Equipping One Another

Many of the writings of the New Testament were directed to specific groups with strengths and challenges, with hopes and frustrations, with issues and needs unique to themselves. In Ephesians 4:11-16, Paul writes to one of these specific groups – people who, like us, who blended their voices in praise, who gathered around the Lord’s table, who raised up prayers – about how each member of that group serves to build up, strengthen, and perfect the body of Christ. It is reminiscent of Christ’s words to Peter, in Luke 22:31-32, where he calls upon the apostle to strengthen his brothers. We can do this same thing today; we can serve to strengthen and perfect each other as we strive to live like Christ.

Strengthening and Equipping One Another
Acts 18 tells the story of Apollos, a zealous and eloquent preacher of the word, and of Aquila and Priscilla, who take him aside to explain God's word more accurately. Here is a preacher who is strong in the word and in faith, but this couple help perfect him through a better understanding of God’s word. We have no better tool in building one another up than God’s word, and Aquila and Priscilla’s encouragement helped more than Apollos. They helped all who he touched in his ministry. Hebrews 5:12-6:1 calls on us to press on toward perfection, building each other up through God’s word on a daily basis. Each day we do not feed on His word, we grow weaker, and Ephesians 3:14-19 calls on Christ to dwell in us, strengthened in faith, filled with God’s fullness. We accomplish this in study.

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus calls on us to be a city set upon a hill, to let our lights shine, unhidden to those around us. He is talking about our example; He is talking about what others see in us. Paul exhorts a young preacher, in I Timothy 4:12, to be an example of love, faith, speech, conduct, and purity. Likewise, Titus 2 calls on older Christians to set, by their examples, the standard for the younger generation. Romans 12:1-2 encourages to be living sacrifices, examples to one another, transformed from the conduct of this world and conformed to the conduct of Christ. What do my brothers and sisters see in me? What does the world see in me? Our examples can serve to strengthen and perfect one another in Christ’s faith.

Finally, we need to help each other with our armor. We need help when we first learn to clothe ourselves, and so we must help each other with our spiritual raiment. Ephesians 6:10-13 speaks of wearing the armor of God so we may stand against the trials and obstacles of this world, and, if we are spiritually undressed, we need to help clothe each other in hope, in love, in faith, in truth. We need to help prepare each other in the armor of the Lord each and every day.

The Confidence of Perfected Hope
In Hebrews 6:18-20, we read:

…so that by two unchangeable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to hold fast to the hope set before us. We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain, where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

We are strongest when we lift each other up. We are better when we work together. We lead best by example, and we root all of this in the hope we find in God’s word. We are obligated to one another, as were those saints two thousand years ago, to build each other up, to keep each other focused on the hope ahead of us. May God help us all to strengthen and equip each other so we may enter His gates together one day.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Necessary Changes

We know Psalm 51 as written by David after being confronted by Nathan over the sin with Bathsheba. He calls upon God, numerous times in the psalm, to cleanse him, to make him whiter than snow, to heal his broken spirit. He promises, in return, to teach others of God’s mercy and His forgiveness, and He praises God for that forgiveness working in his life. David is aware of a change that has to happen in himself to bring himself closer to his God.

Acts 3:20 talks about this change as repentance, and Romans 12 emphasizes this change as a transformation. Paul goes on to talk about how this change manifests itself in our lives, in our morality, in humility, and in our treatment of others. Time and again in Christ’s teachings and those of His apostles, we are instructed to change ourselves, and there are many areas in which we can strive to change and improve ourselves.

Improvement Through Change
We need to change our ignorance into knowledge. Hebrews 5:11 warns us against becoming “dull of hearing,” for such dullness leads to spiritual immaturity. I Timothy 1:7 warns that spiritual ignorance leads to false teachings, but Hebrews 5:14 reminds us that experience and exercising our knowledge is what develops spiritual maturity, helping us discern between good and evil.

This leads us to our second necessary change. I Corinthians 3:1-3 warns against maintaining spiritual immaturity, and they remained worldly-minded because of this immaturity. Hebrews 6:1 calls on us to push on to perfection, full growth in Christ, but this comes with more than time. Our conduct, our attitudes, our spiritual knowledge – these tell others how spiritually mature we are.

Romans 13:11 calls on us to wake out of sleep. He admonishes us to change our laziness into zeal. If we are simply drifting along, we have to awaken and take an active role in our spiritual growth. In verse 14, Paul calls on us to adorn ourselves in Christ and abandon the cares that cause us to languish in worldliness. Also, I Corinthians 15:34 encourages to awake to righteousness, to awake to knowledge, and to sin no more. Ephesians 5:14 merely calls upon us to awake.

Our lack of reverence must then be turned into true worship. In Mark 7:6, Jesus quotes from Isaiah: “This people honors me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me…” In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus reinforces this point with a parable of a tax collector and a Pharisee going up to pray. The Pharisee honors God with his lips while praising himself where the tax collector, in his humble confession, truly approaches God in reverence, awe, and humility. Our worship must not only please ourselves, but it must also please our God.

We must furthermore turn our weariness into gladness. We must not let our fatigue do us in. Galatians 6:7-10 and Ephesians 2:10 remind us that we are here to do good works. Look to Jesus as an example. How tiring His ministry was! How discouraging to face opposition time and again! Yet, He never abandoned His mission. He never ceased in doing good for others. Likewise, we must always look for opportunities to serve others.

Giving All
We must stop making excuses. We must stop giving less than our best. We must change our minimums into maximums. In all of these things – our knowledge, our service, our worship, our reverence, our maturity – it comes down to just how much we’re willing to give to God in our lives. We have many necessary changes to make, and we can accomplish them all by giving our all to serving and honoring our God in every aspect of our lives.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Spiritual Goals

What impression do you make upon others? Much of it is based on what you believe of yourself. Are you encouraging or discouraging? Friendly or unfriendly? This is critical not only to who we are, but to our identity as a family in Christ. I Peter 3:15 tells us to, “regard Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. Yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience” Who do we want to be? What kind of person do we want others to see?

In building our spiritual character, Ephesians 4:14 calls us to abandon childish frivolity and uncertainty, so we can be certain of our place with God. Salvation is not random. We have to work toward it as certainly as we must work toward any other goal we have. Have we made planning for our next home a mission in our lives?

Goals in God’s Word
Joshua 24:15 records Joshua firmly stating, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.” Joshua’s mission was to lead his family and his people in the ways of our Lord, and verse 31 shows how influential that decision was – both his generation and the next followed his example in staying faithful to God. Joshua’s goals and his character centered around one focus, and his impact on the world around him was significant.

Psalm 16:7-8 records David praising God, saying, “bless the LORD who gives me council; in the night also my heart instructs me. I have set the LORD always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.” Chapter 18:22-23 then records David speaking of God’s word as always before him, determined to stay innocent in God’s eyes. Even when he failed to do so, we see the humility and eagerness he returned to God.

II Kings 22:1-2 describe king Josiah as one who walked in the ways of his forefather David, never turning to the left or the right. This was possible both because of Josiah’s resolute goal and because of the example he had to build upon because of David. Our character influences our own spiritual lives as well as others.

Our Own Goals
Jeremiah 6:16 calls on us to seek God’s paths and God’s ways, and II Peter 1:3-4 tells us we have all we need for our souls in His word and that we should strive to partake of His divine nature. We need specific goals in following Him. We need to be relying on Him and helping others grow closer to Him. We should be reviewing our goals and our mission daily so we never lose sight of that for which we are working.

Remember Jesus praying in the garden, declaring that it not be His own will that is done, but the will of the Father. Our goal should be the same. II Corinthians 13:5-6 challenges us to test ourselves, to examine ourselves, to see if we are truly living by faith and to assure ourselves that Christ lives in us. Our mission statements should be focused on and centered around God. We must determine to be the person we know we should be, knowing our own challenges and obstacles so we can face them in the confidence of God’s word. Through this confidence, we can resolutely press after God, keeping that Heavenly home forever in our sight.

lesson by Mike Mahoney

A Spiritual Checkup

How do we measure up? We have various standards we try to measure in our lives. How fit are we financially, physically? How fit are we as families? Along with these, we should also be measuring the fitness of our faith. Are we comfortable sitting in an average standard of faith? Are we spiritually unhealthy, or do we hold ourselves to a higher standard?

Romans 14:22-23 speaks to having a healthy faith, but how do we know where we stand? How do we measure up? How do administer a spiritual check-up?

Checking On Our Faith
I Peter 1:6-7 talks about the proof of our faith, enduring under trials as purifying tests. A new faith is full of life and vigor, but the trials and troubles of life can shake that faith. If our faith is only a mood or a feeling, it has no foundation. Rather, faith is commitment, and a committed faith more easily endures the tests of our lives. Truths that we grasp in the light of day do not have to be discarded during the dark times of our lives.

Romans 14:12 says each one of us will give an account to God. Our spiritual fitness is important our entire lives.

Tens Steps to a Spiritual Checkup

• Understand Disagreements. Know that differences of opinions will exist. Titus 3:9 warns us against foolish controversies over minor disagreements. I Corinthians 12:25-26 reminds us to be united in our care for each other, and I Corinthians 1:10 warns us about divisions over disagreements.
• Balance Over Extremism. Romans 14 and Ecclesiastes 7:15-18 speaks to balance in our lives. The balance we have in ourselves will influence how we view others and how others view us.
• Accept Our Doubts. I Peter 2:1-3 invites us to always study, to always double-check our faith. II Timothy 2:5 encourages us to be diligent in our investigation of God’s word. We should always be seeking for answers.
• Be Understanding, Not Judgmental. Romans 14:10-13 warns against judgment used as an obstacle. We like to throw stones. We fall into a trap of judgmental standard. Jesus, in Matthew 7, warns us against judging more strictly than God does.
• Give and Receive Trust. We need to know each other in our shared vulnerabilities. We need to know how to give and accept help. Romans 15 admonishes us to bear each other, even during times of burden.
• Value Individuality. We all have different qualities we bring to God’s service. We use those qualities together, and Romans 12:6-8 encourages us to embrace our individual gifts and qualities.
• Serve from Love. We offer our service, not as an obligation, but as a joy because of our love for each other. Romans 12:10 calls on us to preference one another and to be devoted in service to each other.
• Be Strengthened By Trials. I Peter 4:12 reminds us we may suffer for our faith. These times can tear us down, but we can help each other survive and grow stronger. James 1:2-4 tells us these trials build up faithful endurance.
• Security is in God. From what do we derive our sense of security – our achievements, our job, our friends? Ephesians 6:6-7 reminds us that our goal is not to be great in man’s eyes. Rather, we seek respect in God’s eyes.
• A Foundation in Our Relationship with God. Instead of our faith being rooted in rituals, obligations, or social pressures, our faith must be rooted in a loving relationship with God. I John 4:7-11 speaks to the love God shows us and the love we should willingly share in return. We have a foundation of love between us, God, and our fellow man.

Conclusion
How do we measure up? How would God measure our spiritual fitness? Each day, we should be working up to God’s standard. Today’s home runs won’t matter in tomorrow’s game. How are we growing in faith? We should be going after our faith with our entire heart, and, if we are doing that, we can help each other with their spiritual fitness. Our foundation and our attitudes will determine the success or failure we have in measuring up to the Bible's standard of faith.

lesson by Mike Mahoney

Finding What We Are Looking For

A few weeks ago, we discussed the concept of losing God, and, when we lose things, we tend to search for them until we find them. In Matthew 7, Jesus admonishes that we will find what we are looking for is we keep asking, seeking, and knocking. This also applies to our searching the scriptures. What are we looking for? How are we looking, and why are we looking?

For What Are We Looking?

Are we looking for loopholes? In Judges 21, during the aftermath of a small civil war against Benjamin in Israel, the people swore to never help Benjamin rebuild and repopulate. In verses 20-21, however, the people destroy Jabesh-Gliead to undo their harm, and they even go so far as exploiting a loophole in their customs to rescind the oath they have already made to God. In Joshua 24, Balaam cannot curse God’s people. Instead, he teaches Balak how to lead them into disfavor with God. He simply searches for a loophole.

We may study with the intent of disproving another. At the well in John 4, the woman Jesus meets looks for an answer from Him to resolve a technical dispute on the location of worship. In John 5:39, Jesus criticizes the Pharisees for not seeing what the scriptures point to, looking for their own justification more than God’s. John 12:47-48, John 8:31-32, Hebrews 4:12 – these verses point to the power the scriptures should be having in our lives.

How Are We Looking?

In Acts 24, Felix sends Paul away until a “more convenient time” that never comes. Contrast this with the Bereans of Acts 17 who search the scriptures with an open mind. The difference is between passive learners and active learners, and Hebrews 11:6 calls God a rewarders of those who seek Him diligently. There is nothing passive about diligence. In II Timothy 2:15, Paul encourages Timothy to be diligent in his preparation to work God’s word. Do we search God’s word diligently, or do we let ourselves passively be exposed to that word.

Why Are We Looking?

God’s word is the standard by which we will ultimately be judged. In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus pictures many who claim to have served God but have done so without knowledge of God’s word. Jesus goes on to compare those who build their lives upon God’s word with one who builds his home upon a firm foundation. We should want to be free from our sin, able to stand before God on the day of judgment, having lived by the statutes of God’s will. We need to know our Bibles so we may correct error. In Romans 10:1-4, Paul speaks of zealousness without knowledge. Without that knowledge, our efforts fall short.

Conclusion

As Peter says in John 6:68, it is in Jesus alone we find eternal life. We may not always like the answers we find. We may have to change when we search God’s word and learn of His will. We must overcome our fears or our indifference. Only then can we let God’s word make the changes in our lives we need.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Controlling Self

We know the history of Alexander the Great who conquered much of his word, able to control armies and nations but unable to control himself, having drunk himself to death at age 32. Controlling our selves, our impulses, using self restraint – the Bible has much to say on this topic. Proverbs 25:26 calls one without control as an undefended city, left open to invasions from outside: vulnerable to temptation and unguided by principle.

When David sees Bathsheba, he has the choice to exercise restraint, but he lacks self control, dwells on Bathsheba, and acts on his impulse. For a time, he becomes vulnerable to temptation and forgets his principles. Solomon allows his numerous political wives to turn him from God despite his great wisdom. Judas betrays Jesus for meager wages, driven by unrestrained and uncontrolled greed. Each of these illustrate how far we can fall without the defense of self control.

Giving God Control
Self control may be defined as a willingness to be guided by God’s wishes rather than our own, restraining ourselves from the things we should avoid. It can also be ensuring we act upon the opportunities we have to do good. In Galatians 5:22-24, self control is included among those fruits of the spirit we should be practicing. Paul, in Titus 1:8, qualifies spiritual leaders as having self control, and I Peter 1:5-8 lists this control as a trait we should be nurturing in our own lives.

Why be concerned with self control? In Acts 24:24-25, Paul teaches Christ to Felix and other officials with him. In this message, Paul links self control with righteousness. David, Saul, and Judas fall short of the measure of righteousness when they fail to exercise self control. In Matthew 16:21-23, Peter, after having recently professed his faith in Jesus, rebukes Him for going to His death and is rebuked in turn. Then, in verse 24, Jesus says any who follow Him must deny self and crucify self. Self control is key to sincerely following Jesus.

What Does Self Control Look Like?
Romans 12 makes it clear that living a godly living requires restraint. Romans 12:2 calls us to be transformed rather than conformed. This takes rethinking, re-prioritizing, controlling those impulses we might have once followed. Verses 16-21 encourages to avoid revenge, to live peacefully, to show kindness and mercy, overcoming evil with good. It takes control and restraint to demonstrate God’s grace to all – even those who are ungracious to us.

Philippians 4:8 tells us to dwell on honorable things in our lives, to look for the good, to consider the best around us. Self control begins with our minds. We have to control our thoughts before we can control our bodies.

• We have to recognize our need. I have to admit I need better self control before I can improve, being guided by God’s principles before my own.
• We have to identify the areas in which we need more control. On what do my thoughts dwell? In what areas of my life do I struggle most?
• We have to study. Psalm 119:9 encourages us to take heed to God’s word to cleanse our ways. Verse 105 calls that word a light for our feet. We have to know His will for it to guide us.
• We have to weigh the consequences. In Mark 8:35-36, Jesus asks what a soul is worth. Is giving into our impulses worth losing our souls?
• We need to pray about our struggles. I Peter 5:6-7 encourages us to call on the Lord, casting our cares on Him, so He can comfort us.

Conclusion
In Acts 24, as Paul studies with Felix, the governor is alarmed and send Paul away until a better time. Felix is concerned by the challenge of practicing self control. Do we see this subject as concerning and alarming? If so, we should not follow Felix’s example, whose better time would never come. Instead we should submit to His mercy. Hebrews 5:8 discusses the self control Jesus practices in His obedience to the Father’s plan. We should follow His example of restraint and obedience and allow God’s principles to guide us, removing self from the throne and exalting God.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Finding God Where We Left Him

“Where is God?” This is a simple question that we should not be taken lightly or asked casually. In times of struggle, when we face trials and challenges, we ask, “Where is God?” In Judges 6, when an angel of the Lord comes before Gideon, God poses this question in verse 13. “If Jehovah is with us, why are these things happening to us?” In II Kings 18, Sennacherib and the Rabshakeh challenge Hezekiah and the residents of Jerusalem with a similar question. “Where is your god?” Joel 2:17 and Psalm 42 contain requests that Israel’s enemies not be able to ask, “Where is your God.” Finally, in Malachi 2:17, expresses frustration with their question His presence.

The problem is not that God moves away from His people of old or from us. Rather, they and we move away from God. In this lesson, we are going to consider three ways we can drift from God.

Moving Away from God

• We lose Him in lack of prayer. In Isaiah 44:15, the prophet speaks of the absurdity of building a god from the same wood he would throw into a fire. Isaiah pictures His people as praying to their idols, crediting them for God’s deliverance. Hosea 2:13 revisits God’s people praying to others instead of Him. They lose Him in a lack of prayer.
• We lose Him in lack of study. Hosea 4:6 calls God’s people destroyed for rejecting God’s knowledge. Malachi 2:7-8 chastises God’s priests for being ignorant of His word – the teachers are as ignorant as the learners. They lose God in a lack of study.
• We lose Him in our priorities. Malachi 1:6-8 illustrates the lack of import God’s people would place on His worship and sacrifices. Haggai 1:5-7 calls of God’s people to consider their ways in comparison to His word. Haggai 1 is a chapter about priorities, and God’s people lose Him in their misplaced priorities.

God Is Not Lost

We are the same. We give up on prayer. We fail to study God’s word. We get caught up in the priorities and standards of this world, giving God our leftovers. God is not lost. His power is not void. We simply distance ourselves from him. Paul, in Colossians 4:3, calls on Christians to pray for God to open doors of opportunity, and I Thessalonians 3:11 attests to God’s power to grow His people and direct our paths. In Philippians 4:19, Paul expresses confidence that God will supply his every need, and II Timothy 1:7 says God gives us a spirit of power, love, and self-control.

Finally, I Peter 5:10-11 credits God with the power to restore us, strengthen us, and establish us in His service. God is not lost nor is His throne vacant. It is we who lose Him in our lives, and we will find Him exactly where we left Him. When looking for something, we often ask ourselves where the last place was we had it. Perhaps we have lost God in our priorities, in our lack of study, or in our lack of prayer. We can find Him, however, in those very places where we left Him. God is there for us to find. We have but to look.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Necessary Changes

Psalm 51 occurs after David’s sin with Bathsheba becomes public knowledge. He prays to God to be purified in this Psalm. He calls to be cleaned whiter than snow. In verses 16-17, he expresses a broken heart and a humbled sacrifice in sacrifice to God. David recognizes the change he needs in his life, and David vows to help others turn to God as he himself has made necessary changes. We should all want to share God’s word with others, but David recognizes his need to change himself before attempting to influence others.

Points of Transformation
In Acts 3:19, in a sermon very similar to the one preached at Pentecost, Peter encourages his audience to repent and turn from their sins, being forgiven by the Lord. Romans 12:1-2 calls us living sacrifices, transformed from conformity to this world. Paul calls our minds renewed by God’s word. How do we make these necessary changes, renewing our minds, and transforming ourselves in God’s image?

• Reverence to Worship. Are we coming into God’s presence with reverence and awe? Mark 7 records Jesus chastising the Pharisees for lip-service in the context of their traditions. He says their hearts are far from Him in their worship, and Luke 18:9 begins a parable of a tax collector and Pharisee – the latter trusting self and lacking reverence for God and His mercy. We all need to set self aside so we may be filled with God.
• Attitude Toward Service. Do we consider service to others a burden? In Galatians 6:7 begins a passage that encourages to never grow weary in working good. In Ephesians 2:10, Paul calls us God’s workmanship, created for the purpose of doing good works. Our attitude toward helping others should be a source of joy, walking in the good works God has prepared for us.
• Ignorance to Knowledge. How comfortable am I studying with someone about spiritually difficult topics? In I Timothy 1:7, in the context of vain speaking, Paul speaks of those who wish to be teachers but have no understanding. Hebrews 5 begins by chastising the author’s audience who have not matured spiritually – due to a lack of study and knowledge. We should be striving daily to build our spiritual knowledge.
• Infancy to Adulthood. In the context of building our knowledge, Hebrews 5 also encourages us to spiritually mature. In Hebrews 6:1, the author calls on us to push on to full growth. This problem is present in I Corinthians 3, where Paul calls those Christians spiritually immature. We have to put our faith into practice so we may grow.
• Laziness to Zeal. Romans 13:11 calls on us to wake up in our spiritual work. I Corinthians 15:32 records Paul speaking to the futility of our spirituality if the resurrection is a lie, and, in verse 34, he again calls us to wake ourselves up. In Ephesians 5:14, after writing about our spiritual walk, Paul calls the sleepers to awaken. If we are asleep in our service to God, we need to wake up and get to work. We should be giving as much to God as we can.

Conclusion
We have to give God our most and our best. Back in Psalm 51, David recognizes how much change would have to happen in his life to draw closer to God. If we are to be in God’s presence, we have to change our minds, our attitudes, and our actions. In every aspect of our lives, we can transform ourselves to draw closer to God as He draws closer to us.

lesson by Tim Smelser