The privilege of being God’s children and joining Him in His mission: Go, like Jesus, as a servant

The privilege of being God’s children and joining Him in His mission: Go!  …and make disciples of all…, …and teach them to obey, that is, to love me, and do it just like Me: as a servant! (Mat 28; Phil 2)

So, where do we start?  Our mission to the lost should be an extension of how we live and love those closest to us.  Acts 1:8   

It begins at home with those we live and work with - it is ours to love and serve others by praying, caring, and sharing.  Service with one another fuels our spiritual fervor, bringing to a boil our heart’s zeal for God, His people, and His mission - and this happens when we lovingly cooperate with God and each other. 

Service is a love expressed to the ones we serve and share and is an expression of our love for God in response to God’s love so to serve others is a loving act of obedience to Jesus and His commands and is a grateful and humble response of the heart that has been loved, a loved heart that desires to please the One Who loves, expressing this love the same way it has been loved.

Our heart’s passion, is fanned into flame, by service, and bringing our spirits to a “boil”, our hearts begin to spill over with love for God and what God loves, now, loving as God has loved us, there is forming in us a  compassion for the world, that is, the lost, and a growing compelling us to go.

4 spheres of impact - 

Family – 1Timothy 5:8 “But those who won’t care for their relatives, especially those in their own household, have denied the true faith. Such people are worse than unbelievers.”

Family of God - Galatians 6:9-10 “9Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.”

Neighbor – Lev 19:118 “love your neighbor as yourself”- Matt 5:43; Ja 2:8; Ro 13:8; Ga 5:14

The lost – Setting apart Christ as Lord we are the to be prepared to give a reason for your hope when you’re asked - we “go” to make disciples (Matt 28) - with a prepared heart (attitude and posture of a servant) to do good (serve) and have a ready answer for those who are and would ask 1Peter 3:13-16

And how is it that we are to impact them? 

Romans 12:1-13 

Through a sincere love that expresses itself in service: this is Jesus - in us and through us! Eph 2:8-10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…, …we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Galatians 5:6 “...The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.” NIV or “...[if we are] in Christ Jesus…, …only faith activated and expressed and working through love. AMP

Why would my heart be inflamed when and as we serve?  Because we are living out our true nature (1Co 1:30; 2Co 5:21) and that nature's purpose: to be like Jesus (Ro 8:29): so know that - when we serve that is when We are most like Jesus - a humble, loving servant enslaved to those He serves. 

Philippians 2:1-8

Serve - to be a slave, enslaved - the verb 

• I am a slave, am subject to

• to serve as a slave, having all personal ownership rights assigned to the owner; (figuratively) to willingly give over the prerogative to be self-governing.

• to yield obedience, Romans 7:6; τίνι, to obey one's commands and render to him the services due.

How can this be?! Well, if we are REALLY “...created in Christ Jesus…” and that “...to do good works…” then it must be that we are what He is and are to think and act as He does - because this IS real and sincere love.  

Ephesians 5:1-2 Imitation: the greatest form of flattery - a form we cannot avoid because we are God’s children!

Philippians 2:13 loving co-operation: it is God who works in us to desire and (want to) do His will and purposes!  (Gal 5)

Where does this start? We will, for now, assume this - well, after being loved and served by Jesus Himself, we, begin to think and act like Him!

Phil 2:1  “1Therefore if you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any common sharing in the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion”

Just like Jesus reminded Himself - we need to be reminded, not just assume:  So, Jesus, reminding Himself of the truth of Who He was in and to His Father “...knowing from whom He came and where He was going - being held by His Father - He would now show the disciples the extent of His love… He put on the servant’s towel and took up the servant’s basin and took the servant’s attitude, posture, position, and acts of service, or, enslavement” John 13:1-5

So, being reminded of who WE are IN and TO God, our Father, we can now show each other the full extent of our love (born out of Jesus’ love for us and the Spirit in us) 

Phil 1:2-4 2then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind. 3Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, 4not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.

Seeing “others as better than ourselves” AND “not only to our own interests, but we look also to the interests of others” and love and serve with IS A MATTER OF HAVING THE “same attitude as Jesus…” 

So know that… Attitude is EVERYTHING!  

Phil 2:5-8  “5In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6Who, being in very nature a God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature b of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death…”

All of this starts with an attitude… …an attitude adjustment that is - we are not our own.

Jesus, a slave? - the noun, the one who serves or is a slave - in this case, to His Father’s will.

• someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. Ironically, ("bond-slave") is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers.

And in our case, to the One who has purchased us - and that - with His own life, for eternal life!

So if Jesus is a slave, a bond-servant, and we are in Jesus - created in Him - we too are bondservants, slaves, bought with a price - we are not our own!

1Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 7:4 “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.”

We are not our own, we are Jesus’s, and, whether we know it or not, each others 

Romans 12:5 “...so it is with Christ’s body. We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other.”

Romans 12:1-13 Why would my heart be inflamed when and as we serve?

Romans 12:1-13 Why would my heart be inflamed when and as we serve?  Because we are living out our nature, our nature's purpose: it is when We are most like Jesus - a humble, loving servant. 

Serve - to be a slave, enslaved - the verb 

• I am a slave, am subject to

• to serve as a slave, having all personal ownership rights assigned to the owner; (figuratively) to willingly give over the prerogative to be self-governing.

• to yield obedience, Romans 7:6; τίνι, to obey one's commands and render to him the services due.

Phil 2:5-8 

Jesus, a slave? - the noun, the one who serves or is a slave

• someone who belongs to another; a bond-slave, without any ownership rights of their own. Ironically, ("bond-slave") is used with the highest dignity in the NT – namely, of believers who willingly live under Christ's authority as His devoted followers.

“I have not come to be served, but to serve.” 

• Father 

  • John 5:19 “Very truly I tell you, the Son can do nothing by himself; he can do only what he sees his Father doing, because whatever the Father does the Son also does.”

  • John 6:38 “I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.”

• His brothers…, and, family 

  • Mark 3:34-35 “Here are my mother and my brothers! 35Whoever does God’s will is my brother and sister and mother.”

  • John 19:26 “When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.”

  • Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”

  • 1Corinthians 15:7 “Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles”

• By coming to love the world, loving us, having set an example for us, teaches us to love 

  • John 13:34 “A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another.”

  • 1John 4:10 “This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”

  • Romans 5:8,10 “...God proves His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Am I a disciple…

As Jesus serves the Father, the Spirit serves Jesus… and us.

• John 14:23-26  “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 24Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.  25“All this I have spoken while still with you. 26But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

• John 10:35 “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

So, what do we do?  Our mission to the lost should be an extension of how we live and love those close.  

It begins at home with those with whom we live and work - it is ours to love and serve others by praying, caring, and sharing.  Service with and to one another ignites and fuels our spiritual fervor, bringing to fervent boil our heart’s zeal for God, His people, and His mission - to win to Himself the lost - and that with our loving cooperation. So, we must see that service and mission are inseparable, they are intertwined, each causes the other to go act and move, like a perpetual motion machine.

Service and mission are both an act of love, yes a love expressed to who we serve and share, but also an expression of our love for God and who and what God loves.  Each is a loving act of obedience to Jesus and His commands and is a grateful and humble response of the heart that has been loved and desires to please the One who commands, and expresses this love the same way it has been loved.

Our heart’s passion, is fanned into flame, by service, and bringing our spirits to a “boil”, our hearts begin to spill over with love for God and what God loves, now, loving as God has loved us, there is forming in us a  compassion for the world, that is, the lost, and a growing compelling us to go

• Family

• Family of God - John 13:34-35; 1John 4:7-21; Romans 12

  • they will know you are my disciples by how you love one another

  • Keeping your spiritual fervor by serving the Lord

• Neighbor - love your neighbor as yourself - James 2:8; Rom 13:8

  • Being prepared to give a reason for your hope when you’re asked - 1Peter 3:13-16

Crucifying Our Orphan Spirit Romans 8:31-39

READ (Romans 8:31-39 ESV)

31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

32 He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also 

with him graciously give us all things? 

33 Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies.

34 Who is to condemn?  Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that, who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, 

or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 

36 As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;

we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered. 

 37No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 

38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor 

things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

REFLECT

• Main Point: God is for you now and forever. Nothing and no one has the power to change that.

Because of Christ …

1. No one can oppose you (vs. 32)

2. No charge against you will stick (vs. 33)

3. No one will condemn you (vs. 34)

4. No one will separate you (vs. 35-39)
   

RESPOND

1. Crucify your orphan mindset

2. Pray intimately and confidently

3. Be who you are

QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER (private or group study)

1.) If God expressed what He felt about you, what do you think He’d say?

2.) How might truly believing God is for you affect your intimacy with Him?

3.) What would look different in your life if you truly believed this passage?

Love is Kind… Yes, Beloved, Love is Kind (1Cor 13:4; Rom 12:1)

Love is kind…  Yes, beloved, love is kind in every way.  Even, or especially, when administered with and by mercy.  (1Cor 13:4; Rom 12:1)

“...the riches of his kindness, forbearance, and patience…” it is “…God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance…” Romans 2:4

That I, that we, have received this gift, this grace, when we least deserved it - while we were at enmity with God, the Giver of this grace, He showed His love for us. 

“You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly… While we were still sinners, Christ died for us…, …while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son…” and by Jesus’ loving work “...have now received reconciliation.” Romans 5:6,8,10-11 

And why?  Why would God do such a thing as this?

“For God SO loved the world that He gave…” John 3:16-18   

And so 

“...it is by grace we have been saved…” Ephesians 2:8

God’s loving and merciful grace.  And what is God’s grace?  Is it not the gift of His kindness?

If this is true of our Father toward us, those who He has made His children, should this not be true of us, filled with that very God, toward others?

• Riches: wealth, abundance - materially or spiritually - much in number and quality, of many kinds.

  • Flowing, poured

  • Fullness, plentitude: with excellence in which one abounds - that is the recipient, the person enriched with that of the highest value

  • Rom 11:11:12, 33 “the riches of God in salvation and wisdom as well as Eph 1:7 “the riches of His grace”  vs. Matt 13:22 “the deceitfulness of riches” or Luke 8:14 of the same.

• Kindness: goodness, uprightness, gentleness.

  • Well-fit for use for what is really needed - that serves the need of the needy.

  • A useful kindness - meeting real needs, in God’s way, in His timing and fashion - and is provided to us by God (the Holy Spirit) and acted in and through us by God the Holy Spirit. 

  • The Spirit-produced goodness which meets the need - and - avoids human harshness or cruelty.

  • Kind and good - moral excellence, gentleness, goodness

    • God toward us: Titus 3:4 “But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life. 8This is a trustworthy saying. 

    • Us toward others: Col 3:12 “clothe yourselves with…”

• Forbearance or tolerance - suspense or delay of punishment, patience

  • Patient endurance - love is patient, God is love, God’s love is patient patience 

  • God’s mercy holds up, holding back judgment 

• Patience - long-suffering, long-passion - waiting sufficient time before expressing anger 

  • Slowness in avenging wrongs. Matt 5:39 “if someone slaps you on the…”; 1Cor 6:7  “...why not rather be wronged…?

    • Premature use of force or retribution that rises out of improper anger - personal reaction (being offended or wanting revenge or to avenge)

  • Divinely regulated patience - this is used of God toward man (1Pet 3:20; 2Pet 3:15)

  • Produced by God the Holy Spirit in and through us toward God, self, and others 

  • Staying-power, “long-tempered”

• Repentance: a change of mind, change in the inner man.

  • To cause me to repent or turn away and to 

  • The ability to repent - as one who could see and now can see (a light has dawned” (Isa: 9:2; Matt 4:16; Luke 1:79; Eph 5:8) and revealed to mankind his sin and impending judgment in a merciful and gracious attempt to warn and save - to call us off our current path (of understanding) into a new path of life. (John 1)

  • A change of mind by which we turn from, desist from what and the way we were, to… (2Pet 3:9; 2Cor 7:9 “…your sorrow led you to repentance” our sin in the face of God’s kindness brings a godly sorrow that bears in us a desire to turn and bring Him joy with a grateful response) 

1Peter 3:9 “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

God has been kind, allowing his long-suffering - His patience and tolerance - to do its work.  God’s timing can seem slow and unkind.  When in fact it is perfectly timed and mercifully kind - patient in the waiting as it, that kindly patience, accomplishes His perfect and loving will.  

Preparing the entire world for What, for Who, is to come.  And not only the “entire world”, but in each of our own worlds, He worked and works His kindly work.  

And then, not only ours, but each and every world He has prepared in advance for our world to meet, intersect, encounter, and impact with the love He has poured into us, that their world might now be changed, transformed, saved by the gift of God’s loving-kindness. 

Israel had waited… The Messiah had been promised and prophesied for thousands of years, and now, God had been quiet for the last 400 years.  In the meantime, the Israelites prayed, waited, looked for, and been hopeful and fooled, for how many generations.?!  

God, what are you doing?  What is taking so long?  Why are you so slow in fulfilling your promise?!

What we, as humans, sometimes do not understand is God’s slowness, His waiting, for what seems, a lifetime, to do what He has promised to do.  Maaaaannnn!!!

But, we must come to understand, believe, and trust, is that God’s “slowness” is not slow as we understand slowness, but this “slowness” is God waiting and working and allowing His patience and perseverance - to its work (James 1) in the life of Israel, as He lovingly prepared not only Israel, but the world, for his coming grace. Jesus.

Luke 2:26,46,76-79; Matthew 1:18-25

Elizabeth and Zechariah 

• Israel's prayers

• Israel’s suffering

• Israel’s being 

• Elizabeth and Zechariah’s long life of service mingled with grief and disgrace, wondering and now, waiting…

Joseph and Mary

• The announcement 

• The Holy Spirit’s work

• The 9 months - anticipating His arrival

• The 30 years waiting to see it all come to fruition…

• The 3 years of wondering what all of this meant

• The hours through the trial, the beating, the conviction

• The walk to the hill

• The seeming lifetime watching Him on the cross…

• The grave, the Spirit’s arrival

• The wait goes on

And now, the wait goes on… how will we wait?

What must we do…? Luke 3; Matthew 3; 5

What must we do…?  A sincere heart, does the sincere things it does, sincerely.  It cannot help but do the thing it is led, prompted, to do, sincerely, naturally.

• First: see and fear God “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.” Prov 9:10 (Pr; 1:7)

• Next: Jesus answered, “The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.” John 6:29

• And then: live this out… sincerely, naturally, as a matter of the fact that you and I have been set apart by God for this very purpose - having been loved by God, we now know and love God and desire to make Him known to those we love that they may love Him Who loves, too... 

Luke 3:7-15 John the Baptist’s answer to the sincerely repentant, if what they have professed to be so, as to how they should now live as a natural response to that repentant heart.  (Matthew 5-7 Jesus’ parallel teaching to any and all who have followed Him and are not only sincerely repentant, but now, believing and following Him, born again, baptized not just with water, but the Spirit.) 

Matthew 3:13-17 13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.  16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with Him, I am well pleased.”

This Spirit that anoints Jesus and declares the Father’s love, pleasure and intentions, is that same Spirit is now in us who believe.

• Ephesians 1:13-14 “When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.”

And, now, what must we do?  Or, what do we get to do?

We now get to join Jesus in the good works of the kingdom.

• Ephesians 2:10 “...we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works prepared in advance for us to do.”

What are those good works we are to do?

• James 4:17 (Ja 1:19-27; 2:14-26: Prov 21:13) “...the one who sees and knows the good, the good work they should do and does not do it, sins.”  

  • They have missed the target, to miss the mark.  What is the target, what is that mark?  To be like Jesus, to exercise the righteousness we have been given and made, to do good - the good works God has prepared for us and prompts us to do.

• 1John 3:17; (1Tim 6:17-18) “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?”

  • He’s not necessarily saying the love of God is not in them, but “how can it be that you have the love of God in you and not…?!”  in essence “God, forbid that be so”

• Luke 3:7-15 “what must we do…?  Do this…” we do the things that we would naturally do - the things we do every day - we do as if we were doing it with and for Jesus - because - we are.  The very things we do because that’s what we do, but now with God and others in mind, the sincere desire to bless others according to their need.

• Matthew 5:14-16; 43-48 “Let your light, the advent of Jesus (in you), shine before men… Let them see your good works that they may glorify your Father in heaven (1Pe 2:12)

  • To whom?  To all.  

  • Matthew 5:7; Luke “Be merciful just as your heavenly Father is merciful”

    • 14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

    • 43“You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor i and hate your enemy.’ 44But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45that you may be children of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47And if you greet only your own people, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

      • Perfect: lacking nothing to completeness; mind and character of one who has reached their proper height of virtue and character (in an absolute sense, God) as respects understanding and goodness

        • Therefore God can say to us, being in us (Gal 5:22) and our being His workmanship (Eph 2), working in us (Rom 5; Eph 1) to will and desire His good purposes (Phil 2) and then indwelling and empowering us to do so - prompting us, enabling us to see and giving us both the example of compassion (having experienced His 2Co 1) and a heart of compassion, to be, in essence, “perfect, as He is perfect”, or “holy, as He is holy” (1Peter 3)

        • As it has been done to us, how we would want it done to us, now we are to go do… keeping “the royal law” (Mat 7:21; Ro 13:8; Ga 5:6; Ja 2:28)

  • Luke 6:27-38 

27“But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. 30Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. 31Do to others as you would have them do to you.

32“If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. 33And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. 34And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. 35But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.

Judging Others

37“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. 38Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Remembering that in all of this, the good that we do is, the expression of the good that we are, having been made good in Jesus - we are truly being God’s workmanship, as God works in, on, and through us, to desire to accomplish His will and purposes, and that is to express Him and His love by doing the good works - of the kingdom - which He has graciously prepared in advance for us to have the privilege to do - of joining Him, our Father, in His doing (John 5:19; 14:10)

“So Jesus replied, "Truly, truly, I tell you, the Son can do nothing by Himself, unless He sees the Father doing it. For whatever the Father does, the Son also does.”

And so we now do the same - that we might shed light (back) on Him to bring Him glory. (John 14:12)

“Very truly I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father.”

As Jesus pleased the Father, so we now please the Father, by the Son and the Spirit that resides in us. (Hebrews 13:20-21)

20Now may the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, 21equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

There is an inherent good that expresses itself naturally from the sincerely repentant heart

There is an inherent good that expresses itself naturally from the sincerely repentant heart. That the good that this repentant heart does is the fruit of having seen in its own sinfulness and the actions that arise from it and humbly admit and submit to God’s goodness and righteousness, His mercy and grace.

Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-20 (3:10) (Is 43; 65; Ez 11:19; 18:31; 36:26) John the Baptist and those who would respond to his call. Now that we have repented, “what then must we do?”

A life changed, repented, going a new way, it will act naturally. (Matt 3:8; Luke 3:10-14)

Then, there is a power that makes one truly righteous, that the sincerity of one’s love is even more profound than the repentant heart, and that is the love of the humble and empowered heart that has not only been repentant, but transformed at the humble and gentle hands of Jesus - having been loved, we now love, and we love with a power of the Spirit of Love that has poured into each and every, all, who have received, Jesus. 

The humility of Jesus, submitting Himself to a repentant act, and this, the the hands of one of His own (sinful) creatures, was not concerned about how the masses would perceive Him, but in fact, would see it as more important to demonstrate the nature of the Kingdom, and the King of kings, Himself, humility - humble obedience, even at the expense of His reputation as sinless.

Matthew 3:13-17 ; Luke 3:21-22 – and Jesus, came too, to be baptized…

13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.  16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

There is a love that comes from that power, empowered to love as Jesus loves.  That now natural expression of love is Jesus, by the Holy Spirit, in us, working in, on, and through us

Romans 5:1-5 - the humble and submissive heart, loved, now empowered to love, naturally.

1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, 2through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we boast in the hope of the glory of God. 3Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; 4perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.

Galatians 5:13-14,16,18,22-25 “13You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. 14For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 16So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.  ...…22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.

This is the season to express these truths, to be what we have been made to me, now, naturally, as we have been “born again” (John 3:1-21) and therefore a “new creations” (Ro 6:4; Gal 6:15; Eph 2:10 “creatures” (2Co 5:17), not what we were, but now what and who we are, because of whose we are.

Therefore, we love deeply, with a sincere love, that does good, because have been made good and therefore are good - that is - righteous in Jesus, by His Spirit.

And therefore - can - love, and love, this way, the Way of Jesus.

Cultivating Contentment & Advent Hope in the Noise of this Season | 1 Timothy 6:6-19

Cultivating Contentment & Advent Hope in the Noise of this Season

1 Timothy 6:6-19

Good morning once again! If you’re new here, I’m Aaron - one of the guys mostly working behind the scenes these days and teaching as needed. Tony is on the mend and since I love this season and I was already introducing Advent, I volunteered to preach in his stead this morning. My sermon for this morning is called: “Cultivating Contentment & Advent Hope in the Noise of this Season.” 

And my aim this morning is to exhort and encourage us all to build our muscles of contentment and hope in Christ to the glory of God this morning. It can be so easy for us to get caught up in the cultural traditions, the great bargains on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, the meals, and a dozen family events during Advent, and in so doing miss out on the glory of Christ in this season and it’s my hope that this morning, we could all take a collective deep breath and align our hearts towards Christ together before we dive into the season headfirst. That we might drink deeply and prepare ourselves to make much of Him in our lives this Holiday season. That we might find true rest and peace in Him. 

How does that sound? Does that sound good? Then let’s dive in, open your Bibles to 1 Timothy 6:6-19. I’m going to read the whole passage, break it down, and tie it into an Advent exhortation for us all this morning.

Vs. 6 Godliness w/ contentment is great gain. Contentment comes to those who know the full story - that Christ has come, that he was crucified, and that he was raised and through that act has reconciled us fully to God forever. The Christian has an untouchable hope and therefore an untouchable peace. Peace comes from confident hope and there is no greater hope than the Christian hope bought by the precious blood of Christ who freely came in the flesh to gladly take away the sins of the world.

Did you catch that? Contentment is not for sale. It’s not on a shelf or a car lot. It’s not found in memories with family or friends or under the tree. But everything around you for the next 30 days will be telling you that it is. Don’t believe the lie. Fight for contentment and cling to Christ. 

Let’s read on

Vs 7 -10 Why are we content? Because our ultimate and truest and most real hope is in found Christ’s finished work. If you believe that with me, say Amen. Amen.

Our deepest hope is not in a spouse, a house, a gift, or a job. If you believe that, say Amen. Amen.

It’s not in being the best father, or mother, son or daughter, brother or sister. Amen church? 

It’s not found in any earthly accomplishment or the praise and approval of the people around us. Amen, Church?  We’d give those things up in a moment to cling to Christ, Amen?

If we’re honest that’s not an easy Amen in practice.

Comfort is nice.

Being well-liked, and being highly regarded feels good. Watching our children’s faces glow on Christmas morning is sweet and precious. Memories we carry for a lifetime. Seeing our living rooms and dining rooms full of those we love and who love us is such a wonderful gift. And these are all good, godly, and wonderful things! But they are not the ultimate thing. And that is why Paul exhorts us - those of us who desire to be rich in anything but Christ - to keep our minds fixated on Christ.

Jesus said that we are to seek first the Kingdom of God and all else will be given to us even if following Christ means we suffer the temporary loss of all those things. Right now there are Christians who are celebrating the advent of Christ in secret. Hushed tones and quiet hymns, in illegal gatherings in the midst of COVID with minimal access to medicine, and in some cases food and water, because of their status as cultural pariahs. To them, it is better to worship Christ and celebrate his coming than to enjoy any other earthly blessing.

For us, right now, it’s easy to forget that we are those very people being challenged here.

We don’t find ourselves in such harsh conditions where the choice to be faithful to Christ could cost us anything. And we think because most of us don’t make much money, we aren’t tempted to desire riches. We figure we won’t ever be rich. But having riches isn’t the warning here, it’s being possessed by the desire for wealth. In other words, it’s the desiring comfort above Christ that we are exhorted to watch out for. We seek wealth because we seek power - or stability - or put another way, we seek riches because we think we’ll find true comfort and true life in them.

Our culture is so intoxicated by comfort - as was the case in the early church - that unless we actively fight for contentment and godliness, we will find ourselves caught up in seeking comfort (riches) above Christ. This is why we are given the following commands in verses 11-16.

Read Vs 11-16.

Contentment is something you must fight for.

“Flee” “Pursue” “Fight” “Take hold” “Keep”

Listen to those active words. We are told here that acquiring Godliness and Contentment takes work. It’s a muscle that we need to exercise. If we don’t, we’ll become soft and comfortable and we’ll be prone to trade Christ for comfort. This holiday season, you’re being tempted to choose comfort over Christ.

To think “Ahh, THIS is the life” instead of “Ahh, how wonderful will those days be when we are all together with Christ.” Or If this is THIS sweet, how much more sweet will life with Christ be? I can’t wait.”

Advent is God’s active war on Satan, sin, death, and Hell itself. And it is his grace and mercy showering over us through the lived life and freely given life of Christ. It was purchased for us.

Because God has been so gracious, because his Kingdom is coming and his will, will be done, because Christ has come - therefore we should fight hard to not be lulled into sleep, to be caught unaware, to drift peacefully into the kingdom of comfort and there find it ultimately empty. We should see through the good gifts and see our Lord behind them. We should be fueled in righteous desiring of his kingdom as we have an anticipatory taste of the Kingdom to come!

This is Paul’s argument. Not that good things on earth are bad, but that good things on earth should cultivate in us a desire for the better things that are surely coming. They should fuel our hope in Christ, stoking the flames of the fires of our faith. And we should be active participants in building that fire of faith so that when the temptation to choose comfort or convenience of Christ comes our way, we don’t fall prey to it.

That’s why he gives practical suggestions in verses 17 & 18. Active ways we can practice our faith in Christ and exercise that muscle, seeing the gift of life and the hope of the life to come clearly. Ways we can flee the tempting call of comfort and ease that wealth affords us, so we can see clearly Christ and then use the wealth he allows us to cultivate to build his kingdom and spread his joy.

So what can we do this Holiday season to savor Christ more than Christmas?

Well, today as a church we will take communion, confessing our sins, repenting of those sins, and reminding ourselves of the depth of the love of God for us in Christ Jesus, that we’ve been bought with a price and should glorify God with our bodies. And every week through Christmas, we will be reflecting on an aspect of Advent and the arrival of Christmas.

What else can do you do?

• Pray, daily for God to work in your heart to reveal where you might not be living as if his son really did come to earth and reconcile all things to himself.
  

• Seek ways to glorify God in action this season.
  

• Remind yourself of the true Kingdom coming and the lengths to which God was willing to go to establish that Kingdom with us in the sending of his Son by reading scripture and books on the topic.
  

• Find ways to bless others within your means this season.
  
  

What are we (my family) doing?

This year our family is doing a weekly devotional, lighting our own advent candles, and singing advent songs together every week. Jasmine also does a TON of extra baking with the girls, celebrating Jesus and the gift God gave us in sending him. We look for excuses to bless our kids with a little extra and direct them to the blessing that is God in the flesh, Jesus Christ. Christmas morning we delay giving gifts until we enjoy a meal together and reflect on the greater gift that is Christ. You don’t have to do all or even any of these things. But this is what we’re doing.

But for now, today, we can practice our faith in communion. As the worship team leads us in worship, I encourage you to reflect on this sermon, confess to God any sins exposed today or earlier that you ahve yet to repent of, and prepare your heart to receive communion. Ponder the mercy and goodness of God the Father, the love and faithfulness of the Son, and abiding help and grace of the Spirit given to us because of the coming of Christ. And then as you’re ready, come and take the elements back to your seat. Once everyone has had opportunity to come up, we will take communion together.

….

At the last supper, Jesus took a loaf of bread and broke it and said, “this is my body, broken for you. Whenever you eat it, remember me.” Then he took a glass and raise it saying, “this is my blood, poured out for you, whenever you drink it, remember me.”

The disciples concluded the meal with a song, so lets join them in that. Would you stand and sing with me?

The Answer to Division: The Gospel

Divisions in the Church

Factions and Quarreling 1 Corinthians 10:10-13

Where Divisions Come From

“The Flesh” = Pride & Jealousy 1 Corinthians 3:1-4

Two Reactions to the Gospel

• That’s Dumb!

  • The Greeks respected the philosophies of their day.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:18-21 & Acts 17:22-32

The crucifixion reveals God’s wisdom by uniting justice and grace and bringing righteousness.

• That’s Weak!

  • The Jewish people respected victory.

  • 1 Corinthians 1:22 & Matthew 12:38-42

The crucifixion reveals God’s power by defeating death through death.

Summation:

Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God

1 Corinthians 1:22-25

Therefore, walk the way of Christ and put Pride & quarreling to death.

1 Corinthians 1:30-31

How is your balance?

Luke 10: 38-42
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”Two questions to reflect upon ……

Are you so busy doing things FOR Jesus that you are not spending any time WITH Jesus?

What kind of hospitality does Jesus receive in your life?

Focus on what’s of greatest importance …… trust God, use your gifts wisely, and keep your eyes focused on what is important – JESUS.

Always remember, Jesus wants you to come to Him ….
screaming or crying - but come to Him. GOD LOVES YOU