The Peace of God

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Last night in our small group we studied the 7th Beatitude of Matt. 5:3-10: “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be sons of God.” In my studies last week and this week, I have been thinking a lot about what being a peacemaker means and for that matter what “peace” means as it relates to my walk with God and what Paul writes in Ephesians 5:1, “Be imitators of God.” Living in peace, walking in His peace, experiencing His peace, imitating His peace. I do know that before we can experience the peace of God, we must be at peace with God. Initial peace takes place when we acknowledge our sins, believe that Jesus died in our place on the cross, and that we surrender our life to Him in faith. That is making peace with God. That I get, and that I understand.

But, what about the peace of God. Just as Christ’s righteousness is given to us the moment we place our life in His hands, His peace is given to me and you at the same time. And then the life-long process of the peace of God begins—it is an internal, inner peace that comes with a life of sanctification, of growth, of imitating Him. Jesus states in John 14:27: “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” Jesus is our peace; His peace is dramatically different than the peace the world has to offer (which frankly is no peace at all). Here is how the world views peace? It’s a physical fulfillment to meet emotional or spiritual emptiness—drinking, drug, sex, companionship, money, etc—it is about control, controlling circumstances, controlling other people, controlling things and other people’s things; it is this control they feel will bring them peace. Listen to these profound words of Ray Stedman:

When a worldling is disturbed and upset and troubled he tries to do one of three things. He first tries to change the circumstances, because his peace comes from peaceful circumstances. He can be at peace only when everything is peaceful around him. And so he tries desperately to change the circumstances. But they cannot always be changed. So if he cannot change them he tries to forget them and run away -- go on vacation, go home to mother, take a drug, or get drunk. That forgetfulness is the world's way of finding a degree of peace. If he cannot do that then the third thing he tries is to blame his difficulty on somebody else. It is everybody's fault but his. Thus the worldling seeks peace, but he never finds it that way. So Jesus says, "I'm not going to give you peace that way. Not as the world gives, give I unto you." How does He give it, then? He gives it from within. He gives it as you feed upon His affection and His power. As you reckon His promises to be true and turn the job over to Him and leave it in His hands, then you will have peace."

Can you relate? I certainly know that I do. Remember it is about control. I try to control circumstances. I even blame circumstances. I rationalize: If I can just make it to point X, all will be better. All the while I fail to give it to Jesus; I fail to surrender it all to Him. Often, when I give it (whatever that “it” is), I take it back. No wonder I sometimes struggle with the “peace of God.”

Do you know that there are several thieves that steal your peace and my peace? Here is one: Anxious thoughts. Paul writes in Philippians 4:6: Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. The meaning of the word “anxiety” comes from the Greek word merimna which means “to divide, or draw in different directions” which in the original gives the picture of being pulled apart. The Latin word “anxious” for anxiety means to “to choke or strangle.” Isn’t that what anxious and worrisome thoughts do to us? They choke and steal life, remove joy. We struggle with the peace of Christ because we have the wrong kind of thinking, thinking that pulls us a part, that divides us, that strangles us. We are oftentimes walking “civil wars.” The peace of God through His Son can join us together, which incidentally is what the word peace means in the original Greek (Eirene: binding or joining together what is broken or divided)

So, what is the right kind of thinking to counter the wrong thinking ? Read v. 8 of Philippians 4: Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. In addition, go back to v. 6: but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

In everything? What does that mean? All, everything, the whole enchilada, the whole lot, the whole caboodle, the whole ball of wax. We take everything before the thrown of the Almighty. Look at the word “prayer.” I am fascinated by its original meaning. The word comes from the Greek word, proseuche, which means to look at the Character of God, at God as He is, His names, His attributes. That brings a fresh understanding for me regarding prayer. Focus on Him. Examine the Names of God. One of God’s names is Jehovah Shalom, The Lord is Our Peace. Another name, El Elyon, God is Most High or God is Sovereign Over All. Peace is about control; it is about His control, and putting our worries and anxious thoughts the controlling and sovereign hands of the almighty.

In v. 6 when it refers to making our requests know to Him it carries the idea of adoration, devotion, and worship. So, whenever we find ourselves worrying, letting our mind wonder and pull us in all different directions, we ought to get alone with Jehovah Shalom, think on divine things, think on His character, focus on his majesty and greatness.

The following video paints a beautiful picture of the peace of God, the depth of Love that Christ has for us to lead us, to sustain us, to carry us, to give us His peace.

I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. ~ John 16:33

The One Minute Sermon . . . well, 1:42 Sermon

This is awesome. You have got to listen to Tamara Lowe at Christ Fellowship

Lessons Learned from the Call of Elisha (1 Kings 19:19-21)

Last week I spent time studying 1 Kings 19:19-21 not only personally but with my Sunday School classmates as we work through Ray Pritchard's study of Elijah, Fire and Rain.

19 So he departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. 20 He left the oxen and ran after Elijah and said, "Please let me kiss my father and my mother, then I will follow you." And he said to him, "Go back again, for what have I done to you?" 21 So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen, and gave it to the people and they ate. Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him. (NASB)

In the previous chapter, we left Elijah who not only received a new vision of God who came in the gentle whisper but a new commission from God, calling Elisha to not only share in Elijah's burdens of ministry but to eventually succeed him as prophet. Again we see the loving hand of a merciful God as he brings to Elijah a companion, a fellow sufferer for the Lord, a committed follow of God's call. There are several lessons that I gleaned this week as I studied the the call of Elisha.

Lesson #1: Need Others. Have you ever heard people say, "they don't need others, they don't need to attend corporate worship, they can worship anywhere"? I know I have. As a believer, I need fellowship. The Greek word for fellowship is Koinonia. I am not talking about just getting together and enjoying a "potluck" or doing a family activity with other families. It runs much deeper than that.

A Pastor was visiting a member who had begun to miss a lot of church. As they sat near the man's open fireplace, the Pastor tried to encourage the man to get back in church and in the fellowship of other believers. The wayward member responded by saying, "Preacher, I don't need to go to church, I can do just as well here at home by myself." Without saying a word, the Pastor picked up a pair of tongs and removed one cherry red coal from the midst of the fire. He laid this coal by itself on the hearth. Neither man said a word as the coal turned from a bright cherry red to a dull gray in just a few minutes. I need my brothers and sisters in Christ, just as this illustration demonstrates. Without the fiery, hot passion for Christ, I can easily turn into dull gray ash, lethargic, apathetic, and ineffective. God knows this and in His mercy has provided me will several opportunities to experience koinonia: Sunday School, small groups, accountability partner, etc.

Koinonia is to encourage, to edify, to lift up, to share and carry burdens to walk alongside. A powerful example of what koinonia should look like can be found in a study of the phrase “one another” in the Bible. Scripture commands us to be devoted to one another, honor one another, live in harmony with one another, accept one another, serve one another in love, be kind and compassionate to one another, admonish one another, encourage one another, spur one another on toward love and good deeds, offer hospitality, and love one another. I love how the NASB translates the chapter’s concluding statement: “Then he arose and followed Elijah and ministered to him.” The word ministered means "to attend to, to contribute to, to serve". God called Elisha to follow, to minister to, to attend to, to serve Elijah so His greater purposes could be fulfilled. That is God's desire for me and for you.

Lesson # 2: Do t he ordinary well. I have always wondered why I haven't experienced a dramatic calling like Paul--the Damascus Road experience, the blinding light, stop-you-in-your-tracks encounter with the living God; or being ripped out of the throws of some kind of addiction. These are all dramatic encounters. God can and still does work in the dramatic, but by and large, God works in the ordinary. Right? He didn't show up in the wind, the fire, or the earthquake. He showed up in the gentle whisper. What was Elisha doing when Elijah called him? (v. 19). He was plowing the field, doing the routine of life. I have often struggled with the routine. God, there has to be more than this.

Ray Pritchard says that "99% of life is ordinary. It is the same old stuff day after day. You get up in the morning, take a shower, put on your clothes, eat breakfast, get the kids ready for school, go to work, hope the kids are okay, come back from work dead tired, read the paper, watch TV, try to be nice, eat supper, play with the kids, flop into bed dead tired, get up the next morning, and then do it all over again. That is the way life is." Have you ever felt that way? Exhausted? Feeling empty because of the mundane? Losing ground because of the routine? I know I have. So what is the answer? Pritchard tells us that we "begin doing what you already know to be the will of God in [our] present situation." I keep reminding myself that it is to be the kind of man God wants me to be: humble, patient, loving, righteous, gentle, meek, contrite. In short, to demonstrate the fruits of the spirit, to walk in the spirit, not in the flesh.

God works in the ordinary as we learn from Elisha's call, so we have to do the ordinary well. Remember when Moses was called? (tending Jethro's sheep). David? (tending family sheep). Nehemiah? (working as cup-bearer for the King). Peter? (Casting fishing nets). Matthew? (tending to the affairs of the tax office). The common, the ordinary, the routine, right? Colossians 3:17, 23 reads, "17 Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,giving thanks through Him to God the Father. . . . 23 Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men." Do the ordinary well.

Lesson #3: Accept the Cloak. I made a crazy connection here in this scripture. Have you ever heard the phrase, "pass the mantle?" At the end of verse 19, we see Elijah doing just that, "passing the mantle" (the NIV translates it "cloak"). It is clear that Elisha would understand this ceremonial gesture. In essence, Elijah was passing the torch, the baton. Giving Elisha the clear call from God, that he would be the prophets successor. Elisha could have easily thrown off the cloak and said "No way--you have got to be kidding me; you are E-L-I-J-A-H, the mountain man from Gilead, God's man who defeated all those Baal Prophets, I have not the strength to do what you do. Besides, I have a family to think about; I must tend to the obligations of a son, plowing the field, taking care of my father's inheritance. It isn't going to be easy to leave all this wealth; its comfortable and familiar. Thanks, but no thanks." That could have been real easy for him to say, to be tempted by the world's pull, and the satisfaction that comes from the familiar. My cloak of ministry has been teaching and bible study. I not only accepted that cloak almost 8 years ago but there have been numerous of times where I have wanted to throw that cloak off and let someone else worry about it (that sounds like a Juniper Tree moment--for thoughts here refer to last week's post). But with acceptance comes commitment, comes choice and responsibility.

On April 21st, in the year 1519, the Spanish explorer Hernando Cortez sailed into the harbor of Vera Cruz, Mexico. He brought with him only about 600 men, and yet over the next two years his vastly outnumbered forces were able to defeat Montezuma and all the warriors of the Aztec empire, making Cortez the conqueror of all Mexico. How was this incredible feat accomplished, when two prior expeditions had failed even to establish a colony on Mexican soil? Here’s the secret. Cortez knew from the very beginning that he and his men faced incredible odds. He knew that the road before them would be dangerous and difficult. He knew that his men would be tempted to abandon their quest and return to Spain. And so, as soon as Cortez and his men had come ashore and unloaded their provisions, he ordered their entire fleet of eleven ships destroyed. His men stood on the shore and watched as their only possibility of retreat burned and sank. And from that point on, they knew beyond any doubt there was no return, no turning back. Nothing lay behind them but empty ocean. Their only option was to go forward, to conquer or die.

That is commitment. Accepting the cloak is just like that: we may not know what lies ahead--but as a believer, we know that trials, temptations, as well as blessings and promises lie ahead--but we have a choice to make: to retreat and live a life of disobedience or go forward and live a life as conquerors, for Paul says, "But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us" (Romans 8:37). I tell you the truth, I would rather plod forward, than be swallowed up by the empty ocean. Elisha accepted the cloak. Elisha was aware of the consequences of following Elijah but willingly made the choice in spite of those fears and challenges.

Lesson #4: Be Humble. In order to lead with Christ, I must follow humbly. To be a servant of Christ, I must place the needs of others before my own. Paul writes in Philippians 2:3: "Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves." Elisha was thinking of the feelings and needs of his parents in 1 Kings 19:20.

When Christ says, "Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the Earth" (Matt. 5:5), He is referring to the gentle spirit--which comes from the word praos, basically meaning mild or soft. It was used of colts or other animals whose naturally wild spirits were broken by a trainer so that they could useful work. We are the wild spirits as a result of our sinfulness and therefore in need of "breaking" in order to be used by God. A meek person, a humble person is a broke person. A meek person trusts God and knows that whatever transpires is filtered through the loving fingers of his heavenly Father. A meek person humbly submits to God's will not his will. And so meekness is a willingness to accept whatever comes as allowed by the sovereign, all loving God. This is Elisha. The committed follower of Christ must be humble.

Lesson #5: Say Good-bye and Separate. This really is the high cost of following Christ. Notice Elijah’s response to Elisha's request to go and say good-by to his parents: “Go back again, for what have I done to you.” Meaning, “What claim do I have on you?” In essence, Elisha is free to stay or go, but the choice is his to make. Elijah instructed Elisha to go, but to keep in mind the solemn call of God and not to allow any earthly affection to detain his obedience. Luke 14:26 declares: "If anyone comes to Me, and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be My disciple." It is very important to read scripture in multiple translations so I encourage you to do so with this verse. According to this verse, a committed follow of Christ will essentially "hate" everything in comparison to Him; everything is secondary. Of course, He doesn't mean that we should hate our family for that would be contrary to His word, but nothing should serve as master but Him.

When I first read Elisha's response, I thought: "This really isn't any different than the responses of the would-be followers of Christ in Luke 9:59-62." Oh, but there is. In Luke, these would-be followers were saying in essence, “Let me go home and stay with my father until he dies. When he is gone, then I will follow you.” Take care of his father was nothing more than an excuse cloaked in piety. Elisha simply wishes to say good-bye to his parents and then will gladly follow. God hates wishy-washiness. God is not a fan of ambivalence. He doesn’t care for fence-sitters. He isn’t pleased by people who can’t quite make up their minds, who are forever weighing their options, who can never settle on a course of action. God isn’t calling us to act rashly, without any thought to the consequences. God wants His children to follow Him with joyful abandon, without regret, without looking back (remember the 600 committed men who defeated the Aztec empire?). Elisha was that man.

Lesson #6: Burn the Plow. Notice what Elisha did? He burned the plow and slaughtered the oxen. What a symbolic act. In essence, Elisha was saying that nothing is more important than following God's call. In was ALL in, totally sold-out to this ministry. When Jesus calls us to be disciples, he calls us to make a lifelong, irrevocable, absolute commitment--to count the cost. Isn't that the message of Luke 14:26-33? It is about carrying my cross, dieing to self, being totally surrender, a heart unequivocally committed to Him, counting the cost. He wants us to determine in our hearts, once and for all, that when we follow Him, and that there will be no turning back. The words of John 6:66-68 speak to this: "From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him. 'You do not want to leave too, do you?' Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, 'Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life.'

Notice that Elisha’s burning of the plow takes on deep significance in light of Jesus’s words in Luke 9:62: Jesus replied, "No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God." Read Philippians 3:7-14. Paul counted the cost; Paul burned his plows. Why? So that he may know Him, His righteousness, His sufferings. What plows do I need to burn? Certainly the plow of earthly wealth must be secondary; the plow of comfort; the plow of "I-would-rather-be-doing-something-else"; the plow of apathy; the plow of pride, thinking of myself more highly than I ought; and any other plow that hinders my call.

Lesson #7: Take the Hard Road. Watch this clip from A League of their Own, where Dotty, the star catcher, struggles with her decision to leave baseball and return home. Watch until 8:40.

Notice Jimmy's response: "It is the hard that makes it great." Ray Pritchard says that there "will be hard days, bad days, sad days, discouraging days, confusing days, angry days, frustrating days, boring days, upsetting days, discombobulating days and then there will be some really bad days." But the hard is what makes it great. When we read Luke 9:23-24, we recognize that it is hard to follow Christ, to not shrink back (as Hebrews 10:38-39 says), to not look back, to not retreat, for we are dieing to self, putting aside all of our wants and wishes, our longings and comforts. But it is good to do so. Why? We are rightly related with Christ, saved through that loss, we are in His presence, we know that nothing passes to us except through the loving fingers of God, we are being perfected day by day. Remember the narrow road, the difficult road, the hard road leads to life and few enter it; whereas the broad road leads to destruction and many find it (Matt. 7:13-14). Elisha counted the costs and chose God and servanthood. Quite fitting when we discover what his names means: "God is my salvation." Way to look forward and commit Elisha. I only pray for God's strength and discernment to live life with that example.

From the Mountain-Top to the Valley: Guarding Against Cultivating a Juniper Tree

I have been studying the life of Elijah for the past few weeks and I can tell you I have received on numerous occasions a freshness of God's Word. Sometimes I think when I read scripture, I do so with staleness, reading it just so I can check it off my never-ending "To Do List." Does anyone else feel that way? But I have to say, immersing in Elijah again has brought about a sense of refreshment, newness, and vitality. This past week has given me such encouragement has I read, studied and applied the words of 1 Kings 19. If you are not familiar with this portion in the life of Elijah, I encourage you to read it and pray through it. God will give you as He did me a new vision of Himself.

What a mountain-top experience Elijah encountered in 1 Kings 18. He called fire and rain down from Heaven; he stood tow-to-tow with the prophets of Baal. In short, Elijah claimed victory in the name of God. God's holiness, righteousness, justice was evident that day. At the end of chapter 18, Elijah continues "running" (pun intended) on God's power.

But now comes chapter 19. How can Elijah who just demonstrated the awesome power of the living God to hundreds of idolaters, now be in what John Bunyan calls the "slough (swamp) of despond"? From the mountain-top to the valley. This chapter shows Elijah at his lowest moment, a man who is physically exhausted, mentally strained and spiritually our to touch. Listen to his words: "But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree; and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, 'It is enough; now, O LORD, take my life, for I am not better than my fathers.'" I know I have felt like this before. Well, I have never wanted to die or have the Lord take my life, but I often find myself taxed because of the ministry God has called me to, thinking to myself, "Is it worth. How do I find time to study and prepare? It takes time and drains me mentally" Even as I write these words, I am thinking, "wow, now that sounds like self-pity." That is exactly where Elijah finds himself, and where I have found myself, and perhaps where you find yourself.

Notice that Elijah is sitting under a Juniper Tree; "sitting under a Juniper Tree" became a common English phrase which meant "to show anger toward God, to feel like a failure, to be discouraged, to want to call it quits." Moses sat under his own Juniper Tree, metaphorically speaking in Numbers 11:10-15. Jonah too sat under his own Juniper Tree in Jonah 4:1-4. There have been times that I have sat under my Juniper Tree? Are there times that you have sat under yours? Yours might be now. I am thankful that currently I am not cultivating my Juniper Tree, but at the same time I must be thankful for when those moments come in my life. If I stay there, I am not performing the task that God has called me to? If I stay there, I will eventually let a complaining, petty spirit control my attitude. If I stay there, I continue to walk by sight and not by faith. If I stay there, I am walking disobediently and thinking of self.

I love what Matthew Henry says, "Wherever God’s children are, as they are still upon their Father’s ground, so they are still under their Father’s eye and care. They may lose themselves in a wilderness, but God has not lost them." That is AWESOME. The passage in 1 Kings 19 teaches me how tenderly and patiently God deals with His children. God constantly has His eyes on us, but I often take my eyes off Him. When I do, I lose focus; I then focus on the wrong priorities. Despite all of Elijah's weaknesses and my weaknesses, God still sustains; God still shows His power to transform; God still gives a new vision of Himself. Sometimes that is what I need. In my estimation, God often is too small; I put him in a box and won't allow Him to work; or I shelve Him and pull Him out only when I need Him.

Despite his flaws, Elijah was still sensitive to God's gentle whisper and acted obediently to who God wanted Him to be and what He wanted Him to do. The Juniper Trees my grow in my life and I may continue to cultivate them, but this must only be for a season rather than gain permanence in my life. Instead, I need to live like the Psalmist writes in Psalm 16:7-8:

7 I will bless the LORD who has given me counsel;
My heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
8 I have set the LORD always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

It is obvious that Elijah was worn out in the service of God. He was messed up, depressed, discouraged, stressed-out, burned out, mentally fried, physically drained, and spiritually out of sorts. I am reassured that this mountain man from Gilead is just like me (and you) at times, as James notes in 5:17. Even though I my get worn out, I can always be encouraged that God will meet me at my lowest point as He did Elijah. God is good, ALL of the time.

Walking in the Truth; Notes and Reflections from Sunday School

These notes and reflective thoughts are first intended for members of our Friends and Family Sunday School class to stay connected with God through studying His Word in the event of absence from actual Sunday School worship time, and secondly, for everyone, for the scripture and words below are beneficial for a broader readership. The ideas and flow of the lesson comes out of Life Way's Master Work Series. Please provide comments below to participate in the discussion. Add your own thoughts and reflections.

What if you were to realize at the end of your life that there really is no God and Christianity is a myth? Would living the Christian life have been worth it? Absolutely, positively, tee-totally, 100% emphatic "YES"--but it might not be for the reasons one might think. Listen to how Paul answers this question. Read the words of 1 Corinthians 15:12-19.

12 But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15 More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, then Christ has not been raised either. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19 If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.

Paul gives 6 disastrous consequences if there were no resurrection: 1). Preaching Christ would be senseless (v. 14), 2) faith in Christ would be useless (v. 14), 3) all the witnesses and preachers of the resurrection would be liars (v. 15), 4) no one would be redeemed from sin (v. 17), 5) all former believers would have perished (v. 18), and 6) Christians would be the most pitiable people on earth (v. 19). Why would he say that the Christian life without the resurrection is the most pitiful of all lives? Listen to the words of Dr. John Piper from his book, Desiring God: "The Christian life for Paul was not the so called good life of prosperity and ease [the tenets falsely preached in the "health, wealth, and prosperity gospel"--a contemporary view that attempts to erode the very truths preached by Christ]. Paul's belief in God and his confidence in resurrection and his hope in eternal fellowship with Christ did not produce a life of comfort and ease that would have been satisfying even without resurrection. What his hope produced was a life of chosen suffering", freely (255). Come again? Paul freely chose to suffer for the sake of Christ. 1 Cor. 4:10-13 and 2 Cor. 11:23-28 recount the extent of his sufferings: brutally treated, hungry, thirsty, without clothing, homeless, slandered, severely flogged, imprisoned, encountered numerous dangerous situations. Notice Paul's response to such affliction, a response he admonishes in the Roman believers Romans 12:9-13 reads 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. Focus on v. 12. What did Paul teach through words and lifestyle about suffering? Rejoicing in hope, perseverance, devotion to prayer. For Paul, his life was not measured by physical comforts and pleasures in life; the Christian life for Paul was a life of chosen sacrifice that he might gain the joy of fellowship with Christ in the age to come (Piper)

Read 1 Cor. 15:30-32: 30 And as for us, why do we endanger ourselves every hour? 31 I die every day—I mean that, brothers—just as surely as I glory over you in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32 If I fought wild beasts in Ephesus for merely human reasons, what have I gained? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die." In other words, what does the resurrection matter? If there were no resurrection, not only would we be the most pitiful people on the planet but we might as well just throw caution to the wind, live it, for the only thing worth living for is eating, drinking, and dieing. How bleak. What was the path Paul chose daily? To die to self (v. 31). Does that sound vaguely familiar? Hope so, for it is the pinnacle of discipleship. Matthew 16:24-25, Psalm 51:17, Luke 9:23.

There were reasons Paul embraced suffering. Oswald Chambers writes in Christian Discipline: "Suffering is the heritage of the bad, of the penitent, and of the Son of God. Each one ends in the cross. The bad thief is crucified, the penitent thief is crucified, and the Son of God is crucified. By these signs we know the widespread heritage of suffering." Paul’s first reason for embracing suffering, for choosing the cross, for choosing a daily death: Obedience to his calling. Dr. Piper writes, "The suffering that comes is part of the price of living where you are in obedience to the call of God . . . .And it is 'chosen'--that is, we willingly take the path of obedience where the suffering befalls us, and we do not murmur against God" (256-257) Read Philippians 1:27-30:

27 Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. Then, whether I come and see you or only hear about you in my absence, I will know that you stand firm in one spirit, contending as one man for the faith of the gospel 28 without being frightened in any way by those who oppose you. This is a sign to them that they will be destroyed, but that you will be saved—and that by God. 29 For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, 30 since you are going through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have.

See verse 29? Do you regard suffering as gift or a curse?
Are theses reasons for Suffering a gift or a curse?

1. To test the strength of our faith
2. To humble us
3. To wean us from our reliance on worldly things
4. To call us to eternal and heavenly hope
5. To reveal what we really love
6. To teach us to value God’s blessings
7. To develop enduring strength for greater usefulness
8. To enable us to better help others through their trials
   

A gift, with out a doubt. Read this reflection from Aelxander Solzhenitsyn:

It was granted to me to carry away from my prison years on my bent back, which nearly broke beneath its load, this essential experience: how a human being becomes evil and how good. In the intoxication of youthful successes I had felt myself to be infallible, and I was therefore cruel. In the surfeit of power I was a murderer and an oppressor. In my most evil moments I was convinced that I was doing good, and I was well supplied with systematic arguments. It was only when I lay there on rotting prison straw that I sensed within myself the first stirrings of good. Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either, but right through every human heart, and through all human hearts. . . .This is why I turn back to the years of my imprisonment and say, sometimes to the astonishment of those about me: 'Bless you, prison! I . . . have served enough time there. I nourished my soul there, and I say without hesitation: 'Bless you, prison, for having been in my life.' (qtd. in Piper, Desiring God 263-264)

Suffering is the confirmation of a believer’s intimate relationship with Christ. Take a few moments to read the following scriptures: Luke 9:23-23, 1 Corinthians 15:31, John 15:20, Luke 10:3, Luke 21:16-17, Acts 14:22. 1 Thess. 3:3, and 2 Timothy 3:12. Reflect on the following: How does God’s Word confirm this relationship? 1 Thess. 3:1-4 reads: 1 So when we could stand it no longer, we thought it best to be left by ourselves in Athens. 2 We sent Timothy, who is our brother and God's fellow worker in spreading the gospel of Christ, to strengthen and encourage you in your faith, 3 so that no one would be unsettled by these trials. You know quite well that we were destined for them. 4 In fact, when we were with you, we kept telling you that we would be persecuted. And it turned out that way, as you well know.

How can we accept suffering more easily when we know it is our destiny? Suffering is a part of faithful Christian living. God uses suffering to wean us from self-reliance to God-reliance (2 Cor. 1:8-9). Dr. Piper concurs when he states, "This is God's universal purpose for all Christian suffering: more contentment in God and less satisfaction in self and the world" (265). Malcolm Muggeridge, a Christian Journalist who died in 1991, said this about suffering:

Contrary to what might be expected, I look back on my experiences that at the time seemed especially desolating and painful, with particular satisfaction. Indeed, I can say with complete truthfulness that everything I have learned in my seventy-five years in this world, everything that has truly enhanced and enlightened my existence, has been through affliction and not through happiness, whether pursued or attained. In other words, if it ever were to be possible to eliminate affliction from our earthly existence by means of some drug or other medical mumbo jumbo . . . the result would not be to make life delectable, but to make it too banal or trivial to be endurable. This of course is what the cross signifies, and it is the cross more than anything else, that has called me inexorably to Christ. (qtd in Piper, Desiring God 265-266).

On a wall in his bedroom Charles Spurgeon had a plaque with Isaiah 48:10 on it: "'I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.' 'It is no mean thing to be chosen of God,'" he wrote. "'God's choice makes chosen men choice men...We are chosen, not in the palace, but in the furnace. In the furnace, beauty is marred, fashion is destroyed, strength is melted, glory is consumed; yet here eternal love reveals its secrets, and declares its choice.'" (qtd. in Warren Wiersbe, Wycliffe Handbook of Preaching and Preachers 223).

There is a difference between suffering from normal life trials and choosing to suffer for the cause of Christ. Both Paul and Dr. Piper are specifically referring to suffering because of being openly Christian in risky situations. How might any suffering tempt us to doubt and disobey God? When we suffer we question, often with self-pity. We doubt God's goodness often when we suffer for we see people around us who don't know the Lord, yet seem to be living the good life. If that is our focus, then we have lost site of the resurrection; we simply view life like the false teachers of the "prosperity gospel." How can I be comforted today? What must I do to live a good life? These are the wrong questions. Christ calls us to more than that, much more. Dr. Piper poignantly states, "God is calling us to live for the sake of Christ and to do that through suffering. Christ chose suffering; it didn't just happen to Him. He chose it as a way to create and perfect the church. Now He calls us to choose suffering. That is, He calls us to take up our cross and follow Him on the Calvary road and deny ourselves and make sacrifices for the sake of ministering to the church and presenting His sufferings to the world" (286). We are to be the Bible to a lost world; we need to be Jesus to the world, to our neighbors, our co-workers, our family, our friends.

Take some time to carefully read James 5:7-12. This scripture warrants mentioning because of what it teaches and commands. James gives four commands to his readers--the brothers, believers--Be patient, strengthen your heart (stand firm), don’t complain, and don’t swear. (For the sake of this blog and these reflective notes from Sunday School, we will not spend any time on the latter.)

1. Be patient (v. 7, 8). The word patient comes from two words in the Gk: makros (long, far) and thumos (anger), which we get our word “long-tempered” or “long-suffering” This is a different word then the one translated in James 1:3-4, which refers to patiently enduring trying circumstances; makrothumeo refers to patiently enduring trying and difficult people.
   
   Hebrews 12:1 tells us to "run with endurance" the race set before us. George Matheson wrote, "'We commonly associate patience with lying down. We think of it as the angel that guards the couch of the invalid. Yet there is a patience that I believe to be harder -- the patience that can run. To lie down in the time of grief, to be quiet under the stroke of adverse fortune, implies a great strength; but I know of something that implies a strength greater still: it is the power to work under stress; to have a great weight at your heart and still run; to have a deep anguish in your spirit and still perform the daily tasks. It is a Christ-like thing! The hardest thing is that most of us are called to exercise our patience, not in the sickbed but in the street.' To wait is hard, to do it with 'good courage' is harder! (Sermon Illustrations, http://www.sermonillustrations.com/a-z/p/patience.htm. Accessed May 29, 2010).
   
   
2. Strengthen Your Heart (v. 8--the NIV uses “stand firm,” the NKJV uses ‘establish your hearts”, the Message reads, “Stay steady and strong.”--the original Gk word, sterizo,--meaning to “make fast,” “to establish,” or “to confirm”. Notice that James mentions in vv 7-8 the Lord’s coming--both in association with patience and strengthening our hearts. So sterizo derives from the root word meaning to “cause to stand” or “to prop up.” What does this mean? James urges those ready to collapse under the weight of persecution to “prop themselves up” with the hope of the savior’s return, for this hope motivates us to live godly lives, spotless and blameless (2 Peter 3:14)
   
   Have you ever heard of the “50:20” principle? This rocks, by the way. One way to strengthen our heart in times of persecution is to apply this principle, taken from Gen. 50:20: But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive. What does this principle do? Rather than looking at ourselves, or others, or the circumstance, the 50:20 principle enables us to focus on God; we are freed to see God as the teacher and the other person as a tool for making us into the people He intended us to be.
   
   
3. Do not complain (v. 9): Why do people complain? James speaks of the adversity which comes from insult, persecution, abuse at the hands of others. Those who choose complaining as their lifestyle will spend their lifetime in the wilderness--empty, joyless, emotionless, cheerless, not experience the blessings God has given us. The result of spiritual poverty. What should be our response, instead? Trust and embrace His grace as sufficient. Notice the two illustrations James gives to help us resist the grudging spirit, and thus show patience under persecution?
   
   The prophets: To establish context, read Hebrews 11:32ff. What encouragement do we receive by their example? They honored God, stood firm and trusted, never cast blame or bore a grudge or complained; they were persecuted because they spoke in the name of the Lord; did not fear insult or rejection; they were in the will of God yet still suffered, Is it not comforting to know that “The will of God will never lead you where the Grace of God cannot keep you.” They suffered and endured so that their lives might back up their message. They suffered, and through their suffering they evangelized
   
   Job: Job was a righteous man, yet he suffered. Satan predicted that Job would turn impatient and deny God, yet he endured. In Job’s case, what was the end result of the Lord? To reveal himself as full of compassion and mercy--verse 11--isn’t that awesome? Isn’t this the end result of all saints who suffer (whether through circumstances or persecution)? Suffering is designed to spotlight God’s grace, for God was glorified and Job was purified--if there is nothing to endure, we cannot learn endurance.
   
   Notice v. 11a again--God’s blessing does not come to people who do great things but to people who endure. Paul proclaims in 2 Corinthians 12:7-10,
   
   7 To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. 8Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. 9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. 10 That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
   

Whether we have chosen the suffering or it’s just part of life, we can choose to accept the path God has put us on and praise and trust Him anyway. When we do so, we magnify Christ as our superior satisfaction. Listen to what Dr. Piper says, "Here is the astounding upshot: God intends for the afflictions of Christ to be presented to the world through the afflictions of His people. God really means for the body of Christ, the church, to experience some of the suffering He experienced so that when we proclaim the Cross as the way to life, people will see the marks of the Cross in us and feel the love the Cross from us" (269-270). Romanian Pastor Josef Tson provides clarity: “I am an extension of Jesus Christ. When I was beaten in Romania, He suff ered in my body. It is not my suffering: I only had the honor to share His sufferings" (The Theology of Martyrdom 4). Piper continues, "Christ’s suffering is for propitiation (Propitiation is the work of the Lord Jesus Christ by which He appeases the wrath of God and conciliates Him who would otherwise be offended by our sin and would demand that we pay the penalty for it); our suffering is for propagation" 278). Here is how Paul puts it in 2 Corinthians 4:10-12: 10 We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. 11 For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. 12 So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

Here again is another quote by Pastor Tson germane to the premise that the "life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body:"

I had a man in an important position whom I baptized come to me and ask, ‘Now what shall I do? They will convene three or four thousand people to expose me and mock me. They will give me five minutes to defend myself. How should I do it?’

'Brother', I told him, 'defending yourself is the only thing you shouldn’t do. This is your unique chance to tell them who you were before, and what Jesus made of you; who Jesus is, and what He is for you now.'

His face shone and he said, ‘Brother Josef, I know what I am going to do.’ And he did it well – so well that afterwards he was severely demoted. He lost almost half of his salary. But he kept coming to me after that saying, ‘Brother Josef, you know I cannot walk in the factory now without someone coming up to me. Wherever I go, somebody pulls me in a corner, looks around to see that nobody sees him talking to me, and then whispers, ‘Give me the address of your church, or ‘Tell me more about Jesus, or ‘Do you have a Bible for me?’

Every kind of suffering can become a ministry for other people’s salvation.'”

And finally, as we close, read the words of Brother Andrew who heads a ministry called the Open Doors,

There is not one door in the world closed where you want to witness for Jesus . . . . Show me a closed door and I will tell you how you can get in. I won't, however, promise you a way to get out . . . .

Jesus didn't say, 'Go if the doors are open,' because they weren't. He didn't say, 'Go if you have an invitation or a red carpet treatment.' He said, 'Go,' because people need his Word . . . .

We need a new approach to missions--an aggressive, experimental, evangelical, no-holds-barred approach . . .a pioneering spirit . . . .

I'm afraid we'll have to go through a deep valley of need and threatening situations, blood baths; but we will get there.

God will take away what hinders us if we mean business. If we say, 'Lord, at any cost . . .'--and people should never pray that unless they truly want God to take them at their word--he will answer. Which is scary. But we have to go through the process. This is how it has worked in the Bible for the last two thousand years.

So we face potentially hard times, and we have to go through that . . . . We play church and we play Christianity. And we aren't even aware we are lukewarm . . . .We should have to pay a price for our faith. Read 2 timothy 3:12: 'Indeed, all who want to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.' The church has been much purified in countries where there was a lot of pressure . . . .All I can say is to be ready. (qtd. in Piper, Desiring God 286-287).

Thank you Brother Andrew for these wonderful yet sobering thoughts. In your affliction, who can you show Jesus to today. Evangelize through your suffering.

Growing and Discipling with Small Groups

Small Groups begin June 2, 2010 at Front Street Baptist Church

Create your own video slideshow at animoto.com.

Come grow and disciple with one another.

Study begins at 6:30

Walking in the Truth: Notes from Sunday School

These notes and reflective thoughts are first intended for members of our Friends and Family Sunday School class to stay connected with God through studying His Word in the event of absence from actual Sunday School worship time, and secondly, for everyone, for the scripture and words below are beneficial for a broader readership. The ideas and flow of the lesson comes out of Life Way's Master Work Series. Please provide comments below to participate in the discussion. Add your own thoughts and reflections.

Since this blog series is entitled Walking in the Truth, I thought it relevant to share an entry from pastor James MacDonald's (whose preaching and radio ministry has been a blessing to me for a number of years) blog, Straight Up. Walking in the Truth means loving God's Word, obeying it, and reflecting it to my family, friends, and neighbors. I link to his blog as an additional spiritual treat this week, but also to remind us that God's Word is our life, meant to be hidden in our heart, to bring glory to Him.

Now, here are the notes and and reflections from this past Sunday's lesson on Marriage, the matrix of Christian Hedonism.

How does the world view marriage? It is assuredly 100% antithetical to the biblical portrait of God's design and purpose for marriage. Today, many Christian marriages do not look all that different than the marriages of nonbelievers. Marriage by and large has become a matter of convenience; vows are flippantly recited in marriage ceremonies. Roles of husbands and wives have become distorted and twisted and many believers have grossly misinterpreted the writings of Paul and Peter on this subject. Fay Angus offers the "Four D's of Marriage": "Depression, despair, drink, and divorce." Ms. Angus has clearly not seen the desire of God's heart. Chuck Swindoll wrote that the world views marriage like the sign on Ken Stabler's boat: "Get in, sit down, shut up, hang on." This vision of marriage is tragic; far from the truth of God's Word on the sanctity of this institution.

I never want to minimize marriage, but I see marriage summed up in one phrase: "One Flesh." Genesis 2:24 states: "For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh" (also quoted in Ephesians 5:31).

The Bible speaks of harmony, unity, joining, and cleaving. In the original language the Hebrew word for "cleaving" is translated "glue". So, the portrait here is marriage in essence is two people who "stick together," not two people who are "stuck with one another." Listen to this beautiful illustration offered by Dr. Piper in his book, Desiring God:

"A different kind of unity is enjoyed by the joining of diverse counterparts than is enjoyed by joining two things just alike. When we all sing the same melody line, it is called unison, which means 'one sound.' But when we unite diverse lines of soprano and alto and tenor and bass, we call it harmony; and everyone who has an ear to hear knows that something deeper in us is touched by great harmony than by mere unison."

What a beautiful picture of marriage and the marriage relationship. So, with my bride, I would so much rather be waltzing in harmony than stepping in unison. Dr. Dwight Hervey Small explains, "It is humbling to the woman to know that she was created for the man, but it is for her glory to know that she alone can complete him. Likewise, it is humbling to the man to know that he is incomplete without a woman, but it is to his glory that the woman was created for him" (qtd in Warren Wiersbe, Life Sentences 28-29). In 1 Peter 3:7, Paul calls marriage and this kind of relationship between men and women the "grace of life."

Now to our focus passage. Let's read Ephesians 5:25-30 together: Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless. So husbands ought also to love their own wives as their own bodies. He who loves his own wife loves himself; for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ also does the church, because we are members of His body.

Notice vv 28-29. What does Paul mean when he says husbands ought to love their wives as their own bodies . . .loving his wife as he loves himself." ? That sounds hedonistic, doesn't it? But Piper explores this passage from the perspective of Christian Hedonism. He writes, "love is the pursuit of our joy in the holy joy of the beloved" (206). Doesn't that seem self seeking? "Selfishness," Dr. Piper continues, "seeks its own private happiness at the expense of others, [whereas] love seeks its happiness in the happiness of the beloved" (207). Here is Christian Hedonism defined again in context of this passage in case we have forgotten: According to vv. 28-29 of Ephesians, "Husbands should devote the same energy and time and creativity to making their wives happy that they devote naturally to making themselves happy. The result will be that in doing this, they will make themselves happy" (209).

This verse gives commentary on Matthew 7:12: In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets. This verse formulates the foundation of goodness and mercy--the kind of love God demonstrates to us everyday, the kind of love we should demonstrate to our circle of influence everyday. This I am sure is what Paul meant by "grace of life." What would like most from your spouse (or friend/family member)? Let me share mine, and this is definitely not to say that I am not receiving these things from her: respect, love, understanding, acceptance of who I am. So, in turn, I must (not when I feel like, or maybe, or only if she gives this to me in return--but must) show her respect, love, understanding, and acceptance. As husbands and wives, we will be Golden if we follow this Rule. Reflect on these questions: Are we more likely to apply the words of Christ in Matthew 7:12 at home or outside of the home? Why? Now this one: Why must our homes be the place we most strive to love others as we love ourselves? Spend time praying through that. If you find yourself willing to show others outside your home more love and acceptance and understanding than your spouse or children, then take it to the cross.

Let's turn our attention to Ephesians 5:31-33: FOR THIS REASON A MAN SHALL LEAVE HIS FATHER AND MOTHER AND SHALL BE JOINED TO HIS WIFE, AND THE TWO SHALL BECOME ONE FLESH. This mystery is great; but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Nevertheless, each individual among you also is to love his own wife even as himself, and the wife must see to it that she respects her husband. Is this mystery the fact that God has called to very diverse individuals to be "joined" as "one flesh." That sounds remarkable and only an act God can accomplish through is goodness and grace, but Paul calls it a mystery. He gives us a hint in v. 32 when he writes, but I am speaking with reference to Christ and the church. Question: Which came first, the marriage relationship between man and woman or the relationship between Christ and the Church? Dr. Piper responds: "The mystery is this: God did not create the union of Christ and the church after the pattern of human marriage--just the reverse! He created human marriage on the pattern of Christ's relation to the church" (213).

Look back at v. 31: See it? "One flesh". In Ephesians 1:22-23, we read And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. He is "head" of the "body" (the church). By faith a person is “joined” to Jesus Christ, thus we become one with all believers (Galatians 3:28). So Paul sees that husbands and wives become "one flesh" and that Christ and the church become "one body". For the Christian marriage is to be loving, holy, pure, self-sacrificing and mutually submissive because those virtues characterize the relationship of Christ and the church. So, why is it important that we joyfully fulfill our roles in marriage? Simple, we are copying and reflecting the relationship God intended for Christ and the church.

According to Ephesians 5:22-33, we have specific roles and specific role models that create the harmony of marriage. Let's begin with the wives. Read closely vv. 22-24: Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. But as the church is subject to Christ, so also the wives ought to be to their husbands in everything. So, what is the role of the wife? To submit, to be subject to their husbands.

This reminds of the story told by Charles Swindoll: "A couple went to a two day conference on marriage; one of those speakers just hammered away at the wife on being in submission to her husband; the woman's husband was drinking it in, wanting to stay late and get everything this speaker had to say; when they got home, walking inside, the husband closed the door and said, 'I want to get something straight with you right now. From now on, that is the way things are going to be. You got that? You submit to me.'" He didn’t see her for two weeks. At the beginning of the third week he could begin to see her out of one eye.

We laugh at stories like this--perhaps they ring true. At times, husbands seem to focus on the "submission of wives," but they skip over what Ephesians 5:21 says: be subject to one another in the feat of Christ. Or what Peter writes in 1 Peter 3:7: You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way. In what same way? In a submissive way (Ephesians 5:21). John MacArthur explains in his note n 1 Peter 3:7 in the MacArthur Study Bible, that the husband is equally responsible to submit, but not the wife as leader but lovingly submitting by "being sensitive to the needs, fears, and feelings of his wife." "Be subject" in Ephesians 5:22 was not in the original, but the meaning is carried over from v. 21: Be subject to one another in the fear of Christ (and as a first example) wives to your husbands; the original Greek emphasizes the willing submitting of oneself--a voluntary response. The submission is not the husband’s to command but for the wife to willingly and lovingly offer. John MacArthur writes in his study on Ephesians: "A husband is not to treat his wife as a servant or a child, but as an equal for whom God has given him care and responsibility for provision and protection" (281). We are only slaves to Christ, not to one another.

I love this. Notice that it says in Ephesians 5:22 that wives are to be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord. Look again, own husbands. This limits her submission to one man God has placed over her but gives balancing emphasis that he is hers as an intimate possession--she submits to the man she possesses as her own.

Ray Stedman, in his book on Ephesians, tells a relevant story: "A Woman approached me with an insightful question: 'Does Ephesians 5:22-23 mean that my submission to my husband is a gauge of the degree to which I am submitted to Christ?' 'Yes, it is exactly that,' I replied. 'Well then, my submission to my husband is not some sort of gift that I give my husband, that he should feel indebted to me for. Nor should I use my submission to him as some sort of manipulation or blackmail. I can’t say to my husband: ‘I submitted to you, now you have to do such and such for me.’ Nor can I say to God, ‘I submitted myself to my husband so you have to produce certain results in my life.' No! If I submit to my husband as unto the Lord, I should not care what the results are; that is up to my husband and to God.'"

Stedman exclaimed in the book. “She got it.”

Who is the wife’s role model? Verses 23-24 gives us a clue. The church. How does the church submit to Christ? The body recognizes Christ's headship; we surrender to His Lordship; we obey His word; we walk uprightly, honestly, and righteously. In that vein, the wife’s submission is based on His headship and the headship of the man in the family. What is the relationship to the head and the body? The head leads, guides, nourishes. Therefore, husbands are called by God to take the primary responsibility for Christlike servant leadership and protection and provision in the home. What are specific was wives can honor and affirm their husband’s leadership? 1 Peter 3:1-6 states that it is with humility, love, moral purity, kindness, and respect. The consequences of such willing and loving submission, MacArthur writes, is a wife who is "an honor to her Lord, her husband, her family, her church, and herself" (The MacArthur New Testament Commentary on Ephesians 288)

Return to verses 25-33. What is the husband’s role and role model? The husband’s primary submission to his wife is through his love for her. The apostles clearly say that it is a boundless kind of love. Look closely at verses 25-30. Identify the verbs Paul uses to describe Christ’s commitment to His bride: "love," "gave," "sanctify," "cleansed." What does this say about the Husband’s responsibility in marriage?. Verse 25 commands, "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave himself up for her." Dr. Piper comments on this passage by saying, "If the husband is the head of the wife" (v. 23), than he is to primarily lead out in "the kind of love that is willing to die to give her life" (Desiring God 217)

God commands us to love as He loved, right? MacArthur says, “loving as Christ loves does not depend in the least on what others are in themselves, but entirely on what we are in Christ (New Testament Commentary on Ephesians 297).

Read carefully these words from MacArthur: "The Christian who loves because of what other people may do for him or because they are attractive does not love as God loves. The husband who loves his wife only because of her practical attractiveness or pleasing temperament does not love as Christ loved the church. The husband who loves his wife for what she can give him loves as the world loves, not as Christ loves. The husband who loves his wife as Christ loves His church gives everything he has for his wife, including his life necessary. If a loving husband is willing to sacrifice his life for his wife, her is certainly willing to make lesser sacrifices for her. He puts his own likes, desires, opinions, preferences, and welfare aside if that is required to please her and meet her needs. He dies to self in order to live for his wife, because that is what Christ's kind of love demands" (298)

We are to love with not only a sacrificial love but a purifying love as well (v. 26-27), protecting our wives from defilement, protecting her holiness, virtue and purity, protecting her from the world’s contamination, never inducing her to do that which is wrong or unwise or expose her to that which is less than good (MacArthur, New Testament Commentary 300). Look at vv. 28-30. How do we nourish and cherish our wives? When she needs strength, we give her strength; when she needs encouragement, we offer her encouragement, to provide for her needs, to help her grow and mature in favor with God, to provide tender love, understanding, consideration, sensitivity, to give her warmth and comfort, protection and security.

Dr. Piper says that "If you want to be a Christian husband, you become a servant, not a boss" (217). So what does Christlike leadership look like? Dr. Piper continues: "You [speaking to husbands directly] should feel the greater responsibility to take the lead in the things of t he Spirit; you should lead the family in a life of prayer, in the study of God's Word, and in worship; you should lead in giving the family a vision of its meaning and mission; you should take the lead in shaping the moral fabric of the home and in governing its happy peace" (218). There use to be famous cigarette billboard pictures of a curly headed, bronze-faced, muscular macho with a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The caption read "Where a man belongs." Society teaches this, and at the same time perpetuates a lie. This is not the biblical portrait of a man. Where a man belongs is at the bedside of his children leading devotions; with his family serving together, worshiping together; up early with God, kneeling, confessing, seeking. That is the role of the man in general, and husband specifically.

I close with these final two passages:

Matthew Henry wrote, "the woman was not made our of his head head to rule over him, nor out of his feet to be trampled upon by him, but out of his side to be equal with him, under his arm to be protected, and hear his heart to be beloved" (qtd. in Warren Wiersbe, Life Sentences 28). Now, this sums up beautifully the role of the husband in marriage and the spiritual harmony in the marriage relationship

A Prayer for Married Couples written by Bishop Slattery, soon after his marriage, to be used each day in their family devotions at home in Boston, Massachusetts. I pray this prayer be blessing to you and your spouse.

O God, our Heavenly Father, protect and bless us. Deepen and
strengthen our love for each other day by day. Grant that by Thy
mercy neither of us ever say one unkind word to the other.
Forgive and correct our faults, and make us constantly to forgive
one another should one of us unconsciously hurt the other. Make
us and keep us sound and well in body, alert in mind, tender in
heart, devout in spirit. O Lord, grant us each to rise to the
other's best. Then we pray Thee add to our common life such
virtues as only Thou canst give. And so, O Father, consecrate
our life and our love completely to Thy worship, and to the
service of all about us, especially those whom Thou has appointed
us to serve, that we may always stand before Thee in happiness
and peace; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Walking in Truth: Notes from Sunday School

These notes and reflective thoughts are first intended for members of our Friends and Family Sunday School class to stay connected with God through studying His Word in the event of absence from actual Sunday School worship time, and second, then for everyone, for the scripture and words below are beneficial for a broader readership. The ideas and flow of the lesson comes out of Life Way's Master Work Series. Please provide comments below to participate in the discussion. Add your own thoughts and reflections.

I must say that one of my deepest passions is to teach THE Word; and each Sunday, God has blessed me with that opportunity. I have been really enjoying our study of John Piper's Desiring God, not only a challenging read, but also intentional about drawing us closer to God. How often do we feel distant from God? Have we lost passion for Him? How often do we love well or love loudly (I love that--just heard that is an upcoming theme for our Baptist Association)? Do we have radical faith? Are we committed to worship, by living a life-style that reflects His heart, and His desires? In short, do we desire Him above all other pleasures? God's Word has brought clarity to these areas of our walk. God has used Piper's work as an instrument to deliver that message.

Our focus yesterday? Prayer, the Power of the Christian Hedonist.

Why do people pray? Rightly, we pray to align our will with His Will; we pray to glorify His name; we pray to worship; we pray to fellowship. We pray to cry to Him our sufferings and hurts; we pray for others and their needs. Wrongly, we pray to ask for things; we pray to say we did; we pray because we believe that is what "good Christians" do; we pray because we feel guilty when we don't.

Our main text on Sunday was John 14:13: And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring glory to the Father.

and John 16:24: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

In these two verses, Jesus points to the reasons we ought to pray, really the two primary reasons: To bring glory to the Father and to be given the fullness of joy (that is joy in Him). For these reasons, Christian Hedonists will be devoted to prayer, for he or she operates under two pursuits: The pursuit of God’s glory and the fullness of our joy (that is delight and joy in Him, the great giver of joy and sustainer of joy); and it is God’s desire that He be glorified and that we (his children) experience complete joy--and prayer is the privilege that accomplishes both.

Let's examine John 14:3 a little more closely. If I ask you, as my friend, to do something for me, would you feel complimented or insulted? Why? If you said you wanted to help me but I brushed you off saying that I could do it better, how would you feel? Would I demonstrate your character by asking for or refusing your help? How? It is obvious that if I were in need--let's say paralyzed--and I asked you, my friend, for help I would then demonstrate your character as strong and kind, for I would trust in your strength and kindness to meet my need; I glorify you by needing you and asking for your assistance, for I know that without you I can not do for myself. In this same vein of thinking we are paralyzed--helpless before our Father. Without Christ we are unable to do for ourselves. When we realize our weakness, our need for Him, and seek His face, we are glorifying Him.

Let's take a deeper look shall we? Take the time to read John 15:1-17. What does Jesus call himself? He calls us "friend" (v. 15), in deed a strong friend. As the "vine", he is giver of life, sustainer of all things; we must be connected to that "life", for separated from the vine, we (the branches) dry up, and no long do what we were made to do. So, according verse 5, what were we made to do, that which God intends (commands)? Bear fruit. But notice the last part of verse 5: "a part from me you can do nothing." Christ promises to do for us what we can’t possibly do for ourselves. So, how do we reflect the character of--that is, how do we glorify--Christ? We glorify Him by needing him, by abiding in him, by clinging to him, by trusting in Him, by believing (refer to a previous post about examining our faith) in Him. All we need is Jesus, just Jesus, not Jesus plus anything else, but JESUS. Notice what verse 7 says: We pray! We ask God to do for us through Christ what we can’t do for ourselves--that is bear fruit. Dr. Piper says that "prayer is the open admission that without Christ we can do nothing. And prayer is the turning away from ourselves to God in confidence that He will provide the help we need. Prayer humbles us as needy and exalts God as wealthy" (161). Psalm 50:15 says, Call upon Me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify Me. We call; God delivers; we glorify. At the heart of Christian Hedonism, "God gets the glory; we get the delight" (Piper 163).

Can prayer be self-centered? What about when you hear phrases like, "we get the delight", or when Christ says that "our joy may be made complete"? In the Disciples prayer (Matt. 5:9-13), what did Jesus say for us to pray for in verses 9-10? For God’s Will, for his name to be glorified, for His kingdom to come. That doesn't sound self-centered, in fact just the opposite, very God centered. Even though the focus in verses 11-13 is on our most basic of needs, the prayer is still God-centered, for it is a prayer to bear fruit, to be forgiving (forgive others), patient (give us our daily bread--just what we need), and self controlled (lead us not into temptation) We can see that prayer to bear fruit and do God’s Will is far from self-centered.

But what oftentimes makes up the bulk of our prayers? Prayers motivated by selfish desires. Listen to what James says about wrongly motivated prayers: When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.You adulterous people, don't you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God. Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit he caused to live in us envies intensely? (3-5) Notice that he calls the Jewish believers “adulterous people.” How do believers commit spiritual adultery with our prayers? Selfish desires lead to wrong praying. Dr. Piper offers quite a shocking view of spiritual adultery. Listen to what he says: "So there is a kind of praying that is wrong because it makes a cuckold out of God. We use our Husband's generosity to hire prostitutes for private pleasures . . . . he pictures the church as the wife of God. God has made us for Himself and has given Himself to us for our enjoyment. Therefore it is adultery when we try to be 'friends' with the world. If we seek from the world the pleasures we should seek in God, we are unfaithful to our marriage vows" (165). Instead, we should sing God-centered, faithful prayers like this psalmist. There is no infedelity here:

Psalm 73:25-26

Whom have I in heaven but you?
And earth has nothing I desire besides you.

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.

Psalm 27:4

One thing I ask of the LORD,
this is what I seek:
that I may dwell in the house of the LORD
all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD
and to seek him in his temple.

Dr. Piper says that "we do not glorify God by providing His needs, but by praying that He would provide ours--and trusting Him to answer" (168). Read the following verses:

Psalm 27:14:Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD.

Psalm 37:7: Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him;do not fret when men succeed in their ways,when they carry out their wicked schemes.

Psalm 37:34: Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Proverbs 20:22: Do not say, "I'll pay you back for this wrong!" Wait for the LORD, and he will deliver you.

Isaiah: 8:17: I will wait for the LORD, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob. I will put my trust in him.

Isaiah 26:8: Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts.

What then is the predominant role and attitude of the believer in prayer? To be still and wait. The psalmists declares in Psalm 33:20-22, that he will hope in the Lord, for He is hope and protection, that in Him we find joy and delight, and because of that, we trust. Dr. Piper renders it this way: To wait "means to pause and soberly consider our own inadequacy and the Lord's all-sufficiency and to seek counsel and help from our Lord" (170). But, why would we rather work than wait? First, waiting does not produce immediate results. We have a tendency to work harder because we can see the immediate fruit of our effort, all the while pushing us to burn out, or work for the sake of work--to say that we have one more thing checked off our "list." or by working, we run so far out ahead of God, that he is distant blip on the GPS of our hearts.

Read the words of David in Psalm 40:1-3:

I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

Notice how praying and then waiting for God to answer resulted in glory for God and joy for David. God works for those who wait on Him (Isaiah 64:4). According to Dr. Piper, "God aims to exalt Himself by working for those who wait for Him. Prayer is the essential activity of waiting for God--acknowledging our helplessness and His power, calling upon Him for help, seeking His counsel . . . . Prayer is the antidote for the disease of self-confidence . . . .God is not looking for people to work for Him [and we often have that attitude about "working for Him], so much as He is looking for people who will let Him work for them" (170-171). As one of our class members said (and this Rocks), "Let go, to let God." Simple and profound wisdom.

Now to John 16:24. Let me offer Christ's words again: Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. Question: If the aim of prayer is to glorify God and give fullness of joy as we delight in Him, then why is there so much prayerlessness? What does prayerlessness signify? Lack of passion, lost delight, overwhelming burden, weary souls, seeing praying as a "thing" to do. There are countless of reasons, I am sure. Dr. Piper offers this insight: "There is a direct correlation between not knowing Jesus well and not asking much from Him" (162). Remember what Jesus said to the Samaritan woman: If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water (John 4:10). Dr. Piper continues, "a failure in our prayer life is generally a failure to know Jesus. A prayerless Christian is like a bus driver trying alone to push his bus out of a rut because he doesn't know that Clark Kent is on board" (162). If we knew, we would ask.

I was never a math wiz in school, but let me give you two equations; and these two equations I get: Prayerlessness = Joylessness; Prayerfulness = Joyfulness. Why are these equations true? John 16:20-22 gives answer: I tell you the truth, you will weep and mourn while the world rejoices. You will grieve, but your grief will turn to joy. A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. So with you: Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your joy. Here are two more: Separation from Jesus = Sadness, lostness, confusion, emptiness; then as verse 22 states, Fellowship with Jesus = Joy.

Listen to Jonathan Edwards, a soldier of faith, as he discusses the height and intensity of this fellowship with Christ: "I had vehement longings of soul after God and Christ, and after more holiness, wherewith my heart seemed to be full, and ready to break . . . .I often felt a mourning and lamenting in my heart, that I had not turned to God sooner, that I might have had more time to grow in grace. My mind was greatly fixed on divine things; almost perpetually in the contemplation of them. I spent most of my time in thinking of divine things, year after year; often walking alone in the woods, and solitary places, for meditation, soliloquy, and prayer, and conversation with God; and it was always my manner, at such times, to sing forth my contemplations. I was almost constantly in ejaculatory prayer, wherever I was. Prayer seemed to be natural to me, as the breath by which the inward burnings of my heart had vent" (quoted in Piper 176).

1 John 1:3-4 reads: We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. We write this to make our joy complete. Prayer makes our joy complete. Why? Because we get to enjoy His presence. We get to communicate with the Father who knew us even in my mother's womb. Prayer is about Him, all of Him (His grace, mercy, forgiveness, love, judgment, justice, sovereignty, truth, wisdom, counsel, protection). No Christian can have fullness of joy without a vital fellowship with Christ; otherwise, Christianity becomes a joyless burden. I pray that my walk with Christ never becomes a joyless burden.

Let's go back and explore John 15 again. This time, focus on verses 7-8 and 16: If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. . . .You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. Look at what Christ says that we need in answer to our prayers to fill our joy. We need to bear fruit. We have made reference to that a couple of times, so what fruit are we to bear? We know one is joy. Dr Piper says that "prayer is the fountain of joy [John 15:11) because it is the source of power of love" (176). Read closely John 15:12-17. So, in addition to joy, what other fruit are we commanded to bear? It is all about love. Prayer empowers us to be on a mission of love. But we have to be on the right frequency, with the right transmitter. Listen to how Dr. Piper explains this metaphor: "It is as though the field commander (Jesus) called in the troops, gave them a crucial mission (go bear fruit), handed each one of them a personal transmitter coded to the frequency of the general’s headquarters, and said, “Comrades, the general has a mission for you. He aims to see it accomplished. And to that end he has authorized me to give each of you personal access to him through these transmitters. If you stay true to his mission and seek his victory first, he will always be as close as your transmitter, to give tactical advice and to send in air cover when you need it(177). He ends with this question: "Could it be that many or our problems with prayer and much of our weakness in prayer come from the fact that we are not on active duty, and yet we still try to use the transmitter? (177). He then offers this truth: "If the pump of love runs dry, it is because the pipe of prayer isn’t deep enough." I pray that I am on active duty and have not gone awol, and that my pump never runs dry and that I keep on digging.

Martin Luther once said, "If I should neglect prayer but a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith." Here is another poignant statement by the reformer, Luther: When Luther's puppy happened to be at the table, he looked for a morsel from his master, and watched with open mouth and motionless eyes; he (Martin Luther) said, "Oh, if I could only pray the way this dog watches the meat! All his thoughts are concentrated on the piece of meat. Otherwise he has no thought, wish or hope." Where are out thoughts? What is the object or our attention? What pleasures do we delight in? God is our only thought, wish, and hope. We should pray not because we have to, but because we want to. Do you know what causes that attitude? Being tyrannized by the press of busy days--let’s commit to rethink our priorities.