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This message on 1 Peter 1:13-16 gives some practical steps and a helpful word picture to better focus on God's work in your life.
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Romans 12 and 13 get into some specific application of Paul's theological argument in the first 11 chapters. Chapter 12 addresses our individual and corporate worship and how, in the unity we experience in the Body of Christ, we can overcome the world in Christ's love. Chapter 13 speaks specifically about how we respond to earthly authorities in that love by taking refuge in Christ who has ultimate authority. This post is going to be long. In an effort to have a cohesive flow of thought, the outlines from Bible studies in Romans from recent months is given here. Each study starts with a new section, clearly marked, with points of application along the way. A Brief Summary: Paul’s benediction which concludes his theological argument for one new redeemed humanity of God’s chosen people in Romans 1-11 reads, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever. Amen” (Rom. 11:36). “From Him” is the gift of a righteous life in Christ (Rom. 1:16-17) and the hope of the “redemption of our bodies” in which we share in His glory (Rom. 8:23, 30). “Through Him” and His covenant with Abraham, we can overcome the Flesh by the power of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 2:29; 4:9-12; 7:21–8:2; 8:16-17, 26-27). “To Him are all things” implies that we should simply present ourselves to Him (Rom. 6:19; 12:1-2) to become like Him—the only good (Rom. 8:28-30). Contextualization is the effort to present my unique Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ, through the eyes of those He seeks to save. In Scott Hildreth’s article, “Contextualization and Great Commission Faithfulness,” the author addresses the tension between making the gospel message for those in various contexts “both orthodox and understandable.” He cautions against obscurantism in which the missionary neglects the perspective of those he might reach and against syncretism which compromises the truth and power of the message for the sake of identifying with those same people. Hildreth’s observation is astute: “obedience to the Great Commission requires contextualizing the Christian message for and with the people in a ministry field” (emphasis mine). He develops this thought well, especially toward the end of the article where he suggests a specific process for contextualization.
Hildreth points out the two orientations for contextualized theology, but I would take the stance they should be a dual orientation. The first is “creation centered,” which is along the lines of general revelation—God revealing Himself in daily life. The second is “redemption centered,” which carries the conviction that all of life—including culture—needs transformed. This is more along the lines of special revelation in which God has revealed Himself historically in the person of Jesus of Nazareth in clear fulfillment of His Scriptures given throughout history, which continued through the work of the apostles. According to Scripture such as Acts 17:22-28, these two orientations should be considered simultaneously. Paul addressed the people in Athens pointing out their altar “TO AN UNKNOWN GOD,” making the connection that the one true God revealed in Jesus is this God which they once did not know. This is indeed along the lines with Hildreth’s citation of VanRheenen which states that “images, metaphors, rituals, and words that are current in the culture are used to make the message both understandable and impactful.” I did this when I preached for the first time at my church this past summer after being hired. Expositing 1 Peter 1:3-9, the Lord gave me a picture of an abandoned warehouse being transformed into a palace which would be meaningful to a community of many working-class individuals. What Hildreth describes next is simply good inductive Bible study in which the missionary helps people observe, interpret and apply Scripture: “Reaffirmation of the faith once for all delivered to the saints. [Re-articulation] of this faith with forms, symbols, and language that communicate the message as it was intended to be understood. Re-application of Christian living in a way that is culturally appropriate.” If the missionary who wants to not only teach but also train others to study and teach follows this general procedure, the truths in Scripture will be preserved and the people will have a real encounter with God by the power of the Holy Spirit. Hildreth’s discussion of the Great Commission texts is helpful when considering how to accomplish this. He says, “the Great Commission is not only important in the historical development of missions; it is also a key text for biblical interpretation.” In the article, Hildreth emphasizes the Gospel of Matthew. Much like Matthew 28:19-20 helps us understand the message of Matthew as a whole, John 20:31 does the same for the Gospel of John, “...these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.” “LIFE IN HIS NAME” should be the goal of all missions efforts, as Scripture makes clear. Certain sociological elements can be considered through the lens of scriptural truth when seeking to contextualize the gospel message. Hildreth discusses making cross-cultural workers, and I would like to take his ideas further, with perhaps a different thrust. He asks the question, “what should the outsider do in order to both participate in contextualization as part of making disciples while at the same time releasing nationals to do theology.” It is clear given Scripture and the Christian experience that it is important to develop and deploy locals so the missionary can move on. In the pastoral epistles to Titus and Timothy in particular, Paul instructs these men to set up elders in every city who can exercise ministry of the Word with the people in their given context. This is done through modeling a godly lifestyle and practice of spiritual disciplines, being a life imparted—not simply information imported. The authority of Scripture in the life of one submitted to the power of the Holy Spirit will accomplish much. Paul says, “And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5). Indeed, perhaps this is the only way to carry on God’s mission. Still, Paul did approach the gospel message using the Corinthians’ terms—their pursuit of wisdom (1 Cor. 1:22-23). Christ is supreme, and we know Him through Scripture. Hildreth cautions, “the missionary is fulfilling the mandate of the Great Commission in making disciples of Jesus, not Western culture or himself.” I would go further to add we should not make disciples of our denomination or particular doctrinal stances. God may choose to work differently in these bodies of believers in matters of spiritual gifts, for example. While some groups may be cessationist, and justifiably so if they are a homogenous group, God may still have people speak in “tongues” in the context of preaching the gospel to unreached people groups of different cultures and languages. The importance of local expression could not be understated. The Christian message is universal, and it is able to address local concerns for any person on Earth. This works to the end that all would commit to an “obedience of the faith” (Romans 1:5) and a “simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ” (2 Corinthians 11:3). It is easy to teach our culture and have people copy us in our behaviors and rote knowledge. It is harder to impart a life in which we are modeling the obedience and simple, pure devotion to Christ. This takes time and relationship-building, the latter of which requires some contextualization. --- Article cited: "Contextualization and Great Commission Faithfulness" by Scott Hildreth Pub. in the Contemporary Practice section www.globalmissiology.org, Oct. 2010 To understand the mission of the Church it is helpful to study Jesus’ last words in all four Gospels which together give a complete picture of Jesus’ expectations and empowering of the Church for its most important task. Even though only the three synoptic Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke give an explicit account of Jesus’ commission to his disciples, John’s account is just as instructive for understanding the Great Commission. Acts also gives a continuation of Luke’s account in particular.
Matthew 28:18-20 is the first statement of the Great Commission, given in canonical order. In Matthew’s account, the disciples went up to the mountain in Galilee after Jesus’ resurrection, as instructed. They worshiped Him, “but some were doubtful” (vs. 17). Undoubtedly in response to their doubt, Jesus said, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (vs. 18). Jesus was indeed who he had told them he was. Because Jesus was the risen Messiah, the disciples were to “go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (vs. 19). Jesus is sharing His authority with the disciples which empowers them to make still more disciples who will learn “to observe all that [Jesus] commanded [them]” (vs. 20). The ultimate comfort and empowerment to overcome doubt is the fact that Jesus will always be with us (vs. 20). Mark affirms this, though with different verbiage. Mark says, “And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed” (vs. 20). We see Mark take the narrative further along in history as the disciples had a present experience of Jesus’ presence in the time that followed after he ascended (vs. 19). The ascension is key to understanding the disciples overcoming their fear and doubt. That was even further proof that the resurrected Lord has the authority which he claimed in Matthew’s account! Mark’s account emphasizes the experience of the Lord through signs of the authority given (vs. 17-18) and the response to “preaching to all creation”—baptism of those who would believe (vs. 15-16). The new life accepted and the old life put to death, which baptism symbolizes, was to be clearly demonstrated in supernatural ways by the disciples. Mark also emphasizes the disciples overcoming their fear, as they had retreated to the safety of someone’s home (vs. 14). Luke gives some insight about the exact source of the authority given and the sudden empowerment of the disciples. He also explains how the Lord could work in the midst of the disciples after the Ascension. After his resurrection, Jesus “explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures” (Luke 24:27). He also revealed Himself on the basis of His sincere fellowship with them—a sharing in His life (24:28-32). Luke takes this further in Acts on the basis of believers’ sincere fellowship with one another (Acts 2:41-47). It is on the basis of this fellowship that the Great Commission began to be carried out as those who came to believe as disciples (“learners”) “were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer” (Acts 2:42). While Luke makes it clear that the aim of Christian fellowship should be devotion to living out Scripture, he also explains the power behind that fellowship—the Holy Spirit. What Jesus promised in Luke 24:49, that they would be “clothed with power from on high,” was fulfilled as described in Acts 2:4, “and they were filled by with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance.” This pattern of speaking in other languages as seen in Acts is always in the context of sharing the gospel with unreached people groups—clearly a fulfillment of the Great Commission. This is what Jesus meant in Acts 1:6-8, that they would be his witnesses in an increasingly larger geographical area—really in relation to the people groups themselves. Thus, we see the gospel being spread by the power of the Holy Spirit through translation of the Word of God, found in Scripture and experience of the risen Christ. With this in mind, the Gospel of John is equally as instructive in understanding the Great Commission. Jesus was the original translation of God and His will. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14). Jesus became a man—the Word of God in our midst. He lived a different life as the light in the midst of darkness to show us God’s glory (John 3:19). He showed us a way to have eternal life, really fellowship with our Creator (John 14:6). This ministry has continued by the power of the Holy Spirit, who has been given as our counselor and Helper to live according to God’s Word (John 14:15-17, 24). This is all to God’s glory (15:8) in which we will someday share (John 17:20-24). Much like the consecutive Gospels went further back in time at the start of their accounts, each consecutive Gospel also carries the narrative farther along in the ministry of the Church as an extension of Christ himself. Jesus, as the Word of God who has always been preached (Rom. 1:20; 10:14-18), fulfilled all prophecy, to include Jeremiah 31:33, “ ‘But this is the covenant which I will make with the house of Israel after those days,’ declares the LORD, ‘I will put My law within them and on their heart I will write it; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.’ “ Jesus now “dwells in our hearts through faith,” which is a true experience and source of our mission to see many “made alive together with Him” (Ephesians 3:17; 2:4-5). The hope we have of dwelling with Him in His eternal kingdom should be the source of our joy (John 15:11) and what drives us to be faithful to God’s Word by the power of the Holy Spirit. Action Steps. A missional trajectory for a Great Commission Church will be characterized by:
The Great “Co-Mission” is carried out with God through submission, directed by Him, empowered by him, and accomplished by Him! After reading and reflecting on these verses, I read Ryan King’s article, “The Great Commission: Fulfilled by the Churches and for the Churches.” His initial observation that “a primarily individualistic application of this command is more a product of our Western culture than from a natural reading of the text” resonates with readings we have done the last few weeks. The emphasis on personal conversion and experience came about prominently with the Reformation, in due response to the Catholic Church’s centralization of power. Even so, perhaps the reformers were slightly misguided in this emphasis which a pure reading of the Scripture—particularly the book of Acts—might illuminate. It is clear just in the Great Commission texts that it is all about a corporate, shared life in Christ as disciples grow then share with the world. I read a book a while back by Alan Snyder, Community of the King, in which he said something to the effect of “the gospel is not just more clearly perceived in the context of Christian community, it is the basis for that community.” What follows, then, is that each church should have a clear focus on missions in which everyone plays a part. King describes two pitfalls in the Western approach to a focus on missions. One is the idea that the rest of the world is dependent on us, and us alone, to “go.” In this, we forget our foreign brothers and sisters doing the work of the gospel. A missionary friend from India who plants indigenous house churches said once that what they pray for most is revival in America! The second pitfall King describes is more on the opposite end of the spectrum: that perhaps more workers are not needed because of all who are already out in the missions fields. His conclusion in this section is right on. The Universal Church’s mission has not ended; therefore, we should see active participation and cooperation between churches in both local and global contexts. I could not agree more with King’s last section, as my conclusion just based on the texts above shows. Healthy churches multiply and split. The problem I see in America is a prevailing attractional model for churches who think we need to be bigger and better (which may or may not include giving to missions efforts) in order to see more souls saved. This focus on numbers also often forgets the second half of the Great Commission of intentional teaching and learning. Hopefully, some of the suggestions I made here are helpful. Message for Centre Union Church
1/30/2022 An exposition of John 3:16. Will we wonder at God's amazing love and gift of eternal life, worship Him with all our hearts, and witness His eternal life, even now? Message for Centre Union Church, July 25, 2021
1 Peter 1:3-9 The outcome of spiritual rebirth and life lived by faith is the salvation of my soul. —Starts with God’s mercy accepted. Every day should start with God’s mercy accepted! (Lamentations 3:22-24) —The resurrected life of Christ is in me now. I have a living faith to one day be fully resurrected. There is a certain way I should be living in light of this —“So walk in Him…” (Colossians 2:6-7) —Because of this inheritance being kept for me, I rejoice, despite trials What are the trials? They are connected to residing as aliens and strangers (see vss. 1-2) and obeying Christ. —John 3:8…We’ll be misunderstood by other people as Christians. We also will not know where we are going, or at least the exact course each of our lives are going to take. Trials help me come to grips with this. —Philippians 3:18-21…citizens of heaven should not have their minds on earthly things Trials prove genuine faith, with the goal of maturing us believers. The mature recognize everything comes from God. Proven faith —> maturity —> complete reliance on the Lord —> results in praise, glory and honor at the revealing of Christ ( Revelation 7:9-17…those who submitted to God and relied on Him for everything during their time on earth will glorify him all the more as they partake of his eternal, everlasting provision—His very presence! A real estate investor once saw a property with much potential, and he went to scope it out. On this property was an old warehouse—dark, dank, cold—that had long been abandoned. He saw it and said, “I am going to pay everything I have to buy this.” All his friends thought he was insane and could not understand why he would pay everything he had for a building that was condemned. After he bought it, he walked inside. He shone his light in every corner of the building. The light could be seen from outside through the dusty, half-broken windows and on the inside it revealed a cavernous space—empty except for the scattered moldy boxes, trash, cobwebs, and rusty, now useless machines. “I have a lot of work to do,” the man said, so he got to work. He cleaned the warehouse from the floor to the staircases, balconies, windows and ceiling. He took out all the moldy boxes, trash, and rusty machines. Some time later, he called his friends who had been very curious about the work being done in that building. “We heard a lot of sound,” they said, “We saw a lot of light, but we could not understand what was going on.” “Come in,” said the man, smiling. They came in and saw that the warehouse had been transformed into a palace, with marble columns and staircases. The floor was pure gold—so pure it was clear as crystal. The fireplace roared as the feast was brought out to the guests dressed in their finest linen—all the people who were guests of the king. 1 Peter 1:3-9 The outcome of our faith is our sanctification and the salvation of our souls. —Faith: Starts with spiritual rebirth. Everything in the Christian life starts with God’s mercy. Every day should start with God’s mercy accepted! (Lamentations 3:22-24). We are born again to live a new life. —The resurrected life of Christ is in me now. I have a living faith to one day be fully resurrected. That is the “salvation ready to be revealed.” “Living Hope” implies a way I should be living in light of this (1 Peter 1:13-16) —“Holy”—or set apart for God—no longer living for “former lusts.” (expound) This is Sanctification. —Because of this inheritance being kept for me, I rejoice, despite trials. Our inheritance is eternal life—the very life of our Lord Jesus Christ Himself! Communion with God again. That is worth suffering through anything on earth. Our trials are what God uses to clean us out. It can be hard to let go of those old moldy boxes and rusted machines—we think they are of value! (Letting go of not just what I have, but ways of thinking, doing, what I value, WHAT I OBEY) What are the trials? They are connected to residing as aliens and strangers (see vss. 1-2) and obeying Christ. This is part of the Holy Spirit’s work of sanctifying—or setting us apart for Him. Are we holding onto our moldy boxes and useless, rusted machines? —John 3:8…We’ll be misunderstood by other people as Christians. We also will not know where we are going, or at least the exact course each of our lives are going to take. Trials help me come to grips with this. —Philippians 3:18-21…citizens of heaven should not have their minds on earthly things Trials prove genuine faith, with the goal of maturing us believers. The mature recognize everything comes from God. Proven faith —> maturity —> complete reliance on the Lord —> results in praise, glory and honor at the revealing of Christ! We will fully see our King in His amazing palace! Revelation 7:9-17…those who submitted to God and relied on Him for everything during their time on earth will glorify him all the more as they partake of his eternal, everlasting provision—His very presence! The warehouse is us. We had lost our worth and our usefulness, but the Lord shone His light in us—He gave us His life through His resurrection and indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Now we are in the process of being cleaned up and prepared for a feast. It is the wedding feast of the Lord—of the Lamb—which we will see at the consummation of everything He has promised. The people are all those who accepted the invitation to come in to the Life of Christ, despite the unseemly appearance. Now they know eternal life—experienced now and forever. Praise the LORD! The Outcome of Faith is our Sanctification and Salvation of Our Souls. Jesus didn’t just save us from something, He saved us to something. Yes, He saved us from Hell, condemnation, and experience of God’s wrath, but He also saved us to an eternal life lived now and forever. We cannot save ourselves. It is all God’s mercy. The evidence of one being saved is sanctification—a changed life now—as God prepares us for the glories to come. What are we holding onto which keeps us from understanding God’s will? Do I see change in my life—knowing and becoming like Jesus? Is being with my Lord and Savior—my King—what I desire the most? Do I have a self-centered view of God and heaven? (1 Peter 1:7) The proof of our faith will result in praise, honor, and glory to Jesus as we enjoy His presence forever. The “fires” of testing, trials, and suffering of various forms are worth enduring. If we are not experiencing these things with inexpressible joy for the sake of Christ, we need to seriously reflect on our present walk with the Lord. Let’s let go of our old, moldy boxes and useless machines which were used for useless ventures. As we live out our salvation, we will realize that our former life before Christ and things of this world have no eternal value. Message for Centre Union Church, Dec. 26, 2021
"Christ's Coming: Help and Hope." Text: Isaiah 9:1-7. Introduction
Discipleship is at the heart of biblical leadership. Through the last seven weeks of study, we focused on the leadership principles of stewardship, influence, service and discipleship, but the last is uniquely Christian. After watching and reading the content from various leaders in secular and religious settings, I have come to see these leadership principles are interdependent on one another. A leader’s stewardship is basically taking care of that which does not belong to him. Part of a leader’s stewardship is indeed material things such as budgets and buildings, but I would put forth the most important part of a leader’s stewardship is the people whom he leads. Enter influence. One cannot be in leadership if he does not have followers. Those followers are influenced by the leader in various ways, for better or for worse. A leader who truly cares for his people and any who might follow him or those he influences in the future must himself have a strong emphasis on service. The biblical leader is the one who seeks to serve in order to influence people toward a saving knowledge and relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Enter discipleship. Discipleship is that ongoing relationship of influence and service toward those in the leader’s stewardship. While studying these principles, I also had an opportunity for an ongoing conversation with our senior pastor whom I see everyday and pray with at least twice a week—for each other, our families and the church whom we serve. My formal interview with him on December 2, 2021 was insightful. According to Pastor Kurtis, influence and respect is attained by first following Christ himself and encouraging others in everyday life to “point to Christ in everything.” Ultimately, the Christian leader should influence others by “caring, instructing, and walking with people.” We both agreed that this is a great definition of discipleship and that influence, stewardship, service and discipleship should all go hand-in-hand. A Leadership Model Before these studies, I had a general idea of an effective leadership model, given my own past experience and studies in Scripture. However, I have gained much perspective which has both confirmed my choice of language and helped me hone the true meaning of “Empower, Equip, Encourage.” The study of the pastoral epistles was particularly insightful, as I had never read them through the lens of “biblical leadership” specifically. Each letter features one of the four leadership principles prominently, yet discipleship is woven throughout. Thus, everything we do in our lives as Christians should be to the end of making disciples of Jesus Christ. This is the mission of every true Christian: “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:19-20). Empower Jesus’ disciples were never meant to carry out this mission on their own strength or understanding. They were supposed to keep at the forefront of their minds Jesus’ last words to them, “…I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matt. 28:20). Mark also points out at the end of his Gospel, “..they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them, and confirmed the word by the signs that followed” (Mark 16:20, emphasis mine). Luke makes it clear at the end of his Gospel and his follow-up account in the book of Acts that this help and power is given through the person of the Holy Spirit. “You are witness of these things. And behold, I am sending forth the promise of My Father upon you; but you are to stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:48-49). We see this promise fulfilled in Acts 2. “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit was giving them utterance” (Acts 2:4). These early disciples speaking in other languages was a means by which to carry out the Great Commission in the midst of the people from various regions and ethnic backgrounds gathered in Jerusalem. Peter got up to preach, saying, “…Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2:38). Those who believed, having received the Holy Spirit, then sought to be discipled and eventually disciple others. “They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer…and the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:42, 47). Empowerment can also be seen in the pastoral epistles. The beginning of 2 Timothy is a good example of this. A verse often quoted is 2 Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline.” Paul is reminding Timothy of the source of his power to overcome fear and carry out his calling. The Spirit helps him love others, pointing them to Christ’s love (service). Discipline shares the same root word as “disciple.” Timothy can effectively influence others as he is living a disciplined life, reflecting his own relationship with the Lord. This may entail suffering: “…join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God” (1:8). Paul encourages Timothy to “guard, through the Holy Spirit who dwells in us, the treasure which has been entrusted to you” (1:14). That treasure is sound doctrine by which he is called to instruct others (1:13, 2:2). Paul also reminds Titus that the basis on which the Church is to “engage in good deeds” is the new life in Christ—“washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5-8). Ultimately, to empower disciples of Jesus Christ we need to point them to the source of power—the Lord himself, through the indwelling and sanctification of the Holy Spirit. If the source of our power is our own wisdom, man-made structures or systems, or human-derived effort, will will burn out. We will also see that our witness, and thereby our discipleship, will be hindered. Submit to the Holy Spirit’s work, and we will see some awesome things! Equip Spiritual gifts are the primary means by which disciples of Jesus Christ are equipped. Every Christian needs to understand that through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit they have something to contribute to the Body of Christ. “He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ” (Ephesians 4:11-12, emphasis mine). While all gifts are indeed from God, he often uses his people to carry out the equipping through various means. Through Paul’s relationship and service, Timothy now has something to share: “For this reason I remind you to kindle afresh the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:6). Timothy’s gifting was then to be entrusted to others who would disciple still others. “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:2). Similarly, Titus was to pass along what he learned from Paul: “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you…but as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” (Titus 1:5; 2:1). Teaching doctrine, practical instruction for tasks, fervent prayer and sincere fellowship are all important for the work of ministry—the normal Christian life, not limited to those in vocational ministry. Encourage The very fact that Paul took time to write to those whom he had entrusted to the Lord speaks to the power and importance of encouragement. We are not meant to be isolated in the Body of Christ; rather, we are meant to be dependent on one another as point one another to Jesus. Galatians 6:2 says, “Bear one another’s burdens and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.” We each have a burden—or many. Christ took our biggest burden—our sins which would have led to eternal condemnation. In doing so, He brought us eternal life which is to be lived now by faith and by the power of the Holy Spirit. This is what Paul calls “the law of Christ.” Just before this verse in Galatians, Paul was instructing the Church to no longer live “fleshly” lives but to walk by the Spirit (Gal. 5:16). Thus, we should be looking for ways to not only encourage each other with our words but also to meet each others’ basic needs in such a way that all would be empowered, equipped and encouraged to truly walk by the Spirit. This is a submission to Christ’s love, and it takes us all seeking to serve. This will start with those to which God has entrusted stewardship and influence. As retired Air Force general Loren Reno says, “Seeking to serve takes serving to a new level that will prosper a leader’s organization.” In the Church, this looks like every member prospering in their daily walk with the Lord Jesus Christ, overflowing in the exercise of spiritual gifts, to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 12:1-7). Applications for the Church My hope is that the reader understands the spiritual implications of everything we do, whether or not you serve in vocational ministry. We are all in full-time ministry as born-again believers—Spirit-filled, Christ-following, children of God our Father. The Holy Spirit has empowered us to equip and encourage one another, and discipleship happens in the context of everyday life. We are all disciples of Jesus Christ, and we are called to seek to learn, to seek to serve, and to seek the lost. Who will set an example for the Church and for the world of the power of God’s love to bring eternal life? We are in this together, and the Lord is still working mightily alongside his disciples! |
This is the blog of Tyler Shepard, the Associate Pastor for Centre Union Church in Yeagertown, PA.
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