Calvary Wolfeboro: Recent Episodes
Calvary Wolfeboro
While recognizing that this topic isn't the point of Jesus' words in the Sermon on the Mount, Justin and Cris discuss the understanding of the elders of Calvary Wolfeboro related marriage and divorce.
Justin, Peter, and Josh team teach in three parts Psalm 18:30, "This God—his way is perfect; the word of the Lord proves true he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him." It's a mother's day message that will encourage all women and all people for that matter.
In this two part recording, Justin Marbury's sermon on Colossians 3:16 is followed by teachings and words of encouragement from several within the congregation of Calvary Wolfeboro.
Every week in most countries around the globe the Church gathers together for a service. Why? In this message, we consider one very important reason. Because being a disciple of Jesus is hard.
Pastor Justin circles back on his message from 1 John 2:28-3:10 with some additional and clarifying thoughts about the spiritual DNA of a child of God.
1 John 2:15-17
15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life[a]—is not from the Father but is from the world. 17 And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever.
Jesus Christ came to give us life and to show us a lifestyle of walking in the will of God, to the glory of God. He was truly “full of grace and truth” and the Apostle John encourages us to walk in the same way Jesus walked. Following Jesus’ example includes avoiding the trap of busyness through relying on God, contentment, leaning on others and recharging our souls through time with Christ.
“Be yourself.” Two words that capture a significant mood of our cultural moment. But for anyone who hasn't been born again, this is really bad advice. Original sin means that until we are given a new self at salvation we are selfish to the core. But what if we have been born again? Once a man or woman has received a new heart, they also receive a new self. This new man or woman is who Jesus died for us to be. But so many Christians never become the new self they were recreated to be. Why? Because you can’t be yourself, without giving yourself to Christ. And you can’t give yourself to Jesus without giving your gifts to the Church.
One of Satan’s greatest deceptions is the widely held belief that he doesn’t exist. Satan does not want to draw attention to himself or the spiritual forces of darkness that he rules. His strategy involves subterfuge and staying under the radar. What this means is that many Christians are completely oblivious to his presence and his tactics. If we’re not even aware of the spiritual enemy then we certainly won’t be prepared to endure his attacks. Not everything bad that happens to us is a spiritual attack, but when the attack comes, and it will, we can be ready. Let’s consider what to do when the battle comes to you.
Every week, in church buildings around the world, God's people gather for what we call "worship." In cars, living rooms, and showers millions of saints play what they call "worship" music. We are continually talking about worship in a way that can cause it to lose its real meaning. Worship is more than an event. It's more than a song. Which is why Matt Redman, in his song, "The Heart of Worship," proclaims to God, "I'll bring You more than a song. For a song in itself is not what you have required. Your search much deeper within, through the way things appear. You're looking into my heart." Worship is a matter of the heart. So what is the heart of worship? Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2.
Every week, in church buildings around the world, God's people gather for what we call "worship." In cars, living rooms, and showers millions of saints play what they call "worship" music. We are continually talking about worship in a way that can cause it to lose its real meaning. Worship is more than an event. It's more than a song. Which is why Matt Redman, in his song, "The Heart of Worship," proclaims to God, "I'll bring You more than a song. For a song in itself is not what you have required. Your search much deeper within, through the way things appear. You're looking into my heart." Worship is a matter of the heart. So what is the heart of worship? Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2.
There are many ways to look at what Christ accomplished on the cross. He made available forgiveness from sins, eternal life, spiritual birth, and adoption into God's family, to begin with. But in addition to all of these realities, there is another accomplishment of grace that is equally amazing. For the believer in Jesus Christ, there is freedom from slavery to sin. In other words, because of the death of Jesus, and our faith in Him, sin is no longer is our master. That is, unless we allow it to be. In Galatians 5:1, we find the exhortation to not go back to the slavery we were under before faith in Christ. Which means, that we can go back. But we don't have to. We've been freed for Good!
Few tendencies undermine a life of faith in Christ like presumption. God's people have always struggled to avoid this pit. Because of the promises made to Israel and the special place that the church has in God's plan of redemption, it's easy to presume, to take for granted, to become complacent and even arrogant. This was the mistake Israel made with Jesus and it's the sin that still plagues God's people, the church, today. But it's possible to avoid the pit of presumption. Let's consider how as we dig into Romans 11:13-24 and continue our verse by verse series in the book of Romans: Deep and Wide.
For more than 1300 years Israel was right in the middle of God’s plans and purposes. Then, with an historically sudden shift, Israel was gone. No longer, it seemed, would there exist a nation or a people called Israel. Even before the destruction of Jerusalem in the first century and the Roman occupation of Judea, Paul wrote to the church in Rome about the obvious rejection of Jesus by Israel. How could God’s promises for His chosen people be fulfilled if they rejected their messiah? The answer is found in Romans 11: The remnant. There has always been, in the purposes of God with Israel, a remnant (a faithful few who God would use to see His plan through). God used a Jewish remnant to start the church on Pentecost and it is a remnant of a different kind that God uses today to do his work in our world.
There’s nothing magical about the sinner’s prayer. Many a preacher has made that clear. The words of the sinner’s prayer are only as effective as the sincerity of the heart behind them. The words of the Gospel, on the other hand, are truths that have changed the world. They describe both the need and God’s provision for all humanity to be restored and forgiven. The importance of the message of the Gospel cannot be overstated. And yet, in many churches today these words that save have been silenced. They’ve been obscured. It’s into this reality that the observation of Paul in Romans 10:17 need to be considered afresh, “Faith comes from hearing…” How desperately we need to regain boldness in our responsibility to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
We are saved through faith not by works. This is one of the pillars of the reformation and clearly articulated in verse like Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith and this is a gift from God, not a result of works so that no-one may boast.” We can’t earn our righteousness before God. We can’t earn our forgiveness. Does this mean that we don’t have to do anything? Are we just passive observers in our own salvation? Not at all. In fact, as we see in Romans 10:1-13, we have a definite responsibility in our own salvation. We can’t earn it, but we do have to receive it. And the receiving or accepting of our salvation means that we have to surrender our lives to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. What does that mean exactly? That’s what we will consider this week in our ongoing series in the book of Romans, “Deep and Wide."
Have you ever had the sneaking suspicion that no matter what you do, a particular future is inevitable? It's called fatalism and It's the idea that our future is predetermined and locked in. While fatalism doesn't find it's source in the pages of the Bible, there is a certain inevitability to the plans and purposes of God. This means that the closer a person is to God's work, the more exacting God's providence will be. God chose Israel to carry out his purpose of bringing the Messiah into the world. At Pentecost, God chose the Church to carry out the work of the Gospel in this world. If you're a Christian, you've been chosen too. What does that mean for you? Find out as we dig back in to Romans chapter 9.
The apostle Paul wrote to the church in Rome that he had, “great sorrow and unceasing anguish” in his heart because of Israel’s rejection of their Messiah. His heart was broken by the apostasy - the departure - of Israel from the center of God’s plan. We know from his other letters and church history that one of the first things Paul did when he came to a new city was to go to a Synagogue and preach the gospel. That was Paul’s response to the apostasy of his “kinsman,” as he called Israel. His example is our model. We, too, are faced with apostasy all around us today. What should our response be? Let’s consider that question and discover along the way that while apostasy will come, God’s love will prevail and God’s plan will not be affected.
The climax of the first eight chapters of the book of Romans is verses 31 through 39 of the eighth chapter. What began, in Romans chapter one, as an introduction to the gospel as the revelation of the righteousness of God available to all who believe, culminates here with one of the most powerful descriptions of God’s love in all the Bible. “Nothing,” writes Paul, “can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” So much encouragement has been poured into the hearts of the saints through these words and yet too many Christians don’t experience this crazy kind of love. Do you? Consider that question as we dig into our next installment of “Deep and Wide” our verse by verse study of the book of Romans.
Lukewarm. The word never has positive connotations. Whether it’s coffee or milk, a hot tub or a cold wrap for a swollen knee, lukewarm is rarely good. What’s true almost always in general is definitely the case for a church. The final letter of the seven churches in Revelation is the only one where Jesus has nothing good to say. Laodicea was the church that Jesus wanted to spew out of His mouth. Let’s find out why this Lukewarm church found themselves in a class all to themselves.
Faithfulness must be proven. You cannot measure the faithfulness of a person or a machine until it’s been run through it’s paces. So it is with a church. A faithful church is one that has been proven by trial and persecution. Such was the church in Philadelphia. While the church in Ephesus was certainly well-known by man, Philadelphia was the well-loved by Jesus. Let’s consider what we, as the church and as Christians, can imitate. Because, like the church in Philadelphia, we want to be found faithful too.
Compromise is like the navigator who was only off in his calculation by one degree on the compass but ended up taking his ship hundreds of miles off course. What the human eye would never be able to detect (a one-degree deviation) can end up being a catastrophic mistake. So it is with compromise in the church. In Jesus’ letter to the church in Thyatira he reveals that this was a compromised church. They had veered off course so much that without correction, Jesus promised that he would send physical suffering, tribulation, and even death. All of these, the consequences of continued compromise. Jesus is not messing around when it comes to the purity of His Bride. Let’s consider this for our own live today and see if perhaps we have compromise in our lives that needs to be corrected.
Second only to the idea of truth, tolerance is the most misunderstood idea in our culture today. Many Americans, because of what they believe, are losing their God-given rights under the guise of tolerance. In this climate the church is more and more being labeled as intolerant. And, in part, the label is right. The church is intolerant. In fact, it should be the most intolerant people on earth. Not intolerant of people, but intolerant of evil and the lies that perpetuate it. Jesus' letter to the church in Pergamum reveals that there was a level of tolerance that wasn’t good. Let’s consider this ancient church’s example and how we can learn from their mistake.
Suffering is not just common to man, it costs Americans about $635 billion dollars a year (according to medicine net.com). Those who are have chronic pain will go to great lengths to find their pain and suffering relieved. Understandably so, because, as C.S. Lewis observed, pain is a megaphone. But suffering, according to the Scriptures, isn’t all bad. And the Spiritual discipline of fasting, which Jesus participated in and encouraged, involves intentional suffering. In fact, Scripture has a very different perspective on suffering than the world. We’ll consider this other perspective this week as we begin the series, Pilgrimage: Our Journey Toward Easter.
What if you knew that everything you did and everything others did to you and everything that happened to you would turn out for your best? That would be amazing wouldn’t it? Well, for the child of God who is living a life devoted to his or her father, this is exactly what is promised. Now, of course, there are some important details that must be understood and accepted. This promise isn’t unconditional, and the good that is promised may not be the good that is comfortable. That’s why we must consider the promise of Romans 8:28-30 very carefully.
What causes us to do the things we do? What makes us get up every morning? The answer is that something or someone is motivating us. Motivation is part of the human condition. We need motivation in order to start and continue the things we do. This is obvious in the work that “puts food on the table." Most people are motivated to work by the paycheck that they will receive for their work and the provision that paycheck will provide. But motivation is not so obvious when it come to the work of the Gospel in the Church. Often the motivation that people respond to when it comes to following Christ is just wrong. Guilt, fear, and power, for example, are all possible and often common motivators. What should motivate us to serve Jesus as Christians? That’s the question we will consider as we unpack the next passage in the Deep and Wide series through the book of Romans.
“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” Stephen Covey’s profound axiom about human nature describes the importance of our thought life. Put another way, intent precedes content. The content of one’s life is the result of the intent of their thoughts. What you think about matters. What you think about a lot matters a lot. And what you are dedicated to with will define you. This is the power of intent. For the Christian there is nothing keeping us from making the intent of our lives God’s pleasure.
We’ve all seen the scene in the cartoons and movies where a character is faced with a decision. In order to help the decision-maker out, two new characters appear. One of them an evil angel or devil and the other a good angel. While possibly sitting on the shoulder of their counselee, they seek to persuade the person to see things their way and make the decision based on their counsel. To a certain extent all people have these two voices in their head. But for the Christian this struggle is much more amplified and real. We have two natures. The nature that we received at our first birth. This is the fallen nature or old nature. And the nature we receive when we are born again. This is our new nature. It is these two natures (also called the flesh and the spirit) that produce a constant struggle in the heart of a follower of Christ. While the struggle is real, so is the possibility for victory. Let’s find out more as we finish up the seventh chapter of Romans.
"You're gonna have to serve somebody, yes indeed you're gonna have to serve somebody. Well, it may be the devil or it may be the Lord, but you're gonna have to serve somebody." The chorus of Bob Dylan's song "Gotta Serve Somebody" describes a profound truth in a subtle way. The truth is that as human beings our only true freedom is to choose who or what we will serve. Pure autonomy(being completely free) is a farce. It's a lie. In Romans 6 Paul simplifies this reality even more by narrowing the options down to two: Sin or Righteousness. Later he will contrast slavery to sin with slavery to God. Described in a more personal way, our two options, as Dylan puts it, are the devil or the Lord. Let's consider what this means for us as Believers and how we can live like the slaves of Christ that we are."
God loves a cheerful giver. Meditate on that statement for any length of time and it should transform your philosophy about giving. There shouldn’t be any scrooges in the Kingdom. “When you give,” Jesus said, “don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.” His assumption is that we would give. It is therefore not the fact of giving that is even Jesus’ focus but the attitude of giving. How far most Americans are in their giving from what God intends. Barna states that Evangelical Christians in America give, on average, 2-3% of their income to the local church. Their study doesn’t reveal this but it’s probably safe to say that anyone who is giving such a small amount to the work of God is not doing it cheerfully. Cheerful giving is generous giving. And It begins with the work of the local church but it doesn’t stop there.
God loves a cheerful giver. Meditate on that statement for any length of time and it should transform your philosophy about giving. There shouldn’t be any scrooges in the Kingdom. “When you give,” Jesus said, “don’t let your right hand know what your left hand is doing.” His assumption is that we would give. It is therefore not the fact of giving that is even Jesus’ focus but the attitude of giving. How far most Americans are in their giving from what God intends. Barna states that Evangelical Christians in America give, on average, 2-3% of their income to the local church. Their study doesn’t reveal this but it’s probably safe to say that anyone who is giving such a small amount to the work of God is not doing it cheerfully. Cheerful giving is generous giving. And It begins with the work of the local church but it doesn’t stop there.
When a monarch butterfly emerges from its crysalis there is no evidence that it once was a caterpillar. Practically speaking, the caterpillar doesn’t exist anymore, it’s gone. Dead is the word that Paul uses to describe the old self that is replaced by the new self in Christ. Dead, in particular, is the “body of sin,” as he calls it. And because the old self is dead, it no longer is under the reign of sin and death. What does this mean for the Believer? Let’s find out as we continue our verse by verse study of the book of Romans.
Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year. At least it should be. It’s the perfect combination of celebrating Messiah's birth, gathering with brothers and sisters, friends and family, enjoying unusual goodies, and giving and receiving extraordinary gifts. But so often all of what should be so amazing becomes a real bummer. The blessings of Christmas become the burdens of Christmas. This same possibility exists in the Christian life as a whole. Every believer has been saved by Jesus from sin and death and brought into grace and life. But too many saints seem to forget what they have. Like the “real meaning of Christmas,” we forget the “real nature of grace life.” Grace life has replaced sin and death. It’s abundant life, It’s overcoming life, and it’s everlasting life. Let’s make sure we are living it now and looking forward to it forever.
Peace. It's a powerful motivation. People will do almost anything to settle down the worry or anxiety that troubles their hearts. In Romans 5, Paul begins his description of the benefits we have in our justification by pointing to the peace we have with God. A peace, he goes on to write, that is rooted in the love and grace of God. These verses are a much needed guide in our anxiety-consumed church culture where too many fail to lay hold of this critical promise of our salvation.
Romans 3 verses 24 and 25 tell us something central to the gospel. In these verse Paul makes it abundantly clear that humanity is made right with God by the cross of Jesus Christ as a gift to be received by faith. Our part is pretty minimal. We simply receive the gift of God by faith. But how? What does it mean to receive something by faith. What does this faith look like? It's an important question and one that Paul shines some light on in Romans 4. In this chapter we find the example of Abraham. His faith is the model for us. Let's consider what his faith as a model for ours.
There's something about human nature that doesn't like the fact that salvation cannot be earned. One of the most obvious evidences for this fact is that men and women will often try to "get their lives together" before they "come to Christ." But if there is nothing anyone can do to merit salvation, then there is no need to "get your life together." That idea is tied to the heresy that we must somehow and in some way work for our salvation: that we need to make ourselves at least a little bit worthy before we come to Jesus. The New Testament makes it clear that this is a lie. And Romans, in particular, makes it clear that it is impossible. We can never make ourselves even a little bit more worthy. Salvation is a gift.
In 2006 the film, "An Inconvenient Truth," set out to warn the world of an impending catastrophe due to climate change. The premise of the title was that in order for humanity to reverse the trend of global warming we would have to take immediate and inconvenient measures. As devastating as climate change could be for life on earth, there is actually a much more inconvenient truth for humanity. Sin. In Romans 3:10 we read, "None is righteous, no, not one." This means that every single person was born under the control of sin, with a sinful nature. It's this nature that has placed us at odds with God and under His judgment since the first sin of Adam and Eve. Something must be done. Enter God. Enter Israel. Enter the Law. Enter Paul's argument in Romans building to it's culmination with the only solution to the inconvenient truth that is sin.
Hypocrisy is one of the few sins that no-one is ever proud of. Even the most wicked people will claim to live consistently by some standard. Many will flaunt their sexual sins. Even more will applaud the thief who steals from the rich to give to the poor. The hypocrite is never the hero. But hypocrisy is a big problem with human nature. It's an even bigger problem in the church. Consider how we can cut hypocrisy out of our lives by listening to Paul's words in Romans 2 as they reveal not only the fruit of hypocrisy, but it's root.
Conscience. It's the faculty of our humanity that tells us we were made in the image of God. The more we understand about God's nature, the more we recognize that in our own hearts there is an onboard navigation system. But how sufficient is the conscience? What is it able to tell us and where does it fall short? These are the questions that Paul focuses on as he continues to develop his introduction of the gospel. And while his purview is humanity without law and without grace, the principles of conscience apply even more for the Christian. Conscience is critical.
"If I could see the hole in Jesus' hand and touch the scar on His side, I would believe too." So goes one version of the common argument against belief. This argument can be persuasive. Even for those of us who do believe, the legitimacy of our faith in God can often be challenged by the question, "how much evidence is enough?" Thankfully, we don't have to wonder. God has given us the answer in Romans 1. What makes it even better is that it's a two for one. Not only do we find the answer to the evidence question but we also find understanding for a related question. "What is the wrath of God during the age of grace?" Let's consider these two critical questions as we continue through the book of Romans with chapter 1 verses 18 through 32 in a message entitled, "The Wrath of God Under Grace."
At every turn the Gospel that Christianity is built upon is being attacked. These attacks, whether from pseudo science, postmodernism, or some form of identity politics seek to shame Christians into silence. Silencing the message of the Gospel is one of the Enemies most effective strategies. The apostle Paul knew the social pressure we feel to be ashamed of the Good News. He understood that the message of the Gospel was shameful to the world. Yet he was unashamed. As we consider the crux of the entire book of Romans, let’s consider how we, too, can be unashamed of the gospel in the midst of a culture seeking to shame us into silence.
When Christians talk about faith they will often describe it in terms of depth and width. For example a Believer may say, “Early in my walk with the Lord my faith was a mile wide but only an inch deep.” That same Christian then goes on to describe how their faith grew deeper over the years. This is the purpose of the gospel. God intends the “good news” to produce faith that first saves us and then sanctifies us. This is the message of the book of Romans. In this letter, considered by many to be Paul’s greatest work, there is a vivid description of the deep and wide impact of the gospel. In this first installment, the letter is introduced and the question presented for each one of us, “How can the book of Romans cause my faith to be both deep and wide?"
Condemnation. No human being wants to experience it and yet we all do. So when we read the words, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus,” we should pay attention. What does this mean? How do I make sure that I’m “in Christ Jesus" so that I won’t experience condemnation? These are critical questions. These are questions that are answered as we consider the first few verses of Romans chapter 8 in a message by pastor Jim Davis of Great Bay Calvary in Portsmouth, NH.
Instant Communication with the world and people around us has become the life-bread of our daily lives. The convenience of being able to get a hold of anyone anywhere at any time has made this world much smaller and more connected than ever before. Yet for most believers we take the quickest most important communication tool available to us for granted every singe day; Prayer. If we really believed that the creator of the Universe is offering his ear and attention to us 24/7/365, how much more would we be people of ceaseless prayer? In James 5:13-18, we see not only how important and amazing prayer is, but how important real open relationships with other believers united in prayer with us is as well.
The church is plagued with complacency. Anywhere you find complacency, you will find sin. Where there’s sin, light of world grows dim. What is the cure? How can the local body of Christ regain the purity that Christ died to establish? The answer is authentic Christian community; it’s the kind that the writer of Hebrews points to in chapter 10:24-25. It’s not easy to create, but it’s the only way that God’s people will once again become the shining city on a hill.
The church is plagued with complacency. Anywhere you find complacency, you will find sin. Where there’s sin, light of world grows dim. What is the cure? How can the local body of Christ regain the purity that Christ died to establish? The answer is authentic Christian community; it’s the kind that the writer of Hebrews points to in chapter 10:24-25. It’s not easy to create, but it’s the only way that God’s people will once again become the shining city on a hill.
The world that the Church was birthed into was a world of normalized sexual immorality. It’s for that reason, in part, that so many of the lists of sins given in the New Testament begin with sexual immorality. Knowing that fornication and the like would be all around the Church, God made sure that His Body knew that sexual immorality wouldn’t be allowed in it. Fast forward to 2018, sexual immorality still plagues the church but there’s something much more subtle that is undermining the Spiritual health of the Bride of Christ. Let’s call it Secular Immorality. As we seek to consider what each of us, as sheep in the flock should expect of one another it is to this idea that we will shift our focus. Secular immorality is the sin in modern Christianity that removes God, practically, from every part of life. It is this tendency that we must help each other fight against as we seek to please God more and more.
The world that the Church was birthed into was a world of normalized sexual immorality. It’s for that reason, in part, that so many of the lists of sins given in the New Testament begin with sexual immorality. Knowing that fornication and the like would be all around the Church, God made sure that His Body knew that sexual immorality wouldn’t be allowed in it. Fast forward to 2018, sexual immorality still plagues the church but there’s something much more subtle that is undermining the Spiritual health of the Bride of Christ. Let’s call it Secular Immorality. As we seek to consider what each of us, as sheep in the flock should expect of one another it is to this idea that we will shift our focus. Secular immorality is the sin in modern Christianity that removes God, practically, from every part of life. It is this tendency that we must help each other fight against as we seek to please God more and more.
There seems to be two kinds of leaders. Those who are too comfortable with leadership and those who are two uncomfortable. As the church, we have the responsibility of leading the way in finding the happy medium between these two extremes. There should always be a healthy fear in the heart of every leader that he or she would become domineering or autocratic. But there should also be a healthy fear of abdicating responsibility and allowing those who have not been called or commissioned to leadership to lead. It’s into this tension that the words of Hebrews 13 ring loud and clear. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” As we continue our consideration of expectations within the church we turn our attention to the expectation that God’s Word gives for how the flock should follow their shepherds.
There seems to be two kinds of leaders. Those who are too comfortable with leadership and those who are two uncomfortable. As the church, we have the responsibility of leading the way in finding the happy medium between these two extremes. There should always be a healthy fear in the heart of every leader that he or she would become domineering or autocratic. But there should also be a healthy fear of abdicating responsibility and allowing those who have not been called or commissioned to leadership to lead. It’s into this tension that the words of Hebrews 13 ring loud and clear. “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls.” As we continue our consideration of expectations within the church we turn our attention to the expectation that God’s Word gives for how the flock should follow their shepherds.
"Expectations kill relationships." You’ve probably heard someone make this claim. Yet, while expectations are often at the center of the breakdown in relationships, it isn’t always the expectations themselves that are to blame. When it comes to our relationships in the church, we need to first make sure that we have the right expectations of each other. This is nowhere more important than the expectations we have of leadership. In particular, the expectations that the church should have of its elders - the shepherds of the flock. Consider the admonition of Peter, “a fellow elder,” as he lays out for all of us, what the legitimate expectations should be.
"Expectations kill relationships." You’ve probably heard someone make this claim. Yet, while expectations are often at the center of the breakdown in relationships, it isn’t always the expectations themselves that are to blame. When it comes to our relationships in the church, we need to first make sure that we have the right expectations of each other. This is nowhere more important than the expectations we have of leadership. In particular, the expectations that the church should have of its elders - the shepherds of the flock. Consider the admonition of Peter, “a fellow elder,” as he lays out for all of us, what the legitimate expectations should be.
A recent study by Barna showed that a breakdown in trust was responsible for two devastating realities. The first is that the number one reason people give for not attending church anymore is that they don't trust church leadership. The second is even more devastating. For those who claim to have rejected belief in God completely, a lack of trust in the local church is among the top three reasons why. For those still inside the church, a breakdown in trust often manifests in more subtle ways. Some example include relationships becoming strained, ministries functioning less effectively, and the joy of the Lord lacking. Whatever the outcome of its absence, trust is clearly important. So let's consider how we can be actively involved in building up rather than breaking down the trust that is the glue holding the Body of Christ together.
A recent study by Barna showed that a breakdown in trust was responsible for two devastating realities. The first is that the number one reason people give for not attending church anymore is that they don't trust church leadership. The second is even more devastating. For those who claim to have rejected belief in God completely, a lack of trust in the local church is among the top three reasons why. For those still inside the church, a breakdown in trust often manifests in more subtle ways. Some example include relationships becoming strained, ministries functioning less effectively, and the joy of the Lord lacking. Whatever the outcome of its absence, trust is clearly important. So let's consider how we can be actively involved in building up rather than breaking down the trust that is the glue holding the Body of Christ together.
There is no greater indicator of the potential impact of a church than it’s view of God. The greater a church’s awe and wonder of God, the greater it’s impact for God. The fear of God removes the fear of man. Boldness in proclaiming and living out the Gospel is produced by an accurate understanding of God and obedience to His Lordship. This reminder is vital for any church that wants to begin or continue to grow in depth and in breadth. There are few passages in the Scripture that more perfectly describe all of this than Isaiah 40:9-31 which culminates in one of the greatest promises of the Bible, “those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and now faint.”
There is no greater indicator of the potential impact of a church than it’s view of God. The greater a church’s awe and wonder of God, the greater it’s impact for God. The fear of God removes the fear of man. Boldness in proclaiming and living out the Gospel is produced by an accurate understanding of God and obedience to His Lordship. This reminder is vital for any church that wants to begin or continue to grow in depth and in breadth. There are few passages in the Scripture that more perfectly describe all of this than Isaiah 40:9-31 which culminates in one of the greatest promises of the Bible, “those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and now faint.”
There is no greater indicator of the potential impact of a church than it’s view of God. The greater a church’s awe and wonder of God, the greater it’s impact for God. The fear of God removes the fear of man. Boldness in proclaiming and living out the Gospel is produced by an accurate understanding of God and obedience to His Lordship. This reminder is vital for any church that wants to begin or continue to grow in depth and in breadth. There are few passages in the Scripture that more perfectly describe all of this than Isaiah 40:9-31 which culminates in one of the greatest promises of the Bible, “those who wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and now faint.”
"Joy is the flag that flies over the castle of our hearts announcing that the king is in residence today.” These words were penned by Walter Knight to all Christians everywhere at every time. When Jesus is involved, there is joy. As we finish our study of the book of Philippians we look back over this letter that has oozed with joy and consider one more time, where is the joy? The answer shouldn’t surprise you. It’s in the Christian life.
The apostle Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This profound truth is the foundation of our calling as Christians to be generous. The church in Philippi was a generous church. Throughout the New Testament we read of this church actively seeking to bless Paul with material gifts and provision. They seem, however, to be the exception to the rule. Based on several descriptions in Philippians and other epistles, it appears that the Philippians stood alone at least in the extent to which they were generous. This generosity, however, should not be the exception. It should be the rule. A godly church is a generous church.
The apostle Paul quoted Jesus as saying, “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” This profound truth is the foundation of our calling as Christians to be generous. The church in Philippi was a generous church. Throughout the New Testament we read of this church actively seeking to bless Paul with material gifts and provision. They seem, however, to be the exception to the rule. Based on several descriptions in Philippians and other epistles, it appears that the Philippians stood alone at least in the extent to which they were generous. This generosity, however, should not be the exception. It should be the rule. A godly church is a generous church.
The apostle Paul claimed that he had learned to be content in "whatever situation" he was in. That may not immediately seem hard to believe until you understand what contentment is. Jeremiah Burroughs, in his classic work on contentment, "The Rare Jewel of Christian Contentment" defines Christian contentment as, "that sweet, inward, quiet, gracious frame of spirit, which freely submits to and delights in God's wise and fatherly disposal." Do you sweetly and inwardly, quietly and graciously, freely submit to AND delight in any and every situation? If not, be encouraged, neither did Paul. Not at first. He had to learn contentment. And so do you we. Let's consider the contentment of Paul and how we can learn to be content like him.
Trials; nobody looks forwards to them. In the world we find ourselves living in today, things have never been easier. Want to communicate with someone far away? Reach in to your pocket for your phone and talk with anyone anywhere in the world immediately. Hungry? Go to the store and pick up groceries on the way home. But even in this world of convenience and ease, none of us can escape trials, especially if you are a follower of Jesus Christ. Thankfully James shows us what we can experience in the midst of a trial and that there is also a purpose for what we are going through.
When you think about joy, you probably don't think about suffering. When you consider the grace of God, you probably don't think about persecution. Yet, in Philippians 1:29, the apostle Paul ties belief in Jesus and suffering for Jesus together as a package deal. It's not that God inflicts us supernaturally once we give our lives to Christ. Suffering is simply the normal result of a life lived "worthy of the gospel." "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," wrote Paul in II Timothy 3:12. But lest we think that this kind of suffering will rob our joy, think again. Suffering, too, for a follower of Christ, produces joy.
"There was once a fiddler who played so beauitully that everybody danced. A deaf man who could not hear the music considered them all insane.
Those who are with Jesus in suffering hear this music to which other men are deaf. They dance and do not care if they are considered insane."
-Richard Wurmbrand, Spent 14 years in a Communist Romanian prison where he endured severe torture for his faith in Jesus Christ.
When you think about joy, you probably don't think about suffering. When you consider the grace of God, you probably don't think about persecution. Yet, in Philippians 1:29, the apostle Paul ties belief in Jesus and suffering for Jesus together as a package deal. It's not that God inflicts us supernaturally once we give our lives to Christ. Suffering is simply the normal result of a life lived "worthy of the gospel." "All who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted," wrote Paul in II Timothy 3:12. But lest we think that this kind of suffering will rob our joy, think again. Suffering, too, for a follower of Christ, produces joy.
"There was once a fiddler who played so beauitully that everybody danced. A deaf man who could not hear the music considered them all insane.
Those who are with Jesus in suffering hear this music to which other men are deaf. They dance and do not care if they are considered insane."
-Richard Wurmbrand, Spent 14 years in a Communist Romanian prison where he endured severe torture for his faith in Jesus Christ.
Interest groups abound. It doesn’t matter how obscure a person’s interest is, there is a group of people out there somewhere with the same interests. The google search “international association of” results in over 100 million websites. There’s even a union of international associations; Yep, an association for associations. This idea of common interest groups has even infiltrated the mindset of the church. There is a church in Southern California that in 2005 was reported as having 9 different worship venues. Another way to think of it is that the church was divided up into 9 distinct worship interest groups. Which begs a question. What is it that Christians should have in common in order to gather as a local church? Let’s find out as we continue through the book of Philippians.
Interest groups abound. It doesn’t matter how obscure a person’s interest is, there is a group of people out there somewhere with the same interests. The google search “international association of” results in over 100 million websites. There’s even a union of international associations; Yep, an association for associations. This idea of common interest groups has even infiltrated the mindset of the church. There is a church in Southern California that in 2005 was reported as having 9 different worship venues. Another way to think of it is that the church was divided up into 9 distinct worship interest groups. Which begs a question. What is it that Christians should have in common in order to gather as a local church? Let’s find out as we continue through the book of Philippians.
Of all the emotions that human beings have, joy or happiness is the most sought after. Blaise Pascal, the famous Mathematician, Physicist and Theologian of the early 1600s observed, "All men seek happiness. This is without exception. Whatever different means they employ, they all tend to this end. The cause of some going to war and of others avoiding it, is the same desire in both, attended with different views. The will never takes the least step but to this object. This is the motive of every man, even of those who hang themselves." And yet, as important as it is, it is also the most elusive emotion for the vast majority of people in this world. For most people joy is fleeting. But this should not be the case for the Christian. As we begin our verse by verse study through the book of Philippians, the first thing we need to consider is that joy should be a defining characteristic of the life of a follower of Christ.
The fork in the road. It's a metaphor that describes the times in our lives where one decision will lead us in one of two very different directions. This same idea applies to human history. There are events that have forever divided the path that humanity has taken. The events of Genesis 4 describe one such fork in the road. Two men, Cain and Abel, take very different paths and the paths they take become those that every human being will take. One path is the life of faith. The other is the existence of unbelief. One is taken by most people. The other is chosen by few. Let's consider this fork in the road and how the sons of Adam and Eve became examples for us all.
One of the most profound lies that modern humanity has swallowed - hook, line, and sinker - is that human beings are fundamentally good. This, of course, flies in the face of the evidence all around us. In order, then, to perpetuate this lie, an explanation must be given for why it doesn’t seem like humanity is fundamentally good. The most common secular explanation for this apparent contradiction is that men and women do bad things because of external forces at work like oppression, suppression and injustice, just to name a few. Remove or change the external realities, it is proposed, and humanity will return to it’s natural “good” self. We come to Genesis 3, however, and we find the beginning of a very different explanation for why humanity does evil things: We are fallen. It’s the best explanation we have, of course, because it’s God’s explanation. And guess what? We got ourselves into this mess. But although the Fall is humanity’s own fault, God doesn’t expect us to get ourselves out of it. He will. For where sin abounds, grace abounds all the more.
What is a person's gender? Until very recently in human history this question had a simple answer. It is still the case when one looks up the definition. Merriam-Webster, for example, states that gender is "a: SEX - the feminine gender; b: the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex." Understood from this definition, gender is understood as synonymous with the titles, "male" and "female". In other words, there are two genders. Now enter the question, "How many genders are there?" into your favorite search engine. That question does not produce such a simple answer. In fact, even the first page of answers produced by the most popular search engine cannot agree on a number. One says 63, another, says 51. There are even those who claim that the number of genders has now exceeded 100. Into all of this confusion we need the input of God's timeless revelation. After all, God is the one who created male and female. He established gender. Perhaps we need to go back to the beginning, once again, and discover that He has left us answers to these same questions and more.
What is a person's gender? Until very recently in human history this question had a simple answer. It is still the case when one looks up the definition. Merriam-Webster, for example, states that gender is "a: SEX - the feminine gender; b: the behavioral, cultural, or psychological traits typically associated with one sex." Understood from this definition, gender is understood as synonymous with the titles, "male" and "female". In other words, there are two genders. Now enter the question, "How many genders are there?" into your favorite search engine. That question does not produce such a simple answer. In fact, even the first page of answers produced by the most popular search engine cannot agree on a number. One says 63, another, says 51. There are even those who claim that the number of genders has now exceeded 100. Into all of this confusion we need the input of God's timeless revelation. After all, God is the one who created male and female. He established gender. Perhaps we need to go back to the beginning, once again, and discover that He has left us answers to these same questions and more.
“Beginnings matter. The start of a race often determines its winner. The foundation of a house establishes the strength of its entire structure. So it is with the ideas that shape our lives. Their beginnings matter more than most people even realize. And yet so few consider the beginning of the greatest book ever written, the Bible. In it’s first book, Genesis, we find a treasure trove of truths about the beginnings of everything that matters. We will begin, no pun intended, with the beginning of creation.”
We've all heard the cliche, "Desperate times call for desperate measures." It's believed that Hippocrates, the Greek physician, coined the idea in relation to the treatment of serious disease. His belief was that a severe disease required equally severe treatment. The book of Ruth opens with a desperate situation. There is a famine in Judah. In Bethlehem, a man named Elimelech decides to uproot his family in search of relief from the famine. A desperate measure is carried out. On the surface it seems noble. What self-respecting man wouldn't take extreme measures to ensure his family survives? But do desperate times always call for desperate measures? One thing is for sure. Desperate circumstances are common in this world. A world that has never been more desperate for help than now. Let's consider this as we begin our series in Ruth: Advent of a Redeemer, with a challenge to "Remember the Desperation."
For the follower of Christ, surrender is par for the course. As it was for the Savior, so it is for His servants. Like Jesus, we must deal with sin, die to self, and dwell in submission. Of course, Jesus didn’t have to deal with the sin in his own life, he had to deal with our sin. And yet, even though He never sinned, his life was the prototype of the surrender that means for us giving up your life in order to save it. How did Jesus do it? Where did the strength He needed to surrender His life come from? The Father, of course. For although he was a man, he was also God the Son. His dependence of the Father for strength provides for us another example to follow. We, too, need a strength outside of ourselves in order to live a life of surrender. If we try to do it our own strength we will only end up discouraged and defeated. If we learn how to delight in God, we will have all the grace we need to live a life of surrender.
For the follower of Christ, surrender is par for the course. As it was for the Savior, so it is for His servants. Like Jesus, we must deal with sin, die to self, and dwell in submission. Of course, Jesus didn’t have to deal with the sin in his own life, he had to deal with our sin. And yet, even though He never sinned, his life was the prototype of the surrender that means for us giving up your life in order to save it. How did Jesus do it? Where did the strength He needed to surrender His life come from? The Father, of course. For although he was a man, he was also God the Son. His dependence of the Father for strength provides for us another example to follow. We, too, need a strength outside of ourselves in order to live a life of surrender. If we try to do it our own strength we will only end up discouraged and defeated. If we learn how to delight in God, we will have all the grace we need to live a life of surrender.