Lose

This week we begin worship with:

Mark 8:34–35

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it.

This is not the call to asceticism where the body is continually punished.  This is a call to sacrifice where the body is used for God’s purposes. This call was among the first things taught by Jesus.  Most of the Beatitudes talk of a future blessing, but two promise a present blessing. They are the first and the last.

Matthew 5:3

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

 

Matthew 5:10

“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Becoming a citizen of heaven is a present blessing for those that come with an empty hand when approaching God and a full hand when an enemy approaches us.  We contribute nothing to our salvation for Christ Jesus was the perfect sacrifice.  And we should sacrifice when necessary following His perfect example.

Proverbs 25:21

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,

    and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink, . . .

 

Proverbs 25:26

Like a muddied spring or a polluted fountain

    is a righteous man who gives way before the wicked.

With both courage and care draw clear water for your enemy today.  

 

keeper

This week we begin our worship with:

Psalm 121:7-8

The LORD will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The LORD will

keep your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.

Adam was given the task of being the garden's keeper (Genesis 2:15).  Cain famously defended himself with the question "Am I my brother's keeper?" (Genesis 4:9).  We are told in today's passage that God will be our "keeper" (šāmar), if we call upon Him.

Psalm 121:1

I lift up my eyes to the hills.

    From where does my help come?

freedom

 This week we begin worship with:

Galatians 5:13

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

In Paul's letter to the Galatians, he is responding to reports that they have fallen back to the comfortable place, where one's actions were the source of self-righteousness and their justification.  

Galatians 2:15-16

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.

Once understood that no-one can justify themselves, faith in the work of Christ brings freedom.  My actions are not necessary.  But that freedom immediately brings the temptation to enthrone oneself.   

We must regularly be reminded that our freedom has a purpose, to love one another.  

A classic example would be getting the family ready for church, packed into the mini-van, only to hear the cry of a neighbor for help with a family emergency.  Some in this situation would feel the tug of the Law to drive on.  Others who felt the tug of self-enthronement are still in bed.  But we are freed to love through the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

name

 This week we begin worship with:

Psalm 115:1

Not to us, O LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

In a small town, at work, or in a big church, names carry weight.  Do you know the so-and-sos?  I had dinner with their cousins.  Often that weight comes from what they did or donated.  Their names are on the buildings.

But our verse this week is a prayer asking that our name be left off.  That our contribution, however large, be hidden and anonymous.  Instead, the name of God should be given weight.  

That name loses its eternality translated as LORD.  In Hebrew, it is the self-existent, unchangeable, and eternal "I AM".  

This comes out clearly as the Psalmist speaks of the steadfastness and faithfulness of God's love.  And it is because of that eternal and unchanging love for us, that weight should be given that name.

verb

 This week we begin worship with:

Hebrews 11:6–7

And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Each of the "by faith" examples given in Hebrews 11 had an action:

• Able "offered" (v4).
• Enoch "prophesied" (Jude 1:14-15).
• Noah "constructed" (v7).
• Abraham "went" (v9) and "offered" (v17).
• Sarah "conceived" (v11).
• Isaac "blessed" (v20).
• Jacob "blessed" (v21).
• Joseph "instructed" (v22).
• Moses "refused", "chose", . . . (v 23-30).
• Rahab "welcomed" (v 31).

While we understand that our salvation is never because of our actions, but only because of God's love, but what action are we taking, in faith, simply because we love God and want to please him?

Yes, this list has many, who risked it all, but for many it was enabling and pointing the next generation to God by their personal testimony.  

What is your verb?