What Matters

The Unity of the Church (March 26)

Read: Ephesians 4:1-16

Key Text: Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.(Ephesians 4:3)

Reflection: My ecclesiology (theology of the church) is summarized in the following statement - “the Church is one, big, happy and sometimes dysfunctional family”.  The scandal of the historic Church is that far too often we have not lived out our oneness.  Paul forcefully reminds the Ephesians and us that the church is one body, birthed by one Spirit, with one Lord, one hope, one baptism and one Father over and through it all (vv.4-6).  Too often we are not known for our unity, but our disunity.

Paul seems to be saying that unity is both a gift and a goal.  We have received as a gift the dynamic and unified life of God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (vv.4-6).  This is a gift we can either treasure or squander.  The fact that so much of the New Testament letters to the early churches address issues of disunity, tells us that this is a gift they often squandered.  Unfortunately we do the same today.  For example, it is estimated there are presently 38,000 separate Christian denominations in the world today, many of them birthed out of schism.  

Unity in the church is also a goal.  Our unity was the subject of the final prayer of Jesus before the events of his arrest and crucifixion (John 17:20-26).  If it was so important for Jesus, for God’s sake, it should be that important to us!  We are to make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit (v.3).  We are to use our gifts to serve and build up the church until we reach unity in the faith and become spiritually mature (v.v.12-13).  And always we are to look to Christ who is the head, and who from and through perfect unity, is made possible.

Question: Augustine famously stated about unity in the Church:  ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essential liberty; in all things, charity.  What do you believe are the essentials around which the Church must be unified?

Read and Do: Google ‘Gold Coast Churches’ and pick a view of one of the church websites listed.  Get to know the church a little through the information they detail.  Then pray for them.

The Identity of the Church (March 25)

Read: 1 Peter 2:4-12

Key Text: But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. (1 Peter 2:9)

Reflection: First a confession - this verse contains one of my favorite declarations in the bible.  I love the profound truth it communicates and the defiant way it does so.  Peter is writing to a small church or churches somewhere in Asia-Minor (modern day Turkey).  We don’t know much about them except what we surmise through the themes Peter addresses in his letter.  Amongst other things, it seems Peter’s audience were suffering persecution for their faith (1 Peter 4:12-19).  They were a minority community in a world deeply antagonistic to the Christian faith and so were struggling to maintain their life. It is into this context that Peter reminds them that they are not defined by what others say about, or do to them.  The Church is defined by what God says and does. 

First, the Church is chosen by God.  Just as God graciously chose Israel, God chose men and women, young and old, rich and poor, Jew and gentile and united them under his Lordship to form a radically new community.  (It is important to note that the term ‘catholic’ in the Creed refers to the universality of the Church, not to a particular branch of the Church such as the Roman Catholic Church)  Second, the Church is transformed by God.  We who were once enemies of God are now his friends, serving as priests in the court of King Jesus.  Third, the Church is set apart by and for God.  We live in, but not of this world.  We march to the beat of a different drum.  And fourth, the Church belongs to God.  The Church exists for the glory of God alone.

The Church has been gifted this unique and wonderful identity for a singular purpose; that we might declare the wonder, majesty and glory of God that we have experienced ourselves through Jesus Christ. 

Question: Can you remember the particular vision of Newlife Uniting Church?  Or name any or all of our eight core values?

Read: The Basis of Union of the Uniting Church - especially paragraphs 3 and 4:

http://www.uca.org.au/basisofunion.htm

The Birth of the Church (March 24)

Read: Acts 2

 

Key Text: And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved. (Acts 2:47)

 

Reflection: The second chapter of Acts crackles with energy.  Over its forty-seven verses we read of the miraculous birth of the Church.  Even though Luke is narrating history, his prose articulates some fundamental characteristics of the church which are further developed in the rest of the New Testament.

 

The Church is birthed by the Spirit (vv. 1-13)

The Church comes into existence only after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit fell on the believers with power.  The Holy Spirit animated the believers gathered in the upper room in a similar way to how the breath of God animated the valley of dry bones in Ezekiel’s vision (Ezekiel 37:1-14).  The presence and power of the Holy Spirit is the Church’s life-force.

 

The Church is defined by its mission (vv.14-41)

Jesus told the disciples they would be his witnesses in ways and places they could barely dream of (Acts 1:8).  The first thing that the early church did after it received the Holy Spirit was to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Emil Brunner has said that ‘the Church exists by mission as a fire exists by burning.’  This is to say the Church exists not for itself, but for the ongoing mission of God in the world.  And so in the power of the Holy Spirit Peter preached, the gospel went forth and a harvest was returned: ‘Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.’ (Acts 2:41)

 

The Church is characterized by its unity (vv.42-47)

In Luke’s beautiful summary of the Church’s life in these verses we see the remarkable unity that exists within the Church’s unity.  This unity is celebrated around key rituals and activities like communion, prayer, sharing of resources, regular corporate worship.  It was the unifying head of the Church, Jesus, who sustained their unity and empowered their mission.  ‘And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.’ (Acts 2:47)

 

Question: What gift which you receive through the Church are you most thankful for?

 

Read and View: Fascinating and up to date information on the global reach of Christianity:

http://www.pewforum.org/Christian/Global-Christianity-worlds-christian-population.aspx

The Gifts of the Holy Spirit (March 23)

Read: 1 Corinthians 12

Key Text: There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:4)

Reflection: My formative years as a Christian (the 1980’s) coincided with the rise of the so-called Charismatic movement across much of the Western world.   In mainstream churches, Protestant and Catholic, new experiences of the Holy Spirit were being reported and sought.  People were being ‘baptized in the Holy Spirit’, many were speaking in tongues, a new freedom was being discovered in worship and people were praying for, and expecting miracles.  It was a heady time; it was also a divisive time.  Churches divided over differing attitudes and beliefs surrounding the validity and/or the appropriate exercising of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

What was true in the 1980’s was also true in 1^st century Corinth.  The way in which the gifts of the Holy Spirit were being exercised had become divisive.  It seems that some people with particular gifts thought they were better or superior Christians to those who were not blessed with the same gift.  To this divisive attitude, Paul responds with a robust articulation of the unity in the origin, vehicle and purpose of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

• Every gift of the Holy Spirit has its origin in the same God. (vv.4-6)
• The vehicle through which the gifts of the Holy Spirit are given and exercised is the one body, the church.  This body is made of many parts, but is united by the head who is Jesus. (vv.12-14 – see also Colossians 1:18) 
• The purpose of spiritual gifts is to serve the Body of Christ and its mission, just as the parts of a human body serve the other members of the body for its proper functioning. (vv.14-26 – see also Ephesians 4:12)

Even with all the potential for misunderstanding and division, Paul implores the Corinthians to eagerly desire spiritual gifts (1 Corinthians 12:31, 14:1).  May God give us the same hunger and thirst, not for our sake, but for his glory.

Question: What gifts do you believe the Holy Spirit has gifted you with (see 1 Corinthians 12, Ephesians 4:1-16, Romans 12:1-9) ?  How are you using them to build up the church and serve the mission of God?

Watch: The late founder of the Vineyard movement speaks in 1985 on the gifts of the Holy Spirit for today. There are three, ten minute videos:

One: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8x_l3KOKEk

Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WAjfAq-G3g&feature=related

Three: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAom2Hr5Uqw&feature=related

The Fruit of the Holy Spirit (March 22)

Read: Galatians 5:16-26

Key Text: But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. (Galatians 5:23)

Reflection: The power of the Holy Spirit brings resurrection life to the believer.  In Galatians, Paul describes the manifestation of this life as ‘fruit of the Spirit.’  Jesus is the vine into which we are grafted by faith (John 15:1-17).  The same power that gives life to the vine brings life to we who are the branches.  And the role of a branch is to produce fruit.  The fruit of the Spirit is the outward manifestation of an inner transformation wrought by the power and presence of the Holy Spirit.

One of the most controversial statements in the bible is James assertion that ‘faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.’ (James 2:17)  For the reformers who rightly asserted that we are saved by faith alone, James’ teaching seems problematic in that it seems he is saying we are saved by faith and works.  This is still a highly contentious issue in the Christian church (John Piper and NT Wright are two evangelical Christians who have fundamental differences of opinion on this and related issues).

Jesus says of false prophets, ‘By their fruit you will recognize them.  Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles?  Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.’ (Matthew 7:16-17)  Jesus’ followers will be recognized by their fruit.  We can say we follow Jesus, but unless the outward fruit of our lives supports this claim, our claim to faith is a lie or a tragic self-deception.   Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there will always be life that produces fruit.   A Christian’s first task is to abide in the Vine (stay close to Jesus) and so draw on the power of his life-giving, fruit-producing Spirit.

Question: Which outworking of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22) is most evident in your life?  Which is least evident?

Read: John 15:1-17

The Power of the Holy Spirit (March 21)

Read: Romans 8:1-27

Key Text: And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you. (Romans 8:11)

Reflection: This rich passage teaches us a number of critical truths about the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  First, The Holy Spirit indwells all who have been freed from sin by Christ (vv.2-4).  The Holy Spirit is not a special gift for ‘special’ Christians.  He is a gift for all believers.  Second, the Holy Spirit brings life to our minds (v.6), spirits (v.10) and bodies (v.11).  Third, it is through the Holy Spirit that we are adopted into the family of God (vv.14-17), with all the riches of that inheritance.  Fourth, in this time in between, this time of suffering before Jesus comes again, the Holy Spirit helps us in our weaknesses, prays for us and groans with and for us (vv.26-27).  What a gift!

Make no mistake; the Holy Spirit is the most powerful force in the universe.  Paul makes the incredible observation that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, the power of the Holy Spirit, lives in us and grants us the same resurrection life that Jesus enjoys.  This is life that enables us to overcome and live as more than conquerors in this world (Romans 8:28-39), and life that will carry us and our resurrected bodies through into eternity.  Jesus’ final words to the disciples before his ascension was his promise that when the Holy Spirit came they would receive power (Acts 1:8).  This power is dunamis - dynamic, explosive power.  At Pentecost this power was experienced primordially – as tongues of fire and a rushing wind that drove the disciples out from behind their doors and into the streets.  The Holy Spirit was and is power that transforms confused and frightened believers in Jesus into bold and courageous witnesses to and for Jesus.  The full title of Luke’s book that recounts the story of the early church is not so much ‘The Acts of the Apostles’, as it should be ‘The Powerful Acts of the Holy Spirit’.

Question: When have you experienced the Holy Spirit’s resurrection power in your life?

Read: Romans 8:28-39

The Promise of the Holy Spirit (March 20)

Read: John 14:15-31

Key Text: But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything that I have said to you. (John 14:26)

Reflection: Since the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (John 12:12-19) the pace in John’s gospel has slowed as Jesus turns resolutely towards his cross.  He has predicted his death, confronted stubborn unbelief, shocked his disciples by washing their feet and predicted Peter’s betrayal and denial.  The disciple’s minds would have been reeling and their emotions in turmoil.  No wonder then that at the beginning of John 14, there Jesus encourages his disciples with the words, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.” (John 14:1)  It was into this turmoil that Jesus promises the gift of the Holy Spirit to his followers.

Jesus’ promise is consistent with the prophecy of Joel centuries before.  Speaking of the Day of the Lord, God says, “And afterwards I will pour out my Spirit on all people.  Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions.  Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days.” (Joel 2:28-29)  Joel’s prophecy and Jesus’ promise is that the same Spirit that brooded over creation (Genesis 2) will infuse God’s people with power.

The Greek word translated as Counselor in today’s passage is parakletos, which means ‘one called along side.’ Just as Jesus has come along side us in his incarnation to teach us about the Father and the Spirit, so the Holy Spirit comes along side us to witness to, and teach us, about Jesus and the Father.  The Holy Spirit will embed and reveal the profound truth of Jesus’ teaching to his disciples (John 14:26, 15:13-15).  The presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives is nothing less than the ongoing presence of Jesus with us (Matthew 28:20), empowering us to do together even greater things than he did (John 14:12).

Question: When and how have you experienced the Holy Spirit coming alongside you?  Where do you need the Spirit of truth to clear confusion you have about matters of faith (John 15:13)

Read: Acts 2:1-13

Final Reckoning (March 19)

Read: Matthew 25:31-46

Key Text: Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ (Matthew 25:41)

Reflection: Jesus second coming will be followed by Judgment (see Revelation 20:11-15).  Judgment will bring about a separation, a division of two kinds of people; the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the evil one (Matthew 13:38), the wise and the foolish (Mark 7:24-27), sheep and goats (Matthew 25:-31-46) and those who enter into life and those who are thrown into hell (Mark 9:42-48).  (DofJG)  This is the sobering and consistent teaching of Jesus in the gospels and developed further in the rest of the New Testament.

The basis on which judgment is made is whether Jesus knows us or not (Matthew 25:41).  Jesus’ knowledge of us is based on our faith in him (Luke 12:8-9), evidenced by good works (Matthew 25:31-46) and doing the will of God (Matthew 7:21-23).  Judgment will be based on the status of our relationship with Jesus.  The outcome of judgment will be expressed in terms of our relationship to Jesus and the Father.  Those who receive God’s approval will enter into his full presence eternally, while those condemned will be cats from his presence forever.

The bible uses rich imagery and symbolism to describe the spiritual reality of heaven and hell.  For example the image of hell is taken from the Valley of Gehenna, a rubbish tip and burial ground outside Jerusalem’s walls that perpetually smoked with the fires of burning garbage.  The Valley of Gehenna was a dirty, desolate, God-forsaken place.  Hell is not full of fire and brimstone (that has more to do with medieval imagination than biblical truth), but is empty of God’s presence forever and ever.  That is frightening enough.

Question: How do you respond to the challenge often put to Christian believers, ‘How can a loving God condemn people to hell?’

Read: Revelation 20:11-15

Second Coming (March 18)

Read: 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

Key Text: For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. (1 Thessalonians 4:16)

Reflection: The 1^st century church lived with the keen sense of anticipation that Jesus was coming again, and coming soon.  Paul’s first letter to the church in Thessalonica is thought to be the earliest of all the New Testament documents.  Revealingly he addresses the loss of hope that is threatening the church because Jesus has not returned yet.  There was not much more than two decades since the ascension of Jesus.  Now, almost two thousand years have passed.  Anticipation for the second coming was based on Jesus promise he would return (John 14:3) and the confirmation of the angel immediately following his ascension (Acts 1:11). 

Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians tells us a number of things about the second coming:

• It will be unmistakable (4:16)
• It will inaugurate the beginning of the physical resurrection of the dead (4:16)
• Those alive at his second coming will not die (4:17)
• It’s timing is only known to God and will surprise many (5:1-2)
• It will be day of painful reckoning for those unprepared (5:3)

Paul’s encouragement to the Thessalonians and to us, is to live with joyful expectation that Jesus will come again as he promised, and to be spiritually ready for that eventuality. 

Question: Why do you think over the ages so many within the Christian church have got caught up in predicting ‘times and dates’ and events that announce the second coming when the Bible says clearly such conjecture is futile?

Watch: NT Wright discuss the hope we have through the second coming of Christ: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOvMTT_qUcs

(I also encourage you to read his book, Surprised By Hope.  It is fantastic!)

Preparation (March 17)

Read: Hebrews 1

Key Text: The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.  After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty of heaven. (Hebrews 1:3)

Reflection: The letter to the Hebrews is a rich exploration of the person and work of Jesus Christ and how he fulfils fully and completely, messianic expectations.  In the introduction, the writer give us a succinct summary concerning the identity and present (post ascension) location of Jesus (Hebrews 1:3).  Jesus is the exact representation of God and currently sits at God’s right hand in heaven.  Along with being at God’s right hand, the fact that Jesus sat down is deeply significant.  In sitting down, Jesus is indicating that the work he was sent to do – give his life as a once and for all redeeming sacrifice for a sin-filled world – has been completed.  This was foreshadowed by the cry of Jesus on the cross, ‘It is finished!’  In sitting down, Jesus was hanging a banner in heaven proclaiming ‘Mission Accomplished!’  

But though Jesus’ mission of atoning sacrifice is accomplished, he still works.  He now reigns victorious over all creation.  He is preparing a place for those who have received by faith the life beyond death.  ‘In my Father’s house there are many rooms; if it were not so I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you (John 14:2).  He is preparing a great wedding feast for that wonderful day when the bride, (the church), will be united for all eternity with the groom (Matthew 8:11).  And while seated at the right hand of the Father, Jesus prays for and intercedes for us, even when we can’t pray for ourselves.  ‘If anyone does sin, we have one who speaks for us in our defense – Jesus Christ the righteous one.’  (1 John 2:1)

In summary, seated at the right hand of the Father, Jesus has done all that is necessary to reconcile a fallen world to God.  Having completed God’s redemptive mission, Jesus continues to serve and bless his church.  How good is that!

Question: When you close your eyes, what picture comes to mind when you think of heaven?   

Read: A paper on the life of Jesus after his ascension: http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/Ted_Hildebrandt/NTeSources/NTArticles/WTJ-NT/Fuller-JesusAfterLkActs-WTJ.pdf