Acts 26:11 “And I punished them [Saints] often in all the synagogues and tried to make them blaspheme, and in raging fury against them I persecuted them even to foreign cities.”
Paul, before he was saved, gives light as to the reason why he so vehemently persecuted the church. In his own words, “I persecuted them that they might blaspheme.” I think this is an important concept for us to focus on as we look to serve the Lord and fulfill all that He has called us to do. Primarily because persecution has not ceased, nor will it until the return of Christ and our response to it will determine whether or not it actually accomplishes the purpose of the persecutor. Secondly, as we seek to understand the work of God in calling us to boldness, are we prepared for and equipped to deal with persecution in a God honoring, and God glorifying way?
Persecution or the fear of persecution still exists today. It was promised to exist by Christ Himself when he said, “If the world hated me, it will hate you also.” Persecution will come in many different forms, and at many different times. There is nothing that says WHEN and HOW frequent persecution will occur in our lives; we just know that it will. The problem then is: have we strengthened ourselves BEFORE the time comes? The concept is whether or not we have begun to blaspheme the name of God or the power of God in our lives. First have we actually reviled or blasphemed the name of God and His power as persecution arises, or even in the face of possible persecution? Are we so afraid to stand for what is right that we shrink back from speaking the truth of Christ? Have we lost our confidence in the power and work of God in the lives of all believers that when faced with the opportunity to speak the good news we don’t simply because we are afraid of the consequences…the possibility of persecution? Have we actually spoken out against God in the extreme circumstances where we are being persecuted and verbally blasphemed Him? Paul makes it clear that he used to persecute them with that goal to “make them blaspheme.” The truth of the matter is that we, who are of faith, have no reason to shrink back in fear, we have no reason to remain silent in shame, and we have no reason to act cowardly in the midst of a perverse generation. Rather on the contrary, God encourages us through the Scriptures that we have no need to be shameful when we are following His word, that we have received grace and power to live lives of godliness, and righteousness in the midst of the present age. In Hebrews it says it like this, “But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.” We have no need to shrink back, we have faith, and power and authority bestowed on us by the maker of heaven and earth. This is also why the Psalmist can say, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Christ teaches the same lesson when He teaches us not to fear the one who can merely harm the body, but fear the one who can send both body and soul to hell. So what are we afraid of? Why are we silent? This generation needs to hear, understand and see the power and victory that the blood of Christ and grace of God working in us sounds like and looks like!
Second, we need to be equipped and strengthened for the day of persecution, but more importantly for the Day of Christ. Throughout scripture we are encouraged to equip ourselves, to mature, to grow, to be effective, and fruitful. Wisdom teaches that we ought to be prepared BEFORE the time of difficulty comes. We are told to walk worthy of our calling. We are encouraged to live and approve of what is excellent so that we may be pure and blameless for the day of Christ. Maturing and growing will allow us to know how to better handle persecution as it arises. It will make us able to give reason for the hope that is in us. It will give us the opportunity to show that God truly is good to His saints and that He does continue to care and watch over us.
All this being said, it is fitting when Peter encourages the believers to grow in grace. Be prepared. Continue to be reformed and remade into a people that are after the heart and life of those who walk worthy of their calling. Do not fear, do not shrink back, and do not remain silent in the midst of a perverse generation that will potentially persecute you. Be aware why persecution comes and continue to strengthen yourselves in the Lord. Speak the good news, be ready in season and out of season and continue to be equipped, maturing, and abounding in the grace and goodness of God. For we are not like those who shrink back to destruction, but those who have faith to the preservation of the soul.
Friday, July 9, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Motives of Evangelism- Conclusion
Part 4- Love of obedience to God
The reason why obedience to God is the final aspect of our motives for evangelism is not because it is the last important but rather because it is often times stressed beyond the other three. Obedience to God is key and it is what shows a clear distinction between those who are serving the world with its desires and those who are serving God. However, at worst we seek to serve God simply for obedience sake, at best we are working through and for Him out of love for the sacrifice of our Savior on the cross. Ritualism is not the goal of evangelism, and evangelism ought not be elevated to a doctrine as and end in itself, it is an all encompassing obedience. It is obedience from a heart of worship, form a desire to see Gods name glorified, from a desire to grow, and a desire to see other people lifting up the name of God and Jesus.
The key passage that shows evangelism as a command comes form Matthew 28:18-19 where it states, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. GO therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…’” There is no question as to the meaning of the command, or to the calling to which we as believers have been called. However, some encouragement along the way as we seek to have a motive of obedience to God in the realm of evangelism is as follows.
First, Christ has been given all authority to command and expect our obedience, in the same way He has given us authority to speak and to live in obedience. This is a powerful concept if viewed in the means that God has or us. We have authority in this given world as sons and heirs of the kingdom of God to instruct and teach people about their savior Jesus Christ. We have authority to speak forth truth that does not change with cultural movements and is not bound by cultural view points. We have the authority and the competence to instruct people away form worthless and dead idols and works into a vibrant and living relationship with their Savior, and that is something worth being obedient to! We are sons not slaves and therefore it is not sinful to use the authority God has given us, or even to speak with the authority that God has given us when we take the gospel out. Two individuals who we see in the scripture using God’s authority rightly are Peter and Paul.
Peter in the instance with Simon the magician realizes the wickedness of his [Simon’s] desire to buy the power of God and says this, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you…” This kind of reaction can only be accomplished by obedience to God and the speaking by the authority and truth that He has given.
Paul is another example of the authority of God when he speaks to Elymas. Paul had been preaching to the proconsul but Elymas was poisoning the ear of the proconsul. Paul’s response is this, “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” One cannot speak and give an intent glare such as Paul without the authority and power of God behind them. This is not, however, to say that every time we enter into evangelism that we must speak as forcefully as Paul; rather it is to show the authority by which we are able to speak. We are sons of the maker of the universe, we have all authority to speak the truth of our Father and Creator God to all people, and God is pleased when we do!
Second, we are able to do the commands of God. This may not at the outset seem to be an encouragement. But for those who are serving God’s purpose and will it is. 1 John 5:3 states, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” There is a unique aspect to Christian service in which we enjoy and love doing the commands of God. At times it may seem difficult and our flesh may seek to hinder our serving Him but those are the times when we come to God all the more fervently in prayer seeking a right heart and mind towards obedience to Him. Our desire is to accomplish ALL that God has commanded and calls, so that we might walk worthy of the calling to which we have been called. We seek to accomplish His will and work in every aspect of our lives, which is precisely why we cannot make evangelism an end in itself, as if once we are evangelizing our obedience to God is complete. It is not, for obedience to God is seen in doing all that is right and pure and true and continuing steadfastly in His grace and power. Evangelism is just one more opportunity for Christians to walk in obedience to Him, and for that we ought to be thankful! For the Christian to think God’s thoughts, live God’s actions, and pursue holiness and godliness in the grace of God, we MUST incorporate into our lives some types of speaking of the Gospel of God. We must seek to align our motives and desires to God’s and in so doing complete and fulfill ALL that He has called us to. Be encouraged, and continue to pray that God might work in you a heart to be obedient to Him in seeking His glory, in seeking individuals faithfully serving Him, in seeking growth and effectiveness in every area of our lives, and in living obediently for Him. As we do this, we will have more of a heart for people and for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
The reason why obedience to God is the final aspect of our motives for evangelism is not because it is the last important but rather because it is often times stressed beyond the other three. Obedience to God is key and it is what shows a clear distinction between those who are serving the world with its desires and those who are serving God. However, at worst we seek to serve God simply for obedience sake, at best we are working through and for Him out of love for the sacrifice of our Savior on the cross. Ritualism is not the goal of evangelism, and evangelism ought not be elevated to a doctrine as and end in itself, it is an all encompassing obedience. It is obedience from a heart of worship, form a desire to see Gods name glorified, from a desire to grow, and a desire to see other people lifting up the name of God and Jesus.
The key passage that shows evangelism as a command comes form Matthew 28:18-19 where it states, “And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. GO therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit…’” There is no question as to the meaning of the command, or to the calling to which we as believers have been called. However, some encouragement along the way as we seek to have a motive of obedience to God in the realm of evangelism is as follows.
First, Christ has been given all authority to command and expect our obedience, in the same way He has given us authority to speak and to live in obedience. This is a powerful concept if viewed in the means that God has or us. We have authority in this given world as sons and heirs of the kingdom of God to instruct and teach people about their savior Jesus Christ. We have authority to speak forth truth that does not change with cultural movements and is not bound by cultural view points. We have the authority and the competence to instruct people away form worthless and dead idols and works into a vibrant and living relationship with their Savior, and that is something worth being obedient to! We are sons not slaves and therefore it is not sinful to use the authority God has given us, or even to speak with the authority that God has given us when we take the gospel out. Two individuals who we see in the scripture using God’s authority rightly are Peter and Paul.
Peter in the instance with Simon the magician realizes the wickedness of his [Simon’s] desire to buy the power of God and says this, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you…” This kind of reaction can only be accomplished by obedience to God and the speaking by the authority and truth that He has given.
Paul is another example of the authority of God when he speaks to Elymas. Paul had been preaching to the proconsul but Elymas was poisoning the ear of the proconsul. Paul’s response is this, “But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him and said, ‘You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” One cannot speak and give an intent glare such as Paul without the authority and power of God behind them. This is not, however, to say that every time we enter into evangelism that we must speak as forcefully as Paul; rather it is to show the authority by which we are able to speak. We are sons of the maker of the universe, we have all authority to speak the truth of our Father and Creator God to all people, and God is pleased when we do!
Second, we are able to do the commands of God. This may not at the outset seem to be an encouragement. But for those who are serving God’s purpose and will it is. 1 John 5:3 states, “For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. And his commandments are not burdensome.” There is a unique aspect to Christian service in which we enjoy and love doing the commands of God. At times it may seem difficult and our flesh may seek to hinder our serving Him but those are the times when we come to God all the more fervently in prayer seeking a right heart and mind towards obedience to Him. Our desire is to accomplish ALL that God has commanded and calls, so that we might walk worthy of the calling to which we have been called. We seek to accomplish His will and work in every aspect of our lives, which is precisely why we cannot make evangelism an end in itself, as if once we are evangelizing our obedience to God is complete. It is not, for obedience to God is seen in doing all that is right and pure and true and continuing steadfastly in His grace and power. Evangelism is just one more opportunity for Christians to walk in obedience to Him, and for that we ought to be thankful! For the Christian to think God’s thoughts, live God’s actions, and pursue holiness and godliness in the grace of God, we MUST incorporate into our lives some types of speaking of the Gospel of God. We must seek to align our motives and desires to God’s and in so doing complete and fulfill ALL that He has called us to. Be encouraged, and continue to pray that God might work in you a heart to be obedient to Him in seeking His glory, in seeking individuals faithfully serving Him, in seeking growth and effectiveness in every area of our lives, and in living obediently for Him. As we do this, we will have more of a heart for people and for the spreading of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Motives for Evangelism- Part 3
Part 3- Love for being effective and growing
Continuing the discussion about the motives of evangelism we need to continue to keep in mind that Christians love the glory of God and that we are seeking to love people the way that God does. The third motive for our consideration is the love to grow and be effective in the work of God.
Colossians 1:28 shows this well when it states, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
We speak and proclaim the truth of Christ to all people. To those who are saved we speak the truth of God and teach them the mystery of the gospel and how it applies to every aspect of life. We encourage deeper growth and obedience to the word and work of God in the life of the Christian. We desire to see people serving the Lord and walking worthy of the calling to which we are called. This is an important concept for we speak and proclaim the truth of God’s word to ALL people we come in contact with, even with those who ARE believers. There is no reason that when we come in contact with individuals who are believers that we cannot encourage and teach the truth even to them.
The second group of individuals that we seek to speak to is those whom we proclaim the truth of Christ to and WARN. We warn those who claim salvation yet are not walking in the truth and power of Gods word, in the victorious Christian life that Christ’s death and resurrection has made possible for us, in the grace of God and the Righteousness placed on us in Christ. We warn those who are unbelievers of the impending judgment of God on their souls, in their being deserving of hell fire and of their being completely under the wrath of God.
Either way however there is a desire to be effective and to speak the way that God would have us to speak. We are motivated by the opportunity to speak the truth and to grow in our ability to speak the truth! Paul puts it best in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 where it states, “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Paul had a vision for doing effective work, so when the opportunity presented itself he knew that remaining in Ephesus would produce in him growth, would produce growth in the kingdom and would be effective and according to the calling of God in his life. This is the passion of Paul, doing the work of God in every way that God has called and at every opportunity. It is something that Christians LOVE, the work of God and effective ministry!
The benefits or ways that we are able to grow and effective is through a deeper appreciation for 4 key things. The first is a deeper appreciation for the Sovereignty of God. We are able to accept and see the work of God and the truthfulness in God when he says that His wrath rests upon those who have seared their conscience and will not bear with the truth. We are able to appreciate His great mercy towards us since we too were once that way as well. The mercy of God leads us into the second thing which we are able to grow in appreciation for and that is the grace of God and his love for his chosen ones. Just as in Ephesians it states that we have been chosen before the foundation of the earth, seeing the work of God in the lives of those whom He is calling to Himself is always one that will amazing and create awe in our lives! We are able to see His divine hand working in the lives of those whom He has chosen, and we are able to appreciate that He has chosen us as well.
The third thing that we are able to appreciate within the concept of our being effective and growing in maturity in God is that we are able to enter into His work. The truth of the matter is that God does not need any of us to accomplish His purposes but He has graciously chosen us and given us the task of doing His work. This is an amazing and weighty responsibility. We are able to do the work of God in two key ways. The first is through prayer to God on behalf of others, we are able to seek His intervention in their lives, we are able to pray that He would work in their lives and open the truth of Jesus Christ to them, and empower them to believe in Him. We are also able to speak the truth of the Gospel. In Romans 10:11-15 it speaks of the gospel needing to be spoken, for how will people hear the truth if there is no one to speak it, and it ends with this phrase, “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.” So the appreciation and ability to be effective in our speaking and praying are two huge ways that we are able to grow in the work of God, and it is continually a privilege to be allowed to do so.
The final way in we are able to grow in our appreciation for the work of God is that we are able to grow in a deeper awe for the work and sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Of all the other things that are able to be taken awe in, we ought to continue to awed and amazed by the work of Christ on the cross continually. As we continue to speak the gospel and seek motivation for the speaking of the gospel, we cannot move away from the cross and the pain and punishment Christ suffered on it. The goal would be to be able to continually speak as Peter does when he states in 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ form the dead…” to be able to continually burst into praise as Peter does only comes as we grow in greater and greater appreciation for the Work of Christ, we seek to have an AWE for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross that will lead us into instant praise…”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Continuing the discussion about the motives of evangelism we need to continue to keep in mind that Christians love the glory of God and that we are seeking to love people the way that God does. The third motive for our consideration is the love to grow and be effective in the work of God.
Colossians 1:28 shows this well when it states, “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”
We speak and proclaim the truth of Christ to all people. To those who are saved we speak the truth of God and teach them the mystery of the gospel and how it applies to every aspect of life. We encourage deeper growth and obedience to the word and work of God in the life of the Christian. We desire to see people serving the Lord and walking worthy of the calling to which we are called. This is an important concept for we speak and proclaim the truth of God’s word to ALL people we come in contact with, even with those who ARE believers. There is no reason that when we come in contact with individuals who are believers that we cannot encourage and teach the truth even to them.
The second group of individuals that we seek to speak to is those whom we proclaim the truth of Christ to and WARN. We warn those who claim salvation yet are not walking in the truth and power of Gods word, in the victorious Christian life that Christ’s death and resurrection has made possible for us, in the grace of God and the Righteousness placed on us in Christ. We warn those who are unbelievers of the impending judgment of God on their souls, in their being deserving of hell fire and of their being completely under the wrath of God.
Either way however there is a desire to be effective and to speak the way that God would have us to speak. We are motivated by the opportunity to speak the truth and to grow in our ability to speak the truth! Paul puts it best in 1 Corinthians 16:8-9 where it states, “But I will stay in Ephesus until Pentecost, for a wide door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many adversaries.” Paul had a vision for doing effective work, so when the opportunity presented itself he knew that remaining in Ephesus would produce in him growth, would produce growth in the kingdom and would be effective and according to the calling of God in his life. This is the passion of Paul, doing the work of God in every way that God has called and at every opportunity. It is something that Christians LOVE, the work of God and effective ministry!
The benefits or ways that we are able to grow and effective is through a deeper appreciation for 4 key things. The first is a deeper appreciation for the Sovereignty of God. We are able to accept and see the work of God and the truthfulness in God when he says that His wrath rests upon those who have seared their conscience and will not bear with the truth. We are able to appreciate His great mercy towards us since we too were once that way as well. The mercy of God leads us into the second thing which we are able to grow in appreciation for and that is the grace of God and his love for his chosen ones. Just as in Ephesians it states that we have been chosen before the foundation of the earth, seeing the work of God in the lives of those whom He is calling to Himself is always one that will amazing and create awe in our lives! We are able to see His divine hand working in the lives of those whom He has chosen, and we are able to appreciate that He has chosen us as well.
The third thing that we are able to appreciate within the concept of our being effective and growing in maturity in God is that we are able to enter into His work. The truth of the matter is that God does not need any of us to accomplish His purposes but He has graciously chosen us and given us the task of doing His work. This is an amazing and weighty responsibility. We are able to do the work of God in two key ways. The first is through prayer to God on behalf of others, we are able to seek His intervention in their lives, we are able to pray that He would work in their lives and open the truth of Jesus Christ to them, and empower them to believe in Him. We are also able to speak the truth of the Gospel. In Romans 10:11-15 it speaks of the gospel needing to be spoken, for how will people hear the truth if there is no one to speak it, and it ends with this phrase, “how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news.” So the appreciation and ability to be effective in our speaking and praying are two huge ways that we are able to grow in the work of God, and it is continually a privilege to be allowed to do so.
The final way in we are able to grow in our appreciation for the work of God is that we are able to grow in a deeper awe for the work and sacrifice of Christ on the cross. Of all the other things that are able to be taken awe in, we ought to continue to awed and amazed by the work of Christ on the cross continually. As we continue to speak the gospel and seek motivation for the speaking of the gospel, we cannot move away from the cross and the pain and punishment Christ suffered on it. The goal would be to be able to continually speak as Peter does when he states in 1 Peter 1:3, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ form the dead…” to be able to continually burst into praise as Peter does only comes as we grow in greater and greater appreciation for the Work of Christ, we seek to have an AWE for the sacrifice of Christ on the cross that will lead us into instant praise…”Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!”
Friday, June 18, 2010
Motives for Evangelism- Part 2
Part 2- Love seeing individuals devoted to faithful service to God!
The individual who seeks to share the gospel from the right motives MUST begin to adopt a vision for people the way that God would envision those who are believers. God desires for His people to be faithfully committed and serving Him in all areas of their lives. We see devotion from new believers as a tell tale sign of the work of God in their lives and are able to rejoice as we see their devotion to the things of God. The question when it comes to our motives is whether or not we truly rejoice at the addition of individuals into faithful service.
In Acts 2:40-42 states, “And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they [the souls that were added] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
We see in this passage the exhortation brought about by Peter’s teaching, resulting in the salvation of soul and the immediate inclusion of these new individuals into faithful service to God. They devoted themselves, there was a drive and a desire to accomplish God’s purpose and the place the God ordained for that to occur is within the local church! We see the same truth bearing witness of itself in the great commission passage in Matthew 28:19, where it states to “make disciples.” The sharing of our faith is not an end in itself. We share our faith because we love to glorify God and we love to see people faithfully serving Him. The faithful service of individuals gives glory to God in ways that we cannot do purely as an individual.
An interesting place that we see the desire for people shining forth is in the prayer of Paul for the Thessalonians. In 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 it states, “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered form wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. Bu the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you in against the evil one…” The interesting thing about this passage is NOT its evangelistic overtones. Instead it shows the heart of the man of God for PEOPLE. Paul begins the passage seeking their prayer for him and ends the passage praying for them. It is as if Paul cannot help but continue to turn his attention to the work of God in other people’s lives, as well as their faithful service. The question that must continue to arise within each of us is where does the work of God that I am specifically called to accomplish include the people God is seeking to work in?
In regards once again to evangelism we see this. That the gospel is for people and people alone. The gospel is NOT for animals or for the earth, or even for the heavenly beings. It is purely for people. This is why it is so profound to consider the passage, “What is man that you are mindful of him.” We really don’t know. But we do know this, God IS mindful of us, He does bestow on us His steadfast love and mercy, and He continues to work in the lives of believers as well as those who previously hated God. The gospel is for people, therefore if our motives for sharing the gospel is not for the seeing of people entering into faithful service to God, then we have missed the mark to a large
What does this concept begin to require of us? It requires a changing of our focus and whom we interact with. We must begin to leave our Christian bubbles, where everyone we know in that bubble knows Christ. We must lose the satisfaction and justification we have given ourselves in thinking that we have reached the entirety of our “Co-worker Bubble” (those individuals who we work with), and our “Family Bubble” (extended and immediate family) with the gospel of Christ. We must in a sense seek our new turf, seek our new battle grounds in which victory will ensue. We must seek to spread the outpost of heaven on this earth, and see more lands and more people serving God, than those that are directly interacting with us daily. Do we have eyes to see the bigger picture of God’s work in those outside of our “bubbles?” Do we have a heart to see people serving God faithfully in the local church? If this is the case and we are seeking the glorification of God in the process then we are well on our way to having the right motives for our evangelism!
The individual who seeks to share the gospel from the right motives MUST begin to adopt a vision for people the way that God would envision those who are believers. God desires for His people to be faithfully committed and serving Him in all areas of their lives. We see devotion from new believers as a tell tale sign of the work of God in their lives and are able to rejoice as we see their devotion to the things of God. The question when it comes to our motives is whether or not we truly rejoice at the addition of individuals into faithful service.
In Acts 2:40-42 states, “And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, ‘Save yourselves from this crooked generation.’ So those who received his word were baptized and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they [the souls that were added] devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
We see in this passage the exhortation brought about by Peter’s teaching, resulting in the salvation of soul and the immediate inclusion of these new individuals into faithful service to God. They devoted themselves, there was a drive and a desire to accomplish God’s purpose and the place the God ordained for that to occur is within the local church! We see the same truth bearing witness of itself in the great commission passage in Matthew 28:19, where it states to “make disciples.” The sharing of our faith is not an end in itself. We share our faith because we love to glorify God and we love to see people faithfully serving Him. The faithful service of individuals gives glory to God in ways that we cannot do purely as an individual.
An interesting place that we see the desire for people shining forth is in the prayer of Paul for the Thessalonians. In 2 Thessalonians 3:1-3 it states, “Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered form wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. Bu the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you in against the evil one…” The interesting thing about this passage is NOT its evangelistic overtones. Instead it shows the heart of the man of God for PEOPLE. Paul begins the passage seeking their prayer for him and ends the passage praying for them. It is as if Paul cannot help but continue to turn his attention to the work of God in other people’s lives, as well as their faithful service. The question that must continue to arise within each of us is where does the work of God that I am specifically called to accomplish include the people God is seeking to work in?
In regards once again to evangelism we see this. That the gospel is for people and people alone. The gospel is NOT for animals or for the earth, or even for the heavenly beings. It is purely for people. This is why it is so profound to consider the passage, “What is man that you are mindful of him.” We really don’t know. But we do know this, God IS mindful of us, He does bestow on us His steadfast love and mercy, and He continues to work in the lives of believers as well as those who previously hated God. The gospel is for people, therefore if our motives for sharing the gospel is not for the seeing of people entering into faithful service to God, then we have missed the mark to a large
What does this concept begin to require of us? It requires a changing of our focus and whom we interact with. We must begin to leave our Christian bubbles, where everyone we know in that bubble knows Christ. We must lose the satisfaction and justification we have given ourselves in thinking that we have reached the entirety of our “Co-worker Bubble” (those individuals who we work with), and our “Family Bubble” (extended and immediate family) with the gospel of Christ. We must in a sense seek our new turf, seek our new battle grounds in which victory will ensue. We must seek to spread the outpost of heaven on this earth, and see more lands and more people serving God, than those that are directly interacting with us daily. Do we have eyes to see the bigger picture of God’s work in those outside of our “bubbles?” Do we have a heart to see people serving God faithfully in the local church? If this is the case and we are seeking the glorification of God in the process then we are well on our way to having the right motives for our evangelism!
Motives for Evangelism- Introduction/ Part 1
This is in a sense a prequel to the series entitled the Methods of Evangelism. I say prequel for the reason that our motives will either drive or hinder our right service to God in the various ways that we are seeking to work for Him. Our Methods, if based on poor or incorrect motives will make our work unfruitful or ineffective and we will not be accomplishing the work that God has called and commanded us to!
The first motive for our evangelistic efforts ought to be the love for the glorification of God. This was written about previously and is worth the time it takes to read it, you can access the webpage at the bottom of this post. As we embark on the motivations we have for the work of evangelism there will be 4 key categories, the first has been discussed, the Love for the Glory of God. The second category is that the believer loves seeing individuals devoted to faithful service to God! The third is that believers love being effective and growing, and the final one is that believers love obedience to God.
All four of these if characterized in our motives will make our methods fruitful in some way. The first is the love for the glorification of God. A brief synopsis of that is this, that we love hearing the name of God glorified on the lips of those whom God has and is working in. We love to hear his truth proclaimed by believer and unbeliever alike, which is why Paul can say whether out of pretense or truth the name of Christ is still preached. We love hearing people use God’s name in its proper context, and we love hearing the truth of the message of Christ being spoken continually.
Love for the glorification of God (Part 1)
http://sweetcommunionbaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2010/06/do-we-love-glory-of-god.html
The first motive for our evangelistic efforts ought to be the love for the glorification of God. This was written about previously and is worth the time it takes to read it, you can access the webpage at the bottom of this post. As we embark on the motivations we have for the work of evangelism there will be 4 key categories, the first has been discussed, the Love for the Glory of God. The second category is that the believer loves seeing individuals devoted to faithful service to God! The third is that believers love being effective and growing, and the final one is that believers love obedience to God.
All four of these if characterized in our motives will make our methods fruitful in some way. The first is the love for the glorification of God. A brief synopsis of that is this, that we love hearing the name of God glorified on the lips of those whom God has and is working in. We love to hear his truth proclaimed by believer and unbeliever alike, which is why Paul can say whether out of pretense or truth the name of Christ is still preached. We love hearing people use God’s name in its proper context, and we love hearing the truth of the message of Christ being spoken continually.
Love for the glorification of God (Part 1)
http://sweetcommunionbaptistchurch.blogspot.com/2010/06/do-we-love-glory-of-god.html
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Revelation or Education- How God reveals Truth
Yesterday was discussed the concept that we do in fact still receive revelation from God today. We see it through the active teaching done by the Holy Spirit which is indwelling us, through the word being in our hearts and in our minds. The second question that was not answered yesterday was HOW or in what ways do we receive revelation from God. It is important, however, to stress once again before we move on the fact that God's revelation to us today NEVER supersedes what we know to be Biblical truth, and will NOT contradict what is revealed in His word already.
We MUST understand that the primary means of revelation from God has been and always will be His spoken and inspired word. The Bible with all of its “stories” and accounts of all that occurred is continually referred to and mentioned as God’s inspired word. Therefore as we seek God’s revelation of truth in our lives we must continue to start where He would have us to start and that is daily in the Scriptures, reading His word, seeking it and thirsting for it. As the Psalmist states, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” This should be the way that we seek God’s revelation to us in the Scriptures. He has spoken and He has revealed all that we need to know in order to serve and follow Him. All that we need for Him to speak to us and through us is originated and contained in the Scriptures. This continues to validate and encourage our study of Christ and His words as well, since He is the Word, all that He did and sought after was according to God’s revelation. We cannot claim to pursue the mind and thoughts of God without actually reading what He has given us already. God is seeking to build upon the foundation of truth that we have, but if we are not working and understanding the foundation how can we continue to claim that we desire to have more revelation of God’s word? What this means is that those seeking and thirsting for God will continue to seek and read the Bible…it is a necessity if we desire God the way we ought.
Another means by which God continues to reveal Himself is through the faithful teaching and preaching of Gods word. This does not mean that every individual will have the gift or opportunity to teach. But the faithful teaching and preaching of God’s word is to be done by those whom God has gifted in that manner, whether by firm Bible teachers or by Pastors on Sunday mornings. We seek to hear what God is speaking to us through them. God has gifted them to teach for the benefit of the church, for the building up of the body of Christ in love, and for the maturing of the saints. They do not teach purely for their own benefit, God is using them for the encouraging and revealing of His truth to the people of God. This is why Paul gives the exhortation to Timothy to “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” The teaching is for the benefit of those who hear
A third way in which the revelation of God is made known is by the words of those faithfully serving God. In Psalms 101 the writer asks for those who are blameless to minister to him. Do we have the same desire? Do we have the desire to hear what God has spoken or is speaking to those who are faithfully serving Him? God reveals truth to us in many ways and one way that we see continually occurring is through other people, other saints who are faithful in the first two instances as well! A good example of this is Apollos, “He [Apollos] began to speak bolding in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” We see the speaking of truth and revelation of God’s word to others by those who were serving faithfully. Apollos later goes on to refute the Jews in public and to continue to show through the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. We see the revelation of God’s word having the same impact that it had in the lives of Peter, John, and Stephen mentioned yesterday. This powerful truth which cannot be denied, the type of knowledge and understanding that only God can give is now actively working in another.
The question that each of us must continue to wrestle with is, am I seeking and willing to serve and understand the truth of God’s word. Those who seek after the truth will find it and will continue in it, for they hear God’s calling and direction and they follow it. They will walk in the way of God, they will ponder the way of blamelessness, they will not search after worthless things, and they will be open to the guidance of God by the work of the Holy Spirit. Are we thirsting and panting for the word of God and His revelation of truth in our lives? Are we continuing to sacrifice cherished sin in order to walk more closely with God, in order to seek Him more purely? Can we say as the Psalmist does in Psalm 69:3, “I am weary with my crying out, my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” Seek to have a heart that is open to the direction and guidance of God.
By no means is this the only way that God reveals truth to us. He can use any of His creation to make known His character, truth, and the work done through Christ, even if He must speak to us through a donkey as He did with Balaam. These three however are the key ways we see God having chosen to reveal truth to us.
We MUST understand that the primary means of revelation from God has been and always will be His spoken and inspired word. The Bible with all of its “stories” and accounts of all that occurred is continually referred to and mentioned as God’s inspired word. Therefore as we seek God’s revelation of truth in our lives we must continue to start where He would have us to start and that is daily in the Scriptures, reading His word, seeking it and thirsting for it. As the Psalmist states, “O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.” This should be the way that we seek God’s revelation to us in the Scriptures. He has spoken and He has revealed all that we need to know in order to serve and follow Him. All that we need for Him to speak to us and through us is originated and contained in the Scriptures. This continues to validate and encourage our study of Christ and His words as well, since He is the Word, all that He did and sought after was according to God’s revelation. We cannot claim to pursue the mind and thoughts of God without actually reading what He has given us already. God is seeking to build upon the foundation of truth that we have, but if we are not working and understanding the foundation how can we continue to claim that we desire to have more revelation of God’s word? What this means is that those seeking and thirsting for God will continue to seek and read the Bible…it is a necessity if we desire God the way we ought.
Another means by which God continues to reveal Himself is through the faithful teaching and preaching of Gods word. This does not mean that every individual will have the gift or opportunity to teach. But the faithful teaching and preaching of God’s word is to be done by those whom God has gifted in that manner, whether by firm Bible teachers or by Pastors on Sunday mornings. We seek to hear what God is speaking to us through them. God has gifted them to teach for the benefit of the church, for the building up of the body of Christ in love, and for the maturing of the saints. They do not teach purely for their own benefit, God is using them for the encouraging and revealing of His truth to the people of God. This is why Paul gives the exhortation to Timothy to “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.” The teaching is for the benefit of those who hear
A third way in which the revelation of God is made known is by the words of those faithfully serving God. In Psalms 101 the writer asks for those who are blameless to minister to him. Do we have the same desire? Do we have the desire to hear what God has spoken or is speaking to those who are faithfully serving Him? God reveals truth to us in many ways and one way that we see continually occurring is through other people, other saints who are faithful in the first two instances as well! A good example of this is Apollos, “He [Apollos] began to speak bolding in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” We see the speaking of truth and revelation of God’s word to others by those who were serving faithfully. Apollos later goes on to refute the Jews in public and to continue to show through the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus. We see the revelation of God’s word having the same impact that it had in the lives of Peter, John, and Stephen mentioned yesterday. This powerful truth which cannot be denied, the type of knowledge and understanding that only God can give is now actively working in another.
The question that each of us must continue to wrestle with is, am I seeking and willing to serve and understand the truth of God’s word. Those who seek after the truth will find it and will continue in it, for they hear God’s calling and direction and they follow it. They will walk in the way of God, they will ponder the way of blamelessness, they will not search after worthless things, and they will be open to the guidance of God by the work of the Holy Spirit. Are we thirsting and panting for the word of God and His revelation of truth in our lives? Are we continuing to sacrifice cherished sin in order to walk more closely with God, in order to seek Him more purely? Can we say as the Psalmist does in Psalm 69:3, “I am weary with my crying out, my throat is parched. My eyes grow dim with waiting for my God.” Seek to have a heart that is open to the direction and guidance of God.
By no means is this the only way that God reveals truth to us. He can use any of His creation to make known His character, truth, and the work done through Christ, even if He must speak to us through a donkey as He did with Balaam. These three however are the key ways we see God having chosen to reveal truth to us.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Revelation or education?
John 7:15, “The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man [Jesus] has learning, when he has never studied?”
The concept of divine revelation compared to education is one that deserves a small amount of defining. By revelation we are referring to that knowledge, understanding or wisdom that is directly inspired by, and given by God; it is not a type of knowledge that can be gained by constant study, it is purely a gift given the individual from the Almighty Creator and Holder of all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Education on the other hand is that bit of knowledge with can be gained by memorization, study of books, articles, etc… It is what our minds are purely able to comprehend in the most base sense, it is the “wisdom of the world” if you will, yet it lacks that direct influencing of God. We do understand however that all knowledge and ability comes from God’s gracious hand, however revelation is that special knowledge that God gives to people.
Examples of this are seen throughout the scriptures. We see the individual text above where the Jews marvel at Christ and see how He is able to teach despite not receiving any “earthly” education. They could not comprehend his ability due to their lack of faith, how could He teach when he has never learned? Jesus answer is key, He states, “ My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” He teaches the direct knowledge of God…this is divine revelation.
The apostles received the same kind of questioning in Acts 4:13 where it states, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” The interesting aspect is that they knew they were uneducated, yet they spoke and taught with boldness. Only by the knowledge imparted by God were they able to accomplish this task.
Another disciple who we see the same example is Stephen in Acts 6:6-10 states, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” Once again we see a supernatural empowering, and a supernatural understanding that regular worldly knowledge and understanding cannot combat… This is revelation from God!
The important question then arises as to whether God still reveals truth to us today? Do we have the ability to receive revelation from God and in what ways do we receive it? These are both valid and important questions. The first, however, I would answer YES God does still give revelation today. And the second aside from a brief discussion with be elaborated on at a different time.
God does still give revelation today. We see the chief examples being those listed above where the Apostles and Disciples had a supernatural understanding which was able to supersede any of the thinkers of their day. But looking at various other passages we are able to see the same truth for believers TODAY. Back in John 6 it states, “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’” Jesus is stating both the truth of His earthly ministry, the Truth of Gods revelation as well as the truth of the Holy Spirit indwelling us! In 1 John it says this about the Spirit, “ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge…But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointed teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” And again in Hebrews 10: 15-16, “An the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds.” We see that the New Testament believer as well as the believer living in the 20th century STILL receives revelation from God. Knowing that we are able to receive revelation from God we therefore ought to seek and ask for it more and more. It is an important caution however, to not seek a “new” truth at the expense of what is actually truth, sometimes revelation is simply understanding a previous truth in a slightly different and more meaningful way!
Finally we see in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, “ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is form God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant…” We have been made competent, individuals who are able to think and reason and understand the ministry of Jesus Christ, of all that He has done and given and of all that He brings as far as hope and excitement for the future! The question is, are we seeking God’s revelation or are we purely seeking an education? Do we desire the truth of God or a truth that fits our own perception or desires? Are we willing to sacrifice sin in our lives in order to pursue more closely the revelation from God or do we desire to remain in our sin and ignorance? The concept of divine revelation is a truthful one, but are we willing to seek and thirst for it and find it resting solely in the person of Christ?
The concept of divine revelation compared to education is one that deserves a small amount of defining. By revelation we are referring to that knowledge, understanding or wisdom that is directly inspired by, and given by God; it is not a type of knowledge that can be gained by constant study, it is purely a gift given the individual from the Almighty Creator and Holder of all knowledge, wisdom, and understanding. Education on the other hand is that bit of knowledge with can be gained by memorization, study of books, articles, etc… It is what our minds are purely able to comprehend in the most base sense, it is the “wisdom of the world” if you will, yet it lacks that direct influencing of God. We do understand however that all knowledge and ability comes from God’s gracious hand, however revelation is that special knowledge that God gives to people.
Examples of this are seen throughout the scriptures. We see the individual text above where the Jews marvel at Christ and see how He is able to teach despite not receiving any “earthly” education. They could not comprehend his ability due to their lack of faith, how could He teach when he has never learned? Jesus answer is key, He states, “ My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me.” He teaches the direct knowledge of God…this is divine revelation.
The apostles received the same kind of questioning in Acts 4:13 where it states, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.” The interesting aspect is that they knew they were uneducated, yet they spoke and taught with boldness. Only by the knowledge imparted by God were they able to accomplish this task.
Another disciple who we see the same example is Stephen in Acts 6:6-10 states, “And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” Once again we see a supernatural empowering, and a supernatural understanding that regular worldly knowledge and understanding cannot combat… This is revelation from God!
The important question then arises as to whether God still reveals truth to us today? Do we have the ability to receive revelation from God and in what ways do we receive it? These are both valid and important questions. The first, however, I would answer YES God does still give revelation today. And the second aside from a brief discussion with be elaborated on at a different time.
God does still give revelation today. We see the chief examples being those listed above where the Apostles and Disciples had a supernatural understanding which was able to supersede any of the thinkers of their day. But looking at various other passages we are able to see the same truth for believers TODAY. Back in John 6 it states, “It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’” Jesus is stating both the truth of His earthly ministry, the Truth of Gods revelation as well as the truth of the Holy Spirit indwelling us! In 1 John it says this about the Spirit, “ But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge…But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointed teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie—just as it has taught you, abide in him.” And again in Hebrews 10: 15-16, “An the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, ‘This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts and write them on their minds.” We see that the New Testament believer as well as the believer living in the 20th century STILL receives revelation from God. Knowing that we are able to receive revelation from God we therefore ought to seek and ask for it more and more. It is an important caution however, to not seek a “new” truth at the expense of what is actually truth, sometimes revelation is simply understanding a previous truth in a slightly different and more meaningful way!
Finally we see in 2 Corinthians 3:5-6, “ Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is form God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant…” We have been made competent, individuals who are able to think and reason and understand the ministry of Jesus Christ, of all that He has done and given and of all that He brings as far as hope and excitement for the future! The question is, are we seeking God’s revelation or are we purely seeking an education? Do we desire the truth of God or a truth that fits our own perception or desires? Are we willing to sacrifice sin in our lives in order to pursue more closely the revelation from God or do we desire to remain in our sin and ignorance? The concept of divine revelation is a truthful one, but are we willing to seek and thirst for it and find it resting solely in the person of Christ?
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