John 5:16-30 Luke 2:41-52
This sermon is part of the places and events in the life of Jesus. 1/3 of the Gospel is concerned with the last 7 days before the crucifixion. Only ten verses deal with the first 30 years.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO JESUS’ PARENTS? – verse 41
Joseph and Mary belonged to the people of God. They sought to follow the law of God. Jewish men were commanded to go to three feasts: The Feast of Unleavened bread (Passover), The Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) and the Feast of Booths. By the time of Jesus, after the return from exile, the men only had to go up to Jerusalem for the Passover. They came from all over Israel and the Roman world. It was important that they obeyed God’s commands, for their spiritual good. That Mary came showed that was very devoted. It was tiring and costly and needed careful organisation to be away for two weeks. They knew there was blessing in obedience. As a family they sought to please God together. Cousins and other relations gathered together, for the only time in the year. We are commanded to gather together regularly and on the Lord’s day. There is great blessing in coming together. We are keeping a command by doing this today. To Joseph and Mary this really mattered. It is good to get together and there is great reward in doing this. Do we encourage our children and other family members to come? We should want to join in and not miss out. It trains us for eternity and what is after death.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO JESUS? – verses 43 to 48
He was only twelve years old, a child, very young. He went willingly with his mum and dad. He stayed longer than anyone else because he so loved the Bible. He may have undergone his Bar Mitzvah as he was twelve, an initiation, a coming of age, the age of responsibility. You could not make excuses – I do not know or understand. People travelled in groups called caravans, people often gathered in age groups. At the end of the first day his parents could not find him. They had to go back to Jerusalem to find him. That they had not looked in the day showed they had absolute trust in him, that he would not do anything wrong. When they could not find him they probably felt panic. After 3 days they found him in the temple courts discussing things with the teachers. They told him they were out of their minds with worry. He was showing a maturity far beyond his years. These men spent all their lives studying God’s word. It was important for Jesus to go to the temple in a thirst for truth, to learn from the Word and engage in spiritual discussions with other believers. He chose not to go to the market or seek out entertainment.
WHAT WAS IMPORTANT TO GOD THE FATHER? Verse 49
Jesus was not being insubordinate but asking them why they did not come straight to the temple. Often parents underestimate their children’s spiritual growth. He was not being careless or disrespectful. We all need a relationship with God. Jesus draw a distinction between Joseph, his earthly father and God, his heavenly father and his heavenly father’s will was most important. He wanted to serve God.
a) It is important His child learns of Him. Jesus’ motive in staying behind was not carelessness or disrespect but love of God.
b) It is important His child relates to Him. Jesus’ answer reveals his sense of self-identity, Jesus draws a gentle, but distinct, line between Joseph as His earthly father and God as His true father. He shows that the latter relationship has priority over the former.
c) It is important His child obeys Him. Jesus understands his unique calling requires devotion that takes precedence over all.
d) It is important His people understand. His parents do not comprehend what God is doing. We can forget God’s promises, time can dull the memory of what God has said to us. We need to please God but we do need to be dutiful to our earthly parents in all that we do. His parents needed to remember Jesus’ divine calling – they had forgotten what the angels had told them about Jesus.
WE LEARN WHAT IS IMPORTANT FOR US – verse 51
a) Jesus the Son of God, set us an example in dutifulness. His heavenly sonship didn’t excuse him from his earthly sonship. He fulfilled in learning from the teachers at the temple. You would think he had wanted to stay there but he has to go back to Nazareth. He bided God’s time, the God who might also make us wait. Joseph and Mary were humble but faithful in following God. We may have a lowly calling in life but we need to be faithful and excel in our ordinary life and please God.
b) Jesus reminds us that if Mary could lose him then we must all face the possibility that we might lose touch with the Lord Jesus Christ. In a place with believers, singing, the reading of scripture and things to remind them of God, they were unaware that Jesus was not with them. It is possible for you to go worship, come from a Christian home, have Christian friends and not be with the Saviour. They assumed all was well but there was no contact. They forgot that every relationship is two way. They did a lot of right things but lost closeness to Him. Eventually they found him in God’s house. That’s the most likely place you will meet him. Here He will speak to you as you reach out to Him.
We can know all about him and yet not know him. We can take it for granted all is well but we are responsible for making sure that we keep in touch. Yesterday’s blessings are past blessings. We can grow cold very easily. Joseph and Mary renewed their contact by getting worried and seeking out the Lord Jesus as we should if we have lost contact with him.
Sunday 17 February 2008
The Servants of the Church - deacons
Acts 6:1-7 1 Timothy 3:8-13
Deacons and elders are the only two permanent offices in the church. The names signify what their office. Elders guide the Church and exercise oversight. Elders delegate to deacons the office of serving the people. They both develop the character of the Church.
THE NATURE OF THE DEACON’S OFFICE
The term diakonos signifies in general ‘one who serves.’ The work of a deacon is serving. Deacons can be seen as like waiters. Acts 6:1-7. They served food to poor people. They visited them. They were appointed to assist the elders in serving the church. In the early church many new converts were very poor. The apostles were overwhelmed by their needs. Moses likewise felt overwhelmed by the needs of the people, elders were appointed to assist. Today we may not have such social needs but we do have many single parents who need care, Practically, food needed buying and carrying to people. They administered money and prepared the communion feast as well as the ‘love feasts’ in 1 Corinthians. The people were asked to look out suitable men in Acts 6. They were chosen by the people under the auspices of the elders. It is not clear how long they were chosen for. Voting for 1-3 years allows for a rotation of officers, it allows for the effects of sickness and for electing younger men, as people can be reluctant to stand down. We can get proud about our officers. Both officers overlap – deacons and elders, there is a cross over., some deacons preach the word of God.
THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE DEACON 1 Timothy 3:8-13
a) The deacons spiritual qualifications. Acts 6:3.
(i) ‘Full of the Holy Spirit’. Every Christian has the Spirit. The first deacons were radiant as the result of being full of the Spirit. They think spiritually. Seen in prayer meetings and in holiness. They take meetings and give book reviews.
(ii) ‘Full of wisdom’. Seen in meetings and balanced attitudes.
(iii) ‘Full of faith’. Seen in undying hope and loyalty. They shared the Gospel in the early church – see Phillip and Stephen.
b) The deacon’s moral qualifications - 1 Timothy 3:8.
(i) The deacon is to have a seriousness of mind. They should be joyful but not shallow
(ii) The deacon is to be transparently open and honest. He must not say things just to suit the occasion. He must not resort to smooth talking.
(iii) The deacon must not have an addiction to wine. In the early church water was often polluted. He must avoid dependency on wine.
(iv) The deacon must not be covetous. He must resist the temptation to embezzle money.
c) The deacon’s doctrinal qualifications 3:9
(i) The deacons must also possess a sound spiritual understanding. Romans16:25-26. He need not be apt to teach, he does need to understand and grasp the fundamentals of the revealed Gospel. The mystery of the Gospel has been revealed to us. These are at the heart of our faith. At the centre is that the Bible is infallible and inerrant. If there is the slightest suspicion that he is not clear in his grasp of the fundamentals, such a person has no place in office. He must wait if he does show lack of clarity. Deacons must have this because they are so influential.
(ii) Deacons are to believe with utter sincerity without reservation.
(iii) Deacons are to be tested or proved. They should be seen to be suitable – verse 10. He should be seen to live a gracious life. The Bible does not set a test but we must use discernment in our choice. Men should not be unduly disappointed if they are not proposed or elected.
d) The deacon’s personal qualifications. 3:12
(i) He is to be a man of one woman and manage his family well. He had to be a faithful husband and this ruled out polygamy. He is to be a good husband to his wife. If he is single he should demonstrate a faithful attitude to other men’s wives and single women
(ii) He is to manage his household in an excellent manner. He should be a good family man.
THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A DEACON’S WIFE 1 Timothy
Wives of deacons are a big factor in their husband’s usefulness. She will share in his sharing and caring work. She should not have a loose tongue and be temperate and trustworthy. They are a real asset to the deacon and the church.
THE INCENTIVES FOR A DEACON’S WORK 1 Timothy 3:13
It is often demanding and time consuming. Much is done after a long day’s work. Much is done in private but seen by God.
a) He obtains a good standing. He wins respect and gratitude from the entire congregation. He is loved and appreciated by all as well as the elders. Deacons can be the rock and foundation of the stability of the Church.
b) He obtains confidence in the faith and boldness in prayer. When you serve the Lord Jesus you gain deeper and fuller assurance in your faith. There is boldness in prayer. People who are not deacons or are women are still serving the church as indicated here by visiting and serving people. Finally we can see it is a guide for churches when seeking nominations for deacons. In this church we have many men qualified to serve. It also shows candidates what is expected of them. Not perfection but willingness.
Finally, these qualifications show us that the diaconate is the office which most closely resembles the servant-hood of Jesus Christ. Matthew 20: 26. Happy the church that has godly deacons for that church will be filled with the servant-spirit of Jesus. Let us pray that God will continue to raise up a succession of such men.
Deacons and elders are the only two permanent offices in the church. The names signify what their office. Elders guide the Church and exercise oversight. Elders delegate to deacons the office of serving the people. They both develop the character of the Church.
THE NATURE OF THE DEACON’S OFFICE
The term diakonos signifies in general ‘one who serves.’ The work of a deacon is serving. Deacons can be seen as like waiters. Acts 6:1-7. They served food to poor people. They visited them. They were appointed to assist the elders in serving the church. In the early church many new converts were very poor. The apostles were overwhelmed by their needs. Moses likewise felt overwhelmed by the needs of the people, elders were appointed to assist. Today we may not have such social needs but we do have many single parents who need care, Practically, food needed buying and carrying to people. They administered money and prepared the communion feast as well as the ‘love feasts’ in 1 Corinthians. The people were asked to look out suitable men in Acts 6. They were chosen by the people under the auspices of the elders. It is not clear how long they were chosen for. Voting for 1-3 years allows for a rotation of officers, it allows for the effects of sickness and for electing younger men, as people can be reluctant to stand down. We can get proud about our officers. Both officers overlap – deacons and elders, there is a cross over., some deacons preach the word of God.
THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE DEACON 1 Timothy 3:8-13
a) The deacons spiritual qualifications. Acts 6:3.
(i) ‘Full of the Holy Spirit’. Every Christian has the Spirit. The first deacons were radiant as the result of being full of the Spirit. They think spiritually. Seen in prayer meetings and in holiness. They take meetings and give book reviews.
(ii) ‘Full of wisdom’. Seen in meetings and balanced attitudes.
(iii) ‘Full of faith’. Seen in undying hope and loyalty. They shared the Gospel in the early church – see Phillip and Stephen.
b) The deacon’s moral qualifications - 1 Timothy 3:8.
(i) The deacon is to have a seriousness of mind. They should be joyful but not shallow
(ii) The deacon is to be transparently open and honest. He must not say things just to suit the occasion. He must not resort to smooth talking.
(iii) The deacon must not have an addiction to wine. In the early church water was often polluted. He must avoid dependency on wine.
(iv) The deacon must not be covetous. He must resist the temptation to embezzle money.
c) The deacon’s doctrinal qualifications 3:9
(i) The deacons must also possess a sound spiritual understanding. Romans16:25-26. He need not be apt to teach, he does need to understand and grasp the fundamentals of the revealed Gospel. The mystery of the Gospel has been revealed to us. These are at the heart of our faith. At the centre is that the Bible is infallible and inerrant. If there is the slightest suspicion that he is not clear in his grasp of the fundamentals, such a person has no place in office. He must wait if he does show lack of clarity. Deacons must have this because they are so influential.
(ii) Deacons are to believe with utter sincerity without reservation.
(iii) Deacons are to be tested or proved. They should be seen to be suitable – verse 10. He should be seen to live a gracious life. The Bible does not set a test but we must use discernment in our choice. Men should not be unduly disappointed if they are not proposed or elected.
d) The deacon’s personal qualifications. 3:12
(i) He is to be a man of one woman and manage his family well. He had to be a faithful husband and this ruled out polygamy. He is to be a good husband to his wife. If he is single he should demonstrate a faithful attitude to other men’s wives and single women
(ii) He is to manage his household in an excellent manner. He should be a good family man.
THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A DEACON’S WIFE 1 Timothy
Wives of deacons are a big factor in their husband’s usefulness. She will share in his sharing and caring work. She should not have a loose tongue and be temperate and trustworthy. They are a real asset to the deacon and the church.
THE INCENTIVES FOR A DEACON’S WORK 1 Timothy 3:13
It is often demanding and time consuming. Much is done after a long day’s work. Much is done in private but seen by God.
a) He obtains a good standing. He wins respect and gratitude from the entire congregation. He is loved and appreciated by all as well as the elders. Deacons can be the rock and foundation of the stability of the Church.
b) He obtains confidence in the faith and boldness in prayer. When you serve the Lord Jesus you gain deeper and fuller assurance in your faith. There is boldness in prayer. People who are not deacons or are women are still serving the church as indicated here by visiting and serving people. Finally we can see it is a guide for churches when seeking nominations for deacons. In this church we have many men qualified to serve. It also shows candidates what is expected of them. Not perfection but willingness.
Finally, these qualifications show us that the diaconate is the office which most closely resembles the servant-hood of Jesus Christ. Matthew 20: 26. Happy the church that has godly deacons for that church will be filled with the servant-spirit of Jesus. Let us pray that God will continue to raise up a succession of such men.
Sunday 10 February 2008
Jesus in Nazareth
Luke 4:14-30 2:49-52
THE BACKGROUND OF JESUS – 2:39
These are all the verses we have from his birth to his public baptism. We might wish for more detail, but there is little related of him to gratify our curiosity, but enough to regulate our conduct.
a) This tells us about the village, he was not cloistered. We know it was called Nazareth and was held in contempt – ‘can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ said Nathanael. It had a bad name, possibly due to laxed morals. In chapter 4 people rejected him and tried to kill him by throwing him down a hill. He was not cloistered, some people who knew him well loved him. He was surrounded by unbelieving neighbours. It can be very tough for us now when we conduct ourselves in God’s ways when others reject it.
b) This tells us about the family, Jesus was a member of a large family. Mark 6:l3 tells us Jesus’ family had at least 8 children. He grew up with younger brothers and sisters. He knew of having to share, setting a good example to younger siblings and his siblings arguing. The passages do not speak of his earthly father, he had probably passed away. At his death on the cross, Jesus committed his mother Mary to John. He was the responsible leader of the family, he probably also ran the family business. He knew what it was to care for people.
c) This tells us about the humanity of the Lord Jesus. Jesus was the God man. He was fully God and fully man. Two distinct natures united in the Lord Jesus. This shows us he grew as a human. He was fully human save for our sin. Jesus cried as a baby, not as a tantrum but to signal hunger. He was a perfect child, adolescent and adult. If Jesus was not fully human, then we do not have a Saviour, nor do we have a Saviour who can identify with our weaknesses. It needed someone truly human to take our place.
d) This tells us about the perfection of the Lord Jesus. Why did he come into the world? To be the perfect sacrifice for sin. He lived a perfect life pleasing to God. He was yielding to all authority – his parents, scripture and tutors. In his humanity, Jesus had the same limitations as all humans except He was without sin. He was the perfect mediator. God was well pleased with him at his baptism. We get an insight into his true humanity and absolute sinlessness of the Lord Jesus.
JESUS INCREASED IN STATURE – verse 39.
His boyhood was an actual normal boyhood. His development was like that of all children. He came amongst men to learn all the features of our development, learnt from his family.
a) His development came from a healthy life style. Childhood needs respect for the body God has given so it will be useful. He would have ran and played with children of his age but without sin. We should keep our bodies fit and healthy.
b) His development came from using hands to get proficiency. Every Jewish child learned a trade. Saul learnt to use his hands to make tents to support himself so he would not depend on others Jesus learnt the trade of a carpenter. He was fit and healthy, he needed the physical stamina during those years of his ministry. Jesus walked for miles and spoke publicly for hours. He needed to be physically fit. Today we have lost the benefits of manual skills. It is important to develop manual skills in those who best suited for them.
JESUS GREW IN WISDOM – verse 39 and 52
Jesus’ mind grew. He learned about his family and country, about God, about languages – he spoke Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew. Nazareth was a back water. He was home taught, this is why people were amazed at him. He questioned, his parents explained, he retained and he applied it. He absorbed much from hearing people at the synagogue. Jesus was wise in the sight of God.
JESUS GREW IN HIS SOCIAL SKILL.
He grew in favour with men. Our Lord got on with people; he was interested in them; he had a good attitude to people. He was a sociable person. People liked him, his kindness. We often overlook this. Many Christians lack these skills. Jesus was in complete contrast to his cousin John who was stern and harsh. Joyless and stern faces have no place in our dealings with people. Jesus was a well rounded person. Why did people hate him? Why did they want to crucify him? Because they hated the way he exposed sin. We need to help our children to develop social skills - to be kind and generous without compromising with sin..
JESUS INCREASED IN FAVOUR WITH GOD – verse 52
Jesus was fully God, yet as a man he had to grow spiritually. As his wisdom grew, so his life became more lovely in the sight of God and man. Our Lord as man, increased in understanding what his father required, how he should live, what he should behave. The great difference between Jesus and ourselves, is that he never had to say ‘Sorry father for the sins pf today. Forgive me through the Lord Jesus.’ This is where we begin, knowing our need of being right with God. We need to remember that a child has a child’s faith, and that they need to grow in faith as the Lord Jesus did.
CONCLUSION
He went through every stage of life that we do. He’s been a baby, in the classroom, in the work shop, he’s seen siblings disagree, he’s seen lies and unkindness and it hurt his holy soul and grieved his holy heart. He is now our saviour in Heaven, an understanding and powerful friend who is still with us if we belong to him.
He still loved children who the disciples tried to drive them away in Luke l8. He wants us to bring little children to him. Children need to come to him and put their faith in him. Jesus never had to say sorry to God as we have to, to begin our relationship with him.
THE BACKGROUND OF JESUS – 2:39
These are all the verses we have from his birth to his public baptism. We might wish for more detail, but there is little related of him to gratify our curiosity, but enough to regulate our conduct.
a) This tells us about the village, he was not cloistered. We know it was called Nazareth and was held in contempt – ‘can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ said Nathanael. It had a bad name, possibly due to laxed morals. In chapter 4 people rejected him and tried to kill him by throwing him down a hill. He was not cloistered, some people who knew him well loved him. He was surrounded by unbelieving neighbours. It can be very tough for us now when we conduct ourselves in God’s ways when others reject it.
b) This tells us about the family, Jesus was a member of a large family. Mark 6:l3 tells us Jesus’ family had at least 8 children. He grew up with younger brothers and sisters. He knew of having to share, setting a good example to younger siblings and his siblings arguing. The passages do not speak of his earthly father, he had probably passed away. At his death on the cross, Jesus committed his mother Mary to John. He was the responsible leader of the family, he probably also ran the family business. He knew what it was to care for people.
c) This tells us about the humanity of the Lord Jesus. Jesus was the God man. He was fully God and fully man. Two distinct natures united in the Lord Jesus. This shows us he grew as a human. He was fully human save for our sin. Jesus cried as a baby, not as a tantrum but to signal hunger. He was a perfect child, adolescent and adult. If Jesus was not fully human, then we do not have a Saviour, nor do we have a Saviour who can identify with our weaknesses. It needed someone truly human to take our place.
d) This tells us about the perfection of the Lord Jesus. Why did he come into the world? To be the perfect sacrifice for sin. He lived a perfect life pleasing to God. He was yielding to all authority – his parents, scripture and tutors. In his humanity, Jesus had the same limitations as all humans except He was without sin. He was the perfect mediator. God was well pleased with him at his baptism. We get an insight into his true humanity and absolute sinlessness of the Lord Jesus.
JESUS INCREASED IN STATURE – verse 39.
His boyhood was an actual normal boyhood. His development was like that of all children. He came amongst men to learn all the features of our development, learnt from his family.
a) His development came from a healthy life style. Childhood needs respect for the body God has given so it will be useful. He would have ran and played with children of his age but without sin. We should keep our bodies fit and healthy.
b) His development came from using hands to get proficiency. Every Jewish child learned a trade. Saul learnt to use his hands to make tents to support himself so he would not depend on others Jesus learnt the trade of a carpenter. He was fit and healthy, he needed the physical stamina during those years of his ministry. Jesus walked for miles and spoke publicly for hours. He needed to be physically fit. Today we have lost the benefits of manual skills. It is important to develop manual skills in those who best suited for them.
JESUS GREW IN WISDOM – verse 39 and 52
Jesus’ mind grew. He learned about his family and country, about God, about languages – he spoke Greek, Aramaic and Hebrew. Nazareth was a back water. He was home taught, this is why people were amazed at him. He questioned, his parents explained, he retained and he applied it. He absorbed much from hearing people at the synagogue. Jesus was wise in the sight of God.
JESUS GREW IN HIS SOCIAL SKILL.
He grew in favour with men. Our Lord got on with people; he was interested in them; he had a good attitude to people. He was a sociable person. People liked him, his kindness. We often overlook this. Many Christians lack these skills. Jesus was in complete contrast to his cousin John who was stern and harsh. Joyless and stern faces have no place in our dealings with people. Jesus was a well rounded person. Why did people hate him? Why did they want to crucify him? Because they hated the way he exposed sin. We need to help our children to develop social skills - to be kind and generous without compromising with sin..
JESUS INCREASED IN FAVOUR WITH GOD – verse 52
Jesus was fully God, yet as a man he had to grow spiritually. As his wisdom grew, so his life became more lovely in the sight of God and man. Our Lord as man, increased in understanding what his father required, how he should live, what he should behave. The great difference between Jesus and ourselves, is that he never had to say ‘Sorry father for the sins pf today. Forgive me through the Lord Jesus.’ This is where we begin, knowing our need of being right with God. We need to remember that a child has a child’s faith, and that they need to grow in faith as the Lord Jesus did.
CONCLUSION
He went through every stage of life that we do. He’s been a baby, in the classroom, in the work shop, he’s seen siblings disagree, he’s seen lies and unkindness and it hurt his holy soul and grieved his holy heart. He is now our saviour in Heaven, an understanding and powerful friend who is still with us if we belong to him.
He still loved children who the disciples tried to drive them away in Luke l8. He wants us to bring little children to him. Children need to come to him and put their faith in him. Jesus never had to say sorry to God as we have to, to begin our relationship with him.
Sunday 3 February 2008
A word for Shepherds
1 Timothy 3 and Ezekiel 34 1 Peter
Peter moves towards the end of his letter by sharing a personal word with those in positions of leadership in the churches. In the light of the pressure the church will face, it must be right at the top and so he humbly addresses the leaders. A nation needs good leadership like Churchill in the war. In any human organisation you need wise heads and steady hands. Some church leaders play a national role like Martin Lloyd Jones and Spurgeon who were greatly respected by all. The future of the church depends on Biblically qualified leaders being raised. This passage is addressed to elders and the led – what to expect of them and ourselves in relation to them. Peter had had a hard time getting to grips with leadership of a Biblical kind.
WHO ARE ELDERS – verse 1
Elder focuses on that he is a mature man of God. Under Moses elders were selected for each tribe, they were mature men. In the 400 years between the Old Testament and New Testament church synagogues were led by elders. When the early New Testament began, the church was led by elders – see Acts 14. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church. In Acts 21 he called the elders of Ephesus and gave them a charge. There are 3 interchangeable terms. Elders – understand the truth and apply it. Overseer or bishop, exercise oversight, their function is to superintend matters. Pastor, this means shepherd, focuses on the tasks of providing care and feeding. They give leadership to and provide food for the flock. This office is constant. They are called bishop, minister, elder etc. The congregation needs leadership. It is a mark of a true Christian church. It is led by faithful men. A strong church needs committed leadership. It needs a continual supply of men being raised. Unless the leadership is strong, the church will crumble when it is under pressure. In the New Testament, there is always a plurality of elders, and some elders were financially supported by their members. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders. Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every city. 1 Timothy 5:17 – some were paid. The leadership is reserved for men. This matters today, there are various types of church government such as the catholic church that has pope-cardinal-bishop-priest, this is unbiblical. The New Testament model is one of local churches led by elders, it is not a democracy run by a committee.
WHY DOES PETER APPEAL TO ELDERS?
a) Peter appeals as a fellow elder. Notice the sensitive address. He does not pull rank by saying ‘I am speaking as an apostle’, no, he is speaking as one of them, under pressure as they are, in partnership with them.
b) Peter is also a witness of Christ’s sufferings. He had heard and seen Jesus. He had seen miracles, but he speaks of his suffering because he knows the believers were suffering, especially the elders. As Christ suffered serving others, so will they. Peter wrote out of experience, and as a student of the apostolic witness in Scripture.
c) Peter is looking forward to the Christian’s blessed hope. Peter shared in sufferings so he will share in Christ’s glory.
d) Peter’s exhortations are related to his teaching on suffering. He knew how slow he had been to learn from the Lord. He knows people often backslid and elders’ decisions were sometimes rejected. God chose ordinary mortals to be elders, we should not expect perfection. They have a burden. The corrective actions of elders need privacy, which means that all facts are not public knowledge. People do not understand why they have acted as they did, misunderstandings may result. Peter understands all of that and knows there is a sufficiency of grace to help.
WHAT IS THE CALLING OF ELDERS?
He interchanges the 3 words. He shepherds the flock, bears them on his heart, seeks them when they stray, defends from harm, comforts them in pain, and feeds them with the truth. His first charge is to shepherd the flock – when Peter was restored this was Jesus’ first charge ‘take care of my sheep’. He gave him a heart fir it and a willingness to do it. It is not learnt in a seminary. The pastor/shepherd looks out for the needs of the people and gets to know them. In a large congregation, a plurality of elders are needed.
WHAT SHOULD CHARACTERISE THE ELDERS WORK?
Each of them begins with a negative. Elders are respected and trusted by people but it opens up a minefield.
a) Their oversight must be willing service as a true expression of Christian love. They must have a good attitude to their work. He does this because he wants to not because he has got to. Who wants a reluctant leader? 1 Timothy 3:5 – men should aspire to the work so it can grow and be blessed. It should never be done grudgingly.
b) Their oversight must exhibit a good attitude towards compensation. God’s servant should never be covetous. Temptation of money has been the downfall of many. Those who do it for money are called hirelings – this means it is a wrong motive.
c) Their oversight must demonstrate a good attitude towards people’ ‘Elders are to be ‘overseers’ not ‘over-lords,’ – says Wiersbe. Elders must not be bossy but show people the way. Some pastors/ministers have become petty tyrants. ‘Heavy shepherding’ is a form of this where a heavy hand goes onto those who are unconventional. People end up being driven away. In the church there is room for differences of conscience. All sheep are different as are all Christians.
d) Their oversight must exhibit a good example to people. Nothing will ever affect people more than example. Nothing inspires confidence more than a Christ like example. ‘Like pastor, like people.’ The flock will follow the example – listen and follow. Elders command respect rather than demand it.
WHAT IS THE ELDERS REWARD? Verse 4.
There is an earthly reward, to be able to devote yourself full time to the ministry. The greatest reward will come when the Great Shepherd returns and rewards leaders. Leaders are often unappreciated but the slightest deed done in Jesus’ name in the remotest corner of the earth will be remembered because God writes it down in His book. This is preached to the elders and what they should do, they are flawed men, all of them. They need the prayers, support and encouragement of their people. This will lead to the congregation being blessed. We need to pray that churches – small and large – will have the leadership that they need.
Peter moves towards the end of his letter by sharing a personal word with those in positions of leadership in the churches. In the light of the pressure the church will face, it must be right at the top and so he humbly addresses the leaders. A nation needs good leadership like Churchill in the war. In any human organisation you need wise heads and steady hands. Some church leaders play a national role like Martin Lloyd Jones and Spurgeon who were greatly respected by all. The future of the church depends on Biblically qualified leaders being raised. This passage is addressed to elders and the led – what to expect of them and ourselves in relation to them. Peter had had a hard time getting to grips with leadership of a Biblical kind.
WHO ARE ELDERS – verse 1
Elder focuses on that he is a mature man of God. Under Moses elders were selected for each tribe, they were mature men. In the 400 years between the Old Testament and New Testament church synagogues were led by elders. When the early New Testament began, the church was led by elders – see Acts 14. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in each church. In Acts 21 he called the elders of Ephesus and gave them a charge. There are 3 interchangeable terms. Elders – understand the truth and apply it. Overseer or bishop, exercise oversight, their function is to superintend matters. Pastor, this means shepherd, focuses on the tasks of providing care and feeding. They give leadership to and provide food for the flock. This office is constant. They are called bishop, minister, elder etc. The congregation needs leadership. It is a mark of a true Christian church. It is led by faithful men. A strong church needs committed leadership. It needs a continual supply of men being raised. Unless the leadership is strong, the church will crumble when it is under pressure. In the New Testament, there is always a plurality of elders, and some elders were financially supported by their members. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders. Paul told Titus to appoint elders in every city. 1 Timothy 5:17 – some were paid. The leadership is reserved for men. This matters today, there are various types of church government such as the catholic church that has pope-cardinal-bishop-priest, this is unbiblical. The New Testament model is one of local churches led by elders, it is not a democracy run by a committee.
WHY DOES PETER APPEAL TO ELDERS?
a) Peter appeals as a fellow elder. Notice the sensitive address. He does not pull rank by saying ‘I am speaking as an apostle’, no, he is speaking as one of them, under pressure as they are, in partnership with them.
b) Peter is also a witness of Christ’s sufferings. He had heard and seen Jesus. He had seen miracles, but he speaks of his suffering because he knows the believers were suffering, especially the elders. As Christ suffered serving others, so will they. Peter wrote out of experience, and as a student of the apostolic witness in Scripture.
c) Peter is looking forward to the Christian’s blessed hope. Peter shared in sufferings so he will share in Christ’s glory.
d) Peter’s exhortations are related to his teaching on suffering. He knew how slow he had been to learn from the Lord. He knows people often backslid and elders’ decisions were sometimes rejected. God chose ordinary mortals to be elders, we should not expect perfection. They have a burden. The corrective actions of elders need privacy, which means that all facts are not public knowledge. People do not understand why they have acted as they did, misunderstandings may result. Peter understands all of that and knows there is a sufficiency of grace to help.
WHAT IS THE CALLING OF ELDERS?
He interchanges the 3 words. He shepherds the flock, bears them on his heart, seeks them when they stray, defends from harm, comforts them in pain, and feeds them with the truth. His first charge is to shepherd the flock – when Peter was restored this was Jesus’ first charge ‘take care of my sheep’. He gave him a heart fir it and a willingness to do it. It is not learnt in a seminary. The pastor/shepherd looks out for the needs of the people and gets to know them. In a large congregation, a plurality of elders are needed.
WHAT SHOULD CHARACTERISE THE ELDERS WORK?
Each of them begins with a negative. Elders are respected and trusted by people but it opens up a minefield.
a) Their oversight must be willing service as a true expression of Christian love. They must have a good attitude to their work. He does this because he wants to not because he has got to. Who wants a reluctant leader? 1 Timothy 3:5 – men should aspire to the work so it can grow and be blessed. It should never be done grudgingly.
b) Their oversight must exhibit a good attitude towards compensation. God’s servant should never be covetous. Temptation of money has been the downfall of many. Those who do it for money are called hirelings – this means it is a wrong motive.
c) Their oversight must demonstrate a good attitude towards people’ ‘Elders are to be ‘overseers’ not ‘over-lords,’ – says Wiersbe. Elders must not be bossy but show people the way. Some pastors/ministers have become petty tyrants. ‘Heavy shepherding’ is a form of this where a heavy hand goes onto those who are unconventional. People end up being driven away. In the church there is room for differences of conscience. All sheep are different as are all Christians.
d) Their oversight must exhibit a good example to people. Nothing will ever affect people more than example. Nothing inspires confidence more than a Christ like example. ‘Like pastor, like people.’ The flock will follow the example – listen and follow. Elders command respect rather than demand it.
WHAT IS THE ELDERS REWARD? Verse 4.
There is an earthly reward, to be able to devote yourself full time to the ministry. The greatest reward will come when the Great Shepherd returns and rewards leaders. Leaders are often unappreciated but the slightest deed done in Jesus’ name in the remotest corner of the earth will be remembered because God writes it down in His book. This is preached to the elders and what they should do, they are flawed men, all of them. They need the prayers, support and encouragement of their people. This will lead to the congregation being blessed. We need to pray that churches – small and large – will have the leadership that they need.
Why Babel had to stop
Acts 2:1-18 Genesis 11:1-9
THE CONDITIONS PRIOR TO THE BUILDING OF BABEL
Genesis is a book of beginnings. The world is being repopulated after the flood. Men have a common language. There are over 3000 languages and dialects now, they have a common root, a common language, linguistic experts agree on this. A common language is a cause of unity before God A common language helped life but can also promote disobedience. It was misused before God.
THE CONCERTED EFFORTS OF MAN
Nimrod was a leader of this. A ziggurat or temple was at the centre of it. It was a technological marvel – all such pyramids are. Ziggurats were built of brick because there was no stone. They used tar because of a lack of mortar. Archaeologists have uncovered these, the base of one was 90 square metres. When humanity works together great goals can be achieved. Great good can arise but great evil also. What was wrong with it?
a) Settling in the valley of Shinar was an act of disobedience. They had been commanded to spread out not collect in cities. They would be blessed as they scattered. Babel would become Babylon. They thought collected life together was safest, life on their own terms. It was a settlement of disobedience. You won’t find security in people and buildings but in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no short cut to security.
b) Starting to build a monument to themselves was without God. The world is filled with people who wish to achieve something. It was for themselves not God. People still mark out achievements with high buildings – people are trying to build higher and higher buildings. There is nothing wrong with high buildings but Babel was for themselves. People have a deep seated desire to achieve for themselves. God wants us to achieve for Him.
c) Central to this was the aim to create a religious centre. Nimrod knew people needed religious motivation to overcome the scattering of people. The Bible traces all false religions to Babylon. Revelation sees it as the parent of all false religion. ‘The tower that reaches to the heavens’. It was a symbol of religions. The project was presented as true spirituality, whilst really directing away from the true God. Astrology and the signs of the zodiac come from here, it replaces submission to the living God with submission to chance. Today people believe in this idea of fate, it is satanic, it is false, it is a dead end and it brings people to despair. From this arose a whole system of idolatry based on astrology and occultism.
THE CONTROL OF GOD – verses 5 to 8
The tower was but a dot on the ground to God. God was going to destroy it. God performed a miracle in the minds and vocal cords of the builders. He confused their language so that now, and brought confusion and an inevitable scattering. It was a catastrophe for the world overnight. It was impossible for people to work together. People called it Babel (later Babylon) – confusion city. God’s will came to pass, we cannot defy God’s will. Men lose because God’s will will be done.
THE CONCERNS OF GOD – verse 9.
a) Mankind needs God to intervene and expose human folly. Resistance ends in frustration. If God did not, rebellion would become confusion. Man wants to achieve independently of God. We try to fix problems such as AIDS without reference to God. We have the philosophy of Babel today, unbelief and godlessness. The law of God is proved by the misery that eventuates when it is disobeyed. See the misery that comes from permissive sexuality. We need to be right with God.
b) Mankind would have great potential for evil if they finished this. If they went ahead with their plans for one world government, one man-made religion and one centralized system of information and technology, they would be capable of anything no matter how terrible. To limit human power, language was confused and people scattered. People have been kept in tribes and nations. God limits technological progress to limit damage. Centralised power has done great harm in the hands of Mao, Stalin and Hitler. Louis XIV (‘Louis the Great’) believed in one king, one law and one church and he inflicted great harm on the evangelical church.
c) Mankind needs to see religious unity without truth is dangerous. Unity is not the highest good, but purity and obedience to the Word. You cannot have a false imposed unity in the name of making peace. Biblical religion is based on obedience to Biblical truth.
d) Mankind will face the same danger that faced the early world. Revelation describes the final Babylon as in opposition to God. Human power is kept in check, it will be given free reign in the last days under the one called the Anti-Christ. it will collapse under the weight of its own sin and God’s power.
e) Mankind’s only hope is to find the Enduring City. Feddes says: ‘Only God can rescue us from ourselves. Our hope for transformation is in Christ not human effort. Only God’s city can save the world or transform a human soul forever. That city draws people together in Christ. God sent his Spirit on Pentecost, and a spiritual reversal of Babel began. Since then God’s kingdom has continued to unite people in Jesus. One day every tribe will be united in speech. Build your life on Christ and never be disappointed. The blunders of history are valuable only if we learn from them. Do we put our trust in each other and human progress as the men of Shinar did? Or do we put our faith in the Lord Jesus as God commands. Acts 2 describes a true unity based on the work of the Lord Jesus. Trust in this.
THE CONDITIONS PRIOR TO THE BUILDING OF BABEL
Genesis is a book of beginnings. The world is being repopulated after the flood. Men have a common language. There are over 3000 languages and dialects now, they have a common root, a common language, linguistic experts agree on this. A common language is a cause of unity before God A common language helped life but can also promote disobedience. It was misused before God.
THE CONCERTED EFFORTS OF MAN
Nimrod was a leader of this. A ziggurat or temple was at the centre of it. It was a technological marvel – all such pyramids are. Ziggurats were built of brick because there was no stone. They used tar because of a lack of mortar. Archaeologists have uncovered these, the base of one was 90 square metres. When humanity works together great goals can be achieved. Great good can arise but great evil also. What was wrong with it?
a) Settling in the valley of Shinar was an act of disobedience. They had been commanded to spread out not collect in cities. They would be blessed as they scattered. Babel would become Babylon. They thought collected life together was safest, life on their own terms. It was a settlement of disobedience. You won’t find security in people and buildings but in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is no short cut to security.
b) Starting to build a monument to themselves was without God. The world is filled with people who wish to achieve something. It was for themselves not God. People still mark out achievements with high buildings – people are trying to build higher and higher buildings. There is nothing wrong with high buildings but Babel was for themselves. People have a deep seated desire to achieve for themselves. God wants us to achieve for Him.
c) Central to this was the aim to create a religious centre. Nimrod knew people needed religious motivation to overcome the scattering of people. The Bible traces all false religions to Babylon. Revelation sees it as the parent of all false religion. ‘The tower that reaches to the heavens’. It was a symbol of religions. The project was presented as true spirituality, whilst really directing away from the true God. Astrology and the signs of the zodiac come from here, it replaces submission to the living God with submission to chance. Today people believe in this idea of fate, it is satanic, it is false, it is a dead end and it brings people to despair. From this arose a whole system of idolatry based on astrology and occultism.
THE CONTROL OF GOD – verses 5 to 8
The tower was but a dot on the ground to God. God was going to destroy it. God performed a miracle in the minds and vocal cords of the builders. He confused their language so that now, and brought confusion and an inevitable scattering. It was a catastrophe for the world overnight. It was impossible for people to work together. People called it Babel (later Babylon) – confusion city. God’s will came to pass, we cannot defy God’s will. Men lose because God’s will will be done.
THE CONCERNS OF GOD – verse 9.
a) Mankind needs God to intervene and expose human folly. Resistance ends in frustration. If God did not, rebellion would become confusion. Man wants to achieve independently of God. We try to fix problems such as AIDS without reference to God. We have the philosophy of Babel today, unbelief and godlessness. The law of God is proved by the misery that eventuates when it is disobeyed. See the misery that comes from permissive sexuality. We need to be right with God.
b) Mankind would have great potential for evil if they finished this. If they went ahead with their plans for one world government, one man-made religion and one centralized system of information and technology, they would be capable of anything no matter how terrible. To limit human power, language was confused and people scattered. People have been kept in tribes and nations. God limits technological progress to limit damage. Centralised power has done great harm in the hands of Mao, Stalin and Hitler. Louis XIV (‘Louis the Great’) believed in one king, one law and one church and he inflicted great harm on the evangelical church.
c) Mankind needs to see religious unity without truth is dangerous. Unity is not the highest good, but purity and obedience to the Word. You cannot have a false imposed unity in the name of making peace. Biblical religion is based on obedience to Biblical truth.
d) Mankind will face the same danger that faced the early world. Revelation describes the final Babylon as in opposition to God. Human power is kept in check, it will be given free reign in the last days under the one called the Anti-Christ. it will collapse under the weight of its own sin and God’s power.
e) Mankind’s only hope is to find the Enduring City. Feddes says: ‘Only God can rescue us from ourselves. Our hope for transformation is in Christ not human effort. Only God’s city can save the world or transform a human soul forever. That city draws people together in Christ. God sent his Spirit on Pentecost, and a spiritual reversal of Babel began. Since then God’s kingdom has continued to unite people in Jesus. One day every tribe will be united in speech. Build your life on Christ and never be disappointed. The blunders of history are valuable only if we learn from them. Do we put our trust in each other and human progress as the men of Shinar did? Or do we put our faith in the Lord Jesus as God commands. Acts 2 describes a true unity based on the work of the Lord Jesus. Trust in this.
Our reconcilliation
Colossians 1:1-23
Sometimes there is a general focus in the Bible and we can use this to hide from its implications. Sometimes it is very personal and the words ‘you’ and ‘yours’ are used. In verses 15 to 20 the focus is general, how Christians are reconciled to God. Verses 21 to 23 focus this in a very personal way to the individual so it could not be avoided. No one in Colosse could avoid it and no here today can either. Everyone is covered in these 3 verses.
People have a personal problem – verse 21. No punches are pulled, it is not soft pedalled. It is bold and forthright. Every single one of us began here – alienated from God. Everyone of us was it that state as unbelievers – young or old. It is a total breakdown, there is no effective relationship. In Ephesians 2: 12 he expands upon this. We were excluded from Heaven, without hope in the world. God excluded you from a proper relationship with Him. We are excluded from God’s house until we are in a fit state to go into it. In our natural state we do not deserve God’s blessing, we are not worthy to go in because of the state we are in, it is a very serious state to be, it is the most serious state to be in. we are without hope and without God in the world. This is not a wish, this hope in the Bible is the certainty of Heaven. We know when we have Heaven. We may enjoy what the world has to offer – entertainment and pleasures, but it does not last or ultimately satisfy. In this state we do not understand what we are missing. They know nothing of the joys of Heaven, they are barred from these blessings as they are for God’s people only.
They are enemies in their minds of God. They are hostile to God and their desire is to do evil. People do not do the most evil deeds such as we see in the press, but everyone who is not a Christian is a state of hostility towards God. People do not want to obey God. People’s judgement and standards and not ours. We are naturally disposed to reject God. We enjoy doing what God says is wrong. It may seem harsh, but as non-Christians we are not just sinners but we wilfully reject his standards. It is not apathy, but it is wilful.
We are not just hostile to God but God is hostile and angry with us. He has every right to be angry with us. This describes God as actively hostile. It is not just bad news, we do not have to stay this way, we can (verse 22) be personally reconciled to God by the death of Christ. in Colosse false teachers had said that believers needed more but they did not. Paul explained the fullness of the personal reconciliation enjoyed by every Christian. It is true of Christians now. Relationships break down in human society and we can move so far apart that we can see how we can’t see how we can be reconciled. The problem with God is far more extreme. It is all the more amazing that we have been reconciled to God. When we try to restore a broken human relationship we may use a human mediator, this does not work with God.
a) He has reconciled you – God brings it about. On our own we could not do it. God has the desire. It is due to his great love, he will not leave us in that state.
b) It is achieved by Christ’s physical body in death. He acquired a human body as a man. It could not be achieved by a sinless angel, they are perfect, but he could not be a representative as if he had been just God. It had to be God and man – see verse 20. In verse 22 it is done for you, individually and personally, not mankind in general. If we are a Christian.
c) What is the outcome? We are presented without blemish and free from accusation. We are pure, holy and blameless. We have been transformed. We may sin but we will be perfected in Heaven. There will be no lingering trace of sin when we enter glory. We will not smell of sin or corruption. This is wonderful. We will be utterly pure, holy and blameless. No one will be able to accuse us ever again. This reconciliation is far beyond anything than any human being can ever do. It can never be broken. All traces of sin will be removed and we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ – it belongs to us forever.
What of the present? Jesus does not have to do anything else. We do not have to come before Christ again. We must not be careless about how we live, we should learn to hate sin as God hates sin. We must battle to overcome sin as we anticipate our future lives. We have a personal responsibility .
a) We must continue in our faith and not throw it back in God’s face. God will not let us reject what he has given us – see John 6:39, Jesus will lose not of those God has given him. John 10: 28-9, no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hands. Jesus had borne the punishment for our sin, God will not allow this to be wasted. No true believer will be lost. No true believer will reject it because they wouldn’t want to give it up. We will do all we can to persevere to the end. We had God’s preservation and our perseverance – they are two sides of the same coin. We need to continue in our faith. A response is needed from us, we need to cling to it. In verses 3 to 5 Paul expresses confidence in the faith they had. Faith is a not a one off event, it is a continuous activity, it needed to be established, built on solid ground. Jesus Christ, our rock. Without Jesus we are on sand which crumbles and fails. We must remain founded in Christ and rooted in the Gospel.
b) We can be taken deeper into the mysteries of what Christ has done but if it adds to what the gospel has said we need to reject it and anything that adds to it. Hebrews 10:12 – the sacrifice is complete, Christ sat down. It is a personal gospel but it is not unique, every true Christian comes to faith the same way. It is not a different gospel for each person or country, it is the same gospel for each and every country. We can only know this reconciliation if we come to this gospel which is for all mankind to hear.
Paul is a servant to it. As every true Christian is. Not all of us are called to be a preacher but we are to be obedient to it and share it with others. We have an obligation to use opportunities to share it as they arise.
Conclusions. It needs to be personal because we will be judged personally as to how we have responded to it and how we live our lives here on earth right now. We have our certain hope that cannot be taken away. We will give priority to our spiritual life. If we are not Christians we still have this personal problem that we began with. We must repent now. It can happen, that is the wonder of what Christ did. The Bible speaks to us right now.
Sometimes there is a general focus in the Bible and we can use this to hide from its implications. Sometimes it is very personal and the words ‘you’ and ‘yours’ are used. In verses 15 to 20 the focus is general, how Christians are reconciled to God. Verses 21 to 23 focus this in a very personal way to the individual so it could not be avoided. No one in Colosse could avoid it and no here today can either. Everyone is covered in these 3 verses.
People have a personal problem – verse 21. No punches are pulled, it is not soft pedalled. It is bold and forthright. Every single one of us began here – alienated from God. Everyone of us was it that state as unbelievers – young or old. It is a total breakdown, there is no effective relationship. In Ephesians 2: 12 he expands upon this. We were excluded from Heaven, without hope in the world. God excluded you from a proper relationship with Him. We are excluded from God’s house until we are in a fit state to go into it. In our natural state we do not deserve God’s blessing, we are not worthy to go in because of the state we are in, it is a very serious state to be, it is the most serious state to be in. we are without hope and without God in the world. This is not a wish, this hope in the Bible is the certainty of Heaven. We know when we have Heaven. We may enjoy what the world has to offer – entertainment and pleasures, but it does not last or ultimately satisfy. In this state we do not understand what we are missing. They know nothing of the joys of Heaven, they are barred from these blessings as they are for God’s people only.
They are enemies in their minds of God. They are hostile to God and their desire is to do evil. People do not do the most evil deeds such as we see in the press, but everyone who is not a Christian is a state of hostility towards God. People do not want to obey God. People’s judgement and standards and not ours. We are naturally disposed to reject God. We enjoy doing what God says is wrong. It may seem harsh, but as non-Christians we are not just sinners but we wilfully reject his standards. It is not apathy, but it is wilful.
We are not just hostile to God but God is hostile and angry with us. He has every right to be angry with us. This describes God as actively hostile. It is not just bad news, we do not have to stay this way, we can (verse 22) be personally reconciled to God by the death of Christ. in Colosse false teachers had said that believers needed more but they did not. Paul explained the fullness of the personal reconciliation enjoyed by every Christian. It is true of Christians now. Relationships break down in human society and we can move so far apart that we can see how we can’t see how we can be reconciled. The problem with God is far more extreme. It is all the more amazing that we have been reconciled to God. When we try to restore a broken human relationship we may use a human mediator, this does not work with God.
a) He has reconciled you – God brings it about. On our own we could not do it. God has the desire. It is due to his great love, he will not leave us in that state.
b) It is achieved by Christ’s physical body in death. He acquired a human body as a man. It could not be achieved by a sinless angel, they are perfect, but he could not be a representative as if he had been just God. It had to be God and man – see verse 20. In verse 22 it is done for you, individually and personally, not mankind in general. If we are a Christian.
c) What is the outcome? We are presented without blemish and free from accusation. We are pure, holy and blameless. We have been transformed. We may sin but we will be perfected in Heaven. There will be no lingering trace of sin when we enter glory. We will not smell of sin or corruption. This is wonderful. We will be utterly pure, holy and blameless. No one will be able to accuse us ever again. This reconciliation is far beyond anything than any human being can ever do. It can never be broken. All traces of sin will be removed and we are clothed in the righteousness of Christ – it belongs to us forever.
What of the present? Jesus does not have to do anything else. We do not have to come before Christ again. We must not be careless about how we live, we should learn to hate sin as God hates sin. We must battle to overcome sin as we anticipate our future lives. We have a personal responsibility .
a) We must continue in our faith and not throw it back in God’s face. God will not let us reject what he has given us – see John 6:39, Jesus will lose not of those God has given him. John 10: 28-9, no one can snatch them out of the Father’s hands. Jesus had borne the punishment for our sin, God will not allow this to be wasted. No true believer will be lost. No true believer will reject it because they wouldn’t want to give it up. We will do all we can to persevere to the end. We had God’s preservation and our perseverance – they are two sides of the same coin. We need to continue in our faith. A response is needed from us, we need to cling to it. In verses 3 to 5 Paul expresses confidence in the faith they had. Faith is a not a one off event, it is a continuous activity, it needed to be established, built on solid ground. Jesus Christ, our rock. Without Jesus we are on sand which crumbles and fails. We must remain founded in Christ and rooted in the Gospel.
b) We can be taken deeper into the mysteries of what Christ has done but if it adds to what the gospel has said we need to reject it and anything that adds to it. Hebrews 10:12 – the sacrifice is complete, Christ sat down. It is a personal gospel but it is not unique, every true Christian comes to faith the same way. It is not a different gospel for each person or country, it is the same gospel for each and every country. We can only know this reconciliation if we come to this gospel which is for all mankind to hear.
Paul is a servant to it. As every true Christian is. Not all of us are called to be a preacher but we are to be obedient to it and share it with others. We have an obligation to use opportunities to share it as they arise.
Conclusions. It needs to be personal because we will be judged personally as to how we have responded to it and how we live our lives here on earth right now. We have our certain hope that cannot be taken away. We will give priority to our spiritual life. If we are not Christians we still have this personal problem that we began with. We must repent now. It can happen, that is the wonder of what Christ did. The Bible speaks to us right now.
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