the destiny of heaven’s king

Posted on June 18, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 2 15 Matthew 2:13-23.  Who you are right now is the result of a thousand decisions – some large and some small – and those decisions shaped your destiny.  The catalysts for those decisions are various.  In Jesus’ early life, his parents made many decisions that ultimately led to his being where he needed to be, and some of those decisions protected him from enemies, like Herod.  They listened to the wise men, to angels in dreams, and to their own common sense.  At some point in time they looked back on those decisions and discovered that their lives had been mapped by the scriptures.

  1. They fled to Egypt until the death of Herod the Great.  “This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet (Hosea 11:1) ‘out of Egypt I called my Son.’”
  2. Herod, thinking that they were still in Bethlehem, had all the young boys in the town killed.  “Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah” – a prediction that the Rama region would experience a great loss of children.
  3. After Herod’s death, they decided to return, but resettled not in Judah, but in Galilee … “that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled  ‘he shall be called a Nazarene.’”

Nothing about Jesus’ life was mere chance or random circumstance.  He had a destiny, and his life was mapped out by the Holy Spirit.  The Spirit had revealed some of the salient points of that destiny in the writings of the prophets.  The scriptures reveal that this same Jesus is going to come again.  It is his destiny.

LORD, Your destiny is sure.  When you come again to fulfill the predictions in the scriptures, may we be ready to welcome you.

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the virgin birth of heaven’s king

Posted on June 17, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 1 23 Jesus’ birth was completely natural; there was nothing supernatural about it.  His conception was the miracle.  The human DNA that would have come from Joseph in a natural conception came from the Holy Spirit instead.  Matthew tells the story by emphasizing four names:

 

  1. Joseph knew that the child would not be his, so at first he was determined not to finalize the marriage.  An angel revealed to him by a dream that this even would not bring shame to his good name.  This was the work of God’s Holy Spirit.
  2. Mary’s good name was at stake as well.  The LORD did this not to shame her, but to give her the honor of bringing heaven’s king into the world.
  3. The child’s name would be Jesus, a variant of Joshua, meaning the LORD’s salvation.  He would deliver his people from their sins.  He can deliver us from our sins as well.
  4. His nickname will be Immanuel – from the Hebrew IM (with) ANU (us) and EL (God).  God himself visiting the planet he created in the form of heaven’s king, Jesus.  Isaiah (7:14) had predicted that the Messiah would be called by this name.  The deliverance he would offer would be much more than any earthly king could accomplish.

The glory of God’s only begotten was masked by the shame of rumors that his birth was illegitimate.  Jesus lived his entire earthly life under that veil of suspicion.  That was only a small part of the shame he endured so that you and I mught inherit his glory.

LORD, we cling to the old rugged cross, so despised by the world.  We accept gladly the shame associated with calling ourselves by your glorious name.  We know the truth.   You are Immanuel.  You are Jesus.

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the earthly family of heaven’s king

Posted on June 16, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

Matthew 1 1Matthew 1:1-17.  The Gospel of Matthew is a great adventure story by which readers are confronted with the reality that they have been visited by an extra-terrestrial: heaven’s king, Jesus Christ.  Matthew first encountered the king when he was called to be his student, his disciple.  When the Holy Spirit tasked Matthew to write this great adventure story, he prompted him to begin with Jesus’ family line.  Some of the people mentioned in the genealogy suggest reasons for this:

 

  1. The list begins with Abraham.  His name reminds the reader that God has given us a long history of promises he intends to fulfill by his grace.
  2. Central to the list is David.  God made a covenant with David and assured him that his dynasty would be an eternal one.  How was God going to accomplish that when the king reigning in Jerusalem in Mary and Joseph’s time was an Edomite puppet to a pagan Roman emperor?  Stay tuned.  The story will show how God will do the impossible.
  3. This genealogy is the record of a nation as well as a family.  The Old Testament history that records the birth, progress, triumphs, and tragedies of that nation is seen in the names listed.  Heaven’s king will decide the destiny of that nation. He is their destiny.

LORD, thank you for coming into time and history.  You are heaven’s king, but you are also earth’s Savior.  You are one of us, and know our problems, but you are also God’s solution. Praise your name!

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it’s who you know

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

SDC12755 Philemon 23-25.  Paul concludes his letter to Philemon with a short list of associates who were probably well-known by the believers in Colossae, or at least by Philemon himself.

  1. Epaphras had been a messenger for Paul, bringing his letters to Colossae, and bringing news about them to Paul. He was probably the founder of the churches in Colossae, and since Paul called him a “fellow prisoner,” he may have been arrested for his efforts.
  2. Aristarchus and Demas are companions of Paul, and fellow workers.
  3. Mark and Luke are most known today for the fact that the Holy Spirit prompted them to write histories of the life of Christ and the spread of the gospel in the early church.

You can tell a lot about a person by considering who his friends are.  Philemon kept good company.  These were people who were serious about their faith, and were willing to suffer for the proclamation of the gospel.

LORD, give us friends who are committed to you, and to your church.  May we honor you by what we know, and by who we know.

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taking back the prodigal

Posted on June 14, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

SDC12754 Philemon 8-22.  Onesimus had not been kidnapped and sold as a slave to Philemon.  He was a bondservant.  He had found himself in a poor state financially, probably having incurred a debt he could not repay.  He needed the help of Philemon to get out of that debt.  So he had appealed to Philemon to take him on as a bondservant.  If I read verse 16 correctly, there was some familial relationship between the two men.  They were brothers “in the flesh” – perhaps distant relations.  So, Philemon did the right thing.  He took Onesimus into his household as a servant.

The reward Philemon got for his benevolence was treachery.  Onesimus stole money and ran away.  While living as a fugitive, he met Paul and came to faith in Christ.  Paul could have told Onesimus to just forget about his past, but he envisioned a different solution.  He wanted to return Onesimus to reconcile with Philemon, and thought that Philemon could then use Onesimus as a partner in his ministry to Paul.  His appeal was a gamble, because Philemon could have had Onesimus arrested as well.  Then he would have gone to prison as well.

The challenge that Philemon faced is a difficult one.  Once you have been betrayed, how can you trust again?  Paul is asking Philemon to take the prodigal back and make him a trusted partner in ministry.  For Philemon to do this, he had to have faith in the transforming power of the gospel.  He had to believe that the Holy Spirit is the God of the second chance.

LORD, heal our hurts.  Help us to trust people again, because we trust in your power to make a difference in their lives.

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growing in our areas of strength

Posted on June 13, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

SDC12754 Philemon 4-7.  The Holy Spirit’s counsel through the scriptures reaches down and touches us, encouraging growth in every facet of our lives, not just our weaknesses.  Philemon was well-known for two things:

  1. He had great faith in the LORD and was constantly sharing that faith with others.
  2. He had great love for others and was constantly refreshing the hearts of the saints.

Now, it was time for the Holy Spirit to go to work, stretching and strengthening Philemon in precisely those areas of spiritual health that he was known for.  His faith in Christ, the Reconciler, was the foundation for his existence.  Now Paul was going to ask him to apply that faith in an area of his life that he had not imagined it would apply: his relationship with Onesimus.

Also, Philemon had always been ready to meet the needs of any brother as soon as he discovered that need.  Now Paul was going to introduce him to a new brother: Onesimus, whom he knew in the past only as a useless runaway slave who could not be trusted.

God’s righteousness is infinite.  When the light of his glory and grace shines on our lives, even those rooms of our house which we keep tidy and set apart for only company to see are revealed to be less than adequate.  Paul’s letter to his friend was a challenge to let the Holy Spirit have access to transform him  — again.

LORD, our lives are yours.  We present to you our strengths as well as our weaknesses.  Stretch us and change us as you see fit.

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deeply committed, deeply hurt

Posted on June 12, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

SDC12752 Philemon 1-3.  Philemon was a good man.  He was not just a pew-sitter in Colossae.  He hosted a fellowship in his own house.  Paul described him as a “beloved fellow worker.”  The picture we get from Paul’s words in this letter is that Philemon was deeply committed to Christ and to the gospel.  Something bad happened to him.  His slave, Onesimus, whom he trusted, stole from him and ran away.  Some time later, Onesimus encountered Paul and became a Christian like his former master.  Now he wants to do the right thing and return and reconcile with Philemon.

Paul intercedes.  The book of Philemon is Paul’s letter which he sends to accompany Onesimus.  Paul was concerned for his friend, Philemon.  He writes out of respect for Philemon’s ministry, and understands how it feels to be abandoned by people you had trusted. 

Perhaps someone you had trusted has let you down, and you don’t know if you could ever forgive them.  The LORD knows how it feels to be deeply hurt.  He cares for you.  He knows that you feel sensitive, and that you don’t want to be vulnerable again.  But the question for Philemon and for all of us who have been deeply hurt is whether we dare open our hearts long enough for the LORD to minister his grace. Reconciliation is his work.

LORD, we have been hurt.   We trust you to heal us gently.

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mission: send, support, serve

Posted on June 11, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

SDC12751 Titus 3:12-15.  Paul’s final instructions to Titus give a job description for the church and explain how each local church can continue to be involved in the mission of reaching the lost world for Jesus Christ.

  1. He instructs Titus that he will soon be replaced by another missionary in Paul’s team (12).  This was probably to give Titus the opportunity to personally report to Paul.  He had been sent on a mission.  It was now time to evaluate the success of that mission.

Missions is about sending people to serve among other people.  We send people to accomplish a task.  We send them because Jesus has appointed them that they should go and bear fruit (John 15:16).  Unless they go, there will be no fruit.

2.   He instructs Titus to support Zenas and Apollos in their missions work as well.  Perhaps these two were planning a visit to Crete to raise support for their work.  Paul tells Titus to “see that they lack nothing” (13).

Financially supporting missions work is an opportunity for churches to use their resources to touch the lives of people outside their community.

3.  He also instructs Titus to keep training the believers in Crete to do good works.  He especially mentions helping in “cases of urgent need” (14). 

Lovingly serving others by taking care of them in their times of need is also an opportunity for churches to be “fruitful” in mission.

LORD, make us a missions church, who send, support, and serve others so that your will is done.

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mission: avoid distraction

Posted on June 10, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

SDC12750 Titus 3:8b-11.   Paul instructs Titus to proclaim the gospel of justification by grace (5) and to also insist that the church devote themselves to good works (1, 8, 14).  The good works are in response to the Holy Spirit’s washing and renewal (5), and will draw people to the gospel message by showing its relevance and power.  In this section, Paul identifies the things that will distract the church from both the gospel message, and the good works that authenticate it. They are:

  1. foolish controversies,
  2. genealogies,
  3. dissensions,
  4. quarrels about the law,
  5. people who stir up division.

Anything that distracts the church from proclaiming the gospel or living it out in their community could be added to the list.  The mission of the church is to proclaim the message of what Christ did for us until he comes gain for us.  Meanwhile, we are to validate and demonstrate that gospel by lives so exemplary that the lost sit up and take notice.

What gets in the way of that mission is the tendency to get sidetracked on issues that may even have merit, but compared to proclaiming the gospel they are foolishness.

LORD, as we press on to proclaim your salvation and demonstrate it by our godly lives, help us to avoid any commitments that are not really fruitful for your kingdom.

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mission: insist on good works

Posted on June 9, 2011 by Jefferson Vann

SDC12735 Titus 3:1-8a.  Paul is the champion of salvation by grace, apart from works.  He teaches that in this text when he says that God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy” (5).  Yet Paul had taught Titus that his role as supervising missionary in Crete was to teach and model sound doctrine, and that the result should be a community transformed by grace with works that appropriately “adorn the doctrine” (2:10).  So, Titus had the responsibility to get the church “ready for every good work” (1).  It was not enough for the church to simply promote belief in God.  Titus had to insist that they “devote themselves to good works (8,14). 

The reason is that the same God who has justified us by his grace is also washing and renewing us by the influence of his Holy Spirit (5).  The justification by faith ensures that we will inherit eternal life when Christ comes back for us (7).  Regeneration and renewal (what elsewhere is called sanctification) ensures that we will draw others from our context to this same Savior, so that they can have the same hope.  A community of believers who are being washed and renewed…

  1. … is not disobedient, but submits to and obeys authorities,
  2. … is not enslaved to passions and pleasures, but is ready for every good work,
  3. … is not ruled by malice and envy toward each other, but is gentle and courteous.

This is the kind of community that is going to make a difference.

LORD, help us to draw people to yourself.  By our changed lives, may we adorn the doctrine so that those who are watching us know that it is the truth.

Posted in church, eternal life, faith, genuineness, gospel, grace, holiness, hope, integrity, missions, witness | Tagged | 1 Comment