Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, [t]o the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ[.]

2 Thessalonians 1

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, [t]o the church of the Thessalonians in God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ[.] 2 Thessalonians 1:1

I continue my pause of my study of 1 Corinthians as I participate in a men's discipleship group (d-group) at my church.  This morning, my focus is 2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 and I lean on one of John Piper's Look[s] at the Book (or video labs) for this text - there are seven parts that "look" at this text and I reviewed part 3. In this video, Piper hones in on how Paul (and scripture in general) refers to the church based on the original Greek text, and its later translation into Latin and then English.  In watching this lab, there is one broad takeaway: 

Church derives from ekklesia - the Greek word from the original text.  This word per Piper appears more than 100 times in the New Testament (see also Strong's Concordance with Hebrew and Greek Lexicon as leveraged here).  It broadly refers to an assembly of people, and not just an assembly of God's people, and as it is inclusive of several possible definitions.  The implication Piper sees is that we should not think of the church as a building but as an assembly of God's people - wherever they are.  Piper shares how this definition gives the church power as power is given to God's people and not to an organizational structure confined to a single church/building/campus or even a denomination.  

Piper then proceeds to share how this definition of church as an assembly carried over to the Latin translation which of course was dominant in 1500 years of church history, and embodied in the Catholic church. He describes that when William Tyndale, as part of the Protestant Reformation, translated the Bible into English, his translation efforts were thought of as heresy, not just because the reformation itself undermined the organized church, but also because of the methods used to translate the Bible.  Such efforts ultimately led to Tyndale's persecution and ultimate execution.  Piper quotes David Daniel who shares that in translating ekklesia into congregation (vs church) plus how he translated other words*, Tyndale "undercut the the entire sacramental structure of the thousand year church throughout Europe."  This decentralization of the church of course to put power into the assembly or congregation - God's people (vs in church hierarchy and in the Pope) - was core to growth of the church beyond its Catholic roots. 

*translation of ekklesia into congregation vs church, presbuteros into elder vs priest, metanoeo as repent vs penance, exomologeo into admit vs confess

Piper also seeks for us to further understand from the text (v1) how attributes of assembly are defined as united "in "God the Father" and united in "Jesus Christ our Lord."   

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace and compassion for me - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor.

1 Corinthians 3

He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor. 1 Corinthians 3:8

I continue my study of 1 Corinthians.  I am assisted in my study by the Christ-Centered Exposition Series commentary for this book.  Today my focus is a review - aided by the commentary - of 1 Corinthians 3:5-17.  The introduction of the commentary* for today's text shares the following main point: "God uses his servants to build the church and will judge the quality of each person’s work, but he is responsible for the church’s growth." It continues to describe how the text seeks to ensure all believers are properly focused on loving and serving God in preparation for Judgement Day.

The commentary* then outlines how the text includes "three pictures to describe the church of God" and how the text uses each in three divisions:

1. The Church Is God’s Field (3:5-9): Paul seeks to address the politics and conflict within the church at Corinth by explaining that neither himself, Apollos or Cephas (see also 1 Corinthians 3:22) are to be exalted as they are merely servants of Christ doing what God called them to do. The workers are not rivals but teammates working towards the same goal - glory to God.  The commentary* also explains that "how we serve matters. What we do and why we do it matter."  It makes a point to ensure we don't miss v8b and how Paul reminds us that "each will receive his wages according to his labor." Using the farming analogy, Paul then moves to share how even though God's workers - whoever they may be - plant and water the field, it is God alone that gives the growth. We are referred to John 4:34-38 where God is the Lord of the harvest. The commentary* for this division concludes with an admonishment: "[e]xalting a person to divine status is idolatry and robs God of the glory that rightly belongs only to him. Thank him for the service of his servants, but praise him for the growth in his field that only he can give." 
2. The Church Is God’s Building (3:9-15): The commentary* highlights how the text moves from a farming analogy to an architectural one where "[t]he church of the Lord Jesus is his field in which he sends his servants and coworkers to plant, water, cultivate, and reap a harvest. It is also his “building” (v9) where he sends his “skilled master builder” (v10) and other laborers and workers to build with materials of excellence that will withstand the purifying fires of revelation on “the day” of judgment (v13)[.]" We are reminded that Christ is the foundation and the members of the church are to work together to build upon that foundation.  The commentary writes: "[w]e work with good motives, methods, and goals. How we work in and for the church matters. Why we work in and for the church matters."  We cannot forget that Christ is the foundation of the church. The commentary* digs deeper into how Paul encourages Corinth to build on Christ's foundation carefully, using quality materials and methods.   It warns us against efforts that produce little value, particularly in light of how our efforts - all of us - will be judged according to our labor and the quality of our work.  The commentary* provides several key points about this judgement, including (a) this is a judgement of service, not salvation, (b) this judgement involves the quality of our work, not its quantity, (c) this judgement will evaluate both actions and motives. 
   
3. The Church Is God’s Temple (3:16-17): Paul's final division for the text extends the use of a building as a metaphor by referring to the church as God's temple. The commentary* shares four observations made by Paul about the church: (a) we (the church) are His sanctuary, (b) we have His spirit, (c) we are special, and (d) we are sacred.  The commentary* writes about how we are His sanctuary: "[w]hat an amazing statement of their identity in Christ and their status before God."  It writes about how we have His Spirit: "[t]he sovereign God of the universe now dwells in a small, insignificant people called the church." Regarding how the church is special, the commentary* writes how Paul warns the church (v17) to treat God's temple with respect and to avoid the many things that reflect poorly on the church: "[a] focus on entertainment, false conversions, preaching a watered-down gospel, spending resources on fancy programs or impressive buildings, weak preaching, acceptance of gossip and materialism, lack of prayer, loss of missions and evangelistic passion, and much more will drain a local church of its life." The warning here to not destroy the church is a grave one - we are referred to Galatians 1:8-9. Paul's words in this division conclude as described by the commentary* by emphasizing how the church is holy and set apart and this includes both privileges and responsibilities...and God will hold the church accountable for how we do.
   

 The commentary* concludes for the text today by quoting Andy Davis' book The Glory Now Revealed: What We'll Discover About God in Heaven and how it lists ten kinds of good works we should pursue:

1. Anything done for the glory of God (even simple daily tasks; 1 Cor 10:31) 
2. Humble servant-hood (Matthew 20:26-28) 
3. Sacrificial giving (2 Samuel 24:24; Luke 21:3; 2 Corinthians 9:6-7) 
4. Suffering for the kingdom (Matthew 5:11-12) 
5. Advancing the gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:19) 
6. Giving to the poor (Luke 14:12-14) 
7. Secret acts of piety—fasting and prayer (Matthew 6:6,18) 
8. Anything done to help those advancing the gospel (Matthew 10:42) 
9. Anything done to help other Christians in any way (Hebrews 6:10) 
10. An honorable life of hard work (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12)

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who is full of grace for me in SO many ways - thank You for the love and grace You pour out for me.  I am undeserving.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

*Akin, Dr. Daniel L.; Merritt, James. Exalting Jesus in 1 Corinthians (Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary). B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.

Isaiah 61-63

On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth.  Isaiah 62:6-7

I continue my deep dive of Isaiah, based on the Precept Upon Precept study series.  My study of Isaiah moves on to day 3 (of 5) of week 22, which looks at Isaiah 61-63.  Day 3 focuses on initial observations of Isaiah 62.  This chapter looks forward to end times when Jesus will come again and how the church must be prepared - saving as many as possible.  This commentary assists with observations and applications, including:

• to pursue with relentless passion the work of the church; this forces believers to be holy ourselves (1 Peter 1:15) as we are "challenge[d] to be just as zealous for the holiness of other Christians, to be energetic in the work of the church"; the challenge here is "to love the Bridegroom with undivided love, to put away all idols and worldly affections."
• leaders are challenged to "oversee the doctrinal and practical lives of the flock" and to practice "relentless intercession" on behalf of the church and others; leaders should not grow weary
• we are encouraged to see the "missionary thrust" of this chapter as the church is called to build a path for the world to approach God as its Savior (v10)

This morning's reading has convicted me greatly as I know there is work ahead of me to ceaselessly support the work of the church.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God who loves me and who never leaves or forsakes me - You give me the Holy Spirit so that I have strength to carry on with Your mission - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love.  My sin is great - pursuit of idle comfort vs Your mission - please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another.

Romans 15

I myself am satisfied about you, my brothers, that you yourselves are full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another. Romans 15:14

This afternoon, I continued my study of Romans.  Using my commentary - Exalting Jesus in Romans (eBook) - I continued with chapter nineteen Great Commission Christians, which covers Romans 15:14-15:33.  My focus today is v15:14-15, which my commentary refers to under the heading "Be Part of a Healthy, Gospel-Centered Church." While I have been posting on how Paul has been focusing on church unity, here, Paul offers words to help us understand where a church should focus around which unity can be built.  Key words from today's verses are "full of goodness, filled with all knowledge and able to instruct one another."  Goodness implies love; filled with all knowledge implies understanding of the gospel and scripture; and instruct one another implies how we are to study the Word together and to "sharpen" each other, borrowing from Proverbs 27:17.  I am also reminded how in the early formation of the church (Acts 2:42-47), how the new believers "had all things in common" meaning that although they call came from different walks in life with unique challenges, etc, they shared a passion for Jesus Christ - a much stronger bond than say a common interest in reading, movies, or food, etc. We should unite around this shared passion for Christ, and again not let unessential matters divide us. 

As I charge forward with this chapter in my commentary, I read from the commentary that this section (Romans 15:14-33) is a missionary focused, written by the "greatest missionary ever."  As I unpack this section, the commentary will provide eight (8) takeaways, starting with today's which use v15:14-15 to help us understand characteristics of a gospel-centered church.

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My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who loves me and who has placed me in great gospel-centered churches where I am known, loved and where I have grown in Christ!  Huge blessings indeed - thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin continues, including worry, etc. Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God.

Romans 15

Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you, in order to bring praise to God. v7

In Romans 14 (see previous post), I wrote about how Paul desires for us to be humble and not get wrapped around the axle based on debatable matters of faith.  Paul wants us to focus on what matters - loving (God and others) and encouraging one another so that there is unity in the church because if their is unity - there is strength. 

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who encourages me - constantly...through the Holy Spirit, Your Word, the church, my brothers and sisters in Christ, etc.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such love and encouragement.  I worry...and I neglect You.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.”

Luke 8

In fear and amazement they asked one another, “Who is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him.” v25

There are going to be periods in our life where we question whether God exists or whether He cares about us - see John 16:33 where He tells us "in this world, you will have trouble".  In the Garden of Eden, after The Fall, God promises Adam and Eve, and their descendants, a difficult life.

Yet we can always find our Lord and Savior - Jesus Christ - who is always with us.  See Matthew 1:23.  God will never leave or forsake us, and He is with us until the end of the age. 

That said, the next question many will have is - where is God?  

God is in the Bible - You will find Him (John 1:1).

God is in the church - in the fellowship of believers.

We have the Holy Spirit. 

You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:13

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an amazing God who loves me and who has made Himself known to me and blessed me - my cup runs over.  Thank You Jesus!  I am undeserving of such blessings and such a God.  I daily miss the mark.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from such sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes...Our God will fight for us!

Nehemiah 4

Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes...Our God will fight for us! v14, 20

Nehemiah 4 serves as a metaphor for our lives as we attempt to build a life based on Jesus Christ as the cornerstone.  Just as Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod worked to stop the rebuilding of Jerusalem, the Pharisees and Sadducees, among others, all rejected Jesus.

As I posted yesterday, our role in the church is very important because our fellowship with other believers serves to strengthen us as we fight the forces of this world in our faith.  

Most importantly, we have a God that will fight for us - just as Nehemiah states in v14 and 20.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and I know You can beat the dark forces of this world because You have beaten death and sin - You have overcome!  Thank You Jesus for helping me gain victories over sin - I continue to need Your strength.  I am not worth such love. I worry.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him?

2 Chronicles 2

But who is able to build a temple for him, since the heavens, even the highest heavens, cannot contain him? v6

Indeed...we should not think of a church building as a place where God lives.  God lives in the hearts of those who attend the church...yes, God is everywhere...but He lives, manifests Himself, and is glorified through His children - that is why we exist as believers - to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
  
My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God who is able to do all things, and You saved me!  Thank You Jesus.  I am not worth such love.  I am unclean and broken.  Please forgive me for my selfishness, etc. and help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.  

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure."

Psalm 122

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: “May those who love you be secure." v6

Peace within the church is important.  It starts with your own heart with regards to feelings about the church - and in this regard, I have often found myself in need of forgiveness in light of sinful criticism of the church.  Feedback is often valuable but I have complained...in this of course is complaining about God Himself.  Strength in the church relies on church discipline, peace and love...we will and can have sin, conflict, and disagreements in the church, but it must be dealt with in a peaceful and loving manner.  We must submit to church leadership.  God places these leaders in our lives. On a related note, this is true of other earthly leaders in our lives, whether that be in the workplace, teachers, in our government, etc.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an awesome God and You have placed great men of faith in my life that have encouraged me greatly and pushed me to grow closer to You and to be more like You.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and blessing.  I have complained and grumbled far too often - forgive me Jesus and help me turn from such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach, and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me.

Psalm 101

My eyes will be on the faithful in the land, that they may dwell with me; the one whose walk is blameless will minister to me. v6

We are called to be holy because He is holy (Leviticus 11:44).  As I posted yesterday, we exist to glorify God - yet another way of saying He wants us to be holy.  We are to draw others to Him through us....we are a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1).  Key to this is to surround yourselves with strong Christian influences.

We hold each other accountable.

And for your lifeblood I will surely demand an accounting. I will demand an accounting from every animal. And from each human being, too, I will demand an accounting for the life of another human being. Genesis 9:5

We also call each other up.

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17

My Prayer:  Lord, You call me up...You picked me up.  You saved me...how great is my God!  I am not worth such a God.  I continue to be harsh with my words, actions, and thoughts.  Thank You for Your mercy and kindness - please forgive me Jesus.  Help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give me strength.  Give Lisa strength.  Please heal and cure her of her cancer and the side effects from chemo.  Help me lead and serve Lisa, Zach and Dustin...and serve You.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

1 Corinthians 12

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. v12-14

Paul discusses how God created the church for us to be dependent on each other through the distribution of spiritual gifts.  Earlier in this chapter he writes:

There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.

 

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.  All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines. v4-11

Right now, with Lisa facing breast cancer...I see the body at work coming to support a "part" in need.  Praise God for the church and His perfect design of the church and how the church glorifies God by working as intended.

My Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are an incredible God and Your design, Your works....everything about You is perfect and I am amazed that You would come to earth to suffer and die...for me...knowing everything about me, including my sin.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not worth such love and affection.  I am selfish, full of worry, impatient, harsh with my thoughts, words and actions, etc.  Thank You that You love me anyway but please forgive me for my sin!  Help me turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, mind, and strength.  Help me love others as You do.  Help me grow in my faith.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.