The Church

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THE BODY OF CHRIST

I would like to offer this morning that we are created not to contend with each other but to complement each other.    Can you imagine a society built on the idea of coming along side of one another?  Each person would be working toward a common goal, not trying to overcome but supporting others.  This is certainly contrary to our societal norms of “beat the competition”, “climb the corporate ladder”, and “don’t let others get ahead of you”.  Yet wouldn’t it be great if we could put aside our self-indulgent ways and be the body of Christ?

In Romans chapter 12 the Apostle Paul encourages Christians, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God –this is your spiritual act of worship.  Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”  How do we get our minds renewed?

As a member of the Body of Christ, I find in myself a desire to put aside contending with my fellow members.  I believe this desire is rooted in the love God has put in my heart.  Of course, this love wars against my sinful nature which often causes me to be contentious.  Romans 12:9-10 gives me guidance by stating, “Love must be sincere.  Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.  Be devoted to one another in brotherly love.  Honor one another above yourselves.”  Love is perhaps the key to being transformed.

I believe the ability to complement rather than contend with our brothers and sisters first requires a full understanding of God’s love for us.  We, the members of the Body of Christ, are loved in the deepest sense.  No one is a junior member.  We have all been given full rights as sons and daughters.  God will love us eternally.  When we understand that he loves us, we are transformed from who we were in the world into children of the living God.  Our mind is renewed; we view things differently.  The love that God has poured out on us naturally flows through us and joins us to one another.  Don’t let the lie that you’re not loved make you a contentious member of the Body of Christ.

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TWO THINGS YOU WILL FIND IN HEAVEN

For those of us who trust in Jesus, heaven is our final destination.  I often think of heaven and what it might be like; however, some time ago I came to the conclusion that I really can’t comprehend a place without sin.  A place with no greed, selfishness, rude and obnoxious behavior is unthinkable.  My only experience is in a world darkened by sin, so I’m unable to comprehend a place without it.  I have no reference point.  So what will be in heaven?

As I was contemplating this question the other day, I came to two things that I am sure will be in heaven.  I could come up with others, but these two helped me put a foundation to my projection of what will be in heaven.  The Bible gives enough information to assure us that heaven will be the most wonderful place, but these two generalities fascinate my imagination and delight my soul.

The first is beauty.  Here on the earth, even after sins devastation, I find extraordinary beauty.  God has put so much beauty in his creation.  I’m sure heaven will be filled with unimaginable beauty.  The throne room in heaven, as described in Revelations chapter 4, is awe inspiring.  The four beasts sound terrifying, yet I question whether they are not beautiful.  From what I understand of God through his creation, beauty is always present, even in the most frightening things like a volcano.  Therefore, I’m sure as I walk the streets of heaven, I will find beauty beyond what I can imagine.

The second thing that I know I will find in heaven is love.  God is love (1 John 4:16).  So his heaven will surely be filled with love.  This is counter to the sin filled world I live in.    Love as described in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 states all the qualities that I desire in myself and others.  In my sinful nature I fall short of these qualities, but in heaven I will live in an atmosphere of love that will permeate my existence.  I can’t really comprehend this, yet I am convinced that love is the eternal attribute that will reign in heaven.

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THE SOURCE OF LOVE

On Sunday we celebrated Valentine’s Day, the holiday of love.  The word love stimulates a flurry of images, but what is love?  When I first encountered love, I was willing to put aside all other things and become single focused.  Love was about receiving.  Now I know that love is giving as well as receiving.  I have learned that love is caring for and giving to someone else.  Love inspired me to step beyond self-concern and focus on the needs of another.  Love is about relationship.  Yet I wonder how love got into my heart.  Where did it come from?

This whole topic has been stirred by reading 1 John chapter 4, and I think it provides answers for the above questions.  The apostle John first tells us that Love comes from God (verse 7).  In verses 8 and 16 he states that God is love.  I conclude that the reason I have love in my heart is that God put it there.  In verse 19 John says, “We love because he first loved us.”  When I love someone, it is because God loves me.  I am, though imperfectly, a reflection of his love.

The Apostle Paul clarifies for us what love is in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-8, “Love is patient, Love is kind.  It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.  It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  Love never fails.”  Since God is love, these verses highlight his character.  God loves us with these attributes.

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)  God made the eternal declaration of his love for us via the cross.  The Bible tells us of his love, but on the cross he demonstrated his love.  The great source of love has given his love to us in an irrefutable act.  God loved us in this sacrificial way in order to restore our relationship with him.  His command to us, love one another.  May his great act of love grow and flourish in our hearts.

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UNDEFEATABLE POWER II

The other morning, during our morning coffee, my wife read to me from the book of Acts chapter 12.  As she read the story of the disciples James and Peter in the hands of King Herod, I was reminded of God’s undefeatable power.  James the brother of John was arrested and then executed by Herod.  When Herod saw that the Jews were pleased by this he arrested Peter.  The story of what happened to these two disciples is another display of God’s ability to bring about his plan.

The death of James meant that his work was done.  God called him home.  Herod thought he had shown his great power by executing him, but when he tried the same with Peter, whom God was not ready to bring home, he experienced a different result.  Peter was arrested and placed in jail under the guard of four men.  Two of these men were chained to Peter and the other two stood guard.  Herod was not going to lose this prisoner.  The night before Peter’s trial an angel came into his cell and woke him.  As Peter awoke the chains fell off him, and the angel led him out of the prison.  God had intervened. 

God has a plan that cannot be thwarted by man.  We don’t see clearly what God has planned, but if we get in the way, God will take action.  Herod could not stop God’s church.  This little group of disciples had no worldly power, but they were in the will of God, and he has undefeatable power. 

In our limited understanding, we often judge God by asking why did he let this or that happen.  We don’t know, but he does.  Since we don’t have the big picture, we just have to trust him who does.  In my little tiny part of his plan, I trust him to direct me and keep me on track.  I know that all the power is in his hands.