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Monday, June 30, 2014

The goal of the Christian life - To know God


Exodus 6:2-3 God spoke further to Moses and said to him, “I am the LORD; 3 and I appeared to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as God Almighty, but by My name, LORD, I did not make Myself known to them.



Why knowing the Lord is central to the Christian's faith-walk
In the passage above we see God revealing His identity to Moses.  He uses the Holy Name "Yahweh" (translated "LORD" in all capital letters).  God is literally giving Moses further insight into the revelation of His character, authority and reputation. Yahweh makes mention of the three patriarchs of Israel - Abraham, Isaac and Jacob to show their level revelation in comparison to what He was revealing to Moses.  When God reveals Himself to people in the scriptures, two things are occurring:



1. He is making Himself known
2. He is aiming for them to know Him



When He states at the end of Exodus 6:3 - "but by my name, LORD (Yahweh), I did not make Myself known to them", it is not that God was not Yahweh in Genesis and then suddenly became Yahweh to Moses in Exodus.  Rather, as God was making Himself known to the Patriarchs, their level of illumination that was affected by His revelation to them was at a more fundamental level than Moses'. 



The Patriarchs "Knew God" in the level of understanding and experience of Him as "El-Shaddai" or "God Almighty.  They knew what kind of God that was making Himself known to them, and thus they walked out their faith in that measure of light.  However as you go throughout the scriptures, God is slowly but surely "increasing the level of understanding" for His people each time He reveals Himself.  Knowing God is an ongoing activity in the life of the saint.  There will never be a time that the believer ever fully comprehends all of God in who He is.  As Jesus states in John 17:3 “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.



The experience of knowing God proceeds from knowing the works of God, to the ways of God to God the Way

The first level of illumination is knowing  the works of God
God tells Moses that He "appeared" to the Patriarchs as "El-Shaddai" or "God Almighty" in our English Bibles.  Five particular texts are in mind where we see God appearing to the Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and (we'll include) Joseph:



Genesis 17:1 "Now when Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am God Almighty; Walk before Me, and be blameless." 

This is the first mention of God's name "El-Shaddai" (God Almighty in our English Bibles).  Clearly it was indeed the LORD (Yahweh) appearing here, however He expressed to Abraham the name "El-Shaddai" (God Almighty).  Recall that all the names of God with "El" are expressions of the main name "Elohim", which answers the question: "What kind of God is God?"  In this instance He is revealing to Abraham that He is mighty enough to follow through in the promises He made to Abraham in his faith-walk.  Four other passages are listed below without commentary, and the reader is encouraged to look at them and draw further conclusions: Genesis 28:3; 35:11; 43:14; 48:3. 



The next level of illumination knowing the ways of God
As Psalm 103:7 states - "He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel".



In Christ, the fullest level of knowing God is knowing Him who is the Way
When we speak of our Christian experience, we understand that we come to know God by the scriptures through Jesus Christ.  Hebrews 1:1-2 notes "God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways, 2 in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the world."  Christ of course is the fullest level of illuminating light by which we can truly know God - since He is the LORD, Yahweh Himself. 



The name "Yahweh" or "LORD" signifies the purpose of the faith-walk - to know God
2 Corinthians 3:18 says this about our knowing God the Way (Jesus Christ) in comparison to Moses: "But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit." As we said in the beginning, God in the scriptures makes Himself known in order to prompt His people to further know Him.  By God revealing Himself as Yahweh, God's people could not only know the works, but also the ways of God.  By He coming as God in Human flesh, God's people could truly know God the Way. (John 14:6)  That dear friend, is the chief concern of the Christian life - to Know Him.

Sunday, June 29, 2014

Considering the importance of Christian mediation



Psalm 19:14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my rock and my Redeemer.



What Christian meditation is not
In the 1960's a movement, rooted in Eastern thought, swept through our country and became popularized in what was called "TM" or "Transcendental Mediation".  Movements such as "TM" spawned the wide-sweeping popularity of other practices rooted in eastern religion and mysticism such as Yoga and the like.  Unfortunately, when people hear the word "meditate", they conjure up images of a person sitting cross legged with hands out-stretched, finger-tips touching and the hum of the word "um".  As popular as this conception is, the Christian mediation spoken of here in Psalm 19 is of a completely different sort all together. 





What Christian Mediation is
In the original language of this Psalm, the word "meditation" has to do with a "deeper pondering" over the meaning and significance of the words of scripture.  Ancient Christian writers often spoke of a fourfold process one went through when interacting with the Bible:



a. Reading the text
b. Meditating on the text
c. Disciplining yourself to live out the text
d. Knowing that you got the meaning of the text by praising and worshipping God.





How do you meditate on God's Word?
When you "meditate on scripture", you may do the following:

1. Read the text
2. Read it again (out-loud or silently)
3. Read it a third time, marking down your initial thoughts
4. Walk away and think on what you read
5. Come back to the text again and repeat steps 1 through 4



Why meditate on God's Word?
Every blog I write, sermon I preach, lesson I teach, quiet time I do or sharing of God's word that I communicate requires meditation on God's Word.  When you and I meditate on scripture, we are aiming to get it from our before our eyes or in our ears to reside in our hearts and out in our actions.  Meditation is what you do "in between" your times in the scriptures.  You can mediate while waiting in line at the grocery store, on break at work or at lunch room at school.  What mediation does is break down the artificial wall between "Christian spirituality" and "the rest of life".



The benefits of Christian Mediation
Notice the benefits that comes as a result of mediating on God's Word here in Psalm 19:14:



1. Right Attitudes - The Psalmist desires to please God.  Only scripture can stir up the Christian to want to live more for the Lord. (1 Peter 2:1-2)



2. Right Thoughts - How many of you want a better thought-life?  Cleanse your mind with the scriptures.  Meditating on the scripture cleanses your heart and mind.  Jesus even talks about this particular quality of the word of God. (John 17:17; Ephesians 5:26).



3. Right Words -  He wants the right words to flow from his mouth.  God's word makes your "have to's" into "want to's".  As Jesus teaches, out of the overflow of the hearts comes forth the words of the mouth. (Matthew 15:18)



4. Right Motivation - The Psalmist ends this Psalm by praising God, His "Rock" and His "Redeemer".  We know from the names of God in the Bible that the term "Rock" refers ultimately to Jesus Christ.  Though the Psalmist lived 1,000 years before Jesus Christ came to this earth, He writing under Divine inspiration was referring to Him.  When you and I meditate on the scriptures, we will be motivated to live for Jesus Christ.   

Friday, June 27, 2014

Saturday 6/28 Disciples of Jesus need to hear the Gospel everyday


1 Corinthians 1:17 For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void.



When Paul wrote his first letter to the Church at Corinth, he had to deal with quarrels and divisions that had arisen in that congregation. (1 Corinthians 1:11)  In dealing with those issues, Paul proclaimed to the church the only remedy - The Gospel.  As you read 1 Corinthians 1:17-2:5, you quickly discover that the Gospel must not only be heard and believed by sinners in order to be saved, but it must be heard daily by the saints so that they can be more effective in their lives after getting saved.  In todays blog I want you to see the various names the Apostle Paul uses in describing the Gospel that he preaches.  If we can see other names given in scripture for the Gospel message, we can then understand better why as Christians we need to hear the Gospel everyday.



THE GOSPEL....
1. In content "The Word of the Cross."   
1 Corinthians 1:18a


2. In its strength "The power of God".     
1 Corinthians 1:18b, 24


3. In its resource "The wisdom of God."
1 Cor 1:21, 24b, 30 


4. In its focus "Christ crucified".   
1 Corinthians 1:23; 2:2


5. To the world "foolishness of God."    
1 Corinthians 1:25


6. To us who believe "testimony of God".
1 Corinthians 2:1


7. Changes lives "demonstration of the Spirit and of Power"
1 Corinthians 2:4



As Paul preaches this Gospel to these Corinthians, he knows that only the Gospel can change their hearts, call them out of their compromise and reinforce their identity in Jesus Christ.  The purpose of preaching this Gospel and hearing it daily is spelled out in 1 Corinthians 2:5 "so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God." Christians need the Gospel, so that they can operate not on the wisdom and power of men, but of God." 

Jesus Christ - Your Wonderful Fullfillment


Colossians 1:13-14 "For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."


Introduction: The year I saw the Milky Way
It was not long after my family and I had moved to Florida in 2004 that 3 hurricanes barreled their way across the terrain of Central Florida where we lived. Our house was located in the storm paths of the three storms.  The first one in particular, Charley, came to where we were as a strong category 2 storm, with sustained winds of between 115-120 m.p.h. Power was knocked out for over a week in a 150 mile radius.  It was in the heat of August and we had some families staying with us who had been displaced by the storms. I can recall one night after a particularly long and hot day going outside to get some fresh air.  It was so dark outside you could hardly see your hand in front of your face.


As I looked up I was awestruck by what I saw. I could not believe my eyes, but their, stretched across the sky was the Milky Way Galaxy in all of its pristine glory. Every star, every color was present.  I literally felt like I had been taken up in a spacecraft and set in orbit around the earth. With no light pollution, I could behold a celestial object that only one in seven people can still see on our globe today. For hours I stared until my neck hurt from the strain. Stars, cosmic dust clouds and various dark and light bands were seen across the night sky. I could had spent an entire month if possible, staring at the Milky Way's vastness, not exhausting the estimated 400 billion stars that comprise our galactic home.


When I peer into Colossians 1:13-20, I feel like I am peering into an endless galaxy of Divine revelation.  Paul's point for writing Colossians was to convey the fact that Jesus is enough.  He is fighting against a group of heretics who believe you have to add ritual or experience or pagan practice to the equation.  Anytime you and I try to add to Christ we end up subtracting. As foolish as it would be to think of lighting a match to improve upon the experience of witnessing the brightness of the Milky Way Galaxy, so it is in thinking we can ever add to Jesus Christ.  Yet in our everyday world and Christian lives, we find ourselves attempting to try out different fads in the hopes of feeling better and avoiding what we perceive to be boredom.


A word on applying the scriptures to your life
Today's post is all about seeing Jesus Christ as you wonderful fulfillment. Here is a question: why do people go on vacations to spots such as the Grand Canyon or Disney world? Do they go with the expectation of taking away 2 or three bullet points that they can plug into their everyday lives once they get back into the normal routine? No. The point of such trips is to become smaller and to be blown away and get away from it all.  Have you ever tried sharing with someone, say a co-worker, your time away at a vacation? It is impossible to capture the experience in a short 30 second conversation, and yet the impact of the experience makes you feel exhilarated and refreshed.




I think too often in today's church world we only think of Bible application in terms of life application.  Now don't get me wrong, life application is very important, and there ought to be some point in a lesson or a sermon where a "take-away" or "point of application" is easily discerned.  Yet the scripture isn't only about applying principles and formulas, it is also about blowing us away and bring us to the point of worship.  




Such "worship points of application" are necessary, otherwise our Christian life becomes nothing more than "duty, duty, duty". Whenever we look at sections such as Colossians 1:13-20, we ought not to approach it from the stand point of "what can I get out of this" in so much as "how much can I tell Jesus that I delight in Him." We need both "life-points of application" and "worship-points of application".  We need practical and awe-inspiring, and books of the Bible like Colossians give us both.


Worship point of application
As we consider Colossians 1:13-20 in brief, let me suggest to you the following worship point of application: Jesus Christ's Supreme Revelation is your Wonderful fulfillment. Let us take a few moments and gaze in wonderful at this galaxy of revelation - Colossians 1:13-20.


Jesus Christ is your wonderful fulfillment in what He does. Colossians 1:13-14
Jesus Christ is the Divine King in 1:13, Who became man in 1:14.


Jesus Christ is your wonderful fulfillment in what He is. Colossians 1:15-17
Jesus Christ is the New Adam Who is also the Creator of all things with the Father.


Jesus Christ is your wonderful fulfillment in Who He is. Colossians 1:18-20
He  is Lord over His church in 1:18-19. He is the Savior of His church by the blood He shed as Perfect Man in 1:20.


Closing thoughts
Being that the point of this post was to convey the sense of awe and worship over Jesus Christ - your wonderful fulfillment, and being that the Revelation of Himself is the wonderful fulfillment of the Christian life, I leave you with the lyrics of the hymn: "O Worship the King" by Robert Grant, who lived from 1737-1806:
1. O worship the King, all glorious above,
O gratefully sing God's power and God's love;
our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of Days,
pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

2. O tell of God's might, O sing of God's grace,
whose robe is the light, whose canopy space,
whose chariots of wrath the deep thunderclouds form,
and dark is God's path on the wings of the storm.

3. The earth with its store of wonders untold,
Almighty, thy power hath founded of old;
hath stablished it fast by a changeless decree,
and round it hath cast, like a mantle, the sea.

4. Thy bountiful care, what tongue can recite?
It breathes in the air, it shines in the light;
it streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,
and sweetly distills in the dew and the rain.

5. Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail,
in thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail;
thy mercies how tender, how firm to the end,
our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend.

Thursday, June 26, 2014

P5 Growing up into spiritual maturity - Target areas for spiritual maturity


Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."

Review:
The past several days have been dedicated to understanding the Biblical teaching on spiritual maturity. The main point of application for this whole series of posts has been: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Today's post will take the principles we have been working through and spell out particular areas to target in our pursuit of spiritual growth in Jesus Christ. We will then close out this series with a final thought from Dr. Adrian Rogers on the importance of spiritual Christian growth. My hope and prayer is that these series of posts have proven beneficial to your walk with the Lord.

Particular areas to target in spiritual growth.
We have thus considered the patterns for spiritual maturity in understanding our main point of application in this message: your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Paul’s excitement over hearing about the Colossians pursuit of spiritual maturity leads him to write these words in Colossians 1:9a “For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that….”. What is the “that” that Paul is praying for? He is alerting both his readers and us to particular areas to target in spiritual growth. I will list them in short order:

a. Doctrinal = Colossians 1:9b …”you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

b. Testimony = Colossians 1:10a “so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects….”

c. Morality = Colossians 1:10b “bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God”

d. Godward focus = Colossians 1:11-12 “strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light.”

Those four target areas of spiritual maturity are not only areas we ought to strive for, but pray through and aim for in reliance upon the Lord. 

Closing thoughts:
Today we have considered the main point of application in today’s post: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. We have also looked at the patterns for spiritual growth and four specific target areas: doctrinal, testimony, morality and Godward focus. I close out this post with an observation from Dr. Adrian Rogers. Dr. Rogers in his book: "What every Christian ought to know", writes these words on pages 245-246 - "We need love that comes with Christian growth and maturity. There need be no division between truth and love. Some have made that division. Truth without love may be a form of brutality. Love without truth may be empty sentimentality. May God deliver us from the immature pronouncements of those who have loveless truth and the immature emotionalism of those who have truthless love. With truth and no love one may swell up. With love and no truth one may blow up. But truth and love cause the Christian to grow up."




Wednesday, June 25, 2014

P4 Growing up into spiritual maturity - Cultivating spiritual growth in Christ


Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."


Review & Illustration:
We looked yesterday at the three braided rope of spiritual maturity: inward maturity, upward maturity and outward-focused maturity.  We noted that the scriptures uniformly define spiritual maturity along the lines of how we are growing in Christ in our souls, in relationship to Him and in how we relate to others. When we started this series a few days ago, I shared an illustration about a little tree that my mother and me had to cultivate and bring back to health.  Today's post features that illustration once again to communicate the main point of today's post: cultivating spiritual growth in Christ.


I can recall growing up as a boy and receiving in my first grade year a little pine tree to plant in our yard. I asked my parents if we could plant the little tree near a big bush toward the back of the house. I felt in my little six year old mind that the bush would protect the little tree from getting dried out by the sun. Over the next ten years that little tree hardly grew. We knew something was wrong and that it was contrary to nature for a ten year old tree to be basically no different from a first year sapling. We discovered that the big bush was sapping up all of its nutrients and as the bush grew, the shade prevented the tree from getting the necessary sunlight. We decided to move the tree to another part of the yard that was adjacent to a creek that ran alongside our property. My mother had developed an interest in cultivating roses and aided me in staking the nearly dead little tree. We fed it all kinds of plant food and within 3 years the tree doubled in size and in 3 more years quickly grew to maturity. That little tree was designed by God to grow and mature, and it required nutrients, sunlight and our involvement in making sure it would maximize what it was created to do – grow!  Disciples of Jesus Christ are given in their new nature the inherent desire to want to mature in their faith.


How is spiritual maturity cultivated?
Think of the little tree illustration that we explained earlier – the requirement of multiple people was necessary to not only maintain but to ensure the tree’s natural maturity. Likewise, spiritual maturity operates on similar principles. Outside of sickness and emergency, Christians cannot expect to grow and flourish in their Christian walk without the ministry of the scriptures and the local church.

The presence of God’s word in Colossians 1:5-6 functions as the life sustaining food for spiritual maturity. 1 Peter 2:2 “like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.” 

Then, pastoral ministry and the local church is the support system for spiritual maturity in Colossians 1:6-8. Pastors like Epaphras in Colossians 1:7 have been called by God to do five things in the local church: love God, love their families, live out the scriptures, love the people & lead by example. All of those areas are not just for the pastor’s sake, but more so for the sake of His people. Furthermore, the pastor needs the local church body in order to fulfill the calling God has given to him. In other words, I need you and you need me and we need one another to pursue God’s calling to us to grow up into spiritual maturity.



Whatsoever is true in the pew applies equally well in the pulpit: none of us can expect to spiritually grow without one another. Ephesians 4:11-12 reminds us: “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ.”


More  tomorrow......

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

P3 Growing upinto spiritual maturity - the three-braided rope of spiritual maturity


Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."
Review from yesterday:
In yesterday's post we considered what the Bible in general and the Book of Colossians in particular has to say about the subject of spiritual maturity. We noted the following point of application: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Today we continue this series by noting some patterns that are associated with spiritual maturity in the Christian life.

Growing up into spiritual maturity – Patterns and Particular areas Colossians 1:1-12
As we have noted already, the point of application for today’s post is: your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. What patterns and particular areas do we find in Colossians 1:1-12 when it comes to growing up into spiritual maturity?

Patterns for growing up into spiritual maturity: “inward”, “upward” & “outward”, cultivated by the scriptures and the local church – Colossians 1:1-8

Paul’s formal greeting to this church in Colossians 1:1-2 begins our exploration of the patterns for growing up into spiritual maturity. Particularly in Colossians 1:2, we see reference to the Colossians in terms of their spiritual identity as “saints” or “holy ones”, their relationship to one another in the term “faithful brethren” and then their relationship to their Lord by the little phrase “in Christ”. Paul then launches into his thankfulness for the Colossians as a result of seeing their spiritual maturity. He zeroes in on the three-fold pattern of spiritual maturity we just saw in Colossians 1:2: an “inward” element, an “outward” element and an “upward element”. In other words, all spiritual maturity can be measured by how well we are cultivating our hearts (inward), relating to other people (outward) and focusing on the Lord Jesus Christ (upward). Think of these 3 patterns as the three braided rope of spiritual maturity. 

First we see how and where spiritual maturity begins: on the inward level in Colossians 1:3-4a: "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith….” Next we find how the “inward” patterns of our spiritual maturity ought to lead to the “upward” focus of the Christian life – Jesus Christ – also in Colossians 1:4 “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus….”. Then thirdly, that “inward” and “upward” pattern of spiritual maturity should naturally lead to how we “outwardly” relate to other people. All three patterns are seen in their full bloom in Colossians 1:4 “since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints.” 

With that “three-braided” rope of spiritual maturity explained, the question is: how is spiritual maturity cultivated? 



To find out the answer, come back tomorrow....







Monday, June 23, 2014

P2 Growing up into spiritual maturity - The Bible's teaching on spiritual maturity


Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."
Review from yesterday:
In yesterday's post we considered introductory thoughts to the subject of growing up into spiritual maturity. We noted the following point of application: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity. Today we consider briefly what the Bible in general and the Book of Colossians in particular has to say about spiritual maturity.


How the Bible and Colossians define spiritual maturity
When you begin surveying Bible passages on spiritual maturity in both the Old and New Testaments, you discover certain principles that aid in understanding spiritual maturity. Key scriptures such as Deuteronomy 7:22; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27, Ephesians 4:11-12, 2 Timothy 3:12 & Hebrews 5:13-14 reveal that spiritual maturity happens in progression, entails discipline, requires the ministry of the local church, thrives under difficulty and entails the Christian's cooperation with the Holy Spirit.



When we trace the theme of spiritual maturity in the Book of Colossians, we find it flows right along with the main theme of Colossians: “Jesus is Enough”.

1. Colossians 2:6-7 "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."



This text here continues on the theme of Colossians 1:1-12. The book of Colossians, along with the book of Hebrews, are two books in the New Testament that deal specifically with finding one's fulfillment and maturity in the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

2. Colossians 3:16 "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."



This particular passage is significant in that the word "word" could be taken to either refer to the written word - the Bible, or the living word - Jesus Christ. One of the hallmarks of spiritual maturity is in making one's life a palatial dwelling place for the Lord and His word. The more central the Bible becomes to our everyday thoughts and lives, the more likely we are growing in spiritual maturity.

3. Colossians 4:5 “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.”



Spiritual maturity not only has to do with how we relate to the Lord and how we take care of ourselves but also in how we relate to other people. "Making the most of every opportunity” means that even in the most extreme circumstances, we take what we have and use it for the glory of God. Over time we discover that if anyone wants to be Godly in Christ Jesus, they should expect to suffer. (see 2 Timothy 3:12) 

Whenever you come to our target text of Colossians 1:1-12, we get the specifics on the Biblical emphasis of spiritual maturity. Again the point of application is: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity.



More tomorrow....







Sunday, June 22, 2014

P1 Growing up into spiritual maturity



Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."


Introduction & Illustration:
I can recall growing up as a boy and receiving in my first grade year a little pine tree to plant in our yard. I asked my parents if we could plant the little tree near a big bush toward the back of the house. I felt in my little six year old mind that the bush would protect the little tree from getting dried out by the sun. Over the next ten years that little tree hardly grew. We knew something was wrong and that it was contrary to nature for a ten year old tree to be basically no different from a first year sapling. We discovered that the big bush was sapping up all of its nutrients and as the bush grew, the shade prevented the tree from getting the necessary sunlight. We decided to move the tree to another part of the yard that was adjacent to a creek that ran alongside our property. My mother had developed an interest in cultivating roses and aided me in staking the nearly dead little tree. We fed it all kinds of plant food and within 3 years the tree doubled in size and in 3 more years quickly grew to maturity. That little tree was designed by God to grow and mature, and it required nutrients, sunlight and our involvement in making sure it would maximize what it was created to do – grow!


Disciples of Jesus Christ are given in their new nature the inherent desire to want to mature in their faith. Ephesians 2:8-9 for example says: “For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.Most people will readily quote that text, however very few consider 2:10 which explains why God regenerates sinners to saving faith in the first place: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them.” To not engage in spiritual maturity is contrary to the Christian’s nature. In today’s post we want to begin considering the subject of “Growing up into spiritual maturity” out of Colossians 1:1-12.

 
Point of Application:
If you remember nothing else from this post today, the one thought that God would have us to understand from Colossians 1:1-12 would be this: Your calling as a Christian is to grow up into spiritual maturity.

More tomorrow....

Saturday, June 21, 2014

How will it all end? Looking once again at Jesus' parable of the tares


Matthew 13:24 Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.

Introduction:
Today's post features another look at Jesus' Parable of the Tares.  Scripture is certainly amazing in how one can study the same passage time and time again and come away with an insight they never saw before. In my library are hundreds of books. I have read many of those books, some old, some small. Each time I have read a given book, I think on it and then put it on my shelf.  Those books, though precious to me, are mostly one time reads. Their meaning can be exhausted and summarized. However the Bible is so different, so unique.  I have been studying God's book for over two decades and I can tell you that each time I go to it, I find something new.  It is inexhaustible. Its words are God's words. No other book - no matter how lofty in its language or strong in its argumentation can match the Bible. So it is with this Parable of the Tares. Previously I have written on this remarkable parable and so I will simply list the links to those posts for the reader's reference:

1. http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/06/the-main-point-of-jesus-parable-of.html


2. http://pastormahlon.blogspot.com/2014/06/jesus-parable-of-tares-presented-and.html



Some interesting traits to note about the Parable of the Tares
Out of the more than fifty parables that Jesus tells in the four Gospels, the "Parable of the Tares" is only found here in Matthew. As we noted in the last post on the parable of the tares, Jesus is giving us a view of the Kingdom from God's vantage point. In the closely related "parable of the Sower" in Matthew 13:1-23, Jesus is giving the hearers a view of the Kingdom from a ground level human perspective. 






When we look specifically at the "Parable of the Tares", we find another interesting characteristic. In both Jesus telling of the parable in Matthew 13:24-30 and His explanation of it in 13:36-43, we find roughly seven verses of material featuring Jesus' teaching.  In each section, we have three main areas of focus: "The Sowers", "The Seed" and then "The Harvest". In the telling of the parable, Jesus devotes three verses (24,25,28) to the sowers, three verses to the two types of seed (26,27,29) and one verse to the harvest (30). Yet in Jesus' explanation of the parable in 13:36-43, we discover the opposite pattern: two verses for the sowers (37,39), one verse for the seed (38) and four and one-half verses dedicated to the harvest (39-43). Truly the end, the outcome, defines what goes on in the present age.  


The interpretation of the parable hinges on how everyone relates to the sowers.  
The two sowers
The whole Parable of the Tares centers around the sowers and the other details in how they relate to them.  It must be noted that though this parable is called "the parable of the tares", the "tares" and the "seed" are so defined by their relationship to the two sowers. The tares are those who by nature are "sons of disobedience". Paul writes for example in Ephesians 2:2 "in which you formerly walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience." The unbelieving Pharisees are described by Jesus as having the Devil for their father in John 8:44. In contrast, the children of the Kingdom have been "born again" and have the new nature. (John 1:3; 1 Peter 1:3). 

Two sowers and two seeds
Clearly the seeds are so defined by their relationship to the sowers. Now even though their are two sowers, the two are not equal.  After all, "The Sower", the Son of Man, owns the field or the world.  Furthermore, the "Enemy" will be cast into the lake of fire at the end of the age along with the tares. 

In seeing how the seeds relate to the sowers, then truly the harvest is determined by the prevailing of the Sower, Jesus Christ.  With wheat and tares growing together, and the Spirit of God regenerating some of those tares through His Sovereign work and the evangelistic influence of the wheat, the same Sovereignty that guarantees the final harvest of souls is the same Sovereign Lord who gives tares the opportunity to hear the Gospel.  He through the testimony of the wheat urges those tares to be converted to wheat before the end of the harvest. Commentator Herbert Lockyer notes: "This is why He has sown you where you live and labor. As one bought with a price and born of His Spirit, and a new creation in Him and an heir of eternal life, He expects you to bear fruit in the corner of the field of this world, in which He has sowed you."

The one Sower and one final harvest
With the tares and wheat's respective relationship to the sowers shown, we now turn lastly to how the harvest relates to the sowers. Matthew 13:39-43 gives us a very important point about which sower is running the harvest - The Son of Man.  Notice that once we cross the thresh-hold of Matthew 13:39, the age has ended and now all things are in the hands of the Son of Man.  The Son of Man "sends for His angels" in 13:41 to gather out of "His" Kingdom the tares so to speak.  The power and authority of judgment is in the Son's hands in 13:42. Then the final state of the "wheat" is guaranteed. Interestingly all those "wheat" that the Son planted made it and did not "deconvert" into tares. Most commentators have noted that God alone can convert a tare into wheat.  

Final thoughts
So as one can see, the entirety of the parable hangs generally upon the two sowers, and ultimately upon the One sower who owns the field - the Lord Jesus Christ. The question is: in what way are you related to Him? 

Friday, June 20, 2014

God's Gospel Lamp



Isaiah 42:6-7 “I am the Lord, I have called You in righteousness,I will also hold You by the hand and watch over You, And I will appoint You as a covenant to the people, As a light to the nations, 7 To open blind eyes, To bring out prisoners from the dungeon and those who dwell in darkness from the prison."

Introduction:
Often times when we read passages in the New Testament, we can very easily rush over the many Old Testament scriptures that are quoted.  Case in point is Paul's sermon to the Jews at Pisidia in Acts 13:17-43 and then a second statement that he makes a week later in Acts 13:44-52.  Paul's two messages are very powerful and sweeping in their coverage and presentation of the Gospel. Both are anchored to two Old Testament references that give us a clue to interpreting and applying the whole of Acts 13:17-52 to our lives. I'm titling this post: "God's Gospel Lamp" in light of what we read in the two main Old Testament references of Habakkuk 1:5 in Acts 13:41 and Isaiah 42:6 in Acts 13:47. 

How we find God's Gospel lamp being referred to by Paul in his statements in Acts 13.
In Paul's first sermon of Acts 13:17-43, Paul is linking together all of redemptive history to the Person and work of Jesus Christ. As he draws that first sermon to a close, he mentions Habakkuk 1:5 in Acts 13:41 - "Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come upon you: 41 ‘Behold, you scoffers, and marvel, and perish;
For I am accomplishing a work in your days, A work which you will never believe, though someone should describe it to you.’” Why would Paul quote this passage? The prophet Habakkuk had ministered some 600 years before Christ in a spiritually dark Southern Kingdom of Judah. Times were so bad that at the opening of his prophecy, Habakkuk cries out to God: "Why?" God's response to Habakkuk's complaints over the wickedness of his nation was that He was going to Divinely send an even more wicked nation, the Babylonians, to discipline His people.  Such news is described by God in the terms we find being quoted by Paul. In other words, how God was going to bring about His redemptive purposes was going to be unexpected. Habakkuk writes in Habakkuk 2:1 "
I will stand on my guard post and station myself on the rampart; And I will keep watch to see what He will speak to me,
And how I may reply when I am reproved."  In other words, the prophet was going to await until God showed Him the light of His purposes - which of course He would.  God's Gospel lamp was shining in Habakkuk's day, and Paul's usage of Habakkuk's prophecy in Acts 13:41 indicates that the Gospel Lamp was shining brightly in the place Paul was preaching.

The second text we find is Paul's quotation of Isaiah 42:6 in Acts 13:47 - "For so the Lord has commanded us,
‘I have placed You as a light for the Gentiles, That You may bring salvation to the end of the earth.’”  Isaiah had written some 150 years prior to Habakkuk. In Isaiah's prophecy of Isaiah 42 we see a prediction made of the "Servant of the Lord", the coming Messiah - whom of course is identified in the New Testament as Jesus Christ. The Servant of the Lord is the light in Isaiah 42:6 and now Paul is saying in Acts 13:47 that Jesus, the "The Light of the World" is in a sense going to shine through Him to bring forth the light of the Gospel.  Again, God's Gospel lamp burned brightly in the prophetic statements of Isaiah and burns brightly is the apostolic statements of Paul. 



Point of Application: You and I as Jesus' disciples are to carry forth God's Gospel lamp.

How we see God's Gospel lamp shining forth in Paul's two sermons
Having focused our attention on the two key Old Testament texts that show God's Gospel lamp, we can now briefly consider three ways in which God's Gospel lamp is shining forth in the two sermons and sections of Acts 13:17-43 and 13:44-52.

1. The Gospel lamp is revealed in the scriptures. Acts 13:17-22, 47
I won't take time to unfurl the grandeur of the many scriptures referred to by Paul.  Lets just say for now Paul traces virtually every era of redemptive history from Abraham in Genesis, through Moses, through the Judges, through the united Kingdoms of Saul and David, to the days of Jesus.  The scriptures unfold for us the Gospel lamp. 

2. The Gospel lamp is Jesus Christ. Acts 13:23-37
As Paul delivers his two sermons, the focal point of both is none other than Jesus Christ. Jesus is the Light of the world (John 8:12) and the lamp Who reveals God fully and completely (Hebrews 1:1-2; Revelation 21:23). The lamp that the prophets saw in faint outline through the telescope of prophecy shines brilliantly in the New Testament age. Jesus' virgin birth, incarnation, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension occupies the fulcrum upon which history and eternity pivots. Jesus Christ is the Gospel lamp, Who is revealed in the scriptures, and thus...

3. God's Gospel lamp is carried forth by Christians. Acts 13:44-52
As Paul preached the Gospel, the light of the glory of Jesus Christ shined brightly.  The mystery of God's Sovereign elective purposes (so deemed by the Baptist Faith & Message 2000) and man's sure choice of rejecting the Gospel are set side by side in the text.  On the one hand, Sovereign grace alone explains why the crowd believed the Gospel in Acts 13:48 - "When the Gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed." When Sovereign grace attended the preaching of the Gospel, the Gentiles freely and genuinely believed and were saved. Yet, Paul indicates that those who rejected the Gospel did so of their own accord. The Gospel lamp is God's lamp. All who respond do so because of Sovereign grace working in their hearts.  All who reject do so because of their own decision. As Paul says in Acts 13:46 - "since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life...". 

What the Lord told Paul in Acts 13:47 can be applied to us as disciples of Jesus today.  2 Corinthians 5:20-21 (20)"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 1 Peter 2:9 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light." Would it be that you and I as believers in Christ carry forth God's Gospel lamp, the Lord Jesus Christ, by shining forth His Gospel through the scriptures. 
 

Thursday, June 19, 2014

P3 Still more key scriptures for Biblical spiritual maturity



Jude 20-21 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Introduction:
Yesterday we explored the key scriptures we find in the Book of Colossians for understanding spiritual maturity.  In today's post we conclude our explorations by noting some further scriptures in the remainder of the New Testament. Like yesterday, the key passages that will be listed are not meant to be an exhaustive list, but more so a "representative" list. 

1. 1 Timothy 4:7-8 "But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come."

One of the themes you will find in studying the subject of spiritual maturity is the closely related theme of spiritual discipline.  One of the myth's associated with spiritual maturity is that it is easy and passive.  Scripture uniformly tells us that spiritual maturity requires discipline, and yet is immensely rewarding.  Often times the Apostle Paul will use the metaphor of physical training to get his readers to see how spiritual maturity operates and functions. Christians need constant usage and exercise of their spiritual muscles in order to deal with life and life victoriously for the Master. 

2. Hebrews 5:13-14 "For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant.14 But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil."

How I can recall the years when all four of our children were growing up as infants and toddlers.  Some of the things they did then were worthy of postings on facebook.  However if they were to do some of those same things now, I would be concerned. Why? Because as older children and adolescent teenagers, we naturally expect them to be exercising some discernment and hopefully making progress in their physical, emotional and mental development.  In the spiritual realm the principles are no different, which is why the writer of Hebrews employs such imagery as that of infants and growing children.

3. Hebrews 6:1-3 "Therefore leaving the elementary teaching about the Christ, let us press on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 of instruction about washings and laying on of hands, and the resurrection of the dead and eternal judgment. 3 And this we will do, if God permits."

The book of Hebrews is chocked full of passages that speak on the subject of spiritual maturity.  Too often Christians complain about doctrine, and yet without doctrine, we cannot know what we are to believe and live. Doctrine is the pearl necklace of the great lady - the church. We certainly ought to be grounded enough to know the essential truths of scripture, and then at some point move onto further truths. I find it interesting that the writer inserts the closing phrase "if God permits", reminding us of the boundaries in which spiritual growth occurs - namely God's Sovereign will.

4. Hebrews 12:1-2 "Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

In this text we see the author and finisher of faith, the Lord Jesus Christ. The imagery employed here is the athletic imagery, much like what we see in 1 Timothy 4:7-8.  Here we see runners in an Olympic style race running for the glory of the Emperor. When the runners would run, they looked to the box seats where the Emperor sat to draw strength and inspiration.  If they got their eyes off of the Emperor and got to focusing on the cheers of the crowds, they could get lost in the moment and lose stride. Certainly the witnesses are vital, however it is Jesus who is the finish line, the Emperor for Whom we run the Christian race. 

5. Hebrews 13:20-21 "Now the God of peace, who brought up from the dead the great Shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the eternal covenant, even Jesus our Lord, 21 equip you in every good thing to do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen."

In-as-much spiritual maturity is an activity on our part, without the preserving grace of the Lord working in us and through us, we will not have the necessary desire to want to grow.  As a friend of mine used to tell me: "God takes our 'have-tos' and turns them into 'I-want-to's". 

6. Jude 20-21 "But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life."

Jude 20-21 gives us one of the clearest definitions in the Bible on what it means to pursue after spiritual maturity. Truly "building ourselves up in the most holy faith" captures the heart of what it means to be spiritual mature. 

Closing thoughts
Adrian Rogers gives this illustration from his book: "What Every Christian Ought to Know", page 248, on the subject of spiritual maturity: "A cathedral in England was destroyed by German bombs during World War II. Some students helped to rebuild it. A statue of Jesus in the Cathedral had been damaged. The students pieced it together, but the hands had been destroyed beyond retrieval. Rather than replace the hands, they placed a plaque beneath the statue that read, 'Christ has no hands but ours.' There is a great truth to that. May God help you to find a place of service and let your hands be His hands.As we bring all of this to a conclusion, remember that you are to grow with what you have learned." 


Wednesday, June 18, 2014

P2 More key scriptures for Biblical spiritual maturity



Jude 20-21 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

Introduction:
Yesterday we began exploring key scriptures we find in the Bible for understanding spiritual maturity.  We looked at Deuteronomy 7:1-26; 1 Corinthians 9:25-27 and Ephesians 4:11-16 to discover that spiritual maturity happens in progression, requires the ministry of the local church and entails the Christian's cooperation with the Holy Spirit.  In today's post we continue in our explorations. Like yesterday, the key passages that will be listed are not meant to be an exhaustive list, but more so a "representative" list. The unique trait of today's post is getting the opportunity to see the theme of spiritual maturity developed in one Bible book - which in this case is the book of Colossians.  

1. Colossians 1:3-4 "We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints."

The book of Colossians is all about finding our fulfillment in the supremacy of Jesus Christ. He is enough, period. In this passage we find the two-fold focus of spiritual maturity: faith in Jesus Christ and love for the saints.

2. Colossians 1:10-11  "so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; 11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously." 

The underlined words in this text speak to the very subject of spiritual maturity. Nearly fifty times we find reference to walking with God in the scriptures.  All of the tributaries that flow from that stream (bearing fruit, growing, etc) find their source in Jesus Christ.

3. Colossians 2:6-7 "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude."

This text here continues on the theme of Colossians 1:10-11.  The book of Colossians, along with the book of Hebrews, are two books in the New Testament that deal specifically with finding one's fulfillment and maturity in the supremacy of Jesus Christ.

4. Colossians 3:16  "Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God."

This particular passage is significant in that the word "word" could be taken to either refer to the written word - the Bible, or the living word - Jesus Christ. One of the hallmarks of spiritual maturity is in making one's life a palatial dwelling place for the Lord and His word. The more central the Bible becomes to our everyday thoughts and lives, the more likely we are growing in spiritual maturity.

5. Colossians 4:17 Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity.

Spiritual maturity not only has to do with how we relate to the Lord and how we take care of ourselves but also in how we relate to other people.  "Making the most" of every opportunity means that even in the most extreme circumstances, we take what we have and use it for the glory of God. Over time we discover that if anyone wants to be Godly in Christ Jesus, they should expect to suffer. (see 2 Timothy 3:12) 

More tomorrow...