Outside the camp

Today we begin worship with:

Hebrews 13:12

So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.

Sacrifice occurred at the temple.  Then offerings for sin were burned “in clean place” outside the city (Leviticus 4).

Our passage in Hebrews should fill us with joy that we are sanctified by this very blood, but the passage goes on to invite us to participate:

Hebrews 13:13-14

Therefore let us go to him outside the camp and bear the reproach he endured. For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come. 

We must associate ourselves with Him.  Peter failed at this when questioned by a servant girl.

Then it asks us to go one step further.  We are to become what Romans calls a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12).

Hebrews 13:15

Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.

Yes, the fruit of our lips, but also the fruit of our hands. God wants to receive both. It should be our joy, for it brings Him joy.

Witness

We begin worship this week with:

Acts 1:6-9 

So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

The Disciples had heard the promises read in the synagogue.   They knew a leader would come and shepherd them back into a strong nation (Micah 4:7).  They were desperate to know when.

Instead of being given times and dates, they were given . . . power.

Instead of being given times and dates, they were given . . . a task.

Today we "fact check".  In antiquity, they witnessed.  Two people had to deliver the same message for it to be believed.  

In His absence, may we be faithful in our witness.

Multilingual

This week we begin worship with:

Ephesians 4:7-8 

But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says, “When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men.”

These verses start with the word "But" and they stand in contrast to the previous verses that speak of the unity and singularity of our faith.

Ephesians 4:4-6

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.

While our faith is thus focused, these captives are each given unique gifts and all for one purpose.

Ephesians 4:15-16

Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

A popular book in the 1990's described five love languages.  It instructed us to identify the love language of our spouse and to adjust our actions accordingly.  While it would be ideal to have a couple where each was gifted in the love language of the other, this is not the norm.  Some may struggle to operate outside their gift and often stutter and fail to utter a single sentence in the other's love language!

Fortunately in that struggle there is growth and change.  Strive to become multilingual.

More Perfect Tent

This week we begin worship with:

Isaiah 6:5-7 

And I said: “Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!” Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a burning coal that he had taken with tongs from the altar. And he touched my mouth and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.”

Nowhere else in scripture is heat or a coal used to cleanse from or atone from sin.  In fact, all of scripture points to Jesus Christ as our only source of salvation and our only means of atonement.  Question 152 of The Westminster Larger Catechism reads as follows:

What does every sin deserve at the hands of God? 

Every sin, even the least, being against the sovereignty, goodness, and holiness of God, and against his righteous law, deserves his wrath and curse, both in this life, and that which is to come; and cannot be expiated but by the blood of Christ.

And scripture itself says:

Hebrews 9:22

Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins.

Fortunately that chapter further explains:

Hebrews 9:11-12 

But when Christ appeared as a high priest of the good things that have come, then through the greater and more perfect tent (not made with hands, that is, not of this creation) he entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.

So that coal was not taken from just any campfire, it was from the Celestial Altar on which the blood of Christ was spilt. 

Worship today in the consistency and infallibility of scripture.

 

Courage

 This week we start worship with:

Joshua 1:9 

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

This is personal.  This is between God and Joshua.  In Hebrew all the words are in their singular form. Nothing is plural.

The command is supported three times by the phrase "Be strong and courageous" (vs 6, 7, and 9).  But that itself is not the command.  The command comes 7 verses earlier:

Joshua 1:2

“Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

Israel had wandered for 40 years, had now lost their leader Moses, and had come to the edge of the Jordan River (Joshua 3).  God's command was to cross it.

Their arrival at this place was not recent.  They had been at this place sufficiently for many to adopt the worship of Baal (Numbers 25:1-9).

And the command did not come "at the perfect time".  The river was at flood stage (Joshua 3:14-15).

Joshua's reaction?  Courage.

Joshua 1:10-11

And Joshua commanded the officers of the people, “Pass through the midst of the camp and command the people, ‘Prepare your provisions, for within three days you are to pass over this Jordan to go in to take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.’”

Fortunately this is not the command given to us.  But ours have similar rivers to cross.  Similar comfortable camps to leave.  Fertile ground to capture for him.

John 13:34-35

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Depend

Today we begin worship with: 

Deuteronomy 31:8 

It is the LORD who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.

This was said by Moses to Joshua, who was about to lead Israel into the promised land, which he did and it took place just as Moses said.  The LORD went first. 

Joshua 3:17

The priests who carried the ark of the covenant of the Lord stopped in the middle of the Jordan and stood on dry ground, while all Israel passed by until the whole nation had completed the crossing on dry ground.

That is a great picture of God going before us.  But listen to the conditions at the time.

Joshua 3:15-16

Now the Jordan is at flood stage all during harvest.Yet as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing. It piled up in a heap a great distance away, at a town called Adam in the vicinity of Zarethan, while the water flowing down to the Sea of the Arabah (that is, the Dead Sea) was completely cut off.

No, it is not flat and level.  No, it is not easy.  It is actually pretty scary.  But God makes a way.  We have to depend on Him!

Notice that the whole time we cross, He is there.  We can depend on Him!

 

Told you so!

 On this Easter morning we begin worship with:

Luke 24:1-6 

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.  Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, .  .  ."

The group of women that went to the tomb to prepare the body of Jesus were "perplexed" and "frightened".  Contrast that with the message from the angels.  They were matter-a-fact.  What had happened was foretold.  And because it was foretold, by Christ himself, there should not have been any doubt that it would happen.  As such they said there was no reason for the woman to have come there!

Three times that prediction is recorded:

Matthew 17:22-23

As they were gathering in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him, and he will be raised on the third day.” And they were greatly distressed.

Mark 9:30-32

They went on from there and passed through Galilee. And he did not want anyone to know, for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.  

 

Luke 9:43-45

But while they were all marveling at everything he was doing, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let these words sink into your ears: The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of men.” But they did not understand this saying, and it was concealed from them, so that they might not perceive it. And they were afraid to ask him about this saying. 

And it was three named woman that returned with the news:

Luke 24:10-11

Now it was Mary Magdalene and Joanna and Mary the mother of James and the other women with them who told these things to the apostles, but these words seemed to them an idle tale, and they did not believe them.

But still the disciples would run to the tomb to again look for Jesus among the dead!

Lord, give us simple faith to believe the testimony of your Word.

He is risen indeed!

Don’t Forget

Today, we begin worship with:

John 12:13

So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him, crying out, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel!”

The night before, Jesus was dining with Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. No, it was not the infamous argument dinner, but rather the second celebratory dinner, celebrating Lazarus being raised from the dead.   It was there that Mary anointed Jesus (John 12:3).

To that place a large crowd came, because of that miracle.

John 12:9

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. 

There they heard the testimony of those present at the miracle.

John 12:17

The crowd that had been with him when he called Lazarus out of the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to bear witness.

It was because of that witness, because of that miracle, that Jesus was first anointed and second made King. Let us not forget, for soon Jerusalem forgot and the cries changed to “Crucify Him!”.

Two Things

 Today we begin worship meditating on:

Philippians 1:6 (ESV)

And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.

The ESV seems to imply the work started, but it may have stopped, but assures us that it will be completed at the return of Christ.  The NASB has does similar, assuring us that the work will complete just in time:

Philippians 1:6 (NASB)

For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work among you will complete it by the day of Christ Jesus.

It is tough to convey both things that are going on.  The first is perfection (epiteleō) and second is progression (achri).  But some translations do combine the two ideas fabulously:

Philippians 1:6 (ASV)

. . . being confident of this very thing, that he who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Jesus Christ:

Paul goes on to explain the process:

Philippians 1:9-11 (ESV)

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

As we understand our own imperfection and our personal lack of progress, it is joy to know God will continue His patient perfection of us until it is truly complete.  We simply must commit:

Psalm 37:5-6
Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.
He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, 
   and your justice as the noonday.

 

Mine

This week we begin worship with:

2 Corinthians 6:16b

We are the temple of the living God; as God said, “I will make my dwelling among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.

The word for temple (naos) is specifically the sanctuary itself (The Holy Place and the Holy of Holies).  This is the portion of the temple where the Glory of the Lord dwelt and where the priests operated.  It is not the outer courts where lay people were permitted to worship.

But this verse upsets that order.  Paul, using multiple verses from the Old Testament, declares that we are instead that sanctuary and are indwelled by the Living God.

What is the difference between something sacred and something profane (For example, a church and any other building)?  It is not the type of masonry, paint, or the color of the carpet.  It is that it has been set aside for God's use.  

This verse then reminds us that because we are God's dwelling we are to be set aside exclusively for His use.  

One can hear that exclusivity in the word "my".  We are to be no other's.

Boom

 This morning we start worship with:

2 Corinthians 9:8-9

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency[a] in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. As it is written,

“He has distributed freely, he has given to the poor;

    his righteousness endures forever.” 

 

This verse starts with a bang.  That little word that describes God as "able" (dynatos) is the word from which we get dynamite!

Nothing seems to be left out -- "all grace", "all sufficiency", "all things", "at all times".  His power is present and available to us all the time.

But that power is not available for all purposes.  It is only available for good (agathos) works.  Yes, if you have ever met a person named Agatha, they are named for this singular purpose.

So, have you ever felt exhilarated after helping someone?  Now you know why.