Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
In Sunday's service, we talked about Paul's instructions to the church at Colossae in regards to holy living. It is important that he (in the passage right before verse 12) has been talking about "setting our hearts on things above" and putting to death the old things that come out of our human nature (impurity, lust, greed, rage, slander, and malice, to name a few). Then he goes from that into how we should clothe ourselves.
He tells us to clothe ourselves in a certain way because we are God's chosen people, and not only chosen but holy and dearly loved. So, he tells the Colossians, "dress the part!" Clothe yourselves with things that clearly come from the Holy Spirit within you. The Holy Spirit in on the INSIDE, so wear Him on the outside as well! So now we have the Holy Spirit inside and outside. Be who you are, or better yet, be who God sees you to be.
So let's review the character traits from this verse briefly:
Compassion - Compassion is love in action. You see a need and feel moved to help.
Kindness - Kindness is love that is sometimes undeserved. You are loving no matter what.
Humility - Humility is thinking of others as better than or above you. You love others more than yourself.
Gentleness - Gentleness is softness, kindness, or mildness. Whether it is correction or comfort that is needed, it is expressed in a kind and soft way.
Patience - Patience is being willing to wait. Love cannot be in a hurry!
Interesting that Paul goes on to say what binds it all together:
Colossians 3:14 "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Love is what keeps it together. When I think about that, I think in practical terms. We can act in a compassionate way with a heart that feels resentment about helping. We can show kindness to a person while feeling angry on the inside. We can show humility while having a lot of pride in our hearts. We can act in a gentle way and at the same time feel frustrated and have a hard heart. We can be patient and be screaming "hurry up" on the inside.
When our good behavior isn't matched in our hearts, then at best we are demonstrating self-control. Not a bad thing, by the way. But how long can I really keep that up? If compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are not coming out of a loving heart, eventually the facade is going to crack and the "real deal" is going to come out.
So, yes, we must work on our behavior, but our real prayer should be that God fills us with love for Him that spills out into love for others. Our prayer should be that we are filled with the Holy Spirit so that the "clothes" of Colossians 3, are honest fruits of our relationship with God. Our desire should be that our love for others is so deep, that our clothing is an outcome of that love.
So what are you wearing this week? Talk to me!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Monday, September 7, 2009
Just Do It!
Sunday we talked about obedience. Our verse for the day was "I will hasten and not delay to obey Your commands." (Psalm 119:60)
We briefly looked at the story of Jonah's disobedience. God told him to go to Nineveh, and Jonah had a "better" idea, or so he thought, and ended up running away on a ship going the opposite direction. God didn't stop him from going. He let him buy the ticket. He let him board the ship. He let him get part of the way, until he was in the middle of the sea with no possible chance of escape. Then God did what He does with all of us when we disobey--He disciplined Jonah.
We used three assertions that I want to remind you of as you go through this week and meditate on what you learned. Meditate and apply it as you "hasten to obey!" The first one is, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." The second is, "Obedience demonstrates our love." The third one is, "Just do it!"
Delayed obedience is disobedience. - This is a pretty practical assertion. Think about Jonah and what he did. After God gives him clear instructions of what to do and where to go, Jonah turns and runs the opposite direction of what God told him to do. He was walking in total disobedience to God. After landing in the belly of a big fish, he ends up doing what he absolutely should have done all along. So I suppose it could be said that after some period of time (we don't know how long, except we know he was in the big fish's belly for three days) he decides to obey God. But he kind of got backed into a corner, didn't he?
Now I don't know how God looks at it, but if I were God, I would have not counted that as obedience, but instead repentance. I would have said, "Hey man, this hardly puts a star in your crown. I gave you no choice on this one." Thankfully for Jonah, I'm not God. After the word of the Lord came to Jonah (again), "Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh." (Jonah 3:3) So apparently God did what He does, and gave Jonah a second chance and Jonah got that counted as obedience.
Obedience demonstrates our love. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." (John 14:15) We are demonstrating our love in choosing who we obey. If we give into our own will instead of doing what God says, we are demonstrating love of self more than love of God. If we give into the pressure of others who want us to do opposite of what God tells us to do, we are choosing love for others over love for God.
God wants us to obey Him, and if we love Him we will. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Jesus even went so far as to call that commandment "the greatest commandment." It is kind of interesting that not only does obeying God's commands demonstrate our love for Him, but also that by loving our God we are obeying His command. It is kind of a "what came first, the chicken or the egg" question. By obeying, we love God, and by loving God, we are obeying. I'm gonna have to think about that one!
Just do it! - When God tells you to do something or when you know of a command in the Bible, don't hesitate! Just do it! When you hear God's command (or read His command), don't take the time to decide if you want to, or if you will, or if it "feels" like the best thing for you and your plans and your will. Just do it!
Remember God never tells you to do anything that is not for your good. Just do it! God always provide the strength to do what He says. Just do it! When you obey God, you are avoiding unpleasant discipline. Just do it! When God commands you to do something it is because it fits with a larger plan that you might totally miss if you disobey. Just do it! If He tells you to do something, remember that He is asking you to demonstrate your love for Him. Just do it!
So what is it that causes you to hesitate to obey His commands? What are your thoughts about demonstrating your love for God by obeying Him? How would your life be different if you were to decide to obey God quickly and without delay?
Talk to me! I look forward to hearing what you think!
We briefly looked at the story of Jonah's disobedience. God told him to go to Nineveh, and Jonah had a "better" idea, or so he thought, and ended up running away on a ship going the opposite direction. God didn't stop him from going. He let him buy the ticket. He let him board the ship. He let him get part of the way, until he was in the middle of the sea with no possible chance of escape. Then God did what He does with all of us when we disobey--He disciplined Jonah.
We used three assertions that I want to remind you of as you go through this week and meditate on what you learned. Meditate and apply it as you "hasten to obey!" The first one is, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." The second is, "Obedience demonstrates our love." The third one is, "Just do it!"
Delayed obedience is disobedience. - This is a pretty practical assertion. Think about Jonah and what he did. After God gives him clear instructions of what to do and where to go, Jonah turns and runs the opposite direction of what God told him to do. He was walking in total disobedience to God. After landing in the belly of a big fish, he ends up doing what he absolutely should have done all along. So I suppose it could be said that after some period of time (we don't know how long, except we know he was in the big fish's belly for three days) he decides to obey God. But he kind of got backed into a corner, didn't he?
Now I don't know how God looks at it, but if I were God, I would have not counted that as obedience, but instead repentance. I would have said, "Hey man, this hardly puts a star in your crown. I gave you no choice on this one." Thankfully for Jonah, I'm not God. After the word of the Lord came to Jonah (again), "Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh." (Jonah 3:3) So apparently God did what He does, and gave Jonah a second chance and Jonah got that counted as obedience.
Obedience demonstrates our love. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." (John 14:15) We are demonstrating our love in choosing who we obey. If we give into our own will instead of doing what God says, we are demonstrating love of self more than love of God. If we give into the pressure of others who want us to do opposite of what God tells us to do, we are choosing love for others over love for God.
God wants us to obey Him, and if we love Him we will. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Jesus even went so far as to call that commandment "the greatest commandment." It is kind of interesting that not only does obeying God's commands demonstrate our love for Him, but also that by loving our God we are obeying His command. It is kind of a "what came first, the chicken or the egg" question. By obeying, we love God, and by loving God, we are obeying. I'm gonna have to think about that one!
Just do it! - When God tells you to do something or when you know of a command in the Bible, don't hesitate! Just do it! When you hear God's command (or read His command), don't take the time to decide if you want to, or if you will, or if it "feels" like the best thing for you and your plans and your will. Just do it!
Remember God never tells you to do anything that is not for your good. Just do it! God always provide the strength to do what He says. Just do it! When you obey God, you are avoiding unpleasant discipline. Just do it! When God commands you to do something it is because it fits with a larger plan that you might totally miss if you disobey. Just do it! If He tells you to do something, remember that He is asking you to demonstrate your love for Him. Just do it!
So what is it that causes you to hesitate to obey His commands? What are your thoughts about demonstrating your love for God by obeying Him? How would your life be different if you were to decide to obey God quickly and without delay?
Talk to me! I look forward to hearing what you think!
Sunday, August 30, 2009
How (NOT) to Invite People to Church
In working on Sunday's message, I came across this YouTube video that was hilarious, so I thought I would start off today's blog with it. Watch the video (turn up your sound) and then let me share with you my thoughts. As funny as the video is, there are nuggets contained in there that reflect tactics used by well-meaning Christians. Take a look!
Okay, so here are my thoughts about what you just watched and what the word of God says. Let's take the "talking points" of the video one by one.
1) Motivate - The guy in the video used a tactic of sneaking up and leaving a little unwanted "gift" along with a note that was intended to motivate the homeowner to come to church to find out who left the unwanted gift. While I have never personally known anyone who has resorted to extreme tactics like that, I have known people who have motivated people in ways that aren't wise or gracious. Be careful, for the word of God tells us to "be wise in the way you act toward outsiders." (Colossians 4:5)
2) Exaggerate - The woman in the video told the other lady that all of her problems would go away if she would just come to church! How many people do you know that make big promises about what it will be like to serve the Lord? I have known several people who have "won people to the Lord" by implying that all of the person's problems would subside if they would only become a Christian. Big problem there, folks! First of all, it isn't true. Second of all, even Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulation.
Watch what you say in inviting people to church or sharing your faith. God tells us , "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6) Make sure you are sharing truth with people, and TRUE hope, not false hope!
3) Use a Variety of Methods - The video suggested "Quick Draw" (throwing invitations at people), "Wallpaper" (inundating people with invitations over and over until they have no room for anything else), and "Reverse Psychology" (telling people they would not want to come or telling them they would be bored). The method we use needs to be born of the Holy Spirit, because what one person will respond to may be different than what the next person will respond to, and who knows that better than God Himself? God's word tells us "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. " (Colossians 4:2-3) Watch for opportunities and respond to the open doors He brings your way.
4) Learn to Negotiate - The man in the video was basically holding a report due to his boss as a ransom to get the guy to come to church. Hmmm, well the guy may come to church, but I doubt seriously if it will be because he is interested in church. Worse yet, the Christian will be seen in a way that is not glorifying to God
We must behave in ways that will validate our testimony. God's word says, " But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (I Peter 3:15-16)
5) Intimidation - The guy in the video had his friend backed up against a wall and was threatening and intimidating into coming to church. I've never seen anyone go that far, but I have seen people threaten to withdraw friendship or to do other sorts of "consequence" behaviors if their friend or family member doesn't come to church. Just like the previous method ("Learn to Negotiate"), your friend may come to church, but not for the right reasons.
I Peter 3:15 tells us to share our faith "with gentleness and respect." Intimidation just doesn't fall into either category!
6) Name Dropping - Name dropping is problematic for many reasons. Do we really want people to come to church because some big name person is going to be there? Seriously? I've never seen anyone in our church do that, but we need to be careful the words we use in inviting people to church and sharing the faith.
It seems to me that when we do the name dropping of any kind, we are muddying up the message of the gospel, where Paul tells us, "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." (Colossians 4:4)
So go out and invite your friends and family! Pray for an opportunity. Watch for the doors God opens for you. Be clear and respectful and gentle. And most important, with those words "seasoned with salt," give them something that will leave them thirsting for more!
Okay, feedback time! Tell me what your thoughts, your fears, your concerns, your hopes, and your prayers are regarding this! I want to know!
1) Motivate - The guy in the video used a tactic of sneaking up and leaving a little unwanted "gift" along with a note that was intended to motivate the homeowner to come to church to find out who left the unwanted gift. While I have never personally known anyone who has resorted to extreme tactics like that, I have known people who have motivated people in ways that aren't wise or gracious. Be careful, for the word of God tells us to "be wise in the way you act toward outsiders." (Colossians 4:5)
2) Exaggerate - The woman in the video told the other lady that all of her problems would go away if she would just come to church! How many people do you know that make big promises about what it will be like to serve the Lord? I have known several people who have "won people to the Lord" by implying that all of the person's problems would subside if they would only become a Christian. Big problem there, folks! First of all, it isn't true. Second of all, even Jesus said that in this world we would have tribulation.
Watch what you say in inviting people to church or sharing your faith. God tells us , "Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone." (Colossians 4:6) Make sure you are sharing truth with people, and TRUE hope, not false hope!
3) Use a Variety of Methods - The video suggested "Quick Draw" (throwing invitations at people), "Wallpaper" (inundating people with invitations over and over until they have no room for anything else), and "Reverse Psychology" (telling people they would not want to come or telling them they would be bored). The method we use needs to be born of the Holy Spirit, because what one person will respond to may be different than what the next person will respond to, and who knows that better than God Himself? God's word tells us "Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful. And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. " (Colossians 4:2-3) Watch for opportunities and respond to the open doors He brings your way.
4) Learn to Negotiate - The man in the video was basically holding a report due to his boss as a ransom to get the guy to come to church. Hmmm, well the guy may come to church, but I doubt seriously if it will be because he is interested in church. Worse yet, the Christian will be seen in a way that is not glorifying to God
We must behave in ways that will validate our testimony. God's word says, " But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander." (I Peter 3:15-16)
5) Intimidation - The guy in the video had his friend backed up against a wall and was threatening and intimidating into coming to church. I've never seen anyone go that far, but I have seen people threaten to withdraw friendship or to do other sorts of "consequence" behaviors if their friend or family member doesn't come to church. Just like the previous method ("Learn to Negotiate"), your friend may come to church, but not for the right reasons.
I Peter 3:15 tells us to share our faith "with gentleness and respect." Intimidation just doesn't fall into either category!
6) Name Dropping - Name dropping is problematic for many reasons. Do we really want people to come to church because some big name person is going to be there? Seriously? I've never seen anyone in our church do that, but we need to be careful the words we use in inviting people to church and sharing the faith.
It seems to me that when we do the name dropping of any kind, we are muddying up the message of the gospel, where Paul tells us, "Pray that I may proclaim it clearly, as I should." (Colossians 4:4)
So go out and invite your friends and family! Pray for an opportunity. Watch for the doors God opens for you. Be clear and respectful and gentle. And most important, with those words "seasoned with salt," give them something that will leave them thirsting for more!
Okay, feedback time! Tell me what your thoughts, your fears, your concerns, your hopes, and your prayers are regarding this! I want to know!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Put On Your Armor
What a wonderful job the children did on Sunday as they shared with the congregation what they have learned in the past year. It is so encouraging to hear them not only explain the concepts, but also tell how they apply those concepts to their lives in real life situations.
It's really pretty simple, and yet so profound!
If the worship service did anything for us, it should have pointed us in the direction of applying the word of God to our daily lives.
Ephesians 6:11-18 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
How many of our daily struggles are more difficult because we forget to put on our armor?
Without the belt of truth, we are much more likely to succumb to the lies of the enemy. We must combat lies with the truth of the Word of God.
Without the breastplate of righteousness, we are more likely to be timid in our battle with the enemy. We may not see ourselves clothed in His righteousness and it may make us vulnerable and weak.
The shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. When our faith is solid (like the Roman soldier shield) no fiery dart can penetrate it. In fact, the shield extinguishes the fiery dart.
The helmet of salvation is what protects our very lives. A severe head wound can be a mortal blow. With our helmet of salvation, we know we are secure in Christ. It can add to our confidence in battling the enemy who would like to deal the mortal blow.
While the shield of faith is our defensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit is both an offensive and defensive weapon. With the sword, we can defend ourselves, but also deal some blows to the enemy. Wouldn't it be a nice thought that through the Holy Spirit we can do some damage to the enemy?
That's really all I have this week. The kids said a lot and gave us much to think about. What are your thoughts? What did you hear from our little ones?
It's really pretty simple, and yet so profound!
If the worship service did anything for us, it should have pointed us in the direction of applying the word of God to our daily lives.
Ephesians 6:11-18 "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."
How many of our daily struggles are more difficult because we forget to put on our armor?
Without the belt of truth, we are much more likely to succumb to the lies of the enemy. We must combat lies with the truth of the Word of God.
Without the breastplate of righteousness, we are more likely to be timid in our battle with the enemy. We may not see ourselves clothed in His righteousness and it may make us vulnerable and weak.
The shield of faith protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. When our faith is solid (like the Roman soldier shield) no fiery dart can penetrate it. In fact, the shield extinguishes the fiery dart.
The helmet of salvation is what protects our very lives. A severe head wound can be a mortal blow. With our helmet of salvation, we know we are secure in Christ. It can add to our confidence in battling the enemy who would like to deal the mortal blow.
While the shield of faith is our defensive weapon, the sword of the Spirit is both an offensive and defensive weapon. With the sword, we can defend ourselves, but also deal some blows to the enemy. Wouldn't it be a nice thought that through the Holy Spirit we can do some damage to the enemy?
That's really all I have this week. The kids said a lot and gave us much to think about. What are your thoughts? What did you hear from our little ones?
Sunday, August 16, 2009
What's in Your Backpack?
I was moved anew on Sunday morning as I watched the DVD, "Going Home: The Journey of Kim Jones." For those who missed the service, it was a wonderful message, packaged in a very simple story about a young woman who loved Jesus. I encourage you to rent the DVD from your local video store.
In the story, Kim likened our lives to a journey where we are all carrying backpacks while anticipating going home. I like that a lot.
As I watched, I had so many thoughts, some of which were shared during the discussion time. I'll just throw them out here, and ask you to share what your thoughts were.
1) Life is a journey, and we are all carrying backpacks. Hopefully we have packed our backpacks with things we actually need. How do we know what we need? God knows, so ask Him!
2) Anything in the backpack we don't actually have need of will be unnecessary weight that will ultimately burden us and drag us down. Decide to make your journey easier and your burden lighter by ridding yourselves of what is not absolutely necessary to the completion of the journey. Ask God what your encumbrances are. If your burden seems heavy, then you may very well be carrying something in your backpack that God does not desire for you.
Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
3) We all need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and remember moment by moment that this life is a temporary thing. We are here to glorify God and serve Him. We do that in different ways, but we must keep in mind that our PRIMARY purpose is all about eternity and many of the things that we worry about have little to do with anything eternal.
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
My pastor's heart for all of you is to rid yourselves of encumbrances and to remember that this life is just temporary. My prayer is that you are all storing up treasures in heaven.
So what is in your backpack? Does it feel heavy? Are the things in it useful? Necessary? Do you need to make changes in the contents? Do you have a hard time remembering that life is just a journey, a temporary one? What do you need to do to keep your focus on eternity on a daily basis?
Let's get practical this week. Talk to me. What are your thoughts about this?
In the story, Kim likened our lives to a journey where we are all carrying backpacks while anticipating going home. I like that a lot.
As I watched, I had so many thoughts, some of which were shared during the discussion time. I'll just throw them out here, and ask you to share what your thoughts were.
1) Life is a journey, and we are all carrying backpacks. Hopefully we have packed our backpacks with things we actually need. How do we know what we need? God knows, so ask Him!
2) Anything in the backpack we don't actually have need of will be unnecessary weight that will ultimately burden us and drag us down. Decide to make your journey easier and your burden lighter by ridding yourselves of what is not absolutely necessary to the completion of the journey. Ask God what your encumbrances are. If your burden seems heavy, then you may very well be carrying something in your backpack that God does not desire for you.
Hebrews 12:1 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."
3) We all need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus and remember moment by moment that this life is a temporary thing. We are here to glorify God and serve Him. We do that in different ways, but we must keep in mind that our PRIMARY purpose is all about eternity and many of the things that we worry about have little to do with anything eternal.
Matthew 6:19-21 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
My pastor's heart for all of you is to rid yourselves of encumbrances and to remember that this life is just temporary. My prayer is that you are all storing up treasures in heaven.
So what is in your backpack? Does it feel heavy? Are the things in it useful? Necessary? Do you need to make changes in the contents? Do you have a hard time remembering that life is just a journey, a temporary one? What do you need to do to keep your focus on eternity on a daily basis?
Let's get practical this week. Talk to me. What are your thoughts about this?
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