Who We Are

Who are we? That’s a question for which we need to have an answer before we can share our hope with the world. Jesus, in Mark 8:27, asks His apostles who they think He is. He wants them to think about their perceptions of Him, and what those conclusions imply. We have the same responsibility toward ourselves.

Our family names, occupations, levels of education, genders races – these factors and more provide certain assumptions about us. Beyond these, who are we spiritually? What terms define our spiritual lives to ourselves? How do others perceive us in this regard? Our actions inform others of who we are – our morals, our decisions, our associations, our priorities. These qualities contribute to our character, and our character will determine the reputation we have with others.

Defining Our Spiritual Identities
We may call ourselves Christians, the redeemed, members of the church. In John 13:34, Jesus says our identity is defined by the love we demonstrate toward others. He says this love identifies us as His. Our character, then, should reflect Christ’s love. Galatians 5:13 begins a description of how love compels us to a life of service, just as Jesus exemplified when washing His apostles’ feet. In Colossians 1:9, Paul tells us we should be gaining spiritual wisdom to follow His example and bear fruits of good works.

Romans 7:4 says we belong to God so we may work for Him, and Hebrews 10:23 calls upon us to encourage one another, stirring up love and good works. Titus 3:1 instructs us to stay ready for opportunities to do good, and Paul goes on in this passage to tell us to avoid quarreling, to speak ill of none, to always be gentle. He speaks of good works as something to which we should devote our lives, refraining from things that tear us apart. Verse 14 says to be watchful for the needs around us and again to be fruitful.

It’s Not Of This World
Sometimes we allow our pasts to make decisions for us. Matthew 3:8 has Jesus speaking about fruits of repentance, but He warns His listeners against relying on their history. He speaks to personal accountability in verse 10, and Matthew 10:37 indicates that our ties to Christ should be stronger than those even to family. We cannot let our past or our ties to this world ultimately guide us. Instead, or identities are defined by the fruits we bear. All we say and do contributes to our spiritual reputation.

Who do others say that I am? More importantly, who does God say I am? I John 3:18 instructs us to be active in our love and that we cannot hide our true selves from Him. To the seven churches of Revelation 2-3, Jesus says to each that He knows their works. He acknowledges their reputations, but He knows who they really are underneath. Our manufactured reputations cannot hide our inner selves from God.

Conclusion
Back in Mark 8, after the apostles share their views about Jesus and Peter makes his confession of faith, Christ begins to reveal the true nature of His mission and the suffering He will endure. Peter, his mind set on the things of this life, rebukes Jesus. In the upper room, Peter can’t wrap his mind around Jesus’ example of service because it challenges his world view too much. We cannot let our identity get tied up in the things, the cares, or the praise of this world. Our self-definition should be spiritual in nature, and it should reflect that name we wear at all times.

sermon by Dawson Guyer

The Benefit of Genealogies

In Matthew 1, the New Testament opens with a genealogy establishing the lineage of Christ. Anyone familiar with the Bible knows it is full of genealogies. The first is in Genesis 4, and we have a tendency to gloss over these records. There is even danger that we may view these passages as mere padding or filler.

Think about the individuals contained within those verses – their families, their cultures, their histories. I Peter 1:19 and II Timothy 3:16 both make it clear that God is intentional with scripture. He inspires the writers to record what they do, so this infers a purpose behind every passage – even genealogies.

Purposeful Genealogies
Bible stories and instructions usually serve one of two purposes, either reminders of what we already know or as new instructions. While genealogies seem tedious to study, they help preserve the historic integrity of the Bible. By the end of chapter 5, we have a family record of lives between Adam and Noah. Are these mythical figures, or did Methuselah and Enoch truly exist. I’m inclined to believe these were real people. Genealogy is an ancient art form, and the scholars of ancient Israel were masters. These records reflect care and concern in preserving a national history. In this vein, genealogies can help provide a historical context to events.

Luke 3 contains yet another genealogy. It is a history that starts with Joseph and covers over fifty generations of Jesus’ ancestry. It is a record of roughly 2000 years worth of individuals preserved for our knowledge. Painstaking math results in an ability to date events around these lives with some degree of accuracy. The Archbishop Usher and Dr. William Hales are best known for using this methodology, and later archaeological findings would confirm many of their suppositions.

A final aspect of genealogies pertains to keeping the old law as God intended. Numbers 3:9-10 establishes a lineage of priests that would start with Aaron and carry on through his bloodline. Being a Levitical priest required that one be a direct descendant of Aaron. Records had to be preserved to ensure the priests were acceptable before God. Thus genealogies were recorded and preserved as necessary components to the ancient Jewish faith.

Genealogies and Us
Genealogies are not a point of concern in the New Testament, and those two lists that record Jesus’ lineage are the limit of New Testament genealogies. These serve to confirm prophetic fulfillment in the ancestry of Christ. Hebrews 7:11-12 speaks of a change to the nature of our priesthood and law. Christ ends the need for maintaining genealogies, for He assumes the mantles of priest and king, offices for which records of lineage were once required.

Titus 3:9 warns Christians from obsessing and arguing over genealogies, and I Timothy 1:4 reads very similarly. These lists once fulfilled a need. Today, they serve as a record of the individuals who experienced Bible events. They validate those events. They illustrate the prophecies leading up to Jesus, and they give us a window through which we can see the multitude to whom we are connected in God.

sermon by Alan Miller

Unity & Corinth: Part 5 - Application

We are going to be concluding our study on Corinth in the context of love and unity with this lesson. We have examined a congregation that has demonstrated selfishness and arrogance in the attitudes of many of its members; we have examined the topic of love and how Christian love affect our behavior to others; and we have looked at the topic of spiritual gifts and their conclusion with the completion of New Testament revelation.

I Corinthians 14:37 - We are going to make application of these chapters in our efforts to be stronger in our spirituality. This lesson is how all of this directs each one of us.

Questions We Should Ask Ourselves in Our Congregation
Do We Possess Arrogance? Right away, we would want to say “no” to such a question, but what do our actions say. Are we like James 2:1-4 in showing favoritism or partiality toward certain members while disregarding others? Do we practice that attitude with those we are willing to study with, making judgments based on solely external evidence? Remember I Corinthians 4:8-10: Paul points out the arrogance in the attitudes of some at Corinth – they have it figured out. What else would they need.

If our attitude demonstrates these qualities, God is just as displeased with us as with those Christians we have been studying.

Is Edification Our Primary Goal? You will find “edify,” its variations, and synonyms mentioned several times in I Corinthians 12-14. Preachers and Bible class teachers need to lead the flock in understanding the scriptures, and they need to present material in such a way that they can be understood. Romans 14:19 - We are to follow after those things that produce peace and edification. (See also Romans 15:2, Ephesians 4:29.)

To exhort or to edify means to encourage or to build up. Urging each other forward should be a primary goal of our gathering together. In I Corinthians 14, Paul encourages those Christians to direct their worship in such a way that everyone is edified – not just those who are leading the worship. We tend to define edification based on what “I” like, but it is the group that is the focus. We are to be an encouragement to each other at all times.

Have We Missed the Point on What Constitutes Spirituality? We become comfortable with defining spirituality with safe terms we are used to. I am baptized; therefore I am spiritual. I attend church; therefore I am spiritual. I take the Lord’s Supper; therefore I am spiritual. Yes, these are all things we should be doing, but these actions do nat make us spiritual. Rather, doing those things that are right is a result of having a spiritual mind (Hebrews 13:16).

I Corinthians 10:1-5 - God was displeased with those who followed Him as a result of their conduct. Furthermore, Hebrews 6:1-6 speaks of individuals who enter into a relationship with God but fall away. They did the right things initially, but they fell into disobedience, and God disowned them. External appearances do not make a spiritual person.

How Can We Be Spiritual? Devotion to God and to one another is a mark of spirituality. See John 4:24 in the context of what the woman at the well was asking. Deuteronomy 6:4-6; Deuteronomy 5:32-33 - whether in the Old Testament or in the New, carnality should be eliminated, and we should think spiritually. (Remember Paul’s admonition in I Corinthians 3 about carnal minds?) I Peter 2:5 again emphasizes spirituality in our worship, and if I am part of God’s holy priesthood, I am devoted to God on a daily basis. (See also Hebrews 13:15-16 and Hebrews 6:9-10.) Turning back to I Corinthians 13:1-3, without the proper attitude of love, our good works do not amount to anything.

Do We Appreciate the Connection Between Love & Unity? Paul describes love as a more excellent way to gain spirituality, and it is described as the key to church harmony and unity. We use Ephesians 4:1-4 to talk about doctrinal unity, and this is a good point out of these verses. However, look at the role patience and love plays in this unity. Colossians 3:12-14 reminds us that love is the perfect bond of unity. (See also Philippians 2:3-4.)

If we do not work on this relationship of love between our brothers and sisters, we will not have unity. Psalm 133 talks about the beauty of spiritual unity, and David illustrates this beauty in two ways, both depicting blessings from God, and we hope for blessings from God when we dwell in unity with one another.

Conclusion
If we are to be a loving, spiritual, unified congregation, we have to start with ourselves. We each need to become more humble; we need to work on edifying one another; we each need to examine our spirituality; and we need to appreciate and apply the relationship between love and unity. If there was hope for the Christians at Corinth to grow into a spiritual and unified congregation, we all have hope.

sermon by Tim Smelser

Important Things Versus Essential Things

Luke 10:38-42 records Jesus visiting the home of Mary and Martha. Martha is busy doing the work of a hospitable hostess with a large number of people in the house, and she asks Jesus to tell her sister to help with the workload. She receives an unexpected answer, however, when Jesus tells her that Mary is seeking after something more important. Jesus does not negate the importance of hospitality and looking after others’ needs, but he makes a distinction between things that are important and things that are essential.

Important Things in Our Lives
Think about the things on which we place emphasis in our lives? How do we spend our energy? What gets us worked up? In Genesis 6:5, God looks upon His Creation, and He sees a people entirely focused on wickedness. Our thoughts can be focused on how we can cheat others to our advantage – how we can forward ourselves at the expense of others. Amos 6 records God proclaiming woes upon those who take comfort in the luxuries, interested in nothing but their pleasures. He calls this worthless activity.

In contrast, others spend their lives in pursuit of important things. We might focus on taking care of our bodies, these vessels given to us by God. We may spend our time on intellectual pursuits, either in school or independently sought knowledge. Developing social graces is important to functioning in our society. Community service shows a sense of love and duty toward others. These are all things that are important. They are worthwhile in their own rights. These pursuits can produce good, respectable people. We cannot, however, pursue these at the expense of the essential things.

Recognizing the Essential
Are we as concerned about our inward man as our outward man? In Ecclesiastes 12, Solomon describes a time when our bodies will begin to wither, when we will have nothing to show for the work we have put into our bodies. He concludes that our bodies will return to dust, in verse 7, but our souls will return to God. I Timothy 4:8 reminds us that exercising our souls is more profitable than exercising our bodies.

Are we as concerned with developing our spirit as we are our minds. In Rome, linguistic eloquence and oratorical skills were given great respect. The intellect was king. In I Corinthians 1:18 records Paul describing how God’s plan can seem foolish to the intellectual. He goes on in chapter 2:5 where he describes his arguments as being absent of worldly wisdom or powerful speech to avoid their faith being in his words. In Colossians 1:9, Paul expresses his desire that Christians pursue spiritual wisdom and knowledge of God ‘s will.

Are we as concerned about seeking God’s approval as we are the approval of men. Acts 4 records the apostles being brought to trial for teaching, and verse 19 shows Peter answering his persecutors, saying that his interest is in serving God before man. In Matthew 10:28, Jesus warns us to be more concerned with God’s judgment than man’s. We need to be acceptable to our fellow man, but God’s acceptance supersedes all.

In terms of our service, do we prioritize saving the community as much as we do serving it? I Corinthians 2:2 records Paul stating that he assumes nothing of His listeners except their need for Christ. Romans 1:16 describes the gospel as God’s power to save. Throughout Jesus’ ministry, He not only looked after the physical needs of those around Him, but He always cared for their souls. Their are many injustices around us, but we cannot put those before our mission to save the lost.

Conclusion
When we emphasize essentials over those things that are important to the world, we may not gain the respect of the world. We may be criticized, even by other Christians. In Haggai, the prophet’s message is to prioritize serving God and rebuilding His temple over the important details of the nation’s infrastructure and economy. We may receive criticism just as Martha criticized Mary. I Corinthians 4:3-5 reminds us that the standard by which we will ultimately be judges will be God’s – not man’s. The things we might see as essential may be important, but none of these things should ever be at the cost of the spiritual, the essential, the eternal.

sermon by Tim Smelser

Is the Bible God’s Revelation to Man?

How do we know the Bible is God's word, and what do we base our assumption on that the Bible is God’s only message to man. Numerous other religions have existed throughout history from various cultures, and many persist today. What gives us faith in the authenticity of the Bible as God’s true message to mankind?

A Reflection of Whom?
In many other religions, the gods of those faiths are reflections of man. Whether Egyptian, Greek, Hindu, or others, these gods contain human flaws. They engage in immoral behavior, in unsavory attitudes, in conspiracies, in murders, and in lying. You see in these a reflection of mankind in the gods as opposed to a God who wants man to reflect Him.

In Matthew 5:43-48, Jesus states that we should love our enemies so we might be more like our God. He states that there is nothing special about returning love for love, but unconditional love is divine. Colossians 3:12-13 seeks us to put on godly qualities, and he cites forgiveness as a way we should emulate god. Also, I Peter 1:13-15 calls on us to be holy as our God is holy. God is unique in that He calls upon us to reflect Him.

Evolutionary Theology
As the ancient theologies would spread to further lands, they would absorb those other gods, and their mythology would adapt to new cultures. This is never the case with God. Deuteronomy 4:39 records Moses reminding the people of Israel that there is no God but Jehovah. In Jonah 1:9, Jonah acknowledges his identity as a servant of the one true God, and Nehemiah 9:6 records praise to God as the only God who has created all and is over all. Finally, Acts 14:14-15 has Paul and Barnabas being praised as gods, but these two tell the people to turn from this and worship the living God.

At no point do we see God changing His laws to suit modern sensibilities. He does not absorb the gods of other religions. His faith remains pure and unchanging.

The Challenge of Prophecy
Several times in his book, Isaiah discusses the uselessness of false gods and idols. He describes the labor involved in taking care of such an object. In Isaiah 41:21-23, God rhetorically requests the other gods to make prophecies of what is to come, to demonstrate their power in some observable way. Chapter 44:6-7 of the same book challenges anyone else to create and fulfill prophecy, and chapter 46:9-10 reinforces this theme that God is the only one with complete knowledge of His world.

Unity in Diversity
The Bible was authored by forty different writers over a period spanning at least fifteen hundred years. The message remains the same. They do not reflect the morals and philosophies of their contemporaries. The Bible writers were not interested in seeing which way the wind was blowing. II Samuel 23:1-2 record the last words of king David claiming God’s words filled him and came from his mouth. Jeremiah 1:9 paints a picture of God putting His words into Jeremiah’s mouth, and I Thessalonians 2:13 records Paul saying he wrote as the word of God. New Testament and Old, God moves His writers to reflect Him and His will.

Conclusion
Unlike religions that originate with man, our God is not a reflection of man’s traits. His word does not reflect the philosophies or values of man. He inspired writers to deliver this message to us, to record His will, so we can follow after Him and change our lives to be what He would have us to be.

sermon by Tim Smelser

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

Download the slides for this sermon. (PDF 7.3 MB)

“Keep Your Eyes on the Prize” is a folk song that grew in popularity in the 1950s and 1960s. This was a time when the United States faced deep internal turmoil. We were tormented by a war of potential – a Cold War – that threatened to tear apart the world at any minute. Our nation was plagued by an established and enforced inequality and segregation of races. We were a country a deep principles and deep hypocrisies, but some individuals came together to set things right. Their path would be difficult. They would risk much and lose much. Some would die, but these people had a focus. They had a goal. They had a prize, and they kept their eyes upon that prize regardless of the obstacles standing before them.

The song says, “I got my hand on the gospel plow/Won't take nothing for my journey now/Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on/Hold on, hold on/Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on.” In Philippians 3:13-14, Paul writes about a prize set before him. He speaks of reaching forward, pressing onward, and looking upward. He speaks of a crown of righteousness in II Timothy 4:8 for which he is striving. Paul fixes his eyes on his prize, and he invites us to do the same, allowing us, like him, to overcome anything in the name of Christ.

A Persecuted People
This is a lesson about persecution. In I Corinthians 4:12, Paul writes bout enduring reviling and persecutions. Those First Century Christians faced hardships, faced brutality and trials the likes of which we can hardly imagine. The Jewish zealots would stone and beat them. The Roman rulers and military grew truly creative. With few exceptions, we don’t know what it is like to face true inhumanity, true cruelty, true persecution and come out the other side.

One group of people who did face true persecution were those same people who linked arms, singing to each other to keep their eyes on the prize, encouraging one another that the times, they are a-changin’ and edifying each other that they shall indeed overcome. Those people, who saw their mission as a completion of the work begun by Abraham Lincoln a century before, they faced persecution.

Jumping backwards a hundred years, people like Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglas helped launch the Civil Rights movement in this country, attempting to bring our nation to the point of practicing what it’s founding document preached: that all are created equal. It was a mission against which our sixteenth president faced massive resistance, but, this is what he said at Cooper Union Field on February 27, 1860:

“Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations…, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction…Let us have faith…Let us, to the end, dare to do our duty…”

Lincoln basically says that there is nothing that will deter him from the goal set before him, and Paul encourages us to take that same attitude in Romans 8:37-39 when he encourages us that no man, no government, and no gulf of distance can separate us from our God. There is nothing that can tear our prize from our hands.

Those Who Lived and Died
Those activists trying to desegregate our society, working to give African Americans basic rights such as voting, striving to conclude the journey Abraham Lincoln began – they met resistance we have a hard time imagining. These were not people who were merely ignored by their peers. They were not simply called ignorant or stupid. Their persecution was not that of belittling or teasing. It was violence.

Protesters – man, woman, and child – faced high-powered hoses, attack dogs, beatings, bombings, betrayals, lynchings, and murders. In his song, He Was My Brother, Paul Simon (under the pseudonym Paul Kane) describes the atmosphere this way:

Freedom rider
They cursed my brother to his face.
“Go home outsider
Mississippi's gonna be your buryin' place.”

Writer Harlan Ellison, who participated in the 1965 march on Montgomery Alabama, describes the conclusion of his experience like this:

…They wouldn’t give us a loading ramp to get into the plane. We waited four hours. They found a bomb on the plane. It was a nine-hour flight back. Viola Liuzzo. She was killed hurrying back from Selma to Montgomery…It was a lot closer than I care to admit.

From Rosa Parks who was jailed for not giving up her bus seat for a white man, to the Little Rock Nine who faced school closure before desegregation, to Martin Luther King who was assassinated for threatening the status quo, to the countless unnamed who were beaten, battered and bloodied because they stood united against injustice, we see a true example of what it means to face persecution head-on and overcome. To many, these are heroes. They are like those heroes of faith in Hebrews 12:37-38 who “had trials of mocking and scourging and of chains of imprisonment, who were stoned, were sawn in two, were tempted were killed with the sword, who wandered in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute, afflicted and tormented.” We see men, woman, and children setting aside differences to work for a common cause. We see a people who look to a higher cause than themselves. We see the result of keeping our eyes on a prize.

Pressing Onward and Upward
How can we emulate these examples? How can we keep our eyes on our prize? God does not expect us to protest, to march on Washington, to hold rallies, or to riot. Our God’s focus is on our spiritual home rather than on secular politics, but we can press forward as these people did and as Paul does in Philippians 3. We can edify, encourage, and exhort one another toward a cause and a goal that is greater and higher than any of us individually.

In He Was My Bother, Paul Simon sings:

He was singin' on his knees
An angry mob trailed along
They shot my brother dead
Because he hated what was wrong.

What did this individual’s murderers find him doing? They found him on his knees, singing. In Matthew 10:21-22, Jesus says we too will be hated. How do we see those First Century Christians responding to such animosity? In Acts 16:25, Paul and Silas are found singing and praying while imprisoned. In Acts 5:41-42, Peter and other disciples walk away from an unjust imprisonment and hearing rejoicing, and the immediately return to their mission, hardly dissuaded by the trials.

When face with the threats associated with trafficking freed and escaped slaved to safer states, Harriet Tubman stated, “I can’t die but once.” She recognized that her life was a small thing when stacked against the accomplishments she and her supporters were achieving. She could be killed, but the Underground Railroad would live on. Likewise, in Matthew 10:28, Jesus encourages us to take this same attitude. We should not fear those who can take our lives, for our souls will live on. The cause of Christ will live on.

We may not be lynched for our beliefs. We may not be beaten, stoned, or hosed, but we never know what the future holds. Satan is always trying to distract us from our upward call. Jesus, in Matthew 6:21 tells us that where our treasure – or prize – is, so too are our hearts. Where is your prize? Upon what are our eyes and hearts fixed? When we focus on and obsess over the things of this world, then we will remain chained to the pains of this life, but we can be more.

We can resist Satan and whatever trials or persecutions he throws our way, and we can proclaim that we will not be moved. We can live in peace, and we can overcome. Time and again in our studies of Revelation, we read that Jesus wants us to overcome and spend eternity with Him, and I John 5:4 tells us that it is our faith that gives us the power to overcome. As Abraham Lincoln spoke of faith that drove him, so too our faith should drive us toward the calling of our hope.

Maya Angelou once wrote in Still I Rise:

You may write me down in history
With your bitter, twisted lies,
You may trod me in the very dirt
But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Likewise, we hope to rise again. The time could come when we are beaten down, when were are trodden underfoot, when we are threatened for hating what is wrong. Like those Freedom Riders and like our Christian forefathers, we can obtain a victory over the powers of this world that none can take from us. Our hands are on the gospel plow. We are walking hand in hand, and we are encouraging one another on a journey to a land where pain and suffering are no more. We must press on. We must keep our eyes on the prize. We must hold on.

sermon by Robert Smelser

Unity & Corinth: Part 4 - Understanding "Tongues"

In these chapters, we sometimes tend to pass over some of these passages and note that some of these verses do not apply to us anymore. We’ve gone over I Corinthians 12-14, looking at what we can learn from these chapters, and, in this lesson, we are going to look at the nature of spiritual gifts, look at their purpose, and examine what the “partial” and the “perfect” are from this passage.

The Nature of Gifts
In I Corinthians 12:8, many of the spiritual gifts are specifically named (in context of 12:1). These are grace gifts, bestowed by the Spirit.

• Romans 12:6-8 - Paul emphasizes the role grace plays in the bestowment of these gifts.
• I Peter 4:7-10 - Again, Peter brings God’s grace into the gifts.

The argument is made that, since the enumerated grace gifts from Romans and I Peter, are still done today, those of I Corinthians must be also. However, in context, the gifts of Romans and I Peter are not miraculous gifts while the gifts of I Corinthians are. These are not parallel passages, and comparing these gifts is comparing apples to oranges. Specifically, in I Corinthians 13, Paul names miraculous knowledge, prophecy, and tongues, as those passing away.

Clarifying “Tongues”
What are “tongues?” In the charismatic moment today, many would say speaking in tongues is speaking in a language that is purely spiritual and foreign to any mortal. What we see in the Bible, though, is that the tongues of the New Testament are in fact human languages that the speaker had no prior knowledge of.

Acts 2:4-8 - The apostles are gifted hear with the ability to speak in the languages of their listeners, and this amazes the hearers. John 18:20, Matthew 12:46, Matthew 10:19-20 - all of these occasions use the same “speak” as in Acts 2:7 when the apostles “speak” in tongues. It is just the use of language to communicate. Acts 2:4-6, 11 - Luke uses the Greek for language and dialect interchangeably through this chapter. Much of the vocabulary describing the tongues of Acts 2 is also used in I Corinthians 13.

Acts 10:46-48 - If these “tongues” are ecstatic, how would have Peter’s companions known those in Cornelius’ household were magnifying God. Also, in I Corinthians 14:21, Paul quotes Isaiah 28, saying that “strange tongues” will be used to communicate, and “strange” is used like the “strange woman” of Proverbs – one that is foreign or unknown.

Interpreting means to translate from one language to another. It is taking a meaning one understands and providing meaning to another. Interpreting is not giving meaning to that which is meaningless. For example John 1:42, Hebrews 7:2 - In both of these examples names are being interpreted based on the language their names were in.

What is the Perfect?
The partial are those miraculous spiritual gifts whose time is limited. In I Corinthians 13:10, Paul references the coming of the perfect as that which would cause these to pass away. Many interpret this as being Jesus.

• II Timothy 3:16-17, I Corinthians 13:9-10 - perfect = complete, entire, or whole.
• Some think it is the maturation of the church, the Second Coming, or the completion of God’s revelation.

Through I Corinthians 13, Paul has two main points: love never fails, but miraculous gifts will. Why? Gifts only provide a partial picture, and a point of completion is coming. He uses a maturation process as an illustration of this concept. His second illustration is the use of a dim mirror to try to see something clearly.

What was becoming clearer and helping the first-century Christians mature? It is reasonable to conclude that he is speaking of the revelation of God’s word. In Romans 16:25-26, I Corinthians 2:7, Ephesians 1:9, Ephesians 3:3, and many others passages speak of a mystery that is being revealed. Now take II Peter 3:15-16. Peter references a collection of Paul’s epistles as well as other scriptures. The revelation was already in the process of being compiled and completed.

Returning to I Corinthians 13, Paul uses “in part” at least three times. The gospel was being revealed in pieces. Once the message was fully revealed, the fragmented manner of instruction would no longer be needed. Everything Christians would need would be recorded in whole, no longer a dark mystery but a clear image of that which makes us complete.

Conclusion
II Peter 1:3-4 - All things that we need for spiritual growth is given. We have no need for these spiritual gifts to confirm or add to our faith. The blessing of being Christians today is the fact that we have a complete word to study from and that our knowledge can be complete should we put forth the diligence to learn and apply that word.

sermon by Tim Smelser

Seeking Meaning

We are in a time of year when we tend to be more reflective and more thankful for the things we are blessed with. We tend to give more thought to the meaning of this life. We all want purpose or a reason for living. What are we contributing? What difference do we make as individuals? Thoughts such as these take us naturally to the book of Ecclesiastes.

In Ecclesiastes, Solomon seeks to understand meaning in life so he may share what he learns with others. He calls life under the sun is unprofitable. What this means is that life has meaning, but if we only define ourselves by things of this world, we will ultimately find life meaningless.

Vanity Under the Sun
There is a certain amount of gloom in studying this book. Ecclesiastes 2:11 is only one instance of Solomon expressing distress over the vanity of worldly pursuits. Despair comes when we define ourselves by nothing but carnal standards. Time and again throughout Ecclesiastes 2 and beyond, Solomon expresses despair over his accomplishments. He speaks of vanity – of things that have no true support or continuance.

Solomon sets out to discover whether or not man can find real advantage from his works in this life. He asks this in chapter 1:3 when he asks what profit comes of his labors. He also pursues what, indeed, man should pursue in this life. Chapter 2:3 begins this exploration. He seeks purpose in work, in pleasure, and in general.

Searching for Purpose in this World
Success, friendships, education, comfort, family, wealth, glory, power, enjoyment – all of these are often cited as meaningful in life. In Ecclesiastes 2:1, Solomon begins his search for meaning in pleasures. Chapter 2:16 records him seeking wisdom and honor. Chapter 2:8 records his amassing wealth and possessions. Ecclesiastes 5:10-14 tells us that we will never be satisfied with our material possessions. In all these, Solomon finds vanity.

Ecclesiastes 6:3 explores the joys of a large family. Chapter 1:17 tells of Solomon’s search for worldly wisdom as well as madness and folly. Also, chapter 2:4 begins his search to make a name for himself and surround himself with comfortable things only to realize he would leave everything to someone else. Again, he finds vanity in these worldly pursuits.
If happiness cannot be found in all these things, then why not explore the pleasures of sin? Hebrews 11:24-25 speak about the joys of sin, but these joys are fleeting. The Hebrew author describes their effects as but a season. Romans 6:20-21 speaks of sin as a slave-master that drives one unto death. No true profit or benefit comes from sinful living. Sin does not produce love, respect, or purpose – only harm.

Meaning in Hope
Solomon concludes that life has purpose when it is focused beyond the sun. Under the sun – upon this world – we find little, but God gives us much. Ecclesiastes 2:24, chapter 3:12-13, chapter 5:18-19, all speak of doing good, for goodness is a gift from God. Chapter 8:12, 11:9, 12:13 – these remind us to focus on our Creator. In God, we find goodness and purpose. He motivates us to share that goodness with others, and Solomon assures us that remaining mindful of and obedient of God fulfills the purpose we seek.

There is much for which we can be thankful. We have many worthwhile pursuits, and many of us have professions that help us care for our families. However, the things of this world cannot distract us from the true purpose of this life – the life that is to come. Solomon concludes that God gives our lives purpose and meaning, and, because of that purpose, we have hope.

sermon by Tim Smelser

A Blessing In Prayer

Sometimes we want to reach out and seek some confirmation that God is indeed still here. In the Old and New Testament, God interacts directly with peoples and individuals, but there has been a silence for the past couple thousand years. Like the saints in Revelation, we want some evidence that God still is in control, that He does care. One way we can reach out to God is in prayer.

In Philippians 4:4-7, Paul writes that we should rejoice in the Lord, putting off things that are out of our control through our prayers to God. Paul advocates that a life of prayer results in an inner peace that is unmatched by anything else. I Thessalonians 5:16-18 and Hebrews 4:14-16 both assure us we have a God who does understand, who wants us to come to Him. Also, I Peter 5:6-7 calls upon us to cast our cares upon our God who cares for us.

Effective Prayers
There are times when we draw near to God, perhaps in times of difficulty or stress. Jesus teachers His disciples to pray on various occasions. He goes to God several times during His ministry, and if He needed that reassurance during His work, then we do as well. Elijah’s prayer on Mount Carmel in I Kings 18:37, Hezekiah’s prayer when besieged by Assyrians, Daniel’s prayer in the den of lions – in each of these examples, the supplicant looks for assurance and deliverance from God.

In Genesis 18:24, Abraham begins to petition God on behalf of Sodom, and God acquiesces to Abraham’s requests to seek fewer and fewer righteous in the city. Exodus 32:8 records God growing angry with Israel to the point of destroying the people, and Moses interceded on their behalf. In II Kings 20, Hezekiah pleads for a longer life, and God grants his an additional fifteen years. In each of these cases, prayer changes God’s mind.

In Luke 18:1, Jesus tells a parable regarding prayer, speaking of an unjust judge who relents to the requests of a widow. Jesus rhetorically asks his audience how much more God will care about their petitions than this worldly judge. James 5:15 uses the illustration of Elijah praying that it will not rain. Not only did it not rain for three years, but it was his prayer that brought rain back. Verse 16 reminds us that Elijah was no different than us. God answered prayers before, and He continues to do so.

Conclusion
We demonstrate faith and confidence in our God and His plan for salvation. Why, then, do we find prayer so hard? Is it that we are afraid He has no time for us, or do we have difficulties making time for Him? Jesus led a life of prayer, and we should do the same. We have to pray in humility and pray in faith, but, like our Savior, we also have to acknowledge that God’s will may not always be our own.

Prayer to God is a sacred privilege. It is our avenue to His throne, and it is our reassurance that God is in control. Let us never take such a blessing for granted.

sermon by Tim Smelser