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As to the Lord

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This weeks sermon application post was written by Victoria Wilson. You can view the sermon here.

If you’re like me, you probably think important questions are worth a Google.

Some of the Google searches I’ve conducted recently fell along these lines:

  • Fun activities to do with my kids.
  • How to succeed at work.
  • Ways to improve your marriage.
  • Easy date night ideas.
  • Overwhelmed mom self care.
  • Home organization tips.

You might see the similarities between these phrases; I want to be the best and happiest wife, mom and employee. But do you know what the Bible says is the biggest hindrance to my relationships? Not being filled with the Holy Spirit.

Relationships demonstrate our Spirit-filledness.

“The lack of being Spirit-filled shows up in your relationships,” our pastor said.

In Sunday’s sermon, this weight hit me like a ton of bricks. While I listened, I felt like I was in a desert, thirsty for water, and trying desperately to soak up every ounce of lifegiving words that flowed from the Word of God. I was laid bare, I knew I’d been trying to juggle my way into a better home and work life, but the balls have continued to fall flat on my face. My real problem is that I’m not filled by Spirit.

And maybe this is true of you, too.

(And if ‘being filled with the Spirit’ is a new concept for you, I encourage you to listen to past messages from Ephesians – Be Filled With The Spirit Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.)

“And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ.” Ephesians 5:18-21

These verses precede the text of our week’s message:

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands.” Ephesians 5:22-24

So what we must understand is that the directives in Ephesians 5 must and can only flow from the reality of Chapter 4 Verses 18-21. Only when our minds are meditating on the Word of God, being in Christian community with one another, singing songs, and giving thanks – this is being filled with the Spirit – can wives submit to their husbands. (And, as we will learn soon, can husbands be servant leaders to their wives.)

Submit? Isn’t that, like, so 1950s?

Culture often influences our understanding of marriage. Just take a quick look at the news headlines in 2019 and you will see that marriage is defined as whatever two people want it to be. But what does the Bible say?

To be sure, the Bible’s boundary lines of marriage are radical in our own day and age, as well as to its original hearers.

The word ‘submit’ used in these verses is a military term. It means to relinquish one’s rights to another. Soldiers give up their slow mornings, favorite meals, and civilian life to win the war. And much like the soldier, when a wife submits (relinquishes) her rights it is for the greater good. She submits to her husband to gain victory. And what is the victory, exactly?

Christian wives who submit to their husbands aren’t modeling a Stepford Wife, 1950s, dinner-on-the-table-by-5 form of submission. Wives take up their mantel from the Lord Jesus. As the Church – men and women – submit to Christ, so wives submit to their husbands. And Jesus himself, the only person who can demand complete and total submission, submitted His will to the will of His Father…for the greatest good of all time. As Jesus laid aside his preferences, to not be subject to an excruciating, humiliating death on the cross (Luke 22:41-44) but to submit to the will of God, a wife can cheerfully submit to her husband as a picture of the same.

Submission, not coercion.

An important note about submission is that submission does not equate to coercion. To choose to submit is a voluntary decision. Submission, or a bending of one’s will, cannot be demanded by the other party. Christian submission is always freely granted, eyes wide open, trusting and honoring the Lord.

I fear and grieve that husbands might have gotten away with abuse under the guise of Ephesians 5. This is a contorting of the text and not at all what God intended. Ephesians 5 is not a proof text for a husband to weigh his wife down with demands. It is an opportunity for love, as we will see as we explore this text further.

Is a Husband’s authority absolute?

Husbands do not have absolute authority over their wives because only GOD commands and deserves absolute authority. God is always kind, loving, and gentle. A husband’s authority is not and cannot be absolute because the husband is not perfect as God is perfect.

Contribute to Human Flourishing

The family is the first institution God put together. And families contribute to human flourishing by living as a Spirit-filled unit, carrying out The Great Commission on Earth.

Culture will always be at odds with Christianity. (If you look through time, a favorable cultural opinion of Christianity is more the exception than the norm.) Just as Stephen did not stop preaching the truth before the Sanhedrin when he was on trial (Acts 4), so Christians cannot stop speaking the truth about the design of marriage. Nor should married Christians stop displaying the Gospel through mutual love and submission in Spirit-filled pictures of Christ and His Church.

So, what next? What should the person who wants his or her marriage to point to Christ crucified do? Buy a book? Take a class? Go on a retreat?

Those may not be bad resources for marriage. But the main meal, the substance, the nutrition, the health comes from being full of the Spirit. Christian, it’s time to feast on the Word! Be filled with the Spirit!

Why do we Sing?

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This week John Anderson wrote our Sermon Application post. You can watch the sermon here.

This past Sunday, our Worship Pastor, Ben Wilson, taught from Colossians 3:12-17. Particularly, he looked at the vital elements of congregational worship, expressed in verse 16:

“Let the word of Christ dwell among you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.”

In short, Ben asked the profound question, “Why do we sing?” A study of Colossians 3:16 gives wonderful insights to this question.

As a brief foundation, it should be noted that Colossians, written by Paul, contains the thematic thread of the Supremacy of Christ. This theme, set in chapter 1, informs the entire rest of the letter.

“He is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell…” Colossians 1:18-20a.

Throughout the rest of Colossians, Paul unpacks the realities believers are to live by based on the unmatched excellence of Christ and His reconciling ministry to the Church:

  • Walk in him (2:6)
  • Walk in him, seeing worldly philosophies for what they are: mere behavioral-modification techniques that deny the resurrection power of God, distract from Christ’s supremacy, and have “no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh” (2:8-20).
  • As new creations in Christ, seek the things that are above by putting to death sinful passions and putting on Christ (his compassion, patience, love, etc.) (3:1-14)

Based on Christ’s supremacy and the new life he gives believers, then, we have the first reason we sing: we sing in response to the Gospel. As Ben put it, “the Gospel fuels our worship”. Jesus, the Son of God, descended to earth to live a perfect, sinless life on our behalf, took the punishment for our sin, rose from the dead, ascended to be with God, and drew us to a true and vibrant relationship with himself. With this reality in mind, we cannot help but sing! The great truth of the Gospel causes a praising response. As Psalm 19:8 states, “the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart.” Worship, which includes congregational singing, must then have God’s revelation, and particularly the Gospel, as its foundation and driving force. As a formula: truth –> worship response.

Second, we sing for our brothers and sisters in Christ. Colossians 3:16 clearly teaches that as believers obediently let the word about Christ dwell in them, they will end up “teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs.” Congregational worship is instructive. That is, God uses congregational singing as a way for believers to minister to one another. Primarily, this instruction lies in the content of the lyrics of the worship song. Believers grow as others sing God’s wonderful truth to them.

Secondarily, in a corporate worship context, believers can teach and admonish one another in other ways by making use of the physical and visual realities of the local church gathering. For example, a family worshiping together can instruct a single young adult what family worship can look like. The same is true for the children in said family. They learn as they observe young, faithful singles worshiping the Lord. Worship in the local church is meant to be group-oriented and visual. Worship is not simply a private conversation between a believer and God. Since worship is often viewed only in this dimension, it is no wonder why so many churches turn down the lights for worship. It is because they have lost the idea that we sing to minister to our brothers and sisters in Christ.

Last, we sing to God. Just as faith has an object (Christ), so singing has a definite direction and end: our Lord Jesus Christ. The instruction believers give to one another is worthless if it is not done to praise and glorify God. In fact, Paul makes this point in Colossians 3:17:

“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”

This same idea, the idea of living to praise and magnify the name of God, exists throughout Scripture and is the primary purpose of our being created. What a great gift God gives believers, the gift of an artistic sentiment, that they can sing, dance, instruct, and create all to God’s glory. These artistic and creative abilities point back to the Creator God.

May we meditate on the Gospel, sing for the edification of our brothers and sisters, and praise the Lord!

“Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!” Psalm 96:1

The Immeasurable Greatness of God’s Power

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This Sunday, we looked at Ephesians 1:18-20 and the display of God’s power in the resurrection of Christ. You can view the sermon here.

In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul prays for the saints at Ephesus. One of the things he prays for them, and, by extension, Christians today, is that they would know the immeasurable greatness of God’s power toward them. There are four things we see about God’s power in these verses.

The Dimension of God’s Power

Paul says the power of God is immeasurable. There is no scale of measurement that can tell us the depths or intensity of God’s power. Indeed, Paul is stretched in his vocabulary to describe it with the word immeasurable. We cannot measure or adequately describe God’s power.

The Direction of God’s Power

The second truth we learn about God’s power is its direction. It is toward us. This is not some generic force at work, this is a personal power at work toward those who are God’s children.

God almighty, the sovereign One, and the creator of the universe puts His power to work toward His children.

We learn that God is not selfish with His power. He does not use it in a selfish manner, but for our good and His glory. God’s power is driven by His love. It is a loving power. God is not threatened by us. He uses His immeasurable power for our good and His glory.

This teaches us that God is benevolent. He uses His immeasurable power with our best interest in mind.

The Demonstration of God’s Power

What do you think is the greatest demonstration, or display, of God’s power?

With a quick, mental scan through Scripture we think of creation. God spoke the world into existence. Or the flood, God destroyed His whole creation with rain. Or, we think of Abraham and Sarah having Isaac when they were well beyond childbearing years.

The ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea, providing Manna in the wilderness and shutting the mouths of lions. All of these are displays of God’s power, but none of them are the greatest display of His power. None of them have the words immeasurable greatness near them.

But there is one work of God which does, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the resurrection of Christ, we see God’s power in bringing life from death. God can bring the dead to life. We see this in the life and ministry of Jesus. When He raised Lazarus from the dead, He spoke and Lazarus came out of the tomb.

Likewise, on the third day, Jesus’ dead and lifeless body came to life again. Lungs that had no breath in them were full of breath. The heart that was not beating, beat again. The brain that had no activity began to work again.

This is the power that God works toward us and in us through His Holy Spirit. If we are His child, God has given us new life. We were dead in our trespasses and sins and God made us alive together with Christ (Eph. 2:5). We were not drowning in the ocean in need of life support, we were dead on the ocean floor and God came and rescued us.

The power that changed our heart from stone to flesh is the same power that is conforming us into the image of Christ. That sin we struggle with can be defeated because of the immeasurable greatness of God’s power.

The Discrimination of God’s Power

The power Paul describes for us is only for God’s children, for Christians. If you are outside of Christ then this power has nothing to offer you. It is not for you.

The good news is that because Christ came and redeemed sinners like you and me, this power can be ours in Him. Apart from Christ, you are spiritually dead in your sins and without hope of ever pleasing God on your own. The action for you from this sermon is to repent of your sin, turn from it, and believe that Jesus is the only way of salvation and to God.

If you are a Christian, these two verses are incredibly good news for you. Rest in these truths. Love the truth that God wants us to know the immeasurable greatness of His resurrecting power that He words toward us. Make this passage personal. God works this power for your good.

Make it personal, then worship our great God for the work He has done in raising Christ from the dead! Do this and be in a loving relationship with your creator.

The Mechanics of Meditation

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This Sunday, we continued a break from our series in Ephesians to focus on meditation. You can view the sermon here.

Meditation is the bridge from our Bible reading to applying God’s word in our lives. Psalm 1 and Joshua 1:9 are pivotal texts on meditation.

The past two weeks have made the case for the importance of meditation, and how it is the norm and not the exception of the Christian life. Those who meditate are not super Christians, but normal, ordinary Christians. The Scriptures give us examples of this from the life of David, Isaac, Joshua, and Jesus.

Now that we know the importance of meditation, we need to know how to do it, the mechanics of it. We accomplished this by answering three questions.

When Should I Meditate?

Does the Bible prescribe a time that is best for me to meditate? When is the best time to meditate?

The answer is, it depends. The Bible is not dogmatic about when meditation should happen so much as that it should happen. Psalm 1 describes the godly person as meditating on Scripture day and night. The practice is commended as something we do continually. Scripture should never be far from our mind.

The practice of meditation is more important than when we do it.

But we do want to be practical here. We should meditate when our minds are at their best. If you are a morning person, then you should make and take time to do this then. If you are a night owl, and you do your best work in the evening or at night, meditate then.

There are two keys here. First, you must plan for it. If you use a paper or digital calendar, make sure this time is blocked off and guard it. Second, be consistent. The goal is to have meditation become normal in your life so that you might know God more. This happens through consistency.

Where is the Best Place to Meditate?

Like our first answer, the answer to this is one is going to be what works best for you. Find a place where you are free from distractions. For me, this means going to my office early in the morning. No one is awake and I know my phone will not be a distraction.

Our phones are something we must guard against if we are going to meditate. If you are on your phone often, as many are, it would be wise to leave it in another room so you can meditate.

Being alone so you can focus is important as well. Do whatever you can to be as distraction-free as possible, so you can focus on God’s word.

How Long Should I Meditate?

Is there a magic set amount of time we should meditate to get the most fruit from it? No. But the time we spend doing it should be sufficient. There will be times when the Holy Spirit impresses upon you quickly the meaning of the passage you are meditating on, and how it applies to your life.

The key is to know yourself. I know that fifteen minutes to meditate will never be sufficient for me. I am a slow thinker when it comes to meditation and the norm is that I need anywhere from thirty minutes to an hour for meditation to be fruitful.

Don’t rush your mediation. The goal is to know our great God more intimately and to live a holier life before Him. We should take our time and pour over the words God has given to us.

Additionally, we should not put too much pressure on ourselves. In meditating we are not trying to figure out the deepest mysteries of the universe. God knows those, and we can leave them to Him. The goal is knowing God. As we meditate, we love Him more and desire to obey Him more.

We should meditate until we know our minds have been informed, our emotions (affections) have been stirred, and our will has been inclined to obey the passage we meditated on.

Are you anxious and worried about the details of life? Then meditate on Scripture. Stay there until God has shown you His character and that He can be trusted. He is faithful, He will do it.

Where Do We Go From Here?

What’s next?

Now is the time for action. Begin meditating today. We started this short series because of what Scripture taught us in Ephesians 5:18, to be filled with the Spirit. This command is impossible to obey if the words of Christ do not dwell in us richly. And the words of Christ dwell in us richly when we meditate on Scripture.

If you desire to live a life that honors God (The Father, The Son, and the Holy Spirit), then you must meditate. God has given us His word and His Spirit to help us in this task. He has issued the command and He has given us the tools to obey the command. The question is, will you obey?

The Way of the Wise

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This Sunday we took a break from our series in Ephesians to focus on meditation, which will continue for the next three weeks. You can view the sermon here.

Meditation is the bridge from our Bible reading to applying it in our lives. Psalm 1 is a pivotal text on meditation.

A Messianic Psalm

If we, and the preacher, are not careful, we can turn this Psalm into a moralistic Psalm. That is, we mainly make it about what we should and should not be doing.

We are not to walk in the counsel of the wicked, stand in the way of sinners, or sit in the seat of scoffers. But we are to delight in and meditate on God’s law; His word. And while it is true that we are not to do those actions, and we are to delight in and meditate on God’s law, that is not the complete picture.

The psalm begins with a pronunciation of blessing, “Blessed is the man.” The definite article “the” is important in this case. The Psalmist is not talking about any man but a specific man. In the sermon, we heard that this is a messianic Psalm. The man described in this passage is Jesus Christ, the Messiah of God and Savior of His people.

Jesus is the blessed man who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked, nor stand in the way of sinners, nor sit in the seat of scoffers. He delighted in God’s word and He meditated on it.

Did Jesus Meditate?

It is easy enough to find examples of Jesus living out the commands against specific actions in this text. Jesus was sinless, therefore we know He did not join the wicked in their pursuits.

We also know that Jesus placed a high priority on God’s word. This is seen throughout His teaching in the Gospels. Jesus quoted Isaiah when beginning His public ministry and He quoted Genesis when the religious leaders of his day asked Him about divorce.

So, Jesus had a high view of Scripture and they played an important part in His life. But how do we know Jesus meditated on Scripture? It is admitted that we do not have an account in the Gospel that explicitly says, “and Jesus went off and meditated on Scripture for three hours”, such as we have where Jesus did go off to pray.

The Fruit of Meditation

We do not have an explicit example of Jesus’ meditation of Scripture, but we do see the fruit of meditation in His life.

One example will do for now, you can listen to the sermon for more. In Matthew 4 (and Luke 4) the Gospel writers record Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness by Satan. Each time that Satan tempts Jesus to do something, Jesus responds by quoting Scripture to him.

It does not appear from the text that Jesus had a scroll for each place of Scripture He quoted. Jesus did not tell Satan, “Wait one minute, I am looking for a verse that I know will rebut what you’ve said.”

No, Jesus quotes it. He hid those truths in His heart, He memorized them and He was able to pull them out when He needed them the most. This happens through meditation. Jesus absorbed the truth of Scripture to the point where He could use it to fight temptation and He could apply the truth in the moment to fight sin.

We underestimate what Jesus did as a man. Jesus was filled with the Spirit, which is shown by His Scripture saturated life. Jesus’ life is an example for us. In His life we see the fruit of meditation.

Meditation as a Means of Grace

How does Psalm 1 apply to you and me?

Jesus lived this Psalm, and if we are in Him we now have the ability to do so as well. We do this because we are in Christ. Because the Spirit has regenerated us and placed us in union with Christ, we can delight in and meditate on God’s word so that we will not be joined with the wicked in their pursuits.

There are two positive truths here. First, we are to delight in God’s word. When you read the Bible you are not reading some ordinary book. What you hold in your hands is the very word of God. It is the same as if God were right in front of you talking.

We love God, therefore we should love His word. His word should bring us joy because they are His very words.

Second, we should meditate on His word. Meditation is intentionally and purposely thinking through a verse or passage of Scripture, with a view of applying the truth extracted. Meditation is a means of grace. This means that God reminds us of His grace through meditation. As we meditate on Scripture, we will be freshly reminded of God’s lavish grace toward us in Jesus Christ.

Our affections and our minds are engaged in this process. This is why the Psalm says we delight in and we meditate on.

Bearing Fruit

The blessed man is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields fruit in its season. In John 15, Jesus taught that we bear much fruit and glorify our Father when we abide in Him.

The Psalm teaches that through meditation we bear fruit, the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23). Our responsibility is to delight in God’s word and to meditate on it; God will supply the fruit. This is much like our responsibility in John 15 to abide or remain in Jesus, through which God gives the fruit.

Meditation and abiding in Christ produce the same results in our lives; bearing fruit. Without meditation we will not get on in the Christian life as God would have us do. We will not grow, or mature, in our faith apart from meditation.

Meditation is a gift from God, for our joy in Him! Let’s use it to our fullest advantage so that God is glorified and we become more like Christ.