Listening to the Word

Psalms 122; 1 Corinthians 9-11 “To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” 1 Corinthians 9:22, 23 Voluntarily choosing to humble ourselves before others, exposing our weakness in order to win them for the gospel requires that we find our identity in Christ and not in the affirmation and opinions of others toward us. Paul’s manner and message were congruent. Jesus gave Paul the Gospel and prepared him to suffer greatly in sharing that gospel with others. Paul received that commission and so have countless others since him. When we think we can share the gospel without living the gospel we deceive ourselves and we will not see lasting fruit through our lives. The cost of the gospel is great, both for Jesus, and for those who become carriers of its message and ministry. Have we willingly served the cause of the Gospel with our ...

Job 35, 36; 1 Corinthians 7-8 “Be careful, however; that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak…When you sin against your brothers in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” 1 Corinthians 8:9, 12 The paradox of freedom in Christ and willing submission of our rights strikes to the heart of discipleship. Paul’s concern about discretionary matters of conscience such as alcohol, entertainment, and culture, is we are not primarily discerning based on our own needs or wants but rather based on serving others and the Lord well. When we cause others to stumble in their faith by our exercise of freedom, we are sinning against Christ. Together, we are all part of Christ’s body. When one part of the Body’s freedom causes another part of the Body to stumble, all are affected. In cross-cultural communities where traditions, practices, and values differ, we must live with great humility, preferring others over ourselves as we choose how ...

Job 34; 1 Corinthians 4-6   “For it seems to me that God has put us apostles on display at the end of the procession, like men condemned to die in the arena…We are weak, but you are strong! You are honored, we are dishonored…when we are slandered, we answer kindly. Up to this moment we have become the scum of the earth, the refuse of the world.” 1 Corinthians 4:9, 10, 13 Why is the cost of ministry so high for apostolic leaders? Paul felt his life was a public display of humiliation for the sake of the gospel. In the spiritual warfare of mission, Paul was not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers of spiritual darkness. God allows this opposition in the lives of his servants to refine us and cause our full dependency on Christ to grow. The cost of kingdom-leadership is high, yet the rewards of seeing lives transformed for eternity are even higher. The power of God is revealed in weakness, not natural gifting, or human strength. Christ’s leaders are...

Job 33; 1 Corinthians 1-3   “…the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength…I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. I came to you in weakness and fear, and with much trembling.” 1 Corinthians 1:25; 2:2, 3 Why is weakness so powerful in God’s kingdom? Weakness is an acknowledgment of our need for God. In our weakness we express our dependence on God and cry out to him for mercy and strength. In response to our cry for help, God meets us with grace and his Spirit’s power as we humble ourselves before him. In weakness, the pride of man’s wisdom and strength is exposed. At the cross, Jesus embraced suffering and became weak, that death would be defeated. The enemy of the cross understands pride, strength, and control, but not weakness, humility, and brokenness. Paul lived and preached a ‘high cost’ Gospel which cost Jesus his life and cost Paul his life as well. Are we willing to ‘die daily’ and live this gospel in weakness, that Chr...

Job 31-32; Galatians 5-6   “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery…You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:1, 13 As children of God, freedom is our birthright! Spiritual freedom, once experienced, becomes the standard we are called to live by. The enemy uses temptations and attacks to try to rob us of our freedom by appealing to our lusts, pride, and fears. The burden of sin weighs our spirit down and robs us of our precious freedom. The “yoke of slavery” to sin is heavy and is the real consequence of indulging our sinful nature. However, inner spiritual freedom empowers us to love one another freely. Our focus becomes others, not ourselves. The freedom of Christ is expressed in serving and sacrificing for others, rather than indulging ourselves. Are we free? “Lord Jesus, thank you for ...

Job 30; Psalms 120; Galatians 3-4 “…Before your very eyes Jesus Christ was clearly portrayed as crucified. I would like to learn just one thing from you: Did you receive the Spirit by observing the law, or by believing what you heard?” Galatians 3:1, 2 Paul’s central question to the Galatians was focused on the reality of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their lives. This was the evidence of whether they belonged to Christ. Did they receive the Spirit by observing the Law of Moses, or by faith in Jesus Christ? The Galatians were targeted by the deceiving religious spirits of the enemy who had “bewitched” them. The doctrinal issue of circumcision or salvation by faith in Christ alone had been decided at the Jerusalem Council (Acts 15). However, there was still confusion in the Gentile churches as Jewish believers in Jesus returned to their observance of the Mosaic Law. In what ways are we tempted to turn or return to any other belief than full trust in Jesus? Do we experience the blessing ...