What must I do to be saved?

Joy is one of the greatest things that we human beings can desire. We need joy to make life worthwhile. Earthly wealth and fame may never give us true joy. On the other hand, there are many people that experience a joyful life without having great wealth or fame.

How is it possible to be rich and not have joy and how is it possible to be poor and have joy? Joy is the one thing even beyond wealth and fame that people want to possess. People want to have joy in their life, rich or poor good or bad. So where can we find true joy that makes us happy in all things? See Colossians 1:9-18. God commands us to have joy

Back to the point that we cannot find joy sometimes because we are looking in the wrong places. We look for the approval of people to find joy and that does not happen. We seek pleasure to the point of fatigue and yet do not find joy. Where do we need to be looking? The answer is to our Creator who made life and all things possible.

Having a family and home for living and fulfillment is from God. We need to look to Jesus who claims to be able to give us real life and that more abundantly. We find joy in the teachings of Jesus and His life.

When Jesus passed by, he left people with the opportunity to have joy. The angels were recipients of the joy that Jesus brought and proclaimed, “Joy to the world the Lord has come.” Luke 2:10-11.

The teachings of Jesus in the Bible and his good news is the mechanism for bringing us a life full of joy and joy unspeakable.

Ivy Conner

Before the president of the United States can take office, he has to swear an oath. Historically, he puts his hand on a Bible, and he repeats these words from the US Constitution:

“I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Most presidents have added the words: “So help me God.”

But when God swears an oath, He doesn’t say “So help me…anyone else.” Why? Because God doesn’t need anyone’s help to stay true to Himself…

The letter of Hebrews is a sermon on encouragement (13:22). The author is wanting to encourage Christians to stay faithful to Jesus Christ, regardless of what the consequences might be in this physical life. To encourage Christians, the writer talks all about the blessings that are available in Jesus Christ.

In Hebrews 6, the writer states in verse 10 that “God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints.” So the writer wants Christians to know that God recognizes, remembers, and will reward our acts of service toward each other. Those acts might not get recognized in this life, but God will recognize them in the next life.

Because God remembers our acts of love and service, the writer states in verse 11 that we should show diligence in this area so that we can realize the “full assurance of hope” until the end of our lives on earth or until the end of the earth itself. We need to “imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises” (ver. 12).

One of those whose faith we need to imitate, he mentions in verse 13, is Abraham. God promised Abraham and God swore an oath to Abraham – recorded in Genesis 22:17 – that God would bless Abraham and multiply his family. Abraham waited; he waited; he waited – and eventually God fulfilled that promise to Abraham (ver. 15).

In verse 16, the writer wants to contrast the nature of God and the nature of human beings. Human beings, when they want to emphasize the importance of their word and the truthfulness of what they are saying, will swear by someone greater than themselves. Usually, men swear “by God.” Supposedly when someone says, “I swear by God,” then that should settle things because they are telling the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.

But what does God do when He wants to emphasize the truthfulness of what He is saying? Can He swear by someone higher than Himself? No. There is no one higher than God. Notice the words of the Hebrew writer in verse 17: “God desires to show to the heirs of promise [Abraham and his family and all those – including Christians – who will learn from Abraham’s life] the “unchangeableness of His purpose,” interposed – or guaranteed – with an oath.”

So, to show Abraham that God really, really meant what He was saying, the writer says God guaranteed it with an oath. But notice verse 18 – by two “unchangeable things:” God’s nature (that He cannot change; it is impossible for God to lie) and God’s oath – we can take strong encouragement from God and find refuge in God’s nature so that we can take hold of the hope that is set before us.

The word translated “unchangeable” here is also translated “immutable.” I wanted to introduce that word to you if you do not know the word. “Immutable” means “unchangeable.” Here, the writer is talking about God’s unchanging nature.

God is not One person one day and a different person the next day. He does not change. I, for one, have changed over the years. There are some bad things that I once did that I don’t do any more. There are some good things that I should have done my whole life but I started doing them when I learned better. You and I have changed.

God does not change. God does not need to change. And the Hebrew writer wants us to know that because God does not change, if He kept His promise to Abraham to bless him and his family and then fulfilled His promise, then God will fulfill His promise to us to bless us for serving each other in love, which is the context of this statement back in verse 10.

See these passages also: Numbers 23:19; 1 Samuel 15:29; Psalm 102:25-26; Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17.

Because Jesus is immutable, we can (and must) trust Him!

Paul Holland

When Rachel and I married, almost 29 years ago, she did what is common practice and custom in English speaking worlds – she took my last name. She left being “Rachel Anderson” and became “Rachel Holland.” In fact, in the weeks leading up to our wedding, she created a little countdown poster with the words: “Days Left Until I become a ‘New Holland’.”

When we obey Jesus Christ, we take His name. As we all know, the church is pictured as the “bride of Christ” in the NT so that when we obey the gospel, we become married to Christ, or at least engaged to Him, and we take His name.

The name “Christian” describes those who are an anointed people and it means we “belong to Christ.”

As a group of people, we also take the name of Christ. As you know, the people who belong to Christ are known as “church of God” (1 Cor. 1:2) or Acts 20:28 or “churches of Christ” (Rom. 16:16).

So the church belongs to Christ. He built His church; it is His: Matthew 16:18.

In fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy that God’s people – when the Gentiles entered that body – would have a “new name.” The prophecy is found in Isaiah 62:2: “The nations will see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you will be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord will designate.”

The Gentiles started being added to the church of Christ in Acts 10 with the household of Cornelius. The church of Christ in Antioch of Syria was predominately if not exclusively Gentile Christians and in Acts 11:26 we see that “new name which the mouth of the Lord will designate:” Christian.

Acts 11:26 reads: “for an entire year they [Barnabas and Paul] met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called [passive voice] Christians in Antioch.” Normally when scholars see a passive voice verb as “called” is in this text, they will say that God is the subject of the verb; except not here. Invariably, scholars will say that it is the enemies of Christians who called them this. There is no reason in the text to accept that interpretation. There aren’t even any enemies or persecution mentioned in the text. It is better to see this as God inspiring some prophet if not the apostle Paul to start calling His children after His Son’s name: “Christians.”

Because we are married to Christ, let us accept no name but that name God has given to us. Let us be only Christians and Christians only!

Christ has admonished loyalty and faithfulness until He comes again. Those who are members of His bride, the church, are those who have stayed loyal to Him and faithful to His teachings. When Jesus comes again, He will find that many have denied the faith, left their first love, and have defiled the wedding garments.

But to those who are faithful to the Bridegroom, He will say: “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt. 25:34).

Let’s not forget who our Bridegroom is. Let’s stay faithful to Him.

Paul Holland

INTRODUCTION

1. This is the first recorded sermon of Jesus in the Gospel of Matthew. He had already preached: “The kingdom of heaven is at hand” (4:17) and taught “the gospel of the kingdom” in synagogues throughout Galilee (4:23). But in Matthew 5-7, we have the first discourse of Jesus, and what many have referred to as “the greatest sermon ever preached.” While it may be difficult to say that one sermon of Jesus was (or, is) better than another, we at least say this one is quite remarkable to say the least!

1. At this point Jesus had likely already called the twelve apostles (this is definitively the case if Luke 6 is referring to the same sermon). Many others had became disciples, and masses of people were following Christ after seeing and hearing of His miracles (see 4:23-25). (This lesson will not delve into whether Luke’s account is the same sermon or not – See Lk. 6:17-49.)

1. The primary audience of the “Sermon on the Mount” may be the apostles and disciples (see 5:1), but yet it is difficult to argue against Jesus having the multitudes that were also assembled.

1. As Matthew has already alluded to Jesus preaching the kingdom, we should not be surprised that the kingdom is the focal point of this great sermon.

1. Some have likened the Sermon on the Mount of the NT to what the 10 Commandments were to the OT. Surely we at least see in this masterpiece a great portrait of what the Lord’s kingdom is all about!

Let’s take a brief look at the outline and structure of this sermon that is prefaced by the casual and yet astounding words: “And he opened his mouth and taught them” (v. 2; see 7:28-29).

1. AN OUTLINE OF THE SERMON

In some ways this sermon is difficult to outline. Here is a basic outline that you may find helpful:

(1)  5:1-12 – Attitudes of the Kingdom.

(2)  5:13-16 – Influence in the Kingdom.

(3)  5:17-6:18 – Righteousness in the Kingdom.

(4)  6:19-34 – Seeking First the Kingdom.

(5)  7:1-12 – Dangers and Admonitions of the Kingdom.

(6)  7:13-27 – The Conclusion and Invitation of the Kingdom.

1.  THE STRUCTURE OF THE SERMON
2.  The sermon begins with what we typically call “The Beatitudes,” which is related to the word “blessed” (a Latin word for “blessed”). Jesus uses the word “Blessed” nine times in verses 3-11. The Greek word markarios means happy or fortunate. Perhaps a good working definition of it would be “the finding of divine favor.” Interestingly, this word is in the plural, likely signifying the degree or depth of blessedness offered in the kingdom. This blessedness is not always outward, but is actually deeper and much more meaningful. Of course, this blessedness has character requirements, but the incentive to develop that character is also a part of the blessedness of His kingdom!

31.  Notably, the sermon begins with the “tranquil” yet challenging beatitudes, but quickly becomes confrontational (as far as the Jews would see it) as Jesus claims to have come to fulfill the Law and Prophets (5:17). He further proceeds to exalt His teachings not merely above the law, but above what Jewish teachers said about the law. (Note that He does not say, “It is written,” but Jesus says, “it is said” – see, for example, 5:21, 27, 31. What the Pharisees and others sometimes said about the Law was sometimes different than the Law!). Many Jewish teachers, most notably, the Pharisees, were known for emphasizing the “letter of the law” while forgetting the heart of the commandments (see Mt. 23:23). These statements would have certainly raised the ire of the religious leaders, but imagine what 5:20 would have done, where Jesus said, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

1.  Jesus closes the sermon by powerfully asserting that entrance into the kingdom is restricted (see especially 7:13-14), He says, to those who do “the will of my Father who is in heaven.” He actually draws the sermon to a conclusion using an illustration of a wise man who built his house on the rock (by hearing and keeping the words of Jesus) and another man who built his house on the sand (by not keeping the teachings of Jesus). The wise man will enter the kingdom, the foolish man will not!

1.  Rightly so, the teaching and authority of Jesus stood out to the audience that heard this great sermon (7:28-29).

III.  A FEW OBSERVATIONS

1.  Jesus’ teachings of the kingdom were surely countercultural in that day and continue to be in our day. Like then, even now it stands in stark opposition to what many religious teachers have to say. His way is inward (see 5:1-12; 21-30). His way upholds the sanctity of marriage (5:31-32). His way is restrictive (7:13-14).

1.  Related to what was just said, Jesus taught a focus upon one’s relationship with the Lord, rather than an appearance of being righteous (6:1-18). Some today have a shallow righteousness that is really no righteousness at all. We must beware of showing our good side to man, because the Lord sees the heart!

1.  Ultimately, Jesus forces all to make a decision. He presents the way of the kingdom, along with it’s blessedness, and then each is free to accept or reject it.

Daren Schroeder

Just outside of the Colosseum in Rome are massive arches built by the emperors in the Roman Forum. Five arches were built but only three remain. These arches were built to commemorate various victories and events in Roman history. The two oldest were the Arches of Augustus and Tiberius. The Arch of Tiberius was constructed in 16 AD.

The oldest surviving arch is the Arch of Titus that was built in 82 AD by emperor Domitian following Titus’s military victories which included the siege of Jerusalem. Our Lord prophesied of this siege in Matthew 24. In 203 AD, the Arch of Septimus Severus was built after his defeat of the Parthians. And lastly, the Arch of Constantine was erected to the honor of Constantine following his victory over Maxentius at the Battle of Milvian Bridge in 312 AD. All these arches are massive structures, the Arch of Constantine measures 69 feet in height, 85 feet wide and 24 feet in depth. The oldest of which has survived almost 2,000 years.

Returning triumphal armies would have marched through these arches to the great fanfare of Rome’s citizens. Great treasures would have been brought back with them as well as many captives. All of Rome would have turned out to see this great spectacle.

Though the last three arches were built after Paul’s time, the first two would have still been standing in his lifetime. With this said there is an interesting verse that is found in 2 Corinthians 2:14 which says, “Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place.” Whereas to be a Roman captive would have been humiliating, it is not so for the Christian who is led in spiritual triumph. It is a glad time by which we have given ourselves up to the reign of Jesus Christ.

In like manner, Paul stated in Romans 5:10, “For if when we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.” Prior to our surrender to Christ, we were considered enemies of God. Yet now through Jesus Christ, we have been reconciled to God. Whereas many of those who were captives of Rome were either sold or put to death, Paul said that we as Christians are “saved by His life.”

Though many may despise the idea of being made captives of Christ and committing ourselves to His righteous will, to the Christian it is a wonderful and joyful event. Paul stated, “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:22-24). He would later write concerning his own conversion by saying, “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”

In the Church of Christ, when one is baptized into Christ for the remission of their sins (Acts 2:38), we often sing the hymn, “Oh Happy Day”. Why? Because it is a happy day when one surrenders to the Lord and we are no longer an enemy of God.

Unlike the howling mobs of the Roman triumph, in the Lord’s triumph, the crowds are encouraging us on in our faithfulness to the Lord. Following the wonderful list of faithful men and women in Hebrews 11, the next chapter begins by saying, “Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…”. When we become Christians, we are surrounded by fellow brothers and sisters in Christ as well as a heavenly host who desires the best for us and wants us to see our faith through to the end.

As Christians, let us be thankful to God who leads us in triumph, whose journey’s end is in heaven itself.

If you would like to know more about the salvation that God has for you through His Son Jesus, please let us know.

Roy Knight

About 60% of the human body is water. We lose water simply by breathing. We lose water by sweating. We lose water when we use the bathroom. We are constantly losing water.

That’s why health professionals tell us that the average man needs to drink 13 cups of water a day; the average woman needs to drink 9 cups of water a day. That’s 3 liters of water a day for men; 2 liters of water day for women! That’s a lot of water!

If you don’t take in that much fluids, you could be dehydrated. Let’s say you only drink 1 cup o water a day – 8 ounces. That would be 56 ounces of water a week, when you should have drank as much as 700 ounces a week!

When we talk about following Jesus, being a disciple of Christ, we are not talking about worshipping Jesus for 1 hour each week. Being a disciple of Christ includes worshipping Him, but it is so much more. And studying the word of God on a daily basis is a part of that discipleship too. Jesus designed us to feed on His word regularly; remember He said, “Man does not live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matt. 4:4).

If you do not read the Bible during the week, the 30 minutes of Bible you get from a Sunday morning sermon is not going to be enough to sustain your spirit. No wonder many Christians leave worship feeling like their spirits have not be uplifted. It’s because you came to worship already “dehydrated” and 8 ounces of water is not enough to sustain you.

Following Jesus is a daily decision that also includes daily choices.

We want to look at one example of a disciple of Jesus, whom Jesus will make into an apostle and this man illustrates to us what it means to become a disciple of Christ.

LEVI BECOMES A FOLLOWER – Luke 5:27-28:

Jesus is in the area of Capernaum, and he is walking on the road and came across a booth for collecting taxes and there was this man sitting there, collecting taxes. “Levi.” And Jesus says, “Follow Me.” Notice in verse 28 that the text says Levi “left everything” and got up and followed Jesus. That verb “to leave” carries the idea of “abandoning everything.” Levi decided that he was going to do more than be an honest tax collector. He was going to stop being an honest tax collector and he was going to be a disciple of Jesus of Nazareth.

LEVI BECOMES AN EVANGLELIST – 5:29-32:

The first thing Levi does, according to Luke’s account, is to throw a huge reception – a fantastic dinner – with Jesus as the honored guest in his house. But this party is not just for Levi. He invites a “great crowd” of tax collectors and many other people to join him. He is introducing his friends and family and neighbors to meet Jesus. In Matthew’s account (9:10), Matthew tells us there were “sinners” in this crowd!

LEVI BECOMES A METAPHOR – 5:33-39:

Keep in mind that Levi carries the name of the tribe of priests from the OT. Could it be that God wants us to see Levi as being a metaphor for leaving the tribe of Levi behind and that priesthood (the “OT”) as we move into the new covenant of Jesus Christ? Levi has another name, you see, Matthew, which he is known as even in Luke 6:15. Once he becomes a follower of Christ, he leaves the “Levi” behind – the OT forms – and he takes on a new identity, a follower of Christ, which is symbolized by him using a new name: Matthew. And, being led by the Spirit of God, Matthew writes for us the Gospel according to Matthew so that he can continue introducing the world to His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ!

LEVI IS AN EXAMPLE – Luke 14:25-33:

So Levi became a disciple of Christ, a “follower” of Jesus. He left his job and his old religion and he followed Jesus with his heart, soul, mind, and strength.

Levi is an example of the dedication and commitment that Jesus actually demands from all of us. Let’s conclude by reading Luke 14:25-33…

Follow Jesus with everything you are, every where you are, with all that you are.

Paul Holland

The expression “get your head out of the clouds” refers to someone who has such lofty hopes and dreams and aspirations that he or she might not have their feet planted in reality. You can’t have hopes that extend beyond your ability to fulfill them. A person might not be psychologically prepared, or emotionally prepared, or financially prepared, or spiritually prepared to fulfill what dreams he or she might have. “Get your head out of the clouds.”

But as Christians, Paul tells us here in Colossians 3 that we need to “put our heads into the clouds.” Let me suggest to you that it was not any easier to live the Christian life in the 1st century than it is in the 21st century. In some ways it might be easier, in some ways it is likely harder. But Paul’s intention in the letter of Colossians, as in all his letters, was to encourage Christians to stay faithful to Christ. And staying faithful to Christ begins with knowing the right things, theological facts that come from the heart and mind of God. And staying faithful to Christ means that our behavior, our lifestyles, need to be lined up with those facts. We need to live what we know.

SEEK AND THINK – 3:1-4:

Baptism (2:12; Rom. 6:3-4) shows: 1) Our faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Christ; 2) Our union and identification with Him spiritually. This latter concept is a strong theme behind Paul’s subsequent words in this text.

Our “life” in Christ will end in a glorious body like our Savior’s when He is “revealed.” See also Philippians 3:20-21.

PUT TO DEATH – 3:5-7:

“Therefore” refers to the previous motivation. The “members of our earthly body” refers to parts of the old man of sin which have been crucified with Christ when we were united with Him in baptism: Romans 6:6.

When we go back to those old sinful behaviors after we have become Christians, we are, in essence, living lives of spiritual zombies – bringing the dead back to life. And dead flesh is ugly, gross, and stinks extremely badly!

Pagan religions don’t discourage this type of behavior; rather, it typically encourages this behavior. That’s why people create idols, so they can live the way they want to live.

But, Paul writes that the wrath of God is coming over people who practice these behaviors. Let me point out to you that the wrath of God “is coming” (present tense).

PUT ASIDE AND DO NOT LIE – 3:8-10:

Earlier, Paul talked about what we might say was “unholy love.” Here, he talks about “unholy hate.” Hatred of sin is holy and is required in the Word.

Paul is still talking about behaviors that are part of the “members of our earthly body.” We “put on” Christ at baptism (Gal. 3:26-27), but this also means we need to “take off” certain other behaviors.

Our spirits are being renewed toward knowledge, better knowledge, according to the image of Jesus Christ who has created our new spirits in His image. In 2 Corinthians 4:16, Paul talks about this renewal happening every day.

Once we have been “renewed,” the behavior that should characterize us is found now in 3:12-14…

To grow, we have to “shrink:” put off sinful habits.

Paul Holland

Jesus has just begun His public ministry. Our text is one of many in which Matthew gives a quick summation of His work (see, for example, 9:35). Let’s discuss a few points from the text and draw some applications.

1. Jesus Taught in the Synagogues. Synagogues most likely developed in the time of the Babylonian captivity. They became the center of Jewish religious life. The common practice seems for there to have been a reading from the Law or the Prophets and then a discussion of it to follow. Sometimes the synagogue ruler would call on a visiting rabbi (teacher) to speak (see Acts 13:15; Lk. 4:16-17). Jesus began using this as an opportunity to address the Jews (later, the apostles would do the same). We should also point out that though Jesus certainly did minister to the Gentiles, His focus was clearly upon “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt. 15:24).
2. Jesus Proclaimed the Gospel of the Kingdom. Notably, though Jesus taught from the Law and the Prophets, He continued the story from there. Remember that the OT is very much a part of God’s plan to redeem man. However, the completion and fulfillment of that plan is in Christ and His kingdom. Worthy of note is that Matthew gives emphasis to Christ preaching the kingdom. In 4:17 Matthew states that Jesus preached saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” In our text, verse 23, Matthew alludes to Jesus preaching “the gospel of the kingdom.” Clearly, Jesus believed that the kingdom (or, the church – see Mt. 16:18), was (and is) significant! Jesus and the kingdom cannot be rightly separated. No one can have Christ without the kingdom since He Himself serves as its’ head (Eph. 5:23).
3. Jesus Healed Every Disease and Affliction. We know that Jesus had deep compassion for those who suffered (see Heb. 4:15) and surely that had something to do with His healing ministry. It is clear in our text that these healings resulted in His fame and led people to follow Him. Of course, following Him merely for physical blessings was very inadequate. They were designed to show that He indeed was “the bread of life” (Jn. 8:35). Perhaps this is amplified by the text pointing out that He healed “every disease and every affliction.” His power reigned supreme. This authority and power ultimately pointed to His supremacy and the divine source of His message.

APPLICATIONS

1. Jesus Had a Mission; He Had a Target – So Should We! All of us have a “circle of influence.” Take the Gospel wherever you go; and use the opportunities the Lord provides.
2. Jesus Preached the Kingdom – So Should We! Salvation and every spiritual blessing is in Christ (Eph. 1:3). Be thankful for the kingdom and teach others about it!
3. Jesus Had Great Compassion – So Should We! Have compassion for the needs of people and show love for them. But make sure to have love for their souls’ as well!

CONCLUSION

In our text, Jesus went preaching the kingdom. In chapter 9:35, Jesus went preaching the kingdom, and He said to His disciples in verses 37-38, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

Let’t pray fervently and let us also answer the call of Jesus to follow Him, and thus be fishers of men (see Mt. 4:19) proclaiming Him and the good news of His Kingdom!

Daren Schroeder

Years ago, my sons and I went hiking at Grayson Highlands State Park in Virginia.  They were teenagers at the time with more energy than me, so I waited as they explored an extension of the trail.  They returned with excitement, having found an expensive watch someone had lost.  After several months, the park gave the watch to our sons after no one claimed it.

Darick Langos of Illinois doesn’t stumble upon lost watches; he goes looking for them.  He has combined his love of metal detecting with scuba diving and has found more then 200 Apple Watches in the lakes of that region.  He also looks for wedding rings, glasses, and other items that people may lose while out boating.  It’s his large collection of watches that caught my attention, however.

Langos has a word of advice to owners of Apple Watches: if you are around water, replace the sports bands that come with many models; they don’t stay on.  His advice should be considered “expert advice”, considering the stash of watches pictured with him in the UPI article.

I have never lost a watch while on the water (though I did once lose a pair of glasses).  But I’ll have to admit, I have lost time on numerous occasions. I don’t believe Darick Langos could help me with that.

God’s word declares that our lives are rapidly passing by.  Job said it this way in Job 7:6,7: “My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle, and are spent without hope.  Oh, remember that my life is a breath!”  James 4:14 used similar imagery to make the same point: “Whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow.  For what is your life?  It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.”

Moses also mused on the nature of mortal life in Psalm 90:10: “The days of our lives are seventy years; and if by reason of strength they are eighty years, yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.”

The obvious lesson is then stated by Moses in verse 12: “So teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”  Just now I have (literally) numbered my days: I have lived 25,502 days since the day of my birth.  But that’s not really what Moses meant, is it?  He meant that we are to use our time wisely, knowing that our days are limited.

Ephesians 5:15-17 states our challenge when it comes to time management: “See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil.  Therefore, do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

Too often I have wasted my time with trivial pursuits.  I will never be able to retrieve that lost time, not even with a metal detector.  But with God’s help and guidance I can make better use of my time from this moment forward.

Come to the light God offers!  Study His word, the Bible.  Worship Him in spirit and truth (John 4:24).  Get in touch with us if you’d like to discuss these ideas further.

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Copyright, 2024, Timothy D. Hall

Several weeks ago now I wrote about one of my ministry “mantras”: At the center of Christianity is a cross. Another personal mantra says, “God designed Christianity to be done in community.”

The first portion of the statement honors God’s prerogative to determine what form our faith should take. God planned to send the Son even before He created the earth (1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 1:10; 3:9). Jesus is the head of the church, His body (Eph. 1:22–23). Though some deny this “blueprint hermeneutic,” the Bible affirms that God’s designs always have a purpose (cf. Heb. 8:5).

We further see God standing behind the design of Christianity in passages like Matt. 16:19 and 18:18, where Jesus tells the apostles, “whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.” The text literally says, “shall have been bound in heaven” (see BLB, NASB, LSB, etc.). In other words, the decisive, authoritative decisions made by the apostles in leading the early church reflected what God had already decided in heaven. Truly God designed Christianity.

The second half of the statement points to an important aspect of Christianity that our Western culture makes it harder to appreciate and practice. Our culture places an emphasis on the individual and finding one’s worth in individuality. Other cultures find value and identity in community.

Practically speaking, Christianity being done in community means we can’t do it alone. The church is not optional. A Christian separate from or outside of the church is like an amputated body part (cf. 1 Cor. 12). While a Christian may worship God at any time and in any place, the “five acts” of worship we have identified and spoken of often are those that we practice in community or communally.

Further, many other necessary biblical actions of Christians are communal in nature: encouragement, accountability, confession, bearing one another’s burdens, hospitality, etc.

Thank God He designed Christianity to be done in community! We are truly blessed to belong to the same body, the family of God, the pillar and buttress of the truth, God’s church.

Clay Leonard