Aaron Grosch

June 26, 2022

Loving, Truly Loving, is Not Easy, and Will Be Misunderstood (1Cor 3:1-5)

Aaron Grosch

June 26, 2022

This is by no means an easy day - I do not pretend to have the answers - other than Jesus (1Cor 3:1-5)

As much as there is relief and rejoicing to be done with regards to life being dignified, there are lives around us who are mourning, angry, feeling betrayed and abandoned, and feel as though they have not been dignified, that they are not being dignified and it is ours to minister to both…

Blessed are those who… Matthew 5

Mourn
...are meek - not driven by worldly wants, but humble, gentle, lowly…
Hunger and thirst for righteousness - God’s merciful grace expressed in His goodness, fairness, and justness
The peacemaker - expressing kindness - in and out of season (Ps 1)

Standing in the midst of the carnage… that is our culture…

Who are we to minister to? Whomever we encounter.

How are we to minister to them? In view of the mercy we have received and continue to receive - we are to minister with (that same) mercy and grace, sympathy and compassion, kind loving girded by truth. (Matt 5; Ro 5)

What are we supposed to do?

We must have a proper perspective - we have to be careful to not get caught up in the “macro” - that doesn’t mean don’t care - pray, be informed, have curious and gentle and compassionate discussions, and vote
Why is perspective important? Because, most of us will have a little direct influence on the direction of this country, in a political way, we must remember certainly, that prayer is a transformative discipline that places us in the midst of things that we are selves cannot be a part of. Our responsibility, each one of us, is for the lives, the life in front of us. The lives, the persons, this person, we encounter. The people and persons, each one, who we encounter and have actual opportunity to bless and minister to
Yes, it is an issue, but there are people, persons, at the heart of this - and not everyone is - what we might perceive as an enemy. And even if they are what perceive as an enemy - how are we to treat them? (Matt 5; Luke 6; Rom 12). We must not forget that we are talking about people, persons, a person - loved by God, to whom Jesus was sent, and for whom Jesus gave Himself.
Therefore, we must ask ourselves, can one
- “Can be pro-life and still hurt for the hurting?”
- “Can one be pro-life and not care about the life standing in front of them - now?”
- “Who am I absolved from loving, who am allowed to not love?” (1John 2:5; 4:17)

Trust God’s sovereignty, as difficult as that can be do what you are supposed to do - be a witness, an ambassador from another kingdom, sent - while God does what He will do.

Psalm 82 “the gods…”, rulers of the peoples, unjust and uncaring. Do we believe and trust God’s sovereignty and His ability to bring about His will - “...on earth as it is heaven…”?

How do we honor God’s sovereignty, and truly join Him in His governing?

1Timothy 2 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5For, there is one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone.

Isaiah 58 …the people - our privileged responsibility to minister to the broken…

Who are the Oppressed among you? You will only know if you engage and listen, pray, care, and when given the opportunity, when asked the reason for your hope - share - and that with “gentleness and respect”.

We cannot allow ourselves to be swept into the national landscape in a way that keeps us from the person in front of us.

We cannot allow ourselves to be swept up in the frenzy, dragged into arguments, provoked into the vitriol. we cannot be condescending or gloating, proud, or callous. Yes, we are called to “rejoice with those who rejoice”, and to rejoice when we see goodness prevail, and consider any good, right, and fair judgment or justice. But, it is also ours also to mourn with those who mourn and extend mercy and grace to those who so desperately need it. Those who are truly struggling - fearful and confused.

Jesus came for the people, and the peoples, but never forsook the person. He was never too busy or preoccupied to stop and engage and touch and heal and feed and speak. Jesus did not merely come to tell us the truth, but to be the truth, and then, to be and show us the way and the life.

John 1:16-17 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.

Why? Psalm 8

Ps 139:13-18 “…fearfully and wonderfully made…”

But, lest we forget, there are those who are entrapped in the system, by the system, and we dare not be a part of that system…

John 8:1- “…they used this question as a trap…” the woman caught in the middle

Let us not get caught in the trap of arguing the issues, debating the politics, merely defending moralities, and in the process lose sight of the hearts which we are to fight for and be ready, willing, and able to be merciful to and to love. Let us not forget our own sin and be mindful, even thankful God‘s grace toward us relative to the consequences of our own sin - we have sinned, we do sin, it is only the merciful grace of God that we stand here now - therefore, we are called to - Empathize, sympathize, have compassion, and desire to bring comfort, needs to be our aim.

This, now, is not about politics or issues, this is about ministering to others - mercy, grace, kindness…

Matthew 5 a blessed are the… persecuted

And you will be misunderstood, expect it.

1Cor 2:10-16 you will not be understood, your goodness will be misinterpreted as much or more than it will be received and appreciated - just let it be Jesus’ presence in you that is dispised - not our attitude or argumentativeness, our condescension or gloating.

Please understand - your loving kindness, the extension of mercy and grace - does not guarantee a like response, in fact, you will be more often than not - misunderstood, your words and actions misinterpreted, your motives judged as impure

And, that has to be ok - do not be angry, indignant, vindictive, neither try to defend yourself (your extending) or God, just be persistent and constant in your loving

To expect or insist on something in return for our love and kindness is not really loving another, but self or the idea of loving (to be) loved or the feeling of having loved and having it received and appreciated…

This is what Jesus meant by love your enemies and do good to those who mistreat you - we do not love to be loved In return, we love because that’s what love does - especially when one’s been loved as we have been loved - forgiven as we have been forgiven. (Luke 7:47)

There was no one more merciful, gracious, kind, and loving than Jesus. And we know how that ended. And he himself said, if they have hated me, they will hate you all the more. If they persecuted me, they will persecute you. And what was the driving force behind the persecution? His mercy and grace completely misinterpreted and misunderstood, righteousness and the goodness that stood before the people, and would but it’s on nature convict the unrighteousness and the hearts of those confronted by that righteous goodness.

John 15:18-21 18“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ b If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

And therefore, how would we act in the face of being misunderstood, having done good goodly yet being seen as a hypocrite, an enemy…

If you have had an abortion, have suggested and paid for an abortion, have found yourself in a position of panic and confusion, there is hope - there is forgiveness and healing

Aaron Grosch

June 19, 2022

Being Just Like Dad… Merciful Luke 6:27-36

Aaron Grosch

June 19, 2022

Being just like Dad… merciful. Luke 6:27-36

Progressing over time, with our cooperative effort, we see God more and more for Who He is, and in seeing Him, we see more and more who we are - at all, let alone to Him. And then, as we grow in character and into the full measure of what He is creating us to be, we begin to see others as God intended – through what they are, to what they could be, and treat others as they ought to be treated – as God's image in need of restoring and renewing, as we ourselves have been restored and are being renewed.

Mercy begets life and that life of mercy begets mercy

Titus 3:3-11 (Romans 2:1-4; 2Tim 2:14; Col 2)

3At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived, and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4But 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. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

9But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and arguments and quarrels about the law, because these are unprofitable and useless. 10Warn a divisive person once, and then warn them a second time. After that, have nothing to do with them. 11You may be sure that such people are warped and sinful; they are self-condemned.

Luke 7:36-50. What does this mercy and changed life and life’s perspective look like in real-time? Loving much, because we have been forgiven much – mercy’s indelible mark.

Mercy’s perfection, being perfect just like dad… merciful: minds and hearts changed, a Spirit of divine seeing and acting… apprehended by God, I now strive to apprehend God – to see as God sees and act as God, our Father, acts – formed and informed by God’s Spirit of Truth, empowered to act with the mercy acted upon – me…

1Cor 3:9-16; Ephesians 5:1-20 yes, we have the Spirit of God who teaches us the heart of God, the source of divine intelligence, God’s mercy expressed, His Spirit’s enablement and empowerment through the work of Jesus. This Spirit is the source and substance of Divine intelligence… seeing through the eyes and heart of our Heavenly Father.

1Corinthians 3:9-16

“What no eye has seen, what no ear has heard, and what no human mind has conceived” —

the things God has prepared for those who love him—10these are the things God has revealed to us by his Spirit.

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 13This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. 14The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit. 15The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, 16for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.

What does that Spirit compel us to do?

2Cor 5:11, 14-21

11Since, then, we know what it is to fear the Lord, we try to persuade others. What we are is plain to God, and I hope it is also plain to your conscience…

…14For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. 15And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again. 16So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. 17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: a The old has gone, the new is here! 18All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: 19that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. 20We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. 21God made him who had no sin to be sin b for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

…and this Spirit/spirit of mercy enables us to see what the world cannot see. What we could not see before. Divine intelligence is what enables us to see God, come to trust God, place our faith in God, believe in God, and believe God, to trust God, and to obey God. Because we can see… we have knight and discernment into God and His intentions - looking for the good He will accomplish.

Divine intelligence helps us to see that God is triune - a community. There is a Father, a Son, and a Holy Spirit.

Divine intelligence allows us to see beyond the senses, and into the spiritual. Divine intelligence enables us to discern what is actually right and good and true and just and fair. (Proverbs)

Taken along by the Holy Spirit, it is God‘s word that illumines and validates our seeing for us, enabling us to apprehend God’s truth, governs our understanding, defines it for us, and the Spirit translates it for us, showing us how we can apply it to our lives and express to the lives around us.

One who has divine intelligence, in essence, begins to see creation through the lens of a designer, The Designer.

The one who has divine intelligence is able to attribute to God good things, that His word is true, hard to wrestle with sometimes, but ultimately good and beneficial.

Divine intelligence allows us to recognize God’s attributes and His invisible qualities, and then prompts us, compels us, and even leads us, to want the same attributes and qualities, not just because we are made in His image - and therefore have a semblance of them by nature of that fact - but knowing Christ, having that illuminating Spirit, we want even more, because we can see more - we see Jesus, know Jesus have been apprehended by Jesus, so now long to apprehend Jesus - we want to be the same, to work with the Spirit and Truth to be what we are being created to be, and eventually do what that new nature does - live Jesus’ life in us with mercy.

Attitude, and perspective, have much to do with how we view and treat others. How we see them, determines how we treat them, shows whether we actually believe God in his declaring love for the world, his desire for men to come to him, and recognize her privileged responsibility to demonstrate the mercy to others that we are Celtic received.

This is the renewed mind given the ability to discern God’s will, to accomplish the works prepared in advance for us to do which are always those with whom we share any and every encounter - again, as we cooperate with Him in His word and Spirit. (Gal 5)

Romans 12:2 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.”
Ephesians 4:23 “be made new in the attitude of your minds; 24and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.”
Colossians 3:10 “put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.”

By the Spirit of God, we are able to see this world, other people, ourselves, and God Himself, through the lens of that Spirit – putting it all together…. So, then, how do we treat people?

The precursor is to not see them for their sin or as their sin, but to see them as broken because of sin, and lost in their sin - Romans 2:4 - they cannot yet see or apprehend God and His grace and their lives are marked then by not living according to God’s design and will and purposes for them(selves) - ours is to reveal God to them and His dearie for them.
First, they have value - see them, each and all, as God's making.
Second, assume that they need mercy, grace, and love.
Third, assume kindness
Fourth, assume God‘s desire for them to draw near
Fifth, treat them with the mercy you’ve been treated. Dignify them as you would like to be dignified, love them as you were desired to be loved, treat them, the way you wanna be treated.
Finally, be prepared to give a reason for your help when you are asked Dash and we ask because you’ve lived in such a way as to be asked.
- Kind
- Approachable
- Accessible
- Humble

Colossians 3:12-17

Aaron Grosch

June 12, 2022

To See God, is to Know God, to Know God is to Know Self

Aaron Grosch

June 12, 2022

Matthew 5:45 Be perfect, merciful, good, just as your heavenly Father is perfect… as Jesus is perfect

and good, we are to grow into that same goodness, or virtue – being perfect

as our good, wise, and loving Father – who is merciful and gracious – that in

us, now causes us, having received from God this merciful grace, the real

compelling to extend that grace.

A true and real expression of God - that is what we are!

God’s divine power enables us to see Him. This divine seeing, intelligence, enables me, us, having seen Him for who He is, can now see me and you for who He has truly made us to be and act.

This divine ability to see also enables me to see and know what is righteous – that is to “apprehend” and comprehend it – and then be the righteousness He has created me to be and act out that righteousness according to His will and purposes – and this, out of loving appreciation of Him and all that He has done.

This causes me to no longer (want to) live as I once did when I was believing what I though was right to be right but, now, in Jesus, being and seeing and knowing (what is) right, I can rise above this world and its desires and participate in the divine (Ro 1:21; Eph 4:17-18, 22; Col 3:17; 2Pe 1:1-11).

Because I can see God, know God, and, having been first made in His image and likeness, but now am created in Christ Jesus (Eph 2:8-10), I have the right, not only to become a child of God (John 1:12), but having been made a child of God (Ro 8:14-16; 1Jo 3:1), I, having been born anew (Jo 3:3-8), am now empowered and enabled, as a child of God, to be an imitator of God – as that dearly loved child – and live a life of love! (Eph 4:1; 5:1-2)

I can now know how to act, because I see and know God and how God acts – by His word (and Spirit). First amongst Himself (which IS His word), then and because of being exposed to that divine acting, and made to live and act the same way (in Jesus), see His word as correction and instruction in that divine acting toward Him, self, and others. (Mark 12:29-31)

…and the trueness of that real expression is the progressive unfolding of our lives in Christ until we reach the end – functioning at full-strength at each level of strength we obtain as we obtain it – or Him – more and more! (Philippians 3:7-16)

To know God, truly know Him, is to be like Him. Therefore, to be like Him, we must truly know Him.

The nature of God as…

…One Isaiah (Ex 20:1-11; Job 38-42)
- 54:6,24-26
- 48:6,8,17-1
- Revelation 1:8
…many, as three “let us make… in our image and likeness”

Genesis 1:1-3 (2-3) 1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. 3And God said…

John 1:1-4; 15:3; 17:15-19; Eph 5:26

1:1-4 1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind.
15:3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.
17:13-19 13“I am coming to you now, but I say these things while I am still in the world, so that they may have the full measure of my joy within them. 14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify them by d the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. 19For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified.

John 14:15-21

15“If you love me, keep my commands. 16And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be c in you. 18I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. 21Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

How does act with each other? Well, in brief…

Ephesians 5:1-2,15-20

1Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children 2and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

Then, to know God, is to know self and others. Why is it important that we see God as three?

Who is God? God as one - there is no other God above Him. God, as three, the Divine Us and Our, God as a divine community in mutual submission. And God has existed, always (Rev 1:8) in perfect and perpetual and joyful communion (John 17)

What are the implications of having been made in the image and likeness of this singular God who expresses himself, as themselves, as a divine community? Could it be that we have been made to actually be, live, and act, like Him/Them?

What is it then to act like the Godhead? In mutuality, mutual submission? Maybe we can assume that God acts toward one another the same way He commands us to act with and toward one another in Philippians 2:1-11 - for us to not know God and His Divine mutuality, would be to not recognize how we are then made to act with and upon and toward one another

To not strip a person of their personhood - which is what makes them who they are and as

To not objectify - or not their person, but a utility to be used for one’s own purposes
To not dignify and protect
To not see value or significance

But in fact, to be able to see each person as a person worthy of esteem and engagement and kind and loving service - just as God sees Himself and each Other and lovingly lifts each other.

This is divine
This is divinely inspired, enabled, mutuality
This is God in His/Their Divine community
This is how God made us to be and what it is He redeemed us for
· This is the making the most of every opportunity, doing the good works prepared in advance for us to do - each other in community, having been granted divine intelligence to see and act accordingly - this is being perfected just our heavenly Father is perfect - being merciful…

How do we do this? Yes, His Spirit in us, but also, with our cooperation, our putting in every effort to add to trust God and His word and to add to our faith and loving service – the very words, the very expression, of God and His heart – for us.

We must learn that every command God gives us instructs us to live out the righteousness that He has made us to be (2Cor 5:21) - it is a reflection of Him and His doing, which is His heart. (Ps 32:8; Isaiah 48:17)

Ps 32:8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you.

Isaiah 48:17-18 “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you,

who directs you in the way you should go. 18If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your well-being like the waves of the sea.”

What are the implications of not seeing Him as a divine community?

John 8:19; 14:7; 17:25 We do not know GOD - Jesus said “We no not what or whom we worship - the fact that we know God - at all - and believe in His being, One and Three is evidence of this divine intelligence

We cannot know ourselves as God intends as we have been made to be like Him and we are truly only like Him when we know Him, Them, and one another - as it is not good for man to be alone - as God, is not alone and has never been alone. As God is with one another, so we are meant to be with one another - and Him.

o John 17:20-25

Our eyes have been opened to see the mystery of God and accept God’s word and words (Proverbs 2:1; James 1; those without the Spirit of God cannot accept John 3:11; 5:43; 8:42-43; 12:48; 14:17; 1Co 2:14)

o 1Corinthians 2:5-16

God's commands remind us of who he is, how he functions, how we’ve been made, and to enable us to live according to that likeness. In order for us to truly understand the word of God, and commands of God, we must understand God, and that we’ve been made in his, or their, image, and likeness. When we see the word this way, it makes more sense, because there is an overarching goal to God‘s word, commands, and instruction. That we would be like him. As we worship him, lift him up, the greatest form of worship we can give him, is to recognize his greatness, and to live according to that greatness imputed in us – that is Jesus righteousness – indwelling Holy Spirit – that is the divine intelligence with which way now see his word, him, ourselves, and one another.

Aaron Grosch

June 5, 2022

Stretched to Full Capacity: Perpetually Perfected by Grace: John 1:16

Aaron Grosch

June 5, 2022

Matthew 5:45 Be perfect, merciful, good, just as your heavenly Father is perfect… as Jesus is perfect and

good, we are to grow into that same goodness, or virtue – being perfect as

our good, wise, and loving Father – who is merciful and gracious.

OK, so we have touched on this idea of being perfect, being perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect. What does this mean? How do we do this? What does it look like? How do I reach this perfection?

Grace, and only by grace.

It is grace, that makes us what God wants us to be, and stretches us out to become the full form of what we are meant to be - that is telescopic - being stretched out to perfection, full potency, the unfolding of Christ’s character and stature.

The process begins by grace, God’s saving grace, and then continues by God’s grace working on, in, and then through me – with me.

John 1:16 “Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.”

In essence, there are many acts of grace

The grace of life and breath - John 1:1-4

The grace of God’s perfect The Law - John 1:17a

The grace that is and is from Jesus - John 1:9-14, 17b

This is grace: God, seeing our condition, our sin and rebellion, our inability to reach up and be righteous, and acceptable, God looks down with compassion, and so loves us, He sends His Son, as grace upon grace upon grace. (John 3)

And to those who will receive Him, He gives the right to become children of God and does this, not when we were right with Him, but while we are still enemies of Him.

This is grace. (John 1:12; Romans 5:1-11)

We then, by grace, are perpetual works in progress, and we are always works in process - that progressive work is:

God’s working in and on us, and then through us (Phil 2-3)
Our working with Him on us and through us, with Him, in the lives of others (Phil 2-3; 2Pe 1)

First and foremost, our being been made perfect and then realizing and growing (into) perfection enables us to see God, no longer from the worldly point of you but growing in an increasingly right view and understanding of God, His character, that what He does is loving and good, what He does is always best, and seeing and experiencing these truths, to be able to receive from Him what He has done, is doing, and will do, starting with our making, and working through us as we respond to His goodness with grateful, appreciative, and loving obedience.

Our hearts have been changed, drawn to God, and enabled to see God for the good and loving Father that He is, and he works in and with us to desire Him and His will and purposes - because they are as good as He is good. He changes not only our hearts but our heart’s view of Him and His work. This is grace.

Then there is the working grace - the daily grace of our equipping to live lives of consequence

2Corinthians 5:13-21 - God’s love, His love for us, compels us - our perfection comes out of us in a compelling love - that we would be instruments of righteousness, vessels of noble (princely) purposes, reconciliation between God and man.

As we grow in God, in our perfection, we learn, by grace, and growing in that grace, or, perfection - that it is true that “all good gifts come from the Father of heavenly lights”

Aaron Grosch

May 29, 2022

Be perfect, merciful, good, just as your heavenly Father is perfect… Matthew 5:45

Aaron Grosch

May 29, 2022

Be perfect, merciful, good, just as your heavenly Father is perfect… Matthew 5:45 As Jesus is perfect and good, we are to grow into that same goodness, or, virtue

Memorial Day - the giving of one’s life for the sake of another - the virtuous life

What is this perfection Matthew speaks of?

Virtue: conformity to a standard of right: MORALITY

· a particular moral excellence

· a beneficial quality or power of a thing

· a manly strength or courage: VALOR

· a commendable quality or trait: MERIT

· a capacity to act: POTENCY

Moral: the principles of right and wrong behavior and the goodness or badness of human character. a person's standards of behavior or beliefs concerning what is and is not acceptable for them to do.

Valor: great courage in the face of danger, especially in battle.

Merit: the quality of being particularly good and growing in that goodness

Potency: the power of something to influence or make an impression. the ability or capacity to achieve or bring about a particular result

In other words: be virtuous just as Jesus is virtuous.

Matthew 5

How can I be perfect, or virtuous like Jesus?? Because of God’s divine power, His ability, to transform me into the likeness of Jesus – His power in me, with my every effort – works the process of my being conformed, more and more, into Jesus’ character and nature – in me.

By God’s divine power!!

2Peter 1:3-5 God’s divine power – God’s dynamic power and ability to accomplish – enables us to live as Jesus, good and virtuous lives. Lives that are pleasing to Him and make an impact on our world.

God’s divine power resides in us and gives us everything we need. So, in order for me to “be perfect” or virtuous as Jesus, there is something required, needed, to live the life of God in us - physical and spiritual - the actual and real life of God in us - we cannot live a godly life on our own.

Philippians 2

That divine power: is God’s dynamic power and ability working in us to desire, will, and act according to His good purposes – Phil 2:13

We now, in response - gladly, appreciatively, humbly, expectantly:

Work out our salvation with fear and trembling - reverent awe – Phil 2:12

Strive, reach to take hold of that for which Jesus took hold of me – Phil 3:12

Back to 2Peter 1

Make every effort to add to this faith those things that best represent Jesus and who I am in Him – 2Peter 1:5

The first of which is: goodness. And what is goodness: There is a virtuous, even courageous, service that is born from our faith that we must indulge

Virtue - moral excellence – the character and nature of Jesus in us and out from us
A virtuous course of thought, feeling, and action; moral goodness - the character/nature of Jesus formed more and more so that our “natural course of thought, speaking, and doing” would be good, righteous, courageous - that is consistently consistent with Jesus - in this world, even the face of opposition and persecution

What does this goodness or virtue look like?

Genuine and sincere: giving of self for…

Care of and for our loved ones
Service to the body or fellowship - for the purpose of edifying, encouraging, and building up
Goodness to our neighbor and/or enemy - for the purpose of blessing, conviction, and the light of grace (that we are)

What are those acts? (1Peter 2:12; Ex 34:10; James 2:15; 3:13; Matt 25:35-36; 1Jo 3:17)

Caring for family - physical and spiritual needs (Gen 45:11; 47:12; 50:21-22; Ex 20:12; Dt 5:16; 1Chron 28:8; Pr 19:18; 29:17; Mk 7:10; Lu 11:11-13; Eph 6:2; Ruth 3:9, 12; Col; 1Tim 5:8)

Generosity to the one-another
- Need meeting - acts of kindness: what is good and necessary for now and eternity done tenderly and with great care - according to their need (Acts 2:42-47; Eph 4:29; 1Tim 6:17-19; Tit )
  - Physical - bodily needs - life here, now
  - Relational - time and wisdom giving
  - Spiritual - prayer, word - encouragement, instruction, correction
- Gift exercising - edifying, blessing, and building up (Rom 12; 1Cor 12)

Love of neighbor - loving them as one loves self (Lev 19:18; Matt 5:43; Mk 12:31; Ja 2:8; Rev 2:19)

Love of enemy - (Matt 5:43-48; Lu 6:27-36; Rom 12:9-21 - where in proximity wisdom permits)

Needs observed - hungry, thirsty, in need…?
Prayer - travels, can be there, even when we cannot
Blessing - the wishing for God’s happiness - to wish well or good (1Pe 3:8-10) Wanting for them God’s good - in particular, redemption
Doing good to those who mistreat you

Aaron Grosch

May 22, 2022

Pursued with Great Effort, May We Return the Favor! Phil 3; Luke 15

Aaron Grosch

May 22, 2022

And, to continue to strive until the end and, at least, live up to what we have attained…

Philippians 3:12-19

12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12

“I make every effort to take hold of”

Persecute - zealously, vigorously hunt down - pursue with haste, chasing, desiring to overtake and apprehend

“Taken hold of me” to make me plunder

Lay hold of, to seize, - tight hold of, catch, capture, overtake - aggressively take - with decisive initiative, grasping in a forceful manner - making it, me, one’s own - to appropriate

“Straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward to goal to win the prize…”

Reaching ahead, stretch forward, to strain after – to reach the full impact of the resurrection – out from the realm of death given to them at Christ’s return
Press on, pursue with all haste – earnestly desiring to overtake; to run swiftly in order to catch some person or thing – to run after

With what effort did Jesus search for me, that I might now, exert to abide in Him? Luke 15 - pursuing me, that I might pursue Him; He risked His reputation to be with me, will I risk mine to be and go with Him?

15:1-2 - the all important context

Matthew 9:9-13 - his autobiography
Matthew 11:19 - the accusation
Luke 7:33-35 - accusing, but wisdom is proven right

15:3-7 - the essence of His coming, the joy set before Him (Heb 12)

We are loved, cherished, valued, and celebrated - rejoice!

Aaron Grosch

May 15, 2022

As the Father sent, I now send you… know me, be like me - Phil 3

Aaron Grosch

May 15, 2022

As the Father sent me, I now send you… John 17 know me, be like me - Phil 3

The importance of “as”. We do not have to be afraid of “as”. We do have to “try” to be “as”, or, like, Jesus, we are created in Him to be like Him. (Eph 2:1-10)

We have a tremendous hope: we are in God, in Christ! And that is by God, through Christ!

1:6 It is God who began this work and He promises to “bring to completion the work He has begun”

2:12 It is, therefore, God who works in us to cause us to desire Him and His will

2:11 means, that we work out our salvation with “fear and trembling” is our response to the fact that it IS God, in us, working - God!

God is working in us, and is so excited to be working with us!

Having given us “everything we need for this life and His characteristic - godliness… we get to make every effort to add to this incredible received faith… the goodness”, the beauty, of the Kingdom in us - Jesus! This goodness is the very reflection of His own Person’s expression toward us and all that He has made (Ps 19; 2Peter 1:1-11)

God’s desire is that we would join Him in the work, His work, that is now our work - joyfully, vigorously! What is the work? Believing in the One sent! (John 6:29)

Having been given everything we need, We must be careful then how we live… “...not as unwise, but as wise… not being drunk on…” this world, but under the influence of God working in us… “the Holy Spirit” (Eph 5:15-20)

Being drunk, or under the influence of, this world, is the matter of the flesh - the world’s way, earning our place, proving ourselves to God, showing Him, our own righteousness, and goodness, instead of Jesus in us, formed in us, and our being “conformed to the image of…” Him (Rom 5; 8; Gal 5)

3:1-6

Putting hope and pride in the flesh and what we do in the flesh, by the flesh, living according to the flesh, is not to be and live as Jesus… putting our hope in God’s work in us is where it truly lies!

So, instead, allow your pride to be in the one you know, who knows you… there is a good pride and that pride stems from humility and, rightly received, takes us back to humility (Gal 6:1-10; Matt 5:3)

“Who is a man… that you would care for Him…”? (Ps 8:4; 144:3; Job 7:18; Heb 2:6)

Life is not realized in the rigors of proving oneself to God and others, but in knowing Jesus, investing in that relationship, and becoming like Him - in all things

Where, in what, in who, should our effort lie?

3:7-11

My goal is threefold:

3:8 the value of knowing Christ Jesus…
- Knowing: doctrine and wisdom - to know more about all things Jesus and His truth and this from firsthand experience with Jesus and His truth applied to thought, belief, and action - life
  - Not just knowledge, but having it applied
3:9 the truth of His righteousness - not having a righteousness of my own - humbly recognizing Jesus and His work and remaining intimately acquainted with it
3:10 to know Jesus
- To know Him:
  - Come to know, ascertain, realize - to know more and more, intimately
  - To become more intimately acquainted with the blessings of Jesus, knowing Him and being known by Him - deeper

And, to continue to strive until the end and, at least, live up to what we have attained…

3:12-19

3:12

“I make every effort to take hold of”

Persecute - zealously, vigorously hunt down - pursue with haste, chasing, desiring to overtake and apprehend

“Taken hold of me” to make me plunder

Lay hold of, to seize, - tight hold of, catch, capture, overtake - aggressively take - with decisive initiative, grasping in a forceful manner - making it, me, one’s own - to appropriate

We are not of this world any more than Jesus was or is of this world - because we are in the One who is not of this world, we are not and cannot be of this world (John 17)

What we have to look forward to is this…

3:20-21

A love for Jesus

Aaron Grosch

May 8, 2022

The Qualities of a Follower of Christ… 1 Peter 3:8-12, Romans 12:15, John 13:33-34, Matthew 6:14-15

Aaron Grosch

May 8, 2022

1 Peter 3:8-12

Quality #1

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Quality #2

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Romans 12:15

15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.

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Quality #3

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John 13:33-34

34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.

35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

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Quality #4

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Ephesians 4:32, Lamentations 3:22-23, Jonah 4, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4

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Quality #5

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Ephesians 4:2, Proverbs 11:2, Micah 6:8

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Quality #6

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Matthew 6:14-15

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

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Guest User

May 1, 2022

Now... having been sent, go... as. John 17:13-26

Guest User

May 1, 2022

NOW!! He sends us out to invade the world, the same way He was sent - to invade

Go, invade the world, plunder the prince of this world, take back that which is Mine… (Matt 28:19; Isaiah 49:25; 53:11-12; Matt 12:29)

John 17:13-26 “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” 17:18

(Jo 3:16; 17:18-19; 20:21-22) - we are to invade the world with Jesus’ glory: Jesus in us with and by power - with the love and light and life.

We must remember, that for us to be sent into the world, we must have first been taken out of this world, as to no longer be a part of this world - we are from the world, sent into the world, not to be of the world, but bring light to the world.

Our going is to be just like Jesus: As the Father sent me, so now, I send you.

John 3:16 “ For God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him…”

What is “as”? Is it not “in the same way”, “just like”, or “in AND with the same manner”? And because we are created, now, in Him, in His manner, we will be seen and treated as such…

John 15:20 18“If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. 20Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ b If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

When we think of being sent “as” by …whomever we are sent, “as”... in this case, Jesus, we tend to think “for the same reason”, and that is true, but it is just part of it. We have been made in the image and likeness of God, and now, having faith in Jesus, we are being “created in Christ Jesus” (Eph 2:10), which means, that “as” has to be more the “for the same reason”, but in fact, if all of this is true, “as” must mean, just like Jesus - not just the same reason, but, also in manner and way, character and countenance, attitude and action…

Philippians 2:5-8 “...in your relationships, with God and others, have the same attitude as Jesus… did not hold on to what He was but… took a lower rank - nothing… as a servant…, humble…”

Everything we say and do, therefore, is a reflection of the One who sent us, so, “as” He was sent, so are we! Maybe the strangest part about this is that we are sent “as”, and part of that “as”, is, “as” His glory... which should totally mystify us, blow us away, shock us…, humble us - because His glory has to do with His own humility - that He DID NOT COME HERE TO DO HIS OWN WILL, BUT THE FATHER’S.

John 17:22-23 “I have given them the glory that you - have given - me, that they may one as we are one - I in them and you in me…” so that they may be AS we are - one “...so that they may be brought to complete unity.”

Why “AS”? Because Jesus said, “...as…”

John 17:20 “I pray for those who will believe their message… that all them may be one, Father Just AS you are in me and I am in you.”

John 1:1-3; 5:19; 6:38-40; 10:38; 12:45,49; 14:9-11, 20,24; 15:24; 17:16 If you have seen me, you have seen the father - the will, the words, the works, the way - and, as they treat me, they treat my Father, as they treat us, they will treat you… as you are not of this world any more than I am…”

Therefore, if we have been sent “as” Jesus has been sent, we must see that our being sent is not to do our own will, but the One who sends, and then, not do it as we might, but “as” He would and submit and subject ourselves to that truth. Which means…

…we must submit to Jesus’ washing us, being cleansed by the word - with the word (Peter)

John 13:8,10 “...if you do not let me wash you, you have no part of me…”, “Whoever has already bathed needs only to wash his feet, and he will be completely clean.”

Jesus' words ARE the cleansing agent…

John 15:3 “...you are clean because of the word I have spoken to you…”

1Peter 2:22 “22Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. b 23For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

…we must love and serve one another AS we have seen Jesus do -

John 13:34; 15:12 “...AS I have loved you, so you must one another…”

…we must remain in the vine, abiding there - in His word - Jesus, Himself the word, and His, or the Father’s, words

John 15:5-17 “... remain in me… remain in my words… the one who loves me will obey my commands…, bearing much fruit… you are my friends if you do what I command…” or, will speak, and act, and live AS I have lived

…we must then go, as Jesus went, being sent AS Jesus was sent - and the only way to do that is to remain, abide, be attached, cling to, be empowered by, under the influence of Jesus the Word, Jesus and the Father’s word, as reminded, instructed, and prompted by the Holy Spirit

Humbly submitted, longing to do what we have seen the Father through, because we have seen Jesus do it, that we might bear much fruit - and that - to God’s glory, having and being God’s glory - as Jesus was.

And this should humble us AS we can only bear this kind of fruit if we are humble

We do not belong to this world any more than Jesus does - we are aliens and strangers (1Pet 1:1). Why? Because we carry, reflect, and to some degree, are the glory of God - and the world knows that, and they kind of expect that.

Have you ever heard this “is that the way a Christian is supposed to…”?

(even) The world has an expectation of what a Christian should look like… (Phil 3:7-21)

Remembering but we are works in progress, at least - In view of God‘s mercy, and then in grateful appreciation of his gracious and dwelling – let us progress:

Exodus 34:10 “10Then the Lord said: “I am making a covenant with you. Before all your people I will do wonders never before done in any nation in all the world. The people you live among will see how awesome is the work that I, the Lord, will do for you.”

Matthew 5:13-16 “13“You are the salt of the earth…, 14“You are the light of the world…, 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.”

1Peter 2:12 “11Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.”

James 3:13,17-18 “13Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom…, 17…wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace reap a harvest of righteousness.” (Col 2:2-3 abiding in the Word - Jesus; Isa 11:1-5)

2Peter 1:5 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge” (Ps 119:4)

Philippians 3:16 “Only let us live up to what we have already attained.”

2Corinthians 3:18 “18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate a the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

2Corinthians 4:6-13

6For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” a made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

7But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 8We are hard-pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. 10We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. 12So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

13It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.”

How do we best and most effectively express this oneness? Philippians 2:1-11

Reflecting on, being in view of, God’s mercy and grace: 2:1. Take some moments and reflect on each of these statements of truth. How have you experienced each? How has that experience shaped you? If you are struggling to experience them what are some things you can do to deepen the experiences of these truths in your life?

Joy complete! Being of one mind and mission: 2:2-4. Jesus prayed that we would be one, how might these things be an answer to that prayer? How can we foster these things in our lives and the lives of others, especially the church? How might my life and the life of the church look if this was how we lived?

In humility, consider others and better than yourself: 2:2-4 What is it to be humble? What effect does humility have on relationships?

In our relationships, we should have the same attitude as Jesus: 2:5-8. To be like Jesus… that is our aim, our goal, in fact, this is the very aim and goal of God (Romans 8) how might we reflect, more and more, the attitude of Jesus in our lives? And if we were to adopt Jesus’ attitude in our relationships, how might that change them? How might it effect others?

John 17:22 WE ARE THE GLORY OF JESUS and therefore, humbly recognize Whose we are and because of that we are - and live accordingly (Eph 4;5; Col 3)

We are called to a oneness that reflects the very glory of God, the light, the brightness of Jesus in us
Together, we
- 17:13 Experience joy complete (Jo 15:11; 17:13; Ro 15:13; Ph 2:2; Heb 12:2) and inexpressible (1Pet 1; Ps 16)
- 17:22 Reflect this glory, this bright light of Christ, to the world (Matt 5:14-15; Jo 8:12; 9:5; 2Cor 4:6; Phil 2:15)

Let us then speak - as…

Having been loved by Him
Our lives reflecting that love
With one another
Our words - fruit of a heart that’s been loved, a heart that loves

John 17:22-23

"the glorious condition of blessedness into which it is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour's return from heaven": Romans 8:18, 21; Romans 9:23; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:27 (twice; cf. Meyer at the passage); Colossians 3:4; 2 Timothy 2:10; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 5:1; which condition begins to be enjoyed even now through the devout contemplation of the divine majesty of Christ, and its influence upon those who contemplate it, 2 Corinthians 3:18; and this condition will include not only the blessedness of the soul, but also the gain of a more excellent body (1 Corinthians 15:43; Philippians 3:21)

Guest User

April 24, 2022

They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world…” in Jesus we are other-worldly

Guest User

April 24, 2022

John 17:16 “They are not of the world, just as I am not of the world…”

Here’s a truth: We are not of this world any more than Jesus was of this world… the love we have is divine and the oneness this love produces is as foreign to the world as Jesus’ way was and is to this world - and it is our privilege to reveal to the world this love and invite them to be as alien as we are…

Jesus brought together 12 men of distinct personalities and understanding, political views, and expectations. Men who argued with one another about who would be the greatest, the most important, the leader, “lord” (Matt 20:26-27; 23:10-11; Mark 9:35; 10:43-44; Lu 22:26-27). Throughout their time together Jesus had to repeatedly bring them back to what He was working to instill in them - that just as He and the Father were one (Jo 1:1-2; 10:30; 14:10; 17:21), they too, would (have to) be one, and just as Jesus’ and the Father being one expressed the love they had for each other to the disciples, so it would be the mutual love the disciples would have for one another that would speak God’s love to that same world (Ro 12:10; Gal 5:6; 1Pe 4:8; 1Jo 3:11, 23; 2Jo 1:5)

John 13:34-35 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

John 15:12-13 “My command is this: Love each other as I have lovers you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for His friends.”

Just as Jesus assembled His disciples to make them one, so now He assembles us together into one body (1Cor 12) that we would be one, loving one another as Jesus and the Father love one another, as Jesus loves us, we are now to love one another - proving to be His disciples - being like Him.

The great miracle of Jesus is that He could take such disparate parts and make us one - together: one body - this is why it is our oneness that speaks to the world that we are different, that God is among us, that the love that we share is not the love of this world, but the love of God, and this love can be their’s, too.

Go, invade the world, plunder the prince of this world, take back that which is Mine… (Matt 28:19)

John 17:20-26 “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (Jo 3:16; 17:18-19; 20:21-22) - to invade the world with my glory: me in you with and by power - with the love and light and life. For us to be sent into the world, we must have first been taken out of this world, as to no longer be a part of this world - we are from the world, sent into the world, not to be of the world, but bring light to the world.

We do not belong to this world any more than Jesus does - we are aliens and strangers (1Pet 1)
We are called to a oneness that reflects the very glory of God, the light, the brightness of Jesus in us
Together, we
- Experience joy complete (Jo 15:11; 17:13; Ro 15:13; Ph 2:2; Heb 12:2) and inexpressible (1Pet 1; Ps 16)
- Reflect this glory, this bright light of Christ, to the world (Matt 5:14-15; Jo 8:12; 9:5; 2Cor 4:6; Phil 2:15)

John 17:22-23

"the glorious condition of blessedness into which it is appointed and promised that true Christians shall enter after their Saviour's return from heaven": Romans 8:18, 21; Romans 9:23; 2 Corinthians 4:17; Colossians 1:27 (twice; cf. Meyer at the passage); Colossians 3:4; 2 Timothy 2:10; Hebrews 2:10; 1 Peter 5:1; which condition begins to be enjoyed even now through the devout contemplation of the divine majesty of Christ, and its influence upon those who contemplate it, 2 Corinthians 3:18; and this condition will include not only the blessedness of the soul, but also the gain of a more excellent body (1 Corinthians 15:43; Philippians 3:21)

How do we best and most effectively express this oneness?

Philippians 2:1-11

Reflecting on God’s mercy and grace: 2:1

Joy complete! Being of one mind and mission: 2:2-4

In humility, consider others and better than yourself: 2:2-4

In our relationships, we should have the same attitude as Jesus: 2:5-8