Hello Sweet friends,
Today’s Reading … Ephesians 1-6, Philippians 1-4, 1 Timothy 1-6 and Titus 1-3
Paul’s letters to the churches at Ephesus and Philippi, as well as his correspondence with Timothy and Titus, paint a complete picture of the new mission of the Body of Christ.
Ephesians “shows us the great mystery of the Church. The real Church is the Body of Christ, and believers are members of that sacred body of which Christ is the head. The Father not only prepared a body in which Jesus Christ would suffer, but He also prepared a Body for Him in which He should be glorified” (What the Bible is All About).
“There is one body and one Spirit, just as also you were called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).
We are all parts of the same body. Each serves a specific and necessary part of the Church. Therefore we must encourage one another, build one another up and also embrace, with gratitude the part of Christ’s Body that we are given the blessing of fulfilling. This call eliminates all jealousy, slander, deceit and quarreling because Christ is the Head. Everything and everyone exists through Him and for His glory.
Philippians is currently my favorite book of the Bible. It is a book of praise and thanksgiving. Paul urges the Church at Philippi to live in unity and teaches that Christ is the secret to joy. Paul wrote this letter under house arrest and he is rejoicing because his “momentary trials” are achieving eternal victories for the Lord. What perspective! The word “joy” and “rejoice” occur more than a dozen times in these 4 chapters. Rejoicing in the Lord and not in our circumstances, drives out discord, anxiety and selfishness from our lives.
“Only conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or remain absent, I will hear of you that you are standing firm in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel” (Philippians 1:27).
As the Church, we stand together in agreement of our mission and purpose when our eyes are locked on Christ. When we are rejoicing and praising God together, we are not focused on our own successes or achievements. Hearts praising God are hearts working together for His glory.
Timothy and Titus were both leaders in their respective churches and Paul is writing to encourage and instruct them in the way in which they should lead. Both offer specific teachings on shepherding the sheep and guarding the churches to whom they were ministering.
“But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5).
“This is a trustworthy statement; and concerning these things I want you to speak confidently, so that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in good deeds. These things are good and profitable for men. But avoid foolish controversies and genealogies and strife and disputes about the Law, for they are unprofitable and worthless” (Titus 3:8-9).
If you are thinking that you get a pass on these books because you do not serve as a deacon or an elder in the church, you are mistaken! Each of us is given opportunities to be a leader for Christ, to shepherd a flock. Your flock may look very different form mine. My flock consists primarily of little boys, quickly becoming young men, who play baseball and video games together and appear in my kitchen when they are hungry. There is an opportunity there for me to invest in their lives, offering “instruction” that is flowing form a heart that is pure and a faith that is sincere. Additionally, we can all lean into the warning to avoid foolish controversies and strife, all of which are unprofitable and worthless. Here is a hard question, how are you choosing to conduct yourself in the Body of Christ when you do not agree with the leadership? Are you being careful to engage in good deeds or are you jumping into the middle of the drama, engaging in gossip and destructive complaining to fellow believers? The Word of God is clear, there is no place for the Body to attack itself. Beyond that, it makes me sad to think of missing the blessing of serving in the ways that God is equipping me because I have become distracted by the way the He is using someone else. When we judge the leadership, everyone loses. Remember, only God has perfect perspective. We must not allow Satan such a stronghold in the Church.
Phew! The Church: A New Mission is no joke! I am grateful that Christ is the head, that the Spirit is the power and that the Father is the creator. I am humbled to have the blessing of playing any small role in the Body of Christ. I commit to build up and encourage the rest of the Body in prayer and thanksgiving as I live on mission for our faithful God. Will you join me in doing the same?
Love you all,
Kinsee
“so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return empty, but accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).
