The Authority of the Commission - September 30th, 2011

¹⁸ And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, 

“All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.

Matthew 28:18

History and Context:
For History and context on the book of Matthew you can refer to my post on September 27th; Seek First. 

The Text: 
This verse comes directly before Jesus gives His disciples the Great Commission which we discussed here. Before Jesus sent His disciples out with a commission to make disciples, He made a declaration of the authority that was given to Him. This declaration is important because He was declaring not only His authority but the authority in which He was sending the disciples. He sent His disciples out in this same authority to spread the Gospel. 

The Challenge: 
The church of today seems to be losing this authority that once was so evident. In the book of Acts it was always “what I do have I give you” (Acts 3:6) but in today’s society it often seems to be ‘what I’ve learned I’ll teach you’. We have preachers without conviction and teachers without love, then these leaders produce disciples that are the same. There were times where the church grew with little or no effort from the people, but now we have people working twice as hard and a decreasing church as a reward. What’s the difference between today’s church and the book of Acts? What do we need to change to get back to the place we should be? Where is this place that we should be? If you’ve asked yourself these questions then keep reading, but be sure that your ready to make a change. In James 4:8 God promises that if we draw near to Him, He will draw near to us, that means He looks to us to make the first step. That step is rarely easy to make but in the end it’s more rewarding than we could ever imagine! In this case the step is a decision. We need to decide what our goal is, and how much we are willing to pay to fulfill this goal. Every Christian, at some point in life, is presented with a decision between a radical life with God, filled with sacrifice and reward, or a comfortable life with a simple goal of making it to heaven. If our goal is simply to get out of hell and get into heaven then we will never live in the authority of the early church, but if we decide to sacrifice our own desires and our own comforts then “with God all things are possible”! The Bible makes it clear that we are “saved by grace through faith” and “not by works lest any man should boast” but there should be something else that drives us to do what we do. We need more Christians in today’s church that like Jeremiah have God’s Word “in [their] heart like a burning fire shut up in [their] bones”! (Jeremiah 20:9)

 

The Prayer:

Lord, help me to understand and walk in the authority that you have given me. Help me to live in the power of the Holy Spirit that enables me to be your witness. I love you Lord and I want to live for you completely! In Jesus' name, Amen! 

The Lord is my shepherd - September 29th, 2011

¹ The LORD is my shepherd;
I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
³ He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.

Psalm 23:1-3

History and Context:

This is the most popular of the psalms written by King David. As mentioned before David was a shepherd boy who became the best king in the history of Israel. He was the youngest in his family and when the prophet came to anoint one of the sons of Jesse, David's father didn't even invite him in from tending the sheep. But even though on the outside he seemed young and was just a boy, God saw his heart and said that he was a man after God's own heart.

The Text:

As mentioned above, David himself started out as a shepherd. So when he uses the analogy that the Lord is his shepherd, he is using an analogy from his own life. He is saying that it is his Lord that leads him to safety, to food and water, to everything that he needs. David says that because the Lord is his shepherd he has no more wants or desires, because they are all fulfilled. As long as he is with the Lord there is nothing else.

The Challenge:

Allow the Lord to be shepherd in your life. The sheep only recieve safety, comfort, and fulfillment of needs from the shepherd when they learn to follow the shepherd's lead. If they wander off away from the shepherd then they lose that safety. Don't wander away from the shepherd today. Follow Him wherever He leads you. When you do you will find the green pastures and the still waters. You will find safety and comfort. You will find the paths of righteousness.

The Prayer:

Lord, be my shepherd. Lead me and I will follow. Thank you for being one that I can entirely trust and I do trust and rely on you. I love you Lord. In Jesus' name, Amen!


Wisdom of men or power of God? - September 28th, 2011

¹ And I, brethren, when I came to you, I did not come with excellence of speech or of wisdom declaring to you the testimony of God. ² For I determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified. ³ I was with you in weakness, in fear, and in much trembling. ⁴ And my speech and my preaching were not with persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, ⁵ that your faith should not be in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

1 Corinthians 2:1-5

History and Context:

1 Corinthians was written by Paul while he was in Ephesus around 54 AD. In Acts 18 we see the founding of the church in Corinth. Paul spent 18 months there as he established the church. This letter is mainly a response to a letter which Paul received from the Corinthians. He says that some of what he heard about the church made him feel 'uneasy' (1 Corinthians 1:11; 5:1) and so he wanted to address these issues. He also answered questions which were presented in the letter. Corinth was a trade city that was known for being very corrupt. As people converted to following Jesus, they often did not realize that they had to leave their corrupt ways behind. Paul is mainly addressing a group of high status men who have become Christians but left their lives unchanged.

The Text:
Paul is discussing the difference between 'wisdom of men' and 'the power of God'. If anyone had the ability and qualifications to preach the Word in intellectual prowess and with persuasive wisdom, it was Paul. He was a pharisee of the pharisees and could probably quote the majority of the scriptures of that day. But that was not what Paul wanted to do. He said that if he had done that, than the people would've began to trust in the wisdom of men rather than in God. So instead Paul came in the power of God. He said that all he wanted to know as he was preaching to the people was 'Jesus Christ and Him crucified'.  He was determined to come in his own weakness so that the strength of God would shine through.

The Challenge:
Today there is becoming more and more emphasis on seminary and education. Many churches won't hire anybody on staff who does not have a theological degree no matter how much ministry experience they have. It is important to have education and seek knowledge and wisdom, but in this focus on degrees and theology we seem to have lost the power of the Holy Spirit. Those who do not have the degree feel unqualified and often do not even step into ministry and those who do have the degree feel strong and feel they can fulfill their ministry in their own strength and wisdom. The result has been a church led by human wisdom and devoid of the power of God. My challenge to you is to continue to seek knowledge, but always do so with a realization of God's power in you. Your knowledge will never change lives, only God's power can do that. Your knowledge will not get people saved, only God's power can do that. Knowledge is good, seek knowledge, but above all seek God!

The Prayer:
Lord, I'm tired of having knowledge without power. I'm tired of relying on my own strength and forgetting about you. Lord, help me to rely on you completely. Help me to live for you and to follow you. I love you Lord! In Jesus' name, Amen!