March 2012 – The Notes are Good

BSF Acts: Week 24, Day 5: Ephesians 5:22–6:9

Questions:

12. At the center is love, and not just any love, but the love like Christ had to sacrifice all for those He loved. Christ became fully man. A man invests himself fully in his wife, holding nothing back. This isn’t 50/50 it is “all in”

13. How often my first thought is “I want them to” or “I need them to” whether at home, work or even church. When my focus is on receiving I cannot be focused on giving or loving.

Thoughts:

There is a very significant call to husbands in these verses. I think, too often, people get stuck on the wives submit to your husbands line. But the expectation and call that is placed on husbands is hugely significant, and goes hand in hand with this statement to wives. Verses 25 and 26 state, “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her to make her holy…” This isn’t a theoretical I would be willing to die for my wife sentiment. (I would catch a grenade for you, fall on a blade for you – sorry, broke into song there for a minute.) This is a decision to love so much that you step down from every right and honor that might be due to you for the purpose of loving and serving and building up another to make her holy, clean, without stain or wrinkle. It is not, what would you do, but what have you done and what are you willing to do every day. As a husband, how much of your time and life is focused on yourself. If we choose to marry we are judged by the holiness of our household.

Do men know how to love like that? Only through Christ and only through examples of God-fearing men in the church. This is not something promoted by society, culture or schools. But it is what is right and true.

I love my wife and I find that my love for her grows deeper the more I learn of the bible. I can see so many ways that God is working in her life and it is easier and more natural for me to give thanks for the blessings I see flowing through her even more so than in my own life.

And Paul doesn’t stop with husbands and wives. He included instructions for children and parents, particularly fathers: Don’t exasperate your children. What an interesting verb: Irritate intensely; infuriate. How do fathers irritate and infuriate their children? how do they fail them? When they fail to “bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.” Children want to do what is right, but how do they learn and know – only when the parents provide opportunities for them to learn.

The same principles apply in those we work with. Never forget, we all report to the same boss, the same Lord and master and He does not play favorites because of any earthly positions.

BSF Acts: Week 24, Day 4: Ephesians 4:17–5:21

Questions:

10.

Off: Live as gentiles: Old self, corrupted by its deceitful desires
On:new self, created to be like God
vs: 17, 22, 23, 24

Off: Falsehood
On: speak truthfully
vs:25

Off:Stealing
On: work, something useful with own hands, share
vs: 28

Off: unwholesome talk
On: only what is helpful for building others up
vs: 29

Off: grieve the: H/S
Off: Bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, every form of malice
On: kind, compassionate, forgiving
vs: 25, 31, 32

Off: Sexual immorality, impurity, greed, obscenity, foolish talk or coarse joking
On: thanksgiving
vs: 3,4

Off: Letting others deceive with empty words, partner with them
vs: 6,7

Off: fruitless deeds of darkness
On: expose them
vs: 11

Off: Unwise
On: wise
vs: 15

Off: drunkeness, debauchery
On: filled with the Spirit
vs: 18

On: speaking with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, always give thanks to God
vs: 20

11. This is a work in progress for me, but as I prayed on this, the one that popped to the top of the list was “put off falsehood and speak truthfully”, but with a twist – My bigger fault in this area is not in lying or trying to deceive others but that I need to do this in my dialogue with myself. I lie a lot to myself: You deserve a…. God won’t care if…, It won’t matter if… You don’t have time to…

Thoughts:

I think we need to look at this information very carefully. Many people, particularly those who have not read it, think the bible is a rule book full of do’s and don’ts. But, first and foremost it is a love story. A loving and engaged Father who wants better things for His beloved children.

I think a better way to look at this passage is as valuable recommendations from a wise and loving parent. Do you want things to be better in your life? Let go of your old way of living, the old hurts and grudges that you haven’t let go of, the unforgiving that you refuse to give – you are not that person any longer!. Want better thing to happen today? Spend less time lying and more time telling the truth, spend less time stealing and more time doing work with your hands. Want better relationships? Quit unwholesome talk and say some kind words to build someone up; quit fixating on immorality and spend time giving thanks. While your at it, sing a song of praise – it lifts your spirit and soul.

BSF Acts: Week 24, Day 3: Ephesians 4:9–16

Questions:

6. Apostles: founders, leaders, backbone of church; prophets: speakers of God’s unwritten truth, listen and tell His direction; evangelists: Going forth to spread the good news to those who have not heard or do not understand; pastors: shepherds of a local flock of believers; teacher: those who explain and encourage believers in the word of God

7. By preparing God’s people for works of service we build up (strengthen) the body. We do this through bringing people to faith, teaching, supporting, helping structure local places and practices, so they can do the work that God has called them to do with the skills and knowledge passed on by the holy spirit through the church

a. As we mature in faith, Christ’s dwelling in us increases up to the full measure. This fullness anchors us, like a rock in a bag, so that we are not tossed about by false teaching, whims, deceit, cunning and craftiness

b. By doing the work in my head to grow the spirit’s home in my heart. He brings strength and weight and an anchor to my life – a firm foundation in Christ

a. Talk more about God and specifically what the Lord is doing or what I am asking Him to do.

b. This is not an argument, it is prayer. We speak the truth in love more by actions than words

c. Study and prayer. I need to work to remove the hoarding in my temple so God can dwell fully

d. Flex, but don’t break. Bend to reach out to others as God, in grace, bent down to save me.

Discussion:

Let’s look deeper at 4:11 and 12. “It was He who gave some to be…” the offices of the church and the people who serve in them are commissioned and selected, i.e., called by God. While we may have processes in place to identify and select people for certain jobs in the church, our efforts should be directed to affirm God’s calling. When it comes to leadership in the body of believers, God has already decided who is going to do what, we just need to listen prayerfully to His choices.

“some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers” Depending on how you count the last, this is either 4 or 5 distinct jobs in the church. We often expect our leaders to be able to “do it all.” But Christ calls people to different roles. Now, it may be that He calls one person to different roles at different times in life, but we should expect that He has identified specific people at a specific time to serve in each of these specific roles within a body of believers.

“to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up.” Newsflash: the purpose of church is not entertainment. Even if we are not called into one of the 4 or 5 offices of the church, we are still called to do works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up. We are in the construction business, not the demolition business. Our work of service is to get underneath people and lift them up. God lays a new foundation under them – puts a new structure on the outside of them (new creation) all while filling them up with all new insides (the spirit) and, by grace, he let’s us play a part in that service.

At the BSF conference we were encouraged to learn about some of the heretical teaching of our day, to read some of the popular books that deny everything from the existence of heaven to the virgin birth to many other truths of scripture. As I’ve read the books, what I have found is shoddy workmanship. Rather than building to code, they are like bad builders who want to cut corners. It sounds like a bargain at first, but then you see the cracks, the paint peels, the floor boards come loose, the roof like and the air conditioning doesn’t work. I don’t want help from these builders – I want help from someone who follows building code standards – and, for a Christian life, those are all printed in one place, the bible.

BSF Acts: Week 24, Day 2: Ephesians 4:1–8

Questions:

3. Live (i.e., do the work God designed for us to do, not be idle or spectators of life), be completely humble and gentle, be patient, make every effort to keep the unity of the spirt through the bond of peace (Christ is peace)

4. the unity of the spirt through the bond of peace

b. Eph 2:14 says, “He (Christ) himself is our peace.” So unity with the spirit through peace is being in Christ and the Spirit in us – united. We keep unity with others through the work of the spirit, not by anything we craft or do: We should pray to live life each day as God designed with the work He designed in advance for us to do through the power of the Sprit in us in communion with the saints (fellow believers) in His church.

c. According to Samuel Taylor Coleridge (Shakespearean Criticism, 1930), Organic Unity “is innate; it shapes as it develops itself from within and the fullness of its development is one and the same with the perfection of its outward form. ” Organic unity is the unifying thread that makes all the parts come together, from the inside out, joined in one form so that everything is unified. In the bible this is reflected in 1 Chor 1:12: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”

Organizational Conformity is outward in. It is a set of norms and rules, goals and missions that are shared and observed but each part of the organization does not change within. In scripture Christ observed organization conformity in Matt 22:21a: “Give to caesar what is caesar’s.” Also in Heb 13:17a “Obey your leaders and submit to their authority. They keep watch over you as men who must give an account.”

d. To remember that the design of the church is to live in communion with man and God. We should learn and teach, support, pray and work in unity with the spirit not being divisive or burdensome but loving and true.

one body: One church, not many churches, one as the bride of Christ to serve as he commands
one spirit: A single entity (God) indwelling within all believers. Not different spirits in us, but one spirit in all.
one hope: The thing all believers long for is the same, to be reunited forever with our savior in God’s kingdom
one Lord: We all serve the same Lord and master, not different Kings with different rules and privileges
one faith: We believe in the same thing – Christ has died, Christ is Risen, Christ will come again.
one baptism: We have all been washed completely clean of our sins through grace – no difference, all pure/white
one God: The alpha and omega – there is only one God and Father of all. He is consistent and true.

Additional Thoughts:

I thought this was an exciting segment to dive deep into and I loved the questions today. First and foremost, we are called to “live life.” I think we forget that sometimes and let life live us. We go through the motions of another day. We plop down in front of the TV to be fed stuff (that is the polite word) largely developed by others who do not share similar standards for not causing another to stumble. Even at church we show up to be entertained or to “get something out of it”. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing against being fed, rested, inspired or even entertained, but those are inputs that should enable us to live. They are filling stations, not the final destination.

I attended one of the BSF seminars this past week and the Assistant Teaching Leader really highlighted how the seminars are designed to fit into the structure of BSF. Our groups and daily lessons are designed to feed and equip us, to grow, to share fellowship, to pray for each other, to learn and study. The seminars are designed to help prepare us to do something with all of that and take it out into the world. I thought that was great perspective and it was a really good seminar to help lead a small group in a bible study.

People of the Lie

I’m reading the book, “People of the Lie” by M. Scott Peck, M.D. A fascinating book told from a christian psychiatrist about human evil.

A section that I was just reading and was struck by is talking about “projecting.” Now, we have a clear visual image for projecting light: a flash light. But Dr. Peck discusses that people with an evil heart project darkness. Quick note: he is not using the word evil lightly. These are not people who sin from time to time but try to do better and to follow the light. These are people who have decided in their heart to reject the notion that they are sinful whether fully of their own or through the influence of demons. These are people who may acknowledge God loudly with their words but who deny their own wrongs and, as such, do not need the salvation of Christ and, as such, cannot accept Him into their hearts. What they do, they do on their own, not with the power of the spirit, although they may use the names and words.

Let me plant the seed first, then you can read a synopsis of what Dr Peck writes. We have been discussing this week God’s plan and purpose to bring all things under Christ. Every knee shall bow and every tongue confess – Jew, Gentile, every knee. So, what does satan plan and purpose? To keep any knee possible from bowing for as long as possible.

According to the book:

Since the evil (evil people – those with an evil heart), deep down, feel themselves to be faultless, it is inevitable that when they are in conflict with the world they will perceive the conflict as the world’s fault. To deny their own badness they must perceive others as bad. They project their own evil onto the world. By not seeing evil in themselves, the full burden shifts to the shoulders of others. An evil father who hears his son cuss projects all of the burden onto the son and takes action to cleanse his son’s filthiness, often accompanied by language far worse than what the son said. The father projects his own filth onto the son and then punishes him in the name of good parenting.

The evil attack others rather than face their own failures. Strangely enough, evil people are often destructive because they are attempting to destroy evil. The problem is that they misplace the locus of the evil. As life often threatens their self-image of perfection (or “being good enough”), they are often busily engaged in hating and destroying that life – usually in the name of righteousness and too often carrying the banner of the church. The fault, however, may not be so much that they hate life as that they do not hate the sinful part of their own life.

The evil are dedicated to preserving their self-image of perfection/goodness. They worry about this a great deal. They are acutely sensitive to social norms and what others think of them. They dress well, go to work on time, pay their taxes, attend church regularly (if that is the social norm of their area) and live lives that are above reproach. While they seem to lack any motivation to be good, they intensely desire to appear good. Their goodness is all on a level of pretense. It is a lie. But the lie is not designed so much to deceive others as to deceive themselves.

The essential component of evil is not the absence of a sense of sin or imperfection but the unwillingness to tolerate that sense. At one and the same time the evil are aware of their evil and desperately trying to avoid the awareness. They are continually engaged in efforts to project the wrongs onto others or sweep them under the rug. Everything they do has a rationalization. They are not lazy or unengaged, in fact they are likely to exert themselves more than most in their continuing efforts to obtain and maintain an image of high respectability. They may be willing, even eager, to undergo hardship and pain, particularly to strike out at the evil they clearly see in others and in the world. There is only one pain they cannot tolerate: the pain of their own sinfulness and imperfection.

I think we can see this action in the “righteous” jews who tortured Paul. We see it in the hateful words spoken by “defenders of the faith.” And, painfully, we see it in our churches in those who step into leadership to right the wrongs of others without transparency of their own sinful nature. I am not proposing that it is right to keep quiet about the wrongs in the world or to not take action – but the lessons we are learning through the word of the bible is before you open your mouth you should drop to your knees in submission to the Lord. Today is a good day to pray for knees that bow and hearts that confess.

BSF Acts: Week 23: Lecture

Aim: God has a purpose for me and for you

Why? Why? Why? We love to ask that question.

Why do I have to? Why did you? Why did that happen? Why didn’t that happen? Why am I here? Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do bad people do well? Why? Why?

But, so often we approach that question not really wanting an answer we just want to gripe and complain. But, here is the answer, even when we are only fake asking: Why? Because it is part of God’s plan. Period.

Now, we may not always understand God’s plan and we sometimes may not like God’s plan, but who do you think is better at a making a plan? Us or God?

Let’s look at how He communicated this to the Ephesian church through Paul:

1st Division: Eph 2: 1-10 We are made alive through faith in Christ

Principle: God has work for us to do

Illustration: Our job is to work – that is what it means to have a job – that is what it means to have purpose – that is part of the answer to the question “why?” The work we do is not to earn something (wages or favor), it is simply what members of the family do. In your family you have jobs. They are not things others need you to do – let’s face it, your parents have far more experience and skill at doing most of the things than you do and sometimes they could do them faster than having you do them. (sorry to burst your bubble). But, if you do not participate, you are not part of the family – see that word participate – it starts with “part” and means you have to do your part. If you don’t you aren’t. God gives us work so we can be part-icipants in His family.

Applications: Are you doing work to be a part or to get something special? Are you doing work gratefully or grudgingly? What is God asking you to do but you are denying or hesitating?

2nd Division: Eph 2:11-3:13 Christ provides unity for believers

Principle: Christ’s church was a mystery

Illustration: Have you ever seen a magic trick? A magic trick is kind of like a mystery. To people on the stage, there is no mystery, they know what, when and how everything happens. But to people that choose to just sit and watch, they don’t understand, it is unclear. The difference is perspective and revelation. Jesus revealed to Paul the mystery. God revealed it to Paul, Peter, Isaiah, etc. etc. There was no lack of information. But there were lots of people who chose to view things from their comfy seats in the audience.

The church of Christ – Jews and Gentiles, was always God’s plan. It is not, “for God so loved the Jews” God loved the world – and, thank God, because otherwise we would not be on the stage and part of the show!

Application: Are you curious or just wanting to be entertained? Have you made up your mind or do you continue to ask and learn?

3rd Division: Eph 3:14-21 Paul’s prayer for Ephesus

Principle: God is glorified through His power in His church (you and me)

Illustration:

“Filled to the measure of all the fullness of God”. What an interesting statement. It is easy to pass over because at first glance it sounds common. I’m old enough to remember my dad pulling up to the filling station. ding, ding. The station attendant jogged out and my dad would say, “fill ‘er up with ethyl.” But, wait a minute – while that is where this verse starts, it actually says more. Let’s take a deeper look.

In greek, the first filled is the word πληρόω plēroō, (strongs G4137). This literally means to fill it as full as is possible – that another drop would over flow, that another grain would fall off. Literally that there can be no more.

Now, most of us would look at that and say – filled is filled. Anything over filled is spilled and wasted, right?

But Paul doesn’t go there. He goes on to say filled to all the fullness of God. The second fullness is πλήρωμα plērōma (strongs G4138). In the New Testament verses, this word takes on additional meaning: the body of believers, as that which is filled with the presence, power, agency, riches of God and of Christ. In particular, it is the same word used in Colossians 2:9, “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form”.

See, even in this seemingly simple verse Paul is continuing to emphasize this important message. He doesn’t want us to be filled in accordance with what our earthly selves can hold. He is praying that we are filled to the fullness that Christ in us can hold – He is praying that we are filled with the fullness of the Deity in bodily form – He is praying that we are filled not to the level we can manage but to the level God can manage, not with human limits but with holy limits (are there holy limits or is it limitless?)

But what a contrast that is to how I think – I think that I have a tank that holds a certain amount, just like the tank on our car. Filling it any fuller just would overflow on the ground and be wasted. But I am no longer just me when I am a Christian. I am no longer just me when I am a Christian. (that repetition was on purpose – don’t make me say it a third time :-) ). I am the church. I am the body of Christ. I am the body of believers. I am the power, agency and riches of God and of Christ. I am limitless in God’s eyes.

Application: How are you asking God to fill you up?

BSF Acts: Week 23, Day 5: Ephesians 3:14–21

Questions

13. a. Strength through his spirit, power to grasp the magnitude of the love of Christ

b. My co-leader when he is instructing the children. I can sense and hear the holy spirit speaking through him. It is someone who gives up themselves to be filled by the spirit to share the word of God and reveal His love to others.

14. How I underestimate and under utilize God’s power. My approach is to pray to God to have an earthmover standing by just in case my shovel breaks.

Additional Thoughts:

Now, most of us would look at that and say – filled is filled. Anything over filled is spilled and wasted, right?

But what a contrast that is to how I think – I think that I have a tank that holds a certain amount, just like the tank on our car. Filling it any fuller just would overflow on the ground and be wasted. But I am no longer just me when I am a Christian. I am no longer just me when I am a Christian. (that repetition was on purpose – don’t make me say it a third time :-)). I am the church. I am the body of Christ. I am the body of believers. I am the power, agency and riches of God and of Christ. I am limitless in God’s eyes.

Fill ‘er up! Amen.

BSF Acts: Week 23, Day 4: Ephesians 3:1–13

Questions:

11. a. Through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

b. God’s purpose to bring all things together under Christ, all as one body all share the same promise – that Christ is in us and we are in Christ and able to approach God with freedom and confidence. – also given specifically to Peter by revelation (Acts 11:1-18), and it is consistent with prophecy in the Old Testament (such as Isaiah 49:6) and the specific words of Jesus (Acts 1:8)

12. That regardless of how much I and them might feel there is an un-crossable chasm, God has purposed that we will be joined together and that, in truth, we already are in Him if we both believe and profess. No matter the barrier (pain, disagreement, wrong, anger), it was destroyed on the cross.

Final Thoughts:

Let’s discuss the word mystery. What an interesting word. For most of us, it brings to mind Sherlock Holmes and deductive reasoning. But in the context here it is actually a much simpler meaning.

As a visual reference, think about a door frame in your house. On one side of the door frame is the answer to all of lives big questions (why am I here, where did I come from, what is everything all about, is there a God, what happens to us after we die, etc., etc.). From where you stand you can see people gazing up at the wall above the door, but on your side it is just painted wall. You see them living differently. You see them dropping to their knees. You see them loving and sacrificing everything worldly for the message.

But, here’s the thing that makes it a mystery. You can’t understand it, you can’t know it without passing through the doorway and, you can only pass through the doorway by accepting that it is where the answer lies. Once you are through, you can’t imagine not knowing ever again.

This is the mystery of faith – it is shielded on the other side of the door, but by crossing through the door (Christ) we have already received all of the blessings of God. The words on the wall are not the critical element, although they are of help and benefit and growth to us – crossing through the doorway is the what it is all about.

In the Roman Catholic faith there is a great element of the order of mass related to this:

Priest: Let us proclaim the mystery of faith:
All: A – Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again.

Doxology and Great Amen:
Priest: Through him, with him, and in him, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, all glory and honor is yours, almighty Father, for ever and ever.

For the first to have meaning we must step through the door. When we step through the door we accept Christ and realize everything is about him: through him, with him, in him. The entire reason for everything pivots around Jesus.

BSF Acts: Week 23, Day 3: Ephesians 2:11–22

Questions:

7. a. where they came from: gentiles, uncircumcised, separate from Christ, excluded, foreigners, without hope, without God

b. The blessing that He gave me from a loving family and great church education and how far I fell from that promise before coming back to Him, but then also the power that He has entrusted to me by calling me to be holy and a brother of His son.

c. Remembering helps me understand how deeply God dug the foundation pillars with me. Despite all but ignoring Him for several years, the foundation was strong and did not waiver. He had work for me to do and each day He reveals more of what that is.

8. a. Negotiation, mutual compromise, give and take, mutually beneficial scenarios, promises and agreements, “aid”, war (peace by submission)

b. He is peace. He made the two one (human and heavenly). Abolished the law. one out of two, making peace, reconciled

c. It is not a bargain, it is of God, by God and only is possible when it is with God. There is no other lasting peace.

9. peace, no barrier, no wall of hostility, law abolished, joined (1 out of 2), reconciled, no hostility, 1 body, peace to far away and peace to near: both have access to the Father by the one Spirit

10. They are non-existent – we are one body in Christ, there is no difference or separation in God’s eyes as He views the church. Near or far (I’m not sure which I am, the near or far) both have the same access to the Father and the One Spirit.

Final Thoughts:

1.This whole concept of peace negotiations is really critical to understand. There are so many ways that earthly thinking (our world view) is so upside-down compared to God thinking. I mean, even the term: peace negotiation. Christ didn’t negotiate peace. He didn’t offer a deal or coerce us into accepting something by threat, intimidation or force. Could He have – well: He created everything and everyone and is all powerful. I’m pretty sure the answer to that is yes. But that isn’t what he did. Peace with God is not a deal or state of time or condition of practice. Peace is a being. Peace is Christ: Christ is peace. Stop a minute and get your head around that: peace isn’t a what or a how, it is a who. The only way to be “in peace” is to be “in Christ.”

We (humans) were not with God – because of sin we had separated from God. Jesus Christ destroyed the wall, in him he took what was two and made it one again. In dying on the cross, when he defeated death and rose again. He did it as God and man combined in one. The what he did cannot be separate from the who He is – joining us into Him joins us into Peace by making us holy as He is holy. Being outside of Him is an un-natural and unstable state. We were made in God’s image to be in communion with God. The unstable state is sin and separation; the stable state (the one He created and designed) is peace in communion with Him. No wonder we have so much turbulence in a world that continues to live a outside of Christ.

2. Differences: I live in a prominent suburban neighborhood and attend a church in city/county with a significantly above average household income. And, the “Us helping Them” movements drive me insane. Yes, I and people I sit in the rows with have money, education and resources at our disposal, but as soon as we enter into a mindset that we need to help them, we create a wall – the same kind of wall that Paul is trying to teach the Ephesians to not have in place. We are the church, not this church and that church. We need to give for the needs of the church, not for us to help them, because there isn’t an us and them (other than supporting missionaries who are going out to people who are not yet in the church). Whenever we draw lines of white churches, black churches, hispanic churches, wealthy churches, poor churches, people with house, homeless people, well-fed people, hungry people – we put up a wall that separates. Christ didn’t do walls – he ate with tax collectors, he healed lepers, he talked with prostitutes and thieves. He even died for sinners to pay the price for their sins (that is you and me that we’re talking about).

Give generously and joyfully as your heart allows, but give with thanks to God not with guilt to demonstrate you have more or are better than “them.” If you hear someone talk about helping “them” in your church – please, stop them. There is no them in the body of the church – just us – helping each other through Christ. Amen?

BSF Acts: Week 23, Day 2: Ephesians 2:1–10

Questions:

3. a. As good as dead with no redeeming qualities.

b. As Paul told the Corinthians: Do I live a changed life, do I know the H/S is in me, working, Do I claim the gift of Jesus?

4. 4. Loved, 5. Made alive with Christ, 5. Done even while still dead in transgressions, 5. Gave grace, 6. Raised us up with Christ, 6. Seated us with Him, 7. Will show incomparable riches of his grace, 7. will express kindness. 8. Saved

5. From hearing the word through the word of Christ

6. a. Ones that cause us to boast. Ones that attempt to “earn” God’s gift – takes away from it being a gift

b. Those works that God prepared in advance for us to do – done as workman in Christ

c. Teach and lead. Write and share. Serve as a godly parent and husband.

Final thoughts:

Since this lesson jumped into it, let’s take a closer look at the Romans 10:17 passage, because I think it is crucial to our understanding of faith.

Let’s break it down: Consequently/So. This is important. This verse is a conclusion to a point Paul was making. While we love it as a memory verse, it is important to look back to what he is saying, starting back in vs. 13 or 14. Basically, he is saying, there is only one God, the same God that Jews and Christians believe in and, yes, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved, but… hold the boat.. how can they call on the name of the one they don’t believe in? and how can they believe in the one they have not heard? and how can they hear unless someone preaches? how can someone preach without being sent? … but, despite all of that sending, preaching, hearing, many have still rejected: Consequently…

Faith comes from hearing the word. The point isn’t listening, or calling or preaching or anything else, it is faith and to get faith you must “hear” the word. There are many places you can go with this. Clearly, there are many things that are said during the day that we do not hear. We have so many distractions, background noises, etc., maybe we miss an important alert. But I don’t think that is what Paul is saying. The Jews of his day clearly heard him. They heard him clearly enough to have strong reactions to what he said. 5 x whipped, 3 x with a rod, 1 x stoned. They got the message… but hearing the word did not convert into faith: why?

Hearing through/by the word of Christ. They heard Paul’s words as Paul’s words. We might hear an eloquent preacher or speaker. But for it to become more than words we must open our ears to the source of the word: Christ. See, the word is the middle part, and we love to start with the middle (I’ve eaten a few oreos and peanut butter cups in my day). But for the words to really mean anything to be what they really are, to become faith we must understand and accept the source. You can’t start with Faith unless you end with Christ.

So what do we do with faith? Well, despite the Fiddler on the Roof song, the goal is not to sit in the temple and discuss the learned books with the holy men Seven hours every daidle deedle daidle dum. We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ to do good works which God has prepared, in advance, for us to do. Do you think God has work for you to do? Let me help you: Yes. Did God prepare you to do it? Let’s see, you are His workmanship – oh, yeah, maybe he didn’t do a very good job (not!). There is nothing wrong with being fed, and churches and BSF are great places to start growing and learning – but we are called for something more than being fed, we are called to work.