“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not. 10. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all (people), especially unto them that are of the household of faith.”
If we aren’t careful, we will give up in the struggles of life. It is definitely a possibility for Christians today. There are so many objections to our faith and we are experiencing hostility as we have never experienced it. But we need to remember who wrote our text – the apostle Paul. He experienced negativity the likes of which we will probably never experience. I do not mean that our challenges are not real because they are not as fierce as Paul’s, but I am referring to how Paul faced the challenges that he faced. He did not give up, sit down and stop serving the Lord. What would Paul tell us to do? He would tell us not to be “weary in well doing.” Another translation of this text is that we not be “weary in doing good.” Doing good is part of our Christian calling. We just have to remember how Jesus lived. He never stopped doing good, though He was confronted time after time by those who opposed Him. Jesus was even accused of using the power of Satan when He healed people. He was given a false trial, given a beating across His back, and nailed to a cross, yet Jesus went on to the cross and did the good thing that would result in our salvation. We should be extremely thankful that Jesus did not grow weary in doing good. Throughout the New Testament we see those who trusted Jesus as their savior doing good and not returning evil for evil. We do good because it is the will of God for us to do good as a witness to the world, and as decent human beings. We can grow weary of good works when it seems that we are getting no credit for it and because people do not seem to appreciate what we do. The cliché, that “it is not about us, but it is about Jesus," comes to mind. We cannot lose heart to the point that we cease doing what God has called us to do in ministering and witnessing to a lost world. He would tell us that we will “reap if we faint not (do not lose heart).” Paul reminds us to not grow weary in well doing, because if we do we will not reap the fruit that Jesus intends for us. What does “reap” mean in this context. I think that it means that we should not stop witnessing to people about Jesus, even though we are rebuffed time and time again. I think that it means that we should not cease doing works of ministry to people who are in need. We can be sure that some people will take advantage of our good nature. Some people are downright professional about it. But we can’t stop doing good in that respect. We cannot lose heart because people to whom we witness and minister do not seem to be thankful. We keep on doing because it is what Jesus would have us do. He would tell us to do good to all people. That would mean that we should do good to people who do not agree with us and might even be hostile to our faith. He also told us to do good,“especially to those that are of the household of faith.” This means that we should also do good to fellow Christians. Putting the two together, this means that we would do good at work, for example, at play, at clubs, and at the church. It would be great if all Christians lived like this. Can you imagine the difference that it would make in our communities and in our churches? Do not lose heart, because this is what Satan would have you do. Don’t grow weary of good works, because if you do you cannot reap a harvest for Jesus. Do be good to all people at work and at church. Bro. Joe
0 Comments
John 15:11: “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.” Galatians 5:22: “But the fruit of Spirit is…joy.”
Jesus promised us His joy in John 15:11 and Paul reminds us that the Holy Spirit makes Jesus’ joy active in our lives. How does this joy take shape in our lives? First, it is the gift salvation. We cannot know the joy of Jesus until He is alive in our hearts. We can experience earthly joy and happiness in the right circumstances, but the deeply rooted joy of Jesus, in all circumstances, comes into our lives through salvation. Salvation is the result of repenting of sin, confessing them to Jesus and inviting Him into our lives. If you have Jesus in your life, you have His joy because you have His promise of the gift of the Holy Spirit. You can claim that joy now by just turning from sin through confession and repentance and inviting Jesus into your life. Second is the gift of worship. It is through worship that we express the joy that we have in Jesus. Some people express their joy in quietness and stillness. This is how I express my joy. Some people express their joy in..well..loud praise. There is no right or wrong way to share your joy through worship and thankfulness for His salvation and for the gift of His Holy Spirit. Don’t let anyone tell you that the way you express your joy in Jesus is the wrong way, just do it the way you feel it. You can worship Him alone as well in public worship. Third is the gift of service. Our joy in Jesus is complete when we take the joy of our salvation, and joy of our worship into service for Jesus in whatever way He leads. We all have our gifts for service, and we need to use them in service. The word that is translated as “worship” can also be translated as “service.” There is a sign that you have probably read in many church bulletins: “Enter to Worship-Depart to Serve.” There is great joy in Christian service, whether it is visiting and ministering to someone who is ill, or witnessing to someone about their need for salvation. There is so much more that could be written about this gift of joy. I think that the three gifts here can apply to any life. Do you have this kind of joy in your life? Bro. Joe “When we are cursed, we bless; when we are persecuted we endure it; 13. When we are slandered we answer kindly….” NIV
Corinthian Christians had become proud and vain, and considered themselves to be superior because of their faith in Christ. Paul is reminding them here what it means to really live the Christian life. He explained to them how he and the other apostles were living. They were not vain and proud, but lived Christ like lives. The three things mentioned in our text can give us some guidance in how we are to live. It will not be easy, but what is written here was what Christ demanded of His followers. If we want to live like apostles of Christ, we will heed these things, no matter how difficult they are. “When we are cursed, we bless.” In Matthew 5:44 Jesus said: “Bless those who curse you…” Paul and the apostles were living up to what Jesus commanded of His followers. Paul did not say this was easy, and he made no promise that it would be easy for us. We encounter people in our lives who strike us the wrong way, or vice-versa, and “bless” is not what we think when they “curse” us. It is a natural human tendency to retaliate. But as Christians, we are told to bless those who curse us, and to “turn the other cheek.” I can’t say that after all of these years of living for Jesus that I have fully mastered this, but I remember that this is what I am supposed to do. Frankly, some people make it difficult to “bless” them. This is one of the real tests of our faith. Jesus did not promise us that living the Christian life would be easy. We need to remember that not retaliating is part of our witness, and people really pay attention when we fail to live up to our profession of faith. Let this become a part of your mindset and your conscience and when you are cursed, bless. “When we are persecuted we endure.” In Matthew 5:10-12 Jesus said: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. Blessed are you, when men shall revile you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely for my sake. 12. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for they so persecuted prophets which were before you.” When we are “persecuted for righteousness sake” we join an illustrious company of God's servants. The prophets were persecuted and the apostles were persecuted, but they endured. To endure means to maintain Christian integrity through all of the trials that life brings our way. We do not yet know persecution as the prophets and apostles did, but we need to endure, keep on keeping on, when the world goes against us today – and they are and it will increase. When people dislike you because of your faith in Jesus, endure it and rejoice that your faith is so obvious that it makes unbelievers uncomfortable. Endurance in persecution is part of our witness to the world. “When we are slandered we answer kindly.” The spirit of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7 is to not retaliate, as mentioned above, but to be kind, even to those who would call themselves our “enemies.” When we are slandered it means that someone has told something negative about us that is not true. Paul certainly knew something about this, for he was gossiped about unmercifully. When people gossip about us we are not to go and give them a “piece of our minds,” but we are to “answer kindly.” This too is part of our witness. It is very difficult to do this, for gossip, or slander, can cause a lot of difficulty in our lives. It just comes down to whether or not we want to be effective witnesses for Jesus Christ. Living like an apostle is not easy, but it is rewarding. We need to at least take these three admonitions seriously and take them to heart and really endeavor to be the effective witnesses for Christ that we can be. Bro. Joe “This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” Psalm 118:24
“Again, He limits a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time, as it is said, today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.” Hebrews 4:7 Have you ever wished that you lived in another time or another place? I guess we have all wished this at some time or other, but it is a useless exercise. We are living in a certain time at a certain place, and the way I see it, we are living in this time and place because that is what God wants of us. I have often said that I would go back to simpler times if I could take air-conditioning and medical science with me. I think you get my point. If we could live in another time and another place, we would still have to face the hardships of each day. I think that the Bible teaches us that we need to live today, because we can’t relive yesterday and we can’t live tomorrow until it gets here. That’s right, that only leaves today. We should live each day to the fullest, giving our time to the Lord, and following His will for our lives. I want to point out some things about living life to the fullest today. What we do with each day will determine what will take place in the future. I remember that when I was in high school, I decided that studying was a waste of time, and that homework was just a nuisance, so I gave them up. Each day passed, and life just kept going on. It took awhile, but I finally decided that I had better make better use of my days. Suppose I had not wised up and had kept on like I was going. The days would have kept passing and I would have gotten sorrier and sorrier. (Some of you are probably thinking that I couldn’t be any sorrier – shame on you. lol) How we use the time that we have each day will determine the quality of our lives as we live from day to day. It is important that we embrace each day. The psalmist gave us some wise advice: “This is the day that the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” It is worth noting that he did not write: “We should rejoice and be glad in it,” but he wrote “we will rejoice and be glad in it.” The NIV translates it: “Let us rejoice and be glad in it. ”Either way it is a positive statement about living each day that God has given us and rejoicing in Him and in the fact that He has given us another day. You can rejoice in the day or bemoan the day, but it is all you have at the moment. We can meet each new day with rejoicing, or we can bemoan each new day, and it will still be all thhat we have at the moment. Too many people are putting off today what they plan to do tomorrow. We need to take advantage of the fact that we are alive today, and that we can live it in a positive way. I have heard it said many times that we can greet the day with “good morning Lord,” or with “good Lord, it's morning.” Which do you think will give you a better day? It is today that we can take care of the things that we know need to be taken care of. One of these has to do with our spiritual lives. We can start off the day with prayer and reading God’s word. We know that if we want to draw closer to the Lord, we need to communicate with Him, and that we need to delve into His word. Today is a good day to start your day, as best you can with the time that you have, in fellowship with God and His word. I have found that the exercise of prayer and Bible reading has helped me “rejoice in the day that the Lord has made.” Today is the day to get right with the Lord. Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 6:2b: “Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.”In the spirit of that text, we can say that today is the accepted time to draw near to the Lord. You have today! What are you going to do with it? There are choices before you as you face today. You can spend some time praising God and thanking Him that you have today. You will be surprised at how much difference that will make in the rest of your day. Try it! Bro. Joe Ephesians 2:10: “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto Good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Philippians 2:13: “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good works.”
We say that the Christian faith is not religion, because in religion you serve a god who is aloof from people, and good works are done to appease him. Religion begins on the outside and somehow works in. In the Christian faith it is exactly the opposite. God begins His work in us and we work it out as a witness to the world. We are not saved by works, but we are saved to work. In Ephesians 2:8-9, Paul wrote, “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God. Not of works, lest any man should boast." Verse 10 printed above, tells us the place of good works in our Christian lives. The great thing about being a Christian is that God is at work in our lives. It is a work that begins with the entrance of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Jesus promised His disciples before He ascended to the Father that when He departed He would send the “Comforter” (the Holy Spirit) to them and that He would guide them into all truth. The entrance of Christ and His Spirit into our lives is illustrated in Revelation 3:20, where Jesus said, “Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me.” To reiterate, salvation does not begin on the outside and work in; rather, it begins within and works out. Paul wrote in Philippians 2:12a-13, “Wherefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." A lot of people read verse 12 and do not go to verse 13. That is an incomplete picture of God’s work in our lives. We work out what has been put within, and we do that by the power of the Holy Spirit. Notice that we have been called to “good works.” These works can take many different forms. In fact, they can take as many different forms as there are works to be done in the church and in the community. We should always be open to the leadership of the Holy Spirit in our lives, for He will reveal to us what we must do. We do not serve from our own whims, but from the acts of God in our lives. The Lord is at work in our lives leading us to do what needs to be done to promote His kingdom on this earth. He works in some to be preachers and teachers. He works in some to lead in music, or to participate in music. He works in some to do any task that needs to be done to reach the world. We normally think of this work as being “church work.” It is not “church work.” It is God’s work, no matter what form it takes and no one work is superior to the other for it is, after all, the work of God. Philippians 2:13 gives us a general picture of what the workmanship of God in our lives will entail. It tells us that God is at work in our lives for us to do His will: “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.” We do not serve at our own pleasure. We serve at God’s pleasure, which means that He allows us to work for Him. We are not doing the Lord a favor by serving Him; He is doing us a favor by letting us work for Him. For example, I did not become a preacher because I thought it would be a good way to make a living. I became a preacher because God called me to it. It is a great privilege that He has given me. Whatever service He has called you into, it is a great privilege given to you by God. Thank Him! You might think that your job as an usher, for example, is not important. One of God’s great gifts is the gift of hospitality. In verse 14, we are reminded how we are to go about this work: “Do all things without murmurings and disputings.” We are to do God’s work in His will and do it with a good attitude. Just think what a great privilege it is that the God of the universe is at work in your life. What a blessing! Bro. Joe “He that diligently seeks good procures favor: but he that seeks mischief, it shall come to him.” KJV
“He who seeks good finds goodwill, but evil comes to him who searches for it.” NIV Proverbs can break down a significant theme in a few words. Proverbs 11:27 is a good example. It is telling us that if we seek the good and the right, we will find them and that if we seek mischief, or evil, we will find that too. I want to share my thoughts on this text. If we are seeking to do good, we are seeking the will of God for our lives. It is for sure that if we are seeking to do God’s will for us that we will do good. I know that no one perfectly follows the will of God, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t seek to do it. If we are going to do good in this life, we must find out what it is that God wants us to do and do it. Sometimes it seems that God’s will leads us into trouble. I think that Paul would say that this is certainly true. Paul did God’s will and he found a lot of opposition, but he kept on doing it. A lot of good came to Paul when He found God’s will and did it. He lived a victorious Christian life, wrote about one-third of the New Testament, founded several churches and, though he had hardships, he had the reward of knowing that God was pleased with his life. At the end of his life, Paul wrote: “I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith…” If we want to seek the good in our lives, we will love people and seek to do good to and for them. Jesus threw out a challenge to His disciples in Matthew 5:16 to do just this: “Let your light so shine before (people) that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” How do we let our lights shine? We do it by how we treat people and whether or not we seek to do good to them. In Matthew 5:44, Jesus expanded on this idea: “But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you.” Are you seeking to do good to and for others, even those with whom you disagree, or even those who hate you? If you want to seek to do good, follow the example of Jesus. I know that we are not saved by following Jesus’ example, but by faith in Him, but if we want to live lives that honor Christ, we will follow His example. Jesus did good for all who came across His path. He did good for the rich man Zacchaeus, and He did good for the poor woman who merely touched the hem of his garment and was healed. In John 4 Jesus witnessed to the woman at the well, even though her life was in shambles because of wrecked marriages and an illicit relationship with another man. Read the Gospels and you will see that Jesus always went about doing good for all who came across His path. If we follow the example of Jesus, we will not fail to love people and do good to them. The promise of the text is that if we seek to do good, good will come back to us, and if we seek to do evil that will also come back to us. Those who live genuine Christian lives, seek to do good – period. Bro. Joe “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”
I saw two things in this text that can help make our lives count in reference to our Christian lives: “walk in wisdom” and “redeeming the time.” If we want to walk in wisdom and redeem or make best use of our time, I want to suggest three simple lessons that can help us in this endeavor. The first lesson that we need to learn is to trust in the Lord. Frankly, this has been a difficult lesson for me, but as I’ve gotten older and have been through several things that I knew that I could not handle myself, I think that am learning the lesson. There is nothing in our lives that we escape the need to trust in the Lord. What I mean by trusting in the Lord, is that you lean on Him, and depend on Him in every decision that you make in your life. I always go back to Deuteronomy 26:27a to give me guidance: “The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms.” Make a commitment to trust in the Lord, and depend on His guidance in your life. The second lesson is “to do unto others and you would have them do unto you.” As you know, this is the “Golden Rule.” Jesus told us to” love our neighbors as we love ourselves.” (Matthew 19:19) This is what is meant in the text by walking “in wisdom toward them that are without.” This reminds me that the Lord loves other people as much He loves me. It also reminds me that if I want to live obediently and make the best use of the time that God has given me, I should love other people and treat them with respect. We need to do a better job of in our church fellowship and in our daily dealings in the world. The third lesson that we need to learn is to dedicate our lives to use the gifts that God has given us to serve Him. We can become so selfish that we will only do what benefits us. I want to share my own pilgrimage in learning this lesson. When I finally realized that my greatest spiritual gift is encouragement, it gave me greater guidance in what I preach and write. This identifies me with the biblical character “Barnabas.” That was his nick name and means “son of encouragement.” Of course, the Spirit has given me other gifts as well, but encouragement is my life’s calling. I try to remember that when I preach and when I write. Find out what your spiritual gifts are, and use them to serve the Lord through your church and through your daily life. These are three critical lessons that we need to learn and practice. – period. Bro. Joe “Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another. 10. For that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more. 11. And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you."
First Thessalonians is filled with good advice. Our text verses are an example of what I mean. In verse 9, gave the first bit of advice as to how they should live: He reminded them to love one another as they had been taught by God. (Isn’t it amazing how often we have this reminder in the Bible?) To love one another is foundational to our faith. Indeed, Jesus commanded us to love one another in John 13:34-35: “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35. By this all people shall know that you are my disciples, if you have love one to another.” In verse he reminded to “walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.” In verse 11 of the text printed above, he showed them what it would mean for them to live in a community and be good witnesses. Following is the advice that Paul gave the Thessalonians, and us,as to how we can live effectively in community with other people and also be good witnesses for Jesus. Paul’s first advice is that they live “live quietly.” When I read this I wondered what Paul meant. Here is my assessment: to “live quietly” means to not make trouble with other people. This means that we are not to be argumentative with our neighbors. We never win anyone to Jesus by arguing with them. Our first line of offense in our witness is to quietly live for Jesus and be good neighbors. If we do not “walk the walk” we should not “talk the talk.” Paul’s second advice is to “mind your own affairs.” The way we would put this is: “mind your own business.” This means that we are not to be busybodies and spread gossip about other people’s lives. This does not mean that we should not speak with our neighbors. It means that we are to live peaceably with them and to not pry into their business. Being a community busybody is not a good witness for Jesus! Paul’s third advice is to: “Work with your hands, as we instructed you.” Part of our witness is to be industrious and not to be lazy. The aim is that we should love other people, treat them well and to live independently. Some of the Thessalonians had quit working because they were looking for Jesus at any time. This led Paul to give them this advice in 2 Thessalonians 3:10-12: “For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11.For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work but busybodies. 12. Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.” I think that you will agree that these verses contain very good advice - advice worth following. Bro. Joe By (Jesus) therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name. 16. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
These verses are in the middle of a discussion about the difference between the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and the sacrifices offered in the temple in Jerusalem. The writer mentions some things that should result from our relationship with Jesus, that is, “sacrifice of praise,” doing good and “communicating,” or sharing with others, and sharing Jesus with others. I see these three things as qualities that should be in our lives because of our relationship with Jesus. Because Jesus is in our lives, we should “offer the sacrifice of praise.” Praise should be a natural reaction of people who are in a real relationship with Jesus. The Bible is full of stories and incidents about praising God. The feast days in the Old Testament were actually services of praise to God. The author of Hebrews refers to praise as “the fruit of our lips.” Jesus mentioned that our lives are to be bear fruit, and praise is one of the fruits that we are to bear. This means that we should not be ashamed to publically praise God. I don’t mean that we should go down the street shouting. People might think we are crazy, but we should not be ashamed of offering praise to God. Because Jesus is in our lives, we are “to do good.” Good works are a natural part of our relationship with Christ. We know from Paul that we are “saved by grace through faith, and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast.” (Ephesians 2:8) We are not saved by doing good, but James clarifies this by writing that “faith without works in dead, being alone.” (James 2:17) James’ emphasis on works does not nullify Paul’s emphasis on faith. We are, indeed, not saved by doing good works. For example, how many good works would it take to save us? When we put Paul and James together we get the idea that we are saved by a faith that works. Because Jesus is in our lives, we are to “communicate.” Another translation of this is to “share.” This has two meanings. One is that we share with other people, that is, that we should not be stingy. We should not be stingy with other people and we should not be stingy with God. One of the first things that the first church in Acts did was to share all that they had with each other. Being a person that shares with others and with God is certainly a quality that Jesus should bring into our lives. Along with continual praise and good works, we should share Jesus with other people. The first way we do this is by living a like that will make our witness real to others. Look over these three qualities and ask yourself if you are attempting to live them. Bro. Joe “God has spoken one; twice have I found this; that power belongs unto God. 12. Also unto you, O Lord, belongs mercy: for thou renderest to every man according to his work.”
God repeatedly spoke to David, and He told what He was to David, and what He is to us. God is our strength. The Hebrew that is translated as “power” can also be translated as “strength.” We make a mistake when we lean upon our own strength. Isn’t it wonderful that God does not want to keep His power and strength to Himself? He operates in our lives according to the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised that His followers would be filled with the Holy Spirit, and that the Holy Spirit would work in their lives. He also operates in our lives. We just need to lean on God’s strength as we meet the challenges of life. God is our mercy. Notice that mercy and love belong to God, and through our Savior and His Spirit, He shares it with us. (Thank God that He does!!!) Jesus is the supreme example of God’s love and mercy. In love, Jesus gave His life on the cross to save us from sin. He wants you to know that Jesus loves you and is sharing his mercy with you. Aren’t we glad that God is the God of mercy? I do not even want to think about a world without God’s love and mercy. Frankly, it is downright unthinkable. The good news is that God is, or can be, your mercy. Ask Him for it in the name of Jesus. God is our rewarder. David wrote: “…For you rendered to every man according to His work.” (“Man” is used in a generic sense for all genders.) “Render” can also be translated as “reward.” Our works are important, but what is important is the source of our work. In John 6:28-29, those who were with Him asked Jesus: “What must we do that we might work the works of God?” Jesus answer is important for our own understanding: “This is the work of God that you believe on Him whom He has sent.” Any work that you do for the Lord that He will reward begins with your faith, your belief, in Jesus Christ. Serve the Lord in faith in Jesus Christ, and whatever the service is, it will be rewarded. Make God your strength, your mercy and your rewarder. Bro. Joe (My computer tells me that “rewarder” is not a noun. Let us say that I just invented a new noun. ( lol) |
AuthorDr. Joe Beauchamp is the author of this blog and website. Categories
All
Archives
September 2021
|