GCI Equipper

Loving the Trinity

The Trinity is more than doctrine, it is relationship. I am purposely capitalizing Trinity throughout this article to make a point.

I love learning about the doctrine of the Trinity, and as June 4 is Trinity Sunday, I was inspired to write on this topic. I’ve been blessed to read books by some great theologians such as Karl Barth, C.S. Lewis, J.R. White, Donald Fairborn, T.F. Torrance, Ray Anderson, and several others. Let me share a few good quotes:

The Spirit poured out on the first Pentecost provides the theological praxis for a doctrine of the Trinity. Paul argued passionately and profoundly for the unity of God in his work as Spirit within us, Christ with us, and Father around us… Practical theology is grounded in the intratrinitarian ministry of the Father toward the world, the Son’s ministry to the Father on behalf of the world, and the Spirit’s empowering of the disciples for ministry. – Ray Anderson, Shape of Practical Theology, pp. 39-40

The doctrine of the Trinity tells us that even before God created anything, he could be love, because the Father loved the Son, and the Son loved the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit loves the Father, and so forth. There was love within the Triune God, even before anything had been created (John 17:24). The three Persons were distinguishable from one another, but united to one another in love. This is important for who God is, and it’s important for who we are, as well. — Michael Morrison, GCS President and resident theologian. (An Introduction to Trinitarian Theology)

The Father initiates salvation (1 John 4:9-10), the Son achieves salvation (John 19:30), the Holy Spirit employs salvation (John 16:8, Titus 3:5, 1 Corinthians 12:3). – Kenneth Samples, Reasons to Believe.

Monotheism – the belief in one true and eternal God, maker of all things – is the first truth that separates Christianity from the pagan religions of the world. Any discussion of the Trinity that does not begin with the clear, unequivocal proclamation that there is one, indivisible Being of God is a discussion doomed to failure. – James R. White, The Forgotten Trinity p. 34

Within the one Being that is God, there exists eternally three coequal and coeternal persons, namely, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.” –  The Forgotten Trinity, p.26.

I like White’s succinct definition, especially the use of the words “eternally coequal and coeternal.” To me, this makes it clear God has always been Trinity. And it also clarifies that the question, “Who’s in charge?” is irrelevant. God is in charge, and God is equally and eternally, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The vital and beautiful doctrine of the Trinity defines relationship, a relationship shared between Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, a relationship God shares with humanity via Father, Son, and Spirit, and a relationship we have been invited to participate in.

The more I read about the doctrine of the Trinity, the more I understand about the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, their unity and relationships with each other, and their relationship with us. The Trinity is God, and God is the Trinity. But what does this have to do with you and me on a personal level? Let me share two changes the Trinity brought to my life, and likely yours.

The Trinity expanded my view of God

I spent much of my earlier life trying to love God so that God would love me. I know the theology is wrong, but it’s where I was. Getting God to love me meant obeying him and keeping his commandments, which I continually failed to do adequately. It took years for me to really believe that God is love and that we love him because he first loved us, and his love is not based on our behavior or attitude or how much we love him or others; it is solely based on who he is. Further, I see God as a Father who loves me – my “Abba,” and I see him as Jesus – my Savior, Redeemer, friend, and I also see him as Holy Spirit – my comforter, my teacher, my support. I now see God as one who earnestly desires relationship with me. He’s interested in everything I do, say, think, or feel because he loves me completely and unconditionally. Hallelujah, praise Trinity.

The Trinity changed the way I pray

Like many, as I studied the Trinity, I sometimes wondered how to address my prayers. Was I to speak to the Father and thank him for being my Abba? Was I to pray to the Son and thank him for being my Savior, brother, friend? Was I to pray to the Spirit and thank him for his comfort, his teaching, his constant pointing to Jesus? If I pray more to the Father, am I neglecting the Son? If I forget to mention the Holy Spirit in my prayer, is my prayer less effective? What if I neglect to end the prayer in Jesus’ name? Does that mean it goes no higher than the ceiling? It took me a while to understand there is no division or separation in my prayers. When I pray and say Father, I am also praying to Son and Spirit. When I thank Jesus, I am also thanking Father and Spirit. When I ask the Spirit to lead me, I am also asking Father and Son. In other words, I am praying to the “one Being that is God,” and this God is relational. It’s never wrong to focus my prayer talking to my Abba. Neither is it wrong to talk to Jesus or the Spirit throughout a prayer time.

Following is a short synopsis of the Trinity from J Michael Feazell.

  • God created all humans in his image, and he wants all people to share in the love shared by the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
  • The Son became a human, the man Jesus Christ, to reconcile all humanity to God through his birth, life, death, resurrection, and ascension. In Christ, humanity is loved and accepted by the Father.
  • Jesus Christ has already paid for our sins, and there is no longer any debt to pay. The Father has already forgiven us, and he eagerly desires that we turn to him.
  • We cannot enjoy the blessing of his love if we don’t believe he loves us. We cannot enjoy his forgiveness unless we believe he has forgiven us.
  • When we respond to the Spirit by turning to God, believing the good news, and picking up our cross and following Jesus, the Spirit leads us into the transformed life of the kingdom of God.

So, when I say I love you to Abba, I am saying I love you to Jesus and Holy Spirit. When I say, I love you to Jesus, I am saying I love you to Abba and Holy Spirit. In other words, I am saying, I love you, Trinity.

May we continue to grow in love with our triune God,

Rick Shallenberger
Editor

Process of Development: Equip

It is vital to have a clear focus for equipping.

By Cara Garrity, Development Coordinator

The 4 Es – engage, equip, empower, encourage – provide an intentional process to guide the development of the priesthood of all believers for participation in Jesus’ ministry.

Let’s take a closer look at equip. When we equip, we develop and multiply. The appropriate training is given to provide the knowledge and skills necessary to perform the assigned responsibilities. As this happens, people are developed and leaders are multiplied – eventually disciples, ministries, and churches are multiplied as well.

When you need to drive a nail into a piece of wood, do you reach for a screwdriver, a wrench, or a spoon? Probably not. They are not the right tools to get the job done. Something like a rock might do the trick, but you may fumble a bit more than you would with a hammer. Using the right tool makes a difference.

Imagine your car breaks down on the side of the road. You phone a service to send help, but when help arrives you realize they sent you a surgeon instead of a mechanic. Of course, the surgeon is well trained and highly skilled. However, that does not necessarily mean they are equipped with the skills required to get your car back on the road. Being equipped with the appropriate skills for the required task makes a difference.

Using the right tools, at the right time, to equip the right people, with the appropriate knowledge and skills for the ministry’s responsibility at hand, is essential to effectively develop and multiply leaders.

When we do not have a clear focus for equipping, we may find ourselves using a wrench to drive a nail and sending our surgeons to repair cars.

The GCI Process of Development provides two tools to facilitate focused equipping:

The Catalogue of Development Resources provides an overview of key GCI resources to equip. (See page 6.) The resources are organized according to the area of ministry participation that is most relevant. Note that the Catalogue of Development Resources is not a linear or step-by-step guide for leadership training. It is simply a guide to help local leaders assess the right tool to equip the right person at the right time for the ministry responsibility assigned.

The Apprenticeship Square and Information/Imitation/Innovation Triangle provide insight into how someone is equipped. How will the information and skills be delivered? Apprenticeship is an effective way to pass along the necessary knowledge and skills to develop and multiply ministry leaders.

The Information/Imitation/Innovation triangle challenges us to deeper spaces of formation and transformation as we walk alongside one another in development.

Consider the following questions:

  • How will you know if you are using the right resources, at the right time, to equip the right people with the appropriate knowledge and skills for the ministry responsibility at hand?
  • What is one equipping priority for your team this year?

Love, Hope, and Faith in Action

A summary of the three Avenues

And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love (1 Corinthian 13:13).

 

  • Love: the calling on the ministry to engage their community with tangible acts that reflect the love of God. It must connect back to the life of the church.
  • Hope: the calling on the ministry to inspire and bring hope to the congregation on Sunday morning.
  • Faith: the calling on the ministry to create spaces where disciple-making and spiritual growth can be nurtured.

 

Love Avenue

  • Serving/loving the community with a purpose, connected back to the life of the church.
  • Serving in the areas of our giftedness, not just feel-good ministries.
  • Narrowing our focus to the area and people groups that God has called us to.
  • Aligning our church events to reflect our values and advance our shared vision.
  • Building bridges to incarnational community through attractional engagement, such as the OTW model.

Hope Avenue

  • An inspirational environment and a place of hope and expectant community.
  • A dynamic pulpit ministry of preaching, not teaching.
  • Biblical relevant preaching, connected to the needs of our audience.
  • Inspirational preaching, bringing hope through God’s word.
  • Inspirational worship with the gift of music.

Faith Avenue – Creating Space

  • Spaces for relationship building and spiritual growth.
  • Gatherings that are small and intimate where bonding can occur.
  • Space where we can lift up each other.
    1. Discipleship occurs best through life on life situations; we must move new converts to those settings.
    2. Visitors need something beyond Sunday morning to connect to.
    3. Small groups can take a variety of dimensions.
    4. Children and youth also need life on life settings.
    5. Men and women’s small groups also serve as connecting points.

Breaking the Myth of ‘Infallible’ Leaders

Team Based – Pastor Led leadership avoids the pitfalls of vanity and believing the pastor is or has to be always right.

By Danny Zachariah, Pastor and Regional Director India Sub Continent

As our denomination continues to discuss healthy leadership, a phenomenon leaders should be wary of is, what I would call, the “Infallibility” syndrome. This is when a leader tends to rate his or her competence so highly that they manage to convince themselves that they are very unlikely to, or even worse, never, make mistakes. It is easy to default to our old pastor-centric model, in which we could continue to convince ourselves, “God called me to this post; therefore, I know what’s best.” Sometimes this syndrome is also fed by those who surround the leader. People who only agree with the leader, indulging in hype and appeals to emotion to stroke his or her ego of indispensability, could dupe the leader into believing they have more answers, information, or knowledge than they do, leading to this infallibility syndrome.

It is more than evident through human experience that only one human has ever been infallible; his name is Jesus. The rest of us need others to achieve any kind of success in ministry and mission. We can try to be infallible or be the answer man. But sooner or later, we all must face up to the fact there is much we don’t know, and there is much we don’t know that we don’t know. Taking a leaf out of ancient Israel’s history of their repeated fallible behaviour, Paul reminded believers in Corinth that “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall!” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Leaders must specifically be wary of this attitude of mind.

Leaders who fall into the pit of an infallible paradigm will generate systems of domination, coercion, and control. In extreme cases, they can delude themselves into thinking even their “wrongdoing” remains anointed by God. Some church leaders in sex scandals simply managed to delude themselves and carried on their harm and abuse, thinking they had a “right to be wrong.”

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“Normal” Families

Every family – regardless of what it looks like – should be treated with honor, respect, and love.

Many people across the U.S. will be celebrating Father’s Day this month. As a dad, I don’t look forward to Father’s Day for the gifts. Although, I do like the gifts! Rather, I look forward to the time I get to spend with my wife and children. I am grateful to God for the relationship I have with my daughter and son. They are two of the greatest blessings I have ever received.

Father’s Day was not always a happy day for me. I grew up in a single parent household at a time when some people looked down upon family configurations that were not considered “normal.” I remember being in elementary school and being required by my teacher to make a Father’s Day card for a man who was not in my life. I can still remember the looks my classmates gave me; the whole situation was really hurtful.

For those who work in children and youth ministries, our young people come to us from various forms of family. There is no “normal” family. Some children have a mother and father at home, while others have one parent. Some young folks are raised by a grandparent and others are adopted or in foster care. Some youth have two moms, and some have two dads. Whatever the configuration, it’s not about what we consider “right” or “wrong.” All the families of our young people deserve love and respect, and that respect should be given when the families are both in and out of our presence. With more challenging families, it is easy to be judgmental, saying and thinking negative things about them. However, we should do our best to treat our families as those made in the image of God.

I am reminded that Jesus was a refuge and immigrant. Most scholars agree that Jesus’ father, Joseph, died by the time Jesus started his earthly ministry. Therefore, Jesus was likely fatherless (from a human perspective). He was conceived out of wedlock by a teenage mother. He may have been considered poor growing up – we just don’t know. What we do know is he was looked down upon because of his family.

Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. “Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” And they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his own town and in his own home.” (Matthew 13:54-57)

Let us make sure that we honor our children and their families. When we look at them, let us picture Jesus in our mind. Let us love them with the love of Christ. Let us partner with families and work with them to see our children thrive. Who knows what God can do? After all, he knows firsthand that great people can come from the most unlikely families.

Dishon Mills, Generations Ministry Coordinator

Gospel Reverb – In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson

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We hope you enjoy the latest episode of Gospel Reverb. Your host, Anthony Mullins, is joined by Gavin Henderson. Gavin is the Superintendent of Churches and Pastors in Europe for Grace Communion International.

July 2 — Proper 8 of Ordinary Time
Matthew 10:40-42, “Welcome Me”

July 9 — Proper 9 of Ordinary Time
Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, “Real Rest”

July 16 — Proper 10 of Ordinary Time
Romans 8:1-11, “In Step With the Spirit”

July 23 — Proper 11 of Ordinary Time
Romans 8:12-25, “Adoption”

July 30 — Proper 12 of Ordinary Time
Romans 8:26-39, “God is For Us”


If you get a chance to rate and review the show, that helps a lot. And invite your fellow preachers and Bible lovers to join us!

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Program Transcript


In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson

Welcome to the Gospel Reverb podcast. Gospel Reverb is an audio gathering for preachers, teachers, and Bible thrill seekers. Each month, our host, Anthony Mullins, will interview a new guest to gain insights and preaching nuggets mined from select passages of scripture, and that month’s Revised Common Lectionary.

The podcast’s passion is to proclaim and boast in Jesus Christ, the one who reveals the heart of God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And now onto the episode.


Anthony: Hello friends, and welcome to the latest episode of Gospel Reverb. Gospel Reverb is a podcast devoted to bringing you insights from Scripture found in the Revised Common Lectionary and sharing commentary from a Christ-centered and trinitarian view.

I’m your host, Anthony Mullins, and it brings me joy to welcome our guest, Gavin Henderson. Gavin is the superintendent of churches and pastors in Europe for Grace Communion International. He lives in Great Britain with his wife, Sinead, and their three children, Nova, Digby, and Brogan.

Gavin, thank you for being with us. Welcome to the podcast, and since this is your first time joining us, we’d love to know a little bit about you, your story, and how you’re participating with the Lord these days.

[00:01:17] Gavin: Thank you, Anthony. It’s a real joy to join you on the podcast here. I’ve been working for Grace Communion International for a while now in Europe. And it’s a real joy to work with a number of small groups and churches that have across region.

And it’s such a joy to wake up each day and to know that you can participate in ministry. That’s not to say that there aren’t challenges, but it’s a real joy to have that purpose and sense of direction in my life. And I’ve been a Christian for what seems like most of my life. But certainly, when I first felt the call to ministry quite a while ago now, it took me by surprise, and it’s such a joy to be involved in Christian ministry. And it’s a joy to be able to be a part of this podcast, so thanks, Anthony.

[00:02:10] Anthony: Oh, it’s my pleasure. I’m so glad you could join us.

And so, let’s do it. We’re here to talk about the scripture passages from the lectionary, and we have five pericopes this month.

Matthew 10:40-42, “Welcome Me”

Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30, “Real Rest”

Romans 8:1-1, “In Step With the Spirit”

Romans 8:12-25, “Adoption”

Romans 8:26-39, “God is For Us”

Hallelujah.

Let me read the first pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 10:40 – 42. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version.

It is the Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 8 in Ordinary Time, which falls on July 2.

40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Gavin, two words stand out to me in this passage: welcome and reward. They show up repeatedly, and I imagine it’s easy to reduce our teaching down “to do this, and you will receive that,” sort of a quid pro quo religion, right? What should we make of the relationality of these two words and actions?

[00:03:56] Gavin: Yeah, certainly when we read this passage of Scripture, those are two other words that really stand out. And it is easy to adopt that mindset or to take that approach when we’re seeking to preach on this passage of Scripture.

One of the things I would say, that welcome is, of course, a response. Whenever we think of welcome, it’s not that we’re initiating but rather we’re responding to something that has already happened. And in the case of the examples we see in this scripture, of course, you have the prophet who’s turning up. You have the righteous person who has arrived. And so, the welcoming there is a response.

But I think if you look at the context of this scripture as a whole, and preceding passage in Matthew 10, one of the things that really strikes you is that Jesus has been sending out his disciples. And so, this passage, when we understand it within the context of a sending out of the disciples is really encouragement for those of us who participate in sharing the good news. Because whenever we go out into the world to share the good news, I think it’s normal to have a fear about how people will receive us, how people will respond. And really what Jesus is saying in this passage is he’s encouraging us about how much God values our work and what we are doing in this.

It is really demonstrating the love that God has for his disciples. If you were to welcome a prophet, in the name of a prophet and you gave him welcome, then prophet’s reward is, he would share his insight. He would share what he came to say. Likewise, if a righteous person turns up and you welcome a righteous person, a righteous person will obviously respond positively to your welcome and you’ll receive a reward.

And so, the same is true when we go out to share the gospel message—that those who respond to the gospel message, God recognizes how they treat the disciples who go out and share the good news. And this is encouraging for us.

But I think this is really the kind focus of this passage and redefines how we think about welcome and reward. Because really this is encouraging us that when we go out and share the good news God blesses those who welcome the good news. We can take encouragement from that fact as we go out and share the gospel.

[00:06:42] Anthony: Yeah, I appreciate that perspective because it frames reward in terms of the here and now.

We talk about living in the inaugurated kingdom of God, the already, but not yet. And sometimes we can think of reward as the not yet. That’s something to come. But Jesus says that when we welcome someone, we welcome him. And isn’t that the reward in the here and now, that we experience something of Christ’s presence?

Jesus referred to little ones and I’ve heard a lot of sermons that sometimes make me a little cringed when I hear who those little ones actually are. What say you and what is a Christ-like response to Jesus’ words?

[00:07:25] Gavin: I think the word “little one,” certainly if you read in the commentaries, you can see a lot of debate about who is being referred to.

And I think in many ways, it’s referring to those who are sometimes held in the least estimation by society. I think sadly, sometimes it’s even talking about those held in the least estimation by the church. Sadly, even in the church, there are people who aren’t always valued in the way that they should.

And I think this passage challenges us in how we look at others and how we respond to others in their faith. It’s not a judgment on people’s faith. Quite the contrary. I think what it’s doing is it’s challenging us in how we respond to people—even the people that aren’t held in high estimation by others around them.

And one of the things that’s a kind of standout is I think—John Calvin, when he was speaking on this verse in his commentary, he talks about how if you actually think about what is said in this verse: whoever gives even a cup of cold water. Really a cup of cold water is the very kind of “meanest office of kindness”—that’s how Calvin refers to it—that you can offer to somebody. You’re not even boiling the water to make a cup of tea. You’re not cooking anything, really. You’re just giving them the very basics that they need.

But even if those very basics are given, God doesn’t forget even the smallest of kindness that are shown to what would seemingly be, by society and others, as the very least of his disciples. And so really this is, I think, quite encouraging for us because I think for many of us, when we engage, we don’t necessarily feel that we are these bastions of the faith that go out there.

Often, we find and have a personal view of ourselves that’s a lot more modest as Christians. And this verse is just encouraging us that God doesn’t overlook even the smallest of kindnesses that is done to those who are his disciples, those who choose to follow Jesus Christ.

I think there’s a number of challenges for us, a number of ways that it encourages us to have a Christ-like response to Jesus’ word, but really it makes us consider our views of other people, how we view them, and how we respond to them as well.

[00:10:11] Anthony: That’s well said. And I think one of the things that’s helped me as I reflect on this particular scripture through the years is to recognize that sometimes I’m the little one.

It is a joy to give the basics, as you said Calvin referred, to someone in need, but sometimes I’m the one in need. And I think that gives us a perspective of humility, even as we go out to serve others. Thank you for that.

Let’s move on to our next passage of the month. It’s Matthew 11:16 – 19 and 25 – 30. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 9 in Ordinary Time, which is July 9. Gavin, would you read it for us please?

[00:10:52] Gavin: Yes, sure.

19 “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

[00:12:08] Anthony: Gavin, if you were preaching this pericope to your congregation, what would be your focus?

[00:12:15] Gavin: I think there are different sections of this passage that you can focus on, but there’s a section at the beginning that really resonates with me. And certainly, part of the reason it resonates is because I really like the language that’s used. But also, because initially, I struggled when I read this passage to understand exactly how it fitted in with the rest of the scriptures.

It’s in verse 17 when Jesus said, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We wailed and you did not mourn.” This passage of scripture reminds me a lot of my experience with my children.

I have three children who are all under 10. And inevitably what happens is the children—they enjoy imaginative play. And so, all three of them are playing together, and then sooner or later one of them will get upset because the others aren’t letting them play the game that they want to play. So, whatever the imaginary game is at the time, one of them will come through and say, the other is not playing it right.

And this is really what is being talked about in this passage. And I think it really brings something of value that we can use when we’re preaching. Because for children often, we want to play the game that we want to play, and if others aren’t playing it the way we want we get upset with them.

We want to be in control. We want to have a say about what others do. And this is the context of what Jesus is saying that the children are sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “We played the flute, and you did not play along. You did not dance.”

And if we think of the larger context of what is being said here, Jesus is in a section where he’s been speaking about John the Baptist. And in verse 18 when he talks about how John the Baptist came and he didn’t eat, and he didn’t drink. And yet the response people said he was a demon. And then you have Jesus who comes, and he does eat, and he does drink, and they say he’s a glutton and a drunkard.

And it’s basically, I think a really valuable thing that we can learn about the expectations that we have when it comes to religion, when it comes to church, when it comes to so many of the things. These people came up with reasons and excuses about why they could disregard what John the Baptist said and what Jesus said, even though those reasons were contradictory. They wanted to be able to control the game, so to speak. They wanted to have control of the narrative.

And I think we can really reflect on this verse and think, how do we respond to the gospel message of Jesus Christ? Do we look for reasons to reject what Jesus says? Do we look for reasons when we read a verse, and think, ah, yes, brother, that verse, that section of that verse doesn’t apply to me because of this or because of that? Or do we instead come with hearts that really desire to take scripture and apply it to our lives?

Do we try and learn everything that we can from a passage of scripture and see how we can apply it in a practical sense to our lives even if—or even maybe particularly, if what is said in scripture perhaps causes us some difficulty? If we find it difficult, the words that Jesus is speaking to us, those are really the times I think when we need to pay the most attention. We can’t just try and define Christianity, the religion, that we want.

Instead, we always need to go back to what Jesus actually says. We need to be receptive to the gospel message as opposed to trying to define what the gospel message says and then get the Bible to fit in with what we believe.

[00:16:17] Anthony: You mentioned how we look at Scripture. Obviously, we’re coming to find out who God is revealed in Jesus Christ, but also, what is this saying to me? What’s the response in the power of the Spirit?

Thinking of that practical application right now, Gavin, there’s quite a few people in my life who feel weary, heavy. And Jesus said in this passage, come to me all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. The world is weary, is it not?

And it seems like the world is crying out for real rest. Tell us about it.

[00:17:04] Gavin: Absolutely. I think as we look around society today both in the UK and the US, wherever you are in the world, I think life is difficult and I think many of us do feel that we are carrying burdens that are beyond us in many ways.

And this is such a beautiful passage of scripture because so many of us are crying out for rest. But I think one of the beautiful things that Jesus is saying in this passage is when it comes to our own lives so often it’s a struggle to do what we think is right.

We carry all these burdens that often we place upon us or others place on us. And what Jesus is saying is we can rely on him; we can trust in him.

I’m really into food. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating and I enjoy reading cookbooks and watching programs on cookery. And in some ways this verse reminds me of something that you find in high-end restaurants. So many high-end restaurants have what they call a test kitchen. And one of the beauties of a test kitchen is you can go out and there’s no pressure on you. But instead, there’s freedom to try without the fear of failure that is so common in society today.

If you work in a restaurant, the reality is you have to follow a recipe every day, and you have to make sure that the people who are eating get the very best of what you can do. But the reality is that’s very trying. It’s all this pressure and this burden on you to try and get everything right.

In a test kitchen, instead that pressure is removed. And instead, there’s freedom to try and create the best food that you can possibly create without the same fear of failure. And often you have the guidance of an experienced master chef who helps you to understand what you are doing.

And in some ways, this is what this verse really speaks to me about. That Jesus is saying that we can take away the pressure of trying to get everything right ourselves. But instead, what we can do is just bring everything to Jesus, and he takes the pressure from us. And we have the freedom to be the people that God designed us to be. And he is there, we are yoked to him. But he’s guiding us so that we can really respond to him and what he’s doing to be the very best of ourselves.

It is really taking away the pressure of trying to get everything right through our own strength. Instead, it’s relying on Jesus Christ’s strength and following where he is leading us. And in following where he’s leading us, we have true freedom. We’re able to really try and be righteous without the fear of failure, without that kind of restriction that is the reality that we face in this world. And I think this is a freedom that the world needs. But it’s also a rest.

It’s a rest from relying on our own righteousness, our own works, and instead trusting and relying on Jesus Christ.

[00:20:42] Anthony: Amen. One thing I didn’t expect to happen during that conversation was for me to get hungry. So, what time do I come over for dinner, Gavin, now that I know what your passion is? That’s good to know.

Let’s move on to our next passage of the month. It’s Romans 8:1-11. It’s a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 10 in Ordinary Time, which is July the 16th.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

If God the Father didn’t send Jesus into the world to condemn people, I’m guessing he’s not sending us as his ambassadors to condemn people. Tell us why “no condemnation” is ridiculously good news.

[00:22:49] Gavin: It really is, Anthony. It really is such ridiculously good news. And the reality of sin is that we would all be condemned. And so often we have a kind of narrow view of sin or misunderstand sin in many ways. Because sin isn’t just a problem that we have as individuals, but we live in a world that’s corrupted by sin.

And sin isn’t the problem, the full sense of the problem, in that when we try and live an ethical life, it’s not just the bad column we have, but we are called to do good works. And when we miss opportunities to do good works, then that creates a challenge for us as well.

But the whole concept of no condemnation is really moving to a completely different system, and it’s the system of grace. And it’s really this whole transformation in the way that we understand the world. It’s moving from looking where everything condemns us to life, to grace, to understanding that the world works in a different way.

And I think really to understand that it’s to understand who God is and how he can do this for us. Because so much of the way that the world works even today is an eye for an eye. This idea that when you make a mistake, you need to be punished, you need to be condemned for that mistake.

And part of the problem that we have as human beings is some of the mistakes we make, we just don’t have the power within us to restore. But of course, God does have the power to restore any mistake that we make. If somebody loses their eye, that’s beyond our power to do something about. But it’s not beyond God’s power.

God has the ability to restore things in a way that’s beyond what we can. And this is really how we move into that different system, that system of grace. And it’s why no condemnation is such good news, because it’s transformational to those who understand that they are not condemned.

And this is why, when you talked about this, Jesus isn’t sending us out into the world to condemn others because the reality is he’s taking us out of this system of condemnation completely. He’s moving us into this system of grace, and so we’re not sent out to condemn people.

Instead, we are sent out to show grace to people. It’s a completely different way of looking at life that we see. And this is what Paul was talking about in this passage. He’s talking about a different way of living that we have been given in Jesus Christ, how we now have the Spirit of life as opposed to the law of sin and death.

And of course, life comes from God. God is the one who gives us life. And this is why it’s such ridiculously good news, as you put it, no condemnation in Jesus Christ.

[00:26:17] Anthony: It is a different kind of system, isn’t it? We see in Father, Son, and Spirit, a restorative justice, not a retributive one.

And we do want people to pay, like you mentioned, and that even in the Psalms some of the cries to God is when are you going to smite these people that are after me? But thanks be to God that he does restore.

Help us to exegete verses 5-8. How do we rightly talk about living according to the Spirit? How do we know if we’re doing it?

[00:26:52] Gavin: As Christians we read passages like this in Romans 8, and obviously we want to be living according to the Spirit. And it can be sometimes challenging when we read Paul’s words, to understand how to put them in context in our lives.

And I think it’s important to understand a couple of things as we look through versus 5-9. As we look at these, this section of scripture, one of the things that I think we need to be clear on is Paul is not really contrasting the physical with the spiritual.

That’s not the contrast he’s talking about when he is talking about flesh. He’s talking about our sinful nature in many ways. It’s not saying that our physical bodies are the problem and that our spirit is not. That’s not the contrast, but rather it’s really reflecting how we choose to live our lives, what we choose to have as our focus and as our priorities.

And this is what he’s talking about when he’s encouraging us in this section and in many ways, I think, really what he’s describing in these verses is repentance. What he’s describing is a turning away from the ways of our previous life, the ways of our previous sinful nature, and a turning to God, to embracing what God is doing in our lives, what God is doing in the world, what we are choosing to focus upon.

There’s that beautiful hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

And this is really what Paul is talking about here for us to no longer dwell on the previous things in our life. But instead to focus on the things of the Spirit, to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

It’s important that we understand the now and not yet of this verse. Because sometimes as Christians we can struggle with that because both elements are clearly there. And Paul here is talking in this sense, we can’t take this as a now. The reality is that we do still struggle with sin. We still struggle with our sinful nature, and Paul isn’t ignoring the fact that we struggle with our sinful nature. But rather he’s encouraging us to also reflect on the not yet, reflect that there is going to be a time when sin is behind us.

And what we need to do now is to have this repentance, to have this turning towards God, turning towards the things of God, turning towards the things of the Spirit. And this is what he’s talking about in this passage. It’s repentance at its very heart.

When we talk about living according to the Spirit, it’s talking about a turning to God. It’s a talking about our priorities and choosing how we affect our priorities. And it’s really interesting that in the scientific world, there’s increasing evidence that what we choose to focus on actually affects the wiring of our brain itself. And here Paul in many ways was well ahead of the science, in this sense, in telling us that if we focus on the right things, if we focus on the work of the Spirit, then we will see the change that we want as Christians. We’ll see a life of repentance take place.

[00:30:47] Anthony: You made me think of a quote I read from Leslie Negan that we are shaped by what we attend to, and I think that’s what you were speaking to.

Let’s transition to the next passage, which is Romans 8:12-25. It is the Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 11 in Ordinary Time, which is July the 23rd.

Gavin, do us the honors, please.

[00:31:14] Gavin:

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are obligated, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our Spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

[00:32:56] Anthony: The doctrine of justification gets quite a bit of attention in the commentaries on Romans and quite justifiably—pun intended. Hallelujah. Praise God that we are justified. But it seems to me little appears to be said about the doctrine of adoption. Why is our adoption as God’s children instrumental to our understanding of the gospel and our relationship with the triune God?

[00:33:25] Gavin: Thanks, Anthony. I think that’s a good point, and the way I like to view this is the doctrine of justification helps us understand what we are being saved from. But the doctrine of adoption helps us to understand what we are being saved for. Different sides of the same coin, so to speak.

But I think it is really important for us to understand that we have been saved for a purpose. And when we understand what that purpose is, it’s really exciting. And this is what the doctrine of adoption is about. And this is what Paul is talking about in this passage is that we are able to cry Abba Father because of what Jesus Christ has done.

It’s helpful to understand a little bit about the Roman system of adoption that was in place at the time of Paul’s writing because it can help us understand a little bit about the significance of adoption. Because in Roman culture, adoption was something that did take place and often it would be adults who would be adopted. It wasn’t normally children who were adopted, but rather adults.

So, you would have a wealthy person, or a person of power and they would adopt somebody to become their heirs. And often there would be some reason why that adoption was taking place. But this was a legal process that was recognized in the Roman world. Adults did become adopted and then become rightful heirs, in some cases, even above the blood family of the person involved.

And there were many famous examples of that. And while it was primarily men and adults, it wasn’t universally. So, there are cases of women being adopted and children being adopted as well. But it wasn’t adoption in the way that we often think of adoption in the modern sense, which is what we see in the world around us.

But I think one of the reasons it’s so significant here is, again, if we think of how this changes our relationship, but what is actually being said. When we understand the doctrine of adoption, when we understand what Paul is saying in this verse, is that we are children of God in Christ. We are heirs of God. We are joint heirs with Christ.

And when we understand who Jesus Christ is, that he is the Son of the Father, that he is the second person in the Trinity. It really is beyond our wildest imagination that we have been included in that relationship. We have been included in what Jesus Christ has in his relationship with the Father.

That we are his children to the point that we can cry out Abba Father. We can cry out to our Father in the most intimate terms. And when we do Paul describes that as the Holy Spirit in us bearing witness to the fact that we are children of God. And this is the purpose for which we were saved.

We weren’t just saved and then left to our own devices. No, we were saved so that we could be God’s children. We were saved so that we could be adopted and be coheirs with Christ. And that’s such a beautiful concept, but it also gives us this hope for the future when we understand that we haven’t just been saved from our sins.

As incredible as that fact is, in fact, God goes even further, and he includes us into his family. He makes us his children and that we are coheirs with Jesus Christ.

[00:37:57] Anthony: There’s a lot of groaning going on in this passage, Gavin. Help us to apprehend what Paul is writing for us in the latter half of the pericope.

[00:37:58] Gavin: There is quite a lot of groaning, and when you read through this, it is one of those words that stands out. I think verse 22 is a really helpful one for us to understand what Paul was talking about when he is talking about the groaning, because he says, we know that the whole of creation has been groaning together as it suffers together, the pains of labor.

And as we think about that, you think of a pregnant woman who is in incredible pain through much of the periods of labor, and they will be groaning and yelling out. But it’s a kind of preparation for what is to come and the joy of the child that is about to be born.

And I think it helps us to understand that what Paul is talking about in the groaning is there is a part of ourselves, there’s a part of creation all around us, that is longing for this time when sin will be no more, is longing for this time when everything will come to that fullness that has been promised to us in Jesus Christ.

I really think it’s talking about the longing that we have in us for a time when there will be no more sin, a time when we will have the new earth and the new heaven that Paul talks about elsewhere in Scripture. So, when he’s talking about the groaning in this passage it’s groaning in the sense of anticipation, but it’s also a recognition at this moment that the world that we live in is not the way that it should be. It is a world that is marred by pain, is marred by sin, but that the pain and the sin of this world is not the final word. Instead, it is something we are going through, the pain of labor we have as we look forward to that time when we will have the redemption of our bodies, as Paul puts it, while we wait for adoption.

So, it focuses us. Yes, we recognize the problems in the world around us, but it also clearly paints the picture of the hope that we have in the future. And that is the hope that we look for, that we wait for with patience.

[00:40:20] Anthony: Yeah, that’s a good word—that pain doesn’t get the final word. We know that Jesus Christ is the inerrant and infallible living Word of God, and he has the final word.

But it also gets me thinking, Gavin, how it would reframe pain that we experience on this side of the veil of heaven, to understand it as labor pain. That there is something more to come, new life that we will experience in its fullness.

Our final passage of the month is Romans 8:26 – 39. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 12 in Ordinary Time, which is July the 30.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ who died, or rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced 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.

It’s probably unfair to only have a few moments, Gavin, to discuss this amazing passage. It’s a challenge to even know where to begin. So where would you like to begin, Gavin?

[00:43:21] Gavin: This is such a beautiful passage of Scripture. I mean, really this is. As you reflect on those words, you can almost get lost in them because this is Paul at his very best, I think, in this section in Scripture.

But if we go back to the start of our passage here, I think really what he’s saying is so encouraging for us as Christians, as disciples, as followers of Jesus Christ that we aren’t doing this alone. In everything that we do, God is with us. The Spirit helps us in our weakness.

And I think particularly for a lot of new believers this is a passage that is really helpful for them to understand that God isn’t asking them to rely on their own strength. And even when it comes to something which is as fundamental for Christians as praying, God helps us with our prayers. And sometimes for new believers, it can be really challenging when you are praying with other believers.

Some believers really have a gift for prayer, and when they pray, it is so uplifting and encouraging. And as a new believer, you can struggle because sometimes your prayer life is still developing. Sometimes you might even find it difficult to know where to begin in prayer. But what this verse is saying is just start.

Because the truth is the Spirit helps us. Often when we pray, our prayers are very selfish. They’re focused often on our immediate needs. And sometimes they go a little bit beyond that. But the reality is that every time we pray, the Holy Spirit is interceding with us and transforming our prayers as they’re presented to God.

And God knows our hearts. He knows the mind of the Spirit, and he knows what we need. And this is the God we worship. This is the God we praise. This is the God who loves us, that even when it comes to prayer, he is at work for us. He is helping us. And so, it means that we should never hesitate.

In our prayers we have nothing to fear about praying to God or that we make mistakes in our prayer, because inevitably we will sometimes say the wrong thing or sometimes, we don’t even know what to say. Sometimes we are confronted with difficult scenarios, and we don’t even know the right thing to pray for.

I’ve been [with] people who are very unwell and are at the point where it’s not clear what their future should be. What is the best thing for them at that stage in their life? And sometimes we just don’t even know what to pray in those circumstances. But the good news is the Holy Spirit is with us.

We don’t do anything by ourselves. God is with us. He is for us. And this is what this passage is saying.

Again, if we go back to that “now and not yet” concept, here God is saying his plans for us is more than we might think. He predestined every one of us to be conformed to the image of his Son. He predestined every one of us to be like Jesus and that’s an incredible thought! We can think in our own lives, how are we ever going to be remotely like Jesus? And yet here we’re told the Spirit helps us in our weakness, helps us to be conformed to the image of his Son, the image of Jesus Christ.

This is really encouraging news. And that’s certainly where I would begin on this passage because I think this is something that people new in the faith really need to hear and to understand that they do not engage in discipleship alone. God is with them at every stage through the process.

[00:47:46] Anthony: Yeah. I’ve often asked if the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf and Jesus is also interceding on our behalf at the right hand of the Father, which this passage points to, why bother to pray? If they are praying for us and they know the will of the Father.

But it’s relational, right? Just like with your own three children, Gavin, you probably have a pretty good idea of what their school life looks like, but you still want to know, to hear them talk about their experiences because it’s relational.

And I think that’s part of what conforms us to the image of the Son. In our time of just relating with God, in the Spirit, as they intercede on our behalf, that we come to know something of the mind of Christ, and we are formed by it. Hallelujah. Praise God.

I’m hard pressed to think of a better way to end our time together than worshiping the God who says nothing can separate us.

And I think he really means nothing, as he goes through this litany of list here from the apostle Paul. So, herald, this good news for us, Gavin.

[00:48:54] Gavin: Yeah, so this is just such a beautiful section of Scripture here—to think that there’s just nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

It’s such a powerful concept because the reality is that so often in our lives, we do feel separated. We do feel isolated from others. If you look around society today, loneliness is such a problem. People feel alone. People feel unloved. And you can see this throughout societies and in different cultures and different places around the world.

And yet the good news is nobody is unloved. God’s love for us is so much greater than we can imagine. His love was so great that he gave his own son Jesus Christ, so that all of us can have life, so that all of us can share in the inheritance that Jesus Christ has. This is the good news that we are called to.

The reality is that if we go through periods where we do feel separated, we need to return to this scripture. We need to remember the promise we have: there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ.

And then Paul goes on to really highlight that it’s absolutely nothing. Death itself cannot separate us from the love of God. So, nobody who has died is separated from the love of God. Nothing we can face in life can separate us from the love of God. There are no beings or powers out there that can separate us from God’s love. There’s no heights, no depth.

There’s nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And so really this should be our identity as Christians. This should be the foundation that we rest upon—that we are loved by God with the love that we as humans will spend the rest of our lives slowly beginning to understand more and more of.

I don’t think there’ll ever be a stage where we as human beings fully understand the fullness of God’s love. But we will spend the rest of our lives, the rest of our rest of eternity, learning more and more the love that God has for us, the love that has been displayed for us in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

[00:51:30] Anthony: Hallelujah. That is some really good news.

I want to thank you, Gavin, for joining us here on Gospel Reverb. It’s been a blessing to have this conversation around something we’re both passionate about, and that is the written word of our Lord.

And I want to remind our listeners, Christ has descended deeper than any abyss you might find yourself falling into. He has likewise ascended higher than all things, and now carries with him his humanity in the presence of our Father. Therefore, Paul can say, if God is for us who can be against us? Hallelujah.

I want to thank Reuel Enerio, our podcast producer, who does such a great job, and also Elizabeth Mullins, my wife. I like her exceptionally, and she also does the transcription.

Gavin, your words are going to be remembered for a long time to come. Thank you for them. As is our tradition here on the podcast, we like to end in prayer. Gavin, would you please pray for us?

[00:52:34] Gavin: Sure.

Heavenly Father, what a joy it is to be able to spend time in Scripture to reflect on the words that you have given us, Lord. Words that testify to your Son, Jesus Christ, that testified to what Jesus Christ has done for us. And as we have looked at these words, Lord, one of the things that is so striking is the love that you have for us. Father, words don’t begin to describe that love.

We find ourselves struggling at the very limits of language as we try and articulate how great the love that you have for us is, Lord. But Father, we praise you. We thank you for what you have done for us in Jesus Christ. And Father, I pray for everybody who’s listening to this podcast, that you’ll inspire them, that you’ll encourage them, that you’ll help them to hear your words to them.

Lord, as they listen to this podcast, that you’ll encourage them to go out and to reclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, the good news of what Jesus Christ has done for us, that he has saved us from our sins. We no longer have to try and work out our own salvation. We no longer have to try and work out our own righteousness, but instead we just rest and trust in Jesus.

And through Jesus, we have been saved for a purpose. And that purpose is life with you, Lord. And Father, we thank you for the hope that you have given us. We thank you that as difficult as this world may be, as difficult as the challenges that we face on a daily basis in our lives, that we know we have an eternal future that is secure in Jesus Christ.

Father, we ask that you help us to rest in that good news, to rest in that hope. And Father, let us turn our eyes squarely on your Son, Jesus Christ. Let us joyfully move towards him in every way that we possibly can.

Father, I just pray for everybody listening to this and I pray for your church. I pray for the body of Christ that you’ll encourage that. And we just pray for that time when you will return to this world in glory and the whole earth will finally understand who you are. Lord, that is our longing, that is what we hope for.

And so, we just give all praise to you, and I thank you for everybody involved in this podcast who has helped it happen as well, Lord. Just thank you, Lord. And I say this in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.


Thank you for being a guest of Gospel Reverb. If you like what you heard, give us a high rating and review us on iTunes, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast content. Share this episode with a friend. It really does help us get the word out as we are just getting started. Join us next month for a new show and insights from the RCL. Until then, peace be with you!

Missional Rhythms w/ Charles Fleming

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In this episode, Cara Garrity, interviews Charles Fleming, retired GCI Regional Director for Latin America and Caribbean and current regional support team member in GCI-US Southeast Region. He is particularly passionate about the health of the church, its mission, and spiritual formation.  These days he lives in Orlando FL with his wife Carmen – they have 3 adult children and two grandchildren. Together Cara and Charles discuss the missional rhythms of Healthy Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We need to recognize that the church does not have a mission, but rather God has a mission, and the church is the instrument of that mission. So, it’s more accurate to say God’s mission has a church. This is the expression in our world. In the way Israel was supposed to be a presence of God, of what a kingdom looks like, we as individuals and as a corporate body are God’s representatives. We are the only institution that Jesus says, I sign off on this. It’ll never die out because it is that important to God. … we need to allow the Spirit of God to help us to move from saying mission is optional; some people are missional, and some are not. No, every Christian should have an identity of being sent. —Charles Fleming

Main Points:

  • What does mission mean for the Church? 1:32
  • What do we risk when we neglect missional rhythms? 15:09
  • Ordinary time – being sent in disciple-making mission. How are missional rhythms interlocked with discipleship? 18:31
  • If mission is foundational to the purpose of the Church, missional rhythms aren’t just for the Love Avenue, they show up in all ministry avenues. What are some examples of what this can look like? 26:31
  • Rhythms are dynamic not stagnant – what can it look like for missional rhythms to change over time? What does the discernment process look like? 42:57
  • What are some ways we can get started developing missional rhythms? 49:04

 

Resources:

  • Missional Living – a Church Hack that shares a framework that helps us develop missional habits in our everyday lives
  • Missional or Missionary – an Equipper article distinguishing between missional rhythms and missionary activities.
  • Missionary vs Missional – a Church Hack differentiating between missional rhythms and missionary activities.
  • Team Based – Pastor Led – Team Based – Pastor Led is the leadership model for GCI churches. With our theology as a foundation, this model provides a structure for building teams that will embody our vision for Healthy Church.
  • Love Avenue Resources – within our Team Based – Pastor Led model the Love Avenue is dedicated to the mission of sharing the good news of Jesus with our neighbors.

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Program Transcript


Missional Living w Charles Fleming

Welcome to the GC Podcast. A podcast to help you develop into the healthiest ministry leader you can be by sharing practical ministry experience.


Cara: Hello friends, and welcome to the latest episode of GC Podcast. This podcast is devoted to exploring best ministry practices in the context of Grace Communion International churches.

I’m your host, Cara Garrity, and today I am blessed to interview Charles Fleming. Charles retired from GCI in 2019 after over 40 years of service, and during that time he served as a pastor in Jamaica, regional director for Latin American, Caribbean, and a mission developer for the Caribbean region. He’s particularly passionate about the health of the church mission and Spiritual formation.

These days he’s living in Orlando, Florida with his wife, Carmen. They have three adult children and two grandchildren, Addison and Luke. Charles, thank you so much for joining us today. It’s a privilege to have you on the podcast.

[00:01:05] Charles: Cara, thank you so much for having me. I feel very privileged that we can talk about mission, which in many ways is the heartbeat of the church because our Lord Jesus Christ was that first missionary who was sent from heaven. I’m just excited to be with you. Thank you for the opportunity.

[00:01:22] Cara: Absolutely. And amen. Already you’re starting to preach to us, so I say, why don’t we just go on ahead and dive on in. The first thing that I want to ask you, Charles, is what does mission mean for the church?

[00:01:39] Charles: Cara, that’s such a great question. But before we can really talk about what mission means for the church, I think we need to talk a little bit about what is mission. And my simple understanding of mission is what God does. And we get to participate in what God does. And so that’s it.

One of the things that I’ve been excited about is, as you read the literature, more and more people, like Ed Stetzer who works with very well known in evangelical circles, has mentioned that one of the big breakthroughs theologically is the recognition that mission is something that God does. That God is a missional God.

And some people even go so far as to say that they’ve added mission as one of the attributes of God. That familiar list of God is ever present. He’s all wise, all knowing. But in reading the biblical and studying the biblical record and just looking at the activity of the Church over the centuries, many people are now saying that mission is an attribute of God.

And when you think about it, Jesus was sent, and a missionary is someone who is sent. Jesus was sent by the Father, and he actually said as the Father, as he closed his ministry, getting ready to go to the cross, that ultimate sacrifice where he expressed the love of God. Mission is really the overflow of God’s love.

So, Jesus, coming from Father with the Spirit, was that overflow of love and the expression on the cross. But just before he died, he met in private with his disciples in that upper room of John 20. And he says, as the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. So that was like a private commissioning for the disciples, and when becoming now apostles, people who are sent. And then of course there’s the public anointing on Pentecost where the Spirit is given in a very public way.

But back in that private commissioning, Jesus literally breathed on them, says, my peace be upon you. And that word “breath” just evokes an image of the garden of Eden where God breathes a new reality, new entity into reality, humanity. He breathed into our parents, into Adam, the breath of life. And the astronomists tell us that we are stardust because the physical elements of us come from the universe, from the stars.

But when you think of Genesis, we are actually God breathed. We’re not just stardust, but we are God breathed. In that private commissioning, Jesus is creating something new, the church. And so, he breathes life into it. And that helps me to understand why he says his church will never die out because the very life breath of God is in the church. And the reason the church was raised up was to participate with Jesus in the ongoing mission, his ongoing mission.

Mission really explains the nature of and the purpose for the church. We are God’s representatives, his ambassadors, we are a royal priesthood. And I love that term from the Peter’s epistle where he talks about the royal priesthood, because the Bible’s a book that just evokes images.

And you go back to the Garden of Eden, and we see God’s story unfolding in the Garden of Eden. In the Garden of Eden, we see the intent, the original intent of God in creating humanity. He literally created a family when he created Adam. I don’t think it’s an accident that in Luke 3:38, when Luke is giving the genealogy of Jesus, he says, this person was the son of such and such, and that was a son of such and such. When he gets all the way back, he says, and Adam was the son of God.

Many years, I just thought of that as like a literary device, or oh yeah by creation. But when we look at Genesis 1 and 2, we see God fathering his created family, because what does a father do? He provides safety and security.

And what is the Garden of Eden? On a planet that’s teaming with potential but not developed, God places Adam, but not in the undeveloped wilderness. He carves out, he creates a garden. So, for the first time on the planet is what we would call, we humans call culture. There’s agriculture and horticulture.

God creates a safe place for his children. And then you get this picture of him pointing to trees and saying, these are for food. What does a parent do? He provides the physical needs of his children. So, he provides the physical needs, but also the psychological. God is keeping company with Adam.

And then God says these words. He says, it’s not good for this male to be alone. And so, he creates one like him, one equal with him, and declares the two, man and woman, image bearers. There’s an equality in scripture, so we see God’s heart. I’ve created a family that is capable of multiplying. I’m taking care of their physical needs, their safety needs. I’m taking care of their psychological needs.

And then he’s made us to have a needing for purpose and significance. He then says, you are my image bearers. You represent me. This is almost like a priestly role. I want you to view what I’m doing here in this garden. And for me, the Garden of Eden is like a model home.

It’s interesting, Cara, when I first moved in, Carmen and I moved into this house here in Orlando, we drove up from South Florida. And we saw all the beautiful models in the office. But I told the real estate agent, I want to see the property. And he says, you don’t want to go there; it’s just swamp and mosquitoes and trees. And I go, I want to.

At the time, I don’t know why I did it, but now I look back I got a picture of what Eden was like, because we went, and he was right. It was swamp, it was mosquitoes, it was trees. But then six months later we moved up, and there was a subdivision with infrastructure streets and electricity and water and a beautiful home, the home that we wanted.

And even in our fallen state, we are doing what God intended back in the garden where he said, multiply and fill the earth. I want you to do to the rest of the earth what I have done here. I’ve taken this section of the planet that’s teaming with potential, but I’ve developed it as a model to you of what I want you to do.

This was God’s dream. And we see that God had a bigger purpose. He was going to be mentoring Adam and Eve. He’s empowering Adam. He says you get to name the animals. That’s not just giving tasks or responsibilities, it’s giving authority because you are, to use the words from Genesis, you are to rule with and under me.

So, it’s a kingly role. A priestly role was God’s intent. And we read of a tree of life that—in a way I don’t understand—that God was going to allow them, if they made the right choice to somehow transition from mortal to immortal, to borrow Paul’s words. But we know that it was eternal life that was being offered if they made the right choice because he says once they sinned, I’m barring you from this tree because I don’t want you to live forever. Because he knew the kind of hell on earth we would create, and there was no way he was going to allow us to impose on ourselves an eternity of misery and allow us to contaminate the beauty that is heaven, his heavenly realm.

And when you read Genesis, and when I get to the end of chapter 2, if Genesis were a movie, we would cue the ominous music. And very often when I read the end of Genesis 2, I’m actually hearing the theme from Jaws [1975 US film about a shark]. Now that may not be a good representation, but I think you know what that sounds like from Jaws.

But we know what comes in Genesis 3; we call it the fall. And at that point we recognize from the rest of Scripture that the triune God—that sweet society as the Quakers call the Father, Son, and Spirit—they had a choice to make. They have chosen freely to create us, and out of the freedom of their love, they have created us, and they want us to love them back in freedom.

They’re not going to impose us. They’re not going to force us to love them. So, they’ve given us a choice. We can choose to let God be involved in our lives. And think of the beauty of that picture in Genesis 2; it says in the cool of the evening, God comes looking for them. But what do humans do in the cool of the evening?

It’s an evocative phrase. We sit back on the back porch in the evening when we have the time, and we commune with each other. God was not just task-oriented with Adam and Eve; he was enjoying them. God has created a family to enjoy them and enjoy him, the family to enjoy each other.

But also, to be involved in the family business because he’s sending Adam and Eve out to replenish this earth, to fill this earth with life, and to be the priests who would bring out the full potential of the planet to the glory of God, and also to bring joy to ourselves. So that’s the heart we see in Genesis. A God who says, I’ve created a family, and I want to invite them into the family business.

But of course, our parents went prodigal. And if this were a TV series, we would have to get the backstory at this point. And Genesis 1 gives us a glimpse into that backstory where there was a time before time, if I could put it that way, where the triune God had a conversation, let us make humans in our image and likeness.

And they made this decision. But once the fall happens, that prodigal move, we find that God says, we are not going to live through eternity without our beloved family. So now God goes into the phase of regathering the family.

And he sends Abraham to a new land to build a relationship with God. He raises up Israel to be in anticipation of redemption because they were to be a nation representing God’s ways. It literally says in Exodus 19, that they’re to be a kingdom of priests echoing Genesis. You’re going to be a kingdom of priests representing what life under my rule can be like.

And we know Israel failed, but ultimately Jesus was sent and he self-identified as one who is sent. He says, for this reason, I was sent to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, the rule of God in our lives. This loving, generous, benevolent rule by our God who just loves us and wants us to be a part of the family and wants us to live on into eternity in doing the family business. Because in Revelation, it tells us that we then get to inherit all things, and we will reign with him.

I don’t know what that’s going to be like. I don’t speculate. I just know that if God says he wants us to be kings and priests with him, it goes all the way back to his original intent and it’s going to be good. I look forward to that.

I think you see if we think of God’s story and see God’s story in this way, we see a God who is sending and sent. And so, what does that mean for the church? It means that we exist as God’s called-out people to represent him, to be that royal kingly priesthood, as Peter puts it.

And therefore, we worship God—and I really appreciate in our church the way we’ve come up with these Love Avenues—but we worship God. We are building a family that is loving and enjoying each other. But we also understand that we exist not for ourselves, but to go forth, to be sent forth.

So that’d be my answer. What does the mission mean for the church? It helps us to understand the very nature and the purpose for the church. We’re not called up because we’re better or more special compared to others. We’re just privileged to join Jesus in his love, ongoing labor of love on this planet.

[00:14:33] Cara: Amen. Thank you, Charles. That is such a rich—just full of meaning and God’s story. It’s not just, mission is a thing that we think about or do, but it’s part of who God is and who we are purposed to be as the church. And I’m wondering because often we can think of mission as just something that we do maybe one time a year or one activity or maybe just something that we think about or intellectualize.

What do we risk when we do neglect missional rhythms that have depth and richness to them?

[00:15:16] Charles: Ah, Cara, we risk so much because first of all, we’re missing the fullness of who God is. And I love to tell that story because I think story rather than—there’s beauty in the traditional view of Creation, fall, redemption, new creation. You probably saw that as a structure behind the story I told. But rather than putting it in these sparse terms that are almost sound theologically out there, God has created us to be a storied people. We live out of stories that trigger our imagination.

Eden is not like Camelot. It is not some mythical, we think it might have happened, and we hope it happens again. It’s a reality that tells us the heart of God. And to answer your question, we are missing a piece of who God is.

He’s a Father who has created a family, and there is a Son who is that older brother that did not leave when our parents went prodigal, he stayed at home. But unlike the older brother in the parable, when he stayed at home, he totally identified with the Father. Because he is God like the Father. And when he did leave, like the youngest son, he came for a different reason. He came to rescue us. And so, we miss a dynamic of Jesus.

One of the things that has struck me is in Hebrews 3:1, we read that we get to partake in the very ministry of Jesus, and it’s described in two ways, the apostle and high priest. And we spend a lot of time on the high priest passage, which we need to, but we don’t really develop the apostle part, that Jesus is the original sent one.

There’s a whole dimension to Jesus that is missed if we neglect mission, that Jesus is the missionary. And then of course, we run the risk of just becoming a closed society, shutting ourselves off from the world, protecting ourselves. Or on the other hand, we become judgmental and look down on the rest of the world rather than seeing we’re a bunch of prodigals who have been privileged to know Christ and saved, and now we get to join Jesus in reaching out to our brother or our siblings who our prodigals still in the way we were.

I think that’s some of it, that our attitudes are malformed. Our hearts are also malformed if we miss the heart of God that is represented by mission and by Jesus as the missionary.

[00:17:50] Cara: Yeah. That’s really powerful because again, it comes back to, what is mission and it’s at the heart of who God is and who Jesus is as the sent one.

And that makes me think about another angle or experience of who we are as his followers. And what it means to experience and grow in who he is. When this podcast episode is released, it’s going to be, in the worship calendar, Ordinary Time. And it’s a time when we think about being discipled and being sent in disciple-making mission.

How are these missional rhythms that we’re talking about actually participating in this sent-ness that is at the heart of who God is? How is it connected with discipleship and being a disciple of Christ?

[00:18:54] Charles: What a great question, Cara. And you really put your finger right on it.

The whole concept of sent-ness, in other words, if it is true—and it certainly is—what Paul said in Relations 4:19, that until Christ is formed in us, if that is our quote unquote destination, in other words, that as Christ by his Spirit works in me and transforms me into his image, he’s discipling me, then I want to have an identity of being sent.

I would say three things in response to your question. There’s identity, there is a posture, and then there’s habits of mission. And let me explain what I mean. I think maybe I can tell it with a story. I read Michael Frost’s book on Surprise the World, The Habits of Highly Effective Missional People.

I read that about 5, 6 years ago. And I led a discipleship group and also had the opportunity to teach some of it to a congregation. And here’s the mistake I made. I went straight to the habits. Eat with people, bless people. And it never worked. None of us changed in any way. We got excited for three or four weeks and then, just like the dew before the rising sun, had evaporated.

And then about a year ago, Anthony Mullins, who is regional director for the Southeast. And I support Anthony in what he’s doing. He sent the book to me, and I’d forgotten about the book. And this time I read it all the way through. And at the end of it, Michael Frost says, these habits are intended to help us grow into an identity of sent-ness.

So, what I would say is I made a huge mistake. I just went straight for behavior. And we need to act from the very beginning. I’m not saying that. But unless we integrated into the idea that we are developing an identity of being sent, it will not last. And that’s where posture comes in. I see posture as an attitude, an orientation, out of becoming like Jesus and growing into sent-ness that we begin to have a posture that says, I want to get in out there and I want to share some of this wonderful news with others.

So missional rhythms, I think we have to do all three at the same time, but maybe at the beginning, stress that this is about affecting your identity.

And I’m teaching a class on missional living at GCS [Grace Communion Seminary] right now. And one of the things I’ve tried to help people to understand how we grow into the image of Christ is to say, let’s look at the “I am” statements in our lives. And there are a number, a cluster of “I am” statements that round out identity.

For example, you might say I am a woman. I would say I am a man. We’re beginning to identify ourselves. We might say, I am a citizen of the United States, and that’s our social location because it gives us a history, a sense of belonging, and it also gives us a sense of purpose.

And then we might talk about our profession, I’m a teacher, a truck driver, and we round it out And one of the challenges I’ve given the students is to say, do you include in your “I am” statements, and does it come from your heart: I am one sent? I am a fellow missionary with Jesus. There is an intentionality that says, when I take Michael Frost’s book and I start inviting people to eat with me, and I start seeking to bless people who maybe are not Christians, am I at the same time saying, Lord, help me?

So that it becomes, I lean into this, the posture of my heart is I want to be with Jesus as he ministers to people that I happen to meet and maybe I get to participate. Am I? And so, I’m trying to use the “I am” statements to add to that cluster, rounding out my identity. I am once sent.

So, I’m trying to use that language as a way of helping me and reinforcing what the action is doing. And then when you are out there sharing with people, Jesus becomes very evident. You see the way he works; you say something that you thought was a casual comment, and a few weeks later, somebody says that really helped me. And you [think], how do you remember me saying that? Must have been the Spirit.

To me, one of the rhythms for growing interpersonally is that we recognize the need for action. We need to go into action. We need to be involved in the Love Avenue, but we also need a posture, which is like Spiritual formation.

We need to be part of the Faith Avenue where we are living life on life with members of the family. But we’re looking for ways to invite people who are not yet aware of their membership in the family to join us. But at the same time, in our devotions and in our conversations, we’re saying, Lord, I am just grateful to be one sent. Can you help me to change my perspective of not understanding that I can?

It becomes natural, and obviously this will take time. You don’t take on something at a deep identity level overnight. But there’s some intentionality and a systematic approach, so that’s how I’m trying to approach that.

[00:24:10] Cara: Yes. And you know what I really like about how you’ve just talked about this—discipleship is about transformation. And it’s not just that behavior modification. So, if being sent, if in ordinary time, we’re thinking about who are we as disciples and who are we as being sent in disciple-making mission, it does come down to that identity. And is this coming out of growing in our identity in Christ or is it just something we think that we’re supposed to do to check something off a list? And you mentioned earlier too that part of the heart of mission is: what is God doing?

When it flows from identity, I’m sure that it would keep us more Christ-centered in that way, because it’s not about, I did this missional thing. But when it comes from our identity in Christ, it’s, oh, this is what God was up to. And I just had the privilege to participate, to come alongside.

Yeah, that’s excellent. That’s excellent. Yes. You did mention the Avenues as well. I think that it’s really important to think about how we practice the missional rhythms together as a church community. Because as you said, mission is the purpose of the church.

So, if mission is foundational to why the church exists and missional rhythms aren’t just an activity to do, but part of the heart of God and who he’s making us to be as his sent people, then they’re not just activities that are secluded to the Love Avenue. Missional rhythms show up across all aspects of ministry, all aspects of being the church.

I’m wondering what are some examples of what this can look like? Because the Love Avenue is where we do concentrate and give focused attention to missional rhythms. But what does it look like to pay attention to missional rhythms across all Avenues of ministry?

[00:26:30] Charles: I like that question. Before I answer it, could I just hit one thing in terms of growing into this image of sent-ness?

We need to recognize that the church does not have a mission, but rather God has a mission, and the church is the instrument of that mission. So, it’s more accurate to say God’s mission has a church. This is the expression in our world. In the way Israel was supposed to be a presence of God, of what a kingdom looks like, we as individuals and as a corporate body are God’s representatives. We are the only institution that Jesus says, I sign off on this. It’ll never die out because it is that important to God.

I put alongside the “I am” clusters, this idea that we need to allow the Spirit of God to help us to move from saying mission is optional; some people are missional, and some are not. No, every Christian should have an identity of being sent, which brings me back now to, to your question.

When I look at the three Avenues, I just thank God for it because having been involved with the transformation of our church from back when it began in 1995, as I recall, God has done a remarkable transformation of the cultural life of what was WCG and is now GCI.

We have come to know God, the who question, who is God has transformed us. We know God in a different way, and because of that, we know ourselves in a different way. And we see other people in a different way. And one of the things that has struck me with the students that are in the missional living class is just the energy and eagerness to go out on the Love Avenue.

To the question, how do we do it? Because we’re committed. That’s the posture, the leaning forward that I see in the 12 students. Which tells me that the idea to come up with these three Avenues is Holy Spirit saying, we now need a way to focus and channel this energy that has been building up in us because of the incredible transformation of our culture.

So, we now have a structure, and I love the name Avenues because what happens in avenues? Things flow. When I look at them, my first thought is every one of us wants to be an expression of, and a representative of the Hope Avenue because we all respond to our God with worship. So, we want our church to have a very good, solid leadership, Love Avenue group that is leading us. But all of us want to learn to better worship God. So that everybody, that’s for everybody.

The Faith Avenue is where we do life on life and really and truly a high priority. In my mind for us, really is to begin to foster and cultivate connect groups because they are a way of putting some structure within churches.

But everybody, even people involved in the Love Avenue need the Faith Avenue, and then I’m back to sent-ness. Everybody needs to be sent.

So, when you talk about rhythms, when I look at where we are as a denomination, even though mission is my passion, here’s the advice I would give to pastors and leadership teams, whether it’s a congregation or a fellowship group: I would say you’ve probably got your Hope Avenue. Chances are most groups have their Hope Avenue pretty well developed because we’ve spent most of our human resources, our energy, and our time in our worship services. We’re not where we need to be yet, but the RCL has just breathed a life into our congregations.

If I were a pastor, I would say in terms of rhythms, I would disconnect myself a bit. If I’ve been preaching four times a month, I would cut back to three. If I’ve been doing three, I’d cut back to two and empower some others to step up to free up time for me to put more focus on [the Faith Avenue]. And then we’re doing all three.

But it’s a matter of energy and time and effort. And put more effort into—and even though I’m missional—I would put it into the Faith Avenue, and little less energy into Love Avenue. Why? Because mission is an overflow of God’s love. We want to make sure that we as a people are being so infused with the worship, the learning to worship God in the Hope Avenue. We also want to be strengthened by the incredible disciple-making that happens in the Faith Avenue.

If I could just use throw out some random numbers just to make a point. If you have a 100% of energy that you can give to the church, because you’re a bivocational pastor, you’re a bivocational leadership team, you’ve got your family, you’ve got your own self-care, your own personal growth, as well as the job.

So, you have a certain number of hours a week to give to the church. I would say, okay, I would do enough to keep the Hope Avenue growing and developing, but most of my energy would go to Faith. But I’d also develop a few things on the Love Avenue at this stage in our history where we are. Because the stronger we are with Hope and Faith, the more effective we’re going to be in Love. And I’m not saying we don’t do any of the Love Avenue stuff! That would break my heart because it’s my passion.

But I’m thinking of two things that Jesus said in John 15:8. He says the Father is glorified with much fruit, but then in verse 60, he says, but the Father wants lasting fruit.

And one of the things I’ve learned from mistakes like with the Frost book, you want the fruits, or you jump in and just do the habits. But you’ve not laid the groundwork of the deep preparation, then it doesn’t last. And just thinking of where we are, to answer your question, if I were a leader of a fellowship group or a congregation, that’s some of the thought process I would have.

It’s a discernment not done in isolation. I would include my leadership team. I would even have town hall meetings to get a sense of what are the energy levels. There’s three things I think of in a congregation: what are the energy levels that people have? What is the critical mass? And what time do they have?

Have a town hall meeting and say, we want each of us to be people who are competent in the Hope, the Faith, and the Love. But how much energy do we have and how do we deploy ourselves in a way that we can grow? And from my perspective, and again, I want to stress, I’m a missional guy. But I think we need to add to what the strengths of our Hope Avenue are. Again, because I’m into sustainable growth, I would say for 18 months, I, as a pastor, want to put a lot of energy into the Faith Avenue. Get that really strong.

And we do some missional things along the way because there’s a lot of growth that comes from the doing—not neglecting that. But then once we’ve brought the Faith Avenue to a certain point of strength, then we really put some energy into Hope. And I think what will happen is leaders of congregations and fellowship groups, if you do that, I think you’re going to experience what I experience in this missional living class.

I have just been blown away on the level of inspiration by people who have come in with that posture. They’re leaning forward and they’re just saying show me how, show me how. That’s my take on it one, one person’s perspective.

[00:34:12] Cara: Yes. And as you were talking about even that preparedness, it made me think about if mission is at the heart of who God is and if mission is central to why the church even exists, and as part of who we’re being formed into as disciples as a sent people then, of course, discipleship Faith Avenue is part of the foundation of being sent. And I think about, even if you look at Jesus’s earthly ministry, he didn’t just pluck up the disciples and then be like, okay, now you’re sent.

But he spent that time with them. That would be akin to, in our structure, in our point in time, in history and GCI, of a connect group or something like that within the Faith Avenue. Because we do grow in time and transformation to know who God is. And to know our own identity before we have that overflow in being a sent people.

And like you said, that’s where we get that fruit that lasts, not the, oh, we’re so excited, but then two months later, we’re back to the same old, same old.

[00:35:40] Charles: Cara, could I add something? In other words, on behalf of the Love Avenue, I would say we also want to help people to recognize—and the phrase I use is—mission is done at the pace of life. I think sometimes we get intimidated, oh, we’ve got to do this, that, and the other. And again, all I have to offer is “x,” is most of us, what we experience.

Let me share my experience of how I view mission. As you mentioned, I was a mission developer, which meant that I was traveling to something like 20+ countries, helping our congregations and encouraging growth, et cetera. I’ve had a very wide public ministry where I was on mission with the Lord. Now that I’m retired, here’s what my primary mission is—and it is maybe in some ways even more fulfilling, and I think just as significant as whatever I did when I was full-time in public ministry— I now have two grandkids.

And my daughter, Annmarie, Michelle’s younger sister, lives near to us. When Addison was born, (she’s now six) we spent the first two or three years having Addison Monday to Friday, all day. And I remember how tired Carmen and I would get. We just marveled, and we’d look back and go, when we were in our 30s and 40s, we had jobs and we raised three kids, and now this one baby.

And I remember one night Carmen and I were lying in bed, and she just said, Charles, I love these kids, but I really am so exhausted, and so was I. And I had been reading in Luke 10 where Jesus sends the disciples out, part of his mentoring them to go on mission. And he says, wherever you go, tell people that the kingdom of God has been here.

And I think it was a Holy Spirit moment. I just put my hand on her, and she was laying in the bed next to me and I said, Carmen, kingdom work was done here today. And I just heard her breath out, and she says, that means it soul significant.

Because what’s behind my thought is—I’ve read upon attachment theory that all of us need to be solidly attached to our primary caregivers, especially in the first four years of life. And if that’s not there, then we end up with a lot of the insecurities that we have. And so, I’ve seen my role as, how can Carmen and I help Annie and Mike so that they’re not always exhausted, and therefore maybe cranky with their kids, so that they can have that attachment be positive.

So, we’ve invested. What I’m trying to say is that sent-ness includes going out, but sent-ness is also just doing the things at the pace of life. Are you a grandparent? Maybe you’re teaching your kids to bake. You tell them stuff like, do you know that in Jesus’ day, chances are his mom did the baking and you see the way you are scraping the bowl and eating the raw dough that I left, Jesus probably did that. You’re talking about the incarnation, but you’re bringing it into their lives.

That is some of the teaching I would do. If you go back to the scenario sketch, we’re not as emphasizing Love Avenue fully yet; the focus is on the faith. But it is that kind of perspective I would share with people, that you can be on mission. Talk about place-sharing, I’m place-sharing with my grandkids.

So now I “baby shark, baby shark” is like a hook in my ear. I’m aware of pirates and stuff in the cartoons. I got a repertoire of songs and of cartoons that are now part of my imagination because in sharing time with my grandkids, I’m connecting with them.

I’m on mission in my living room. And so, mission is at the pace of life. And I think if we can help people to see that this first steps to mission are not some giant, we got to go some far place. No, it starts in the home. Things that are ordinary to any grandparent can be made missional.

If we just find ways to just bring it back to Jesus, bring it back to the principles and teachings of the Bible. And I guess if I were to ask people to remember two things from this conversation, mission is what God is doing and we’re privileged to participate with him, and mission is done at the pace of life.

Can I look again at my life and see that maybe I’ve been more missional than I thought, but maybe I can make it even more by being intentional, just doing some of the stuff I do. But we don’t stop there. There’s not an excuse to not go out. It is just recognizing the fullness of what mission is.

But we certainly want to go out. And I would want to stress that we—even in that early 18 months that I sketched in this scenario—we want to do some things together going out, and individually going out. And then when we’ve got our Faith Avenues up to where we think it needs to be, we see that overflow, then we really go full-fledged.

Again, there are many ways to approach that, but that’s just one person’s perspective.

[00:40:53] Cara: And the beauty of this example that you’ve given, Charles, I think is there’s a holistic, kind of whole life encompassing-ness to mission. That’s part of what I meant by how do our missional rhythms, our being sent, extend beyond the Love Avenue?

It’s not just an activity or a program or a checklist or a calendar that’s confined to the activities of the Love Avenue ministries. It’s about our whole lives as they’re shaped by God. And this example that you’ve given with your grandchildren, I think is a beautiful example of what that looks like.

And then as we lean into and are transformed into being God-sent people, then corporately together as a church, we bring in that intentionality, right? And then we lean into and grow our Love Avenues and in specific ways, but it does come out of that overflow of who we are and who God has made us to be.

And your example even brings up for me this question that, when we think about rhythms and this year we’re talking a lot about healthy church rhythms, but when you look at nature, rhythms aren’t stagnant or very calculated. They’re often dynamic.

And when we think of specifically about missional rhythms and mission being what God is doing, God is a dynamic God. And I would think that missional rhythms, what mission looks like, can change from season to season. Maybe in some season, it looks like your public missional ministry, and in some season, it looks like baking with your granddaughter.

I wonder what would you say the discernment process can look like to discern what mission looks like in a particular season of life?

[00:43:09] Charles: I think the example I gave would be suggestive for individuals. That you look at where you are, what energy you have, what are the opportunities you have, and you adjust to the needs around you.

But thinking in terms of a congregation or a fellowship group, the discernment process to me is some kind of a town hall meeting, some kind of casual, informal conversations with people in your group, in the fellowship group or a congregation. Let’s talk about your margins. How much time do you have?

And even, how can you create more space in your schedule for something more missional. So, we’re allowing people to speak because somebody with small kids has different opportunities because of different priorities than somebody who might be an empty-nester. And so being in tune with where people in the congregation are and helping them to see how they can do mission at the pace of their life, where they’re at, is one level of discernment.

But then based on that, you step back, you zoom out and say, okay, let’s look at the aggregate of the congregation. We’ve got an older group, or we’ve got a younger group, we’ve got a mixed group. How can we now look at the needs of the community outside of us? And with our energy levels, the time that we have available, and our particular gifting, what are we going to do as we reach out? Are we going to maybe go to a fair held in our city? Are we going to have a Vacation Bible School? What can we do that would match a need in the community? You’re scanning the community and its needs, but you’re also very in tune with where the congregation is.

And then you develop rhythms that again, come back to what is not taking people too far out of their pace of life. Hopefully the love of Christ to be with him would allow them to adjust the pace of other areas of their lives and make space for more of this.

Those are some of the thoughts that I have on that.

[00:45:25] Cara: Yeah, that’s helpful. That’s really helpful.

[00:45:29] Charles: I guess what I would say is let’s not try to copy some other congregation. Let’s say, these are the people that Jesus has given me to serve, and here we are at this stage of our lives. A group that I’m very sensitive to because when I was working, we had to deal with some churches that became fellowship groups and then became very small.

I didn’t have the beauty of the Love, Faith and Hope Avenues. But when I look back, I realize that the Spirit allowed me to give some advice to some pastors. And the basic way I’d summarize it is if we are getting to a point where we have an elderly group, and they’re just down to maybe five or six people, I’ve seen groups that resisted the thought that maybe they needed to close, and it was very painful when they closed.

And I’ve also seen groups where in the past, the leader of the group said, how can I prepare people for the time if God allows us, because it’s his church, this particular expression, this particular congregation that’s now a fellowship group, to cease to exist. How can I prepare them for after? And one situation I remember was, there was one situation where there was an elderly lady at a nursing home who people would come to for advice. But their thought was, how can we maybe even spend a few dollars and give her money to buy some song books or some bibles so she can now—she’s already said people are coming to her.

She’s living that sent-ness of people around her in the nursing home are asking her for advice. She’s already got the makings of a Faith Avenue, in a sense, or at least the essence of the Faith Avenue and the essence of being sent. How can we now equip her, maybe there could be a little bit of the Hope Avenue that people maybe could sing together, buy an instrument if somebody could play.

So, there’s that thought process that here we are at a stage in life. We are elderly, we don’t have a lot of energy. Our group has, for whatever reasons, young people have moved out of the area or whatever. Our church is no longer viable, and we see that we may need to close the doors.

How can we equip and empower people to have the essence of Hope, Faith, and Love Avenues? So again, it’s back to your question. How do we deal with the dynamic fact that, that life is dynamic, and we only have so much energy, so much time, and the needs around us. How can we match those up based on where we are?

And so that’s, to me, a hopeful way of even viewing the fact that some of our fellowship groups are very small. Instead of petering out, we could say, Lord, we’re going to do all we can do for growth. But if you allow this to come to an end, we want to be able, wherever we go, to bring elements of worship, of fellowship, and of sent-ness, wherever we go.

It’s like we become an individual that represents what is behind these Avenues.

[00:48:41] Cara: Yes. And I appreciate what you said about it’s not just copy, I call it the copy and paste, right? You don’t just do what another church is doing because that’s not discerning what God is doing in your midst.

But to do that together as a community, whatever stage he has you in, whether it is a smaller aging group or a young growing group or something in between. What is God doing in your midst and how can you participate in that? That’s excellent.

And so, we are coming up towards the end of our time. I have a final question for you today. And it’s no small question. I’m wondering for those of us who are listening, what are some ways that we can get started developing missional rhythms of being God-sent people?

[00:49:30] Charles: I would say that I would have a couple of questions in mind as I travel through life. I would say, Jesus, what are you doing in this room as I enter it, can you show me? And could you let me know if you’re inviting me into it? Because some things are for us, and some are not.

And I got these questions from Henry Blackaby back in the 2000s, his book Experiencing God. I actually wrote them on a little 2×5 card. This is before cell phones. We’d probably put them in there now. But I would put them in my pocket. And called the use of the little 2×5 cards was like my training wheels. If I wanted to build a new habit, I would it jot down and pull them out, and I found that really helpful.

Jesus, what are you doing in this place right now here at work in the middle of maybe a conflict? What are you doing here? How can I participate in this in a way that you’d want me to? Or we are doing some blue skying, or we’re just at a coffee shop, what are you doing here?

And it’s not to preach. It’s to enter into a conversation and bring some comfort to people or maybe to enter into a conversation and enjoy people. Because remember, God’s heart revealed in Genesis is he wants people who just enjoy life together. And then join him in the family business. So, sometimes just putting people at ease might be all that is asked for.

For me, that has been ground zero of the beginning of this journey for me. Those two questions that I got from Henry Blackaby I would suggest that.

Then thirdly, I would say a willingness to do a sensitivity to the Spirit and a willingness to do something that you normally wouldn’t do. And that to me is a challenge. Am I willing to do that? Because very often, you find that when you do push through it—I don’t really want to do that, but you do it. Suddenly you see the glory of God.

To me, I am struck by Jesus in John 2, where a couple get married, and the wine runs out and Jesus turns water into wine. And what struck me, more than just defying physics, was the fact that in the scheme of things, running out of wine is an insignificant thing in the general scheme of life. But what I learned from that is for Jesus, if it’s significant to us, it’s significant to him. And I’ve tried to keep that in mind. Because he taught me a lesson. One day, I was reading it, and I go, if you’re not organized, in my mind I go, if you’re not organized enough to organize your own wedding, you don’t deserve a good wedding.

And the Holy Spirit nailed me for that. He says, you have a gift of organization, but don’t judge people by that. And so, the takeaway for me is, okay I’ve asked the question, what’s Jesus doing and how can I join him? What’s Jesus doing and how can I join him?

And okay, this is inconvenient, or it’s not my cup of tea. Do it, Charles. It’s what I try to tell myself because if it’s significant to us, Jesus would see it as significant. So those are three things I would suggest on a personal level.

[00:52:58] Cara: That is absolutely insightful. Particularly for me, what sticks out to me is that willingness to follow the lead of the Spirit, even if it’s not something you would normally do or want to do or be inclined to do. Because again, as we’re defining mission as what God is doing, it’s what God is doing, not what Cara wants to do in that moment.

So sometimes what it means is to do something that Cara wouldn’t do in that moment or wouldn’t want to do. Yeah. That’s excellent.

[00:53:35] Charles: Yep. That’s what it is.

[00:53:39] Cara: And challenging. But that’s excellent even on a practical level to think about in the real life sometimes taking that step mission means doing something I wouldn’t really want to do on my own.

That’s good.

[00:53:53] Charles: And the other lesson I’ve got is you cannot let the gifts that God gives you overly-shape your life because then you become judgmental or prideful or whatever.

[00:54:06] Cara:  Yeah, that’s a good word. Charles, I appreciate your time so much. This has been an incredibly rich conversation about mission, and I know that we are really just scratching the surface here. I thank you so much for sharing your insights and your experiences with us today, and I pray for our listeners that this helps us to follow God’s leading to grow as his sent people.

But before I let you go today, I’ve got some fun questions for you. You can answer first thing that comes to mind, and we’re just going to have a little bit of fun with it.

You ready for this part of our episode today? All right. This one I think is going to be especially fun for you. What is your favorite book genre?

[00:55:00] Charles: Book genre. I love fantasy novels. The type of fantasy that is either space, like sci-fi, or even historical novels with dragons and stuff.

[00:55:11] Cara: Ah, yeah. I like that. What is your favorite meal to cook?

[00:55:19] Charles: Oh, I don’t do a lot of cooking, but I certainly like to do a barbecue chicken. Another one I like is an almond-crusted chicken. And you can tell chicken is my favorite.

[00:55:29] Cara: Yes. That sounds really good though.

Okay. If you have an unlimited supply of one thing, if you could have an unlimited supply of one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be?

[00:55:43] Charles: Unlimited supply. Probably books.

[00:55:46] Cara: Ah, yes. I’m with you on that one. I’m with you there. If you could live anywhere in the world for one year, where would it be?

[00:55:56] Charles: Oh, I would love to live in Europe and just go on those river cruises and just visit all the historical sites.

[00:56:02] Cara: Oh, yes. That sounds wonderful. All right. If you, Charles, had your own late night talk show, who would you invite as your first guest?

[00:56:12] Charles: Probably Michael Jordan.

[00:56:15] Cara: Oh, fun. Okay. All right. What is your favorite activity to do with the grandkids?

[00:56:24] Charles: Oh, man. We have a slack line around the back, and they’re very athletic, so to see them turning into little monkeys climbing and falling. I just love that.

[00:56:33] Cara: That’s so fun. Oh, that’s excellent. All right, and last question. If you have to sing karaoke, what song do you pick?

[00:56:42] Charles: Lord have mercy on the people listening to me. I do not have a singing voice.

[00:56:50] Cara: So, you don’t sing karaoke? That’s the song that you pick.

[00:56:55] Charles: When I went to Jamaica, starting the church, I had to do everything. I had to lead worship songs, and I basically told the PA crew, as soon as I announced the number, just turn off the mic. [PA is the abbreviation for public address, meaning amplified sound system.]

[00:57:08] Cara: Let the people take it. Oh, that’s too funny.

Oh, thank you so much for joining us today, Charles. It’s been a good time. It is our practice with the GC Podcast to end our show with prayer. Would you be willing to pray for our churches, our pastors, and ministry leaders in GCI?

[00:57:32] Charles: Yes, indeed. It would be my pleasure.

Father, we just want to thank you that above all, we see that you are Fathering us. Thank you for being our Father. Jesus, thank you for being that older brother. And I never forget the words that you said to Mary after your resurrection, before your ascension, go and tell the brothers. I go to my God and your God. I go to my Father and your Father. You’re the sibling that is regathering the family, bringing all of us prodigals back into the fold. Thank you for that, Jesus.

Holy Spirit, we thank you that you are the one who has been sent forth, and you live in the likes of us. And even though we grieve you, you never leave us. You never forsake us. You equip us. You love on us. You constantly remind us that we are the children of God. Thank you, Father, Son, and Spirit.

I want to pray, Father, that your continued blessing will just pour out upon us in GCI. That indeed, you would increase our capacity to receive and to appreciate and to live out of the fact that the love of God, your love, has already been shared abroad. It’s flowing into our hearts. Give us the grace to access that love more fully, to get into the flow that we can be people who, in the way we live, each of us represent the essence of the Hope, Faith, and Love Avenues, the worship, the fellowship of loving like family and also the loving by going out.

May that become more and more reality. May you bless us in all of that, Lord, and may we always remember that mission is what you do, and you’ve asked us to participate in mission at the pace of our lives, lives that have been reoriented because we know the nature and the purpose for which we’ve been called as a church.

So we adjust the way we live and make a priority of worshiping you, of enjoying each other as family members, and of reaching out with your love, to invite others to accept your reign in their lives, your loving reign, that they too can be translated from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light. May we see many people brought to you, Jesus, as you continue to seek and save the lost.

We thank you and praise you. We ask a blessing on Cara and on Reuel as he does the technical part of this podcast. May this podcast be used to bless many people and the ones who listen to it, go forth to bear much fruit, lasting fruit.

And we pray this Father in the precious and powerful name of Jesus. Amen.

[01:00:21] Cara: Amen. Thank you so much, Charles, and until next time folks, keep on living and sharing the gospel.


We want to thank you for listening to this episode of the GC Podcast. We hope you have found value in it to become a healthier leader. We would love to hear from you. If you have a suggestion on a topic, or if there is someone who you think we should interview, email us at info@gci.org. Remember, Healthy Churches start with healthy leaders; invest in yourself and your leaders.

Sermon for July 2, 2023 – Proper 8

Program Transcript


Speaking of Life 5032 | Therefore…
Greg Williams

Have you ever noticed how many times the word “therefore” appears in the Bible? One rule of thumb that has been given to help understand a passage in scripture, is that when you see the word “therefore” you need to look to see what it is there for.

That’s a clever reminder that the author has previously told us something significant that will have implications for our lives. The “therefore” means that what follows will be the implications of what the author shared. As a silly example, if I told you that your house was on fire, I may choose to add, “Therefore, get out.” I hope I would not have to tell you that, but I think you get the point. Because your house is on fire, you will want to respond in a fitting way, like getting out of the house or calling the fire department.

The use of the word “therefore” reminds us that when God gives us a command or some instruction, it springs out of an important truth or promise. Sometimes the actual word “therefore” may not be written, but whenever you read a command or instruction, you don’t have to look far to see what the command or instruction is there for. It may be in the immediate passage before or it may be embedded in several chapters leading up to it.

In the book of Romans, we see an example where Paul has been talking about the reality of our union in Christ. On that basis, he then gives some implications of that wonderful truth with a “Therefore.”

Therefore, do not let sin exercise dominion in your mortal bodies, to make you obey their passions. No longer present your members to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and present your members to God as instruments of righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.
Romans 6:12-14 (NRSV)

If we read that passage and never looked to see what the “Therefore” was there for, the words may come across as burdensome and even impossible. But, because Paul has been talking about our union in Christ, these commands are fitting implications to the wonderfully good news that we have been freed from the bondage of sin to receive and live in his righteousness.

The recurring “Therefore” in scripture is letting us know that the triune God is not in love with raw and arbitrary commands. Rather, he loves us. Everything he tells us flows from that love, and from his good purposes for us. In short, there is nothing God tells us to do that is not for our good or that we must do apart from him. That’s what the “therefores” are there for.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Psalm 13:1-6 • Genesis 22:1-14 • Romans 6:12-23 • Matthew 10:40-42

This week’s theme is implications of belonging to God. The call to worship Psalm is a prayer for deliverance from enemies that turns into a prayer of rejoicing because of God’s response. The Old Testament reading from Genesis recounts the story of Abraham’s attempt to sacrifice his son Isaac only to be interrupted by God’s provision. The epistolary text in Romans provides some detailed ethical implications of our union with Christ. In the Gospel reading from Matthew, hospitality and mercy extended to a disciple is, in effect, extended to Jesus himself.

The Reward of Receiving

Matthew 10:40-42 (ESV)

Our text today comes at the end of Matthew 10 making this the third Sunday in a row covering the instructions Jesus gives his disciples for mission. If you have been following the Matthew selections in the lectionary you would probably have noticed a theme emerge from Jesus’ instruction to the disciples. Jesus and his disciples are in union together. What Jesus does, the disciples do. What Jesus faces, the disciples can expect to face. The disciples are instructed to go out just as Jesus did, proclaiming the news of God’s kingdom while healing and casting out demons. Jesus sends the disciples out to do the same ministry he has been doing. In addition, Jesus prepares his disciples to face the same rejection and persecution he did. They should not expect a warm welcome everywhere they go and in fact they will encounter some people who will be outright hostile. They are being sent out “as sheep in the midst of wolves” (Matthew 10:16). Jesus tells the disciples, “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a servant above his master” (Matthew 10:24). Jesus also prepares them to anticipate painful division within their most intimate relationships where loyalty to Jesus and his mission will be tested. But Jesus promises in Matthew 10:39, one verse before our chosen text today, that, “Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” In the end, the reward for being a follower of Christ is worth it.

That sets up the final few verses Matthew gives us in this section which will conclude Jesus’ instruction to his twelve disciples. After all the talk of persecution and division that will come to those on mission with Christ, ending on a positive note would be a good idea. So, Matthew includes Jesus’ words in these last three verses continuing the theme of the union of Jesus and his disciples, but on a positive note.

Before we look at the text more closely, you will notice one word repeated eight times in these three short verses. Receive. That seems to be the orientation of being a disciple, one who receives. That would make sense on the ground that Jesus’ ministry and mission are all an act of grace. Jesus is the Grace of God to us. We are not called to achieve something for Jesus that he does not accomplish himself. We are to receive God’s grace and participate in it. Part of that grace will be the calling to participate in ministry and mission with Jesus. So, even participating in ministry and mission becomes a way to receive more and more of Jesus. We come along and share in what he is doing, and by doing so we come to know the Lord a little more along the way. Jesus is more interested in us coming to know and trust him than he is in us accomplishing some tasks. That’s what Jesus and the Spirit are up to in our participation in ministry and mission. It’s a real participation in the very life and relationship within the Trinity. Like a mom or dad who takes the kids to work, not so much because the child will do the work, but  so they can spend time together, and the kids can come to know their parent a little more. That’s why we are called into ministry and mission.

On that basis, all disciples are included in the call to “go to work” with their Father in Jesus. For most of us that will not amount to vocational ministry or becoming a life-long missionary. Ministry and mission take place every day “as we go” into our neighborhoods, into our workplaces, into our schools, and yes, into our churches as well. We are always looking for opportunity to share with others what Jesus is sharing with us. And that may be a proclamation of the kingdom of God or an encouraging word. It may also entail some act of service, all in the name Jesus.

For most of us, the biggest mission field we will have will be our families. Perhaps this is why Jesus focuses primarily on the divisions that will come within families because of the gospel. Just a thought! But certainly, we will have daily opportunities to share the gospel in word and deed to our spouses, our children, our parents, siblings, and so on. Simply praying with your family will be one of the most powerful and effective ministries you will ever have. And reminding fellow family members of God’s goodness, his mercy and grace, during their times of struggle will serve as a missionary journey even if it just means crossing the border of another room. We often overlook all the little ways we share in what Jesus is sharing with others in our ordinary lives. Remember, we are in the season of Ordinary Time. It is in our “ordinary lives” that God’s extraordinary grace can be seen and shared. And, as we will see, there is great reward in doing so.

Let’s begin the conclusion of Jesus’ instructions to his disciples:

Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me. (Matthew 10:40 ESV)

There’s that word “receive” dominating the opening verse. In order for receiving to take place, there must first be giving. In this verse, we see the giving comes first from the Father, then from the Son, and then in this context, from the Apostles. We might put it this way: The Father gives himself through the Son and the Son gives himself through the Apostles and their mission of proclamation which was giving to them by Jesus. So, it is a cycle of giving and receiving, a circle of grace. However we describe mission or being a disciple, it has everything to do with receiving from another and then giving to another, everything to do with a life full of grace. This pattern can be traced back to God’s original covenant with Abraham that says,

I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. (Genesis 12:3 ESV)

That’s what Jesus is instructing his disciples to do. To be a blessing. And the biggest blessing we can be to others is to give them the message of good news that the Father has blessed them by giving them his Son. In receiving the Father’s blessing, they too will become blessed to be a blessing.

Let’s take an important closer look at what we can observe from the first three words of this verse, “Whoever receives you…” The “you” here refers to the original twelve disciples, which Matthew designates at the beginning of this section as the Apostles (Matthew 10:2). And remember what the primary mission these original twelve disciples were sent out to do – proclaim the gospel in word and deed. And primarily in word where the deeds confirm the words. So, what does that mean for you and me today? The Apostles are dead and gone, but the words they proclaimed, which have been written down for us, are still with us.

So, as a present-day disciple, when we read “whoever receives you receives me,” we are to understand that Jesus is not received just because someone receives us directly. But he is received when we are participating in his kingdom work with him, or when we are sharing his word, as contained in the New Testament. In other words, we share the Living Word, Jesus, by sharing the written word which the Apostles were instructed to proclaim. So, that makes a huge distinction between Christian mission and other acts of charity. Our mission, as disciples of Jesus, will entail, even in our charitable service and outreach, some form of sharing the proclamation of good news that comes from the scriptures. This is what we share that is the true blessing the Father has given us by giving us his Son.

So, in a very real way, when we give others the written word, we are giving them Christ who has been given to us by the Father. That’s why the passage can say “Whoever receives you receives me, and whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” That’s a lot of giving, but it is a very specific gift that we are giving. Namely, Jesus! That doesn’t mean we may not give other gifts. But it does mean that the best gift, the one gift that is truly a blessing for “all the families of the earth,” is the gift the Father gives the world in his Son Jesus Christ. The Father gives his best, and as disciples, we are called to do no less.

Let’s move on to some more language about receiving.

The one who receives a prophet because he is a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and the one who receives a righteous person because he is a righteous person will receive a righteous person’s reward. (Matthew 10:41 ESV)

The blessing wrapped up in receiving the disciples of Jesus, meaning the apostolic word they share, is further explained by using three references – a prophet, a righteous person, and a little one. These three references are best understood as three references that all apply to what it means to be a disciple. We find the first two, prophet and righteous person, here in verse 41.

A prophet was someone called to speak God’s word to his people. They were often raised to call Israel back to righteousness by returning to the stipulations of God’s covenant with them. This is a fitting reference for a disciple in the context of this passage. The Apostles were to proclaim God’s good news of the kingdom of Jesus’ righteous reign. As disciples today, we too are like the prophets, receiving the words of God from the Apostles, written in the Bible, and proclaiming it to our world today. Closely tied to this proclamation is the response of righteousness. In other words, just speaking or hearing the words did not mean the words were received. The words must be obeyed. This would be the reference to “a righteous person.” So, it is also a fitting picture of a disciple, as disciples are not in name only. They do not just proclaim a word that they themselves do not keep. The good news for them is truly good news to orient their entire lives around. This of course does not mean disciples are perfect. In fact, we could say that true disciples are those who live a life of constant repentance, always turning again to the living Word they encounter in the written word and aligning their lives according to that word. That would be truly one who “receives” the word spoken to them. So, both the reference to a “prophet” and a “righteous person” serve to describe a little more what it means to be a disciple.

In addition to these two references, we are now introduced to a “reward” that comes with receiving these disciples. But we will look at the last verse before speaking to that.

And whoever gives one of these little ones even a cup of cold water because he is a disciple, truly, I say to you, he will by no means lose his reward. (Matthew 10:42 ESV)

In this verse, we are given Matthew’s third reference to round out what it means to be a disciple. This reference is designated as “little ones.” This designation comes up later in Matthew 18 where Jesus welcomes the little children. Here we see the similar wording, “Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me…” Jesus would also note that those who are like “little children” are considered the greatest in the kingdom. For a disciple to be likened to a “little one” is a reference to the childlike humility and self-effacing heart that we see in Jesus. Disciples are those who do not fight over matters concerning position, power, or prestige. They are not concerned about who is greatest in the kingdom, or even in the church for that matter. They resemble Jesus in that they are servants of the kingdom. They live in joyful submission as a response to the privilege of knowing the King. As such, disciples are most likely the ones who are in need of a “cup of cold water.” They are not the ones who play the games of the elites, getting rich and powerful by “lording over others.” They serve for the good of the kingdom, and in this world, as Jesus has told us, that will often mean suffering for the gospel. They are the ones in Matthew’s day that may be literally hungering and thirsting due to persecution for the faith in Jesus. On a metaphorical level, these are the ones in Jesus’ beatitudes who “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” We can say here that disciples too need to be fed and watered with the gospel. When we disciples share the gospel with one another, reminding each other of who Jesus is and who we are in him, we are giving a “cup of cold water” to the little ones which we ourselves can identify with. In this way, every week as we gather for worship, we also gather to encourage one another with the gospel, to feed each other’s faith by pointing once again to Jesus. Fellowship is critical for the health and nourishment of disciples, or “little ones.” We must not underestimate the critical importance of gathering together to worship and witness, not only to the world but to one another.

Before we close, we should say something about that lingering word we have not addressed yet. Reward. The word appears three times, one for each of the descriptions of a disciple. It is clear that when one receives a disciple, he gets a reward. But there is no specific description of what this reward is. What do we do with that? The best way to read this is to read it descriptively and not prescriptively. Meaning that we are not hoping to get some reward in addition to what we are receiving from a disciple. What we receive from a disciple is the reward in and of itself. And that would make perfect sense when we are talking about Jesus being the gift that is given. This is what a disciple is sharing with the world. This is what the Father has given to us. There is no greater reward than Jesus himself. To receive Jesus is to enter into his kingdom reign of righteousness, knowing his Father in perfect communion in the Spirit. It is to be giving to others all that the Father gives to us in his Son Jesus by the Spirit. It would be nonsensical to want a reward for receiving the greatest gift ever given. Jesus is the reward, and once received, Matthew indicates that we will never lose it. That’s probably because once you receive Christ, you will only want more and more of him and his Father who sent him. Knowing Jesus will be the most rewarding existence imaginable.

In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W1

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July 2 — Proper 8 of Ordinary Time
Matthew 10:40-42, “Welcome Me”

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Program Transcript


In Step With the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W1

Anthony: Let me read the first pericope of the month. It’s Matthew 10:40 – 42. I’ll be reading from the New Revised Standard Version.

It is the Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 8 in Ordinary Time, which falls on July 2.

 40 “Whoever welcomes you welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes the one who sent me. 41 Whoever welcomes a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive a prophet’s reward, and whoever welcomes a righteous person in the name of a righteous person will receive the reward of the righteous, 42 and whoever gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones in the name of a disciple—truly I tell you, none of these will lose their reward.”

Gavin, two words stand out to me in this passage: welcome and reward. They show up repeatedly, and I imagine it’s easy to reduce our teaching down “to do this, and you will receive that,” sort of a quid pro quo religion, right? What should we make of the relationality of these two words and actions?

Gavin: Yeah, certainly when we read this passage of Scripture, those are two other words that really stand out. And it is easy to adopt that mindset or to take that approach when we’re seeking to preach on this passage of Scripture.

One of the things I would say that welcome is, of course, a response. Whenever we think of welcome, it’s not that we’re initiating but rather we’re responding to something that has already happened. And in the case of the examples we see in this scripture, of course, you have the prophet who’s turning up. You have the righteous person who has arrived. And so, the welcoming there is a response.

But I think if you look at the context of this scripture as a whole, and preceding passage in Matthew 10, one of the things that really strikes you is that Jesus has been sending out his disciples. And so, this passage, when we understand it within the context of a sending out of the disciples is really encouragement for those of us who participate in sharing the good news. Because whenever we go out into the world to share the good news, I think it’s normal to have a fear about how people will receive us, how people will respond. And really what Jesus is saying in this passage is he’s encouraging us about how much God values our work and what we are doing in this.

It is really demonstrating the love that God has for his disciples. If you were to welcome a prophet, in the name of a prophet and you gave him welcome, then prophet’s reward is, he would share his insight. He would share what he came to say. Likewise, if a righteous person turns up and you welcome a righteous person, a righteous person will obviously respond positively to your welcome and you’ll receive a reward.

And so, the same is true when we go out to share the gospel message—that those who respond to the gospel message, God recognizes how they treat the disciples who go out and share the good news. And this is encouraging for us.

But I think this is really the kind focus of this passage and redefines how we think about welcome and reward. Because really this is encouraging us that when we go out and share the good news God blesses those who welcome the good news. We can take encouragement from that fact as we go out and share the gospel.

Anthony: Yeah, I appreciate that perspective because it frames reward in terms of the here and now.

We talk about living in the inaugurated kingdom of God, the already, but not yet. And sometimes we can think of reward as the not yet. That’s something to come. But Jesus says that when we welcome someone, we welcome him. And isn’t that the reward in the here and now, that we experience something of Christ’s presence?

Jesus referred to little ones and I’ve heard a lot of sermons that sometimes make me a little cringed when I hear who those little ones actually are. What say you and what is a Christ-like response to Jesus’ words?

Gavin: I think the word “little one,” certainly if you read in the commentaries, you can see a lot of debate about who is being referred to.

And I think in many ways, it’s referring to those who are sometimes held in the least estimation by society. I think sadly, sometimes it’s even talking about those held in the least estimation by the church. Sadly, even in the church, there are people who aren’t always valued in the way that they should.

And I think this passage challenges us in how we look at others and how we respond to others in their faith. It’s not a judgment on people’s faith. Quite the contrary. I think what it’s doing is it’s challenging us in how we respond to people—even the people that aren’t held in high estimation by others around them.

And one of the things that’s a kind of standout is I think—John Calvin, when he was speaking on this verse in his commentary, he talks about how if you actually think about what is said in this verse: whoever gives even a cup of cold water. Really a cup of cold water is the very kind of “meanest office of kindness”—that’s how Calvin refers to it—that you can offer to somebody. You’re not even boiling the water to make a cup of tea. You’re not cooking anything, really. You’re just giving them the very basics that they need.

But even if those very basics are given, God doesn’t forget even the smallest of kindness that are shown to what would seemingly be, by society and others, as the very least of his disciples. And so really this is, I think, quite encouraging for us because I think for many of us, when we engage, we don’t necessarily feel that we are these bastions of the faith that go out there.

Often, we find and have a personal view of ourselves that’s a lot more modest as Christians. And this verse is just encouraging us that God doesn’t overlook even the smallest of kindnesses that is done to those who are his disciples, those who choose to follow Jesus Christ.

I think there’s a number of challenges for us, a number of ways that it encourages us to have a Christ-like response to Jesus’ word, but really it makes us consider our views of other people, how we view them, and how we respond to them as well.

Anthony: That’s well said. And I think one of the things that’s helped me as I reflect on this particular scripture through the years is to recognize that sometimes I’m the little one.

It is a joy to give the basics, as you said Calvin referred, to someone in need, but sometimes I’m the one in need. And I think that gives us a perspective of humility, even as we go out to serve others. Thank you for that.


Small Group Discussion Questions

From Speaking of Life
  • Have you ever heard of the rule of thumb mentioned in the video about what to do when you see the word “therefore” in a scripture? What was the rule Greg shared in the video?
  • How does knowing every command in scripture is connected to an important truth or promise change how you read these commands in scripture?
  • What do you think of the claim from the video that there is nothing God tells us to do that is not for our good or that we must do apart from him?
From the Sermon
  • According to the sermon, how is participating in ministry and mission a way of receiving more and more of Jesus?
  • Discuss the statement regarding ministry and mission from the sermon: “Jesus is more interested in us coming to know and trust him than he is in us accomplishing some tasks.”
  • What did the sermon say was the biggest blessing we can give another?
  • Discuss what mission and ministry may look like in your context. Who would be the ones you are sent to? In what ways can you share the gospel with them? Consider family, friends, coworkers, neighbors and so on.
  • Discuss the three references, “prophet”, “righteous person”, and “little ones” and how each contributes to what it means to be a disciple.
  • According to the sermon, what part does the Bible play in mission?
  • Discuss the concept of “reward” as it was presented in the sermon. What is the reward of receiving from a disciple of the Lord?

Sermon for July 9, 2023 – Proper 9

Program Transcript


Speaking of Life 5033 | Our Great Resolution
Cara Garrity

We are in the middle of the year and it’s time to ask how your New Year’s resolution is going. What was your resolution?

One company tracked the top resolutions for 2022. Ranging from, exercising more, to having more time for friends and family, to spending less time on social media, and lastly reducing stress at work

Some of us might be doing great. Some of us didn’t make any resolutions. And some of us might want me to change the subject. I get it.

If you haven’t done so well on your resolution, don’t be discouraged. In 2019, it was reported that only 8.9% of people polled succeeded in keeping their New Year’s resolution throughout the previous year. That’s a failure rate of over 91%.2

Here’s an example:

A friend of mine told me about being quite convicted by a sermon when he was 13. He felt guilty about how he had been treating his younger brother, so he decided that he would show him kindness and not pick on him for an entire day. With all the strength and resolve he had in him, he set out to be a good brother. That lasted about thirty minutes. He discovered that while he knew what he should do, he didn’t have it in him to do it. His resolve was good but misplaced.

In the book of Romans, Paul shares our struggle with keeping resolutions as he wrote to Jewish leaders who were having a difficult time accepting the fact that they could not resolve their way out of sin. Paul explains his own struggle.

So I find it to be a law that, when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God in my inmost self, but I see in my members another law at war with the law of my mind, making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. Wretched person that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!
Romans 7:21-25a (NRSVUE)

Paul empathizes with us. We know what we want to do – thus the New Year’s resolutions – but we can’t follow through. Paul, himself, had to come to the end of self-effort and throw himself upon the mercy of God.

In this passage, Paul comes to the one answer that gives him peace. Thank you, Jesus. He is the only true rescuer; he alone saves us.

Right after sharing this with his readers, Paul informs them that in Jesus they are no longer slaves of sin, condemnation is removed, and they have been adopted into God’s family and now live by the Spirit.

Resolutions don’t bring about change; Jesus does. We can’t change, but he can change us. We learn to stop trusting in our own efforts but trust in the accomplishments of Christ Jesus. He is our hope and our answer. He is our great resolution this year, and every year to come.  

I’m Cara Garrity, Speaking of Life.

1) https://www.statista.com/chart/26577/us-new-years-resolution-gcs/

2) https://dreammaker.co.uk/blog/new-years-resolutions-statistics/

Psalm 45:10-17 • Genesis 24:34-38, 42-49, 58-67 • Romans 7:15-25a • Matthew 11:16-19, 25-30

This week’s theme is praising God for his goodness. In Psalm 45, the psalmist sings of how Jesus (the Messiah-King) will be praised by the nations forever and ever. In Genesis, Abraham’s servant praises God for answering his prayer for the success of finding a bride (Rebekah) for Jacob. In Romans, Paul praises God for saving him from his wretched, sinful state. And in Matthew, Jesus praises the Father because he has revealed the kingdom to those who had been marginalized. 

Changing Our Minds About God

Matthew 11:25-30 (NRSVUE)

Read, or have someone read Matthew 11:25-30.

Earlier in this chapter, John the Baptist, who was in jail at that time, sent his disciples to Jesus to inquire as to whether he truly was the Messiah. John was hearing reports about what Christ was doing and it made him want verification. I can’t help but wonder if it was the fact that Jesus hung out with sinners and tax collectors that was messing with John’s messianic paradigm.

Jesus sent John’s disciples back, telling them to share what they saw and what they heard: “the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, those with a skin disease are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them” (v. 5). This was more effective than sending them with a list of credentials meant to impress John. Then Jesus addressed the crowd and asked them what they were expecting out of John. Someone refined and charming? They obviously did not receive that.

A little further into the story, and you see Jesus making a comparison of his generation with children who want you to play along with their childish games and get upset when you don’t.

In these occurrences, Jesus is pointing out that we cannot put God in our self-constructed boxes. Instead, we must change our minds about him according to the revelation that he gives us. This is part of what we call repentance

Let’s ask ourselves three questions today. First, where do we get it wrong about God? Second, what is God really like? And third, How should we respond to this?

Where do we get it wrong?

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. (Matthew 11:25-26 NRSV)

Jesus specifically singles out the people who were most admired in his day, i.e. those with wisdom and learning. In our modern world we are enamored with those who have been successful in making money, those who can dunk a basketball or who can turn everyone’s head as they walk the red carpet.

We give our praise to those that we most admire; our attention to those that we want to be like. Our love for the winners can captivate our hearts and color our perception of how we think the world should work. The danger is when we bring this into our view of God and his ways. When our view of God is formed by societal norms, we have constructed a God who blesses the strong and marginalizes the weak. But God has orchestrated something very different than how the world operates.

Later in Matthew’s gospel, Jesus calls a young child over to him. He proceeds to make an object lesson out of his encounter with the child.

Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever becomes humble like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3,4)

The child came to Jesus with trust and humility. A child’s life is not supposed to be complicated. They know that they don’t know, and they trust the adults in their life for their answers, whether it’s a teacher, parent, or other authority figures.

As adults, we want to be seen as having our act together and being self-sufficient and competent. We look for ulterior motives in others and we don’t trust easily. When we do trust people, its often those with the most degrees, those with extravagant wealth or those with the loudest voice.

This is not saying that we should abandon seeking for wisdom or remain uninformed or ignorant about matters pertaining to this world. But rather, we need to discern where we are placing our trust. Are we taking our cues from the world or what the Spirit is revealing to us?

Again, does Jesus have something against those who are greatly admired by the world. No. But He praises the Father for making the kingdom of God easily accessible to the ones who were the most likely to be excluded in the eyes of the world: those without status.

The so-called “children of the world” lacked the education, the resources, and the advantages that the wise and learned had. Yet, in the kingdom of God, the playing field has been leveled. In fact, those with all the advantages find it hard to accept the way of the kingdom because it isn’t about who is the biggest and brightest star. It involves a humility that they find hard to accept.

What is God really like?

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. (Matthew 11:27 NRSVUE)

Jesus says something shocking here. He establishes his authority by putting himself on the same level as the Father. Scandalous! He was accused of blasphemy. He makes it clear that until now, they really have not understood who God is. Jesus is bringing that revelation to them.

What Jesus is saying is that they thought they knew who God was but had it wrong. They think they have found the answers but have been far from it. Because the answers were always pointing to Jesus. But like a dog who fixates on his master’s finger, so were the Jews missing out on what the law and the prophets were pointing to.

The wise and the learned assumed that because of their wisdom and intellect they held a special insight into God over others. Through their ideologies and philosophies were found the answers to God’s character and nature. But the way of true knowledge is solely found in the Son, the one standing in front of them.

God has only ever looked like Jesus. There was never a time in which the Father looked any different from Jesus. They are in complete unity in the Trinity. If you have seen Jesus, you have seen who the Father is. Whatever was being purported as being from God is the same as being from Jesus.

How should we respond?

Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. 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. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30 NRSVUE)

It’s here that Jesus issues an invitation. He calls out to all those who are worn out from trying to lift demanding religious burdens. From trying to win at a game that is rigged against themselves. He promises rest to all who respond to this generous offer.

In his book, A More Christlike Way, Bradley Jersak points out that the “rest” Christ gives is not merely a diversion or reprieve from our weariness; it is a medicine for it.1 The rest from God heals our hearts and our griefs. It purifies our anger and renews our hearts with God’s divine grace.

We are instructed to take the “yoke” of Jesus. Jesus could be giving a double meaning. We know about the yoke for oxen that is used for plowing, which could indicate he wants us to participate in the work he is doing, but there is another use for that word.

Disciples of a rabbi were said to take on the yoke of their rabbi. This would make sense since Jesus said, take my yoke upon you and learn from me… He continues by saying that his yoke is easy, and his burden is light. A lot of rabbis were strict, and their yoke came with different sets of rules that were difficult for their disciples to carry out. But not so with Jesus.

Jesus tells us that we can trust him because he is gentle and humble in heart. Again, the affirmation of his character and the promise of rest is included with his yoke. The humility of Christ reveals his character and nature. When we receive this yoke, it will provide rest for our souls. The trials of this world will still come, but we can be assured that these whatever is burdening us is not coming from him.

We are to open our eyes to see what is happening around us. Do we see the kingdom of God or are we fixated on all the power, possessions, and privileges, thinking that this is the path to real life?

When our eyes are opened, we see God for who he is, and we understand that there is no other God behind the back of Jesus. Our understanding of God is shaped by Christ alone. God’s character is one that is gentle and humble.

When we know Christ and live as his disciples, we carry a light and easy yoke. We learn from Christ and move about with the rest and fulfillment in life that only comes from following Him.

1) Bradley Jersak: “A More Christlike Way” A More Beautiful Faith (Pasadena, CA: Plain Truth Ministries, 2019)

In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W2

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July 9 — Proper 9 of Ordinary Time
Matthew 11:16-1925-30, “Real Rest”

CLICK HERE to listen to the whole podcast.


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Program Transcript


In Step With the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W2

Anthony: Let’s move on to our next passage of the month. It’s Matthew 11:16 – 19 and 25 – 30. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 9 in Ordinary Time, which is July 9. Gavin, would you read it for us please?

Gavin: Yes, sure.

19 “But to what will I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling to one another, 17 ‘We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we wailed, and you did not mourn.’ 18 “For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, ‘He has a demon’; 19 the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners!’ Yet wisdom is vindicated by her deeds.”

At that time Jesus said, “I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed them to infants; 26 yes, Father, for such was your gracious will. 27 All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, 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. 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Anthony: Gavin, if you were preaching this pericope to your congregation, what would be your focus?

Gavin: I think there are different sections of this passage that you can focus on, but there’s a section at the beginning that really resonates with me. And certainly, part of the reason it resonates is because I really like the language that’s used. But also, because initially, I struggled when I read this passage to understand exactly how it fitted in with the rest of the scriptures.

It’s in verse 17 when Jesus said, “We played the flute for you, and you did not dance. We wailed and you did not mourn.” This passage of scripture reminds me a lot of my experience with my children.

I have three children who are all under 10. And inevitably what happens is the children—they enjoy imaginative play. And so, all three of them are playing together, and then sooner or later one of them will get upset because the others aren’t letting them play the game that they want to play. So, whatever the imaginary game is at the time, one of them will come through and say, the other is not playing it right.

And this is really what is being talked about in this passage. And I think it really brings something of value that we can use when we’re preaching. Because for children often, we want to play the game that we want to play, and if others aren’t playing it the way we want we get upset with them.

We want to be in control. We want to have a say about what others do. And this is the context of what Jesus is saying that the children are sitting in the marketplace and calling to one another, “We played the flute, and you did not play along. You did not dance.”

And if we think of the larger context of what is being said here, Jesus is in a section where he’s been speaking about John the Baptist. And in verse 18 when he talks about how John the Baptist came and he didn’t eat, and he didn’t drink. And yet the response people said he was a demon. And then you have Jesus who comes, and he does eat, and he does drink, and they say he’s a glutton and a drunkard.

And it’s basically, I think a really valuable thing that we can learn about the expectations that we have when it comes to religion, when it comes to church, when it comes to so many of the things. These people came up with reasons and excuses about why they could disregard what John the Baptist said and what Jesus said, even though those reasons were contradictory. They wanted to be able to control the game, so to speak. They wanted to have control of the narrative.

And I think we can really reflect on this verse and think, how do we respond to the gospel message of Jesus Christ? Do we look for reasons to reject what Jesus says? Do we look for reasons when we read a verse, and think, ah, yes, brother, that verse, that section of that verse doesn’t apply to me because of this or because of that? Or do we instead come with hearts that really desire to take scripture and apply it to our lives?

Do we try and learn everything that we can from a passage of scripture and see how we can apply it in a practical sense to our lives even if—or even maybe particularly, if what is said in scripture perhaps causes us some difficulty? If we find it difficult, the words that Jesus is speaking to us, those are really the times I think when we need to pay the most attention. We can’t just try and define Christianity, the religion, that we want.

Instead, we always need to go back to what Jesus actually says. We need to be receptive to the gospel message as opposed to trying to define what the gospel message says and then get the Bible to fit in with what we believe.

Anthony: You mentioned how we look at Scripture. Obviously, we’re coming to find out who God is revealed in Jesus Christ, but also, what is this saying to me? What’s the response in the power of the Spirit?

Thinking of that practical application right now, Gavin, there’s quite a few people in my life who feel weary, heavy. And Jesus said in this passage, come to me all you who are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. The world is weary, is it not?

And it seems like the world is crying out for real rest. Tell us about it.

Gavin: Absolutely. I think as we look around society today both in the UK and the US, wherever you are in the world, I think life is difficult and I think many of us do feel that we are carrying burdens that are beyond us in many ways.

And this is such a beautiful passage of scripture because so many of us are crying out for rest. But I think one of the beautiful things that Jesus is saying in this passage is when it comes to our own lives so often it’s a struggle to do what we think is right.

We carry all these burdens that often we place upon us or others place on us. And what Jesus is saying is we can rely on him; we can trust in him.

I’m really into food. I enjoy cooking. I enjoy eating and I enjoy reading cookbooks and watching programs on cookery. And in some ways this verse reminds me of something that you find in high-end restaurants. So many high-end restaurants have what they call a test kitchen. And one of the beauties of a test kitchen is you can go out and there’s no pressure on you. But instead, there’s freedom to try without the fear of failure that is so common in society today.

If you work in a restaurant, the reality is you have to follow a recipe every day, and you have to make sure that the people who are eating get the very best of what you can do. But the reality is that’s very trying. It’s all this pressure and this burden on you to try and get everything right.

In a test kitchen, instead that pressure is removed. And instead, there’s freedom to try and create the best food that you can possibly create without the same fear of failure. And often you have the guidance of an experienced master chef who helps you to understand what you are doing.

And in some ways, this is what this verse really speaks to me about. That Jesus is saying that we can take away the pressure of trying to get everything right ourselves. But instead, what we can do is just bring everything to Jesus, and he takes the pressure from us. And we have the freedom to be the people that God designed us to be. And he is there, we are yoked to him. But he’s guiding us so that we can really respond to him and what he’s doing to be the very best of ourselves.

It is really taking away the pressure of trying to get everything right through our own strength. Instead, it’s relying on Jesus Christ’s strength and following where he is leading us. And in following where he’s leading us, we have true freedom. We’re able to really try and be righteous without the fear of failure, without that kind of restriction that is the reality that we face in this world. And I think this is a freedom that the world needs. But it’s also a rest.

It’s a rest from relying on our own righteousness, our own works, and instead trusting and relying on Jesus Christ.

Anthony: Amen. One thing I didn’t expect to happen during that conversation was for me to get hungry. So, what time do I come over for dinner, Gavin, now that I know what your passion is? That’s good to know.


Small Group Discussion Questions

From Speaking of Life
  • What spiritual resolution have you made at some point? And how did that turn out?
  • What are some of the things that Christ has accomplished on our behalf?
  • How do we trust Christ as sufficient when we still sin?
  • What is our relationship to the law now?
From the Sermon
  • What are some of the attractive societal values that run counter to the kingdom of God?
  • In what ways should our faith resemble that of little children?
  • Why would the kingdom of God be unattractive to those who seem to have everything?
  • Why are we tempted sometimes to see Jesus and the Father differently than each other?
  • How is your level of rest in Christ? How could the yoke of Jesus be experienced as light and easy?

Sermon for July 16, 2023 – Proper 10

Program Transcript


Speaking of Life 5034 | Death is Short
Greg Williams

The older I get the more I can relate to the statement, “Life is short!” It seems it was just yesterday I was a child in my parents’ home. Now if there is a child in my home, it is probably one of our grandchildren. Amazing!

It’s a sobering point of reflection to know that most likely, I have fewer days to live ahead of me than the ones I lived behind me. Yes, life is short.

However, for an episode of “Speaking of Life,” this is starting to sound a bit morbid. So, in thinking of the phrase “Life is short” from a Christian perspective, maybe we should change it to say, “Death is short.” After all, that is more accurate to our situation and our theology. As soon as we are conceived in the womb, we begin our inevitable march to the tomb. And, compared to the eternal life waiting for us beyond that point, it is a short march whether it be one year or a hundred years.

This is the biblical way to look at our present time when the clock and calendar seem to speed up. We don’t have to live frantic and fearful lives as if life is short. We can live each day fully in the peace and hope that comes to us in God’s word of resurrection life. That Word has come to us in the life and death of Jesus Christ. It was Jesus who took upon himself our march of death from the womb to the tomb and gave death a proper burial in the end. Death no longer has the final word on our lives, God’s word to us in Jesus does.

On that basis, we can live each day, no matter how dark the shadow of death may appear, trusting and being renewed to joyful life by God’s faithful word to us. Here is a portion of Psalm 119 that pictures this orientation in our short march on this side of the grave.

Your word is a lamp to my feet
    and a light to my path.
I have sworn an oath and confirmed it,
    to observe your righteous ordinances.
I am severely afflicted;
    give me life, O Lord, according to your word.
Accept my offerings of praise, O Lord,
    and teach me your ordinances.
I hold my life in my hand continually,
    but I do not forget your law.
The wicked have laid a snare for me,
    but I do not stray from your precepts.
Your decrees are my heritage forever;
    they are the joy of my heart.
I incline my heart to perform your statutes
    forever, to the end.”

Psalm 119:105-112 (NRSV)

He does give us life – he gives us eternal life. It is in this life that his decrees and statutes give us joy – forever. Thanks to God’s grace, the older I get, the more I realize, “death is short,” and eternity with Christ is forever.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Psalm 119:105-112 • Genesis 25:19-34 • Romans 8:1-11 • Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23

This week’s theme is life in the Word. The call to worship Psalm expresses confidence in God’s word even during life’s severe afflictions. The Old Testament reading from Genesis recounts the birth and struggle of Jacob and Esau and of Esau selling his birthright to Jacob out of fear of death. The epistolary text from Romans strikes a confident note where the fear of condemnation is removed in Christ. The Gospel reading from Matthew includes Jesus’ Parable of the Sower dealing with people’s response to the word of the kingdom.

In Christ

Romans 8:1-11 (ESV)

During this season of Ordinary Time, we have been exploring what it means to live as a Christ follower. We have revisited many passages where Jesus calls his disciples, instructs his disciples, sends them out and commissions them. The life of a disciple is not a small calling, and it is certainly not a boring or passive one. Our passage today may give us some clues as to why this is. Romans 8:1-11 is a familiar passage to many, especially the first verse which is loaded with good news. Other portions of the passage have unfortunately left many with some confusion regarding how we understand the difference between living life in the flesh and living life in the Spirit. Hopefully we can clear up some of that confusion along the way. But even if we don’t, we can certainly soak up some astoundingly good news from the first verse. So, let’s begin there.

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Romans 8:1 ESV)

This is a very strong statement as written, but the Greek packs even more of a punch. In Greek, the most important words are placed at the beginning of a phrase. Here the very first word is “no.” Paul wants to be emphatic and bold about the truth he is proclaiming. Perhaps Paul knows our strong tendency to feel condemned and to condemn others.

If condemnation was a rock, we would all probably have a bag full of them. Not to mention a handful in our hands. When we see God as a distant angry god who condemns us, we will walk around carrying rocks of condemnation that weigh us down. In addition to being weighed down we are also tempted to hurl our rocks of condemnation at others. As we tightly quench a rock in our fist, we find that we are unable to receive the grace God gives. But may the Spirit speak to us today through this one little verse that God in no way carries rocks of condemnation around. He does not throw rocks at us, not even a pebble of condemnation. He has on the other hand, sent us his Son, Jesus Christ who is our Rock of Salvation. This Rock does not condemn us; rather, as we will see later, he condemns all that condemns us.

As a follower of Jesus, are there ever times when you feel you have been hit by the cutting and bruising stone of condemnation? If so, this verse tells us unequivocally that neither Jesus nor his Father threw it. Perhaps it came from the hands of a friend or family member—those most often hurt the most. Or perhaps you even got pelted by a weighted down preacher. Unfortunately, the pulpit at times gives one a perceived high ground for stone throwing. Or, more common, maybe the stone was let loose from your own sling only to come back and smack you in the head like a boomerang. Self-condemnation is deceptively punishing. Wherever the source of our condemnation, we need to take these words seriously, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” That means, that if there is no condemnation in Jesus, there is no condemnation.

Jesus is the one who determines reality, not our closest family members or friend, not other authority figures, and certainly not ourselves. Condemnation doesn’t exist for you. That means that when others hurl it your way, they are hurling a lie. It’s an empty rock weighing less than a feather. In this way, Jesus becomes our shield that repels any rocks of condemnation hurled our way.

This is a good scripture to quote when someone attempts to hit you with a condemning stone. You don’t have to receive the blow of something that doesn’t exist. There is no condemnation. And when you are tempted to condemn yourself, you cannot justify your self-condemnation by arguing your case from the evidence of your sins. All that evidence has been nailed to a cross and put to death. Your case in the Father’s courtroom is dead on arrival and will not be heard. So, no need to rehearse it over and over on the way. Paul will make that clear as well. At this point I can hear the protest welling up. Are you saying that it’s OK to sin then? Paul had to deal with that protest as well and he again offers an emphatic “NO!” That question misses the point which Paul will elaborate on in the next few verses.

But before we get there, we should note two additional qualifiers of this extremely good news. First, there is a qualifying “when.” When will this be that there is no condemnation? Paul again is quite forceful with “now.” We don’t have to wait till we overcome all our sins. We don’t have to wait till Jesus returns. This is a reality that is given to us right now. That’s a hard time stamp to accept when we look at how many times we have been deserving of condemnation. The second qualifier is, who does this apply to? The answer is, “for those who are in Christ Jesus.” This is Paul’s favorite phrase for speaking of those who put their faith in Jesus, receiving the new life he has for them. It is his way of making the supreme distinction between those who are disciples and those who are not: their union in Christ. That’s where the new life that Paul is going to talk about is found and where we live in the reality where condemnation does not exist.

So, with that, we can move on to the next few verses where Paul is going to talk about the new life believers are brought into. Beware of some confusing and challenging language.

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. (Romans 8:2-4 ESV)

The new life Paul speaks of that we have “in Christ” is a life of freedom. We are set free in Christ. And we are told that this is something “God has done,” so it is a freedom given by grace. We do not earn it in any way. We first see that we are set free from something, namely, “from the law of sin and death.” The two enemies of sin and death no longer have the final say over us. And we are told exactly why.

Jesus was sent to take on all our sin and its penalty of death in order to condemn sin itself. Nice play of words by Paul there. We are not condemned, sin is. So, we are now free from it. But not only are we set free from something; we are set free for something. As Paul puts it, we are set free “in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.” The word “walk” is meant to indicate a way of life. In Christ, we are set free from sin to live a righteous life. What is the point of being freed from sin if we do not walk in that freedom to live in righteousness? That answers the question about being free to sin on account that there is no condemnation. That would be equivalent to saying we are free to put ourselves in prison. That’s not a description of freedom, but a description of insanity.

Now that Paul has spent some time talking about the new life we have in Christ, he is going to reference the old life we have been delivered from.

For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. (Romans 8:5-8 ESV)

In contrasting the old life with the new life, some confusion has slipped into our understanding of what Paul is saying. He is not speaking of two realities that are warring within us. Rather, he is talking about two different mindsets. The old mindset is focused on the “flesh” and the new mindset is focused on the “Spirit.” And for Paul, the word “flesh” refers to sinful flesh, not our physical bodies. Living in the “flesh” means we are misusing our bodies, but it is not a renunciation of the body itself. So, a mindset focused on the “flesh” is not interested in pleasing God. Therefore Paul can say, “Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” In contrast, those who have set their minds on the Spirit are led into “life and peace.” That’s the life we have “in Christ.”

Now Paul will conclude with another emphatic statement of reality for those who are in Christ.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you. (Romans 8:9-11 ESV)

With no questions asked and without reservation, Paul announces to the church in Rome, and to us today, the assurance that we are “not in the flesh but in the Spirit.” The implication is obvious. Because we are those who belong to Christ, Paul is telling us to live in our true identity. To live as if we do not belong to Christ is to forget who we are and to live a lie. And we do this often. So, we need constant reminders of who we are, which is exactly what Paul is giving the believers in Rome – Jew and Gentile alike. He is reminding them of what it means to be in Christ, to belong to him and to his Father.

This is the life we are made for, and by God’s grace we have entered it and can start living it out. And as we live out of our true identity in him, we become a witness to others that they too are invited into this life of no condemnation, a life full of peace and righteousness.

Paul also leaves us with the hope that even our physical bodies, which have suffered at the hands of sin and death, will be raised to new life as well. In Christ, we are redeemed and made whole. There will be no fracture between our mind and body. It will all consist of the same walk, going in the same direction, not being pulled at the seams. There is a lot to meditate on in these passages. We will be hard pressed to even scratch the surface of what this new life in Christ will fully entail. But for certain, we will not be disappointed.

In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W3

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July 16 — Proper 10 of Ordinary Time
Romans 8:1-11, “In Step With the Spirit”

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Program Transcript


In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W3

Anthony: Let’s move on to our next passage of the month. It’s Romans 8:1-11. It’s a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 10 in Ordinary Time, which is July the 16th.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do: by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and to deal with sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. To set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. For this reason the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law—indeed, it cannot, and those who are in the flesh cannot please God.

But you are not in the flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. 10 But if Christ is in you, then the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is life because of righteousness. 11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will give life to your mortal bodies also through his Spirit that dwells in you.

If God the Father didn’t send Jesus into the world to condemn people, I’m guessing he’s not sending us as his ambassadors to condemn people. Tell us why “no condemnation” is ridiculously good news.

Gavin: It really is, Anthony. It really is such ridiculously good news. And the reality of sin is that we would all be condemned. And so often we have a kind of narrow view of sin or misunderstand sin in many ways. Because sin isn’t just a problem that we have as individuals, but we live in a world that’s corrupted by sin.

And sin isn’t the problem, the full sense of the problem, in that when we try and live an ethical life, it’s not just the bad column we have, but we are called to do good works. And when we miss opportunities to do good works, then that creates a challenge for us as well.

But the whole concept of no condemnation is really moving to a completely different system, and it’s the system of grace. And it’s really this whole transformation in the way that we understand the world. It’s moving from looking where everything condemns us to life, to grace, to understanding that the world works in a different way.

And I think really to understand that it’s to understand who God is and how he can do this for us. Because so much of the way that the world works even today is an eye for an eye. This idea that when you make a mistake, you need to be punished, you need to be condemned for that mistake.

And part of the problem that we have as human beings is some of the mistakes we make, we just don’t have the power within us to restore. But of course, God does have the power to restore any mistake that we make. If somebody loses their eye, that’s beyond our power to do something about. But it’s not beyond God’s power.

God has the ability to restore things in a way that’s beyond what we can. And this is really how we move into that different system, that system of grace. And it’s why no condemnation is such good news, because it’s transformational to those who understand that they are not condemned.

And this is why, when you talked about this, Jesus isn’t sending us out into the world to condemn others because the reality is he’s taking us out of this system of condemnation completely. He’s moving us into this system of grace, and so we’re not sent out to condemn people.

Instead, we are sent out to show grace to people. It’s a completely different way of looking at life that we see. And this is what Paul was talking about in this passage. He’s talking about a different way of living that we have been given in Jesus Christ, how we now have the Spirit of life as opposed to the law of sin and death.

And of course, life comes from God. God is the one who gives us life. And this is why it’s such ridiculously good news, as you put it, no condemnation in Jesus Christ.

Anthony: It is a different kind of system, isn’t it? We see in Father, Son, and Spirit, a restorative justice, not a retributive one.

And we do want people to pay, like you mentioned, and that even in the Psalms some of the cries to God is when are you going to smite these people that are after me? But thanks be to God that he does restore.

Help us to exegete verses 5-8. How do we rightly talk about living according to the Spirit? How do we know if we’re doing it?

Gavin: As Christians we read passages like this in Romans 8, and obviously we want to be living according to the Spirit. And it can be sometimes challenging when we read Paul’s words, to understand how to put them in context in our lives.

And I think it’s important to understand a couple of things as we look through versus 5-9. As we look at these, this section of scripture, one of the things that I think we need to be clear on is Paul is not really contrasting the physical with the spiritual.

That’s not the contrast he’s talking about when he is talking about flesh. He’s talking about our sinful nature in many ways. It’s not saying that our physical bodies are the problem and that our spirit is not. That’s not the contrast, but rather it’s really reflecting how we choose to live our lives, what we choose to have as our focus and as our priorities.

And this is what he’s talking about when he’s encouraging us in this section and in many ways, I think, really what he’s describing in these verses is repentance. What he’s describing is a turning away from the ways of our previous life, the ways of our previous sinful nature, and a turning to God, to embracing what God is doing in our lives, what God is doing in the world, what we are choosing to focus upon.

There’s that beautiful hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus, Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely dim, In the light of His glory and grace.”

And this is really what Paul is talking about here for us to no longer dwell on the previous things in our life. But instead to focus on the things of the Spirit, to set our minds on the things of the Spirit.

It’s important that we understand the now and not yet of this verse. Because sometimes as Christians we can struggle with that because both elements are clearly there. And Paul here is talking in this sense, we can’t take this as a now. The reality is that we do still struggle with sin. We still struggle with our sinful nature, and Paul isn’t ignoring the fact that we struggle with our sinful nature. But rather he’s encouraging us to also reflect on the not yet, reflect that there is going to be a time when sin is behind us.

And what we need to do now is to have this repentance, to have this turning towards God, turning towards the things of God, turning towards the things of the Spirit. And this is what he’s talking about in this passage. It’s repentance at its very heart.

When we talk about living according to the Spirit, it’s talking about a turning to God. It’s a talking about our priorities and choosing how we affect our priorities. And it’s really interesting that in the scientific world, there’s increasing evidence that what we choose to focus on actually affects the wiring of our brain itself. And here Paul in many ways was well ahead of the science, in this sense, in telling us that if we focus on the right things, if we focus on the work of the Spirit, then we will see the change that we want as Christians. We’ll see a life of repentance take place.

Anthony: You made me think of a quote I read from Leslie Negan that we are shaped by what we attend to, and I think that’s what you were speaking to.


Small Group Discussion Questions

From Speaking of Life
  • Can you relate to the statement, “Life is short?”
  • What did you think about Greg’s new phrase, “Death is short?” as being a more biblical description of our lives.
  • Greg stated that “Death no longer has the final word on our lives; God’s word to us in Jesus does.” How might this change the way we live day to day? What would life look like if we didn’t fear death?
From the Sermon
  • Can you think of examples of times you felt condemnation? Where does condemnation most often come from for you; family, friends, authority figures, church leaders, yourself, or others you can think of?
  • Discuss the image of condemnation being rocks. What is the result of holding on to condemnation? What does it say about us when we throw our rocks of condemnation at others?
  • Do you find it hard to believe Paul’s emphatic statement that there is no condemnation in Christ? If so, explain why.
  • According to the passage, when is there no condemnation? Discuss the significance of the answer.
  • According to the passage, for whom is there no condemnation? Discuss the significance of the answer.
  • Discuss the life of freedom as it is seen in Paul’s description of the new life we have in Christ. What are we freed from and what are we freed for?
  • What is the difference between the word “flesh” and the word “body” as Paul is using it?
  • In what ways can we remind one another of who we are in Christ so we can live it out in our lives?

Sermon for July 23, 2023 – Proper 11

Program Transcript


Speaking of Life 5035 | He is Already Here
Heber Ticas

In the Great Commission, Jesus commanded his followers to go into the world and make disciples. Few believers could argue against the idea that Christians are commissioned by Christ to engage in mission. However, our missional mindset matters. Do we believe we are taking Jesus somewhere? Or are we joining him where he already is? Many Christians have been taught that we need to take Jesus out of the four walls of the church – where he has made his home – and into our communities. Do we really believe we can “take” Jesus somewhere?

Scripture reveals that we don’t take Jesus, we join him. He is already at work in our neighborhoods. In Genesis 28, Jacob is given a vision of God’s activity on earth.

He came to a certain place and stayed there for the night, because the sun had set. Taking one of the stones of the place, he put it under his head and lay down in that place. And he dreamed that there was a stairway set up on the earth, the top of it reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. And the Lord stood beside him and said, “I am the Lord, the God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring, and your offspring shall be like the dust of the earth, and you shall spread abroad to the west and to the east and to the north and to the south, and all the families of the earth shall be blessed in you and in your offspring. Know that I am with you and will keep you wherever you go and will bring you back to this land, for I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.” Then Jacob woke from his sleep and said, “Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”
Genesis 28:11-16 (NRSVUE)

The angels ascending and descending on the stairway symbolize God’s continual work on the earth. The promises God made to Jacob would come about by God’s effort not Jacob’s. Jacob thought he was sleeping in an ordinary place. However, he came to realize that God was already there and at work and he was unaware. Even before the creation of the Promised Land, God’s presence was already there.

The same is true for our neighborhoods. As we go and engage our neighbors, we should have the mindset of participating in the work of Jesus Christ. Instead of doing what we think is right, we should be looking to see what Jesus is already doing.

The truth is we cannot bring Jesus anywhere. He already fills all things and holds everything together. As Jacob learned, there are no ordinary places because God is everywhere. This should give us the confidence to love our neighbors and bear witness to the greatness of our Lord. As we go, not only is Jesus with us, he is already at work all around us. 

Mi nombre es Heber Ticas, Hablando de Vida.

Psalm 139:1-12, 23-24 • Genesis 28:10-19a • Romans 8:12-25 • Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

In Ordinary Time, Christ-followers are invited to explore how we internalize, live out, and share our newness in Christ. This cannot be done unless Christians can be confident in the presence and power of God. The theme for this week is God has all things in hand. The call to worship Psalm speaks about God’s omnipresence — there is no place we can go to escape his loving presence. In Genesis 28, Jacob saw a vision that, in part, bore witness to God’s continual activity on the earth. The passage in Romans speaks to Christians as children of God who can have hope in our Father to fulfill his desire to redeem all creation. The Matthew scripture presents a parable that illustrates that God will not fail to dispense judgment and justice, bringing all things to their proper end.

Secure in Christ

Romans 8:12-25

Few things can inspire schadenfreude like a tabloid. If you are unfamiliar with the term, schadenfreude is a word that describes pleasure derived from another person’s misfortune, and tabloids export it in mass quantities. Right now, if you walk into any supermarket and stand in the checkout aisle, you will see at least one headline promising details on the immanent divorce of some famous couple. You would likely see tantalizing articles on a feud within Britain’s royal family. Infidelity would probably have a strong showing with words like “scandal” and “exposed” in bold print. If you are lucky, you might even read headlines that promise hard evidence of alien abductions that were covered up by the government.

You may want to read some recent headlines to make your point.

Most adults understand that tabloids do not hold themselves to high standards of journalism, and a lot of what we read in them is untrue. Yet, many people still find them irresistible. Why? Certainly, it has something to do with the outrageous nature of tabloids. The stories seem expertly crafted to stimulate the guilty pleasure centers in our brains. While there are many reasons why people read tabloids and some of them may be perfectly innocent, one thing to consider is that tabloids consistently broadcast the breakdown of our institutions and the things we hold dear. They dish out stories about divorce, conspiracies, indiscretions by role models, and the worst of human behavior, and we eat it up. The stories make us happy we do not share the circumstances of those written about in the articles, but at what cost? Could tabloids and similar media be contributing to the erosion of our sense of security and belief in truly good things? Might we be becoming more cynical as a people, doubting that anything good can last?

Tabloids and “the media” cannot be solely blamed for the decline in belief in institutions and people’s trustworthiness. In all areas of our society, we can find betrayals of trust by those who should do better. Myriad church scandals have made many people distrustful of religious leaders. To some, it seems that once a church leader achieves a certain amount of notoriety, a fall from grace is almost inevitable. It should come as no surprise that religious affiliation continues to decline in America and a majority of the Western World.

In this season of Ordinary Time, we are exploring how the church bears witness to the King and his kingdom in the world. As we go and share the Good News with our neighbors, we will encounter many people who neither trust our message nor our motives. There is a credibility gap Christians must bridge with our neighbors as we demonstrate in word and in action that Jesus is Lord. This cannot be done apart from the Holy Spirit. However, we do have a part to play. As we follow the Holy Spirit’s leading and go into our communities, we should do so believing in a God who is completely good. It is problematic to ask people to give their lives to Jesus if we ourselves feel unsafe putting our lives in his hands.

If we are not careful, the sense of cynicism and distrust of people in our society can manifest itself in the Christian church. We can look at our relationship with God as something that is unstable and subject to falling apart like so many celebrity marriages. If nothing in our world is solid, how can we be sure that God is solid? What is to keep him from changing his mind about us and casting us aside? Many believers are guarded in their relationship with God because they have learned to distrust male father figures, people in power, or anything that seems too good to be true. They do not commit fully to God because they are waiting for the other shoe to drop. While no Christian can have perfect faith in this life, we should be continually growing in our conviction of God’s love and faithfulness. Yet, in our brokenness, our ability to trust him can be stunted for a season.

In his letter to the church in Rome, one of Paul’s goals was to help his audience to feel secure in their relationship with God. The recipients of his letter were experiencing uncertainty in their identity in Christ due to divisions between Jewish and non-Jewish (Gentile) Christians, and the persecution they faced from the Roman authorities. The believers seemed to be disagreeing on whether the keeping of Jewish dietary laws and sacred days was necessary in order to follow Christ. Being wrong meant making significant life changes to be acceptable to God — changes that may have been too difficult to make.

We may not be able to relate to this particular disagreement. However, we can certainly see Christians today feeling insecure in their faith over disagreements in their congregations about politics, LGBTQ+ questions, COVID safeguards, and culture. How can God be good if his people are divided? We should certainly be able to understand how a loss of trust with people, especially those who identify as Christian, can lead to one feeling insecure in their relationship with God. Paul wrote to reassure the church in Rome of God’s faithfulness, and his words can bring comfort to us as well. The apostle said:

Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation — but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live. For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs — heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:12-17 NIV)

Paul used the metaphor of adoption to help his audience understand God’s deep, binding love for them. Interestingly, the Jews and Gentiles in the church in Rome had to share knowledge in order to understand what the apostle was trying to communicate. Based on what we know, there did not seem to be state-sanctioned adoption in Jewish culture. Yet, it existed in Greek and Roman culture. In Roman culture, for example, it was not uncommon for a biological child to be given up for adoption in order to maintain family legacy for a couple that had no male heir. Otherwise, the family title and estate could be forfeited. While there were other mechanisms in place to compassionately care for orphans and other children in need, but there were no real mentions of adoption in the Mosaic Law or Jewish writing. For the Gentile Christians, the concept of God as a Father was foreign to them. From what we can tell, Jewish people were the first to see God as a loving Father to humanity. Therefore, both Jewish and Gentile worldviews were needed in order for believers at that time to see God as their adopted Father.

In the institution of adoption, a child moves from one family system — with its religious, social, and cultural traditions — to another, likely different, family system. This shift impacts the building blocks of a child’s self-concept to the extent that one could argue that adoption causes a fundamental change in a child’s identity. Adoption is initiated by the adopter who opts to be legally bound to the adopted child. Under Roman law, adopted children had the same rights and privileges as natural born children.

Therefore, adoption is a metaphor for the redemption and inseparable connection to the Father of those who follow Christ. We were part of a dysfunctional family system that was destroying us, and God made us his own. Now, we are part of a family system that gives us eternal, abundant life. He sought and adopted us on his own initiative. Out of his unfailing love, God willingly bound us to himself with ties that cannot be severed. The Father exceeded the requirements of the law and made us joint heirs with the immaculate Son of God. We can even call on the Father using the same name for God that Jesus himself used — Abba (translated “daddy” or “poppa”). So, we can be secure in our relationship with God. The Father — through the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus — not only connected us to himself but changed our very identity. We can no longer be anything but his children, and our insecurities do not alter that fundamental truth.

In a world where it seems like no good thing lasts and people always let us down, we can be sure of God’s immutable love for us. He is ever faithful, and we need not worry about him changing his mind about us. Consequently, as Christ followers, we should do all we can not to change our minds about God. We need to be careful to avoid alienating our affections from God because of the things we suffer in this life. In Romans 8, Paul continues:

I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. (Romans 8:18 -25 NIV)

The Holy Spirit prompted Paul to acknowledge the suffering of the church in Rome. He did not minimize their pain, and he even recognized their inward groaning. Can you relate? Do you sometimes look at the condition of the world and groan inwardly? Do things sometimes look so bad that you feel like losing hope? Can you sometimes feel yourself growing cynical and apathetic? We all have at some point. In this world we will suffer. Yet, we cannot allow our suffering to overshadow the reality of our adoption. No matter how dark the world looks, it cannot stop God’s glory from being revealed in us. We do not yet see that glory fully manifested in us, but we have been given blessed assurance by Christ. He has ensured our salvation and eternal adoption. He has triumphed over the world for us, and we belong to him. Nothing can snatch us out of his hand.

The suffering we experience in this life will be forgotten when Christ returns, and we can fully experience our adoption. So many of the things that seem so important to us today will be beyond insignificant in eternity. We have to remember that one day there will be no tabloids or schadenfreude. These things, along with every other manifestation of pain and suffering, will pass away so we need not let cynicism and apathy take root in us. Jesus has, is, and will redeem all things. This is good news for us and the world. This is part of the Good News Christ calls on us to share.

In a world where everything seems made to be broken, we can be secure in our relationship with God because of Christ. If we ever feel like the world is tumbling down around us, we need only to look to him and find stability in God’s unchanging love. We can find shelter in our relationship with our adopted Father, and in Jesus we can find hope. As the song says, “On Christ the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. All other ground is sinking sand.”

In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W4

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July 23 — Proper 11 of Ordinary Time
Romans 8:12-25, “Adoption”

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Program Transcript


In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W4

Anthony: Let’s transition to the next passage, which is Romans 8:12-25. It is the Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 11 in Ordinary Time, which is July the 23rd.

Gavin, do us the honors, please.

Gavin:

12 So then, brothers and sisters, we are obligated, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh— 13 for if you live according to the flesh, you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a Spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you received a Spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our Spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs: heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if we in fact suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him. 18 I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed to us. 19 For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the children of God, 20 for the creation was subjected to futility, not of its own will, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be set free from its enslavement to decay and will obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning together as it suffers together the pains of labor, 23 and not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the first fruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we wait for adoption, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what one already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, we wait for it with patience.

Anthony: The doctrine of justification gets quite a bit of attention in the commentaries on Romans and quite justifiably—pun intended. Hallelujah. Praise God that we are justified. But it seems to me little appears to be said about the doctrine of adoption. Why is our adoption as God’s children instrumental to our understanding of the gospel and our relationship with the triune God?

Gavin: Thanks, Anthony. I think that’s a good point, and the way I like to view this is the doctrine of justification helps us understand what we are being saved from. But the doctrine of adoption helps us to understand what we are being saved for. Different sides of the same coin, so to speak.

But I think it is really important for us to understand that we have been saved for a purpose. And when we understand what that purpose is, it’s really exciting. And this is what the doctrine of adoption is about. And this is what Paul is talking about in this passage is that we are able to cry Abba Father because of what Jesus Christ has done.

It’s helpful to understand a little bit about the Roman system of adoption that was in place at the time of Paul’s writing because it can help us understand a little bit about the significance of adoption. Because in Roman culture, adoption was something that did take place and often it would be adults who would be adopted. It wasn’t normally children who were adopted, but rather adults.

So, you would have a wealthy person, or a person of power and they would adopt somebody to become their heirs. And often there would be some reason why that adoption was taking place. But this was a legal process that was recognized in the Roman world. Adults did become adopted and then become rightful heirs, in some cases, even above the blood family of the person involved.

And there were many famous examples of that. And while it was primarily men and adults, it wasn’t universally. So, there are cases of women being adopted and children being adopted as well. But it wasn’t adoption in the way that we often think of adoption in the modern sense, which is what we see in the world around us.

But I think one of the reasons it’s so significant here is, again, if we think of how this changes our relationship, but what is actually being said. When we understand the doctrine of adoption, when we understand what Paul is saying in this verse, is that we are children of God in Christ. We are heirs of God. We are joint heirs with Christ.

And when we understand who Jesus Christ is, that he is the Son of the Father, that he is the second person in the Trinity. It really is beyond our wildest imagination that we have been included in that relationship. We have been included in what Jesus Christ has in his relationship with the Father.

That we are his children to the point that we can cry out Abba Father. We can cry out to our Father in the most intimate terms. And when we do Paul describes that as the Holy Spirit in us bearing witness to the fact that we are children of God. And this is the purpose for which we were saved.

We weren’t just saved and then left to our own devices. No, we were saved so that we could be God’s children. We were saved so that we could be adopted and be coheirs with Christ. And that’s such a beautiful concept, but it also gives us this hope for the future when we understand that we haven’t just been saved from our sins.

As incredible as that fact is, in fact, God goes even further, and he includes us into his family. He makes us his children and that we are coheirs with Jesus Christ.

Anthony: There’s a lot of groaning going on in this passage, Gavin. Help us to apprehend what Paul is writing for us in the latter half of the pericope.

Gavin: There is quite a lot of groaning, and when you read through this, it is one of those words that stands out. I think verse 22 is a really helpful one for us to understand what Paul was talking about when he is talking about the groaning, because he says, we know that the whole of creation has been groaning together as it suffers together, the pains of labor.

And as we think about that, you think of a pregnant woman who is in incredible pain through much of the periods of labor, and they will be groaning and yelling out. But it’s a kind of preparation for what is to come and the joy of the child that is about to be born.

And I think it helps us to understand that what Paul is talking about in the groaning is there is a part of ourselves, there’s a part of creation all around us, that is longing for this time when sin will be no more, is longing for this time when everything will come to that fullness that has been promised to us in Jesus Christ.

I really think it’s talking about the longing that we have in us for a time when there will be no more sin, a time when we will have the new earth and the new heaven that Paul talks about elsewhere in Scripture. So, when he’s talking about the groaning in this passage it’s groaning in the sense of anticipation, but it’s also a recognition at this moment that the world that we live in is not the way that it should be. It is a world that is marred by pain, is marred by sin, but that the pain and the sin of this world is not the final word. Instead, it is something we are going through, the pain of labor we have as we look forward to that time when we will have the redemption of our bodies, as Paul puts it, while we wait for adoption.

So, it focuses us. Yes, we recognize the problems in the world around us, but it also clearly paints the picture of the hope that we have in the future. And that is the hope that we look for, that we wait for with patience.

Anthony: Yeah, that’s a good word—that pain doesn’t get the final word. We know that Jesus Christ is the inerrant and infallible living Word of God, and he has the final word.

But it also gets me thinking, Gavin, how it would reframe pain that we experience on this side of the veil of heaven, to understand it as labor pain. That there is something more to come, new life that we will experience in its fullness.


Small Group Discussion Questions

From Speaking of Life
  • Why do you think it is dangerous to think that Christians need to “take Jesus” to our neighbors?
  • Can you think of any ways God is working in your community?
From the sermon
  • Why do you think that a loss of trust with Christians can sometimes lead one to feel insecure in their relationship with God?
  • What is beautiful about the adoption metaphor used by Paul? Is there any part of the adoption metaphor that makes you uncomfortable?
  • What are some ways Christians can help each other stay faithful to God?

Sermon for July 30, 2023 – Proper 12

Program Transcript


Speaking of Life 5036 | Stubbornness
Greg Williams

Have you ever been accused of being stubborn? I’m sure we’ve all had our moments. My wife and I sometimes joke around about which one of us is more stubborn. Truth be told, it’s me.

Stubbornness often gets a bad rap, and it is often equated with refusing to admit when you make a mistake. And that’s a problem. But when we look at the definition of stubbornness, we see there is a good side. It is defined as a dogged determination not to change one’s attitude or position on something. Some positive words associated with stubbornness include persistence, resolve, determination, and tenacity.

When I talk about my love for my wife, children, or grandchildren, I’m proud to say my love for them is not determined by their actions, their emotions, or their words. I have a stubbornness – a dogged determination to not change my mind about how much I love them.

I share this because when I think of God’s faithfulness, I see that same stubbornness. He refuses to change his mind about how much he loves me and you. He has a resolute commitment to his love to always have the last word.

Take for example one of the most stubborn expressions of God’s love found in the book of Romans.

“For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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 (ESV)

God’s stubbornness toward his love for us is what gives us hope, courage, strength in times of trial, and the motivation to love him in return. Stubbornness in his case includes faithfulness. We can absolutely trust that we will never be separated from his love for us.

That’s the kind of stubbornness I’d love my wife and family to blame me for. I’d just smile and remind them of my love for them – much like God does for us in this passage from Romans.

I’m Greg Williams, Speaking of Life.

Psalm 105:1-11, 45b or Psalm 128 • Genesis 29:15-28 • Romans 8:26-39 • Matthew 13:31-33, 44-52

This week’s theme is assurance of God’s fidelity. The call to worship Psalm celebrates God’s faithfulness to Israel in his covenant with them. The Old Testament reading from Genesis recounts the story of Jacob’s persistence to marry Rachel despite Laban’s deception. The epistolary text from Romans records Paul’s assurance of God’s divine help and faithfulness in the face of all opposition. The Gospel reading from Matthew presents six parables to disclose the nature and life of God’s kingdom.

God Is For Us

Romans 8:26-39 (ESV)

It has been said that Romans 8 is the Gospel in a nutshell. Paul is bringing the first part of his letter to a climatic conclusion in chapter 8, before dealing with the topic that was heavy on his heart, the rejection of Jesus by his own Jewish people. Side by side, these two themes paint a heart-breaking picture for Paul. Considering the astounding good news given in Jesus Christ, why on earth would anyone reject it? And for Paul, the Jews rejection of Christ amounts to a rejection of himself. If you remember, they sought to kill Paul on several occasions. For Paul, the rejection of Christ by his own people was extremely personal.

Maybe you can relate! As Christians, our heart aches for those – especially our beloved friends and family – who do not seem interested in the least about the gospel of Jesus Christ. In fact, you may have experienced their rejection personally when trying to share the incredible good news that Paul has laid out in Romans 8. Perhaps you have said what so many Christians say when observing all the pain and suffering in the world: “How does anyone make it through this world without knowing who God is?” That question only comes from those who experientially know the difference between knowing the God revealed in Jesus Christ and the scriptures, and not knowing him while living in this broken, distorted, and evil age. How does one deal with the incredible tragic losses so many must endure? How do people face the threat of war, disease, and crime, especially when it appears in your own backyard? How does one cope with one’s own weaknesses, shortcomings, failings, and heartbreak, and especially, one’s own inevitable death, without the abiding hope that only comes in Christ? These are all questions that can come up when we see the gospel in all its beauty, alongside the visceral rejection of it.

But these are not the questions Paul puts to us in our selection of Romans for today. Paul has been filling nearly every sentence in Romans 8, one way or another, with the good news that God is for us. Perhaps that is the simplest conclusion we can state about what we see in Jesus Christ. God is for us! And that reality prompts Paul to ask a set of rhetorical questions that are all essentially asking, “If God is for us, who can be against us?” That’s a good question for us to answer today as we find ourselves swimming upstream against the currents of rejection on account of our faith in Jesus. “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

Paul seems to anticipate one answer to that question that we may not think to consider:

Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27 ESV)

Here we find that God is for us in such a way that we cannot even be against ourselves. Our weakness is not taken away from us. However, our lack of understanding what to pray for does not hinder us from our relationship with God. Prayer can be viewed as the pinnacle of our relationship with the Father, a participation in a real communion that is taking place between the Father and his Son in the Spirit. This is what we are brought into, and since God is for us, he gives us his Spirit, who will help us in our weakness, so it does not work against us. We may all experience times when we struggle to articulate a prayer or find the words to express what we are feeling. The Spirit helps with that as well, but it seems Paul has something deeper in mind. Paul is pointing to a groaning that we can’t express. We do not even know what our deepest needs and wants are, so we groan. These groanings bear witness to a deeper reality of God’s will for us. We can’t possibly fathom what God has in store for us, what he ultimately created us for. If we only received what we asked for, we would get far less than God is willing to give. So, God sends the Spirit to translate our groanings into a sanctified prayer that matches what God aims to give us in Christ Jesus. Our heavenly Father is so for us that he will not even let us be against us.

He goes further in the next three verses to expand his point:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified. (Romans 8:28-30 ESV)

Paul gives a sweeping statement that “all things work together for good.” That “all” means we can include all our trials and suffering, all our weaknesses and shortcomings. Paul does not mean that God causes all things, but rather he works in all things to bring about his good purposes for us. Yes, our decisions do have real consequences, and our resistance to God is not a path to the abiding relationship with him that God intends. However, even in our shortcomings we can trust the Father to still work towards our good. So, for clarification, sin is not a good ingredient God uses for our good. No, sin is our rejection of God, and we can trust that God will reject our rejection. That is how God is working for our good, even when we are working against it.

The promise Paul is stating is that when we consider all the suffering that comes our way, regardless of its cause, we can face it knowing that God is working in it to add it all up to something good, namely our becoming more like Christ. This is how the Christian can face a world full of suffering and pain in hope. Our sufferings are not in vain. That is one huge difference the believer has over the unbeliever when facing suffering. We know our sufferings now can serve a purpose so grand that the sufferings pale by comparison. We no longer suffer for suffering’s sake; our sufferings are bent into an instrument to further God’s work of bringing us into his glory. We will never look back on our sufferings, no matter how deep the scars or searing the loss, and be disappointed in what God did in them. It will be completely worth it. And we should add, that in the end, our losses are redeemed. So, not only does God work in our sufferings and losses to bring us closer to his good purposes, but he also restores to us all that was lost. Paul is not justifying our suffering with God’s good purposes. He is reminding us of the redemptive love of the Father to restore us, including all that we have lost and suffered.

These verses have fueled theological debate for centuries over concepts such as foreknowledge and predestination. But that is not Paul’s concern here. His focus is not on these words here or elsewhere for that matter. Paul’s aim is to assure us that there is no reason to worry or doubt our salvation. These verses move from Paul’s previous encouragement of the Spirit’s involvement in our present lives, to God’s purposeful involvement in the past. It was his plan to bring us into glory long before we ever appeared on the scene. Paul here is even speaking about our being “glorified” in the past tense. Paul is not raising the question about whether people can or cannot refuse the glory God offers. So, we need not concern ourselves with such debates here. Rather, we can take encouragement that our glorification, our becoming like Christ, was God’s plan from the beginning. Basically, if we want God’s salvation and good purposes, we are assured God will bring us into it.

As we move into the remaining verses of Romans 8, we will see that God not only works in our present and our past for his good purposes for us, but he also does not allow anything in the future to prevent his plans for us.

Paul wants to encourage his readers, including us, in light of the fact that our immediate future will always pose the threat of hardships, especially for those who are in Christ. It is here that he gives expression to the rhetorical question we have been working from—“If God is for us, who can be against us?”

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:31-32 ESV)

The answer of course is quite obvious. If God is for us, then no one can be against us. Meaning that no one can succeed in their opposition to what God is doing in us. But Paul does not give us this direct answer. He will continue to point to who God is to answer the question. He reminds us here that God did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all. That is the God we see in Jesus Christ. A God who does not hold back his very best from us. He is not stingy or reluctant to give us all things. We will never find a place in God’s character that will allow for us to claim that his promise of glory is held back from us. The Father intends to keep his word because of who he is. And we see that he already has. In giving us his own Son, he has already graciously given us all things.

Paul now has another rhetorical question for our encouragement.

Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. (Romans 8:33 ESV)

As Paul looks to the future, he can assure us that on the final day of judgment, there will be no one who can accuse us because God has already secured a not-guilty verdict. As we anticipate this final pronouncement in the future, we can live into this reality in the present. Even when we fail, we can resist the evil one’s accusations that we are beyond God’s saving work. Again, if God is for us, who can be against us? Even the evil one will have to hold his tongue.

But the evil one may get others to do his dirty work. How often do we accuse ourselves or fall prey to the accusations from others? In response, we often attempt to justify ourselves. But it is God who justifies. We have not been given that authority. The next time someone accuses you of something, no matter how heinous, you can rightly tell them, “Your accusation falls woefully short of my actual sin. However, Jesus has stooped low enough to forgive it.” There is no need to justify yourself. God already has in Jesus Christ. And there is no need to receive an accusation that runs counter to God’s word. As we trust in God’s word to us, that word can shield us from the darts of accusations hurled our way.

Paul continues…

Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. (Romans 8:34 ESV)

The death of Christ took on all our condemnation and nailed it to the cross. Not only do we have Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins, but we have Jesus, raised and alive, interceding for us for all eternity. If Jesus doesn’t condemn you, everyone else must drop their rocks.

One final question from Paul…

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written,

‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. (Romans 8:35-37 ESV)

Paul lists various difficulties, most which he personally experienced, that can tempt us to think God does not love us. Paul even includes the reference of Psalm 44:22 to graphically portray the problem. Paul’s list here not only covers everyday hardships that may come our way, but it also covers suffering that may come because of having faith in Christ. Neither cause of suffering is elevated over the other. And neither can separate us from God’s love. Paul does not leave this question unanswered. He gives us a bold and firm “no.” And he goes further to claim that “we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” How does one become “more” than a conqueror? The victory is not confined to simply conquering the suffering. It’s not just that we got over the present trial or persecution that was once afflicting us. It is that we have been given a share in Christ own victory in our sufferings. The prize adds up to the eternal glory God has for us. There is more for us than just being conquerors; we are given the prize of eternal glory that Christ has conquered for us.

Paul now concludes by exhausting the ink in his pen to answer the question, “If God is for us, who can be against us?

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 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 ESV)

Paul leaves no rock unturned in these two concluding verses. You can sense his search to cover every possible objection we may raise to counter God’s love for us. He ultimately provides a catch all “nor anything else in all creation” just in case he left something out. This is God’s word for you today. He wants us to know that the God we see in Jesus Christ is the God who loves you to the very end. Nothing will ever come between you and his love for you. Absolutely nothing. Amen!

In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W5

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July 30 — Proper 12 of Ordinary Time
Romans 8:26-39, “God is For Us”

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Program Transcript


In Step with the Spirit w/ Gavin Henderson W5

Anthony: Our final passage of the month is Romans 8:26 – 39. It is a Revised Common Lectionary passage for Proper 12 in Ordinary Time, which is July the 30.

26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with groanings too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches hearts, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. 28 We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. 29 For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. 30 And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified.

31 What then are we to say about these things? If God is for us, who is against us? 32 He who did not withhold his own Son but gave him up for all of us, how will he not with him also give us everything else? 33 Who will bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is to condemn? It is Christ who died, or rather, who was raised, who is also at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. 35 Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will affliction or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or peril or sword? 36 As it is written,

“For your sake we are being killed all day long; we are accounted as sheep to be slaughtered.” 37 No, in all these things we are more than victorious through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced 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.

It’s probably unfair to only have a few moments, Gavin, to discuss this amazing passage. It’s a challenge to even know where to begin. So where would you like to begin, Gavin?

Gavin: This is such a beautiful passage of Scripture. I mean, really this is. As you reflect on those words, you can almost get lost in them because this is Paul at his very best, I think, in this section in Scripture.

But if we go back to the start of our passage here, I think really what he’s saying is so encouraging for us as Christians, as disciples, as followers of Jesus Christ that we aren’t doing this alone. In everything that we do, God is with us. The Spirit helps us in our weakness.

And I think particularly for a lot of new believers this is a passage that is really helpful for them to understand that God isn’t asking them to rely on their own strength. And even when it comes to something which is as fundamental for Christians as praying, God helps us with our prayers. And sometimes for new believers, it can be really challenging when you are praying with other believers.

Some believers really have a gift for prayer, and when they pray, it is so uplifting and encouraging. And as a new believer, you can struggle because sometimes your prayer life is still developing. Sometimes you might even find it difficult to know where to begin in prayer. But what this verse is saying is just start.

Because the truth is the Spirit helps us. Often when we pray, our prayers are very selfish. They’re focused often on our immediate needs. And sometimes they go a little bit beyond that. But the reality is that every time we pray, the Holy Spirit is interceding with us and transforming our prayers as they’re presented to God.

And God knows our hearts. He knows the mind of the Spirit, and he knows what we need. And this is the God we worship. This is the God we praise. This is the God who loves us, that even when it comes to prayer, he is at work for us. He is helping us. And so, it means that we should never hesitate.

In our prayers we have nothing to fear about praying to God or that we make mistakes in our prayer, because inevitably we will sometimes say the wrong thing or sometimes, we don’t even know what to say. Sometimes we are confronted with difficult scenarios, and we don’t even know the right thing to pray for.

I’ve been [with] people who are very unwell and are at the point where it’s not clear what their future should be. What is the best thing for them at that stage in their life? And sometimes we just don’t even know what to pray in those circumstances. But the good news is the Holy Spirit is with us.

We don’t do anything by ourselves. God is with us. He is for us. And this is what this passage is saying.

Again, if we go back to that “now and not yet” concept, here God is saying his plans for us is more than we might think. He predestined every one of us to be conformed to the image of his Son. He predestined every one of us to be like Jesus and that’s an incredible thought! We can think in our own lives, how are we ever going to be remotely like Jesus? And yet here we’re told the Spirit helps us in our weakness, helps us to be conformed to the image of his Son, the image of Jesus Christ.

This is really encouraging news. And that’s certainly where I would begin on this passage because I think this is something that people new in the faith really need to hear and to understand that they do not engage in discipleship alone. God is with them at every stage through the process.

Anthony: Yeah. I’ve often asked if the Holy Spirit is interceding on our behalf and Jesus is also interceding on our behalf at the right hand of the Father, which this passage points to, why bother to pray? If they are praying for us and they know the will of the Father.

But it’s relational, right? Just like with your own three children, Gavin, you probably have a pretty good idea of what their school life looks like, but you still want to know, to hear them talk about their experiences because it’s relational.

And I think that’s part of what conforms us to the image of the Son. In our time of just relating with God, in the Spirit, as they intercede on our behalf, that we come to know something of the mind of Christ, and we are formed by it. Hallelujah. Praise God.

I’m hard pressed to think of a better way to end our time together than worshiping the God who says nothing can separate us.

And I think he really means nothing, as he goes through this litany of list here from the apostle Paul. So, herald, this good news for us, Gavin.

Gavin: Yeah, so this is just such a beautiful section of Scripture here—to think that there’s just nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

It’s such a powerful concept because the reality is that so often in our lives, we do feel separated. We do feel isolated from others. If you look around society today, loneliness is such a problem. People feel alone. People feel unloved. And you can see this throughout societies and in different cultures and different places around the world.

And yet the good news is nobody is unloved. God’s love for us is so much greater than we can imagine. His love was so great that he gave his own son Jesus Christ, so that all of us can have life, so that all of us can share in the inheritance that Jesus Christ has. This is the good news that we are called to.

The reality is that if we go through periods where we do feel separated, we need to return to this scripture. We need to remember the promise we have: there is nothing that can separate us from the love of Christ.

And then Paul goes on to really highlight that it’s absolutely nothing. Death itself cannot separate us from the love of God. So, nobody who has died is separated from the love of God. Nothing we can face in life can separate us from the love of God. There are no beings or powers out there that can separate us from God’s love. There’s no heights, no depth.

There’s nothing that can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus. And so really this should be our identity as Christians. This should be the foundation that we rest upon—that we are loved by God with the love that we as humans will spend the rest of our lives slowly beginning to understand more and more of.

I don’t think there’ll ever be a stage where we as human beings fully understand the fullness of God’s love. But we will spend the rest of our lives, the rest of our rest of eternity, learning more and more the love that God has for us, the love that has been displayed for us in Christ Jesus, our Lord.

Anthony: Hallelujah. That is some really good news.

I want to thank you, Gavin, for joining us here on Gospel Reverb. It’s been a blessing to have this conversation around something we’re both passionate about, and that is the written word of our Lord.

And I want to remind our listeners, Christ has descended deeper than any abyss you might find yourself falling into. He has likewise ascended higher than all things, and now carries with him his humanity in the presence of our Father. Therefore, Paul can say, if God is for us who can be against us? Hallelujah.

I want to thank Reuel Enerio, our podcast producer, who does such a great job, and also Elizabeth Mullins, my wife. I like her exceptionally, and she also does the transcription.

Gavin, your words are going to be remembered for a long time to come. Thank you for them. As is our tradition here on the podcast, we like to end in prayer. Gavin, would you please pray for us?

Gavin: Sure.

Heavenly Father, what a joy it is to be able to spend time in Scripture to reflect on the words that you have given us, Lord. Words that testify to your Son, Jesus Christ, that testified to what Jesus Christ has done for us. And as we have looked at these words, Lord, one of the things that is so striking is the love that you have for us. Father, words don’t begin to describe that love.

We find ourselves struggling at the very limits of language as we try and articulate how great the love that you have for us is, Lord. But Father, we praise you. We thank you for what you have done for us in Jesus Christ. And Father, I pray for everybody who’s listening to this podcast, that you’ll inspire them, that you’ll encourage them, that you’ll help them to hear your words to them.

Lord, as they listen to this podcast, that you’ll encourage them to go out and to reclaim the good news of Jesus Christ, the good news of what Jesus Christ has done for us, that he has saved us from our sins. We no longer have to try and work out our own salvation. We no longer have to try and work out our own righteousness, but instead we just rest and trust in Jesus.

And through Jesus, we have been saved for a purpose. And that purpose is life with you, Lord. And Father, we thank you for the hope that you have given us. We thank you that as difficult as this world may be, as difficult as the challenges that we face on a daily basis in our lives, that we know we have an eternal future that is secure in Jesus Christ.

Father, we ask that you help us to rest in that good news, to rest in that hope. And Father, let us turn our eyes squarely on your Son, Jesus Christ. Let us joyfully move towards him in every way that we possibly can.

Father, I just pray for everybody listening to this and I pray for your church. I pray for the body of Christ that you’ll encourage that. And we just pray for that time when you will return to this world in glory and the whole earth will finally understand who you are. Lord, that is our longing, that is what we hope for.

And so, we just give all praise to you, and I thank you for everybody involved in this podcast who has helped it happen as well, Lord. Just thank you, Lord. And I say this in Jesus Christ’s name. Amen.


Small Group Discussion Questions

From Speaking of Life
  • Do you have a story of stubbornness you can share?
  • In what way can we speak of God as being “stubborn?”
From the Sermon
  • Can you relate to Paul’s heavy heart of knowing Jesus while his own people have rejected him?
  • How does Paul’s rhetorical question “If God is for us, who can be against us?” strike you?
  • Discuss Paul’s statement that “the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.”
  • Do you have experiences you can share where you saw God working in something painful that was for your good?
  • How does our faith in God’s purposes for us help us through these times of suffering?
  • What comfort do we have in knowing that Christ does not condemn us?
  • Discuss what it means to be more than conquerors.