Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 12)

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace. In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints, and also for me, that words may be given to me in opening my mouth boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains, that I may declare it boldly, as I ought to speak. So that you also may know how I am and what I am doing, Tychicus the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord will tell you everything. I have sent him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are, and that he may encourage your hearts. Peace be to the brothers, and love with faith, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace be with all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with love incorruptible.

Paul seems to want to focus on three big ideas in these concluding verses:
1) We can be strong because we are empowered by God's strength (v.10).
2) We can stand against the enemy because we stand under God's power (v.11-23).
3) Grace comes to all who love Jesus (v.24).

Everything we do in this life is done by the power of God. Our coming to Him is by His effectual call when we are regenerated by the Holy Spirit, our acceptance is by His irresistible Grace, and our perseverance is continued by the power of the Holy Spirit. Paul makes this clear as he points everything back to the all sufficient, sovereign will and power of God.

In verses 10-20, Paul gives us the practical or "what now" ways that we prepare for the spiritual battle that each of us faces in this life. The certainty of this battle is clear, and Paul makes the point that everyone (whether in Christ or not) will fight in this battle. The question is, "do we want to fight on our own or do we want the King to fight for us?" Those who put their faith and trust in Jesus, who have been called by the Father, have the certain victory. Those who reject the saving Grace that Jesus brings, choose to fight an enemy they can't possible beat. The reality for believers is that we fight this battle in and through the power of God. He gives us the strength to do these things, and the responsibility of doing them with the intent of growing us deeper and closer to Himself in relationship. The natural outcome of the work He does in us is worship, to glorify Himself. The heart of God is for us to know Him deeper, to trust Him fully with every part of our lives, thus showing that He is ultimate for us; that we constantly desire Him and His Glory. Our glory does not enter into the equation, it's all about Him.

The question that this brings up in my heart is, "what or who do I worship?" "Is it Jesus? Is it someone or something other than God?" Answering this question will be key in our spiritual development. We must realize that God wants to know us deeper, He wants to love and provide for us. Why don't we want to know Him more? Do situations and circumstances dictate our relationship with God? These are the questions I have been asking for the past few months, and honestly some of the answer have been disappointing and sad. I'm learning what I hold as ultimate in my life, and often (I'm sad to say) it's not God. Coming to this realization and revelation breaks my heart, but perhaps that's what God is doing to bring about my regeneration and sanctification. I pray as Paul did, that I might draw closer to Jesus in everything I do, and that the Gospel will be evident in my life, for the Glorification of God and the reconciling of others to Him!

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 11)

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.” Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Slaves, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a slave or free. Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.

The issue here in Ephesians 6:1-9, is submission. Paul has just laid out the orders for husbands and wives; and now turns to children to parents; slaves to masters; masters to slaves; and how parents should deal with their children.

God doesn’t judge on the basis of if you are a slave, child, parent, master, etc. He judges and rewards every faithful person equally. The issue is to be Biblical in everything we do, as if whatever it is (honoring our parents, or raising our kids), is done to and for God Himself and His Glorification. That’s what Paul wants us to get here– that everything we do should be done because we get to serve God, represent Him, and that ultimately our actions will bring Glory to God. I like to think of it by way of challenge: Look at everything God has put me over (family, parents, church, job) as if it were His not mine (because all of it is His, we are just stewards) and look for ways to glorify God in everything I do.

Paul is speaking in regards to the 4th commandment. God uses the 4th Commandment to show us how we fall short of God’s plan and how we cannot always do what is required of us from Scripture. If we examine our lives we must all admit that we have broken the 4th Commandment more times and in more ways than we can imagine. That’s why we need Jesus! Jesus is our Savior! Jesus has come to give us the long life that we can’t earn for ourselves. Notice that Jesus kept the 4th Commandment perfectly for us. Not only did Jesus honor his earthly parents perfectly. Even more, Jesus honored His heavenly Father perfectly.

Jesus obeyed His Father and went to the cross to suffer and die for all our sins – including our failure to keep the 4th Commandment. If you struggle with guilt because of times you did not honor your parents; if you are burdened with guilt because you have not been the perfect mother or father, you can come to Jesus and know that you are forgiven and holy before God.

This same Jesus who forgives you and covers you with His own perfection, this same Jesus will give you a new heart that longs to keep the 4th Commandment. In fact, that’s what Paul means when he tells children to obey their parents “in the Lord.” Paul knows that we can’t obey the 4th Commandment no matter how hard we try. Only Jesus who forgives us and loves us can help us to begin to obey this Commandment. So, confess your sins to God and know that He forgives you. Jesus will help you to honor your parents.

As God’s mercy and love moves us to obey the 4th Commandment, we will have peace in our homes and, in turn, we will be a blessing to our communities. But even more, we can look forward to a long, eternal life with our True Father in heaven who serves us now through the authorities He has placed over us.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 10)

"Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.

The apostle Paul takes nine verses to speak about the husbands duty as protector, provider, and pastor for the wife; and only three verses to talk about the wife's responsibility to her husband. Husbands are to love their wives in a self-sacrificing way. To give ourselves up for our wives. The reality is that I (we as husbands and men) need to come to this kind of understanding if I want my marriage to not only work, but be spectacular!

I need to put my wife's needs above my own and I need to love her. It's important that I meditate on what it means to lay my life down for my wife. It all begins with my understanding of the love and self-sacrifice that God has made by sending Jesus to be my substitute. When I'm able to wrap my mind and heart around the ultimate sacrifice that was made for my salvation, for God's plan of reconciliation to affect me, then and only then will I know how to love my wife. When I experience what the cross meant to the Father and to the Son, then giving up my life for the one I love most on this planet isn't actually that impossible. I know that because I'm in a constant state of Sanctification, though not perfect yet, God has equipped me to sacrifice what is most important to my flesh for my wife. I know I will not always do this perfectly, but thanks to the work of the Holy Spirit, I'm actually getting better (by God's grace and my wife's willingness to push through the difficult things).

If (and that's the big word), if I can love my wife and sacrifice my fleshly wants for material things, physical/sexual desires, and emotional needs, then I have taken the first step in leading her as pastor, protector and provider. Paul's point is that Biblical Submission becomes less of "I have to do this" and more of "I get to do this." Paul seems to lay this out as cause and effect. Submission to the husbands lead will flow out of the wife's love for Jesus, Scripture, and her husband.

My encouragement this week is to take some time and meditate on what it means to love and sacrifice myself for my wife. Ask God to reveal what this kind of love looks like in the life of the Christians husband. How do I love my wife?

"Called to Mission" Luke 4:42-44

This week I had the opportunity to preach at River Community Fellowship, and I wanted to share my notes from the message. We will be back in Ephesians next week, but I thought it would be important for all of us to see what Jesus was up to in Luke 4, and hopefully be encouraged and challenged to strive to be a part of God's mission. Hopefully this will stir up your passion to reach out to your community in tangible ways.

Introduction– Isn’t it true that the more a Christian believer comes to comprehend all he/she has in Jesus Christ, the more eager he/she is to share Jesus with others? I’ve come to realize that there must be three non-negotiable factors for my life as a Christ follower. The first, is continually making sure that the Gospel is the content for everything I do as an individual. I must remain Gospel-centered. The second, is to strive to be missionally intentional (i.e. always on mission) because as the Gospel is truth, it must be proclaimed in real, tangible ways. The third factor I’ve found is to love my community in context, which practically means that I share my life as a Believer in Jesus with unbelievers in the places they belong, while building trust to create an environment or place where they can explore and examine the Gospel of Christ safely. These three factors must be the foundations for everything I do.

I realize that living these truths is intentional and requires a lot of time and effort, a lot of boundary bouncing, but it is so rewarding and so Biblical that it must be entwined into the DNA of our lives personally and the life of the universal church.

Contextual Overview
In Luke chapter 4, we learn of the good news of God’s kingdom. Jesus has been on an incredible journey: first, (v.1-13) He spends 40 days in the desert being tempted by the devil, but Jesus overcomes the temptations and never sins; then (v.14-30) Jesus returns to His home town and begins to preach and teach in the synagog, but the people get angry at Him and drive Him out of the city. Then (v.31-41) Jesus goes to Capernaum, a city in northern Galilee, and just blows up, He begins preaching the gospel; teaching about the sovereignty, majesty, goodness, and kingdom of God; heals the sick; and drives out demons. The people of the city, at this point, are glad Jesus is there, they’re excited about the work Jesus is doing, and they’re anticipating what Jesus will do next.

Luke 4:42-44– “And when it was day, he departed and went into a desolate place. And the people sought him and came to him, and would have kept him from leaving them, but he said to them, ‘I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.’ And he was preaching in the synagogues of Judea.”

We see three distinct things about God’s Mission in our passage today, but in order to understand these truths, we must have a working definition of the Gospel.

What is the Gospel?
The Gospel is God's plan to save his people from their sins and to bring his people fully and finally to himself (Ephesians 2:1-10). The great theologian J.I. Packer simply says, “God Saves Sinners.” Through the person and work of Jesus Christ, God fully accomplishes salvation for us by the Holy Spirits regeneration, rescuing us from judgment for sin, into fellowship with him, and then restores the creation in which we can enjoy new life together with him.

THREE DISTINCT THINGS ABOUT GOD’S MISSION

1) Our Natural Tendency Is Not to God’s Mission (v.42)
The next morning, Jesus heads for a solitary place to spend some time alone with the Father (Mark 1:35-38). The people find out that He’s getting ready to leave. So they go to Him and say, “Don’t leave! We need you! We need your power in our lives! We need your presence in our lives. We need your preaching in our lives! Please stay with us!”

2) The Gospel Connects People to God’s Mission (v.43)
Jesus says in verse 43, “It’s not that I don’t love you. It’s not that I don’t want to be with you. But my mission in life is to share the good news with as many people as I can! God’s kingdom is here right now, and I want the rest of the world to know about it!” The good news needs to be shared so that the people of the world can be reconciled back to God (See Romans 10:14). Notice that there is a need for Gospel proclamation. In verse 43, Jesus says to the people of Capernaum, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God!” Jesus was ready and willing to live out the mission of God in front of and in the midst of lost people.

3) The Gospel Sends People on God’s Mission (v.44)
In verse 44, Jesus “continued preaching in the synagogues of Judea.” In other words, he was doing everything He could to make the gospel as accessible as possible. Luke is trying to teach us that the good news of God’s love is accessible to everyone! (See 1 John 5:11-12)

For us, our Judea is right here in the Verde Valley. There are people right here in Cottonwood who don’t know that God loves them, that don’t know that God wants to do something beautiful and lasting in their lives, to bring reconciliation! There are people out there who have no idea about who Jesus is and what He has done specifically for them. No idea that they can be forgiven, restored, reconciled to God, all because of the substitutionary life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. People need to know that God has extended His grace to them, through the cross of Christ, and that because of Jesus, we now have access to the amazing majesty of the creator and sustainer of everything.

Those of us who have heard the Gospel and have been transformed by it are called to God’s mission. The question is, “will we graciously open up our hearts, our homes, and our lives for others to join us in experiencing the Gospel?”

CLOSING
The beauty of the Gospel is that it illustrates God’s missional heart very tangibly in the person and work of Jesus Christ. God sends his son to live in the world of the lost, to live amongst them, and bring the Kingdom to his people.

We are all sinners in need of a Savior. The reason why Jesus came to earth preaching the good news is because we ALL need the help of God! We ALL need salvation! Jesus was looking for lost people and had to leave His comfort zone in order to reach them. He had to be sent to us, we were not naturally going to go to Him. In this same way, we must intentionally go after people with the Gospel because they are lost.

CHALLENGE
Answer these questions, (please close your eyes): Imagine if Jesus were to walk into this room right now and say, “Come on, get up, and come with me.” Where do you picture him taking you first? Maybe it’s someplace you’ve never been. Where? Why would he take you there?

This week I’d like to challenge you to practice being “called to mission” by crossing two barriers of your normal life:
1) Cross Your Fence – Do something to bless or simply converse with one neighbor on your street.

2) Cross Your Street – Do something to connect with someone who is close to your home, but with whom you haven’t built a relationship yet.

STUDY QUESTIONS
Personal – Jesus was well known for his love for people, which brought his people great joy. Jesus was actively involved in ministering to other people in a way that had profoundly encouraged them. Who are you encouraging, and how is your life impacting others?

Spiritual – We must react to the Gospel. We live in a fallen world where believer’s need to be refreshed, and unbelievers need to experience what it means to be refreshed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ. What are we doing to actively seek the deeper things of Jesus?

Missional – Experiencing God’s mission must be an intentional part of our lives. What specifically are you doing to further the mission of God in the lost world? What about your life will compel people in the Verde Valley to want to know more about Jesus?

Preaching this Sunday at RCF in Cottonwood

This week I have the great honor of preaching at River Community Fellowship in Cottonwood, Arizona. The text we'll be working from is Luke 4:42-44, on a message I've entitled, "Called to Mission." Should be a really cool time and I want to invite all of you in the Verde Valley area to join us at 10 a.m. this Sunday, November 8th for a time of worship, fellowship, pray and preaching/teaching.

It would be great to see as many of you and any friends/family you could bring out to support the work of this solid ministry. River meets at Tavasci Elementary School. Check out the church website for more information or directions to the school at: www.rivercommunityfellowship.org

Hope to see you there!

Bob Greene

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 9)

"Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience. Therefore do not become partners with them; for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

"Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ."

Paul, in this section of Scripture, makes the point that because Jesus has regenerated us (through the power of the Holy Spirit's work) we now have the ability and opportunity to model our lives after Jesus and act like Him. It's important to stop acting/behaving like we did before regeneration (habitual/willfully sinning) and start being "imitators of God." We partner with Jesus in living lives of submission, repentance, and faith. We now can put the old/past sins away (because of the cross) and live lives that are pleasing and honoring to God.

Also, be careful with words, thoughts, and actions. Paul says not to be "foolish" (v.17), but to live in such a way as to honor God, not disrespect Him. Jesus has made it possible for us to be in a right relationship with God emotionally, physically, spiritually, and the Holy Spirit is empowering us to live that spirituality out everyday. We are God's Ambassadors and we represent Him to this world. We need to walk, talk, and look as much like Jesus as possible, so that we can direct others to Him for their salvation and God's Glorification!

Final Thoughts– Be thankful to God for all He has given to us, not covetous for what we see others have that we want and wish we had. When you do get down, look at all the blessings God has given you/me (because they are many), and rest in the sovereignty of God's will. Trust in His character to make all things right and just in His perfect time.

Encountering the Mysteries of God (Part 8)

"Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

Because God has regenerated our hearts, we get to be continually transformed and can put off the old life, nature, self, because the Holy Spirit replaces those old things with new, glorified, redeemed ones. We now (because of Jesus) have been created after the likeness of God and therefore have the ability (through the working of the Holy Spirit) to live a new and transformed life of faith. This is all part of the regenerated work that the Holy Spirit is doing in us, while progressive sanctification is continuing to take place.

We must remember that our struggles and sins no longer have control over us. When they do creep up on us, we need to take them to God through prayer, while continuing to search the Scriptures, remembering that Jesus died to conquer all sin, separation from God, and all death (which is what sin ultimately leads to). We must remember that Jesus has accomplished our salvation and has reconciled us back to God, Jesus is our continual advocate to the Father, and the Holy Spirit is continually working out our salvation and sanctification, so that we can be new creations that worship God and Glorify Him with our redeemed lives.

The encouragement today is to believe that we are new creations in Christ. Start to practice the truths found in the Scriptures, and live as though these truths are actually TRUE. Forget the past, forget what we used to be (before Jesus), and remember that God sees us washed by the blood of Jesus. While we often fail and don't see ourselves whole, God sees us in the light of Jesus, completely spotless and sin free. Live in the moment and truth that God is working everything out through the power of His Glory and Grace. Believe that you are changed and new, and let that truth be lived out in radical submission to the mortification of sin and the Glorification of God.