I created an online survey back in 2012, asking my Facebook friends from all over the country to give me honest answers about how they view the women's ministries at their churches and what they would like to see happen in their relationships with other women. I had 66 responses. I wasn't one bit surprised by their answers. The results of this survey just confirmed what I already suspected about women and as I've studied Paul's writings, I get the feeling that Paul knew what our problems were too. Ecclesiastes 1:9 tells us that there is nothing new under the sun, so we can be sure that the problems we have today are very similar to the struggles of women in the first century church.
This week we studied Titus 2, which is a famous chapter in the women's ministry world because of it's references to older women and younger women. Titus 2 also addresses older men (they should be dignified, self controlled, sound in the faith, etc), younger men (they should show integrity, seriousness and self-control as well), and even slaves (they should be subject to their masters in everything). At the end of the chapter, Paul offers some ideas on how to live out the life he is calling us to live in the preceding verses. He doesn't just leave us hanging with a to-do list. He tells us how to do it as well!
The number one thing that my (totally unofficial, amateur) survey showed me is that young women are crazy busy. Over and over, women cited "scheduling conflicts" and "conflicts with other plans" as reasons why they don't participate in women's ministry events and activities. One woman put it this way: "Really not interested in anything more right now. A full days work, home, and personal needs to be met are enough to fill my day."
I get it! Women are NOT looking for more activities to fill their calendars - we have enough junk cluttering our days as it is! So here's Paul's answer.
3 Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. 4 Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.
Paul tells Timothy that he needs to teach the older women first, so that they can teach the younger women. (Now, just who is an older woman here? Well in Paul's day, the age of 40 was customarily the dividing line between older and younger. That's obviously not a set-in-stone rule, just a custom of the day. Sheesh, I remember when 40 seemed old! Now, not so much!) The idea Paul is presenting here is that we are each responsible for teaching the women who are younger than we are. Paul isn't talking about teaching a formal Bible study in a church with a book and corresponding DVD. He's not talking about taking over a Sunday School class. Paul is talking about every day discipleship. God has placed women in your life and he's placed them there for a reason! As we go about our business, we are to live in such a way that we teach the women who are younger than we are how to walk with the Lord and live right lives. But the older women can't do that unless they are living right first - reverent, not slanderers, not addicted to much wine. The older can't teach the younger to follow the Lord unless they are following the Lord first.
So what does Paul say the younger women need to know? First, they need to love their husbands and children. The word used here for love is "phileo", which is the brotherly kind of love. This is the kind of love that comes across as actually liking someone. You may not ever admit to anyone that you struggle with liking your kids or your husband, but we all have our moments! When the dishes are piling up and the bills need to be paid and the washing machine breaks down and the kids are fighting with each other, young women need to remember to like their kids and husbands!
Paul also says that young women need to be urged to be self-controlled and pure. Self-control is HARD, and not something that usually comes naturally to anybody. Purity (keeping oneself from being polluted by the world) is to be taught to the younger women as well. Older women can also encourage the younger to be kind, as well as to submit to their husbands. But there's one other thing that Paul wants us to work on - He wants the older women to urge the younger women to be busy at home. This is precisely what I saw in my survey - young women struggle with keeping their schedules clear! Many young women aren't busy at home because they're never at home! Some spend their days at work (Paul is not against working outside the home) and then rush the kids through the drive thru and on to baseball practice. By the time they get home, it's past bedtime and the whole routine starts again early the next morning. Some stay-at-home moms fill their schedules so full with play groups and play dates and zumba and coffee with friends and committee meetings and appointments that they have little time to spend at home either. Neither situation is ideal. Young women need to be reminded of that.
Do you have a young woman in your life that needs you to speak words of encouragement to her? Do you have an older woman in your life that you could ask to hold you accountable and teach you a few things? We don't have to walk this road alone. In fact, we're not supposed to! God created us to live in community with each other and he wants us to share life together. The point is for us to look more like him each day, so it helps to have someone walking with us to show us ways we can improve as well as ways we are beginning to resemble Jesus. And if you read a little further into Titus 2, we see that it's His grace that teaches us to say NO to ungodliness. I'm glad I'm not alone in this, aren't you?
I challenge you to go get your Bible and read all of Titus 2. Ask God which relationships you can invest yourself in more. Ask him to show you a younger woman and an older woman that you can begin to develop a more intimate relationship with. He will do it!
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Monday, April 6, 2015
In Need of a Resting Place
We talked about some pretty heavy stuff at Bible study on Wednesday night. Who knew Paul's little letter to Titus would bring up such intense topics? The doctrine of election, the problem with legalism, the need for confrontation and rebuking. Yucky, Yuck, Yuck, Yuck. I reminded the ladies that the reason we talk about this stuff is because of Weak Women and Worms. We don't want that now, do we? So open up your Bible and check out Titus 1.
"Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth..." Titus 1:1a
Paul starts with one of his famous run-on sentences. And this one little word tries to sneak past us, but we're too quick to let that happen, so we catch it and dig in. Did you see it? God's elect. Oh boy, here we go. An incredibly simple definition of the doctrine of election is this: By God's sovereign will, He chose who would be a part of the body of Christ. Now go get your Bible. Seriously, you need to read each of these verses because if you skip past this part, you're not going to get this! So go get it! (Or you can click here to look them up online.) Now read each one of these verses. Take your time and think about what each of them is saying.
1. Colossians 3:12
2. Romans 8:33
3. John 15:16
4. 2 Thessalonians 2:13
5. Acts 13:48
6. John 1:12-13
7. 2 Timothy 2:10
8. 1 Peter 2:9
9. Revelation 17:14
10. Ephesians 1:3-14
We had quite the debate about this doctrine of election business. Some of us said that we believe that God knows who will follow him and who will not but that he doesn't choose who will follow him and who will not. Now, I was raised a good little Baptist girl and I've grown into a good little Baptist pastor's wife. I grew up believing that. But here's the problem I'm facing - the Bible doesn't say God knew. The Bible says God chose. Each of the verses above reference the fact that God chose us for salvation. We absolutely can't get around it. That's the word. He chose us. (I even checked the Greek! Yep, he chose.) So let's let go of the idea that God didn't choose us, that he only knew we would choose Him. Let that idea go. If we begin to entertain the idea that he chose some of us and not others, we might start to think that something incredibly unfair is happening here.
Read Romans 9:14-21. There is no injustice with God. Do you believe that? He's absolutely just. We may not understand his ways, but we can rest in the truth that he is absolutely just. Even if it doesn't make sense to us, he is always just.
John McArthur has a very helpful, simple perspective that he shares on his website. You can read that here: Is the Doctrine of Election Biblical? Here's what he has to say in a nutshell:
"How these two sides of God's truth - His sovereignty in choosing us (Romans 9) and our responsibility to confess and believe (Romans 10) - reconcile is impossible for us to understand fully. But Scripture declares both perspectives of salvation to be true (John 1:12-13). It's our duty to acknowledge both and joyfully accept them by faith."
So did God choose us or did we choose Him? The answer is simply, yes.
And if that's not enough to leave you scratching your head and searching your Bible, let's talk about the problem with legalism. In Titus 2:10, Paul throws "The Circumcision Party" under the bus for their legalistic views. A simple definition of legalism is this: Legalism is strict adherence to rules and regulations, to the exclusion of grace. Read Colossians 2:20-23 to find out what Paul had to say about legalism. (He wasn't a fan.) This group was made up of Jewish converts who had accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ but continued to hold onto their Jewish traditions. To the Jew, circumcision was a sign of covenant relationship with God. The idea that you could have a covenant relationship with God through Jesus and not through circumcision was appalling to the Jews. Paul had four words for Titus in regard to these false teachers:
"They must be silenced." Titus 1:11
So in what ways are you tied to legalistic beliefs today? Don't think about other people. Think about YOU. What rules or laws or traditions are you holding onto? How can we "hate the sin but love the sinner?" In which areas do you need to show more grace? Are there any areas that we need to remain legalistic about? Why?
Do you ever feel like studying things like this leaves you with more questions than answers? That's ok. Paul calls it "working out our salvation" in Philippians 2:12. It's a good thing!
If you keep reading in Titus, you get to verse 13, where Paul tells Titus that he needs to rebuke these false teachers. This idea isn't new to you if you studied 1 and 2 Timothy with us. Paul tells his understudies over and over again to rebuke false teachers. It reminds me of Jesus' teaching in Matthew 18. We are supposed to confront sin in the body of Christ. OY. That's definitely not something most of us are comfortable doing, is it?
So when is a rebuke necessary? According to Scripture, a rebuke is necessary when someone is in sin, or when a brother sins against you. But why can't we just sweep it under the rug? If we ignore it, maybe it will go away, right? Wrong.
"Better is an open rebuke than hidden love." Proverbs 27:5
And check out these other reasons too: (Don't skip this!)
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
2. 2 Timothy 4:2
3. 1 Timothy 5:20
4. Matthew 18:15-20
Why don't we practice rebuking and confronting each other? My guess is because it's incredibly awkward. Very few people enjoy confrontation. But Scripture requires it of us so that we will be complete, equipped for every good work, to bring restoration and so that we can learn from our mistakes. What would happen if we obeyed these commands? How would the church look if we practiced correcting and rebuking? I wonder if relationships would be restored and we would be complete. That's what God said would happen, right? So let me encourage you with this: The next time you have a beef with a sister in Christ, go to her immediately. The next time you see a brother in sin, go to him immediately. Don't go to your friend or your pastor or your mentor or your mom. Go to the brother or sister who needs the rebuke. See if God doesn't keep that precious promise of restoration and redemption!
God gave me a beautiful song this week after a conversation I had with a friend who seems to really be struggling with questions about the doctrine of election, legalism and confrontation, among other things. Sometimes it's hard and confusing and strange and exhausting to figure out what you believe. As I prayed for her, God brought this song to mind. The words were written in the late 1800s but they very much apply to our study of the hard things this week. Are you in need of a resting place? Check this out: My Faith Has Found a Resting Place.
It is ENOUGH that Jesus died for you. When he hung on the cross, he said IT IS FINISHED (John 19:30) If you're in a place where you feel lost or confused about all the details of your faith and belief system, my prayer for you is that as you work out your salvation, you would rest in the knowledge that it is enough that Jesus died for you. You need no other argument. You need no other plea. You don't need to know all the details. Jesus died for you and that is all you need.
I'd love to hear your thoughts...Comment here, message me on Facebook or chat with me in person.
My faith has found a resting place, not in device nor creed,
I trust the ever living One, His wounds for me shall plead.
Enough for me that Jesus saves, This ends my fear and doubt;
A sinful soul I come to Him, He'll never cast me out.
My heart is leaning on the Word, The living Word of God,
Salvation by my Savior's name, Salvation through His blood.
I need no other argument, I need no other plea,
It is enough that Jesus died, and that He died for me.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
A Life Poured Out
Can't you just imagine Paul sitting there in his prison cell, penning his final words to Timothy as he awaits his execution...his martyrdom? He had undergone such a radical life change on that Damascus Road when the Bright Light stole his sight. He had no idea that this one event would be the catalyst for a testimony that would touch the lives of believers for hundreds of generations. Even as he sat and wrote these words to Timothy, he had no way of knowing that they would one day be read by you and me nearly two thousand years later. What he knew was this: His heart beat for one purpose alone...Jesus. The good news of his death and resurrection woke him up in the morning and put him to sleep at night. His heart beat to preach the gospel. People who shared his passion were few and far between as persecution increased and the number of Christ-followers decreased. This is why Timothy was so special to him. Their hearts beat in unison. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Preach the word. His final piece of advice to Timothy was simple. He had already told Timothy about all the false teachers. They took bits and pieces of the truth and twisted them and added to them until no one knew what was true and what was false any more. Paul explained to Timothy that these false teachers were encouraged by the people who were out to accumulate teachers for themselves who suited their own passions. The people had itchy ears and they hunted for teachers to satisfy them, paying no attention to whether or not what they taught was true. Teachers of Truth were few and far between in those days, but Paul knew for certain that Timothy was one. So as he wrote these final words, he didn't fear. He knew that that the treasure of the Gospel was in good hands with Timothy.
His next words paint the most beautiful picture of the Christian life...
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:6
In the days of the Old Testament, burnt offerings would be offered to the Lord and they would often be accompanied by drink offerings. These sacrifices were such a precious thing because that's how the people were made right with God. Since Jesus had not yet come, someone had to pay the price. The price was the sacrifice laid upon the altar. So when Paul says that he is poured out as a drink offering, we can picture him willingly emptying himself of himself and offering himself to the Father.
"...Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1
Paul could pour himself out, empty himself completely, stare death in the face without even flinching, all because of his confidence in Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. The One who poured Himself out as an offering had gone on to prepare a place for Paul and Paul knew he was about to get to go there. As he handed the reins of his ministry over to Timothy, he had complete confidence that the gospel would continue to spread. He had done his job. He had fulfilled his calling.
I love that he adds a few personal notes at the end of his letter. It would be so easy to see Paul as some sort of elevated, saintly, unknowable, unreachable type of guy. But at the end of 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy that he needs his coat before winter and that Alexander is a mean old guy and that he wants him to bring his books and parchments. Just regular old Paul. He gets cold in the winter. People are mean to him. He likes to read, especially Scripture. Not much difference between Paul and you or me.
"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." 2 Timothy 4:22
That little three letter word there - "YOU" - That word is plural. Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, but I think he knew Timothy wouldn't be the only one who would read it. I don't think he had any way of knowing just how many people would read it over the years, but as he was "carried along by the Spirit" in his writing, he was prompted to use the plural form of the word "you" at the end of his letter. Because although he had no way of knowing that you and I would read it, God certainly knew. So when Paul wrote "Grace be with y'all" (can I put that Texas twang there?), it was God's way of reminding us of the most precious promise of them all - that Grace Himself would be with us all.
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Preach the word. His final piece of advice to Timothy was simple. He had already told Timothy about all the false teachers. They took bits and pieces of the truth and twisted them and added to them until no one knew what was true and what was false any more. Paul explained to Timothy that these false teachers were encouraged by the people who were out to accumulate teachers for themselves who suited their own passions. The people had itchy ears and they hunted for teachers to satisfy them, paying no attention to whether or not what they taught was true. Teachers of Truth were few and far between in those days, but Paul knew for certain that Timothy was one. So as he wrote these final words, he didn't fear. He knew that that the treasure of the Gospel was in good hands with Timothy.
His next words paint the most beautiful picture of the Christian life...
"For I am already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." 2 Timothy 4:6
In the days of the Old Testament, burnt offerings would be offered to the Lord and they would often be accompanied by drink offerings. These sacrifices were such a precious thing because that's how the people were made right with God. Since Jesus had not yet come, someone had to pay the price. The price was the sacrifice laid upon the altar. So when Paul says that he is poured out as a drink offering, we can picture him willingly emptying himself of himself and offering himself to the Father.
"...Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship." Romans 12:1
Paul could pour himself out, empty himself completely, stare death in the face without even flinching, all because of his confidence in Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. The One who poured Himself out as an offering had gone on to prepare a place for Paul and Paul knew he was about to get to go there. As he handed the reins of his ministry over to Timothy, he had complete confidence that the gospel would continue to spread. He had done his job. He had fulfilled his calling.
I love that he adds a few personal notes at the end of his letter. It would be so easy to see Paul as some sort of elevated, saintly, unknowable, unreachable type of guy. But at the end of 2 Timothy, Paul tells Timothy that he needs his coat before winter and that Alexander is a mean old guy and that he wants him to bring his books and parchments. Just regular old Paul. He gets cold in the winter. People are mean to him. He likes to read, especially Scripture. Not much difference between Paul and you or me.
"The Lord be with your spirit. Grace be with you." 2 Timothy 4:22
That little three letter word there - "YOU" - That word is plural. Paul wrote this letter to Timothy, but I think he knew Timothy wouldn't be the only one who would read it. I don't think he had any way of knowing just how many people would read it over the years, but as he was "carried along by the Spirit" in his writing, he was prompted to use the plural form of the word "you" at the end of his letter. Because although he had no way of knowing that you and I would read it, God certainly knew. So when Paul wrote "Grace be with y'all" (can I put that Texas twang there?), it was God's way of reminding us of the most precious promise of them all - that Grace Himself would be with us all.
Jesus. Jesus. Jesus.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Weak Women and Worms
Weak women. Are you one? Would you even know it, if you are?
In the last days (all the days from the ascension of Jesus Christ until his return), people will become lovers of self. They will do all the bad things. (Just look at 2 Timothy 3:2-4) But the worst of the worst is this:
They have the appearance of godliness but they deny its power. (2 Timothy 3:5)
When you look at them, they have it together. They're in church on Sunday, they're in ladies Bible study, sitting next to you. They're singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, serving on committees and going on mission trips. All these people who appear godly, but never allow the power of the Holy Spirit to transform their lives on the inside. Ouch. Chris calls that the unregenerate church member. It's so easy to go about our business, assuming that the people we go to church with are saved. But that's just not true. Sadly, there are a lot of church members who have never actually become new creations. (Could that be one reason church can be so hard sometimes?) These people joined the church as if they were joining a book club. Sign me up, they said. No regeneration. No transformation. No power! They have the appearance of godliness but they deny its power.
(Can I just say something? If that just struck a nerve with you, if you thought, "That's me!" when I described that unregenerate church member...It is never too late to be changed. It's never too late to fully accept the power that the Holy Spirit offers to those he transforms! Please let me know if that's you so I can pray with you and pray for you and help you get pointed in the right direction.)
As if all that didn't step on our toes enough, Paul keeps going. There's a big problem here in Paul's day, and it is still a big problem in our day. Weak women. False teachers. Paul has written pages and pages now to Timothy, warning him of the false teachers that are so prevalent in Ephesus. And if you think for three and a half seconds, I bet you can come up with a few false teachers in our day too. But here's the problem with these false teachers- they needed a way to spread their lies. So guess who they went after? The women. Women were the doorway to the home back then. And for the most part, I'd say that's still true today. In most homes and families, the woman is the one who keeps the calendar, makes scheduling decisions, oversees the day-to-day happenings of the family. She's the one who looks after the children most of the time, does the shopping and keeps everyone in line. And most of the time, it's the woman who thinks about spiritual matters.
But actually, these false teachers didn't just worm their way into households looking for women, they wormed their way into households looking for weak women. Paul describes these women in verse 6 as women who are" burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth." These false teachers look for weak women who don't really know what they believe or why they believe what they believe, women who are trapped in sin or just plain old led astray by various passions. Maybe their passion is their work or their kids or their friends or their hobbies. Whatever these passions are, they're distracting these women from arriving at a knowledge of the truth!
So check yourself, women. Are you weak? Is there a worm in your house? Are you believing the false teaching being whispered in your ear because you simply don't know the difference between a truth and a lie or because you're so busy, wrapped up in your various passions? Once these worms, these false teachers, get through you into your household, they will go after your children, after your husband, after everything precious to you. And remember, they don't scream lies in your ear, they whisper lies that are so subtle you don't even realize they're lies.
You must be so careful who you listen do, dear woman. You must be so careful what teaching you allow into your home.
Hang with me - next week we are finishing up Paul's letters to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4. I promise, you're gonna want to stick around for that one! There are some things we need to watch out for!
I want to end this blog on a positive note, on a precious promise, but the gravity of the subject matter we've been working through is weighing heavy on my heart. I don't want you to miss the fact that there are unregenerate church members who look like they have it all together, but inside they're an un-saved hot mess. Ask God if that's you. Ask him if you're a weak woman who's been letting worms into your home. Ask Him to show you and He will. So the precious promise I will leave you with is this:
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. (James 1:5)
Just ask.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Three little BIG words
I didn't get to teach on 2 Timothy 2. I have had sick kids for what feels like 110 years and somehow we had been able to avoid anyone being too sick to come to church on a Wednesday night...until last week. So my sweet friend Megan led the discussion and I hear it went smashingly well. I'm not sure what the group talked about specifically or what they walked away from the session with. But as I reviewed 2 Timothy 2 in preparation to write the study on 2 Timothy 3, three little BIG words jumped off the page at me.
Check out 2 Timothy 2:8-9.
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!"
Can you guess what the three little BIG words are there? You don't have to read far to get to them. In fact, you don't have to read past the first three words! Remember Jesus Christ. Oh, Paul, there you go again, pointing us back to Jesus. It seems he never gets past that, does he? He never moves past Jesus. He says the name of Christ Jesus three times just in the first sentence! I'm sensing that Jesus must be really important to Paul...you see it too?
Now I know your brains have been on Spring Break. And I know many of you have had the same stinking illnesses in your house that we've had in ours. But think back with me over the past few months...Remember who is writing (Paul), who he's writing to (Timothy), why he's writing (his last words to Timothy as he prepares for death!) and what's happening at the time (Paul's in prison and Timothy is leading the church in Ephesus and teaching against false teachers). Not only that, but the church is being persecuted; many are already falling away and turning back to false gods. People are confused. They don't know who to believe or why they should believe it. Honestly, it sounds a lot like what's going on today.
So why are Paul's words, Remember Jesus Christ, so important here? Because in the midst of the chaos, JESUS. When everything is falling apart, JESUS. When you don't know who to believe or where to turn, JESUS.
So often we rush past Jesus, don't we? We like to read books and blogs and devotionals and articles about all the topics...marriage, family, finances, church life, missions, women's issues, men's issues, parenting, healthy living...the list goes on and on. We want REAL stuff. Stuff we can hold and see and sink our teeth into, right? Something we can go home and apply right away, checking off some proverbial box on an imaginary list in our heads. When some preacher starts preaching about Jesus, we kind of start to go off into a little daze, assuming that all the Jesus stuff really applies to someone else. After all, we've already accepted Christ- invited him into our hearts, gotten baptized, joined the church. Surely the Jesus stuff doesn't still apply to us. We've moved on from all that, right? We've moved past that stuff.
Oh friend, how foolish we are. (And please notice I'm saying WE, not YOU. All of this has been lived out by yours-truly here before I ever poured it out through these keys.) I've had the same pastor for ten years now, which I realize is not very long compared to some people. But I'm likely to have the same pastor for the rest of my life because I happen to be married to him. It used to drive me nuts when he would share the gospel at the end of every single sermon. I'd look around the room and think, "Come on, babe, we're all saved here. We all know this stuff already and we could really just skip this part." Seriously, I thought that for many years. (Did you know that's what your pastor's wife thinks as she sits perched prettily on the second row?) Well, not any more. I have seen something that has totally changed my whole way of thinking about Jesus.
We NEVER get past the Gospel. NEVER ever EVER never. Just NEVER. If you think that you have gotten past the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you haven't even gotten to it yet. The good news of what Jesus did for us on the cross and in the tomb and on the earth and in heaven (the Gospel) is what this life we live is all about. Oh, we've done a mighty fine job of making ourselves believe that it's about marriage and family and finances and church life and missions and women's issues and men's issues and parenting and healthy living. We have pasted so many pretty faces on so many magazine covers and gone to so many church services and listened to so many sermons where people tell us all the things we want to hear. Things that sound so good that we might even say "Amen" and nod our heads approvingly. But here's the truth.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Your marriage? Centered on Jesus.
Your family? To honor Jesus.
Your finances? Not yours. Jesus's.
Your church life? The body of Christ. (Jesus)
Missions? To make Jesus famous.
Women's Issues? To share Jesus.
Men's Issues? To honor Jesus.
Parenting? To point them to Jesus.
Healthy Living? To glorify Jesus.
If the sermons you're listening to don't point to Jesus every single time, stop listening to them. If your pastor doesn't share the Gospel in every sermon, ask him why! If the books you're reading are focused on YOUR best life now, throw them in the trash. If the blogs you subscribe to claim Christ but are more about bettering yourself, succeeding in life or getting ahead somehow, click the little x in the top corner.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Those three little words are so BIG. Paul wanted Timothy to remember. And God wants us to remember, which is why he included it in his love letter to us. Tell yourself every day. Tell yourself the story of what Jesus did for you every single day until you understand that you can never get past that. It is absolutely everything.
And then the precious promise comes. If we will remember Jesus Christ, even though we suffer, even though we are bound with chains, no matter what happens, the word of God is not bound! In the middle of that trial you're facing - Jesus. In the storm? In the struggle? In the valley? Jesus. And there may come a day soon that we are faced with actual suffering for the Gospel. How sweet it will be in the face of persecution, to remember Jesus Christ.
Check out 2 Timothy 2:8-9.
"Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, the offspring of David, as preached in my gospel, for which I am suffering, bound with chains as a criminal. But the word of God is not bound!"
Can you guess what the three little BIG words are there? You don't have to read far to get to them. In fact, you don't have to read past the first three words! Remember Jesus Christ. Oh, Paul, there you go again, pointing us back to Jesus. It seems he never gets past that, does he? He never moves past Jesus. He says the name of Christ Jesus three times just in the first sentence! I'm sensing that Jesus must be really important to Paul...you see it too?
Now I know your brains have been on Spring Break. And I know many of you have had the same stinking illnesses in your house that we've had in ours. But think back with me over the past few months...Remember who is writing (Paul), who he's writing to (Timothy), why he's writing (his last words to Timothy as he prepares for death!) and what's happening at the time (Paul's in prison and Timothy is leading the church in Ephesus and teaching against false teachers). Not only that, but the church is being persecuted; many are already falling away and turning back to false gods. People are confused. They don't know who to believe or why they should believe it. Honestly, it sounds a lot like what's going on today.
So why are Paul's words, Remember Jesus Christ, so important here? Because in the midst of the chaos, JESUS. When everything is falling apart, JESUS. When you don't know who to believe or where to turn, JESUS.
So often we rush past Jesus, don't we? We like to read books and blogs and devotionals and articles about all the topics...marriage, family, finances, church life, missions, women's issues, men's issues, parenting, healthy living...the list goes on and on. We want REAL stuff. Stuff we can hold and see and sink our teeth into, right? Something we can go home and apply right away, checking off some proverbial box on an imaginary list in our heads. When some preacher starts preaching about Jesus, we kind of start to go off into a little daze, assuming that all the Jesus stuff really applies to someone else. After all, we've already accepted Christ- invited him into our hearts, gotten baptized, joined the church. Surely the Jesus stuff doesn't still apply to us. We've moved on from all that, right? We've moved past that stuff.
Oh friend, how foolish we are. (And please notice I'm saying WE, not YOU. All of this has been lived out by yours-truly here before I ever poured it out through these keys.) I've had the same pastor for ten years now, which I realize is not very long compared to some people. But I'm likely to have the same pastor for the rest of my life because I happen to be married to him. It used to drive me nuts when he would share the gospel at the end of every single sermon. I'd look around the room and think, "Come on, babe, we're all saved here. We all know this stuff already and we could really just skip this part." Seriously, I thought that for many years. (Did you know that's what your pastor's wife thinks as she sits perched prettily on the second row?) Well, not any more. I have seen something that has totally changed my whole way of thinking about Jesus.
We NEVER get past the Gospel. NEVER ever EVER never. Just NEVER. If you think that you have gotten past the Gospel of Jesus Christ, you haven't even gotten to it yet. The good news of what Jesus did for us on the cross and in the tomb and on the earth and in heaven (the Gospel) is what this life we live is all about. Oh, we've done a mighty fine job of making ourselves believe that it's about marriage and family and finances and church life and missions and women's issues and men's issues and parenting and healthy living. We have pasted so many pretty faces on so many magazine covers and gone to so many church services and listened to so many sermons where people tell us all the things we want to hear. Things that sound so good that we might even say "Amen" and nod our heads approvingly. But here's the truth.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Your marriage? Centered on Jesus.
Your family? To honor Jesus.
Your finances? Not yours. Jesus's.
Your church life? The body of Christ. (Jesus)
Missions? To make Jesus famous.
Women's Issues? To share Jesus.
Men's Issues? To honor Jesus.
Parenting? To point them to Jesus.
Healthy Living? To glorify Jesus.
If the sermons you're listening to don't point to Jesus every single time, stop listening to them. If your pastor doesn't share the Gospel in every sermon, ask him why! If the books you're reading are focused on YOUR best life now, throw them in the trash. If the blogs you subscribe to claim Christ but are more about bettering yourself, succeeding in life or getting ahead somehow, click the little x in the top corner.
Remember Jesus Christ.
Those three little words are so BIG. Paul wanted Timothy to remember. And God wants us to remember, which is why he included it in his love letter to us. Tell yourself every day. Tell yourself the story of what Jesus did for you every single day until you understand that you can never get past that. It is absolutely everything.
And then the precious promise comes. If we will remember Jesus Christ, even though we suffer, even though we are bound with chains, no matter what happens, the word of God is not bound! In the middle of that trial you're facing - Jesus. In the storm? In the struggle? In the valley? Jesus. And there may come a day soon that we are faced with actual suffering for the Gospel. How sweet it will be in the face of persecution, to remember Jesus Christ.
Tuesday, March 3, 2015
Fear vs The Spirit in You
I started studying 2 Timothy several weeks ago on my own and then got to share with my ladies at church last Wednesday night. Before I get started, I just want to say that if you aren't plugged into a Bible study group of some sort, you are REALLY missing out. This group of ladies that I study with challenge me every week to know more, study more, learn more, depend on Jesus more, glorify the Father more, more, more, more! I am so glad I get to do life with them. The fellowship we have is so sweet. So if you aren't a part of a Bible study group, let me encourage you right now, sweet sister, find one! (If you need help, let me know!) If you're anywhere near Gonzales, I'd love for you to join us soon. There is always room for one more around our tables.
If you haven't read through the blogs that cover 1 Timothy, you might want to go back and start with "Precious Promises in 1 Timothy" and read through the 1 Timothy blogs. Paul's first letter to Timothy really helps us understand what's happening with Paul and Timothy and the church in Ephesus and it sets the stage for Paul's second letter to Timothy, which we are about to dive into...Are you ready?
Once again, Paul is writing to Timothy, who is the leader of the church in Ephesus. The biggest difference this time is that Paul is imprisoned in Rome and he knows he is about to die. He writes 2 Timothy as a sort of "final words" letter to his beloved understudy. These are the words he's using to pass the torch of the gospel on to Timothy, who Paul loving calls his "beloved child".
Paul starts his letter as he often does, by identifying himself and reminding the recipient that his apostleship and authority come from Jesus Christ. He doesn't ever want to take credit for the authority he speaks with. He is a servant of Jesus Christ. He mentions his last encounter with Timothy and remembers Timothy's tears. You know they must've been such close friends to hear Paul speak so longingly of Timothy. Paul references his ancestors' faithfulness as well as the faithfulness of Timothy's grandmother Lois and that of his mother Eunice. Paul acknowledges that Timothy's strong faith must've been significantly impacted by the faith of his matriarchs. Wouldn't we all love to have such an impact on the faith of our children? I can think of nothing greater than to know that my children love and serve the Lord! Which brings up our first discussion question...
How can we nurture our children to develop a faith of their own, not piggybacking on their parents’ faith?
The answer is simple. We can do everything we can do, but ultimately, our children will be responsible for their own faith. We can pray for them, teach them Scripture, model what a close relationship with the Lord looks like, but one day our children will decide for themselves whether or not to follow Jesus Christ with their lives. We have NO control over that. It is their choice to make. Which is why the next words Paul writes are so important.
He tells us to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you...what is that gift? The gift of the promised Holy Spirit! One commentary I read put it this way, "It was not that the Spirit’s flame was weak or needed to be alive by human effort but that the Spirit only works in cooperation with those who desire his enablement. [1]” Do you desire the enablement of the Holy Spirit? If you do, your life is gonna look so different than the lives of the people around you. The Holy Spirit is REAL. He is not some magical, mystical being who hovers around like ghosts in scary movies. Acts 1:8 says that "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you..." He will come upon you and give you power! Do you desire that? Do you desire the power he promises to bring to you? Keep reading in 2 Timothy 1:7. Paul says, "...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." So not only do we receive power, but we receive love and self-control too! But here's the problem...far too often, we choose to live in fear rather than acknowledging the power that we have through the Holy Spirit in us.
Fear is comfortable. Fear is familiar. Fear is easy. Power? Power is risky. Power is unfamiliar. Power is difficult. Or so we tell ourselves, right? But the truth is that if you are a follower of Jesus, a Christian, you have received a spirit of power. It's done. He's there, in you. Squelch the fear. Embrace the power. And love? Well, Christians are marked by their love, right? It's not a love that comes from ourselves though. It's a love that comes from the Holy Spirit in us, the Spirit that we have fanned into flame through prayer and submission. And self-control? Here we go... This is not one we like to talk about. We like to say things like, "I just couldn't help myself!" or "I'm not strong enough to withstand that kind of temptation." or "I have no self-control!" WRONG. Did you read 2 Timothy 1:7? Go back and read it again if you need to. The Spirit that we have received is one of self-control.
What causes you the most fear and insecurity? How can you begin to apply God’s promise of a spirit of power and love and self-discipline?
So how do you suffer for your faith?
Most of us don't suffer in any way that comes close to comparing with the persecution and martyrdom that Paul and Timothy and first-century believers faced. But we do suffer. What would happen if you proclaimed your faith, loud and proud, at your workplace? If you're a teacher, you could get fired. (And it's not just teachers, of course. Fill in the blank with many professions.) So should you keep quiet about it or should you shout it from the rooftops? Most of us keep quiet, making excuses, because we wouldn't want to risk losing a job. If we really wanted to join Paul in suffering for the Gospel, we would boldly proclaim the God we serve!
I love how Paul ends this section in chapter one. He throws a few guys under the bus here. Old Phygelus and Hermogenes seem to have jumped ship, along with many of the Asians who began to follow Christ. Their dedication to Jesus sure didn't last long. 2 Timothy was written sometime between 64 and 67 AD, which means that only about 30 years had passed since Jesus's resurrection. It didn't take long for people to turn their hearts to other gods again. But Paul does have one friend, Onesiphorus, who he brags on quite a bit. He tells Timothy that Mr. O often refreshed him and wasn't ashamed of his chains. He had gone looking for Paul in Rome and searched until he found him. Paul was encouraged by his friendship in the middle of persecution and suffering.
Who has refreshed you spiritually? How did they do it? What positive influence can you have on other Christians?
If someone comes to mind, send them a note of encouragement or make a phone call to let them know what they mean to you. We believers have to stick together, especially when times are hard.
So in the middle of the suffering, in the midst of the hardships, you have a choice to make: Will you choose to wallow in the fear that wants to choke the life out of you? Or will you choose to believe this very precious promise of God...
"...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
If you haven't read through the blogs that cover 1 Timothy, you might want to go back and start with "Precious Promises in 1 Timothy" and read through the 1 Timothy blogs. Paul's first letter to Timothy really helps us understand what's happening with Paul and Timothy and the church in Ephesus and it sets the stage for Paul's second letter to Timothy, which we are about to dive into...Are you ready?
Once again, Paul is writing to Timothy, who is the leader of the church in Ephesus. The biggest difference this time is that Paul is imprisoned in Rome and he knows he is about to die. He writes 2 Timothy as a sort of "final words" letter to his beloved understudy. These are the words he's using to pass the torch of the gospel on to Timothy, who Paul loving calls his "beloved child".
Paul starts his letter as he often does, by identifying himself and reminding the recipient that his apostleship and authority come from Jesus Christ. He doesn't ever want to take credit for the authority he speaks with. He is a servant of Jesus Christ. He mentions his last encounter with Timothy and remembers Timothy's tears. You know they must've been such close friends to hear Paul speak so longingly of Timothy. Paul references his ancestors' faithfulness as well as the faithfulness of Timothy's grandmother Lois and that of his mother Eunice. Paul acknowledges that Timothy's strong faith must've been significantly impacted by the faith of his matriarchs. Wouldn't we all love to have such an impact on the faith of our children? I can think of nothing greater than to know that my children love and serve the Lord! Which brings up our first discussion question...
How can we nurture our children to develop a faith of their own, not piggybacking on their parents’ faith?
The answer is simple. We can do everything we can do, but ultimately, our children will be responsible for their own faith. We can pray for them, teach them Scripture, model what a close relationship with the Lord looks like, but one day our children will decide for themselves whether or not to follow Jesus Christ with their lives. We have NO control over that. It is their choice to make. Which is why the next words Paul writes are so important.
He tells us to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you...what is that gift? The gift of the promised Holy Spirit! One commentary I read put it this way, "It was not that the Spirit’s flame was weak or needed to be alive by human effort but that the Spirit only works in cooperation with those who desire his enablement. [1]” Do you desire the enablement of the Holy Spirit? If you do, your life is gonna look so different than the lives of the people around you. The Holy Spirit is REAL. He is not some magical, mystical being who hovers around like ghosts in scary movies. Acts 1:8 says that "you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you..." He will come upon you and give you power! Do you desire that? Do you desire the power he promises to bring to you? Keep reading in 2 Timothy 1:7. Paul says, "...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control." So not only do we receive power, but we receive love and self-control too! But here's the problem...far too often, we choose to live in fear rather than acknowledging the power that we have through the Holy Spirit in us.
Fear is comfortable. Fear is familiar. Fear is easy. Power? Power is risky. Power is unfamiliar. Power is difficult. Or so we tell ourselves, right? But the truth is that if you are a follower of Jesus, a Christian, you have received a spirit of power. It's done. He's there, in you. Squelch the fear. Embrace the power. And love? Well, Christians are marked by their love, right? It's not a love that comes from ourselves though. It's a love that comes from the Holy Spirit in us, the Spirit that we have fanned into flame through prayer and submission. And self-control? Here we go... This is not one we like to talk about. We like to say things like, "I just couldn't help myself!" or "I'm not strong enough to withstand that kind of temptation." or "I have no self-control!" WRONG. Did you read 2 Timothy 1:7? Go back and read it again if you need to. The Spirit that we have received is one of self-control.
What causes you the most fear and insecurity? How can you begin to apply God’s promise of a spirit of power and love and self-discipline?
So how do you suffer for your faith?
Most of us don't suffer in any way that comes close to comparing with the persecution and martyrdom that Paul and Timothy and first-century believers faced. But we do suffer. What would happen if you proclaimed your faith, loud and proud, at your workplace? If you're a teacher, you could get fired. (And it's not just teachers, of course. Fill in the blank with many professions.) So should you keep quiet about it or should you shout it from the rooftops? Most of us keep quiet, making excuses, because we wouldn't want to risk losing a job. If we really wanted to join Paul in suffering for the Gospel, we would boldly proclaim the God we serve!
I love how Paul ends this section in chapter one. He throws a few guys under the bus here. Old Phygelus and Hermogenes seem to have jumped ship, along with many of the Asians who began to follow Christ. Their dedication to Jesus sure didn't last long. 2 Timothy was written sometime between 64 and 67 AD, which means that only about 30 years had passed since Jesus's resurrection. It didn't take long for people to turn their hearts to other gods again. But Paul does have one friend, Onesiphorus, who he brags on quite a bit. He tells Timothy that Mr. O often refreshed him and wasn't ashamed of his chains. He had gone looking for Paul in Rome and searched until he found him. Paul was encouraged by his friendship in the middle of persecution and suffering.
Who has refreshed you spiritually? How did they do it? What positive influence can you have on other Christians?
If someone comes to mind, send them a note of encouragement or make a phone call to let them know what they mean to you. We believers have to stick together, especially when times are hard.
So in the middle of the suffering, in the midst of the hardships, you have a choice to make: Will you choose to wallow in the fear that wants to choke the life out of you? Or will you choose to believe this very precious promise of God...
"...for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control."
[1]
Larson, K. (2000). I & II
Thessalonians, I & II Timothy, Titus, Philemon (Vol. 9, p. 266).
Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
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