Good Morning Friends,
Every generation seems to think that the end game is closer than ever. And yes, in many ways the Kingdom of God of Heaven is closer each moment and yet both judgement and grace come every day. The thought of the end times could fill people with panic attaches. But the message today is one of hope not anxiety in a time of stress, a hope conditioned on faith and righteousness judgement, not fear. As we wait for Jesus’ return therefore the working standard for building community needs to be set around continuous improvement. The body of believers must be kept strong and steadfast and healthy in extending help with dignity in relationship with one another and others in need. And that brings us to today’s question. Is Our Soul In A Healthy Union With Others When It Comes To Ministry?
Scripture: On that day this song will be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; he sets up victory like walls and bulwarks. Open the gates, so that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. Those of steadfast mind you keep in peace— in peace because they trust in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for in the Lord God you have an everlasting rock. For he has brought low the inhabitants of the height; the lofty city he lays low. He lays it low to the ground, casts it to the dust. The foot tramples it, the feet of the poor, the steps of the needy.
Isaiah 26:1-6 (NRSV)
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!”
Matthew 7:21, 24-27 (NRSV)
What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you came to believe, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. The one who plants and the one who waters have a common purpose, and each will receive wages according to the labor of each. For we are God’s servants, working together; you are God’s field, God’s building.
1 Corinthians 3:5-9 (NRSV)
Message: It is the happy decision of those that set up the lectionary that brings us so much of the prophet Isaiah as we celebrate the time of expectation, the time of Advent. Isaiah was a prophet of hope in a time of social and religious and political upheaval. Sound familiar? Clearly like Isaiah and the Israelites, hope is exactly what we need. The promise is clear: “Open the gates, that the righteous nation which keeps faith may enter in.” Sound a bit like the hope in Israel. And yet that hope is not yet realized and replacement theology has its drawbacks. The problem is that living in a fallen world can be very complicated and far from easy in our effort to control and influence. While we have the right to make the choices we want in life, we are painfully aware that not all choices will lead to happiness. We are constantly being bombarded by conflicting advice from people of diverse cultures that provides little clarity as to which choices in life might be beneficial and lead to holy living. It is hard work becoming sanctified individually and collectively. Yet while it can be difficult to understand the meaning of the Bible’s words in context and contemplation in building community today, the Holy Spirit, who lives inside of us, translates divine words into a language that each of us can fully understand. So, we are left without much of an excuse for not making the right choices in life. Chances are though, that if we are building for ourselves, the structure is destined to crash, but if we are truly building in His kingdom, we have hope it will last. Christ must be the cornerstone that sets the plum line. And the amazing thing is that God made Himself poor in the Incarnation so that we could become rich in spiritual goods, in our community of faith. Interestingly our strength here is admitting our weakness. The foundation therefore is less like a building and more like a community forest. Such is the Kingdom of God as we labor in the field of missions.
And So, we are to help to maintain a healthy ecosystem for our faith… diversity need not be a problem. We need seed, roots, sprouts, pollinators, and cultivators working together for Jesus. While we have the right to make choices, we need to remember that all things work together for good only when we both love and are called to a purpose in the Holy Spirit. Chances are though that if we are building for ourselves, the structure is destined to crash but if we are truly building in His kingdom, we have hope it will last. Time will tell.
Pray we conquer the anxiety of fear.
Pray we build on solid ground. Pray we have an unwavering mind. Pray we trust in God. Pray we have a perfect peace that passes understanding. Pray we have a foundation of faith. Pray we become more compassionate to the destitute and engage with them in the process of life so they may grow spiritually, physically, and emotionally in Christ. Pray we shake off our spiritual slumber and be more present with the Lord whom we worship. Pray we are honest about our failings and confess them to God before we worship and work. Pray we realize that when we help those in need we grow spiritually. Pray we realize that God made Himself poor in the Incarnation so that we could become rich in spiritual goods, and in our community of faith fruitful. Pray that we not struggle to give the glory to God in this endeavor. Pray we find our place and purpose in His powerful love giving God the credit. Pray this purpose is present in our hearts and minds every day. Pray that even the pain we experience draws us to our best selves and even towards heaven together.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 