Which is your heart-way of saying goodbye to family? To a loved one? To the boss? To someone you just met? A little different yet it means the same thing. You are out of there or you wish them to be!
Here, with Paul, goodbye comes hard. A number of times, he tries NOT to see the people of Ephesus for different reasons.
1. He was on his way to Jerusalem and needed to get there fast.
2. He knew it would be hard on them and on him.
Dr. Ronald Koteskey, of the New Hope International Ministries whose specialty is member care writes: Saying goodbye is not a new problem.
“Paul was apparently in Ephesus only a short time near the end of this second term. After speaking in the synagogue, Paul left a couple in Ephesus to continue the work. People asked him to spend more time there, but he declined, saying he could come back if it was God’s will (Acts 18:19-21). He and his co-workers there had to say goodbye."
He sees them again.
"Near the beginning of his third term, Paul again went to Ephesus. After more than two years of evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and encouragement Paul again said goodbye and left. He traveled to Macedonia with a multinational team of seven others (Acts 19:1-20:1). Again he and the disciples he left there had to say goodbye."
Once again, he sees them.
"Near the end of his third term, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus even though he was passing close by, because he was in a hurry. However, he did stop a few miles south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the Ephesian church so that he could meet with them briefly. Then they again had to say goodbye. In this instance we are told more about the nature of the goodbye:"
LAST TIME!
"They wept, embraced, kissed, grieved, and finally tore themselves away (Acts 20:16-21:1). Saying multiple goodbyes to coworkers is nothing new for” third culture people, which we all are here at ICCS-in one way or another."
Copyright 2007, Ronald L. Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, KY 40390, USA. ron@missionarycare.com, www.missionarycare.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book without charge in its entirety.
How does saying goodbye effect us?
It affects each person differently. Over the years at ICCS, we have said goodbye to over 800 people in the last 18 years. Some of them left without saying goodbye. Some people seem to have little need for deep relationships and are very comfortable keeping things on a surface level; saying goodbye has relatively little or no effect on them. Still others have a deep need and desire to go deeper than the surface with a larger group of people and saying goodbye effects them deeply. We need to make room for both of them.
It is important for each side to know that the other people in the group may not share their stand of this issue. We need to give room for them to express their heart feelings as well.
In the US, it is reported that one out of six people moves away every year. Here, we have a turn over of about 10-20% each year. It is hard for some. A growing hardship for those who tend to stay.
The question may become: Do we just stop making relationships with new people because it is too hard to say goodbye? I would say that it would be the wrong way to go. Each of us is unique and is made in a different way by Creator God. Each of us has a task, or plan to accomplish in our lifetime. Some do that well, others run from the responsibility and move on anyway.
In John 13:34~35, Jesus speaks to this issue. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus commands us to love each other as He loved us. How was that? Surface or deep? Distant or close? Loving and being loved are central in our development as human beings and as members of the Family of God. When deeper relationships are avoided, both sides lose a part of their potential support team. This is how we are known by the world to be Believers; how we love each other.
Paul was concerned for these people. He looked to the leadership of the church there in Ephesus for them to lead the church into the next generation and beyond. How did he expect this?
First: He was the example: He keep telling them that ‘they knew.” “You know how I lived…” “You know that I have…”
How we live is only half the story of what we are as Believers. Yes, the world will know that we are Believers when we love each other (John 13:34-35) but we also must be that example for them to follow and to watch. They were to watch their doctrine (verse 21) and watch how they walk (28). Luke would share this section with a deep concern for the WAY a man lived as well as the manner of his ministry. His Character and manner of life style needed to match. The one saying goodbye would be a whole lot more successful in reaching the hearts and minds of his people by reminding those left behind of a model life lived before them. Orthopraxy meaning "correct practice" and orthodoxy means "correct teaching". You need both to walk the Walk with the Talk.
Paul reminded them of the model life he had lived before them as he served the Lord. He uses a word that is used in the slave-master relationship. See Luke 16: 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Paul’s way of living and his way of conduct—his allegiances to His Master determined or agreed with the conduct of his life and ministry. In the letter to them, he wrote:Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Paul was very personal with these leaders. He said in verse 31: Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Paul’s spiritual skin was as tough as his heart, as he would face severe testing from the plots of the Jews as well as hardship in life in general—for the sake of the Gospel. Again, orthopraxy and orthodoxy, working together!
He reminds them of the central push of the Message. He had taught them from house to house and the message never changed to fit the situation. He was not all things to all men in that department. He was not tolerant to his own error. He was steadfast. He followed the Gospel of Christ!
His message was that every man must turn to God in repentance and have Faith in our Lord Jesus. (Vs 21)
For the Jew, it was to return to the Faith of the fathers; for the Gentile, a turning to the one true God for the first time! This was the same message for both the Jew and the Gentile. Both for the national and the expat. Both for the men and the women. Not a different gospel to fit the mode or comfort of the society!
He did not hesitate or shrink back in fear to preach what was given him by the Lord. The message of repentance means total surrender to God, complete trust in His Son. Thru the Son of God comes the gift of Grace-which is Salvation.
He did this because he was compelled by the Spirit (22) And this same compelling drive of the Spirit of God was taking him to Jerusalem. He knew of the warnings. God had made it clear to him FROM THE START.
He also did it this way to prepare the leaders for what was yet to come. Both in his leaving, and the fact that some will fall away! Some would follow the other gospel for some reason and fall away -- talking others with them. He called them “savage wolves!” And wolves they would be, tearing the Truth out of the Gospel and eating the people up with their greed and their falsehoods.
The Key was for ALL men to repent and turn to God. Not a popular statement today, but I give that no care. People’s eternal status is at risk of having them separated for eternity from the Loving God of the Bible. Again, the message is the same that Jesus taught. "Put your trust in Me. Give Me your heart. Give Me your hunger. Give Me your pain and I will give you rest!"
Two more things: One, he told them they would not see him again and Two, that he would commit them to God.
Both of these are a reality for the believer. Some will say goodbye and we shall never see them again. We must be ready for that time. Commit them to the Lord and see them in Heaven.
When I said Goodbye to my Dad at the R.I. airport, nine years ago, I felt in my spirit that I would not see him alive again. I was overcome with sadness yet I realized that he knew the Lord and that he was ready to see him. I needed to release Dad to His tender arms and let him go. That was a very hard phone call to make! Hard as that was, these leaders felt that same pain. It grieved them. They cried and they wept and they embraced and kissed Paul with all the passion of people who loved him.
Paul sets out to prepare the leaders of their task to be watchful over the church. He committed them to God and to the Word of His Grace! What better place to be but to be in that place of His Grace!
More important that the commitment of the leaders to the teaching of the Lord is the reality of God’s faithfulness to His commitment! As we depend on His faithfulness, we can do the job He has given to us.
There is much to say concerning this passage. We do not have the time to go into the details of Paul’s charge to the leaders nor the other important teachings of Church life and commitment, but I will say that they ended this visit correctly. They prayed. So shall we.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Paul’s way of saying Goodbye. 9/16/07
Which is your heart-way of saying goodbye to family? To a loved one? To the boss? To someone you just met? A little different yet it means the same thing. You are out of there or you wish them to be!
Here, with Paul, goodbye comes hard. A number of times, he tries NOT to see the people of Ephesus for different reasons.
1. He was on his way to Jerusalem and needed to get there fast.
2. He knew it would be hard on them and on him.
Dr. Ronald Koteskey, of the New Hope International Ministries whose specialty is member care writes: Saying goodbye is not a new problem.
“Paul was apparently in Ephesus only a short time near the end of this second term. After speaking in the synagogue, Paul left a couple in Ephesus to continue the work. People asked him to spend more time there, but he declined, saying he could come back if it was God’s will (Acts 18:19-21). He and his co-workers there had to say goodbye. He sees them again.
Near the beginning of his third term, Paul again went to Ephesus. After more than two years of evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and encouragement Paul again said goodbye and left. He traveled to Macedonia with a multinational team of seven others (Acts 19:1-20:1). Again he and the disciples he left there had to say goodbye. Once again, he sees them.
Near the end of his third term, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus even though he was passing close by, because he was in a hurry. However, he did stop a few miles south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the Ephesian church so that he could meet with them briefly. Then they again had to say goodbye. In this instance we are told more about the nature of the goodbye: LAST TIME! They wept, embraced, kissed, grieved, and finally tore themselves away (Acts 20:16-21:1). Saying multiple goodbyes to coworkers is nothing new for” third culture people, which we all are here at ICCS-in one way or another.
Copyright 2007, Ronald L. Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, KY 40390, USA. ron@missionarycare.com, www.missionarycare.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book without charge in its entirety.
How does saying goodbye effect us?
It affects each person differently. Over the years at ICCS, we have said goodbye to over 800 people in the last 18 years. Some of them left without saying goodbye. Some people seem to have little need for deep relationships and are very comfortable keeping things on a surface level; saying goodbye has relatively little or no effect on them. Still others have a deep need and desire to go deeper than the surface with a larger group of people and saying goodbye effects them deeply. We need to make room for both of them.
It is important for each side to know that the other people in the group may not share their stand of this issue. We need to give room for them to express their heart feelings as well.
In the US, it is reported that one out of six people moves away every year. Here, we have a turn over of about 10-20% each year. It is hard for some. A growing hardship for those who tend to stay.
The question may become: Do we just stop making relationships with new people because it is too hard to say goodbye? I would say that it would be the wrong way to go. Each of us is unique and is made in a different way by Creator God. Each of us has a task, or plan to accomplish in our lifetime. Some do that well, others run from the responsibility and move on anyway.
In John 13:34~35, Jesus speaks to this issue. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus commands us to love each other as He loved us. How was that? Surface or deep? Distant or close?
Loving and being loved are central in our development as human beings and as members of the Family of God. When deeper relationships are avoided, both sides lose a part of their potential support team. This is how we are known by the world to be Believers; how we love each other.
Paul was concerned for these people. He looked to the leadership of the church there in Ephesus for them to lead the church into the next generation and beyond. How did he expect this?
First: He was the example: He keep telling them that ‘they knew.” “You know how I lived…” “You know that I have…”
How we live is only half the story of what we are as Believers. Yes, the world will know that we are Believers when we love each other (John 13:34-35) but we also must be that example for them to follow and to watch. They were to watch their doctrine (verse 21) and watch how they walk (28). Luke would share this section with a deep concern for the WAY a man lived as well as the manner of his ministry. His Character and manner of life style needed to match. The one saying goodbye would be a whole lot more successful in reaching the hearts and minds of his people by reminding those left behind of a model life lived before them. Orthopraxy meaning "correct practice" and orthodoxy means "correct teaching". You need both to walk the Walk with the Talk.
Paul reminded them of the model life he had lived before them as he served the Lord. He uses a word that is used in the slave-master relationship. See Luke 16: 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Paul’s way of living and his way of conduct—his allegiances to His Master determined or agreed with the conduct of his life and ministry. In the letter to them, he wrote:Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Paul was very personal with these leaders. He said in verse 31: Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Paul’s spiritual skin was as tough as his heart, as he would face severe testing from the plots of the Jews as well as hardship in life in general—for the sake of the Gospel. Again, orthopraxy and orthodoxy, working together!
He reminds them of the central push of the Message. He had taught them from house to house and the message never changed to fit the situation. He was not all things to all men in that department. He was not tolerant to his own error. He was steadfast. He followed the Gospel of Christ!
His message was that every man must turn to God in repentance and have Faith in our Lord Jesus. (Vs 21)
For the Jew, it was to return to the Faith of the fathers; for the Gentile, a turning to the one true God for the first time! This was the same message for both the Jew and the Gentile. Both for the national and the expat. Both for the men and the women. Not a different gospel to fit the mode or comfort of the society!
He did not hesitate or shrink back in fear to preach what was given him by the Lord. The message of repentance means total surrender to God, complete trust in His Son. Thru the Son of God comes the gift of Grace-which is Salvation.
He did this because he was compelled by the Spirit (22) And this same compelling drive of the Spirit of God was taking him to Jerusalem. He knew of the warnings. God had made it clear to him FROM THE START.
He also did it this way to prepare the leaders for what was yet to come. Both in his leaving, and the fact that some will fall away! Some would follow the other gospel for some reason and fall away -- talking others with them. He called them “savage wolves!” And wolves they would be, tearing the Truth out of the Gospel and eating the people up with their greed and their falsehoods.
The Key was for ALL men to repent and turn to God. Not a popular statement today, but I give that no care. People’s eternal status is at risk of having them separated for eternity from the Loving God of the Bible. Again, the message is the same that Jesus taught. Put your trust in Me. Give Me your heart. Give Me your hunger. Give Me your pain and I will give you rest!
Two more things: One, he told them they would not see him again and Two, that he would commit them to God.
Both of these are a reality for the believer. Some will say goodbye and we shall never see them again. We must be ready for that time. Commit them to the Lord and see them in Heaven.
When I said Goodbye to my Dad at the RI airport, nine years ago, I felt in my spirit that I would not see him alive again. I was overcome with sadness yet I realized that he knew the Lord and that he was ready to see him. I needed to release Dad to His tender arms and let him go. That was a very hard phone call to make! Hard as that was, these leaders felt that same pain. It grieved them. They cried and they wept and they embraced and kissed Paul with all the passion of people who loved him.
Paul sets out to prepare the leaders of their task to be watchful over the church. He committed them to God and to the Word of His Grace! What better place to be but to be in that place of His Grace!
More important that the commitment of the leaders to the teaching of the Lord is the reality of God’s faithfulness to His commitment! As we depend on His faithfulness, we can do the job He has given to us.
There is much to say concerning this passage. We do not have the time to go into the details of Paul’s charge to the leaders nor the other important teachings of Church life and commitment, but I will say that they ended this visit correctly. They prayed. So shall we.
Which is your heart-way of saying goodbye to family? To a loved one? To the boss? To someone you just met? A little different yet it means the same thing. You are out of there or you wish them to be!
Here, with Paul, goodbye comes hard. A number of times, he tries NOT to see the people of Ephesus for different reasons.
1. He was on his way to Jerusalem and needed to get there fast.
2. He knew it would be hard on them and on him.
Dr. Ronald Koteskey, of the New Hope International Ministries whose specialty is member care writes: Saying goodbye is not a new problem.
“Paul was apparently in Ephesus only a short time near the end of this second term. After speaking in the synagogue, Paul left a couple in Ephesus to continue the work. People asked him to spend more time there, but he declined, saying he could come back if it was God’s will (Acts 18:19-21). He and his co-workers there had to say goodbye. He sees them again.
Near the beginning of his third term, Paul again went to Ephesus. After more than two years of evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and encouragement Paul again said goodbye and left. He traveled to Macedonia with a multinational team of seven others (Acts 19:1-20:1). Again he and the disciples he left there had to say goodbye. Once again, he sees them.
Near the end of his third term, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus even though he was passing close by, because he was in a hurry. However, he did stop a few miles south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the Ephesian church so that he could meet with them briefly. Then they again had to say goodbye. In this instance we are told more about the nature of the goodbye: LAST TIME! They wept, embraced, kissed, grieved, and finally tore themselves away (Acts 20:16-21:1). Saying multiple goodbyes to coworkers is nothing new for” third culture people, which we all are here at ICCS-in one way or another.
Copyright 2007, Ronald L. Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, KY 40390, USA. ron@missionarycare.com, www.missionarycare.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book without charge in its entirety.
How does saying goodbye effect us?
It affects each person differently. Over the years at ICCS, we have said goodbye to over 800 people in the last 18 years. Some of them left without saying goodbye. Some people seem to have little need for deep relationships and are very comfortable keeping things on a surface level; saying goodbye has relatively little or no effect on them. Still others have a deep need and desire to go deeper than the surface with a larger group of people and saying goodbye effects them deeply. We need to make room for both of them.
It is important for each side to know that the other people in the group may not share their stand of this issue. We need to give room for them to express their heart feelings as well.
In the US, it is reported that one out of six people moves away every year. Here, we have a turn over of about 10-20% each year. It is hard for some. A growing hardship for those who tend to stay.
The question may become: Do we just stop making relationships with new people because it is too hard to say goodbye? I would say that it would be the wrong way to go. Each of us is unique and is made in a different way by Creator God. Each of us has a task, or plan to accomplish in our lifetime. Some do that well, others run from the responsibility and move on anyway.
In John 13:34~35, Jesus speaks to this issue. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus commands us to love each other as He loved us. How was that? Surface or deep? Distant or close?
Loving and being loved are central in our development as human beings and as members of the Family of God. When deeper relationships are avoided, both sides lose a part of their potential support team. This is how we are known by the world to be Believers; how we love each other.
Paul was concerned for these people. He looked to the leadership of the church there in Ephesus for them to lead the church into the next generation and beyond. How did he expect this?
First: He was the example: He keep telling them that ‘they knew.” “You know how I lived…” “You know that I have…”
How we live is only half the story of what we are as Believers. Yes, the world will know that we are Believers when we love each other (John 13:34-35) but we also must be that example for them to follow and to watch. They were to watch their doctrine (verse 21) and watch how they walk (28). Luke would share this section with a deep concern for the WAY a man lived as well as the manner of his ministry. His Character and manner of life style needed to match. The one saying goodbye would be a whole lot more successful in reaching the hearts and minds of his people by reminding those left behind of a model life lived before them. Orthopraxy meaning "correct practice" and orthodoxy means "correct teaching". You need both to walk the Walk with the Talk.
Paul reminded them of the model life he had lived before them as he served the Lord. He uses a word that is used in the slave-master relationship. See Luke 16: 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Paul’s way of living and his way of conduct—his allegiances to His Master determined or agreed with the conduct of his life and ministry. In the letter to them, he wrote:Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Paul was very personal with these leaders. He said in verse 31: Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Paul’s spiritual skin was as tough as his heart, as he would face severe testing from the plots of the Jews as well as hardship in life in general—for the sake of the Gospel. Again, orthopraxy and orthodoxy, working together!
He reminds them of the central push of the Message. He had taught them from house to house and the message never changed to fit the situation. He was not all things to all men in that department. He was not tolerant to his own error. He was steadfast. He followed the Gospel of Christ!
His message was that every man must turn to God in repentance and have Faith in our Lord Jesus. (Vs 21)
For the Jew, it was to return to the Faith of the fathers; for the Gentile, a turning to the one true God for the first time! This was the same message for both the Jew and the Gentile. Both for the national and the expat. Both for the men and the women. Not a different gospel to fit the mode or comfort of the society!
He did not hesitate or shrink back in fear to preach what was given him by the Lord. The message of repentance means total surrender to God, complete trust in His Son. Thru the Son of God comes the gift of Grace-which is Salvation.
He did this because he was compelled by the Spirit (22) And this same compelling drive of the Spirit of God was taking him to Jerusalem. He knew of the warnings. God had made it clear to him FROM THE START.
He also did it this way to prepare the leaders for what was yet to come. Both in his leaving, and the fact that some will fall away! Some would follow the other gospel for some reason and fall away -- talking others with them. He called them “savage wolves!” And wolves they would be, tearing the Truth out of the Gospel and eating the people up with their greed and their falsehoods.
The Key was for ALL men to repent and turn to God. Not a popular statement today, but I give that no care. People’s eternal status is at risk of having them separated for eternity from the Loving God of the Bible. Again, the message is the same that Jesus taught. Put your trust in Me. Give Me your heart. Give Me your hunger. Give Me your pain and I will give you rest!
Two more things: One, he told them they would not see him again and Two, that he would commit them to God.
Both of these are a reality for the believer. Some will say goodbye and we shall never see them again. We must be ready for that time. Commit them to the Lord and see them in Heaven.
When I said Goodbye to my Dad at the RI airport, nine years ago, I felt in my spirit that I would not see him alive again. I was overcome with sadness yet I realized that he knew the Lord and that he was ready to see him. I needed to release Dad to His tender arms and let him go. That was a very hard phone call to make! Hard as that was, these leaders felt that same pain. It grieved them. They cried and they wept and they embraced and kissed Paul with all the passion of people who loved him.
Paul sets out to prepare the leaders of their task to be watchful over the church. He committed them to God and to the Word of His Grace! What better place to be but to be in that place of His Grace!
More important that the commitment of the leaders to the teaching of the Lord is the reality of God’s faithfulness to His commitment! As we depend on His faithfulness, we can do the job He has given to us.
There is much to say concerning this passage. We do not have the time to go into the details of Paul’s charge to the leaders nor the other important teachings of Church life and commitment, but I will say that they ended this visit correctly. They prayed. So shall we.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
"Don't Be Alarmed! He's Alive!"
Acts 20:1~12
Overview of the passage:
Key parts: v 1—encourage them
v 2—words of encouragement to the people
v 7—came together to break bread
v 11—broke bread
v 12—were greatly encouraged
Is there a theme here? Encouragement is so important to the life of anyone. A newborn baby NEEDS touch (encouragement) or the baby will die.
Here we have a man, such as Paul, who was in the Work of encouragement. The man who helped him first was Barnabas who’s name meant “Son of Encouragement.”
Paul was in the work of giving a blessing-of having the people learn of the Gift of Salvation thru mutual encouragement. This is where people like yourselves get such a thing. A great place to sing in front of people. Cook for people. Aid the children. Teach the teens. Care for the aged. Public reading. Acting. Leading. As THIS is a Family who shows care and concern for its members.
Here, in these church meetings, Paul calls to his side the different members of fellowship to appeal to them or exhort them to the Lord or to comfort them with the Word of Lord. This verbal ‘presentation’ of the Word is called a sermon today. This is the demonstration of God’s Holy Spirit to exhort and encourage the follow Believers to continue or persevere with the Faith thru hard times, in faith, when faced with trials and especially persecutions.
使徒言行録 / 11章 23節
Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
バルナバはそこに到着すると、神の恵みが与えられた有様を見て喜び、そして、固い決意をもって主から離れることのないようにと、皆に勧めた。
使徒言行録 / 14章 22節
Acts14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God," they said.
弟子たちを力づけ、「わたしたちが神の国に入るには、多くの苦しみを経なくてはならない」と言って、信仰に踏みとどまるように励ました。
ローマの信徒への手紙 / 12章 8節
Rom 12:8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
勧める人は勧めに精を出しなさい。施しをする人は惜しまず施し、指導する人は熱心に指導し、慈善を行う人は快く行いなさい。
His three-month stay was most likely the result of the winter travel warnings. Sea travel was to be avoided—like flying thru Denver, CO in Feb. (Not possible.) He avoids further harm or possible death by NOT taking sail with the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Why put yourself in a container filled with religious zealots when you can take the same trip on a safer route. In any case, he does get to celebrate the Christian Easter that year in Philippi in A.D. 57 (April 7-14) and took a five day sea journey against contrary winds that would usually take only three or four days. He did this to send a message to those he had ministered to and with. That message was demonstrated in the middle of his sermon/report when a young man fell out of a third story window and died.
When Paul got there, the young man had been pronounced dead. But Paul had another pronouncement to make. Like the Old Testament prophet, Elijah in 1 Kings 17:19-24 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
The young man’s life returns. This is pronounced with Paul’s statement: "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"
Where have you heard those words before? It has become THE MAIN catchall phrase of the New Testament and beyond! Jesus is Alive! He is not Dead! He has risen from the dead! He is not in the grave! Death could not hold Him!
And when things fall out of windows in our lives, and they fall to the ground and die, we need that kind of refreshing promise as well. “Don’t be alarmed! He’s alive!”
Turn to Mark 16:1-7
マルコによる福音書 / 16章 1節安息日が終わると、マグダラのマリア、ヤコブの母マリア、サロメは、イエスに油を塗りに行くために香料を買った。2：そして、週の初めの日の朝ごく早く、日が出るとすぐ墓に行った。3：彼女たちは、「だれが墓の入り口からあの石を転がしてくれるでしょうか」と話し合っていた。4：ところが、目を上げて見ると、石は既にわきへ転がしてあった。石は非常に大きかったのである。5：墓の中に入ると、白い長い衣を着た若者が右手に座っているのが見えたので、婦人たちはひどく驚いた。6：若者は言った。「驚くことはない。あなたがたは十字架につけられたナザレのイエスを捜しているが、あの方は復活なさって、ここにはおられない。御覧なさい。お納めした場所である。7：さあ、行って、弟子たちとペトロに告げなさい。『あの方は、あなたがたより先にガリラヤへ行かれる。かねて言われたとおり、そこでお目にかかれる』と。」
Does that do anything for you? Knowing that He lives gives us such a lead on life! A head start! We do not serve or worship a dead Savior. He is alive!
And here after Paul does his ‘thing’ on him, goes upstairs and broke bread with the Family WHILE the young man is sitting there, and they were all to remember the first resurrection. The young man is there in front of them, as a reminder of the FACT that Jesus too, was resurrected. Both are alive! A few years before, One, who’s death and resurrection made this second resurrection even possible! Eutychus was there as a proof that this message was indeed True.
What will it take for some to bring themselves to believe this story of God’s Love? Why is it so hard to believe such a wonderful Truth? Do we want it to be harder? Following the Truth will be harder than believing it, believe me!
Verses in today’s message come from the NIV and 検索対象：新共同訳。
PLEASE NOTE that next week is our Covered Dish Sunday. Come and worship with us and then stay for the meal. You bring some food or drinks to share!
See you next week!
Overview of the passage:
Key parts: v 1—encourage them
v 2—words of encouragement to the people
v 7—came together to break bread
v 11—broke bread
v 12—were greatly encouraged
Is there a theme here? Encouragement is so important to the life of anyone. A newborn baby NEEDS touch (encouragement) or the baby will die.
Here we have a man, such as Paul, who was in the Work of encouragement. The man who helped him first was Barnabas who’s name meant “Son of Encouragement.”
Paul was in the work of giving a blessing-of having the people learn of the Gift of Salvation thru mutual encouragement. This is where people like yourselves get such a thing. A great place to sing in front of people. Cook for people. Aid the children. Teach the teens. Care for the aged. Public reading. Acting. Leading. As THIS is a Family who shows care and concern for its members.
Here, in these church meetings, Paul calls to his side the different members of fellowship to appeal to them or exhort them to the Lord or to comfort them with the Word of Lord. This verbal ‘presentation’ of the Word is called a sermon today. This is the demonstration of God’s Holy Spirit to exhort and encourage the follow Believers to continue or persevere with the Faith thru hard times, in faith, when faced with trials and especially persecutions.
使徒言行録 / 11章 23節
Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
バルナバはそこに到着すると、神の恵みが与えられた有様を見て喜び、そして、固い決意をもって主から離れることのないようにと、皆に勧めた。
使徒言行録 / 14章 22節
Acts14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God," they said.
弟子たちを力づけ、「わたしたちが神の国に入るには、多くの苦しみを経なくてはならない」と言って、信仰に踏みとどまるように励ました。
ローマの信徒への手紙 / 12章 8節
Rom 12:8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
勧める人は勧めに精を出しなさい。施しをする人は惜しまず施し、指導する人は熱心に指導し、慈善を行う人は快く行いなさい。
His three-month stay was most likely the result of the winter travel warnings. Sea travel was to be avoided—like flying thru Denver, CO in Feb. (Not possible.) He avoids further harm or possible death by NOT taking sail with the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Why put yourself in a container filled with religious zealots when you can take the same trip on a safer route. In any case, he does get to celebrate the Christian Easter that year in Philippi in A.D. 57 (April 7-14) and took a five day sea journey against contrary winds that would usually take only three or four days. He did this to send a message to those he had ministered to and with. That message was demonstrated in the middle of his sermon/report when a young man fell out of a third story window and died.
When Paul got there, the young man had been pronounced dead. But Paul had another pronouncement to make. Like the Old Testament prophet, Elijah in 1 Kings 17:19-24 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
The young man’s life returns. This is pronounced with Paul’s statement: "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"
Where have you heard those words before? It has become THE MAIN catchall phrase of the New Testament and beyond! Jesus is Alive! He is not Dead! He has risen from the dead! He is not in the grave! Death could not hold Him!
And when things fall out of windows in our lives, and they fall to the ground and die, we need that kind of refreshing promise as well. “Don’t be alarmed! He’s alive!”
Turn to Mark 16:1-7
マルコによる福音書 / 16章 1節安息日が終わると、マグダラのマリア、ヤコブの母マリア、サロメは、イエスに油を塗りに行くために香料を買った。2：そして、週の初めの日の朝ごく早く、日が出るとすぐ墓に行った。3：彼女たちは、「だれが墓の入り口からあの石を転がしてくれるでしょうか」と話し合っていた。4：ところが、目を上げて見ると、石は既にわきへ転がしてあった。石は非常に大きかったのである。5：墓の中に入ると、白い長い衣を着た若者が右手に座っているのが見えたので、婦人たちはひどく驚いた。6：若者は言った。「驚くことはない。あなたがたは十字架につけられたナザレのイエスを捜しているが、あの方は復活なさって、ここにはおられない。御覧なさい。お納めした場所である。7：さあ、行って、弟子たちとペトロに告げなさい。『あの方は、あなたがたより先にガリラヤへ行かれる。かねて言われたとおり、そこでお目にかかれる』と。」
Does that do anything for you? Knowing that He lives gives us such a lead on life! A head start! We do not serve or worship a dead Savior. He is alive!
And here after Paul does his ‘thing’ on him, goes upstairs and broke bread with the Family WHILE the young man is sitting there, and they were all to remember the first resurrection. The young man is there in front of them, as a reminder of the FACT that Jesus too, was resurrected. Both are alive! A few years before, One, who’s death and resurrection made this second resurrection even possible! Eutychus was there as a proof that this message was indeed True.
What will it take for some to bring themselves to believe this story of God’s Love? Why is it so hard to believe such a wonderful Truth? Do we want it to be harder? Following the Truth will be harder than believing it, believe me!
Verses in today’s message come from the NIV and 検索対象：新共同訳。
PLEASE NOTE that next week is our Covered Dish Sunday. Come and worship with us and then stay for the meal. You bring some food or drinks to share!
See you next week!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Once Upon A Riot Acts 19:23-41
Have you ever been the reason for a riot? Ever been in a riot! Looking back, I guess I had been in at least three. Once outside New York City when I was in my early 20’s and twice while I was visiting Seoul, Korea, 17 years ago. While it was all exciting, it was very dangerous! Police dogs are very big and the tear gas hurt the eyes for hours! The mobs in both locations were not able to listen to reason. They only responded to power—with power in return.
In our passage this morning, we find a craftsman who felt he had been hurt financially by the advancement of the Christian Faith. He really did not have anything bad to say about Jesus but he was very unhappy that many people were not using his trade. Some and many had stopped buying the small idols he and others had made. His pocket book was hurt more than his heart. He was mad and he wanted others to join him in his anger.
That is the usual way, isn’t it? I’m mad and I want to have you join me being mad at someone! Misery loves company. He was really making the most of the situation by getting more on his side.
The question of what Christianity does to a culture has angered anthropologist right along. The Christian Faith, they say, hurts the common good of the culture. It disturbs the flow of the society. It could even change it or destroy it altogether. Whether it was in the Amazon River region today, or there in Ephesus, Christianity was looked at as killing the society with it’s teaching of having a new life style. This great disturbance about The Way with it’s new leader, new way of living, new set of mores and behavioral patterns and, in truth, was a new culture that was on the other side of Demetrius’ world view. To him, his world was falling apart!
The Way was creating a great disturbance.
He was waving, not only the economic prosperity flag, but also the national pride issues and a deeply felt religious passion. His trade was tied to worship of this idol as well as the Emperor himself, and he was a disciple of Artemis.
He and his craftsmen made plaques, silver relief of the goddess within her temple. Once the item was dedicated at the Temple of the Great Artemis, the local people and visitors, bought them as votive offerings and uses these items in family worship centers, amulets, charms, or just souvenirs—much like what is sold at temples today.
Artemis or known as Diana in Rome was the “Great Mother”—hunter, goddess of wild animals, wild nature, chastity and childbirth. She took on the role of the goddess of fertility able to hold power over wild animals, deliver her people from fear and to be the connect between earth and the cruel fate that bothered them. Artemis had unsurpassed cosmic power! She was considered as Lord, Savior, and Queen of the Cosmos.
Demetrius had it in for Paul. Paul’s message caused a decline of income for the local idol makers. Paul’s message was directly against the polytheistic religion of the land. He charged Paul with leading people astray—or mentally and spiritually bringing a different point of view, causing someone to change his position. The Message Paul shared dealt with repentance and conversion. Demetrius was concerned he’d loose his livelihood. Rightly so!
The Message does that sort of thing. It deals with the real issues of life: meaning, purpose, direction, future, control. The Message of Jesus deals with those items in every aspect of life. Demetrius was dealing with the here and now, while Paul was dealing with the here and now AND the hereafter.
Imagine a world without the Great Temple of Artemis! The temple was called one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It covered an area four times the size of the Parthenon-70 meters long, 280 meters long, (300 yd) with 127 sixty-foot columns. It was THE worship center of Asia and a world-class bank. Well, all that is left now of that temple is one column and a small gathering of rubble. There have been found over 33 worship sites to this female goddess across the Roman world. She was worshipped by the leaders of Rome and was THE most extensive worship in the known world—at that time. From what Demetrius could see, this was in danger of ending!
Then, all went wild! People were shouting this thing while others shouting that! Ever see a newsreel of fanatic group shouting? Out of this world! Blind uncompromised devotion is hard to work with.
The whole city was thrown into confusion.
Two of Paul’s friends and traveling partners were taken into the theatre. We see Aristarchus again in Chapter 20 and 27, as well as in Col 4:10 and Philemon 24—while Gaius was even known by John as his good friend and by Paul in Romans 16:23. However it could have been another Gaius…
Then things really went wild! While this was going on, Paul wanted to address the crowd. His friends with him, as well as some city leaders, strongly suggested that he not! It seemed that even in the high society of Ephesus, many felt that the Way was no threat to the Imperial cult—Not yet!
When it comes to hearing and accepting advise, how do you rate? Even when the whole city is ready to fry your skin off, what kind of guidance would you accept? How do we KNOW God’s way for our lives?
A few things to remember: (ALL verses come from the NIV unless otherwise stated)
1. God’s direction comes to those who look to Him. John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
2. Guidance comes through the Spirit. John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
3. The purpose of the guidance is to reflect Him. Phili 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death,
4. Guidance comes with Peace. James 3:17-18 Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (the Message)
5. Many times, guidance comes to us unaware. Ps 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. (NIV)
9 He gives the rejects His hand, And leads them step-by-step. (The Message)
6. Sometimes, Guidance is not always pleasant. Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
As it turned out, a clear-headed clerk ended the riot by a simple statement. If the riot keeps up, and they could not support the reason for the riot, Rome could revoke their status of being a free city as they could not maintain law and order through its own local leaders. This brought the fear of god into their hearts and they were dismissed.
Let this be said of you, after you received guidance from God. Joshua 11:15 As the LORD commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
In our passage this morning, we find a craftsman who felt he had been hurt financially by the advancement of the Christian Faith. He really did not have anything bad to say about Jesus but he was very unhappy that many people were not using his trade. Some and many had stopped buying the small idols he and others had made. His pocket book was hurt more than his heart. He was mad and he wanted others to join him in his anger.
That is the usual way, isn’t it? I’m mad and I want to have you join me being mad at someone! Misery loves company. He was really making the most of the situation by getting more on his side.
The question of what Christianity does to a culture has angered anthropologist right along. The Christian Faith, they say, hurts the common good of the culture. It disturbs the flow of the society. It could even change it or destroy it altogether. Whether it was in the Amazon River region today, or there in Ephesus, Christianity was looked at as killing the society with it’s teaching of having a new life style. This great disturbance about The Way with it’s new leader, new way of living, new set of mores and behavioral patterns and, in truth, was a new culture that was on the other side of Demetrius’ world view. To him, his world was falling apart!
The Way was creating a great disturbance.
He was waving, not only the economic prosperity flag, but also the national pride issues and a deeply felt religious passion. His trade was tied to worship of this idol as well as the Emperor himself, and he was a disciple of Artemis.
He and his craftsmen made plaques, silver relief of the goddess within her temple. Once the item was dedicated at the Temple of the Great Artemis, the local people and visitors, bought them as votive offerings and uses these items in family worship centers, amulets, charms, or just souvenirs—much like what is sold at temples today.
Artemis or known as Diana in Rome was the “Great Mother”—hunter, goddess of wild animals, wild nature, chastity and childbirth. She took on the role of the goddess of fertility able to hold power over wild animals, deliver her people from fear and to be the connect between earth and the cruel fate that bothered them. Artemis had unsurpassed cosmic power! She was considered as Lord, Savior, and Queen of the Cosmos.
Demetrius had it in for Paul. Paul’s message caused a decline of income for the local idol makers. Paul’s message was directly against the polytheistic religion of the land. He charged Paul with leading people astray—or mentally and spiritually bringing a different point of view, causing someone to change his position. The Message Paul shared dealt with repentance and conversion. Demetrius was concerned he’d loose his livelihood. Rightly so!
The Message does that sort of thing. It deals with the real issues of life: meaning, purpose, direction, future, control. The Message of Jesus deals with those items in every aspect of life. Demetrius was dealing with the here and now, while Paul was dealing with the here and now AND the hereafter.
Imagine a world without the Great Temple of Artemis! The temple was called one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It covered an area four times the size of the Parthenon-70 meters long, 280 meters long, (300 yd) with 127 sixty-foot columns. It was THE worship center of Asia and a world-class bank. Well, all that is left now of that temple is one column and a small gathering of rubble. There have been found over 33 worship sites to this female goddess across the Roman world. She was worshipped by the leaders of Rome and was THE most extensive worship in the known world—at that time. From what Demetrius could see, this was in danger of ending!
Then, all went wild! People were shouting this thing while others shouting that! Ever see a newsreel of fanatic group shouting? Out of this world! Blind uncompromised devotion is hard to work with.
The whole city was thrown into confusion.
Two of Paul’s friends and traveling partners were taken into the theatre. We see Aristarchus again in Chapter 20 and 27, as well as in Col 4:10 and Philemon 24—while Gaius was even known by John as his good friend and by Paul in Romans 16:23. However it could have been another Gaius…
Then things really went wild! While this was going on, Paul wanted to address the crowd. His friends with him, as well as some city leaders, strongly suggested that he not! It seemed that even in the high society of Ephesus, many felt that the Way was no threat to the Imperial cult—Not yet!
When it comes to hearing and accepting advise, how do you rate? Even when the whole city is ready to fry your skin off, what kind of guidance would you accept? How do we KNOW God’s way for our lives?
A few things to remember: (ALL verses come from the NIV unless otherwise stated)
1. God’s direction comes to those who look to Him. John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
2. Guidance comes through the Spirit. John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
3. The purpose of the guidance is to reflect Him. Phili 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death,
4. Guidance comes with Peace. James 3:17-18 Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (the Message)
5. Many times, guidance comes to us unaware. Ps 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. (NIV)
9 He gives the rejects His hand, And leads them step-by-step. (The Message)
6. Sometimes, Guidance is not always pleasant. Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
As it turned out, a clear-headed clerk ended the riot by a simple statement. If the riot keeps up, and they could not support the reason for the riot, Rome could revoke their status of being a free city as they could not maintain law and order through its own local leaders. This brought the fear of god into their hearts and they were dismissed.
Let this be said of you, after you received guidance from God. Joshua 11:15 As the LORD commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Times, they are a-changing!
Well, summer is almost over and the time for getting ready for the Fall has begun.
WAIT a moment! There is plenty of summer left and the temps are just right to get outside and get some more sun! In fact, the only thing that will change for us at ICCS is that the time of the Morning Service will return to 10:30 AM for Worship.
It is just like a good mystery book. You don't want to start the book on page 75, do you? Start reading from page one and you will understand the plot and theme a lot better! Same with coming to service on time. Work at it. Service starts at 10:30. If you go see the doctor and the appointment is for 10:30, ask yourself, would you arrive at the office at 11? I don't think so! So, be at service on time, OK?
See you this Sunday at 10:30 --- or even a little early so as to find the right seat. This week, we will be looking at Acts 19:23-41. "It's a Riot out there!"
And we will be celebrating the Lord's Table.
Come and Worship the Living God of the Bible. Return to the things you know to be true!
WAIT a moment! There is plenty of summer left and the temps are just right to get outside and get some more sun! In fact, the only thing that will change for us at ICCS is that the time of the Morning Service will return to 10:30 AM for Worship.
It is just like a good mystery book. You don't want to start the book on page 75, do you? Start reading from page one and you will understand the plot and theme a lot better! Same with coming to service on time. Work at it. Service starts at 10:30. If you go see the doctor and the appointment is for 10:30, ask yourself, would you arrive at the office at 11? I don't think so! So, be at service on time, OK?
See you this Sunday at 10:30 --- or even a little early so as to find the right seat. This week, we will be looking at Acts 19:23-41. "It's a Riot out there!"
And we will be celebrating the Lord's Table.
Come and Worship the Living God of the Bible. Return to the things you know to be true!
Saturday, August 18, 2007
Titus: Stuff We Do
Welcome back to ICCS's Sermon Blog. I really don't know if anyone is out there reading this stuff but I like getting the Word out there anyway. Hope you enjoy--by letting the Spirit of our Lord change and use you--this next sermon.
Main verse: Titus 3:8 (NIV)
Main verse: Titus 3:8 (NIV)
This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.
How do we do the things we do?
I would guess each of us has asked the question: Why am I here? Or What is my purpose in this life? Paul addresses those common questions in this short letter to a young leader on the island of Crete.
Paul's letter challenges both Titus and those he ministers to have a wider view of what life is all about. It is far more than just the individual. It is way beyond that, especially for the Believer.
We can become a vital part of what God wants to do in this crazy fallen-apart world. It is the way to do stuff. How to be. What to do. And it is covered in this short three-chapter letter. It is repeated so many times (5) [in 1:8, 2:2, 2:5, 2:6 and 2:12. To be self-controlled!
How we behave is more important than it appears. How others see us acting out our Faith in a self-controlled way is important. And along with that self-controlled life-style, we are to be kind (2:5), as well as doing what is good (2:7, 3:8, 3:14.
“Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order that they may provide for daily necessities and not live unproductive lives.”)
In fact, if we do not behave that way, Paul gives us a warning in 1:15-16
2:5b15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted. 16 They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.
so that no one will malign (slander) the word of God.
Why? To be an example of what it is like to have God's love alive in us. To know His forgiveness and to life in light of that knowledge.
It makes a difference.
Quickly, look at the whole letter:
Chapter 1: Get organized.
Preach the Word
Ordain qualified leaders
Silence false teachers
Chapter 2-3: What we do
Older saints
Younger saints
Christian slaves
…as citizens
Problem people
All dealing with having a healthy church.
Get sleep, when needed, exercise whenever possible
Eat a well balanced diet
Take meds as prescribed
Read the Word
Pray
Biblical Christians are by definition in a predicament, a dilemma, a quandary. Christians must live in this world, but they are not to be of this world. As the Father sent Christ into this world to minister, so He sends believers to be ministers in the world (John 17:14-18). God has US affect our community.
14 I have given them Your Word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15 My prayer is not that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one. 16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17 Sanctify them by the Truth; Your Word is Truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I have sent them into the world.
Now, to what Paul thinks about the existence of Grace in the Fellowship
Grace Redeems Us 2:11, 14a -Saves us.
11 For the Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men.
14a who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness…
a. Everyone is in the same boat. “to ALL men”
b. Grace is there for all
c. Grace is defined in 14a HE GAVE. Came from Him
Grace Reforms Us. 2:12, 14b -Changes us.
12 It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age,
14b to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good.
a. Lessons to learn
b. Possible major changes ahead-doing good maybe unusual for you…
c. His Grace to bring a people who are pure & eager to do right-from that way to this way. Change direction.
Grace Rewards Us. 2:13 -Gives us hope.
13 while we wait for the blessed Hope-the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ,
a. Sometimes the answer is wait/yet we (have) hope
b. By Grace, He will return
c. His rewards for those who wait with a Crown of Glory AND forgiveness-for eternity
---------Note, Sunday Service starts at 10:00 AM.
Come and Worship the Living Lord!
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Falling Away: What Paul would say...
THE BIG LINE:
Paul cares so very much about the situation in these churches that he tenderly confronts them because of their error.
To be precise, they were adding to the already full Gospel. They did not deny the Lord. They did not deny the authority of God's Word. They did not question the Work of Christ on the Cross-per-say. They just wanted to add to it. The Gospel that Paul and the Apostles preached was not enough. It needed more. More human hands! Works! Something from the Jewish past.
Problem is that the new believers are Gentiles and the established believers are Jewish believers. How do the new believers relate to the established Church that wants to include Old Testament Law for proof of conversion? These new believers were struggling with a dual identity. On one hand there is a strict heritage, which held to a very tight, and no compromising Jewish law and on the other hand a new faith based on the liberty of Love and not on the Law. Remember back to the Jerusalem Council who sent a letter to the new believers in Antioch. Don't worry about the Law; Stay away from blood, food offered to idols and stay sexually pure.
Now, they were to add to the Full Gospel of Jesus the one thing that keep some Jewish believers at bay with the main teaching of Paul: circumcision. That being, the one physical act that tied man to the Promise of the Covenant of Abraham. In one way of saying this, to get Salvation takes work to become complete. Paul calls the whole question foolish!
In fact, Paul is so surprised that they were so quickly led away from the Truth.
There was a deliberate attempt to bring confusion to the faithful and to pervert the True Gospel of Christ. That same effort is still around today under different words and terms.
Today, there is a book out that is entitled The Secret. This book is #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. What the author is saying in the book is that success is up to YOU and you alone! From your thoughts, if positive and not negative at all, you will find what you are looking for in life. If you want to be wealthy, you must think about it continually. If you want to loose weight, decide what weight you want to be and you will get there. How can that happen? The book says: “Thoughts are magnetic, and thoughts have a frequency (like a radio signal). As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the universe and they are magnetically attract(ed) all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source. And that source is you.”
You never thought you could be that powerful as to move the universe at your own thoughts, did you? Truth is, you don't.
Man is never satisfied with Truth. They always want to add to it or change it or try to manipulate it somehow. Paul sees that in this region of present day Turkey.
There are three main reasons why this system does not work in the real world.
#1 is that any system that focuses on SELF breaks down big time.
The appeal of this book is that it is all about ME. I become the all-powerful one who determines my future. It goes well beyond taking responsibility for my life-this is making MY life all about what I want, no matter what. Extremely self-centered.
According to what Paul writes in Galatians 2:17~20, I am not at the center of my existence but Christ IS!
Jesus tells that the opposite is true and we know that in our heart of hearts. Deep within, we are sure to ask ourselves, “What is the reason for my being here?” Jesus takes us to another level when He challenges us to give our lives away in service to God and to others. When that rich man asked Jesus what he must DO to get eternal life, Jesus gave him the answer He gives us today:
Paul reminds the Galatians that the Gospel that was preached by himself and the Apostles is the Truth and that it is based on the complete Work of Christ on the Cross. Other teachings were trying to pervert the truth and were not gospel at all. Not real good news. It was based on self and not on the eternal things of God. See from
Not by human hands did this Gospel come but by God's Free Gift of His Son. Based on Him NOT on me and what I could DO!
#2: The World around us, the universe, has no power.
According to the people around the Galatian churches, if you would only plug into the world system (that being the Jewish law of separation by means of circumcision) you will experience freedom.
Problem was, that action only gave into slavery. One would NEED to follow ALL the Law! Christ came to fulfill the Law's requirements through His Sacrifice on the Cross.
The lie comes with the false thought that the universe, once plugged into it, will show itself as a benevolent force that wants to grant you your every heart's desire.
But, the Universe is a created thing. It has no Power within it's self. Remember when Job asked his questions of the Lord, God's answer was a question:
Jesus teaches us this lesson in John 16:33
#3: Bad things happen because of evil, not because of bad thoughts.
How would you explain these sorts of ideas the Korean hostages in Afghanistan? Many thousands of people suffer on a day-to-day basis because of the evil others are inflicting on them. If those who suffered from having family members brutalized before them had only used positive thoughts, they would have lived? Not so. These things happen because of evil and of evil men, not because these victims thought in a negative way.
Once Paul followed that way of life. He too was caught up in the legal life of a Pharisee. He had even fought against the Way of Jesus! He understood the emptiness the Law held for them. He was changed. He was set free to know and experience the Grace of God. He was no longer a slave to the Law but now Free to serve the Lord Jesus in all His Splendor. He understood their past.
In 4:8-11, we see Paul's heart once again. He reminds the Church that they USED to live that way. It was in the past. No longer do they OR US need to return to that way of living OR way of thinking. We are under Grace now. That is real freedom! Read it:
The lives the followers of Christ were now leading was way below the level they should have been. They were living in slavery to the Law. Their lives had turned around to follow the Lord but someone came with a different message that caught them unaware. It drove them far from the place where God wanted them to be. The Cross of Jesus set them free but this new teaching had them tied all up once again. The Gentile believers were being forced to become Jews to become Christians! The Jewish Christians made the bar very high for them! These new believers WANTED to belong. They wanted to be set free but the teaching of those Jewish Believers forced them out of the Gospel of Grace and into the bondage of the Law WHICH they, wished to be free of themselves.
We are called to be free! Not tied to the bondage of works. See Paul's warning in 5:13-15?
Paul then shows them a better way. Live your life by the Spirit of God!
Paul encourages them to live a life worthy of the calling they have in Christ Jesus. Those things that he writes about in 19-21 are not to be found in our lives.
But rather:
Once the Grace of God makes you free, you could fall away but that is where Grace comes in again to restore you.
For a letter that is six chapters in the English Bible, Paul had a great deal to talk about. The letter was sent to the churches in the area of Galatia and not one certain church. It seems that the problem Paul writes about was - almost epidemic - in the entire area. And what was that problem? Falling away.
True love cares enough to confront. Better is open rebuke than hidden love. Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but an enemy multiplies kisses. (Proverbs 27:5-6)
Paul cares so very much about the situation in these churches that he tenderly confronts them because of their error.
To be precise, they were adding to the already full Gospel. They did not deny the Lord. They did not deny the authority of God's Word. They did not question the Work of Christ on the Cross-per-say. They just wanted to add to it. The Gospel that Paul and the Apostles preached was not enough. It needed more. More human hands! Works! Something from the Jewish past.
Problem is that the new believers are Gentiles and the established believers are Jewish believers. How do the new believers relate to the established Church that wants to include Old Testament Law for proof of conversion? These new believers were struggling with a dual identity. On one hand there is a strict heritage, which held to a very tight, and no compromising Jewish law and on the other hand a new faith based on the liberty of Love and not on the Law. Remember back to the Jerusalem Council who sent a letter to the new believers in Antioch. Don't worry about the Law; Stay away from blood, food offered to idols and stay sexually pure.
Now, they were to add to the Full Gospel of Jesus the one thing that keep some Jewish believers at bay with the main teaching of Paul: circumcision. That being, the one physical act that tied man to the Promise of the Covenant of Abraham. In one way of saying this, to get Salvation takes work to become complete. Paul calls the whole question foolish!
In fact, Paul is so surprised that they were so quickly led away from the Truth.
6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the Grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel- 7 which is really no gospel at all.
There was a deliberate attempt to bring confusion to the faithful and to pervert the True Gospel of Christ. That same effort is still around today under different words and terms.
Today, there is a book out that is entitled The Secret. This book is #1 on the New York Times bestseller list. What the author is saying in the book is that success is up to YOU and you alone! From your thoughts, if positive and not negative at all, you will find what you are looking for in life. If you want to be wealthy, you must think about it continually. If you want to loose weight, decide what weight you want to be and you will get there. How can that happen? The book says: “Thoughts are magnetic, and thoughts have a frequency (like a radio signal). As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the universe and they are magnetically attract(ed) all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source. And that source is you.”
You never thought you could be that powerful as to move the universe at your own thoughts, did you? Truth is, you don't.
Man is never satisfied with Truth. They always want to add to it or change it or try to manipulate it somehow. Paul sees that in this region of present day Turkey.
There are three main reasons why this system does not work in the real world.
#1 is that any system that focuses on SELF breaks down big time.
The appeal of this book is that it is all about ME. I become the all-powerful one who determines my future. It goes well beyond taking responsibility for my life-this is making MY life all about what I want, no matter what. Extremely self-centered.
According to what Paul writes in Galatians 2:17~20, I am not at the center of my existence but Christ IS!
17 "If, while we seek to be justified in Christ, it becomes evident that we ourselves are sinners, does that mean that Christ promotes sin? Absolutely not! 18 If I rebuild what I destroyed, I prove that I am a lawbreaker. 19 For through the law I died to the law so that I might live for God. 20 I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.The world systems promise sure-fire ways to success and power. They promise happiness but selfish people are the ones who are the least happy in the world. Who cares about the other persons or that there are needs outside my little world? The promises of profits are the only thing that drives such people. The life turns inward and becomes cold. Detached. Isolated. An island. While it made a great song in the 60's, “I am a rock, I am an island” just does not really make it in the real world. We are to live in Community with each other. We are even responsible for the people who are dying in the Sudan. If the only reason to be kind is to further my goals, than I will be using people all my life to support self.
Jesus tells that the opposite is true and we know that in our heart of hearts. Deep within, we are sure to ask ourselves, “What is the reason for my being here?” Jesus takes us to another level when He challenges us to give our lives away in service to God and to others. When that rich man asked Jesus what he must DO to get eternal life, Jesus gave him the answer He gives us today:
“Go sell all your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. THEN, come follow Me.” Matthew 19:21.
Paul reminds the Galatians that the Gospel that was preached by himself and the Apostles is the Truth and that it is based on the complete Work of Christ on the Cross. Other teachings were trying to pervert the truth and were not gospel at all. Not real good news. It was based on self and not on the eternal things of God. See from
Gal 3:1-5. 1 You foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. 2 I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard? 3 Are you so foolish? After beginning with the Spirit, are you now trying to attain your goal by human effort? 4 Have you suffered so much for nothing-if it really was for nothing? 5 Does God give you His Spirit and work miracles among you because you observe the law, or because you believe what you heard?
Not by human hands did this Gospel come but by God's Free Gift of His Son. Based on Him NOT on me and what I could DO!
#2: The World around us, the universe, has no power.
According to the people around the Galatian churches, if you would only plug into the world system (that being the Jewish law of separation by means of circumcision) you will experience freedom.
Problem was, that action only gave into slavery. One would NEED to follow ALL the Law! Christ came to fulfill the Law's requirements through His Sacrifice on the Cross.
The lie comes with the false thought that the universe, once plugged into it, will show itself as a benevolent force that wants to grant you your every heart's desire.
But, the Universe is a created thing. It has no Power within it's self. Remember when Job asked his questions of the Lord, God's answer was a question:
The Universe does not tell God nor man what to do; God holds complete sway over the universe. It is at His Command, not the other way around! We are powerless to TELL the universe to do anything!“Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?” Job 38:4.
ILL: King sat in a chair near to shore and told the tide NOT to come in. When his royal robes got wet, he said that even a king could not pull that off!
Jesus teaches us this lesson in John 16:33
He could hold back the tide. He can do it all. He calmed the sea. He is in charge and He is the One who holds all things in His Hands."I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
#3: Bad things happen because of evil, not because of bad thoughts.
How would you explain these sorts of ideas the Korean hostages in Afghanistan? Many thousands of people suffer on a day-to-day basis because of the evil others are inflicting on them. If those who suffered from having family members brutalized before them had only used positive thoughts, they would have lived? Not so. These things happen because of evil and of evil men, not because these victims thought in a negative way.
Ps. 14:6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the LORD is their refuge.
Once Paul followed that way of life. He too was caught up in the legal life of a Pharisee. He had even fought against the Way of Jesus! He understood the emptiness the Law held for them. He was changed. He was set free to know and experience the Grace of God. He was no longer a slave to the Law but now Free to serve the Lord Jesus in all His Splendor. He understood their past.
In 4:8-11, we see Paul's heart once again. He reminds the Church that they USED to live that way. It was in the past. No longer do they OR US need to return to that way of living OR way of thinking. We are under Grace now. That is real freedom! Read it:
What happened to their joy? They were zealous but for the wrong reason. Paul says:4: 8 Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. 9 But now that you know God-or rather are known by God-how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? 10 You are observing special days and months and seasons and years! 11 I fear for you, that somehow I have wasted my efforts on you.
They had drifted over to another gospel that was not a gospel at all.18 It is fine to be zealous, provided the purpose is good, and to be so always and not just when I am with you.
The lives the followers of Christ were now leading was way below the level they should have been. They were living in slavery to the Law. Their lives had turned around to follow the Lord but someone came with a different message that caught them unaware. It drove them far from the place where God wanted them to be. The Cross of Jesus set them free but this new teaching had them tied all up once again. The Gentile believers were being forced to become Jews to become Christians! The Jewish Christians made the bar very high for them! These new believers WANTED to belong. They wanted to be set free but the teaching of those Jewish Believers forced them out of the Gospel of Grace and into the bondage of the Law WHICH they, wished to be free of themselves.
Paul reminds them that they were really doing well for a time.5:4-5. 4 You who are trying to be justified by law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace. 5 But by faith we eagerly await through the Spirit the righteousness for which we hope.
5:7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?
We are called to be free! Not tied to the bondage of works. See Paul's warning in 5:13-15?
Not the picture of Christian unity, is it?13 You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." 15 If you keep on biting and devouring each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Paul then shows them a better way. Live your life by the Spirit of God!
5:16-18 16 So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. 17 For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under law.
Paul encourages them to live a life worthy of the calling they have in Christ Jesus. Those things that he writes about in 19-21 are not to be found in our lives.
Jesus has set us free to be all we can be IN HIM ALONE!19 The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
But rather:
Paul ends with what really counts in life:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.
And to end with his closing:15b what counts is a new creation. 16 Peace and mercy to all who follow this rule, even to the Israel of God.
Next week: Dealing with Death18 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen.
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