Making a Big Deal of Thanksgiving Day 1

In Numbers 9, God established a pattern for the worship of the people of Israel in the Wilderness. He told them when and how to commemorate the Passover and trained them in following the Cloud by day and pillar of fire by night. Each time it moved, they were to pack up the tabernacle and follow. In other words, their actions were worship-led.  When we come to the next chapter, Numbers 10 God gives more instructions:

 The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Make two silver trumpets. Of hammered work you shall make them, and you shall use them for summoning
the congregation and for breaking camp. 3 And when both are blown, all the congregation shall gather themselves to you at the entrance of the tent of meeting. 4 But if they blow only one, then the chiefs, the heads of the tribes of Israel, shall gather themselves to you. 5 When you blow an alarm, the camps that are on the east side shall set out. 6 And when you blow an alarm the second time, the camps that are on the south side shall set out. An alarm is to be blown whenever they are to set out. 

The people were to listen for the trumpets. When both were blown, it was the sound to congregate together. This week the trumpets are sounding; Come together and give thanks to God.  Thanksgiving and worship should lead our week. Let's not get so caught up in the business of life that we forget to give thanks. 

Being the Church #50

We wrap up our study today on "Being the Church" by returning to the epistle on "the Church" - Ephesians 4:

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Why did God bring us all together into one Body? Why did He give each one of us Gifts? Why has He put into each of us individually - and even in a greater sense - corporately, His Holy Spirit?  To build up, prepare, establish and strengthen us to speak up for and live for The Head, the One Who gave Himself for us, the One Who sent the Holy Spirit, that together we may live for the Glory of God. May it be so. 

Being the Church #49

Sometimes in Paul's letters, he really opens up and lets us know how he feels, like in II Corinthians 7:

5  For even when we came into Macedonia, our bodies had no rest, but we were afflicted at every turn—fighting without and fear within. 6 But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus, 7 and not only by his coming but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by you, as he told us of your longing, your mourning, your zeal for me, so that I rejoiced still more.

Paul admitted to times of struggle and discouragement when he and his team poured their lives out only to experience ridicule and rejection.  He also wanted his readers to realize that God takes us through these times, often by the support of fellow believers. In fact, he wanted them to realize that God had used them in this way when Titus had brought them encouraging news about what was happening their. They were told that rather than being angry with Paul's rebuke they were moved to mourn and be reconciled with him. This changed Paul's demeanor from one of expecting the worst at every turn to one of hope. There are times God may move us to call, write, or even visit someone and we are not sure why - or may even would rather not. God has a reason; He may use you to be the encouragement someone else needs.

Being the Church #48

How rarely we read the important wisdom found in Ecclesiastes, such as is found in chapter 4:

7 Again, I saw vanity under the sun: 8 one person who has no other, either son or brother, yet there is no end to all his toil, and his eyes are never satisfied with riches, so that he never asks, “For whom am I toiling and depriving myself of pleasure?” This also is vanity and an unhappy business. 9 Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. 10 For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! 11 Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? 12 And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

When God created man, He made us for community. Solomon here lists numerous practical reasons we need each other, beginning with the question: "Why am I doing this if it is only for myself? What good is it if I cannot share it with someone else?" The same is true of the Church; God has given us to one another for community. Together we have greater success in our own spiritual growth, but also in contributing to each other's spiritual growth.  Together we can accomplish so much more, we can be there in time of need, we can better understand what the Church is all about: Christ's Body He loves so much He gave Himself for us. 

Being the Church #47

As Paul is wrapping up the first half of his letter to the Galatians, he says in chapter 3:

23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise.

What joins us together is our common faith in Christ. That breaks down all sorts of distinctions and differences that have historically divided us. Together, we have a newfound freedom - not from obedience to the Law, but dependence upon Christ.  In Christ we have been forgiven, taking off our old sinful life and putting on our new Christ-life. We are now more alike than different. We are family and you can see the resemblance to Christ and one another.  May the world around us see that resemblance today. 

Being the Church #46

Today we continue on in Philippians 2:
5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. 8 And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 

After calling us as Christ-followers to humility, Paul now uses Him as the ultimate example for us to follow. We need to have His mind, which was revealed by His actions.  Christ did not let his "God-ness" stop Him from humbling Himself. He continually humbled Himself from God to human to servant to sacrifice to the One Who took all the shame of sin on Himself.   There is no greater humility, sacrifice and submission than that. We do not have nearly as far to humble ourselves as He did.  Paul's not-so-subtle exhortation here is this: stop grasping, stop holding onto your pride; let it out and become like Christ. 

Being the Church #45

Philippians 2:

So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. 3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others

We have been in passages all over the Bible in this study on being the church, but keep coming on these passages that remind us of the importance of humility. To begin with, this is an evidence of the work of Christ and the Holy Spirit at work in our lives.  It is the kind of atmosphere that brings joy to the hearts of those who have been called by God to lead and invest in His people. It reveals that victory is taking place in the hardest of battlefields: selfishness. Notice how Paul builds from verse to verse. First it is as if he is asking a heart-searching question: "Is God at work in your life?  Do you care at all about others? Then he asks them as a favor to him. Next, he gives an imperative: Do nothing selfish; be humble. Finally, he gives an exhortation: Let everyone look out for each other.  Take the focus off of "me", and think more about "we."