1 John 1:1-4
1That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life— 2the life was made manifest, and we have seen it, and testify to it and proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and was made manifest to us— 3that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son Jesus Christ. 4And we are writing these things so that our joy may be complete.
They (John and whoever else "we" refers to in verse 1, probably leaders of the church) had seen Jesus with their own eyes. They had witnessed more than just the miracles, they had seen them in context. They had heard Him speak of the Father and proclaim the gospel. So now what did they want? They wanted to share that with others, they wanted others to be a part of this great fellowship. But not to fellowship with them, but to fellowship with God.
Church growth is a great thing, provided it is growing into fellowship with God and Christ. Just having a large or a small gathering without it being completely centered on God is irrelevant. As Matt Chandler says about church, it is a lame hobby.
But there is something else in these verses. At the end, he states a motivation for proclamation, "so that our joy may be complete." They found joy in sharing God with others. Failure to find joy in serving God is a problem. And failure to serve God gives us a joy that is incomplete. So, God is not in need of our begrudging submission. I don't think He even wants it. He wants our hearts to be turned to Him. He wants us to find our joy completely in Him regardless of circumstance. He wants us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. So it naturally follows, that if we do love Him in such a way, that our joy will not be complete unless we serve Him wholeheartedly.
Showing posts with label serve. Show all posts
Showing posts with label serve. Show all posts
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Is it WHY or HOW?
Romans 12:1
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (NIV)
I recently heard a sermon on this verse. In it, the preacher spoke of our motivation to become a living sacrifice, God's mercy. Something about that statement bothered me, so I did some digging into the passage and found it to be quite enlightening.
Prior to this verse, Paul has a section of Scripture (Romans 11:33-36) where he just bursts out in praise to God, talking about His wisdom and glory, and the fact that we cannot even begin to fathom Him. Then he goes into verse 1 of chapter 12, beginning with the word therefore, which leads me to believe that he is connecting one thought to the other. You could almost replace the word "Therefore" with "Because of God's unbelievable greatness."
The next phrase, "I urge you," is interesting because it has some possible other interpretations. It could be "urge," "admonish," "instruct," or even "to call to one's side." I really love that last one, because that is how I see Paul, as one who wanted his readers to join him.
It is the phrase "in view of" that I struggle with, because it seems to lead me in a direction that I do not want to go. Is our motivation for serving God really that fact that He is merciful? What about those who do not, for a variety of reasons, see Him as merciful? How would they get past such a thought? I believe that Paul saw God as merciful in all situations, but I don't know that he would put this our as our motivation for serving God, nor do I think it was his motivation. But that is how we think in America. You give me something and I will give you something in return. God gives me mercy, so I will serve him. Looking at Paul's previous verses, I don't think he is about to go into such a huge shift of thinking, from saying how wonderful, awesome, and beyond our understanding God is to saying that we should serve Him because of His mercy. So I did some more digging. It seems that the phrase "in view of" is based on the Greek word "dia," which simply means "by" or "through." So the thought occurred to me that perhaps instead of saying "why" we might become a living sacrifice, Paul was stating "how" we can do it, which is only by or through God's mercy.
So I did a little more digging. I found that the word "mercy" in this verse is not the usual word that is translated mercy in the New Testament. Instead of using either of the Greek words "eleeo" or "eleos," which both carry the idea of granting mercy or kindness, he uses the Greek word "oiktirmos." This word has a meaning "the bowels of compassion," or what we might today call "a heart of compassion" or even "pity." So is Paul really saying our motivation for serving God is that He pities us? Or, is Paul saying that because the Almighty God of the Universe takes pity on us, we can serve Him as a living sacrifice? I have to believe the second choice not only fits the text, but also the overalll message of the Bible.
Perhaps I seem to be splitting hairs here, but I think the implications are huge. Under scenario 1, I see God's mercy as my motivation for serving Him, my service is a repayment, an obligation. But Paul has just stated in Chapter 11, "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?" (Verse 35) It is as if God gives us a gift, and then is so enthralled when we give Him back what was His in the first placde. Besides, who likes repaying debts? I don't. If my bank called today and told me all of my debts were cancelled, I would be thankful. I might even want to do something to show my appreciation. But I would eventually get over it. This is not the basis of a live change. Should we really base our response or relationship with God on this kind of thinking?
But under scenario 2, things change. Our lives as living sacrifices are not viewed as an obligation, but rather as a priviledge that is granted each and every moment by a God who has compassion on us and takes great pity on us. This is another reason I see Paul calling us to join him in this rather than commanding or urging us to do this. Look back at Romans 11:33-36, and the incredible picture Paul paints of God. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to serve such a God? But how could we ever hope to do so, when God is so beyond us? And the answer lies in God's great compassion for us. So now I can live each day as a living sacrifice, I can be holy and acceptable to God only because of what He has done for me in Christ. And this is true and proper worship.
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. (NIV)
I recently heard a sermon on this verse. In it, the preacher spoke of our motivation to become a living sacrifice, God's mercy. Something about that statement bothered me, so I did some digging into the passage and found it to be quite enlightening.
Prior to this verse, Paul has a section of Scripture (Romans 11:33-36) where he just bursts out in praise to God, talking about His wisdom and glory, and the fact that we cannot even begin to fathom Him. Then he goes into verse 1 of chapter 12, beginning with the word therefore, which leads me to believe that he is connecting one thought to the other. You could almost replace the word "Therefore" with "Because of God's unbelievable greatness."
The next phrase, "I urge you," is interesting because it has some possible other interpretations. It could be "urge," "admonish," "instruct," or even "to call to one's side." I really love that last one, because that is how I see Paul, as one who wanted his readers to join him.
It is the phrase "in view of" that I struggle with, because it seems to lead me in a direction that I do not want to go. Is our motivation for serving God really that fact that He is merciful? What about those who do not, for a variety of reasons, see Him as merciful? How would they get past such a thought? I believe that Paul saw God as merciful in all situations, but I don't know that he would put this our as our motivation for serving God, nor do I think it was his motivation. But that is how we think in America. You give me something and I will give you something in return. God gives me mercy, so I will serve him. Looking at Paul's previous verses, I don't think he is about to go into such a huge shift of thinking, from saying how wonderful, awesome, and beyond our understanding God is to saying that we should serve Him because of His mercy. So I did some more digging. It seems that the phrase "in view of" is based on the Greek word "dia," which simply means "by" or "through." So the thought occurred to me that perhaps instead of saying "why" we might become a living sacrifice, Paul was stating "how" we can do it, which is only by or through God's mercy.
So I did a little more digging. I found that the word "mercy" in this verse is not the usual word that is translated mercy in the New Testament. Instead of using either of the Greek words "eleeo" or "eleos," which both carry the idea of granting mercy or kindness, he uses the Greek word "oiktirmos." This word has a meaning "the bowels of compassion," or what we might today call "a heart of compassion" or even "pity." So is Paul really saying our motivation for serving God is that He pities us? Or, is Paul saying that because the Almighty God of the Universe takes pity on us, we can serve Him as a living sacrifice? I have to believe the second choice not only fits the text, but also the overalll message of the Bible.
Perhaps I seem to be splitting hairs here, but I think the implications are huge. Under scenario 1, I see God's mercy as my motivation for serving Him, my service is a repayment, an obligation. But Paul has just stated in Chapter 11, "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them?" (Verse 35) It is as if God gives us a gift, and then is so enthralled when we give Him back what was His in the first placde. Besides, who likes repaying debts? I don't. If my bank called today and told me all of my debts were cancelled, I would be thankful. I might even want to do something to show my appreciation. But I would eventually get over it. This is not the basis of a live change. Should we really base our response or relationship with God on this kind of thinking?
But under scenario 2, things change. Our lives as living sacrifices are not viewed as an obligation, but rather as a priviledge that is granted each and every moment by a God who has compassion on us and takes great pity on us. This is another reason I see Paul calling us to join him in this rather than commanding or urging us to do this. Look back at Romans 11:33-36, and the incredible picture Paul paints of God. Who wouldn't want to have the opportunity to serve such a God? But how could we ever hope to do so, when God is so beyond us? And the answer lies in God's great compassion for us. So now I can live each day as a living sacrifice, I can be holy and acceptable to God only because of what He has done for me in Christ. And this is true and proper worship.
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Romans 2:5
But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
In order to have salvation, we need to be saved from something. So what is it that we are saved from? The obvious, but I believe wrong answer, is sin. While God cannot stand sin, I believe that there is more to it than that, and this verse hits it hard.
But because of your hard and impenitent heart This is what we need salvation from, the heart that causes sin. The hardened and unrepentant heart that says, I will not, I cannot yield to God and His ways. The word "hardened" carries with it the image of calluses. We are somewhat hardened by our constant exposure to the world that we live in, especially when we don't stop to view things from God's perspective. When we see others who have more or don't suffer as we do, it can create feelings of hurt. These feelings, if not dealt with, can and will create a toughening of our protective shells.
Two illustrations quickly come to mind. One shows what an idiot I can be, so I will share that one.
I was working in the garage on a project and got my thumb too close to the blade on the table saw. My first response was to say, "It is merely a flesh wound." A throbbing, painful, bloody flesh wound. So I go in the house, clean it up and bandage it. My wife thinks I should go to the emergency room, but it don't. 24 hours later, I am in the med center getting stitches. By now the wound has begun to heal, and the doctor tells me that I should have come in sooner. He goes on to state that I will probably have a permanent numbness in the tip of my thumb, which I now do. The tip of my thumb has no feeling, which is dog-gone irritating when trying to play video games. Not to mention, the rest of my thumb feels sensitive around that area when I am out in the cold.
My thumb was cut, and because I did not treat it correctly, the inside has a permanent callus that has no feeling. Because our heats have lost their feeling, we do not repent. Why change when there is no feeling of wrongdoing? And what a better picture of our current world than to say they feel no wrong! Not only do they feel no wrong, but they berate those who do. Christians who stand for something (and not always in the best ways, I will admit) are viewed as intolerant. Abortion, homosexuality, lying, and all of the rest of the commandments are viewed as outdated.
Even within the church, and that is to whom Paul is writing, there is this intolerance of others who do not see things as we do. So just like the Pharisees, we put heavy burdens on them that we ourselves are unwilling to carry. We pressure people to tithe, stop drinking any alcohol, don't go to R rated movies, dress a certain way (especially on Sunday), etc. Not that these things are bad, but they do not ensure salvation.
So what is it we need to be saved from? The answer is ourselves. Our hard and impenitent hearts that get between us and who God would have us to be. And the church-goer needs this every bit as much as anyone. It is because of this that we are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
When God's righteous judgment is revealed, what will that look like?
Here is what it won't look like: You, come on it because you followed the commandments, you attended church and gave a tithe of your income. You, come in because you stayed away from alcohol and drunks and people who sin.
Here is what it will look like: You, come on in because you gave me drink when I was thirsty. You fed me when I was hungry. You clothed me when I was naked. In all that you said, and in all that you did, you sought only to show your love for me. Enter into my kingdom.
God's kindness should lead us toward repentance. Toward a change. To where I no longer value the things that I valued, but now I value God, and in all I do, I show that to the world. So now, when I give a cup of water, it is not to earn God's favor (hand him a filthy rag), but it is because for me there is no other choice. I love others because of His great love for me. I serve others because of my great love for Him.
In order to have salvation, we need to be saved from something. So what is it that we are saved from? The obvious, but I believe wrong answer, is sin. While God cannot stand sin, I believe that there is more to it than that, and this verse hits it hard.
But because of your hard and impenitent heart This is what we need salvation from, the heart that causes sin. The hardened and unrepentant heart that says, I will not, I cannot yield to God and His ways. The word "hardened" carries with it the image of calluses. We are somewhat hardened by our constant exposure to the world that we live in, especially when we don't stop to view things from God's perspective. When we see others who have more or don't suffer as we do, it can create feelings of hurt. These feelings, if not dealt with, can and will create a toughening of our protective shells.
Two illustrations quickly come to mind. One shows what an idiot I can be, so I will share that one.
I was working in the garage on a project and got my thumb too close to the blade on the table saw. My first response was to say, "It is merely a flesh wound." A throbbing, painful, bloody flesh wound. So I go in the house, clean it up and bandage it. My wife thinks I should go to the emergency room, but it don't. 24 hours later, I am in the med center getting stitches. By now the wound has begun to heal, and the doctor tells me that I should have come in sooner. He goes on to state that I will probably have a permanent numbness in the tip of my thumb, which I now do. The tip of my thumb has no feeling, which is dog-gone irritating when trying to play video games. Not to mention, the rest of my thumb feels sensitive around that area when I am out in the cold.
My thumb was cut, and because I did not treat it correctly, the inside has a permanent callus that has no feeling. Because our heats have lost their feeling, we do not repent. Why change when there is no feeling of wrongdoing? And what a better picture of our current world than to say they feel no wrong! Not only do they feel no wrong, but they berate those who do. Christians who stand for something (and not always in the best ways, I will admit) are viewed as intolerant. Abortion, homosexuality, lying, and all of the rest of the commandments are viewed as outdated.
Even within the church, and that is to whom Paul is writing, there is this intolerance of others who do not see things as we do. So just like the Pharisees, we put heavy burdens on them that we ourselves are unwilling to carry. We pressure people to tithe, stop drinking any alcohol, don't go to R rated movies, dress a certain way (especially on Sunday), etc. Not that these things are bad, but they do not ensure salvation.
So what is it we need to be saved from? The answer is ourselves. Our hard and impenitent hearts that get between us and who God would have us to be. And the church-goer needs this every bit as much as anyone. It is because of this that we are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God’s righteous judgment will be revealed.
When God's righteous judgment is revealed, what will that look like?
Here is what it won't look like: You, come on it because you followed the commandments, you attended church and gave a tithe of your income. You, come in because you stayed away from alcohol and drunks and people who sin.
Here is what it will look like: You, come on in because you gave me drink when I was thirsty. You fed me when I was hungry. You clothed me when I was naked. In all that you said, and in all that you did, you sought only to show your love for me. Enter into my kingdom.
God's kindness should lead us toward repentance. Toward a change. To where I no longer value the things that I valued, but now I value God, and in all I do, I show that to the world. So now, when I give a cup of water, it is not to earn God's favor (hand him a filthy rag), but it is because for me there is no other choice. I love others because of His great love for me. I serve others because of my great love for Him.
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Another Weekend...
Another weekend, hoping to get caught up on some things, reality being quite different.
Spent a couple of hours this morning packing things for a container truck that will be shipped to Haiti. My wife and kids were there too. It really showed me some things. Like, how fortunate and blessed we are in this country. We have so much readily available to us here in terms of medicines, clothes, supplies. It showed me how selfish we are too. So much of the stuff that we packaged would have been put out in the trash if not for someone saying, "Hey, I know someone who would love to have that stuff." T-shirts that were slightly misprinted. Small bottles of shampoo and mouthwash (that we unpacked by the 100's, checking each lid was tight because many were not), boxes of allergy meds that we also unpacked because they came in such large boxes from the distributor when in reality there were such little bottles of pills inside, and space is at a premium when shipping things.
I love that my daughter said she had fun helping, and that my son was always looking for another job to do when he finished with something. I love that more than sitting around the house watching Saturday morning cartoons.
I have a lot to do this weekend, and a busy week ahead. But I gave up some precious time this morning, and got back so much in return.
How busy are you? Because sometimes in the midst of busyness we lose focus. I am glad that this morning I had some things put back in focus.
Spent a couple of hours this morning packing things for a container truck that will be shipped to Haiti. My wife and kids were there too. It really showed me some things. Like, how fortunate and blessed we are in this country. We have so much readily available to us here in terms of medicines, clothes, supplies. It showed me how selfish we are too. So much of the stuff that we packaged would have been put out in the trash if not for someone saying, "Hey, I know someone who would love to have that stuff." T-shirts that were slightly misprinted. Small bottles of shampoo and mouthwash (that we unpacked by the 100's, checking each lid was tight because many were not), boxes of allergy meds that we also unpacked because they came in such large boxes from the distributor when in reality there were such little bottles of pills inside, and space is at a premium when shipping things.
I love that my daughter said she had fun helping, and that my son was always looking for another job to do when he finished with something. I love that more than sitting around the house watching Saturday morning cartoons.
I have a lot to do this weekend, and a busy week ahead. But I gave up some precious time this morning, and got back so much in return.
How busy are you? Because sometimes in the midst of busyness we lose focus. I am glad that this morning I had some things put back in focus.
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