11/13/13

From Ben Fronczek... Treating Others the Way You Want to be Treated

Treating Others the Way You Want to be Treated

Treating Others the Way You Want to be Treated - Matthew 7:12

A young man brought up in the home of a Baptist preacher had a dream up going to college and becoming a lawyer. But after his dad passed away unexpectedly this young man put his dream aside to work as a stock clerk in a local store. When he was a child, his dad shared with him our verse for today: “Do unto others what you would have them do unto you.” He said, “Son, if you follow this Golden Rule, you’ll live a great life for the Lord, and God will take care of you.”

That sermon left a lasting impression on life. As time went on the owners of the store saw the young man’s enthusiasm and dedication and promoted him and eventually decided to make him a partner. Eventually the original owners decided to sell out their interest in the store and the young man purchased the store along with 2 others and over time developed a chain of stores across the country. He based his whole business philosophy on this verse. He treated his customers and his associates the way he would want to be treated, and God blessed the business.

Let me read to you a few of his quotes:

“The friendly smile, the word of greeting, are certainly something fleeting and seemingly insubstantial. You can’t take them with you. But they work for good beyond your power to measure their influence. It is the service we are not obliged to give that people value most.”

“In setting up a business under the name and meaning of the Golden Rule, I was publicly binding myself, in my business relations, to a principle which had been a real and intimate part of my family upbringing. Our idea was to make money and build business through serving the community with fair dealing and honest value.”

“Courteous treatment will make a customer a walking advertisement.”

“A merchant who approaches business with the idea of serving the public well has nothing to fear from the competition.”

And who was this man? I’ll let you know in at the end of the lesson.

The same verse which empowered the life of this man can empower the lives of believers today. I want to talk about what this verse means in its biblical context, and then I want to talk about what it means for our lives today.

In Matthew 7:7-11, we learned that God does good things for those who come to him in prayer; those who ask, seek, and knock.. And here in verse 12, Jesus is saying “Since God has been so good to us through the years, we need to extend that same goodness to the people in our lives. Therefore, in everything, do to others what you would have them do unto you.”

Notice that Jesus says IN EVERYTHING, do unto others.” This means that in every conceivable circumstance of life, we should treat people the way we would want to be treated.

I want to share three ways that the Golden Rule applies to our lives.

#1. It means that we should serve others the way we would want to be served. If you were the owner of your own company, how many of you would want your workers to be honest and work as hard as they could? How many of you would want them to maintain a positive attitude toward others, even when things get hectic?

If that’s the way you would want to be treated if you were the boss, then that’s the way you should treat your CURRENT boss! Living out the truth of this Bible verse revolutionizes the way you do your job! The way we do everything!

You just do not do the bare minimum so that you can collect a paycheck. Live the life the way Jesus wants you to live it! Serve others the way YOU would want to be served!

1 Corinthians 10:31 says

“Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God!”

Now this should apply whether you are at home, at church, on the street, in a grocery line, at work, where ever! ”In EVERYTHING do unto others…”

You say, “That’s not realistic! That’s not the way my boss or supervisor acts! That’s not even the way my spouse acts towards me. That’s not the way most PEOPLE act!” And you’re right! People are selfish by nature. People don’t want to practice the golden rule on other people because it’s a lot more fun when someone practice the golden rule on them! They like it when people say “Here, let me help you with that! What can I do to make you more comfortable?

But Jesus says in Mark 10:44 that ‘If you want to be great in the eyes of the Lord, then YOU need to be the one who serves! YOU need to be the one who is an instrument of God’s blessing! Whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.’ Treating people the way you want to be treated fulfills the will of God.

#2. The Golden Rule also means that we should forgive others the way you would want to be forgiven. How many of you have ever said, “Oh, I wish she would give me another chance! I wish he would realize how sorry I am for what I said or what I did?! I wish they could just forgive me.”

If you’ve ever wanted to be forgiven, then you should have empathy for the people in YOUR life who need forgiveness.

Ephesians 4:32 says

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

Billy Graham had a weekly newspaper column where he answers questions that people send him.

One person wrote and said, “My dad is dying, and he wants to see me one more time. But he abandoned me when I was a kid. Why should I go and see him now?”

And Dr. Graham said, “What your father did was very hurtful, and I can understand why you wouldn’t want to go. But put yourself in his shoes. If you messed up your relationship with your family, wouldn’t you pray for one more chance to make things right before you died? Wouldn’t you want one last opportunity to say “I’m sorry?” Wouldn’t you want one last chance to be a blessing?”

And then Billy Graham said, “This isn’t just about your dad’s need for forgiveness. This is about your willingness to extend forgiveness. When you give your heart to Jesus, God gives you the ability to forgive the hurts of the past. God gives you the ability to love people that you could never love on your own.”

Many times,it’s not something we can do in our own strength. But with the help of Almighty God, we can forgive others the way we would want to be forgiven.

#3. The Golden Rule also means that we should show love for others the way we would want to be loved.

You can apply this to your own family. When you get home from work wouldn’t be nice if your spouse greeted you with a smile and a hug and kind words. Wouldn’t it be nice if they made a nice meal for you and did a few of your chores around the house so that you could relax a bit. Wouldn’t be nice if your family not only praised you to your face but also treated you nice in public.

Well as you apply the Golden Rule, shouldn’t you be the one who is nice to your spouse, greeting them with a smile, kind words, and a hug. Shouldn’t we be the ones doing something nice for them to lighten their burdens?

So this verse not only revolutionizes the way we serve others. It revolutionizes the way we love and treat others. It challenges us to put the interests of others ahead of our own interests.

That’s what the Golden Rule is all about. And Jesus says if you live like this, you are fulfilling the will of God. You are living out the very essence of the Old Testament.

We see the same truth in other parts of the Bible. In Romans chapter 13:8-9, Paul is talking about our relationships with one another. Beginning in verse eight he says,

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”

In other words, “treating others the way you want to be treated fulfills the will of God.” How many of you want to touch your family’s with the love of God? How many of you would like to change someone’s world with an act of random kindness? There’s no need to hit people over the head with the Bible. To the best of your ability, just take the essence of the Christian message as contained in the words of this Golden rule and live it out day after day, as long as you live, and watch what happens.

Micah 6:8 says

“What does the Lord require of you, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

Treating people the way you want to be treated fulfills the will of God.

#4. Another reason why we should practice the Golden Rule in the lives of others is because God practiced the Golden Rule towards us.

The Bible tells us, while we were still His enemies, Christ died on the cross for our sins. He paid the ultimate price. Then He rose from the dead to be our Lord and Savior to help us get to Heaven. And so the Golden Rule is all about loving and serving others with the same sacrificial love that God has for us. Ask Jesus to be your Savior and Lord. Then practice the Golden Rule in the lives of others, and watch what happens to them and to you. I began this sermon telling you of a man who based his whole business upon this Golden Rule and was blessed because of it. There are now more than 1100 stores all over the country named after this man. His name, James Cash Penny. We’ve all visited one of his stores at one time or another, JC Penny’s. This man went on to do great things because he took this Golden Rule seriously and applied it to his life as best as he could and God blessed him. What about you?

I challenge you to apply this Golden Rule in every part of your life.

Jesus said,

¹² “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

It is only one verse, one command of Jesus, yet if taken seriously and applied, I believe it has the power change each of us and the world we live in.

Based on a sermon by Dr. Marc Axelrod

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... Romans 1: The Witness & His Story Chapter 1:1-17

Romans 1: The Witness & His Story

Chapter 1:1-17

Paul introduces his good news of God's righteousness (faithfulness) in 1:1-17, which is good news for the whole of humanity (1:5, 13b-17).

Note that the word "gospel" occurs six times in these opening verses. Paul certainly used texts to explain and present his message but he preached "the gospel" rather than a host of verses.

The centrality of "good news"

Why did Paul write the book of Romans? Scholars continue to debate that question and they come up with differing answers. Perhaps there is no one single reason for Romans. There certainly isn't one that stands out so plainly that scholars can agree on it. That's the trouble with and the beauty of rich literature. It carries our minds in so many directions that we find it hard to stay with one profound insight. This is especially true when the writer himself hasn't offered a single purpose for writing. And even if a writer has a single purpose in mind, if the material is very rich he or she will be saying more than they consciously mean to say. This is because truths exist in a network of truth rather than standing in isolation so one leads to another. In any case, it's always helpful and sometimes critically important to discover the overall reason for the book. Just the same, sometimes we can understand how some of the pieces work together even if we can't determine where it is going as a whole. Something like a jigsaw puzzle I suppose. We can piece together some of the sections and still not know what the whole is about. But if we can piece a significant number of pieces together we can get a sense of the kind of scene we’ll find in the end. We may adjust our educated “guess” but we’ll not be simply groping in sheer ignorance.

Paul introduces his good news of God's righteousness (faithfulness) in 1:1-17, which is good news for the whole of humanity (1:5, 13b-17).

Note that the word "gospel" occurs six times in these opening verses that act as an introduction to the entire letter. Since he uses that "good news" word so often it should affect how we view the book as a whole. However somber some of the parts of Romans are we need to remember that Paul sees himself as a preacher and teacher of "the gospel of God" (1:1) and it's that good news he wants to bring to the Romans.

The truth and authority of the "good news"

An inscription discovered in Prienne in northern Turkey is dated 9 B.C. and it gives us an insight into what the word "gospel" means. Here's a piece of what it says.

"Whereas the Providence which has ordered the whole of our life, showing concern and zeal, has ordained the most perfect consummation for human life by giving to it Augustus, by filling him with virtue for doing the work of a benefactor among men, and by sending in him, as it were, a saviour for us and those who come after us, to make war to cease, to create order everywhereand whereas the birthday of the God [Augustus] was the beginning for the world of the glad tidings that have come to men through him. Paulus Fabius Maximus, the proconsul of the province has devised a way of honoring Augustus."

From this it's clear that the "gospel" is glad tidings. It's also clear that the gospel is an announcement, a proclamation rather than just an invitation to share the joy inherent in the good news. This inscription isn't saying that Augustus is lord if only the people would let him into their hearts. It claims that the power that governs the universe had established Augustus as lord of the world and he is its instrument to bring peace and security to that world.

Individualism is such a part of our culture and religious decision is so stressed that we forget this aspect of the gospel. When Paul preached Jesus as King he wasn't inviting people to faith in a new religion, he was proclaiming a change in the entire creation because a new King had risen! Nothing is now to be seen in the same way. So he warns them as he approaches the gates of Rome, the world's center of Caesar power, that he is coming with a gospel that is God's power to save anyone who believes it!

Even the Roman historian Tacitus, in a bitter moment, admitted that Rome by force of arms created a desert and called it peace; but Paul insists that he was not on a destroying mission he was coming with a gospel of salvation and life. It is this gospel he wants to lay before the Romans and see it bear fruit among them.

Some characteristics of the good news

He says it is the "gospel of God" (1:1). This phrase may mean it is a gospel that comes from God, a gospel that God himself makes known. It may also mean it is a gospel "about" God. There is no need to choose between these two because Paul might have had both in mind. Both are certainly true and it is important in the book of Romans to see that both are true.

The gospel isn't about less important things like the weather, or the economy of the Greco-Roman world or how to get along with our neighbors. The gospel is about God himself and how he relates to his sinful creation. And the gospel comes from God himself.

It isn't good advice or a philosophy that Paul or others have dreamed up--it comes from God. All this means that the Romans (and we) should pay close attention to his message.

He says the gospel concerns God's Son (1:1-4,9) who is Jesus the Messiah (Christ). Paul insisted that God had made himself and his purposes known in Jesus Christ in a way that never happened before.

When we think of the Son of God Paul insists that he had come to the world as a son of David's line but that he was also marked out as God's unique Son by his resurrection out from among the dead. The phrase "according to the spirit of holiness" seems to suggest that there was more to Jesus than his "fleshly" (human) nature. Viewed from his "fleshly" side he is David's son and viewed from his "spiritual" side he is God's Son. Many scholars think we should understand that Christ was David's son according to the flesh but that he was shown to be God's Son by the Holy Spirit ("the spirit of holiness").

That is, they think, and they may be correct, that here Paul isn’t speaking about the deity of Jesus but is particularly interested in his resurrection and glorification via the Holy Spirit.

He says the gospel is God's power to save (1:16). We're tempted to think of God's "power" as merely "divine muscle" but it's a mistake to think of it like that in this context. Even when speaking about human power we know the difference between the power to move a huge stone and the power to "move" a person. A person "saved" in Paul's sense means God brought that person back into relationship with himself and so saved him/her from sin and loss. This kind of "saving" isn't done with "divine muscle". Since God saves us in and by the cross of Christ it's clear that he doesn't bully us into life and doesn't save us by force. To be saved by God's "power" means God set himself the task and was able to complete. The gospel, or good news, is the message that a faithful God did that very thing and that he did it through the crucified Jesus Christ. There are some places naked power or force can't enter and one of them is the human heart.

He says the gospel is God's power to save all who believe because in the gospel God's righteousness (faithfulness) continues to be revealed (1:16-17). God's righteousness is God's faithfulness. He keeps his commitments and when he created humanity he made a commitment to humanity. Despite our rebellion against him he didn't utterly destroy us he was faithful to his word and that's part of what we mean when we say God is "righteous". His faithfulness is to all people and not only those who are Jews. The gospel message that proclaims God's faithfulness draws people to God in response to that faithfulness and they put their trust in him. So the gospel is "from" faith (God's faithfulness) "unto" faith (the faith of those who hear). The relationship between the righteous God and those who are declared righteous by faith is a dynamic one if salvation is to be experienced. It isn't just God keeping faith with man; it is man trusting himself to that God who keeps faith.

He says the gospel of God's righteousness in Jesus Christ was promised in the Old Testament scriptures (1:2). Paul will make the point repeatedly that the Old Testament scriptures (including the covenant Torah itself) pointed to the gospel he was preaching about Jesus Christ, God's Son (see also 3:21 with Acts 26:22-23).

So, in some senses Paul's message might be surprising but the truth is, Israel had been given fair warning of how the good news would be worked out in Jesus the Messiah (see Luke 24:25-27,44-47). Many in Israel, eager to establish their own national connection with God missed what the Old Testament taught about God's righteousness toward and for the whole human race (see Romans 9:30 -10:4 in light of 1:16).

In addition, the OT scriptures spoke of these glorious coming things as promises to Israel. Paul stresses again and again that the good news had special significance for Israel and then through them to Gentiles. But it’s “to the Jew first” [Romans 1:16 and elsewhere].

From Mark Copeland... The Christian's Apparel (Colossians 3:12-17)

                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS"

                    The Christian's Apparel (3:12-17)

INTRODUCTION

1. In the first part of the third chapter of the Epistle to the
   Colossians, we have noticed several admonitions for living the full
   life in Jesus Christ:
   a. "Seek The Heavenly" (3:1-4)
   b. "Slay The Earthly" (3:5-9)
   c. "Strengthen The Christly" (3:10-11)

2. Beginning in verses 8-10, Paul uses the metaphor of "putting off"
   and "putting on" to describe what is necessary to grow as Christians

3. He continues this metaphor in verse 12, as he expands upon the
   things Christians are to "put on"

4. As we examine verses 12-17, we shall do so from the perspective of
   what constitutes "The Christian's Apparel"; that is, those things
   we must "put on" to be properly adorned as disciples of Jesus Christ

[Observe from verses 12-14, then, how we must adorn ourselves with...]

I. THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST (12-14)

   A. EIGHT VIRTUES ARE LISTED THAT WE ARE TO "PUT ON"...
      1. Two describe HOW WE ARE TO TREAT OTHERS
         a. Tender mercies (bowels of mercies, KJV)
            1) Grk., splagchnon {splangkh'-non} oiktirmos {oyk-tir-mos'}
            2) The first word literally means "bowels...for the bowels
               were regarded by the Hebrews as the  seat of the tenderer
               affections, esp. kindness, benevolence, compassion"
            3) The second word describes "compassion, pity, mercy"
            4) Thus we are to have "bowels in which compassion resides",
               or as we might say today, a heart of compassion
         b. Kindness
            1) Grk., chrestotes {khray-stot'-ace}
            2) Benignity, kindness
      2. Two depict THE STATE OF MIND WE ARE TO POSSESS
         a. Humility (humbleness of mind, KJV)
            1) Grk., tapeinophrosune {tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay}
            2) The having a humble opinion of one's self; a deep sense
               of one's (moral) littleness; modesty, humility, lowliness
               of mind
         b. Meekness
            1) Grk., praotes {prah-ot'-ace}
            2) Gentleness, mildness, meekness
      3. Three virtues relate to HOW WE SHOULD ACT WHEN MISTREATED
         a. Longsuffering
            1) Grk., makrothumia {mak-roth-oo-mee'-ah}
            2) Patience, forbearance, longsuffering, slowness in
               avenging wrongs
         b. Bearing with one another
            1) The word "bearing" (forbearing, KJV) is anechomai
               {an-ekh'-om-ahee}
            2) To sustain, to bear, to endure
         c. Forgiving one another
            1) The word "forgiving" is charizomai {khar-id'-zom-ahee}
            2) Meaning "to do something pleasant or agreeable (to one),
               to do a favor to, gratify; to grant forgiveness, to
               pardon"
            3) Forgiving others is demanded, because we have been
               forgiven by Christ!
      4. The final virtue mentioned is LOVE
         a. The Grk. word is agape {ag-ah'-pay}, meaning good will,
            benevolence
         b. It is described by Paul as "the bond of perfection"
            1) I.e., "the perfect tie that binds" the other virtues
               together (like a belt binds pieces of clothing)
            2) Without love, none of the other virtues can last; with
               it, the others can be easily maintained

   B. TOGETHER, THESE VIRTUES DISPLAY "THE CHARACTER OF CHRIST"...
      1. Are they not the qualities of Jesus that endear us to Him?
      2. If we adorn these virtues, then, we will be adorning ourselves
         with the "character of Christ"!
      3. Is this not the very idea of Col 3:10?

[Wouldn't it be wonderful, if we could be more successful in "putting
on" the character of Christ?

   *  Think of the churches that could have been spared divisions and
      contentions!

   *  Think of the families that could have been saved, if more
      Christians had so adorned themselves!

Remember, it begins with "seeking the heavenly" (3:1-4) and "slaying
the earthly" (3:5-9).

At this point, I am stretching Paul's metaphor of "putting on" further
than he did, but to "the character of Christ" we must also adorn
ourselves with...]

II. THE PEACE OF GOD (15)

   A. THIS "PEACE OF GOD" MUST RULE IN OUR HEARTS...
      1. Why?  Because we were called to be at peace in one body (the
         church)!
         a. Jesus died on the cross to make peace! - Ep 2:14-18
         b. If we disrupt the peace of the body (church), we disrupt the
            work of Christ on the cross!
         c. Thus, we must be diligent to "keep the unity of The Spirit
            in the bond of peace" - Ep 4:3
      2. Generally, where there is contention and strife, it is among
         members of the body who are not letting the peace of God rule
         in THEIR hearts
      3. Peace in the body (the church) begins with peace ruling in our
         hearts!

   B. LETTING THE PEACE OF GOD RULE IN OUR HEARTS...
      1. It must start with our setting our minds on things above
         a. Remember, this passage assumes that we are to carry out the
           admonition in Col 3:1-2
         b. Only a mind that is "spiritual" can enjoy peace from God
            - cf. Ro 8:5-6
      2. It is experienced as we engage in thankful prayer
         a. Paul tells us to be thankful in Col 3:15
         b. But he makes the connection between thankful prayer and the
            peace of God more clearly in Php 4:6-7
      3. And it comes as we follow the teachings and example of the
         apostles, like Paul - cf. Php 4:9

[Again, how wonderful it would be for churches and families if all
professing Christians would adorn themselves with such qualities as
"the character of Christ" and "the peace of God"!

But there is more we need to add to our "wardrobe"...]

III. THE WORD OF CHRIST (16)

   A. WE ARE TO LET THE WORD OF CHRIST "DWELL" IN US...
      1. That is, the Word is to live, to abide, to have free course in
         our lives
      2. This is possible only through a serious effort to learn it (via
         self-study, Bible classes, sermons, etc.)
      3. But learning is only the FIRST step!
         a. For the Word to truly "dwell" in us, we must OBEY it!
         b. Sadly, many who study never make the application, and remain
            "hearers only" - cf. Jm 1:22-25

   B. NOTICE ALSO THAT THE WORD IS TO DWELL IN US "RICHLY"...
      1. This happens when we add to our "study" of the Word of God the
         element of "song"
         a. This truth we glean as we notice HOW Paul says we are to let
            the Word dwell in us richly...
         b. I.e., by "teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and
            hymns..."
      2. Does this not make sense?  For if the Word is to dwell in us
         "richly"...
         a. It must not only involve the MIND through study
         b. It must also involve the HEART (emotions) through song!

   C. THIS EMPHASIZES THE IMPORTANCE OF "PROPER SINGING"...
      1. It is the means through which the Word of Christ dwells in us
         "richly"
      2. For this to happen, of course, we must sing properly
         a. We must understand what we are singing (otherwise, we are
            not taught and admonished)
         b. Our heart (emotions) must be involved, otherwise we are not
            singing "with grace in our hearts"
         c. Fortunately, this does not require formal voice training,
            for the emphasis is not on how it sounds to the ear, but how
            it touches the heart!
         d. Thus, ALL can and should sing (in the heart at least, if
            unable to do so with the mouth)
      3. For those who have not learned the "joy of singing", they are
         depriving themselves of the means God intended for the Word to
         dwell in us "richly"!

[Through singing, then, we can add to "The Christian's Apparel" the
"Word of Christ".

Finally, the "The Christian's Apparel" must also include...}

IV. THE AUTHORITY OF CHRIST (17)

   A. THIS REALLY COMPLETES "THE CHRISTIAN'S APPAREL"...
      1. For if we say or do ALL "in the name of the Lord Jesus" (that
         is, by His authority)
      2. Then it is evident that we have really "put on" the LORD Jesus
         Christ in our lives!

   B. SADLY, MANY FAIL TO ADORN THEMSELVES WITH A RESPECT FOR CHRIST'S
      AUTHORITY...
      1. What they do, they do by their own authority, "in the name of
         personal preference"
         a. They worship in whatever way pleases them, rather than seek
            out in the Word of God what pleases the Lord
         b. They make the church "in their own image", adding the
            traditions of men to the commands of God!
      2. But in view of what the Lord taught, we should remember...
         a. There is a such a thing as "vain worship"! - Mt 15:7-9
         b. Many religious people will still be lost, because they did
            not submit to the "will of the Father" - Mt 7:21-23
            1) Instead, they practiced "lawlessness"
            2) Grk., anomia {an-om-ee'-ah}, the condition of without
               law, because ignorant of it, or because of violating it
      3. Therefore, "...whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the
         name of the LORD Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through
         Him." - Col 3:17

CONCLUSION

1. We have suggested that four things make up "The Christian's Apparel"
   a. The Character of Christ
   b. The Peace of God
   c. The Word of Christ
   d. The Authority of Christ

2. Certainly the world (and many churches) would be a much better place
   if all who profess Jesus to be Lord so adorned themselves

3. But what other motives might there be to do so?  Four are given in
   this passage...
   a. We are "God's elect" (His chosen ones) - Col 3:12
   b. We are "holy" (set apart for a sacred purpose) - Col 3:12
   c. We are "beloved by God" - Col 3:12
   d. We have been "forgiven by Christ" - Col 3:13

Are not these reasons sufficient to put on "The Christian's Apparel"?

From Gary... When art, kindness, and the LOVE OF GOD unite

This morning, I had just finished checking my email, when my wife, Linda, came into the room, pleasantly laughing in a soft tones. Immediately, I asked her what was so funny and she showed me an ordinary "get well" card- at least it was normal on the OUTSIDE!!! Inside, Linda (from church) sent the above!!! I laughed and laughed because it was one of those things that are too true not to be funny. I was impressed by the other Linda's sense of humor and sensitivity. She even has my new haircut down (high and tight). It was just what my sweetie needed (and it was good for me as well). Then it occurred to me that as sensitive and appropriate as this card was, it pales in comparison to the kindness of God. And I thought of a recent Bible reading...

Titus, Chapter 3

1 Remind them to be in subjection to rulers and to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, not to be contentious, to be gentle, showing all humility toward all men. 3 For we were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, 5 not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior; 7 that, being justified by his grace, we might be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

That little card made my Linda smile because it was just what she needed!!! God knows me infinitely more intimately and shows his kindness in Jesus and the redeeming work he has done for me. Somehow, I could not help but think of the hymn "Jesus loves me". Oh, I know it, but I just needed a little reminder. For a second I had forgotten exactly HOW MUCH HE LOVES ME!!!

Your Friend,

Gary

PS. And the "other Linda" does as well!!! If she is reading this- THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! WE LOVE YOU BACK!!!! But, we can't send cards like this in return, because our artistic skills are not up to the task.

11/11/13

From Ben Fronczek.... ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK

ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK

ASK, SEEK, KNOCK Luke 11: 5-13

Do you ever feel a wee bit impatient with God? Like, does it ever seem like it takes too long for Him to answer your prayers? Certainly all of us have had questions concerning prayer at some point in our life. Like… – Is He really listening to me?

- Why do I have to keep praying for something I have already prayed for when I know that God is going to answer that prayer one way or another? Isn’t that unbelief Or…

- What about those times when we pray and waited for an answer, and yet no answer is forthcoming? What are we to do? Now after talking about prayer already, in the Sermon on the Mount saying that we should not pray like the show off hypocrites of that time, the Lord continues his instruction by telling a story here in chapter 7 saying,

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. “Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Luke records it a little different, Read: Luke 11:5-13 (click on link)

I like Luke’s account because he recalls this story that Jesus told about the man coming to his friends house with a request. Both accounts are still meant to teach the same lesson. So what is Jesus attempting to teach us by telling us this story, this parable? Just like in Matthew 7, Jesus instructs us to ASK, SEEK, and KNOCK. And if we approach Father God and ask, seek, and knock, something is going to happen. Those who seek will find. Those who ask will be answered, and those who knock, doors will be opened. But then Jesus goes on and tries to help clarify this by giving these two illustrations.

First of all, the one where a friend comes banging on someone’s door in the middle of the night.

“Then he said to them, “Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him…”

In order to understand this parable we need to understand a few things about first century culture. First of all, food was not as readily available as it is today. There were of course, no 24 hour stores to run to. Therefore enough bread was baked each day for the needs of that day. Now it was also an accepted rule of hospitality that a visitor should be welcomed and cared for, regardless of the hour of his arrival. In order to avoid the intense midday heat, people often traveled in the evening and after dark. A traveler arriving near midnight was not uncommon.

Here is the dilemma. This poor unprepared host has a late arriving guest who is hungry after a long and exhausting journey and it is his duty as host to provide a meal, but he has no bread. And not to provide for his guest’s would not only bring shame upon himself and his family but to the village as a whole. But what was one to do if he had nothing to serve? Well he’d probably go to a friend’s house regardless of the time and to ask for his help. And this was possibly something they would all have considered doing if they had to.

The rest of the story speaks of this tension, as Jesus continues the story in verse seven,

“…⁷ “Then the one inside answers, ‘Don’t bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can’t get up and give you anything.’

Even today it is easy to understand this man’s reluctance to help his friend. Anyone who has ever wrestled to get children into bed, understands this man’s unwillingness to do anything that will wake them. But since the whole family slept in the same room, to get up and meet this man’s needs was a real inconvenience. The man inside the house initial refused the request; friendship alone was not a sufficient reason to upset the whole household. Ultimately, the reluctant friend got up and gave his neighbor what he needed. Why? For one reason only, the persistence of the man making the request.

Jesus is not comparing God to a sleepy, selfish and angry neighbor. He is contrasting the two. He is telling the disciples that if a neighbor can be persuaded to meet the needs of a friend, how much more will your FATHER in heaven meet the needs of His children.

And likewise the second illustration is similar.

“Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰ Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

So what can we learn from Jesus here?

#1. I believe that Jesus is letting us know, without a doubt that prayer is important.

Not just prayers of thanksgiving and praise, which I believe that God deserves to hear from us every day, Jesus lets us know that all right to ask God for things we need. As a matter of fact it seems as though He wants and expects us to ask. Doesn’t every father or mother expect their children to ask of them? In doing so a child express their confidence in their parent helping them with their need as well as show the comfort they have in that relationship. Many times we won’t ask of strangers but we have no problem asking of someone we love and trust. Same is true when we ask of God. God not only expects his children to ask, it is also a sigh of how much we love and trust Him.

#2. The second thing I see here is that Jesus seems to be indicating that there should be some degree of persistence as one asks of God.

It wasn’t because it was the man’s friend at the door that he got up out of bed to give him bread. Rather the text says in verse 8 that it was because of the man’s boldness or otherwise translated, ‘persistence’ in other versions. It’s the only time the original Greek word used here for persistence appears in the entire New Testament. The Greek word carries the idea of “shamelessness.”

The text tells us that the man who came making the request was without shame, persistent and bold, as he continued pleading and pounding on the door until his friend responded. Maybe the reason for our failure in prayer is that we have not been persistent enough. We haven’t been beating on God’s door asking and seeking enough.

#3. And that leads to the next thought. We may wonder, ‘What gives us the right to come boldly or shamelessly come to God with our needs.’

Maybe this little story will help:

A Roman emperor traveled down the street in his chariot as a part of a parade, Cheering people lined the streets while the legionnaires were stationed to keep the people at a safe distance. The emperor’s family sat on a platform to watch him go by in all the pride of his position. As the emperor came near the place where his family was stationed, a young boy jumped from the platform, burrowed through the crowd, and tried to dodge a legionnaire so he could run to the emperor’s chariot. The soldier stopped him and said, “You cannot go near him.” The boy laughed, then said; “He may be your emperor but he is my father.” Then he ran into his father’s open arms.”

The writer of Hebrew reminds us as believer’s that because our high priest Jesus Christ is seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, we can “come boldly before the throne of grace” (Hebews 4:14-16). We have no need to fear because we are children of the King of kings. Over and over we see that if Jesus wanted to communicate anything it was that God is not some kind of distant, all powerful, impersonal deity. Rather God is our abba Father who art in heaven and Holy is his name. From the very beginning HE wanted sons and daughters that would be His children.

Listen to what the apostle Paul in Ephesians 1:3-6

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before He made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in His eyes. God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure. So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.^” NLT

As a son, and a daughter you have every right to plead to your Father in heaven, and I believe he expects us to do so.

I believe another thing we see here in the text is that…

#4 WE ARE TO PRAY EXPECTANTLY

From the first story we learned that God does answer prayer, and from this second analogy we learn that His answers are always good ones. Because God is a good God, a loving heavenly Father, He can be expected not only to answer our prayers, but in answer them in such a way that they will be for our highest good. (Romans 8:28) The bottom line of the whole matter is now given in Matt. 7:10,

If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!”

Now I believe that as we keep asking and seeking, part of this seeking is seeking to discover what God’s will is in the matter. I don’t think God will put things into our hands until we’re ready or He first prepares our hearts. God has a plan and we need to accept His timing and plan. Someone has said it this way,

“The greatest blessing of prayer is not just getting an answer but being the kind of person that God can trust with the answer.”

And sometime that answer will be a “NO.” Today I want to remind you that you have a Father in Heaven who does care for your needs. He wants you to ask, seek, and knock with persistence and expectation. We need to be reminded that He isn’t being mean by having us wait for what we ask for, nor is He being cruel by saying no. Rather, like a perfectly loving parent we need to trust Him, not only trust Him in His timing and but also trust His judgments as well. I pray that you can have that kind of relationship with Him.

(Based a little on a sermon by John Hamby)

For more lessons click on the following link: http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?page_id=566

From Jim McGuiggan... Pepeismai gar! (for I am persuaded)

Pepeismai gar!

Pepeismai gar! Paul said that something (Someone) had persuaded him some time earlier and that as he wrote he was still utterly convinced that nothing could separate humans from the love of God that is seen in and as Jesus Christ (Romans 8:38).

Romans, Chapter 8

35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Could oppression, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 Even as it is written, “For your sake we are killed all day long. We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter.” 37 No, in all these things, we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

38 πεπεισμαι γαρ οτι ουτε θανατος ουτε ζωη ουτε αγγελοι ουτε αρχαι ουτε δυναμεις ουτε ενεστωτα ουτε μελλοντα 39 ουτε υψωμα ουτε βαθος ουτε τις κτισις ετερα δυνησεται ημας χωρισαι απο της αγαπης του θεου της εν χριστω ιησου τω κυριω ημων

Note: I have added both the English and Greek text for clairty. Gary

In a whole series of trenchant denials he lists what might be offered as proofs that God had changed his mind and turned from his commitment to creation. Ten times he says "no!" What about death? Does that not prove that God has turned from us, that in the face of our moral ugliness he has finally and forever walked away? "No, in fact, it was through death, the death of Christ, that God placarded his faithful refusal to abandon us!" What of life with all its dangers and challenges? "Nor that!" What about evil angels? "Nor those!" And what of emperors and such? "Nor those!" And on he goes. Ten times he says no—this man who knew what pain and deprivation and loneliness was—ten times he says no and concludes by saying "and nothing else you could name!" can keep God from us.

He didn't persuade himself of this! The verb is passive. He didn't use to think that way but now that he had seen the brutal realities of life, day in and day out, he had changed his mind. The verb is a perfect passive. He was persuaded and that frame of mind was still with him after all he had seen and heard and felt and experienced!

And if we had made a list of our own that had things in it that weren't explicit in his he'd have said, "Nor that!" or "Not that either!" He'd have said no until the cows came home because for him, amidst all the teeming number of realities, there was one that was more real than all else—God's self-disclosure in Jesus Christ.

Had we asked him if he didn't accept that harsh realities were real, he'd have said, "Oh, they're real enough. I've met them face to face and so have a host besides me. But God is real! And Jesus Christ is real. I look at all those harsh realities, walk around them, pick them up and feel their weight and how solid they are and then I turn and see him watching me. One look at him and the remotest hint of hesitation in me burns away and the adventure continues. I get weary, of course, and I don't always feel joyful and clear-headed. But that's part of the adventure, don't you know. I have the complete awareness that even when I feel these I'm still in the adventure. It's part of the adventure that you brawl with tough realities. The real secret is to see him and once you've seen him, really seen him, there's no going back. By then he has you and you don't want to go back. Back to what, for pity's sake? Back to less than him? That isn't a real option. Not for people like us"

Many thanks to brother Ed Healy, for allowing me to post from his website, the abiding word.com.

From Mark Copeland... Basics For Living In Christ (Colossians 3:1-11)

                     "THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS"

                  Basics For Living In Christ (3:1-11)

INTRODUCTION

1. In chapters 1-2, Paul has maintained that Christ is "all-sufficient"
   in matters of salvation and overcoming sin - cf. Col 2:10

2. Beginning now in chapter 3, Paul gives some basic and practical
   admonitions that pertain to living a life in Christ

3. When carried out, these "Basics For Living In Christ" will assure
   that we find in Christ everything we need for this life and the one 
   to come

[The first admonition is found in verses 1-4...]

I. SEEK THE HEAVENLY (1-4)

   A. SET YOUR MIND ON THINGS ABOVE (1-2)
      1. Why is this so important?
         a. It is essential if we desire to be "transformed" - Ro 12:2
         b. It is necessary if we want to be able to "live according to
            the Spirit" - Ro 8:5-6
      2. How do we "seek those things which are above"?
         a. By directing our minds' attention to such things mentioned
            in Php 4:8
         b. More specifically, by setting our attention on the Word of
            God, where we find:
            1) Christ foreshadowed and foretold in the Old Testament
            2) Christ's life and teachings in the Gospels
            3) Christ's church in the Book of Acts
            4) Christ's fuller teachings in the Epistles
            5) Christ's encouragement and ultimate victory in the Book
               of Revelation

   B. FURTHER REASONS TO SEEK THOSE THINGS ABOVE (3-4)
      1. We "died" (3)
         a. This occurs when one is baptized into Christ, which is a
            burial into His death in which we are "crucified with Him" 
            - Ro 6:3-6
         b. We "died" to sin , that we might be free from sin and now 
           live with Christ - Ro 6:7-13
      2. Thus, we were also "raised with Christ" (1)
         a. Which occurs when one comes forth from baptism - Col 2:12
            ("...in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him...")
         b. We were raised so that we might "walk in newness of life" 
            - Ro 6:4
      3. Our life is "hidden with Christ in God" (3)
         a. As Paul wrote to the Galatians:  "I have been crucified with
            Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me;
            and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith
            in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." 
            - Ga 2:20
         b. We have denied self, crucified self, so it is now Christ Who
            is to live in us!
      4. When Christ appears in glory, so will we! (4)
         a. The first three reasons for us to "seek the heavenly" were
            based upon what has happened in the PAST
         b. This motivation is predicated upon what is promised for the
            FUTURE!

[And what a wonderful promise that is!  But to obtain that promise 
requires not only that we set our "minds" on things proper, but that we
properly deal with our "bodies" as well.

To put it another way, from verses 5-9 we learn that we must also...]

II. SLAY THE EARTHLY (5-9)

   A. WE MUST "PUT TO DEATH" THE SENSUAL SINS (5-7)
      1. Those that appeal to the "lust of the flesh"
         a. Fornication
            1) Grk., porneia {por-ni'-ah}
            2) A general term for any illicit sexual intercourse;
               includes adultery, homosexuality, lesbianism, bestiality
         b. Uncleanness
            1) Grk., akatharsia {ak-ath-ar-see'-ah}
            2) Uncleanness in a moral sense: the impurity of lustful,
               luxurious, profligate living
         c. Passion (inordinate affection, KJV)
            1) Grk., pathos {path'-os}
            2) Used by the Greeks in either a good or bad sense; in the
               NT in a bad sense, it means depraved passion, vile
               passions
         d. Evil desire (evil concupiscence, KJV)
            1) Grk., epithumia {ep-ee-thoo-mee'-ah}
            2) Desire, craving, longing, desire for what is forbidden,
               lust
      2. Also that which appeals to the "lust of the eyes"
         a. Covetousness
            1) Grk., pleonexia {pleh-on-ex-ee'-ah}
            2) Greedy desire to have more, covetousness, avarice
         b. Described by Paul to be equivalent to idolatry!
            1) For covetousness puts things in the place of God
            2) We are to set our minds on things above (where God is),
               but when we covet material objects we have our minds on
               things below, making such objects our idols!
      3. Motivation for putting these things to death
         a. To avoid the coming wrath of God! - Col 2:6-7
         b. It's one thing to do these things when we "lived in them",
            but in Christ we have "died to them"!

   B. WE MUST ALSO "PUT OFF" THE SOCIAL SINS (8-9)
      1. Sins of the "emotions"
         a. Anger
            1) Grk., orge {or-gay'}
            2) Movement or agitation of the soul, impulse, desire, any
               violent emotion, but esp. anger
         b. Wrath
            1) Grk., thumos {thoo-mos'}
            2) Passion, angry, heat, anger forthwith boiling up and soon
               subsiding again
         c. Malice
            1) Grk., kakia {kak-ee'-ah}
            2) Malignity, malice, ill-will, desire to injure
      2. Sins of the "tongue"
         a. Blasphemy
            1) Grk., blasphemia {blas-fay-me'-ah}
            2) Slander, detraction, speech injurious, to another's good 
               name; impious and reproachful speech injurious to divine
               majesty
         b. Filthy language (filthy communication, KJV)
            1) Grk., aischrologia {ahee-skhrol-og-ee'-ah}
            2) Foul speaking, low and obscene speech
         c. Lying
            1) Grk., pseudomai {psyoo'-dom-ahee}
            2) To lie, to speak deliberate falsehoods; to deceive one by
               a lie, to lie to
      3. The reason for putting off all these things:  we must complete
         in PRACTICE what we started in PRINCIPLE - Col 3:9b
         a. When we were baptized, we "put off" the old man with his 
            deeds (in principle)
            - Col 2:11-12; 3:9
         b. In practice, it does not occur overnight, thus the need for
            such admonitions as: "But now you must also put off all
            these..." - Col 3:8

[Finally, and briefly, we notice in verses 10-11  an admonition by
Paul which will be expanded upon in the next section (12-17).  He
encourages us to...]

III. STRENGTHEN THE CHRISTLY (10-11)

   A. FOR WE HAVE PUT ON THE NEW MAN (10)
      1. In baptism into Christ, we "put on Christ" - Ga 3:27
      2. Thus, in PRINCIPLE we also put on "the new man" who is renewed
         "according to the image of Him who created him"
      3. What we have done in PRINCIPLE (Col 3:10), we will need to do
         in PRACTICE (cf. Col 3:12)

   B. FOR THE GOAL IS "CHRIST IS ALL AND IN ALL" (11)
      1. To be renewed according to the image of Christ! - cf. Ro 8:29
      2. To become like Christ, and in so doing, destroy the barriers
         that have long divided man!

CONCLUSION

1. This is what might be called "the whole duty of man" in New Testament
   terms:  to be renewed according to the image of Christ!

2. To accomplish this goal, we must heed the admonitions of Paul and...
   a. Seek The Heavenly
   b. Slay The Earthly
   c. Strengthen The Christly

3. We will examine more what is involved in "strengthening the Christly"
   in the next study (verses 12-17)

4. For now, did you notice that everything in this chapter assumes that
   one has been "raised with Christ" (cf. Col 3:1, "IF THEN you were
   raised with Christ...")?
   a. How are we raised with Christ?
   b. Paul has already described how, in Col 2:11-13, where we learn
      that it is in baptism that God will raise one who has faith in the
      working of God!
   c. Have you been baptized into Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of
      your sins (Ac 2:38), and to be able to walk in newness of life
      (Ro 6:3-5)...?