We are all prone to look at the cup half empty. Within the church and church ministry, people will be doing the right thing in the wrong way. Are you thankful for the efforts of other people despite their shortcomings in their service and sanctification? It takes a special person to be able to look at the bright side. When someone is doing the right thing in the wrong way, in needs to be encouraged. Our attitude says a lot about where our heart is it. Are you a leader in the church? Leaders have the responsibility to recognize young men and women that are making an effort so that the next generation will be brought up to lead the church. What would you do in these specific situations?
Someone has offered to serve you by making the table and spilled coffee all over you. How will you react?
Someone went out of their way to buy tickets for you and your friends – 5 in total. But accidently only bought 4. One of you isn’t going to get a ticket.
A young man is pursuing women in the church and is making them uncomfortable.
In each of these situations, we are prone to look at the worst in people and automatically get frustrated, angry, and mad. The situation becomes about us and how these behaviors affect our desires and our comfort. We become thankless individuals just like Satan who Ultimately rebelled. He was thankless for God and took 1/3 of the Angels with him. Remember, part of our goal as Christians is to help others pursue the good, look for the best in others, help others conform to Christ, and pursue unity in light of the Gospel message. Here are some reactions that convey a sense of Humility and encouragement-
Thank them and ask how you can help clean it up. Encourage them in their service.
Thank them and offer to give up your ticket for other’s benefit so they can go.
Tell Him he’s doing the right thing. Marriage is the grace of life. But I’d love to help you do this in the right way. What do you think about meeting for coffee sometime?
What is the pattern established in each of these situations? There is a sacrificial love that has the person’s best interest at stake. We respond by encouraging others in their service despite their shortcomings. We aren’t easily offended and try to help others do the right thing in light of their identity. In light of Psalm:23, we know that our Chief Sheperd is Christ. True Leaders respond humbly, encourage people to pursue the right path, but also rebuke gently so that they can do things in the right way. The overall attitude is one that is trying to help in someone’s sanctification. It’s not one that is coming from a place of anger or discouragement. Within the church, we will encounter many types of situations. Generally speaking, we can categorize them into people doing the right thing and sin. But for this post, I’m not talking about sin. I’m talking about people that are trying to do the right thing in the wrong way. Lets be like Christ, our Chief Shepherd, and emulate Him. True leaders can recognize situations and encourage others, helping them to become more like Christ every day. Be patient, realize people learn through failure, and encourage the direction that they are going. Selfishness becomes angry in light of people’s shortcomings. Humility encourages and redirects people on the right path who may not be doing things the right way all the time.
Psalm:23 pictures the Lord as our ________ and us as his _________
David was also a _________ and has knowledge of what that’s like.
We have everything in Christ; we have salvation and can be eternally thankful. We shall not _______. We are eternally blessed.
Like sheep, we have a complete _________ for our Shepherd.
Green Pastures and still waters convey the idea of ________ and __________.
Yahweh leads us on paths of righteousness; on the ______ path for the sake of His _____
The valley of the shadow of death is actually a road from Jericho to ____________
It is described as a __________ place
In Verse 23:5 there is a shift of Yahweh being portrayed as a Shepherd to Him being portrayed as a _________. The Psalmist knows that he will be __________ as the guest of Yahweh at His table.
Historically, guests were usually __________ with oil as they enter to eat.
Because Yahweh is our _________ and _________, we can be confident that we will be protected by Yahweh’s covenantal love. Chesed. Our trust is based on his covenantal love. We can never be snatched from His hand. He is sovereign and His purposes will come to pass. God takes pleasure in those who trust in His Chesed (Psalm 147:11) This is his Loyal Love, steadfast love, mercy, goodness and kindness. It’s an attribute of God (Exodus 34:6-7) We see his lovingkindness and walk in His truth (Psalm 26:3). There is a connection between trusting him and being obedient (Psalm 37:3)
Chesed is God’s _____________ Love. His love perseveres and never fails.
Application questions
1)Are you truly satisfied in Christ? Is there anything that is on par with God or above God that you want that might be an idol in your life?
2) How does our trust in the Lord affect our attitude and actions in light of the good and bad times in our life?
3) How can we trust in Yahweh for protection when we know that many believers have been martyred, lost jobs, lost marriages, etc? What does it mean that Yawheh is protecting us?
Our Great Shepherd is Jesus Hebrews 13:20; Genesis 48:15 (Jacob’s Shepherd)
Now may the God of peace who brough again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
Various answers will reveal our heart attitude – I’m truly satisfied in the Lord no matter what is provided. We are eternally blessed and have much to be thankful for. To be part of His kingdom and serving him is the most joyful thing we can experience in this life. The world looks for other things to ultimately satisfy them- Marriage, money, friends, job, fame, sex, entertainment, leisure, comfortability, etc. When we live out our identity in Christ, we are most satisfied in Him. Some of these things should be pursued and are good things. Marriage is the grace of life. We need money to live. But if we are looking toward these things to ultimately fulfill our life motivations and purpose, something is terribly wrong. We live for the Kingdom in light of eternity. Our perspective should be to love and serve others no matter what the Lord provides. Our love for each other and our constant service bears witness to the Gospel affecting our lives.
We know that the Lord is in control of everything and His purposes will come to pass. Everything He decides is good (Romans 8:28-29). We may not understand what the Lord is doing. Our reaction to not getting what we think we deserve will reveal a lot about our heart. We don’t deserve anything but Hell. We live in a country with minimal persecution and have salvation. And that’s all we need. We keep loving and serving others until we are resurrected in our new body designed for either eternal damnation or eternal glory. Compared to eternity, our life on this earth will fade very quickly. Living for anything else besides the triune God is insane. The world and its desires are fading very, very quickly. Live for what’s eternally valuable- The Kingdom of God.
I think of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. They refused to bow down to other Gods and were confident that Yahweh would protect them. But even if He doesn’t, they still wouldn’t bow down. God protects us in the sense that our souls are forever secure. There is no condemnation for those that are in Christ (Romans 8:1). God’s purposes will come to pass and there is nothing to be afraid of. Whatever happens is in His control. At the same time, there is wisdom in making smart decisions. We aren’t guaranteed physical protection in this life. In fact, we are guaranteed persecution as a believer. But we have an eternal hope for glorification. Our soul is protected if we are a believer and nothing else should matter. This is our hope and thankfulness. If this is what we are truly living for, our lives will show it.
Often read at funeral. But really this Psalm is about living and not dying. We will see that in a bit.
A Psalm of David
David was a Shepherd of Sheep. Now what do we know about sheep?
We were once like sheep! 1 Peter 2:25- We were once like sheep going astray but now we have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. Before Christ, we didn’t have a Shepherd. We were living in Sin under the power of Satan. But now we have Christ and can be grateful.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want
This is possessive and Personalized. David Says my Shepherd. He is totally satisfied in Christ. He shall not want. Can we truly say that as long as I have Christ, I have everything? God is the supplier of everything. We are truly blessed.
He makes me lie down in green pastures
He leads me beside still waters.
Sheep don’t drink from running water; they are scared of it. This shows Yahweh’s provision and nourishment. We have a complete need and dependence on our Shepherd. God doesn’t ignore our needs. He is good not because of us but because of His character and His reputation.
This is a picture of contentment.
He restores my soul
He leads me in paths of righteousness
For his name’s sake
Restore the soul- To revive or quicken it. Conveys the idea of spiritual renewal and refreshment.
Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil,
For you are with me;
Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
2 Parts
Fear- Walking through the valley of death. Historically, that’s the road from Jericho to Jerusalem. Robbers and thieves were very common.
Comfort- We have a great God that will provide for us. David says, “I will fear no evil” By implication, because of our Great God.
God is with us in the Green Pastures and in the Valley of Death. No matter where we are, God is with us controlling every step of the way.
A lot of times, our relationship becomes closer to God as we go through the Valley of death.
How is a rod and staff comforting?
The rod defends the predators and the staff brought the sheep back into the fold. Maybe they got stuck on some sort of waterway. Our Shepherd is our defender.
You prepare a table before me
In the presence of my enemies;
You anoint my head with oil;
My cup overflows.
Table- This is where sheep graze. A grassy plateau on the hillside.
Enemies of the sheep- Wolves, Lions, Cayotes. Who is our great predator? Satan. He seeks to destroy us.
We know that our strongest enemy is no match for our Great God. He will be cast into the Lake of Fire in the end.
You anoint my head with oil- This was usually done to kings. In this context, it would be common for hosts to anoint guest’s with oil before eating.
It is the Lord who fills our cup; not any idol, not anything else. He is ultimately satisfying. God supplies our every need.
If you make $35,000 or more, you are in thetop 99% income level in the world. We are truly blessed.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life,
And I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
God is good and merciful (Chesed) God’s Loyal, unfailing Love.
Follow me in the Hebrew- Military Term/Chase or pursue
Literally, goodness and mercy shall chase us down.
David speaks confidently here. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Conclusion
We see the confidence of David in the Lord.
He trusts in the Lord through the green pastures, through the valley of the shadow of death as Shepherd and host. He knows who His God is. This is expressed in his attitude and action- I shall fear no evil. He has satisfaction- My cup overflows, I shall not want. He expresses His Ultimate Satisfaction in the present life and is confident of where he is going.
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 [a]He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. 4 In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5 And the Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overtake it.
Lately I’ve been doing a devotional on the Psalms of Psalms; Psalm:1. It is the blessed man who avoids the wicked and delights in the Word, the law of the Lord. But what does the Word in the Bible mean?
According to Logos.com, the Word can mean 3 different things in the Bible
Logos in its standard meaning designates a word, speech, or the act of speaking (Acts 7:22).
Logos in its special meaning refers to the special revelation of God to people (Mark 7:13).
Logos in its unique meaning personifies the revelation of God as Jesus the Messiah (John 1:14).
In other words, Logos is generally referred to as an actual act or a message from God being the Bible or Jesus as personification of the message. In 1 Corinthians 1:30, Paul states “And because of him you are in Christ Jesus who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”
However, also according to Logos.com, Logos has a wide semantic meaning. It can mean the following:
It is Jesus Himself who is the Word and spoke out, creating everything (John1:3 and Colossians 1:16).
Colossians 1:16- For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him.
John 1:3- All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made.
Jesus is eternal and is God. He existed before the foundation of the world.
We see a striking resemblance to Genesis 1:1 which says- In the beginning, God created the heavens and the Earth.
Christ is the embodiment of the Logos; He was there in Genesis 1:1 as preincarnate Christ, fully present in the creation of the World as part of the trinity.
If Christ is the Logos, our creator, we owe him our obedience, worship and allegiance. He is the true God and the only way to salvation (John 14:6).
Purpose: To encourage and edify each other in the Word, promote fellowship, practice teaching. All men are called to ministry at some level. We are called to teach, edify, and encourage one another. To help each other conform more to Christ as we see the day drawing near and live in light of eternity.
Psalm:1 is a ________________________ Psalm
The blessed man does not
___________ in the counsel of the wicked
___________ in the way of sinners
Nor ________ in the seat of scoffers
Friendship, community, fellowship is essential for growth.
1 Corinthians 15:33- Bad company corrupts good morals
Proverbs 18:24- A man of many friends comes to _______.
Why is this so?_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
The righteous man _________ in the law of the _______ day and night
Do you have the humility to see you are sinner? Your need for the Word? For Christ? For Godly Community?
The Blessed Man is the Humble man who follows the humble path of Christ as His example demonstrated in Philippians 2:6.
Rooted in Christ.
The blessed man is
planted and produces ________________
This is in contrast to the wicked who are thrown out like ________________.
Questions to think through
1)What does Biblical Wisdom mean (Choknah)
2) Who is the blessed man? What does he do and not do?
3) Where does true satisfaction come from?
4) Is there anything in your life that is on par with God or above God that is becoming an Idol indicating that you may not be satisfied with God and His Word? 5) Why is it important to be in the Word? To be the man or women that delights in the law of the Lord?
6) How do you separate yourself from the world while being present in the world to be a Godly witness?
7) How do you apply not letting your life come to ruin as proverbs says by making many, many friends?
8) Why are Godly Friends and community in the church essential for growth and sanctification?
9)Am I pursuing the righteous path of Humility like Christ in Philippians 2:6?
10)How do we live out our identity in Christ more fully?
11) What Godly Patterns are you setting for yourself to be on the righteous path?
12) What helps us be on the righteous path?
13) Is there anything I can work on in the attached table below?
Answers to questions
1) Biblical Wisdom is skilled living; knowing and applying what we know in our daily lives through the power of the Holy Spirit.
2) The blessed man is the humble man who’s heart has been transformed. He follows the example of Christ and emulate His humility. In the text, he is the one who doesn’t follow the counsel of the Wicked but delights in the Word and follows the Word.
3) True satisfaction comes through Christ Alone.
4) Answers will differ for every person.
5)The mark of a true believer is someone who loves the Word (John 8:31). We are transformed by the renewing of our minds (Romans 12:2) The Word is transformative and helps us conform to Christ.
6) We think through if we are pulling someone more toward Christ or if the unbeliever is pulling us more toward the world. We are here to be a witness for Christ, the kingdom, and His Gospel. But at the same time, we need to be wise with who we get close to.
7) Same answer as above. We need to think through who we want to spend time with. We can’t even spend time with every believer. Ideally, we should try to spend our time with mature believers and disciple more immature believers. We know we are His disciples if we Love the brethren.
8) This is God’s design. Fellowship is more friendship. It is a means of grace. Our hearts and faith can be prone to harden. (Hebrews:3), (Hebrews 10:25)
9) Various answers
10) If we are rooted in Christ, we need to pursue Godly living- To be on the righteous path and emulate Christ’s humility and encourage others in their Christian identity. This includes being in the Word, Fellowship, prayer, obedience, and God’s providence (Romans 8:29). We are saved unto good works (Ephesians 2:10) Sound doctrine has implications on Godly Living. Titus 2 – self-controlled, a model of good works, dignified……..
1 Corinthians 10:31- So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
Part of giving glory to God is right thinking or giving glory to God as he deserves.
Mother Teresa exuded extraordinary care for others and said she was called by God; a missionary to spread the love of Christ, devoting herself to the slums in Calcutta in India and even starting a school for the children there. Her awards include the Nobel Peace prize in 1979, Pope John Peace Prize, Nehru Prize, and Balzan Prize. Was she saved? I don’t know. Many would say surely, of all people, Mother Teresa is saved; a Christian. Look at her life! I believe some Catholics are saved if they don’t truly believe what the Catholic church teaches. Many Catholics don’t know the official teachings of the Catholic church. The real question is, did she believe in the God of the Bible? Did she trust in Christ alone for salvation or was she trusting in all of her good works to get herself to heaven? Works don’t save you. (They do authenticate a transformed heart.) Believing in the wrong Jesus doesn’t save you. I don’t know Mother Teresa’s heart. I don’t know your heart. But what I can tell you is faith comes through hearing the Word of God (Romans:10) Christians believe in the true God of the Bible and don’t trust in their works for salvation but what Christ did alone on the cross. Is this you? Who is the Jesus of the Bible? Are you believing in the wrong Jesus? Read on. Eternity is at stake. Your soul is at stake. Hell is not a party with other sinners but everlasting torment. Man is appointed to die once then comes the judgment. But there is Hope is the good news of the Gospel!
-But These things are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
This is the thesis statement of the Gospel of John. Have you ever though about what the most important question is for this life and the life to come? Who is God? Who is Jesus?
According to the Pew research center, 9/10 Americans believe in God. That seems great on the surface. However, digging deeper, many, many Americans don’t believe in the triune God of the Bible. The Jesus who is the forever God-man.
Why does this matter? You say you believe in Jesus and God. Aren’t we the same? The answer is an emphatic no. There is one God. He is the way, the truth and the life. Noone comes to the Father except through me (Christ) John 14:6. Acts 4:12- And there is salvation in noone else for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved. Christianity is unique in that it is exclusive, based on grace, trusting in Christ alone and what he did on the Cross. Eternal life is at stake. Our days are numbered. Tragedies occur at any given moment. Maybe you’re young- 21 years old maybe just coasting and living out your limited time here on Earth. All of a sudden, a young woman dies because of a drunk driver.
Even if you’re young, you could die at any moment. Any time. All that will matter in the end is what you believed about Jesus and how you lived your life. Even a full life, 85 years maybe, is very, very short compared to eternity.
Going through school, we are told that the most important question we will ever answer is what we want to do with our life. Are we going to be a Pharmacist? An engineer? A teacher? People put their identities into their career, jobs, and what they do for a living. However, the most important question every human being will ever have to answer is the question Jesus asked himself.
**************** Who do you say that I am? ***********************************
If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead, then you are saved (Romans 10:9). Salvation hinges on hearing the Gospel and truly believing who Jesus is – The eternal God-Man who is part of the trinity. How does Peter respond?
-You are the Christ, the son of the living God..
This is the God of the Bible- The God of the Bible who became man in the incarnation (Philippians 2:6) What are the implications?
Without the incarnation, there is no Christianity. For unbelievers, the stakes are eternal hell. We need to get who Jesus Christ is right. For believers, the stakes are the witness of the Gospel and the unity of the Church as a representation of Him.
According to John Mac Arthur, “Morphe signifies in the Greek a form that fully expresses the being which underlies it. It is true to the essential nature. It is a reflection of his deepest being. 2 Greek words for form. The other skema from which scheme comes. They both mean form. Morphe of who I am (My manhood. I’m always a male human being) The schema has been changing constantly. (Start as a baby, child, boy, young man, middle aged man, old man)
The skema was the skema of the man.
Jesus is in the essential form of God. He is unalterably God. He never has been or will be any other than God. He doesn’t become God or cease to be God.
His Skema changed. He was a fetus in a womb. He was an infant born. He was a young man. He was an adult. His Skema changed, his morphe never changed. Christ Jesus exists as the unchanging Character of God that never changes. He is God. He has equality with God because He is God. ”
In John 10:30, John clarifies that I and the father are 1. Other passages that denote Christ’s divinity include John 1:1, Colossians 1:15, and the I Am statements. However, our study here is focused on Philippians:2.
Going on, according to John Piper, “He is equal to God. He refuses to cling to that equality. Refuses to cling to the privileges and the rights that go along with that equality.”
This is the Kenosis, the self-emptying of Christ of his rights and privlidges to advantage other people. However, his deity was never empty. He stayed the same; He is the unchanging God!
CHRIST’S HUMILITY AND EXALTATION LSB Scripture
Therefore if there is any encouragement in Christ, if there is any consolation of love, if there is any fellowship of the Spirit, if any affection and compassion,
2 fulfill my joy, that you think the same way, by maintaining the same love, being united in spirit, thinking on one purpose,
3 doing nothing from selfish ambition or vain glory, but with humility of mind regarding one another as more important than yourselves,
4 not merely looking out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.
5 Have this way of thinking in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus,
6 who, although existing in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped,
7 but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a slave, by being made in the likeness of men.
8 Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.
9 Therefore, God also highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name,
10 so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
12 So then, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your salvation with fear and trembling;
13 for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
14 Do all things without grumbling or disputing,
15 so that you will be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,
16 holding fast the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I will have reason to boast because I did not run in vain nor labor in vain.
17 But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.
18 And you also, rejoice in the same way and share your joy with me.
He emptied himself of the privileges, prerogatives, and the rights that were his. He emptied himself to advantage others. He did not empty himself of his deity; He did what the will of the Father was at all times. In Mark 16:12, Jesus appears in his resurrection body. Christ was truly Human in every sense; ascending as the God-man; He will come back as the God-man again.
In verse 8, we see that He became obedient even to the point of DEATH. Christ was so service oriented and committed that He was willing to die to follow the Father. This is the reason he came.
In verse 9, we see the validity of Christ’s sacrifice. He was raised from the dead and has a name.
Every knee, even unbelievers, will bow the knee to Christ. See Isaiah:45
There are only 2 options. Reject him now and be in Hell forever and accept him later or accept him now and be in Paradise forever. Have you bowed the knee?
Where does Unity come from?
Unity comes because you follow the example of Jesus in His humility; our attitude should be the same as that as Christ Jesus. Just as a reminder,
So if there is any encouragement (from being united in Christ) in Christ, any comfort from (His) love, any participation(Fellowship, harmony) in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, (Then) complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility, consider others more significant than yourselves.
How can we cultivate true unity in the Church with our brothers and sisters in Christ?
Cultivate the Humility of Christ. Have other people’s best interest in mind (See above)
Forgive 70*7- As Christians, we have a heart of forgiveness. We can either look over the offense or confront with the purpose of helping the brother or sister become more like Christ. Everyone messes up and is growing.
Assumes the best about motives and others (1 Corinthians:13)- People are naturally prone to assume the worst about people and their motivations. Even to the point where people will say “I know your motivation.” This creates disunity in the church and is a hindrance to the Gospel and church unity.
Encourages others toward Sanctification- In the Word, fellowship, prayer, obedience, and providence. This goes hand in hand with encouraging others to live out their identity in Christ.
Reconciles quickly and doesn’t gossip to slander.
Acknowledges that we have so much to work on and are on the right path.
Invites people into their life who might benefit from fellowship. The World has their cliques and only invites people into their life who benefit themselves the most- They pick people who they can get things from. Christians love and serve the brethren no matter what is provided. They understand the importance of the Humility of Christ. Every situation is different but as a general rule, the heart of the Christian invites to benefit others.
The humility of Christ and the Kenosis have eternal implications. Unbelievers will be impacted by the doctrine of the incarnation and the example believers should be showing by following the humility of Christ and the importance of the unity of the church. There are needs all around the church- Financial, relational, serving, etc. Stay humble and pray for the humility of Christ and keep pursuing God’s glory with the right thinking about who He is (Doxa). Your belief about the incarnation and who Jesus is will be exemplified through the humility of Christ lived out in your Words and actions. Do you have the humility of Christ? Is humility and the unity of the church a goal of yours? What do you need to work on and what are you working on already? Below is a self-reflection chart! Lets challenge ourselves and reflect on whether we are truly Proud or Humble! Are you generally more humble or proud? We have a lot to work on!
A life well Spent 