Church (Body of Christ) – Page 34

“Adorned With Christ in All of Life: Work” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
—

²²Bondservants, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. ²³Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, ²⁴knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. ²⁵For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality.
4^:1 Masters, treat your bondservants justly and fairly, knowing that you also have a Master in heaven.^[1]
Colossians 3:17, 22-4:1

"Worthy is the Lion, the Slain Lamb Who Lives" from Revelation 5 (The KING is Coming) – Refresh & Restore | A JustKeithHarris.com Podcast

📖 Revelation 5:1–14In this episode of The King is Coming, Keith Harris and Jamie Harrison continue into the throne room of heaven—and what unfolds in Revelation 5 is one of the most powerful and familiar scenes in all of Scripture. A scroll appears in the right hand of the One seated on the throne, sealed with seven seals. A mighty angel asks a question that echoes through heaven and earth: Who is worthy to open the scroll?At first, no one is found—and John weeps. But then everything changes. The Lion of the tribe of Judah has conquered… and when John turns, he sees not a lion, but a Lamb standing as though slain—and alive.Together, Keith and Jamie discuss:✔️ The significance of the sealed scroll and why only the rightful heir can open it✔️ The difference between ability and worthiness—and why no one but Jesus qualifies✔️ Why John hears “Lion” but sees a slain Lamb—and what that reveals about Christ✔️ How Jesus conquers not by force, but through His death and resurrection✔️ The connection to the Passover Lamb and the redemption of God’s people✔️ The overwhelming worship of heaven declaring Jesus alone is worthyThis chapter is the turning point: the Lamb who was slain is alive—and He alone is worthy to carry out God’s plan.“Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing!” (Revelation 5:12)🔗 If you would like to see a written version of this podcast, complete with footnotes and cross-references, you can find it here.

Greetings Sojourners!

Today’s Bible study has put me through the wringer. As I have said many times over, these Bible studies are not just for you but that they work on me first. It hit me as I type this final version that there is a great irony to how it has taken me so long to finish this Bible study. This Bible study is on what it means to be adorned with Christ in our vocations, and one of my vocations being an English teacher, one would think that the irony of me being unable to find the time to serve the Lord in writing this Bible study is because I have been working much more than usual. More than realizing the irony, though, is me sitting here and pondering whether my hard work of the last month or so has been “as for the Lord” or “for men” (Colossians 3:23).

For me, work has always been an easy idol. I like to work. I thrive when I get to multitask (with a reasonable number of tasks). I like the feeling of accomplishment I get when a task is complete, or a project goes well. Both of my vocations stem from God’s calling on my life and involve helping people in various capacities. Getting to see people receive needed help, whether it be the lightbulb clicking on when a student learns something or helping someone seek Christ, gives me an indescribable feeling. But, if I am not careful, I will take on more and more and more until I lose myself in the work.

I need accountability in this area, and I have people who are committed to helping me strike a correct balance in this area of my life so that I do not overindulge. I know I am a workaholic. I must be careful because I am a teetotaler and will add and add and add until I burn myself out. I know this because I have been there, having burned out and swapped careers just before my 30^th birthday. It is part of the reason that I believe the Lord has allowed me to slowly ease back into pastoral ministry. I had to divorce my identity from my work and let Him define me in light of who He has made, is making, and will make me to be.

So, to answer my earlier question – and unfortunately confess to y’all, dear Sojourners: I have leaned more toward working for man than God as of late. Knowing that is, as they say, half the battle. Now, is the time for repentance.

Lest you think I am exaggerating because work is a good thing invented by God, too much of it or having it out of the balance of rest that exhibits faith in Jesus’s strength over my own reveals that I am not bearing fruit accordingly, namely the self-control that comes from being in Christ (Galatians 5:22-23). Look at a few passages of Scripture that illustrate this:

Proverb 25:16 – If you have found honey, eat only enough for you, lest you have your fill of it and vomit.
1 Corinthians 9:25 – Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.
Titus 2:11-12 – For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.

We will revisit these later on as we seek to apply our passage today, but it should be clear here that too much of a good thing can be bad – and yes, God invented work, so it is (or at least it was meant to be) good when done according to His Word and will.

In Genesis 2:15, we see that God put Adam into “the garden of Eden to work it and keep it”. This is not so much a mandate as it is a role or calling for Adam, and as his descendants, we have roles and callings as well. Initially, this work was easy for Adam as he was tasked with naming the animals in Eden and later his wife. God gave Adam the task of being “fruitful” and multiplying in order that the earth would be filled in Genesis 1:28, which the Bible describes as a part of God blessing them. These tasks were good and enjoyable – and probably much less of the toil we associate with work because, at the time, there was no sin in the world, no death (Genesis 1:31, Romans 5:12). Once the Fall occurred when Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3:6), death and sin began to reign in the earth (Romans 5:17), and God cursed the ground, the very same ground that Adam had been tasked to keep and work (Genesis 3:17-19). Adam’s sin took that good and fruitful work and turned it to toil with the addition of pain and thorns and thistles and sweat and dust (Genesis 3:17-19). Work went from something that was good and revolved around the role God assigned and calling He gave as a blessing and introduced the toil and fruitless labor that we know all too well.

This is why we need Colossians 3:22-4:1. Because of the Fall, the image of God in us has been marred by sin, but God, when He saves us, begins conforming us to the image of His Son Jesus rather than the world around us (Romans 8:29, 12:1-2). We saw this earlier in Colossians 3:9-10 when Paul told the Colossian church (and us) that we are to be putting “off the old self with its practices” and putting “on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator”. We need Colossians 3:22-4:1 to see what we need to take off and what we need to put on. We need to understand that God has placed us in our vocations as His ambassadors and missionaries (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) and ask the Lord to let our work be adorned with Christ rather than conformed to this fallen world.

Bondservants, Obey in Everything Those Who are Your Earthly Masters (vv. 3:22-25)

On the surface, this passage is about slaves obeying their masters. That is what it is about.

What This Does NOT Mean

As we covered in our study of Philemon, the God of the Bible is not associated with the slavery that comes to mind from colonial America or present-day human trafficking. You can look back at the Appendices from that Bible study and see God’s stance on the treatment of slaves and on the ungodly horrors visited on people in chattel slavery and around the world today; He is against such things. When the Holy Spirit breathed this out and had Paul to write it down, He was not condoning chattel slavery or human trafficking – plain and simple (see Appendix III — Bible Passages Condemning Practices Related to Chattel Slavery and Modern-Day Slavery/Human Trafficking). So, operating under the presupposition that what Paul is talking about here is not that^[2], let’s dive in and see what He does mean here.

What Does It Mean, Then?

The word translated “bondservant” in the ESV is the Greek word doulos. It can – and probably should – be simply translated as slave, but there is a connotation^[3] in the present that is wrapped up in the sinful atrocities of chattel slavery as well as in the continued sinful treatment of African Americans in the century plus following the Civil War in the Deep South. Bondservant does not really have a connotation and allows for the denotation, or definition, of what God has for us here. That word doulos refered to a slave, “one who is in a permanent relation of servitude to another” where their will is “altogether consumed in the will of the other”, and it references one being “bound to serve”.^[4] It is closer to the modern understanding of an indentured servant than it is to modern understanding of slavery.

It would be a cop-out and over-generalization to say that this is all that there was, especially throughout the Roman empire and around the world at that time. There were wicked masters, and when they were bad, they were terrible. Some slaves were severely mistreated. But there were those who served out their debt and returned to regular life. There were even some who would seek to remain in the service of their master after their debt was paid. Roman slavery was associated with vocation. These bondservants could be teachers or builders or whatever skills they had that could generate enough revenue to pay off their debt. In some cases, it was quite like work releases for people who are incarcerated today – or even in the way trustees are given responsibility or management oversight.

The emphasis here is less about the way they were taught and more about how those who found themselves bonded to a master and have confessed Jesus as Lord will serve. The emphasis is on their service rather than the quality of their master. Their service is to be marked by obedience “in everything” (Colossians 3:22). Their service is to flow out of sincere hearts and their fear of the Lord rather than “by way of eye-service, as people-pleasers” (Colossians 3:22). Whatever was required of them was a call to “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” because they were “serving the Lord Christ” and receiving the only reward that mattered from Him (Colossians 3:23-24). Those who are saved have submitted themselves to Jesus as Lord – as kurios, the Greek word for the master of a doulos. And this is what their heavenly Lord and Master required of them – what He requires of us.

Now, did this mean that they refused to be paid or for their debt to be worked off? Absolutely not. What it meant was, if they were in Christ, the fruit borne by their lives reflected an inheritance greater than any paycheck and that their redemption by the blood of Jesus meant more than being redeemed from earthly servitude. This also does not mean that they are above punishment if they did wrong because, with God, “there is no partiality” and “the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done” (Colossians 3:25). This would also cover if an earthly master required a sinful act from their slave or bondservant. Just like we looked at in the relationships of fathers to children and husbands to wives, being in service to God above all means that we refuse to bow to the call of the world and sin even and especially if it means punishment or persecution (1 Peter 2:20-23). To clarify, this would not include the way a wicked master would punish but is meant to help us understand that, even for saved people, there are consequences for sin.

To be adorned in Christ as one works and serves means that they are serving the Lord above all, no matter their vocation. It means that Jesus has a plan for your vocation that goes beyond what you can see (Ephesians 2:10)! It means your quality of work matters, not because of your earthly masters or bosses but because you belong to Jesus and He has set you apart to shine His “marvelous light” in your workplace and find opportunity to “proclaim the excellencies of Him who called you out of darkness” (1 Peter 2:9).

Masters, Treat Your Bondservants Justly and Fairly (v. 4:1)

Since slavery was an integrated part of the Roman Empire and the Colossian church clearly had masters in her members, like Philemon, it is important for God to set a standard for how those masters would operate. This extends to those in both vocational authority and other areas of oversight or administration.

What This Does NOT Mean

Again, this does not condone the owning of human beings. This does not condone any authority that does not fit with the Word of God. Throughout the Law in the OT, there are multiple commands on how masters belonging to the Lord need to carry themselves and treat their slaves and servants (Exodus 21:2-11, 20-21; Leviticus 25:39-46; Deuteronomy 15:12-18, 23:15-16, 24:14-15 — see also Appendix I — Bible Passages Discussing the Treatment of Slaves or Servants). And, as we saw in Paul’s letter to Philemon, God – as Lord and Master – has the authority to call earthly masters to release their servants. Earthly mastery has limits. Jesus’s authority has none.

What Does It Mean, Then, to Be a Master Who is Just and Fair?

The way that Paul wrote it here is pretty clear who is in charge: “knowing you also have a Master in heaven” (Colossians 4:1). Earthly masters who are saved imitate their heavenly Master, their Lord Jesus Christ. I do not want to oversimplify this, but it means you are going to be different than most masters, the vast majority of bosses.

In the case of Roman slavery, it could have been a call for them to lose revenue by not having debts paid back because their Lord was calling them to free slaves – completely contrary to the culture around them (see Appendix II — Bible Passages Discussing the Release of Slaves). In the case of vocational authority today – being a boss or having oversight/authority over people, it means that you are called to bear fruit of God’s Spirit being in you. Earthly leaders and bosses like to lead with intimidation, but Jesus was a servant leader. He did not hesitate to humble Himself and wash His disciples feet. Saved bosses can lead by serving and humility as well. Earthly bosses can threaten and demoralize, but Jesus lifts up the lowly. Saved bosses can do the same.

Now, does this mean that a boss or leader who is saved is a pushover and allows their employees to run rough-shod over them? Absolutely not! Jesus holds people accountable for their actions. Jesus is a Master who has expectations for His people, but Jesus is consistent with who He is as He disciplines and corrects. So, if you are an earthly boss and Jesus is Lord, you do not conform to the ways of this world for material or vocational gain; no, you allow who His Spirit has transformed and is transforming you into – how He is conforming you back to the image of God in Christ – set the course for how you deal with people.

In a sense, those bosses who are saved and adorned in Christ function in regard to Christ as Paul describes a bondservant to serve. Saved bosses have a “sincerity of heart” stemming from their fear of the Lord (Colossians 3:22). They “work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord [they] will receive the inheritance as [their] reward (Colossians 3:23). They serve the “Lord Christ” (Colossians 3:24).

The remainder of Colossians 4:1 highlights what that looks like as Paul tells the masters that they should treat their bondservants “justly and fairly”. This is where the tough part of leadership comes in. If an employee has committed some sort of infraction that necessitates firing them, a godly master fires them. If there is a process that is to be followed to do so, the process is followed. This would prohibit office politics and replace it with a yearning to be just and fair as Jesus has been just and fair with them. In some cases, where grace and mercy can be shown, this calls for that, too – all in balance with how the Word teaches us and the Spirit of God leads, and all contrary to the way that this fallen world operates.

Wrapping Up

So, what does that look like? If you are like me, you look at some of this and it seems like this is a good way to get taken advantage of or to sign up to get a lot of extra junk to put up with at work. It is important to remember that our work is not our identity. Jesus gives us an identity in Him by redeeming us from the power of sin and death, rescuing us from the wrath of God, and eternally adopting us into His family. And we get to be adorned with Him and bear His family name into whatever vocation He has for us.

Here are some principles to consider:

Do everything for the Lord (v. 3:17). Whatever your job and whatever your task, work as if Jesus Himself had tasked you with it. This gives work meaning and views it in light of the Kingdom of God and not in whatever earthly kingdom you are employed at.
Work with sincerity and integrity (v. 3:22). Employees should not work merely for status and approval but should consistently act with the understanding that their ultimate accountability is to God.
Work heartily and diligently (v. 3:23). Workers should put their best effort into their work, recognizing that this is part of the calling of their Lord Jesus Christ. This calls for a strong work ethic – not a calling for workaholism – because the work is as to the Lord not men.
Focus on eternal rewards rather than temporal ones (v. 3:24). Earthly compensation matters. It does. It is a big reason why we have and need jobs. The Bible is not against us earning wages and even says if you do not work, you do not eat. But there is more to working than a paycheck. There is an inheritance from the Father for those who serve Him. This mindset helps maintain perspective, especially if your work environment is challenging or worse. If you work for a paycheck or merely for retirement, there are limits to your service. If you work for the One who has made a place for you in heaven (and based on His merit, not yours), your perspective changes.
Be accountable for what you do wrong (v. 3:25). Remember, God is a just God and is pro-discipline. An earmark of being in Christ is repentance. One of the best ways you can exhibit what Jesus has done in you through His salvation is by repenting when you have messed up. This is not a popular viewpoint, but even if your wrongdoing costs you your job, your standing with Jesus is based on His righteousness not your own — which is good news: God is pro-grace!
If you have authority over employees, treat them justly and fairly (v. 4:1). Treat employees as Jesus treats you. It really is that simple. No amount of earthly success or status is worth conforming to the world when Jesus has transformed you into something better.
Realize you are accountable to God (v. 4:1). This is true for believers whether you are a boss or an employee. If you have confessed Jesus as Lord, He is your master. He calls the shots. What He says goes. And serving Him even at the expense of losing a job is worth it. He will still be here when all of this passes away.
Do not let work become an idol (Proverb 25:16, 1 Corinthians 9:25, Titus 2:11-12). It is easy to get into the mindset that because you work as unto the Lord that you cannot quit or stop. The God who ordained work also ordained rest. He did not bring us from death to life in Him for our lives to be wrapped up in our vocations. Jesus gives us wisdom and self-control. While He may call some people to a single vocation and calling for their whole lives, He does not do that with everyone. Follow Him and be willing to change or quit if that is what He has for you. At the same token, be willing to dig in where you are if that is what He has for you.

This has not been my favorite Bible study. I have had to take a step back and realize that I am susceptible to getting my work life out of whack, even when I thought I had it all worked out. The good news is Jesus is the God who saves and a Lord who is active in the lives of His servants. No matter how many times I mess up, I can approach His throne and receive grace and mercy, which He has in an inexhaustible supply.

What about you? I do not mean to meddle, but I exhort you, dear Sojourner, to look at your life and your work and test it according to the Word of God. How can you apply this and shine more brightly His marvelous light rather than working in such a way that you hide the light of Christ.

Know this: I am praying for you and asking God to work in and through your work.

Hallelujah, and amen!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:22–4:1.

^[2] Look back at the Jesus Over Us Bible study of Paul’s letter to Philemon for more info on this subject.

^[3] Connotation is the thoughts and emotions associated with a word; whereas denotation is the definition of the word.

^[4] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

Songs for Sunday, July 21, 2024 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and we GET to gather with our faith family and worship our resurrected King, “our great God and Savior Jesus Christ” (Titus 2:14)!

I had started writing this but something changed. It sounded, well, less than genuine. The truth is I am not always excited or upbeat (crazy, I know). This extends to looking forward to gatherings, even gatherings with my faith family. I imagine you identify with that idea, that sometimes you are weary or anxious or depressed. Sometimes we grieve. Sometimes we just feel melancholy and gloomy.

But that melancholy does not extinguish the JOY that comes from being in Christ. The good news of the gospel is still good when the bad news or tough realities of the world set in. You see, all things bad have a gospel expiration date because one day, as the Jesus Storybook Bible puts it, all the sad things will come untrue.

Isn’t that a beautiful thought? The sad and bad of this world will simply end when we find ourselves dwelling with God as His people and Him with us as our God (Revelation 21:3)! The last tear on our face will be wiped by His nail-scarred hand, and mourning, crying, pain, and death will be done with forever and ever (Revelation 21:4)!

For now, though, tears exist. Mourning exists. Pain exists. Death exists. But GOD….

There are two passages on my heart that hold promises that carry me when that melancholy sets in.

The first is John 16:33:

I have said these things to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.

This is part of Jesus’s last conversation with His disciples on the night before He was crucified. He told them that the time He had prophesied — the time of His death — was at hand. He promised them the Holy Spirit would come and comfort them. He told them of the tribulation and hatred the world would bring upon His people because of Him. He told them one of them would betray Him and that another would deny Him. He washed their feet, ate with them, and prayed for them. In the context of John 16:33, He had just told them that all of the sorrow that was coming in the next twenty-four hours and for the rest of their lives (and ours until He returns) would turn to joy.

Jesus promises two things in John 16:33. The first promise is tribulation. As the disciples noted in John 16:29, Jesus was no longer using any “figurative speech” with them but telling them straight up: “you will have tribulation”. No one wants that, but that terror comes untrue in the second promise: those who are His can “have peace” — they can “take heart” because He has already “overcome the world”!

Trouble comes. Trials come. Tribulation is a reality for His people. But Jesus had already overcome the world before He even died on the cross! Now, He has died and has risen, just as He promised.

He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23).

The second is Hebrews 4:16:

Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Jesus told His disciples to “take heart” on the night before His crucifixion. Here, we can see our resurrected Lord tell us to “take heart” in a different way. He has ascended and is on His throne, but He has not left us alone — lo, He is with us always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20)!

When troubles come and trials abound, even when melancholy clouds our joy, we can approach Jesus’s throne with the confidence that He has the grace we need — timely grace — and will mercifully help us in our time of need. We can run to Him with the same confidence of a little child scared in the night can approach their parents’ bed. No other king or leader is that approachable, but our King is!

So, even though my excitement wanes, my joy does not. My mood and my circumstances change, but my God does not (James 1:17)! The realities of the bad make the good news that much better.

We just have to remember in the midst of that that He who promised is faithful (Hebrews 10:23)!

That’s who we will be singing about and to this Sunday at Christ Community. We will have the opportunity to read from His Word and have His Word preached to us. We will GET to gather and hear our brothers and sisters lift their voices — not all happy but joyful nonetheless — and be lifted up and reminded of that glorious day when we stand before our King — our “great God and Savior Jesus Christ”, our “blessed hope” who “gave Himself for us to redeem us” (Titus 2:13-14)!.

And if we need to approach the throne of grace in prayer, there is time for that, too, and brothers or sisters who will approach with you because you are not alone!

Won’t you join us?

Here are our Scriptures & songs:

Scripture | Ephesians 1:15-23 —

¹⁵For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, ¹⁷that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him, ¹⁸having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which He has called you, what are the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of His power toward us who believe, according to the working of His great might ²⁰that He worked in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. ²²And He put all things under His feet and gave Him as head over all things to the church, ²³which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.

Song | Open the Eyes of My Heart —
Scripture Inspiration: Ephesians 1:17-18, Psalm 119:18, Isaiah 6:1-8, Matthew 5:8, Job 37:22, Isaiah 60:1, Ezekiel 7:8, Romans 5:5, Revelation 4:8

Song | Great I Am —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 73:28, Philippians 3:20, 1 Corinthians 15:54-56, Revelation 5:9-13, Psalm 113:1, Isaiah 6:3, Revelation 4:8, 1 Samuel 2:2, Revelation 5:4-6, Revelation 15:3, Revelation 11:17, Exodus 3:14, John 8:58, Psalm 145:18, 1 John 3:16, 1 John 4:13-18, Proverbs 8:13, Psalm 119:63, Ezekiel 37:1-14, Isaiah 64:1, James 2:19, Luke 8:31-33, Luke 10:17, Psalm 76:7

Scripture | Psalm 8 —

¹O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth! You have set Your glory above the heavens. ²Out of the mouth of babies and infants, You have established strength because of Your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.

³When I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, ⁴what is man that You are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him?

⁵Yet You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. ⁶You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, ⁷all sheep and oxen, and also the beasts of the field, ⁸the birds of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, whatever passes along the paths of the seas.

⁹O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!

Song | Overwhelmed —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 19:1-4, Psalm 139:7-12, Jeremiah 23:23-24, Colossians 1:17, Hebrews 4:13, 1 Kings 19:12, Exodus 3:1-9, Psalm 37:4, 1 Chronicles 16:29, Psalm 27:4, Psalm 29:2, John 1:14, Philippians 4:6, Hebrews 4:16, Isaiah 61:1, John 3:16-21, Acts 13:38-39, Romans 8:1-4, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 1:19-23, Exodus 8:10, Deuteronomy 3:24, Jeremiah 10:6, 2 Samuel 7:22, Isaiah 46:9, Exodus 16:7, 1 Chronicles 29:11, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 8:1, Isaiah 40:5, Habakkuk 2:14, Romans 3:23, Hebrews 1:1-3, Revelation 21:10-14, Psalm 33:8-9

Song | Your Great Name —
Scripture Inspiration: Acts 4:12, Luke 19:10, Psalm 106:8, John 3:17, Romans 8:1, 1 John 4:18, James 4:7-8, Revelation 5:9-10, Philippians 2:9-11, 2 Corinthians 12:9-11, Psalm 107:9, Psalm 68:5, Matthew 4:24, John 11:1-44, Job 19:25, Psalm 103:3, Revelation 11:17, Proverbs 23:11, Revelation 17:14

Invitation | Come Ye Sinners —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, Luke 5:27-32, Romans 3:21-26, 1 Timothy 1:15, James 4:6-10, Luke 15:11-32, Romans 8:18-30, Luke 9:51, Luke 22:39-46, Galatians 4:4-5, Isaiah 53, 1 Peter 1:3-9, 1 Peter 1:17-21

Offertory | Thank You, Lord —
Scripture Inspiration: Psalm 100:4, Hebrews 4:16, 1 Thessalonians 5:18, Ephesians 5:20, James 1:17, 2 Corinthians 4:18, Ephesians 1:3, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 95:2, Psalm 63:4, Psalm 126:3, Colossians 1:13, John 8:12, 1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:4-5, Psalm 103:2-3

Songs for Sunday, July 14, 2024 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming!

Have you ever heard someone ask: Do you want the good news or the bad news? Most of us have.

Sometimes people ask this question because there is simply just some good news and some bad news, and they want to offer folks the opportunity to choose which one they hear first. Most of the time, it offers the view that the good news could potentially cover up the bad news, almost like the perspective from the good news can lift us up from the bad news.

The news that “Sunday’s coming!” is kind of like that. We know that at the very least we are announcing that the day of the week when Jesus’s church gathers to celebrate His resurrection and worship Him, but part of that day of worship, part of meeting and worshiping together is to acknowledge that “the Day [of Jesus’s return is] drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25)! So, “Sunday’s coming!” for Christians is really an announcement that JESUS is COMING!

So, do you want the good news or the bad news?

This question has jogged my memory all the way back to when I was in third grade (an undisclosed amount of time ago). I, being the quirky and nerdy, geeky sort of guy that I am was of a similar sort back then, and it got me a certain amount of attention from larger stronger folks who thought that was weird. There was a certain amount of glasses-breaking beat-down sort of attention that happened fairly regularly, especially on the school bus. This garnered the attention of my principal at the time.

I remember one particular day after a rough and painful bus ride to school where I got called to the principal’s office. Naive as I was, I thought I was being called in to be given some relief — either to make the guys chill out on the beat downs for a while or to maybe at least put some distance between us for a beat down vacation. This wasn’t that. He wanted to know what I was doing to make these guys beat me down and wasn’t buying the story that my mere existence made them angry or that they found it entertaining to beat up on the littler guy.

He gave me a classic good news/bad news situation. He told me that he had called my daddy and that he was coming. It came as bad news that day because Daddy was working night shift and was not to be woken during the day. Waking him would surely mean trouble, especially since, as the principal told me, he had been called because he was sure I was stirring up trouble.

I remember being so scared that Daddy was currently on his way to the school. As the principal kept pressing for what he felt was the real untold story, he kept saying, “Your daddy is coming.” I was reminded of all of Daddy’s promises that getting in trouble at school would mean getting the same or worse trouble at home. I was reminded of all of the lessons on how to act and how to carry myself at school. My daddy loved me, and I had just about been convinced that his showing up at school that day was about the worst news I had heard at that point in my life.

Eventually, there was a knock on the office door, and the secretary ushered Daddy in. His facial expression was perturbed to say the least. He sat in the chair next to mine and the principal began his presentation of the facts as had been presented to me up to a point. Then, something unexpected happened. Daddy held up his hand, motioning for the principal to pause his tirade, and leaned over to me telling me, “Son, you can go back to class.”

That was unexpected. This wasn’t Daddy’s meeting. He had nearly absolute authority over me, but how would that work at school? Rather than waiting to find out, I swallowed the lump in my throat from fear and anxiety and walked out of the office into the hall and back toward class.

What happened next is seared into my memory — a core memory, if you will.

I heard my daddy’s characteristic whistle to get my attention. He was standing at the office door. He winked at me and waved.

You see, a wink was our thing. That wink came to mean many things over the years. It could be as simple as I-see-you or kind of an endearing look or, as it was in this case, everything’s going to be fine because daddy’s got you.

The bad news came untrue because “Your daddy’s coming!” (with the connotation of he’s going to get you) had turned to Daddy is here and he’s got you.

For some, JESUS is COMING could produce fear because they do not know Him. For those who are opposed to Him, the image is that of Revelation 19:11-21 — the rider on the white horse with a sword in His mouth ready to “tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty” (Revelation 19:15). He is coming in the full authority of “King of kings and Lord of lords” (Revelation 19:16) and in power and judgment will defeat those who “gathered to make war against Him who was sitting on the horse and against His army” (Revelation 19:19). Those enemies are to be “slain by the sword that came from the mouth of Him who was sitting on the horse” (Revelation 19:21), or as Martin Luther put it in the hymn “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, felled with one “little word”.

That’s bad news.

It’s bad news unless you belong to Him, unless you are saved and given eternal life in Him (Romans 10:9-13, John 3:16, Ephesians 2:4-5). To face down the Lamb, Jesus Christ, the rider on the white horse — King of kings and Lord of lords — is a fearful thing. No one in His army will have to fight, Himself included. When He says, “It is done!” (Revelation 21:6), it is simply that — done. None can stay His hand. None can war against Him. None can flaunt His authority.

That’s good news.

It’s good news if you are with Him.

So, do you want the good news or the bad news?

The good news is that Jesus has made a way for us (John 14:6). The King of kings has left His throne and come to earth — to dwell among us (John 1:14), living the life we cannot live while dying the death we deserve (2 Corinthians 5:21). He left the glory of heaven to come to earth and deliver “us from the domain of darkness” and transfer us to His Kingdom by redeeming us and forgiving our sins (Colossians 1:13-14). For those who see Him as King, confess Him as Lord, believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead shall be saved (Romans 10:9-10). Again, that’s good news!

For those whom He has saved, “Sunday’s coming!” means that He has come and is coming again! It is a celebration because not even death could stop Him, that when He promises everlasting life He can give it because He is the Life (John 14:6).

For those whom He has saved, it is better than a wink and a wave telling us everything will be okay — Jesus lives tells us that we can “take heart” because He has already “overcome the world” — everything is already okay because He has already won (John 16:33)!

And that’s what we will be singing about Sunday at Christ Community — that’s WHO we will be singing TO: Jesus, the King of kings and Lord of lords! The songs we sing and Scriptures we will read will be pointing us to Him and praising Him for who He is and all He has done, is doing, and will do. John will preach to us from God’s Word and preach Jesus!

Sunday’s coming! JESUS is coming!

Won’t you gather with us and worship Jesus?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

Scripture | Colossians 1:13-20 —

¹³He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, ¹⁴in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
¹⁵He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. ¹⁶For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. ¹⁷And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. ¹⁸And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. ¹⁹For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, ²⁰and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.

Song | King of Kings —
Scripture Inspiration: Proverbs 4:19, John 3:19-21, Ephesians 2:1, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 5:17, Isaiah 7:14, Luke 1:31, Isaiah 9:6-7, Luke 2:7, Psalm 3:3, Psalm 8:1, John 1:14, Psalm 136:3, Matthew 28:18, Revelation 19:16, Matthew 13:24-52, 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, Isaiah 53, John 3:16, Romans 5:6-10, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 2:14, Titus 2:14, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, Matthew 27:52-53, Luke 15:7, Acts 2:1-4, Matthew 24:35, Ephesians 1:7, Galatians 5:1, Galatians 2:19-20, 2 Timothy 2:11

Song | The Son of God Came Down —
Scripture Inspiration: Luke 2:7, John 1:1-5, John 1:14, John 1:34, Ephesians 2:14-16, Philippians 2:5-8

Scripture | 1 Peter 1:3-5 —

³Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Song | How Deep the Father’s Love for Us —
Scripture Inspiration: John 3:16, Romans 5:6-8, Matthew 27:46, Ephesians 1:7, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 8:17, Isaiah 53, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Galatians 3:13, Colossians 2:14, 1 Peter 2:24, John 19:30, Galatians 2:19-20, Galatians 6:14, Psalm 8:4, 1 Timothy 1:15-16

Song | Living Hope —
Scripture Inspiration: Acts 4:8-12, 1 Corinthians 15:3-11, 1 Peter 1:3, Philippians 2:5-8, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 9:22, John 1:12-13, Hebrews 9:15, John 8:36, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Galatians 5:1, Psalm 107:14-15, John 14:6, Acts 3:15, Revelation 5:5, 1 Peter 1:4-5

Invitation | Trust in God —
Scripture Inspiration: John 15:1-11, Acts 17:27, Romans 8:15, Romans 11:16-24, Daniel 3:25, John 3:3, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Genesis 15:6, Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 3:1-24, Romans 4:3-8, Galatians 2:19-21, Ephesians 2:4-9, Titus 2:11, 2 Corinthians 1:24, Philippians 1:27, Colossians 1:23, 2 Thessalonians 2:15, Isaiah 45:21-22, Hosea 13:4, Romans 4:21, Hebrews 10:23, 2 Peter 3:9, Psalm 14:1-3, Psalm 53:1-3, Job 15:14, Isaiah 53:10, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Psalm 95:6-11, Matthew 11:28-30, Revelation 21:3-4, Psalm 34:4

Offertory | Yet Not I But Through Christ in Me —
Scripture Inspiration: Genesis 15:6, Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 3:21-24, Romans 5:6-10, Ephesians 2:4-9, Titus 2:11, Isaiah 9:6, Luke 1:26-38, Matthew 1:18-255, John 3:15-16, 1 Thessalonians 1:6, Hebrews 12:2, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Psalm 119:45, Romans 8:1-4, Psalm 17:7, Psalm 36:5-7, Titus 3:4, 1 John 4:8, John 14:27, Romans 5:1, Ephesians 2:14-15, Acts 4:10-12, John 14:6, Galatians 2:20, Romans 8:9-11, Galatians 4:6, Psalm 107:10-16, Psalm 118:7, Hebrews 13:5-6, 2 Corinthians 12:9, John 10:11-18, 2 Samuel 22:3-4, Nahum 1:7, 1 John 5:18, Psalm 23:4, Matthew 20:28, John 1:29, Acts 20:28, Colossians 2:14, Titus 2:14, 1 Peter 1:17-21, 1 John 2:1-2, Revelation 5:9-13, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 21:3-4, Hebrews 13:6, Psalm 116:16, Romans 6:20, Galatians 5:1, Luke 21:33, Revelation 6:14, Psalm 51:10, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Philippians 1:9-11, John 10:30

Songs for Sunday, June 30, 2024 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday’s coming, and I look forward, Lord willing, to gathering with my faith family at Christ Community Church!

I guess you could say that I have been feeling a bit nostalgic lately, but throughout the day today, I have found one particular memory has been vividly on my mind. Maybe it is because the last Refresh & Restore Bible study was on the relationship between parents and children or just thinking about the way that my kids seem to be growing years and inches before my very eyes. Either way, I want to share this memory with you today.

In 2015, I quit ministry for what I thought was going to be forever, or at least a very long time. I had burned out. I needed a break. I needed to remember the love I had for Jesus — no, more than that, the love He had for me — and “repent, and do the works [I] did at first” (Revelation 2:4-5). It was hard though for many reasons, not the least of which was having to learn a new vocation and living with my parents until we could finish work on our house.

This particular memory was on a Wednesday. Xander was not quite a year old and was sick. Candice was exhausted from work and working on our house, too — honestly more so than me. And Keri would not drop the subject of whether or not we were going to church that night.

I had informed Candice and Keri as we left the school in Winona that we would not be returning for church that night because “Daddy needs a break”. With Xander being sick, one of us would have to stay with him, and we could just use the time for family. I can remember Candice silently taking it all in but watching me carefully and a little concerned.

Keri asked again if we were going, almost as if she didn’t understand what I thought I had communicated more than clearly enough. I told her to be quiet, which honestly is hard for five-year-olds under the best of circumstances. We picked Xander up from my in-laws and were headed home when Keri picked up the conversation again, this time getting louder. So I got louder as a response. “Daddy. Needs. A break.” I enunciated this time. And what Keri did next hit me like a ton of bricks.

Keri raised her voice: “You’re my daddy! You’re supposed to want to take me to church!”

I was embarrassed.

I was angry.

I looked over toward Candice to get some support — support for a break from the woman who had been caring for our sick baby before and after work — from the one who would be at my parents’ caring for him if I were to take Keri back to Winona for church (the one needing a break herself). She offered no support and only asked me what I was planning on doing now.

I sped to my parents’ house to drop off Candi and Xander, sped to Winona and walked Keri into the children’s class — late of all things. I crept around the building to slink in the front, hoping not to draw attention to myself and still more than a little bit angry and embarrassed by Keri’s question. As I opened the double doors to enter the worship center, Dr. Tim Mims was praying — more than that was praying for me (even though he didn’t know it at the time).

“Lord, I feel it in my spirit that you want me to pray for someone who just wants to give up — to quit. Lord, help this person….”

He continued to pray. I eased the door shut and crawled quietly up the stairs to the balcony, weeping. I spent the rest of that prayer meeting lying on my face and listening to the Word of God preached, listening to my pastor continuing to pray for myself and others. And all because my baby girl had not been willing to let me be anything other than what I had taught her daddies were supposed to be.

I had let church become a job — become an event. Now, gathering with my faith family was to regain the right place in my life. It would be where I GOT to go instead of something I had to do. The church did not need me, but rather, I needed it — and we need Jesus together!

There’s a verse that I mention in the “Songs for Sunday” posts often that is appropriate here:

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrews 10:23-25)

As Sunday approaches, I ask you to consider your plans — whether you plan to gather with your faith family or not. This is not an effort to guilt or convince. This is a pastoral effort to have you consider some things (like I did all those years ago and again today).

What is the confession of your hope? Is it “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9)?

How does it affect your life to know that “He who promised is faithful” — whether or not we are ourselves?

What does it mean to neglect meeting together “as is the habit of some”?

For me, I had lost sight of the confession of my hope and was more worried that the promises I had made to the Lord had fallen by the wayside. I was saying that it was only going to be one little Wednesday night — not even a Sunday, mind you, but honestly, I wanted out and away as much or as often as I could. You see, I was lying because I was blinded to the promises and plan of God — of His faithfulness despite my bout of faithlessness (2 Timothy 2:13).

Maybe you need to be reminded that we gather not to check off some religious box or to get anything out of it. No, we gather to worship Jesus. We gather to remember what He has done and all He has promised. We gather because He is risen! And we get to stir one another up to love and good works as we do.

I doubt I am as convincing as my five-year-old baby girl yelling from the back seat, but the Holy Spirit is closer than that.

Daddies, yes, you are supposed to want to take your babies to church, but more than that you get to. Mommies, yes, it’s the same. But hear me on this: there is grace for those who have faltered and lost sight. There is grace for those who have missed. There is grace.

So, I ask you as you read this — as an effort to stir you up to love and good works rather than mere church attendance — will you gather?

This Sunday at Christ Community Church, we are going to make much of Jesus. We are going to read about Him from His Word. We are going to sing about Him and to Him. John is going to preach to us from His Word — we get to hear from Jesus by the preaching of His Word and the power of His Spirit!

Won’t you gather with us?

Everyone is welcome!

Here are our Scriptures & songs:

Scripture | Lamentations 3:16-24 —

¹⁶He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; ¹⁷my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; ¹⁸so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.

¹⁹Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! ²⁰My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. ²¹But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

²²The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; ²³they are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. ²⁴“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”

Song | Grace Wins —
Scripture Inspiration: Romans 3:23, Romans 5:6-8, Romans 5:16-18, Romans 8:1, 1 Timothy 1:13-14, Ephesians 1:6-7, 2 Corinthians 9:8, John 1:16, Ephesians 2:7, Ezekiel 36:26, 2 Thessalonians 1:11-12, Luke 15:11-32, John 4, Matthew 9:27-31, John 9, Luke 16:19-31

Song | His Mercy is More —
Scripture Inspiration: Lamentations 3:22-23, James 2:13, Romans 5:20, Hebrews 8:12, Isaiah 40:28, Hebrews 4:13, 1 John 3:20, Micah 7:18-19, Exodus 34:6, Psalm 145:8-9, 1 Timothy 1:15, Luke 14:21, 2 Corinthians 8:9, Colossians 2:13-14, Psalm 107:9, Ephesians 3:20, 2 Corinthians 12:9, Galatians 2:20-21

Scripture | Romans 6:4-8 —

⁴We were buried therefore with Him in baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
⁵For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His. ⁶We know that our old self was crucified with Him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. ⁷For one who has died has been set free from sin. ⁸Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him.

Song | Death Was Arrested —
Scripture Inspiration: Ephesians 2:1-5, Romans 5:6-8, Revelation 20:14, Revelation 21:1-5, Galatians 2:19-20, 1 Peter 3:18, Romans 5:1-8, Romans 6:15-23, Colossians 2:13-14, John 19:28-30, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Revelation 1:18, Luke 15:11-32

Song | Ain’t No Grave —
Scripture Inspiration: John 8:34, Romans 6:6, 1 John 4:8, 1 Chronicles 28:20, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26, 1 Corinthians 15:50-56, John 8:44, 1 Peter 5:8, Revelation 12:9, Genesis 3:15, Ephesians 6:11-18, Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 5:5, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8

Invitation | Because He Lives —
Scripture Inspiration: John 3:16, Isaiah 25:8, Hosea 13:14, 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 1 Corinthians 15:55-57, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 2:14, Psalm 28:7-8, Isaiah 40:29-31, 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, John 14:25-27, Romans 8:38-39, 1 Peter 5:6-7, Jeremiah 29:11, Ephesians 2:10, Galatians 2:20, Philippians 4:6-7, Revelation 21:4, 1 Corinthians 11:26

Offertory | Red Letters —
Scripture Inspiration: Romans 3:23-24, Matthew 27:22-23, Isaiah 1:18, Romans 10:13-17, Acts 16:25-26, Ephesians 2:4-5, Acts 2:2-4, John 3:16, John 12:32, 2 Corinthians 5:17, Ephesians 2:8-9, Acts 16:25-26

Songs for Sunday, June 9, 2024 @ Christ Community Church

Sunday is coming!

I can remember times in my life when what I thought and felt about Sundays varied. If you’ll indulge me, I’d like to share a bit of my testimony.

As a kid, I can remember being excited about church coming up and a lazy afternoon afterward. I loved Sunday School where we would get equal amounts of Bible story time and puzzles, coloring, crafts, or playdough. The singing was a big hit for me — go figure. I remember getting excited when the preacher got excited. I remember the excitement of being home in the afternoon with no work to do or chores to accomplish — just time together playing or relaxing, just togetherness. And once I got saved, all of that just multiplied more and more because I had a gratitude and awe to Jesus that wasn’t there before.

As a teenager and young adult things shifted a bit as I started to serve and lead more, especially after being called into ministry. There were times when the joy I felt conflicted with my work ethic and desire to accomplish something or check off boxes. Sunday hit different with a job description, and when ministry became my bread-winning vocation, it shifted to something sad. In my foolishness and latent adolescent zealousness, my weeks culminated in Sundays meaning all of the work Monday-Saturday produced the worship gathering on Sunday morning and night. I found myself mired in a spiral of fearful work rather than worship in the fear of God. I feared committees and potential of lost pay rather and lost the joy of gathering with my faith family I had when I was a kid.

Then…I quit.

I found myself burned out and empty. I had long since put my hope in my work ethic and abilities and lost sight of what I was doing — WHO I was serving. Thankfully, I had a teaching license and our house had not sold when we had moved away, so I tucked tail, moved back home, and tried to start anew.

That first Sunday back was one of the most terrifying and convicting of my life. I had never been a visitor to a church other than coming in view of a call or visiting preacher. Now, I found myself in a new church where nearly everyone there knew I had been a pastor and had questions as to why I was coming to sit a pew and fade into the background. Through the whispers and the questions, I wanted to sink through the floor and disappear. I had hoped that some of the feelings from my childhood would return — that being able to be more of a part of the congregation would awaken something in me, but that is not how things work. The idolatry of work over worship took years to accomplish and would not be undone by an awkward day in a pew.

Eventually, something happened in me. The desire for God that I felt in the beginning began to return. I can’t tell you how many mornings I spent in the Word (at least a year and a half) hoping for some spark or feeling to return. I can’t tell you the number of prayers prayed where I found myself hoping He would listen to a shameful quitter, or worse one who had made a vocation of serving Him all about what I could do or accomplish. Just like it was in my marriage, laziness in a relationship would not be undone by a few sincere acts or gestures. BUT GOD.

In the seeking and searching, He was there. He had never moved. It was me who had moved. I think David described it better than I can in Psalm 40:1-3:

¹I waited patiently for the LORD; He inclined to me and heard my cry. ²He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure. ³He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God. Many will see and fear, and put their trust in the LORD.

I was mired down in the swamp of my sinful idolatry and foolishness and could not get out under my own strength. My legs had pumped and climbed and were spent in exhaustion. The solidity of the shore was too far away, BUT GOD reached out, plucked me from the clay, and moved me all the way to the solid foundation of the ROCK, Jesus. Just like one would a toddler who had fallen, He held me and made sure I had my feet under me and on Him. The voice I could barely lift to Him in prayer began to croak out a new song, voice crackling out of unuse but the melody, the “song of praise”, began in my heart and eventually made it out of my lips.

Sunday regained its significance. It is the day we celebrate Jesus’s resurrection. He died for our sins, yes, but more than that, He rose! He is in the business of making dead things live. He is in the business of protecting His children, His sheep, from danger, even if that danger is their own stupidity and wandering. Those He has made alive will never die.

I look forward to Sunday because when “I waited patiently for the LORD”, He answered me and “heard my cry”.

I look forward to Sunday because when I was through with His work, He was not through with me.

I look forward to Sunday because it is not about my feelings but about His faithfulness (even though God has given me more joy now than in worshiping Him and serving Him than ever before).

I look forward to Sunday not because of vocation or religious devotion. I look forward to Sunday because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross and the magnificent truth that He walked out of the grave I deserve.

What about you?

Is Sunday a religious experience for you? Does it tick some kind of box on your righteous-living or to-do list? Has it been a while since you have gathered? Are you afraid that He knows your heart and might somehow abandon you?

HE hasn’t moved.

This Sunday at Christ Community, we will point you to the One who hears your cry and can pluck you out of whatever is miring you — whether it be the grave or the swampy ground of your sin. The songs will point to the finished work of Jesus on the cross and the vacancy in His borrowed tomb all the way to when His people will dwell with Him in heaven. The preaching will point you to Jesus by His Spirit and through His Word.

Maybe today is a good day to quit the exhausting clamber out of of the mire and reach your hands out to the One who has already reached out for you.

Peter, one whose testimony includes betraying and abandoning Jesus, said it well: “Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time He may exalt you, casting all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:6-7). His mighty hand is reached out to you. Grab hold of Him because He cares for you.

Sunday is coming.

I look forward to gathering with my brothers and sisters — all of which have a testimony of hopelessness and helplessness BUT GOD.

Won’t you join us?

Here are our Scriptures and songs:

Scripture | Acts 2:22-24 —

²²“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— ²³this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. ²⁴God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it.

Song | There Was Jesus —
Scripture Inspiration: Colossians 1:15-21, Philippians 2:5-11, Matthew 7:24-27, Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 51:7-8, Hebrews 13:8, John 14:6, 2 Corinthians 4:4, Ephesians 2:1-5, Hebrews 11:9-14, Colossians 3:16, Psalm 23, Isaiah 43:2, Revelation 1:8

Scripture | Colossians 2:13-14 —

¹³And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, ¹⁴by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.

Song | At the Cross (medley) —
Scripture Inspiration: John 4:14, Romans 5:21, 1 Timothy 1:16, Galatians 2:19-20, 1 Peter 2:24, 1 Peter 1:18-19, Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-17, John 5:24, John 5:39-40, John 6:27, John 6:40, John 10:28, John 17:3, John 20:31, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 1 Timothy 6:12, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, 1 John 2:23-27, 1 John 5:10-13, 1 John 5:20, Jude 20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, Revelation 21:3-4, Romans 6:1-11, Romans 7:4-6, 1 Peter 2:24, Ephesians 1:7, Hebrews 9:22, 1 Peter 1:2, Matthew 28:16-17, Revelation 5:6-10, Revelation 19:1-6

Scripture | Revelation 5:11-13 —

¹¹Then I looked, and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands, ¹²saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might
and honor and glory and blessing!”
¹³And I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, and all that is in them, saying, “To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever!”

Song | Forever (We Sing Hallelujah) —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 27:51, Revelation 22:16, 1 Peter 4:6, Isaiah 53:1-12, Matthew 20:28, Colossians 2:14, Mark 15:37, Luke 23:46, 2 Corinthians 5:21, Psalm 22:1, Matthew 27:45-46, John 19:30, Revelation 1:18, 1 Corinthians 15:54-57, Hosea 13:14, 1 Corinthians 15:24-26, 2 Timothy 1:10, Hebrews 2:14, Revelation 5:9-13, Acts 4:33

Invitation | Come As You Are —
Scripture Inspiration: Matthew 11:28-30, Psalm 147:3, Luke 18:13, Isaiah 55:1-3, Job 11:15-16, Luke 9:23-25, Romans 5:3-5, Psalm 34:8, Luke 13:29, Luke 15:11-32

Offertory | Hymn of Heaven —
Scripture Inspiration: Mark 10:29-30, John 3:15-16, John 10:28, John 17:3, Romans 5:21, Romans 6:22-23, Romans 8:18, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18, Galatians 6:8, 2 Timothy 2:11, Hebrews 5:9, 1 Peter 5:10, Jude 20-21, Revelation 3:5, Revelation 7:16-17, Revelation 21:3-4, Isaiah 53, Matthew 20:28, John 1:29, Galatians 3:13, Revelation 5:9, 1 John 1:7-2:2, 1 Peter 2:24, Romans 14:11, Philippians 2:5-11, Revelation 20:14, 1 Corinthians 13:12, Matthew 28, Acts 4:33, 1 Corinthians 15:3-8, 1 John 2:20, Hebrews 7:26, Revelation 4:8, 1 Samuel 2:1-10, 1 Kings 3:7-9, 3 John 2, 1 Samuel 18:7, Luke 1:46-48, Luke 14:25-33, Isaiah 25:8, Revelation 5:11-12, Daniel 4:3, Daniel 6:26, Micah 4:7, 1 Timothy 6:16, Revelation 11:15

“Adorned With Christ in All of Life: Marriage” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
¹⁸Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord. ¹⁹Husbands, love your wives, and do not be harsh with them.^[1]
Colossians 3:17-19

Greetings Sojourners!

We are moving into the last leg of our journey through Colossians, and I am praying that, just as these Bible studies have been impacting my own life as I have studied, written, and taught, they will have an impact on your life as well. The impact on my own life has largely come from meditating on the question I asked you to consider in last week’s Bible study: what if all of what Paul told the Colossian church about setting our minds on Christ (Colossians 3:1-4), taking off sin (Colossians 3:5-11), and putting on Christ (Colossians 3:12-17) mattered for real life?

I told you that it is meant to affect every aspect of our lives. Now, we allow God’s Spirit through His Word to meddle in our lives – specifically today, in our marriages.

Before I begin in earnest, I want to clarify something: marriage is not for everyone (check out 1 Corinthians 7 as an example). The primary relationship concern for those who are in Christ is to the Lord. To use the language Paul used there, unmarried men and women are “anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord” and “be holy in body and spirit” (1 Corinthians 7:32, 34), but married men and women are “anxious about worldly things”, how to please their spouse (1 Corinthians 7:33-34). Marriage is a good thing that should “be held in honor among all” (Hebrews 13:4), but Paul’s word to the unmarried in 1 Corinthians 7:38 is that “he who marries his betrothed does well, and he who refrains from marriage will do even better” in regard to devotion to Christ.

This does a lot to illustrate how whatever we do, “everything [is to be done] in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him” (Colossians 3:17). For centuries and even to an extent today, the culture has placed a stigma on remaining unmarried – more harshly on women than on men. The standard is not whether or not we have achieved some level of earthly relationship but on whether or not we have a relationship with Christ, so much so that Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth told them to “regard no one according to the flesh” because those who are “in Christ” are “a new creation” after being reconciled to God by grace through faith in Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:15-19).

So, if you are reading this and God has called you to, for either the time being or for life, singleness, rejoice in your calling, take what can be applied to your life and relationships and leave what cannot. Everything in Colossians 3:1-17 is to be applied for all believers in all of life. Furthermore, everything in Colossians 3:1-17 matters in the everyday lives of believers in all of life. It needs to be said as we are about to enter today’s Bible study that this is more than just knowledge – it is to be applied and learned. This means that for some – really most of us – there will be some repentance involved. John MacArthur summed it up well in his preface to the commentary on our passage today:

“Genuine Christianity consists of both doctrine and holy living. The New Testament reminds us in many places that an intellectual knowledge of our faith must be accompanied by a life that proves faith’s reality. And such a life can only be lived by vital contact with God in Christ. It is difficult to see how Christianity can have any positive effect on society if it cannot transform its own homes.”^[2]

If God has really saved us, change will occur – not us changing for Him to save us but Him changing us. There is no way that Him moving sinners from dead in sin to alive in Him (Ephesians 2:1-5, 4:17-24) does not produce change – produce fruit (Galatians 5:22-23).

So, if you are reading this and are saved by grace through faith in Jesus alone and married, take heed as we see what God has for you. This Bible study will not be exhaustive, meaning that it cannot cover the scope of every aspect of marriage. The goal will be to take the specific teaching Paul gave to the Colossian church and supplement it from the longer teaching Paul gave the Ephesian church so that we have a picture of what it is like in real, everyday marriage to be a husband or wife adorned in Christ.

Wives, Submit to Your Husbands, as is Fitting in the Lord (v. 18)

That one sentence encompasses Paul’s message to the wives in the Colossian congregation, but we need to put in some work to understand how to apply these teachings in our real lives.

What This Does NOT Mean

Simply put: the Scriptural command for wives to “submit” to their husbands does not mean abuse. This is not a call to subservience. Those who have used this to demean or put down their wives or to control them have sinned, plain and simple. Paul told the church at Ephesus that marriage was a picture of the gospel, Christ being the husband and the Church being His bride (Ephesians 5:32), so a marriage that is characterized by a husband demeaning his wife and putting her in the position of servitude does not reflect the husband of the Church who “came not to be served but to serve, and to give His live as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28).

This submission is not absolute or all-encompassing nor is it obedience. Obedience in the context of Colossians 3-4 is relegated to children and servants, not wives.^[3] For a Christian wife, her obedience and submission is to Christ above her husband. If a husband’s desires deviate from God’s Word, the wife should not submit. It also does not mean that women are inferior. Both males and females are created in God’s “own image” (Genesis 1:27). The New Testament reiterates it and clarifies that in Christ, “there is no male and female” (Galatians 3:28). Now, this is not to say that there are not differences, but those differences do not make one better and the other inferior.

What Does Submit Mean, Then?

The word translated “submit” here means “to place in order”, specifically in the context “a willing personal subjection”.^[4] Let us look at a few passages in the New Testament where this word is used to help us get a picture of what the Holy Spirit through Paul was talking about. The best place in the context would be Ephesians 5:21 where Paul tells the church at Ephesus (and thereby us today) that part of doing everything out of thanksgiving to and in the name of Jesus (Ephesians 5:20, Colossians 3:17) means that members of the church are supposed to be “submittingto one another out of reverence to Christ”. The submission for a wife to her husband is to be similar in nature to how members of the Church are to submit. This can be further illustrated in the life of Jesus. In Luke 2:51 after Mary and Joseph had lost Jesus and found Him teaching as a child in the temple, it came time for the family to return home to Nazareth, and Jesus was “submissive” to His parents. Jesus is God, but He submitted to His earthly parents when He “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). It can also be illustrated by the way Paul told the church at Rome that they were to be “subject” and therefore live in “subjection” to the authority of the government (Romans 13:1, 5). Obviously, their “citizenship…in heaven” (Philippians 3:20) trumped their Roman citizenry and the law of God superseded the laws of Rome, but in the instances where they did not, God called them to be submissive to the power He had allowed to be in authority.

Looking at that context and the definition, it is clear that Christian wives are to willingly subject themselves to the authority of their husbands. God designed the home and family to work a certain way and this submission is to God’s way as opposed to what the world presents as options. Women, knowing full well that they are equal to their husbands (if not surpassing them, as is the case with my wife), willfully submit themselves to God’s design, trusting that He knows best. The husband is to be the spiritual leader of the home with the wife backing him up. The wife is to help her husband to lead well, meaning that her strengths complement and strengthen his so that the family survives. You cannot have two sources of authority. Think about the tension that exists between Christians trying to be submissive to God but also the government. When government authority begins to outweigh God’s authority, one’s walk with Christ suffers. God’s authority wins out. When a wife leads or finds herself having to lead because of a sinful husband, the family suffers.

When Paul told the Colossian church that this submission of wife to husband was “fitting in the Lord”, he was acknowledging that God’s ways are best – that God, the Creator and inventor of human beings, knows His design and what works best (and what does not). So, Christian wives, I urge you to sit down with your husband and y’all strategize as to how to implement this in your homes. We joke in my house about how my wife, Candice, got sidetracked during our wedding when we were exchanging vows. Her father, who was officiating, asked her to repeat after him that she would submit to me, but Candice did not hear. Her response had everyone in the congregation rolling with laughter: “Wait. What did you say?” Yet, her patient submission and help are what makes me able to lead our family. She holds me accountable. She withdraws her submission when I try to lead in the wrong direction. She holds me to a higher standard than any human being on earth can or wants to, ensuring that I am the husband and father God calls me to be.

Husbands, Love Your Wives, and Do Not Be Harsh with Them (v. 19)

It should be noted here that there is a role for husbands and standards for them as well. In fact, the call for husbands in Ephesians 5 is substantially longer than the call to wives. Look at Ephesians 5:25-31:

²⁵Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, ²⁶that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, ²⁷so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. ²⁸In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, ³⁰because we are members of his body. ³¹“Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”

Whereas it seems as if the world places little to no expectation on the part of husbands other than to work and provide and allows men to be functional boys, only with more expensive toys, God has a higher calling for husbands than has been tolerated. He holds them to the standard of Christ for love, care, and leadership.

What This Does NOT Mean

First, this is not meant to belittle or demean men. There are times like Father’s Day when men who are seldom seen darkening the doors of a worship gathering show up only to be heavily rebuked, chastised, and told just how worthless they are and have been. This is meant, just as we did above with God’s call to wives, to show what it looks like for God’s call to impact the real lives and marriages of husbands who have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus.

Second, we need to revisit something we talked about above when we clarified what a wife’s submission is not. The authority of a husband is not absolute nor is he the master of his wife. Too often throughout history, men have tried to rule over their wives like tyrannical dictators, terrible fathers, or terrifying masters. This ain’t that. The example of husbanding is Jesus. Period. Before we get into what that looks like, if you are a saved husband and lording over your wife, trying to punish her for stepping out of your lines, or commanding them to serve or service you, you need to repent. There is no Christ in that. Paul rightly and plainly told the Colossian husbands not to be “harsh” with their wives. The word translated “harsh” here means “to be harsh, angry” with the connotation of making someone else “sharp” or to “embitter” them. Love does not create bitterness. Harshness has no part in love.

What Does it Mean for Husbands to Love Your Wives?

I think that the Ephesians 5 passage on husbands is especially helpful here as both Colossians 3:18 and Ephesians 5:22-24 are both brief in their calls to wives, the only difference being Ephesians 5 clarifies the comparison between wives and the Church. This is something that needs to be elaborated on because Scripture elaborates on it (and most worldly expectations for husbands have woefully fallen short of for centuries in many cultures). We will take Ephesians 5:25-31 sentence by sentence, and sometimes phrase by phrase to help us understand – and by understanding give opportunity for application and/or repentance for saved husbands.

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church and gave Himself up for her….”
This love is special and sacrificial. It tells the Story of a King who left His throne and became a lowly peasant that He might redeem His beloved and rescue her from execution. What King would leave His throne to do such, and not only that but to take the place of His beloved in the execution? Husbands are to love their wives in such a way that their own life is of no account to them when it comes to caring for their wife. What is there that a godly husband would not give up for his bride? The answer should be nothing. This is romantic for sure, but more than that, it is a love that is known and demonstrated (John 3:16, Romans 5:8). It communicates counting the other more significant than one’s own self (Philippians 2:5).
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church…that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word….”
If a husband’s love were only wrapped up in being willing to die for his wife, it would be an unfortunate thing for sure. Jesus died for His bride but lives again (Revelation 1:18). That illustrates the nature of earthly husbandly love, too – to be characterized by living for his wife rather than willing to show that love in a one-time event. This is a love that sanctifies one’s wife, sets her apart and gives her to the Lord to be saved and cleansed (Ephesians 5:25-27). The love of a husband does not save, but a godly husband, as spiritual leader of his household, consistently and constantly points his family (beginning with his wife) to the Lord that they may find cleansing according to His Word. This means that the Word is present in the marriage relationship, not being the preacher and interpreter but the one who ensures his wife is thriving in her relationship with God as a fellow believer (Ephesians 5:20-21, Colossians 3:16-17).
“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the Church…so that He might present the Church to Himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she may be holy and without blemish [or blameless]….”
Building on the last point, this carries it to completion. Marriage vows rightly say, “till death do we part.” This verse longs to see one’s wife with Christ when death parts. This means consistently continuing in the spiritual leadership role of husband “so long as both shall live” (Ephesians 5:28-29). The wife is not a trophy of conquest possessing a mark of long-remembered beauty. No, she is to be set apart and rejoiced in, ensuring that God keep her not only on earth but all the way to heaven when she no longer be her earthly husband’s bride but part of the Bride of Christ forever with Him in heaven (Revelation 19:7-9). This is a love of safeguarding, protecting, and discipling for all the days of one’s marriage (1 Peter 3:7).
“In the same way, husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves Himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes it and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of His body.”
In recent years with the rise of mental illness and the sad effects of the Fall on the human body (especially the mind), this might puzzle some (Romans 8:20-22). People (like the one writing this Bible study) have gone long years without caring for their body (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). People desire to end their lives. We recognize that mental illness exists and that depressing and thoroughly tragic circumstances exist. We should begin to recognize that believers who are husbands who do not love their wives as Christ loves the Church is an aberration as well. Christian husbands should notoriously be more loving and caring when it comes to their wives because Christ has been loving and caring to them (1 John 4:19). A wife is to be cherished and cared for as one’s own body should be cared for (Ephesians 5:28-29). There is no diet version of a godly marriage. There is either healthy or unhealthy (Matthew 7:17-18).
“’Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.’”
The marriage relationship is to trump all other earthly relationships. Rightly here, Paul puts the responsibility of the man to leave the home of his adolescence and take his wife to their own home. This relationship is marked by the “one flesh” union produced by physical intimacy. It is a direct quote back to Genesis 2:24 when God Himself performed the first marriage. This is a call for the 1^st century church at Ephesus (and Colossae) to return to the design God had for marriage, and it is a call for the 21^st century church to do the same (Ephesians 5:32-33, Colossians 3:18-19). Adam and Eve deviated from the plan when they traded God’s plan for their marriage and humankind when Eve ate of the fruit the Serpent offered and Adam stood by without intervening before eating of the fruit himself (Genesis 3:6). The church at Ephesus was marred by the worship of false gods by having relations with cult prostitutes (Acts 19:24-27). The church today must separate from the culture around us where marriage is no longer held in esteem (Hebrews 13:4). And it is the husband, led by the Spirit following the Word of the Lord, who is responsible for correcting the course rather than following the course of this world (Romans 12:2).

Wrapping Up

Ephesians 5:32 says: “This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the Church.”

This.

Really.

Matters.

It cannot be faked (Romans 12:9). As I said above, there is no diet version of this – only original formula will do.

This is not a time of being shamed or chewed out for our inability to do marriage right (Romans 8:1). No, that is not what it means by referring marriage back to Jesus and His Bride. The Church can do nothing in her own strength but is made perfect in her weakness because Christ’s strength does and accomplishes everything (2 Corinthians 12:9)!

If you are a believer and a husband to a wife or wife to a husband, this is not a call to give up but a call to hit your knees with one another and seek the husband of the Church to grant repentance and grace in your marriage. This will not be an immediate relief or fix but the beginning of some difficult months or years that will lead to Jesus producing the marriage He gave us in His Word. There will be tears of pain and sorrow, but they can lead to tears of joy and celebration, ultimately to be wiped away in heaven when Jesus’s Bride finally makes it to Him.

It is my prayer for those who will read this to desire a godly marriage – not because of some bit of rule-following or obligation, but because it is worth it. As I have written this, I have found myself conferring increasingly with my bride and asking tough questions. These were not questions of how great I am or how good we have it. No, dear Sojourner, these have been questions of how and why she put up with me when I was a terrible husband – questions of how she could still love me despite laziness and foolishness – questions of how she exemplified Christ’s love when her husband did not. You see, I can testify first-hand that God can produce what He shows us of marriage in His Word. This is not to say that Candice and I have arrived because we have not. But we can testify that by the grace of God we survived my stupidity and have seen God move and work and change us over the past 8-9 years. We can testify of God’s grace in granting repentance and producing forgiveness. We can testify that God’s way works best and that the time and love put into changing is worth more than words can express.

May it be so for you and yours!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:17–19.

^[2] John F. MacArthur Jr., Colossians, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1992), 166.

^[3] MacArthur, 168.

^[4] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

WALK — Saturday, May 25, 2024

¹⁵Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.
Ephesians 5:15-21

We are heading back to our everyday lives – back home. Today’s passage helps us with that. All week long we have studied and meditated on what it means to walk with Jesus and to share Him with others. It is time for the rubber to meet the road, literally because we have a long ride ahead of us but also in the sense that it is time to do as an old pastor once told me, to put shoes on the gospel!

Walking with Christ does not mean we will be perfect. No, we will fail (sin). We will step off the path (trespass). But it does mean we will not be alone. Jesus has given us His Spirit. We can “look carefully” at our walk with Him and be guided toward what is “wise” and good instead of “unwise” (Ephesians 5:15).

He has also given us His Church. We can have help in these evil days and be on mission together. When things get hard, we have our brothers and sisters with us as we walk with Jesus. Ephesians 5:19-21 describes how we can encourage one another, namely through worshiping God together. This can be through song as we see in Ephesians 5:19, by celebrating what God is doing in our lives as in Ephesians 5:20, or by caring for one another and lifting each other up as Jesus has done and is doing for us in Ephesians 5:21. So, whether you are reading this before the mad dash to pack up or sitting on the bus, look around at those God has placed in your life and be thankful. Do not let the end of a trip be the end of what is to be a beautiful and continual relationship.

Application:

Now, let’s go home and seek the “good works” God has prepared “beforehand” for us to walk in there – together (Ephesians 2:10)!

WALK: A Quiet Time Guide for the 2024 CCC Youth Mission Trip

This year, our CCC kiddos and chaperones are going to be partnering with the Great Passion Play in Eureka Springs, AR again to help with work they need done, act as extras in the play, and to share the gospel with people who are visiting the Jesus statue and other attractions during the day.

This is a good opportunity for our kiddos and chaperones, not just to serve the Lord but to grow closer to Him as well. Each morning — just as we would if we were at camp, we will be walking through a specific study in our individual quiet times. We want to share that with our faith family back home as well. This allows for good conversations when we get back, but primarily, it gives people an opportunity to specifically pray for our kiddos, knowing what they are studying and praying about while on mission.

This mission trip is going to be a wonderful time of fellowshipping with one another, serving the Lord, and growing together in our individual walk with Christ. Let that last part sink in: growing together in our individual walk with Christ. Just like one of us could not pull this mission trip off by ourselves – and especially not without the Holy Spirit, we need each other. That sort of togetherness is called the Church!

This week, we are going to all be on the same page – not just united in our work but literally on the same page of the Bible together as we are studying the same passage each day for our quiet time. This will be time spent alone between each individual and God, essentially making time for Him and hearing from Him in His Word every day. This will bring us closer to Him and closer to one another! Our passage for each day, Monday-Saturday, will come from the book of Ephesians and teach us something about what it means to walk with Jesus (Colossians 2:6-7). You see, walking with Jesus comes out of believing in Him. It is active and daily. It is a term that means our lives reflect a relationship with Him and that we act increasingly like Him and continually progress in what we know about Him – how we know Him. Walking with Jesus is living in our relationship with Him. No relationship thrives without time spent together. Lord willing, by the time spent with Jesus in His Word and with His people, our walk with Christ – our relationship with Him – will become stronger.

Here are links to each day’s reading and devotion:

“Adorned with the Word: Praise” from Colossians 3:15-17 — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.^[1]
Colossians 3:15-17

Greetings Sojourners!

I am hesitantly excited about today’s Bible study. Really, I am excited about it, just hesitant to publish it because of how divisive the subject can be among church folks. The subject of today’s Bible study is worshiping through singing.

Some people are almost militant in their divisiveness regarding the subject of singing in church. There are camps made and battle lines drawn. In some cases it is “traditional” v. “contemporary”. In others, it is we only sing this or that. There are Southern gospel camps. There are hymnal camps. Sometimes, these camps draw battle lines. Articles are written. Social media posts are lobbed out like grenades. Pastors are fired or hired. Churches split. The casualty is often the act of worship itself when the object of our worship, our resurrected King – Jesus Christ, is often far from the conversation.

I want to avoid camps and battle lines here today and help us see that while what we sing matters, why we sing and especially who we sing to matters, too, and perhaps matters more.

Why do we sing?

We sing because God ordained it. In Ephesians 4:19, we see most of the same wording as our passage today in Colossians 3:16, but we see the Holy Spirit add to the letter to the church at Ephesus the words “singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart”. He moves us to sing and inspires our song. If God had not wanted us to sing, He would not have told us so. He definitely would not have “breathed out” (2 Timothy 3:16) and inspired the longest and largest book of the Bible – the Psalms – to be a song book. God wants us to sing.

We sing because we have something (someOne) to sing about. In Exodus 15, we see Moses and the people of Israel standing on the far side of the Red Sea. God had divided the sea and brought them across on dry ground with walls of water on either side of them while they were being pursued by the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:22-23). Israel made it across, and God inhibited the Egyptian army – who were marching and riding across that same dry ground – from catching Israel or retreating from Him. The entire army was terrified and cried out in fear because “the Lord fights for [Israel]” (Exodus 14:25). God told Moses to stretch his hand out over the parted waters, and God crushed the Egyptian army (Exodus 14:16, 26-29). Israel “saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians” and “feared” and “believed in the Lord” (Exodus 14:31). Moses sang (Exodus 15, cf. Psalm 106:12). God wants us to sing to Him and about Him.

We sing because God sings. There is a beautiful verse penned by the prophet Zephaniah:

The Lord your God is in your midst,
a mighty one who will save;
He will rejoice over you with gladness;
He will quiet you by His love;
He will exult over you with loud singing. (Zephaniah 3:17)

God is going to sing over us. Think about the comfort a parent’s singing gives to an infant or young child. Those children are not critics of the music or drawing battle lines over the choice of lullabies. They are soothed. The sound of parental love brings peace. Mama is there with them in the midst of discomfort. Daddy is near making it safe to close their eyes in darkness. For us, Abba (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6) is singing the good news of Who He is, all He has done, and everything that will be. God wants us to sing that over each other, too.

Hear me again: God wants us to sing! But as I mentioned above, He also gives us guidance on what to sing in our worship gatherings. Colossians 3 is one of the places He gives that guidance. Lord willing, I will avoid making this Bible study into a camp or drawing battle lines. I plan on being clear where Scripture is clear and gracious in clarity here. It is my intent to offer a Bible study that helps and does not unnecessarily divide. What follows is my feeble effort to point us to Christ in what we are to sing when we gather together.

What to Sing: The Word of Christ Dwelling Richly (v. 16)

Our last Bible study focused on how the Word of Christ – the Bible – is supposed to be the substance of our preaching. Looking at the context of Colossians 3:16, we see that it is not only focused on the preaching. The Bible is where we find all that can be known about God.^[2] The Bible is where we learn of God and all He has done for us in Christ. Also, as mentioned above, the Bible contains an expansive resource of songs that were sung by those in the faith who have come before us – men and women who experienced the work of God and, like Moses, turned and expressed their worship and devotion and awe of God to Him in song.

If the Word of Christ is to dwell richly in our singing, our songs must be tested against the Word. This is important because what the church sings has historically “been one of the most powerful means by which a church is taught”.^[3] This can be seen in the way that Wayne Grudem includes hymns and praise songs at the end of each chapter of his Systematic Theology; he believes that the study of theology “at its best will result in praise”.^[4] The praise that results from studying Scripture and forming theology should exhibit that theology. An example of this is how an old hymn from my childhood formed the basis of how I understand the atonement of Christ: “There to my heart was the blood applied; glory to His name!” Another example comes from a modern hymn that shows God’s heart toward and power to save sinners who turn to Him: “My sins they are many; His mercy is more!”

This leads on to how we should look at the contents of what we sing in the same way as the preaching that we sit under. The example of the Bereans fits here, too. They were eager to hear, but that is not what set them apart. They were considered “more noble” because they did not let their eagerness take the place of “examining the Scriptures daily” to see if what Paul was teaching matched what God’s Word said (Acts 17:11). If our songs are going to teach us theology, we need to be careful that we are not willingly singing false teaching. There are resources that can help with this like The Berean Test, but you should dig into the Scriptures yourself. At Christ Community, we work through the songs we sing and provide lists of cross-references for every song we sing and provide access to them (almost) weekly through our “Songs for Sunday” posts, but none of that is any good if no one checks the Scripture to see if these things are so.

You might be asking why this even matters or if it really is a big deal. The short answer is yes. The long answer points us back to our passage.

What to Sing: Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs

Here comes the controversial or at least the point where people typically begin to divide. It is the subject of a lot of conversation, more than a little bit of social media fodder, and is the basis for a lot of opinions that get shared on the subject. The issue for divisiveness here is largely due to opinion – along with tradition or preference. I have neither the interest nor the emotional bandwidth to wade through those issues here. What I am interested in is what Paul told the Colossian church. I am interested in how the content of our worship is meant to flow out of taking off the flesh and putting on Christ. I want to see praise as a response of our theology as well as seeing our theology ensuring that our praise is biblical.

Paul gives the church at Colossae – as well as the church at Ephesus (Ephesians 4:19), our local churches, and the Church from the writing of the New Testament until Christ’s return – three categories of songs for us to sing: psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Now, no song is necessarily one of these categories but more likely a mixture. What I want to do here is, as I said above, to see what these terms given to us by the Holy Spirit through Paul mean and how we can use them to check the contents of our worship through singing.

Psalms

The psalms are the easiest to define because we recognize it as the name of the longest book of the Bible: Psalms. It is the collection of songs written by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to exalt, praise, and worship the Lord for all He had done for Israel. The way the Biblical Theology Study Bible describes the book of Psalms is very helpful to us here:

“The book of Psalms (or the Psalter) has been the hymnbook and prayer book for countless generations of Jews and Christians over the centuries. It contains the entire range of human emotion, from the highest points of joy and thanksgiving to the lowest points of depression and loss and everything in between. The psalms are timeless—hence their popularity among believers in all times and all places. Their presence in the Bible instructs the faithful in the best ways to praise and thank God, and they model legitimate ways to grieve and to address God boldly and directly in the midst of pain and sorrow. The psalms are transparent, passionate, emotive, personal, and genuine, and they provide believers with language with which to express their own deepest emotions and passions.”^[5]

The existence of the psalms gives us good guidelines for what our worship is to look like, whether it be learning to call out to God in times of distress and mourning, rejoicing when He has blessed us, crying out from a position of defeat or desperation, or worshipfully reflecting on who God is and all He has done.

The word here in Colossians 3:16 (Gr. psalmos) basically means “Songs”, while the title of the book in Hebrew (Tehillim) meant “Praises”. The Greek form of the word also carried with it the idea of singing being accompanied by music, specifically strings being plucked (like a harp) or played with a plectrum or pick (like a lyre or lute).^[6] But ultimately, what we need to understand for today is that the first (and arguably most important) category of songs for us is singing Scripture. This of course includes the 150 psalms we have in the Bible, but it also extends to New Testament passages like Colossians 1:15-20 or Philippians 2:5-11. This illustrates that, in order for the “word of Christ to dwell in you richly”, the contents of our singing is better to contain Scripture than to merely reflect or be inspired by it.

Hymns

This is going to be where some disagree because of the prevalence of hymnals, especially how important they were in churches for the last few centuries. However, there are many songs in hymnals that would fit the other categories as well; examples of this from the 2008 Baptist Hymnal include singing Scripture (psalms) like in Hymn #431 where it is the Lord’s Prayer from Matthew 6:9-13 to music, as well as a number of “spiritual songs” which we will get into in the next section. The word here in Colossians 3:16 (Gr. hymnos) means a “song…in honor of God” or a “direct address of praise and glory to God”.^[7]

One might interpret hymns in the more modern context as songs that sing doctrine. If psalms is singing Scripture explicitly, hymns are inspired by Scripture or are used to explain what Scripture is saying. Both are important. But, hopefully, this helps us see why it is so important to sing songs that are faithful to Scripture and contain good, solid biblical theology. I will give an example of an older “hymn” and a newer song to illustrate this. The song “Just a Little Talk With Jesus” talks about a “prayer wheel”, which is Buddhist and has no ties to Christianity at any point in church history. That is dangerous. A more modern example can be seen from events recently in the meetings of the United Methodist Church where they not only abandoned clear biblical teachings on sexuality but joined together singing a “hymn” called “All Faiths Lead to God” which contradicts the Bible’s teaching that Jesus is the only Way to the Father (John 14:6).

Hymns can help us to put good biblical theology in our mouths and in our minds (or bad theology if we are not careful with some). Examples of solid hymns that come to my mind are “A Mighty Fortress is Our God”, “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of Creation”, “It is Well”, “How Great Thou Art”, “Come Ye Sinners Poor and Needy”, “In Christ Alone”, “How Deep the Father’s Love for Us”, or “Before the Throne of God Above”. This is most definitely not an exhaustive list, but each of these songs is an ode to God’s might and power and points to Him. These songs contain gospel truths and clear doctrine. The age of the song matters not (the songs in the list above range from the 1400s to the early 2000s) because Jesus is eternal and there are nearly 2,000 years of the Church spread out on every continent, which is how it should be because the Church is bigger than just us in our local congregation.

Spiritual Songs

In this final category, we see an example that gets to be a bit more personal. The word in Colossians 3:16 (Gr. ode) is where we get the English word “ode” that describes poems or songs written about/to someone or something. In this case, ode refers to singing in honor of what God has done and might contain confessions of what we have done in sin or praise for what God has done in saving us. These are songs of testimony. For these “spiritual songs” sung in corporate worship, they are songs of shared testimony, singing and testifying things that are common to every believer.

These “spiritual songs” carry common themes like redemption, salvation, justification, the breaking of chains, the removal of sin, repentance, etc. Every Christian to ever be born again shares certain biblical similarities in their testimonies. All Christians were dead in their trespasses and sins, but God made us alive in Him. All Christians were lost until Jesus sought us out and found us. All Christians were slaves to sin but redeemed by God and adopted as His child. These are common themes that resound with all of us. Again, some of these overlap, take “How Great Thou Art” from the list of hymns in the previous section. It is clearly chock full of doctrine, especially in verse three, but that proclamation of doctrine is also a testimony: “And when I think, that God His Son not sparing, sent Him to die; I scare can take it in. That on the cross, my burden gladly bearing; He bled and died to take away my sin!”

Another beautiful truth about “spiritual songs” is how they carry with them the idea of new songs.^[8] In Revelation 5:9 and 14:3, the ode is used to talk about the “new song” sung to the Lamb and in Revelation 15:3 to describe the “song of the Lamb”. God is still saving people, giving them new life and a song of gratitude in their hearts, and people are still moved to write songs that make much of Jesus, like the descriptions of heaven in Revelation where crowns are being laid down, palm branches are being waved, and recognition of the singular worthiness of the Lamb is proclaimed constantly. This also agrees with Psalm 149:1-3 that commands God’s people to praise Him and that new songs should be sung because people are “glad” in their Maker, “making melody to Him” with instruments and voices.

So, to take the categories in Colossians 3:16 and simplify them, we are to sing Scripture, we are to sing doctrine as found in Scripture, and we are to sing as an ode to God and a testimony for all He has done and is doing for us.

Wrapping Up

Letting “the Word of Christ dwell in you richly” is no small task, especially as we gather together to worship with our local church. But no task worth doing or goal worth reaching is easy or simple. Making sure that our worship – through preaching, listening, reading the Word, or singing – is biblical is a difficult but necessary task. The result hinges on Him in whom we put our trust. Do we trust Him enough to do things His way, or will we rely too heavily on our own traditions or personal preferences? Are we willing to chuck out songs that are shallow or unbiblical just because that’s what we like or grew up on? These are hard questions, but, again, they are necessary.

It also needs to be said that writing on this does not mean that I have it all figured out or that I am not still changing and growing in this. I’m no longer a young man, and I find tradition and personal preference weighs more heavily in my mind and heart than in previous decades in my life. I find myself convicted when I realize that something I have sung or a song I have always loved and/or grew up on is not biblical.^[9] But if I spend time in the Word and with the Word, Jesus, I am not satisfied with lesser songs. I need to worship God as He prescribes, not as I prefer. That is a lesson I am still learning and will likely continue to learn for the rest of my life, until I stand before Him on the throne and cast my preferences aside and all I can do is worship my Lord and King.

So, how do we apply this?

Well, most simply, we guard what we sing and test it according to the Word. In some cases, songs will need to be thrown out. In others, parts or lines can be rewritten to fit with Scripture. But, ultimately, we need to desire to worship the Lord and to have His Word “dwell in [us] richly”. We need to hunger for Him and realize that worship is all about Him and nothing of us (other than confessing our sinfulness and need for Him).

Jesus is worthy.

Jesus is Lord.

Jesus is God.

Let us make sure we worship Him for who He is and how He told us to in His Word.

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:15–17.

^[2] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 128–129.

^[3] John Piper, Ask Pastor John: “When Worship Lyrics Miss the Mark”, Desiring God, August 7, 2017, https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/when-worship-lyrics-miss-the-mark.

^[4] Grudem, 42.

^[5] D. A. Carson, ed., NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 868.

^[6] Spiros Zodhiates, The Complete Word Study Dictionary: New Testament (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2000).

^[7] Zodhiates.

^[8] Zodhiates.

^[9] I want to make a specific statement regarding some of the songs we sing, but it did not fit well in the exposition of Colossians 3:16. We need to be increasingly careful of the sources of our music. Some of the most popular songs today are from churches like Hillsong, Elevation, or Bethel. In many ways, these three churches have departed from orthodox Christian teachings in certain areas and in the case of Bethel have gone to underhanded lengths to simulate or fake the presence of the Holy Spirit. We need to be careful when drinking from tainted wells.
At the same time, we need to be vigilant in checking all of our songs. Some older songs fit that bill as well. Do your research and see if songwriters or hymnwriters are part of a local church – whether or not they have accountability as a church member with pastors and people discipling them. We need to be vigilant regarding the Word content of the songs we let in our minds because, again, it helps form the theology coming out of our mouths. We raise our children with songs to warn of danger like “Be careful little ears what you hear”; may we warn ourselves with “Be careful little flock what you sing.”

“Adorned with the Word: Preaching” — a Refresh & Restore Bible Study

¹⁵And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.^[1]

Greetings Sojourners!

As I said in our last Bible study, this is a passage that I interact with regularly. It is a part of my life as a pastor. This leads us to look at something unique about interacting with God’s Word that is different from interacting with literature or other writings: God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) and, most importantly, is interacting with us.

This is something that Christians sometimes take for granted. We do not have a holy book that merely contains rules and guidelines. No, we have a holy God who breathed out the words of Scripture (2 Timothy 3:16) – a God who rules and gives guidance Himself through His Spirit and written word!

This is different than mere literature. I interact with literature every day in my job as an English teacher, but the literature does not interact with me. There are aspects of good literature that affect my life. There may even be times where something that I read has a functional impact on how I live my life or show compassion or think about certain issues, but the author is not interacting with me – the text is just words. God’s Word is different. To illustrate this more clearly, look at how Paul David Tripp explains it:

“Not only do we have the gift of God’s Word, but we also have the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides us, teaches us, and illumines the Word for us so that we can know, understand, confess, and repent. I not only need the content of God’s Word, but I also need the help of the Holy Spirit to enable me to understand it, to assist me to apply it, to empower me to live it, and to equip me to take its message to others. God rescues me from my foolishness not just by handing me a book, but also by giving me Himself to open the wisdom of that book to me. I don’t do this as an author. I write a book and move on. It is then up to the reader to make sense of what I have written. I don’t travel to reader after reader, sitting with them as long as it takes, shining light on the things I have written, making sure they understand, and helping them to apply the content of the book to their everyday lives. But that is exactly what God does. He goes everywhere His Word goes. He patiently sits with readers every time they open His book.”^[2]

God’s Word is something else!

When we take today’s passage in its correct context, it is good that God’s Word is so special – so powerfully and providentially given to us – and alive. We are still in the portion of Colossians where Paul is teaching the Colossian church (and us in our churches today) to put on Christ, to be adorned by Him in our real lives.

If God’s Word is not living and active, we have merely memorized some facts or learned some literature. Trust me that, as one who has memorized a lot of facts and read/taught a lot of literature, facts and stories are not enough to change people’s lives. More is needed. And more is exactly what we are given in God’s Word. The Bible is more than a book. It contains everything that can be known about God. Look at how Wayne Grudem explains the necessity of Scripture for the Christian Life:

“It is not only true that all things necessary to become a Christian, live as a Christian, and grow as a Christian are clearly presented in the Bible. It is also true that without the Bible we could not know these things. The necessity of Scripture means that it is necessary to read the Bible or have someone tell us what is in the Bible if we are going to know God personally, have our sins forgiven, and know with certainty what God wants us to do.”^[3]

I will say it again: God’s Word is something else!

So, let us dive into Colossians 3:16 and see what it means for our churches to be adorned – dressed in, wearing – the Word of God.

The Word of God is Foundational to Christian Worship (v. 16)

It should be able to go without saying that God’s Word is part of the foundation of our worship, but throughout the millennia that Christianity has existed – and the examples from the millennia of God’s people in the Old Testament hearing “Thus saith the Lord” – it is clear that people are foolish and often do the opposite of what they should. Sometimes, sinful people – even sinful pastors (or “pastors”) – just want to teach what they want to teach, whether it is in the Bible or not. Sometimes, ignorance of what the Bible says leads to teaching wrongly. One of those is malicious, and the other is woefully dangerous, but the fact of the matter is that stepping off the foundation of God’s Word leads to trouble. We get off track. Our following Jesus is replaced too easily by personal sin and idolatry. God’s Word illumined by God’s Spirit prevents that.

As we said in our last Bible study, Colossians 3:15-17 telling us what our local churches are to be adorned in – what they are to be wearing. Just as the attributes of sin listed in Colossians 3:5-9 are treated as filthy garments that need to be taken off and the attributes of faith listed in Colossians 3:10, 12-15 are treated as clean garments that should be worn, peace, gratitude, the Word of God, and praise are garments that should adorn our churches. One could say that, rather than worrying about what folks are wearing to church, we should be worried about what our churches are wearing. One should be able to see peace, gratitude, the Word of God, and praise so clearly that it marks us like camouflage fatigues do a soldier.

Paul tells the Colossian church to let “the Word of Christ dwell in you richly”. This goes deeper than merely being clothed in the Word; we are talking about being saturated with the Word. That word that the ESV translates as “richly” can be translated “richly furnished”, describing the way a house or a room is filled or covered. It can be translated “in large amount” or “in abundance” meaning that there is a fullness or surplus. It can be translated “in full measure” meaning that there is a certain measurement that is to be given and that all of it should be put out. The Word of God is not supposed to be a mere decoration or the prooftext of a talk or what the music we like is loosely based on; it is supposed to extravagantly and abundantly saturate our churches and worship gatherings to the point where it consumes all else.

Visitors should be able to leave our gatherings and say that we only want to talk, sing, and proclaim the Word of God, pointing them to Jesus. People who want to “play church” or merely masquerade as a Christian should be so disgusted by the reality presented in God’s Word that they have to take their ball and play elsewhere. The measure of God’s Word in our preaching and singing should be such that we leave hungering for no less in our daily walk with Christ. To paraphrase an old church joke, the Word of God should be so prominent in our worship – dwell in us so richly – that if a mosquito were to bite us in the parking lot after church, it would have to sing “There’s Power in the Blood”!

The Colossian church needed to hear this because they had false teachers coming in and trying to supplement God’s Word with what is “really” needed. In truth, they were trying to replace the Word with the supplement. The gospel was all their pastor Epaphras had to offer. False teachers cried for gospel+, but Paul is calling for the Colossians to understand that the gospel of Jesus Christ is sufficient on its own!

If false teaching is to have no more place in our gatherings than Epaphras or Paul wanted in the Colossian church, the Word must be central – and not just on Sundays or Wednesdays. It needs to be central in our daily lives. If we are to long for God as a deer, exhausted from being hunted, pants for streams of water (Psalm 42:1), we should desire to hear from Him, which is what happens when we seek Him in His Word. The Spirit takes the words He breathed out and penned through human hands and lights our path (Psalm 119:105, Proverbs 6:23), convicts our hearts (John 8:46, John 16:8-9), and declare the Word in our hearts and minds (John 16:13-15, Psalm 25:5).

But, just as the Ethiopian eunuch responded to Phillip’s question of whether he understood what he was reading (Acts 8:30-31), we must ask, “How can we unless someone guides us?” We should echo Paul’s question to the church in Rome, as well: How are we to hear unless someone preaches?

Let us look and see what God’s Word says about preaching so that we can ensure we are seeking to be adorned with God’s Word and dwell in it richly in our worship gatherings.

The Word of God Tells Us What Preaching is Supposed to Be

As we look at this, we need to understand that almost no church or Christian preacher (or “preacher”) is going to really come out and say that God’s Word is not enough. In fact, I encounter people posting on social media or putting out church-related content that calls for folks to get back to preaching the whole Bible and what they are calling for is how the Bible was preached when their generation was growing up or what their denomination stands/once stood for or Republican values or Democratic values or this or that. It is rare that any cry for returning to Bible preaching hails from the Bible (which should really tell us something). The question we must ask ourselves today is whether the Bible, being sufficient, shows within its pages what it is to have the Bible central in our worship gatherings – not just the preaching, but especially in the preaching – to have it dwell in us richly.

Good news, sojourner: the Bible does tell us. So, let us briefly look at a few passages of Scripture – Old Testament and New – that show us how to have the Bible central in our worship gatherings and preaching.

1 Timothy 4:13 – Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.

This is something that challenged us a few years ago at Christ Community. The pastors were reading a book and diving into God’s Word together and found ourselves convicted by this command from Paul to a young pastor named Timothy. We planned and discussed how to get the practice of being devoted to “public reading” of Scripture to be something that was natural and did not seem weird or like some kind of religious exercise. We came up empty and prayed for God to make this clear for us. He did! One Sunday, we were going to read Psalm 51 as part of our musical worship. When we said, “Let’s read”, the congregation took us literally and all began reading the passage aloud together. It has become one of my favorite parts of our worship gathering, and we have seen people begin to be as excited – clapping hands and cheering, even – when we read powerful sections of Scripture that make much of Jesus!

All that to say, do not overthink this. If you want the Word to dwell in you richly, read it. Read it aloud in your worship gatherings. Have one person read it, or all read it together. I have been in some churches where they read from a Psalm or portion of a Psalm every week. It is beautiful. It is good for us. It points us away from the world and exalts God. Do it.

Nehemiah 8:8 – They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.

This passage takes place after the Israelite exiles return from Babylon to a war-ravaged Jerusalem. The temple is gone with nothing but the foundations left. They have been gone for seventy years, and some of them had never heard the Word – in their case, the Law or the Torah (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy). Ezra gathered up all the people and “opened the book in the sight of all the people” with them standing, and he blessed God and simply read it to them (Nehemiah 8:5-6). Listen to that again, he read them the first five books of the Bible with them standing there the whole time. Church folks would run a preacher out! But look at the hunger they had – the devotion! Wow! Not only did they read it, but Ezra and a number of others listed in Nehemiah 8:7 took the time and “helped the people understand the Law, while the people remained in their places”. Imagine a sermon on the first five books of the Bible. Again, church folks would run a preacher out (or would have already run out themselves)!

Ezra and company did more here than simply translate the Hebrew Scripture for people who spoke Aramaic or to relay what the book said; they broke it down for them. They made an “exposition or explanation of the meaning”.^[4] This reflected Ezra’s heart and commitment to not only be impacted by the Scriptures himself (Ezra 7:10) but to share the Word with the people he had been called to serve.

This is a beautiful picture of what preaching – at its most simple and pure center – should be: a model for all who teach and preach the Word of God”.^[5] We should read the Word – as much or as little as the Spirit prompts. We should read it clearly. If God lays a chapter on the pastor’s heart, he should not rush through it. It is the centerpiece. It is the meat at the meal. And he should give the sense. The sermon should seek to help people understand what is read and see Jesus in it! Understand that I am not talking about a lecture or a mere lesson. This is not a class – it is the Christ! There should be a passionate plea for people to look to Christ. There should be a fire inside the bones of the preacher (Jeremiah 20:9) to point people to the Lord!

Luke 24:25-27 – And He said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! Was it necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into His glory?” And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself.

If there was ever a sermon I wished I could have been present for, this is it. Jesus, after His resurrection, met some men who were walking to Emmaus. They had no idea He was the Christ, and they were telling Him about what had just happened to Him on the cross. He sharply rebuked them, but what He did next is a beautiful picture of grace and the importance of Scripture. Jesus took the time with these guys and went through the Law and the Prophets to show them Him. Imagine having the Word interpret the Word for you! Remember: that is what the Spirit still does for us today!

If we want the Word to dwell richly in us, we must be content to soak in the Word – to have it drench our worship, both personal and corporate.

2 Timothy 2:15 – Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

As you know, I am a high school English teacher as well as a pastor. I can assure you that no one truly enjoys studying, at least not all the time. But think about this differently. When a young man begins courting his love, does he not study her? Does he not spend time getting to know her likes and dislikes? Does he not try to learn the desires of her heart, especially as they pertain to him? Now, think about how the level of study goes down once he passes the test and wins his bride. He should still study, but the yearning and desire has waned. It should not be so for those called to handle the Word of truth.

Study should be done to ensure that the preacher has been faithful to the Word – that it has been read clearly and the sense clearly given. Care should be taken so that God’s intentions are carried out and not man’s. To clarify, rightly handling the word of truth is to handle it correctly and straightforwardly, “not in a way that is shifty or shady” but in such a way that upholds the truth it contains.^[6]

Acts 17:10-11 – The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the Word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.

Studying God’s Word is not limited to preachers and pastors. The Berean Christians set an example that was sorely needed during that time so that they could weed out the false teachers. It is needed even more today. TikTok theology and Facebook farces masquerading as preaching need to be evaluated by the Word of God. We need to be testing all preaching we hear by the Word – not because we should not be able to trust our pastors, but because we know God is trustworthy and infallible. You should be testing what you read in our Bible studies here.

Is this work? Yes. Is it worth it? He is worth it. Jesus is worth it. Just as we could judge the lazy husbands in the illustration above for waning in their wooing of their wives once they won them, we should take steps to ensure that our love for Christ, the bridegroom of the Church, is not waning, too! The way that Luke described the Bereans makes it clear that their interest was not waning. They were enthusiastic in receiving the Word. They simply were not going to let their enthusiasm get the better of them. The Spirit gives this example of “searching the Scriptures as a pattern for all believers” and supports the “idea that the Bible can be understood rightly, not only by scholars but also by ordinary people who read it eagerly and diligently, with conscious dependence on God for help”!^[7]

Wrapping Up

There was a time when God’s Word was kept out of reach for everyday people. Before the printing press, it was almost impossible for people to have or to even contemplate affording a copy of God’s Word for themselves. Hand copied scrolls in the Old Testament era and copies of letters in the era of the New Testament were accessible in major areas, but not to be held in one’s own hands outside of a synagogue, church, or library. Then, there were those throughout the medieval period who sought to keep the Word of God even out of people’s mouths. Whereas Ezra made sure a clear sense was given, priests preached in Latin and were able to make the sense whatever they wanted. But there were those, men like Jon Huss and John Wycliffe, who put their lives on the line to get the Word of God in Bohemian or English so that their flock could have access to the Scriptures.

Why is it that in the times and places where God’s Word is forbidden that people are willing to risk life and limb to have the Word dwell richly in them? Why is it that in 2024 the Word dwells more richly in churches in countries where, if the powers-that-be find them with even a page or section of Scripture (which may be all they have), believers face jail or death?

Well, firstly, we who think we are serving Christ in peacetime are fools. There is no peacetime. The war is waging all around the world (1 Peter 5:8-10, Ephesians 6:10-20). We are all too distracted by the symptoms of the Fall than in Him who has come and is going to crush the head of the ruler of this world (Genesis 3:15). And do you know why we are distracted? Sadly, it is because we do not allow the Word of Christ to dwell in us richly. It does not affect the way we teach and admonish one another. Thankfully, there is time for repentance to begin – “time for judgment to begin at the household of God” (1 Peter 4:17).

So, just as we illustrated what the Word dwelling richly in our churches with Scripture. We close with three passages.

Isaiah 28:13a – And the Word of the Lord will be to them precept upon precept…, line upon line….

Acts 20:27 – …for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God.

2 Timothy 3:16-4:4 – All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His Kingdom; preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.

Dear sojourner, let it be that we find ourselves part of a local church that longs to have the Word dwell richly. Let it be that we find ourselves part of a local church that makes much of Jesus by preaching His Word faithfully. The world and the sinful bent of our idol-producing hearts gives us a longing to have our feelings and egos caressed rather than having God’s Word lay us out bare before a holy God (Hebrews 4:13), but God has more for us.

Find a church that is committed to preaching the whole counsel of God – literally, not just saying it but taking it “line upon line” and “precept upon precept”. You will not have to worry about worldly relevance because we are not made for this world. It is not our home (Philippians 3:20). God’s Word shows us His Kingdom and His ways. Our sinful heart’s desire to have someone make us feel better, but what we need is for Christ give us new life. We do not need our hearts lifted; we need them replaced with a heart of flesh (Ezekiel 36:26)!

And when we get in the Word together and see the world for what it is, may the Lord grant us repentance and get us busy in His Kingdom agenda rather than distracted by the world. May He give us the noble mind of the Bereans and the passion of Ezra to see our communities reached with the gospel. Oh, that our local churches would have the Word dwell so richly in them that it spills out into our streets, communities, towns, states, nation, and the world. Because, praise be to God, when the “gospel of the Kingdom” is “proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, then the end will come” (Matthew 24:14) – then, our King will come!

If you find yourself in a local church that does not center on Jesus and His Word – or if you are not in a local church at all, it is my prayer that God will move upon your heart and move you to a place where much is made of Jesus, the Jesus of the Bible, and that He would help His Word to dwell in you richly and not to be satisfied with less. May we be adorned with God’s Word. May it take the lion’s share of our worship gatherings. May it abundantly, extravagantly, and in full measure be our focus and our driving force. May it point us to our King!

^[1] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Col 3:15–17.

[2] Paul David Tripp, Do You Believe? 12 Historic Doctrines to Change Your Everyday Life (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2021), 37-38.

^[3] Wayne A. Grudem, Christian Beliefs: Twenty Basics Every Christian Should Know, ed. Elliot Grudem (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005), 17.

^[4] John F. MacArthur Jr., The MacArthur Study Bible: New American Standard Bible. (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson Publishers, 2006), Ne 8:8.

^[5] D. A. Carson, ed., NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 779.

^[6] Douglas J. Moo, “The Letters and Revelation,” in NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 2181.

^[7] Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 2121.