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Episodes
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
Thursday Apr 13, 2023
1. Church begins - Catalyst
Jesus' resurrection is the catalyst for the mission of the church, beginning with the disciples and throughout history. Indeed, the growth and spread of the church, is a proof of the historical fact of Jesus' physical resurrection or rising from the dead. Having been raised from the dead, Jesus' mission to earth is coming to an end and shortly He will be returning to the right hand of the Father. Before He does so though, He has some more words to say to His disciples. Lets read Acts 1v1-12 for what happened between His resurrection and ascension.
The first book I wrote, Theophilus, concerned all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up, after he had given commandment through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. To these he also showed himself alive after he suffered, by many proofs, appearing to them over a period of forty days, and speaking about God's Kingdom. Being assembled together with them, he commanded them, "Don't depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which you heard from me. For John indeed baptized in water, but you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit not many days from now." Therefore when they had come together, they asked him, "Lord, are you now restoring the kingdom to Israel?" He said to them, "It isn't for you to know times or seasons which the Father has set within his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth." When he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. While they were looking steadfastly into the sky as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white clothing, who also said, "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky." Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.
Jesus' Authority
Throughout the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus' authority is a major theme. Where Matthew records Jesus doing miracles, this is to highlight Jesus authority in action and not just merely in words. Matthew records Jesus' authority to forgive sins (Matthew 9v6) and He imparted authority to His disciples for a short time when they went on a mission in Matthew 10. Jesus has authority (Matthew 28v18) over all things, all people, all circumstances and happenings. Jesus has authority over all spiritual beings, whether angels or demons. Jesus has authority over all nations, governments and rulers. Jesus has authority over all earthly and spiritual authorities. Jesus has the authority. This means regardless of what ever the Christian Disciple faces, Jesus is in control.
Therefore, as Christian Disciples, we can obey him without fear of retribution from those who would seek to harm us. We can obey Him regardless of the circumstances we find ourselves in. It is a great comfort to know, that He is in control of everything!! Through His death on the cross and His rising from the dead, Jesus has conquered all enemies. Now people sometimes confuse authority with authoritarian. Authoritarian means severe, rigidity and a dictator. None of these apply to Jesus. We have been given a free will, but as His disciples, we should choose to exercise our free will to obey Him and live a life worthy of Him. As the Christian depends on Jesus' authority, the Christian Disciple gains wisdom, guidance, and power.
You Go
If Jesus had not risen from the dead, then the disciples would not have had a story to tell. But Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, and the early church exploded numerically as the twelve disciples exercised Jesus' authority and His power. We read about the growth of the early church in the Book of Acts. Christianity is a faith whereby all Christian Disciples are to tell others of the goodness of God. Indeed God Himself is a missionary God. Ever since Genesis 3 and the fall of man, God has been on a mission to bring and call people back to Himself.
That was the purpose of the nation of Israel, to be a light to all nations of the goodness and glory of God! That was purpose when God, who is outside of time and space, entered human history taking on human flesh and restricted Himself in a human body as the man we know as Jesus Christ. Jesus whole mission was one of calling people back to life in God. As followers of Jesus Christ, all Christian Disciples are to evangelize. Evangelism is showing and telling others of God's message of reconciliation to all people of all time. It is not forcing people to adopt Church standards (1 Corinthians 5v12) and nor is it simply a message of join the church as a symbol of good works (Ephesians 2vv8-10).
Why evangelize?
The prime motivation for evangelism is out of gratitude for what God has done, in that we love because He loved us first. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5v14, "For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." As His servants we are to tell and live of God's reconciling message As I said before, we are all to do the work of an evangelist (2 Timothy 4v5).
In these last words of Matthew's Gospel, all Christian Disciples are to make disciples throughout the whole earth! Making disciples is not just evangelism but ensuring that guidance and care is given to new Christian disciples. How is this achieved? How can the Christian Disciple exhibit Jesus' authority and power in evangelism? Who gives the impetus for Christian Disciples? That is part of the role of the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus said would come once He had ascended back to the right hand of God the Father.
Jesus Ascends
Mark 16:14-19, Luke 24:50-51 and Acts 1v1-12, we read about Jesus physically ascending into the heavens. He is returning, as He said he would do, to the right hand of the Father. During their last discussion with Jesus, the disciples were still expecting him to lead a revolution against the Romans (Acts 1v6). Despite all Jesus had said to them in the previous 3 years, they still did not understand that Jesus had come to lead a spiritual kingdom and not a political kingdom. Hence He tells them to go back to Jerusalem, with for the Holy Spirit and then go tell others the Good News about Him!
Even after Jesus had vanished into the clouds, the disciples still gathered around looking into the sky for Him to return! So two angels came and said "You men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was received up from you into the sky will come back in the same way as you saw him going into the sky." (Acts 1v11) From there the disciples returned to Jerusalem and waited. They didn't have to wait long, 10 days, until the Holy Spirit came, filled them and started living with them.
The Holy Spirit is coming
This is in fulfilment of Ezekiel 36v27 "And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws." where Almighty and All-powerful God will indwell those who follow Him. Throughout His ministry Jesus had talked about how after He was to depart, and that the Holy Spirit would come (John 15v26).
We know from the other writings in the New Testament who the Holy Spirit is and what His ministry is. The Holy Spirit is spoken of as God (1 Corinthians 3v16). The attributes of God are ascribed to the Holy Spirit life (Romans 8v2), truth (John 16v13) and love (Romans 15v30). The Holy Spirit is also a Person and is always referred to as ‘He' in the New Testament (John 16v14). He relates to us as a person for He is comforter, guide and teacher (John 14). He can be blasphemed against and be grieved (Ephesians 4v30), and wherever the Holy Spirit is, the Father and Son are also present because they are one. (John 14v18-23).
Throughout the Book of Acts and in the other New Testament writings we discover more about the Holy Spirit. We see that His prime role to to glorify Jesus Christ the Son of God is praised and glorified (John 16v13-14). He will testify for Jesus Christ (John 15v26). He will witness for Jesus Christ (Acts 1v8). The Holy Spirit is involved with ministering to members of the church, as Jesus would be to us if He were here. The Holy Spirit declares God's Word, interpreting and illuminating it. He convicts of sin, transforms, indwells, fills, baptizes and seals the believer.
With all this, the Holy Spirit also equips for service. God is at work in His body the church, to will and to act accordingly to his purpose (Phil. 2v13), to be my witnesses (Acts 1v8). This is evident in the book of Acts and the other New Testament writings. How is the Spirit seen? The Spirit's work is in evidence, where people's lives become more holy and more like Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 12v3; 2 Corinthians 13v7). Sometimes the Holy Spirit works also in powerful ways, with miracles. But He also equips Christian Disciples for service, through the giving of spiritual gifts. Not just the so called more spectacular gifts of healing, miracles etc but also gifts such as mercy, generosity, helps and service. We see in the rest of the Book of Acts, how the Holy Spirit empowered the early church and because of the impetus He gave them, the church is still growing and expanding throughout the world 2000 years later.
In this series of studies in Acts, we will look at some of the key events in the life of the New Testament church, as recorded by Luke in the Book of Acts.
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Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
Wednesday Apr 05, 2023
“Jesus - our hope”
‘Do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. You know the way to the place where I am going.’ Thomas said to him, ‘Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?’ Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. (John 14:1-6)
A good Christian friend of mine recently died. I am sure you know others as well. My friend is now more alive than ever before! Why? Because Jesus was his hope. Let us learn together today at how and why Jesus Christ can be our hope!
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Friday Mar 31, 2023
Friday Mar 31, 2023
Dedication of the Temple
2 Chronicles 6v1-21
Tonight as you may have gathered, we go back to looking at the prayers of Solomon in 2 Chronicles 6. Not in an exhaustive way, but to discover together what we can learn about God and His relationship with those who are His and seeing how this is relevant to us some 3 millennia later. During the intervening period, I wonder if Solomon had wrestled in his mind over what he prayed… Let us wrestle together now, in these prayers of his, albeit briefly. This is a key passage, a link if you like, between the Covenant that God made with Solomon’s father, David, including the building of a House for God, the Temple, and the glory of the Lord filling the Temple in 2 Chronicles 7. This reflects I think, the necessity and vitality of prayer in the unfolding of God’s will for humanity. The story is also regaled in 1 Kings 8 but with some nuance as you may expect.
1. A Covenant Making God
a. Verses 1 & 2 - Solomon acknowledges God’s presence in the cloud
b.Verses 3 to 9 – Solomon blessed the people and blesses God.
c. Verses 10-11 - Solomon presents the finished temple unto God.
Part 2. Solomon’s prayer.
a. Verses 12-14 - Humility before and praise unto God.
b. Verses 15-17 - Solomon recognizes God as the maker and keeper of promises.
c. Verses 18-21 - Solomon asks God to dwell in this place and honour those who seek Him here.
Conclusion - Promises of God for the Christian
The New Covenant (Jeremiah 31:31-34; Luke 22:15-20)
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Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Tuesday Mar 21, 2023
Jesus’ Encounters
We know Jesus spoke to and interacted with large crowds. The Sermon on the Mount, the feeding of large crowds just a couple of examples. But we also have records of his encounters with individuals and their reaction to him. People who we talk to about Him, often have three reactions: rejection (either in sorrow or anger); more to think about it; and acceptance. We are going to look at two encounters that we find in the Gospels, what Jesus had to say to them and their subsequent reactions: his encounter with the rich young ruler and his meeting with Nicodemus. Next time we will look at two examples of those who accepted and believed in Him.
1. Rich young ruler Matthew 19:16-26 Mark 10v17-22 Luke 18:18-27
Mark 10v17: As Jesus started on his way; a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honour your father and mother.'"
"Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."
Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, "How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!"
This story is in all three synoptic gospels, Matthew, Mark and Luke. Luke describes him as a wealthy ruler (Luke 18v18-27). Matthew describes him as a young man (Matthew 19v16-26). In Mark’s account, he is simply a man (Mark 10v17-22). Put altogether that makes him a rich young ruler. He runs up to Jesus and falls on his knees before Him. He wants eternal life, wants it now and so asks Jesus about it. When he calls Jesus a good teacher, Jesus responds “No one is good—except God alone.”
Now Jesus could have been correcting the young man, but more likely Jesus was asking: “Do you know what you are saying and how close to the truth about me you are?” This young man had fully kept the commandments listed by Jesus (Mark 10v19). However when Jesus said to the young ruler that in order to follow Him, he would have to give up all his wealth in order to have treasure in heaven and eternal life, the man left rejected.
That was a step too far for the rich young ruler. He wanted his riches and also eternal life but Jesus said he couldn’t have both. He remains the only man who left Jesus’ presence sorrowful, and that due to putting his trust in his riches & wealth alone. Now riches are not necessarily wrong but they do make trusting fully in God very difficult (Mark 10v23).
2. Nicodemus John 3v1-21
John 3v1-3: Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a member of the Jewish ruling council. He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him." In reply Jesus declared, "I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.[
Nicodemus wants to know more about Jesus and investigate Him personally, instead of following the majority of the other Jewish leaders. What do we know about Nicodemus?
- Member of the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin
- A leading teacher and learned scholar of the Scriptures
- From other sources we know he may well have been from a family of wealthy landowners
- Protested against Jesus’ condemnation without a trial (John 7v50-52)
- Took gifts to anoint Jesus’ body (John 19v39-40)
Nicodemus was probably one of the many looking for a kingdom of God based around a political Messiah; hence him admitting that due to his miraculous signs, Jesus must have been from God. They wanted a Messiah who was a political leader who would lead Israel to be a shining light for the whole world to come to Jerusalem and worship the one true living God. However, Jesus corrects Nicodemus and says that it is not through a new Israel that God’s kingdom will be seen, but by being “born again”.
Three times in this conversation, Jesus repeats about being “born again”. What does “born again” mean?
- It is not a physical rebirth and nor is it merely a turning over a new leaf.
- It is not baptism because Jesus has not instituted baptism yet!
- It is the new covenant, which Nicodemus should have known about it (Jeremiah 31 and Ezekiel 36). It is being born with water and spirit – cleansed of sin and indwelt with the Holy Spirit
- It is being born from above, which is looking to the one who has come down from heaven. For the phrase “born again” can also be translated “born from above”.
- It is looking to Jesus and trusting in him just as the ancient Israelites were saved by looking at the bronze snake (Numbers 21v8)
- It is on an individual basis just as physical birth is. Nobody knows the date and time of their own birth unless they are told by somebody!
Jesus seemed astonished that the teacher didn’t already know that, being as Nicodemus was a highly educated and learned teacher!
So there we have 2 different reactions to Jesus: The rich young ruler who left full of sorrow; the Jewish leader who left with more to think about regarding this Jesus. In each encounter, Jesus is remarkably comfortable with all two people. He loved the rich young ruler (Mark 10v21)His love surrounded them, just as His love surrounds all people today. His message of salvation, through Him alone, is for everybody of all time.
For more to think about please do ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together.
Q1. Please read Mark 10v17-22. What things may be hindering me from fully trusting in God for all things?
Q2. Read John 3v1-21. What does this Scripture tell me about God’s salvation?
Q3. How does Jesus’ approach to telling people about salvation inspire me to do likewise?
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
Saturday Mar 11, 2023
David's Final Prayer
1 Chronicles 29:10-20
Introduction
Welcome as we look into this great, and perhaps last, public prayer of the great King David! It is a fabulous piece of Scripture, I am sure you agree, that tells us a lot about God we as Christians claim to know and love, as well as how we are to respond to Him. Originally 1 & 2 Chronicles were one book. It was the final book of the Jewish Canon, probably written by Ezra and was also known as the "the events of the days", "the things omitted" which would suggest that Chronicles were to be regarded as additional to the books of Kings and Samuel. It's a book which was written for those from the nation of Israel who are now in exile, to remind them of their spiritual heritage - the journey & history of Israel as a nation. For us though, not least I, it issues certain challenges to us all.
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Here is the great king David!
What has happened so far?
1. WOW factor of God! (v10-13)
2. David - its all God (v14-20)
3. So what?
Firstly, we saw the wow factor of God: a God who exudes greatness, power, glory, victory and majesty. Then we saw David's utter adoration and dependence upon the God that he knows intimately. So, finally, what does all this have to do with us? How often do we receive from our God, but not thank Him for it? We are to be thankful for every good gift that is given to us. We offer praises and thanks to Him, for who He is and for His generosity and grace towards us. Tonight's bible passage was a superb piece of thanksgiving.
When was the last time you thanked God for all the things He has given you? How can we put this thanks and praise into action? Lets see quickly! Firstly, I am convinced there are enough wealthy Christians sitting in churches in the West, who could make significant donations and virtually eradicate a lot of the poverty in the developing world and indeed their own countries. This would be active Christian giving on a radical scale. In biblical stories, such as this from 1 Chronicles 29, its always those who had the most, gave the most as an example to others of God's generosity. After all, God owns it all anyway and it's only given as a loan from God and not a transference of ownership.
As Christians, we are to desire to mature spiritually - growing in adoration, obedience and commitment to God. Perhaps the greatest indicator of today, concerns our giving. Giving is to be done whole-heartedly and cheerfully. It is also not so much about how much is given, but how much is left after giving and the attitude behind it. God looks beyond that which is given to the motive and attitude behind it. All our money and possessions belong to Him anyway, as we have seen, so giving is to be in response to this. Our money and possessions are a leasehold agreement not a freehold one. Giving done willingly is also not done to boost our own egos or for the feel-good factor, but rather to bring glory and honour to God as a thankful response to His giving all things to us.
Many prayers seemingly go unanswered because God is waiting on people to be obedient to Him, in order to answer the unanswered prayers of others. . We are to be generous with everything we have, not just in the area of money but with our very lives. We all have time, information, knowledge imagination, gifts and talents. All these too are to be given back to God . That may well take radical action to do, but radical giving is what we are called to do. God has given everything so that you and I may live and have life, so by caring and giving, we will reflect that. Let's be radical church together and encourage others to be likewise.
But, as we have seen, it's not only about giving money and resources. Giving is also to include skills, information, imagination and knowledge. Remember, the priests and craftsmen were waiting to give in the building of and service within the Temple. Churches, particularly these days, need to capture the imagination of those looking for a church home, and get them involved. Involvement in such a way that it builds up commitment to God and a growing adoration of Him. If people are involved, they will stay. It means training them up, to be fit for service within the church. If training for service doesn't occur, then commitment and dedication to God is likely to be diminished. If the same people do the same thing year after year, that local church will eventually die out. Each local church is only one generation away from closing its doors permanently. Giving, as we saw in tonight's passage, is also a community affair. This Church is to be a community, both within the church and outside of it, where the strongest members support the weakest members - including their time, possessions, money, knowledge and wisdom.
But, as we also saw tonight, it is not just for leaders to give! Giving is to be for everyone! Every church has a fantastic array of knowledge, wisdom, possessions and imagination. Let us share that with people outside the church. Who knows what our caring and giving will do for them as it reflects the glory of God! Too often, we are found turning a blind eye to the suffering of others where the necessities of life are in sparse existence. Too often we neglect to give up our personal space, time, imagination, information and money generously to help the poor and needy in our local, national and global communities. By doing this giving collectively, we will show our faith to be real and practical. There are people out there in our local community just waiting for somebody to give generously to them. We need to be seen to be radically giving to all - of our money, our possessions, and also our time, imagination, knowledge, practical help, care and love. Let us show our relevance to our local community, particularly at this time of Corona Virus Pandemic. So if I could summarise all this up in one sentence, it would be something like this
"Ask not only what your God can give to you,
but what great things you can do and give to your God."
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Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
Wednesday Feb 15, 2023
PulpTheology Book
An Ambassador in God's Orchestra of Joy
An Ambassador is an official and accredited representative of their own sovereign state to another place or country. The Ambassador speaks not for themselves but represents the ideals, thoughts and actions of the one who sent them and with their authority.All Christians, as Disciples of Jesus Christ, are Ambassadors for Jesus Christ into the world in which we live.
Therefore throughout this book, we use both words, Ambassador and Disciple, in relation to the Christian. As Ambassadors for Jesus Christ, we are to be His representatives here on earth. We are His Church, which is an Orchestra of Joy.The Christian Ambassador has a joyous message to present to people about how people can be reconciled with God. A message to all people, of all nations, of all time, without favouritism or corruption.
As Christian Ambassadors, we are sent by our Lord Jesus Christ, into the world, in order to live our lives for Him and Him alone. Inside this book, we look at 6 main characteristics of the life of the Christian Ambassador:
1. The Ambassador's Identification // 2. The Ambassador's Message
3. The Ambassador’s New Life // 4. The Ambassador's Serving Life
5. The Ambassador’s Devotional Life // 6. The Ambassador's Uncompromising Life
The Disciple of Jesus Christ, the Christian, is God's Ambassador, as exhorted by the Apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21:
20 We are therefore Christ’s Ambassadors, as though God were making His appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: be reconciled to God. 21 God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.
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Thursday Feb 09, 2023
Thursday Feb 09, 2023
Introducing the book of Romans
This is a part of our series, "Exploring the Bible", which comes from our book "Exploring the Bible" which is available on Amazon by clicking here or visiting PulpTheology.com
Key Verses:
- Romans 1:16-17 / Romans 3:23
Paul’s letter to the Romans explains what God has done, presenting God's plan of salvation, which is in Jesus Christ, and the effect this has upon all mankind. This gospel plan sees God's righteousness extended to all of mankind based on Jesus Christ’ work on the cross. It is received by faith in Him, rather than the good works of man. It investigates ideas such as guilt, faith, assurance, security and sanctification.
Paul is very concerned that there should not be any conflict between Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians in Rome. So he explains very carefully how it is that everyone, although basically a sinner, can be accepted by God. That acceptance, called righteousness, can only be gained by belief in and commitment to Jesus and his atoning death on the Cross. He then explains how this leads to the gift of the Spirit and the ability to live a life worthy of a follower of the Lord.
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Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
PulpTheology Book
"Glimpses into Romans: A Book of Freedom"
G’day! The PulpTheology book today is: “Glimpses into Romans: A Book of Freedom”.
Glimpses into Romans: A Book of Freedom
The great Apostle Paul in his letter to the Romans, logically states his case about God and humanity. John Stott said that "Romans is a manifesto of freedom through Jesus Christ" Paul's Letter to the Romans scares some people because of its depth of theology and of course it's challenge to the Christian life.
Come inside and take some baby steps exploring this magnificent book of freedom - Romans. In these studies we look at the topic of freedom as expounded by the Apostle Paul to the ancient Church in Rome, and what that all has to do with us in the 21st century.
Come on in! “Glimpses into Romans: A Book of Freedom”. Available on Amazon and PulpTheology.
"Glimpses into Romans: A Book of Freedom" available on Amazon and all good book shops in paperback with ISBN: 978-1511828031
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Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Self Interest
Philippians 2:4,21 "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ."
The god of the twenty-first century is "self-interest" and humanity bows to this god quite willingly, because it offers no threat. At its very source is pride! Their actions and attitude proudly proclaims "I am first, and everyone else is last". As Christians, what should our reaction be to this aspect of our culture? as Christians living within this societal culture, how are we and the Church to respond?
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Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Tuesday Feb 07, 2023
Standing Alone
Jesus speaking and from the Gospel of John 15:18-21 "If the world hates you, remember that it hated me first. The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. Do you remember what I told you? ‘A slave is not greater than the master.' Since they persecuted me, naturally they will persecute you. And if they had listened to me, they would listen to you. They will do all this to you because of me, for they have rejected the One who sent me."
As Christian Disciples, those who proclaim that they follow Jesus Christ as the Son of God, we have a new identity. What are we to do with it? The Bible is very clear that we are to stay faithful to Jesus Christ, particularly when it is difficult! It means staying faithful to Jesus and His will, regardless of opposition and alternatives. By doing this we are standing alone and being faithful to Him. Satan brings pressure to bear on Christians to reduce their standards and commitment. Christian Disciples undergo challenges from those that either don't like or understand us.
We are constantly tempted to do wrong things or we are tempted not to do right things. Either way, we are tempted to sin against our God. So we are to be separate from sin but not separated from a sinful society. This is what Jesus meant when He said we are to be "In the world but not of the world" (John 17:15-19). The key to standing alone is to have constant identification with Jesus Christ in lifestyle and words. It is to have a permanent reminder that we serve a faithful God and that Jesus Christ is to be our Master. When we sin, either actively or passively, it is because we have some form of memory loss about who we are, if we call ourselves a follower or disciple of Jesus Christ, the one and only Son of God.
Hindrances to standing alone
Firstly there is an inborn fear of what others will think - fear of being different and being laughed at.
Then there is the fear of losing friends. To have the right friends however, a person must be willing to have enemies. Jesus made friends on the basis of who would accept Him and His message. We may be excluded from the company of those who reject Jesus (Luke 6:26).
Another one is the desire to be like those in the world. In Psalm 73 David envied the success of the godless, until he realized their destiny was disaster; and that he had God and needed nothing else. Always taking what is best is no sacrifice.
How to stand alone
How to verbally identify with Christ
One way to do this is to project the idea that you are not your own boss - Jesus is your Lord and let him take both the strain and glory. Remember that those who reject you also reject Jesus.
Making right decisions in questionable areas
- Does it bring glory to God? (1 Corinthians10:31)
- Can I thank God for this activity - could Jesus accompany me?
- Does it build Christian character? (1 Corinthians10:23)
- Will it cause another Christian to sin/stumble? (1 Corinthians8:9-13)
- It should not control me habitually (1 Corinthians6.12)
- If in doubt, throw it out. (Romans14:22-23)
- Ask other people for advice. It is important what other people think.
- Abstain from all appearances of evil (1 Thessalonians5:22)
- Rely on the Holy Spirit to help you! Ask for His help and guidance!
Ask yourself the following questions, writing them down if you can, and see how you respond or react to them. Then why not share your answers with your spouse or a close friend, so that you can pray over any issues together. For more to do and think about please do read for yourself, John17:15-19.
Q1 - Have I given every area of my life to Christ in order to be faithful to Him?
Q2 - Am I prepared to be holy and obedient to God in all circumstances?
Q3 - Am I willing to sacrifice my desires for God's Will, so that I can clearly be seen identifying myself with Jesus in lifestyle and in words?
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