Believe Week 6: The Church…Focused or Distracted?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 6: The Church”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
“Squirrel!”
Ever have someone yell this to you? It’s a little disconcerting as you’re driving along the road and a squirrel runs out in front of you. All of a sudden your focus on moving forward down the road is distracted by a little critter that sometimes has a hard time determining if it wants to cross the road or return back to the side from which it came.
Sometimes that doesn’t end well for the squirrel.
Squirrels are distractions to our focus of driving. Perhaps in the grand scheme of things, not all that serious. However, when we are talking about the Church, distraction from our focus is so important.
Satan loves to put the “squirrels” in the church to distract us from the main thing.
Consider this. Our key verse for this week is Ephesians 4:15: “Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ.”
Paul was encouraging the Christians in Ephesus to stay focused…on the Word (“speak the truth in love”) and on the work of Christ (helping people grow in there connection to and relationship with Christ).
Now consider this written a number of years later by the Apostle John about the church in Ephesus.
Revelation 2:4 Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. 5 Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first.
The church in Ephesus was distracted from their “first love” … their connection to the Words and work of Jesus. What was the distraction? It seems like the legalism of the law had overtaken their love for sharing and living God’s grace.
Satan loves to distract the church. It can be with an overabundance of energy spent on paint colors and flooring discussions (and sometimes heated debates). It can be with a division over worship styles and practices. It can be focusing on fixing the politics of a country or fixing the behavior of a community. All these have purpose and seem noble, but all of them can be agents of Satan to distract us from what is most important:
First: Growing in the Words of Jesus – maturing in our faith:
2 Peter 3:17 Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Second: Being ready and willing to bring God’s message of grace to people.
1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,
Matthew 28:19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.
Every generation, every group of Christians must be on the alert for the “squirrels” that can run through the Church. Deal with the distraction quickly, but don’t let it wreck your focus on what is at the heart of the Church: God’s Word and God’s Work!
Apply: What “squirrels” are running through your church right now? How can you be part of fixing or removing the distraction so the ministry can focus more intently on bringing the Word of God to people and doing the Work of God?
Prayer:
Lord, keep us steadfast in your Word;
curb those who by deceit or sword
would wrest the kingdom from your Son
and bring to naught all he has done.
Lord Jesus Christ, your pow’r make known,
for you are Lord of lords alone;
defend your holy church, that we
may sing your praise triumphantly.
O Comforter of priceless worth,
send peace and unity on earth;
support us in our final strife,
and lead us out of death to life.
Believe Week 6: The Church Led by Christ!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 6: The Church”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
“Everything rises and falls on leadership.” – John Maxwell
From little on we chose or become leaders. The elementary school experience would not be complete without a game of follow the leader. Most kids wanted to be the leader…in fact I recall a few instances where one kid was reluctantly following another leader and announced, “I don’t like where he’s going. Follow me.”
Suddenly the game became more complicated. Who do you follow? Or do you form a third option of leadership?
The church can become like this too. Some follow a theology. Some follow a personality. Some follow prosperity. Some follow simplicity. Some follow a diversity. The list could go on.
Each of these can show up in a church. So it gets complicated. And we feel torn. Because chances are each of these settings claims a connection with Christ.
But each of the above should also be a follower…to Christ.
Satan loves to create disunity and confusion of leadership. Unity in the church comes when we fall underneath the leadership of Christ.
Why does that make a difference? Here’s three reasons…
First, God placed all things under Christ’s feet…not yours. God appointed Christ to be head of the Church, not you.
And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, 23 which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way. (Ephesians 1:22)
Second, God, his Spirit, his Son, his love, his grace, his Words are what unifies the Church. When we get away from that, Satan wins and division occurs.
Ephesians 4:4 There is one body and one Spirit— just as you were called to one hope when you were called— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
Third, unity is an answer to Jesus prayer…true unity. Jesus prayer is for us to experience such a close unity under his leadership that we experience the same closeness and connection he and his Father experienced, unified in message, ministry, and mission.
John 17:20 “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21 that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.
Whenever we see division in the church, we must seek it source. Honestly the truth of God and his Word will divide people out of love for the Word of God, the souls that could be led astray by false teaching, and a love for your own soul. In these cases, we separate from those that would harm our or another’s soul. But in many cases, division is simply Satan getting into our hearts and minds and getting us to follow someone or something other than Jesus…which might be at times ourselves.
Games of follow the leader can be fun, even when you are challenged to follow, especially when you follow a leader who is leading you through the challenges of life to your eternal home in heaven.
Unity is found under the leadership of Christ.
Application & Prayer: Reflect on and pray through this hymn:
- The church’s one foundation Is Jesus Christ her Lord,
She is His new creation By water and the Word.
From heaven He came and sought her To be His holy bride;
With His own blood He bought her, And for her life He died.
- Elect from every nation, Yet one over all the earth;
Her charter of salvation, One Lord, one faith, one birth;
One holy Name she blesses, Partakes one holy food,
And to one hope she presses, With every grace endued.
- Though with a scornful wonder Men see her sore oppressed,
By schisms rent asunder, By heresies distressed,
Yet saints their watch are keeping; Their cry goes up, “How long?”
And soon the night of weeping Shall be the morn of song.
- The church shall never perish, Her dear Lord to defend
To guide, sustain and cherish, Is with her to the end
Though there be those that hate her, And false sons in her pale
Against a foe or traitor, She ever shall prevail
- Mid toil and tribulation, And tumult of her war,
She waits the consummation Of peace forevermore;
‘Til, with the vision glorious, Her longing eyes are blessed,
And the great church victorious Shall be the church at rest.
Believe Week 6: The Church…Distracted, Divided, Discouraged?
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 6: The Church”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Online or in person?
Masks or no masks?
Open or closed?
If you ask many pastors, these are questions that they have had to wrestle with over the past year and a half. Some have used the term “decision fatigue” because of the barrage of decisions that have needed to be made while navigating the CoVid-19 crisis.
In addition to the practicality of Sunday morning gathering, seeking to keep a congregation together when people are vehemently divided on whether to wear masks or not, get vaccinated or not have challenged the resolve and focus of God’s people and their leaders.
All of these are important topics. In fact we spent a few sessions in our most recent pastors’ conference to discuss these issues and how to navigate them spiritually. The church has been forced into the fray of these discussions and decisions.
This week’s key belief is a refreshing refocus for us as the church: “The Church is God’s primary way to accomplish his purposes on earth.”
We must remember, the church is here because God formed it and because God has a purpose for it. He has a purpose today, just as he had the same purpose in the past.
The church is formed by every person who believes in Jesus Christ as their Savior.
The church exists to tell every person that Jesus Christ is their Savior.
1 Peter 2:4 As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house[a] to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. …
9 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
But, the life and work of God’s church does not go forward unimpeded. If the Church exists to carry out God’s purpose on earth, Satan will use every situation to divide, distract and discourage the church. If he can get us divided by masks, distracted by fighting for or against vaccine mandates, and discouraged because it seems like the Church has lost its influence in American culture and society, he’s winning.
The more we fight the surface battles, the more we are losing the war. The real enemy is Satan and evil that is in our world around. It always has. It will be until Christ returns. Sin is the problem that resides in every human heart. Jesus is the solution for sin. Fear creates unrest in every heart. Jesus is the one who brings true and lasting peace. Uncertainty troubles our outlook on the future. Certainty of our eternal home brings comfort to the soul. These truths are what we, the Church, are here to proclaim, live and share!
We are the Church. God “called us out of darkness into his wonderful light” to declare HIS praises!
It is time we get back to being the Church as God intended and as God desires us to be.
I pray the theme and devotions this week will help us do that!
Apply: Has it been easy to focus on the surface issues of Covid-19? What happens when you refocus your heart and hope on Jesus?
Prayer: Lord God, thank you for forming YOUR church and by your grace making me part of it. Use me for your purposes. Keep me from being divided, distracted or discouraged from the work and words you have given to me and to all of your Church. AMEN.
Believe Week 5: Let God determine your identity!
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 5: My Identity as a Child of God!”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
Luke 19:1-10 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.
5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.
7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.”
8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”
Go back and reread this account of Zacchaeus. Note any phrases that are “identity” statements.
What did you come up with? Here’s what I noticed:
- “his name was Zacchaeus;” Names are key part of our identity. They are a short cut to summarize all we are and do and also is a short cut for others to refer to us.
- He was a tax collector – His identity is around what his career was (He is a doctor; police officer; teacher etc.)
- He was wealthy – His identity was built around his social status and setting.
- He was short – His identity was formed by his frame and stature.
- He is a sinner – His identity was marked by his sins and his spiritual status.
This is an interesting list. Notice many of these are OTHERS identifiers of Zacchaeus. Others identified him as a short, wealthy, sinful, tax collector. Do we not also allow these things to form our identity? Or buy into what others say about our identity?
Who people think we are? Our career or what we do? Our social status? Our physical stature? Our spiritual guilt?
I know I can allow these to be primary identity markers. But they are all based on external circumstances or perhaps activity we engage in.
Notice what changes when Jesus interacts with Zacchaeus.
How did Jesus identify Zacchaeus?
- A Son of Abraham
- Lost but found salvation.
It’s ironic that “Zacchaeus” means “innocent or pure.” His life didn’t measure up to his name. I read this on a post on PsychologyToday:
When people misrepresent themselves or present themselves in out-of-character ways to impress an audience, the behavior is unnatural and exhausting. (https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/science-choice/201412/basics-identity)
Imagine every time Zacchaeus cheated someone, he acted contrary to the name he was given. Every time he took advantage of a situation for his selfish purposes, his identity conflicted.
Jesus changed that.
“Today salvation has come to this house.”
Jesus changed the heart of Zacchaeus to match his name. As a son of Abraham, not just by blood, but by faith, Jesus recognized he believed in the coming Messiah and realized Jesus was the one promised. His status changed from “sinner” to “saint” on that very day. He was spiritually lost, now spiritually found.
Jesus did not see a short, wealthy, sinful, tax collector. He saw a child of God that mattered to him and to his Father. He took the time to make sure Zacchaeus saw that about himself too.
And as a bonus he got to see Zacchaeus live out his new identity:
“Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
Enjoy living in the identity Christ gives you: You are…a redeemed, gifted, child of God! That is who God has made you! (Don’t let anyone tell you different! J )
Believe Week 5: I am loved.
Devotions this week based on the Message: “BELIEVE: Week 5: My Identity as a Child of God!”
(NOTE: This sermon series and devotional series is based on a book by Randy Frazee entitled, “BELIEVE.”
You may choose to download or purchase the book as a supplement to your worship and devotional emails.)
1027.
I just checked.
There are 1027 of you out there that call me “friend” and I call you “friend.”
Facebook “friends,” that is…
How many do you have? Is a Facebook or social media friend, really a friend?
It’s easy on Facebook when someone has a birthday to click the pre-typed “Happy Birthday message.” It’s easy to see a picture or post and click on the “Like” or “Love” icon.
In the brief second or less, you cared. You had a thought to respond to someone who is your “friend” with a comment or emoji.
When you get these responses, do you really feel “liked” or “loved”?
Perhaps.
But what if few or no one comments? It has the opposite effect. “Really? Out of 1027 people who call me “friend”, no one reacted or commented.”
That feels empty. And that’s just virtual “relationships.”
How much greater when a relationship which actually is personal lets you down.
It hurts because we all want to be loved. We want to know we are lovable.
When we aren’t, we can easily allow our mind to tell us a story that we are unlovable or unlikable. It comes out when we say, “No one loves me.” Or “No one likes me.” Inside we may be buying an identity that is a lie, “You are unlovable.”
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
1 John 3:1 See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!
The love of human beings may come and go. Never let that change the truth about your identity. You ARE a loved, child of God! How do I know? Jesus died for you.
John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.
God’s love for you is real and constant. We never need to question our identity as a loved, child of God. It is not based on our performance – we are good enough because Christ gave us perfection. It is not based on our intellect – we are smart enough because the Spirit gifted us. We are loved simply because the heart of God desired to love you and for you to experience his love.
How do I know this is real? You and I are written into God’s will as heirs!
Galatians 4:7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir.
You are an heir of heaven. Because of who you are – a redeemed, gifted child of God, you have a place in heaven for eternity. This is the fabulous fact that roots our identity not in outward circumstances, but in an inner reality.
Apply: What relationship in your life, if lost would you feel “I am not lovable?” How does life change when you find identity as a loved child of God? How does it free you to love others?
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for lavishing on think your love for me. As I am secure in your love, help me to love others…even if they are challenged to love me back. Thank you for writing me into your will to inherit a place in heaven with you forever! AMEN.