Philippians 2:5 - 8 11/5/2024

“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to death - even death on a cross.”

That is an overwhelming passage… 

Christ, being fully God, humbled Himself and came to earth as a servant.  Offering redemption to those who were not only beneath Him… they were His own creation.  Yet, they rejected and crucified Him …as He prayed for their forgiveness. 

This passage says that is the attitude I am supposed to have … This is not poetry or a parable… it is an historically recorded example we are required to follow that at times feels unattainable. 

I can be a servant,  when I am recognized for it… I might even enjoy it as long as others are appreciative.  But it would be difficult to serve those who disrespect me…  For the Son of God to become a lowly human …and then have other lowly humans mock and crucify Him? ...while He loved them?  That seems outrageous …Yet according to this passage, that is where the bar has been set.  

So, today if I am gracious and those I serve are not grateful… or I’m unselfish, and no one applauds…  how will I respond? … How will I react when others ignore my kindness?   The answer to those questions will be embarrassing if I go through the day with the “mind of Boyd”.  But if I willingly choose to have the “mind of Christ”, the results can be astounding.  

If I decrease, and Christ increases, my life will become radiant, lighting up any room I enter.  If I have the mind of Christ I will serve people – not out of obligation or religious devotion – but because like Christ, I love them. Love never stands still, it demands action. Sometimes to lift someone up you must get beneath them… Are you willing to lower yourself so you can effectively elevate others?  

There is no way around it… this passage insists that we decide who we love most. 

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.”
- Anne Frank

John 8:31-33 10/29/2024

“So Jesus was saying to those Jews who had believed Him, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly My disciples;  and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants and have never been enslaved to anyone; how is it that You say, ‘You will become free’?”

Jesus is addressing new believers, telling them that obedience to His Word is the identifying mark of His true followers and that without it, they were living as captives. …. He tells them that His Word will set them free, but they arrogantly argue that they have never been slaves.  

What about you… have you been set free?  Or have you adopted a  mediocre faith that ignores scripture and maintains that you don’t need liberation?

There are no chains more powerful than those we choose not to acknowledge…  the ones we have accepted as “normal” and no longer try to break.  The strongest prison is the one we choose to sit in, even though the door is open. 

Our culture offers “shrink to fit” truth, and limited freedom, while The Bible offers radical truth and complete liberty. But we miss it, because we don’t seek truth, we seek comfort.  As long as our jail cell is comfortable, we are content.  

What if we changed that?  What if we re-evaluated “normal” and filtered every “accepted” habit through God’s word.  What if  we decided to get comfortable being uncomfortable and change our lives to fit scripture, instead of changing scripture to fit our lives?  Living out truth produces freedom that makes us effective warriors for the Cross. 

It is a choice you will have to make deliberately; the enemy is content to leave you restfully undisturbed in this area because your captivity makes you ineffective for the Kingdom of God.  

It is your call… you can stand there on the sidelines and be comfortably ordinary  – or get in the game and pursue being dangerously extraordinary.  

If you will open your Bible and question the status quo, you might find freedom to do what you were created to do… You might find that the Son has obliterated the chains you’ve been putting on every morning and realize that you’re living in bondage, and only the Truth will set you free.  

“Freedom is something that dies unless it's used.” -  Hunter Thompson

Galatians 3:1-5 10/22/2024

“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified?  This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by works of the Law, or by hearing with faith?  Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” 

When writing to the adulterous Corinthians Paul instructs them gently. To the Cretans in the book of Titus he is patient and explanatory. But here he is straight out rebuking the Galatians without much of a filter. In this passage he basically asks them if they’re stupid.

We find a similar approach when Jesus encountered thieves and prostitutes, He corrected them, but gently. But when faced with Pharisees who believed they could earned their way Christ was severe, calling them snakes, and whitewashed tombs for thinking they could earn redemption. 

This seems to indicate that arrogance and believing you can earn deliverance is especially repulsive to the Holy Spirit.  That makes sense, because for God to pay the price He paid for my salvation, and then I act as though I can earn it -  is an amazing display of ignorance and ingratitude. 

Jesus died to redeem my soul, and there is no amount of work I can do,  or money I can pay to earn that … it is insulting to insinuate that there might be.

That is a frightening observation because “legalism”, “works-salvation”,  and “judgementalism”, are sins we in the church dance pretty close to, and it appears these sins and the arrogance from which they originate are particularly offensive to God. Egotism may be the enemy’s most powerful tool. 

Have I been saved by grace, but become better than you because of my works?  Did the Holy Spirit provide salvation and then my flesh say, “I’ll take it from here”?  Paul calls that whole line of thinking foolish.  

While we must boldly speak truth, we also had better check our hearts regularly and make sure we are not being bewitched by some foolish, self-exalting approach to Christianity that allows us to feel anything but gratitude for our salvation.

“If there be ground for you to trust in your own righteousness, then all that Christ did to purchase salvation, and all that God did to prepare the way for it, is in vain.” — Jonathan Edwards

John 6:61-64 10/15/2024

“Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?  Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing”. 

The dilemma for the American church is that when Jesus spoke it often offended people.… and we are some of the most easily offended people on the planet.  Our default response to correction is victimhood.  This predicament interferes with us “recruiting” members for our church. 

Our focus on increasing membership makes us unwilling to lovingly address unpopular topics that are clearly defined by God’s Word.  Any honest reading of scripture reveals God’s definition of marriage, sexuality, morality, the value of the unborn, greed, and a host of other topics that have been deemed “off-limits” by our culture … Jesus addressed difficult subjects, and never once changed truth to pacify His audience. 

It is not our goal to offend but some will see truth as offensive. If you call truth hate, you will hate truth. But like a good doctor we cannot be overly concerned with how medicine tastes to the patient - only that it heals them. I must lovingly give the correct dose, no matter how it impacts the patient’s opinion of me. 

If the truth offends my audience,  the remedy is to remind them that truth does not originate from man; man came from truth.  You can’t look through the lens of deception, and self-will, and expect to see the truth of God.

If you desire to change scripture and only follow what suits you … it is because you have forgotten who wrote it.  It isn’t a rough draft for you to edit.  It is a document written by the omnipotent Creator of the universe. Its purpose is to light your path, and without it you’re walking in the dark. 

“Christian” is not something you comfortably add to your resume.  You die to yourself, and Christ lives in you.  You become “unoffendable” by anything written in scripture and simply dedicate your life to following it. 

 If the Bible offends you… It is not scripture that needs to be adjusted…. You have options for responding to The Word of God, but being offended by it, and demanding it be changed isn’t one of them.

"An offended heart is the breeding ground of deception." - John Bevere

John 1:45-46 10/8/2024

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!”  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Philip found the Messiah and ran to let Nathanael know…  He realized who Jesus was …He said “We found the promised one”… Philip had met the Son of God, and he recognized Him because they had been looking for Him for Centuries.  His knowing  “who  and what” he had found was the key…. and it still is today.  

Jesus is not a surprise. His first appearance in the manger was prophesied for thousands of years, and His return has been foretold by historically documented predictions. He is one of the most recorded figures in history.   His life has been verified by both church and secular historians, so the question of His existence is not the question…  Knowing “who and what” He is – is what changes everything.

When Philip realized this, he did the only logical thing he could do… He ran to tell his friend.  That is the only rational response we can have as well. If you realize that He is the foretold lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, and you don’t tell the people you love… How can you say you love those people? 

The problem is that they may not be interested in your discovery.  So, we can also learn from Philip’s confident approach to witnessing… When Nathanael mocked him,  Philip didn’t retaliate, he simply said “come and see”… Those three words carry a wealth of theological implications and are incredibly powerful. 

You and I need to put away our argumentative rebuttals to naysayers and simply say “come and see” …  Our intellectual opinions are not as powerful as saying, “look at the changes Jesus has made in my life”, and then living in such a way that they can “come and see” Christ in us. 

The power of the gospel is that you have been made a new creation, and our job is let others know that God offers new life to all who come to Him.

“Live as a credible witness. If our actions don’t line up with the message we’re proclaiming, we risk losing our credibility.” — David Jeremiah

 

1 CORINTHIANS 10: 6-11

“Nor are we to commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.  Nor are we to put the Lord to the test, as some of them did, and were killed by the snakes.  Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, …”

Read the last sentence again… This message applies to us individually and collectively.  It states that debauchery carries severe consequences.  God has made that historically clear. Yet somehow today, we not only tolerate these evils… we celebrate them.  

You argue that you stand against sin…  but what about “Grumbling”.  Are you lovingly pulling others out of the gutter, or just grumbling against those who are in it?  Do you love the word of God,  or do you resent His commandments? In this passage the result of self-centered grumbling was death, just like the other sins on the list. 

God is not vague about the purpose of this passage.  It says, “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…”.  That is not hard to interpret. In the original Greek, It means, “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…”.  

Do we suppose God’s opinion has changed about worshiping money, pursuing pleasure, or normalizing sexual perversion? Do we think it is acceptable now to grumble about the obligations of serving God?

This passage states that it is unwise to test God.  Yet here we are, dancing close to the flames. There is a precedent in this passage which we are unwisely ignoring. 

God’s word is not a buffet, you cannot choose which commands you follow. Cherry-picking scripture is pursuing YOUR will, not God’s. 

Christianity is an “all-or-none” proposition… You either surrender to God, or you don’t.  The Lord has outlined expectations on conduct, marriage, sexuality, treatment of others, and even attitude… They are not suggestions, nor are they subject to cultural standards, and ignoring them carries consequences. 

Jesus proved His love for us by dying to save us while we were still sinning…  So, we don’t avoid sin to make Him love us … We avoid sin because we love Him. 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments...”  - Jesus (John 14:15) 

1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-3 9/24/2024

“Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes one conceited, but love edifies people.”

1 Corinthians was written in response to questions from the church.  Apparently, believers had correctly deduced that an idol is just a lifeless object.  So, if meat killed in front of it is cheaper, why not eat it? 

However, some new believers were disturbed by this activity… They were hurt by the freedom practiced by these “mature” believers … So, apparently the mature believers wrote Paul, requesting approval for this practice. 

It’s not a difficult theological question… those eating the meat were right…  It makes no difference whether an animal is slaughtered in a barn, or in front of an inanimate idol... But Paul responds to the problem the question reveals… not the question itself.  

He is perhaps repeating the statement “We all possess knowledge.” …and then criticizes the underlying reason for it.  He, not too gently, points out that knowledge puffs you up… but love builds others up. 

If I say, ”my humility makes me better than you” – You know there’s a problem with that statement. Paul is pointing out an issue to the Corinthians in the same way. If you say you know about love, yet your knowledge leads you to run roughshod over your neighbor’s feelings, then you don’t know about love. 

Paul is saying that they have a heart problem.  He is explaining to them that being correct doesn’t always make you right. Paul could have properly said, “eat what you want”, as Luke said in Acts 10:15.  But in this case Paul doesn’t want to discuss the law, he wants to address their hearts toward their younger brothers and sisters in the faith. Your knowledge of the law is flawed if you use it to only promote yourself. 

When is the last time you gave up your freedom for fellow believers?  Have you ever passed on an argument you could have won because you cared more about others than yourself?  Later in this letter, Paul basically says, “if eating my favorite food causes my brother to stumble, then it’s off the menu”… Is that your approach to your friends at church – or does your “knowledge of your rights” make you the most important person in the pew?

“A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
- Benjamin Franklin

Romans 8:18-19

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.   For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.” 

Peace of mind comes from our perspective.  We each choose our mindset based on what we know to be true.  Our culture continuously spews agitating lies to unsettle us and move us in the direction the puppet masters want us to go, but at the end of the day, the choice is ours. 

I had an uncle who lived in Palestine, Texas that I called Uncle Jack. I loved him dearly and he taught me much about life.  Uncle Jack was a postman and farmed about 20 acres of land as well. He was a godly, country gentleman, who quietly served his family, community, and church until the day they found his body sitting by a tree where he had been working his land. 

This morning’s passage begins with the phrase “I consider”, which the commentators say should be translated “I reckon”…  and that is what reminded me of Uncle Jack. That is something he would say, and something he lived out.  He “reckoned” any trouble on this side of heaven wasn’t really worth mentioning, considering what his Savior had done for him.  Uncle Jack didn’t waste much time complaining.  He chose each day instead to get up, do his job, come home, farm his land, and find joy in loving others … and looking back, I find great wisdom in that. Uncle Jack controlled what he could control, and trusted God with the rest. 

Paul says I should do the same.  If I believe what I say I believe, my troubles today fade in light of what I have been promised for tomorrow. And it’s not just me… the entire creation has been waiting for Christ’s return, and that is what we must focus on.  The Gospel doesn’t just set me free; it makes the world right again. 

I need to focus on this eternal truth and not spend so much time obsessing over my day-to-day struggles.  Uncle Jack would’ve said, “I reckon today’s problems are in bigger hands than mine”…  and based on this verse, I reckon I agree with him. 

“Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

John 2:16-17 9/10/2024

“And to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away from here; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!” His disciples remembered that it was written: “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 

This passage describes when Jesus walked into the Temple and found it being dishonored, used as a place for personal advancement instead of  worship.  He found people pursuing profit not purity, using God’s house to fleece God’s children.  His zealous reaction didn’t surprise  the disciples as it had been prophesied in Psalms nearly a thousand years earlier. 

The Temple was a beautiful building. Its purpose was to allow people to receive communication from the Lord.  It was sacred ground and the abuse of it deeply angered Christ. 

I heartily applaud His actions when it is directed at the moneychangers …but am less enthusiastic about what should happen when I am the one abusing the temple.  Scripture says my body houses the Holy Spirit.  Is there any doubt of God’s response when I pollute it with hypocrisy, lust, anger, or self-centeredness?  How can I applaud the turning over of the moneychanger’s tables, and then be surprised at God’s anger when in the name of “religion”, I act just like them.  The next verses refer to Jesus body as the Temple, so the application is undeniable.  

This highlights a crucial fact.  We don’t take our bodies TO church….our bodies ARE the church. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. How can we fill our hearts with perversion, drugs, drunkenness, and self-righteousness, and expect God’s Spirit to reside there?

To pollute our “Temples”  and then show up on Sunday for hypocritical self-advancement, looks a lot like the activity that angered Christ in this passage.  God does not change, so we should expect His reaction to be similar.   

He made a whip, scattered the money, and turned over the tables…  You can argue if you want to, but it is clear that God resides in your heart and expects you  to sanctify it and keep it holy… God is still zealous about His Temple, and that necessitates that you walk in purity. It stirs His wrath when you claim to be His child, while you defile His house. 

“The temple in which the Lord Jesus delights most, is a broken and contrite heart, renewed by the Holy Spirit.” - J. C. Ryle

Philippians 4:6-7 9/3/2024

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Anxiety is our new epidemic.  Technology has re-wired our brains, and  Instant gratification is our expectation… If we don’t get immediate fulfilment and/or relief our default response is anxiety. 

This passage contains a remedy for this.  It was written 2000 years before the “Anxiety & Depression Association of America” discovered the same thing and called it  “Habit Reversal Training”. The ADAA’s description of  HRT is “ the use of a competing response, which is an action that is incompatible with the habit you are trying to break”.  They recommend gratitude for breaking anxiety, since they are incompatible in the brain together.

So, it only took psychologists 2000 years to partially catch up with the truth scripture teaches here. The full truth of course is that you can find rest in an all-powerful Heavenly Father who loves you. But this verse specifies that if you prayerfully thank God for His blessings, unexplainable peace will guard your heart and mind. 

Scripture does not imply this is easy. But Paul confirms what the ADAA has finally figured out - that God has created you in a way that causes thanking Him and praising Him to bring you peace.

Ephesians describes a battle where faith is a shield that extinguishes the flaming arrows of the evil one. Anxiety is an arrow that burns hotter than most. God says faith can put it out, and gratitude can bring healing to your heart and mind. 

This is a war… but God promises we are more than conquerors.  Do what you can to alleviate your anxiety. Talk to your doctor, talk to your friends, eat well, get rest… But most importantly talk to God and meditate on scripture, not circumstance… Faith is your shield, and scripture is your sword so fight back.  

Refuse to dwell on your past or dread your future… Reach out to others for help, you are not alone.  Thank God for His blessings. Then prayerfully open your Bible and win todays battle… trusting that His blood has covered yesterday, and His loving power will control tomorrow.

“We cannot always trace God's hand, but we can always trust God's heart.”
- Spurgeon