The Church - Together in the Gospel
...the household of God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. - 1 Timothy 3:15
-THIS SUNDAY'S TEXT-
I am so thankful for our time together last Sunday. As the power was out, God revealed much to us. Let us remember to move close to one another and the LORD in times of darkness. While our circumstances at times may seem dim or if the power is out, the power of the Holy Spirit never goes out. Also, may our relationship with the Lord be marked with prayer and thanksgiving. May Romans 1:21 provide for the thankless hearts a warning - For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. A thankless heart leads to a foolish, darkened heart.
The Lord has brought us together as the church, and He has done so through the gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ our Lord. We are people of faith (faith in Jesus Christ), joined together with Jesus as our head, to live for God's glory.
Listen to Paul's prayer for the church of Colosae - "And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God." One of the expectations of the church is that we walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
How do we walk in a manner worthy of God?
Colossians 2:6 reads - "Therefore, as you received Jesus Christ the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving."
We walk in the same way in which we received Jesus Christ our Lord; we walk by faith. And we walk by faith, just as we were what? As we were taught! We trust Lord and walk in obedience to Him - this is faith!
Our togetherness in the gospel requires us to be involved in one another's lives. Living, loving, and encouraging one another all the more as the day of the Lord approaches. Our loving relationships will include discipleship and discipline, and we will exercise these so that we might walk in a manner worthy of the Lord.
-CONSIDER & MEDITATE-
If Jesus came as good news, what was the bad news that preceded His coming to earth?
The following passages will be helpful:
Romans 1:18-32 Romans 3:10-20 Romans 5:12-14 Ephesians 5:3-7
-PRAYER & THANKSGIVING-
Take some time in prayer thanking God for all the riches found in Jesus Christ our Lord. You may want to read Ephesians 1 and pause and give thanks as you read.