What are we here for? (Ephesians 1:11-23)

What are we here for? That is the big question, one often posed when big philosophical questions about the meaning of life, and when asking not so philosophical questions about the purpose of a meeting. For our time together, I want to talk a little bit about why the Church at Ephesus, and the church in general is here. The church at Ephesus seems to be at peace, but there is a battle going on, not the flesh and blood kind. The spiritual kind for Ephesians 6:12 says: 

For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

Ephesians is here to tell us we have won the battle through Christ. My seminary professors drilled it into me that Christ is not a person, Christ is a title, and that Jesus became the Christ after rising from the dead. After suffering on that old rugged cross. 

The cross was a humiliating item used to dispose of the common criminal. The cross was not for necklaces, expensive jewelry, or a decorative item for your wall during these biblical times. The sign of the cross is meant to shame, to embarrass, but Jesus took something meant to be bad and make it good. So much so, that the author of this Book is able to write it from jail in chains.  And in writing in chains, he talks about setting our hope on Christ. That is a good thing to hope for Amen, Christ will never leave you nor forsake you. Christ will be there for you thick and thin, good times and bad, Jesus is a true friend indeed. 

Reason 1 Possessions 

Full Definition of INHERITANCE

1

a :  the act of inheriting property

b :  the reception of genetic qualities by transmission from parent to offspring

c :  the acquisition of a possession, condition, or trait from past generations

2

:  something that is or may be inherited

3

a :  tradition

b :  a valuable possession that is a common heritage from nature

4 :  possession

What are we possessing, through Christ suffering, death, and resurrection? We get possession to spiritual blessings, the Holy Spirit, and salvation.  You know, I have been hearing a few things about salvation. I hear a lot of things regarding what man says about salvation, but I would rather go to the Word and see what it says about salvation. What does the Bible say about salvation?

Romans 10:1-17

New King James Version (NKJV)

10 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

5 For Moses writes about the righteousness which is of the law, “The man who does those things shall live by them.” 6 But the righteousness of faith speaks in this way, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’”(that is, to bring Christ down from above) 7 or, “‘Who will descend into the abyss?’”(that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”(that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. 13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

14 How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? 15 And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written:

“How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace,

Who bring glad tidings of good things!”

16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report?” 17 So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.

We possess salvation as Christians, and it is our duty to share the Gospel with all mankind. Then there is that word pledge: 

pledge

  noun \ˈplej\

: a serious promise or agreement

: a promise to give money

: something that you leave with another person as a way to show that you will keep your promise

The Holy Spirit is that something left with us to show that God will keep His promise. 

Numbers 23:19

New King James Version (NKJV)

19 “God is not a man, that He should lie, Nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?

God does not go back on His word, and the Holy Spirit is here as a pledge to remind us of what God says, and will do. That is what we can take comfort in.

Reason 2 prayer

Even though he commends them on their faith and love, he still prays for them to grow in it. “ I have heard of your Faith in the Lord Jesus and your love. 

The prayer is continual. 

Philippians 4:6

New King James Version (NKJV)

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

1 Thessalonians 5:15-18

New King James Version (NKJV)

15 See that no one renders evil for evil to anyone, but always pursue what is good both for yourselves and for all. 16 Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

Ephesians 6:18

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

18 Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.

I can’t go to the gym one time and declare that I am in shape, I can’t cook one meal and demand you all start calling me Chef Simpson, everything requires work, so should our faith walk. They have books out on business and personal success about something called the 10,000-hour rule, the point of the rule is that people say to be good at any given task; it takes 10,000 hours of practice. 

They say that once you have practiced something for that long, music, athletics, public speaking or preaching, practicing medicine, practicing law, singing, advanced mathematics, what ever you chose as a profession, around 10,000 or 5 years at 8 hours a day, your mind and body begin to groove together in accomplishing the task, everything is not a blur, the game slows down for you so you are able to function well at a particular task. Some argue, that if you are genetically gifted, or predisposed to particular skill set it may take 8000 hours, or 5000 hours. T The point that is being made is that it takes practice; it takes time to grow at any given thing. You cannot just roll out of bed, start something new, then get mad that its not working to your satisfaction the next week. Success leaves clues, and success takes time. So we could all spend a little more time praying, but not just praying, studying, worshiping, fasting, giving, and every other thing that could be classified as Christian behavior, and not just on Sunday.

Reason 3 His Power

The last point is power let the church say Power. God has put everything under His feet, everything, your problems, you sickness, your disease, everything. It may not be done the way you want it to be done, but God will take care of it in due time. If everything was done the way you wanted it to be done, what would be the purpose of God? And he not only rules this age, but the ages to come. He has put all things under his feet. 

1 Corinthians 15:25-26

New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

When one uses the term “head and shoulders above the rest.” That person or that thing is clearly superior to anything else you can put up against it. Some would even say there is no competition. If there is no competition when something is head and shoulders above the rest, how much greater is our God if everything is under his feet? When Christ rose from the dead, the ultimate victory was proclaimed, the power was proclaimed. This also made Christ the head of the Church, for now and forever. Just like when we sing the end of the Gloria Patri, world without end, Amen, Amen. Christ is in charge and this thing is not going to end. The final victory has already been proclaimed we just need to realize it, take our possessions, keep praying, and realize the power. 

Just Jesus (Colossians 3:1-11)

Theologian Mark Alan Powell said the motto of the Epistle to the Colossians could be “Think Globally, act locally.”

I’ve noticed that as life goes on, what is important to me changes, over time. It changes so much that I look at current problems and think will this matter to me after a year, 5 years, 10 years. That determines how I handle a problem. Looking a problem from the outside keeps me from getting so caught up in the problem that I can’t find a solution. That doesn’t mean that I don’t care about the problem, or that I will not take care of it, this thought process of mine only means, that I will solve it without getting worked up. I work toward being like the Apostle Paul said in

Philippians 4:11-13

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹¹ Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: ¹² I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. ¹³ I can do all things through Christ^[a] who strengthens me.

It comes from both experience, and vision. Experience and vision also determine what all will be done to handle situations effectively and efficiently. As I gain experience with certain kinds of obstacles, I learn how to eliminate extra, unnecessary steps. Because my mind is on the big picture, the global situation, I see where some extra things may not be necessary, they may not be as urgent as one thinks. I learn to accomplish a task in 3-4 steps instead of 10.

Colossians was a letter written to the church in Colossae, small town in what is now called Turkey. The area was full pagan cults, and mystery religions. The Colossian Christians had not seen the Apostle Paul face to face. The Colossian Christians were taught the gospel by someone else, so they had began to combine what they knew of some of these mystery religions into what they did to worship Christ, resulting in some unnecessary steps. Yes they have been deceived by “plausible arguments” and taken captive by “philosophy and empty deceit.” They got caught up in titles, festivals and a bunch of other stuff that took them further from Jesus. 

This is no longer our life, we have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above where Christ is. Christ is seated at the right hand of the father because he has done all the work he needed to do for now, it is time for us to get to work. But we are here getting caught up on things that don’t matter, things that are stunting our growth. It reminds me of my colleague in the ministry, he would jokingly say he was raised old school, which meant if he brought the paper plates to the potluck, his name needed to be in the bulletin.

I’ve had the opportunity to lead several organizations, community service groups etc and they all had the same thing in common. They spend time complaining about people who don’t come to meetings. Every last one of them, from the drama ministry at church, to the fraternities, whoever was in charge complained every meeting about people who never showed up, when it was my turn to lead, members would try to talk about that but I would keep the meeting moving. You work with what you have and keep going, if you spend all the time complaining about who is not there they are living in your head rent free. I heard one person say you shouldn’t spend any time worrying about people who don’t affect your direct deposit. There is work to be done, and the church is worried about a bunch of things that won’t amount to anything later.

Luke 6:57-62 (The Cost of Discipleship)

⁵⁷ Now it happened as they journeyed on the road, that someone said to Him, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go.”⁵⁸ And Jesus said to him, “Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head.”⁵⁹ Then He said to another, “Follow Me.” But he said, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” ⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and preach the kingdom of God.”⁶¹ And another also said, “Lord, I will follow You, but let me first go and bid them farewell who are at my house.” ⁶² But Jesus said to him, “No one, having put his hand to the plow, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

Set our minds on things above. We ought to focusing on Jesus, and thy kingdom come, not who needs to chair what committee. Organization is important, but it tickles me to see folk vote on how to vote for the vote, and then see someone stop the vote on how to vote, because they need to vote to suspend the rules for the vote in the first place.

            John Wesley valued 4 things leading this thing we call Methodism, they called it the Wesleyan quadrilateral Scripture, Experience, Reason, and Tradition, with scripture being the most important of the four. We seem to lose that as a people and start focusing on tradition more than anything else. Tradition is wonderful, tradition connects us to those who came before us, and gives us a way to connect with those who will come behind us, but we must be careful of how we treat tradition, because it can create separation.

            Did you know John Wesley did not intend create a separate denomination. He was trying to improve the Anglican Church, the Church of England. John Wesley wanted to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ, let the people have personal experiences with God and know that they were justified by faith. It was church leaders who came after him that took the traditions and it started growing into a bunch of separations. The United Methodist Church, the Methodist Church of Great Britain, the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the Wesleyan Church, the Church of the Nazarene, the Christian and Missionary Alliance, the Holiness movement, Pentecostalism, the Charismatic Movement, and the Neo-Charismatic movement, all from came John Wesley’s teaching.

Taking off and putting on new clothing, symbolic of new life beginning anew in Christ Jesus.

2 Corinthians 5:17

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

We lay aside vices, not so we can say we are better than the rest, we lay them aside because we are primarily hurting ourselves. It says on account of these the wrath of God is coming for those who are disobedient, not the wrath of the church members. We are to hold each other accountable, and we are to judge a tree by its fruit, but we do not personally have a heaven or hell to put anyone else in. Fact is we all have 2x4s in our eyes trying to point out the specks in somebody else’s eye. This kind of situation is similar to a kid at school who is quick to make fun of somebody else so that they can deflect attention away from themselves. We lay aside vices because we are not perfect, but we are striving for perfection.

No Jew or Greek, no circumcised or uncircumcised, no hierarchy, no I know more than you, no I have been Methodist longer than you. Being the best person you know is a bad thing. We ought to surround ourselves with those who can help us be better people. We ought not focus on things that don’t matter we need to focus on Jesus.

That’s why the scripture says Christ is all in all

He’s all that was, and is, and is to come

The way maker,

the sustainer, the redeemer.  

The Lilly of the valley

The bright morning star

Our advocate

The true vine,

The chief cornerstone

The one who was beat all night long for your sins and mine

Crucified died and buried, so that we might have life

Laid in a tomb, borrowed because he wasn’t going to be there long

But on that third day, he got up with all power in his hand

And because he did that for me, I will put my trust in him

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Are We Really the Good Samaritan?

Are we Really the Good Samaritan?

            One of my professors often says that readers and interpreters are grounded in their social locations. What they meant by that was that when we read a particular text, we tend to put ourselves in the story, and we put ourselves in the story as the hero. When we read the Bible stories, we are Moses telling the Pharaoh, to let our people go. We tend to identify with the hero, the winner of the story. We are David, never Goliath, we are Adam and Even, never the serpent, and of course in this parable told by Jesus, we like to see ourselves as the Samaritan.

And that is where we are in the text today. Samaria is a place named after a mountain in the area, 42 miles north of Jerusalem. It was the capital residence and burial place of the kings of Israel.  Became the name for all of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (1 and 2 Kings), conquered by the Greeks, then the Romans. When you look at someone now you never know what he or she has been through. The city destroyed when the Romans took over and rebuilt, but it never got the same prestige it once had. Got to the point that people went out of their way to avoid going through Samaria when traveling. To be called a Samaritan was to be called a bad word in those times; it meant they didn’t know whom your bloodline came from. Almost like being called a half-breed or a mutt, an outsider, child that comes into a house because one of the people cheated. The Samaritans couldn’t come to the temple to worship.

            In the text today we find Jesus, just after he sent the seventy out to spread the good news casting out demons, healing the sick in the name of Jesus.  He tells them not to rejoice over the power they have, but to rejoice that their names are written in Heaven.  I spoke about this last week at my home church. I talked about the calling of names, the 70 aren’t named and they are told to be happy that their names are written in heaven. We take pride in our names, we protect our names, even when people try to trap us up to disrespect our names, our reputations. That is what the lawyer did in the text; he stood up to test Jesus. Trying to trap him in the law, but he didn’t know Jesus like we know Jesus, that Jesus was the best lawyer that money can’t buy.

            Jesus turns it back on him, and asks what is written in the law? Lawyer knew the scriptures and is quoting from Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.  But then lawyer couldn’t leave well enough alone and he asks who is my neighbor? The Samaritans were good neighbors, but when the new people moved in, they were not so good. We can clique up by nature, we like being around like-minded people. There is benefit to being around like-minded people, but we must be able to reach outside our comfort zones to bring others to Jesus. That is what we are here for right? This life is temporary; we need to be concerned about the eternal.

            The race of the beaten person is not mentioned, it could be anybody. Not just the people at the intersections looking for help, but it could be me, or you, or anyone else. Slighted by those who should have been his friends. On the side of the road, broke busted and disgusted. Beaten up by life. Beaten up by the job, by friend and family members. But The Samaritan came down this road. Took care of his hurts.

I don’t see myself as the Samaritan, because God knows I don’t always do the right thing. I don’t see myself as the Levite, because I was not born into this chosen race, I don’t even see myself as the priest, even though I accepted my call and preaching is my profession. I see myself as the one on the side of the road, in need of help. And I like to see the Samaritan as my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Samaritan didn’t have to stop and help the beaten traveler but he did. Jesus didn’t have to save me, but he did. It is an example of Christ work, and the work we are to do for others.

The Samaritan was minding his own business, but saw someone in need of assistance; Jesus was in Glory and saw humanity in need of salvation. The Samaritan was moved with pity and tended to his wounds; Jesus was filled with love and was wounded for our transgressions.

Isaiah 53:5

New King James Version (NKJV)

5 But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

The Samaritan gave the man, oil and wine for his wounds.  The bible says

Psalm 104:15

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁵ And wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.

Wine is refreshment, and oil brings joy, he was getting refreshment and joy from the Samaritan so he didn’t have to look like what he had been through.  In Christ we are new creatures, all things have passed away so we too don’t have to look like what we have been through.

The Samaritan put the man on his animal and brought him to an inn, Jesus put himself on a cross and brought us all a way to heaven.

Even though the Samaritan was considered bad, what he did even his enemy, this lawyer saw worth in.

 

Philippians 2:10

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁰ that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth,

The Samaritan helped the beaten traveler, just like God helps those who seek Him.

Psalm 121:1-4

New King James Version (NKJV)

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

A Song of Ascents.

121 I will lift up my eyes to the hills—
From whence comes my help?
2 My help comes from He,
Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not allow your foot to be moved;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

Stop by me Jesus, pick me up Jesus, clean me up Jesus, and leave something for me to let me know your coming back. The best part about the story of the Samaritan is this, he says he’s coming back, and Jesus is coming back.

They whipped his back so it could hold you up

Stretched his arms, now they are long enough to reach you

Buried in the tomb, all of our sin, all of our diseases.

I’ve got the scars to prove he is a way maker; I can be a witness that he’s a burden bearer, a heavy load sharer.

He is the Ancient of Days!

He is Adam’s Redeemer!

He is Abel’s Vindicator!

He is Noah’s Ark!

He is Abraham’s Sacrifice!

He is Moses’ Burning Bush!

He is Joshua’s Battle-Ax!

He is Gideon’s Fleece!

He is Samson’s Power!

He is David’s Music!

He is Solomon’s Wisdom!

He is Jeremiah’s Balm in Gilead!

He is Ezekiel’s Wheel in the middle of the wheel!

He is Job’s Horse pawing in the valley!

He is Daniel’s Stone rolling down through the mountain!

He is Matthew’s King!

He is Mark’s Suffering Servant!

He is Luke’s Great Physician!

He is John’s Word Made Flesh!

And He is Acts’ coming of the Holy Ghost! 

I look over my life, and I look at what I used to be, and what I could have been but Jesus spared me. It reminds me of the Hymn Love Lifted Me

Love Lifted Me

words: James Rowe

music: Howard E. Smith

I was sinking deep in sin, far from the peaceful shore,

Very deeply stained within, sinking to rise no more,

But the Master of the sea heard my despairing cry,

From the waters lifted me, now safe am I.

Refrain:

Love lifted me!

Love lifted me!

When nothing else could help,

Love lifted me!

An Exercise in Humility

An Exercise in Humility

So I had an interesting experience today, I attended an afternoon St. John's day service with my fellow Masonic Brothers. A little background, a St. John's day service is a church program open to the public, where Masons, O.E.S. and Heroines of Jericho gather to celebrate St. John the Baptist and St. John the Evangelist. 

This was my first time attending one as a Local Licensed Pastor, in the United Methodist Church so I wore one of my clerical shirts instead of the usual suit, shirt, and tie. One of my Lodge brothers, who is also a Reverend (Baptist), asked me if I wanted to meet the Pastor of the church, I said yes so we went into the Pastor's office. I experienced something I don't get to see often in other Pastors....humility. The pastor of the church we were visiting let us into his office, sat and spoke with us, insisted we sit in the pulpit with him during the program, prayed with us before he went out, and asked both of us to come back sometime so we could preach at his church!!

I had never seen this before because I am used to pastors who "don't want their anointing disturbed" so they have as little contact with other lowly human beings before preaching. I definitely rarely see pastors offer another pastor they just met an hour ago an opportunity to preach! My experience with other pastors is they are protective of "their" pulpits, even regarding their own Associate Pastors. It was refreshing to meet another colleague who was not too proud to have others sit in the pulpit with him and even if it was a courtesy to offer an opportunity to preach, it was a courtesy I had not experienced before. I look forward to meeting more pastors like the one I met today at Hiram Clarke Missionary Baptist Church in Houston TX.

I'm Back

I know have been away, but I am back. I have finished another semester of Seminary, squeaked by with 2 B-'s. I have a new full time job as an Audio/Video Technician at an Oil and Gas company. Still pastoring Haven Chapel UMC, and will be pastoring for at least another year. I have also had the opportunity to be a guest preacher at a few more places as well. I like preaching, almost as much as I like pastoring. I am in the middle of this years Annual Conference and am enjoying it greatly. I promise to post a whole lot more....honest.