Quite a lot to discuss this coming Sunday.
First, the Anniversary. Friday was nice. We had the opportunity to have significant influence over the worship lineup and the flow, first of all – and we’re thankful to the rest of our Sunday service teams for their cooperation, of course.
But, more importantly, the theme for the church fellowship we’re ‘under’ was released and given emphasis; From that day we commemorated the 43rd anniversary of said church, up until next year (on the 44th anniversary, to be precise) the vision of the church would be centered in on ‘School’; That is, the second of three words which have been re-established as the overall theme of the church: ‘seek, school, send’.
The emphasis was placed on Scripture from the book ot Titus, chapter 2, verses 11 to 14: 11 For thegrace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
We’re to look to the grace of God; it has appeared before us! The grace of God teaches us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions; it also teaches us to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives.
If we’re to train… to SCHOOL ourselves and others – all within the sphere of our influence, it shall all begin with and from the grace of God. Amen.
Gosh, that was just Friday. Saturday was just as special. We went through the usual song and dance of sitting down and listening to Pastor Joedy… but that was only for one of the three sessions we had for the day.
How’d the other two go? Great, I dare say – and I’m usually cynical about these gatherings. I say they were great because, yes, Pastor Joedy WAS still in front, but the rest of us Pastors and thought leaders joined him, as a panel. We sat there as the entire congregation present read out what our Senior Pastor proposed would be the beginning of a new statement of faith, for the entire church fellowship.
And as we talked about God, Jesus Christ, the Human Condition, the Future, and so on, there was not a lot of encouragement needed for our congregation to ask us in the panel for clarification, or just with questions that they’ve wanted to ask.
We talked about Cain’s ‘sudden’ wife in the book of Genesis, the ideal Version of the Bible to talk about; I remember we also talked about tongues, and our take on the Holy Trinity. Overall, it was a good exchange of perspectives, and ALL of us in attendance had our eyes opened to a whole lot of new lessons and ideas.
One day immediately after the launch of the church’s mandate to ‘school’, and we were already schooling ourselves. It was wonderful.
We focused more on feasting and celebrating the Sunday after, with everyone in attendance filled by way of worship and an abundance of food.
About a month ago, a sister in Christ talked to me about the Lausanne Movement. Taking it from their website, ‘The Lausanne Movement connects influencers and ideas for global mission, with a vision of the gospel for every person, disciple-making churches for every people and place, Christ-like leaders for every church and sector, and kingdom impact in every sphere of society.’
I was told that this same Movement would be holding a week-long Congress, and invited me to join her in Korea. Considering that this was going on the week after our Anniversary, I declined the face-to-face flight to Korea, and all that, and I opted to watch online instead.
So for 2 hours a week from Monday to Friday last week, I sat down and listened to speakers, and we also spent a considerable amount of time in breakout rooms, where I was fascinated to hear the voices of our brothers and sisters in Christ all around the world.
I know that I wrote in detail, and took a whole bunch of notes from every video I watched and every correspondence I attended, but I want to pull what data I do remember, straight from memory.
Monday was when I was pretty struck to hear about the decline of the spread of the Gospel all over the world, and how this decline isn’t necessary due to a decline of the quantity or quality of our own individual efforts, but more from a decline of cooperation and interdependency. There are 4 words that summarize this issue: ‘I don’t need you.’
It strikes deep for me personally because I’ve always operated… admittedly, with a lot of spite, and with a lot of smugness. I’ve tried operating as a ‘Sigma’ – that is, totally autonomous and independent, carving my own path; or, at least that’s how I understand it – to stick it to the self-proclaimed ‘Alpha’ males who try to lord over everything.
I’ve operated with a lot of smugness, which was really just backed up with a lot of money that fell on my lap. Now the money’s long gone, and what remains is a glaring, self-sabotaging tirade of thoughts (from both within and without)…
It’s true what a good friend of mine dared to rebuke me with, earlier this month – He said I’ve been doing the right things for the wrong reasons… and I suppose that’s why I’m having a hard time moving as passionately and as directly as I believe I used to.
I’m saying this because I’m currently thinking about getting myself back up on the saddle, trying ever so feebly to climb out of the red financially, but I’ve caught myself with the same ‘Sigma’ mindset, and certainly still with the line – the same one that came at me by way of that first plenary session: I don’t need you.
But, flawed mindsets, flawed intentions, flawed reasons notwithstanding, I find myself seeing the same faithfulness that the Lord has been demonstrating to Israel, over some chapters of the book of Isaiah that I’ve been reading recently: ‘For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still.’ (Isaiah 10:4, 9:12, 9:21, 5:25)
The Lord has been bringing people to me, and bringing me to people. By the power of the Holy Spirit I believe I’ve been blessed to realize that while I may have been losing money, I’ve been blessed with people all along – People who have cared to patiently and genuinely listen to my selfish tirades on my ‘rise and fall’; People who have cared to be straight to my face regarding my behavior, caring to go deeper into the mindsets and intentions buried beneath. I’ve been blessed, not with money, but with people who have been just patient with me overall, no matter how much I raise my voice and react more than respond.
And even recently, when I find myself tempted to regret not only the loss of finances but what I’m calling the ‘end’ of a cycle of relationships that lacked chemistry and/or timing (more of the latter), and the selfish one-sided ones that followed, leaving everyone involved deeply hurt… I find myself realizing how I’m blessed with the people who remained – not necessarily because of blood relations, but in the name of faithfulness and fellowship.
It may be too late in ‘the game’ for me to realize, but better late than never: We DO need each other. We can’t stand alone; We ought to lift each other up.
See, it was just the Monday session and already I’ve been so pleasantly… ‘schooled’.
I’d like to keep talking about my own experiences and insights day by day, but I think we need to tackle what I’m really supposed to be talking about: Romans 13.
A little reminder before we keep on going: Romans 1 through the majority of chapter 3 has us seeing, among other things, the complete and absolute authority of God, and our own hopelessness. The end of Chapter 3 through chapter 4 has us rejoicing because of our opportunity to be right with God, apart from the Law, and by faith in Jesus Christ.
Romans 5 through 7 has us rejoicing even further, because we’re led to believing in addition to our salvation being (1) our right-standing with God no matter what, it also means (2) our being dead to sin and flesh, and being free from the Law of sin and death.
Romans 8, one of, if not THE one personal favoritest chapter of the entire Bible, sheds understanding and resultant appreciation on the other side of the coin; that is, if we’re set free FROM the Law of sin and death, and if we’ve died TO sin and flesh, then (3) we’ve also been set free TO the Law of Spirit and life, and we’ve been made alive FROM our righteousness – again, through faith in Jesus Christ!
Once, we’ve counted on the Law for our conduct, and now we count on the Holy Spirit alive in us to guide us, while all the while being reminded that He convicts us of such a righteousness (John 16:8) that causes us to call the Creator of the Universe and all that is seen and unseen our ‘Abba, Father’ (Romans 8:15), all the while being tutored to pray, if not interceding for us according to God’s will (Romans 8:26-27), and so much more;
And, lest I forget, it’s also in my favorite chapter Romans 8 where I draw one of my favorite verses – 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.Romans 8:38-39
Wooh.
Romans 9-11 has us shifting, from the wrath and judgment of God, to our complete and comprehensive salvation in Christ, back to the absolute authority and supremacy of our God, and how His glory is not without His grace, and vice versa. I admit they were difficult chapters (which I’d love to keep going back to), but I believe our good Father HAS been glorified through our discussions.
Beginning in Romans 12, we began discussing what we’re led to believe is our response to God’s glory, God’s grace, and God’s glory and grace; We’re to continually offer ourselves as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God. We’re to enjoy the journey of going from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18) by way of constantly being transformed by the renewing of our mind.
We’re not to be quick to boast, but to recognize that each of us complements and not competes with one another in the body of Christ. Finally, we were reminded, not to be overcome by evil, but to overcome evil with good.
With all this in mind, we continue the said response, really quickly, with Romans 13.
Submission to the Authorities
1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.
Let us be reminded of this – we’ve talked about it quite a lot, and I’ll say it again; No matter how we believe a politician is corrupt, or no matter how we think that a boss is a good leader; No matter how we resent our own parents, or no matter how we revere our brothers, we ought to remember, recognize, and actually appreciate – every person placed in authority over us, whether legitimately voted into office, or suspiciously installed due to fraud – they’re all where they are because God, the authority of authorities, has installed them there.
2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. 3 For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.
I’m looking at all this and I’m thinking to myself, what if these authorities are, according to our senses, the complete opposite of what’s being shared here?
Well, let’s take this time to remind ourselves of Romans 10:6-13, where it emphasizes that it’s not up to us to decide who goes to heaven, nor is it within our power to declare who descend to hell.
Just as we’re reminded that the righteousness that WE have through faith in Christ says, “The (Living) word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”, so we’re reminded here – ‘do what is good‘, ‘be in subjection… for the sake of conscience’, and to ‘Pay to all what is owed to them‘.
Galatians 5:1 says, For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.; Here, I say let us operate, not by reacting to behavior of others, but by acting according to the righteousness we have in Christ.
Fulfilling the Law Through Love
8 Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.
11 Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
We act according to the righteousness we have in Christ – and, here, we’re reminded, that this means that we love one another, as Christ has loved us. And this chapter ends with a call of urgency – awaken from the darkness, it’s time for us to live in the light.
Friends, through all this I’d like to wrap up by sharing one thing I saw in common through all that I’ve shared today: It all takes humility.
Proverbs 1:7 says “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.”
Consequently, Proverbs 22:4 says ‘The reward for humility and fear of the LORD is riches and honor and life.’… but the ESV would have us consider that we can also read it as: The reward for humility IS the fear of the LORD, riches and honor and life.
We’d think that we’d start wisdom and knowledge off by way of the fear of the Lord… But because of that one small consideration when it comes to translation, we can see that even the fear of the Lord is most likely preceded by humility. It all starts with humility.
28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29
It all starts with humility. And humility starts with Christ. Nobody could ever be as humble as Christ… and as Christ was humble to us, so we are able to be humble… with ourselves, and with each other.
If we’re to continue to seek God, and if we’re to start teaching and ‘schooling’ ourselves and others in this new season… we will be effective, when we are humble.
If we’re to truly move on from saying to each other, ‘I don’t need you’, to also, clearly telling each other, ‘I need you’…. It requires humility.
Finally, if we’re to subject ourselves to each other, and to the authorities – we will need to continually be humble.
It all starts with humility. And humility starts with Christ.
I humbly hope we’ve all been blessed today. God bless us all! Amen.
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