From Death to Life

Dear everyone,

                As I was working on some Youth curriculum that I am putting together for the next few months I made a simple chart that students are going to fill out comparing their old life apart from Christ and their new life “in Christ.”  That concept of being made new and being transformed is throughout the Bible.  I thought for today’s Bible Time we could look at a great passage from the book of Colossians in which Paul talks about the old life/new life idea.

Colossians 2:8-15

⁸ See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. ⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹ In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, ¹² having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. ¹³ And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Things to think about:

·         What are some of those “philosophies” or “empty deceit’s” that Paul says might take us captive?  How do we recognize those false teachers, leaders, and ideas?

·         Read verse 9 again.  What an amazingly simple yet profound statement!  All the fullness of deity dwelled bodily in Jesus!  Not part, not a little, not even most, but ALL.  Does that blow your mind like it does for me?

·         What are the ramifications of that statement being true?  All the fullness of deity was “in him.”

·         Think through the comparison of death and life, could there be a more dramatic change for a person?  It’s not like they colored their hair or got a new outfit…this is a total transformation!

·         I think Paul says it pretty well in this section, so instead of me writing anything more I encourage you to read this passage 3 or 4 more times and ask yourself if it describes you or not.  Have you moved from death to life?  Have you been “buried with him in baptism” and “raised with him through faith?”  It is a matter of life or death.

A Call with Power

So my son started reading the book of Jeremiah last night as part of his devotions.  In an effort to better prepare for discussions with him I thought I should brush up on some of Jeremiah.  In the first chapter of Jeremiah God says something that I think is worth taking a closer look at.  Let’s read it and then spend a few minutes dwelling on it’s incredible truths.

Jeremiah 1:4-10

⁴ Now the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

⁵ “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to the nations.”

⁶ Then I said, “Ah, Lord God! Behold, I do not know how to speak, for I am only a youth.” ⁷ But the Lord said to me,

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth’;
for to all to whom I send you, you shall go,
and whatever I command you, you shall speak.
⁸ Do not be afraid of them,
for I am with you to deliver you,
declares the Lord.”

⁹ Then the Lord put out his hand and touched my mouth. And the Lord said to me,

“Behold, I have put my words in your mouth.
¹⁰ See, I have set you this day over nations and over kingdoms,
to pluck up and to break down,
to destroy and to overthrow,
to build and to plant.”

Things to think about:

·         What did Jeremiah do to earn a place as God’s prophet?  What qualities of Jeremiah did God look at that impressed him so much to designate him as his personal mouthpiece here on earth?  What about Jeremiah’s skills or talents qualified him to be an effective minister on God’s behalf?  I hope you come to the same answer I do when I read this text…NOTHING!

·         It was before Jeremiah was ever born that he was destined to be a prophet.  God chose him because God chose him…no other reason…nothing in Jeremiah, but everything in God made that decision.

·         See the progression of thought in these verses?  God calls Jeremiah – Jeremiah doubts and give reasons for his doubt – God rejects Jeremiah’s doubt and gives reasons for why He (God) is stronger than Jeremiah’s doubt.  Notice the commands with power, with promise, with authority…”you shall speak, you shall go, do not be afraid…”

·         What do you think it felt like for Jeremiah to feel God touch him?  What hand reached out and touched Jeremiah?  Is this an anthropomorphic(fancy word that means using human language/descriptions to talk about God…like giving him body parts even though he has no body) description of an event or metaphor for a feeling that Jeremiah had….or did Jeremiah see an actual hand come from a person that was standing in front of him reach out and touch him?  If Jeremiah saw the hand did he see the rest of him?  Was this a pre-incarnate Jesus?  So many questions…J

·         But, the point is still the same.  God put His words in the mouth of Jeremiah and spoke through him here on earth.

What a great call and a great promise for Jeremiah…now think about this call and promise for you…

Matthew 10:16-19
¹⁶ “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep in the midst of wolves, so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Beware of men, for they will deliver you over to courts and flog you in their synagogues, ¹⁸ and you will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles. ¹⁹ When they deliver you over, do not be anxious how you are to speak or what you are to say, for what you are to say will be given to you in that hour. 

See any similarities in these two passages?  I hope so.  And I pray that we would all be bold with the knowledge that God can overcome our doubts and our reasons for doubting with his own reasons for why he is stronger and wiser than anything that could possibly stand against you.  He has chosen you to be his mouthpiece, or ambassador (2 Cor. 5) here on earth!  Not because of anything you have done or any gifts that you may have, but because He is God and He has the right to choose whom He will choose! 

The Unknown Nobles

How will you be remembered?  I know it’s a common question that is designed to spur thought about finding purpose and motivation in life, but think about it for a minute.  If you died today and your funeral was held this Saturday what sorts of things would be said?  What would your eulogy sound like?  Who would give it?  10 years from not how would people remember you?  100 years from now?  1,000 years from now?  Would anyone know anything about you, would you have made any difference at all?  Big questions and not too easy to answer.  We are rarely aware of the actual impact we make on this world, only God knows.  But, if we join God in what He wants us to do, calls us to do we know for certain that it will be an eternal impact.  Here is one small example from a passage I was reading the other day.

Background:

The book of Nehemiah was written after some Jewish exiles returned from Babylon and other regions to their home nation of Israel and specifically Jerusalem.  God had judged his people for their sins and sent the nation of Babylon to utterly destroy the Hebrews with a very small remnant still alive, and of that remnant most were taken away from their land and became slaves.  Then, in God’s wisdom and timing about 70 years later he causes the new Persian empire to send some of the Hebrews back home and allow them to rebuild!  Who does that?  Free the slaves and let them rebuild their hometown for a possible future rebellion…must be a God thing to put that idea into the heart of the king.  So the Jewish people go back home and start rebuilding under the leadership of Nehemiah.  Here is one passage that stood out to me…

Nehemiah 3:1-5

 Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brothers the priests, and they built the Sheep Gate. They consecrated it and set its doors. They consecrated it as far as the Tower of the Hundred, as far as the Tower of Hananel. ² And next to him the men of Jericho built. And next to them Zaccur the son of Imri built.

³ The sons of Hassenaah built the Fish Gate. They laid its beams and set its doors, its bolts, and its bars. ⁴ And next to them Meremoth the son of Uriah, son of Hakkoz repaired. And next to them Meshullam the son of Berechiah, son of Meshezabel repaired. And next to them Zadok the son of Baana repaired.⁵ And next to them the Tekoites repaired, but their nobles would not stoop to serve their Lord.

Things to think about:

·         I know many of you were reading that and saying, “boring”…so a bunch of guys built stuff.  Why do they put their names in there, I can’t even pronounce half of them.”  God has their names in there because they were being obedient and joined his mission of rebuilding Jerusalem. 

·         They were not seeking glory.  They didn’t want to become famous.  If you were to ask these men if they should be remembered for thousands of years I would hope they would humbly give all the credit back to God and say they were only doing what they were asked to do.  But – we know their names thousands of years after this event. 

·         Who’s names are not mentioned?  The nobles that did not “stoop to serve the Lord.”  They had a chance to do something that would make history, and they ignored it…it seems to imply that they ignored it because they thought they were too good for that kind of work.  Those that thought they were more valuable added little to nothing to the purposes of God, yet those that were willing to work and get dirty are remembered for their sacrifice.  Didn’t Jesus say something like that once…”many who are first shall be last, and the last shall be first.”

·         How can you be “last” today?  How can you join the purposes of God today?  Maybe there is a small thing that can have an eternal impact – don’t be like the nobles and think you are too good for that kind of work.

A Great Banquet

Sorry I missed last week, but  I was in Guatemala on a mission trip.  What a great trip!  One quick story from our trip – we worked with a local church to do VBS for kids, and food distribution including prayer and the gospel for families.  We had worked with this small church for a week and on the last night we were there we hosted the church at the seminary where we were staying.  The church had about 25 regular attenders, but they brought out 145 people to this banquet!  It was a great night of testimonies, gospel sharing, skits, music, clowns, stories, singing, dancing, and much more!  After that amazing night someone on the team referenced a Bible story about the great Banquet that Jesus taught us about…I thought for today’s Bible Time we can look at that story. 

Luke 14:12-24

¹² He said also to the man who had invited him, “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. ¹³ But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, ¹⁴ and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”

¹⁵ When one of those who reclined at table with him heard these things, he said to him, “Blessed is everyone who will eat bread in the kingdom of God!” ¹⁶ But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. ¹⁷ And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ ¹⁸ But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ ¹⁹ And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ ²⁰ And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ ²¹ So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ ²² And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ ²³ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled. ²⁴ For I tell you, none of those men who were invited shall taste my banquet.’”

Things to think about:

·         It is clear from other texts of scripture that God has a special concern for the poor, weak, helpless, etc.  When was the last time you “hosted a banquet” for people like that?

·         Besides literally hosting a banquet, how else can you show love to needy people?

·         Who do you think Jesus is referring to when he talks about the people that “made excuses?”  Is that us?

·         What do you think about the excuses given?  Bought a field, married a wife, etc.  Those are probably better excuses than we would give, I need a nap, I don’t like what your serving, there is a really great movie on TV… J  What did these people miss at the great banquet?  What do we miss when we give our excuses not to join Jesus at the banquet with the poor and helpless?

·         I love the fact that they found all of the crippled, lame, and poor and yet there was still room!  Don’t ever think that God is too busy fixing all the pain in the world that he doesn’t have time for you!  He has room for us all.  There is still room at his banquet, even today, so come all who would join Him in His joy!  No more excuses, no more distraction.  Today is the day to turn to Christ and find peace no matter what your current circumstances!