The new teaching that had come into the Colossian church was causing some of the Colossian Christians to stray away from the gospel. And so, right from the start of his letter Paul takes time to remind the Colossians about the gospel message they've received and in which they've believed.
This gospel message is essentially "the grace of God in truth" (Colossians 1:6). It is the good news of how God in his grace commits himself to sinful human beings by sending Jesus Christ to die on the cross for their sins. When the gospel is heard and understood, it produces a community full of faith, hope and love (Colossians 1:4-5). In fact, wherever the gospel is truly planted, it will naturally produce growth (Colossians 1:5-6). Thus, it is vitally crucial for Christians today to rightly and fully teach the gospel to others so that they might rightly hear and fully understand the gospel, which will result in these people now going out and teaching the gospel to still more people!
I think many people today really don't believe in the gospel. Many have very wrong ideas about what the gospel actually is. Others have a very superficial understanding of the gospel (in contrast to the Colossian Christians, who we are told "understood" the gospel, which means that they became thoroughly competent in it). Others don't think the gospel is quite enough to change lives and so they look to other sources or engage in other initiatives to do "ministry", with the proclamation of the gospel message being an optional add-on.
What do you think are the major obstacles to people really hearing and understanding the gospel? What are you doing to promote the true planting and authentic transformational growth of the gospel within our community?
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
ESV Study Bible's Finally Out!
Check out these beautiful pictures:
http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/esv-study-bible-2/
I have to admit, I've bought into some of the hype. I can't wait to have this as a resource. I think it will be a great help, especially to people overseas who can't afford to buy a lot of commentaries or reference books.
http://spurgeon.wordpress.com/2008/10/15/esv-study-bible-2/
I have to admit, I've bought into some of the hype. I can't wait to have this as a resource. I think it will be a great help, especially to people overseas who can't afford to buy a lot of commentaries or reference books.
Thursday, October 9, 2008
"Christ Rules: An Introduction to Paul's Letter to the Church at Colossae" Col 1:1-2
Paul writes this letter to the church at Colossae, a church which started off of the ministry of Epaphras and a church that he had never personally visited. Nevertheless, Paul had a great love for Colossian church. He was also very concerned about this church because some people within the church were being drawn away into a "new" teaching. This teaching seems to have been a blend of local folk beliefs and Jewish practices. We could describe this teaching as "Jesus plus." Sure, the Colossian Christians had Jesus, but what this new teaching suggested was that they needed to do a little bit extra, in the form of following special religious rules or appeasing certain supernatural spirits, if they really wanted to have a "full" life.
It's not entirely surprising that this kind of teaching was attractive. All of us battle fear, anxiety, and insecurity. We search for meaning in the face of great, merciless forces - things like unexpected illness, loss of a job, or outright evil powers. We cope and try to find control over all these things in lot of different ways. Some do it through filling their life with lots of religion. Others do it by trying to strip their life of any religion. Many do it through the pursuit of money, or through sex, or through drugs or alcohol.
So what's the answer to all this? It comes through affirming one indisuputable face - that Jesus Christ rules. This fact is at the heart of this letter to the Colossian church. At various point in this letter Paul describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the creator of all things, the head of the church, the firstborn from the dead, the reconciler of all the things, the Savior through his death on the cross, the source of all wisdom and knowledge, the conqueror of sin and Satan. In short, Christ rules! And because he rules, everything is under his power and control.
This has significant implications for us. It means that the person who is under the rule of Christ doesn't need to fear anything. Every evil and demonic spirit has fallen falt on their faces before King Jesus. The Christian believer then has real power over every demonic enemy they face.
In adddition, the person who is under the rule of Jesus has everything they need in order to live a true, authentic, full life. For in Christ, the believer possess the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9-10). This means then that we don't have to be ruled by so many useless, frustrating, dehumanizing "earthly" things. We don't have to be ruled by sex, by evil desires, by anger, by that addiction, by that chronic illness, by that relationship, by that bank account, by those legalistic religion rules. Instead, we can be ruled by things like compassion, kindness, humility, love, and peace(Colossians 3:12-15).
All of this is possible because through the death and resurrection of Jesus God put the sleeper hold on every sin and every evil and dark power in our world. He pinned them down and has forced them to submit to him in total defeat, so that now, in Christ, we also can claim victory over all sin and evil (Colossians 2:13-15).
Christ rules, and this has direct practical relevance for every Christian life. The rule of Christ is the answer to every basic spiritual need or want. It's the ultimate answer to every social ill and problem. It's the rallying cry that conquers every demon that torments the human soul.
So, what does the rule of Christ mean to you? What are things that you've seen rule people's lives, or may even rule your life, and how might the rule of Christ help free you from these things?
It's not entirely surprising that this kind of teaching was attractive. All of us battle fear, anxiety, and insecurity. We search for meaning in the face of great, merciless forces - things like unexpected illness, loss of a job, or outright evil powers. We cope and try to find control over all these things in lot of different ways. Some do it through filling their life with lots of religion. Others do it by trying to strip their life of any religion. Many do it through the pursuit of money, or through sex, or through drugs or alcohol.
So what's the answer to all this? It comes through affirming one indisuputable face - that Jesus Christ rules. This fact is at the heart of this letter to the Colossian church. At various point in this letter Paul describes Jesus as the image of the invisible God, the creator of all things, the head of the church, the firstborn from the dead, the reconciler of all the things, the Savior through his death on the cross, the source of all wisdom and knowledge, the conqueror of sin and Satan. In short, Christ rules! And because he rules, everything is under his power and control.
This has significant implications for us. It means that the person who is under the rule of Christ doesn't need to fear anything. Every evil and demonic spirit has fallen falt on their faces before King Jesus. The Christian believer then has real power over every demonic enemy they face.
In adddition, the person who is under the rule of Jesus has everything they need in order to live a true, authentic, full life. For in Christ, the believer possess the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9-10). This means then that we don't have to be ruled by so many useless, frustrating, dehumanizing "earthly" things. We don't have to be ruled by sex, by evil desires, by anger, by that addiction, by that chronic illness, by that relationship, by that bank account, by those legalistic religion rules. Instead, we can be ruled by things like compassion, kindness, humility, love, and peace(Colossians 3:12-15).
All of this is possible because through the death and resurrection of Jesus God put the sleeper hold on every sin and every evil and dark power in our world. He pinned them down and has forced them to submit to him in total defeat, so that now, in Christ, we also can claim victory over all sin and evil (Colossians 2:13-15).
Christ rules, and this has direct practical relevance for every Christian life. The rule of Christ is the answer to every basic spiritual need or want. It's the ultimate answer to every social ill and problem. It's the rallying cry that conquers every demon that torments the human soul.
So, what does the rule of Christ mean to you? What are things that you've seen rule people's lives, or may even rule your life, and how might the rule of Christ help free you from these things?
Thursday, October 2, 2008
"Repentance and Restoration" Hosea 14:1-9
In this last chapter of Hosea the people of God are once again encouraged to repent. They must admit the full reality of their sin so that God might fully cleanse and restore them into a right relationship with him. How can Israel be sure that God will do this? It's because God is a God of mercy (Hosea 14:3). Israel does not deserve any mercy from God. But God freely chooses to show mercy and love towards them (Hosea 14:4). He will be like a tree constantly giving them refreshing, life sustaining fruit.
We find similar themes and wording in the New Testament. Peter describes how through the death of Jesus our sins are taken away, we are healed, and we are restored to God (1 Peter 2:24-25). So we see that God is in the business of not just restoring sinful Israel but a sinful world. He sent Jesus to die on the cross so that this might be possible. Anyone who repents from their sin and turns to God by believing in Jesus will be fully restored and renewed.
Repentance and restoration. What do those words mean to you? How has Jesus and his death on the cross brought about both repentance and restoration in your own life? And what are your final thoughts on the book of Hosea?
We find similar themes and wording in the New Testament. Peter describes how through the death of Jesus our sins are taken away, we are healed, and we are restored to God (1 Peter 2:24-25). So we see that God is in the business of not just restoring sinful Israel but a sinful world. He sent Jesus to die on the cross so that this might be possible. Anyone who repents from their sin and turns to God by believing in Jesus will be fully restored and renewed.
Repentance and restoration. What do those words mean to you? How has Jesus and his death on the cross brought about both repentance and restoration in your own life? And what are your final thoughts on the book of Hosea?
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
"A History of Rebellion and the Pain of Future Judgment" Hosea 11:12-13:16
Sorry, I've gotten a bit behind updating this blog. I'll start first with recapping this past Sunday and hopefully later this week I'll recap the previous Sunday.
In our passage this Sunday we reviewed again the details of Israel's rebellion, were confronted with the harsh reality of God's judgment as an inevitable consequence because of Israel's rebellion, and then found hope in the form of some questions and reminders.
Israel was a people who constantly "strove with God" (Hosea 12:3). God had been been extremely generous and gracious to them throughout their history. They however became complacent, taking for granted God's blessings (cf Hosea 13:4-6). This complacency led to pride, which led to them forgetting about God and worshiping idols.
Israel's rejection of God would bring on them devastating consequences. This section of Hosea contains some of the harshest descriptions of what God's judgment on Israel will entail. God says that he will be like a wild predator against them (Hosea 13:7-9). The nation will become as nothing, they will disappear (Hosea 13:3). Their sin will have a disastrous effect on their society, affecting the most vulnerable people in their community (Hosea 13:16).
In the midst of all this however we get the questions posed in Hosea 13:14, which seems to suggest that perhaps God will save his people from the death that awaits them. How will this happen? By way of Hosea 12:6. There we are reminded how we can get right with God. We must return to God, something that is only possible by God's help. We must maintain steadfast love and justice in our lives and in our community. And we must wait continually, with eager anticipation, for God, which doesn't mean being passive but coming near to God, "leaning forward" towards God. Fortunately, we do these things knowing already how God will respond. He has responded to us with Christ. In Christ the questions of Hosea 13:14 become definitive answers. In Christ God has saved us from the power of death and the judgment we all deserve for our sin against him (cf 1 Cor 15:54-56).
How do the truths contained in this passage resonate with you? Was it difficult for any of you to read this passage, especially the severe and harsh descriptions of what will happen to Israel? (Note: God's judgment did eventually come on Israel; you can read the account of it in 2 Kings 16-17.) How can we avoid become "full" prideful Christians who forget God(cf Hosea 13:5-6) and instead be Christians who are always thankful to God for Christ, "leaning forward" towards him?
In our passage this Sunday we reviewed again the details of Israel's rebellion, were confronted with the harsh reality of God's judgment as an inevitable consequence because of Israel's rebellion, and then found hope in the form of some questions and reminders.
Israel was a people who constantly "strove with God" (Hosea 12:3). God had been been extremely generous and gracious to them throughout their history. They however became complacent, taking for granted God's blessings (cf Hosea 13:4-6). This complacency led to pride, which led to them forgetting about God and worshiping idols.
Israel's rejection of God would bring on them devastating consequences. This section of Hosea contains some of the harshest descriptions of what God's judgment on Israel will entail. God says that he will be like a wild predator against them (Hosea 13:7-9). The nation will become as nothing, they will disappear (Hosea 13:3). Their sin will have a disastrous effect on their society, affecting the most vulnerable people in their community (Hosea 13:16).
In the midst of all this however we get the questions posed in Hosea 13:14, which seems to suggest that perhaps God will save his people from the death that awaits them. How will this happen? By way of Hosea 12:6. There we are reminded how we can get right with God. We must return to God, something that is only possible by God's help. We must maintain steadfast love and justice in our lives and in our community. And we must wait continually, with eager anticipation, for God, which doesn't mean being passive but coming near to God, "leaning forward" towards God. Fortunately, we do these things knowing already how God will respond. He has responded to us with Christ. In Christ the questions of Hosea 13:14 become definitive answers. In Christ God has saved us from the power of death and the judgment we all deserve for our sin against him (cf 1 Cor 15:54-56).
How do the truths contained in this passage resonate with you? Was it difficult for any of you to read this passage, especially the severe and harsh descriptions of what will happen to Israel? (Note: God's judgment did eventually come on Israel; you can read the account of it in 2 Kings 16-17.) How can we avoid become "full" prideful Christians who forget God(cf Hosea 13:5-6) and instead be Christians who are always thankful to God for Christ, "leaning forward" towards him?
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
"An Uncommon Love" Hosea 11:1-11
Hosea 11 starts off telling us how God first loved the nation of Israel. He called Israel out of Egypt and adopted Israel as his son. He then loved him in the way a good parent - he fed him, protected him, guided him. Israel responded by rejecting God. They become the stereotypical punk kid - completely ungrateful to their Father and self-absorbed.
Rightfully Israel should face the full consequences of their rebellion and be completely wiped out. But God decides that he won't do this, for his heart still burns with compassion for his wayward kid (Hosea 11:8). How could this be possible? It's because God is "God and not a man" (Hosea 11:9). He is the "Holy One" (v.9). This means that God alone is God. There is no other like him. He is separate, unique, distinct, above us and beyond us, infinite, perfect, pure.
God chooses to show holy love towards Israel as opposed to the holy wrath they should have gotten from him. He does this not because of anything they have done; he does this entirely based on who he is - a holy God who can do as he wants so that ultimately he gets the praise and glory.
How then will the sin of Israel be dealt with so that God, the Holy One, can still be who is and yet also be in relationship with such a sinful people. We find out several centuries later, in person of the one true Son of God, Jesus. Unlike the adopted son Israel, Jesus remains perfectly faithful and obedient to God. He obeys the Father to the point of giving up his life on the cross. And it is on the cross that sin is dealt with and holy wrath and justice are satisfied. It is now through Jesus that the way is opened up so that all sinners can be brought into relationship with the Father.
For really, all humanity is like Israel in that we all have acted like punks towards God. We depend on our religious spirituality (acting like the punk kid who says to his dad, "I can make it on my own I don't need you"). Or we depend on excuses for why we sin or why our sin really isn't sin (acting like the punk kid who always says, "I'm a victim, it's not my fault").
The audacity of the gospel is that God still graciously chooses to love us in spite of "punkish" ourselves (Eph 1:4-6). Because of God's love towards us in Jesus, we can now, through faith in Jesus, experience God's grace and compassion. We are forgiven of our sins, made new, and adopted as full sons and daughters of God. We now live in this love, which God calls us to display to the rest of our world so that others might also believe in Jesus and know God's love in their lives (cf 1 Thess 3:11-13).
Let's think further about this holy uncommon love of God. What does it mean to you personally that God is a holy God, and then that he graciously choose to show love towards you in Jesus Christ? What are some practical ways each of us in the coming weeks can display this holy uncommon love to those around us who have yet to personally experience it? What are some practical ways we as a church community can display this holy uncommon love to our city?
Rightfully Israel should face the full consequences of their rebellion and be completely wiped out. But God decides that he won't do this, for his heart still burns with compassion for his wayward kid (Hosea 11:8). How could this be possible? It's because God is "God and not a man" (Hosea 11:9). He is the "Holy One" (v.9). This means that God alone is God. There is no other like him. He is separate, unique, distinct, above us and beyond us, infinite, perfect, pure.
God chooses to show holy love towards Israel as opposed to the holy wrath they should have gotten from him. He does this not because of anything they have done; he does this entirely based on who he is - a holy God who can do as he wants so that ultimately he gets the praise and glory.
How then will the sin of Israel be dealt with so that God, the Holy One, can still be who is and yet also be in relationship with such a sinful people. We find out several centuries later, in person of the one true Son of God, Jesus. Unlike the adopted son Israel, Jesus remains perfectly faithful and obedient to God. He obeys the Father to the point of giving up his life on the cross. And it is on the cross that sin is dealt with and holy wrath and justice are satisfied. It is now through Jesus that the way is opened up so that all sinners can be brought into relationship with the Father.
For really, all humanity is like Israel in that we all have acted like punks towards God. We depend on our religious spirituality (acting like the punk kid who says to his dad, "I can make it on my own I don't need you"). Or we depend on excuses for why we sin or why our sin really isn't sin (acting like the punk kid who always says, "I'm a victim, it's not my fault").
The audacity of the gospel is that God still graciously chooses to love us in spite of "punkish" ourselves (Eph 1:4-6). Because of God's love towards us in Jesus, we can now, through faith in Jesus, experience God's grace and compassion. We are forgiven of our sins, made new, and adopted as full sons and daughters of God. We now live in this love, which God calls us to display to the rest of our world so that others might also believe in Jesus and know God's love in their lives (cf 1 Thess 3:11-13).
Let's think further about this holy uncommon love of God. What does it mean to you personally that God is a holy God, and then that he graciously choose to show love towards you in Jesus Christ? What are some practical ways each of us in the coming weeks can display this holy uncommon love to those around us who have yet to personally experience it? What are some practical ways we as a church community can display this holy uncommon love to our city?
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
"Plant the Right Crop" Hosea 10:1-15
Hosea 10 shows us an Israel enjoying its wealth and luxury. The people don't serve God; instead they add more altars in order to further worship idols. In the soon to come future however, they will be put to shame. God will break down their altars and they will bear their guilt for their rejection of him. (10:2).
The "fruit" that comes out of the Israelite community is rotten. Sin is so rooted within them it has produced a community characterized by injustice, lies, deception, and hypocrisy (10:2, 13). They are a people who "trust in their own way" (10:13) instead of seeking to follow God's way.
What then is God's way? Hosea 10:12 lays it out for us. God's way means "planting" righteousness. That is to say, we shape and guide our life according to what God says is good and right. We see God not as someone who gives us good tips about how we can get what we want out of life. Rather we see God as Lord over ALL our life; that every decision, every thought, every action needs to be submitted to him. As a church lives righteously, the "fruit" that comes out of that church will be steadfast love. The church will be a community that is loyal and committed to God and to one another.
None of this is easy. For this to happen we must break up "fallow ground." This means addressing the parts of lives that aren't submitted to God and aren't being sown with righteousness. This will involving seeking the Lord. For when we seek him he will come and bring righteousness into our lives. Thus the key to developing righteous lives and maturing in steadfast love is God. He is the one who brings about our growth in righteousness.
This happens today through Jesus. Apart from Jesus we produce nothing of any lasting eternal value but in Jesus we can bear "much fruit" (John 13:3-5). As we see more of Jesus in our church and in each life in our church, we can know for sure that God's righteousness is indeed raining down on us and that we will produce much good fruit that will bless our church and our city. (cf Gal 5:22-23)
Here's a few questions to consider in light of v.12:
1. What parts of lives tend to be "fallow" ground? That is to say, what areas of our lives do we tend to not seek God or be very passive about placing them under God's righteousness standards? What will it take to break up this ground so that we are living righteously in a more wholistic way?
2. What will it look like, practically speaking, to seek the Lord more? How does the gospel of Jesus Christ play into this?
The "fruit" that comes out of the Israelite community is rotten. Sin is so rooted within them it has produced a community characterized by injustice, lies, deception, and hypocrisy (10:2, 13). They are a people who "trust in their own way" (10:13) instead of seeking to follow God's way.
What then is God's way? Hosea 10:12 lays it out for us. God's way means "planting" righteousness. That is to say, we shape and guide our life according to what God says is good and right. We see God not as someone who gives us good tips about how we can get what we want out of life. Rather we see God as Lord over ALL our life; that every decision, every thought, every action needs to be submitted to him. As a church lives righteously, the "fruit" that comes out of that church will be steadfast love. The church will be a community that is loyal and committed to God and to one another.
None of this is easy. For this to happen we must break up "fallow ground." This means addressing the parts of lives that aren't submitted to God and aren't being sown with righteousness. This will involving seeking the Lord. For when we seek him he will come and bring righteousness into our lives. Thus the key to developing righteous lives and maturing in steadfast love is God. He is the one who brings about our growth in righteousness.
This happens today through Jesus. Apart from Jesus we produce nothing of any lasting eternal value but in Jesus we can bear "much fruit" (John 13:3-5). As we see more of Jesus in our church and in each life in our church, we can know for sure that God's righteousness is indeed raining down on us and that we will produce much good fruit that will bless our church and our city. (cf Gal 5:22-23)
Here's a few questions to consider in light of v.12:
1. What parts of lives tend to be "fallow" ground? That is to say, what areas of our lives do we tend to not seek God or be very passive about placing them under God's righteousness standards? What will it take to break up this ground so that we are living righteously in a more wholistic way?
2. What will it look like, practically speaking, to seek the Lord more? How does the gospel of Jesus Christ play into this?
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
A Church That's All About You!
This was pretty funny. But honestly (and sadly) not too far off from how many people approach church and from how many churches think they should do church.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
"God Promises to Punish" Hosea 8:1-9:17
Hosea 9:17 neatly captures the point of the message this past Sunday - "My God will reject them because they have not listened to him." Israel has stopped listening to God. They reject his guidance when it comes to picking leaders. They reject true worship of God and instead worship idols. They reject his help by choosing to form alliances with pagan nations. Because Israel has rejected God, God rejects Israel. God intends to severely punish his people. They are no longer his people but rebels who will be cast out from the land and become "wanderers among the nations" (Hosea 9:17). This is the natural consequence from their continued blatant rejection of God.
It's fairly easy to fall into a pattern of life where you don't even realize you are apart from God. This happens when, like the ancient Israelites, Christians begin to adopt the rhythms and patterns of a culture devoid of God. As this happens, secular practices and values will soon be seen as legitimately Christian practices and values. What the Bible says is good and right will be called strange and repressive. What the Bible says is wrong and self-destructive will become acceptable and normal.
Sadly we see much evidence of this very thing happening today in the modern church. Success is judged not by knowledge of God but by high budget and attendance numbers. Being part of a local church is seen not as the non-negotiable center of the Christian life but as an optional choice. Biblical confrontation and sacrificial giving are disciplines to avoid, not evidence of genuine Christian community.
What do you believe will be the long-term effects on the church if it persists in listening more to the surrounding culture instead of listening to God? How do you think we can build lives that are able to clearly identify God's voice, listen to it, and obey it?
It's fairly easy to fall into a pattern of life where you don't even realize you are apart from God. This happens when, like the ancient Israelites, Christians begin to adopt the rhythms and patterns of a culture devoid of God. As this happens, secular practices and values will soon be seen as legitimately Christian practices and values. What the Bible says is good and right will be called strange and repressive. What the Bible says is wrong and self-destructive will become acceptable and normal.
Sadly we see much evidence of this very thing happening today in the modern church. Success is judged not by knowledge of God but by high budget and attendance numbers. Being part of a local church is seen not as the non-negotiable center of the Christian life but as an optional choice. Biblical confrontation and sacrificial giving are disciplines to avoid, not evidence of genuine Christian community.
What do you believe will be the long-term effects on the church if it persists in listening more to the surrounding culture instead of listening to God? How do you think we can build lives that are able to clearly identify God's voice, listen to it, and obey it?
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
"True Repentance (vs Pragmatic, Phony Repentance)" Hosea 5:8-7:16
This past Sunday we explored a couple of different topics, the key one being the topic of repentance. Repentance involves us returning to the Lord. Hosea 5:15 describes well what this will mean: 1. Acknowledging our guilt, 2. Earnestly seeking God. These steps are hard for us to do. We like to validate what we do as opposed to admit our guilt! Soon we are going down paths we never thought we would go down, all as a way to continue justifying our lives and avoiding our sin.
Repentance though is not something to be avoided. It should be something we wholeheartedly embrace! We should see repentance as the means by which we again experience the healing, restoring, reconciling power of the gospel of Jesus. Through repentance we can maintain a close relationship with God and thus be a people who know God and love with steadfast love as opposed to being a people who are religious hypocrites, full of religious practice but empty of true devotion to God (see Hosea 6:6).
What specific practices and attitudes get in the way of true repentance? In what ways does the gospel encourage us to want to repent? How do you think we can encourage a spirit of repentance within our community (and continue to fight against the spirit of spiritual whoredom)?
Repentance though is not something to be avoided. It should be something we wholeheartedly embrace! We should see repentance as the means by which we again experience the healing, restoring, reconciling power of the gospel of Jesus. Through repentance we can maintain a close relationship with God and thus be a people who know God and love with steadfast love as opposed to being a people who are religious hypocrites, full of religious practice but empty of true devotion to God (see Hosea 6:6).
What specific practices and attitudes get in the way of true repentance? In what ways does the gospel encourage us to want to repent? How do you think we can encourage a spirit of repentance within our community (and continue to fight against the spirit of spiritual whoredom)?
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