1 Corinthians 2 "Nothing...except Jesus Christ"

S = 1 Corinthians 2:2-5 “For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified…my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

O = When Paul first encountered the Corinthians, it was immediately after preaching to and reasoning with the philosophers and intellectual elite at Mars Hill (Acts 18) in Athens. This was met with mixed results. As he then journeyed to Corinth, instead of living as an intellectual aristocrat, he became a tent maker, but even in that quiet life, he reasoned with both Jews and Greeks each weekend ... not trying to impress them with his superior insights and wisdom, not with the complexities or finer details of God's revelation, but the most basic of realities: Jesus Christ, the crucified one. Only through Jesus' crucifixion can the whole counsel of God be understood. Paul’s single focus is amazing and is a great separator today in the church. It seems that we don’t like the word “nothing”. We want to add to the simple gospel…we want to sound good and make sense. We want to be understood and accepted. But the spiritual message about God cannot be received except spiritually—by the Spirit of God, not by the mind of man.

 

A = Why does the Lord seem to work in such non-intuitive ways? Maybe He does not desire intuition. Why do I need to lay aside so much of my natural way of thinking to follow Him? Maybe he does not desire my independence, and maybe relationship with Him is the goal. I just know that I am thankful that He has granted that I might receive the gospel message. Now, how can I proclaim it to others this week—in simplicity and in the power of the Holy Spirit? How will I decide to live and minister? In what will I find my completion, my satisfaction? "Nothing...except Jesus Christ"

 

P = O Lord, thank you for the simplicity of your message that confounds our reliance on rationalism, persuasive arguments, or impressive speeches. May my words evidence the presence of your Spirit and your power for your kingdom work. Thank you for changing my nature so that I might receive what you bring into my life as being good and wise instead of folly. May I be able to say with Paul, “I have the mind of Christ.”

Ephesians 6-C "The Whole Armor Includes Shoes For Your Feet"

S = 6:10-13, 15 “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood… but against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm. Stand therefore, having…as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace...”

O = As I read these selected verses from the larger passage, today I am making four simple observations:

(1) In this battle we are instructed not to be personally strong, but to be strong in the Lord and in his might. That means a radical dependence.

(2) Twice we are told to put on “the whole armor of God” which probably indicates that we are prone to leaving something behind.

(3) The foes we fight are not other people, but spiritual forces of wickedness and this requires us to be in full armor.

(4) The element that may be left behind more than any other is our “shoes of readiness” given by the gospel of peace. Our Security is not from our circumstances or the terrain but from the peace of God (lit. the good news of peace). When I might hesitate to respond I remember the good news of peace that I have received and I can move out to share it with others. When fear threatens to overwhelm me, it is my peace with God that gives me the traction to raise the shield of faith over and over again.

A = I need not be anxious or panicky for I am shod in the gospel of peace. I need not hesitate to follow the Lord by waiting for a more opportune time—when things seem more favorable—for I am made ready by the peace of God that passes understanding.  This week I will strap the peace of God on and double-tie the laces. He is in charge, He knows what I will face, and He is the strongest of all—I will stick close to him!

P = O Lord, I seek to stand in you this week. I know that even what little I face this week is stronger than I will ever be on this planet, so I take my refuge in your presence. This armor I am to put on is yours. You have saved me by your blood. You have given me your righteousness and girded me in your truth. Help me to tie my shoes so that a lack of peace might never hinder my readiness to follow you even into the raging battle. I choose to believe that because you are with me, for me, and around me, that I will still be standing when the dust settles.

Ephesians 6-B “For Christ’s Sake”

S = 6:5-9 “Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. ⁹ Masters, do the same to them, and stop your threatening, knowing that he who is both their Master and yours is in heaven, and that there is no partiality with him.”

O = What we do should be done for Christ’s sake…whether we are wives or husbands, children or parents, slaves or masters—whatever good work we do we will receive the reward back from Jesus. I remember once at a Mariner game a profane Cubs’ fan loudly asked me to take a picture of his group “for Christ’s sake!” After thinking through my initial irritation, I decided that I would in fact take their picture for Christ’s sake! I don’t think he meant it reverently, but it was a good reminder that all that we do should be done for Jesus. It shouldn’t matter if others deserve it or not. Ultimately it is not for them, but for Christ, that we work. Another thing that occurs to me is that my work can in fact be worship unto Christ. We all answer to the same God, so we should not ever treat another in a demeaning manner (v.9) though it happens all too often in a business environment. 

A = First, I need to evaluate my efforts at work—have I put in an honest day’s work for my wages? Second, I need to keep asking myself about my motives. Do I do my work for my own sake, or perhaps I might work for others because then they will work for my sake, or ultimately do I do my work for Christ’s sake whether others recognize or reward me for my efforts or not? I confess far too much of the first and second options and not enough of the third. This week I will be thankful, cheerful, and of good will at my place of work, for my reward is from the Lord. If people recognize my achievements also, then that is like frosting on the cake—pleasant, but not necessary. Third, it is not enough to say I am against slavery, I must treat those who serve me as part of their job (baristas, servers, cashiers, recycling collectors) as people whom God loves, as worthy of greater honor than myself, and this week I will do so by speaking kindly, learning and using their name, and by taking interest in their life (for Christ’s sake) not just in what they do for me.

P = O Lord, I desire to do what I do for your sake, as an act of worship. Help me to do my best for you since you have done what was best for me. Thank you that you continue to have my best interest in mind as well. May I live this week so that people would testify that I represented you well…for that I will need your abundant grace. To you O Lord be the glory! Amen.

Ephesians 6-A “Living Under & Bringing Up”

S = Ephesian 6:1-4 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.
“Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. ”

O = This practical Christian-living passage has its roots in the 5^th Commandment (Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 19:3; Deuteronomy 5:16, and quoted at least 5 times in the New Testament). Paul endorses family as an approved kingdom structure with his instruction to the Ephesian Christians to obey their parents. Obedience of parents who are “in the Lord [Jesus Christ]” is seen as good and right. The qualifier “in the Lord” would seem to negate any parental command that would be contrary to Scripture and may also extend the instruction to our spiritual parents. Paul would certainly be a spiritual father to the Ephesians. The consequences of obedience and disobedience are stated explicitly and implicitly. Obedience brings blessing and peace to the land leading to a long life. Disobedience is implied to lead to life being hard and short. Yet while exhorting them to obedience he also balances this with a prohibition against fathers exasperating or provoking their children to anger. Children are to honor and obey, parents are to lovingly instruct and consistently discipline without abusing the power and authority that has been entrusted to them by their Heavenly Father. God ends his message in the Old Testament with a command that fathers should turn their hearts towards their children and children’s hearts should be turned to their fathers (Malachi 4:5-6). It is into just such an environment that the Lord comes to us.

A = I have found that whatever begins in rebellion ends in rebellion. If I do what I do without an attitude of honoring and obeying my parents or my spiritual leaders then I find that those who follow me (family or fellow Christian) will treat me the same way…and it will not go well with me and I will not live long in the land. I must never act towards my parents, elders, and spiritual mentors in a dishonoring way. I do not have to do things that violate the “in the Lord” clause but I can stand up for Christian values without dishonoring others. This week we celebrated Fathers’ Day in the USA and have an opportunity to show honor and appreciation to those who have made a significant investment into our lives. I also am challenged to be the kind of man that in Christ is worthy of honor and obedience. I will not demand to operate from a position of power—commanding and provoking—but from a posture of humility sharing all the ways Lord, keeping the whole commandment (Deut. 11:8) not just the parts that I like!

P = O Lord, let me not be so willful as to rebel against those you have put in my life to train and disciple me. May I always show love, honor, and respect for those who have preceded me and invested in me. And in doing so, empower me to live as a healthy example, and to speak as a faithful witness to the world today…and tomorrow!  Amen.

Ephesians 5-C "Responding in Trust & Love"

S = Ephesians 5:20-33

 “…giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.

²² Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. ²³ For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. ²⁴ Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶ that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷ so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰ because we are members of his body. ³¹ “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” ³² This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church. ³³ However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.”

 

O = Whenever I read a difficult passage from the Bible I look for internal key to interpretation. In this passage there is such a key in verses 32-33. We see that Paul uses the imagery of human marriage, the most intimate of relationships to reveal something about how Christ loves the Church…yet at the same time we need to apply what it reveals about Christ to our marriages. Note that the submission of the wife to her own husband is within the larger context of the mutual submission of v.21 sourced in reverence for Christ. Why does the church submit to Christ? Because he has poured his love out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Romans 5:5) and proved that love by doing what was best for us at great cost to himself. I remember I once preached a sermon based on this text that was paradoxically entitled, “Love your wife unselfishly…it is the most selfish thing you can do!” The challenge within marriage if for wives to respond to their husbands love with trust and respect; while the challenge to the husband is to love his wife as he loves, feeds, and cares for his own body and then kicking it up a notch to follow the example of Christ. I did a Word cloud using the text of this passage and can readily see words used most often.

A = How should I respond to Christ’s love for me? I should surrender my claims to live any longer for myself. I will respond by opening up to the Spirit’s work in my life, no longer hiding myself in fear and pride, offering myself to be washed, nourished, and cherished as I need to be. My Creator/Redeemer knows what I truly need! I choose to distance myself from him no longer and I repent of my past hardness of heart. As I am captivated by his love it will change me from the inside out. And the added blessing of this spiritual relationship with Christ is then I get to turn to my spouse and do exactly the same thing!

 

P = O Lord, may I grow to understand and respond to your love for me in the fullest possible sense from this day forward. May I neither hide myself nor harden my heart towards you (nor my spouse). Lord I ask that when I fail you would forgive me and never let me wander off the path on my own, and Lord in our marriages I pray you would melt hard hearts, heal wounds, reconciling husbands and wives just as miraculously as you have reconciled us to yourself. And Lord, may others be able to see you more clearly as a result. Amen.

 

Ephesians 5-B "Be filled & Sing!"

S = Ephesians 5:18-21 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.”

 

O = Last week I briefly referred to drunkenness as “false-filling” which would make debauchery a “false-spending” of one’s life. When one is drunk they seek to indulge only themselves in a display of unbridled selfishness. When we allow God to fill us with the Holy Spirit our live begins to be spent much differently—focused on exalting the Lord and on encouraging others. Being filled with the Spirit means I don’t have to inflate my own ego by tearing down or dominating others, instead I am empowered to submit and serve “out of reverence for Christ” who is the “lifter of my head”. However, I do notice one area of similarity between the drunk and the Spirit-filled person…singing. I can easily picture the drunken person singing once his natural inhibitions have been suppressed. So to the Spirit-filled person no longer keeps himself behind his façade of reserve and respectability, but sings wholeheartedly in thankful worship to his Savior. One person becomes loud, rude, and obnoxious as a result of being filled with the wrong thing. The other becomes more respectful, thankful, and personable as they live out their song of praise. The one may use God’s name as a curse, but the other reveres it, and blesses others by it!

 

A = I know that music is a powerful way to communicate and connect with others, so what is the song on my lips this week? What am I being honest about with God and others this week? How can I encourage my brothers and sisters in the Lord? When I sing to the Lord I join the great crowd of witnesses down through the ages who sing his praises from Moses’ song (Exodus 15) when Israel was delivered from Egypt, to the great Psalms of David and others, to the song of Mary (Luke 1) even unto the final and complete gathering of the saints in heaven (Revelation 15). I choose to be a part of that chorus today…praising and thanking God rather than complaining, encouraging others rather than criticizing, always honoring God and others before me…because that is the song Jesus calls us to sing (Philippians 2).

 

P = O Lord, fill me with your Holy Spirit this day and always. I ask that I would be so full of the Spirit that I would not be able to contain my love and gratitude for you without speaking of it to others. Thank you for setting me in this great family of believers called the church…May our song and life be honoring to you this week. I hope Lord that not only in our weekly times of collective worship but in our lonely hours of singing solo we would do all out of reverence for you and may others be drawn to turn around and join your team. Amen.