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Tag: paul

  • To Die is Gain

    To Die is Gain

    Philippians 1:

    To Live Is Christ, To Die Is Gain

    Christians have heard it, perhaps even others:

    [ctt title=”Phil.1:21 For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ” tweet=”Philippians 1:21 ‘For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.’ Who in the 21st c. church longs to be with the Lord rather than gain in this life?” coverup=”81X1L”]

    What a strange sound to our contemporary hearing that a follower of Christ would prefer to die, rather than live as long as we can in this life. Why would the Apostle Paul say such a thing?

    Paul further explains: 22 If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.

    OK, that’s more like it. We hope those in our church will do some fruitful labor, but Paul continues:

    Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. 23 I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. 24 But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

    Paul seems rather conflicted in wanting to die to be with Jesus Christ, even as he tells of his desire to be with those of the church in Philippi “for your progress and joy in the faith.” [v.25b]

    Like any letter we cannot just take the words of the writer (or writers, in this case) as literal advice to you and me without considering the context and background as well as the reason to write to those who first read it. The people of the church a Philippi were the very reason Paul and Timothy wrote this letter. In fact, Paul had much in common with these saints of this local church.

    Dear church family in Philippi Macedonia,

    Or in a 21st letter that is what we might have said. The letter, however, begins:

    To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers (meaning bishops) and deacons:

    2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now.

    The Greek words for overseer, where superintendent could also be used, and deacon, which indicates the ones who follow the commands of the appointed one in charge have a deep relational and much-lost meaning to the church. The description of the senders, however, reveals an even more-convicting humility, for Paul and Timothy refer to themselves as “doulos,” that is, “slaves” or servants.

    Although you or I would end a letter with our signature, Paul and Timothy, as was the custom of the day, begin with their signature as identification to all of the senders at first hearing of the public reading of their letter:

    Παῦλος καὶ Τιμόθεος δοῦλοι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ

    Paulos kai Timotheos doulos  Iēsous  Christos

    Paul and Timothy, servants of Jesus Christ

    Servant Leadership

    Without taking time here to further develop a central theme which must typify followers of Jesus, the Christ of God and King over all creation and souls; please note Paul’s characteristically loving concept best demonstrated by Christ our Lord, that to lead others means to serve others.

    What must Paul do before he dies? Even though Paul longs to be with the Lord Jesus, he concedes, “to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.”

    Paul and Timothy are slaves of the King, Christ Jesus. The Superintendents of the churches to whom they write are also expected to be humble servants of those they lead. Elders and Deacons must have expected obedience to the righteous decrees of the King, that is, Jesus. And the saints (small, ‘s‘) are obedient followers of church leaders, because we desire to obey the King, that is, we want to follow Jesus.

    A Background in Common

    Returning to Philippi, a complete reading of this letter from the slaves of Jesus Christ, Paul and Timothy, is much more than just instruction to a church; it is a much hoped for love letter from a dear one in a far away place.

    Don’t you have a dear one in a far away place? I do.

    [ctt title=”Many beloved ones live beyond the reach of my encouragement and embrace.” tweet=”Many beloved ones live beyond the reach of my encouragement and embrace.” coverup=”t1zeE”]

    Here Paul and Timothy have reached out by messenger to the saints they love, even those with whom they share Christ Jesus, and so much more in common.

    3 I thank my God in all my remembrance of you…

    7 It is right for me to feel this way about you all, because I hold you in my heart, for you are all partakers with me of grace, both in my imprisonment and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel.

    8 For God is my witness, how I yearn for you all with the affection of Christ Jesus. 9 And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment, 10 so that you may approve what is excellent, and so be pure and blameless for the day of Christ, 11 filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.

    “Would you die for Christ?

    [ctt title=”Would you live to serve the saints of Christ\’s church? ” tweet=”Would you die for Christ? Would you live to serve the saints of Christ’s church? – For me to live is Christ, to die is gain. Phil 1:21″ coverup=”Sd5ao”]

    Paul and Timothy and the early saints of the church did. Peter and John and the Apostles did. Stephen and James the brother of Jesus and the first century martyrs did. These all lived for Christ to serve others. These saints of the church, our beloved company of believers, died first to self to serve Jesus as Lord.

    For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. – Philippians 1:21

     

  • Some Shall Stumble Before the Finish

    The Race of our Days

    1 Corinthians 9:24 Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?

    So run that you may obtain it. 25 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. 27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

    2016 Olympic Gold Medal
    2016 Olympic Gold Medal

    ‘A gold medal for the winner’ we think as we watch the Olympics. One winner, two receive more also receive a medal from only a few qualify for the final race.

    Many more have come to the great race with hopes of victory, yet most will return home in obscurity with only a brief memory of coming up short of the prize, the gold medal of victory.

    From Rome Apostle Paul wrote back to believers in Corinth, a city just 131 miles [211 km] from Olympia. The Greeks, or Hellenists as they were called for centuries after defeat and domination under Rome, understood the imagery of the race – the race of life, even the race of eternity with distance we cannot see and a finish line known only to God.

    olympia457A thousand years before Paul the powerful King Solomon of the empire of the the United Kingdom of Israel had written:

    Ecclesiastes 9:

    11 Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. 12 For man does not know his time.

    “..time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. – Ecc. 9:11b-12

    Perhaps you believe your life will be a marathon, even a marathon of drudgery or pain or defeat. Maybe you think your finish line is far distant. Perhaps. Yet think once more of what you know.

    Do you know one who raced in life’s briefest of sprints? Were you startled at their sudden finish when they were no more?

    The Race Toward Heaven

    If you believe in the Lord God Almighty; if you believe that you were created for a purpose; then you seek the Kingdom of Heaven – the finish of life which ends in eternal reward.

    Jesus was asked about about Heaven, about the course of our race of  this life. What glimpse of the finish has our Lord given us? What course has God laid before us until we breathe our last with some hope of gold?

    If you could ask the Messiah of God, Christ Jesus a question about who God is going to save for eternal life wouldn’t it probably be something like this?

    “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”

    I’m not sure about you, but that’s what I think. I believe I am pretty special. (Maybe you do too.) Of course not everyone will be saved – most don’t want to be anywhere near God; but I do. You probably do too, as one of the few I believe Jesus will save.

    So the man asks about the finals thinking, ‘How do we get to heaven?’ Jesus gives us a glance at the eternal finish.

    Parable of the Narrow Door

    Luke 13:

    And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

    I would wonder: Lord, do you mean it’s a door at the end of life – a finish where I cannot see what is on the other side?

    25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’

    Shocking! I ‘go to church’ and work for charities. We give money to causes. Good people like us hope Jesus will save us… And Jesus answers, ‘I do not know you?’

    26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’

    27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from.

    Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’,

    I thought all the good I was doing would get me the Gold medal… Hell! Not Heaven, Hell – I have had enough of that in this life and Jesus calls me a worker of evil. How does a sinner like me escape Hell and be welcomed in Heaven?

    I have run the race…

    Did I mention that Paul, the former Saul of Tarsus was a great sinner?

    All of the Apostles including Paul preached repentance, true repentance and turning from what we were toward the sinless soul God wants us to be.

    The grace of God’s mercy overflows in forgiveness found only in Christ Jesus.

    You must be born again, sinless, in the Lord Jesus Christ.

    Have you had a false start in this life? Do you truly desire another chance though our Lord Christ, Living and resurrected Son of God our Father? Here the encouragement of the writer of the letter to the Hebrews:

    Hebrews 12:

    … let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.- Heb 12:1b-2

    6 For the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
    and chastises every son whom he receives.”

    7 It is for discipline that you have to endure. God is treating you as sons. For what son is there whom his father does not discipline?

    For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. – Heb 12:11

    So the great sinner who once persecuted and murdered follower of Jesus repented. Paul sought to live his new life in Christ Jesus in purity and sinlessness to his highest ability; yet humbly acknowledged the sinful nature of his own – the sinful nature of you as well… even the most sinful tendencies from which my own flesh must turn daily.

    Paul states near the end of his life in a second letter to his successor Timothy, before being executed for his witness for Jesus Christ:

    2 Timothy 4:

    5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 6 For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

    “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. – 2 Tim 4:7

    8 Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.

    The Gold Medal of Faith

    Paul is telling Timothy about the gold medal, the crown given only to one who wins the race.

    Do you stumble in the race of eternity?

    Lay all of your earthly crowns at the feet of Jesus. He IS Lord; Who IS and was and will be the keeper of the door beyond the narrow gate?

    Christ Jesus came into this world to crown sinners with grace – eternal life, His rich reward of God’s eternal love.

    Beloved of Jesus, do not stumble; for He stands at the door with His crown of righteousness.

     

     

  • Credentials for Christ

    Credentials for Christ

    It seems I am unqualified by all measures for employment in the service of Christ.

    I have no Doctor of Divinity. I’ve never been on a church staff or even served time as a youth pastor. My vocations have been beyond the walls of the church in the everyday lives of common men. My family life has been less than exemplary and my pedigree is more related to the place where I came from than my zeal for the Lord.

    (And after all, why would your church hire a tent maker to answer phones or schedule your meetings?)

    Suppose your church needs some help with its important ministry. You draw up a job description (which we will get to later) and a man applies with credentials not suited to what you had in mind. In fact, his resume reads like he was either paid to work by some rather ungodly organizations or volunteer to learn pastoring from some rather hypocritical religious types.

    Saul of Tarsus

    Paul and Aquilla tent makersResume:

    Occupation: Tent maker

    1. a lesser known Christian you may not have heard of
    2. a former corrupt tax collector
    3. a former boat owner and hot-headed sailor

    Roman-Provincia_SyriaOkay, our search committee doesn’t particularly agree that this guy from Tarsus of Cilicia is a good fit.

    How about a local candidate who fascinates our religious and political rulers? He has a religious following of his own and good teaching credentials. Let’s go hear a sermon of his. (Maybe he will join our staff.)

    7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,

    viper“You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

    Alright, maybe this Baptizer is not the best guy for our seeker-friendly church. (Too bad we can’t find a faithful minister like those proven Prophets of the Old Testament.)

    When Ahab saw Elijah, Ahab said to him, “Is it you, you troubler of Israel?” – 1 Kings 18:17Elijah reward

    On the other hand, Elijah was opposed to the leaders of Israel. The King sought to kill him. Besides, Stephen, who Saul had heard testify, had asked:

    Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute?

    NO. I don’t think our Pastor wants a Prophet in the pews. Forget a guy like John the Baptist greeting our newcomers. Matthew and all government officials are definitely out of contention. An unemployed fisherman who is ready to draw the sword at the first sign of opposition won’t work. (And who ever heard of this reference, Ananias, other than this Saul of Tarsus candidate?)

    Choosing ministers for the work of the church is not as easy as we might think.

    So what are the qualifications?

    A first qualification is from the Lord:

    “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” – John 3

    A Christ follower and leader of the church must be changed. (Have we even asked or witnessed evidence of the Holy Spirit?)

    Returning to the record of scripture, we know, of course that Paul was appointed by Christ Jesus and approved by Peter.

    After many years of preaching, teaching and persecution, the Apostle Paul instructs the church by pastoral letters to other church leaders.

    1 Timothy

    5 The aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith.

    Pray for All People

    2 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,4 who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.5 For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, 6 who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 7 For this I was appointed a preacher and an apostle (I am telling the truth, I am not lying), a teacher of the Gentiles in faith and truth.

    Qualifications for Overseers

    3 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

    Qualifications for Deacons

    8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

    NOT qualified

    Who then may be qualified?

    Not that we are sufficient  of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;

    Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life.

    Second letter of Paul to the Corinthians 2:3:5-6 KJV

    Grace: such a loving kindness of the Lord.

    It is only by the grace of Christ Jesus that any man should serve the church in obedience to the will of the Lord. It is by grace that we are saved. It is by grace we should be called to lead. It is by grace that through our own acts of mercy and grace that another soul might come to know the surpassing grace of Christ Jesus, our Lord and Savior.

    By grace and discernment of Christ’s love we humbly draw near as a church of forgiven souls seeking to share the Gospel of the grace of the Cross of Christ Jesus. May the Lord lead us with an open heart and willing walk to follow those who walk alongside our church in the roles of leadership.

    Peace, grace and mercy be with you, beloved brother, dear sister in the Lord.