Seasonal Note: I’m beginning a new Three-Year Lectionary based on the Lutheran Book of Worship 3-year lectionary (for public worship), "Prayers of the Day..." (Propers), p. 13-41, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978. It is based, with only minor variations, on the Revised Common Lectionary, used by many denominations, including the Episcopal, Lutheran, Presbyterian, and Methodist churches:
http://www.commontexts.org/
and:
http://www.commontexts.org/rcl/usage.html
The daily readings are the Propers (Lections) for the following Sunday, so that the daily devotions can prepare us for worship. Additional lections are from Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church, "Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers," United Lutheran Church of America, General Rubrics V2I. Scripture lessons for Matins and Vespers, p. 299 - 304, Philadelphia, 1918.
The previous 2- year Bible Study based on the Lutheran Book of Worship, Daily Lectionary for personal devotions p.179-192, Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, 1978, is available at:
http://shepboy.snow.prohosting.com
Please Note: I will post weekly by Saturday, noon, (with God's help), Pacific time (UTC-8:00) for the week of the Church Season which begins on Sunday. Please scroll down for the desired day, or save the week to your desktop/hard drive.
8 Pentecost – Sunday A
Posted July 6, 2008
Isaiah 55:10-11 -- God's Word is Always Fulfilled;
Psalm 65 -- The River of God;
Romans 8:18-25 -- "First Fruits" of Salvation;
Matthew 13:1-9 (18-23) -- Parable of the Sower;
Isaiah:
Rain and snow fall from heaven and water the earth to bring forth seed for sowing and bread for food, and do not return to heaven without accomplishing their purpose. So also, God's Word goes forth from the mouth of God and does not return without accomplishing God's purpose.
Psalm:
The Lord, who reigns in Zion (the temple mount; the City of God), is worthy of our praise, and our faithfulness to keep our vows to him. He is the One who hears and answers prayers. All humans will be accountable to him for sin (disobedience of God's Word). When sin prevails over us God forgives them. Those whom God chooses and draws near to dwell in his house are blessed. We will have satisfaction in the goodness of his house and his holy temple.
The God of our Salvation has answered our need and delivered us with great deeds. He is the hope of all the world, to the most distant corners and across the vastest seas. The Lord who raised up the great mountains by his great power, who stills the roaring seas and their mighty waves also stills the tumults of the peoples. Those who dwell in the remotest places on earth fear his great power. The Lord makes sunrise and sunset occasions for celebration and joy.
The Lord visits earth; he waters it and makes the earth fertile. "The river of God is full of water" (Psalm 65:9 b). The Lord provides grain for food, according to his plan and timing. He provides rain, settling the earth's furrows and softening it, and blessing growth.
"Thou crownest the year with thy bounty; the tracks of thy chariot drip with fatness" (Psalm 65:11 b). The pastures in the wilderness become lush. The meadows are full of game and the valleys are fertile with grain. Creation shouts and sings for joy.
Romans:
Compared to the glory that will be revealed to us, the sufferings of this temporal lifetime are well worth it. All Creation eagerly awaits the revealing of the children of God. Creation has been subjected to decay and death by God in hope, because Creation will be released from decay and death and will share the glorious liberty of God's children. We realize that Creation has been groaning until now in travail like childbirth, and we also, who have the "first fruits" of the Holy Spirit groan inwardly, awaiting our adoption as God's children, and the redemption of our bodies. This is the hope which we received by faith when we were saved. There is no need to hope for what we already have, but if we do not yet see it we hope for it patiently.
Matthew:
Jesus was sitting on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, and a large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and taught them many things in parables as they stood on the shore.
One was the parable of the sower. A sower went out to sow seed, and some seed fell on the path. Birds came and ate the seed immediately. Some seed fell on rocky ground. It sprouted quickly, but wilted and died in the sun, because there was no soil for it to take root in. Some seed fell among thorns, and as it sprouted and grew the thorns choked it and it didn't mature and produce a harvest. Some seed fell on good ground, and it rooted and grew to maturity and produced a harvest many times the amount of the seed expended. Jesus told the crowd that if their ears "worked" properly they should use them to "hear" what Jesus was telling them.
Privately Jesus explained the parables to his disciples. The seed is the Gospel, the Word of God. The path represents those who hear but do not understand, and Satan comes and takes the Gospel from their hearts. Rocky soil represents those who receive the Gospel gladly, but don't let it take root within them and grow. When trouble or persecution arises they fall away. The thorny ground represents those who receive the Gospel and let it take root, but the cares and pleasures of this world choke the growth, and the Gospel doesn't mature and produce a harvest. The good soil represents those who hear the Gospel and let it take root and grow to maturity and harvest, where it produces many times more than the seed that was sown.
Commentary:
God has designed this Creation as a physical garden, but also as a spiritual garden, and we are his plantings. God's intention has always, from the very beginning of Creation, to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and find and come to know and have fellowship with God our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through Jesus Christ, who has been designed into Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).
Creation bears witness to the goodness and power of God. Everything in Creation works to accomplish God's purpose. The physical experiences of Creation testify to spiritual truth. God has designed a physical Creation in which God provides rain and snow to soften and water the earth; he provides seed for sowing and grain for bread, and food for every creature.
God's Word is the spiritual seed which gives us spiritual life, sustains us and causes us to grow spiritually and produce a spiritual harvest. God's Word is the spiritual bread which sustains us to eternal life. God's Word is accomplishing and will ultimately fulfill God's eternal purpose, whether we choose to cooperate with his purpose or not.
The Bible is the Word of God, given to us to help us know and understand God's purpose for Creation and our life. Jesus Christ is the fulfillment, embodiment and example of God's Word, lived in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the example we are to follow and the illustration of what Spirit-filled children of God can and are to be.
God has supplied everything we need physically and spiritually in Creation. Unequal distribution of those physical resources is the result of sin (disobedience of God's Word). Spiritual resources are available freely to all who are willing to receive them through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.
We are all chosen and called by God to dwell eternally in his heavenly kingdom, and God will draw us to himself, if we will allow him, but he gives us freedom to accept or reject his call. If we accept we will personally experience his goodness and the joy, blessing and true satisfaction of life in his presence eternally, beginning right now!
God has foreseen the consequences of giving us free will, and has provided the Savior, Jesus Christ, through whom our sins are forgiven. He has designed Creation so that none of us deserves salvation from eternal condemnation, so that he can give salvation as a free gift to everyone who trusts and obeys Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the "first fruit" of the harvest of eternal life. God commanded Israel to give the "first fruit" of their harvests to God, before they took any for themselves. In the same way, God offers us his gift to us of the "first fruits" of eternal life by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, through whom we experience the presence and fellowship of the Lord now.
The Holy Spirit is the river of God, the spring welling up within his disciples to eternal life (John 4:14); the river of living water which is to flow out from the hearts of Jesus' disciples into the wilderness of this world (John 7:37-39) to transform it and give life to a sinful and dying world.
We are spiritually "born-again" John 3:3, 5-8) by the "baptism" ("anointing;" "gift") of the indwelling Holy Spirit. We have personal experience of and fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit (Romans 8:9; John 14:23). Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34) only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Jesus taught in parables, which are stories of common daily experiences used to convey spiritual truth. Today's text in Isaiah is an example of a "parable" comparing physical experience to spiritual truth by God's Word through the prophet. Jesus used parables so that people were free to choose whether to accept his message or not. Jesus will explain his teachings and open minds to understand scripture (Luke 24:45) for anyone who is willing to be Jesus' disciple.
The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Word of God, is the spiritual seed, which if allowed to germinate and grow to maturity, produces a harvest of eternal life, not only for ourselves but for others through us. The Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ, is the bread of eternal life which sustains us and provides the seed for sowing.
The Lord reigns supreme over all the earth, whether we acknowledge him as Lord or not. He is the one and only Lord who hears and answers the prayers of his people (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, side bar, top right). There is a Day of Judgment coming when every one who has ever lived will be accountable to him for what they have done in this temporal lifetime in this Creation. The Day of Judgment is not far off; it is within everyone's own lifespan, and no one knows how long their life will be. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been "born-again" and will receive eternal life in God's kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus, and have refused to trust and obey him will receive eternal destruction and death in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
The "sun" will set on this Creation and our physical lives, and will rise on the new eternal Creation restored to paradise.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
8 Pentecost - Monday A
Posted July 7, 2008
Psalm 86:11-17 – Walking in God's Truth;
O, Lord, teach me to know and live according to your way and your truth. Let my heart be united to fear (have appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) your name (person and character). With my whole heart I will give thanks to the Lord, my God, and glorify his name for ever. For the Lord has steadfast love for me and has delivered my soul from the power of death.
O Lord, ruthless and godless men have risen up against me. They do not honor and fear you. But you, O Lord, are gracious, merciful, with abundant steadfast love and faithfulness. Have pity on me and help me. Give me your strength and save me for I am your servant, the son of your handmaid. Reveal to me a sign of your favor, help and comfort me so that my enemies will see and be put to shame.
Commentary:
Believers will seek to know and live according to God's Word. His Word is the only way to know divine, eternal truth and have eternal life in the presence and fellowship of God our Creator.
Jesus is the Word of God, fulfilled, embodied and demonstrated in human flesh in this world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus is the only way to know and have fellowship with God, to know divine, eternal truth, and to have eternal life (John 14:15-17). Jesus is God's only provision for our forgiveness of sin (disobedience of God's Word) and salvation from our eternal condemnation (Acts 4:12). Jesus is the name of the Lord (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28).
Only by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ can we be spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).
Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection demonstrate to the world the truth and power of God's Word. Jesus' resurrection from physical death to eternal life was experienced by over five hundred eyewitnesses (1 Corinthians 15:3-8) and is testified to by every truly "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) disciple of Jesus Christ since then, beginning with the Apostle Paul.
We need to pray for "united hearts" (Psalm 86:11 c). We can desire to know and do God's will, but our hearts may also still want to live according to the desires of our flesh. We need to learn to resist the desires of our flesh so that we can trust and obey God's will with our whole hearts.
God has shown his steadfast, unwavering love for us in giving his only Son, Jesus Christ to die for our sins, while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8; John 3:16-17). God has delivered us from the power of death (Hebrews 2:14-15) through our faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Worldly people live to please themselves. Believers who try to live according to God's Word will find themselves opposed by ruthless and godless people in this world. By the Bible record and by personal experience, as we trust and obey God's Word, we know that God is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and having abundant, steadfast love and faithfulness. God is fully able, faithful and willing to show us his favor, to give us his strength and save us from the power and intent of worldly people, so that the world can see his power and goodness. Because of God's faithfulness, we can pray to the Lord to give us his strength and for deliverance from our enemies in certainty that he will hear and answer our prayer (See Conditions for Answered Prayer, side bar, top right).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
8 Pentecost – Tuesday A
Posted July 8, 2008
Isaiah 44:6-8 -- God's Uniqueness;
"Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of Hosts: 'I am the first and I am last; beside me there is no god" (Isaiah 44:6 b). Let him who is like God proclaim and prove it in God's presence. Who has known and declared from ancient times the things that are to come? Let them foretell what is coming in the future. Don't be afraid. The Lord has told us from the beginning, and we have witnessed it. Who is God beside the Lord? There is no Rock, nor any other god.
Commentary:
The Lord was the King of Israel, but Israel wanted a human king like the neighboring nations. The earthly kings of Israel were supposed to be the representatives of God, but they turned from obedience to God's Word and to idolatry. The result was a divided monarchy, the annihilation of the northern kingdom of the ten tribes, and later the conquest and exile of the southern kingdom to Babylon.
The prophets of God's Word warned the northern kingdom of the consequences of idolatry and disobedience of God's Word, but the leaders and people refused to repent until they were conquered and swept away to oblivion at the fall of Sa mari a in 721 B C.* Likewise, the southern kingdom didn't learn from the example of the northern kingdom or heed the prophets' warning, and were exiled for seventy years from 587*-517 B C,** as God's Word declared (Jeremiah 25:12). Both these disasters could have been avoided if Israel had returned to obedient trust in God's Word. Both are examples of God's declaration beforehand of things to come and the fulfillment of God's Word.
The hallmark of God's Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). God's Word is eternal and it is always fulfilled, and fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. The Bible is the testimony to the truth and faithfulness of God's Word.
Jesus Christ is the Messiah, (Christ; both mean "anointed") God's "anointed" Redeemer and eternal King. Jesus is the fulfillment, embodiment, and example of God's Word, lived in human flesh in this temporal world (John 1:1-5, 14). Jesus was with God from the very beginning, and has been "designed into Creation. Jesus is not "another god;" Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28). Jesus is the Son of God and Son of man, conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit in the virgin Mary (Matthew 1:18-23; Luke 1:31-35).
Jesus is the Rock on which we must build our lives if they are to withstand the storms of life (Matthew 7:24-27). Jesus is the Rock who is the source of spiritual "living water," the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 7:37-39; 1 Corinthians 10:4; Numbers 20:7-11), in the "wilderness" of this temporal world.
Jesus is the Redeemer, God's only provision for our salvation from sin, eternal condemnation and eternal death (Acts 4:12), the only way to live according to God's Word, to know divine, eternal truth, and to have true, eternal life in fellowship with God (John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, side bar, top right).
Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus. The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
God has revealed his eternal plan for Creation in the Bible, and in Jesus Christ. This lifetime is our opportunity to seek, find and come to personal knowledge of and fellowship with God our Creator, and this is only possible through Jesus Christ, by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 14:23). Jesus declared that one must be "born-again" by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit to see (now and ultimately) the kingdom of God (John 3:3, 5-8). This lifetime is our opportunity to learn to trust and obey God in Jesus Christ, and to be spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life.
God's Word warns that there is a Day of Judgment coming when Christ will return to judge the world. That day is not far off; it will come for each of us at the end of our lifetimes, and no one knows how long they will live. Everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to the Lord for what he or she has done in this lifetime. The standard of judgment is Jesus Christ. Those who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been "reborn" and will enter eternal life in paradise restored in God's heavenly kingdom. Those who have refused to accept Jesus as Lord and have refused or failed to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Are you ready for Christ's return. Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
*The Oxford Annotated Bible, Revised Standard Version, Ed. by Herbert G. May and Bruce M. Metzger, Chronological Table of Rulers, p. 1533, New York, Oxford University Press, 1962.
**Easton’s Bible Dictionary, “Exile” digital edition, bibledatabase.org
http://bibledatabase.org/eastons.html/
(see Free Bible Study Tools, side bar, top right).
8 Pentecost - Wednesday A
Posted July 9, 2008
Romans 8:26-27 -- The Spirit's Intercession;
1 Corinthians 2:11-13 -- Romans:
The Holy Spirit intercedes according to God's will, (for those who have been "born-again;" John 3:3, 5-8). God knows our innermost needs and attitudes. In our human weakness we don't know what we need or what to ask for. We don't know how to pray according to God's will, but the Holy Spirit knows us and our situation perfectly and also knows perfectly God's will. And God knows the thoughts and feelings of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 2:11). The Holy Spirit is able to intercede for us beyond human expression or understanding.
1 Corinthians:
Just as no person knows his innermost thoughts except his own spirit within him, so no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. We (who have been "born-again") have received not the spirit of the world but the Spirit of God, so that we can understand the spiritual gifts God has given us. We are taught by the Spirit, and pass on, to those who possess the Spirit, that teaching, not by human wisdom but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
Commentary:
Jesus is our great high priest, our intercessor to God on our behalf. He is the ideal intercessor, because he has experienced life in human flesh in this world, just the same as us, but without yielding to temptation and sin (disobedience of God's Word; Hebrews 4:14-16).
Jesus came to reveal the nature and character of God the Father (John 14:7-9), to show us how to to know and live according to God's will, to make it possible for us to be forgiven for sin by his sacrifice on the Cross, and to give us spiritual, eternal life, through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Only Jesus gives the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, the Spirit of God (Romans 8:9). When we receive the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, the Spirit knows us better than we know ourselves, and he knows perfectly the will of God (1 Corinthians 2:11-13). The Holy Spirit intercedes for us to God, and teaches and empowers us to know and do God's will.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
8 Pentecost - Thursday A
posted July 10, 2008
Matthew 13:24-30 (36-43) -- Weeds Among Wheat;
Jesus taught in parables, stories of common daily experiences used to convey spiritual truth. In the parable of weeds among wheat, a man sowed good seed in his field, but while he slept, his enemy sowed weed seeds in it. So when the seed sprouted and grew, his servants reported the weeds to their master, and asked if the seed had contained weeds. The master told them that his enemy had sown the weeds. The servants asked him if they should pull out the weeds, but the master told them to wait until the harvest, so as not to damage the wheat. The master said that at the harvest, he would have the reapers gather the weeds first and burn them, and then they would gather the wheat into the master's barn.
When Jesus was alone with his disciples they asked him to explain the parable. Jesus said the man who sows good seed is the "Son of man" (Jesus). The field is the World. The good seed represents the children of God's kingdom. The weeds are the children of Satan, the enemy. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. At the end of the age (the Day of Judgment), the Lord will send his angels to gather all the wicked to be burned in hell, where they will suffer and mourn eternally. But the righteous will be glorified and live eternally in God's kingdom in heaven.
Commentary:
God has always intended from the very beginning of Creation to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly choose to trust and obey God. This world is God's "garden" for growing God's "children." Jesus has been "designed into" Creation from the very beginning (John 1:1-5, 14).
This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know and have fellowship with our Creator (Acts 17:26-27), and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ. Jesus came to show us what God is like, to die on the Cross as the only sacrifice acceptable to God, once for all time and people, for the forgiveness of our sin (disobedience of God's Word). Jesus' life demonstrates how to live in obedient trust in God's Word, and the fact of existence beyond physical death. Jesus made it possible for us to have spiritual, eternal life through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
We're all born physically alive but spiritually dead. This lifetime is our only opportunity to be spiritually "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) to eternal life. We're all born in slavery to sin and death and the power of Satan (Hebrews 2:14-15). Only Jesus can set us free (John 8:31-36; see God's Plan of Salvation, side bar, top right).
Jesus came proclaiming the Gospel ("good news") of forgiveness of sin and salvation from God's eternal condemnation and destruction. Jesus is the only way to know divine, eternal truth, the only way to have personal knowledge of and fellowship with God, and the only way to have eternal life (John 14:6).
Jesus taught in parables so that people were free to understand his message or not, as they chose. Jesus explained the meaning of the parables to those who were willing to be his disciples (students) and learn from him.
Jesus warns that there is a Day of Judgment coming, within our lifetime, when everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to God through Jesus Christ for what they have done in this lifetime. Those who have accepted Jesus as Lord and have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been "reborn" spiritually during this lifetime, and will enter eternal life. But those who have rejected Jesus, have refused to trust and obey Jesus, will be gathered by the angels of God and thrown into the eternal fires of hell where they will spend eternity in agony and regret (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
8 Pentecost - Friday A
Posted July 11, 2008
Jeremiah 15:19-21 -- God's Promise;
Matthew 7:22-29 -- Build on the Rock;
God promises that if his servants return to him he will restore them. If they speak God's truth rather than what is worthless they will be God's spokespersons. God's servants are to set an example for others, rather than being conformed to the world's standards. God will give his servants strength like a wall of bronze. Worldly people will fight against them but will not prevail, because God is with his servants to save and deliver them. God will deliver his servants from the power of the wicked, and redeem them from the control of the ruthless.
At the Day of Judgment, many will call Jesus Lord and claim to have done many mighty works in Jesus' name, like prof esighing and casting out demons. But Jesus will tell them to depart, because they are evildoers and he never knew them.
Jesus said that those who hear Jesus' teachings and do them are like a wise person who builds his house on a foundation of solid rock. The storms of life will not prevail, because of the firm foundation. But those who do not do what Jesus teaches are like one who builds a house on sand, without any foundation. The first storm that comes along will sweep it away, and it's collapse will be a great catastrophe.
The crowd was amazed at Jesus' teachings because he taught with authority, unlike the scribes.
God's Word is eternal and is fulfilled over and over as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. God kept his promise to Jeremiah, and he will keep that promise to us, if we will return to him in obedient trust. God will give his servants strength to proclaim God's Word. God's servants can expect to be opposed by the ungodly, but God will deliver and redeem his servants from their power.
God's servants must be careful to be an example to the world, rather than being conformed to the world's standards. Many people today including many "church members," nominal "Christians," think that they will be saved because they call Jesus Lord (see Matthew 7:21). They think because they're "Christians" that whatever deeds they do for the "Church" are serving the Lord. Jesus warns that it isn't those who call Jesus Lord, but those who seek to know and do God's will who are God's people and citizens of God's kingdom.
Jesus warns that we must be "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) we must have a personal relationship with him by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).
Authentic Christians are disciples (Acts 11:26 c) of Jesus Christ; students who learn and do what Jesus teaches (Matthew 28:19-20) and are "born-again" by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Disciples are to be "discipled" within the Church by "born-again" disciples until they are "born-again," before they are to be sent out into the world to carry on Christ's mission (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8). It takes "born-again" disciples to make "born-again" disciples.
In too many instances today the nominal "Church" has adopted the standards of the world, rather than being an example of God's standards in the world. The debate over homosexual clergy is one example. Too many times the "Church" has validated the secular status quo; has given its approval to the secular government, instead of using its influence to shape secular government.
Jesus' teaching has authority because Jesus' word is the Word of God. It has the creative force of God's Word (Matthew 8:26-27). Jesus is God in human flesh (Colossians 2:8-9; John 20:28).
Christians need to learn and know what Jesus teaches, and apply his teachings in their daily lives. Too often nominal "Christians" rely on the teaching of their "pastor" and their "church" instead of the teaching of Jesus recorded in the Bible. Only those who seek to know and obey Jesus will have a personal relationship with Jesus through the indwelling Holy Spirit, and will continue to be "discipled" by the Spirit of Christ to spiritual maturity.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
8 Pentecost - Saturday A
First posted 07/15/05
Acts 20:17-38 -- Paul's Farewell;
At the end of Paul's third missionary journey he came to Miletus, on the southwestern coast of present-day Turkey, and summoned the elders of the Church of Ephesus nearby. When they had assembled, Paul reminded them of how he had served the Lord in humility, with tears and trials of persecution by the Jews. Paul had preached the full gospel in public and in individual houses, not altering it to make it more appealing, teaching both Jews and Greeks the message of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.
Now Paul was returning to Jerusalem, knowing by the indwelling Holy Spirit that trouble and imprisonment awaited him there. But Paul didn't regard his physical life as important; his only interest was in finishing the ministry Jesus had given him to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. Paul told them that the Christians in Asia would see Paul no more. Paul had declared the full Word of God, so he would not be responsible for the eternal death of anyone in the Church. He instructed the elders to guard and feed the Church diligently, remembering that Jesus had established it by his blood.
Paul warned that fierce "wolves" would attack the Church and false teachers would arise among the Church to lead astray the disciples (Church members; believers; Acts 11:26c). So the elders should remember that Paul had worked and suffered for the Church for three years to establish it.
Now Paul commended the Church to the Lord's care and to the "Word of his grace," which is able to build them up and give them a share in the eternal inheritance of the saints. Paul had set an example for them, not seeking monetary reward for his ministry, but instead working in a secular trade so that the Church would not be burdened by Paul's living expenses and those who were with him. Paul had demonstrated that Christians must make every effort to help the weak, remembering that giving is more blessed than receiving.
When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt and prayed with them. They all wept, embraced Paul and kissed him, grieving because they would not see Paul again. Then they accompanied Paul to the ship.
Commentary:
Paul (Saul of Tarsus) had been a persecutor of Christians until his conversion on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1-22). At Paul's conversion, the Lord told the "born-again" disciple, An an i as, who "discipled" Paul that Paul would suffer much for the gospel (Acts 9:16-17).
Paul didn't let persecution prevent or cause him to modify his preaching of the gospel so as to be more "popular." Paul knew trouble awaited him in Jerusalem, but that didn't prevent him from going.
Jesus had established the gospel at the cost of his suffering and death on the Cross, and Paul was willing to accept his "cross" of suffering for the sake of the gospel. Paul was fulfilling Jesus' teaching (Matthew 10:38) and Jesus' "Great Commission" to his disciples to make disciples, teaching them to obey all Jesus' teachings (Matthew 28:19-20), after they had been "reborn" by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).
Paul warned the Church to be on guard against false teachers and false prophets within and outside the Church. Paul had made great sacrifices to teach the new Christians sound biblical, apostolic (as taught by the apostles including Paul) gospel of Jesus Christ. Now it was up to the individual believers and Church leaders to hold fast to the full gospel Paul had taught.
There are many false prophets and teachers today within and outside of the Church. There are many congregations where the leaders preach only part of the gospel; the part that people enjoy hearing (2Timothy 4:3-4). Convicting people of sin and calling for repentance and obedient trust in God's Word is not popular, but unless leaders are willing to be "unpopular" they will be held accountable for the eternal death of their members. It is possible for people to choose congregations to join that tamper with or preach only a partial gospel, but those congregations are not doing their members any good.
It is important for all Christians to read and know the entire Bible for themselves, and to also read it daily. That is the only way to guard against false teaching and false prophets. Any average reader can read the entire Bible from cover-to-cover in one year (see Free Bible Study Tools, side bar, top right).
It is important to remember that the New Testament scriptures are available to us because of the commitment of Paul and the other Apostles, and by many others since. Paul made great effort to accurately preserve the apostolic gospel.
Paul was not merely a "peddler of God's Word" (2 Corinthians 4:2). Paul was guided and empowered by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul's ministry was not a "career choice." Paul wasn't trying to glorify himself.
Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?
