(Malachi 3:6-4:6) Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

Countdown to Christmas, Anticipating Jesus
Malachi 3:6-4:6
Jordan Byrd

Think of the world as this stool. Think of your life, and the lives of those throughout the world, as seated on this stool. Now, think of this candle as the sun, the created entity that gives light, warmth, and energy to earthly life. Think further of this candle as God. Think of how the God revealed in Jesus is the Light of the world. How Jesus described himself as: “…the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

We recently passed December 21st on the calendar. Does that day stand out to you? For our part of the world, it’s the day of the year with the least amount of sunlight. Last week this time of year stood out to me, because on my drive here, in the morning, it was noticeably still dark, even in the 8 am hour. It made me think of the reality shows that I enjoy watching, about people who live in Alaska, or above the Arctic Circle; and how those shows and the lives of the people there emphasize the impact of life with minimum sunlight during the winter months.

One such place is Alert, in Northern Canada. Alert experiences 106 days of full darkness, where the sun never reaches above the horizon. Some of the impacts of life with little to no sunlight are the following. Health impacts: depression, lethargy, reduced social interaction or loneliness and decreased motivation. Bone and immune health with lack of Vitamin D. Insomnia or poor sleep from circadian rhythm disruption. Increased opportunity for accidents in the dark and in cold, icy conditions. Ecological Impacts: slower plant growth and dormancy disrupt food supply and biodiversity. Animal migration changes. Increased energy costs to offset natural light, warmth, and energy. Lower temperatures increase the formation of ice and snow. Decomposition process slowed and carbon exchange altered in ecosystems.

In our modern context, we might be tempted to think of life in the Arctic as a challenge for how we can change the environment to be suitable for life. We live in a time on earth, where it seems possible to change any environment to meet our needs and wants: make the Arctic, desert, space, and even Mars (for Elon Musk) livable. Make the necessary changes to make it suitable to OUR needs.

While these are environmental changes, we are just as tempted to apply this mindset to relationships – wanting others to change to meet our needs or wants: family, spouse, kids, friends, employer, co-workers, teammates, teacher, classmates, leaders, or brothers and sisters in Christ. We are also just as tempted to apply this mindset to God, and his way of life – wanting God to change to meet our needs or wants: our perspective of life. Our wants. Our desires, no matter how twisted or distorted. We’re tempted to have God change to endorse our pride, envy, jealousy, selfishness, violence, unhealthy pleasure. We’re tempted to have God change to endorse our distorted attractions, or lop-sided view of gender and sexuality, or extravagant lifestyle, or slavery to possessions. We live in a context where we’re tempted toward the arrogance to have God change to be with us where we are, and with what we are doing, or want to do.

The context of Malachi’s prophecy was very similar. Malachi prophesies to a context that was arrogant – that was audacious enough to believe that God would change his character and way of life to accept a false, lesser life as the true and abundant life. Specifically among God’s people – the Jewish people – they were Trying to hold onto God’s presence, without His way of life attached to it. Another way to view this is to say they wanted theology without ethics. Or, they wanted God’s presence, without spirituality. They wanted the outer practice, without the inner transformation. They wanted God to endorse their less-than-perfect sacrifices of worship.

They wanted God to endorse their adulterous and divorced marriages (Malachi 1:7-8). They wanted God to endorse injustice (Malachi 2:10-16). They wanted God to endorse their selfishness and leftover offerings (Malachi 3:5). The people of Malchi’s day wanted God to change and adapt their way, rather than themselves changing and adopting God’s way (Malachi 3:8-10).

The warning that Malachi’s prophesy bears out to the people of Malachi’s day – and to our context as well – is a two-sided prophecy of hope and warning. Malachi declares the coming of The Day of the Lord (Malachi 3:17 and Malachi 4:1-3). This Day of the Lord will be a day of celebratory rescue from: imperfection, unfaithfulness, injustice, and selfishness – for those who turn to the Lord… and remember his faithfulness to make all things right and filled with abundant blessings. But this Day of the Lord will also be a day of curse and destruction to: imperfection, unfaithfulness, injustice, and selfishness – for those who resist the Lord and ignore his truth and way of life. 

The dreadful news of Malachi’s prophesy is that resistance to God will bring ruin. However, the good news of Malachi’s prophesy is that remembrance of God and return to God’s way of life brings rescue. Malachi's prophecy highlights the contrast between our lie and God's truth.

Our lie: We believe God needs to change to accommodate our flawed expectations. God's truth: We need to change to align with God's perfect and righteous standards.

God’s word through Malachi’s prophecy invites us to: Return to God and be rescued, or resist God and be brought to ruin. God has been unchanging in reaching out to rescue humanity from a distorted life. While it’s us who have constantly changed, and turned away from his rescue. And God’s word warns us that our choice to resist will lead us to ruin to death to an eternal absence of life itself – to a life without God.

For the unbeliever, Malachi invites us to respond to this warning of ruin by returning to God and remembering his presence and way of life. For the believer, Malachi invites us to respond to this anticipatory hope of deliverance by remembering God’s faithfulness and way of life and returning to faith and obedience to his way. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

In our backyard, we have a small raised garden bed. Last year, we grew strawberries, peppers, and cucumbers – to protect our plants from rabbits and other animals, we had to install a chicken wire fence around the bed. We also needed to stake the pepper plants – to keep them upright, and we erected a trellis for the cucumbers to climb, preventing them from rotting on the ground.  

In Malachi 3:8-12, Malachi’s prophesy depicts God calling out how the Israelites have turned away from him. God calls out how the people have robbed God. The prophecy depicts the people’s reply, “How have we done so?” To which God answers, “By withholding their tithes and offerings to him in their worship. As far as I can tell, there were three tithes that God’s people were to give 10% from the annual yield of their fields. The first tithe was given to the Levitical tribe through whom the priests of the temple came, as this tribe did not receive an inherited land in the Promised Land of Israel. See: Numbers 18:21, I give to the Levites all the tithes in Israel as their inheritance in return for the work they do while serving at the tent of meeting. (Numbers 18:21)

A second tithe was unique in that, it was a kind of savings plan for the Israelites to pilgrimage to worship at the temple in Jerusalem annually. See: Deuteronomy 12:17-18 and Deuteronomy 14:22-27. You must not eat in your own towns the tithe of your grain and new wine and olive oil, or the firstborn of your herds and flocks, or whatever you have vowed to give, or your freewill offerings or special gifts. Instead, you are to eat them in the presence of the Lord your God at the place the Lord your God will choose—you, your sons and daughters, your male and female servants, and the Levites from your towns—and you are to rejoice before the Lord your God in everything you put your hand to. (Deuteronomy 12:17-18)

And the third tithe was only given every three years, for the Levitical tribe, foreign residents, the fatherless, and widows. See: Deuteronomy 14:28-29. At the end of every three years, bring all the tithes of that year’s produce and store it in your towns, 29 so that the Levites (who have no allotment or inheritance of their own) and the foreigners, the fatherless and the widows who live in your towns may come and eat and be satisfied, and so that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. (Deuteronomy 14:28-29)

The Levitical tithe assisted the people in encountering God’s presence in worship at the temple. The pilgrimage tithe assisted the people in remembering that everything comes from the Lord, and they were to rejoice and celebrate before the Lord who blessed them to have what they have. And finally, the social tithe assisted the people in remembering that everything comes from the Lord, enough so, that they can give to others who are in less-than-ideal situations, and to remember and live in the tensions that everything they have is from the Lord blessing the work of their hands in all that they do.

But Malachi’s prophesy points out that the people are withholding some of these tithes. The people are hindering God’s presence and blessing in their life and in the lives of others. The prophecy is a warning or a projection of hope. If the people continue to resist God and his way, then the blight of their crops will happen. But, if the people return to God and his way, then the blessing of their crops will happen. Thinking back to my garden earlier. In Malachi 3 God is unchanging and faithful to bless the people, if they will turn to him, and receive his blessing. It’s the people who have changed and are unfaithful. And as they turn from God, they no longer experience the protection of God as a fence around their life. They no longer experience the support of God as a trellis to keep their life from falling into rot. God didn’t change, the people did. The people can return to God and be rescued or continue to resist God and be brought to ruin. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

It’s tempting in our world, to believe that arrogant pride is a sign of success – a sign of being able to get things done. Yet, if we had the option to spend time with an arrogantly prideful person, or a humble, gracious person, we’d be prone to picking the humble, gracious person. The arrogantly prideful person acts like they don’t need anyone else. Whereas, the humbly gracious person acts like they need others. The humbly gracious person acts like they want to be with others, regardless of an agenda. They simply want to be with you and see you for you.

In Malachi 3:13-15, Malachi’s prophesy depicts God calling out another way the Israelites have turned away from him. God calls out how the people have spoken arrogantly against God. The prophecy depicts the people’s reply, “What have we said?” To which God answers, “By calling worship to me, and my way of life futile – pointless or worthless (3:14).” “And by calling the arrogant blessed (3:15).”

God's way of life isn’t just arbitrary. It’s a real way to encounter God’s presence on earth. A real way for God’s people to remember that God has been with them continues to be with them and will continue to be with them. A real way for God’s people to experience God’s faithful presence. A real way to know that the God who delivered their ancestors out of slavery in Egypt, and placed them in a land not their own (the Promised Land of Israel) is the same God who is still in a relationship with them today. The same God who is wanting to provide for them and bless them.

But Malachi’s prophesy points out that the people’s waywardness from God has led them to be arrogant – has led them to not see God’s presence; and not see the benefit of God’s presence in their life. The belief that they can do just fine on their own. Their lack of humility and attitude to God’s historic and ongoing provision is leading them further away from seeing God’s presence in their midst. The people are hindering God’s presence and blessing in their life and in the lives of others.

The prophecy is a warning or a projection of hope. If the people continue to resist God and his way, then worship of God and his way of life will seem futile. But, if the people return to God and his way, then the people will be able to see God’s faithful presence who has never left them. God didn’t change, the people did.

The people can return to God and be rescued. or continue to resist God and be brought to ruin. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

The other night, I made popcorn, and my dog, Thea, really likes it too. I dropped some on the floor for her, but to my surprise, she wouldn't eat a few of the pieces. I couldn't understand why. She simply ignored them. However, she kept coming to me, pawing at the bowl, clearly wanting more. It was baffling. Thea desired popcorn, yet deliberately turned away from some readily available to her. I tried to encourage her by playfully tossing pieces towards the dropped pieces, but she still wouldn't eat them. I wasn't withholding more; I wanted her to eat what I had already given her. Her persistent pawing and begging indicated her frustration that I wasn't giving her more. But the truth was, I hadn't withheld anything. She was simply resisting what was already hers. By resisting what she already had, she was experiencing less. She could have enjoyed more popcorn by merely returning to the pieces she had initially ignored. I didn’t change. She did. I was faithful to give her some. She chose not to receive it.

In Malachi 4:1-3, Malachi’s prophesy depicts God calling out where the people’s actions will lead them. God highlights that a day is coming when their actions will be irreversible. But Malachi’s prophesy points out that the people’s waywardness from God will either lead them to ruin: to irreversible absence from God’s presence – to separation from God’s protection, provision, and blessing – to destruction and ruin, without the Lord of life; or it will lead them to rescue: to eternal presence with God – to permanent connection to God’s protection, provision, and blessing – to healing and abundant life, with the Lord of life.

The prophecy of The Great Day of the Lord is a warning or a projection of hope, based on your orientation to God. If the people continue to resist God and his way, then they will eventually experience irreversible ruin. Their sin or waywardness from God will find you out, as Numbers 32:23 describes. 

Or, the wages of their sin will lead to death as the New Testament writer, Paul, describes in Romans 6:23. Or, reaping what they sowed, as Paul also describes in Galatians 6:7-8. The people’s choice to resist God is what will lead them to ruin. But, if the people return to God and his way, then they will eventually experience eternal, transforming rescue from God. Their faithfulness to God their clinging to God will result in their world, and their lives being made healed and made right by God, as Malachi 4:2-3 describes, But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its rays. And you will go out and frolic like well-fed calves. Then you will trample on the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 4:2-3)

The people’s choice to return and remember God is what will lead them to rescue. Returning to God and remembering his faithful presence in worship leads to: the world made right (righteousness), healing, abundant life (happy and well-fed), and justice (walking free of wickedness). God didn’t, hasn’t, and won’t change from his covenant. God won’t stop being faithful to his people. It’s up to the people to decide if they will change – if they will stop being faithful to their covenant relationship with God. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin. The people can return to God and be rescued. or continue to resist God and be brought to ruin. Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

We live in a context where we’re tempted toward the arrogance to have God change to endorse or accommodate our selfishness and distorted thinking. But God, through his word in Malachi wants to disrupt your life with his truth. Malachi brings us face-to-face with disruptive truth.

The disruptive truth that God is not going to change to endorse or accommodate our lies about an abundant life.

Malachi’s prophecy is either a warning for us to return to God; or a projection of hope for us to remember God’s faithfulness to rescue us from a world of injustice, wickedness, and lies. 

Malachi’s prophecy is a call for us to engage in the simple faithfulness of remembering God’s presence to meet consistently in God’s presence – hearing his good news (like we’re doing now), and meditating on his word each day, and to live in his presence as we share vulnerably with each other about life; and as we invest sacrificially to make God’s presence more noticeable to all people of the world – to help guide all people to an abundant life in God, as revealed in Jesus.

Do we find Malachi’s prophecy as a warning or a projection of hope? Do we find Malachi’s prophecy as a warning to our false belief in arrogance, like the people of Malachi’s day? Or do we find Malachi’s prophecy a projection of hope to address what’s wrong with the world – that we will be rescued by the Lord God, like a remnant of Malachi’s day chose to believe, as they returned to God, and chose to remember his faithfulness (Malachi 3:16-17), …those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. (Malachi 3:16a)

Are we like the Israelites of Malachi’s day? We give the appearance of worshipping God, but our attitude, our actions beyond Sunday (in private), our words, are far from God? Are in darkness,

and ruining us, or others? How are our thoughts, words, and actions in need of returning to God, the source of Life and Light? God’s word in Malachi invites us to Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

If you are currently living apart from the Lord God who was revealed most fully in Jesus, will you choose to heed Malachi’s warning and return to the Lord of your life? Will you return to the one who can truly rescue you, and bring you into the abundant life you desire, but can’t make happen on your own?

Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus and we’d be glad to help you discern taking a step of faith toward God – possibly surrendering your life through expressing faith in Jesus, in baptism, uniting and entrusting your rescue to God – entering a life of remembering God’s faithfulness to you. The invitation of Malachi’s prophecy for the unbeliever is to return to God and then remember God.

For those who’ve already encountered God through faith in Jesus, will you choose to remember Malachi’s prophecy of hope? Will you remember the unchanging, faithfulness of God? Will you remember the hope of God’s eternal rescue from the brokenness of our current context? And will you examine your life – to see where you are or are heavily tempted to turn away from God and his way of living? Will you repent and return that area of your life to be in God’s constant and faithful presence? The invitation of Malachi’s prophecy for the beleiver is to remember God’s faithfulness and return to his constant presence.

Return to God and be rescued. Resist God and be brought to ruin.

(Malachi 1:6-2:9) What gives weight to your priorities? What gives weight to your worship?

Countdown to Christ, Anticipating Jesus (Malachi 1:6-2:9)

Jordan Byrd

What’s your vision of a perfect life? I used to struggle with perfectionism. And I’m still tempted by it. I used to believe that doing my best meant perfect grades on a quiz, test, or school paper. Doing my best meant being able to get my gymnastics skills and routine executed perfectly. Doing my best meant never failing my parents' expectations. Doing my best meant never failing other leaders and authorities in my life. Doing my best meant executing God’s expectations exactly as they were laid out in the Bible. I had many moments of second-guessing: Did I do the “right” and “full” process of making Jesus my Lord? Did I do the “right” and “full” response actions to receive forgiveness and salvation from God? But the more I followed Jesus, the more God’s Spirit revealed to me through His Word that the only perfect human is Jesus. And on my own, I am always trying to achieve perfection. And the only hope of living into perfection is to be, and continue to be united to Jesus – the only one who is perfect. This was freedom to me. It freed me from an unrealistic vision of life. It freed me from making a perfect life happen on my own. It freed me to live with the hope of a more authentic version of a perfect life – a life that is only possible being united to the life of God, through faith in Jesus. This saving freedom is one way Jesus has saved me. Chasing perfection on my own, I would be obsessed, anxious, fearful, overwhelmed, and stressed more than I already am with the rest of my life. This saving freedom draws me to prioritize the God revealed in Jesus in my thoughts, words, and actions. This saving freedom draws me to worship. This saving freedom draws me to prioritize God’s presence in my life. Prioritize God’s word and instruction. Prioritize prayer and attentiveness to God’s guidance. Prioritize community with the body of Christ. Prioritize praise for God’s faithfulness and ability to bring me into a life more perfect than I could craft on my own.

What gives weight to your worship?

What’s your vision of a perfect life? What is the world’s vision of a perfect life in our current context? And how does that vision of life determine what you do? How does that vision of life give weight to your priorities? If you could weigh the priorities of your life, what would that weight consist of? What gives weight to your priorities? In more religious language, What gives weight to your worship?

In our current context, we’re tempted to give weight to what’s immediately pleasurable (or beneficial to us). What’s easy. Or what’s comfortable. We’re tempted to give weight to these priorities. We give weight to the immediate pleasure of sleeping in over the inconvenience of getting up early to have coffee with someone going through a tough time. We give weight to the ease of turning on a TV show over the discipline meeting with God in His Word. We give weight to the comfort of tailgating at a Bills game over allowing God to stretch and transform our hearts during a Sunday morning church service.

But God’s word invites us to see reality differently. God’s word invites us to see that giving weight to these priorities will leave us wanting – will leave us restless – will leave us unable to experience the abundant life and peace that we long for – the abundant life and peace that we hope giving weight to these priorities will help satisfy or make happen.

What gives weight to your worship?

God’s word invites us to see that we will never be able to attain the perfect life of pleasure, ease, and comfort that we long for on our own. God’s word invites us to see that we need God. That we need God’s perfection. That we need God’s perfection in our life to attain the perfect life we long for. God’s word invites us to consider where we ascribe glory and worship. Do we ascribe glory to our version of a perfect life? Or our current context’s version of a perfect life? Or do we ascribe glory to God’s version of a perfect life? If we aren’t ascribing glory to God and his version of a perfect life, than God’s word invites us to confess our need for it, and confess our need for his direction and guidance for our lives.

What gives weight to your priorities? What gives weight to your worship?

In the beloved Christmas special, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, when Rudolph and Hermey the elf leave Santa’s workshop as outcasts, they run into the adventuring prospector, Yukon Cornelius. The trio eventually float through open water on a piece of ice, and eventually encounter dense fog. To which Hermey the elf says, “fog thick as pea soup." And Yukon Cornelius goes even further by saying, “fog thick as peanut butter!" Their descriptions of the fog is an attempt to capture the denseness or weightiness of the fog.

In the background of Malachi 1-2 is God establishing the tribe of Levi, of the 12 tribes of Israel as the priests to mediate God’s glory and presence to the people through their sacrificial service in the Tabernacle – a portable worship space – and eventually in the more formally established temple in Jerusalem. We get a summary of the Levite’s priestly role in Leviticus 9:1-7, …Moses summoned Aaron and his sons [from the tribe of Levi] and the elders of Israel. He said to Aaron, “Take a bull calf for your sin offering and a ram for your burnt offering, both without defect, and present them before the Lord. Then say to the Israelites: ‘Take a male goat for a sin offering, a calf and a lamb—both a year old and without defect—for a burnt offering, and an ox and a ram for a fellowship offering to sacrifice before the Lord, together with a grain offering mixed with olive oil. For today the Lord will appear to you.’” They took the things Moses commanded to the front of the tent of meeting, and the entire assembly came near and stood before the Lord. Then Moses said, “This is what the Lord has commanded you to do, so that the glory of the Lord may appear to you.” Moses said to Aaron, “Come to the altar and sacrifice your sin offering and your burnt offering and make atonement for yourself and the people; sacrifice the offering that is for the people and make atonement for them, as the Lord has commanded.” (Leviticus 9:1-7)

As we encounter in vs. 6, there is an interplay between the sacrificial worship of priests for the people of Israel and their encounter with the glory of God.

Like this weighted blanket, the Hebrew term behind our translated word, glory is the idea of weightiness or denseness or richness of God’s presence. In the context of Leviticus 9,  it’s the weightiness of God’s presence that accompanies the sacrificial worship of Israel and the priests. In Malachi 1:6 we encounter this same concept. Here, Malachi confronts the people of Israel, specifically the Levitical priests who represent the people of Israel before God with their lack of honor for God. The idea of honor here is the same concept of weightiness that accompanies the idea of glory. Here, the Israelites and Levitical priests aren’t attributing adequate weight, or attention, to God and his role in their lives. The people aren’t prioritizing God’s presence in their lives. The people aren’t worshipping God to their fullest. The people aren’t giving the fullest glory to God.

We see examples of the Israelites' lack of honor and disregard for prioritizing God’s presence through what is emphasized about the priests' sacrificial work. In Malachi 1:7-8 we encounter that the priests are allowing imperfect animals to be sacrificed in worship. If we look back to Leviticus 9, we are reminded that God instructed the priests to sacrifice animals without defects. The priests are to offer God the best – essentially, the best from the people of Israel in their worship of God. The priests are to offer the best animals to God first. And in Malachi 1:7-8 the priests are offering the people’s leftover animals to God. What is likely happening in Malachi 1 is that the priests are allowing the people to cheat God. Malachi 1:14, “Cursed is the cheat who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but then sacrifices a blemished animal to the Lord.”

In Deuteronomy 18:1-5, we encounter that the Levitical priests received part of the animals offered in sacrifice – as their own food. The Levitical priests—indeed, the whole tribe of Levi—are to have no allotment or inheritance with Israel. They shall live on the food offerings presented to the Lord, for that is their inheritance. They shall have no inheritance among their fellow Israelites; the Lord is their inheritance, as he promised them. This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head. You are to give them the firstfruits of your grain, new wine and olive oil, and the first wool from the shearing of your sheep, 5 for the Lord your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the Lord’s name always. (Deuteronomy 18:1-5)

In Malachi 1, we have two potential situations happening. One is that the priests are accepting the perfect animals for their own food, and offering the lame animals to still perform the ritual of sacrificial worship. In this situation, the priests are making a mockery of sacrificial worship to God. Two, the priests might be taking bribes from the people of Israel to accept their lame animals for sacrifice. Again, this makes a mockery of sacrificial worship of God. The priests in either of these situations are giving weight to their immediate benefit. The priests are giving weight to their own comfort over pleasing God first. The priests are giving weight to what’s easy, rather than the disciplined sacrificial work they’ve been given to do. The priests are giving weight to priorities other than God’s priorities. The priests are giving weight to worship themselves rather than God.

Poop bags have become a common-place item for dog owners to keep dog poop out of people’s yards so people don’t step in the poop later. The bags are not for keeping the poop, but for throwing it away. Because it has no everyday value to most of us. God thinks similarly of the sacrificial system of the Israelites in Malachi’s time. Through Malachi’s prophecy, God confronts the people about their poor worship and their disregard for God’s presence in their life, by telling them to just shut the doors of the temple and stop offering sacrifices. God is saying, “What you’re offering is what YOU don’t want: you’re lame, diseased, and sub-par animals.” “If you think worshipping me is not worth much, then let’s just scrap this whole thing!”

Worship is about recognizing our need for perfection tied to God.

God ultimately points to the reality that: Worship isn't about the sacrifices, but about recognizing our need for perfection tied to God, perfection tied to the worship of God, and perfection tied to being in God’s glorious presence. God references this reality by highlighting that he has people beyond the border of Israel who are seeking him, and his perfect life. We see here a glimpse of the mission of God for all people of the world to experience God’s abundant life. And despite the Israelite’s unfaithfulness, God will remain faithful to his mission. And this plays out fully in Jesus making it possible for all people to be united to the life of God, through faith in him.

In Malachi, the people were faithful to sacrifice animals. But the people were unfaithful to the sacrifice of unblemished, perfect animals. The quality of the sacrifice mattered because of what it pointed toward. It pointed toward the unblemished, perfect life of Jesus, who ultimately was sacrificed on the cross – to unite us with the perfect life of God. To unite our imperfect lives with God’s perfect life. We see this imagery in what Peter writes his New Testament letter, For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

The point of a perfect sacrifice to God was to emphasize that a perfect life is only possible with God. Being with God and being guided and instructed by God is what ultimately mattered. The perfect sacrifice was to keep this idea at the forefront of the Israelites’ vision for life; and ultimately to point to the perfect sacrifice of Jesus.

Have you ever stepped in dog poop? It’s one of the worst feelings, and the germ freak in me can’t stand knowing even a tiny bit might still be on my shoe. And we all know, the bigger the dog, the bigger the poop. Or, we could also say, the bigger the dog poop, the bigger the mess – if you step in it. While God desires all people to find a perfect life in him, he never forces it on anyone. He urges and corrects his creation to turn to him, and recognize our need for his perfection – his perfect wisdom and instruction on how to live most fully. But, if we choose otherwise, God will allow us to go that way, and experience the mess that comes with it, with the hope that we might come to our senses, and turn back to him for life and peace. We hear this tone from the heart of God in Psalm 81:11-13, “But my people would not listen to me; Israel would not submit to me. So I gave them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own devices. “If my people would only listen to me, if Israel would only follow my ways….” (Psalm 81:11-13)

In Malachi 2:3, God gives the imagery of: “If you want to make a mess of my instruction to offer perfect sacrifices, then I’ll let the mess be all over you,” like dung – like poop on your face. It was considered unclean to have the intestinal parts of the animals on a person during the sacrificial process, and it was to be taken outside of the camp to be disposed of. Here, we see God contrasting that the Israelites are choosing excrement over him. The Israelites are choosing lesser priorities over God. The Israelites are giving weight to imperfect priorities over the perfect presence and instruction of God.

In Malachi 2:7, the priests are reminded of their charge to instruct the people of Israel in God’s ways. They were to be setting the example for the standard of prioritizing God – prioritizing perfect sacrifices – prioritizing worship and encountering his glorious, weighty, life-giving presence. But they weren’t living that way. And they were leading the whole nation astray in the process. They were leading the people astray from encountering the weightiest presence of God then, in the tabernacle or temple of God and soon to come in the birth of God in the flesh – in the birth of Jesus.

Malachi’s prophecy highlights that the people of Israel were giving weight to priorities other than God. The people of Israel were giving weight to a lesser version of the perfect life. The people of Israel gave into the temptation to give weight to the priorities of: self-benefit over the benefit of God’s mission, comfort over the inconvenience of God’s standard, and ease over the discipline of seeking God’s life.

This reality can play out in at least one of two ways: One, it can play out that we give weight to priorities and worship of something other than God altogether. This is the reality for many in our current context and world. Where they are totally detached from the God revealed in Jesus.

Are you giving God your leftovers?

But it can also play out in a more subtle way: Where we give weight to things other than God, but we still give some leftovers to God. For example: I’ll meet with God’s word if nothing else comes up. I’ll gather with God’s people for worship if I don’t have anything else to do. I’ll make time for a friend if it fits the margin I already have. The problem with this perspective is that it does not give priority to God. It gives God our leftovers. This path involves us giving weight to many other things, and in the end, offering God very little, worthless, and excrement-looking worship. We end up giving weight to the world’s vision of a perfect life, Rather than recognizing our need for God’s perfect life, and his instruction and guidance to live toward it.

What gives weight to your priorities?
What gives weight to your worship?

Confess your need for the perfection of God.

God’s word in Malachi 1-2 invites you to reflect on the weight of your priorities and where they are leading you. When you give your life over to these priorities, they’ll end up leaving you wanting, restless, and unable to experience the abundant life and peace you deeply long for. The reality is, you cannot attain the perfect life you long for – on your own. God’s word, in Malachi 1-2, shows you that you need something greater. You need God’s perfection. You need the life and peace that only God can provide. So I invite you to be honest: What gives weight to your current priorities? And where are those things leading you? Are they leading you to anxiety and emptiness? If so, God’s word invites you to confess your need for Him. To confess your need for the God revealed in Jesus. And to take a step of faith toward him. If you’re ready to take that step, please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you journey toward uniting your life to God through faith in Jesus in baptism.

What gives weight to your priorities?

What gives weight to your worship?

If you’ve already united your life to Jesus, God’s word in Malachi 1-2 challenges you to examine the weight of your priorities and the state of your worship. When you prioritize your version of a perfect life over God’s vision for a perfect life, you’ll find yourself restless and unfulfilled. God invites you to see that you’ll never attain the abundant life and peace you long for, apart from Him.

Confess your need to be guided by Jesus to the perfection of God.

The question is: Where are you ascribing glory and worship? Are you giving full weight to the worship of the God revealed in Jesus? Or are you giving weight to other priorities, and leaving God only the lesser, worthless, and excrement-looking glory? If you find yourself wayward, confess it. Be honest about the places where your priorities or worship have gone astray. God’s grace is abundant, and He wants to restore you. Cling to Him for the perfect life that your soul longs for – a life found only in Jesus. Let this be a moment to reorder your heart and priorities, giving weight to God’s glory and worship Him above all else. God’s word invites you to return to Him, to experience the abundant life He offers, and to find your rest in Him. Will you confess your need for God? And will you commit in faith to seek his instruction and guidance to encounter his perfect, abundant life, as revealed in the life of Jesus?

What gives weight to your priorities?

What gives weight to your worship?

(Malachi 1:1-5) When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is - Byrd

Countdown to Christmas, Anticipating Jesus (Malachi 1:1-5)
Jordan Byrd

When I was in high school, I trained for gymnastics in a town about 30 minutes away from my parent’s house. The drive home from my gym could happen by a couple of different routes. One was a two-lane highway most of the way, and a few country roads part of the way. The other was that same two-lane highway halfway, and some more country roads the other half of the way. One wintry night, I was driving home from practice during a decent snowfall. Snowy weather wasn’t new for me. And I debated on the way home, if I should stay on the highway, where it might be plowed more, and I could see where other cars had driven ahead of me to stay on the road; or if I should get off and take the country roads the rest of the way home. I decided I was capable of driving in the wintry weather on the country roads, so I got off and continued home that way. I traversed the first country road fine, made the first turn onto another road, and as I continued down this road, it was completely snow-covered. There was no sight of another vehicle having been down it since it started snowing. As I reached a few hundred feet from a stop sign at an intersection, I began to slide and fishtail, and next thing I knew, I hit black ice, under the snow; and began spinning in a circle and heading toward the ditch – where my car eventually rolled over and landed on its side, and I ended up totaling the car.

I thought I knew the best way to drive home that night. In hindsight, I made a poor choice; and should have stayed on track with the highway path. I should have stayed on track with the path… where I could see where other cars had traveled – where the ice on the road was salted and melted. But, in my arrogance, I went off track and ended up in disaster.

In the coming weeks, many of you might have a model train that you set up as a decoration for Christmas. A common issue with model trains like this is to make sure the train and the cars are on the track – to make sure they’re on track to keep moving forward. When the train or car ends up off the track, disaster ensues. One of the popular movies during this time of year is The Polar Express where a group of children takes a train to the North Pole, but brushes with disaster, when the train goes off track, during part of its journey.

So often, this imagery is a reflection of our own lives. Where we think we know best, and we try to make our own track. Where we think we know what’s best. Where we think we know what needs to happen. Where we think we know the answer to the problem. Where we think we know how to bring about justice. Where we think we know how to become important. Where we think we know what true love looks like. But, as we get off onto this track, we end-up realizing there isn’t a track at all. We end up realizing that the path is bumpy, causing destruction to whatever is in front of us, and coming to a flaming halt at some point.

The people of Israel that we encounter in Malachi 1 have experienced this reality. They were on track to experience God’s blessing and abundant life in the land promised by God to Abraham, Isaac, and the descendants of Jacob. But, along the way, they derailed and created their own track. Which resulted in compromising their ethics, weakening their culture by intermarrying with other people of ungodly nations and unjustly treating impoverished and disadvantaged people; and ultimately choosing their own wisdom to curtail invading nations at their borders, rather than turning to the Lord God for direction and protection – and they eventually ended-up taken into captivity by foreign nations, and spread across the ancient, Mediterranean world. All because they thought they knew better than God. All because they let themselves arrogantly direct God’s blessing and life onto a different track. All because they arrogantly thought they could make God’s promises happen according to their wisdom.

We’re no different in our day and age either. We are constantly tempted to lose track of God to pursue our own track – of what we think is best. And when we, like the Israelites of old, end up with derailed lives, we’re also tempted to blame God for not showing up as we needed – for not showing up as we think he should. Saying things about God like the Israelites did in Malachi 1, How have you loved me?! Where are you in this mess?! Why aren’t you doing something about this?! When will you do something?! How have you been present in my situation?!

We may reach the point of needing help to get back on a good track but we can’t see how God is present to get back on God’s track. Like ancient Israel, In our context, we’re tempted to look for God’s presence in our life, according to how we want God to act.

However, God’s word in Malachi 1 reveals a different reality. In Malachi 1:1-5, we encounter that the only way to truly see God’s presence in our life… is to see how God has already been present in history. God's message in Malachi 1:1-5 encourages us to see God for who He is based on what He’s already done and promised to do, not on how we think He should act. When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

God’s word reveals good news to us in Malachi 1:1-5 that we can be aware of God’s presence and action in our life, by being aware of how God has acted acted, and promises to act by how God has revealed himself to us in history, and not just in word, but also in action. It’s at the intersection of how God has acted and what he promises to do that we can start to gain a sense of how God is present and active when it’s hard to see.

God’s word in Malachi 1:1-5 invites us to keep track of God’s actions. To be aware of God’s action in the past, so we can look for similar actions in the present and future. The more we understand how God has acted in the past,  the more we'll know what to expect from Him in the present and future. The more we look for God to act as He knows best, rather than how we think He should. When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

Recently, many families in WNY were impacted by the burden of the message that their job at the Sumitomo Tire plant was no more, and the company plant was closing down altogether. No one wants to hear the message: “Hey, in a couple of days, you’re not going to have a job.” No one wants to be the bearer of that message either.

That is the nature of the prophetic word of Malachi. Some translations even reflect the burdensome nature of Malachi’s prophecy, by how the opening of the prophecy is translated. The opening words of Malachi very literally read, The burden of a word of Jehovah unto Israel by the hand of Malachi… (Malachi 1:1, Young’s Literal Translation)

The message of Malachi is a burdensome one because it is addressed to the people of Israel who have lost track of God and God’s law. Malachi is addressed to the people of Israel who have been overran by foreign people, scattered across the region, and given the opportunity to return to their homeland, but are still prone to heading down their own track. A broad picture of Malachi’s message is that this is one of the last times that God will speak to his people for another 400 years. This is one of the last times that God will speak to his people before God enters into their reality in flesh and blood in the birth of Jesus.

One of the overall messages of Malachi is that God’s people are warned to pay attention to what’s going on – to turn their attention to God and his law so that they can beware of God’s presence when it comes or else, the people will find themselves heading toward destruction – and missing the promised, blessings of God’s very presence with them in flesh and blood.

But, as we quickly encounter in Malachi’s message, the people of Israel are so derailed from God’s track that they struggle to see how God is acting, let alone how he’s about to act in the coming of the promised Messiah – in the coming of Jesus.

Overall, God’s message to Israel, through Malachi, is a father’s warning to not miss God and miss out on how he’s about to show up. We see God’s fatherly heart in how he warns and tries to guide Israel back to him, and back on track with his promises to them.

Caleb Williams was the first overall pick by the Chicago Bears in the most recent NFL draft. It was reported that Caleb texted the following comment to the punter the Bears drafted in the 4th round of the draft, “hey you're not going to punt too much here…” Through week 12 of the NFL this season, Caleb Williams has 2,356 passing yards on the season; and Tory Taylor has 2,528 punt yards on the season. Taylor has over 150 more punt yards than Williams has passing yards – more than halfway through the season. Words are empty without the actions to prove them. and this is what the people of Israel accuse God of.

Malachi’s message from God begins with God’s fatherly love for the people of Israel, “I have loved you,” says the Lord. (Malachi 1:2a) To which the people claim, ‘How have you loved us?’ (Malachi 1:2b) The people make an accusatory claim that God has not loved them. “You say you love us.” “You say you’re present with us.” “You say you’re acting for our best interest.” “Then show us?” The people ask in an accusatory fashion, claiming that God has no actions to back up his words. In the people’s thinking, God is not showing up as they think he should be.

But, unlike Caleb Williams’ empty claim about Tory Taylor’s need to punt this year, God’s word is always backed up with action. God never claims something he can’t back up.

God didn’t need to condescend to the people’s accusations, but he compassionately responded anyway. God directly points to his loving action toward the people of Israel throughout their history. Specifically, he harkens back to how he chose to love Jacob’s descendants, rather than Esau’s descendants. Jacob eventually took the name Israel, which is where Jacob’s descendants became the nation of Israel. But God’s choosing to bless Israel’s descendants, and not Esau’s descendants is an alteration to the conventional protocol of the ancient world, where the firstborn children are given priority in continuing the family’s legacy, where the firstborn sons were blessed above the sons that were born second. God breaks this protocol – to intentionally choose to bless Jacob, who was born after his twin brother, Esau.

In Genesis 25ff, we encounter Jacob deceivingly receiving his Father, Issac’s blessing. But in Genesis 28, God specifically promises to bless Jacbo’s descendants in the continuation of the promised blessing he made to his father, Isaac, and grandfather, Abraham. Jacob deceptively got a blessing. But God on his own initiative, chose Jacob to continue his great promise — to have all peoples of the earth to receive God’s blessing through Jacob’s family lineage.

In Malachi 1:2b-3, God reminds the people of Israel that they became a people, that they have the land they live in now, that they became a mighty nation under King David, that they were returned from Babylonian exile – to live in the Promised Land again because God chooses to bring about his blessings to the world through them.

God reminds the people of Israel that the blessings they have enjoyed are a result of God’s grace and love, and not because they deserved it, or earned it. But only because God in his wisdom knew it best to bring about his blessing for the world through Jacob and not Esau.

The USPS has regular mail and what they call Priority Mail. The USPS will send and deliver both kinds of mail. However, the Priority Mail is given priority action over the regular mail in terms of attention and urgency.

The language of God’s word in Malachi 1:3 can come across as awkward to us if we approach it thinking that it conveys God’s emotional state toward Jacob and Esau, and their descendants. But, if we realize that the “love/hate” language used can also convey “priority” it conveys a very different picture.

God’s expression of love to Jacob and hate to Esau is a way of conveying priority of specified attention to one over another. It’s not that Jacob and his descendants are inherently more special and deserving of God’s love, and Esau and his descendants aren’t. Rather, God is conveying that he’s made a specific promise to bring about a blessing to the whole world through Jacob’s descendants that he hasn’t made to Esau’s descendants.

But, it’s not that God doesn’t care or love both men and their descendants. Genesis 36 shows God's care in blessing Esau with family, possessions, and land, forming the nation of Edom. Deuteronomy 2:4-5 shows God's protection of the Edomites, forbidding Israel from taking their land, given by God to Esau as his inheritance. God's love for all nations, including Edom, is shown in Acts 17:26-27, where He creates all nations and desires them to seek Him, and in Matthew 5:45, where He makes the sun rise on the evil and the good. God loves both Jacob and Esau’s descendants. But Malachi 1:3 is specifically highlighting that God is fulfilling his promise to bless all nations through Israel – through the descendants of Jacob. Which, eventually will be the birth of Jesus, the Messiah, through the people of Israel.

In our age of social media, we’ve become deadened to filtered snapshots of life: enhanced, photoshopped, or AI-generated images – all made to give the appearance of reality, but are a skewing of reality. These images are not the full picture of reality.

God responds to Israel’s claim that he doesn’t love them by also reminding the people of Israel that: with Esau’s descendants, when they went off track of God’s way – when they were violent and unjust, God also allowed them to experience the consequences of their sin and in the day of Malchi, the Edomite’s land was still desolate. But with the people of Israel, even though they also went off track of God’s way, God still remained faithful to his promise and brought them back from captivity not because they were morally better than Edom, but to continue fulfillment of his promise to bless the world through Israel.

God’s point to the people of Israel is that they continue to experience God’s blessing and presence only because of the promise God initiated with Israel. It’s only out of God’s grace that Israel continues to experience God’s presence.

But, the people of Israel are unaware of God’s presence because they’re expecting God to act differently than he has. We see a glimpse of this in Malachi 1:4, where the people of Israel are intimidated by the Edomites. Where the people of Edom claim that they will be rebuilt as a nation, and establish their power. This perspective of the nation of Edom communicates the reality the Israelites were expecting God to make them into: to make them into the mighty nation they were under David – to be the envy of the region again.

But God exposes this skewed perspective. God demonstrates how the Edomites' claim does not even come to fruition. Their claim of rebuilding is a perception, but not actually reality. The reality is that they never become a mighty power again, and evidence of that is that God allowed their sin to run its course, and allow them to be overrun by other nations. And in Malachi’s day, Edom is still a deserted land, where jackals live. God also demonstrates that this is not the kind of future God is guiding the people of Israel to have. God is not present with them to have a mighty nation, like David’s, and he’s not present with them to be above all other nations. Rather, God is present and active among the people of Israel to make them a place where God is known beyond the borders of Israel. God’s action is to have all people of the earth encounter his presence through Israel; and ultimately through Jesus who is born in Israel.

In 1968, 3M scientist, Spencer Silver created a low-tack adhesive that didn’t seem to have an immediate use. Years later, a colleague of his, Art Fry, needed a way to keep bookmarks in place in his hymnal, during choir practice. He discovered that Silver’s adhesive was the perfect solution. This singular use led to the invention of what we know today as sticky notes. What was once thought of as an invention for one man’s purpose eventually became a globally used product.

In verse 5 of Malachi 1, God highlights the purpose of his relationship with Israel – with Jacob’s descendants – beyond the people of Israel. God highlights that he will be known as ”Great” beyond the border of Israel. Israel is reminded that God is known by his action to make himself known in Israel, and beyond. Israel is reminded that this is what God has been doing all along. God has been acting within human history to make himself known, and to reveal his character and life for all people to experience, and live into, and experience the abundance of his life.

Throughout this section of Malachi, we encounter God reminding the people of Israel to Keep track of God’s actions. When Israel lost track of God’s action to bring about his blessing to all nations Israel lost track of who God is, and who they are as his people, and the role they played. When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

When we pay attention and are aware of and track what God has been doing throughout history, to deliver us from our disastrous desires – so that he can pull us back on track to his wise and good way to live – we too, like Israel will see God for who he truly is, and we too will see and understand the greatness of the Lord God. The God who wisely and graciously entered into our world through the family line of Israel in the birth and life of Jesus. When we keep track of God’s actions, we keep track of who God is and what is striving to do in the world, and in our lives. When we keep track of God’s actions, we’re able to see God for what he actually is and does, rather than our skewed perception of what we want God to be.

Search the Bible to see how God has acted.

Today, if you’re unable to track God’s presence in your life, I invite you to vulnerably share that perception with God. Cry out to him. Accuse him, if that’s where you are. Ask him, “Where are you?” How are you present? What are you doing with my life? How do you love me? And vulnerably – openly – listen for God to respond. I invite you to turn to God’s word – begin reading and listening to Scripture, and see and hear how God has already acted; and allow God’s actions to reveal to you – how he is acting to bless you through Jesus just like he’s been acting to do all throughout history. I invite you to find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you respond to God in faith, entrusting your life to God’s wise way of life – allowing God to put you back on track, uniting your life to his in baptism, through faith in Jesus. Please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus to help you discern taking a step of faith toward Jesus.

If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus, how aware are you of God’s actions? How much are you able to track God’s actions throughout history? Are you able to know what God has done so that you can anticipate what God is doing in your life now? So that you can anticipate what God is going to do in the future? How Are you consistently meeting with God’s Word? To discover – or be reminded – how God has acted to bring the world to know him? Are you vulnerably sharing with God asking him to show you clearly in his word how God has acted, so that you can anticipate him acting that way in your life today and in your life in the future? When we lose track of God’s actions we lose track of who God is.

Horizon - Marks of Success, What Marks Are You Aiming For? (John 2:13-3:21)

When I was in high school, I competed in men’s gymnastics. One of the men’s events is the high bar. As you might know from watching gymnastics during the Summer Olympics, release moves are a common part of a men’s high bar routine. I had a release move in my high bar routine, where I would swing forward around the bar, in an underhand grip, but then release the bar – on an upward swing, and then fling myself above the bar, while making a half-turn, and then catch the bar, as I fell back toward the bar. To release the bar, and catch it again, this skill required aiming, or directing my head and body upward – to stay above and near the bar – to catch it and hang on. If I aimed my head forward, I would miss the bar. No matter anything else I’d do, if I aimed my head away from the bar, I’d miss it, and fall to the mat below.

The mark of success for that skill is “catching the bar.” To hit the mark, I had to aim in the right direction. I had to aim at the target. I could easily evaluate if I was successful at the skill. I either hit the mark, or I didn’t.  Evaluation of success was clear: I either caught the bar, or I didn’t.

What marks are you aiming for? In our context, we’re tempted to aim at several marks that we’re told are indicative of success – that are indicative of entering into an abundant life. Aiming at a certain income level. Aiming at a house in the nice neighborhood. Aiming at “following your heart.” Aiming at the biggest sale. Aiming at a career achievement. Aiming at recognition. Aiming at the championship. Aiming at the most muscle. Aiming at a body type. Aiming at attention. Aiming at trending style. Aiming at the most followers of subscribers. Aiming at new or thrilling experiences. Aiming at the biggest crowd. Aiming at the most influence. Aiming at happy children or grandchildren. Aiming at the happiest and longest marriage. Aiming at the longest life.

We’re tempted to aim for these marks, believing they indicate a successful life – believing they indicate an abundant life. Yet, we feel the tension these aims create in our lives. We feel the anxiety they foster. We feel the shame they foster. We feel the insignificance they foster. But, when they’re what we’re constantly presented as the marks to aim for, we feel the vortex pulling the aim of our lives in their direction.

Even as the body of Christ, we are tempted to aim for these kinds of marks, believing that: more butts in the seats. More bucks in the bank account. And more building accouterments to offer – are indicative of a successful church – are indicative of all people being guided to abundant life in Jesus.

Personally, and as a church body, we have to ask ourselves: What marks are we aiming for? What marks are we aiming for? The reality is we’re all going to be pulled to aim at something. The other question is, What will determine what specific marks we aim for?

As we’ve been exploring the language of CCC’s refreshed vision over the past few messages, the vision revolves around Jesus: Jesus is the abundant life we’re on a mission to guide all people toward. Jesus is the heartbeat of the values we have of disruptive truth, simple faithfulness, and uncommon presence. Jesus is who is encountered when we participate in our strategy of: meeting consistently with Jesus, sharing vulnerably from a life with Jesus, and investing sacrificially for the mission of Jesus. The mission, values, and strategy of our vision revolve around Jesus.

To know if we’re living into this vision – to know how we’re doing at our mission of guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus, we have to allow Jesus to direct what we’re aiming for. Based on the life of Jesus and the early church who set the precedent for us of following Jesus we see at least three marks emerge that we believe we’re called to aim for in our current context. We believe we’re called to aim for: Consistently meeting with Jesus daily. Having the names of people whom you share vulnerably with each week. And, sacrificially investing your time, talent, and treasure to help someone enter God’s kingdom each year.

To make this easier to engage, we rephrased these marks into questions to help us use them as an evaluation tool to see if we’re aiming and hitting these marks. When did I meet with Jesus today? Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? What am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year? When we ask ourselves these questions (personally or as a church body), we can concretely look for evidence of where we’re aiming for these marks.

Evaluation of success toward our mission and vision is clearer when evaluated through these marks, we are consistently meeting with Jesus daily, or we’re not. We have the names of people whom we’re vulnerably sharing with, and who is vulnerably sharing with us or we don’t. We are sacrificially investing our time, talent, and treasure toward helping someone to enter God’s kingdom, or we’re not.

The benefit of these marks is that they help us evaluate success at living in God’s abundant life beyond the marks that the world calls us to aim for and they help us evaluate success in our mission of guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus beyond just the quantitative marks of more butts, bucks, and buildings that we’re tempted to aim for as a church body. The benefit of these marks is that they help us evaluate success at living into God’s abundant life personally and success at guiding all people to God’s abundant life as a church according to qualitative standards of Jesus.

We’re tempted to believe that aiming for the marks of the world, or the quantitative marks of the butts, bucks, and buildings will help us reach where we want to go and who we want to be.

But if we’re always aiming at those marks, we’re always going to miss the marks we’re not aiming for – the qualitative and more holistic marks that Jesus models and calls us toward.

As Michael Scott of The Office quotes from Wayne Gretzky, “You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.” If we never aim for the habits of Jesus, we’ll never be able to evaluate our life by them. Or as Zig Ziglar has famously said, “If you aim at nothing you will hit it every time.”

If you never aim for the habits of Jesus, you’ll never live into them. What marks are you aiming for?

Good news that we encounter from God’s word today is that the three qualitative marks we want to aim for as a church body and personally – to live into the abundant life of God and to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus – these three marks are modeled in the life of Jesus, and copied and lived out by his followers – his disciples – those who found abundant life in Jesus. 

One specific place where we see these three marks lived out is in John 2-3. In John 2-3, we can evaluate the aim of Jesus’ life to live in God’s abundant life and his success in guiding all people to abundant life in God by how he has a method of meeting consistently with his Heavenly Father (God). By how he has the name of a specific person, Nicodemus, whom he shares vulnerably with from his life with God. And by how he sacrificially invests his time, talent, and treasure toward helping a specific person, Nicodemus, to enter God’s kingdom.

We can look at Jesus’ life, and find Jesus aiming for and hitting these marks. As Jesus aims for these marks, he is living in the abundant life of God and accomplishing the mission of guiding all people to his abundant life.

In John 2-3, and 7, We encounter that Nicodemus copies Jesus’ example, and aims for these marks as well. What marks are you aiming for? When will you meet with Jesus today, tomorrow, and the next day? Who are you vulnerably sharing with this week? What are you doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

Our kids are homeschooled, and part of homeschooling in New York State is that we have to track what our kids learn so that we can send a report to the school district four times a year. While we have some regimented schoolwork that our kids go through, there are a number of non-book learning experiences that happen throughout the week, that have to be tracked: geographical awareness, physical education, health, fire safety, and traffic safety, just to mention some of them. To keep track of these learning experiences, I had to create an alarm on my phone to help me remember to make notes from each day, to keep track of them. I knew that if I didn’t make an alarm. If I didn’t start a daily habit. If I didn’t start the pattern or rhythm of recording the information, I never would. I would have great intention of aiming for it, but actually end up aiming for other things with my time and effort. We see a similar dynamic in the life of Jesus in John 2.

In John 2:13ff, we encounter Jesus in Jerusalem, for the annual Passover festival, and in the Jewish temple court to celebrate and worship. But as Jesus enters the temple, he encounters people selling animals and exchanging money. To this, Jesus responds by driving the animals out of the courtyard and overturning the tables.

While we’re not going to spend time going through the nuances of what all Jesus’ actions mean. I want to highlight that Jesus’ action is marking a distinction. A distinction between the temple as a place of: worship, prayer, sacrifice, and focus on God’s presence and revelation, and what the people had allowed it to become. A place of commerce. We can see the heart of this distinction by Jesus words in John 2:16: “Get these out of here! Stop turning my Father’s house into a market!” Jesus recognized that the aim of his time – the aim of his consistent visit to the temple – was to be WITH his Heavenly Father (to be in the presence of God). The contrast of the situation is that the people had the intention of aiming for that, but their actual aim hit something else altogether. And what they were being successful at was not truthful worship, but deceptive worship – missing God’s presence amid the commerce.

The prophet Micah makes a similar accusation, With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old? Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil? Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly[a] with your God. (Micah 6:6-8) God’s abundant life was not in the amount of sacrifices but in the quality of their sacrifices. Sacrificing from a humble heart before the Lord. Sacrificing from an awareness of needing the presence of God in one’s life.

The gospel account of John, even captures that Jesus’ disciples recognized the importance that Jesus placed on spending undiluted time in God’s presence, “His disciples remembered that it is written: “Zeal for your house will consume me” (John 2:17). Which is a reference to Jesus living out David’s cry in Psalm 69:9. Jesus was known for aiming at being in God’s undiluted presence. Jesus was known by the mark of meeting in God’s presence. We also see this in Jesus’ life by the number of times he removes himself from the hustle and bustle of life to spend time in prayer with his Heavenly Father, and dwell on his promises – to dwell on his word of abundant life. What mark are you aiming for?

Several years ago, we had an issue with our taxes, where we owed a lot of money that we didn’t have. That is not a situation anyone wants to admit to anyone. No one wants to be known as someone who can’t cover their debts. We could have tried to deal with the issue all on our own. That is the American way after all. Pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and figure it out. Make it happen, figure it out, on our own; or, I could vulnerably share my need with someone so that we weren’t alone in the situation. But that had to be people I could trust. People I knew wouldn’t judge my situation. People I knew would be the voice and heart of Jesus in a crummy time. Someone who would encourage me to lean into God’s care for me, no matter how the situation unfolded or was dealt with.

In John 3, we encounter that Jesus has a similar encounter with a Jewish religious leader, named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was curious about Jesus, and who he was. Most of Nicodemus’ counterparts in the religious leader community did not believe Jesus was God. But Nicodemus couldn’t help but wonder if Jesus was from God.

What we encounter throughout John 3 is a couple of overlapping dynamics: 1) We encounter that Jesus is willing to spend time with Nicodemus, listen to his vulnerable questions, and reply vulnerably back to Nicodemus because Jesus is already rooted in the life of his heavenly Father by spending consistent time with him (like John 2). 2) We notice that Nicodemus made time at night, even though it was outside of the normal social times of meeting with someone to meet with Jesus. Nicodemus made it a priority to meet with Jesus. And we encounter that Jesus and Nicodemus vulnerably share with each other: Nicodemus vulnerably shares his questions, confusion, misunderstandings, and assumptions. And Jesus vulnerably shares answers to Nicodemus in a vulnerable and open manner. Jesus shares openly with Nicodemus in a way that he doesn’t share with all people in public. Jesus shares vulnerably from his own life with God. In this case, Jesus is God, but he’s vulnerably sharing God’s presence with Nicodemus in this moment.

In John 2-3, we encounter the presence of God that Jesus spends time with – extends out into this vulnerable conversation with Nicodemus, so that Nicodemus can encounter God’s presence and revelation in a more personal way. Jesus was known for aiming at vulnerably sharing from his life with God to someone specific. Jesus was known by the mark of vulnerably sharing his life with God. What mark are you aiming for?

Every time a Bills’ game is on in our house one of my kids will ask, “Which team are you?” “Are you the Bills?” And I’ll say, “yes.” And inevitably, it seems, one of my kids will say, “I’m for the other team.” Last week during the Kansas City game, one of my kids said they were rooting for Kansas City. Julia responded, “Then go get all your Bills gear from your room, and give it to me.”  Living in WNY, a lot of time, energy, and resources are invested in helping the next generation enter into Bills Mafia: TV time, money for tickets, money for apparel, tailgating, waiting in traffic, etc. Many of us aim to guide all WNYers to become fans of the Bills.

In John 3, we encounter taking the same approach to help Nicodemus enter God’s kingdom. Jesus sacrificially invests in Nicodemus to help him encounter God’s abundant life. And ultimately, sacrificed his life on the cross, to help Nicodemus overcome sin, and enter into God’s Kingdom.  Jesus sacrificially invests time, energy, and resources to meet with Nicodemus so that he can help him enter God’s Kingdom.

In John 2-3, we encounter the presence of God that Jesus spends time with extends out into vulnerable conversation with Nicodemus,  and extends out into sacrificial investment in Nicodemus to help him enter into God’s kingdom. Jesus was known for aiming at sacrificial investment in his heavenly Father’s mission to have all people enter into his abundant life. Specifically, Jesus aimed at sacrificial investment for God’s mission to reach Nicodemus – to have Nicodemus enter into God’s Kingdom. Jesus was known by the mark of sacrificially investing for God’s mission. What mark are you aiming for?

What marks are we aiming for? In our context, we’re tempted to aim at several marks that we’re told are indicative of success – that are indicative of entering into an abundant life.

In Nicodemus’ life, he was tempted similarly. Nicodemus had the opportunity to be tempted to be accepted by leaders of the Jewish religious community. Nicodemus was tempted to keep his authority as a Jewish religious leader. Nicodemus was tempted to connect with God in the ways he was used to – within the Jewish system.

Yet, by what we encounter in John 7:45-52, The aim of Nicodemus’ life was directed toward new marks, because of his encounter with Jesus. Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?” “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied. “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.” Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?” They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.” (John 7:45-52)

Because of Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus, we see that the aim of his life changed because he met with Jesus. We also see that the aim of his life changed in that we encounter him sharing from his encounter with Jesus – to the religious leaders, in his counter question to them – to consider if Jesus might be God, as he claims to be. And finally, we see that the aim of Nicodemu’s life changed in that, he sacrificially invests for God’s mission. Nicodemus sacrificially invests himself – puts his reputation, his credibility, his membership in the Jewish religious community – on the line, to help others possibly enter God’s Kingdom too.

We see further evidence of Jesus impacting the aim of Nicodemus’ life in that Nicodemus was one of the men who helped bury Jesus, after his death on the cross (see John 19:38-39).

When we look at the example of Jesus, and the example of Nicodemus, we see that we can evaluate their lives by the time they spent with God’s presence, by who they vulnerably shared God’s presence with, and by how they sacrificially invested themselves for others to enter into God’s Kingdom.

Jesus and Nicodemus became known for these marks. Jesus and Nicodemus became known for aiming at: spending time with God’s presence. Vulnerably sharing from their time with God’s presence. And sacrificially investing for God’s presence to be made known to others. And in turn, they lived into the abundant life of God and guided others to experience it as well.

How can we know if we’re living into God’s vision for an abundant life? How can we know if we’re being successful at our mission to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus? We need to allow Jesus to direct what we’re aiming for. We need to allow Jesus' rhythms and habits to direct what we’re aiming for. We need to allow Jesus' rhythms and habits to be the standard by how we evaluate the success of achieving the mission.

Can we see the marks of Jesus’ life in our life? We can check for these marks by asking:

1) When will I meet with Jesus today, tomorrow, and the next day, and the days following? 2) Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? 3) And what am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

If you’re worn out from aiming at the success of the world, I invite you to turn your aim toward Jesus. Meet with Jesus. Share your frustrations, longings, and needs to Jesus, and allow him to vulnerably share back to you that he cares for you, that he loves you – that he wants you to experience the most out of the life God has for you – that he wants to guide you away from death, and toward his life-giving, abundant life. I invite you to discern sacrificially investing in the life of Jesus, surrendering control of your life to him, in faith, and uniting to his life in baptism. Please reach out to me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take any of those steps of faith toward Jesus.

If you’ve already entrusted your life to Jesus, I invite you to consider what your life is aiming for. What marks are you tempted to aim for? What are you tempted to aim for, that is not in pursuit of Jesus? To help you evaluate what you’re aiming for, I invite you to use the following three questions to help you evaluate today, and in the days, weeks, and months to come: When did I meet with Jesus today? Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? What am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

In the seats around you are some target stickers. I invite you to mentally label each red ring of the sticker as one of these questions. Center: When did I meet with Jesus today?

To help you aim for this mark, put a sticker on your Bible, or your phone (wherever you spend time with God’s word). Middle: Who am I vulnerably sharing with this week? Put a sticker by an actual person’s name on fridge or mirror or wherever you’ll see it of the names of people you will share vulnerably with from your life with Jesus, and they from their life with Jesus. Or, put a bullseye emoji next to the names of those people in your phone. Or, put a sticker on a coffee cup, to remind you of the rhythm you have of sharing in community with those people. Outer: What am I doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year? Put a sticker by an actual person’s name on fridge or mirror or wherever you’ll see it of the names of people you’re going to intentionally invest in helping them enter God’s Kingdom this year. It’s not a commitment that you’ll make it happen on your own, but a commitment to make an investment toward them entering God’s Kingdom. Or, put a bullseye emoji next to the names of those people in your phone. Or a sticker on your wallet about where your dollars are invested for God’s mission. Or a sticker on a mission partner’s prayer card or newsletter. Or a sticker on your calendar, of how you’re going to invest your time for God’s mission (locally and globally). Or a sticker on your lunch box, or gym membership card, as a reminder of how you’re going to invest your energy toward helping people enter God’s Kingdom this year.

Imagine these circles as overlapping circles from our “strategy Venn diagram.” What marks are you aiming for? When will you meet with Jesus today, tomorrow, and the next day? Who are you vulnerably sharing with this week? What are you doing to help someone enter God’s Kingdom this year?

Horizon - Strategy, What Guide You to Abundant Life? (Acts 2:42-47; Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonians 1)

Horizon: Strategy - What guides you to abundant life (Acts 2:42-47;  Acts 17:1-9; 1 Thessalonian 1)

Jordan Byrd

In the first Disney movie Cars, the main character, Lightning McQueen – a rookie sensation—must travel across the U.S. to Los Angeles for a final race that will determine the season's champion. While traveling to LA in his transport, Mack, Lightning McQueen accidentally rolls out while asleep. He wakes up to find himself facing the wrong way on the road, with oncoming traffic blinding him with their headlights and honking for him to move. Once Lightning regains his bearings and starts driving, he frantically searches ahead, trying to catch up with his transport, Mack. Lightning, being a race car,  doesn't have functional headlights—only stickers. He scans the road for Mack’s lights and spots some in the distance. Thinking it's Mack, he exits and takes turns to catch up. When Lightning catches up to the lights, he discovers they don't belong to Mack but to another truck, which wants nothing to do with him and leaves him stranded. Without headlights of his own, Lightning McQueen let himself be guided by a deceptive light, leaving him lost and uncertain about where to go or what to do when he was stranded.

The scenario from this movie is very similar to how we find life in reality. We’re tempted, pulled, and drawn toward abundant life by guides other than Jesus. We’re tempted, pulled, and drawn toward different guides – hoping they will show us where to go and what to do, when we’re stranded and searching for abundant life.

We’re tempted, pulled, and drawn toward political or thought leaders as guides to abundant life. Or, news channels or cultural commentators as guides to abundant life. Or, actors or musicians as guides to abundant life. Or social media or tv or movies as guides to abundant life. Following their light to know where to go and what to do. Following their light and guidance to shape our: thoughts, feelings, priorities, actions, rhythms, use of time, use of energy, and use of resources.

When we give ourselves to these guides, they shape: What we listen to and where we go to listen (channel, page, app, station, etc.). What we schedule and make time for (5 o'clock news, checking feed, looking at notifications, what we play, where we listen and watch (songs, shows, movies), etc.). What we talk about and where we talk about it (latest outrage, gossip, reactions and comments and reaction posts, language and references we use [song, shows, movies], etc.). What future we live into and where we live into it (divisive society (politics), dehumanized interaction (social media), technology enslaving, acceptance of crudeness and lewdness, etc.). And what we invest time, energy, and resources toward, and where we invest our time, energy, and resources (cable bill, subscription service, time on social media, time alone, money and service toward causes, money and time toward entertainment, etc.). 

What guides you to abundant life?

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

When we look at our lives, do we see who or what is guiding us toward a version of abundant life different from the abundant life of God in Jesus? Do we see what and where we’re being guided to participate in these versions of abundant life? Do we see what and where we’re being asked to invest our time, energy, and resources toward those versions of abundant life? What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life?

Good news that we see in God’s word in the example of the early followers of Jesus, and specifically in the example of the Thessalonian church is that they were guided to abundant life by Jesus. We see at least these three patterns emerge. They were guided by Jesus to God’s abundant life by: Meeting with Jesus. Sharing their life in Jesus. And investing in Jesus’ mission.

How can Jesus guide us to God’s abundant life?

God’s word invites us to answer the questions: What guides us to abundant life? What guides us to God’s abundant life? And how can Jesus guide us to God’s abundant life? And God’s word invites us to respond to these questions by regularly participating in the following rhythms:

Meet consistently with Jesus.

Share vulnerably from a life with Jesus.

Invest sacrificially for Jesus.

Meet consistently with Jesus’ presence. Share vulnerably from Jesus’ presence. And invest sacrificially for Jesus’ presence to be made known in the world. Meet consistently with Jesus’ word and people. Share vulnerably from Jesus’ word to his people. And invest sacrificially for Jesus’ word to be made known to those who aren’t yet his people.

The example of the early church in Thessalonica shows us how those early followers of Jesus were guided by Jesus to God’s abundant life by: Meeting consistently, sharing vulnerably, and investing sacrificially.

Lord Jesus, Guide our thoughts and imaginations, as we reflect on the example of the Thessalonian church, and how you want us to step into these rhythms of participation to live further into your abundant life, and guide others to experience your abundant life as well.

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

And how can Jesus guide you to God’s abundant life?

What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life? And how can Jesus guide you to God’s abundant life?

Each spring, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway hosts 300,000 or more people to watch the Indianapolis 500 Indy Car race. Over 300,000 people consistently meet, year after year, to participate in this racing spectacle. The speedway venue was constructed and added onto – to have the capacity for that number of people to meet and watch the Indy 500 each year.

During the time of Jesus, the footprint of the Jewish temple was like the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The temple in Jerusalem was the venue that hosted the large gatherings of Jews who came to Jerusalem for the three major, annual, Jewish festivals of: Passover, Pentecost, and Tabernacles. During these festivals, the city of Jerusalem could swell from one-two hundred thousand people to one million people.

In Acts 2, the early church, which began primarily with Jews living in Jerusalem, continued the rhythm and habit of worshipping God at the temple. The early followers of Jesus continued to gather at the temple with other followers of Jesus to worship. Earlier in Acts 2, we can see that the original core of 120 disciples of Jesus increases to over 3,000 followers of Jesus. It’s very likely, that the temple was the obvious meeting location for thousands of followers of Jesus. But, instead of meeting together at the temple for sacrifices, they would meet together to be grounded in the life of Jesus. They would meet together to hear, learn, and be formed by the teachings of the apostles who spent one-on-one time with Jesus, during his earthly life. The teaching of the apostles was the oral communication of God’s word, reveald in Jesus. As it wasn’t codified in writing, like we have in book form today. The early church met together to be with God’s word – to encounter Jesus’ presence – to meet with Jesus. Followers of Jesus would then mentally and orally carry the word of God that they encountered from the apostles, at the temple into their daily lives – into their houses – into their relationships.

Beyond the temple gathering, early, Jewish followers of Jesus would also be accustomed to meeting more locally in Synagogues. Today, the Bills will play their game at the stadium in Orchard Park. But many people around the country will be watching them play in Bills Backer Bars. These sports-bar gatherings are localized gatherings of Bills fans living throughout the country. Many people can more accessibly engage with the Bills in these localized gatherings. But, many of these people will still make the pilgrimage to Orchard Park, every so often to experience what can only be experienced at the football field in Orchard Park.

Synagogues were like the temple-backer gathering places of their day. They were the localized gathering space for Jews, who didn’t live in Jerusalem so that they could still worship and pay attention to God’s word. But they were a lesser version, than the full experience of the temple. Just like the Bills, now, need the actual football field in Orchard Park to play, so also Jews, then, needed the temple to offer sacrifices. Just like we have larger conference gatherings of thousands of Christians in our day and age, but still meet in mid-sized gatherings like we’re doing right now. So also, synagogues were mid-sized gatherings of Jews. A gathering of fewer people than the thousands that gathered in the temple, but with more people than family or close friends. Similar to how our gathering now, is bigger than just your family and closest friends.

We see followers of Jesus adapting Synagogue worship in the early church as well. In Acts 17:1-4, when Paul, an early leader of followers of Jesus, came to Thessalonica, he, as a follower of Jesus, still gathered with others at the synagogue. Paul maintained the synagogue's central focus on God’s word, but now, through the lens of the life and teachings of Jesus. Here, we see that Paul sets a precedent for the new church in Thessalonica, of consistently meeting with God’s word – to encounter Jesus’ presence – to meet with Jesus.

We also see in Acts 17,  that followers of Jesus carried this pattern into smaller, house gatherings. In Acts 17:5, we encounter Paul, and his co-worker, Silas staying and meeting in the house of Jason, a follower of Jesus. Here, we see that Paul sets a further precedent for the Thessalonian church to meet with Jesus – to meet God’s presence – to meet with God’s word within the rhythm of daily, household living. The accusations made against them in Acts 17 demonstrate that they were formed by Jesus’ presence in their everyday life, not just in their gatherings in the synagogue.

Paul also points to this in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, as he describes the life of the Thessalonian followers of Jesus. Highlighting that their work was produced by their faith in Jesus. Their labor was prompted by the love of Jesus. And, their endurance of faith was inspired by their hope in Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

By Paul’s example, and the example of the Thessalonian Christians, we see that they were guided to God’s abundant life by Jesus. And we see how they were guided by Jesus to God’s abundant life by meeting consistently with Jesus: personally (daily meditation and focused on God’s word and prayer (relationship with Jesus) and consistently meeting with Jesus: corporately/publically (weekly hearing and responding to the proclamation/preaching of God’s word).

My relationship with Mitch – one of our ministers here – really developed into a relationship throughout 2019, when we would meet almost every week at a Wegmans dining area to openly and vulnerably discuss: life, faith, doctrine, ethics, personal struggles, angsts, etc. Mostly, we’d discuss life concerning following Jesus and God’s word. The development of our relationship as brothers in Christ was a result of our common surrender to Jesus, and our consistent meeting to vulnerably share from our personal life with Jesus.

In Acts 2:46, the early church was known for sharing their life with Jesus beyond the temple, specifically in people’s homes. The early followers of Jesus extended their life of worship beyond the worship gathering, and into their relational network, where they’d meet in each other’s homes, eating together, with glad and sincere hearts.

I heard this week about a dog who had an encounter with a porcupine and had quills stuck all over and inside of its mouth. A porcupine doesn’t give off the vibe of being approachable. Whereas, a soft-cuddly dog or cat does give off the vibe of being approachable. One is guarded. The other is unguarded. This is the imagery that accompanies being a sincere person of faith that is referenced in (sincere, Acts 2:46). It’s being a person whose faith is approachable. Being a person who’s willing to share one’s life with Jesus. Also, it’s being a person who’s open to encountering Jesus through the life and testimony of another following Jesus. This is a glimpse of early followers of Jesus sharing vulnerably from their life with Jesus – encouraging each other, comforting each other, helping each other hear and see and live into Jesus’ words and actions of abundant life.

We also see this pattern of participation in the precedent Paul sets in Acts 17:2-3, Where, Paul reasoned, explained, and proved the value of a life with Jesus. This required Paul to be vulnerable and share his life in Jesus with others. This required Paul to be vulnerable and open to criticism. This required Paul to be open to how Jesus was working in the lives of others. He ends up encountering this specifically by how Jason vulnerably welcomes him into his home, which likely encouraged Paul’s faith, and also challenges Paul to trust how God was working in Thessalonica, by the persecution they all experienced in Thessalonica. They, along with Silas had to cling to each other’s faith and encouragement to persevere through such opposition to their faith in Jesus.

Lastly, we see this pattern of participation in the life of the Thessalonian church in 1 Thessalonians 1:6-7. First, we see how Paul set a precedent for the Thessalonian Christians to imitate. Elsewhere in Paul’s writing to the Christians in Corinth, he encourages them to follow his example, as he follows the example of Christ (1 Corinthians 11:1). Paul’s relationship with Jesus forms his relationship with the people of the church. It forms where Paul meets consistently for worship. It forms who Paul shares vulnerably with. It forms what Paul invests sacrificially for.

Meet consistently.

Share vulnerably.

Invest sacrificially.

Here in 1 Corinthians 11:1 and 1 Thessalonians 1:6, we see that Paul guided all followers of Jesus to take up the patterns of his own life with Jesus: to meet consistently with Jesus. to share vulnerably from a life with Jesus. and to invest sacrificially for Jesus. And as Paul relied on Jesus to guide him to God’s abundant life, so too, Paul expects his example to be an extension of Jesus’ guidance for others to live into God’s abundant life as well. Paul even commends the Thessalonian church for taking on these patterns when he references that they became a model to others of what a life with Jesus looks like (1 Thessalonians 1:7). People were able to encounter Jesus, not just in God’s word that was proclaimed, but also in the lives of the Thessalonians who: met with Jesus, shared from Jesus, and invested for Jesus.

Paul is describing what a life with Jesus looks like, and where one participates in it – a life that is beyond a worship gathering, and broader than private devotion to Jesus. Paul is describing a life with Jesus that is vulnerably shared, where there are open spaces in one’s life for others to encounter Jesus, and for us to encounter Jesus in the lives of other believers as well.

We just came through an election campaign season. Beyond the candidates themselves investing their time, talents, and treasure into getting elected – to impact policies that impact society – many, many, many other people also invest their time, talents, and treasure into the mission of getting those candidates elected.

While the kingdom of God is not an electoral process, it still is a mission that requires investment of time, talent, and treasure to make Jesus known all around the world. And what we see at the heart of God’s mission is his sacrifice for its fulfillment – in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross to make his presence unmistakably known.

We also see this sacrificial investment in Jesus' original disciples – of whom all, but John, are traditionally known to have been martyred as a result of their investment of time, talent, and treasure to make Jesus known locally, regionally, and globally. And John still sacrificed his comfort, in being exiled and isolated to an island, for living for Jesus.

We see a similar sacrificial investment in the life of Paul, and the followers of Jesus in Thessalonica. In Acts 17, we see that Paul and the Thessalonian believers are opposed, insulted, accused of causing trouble, accused of being insurrectionists – declaring Jesus as Lord and not the Roman Caesar, and arrested and forced to post a bond to be released. For Paul and the Thessalonian followers of Jesus, they not only invested their time, talent, and treasure for the mission of Jesus, but they did so sacrificially. Someone has to believe Jesus at a sacrificial level to endure persecution of all varieties. Inconvenient sacrifice rarely comes from convenient belief.

Paul also highlights the sacrificial investment of the Thessalonian believers in 1 Thessalonians 1:3, where he highlights and praises the Thessalonian’s endurance. The kind of endurance to live for Jesus, at the expense of their time, talent, and treasure – for others to encounter Jesus’ presence. Paul also notes that their sacrificial level of investment in Jesus’ mission has led people everywhere – beyond Thessalonica, beyond their region – to encounter God’s abundant life in Jesus through their sacrificial investment of: their time, consistently meeting with Jesus, their abilities, vulnerably share Jesus with others, and their treasure, investing in making Jesus known to all people. The Thessalonians are the followers of Jesus that Paul references in 2 Corinthians 8 – who gave to God’s mission – amid poverty and trial. The Thessalonians modeled personal, sacrificial investment in God’s mission.

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

The early church, Paul, and the Thessalonian followers of Jesus were guided to abundant life in Jesus. What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life? The early church, Paul, and the Thessalonian followers of Jesus were guided to abundant life by:

Meet consistently.

Share vulnerably.

Invest sacrificially.

How they met consistently with Jesus’ word and people. How they shared vulnerably with each other –  to allow Jesus to speak through each other’s lives. And how they invested sacrificially for Jesus’ mission – for others to also encounter God’s abundant life. How is Jesus guiding you to God’s abundant life?

What guides you to abundant life? Who are the functional lords in your life right now? Who are you turning to – to guide you to some form of abundant life? And how is that abundant life lacking? If you find yourself here, I invite you to turn to Jesus – to allow him to guide you to God’s abundant life – the fullness of life God designed for you to live into and experience. If you’d like to take a step of faith in that direction, please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus – whom you know, and we’d be glad to help you take that step toward Jesus becoming your Lord and your guide to abundant life (questions, prayer, baptism).

If you’ve already looked to Jesus – to be your guide to live into God’s abundant life? If you’ve already confessed Jesus as your Lord Do you recognize the temptations in your life that seek to pull you toward lesser versions of abundant life? Do you recognize the guides tempting you to participate in a lesser version of abundant life? Do you recognize these habits of Jesus these habits of the early church these habits of Paul and the Thessalonians.

Meet consistently.

Share vulnerably.

Invest sacrificially.

Of meeting consistently with Jesus' word and people? Of regularly sharing vulnerably from your life in Jesus with at least 1-2 people: with believers (allowing Jesus to speak through each other); or with unbelievers (allowing Jesus to speak through your life with him)? Of regularly investing sacrificially for Jesus to be made known around the world: Of sacrificially investing your time, talent, and resources for: service in the local body of Christ (your role in this body), and furthering God’s mission in other countries, cultures, and peoples?

Is Jesus guiding us to God’s abundant life?

And how are we allowing Jesus to guide us to God’s abundant life?

Through meeting consistently with him (privately and publicly), through sharing vulnerably from life with him, and through investing sacrificially for his mission?

Can we locate these three habits in the rhythm of our life as a church? In our personal lives? We desire for participation in these rhythms to be CCC’s strategy for living on mission to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus.

What guides you to God’s abundant life?

Meet consistently with Jesus.

Share vulnerably from Jesus.

Invest sacrificially for Jesus.

What guides you to abundant life? What guides you to God’s abundant life? And how can Jesus guide you to God’s abundant life. By meeting consistently with Jesus? By sharing vulnerably from Jesus? And by investing sacrificially for Jesus?

Horizon - Values, What Filters You to Abundant Life? (John 4:1-42)

Horizon - Values, What Filters You to Abundant Life? (John 4:1-42)
Jordan Byrd

Have you ever been so thirsty, that you would drink anything, even if it was your least favorite drink? Some of the popular reality, survival tv shows place people out in the wilderness to survive for weeks and months at a time. In some scenarios,  the survivalist gets so desperate for water, that they surrender their sensibilities to try water from stagnant bodies of water. What ensues, is that they end up severely ill. Why? Because they settled for a lesser quality of water to quench their thirst. The motivation for drinking the contaminated water was filtered through their value of survival. Their value of satiation. Their value of availability.

In our modern world, it occasionally happens, when part of our public water system breaks, and a boil alert is issued. The boil alert is issued to help people set a value that purified, filtered water is better than the potentially contaminated water. The boil alert helps people filter their thirst toward life-giving water, rather than life-robbing water. The value of clean drinking water sparks the motivation to filter unsafe water. Without that value, we’d be like, “I’ll settle for what’s easier.” “I’ll settle for what’s more convenient.” “I’ll settle for what’s available.” We’ll end up letting other values take over. And, in this example, those values lead to a lesser life. These values filter or channel us toward a lesser life.

A few of the values that we’re tempted to filter our life through, each and every day are: 1) The value that non-disruptive information is better than disruptive truth. This value that filters our motivation for information, as long as it doesn’t have to change us. As long as it doesn’t inconvenience us. More policies, more Bible, more theology, more awareness, more _____. I'm fine with more information; just don’t ask me to make any drastic changes in my life. The value that more information alone is what’s lacking for an abundant life. The value that simply adding information is all that is needed to live in the truth. Rather than a disruption and transformation of one’s life. 2) The value that impressive appearance is more important than simple substance. The value that filters our motivation for being all put together to do anything meaningful. The value that filters our motivation for coming across as impressive or articulate to do anything of substance. The belief that only impressive actions get things done. Lastly 3), The value that isolation is better than relationship. The value that filters our motivation for settling for isolation because it’s common and easier. Rather than aspiring for presence and relationship with others even though it’s uncommon and tedious. The value that filters our motivation for the common, “this is just how it is.” Rather than motivation to live for the uncommon, “this is how it could be.” 

In our current context, we’re constantly tempted to filter our lives through these three values: We’re constantly motivated to live by these three values: Pursuit of non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation. In our current context, we’re constantly tempted to have these values filter our lives. We’re constantly tempted to have these values in the hope that they’re filtering or channeling us toward abundant life. And while it’s not comfortable or easy to admit, we end up being deceived. Where we thought these values were filtering us toward abundant life, they actually end up filtering us toward a lesser life.

Guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus.

In John 10:10, Jesus testifies that he has come so the world may have life, and have it to the full. Jesus has come so that we can he can guide us toward the abundant life of God. At Clarence Church of Christ, our mission is to guide all people to abundant life in Jesus. In a context that tempts us to be filtered toward abundant life through the values of: Non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation.

Disruptive Truth. Simple Faithfulness. Uncommon Presence.

Jesus’ life gives an alternative to these values. Through Jesus’ interaction with the woman at the well in John 4, we encounter that Jesus is motivated by three differing values to our current context. In John 4, We encounter Jesus motivated by the values of disruptive truth. Simple action or faithfulness to God. And initiation of uncommon presence or relationship with others.

In John 4, Jesus guides the woman at the well to God’s abundant life, by having, an uncommon presence with her, through simple acts of faithfulness to God’s gracious character, because of the disruption of God’s truth amidst falsehood. In John 4, we encounter that these values filtered Jesus’ – and others – toward God’s abundant life. In John 4, we encounter the good news that we don’t have to settle for the values of our current context. We have the good news that Jesus gives us three differing values through which to filter our lives. In John 4, we encounter the good news that: Jesus’ motives filter us toward abundant life.

Disruptive truth. Simple faithfulness. Uncommon presence.

As we reflect on Jesus’ example in John, God’s word invites us to respond to Jesus’ guidance to God’s abundant life by committing ourselves – in faith – to these three values: The values of: God’s truth disrupting us toward God’s abundant life. Living into God’s abundant life through simple and faithful actions. And being uncommonly present with others, like Jesus did with the woman at the well. The values of disruptive truth. Simple faithfulness. Uncommon presence.

In John 4, God’s word invites us to respond to this question: What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Are Jesus’ motives filtering us toward abundant life? We believe God has positioned us, as a church, in our current context to live by these three values. In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?

In recent days following the election, it’s been interesting to see how, and if Trump and Harris supporters can interact with each other in meaningful conversation. I’ve listened to some sources from both political sides. And it’s been rare to hear people, on either side truly being present with each other to hear and interact with the viewpoint the other has.

We live in a context where it’s normal to think it’s normal for people to live in opposition and isolation from each other. “You stay in your camp, and I’ll stay in mine.” Living near each other, but talking around each other, and not acknowledging each other’s situation.

This is very much the situation of the woman that Jesus encounters at the well in Samaria. John 4 says that Jesus “had to go through Samaria.” The text doesn’t give any other reason why Jesus had to go through Samaria, other than he was going from the southern part of Israel, in Judea, to the northern part of Israel, to Galilee. Geographically, going through Samaria was the most direct route to take. We have family that lives in Illinois, and the fastest way to drive there is to go near Chicago. It’s tempting to go another way, to avoid the hassles that come with driving in the Chicagoland traffic. This is what many Jews did with Samaria. They would go around, even though it took longer so that they didn’t have to interact with Samaritans.

Why, you might wonder? Scholar N.T. Wright points out that after Jews went into exile in Babylon, in their absence from the land of Israel – led to other people occupying it. The Samaritans were this group of people. And the Samaritans claimed to be the true descendants of Abraham. When the Jews returned to Israel from exile in Babylon, they discovered the Samaritans in their land; and this led to ongoing conflict. From the Jewish perspective, the Samaritans were illegitimate residents, taking up their land. From the Samaritan perspective, the Jews were arrogant neighbors, believing they were better and more righteous than other people groups. This led to an ongoing conflict between the two people groups. So much so, that Jewish people would be attacked along the road through through Samaria. And Jewish people avoided the Samaritans so much, that they wouldn’t even share eating or drinking vessels with them (see John 4:9 and any footnotes in your Bible). This is the area Jesus INTENTIONALLY goes through. This is the kind of woman Jesus intentionally engages with, when he stops at a well for water, along his journey.

As the text of John 4 unfolds, we also discover that the Samaritan woman is more than just a Samaritan. We also discover that she is known for an immoral life – for living a life apart from God’s standards, especially within sexuality and marriage. As Jesus converses with her, he asks about her husband, and she replies about not having a husband. In the conversation, we discover that the woman is living with a man outside of marriage, and has already had five husbands.

The character of this woman is likely known, even in the Samaritan culture, as immoral. This is highlighted by the time of day that she is at the well, getting water. In that culture, women would have come for water, at a cooler time of the day: morning or late afternoon. But here, this woman is coming for water at noon: in the middle of the day, when it was hotter. This indicates that the woman is coming for water, at a time when other women aren’t coming for water. She is avoiding other women, and isolated and opposed by them, because of her character. People don’t want to be associated with her.

Yet, Jesus intentionally stopped in Samaria at this well at noon and stayed, even when this woman – whom other people avoided – was there. And Jesus doesn’t ignore her. Jesus initiates a conversation with her.

We see here, that Jesus is an uncommon presence in this woman’s life. Jesus is motivated to guide all people to encounter God’s abundant life. Through the value of offering God’s gracious, compassionate presence. A presence that was uncommon for a Jewish man to have with a Samaritan woman. Jesus interacted according to a different value than the values of the Samaritans and Jews of his day. Jesus interacted according to the values of God’s kingdom. The value of God’s uncommon, gracious, and compassionate presence.

That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ uncommon presence filtering us toward abundant life?

During my final years of Bible college, I was invited to one of my professor’s houses to watch a movie. The movie was To End All Wars. It’s about a Japanese POW camp during World War II, depicting the soldiers' brutal treatment during imprisonment. It also portrays the profound forgiveness, sacrifice, and redemption lived out by one soldier for a fellow prisoner caught revolting against the guards. This soldier offers his own life to spare the rebel, motivated by his faith in Jesus. The Japanese accept his offer but mock it by putting the man to death by nailing him to a cross. The film’s overarching message highlights how Jesus’ forgiveness and sacrifice defy the violence of the world.

After the movie finished, we all had a conversation about it. I remember my professor simply and confidently saying something like, “I don’t believe a Christian should ever take the life of another person.” And he meant, even in war. That was a radical thought for me. Was it actually possible to live like that in a world prone to war?! It seemed to make sense, considering how Jesus faced violence. That simple, confident statement really got me thinking and wrestling with God about his conviction.

You may or may not be convinced by his conviction, but the point I hope you hear from this story is that it wasn’t a well-articulated presentation on nonviolence, pacifism, or just war that got me thinking. It was his simple, confident faithfulness to his conviction in God’s word that truly made me reflect, and wonder if it was worth living into. This is similar to how Jesus interacts with the woman at the well.

Jesus does not give some well-articulated presentation to the woman to point her toward God’s abundant life for her. Jesus simply starts with real life. He asks her for a drink. Jesus didn’t start with a well-thought-out “Got-ya” question. Jesus didn’t give a complex explanation of his authority as the Son of God, and how wrong the woman was for living how she was. Jesus doesn’t even do a miracle, like, “Watch me supernaturally fill my hands with water from this well.” No. Jesus asks a simple question, about a practical matter – addressing his thirst – but in a posture, and in a demeanor, that was uncommon. In a way that was gracious and compassionate. When Jesus asks the woman for a drink from her bucket, Jesus breaks the isolation. Jesus was overcoming the opposition. Jesus was overcoming the accepted norm of ignoring a person different from him.

We notice that Jesus engages in very simple, yet differently motivated ways. Jesus didn’t forsake the truth of God to do what he did. Nor, did he do something flashy to make God’s word seem attractive. Jesus used a simple, everyday action – to undo the life-robbing values of his context. Jesus engages with the woman, in a way that all of us could.

In our own day, we could break the isolation, opposition, and ignorance of people different from us. I’ve noticed this in my own neighborhood. I sarcastically said on Halloween, that it was “National Interact With Your Neighbor Day”... because most of the year, people live right next to each other and don’t interact. But on this one night, for this one reason, we do. The reality is, that it’s become normal to live in isolation, opposition, and ignorance of each other. One simple thing we could do to change this is to initiate interaction with our neighbors, even ones we don’t know yet. We don’t need a well-thought-out program to guide them toward abundant life in Jesus. We can simply and faithfully do what Jesus did. Initiate conversation about everyday life things, and listen for God to guide us from there. That one simple act of faithfulness to Jesus’ example can change the isolation, opposition, and ignorance that we have with other people around us.

Is Jesus’ simple faithfulness to God’s way filtering us toward abundant life?

The overall point is that throughout John 4, we encounter Jesus guiding the Samaritan woman to God’s abundant life, by doing the simple and basic things in the posture and character of God. That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. We may not be able to have Disney-like production, but we can be faithful to God’s way in simple and basic actions; and that’s all God needs from us – to still guide all people to his abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ simple faithfulness to God’s way filtering us toward abundant life?

We recently adopted two kittens. When the opportunity to get them came up, the biggest question was who would take care of them and how. Overall, the idea of getting cats was appealing. It came with all the warm, fuzzy feelings of fun, furry companionship. But the idea alone isn’t enough. Knowing how to feed, care for, and house cats isn’t enough either. We can gather all that information — but information alone isn’t enough. It has to be applied. And beyond being applied, it has to bring some changes to our lives. Our lives couldn’t stay the same as they were before the cats. Our habits, rhythms, and patterns had to be disrupted to fully live into the reality of having cats.

God’s abundant life is similar. It’s not just information to add to your life without change. Living in God’s abundant life requires a disruption of the current patterns to truly enter the context of God’s abundant life. Paul, an early church leader, captures this well in his letter to the church in Rome, in Romans 12:1-2 (NIV), …offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will. (Romans 12:1-2, NIV)

Jesus exhibits this in his interaction with the Samaritan woman. Jesus didn’t just acquire information from his heavenly Father about the woman, and then still ignore her. No. Jesus used his awareness of his heavenly Father’s gracious and compassionate character, to impact and disrupt his life. As Jesus applied Godly life in human form, it messed with what was considered “normal living.” It messed with the isolation, opposition, and ignorance that people had with each other. It messed with the conflict that the Samaritans and Jews maintained against each other. It messed with the dehumanizing treatment of other people. It messed with the common, status quo so that God’s abundant life could be realized.

As Jesus allowed the truth of God’s life to disrupt his, he was able to bring the Samaritan woman into contact with God’s abundant life. A life where she was valued, heard, and noticed. In the process of guiding the Samaritan woman to God’s abundant life, Jesus is also able to step into the experience of God’s abundant life on earth as well. Jesus is able to experience a life-giving relationship, where it used to be blocked with this woman. Where it used to to blocked to the entire Samaritan population. Yet, we encounter in John 4, that through the woman’s testimony of her experience with Jesus, she ends up bringing many people from Samaria to encounter God’s abundant life.

Is Jesus’ willingness to be disrupted by the truth of God filtering you toward abundant life?

God’s abundant life is experienced because of God’s truth disrupting the life of Jesus, the woman, and the people of Samaria from the false pattern of living that was accepted as normal, But was actually life-robbing. That is something we want to filter our lives as a church as well. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus’ willingness to be disrupted by the truth of God filtering us toward abundant life?

In a context that tempts us to be filtered toward abundant life through the values of Non-disruptive information. Action through impressive appearance. And resignation to isolation. God’s word in John 4 gives us good news of an alternative. The good news that Jesus gives us life-giving values through which we can filter our lives. In John 4, we encounter the good news that: Jesus’ motives filter us toward God’s abundant life.

Disruptive Truth. Simple Faithfulness. Uncommon Presence.

In John 4, Jesus lives out the values of Being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God.

At Clarence Church of Christ, we’re guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus. And we want you, and those you interact with outside of the church, to feel these values in pursuit of that mission: To feel disrupted by God’s truth. To feel effective for God, through simple faithfulness to him. To feel included through the uncommon presence of God.

Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

We see that these values filtered Jesus and others toward God’s abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus filtering us toward abundant life? Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

Allow Jesus to guide you to God’s abundant life.

Today, if you’re sick of filtering your life through the life-robbing values of our current context, and you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to take that step of faith and allow Jesus to guide you to God’s abundant life. Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take a step of faith toward uniting your life to the abundant life of Jesus, through faith, in baptism; and allowing your life to be filtered toward abundant life by Jesus’ values of: Being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God.

Allow Jesus’ values to filter your life toward God’s abundant life. 

If you’ve already united your life to Jesus, through faith, in baptism, will you commit for the first, or maybe for the 100th time, to allow Jesus’ values to filter your life toward God’s abundant life, through being disrupted by the truth of God. Acting in simple faithfulness to God’s truth. And being with others through the uncommon presence of God?

In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?

We believe God has positioned us, as a church, in our current context to live by these three values. In faith, will you allow Jesus to filter this church by these three values?

Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

These values filtered Jesus and others toward God’s abundant life. What filters us to abundant life? What filters you to abundant life? Is Jesus filtering us toward abundant life? Is Jesus filtering you toward abundant life?

Horizon - Mission, Whose Voice is Guiding You to Abundant Life? (John 10:1-16)

Horizon - Mission, John 10:1-16
Jordan Byrd

Marco. Polo. Marco. Polo. Marco. Polo. This game is a classic example of being guided by listening for a voice. It’s also an example of having to make sense of direction based on many voices being spoken all at once. Using voices like a compass.

In a sense, we are always caught up in an ongoing game of Marco Polo. It’s not played in the traditional sense. But, it has some of the same dynamics. All of us are desperate for the fullest life possible. And we’re desperately searching for it. In a sense, “calling out”: “ABUNDANT LIFE!!!” And waiting for voices that say: “FIND IT HERE!!!” We encounter these voices all over the place. Most recently: from politicians, political ads, and political commentary. “We have the abundant life you’re looking for.” Or, how about medical advertisements? “We have the key to the abundant life you’re lacking.” Or, the manufacturing industry: “We have the thing missing from making your life feel full.” Or, the entertainment industry: “We have the best version of life you’ve never imagined.” Or, other voices: “You just need more money.” “You just need more luxuries.” “Your kids just need one more opportunity.” “You just need to be happy.” “You just need ______” to experience abundant life.

We hear these voices of abundant life, and we’re tempted to listen to them – to live with them – to be shaped by them. And in pursuit of these voices, we end up stressed, anxious, and tired – as our lives are pulled in many directions at once. The abundant life we believe we’re getting ends up feeling more like an illusion.

Good news that comes from God’s word in John 10 is that Jesus claims to be the one voice above all others that is the abundant life we’re longing for. Jesus says in John 10:10b, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. (John 10:10b). Jesus has come so that all people may have an abundant life. Jesus is the voice of abundant life. In John 10, Jesus invites us to respond to him by listening for his voice and following him for an abundant life. God’s word in John 10 invites us to consider: Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? More specifically, John 10 invites us to consider: Is Jesus’ voice guiding us to abundant life?

Jesus’ words in Matthew 28:19-20 are understood to be the action-step instructions that followers of Jesus are to live into: …go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. (Matthew 28:19-20)

But what does that look like right now in our day and age? What does that look like in the United States right now? What does that look like in WNY right now? What does that look like in our lives right now? How would you describe a disciple of Jesus? Your definition would likely include the elements of Matthew 28, like baptizing, teaching, and obedience. Your definition might include other descriptors like, fishers of people, or someone who listens to Jesus, does what Jesus does, and teaches others to do the same.

The reality is that we might come up with many definitions of how to be and make a disciple of Jesus. And they all could be biblically-based definitions. But they might differ in their contextualization. Contextualization is where principles take on a particular shape. Where principles are lived out in the particulars of everyday life. When Jesus called Peter and Andrew to leave their fishing nets, and fish for people – Jesus was contextualizing discipleship. Jesus illustrated what it means to be a disciple in a fishing culture. A definition of discipleship based on fishing probably seems antiquated, unrelated, or impossible to us. Because fishing isn’t our daily context. While fishing for people who aren’t in God’s net may not be our context, guiding people who aren’t in God’s abundant life is very much our context.

The leadership of CCC is refreshing the church’s vision. And part of that process is refreshing, or reframing how we speak about being a disciple in our particular context. And what the leadership team has been analyzing is what does being a disciple in our context, right now, look like?

And what’s stood out is that we live in a time, and in a local culture that is increasingly secular (meaning, that many people are disconnected from organized and formal faith practices, such as the worship found in Christian churches). but a local culture that is still very spiritually religious (meaning, that many people still seek meaning, purpose, and direction beyond themselves, often through specific habits and practices that are more privatized or set in non-traditional religious contexts, such as personal spirituality, astrology, science, or politics, rather than a church setting).

We live in a time and in a local culture that is seeking meaning and purpose in affluence, success, materialism, human progress, and earthly experiences. Collectively, it’s a desire for an abundant life apart from the God revealed in Jesus. We live in a time and in a local culture that doesn’t need people who can fish, but people who can guide people to hear the voice of Jesus, and follow him for an abundant life. We live in a time and in a local culture that has a lot of voices claiming to offer abundant life, and we need help being guided toward the ONE, true voice – Jesus – who can actually offer us abundant life. Jesus, who can offer the fuller and broader meaning and purpose that our lives long for.

Clarence Church of Christ is focused on guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus. Sometime this past year, I was at Panera Bread near Transit and Greiner, and a guy stopped me and asked if I knew how to get to the Amberleigh Retirement Community. He showed me a map on his phone and indicated that it was near where we were. I eventually figured out the place he was referencing, and I guided him there as best I knew. I knew roughly that it was a few drives past Lowes (behind Panera). I didn’t know exactly how many, but I guided him as best I knew, from the experience that I had of that area, and driving by it every day; and that was good enough to help him on his way.

CCC’s mission uses the term “guiding” intentionally. The term captures that no matter our skill, we all can play a role in helping people encounter Jesus, where they can find abundant life. For some people we may play a big role in people encountering Jesus. For others, we might play a minor role. Either way, we can evaluate our active engagement in the mission by any form of guiding people to encounter abundant life in Jesus. Guiding people to Jesus from the experience that we have, and as best we can, with the abilities that we have.

As Jesus points out in John 10, our ability to recognize abundant life in Jesus, and point others to experience the same, is dependent on our ability to recognize whose voice we’re listening to. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? And, is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life?

In our house, mine and Julia’s bedroom is on the main floor, and our kid’s rooms are all upstairs. Many nights, before we’re in bed, and sitting in the living room, we’ll hear a sound. And the more we hear the sound, we can start to make out which kid is making noise. We know each kid’s voice because we are with our kids all of the time.

This is similar to Jesus’ illustration in John 10 about the sheep knowing the voice of their shepherd. The context of Jesus’ illustration comes from first-century, middle-eastern shepherding in a wilderness area. Shepherds of this time were very close to their sheep, and the sheep with their shepherd: shepherds spent lots of time with their sheep, as they grazed. Shepherds talked to their sheep, and the sheep were so familiar with the shepherd’s voice that the sheep could be guided by voice alone. This shaped and formed the sheep to know they were cared for by the shepherd. So much so, that they would not respond to the voice of another. They could be called by name, but if the voice isn’t the shepherd’s voice, they wouldn’t respond. Shepherds spent many nights with their sheep. Shepherds protected their sheep, fencing them in with rocks and brush at night, and placing themselves as the gate – to protect the sheep from predators. The only way to get to the sheep, was to climb over the fence – to go around the shepherd – to pull the sheep away from the shepherd and tempt them toward new voices.

Over 150 years before Jesus was born, Greek rulers infiltrated the Jewish priesthood, and instituted corrupt priests. This led to the eventual manipulation of Jewish worship to fit Grecian philosophy. To do so, the Jewish temple was defiled with pig’s blood (which is unclean in Jewish law). Jewish identity practices, like circumcision, were prohibited. Copies of Jewish scripture were destroyed. And, a pagan idol was set up in the Jewish temple. In response to this corruption of the temple leadership, a man named, Judas Maccabeus, led a rebellion to recapture the temple and rededicate it back to the customs of the scriptural law. The memory of this event became commemorated by a Jewish winter festival of dedication (known more commonly today, as Hannukkah, which means “dedication”). This festival is also a reminder of a time of failed spiritual leadership – where other voices were allowed to tempt the Jewish people away from the one voice of the Lord God. The group that led the rebellion to re-capture the Jewish worship from corruption eventually evolved into the religious leaders known as the Pharisees. The same Pharisaical group Jesus addresses in John 10:1.

In the background of John 10, the audience would already have been focused on recalling the poor temple leadership from over 150 years earlier. The words of Ezekiel 34 became a common rallying text, warning the Jewish people to stay vigilant against "false shepherds" who could lead them astray. And while the Grecian infiltration of the Jewish priesthood was a temptation away from God, the conservative reaction of the Pharisees led to a polar temptation. The temptation to be so hyper-focused on the preservation of what God had already done, that they were missing what God was doing in the present. Their human rules of preservation became the dominant voice that drowned out the actual voice of God that was now speaking to them in the life of Jesus.

Ultimately, all of these scenarios are examples of failed leadership – failed attempts at meaning and purpose – failed attempts at abundant life. The Greeks did not provide abundant life. The Pharisees did not provide abundant life. The affluence, success, and materialism of our day do not provide abundant life. All of these are voices competing against hearing the voice of Jesus – the one voice that is abundant life. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? Is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life? 

Jesus claims to be the one voice above all others that is the abundant life we’re longing for. Jesus is the voice of abundant life. In John 10, Jesus invites us to respond to him by listening for his voice and following him for an abundant life. God’s word in John 10 invites us to consider: Who’s voice is guiding us to abundant life? More specifically, John 10 invites us to consider: Is Jesus’ voice guiding us to abundant life? Is Jesus’ voice guiding you to abundant life? 

In our smartphone age, it’s not uncommon for phones to be left on silent, or vibrate, so they aren’t loud and obnoxious in public settings. The problem comes when the phone is misplaced. With the ringer off, it’s difficult to call and hear where the phone might be. If the phone is set to vibrate, you have to tune out all of the other noises and life and just focus on hearing the vibration of the phone.

In a lot of ways, this is the picture Jesus is giving us in John 10. Jesus is saying, “I am abundant life.” “To experience my abundant life, you need to listen for my voice.” “You need to follow where I’m leading.” “You need to follow what you hear me doing.” But that doesn’t happen by accident. Listening for Jesus is an intentional, willful response. It’s only by intentionally being with Jesus that we can respond in obedience to his way. This is why our strategy for participating in our mission of guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus focuses on meeting consistently with Jesus (privately, communally, and corporately). If we don’t meet consistently with Jesus, we’ll struggle to live out His call to abundant life amid the competing voices of: affluence, success, and materialism in our day. If we don’t spend time with Jesus, we’ll get sucked into the anxiety and stress that comes with those versions of abundant life.

If the voice of Jesus is drowned out by competing voices in the world, the mission not only will be squelched in our own lives but also in the lives of those we interact with. It’s hard to guide other people to hear Jesus when you’re not listening to him yourself. But, the more time we spend with Jesus, the more we’ll be able to hear Jesus’ voice in everyday life; and the more we’ll be able to guide other people to notice Jesus’ voice in their everyday life. 

Finding abundant life in Jesus is a daily and moment-by-moment choice of belief. Abundant life is a choice that Jesus' followers have to continually make, amidst competing voices. The confidence we can have is that Jesus, himself in John 10, confidently believes that the more we hear his guidance to abundant life, the less likely we are to succumb to guidance to false abundant life. Abundant life, according to Jesus, is also for all people. In John 10:16, Jesus references sheep that are not yet under his guidance. Jesus invites us, as his disciples, to partner in guiding all people – all people, backgrounds, races, and situations within our sphere of influence and interaction – to encounter abundant life in Jesus. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? Is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life?

How will you recognize Jesus’ voice of abundant life when he speaks? If you’ve never recognized and surrendered to Jesus as abundant life, I invite you to consider surrendering to Jesus through faith in baptism. Please find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take that step of faith in having Jesus guide you to his abundant life.

If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to affirm once again that Jesus is abundant life. I invite you to confess to God that it’s tempting to be guided by other voices. I invite you to invest sacrificially in meeting with Jesus, so that you can know him more, and he can shape you to experience all of his abundant life; and empower you to guide others to experience his abundant life too.

At Clarence Church of Christ, we’re guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus. Whose voice is guiding you to abundant life? Is it Jesus’ voice that’s guiding you to abundant life?

God On Mission: Through Jesus' Church - Generosity arises out of the abundance of God

Jordan Byrd
God on mission through Jesus’ church
2 Corinthians 8:1-15

A few months ago, one of the local talk radio programs was discussing the number of big projects that get started in WNY; and either run into multiple snags along their completion or never get completed. Some examples include: Locally to here: the redevelopment of the Eastern Hills Mall into a mixed-use (residential and commercial) space. Near my house: the re-development of the Northtown Center into Station 12 – a brand-new, shell-ready property, with paved parking and installed landscaping; but sits tenantless and empty. I frequently walk my dog around it multiple times a week. Or, the embattled proposal to cover over the 33 near Humboldt Parkway in Buffalo. Or, the proposed extension of the metro rail from UB South to UB North. Or, the still vacant and undeveloped lot – where the Aud stood next to the Skyway in Buffalo.

What about your personal life? Do you have any projects that you wish you could do, but ran into limits? Money got tied up elsewhere. An injury derailed it. The time to do it got allocated to other needs. Whatever that thing is on your mind right now, we recognize that we run into limits: limits on time, resources, ability, etc. The project is halted not because of a lack of desire necessarily, but because of a limitation of ability or resources. 

What do we do when we bump into limitations? What do we do when we bump into scarcity? One temptation is to limit our imagination for what’s possible. We don’t even let ourselves go there, because we know it’s impossible within OUR means. Another temptation is to elevate one need over another. In more dire situations, we’re faced with: Do I pay for food? Or do I pay the electric bill? In less dire situations, we’re faced with: Do I get my morning coffee at Tim Hortons? Or, do I put that money toward a special date with one of my kids? In the dire situation, the desire to have food and electricity is there, but the means to have both are limited. In the less dire situation, the desire to enjoy a coffee and pour into the relationship with your child may be there, but the means to have both may be limited.

We may sense this same tension today as we’re reflecting on supporting our mission partners: that you have the desire to support them, but you also have the desire for many other things; and from your ability, there is only so much to go around. And you’re not sure where the resources to support our mission partners will come from. Or, where the resources to cover your car payment will come from. Or, where the resources to cover that medical bill will come from. Or, where the time will come from – to pour into your kids. Or, where the ability will come from – to make it through the next day’s challenges.

Most of us probably have the desire to be generous people – generous with our time, ability, and resources. But, we bump into the wall that desire alone isn’t enough to be generous. We bump into the reality that we need desire + ______ something else (time, ability, resources). This reality shapes and forms us to see the world through the lens of scarcity.

The good news God’s word proclaims to us today is an invitation to see the world through the lens of Jesus. And, to see the world through the eyes of Jesus is to see a world linked to God’s limitless abundance. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God. And when we doubt there’s a way when we doubt we can’t be as generous as we desire it’s our posture to the God revealed in Jesus that is actually what limits us. Our limitation isn’t time, resources, and ability. Our limitation is on the source of the time, resources, and ability. Our limitation is in seeking to meet needs and be generous out of our scarcity, rather than entrusting our situations to God’s limitless abundance. 

A response that God’s word, in 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, calls us to make today is to have faith that the abundance we need is found in the God we encounter in Jesus. 2 Corinthians 8:1-15 calls us to respond to God’s abundance, with a continued heart toward generosity. We are limitless to be generous when we give from the abundance of God.

2 Corinthians 8:1-15 calls us to have faith that generosity arises out of the abundance of God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God.

A couple of months ago, we made our way through the letter of 1 Corinthians, written by Paul, an early follower of Jesus. Toward the end of that letter (1 Corinthians 16), Paul encourages the non-Jewish backgrounded, Corinthian followers of Jesus to be generous toward the needs of the Jewish-backgrounded, followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, by contributing to an offering that many of the churches (that Paul ministered to), were collecting to help the needs of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem.

Throughout this portion of Paul’s letter, we reflected on how this offering opportunity was an opportunity to love like Jesus, until it stretches you. This opportunity for the Corinthian church to be generous would be a stretching to their faith because of several conflicts happening within the Corinthian church: the Corinthian followers of Jesus were wrestling through what it meant to follow Jesus in a religiously pluralistic culture (what it meant to follow Jesus, amidst people who worship the Roman Caesar as a God, where other people still worshiped the pantheon of Greek gods, and where scattered Jews still worshiped God [but didn’t recognize Jesus as the revelation of God]). The Corinthian followers of Jesus were wrestling through what it meant to worship Jesus beyond the distinctive Jewish framework of worship that Jesus’ original disciples adapted. The Corinthian followers of Jesus were wrestling with their own issues, and here, Paul is inviting them into the issue of the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem. Paul, we have our own issues, how are we supposed to be involved in the lives of people somewhere else?” “How are we supposed to stretch ourselves further? Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians ends with an invite for the Corinthian followers of Jesus to set aside some of their income – beyond their current support of their own church community – to support the needs of the church somewhere else (to support the broader mission of God). It’s not until Paul’s letter of 2 Corinthians, that we are given further information about this opportunity for the Corinthian church to support the mission of God among the church in Jerusalem.

Maybe you’re like me. When thinking about a new idea or opportunity, I need examples to help me imagine what adoption of the new idea or opportunity would involve. We see this dynamic in a variety of fields. Sales: how will buying this product change my business? Politics: how will this policy impact my day-to-day life? Adoption of technology: how will this new device alter my life? Health: how will this exercise build muscle, improve my health, or improve my energy for the day? Examples give us a compare and contrast to our current reality to see how our lives would be different if we adopted the new idea or opportunity.

As Paul revisits the opportunity for the Corinthian church to contribute to the needs of the church in Jerusalem, we encounter that the Corinthian church has not yet given an offering. To broach the subject, Paul gives the Corinthians examples – to compare and contrast their current perspective about the opportunity to give, with what it would be like if they did give.

Paul describes the experience that the churches in Macedonia have had as they’ve already contributed to this offering opportunity. Gareth Reese notes in his commentary on 2 Corinthians that, “The only churches in the Roman province of Macedonia about which we have any details in the New Testament are those of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea.” So, the churches Paul gives as examples are the ones we encounter in Paul’s letters of Philippians and Thessalonians; and what we encounter about the Berean church in Acts 17:10-12. What Paul describes is that the Macedonian churches had issues of their own that stood in their way of giving toward the offering for the Jerusalem church: Paul describes how the Macedonian followers of Jesus were in the midst of some kind of severe trial, while already being in an impoverished state (8:2).

Paul highlights that the Macedonian Christians were not unlike the Corinthian Christians. The Macedonian Christians also had their own issues to confront, and why would they stretch themselves even further – to support God’s mission in a church somewhere else?

Yet, Paul highlights a difference with the Macedonian followers of Jesus. Paul highlights that the Macedonian churches approached this opportunity, not from the perspective of their scarcity, but from the perspective of the abundance of God (8:3). And having given themselves FIRST to the Lord, and SECOND to God’s mission through his church, the Macedonian Christians have entrusted their life to the God of abundance revealed in Jesus. And having entrusted themselves to God’s abundant provision, they’re able to couple their desire to give to the church in Jerusalem, with God’s ability to abundantly provide, where they are scarcely able to provide on their own.  

Where does such an attitude and posture come from for these Macedonian followers of Jesus? Paul points to one example in 2 Corinthians 8:15 from Exodus 16, which is a reference to God’s miraculous supply of food, after leaving Egypt and wandering in the desert. In response to the Israelites' complaints, God provides food for them. In the evening, quail covers the camp, and in the morning, thin flakes of heavenly-sent bread appear on the ground. The people are instructed to gather just enough for each person, and miraculously, everyone has exactly what they need.

It’s this miraculous provision from God’s abundance, in the face of the Israelite’s scarcity in the desert, that sits in the background of Jesus’ own life as a Jewish man. Jesus being aware of God’s provision for Israel in the desert, and his own awareness of God’s character, being the Son of God, spurred his belief in God providing food for more than 5,000 people out of 5 loaves and 2 fish, given by a boy that we encounter in all four gospel accounts (Matthew 14; Mark 6; Luke 9; John 6). Jesus couples the scarcity of his own material resources, the scarcity of his 12 disciples’ resources, and the scarcity of food offered by the boy, with God’s abundance.

In the miracle, Jesus shows his disciples – his followers, like the Macedonian Christians, like the Corinthian Christians, and like Christians like you and me today – that generosity is possible in scarcity, because of our connection to the God who provides all things. That our generosity arises out of the abundance of God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God.

It’s a regular occurrence in our house when our kids complain about something being unfair. She got more candy than me. He got to do that fun thing, and I didn’t. He got to stay up longer than me. This same dynamic pays out for adults too. They have more money than me. She is prettier than me. He is more successful than me. One thing I try to remind my kids, and ultimately applies to me too, is that someone else is not the ultimate standard of right/wrong. Someone else is not the ultimate standard of fairness and equality. Someone else is not the ultimate standard of what is best. God is the ultimate standard of right and wrong. God is the ultimate standard of fairness and equality. God is the ultimate standard of what is best.

Even though Paul lifts up the Macedonian churches, as an example of being generous in scarcity; and being generous beyond desire and human ability alone. In 8:1-9, Paul ultimately points to the life and example of Jesus. How Jesus reveals God’s standard. How Jesus reveals God’s perspective of reality. How Jesus lived in faith that God’s perspective of reality is what’s: right, just, and best.

Paul points to how Jesus has lived in and out of the richness of God’s life – how Jesus has lived in and out of the abundance of God’s life. Paul points to how Jesus entered the limits and poverty of human life because he knew he could rely on the abundant provision of his heavenly Father. Showing this most fully in the most profound moment of scarcity: death – that even in that scarcity, God is able to provide abundant, eternal life in resurrection. Jesus enters our poverty and calls us to rely on God, who can provide limitless abundance. What we encounter in Jesus is that his generosity toward us arises out of the abundance of God that he’s experienced from eternity past. Jesus most fully shows us that generosity arises out of the abundance of God. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God.

Overall, throughout 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, Paul is asking the Corinthians to consider the example of the Macedonian followers of Jesus; and most importantly, for them to consider the example of Jesus’ life… of having faith that God can supply abundance where all we have is limits, scarcity, and poverty.

What do we do when we bump into limitations? What do we do when we bump into scarcity? We can choose to operate out of our own limited and scarce imaginations and abilities; or, we can have faith that God can supply abundance out of our limits, scarcity, and poverty. 

Today, you have the opportunity to lay this perspective of life over the opportunity before us to contribute to the support of our mission partners – giving to God’s mission somewhere else entirely. The opportunity to jump on board with God’s mission for all people to receive and experience his abundant, life-giving love.

We too are like the Corinthian and Macedonian followers of Jesus. We have our own issues, our own needs, our own pressing issues. We too will find it tempting to approach this moment, with a scarcity mindset – that we have limited resources, that we have our own things to take care of, that we can’t possibly give to something else.

I repeat Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians, I am not commanding you, but I want to test the sincerity of your love by comparing it with the earnestness of others. (2 Corinthians 8:8) I am not commanding you to make a Faith Promise to support our mission partners. But, I do want to invite you to test the sincerity of your love and see if it matches the approach that the Macedonians took in their scarcity of means. Does it match the approach that Jesus took in entering our scarcity to bring to the awareness of God’s abundance? God is inviting us to have faith that his abundance can provide in place of our scarcity. God is inviting us to have faith that our desire to be part of his mission, and offering whatever means we have to contribute to his mission – is all he asks. It’s not because God needs our money, but God wants our generosity to funnel his abundance into the world.

What do we do when we bump into limitations? What do we do when we bump into scarcity? We entrust ourselves to the God revealed in Jesus. We entrust ourselves to the God of abundance. We trust that our desire to be generous, plus God’s abundance, is all that is needed to make God’s abundant and life-giving love known to those who’ve yet to receive it. When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God.

If you find yourself yearning for the possibility of life beyond human, earthly limits, and scarcity of means, I invite you to: Entrust your life to God’s abundance. This life of God is available by uniting your life to Jesus’ life through faith, being buried in baptism, and being raised in the hope of resurrected life. If you’d like to consider that step, please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you take that step.

If you’ve already united your life to God’s abundance through faith in Jesus, I invite you to confess your limitations, your poverty, and your scarcity, and renew faith that the God revealed in Jesus is a God of abundance. Have faith that God doesn’t need you to be a person of means to move his mission forward. God needs you to have a desire to be part of his mission. God’s word is asking you to have faith that your desire to contribute to God’s mission, coupled with God’s abundance, is all that is needed for God’s mission to be funded. God invites you to have faith that your current means are not a barrier to being generous. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God.

Today, we’re asking you to submit a Faith Promise. A Faith Promise is based on what we encounter from the Macedonian Christians in 2 Corinthians 8. A Faith Promise, in our context, is a commitment to give a monthly amount of support to our mission partners, beyond your regular giving to CCC. A Faith Promise is expressed desire before God that you want to be generous toward his mission, but you can only offer so much, and you need God to make a little go a long way toward others coming to know the God revealed in Jesus.

You can read more about the Faith Promise process, and see the form: at the offering box in the back, or at ClarenceCC.org. You can submit a Faith Promise at either of those places, between today and November 3rd. Will you couple your desire to give with God’s abundance? When there’s a limit with us, there isn’t a limit with God. Generosity arises out of the abundance of God.

God On Mission: Through Disciples - Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

Jordan Byrd

God on mission through Jesus’ disciples (Luke 10:1-24)

Last year, Julia and I tried to help our oldest child, Pace, ride a bike without training wheels. We tried a few different times, but Pace just wasn’t ready for no training wheels. The months passed, and this past spring, we tried to help him ride without training wheels. But still, he wasn’t ready. A few months ago, in August, we made a trip to visit my family in Ohio. We stayed with my brother, whose house is in an open, rural area. Julia and I were engaged in conversation with other family members following dinner, while our kids were playing with their cousins. All of a sudden, I found out that Pace was outside riding his cousin’s bike without training wheels. I came to find out that two of his cousins showed him how to ride without training wheels, and he did it. Pace wasn’t ready to ride without training wheels last year, nor this past spring, nor most of this past summer. But when we visited Ohio, and Pace was playing with his cousins, something finally clicked with him – that he was ready to ride without training wheels. While we were in Ohio, Pace’s cousins probably didn’t anticipate showing him how to ride a bike without training wheels. But they were ready for Pace, who was ready to ride without training wheels.

We’ve been making our way through the story of the Bible, tracing how missions work originates with God’s love ceaselessly spilling into creation to give us life. And how humanity has turned against the wave of God’s love. And how, even though we turned against God’s love, God never stopped pursuing us in mission to bring us back on board to ride the wave of his life-giving love.  How God, in his grace and compassion, began to tangibly reveal his life-giving love to Abraham, and eventually his family line through the people of Israel – extending his life-giving love through them to the surrounding nations. How God made his life-giving love most tangibly known through his Son, Jesus, coming to live among us. And today, we see how Jesus’ disciples have the opportunity to jump on board with God’s mission – to make his life-giving love, revealed in Jesus, known to people who have yet to recognize their need for it.

Today, God’s word in Luke 10 reminds us that responding to Jesus as one’s Lord for all of life is a process. Some have a lot of questions to wrestlewith  before entrusting their life to Jesus. Those in this category may need a lot longer to get to the point of responding to Jesus. Others may just have one hesitation to get past and are closer to responding to Jesus. Others may be ready and just need guidance to take that step. Overall, responding to Jesus isn’t a wishy-washy process that someone can be half-in and half-out of. But certain people may be closer to that decision than others.

All in all, what we’ve encountered along the trajectory of God’s mission is that God is always present and active to help every person move from unbelief to belief. For some, there is a lot of unbelief to overcome. For others, it’s just one remaining area of life. Even if you’ve responded to Jesus already, you too are on a lifelong journey to continue surrendering your life to Jesus’ way: continually moving from unbelief to belief in every area of life. And this is part of the second dynamic that God’s word in Luke 10 highlights.

God’s word in Luke 10 invites those of us who have responded to Jesus as our Lord for all of life to consider if we’ll be ready for people when they will be ready to respond to Jesus? Allowing Jesus' life to be our life in every area of life is what is needed for us to be ready to help others down that path. Are we ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

The context of Luke’s gospel, in chapter 9 describes people who struggle to live like Jesus. In 9:51-56 – Jesus encounters a Samaritan village who doesn’t welcome him. And in response to this opposition, James and John, two of Jesus’ original 12 disciples, ask Jesus if he’d like them to call fire down from heaven to destroy the unwelcoming village. And Jesus rebukes their request. For it wasn’t in line with Jesus’ approach to people – even disagreeable people. 

Further in 9:57-62, Jesus encounters two men who express a desire to follow Jesus anywhere. However, each references an excuse related to family as to why they can’t follow Jesus just yet. This situation may hit home differently after hearing some of the stories shared by our mission partners last Sunday and how difficult it can be to not follow Jesus due to pressure from family and fear of being disowned or, at worst, violently persecuted. In these two scenarios, both James and John (disciples of Jesus) and the two men (not-yet disciples of Jesus) were not ready to fully live like Jesus.

As the gospel of Luke continues into chapter 10, we encounter Jesus sending out 72 of his followers in pairs to go ahead of him to the towns and villages that Jesus was about to go. In light of what we’ve been tracing over the past many weeks, we see here a continuation of God’s love flowing: from the Father to the Son, Jesus; and from Jesus into his disciples; and from Jesus’ disciples into the people they’ll encounter in these towns and villages. God is the one on mission, and Jesus’ disciples are invited to ride the wave of God’s mission into the shores of those who’ve yet to receive his life-giving love.

I’m the kind of person who wants to know where I’m going before heading there. Meaning, I’m the person who checks a map or directions, rather than just inputting the information into the GPS and having it take me however it tells me to go there. I want to know what I’m getting into. I want to know what to anticipate. I want to know what to be ready for.

Jesus gives specific instructions to these 72 people whom he sends out.  Jesus gives them the lay of the land: In 10:2 – Jesus describes the people of these towns and villages as a plentiful harvest field – ready to be gathered into God’s kingdom. By describing the people of these towns and villages with the metaphor of a harvest field, Jesus is also capturing the time-sensitive dynamic to this mission.

Farmers and gardeners are familiar with the window that crops have. And how the season will end, the conditions will fade, the rainy or wintry or dry weather will come, and the crops will not survive or be harvestable past a certain point.

In 10:2 – Jesus also describes that the task of harvesting people from these towns and villages into God’s kingdom will be bigger than the 72 workers he’s sending out to harvest. There is limited time to harvest, and 72 harvesters alone will not be able to gather all of the people who could respond to Jesus before the season ends. To meet this need, in 10:1, Jesus instructs the 72 to ask the Lord of the harvest – to ask God, the one over this mission – to send out more workers into his mission, into his harvest field. After giving these 72 the lay of the land, Jesus gives them specifics of how to go about harvesting in God’s field.

Recently, I had the opportunity to show someone how to plug a tire with a hole in it. While I could have just done the entire process myself, that would not help the other person to know how to do it in the future. So, I took the time to explain the process, so that he could do it on his own; and maybe he’ll show someone else how to plug a tire in the future – and then more than three people, rather than just one, will know how to repair a tire. Jesus’ instructions to the 72 are similar. Jesus tells them a step-by-step process for gathering people into God’s kingdom.

In 10:3, Jesus tells the 72 to go! (note the exclamation point in the NIV translation). Participation in this mission is not passive; it involves actively going to people, not waiting for the people to find you.

In 10:5, Jesus describes the particular kind of people the 72 are looking for in these towns and villages: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ (Luke 10:5) They are to look for people who promote peace. The kind of peace that reflects the peace of Jesus, that these 72 have been called to imitate and live-out as they saw Jesus doing.

Farmers and gardeners are aware that crops are ready to be harvested when they show certain signs: certain fullness of the fruit, moisture levels, size, color, etc. If a crop doesn’t show signs of being harvest-ready, the farmer or gardener waits or moves on to other crops that might be ready to harvest.

Jesus is giving similar signs for the 72 to look for in this harvest of people for God’s kingdom. Look for people whom God has prepared to receive His peace. Look for people who are thirsty for God’s peace. Look for people who are trying to live into the peace of God, even if attempted in broken form. A starving person may steal food to satiate their hunger. The method of satiating hunger is broken. But the desire to meet the need is good. People of peace can appear similarly: seeking peace through broken or shallow means, but the desire for peace is still good. It’s that desire that Jesus’ disciples are instructed to spot to help eventually point them toward Jesus, who can make whole and fulfill the peace that that person of peace longs for.

Also in 10:5 – Jesus tells the 72: “When you enter a house, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’ (Luke 10:5) Jesus’ reference to entering people’s houses indicates a relationship, where living out the peace of Jesus is experienceable by people. This isn’t a forced encounter, as we see later with what else Jesus instructs. This is a willful and reciprocated encounter by the person of peace. But, notice that this isn’t a passing encounter. This is a relational encounter with someone, where the worker enters the more private part of a person’s life. Going from the road to the living room (from the public to the personal). Jesus describes this situation as one which is readily opportune. “When,” not “if.” These encounters are to be anticipated, not something that is unlikely to happen.

In 10:6-7 – Jesus instructs the 72 in discernment: If someone who promotes peace is there, your peace will rest on them; if not, it will return to you. Stay there…. (Luke 10:6-7)

I read this past week that the time Josh Allen spent with quarterback coach Jordan Palmer led Allen to meet sports scientist Chris Hess, who helped Allen identify the flaws in his throwing mechanics that hindered his accuracy. Allen is known for having a cannon but has not always been known for accuracy. Hess pointed out a number of things for Allen to work on, and based on his initial read of Allen, thought he wouldn’t do much with the information he gave him. But two weeks later, Allen came back to Hess with a myriad of questions about implementing Hess’s fixes to his throwing mechanics. Following Allen’s time with Hess, Allen’s throwing completion percentage rose from 58.8% in 2019 to 69.2% — giving him the largest three-year increase in NFL history. Hess was looking for Josh Allen’s hunger to learn more.

Similarly, Jesus calls his disciples to look for people’s hunger for Jesus. The key marker for pursuing a discipling relationship with someone is if they have an openness and hunger for Jesus but need guidance on how to see and respond to Him.

In Luke 10:7-9, Jesus instructs the 72 to stick with people who are open and hungry for Jesus. The 72 are to live like Jesus with people of peace, and point to Jesus in their eating and dealing with sickness: pointing to God’s healing and presence through Jesus. The 72 were heralds or previews of what’s possible with Jesus in a person’s life. It wasn’t about the disciple’s life, but about whom their life pointed to.

Lastly, in 10:10-12, Jesus describes what the 72 are to do if people are not welcoming to their witness of Jesus as Lord. Jesus says to be antagonistic and hateful to those who don’t believe, right? No. Jesus says to not say anything and ignore them, right? No. In our broken perspectives, we’re tempted to prescriptively read into Jesus’ words here, to hear him saying something he doesn’t actually say. Jesus doesn’t say to ignore people who aren’t welcoming. He doesn’t say to be quiet. And he doesn’t tell them to be antagonistic. Rather, Jesus tells them to simply and confidently warn them that they are regretfully mistaken in their inhospitality and unbelief, and that whether you believe or not, Jesus is Lord. Jesus is who you need.

What we see here is that Jesus is made known as Lord either way. It’s ultimately up to each individual to respond to Jesus. It’s not our job to force them to believe. Similar to how I had to leave Pace to stick with training wheels when he wasn’t ready to take them off. I can offer and tell him how great riding a bike without training wheels would be, but I can’t force him to try it.

The encouraging reality that we encounter in this passage is seen in Luke 10:17-20, where the 72 return to Jesus after doing what he said and reporting that people did respond to Jesus. Those who respond to Jesus are the additional workers for the harvest that were needed.  There were people whom God had been making ready to respond to his son Jesus. And God had prepared these 72 disciples of Jesus to be ready for those people who were ready for Jesus. Just like my nephews were ready for Pace, who was ready for no training wheels, so also Jesus is calling us – his disciples – to be ready for people who are ready to respond to him.

Regretfully, it won’t be every person we meet. But there will be people whom God has been readying to respond to His Son, Jesus. Will we be ready to help harvest people who are ready to respond to Jesus and enter into God’s kingdom?

On one of our first Christmas Days in WNY, we didn’t plan well for our dinner and didn’t have potatoes. We had already missed the Christmas Eve deadline of stores closing and were now in search of any place that might still be open on Christmas Day (facepalm). I learned that day that the 24/7 store on Elmwood – known for never closing – IS closed on Christmas Day (LOL). We eventually found a Muslim-run store on the south side of Main St. on Bailey Ave., not too far from where we lived, that was open on Christmas Day, and we got some potatoes. We weren’t prepared for Christmas Day dinner, and it cost us.

Jesus conveys this same idea at the conclusion of this passage in Luke 10, where he warns the Jewish people from the surrounding villages of Galilee that the harvest season will come to an end. This will happen in a two-fold sense: this is a warning that destruction is coming to Jerusalem soon (A.D. 70), but also in the sense of old age and the final judgment, when God gives everyone what they desire: to be with God (eternal life) or not (eternal death). And who will the people be clinging to as their Lord when either of those happens?

Jesus warns, when the harvest season ends, will you receive God’s life-giving love, with the clear revelation you’ve been given in Jesus? Revelation of God’s life and mission that people long, long ago – longed to have as their guide to be reunited back to God’s abundant life.

Beyond the people’s individual response to Jesus, even if they do respond to Jesus, will they be ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Will they be like the 72? Or will they be like James and John in Luke 9 who were still not ready to live like Jesus; but instead were ready to bring judgment, rather than the peace of Jesus. Or will they be like the two men who gave excuses why they couldn’t fully live like Jesus yet?

Are Jesus’ disciples ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

Will the disciples of Jesus be ready for people who are ready to respond to Jesus? These disciples’ readiness will also impact how many more people are harvested into God’s kingdom before the season ends. These disciples’ readiness will impact how many more people become disciples who become more harvesters in God’s field. Are Jesus’ disciples ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

How ready are you for people who are ready to respond to Jesus? How ready are you to look for people of peace? How ready are you to see the hunger unbelievers have for Jesus? In my own life, I’m more blinded to what unbelievers are hungering for because I’m still focused on myself and my needs, wants, desires, worries, and fears. When I'm focused on my own hunger, I struggle to notice someone else's. But if I truly believe that Jesus is Lord, then I can start surrendering my hunger—my needs, wants, desires, worries, and fears—to Jesus’ wise and good care; and that will take my focus off of me so that I can focus on others. This way, I’m mentally and emotionally unburdened to point others toward the only one who can unburden all of us and satisfy our hunger. 

When we continue to move from our own unbelief to belief in Jesus as our Lord and provider, then we are freed up to more clearly point others to Jesus. This is how we can continue to prepare ourselves to be ready for people who are ready for Jesus. Are we ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

Today, how do you sense God's Spirit calling you to respond? If you’ve never responded to Jesus as your one and only Lord, how ready are you to respond to Jesus? I invite you to consider where you are on that journey. Are you someone with many questions, and you’re still trying to wade through those? If that is you, I invite you to ask them and wrestle through them with me or another trusted follower of Jesus.

If you’re almost to where you’re convinced Jesus is Lord, what is that last question that is holding you back from surrendering all the way to Jesus? Again, I invite you to find me or another trusted follower of Jesus and ask us to walk with you in wrestling through that final question.

If you’re convinced Jesus is Lord, but have never drawn the line in the sand to confirm so, I invite you to consider baptism and uniting yourself with the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus – entrusting your life to the good and wise care of the God revealed in Jesus.

If you’re already a disciple of Jesus, how ready are you for people who are ready to respond to Jesus? Are you going to people, or waiting for them to come to you? Do you know how to spot people of peace –  people who are seeking and hungering for Jesus? Do you know how you’ll point people of peace toward Jesus?

Earlier this year, Sean Cronin led many of us through some tools (https://e3partners.org/training-resources/ [Person of Peace, 15s Testimony, 3 Circles]) to help us point others to Jesus – by sharing how Jesus has satisfied the deepest hunger in our lives. If you’d like to revisit those tools, or maybe go through them for the first time, please visit the site listed behind me. If you need further help going through them, please reach out to me, Sean, and Mitch, and we’d be glad to help you use these tools to help you be ready for people who are ready for Jesus. How is God’s Spirit prompting you to take another step to being ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are we ready for people who are ready for Jesus? Are you ready for people who are ready for Jesus?

God On Mission: Through Jesus - Jesus helps you notice God's presence (John 5:16-30)

Jordan Byrd
God On Mission Through Jesus (John 5:16-30)

A couple of weeks ago, we were sitting on the front steps of our house, and we heard this tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap sound. We eventually realized that it was a woodpecker bird. We could hear the sound of the tapping on a tree, but we couldn’t figure out the exact location of the bird. We narrowed down that the sound was coming from our neighbor’s tree. And one of us faintly saw a bird on a dead branch of the tree. But, the color of the bird’s feathers made it very difficult to see, as it blended-in well with the color of the tree. The bird was also positioned where it was difficult to see it stand out from the tree. All that could be seen, was the bobbing up and down of the bird’s head, as it hammered a hole into the tree.

Eventually, I got my binoculars to get a better look. And while the binoculars helped to see closer, it’s zoomed-in focus made it difficult to find the bird amidst the branches and leaves of the tree. So, we’d each be directing each other: “Look up the center of the tree.” “Start from the top.” “Look down part way.” “Move back and look.” “Move to the right to get a better look.” Eventually, we’d each locate the bird through the binoculars.

We often want to hear from God, but we’re unsure how to notice God’s presence and activity in our lives. This past week, I sent out a request to see if any of you were able to help provide a vehicle for a different mission partner, who’s also visiting this week. On my end, I had been praying for this need for weeks, and the initial answers to that need, kept falling through. The need was ultimately met, thanks to the generosity of many of you! The need was ultimately met. But, If I’m honest, as much as I’ll say that I believe God was present and actively working to meet this need, it was tempting to believe God was aloof, and only popped-in, at the last minute – to meet the need. So, while I believed God would meet the need, that belief was still tainted by a worldview – that has God popping in-and-out of situations. Rather, than a worldview – that has God actively making way for the need to be met.

On my end, I was obscured from noticing how God was at work. But, the obscurity is on my end, not God’s end. God was present and active the whole time. I just couldn't see it clearly. My worldview was still clouded by other influences.

The harder it is to notice God’s presence and activity, the more we’re tempted to give our attention to: our worries, fears, anxieties, desires, and longings. Or we give our attention to other powers: politics, wealth, and positions of influence. All of which seem to be more clearly present and active and available than God in the moment.

In a world with so many vying options to replace God, we’re constantly blinded to God’s presence and activity in our lives. Wordly gods and powers and evils are constantly obscuring God’s presence and activity.

God’s word doesn’t disagree with this assessment. But instead of being content with this reality, God’s word does give testimony that There is a way to see God when God is difficult to notice. Good news that we encounter in John 5, of God’s word is that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps us see God’s presence and activity, amidst the many factors that blind us from noticing God. 

God’s word in John 5, invites us to see the world through the lens of the life of Jesus. God’s word in John 5, invites us to Focus on Jesus to help you notice God’s presence.

We’ve been following the narrative of Scripture to see that missions work originates with God before creation came to be. How missions originates in God’s nature of love – that ceaselessly spills into the lives of others, wave after wave: first into his Son, Jesus, and then into all of creation to bring it into existence, including you and me, today. But, we have not always been receptive to God’s love and life. Rather, we, like Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, have jumped-off board of God’s wave, and instead, try to go against it, to do our own thing, apart from God.

But, even though we’ve gone against the wave of God’s love, God has never stopped spilling his love into our lives. God has never stopped making himself known, to his creation. We’ve seen this with Abraham in Genesis 12, then through Abraham’s descendants, the people of Israel (Deuteronomy 4). And today, we see it through Jesus (John 5), God’s Son, come to earth, and born into the family line of Abraham. Through Jesus, we encounter the clearest experience of God’s presence and activity in the world, as Jesus reveals God to us in a flesh and blood life.

In John 5, we encounter that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence.

When considering the challenge of recognizing God’s presence and activity, the context of John 5 shares dynamics similar to those we face today. John 5:16 introduces us to a situation, that happens in John 5:1-15, where Jesus heals a paralyzed man on the Sabbath day. The paralyzed man, along with other disabled persons, sat around a pool, that was believed to heal ailments, when it was stirred-up by spiritual forces. The paralyzed man was seeking to encounter God, and God’s healing, but was unable to encounter it. That is, until he meets Jesus. So, the background of John 5, has a paralyzed man who needs struggles to notice God’s presence in his life. He’s possibly doubting God’s presence, due to the paralysis’ impact to the flourishing of his life.

Beyond the paralyzed man, the religious leaders who confront Jesus, also struggle to notice God’s presence and activity. At this time, Israel was an occupied nation, under the rule of Rome. Rome was ultimately the authority over Israel at this time. But Rome also allowed the Jewish leaders of the day, to maintain some secondary authority, to help maintain order and stability. This arrangement, places the religious leaders of Jesus’ day in a precarious situation: If they recognize Jesus as God, as the promised Messiah. If they recognize Jesus as Lord, then they’d have to give-up loyalty to Rome’s Lord, Caesar, and jeopardize the authority they’ve been given through Rome. The religious leaders are from the line of Abraham – who’ve sought to follow God’s presence and activity on behalf of Israel. But, now that Israel is occupied, it’s more difficult to see God being present and active. For, Caesar acts like God, and is the one who’s presence and activity is readily noticeable. And the position of authority that they still have within Rome’s system, blinds them to be able to see how else God was present and active in Israel at that time. It blinds them from being able to clearly see God’s presence and activity in and through the life of Jesus.

The very clearest revelation of God was blinded to the religious leaders. It wasn’t that God wasn’t present and active. Rather, God’s presence and activity was obscured by: their worries, fears, insecurities, and desire for power and authority. It will eventually take the death of Jesus, to get the attention of religious leaders and other people within Israel to see that Jesus reveals God’s presence. To see that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. To see that Jesus helps us notice God’s presence.

I grew up in a rural setting in north, central Ohio. My dad’s pre-cast concrete business was a half-mile down the road from my parent’s house. I constantly saw machinery being operated: farm tractors, combines, trucks with trailers, lawn mowers, skid steer loaders, forklifts, semi trucks, pickup trucks, and my parent’s own vehicles. From a young age, I was familiar with the general operation of many of these machines, just from watching them be operated by my dad or grandpa. I became even more familiar with them, when my dad let me ride along with him. I became even more familiar with them, as the the Alan Jackson country song says, “when daddy let me drive” the machines.  By the time it came to get my driver’s license, I already had quite a bit of experience driving a variety of vehicles. I learned how to drive, by doing what I saw my father doing.

Jesus says something similar in John 5:19b, Jesus explains his healing of the paralytic man on the Sabbath, by saying, “he can only do what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.” (John 5:19b-20a)

Previous to this statement, Jesus reveals that God, his Father, “is always at his work to this very day….” (John 5:17)

Jesus reveals a worldview where God is never absent of our lives. Where God does not pop in and out of our lives. Rather, God is always working. God is always present and active. Jesus reveals that the perception that God is absent, or pops in-and-out of our human life, is not a God problem, but a human problem. We see the bridge to this, by how Jesus can notice God’s presence and activity, while in human form. Jesus is able to see God through all of the factors that we allow to get in the way of noticing God’s presence and activity in our lives.

When Jesus heals the paralytic, Jesus is doing what his heavenly Father does. Jesus is revealing how God continues to be present and active. God is not absent of the paralytic man. God has been at work – the whole time – to bring the man into contact with his very self, when he encounters Jesus. When the paralytic man encounters Jesus, he encounters God.

Back to the religious leaders, they bristle at Jesus’ healing on the Sabbath, because of the Sabbath’s connection to God’s resting on the seventh day of creation in Genesis 2:1-3 and Israel’s command to rest on the Sabbath, in Exodus 20:8-11, Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns. For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. (Exodus 20:8-11)

What do we do with this situation? Genesis 2 and Exodus 20 present God as resting, or ceasing from work. Yet, Jesus says that is always at work. How might we make sense of this?

Any farmer of gardener is aware that the work of planting seeds is a one-time task each season. Meaning, planting seeds is not an ongoing process. There is a completion moment to that work. But, farmers and gardeners are also aware that the work of keeping watch over the garden, or field, is always happening. In farming and gardening, we can see the interplay between ceasing or resting from a task, while simultaneously being actively present and at work.

In Genesis 2, we encounter God resting from the task of creating. But we don’t see him rest from being the life-giver to creation. The Sabbath was a gift of rest to humanity, not a burden to carry. Jesus shows the wisdom of God – for us to rest from an activity, so that we can be aware of God as the giver of life. Which is what Jesus displays in healing the paralyzed man on the Sabbath.

When Jesus heals the paralytic man on the Sabbath, and then goes on to claim to be the Son of God, and claiming to do only what his Heavenly Father does – Jesus reveals the nature of God. Jesus reveals the mission of God. Jesus reveals the mission of God, that has been in motion before creation came to be –  God’s mission to share his love with the life of his Son. Which, Jesus references, in John 5:20, “For the Father loves the Son and shows him all he does.” (John 5:20) and later, in John 17:24, …you loved me before the creation of the world. (John 17:24c)

Jesus reveals the mission God has always been on – to share his love – to share his love with his Son, and to spill that love into creation. In John 5, Jesus is declaring that God is still on that mission. God is always at his work. God is always present and active. God has not ceased in being on mission, even when the world went against the wave of God’s love. Jesus reveals God’s presence in flesh and blood. Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. 

The leadership of the church often encourages you to help others to encounter Jesus. I want you to know that I, and the other leaders, we all struggle, as well, in helping others to encounter Jesus. There’s a person in my famil’s life right now, that we’re trying to be intentionally invest in – to help guide them to Jesus. And I frequently find myself internally face-palming, about opportunities I missed to say something further. Part of the problem, is that I’m realizing that I’m still very temped to functionally live in a worldview, where, yes, God is active, but, only selectively. I’m constantly needing to remind myself that God isn’t just encountering this person’s life, right now. Rather, God has been present and active in spilling his love and life toward the shore of their life since they were conceived. My participation in God’s mission to bring them into his life of love is one sliver of that process – that God has been part of for years.

On one hand, I need to adjust my perception of God’s presence and activity in the world – to trust that God is always at work, even when it may be obscure to me. I also need to rest in the good news, that all people being guided into abundant life in God’s life through Jesus, is not my mission to start or finish. I do not have to take on that weight of the mission. I simply need to be more and more aware of God’s presence and activity, and how I can jump on board with what God is already doing – to bring others into his abundant life.

For me, Jesus’ words in John 5 are like when we were trying to guide each other to see a woodpecker through binoculars. We are often blinded to seeing God clearly. But, Jesus has made God known, and given us testimony to his life, through the Bible, to help us notice what God’s continual presence and activity looks like. It looks like the abundant life that comes through following Jesus by faith. Jesus affirms this in John 5:24, “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.” (John 5:24)

Jesus help you to notice God’s presence, and respond to it in faith. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence.

Lastly, while God’s word, like in John 5, helps us to notice God’s ongoing presence, we, who are disciples of Jesus, have the privilege of helping others notice God’s presence too. When people are doubtful of God’s presence in their life, you have the opportunity to offer them an alternative to consider: “Do you think it’s possible that God might be at work this way?” “What if God is trying to get your attention this way?” “What might be different about this situation, if God is actually at work, and you just can’t see it on your own?” We don’t have to drive the mission, but we get to be guides, while we ride the wave of God’s mission. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence. You have the opportunity to help others notice God’s presence too.

Ask God to help you see Him more clearly through Jesus in the Bible.

Today, do you struggle to notice God’s presence? If that’s you, I invite you to ask God to help see him clearer, through the life of Jesus in the Bible. I invite you to consider following Jesus, in faith, to see the abundant life in God’s love that he has for you to experience.

Are you noticing God’s presence?

If you’re already a disciple of Jesus, are you noticing God’s presence? Is your perspective that God pops in-and-out of your life? Or is it a perspective that views that God is always at work – always present and active? I invite you to respond to God’s word, by being on the lookout for God, even when it’s hard to notice his presence and activity.

I invite you to be aware, and trust that God never has and never will stop being on mission to make himself known to you and others, through Jesus. Will you allow Jesus to help you see God more clearly? Will you allow Jesus to work in and through your relationships with others, to make himself known more clearly to them? Jesus helps us notice God’s presence. Jesus helps you notice God’s presence.

God On Mission: Through Israel - The world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in you (Deuteronomy 4:5-14)

Jordan Byrd
God On Mission - The world encounters God when it encounter Jesus in you
Deuteronomy 4:5-14

In October 2011, the Montecristo, an Italian cargo ship, was hijacked in the Indian Ocean by Somali pirates – along it’s journey from England to Vietnam. In response, the ship’s crew of 23 members locked themselves in a secure room called a "citadel" to stay safe. With the ship’s communications disabled by the pirates, the trapped crew faced a dire situation. After hours of waiting,  NATO rescuers became aware of the situation, and eventually were able to confidently board the ship. The pirates, realizing that they were outnumbered and outmatched, quickly surrendered to the NATO forces. The amazing part of this story, is that this rescue was made possible, because the crew figured out a way to toss a message in a bottle out of a port-hole. Nearby NATO forces found the bottle and retrieved it; and read the crew’s message that is was safe enough to board the ship and engage the pirates. As the band, Police sang, “I'll send an S.O.S to the world I hope that someone gets my message in a bottle.”

Bottles have been the vehicle for messages at least as far back as 310 B.C. When Theo-phrastus, one of Aristotle’s pupils, threw a bottle into the Atlantic ocean to test his hypothesis that the Atlantic Ocean flows into the Mediterranean Sea. Similar to Theo-phrastus, in 1846, the United States Coast & Geo-detic Survey, began placing messages in bottles into the ocean to help gather data on the movement of ocean currents. In 1914, during World War I, private Thomas Hughes wrote a message for his wife, as he left to fight in France. He placed the message in a bottle, and tossed it into the English Channel. Private Hughes died in battle two days after penning the message. In 1999, the bottle was discovered in the River Thames, and delivered to Hughes’ 86-year-old daughter in New Zealand.

For over 2,000 years, bottles have been a vehicle for communication. Countless bottles have rode the currents and waves of bodies of water the world over. These bottles don’t power themself – they are only carried by the currents of rivers, and waves of seas and oceans. These bottles don’t create their own message. They are simply the carrier in which the messages are sent.

Today, we encounter from God’s word that the nations encounter God because God is on mission – because God is the driver of making himself known in the world. While God is the driver of this mission, God also invites his creation into the process of making himself known to the world. Specifically today, we encounter, and are reminded how God invited the people of Israel to be the bottle – to be the vehicle – for carrying his message, his mission to make himself known to the surrounding nations to Israel. Good news that we encounter in God’s word, today, is that God invites us to make himself known in the world. That: The world encounters God when it encounters God in you.

We’re in a series of messages reflecting on how God has been on mission before the world was made: God has been on mission to infinitely extend his love into the life of his Son, Jesus – by his Holy Spirit. And out of the overflow of that love God brought all of creation – including you and me – into existence. God has been on mission for his love to be experienced by all of creation.

Unfortunately, the world has not always received God’s love. You, me, and all people – all the way back to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden – have gone against the wave of God’s mission (have gone against the wave of God’s love).

But, even though we’ve tried to go against the wave of God’s mission to love us, God has not stopped spilling his love into the shore of our life. In his grace and compassion, God began calling his creation back to him, through the life and family lineage of a man named, Abraham. Through Abraham, God committed to bless all nations through his blessing of Abraham’s life and his descendants.

The descendants of Abraham eventually become the people of Israel. Through each generation of Abraham’s family, God continuously channeled this people to awareness of his commitment to love and bless the world through them. See this continued commitment with Abraham’s son, Isaac, in Genesis 26:2-3; and Abraham’s grandson, Jacob, in Genesis 28:10-15. Jacob’s family is what develops more fully into the people and nation of Israel.

For many of us, at this stage in history, our awareness of partnering with God’s mission starts with Jesus, and the start of his church that we encounter in the New Testament Scriptures. But, God didn’t initiate his mission’s program with the church. God’s mission program has been in motion before creation – before the start of the church. God’s mission has been in motion, even with forces trying to go against it. God’s mission has been in motion since the lineage of Adam and Eve – all the way until Abraham – then, from Abraham to Isaac, to Jacob, and to his descendants – that become the nation of Israel.

God’s mission with the nation of Israel traces back to Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt: In Exodus 9:13-21 we encounter a glimpse of God’s missional heart: Then the Lord said to Moses, “Get up early in the morning, confront Pharaoh and say to him, ‘This is what the Lord, the God of the Hebrews, says: Let my people go, so that they may worship me, or this time I will send the full force of my plagues against you and against your officials and your people, so you may know that there is no one like me in all the earth. For by now I could have stretched out my hand and struck you and your people with a plague that would have wiped you off the earth. But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth. (Exodus 9:13-16)

The world encountered God when it encountered God in deliverance of Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters God in you.

The underlying drive of God’s actions with Pharaoh and delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt was to make himself known to the whole earth.

When God fully delivers the nation of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He makes a covenant with Israel, that we encounter in Exodus 19:4-6, ‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ …” (Exodus 19:4-6a)

God invites Israel to be the primary vehicle to make himself known to the nations. God invites Israel to be a priestly nation – to be the conduit to be the bottle to hold and live-out his message: the revelation of God and his way of life – to be a witness to the nations of who God is; and what it’s like to be his people.

The world was to encounter God when it encountered God in Israel’s life, and living out the wise and just commands God revealed to them, through Moses.

Israel responded to God’s invitation to be a vehicle of making God known to the nations. But Israel did not always faithfully ride the wave of God’s mission. Quite often, they went against the wave of God’s mission: just like their ancestors, Adam and Eve, in the garden of Eden. And as a result of going against the wave of God’s mission, Israel wandered in the dessert for 40 years. Their Exodus from slavery in Egypt – to their arrival in God’s Promised Land (near where the modern-day nation of Israel is today) – should have only taken them under two weeks to make the journey. But, because of grumbling and going against God’s mission, it took them 40 years. And, it also cost an entire generation except for Joshua and Caleb to miss-out on entering and experiencing the Promised Land: they were delivered from Egypt, but missed the promised land – for going against the wave of God’s mission (see Numbers 14:26-30).

We recently just passed the September 11th date on the calendar. I’ve of the generation, where I still remember that day. I remember it being a shock, the first time I asked one of our youth group students about 9/11, and they quickly reminded me – that they’d barely been alive when that happened. They were not old enough to remember the sights and feelings of that day, because they were of a different generation. There are national, historic events like that. There are also community events like that.

Many of us, here, could think of a memory from this church — that a younger generation — knows nothing about. For some, the rock, out by the parking lot, might be this way. Some of you remember what led up to it originally being placed there. Others, were barely alive, or not alive at all when the rock was placed there. The rock is meant as a reminder of our church discerning a call to do “Whatever it takes for as long as it takes to see a disciple making movement and church planting movement unfold among the Alley people." Part of the leadership’s vision for this month and next month is to reiterate this discerned calling, and hopefully, pass on the opportunity to another generation of making Jesus known – to the lost and unreached.

The context of Deuteronomy 4 is similar to this. After 40 years of wandering the dessert, when that generation died-off, and the next generation of Israelites was about to cross the Jordan river into the Promised Land – God reiterates his covenant with the new generation. We encounter this in Deuteronomy 4:5-14.

Throughout this passage, I direct you see three dynamics: (1) God’s continuance of initiating his mission; and inviting others to be part of it, and ride the wave of his mission. (2) Israel’s response to God’s invitation to ride the wave of his mission. (3) God made known to the nations. The result that comes from Israel partnering with God’s mission and riding the wave of his love, life, and blessing into the shore of the world’s nations. 

Let’s briefly looks at these three dynamics in Deuteronomy 4: (1) We see God’s initiative on mission in Deuteronomy 4:5, 12, 13-14 – the Lord God commanded to Israel. And further in 4:12 – the Lord spoke to Israel. And lastly, in 4:13-14 – God wrote his commands on stone tablets; and, the Lord directed Moses to teach Israel the decrease and laws of God. Throughout this passage, God is the one on mission. God is the one initiating the process of making himself known. (2) We see Israel’s response to partner with God’s mission. In Deuteronomy 4:5-6, 9-11 – Israel is invited to follow and carefully observe God’s commands. In 4:9-11 – Israel is invited to pay attention to how they live – to remember and treasure what God has done for them, and who he’s called them to be as a nation. He also calls them to intentionally extend the invitation to participate in God’s mission with their children and grand-children. (3) And lastly, we see the result that comes from Israel living-out God’s commands. We see the result that comes from Israel making God known through the wise and right-way that God calls Israel to live. In Deuteronomy 4:6, 7-8 – God indicates that Israel will be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s wisdom and understanding to the shores of the surrounding nations to Israel. In 4:7-8 – God indicates that Israel will be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s presence to creation and humanity (God is near Israel). Israel will also be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s constant availability through prayer (again, God is near; he is not far away). Israel will also be a vehicle of carrying the message of God’s wisdom in how to live rightly and most abundantly. 

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel.

What we see in this passage is God’s missional heart. We see God’s invitation for Israel to be a vehicle of revealing God and God’s abundant life to Israel, and the surrounding nations. What we can gather is that the world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel.

God did not initiate his mission’s program with the church. God’s mission program has been in motion before creation. God’s mission has been in motion, even with forces trying to go against it. God’s mission has been in motion since the lineage of Adam and Eve – all the way until Abraham – then, from Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, and their descendants – the nation of Israel. But even in Israel’s history, God’s covenant renewal with Israel which is recounted, here, in Deuteronomy 4 is not the start of God’s mission through Israel. God’s mission through Israel stretches back to Jacob’s son, Joseph – being blessed to become second to Pharaoh, in Egypt. God’s mission stretches back to Israel’s deliverance from slavery to Pharaoh in Egypt: the underlying drive of God’s actions with Pharaoh and delivering Israel from slavery in Egypt was to make himself known to the whole earth – The world encountered God when it encountered God in deliverance of Israel.

God’s mission is also not stopped when Israel goes against the wave of his mission. Like our life – like the life of the world in perpetual separation from God’s life – Israel struggled to be a vehicle through which God could make himself known to the world. After many great years as a prominent nation in the Mediterranean world Israel repeatedly goes against God’s mission. And, God allows them to be overrun by other nations, and scattered from the Promised Land God had given them. Through these nations, God was able to continue making himself known in the world, but Israel missed out on part of God’s blessing. But, even in the midst of their rebellion, God did not abandon his promise to bless all nations through the line of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – through the people of Israel.

In Isaiah 42:1-9, we encounter, (1) “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. … (6) “I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles [all non-Jewish people]…. (9) See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare; before they spring into being I announce them to you.” (Isaiah 42:1, 6, 9)

The prophet Isaiah, here, looks forward to the coming of Jesus – the Messiah, the one to faithfully live-out the role God called Israel to be: to be a vehicle through which God makes himself known. And, what we eventually encounter with Jesus is that he is the definite vehicle through which God makes himself known – as Jesus is God come to be with us in flesh. The underlying drive of God’s actions throughout Israel’s history are to make himself known to the whole earth – 

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encountered God when it encountered God in Jesus.

As we’ll reflect on further in coming weeks, God invites us into his mission: where Jesus invites us to follow him; and in doing so, the world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in us. The world encounters God when it encounters Jesus in us.

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God today when it encounters Jesus in you.

Do you recognize the privilege you’ve been given to be part of God’s mission to make himself known to the world? Israel is a history example for us to look back on and see how God made himself known through their life as a people. For sure, there are differences and covenantal changes between Israel and us, today.

But, the mediating role that God invited Israel to play in his mission is similarly extended to us as Jesus’ church today. We encounter this in the letter of 1 Peter 2:9, …you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

As Jesus fully lives-out Israel’s call to make God known, he also calls us to partner with him in making God known to the world — through encounter with Jesus. Jesus calls us to be his priests – his mediators, his vehicles, his message in the bottle of our life to declare his fullest revelation of God; and abundant life in him to the world.

Are you surrendered to Jesus? Are you receiving this invitation from Jesus? Are you participating in this calling from Jesus – to be a vehicle of his revelation – that rides the wave of his mission into the lives of others, so they can know God’s abundant life in it’s fullness through following Jesus?

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters Jesus in you.

How might God be calling you participate in helping the world encounter the life of Jesus? Jesus is calling us, like Israel of old to be a community that puts on display the abundant way of God’s life.

Part of our witness to that life happens when we meet Consistently, like we do each Sunday. Another part of our witness to that life happens when we share Vulnerably our life with Jesus with others: with other believers — to encourage and spur them on; and with unbelievers – to give them a real-life experience of God shaping the life of Jesus in us. Another part of our witness to that life happens when we invest sacrificially in missionaries helping lost and unreached people encounter Jesus.

On October 20th, we’re inviting you to make a faith commitment to sacrificially invest in support of CCC’s mission partners. We’re inviting you to make a faith promise offering on a monthly basis. We’ll be sharing more about that over the coming weeks.

But, I want to encourage you now to pray and discern with God how much he wants you to sacrificially invest in making Jesus known in the world. 

If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to taste and see that the Lord is Good (Psalm 34:8). I invite you to recognize that God’s not left you without a way to encounter him. God has directed and surrounded you with followers of Jesus whom you can encounter the abundant life of Jesus. The abundant life isn’t the life of a Jesus follower. Rather, the abundant life is in Jesus whom a true Christian strives to follow; and allow Jesus to shape our lives toward God’s abundant life.

I invite you to find me, or another trusted follower of Jesus to discern your next step of faith in seeking the abundant life of Jesus.

The world encountered God when it encountered God in Israel. The world encounters God, today, when it encounters Jesus in you.

God On Mission - God's love ceaselessly spills into your life

Jordan Byrd
God On Mission
Genesis 1-2:3; John 17:24-26 (NIV)

In 1905, Sherwin-Williams introduced a memorable logo: a globe being covered by a bucket of paint. This image represented their big dream of spreading their brand of paint around the world, aiming to cover every surface everywhere.  It captured their vision of making a global impact with their products.

I couldn’t think of a time that I’ve spilled paint everywhere, but I could remember a time, not too long ago, after we just bought a countertop water filter. A few times per day, we fill the top container with tap water, and the water drips through filters and spills into the bottom container, where it can then be accessed for drinking. One day (when I was already at the church building), the top canister was full of unfiltered water, and the whole filter-system got tipped over. And that’s when I got the phone call from Julia, “YOU WON’T BELIEVE WHAT JUST HAPPENED! THERE IS WATER EVERYWHERE!” The water spilled onto the countertop, onto the kitchen floor, under the stove, under cabinets, into the living room, onto the living room rug, even all the way onto our couch (which is on the other side of the living room from our kitchen). Even though there was only a couple of gallons of water in the filter, it seemed like the waves of this water ceaselessly filled our home.

A few years ago, when I was in Ocean City, MD with some students a Christ In Youth conference, we went to the beach for a day. And, I remember the waves being just right for body-surfing. It was so fun, but my body also felt beat-up!... after being tossed and carried to shore by those waves for several hours. It seemed like there was no end to those powerful waves. Even, when I’ve been on vacation by the ocean – I’ve always been amazed how there is no end to the spilling of waves on the shore: wave, after wave, after wave, after wave.

Paint covering the earth. Water spilling everywhere. Waves ceaselessly spilling onto the shore. What about God’s love covering the earth? What about God’s love spilling into your life? What about God’s love spilling into every facet of creation wave after wave?

Today, we’re beginning a series of messages reflecting on missions. Specifically, we’re looking at God on mission. Typically with missions, we mentally turn our attention to missionaries sharing about God to a people group or culture or language, very different from our own. And while that is part of missions, that is not the origin point of missions. For many of us, our first encounter with the love of God was from a missionary, or a preacher, or multiple followers of Jesus. But, these encounters are not the origin of God’s love. Missionaries, preachers, or followers of Jesus have simply partnered, or jumped-on board to ride the wave of God’s love that began spilling from the life of God before creation began. And as God’s people ride the wave of God’s love, that wave eventually hits the shores of other’s lives. And each encounter is another wave of God’s love crashing into the lives of humanity. God’s ceaseless love spilling into humanity, wave after wave.

God’s mission is to make himself known.

Today, I hope you hear the good news from God’s word that the mission to make God know to the world isn’t human grunt work to make an elusive God known. I hope you hear the good news that the mission to make God known to the world isn’t just a rescue mission to save people from sin. It includes this, but it’s also so much more. I hope you hear the good news that the mission to make God known to the world is inherently part of who God is. I hope you hear the good news that God’s very nature is love. That God’s very nature is to make himself known to another. That God’s very nature is for his love – to spill into the lives of others – including his creation (including us, including you and me).

Know that God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life. 

Today, God’s word invites you to know that God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life. Know that God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life. And God spilling his love into creation is what drives missions. God the Father sharing his love with his Son, Jesus and further sharing his love with all of creation. This the mission of God: to ceaselessly share his love.

As we’ll reflect on further next week, sin (or separation from God), is not the origin point of God loving his creation. It’s a hindrance to God loving his creation for sure. But, it’s not the starting point. As we’ll encounter today, God has been loving his creation from the beginning. God’s mission has been, is now, and will forever be about sharing his love with everyone who will receive it.

From eternity, God’s love has ceaselessly spilled from his life. And today, God’s love continues to ceaselessly spill into your life. Today God’s word calls you to know that God’s mission is for his love to ceaselessly spill into your life. God’s word calls you to know that God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life. Know that God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life.

We know a couple who is expecting a baby in the next few months, and the other day, one of my kids asked how old the unborn baby was? Things that make you go: hmmmm???, right? I struggled to answer the question. I couldn’t answer: 0, because the baby’s life has already started, since it’s conception. Yet, we don’t normally count age, until the baby is outside of the womb. But technically, the baby is already alive.

How old is God? When does God’s life begin? God is uncreated. God is eternal. God has always been. Age is a created reality – counting forward from the beginning of something’s life/existence. If God is uncreated, what was he doing before creation came to be? Was God just a lonely being in the ether of eternity? Why did God even create the world? Did he need us to have someone to interact with? What was happening before the world began? Was God just a passive being who was bored?

God has always been a Father loving his Son. (“Father… you loved me before the creation of the world.” John 17:24)

According to Jesus’ words in John 17:24, God was not lonely, or in need, or passively bored. According to Jesus, God has always been a Father loving his Son, Jesus, through the love of the Holy Spirit, “Father… you loved me before the creation of the world.” (John 17:24). Jesus is our clearest look into the life of God. As John’s gospel says in it’s opening paragraphs: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. … The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-3, 14)

The Word (Jesus) was with God and the Word (Jesus) was God and the Word (Jesus) became flesh, so that we see God. Or, as Paul’s letter to the Colossian church says, The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. (Colossians 1:15-17)

Jesus is how we see the invisible, uncreated God (mind-blowing). Jesus is the eternal firstborn child of God, born before the rest of created children of God. Jesus was part of bringing all of creation into existence. God’s life and our created lives are bound together because of Jesus.

What we gather from Jesus’ words is that God is known for loving. Jesus’ eternal experience of God the Father is ceaseless, unending, overflowing love. God’s nature is to ceaselessly share his love with his Son, Jesus. The mission of God, from eternity, is to ceaselessly spill his love into another.

It’s this mission that drives all that God is and does. It’s this mission that Jesus says is what he desires for all people who follow him, My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. … I have made you[e] known to them, and will continue to make you known in order that the love you have for me may be in them and that I myself may be in them.” (John 17:20-21a, 26)

The eternal mission of God is for everyone to experience his overflowing, unending, ceaseless love. The eternal mission of God is for his love to ceaselessly spill into your life. God’s love ceaselessly spilling into your life is the mission God has been on for eternity – before you were ever created. This is the mission of God: God’s love ceaselessly spilling into your life.

The entire upstairs of my house is entirely designed for my kids. My boys’ room is up there. My daughter’s room is up there. We spent months finishing the attic space to be a play area, and a playhouse/reading nook. The entire space is made for them to play, sleep, and keep their stuff. That entire space is there because Julia and I love our kids. The rooms and play areas are made for them out of an overflow of our love for them.

In Colossians 1:15-16 (which we already heard earlier), Paul says something similar, The Son is the image of the invisible God…. all things have been created through him and for him. (Colossians 1:15-16)

What we can gather from this is that all of creation came to be out of an overflow of God the Father’s love for his Son, Jesus. We can also gather from this dynamic of God’s life is that new life results from God’s love. New life is the fruit of God’s other-oriented love. God’s love is always flowing and spilling outward toward another; and as it ceaselessly spills into another it continues to spill into others.

Our very existence is a result of God extending and inviting us into his eternal love.

We encounter, here, that our very existence – and the existence of this world is a result of God extending and inviting us into his eternal love. We encounter that creation, new life, fruitfulness, production of life, the increase of life, and the filling of the earth with life – is part of the DNA of God’s love. New life is always possible when love is shared with another.

You see this dynamic in gardening and the growth of any plant. Every dynamic of the growth process is a series of creative elements giving of themself for the benefit of another: the seed shell gives way to the ground. The ground gives way to the sprouting plant. The water gives way to the new plant. The sunlight gives way to the new plant. The fruit-bearing plant gives way to new seeds, new fruit, or nourishment for animals or humans.

We see the ceaselessly flowing love of God flowing into creation, and the life of creation all throughout the creation narrative in Genesis 1. The entire narrative begins with the one who has eternally existed: God, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)

There is an interesting dynamic with the term for God here, that we miss in our English translation of the Hebrew word: “elohim.” “Elohim” literally translates as “gods.” But, this is not a reference to multiple gods, but rather a reference to the communion of multiple persons bound in one singular being. Throughout the Bible, we gather that these persons are: God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Spirit (the Holy Spirit). Later in Genesis 1:26, we encounter God creating male and female humans as a communion of persons, “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness….” (Genesis 1:26).

It’s from the God who is eternally a Father loving his Son, Jesus, through the Spirit that creation comes to exist. It’s in the image of the God who is eternally a Father loving his Son, Jesus, through the Spirit that male and female humans were created. It’s from this ceaseless union of outward spilling love between the persons of God that creation takes it’s cues in how it functions. We see this dynamic of God’s love spilling into creation by how creation is described throughout Genesis1: In Genesis 1:11-12, God says, “Let the land produce vegetation: seed-bearing plants and trees on the land that bear fruit with seed in it, according to their various kinds.” And it was so. The land produced vegetation: plants bearing seed according to their kinds and trees bearing fruit with seed in it according to their kinds. And God saw that it was good. (Genesis 1:11-12)

Just as creation as a whole is the fruit of God’s ceaseless love spilling outward so also, vegetation carries that same DNA: producing, bearing fruit with seed. God’s creation carries God’s mission. God’s creation is a result of God’s ceaseless spilling love; and it continues that outward spilling love into new life of it’s own kind.

We see this dynamic of God’s love spilling into creation by how water and bird life is described. In Genesis 1:20-22, God says, “Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.” So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.” (Genesis 1:20-22)

Just as creation as a whole is the fruit of God’s ceaseless love spilling outward so also, water and bird life carries that same DNA: being fruitful and increasing in number. God’s creation carries God’s mission. God’s creation is a result of God’s ceaseless spilling love; and it continues that outward spilling love into new life of it’s own kind.

Lastly, we see this dynamic of God’s love spilling into creation by how human creation is described. In Genesis 1:28a, God says, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth…. (Genesis 1:28a)

Just as creation as a whole is the fruit of God’s ceaseless love spilling outward so also, human life carries that same DNA: being fruitful and increasing in number – filling the earth. God’s creation carries God’s mission. God’s creation is a result of God’s ceaseless spilling love; and it continues that outward spilling love into new life of it’s own kind.

From the very inception of our existence, God’s creation has been caught up in God’s eternal mission of ceaselessly spilling his love into another. We’ve been caught up in God’s mission of ceaselessly spilling his live into others who spill that love into others who spill that love into others.

Missions originates with God on mission. Christopher Wright is quoted as saying, "It is not so much the case that God has a mission for his church in the world, but that God has a church for his mission in the world. Mission was not made for the church; the church was made for mission—God’s mission." (The Mission of God, Christopher Wright)

God doesn’t have a mission for the church. God has a church for his mission. God is on mission; God has eternally been on mission to ceaselessly spill his love into others. And God invites us to participate in his mission – to ride the wave of his mission into the context of our lives.

Next week we’ll reflect on this further, but for today, I invite you to at least consider that as much as God will ceaselessly spill his love in our direction, wave after wave – we still have to receive it. We still have to respond to it, and allow his love to drive us, like it did for Jesus, whom we’re called to follow. And as we encounter the surf of God’s love, we have the choice to be on board with riding that wave, or jumping off of it. We have the choice to reject his love, or embrace it. We also have the choice to join his mission – to make his love known to everyone – or jump off, and miss the opportunity to help others encounter God’s love when it hits the shore of their life. God will never stop being on a mission to make his love known to everyone. It’s up to us, if we’ll jump on board with his mission that is already happening.

Know that God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life.

Today, God’s word invite you to simply know that this is who God is. This is his eternal nature. That his nature is ceaseless love flowing and spilling into the lives of others, including our own lives today. God’s word invites you to know that God has always been pursuing you with his love – from before your life began, now, and he wants to incorporate you into his love for eternity with him. God wants to ceaselessly spill his love into your life and produce abundant life. It’s up to us to believe, to trust that’s who he is, to embrace and live into his self-giving, outward focused, overflowing, and ceaselessly spilling love. God's love ceaselessly spills into your life. God's love ceaselessly spills into your life. God’s inviting you to ride this eternal wave. Will you jump on board God’s mission? Or jump off?

If you’ve never encountered the ceaselessly spilling love of God before, Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” Taste and see (Psalm 34:8). God’s word invites you taste and see if God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life when you turn to him as Lord as the authority in all of life and living.

God’s word invites us to know that the mission of God is to ceaselessly spill his love into your life. Know that God’s love ceaselessly spills into your life.

Ordered - Love like Jesus until it stretches you (1 Corinthians 16) - Byrd

Jordan Byrd

Ordered, 1 Corinthians 16

For a better part of this year, I’ve had some ongoing back pain. I kept thinking, that the pain will eventually go away. That, my body would eventually adjust and heal, and I’d feel normal again. But, that hasn’t happened. What I’ve discovered is that the pain is tied to a lack of using certain core muscles. What I’m learning is that when muscles aren’t stretched and used often, they contract and shorten. And when I try to engage them, (for seemingly simple movements: e.g. standing-up, rolling over in bed, reaching down for something on the ground), the muscles spasm, or other muscles kick-in to compensate, causing those muscles to strain – doing more than they’re meant to do. Overall, the pain seems to result from lack of stretching and lack of use. The pain is likely a result of sitting too long during the day. So, I’ve been slowly incorporating stretches and exercises into my daily rhythms, with the hope that I can use and stretch those muscles more. And hopefully, I’ll stop experiencing as much pain; and I can experience more of life.

How much do I have to love someone?

One of the questions we all constantly bump-into is: How much do I have to love someone? Throughout the apostle Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians, love is highlighted from the beginning of the letter to the end. And the love that Paul references isn’t just a general affection toward others. Rather, this love looks like the self-giving, stretched-out arms of Jesus on the cross. This is the kind of love that Paul highlights throughout 1 Corinthians.

And here in 1 Corinthians 16, he mentions this love of Jesus three last times: 1 Corinthians 16:14 - “Do everything in love [like Jesus].” 1 Corinthians 16:22 - “If anyone does not love the Lord [like Jesus], let that person be cursed! And 1 Corinthians 16:24 - “My love (like the love of Jesus] to all of you in Christ Jesus.”

In a broken world, we can get use to avoiding people, and in turn, we don’t have as many encounters to have to love people. This leads to a seated approach to loving others. I’ll love my neighbor, as long as they come my way first. I’ll love my spouse, as long as they apologize for what they said or did first. I’ll love _____, as long they meet me where I already am first. I’ll love as long as I don’t have to get up, and stretch myself and feel some tension or uneasiness to love them.

This posture ends up atrophying our spiritual muscles. to where we become accustomed to: staying away from others, staying in our own tribe, and staying in a comfortable state. We eventually become accustomed to life in this state, where we settle for a lesser experience of the life that God has for us. We’ve been shaped to believe that selfishness is best. We’ve been shaped to believe that tribalism is best. We’ve been shaped to believe that arrogance is best.

But God’s word in 1 Corinthians reminds us that these postures are false. That these actually are lesser ways of living. And the pain we feel in pursuing a selfish, tribalistic, and arrogant life is an indicator, that we’ve not stretched ourselves to love like Jesus. And in doing so, we’re missing out on the abundant life that comes through living in and out of the love of Jesus.

First Corinthians 16 shows us good news that we encounter in Jesus. The good news that living in and out of the love of Jesus is the surest and most abundant way we can live life.

Stretch until you feel it; but stop if it causes pain.

One repeated phrase that I’ve heard physical therapy practitioners say is: stretch until you feel it; but stop if it causes pain. So often, we can confuse the feeling of stretching for the feeling of pain.

Is it possible that the tension we feel, when loving another person – is God trying to shape us further into the abundant life of Jesus? And we feel a tension in doing so, because we’ve become accustomed to sitting. We’ve become accustomed to not loving like Jesus. We’ve become accustomed to selfishness, tribalism, and arrogance. How much should you love like Jesus? 

Love like Jesus until it stretches you.

Paul’s concluding instructions in 1 Corinthian 16 point toward: Loving like Jesus until it stretches you. Love like Jesus until it stretches you.

Teaching my kids to be generous is probably one of the toughest tasks that comes with parenting. It’s tough, because, I don’t even always want to be generous. My things may be at a different scale, compared to my kids, but, the same struggle is there. With my kids, their struggle to be generous, can often come down to the fact that they only have so much of something. For example, the only get candy here and there. So, why would I want to share what is rare to me. For me, it’s not necessarily candy, but I only get so much down time, so when I get it, why would I want to share what is rare? Having generosity as a first thought is not easy for us.

But this is exactly what God’s word tells us through Paul’s instructions in 1 Corinthians 16:1-4. Paul instructs the Corinthian church to give an offering for the Lord’s people. Here, in 1 Corinthians 16, we’re not given the specific details. But in Romans 15:25-26 we encounter that this offering is for the poor followers of Jesus in Jerusalem, Now, however, I am on my way to Jerusalem in the service of the Lord’s people there. For Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to make a contribution for the poor among the Lord’s people in Jerusalem. (Romans 15:25-26)

The offering itself is not the specific point we should notice. The specific point we should notice is how they determined “what” to give. In verse 2 of 1 Corinthians, Paul instructs the Corinthian followers of Jesus to, “set aside a sum of money in keeping with [their] income….” and to do so, “On the first day of every week….” (1 Corinthians 16:2)

Paul is advocating for a weekly giving pattern. He is also advocating for a giving pattern above and beyond the needs of the local Corinthian church, as this collection was for the poor in Jerusalem (a whole region away from Corinth). Paul is also advocating for prioritizing generosity with one’s income. For followers of Jesus, generosity is primary, not secondary. Generosity is to be prioritized in your budget, not just whatever is leftover after other expenses. Note that Paul is not saying to just give everything you have. But to give a sum – a certain amount, in keeping – in proportion – to your income.

Love like Jesus with your money, until it stretches you.

In context of 1 Corinthians and 1 Corinthians 16 emphasis on love, Paul is calling the Corinthian followers of Jesus to: love like Jesus with their money, until it stretches them. Followers of Jesus become more like Jesus when we think beyond ourselves with our money. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus with our money, when we give until it stretches us. If we give from the seated position, we’ll give our leftovers. But, if we give as Paul is instructing, we’ll be stretched. We’ll be confronted with our worries, fears, and insecurities. We’ll be confronted with the temptation we face to give to ourself, before giving to others. But, if we allow God to stretch our use of money, we’ll find that we have to trust and rely on God to provide what we give away. We’ll have to trust God, because we’ll feel the tension of not having that extra cushion of money. Which can often serve as a false God, trusting that cushion to provide for us, more than we trust God to provide for us. If we allow God to stretch our use of money, we’ll find that we initiate love toward others, like Jesus.

How much are you to love like Jesus with your money? Love like Jesus with your money, until it stretches you.

This past week was the Democratic National Convention. The Republican National Convention was a few weeks ago. These two gatherings have possibly become the most start examples of tribalism in American culture. While these two parties will always emphasize certain principles over others, the overriding desire of the American public seems to always be a longing for the two parties to work together. We constantly hear about the ideal of “crossing the political aisle” in Congress. Or “bipartisan” bills or policies. More and more, these seem to be ideals, and not realities. But, the longing for unity is still there.

Another area where we’re tempted to not love like Jesus until it stretches us is in our interactions with people who are not like us: those poorer than us, those wealthier than us, those more conservative than us, those more liberal than us, those from a different culture. The followers of Jesus in Corinth were also called to love people not like them until it stretched them. In 1 Corinthians 16:1-4, Paul has already encouraged the Corinthian church to love their impoverished, Jewish brothers and sisters. This wouldn’t be natural. It would not be natural for non-Jews (Corinthians), to be concerned with non-Corinthians (Jews in Jerusalem). But, because of their encounter with the love of Jesus, they are also called to extend that love to those not like them. To do so, would definitely be a stretch. It would them moving from the seated, stay in our own culture – position. To standing-up, and stretching themselves to care for people unlike themselves.

Further more, 1 Corinthians 16:6 also highlights another stretch that Paul asks the Corinthian church to make. Paul references that he is trying to physically come and visit the Corinthian church. And when he comes, he is hoping that they will be generous to, help him on his journey, wherever he goes. (1 Corinthians 16:6)

Paul is asking for the Corinthian church to be generous in support of his missionary journeys to other regions and cities that are not in Corinth. This is Paul asking them to be generous above and beyond: their offering for poor Jews and their generosity to their own needs as a church in Corinth. And again, to be generous to people not like them (people they may never meet or have any personal relationship with).

Love different people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.

Paul is calling the Corinthian followers of Jesus to: love different people, until it stretches them. Followers of Jesus become more like Jesus when we think beyond ourselves and about other people. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus, when we consider people different from us, until it stretches us. If we interact with other people from the seated position, we’ll maintain the tribalism. But, if we intentionally consider those not like us, as Paul is instructing, we’ll be stretched. We’ll be confronted with our worries, fears, and insecurities. We’ll be confronted with the temptation we face to just stick to people we know. We’ll be confronted with the temptation to believe other people aren’t worth investing in.

But, if we allow God to stretch us, We’ll have to trust God, because we’ll feel the tension of being with people who are different from us. And we’ll have to trust God to show us that something more beautiful can come from different people interacting together under him as their Lord. If we allow God to stretch our interactions with others, we’ll find that we initiate love toward others, like Jesus.

How much are you to love people different from you? Love different people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.

I really enjoyed watching the Summer Olympics this past month. Normally, I’m not very into the track and field events. But, I ended up watching a lot of it during this Olympics. I’m not sure if it’s because track athletes have to get so amped up to burst off the blocks and sprint for 100 or 200 or more meters; but, it seemed like a lot of the athletes are very arrogant. Like, predicting the outcome of the race, before it’s run. Or, holding up the number one sign, with their finger, before the final race has been run. The athletic ability of these athletes was amazing to watch, but the arrogance of their attitude, made it difficult for me to fully root for them. I am disagreeable with their attitude, but they are very good at what they can do.

Who is a disagreeable, arrogant person in your life right now? We all have them. Those people we disagree with, and can’t stand to be around. The Corinthian church had similar people in their life. Paul being one of them!!! Most of Paul’s letter is a list of corrections. It’s never easy to receive criticism. And Paul has been saying that many of the Corinthian church’s practices are flat wrong, deceptive, and fly in the face of the way of Jesus. The relationship of the Corinthian church and Paul is a battle of who is right. And both strongly believe they are correct.

The Corinthians are so confident in their beliefs that they have had no problem in splitting the church into tribes; no problem in flaunting their sexuality beyond the bounds of marriage faithfulness; no problem flaunting their freedom for selfish purposes; and no problem flaunting their wealth in the face of the poor. And Paul is very confident in his correction of their beliefs, that he wrote a letter to them, and wants to visit them. The tension in their relationship is not hard to gather.

We see this even further, when, in 1 Corinthians 16:10-11, Paul asks the Corinthians to treat, his apprentice, Timothy, well;  and to not make him fearful to come, to no show him contempt, because of his relationship to Paul; and to not make his visit to them unpeaceful.

We see a similar tension, in 1 Corinthians 16:12, where one of Paul’s co-workers, Apollos, is unable to visit the Corinthians. Apollos is referenced toward the beginning of Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church (1 Corinthians 1:12), as one of the leaders whom some were following, over and against Paul, or other leaders – and causing division to the church in the process.

Lastly, there is third tension, more closely tied to their own church community in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 16:15-18, Paul praises the devotion and service of the Corinthian church members: Stephanas, Fortunatas, and Achaicus. It’s likely these three are the ones who delivered the Corintians questions to Paul; and likely those who will be carrying Paul’s response back to the Corinthian church. There is already tension between the Corinthian church and Paul; and now Paul’s praise of church members whom do not seem to embody the values of Corinthian culture: wisdom, prestige, wealth, and power will certainly not make the relational tension any easier. But, Paul’s praise of the: humble, servant-hearted, devoted work of these three church members is in step with the values Paul highlights all throughout the letter of 1 Corinthians; and in step with the values that Jesus embodied in his own life – which is the primary example whom Paul points toward for all involved in this relational spat.

Love disagreeable, arrogant people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.

In this close to Paul’s letter, he is calling the Corinthian followers of Jesus to: love disagreeable, arrogant people, like Jesus did, until it stretches them. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus, when we’re stretched to value the inherent worth of the person we disagree with. Followers of Jesus love like Jesus, when we’re stretched to consider if the other person has an perspective worth considering. Followers of Jesus become more like Jesus when we surrender both perspectives to the authority of Jesus. If we interact with other people from the seated position, we’ll maintain the division. But, if we intentionally consider those not like us, as Paul is instructing, we’ll be stretched. We’ll be confronted with our worries, fears, and insecurities. We’ll be confronted with the temptation we face to think we know it all. We’ll be confronted with the temptation to believe that other people don’t have value, if they don’t see things from our perspective. But, if we allow God to stretch us, We’ll have to trust God, because we’ll feel the tension of interacting with people who disagree with us. And we’ll have to trust God to show us that something more beautiful can come from disagreeing, arrogant people interacting together and being shaped to became agreeable, humble people under Jesus as our Lord. If we allow God to stretch our interactions with others, we’ll find that we initiate love toward others, like Jesus.

How much are you to love disagreeable, arrogant people? Love disagreeable, arrogant people like Jesus did, until it stretches you.

Starting next Sunday, we’re going to stark reminding ourselves of the Mission of God which God has been on, since creation began; and since creation has separated from God; and how God has been on this mission through various people throughout history; and how he invites us to participate in his mission. How God wants to have us ride the wave of his mission – to bring the whole world back into his abundant life, by following his Son, Jesus.

To ride that wave, and participate in God’s mission will involve being shaped further and further to be like Jesus, and love like Jesus. God’s mission will inevitably bring us into situations where we’re called to love like Jesus until it stretches us: in our finances; in reaching out to people, who are very much unlike us; and reaching out to people, who are arrogant and disagreeing and ignorant to the good news of abundant life available in following Jesus.

But before we get to that in the coming weeks, each and every week, God has placed us in proximity to people whom he’s called us to love like Jesus, until it stretches us. God has called you to love needy people around you,  until it stretches you. God has called you to love the people around you, who are not like you, until it stretches you. God has called you to love the people around you, who are disagreeable and arrogant and hard to get-along with, until it stretches you.

In 1 Corinthians 16:20, Paul encourages the Corinthian church to greet one another with a holy kiss. Best I can tell, this was simply a cultural greeting in the Corinthian culture, but adapted by the followers of Jesus  to demonstrate a welcoming and loving posture toward each other. Overall, this isn’t a habit that we have in our culture. But, we do have gestures that communicate a similar posture and attitude toward each other. Like, saying hello, or shaking one’s hand, or a fist-bump. The posture of initiating a greeting and recognition of the other: even if they are of a different class and status as you; even if they are of a different background and life-journey from you; even if they drive you nuts with their opinions and actions. Simply because they are your brother or sister in Christ; or because they have eternal, inherent value and worth in being created in the image of God.

Whom is God’s Spirit calling you to love like Jesus until it stretches you?

Who are those people in your life: either in the church, or elsewhere in your life that God’s Spirit is calling you to stand-up, and initiate the love of Jesus, until it stretches you?

Taste and see.

If you’ve never surrendered your life to Jesus, I invite you to dwell on the reality that this is God’s posture toward you, in Jesus – tThat no matter how ungodly, no matter how unspiritual, no matter how obstinate you’ve been toward Jesus, he is extending his love toward you, even until it stretched him to the point of death on the cross. I invite you to taste and see that the love and life of Jesus is the most abundant life you can experience; and Jesus will stretch himself to the point of death to help you follow him into the abundant life of God. Please reach out to me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you discern taking a step of faith toward tasting and seeing that abundant life in Jesus.

Jesus loved us until it stretched his life to the point of death on the cross. We too can experience the abundance of this love, as we love like Jesus, until it stretches us.

Love like Jesus until it stretches you.

Ordered - The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death (1 Corinthians 15:1-34) - Byrd

Jordan Byrd

Ordered - The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death (1 Corinthians 15:1-34)

In 1993, my grandpa Bill died suddenly, at the age of 56, due to a heart attack while driving, and also while colliding into car with a woman, who survived the accident, and two young boys who also died, because they weren’t in seat belts. While I did not get to experience a lot of my grandpa’s life I still hold onto some core memories of him. One of those memories is that he had dentures. And because of that, he chewed Freedent brand gum. Mostly, this memory of my grandpa is like a picture. It’s an experience frozen in time. This memory is a reminder of the joy I experienced with my grandpa, when he was alive. But, it’s also a memory of how little time I got to experience with him before he died.

This picture (of Freedent Gum) serves as a reference point for how we think about life. We can be tempted to think that life is about living as long as we can and experiencing as many things and pleasures as we can in this body, before death. The YOLO: You Only Live Once mentality. Extending biological life to experience as much of life as possible. Because in the end, it’s all about making the good and pleasurable memories made during a short time of life that we get.

Or, we can be tempted to think that life is about getting beyond this body. That your thoughts, feelings, or spirituality matter more than existence in the body as it is now. That an out of body experience matter more than life in the body. That your spirit matters more than what you do in your deteriorating body. Because, in the end, an existence beyond the body is what matters. To see life beyond the body.

The followers of Jesus in Corinth, whom the apostle Paul writes to – in 1 Corinthians, dealt with similar temptations. Some were allowing the philosophies of Corinthian culture to deceive them into believing that escape from the body led to greater spirituality, and abundance of life. That, their bodies were a hindrance to an abundant life beyond the body. That their mortal bodies were limited and needed cast off to experience abundant life in the spiritual realm.

And some were being deceived into believing that the resurrection of the body is just a fanciful belief. That, resurrection doesn’t happen: Dead bodies don’t just come back to life. Rather, at best, resurrection is just metaphorical. It’s a symbol of: Enlightenment. Or, mystical transformation. Or, becoming a better person in the here and now.

Paul counters these beliefs by reiterating the good news of Jesus. Paul re-frames the Corinthians’ worldview, by saying that Jesus’ raised body emphasizes that life is most abundantly lived when embodied. Jesus’ raised body shows that embodied, human life matters; and that Jesus’ raised body provides hope that abundant, embodied life is possible, even in the face of death.

Jesus’ resurrection corrected the false beliefs that life is better without the body; that life is better by just being more spiritual, alone; and that abundant life is only to be experienced by good memories in the body, before death ends it all. The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life always matters, even after death.

While I didn’t get to spend a lot of time with my grandpa Bill before his death, with my grandpa having entrusted his life to Jesus, I have hope that his life will matter more than just the memories I have of him. I have hope that one day, I can experience my grandpa in resurrected, bodily form, like Jesus’ body – that God promises to those who belong to Jesus. Where my grandpa’s life won’t just be a frozen memory, but a continued bodily experience with him into eternity. The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death.

You may have heard of the Bills’ stadium experience that is setup on Main St. in Williamsville. It’s a glimpse into what a game-day experience will be like at the new Bills’ stadium, once it’s built. People will go to this preview experience, because they know it’s a taste of a bigger reality to come. If there was no new stadium being built, then it would be very difficult to convince anyone to come through a preview experience of stadium that will never be built. But, it’s because the new stadium construction has already started, that people will go to get a taste of what the finished stadium will be like.

This analogy is similar to the point that Paul makes about the risen Jesus’ body in 1 Corinthians 15:14, “...if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.” (1 Corinthians 15:14)

If Jesus did not actually, bodily raise from the dead, then Paul, nor other followers of Jesus, nor the Corinthian church, as a community of Jesus followers in Corinth – or those of us, here today, in Clarence would find Jesus worth giving our life and devotion to even in the face of persecution, like Paul, and many others have done. Paul even makes the point that if following Jesus is just some form of spirituality to help someone cope through life and there’s no actual hope of bodily resurrection after death, then followers of Jesus are to be most pitied (15:19). Why bother, if resurrection isn’t a true reality beyond death? Why suffer, if there’s no redemption to suffering (1 Corinthians 15:30-32)? It’s like going to the Bill’s stadium experience preview, and no stadium even getting built. What’s the point in experiencing something, that will never be realized?! Paul’s point is that Jesus being bodily raised back to life by God is the lynchpin action of the faith of Jesus followers. The faith of Jesus’ followers is grounded on God overcoming death in the resurrected, bodily life of Jesus. The resurrection of Jesus is a concrete, tangible, flesh and blood example of embodied life mattering beyond death.

We have cucumbers planted in our backyard. ​​And the first cucumber that appeared was exciting, because it indicated that planting the initial seed, wasn’t a waste. Fruit came from it. And the first fruit is indication that more is to come.

In 1 Corinthians 15:20, Paul uses this imagery to describe the nature of Jesus’ resurrection. Jesus’ resurrection is a preview of what will happen to those who surrender to Jesus, and belong to him (1 Corinthians 15:23). Paul connects this point to the overall narrative of the Scriptures,  pointing all the way back to Genesis 3, where Adam and Eve’s separation from God, led to their separation from the creator of life, leaving them on a progressive path toward death, “...death cam through a man” … “For as in Adam all die” (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22). As death was initiated into humanity by Adam, so now, so now, bodily resurrection is initiated into humanity by Jesus, “...the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man” … “...so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21, 22)

Where Adam's separation from God brought death to humanity, Jesus' unity with God brought resurrection life to humanity.

One point to stop and consider here: While Paul’s initial wording may appear to describe a universal resurrection of all people, – that all people will just end up with God after death – the wording of 15:23, clarifies this is not the case. Yes, Jesus’ resurrection opened the door for all of humanity to have access to be raised like Jesus, but only if we BELONG TO HIM (15:23). While bodily resurrection is available to all people, it is still dependent on each of us to entrust our lives to Jesus, to be included in the promise (1 Corinthians 15:23). This surrendered trust in Jesus also mimics the surrendered trust that Paul describes Jesus having in God – to raise him from death – (1 Corinthians 15:4): Christ… WAS RAISED. Jesus did not overcome death of his own, fleshly ability. But entrusted himself to God’s spiritual ability for God to bring new life to his dead body. The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death. The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death.

What obscure superpower would you want?

And the first person answered: The ability to pass gas without being noticed. Meaning, you could eat chili and not worry about the after-effects on people (sound or smell). Meaning, you could eat chili and not worry about the aftereffects on people. Meaning, you get the satisfaction of going to the bathroom, without having to deal with the mess. Finally, the last person answered: The ability to eat whatever, and never have any consequences (like being allergic or weight gain). While these answers are: out there and funny, I think they highlight what most superpowers, or super hero powers have in common: They all connect back to an embodied life. The abilities may enhance or make embodied life easier in some ways. But they are always grounded to life in a body.

We see a similar dynamic in the way Paul speaks of the gospel, or good news, of Jesus – in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8: 15:3 – Jesus took on human life and died a human death. 15:4 – Jesus was bodily raised to life. 15:5 – Jesus’ risen body appeared to Cephas, or the disciple Peter, as he’s more commonly known by. 15:5 – Jesus’ risen body appeared to the 12 disciples of Jesus. 15:5 – Jesus’ risen body appeared to over 500 followers of Jesus. 15:7 – Jesus’ risen body appeared to James, Jesus’ biological brother from Mary and Joseph, who later becomes a leading figure in the early church. 15:7 – Jesus’ risen body appeared to all of the apostles. 15:8 – Jesus’ risen body appeared to Paul. But Paul admits, Jesus appeared to him in an abnormal way. In Acts 9, we encounter Paul’s conversion to following Jesus. Jesus had already ascended from earth at this time. And as Paul was going about persecuting followers of Jesus, on the road to Damascus, the voice of Jesus called out to him from heaven. Jesus still appears to Paul, even in a bodily way that we would expect to encounter any other person, through speaking and hearing. Paul also notes, that his encounter with Jesus, has made an impact on his bodily life before death.

The gospel of Jesus reveals that embodied life matters to God.

What we can gather from this presentation of the gospel of Jesus is that embodied life matters to God. Embodied life mattered for God to take human flesh on, when he was born. Embodied life mattered to overcome the greatest enemy of humanity: death. Embodied life mattered in how God raised Jesus back to life: God didn’t just give Jesus an disembodied existence in the spiritual realm. No. Jesus was given a renewed, glorified body. That death had no hold over. What we see is that the risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters. Embodied life matters before death. And it matters after death. Embodied life matters into eternity. The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death.

Our world is just as much tempted, like the world of the Corinthians, to believe that the life that matters, is what we can experience in the short time we have before death catches us; or to believe that the life that matters, is a disembodied life, like some kind of spiritual catatonic state, that is unlike the bodily, creation-oriented, life God has already created us to live.

“Christian” teachings has become, possibly, the most susceptible to this temptation, with an overemphasis of the spiritual over the physical. That our hope is just an escape from this decaying realm to a pure spiritual realm, with little resemblance to the life God has given us. Likem, angels floating on clouds, or some similar image. While it is true that Scripture describes this world as passing away, it also describes Jesus’ resurrection making way for a new heaven and new earth coming down to replace what is decaying, Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Revelation 21:1-4, NIV)

What stands out here, is that this is not a disembodied spiritual existence. It’s a renewed bodily existence in the presence of God, in the presence of life itself. And the descriptors are even bodily oriented. Followers of Jesus have been tempted between the pendulum of these two stances: Being so heavenly minded that we’re no earthly good; or being so earthly minded that we’re no heavenly good. The vision we’re given in the resurrected life of Jesus, is that we’re to: Be earthly and heavenly minded in the body God has gifted to us. And, in the face of death, trust that God will also raise us to continue to be earthly and heavenly minded in the resurrected body that he gives us, when he makes all things right. Jesus perfectly highlights this tension in his life: being earthly and heavenly minded in the body of flesh that he brought into the life of God.

The hope we have through Jesus resurrection, is that embodied life matters now, and it still matters after death. The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death.

Today, what kind of life are you tempted toward? Living it up before you die? Or yearning for a life beyond the body? My hope is that you find the resurrecting power of God – to raise Jesus to glorified, bodily life compelling. That, the embodied life of God, revealed in Jesus highlights that God thinks bodily, human life matters. That your bodily life matters to God. I hope you hear that God finds your life meaningful, even if you don’t see how it is. I hope you can see the hope available to you, through the resurrection of Jesus, that you can experience the same glorified, perfected, and embodied life that Jesus experienced in his resurrection from death.

Your bodily life matters to God.

You too can belong to Jesus, surrendering your life to him, being united to him, through faith, under the water of baptism. If you’d like to explore that step of faith, please find me, or reach out to another trusted follower of Jesus, whom you already know, to help you explore that step of faith — to step into the Jesus promise of resurrection hope for an embodied life that matters, even after death.

If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus, and belong to him, Would you simply affirm the truth, that embodied life, that bodily, human life matters, because God rose Jesus from death to an embodied life. Would you affirm the truth that bodily life matters, from the womb and through the tomb? Would you affirm the truth that a life with God, is not just about escaping this earthly realm for heaven, but that it’s about embodying the Spirit of Jesus in our everyday, bodily life, now, and in resurrection –  in the new heaven and new earth? Would you affirm the truth that the hope we have in Jesus, is a resurrected, embodied life into eternity?

If Jesus didn’t rise, our faith is pointless. But, if Jesus did rise, it’s the greatest hope we have in a world ensnared by the power of death. The risen Jesus highlights that embodied life matters, even after death.

Ordered: You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you (1 Cor. 14) - Byrd

Jordan Byrd

Ordered – You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you.

Read: 1 Corinthians 14

A week ago, I was looking at someone’s social media page. While looking, I got distracted with something else, so I put my phone in my pocket. When I checked my phone later, I noticed that I did the equivalent of this [random clacking sound on a keyboard]. I had somehow typed an unintelligible message of letters that also got posted to this person’s page. If anyone read that message, they might have wondered what I was trying to communicate.

When communication is unclear, It’s just sounds, words, and symbols to us. Sounds, words, and symbols that may have meaning, but aren’t known to us. When communication is unclear, we struggle to know what to do with it: we struggle to know how to respond. We might dismiss it. We might think the person communicating is crazy, and never seek further clarification.

For me, one of the funniest moments of parenting young children has been trying to communicate on their level. Recently, I was trying to talk to one of my kids about treating their siblings well, and during the conversation, I said something like, “How would you feel if you were mistreated by someone?” And I could see the internal wheels spinning – trying to make sense of what I said. And I asked, “Do you know what I’m talking about?” And the response was a question about what “mistreat” meant. From my perspective, I was communicating clearly. but from a kid’s limited vocabulary, what I said was not clear at all. It was just sounds coming out of my mouth. So, I had to break down the idea further, and use other words and examples to explain what “mistreat” means.

This scenario can easily describe where Jesus followers find themselves in relation to people who don’t yet believe in Jesus. Especially for those of us who’ve followed Jesus for a while now. Where, we assume people just know – people just know who Jesus is, they just don’t want to believe. And while it could be true, that some people have had Jesus clearly communicated to them, and just refuse to respond in belief for some reason. There are also a lot of people who are not necessarily anti-Jesus. They just simply have not fully grasped who he is, and what it means to follow him.

If we’ve followed Jesus for some time, we can easily forget that, at one time, we too were like this there was a time, where Jesus did not fully make sense to us too. But, somewhere along the line, someone, or multiple people, used other words, or examples, or sharing from their own life of following Jesus, that helped Jesus to be more clearly understood by us. And it’s understanding that communication, that enabled us to respond in belief that Jesus is God, and respond in following his way of life, and respond in ongoing worship of him as Lord – as THE authority over all things. You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you.

First Corinthians 14 presents a similar situation. As the apostle Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in Corinth, in chapter 14, he highlights that importance of clearly communicating the word of God revealed in Jesus. And, while this chapter is filled with many mysterious references for us today, we won’t nearly be able to address all of them as fully as we’d like with our time. But, my aim for our time together, is to help highlight an overarching point that Paul makes about God being understandably known through the word of Jesus and his Spirit. My goal is to emphasize how important it is for followers of Jesus to clearly communicate Jesus to those who have not yet believed.

What we encounter in Paul’s review of the Corinthians’ worship gathering, in chapter 14, is that their worship was being done in a way that excluded some people from hearing God’s word in an understandable manner. Some were declaring God’s word in languages not understood by all who were present. One of Paul's main points in this chapter, is that followers of Jesus are called to communicate God’s word to others in an understandable manner – in a manner so that all present can understand God’s word. And when done, God’s presence – the presence of Jesus’ Spirit – is accessible and understood to everyone present. Paul summarizes this reality in 14:25 where he says, “...they will fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!” Paul instructs the Corinthian church that clear communication makes it possible to respond in worship to the God revealed in Jesus. You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you. The invited question we’re asked to ponder is: how are we helping others to clearly understand Jesus?

Throughout Paul’s letter of 1 Corinthians, he has been addressing divisions in the church. Over the past few weeks, we’ve been reflecting on Paul’s words to the Corinthian church regarding gifts of the Spirit. The gifts are important, but they’re ordered and directed by the love of Jesus – which Mitch helped us reflect through last week. Without love, the gifts are useless. They are like a loud, obnoxious noise, without love. And in 1 Corinthians 14, Paul highlights an actual situation where the gifts are utilized without love. Specifically, Paul zeros-in on the gifts of tongues and prophecy in the Corinthian’s worship.

The earliest example of a phenomenon of speaking in tongues, that is, supernaturally communicating in a different language, is what we find in Acts 2:1-11, When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

The context of this passage is God’s Spirit speaking through the first disciples of Jesus, so that non-Jews could hear God’s word in their native language, so that the God revealed in Jesus could be communicated more clearly to them, and comprehended more clearly by them.

In Acts 2, specifically, we encounter God initiating his disciple’s commission to makes disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19). God’s Spirit making it possible to make disciples of the nations before ever going to the nations. But, we see this is not normative, as the disciples begin to spread across Israel, the Roman empire, and to the ends of the earth with the message of Jesus. There are a couple other times in Acts that non-Jewish believers speak in a foreign tongue (Acts 10:46 and Acts 19:6). Each of these instances were also in the context of Jesus being shared with unbelievers. So, a commonality of this phenomenon in Acts is that Jesus is made known in a familiar tongue to the converted unbeliever. In Acts, the this seems to uniquely happen at the spontaneous prompting of the Holy Spirit, and for the purpose of validating the message of Jesus to the convert. The writings of Paul in 1 Corinthians are the only other place in Christian Scripture, that we encounter this phenomenon of speaking in tongues by the Holy Spirit.

What stands out about the phenomenon of speaking in tongues in Christian Scripture is that it doesn’t appear often. And study of church history past the writings of the scriptures reveal even further, that speaking in tongues is not referenced much either. What seems to bear out from this is that the supernatural form of speaking in tongues was a form of jump-starting clear communication of the good news of Jesus to the nations. And once Jesus’ disciples began spreading the good news of Jesus across the nations, speaking in tongues became less needed. Or, God’s Spirit shifts from supernatural speaking abilities, to supernatural interpretation abilities.

If we pan out to see the broader work that God is doing throughout human history as a whole, the supernatural ability to speak and hear the good news of Jesus in a clear and understandable way in one’s native tongue — was part of God’s way of paving the way for all people of the world to know and understand him through the life and message of Jesus. We see that people of all backgrounds and languages come to worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to them by the gifting help of God’s spirit. They worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to them in a way they could understand. One such example of the good news of Jesus spreading to the nations is the existence of the church in Corinth. The church in Corinth is evidence that the message of Jesus had been spread and communicated beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria, and now had started to go to the ends of the earth (as Jesus called his disciples to do in Acts 1:8).

I have neighbors who immigrated from another country. Recently, there was an instance of conversation, where we met an impasse at communicating. We were talking about a coming-of-age custom that they were celebrating for one of their kids, and there wasn’t a direct English translation for the custom. Even though there wasn’t a clear English translation, my neighbors still tried to explain the custom in other ways, so that I could understand. Without a translation, or further explanation, there was nothing further I could do with the initial conversation. It’s not that there wasn’t meaning behind what they were saying or describing. I just didn’t have the understanding of their native language or culture to fully understand what they were communicating at first. So, they had to find other ways to communicate it to me. This same reality is in the background of the church in Corinth.

The worship of Jesus followers flows-out of the instruction for worship in the Hebrew Scriptures and culture. My boys play with Legos all of the time. They have many Lego sets, but hardly any of them exist in their original construction. They have taken the foundational pieces from one set, and added pieces from other sets onto them, to create a whole new creation. This is kind of how Christian worship took shape. It was built upon the foundation of Hebrew Scriptures and customs, with Hebrew as the language of communication. But, once God reveals himself in Jesus, whom was born into a quasi-Hebrew/Roman culture, during the Roman empire, with remnants of Koine Greek as the common language of communication that time Jesus’ followers then incorporated the Greek language to speak about the life of God revealed in Jesus and that language shaped how they worshiped. So Christian worship is shaped from a hybrid Hebrew/Greek form of language. With this, there becomes a sense of what language best communicates the message and life of Jesus?

What happens when this message moves beyond a culture that is rooted in the Hebrew language? What happens when this message moves beyond a culture that is rooted in the common Greek spoken in Israel, during Jesus time? What happens when this message moves to an area with differing dialects? What happens when this message moves beyond a culture rooted in Koine Greek, like English in the United States, or Spanish in Mexico, or Somali in Somalia?

Philip Blosser, Charles Sullivan, Dale Coulter, and James Lik-ou-dis make the argument that this is what is happening in the background of 1 Corinthians 14, when we encounter the references to speaking in tongues. That the tongues of Corinth is reference to a foreign sacred language that only select people in the Corinthian church fully understood. There was essentially, insider-oriented, religious language happening being used in worship. So, in a worship gathering, some might read from the Hebrew scriptures, for example (what we think of as the Old Testament in our Bibles), or speak a word of encouragement or admonition in Hebrew; and only those who knew Hebrew would know what was being read or said. Everybody who didn’t know Hebrew, would be clueless to what was being read or said; and it was of not benefit for them to gain a better understanding of the God revealed in Jesus, because they had no idea what was being said or read. For those familiar with the Roman Catholic church, a more modern example of this might be like when mass use to only be spoken in Latin. English speakers in the United States were expected to be edified from a language they don’t normally speak and many didn’t understand.

With this insight about 1 Corinthians 14, it helps connect many of the connections that Paul gives throughout this chapter. It helps explain why there would be various languages (sacred languages and local dialects) spoken during a worship gathering. I think we see a glimpse of this by the wording Paul uses in 1 Corinthians 14:2, when he references uttering mysteries by the Spirit, when speaking in a foreign language. Paul describes the mysteries of God as what God made known in Jesus as Christ or Messiah. We see this connection in Paul’s writing in Colossian 1:27, God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul references that this mystery is what the Hebrew scripture writers longed to be revealed in the Messiah or Christ, This, then, is how you ought to regard us: as servants of Christ and as those entrusted with the mysteries God has revealed. The Hebrew scriptures were the scriptures of the early Jesus followers. What we have as the New Testament was still being written. So, the Hebrew scriptures would have been highly valued as being more sacred for use during worship. The Hebrew scriptures were the treasure trove of the mysteries of God foretold in Jesus. Which is true. But, if someone cannot understand the language of Hebrew, they are of no use. They are just a bunch of noises strung together.

So, this perspective of 1 Corinthians 14 also helps explain why translators would be needed during a worship gathering like this. This perspective helps explain why Paul emphasizes speaking in a way that everyone understands what is being said, compared to just one or a few people understanding the truth of what is being said. This perspective helps explain why an unbeliever would find the gathering useless, since insider language was being used during worship.

This perspective also partly helps explain why the women referenced toward the end of the chapter are encouraged to seek further explanation about what is being said. All women might partly be referenced here, because they might have been generally less educated than men at that time. But this section also seems to be directed mainly toward wives, as Paul, elsewhere does not forbid women from speaking in worship by praying and prophesying (1 Corinthians 11:5). There seems to be a more nuanced cultural dynamic going on here. And it seems to pertain to what was the customary protocol of respecting one’s husband in public. And during this time, asking clarification to something unknown, while in public, was considered disrespectful. A possibly parallel might be how, in our day, if a husband or wife disagree with what the other said in public, it’s more dignifying of the other spouse, to point out the disagreement in private, rather than shame your spouse in public. Ultimately, the point seems to be an encouragement to seek understanding about God and God’s word in a respectful manner.

We were watching the women’s gymnastics of the summer Olympics this week, and one of the vignette segments was on the top Brazilian female gymnast. So, her answers to questions were all in Portuguese. Eventually, one of my kids said, “What is she saying?!” For me, I could read the subtitles, but my kid, who doesn’t read yet, did not benefit from that translation. Instead my kid needed an even further explanation, to know what was being said.

In response to the segregated language in use during worship, Paul does not forbid the language from being used. As long as it is interpreted. As long as it can be made understandable to all who are present for worship. Paul is saying that a prophetic word in a foreign language is acceptable, as long as it can be communicated clearly to everyone who is present. Paul backs up his argument by highlighting that, clearly communicating about Jesus is what can lead to even an unbeliever coming to repentance of living apart from God, and establishing belief in Jesus (1 Corinthians 14:25). When God’s word is clearly communicated, it enables us to be more aware of God’s presence among us. When God’s word is clearly communicated, we’re able to more clearly see what our life lacks, and the abundant life that Jesus has for us. We’re able to take steps of faith toward further belief in Jesus. We’re able to more fully worship.

We’re able to worship today, because Jesus was clearly communicated to us over and over and over again. You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you. How are you helping others to experience the same?

How might this passage intersect with our lives today? We, like the Corinthian church, still deal with insider language being used in worship, or even in our day-to-day conversations with people about our faith in Jesus. The term “Christian-ese” has been mockingy used to describe this kind of insider language. And there’s a tension to hold here. Because the churchy, Jesus-y, holy language that we use is not useless. Because it has been useful to us, and our journey of coming to better understand the God revealed in Jesus. But, just because it was helpful for us, does not mean that it will be what is helpful for someone else.

We cannot assume that people will be gripped by Jesus, the way we were told about Jesus. We are faced with the same challenge as the Corinthian church to consider others, and serve their needs (needs that aren’t our own), We don’t necessarily need the message of Jesus explained any better. But new and unexplored ways of communicating about Jesus are what will likely be needed for others to understand the message of Jesus clearly. And, relying on God’s Spirit to supernaturally help us to do so.

We get a glimpse of this practice in the gospel of John, where the gospel opens by saying, In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). The term “word” here, referenced an impersonal form knowledge in the Greek language and philosophy. This gospel is written to a Greek understanding audience. The gospel has the challenge of taking a Greek philosophical term and bending and stretching it to describe what has happened through the life of Jesus. So, the gospel writer says that this impersonal knowledge became flesh, became a person. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth (John 1:14). To a Greek audience, this would be captivating. “You mean Jesus brings that knowledge into human existence?!” “It’s not just impersonal, but now a personal reality?!” The reality is, something new happened when Jesus came into the picture. And simply using the old categories would not clearly or fully communicate what Jesus has made possible in taking on human life. God’s Spirit helped the gospel writer communicate this in an understandable way.

So too, we are called to do this similar work in our day and age. We’re called to make Jesus understandable to the language and philosophical terminology of our age. Speaking of love, but including the self-sacrificial manner that Jesus loved. That kind of love is drastically different than what is celebrated and spoken of in our culture, even though it’s the same word. But the meaning is drastically earth-shatteringly different.

And while you may be thinking, I’m not skilled to talk and speak about Jesus how you just did. Ok. Maybe not. But, in your way of life, you can communicate the same reality. That you can communicate the self-sacrificial love of Jesus, by how you live that way. And you can say, in your own simple way, that you love that way, because Jesus loves that way.

Either way is clearly communicating Jesus. And we do so – trusting God’s Spirit to supernaturally help us to do so. You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you, in a way you needed to more fully understand. You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you. How are you helping others to experience the same?

Today, if you’re still don’t clearly understand the God revealed in Jesus, know that God wants you to know him. Know that God is always at work to make himself known to you. Know that God’s Spirit is constantly arranging opportunities for you to hear more about him in a way that you can understand. If you’re seeking God, don’t stop seeking. And please know that I’m open, or another trusted follower of Jesus, whom you know, is probably open to helping you get answers to what you don’t understand about the God revealed in Jesus. 

If you’ve already come to know the God revealed in Jesus, how might God be calling you to help those in your life, come to understand him more clearly? How might God be calling you to stretch your imagination of how to more clearly communicate Jesus to others? How might God be calling you to more faithfully live into the way of Jesus, and be prepared to give the courageous explanation, that Jesus is the reason for why you do what you do. How might God be calling you to trust his Spirit to help you clearly communicate Jesus to others?

You worship because Jesus was clearly communicated to you. How is God’s Spirit calling you to clearly communicate the God revealed in Jesus to those who don’t yet believe?

Ordered: Serve the need however God's gifted you (1 Cor. 12) - Byrd

Jordan Byrd

Ordered - Serve the need however God’s gifted you (1 Corinthians 12)

If you’ve ever had this cereal with marshmallows in it, you know the temptation is to pick and eat the marshmallows, and not the oat cereal. The taste and colors of the marshmallows can be more appealing than the more bland looking and tasting oat cereal. If we pull out just the marshmallows, we end up loosing most of the nutrients available in the box of cereal: the whole grains, vitamins, and protein. We’re tempted to see the marshmallows as the more important than the oat cereal. While the marshmallows could be eaten and enjoyed by themself, the oat cereal enhances the cereal nutritionally. The oat cereal and the marshmallows can be enjoyed separately, but each is enhanced when eaten together.

My wife Julia works Monday afternoons, and doesn’t usually get home until after our typical family dinner time. Julia is a way better cook than me. She can make almost anything from scratch. She knows how long to cook dishes. She knows how to prepare foods better than me. She knows the tips and tricks that good cooks and bakers know. Julia is gifted in cooking and baking, and I am not. So, it’s either going to be cereal for dinner, or, I wait until she gets home from work, so she can cook dinner. I am not gifted in cooking and baking, so I usually make our kids wait an hour longer than usual, so that Julia, the gifted cook and baker can make dinner, after she’s worked all afternoon.

I’m not gifted in leadership. I’m not gifted in administration. I’m not gifted in handling kids. I’m not gifted in speaking. I’m not gifted in singing. I’m not gifted in teaching. I’m not gifted in maintenance. We’re shaped to believe that certain tasks and needs can only be met by people – gifted to address those tasks and needs. Our world is filled with needs that go unserved because of this belief. Our world is filled with unmet needs, because we are tempted and deceived into believing that needs can only be met by gifted people – by people better, more natural at meeting those needs. We’re tempted and deceived to believe that we can’t meet a need, if we’re not gifted a certain way.

In 1 Corinthians 12, God’s word reveals a different perspective. God’s word reveals a different belief. In 1 Corinthians 12, we encounter that God can meet the needs around us through any person, regardless of how we’re gifted – regardless of how God’s gifted us. First Corinthians 12 shows that the need is more important than a person’s gifting. First Corinthians 12 shows that God can meet needs through any kind of contribution – through any kind of service. First Corinthians 12 highlights that: Needs are met by service; and service is enhanced by gifting.

First Corinthians 12 highlights that willingness to serve is more important than one’s gifting. We see this in the life of Jesus. Jesus was indeed enhanced in ability by his divine nature. But, he first lived out of a willingness to serve, before reaching for his enhanced abilities. We see this in Philippians 2:5-7, “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of servant…..” (Philippians 2:5-7)

The good news of 1 Corinthians 12 is two fold: the first aspect of good news is that God doesn’t need us to be gifted a certain way for him to meet needs around us. God simply needs us to be willing to serve. The second aspect of good news is that God has uniquely gifted each of his followers to support and enhance our service to needs around us.

In 1 Corinthians 12, God’s word calls us to respond to this good news by serving the need however God’s gifted you. Serve the need however God’s gifted you.

Paul’s letter to the first-century church in Corinth is overall addressing an issue of disunity among the followers of Jesus in Corinth. In 1 Corinthians 11, we reflected on disunity as a result of wealthy followers of Jesus excluding poor followers of Jesus when they gathered for workship and remembered the broken body and shed blood of Jesus during the Lord’s Supper (or what we more normally call, communion).

Here, in 1 Corinthians 12, we see a disunity among the Corinthian followers of Jesus, based on comparison of spiritual gifts given to the members of the church from God. There is a sense in which certain spiritual giftings – certain manifestations of God’s presence in the life of believers is viewed as better than others.

Overall, Paul is addressing a temptation the Corinthian believers have to believe that certain giftings are more important or better than others. To correct this false belief that certain manifestations of God’s presence – that certain spiritual giftings – are better than others by bringing the Corinthian followers of Jesus back to the source of the issue. Paul is calling them to remember what these manifestations of God’s Spirit are in the first place. They are gifts; and gifts from God. They are freely given by God. They are not earned by believers. They are not hand-picked by believers from a heavenly prize-box. They are gifted according to God’s: goodness, good will, and wisdom. And as gifts, they are not something that can be flaunted over another’s gifts. Because no believer had anything to do with the gift they received. There is nothing of a believer’s doing to rightly flex their gift as more important than another’s gift.

In 12:1-3, Paul re-grounds the Corinthian followers of Jesus in Jesus. Paul presents this contrast of what is of the Spirit of Jesus; and what is not of the Spirit of Jesus. And what Paul highlights by the Corinthians attitude about their spiritual gifts, is that they’re being tempted and deceived by a spirit other than Jesus. The evidence of this is their boasting about their unearned gifts – as this does not reflect a life surrendered to Jesus as Lord – surrendered to Jesus as the authority over all things, especially the gifts he gave to individuals believers. It’s hard to say, let alone, live with Jesus as your Lord, when you’re acting like a lord yourself toward others. “This boasting does not reflect the way of our Lord Jesus.”

In 12:4-11, Paul expands this thought to highlight the reason for follower of Jesus being given different gifts from God. We can see this in 12:6-7, that: The reason for the gifts is so that God’s work can be diversely expressed through his followers for the common good.

To this, Paul brings his thought back to the disunity of the Corinthian church. In 12:4-11, Paul highlights how the gifts are uniquely different, and how they’re dispersed among the people of God’s church, and how they’re designed to function together, and not superior to one another.

Paul highlights the diverse interdependence of the spiritual gifts. The gifts God gives are diverse. Not all are given the same gift. Rather, one is given wisdom, another knowledge, another faith, and many others. Based on other lists of spiritual gifts that Paul lists in other letters in the Bible, this is not necessarily an exhaustive list of gifts that God gives to believers. But, they give a sens of the diversity of God’s enhancing gifts. Not all thave the same gift, but each gift functions together as a conduit for God’s work to be made know in the world.

This past week, my kids created a playdough character with multiple eyes and ears. This visually illustrates Paul’s analogy in 12:17-20, “If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be?” … “If they were all one part, where would the body be?” (1 Corinthians 12:17, 19)

If everyone was gifted similar, we would be absent of a lot of aspects of God’s Spiritual presence among us. We might have a lot of knowledge, but lack Spiritual wisdom to use that knowledge. Or, we might have a lot of prophetic truth, without Spiritual faith to live into it. The body of Christ, would look a lot like the playdough figure my kids made. Collectively, the gifts enhance God’s mission to redeem the world from death to abundant life – from separation from God’s presence,  to experience of God’s presence. And this experience happens, when God’s gifts are lived-out in community – in the life of the church. Together, there is an interdependence of believer’s giftings – to make God’s life, revealed in Jesus, known more fully to the world.

In 12:12-31, Paul uses the imagery of the body to illustrate the diverse interdependence of the spiritual gifts operation within the community of Jesus followers. The body is a singular unit of diverse parts operating in relation to each other. The body is a living illustration of diverse interdependence. Head moving left or right, so that he eyes can see further. Core muscles contracting to lean down and raise back up. According to my chiropractor, there are little to no muscles in fingers, so, the fingers are dependent on arm muscles. Each part has a distinct function, but each is internally connected to other functions. And as a whole, function as a human body.

I’ve been continuing to deal with some back pain over the past many months. As I’ve been learning how to stretch and build-up the muscles that are causing the pain, I’m noticing more and more, how interconnected the parts of my body are. The pain in my back is connected to core muscles on the front of my body. Pain in my back is connected to muscles on the side of my hip. Pain in my back is connected to hamstrings on my legs. Pain in my back is connected to a lot more than just one muscle. Rather, when one part is suffering, the others respond to the pain as well. Causing me to lean to one sid or the other. Causing my foot to bear more weight. Causing my arm to reach back for my back – to hold it. Causing my brain to focus on the pain. Etc. Etc. Etc. The interesting thing about this response to the pain in my back, is that while the pain may be in my back, my other body parts respond to the need for pain relief in their the way they can, EVEN IF THEY AREN’T MEETING ACTUAL PAINED AREA. my other body parts serve the need however they can. They serve the need however they’re gifted. They serve the need however they’re gifted.

Paul references this in 12:26, “If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.” (1 Corinthians 12:26)

Paul has distinguished that each follower of Jesus is gifted a unique spiritual gifting, and he also distinguished that, although uniquely gifted, the gifts support each other. But, what 12:26 highlights, is that: Spiritual gifts aren’t ordered from important to unimportant. Rther, spiritual gifts are ordered to address whatever need is present. Even, if that need isn’t directly addressed by a specific gift. The important reality is that each person’s willingness to serve the need, will result in the various giftings supporting each other to meet the need. The various giftings aren’t needed to address the need, but they enhance how the need is met.

If you cut your finger, the applied pressure from your other hand to the cut, is probably the most gifted and enhanced action that can stop the bleeding. But do the other parts of the body do nothing in that moment. No. They all respond as they’re able, regardless of having the most direct impact to the wound. The same is true with the body of Christ. Every need my be more directly served by one person’s gifting. But every person can still serve the need, and allow they’re gifting to lift-up other’s giftings in that moment of need. We can serve the need however God’s gifted us – directly or indirectly.

Earlier, I told you that on Mondays, I wait until my wife, Julia, gets home from work, so she can cook dinner. Actually, that’s not what I do. It is true that she is gifted in cooking and baking, more than me. But, even though she is more gifted at cooking and baking, doesn’t mean that I can’t serve the need of my kids hunger with the gifting I do have. My gifting may not be in cooking and baking, but, my willingness to serve the need is more important than how well I get it done. My kids may eat a basic dinner some Mondays, but they eat. But, on the nights when Julia does cook and bake, those meals are all the more betters because her gifting to cook and bake enhances the meal. God has gifted me with other abilities. And I try to use those to the benefit of our family as well. But, my gifting or Julia’s gifting isn’t more important than willingness to serve the need that arises. 

We initiate serving needs all the time, regardless if we’re gifted for them or not. We’ve been trying to figure out how to trim a tree that overshades our driveway. The best way to trim it would be to hire someone with lots of equipment. The need would be met, and in an enhanced and empowered way. But, when we don’t have the money for access to that enhanced method of tree trimming, we will sought to meet the need, with what we already have available. So, through some borrowed tools, and a lot of sore muscles, and anxiety about not falling off a ladder the tree is trimmed. Because the need was more important than the gifting. The gifting would definitely make it easier. But the willingness to address the need, with what we had, was what ultimately mattered. In the end, the tools of others enhanced our limited abilities to trim the tree. And that’s what the spiritual gifts would do. They aren’t needed to start serving the needs, but they are needed to support and collectively finish meeting the need.

What needs are you aware of right now? And what is your reaction to those needs? Is it a reaction of something like, I’m not gifted in leadership. I’m not gifted in administration. I’m not gifted in handling kids. I’m not gifted in speaking. I’m not gifted in singing. I’m not gifted in teaching. I’m not gifted in maintenance. While those gifts would definitely make addressing a need easier, and with less effort, it doesn’t mean that God can meet the need with just your willingness to serve as you’re able. That is more important. It’s more important,  because it’s the underlying motivation for how Jesus lived. It also doesn’t mean that God can’t incorporate the gift he’s given you to help meet the need as well.

Often our imaginations are narrow on how God could incorporate our administrative skills into children’s ministry. Or how God could incorporate our maintenance skills in leadership. Or how God could incorporate our limited knowledge in teaching. Or how God could incorporate our lack of mobility with discipling others to follow Jesus. The spiritual gifting you and I have, is a gift from God. It’s his to do with as he directs. We don’t control the gift we’re given, but we do control our willingness to serve however we’ve been gifted. Serve the need however God’s gifted you.

Be part of the work that God is doing to redeem and renew the world.

Today, if you’ve never surrendered you’re life to God, by placing faith in Jesus, I invite you to step that abundant life. The abundant life of God, who is already seeking to meet the needs of the world through the service of his people, and the supernatural giftings, he’s blessed us with. Be part of the work that God is doing to redeem and renew the world. Please reach out to me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help discern taking a step of faith toward life in Jesus, being united to the life of Jesus, through faith, under the water of baptism.

What need has God positioned you to serve right now?

If you’ve already surrendered your life to God through faith in Jesus, what needs has God positioned you near right now? What needs is God calling you to serve however you’ve been gifted?

Some practical places to consider this are: the areas of service still needed for the upcoming Kids Summer Extravaganza – An MC, Kids group leaders and helpers, and game guide. You might be believing, I’m not gifted to guide kids to abundant life in Jesus. And you may be right, that may not be your gifting. But, you are in a position to serve the need somehow, however you’ve been gifted by God. If this is you: will you trust that God can use your gifting or lack of gifting in a specific area to help guide kids to abundant life in Jesus during the Kids Summer Extravaganza, or Little Impact with the PreK-1st graders each Sunday, or Big Impact 1st-5th graders each Sunday, or youth group activities, or Mountainview Christian Camp staff, or help with an overwhelmed mom or dad each Sunday or during the week.

Another practical place to consider this is, in helping to clean the CCC building before the Kids Summer Extravaganza. You might be believing, I’m not gifted in cleaning. And you may be right, but, you are in a position to serve the need somehow, however you’ve been gifted. Will you trust that God can use your gifting or lack of gifting in a specific area to help care for, and steward the building God has entrusted to our care for worship and witness to our community?

Some other practical ways to consider this are in serving the need for: apprentices to be the next financial secretary of CCC, or next treasurer of CCC, or next Trustee, or next Elder, or maybe next staff person, or maybe next mission partner advocate.

What need has God positioned you to serve right now? And how is God calling you to serve the need however God’s gifted you? Serve the need however God’s gifted you.

Ordered: God's order for living and worship - Where is selfishness shaped into service? (1 Cor. 11:2-34)

Jordan Byrd

Ordered - Where is selfishness shaped into service? (1 Corinthians 11:2-34)

When I was younger, my mom’s side of the family would get together a week or so before Christmas. Adults would sit at the big, formal dinner table. And usually us kids would sit at a card table in another room. One food that usually made an appearance at this family get-together was my great aunt’s cookies. One year, at this get-together I really liked these cookies and wanted to have some extra after the get-together. And I didn’t want someone else to eat the rest of them. So, I took some and stashed them in my shoes. Where I figured no one would see them or take them. I stashed some cookies for me, so that others couldn’t have them. My family still reminds me of this incident, saying, “Do you want some extra cookies to put in your shoes for later.”

Our lives are filled with comparisons of the haves and have nots. A lot of the current political cycle is focusing on the haves and have nots. A lot of life is comparing what someone else has, that you don’t. A lof of our angst on a day-to-day basis is about having or not having enough for basic needs, or being able to do this or that. Our lives are also filled with temptations to do things that benefit ourself at the exclusion of others. Temptations for men to use force and dominance to maintain positions of authority. Temptations for women to dress however they want, even if it’s sensually tempting. Temptations for men to act like women and women to act like men. Temptations for any person to create their own sense of morality.

Our lives are filled with influences that shape us to believe that selfishness is the way to abundant life. That focusing on our self, at exclusion to others is what will give us access to life: What will give us the: authority, freedom, equality, a good life, etc. – that we desire. We’re shaped into selfishness. We’re shaped to exclude others. We’re shaped to Prioritize ourselves over others. In our world, today, Where are we shaped into service to others? Where are we shaped from selfishness into service to others? Where is selfishness shaped into service?

The good news of 1 Corinthians 11 is that we have been given access to where we can be shaped from selfishness into serve to others. The apostle Paul writes to the followers of Jesus in Corinth to highlight that Jesus, and his way of life models the abundant life we desire. Paul highlights that Jesus found abundant life as a blessing of being in relationship with his heavenly father. Jesus was given authority by his heavenly Father. Jesus was given freedom from anxiety and worry of fitting-in. Jesus was given equality with God and humanity. Jesus was given a good life from the one who is Life and created life. And because Jesus found himself cared for – in relationship with his heavenly Father, He was free from caring for himself to care for others. Jesus’ relationship with his heavenly Father shaped him away from selfishness, and into service to others.  Jesus’ relationship with his heavenly Father is what shaped him to give-up his life – in death – for those who were unlike him.

Where is selfishness shaped into service? In relationship with God. Being united to the life of Jesus. In focusing on Jesus; and following his example. Where is selfishness shaped into service? When we’re with Jesus. When we’re focused on his life and teachings. When we’re focused on his death and resurrection that make all wrong things right.

If you’ve ever been to some of the fancier steakhouses in our area, you know that you can’t just show up in shorts and a t-shirt. One place in particular, REQUIRES you to wear formal attire to eat there. While some might bristle at this standard – saying, “I should have the freedom to dress how I want. We Americans don’t like to be told what to do. We like being our own authority. And the people of firs-century Corinth were similar.

In 1 Corinthians 11, we encounter a situation where women were participating in the worship gathering of other Jesus followers with their head uncovered. The context of the passage indicates that women having their heads covered during worship (especially, when they were praying or prophesying) was the conventional standard. And some women were leaving their head uncovered – flaunting their freedom to do so.

Now there are a few concepts that need explained here. In first-century Corinth, the phrasing for an “uncovered or covered head” could be a reference to a couple different things.

One, it could be a reference to an actual head-covering, like a shall of some kind. A piece of cloth that would actually be worn over the hair of a woman. Two, it could also be a reference, not to a piece of cloth covering a woman’s head, but a woman’s hair pinned-up, instead of hanging down. In my opinion, the second option seems to make the most sense, in relation to the other language Paul uses in this section, especially when he references a woman cutting-off or shaving her head.

Beyond whether this was a cloth head covering, or a head covered with pinned-up hair, the way a woman styled her hair conveyed something more specific in first-century Corinth — than just a preference of hair-style. In first-century Corinth, women with their hair down in public could be an indicator of being a morally loose woman. Like, a temple prostitute, or any person who solicited men for sexual encounters.

Also in first-century Corinth, women wore their hair-up as a social indicator of embodying the female sex. It was a way of differentiating women from men.

A woman who wore her hair-up was also a way of indicating her relationship status. Similar to how women wear wedding rings in our culture.

Overall, women wearing their hair-up in public was a social standard in first-century Corinth. To not do so, was considered odd, inappropriate, disorderly, and confusing.

Throughout 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul addresses a scenario in the Corinthian church, where women were apparently claiming that they had the freedom or right to act as they wanted. That their faith in Jesus somehow freed them from the social norms of Corinth. That they could wear their hair down in worship. While women covering their head was a standard in first-century Corinth, that isn’t a social norm for us, in 21st-century America, today.

To see how this applies to us today, we have to look past the form – to the principle behind the form. Paul is ultimately calling the women of the Corinthian church to act in a way that isn’t shameful to the name of Jesus. For women to wear their hair down in worship in Corinth, could taint the witness of the church. It could convey to the watching world, that the church of Jesus is no different than the other temples in Corinth. “They have prostitutes, and apparently, the church of Jesus does too” – by the way women appear in worship with their hair down. It could convey to the watching world, that a woman’s faithfulness to her husband wasn’t important. “Look, she’s putting herself out there for other men, with her hair down.” This would cause disgrace to her husband and marriage. But again, this was the form for first-century Corinth.

What might the principle Paul is highlighting, look like in our 21st-century Americanized worship service? Dressing sensually with other believers? The rest of these could apply to women or men: Giving the appearance of attracting someone not your spouse; or, not wearing a wedding ring; or, spending a lot of time with someone of the opposite sex, not your husband. Or, loyalty-questioning comments about someone of the opposite sex (like: “she’s hot,” or “he’s so attractive”). The form is different, but the same principle is the same: not giving the appearance of inappropriateness, sensuality, or infidelity. Or, looking out for honor and faithfulness to one’s spouse. Looking out for faithful witness to the honor and faithfulness that Jesus calls us to in marriage and appropriateness in relationship to those we’re not married to.

Henry Ford brought the assembly-line process to the forefront of our society. In an assembly line, multiple people work simultaneously, but on different parts. On an assembly line, Who is most important? In a sense, every person is equally important. But, each person is also interdependent on the person before them and after them – to make their assembled part work together to fashion a car or computer or toy. Each person on the line is equal – there is equality in the beings running the line. But each person is functionally dependent, or subordinate – to the other people on the line. Without the others, the product doesn’t come together. Each person’s role is needed. Even though, someone’s role has to come before another.

Paul’s words in 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 point toward this order that God has fashioned into his human creation. Paul points back to Genesis 1 and 2, to make this point. Adam and Eve were both created human. But without each, there is no male or female. Without each, there is no procreation. Each are equal in humanity, but each are different in their functionality. Adam and men contribute certain qualities different from women; and Eve and women contribute certain qualities different from men.

And back to 1 Corinthians 11, Paul is connecting that the most abundant life possible is to live into the way God created you: male or female (man or woman). To confuse this order is to miss the abundant life that God has for you. Paul is reminding these women to live into the abundant life that God has created them to embody. And to also live into the abundant life that God has for them in relationship with their husband. And to also live into the abundant life that God has for them in relationship with the other men in the body of Christ.

Essentially, Paul is highlighting that: Focus on ourselves is not what’s going to lead to the abundant life that we desire. Rather, focusing on how we can use the body, gender, and natural gifts and abilities that God has given us – to consider and honor and serve others – will lead to a community of people where everybody is interdependent on each other.

Where is selfishness shaped into service? And as we’ll reflect on,  we’re shaped to view life this way by focusing on Jesus, and his other-oriented way of life.

There is a restaurant where I grew up. And, it’s one of the nicer restaurants in that area. They served steaks. And they were known for their garlic bread. When I was a young kid, my parents always told me that “kids weren’t allowed to eat there.” I was always baffled by this. I was allowed to eat at any other restaurant. But not this one. And, really it’s just that the loudness and immaturity of kids would make the environment not as enjoyable for other people eating there. Even though I wasn’t allowed to eat in the restaurant, my parents and grandparents always brought home extra garlic bread, that I was able to try. The haves: My parents or grandparents –  took their experience at the restaurant, and shared it with me – the have not.

In 1 Corinthians 11:17-34, Paul is advocating for the church in Corinth to embody the posture of service to the poor and excluded. This section is a glimpse of what communion, or the Lord’s Supper looked like in the first-century. It contained the bread and cup that we use each Sunday here. But, it took place within an actual meal.

While we’ve become accustomed to gathering for worship in a designated church building, this was not the case for the church in first-century Corinth. Following and worshiping Jesus was still an up-and-coming practice. It didn’t have the established order and practices that we’re accustomed to now, including access and means to have a separate building where they could gather and worship. What was more typical was that the church gathered in someone’s home. Likely a home large enough to accommodate a number of people at once. And the size of such a home likely belonged to a wealthier person in the church. When the church met for worship, it would also meet around a meal. And part of the meal was breaking bread and drinking wine, or grape juice of some kind –  in remembrance of Jesus’ broken body and shed blood on the cross.

The origin of communion, or the Lord’s supper that Jesus instituted, also took place during a meal: the Passover meal – which was a meal that Israelites ate in remembrance of God’s deliverance of them out of slavery in Egypt. As Christianity spread beyond Jerusalem and to the ends of the earth, the meal dynamic of communion faded into the background, but partaking of the bread and cup remained forefront, to remember Jesus and his way of life as the standard for living and worship.

A dynamic of first-century Corinthian culture that isn’t apparent to us, while reading this passage, is that wealthy people were known for hosting parties. And part of hosting parties was to invite those less well-off to eat. But, they would serve inferior food and drink to these guests somewhere else in the house. Meanwhile, the wealthy host would be eating select, expensive, fine food in the formal dining area of the house, along with other wealthy, elite guests they invited.

What ensued is what we encounter in 1 Corinthians 11. 11:18 – divisions. 11:21 – private dinners. 11:22 – to the point that the hosts are overfed and drunk, and the guests are hungry and sober to poor status.

Paul is not saying it’s unrealistic for their to be people of different status levels coming together to eat (11:19). For the bringing together of poor and wealthy is what the kingdom of God is all about. Forging into one community, those who were unlikely to come together, if it wasn’t for following Jesus.  Paul, in a sense, is commending this aspect. But he is correcting the divisive manner in which they are gathering for worship. When the wealthy focus on themselves and look past the need of the poor in their community, they are despising God’s church and humiliating their poor brothers and sisters in Christ. The wealthy followers of Jesus in Corinth were continuing to allow themselves to be shaped by the values of Corinth rather than the values of Jesus.

Where is the selfishness of these wealthy followers of Jesus shaped into service of their poor brothers and sisters in Christ? In the vary meal they gather to remember Jesus. In Jesus. In Jesus’ life and example. Paul points to the example Jesus set with his own life. Paul points to Jesus’ example of giving-up focus on himself for service to others. Paul points to Jesus’ example of giving-up his life on the cross to overcome death on our behalf. Paul points to Jesus’ relationship with his heavenly Father as what shaped Jesus away from the temptation to be selfish and fight being handed over to death, so that he could serve and give humanity a future beyond death in his resurrection. Jesus’ relationship with his heavenly Father shaped him away from selfishness and into service.

Paul points back to Jesus and the meal that remember his selfless, servant-hearted life. Reminding the church in Corinth, that this is the way of life Jesus is trying to shape you into. Not the division that your selfishness is shaping you into. That is leading you toward life for yourself, and destitution for others. Whereas, Jesus is trying to lead you to abundant life – and abundant life for others.

Communion is a moment to discern if you're being shaped into the way of Jesus with others.

When Paul directs these followers of Jesus to “examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup,” he is not talking about a private (you and God) moment. He has in mind a real discernment of how their selfishness, and lack of awareness and consideration of the poverty of their brothers and sisters in Christ is impacting the health of the church, the witness of the church, and the real withholding of resources that they could provide to their needy brothers and sisters in Christ. It’s only in Jesus selfless example that the Corinthian church was going to shaped from selfishness into service to others. in how they dressed or acted toward the opposite gender (11:2-16), or treated those poorer than themselves (11:17-34). The same is true for us today, as well. Following Jesus is where selfishness is shaped into service? Where is selfishness shaped into service? In following Jesus.

Today, we don’t deal with women’s hair being down as inappropriate. Nor, do we deal with wild, divisive meal during our worship gathering. But, are their ways that we’re still tempted to be like the first-century Corinthian followers of Jesus? Are we sensual in how we dress among the body of Christ? Are we shaming our spouse by how we dress or speak about them or speak about others? In the body of Christ, are relationships and marriages different from the rest of the world? In the body of Christ, are we presenting a different standard in our relationship to each other? A standard that looks obviously different from the rest of the world? In the body of Christ, are we giving-up our selfishness to focus on serving and lifting-up the skills and abilities of others?

Benevolence Fund

From time to time, people call or get-ahold of the ministers or elders, asking for financial help. Thankfully, some years ago, a group of people in this congregation made a commitment to regularly give a set amount toward a benevolence fund. As people gave to this fund, it has enabled the leadership of the church to financially assist many needy people over years. Sometimes, it’s people connected to the church, who are going through a rough situation. Sometimes, it’s people not connected to the church at all. But at the end of their rope, and just looking for some assistance to get them by. The benevolence fund is possible because people in this congregation have been shaped by the selfless-ness, sacrificial, and servant-hearted, and compassionate example of Jesus to all of us. Jesus shaped the initial group of people to band together to give of their means, to be shaped away from selfishness, to serve and bless others in need. The benevolence of this church is a result of giving, over and beyond general giving and giving to our mission partners. Benevolence isn’t a line-item in the church budget. It’s a result of intentional, selfless, service to others. Because Jesus was intentional and selfless in his service to us on the cross – to overcome death. Are you being shaped by Jesus?

Where is your selfishness being shaped into service? It can happen by following Jesus.

Today: What is shaping you away from God’s abundant life? What is shaping you away from service to others, and instead, shaping you toward anxiety and worry and focus on yourself? 1 Corinthians 11 invites you to consider how Jesus will shape you toward a more abundant life. Please find me or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you discern what your next step of faith in experiencing abundant life in Jesus might be. Ultimately, we hope you will unite your life to Jesus under the water of baptism, and allow him to shape you into his abundant life.

If you’ve already united your life to Jesus, Are you allowing the example and teachings of Jesus to shape you away from selfishness and into service to God and others? Are you approaching communion as a private moment? Or as a reminder to be less of you and serve and bless others in the body of Christ? How aware are you of the needs of those in the body of Christ?

How is God’s Spirit shaping you away from selfishness, and toward service to others?

 Lastly: How is God’s Spirit shaping you away from selfishness, and toward service and hospitality to others in the body of Christ? How is Jesus’ shaping you to serve and host others in the body of Christ, with the resources God’s blessed you with.

Grab a paper plate on a seat near you. Notice someone in this room today, whom you don’t know very well. Write their name down on the plate (or after the service, go introduce yourself and get to know their name, and ask it you can have them over for dinner, or go grab a dinner or coffee some time. Whoever God’s Spirit is impressing on your heart, don’t assume that person is too busy to be invited. We live in a lonely world.

Where is selfishness shaped into service? When we’re with Jesus. When we’re focused on his life and teachings. When we’re shaped to become like Jesus, and live into his abundant life of service in God’s kingdom.

Ordered: God's order for living and worship - You'll become what you worship (1 Cor. 10-11:1) - Byrd

Jordan Byrd

Ordered, 1 Corinthians 10-11:1

You probably know the phrase “you are what you eat.” Meaning, your health and well-being will take the shape of what you eat. Give it healthy food, and you’re body will take the shape of a healthy person. Give it unhealthy food, and you’re body will take the shape of an unhealthy person. What we eat is usually correlated to what we crave. Correlated to what we desire to eat. Our desires drive most of what we do.

We could adapt the phrase, “you are what you eat” – to “you are what you desire.” Or, as author James K.A. Smith says it, “You are what you love.”

“You are what you love.” Think about what drives what you do. What do you love? What do you set your heart on? What do you pursue because your heart is set on it? Because you love it. Those areas of life that you give time, effort, emotion, and resources toward them? It might be Bills’ games. It might have been (and maybe one of these days) be Sabres’ games. It might be your family: like your kids. It might be your vacations. It might be U.S. politics. It might be your recreational activities: pickleball, video games, movies, tv shows, hunting, sewing. It might be information and learning. It might be your career. It might be your house or property.

We all have loves that tempts us to make them the ultimate something. We all have those areas of life where we’re tempted to set our hearts on them as the ultimate things. We all have longings and desires that vie for our attention. Or another we we could put it: There are multiple things that vie for our worship.

The fourth century follower of Jesus, Augustine of Hippo, wrote in his biographical testimony, Confessions, that the issue of his life – and what he noticed in the lives around him – is that different loves vie for attention in our lives. And, the battling of these loves is what causes issues. Augustine described the brokenness of life as the consequence of “disordered love” or as the Bible calls it: sin. The issue according to Augustine, is that all loves – all desires and objects of our affection and attention – can’t be the ultimate thing. They – can – be good things, but not the ultimate thing.

A soft-drink tastes great on it’s own.But if a bunch of other drinks were added to it, the drink would be less enjoyable. It would be less enjoyable, because the taste of the soft-drink is hidden by all of the other flavors mixed into it. This is what it’s like we when try to worship Jesus, and a bunch of other desires and loves. When you try to worship multiple things, life gets messy and confusing. Worshiping multiple loves is another way of referencing idolatry in our world. 

John Calvin, one of the 16th century reformers of the Christian church – during the Protestant Reformation of the Roman Catholic Church –  is credited for saying, that Human hearts are “perpetual forges of idols.” Or, often, more simply put: “Human hearts are idol factories.”

Paul makes a similar point throughout 1 Corinthians 10. Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 10:6, to keep from setting your hearts on evil things.

And immediately, he ties that the evil things are idols. Throughout this section, Paul is recounting how the ancient Israelite people set their hearts on things other than the Lord God. And how their idolatry watered-down their worship. And lead to a weak life with God. And ultimately, it led to a number of Israelites’ destruction.

Idolatry will lead to a weakened experience of God.

What we encounter throughout 1 Corinthians 10 is that idolatry – setting our hearts on something other than God – other than the God revealed in the life of Jesus – will lead to a weakened, or lesser, experience of God. Idolatry is setting your heart on something other than God as the ultimate thing. Idolatry puts the Lord God, revealed in Jesus, in competition with other loves. Idolatry introduces other influences into your life. Idolatry weakens the experience of Jesus that you have, and that those around you have through your witness. When you worship multiple things, Jesus becomes unrecognizable in your life.

Jesus is able to withstand the weight of being the ultimate thing.

The good news of 1 Corinthians 10 is that Jesus is the best thing to worship. Jesus is the best thing to worship because his glory is able to withstand the weight of being the ultimate thing. Because he is the creator, redeemer, and restorer of creation. Because he is the Lord God. And when Jesus is the only thing you worship, and dedicate your time, attention, emotions, and resources toward, you’ll become more like Jesus.

And the step of faith that 1 Corinthians 10 calls you to step into is to consider the state of your worship: Is your worship concentrated on Jesus? Or is your worship mixed with other loves? 1 Corinthians 10 invites you to ask the question: Are you becoming like Jesus? Or something else? You’ll become what you worship.

Social media has changed the landscape of influence drastically. Before social media and smart-phones, a person had to have access to: a record label, publisher, or television network. But now, influence can be accessed at most of our fingertips. We live in a world where teenagers are making millions of dollars on YouTube or TikTok. And the temptation is that anyone can become just as successful. In recent years, different surveys have revealed that many kid’s dream job is no longer to be President or CEO of a company. Rather, YouTuber has shut-up the ranks of desirable careers. While making videos on social media is accessible to most people, those who have become known for it, are often a result of giving themselves to it: creating video after video, keeping up with the algorithm changes, coming-up with new ideas all the time, chasing the next subscriber, chasing the next like or comment. I dabbled in making short-sight-seeing videos over a year ago. And I quickly realized how demanding it was to constantly create content. And it easily became a consumer of my time, attention, and resources. I could see how giving time, attention, and resources was shaping me toward a certain end. And the end-result looked like chasing: likes, views, subscribers – to hit the next goal of platform building – to hit the threshold of possibly making money from a video – to keep heading-down that road, I was going to become an anxious, exhausted, absent person to the other people in my life. My desire to have videos noticed, was shaping me in a way I didn’t like. I was being shaped by what I gave time, presence, and attention to.

Throughout the first section of 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul looks to the example of the ancient Israelites as an example of what not to follow. In 10:1-4, Paul describes how the Lord God called the Israelites out of slavery (out of eventual death) in Egypt, and into abundant life in covenant with, and worship to God. Paul describes the stability and nourishment that came to their live by worshiping the Lord God: In 1 Corinthians 10:3, they ate and drank from God, their spiritual rock. Whom Paul says is the same God revealed in Jesus: the Christ.

But in verses 1 Corinthians 10:5-10, Paul recalls how the ancient Israelites allowed the temptation of other loves and desires to shape and influence them away from the Lord God. Verse 1 Corinthians 10:7; is a reference to Deuteronomy 32, where while Moses went up the mountain to receive God’s law (the ten commandments), the people allowed their desires to run rampant, and fashioned a golden calf to worship. While the people are waiting for God to reveal his law to them, they take up other forms of worship. Which, shapes and molds them into idolaters — literally creating an idol out of their own jewelry. And in the process, pushed themselves further away from God. They made it more difficult for themselves to experience God. They also made it more difficult for the nations surrounding them to see the glory of the one true Lord God in relationship with humanity. The Israelites idolatry polluted their worship. The Israelites’ idolatry polluted their ability to experience the blessings and promises that God had for them.

Paul also recounts similar times, from Numbers 16, 21, and 25, where some Israelites let their desires run wild into sexual immorality, or their defiant desire to return to a life of slavery in Egypt, or their grumbling desire for a new leader they believed would be better than God’s choice of Moses. All of these desires polluted their worship of God, and polluted their experience of God’s blessings. Their worship of sexual gratification, life in Egypt, and better leaders, shaped their path toward destruction, and being cut-off from God’s blessings.

In 1 Corinthians 10:6-7, Paul says, “Now these things occurred as examples to keep us from setting our hearts on evil things as they did. Do not be idolaters….” He doubles-down in 1 Corinthians 10:11-13, “These things happened to them as examples and were written down as warnings for us, on whom the culmination of the ages has come. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall! Paul bridges the conversation to his audience of Jesus followers in Corinth by saying, “Don’t think your faith in Jesus – makes you exempt from these same temptations.” “Don’t think that your freedom in Jesus from the old Israelite covenant – makes you exempt from these same temptations.”

This temptation traces back to Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3). Where they were tempted to worship themselves. Shaping them to become disconnected from the life of God altogether. Adam and Eve’s polluted worship shaped them to experience less of God’s blessing. They became what they worshiped: false gods. Making themselves as something ultimate that was unable to bear that weight; and eventually they died, and God was still the Lord God – the ultimate thing.

In 1 Corinthians 10:1-13, Paul is calling the Corinthian followers of Jesus to understand that worship matters. Worship is what enables us to experience more of God, or less of God.

In 1 Corinthians 10:13, Paul highlights that this is the great temptation: the temptation to give our worship – our time, attention, and resources to something other than God as the ultimate thing, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.” 

Being a follower of Jesus does not give us freedom from temptation, But it does back us with God’s guiding power and wisdom to endure temptation.

Being a follower of Jesus does not give us freedom from this temptation, But it does back us with God’s guiding power and wisdom to endure past the temptation to worship other things.

When we’re tempted to pursue acts of worship outside of God’s loving boundaries: greed, selfishness, pride, vengeance, grumbling, complaining, ingratitude, sexual immorality, etc. It doesn’t have to be a forgone conclusion that we will give into those desires. It’s not a forgone conclusion that we have to be shaped by them. Being tempted toward them is unfortunately normal and realistic in a world separate from God, but it’s not sinful. What is sinful, is to give into them, and make something more important than God and his way of life. To do so, is to worship something other than God – to worship an idol. To this, in 10:14, Paul warns the Corinthian followers of Jesus to “flee from idolatry” (1 Corinthians 10:14)

How do you like your marshmallow’s cooked: golden brown, or burnt black? If you like them golden brown, you know there is a delicate balance of how close to the flames you can have the marshmallow, before it’s consumed by flames. This imagery is helpful in understanding what Paul is communicating in 1 Corinthians 10:14-30.

A few weeks ago, Mitch helps us from on 1 Corinthians 8, where the topic of meet sacrificed to idols was first mentioned in this letter. Mitch referenced how meat sacrificed to an idol was a common occurrence in the pagan culture of Corinth. Part of the worship of that happened in these temples, involved meat sacrificed to the deities. The meat was used in the actual worship practices in the temples; and/or sold at regular marketplaces.

A helpful comparison would be kosher food for Jewish folk. Or Halal food for muslim folk. Meaning, there is a religious process involved in the utilization of such foods. Either way, the meat referenced in 1 Corinthians was used in the worship of a god other than Jesus.

Throughout this section of 1 Corinthians 10, Paul is laying out a spectrum. On one end of the spectrum is eating meat in the temple - that was sacrificed to these false gods. To do this, someone would have to literally be going inside the temple. And participate in the rituals of the temple.

Think of someone who would want a hotdog, and the only place to get one is a the Bison’s ballpark downtown. To get and eat the hotdog, you’d have to also participate in the process of getting a ticket, going to the concession stand, and hearing the sounds of the game, etc. So, that is one end of the spectrum that Paul is presenting.

On the other end of the spectrum is eating this same meat from a marketplace… (or that a non-Christian bought at a temple or marketplace and served in their home). At this point in the spectrum, Paul is saying, “Yes, it was used in worship to a god other than Jesus, but if you’re aware that the meat was offered to a false god, and you’re convinced that Jesus is the true Lord and that ‘the earth is the Lords, and everything in it” (1 Corinthians 10:26; Psalm 24:1) – including this meat – and you’re grateful to Jesus, and not a false god for it – then it’s perfectly fine to eat.

Now, you might be thinking, “What’s the difference?” The difference is in the worship. When the meat is eaten in the temple, it’s more difficult to not be shaped by the worship practices that accompany eating meat at that time. But, when the meat is eaten in other space, the follower of Jesus is still allowing their worship of Jesus to shape their eating of the meat: offering thanks to Jesus for it. And, using the opportunity to eat the meat with an unbeliever to point them to true worship of Jesus as Lord, as the ultimate thing.

Overall, Paul is saying that worship shapes us. You’ll become what you worship. The meat itself isn’t the issue. What someone does with the meat – is the issue. How someone worships with it – is the issue. And worshiping someone other than Jesus, invites evil forces to shape and mold us toward destruction. This is why Paul notes in 1 Corinthians 10:20, “...the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God, and I do not want you to be participants with demons.” That form of worship shapes people away from Jesus – away from the abundant life of God. If you participate in it, you’ll be influenced away from God – away from Jesus too. This is the point on the spectrum – of no return, where the marshmallow is going to be affected by the flame – where it’s going to be burnt. The point where you’ll for sure begin to be shaped by something other than Jesus.

But this is also why Paul can say in 1 Corinthians 10:25, “Eat anything sold in the meat market without raising questions of conscience, for, ‘The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.’ Outside of the places where unbelievers worship, there is more nuance to still be able to be in the world, but not of it – to eat the meat sacrificed to idols, but not be influenced by it.

On this end of the spectrum, you can still interact with the world, without it shaping you out of a living like Jesus. The point on the spectrum where you can get the marshmallow close enough to the flame, where it can be with the flame, but not burnt. The point where you can still be in the world, but not of it. In the world, but not shaped away from living like Jesus.

In 1 Corinthians 10:23-24, Paul reiterates what Mitch highlighted for us a few weeks ago, that your knowledge of false worship is good, but love of your brother or sister in Christ is better – if you’re being in the world, but not of it causes them to stumble in your presence. Forgo your right to eat the meat in that moment – for the sake of unity in the body of Christ. But beyond that, being with unbelievers – and helping them enter God’s kingdom is just as important. What’s important to notice here, is that both approaches to others (weak believers or unbelievers) requires being shaped by the love and mission of Jesus through our worship of Jesus. You’ll become what you worship.

1 Corinthians 10 prompts us to ask, “What am I worshiping?” What other loves or desires are polluting my worship of Jesus? Am I trying to worship Jesus and those things all at once? When I do so, I’m deceptively allowing sin and evil to pull me toward destruction. To pull me away from abundant life in Jesus. To shape me toward some other end, than the life of Jesus. I’ll start to become what I worship. You’ll become what you worship.

Taste and see what you’ll become when you worship Jesus.

Today, if you’ve never sought to worship Jesus alone – as the one true Lord and ultimate thing in your life – I invite you to move away from other objects of worship, and taste and see if Jesus holds up to the weight of being the ultimate thing in your life. I invite you to ask me, or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you discern your next step of faith in making Jesus your singular object of worship, surrendering to Jesus under the water of baptism, so that he can shape you to be like himself, so that you’ll be come what you worship, so that you’ll become like Jesus.

If you’ve already surrendered your life to Jesus, What tempts you away from worship of Jesus? Grab a piece of paper on a chair near you. Grab a pencil in a seatback near you. On left side of the paper, write, “Jesus.” One the right side of the paper, write, “idol.” Draw a line in the middle. On the right side of the paper, write or draw something – that represents something that temps you away from worship of Jesus. What is something, that, if you partake in it, would cause you to give up living for Jesus in some way? Maybe it’s brunch with your family, or kid’s sports, or Bills’ games, that pull you away from worshiping Jesus on Sunday mornings. Maybe it’s politics or following the 24/7 news cycle that pulls you away from reading and meditating on God’s word. Maybe it’s binge watching that show or movie, that pulls you away from being energized and alert enough to seek God in prayer each day. It’s not that these pursuits are evil, in and of themselves. But at a certain point, they do begin to shape you away from Jesus, to where it’s hard to recognize Jesus in your life and worship.

On the left side of the paper, write one step of commitment that you’re going to take, this week, to let go of lesser desires and loves, to pursue Jesus as the ultimate love? Maybe it’s marking your calendar, now – to plan to be here next Sunday. Get our your phone, or planner now, and mark it down. Make it an alert or set an alarm for Saturday night. Make it a priority now, so that you can be shaped by Jesus next Sunday. Maybe it’s setting an alarm for each morning, or at lunch, or before bed, to pray for at least five minutes, or for maybe at least five things. Maybe it’s choosing now, to not see that movie or tv show that you already know is not shaping you to be like Jesus. Make that decision now, and not when you’re tempted to go ahead with it later. Maybe it’s choosing now, to be celibate with your girlfriend or boyfriend. Making that decision now, and not when you’re tempted otherwise, later. In the end, these are all simple forms of faithful worship to Jesus. Allowing his way of life to shape us to become like him and experience his abundant life.

How is God’s Spirit calling you to order other desires and loves under him as the ultimate desire and love? How is God’s Spirit calling you to repent of worshiping other “gods” alongside trying to worship Jesus? You’ll become what you worship.

Holy Wholly: Sanctified Unity - What ignites your purpose? (1 Corinthians 9) - Jordan Byrd (Copy)

Jordan Byrd

Holy Wholly - Sanctified Unity, 1 Corinthians 9

Have your experienced the frustration of trying to light birthday candles with matches? Where you rush to light as many candles as you can with one match before it goes out. With a match, there is only so much fuel. And once it goes out, there is nothing left to keep the flame going. Whereas, if a lighter is used to light the candles, there is fuel to keep the flame going. A match has a limited purpose. Whereas, a lighter has a longer-lasting purpose. With a match, the reward is that a candle is lit. And if the candle goes out, that is the extent of the match’s purpose. Whereas, with a lighter, the reward can be that a candle is lit; but even if the candle goes out, the lighter can still keep a flame ignited for other candles, or a fire-pit, or fireplace, or sanitizing an instrument, or unfreezing something, or sealing a nylon rope, or light a torch, or use as an emergency signal, or many other purposes.  The point is that the match form of ignition is limited in it’s purpose. whereas, the lighter form of ignition is wide-ranging, and lasting in it’s purpose.

What ignites your purpose? What motivates what your life is about? What keeps you on that path, even if there isn’t an immediate reward?

What keeps you caring for, providing for, and going through the range of emotions in dealing with developing children in your home? Is it the legacy they will provide you? Is it the retirement care they will afford you? Is it to maintain the image of having a picture-perfect-idealized family for social appearances? Or, is there something else that ignites purpose in caring for children?

What keeps you learning? Is it just because the law requires you to go to school? Is it just because you need a diploma? Is is just because you need a degree? Or, is there something else that ignites purpose in learning?

What keeps you maintaining a home (whether you own or rent)? What keeps you maintaining that space? Is it just to have a dry, warm place to live? Is it just to have a place for your stuff? Or, is there something else that ignites purpose in having a home?

What keeps you having a vocation? What keeps you active and working each day? Is it just to get money? Is it just to cover expenses? Is it just to make it to the next level of the company? Is it just to make it to the next income level? Is it just to provide for a few worry-free years of retirement. Is it just to provide for a good time this weekend? Or, is there something else that ignites purpose in having a vocation that you take-up each day? 

What keeps you living? What keeps you eating, sleeping, and treating your body (regardless of age)? Is it just to not be in pain? Is it just to exist? Is is just to get the most days you can out of life before death? Or, is there something else that ignites purpose in living another day?

What keeps you participating in Jesus’ church? What keeps you gathering for worship? What keeps you meditating on God’s word? What keeps you sacrificially giving of your time, talent, and resources? What keeps you serving those, who aren’t biological family? Is it just something to do? Is it just to be enlightened? Is it just because you have family or friends who participate? Is it just because it’s tradition or habit? It it just because it’s a historic legacy to maintain? Or, is there something else that ignites purpose in participating in Jesus’ church?

What ignites your purpose?

Many of the purposes just referenced, aren’t bad or evil. But, they're limited in scope. They’re limited in the range of their impact. A multi-generational family and multi-generational can be good things. But those are only rewards for a limited number of people. An education can be a good thing. But it’s reward is limited, if it only benefits yourself. A house and job can be good things. But their reward is limited, if it only benefits yourself. Participating in Jesus’ church is a good thing. But the reward of participating in it, is limited, if it only benefits yourself.

In a world separated from God's life revealed in Jesus, we often seek fulfillment in lesser purposes that can't truly satisfy. And pursuit of lesser forms of purpose leaves us frustrated and wanting. Like trying to light a bunch of candles with one, limited match. These lesser forms of purpose leave us wanting a purpose that’s greater and longer-lasting. A purpose that doesn’t flame-out. A purpose that can last through the ups-and-downs of life.  And the more we, and other people have pursued lesser forms of purpose as the greatest degree of purpose – falsely and distortedly convincing ourselves that maybe this, or this, or this purpose – will ignite a lasting purpose. But, it’s a viscous cycle, that turns-in on itself. Each flame of purpose burning-out, one after another.

In contrast, God’s word reveals good news that this is not the way to lasting and wide-ranging purpose. What we encounter in 1 Corinthians 9 is the apostle Paul’s testimony of discovering a lasting, impactful purpose as part of God’s mission. God’s mission to rightly order lesser forms of purpose under the Lordship of Jesus. God’s mission of all people redeemed to experience abundant life in Jesus. 1 Corinthians 9 is Paul’s testifying to the good news that he discovered in Jesus. That guiding all people to abundant life in Jesus is the most-lasting and impactful purpose he’s experienced. 1 Corinthians 9 shows us Paul’s experience of Jesus being what ignites his overall purpose in life, work, and existence – Paul’s experience of Jesus igniting an eternal purpose – a purpose that impacts all people – and not just himself, and his own well-being.

Jesus ignited Paul’s purpose. What ignites your purpose?

Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky are credited for saying, “Leadership is disappointing your own people at a rate they can absorb.” (Ronald Heifetz and Marty Linsky)

Author, Todd Bolsinger, expands this further by saying, “Disappoint people too much and they give up on you, stop following you and may even turn on you. Don’t disappoint them enough and you’ll never lead them anywhere.” (Todd Bolsinger)

As a parent, I’ve had to develop this skill. The skill of disappointing my kids at a rate they can absorb. Recently, there was a situation that my kids were looking forward to have happen. And the situation fell through. While not disappointing my kids can be a good purpose overall. In this situation, doing anything to “not disappoint them” was not going to be the greater purpose. Telling them the truth in a way they could handle for their age, is the greater purpose I had to lean into. Disappointment is a reality in a world where truth exists. If we distort truth, we’re going to be disappointed when negative consequences result. Similarly, if we live by according to truth, those who don’t want to accept truth, are going to be disappointed. This is similar to the situation that Paul finds himself in in 1 Corinthians 9.

Paul is addressing a church in Corinth whom was comprised of people from various backgrounds: Jewish expats, Grecians, Roman citizens, and other subcultures. Two of these cultures presented distinct perspectives and expectations for a leader, like Paul.

1 Corinthians 9:1-12; Deuteronomy 25:4

Jewish customs and culture provided precedent for a religious leader, like Paul — to receive financial support from the religious community for his work as a preacher of God’s word (see 1 Corinthians 9:1-12; Deuteronomy 25:4). Paul also ties this to Jesus’ own words in Luke 10:7, where Jesus sends out 72 disciples to proclaim, or preach the good news of God’s kingdom, and as these workers go, they are to eat and drink whatever they give you, “for the worker deserves his wages….” (Luke 10:7)

Similarly in Matt. 10:9-10, Jesus sends out 12 disciples to proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God, and he tells them, “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. (Matthew 10:9-10)

From Jewish priests receiving food from the process of offering sacrifices in the temple, to even an ox being fed from the grain that it is grinding-up for humans to make bread, and the original disciples of Jesus receiving support for themselves and their families – for their work in preaching the good news of Jesus – Paul being called to a similar role by Jesus is confident that he has precedent to also receive financial support for his work of preaching the word of God to the Corinthian church. And if he received such, he would not be going against the guidance of God’s word. This Jewish perspective and expectation, relied on a communal support and buy-in for the work of the leader.

The Grecian/Corinthian perspective and expectation for financial support for a leader, like Paul was different. Greek, Corinthian: philosophers, public orators, or thought leaders, similar to the role Paul had among Corinthian followers of Jesus, would often find financial backing by a private benefactor. A wealthy person or family may hire such a person to speak on their behalf, or give them insight and guidance. While this provided a direct benefit for the benefactor, it would limit the benefit that others could receive from this person’s guidance. Specifically, there would be a conflict of interest. A philosopher or orator would be tempted to say what needs to be said, to keep receiving their funding.

Think of a politician approaching re-election, and being tempted to say what needs to be said, just to get re-elected. Or think of the company that’s tempted to make decisions that benefit it’s investors, over the good of its customers.

Paul is caught between these two expectations, as a leader of the church in Corinth. Does he insist financial support from the church, knowing that the pooer followers of Jesus could dismiss his message, thinking he’s just bought off to say what the wealthy followers of Jesus want him to say – causing further division among the body of Christ (between the poor and wealthy)? Or, does Paul give-up his right to financial support from the church, so that the word of God can have no road-blocks from being heard and shaping to the life of both poor and wealthy followers of Jesus? Paul is faced with a decision to discern which purpose is greater: his financial provision – his well being, or the well being of all people, poor or wealthy, to have the opportunity to encounter the good news of Jesus, that leads to abundant life?

For Paul, Jesus is so much his Lord and source of life – that participation in his mission to redeem creation – sparks and fuels Paul’s drive and purpose, beyond any other force (greater than the pull and lure of financial benefit and comfort). Paul is so convinced of Jesus as Lord, and the change agent that the world needs for it’s brokenness, that Paul will do anything to help guide any person to the abundant life in Jesus, that he personally has experienced. God’s activity in Paul’s life has transformed Paul to find the God’s mission so compelling, that he will participate in it, without immediate benefit to himself. 1 Corinthians 9:16, “For when I preach the gospel, I cannot boast, since I am compelled to preach. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel! (1 Corinthians 9:16)

Jesus’ impact on Paul’s life is what continually ignites Paul’s passion and purpose – to help others encounter jesus, even if there’s no immediate reward or benefit to Paul. Even if people don’t respond to Paul’s preaching, the mission of God will keep his purpose ignited – to guide the next person to encounter Jesus. Jesus ignited Paul’s purpose. What ignites your purpose?

From the age of 7 through my high school years, I competed in men’s gymnastics. I receive a decent number of trophies, medals, and ribbons, throughout those years of competition. As great of an achievement as those trophies, medals, and ribbons were, do you know where they are now? In an old, boarded-up, water-heater closet in the back of the closet of my child-hood bedroom at my parents house in Ohio. Winning those trophies, medals, and ribbons was meaningful to me at the time. But, their meaning and value is limited. Those accomplishments and rewards lack the power to give me purpose and meaning in other areas of my life – for my day-to-day job; for my marriage; for my parenting; or for my participation in the body of Christ.

Toward the end of 1 Corinthians 9, Paul shifts to the imagery of athleticism and discipline. In 1 Corinthians 9:25 references a crown that a winning runner in an ancient Grecian athletics competition could receive. The original version of this crown was made of dry, wild celery. Later, it was made of pine. But, the imagery of a crown of greenery, that will eventually rot or dry-out – that is not long-lasting – paints the picture of Paul’s comparison. Paul’s comparison that a reward of this value could ignite purpose for athletes to train for hours upon hours, and endure all sorts of cost to themselves; and, if that little value could spur that kind of purpose and sacrifice, how much more would the greater value of God’s mission – could ignite purpose and sacrifice, to see the reward of people of all backgrounds experiencing abundant life in Jesus. The hope of this world experiencing a world made right by Jesus, is of greater value than any other reward can bring. The rewards of comfort and financial gain – for Paul, were limited, compared to the lasting reward of a world made right by Jesus. Participating in God’s mission is what ignited Paul’s purpose, even at sacrifice to his comfort and financial support from others. Paul was willing to do a side-job, tent-making, to enable him to still participate in God’s mission of all people finding abundant life in Jesus.

Jesus ignited Paul’s purpose. What ignites your purpose?

In a sense, the weight of this passage is harder on someone like me, or anyone else preaching and proclaiming God’s word. It prompts me to evaluate the purpose for which I preach.

Am I preaching a certain message, because it won’t ruffle feathers and not jeopardize people getting angry and not giving? Or am I preaching a certain message because I’m convinced of the truth of God’s word, no matter how disruptive it’s guidance may be? According to Paul, I should have the confidence of God’s word to support my preaching of God’s word, that, declaring the truth of God is worth compensation from the church body. Because, that is the realty of how we minister’s are supported through the faithful and generous and sacrificial giving of the church body, to whom we help guide to encounter abundant life in Jesus, through the preaching of God’s word. I’m grateful that this body is by and large, surrendered to God’s mission, and faithful and generous and sacrificial in it’s giving. That pattern, is in keeping step with the precedent set-forth in God’s word, and you should be commended for that service to God’s kingdom. So, I, as a preacher, have to ask my self, “does the mission of God ignite my purpose in making God’s word known?”

But 1 Corinthians 9 applies this principle to more than just the leaders of the church. This principle saturates into the life of the kingdom of God overall. Take parenting. Does Jesus ignite your purpose? Does Jesus ignite your purpose in parenting? Is participating in God’s original mandate in Genesis 1:28; Matthew 28:19-20 – to “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it” part of your purpose in having children, and how you plan for your family? Is participating in God’s redemption mandate in Matthew 28:19-20 – to “...make disciples of all nations [including your children here], baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” When your kids are driving you nuts, and there isn’t the immediate reward of: peace and quiet or a clean house, does the hopeful reward of your children finding life in their creator and Lord, of greater purpose? Does the mission of God ignite your purpose in raising kids?

Does Jesus ignite your purpose in having a home? Is God’s mission the purpose you have in maintaining a home? Is your home a base-camp for making Jesus known to those around you? 

Does the mission of God ignite your purpose in having a home? Or, is your own benefit the purpose?

Does Jesus ignite your purpose in education? Is God’s mission the purpose you have in learning? Is your education a resource and platform to help all people encounter abundant life in Jesus? Does the mission of God ignite your purpose in learning? Or, is your own benefit the purpose?

Does Jesus ignite the purpose of your daily work (retired or not)? Is God’s mission the purpose for your work? Is your work for your benefit; or an outlet for helping all people encounter abundant life in Jesus? Does the mission of God ignite your purpose in working? Or, is your own benefit the purpose?

Does Jesus ignite the purpose of your existence? Is God’s mission the purpose for you living another day? Is God’s mission the purpose that drives your conversations, thoughts and prayers, interactions with family or medical personnel, or your finances? God’s mission is not limited in ways to participate in it. Does the mission of God ignite your purpose in existing? Or, is your own benefit the purpose?

Does Jesus ignite the purpose of your participation in Jesus’ church? Is God’s mission the purpose for why you’re here today? Is God’s mission the purpose for why you sing? Is God’s mission the purpose for why you meditate on God’s word? Is God’s mission the purpose for why you pray? Is God’s mission the purpose for why you give? Does the mission of God ignite your purpose in participating in Jesus’ church? Or, is your own benefit the purpose?

You may benefit directly from parenting, learning, working, having a home, living, and participating in Jesus’ church. But those benefits are short-sighted, compared to the potential impact that’s possible in God’s mission. Parenting, learning, working, having a home, living, and participating in Jesus’ church, may give us purpose for a while. But they’re not designed to give ultimate purpose. God’s word in 1 Corinthians 9 is asking us to consider that an ultimate purpose for our lives is found in participating in God’s mission – in guiding all people to experience abundant life in Jesus. This is a purpose who’s flame will will never go out, as long as we’re continually surrendered to Jesus as Lord.

Jesus ignited Paul’s purpose. What ignites your purpose?

Jesus ignited Paul’s purpose in a less-than-ideal Corinthian culture. What ignites your purpose?

Taste and see; and take a step of faith.

Today, if you’re struggling to find lasting purpose for your life, I invite you to taste and see that Jesus is where you can find that purpose. Taste and see that the mission of God can ignite a purpose that will never wane. Taste and see that participation in the mission of God is the most abundant life you can experience. I encourage you to reach out to me or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you discern taking a step of faith toward being united to the life of Jesus under the water, in baptism.

What step of faith is God’s Spirit calling you to take to make his mission your purpose?

If you’ve already united your life to Jesus, What step of faith is God’s Spirit calling you to take today? What step of faith is God’s Spirit convicting you about the purpose that you currently pursue for your parenting, learning, working, having a home, living, and participating in Jesus’ church? What step of faith is God’s Spirit calling you to take to make his mission your purpose? If you need ideas for what that step might be, I encourage you to reach out to me or another trusted follower of Jesus, to help you discern concrete ways to step into God’s mission in your daily life. Get coffee, lunch, or make a phone call this week, to get that conversation started.

What ignites your purpose?

Holy Wholly: Sanctified Unity - Trust that Jesus isn't limited by your situation (1 Corinthians 7:10-24) - Jordan Byrd

This is the leash that I use to walk my dog. This particular leash allows me the leash to be limited to a few feet out; or extend out, giving the dog more options of where to walk). When it comes to the topic of marriage and divorce, this leash offer a helpful image for how we, as humanity, have approached this topic. In marriages that are not unstable, our imaginations have been captivated with limited responses: divorce, avoidance of marriage, or dealing with with the instability on your own. 

Whereas, as we reflect on the word of God from 1 Corinthians 7, we encounter that Jesus’ imagination isn’t limited to divorce as the only option. Rather, through the Spirit of Jesus illuminating the Apostle Paul, in this writing to the church in Corinth, we encounter that Jesus' imagination for responding to an unstable marriage is far-reaching – father-reaching than the limited options our imaginations allow in such situations.

We live in a world where it’s common for marriages to only last so far. You either know of family and friends who have experienced divorce; or, you, yourself, have experienced divorce. And, you know the: sadness, grief, anger, frustration, confusion, guilt, loneliness, and the sorrowful relief – that accompanies it. As far back as Adam and Eve hiding from each other in the paradise of the Garden of Eden, until now – once humans separated from the perfection and wisdom of God, constant, healthy union in marriage – has been difficult. And that reality is still true in our day-and-age. Whether it’s the often-quoted statistic that an average of 50% of marriages end in divorce, with first-time marriages likely hitting a little lower than that average; and subsequent re-marriages likely hitting above that average. An internet search, will show that a second or third marriage, after divorce from a first marriage, gets statistically less and less likely to last. Beyond statistics, we anecdotally see this reality all around us: I’m still amazed at the amount of marriages that have ended in divorce, from classmates of mine, whom I had, while in Bible college.

Divorce has been one response to unstable marriages. So also has cohabitation, or avoidance of marriage been another response to the instability of marriage. Avoiding marriage, or cohabitation, which is living together in a pretend marriage situation, but without the backstop of commitment to keep it together – allowing one partner to walk out at any time, without much repercussion – compared to divorce, that, at least involves a legal and financial hurdle to end the relationship.

Another response to unstable marriages, has been to just put-up with: unfaithful, abusive, ungodly, or in-humane treatment. Feeling like you’re just stuck in your situation. Feeling like you don’t want to be a divorced person, but you also don’t want to continue as things are. Feeling like you’re alone.

Our imaginations have been captivated with limited responses to instability in marriage.

What we see from this brief survey, is that our imaginations have been captivated with limited responses to instability in marriage: divorce, avoidance of marriage, or dealing with with the instability on your own.

Good news that we encounter in God’s word in 1 Corinthians 7, is that Jesus' imagination for responding to unstable marriages is far-reaching – offering a more comprehensive and extensive perspective on how to respond to instability in marriage. Where we feel limited in how to respond to trouble in marriage, Jesus isn’t limited in how to meet you in the trouble. Jesus’ imagination for your situation is farther-reaching than; and more creative than you can figure out on your own. God’s word in 1 Corinthians 7, invites us to trust Jesus’ guidance in marital trouble. Trust Jesus’ grace amidst poor decisions we may have already made in, or out of marriage. Trust that we’re not alone to navigate marital trouble. Trust that Jesus isn’t limited by your situation.

I know of someone who has their grass cut by a company. On one occasion, I encountered that his person didn’t like how the grass was getting cut. And the next time that person’s grass was getting cut, it was by someone else. It appears that this person was unhappy with the relationship with the lawn-mowing company, and just ended the relationship right away, no other procedure needed.

Marriage is a covenant, not a contract.

A marriage relationship is not a contractual relationship, like we have with a company. A marriage is ultimately (and from what we encounter throughout the Bible), a covenant, not a contract. A contract is an agreement that can be voided if one party doesn’t hold up their end of the agreement. A covenant is an agreement that is meant to endure past a falt in holding up one end of the agreement. A contract is a fixed scale of percentage participation: 50% for one party; and 50% for the other party. A covenant is a vacillating scale of percentage of participation. In ideal times, it’s 50/50. In sickness it might be 70/30. In financially hard times, it might be 20/80. On a rough day, it might be 55/45. The point is: a business contract is limited in commitment; A marriage covenant is designed for give and take, by both the husband and wife. Marriage is not something designed to be ended like firing your grass cutting service.

Paul has been correcting the Corinthian followers of Jesus to remain married in a culture, that was spiritualizing celibacy, or, being unmarried. Go back and watch or listen to last week’s message for more on that context. It’s here, that Paul reiterates that married followers of Jesus are to remain married, and not seek an end to their marriage, “A wife must not separate from her husband. But if she does, she must remain unmarried or else be reconciled to her husband. And a husband must not divorce his wife.” (1 Corinthians 7:10-11)

Paul supports this instruction by saying that is comes from Jesus’ teaching himself, “To the married I give this command (not I, but the Lord).... (1 Corinthians 7:10) 

If 1 Corinthians 7:10-11 were digitized, we could double-click on it and see an expanded explanation of Paul’s instruction. This instruction from Paul, here, is essentially sourced and footnoted for further reading in God’s word. First, this instruction points back to Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:31-32 (with a parallel saying in Luke 16:18), ““It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 5:31-32 [see also Luke 16:18])

And Matthew 19:3-8 (with a parallel incident in Mark 10:2-12), “Some Pharisees came to him to test him. They asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” “Why then,” they asked, “did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Jesus replied, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” (Matthew 19:3-8 [see also Mark 10:2-12])

Jesus addresses the topic of divorce in each of these passages; and, in each of these passage, Jesus refers back to another footnoted, double-click passage from God’s word in Deuteronomy 24:1-4, “If a man marries a woman who becomes displeasing to him because he finds something indecent about her, and he writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, and if after she leaves his house she becomes the wife of another man, and her second husband dislikes her and writes her a certificate of divorce, gives it to her and sends her from his house, or if he dies, then her first husband, who divorced her, is not allowed to marry her again after she has been defiled. That would be detestable in the eyes of the Lord. Do not bring sin upon the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.” (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)

To unpack the overlap of these passages, let’s first begin with Deuteronomy 24:1-4. In this passage, God’s law revealed to the Jewish people, says that a person may divorce someone, “If” something “indecent” is found in the other person. This term, “indecent” is a generalized term, without precise nuance. It’d kind of like our use of “junk.” Is it actual broken stuff? Or is it stuff we just don’t like anymore, but is perfectly usable. We can get a sense of the term “indecent” by looking one chapter back, in Deuteronomy 23:12-14, “Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. 13 As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 14 For the Lord your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.” (Deuteronomy 23:12-14)

The term “indecent” pertains to something off-putting, like someone seeing someone go to the bathroom. What exactly “indecent” or “off-putting” meant, with this term was debated. And two schools of thought emerged. The Rabbinic school of Shammai understood the term “indecent” to refer sexually indecent actions (adultery, sex outside of marriage, or any other sexual perversion outside of marriage to someone of the opposite gender). Whereas, the Rabbinic school of Hillel understood the tem “indecent” to refer to anything “indecent,” not just sexually, but in any area of life. Like, if a spouse ruined a dish of food, then that indecency was warrant for divorce.

We can see this debate trickle down to what we encountered in Matthew 19, a moment ago, where the Pharisees ask Jesus, ““Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any and every reason?” They’re looking for Jesus to take a side; and Jesus does more than take a side, he clarifies exactly what kind of indecency makes divorce permissible: adultery – sexual activity with someone who’s not your spouse of the opposite gender. This context to the Pharisee’s question clarifies Jesus’ explanation in Matthew 19, where the Pharisees say, “Why then… did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?” Jesus replies, “Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another woman commits adultery.” The false belief is that divorce is the only option. The false belief was that divorce was “commanded.” That it was the only option. It wasn’t commanded, but, it was permitted, as recourse, for victims of marriage unfaithfulness – for victims of adultery. The false belief is that divorce is the only option, when something doesn’t go right in a marriage. The true belief, from Jesus, is that divorce is the last, permissible option among other options, but, it’s not the only option. Because of hard hearts, because of hearts separated from God, divorce became distorted and acceptable for any and every reason – creating a worldview where anything wrong in a marriage is a deal-breaker, and worthy of divorce; creating a worldview with limited imagination of how to navigate differences and mistakes (big or little) in marriage. That’s not a marriage covenant. That’s a marriage contract.

Jesus’ response to the Pharisees doubles-back to the original permission for divorce, which was adultery, and giving a roadblock to make it more difficult to end. The scenario given in Deuteronomy 24 is interesting. At first, the scenario follows the husband. The husband discovers the wife has been indecent (technically, sexually active outside of the marriage), and he decides to divorce her. But if he does divorce her, that ends the marriage. The process of issuing a certificate of divorce, helped divorce to not be a rash decision; because once it was issued, the marriage was understood to end, and it would free the wife to remarry, as marriage was a social form of security for a woman at that time too.

The scenario follows the wife from here. She remarries, and if that man also divorces her or he dies, the woman is not allowed to remarry her first husband, there are a couple reasons this could be: 1) In cases of serial adultery (if the woman was an adulterer in multiple marriages), prohibition of the woman remarrying the first husband, could be protective to the man, from a woman who is habitually unfaithful in marriage. 2) But another reason could be the dowry payments that were involved in Jewish marriages. The prohibition of the woman remarrying the first husband, could also be protection for her from being financially exploited by the man. Remarriage in this way, could also be a slimy way to “be married” correctly, but have multiple partners – so a form of sexually activity with multiple women, through the format of “marriage” and “divorce.” The protection of people from selfish and sinful behavior is the focus of keeping divorce to a minimum. In all, the protection of people from selfish and sinful behavior is the focus of keeping divorce to a minimum, and only permissible in cases of adultery. God is trying to make it harder for people to ruin the abundant life he wants people to experience in marriage and in sexual union.

As a follower of Jesus, responding to instability in marriage is not limited to divorce. But divorce is an option for situations of adultery. What this all boils down to from Deuteronomy, and later, Jesus’ re-clarification, is that As a follower of Jesus, responding to instability in marriage is not limited to divorce. But divorce is an option for situations of adultery.

When we look back to 1 Corinthians 7, this takeaway from Deuteronomy and Jesus’ teaching in the gospel, explains Paul’s instruction to husbands and wives to remain married, even through rough moments. If separation does happen through hard-heartedness (for any reason other than adultery), leave room for Jesus to bring about reconciliation. That’s why remain unmarried (celibate). If adultery wasn’t involved, the marriage wasn’t torn. Be faithful to the sexual, marriage covenant on your end. Leave room for God to heal the fractured marriage, as only he can. But, if the separation is because of sexual immorality on the part of your spouse, then you are permitted to divorce for that reason. But know that it’s not a must. It’s not the only option available. Reconciliation may also be possible. Trust that Jesus isn’t limited by your situation.

Remain married. Remain unmarried (celibate). Or reconcile.

Note that the options are: Remain married, remain unmarried (celibate), or reconcile. These options may seem unimaginable from your limited perspective, but by the power of God, Jesus’ ways are not limited in your situation – if you’ll leave room to trust him with your situation.

Hybrid vehicles have become more normal on the road these days. Hybrid cars have both gasoline and eclectic engines. The driver can pick to run the gasoline engine over the electric or vice-versa. As sometimes, the gasoline engine isn’t ideal to use in certain situations. And sometimes the electric engine isn’t ideal to use in certain situations. And some models allow for both to work together at the same time. The relationship of the engines in a hybrid car depict a similar dynamic in a marriage between a Jesus follower and someone who doesn’t follow Jesus.

As the good news of Jesus carried past the God-fearing Jewish people, and into the non-Jewish population, and people who worshiped foreign gods and idols, like Greek and Roman cultures, it would not be surprising for a spouse in an existing marriage in those cultures, to turn to faith in Jesus. And as a result, a believer would not be married to an unbeliever in Jesus. It was a hybrid marriage.

Paul’s instructs these followers of Jesus to remain married to their unbelieving spouse, if their unbelieving spouse is willing to continue the marriage. The “out”, if you will, is on the unbelieving spouse, not the Jesus-following spouse. Paul gives a hybrid adaptation, of sorts, on what we just encountered about marriage and divorce from Deuteronomy and Jesus’ teachings. Paul is remaining faithful to Jesus perspective on marriage, that a marriage covenant stay in tact, no matter how it was begun, as long as sexual immorality isn’t tearing it. What we see is that the stability of the marriage commitment is still a God-given blessing – wherever it is established between a husband and wife. The difference, as we encounter in this passage, is that it’s continuance, is made empowered by God’s presence at work in the marriage. And with at least one spouse — connected to Jesus in the marriage, it provides Holy-Spirit empowerment to at least 50% of the marriage, with the Jesus-following spouse. That’s better than nothing. That’s not to condone a Jesus follower to purposely marry an unbeliever, as that would be unwise. But this situation and context is different – where this marriage likely began with two unbelievers, and one of them converted to following Jesus, after the marriage began.

Paul also points to the benefit for the children involved in such a marriage. That they are more likely to encounter and become captivated with Jesus, in such a situation, compared to if neither spouse was a follower of Jesus. It’s a better to have one witness, than have no witnesses in a family. Overall, Paul’s instruction is for the believing spouse to remain married; and trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation. Trust that Jesus isn’t limited by your situation.

While we’ve already covered how sexual immorality is the limited exemption for divorce, Paul’s instructions to believers married to unbelievers also allows for the believing spouse to be freed of the marriage, if the unbeliever wants out of the marriage. What we essentially encounter here is divorce by abandonment. The temptation here, could be to see any form of abandonment as cause for the end of a marriage. But the key dynamic here is the spiritual state of the abandoning spouse.

This situation prompts us to wonder how it might apply to an abuse situation. No matter how it’s viewed, that’s a tricky situation. An abuse situation could involve an unbelieving spouse, who is behaving sinfully, because they are not surrendered to God’s ways. Or, it could even be from a self-proclaimed Jesus follower, who is behaving in ungodly ways toward their spouse. While none of these scenarios are ideal. The wisdom that Jesus gives us in such circumstances is what we encounter in Matthew 18:15-17, “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.“ (Matthew 18:15-17)

Jesus’ words instructs us to address the sinful, or abusive behavior. And if it’s not heeded or stopped, take it to other followers of Jesus to come alongside you. And if the behavior is still not stopped or repented of,it can be brought to the broader church community, to have more people in your corner. And if the behavior still doesn’t stop, then that person is treated as an unbeliever. Ultimately, no person can make a person change. But, someone being abused can remove themself from an abusive situation, if able. They are not obligated to be sinned against. That is not Jesus’ desire. In the case of a person in an abusive marriage, as best I can tell from the process Jesus gives in Matthew 18 – and what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7 – when a person will not respond to repentance, or change, from habitual abuse, then separation is sorrowfully permissible. Because, even in the case of a “so-called” believer, their behavior is like that of an unbeliever. But catch that this process of separation is not something you have to do alone. It’s actually wise to not do it alone; and allow caring brothers and sisters help you discern how to navigate such a sticky situation. In such a situation, know that you’re not alone. You have Jesus, God’s Spirit with you; and you have brothers and sisters in Christ alongside you to navigate the situation too. Trust that Jesus isn’t limited by your situation. He’s always with you, and he’s got a family of people alongside you. You’re only option isn’t to feel stuck or alone in such a situation.

It’s true that the best time to invest for your future is right now. While the most ideal time to invest is as early as you can. But the next best time is as soon as you can. Investing where and how you can right now. In 1 Corinthians 7:17-24, Paul essentially uses the examples of first-century Jewish circumcision and Roman slavery as examples of people investing in Jesus where they find themself. While there is a lot of other directions we could go for these topics, the short of it is that Jewish followers of Jesus, living in a non-Jewish culture, like Corinth, would have desired to look like an uncircumcised Corinthian – to fit in. But Paul’s point is that circumcision or uncircumcision isn’t the most important thing. Being a child of God and a citizen of his Kingdom is what’s most important and life-giving. Similarly, enslaved followers of Jesus, living amidst unenslaved followers of Jesus, would have desired to be free – to be like their freed brothers and sisters. But Paul’s point is that slavery or freedom on earth is not of ultimate importance. It’s better to be free – to be sure; and that’s why Paul says to take your freedom, if you can get it. But, it’s not the most important thing to seek after. Seeing the fuller freedom from sin and death that comes as a child of God and a citizen of God’s kingdom, that’s what’s more life-giving.

It’s this perspective that allows Paul to instruct people to remain as they are, whether wishing your body fit in (circumcision), or wishing you were free (slavery), or wishing you weren’t married or could get out of marriage – that one change isn’t your only option. Trust that Jesus isn’t limited by your situation. Rather, trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation. Jesus isn’t limited by your circumcision or lack of circumcision. Jesus isn’t limited by your slavery. And, Jesus isn’t limited by your unstable marriage: Divorce. Mistaken divorce. Adultery. Sexual immorality. Marriage to an unbeliever. Or abusive situation. Whatever your situation, Jesus isn’t limited in how he can be with you through it. Jesus isn’t limited in trying to bring transformation to it.

Entrust your life to Jesus, in faith, under the water of baptism.

Today, if you’re not a follower of Jesus, how is Jesus’ Spirit calling you to trust him with your life’s situation? How can you take a step of faith to trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation. How can you take a step of faith to entrust your life to Jesus, in faith, under the water of baptism – becoming united to the extensive life of God. Please find me or another leader here, or a trust follower of Jesus, whom you know, to help you discern taking that step of faith.

Trust that Jesus isn’t limited by your situation.

If you’re already a follower of Jesus, what situation do you find yourself in, that Jesus’ Spirit is calling you to trust him? Is your marriage unstable? Trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation to help you be humble; or repent of selfish behavior; or stick it out – to remain married – to remain faithful. Have you already been divorced? Trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation to forgive you; to help you remain celibate; to reconcile, where reconciliation is possible. Are you divorced and remarried already? Trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation to forgive; to help you remain faithful in this marriage; to make this marriage an example to the world of God’s faithfulness to us. Are you married to an unbeliever? Trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation to be with you, when you feel alone; to be a faithful witness of Jesus to your spouse; to transform your spouse to believe also. Are you in an abusive situation? Trust that Jesus isn’t limited in your situation to be with you; to surround with with others; to help you navigate messy situation; to bring healing; to bring relief.

Trust that Jesus isn’t limited by your situation.