sermon series to complement praying with jesus...!1! praying with jesus: 40 days to revitalization a...
TRANSCRIPT
PRAYING WITH JESUS
40 DAYS TO REVITALIZATION A SERMON SERIES TO C OMPLEMENT 40-DAYS OF PRAYER
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Praying with Jesus:
40 Days to Revitalization A Sermon Series to Complement 40-Days of Prayer
Week 1 “Searching My Own Heart” (Days 1-‐5) Message: Mark 4:35-‐41, The Indispensable Demand for Faith page 2 Week 2 “Rebuilding Trust in God’s Word” (Days 6-‐10) Message: Psalm 119:32, The Insurmountable Value of God’s Word page 9 Week 3 “Honoring Christ’s Lordship” (Days 11-‐15) Message: Luke 9:23-‐27, The Irrevocable Nature of Christ’s Lordship page 16 Week 4 “Resolving Our Differences” (Days 16-‐19) Message: Ephesians 4:1-‐6, The Unequivocal Expectation for Unity page 24 Week 5 “Following Kingdom Leaders” (Days 20-‐26) Message: Philippians 2:3-‐11, The Irrepressible Example for Leaders page 31 Week 6 “Re-‐establishing Jesus’ Priorities” (Days 27-‐33) Message: Mark 11:12-‐26, The Unbelievable Priority of Prayer page 38 Week 7 “Patiently Awaiting Transformation” (Days 34-‐40) Message: Acts 1:3-‐5, The Inexpressible Glory for Those Who Wait page 45 Week 8 Concluding Message: Acts 4:31-‐35, The Irrefutable Results of a Praying People (see also Acts 12:5-‐17; Colossians 4:12-‐13; James 5:13-‐16; 1 Kings 17, 18, 19) page 53
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Week 1 Message Scripture to Complement Days 1-‐5, “Searching My Own Heart”
The Indispensable Demand for Faith Mark 4:35-‐41
(NASB)
35 On that day, when evening came, He *said to them, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd, they *took Him along with them in the boat, just as He was; and
other boats were with Him. 37 And there *arose a fierce gale of wind, and the waves were breaking over the boat so
much that the boat was already filling up. 38 Jesus Himself was in the stern, asleep on the cushion; and they *woke Him and *said to
Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” 39 And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind
died down and it became perfectly calm. 40 And He said to them, “Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” 41 They became very much afraid and said to one another, “Who then is this, that even the
wind and the sea obey Him?” (See also Mt 8:18,23–27; Lk 8:22–25)
_______________________________________________________ Introduction: In the 2013 edition of their book, The Shaping of Things to Come, Michael Frost and Alan Hirsch include this story:
A billabong (two aboriginal words that mean “dead river”) is an Australian term for a pond or lake that was once part of the bend of a river or creek but which has been cut off from the flow as the river slowly changed direction. Many second-‐ or third-‐generation Christians find themselves in a church billabong. Where once their parents or grandparents were part of a church that was like a flowing stream, now they are trapped in a stagnant backwater. Growing up Christian, they have adopted a middle-‐class perspective and embraced a certain way of doing church. Their motivation for staying in the church is no longer to fulfill Christ’s mission in this world, but to have their own needs met.
This is a very dangerous predicament for any Christian, or group of Christians, to find themselves. However, IN REAL LIFE IT IS A CONSTANT BATTLE TO STAY TRUE TO THE MISSION CHRIST HAS GIVEN US, pressing on IN FAITH even when the storms of changing culture and shifting times seem to be prevailing. Just about the time we think we have God housed in our “neat little box of traditions,” He puts us in a predicament that reveals to us once again the INDISPENSABLE DEMAND FOR FAITH!
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Transition: Consider the context of Mark 4:35-‐41… JESUS IS GROOMING HIS DISICIPLES FOR WORLD-‐CHANGING MINISTRY. Ministry that requires His disciples to give up living satisfied and content in the BILLABONG of generational tradition, and to fully embrace faith in Christ alone!! His grooming process includes:
! HE CALLS THEM… In Mark 3:13-‐19, Jesus “appointed twelve, so that they would be with Him and that He could send them out to preach, and to have authority to cast out the demons…”
! HE IDENTIFIES HIMSELF… In Mark 3:20-‐30, Jesus refutes the accusation by some scribes from Jerusalem of being demon-‐possessed.
! HE OWNS THEM… In Mark 3:31-‐35, Jesus calls His disciples and others who are with Him his family (mother and brothers).
! HE DESCRIBES HIS KINGDOM… In Mark 4:1-‐20, Jesus teaches His disciples about the four kinds of soil which produce two kinds of results – fruitful or fruitless!
! HE PREPARES THEM FOR WORK… In the next 14 verses of Mark 4 (21-‐34), Jesus teaches His disciples through parables = earthly stories with heavenly meanings. Mark wrote, “With many such parables He was speaking the word to them, so far as they were able to hear it; and He did not speak to them without a parable; but He was explaining everything privately to His own disciples.”
! HE DEMANDS FAITH!! o Read the TEXT: Mark 4:35-‐41 o (text is highlighted on Day 3 in 40-‐Day Prayer Guide)
And before you start to argue that I have overstated Christ’s expectation for faith, consider these Scriptures… † “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe
that He is and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). † “For by grace you have been saved by faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of
God” (Ephesians 2:8). † “for we walk by faith and not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7). † “And Jesus answered saying to them, ‘Have faith in God’” (Mark 11:22).
So, IF FAITH is an INDISPENSABLE DEMAND (or Expectation) by Christ, what does such FAITH look like?
(1) A Faith that Follows Jesus. (v 35) “let us go over to the other side…” EXP: In his narrative account of Jesus’ ministry activities, Mark benignly mentions Jesus’ instructions to His disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” At first glance it seems an unimportant factor in the account. However, considering the tendency of human nature to
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seek the comfort of the routine by avoiding change, AND considering the aura of success associated with large crowds (Mark 3:20; 3:32; 4:1) like those Jesus was already drawing, His command is more significant than we might guess. ILL: Remember the challenge Jesus presented to each of His disciples when He called them?
" “As He passed by, He saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting in the tax booth, and He said to him, ‘Follow Me!’ And he got up and followed Him.” (Mark 2:14)
" “Now as Jesus was walking by the sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.’ Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.” (Matthew 4:18-‐20).
" “The next day He purposed to go into Galilee, and He found Philip. And Jesus said to him, “Follow Me.’” (John 1:43).
This is not just for those on this side of the cross. God presented the same expectation of His Old Testament saints:
" “Now the Lord said to Abram, ‘Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you… So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him…” (Genesis 12:1,4a).
" “So it was continuously; the cloud would cover it by day, and the appearance of fire by night. Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterward the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp. At the command of the Lord the sons of Israel would set out, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped.” (Numbers 9:16-‐18).
" “But the Lord said to me, ‘Do not say, “I am a youth,” because everywhere I send you, you shall go, and all that I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you,’ declares the Lord.” (Jeremiah 1:7-‐8)
APP: Perhaps one of the most challenging things for every single one of us who have believed on the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ unto salvation, is to actually FOLLOW HIM!! We like having salvation; we are not always happy about either where or how Jesus leads us. Are you willing to follow Jesus wherever He leads / sends you??
(2) A Faith that is Willing to Leave the Crowd. (v 36) “leaving the crowd…” EXP: Much as we suggested regarding “following Jesus,” our faith in Jesus demands that we are willing to leave the crowd behind. This means willingly leaving… …whatever is considered status quo by most folks
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…the pride or prestige of having drawn, or being a part of, a crowd …the satisfaction of enjoying the excitement of the crowd …the security attached to being part of a crowd; not singled out ILL: Remember how unpopular it was for 2 of the 12 men sent to spy out the land God promised to give His infant nation after their 40 years of wandering in the desert? “Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, of those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; and they spoke to all the congregation of the sons of Israel, saying, ‘The land which we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. If the Lord is pleased with us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us – a land which flows with milk and honey. Only do not rebel against the Lord; and do not fear the people of the land, for they will be our prey. Their protection has been removed from them, and the Lord is with us; do not fear them.’ But all the congregation said to stone them with stones…” (Numbers 14:6-‐10a). APP: As we follow Jesus, He may ask us to do something way out of our comfort zone and far away from whatever most other churches / believers are doing. Are you willing to follow Him there, or do you prefer to stick with “we’ve always done,” because “we’ve never done it that way before.” Are you willing to trust God to move away from the crowd and follow Jesus in a trailblazing effort of obedience no matter where that trail goes??
(3) A Faith that does not Waver in the Face of Trouble! (v 37) “there arose a fierce gale of wind…”
EXP: The Amplified Bible translates the phrase here as, “a furious storm of wind of hurricane proportions.” Don’t be fooled by the deceitful lies and scheming of our enemy… Jesus’ presence with the disciples DID NOT guarantee a trouble-‐free life or ministry. In fact, Jesus promised just the opposite, “In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). James also instructed the First Century believers to whom he wrote to, “Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:2-‐4). Peter, too, reminded Christians scattered by persecution that they could rejoice in their salvation, “even though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been distressed by various trials, so that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even
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though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ…” (1 Peter 1:6-‐7). APP: Knowing trouble is unavoidable in this broken world, we take heart “that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). And in the midst of whatever trouble we encounter we CLING to JESUS!!
(4) A Faith that is not Squelched by Jesus’ Occasional Silence! (v 38) “Jesus Himself was… asleep…”
EXP: Don’t misunderstand, Jesus’ sleeping in this boat does not negate the truth of Psalm 121:4, which says, “Behold, He who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep.” Even though the disciples were puzzled by Jesus’ sleeping in the boat when things looked quite dangerous, Jesus was not unaware of the storm; He was hopeful that His disciples would trust His presence to guarantee their safety in the storm. But they needed more. They had not yet learned to trust Jesus when the tempest raged; they needed deliverance from the tempest. Jesus’ occasional silence DOES NOT equate to lack of concern! Sometimes He is teaching His followers to trust Him and His plan even when they (we) cannot see things happening. We must put full confidence in His final commission which was sealed by a huge promise – “and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age!” (Matthew 28:20b). ILL: (Add an illustration here depicting a time in your life or ministry when God was silent – not immediately providing the answer to your prayers – but in due time His answer came as you waited on Him) APP: Jesus is with you, whether or not He is currently doing something you can see! When He seems silent, keep trusting Him. As one Gospel song says, “When you can’t see His hand, trust His heart.”
(5) A Faith that Rejects Fear! (v 40) “Why are you afraid? How is it that you have no faith?” EXP: The Bible says, “Fear not!” 33 times (ESV), and “Do not fear!” 37 times (ESV), which is a strong reminder to all of us that one of our greatest enemies is FEAR!! However, when it comes to following Jesus, He expects us to reject fear and embrace faith…
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(Add ILLUSTRATION and APPLICATION to this point if you think time will permit, otherwise move on to the concluding point below…)
(6) A Faith that Embraces Jesus’ Majestic, Other-‐Worldly, Unrivaled Power! (v 41) “Who then is this?”
EXP: The disciples in the boat were overwhelmed by Jesus’ ability to calm a storm!! WHO can do this? WHO is this man? ILL: We cannot even imagine the incomparable power of God available to us through faith in Jesus Christ!! Paul described God’s power like this…
Ω “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-‐21)
APP: Jesus wasn’t finished demonstrating His Majestic, Other-‐Worldly, Unrivaled Power with the calming of a storm. The immediate contextual record provided in Mark 5, of Jesus’s answer to the disciples’ question, “Who then is this?” reveals that Jesus demonstrated His MAJESTIC, OTHER-‐WORLDLY, UNRIVALED power over man’s most formidable enemies. This should remove any further temptation His disciples might have to not have faith. Consider…
! Jesus has Authority over DEMONS!! (5:1-‐20) ! Jesus has Authority over DISEASE! (5:21-‐34) ! Jesus has Authority over DEATH! (5:35-‐43)
…if that isn’t enough for us to “faint not”, then, the writer of Hebrews paints unbelievable pictures of that power at work in God’s people:
Ω “And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets, who by faith conquered kingdoms, performed acts of righteousness, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, from weakness were made strong, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight. Women received back their dead by resurrection; and others were tortured not accepting their release, so that they might obtain a better resurrection; and others experienced mockings and scourgings, yes, also chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword, they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-‐treated (men/people of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground. And all these, having gained approval through their faith did not receive what was promised, because
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God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they would not be made perfect.” (Hebrews 11:32-‐40)
Conclusion: (Conclude with an illustration of how God miraculously demonstrated His power in your life or ministry or church family, as you chose to have faith in God when it seemed unreasonable to do so.) Our God is Able!! Today, He is inviting each one of us to REJECT FEAR and EMBRACE FAITH, with a heart of willingness to FOLLOW JESUS wherever He may lead!! † That might mean to place your faith in Jesus for the first time. † That might mean to repent of misplaced faith. † That might mean to renew your faith in Jesus above all else.
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Week 2 Message Scripture to Complement Days 6-‐10, “Rebuilding Trust in God’s Word”
The Insurmountable Value of God’s Word Psalm 119:30-‐32
(NASB) 30 I have chosen the faithful way;
I have placed Your ordinances before me. 31 I cling to Your testimonies;
O LORD, do not put me to shame! 32 I shall run the way of Your commandments,
For You will enlarge my heart. (ESV) 30 I have chosen the way of faithfulness;
I set your rules before me. 31 I cling to your testimonies, O LORD;
let me not be put to shame! 32 I will run in the way of your commandments
when you enlarge my heart! (KJV) 30 I have chosen the way of truth Thy judgments have I laid before me. 31 I have stuck unto thy testimonies:
O LORD, put me not to shame. 32 I will run the way of thy commandments,
When thou shalt enlarge my heart. ______________________________________________________________
Introduction: When we come to the Book of Psalms we enter into a rich plethora of profound prayer and praise. The arrangement of the Books of the Bible puts the Psalms center stage, and the Psalms put Psalm 119 at the heart of its magnificent offering of worship. The longest chapter in the Bible, almost every one of the 176 verses in Psalm 119 magnifies the Word of God! For example…
! verse 2 says, “Blessed are those who observe His testimonies; who seek Him with all their heart”
! verse 9 asks, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Thy word.”
! verse 25 the Psalmist confesses, “My soul cleaves to the dust; revive me according to Thy word.”
! verse 34 says, “Give me understanding that I may observe Thy law, and keep it with all my heart.”
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! verse 45 says, “I will walk at liberty, for I seek Thy precepts.” ! verse 58 says, “be gracious to me according to Thy word.” ! verse 80 petitions, “May my heart be blameless in Your statutes, so that I will not be
ashamed.” ! verse 97 declares, “O how I love Your law! It is my meditation all the day.” ! verse 111 says, “I have inherited Your testimonies forever, for they are the joy of my
heart.” ! verse 147 cries out, “I cried to You: save me and I shall keep Your testimonies.” ! verse 175 says, “Let my soul live that it may praise You, and let Your ordinances help
me.” IN SUMMARY, we could say that according to the richness of Psalm 119: Aligning our lives with the WORD OF GOD results in… …holiness (v 1) …blessing (v 2) …courage (vv 5-‐6) …purity (v 9) …victory over temptation (v 11) …the removal of reproach (v 22) …revival (v 25) …strength ( v 28) …understanding (v 34) …eyes directed by God (v 37) …salvation (v 41) …liberty (v 45) …hope (v 49) …comfort (v 50) …grace (v 58) …thanksgiving (v 62) …righteous companions (v 63) …discernment (v 66) …knowledge (v 66) …godly testimony (vv 73-‐74) …trust in God (v 75) …compassion (v 77) …patience (v 82) …confidence (v 89) …wisdom (v 98) …insight (v 99) …restraint from impulsiveness (v 101)
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…a light to my path (v 105) …joy (v 111) …perseverance (v 116) …despising wickedness (v 128) …sensitivity to sin (v 136) …mercy (v 156) …peace (v 165) …praise (v 171) …singing (v 172) Transition: When we come to verses 30-‐32 of Psalm 119, we discover that the Psalmist has exalted God’s Word to a place of Insurmountable Value! He has done this by:
(1) making a conscious choice regarding the Word of God; (2) taking a certain posture toward the Word of God; and (3) giving himself to the mysterious transformation the Word of God produces.
Let’s take a closer look at this love affair the Psalmist has with God’s Word:
I. A Conscious Choice. (119:30) “I have chosen the faithful way…” EXP: The Psalmist treasures the Word of God as his guard against sin (119:11), his delight (119:16), his source of wisdom (119:98), and his light on the pathway of life (119:105). In verse 30 he declares that he has CHOSEN to live according to God’s Word! He has made a conscious choice to live his life according to God’s way of faithful living. “I have chosen…” = the Hebrew word for chosen is bahar, which is a word used to describe a “careful, well thought-‐out choice; not arbitrary in nature.” It is used, for example, in Genesis 13:10-‐11 to describe Lot’s choice: “Lot lifted up his eyes and saw all the valley of the Jordan, that it was well watered everywhere – this was before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah – like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt as you go to Zoar. So Lot chose for himself all the valley of the Jordan, and Lot journeyed eastward. Thus they separated from each other.” Lot made a careful, well-‐thought-‐out choice regarding the valley of the Jordan. In the same way, the Psalmist has “chosen the faithful way!” He has considered his options, and he has, with a deliberate exercise of his insight and understanding, “chosen the faithful way; I have placed Your ordinances before me.” The Psalmist determined THERE IS NO BETTER WAY TO LIVE THAN IN LINE WITH THE WORD OF GOD! ILL: Some of you might be familiar with the life story of William Borden. In 1904 William Borden graduated from a Chicago high school. As heir to the Borden family fortune, he was
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already wealthy. For his high school graduation present, his parents gave 16-‐year-‐old Borden a trip around the world. As the young man traveled through Asia, the Middle East, and Europe, he felt a growing burden for the world's hurting people. In resolve, Bill Borden wrote home, informing his parents of his "desire to be a missionary.” One friend expressed disbelief that Bill was "throwing himself away as a missionary." A story often associated with Borden says that, in response to early criticism of his walking away from inheriting the Borden empire, he wrote two words in the back of his Bible: "No Reserves." Even though young Borden was wealthy, he arrived on the campus of Yale University in 1905 trying to look like just one more freshman. Very quickly, however, Borden's classmates noticed something unusual about him and it wasn't that he had lots of money. One of them wrote: "He came to college far ahead, spiritually, of any of us. He had already given his heart in full surrender to Christ and had really done it. We who were his classmates learned to lean on him and find in him a strength that was solid as a rock, just because of this settled purpose and consecration." Borden's missionary call finally narrowed to the Muslim Kansu people in China. Once he fixed his eyes on that goal, Borden never wavered. He also challenged his classmates to consider missionary service. One of them said of him: "He certainly was one of the strongest characters I have ever known, and he put backbone into the rest of us at college.” Upon graduation from Yale, Borden turned down some high-‐paying job offers. It has been reported that in his Bible, Bill Borden wrote two more words: "No Retreats." He refused to ignore his calling to missions. He went on to do graduate work at Princeton Seminary in New Jersey. When he finished his studies at Princeton, he sailed for China. Because he was hoping to work with Muslims, he stopped first in Egypt to study Arabic. While there, he contracted spinal meningitis. Unbelievably, within a month, 25-‐year-‐old William Borden was dead, never to have arrived in China. Was Borden's untimely death a waste? Not in God's perspective. As the story has it, prior to his death, Borden had written two more words in the back of his Bible. Underneath the words "No Reserves" and "No Retreats," he is reported to have written: "No Regrets." Many others have been inspired to follow God’s calling to missions because of William Borden’s strong and faithful CHOICE to follow Jesus, regardless the cost! APP: This is the kind of choice the Psalmist made regarding God’s Word. It is the kind of resolute choice each of us should make in our lives if we truly desire to see God glorified through our obedience to Him and love for His Word.
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II. A Certain Posture. (119:31) “I cling to Your testimonies…” EXP: Because of his devotion to, and love for, God’s Word, the Psalmist says he took the posture of “clinging to Your testimonies” (v 31). “I cling to Your testimonies…” = Once again we learn the significance of just such a posture toward the Word of God by understanding the word used by the Psalmist. Cling is the Hebrew word dabaq, meaning, “to follow closely; to cleave, or to stick to something.” The Hebrew word is used quite often in the OT of physical things sticking to each other, especially parts of the body. Job says that his bone cleaves to his skin (19:20) and that formerly the tongue of leading men cleaved to the roof of their mouths when he was present (29:10).1 ILL: Perhaps the best illustration of the use of this word, dabaq, is from a very familiar passage of Scripture heard at many weddings – Genesis 2:24. There Scripture says that, “a man shall leave his father and mother, and be joined to (cleave to) his wife; and they shall become one flesh.” This decree by God in the Garden of Eden has shaped our Biblical understanding of the life-‐long nature and permanence of the marital relationship. A husband and wife are literally “glued together” by the Spirit of God through the covenant of marriage. APP: This is the posture the Psalmist has taken toward the Word of God. He was “glued to it.” And in like manner so should we be! God’s Word should not just serve as a last resort for comfort in distress, or wisdom in decision-‐making. God’s Word should be that in which we find life and light! The description of the “righteous” person in Psalm 1 speaks to this posture: “…his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in His law he meditates day and night” (Psalm 1:2). Jesus addressed this need as well in some of His final instructions to His disciples before His crucifixion. “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you” (John 15:7). In another place, Jesus said, “He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me; and he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him” (John 14:21). In these, and many other places, Jesus attached an insurmountable value to the Word of God! To that Word we should cling!!
III. A Mysterious Transformation. (119:32) “You will enlarge my heart.”
1 Kalland, E. S. (1999). 398 .ָּדַבק R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological
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EXP: The Psalmist is confident that because he CHOOSES God’s Word over every other option for his life, and because he CLINGS to God’s Word as though his very life depends upon it (which it does), then a MYSTERIOUS TRANSFORMATION takes place within him that causes him to “run the way of Your commandments” (119:32). “for You will enlarge” = Enlarge comes from the Hebrew word rahab, meaning “to be wide; to be spacious; to broaden; to open oneself to something.” This creates a picture of a heart made bigger and bigger to respond to God and to love God because, “I have chosen the faithful way; I have placed Thine ordinances before me. I cleave to Thy testimonies… (Psalm 119:30-‐31a) This is a MYSTERIOUS TRANSFORMATION that God performs within the man or woman who CHOOSES God’s Word above every other option, and GLUES themselves in obedient love to God’s Word – He ENLARGES his or her heart to even greater love and obedience!! The Psalmist says an enlarged heart empowers him to “run the way of Your commandments!” (119:32) “my heart” = This Hebrew word (leb) occurs more than 600 times in the OT. It can refer to the literal organ inside a person’s chest, but usually it is used metaphorically to describe the inner person – the seat of emotion and intellectual activities; the innermost person. We often use the word “heart” in similar ways:
! someone who is kind has an “understanding heart” ! a wise person has a “heart of wisdom” ! something committed to memory is known “by heart” ! a “double-‐hearted” person is deceitful ! a “hard-‐hearted” person is stubborn or defiant ! to be devoted is to “give your heart and soul”
ILL: Perhaps you have experienced something of this enlarging when you chose to begin exercising after a long period of physical inactivity. At first you tired easily; your breathing quickly became heavy. But as you continued training, you soon discovered that you could go further, or run longer, or lift increased weights because you had been exercising. The benefit of your exercise was, in part, the ability to exercise longer and more deeply. APP: This is the MYSTERIOUS TRANSFORMATION that happens to the faithful follower of Jesus who CHOOSES God’s Word above every other choice, and who CLINGS in desperation to the Word of God as his / her source of life – that person, by the grace and goodness of God, is able to walk in faithfulness longer, and practice his faith more deeply in obedience than before! This is what will likewise occur among a group of believers (a church for instance) who corporately determine they will CHOOSE God’s Word and CLING to it like the Psalmist! That group of believers will soon face opportunities to press on in faith and experience greater fruit
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in more significant ways than they had before choosing and clinging!! They will RUN the way of His commandments!!! Conclusion: In the process of revitalizing a congregation where the church doors had been closed and the property had been given to the local Association of churches, the potential sponsoring church family did not have sufficient financial resources to accomplish the necessary remodeling work that lay ahead. It seemed as though, given human logic and common sense, that the sponsoring church family should decline the offer to receive the dormant 6-‐acre church campus in the heart of the city. However, both the sponsoring congregation, as well as their satellite congregation longing for a home of their own, determined it was better to CLING to the promises of God and CHOOSE the faithful way, even though they could not see how sufficient provisions could be realized. Upon receiving the property from the local Baptist Association, God miraculously provided more than $250,000 over the next 12 months to complete the renovation of the closed church, re-‐ignite the handful of believers from the congregation that formerly met there, and launch the sponsoring church’s satellite congregation on the property!! When the sponsoring congregation trusted God’s Word and the leading of His Spirit, God “supplied all [their] needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19). Gifts flooded in from unexpected sources – denominational agencies, the local Association, foundations, far-‐away friends, and faithful gifts from both the sponsoring and satellite congregations. God is more than able! Let’s together CHOOSE His way; CLING to His Word, and then participate in the MYSTERIOUS TRANSFORMATION that takes place within our own lives for His eternal glory and praise, as He causes us to RUN the way of His commandments! Invitation: What will it take for your to be a full participant in an effort like the one just described? † Do you need to trust Christ today as Savior? Give up putting it off and believe today? † Do you need to repent of your disobedience and sin, renewing your commitment to
Christ? † Do you need to CHOOSE to live according to God’s Word? † Do you need to begin CLINGING to His Word on a daily basis? † Do you need to begin to RUN the way of His commandments?
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Week 3 Message Scripture to Complement Days 11-‐15, “Honoring Christ’s Lordship”
The Irrevocable Nature of Christ’s Lordship Luke 9:23-‐27
(NASB) 23And He was saying to them all, ‘If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me. 24For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he is the one who will save it. 25For what is a man profited if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits himself? 26For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when He comes in His glory, and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. 27But I say to you truthfully, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.’ (Amplified) 23 And He said to all, If any person wills to come after Me, let him deny himself [disown himself, forget, lose sight of himself and his own interests, refuse and give up himself] and take up his cross daily and follow Me [cleave steadfastly to Me, conform wholly to My example in living and, if need be, in dying also].
24 For whoever would preserve his life and save it will lose and destroy it, but whoever loses his life for My sake, he will preserve and save it [from the penalty of eternal death].
25 For what does it profit a man, if he gains the whole world and ruins or forfeits (loses) himself?
26 Because whoever is ashamed of Me and of My teachings, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when He comes in the [threefold] glory (the splendor and majesty) of Himself and of the Father and of the holy angels.
27 However I tell you truly, there are some of those standing here who will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God.
________________________________________________________________ Introduction: In chapter 1 of his Introduction to Systematic Theology, John Frame states, “Our Jewish friends today often use Deuteronomy 6:4–5 as a kind of confession of faith: “Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.” This is a confession of lordship.
There is only one God, and he is Yahweh, the Lord. The Christians of the New Testament also confessed lordship: “Jesus is Lord” (Rom. 10:9–10; 1 Cor. 12:3; Phil. 2:11). We should notice, too, that over and over again in Scripture, God says he is going to do this or that so that people “shall know that I am the LORD” (as Ex. 6:7; 7:5, 17; 8:22; 14:4; 29:46; Isa. 45:6; 49:23, 26; Jer. 16:21; 24:7; etc.).
[As a result] we may say that “God is Lord” is the fundamental confession of the people of God in the Old Testament. The fundamental confession of the New Testament people of God
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is “Jesus is Lord.” That is a way of summarizing the main content of the Bible: “God is Lord” is the message of the Old Testament; “Jesus is Lord” is the message of the New Testament.2 This is, in fact, one and the same testimony. It is a testimony that we, who claim Christ, are often quick to desert! It is far too often the case that a person of group of persons “lord it over” the church family of which they are a part, ignoring the Irrevocable Nature of Christ’s Lordship! Transition: If we really want to see the Lordship of Christ revered anew among our fellowship it requires every individual member honoring and obeying Christ above all other influencing factors and persons of prominence. Luke describes what this looks like in this familiar text…
(1) Christ’s Lordship Wrecks Self-‐Acclaim and Self-‐Advancement. (9:23) “deny himself…” EXP: Shortly after Peter answered Jesus query to His disciples, “Who do the people say that I am?” (Luke 9:18), Peter provided another answer on behalf of the disciples. Peter declared that despite what the people thought, the disciples were convinced that Jesus was “The Christ of God” (Luke 9:20)! As a result of Peter’s declaration, Jesus gave His disciples three very specific instructions:
a. They should not yet make His Lordship known to others (9:21). b. He would be “killed and be raised up on the third day” (9:22). c. Those who chose to follow Him must “deny himself, and take up his cross daily and
follow Me” (9:23). In other words, Jesus was telling His disciples that they better make sure they want to be His follower, because whoever chooses that pathway will see Christ’s Lordship wreck ANY and ALL attempts at self-‐acclaim and self-‐advancement! “…must deny himself” = The Greek word rendered here is arneomai, meaning “deny; disown, repudiate.” Further it carries the idea of “to disregard; to pay no attention to; to say ‘No!’ to.” All of a person’s desires, motives, dreams, hopes, and ambitions are submitted to the Lordship of Jesus Christ if they are going to choose to be His follower! ILL: The Apostle Paul summarized a believer’s life in Galatians 2:20, “I am crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” 2 Frame, J. M. (2006). Salvation Belongs to The Lord: An Introduction to Systematic Theology (p. 7). Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing.
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APP: You and I had better be sure that we are fully prepared to lay down our own plans, our prominence, motives, ideas, dreams, ambitions, hopes, and desires in FULL and COMPLETE SURRENDER to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. He is Lord of all, and He must be acknowledged as Lord of our lives if we are going to claim to be His people!! In submission to Christ’s Lordship we: † Relegate our plans, dreams, desires, ambitions, hopes, and ideas to those of Christ! † Daily take up the life of Christ He is shaping within us, and that He has planned for us!
(2) Christ’s Lordship Magnifies God’s Faithfulness. (9:24) “…whoever loses his life…”
EXP: God’s economy of faith works in direct opposition to most of the assumptions by which humanity operates. Consider these DIVINE PARADOXES: † If you want to save your life, lose it (Luke 9:23). † If you want to be exalted, humble yourself (1 Peter 5:6). † If you want to receive, give (2 Corinthians 9:6). † If you want the peace of God’s kingdom, you must endure the tribulations of life (Acts
14:22). † If you want to have your needs met, make them secondary to pursuing Christ (Matthew
6:33). God reveals His faithfulness to us through these paradoxical realities! What Jesus promises those who choose to “deny [themselves] and take up [their] cross daily and follow Him” (9:23), is that in so losing their life “for [His] sake” (9:24), they will actually discover TRUE LIFE!! Everything that we would hope life could possibly be, is produced for us by grace when we submit to the Lordship of Christ – as individuals; as church bodies! ILL: Would you be surprised to learn that many of our missionary families, living in a cross-‐cultural context often find themselves mistreated, taken advantage of, offended, wronged, or in some way ill-‐treated – relationally, occupationally, even financially?? One such family, living in an international city where the government’s strategy is to become the world’s leading city, and where the majority of people living and working there are trying to make as much money as they can, there is a very obvious void of Christian influence over the Muslim culture. In that environment people in general can be very demanding, unfair at times, unkind, even unforgiving. But this family chooses to continue living as “salt and light” in the face of hardship, and daily they experience Christ’s Lordship over their troubles. This willingness to lose life for Christ’s sake ultimately magnifies God’s faithfulness in their lives. APP: If you and I want to live for Christ in this world, we must give up the idea that if we work hard enough, save long enough, and do enough good that we can finally create a safe
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environment for us and our family… and thereby preserve our lives!! That somehow, we can produce a trouble-‐free environment, and finally enjoy life. That is humanism, or Americanism, or some other kind of -‐ism, but that is not living under the Lordship of Christ. We will miss the experience of TRUE LIFE when we are busy trying to create “safe places” for us and the people we love. Instead, if we will be sold out to Christ’s Kingdom agenda, and allowing our lives to be spent for the glory of His Name, then we will experience “abundant life!!” LIFE is found in only ONE WAY – in Christ! Not in saving our lives, but in surrendering them to Him; His agenda; His will; His plan; His purpose.
(3) Christ’s Lordship Accesses God’s Rich Provision. (9:25) “what is a man profited…” EXP: While this may sound like it contradicts the values expressed in verse 24, the true “profit” (benefit; blessing; gain) for which every human soul thirsts is AVAILABLE!! However, it is ONLY FOUND in God’s upside down economy of faith-‐living!! There is NO RICH PROVISION in the “gaining of the whole world” – getting everything the world has to offer – but losing your own soul in the process!! Warren Wiersbe’s Bible Exposition Commentary explains this verse as: “If a person owned the whole world, he would still be too poor to buy back a lost life.” The Believer’s Bible Commentary suggests: “this life of abandonment [to which Christ calls us] is genuine living. It has a joy, a holy carefreeness, and a deep inward satisfaction that defies description.”3 ILL: One missionary family stated it in practical terms: “We have lived for two years in a city where the cost of living is about 15-‐20% above what we were accustomed to in the USA, and our collective income has been about 60% less than what we had in the US. Yet, by God’s grace and provision, HE is still turning our “few loaves and fishes” into an abundant provision, and HE has supplied our every need!! APP: The teaching of Scriptures can be our testimony when we choose to honor the Irrevocable Nature of Christ’s Lordship over our lives every day… † “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we
wear for clothing?’ For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:31-‐33).
3 MacDonald, W. (1995). Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. (A. Farstad, Ed.) (p. 1403). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.
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† “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s portion every day, that I may test them, whether or not they will walk in my instruction’” (Exodus 16:4).
(4) Christ’s Lordship Unveils God’s Mysterious Ways. (9:26) “whoever is ashamed of Me…”
EXP: The Bible reveals to us the mysteries of the universe, by revealing to us our Creator God and His mysterious ways with mankind. The mysteriousness of God is rooted in Isaiah’s prophetic words: “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-‐9). What are His “mysterious” ways and thoughts? † That “whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him,
when He comes in His glory…” (Luke 9:26). † BUT, ‘whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13), and
“…everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32).
† As Paul told the Ephesians… “He made known to us the mystery of His will; according to His kind intention which He purposed in [Christ] with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth” (Ephesians 1:9-‐10).
ILL: The MYSTERIOUS WAYS of God can be summarized in this way: Everything God is doing around us, and in our lives is to draw us more deeply into FAITH! Through faith, and by God’s grace, He will shape us more visibly into Christlike people! People who are obviously living under the Irrevocable Nature of Christ’s Lordship! The manner in which God guides us doesn’t always make sense to us, nor does it always seem logical. But our responsibility as “FOLLOWERS” of Jesus is to simply FOLLOW Jesus! He painted a 40-‐year-‐long picture of what that should look like in the wilderness wanderings of the nation of Israel, after they came out of Egypt: † Exodus 13:21, “The Lord was going before them in a pillar of cloud by day to lead them
on the way, and in a pillar of fire by night to give them light, that they might travel by day and by night.”
† Exodus 40:38, “For throughout all their journeys, the cloud of the Lord was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.”
† Numbers 9:17-‐23, “Whenever the cloud was lifted from over the tent, afterwards the sons of Israel would then set out; and in the place where the cloud settled down, there the sons of Israel would camp. At the command of the Lord the sons of Israel would set
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out, and at the command of the Lord they would camp; as long as the cloud settled over the tabernacle, they remained camped. Even when the cloud would linger over the tabernacle for many days, the sons of Israel would keep the Lord’s charge and not set out. If sometime the cloud remained a few days over the tabernacle, according to the command of the Lord they remained camped. Then according to the command of the Lord they set out. If sometimes the cloud remained from evening until morning, when the cloud was lifted in the morning, they would move out; or if it remained in the daytime and at night, whenever the cloud was lifted, they would set out. Whether it was two days or a month or a year that the cloud lingered over the tabernacle, staying above it, the sons of Israel remained camped and did not set out; but when it was lifted, they did set out. At the command of the Lord they camped, and at the command of the Lord they set out; they kept the Lord’s charge, according to the command of the Lord through Moses.”
APP: Don’t miss the important ingredient in honoring Christ’s Lordship displayed in how the children of Israel followed the cloud during their wilderness wanderings. THERE WAS NO NEGOTIATION BETWEEN THE PEOPLE AND GOD. When the cloud moved, the people moved. It didn’t matter how long they had been there; how comfortable they had become, or what they had scheduled. When God moved, they moved. Do we live like this today? Or, are we trying to negotiate with God? The Irrevocable Nature of Christ’s Lordship means we have our “YES” on the table and all He needs to say is, “March!” and we get up and march! No questions asked. We simply obey. Perhaps our church needs revitalization primarily because there has been too much negotiation and not enough obedience to the Will and Word of God.
(5) Christ’s Lordship Allows Us to Taste God’s Kingdom on Earth. (9:27) “some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God”
EXP: Bible scholars are divided as to what sighting of the “kingdom of God” Jesus is referring to, and who it is that will see it. The proposals offered by Biblical scholars to interpret “some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God” include: † Is He referring to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost? …for the disciples, or for all
those who experienced it? † Is He referring to His own death, burial, and victorious resurrection? …for the disciples,
or for all those who experienced it? † Is He referring to His ascension into heaven? …for the disciples who would be present? † Is He referring to His transfiguration? …for only Peter, James, John?
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No doubt the lack of clarity among Biblical scholars is so that we understand ALL OF THESE THINGS signified the coming of the Kingdom of God!! And through God’s continuing work among the nations, His kingdom is STILL coming!! ILL: Rest assured and BE GLAD that in the heart of the unbelieving world among Muslims, Animists, Buddhists, Hindus, native religions and non-‐religions, God’s Kingdom is STILL COMING!! † His kingdom is coming in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bhutan… † His kingdom is coming in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Sudan, Mauritania, Libya, and Syria… † His kingdom is coming in your city and your nation… and among all the peoples of the
earth, because one day people from every tribe and tongue, people and nation will gather around the eternal throne of Jesus Christ, worshipping Him alone forever and ever and ever!!
APP: So we have learned that though Christ’s Church is fractured and often divided; sometimes plateaued or even declining, comprised of broken people whose hearts are not always pure, His Kingdom is STILL Advancing! Projected growth in the Christian faith between now and 2030, based on current trends (Pew Research, published by LifeWay): † North America, +7.5% † Latin American & Caribbean, +25.3% † Middle East & North Africa, +43% † Sub-‐Saharan Africa, +11.5% † Asia & Pacific, +32.8% † Europe, -‐17.9% † Worldwide, +34.6%
Because Jesus is Lord, His Kingdom is Advancing! Conclusion: In the face of difficult challenges our humanity often prefers to find a safe place, doing as little as possible, until the storm passes. Most often, however, our Omnipotent, Sovereign Lord, Jesus Christ expects us to do just the opposite… to advance; to stay engaged in the battle for the souls of men, women and children. Not to hunker down and “hope for the best,” waiting for more favorable circumstances; “saving” our lives. But to put our full confidence in the Irrevocable Nature of Christ’s Lordship and “Charge!” against the enemy.
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For those of us who are cowered down in fear, today is the day for us to re-‐establish our confidence in the Lordship of Christ and rise up as the church of the living Lord, and fully expect the enemy’s defeat, and to gladly offer ourselves for the battle. Invitation: Call your people to full surrender to, and trust in, Jesus!
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Week 4 Message Scripture to Complement Days 16-‐19, “Resolving Our Differences”
The Unequivocal Expectation for Unity Ephesians 4:1-‐6
(NASB) 1 I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, entreat you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called, 2 with all humility and gentleness, with patience, showing forbearance to one another in love, 3 being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all. (KJV) I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation
wherewith ye are called, 2With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one
another in love; 3Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4There is
one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5One Lord, one faith,
one baptism, 6One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. (The Message) In light of all this, here’s what I want you to do. While I’m locked up here, a prisoner for the Master, I want you to get out there and walk – better yet, run! – on the road God called you to travel. I don’t want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don’t want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline – not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. You were called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly. You have one Master, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who rules over all, works through all, and is present in all. Everything you are and think and do is permeated with Oneness. Introduction: Pastor and author John MacArthur says this regarding the church at Ephesus: “Perhaps no church in history had as rich a heritage as the congregation at Ephesus.”4 Consider their heritage of faith:
4 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1999). Revelation 1–11 (p. 56). Chicago: Moody Press.
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! Priscilla and Aquila, traveling with Paul, first brought the Gospel to the Ephesians about A.D. 52 (Acts 18:18-‐19).
! Apollos preached and taught in Ephesus (Acts 18:24-‐25). ! Paul returned in A.D. 53 to strengthen the infant church, investing 3 years as pastor /
teacher (Acts 19:8,10; 20:31). ! Timothy became their pastor shortly thereafter (1 Timothy 1:3). ! Onesiphorus (2 Tim. 1:16, 18) and Tychicus (2 Tim 4:12), ministered at Ephesus. ! Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians was written about A.D. 62, during a Roman imprisonment
(Ephesians 3:1; 4:1). ! John the youngest of the apostles, spent the last decades of his life ministering in
Ephesus, according to the testimony of the early church. It was from Ephesus that John was arrested and exiled to Patmos.
! John addressed his Revelation to seven churches, the first and most prominent was “the church in Ephesus” (Revelation 2:1).
Yet with all this godly investment, over the first 40 years of the life of the church in Ephesus described above, the church digressed from a place of active, enthusiastic faith and a hunger for the Word of God (Acts 19:9-‐11; 20:37-‐38) to a church accused by Jesus Himself as a church which had “left your first love” (Revelation 2:4). In less than two generations, the Ephesian church was doctrinally sound, but had lost the warmth of passionate love for Jesus. We could call this the “Error of the Ephesians.” They were a doctrinally sound, fundamental, evangelical church 40 years after they were founded by the Apostle Paul and his friends, but they were a cold group of believers who had lost their passionate love for Christ! Jesus had a remedy for this situation: “…remember from where you have fallen, and repent and do the deeds you did at first…” (Revelation 2:5a). One of the most critical things Paul had taught them “at first” was The Unequivocal Expectation for Unity God has for the Body of Christ!! Unity is a sure sign of believers actively loving one another as Christ loves them, as well as a key indicator of their love for Jesus Himself. A big part of the “deeds [they] did at first” was to work together for UNITY in the Body of Christ. Transition: Today’s text clearly describes the Unity God expects among His people…
I. Unity’s Walk. (4:1) “I therefore… entreat you to walk in a manner worthy…” EXP: This text begins with the pivotal word, “Therefore…” which serves as a hinge word between what has already been written in this letter and what is written after the word. In this case it is not just a pivot between two ideas, but between the two major sections of Paul’s
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letter. As Bible teacher Warren Wiersbe says, this word “Therefore…” connects the first three chapters of the letter to the last three. He suggests thinking about it like this:
! The first three chapters deal with DOCTRINE; the last three with DUTY. ! The first three chapters deal with our RICHES in Christ, the last three with our
RESPONSIBILITIES in Christ. ! The first three chapters deal with the WEALTH of our blessings in Christ, the last three
with the WALK of our lives in Christ. Please take note that when Paul pivots his letter on the word “Therefore…” the first matter that he addresses is the Unequivocal Expectation for Unity in the Body of Christ. It is not only critical to the successful fulfillment of the Great Commission, it is an expected part of every believer’s WALK of faith! Thus, on the basis of everything the Holy Spirit inspired Paul to write in the first three chapters of the Ephesian Letter, he “implored” (“to earnestly appeal; practically begging”) them to walk in a way that represented Christ well. Unity among believers is a large part of living, or walking, “in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called…” One commentary suggests that, “The word “worthy” (axiōs) means “equal weight”; one’s calling and conduct should be in balance. “The calling” refers not only to believers’ salvation but also to their union in one body. Therefore, a Christian’s conduct concerns both his personal life and his responsibility to other believers in the church.”5 ILL: The early church demonstrated what this unity looked like in their day-‐to-‐day community life. Shortly after Pentecost and the Holy Spirit ushering “about 3,000 souls” (Acts 2:41) into the Kingdom, these new believers were:
# “continually devoting themselves to the apostles teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42).
# “all those who had believed were together and had all things in common…” (Acts 2:44). # “they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as
anyone might have need” (Acts 2:45). # “…they were taking their meals together with gladness…” (Acts 2:46). # “those who believed were of one heart and soul; and not one of them claimed that
anything belonging to him was his own, but all things were common property to them” (Acts 4:32).
# “there was not a needy person among them, for all who were owners of land or houses would sell them and bring the proceeds of the sales and lay them at the apostles’ feet, and they would be distributed to each as any had need” (Acts 4:35).
# “…while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being
5 Hoehner, H. W. (1985). Ephesians. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 632). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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overlooked in the daily serving of food… so the twelve summoned the congregation and said… select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task…” (Acts 6:1-‐3).
APP: This zealous commitment to “walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called” by preserving the unity of the early church had remarkable results… the kind of results all churches long to experience: † “And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved”
(Acts 2:47). † “with great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord
Jesus, and abundant grace was upon them all” (Acts 4:33). † “The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to
increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith” (Acts 6:7).
These are the results of a Spirit-‐infused Body of believers devoted to Jesus, obedient to His Word, and eager to maintain UNITY in the church! But there is WORK to do if our church will experience this unity and the Spirit-‐breathed results that come as a result.
II. Unity’s Work. (4:2-‐3) “…being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit…” EXP: Unity’s work is that of the Spirit within each believer producing “humility and gentleness, with patience, showing tolerance for one another in love, being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (4:2-‐3). Of the seven characteristics expected of each believer for the preservation of unity, four of them are specifically designated as part of the “fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22-‐23):
! Gentleness = typically used as the opposite of harshness; not being harsh with people. ! Patience = more commonly, longsuffering. It is “a state of emotional calm in the face of
provocation or misfortune and without complaint or irritation.”6 ! Love = this is the agape love attributed to God, and only through whom, and by His
grace, are we able to demonstrate such divine love to one another. This is a sacrificial, other-‐centered affection.
! Peace = to be without trouble in relationship to one another; to sit down one’s heart. The other three characteristics also have a prominent role in every Spirit-‐filled believer’s life:
6 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-‐English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 306). New York: United Bible Societies.
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! Humility = “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5).
! Tolerance = “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” (Romans 2:4). It signifies putting up with challenges or difficulties. It does not refer to an “anything goes” mentality.
! Diligent = “Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us each of us is to exercise them accordingly… he who leads with diligence…”(Romans 12:6-‐8). The idea is to work hard at something; to give intense effort; give one’s best.
These characteristics are made possible through submission to the Holy Spirit and the all-‐sufficient grace of God. Their presence is the indication that God is at work in someone, and that the person is submitted to His perfecting work within. “Apart from [Him we] can do nothing” (John 15:5c). ILL: What this means is that when we set our hearts on Christ, pursuing our relationship with Him above every other priority, He works in us to perfect His character and demonstrate His character through us. By His grace, we then join Him in the work of UNITY through Spirit-‐empowered effort. Paul expressed this Spirit-‐led, cooperative effort in his letter to the Philippians: “So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure” (Phil 2:12-‐13). APP: The real WORK in preserving unity belongs to the Holy Spirit as He works in the lives of God’s people when they are fully surrendered to Him. But this does not leave us without responsibility. We submit (see Paul’s admonition in Ephesians 5:18); the Spirit perfects Christ’s character in us. As His character prevails, we hunger and long for more of Him, and by His grace He designs even deeper Christlikeness in us (see also Philippians 3:10 and Colossians 3:1-‐3). Are you fully surrendered to the perfecting work of God’s Holy Spirit? Are you longing for Him to do an even deeper work of Christlikeness in you? Unity in our church family depends on our full participation in this WORK of God. It is quite probable that of the seven characteristics Paul mentions in today’s text there is at least one you need the Spirit’s deeper perfecting work. The revitalization of our fellowship, and our unity moving forward, depends on every single one of us surrendering completely to the Spirit’s perfecting work!
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III. Unity’s Way. (4:4-‐6) “There is one Body and one Spirit…” EXP: Unity is God’s Unequivocal Expectation for His children primarily because there is no division in God, nor is there any division in our heaven-‐ordained faith. As people of faith there is only…
! ONE Body (4:4). ! ONE Hope (4:4). ! ONE Faith (4:5). ! ONE Baptism (4:5).
In God there is only…
! ONE Spirit (4:4). ! ONE Lord (4:5). ! ONE God and Father of all (4:6).
This is “Unity’s Way;” no division whatsoever! UNITED!! John R. W. Stott describes the working of this Unity in God and in our Faith like this: “First, the one Father creates the one family. Secondly, the one Lord Jesus creates the one faith, hope and baptism. Thirdly, the one Spirit creates the one body.”7 ILL: Dr. Stott continues in his commentary to provide this example: “Imagine a couple called Mr. and Mrs. John Smith, and their three sons, Tom, Dick and Harry. They are one family; there is no doubt about that. Marriage and parenthood have united them. But in the course of time the Smith family disintegrates. Father and mother quarrel, keep up an uneasy truce for several years, become increasingly estranged and finally get a divorce. The three boys also quarrel, first with their parents and then with each other, and separate. Tom goes to live in Canada, Dick in South Africa and Harry in Australia. They never meet, write or telephone. They lose contact with each other altogether. More than that. So determined are they to repudiate each other that they actually change their names by deed poll. It would be hard to imagine a family which has experienced a more disastrous disintegration than this. All mutual relationships have been severed. Now supposing we were cousins of the Smith family, how would we react? Would we shrug our shoulders, smile complacently and mutter ‘Oh, well, never mind, they are still one family, you know’? We would be quite correct. In God’s sight I reckon they are still one family, indestructibly. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are still husband and wife and still parents of their three 7 Stott, J. R. W. (1979). God’s New Society: The Message of Ephesians (p. 151). Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press.
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sons, who are still brothers. For simply nothing can alter the unity of the family which the circumstances of marriage and birth have imposed upon it. But would we acquiesce in this situation? Would we try to excuse or minimize the tragedy of their disunity by appealing to the indestructibility of their family ties? No, this would not satisfy either our mind or our heart or our conscience. What, then, would we do? Surely we would seek to be peacemakers. We would urge them to ‘maintain the unity of the family by means of the bond of peace’, that is, to demonstrate their family unity by repenting and getting reconciled to one another.”8
APP: In the same way, the church’s indestructible unity in God’s sight is no excuse for acquiescing in the tragedy of its actual disunity among mankind. We must seek to be the very peacemakers our calling imposes upon us. It is The Unequivocal Expectation of our Holy God that we do so. That there be peace among us, and unity between us! Conclusion: So important is Unity in the Body of Christ that Christ established this pattern for His followers from the beginning of His ministry: “…if you are presenting your offering at the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your offering there before the altar and go; first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and present your offering” (Matthew 5:23-‐24). Reconciliation of relationships, for the sake of UNITY and godliness, is more important than presenting an offering of worship to the Lord!! In fact, our worship is hindered as long as there is disunity and a lack of reconciliation. Our fellowship is broken; our purpose is skewed; our effectiveness is stymied. God is calling us today to repent of our disunity and be reconciled with one another in the Body of Christ. This is true both within our own church family, as well as among the larger family of faith beyond our assembly. For indeed, there is just ONE Lord, ONE faith, ONE baptism, ONE hope, ONE God, ONE Spirit, ONE BODY!! Invitation: What steps do you need to take today to contribute to the revitalization of our church family through reconciliation with others? How can you respond to God’s Word today and take necessary steps toward Jesus restoring the UNITY of our church?
! Is there a brother or sister present today with whom you need to meet and offer and receive forgiveness for past sins against one another? Go find them now.
! Is there a brother or sister not present today, or in another church, with whom you need to be similarly reconciled? Go call them and set up the appointment to do so.
Revitalization of our Body will not take place until our relationships are healed by God’s grace and restored for His glory.
8 Ibid. (pp. 152–153).
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Week 5 Message Scripture to Complement Days 20-‐26, “Following Kingdom Leaders”
The Irrepressible Example for Leaders Philippians 2:3-‐11
(NASB) 3Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7but £emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-‐servant, and being made in the likeness of men. 8Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, 10so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (ESV) 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, 10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
________________________________________________________________ Introduction: If you Googled “Who are the greatest leaders in world history?” you may be surprised at who shows up on various lists. For example, industryleadersmagazine.com lists their opinion of ten great leaders across history. Their list includes some men we esteem like George Washington and Mahatma Gandhi, and others we do not esteem like Adolph Hitler and Fidel Castro. One of history’s most recognizable leaders on their list is Great Britain’s Winston Churchill, Prime Minister during WW II, from 1940-‐45, and then again from 1951-‐1955. Historian Herbert G. Nicholas wrote the following summary about Churchill’s stature as a great leader:
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In any age and time a man of Churchill’s force and talents would have left his mark on events and society. A gifted journalist, a biographer and historian of classic proportions, an amateur painter of talent, an orator of rare power, a soldier of courage and distinction, Churchill, by any standards, was a man of rare versatility. But it was as a public figure that he excelled. His experience of office was second only to Gladstone’s, and his gifts as a parliamentarian hardly less, but it was as a wartime leader that he left his indelible imprint on the history of Britain and on the world. In this capacity, at the peak of his powers, he united in a harmonious whole his liberal convictions about social reform, his deep conservative devotion to the legacy of his nation’s history, his unshakable resistance to tyranny from the right or from the left, and his capacity to look beyond Britain to the larger Atlantic community and the ultimate unity of Europe.9
Transition: It seems that most of the website offerings for “Great Leaders,” miss the one most significant and influential leader in all of human history – Jesus of Nazareth, or Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as we know Him. An article in Forbes magazine’s April 2014 issue states, “You don't have to be Christian to learn leadership lessons from Jesus. Despite being executed as a criminal, Jesus managed to start a faith that now has more than 2 billion followers and has lasted almost 2,000 years. Clearly, Jesus knew a thing or two about leadership.” Our text today is a beautiful picture of Christ’s Irrepressible Example for Leaders. Read Philippians 2:3-‐11 (perhaps in unison, or responsively, or with several readers) Today’s text has been hailed as “The Great Parabola,” telling the story of Christ’s glory, humility, and exaltation! One pastor has said, “This passage is among the most glorious sections of the New Testament. In these few verses we see the great sweep of Christ’s life from eternity past to eternity future, and we are admitted to the breathtaking purposes of God in human salvation.”10 It is a text that reveals the Irrepressible Example for Leaders to emulate, from pastors to parents, teachers to employers, deacons to elected officials, ministry leaders to neighbors. All of us benefit from Christ’s example. The first dimension of Christ’s Irrepressible Example for Leaders is…
I. Other-‐Centered Humility. (2:3-‐4) “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit…”
9 Nicholas, Herbert G. (2018). “Winston Churchill.” Encyclopedia Britannica online version. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Winston-‐Churchill 10 Boice, James M. (2000). Philippians: An Expositional Commentary (p. 109). Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
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EXP: Christ’s Irrepressible Example of leadership is deeply rooted in the “attitude” which Paul is commending most highly in this text – HUMILITY. Twice he uses the word humility (2:3,8). It is a word that signifies what Paul wrote to the Romans when he said, “…I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think…” (Romans 12:3). Later in that same chapter he repeated himself by saying, “…do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation” (Romans 12:16). A humble person puts other people ahead of himself or herself. This is a humility with purpose; an other-‐centered humility:
! “regard one another as more important than yourselves” (2:3b). ! “look out… for the interests of others (not just your own)” (2:4).
“Don’t be selfish with your life,” Paul is saying. “Instead, look around you and live in light of what those around you need, and then do everything in your power to meet those needs.” Leadership is not about what one person can attain for himself or herself. Rather, it is a privilege to leverage one’s position for the benefit of others. ILL: Even among non-‐Christians a principle of humility exists (though it may be a self-‐serving). Nonetheless, one example is Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, Ruler of Dubai and Vice-‐President of the United Arab Emirates. In regard to his responsibility as leader of his people He speaks of a kind of humility where others are put first. In his book, Flashes of Thought, Sheikh Mohammed wrote these words: “within our system of government… the ruler has the well-‐being and benefit of his people in mind at all times. It is not a position of privilege, but one of service and responsibility.”11 APP: When this attitude of Other-‐Centered Humility is present in followers of Jesus there is no limit to what God will accomplish through any single person or church! Or as someone once said, “It is amazing what can be accomplished when no one cares who gets the credit.” Jesus told His apostles when they were arguing among themselves as to which one of them was greatest, that “whoever then humbles himself as this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:4). Christ’s example for today’s leaders runs deeper, however, than just Other-‐Centered Humility. There is also the presence of… 11 Al Maktoum, Mohammed bin Rashid. Flashes of Thought: Lessons in Life and Leadership from the Man Behind Dubai (p. 107). Profile. Kindle Edition.
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II. Self-‐Sacrificing Servanthood. (2:5-‐7) “[He]…emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-‐servant…”
EXP: Paul unpacks Jesus’ “humility” by describing the scope of His self-‐sacrifice. How far did Jesus’ humility take Him? From His existence “in the form of God” (2:6) to being “a bond-‐servant… in the likeness of men” (2:7). Or, from heaven to earth. Why would anyone do this? Well… we will answer that question in just a moment, but for now, let’s comprehend this leap of Self-‐Sacrifice, so that we can learn how to emulate it as today’s leaders. “…He existed in the form of God” (v 6) = The Greek says, en morpheio theou, which refers to Jesus’ form or image; His morpheio (see 2 Cor 4:4 where the same word describes Jesus as “the image of God”). Morpheio theou describes Jesus’ essential attribute; His very identity. Thus, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul is saying that Jesus’s identity is God! In other words, Paul is saying that before Jesus was born, He existed as God! BUT, “[He]… did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped…” (v 6) = The KJV translates the phrase as “thought it not robbery to be equal with God.” The structure of this phrase in the original Greek means, “being God was not a prize for Jesus to win (grasp/rob/demand), nor was it a prize he had to hold on to (since it was already His). He was simply God with nothing to prove to anyone. SO, “[He]… emptied Himself…” (v 7) = “made himself of no reputation” (KJV). The question here often becomes, “Of what did Jesus empty Himself?” The Greek word for “empty,” kenos, as used here has been used to develop a great controversy over Who and What Jesus really was. (The Kenosis doctrine is a faulty doctrine developed in the 19th century that overemphasizes Christ’s humanity to the point that He is merely a good, perhaps even perfect, Jewish man, but not God.) In every other NT usage of the verb kenoo the word means “to deprive something of its proper place and use.” The word, as used here by Paul, does not mean that Christ emptied Himself of His deity – He did not quit being God. Instead, Christ emptied Himself of His proper place and use. He gave up His environment of glory and took upon Himself the limitations of humanity. J. B. Lightfoot translates this as “He stripped Himself of the insignia of majesty.” ILL: In heaven, Jesus is unmistakably God and is honored and seen in all His glory! (see Revelation 5) On earth, however, Jesus was seen as anything but God by most people. He appeared simply as…
! a mere baby ! an earthly King ! the King of the Jews ! Rabbi
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! Teacher ! miracle-‐worker ! prophet ! healer
But few recognized His true identity. This brought about Jesus’ question to His disciples “Who do people say that I am?” (Mark 8:27). “Some say John the Baptist; and others Elijah; but still others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets” (Matthew 16:14). He did not look like God because He had “taken the form of a bond-‐servant” (v 7). APP: What Christ did is so unlike us. If we are willing to serve people’s needs, we usually at least want to be recognizable… AND gain some kind of credit for our actions. But remember what Jesus told His disciples? He said, “Don’t tell people who I really am” (see Mark 8:30). He was suggesting, “let’s see if they figure it out.” But, of course, they did not (see Luke 19:41-‐44). Though it is not typical human behavior, those who lead in the church today should be following the same pattern as Jesus… sacrificing themselves for the benefit of others, not concerned in the least with gaining credit for their actions. Such leaders choose to meet the needs of God’s people as they are enabled to do so and as they have opportunity. Period. Why would anyone do this? What is the hoped-‐for result? As with Jesus’ obedience, to bring others to God, which leads us to the crux of the matter…
III. Cross-‐Driven Obedience. (2:8) “He humbled Himself… to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
EXP: There was one thing driving Jesus’ self-‐sacrificing humility – OBEDIENCE to His Father’s plan. He came for one purpose. Stepping out of the glory of His majesty in heaven and entering into His creation was not sufficient in itself. He stooped yet lower; humbling Himself to a cruel death on a rugged cross of shame to bear our sin and disgrace! Christ’s mission was not complete until He had humbled Himself entirely… …the Creator took on Creation …the Eternal stepped into time …God took on humanity …Glorious took the appearance of earthly …Lord became servant …the Sinless One became Sin for us …Eternal Life tasted death
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The Eternal, Ever-‐Existent One, Perfect, Sinless, Holy ONE, submitted Himself to life as a human (God in the flesh), conviction as a criminal, and death on a cross in OBEDIENCE to His Father’s will. It is not just that Jesus became flesh; it is that he, the Always, Eternal One voluntarily stepped into Death – His own Judgment on Sin! ILL: Every action of obedience to God is typically driven by a very similar belief – that God’s way is best! Though I may not understand what God is doing or how this benefits me or others, I obey God, trusting that He will use my obedience for His glorious purpose! Daniel’s friends Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego are wonderful examples of this attitude of OBEDIENCE. When confronted with the choice to bow down and worship Nebuchadnezzar’s golden image OR be cast into “a furnace of blazing fire” (Daniel 3:6), they refused to bow down. When offered a second chance to bow down, they courageously responded: “…our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire, and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up” (Daniel 3:17-‐18). APP: While we will most likely NOT be crucified on a literal cross as was Christ, we have already been crucified with Him, according to Paul in Galatians 2:20. As a result of our crucifixion with Him, He now asks us to “take up your cross daily and follow Me” (Luke 9:23), as we saw in Week Three of our series and in our 40-‐Day Prayer Guide. We, too, have the opportunity every single day to demonstrate Cross-‐Driven OBEDIENCE to the Lord Jesus Christ and to His Holy Word… OBEDIENCE for the sake of those who have not yet believed, and for those who have believed but stand in need of ministry. So, we humbly sacrifice ourselves in obedience to the Spirit’s leadership in our lives, trusting that in the end others will be blessed and that we will receive whatever exaltation our heavenly Father chooses for us… which is the final dimension of Christ’s Irrepressible Example…
IV. God-‐Entrusting Exaltation. (2:9-‐11) “For this reason also, God highly exalted Him” EXP: It is hard for us to imagine Christ NOT being obedient to the Father’s plan. He did humbly, and willingly sacrifice Himself on the cross for God’s glory and our salvation. Had He not done so, there would be NO EXALTATION of Christ today (and no salvation)! Thankfully Jesus entrusted Himself to the Father’s plan and He is now HIGHLY EXALTED!! † His Name is “above every other name” (v 9) † At the Name of Jesus “every knee will bow” (v 10) † At the Name of Jesus “every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord” (v 11)
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APP: This same principle is true for those who follow Christ. Peter instructed First Century believers to “humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time” (1 Peter 5:6). This signifies that there can be seasons wherein, because of our humble, self-‐sacrificing obedience, God exalts us for His particular glory. Jesus affirmed this Himself when He spoke to the crowds, “the greatest among you shall be your servant. Whoever exalts himself shall be humbled; and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted” (Matthew 23:11-‐12; see also Luke 14:11 and 18:14). There is also the final exaltation which awaits all those who have placed their faith in Jesus. Matthew records Peter’s question regarding this, and Jesus’ answer:
“Then Peter said to Him, ‘Behold, we have left everything and followed You; what then will there be for us?’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Truly I say to you, that you who have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of Man will sit on His glorious throne, you also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or farms for My name’s sake, will receive many times as much, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last; and the last, first.’” (Matthew 19:27-‐30)
Conclusion: Leaders in the church who lead for any other reason than to humbly, sacrificially, draw others to Christ with no regard for their own recognition, must repent, seek God’s and the church’s forgiveness, and return to the The Irrepressible Example of Christ! Leaders in the church are actually servants of the church, who take upon themselves Jesus’ instruction:
“When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, do not take the place of honor, for someone more distinguished than you may have been invited by him, and he who invited you both will come and say to you, ‘Give your place to this man,’ and then in disgrace you proceed to occupy the last place. But when you are invited, go and recline at the last place, so that when the one who has invited you comes, he may say to you, ‘Friend, move up higher;’ then you will have honor in the sight of all who are at the table with you. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Luke 14:8-‐11)
Invitation: There are some of us who stand in deep need of repentance and forgiveness for our self-‐exaltation and “lording it over” others. Instead of humbly and sacrificially serving the Body of Christ in order to bring others to Christ, you have chosen a selfish and self-‐serving pathway. Without repentance among those who have served with wrong motives, our church WILL NOT be revitalized for the glory of God. Let’s respond to God’s gracious invitation to repent today.
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Week 6 Message Scripture to Complement Days 27-‐33, “Re-‐establishing Jesus’ Priorities”
The Unbelievable Priority of Prayer Mark 11:12-‐26
(NASB) 12On the next day, when they had left Bethany, He became hungry. 13Seeing at a distance a fig tree in leaf, He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it; and when He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. 14He said to it, “May no one ever eat fruit from you again!” And His disciples were listening. 15They they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple and began to drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; 16and He would not permit anyone to carry merchandise through the temple. 17And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations?’ But you have made it a robber’s den.” 18The chief priests and the scribes heard this and began seeking how to destroy Him; for they were afraid of Him, for the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching. 19When evening came, they would go out of the city. 20As they were passing by in the morning, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. 21Being reminded, Peter said to Him, “Rabbi, look, the fig tree which You cursed has withered.” 22And Jesus answered saying to them, “Have faith in God. 23Truly I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be taken up and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says is going to happen, it will be granted him. 24Therefore I say to you, all things for which you pray and ask, believe that you have received them, and they will be granted to you. 25Whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you your transgressions. 26But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father who is in heaven forgive your transgressions.”
________________________________________________________________ Introduction: About ten years ago Paul Miller authored a book entitled A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World. To set the stage for much of his discussion about prayer, he tells this story in Chapter 1; it’s a story to which most all of us can relate:
I was camping for the weekend in the Endless Mountains of Pennsylvania with five of our six kids. My wife, Jill, was home with our eight-‐year-‐old daughter, Kim. After a disastrous camping experience the summer before, Jill was happy to stay home. She said she was giving up camping for Lent.
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I was walking down from our campsite to our Dodge Caravan when I noticed our fourteen-‐year-‐old daughter, Ashley, standing in front of the van, tense and upset. When I asked her what was wrong, she said, “I lost my contact lens. It’s gone.” I looked down with her at the forest floor, covered with leaves and twigs. There were a million little crevices for the lens to fall into and disappear. I said, “Ashley, don’t move. Let’s pray.” But before I could pray, she burst into tears. “What good does it do? I’ve prayed for Kim to speak, and she isn’t speaking.” Kim struggles with autism and developmental delay. Because of her weak fine motor skills and problems with motor planning, she is also mute. Prayer was no mere formality for Ashley. She had taken God at his word and asked that he would let Kim speak. But nothing happened. Kim’s muteness was testimony to a silent God. Prayer, it seemed, doesn’t work. I needed help when Ashley burst into tears in front of our minivan. I was frozen, caught between her doubts and my own. I had no idea that she’d been praying for Kim to speak. What made Ashley’s tears so disturbing was that she was right. God had not answered her prayers. Kim was still mute. I was fearful for my daughter’s faith and for my own. I did not know what to do. I had little confidence God would do anything, but I prayed silently, Father, this would be a really good time to come through. You’ve got to hear this prayer for the sake of Ashley. Then I prayed aloud with Ashley, “Father, help us to find this contact.” When I finished, we bent down to look through the dirt and twigs. There, sitting on a leaf, was the missing lens. Prayer made a difference after all.12
Transition: If we would be totally honest with one another, many of us have felt the same as Paul’s daughter Ashley at some point or another in our journey of faith. Does prayer really make a difference? How can I be sure? In the eleventh chapter of Mark’s Gospel we have the account of Jesus visiting the temple in Jerusalem near the end of his earthly ministry. Unfortunately, He found the temple to be in a similar mess of upside-‐down priorities as when He had visited early in His ministry (see John 2:13-‐22). Both then (John’s account) and now (Mark’s account) Jesus took immediate and drastic action to “drive out those who were buying and selling in the temple” (Mark 11:15), even using “a scourge of cords” (John 2:15). Early in His ministry he demanded that the people “stop 12 Miller, Paul E. (2009) A Praying Life: Connecting with God in a Distracting World (pp. 1-‐6). Colorado Springs: NavPress. Kindle Edition.
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making My Father’s house a place of business” (John 2:16). Near the end of His ministry, with business as usual happening in the temple, Jesus demanded with greater force and urgency that “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all the nations. But you have made it a robber’s den” (Mark 11:17). In both instances Jesus was reinforcing the necessity of God’s people being a praying people, and their gathering place being known as a place of prayer! Whether or not prayer always seems to work as we think it should does not change the fact that God has placed an Unbelievable Priority on Prayer for His people. How was Jesus teaching this in His reactions to the lack of prayer in the temple? He taught the Priority of Prayer by exposing “The Problem,” declaring “His Expectation,” and by communicating “The Remedy…”
I. The Problem. (11:12-‐19) EXP: In a way which only Jesus could do, He beautifully ties together the realities of the spiritual and the material. In so doing, he lays bare the PROBLEM that existed in the Jewish religion. At first glance, Jesus cursing a fig tree that was not in the season for bearing ripe figs seems very peculiar. Even Mark comments that “it was not the season for figs.” However, Jesus’ action should not be misunderstood:
(a) A fig tree “in leaf” would be expected to have some immature fruit on it, or at minimum some early “buds” without which there would be no fruit produced later in the year. Common poor people often would gather a handful of the buds for food. However, this tree, now bearing green leaves should have had either buds, or unripened fruit on it – but instead it was barren. This barrenness in nature matched the spiritual barrenness Jesus had just observed the previous day when “Jesus entered Jerusalem and came to the temple” (11:11). JUST LIKE THE BARREN FIG TREE, SO TOO WAS THE TEMPLE BARREN OF THE NATIONS GATHERED FOR WORSHIPING PRAYER!!
(b) Additionally, Jesus’ cursing the fig tree wasn’t about the fig tree at all – it was about Israel, and His opinion of the condition in which Jesus found them. Israel is likened to the fig tree in Hosea 9:10. One commentary says, “The promising but unproductive fig tree symbolized ISRAEL’S SPIRITUAL BARRENNESS despite divine favor and the impressive outward appearance of their religion.”13 Jesus was pointing out that the problem among His people was that they were:
! Fruitless (vv 12-‐14) “He found nothing but leaves…” (v 13) 13 Grassmick, J. D. (1985). Mark. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 157). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
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! Prayerless (vv 15-‐19) “My house shall be called a house of prayer…” (v 17) ! Directionless (vv 15-‐19) “you have made it a robbers’ den” (v 17)
ILL: Pastor Adrian Rogers once said, “One of the curses of twentieth-‐century Christianity is Sunday-‐morning religion.”14 He went on to explain that “this is the problem of a house and a heart divided… in a church service people act “spiritual,” [but when] the service is over and this sanctified throng reaches the cafeteria line over at the shopping center, they seem to be amazingly normal.”15 APP: Pastor Rogers could have been talking about many of the Jewish people in Jesus’ day – spiritual appearance on the surface; hearts far from God. In fact, Jesus tried to point this out to the Jewish leaders when He quoted Isaiah: “You hypocrites, rightly did Isaiah prophesy of you: This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far away from Me” (Matthew 15:7-‐8). The church of the Lord Jesus Christ, just like the nation of Israel in Jesus’ day, is expected to bear fruit!! The Gospel is not designed to be kept locked away as a safe haven for our children and grandchildren alone! It is designed to bear fruit! Bearing fruit is how we “prove to be [His] disciples!” (John 15:8). Rest assured, a PRAYERLESS people will undoubtedly be a FRUITLESS and DIRECTIONLESS people. Jesus is equally grieved when He sees us gathering in prayerless worship or Bible study, or small groups; or living our daily lives in prayerless communion with Him. Paul’s instructions for the church at Thessalonica, and through them to us, is to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17)!
II. The Expectation. (11:12-‐26) EXP: What Jesus expected to see when He arrived at the temple was a gathering of people from ANY and ALL nations offering God prayer-‐filled worship, but instead He found a place of commerce designed to make religious duty convenient for pilgrims. Jesus had found the temple in this condition at the outset of His ministry (see John 2:13-‐16). Now, just three years later, not much had changed. The chief priests and the scribes were still supporting misguided priorities, preferring convenience and commerce over holiness and obedience!
(a) For the CONVENIENCE of pilgrims, animal handlers made it easy to purchase the appropriate sacrifice and guarantee it to be kosher. So, they set up businesses in the Court of the Gentiles.
14 Rogers, Adrian. (2015). The Power of His Presence. (p. 25). USA: Innovo Publishing. 15 Ibid.
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(b) Others were selling the doves required for a sin offering for the poor people who could not afford to bring a lamb to sacrifice (Leviticus 5:7-‐13). (It was the sacrifice Joseph and Mary offered when they dedicated Jesus in the temple Luke 2:24).
(c) Again, for COVENIENCE, and because there was imperial money (Roman), provincial money (Greek), and local money (Jewish), money changers provided the required Tyrian (Jewish) coinage for the annual half-‐shekel temple tax (Exodus 30:12–16) required of all male Jews 20 years of age and up.
(d) And for such CONVENIENCE surcharges were added, often smacking of extortion and fraud.
(e) In addition, (see Mark 11:16) people loaded with merchandise were taking shortcuts through this area, making it a COMMERCIAL THOROUGHFARE from one part of the city to another. Jesus was outraged by this blatant disregard for the temple area specifically set apart for Gentile use.
The MAIN POINT of Jesus’ complaint, however, seems to be that all this commerce and convenience took place in the Court of the Gentiles! Hence quoting Isaiah 56:7, the bone of contention is that the place intended for Gentiles (‘all nations’) to pray, was being misused by the Jews for trade (and profit). Their selfishness pushed the nations away from God… ARE WE DOING THE SAME THING?? Faithfulness to the Unbelievable Priority of Prayer would have resulted in the things Jesus EXPECTED to see in God’s temple:
! Fruit! (vv 12-‐14) “He went to see if perhaps He would find anything on it” (v 13) ! Nations! (vv 15-‐19) “…a house of prayer for all the nations” (v 17) ! Faith! (vv 20-‐26) “Have faith in God” (v 22)
ILL: Some of the final words Jesus spoke to His disciples before ascending to heaven were a command to “not leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised…” (Acts 1:4). And what did these followers do while they were waiting? They “were continually devoting themselves to prayer… a gathering of about 120 persons…” (Acts 1:14-‐15). And they prayed. And they prayed. And they prayed. For ten days they prayed. And “when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a noise like a violent rushing wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting… and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” (Acts 2:1-‐2,4). APP: What would have happened had not these men and women been faithful to the Unbelievable Priority of Prayer? Perhaps the Lord would have birthed the church on the day of Pentecost through other believers; perhaps the birth of the church would have been delayed. Something would have been different even though we can’t pinpoint exactly what.
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Even when it seems useless, or it seems unanswered or inadequate to the circumstances, God’s people have been invited to, commanded to, PRAY! It is an Unbelievable Priority established by God Himself for the people He loves!
III. The Remedy. (11:20-‐26) EXP: Obviously the remedy for a fruitless, faithless, prayerless people is to repent, and as a result of their repenting begin to exercise:
! Faith (vv 20-‐23) “Have faith in God” (v 22) ! Prayer (vv 23-‐25) “whenever you stand praying” (v 25) ! Forgiveness (vv 25-‐26) “forgive… so that your Father will also fogive you…” (v 25)
These things are inextricably linked together, as Jesus demonstrated in this teaching moment with Peter and the disciples (11:20-‐26). Faith. Prayer. Forgiveness. One connected to the other. ILL: Too often we are more like “doubting” Thomas than like “believing” Job. Thomas said he could not believe Christ had been raised from the dead “Unless I see in His hands the imprint of the nails, and put my finger into the place of the nails, and put my hand into His side…” (John 20:25). But Job, in the midst of physical suffering and emotional anquish testified, “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last He will take His stand on the earth” (Job 19:25). Thomas was apprehensive to believe unless he could “see” the evidence. Job’s faith remained strong though gravely tested. Job’s faith led him to have continual “conversations” with, and about God. As a result he was also enabled to “forgive” his friends for their unkind judgment of him. APP: A prayer-‐full people will be drawn to demonstrate “faith in God” (Mark 11:22), despite their circumstances. Such faith will drive us more passionately deeper into a life of prayer… and thereby adopting such a significant attitude of prayer that God will compel us to forgive even those who have hurt, betrayed, disappointed, or misled us! Conclusion: One of the simplest, yet most profound things God has invited us to do as His children is to have moment-‐by-‐moment communication with Him through this thing called prayer. Out of that relationship He then does things that are “far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20)! STORY: The church had been invited to purchase an adjoining 4-‐acre property that had a 1,500-‐square-‐foot house and outbuilding on it. The trustees met with the owner and negotiated a fair price and prepared to make a recommendation to the church family to purchase the property.
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A few weeks prior to the presentation, the pastor asked the congregation to make the forthcoming recommendation a matter of daily prayer, asking God to direct the church in the matter. The purchase could have been a “no-‐brainer” for the church, except for one complicating matter. They were still holding a mortgage of nearly $500,000 on the two new buildings they had built just a few years earlier. Should the church add nearly $200,000 to their indebtedness and purchase the adjoining property, or should they focus on paying off their current mortgage and let the adjoining property be purchased by someone else? When the trustees made their presentation, and recommended the church purchase the property, there was discussion about the current mortgage. Would it be wise to spend additional money at this time? After the congregation weighed all the related factors, the church, led by the Spirit of God through their praying in the days leading up to the decision, voted to purchase the property. In the days leading up to the meeting the church had received nearly $40,000 from a church member’s estate upon her death. The trustees felt that God was providing those funds to reduce what needed to be borrowed to close the transaction. The church agreed. To everyone’s surprise and amazement, the week the vote to purchase the property, an anonymous check arrived at the church office for the remaining amount of the money needed to pay cash for the property! You might say it was a coincidence, but the entire church family knew better. God had heard and miraculously answered their prayers – not only about whether or not to purchase the property, but by also providing the funds to do so without adding to their indebtedness. Invitation: What revitalizing work is God waiting to do in and through our church, if we will just pray?? Rest assured, it will be more than we can ask or imagine!! Will you consecrate yourself to be a person of daily, moment-‐by-‐moment prayer?
! Personal prayer ! Family prayer ! Church family prayer
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Week 7 Message Scripture to Complement Days 34-‐40, “Patiently Awaiting Transformation”
The Inexpressible Glory for Those Who Wait Acts 1:3-‐5
(NASB) 3 To these He also presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs,
appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.
4 Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for bwhat the Father had promised, “Which,” He said, “you heard of from Me;
5 for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit bnot many days from now.”
(KJV) 3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being
seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God: 4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. 5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be kbaptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
(NIV) 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that
he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
______________________________________________________________ Introduction: LifeWay Christian Resources published an interesting article earlier this year that said:
$ 51% of American church-‐goers say they have never heard of “the Great Commission.”
$ Another 25% of church-‐goers say they have heard of it but can’t remember the exact meaning…
$ Just 17% of American church-‐goers say they have heard of the Great Commission and know what it means!
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Now, if we had been living when the apostles were gathered together with Jesus just before His ascension to heaven, and we were professing followers of Jesus, we could possibly say we had not yet heard of “the Great Commission.” Even though Jesus had spoken it to His apostles, it had not yet been widely circulated, since the Gospel accounts were yet unwritten. That is not the case today, however. According to Wycliffe Bible translation website, the complete Bible has been translated into more than 650 of the world’s 7,000 languages. All the major languages have a translation of the Bible, including, of course, English. In America, nearly 90% of American homes own a Bible, and Barna Research says that among those homes, there are 4.7 Bibles per household. American church-‐goers are without excuse! One headline describes this situation well: “Americans Love the Bible, But Don’t Read It Much.”16 Transition: Fortunately, Jesus’ apostles were not as delinquent in their devotion to Christ as many American Christians are to the Bible. When Dr. Luke wrote his follow-‐up account of the life and ministry of Jesus, he began his account by saying that our resurrected Lord “presented Himself alive after His suffering, by many convincing proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days and speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God. Gathering them together, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for what the Father had promised, ‘Which,’ He said, ‘you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.’” (Acts 1:3-‐5). As far as the apostles were concerned, they were already amazed by Christ’s resurrection from the dead! If He wanted them to wait for something further to happen, they were more than willing to do so. They had learned that Jesus was completely trustworthy and that His promises come to pass! So, let’s talk about this important business of waiting, and The Inexpressible Glory for Those Who Wait…
I. The Request to Wait. (1:3-‐4) “…wait for what the Father had promised…” EXP: Luke introduced his second account as something of a “follow-‐up” to his first account “about all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when He was taken up to heaven, after He had by the Holy Spirit given orders to the apostles whom He had chosen” (Acts 1:1-‐2).
16 Bell, Caleb. (2013). “Americans Love the Bible but Don’t Read It Much, Poll Shows.” Religion News Service, 04/04/13.
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Luke insinuates in the first sentences of the Book of Acts that there is something more to be told regarding the account of Christ’s life and ministry. Jesus Himself spoke of it before He ascended back to heaven. That “something more” was the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus assures them it would happen, but they needed to “wait for what the Father had promised…” (1:4). This is not really an unusual request. So much of what God had been doing up to the time of Christ demanded WAITING. In fact, of all the differences between God and man, this one is perhaps the most frustrating. God’s plans almost always seem to unfold more slowly than human beings prefer. ILL: We are confronted with this matter of WAITING early in the Bible when God’s timing in delivering the promised son to Abraham and Sarah took 25 years longer than they anticipated. Or God’s timing in delivering the children of Israel from their Egyptian bondage 430 years after their arrival in Egypt (see Exodus 12:40). Or how about Noah’s long ordeal of building the ark; or Moses’ tending sheep on the backside of the wilderness for 40 years before leading God’s people out of Egypt; or Hannah’s long wait for God to open her barren womb; or the very long centuries between the promise of a Redeemer (see Genesis 3:15) and the arrival of The Redeemer (see Galatians 4:4). APP: Waiting. It is something God expects of His people. It is a necessary part of faith. We don’t act, speak, or move ahead on our time-‐table, but only on His! It is perhaps the most challenging reality facing believers today! And yet, it was at the heart of Jesus’ instruction to His disciples upon His physical departure from the world – “… [do] not leave Jerusalem, but wait for what the Father [has] promised…” (1:4). This same expectation is often at the heart of Jesus’ instructions for us. WAIT!
$ “Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary” (Isaiah 40:31).
$ “My soul waits in silence for God only; from Him is my salvation… My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him” (Psalm 62:1,5).
This kind of WAITING is best described as a somewhat anxious, yet confident expectation of God’s intervention on behalf of His people! “Waiting, therefore, is the working out of hope.”17 And hope in God does not disappoint us, “because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us. For while we were still helpless, at the
17 Youngblood, R. F., Bruce, F. F., & Harrison, R. K., Thomas Nelson Publishers (Eds.). (1995). In Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc.
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right time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:5-‐6). The old hymn has it right, “Our Hope is Built on Nothing Less Than Jesus’ Blood and Righteousness!” “Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him; do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who carries out wicked schemes. Cease from anger and forsake wrath; do not fret; it leads only to evildoing. For evildoers will be cut off, but those who wait for (put their confident expectation of hope in) the Lord, they will inherit the land” (Psalm 37:7-‐9). While waiting may often be a requirement for followers of Jesus, there is a particular challenge in doing so…
II. Our Challenge in Waiting. (1:3-‐4) “speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.”
EXP: For a period of forty days after His resurrection, Luke says, Jesus showed Himself to be alive and well “by many convincing proofs,” and He was “speaking of the things concerning the kingdom of God.” (1:3). In other words, Jesus was connecting the dots for His apostles and followers. He was explaining God’s agenda for His Kingdom! Jesus had warned them of His impending death but had also promised them of His resurrection from the dead (Matthew 16:21; Mark 8:31; Luke 9:22). Now they had witnessed what they, at first, did not want to believe – He would be killed. But they had also witnessed Him ALIVE from the dead! The purpose of Christ’s coming was now being made clear to His closest followers, and no doubt, they were ready for ACTION! But Jesus insisted that they WAIT! They weren’t quite ready yet. One more thing needed to happen. As important as the kingdom of God is, there are times when we must WAIT. Just like the disciples were instructed to wait. Something happens in the waiting that cannot happen any other way. That’s why we often wait… patiently, and confidently… in God! ILL: Such was the case for William Wilberforce, who after being elected to the British Parliament in 1780, and later becoming an evangelical Christian, he led in the battle to abolish the British slave trade. For 18 years he introduced anti-‐slavery motions in Parliament. Finally, in 1807 the slave trade was abolished. However, in the process of waiting for victory to come, he not only saw the abolition of the slave trade, but he also became convinced that all those who were already slaves should be freed. And so, for the next 25 years he helped lead the cause of freedom for slaves across the British Empire. Just weeks before his death in 1833, Wilberforce savored victory when Parliament passed the Act that freed all slaves across the Empire.
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APP: There is a shaping of character and a deepening of faith that happens for those who WAIT for the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 described it earlier as:
% “gaining new strength…” % “mounting up with wings like eagles…” % “running and not get tired…” % “walking and not becoming weary…”
God does some pretty miraculous things in us, and through us, when we gladly and willingly WAIT on Him! But there is more than what He does in us and through us. There is also The Inexpressible Glory for Those Who Wait…
III. God’s Promise in Waiting. (1:5) “you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit…” EXP: At the end of their waiting, Jesus assured them of the Father’s promise to send the Holy Spirit. This promise the disciples had learned from Jesus Himself: † “I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you
forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you and will be in you” (John 14:16-‐17).
† “When the Helper comes, whom I will send you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me” (John 15:26).
† “But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I go, I will send Him to you” (John 16:7).
The Inexpressible Glory of the Spirit’s arrival was coming… they simply needed to WAIT! ILL: There were other occasions in Scripture when God’s glory would come, but someone had to WAIT for its arrival… For example, King David wanted to build a permanent house for the Lord, but God would not let him do it. David told his son Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me.’ Behold, a son will be born to you, who shall be a man of rest… He shall build a house for My name…” (1 Chronicles 22:7-‐9a,10a). And when Solomon had built the Temple, and consecrated it to the Lord, “the priests came forth from the holy place… and all the Levitical singers… with cymbals, harps, and lyres… and with them 120 priests blowing trumpets in unison… and the singers… lifted up their voices to glorify the Lord… saying, ‘He indeed is good for His lovingkindness is everlasting,’ then the
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house, the house of the Lord was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not stand to minister because of the cloud, for the glory of the Lord filled the house of God” (2 Chronicles 5:11-‐14). EXP: David patiently WAITED, in fact he died, entrusting the building of the Temple to his son, Solomon. But it was worth the wait!! The children of Israel WAITED for their freedom from Egyptian bondage. It was worth the wait! Abraham and Sarah WAITED for the promised son. It was worth the wait! Hannah WAITED for God to open her barren womb. It was worth the wait! If God has you in a waiting mode right now, you can rest assured that whatever He chooses to bring next WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT!! If you are waiting for God to bring revitalization to your faith, or to our church… rest assured, it WILL BE WORTH THE WAIT!! What you might say is, “OK, I believe waiting on God is definitely worth the wait. The question remains: “What am I supposed to do while I am waiting?”
IV. How to Go About Waiting. (1:12-‐14) “These with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer…”
EXP: The Bible says, “they returned to Jerusalem… and when they had entered the city they went up to the upper room where they were staying… these with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer…” (1:12-‐14). Really is there anything more significant that any believer can do than pray? Jesus’ apostles could, and did, obey Jesus, but even their obedience was not more significant than prayer. Prayer was their source of communion with God; it was their channel of supply from God. ILL: One believer was giving encouragement to another believer who was facing cancer. She said, “I have been in this very same situation and gone through my journey with the treatments and surgery. Sometimes, what is unknown can be the most scary and most alone place to be, along with the waiting-‐-‐-‐-‐ the waiting for appointments and test results and don't forget about the waiting in the waiting rooms! I am lifting you in prayer…” APP: What to do when waiting? PRAY! What to do when waiting with a friend? PRAY!
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Such praying does not preclude staying active, or taking action, it simply exalts PRAYING above every other option. It is the supreme activity in which we should engage when God has us WAITING. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT THING OUR CHURCH CAN DO AS WE WAIT FOR A FRESH OUTPOURING OF GOD’S SPIRIT ON OUR FELLOWSHIP, RENEWING AND REVITALIZING US, IS PRAY!! Yes, as we move forward, He will show us things to do, things to change, things to stop doing, and things to start doing. But in all that activity, and greater than all that activity, we must be “continually devoting ourselves to prayer!” Conclusion: The Apostle Paul understood God’s pattern of relationship. He understood it because He had lived it. There is more than we might first realize behind the command he gives in the latter part of his letter to the Galatians: “Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not lose heart.” This is from a man who experienced the glory of God across the final 20 years of his life through at least three missionary journeys and various imprisonments. But before the Inexpressible Glory of fruitful evangelistic efforts and church planting arrived, Paul was WAITING for God’s timetable to fully develop. Immediately after his glorious conversion (Acts 9), he did not “go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went away to Arabia…” (Galatians 1:17). Then after his return to Damascus, and ministry there, “three years later [he] went up to Jerusalem to become acquainted with Cephas, and stayed with him [only] fifteen days” (Gal 1:17-‐18). “Then after an interval of fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along also” (Gal 2:1). Notice that there were at least 17 years between Paul’s conversion and his recorded visit to Jerusalem in Galatians 2:1. At some point in the latter part of those years, Paul went from simply praying, and learning through prayer, into a gloriously powerful full-‐time ministry of evangelism and church planting. All because he was willing to OBEDIENTLY WAIT for God’s plan to come to fruition. Fourteen years demands a lot of patient endurance, continuation in good works, and DEVOTED PRAYER – all in expectation that The Inexpressible Glory of God will be poured out on our fellowship once again. WILL YOU PRAYERFULLY AND CONFIDENTLY WAIT WITH ME to see it happen in our church once again?
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Invitation: [Craft a very specific invitation especially for your people to join you in some kind of PRAYER EFFORT you have planned for your people as you WAIT on Him to move (beyond the 40 Days of Prayer for Revitalization) in which to be involved as you all wait on God to do a full revitalizing work in your church.]
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Week 8 Concluding Message 40 Days to Revitalization
The Irrefutable Results of a Praying People Colossians 4:12
(NASB) 12 Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand dperfect and fully assured in all the will of God. (KJV) 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always klabouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and mcomplete in all the will of God. (ESV) 12 Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ Jesus, greets you, always struggling on your behalf in his prayers, that you may stand mature and fully assured in all the will of God. (Amplified) 12 Epaphras, who is one of yourselves, a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you greetings. [He is] always striving for you earnestly in his prayers, [pleading] that you may [as persons of ripe character and clear conviction] stand firm and mature [in spiritual growth], convinced and fully assured in everything willed by God.
___________________________________________________________________ Introduction: She didn’t expect it. But she welcomed it. She had simply taken the advice of a friend and started investing some of her monthly income in the stock market. Over the years, through careful and thorough study, along with input from a financial advisor or two, she faithfully, month-‐by-‐month set aside an ever-‐growing segment of her salary. First in stocks alone; later she added stock funds, mutual funds and bonds. She lived a relatively simple life, her only indulgences being always driving a late-‐model car, playing golf weekly, and travelling internationally once or twice each year. She wasn’t married so her investments began to accumulate significant value. By the time she retired her portfolio of investments had grown to exceed $1 million in value. She never expected to think of herself as a “millionaire,” but it happened. The fact never changed her values or her plans. Even in retirement she continued to invest, only taking a small percentage each year as income. She welcomed her unexpected value, but she did not find her identity in it. She simply used it to love life, serve the Lord in her local church, and travel a few times each year. After nearly 20
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years of retirement living, she was pleased that at her death she would be leaving an estate worth more than $1.3 million to her nieces and nephews. She was one faithful investor who experienced the Irrefutable Results of saving for the future. Transition: Today’s text reveals a similar (but much better) thing that happens for FOLLOWERS OF JESUS who determine to be a praying people who gladly depend upon, and delight in, God’s will! TEXT: Read Colossians 4:12. This one simple verse reveals two significant things for us to consider as we move forward with our hope in God and faith in His ability to do more than we can ask or imagine, revitalizing our church into a powerful tool of influence and kingdom advance in our community.
! The Unmistakable Identity of a Praying People. ! The Irrefutable Results of a Praying People.
I. The Unmistakable Identity of a Praying People. (4:12a-‐b) “…laboring earnestly for
you in his prayers…” EXP: In the closing sentences of his epistle to the believers in Colossae, Paul sends greetings from those who are with him – Aristarchus, Barnabas’ cousin Mark (yes, the one who deserted Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey – see Acts 13:13 & 15:36-‐40), Jesus who was called Justus, Epaphras, Luke, and Demas. From among that group of men, Paul speaks with deep respect for Epaphras’ prayer life in particular. From his few words we learn a great deal about what a “Person of Prayer” looks like. This passage gives us at least three characteristics present in Epaphras that identify him as a “Person of Prayer:”
(a) “one of your number” (v 12a) (b) “a bondslave of Jesus Christ” (v 12a) (c) “always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers” (v 12b)
What do these three phrases mean?
1. First of all, “one of your number” is a reference to Epaphras’ part in the church at Colossae. John MacArthur says, “Epaphras was the founder of the Colossian church, and he most likely was its current pastor. He had journeyed to Rome bringing Paul news of the dangerous heresy threatening the churches of the Lycus Valley.”18 The point being
18 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1992). Colossians (p. 196). Chicago: Moody Press.
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that although Epaphras was away from his church family and related by faith to Paul and the other believers with whom he was associated, he still “was a part of” the church at Colossae. Distance does not negate relationship in the family of God.
2. Second, “a bondslave of Jesus Christ” describes both Epaphras’ testimony and his chosen lifestyle. Paul was not throwing around words of flattery. That would be very much un-‐Pauline; flattery wasn’t his game. He was simply stating who Epaphras was by the testimony of Epaphras’ own life. Epaphras lived his life devoted to Christ and the cause of Christ. He was a servant to and for Christ.
3. Third, “always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers” uses a unique word that helps us understand the depth and breadth of Epaphras’ prayer life – “earnestly.” This word is used in only a few other places in the New Testament. In Greek it is from the root word agonizomai. You can both see and hear where our English word “agonize” comes from. “[It] means “to carry on a conflict, contest, debate or legal suit.”19 Essentially the word refers to Epaphras’ prayer life as a struggle he entered into on their behalf to see good and godly outcomes in their lives. It signified Epaphras’ “striving to do something with great intensity and effort.”20 In this case striving with great intensity and effort in his prayers on behalf of his congregation at Colossae.
ILL: If you have seen the 2015 film War Room, written and produced by the Kendrick Brothers and their affiliation with Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, then you understand something about Epaphras’ “laboring earnestly… in his prayers.” As Tony and Elizabeth Jordan’s marriage begins to crumble, the movie introduces Elizabeth to Miss Clara, an older widow who keeps a “War Room” in one of her closets as a place where she engages in the “battle” of intercessory prayer. (show a short clip of Miss Clara in her War Room, if you are able to do so). If you have not seen that film then Paul’s and Jude’s uses of the word “earnestly” might give you a clear understanding of the kind of praying Epaphras was doing ON BEHALF OF HIS CHURCH FAMILY:
! “Now I urge you, brethren, by our Lord Jesus Christ and by the love of the Spirit, to strive together with me in your prayers to God for me” (Romans 15:30).
19 Stauffer, E. (1964–). ἀγών, ἀγωνίζομαι, ἀντ-‐, ἐπ-‐, καταγωνίζομαι, ἀγωνία. G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 1, p. 135). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans. 20 Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). Greek-‐English Lexicon of the New Testament: Based on Semantic Domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 662). New York: United Bible Societies.
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! “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints” (Jude 3).
This word “earnestly” describes the spiritual battle we enter into when we participate in Intercessory Prayer. APP: When these three characteristics marking Epaphras, are present in us, then we, too, will be identified as “Praying People.” You should grade yourself in each of the areas to see where God still has work to do in your life:
1. Are you connected to a CHURCH FAMILY? Do you have a family of faith? Not the Christian family in general, but a church family who knows you, you know them, and together you all are encouraging one another in your pursuit of Christ above all else? A place where you are holding one another accountable for your walk with Christ, and you regularly meet together for worship, Bible study, and intentional disciple-‐making? Is this a group of people you love so much that you still feel connected to them and pray for them even when you are long distances away from them?
2. Would you typically describe yourself as a DEVOTED FOLLOWER (a slave) of Jesus Christ?
As a person who would follow Jesus wherever He led you at whatever cost or sacrifice involved? Is your devotion more than a song you sing, but a noticeable life you live daily? Are you willing to die for the cause of Christ?
3. When was the last time you wept in broken-‐hearted prayer for someone else in your church family? Someone who is not a relative, but just a brother or sister in Christ? When is the last time you would describe one of your prayer times as a WRESTLING MATCH with a dark power? When is the last time you were unable to stop interceding for another believer for an entire day or longer (even though you were still going about your typical daily routine)?
If these characteristics describe you, then you are becoming a “Person of Prayer.” If any of these characteristics are missing, then I encourage you to invite the Holy Spirit to do a deeper work of developing Christ’s character in you. This is of particular importance for our church. To experience the revitalization we all long to see will demand our commitment to become a “Praying People.” It is then that we will see God bring to pass The Irrefutable Results of a Praying People!
I. The Irrefutable Results of a Praying People. (4:12c) “…that you may…”
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EXP: “Despite the diligent labors of Epaphras, the Colossian church was in jeopardy. A serious heresy had arisen, and Epaphras was so concerned that he made the one thousand to thirteen hundred-‐mile trip to Rome to visit Paul in prison.”21 And while he was there seeking Paul’s wisdom and counsel, he was also “laboring earnestly” in his prayers for his church family back home! For what was Epaphras praying? Or we might ask, “What were the results Epaphras was expecting from his praying?” No doubt many things, but the two things Paul mentions definitely stood out above all the rest:
(a) “that you may stand perfect… in all the will of God” (v 12c) (b) “that you may [be] fully assured in all the will of God” (v 12c)
On closer examination we realize this is one intercessory plea with two parts. The main subject of Epaphras’ praying is “all the will of God.” The two things regarding God’s will that concern Epaphras the most are that his people stand in it perfectly (completely) and that they are fully assured (persuaded) that God’s will is the best way to live and to believe.
1. To “stand perfect… in all the will of God” is to become “mature,” or “fully developed” in knowing AND practicing the will of God! Epaphras was praying for the people in Colossae, as well as Laodicea and Hierapolis (see 4:13), to become fully mature believers in their understanding of, and in living according to, ALL of God’s will.
2. To be “fully assured in all the will of God” is to be persuaded that God’s will is true and
accurate, and that there is no better way to live than what He prescribes in His Word! Further, Epaphras was praying that his church family would be fully satisfied that ALL of God’s revealed will (in His Word) is accurate, beneficial, true, and totally reliable!
The Irrefutable Results of a Praying People would be realized when the believers in Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis become mature in their faith and they are fully persuaded that God’s way is the best and only way to live! Every step in that direction would be recognized and celebrated as the result of Epaphras’ prayers! ILL: Sometimes this kind of praying is even offered on our own behalf – a personal petition to the Lord, instead of an intercessory plea for others. Jesus’ prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane is an example of this in more ways than one… Luke’s account says, “[Jesus] came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples also followed Him. When He arrived at the place, He said to them, ‘Pray that you may not enter into temptation.’ And He withdrew from them about a stone’s throw away, 21 MacArthur, J. F., Jr. (1992). Colossians (p. 6). Chicago: Moody Press.
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and he knelt down and began to pray, saying, ‘Father, if You are willing, remove this cup from Me; yet not My will, but Yours be done.’ Now and angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him. And being in agony He was praying very fervently; and His sweat became like drops of blood, falling down upon the ground.” In Luke’s account Jesus is:
1. … “in agony” and praying “very fervently.” He is “agonizing” in prayer! It is the same word that Paul used to describe Epaphras’ prayers for his people.
2. … expecting His prayer to have Irrefutable Results. That is, He expects God to be glorified, and God’s will fulfilled, through whichever way the Father chose to answer His prayer. Jesus was fully satisfied that God’s will was the most excellent way!
APP: Are you fully persuaded that God’s will is the best way for our church to proceed into the future, regardless of what it is He asks us to do, or what He expects us to become? We must pray to that end, and desire to “stand perfectly” in God’s will, as mature followers of Jesus Christ. The Irrefutable Results of our prayers for REVITALIZATION will be recognizable to us and to our community / city when we are unswervingly and maturely devoted to and satisfied with God’s will for our church, regardless of the cost, and despite the changes that He brings. Are you willing to gladly, sacrificially, and agonizingly pray continually with me and with Jesus, “Father not my will, but Your will be done?” Conclusion: After years of praying for revival and revitalization in their congregation, one church family invited a revival ministry to bring a team to their church for a two-‐week-‐long meeting. The church family prepared themselves spiritually; they scheduled special prayer gatherings leading up to the scheduled meeting, and they prayed daily during the meetings. The meetings extended beyond the two weeks into week three, then week four, then five and finally six weeks of meetings seeking the Lord, confessing sin individually and corporately, and worshiping Christ, as lives were tuned afresh to His Word. As a result of more than 40 gatherings of the church family in the manifest presence of God’s Holy Spirit, the church family laid their entire weekly schedule before the Lord asking Him to delete, add, or change anything and everything that He desired. They wanted to live out God’s will because they were fully persuaded whatever He did with them it was the BEST! So when the church family sought to know, and live God’s will fully and completely, and they obeyed His Word, fully persuaded that God’s will is best, true transformation and revitalization was The Irrefutable Result!
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The same thing can happen for us if we will agonizingly devote ourselves to the attitude and the prayer request that Jesus and Epaphras presented to God, “Father, not our will, but may Your will be done – fully, completely, and confidently accomplished in and through our church for Your glory and our good because Your way is BEST!!” Invitation: Friends, as our 40 Days of Prayer for Revitalization come to an end, the one thing we have learned above all others is that WE CANNOT STOP PRAYING! We need to continually demonstrate to God that we fully embrace His will for us, whatever that means, and that we gladly surrender to it fully persuaded His will is the best and only way for us. Join me in the altar this morning as we cry out to Him together… “O Lord revitalize us according to Your will for our church, and all for Your glory alone!!”
REVIVEState Convention of Baptists in Ohio
9000 Antares AveColumbs Ohio 43240scbo.org
Steve Hopkins 614.309.9746 [email protected] Lee 614.725.9785 [email protected]
Learn more at scbo.org/revive