High Expectations

What do we expect of one another? What do we expect of ourselves, and what do we think God expects of us? Sometimes we grow frustrated with one another because we expect so much of each other. We can be very hard on those around us; we can be hard on our families; we can be hard on our brothers and sisters in Christ; and we can be hard on ourselves. Is the alternative, however, to simply lower expectations to avoid disappointment?

When we lower our expectations of each other and ourselves, we may decrease potential for disappointment, but God will never lower the expectations He has in us.

God’s High Expectations
I Peter 1:13 admonishes us to prepare ourselves for God’s service, and he concludes, in verse 16, that this service is to be holy as God is holy. He is our standard for righteous living. This is nothing new in God’s word either; Peter is referencing Old Testament passages in this sentiment. In Exodus 19:5-6, God prefaces the giving of His law by calling His people holy and a nation of priests. Likewise, we are to be holy in every aspect of our lives.

Romans 12:1-2 has Paul calling us living sacrifices, transformed from the world, perfected and good. Paul deals with holiness in Colossians 3:1-17 – our mindset, our morality, our behaviors, our attitudes, our identity. I Timothy 4:12 calls on us to be examples, even in youth, in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.

In God’s Image
Where does this originate? In Genesis 1, God makes man after His image. He created us after His likeness. This is not a physical resemblance. We are created after His nature. Ecclesiastes 3:11 assures us God has put eternity in our hearts. See, when Satan tempts Eve by saying the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge will make her and Adam like God, he omits something – that Adam and Eve were already created to be like God. God knows what we are and what we are capable of. He has a right to expect our best from us, for He knows what we can be.

We this reflected in the sacrifices of the Old Testament where God’s people are continually expected to sacrifice the best of their crops and the best of their flocks. We see Malachi 1:6-13 criticize the people of the Levitical Code for bringing substandard sacrifices while entreating God’s mercies. Jesus touches on this concept in Matthew 5:20 where He calls on His audience to surpass the standard of righteousness to which they have become accustomed. He then address our conduct and our attitudes toward others, raising our expectations for ourselves. He concludes by saying, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Again, God is our standard.

In James 2, in the context of describing how faith is put into action, the author reminds us that even demons have a belief in God in verse 19. He reinforces that our faith must be one that is active, always giving our best. Then, in Hebrews 6:9, we are reminded that “we expect better things of you.” Earlier in the chapter, the author is pressing us to grow in maturity, and he warns against those who start faithful but become complacent or fall away. He states those will be cast away from God, but “we expect better things of you.”

Those Who Failed Expectations

• In II Kings 10, Jehu is a failure because he does not do all of God’s will with all of his heart. He does some, but he does not give his best.
• In Acts 15:36-41, Paul doesn’t want John Mark as a companion at this point because Paul sees him as uncommitted, as not living up to expectations.
• In Galatians 2, Paul recounts rebuking Peter for falling short in conduct toward the Gentiles.
• In Matthew 25:14, Jesus tells a parable of servants given money to invest while the master is gone. Two put their best into their investments, but one falls short of expectation, having done nothing with what he had.

Conclusion
One reason we may have high expectations for each other is that we know one another’s potential. Yes, at times, our expectations can be unrealistic or held too stringently, but high expectations can be good when we are holding each other and ourselves to the standards we know we can achieve. In our service to God, He knows our potential, and His expectations are built around that potential. Where we are content with mediocrity, God holds us to a standard of His holiness. He knows what we can be. We should see that in ourselves as well, constantly striving to do our best and give our best, to be holy as He is holy.

lesson by Tim Smelser

The Seven Churches and Us

The challenge in examining ourselves is to examine ourselves, not as we see ourselves, but as God sees us. We often hold ourselves to one standard while God may hold us to another. This is true both individually as well as a congregation. As a congregation, we have successes; we have failures; we have challenges; and we have times of growth. In these times, we have to remind our selves this: that God knows our work and our hearts, that He cares about our work, and that He has standards against which our congregation is measured.

In Revelation 1:13, Jesus is pictured as being present among seven churches of Asia Minor. He walks in their midst. Throughout the next couple chapters, Jesus speaks to the strengths and challenges faced by these congregations. Often, we wish to be like the church of Philadelphia, but, had Jesus addressed us in this book, what might He have said to us?

Jesus’ Address to His Churches
Repeatedly, Jesus begins by affirming He knows these congregations. He knows their works, their deeds, their challenges, their tribulations. This paints a picture of a Savior, not one who is disinterested and uninvolved. Instead, through this, Jesus reassures them and us that He takes an active interest in our lives. He cares about us. He knows what trials we face.

Jesus also speaks to “him that overcomes,” in the letters, reminding us of the reward that lies ahead. Likewise, Jesus repeats, “he that has an ear, let him hear.” These days, we might say, “I know you can hear me, but are you listening?” He is making it clear that the words He shares are important to their spiritual survival. What, then, can we learn from those words, and how can we apply these letters to our own efforts as a congregation?

The Message to the Seven Churches

• To Ephesus, Jesus commends their efforts in keeping purity among their congregation. He knows they have endured in their work and have resisted evil. However, He chastises them for losing love in their service.
• With Smyrna, he contrasts their physical poverty with their spiritual wealth. He warns them of impending persecution and promises them reward should they endure.
• To Pergamum, Jesus praises them for holding to His word even in a place where Satan has a symbolic throne. He warns them, however, that there are those among them holding to false doctrines.
• With Thyatira, He speaks of their love and their ministry as well as their growth. He holds against them their tolerating a Jezebel among them, leading members of their congregation astray, and he calls for those that have succumbed to her influence to repent.
• To Sardis, Jesus says they have a good reputation, but He knows they are spiritually dead. He acknowledges, however, that even they have some among them whose robes remain white and pure.
• To Philadelphia, Jesus promises protection in times of tribulation to come. He knows they have remained faithful, and He encourages them to endure in the times to come.
• With Laodicea, Jesus criticizes the congregation for being lukewarm, uncommitted, and He warns He will dispense of them if they refuse to repent from their indifference. He admonishes them to see themselves as Christ sees them.

The Message to Us
We are probably most familiar with the letters to Ephesus and to Laodicea, but we can learn from the themes that run through all of these letters. We see Jesus commend, time and again, congregations’ endurance, their intolerance of false doctrine, their love. In contrast, a vein of indifference seems to affect many of these congregations’ efforts. They may have become unloving. They may have tolerated unscriptural teachings in some aspects. They may have been simply going through the motions.

We can relate to letter to Ephesus when Jesus calls on them to return to their first works. When we first obey the gospel, we may be full of energy and enthusiasm, but the cares of this world can wear us down. We can become comfortable with routine and forget the reasons behind those actions. Thyatira stands in contrast to Ephesus, whose later works are greater than their first. One congregation is praised for growing in their efforts while the other was dwindling. Which are we?

To Laodicea, Jesus encourages them to find their strengths. He asks them to find how they can be beneficial. He asks them to either be cold or hot, just as we all need cold refreshment at times and hot at others. We can be soothing or refreshing in different ways – a cold glass of water to some and a warm cocoa to others. Laodicea, however, is neither. They are uncommitted, but Jesus encourages them to simply get to work.

In these chapters, Jesus reminds us that He knows where we are and what we are going through, but the message is the same: “Get to work.” We can fall back on many excuses for lack of ministry, lack of growth, or lack of love, but Jesus calls on us to overcome those excuses. He reminds us to give ear to His word and endure with His promises set firmly before us.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Understanding the Term "Christian"

When you hear the term Christian, it probably elicits a response similar to one created by the terms Muslim, Buddhist, Jew, or Catholic. We have preconceptions and assumptions based on the label. It is a term that has been overused and misused to the point that some followers of Christ wish to dispense with the term altogether. In many ways, it has lost meaning and context because of the free way we use the word.

Literally, the word means, “that which pertains to Christ,” and it is used only three times in the entire New Testament. Each time this word is used, it says something different about our relationship with each other and with our savior. Acts 11 speaks to our relationship with one another. In Acts 26, Paul is speaking of our relationship with God, and Peter, in I Peter 4, speaks of our relationship with the world.

Acts 11

In Acts 11:19, numerous disciples scatter in the face of persecution, following the execution of Stephen. They teach Christ as they travel, and many turn to Christ in baptism. We see Barnabas and Saul in Antioch, and here the followers of Christ are first called by the term Christian. Here, it calls attention to the relationship the disciples had to one another. These are people who had left Judaism, who were persecuted, who were disowned by their communities and their families. All they have is each other, and they rely on each other in their travels.

We are not all-sufficient; we are not islands. John 13:34 records Jesus telling His disciples to love each other, and this love is one demonstrated in service, in reliance, in cohesiveness. Galatians 6:9-10 reminds us to work good toward all, and Paul says this goodwill is especially targeted toward fellow Christians. We are told to prefer one another, to honor one another, to bear each other’s burdens. Our love for one another as Christians serves as a testimony to our relationship with each other in Christ.

Acts 26

In Acts 26, Paul is defending his actions before politician after politician. He stands before these dignitaries and speaks of the gospel to them. He speaks of self-control and righteousness, and he recounts his conversion. Starting in verse 19, Paul begins pressuring Agrippa about his faith and his willingness to respond to the gospel call. Where Festus recoils, Agrippa admits, in verse 28, that Paul almost persuades him to become a Christian.

Paul is speaking of having a right relationship with God. Paul knows Agrippa identifies with the things he testifies about, and he also knows that Agrippa is aware his relationship with God is not right. Agrippa sees Paul’s devotion to the living God, and Paul invites him to have that same relationship, a relationship we should also have when we wear the name of Christian.

I Peter 4

In I Peter 4:12, Peter addresses the trials and persecutions Christ’s followers will face in this world. He calls us “blessed” if we are reproached for the cause of Christ, and he calls on disciples to not suffer as troublemakers or as criminals but as Christians. He reinforces the concept that we are in the world but not of the world. That separation from a lost and dying world will earn friction.

As Christians, we are no longer content to live in darkness. We are no longer willing to compromise our morals based on God’s word. Because of how are light will reflect upon those who disagree with us, we will face hardships because of our faith. Think of Hebrews 11 and the trials faced by those numerous examples cited therein. Some overcame great odds while others were mocked, tortured, neglected, mistreated, or even murdered. God, however, provides something better. Those examples could overcome, and we can too.

Conclusion

The term Christian is used sparingly in the New Testament. It is unique and special. It speaks to the relationship we have with each other, with God, and with the world. If our lives do not reflect those relationships, then we should not wear that precious name so casually. Our salvation is in Christ. Our lives are defined by His words and His example. Our interactions with our brothers and sisters as well as the world are defined by that relationship with our Savior. We are Christ’s. We are Christians. We should be working every day to live up to that name.

lesson by Tim Smelser

Changing Hearts, Changing Direction

Repentance is more than something God requires of us. It is something He desires from us and something He helps us come to. In Leviticus 26:14-16, God begins a passage about the consequences the children of Israel would pass should they not uphold the law He set before them. Verse 40, however, changes tone, and God begins speaking of the forgiveness available to those that confess their sins and repent. Their humility has the ability to turn God’s judgment from them.

Repentance in the Old Testament

II Samuel 14, Absalom having killed his half-brother for sexually assaulting his sister, we have a wise woman speaking to Joab and David. She tells a story of two sons, one murdering the others, and she pleads for the bloodshed of vengeance to stop. She says, in verse 14, that God does not always exact justice, but instead seeks ways to restore the outcast. It is a lesson forgiveness, and it is a lesson about the repentance God desires from us.

After Joshua and his contemporaries die, we see the children of Israel turn aside to adultery in Judges 2:11. They sin in God’s eyes, but, time and again, God would raise up a savior to reconcile those who turned from Him. Yes, God’s word is full of warnings of the consequences of sin, but we also see a God who always wants His people to return to Him. He longs for us to repent, and He longs to forgive us.

In Amos 4, the prophet condemns the blatant idolatry in Israel. He goes through the signs and miracles as well as the consequences they have seen for their abandonment of God. He enumerates these things, revisiting a common phrase: “Yet you have not returned to Me.” He has given time, reason, and opportunity to repent, but His people continue to reject Him.

Understanding Repentance

In context of these Old Testament passages, we can understand Acts 17:30, where Paul says God now calls all to repent. Also, Luke 3:8 records John the Forerunner calling on the people to bring forth “fruits of repentance.” Luke 13:3-5 has Jesus reinforcing the imperative nature of repentance, and II Peter 3:8-9 reassures us that God wishes for all mankind to come to repentance. From His dealings with the people of Israel to the New Covenant under Christ, God’s foremost desire remains the same – that all of us abandon our sins, turn from them, and be reconciled to His love.

Repentance, however, is not simple fear. It’s not stopping doing something because we fear the consequences. Repentance is not sorrow over those consequences, nor is it necessarily only reformation. In II Corinthians 7:9, Paul expresses joy for the congregation’s repentance – not only because they felt sorrowful, not only because they stopped. He is filled with joy by their true repentance from those sins. He sees their desire to abandon their sin and truly, fundamentally change their lives. It is an action of mind, a function of our will, that resolves to quit sin.

Repentance in the New Testament

We see this in Acts 8 when Simon the Sorcerer offers money to obtain the gift of the Holy Spirit. He believes and is baptized in verse 13, but he slips back into his old ways in verses 18-19. He finally truly changes his heart in verse 24 when faced with having to change his heart and mind, leading to a change in direction.

In Matthew 21:28, Jesus asks His audience about two sons asked to work by their father. One refuses but later repents, going to work. One affirms that he will work but does nothing. The first was initially rebellious, but he changes. He changes his heart and mind, and he determines to do the work set before him.

Finally, Luke 15 records the parable of a son who demands his inheritance. He wastes this inheritance on frivolous living, but verse 15 shows him coming to his senses. He changes his heart and mind, and he returns to the father he once rejected.

Conclusion

Repentance is a change of heart and mind that results in a change in directions. We can all look at our own lives and see reasons and opportunities for repentance. We have seen the consequences of our own sins. He has opened doors of repentance for us, but we seldom recognize these opportunities for what they are. Back in Amos, the prophet calls on His people to prepare to meet their God. They were not prepared, but we can be. We can change our hearts and minds. We can change the directions of our lives, repenting from our sins, wholly abandoning them, and leaning of God for our salvation.

lesson by Tim Smelser