Discipleship is not a word that appears in Scripture. However, the noun form of the word occurs ('disciple'), as does the verbal form of the word ('make disciples'). 'Discipleship' is a word that we commonly use to describe action in obedience to Christ's command, 'Make disciples.'
Simply put, a disciple is one who has submitted and is submitting to Christ in all areas of life: in his affections, belief-structures, and behavior. In other words, a disciple is one who has been regenerated by the Holy Spirit and who is learning to obey all that Christ has commanded.
Thus, the goal of discipleship is the obedience of faith to all the commands of Christ, for the sake of his glory. The object of discipleship is people from every nation. The source or authority over discipleship is Christ himself. We are to make disciples of him, not us.
To summarize, then, to 'make disciples', means to explain Christ's words (the Scriptures) to people in such a manner that those to whom he grants repentance learn to obey everything he has commanded.
In saying this, much is remaining unsaid. However, it must be emphasized that discipleship means explaining all the words of God such that a person obeys all the words of God for the glory of God.
And as one explores the content of discipleship, we must remember that we also are disciples. We should be asking about areas in which we need growth and putting together a plan for said growth as well as planning for the obedience of others.
In what follows, because they're basically my notes, I have left out Scripture references for the sake of brevity. However, if the need arises I can add them or footnote them later.
Discipleship - Content
The Scriptures teach us that the information which must be passed down to a disciple involve three categories: doctrine (what a disciple must believe), character (what a disciple must do), and ministry skill (how a disciple must serve others with the word of God).
What follows is a list of necessary components of the content of discipleship under these three headings. Though the following list is not exhaustive, it is purposefully broad.
Doctrine
-The nature of God
-The person of Jesus
-The role of Jesus as Messiah
-The historical nature of the acts of God
-The human race and its sin
-The penalty of sin
-Jesus Christ as a substitute for his people
-The role of faith in salvation
-The nature of the Scriptures (authoritative, without error, historical, sufficient)
-The sovereignty of God in having a purpose in all of history
-The vindication of Christ in his resurrection
-The status of Christians resulting from Christ's resurrection
-The current status of Christ as reigning ruler of all things
-The current status of Christ as the intercessor for his people
-The return of Christ to complete his reign in judging all humanity
Character
-The role of the Holy Spirit in producing obedience
-The role of the Gospel and faith in it in producing obedience
-The role of repentance and effort in producing obedience
-The uses of the Moral Law
-The content of the Moral Law
-The means of grace (the word of God, especially taught by the ordained men; prayer; the sacraments; fellowship; church discipline)
Ministry Skill
-Learning about people (listening, learning using questions, discerning idols)
-Learning how to boast about Christ in front of Christians and non-Christians
-Evangelism
-Making wise decisions
-Interpreting Scripture or recognizing teachers who do
-Applying the truths of the word of God to different people in different situations
-Planning, executing plans, and evaluating results with regard to the advancement of the word of God
Discipleship - Praxis
What follows is a list of 7 steps that are intended to be helpful in defining the means of discipleship. These steps, however, are to be taken in light of the answers to two questions. First, is the person a believer or unbeliever? Second, is the goal of discipleship moving the person to Christian maturity or Christian leadership? Not all Christians are called to be leaders, and it is okay for someone not to be. (Leaders in this context refers to positional leaders in the church rather than the 'type' of leaders all Christians are called to be i.e. we're all a kingdom of priests to God). The answers to these questions can actually be made clear as the steps are taken.
Seven Steps to Making Disciples
1) Establish credibility as a person whose life is submitted to Christ, who can teach a person what it means to live in obedience to Christ.
2) Invite the person or people into a relationship with the expressed purpose of learning about Jesus from God's word.
3) Investigate, by means of questioning, the person's spiritual state and real spiritual needs.
4) Plan the person's or people's discipleship with a specific goal or end in mind.
5) Teach the person, from the Scriptures. Involve the person in your obedience to the Scriptures (according to the preceding list, in all categories, as you are able). These are two different things; however, they must be happening simultaneously. It is far too easy for Christians to do a bunch of teaching without the involvement of the disciple.
6) Delegate specific tasks to the disciple that are directly related to the promulgation of the word. Help them grow as they serve.
7) Release the person into the care of properly appointed elders or into the role of elder.
Discipleship - A Summary
Discipleship involves the expression of Christ's words for the purpose of bringing people into obedience to him. This will involve what they believe, the way they live, and the way they help others. Some disciples will help others (or serve/minister to them), by becoming elders and Christian leaders in churches. We are called, as missionaries, to make disciples of Jesus according to all the commands of Jesus in dependence on the sovereignty of Jesus for the glory of Jesus.
Grace & Peace,
Onesimus
Showing posts with label Relationships. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Relationships. Show all posts
Monday, May 21, 2012
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Preach the Gospel to yourself?
The modern Church owes a great debt to Jerry Bridges. It's largely through his teaching that our generation has learned to 'preach the gospel' to ourselves on a daily basis.
I don't plan on defending or explaining that concept in this post (though if people are interested, I can write another post later). Rather, I want to address something that I think we might be missing in some of our 'gospel-centered' fellowships.
I was reading Titus 3 this morning, and it says this in verses 1-2:
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
I was praying as I read, and I was struck by the phrase 'to be ready for every good work.' It seems to me that God expects us to do good as a reflex. When something happens in our lives, rather than responding with anxiety, or anger, or indifference, or arguing, we are to respond by actively doing good, because we're ready to do so.
I asked God for help to do this. Then I started asking 'how?' How can I 'be ready for every good work'?
Then God opened my eyes to what's actually happening in this passage. Titus was Paul's missionary to Crete. He was a pastor and was sent to appoint pastors.
Here, Paul is telling him to remind the people what they're supposed to do. In other words, Titus, as a pastor, was to remind all the people how they were supposed to live.
The implication is that we need reminders about how we're to obey God.
This doesn't diminish the need we have for the Gospel. This passage is sandwiched between two passages that are about the Gospel, after all! The Gospel is taught here as the grounds by which we are to obey. We're empowered by hearing about the glory of God in saving sinners to obey him.
But that said, we also need reminders to obey! We need to be reminded about how we're to glorify God, even with regard to specific situations.
So here are some practical implications:
1) If you're a preacher, you need to preach both Gospel and Law.
2) You need to listen to your pastors as the teach you both Gospel and Law. Don't dismiss either as something you 'already know.' You need constant reminders of both.
3) If you're in a position of leadership in a church or in a household, you need to teach both Gospel and Law to those in your care.
4) As you read the Bible, you should be looking for what God has done to save you and for ways that you are to honor God in response to his saving work.
Onesimus
I don't plan on defending or explaining that concept in this post (though if people are interested, I can write another post later). Rather, I want to address something that I think we might be missing in some of our 'gospel-centered' fellowships.
I was reading Titus 3 this morning, and it says this in verses 1-2:
Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.
I was praying as I read, and I was struck by the phrase 'to be ready for every good work.' It seems to me that God expects us to do good as a reflex. When something happens in our lives, rather than responding with anxiety, or anger, or indifference, or arguing, we are to respond by actively doing good, because we're ready to do so.
I asked God for help to do this. Then I started asking 'how?' How can I 'be ready for every good work'?
Then God opened my eyes to what's actually happening in this passage. Titus was Paul's missionary to Crete. He was a pastor and was sent to appoint pastors.
Here, Paul is telling him to remind the people what they're supposed to do. In other words, Titus, as a pastor, was to remind all the people how they were supposed to live.
The implication is that we need reminders about how we're to obey God.
This doesn't diminish the need we have for the Gospel. This passage is sandwiched between two passages that are about the Gospel, after all! The Gospel is taught here as the grounds by which we are to obey. We're empowered by hearing about the glory of God in saving sinners to obey him.
But that said, we also need reminders to obey! We need to be reminded about how we're to glorify God, even with regard to specific situations.
So here are some practical implications:
1) If you're a preacher, you need to preach both Gospel and Law.
2) You need to listen to your pastors as the teach you both Gospel and Law. Don't dismiss either as something you 'already know.' You need constant reminders of both.
3) If you're in a position of leadership in a church or in a household, you need to teach both Gospel and Law to those in your care.
4) As you read the Bible, you should be looking for what God has done to save you and for ways that you are to honor God in response to his saving work.
Onesimus
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
How should a man disciple his wife?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Wedding Homily: Josiah and Jackie Gray
The Scripture you wanted to hear a little bit from today is part of the reason I love you guys. It has absolutely nothing to do with marriage. Nothing. I tried stretching it. Nope. Didn’t work.
The thing is though, this passage is about how Jesus Christ saves his people. And the reason that you wanted this passage to be part of your wedding is because you realize that your marriage is a signpost – it points to the ultimate relationship of Jesus to his Church – of Jesus to the whole group of people who love him.
And you also realize that a ‘successful’ marriage isn’t necessarily the same as a ‘happy’ marriage – even though we want you to be happy; you guys recognize that a truly successful marriage is one in which Jesus is made much of, not your marriage itself.
Let me make a series of brief observations from this passage, then, and I’ll throw in a few marriage applications as well, God willing.
First, this passage exists because there are people that are truly Christians – that truly follow Jesus – and people that think they’re Christians. Even preachers that think they’re Christians who aren’t. Paul’s point here is to show what the true Christian life looks like. So he says this: (vv. 15-17). So there are real Christians and people that only think they’re Christians – and Paul is about to show us the difference.
Second, a true Christian considers themselves bad. Paul outlines his religious achievements. He looks like a moral dude on the cover. Any one of us would’ve said he was a ‘good man.’ And he’d achieved great things, even religiously. But he knew that he could either keep trying to look good before God and man, or he could have Christ. He couldn’t have both, and neither can we. (v. 7) A true Christian knows that to have Christ – you have to consider yourself to be a bad person.
This is good for your marriage, by the way. Josiah and Jackie – you’re about to be a bad husband and wife. When you begin to think you’re good at it, you’ll begin to think the other person’s bad, and you’ll fight. So remember, you’re bad.
Third, a true Christian treasures and values enjoying Jesus more than anything in this world. (v. 8). Paul here uses a vulgarity to describe everything that exists in comparison to knowing Christ. He says that knowing Christ is so good that everything else is a flaming pile of poo. So enjoy Jesus more than anything else, okay?
In marriage, that means that you shouldn’t be seeking to enjoy marriage more than Jesus. You do that, you’re going to seriously be disappointed. Josiah and Jackie, you guys are great. But you ain’t God, and you can’t be all-satisfying to each other. Only Jesus can.
Fourth, a true Christian gets their status of ‘righteousness’ by being united to Christ – not from trying really hard to be good people. (v. 9) In order to enter into God’s kingdom rather than being punished by it, you need to be considered righteous before God. But you’re a bad person. So you need to be covered by someone else’s righteousness. Hence, being united to Jesus. You want to be righteous before God – you have a choice – look to your own goodness – which doesn’t exist – or bank on Jesus’. A true Christian says, “I’m going to bank on Jesus’ righteousness – not mine.” And so God considers them righteous.
In marriage, remember that you’re not righteous, but that God has considered you both to be righteous. Real love in marriage is going to come from remembering that God considers your spouse to be righteous because of Jesus.
Fifth – the results of being considered righteous by God are as follows: a) knowing Jesus in a personal way. B) being empowered to live for Jesus, not for yourself. C) living a life of suffering in this world to show that it’s not your home – your home is with Jesus. (v. 10)
Those are the things that characterize and make a Christian marriage unique.
Sixth – the end goal of this is rising from the dead and living with Jesus forever. That’s a Christian’s goal. That’s what Paul is talking about in v. 11 – (v. 11)
Don’t make marriage your goal. Make living with Jesus one day your goal. Then, you’ll have a successful marriage.
Seventh – Christians work really hard at all this stuff. (vv. 12-14) Christians strive and strain to live like Jesus.
Eighth – that straining is based on the fact that a Christian knows Jesus has already earned heaven for them – not because they’re trying to earn it. (v. 12, 14). In other words, you strain towards living in a heaven-type way because Jesus has grabbed you and made you a citizen of heaven. You’re not trying to earn it. You do that, and we’ve seen that you won’t enter it. You’re just trying to live in a way that’s appropriate to the fact that that’s your true home - with Jesus. Not on this earth.
So guys, I love that you wanted to be reminded of this stuff. A God-honoring marriage is about Jesus – not the marriage. Remember Jesus, and you’ll have a successful marriage.
The thing is though, this passage is about how Jesus Christ saves his people. And the reason that you wanted this passage to be part of your wedding is because you realize that your marriage is a signpost – it points to the ultimate relationship of Jesus to his Church – of Jesus to the whole group of people who love him.
And you also realize that a ‘successful’ marriage isn’t necessarily the same as a ‘happy’ marriage – even though we want you to be happy; you guys recognize that a truly successful marriage is one in which Jesus is made much of, not your marriage itself.
Let me make a series of brief observations from this passage, then, and I’ll throw in a few marriage applications as well, God willing.
First, this passage exists because there are people that are truly Christians – that truly follow Jesus – and people that think they’re Christians. Even preachers that think they’re Christians who aren’t. Paul’s point here is to show what the true Christian life looks like. So he says this: (vv. 15-17). So there are real Christians and people that only think they’re Christians – and Paul is about to show us the difference.
Second, a true Christian considers themselves bad. Paul outlines his religious achievements. He looks like a moral dude on the cover. Any one of us would’ve said he was a ‘good man.’ And he’d achieved great things, even religiously. But he knew that he could either keep trying to look good before God and man, or he could have Christ. He couldn’t have both, and neither can we. (v. 7) A true Christian knows that to have Christ – you have to consider yourself to be a bad person.
This is good for your marriage, by the way. Josiah and Jackie – you’re about to be a bad husband and wife. When you begin to think you’re good at it, you’ll begin to think the other person’s bad, and you’ll fight. So remember, you’re bad.
Third, a true Christian treasures and values enjoying Jesus more than anything in this world. (v. 8). Paul here uses a vulgarity to describe everything that exists in comparison to knowing Christ. He says that knowing Christ is so good that everything else is a flaming pile of poo. So enjoy Jesus more than anything else, okay?
In marriage, that means that you shouldn’t be seeking to enjoy marriage more than Jesus. You do that, you’re going to seriously be disappointed. Josiah and Jackie, you guys are great. But you ain’t God, and you can’t be all-satisfying to each other. Only Jesus can.
Fourth, a true Christian gets their status of ‘righteousness’ by being united to Christ – not from trying really hard to be good people. (v. 9) In order to enter into God’s kingdom rather than being punished by it, you need to be considered righteous before God. But you’re a bad person. So you need to be covered by someone else’s righteousness. Hence, being united to Jesus. You want to be righteous before God – you have a choice – look to your own goodness – which doesn’t exist – or bank on Jesus’. A true Christian says, “I’m going to bank on Jesus’ righteousness – not mine.” And so God considers them righteous.
In marriage, remember that you’re not righteous, but that God has considered you both to be righteous. Real love in marriage is going to come from remembering that God considers your spouse to be righteous because of Jesus.
Fifth – the results of being considered righteous by God are as follows: a) knowing Jesus in a personal way. B) being empowered to live for Jesus, not for yourself. C) living a life of suffering in this world to show that it’s not your home – your home is with Jesus. (v. 10)
Those are the things that characterize and make a Christian marriage unique.
Sixth – the end goal of this is rising from the dead and living with Jesus forever. That’s a Christian’s goal. That’s what Paul is talking about in v. 11 – (v. 11)
Don’t make marriage your goal. Make living with Jesus one day your goal. Then, you’ll have a successful marriage.
Seventh – Christians work really hard at all this stuff. (vv. 12-14) Christians strive and strain to live like Jesus.
Eighth – that straining is based on the fact that a Christian knows Jesus has already earned heaven for them – not because they’re trying to earn it. (v. 12, 14). In other words, you strain towards living in a heaven-type way because Jesus has grabbed you and made you a citizen of heaven. You’re not trying to earn it. You do that, and we’ve seen that you won’t enter it. You’re just trying to live in a way that’s appropriate to the fact that that’s your true home - with Jesus. Not on this earth.
So guys, I love that you wanted to be reminded of this stuff. A God-honoring marriage is about Jesus – not the marriage. Remember Jesus, and you’ll have a successful marriage.
Wedding Homily: Chris and Jen Miller
Chris and Jennifer have asked me to talk to them, and all of us, about what God says about marriage in Colossians 3:18 and 19: “Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.”
Now instantly, most people in this room have their ire raised a little bit. There are several reasons for that.
1st, we’ve seen authority abused – notably in marriage. The second verse of the two expressly forbids that – but it is very true that many husbands have abused their authority.
2nd, we tend to distrust authority. We think that giving someone authority implies that they are intrinsically better than us – more valuable. We believe that the person in authority somehow earned it. Sometimes that is the case. Promotions at work, for instance, should be because you’re doing a better job than other people.
But that is not the case in marriage. Nor is it the case with God! Jesus is God. The Father is God. Yet, Jesus always submits to the Father – even though they are equals.
3rd, we tend to think authority exists for the happiness of the authority. We think this because most often, the person in authority gets what they want. But in the case of what God commands marriage to look like, there’s a massive difference: the person in authority is to use that authority for the happiness of the other person – not their own.
4th, these commands require that you both – and all husbands and wives – lose something. True, you will gain great happiness in marriage – but wives lose autonomy. They are no longer free to merely do as they please; they’re under authority. Husbands lose whatever it is that they want. In the command to love, they are to seek the happiness of their wives – not their own. Paul adds here – don’t be harsh with them. Why? Well, why does someone become harsh? Because they don’t get what they want. Chris and all the husbands here have lost the right to pursue what they want.
Even as we explore this, some of you are simply thinking, “well, I don’t want this sort of marriage. This is just bizarre.” And you’re right. This sort of living belongs to a completely different world. And living in this way is impossible for people living in this world.
Here’s the point of this text: wives submitting to their husbands and husbands loving their wives is a result of Jesus having transferred your citizenship from this world to his Kingdom (repeat).
Let’s look at what God has written here. These commands to husbands and wives flow out of what has already been said. Listen to God’s word from Col. 3: “If, then, you have been raised with Christ…”
There are 2 kinds of people, then. People that have been raised with Christ, and people that haven’t. What’s it mean to be ‘raised with Christ?’ Well, Jesus rose from the dead. And the rest of this verse says this: “seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”
In other words, people that are raised with Christ belong in Christ’s Kingdom. They belong in the presence of God. They are citizens of heaven. Those that aren’t raised with Christ belong outside of God’s presence. Outside of heaven. Being punished by the King – rather than enjoying his friendship.
If you are a member of Jesus’ Kingdom – a member of heaven – you will seek to obey Jesus’ commands about marriage.
How do you know if you are raised with Christ? Simple. The previous chapter tells us that it is ‘through faith in the powerful working of God.’ In other words, one becomes a citizen of heaven by trusting Jesus to make them one. And in the moment they trust God, God raises them to life. God adopts them into his family.
But we are sinners. We do not obey God. If any of us are honest, we know we don’t love him like we should. How does God give sinners heaven when they deserve punishment? Chapter 2 goes on to tell us that it is because he has, “forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”
In other words, if any of you here trust in Jesus, God has already punished Jesus – past tense- for all of your sins. You have rebelled against God. To some degree, you continue to. But God has completely forgiven you, because he punished Jesus instead of you.
You are free from a guilty verdict and forgiven by God. You don’t grow towards being accepted by God. This isn’t about becoming better and better and being accepted by God – this is about God forgiving you on the basis of Christ’s death, period.
In other words, God forgives every sinner who trusts Jesus once and for all, through faith alone.
This means that you can never be good enough to enter Christ’s Kingdom. It means that you do not enter Christ’s Kingdom through becoming a better person. It means that you become a member of heaven because of Jesus death and resurrection, by trusting him.
To think that one enters heaven by being morally good enough to enter – to think that one enters heaven on the basis of partnering with Jesus and trying really hard to be good; by being transformed to being a better person – is to deny Christ himself.
So there are two types of people in this room. Some of you have been raised with Christ. You have trusted him and his rising from the dead to guarantee your entrance into his Kingdom. And he has already guaranteed it.
But some of you haven’t. You are either apathetic about Jesus –or you are trying to be ‘good enough’ to get to heaven.
Jesus’ is coming back to this world to be its King – and you are not a member of it. Yet. If you will trust the God who raised Jesus from the dead for it, he’ll make you a citizen of heaven – of the Kingdom of Christ – right in the moment you trust him to.
Why is this pertinent to marriage? Well, God has given you specific commands regarding a Christian marriage. And they’re impossible to obey. Unless you see that they don’t stand alone – but flow out of this command, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on things that are on earth.”
In other words, living like God wants you to in marriage is the result of remembering and focusing on the fact that Jesus died for your sins, rose from the dead, and is Lord of everything that exists. It’s the result of remembering that through that he’s earned your entrance into heaven.
Chris and Jennifer, as you seek Jesus – as you are focused on him and his reign and his Lordship and his glory – you will, Jennifer, give up your autonomy; Chris, give up your desires – and both work together to act as servants of Jesus Christ.
Scripture tells us exactly why you should seek to act as members of Christ’s Kingdom. Listen. “Because you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, you will also appear with him in glory.”
Everyone who believes in Jesus then – your old self is dead. Your new self – the new heart you have that obeys Jesus - is a reality because Jesus rose from the dead. Your new self will be fully revealed when Jesus returns to this earth to rule over it and to set up his eternal Kingdom.
Everything in you that is stained by rebellion against God, he’ll completely take away, and you will love Jesus perfectly forever.
Jennifer – as you seek Christ; as you remember how his death has forgiven all of your sins, as you remember that he is returning to rule his world, you will submit to Chris.
Chris – as you seek Christ, as you recall that God punished him instead of you and that you’re free from punishment and that he’s returning so that you can serve him fully, you’ll love Jennifer well.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
A Thought About Marriage
Secular marriage - a husband and wife giving up some of what they each want to reach maximum happiness together.
Christian marriage - a husband and wife giving up any perceived rights or desires they have for the sake of God being glorified in the relationship.
Also, John Piper has a simply amazing quote about a husband's role here: click!
Christian marriage - a husband and wife giving up any perceived rights or desires they have for the sake of God being glorified in the relationship.
Also, John Piper has a simply amazing quote about a husband's role here: click!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Some thoughts regarding the Marriage and Obesity Article from CBMW
I recently posted in article from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood regarding the relationship of marriage, obesity, and proper body care. You can scroll down for the original article. A quite lengthy discussion ensued.
And this discussion raised a lot of … emotions, didn’t it? It’s a touchy subject – and I think our emotions about it have run deep because this issue affects how we think about ourselves and our closest relationships.
So some passion is understandable. I want to suggest, at the outset, that much of what has been discussed has been based on assumptions – it hasn’t necessarily addressed the article as such, but rather the inferences that we made and the feelings we have about it.
So, in response to this discussion, I want to make a series of observations from Scripture, in reference to the article, and in application to Christ’s Church. (To those of you who followed the discussion on Facebook, this is not the 'theology' about which I spoke - merely a response to the discussion.) I hope this is helpful to your walk with Jesus.
1. Justification
One’s acceptableness to God is not determined by their physical fitness nor attractiveness. God forbid. But nowhere does the article imply anything like that.
Our right standing with God is also not determined by the ‘rightness’ of our hearts, since our hearts are wicked (Jer. 17:9) and we are unrighteous before God (Rom. 3:10-12). Our right standing before God is based solely on Jesus’ righteousness (Phil. 3:8-9) received by faith in him apart from works (Rom 3:28).
This article assumes the right standing of those who trust Christ. It is not advocating justification by fitness or attractiveness. That’s an absolutely absurd notion. But justification by the goodness of one’s heart is an impossibility as well. We must all look to Christ for our right standing – we can’t stand right before God, in whole or even in part – only Jesus can.
Be very careful here. You need to not have a knee jerk reaction when you feel a certain way – you misrepresent what people have said. Be very careful, also, that you not believe that your right standing is on the basis of your godliness! I don’t want to belabor the point – but it is vital that you get this: right standing is on the basis of the righteousness of Christ plus nothing, received by faith in Christ. Your heart is not good. Jesus’ is. When you see the glory of God, you will not enter his kingdom on the basis of your heart – but on the basis of Christ’s heart in your place, if you have trusted in him.
2. The place of obedience in the Christian life
That said, that doesn’t mean that we can do whatever we want. Just because our entry into Christ’s kingdom is based on Christ’s righteousness and not ours does not mean we can fail to pursue obedience. (Rom. 6:1-4; Phil. 2:12-13) It means quite the opposite.
Obedience does not mean being a supermodel, and the article says nothing of the sort. But obedience to God does have ramifications in terms of how we treat our bodies, as we shall see.
3. The idolatry of body image
One way that we can sin against God is to worship our bodies or what other people think of our bodies. Essentially, what happens, is that we become concerned about what people think about us (John 12:42-43, and we treasure things that belong to this world (Matt. 6:19-21) – a world which is going away.
We all know the things that those sorts of things lead to. The article doesn’t deny this. It just isn’t about these issues. They are not a small matter; they are the result of sin. Jesus deserves our worship – our bodies do not. People also do not. Jesus does. Period. Working out should not be god. Peoples’ opinions of how you look should not be god. And that’s because Jesus IS God.
If this is a struggle for you, you need to repent. Get your sin out in the open in the presence of some trusted friends, and have them help you, thanking God that you’re forgiven in Christ.
4. The idolatry of food
Here’s another thing we can worship instead of God – food. I’m reminded of the sentence in Philippians 3:19: “their god is their belly.”
Gluttony is bad (Proverbs 23:20-21).
I was just flipping through a cookbook, and there was a whole section on ‘comfort food.’ That is nothing less than the advocating of idolatry. I’ll return to why in a second.
Now, it’s certainly not wrong to enjoy food. As a matter of fact, if you control what you eat so much that you don’t enjoy food, you’re probably in sin, either trying to justify yourself by harsh treatment of your body, or refusing to enjoy and thank God for what he’s given, or because you’re worshiping your body and what people think of you.
But – God is our Comforter. God is our delight. God is our treasure. Food is not. You treat food like it is your comfort, your delight – you are worshiping an idol. If you spend a ton of time thinking about food, coveting food, desiring food, meditating what the next meal will be – you are worshiping food, not God.
If you don’t stop eating when you’ve had enough, if you are wasting God’s time eating food that you don’t need, if you are not using food for the glory of God, it’s using you, and you are worshiping an idol.
To be honest, I struggle here. Now, I usually eat healthy, and I do work out – but I have people holding me accountable in this area – because it is easy for me to make food into a god – usually for comfort or just as a waste of time.
Now, the article had to do with how we treat our bodies because that affects how we look. Granted, there is not a one-to-one correlation here. Not everyone on the same diet will look the same, and we shouldn’t automatically judge people as gluttons or anorexics based on how they look.
But the sin here we’re dealing with is idolatry – worshiping food. Regardless of how it affects how we look, this is a sin that needs to be taken seriously.
And it’s not as if this sin is the swinging of a pendulum to the ‘other side’ – where the one side is body-image issues and control. At the root, these things are the same – Jesus isn’t being worshiped, something else is. We all need to root the sin out and worship Jesus.
5. The superiority of godliness to physical attractiveness
1 Peter 3 exhorts women to focus on inner adornment – a gentle, quite, submissive spirit – as greater than how they look physically. Obviously. The article does not deny this, and it says nothing in which inner godliness is diminished.
But to say that godliness has no connection to making ourselves look good to our spouses (or future spouses), is wrong. See my next point.
6. The importance of physical attractiveness
Read Song of Songs. Do you realize that almost everything Solomon says to the Shulammite is about her physical appearance? And that much of what she says to him is also about physical appearance?
And that, in the picture that marriage is of Christ and the Church, the Bride is beautifully adorned? (Eph. 5:21ff; Rev. 21:9ff)
Now certainly, some of what constitutes beauty is culturally conditioned, and there are indeed different body types – I will never be tall! (Or even of average height!) And as we move towards physical death, our bodies change. However, there are many things you can do out of love for your spouse for the glory of God in making yourself a delight to the senses. And you should.
And these should not be done in fear (see the next point) but in love.
Let me suggest this- perhaps, far too much time is spent in considering how we look to people that are NOT our spouses. And perhaps you don’t seek to please your spouse with your looks enough. Perhaps the way you look should primarily be to serve your spouse!
Loving your spouse means seeking their happiness – and part of that is how you look.
Or let me put it another way – your job is to please your spouse. Not from fear, but from love. Both men and women. That should be something we work for. We should work to make ourselves look good to our spouses (or future spouses) not in exclusion to inner qualities – but as a result of and corresponding to those inner qualities.
This is not easy and it is not intuitive. But it is holy and good and we should do it.
EDIT: In saying this, I'm not stating that we should be placing demands on our spouses! Far from it. I'm saying that you should be working to please your spouse, not that you should be forcing your spouse to work for you.
7. The unconditional nature of a husband’s love
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church…” (Ephesians 5:25). The husband doesn’t get an out from this. His love for his wife should not be conditioned on how she looks.
And that includes if she sits around eating chips and brownies all day, doing nothing but watching TV.
It also means that he should love her regardless of how she treats him. If she publicly humiliates him, disrespects him, degrades him, and is constantly trying to usurp his authority in the household – he is still to love her, period.
The article says nothing different. To run with the inference that a wife’s not making herself look good for her husband somehow causes him to commit adultery is wrong.
But do you think a husband’s responsibility here is easy? Do you think there are things that a wife can do that make his responsibility to love her hard? Men are more visual than women, and a man will often take his wife’s care for her appearance for him as a measure of respect and love for him.
The fact is that women ‘letting themselves go’ does not cause their husbands to fail or to fall – but it sure isn’t helping them. And I’d hope that a wife’s desire to look good for her husband isn’t the result of fear of him committing adultery or getting addicted to porn – but that out of love she seeks to protect him from those things by making her body a delight to him.
And it goes the same way for men. Women – you are called to unconditionally submit to your husbands. Now, that is difficult, isn’t it? But what if your husband doesn’t make time for you? Doesn’t listen to you? Doesn’t treat you gently? Mocks you in front of his friends? Doesn’t love you? Doesn’t speak love to you?
It’s even harder, I’m sure. But you still have to do it – for the glory of Christ!
But ultimately – you don’t want your husband to act in an unChristlike manner. It makes your submission that much harder.
It boils down to this: failure to love your spouse is not an option; but there are things that you can do – both men and women – that make your spouse’s job harder or easier. They don’t cause his or her sin or obedience – but you can indeed help them and love them.
Part of how that should be done is intentionally, regularly, making an effort to make yourself look good for them and to them.
8. The connection of our physical bodies and spiritual lives
Ephesians 5:18-19 says this: “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart…”
What’s this passage got to do with this topic? Simply this – your physical body is connected to your spiritual life. You make your body drunk, it’s going to affect your walking in the Spirit.
But so will it be if you’re not in shape, if you don’t sleep enough, if you’re eating so that you live in an insulin coma – your walk with God is affected by how you treat your body.
So yes – you can make an idol out of fitness and/or appearance. Don’t do that. But, you should be treating your body in such a way as to make yourself a better, more able, servant of Christ. Do that.
9. Final thoughts
I understand how reading an article like this one from CBMW could raise some ire. It’s a touchy issue. But a lot of the ire raised had very little to do with the article’s actual content.
I think such a long discussion happened because it is a touchy and personal issue for so many of us. Perhaps we feel judged. Or perhaps we are touchy about how we look (I am, and I know how that feels). Or perhaps there are other fears. Perhaps we fear people reacting and idolizing body-image instead of idolizing food and laziness!
Let me suggest a few things when we read articles like this, even ones which misquote a couple verses.
1) Read the article for what it says.
2) Do not make inferences about what the article says based on how it makes you feel.
3) Do use biblical discernment.
4) Even if the article uses a verse or two incorrectly, make it your goal to heed what is sound in it...
5) …because the fact is, we all need a little rebuking. Our first reaction to an article like this should be to see how such a thing could sanctify us personally. To be humble, and to examine ourselves for sin so that we can repent –even if there are some things that are wrong in the article. We need to be learners and repenters – not people who are characterized by the seeking to critique sources of exhortation. We should seek to be applying exhortation, though with discernment.
For the glory of God.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Christians and Vulgarity, Part IV
This will be the last Scripture I talk about on this subject. After that, God willing, I’ll post a summary of what we’ve seen from his book. Some of you are just waiting for this long winded stuff to be over so you can read the summary. I know this, because as I re-read what I’ve written, I just want the quick summary too.
That said, that last verse is Colossians 3:8. In the ESV, God says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Yes, kids, no obscene talk! Question is this: what’s obscene talk?
Well, what’s the Greek mean? It’s a compound word. The second is that classic word ‘logos’ – which refers here not to a particular word you’d use, but to entire speech content – which is made up of individual words. The first part of the compound word means something like ‘ugly’ or ‘unacceptable.’ BDAG, the standard New Testament Greek lexicon, says that it’s speech that is ‘generally considered in poor taste.’ It goes on to talk about the idea that this may include two different things – story-telling involving ‘unseemly deeds’ like adultery; or derogatory remarks.
So BDAG says this verse means either don’t tell stories about shameful, sinful, ugly things – and don’t rip on people.
That sounds good enough, really. How about some context real quick? Colossians 3 is a series of commands where Paul’s just saying – look, Jesus rose from the dead. That means, you Christian, have a different kind of life. Act like Jesus is your King, how about.
And he says that our old person has died. That is to say, that when Jesus died, the part of us that lived in the old, rebellious world, died. So act like that rebellious person is dead.
The rebellious you died. Act like it.
Then, starting in verse 8, Paul tells us what to get rid of. Those things are ‘anger, wrath, malice, slander,’ and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another…”
Notice anything in common here? All of those things are against people. They’re not nice. Ever heard a parent say to a kid, ‘talk nice!’ Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.
Let’s go a little further in the text. God says we have a new life because we’re connected to Jesus – and Jesus rose from the dead. So Jesus’ new life gives us a new life. Here’s a few verses of what God says that we need to do:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony”(Colossians 3:12-14).
In other words, love people. Do it from the heart. The opposite of all those bad things, including ‘obscene speech,’ is love.
Well, where’s this leave us? Paul doesn’t give us a guide for determining what naughty words are in English. And he never says that certain words are ‘bad.’ What he says, is love people with your language. That love starts in the heart – and love doesn’t want to hurt people. Love wants to push them towards Jesus.
So is the S-word wrong? No! The question is – am I loving the person in saying it? It does grate, doesn’t it? The F-word definitely makes people flinch, doesn’t it? The question is, am I using that language to point people away from this rebellious world to Jesus. Am I pointing out how horrible the good things in this world are – compared to Jesus – or am I just mad?
If I’m on the road by myself, and people aren’t driving like I want them to, and I yell ‘shit!’ – do I sin? Yes. I’m not trusting the sovereign God who works everything as he wants it to be (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28, Amos 3:6, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Job 1:21). No one else is hurt by that exclamation if I’m by myself – except my holy God, whose Son died for me – who I apparently don’t trust enough to love me and to control the traffic for my good in knowing him!
Or maybe I’m just saying that knowing him isn’t good enough.
So I don’t love or trust God in those situations. The exclamation is merely the result – and the word is not sin. But my heart has blasphemed my Lord.
And are you more shocked and appalled by the word I just typed out - or by the fact that my anxious, controlling heart worships and serves itself and not its Creator, who is to be praised forever? Oh God, let our hearts be pained by how we fail you!
And this I say with full confidence – and with a good conscience – that everything on this earth is SHIT compared to knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Everything.
Does that grate on you? It should. And so should everything in this world that distracts you from his service.
Coming next time – a summary of the commands of our Lord in these three verses regarding our speech, if God permits.
That said, that last verse is Colossians 3:8. In the ESV, God says, “But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth.” Yes, kids, no obscene talk! Question is this: what’s obscene talk?
Well, what’s the Greek mean? It’s a compound word. The second is that classic word ‘logos’ – which refers here not to a particular word you’d use, but to entire speech content – which is made up of individual words. The first part of the compound word means something like ‘ugly’ or ‘unacceptable.’ BDAG, the standard New Testament Greek lexicon, says that it’s speech that is ‘generally considered in poor taste.’ It goes on to talk about the idea that this may include two different things – story-telling involving ‘unseemly deeds’ like adultery; or derogatory remarks.
So BDAG says this verse means either don’t tell stories about shameful, sinful, ugly things – and don’t rip on people.
That sounds good enough, really. How about some context real quick? Colossians 3 is a series of commands where Paul’s just saying – look, Jesus rose from the dead. That means, you Christian, have a different kind of life. Act like Jesus is your King, how about.
And he says that our old person has died. That is to say, that when Jesus died, the part of us that lived in the old, rebellious world, died. So act like that rebellious person is dead.
The rebellious you died. Act like it.
Then, starting in verse 8, Paul tells us what to get rid of. Those things are ‘anger, wrath, malice, slander,’ and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another…”
Notice anything in common here? All of those things are against people. They’re not nice. Ever heard a parent say to a kid, ‘talk nice!’ Yeah, that’s what’s going on here.
Let’s go a little further in the text. God says we have a new life because we’re connected to Jesus – and Jesus rose from the dead. So Jesus’ new life gives us a new life. Here’s a few verses of what God says that we need to do:
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony”(Colossians 3:12-14).
In other words, love people. Do it from the heart. The opposite of all those bad things, including ‘obscene speech,’ is love.
Well, where’s this leave us? Paul doesn’t give us a guide for determining what naughty words are in English. And he never says that certain words are ‘bad.’ What he says, is love people with your language. That love starts in the heart – and love doesn’t want to hurt people. Love wants to push them towards Jesus.
So is the S-word wrong? No! The question is – am I loving the person in saying it? It does grate, doesn’t it? The F-word definitely makes people flinch, doesn’t it? The question is, am I using that language to point people away from this rebellious world to Jesus. Am I pointing out how horrible the good things in this world are – compared to Jesus – or am I just mad?
If I’m on the road by myself, and people aren’t driving like I want them to, and I yell ‘shit!’ – do I sin? Yes. I’m not trusting the sovereign God who works everything as he wants it to be (Ephesians 1:11, Romans 8:28, Amos 3:6, Psalm 115:3, Psalm 135:6, Job 1:21). No one else is hurt by that exclamation if I’m by myself – except my holy God, whose Son died for me – who I apparently don’t trust enough to love me and to control the traffic for my good in knowing him!
Or maybe I’m just saying that knowing him isn’t good enough.
So I don’t love or trust God in those situations. The exclamation is merely the result – and the word is not sin. But my heart has blasphemed my Lord.
And are you more shocked and appalled by the word I just typed out - or by the fact that my anxious, controlling heart worships and serves itself and not its Creator, who is to be praised forever? Oh God, let our hearts be pained by how we fail you!
And this I say with full confidence – and with a good conscience – that everything on this earth is SHIT compared to knowing, loving, and serving Jesus. Everything.
Does that grate on you? It should. And so should everything in this world that distracts you from his service.
Coming next time – a summary of the commands of our Lord in these three verses regarding our speech, if God permits.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Wives naturally submitting to their husbands...
There's a bit of common wisdom out there that says this:
"If a husband is sacrificially loving his wife consistently, her natural response will be to submit to him."
I think the person who wrote that forgot that we're sinners. Those commands are there because our natural inclination is to do the opposite.
A husband's natural inclination is not to sacrificially love his wife. That can only be done as, in the Spirit, he puts to death the deeds of his body.
Same goes for wives. They won't submit, except by the Spirit. It may be easier to submit to a loving husband - but it's the same internal, sinful, inclination and desire that must be overcome by submission to Christ.
So men - don't try to be a good husband and love your wife so she'll submit. Love your wife for her holiness to honor Christ.
And women - submit to your husbands as to the Lord - for his glory. Period.
Both - don't try to do it by yourself - depend on the Holy Spirit's power and choose to value Christ over yourself.
"If a husband is sacrificially loving his wife consistently, her natural response will be to submit to him."
I think the person who wrote that forgot that we're sinners. Those commands are there because our natural inclination is to do the opposite.
A husband's natural inclination is not to sacrificially love his wife. That can only be done as, in the Spirit, he puts to death the deeds of his body.
Same goes for wives. They won't submit, except by the Spirit. It may be easier to submit to a loving husband - but it's the same internal, sinful, inclination and desire that must be overcome by submission to Christ.
So men - don't try to be a good husband and love your wife so she'll submit. Love your wife for her holiness to honor Christ.
And women - submit to your husbands as to the Lord - for his glory. Period.
Both - don't try to do it by yourself - depend on the Holy Spirit's power and choose to value Christ over yourself.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wives submit; husbands love
This is a summary of the three ways that men and women might sin; from that last talk on Colossians.
Three ways women may usurp authority
1) Taking over in a situation. This would be what Eve did in the garden: rather than looking to her husband for direction, she simply made a call. This can be expressed in an attitude of "I'll submit if he leads well."
2) Overt usurpation. This is a wife who is overbearing, usually with words. She doesn't exhibit a quiet and gentle spirit (1 Peter 3:1-6), and her husband is happier on a corner of the roof (Proverbs 25:17) or in front of the tv or buried in the newspaper.
3) Covert usurpation. This is manipulation: using sex, affection, respect, love or emotions to get what you want. Like Delilah saying that Samson didn't really love her.
Three ways men abuse their authority
1) Abuse. Harshness. Men will get irritated with their wives - even angry. We have a tendency to respond in anger, in a domineering, non-gentle fashion.
2) Believing love is merely commitment. I think this comes from the wrong-headed notion that agape and philos in koine Greek mean different things. They (usually) don't. The fact is that God commands the emotions here. Yes, it is commitment - but it is so much more than that. It is affectionate, adoring, desirous emotion.
3) Believing that love means we seek our wives' happiness in general - as opposed to their happiness in God. In other words, we're to seek our wives' holiness, as Jesus did for his Bride (see Eph. 5). Sometimes, that might make her temporarily upset. We'll have to deal with that.
So there're a list of sins. We will sin in those ways, men. You will sin in those ways, women.
But there is a way out. Can you find it in the context of Colossians 3?
Three ways women may usurp authority
1) Taking over in a situation. This would be what Eve did in the garden: rather than looking to her husband for direction, she simply made a call. This can be expressed in an attitude of "I'll submit if he leads well."
2) Overt usurpation. This is a wife who is overbearing, usually with words. She doesn't exhibit a quiet and gentle spirit (1 Peter 3:1-6), and her husband is happier on a corner of the roof (Proverbs 25:17) or in front of the tv or buried in the newspaper.
3) Covert usurpation. This is manipulation: using sex, affection, respect, love or emotions to get what you want. Like Delilah saying that Samson didn't really love her.
Three ways men abuse their authority
1) Abuse. Harshness. Men will get irritated with their wives - even angry. We have a tendency to respond in anger, in a domineering, non-gentle fashion.
2) Believing love is merely commitment. I think this comes from the wrong-headed notion that agape and philos in koine Greek mean different things. They (usually) don't. The fact is that God commands the emotions here. Yes, it is commitment - but it is so much more than that. It is affectionate, adoring, desirous emotion.
3) Believing that love means we seek our wives' happiness in general - as opposed to their happiness in God. In other words, we're to seek our wives' holiness, as Jesus did for his Bride (see Eph. 5). Sometimes, that might make her temporarily upset. We'll have to deal with that.
So there're a list of sins. We will sin in those ways, men. You will sin in those ways, women.
But there is a way out. Can you find it in the context of Colossians 3?
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Jesus Recreates Our Relationships
This is my final talk from Colossians on summer project. Notes. Here ya go.
-Theme – The Gospel changes all our human relationships. (repeat)
-What’s the Gospel?
-So what we’re to see tonight is that Jesus as King and Savior recreates all our human relationships.
-3 Types of Relationships – Family, (quick side about prayer), non-Christians, Christians
-Pray
Jesus Recreates Our Family Relationships
-Read 3:18-4:1
-Some of this might rub the wrong way. Might bear some explanation, but this being God’s word doesn’t depend on us liking it.
-that said – a word about slaves…
-We have a problem with authority in our age. Maybe because of abuses of authority. But God has established it. (Bumper sticker example)
-Going to talk about wives, then husbands, then those in authority positions, then children and those under authority.
-Not all of you are wives/husbands – but you probably will be. Maybe rather than trying to find the perfect spouse, you should seek to be a God-honoring one.
-Wives
-explain command (live in submission – not just ‘the buck stops with…’; not just ‘spiritual leadership’; as to the Lord – eph 5)
-sins - usurping authority
- taking over: only submitting if he ‘leads well’ and really just taking things into your own hands – Eve;
-overt usurpation – being overbearing vs. quiet, gentle spirit (1 Peter 3); -covert usurpation – manipulation – Delilah)
-how the gospel answers our sin problem
-‘fitting in the Lord’ (explain)
-New Kingdom has begun! Old world typified by the curse, new world reverses it
-Husbands (3:19)
-explain command – love! (seeking her greatest happiness in God. Enjoying her. Liking her. Being attracted to her/standard for beauty)
-sins
-harshness/abuse – getting irritated and responding with anger
-thinking it’s mere commitment – Jesus commands our emotions
-believing that love means seeking her earthly happiness vs. happiness in God (budget example) – so passivity in loving her and taking her to Jesus as King – even if she doesn’t like it at the time
-Jesus’ solution in a minute…
-Those in authority (3:21, 4:1) – many of us will be parents – get ready
-Commands (rephrase) – boils down to this: treat those under you with justice and love.
-sins: issuing commands as a dictator.
-Believing that you are the ultimate master/standard of right/wrong – as opposed to Jesus.
-Not rewarding obedience. Not punishing disobedience.
-Command boils down to: model Jesus’ authority – both hard on sin and gentle/loving –both serving, and commanding
-Your household should be a model of how Jesus treats the world
-Stiff command? YES – but remember that (4:1b) (expound)
-Those under authority – all of us are (family, government, Church eldership)
-(3:20, 22-25)
-Summarize commands – (obey, serving the Lord)
-Sins: disobedience, people-pleasing, trying to see how much we can get away with
-How the gospel answers our sin problem: (3:20, 24, 25) (inheritance/loved, vs. getting what we deserve – so love God/please him)
(Repeat point)
Aside
-(4:2)
-Explain command
-What gets in your way of dedicated times of prayer? (unbelief that God uses it, lack of desire to honor God in it, seeking things here, whether fun or because you’re stressed)
-for me in college: probably combo of all of them –
-Gospel solution: ‘being watchful’ – Jesus is coming back to establish his Kingdom –
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates Our Relationships with Non-Christians
-4:3-6
-Two ways – missions and evangelism. Difference. (Rom. 15:18-21)
-Goal? Is. 43:6, 7
-Missions (3:3, 4)
-Prayer
-Going to announce the word to the unreached!
-why not you?
-Sin – don’t care enough to work for the goal…
-Answer – Jesus died and you’re life is with him – live for that!
-Evangelism (3:5, 6)
-define
-Commands
-wisdom in time use - organized around reaching the lost sheep
-manner of speaking should be… (explain the verse)
-note: knowing how to answer means you’ve said enough that they have questions
-Problems –
-evangelism -> event, not a lifestyle.
-Not loving people/treating them as individuals
-But it’s true – Jesus lives and so we will with him forever – live like it! Invite people with you!
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates our relationships with Christians
-4:7-18
-Let’s look at all that Jesus has given us – just exemplified here
-Easy to forget what we’ve been given
-be critical of the whole Church/judge
-think that Christianity is an individual thing
-Godly examples – people showing us Jesus in action (4:7-8, 18)
-Real loving relationships (4:10, 11, 14-15)
-Prayer (4:12, 18)
-Ministry to each other in various forms (comforting, preaching, hospitality…)
-The Scriptures (4:16)
-All because Jesus…
-So we’ve seen in this passage that the Gospel recreates our relationships.
-What’s the Gospel?
-And it recreates Our relationships with family, our relationships with non Christians, and our relationships with Christians.
-We’ve been looking at this concept of looking at the world through Jesus colored glasses…
-Jesus really is everything. And he is our everything.
-Pray
-Theme – The Gospel changes all our human relationships. (repeat)
-What’s the Gospel?
-So what we’re to see tonight is that Jesus as King and Savior recreates all our human relationships.
-3 Types of Relationships – Family, (quick side about prayer), non-Christians, Christians
-Pray
Jesus Recreates Our Family Relationships
-Read 3:18-4:1
-Some of this might rub the wrong way. Might bear some explanation, but this being God’s word doesn’t depend on us liking it.
-that said – a word about slaves…
-We have a problem with authority in our age. Maybe because of abuses of authority. But God has established it. (Bumper sticker example)
-Going to talk about wives, then husbands, then those in authority positions, then children and those under authority.
-Not all of you are wives/husbands – but you probably will be. Maybe rather than trying to find the perfect spouse, you should seek to be a God-honoring one.
-Wives
-explain command (live in submission – not just ‘the buck stops with…’; not just ‘spiritual leadership’; as to the Lord – eph 5)
-sins - usurping authority
- taking over: only submitting if he ‘leads well’ and really just taking things into your own hands – Eve;
-overt usurpation – being overbearing vs. quiet, gentle spirit (1 Peter 3); -covert usurpation – manipulation – Delilah)
-how the gospel answers our sin problem
-‘fitting in the Lord’ (explain)
-New Kingdom has begun! Old world typified by the curse, new world reverses it
-Husbands (3:19)
-explain command – love! (seeking her greatest happiness in God. Enjoying her. Liking her. Being attracted to her/standard for beauty)
-sins
-harshness/abuse – getting irritated and responding with anger
-thinking it’s mere commitment – Jesus commands our emotions
-believing that love means seeking her earthly happiness vs. happiness in God (budget example) – so passivity in loving her and taking her to Jesus as King – even if she doesn’t like it at the time
-Jesus’ solution in a minute…
-Those in authority (3:21, 4:1) – many of us will be parents – get ready
-Commands (rephrase) – boils down to this: treat those under you with justice and love.
-sins: issuing commands as a dictator.
-Believing that you are the ultimate master/standard of right/wrong – as opposed to Jesus.
-Not rewarding obedience. Not punishing disobedience.
-Command boils down to: model Jesus’ authority – both hard on sin and gentle/loving –both serving, and commanding
-Your household should be a model of how Jesus treats the world
-Stiff command? YES – but remember that (4:1b) (expound)
-Those under authority – all of us are (family, government, Church eldership)
-(3:20, 22-25)
-Summarize commands – (obey, serving the Lord)
-Sins: disobedience, people-pleasing, trying to see how much we can get away with
-How the gospel answers our sin problem: (3:20, 24, 25) (inheritance/loved, vs. getting what we deserve – so love God/please him)
(Repeat point)
Aside
-(4:2)
-Explain command
-What gets in your way of dedicated times of prayer? (unbelief that God uses it, lack of desire to honor God in it, seeking things here, whether fun or because you’re stressed)
-for me in college: probably combo of all of them –
-Gospel solution: ‘being watchful’ – Jesus is coming back to establish his Kingdom –
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates Our Relationships with Non-Christians
-4:3-6
-Two ways – missions and evangelism. Difference. (Rom. 15:18-21)
-Goal? Is. 43:6, 7
-Missions (3:3, 4)
-Prayer
-Going to announce the word to the unreached!
-why not you?
-Sin – don’t care enough to work for the goal…
-Answer – Jesus died and you’re life is with him – live for that!
-Evangelism (3:5, 6)
-define
-Commands
-wisdom in time use - organized around reaching the lost sheep
-manner of speaking should be… (explain the verse)
-note: knowing how to answer means you’ve said enough that they have questions
-Problems –
-evangelism -> event, not a lifestyle.
-Not loving people/treating them as individuals
-But it’s true – Jesus lives and so we will with him forever – live like it! Invite people with you!
(repeat point)
Jesus Recreates our relationships with Christians
-4:7-18
-Let’s look at all that Jesus has given us – just exemplified here
-Easy to forget what we’ve been given
-be critical of the whole Church/judge
-think that Christianity is an individual thing
-Godly examples – people showing us Jesus in action (4:7-8, 18)
-Real loving relationships (4:10, 11, 14-15)
-Prayer (4:12, 18)
-Ministry to each other in various forms (comforting, preaching, hospitality…)
-The Scriptures (4:16)
-All because Jesus…
-So we’ve seen in this passage that the Gospel recreates our relationships.
-What’s the Gospel?
-And it recreates Our relationships with family, our relationships with non Christians, and our relationships with Christians.
-We’ve been looking at this concept of looking at the world through Jesus colored glasses…
-Jesus really is everything. And he is our everything.
-Pray
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)