Increase From God [Colossians Pt. 14]

Increase from God

Is the Christian’s life about achieving success? Is it about performance? While most religions put the emphasis there, the Christian Faith puts the emphasis on the vital connection of man to God through Jesus Christ.  The error usually comes when we try to figure out what that is supposed to look like in the lives of Believers. This is really the crux of this letter to the Colossian Church. Those who are motivated by outward shows of religion have infiltrated the church there and begun to add rituals and restrictions to the basic faith in Christ. The problem is that, any time we add to that which is perfect, we ultimately end up taking away from it. This is the case with the Christian Faith. Paul tells them in Colossians 2:10, “And you are complete in Him.” Then he goes on to explain what that means.

Colossians 2:11-15  In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,  12  buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.  13  And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,  14  having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.  15  Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

As we place our faith in Christ, we are circumcised with the Circumcision of Christ as is demonstrated in baptism. That is, we are brought into a covenant relationship with Christ. (Vs. 11-12) Next we are made alive, having previously been dead in sin, (Vs. 13) completely forgiven by His work on the Cross (Vs. 14) and finally, freed from the accusations of authority of every other being in the universe as it relates to our standing with God. What we have been given in Christ is perfect and complete. Therefore, Paul exhorts these Christians;

Colossians 2:18-19  Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,  19  and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

The danger of a strong focus on performance has the potential to “cheat” us of the “reward.” That is, that when we begin to focus on self and what we do to earn or maintain God’s favor, we disregard the perfect gift of God’s righteousness that is credited to the account of those who trust in Christ. We need to base our relationship to God solely upon the revealed knowledge of our sin and His grace applied by faith alone. We need to accept what the Bible says about our sin, Christ’s authority and God’s faithfulness to His promise or we will push Christ away as we seek elsewhere what is found only in Him.

This is why Paul tells the Believers in Colosse that those who teach them a false humility (not trusting God, or His messengers the Apostles, but imagining that these things remain a mystery), the need for the worship of angels (or the introduction of another mediator of some kind, i.e. angels, saints, or rituals), and trying to teach what they have never studied from the only source, God’s Word, will ultimately lead them to apostasy.  It comes through an attitude of arrogance in denying what is revealed, in alternate forms of righteousness, denying the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement and ultimately ends in apostasy, having moved away from the central figure of the Faith.

However, this does not mean that we live without regard to holiness. He have been saved from sin and we cannot continue to live in it as though it was unimportant to God. The thing is, is that this success in the area of holiness does not come by seeking holiness in addition to what Christ has done on the Cross. The Cross is the source of holiness, not human effort. If we are truly connected to Christ, He will produce holiness in us. The problem that the Colossian false teachers had was that they were, “…not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.” Jesus told the Disciples on the night of His arrest’

John 15:5-6  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.  6  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.

Fruit bearing, i.e. holiness, overcoming sin, growth in grace and being conformed to the image of Christ is not what leads to union with Christ, but the result of it! Rather than seeking success, we would be better off to apply ourselves to the means that God has given for us to seek Christ; to attend to His Word, both read and preached, to be a part of a solid Bible believing and preaching church fellowship and to spend time in prayer, seeking the conversion of the Spirit in our lives. Grounding ourselves in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ and coming to Him daily for the grace to overcome sin is the road to sanctification.  As a part of His Body, we are nourished and knit together with Him and His people and the growth that results comes from God and not from self-effort. Again, this does not mean that we should sit back and wait for God to do something, but that we should earnest make use of the means He has given and trust that He will do what only He can do, cause growth.

The call of the Christian to holiness is indispensable! Yet, it is not achieved through rituals or legalistic observances, but through a vital connection with Jesus Christ as we submit to Him through His Word and Spirit. I encourage you to listen to the audio of the message and heed the call to hold fast to Christ.

Increase From God – AUDIO

In Christ!

Kevin

How Does the Church Grow?

I had the privilege of addressing the pastors and elders of the Ohio Christian Union churches this past week on the subject of what makes “successful church growth” take place. I believe that the answer is so simple that we tend to look too hard for something that we think will be more effective. Although the answer is simple, the task is not easy.

First off, our goal should not be numerical growth. We are not called to grow the church. We are called to grow Christians. Paul told the Colossian what the goal  of his ministry was.

Colossians 1:28  Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.

It was his goal to present individual Christians complete in Christ. That means having everything they needed to live as Christians. The amazing thing is that it is all in Christ. Not in programs or workshops or facilities, but IN CHRIST. In Colossians 2:10 he tells them “We are complete in Him.” So why would we look to other places to find what we need to be what He has called us to be?  I love what John Calvin says about this verse;

Those, therefore, who do not rest satisfied with Christ alone, do injury to God in two ways, for besides detracting from the glory of God, by desiring something above his perfection, they are also ungrateful, inasmuch as they seek elsewhere what they already have in Christ. Paul, however, does not mean that the perfection of Christ is transfused into us, but that there are in him resources from which we may be filled, that nothing may be wanting to us.

With this said, it is our job to build Saints, not churches. As the Saints are built up into a healthy body, that healthy body will grow. That is what healthy bodies do. Not only that, but Jesus Himself said. “I will build My Church!” (Matthew 16:18). But He commanded us to make Disciples and teach them to obey what He had commanded. (Matthew 28:18-20) We need to be about the business that He gave us to do and not try to do His job.

Don’t take me to say that we should sit back and wait for Him to do all of the work. We need to BE the Church. We need to live our lives like real Disciples. When we are prepared for ministry, He will send us people to serve. The biggest problem that I see in most church growth stuff is that it neglects the church in order to make it bigger by focusing on quantity to the neglect of quality.

I really encourage you to listen to the audio from the presentation and also to check out the book that I gave away at the meeting, The Hospitality Commands.

Check out the audio  by clicking on the link below

Biblical Church Growth – AUDIO

In Christ!

Kevin

What Would You Suffer For? [Colossians Pt.10]

Suffering for the Gospel

What is there in your life that you value the most? What would you willingly suffer for? Family, Home, Way of Life?

In this series from Colossians we have seen Paul’s acknowledgment of the reality of the faith of the Colossian Believers (Col 1:3-8), His prayer for them to have the strength that comes from God and to understand His mercy (Col 1:9-14) and his brief, but densely packed and powerful summary of the Gospel (Col 1:15-23). Once he has done all of this, he moves on to show them the value of it from his own personal example as he tells them;

Colossians 1:24-25  I now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ, for the sake of His body, which is the church,  25  of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

Paul, as he writes from prison, where he is incarcerated for his faith, tells them that his suffering is a cause for his rejoicing. The reason that he is rejoicing in his suffering is because they are being benefited by it.  Paul was called by Jesus on the Damascus Road and when he was converted it was said to the man who commissioned him that Jesus was going to show him how much he would have to suffer for Him (Acts 9:15-16). But Paul is not the only one who is called to suffer for Jesus Christ. He said to the Disciples in Luke 9:23,  “Then He said to them all, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me.” All of us who name the name of Christ are called to suffering on His behalf. I know that many preachers today try to promise prosperity and blessing to all who claim to follow Jesus, but that flatly contradicts what the Bible teaches. Sure there are blessings, sometimes material blessings, but that is not what defines our relationship to Jesus.

Suffering and Salvation are often paired in the Bible. The Apostle Paul told Timothy, “Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.” (2 Timothy 3:12) There are reasons why Jesus deems it necessary for His servants to suffer. Reasons that should make us rejoice in our suffering as well. The letter that Peter wrote to the Believers in Asia Minor that we call 1 Peter, was written to saints who were suffering persecution that was far beyond what most of us will ever see. Read that letter looking for exhortations to suffering Christians and you will see it properly. He gives them at least three reasons for their suffering and we can see others in the New Testament as well. I have found at least five.

1. To strengthen them in their faith and their relationship with God.   1 Peter 5:10  “But may the God of all grace, who called us to His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after you have suffered a while, perfect, establish, strengthen, and settle you.”
2. To increase our hope as we await His return and our rest from the suffering of this life. 1 Peter 4:13  “but rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy.”
3. To obtain a good testimony before God and men. 1 Peter 2:20  “For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God.”
4. It also benefits the other members of the Church, (as we saw in Colossians 1:24) particularly the preaching of the Gospel as those who are being called see the commitment of those who preach it. 2 Timothy 1:8-12  “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God,  9  who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began,  10  but has now been revealed by the appearing of our Savior Jesus Christ, who has abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel,  11  to which I was appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.  12  For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.”
5. Finally we see in the Letter to the Hebrews, that it increases our compassion for others. Hebrews 10:32-34  “But recall the former days in which, after you were illuminated, you endured a great struggle with sufferings:  33  partly while you were made a spectacle both by reproaches and tribulations, and partly while you became companions of those who were so treated;  34  for you had compassion on me in my chains, and joyfully accepted the plundering of your goods, knowing that you have a better and an enduring possession for yourselves in heaven.”

Suffering, suffering well, suffering with integrity, suffering in faith; these show the world that we are serious and that we really believe and value the message of the Gospel above all else. It is God’s way of showing men the value of the message that He has commissioned us to carry to them. Do you value the Gospel and those who need to hear it enough to suffer for them? Do you value them enough to rejoice in that suffering?

Audio from this message is available by clicking on the link below.

Suffering for the Gospel – AUDIO

In Christ!

Kevin

Grounded and Steadfast [Colossians Pt. 9]

Grounded and Steadfast

Over the past four weeks we have been taking time to give serious consideration to the Gospel as we see it presented in Colossians 1:15-23. This is the text that we are using to teach the kids in our Vacation Bible School about God, themselves and the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. I thought it would be good to expand on those lessons and take the rest of the church through the text so that they would be prepared to talk to the kids about what they are learning. It has been a good five weeks in the pulpit.

Having discussed the Nature of Christ (Colossians 1:15-19), The nature of sinful man (Colossians 1:21), the nature of redemption (Colossians 1:20) and the nature of justification (Colossians 1:22), we turned our sights today on the proper response to God’s amazing work on our behalf.

Colossians 1:23  if indeed you continue in the faith, grounded and steadfast, and are not moved away from the hope of the gospel which you heard, which was preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, became a minister.

This is really where the reality of our faith becomes apparent. Do we continue in it? Will we do what it takes to be “Grounded and Steadfast” so that we are not “moved away from the hope of the Gospel?” To put it bluntly, this is kind of the “put up or shut up” part of the faith. Many people talk about being Christians, but really put no effort into their Christian lives. Not that we are in any way saved by our efforts! On the contrary, if you go back and check out the four previous posts on Colossians, you can never come to that conclusion. But genuine, saving faith in Jesus Christ produces a pronounced effect on the life of the Believer.  Having been a pastor / teacher for the past dozen years or so, I am greatly disappointed in the lack of zeal coupled with general ignorance of basic Christian doctrine that I see in most of the Church.

Understanding the Jesus Christ is the Creator of all things visible and invisible, the very source of all authority, that we have rebelled in earnest against that authority and become hostile to it, that He, of His own volition became the Innocent Victim that was needed to reconcile the rebel to the Righteous Judge, and that not only did He take away the offense of our sin, but established us with a positive righteousness before the Father, needs to humble us and fill us with a reflection of the love that He has shown to us.

I love Paul’s response to God’s amazing, redeeming love as he breaks forth into a doxology in his letter to the Ephesians;

Ephesians 3:14-19  For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,  15  from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,  16  that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,  17  that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love,  18  may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height– 19  to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

Is that your response to the Gospel? Does it drive you to your knees and and bring a fountain of praise from your lips? Does it cause you to consider the amazing, unfathomable love of an offended God who chose to love and redeem His elect as they simply trust in His provision for their reconciliation in such a way that you can’t handle it?  This love then moves us to a grounding and steadfastness that is rooted in His love for us. Work becomes motivated by that love. Energy and stamina result. Amazement multiplies!

That is the proper response to the Gospel.  I encourage you to give it a listen and to exalt God for His amazing grace. Audio is available by clicking on the link below.

Grounded and Steadfast – AUDIO

In Christ!

Kevin

Heroes and Heretics

I did a series of studies a couple of years ago with the Got Doctrine guys back in Michigan. One of them asked a question about who we should trust from the history of the Church. A ministry that he liked had, at that time, recently printed a retraction for quoting a Christian from past centuries. This made him question; who were the good guys and who were the bad guys? The important doctrines of the Church have always been there. However, sometimes people show up on the scene who challenge orthodox belief with some brand of novel corruption. It has been that way since the Church began. 1 John, 1 & 2 Peter and Jude all refute some brand of false teaching that had already crept into the Church before the closing of the New Testament Canon.

Acts 20:28-31 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.  29  For I know this, that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.  30  Also from among yourselves men will rise up, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after themselves.  31  Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears.

However, these false teachers provided opportunities for those who understood the Scriptures to stand against them and expound the Truth in articulate ways that continue to benefit the Church to this day. All of the questions that people ask today have already been studied out in great detail and brought to the touchstone of Scripture where the truth has been clearly displayed. Is Jesus God? It the Trinity biblical? What did Constantine have to do with the Canon of the New Testament? Where there Christians in the Dark Ages while Rome suppressed the Gospel? When did images begin to be used in the Roman and Eastern Orthodox Churches, Who was really the first Pope? History is clear on all of this.

Using resources from Covenant Seminary’s Worldwide Classroom and Reformed Seminary’s iTunes U as well as many original source documents from The Christian Classics Ethereal Library we sat and discussed this for eleven weeks with a group of Christian guys so that we could be informed about some of the most important teaching of the Christian Church. I encourage to check it out and follow up on some of those resources. Then, whether you have your own questions, questions from other Christians or from the cult member who comes to your door, you can answer them with the authority of the Bible and the strong Christian Believers who have gone before us.

Check it out by clicking on the link below where you will see the list of subjects and time periods that we have examined.

Heroes and Heretics - Developing Doctrine by Refuting Heresy

In Christ!

Kevin

Getting It Together [Understanding Spiritual Gifts pt 8]

Getting It Together

Now it is time to tie up any loose ends and instruct the Corinthians in what it means to be the Church of Jesus Christ.  As the Apostle Paul closes this section of his epistle, this is what he does. We have seen what the gifts are and what they are able to accomplish in chapter 12. We have seen in chapter 13 that without love they are worse than useless. As we transitioned into chapter 14 we have been instructed that they are merely the tools that we use to get the job of ministry done. As tools are important to the tradesman, the gifts are important to the Christian who is serving Christ and his brothers and sisters in the Church. From 1 Corinthians 14:6-40 Paul shows us how these things should fit together as he critiques the Corinthian’s order of worship.

1 Corinthians 14:6 But now, brethren, if I come to you speaking with tongues, what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?

First, remember that whatever gift we have it is used for edification of the Body. There is no profit in speaking in a language that is not able to be understood. The benefit is in instruction, “what shall I profit you unless I speak to you either by revelation, by knowledge, by prophesying, or by teaching?” Therefore:

1 Corinthians 14:12 Even so you, since you are zealous for spiritual gifts, let it be for the edification of the church that you seek to excel.

So Paul gives them instruction on how this Gift of Tongues is to be used in the context of a church service. 1 Corinthians 14:13-17 Therefore let him who speaks in a tongue pray that he may interpret.  14  For if I pray in a tongue, my spirit prays, but my understanding is unfruitful.  15  What is the conclusion then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will also pray with the understanding. I will sing with the spirit, and I will also sing with the understanding.  16  Otherwise, if you bless with the spirit, how will he who occupies the place of the uninformed say “Amen” at your giving of thanks, since he does not understand what you say?  17  For you indeed give thanks well, but the other is not edified.

So then a Tongue, or Language that does not communicate some kind of content that is understood does not edify and so it must be translated or it is of no use in the church.

1 Corinthians 14:18-19 I thank my God I speak with tongues more than you all;  19  yet in the church I would rather speak five words with my understanding, that I may teach others also, than ten thousand words in a tongue.

In the context of the church service the Gift of Tongues is expendable. Paul goes on to say that it is a sign, or a miracle that is intended to be given to unbelievers. He goes on to speak of it as a sign of judgment on Judah who did not want to be instructed by God and so He sent them people who spoke in a language they could not understand (1 Corinthians 14:21-25). It seems that this applies to the Corinthians as they abused a gift that was more outwardly showey and rejected the more important gift of prophecy or proclaiming God’s truths. Therefore he puts restrictions on this gift that only two or three can speak this way and only when it is interpreted.

Next he tells them: 1 Corinthians 14:29-31 “Let two or three prophets speak, and let the others judge.  30  But if anything is revealed to another who sits by, let the first keep silent.  31  For you can all prophesy one by one, that all may learn and all may be encouraged.” Prophets are able to speak or preach to the congregation, again only two or three at a meeting. All of the prophets speak “one by one” in order that the meeting is kept in order. This is Paul’s main point in all of it.

1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion but of peace.

The question comes, “Are Tongues in use today?” And I believe that they are not. God used those gifts to verify the message of Jesus and the Apostles (Hebrews 2:3-4). The message is here and complete. As controversial as this may be the next two verses are even more so.

1 Corinthians 14:33b-35 As in all the churches of the saints.  34  Let your women keep silent in the churches, for they are not permitted to speak; but they are to be submissive, as the law also says.  35  And if they want to learn something, let them ask their own husbands at home; for it is shameful for women to speak in church.

Again, this needs to be understood in the nature of the Apostle’s critique of the Corinthian order of worship. Things must be done in order and for edification. Order is the key here. Paul only speaks of this two other places, 1 Corinthians 11:3-12 and 1 Timothy 2:11-12. In both places he refers to the Created Order. Women cannot usurp the order of creation and be in order in the worship service. This does not demean women any more than subjecting Himself to the Father demeans Christ! How much is that?

Philippians 2:5-9 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus,  6  who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God,  7  but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.  8  And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.  9  Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name,

Things work best when we do them as God has prescribed. That is all that there is to it. As a matter of fact, Paul is really strong on this as we see in the next few verses.

1 Corinthians 14:36-38 Or did the word of God come originally from you? Or was it you only that it reached?  37  If anyone thinks himself to be a prophet or spiritual, let him acknowledge that the things which I write to you are the commandments of the Lord.  38  But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.

WOW! Paul drives it right home here. This is how the Lord has said to do it. It is His plan and His authority. To change it is to take upon ourselves the prerogative of dispensing the truth of God. And then Paul says, “But if anyone is ignorant, let him be ignorant.” That is, your ignorance won’t change a thing! God’s truth stands.

And so the conclusion to the matter is; 1 Corinthians 14:39-40 “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.  40  Let all things be done decently and in order.” Order, God’s order is the rule of the matter. Order. Edification. The gifts given by God’s Spirit, exercised for the unity and edification of His Body according to his prescription and we can then all say Amen!

You can listen to audio of this message by clicking on the link below.

Getting It Together

In Christ!

Kevin

The Tools and The Job [Understanding Spiritual Gifts Pt.7]

The Tools and the Job

We have considered the parts of ministry as the Apostle Paul has broken them down for us into two main parts. The Gifts of the Spirit and the Love required to use them are each a necessary part of a healthy congregation.

Paul took that ministry apart in 1 Corinthians 12-13 so that we could examine these and now as he transitions from chapter 13 into chapter 14 we see him reassemble them and give us the proper ratio for effective use.

1 Corinthians 13:8-13 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away.  9  For we know in part and we prophesy in part.  10  But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away.  11  When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  12  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.  13  And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

We see here that as he begins to transition he makes sure that we know that the Gifts are temporary and incomplete. They will “cease” they will “fail” and they will “vanish away.” As well we “know in part.” That is not to say that they are insufficient but that they are limited because they serve a purpose in time whereas love is eternal, it “never fails.”

Paul illustrates this with metaphors about the things of children no longer being needed as we grow up. and going from a foggy vision to a complete and clear vision. 1 Corinthians 13:11-12 “When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things.  12  For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known.” This is what the gifts do for us as we exercise them in the Church. They mature us and clarify our understanding.  And when it is all said and done that is what remains. The gifts will  not be needed when we come to the end of our earthly existence.

1 Corinthians 13:13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

So the final contrast is made and we see that the job is a priority over the tools used to create and build. Both are important. A mechanic cannot work without his tools but the mechanic that values his tools above the repair of your car is not the mechanic that you want to go to.  Likewise the Christian that is more concerned with showing off his gifts rather than truly ministering in love to the people that the Lord has given him is not behaving correctly. This was indeed the problem that Paul was correcting in the Corinthians Church. They were all about the gifts, the showier the better. They were not at all about using those gifts to serve one another.

As the Apostle brings in the transition he gives them another example of the proper understanding of the gifts.

1 Corinthians 14:1-4 Pursue love, and desire spiritual gifts, but especially that you may prophesy.  2  For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit he speaks mysteries.  3  But he who prophesies speaks edification and exhortation and comfort to men.  4  He who speaks in a tongue edifies himself, but he who prophesies edifies the church.

Love is to be pursued, chased down. Gifts are to be desired. Some gifts are more useful for the edification or “building up” of the church. Those are the one that you should want the most. It is not about self-edification but about the edification of the Body of Christ!

We all struggle with this on some level. Ask yourself, “What is my ‘gift of tongues?’” What is the gift that God has given me to serve Him with that I would rather hold on to than use for the benefit of others? It may be a spiritual gift. Maybe you are called to preach but don’t want to offend anyone so that they will think well of you and instead of preaching the whole counsel of God you tone it down so people will like you. Or maybe it is a temporal gift like time or money that you refuse to part with because it is more valuable to you than a man’s soul. The Corinthians would rather impress someone with speaking in a foreign language than to translate it and use it for the edification of the church.

I have to ask, what is more important, the tool or the job we have been called to do? What do you think the Lord values more? It is obvious as we read the inspired words of the Apostle Paul that the temporary tools are great and useful but the Job at hand is the priority. The tools are good and helpful but they are the means and the building up of the Church is the end. Don’t lose site of that.

I encourage you listen to the audio of this one by clicking on the link below.

The Tools and the Job

In Christ!

Kevin

Discipleship 101 – What Jesus said about following Him.

Preached at Maple Ave. C. U. Church in Newark, OH

A couple of weeks ago I had the great privilege of preaching a series of messages over the course of a Thursday through Sunday that were designed to encourage and instruct the saints to the work of being true Disciples of Jesus Christ. There are many in the Church of Jesus Christ in our day that teach that a “disciple” is one notch up from the regular Christian in the pew (or theater seat, depending on your church building). The Bible does not seem to teach this.

Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

Disciple and Christian are interchangeable terms in the new Testament. Jesus had a lot to say about what a disciple is and how one behaves. In this series we look primarily at one long passage, from Luke 14:1-17:10 which is really just spending a Sabbath Day with the Savior has He discusses life, faith and obedience for the the true “follower” of Jesus. I encourage you to take some time to listen to the messages and pray about what the Savior says, to evaluate your understanding of discipleship and as the Apostles do at the end of our text, pray, “Increase our faith.” (Luke 17:5)

The link below will take you to the page of my site where there are several messages on the saying of Jesus including the ones that are marked as Discipleship 101. Give them a listen and let’s discuss what the implication of this discourse means to the Followers of Jesus.

DISCIPLESHIP 101

In Christ!

Kevin

Function to Foundation [Understanding Spiritual Gifts Pt.4]

Function to Foundation

Looking at the Gifts of the Spirit by following the Apostle Paul’s teaching on them to the Corinthians seems to push us away from the standard way many of us think about them. The entire twelfth chapter of 1 Corinthians is a discussion about the BODY. Every Gift is viewed in the context of individual members within a whole body. It is not a thinking of self to see what we can do, rather it is thinking of the body to see what we can do for it.

Once Paul establishes this from both the perspective of those who might feel unwanted or disconnected as well as those who might feel “high and mighty” and want to exercise authority and judge others as unworthy or unnecessary, (1 Corinthians 12:15-26)  he moves toward the structure of leadership that is intended to guide and direct the body in its service to itself.

1 Corinthians 12:27-28 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.  28  And God has appointed these in the church: first apostles, second prophets, third teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, administrations, varieties of tongues.

And so, though there is a universal equality in the sense that we are all sinners saved by grace, there is likewise a structure that God has ordained and established with “offices” in the Church that will make this working together possible. Some of the offices listed here were temporary offices. Apostles and Prophets were offices that Jesus Himself gave to establish the Church. Their work is represented to us as the New Testament. It is their words written and unchanging for all of time. Likewise the “miraculous sign gifts” were given to confirm the message that they preached and are also no longer in regular use.

Hebrews 2:1-4 Therefore we must give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard, lest we drift away.  2  For if the word spoken through angels proved steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just reward,  3  how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard  Him,  4  God also bearing witness both with signs and wonders, with various miracles, and gifts of the Holy Spirit, according to His own will?

As the Apostle went about establishing the Church he sent his men to various countries to get those churches established and running. When he sent Titus to Crete he did not send him to ordain Apostles or Prophets, but Elders/Bishops who succeeded them as the leaders of the Church.

Next Paul gives the Corinthians offices of Helps and Administration which correspond to Deacons and Ruling Elders. Finally he mentions an office of Tongues that again would have passed with the miraculous ministry of the Apostles.  That leaves us with the present offices of Pastor (Ephesians 4:11, 1 Timothy 3:1-7; who is also called a Teaching Elder 1 Timothy 5:17; Bishop, Titus 1:5-8 and Shepherd, 1 Peter 5:1-2) Ruling Elder (distinguished from the Teaching Elder in 1 Timothy 5:17) and Deacon (Acts 6:1-6, 1 Timothy 3:8-13). All of these offices are an important part of the ministry of the local church.

So now we see our equality, diversity and yet structure that enables us all to work together with meaning and purpose. But Paul does not stop there. Once we recognize the diverse yet unified nature of the Church and see its structure based on Gifts that God has placed in it as He wills, Paul still wants to guard against the potential for strife that can come from this and says that there is still a “more excellent way” (1 Corinthians 12:31) that we should strive after This is where he takes us from function to foundation.

1 Corinthians 13:1-3 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal.  2  And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing.  3  And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing.

With all of this said, after 31 verses on the way the gifts function in the Body, Paul won’t end there with just discussing the technical aspects of Church polity. He now thrusts us below the surface and tells us that even if we get all of this discussion just right we can still completely blow it if we don’t do it with the right attitude. This does not detract from the importance of a right understanding and performance of the gifts that he just spent all of that time explaining. Instead it re-enforces it, taking away the possibility of abusing the gifts, which was the problem that the Corinthians we struggling with. If the diversity and unity, the various gifts and callings and offices are done with love as the foundation, it will ensure that they are done right. Without it we are sure to fail no matter how gifted we may appear of feel that we are.

As we consider the gifts it often brings out questions about how to know what our personal gifts are and where we should be serving in the Church. I believe if we start here and work from love to gifts instead of the other way around we will ultimately find our way into those gifts and have no doubt where we belong in the body. So if you ask me how to discover your gift, my advice is to begin with loving the people of God and serving them with an attitude of humility. When you start there God will put right where He wants you.

Audio of this message is available by clicking the link below.

Function to Foundation

In Christ!
Kevin

Blind Leaders, Vain Worship and Me

Matthew 15:14 “Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.”

These are the words of Jesus as He responded to a statement of concern from the disciples that He has offended the Scribes and Pharisees. Apparently He was not concerned about the offense. This hardly sounds like the compassion usually associated with the Savior. It seems that as we follow Jesus through the Gospels that His only object of disdain is the self-righteous. The Pharisees are the subject of an entire chapter, Matthew 23:23-33, where He pronounces “woe’s” against them for their blind, hard, self-righteous hearts.

In Matthew 15 they have come to investigate Him as He preaches and heals people around the area of the Sea of Galilee. After walking 80-some miles to have their encounter, what would you suppose their first question for this famous teaching, healing, miracle working Rabbi would be?  How about, Matthew 15:2 “Why do Your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” This resulted in a stern rebuke from Jesus.

Matthew 15:3 He answered and said to them, “Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?

Jesus proceeds to chastise them for their substitution of their own commands for the commands of God. The Jews had devised an elaborate system of “fencing” the Law. That is, they were so concerned about breaking the Law that they actually invented many other laws of their own to keep themselves at a safe distance from it. It seemed like a reasonable solution since their forefathers had been judged so harshly for violating God’s Law in Old Testament times. However, it did not work as they had thought. Instead it caused them to focus on their own laws to the disregard of God’s Laws.

God’s Word is indeed sufficient for what God has given it for. If we try to add to it, standards that God did not see fit to put in it in the first place, we are demonstrating a lack of faith. Jesus says of the Scribes and Pharisees who had done this, Matthew 15:8-9 “‘THESE PEOPLE DRAW NEAR TO ME WITH THEIR MOUTH, AND HONOR ME WITH THEIR LIPS, BUT THEIR HEART IS FAR FROM ME.  9  AND IN VAIN THEY WORSHIP ME, TEACHING AS DOCTRINES THE COMMANDMENTS OF MEN.’ ” And so, according to His application of Isaiah 29:13 , it makes worship worthless.  No matter how much we say we love Jesus if we substitute our word for His, it renders that worship vain.  Here is where Jesus put His foot down, so to speak.

Jesus tells the disciples that outward rituals are worthless for making men right with God. Corruption is inside of man and it cannot be fenced off.   Matthew 15:10-20 Jesus had no concern for those who would try to deal with sin by outward rituals. To the point where He said to His disciples; Matthew 15:13-14 “But He answered and said, ‘Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted.  14  Let them alone. They are blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind leads the blind, both will fall into a ditch.’ ” He is literally telling them through a parable that there is nothing to be done with the one who rejects the Word of God in favor of his own system of righteousness. Their rejection of the Word of God is a demonstration of their reprobation, so there is nothing that can be done for them.

How many in good churches do the very same thing as they judge other Believers and look down their noses because of man-made standards that they impose on others without biblical warrant? Music, Clothing, Bible Translations…. The list goes on. Failure of others to meet our standards causes us to neglect the clear command of Jesus Christ that all Believers “love one another.” 2 John 1:5-6 . Thus we have made the command of God of no effect by our own rules as well. Where does that put you?

I pray that as you listen to this message that you are compelled to examine your own heart on this issue and then to be obedient to the commands of Jesus rather than your own idea of what is right.

Blind Leaders – Matthew 15:12-14

In Christ!
Kevin