in Christ and we’re here to help each other walk through this life as we follow Jesus. Are you helping others walk through this life for Jesus and allowing others to do the same for you? 

FROM THE ARCHIVE: 3 REASONS TO ATTEND CHURCH REGULARLY

In 2016 it was recorded that 73% of Americans claimed to be Christian. However, when the same group was asked if their faith was very important to them or if they attended church at least once a month the percentage dropped from 73% to 31% (The State of the Church 2016 – Barna). Less than half of the people who claim to be Christians attend church regularly. And regular attendance for them could be just once a month (12 times a year). So, the percentage of those who attend church weekly is less than 31%.

But the Bible commands that Christians are to be faithful to their church. The author of Hebrews tells his readers that they are not to neglect meeting with one another, as is the habit of some (Hebrews 10:25). And then again to his readers he commands, “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you” (Hebrews 13:17). How can a person obey and submit to their leaders if they are not faithful attenders of their local church? It’s not going to happen. The implication here is that we need to be regular church attenders. Then Luke, in the book of Acts, tells us that Christians in the early church met regularly, day by day, to fellowship and attend church together (Acts 2:46). We can see a pattern of believers meeting together often in a church setting. This is what Christians do; they meet regularly to worship the Lord.

But why is this so important? What benefit is it to be at church regularly? Let me give you three reasons why it is so important:

SERVE & BE SERVED

First, it is important to attend church faithfully so that you can both serve and be served. One of the ways the Bible defines the church is as a body (1 Corinthians 12:27). Christ is the head and believers comprise the rest. And each member of the body plays a big part. Just as a human body is not as effective as it could be if it were missing a leg or an arm so a church body is not as effective as it could be if it were missing members. Each member of the church body plays a vital role in the church. It is important that you regularly attend your local church so that others in the body of Christ can serve you in ways that you cannot serve yourself. You need people who will disciple, encourage, admonish, and correct you. You need people who can serve you through the gifts God has given them. You can only get that when you gather together with other Christians. You also need to attend church regularly so that you can serve others. There are those in your church who need your encouragement, discipleship, and correction. God has given you gifts that He wants you to use for the benefit of the body as a whole. You cannot serve others if you are not around them. Therefore, it is of great importance that you strive to faithfully gather together with other Christians weekly at your local church.

HEAR THE WORD

Second, it is important to attend church faithfully to hear the preaching of God’s Word. The book of Acts tells us that the early church “devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching” (Acts 2:42) and we are to do the same. We do not have “apostles” today in the Biblical sense, but we do have gifted preachers and teachers who rightly share the Word of God every week from the pulpit (Steve Lawson). These men are sharing the very apostles’ teaching (the Bible) that Acts 2 speaks of and we would do well to devote ourselves to their teaching. We do that by regularly attending the services and Bible studies at our local church.

It is through the teaching and preaching of God’s Word that sinners are saved, sanctified, and equipped for ministry work. We can see this clearly from the teaching of Paul in his epistles. Paul, writing to Timothy, reminds him that it was the Word of God that made him “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Timothy 3:15). In the same passage Paul also instructs Timothy to continue to learn the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:14) as it is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Paul tells Timothy that the word is profitable and then he tells him to preach that word (2 Timothy 4:2). The preaching of God’s Word is one of the primary ways Christians grow in godliness. It is crucial that Christians regularly attend a Bible-believing church so that they can get a steady dose of Biblical preaching that will help grow them in the faith.

In addition, Paul tells the Ephesian church that God gave “the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12). Not only does the preaching of God’s Word bring sinners to salvation and help Christians in their walk with God, but it equips them for ministry. Regularly sitting under the preaching and teaching of your local church will prepare you to do ministry work. You will be able to share the gospel, disciple others, and lead a Bible study, or small group. It is important that Christians are faithful to their local church and regularly sit under their pastor’s preaching so that they might grow in godliness and be equipped to do ministry.

OBEY THE LORD

Third, it is important to attend church faithfully because God commands it (Hebrews 10:25) and that is reason enough! If God commands us to do something it is in our best interest to do it. He is infinitely wise and knows what is best for you and me. The book of Isaiah tells us, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). God is infinitely wiser than us and He knows better than we do what is best for us. Therefore, when God commands us to be regular church attenders we should joyfully comply.  It is in our best interest.

God created and implemented the church for His glory and our good. It is His desire that we meet regularly as Christians to sing, pray, study the Bible, and encourage each other in the faith. Make it a priority to regularly attend your local church for your good and God’s glory.

The Gospel that Binds

For my monthly contribution to the Publican blog I’d like to share a blog that my wife, Rachel Noble, wrote a few years ago that is still very relevant today. Enjoy!

“It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The early church just fascinates me.   Here in Acts 6 the apostles are working relentlessly for the furthering of the gospel.  However, there arose a complaint about the widows being neglected.  If this complaint happened in today’s church I can see a lot of pastors feeling guilty, stopping whatever they are doing, and addressing this personally.  This, of course, would come from a heart of compassion and a desire to make the widows feel loved and valued (which is honorable).  However, this was NOT the response the apostles had.  They were not about to put the preaching and teaching of God’s Word and prayer on the back-burner in order to “serve tables”.  This may seem strange and perhaps arrogant, but if we look at this text, that’s simply what we see.

The apostles do take care of this issue, but in a way that did not neglect their primary duty which was the teaching of the Word.  The apostles call for men of wisdom and good reputation to carry out this task of serving.  The serving ministry is what we call the office of deacon as seen in 1 Timothy 3.

I once knew a pastor who was “faulted” with being “too theological” and perhaps not relevant enough.  This saddens me immensely because it’s literally impossible for a pastor to be “too” concerned with studying God and His Word!

Today our culture (even within the church) finds theology boring, preaching irrelevant, and Biblical knowledge for those of some “higher level” of Christianity.  Funny jokes, games, sports, and having coffee together have become more important than the true study of God’s Word.  This should horrify us!

I recently spoke with a woman who told me that she had trouble finding a youth group for her children to attend.  Her kids hated and were bored with every youth service they attended.  At first, we would think it was the child’s fault, but the reason they hated it was because there was no actual Bible study going on.  It was all fun and games, watching movies, and hanging out.  There was about 5 minutes of Bible study taught by a “youth leader” who had no Biblical knowledge whatsoever.  This should sadden us.

The study of God’s Word must be at the forefront of what we do as a local church.  Our pastors (and any person who has a teaching or leading position) should devote themselves to the study of God’s Word and to prayer just as the apostles did in the early church.

I’m not saying that pastors shouldn’t serve or that various ministries of the church shouldn’t have fun and games, but it shouldn’t be done at the expense of the teaching and preaching ministry. Deacons were established in the early church with the primary responsibility of serving.   Fun, games, and Christian fellowship are certainly important and should come as an outflow of a community of people who are centered around God’s Word and the gospel.  The gospel holds us together. Enjoying the same games, watching the same movies, or having the same friends is not what binds us as Christians.  The gospel binds us.

Let’s be the people of God who focus on the Word of God for the glory of God!

An Unlikely Hero

In 2015 the Seattle Seahawks were on the verge of winning back to back super bowl championships. With just 26 seconds to play, trailing by 4 points, they were on the New England Patriots goal line. With one of the NFL’s most dominant running backs they were sure to score and win the game. Rather the run the ball, however, Seattle elected to throw a pass and it was intercepted by New England’s undrafted, rookie, Malcom Butler sealing the win for New England. Butler instantly became the most unlikely hero. 

Today, as we take a look at a small section of Joshua, we will encounter another unlikely hero. 

In the book of Joshua, we read the story of Rahab. Her story begins when two Israelite spies show up at her front door (2:1). The spies had come to gather intel from Jericho. They were planning an attack on the city. They were, by all accounts, enemies of Rahab, but Rahab had heard about Israel’s God and she believed (Joshua 2:10-11) and as a result she protected the spies and helped them escape the city successfully before any harm could be done to them (2:15-16). 

As the spies were leaving she asked that they would remember her when they came back to the city to attack it (2:12-13). The spies agreed and asked that Rahab would hang a scarlet cord from her window to identify which house was hers (2:18). Once Israel invaded Jericho they destroyed everything and everyone except Rahab and her family. Once they saw that scarlet cord in the window they passed over her house and onto the next. Rahab’s faith saved her (Hebrews 11:31).

From this story (from this real-life historic event) we see that a hero emerges, an unlikely hero at that. Now the primary hero in this story is God. God is always the hero. He is the hero of your story and He is the hero of the entire Bible. But a secondary hero is Rahab. She opens up her home to the two spies, she puts her life in danger to hide them, and then she helps them escape, showing great faith, courage and boldness. 

The Bible spends a good deal of time highlighting Rahab in a positive way. We see her story here in Joshua, but she is also mentioned in the book of James (James 2:25) and Hebrews (Hebrews 11:31) as well as in the gospel of Matthew (Matthew 1:5), where she is named in the lineage of Jesus. 

Rahab is portrayed as a hero of the faith, but how unlikely of a hero she is. She was a Canaanite woman (not a Jew, not of the people of God), living in Jericho (a wicked and idolatrous city) and her profession was that of a prostitute. She would have been thought of more as a villain than as a hero, yet God used her, as unlikely as she was, to do a great work. 

That is how God is. He regularly takes average, or even unlikely people and uses them to do great things for Him. Not because they are great and awesome, but because God is great and awesome and He can use even the least likely to accomplish His work. 

God can use us, as average or unlikely as we are, to have a tremendous impact for His kingdom. That impact might be on just one or two people. You don’t have to have a gigantic Twitter following, be the author of several Christian books, or have a million friends in order to have an impact for Christ. Rahab impacted the lives of two spies who then went on to impact an entire nation. She also had an impact on her family by bringing them in her home, keeping them from certain death as Israel attacked. Her impact was on a small group of people, but reached far beyond that.

We too can have an impact on those in our circle. It may just be one or two people, it may just be our family, but we should be intentional to point people to Jesus. 

God can use us to have a tremendous impact for Him. Our attitude should be, “Here I am God, use me. I am not great or awesome, but You are and You can do great things through me.” Let that be our attitude and prayer and see how God can use us for His glory.  

Joshua, Rahab, and Jericho

In the first 6 chapters of Joshua we learn about the Israelites successful invasion over the city of Jericho. As we open the book  of Joshua we can see that a great transition has taken place in the history of Israel. Moses has died and now Joshua was the new leader in Israel. After forty years of wandering in the wilderness God has now commanded Joshua to proceed into the promised land (Joshua 1:1-9). This is a big deal and would require the Israelites to conquer Jericho. 

Joshua Gathers Intel 

Joshua moved forward in obedience with God’s command and as a result sent two spies into the promised land to gather valuable information on how to best defeat the Canaanites living in Jericho (Joshua 2:1). The Canaanites were an evil and idolatrous people. They were also a strong and powerful people.  One author notes that, “The Canaanites are described in the Bible as a large and fierce people, not easily defeated, so the Israelites would need divine help to come against them, defeat them, and take their land away. God promised Moses and Joshua that help” (Gotquestions.org). As a result Joshua, who was confident in God’s ability, was moving forward in obedience by formulating a battle plan.  As a wise and skilled leader Joshua sends out two spies to gather intel that will help him defeat the enemy.  

God’s Sovereignty and Human Responsibility 

As we read through these verses we are given a good example of how human responsibility and God’s sovereignty align, and it’s subtle and easy to miss, but it’s there and valuable for us to see.  Ask yourself, “Why did Joshua send two spies into the promised land?” If God had promised victory to Israel and if Joshua had confidence in God, then why not just go and attack Jericho? Why send the spies? God has already declared victory (Joshua 1:5), why waste time and question God’s ability by sending out to two spies? Pastor and author Sam Storms responds to this question, he writes: “The sovereignty of God and the certainty of his promises coming to pass do not negate the importance of wisdom and prudence on our part. Just because God has decreed that something will certainly occur does not mean we are free to act like fools and throw caution to the wind.” (Sam Storms).

God’s sovereignty and human responsibility go hand in hand. Just because God is sovereign over life and death and He ultimately has determined the day that we will die, does not mean that we should start driving without our seatbelts or jumping off buildings as if we’re invincible. We should not have this attitude of, “Well, when it’s my time, it’s my time and I will throw caution to the wind.”No, God has given us brains and we are to use them by making wise, well-thought decisions.

Yes, God is sovereign and we look to Him ultimately as our Provider, Protector, and Guide and nothing in life happens outside of God’s sovereign hand, but at the same time our decisions matter, our actions matter, the Bible makes that clear. There are real consequences to our actions. And so we should give our best effort, try hard, and choose wisely as we go through life all while regularly asking God for provision and wisdom and mercy, realizing that He is the One who ultimately brings things to pass. That is what we see here with Joshua. He shows both confident obedience in God by moving forward to attack Jericho AND wise prudence by sending the spies to the promised land to check it out. Pray that you would have a similar confidence in God as you strive to live wisely and work diligently. 

Rahab’s Faith / Jericho’s Demsie As the story continues we read that the two spies end up at a woman’s house named Rahab (2:1). Rahab had heard about Israel’s God and she believed (Joshua 2:10-11) and as a result she protected the spies and helped them escape the city successfully (2:15-16). She asked that they would remember her when they came back to the city to attack it (2:12-13). The spies agreed and asked that Rahab would hang a scarlet cord from her window to identify which house was hers (2:18). Once Israel invaded Jericho they destroyed everything and everyone except Rahab and her family. Once they saw that scarlet cord in the window they passed over her house and onto the next. Rahab’s faith saved her (Hebrews 11:31).

God’s judgement was set on Jericho. It was a sinful city full of wicked and idolatrous people. And Rahab the prostitute was as guilty as anyone and fully deserving of God’s wrath. But despite her many flaws she trusted in the living God and was saved. And when the agents of God’s wrath saw that scarlet cord in her window they passed over, leaving her safe and secure inside. You and I, apart from Christ, are not much different than the people of Jericho, we are not much different than Rahab. We are a sinful and idolatrous people who deserve the wrath of God. We deserve eternity in hell as a result of our disobedience toward God. But if we, like Rahab, put our faith in the living God, we will be saved. 

Just as God’s wrath passed over Rahab when the soldiers saw that scarlet cord hanging from her window, so God’s wrath will pass over us when He sees His Son’s scarlett blood draped over us.No matter your background, no matter your faults when you come to Jesus in faith and repentance you are forgiven and eternally secure in Him. Rahab was a great sinner, but she had a greater Savior and the same is true of us today.We are great sinners, but we have a greater Savior and His name is Jesus.  

Election 2020: Where Is Our Hope?

“When the people saw the sign that He had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!” Perceiving then that they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king, Jesus withdrew again to the mountain by Himself.” (John 6:14-15)

Election Day is a week away and many of us will be going to the polls to vote for the person we hope will be our next president. This is an important issue that requires much thought and prayer. However, it is not the most important issue.

We can see this in the Gospel of John.

In John 6 (go ahead and read it) Jesus is sitting on a mountain side with His disciples when a large crowd approaches Him. The crowd was following Jesus because of the miracles He had performed for the sick (v2). Much to their delight, Jesus performs another miracle by feeding the crowd. He takes five loaves of bread and two fish and provides enough food to feed five thousand men, in addition to any women and children who were also present (v9-12), and still had plenty left over (v13). Jesus had taken a meager meal and made it into a feast for thousands with plenty to spare. It was a remarkable feat that no mere man could have accomplished. Of course, no mere man had accomplished it, but the God-Man, Jesus Christ, had accomplished it. Then v14-15 tells us, “When the people saw the sign that He had done, they said, ‘This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!’ And “they were about to come and take Him by force to make Him king.”

The thousands that Jesus fed rightly perceived that He was the long-awaited Prophet, one like Moses, who had finally come. However, they wrongly perceived why He had come. They were seeking a political ruler, a king, one who could liberate them from the Roman Empire. They saw that Jesus had the power to heal the sick and provide endless amounts of food; certainly He could liberate Israel and reign as their king! They wanted Jesus to help them politically and materially. They were not looking to Him as a Savior from their sin; they were looking to Him as a king for their earthly benefit. But Jesus did not come to be a political ruler. He did not come to be an earthly king. He came to save His people from their sin. He came to seek and save the lost and give His life as a ransom for many. Jesus was not interested in political leadership – He was interested in spiritual transformation. He was not the Bread of the Temporal, He was the Bread of Life (v35).

There are a couple of takeaways for us as we head into Election Day.

First, we need to realize, unlike many of those in John 6, that man’s most essential need is not a government or material needs or a presidential candidate that aligns with all our values and beliefs. Our most essential need is a Savior who can save us from our sin. Don Carson put it this way: “If God had perceived that our greatest need was economic, He would have sent an economist. If he had perceived that our greatest need was entertainment, He would have sent us a comedian or an artist. If God had perceived that our greatest need was political stability, He would have sent us a politician. If He had perceived that our greatest need was health, He would have sent us a doctor. But He perceived that our greatest need involved our sin, our alienation from Him, our profound rebellion, our death; and He sent us a Savior.” 

 We are a people who have offended a holy God by our sin and as a result we deserve infinite punishment. On our own we cannot make this right. No political policy or candidate can make this right. Only Jesus can make this right. Only He can fix our severed relationship with God the Father. He does this through His perfect life, sacrificial death, and triumphant resurrection – not political leadership. Politics are important. We should vote and vote wisely with Biblical principles in mind. However, we should not act as if all is lost if our candidate does not reach office. A president is not our Savior, Jesus is.

Second, we need to look to Jesus as our Savior and our Treasure. The crowds in John 6 looked to Jesus as the means (powerful king) to an end (liberation, provision, power). We too have the tendency to look to Jesus in the same way. We hope Jesus will bring us a better life now here on earth – better America, better career, better finances, and so on. But Jesus did not come to give us a better life now; He came to give us eternal life. We should not look to Him as a means to an end:

He is the end. 

He is everything. 

He is our Treasure.

As we go and vote let’s vote knowing that regardless of the outcome Jesus is our Savior; He is our King, and He is our Treasure. If the election goes how we want or not, we have Jesus, and to have Him is to have everything. Jesus in John 6:35 says, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to Me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall not thirst.”

This government, this world, may not be what we want it to be, but let’s remember that our hope is not in government or the world around us, our hope is Jesus and He is all we need.

Home Field Advantage

Many of us, if not all of us, have heard the expression, “Home Field advantage”. I have been to several Rays and Red Sox games at Tropicana field in the past, and for a while there, there seemed to be just as many Red Sox fans (if not more) than there were Rays fans.  It was more like little Feneway than it was Tropicana field. The Rays home field advantage seemed to be gone. They were at home, but they were not getting a lot of love.

Well, as we look at our Mark 6:1-6 we will see a similar scene. Jesus is at home, but He is not getting a lot of love:

He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. 2 And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. 4 And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” 5 And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. 6 And he marveled because of their unbelief.

Notice in these verses that Jesus is in His hometown and He is teaching in the Synagogue. Up to this point in Mark there has been an emphasis on the teaching and preaching of Jesus. Everywhere Jesus goes He is preaching and teaching. If Jesus thought preaching and teaching was important (which He did), certainly we should think it is important also. It is through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word that we are brought to life spiritually and through the preaching and teaching of God’s Word that we grow spiritually. 

We are told in v. 2 that “many who heard him were astonished, saying, ‘Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him?'” Those in attendance were impressed by Jesus’ mighty works and the miracles He had performed, yet despite His astonishing words and powerful works; despite the testimony of what He had done up to this point, those in attendance were not convinced of anything. In fact, they began to talk among themselves and say, in v. 3:”Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary…?” And the end of v. 3 tells us that “they took offense at him.”

The people were profoundly offended by Jesus. They were essentially saying, “who does this guy think He is? We have seen Him grown up and we know His family and we know what He does for a living. He is no one special. So, who does He think He is that He can come in here with His fancy theology and tell us about God? That’s just Jesus, we’re not listening to this.” Therefore, His teachings were not thought to be credible and no one in his home town took Him seriously; the stuff went in one ear and out the other.

We can see Jesus’ response in v. 6, “he marveled because of their unbelief.” It is as if Jesus were saying, “Wow guys, here I am, God of the Universe, Savior of the world, right in front of you, yet you still do not believe.” The people in this passage were people who grew up with Jesus and were around Him and interacted with Him and yet they did not believe in Him, and in fact, they were offended by Him, and this should come as a warning to all of us. There are two warnings here that I want you to see: 

1. Warning to Submit to Christ and His Word

Sometimes you and I, just like those in this passage, have a tendency to find God offensive, and we choose to ignore Him. Now you might be thinking, “If God were speaking directly to me, I would never ignore Him or take offense.” However, there may be verses in the Bible (God speaking directly to us) that you are ignoring and offended by even now.  

If and when we become offended by God’s Word we may be tempted to ignore what we read and live as if we had never seen those verses. However, rather than finding offense, we should humble and submit ourselves to the truth of Scripture.  I once heard it said, “When Scripture says something that we don’t like, the problem is not with the scripture, the problem is with us.” Pray that you would not take offense to the teaching of Christ, but that you would submit and obey His teaching. 

2. Around Jesus Our Entire Lives Yet Failing to Recognize Him as Lord and Savior

The people in Mark 6 watched Jesus grow up around them.They  heard His teaching and were aware of His miracles and yet they did not believe. We may grow up in Christian homes, go to Christian schools, and go to church our whole lives and yet still not be Christians. Association with Christianity does not make us Christian. Reading our Bible does not make us a Christian. Going to church does not make us a Christian. Having a Christian family does not make us Christian. We are Christians only when we trust in Jesus Christ as the Lord and Savior of our lives. It is only through faith alone in Christ alone that we are saved. As you are reading this you might ask yourself, “Do I truly trust in Christ as my Savior or have I just associated myself with Christianity, thinking I am Christian?”

It is an important question. There are those who have been around Jesus their whole lives and yet fail to recognize Him as Savior – don’t let that be you. Look to Jesus, and Jesus alone, as your only means of salvation. He alone can remove your sin and give you eternal life. 

God’s Love for Us

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.  For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

– Romans 5:6-8

In 2012, Jaime Rohrs took his girlfriend, Patrcicia Legarreta, and their two children to see the midnight showing of the Dark Knight Rises in theaters. As they were sitting down enjoying the movie a man came storming into the theater and started shooting. Chaos ensued and shortly afterward the couple became separated.  Legarreta, with both children, was left inside the theater, while Rohrs managed to escape, hop into his car, and began driving, leaving his girlfriend and children behind. Legarreta was able to reach her boyfriend by cell phone and he returned to the theater and was eventually reunited with his family.  

The man in this story left his girlfriend and children alone, not knowing if they would live or die, while he drove off to safety. Crazy, isn’t it? A man won’t even risk his own life to save his family. As you can see Paul’s words here, in Romans 5:7, are very true, “one will scarcely die for a righteous person”. That is, hardly ever do people voluntarily give their life for someone else’s life, even if that person is a good person and certainly they are not dying for a bad person. 

But God is so merciful and so loving that He sent His Son Jesus into the world to die for us. And Jesus did not die for good people, but He died for bad people like you and me.  

Ungodly, Weak, Sinner

And you might think, “now wait a minute I am not a bad person.” But notice how you and I are described in these verses. We are described in three ways: weak (5:6), ungodly(5:6), and sinners(5:8). 

The word “ungodly” means a lack of interest in the things of God and behavior that reflects that. So, to be ungodly is to not care about God or care about how He commands us to live. Then in verse 8 we are called “sinners” and the word “sinner” means “to miss the mark”. Think of someone shooting an arrow at a target and missing the bull-eye completely. That is missing the mark. And we have missed the mark that God has called us to. The target is perfect obedience to Christ and all of us have woefully missed that mark. We are sinners. Finally, in verse 6 notice that we are described as “weak”, some Bible translations  might say “without strength”. This weakness or lack of strength, that is described here, is not physical strength, but spiritual strength. What Paul is saying is that we are completely unable to save ourselves. We are weak spiritually. We don’t have the strength. It is impossible for us to save ourselves. 

The picture that Paul paints here for us is a bleak one. We are a people who do not care about the things of God nor are we a people who obey God. The result of our apathy and rebellion toward God is condemnation. All of us, apart from Christ, deserve and will receive the wrath of God. And Romans makes it clear here that on our own there is nothing we can do to fix this. We are weak, unable to make things right with God on our own. This is a troubling situation. 

Good News

Thankfully, in God’s grace, we are not left to ourselves. Look at what Christ does for us: We are told that “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Out of His great love for you and me God sent His Son Jesus to die in our place. He took our punishment in our place, so that all of those who, by grace, trust in Jesus as Savior will have eternal life.

 Jesus is our only hope of salvation. Trust Him today. If you have trusted in Christ alone for your salvation what joy and gratitude should fill your heart. Thank Him today for all He has done for you. 

How to Live in God’s Word

Understand It

As we open up God’s Word it can be difficult to understand. There are certain books or passages in the Bible that we may glance over or avoid altogether because we don’t understand them. But these passages have lots of value and God has given them to us as a gift. We shouldn’t avoid difficult passages, but instead seek God through prayer to help us better understand. Seek the counsel of others to help us understand. Seek commentaries or study tools to help us understand. We have so many resources at our hands to help us understand God’s Word. Instead of neglecting the difficult passages, let’s embrace them and take them seriously.

“Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of your law.” (Psalm 119:18)

Delight in It

Psalm 119 tells us that the Word of God is sweeter than honey. It is something to cherish and delight in. We taste honey and enjoy it’s sweet flavor. We see a sunset and enjoy its beauty. We enjoy the laughter that we have with friends. All these things are wonderful delights that God has given to us by grace. His Word is said to be sweeter than these things. Knowing and understanding God’s Word will help us to delight in it. Through delighting in His word we delight in Him.

“How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Psalm 119:103)

Obey It

When we know and delight in God’s Word it will cause us to obey. True obedience is the overflow of our relational knowledge of God. Being told to obey (“follow rules”) is not what makes people follow rules. Knowing God’s Word is what produces true obedience to God. Obeying God’s Word can only flow from a proper understanding of it. We shouldn’t look at God’s law as a rule to follow begrudgingly, but as something we are pleased to obey.

“Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart.” (Psalm 119:33-34)

Pray For Your Pastors/Elders

In Hebrews 13 we are told that pastors must give an account for those they watch over (Hebrew 13:7). We see this again in the epistle of James where we are told that pastors/elders will be judged with greater strictness (James 3:1) as they have tremendous influence over the church. Pastors/elders have been given a very weighty task – to shepherd God’s people (Acts 20:28). This is an enormous responsibility that at times can be daunting. Certainly there is great joy in pastoral ministry. It is a tremendous privilege and blessing to shepherd God’s people. However, at the same time, the toll of ministry can truly cause pastors/elders to become overwhelmed, discouraged, and even burnt out. It is so important that we lift our pastors/elders up in prayer regularly, asking God to guide their every step.

Here are a few ways we can do this:

Pray For Their Walk with Jesus

It is important that we pray for our pastor’s spiritual growth. We want them to be the men are walking closely with Jesus and who are striving to be more and more like Him everyday. Over the years the church has had it’s fair share of pastors who have fallen in moral failure. Certainly we do not want this to be true of our pastors. However, sin and temptation are never far away (Genesis 4:7). Therefore, it ought to be our prayer that God would guard our pastor’s hearts from sin. The Bible calls for our pastors to be men who are above reproach (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6 ) and that needs to be our regular prayer for them. This includes all areas of their lives – family relationships, work relationship, personal friendships, and ultimately their walk with Jesus.

Pray For Their Preaching

Every week our pastors stand before their congregations and preach God’s Word (hopefully). This is one of the most important, if not the most important, things they do. God’s Word is spiritual nourishment to God’s people. It helps them to grow into mature, healthy believers. Therefore, it is important that the church is served a hearty portion of God’s Word each week. Pray then, that God would guide our pastors each week in their sermon preparation and study. Pray that they would rightly divide the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15) each time they step into the pulpit. And most importantly, pray that God would be magnified and that we would grow through the preaching of God’s Word.

Pray For Their Leadership

There are many decisions to be made, people to counsel, and problems to solve as elders in pastoral leadership. In each instance we want our pastors to lead wisely and in a way that honors God. We want them to be moving in the direction that God would have them go. This requires prayer. We need to pray that God would grant great wisdom to our pastors as they lead the church (James 1:5), meet with individuals, and plans for the future. We want each step our pastors make to be guided by God.

Prayer is a crucial component to the Christian life and your pastors/elders need to be included in your regular prayers. Don’t just think of your pastors/elders as the ones who should be praying for and helping you – they are just as much in need of prayer as any person. Never stop praying for your pastors/elders. they covet your prayers, needs your prayers, and your prayers will have an impact.

Four Ways to Love Your Neighbor During Covid-19

Pray for Your Neighbor

– Pray that God will use this time to show believers and unbelievers alike of their frailty and of their great need for Christ (Psalm 103:14-15).
– Pray that God will open a door for you to be able share Christ with your unbelieving neighbor (Colossians 4:3-4).
– Pray for those affected physically by the virus.
– Pray for businesses and families affected financially by the virus.

Encourage Your Neighbor

– Many people are anxious and afraid amidst this pandemic. A word of encouragement will go a long way (Proverbs 12:25).
– It is easy to be short-tempered, annoyed, and unkind in times of uncertainty, but use this time to be patience with other even if they are not kind or patient with you (1 Corinthians 13:4).
– Encourage others by sharing Scripture with them (Colossians 2:2) through text, email, or social media.

Serve Your Neighbor

– Some people will experience great financial burden as a result of a layoff or lack of business due to the coronavirus. We can serve them by helping cover their rent, paying for their groceries, or assisting them in finding a new job.
– We can serve others by looking to their needs above our own by not buying and hoarding all of the supplies at the grocery store (Philippians 2:3-11).

Protect Your Neighbor

– Many of us are in good health and have no concern of falling ill. But there are others among us who are of far greater risk. We should do what we can do be courteous of these people. This might mean staying home when you want to go out. This might mean picking up items at the store for an elderly neighbor.

There are so many ways that we can encourage and honor those around us. We can be an encouragement just by making ourselves available to others. Your hope should be that your life leading up to this point has showed others that you are a person that is available to pray, encourage, serve, and protect others. Make yourself available to others as the Lord would lead you.

Bi-Vocational Ministry

I have been a bi-vocational pastor for the last decade.  When it comes to bi-vocational ministry there are many unique challenges and benefits.  Over the years I have gotten to know several godly men who are in bi-vocational ministry.  Recently, I had the opportunity to ask each of them two questions: “What is your greatest prayer request as a bi-vocational pastor and what is the greatest benefit to being in bi-vocational ministry.”

The following is a summary of their answers:

Dr. Joe Allotta – Crossroads Church

Pastor Joe believes that one of the greatest benefits of being a bi-vocational pastor is the freedom to make decisions. Since his income is not solely based on the church, he is able to make choices based on what he believes is right and good for the church without fear that he might lose his job and not be able to provide for his family.

A great prayer need for Joe is that God would allow him to use his time wisely and that he would be putting in the appropriate time for each area of his life (family, ministry, and career).

Pastor Jake Collins – Northwest Community Church

Pastor Jake believes that being used by God in the workplace is one of the greatest benefits of bi-vocational ministry.  Jake stated, “I work with autistic kids and their families so God often has me in a place of chaos where I can be light and encouragement to those I work with and be used by God outside the church setting.”

Jake’s greatest prayer need is time management and the zeal and energy to do both ministry and secular work well for the glory of God.

Pastor Spencer Sowers – First Baptist Church of Wesley Chapel

Pastor Spencer believes that the greatest benefit to working in bi-vocational ministry is the ability to regularly work with people outside of the church. This is a unique opportunity that many full-time pastoral staff members simply don’t have, but it allows for different kinds of ministry opportunities.

Spencer’s greatest prayer request is for time management, especially when it comes to his family.

Pastor Yeriel Dominguez, The House of Restoration

Pastor Yeriel believes the greatest benefit of being a bi-vocational pastor is that is does not put a huge financial burden on the church. It allows the tithes and offering that come in to be used for ministry rather than for the pastor’s salary.

Yeriel’s greatest prayer request is that he would not have to be bi-vocational anymore. He would love to be able to focus all his attention on the work of leading and shepherding the people God has given him.

Drew Regan, Riverside Baptist Church

Drew believes that the greatest benefit of being in bi-vocational ministry is being able to see the true culture that we live in. Before he entered bi-vocational work, he was typically only around other believers, but now that he is bi-vocational he has been able to branch out and minister to those outside of the church as well as those within. This has given him a new perspective as he ministers to those around him.

Drew’s greatest prayer request is that he would have a Kingdom mindset regardless of where he is or what he is doing.

Pastor Jason Lowe, Crossroads Church

Pastor Jason believes that the greatest benefit of being bi-vocational is being aware of what life is like outside of church.  Jason believes that seeing people outside the church gives him an opportunity to stay connected to people and their difficulties.  When he sees the struggles that others face it makes it easier for him to serve people as he understands where they may be coming from.

Jason’s greatest prayer request is for balance in ministry, work, and family.  He is often being pulled in numerous directions and if he doesn’t give the appropriate attention to one area of his life, it is possible that the others could come crashing down as well.

Remember to pray regularly for the bi-vocational pastors (and all the others too) in your life. We need your prayers.

When You Least Expect It

Certainly you have heard by now that former NBA star and Los Angels Laker icon Kobe Bryant was killed in a tragic helicopter accident early Sunday morning. He played 20 seasons in the NBA, was a 5 time NBA champion, and an 18 time all-star. He is considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. His death is a great loss and he will certainly be missed.

Nobody woke up Sunday morning thinking that it would be Kobe’s last day on earth, certainly he didn’t wake up thinking that. The majority of us do not wake up thinking “today could be my last”, but the truth is it could be. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. Life is fragile and it could be over in an instant. I don’t mean to be morbid, but it is important that we consider these things from time to time: none of us will live forever and death could come suddenly. Certainly, it did for Kobe Bryant.

As we mourn the loss of Kobe and the others who were aboard the helicopter Sunday morning let’s consider two things…

Life is a Vapor 

The Bible tells us that life is a vapor (James 4:14). Here today and gone tomorrow and it can be over in an instant even without any warning. The Bible tells us that we should number our days (Psalm 90:12) and live wisely (Ephesians 5:16) knowing that we may not have tomorrow. But how often do we live this way? The majority of us assume that we have years to live and as a result we do not make the most of our time. We don’t invest in people’s lives as frequently as we should, we don’t give of our time, talent, or treasure for the Kingdom of God as often as we could, and we are not striving to share the gospel or make disciples with any real urgency. As Christians we should go to bed each night knowing that we did something that day (no matter how great or small) of eternal significance.

We serve a great Savior who can do great things through us, let’s live that way. 

Life Will Come to an End

Not only should we know that life can end suddenly for some, but we should also know that life will end with certainty for all. It doesn’t matter how successful, healthy, famous, or financially stable you are – you can’t stop death. As it’s been said, “There are only two things certain in life: death and taxes.” All of us (unless Christ returns first) will die. The author of Hebrews makes it clear, “It is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgement” (Hebrews 9:27). And when death comes you will either stand in judgement on your own and be found guilty resulting in eternity in hell or you will stand with Christ and be found righteous resulting in eternal bliss. The difference is faith. Do not neglect so great a salvation (Hebrews 2:3), but turn in faith to Jesus today. He alone can forgive your sin and save your soul.

May we live in light of this every day He gives us.

It Is CHRISTmas

And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb (Luke 2:8-21).

 

Christmas is a wonderful time of the year. We decorate our houses. We give and receive gifts. We spend time with family and friends. And we eat many festive meals. I really enjoy this season as I am sure many of you do as well. However, we often fail to celebrate the true reason for the season. We fail to focus on Christ. We celebrate Santa more than we celebrate Jesus and this shouldn’t be.

Jesus brings much more than a red sack of small toys, He brings salvation to the world (10-11). It’s the best news that brings the greatest joy: the enemies of God become the friends of God, all because of the work of God on their behalf. Jesus steps into His creation. He puts on flesh and dwells among us. He lives a life of perfect obedience in our place, dies a sacrificial death for us, three days later He rises from the dead defeating sin and death. Now all who repent and believe in Him will not perish but have eternal life. This is the reason for the season. This is cause for celebration and great joy.

Notice the reaction of the angels, shepherds, and Mary in our passage above as they ponder the news of Jesus. In verse 14 we are told that a multitude of angels all proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest.” In verse 20 we read, “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.” And in v. 19 we see that, “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” The news of Jesus was not dull, unimportant, or casual to the people in our passage and it should be to us either.

The news of Jesus’ incarnation should bring great joy that leads to worship and adoration. As you spend time with family and friends over the next few days do not forget the reason for the season. Make Jesus the center of the celebration.

When Difficulties Arise

But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, ³³ sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. ³⁴ For you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.

 

The Christian life is not easy life. At times we face difficulty, suffering or even persecution as we strive to live for Christ. And as these troubles arise, we may be tempted to walk away from the faith, but when those temptations come, we must remind ourselves of the verses above.

In these verses from Hebrews, you’ll notice, the author of Hebrews is writing to a group of Christians who had and who were likely continuing to face persecution as a result of their faith in Christ. After just having warned them severely about walking away from the faith the author now seeks to encourage them by reminding them of when they first believed and what it is they believed in.

In v. 32 and 33 he tells them, “after you were enlightened” (that is after your eyes were opened to the truth of the gospel and you believed), “you endured a hard struggle with sufferings, ³³ sometimes being publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. He goes on, in v. 34, to say, “you had compassion on those in prison, and you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had a better possession and an abiding one.”

He is essentially telling them: “Listen you have dealt with difficulty before. You have experienced suffering and persecution before, and you got through it because you knew that the sufferings of this life do not compare to the glory of the life to come with Jesus. So, you can get through difficulties again knowing that your future with Christ is far greater than any comfort, possession, or freedom you might have here. And so, if you lose those things, even if you lose your life, you’ve lost nothing because you still have Jesus and to have Jesus is exceedingly greater than to have any other thing.”

And this is the truth that the author of Hebrews was reminding his readers of in light of the difficulties that they were experiencing or were about to experience. And this is the truth that you and I need to be reminded of as well: Jesus is exceedingly greater than any other thing this world has to offer. And when difficulty, suffering, or even persecution arises we can know that these are temporary afflictions that don’t even remotely compare to the joy that we will have with Jesus for all of eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:17 tells us, “For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison.” It is this hope, this promise, this truth that propels us through the Christian life in all of its ups and downs. And just as the author of Hebrews was reminding his readers of this truth so we too need to remind ourselves and others of this truth regularly: We have a far better and abiding possession in Christ (v.34), than any other thing this world has to offer. As difficulties, heartache or even persecution arises in your life remember this truth regularly: Jesus is better.