Colossians 3:16 – Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.

Singing is a central part of the life of a Christian.  Scripture contains both the example and direct command for us to sing.  The Apostle Matthew recorded, in Matt 26:30, that after Jesus and the disciples had partaken of the ‘last supper’, when “they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.”  James wrote in James 5:13, “Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” The Apostle Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:19 that we should be “addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart.”  Paul wrote in Colossians 3:16, that we should “let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.”

We sing because we are blessed.  We sing to give thanks.  We sing to teach and admonish one another.  We sing to make melody to the Lord with our heart.  We sing together as part of the body of Christ.

Now, science tells us there are health benefits to singing together.  Daniel Pink, in his new book “When”, claims singing together “might be the new exercise”.  He writes that singing in a group “calms the heart and boosts endorphin levels. It improves lung function. It increases pain thresholds and reduces the need for pain medication.”  It also improves our outlook, boosts mood and self-esteem and alleviates feelings of stress and depression.  The reason singing in a group has these benefits is due to the sense of belonging that synchronizing with others brings.  Belonging shapes our outlook and brings us “health and satisfaction.”  That is one tremendous benefit of being part of the body of Christ.  Don’t you think that might have been part of God’s master plan?

William James once said, “I don’t sing because I’m happy; I’m happy because I sing.”  Let’s sing and be happy.  Let’s make a joyful noise to the Lord (Psalms 95).  Let’s join our voices together in song and join our hearts together in the body of Christ.

 

I have good friends, who are teachers, in both Kentucky and Oklahoma. The emotions that seem to be common is anger and worry due to corrupt political systems.

While I believe it is right to be aware and expose corruption I don’t think it is right to create a panic that produces anger and anxiety.

Now, there is a time to be angry (for instance Jesus’ cleansing of the temple). But this anger is from a gentle heart that is not filled with anxiety. As Patrick Rothfuss said: “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

If I believed corrupt politicians would get away with taking advantage of our wonderful teachers – then yes, I too would be angry and anxious. However, God has a different message for the disenfranchised.

Psalm 37:7–9 (ESV) — 7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices! 8 Refrain from anger, and forsake wrath! Fret not yourself; it tends only to evil. 9 For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the Lord shall inherit the land.

Friend, wait patiently for the Lord in the face of evil. Yes, expose evil and corruption, but do it with a gentle heart while staying away from anger, wrath, & anxiety (fret). Trust God – evildoers will be cut off while God’s patient people will inherit the land.

 

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. – Ephesians 2:8-10

A few years ago, my family unwrapped a 500 piece jigsaw puzzle on Christmas morning.  Together we spent many hours finding the corner pieces, assembling the edge, grouping pieces by color, and putting it all together.  As the puzzle neared completion, we noticed one piece was missing.  We searched and searched for the missing piece to no avail.  The one unique piece to complete our puzzle was not there.  No other piece would fill that spot in the picture.  Perhaps that bit of frustration serves to demonstrate a spiritual principle.

In the passage above, Paul lets us know that we are the workmanship of God with a unique purpose, to do the good works that God prepared beforehand for us.  This is not a general statement that we should be out doing random good works, but rather that God has created specific good works for us to accomplish to fill in the jigsaw puzzle of God’s perfect plan for the world.  We are uniquely created and shaped by God for His specific purpose.  We should derive great satisfaction that our lives are infused with divine purpose, that our actions are not random or pointless.  What we do matters more than we could possibly trace out!

If this is true, then we have a great responsibility to fulfill the purpose God has placed in every one of us.  If we choose to bury a gift that God entrusts to us or to pass up an opportunity he places in our path, we leave a gaping hole in God’s masterpiece.    Not only will our life be poorer for it, but countless others will be affected.  God’s ways are beyond tracing out (Rom 11:33).  Most of the time we won’t recognize how our service fits into his divine plan and must be satisfied to trust his faithfulness in using us to accomplish his purpose.  What a wonderful experience it will be in eternity to see the wonderful ways God used our service.  How humbling it will be to see what might have been.

Brother, sister – don’t waste a moment of life in vain living.  Instead, walk worthy of your calling, fulfill your ministry, let your light shine brightly in the darkness, encourage each other toward greater service.  Soon we will all rest and the opportunity to make a difference will be past.  Don’t be a missing piece.

 

1 Chronicles 28:9 “And you, my son Solomon, acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever. 

It is humbling to know that nothing can be hidden from God. He sees everything. He knows our thoughts and He especially understands everything in our hearts. David told Solomon to not just know God, but to be completely dedicated to Him. It makes no sense to try to hide any thoughts or actions from an all-knowing God. As Christians, this should cause us joy, not fear, because God knows even the worst about us and yet He still loves us anyway.

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

 

Everyone is pursuing something. For years I have tried to pursue Jesus. This is much more than just a casual daily meet and greet in the garden of prayer.

The Oxford Dictionary defines “pursue” as a verb meaning “follow (someone or something) in order to catch”. The Apostle Paul refers to what this would look like in Ephesians 5:1–4 (ESV)

1 Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. 3 But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. 4 Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Paul lists several ways we must pursue Jesus:

1. IMITATE: For the first 35 years of my life I constantly asked: “What would Dad do in a similar situation?” This is because when you love someone, you imitate them. Those who imitate Elvis Presley listen to his songs and watch his movies. This knowledge enables them to imitate him. Those who pursue Jesus Christ do the same thing. They become experts on the Son of God. Even to the point of imitating His death, burial, and resurrection in baptism.
2. SACRIFICIAL LOVE: If you pursue Jesus without this kind of love you will really get hurt. Over the years I have heard people claim to be in love. Yet what they were describing was nauseatingly sick.True love is never measured by what you receive but by what you give. Jesus said— “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple (Luke 14:26–27 ESV)

3. FLEE IMMORALITY: Pursuing Jesus meansseeing marriage as holy & beautiful. It does not mean swinging to the lustful beat of the world because you find your God sanctified marriage bed boring. And by the way, there is no such thing as intimate love outside of marriage (obviously between a man and a woman).
4. TALK: Pursuing Jesus means using your words to always build people up and never breaking them down.

So, friend, are you pursuing Jesus? Are you imitating Him? Are you loving like He loved? Are you keeping the marriage bed holy? And are your words helpful or hurtful?

 

Every day of our lives as Christians we face giants.  Giants come in many different forms.  Some could come from people at work; people who we think are our friends, or an outsider of the family trying to tear your family apart.  James describes Satan as a roaring lion, seeking who he may devour.  Satan tempted Jesus after he had fasted for 40 days and 40 nights.  The first thing he tempted Jesus with was “food”.  When we are at our lowest, that’s when he hits us the hardest.

 

David, a young boy who watched over his father’s sheep, went to the creek every morning, but this time he picked up 5 smooth stones.  Jesse asked David to take some food and to check up on his brothers.  David shows up and hears the giant, “This day I defy the ranks of Israel!  Give me a man and let us fight.”  No Hebrew had volunteered until…Today!  David faced his “giant” head on.  Goliath, stood over 9 feet tall, his armor weighing more than David. I have an image of Goliath with barbed wire tattoos on both arms and a chip on his shoulder.  You can even call Goliath a bully.  David doesn’t see a giant but only a man, an uncircumcised Philistine that is defying the army of the living God. David shows up proclaiming God.  That’s how you face a giant.  David had faith that the God that delivered him from a lion and the paw of a bear would deliver him from this giant.  David sees Goliath but he sees an even bigger God.

 

When is the last time you saw or trusted that your God is bigger than your problem?  Do you run away from your giants or do you run towards the challenge?  Our giants are everywhere.  If you look around you, they are near, maybe it is the bills you can’t pay, the grades you can’t make, the people you can’t please, the drugs or alcohol you can’t resist, pornography you can’t refuse, or a past you can’t escape.  Maybe it’s pride or lack of confidence.  I see huge giants in every one of these offenses.  Like David we can’t face our giants alone.

 

Brothers and Sisters, we all face giants, Satan knows when we are at our weakest point.  Take the Christian stand and say that Satan is not welcome in your marriage, your family or your life.  Tell him, “You will not conquer me, God and I will take you down.”  We all face giants, but don’t face them alone.  You have your Church family to lean on.  The Elder’s would love to pray with you.  You will always have Jesus, never will he leave you and never will he forsake you.

 

Focus on your giants and you will stumble.

Focus on the living God and your giants will tumble.

The God who delivered David is ready to make you the next……….giant slayer.

 

In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus (the greatest life ever lived), tells us a parable of two men that approach

God in prayer.

The first one trusted in himself for his righteousness and treated others with contempt. His prayer is arrogant & self-centered.

• He is so much better than everyone else.
• He is the worshiper that is right with God because he is better than those sinners (extortioners, unjust, adulterers, & tax collectors).
• He is also better because of his religious observations (fasting twice a week & tithing of all that he gets).

But then there is that worthless no good sinner who can never seem to get his act together. He is always messing up. He is always disappointing God. He feels so ashamed.

• He stands far off – he does not believe he is worthy to approach the Holy God. God, I am so sorry!
• He cannot even look up at God. Please forgive me.
• He beats his breast. Please God, be merciful to me. I am such a sinner.

Friend, whenever we go to the Lord our God in prayer, He is near to us (Dt.4:7). And yes, we must overcome this world by holy works that serve to confess Jesus (Rev.3:1-5). But we must never forget that the only reason we can boldly approach His throne (Heb.4:16) is the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ.

A few days ago, Steve Smith brought disgrace on Australian Cricket. He was caught cheating. It cost him his Captainship and a 12-month ban from the sport he loves.

As I watched Smith’s tearful confession I reflected on the reproach of King David. In the words of the Prophet Nathan: Nevertheless, because by this deed you have given [a great] opportunity to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme [Him], the son that is born to you shall certainly die” (2 Samuel 12:14 Amplified
Bible).

Both Steve Smith and King David understand the reality of consequences. As Christians, our Elders are to be above reproach (1 Tim.3:2; Tit.1:6) and we are to be blameless and innocent – living as God’s children above reproach (Phil.2:15).

 

To live above reproach, meditate on the following:

• Do you have constantly hidden sin? What could be the consequences?
• In what areas are you vulnerable? Set up
  safeguards now!
• Is God pleased with you?

Father in heaven, enable us to live as bright lights in this perverse crooked world (Phil.2:15). Please equip us with every good thing to do Your will. Work in us that which is pleasing in Your sight. This we pray through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen (Heb.13:20).

 

“Because He lives, I can face tomorrow

Because He lives, all fear is gone.

Because I know He holds the future and

Life is worth the living just because He lives.”

 

“He is not here for He is risen.”  With those words, the angel proclaimed the Savior for all mankind; the fulfillment of the prophecies; the implementation of God’s plan of salvation.  The Apostle Paul later recounted the gospel, God’s plan of salvation, in I Corinthians 15, “that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried and that he was raised on the third day according to the scriptures.”

 

Through the risen Savior, we have the blessing of enduring hope.  The Apostle Peter said, “He has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.” (I Peter 1:3) The Apostle Paul told the Colossians they had a “hope laid up…in Heaven” of which they had “heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel.” He instructed them to “continue in faith…not shifting from the hope of the gospel.” (Col 1:5, 23)

 

Through the risen Savior, we also have the blessing of a spiritual family.  It is part of our human nature to desire to be part of something bigger than us.  We have that as part of God’s family, the body of Christ, to love us, encourage us and help us.  Jesus said, “whoever does the will of My Father who is in heaven, he is My brother and sister and mother.” (Matt 12:50)  The Apostle Paul uses this type of terminology several times: “You are Christ’s body and individually members of it” (I Cor 12:27), “members of the household of God” (Eph 2:19), “the body of Christ” (Eph 4:12).

 

We worship together each week to commemorate Christ’s death, burial and resurrection.  Through the risen Savior, we are blessed with a spiritual family on earth for love, support and encouragement and we are blessed with an enduring hope to live with Christ in eternity.