Calvary Bible Church - Pastor Ken’s Weblog

Passage for Sunday, 2/24/08

I Thessalonians 4:1-12; 5:1-11:  

“It is God’s will that you should be sanctified…”  

Live it!

My goal this week was to try to wrap up this series on Church Life that we started the first Sunday in January.  We’ve covered a lot of ground, beginning with the importance of making wise choices when given the option of following what the Lord has told us to do and our own inclination, and choosing how to live in a way that honors the Lord and our spouses and our church family by choosing to serve one another in love rather than fulfill the desires of our sin nature. It seems the Christian life is one choice after another, doesn’t it?  Well, that’s because it is!  In fact, one of the key points we need to take away from this series is that life is all about the choices we make, and having a heightened awareness of the consequences of those choices should help us make wise ones! 

One of our primary problems, at least so it seems to me, is that we are too near-sighted.  We do not take the time to evaluate the consequences of the choices we make.  No one in his or her right mind  sets out to be a Cain. But if we are not aware of the Cain potential that lies just beneath the surface in each of our hearts, we can easily find ourselves following in his steps.  In this letter to the Church in Thessalonica, Paul addressed issues that the church still wrestles with today: Christians were raising questions about Jesus’ return to earth and were disagreeing on matters of morality.  We’re going to  skip the  rapture issue this time, and stick closer to our theme of living the life we are called to live, increasingly reflecting Christ as we do.   

Paul’s solution is simple, live to please God.  Let’s take a look:I Thessalonians 4:1-2:  “Finally, brothers, we instructed you how to live in order to please God, as in fact you are living.  Now we ask you and urge you in the Lord Jesus to do this more and more.  For you know what instructions we gave you by the authority of the Lord Jesus.” In many ways, this Thessalonican Church reminds me of our own.  Paul commends them for their obedient walk, and later for their love for each other.  He tells them they know how to live.  These are all strengths of our own church. 

These verses also indicate that Paul probably stayed in Thessalonica longer than just the three Sabbaths he went to the Synagogue and reasoned with them from the scriptures, reported in Acts 17.  His stay was rather brief though, and ended rather abruptly, but according to these verses he did stay long enough to teach them the basic truths and practices of the faith, which probably would have taken longer than three weeks. Our Adult Sunday School class has been following Paul’s ministry through the book of Acts, and learning quite a bit about his style of ministry, and that information is helpful as we look at passages like this. 

Here Paul commends them for living the truth they had been taught, and encourages them to even greater efforts.  He doesn’t go into great detail reiterating all the doctrine they had been taught and were applying in their lives, but goes to the areas where their knowledge was lacking, to where there was disagreement or misunderstanding.  Many of these Christians came from pagan backgrounds, and the moral climate of the culture in which they lived was even worse than our own, if you can imagine that.  Sexual immorality was practiced as part of pagan worship, and the consciences of the people so numbed that they accepted immoral behavior as normal, much like many are trying to push our society toward today. 

Paul was about to straighten that aspect out for them. Verses 3-6a: “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the heathen, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong his brother or take advantage of him.” Paul tells them, and us, that it is God’s will for us to be sanctified:  Set apart for the Lord.  Sanctified can also mean “made holy,” which is done by: (1) being declared holy through faith in Christ’s atoning death on the cross (sometimes called positional sanctification), and (2) being made holy by the work of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Christians (sometimes called progressive sanctification). 

In these verses, Paul is talking about the latter, progressive sanctification, the process of becoming more Christ-like in the way we conduct our lives, of living holy, set-apart to Him, specifically here in the area of sexuality. This is only possible as we yield control to the indwelt Holy Spirit and live in His power, following His direction and guidance.  As we saw last week in Galatians 5:23, the Holy Spirit produces the fruit of self-control in the life of the yielded believer. This Spirit empowered control allows us to choose to resist sexual temptation and avoid sexual immorality. This in turn not only helps separate us from the heathen, the  world around us, but also exhibits brotherly love, rather than the damage a lack of control in this area brings to one’s self and others. 

Sexual sin harms others besides those who engage in it.  In adultery, for example, the spouse is always wronged.Premarital sex wrongs the future partner by robbing him or her of the virginity that ought to be brought to marriage. Our own Society is being destroyed far more rapidly from within through the vehicle of sexual immorality than any threat of our political, religious or social enemies, real as those dangers may be. Rampant sexual immorality is rapidly destroying the traditional family in America, which is and has long been the framework of our society.  And, as a result, the Church is in danger as well. We are at War, don’t be fooled. 

Paul gives another good reason to live a holy life, to be  sanctified in Verses 6b-7: “The Lord will punish men (and women) for all such sins, as we have already told you and warned you.  For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life.” Paul points out that another reason for chastity before marriage and monogamy after is the holiness God calls us to live.We need to understand that sexual sin is sin against God, who gives the Holy Spirit to believers for their sanctification. To live in sexual immorality is to reject God, and His gift of the Holy Spirit. Paul’s counsel to the Corinthian Christians is worth repeating here.  I Corinthians 6:18-20: “Flee from sexual immorality (remember the example of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife).  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.” 

He continues here in verse 8 with that same thought:  “Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit.”Paul wanted to make sure they understand that this isn’t just Paul talking, this is God’s instruction. Sexual morality is not a matter of  situational ethics, it is the clearly defined standard of the Word of God, and it is not an un-enlightened society or  old fashioned morality that people reject, but God, and, for believers tempted to sexual sin, the influence and guidance of the Holy Spirit. He then commends them for their love of one another and encourages them to greater effort in another section that reminds me of this church:   

Verses 9-10: “Now about brotherly love we do not need to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love each other.  And in fact, you do love all the brothers throughout Macedonia.  Yet we urge you, brothers, to do so more and more.” How amazing is that. Paul says we are taught by God to love each other! And the Thessalonians had learned this lesson so well that the effect of their love was evidenced throughout Macedonia! Paul explains this teaching ministry of God’s further in I Corinthians 2:6-14: “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.  No, we speak of God’s secret wisdom, a wisdom that has been hidden and that God destined for our glory before time began.  None of the rulers of this age understood it, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.  However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him”– but God has revealed it to us by his Spirit.”

That, by the way, is one of the most misunderstood and misapplied sections of scripture. Paul is not talking about heaven, which is how most people use these verses, but the Gospel. “The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God.  For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the man’s spirit within him?  In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.  We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.  This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words.  The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.” God teaches us through the indwelt Holy Spirit. John gives us another perspective in I John 4:7-8: “Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” God teaches us by example and by influence! God in us loves others through us. Paul continues with more instruction on godly living. 

Verses 11-12:  “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody. This is a classic exhortation, at least in my opinion, to lifestyle evangelism. It is also the direct opposite of the Worlds’ idea of living.  What is one of the greatest problems most of us have today?   

Busyness 

We have a desire to use our spiritual gifts, but struggle with finding the time.  We’re just too busy.  Paul says aim for a quiet life, minding your own business, earning your own living. Keeping up with the Joneses isn’t Paul’s notion of living.  Why is it that we seem to have bought into the worlds’ system instead of following the Lord’s?  Don’t let yourself get caught up in the  rat-race - there is no winner!  And you’re wasting your time running around with and trying to impress a bunch of rats!  Reset your priorities.  Aim for a quiet life.   

Skip down to: 5:1-3:   “Now, brothers, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.  While people are saying, “Peace and safety, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”  I told you we were going to skip the portion on the rapture.  Here Paul reminds them that Christ’s second-coming, a different occasion than the rapture, was coming, not to get caught up in worrying about dates and times, but that being ready is the key.  People won’t have time to change their mind at the last minute.  They need to choose Christ now. 

He goes on:  Verses 4-8:   “But you, brothers, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief.  You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.  So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be alert and self-controlled.  For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night.  But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet.”  

In Acts 26:17b-18 Paul records his mission given to him by the Lord:  “I am sending you to them to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.”  Here Paul says we need to live differently, not just claim to believe differently. And wear your Spiritual Armor, life is a battle, remember?  We are at War!  Adam Clarke says: “We are not only called to Work, we are called to Fight!”  I like that! 

Paul then goes on with one of the great promises/reminders in scripture. Verses 9-10: “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.  He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live (walk) together with him.”  Paul points out that the believers, the  sons of the light and  sons of the day were not appointed by God to wrath, but salvation through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ. The rapture will take believers, dead and living, to  live together with Him before this wrath hits those who live in the darkness.  In the meantime, we are to  live together with Him here and now, living a sanctified life, a holy life, the life we were called to live, the life that points people to the Light!  We close with Paul’s final word of exhortation in this section: 

Verse 11:   “Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.” Because this is true, because we have this assurance and confidence, we should actively encourage and edify one another. This encouraging and edifying is an ongoing effort, not a one-time event. We do it by living a sanctified life, set apart from the world to God, by sharing God’s word of encouragement with each other and the lost, by exercising our spiritual gifts, by loving one another as we are called to. We do it by our example, living the life we are called to live, increasingly reflecting Jesus Christ in our life and actions, individually and as a Church, the body of Christ.

In His grip,

Sunday, February 3, 2008
Scripture passage for today: I Timothy 2:1 – 3:15

“This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.”

The Church – Part III

Today we look at Paul’s instructions on how we ought to conduct ourselves in the church. In chapters 2-3 of this letter, Paul gives some pretty detailed instructions regarding worship and church organization. When Paul wrote this letter, near the end of his life, churches such this one at Ephesus had been established for many years. Now the time had come for a more formal organization and for instructions governing appropriate and inappropriate behavior in church.

As we look at this section of the letter today, we will continue to keep in mind those two questions we have been considering, individually and corporately;

• Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?
• Do we increasingly reflect Christ in our services, ministries, and actions?

We also want to keep our mission in mind, the task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping those who respond to that gospel to grow-up in Christ. Let’s take a closer look at today’s passage, and see how we measure up!

I Timothy 2:1-4 “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone–for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.”
Paul’s first priority for this church should be ours as well; we should be a church of prayer.

This is a major theme of Paul’s. We saw it last week in Romans 12:12: “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” In Philippians 4:6-7 he tells that Church: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

That’s powerful motivation for prayer. In Colossians 4:2 he commands: “Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.” And, as a final example, he gives this charge to the church in Thessalonica, in I Thessalonians 5:16-18: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” Here, he ties the priority of prayer to the mission of the church. He doesn’t necessarily give details on how to pray, but rather, general guidelines on focused prayer.

He says our prayers should include requests (prayer for God to avert evil, similar to Jesus telling the disciples to pray: “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil”), prayers (for obtaining the good things, spiritual and material, which we ourselves need, as in “give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses”), intercessions (which is interceding before God on behalf of others, one aspect of which is our prayer chain), and thanksgiving, remembering to be thankful for mercies already obtained from the Lord, not the least of which is our salvation!

Paul also tells us whom we are to pray for. He says we should pray for everyone, and specifically for kings and all those in authority. This was a pretty amazing command, considering that Nero was in power at the time, and he and those authority figures under him were actively persecuting the church. But there was a practical side to his logic, as well as a spiritual side.

Adam Clarke states: “If the state be not in safety, the individual cannot be secure; self-preservation, therefore, should lead men to pray for the government under which they live. We thus pray for the government, that the public peace may be preserved. Good rulers have power to do much good; we pray that their authority may be ever preserved and well directed. Bad rulers have power to do much evil; we pray that they may be prevented from thus using their power. So that, whether the rulers be good or bad, prayer for them is the positive duty of all Christians; and the answer to their prayers, in either ease, will be the means of their being enabled to lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.”

Our country and her government are in serious need of our prayers. But Paul has a deeper motive than the peaceful and quiet lives of Christians in mind. About a church that prays like this he says: “This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.” That is our mission, remember? Salvation and growth. Prayer changes things, and is often instrumental in the salvation and spiritual growth of all men. Paul encapsulates that truth:
Verses 5-7 “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men–the testimony given in its proper time. And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle–I am telling the truth, I am not lying–and a teacher of the true faith to the Gentiles.”

After reiterating his authority to teach, Paul continues with rules of conduct in worship: Verses 8-10 “I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing. I also want women to dress modestly, with decency and propriety, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or expensive clothes, but with good deeds, appropriate for women who profess to worship God.”

It is very interesting how through the ages conservative scholars have determined that certain instruction in a letter is cultural and other instruction, often immediately following it, is cross-cultural! For example, you seldom see men in our church following Paul’s guidelines for posture in prayer, but we hold pretty strongly to his guidelines in the next paragraph!

I agree that the focal point of his instruction is the attitude, but it does make me wonder. The important thing is that the hands we lift in prayerful worship, figuratively or literally, are holy, not stained with sin, and that are hearts are clean, not harboring anger or expressions of arguing or disputing. We are to clear all that up before we approach the Lord in prayer and worship. Two scriptures come to mind.

Matthew 5:23-24 “Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”
Psalm 66:18 “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”

Paul’s instruction to the ladies on dress, jewelry and hair style is along the same line, it’s the attitude, not the items. In the Ephesians society, as sometimes in ours, these were often a display of personal wealth and pride, not simply an expression of style or fashion. Peter agrees, and his advice is very similar. I Peter 3:3-5a: “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful.”

Many “beautiful” people are incredibly shallow. I like Clarke’s response: “When either women or men spend much time, cost, and attention on decorating their persons, it affords a painful proof that within there is little excellence, and that they are endeavoring to supply the want of mind and moral good by the feeble and silly aids of dress and ornament. Were religion out of the question, common sense would say in all these things: Be decent; but be moderate and modest.”

We need to examine our motive in what we wear and how we present ourselves. Keep Paul’s admonition from last week in mind: “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” Don’t let the world squeeze you into its mold in manners of dress, hairstyle, jewelry etc. We are to portray the image of Christ. The world wants you ladies to adopt immodest clothing styles for yourselves and your daughters. Just say no.

Men, have the courage to help them understand why immodest is wrong. If you need a reminder, listen to what Jesus said in Matthew 5:27-28: “You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery.’ But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Don’t be the cause of others falling into sin by your immodest dress or behavior. We men have enough trouble without that type of temptation in the church.

Paul goes on: “A woman should learn in quietness and full submission. I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she must be silent.” These verses have caused a lot of controversy in the church. The short answer is that Paul did not permit women to teach men or usurp the authority of men in the teaching and preaching ministry of the church. The women’s liberation movement was not an innovation of the 1970’s. The seed of rebellion was planted with the punishment placed on the first woman, Genesis 3:16b: “Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.”

Paul explains the basis for his ruling: “For Adam was formed first, then Eve. And Adam was not the one deceived; it was the woman who was deceived and became a sinner.” It is the created order, not just the result of the fall that places man first. It is not a position of superiority but of position, of authority. About Verse 15 one commentary said: “This is one of the most difficult verses of the New Testament to interpret. “But women will be saved through childbearing–if they continue in faith, love and holiness with propriety.” We know what it does not mean. Women do not receive salvation from sin by having babies. The most plausible interpretation is that it speaks of the godly woman finding fulfillment in her role as wife and mother in the home, that a woman’s greatest achievement is found in her devotion to her divinely ordained role: to help her husband, to bear children, and to follow a faithful, chaste way of life. My goal today is to stick more closely to Paul’s instruction on church conduct and organization. He talks to us now about the leadership of the local church.

Chapter 3:1 “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.” Last week I pointed out that just as there is no room for pride regarding our spiritual gifts, there is no room for a false modesty that either denies the existence of gifts or refuses to use them. We are to use them in proportion to our faith, the power given by God to each of us as believers to fulfill the various ministries in the church.

Paul says that seeking to use your gifts in this position is a noble task. This is one of those cases where I prefer the King James translation: “a good work.” Being an Elder in the Church is work. It’s a good work, true, but it is work. The word Overseer here refers to a man who oversees a local congregation. The equivalent word from the Jewish background of Christianity is “elder.” The terms overseer and elder are used interchangeably in the New Testament. The primary duties of an overseer were to teach and preach, to direct the affairs of the church, to shepherd the flock of God and to guard the church from error.

Paul then gives the “qualifications” so to speak in Verses 2-7: “Now the overseer must be above reproach, (not perfect, but not harboring known, unrepentant sin in his life. One commentary said: “a person against whom no evil can be proved.”), the husband of but one wife, (A general principle that applies to any violation of God’s marriage law, whether in the form of polygamy or of marital unfaithfulness. A “one-woman” man.), temperate, (moderate in indulging the appetites; not self-indulgent.), self-controlled, (self-restraint with regard to one’s lusts and desires), respectable, hospitable,( friendly, kind, and solicitous toward guests. 2) favoring the health, growth, comfort, etc. of new arrivals.), able to teach, (speaks of a leaders ability to correctly handle the Scriptures. He must be able to both understand and communicate the truth to others, as well as to refute those who mishandle it.), not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. (Pride was the cause of Satan’s downfall.) He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.”

Satan likes nothing better than to disgrace God’s work and God’s people by trapping church leaders in sin before a watching world. Paul then gives the “qualifications” of Deacons. In its non-technical usage, the Greek for this word means simply “one who serves.” Generally, their service was meant to free the elders to give full attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.

Verses 8-13 “Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, (the King James says “not double-tongued” which is speaking one thing to one person, and another thing to another, on the same subject. This is hypocrisy and deceit. This word might also be translated liars.), not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. (The deacons needed to maintain a good conscience with regard to their life testimony to the local church members and to the unbelievers, the world.) They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. (This is one reason we have a one-year membership requirement for all board members.) In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.” The Greek for the phrase translated wives here simply means the women and therefore could refer to deacons’ wives or to deaconesses.

“A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.” One of the many benefits of serving the Lord in a leadership position is the growth you experience in your relationship with the Lord. This growth often leads a deacon to become and Elder! We close with Paul’s reasons for writing these instructions!

“Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.” So what’s the bottom line here, how should we conduct ourselves in the church? Are we doing what God has called us to do? Are we increasingly reflecting Jesus Christ in our services, ministries and actions?

Well, as Paul said, first of all, we need to be a praying church, and a church of praying people. We need to pray for all people, and we need to pray all kinds of prayers. Requests, prayers, intercessions and Thanksgivings. We pray for the salvation of all people, we pray the mission of the church will be accomplished, the task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping those who respond to that gospel to “grow-up” in Christ.

We should conduct ourselves according to biblical guidelines, living holy lives devoid of anger and arguing. We make sure that it is the beauty of our inner-self that draws people to us; that we do not get caught up in the “fads” of the world, in immodest and self-centered dress and styles.

We need to adhere to biblical roles and not try to twist scripture to accommodate our selfish desires. We need to do what we can to have strong, healthy marriages and families.

We need to make sure that we chose our leaders based on their spiritual gifts and growth, according to the “qualifications” laid out for us in Scripture, not based on popularity or personal influence. We need to discover and use our spiritual gifts, for the good of the body. We need to die to self, and live for God and our fellow men. In the final analysis, we need to model Christ.

In His grip,

Sunday, January 27, 2008
Romans 12:1-13
“Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.”

For the last couple Sunday’s, as we look forward to our Annual Meeting, we have been looking at a couple fundamental questions every individual believer and every congregation ought to ask:

• Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?
• Do we increasingly reflect Christ in our services, ministries, and actions?

The questions imply that we should be looking toward those steps that we need to take, individually and corporately, to be able to answer in the affirmative if we discover we are not doing what He has called us to do and reflecting Him in that doing.
We talked about the fact that God has given the church a mission that is people-focused and Christ-centered. That mission is the task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ and helping those who respond to the gospel to grow-up in Christ. We said that this is true of every congregation of believer’s in every place.

The mission does not change with time, culture, or congregational size. Methods may change, and undoubtedly do in each of those areas, but the mission never does. We said that people maturing in Christ, then, people becoming more Christ-like in attitude and action, should be the ultimate measure of success for any church.

Not number of people attending, number of people joining, the size of the building, how many programs they have or what kind of music they use. People becoming more Christ-like, living in obedience to the will of the Father. Jesus said in John 14:30-31: “I will not speak with you much longer, for the prince of this world is coming. He has no hold on me, but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.”

Christ-like. Reflecting Christ in my service, ministry and actions, not striving to bring credit or glory to myself. We looked at the Great Commission as an initial basic indicator or measuring rod; asking if we were in fact going, making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything the Lord has commanded us to do.
We looked at how we accomplish that through word and deed, living our testimony and speaking it. Then last week we also looked at Paul’s analogy of our physical bodies as an illustration of the Church, which is the body of Christ. God, working through the Holy Spirit, gifts each Christian with a spiritual gift to be used for the building-up of the church. He also arranges the parts, (you and me) in the body as He sees fit for the purpose of continuing the ministry of the Lord Jesus. Through us as His body, equipped, empowered, and enabled by the Holy Spirit, under the authority, direction and guidance of Jesus Christ, who is the head, we minister to one another.

Paul showed us the amazing diversity and value of such gifts and the unity necessary to properly function as His body. He showed us that while we are unique and different, that is exactly what God intends and that in God’s sight different in gifting does not mean a difference in value. It shouldn’t mean that to us either.

As Paul said: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.” Our goal then, is to determine our position in the body, our function, and then by God’s grace do our part! As we said, the practical result of being joined to one another in Christ is that we need other believers in order to grow spiritually. Conversely, if we need other believers, then other believers also need us.

Every member contributes to the overall well-being of the church. There are no unnecessary members. Each of you here today has a gift, given by God for you to use in the church to help accomplish the mission of proclaiming the gospel of Christ and helping those who respond to the gospel to grow-up in Christ.

In light of that, we come to today’s scripture. This is “practical Christianity 101” as Paul lays it out for us. In the first 11 chapters of this letter he laid out the basic theology and doctrines of the faith, now he shows us how to put them into practice in order to fulfill the commands of Christ. Saving faith results in active obedience on our part, and Paul details what that action should be. Let’s take a look:

Paul begins with two verses that I believe have the power to completely change your life, when you commit to apply them. They have mine. Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” It is one thing to profess faith in Christ, it is quite another to live your faith in a visible, tangible manner. Here, Paul shows us the first step.

We must offer God our very lives as a “living sacrifice.” To be an acceptable sacrifice, our lives must be holy and pleasing to him. They are made holy positionally through the shed blood of Christ, and kept holy practically by an obedient lifestyle. We are called to be Holy. Offering our bodies as holy, pleasing, living sacrifices is our spiritual act of worship, our “reasonable service” to God. Just going through the motions, “doing” Church, is hypocrisy. Jesus was clear on His opinion of hypocritical worship. Speaking to a group of Pharisees and teachers of the law in Matthew 15:7-9 he said: “You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: “These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.” They were just going through the motions. We may fool the people around us, but God looks at our hearts, and knows the motive behind our thoughts and actions, our worship included. Speaking to the Samaritan “Woman at the Well” Jesus said in John 4:23-24: “Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.”

Our acceptable worship then, is when we truly die to self and crawl up on that alter, presenting our “living” bodies sacrificially to Him, for His use and purpose. The visible, tangible expression of this is our repentance, our turning or transformation from looking, thinking and acting like (conforming to the image of) the “world” around us, and allowing the Holy Spirit of God to transform our lives into the image of Christ by the renewing of our mind. From the inside out, as it were. And by the way, this is a process, not an instantaneous change. When we acceptably worship then, in actions and heart, in spirit and truth, we will be able to “test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Matthew Henry says in his commentary: “What is the great effect of this renewing, which we must labour after: That you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God. By the will of God here we are to understand his revealed will concerning our duty, what the Lord our God requires of us. This is the will of God in general, even our sanctification, that will which we pray may be done by us as it is done by the angels; especially His will as it is revealed in the New Testament, where “He hath in these last days spoken to us by his Son.”

Knowing God’s general will, we can better answer that first question: “Are we doing what we are called to do?” Paul then goes on with more practical instruction for us as believers, as those who have offered God our bodily service with a right heart and attitude and a renewed mind for His purpose and plan. He starts where we need to, with our attitude, and moves to our service, our different types or kinds of service.
Verses 3-8: “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.” He reminds us that who and what we are is no glory of our own, it is God who gives each one what He determines. We can no more brag and boast about our gifts and position in the body than we can our physical genetic make-up! I like to say I am blessed with good health because I picked good parents, but anyone with any sense knows I had nothing to do with it. It is the same in the body of Christ, the church, isn’t it. “Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

As we saw last week, we are a community, a body, not simply a conglomeration of parts. We are designed to function as a whole, a unit. Diversity is good, but it is meant to be unifying, not divisive. “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us” (again, not of our doing or even asking, but given by God. I Corinthians 4:7 “For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?) Here Paul lists several of the grace gifts with which God has equipped the church for the carrying out of the mission He has given. “If a man’s gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith.” Just as there is no room for pride, there is no room for a false modesty that either denies the existence of gifts or refuses to use them.

We use them in proportion to our faith, the power given by God to each believer to fulfill the various ministries in the church. This is the gift of preaching rather than fore-telling supernaturally revealed truths. But the emphasis is not on the person or the specific gift, but rather the putting that gift to use.

Paul continues: “If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.” Serving or service here means any kind of service needed by the body of Christ or by any of its members. While many people have this gift, many don’t put it to use. Fortunately, many do.

If you see a need and just handle it, this may well be your gift. If you see a need and wait for someone to ask you to meet it, it still may be your gift; you just haven’t used it enough to be comfortable with it yet! Don’t worry about it, practice makes perfect! This is a gift that has many different expressions in the body. As we saw last week in I Corinthians 12:5 “There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.” The gift of service is, in my opinion, one of the greatest ones to have, because there are so many ways and opportunity’s to use it! Paul goes on, he says if your gift is teaching; teach! Use it.

If encouraging, then be a Barnabas, be such an encourager that you earn the nickname! I think encouraging finds its greatest expression in encouraging other Christians to do and be all God has called them to do and be! Contributing can mean both giving what is yours, as God impresses it on your heart to give, or possibly being involved in distributing what has been given by others in Jesus’ name. There is need for both in the Church. The church has need for gifted leadership, and those who have this gift need to use it diligently. Leadership is a serious responsibility. Paul ends with the gift of mercy, that of extending care to the sick, the poor, the aged and the needy. He tells those who have this gift to exercise it cheerfully. Serving those in need should be a delight, not a chore. Proverbs 17:22 reminds us: “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” This is especially true when reaching out to others in mercy.

Paul continues with the practical application of body life. Verse 9: “Love must be sincere.” The world, and the church, hate a hypocrite. Agape love is the love of action, not emotion. We choose to agape others. But even then, it must be sincere. We must love because we understand the agape we have received from God, and with an understanding of our responsibility to agape others because we are the body of Christ fulfilling the ministry of Christ. I John 4 details this love for you, if you want some homework!

One commentary stated: “Paul, as did the Savior before him, stressed the fact that love is not only the norm of the Christian life, it is the motivation and ruling principle of the Christian life. The love of which he speaks is no mere emotionalism or sentimentality. The Greek term here translated “love” is agape and implies an unselfish love, because agape-love is a love willfully exercised and expressed to those who would not be naturally appealing or would not automatically reciprocate.

Did you ever notice that in the church, the body of Christ, people you would never click with apart from the love of Christ become your brothers and sisters, and you begin to truly love them? It has been defined as loving for love’s sake, loving without expecting anything in return. It is a term that emphasizes giving, not receiving. One of the reasons we have trouble with this is that our flesh wants to get something for loving. When we don’t, we either want to quit or get resentful. We can become insincere. Hypocritical. We have to die to the flesh and love in the Spirit, agape.

Paul goes on. Hate what is evil, cling to what is good. When our love is genuine, void of all hypocrisy; then that love will express itself in varying forms as Paul has shown us here. And one form of its expression will be to hate what is evil and cling to what is good. Proverbs 8:13 “To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate pride and arrogance, evil behavior and perverse speech.” When we properly love, we will hate what God hates and love what he loves, we will cling to that which is good, His purpose, His plan. His, not ours or the worlds.

Paul continues with more practical aspects of body life for us to implement: Verses 10-12: “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.” I think he speaks here of the priority of our loving. Jesus identified who we show brotherly love to by defining who His true family was. Matthew 12:50 “For whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.”
He defines one aspect of His Father’s will for us in John 6:40 “For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day.” He set a precedent for our responsibility to the body of Christ, the Church above that of our own flesh and blood. Not to the exclusion of our flesh and blood, but I believe in priority over it. Not a popular doctrine.

I believe, and I may be wrong but I don’t think I am, that according to Scripture we have a higher responsibility to exercise our spiritual gifts and spend our time, energy, and resources working at building-up the body of Christ than spending time watching TV or playing cards or tipping a few beers with unsaved or carnal members of our biological family.

Paul, writing in the power of the Holy Spirit, tells us to be devoted to one another in brotherly love. One of the primary problems with the church today is that we are not devoted to one another. We put the needs of the body, especially the individual members of the body, towards the bottom of our priority list. We do church if there’s not something else going on that gets in the way. And be honest, the excuses we use for neglecting the body of Christ are pretty flimsy when you look at them from God’s perspective. And yes, I do mean neglecting.

Paul goes on. “Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.” Wouldn’t you like to see your brothers and sisters in Christ exhibiting a zealous heart toward spiritual things? Where did we get the idea that we need to be sorrowful saints in order to please God? Christianity is exciting! AMEN? Amen! So, express it! Get excited about fulfilling the mission; proclaiming the gospel and edifying the body!

We certainly don’t have any trouble being zealous for the Packers, or deer hunting, or shopping or whatever else gets us cranked up! Paul tells us to be joyful in the hope we have in Christ. Peter had the same idea.

I Peter 1:3-9 “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade–kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith–of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire–may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

That’s worth getting excited about! Peter touches a little in that section on Paul’s next point, being patient in affliction. Paul them reminds us of one of the most important acts of love, being faithful in prayer. We must not only pray in hard times, but also maintain communion with God through prayer at all times.

And finally, Verse 13: “Share with God’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.” One of the reasons God blesses us materially is so that we can share the blessings we enjoy with those who are in need. Paul cautioned the Christians in Galatia in Galatians 6:7-10 “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Another expression of “sharing” with God’s people is practicing hospitality. James uses this as the example of living faith. James 2:15-17 “What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him? Suppose a brother or sister is without clothes and daily food. If one of you says to him, “Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,” but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”

The aging apostle John too has something to say about the subject. I John 3:16-18 “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”

Hospitality gives us the opportunity to use the gifts God has given us through his Spirit to express the love of Christ to one another. I think Peter sums it up for us the best. I Peter 4:7-11 “The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray. Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen.”

In His grip,

Sunday, January 20, 2008
Scripture text for today: 1st Corinthians 12
“Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.”

Last Sunday I said that every individual believer and every congregation ought to ask two fundamental questions. First, “Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?” and second, “Do we increasingly reflect Christ in our services, ministries, and actions?” We addressed the first question to some degree then. We’ll look at some more aspects of the questions this week.

Before we do, we should probably identify what the biblical definition of the “Church” is as it pertains to this question. My “Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms” says it is: “A word generally used to translate the generic Greek word “ekklesia,” which variously means “gathering, assembly, or congregation.” However, the New Testament tends to use the word to refer to all those who by faith in the person and work of Christ as the fullest revelation of God have entered into a new relationship with God and with one another, who are the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit on earth and who have been given the task of proclaiming the present and future reign of God in the world, both by the verbal declaration of the Word of God and by the administration of the ordinances or sacraments.

The “church” is founded on the past work of Christ in his death, resurrection and ascension, points to the return of Christ in the future, and seeks to live in love by the power of the Spirit in the present.” That’s a pretty good definition, in my opinion! A simple and common definition of the term ekklesia is: “the called-out ones.”
Peter puts it well for us in I Peter 2:9-10 “But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

I love Peter’s emphasis on our purpose: “that you may declare the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His wonderful light.” That’s a great test of that first question, the “Are we doing what God called us to do?” question, isn’t it. Are you declaring His Praises? Is that an integral part of what we do as a Church? The idea behind Peter’s phrase is to testify, in life and word, Gods amazing grace, not just sing praise songs or shout “Praise the Lord” when we find a parking place close to the door of our favorite store.

Paul further defines the “Church” for us in Ephesians 1:22-23 “And God placed all things under His feet and appointed Him to be head over everything for the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills everything in every way.” I think that we as a Church are to be the physical manifestation of the “body” of the risen, glorified Christ in this world in which we live. God in His wisdom has determined that we should have the privilege and responsibility to carry on the ministry of Jesus. He glorified Jesus, raising Him from the dead and seating Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, sent the Holy Spirit to inhabit, empower, equip and enable each believer to continue as the “Body of Christ” the mission and ministry of Christ. While He walked the earth, Jesus was limited in certain aspects of His deity. While He was fully-God, he could not, for example, express the Godly characteristic of omnipresence. He could only be in one place at one time.

Ryrie states: “The kenosis (emptying) of Christ during His incarnation does not mean that He surrendered any attributes of deity, but that He took on the limitations of humanity. This involved a veiling of His pre-incarnate glory and the voluntary nonuse of some of His divine prerogatives during the time He was on earth. He was completely God and truly man. To deny either the deity or humanity of Christ requires denying the other.” That is a powerful statement. Through the members of His body, the Church, he can physically be in many more places at one time than when He walked the earth in His own human body. He retains control and direction as the “head” of the Body, and through His Holy Spirit, empowers, equips and enables it. Pretty amazing, when you think about it.

Paul uses the analogy of the body when speaking about the Church quite often. Our passage for today is only one example. Here, I believe Paul speaks of the specific ways that the Lord has equipped the local Church to accomplish the purpose He has set for her.

Let’s walk through it again:I Corinthians 12:1-3 “Now about spiritual gifts, brothers, I do not want you to be ignorant. You know that when you were pagans, somehow or other you were influenced and led astray to mute idols. Therefore I tell you that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”

It’s important to remember that Paul wrote this letter in response to problems brought to his attention by visitors to Ephesus from Corinth and a letter or letters received from concerned Corinthian believers. He begins this section, which is evidently an answer to some of those concerns, with a couple of pretty plain statements.

First, he believes Christians should be informed about spiritual gifts, not ignorant of them. One of the best defenses against false teaching is the knowledge of truth! He is stating the purpose for writing this section of his letter. He then reminds them that there is a difference between those indwelt by the Holy Spirit and those who are not, probably a warning against false teachers who denied the humanity of Christ. True Christians would never curse Jesus, and only true Christians can say, with integrity, that Jesus is their Lord. Accepting Jesus as Lord means making Him the authority by which we conduct our lives.

That, by the way, is another good self-test. Under whose authority do you conduct your life, your own or the Lords? Paul then tackles the issue at hand, laying out the basics, beginning with Verses 4-6: “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men.”

These verses, reflecting the Trinity, show the diversity and unity of spiritual gifts. First he mentions gifts, gifts of grace produced by the indwelling Holy Spirit. Not earned, but given by grace. Paul presents this aspect more clearly I think in Romans 12:6a “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.” He makes the point that no matter the grace gift you have, it is the same Spirit who gives it. Next he mentions that we have different kinds of service. This is the Greek word that in its various forms is used to indicate service to the Christian community. (Such as serving tables as in Acts 6:2-3; it is also the word used a little later in the first-century Christian church for the office of deacon. )

Here again, the service may differ from person to person, but it is the same Lord who directs you to it. He wraps it up by stating that there are different kinds of “working” or effects. The Greek word indicates power in operation. Spiritual gifts produce results that are obvious. It is the same God “working the work” through the various gifts in every believer, as Paul pointed out in Philippians 2:13 “for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to His good purpose.” The Triune God is intimately involved in the equipping, directing and working of His body the Church. Paul then continues:

Verse 7: “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.” This may possibly be the most important and yet often overlooked or ignored verse in Paul’s teaching on spiritual gifts. We receive gifts, not for our selfish advantage or because of our own special worth, but for the benefit of the body. Every member of the body of Christ has been given some spiritual gift that is an evidence of the Spirit’s working in his life. All the gifts are intended to build-up the members of the Christian community, not the ego of the one with the gift. Peter had the same understanding.

Look at I Peter 4:10: “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms.” We are stewards of the gifts we have been given, and have a responsibility to use them properly and faithfully. One of the saddest problems with the “church” in general is that of Christians who don’t use the gifts God has given them. Paul then lists several of these gifts.

Verses 8-11: “To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” Much has been said about the exact meaning of these examples of spiritual gifts. It is important to remember to keep the context in mind. Paul was writing to a first century church that had a lot of problems, one of which was the misuse of spiritual gifts. They also had only the Old Testament Scriptures, most likely none of the New Testament.

That makes a huge difference in comparing and contrasting the gifts given then with those given today. “All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines.” Here again, in the 11th verse, is a plain statement that many chose to ignore. It is God, working through the Holy Spirit, that gives each person the gift or gifts that He determines they should have, again, for the good of the Body, not the individual. Paul emphasizes the concept and importance of unity and diversity in the next couple verses.

Verses 12-13: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.” Here again Paul illustrates the unity and diversity of the different spiritual gifts exercised by God’s people, who are all members of the one body of Christ by the unifying power of the Holy Spirit who indwells each believer, baptizing them into the body of Christ.

Paul says in Ephesians 1:13-14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession–to the praise of his glory.” He also reminds us that in the body of Christ there is no racial or cultural or social distinction.

He describes how Christ made it possible in Ephesians 2:14-16 “For He himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in Himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility.” This next section was addressed mainly to those who feel that their gifts are inferior and unimportant. Apparently the more spectacular gifts (such as tongues) had been glorified in the Corinthian church, making those who did not have them feel inferior.

Verses 14-20: “Now the body is not made up of one part but of many.” Just as the human body must have diversity in order to work effectively as a whole, so the members of Christ’s body, the church, have been given diverse gifts, the use of which can help accomplish Christ’s purpose. But in order to work effectively, each must properly exercise his gifts or effectively use his position for the good of the whole.
“If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.”

It is only in the context of the “whole” body that we each find our most effective expression. Paul next addresses those who think they can get by without the others in the body, that their gifts, and consequently they themselves, are superior and most important.

Verses 21-26: “The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.”

Paul points out a couple important things here. Christians in the body of Christ are mutually dependent as they exercise their distinctive functions. We need each other! He also reminds us that Christians who may seem to have less important gifts and functions in the body of Christ are actually indispensable, and that it is the “unpresentable” parts that are treated with special modesty. He reminds us again that we are not a congregation of misfits or mistakes, but that God has put us together for His purpose, just as He wants, and His purpose includes having equal concern for one another. We feel one another’s pain, and share in one another’s joy. We are one body.

Verses 27-31: “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it. And in the church God has appointed first of all apostles, second prophets, third teachers, then workers of miracles, also those having gifts of healing, those able to help others, those with gifts of administration, and those speaking in different kinds of tongues. Are all apostles? Are all prophets? Are all teachers? Do all work miracles? Do all have gifts of healing? Do all speak in tongues? Do all interpret? But eagerly desire the greater gifts.

And now I will show you the most excellent way.”

The practical result of being joined to one another in Christ is that we need other believers in order to grow spiritually. There is an equally important corollary to this truth. If we need other believers, then other believers also need us. There is a mutual dependency between the various members of the body of Christ. It is possible to overlook either of these truths in our approach to the Christian life, we may think that we are unimportant or we may view others as insignificant. Every member contributes to the overall well-being of the church. There are no unnecessary members.

So ask yourself: “Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?” “Do we increasingly reflect Christ in our services, ministries, and actions?” Are we using the gift we have been given? Are we satisfied with the position God has placed us in, and the gift he has given us? Do we eagerly desire the greater gifts in our church, not for our personal glory but for the building up of the church to the glory of God? Do we follow the “most excellent” way, the way of agape love?

In His grip,

Sunday, January 13, 2008
Scripture text for today: Romans 2:1-16
“Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance? “

Before we get started this morning, I wanted to promote the Read-Thru-The-Bible-in-a-Year program one more time. I was checking the “Tract Rack” the other day and ran across this flyer: “The Bible Guide” in one of its slots. It’s just one more of the many guides available to you if you want to tackle reading the Bible in a year! It is not too late to start this year by the way; it’s only the 13th of the month. Read an extra chapter a day and you’ll be caught up in no-time! The “Daily Bread” has a Bible in One Year schedule too, in case you’re interested, and we provide them free each quarter as well. Just pick a plan and get at it! Spend a little time in the Word and in Prayer every day, and do what the Lord tells you to do. It will change your life. And it will help you more effectively impact other’s lives for Christ too, which is the theme of the message today!

I want to start this morning with a modern parable:
“On a dangerous seacoast where shipwrecks often occur, there was once a little life-saving station. The building was primitive, and there was just one boat, but the members of the life-saving station were committed, and kept a constant watch over the sea. When a ship went down, they unselfishly went out, day or night, to save the lost. Because that station saved so many lives, it became famous. Consequently, many people wanted to be associated with the station to give their time, talent and money to support its important work. New boats were bought, new crews were recruited, and a formal training session was offered. As the membership in the life-saving station grew, some of the members became unhappy that the building was so primitive and that the equipment was so outdated. They wanted a better place to welcome the survivors pulled from the sea. So, they replaced the emergency cots with nice beds, put better furniture in the enlarged and newly decorated building, and put in a small kitchen so they could offer hot coffee and snacks.

Now the life-saving station became a popular gathering place for its members. They met regularly and when they did, it was apparent how much they loved one another. They greeted one another, hugged one another, and shared with one another the events that had been going on in their lives. But fewer members were now interested in going to sea on life-saving missions, so they hired lifeboat crews to do this for them. About this time, a large ship was wrecked just off the coast, and the hired crews brought into the life-saving station boatloads of cold, wet, dirty, sick and half-drowned people. Some of them had black skin, and some of them had yellow skin. Some could speak English well, and some could hardly speak it at all. Some were first-class cabin passengers of the ship, and some were the deck hands. The beautiful meeting place became a place of chaos. The plush carpets got dirty. Some of the exquisite furniture got scratched. Coffee got spilled. Because of this, the property committee immediately had a shower built outside the building where the victims of shipwreck could be cleaned up before coming inside.

At the next meeting, there was a rift in the membership. Most of the members wanted to stop the club’s life-saving activities, for they were unpleasant and a hindrance to the normal fellowship of the members. Other members insisted that life-saving was their primary purpose and pointed out that they were still called a life-saving station. But, they were finally voted down and told that if they wanted to save the lives of all those various kinds of people who would be shipwrecked, they could begin their own life-saving station down the coast. So, that is what they did.

As the years passed, the new station experienced the same changes that had occurred in the old. It too evolved into a place to meet regularly for fellowship, for committee meetings, and for special training sessions about their mission, but few if any went out to the drowning people. The drowning people were no longer welcomed in that new life-saving station. So another life-saving station was founded further down the coast. History continued to repeat itself.

If you visit that seacoast today, you will find any number of adequate meeting places with ample parking, plush carpeting, nice furniture, warm fellowship and formal training sessions. Shipwrecks are still frequent in those waters, but most of the people drown.”

I came across that story in my studies last semester, and was struck by how vividly it portrays the church, which of course, is the author’s intent. It was first written in 1953, was paraphrased in a different article in 89’ and yet is still too true in 08’, isn’t it. Think about Fond du Lac, and the number of “life-saving stations” that line the coast of this dangerous stretch of the ocean of humanity.

How many have become “meeting places” rather than life-saving stations? More to the point, have we at Calvary Bible Church become a mere meeting place, or are we in danger of becoming one? Maybe it’s time to take a good look at what God expects from His Church, and measure ourselves against His standard.

The New Year is a great time to examine ourselves as a “Church” as well as individually, and to make choices that ensure we maintain our life-saving mission. We touched on much of this in our Discipleship class, and I thought it important enough to share with all of you. In the next couple weeks we will be taking a close look at some applicable scriptures regarding our purpose and responsibility as a church.

Speaking of the Church, the Apostle Paul tells us in Ephesians 4:11-13 “It was He (Christ) who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ (The Church) may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.”

God has an agenda for the church. He has given the church a mission that is people-focused and Christ-centered. That “mission” is the task of proclaiming the gospel of Christ and helping those who respond to the gospel to “grow-up” in Christ. This is true of every congregation of believer’s in every place. It does not change with time, culture, or congregational size. People maturing in Christ, then, should be the ultimate measure of success for any church. Not number of people attending, number of people joining, or the size of the building or how many programs they have and what kind of music they use. People becoming more Christ-like and loving one another more effectively.

Every individual believer and every congregation ought to ask two fundamental questions. First, “Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?” Second, “Do we increasingly reflect Christ in our services, ministries, and actions?” No matter where it meets or what its size, the church’s goal is the same.

It is to “make disciples” and use its ministries to help others attain “to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.” Jesus laid it out for us in Matthew 28:18-20, what we like to call the “Great Commission.” Listen again to this familiar passage: “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
I think this is a great starting point for the first question we are to ask:

• Are we doing what Christ has called us to do?
• Are we fulfilling the “Great Commission?”

He gives four basic commands here, and I believe they are given to us both individually and corporately. First, He told them to “GO”. He didn’t expect them to sit around and wait for Him to come back, but to get busy with kingdom tasks. We need to do the same thing. Go. Go next door, go to work, school, play etc.. Just “go” and as you go, which is the idea in the original language, share the gospel. Need a little motivation? Look at Proverbs 24:10-12: “If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, “But we knew nothing about this,” does not He who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not He who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has done?”

I think that is one of those Scriptures we all should commit to memory, or at the very least have written where we will review it on a regular basis. These are commands after all, not suggestions. Jesus said that as we go, we are to “make disciples” of all nations. In context, a disciple is one who follows Jesus Christ. We are to live Christ before others in a manner that allows them to see Him in us and create a desire to follow Him themselves. We are to be the “instruments” in the hand of the Lord to reveal salvation to the lost. The “light” and “salt.”

According to Marks gospel, we are to: “Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation.” (Mark 16:15) People need to hear the word as well as “see” it lived out. Paul said in Romans 10:12-15: “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile–the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”

As we have seen in Matthew’s gospel, we have been sent. Now we need to follow Peter’s advice, and be ready to preach. I Peter 3:15-16, remember? “But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” Preaching can be as simple as sharing what Christ has done for you, in your life.

Having made the “choice” to be obedient to Jesus’ command to “go” and preach, “making disciples,” we come to the third command, or rather the third aspect of the command. We are to baptize these new disciples, which is the visible, tangible symbol of the change that has taken place in them as a result of having placed their faith and trust in the name of Jesus Christ and a sign of their union with and commitment to Him.

Our instructions are pretty clear; we are to baptize them into the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus said to baptize in the “name”, singular, not the names, plural. This is one of the strongest “trinity” passages in Scripture. As one commentary said: “Our one God has one triune name: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. To be baptized into the name of the triune God is to be united with him.”

Baptism was an identifying statement of devotion to the one into whose name you were baptized. Matthew Henry says: “Baptism is a sacrament, that is, it is an oath. It is an oath of abjuration, by which we renounce the world and the flesh, as rivals with God for the throne in our hearts; and an oath of allegiance, by which we resign and give up ourselves to God, to be his, our own selves, our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, to be governed by his will, and made happy in his favour; we become his men, so the form of homage in our law runs. Therefore baptism is applied to the person, because it is the person that is dedicated to God.”

That brings us then to the fourth and final aspect of the command; we are to “teach” these new believers, these disciples, to obey everything He commanded us. Christ enlists soldiers in His army so that He may train them for His service. This “teaching” comes through example and instruction as we welcome them into the “body”, build relationships with them, disciple the new disciples. Adam Clarke had a great line in his commentary. He said: “Men are ignorant of Divine things, and must be taught.” It doesn’t come naturally or automatically. The Church plays a prominent role in the implementation of these final two aspects of the command. It has a role in the first two as well, but I think those are primarily “individual” tasks and responsibilities.

I personally do not believe it is the local church’s task to “go” and be the primary proclaimer of the gospel. It shares in that responsibility, but I believe the primary responsibility for going and making disciples is placed on Christians as individuals. Now I could be mistaken, but that’s my position until I see it differently in Scripture. The primary struggle that most of us have, new disciples or old, is obeying this command completely. Jesus said: “teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” It is human nature to want to pick and choose which of Christ’s commands we want to obey, and to teach others to obey. But that is not what He said. It’s kind of like picking and choosing which parts of Scripture we want to believe. It just doesn’t work that way.

You may not like what scripture says, but you had better believe it. Christianity is pretty much an “all-or-nothing” choice that we need to make. Ist John 2:3-6 “We know that we have come to know Him if we obey His commands. The man who says, “I know Him,” but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys His word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him: Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”

It’s pretty plain really, isn’t it? Choices. To believe and obey, or to try it our own way. To walk as Jesus did, in obedience to the Word and to the Father, or to pick-a