Lives that Attract | Jesus' Attractiveness in us: 1Tim 2:1-7

 Having been loved by a devoted Father, Savior, and Comforter, may we respond with devotion to the Same - to the One who loves us with such compassion and grace - that we might come to rest in the truth of that love and continue to seek His face, the Face of the One who is faithful and true: 1Timothy 2:1-7  a truly beautiful expression of the life of the believer to the world around us - being, truly, good neighbors - children of our Heavenly Father reflecting His grace as we live and work among a people loved so, that He would send His one and only Son, now, through those who believe…  Today, I want us to take into account the beauty of our God, and the beauty of a life that is lived well by the power of God, when that life is lived in cooperation with God - then we will see the glory of God that comes through our lives and the blessing to mankind that glory is - as it is displayed in all its splendor in and through the lives of His children… this is the testimony of God's grace to man in and through, Jesus.

1Timothy 2:1-7

1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher

1Tim 2:1 “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all…”

AAAHHHH!!!

• Petitions - the most visceral, guttural, natural of prayers - heartfelt need, specific felt need, arising out of a deep personal need due to lack, want

OOOhhh...

• Prayers - an exchange of wishes - working with God to see His will, converting our will to His - as we exchange wishes with one another - almost like getting reacquainted - this really important now - if we truly want to intercede…  as it is easy to only see our will

Assssshhh...

• Intercessions - having worked out the will - this is now intervention, coming on behalf of, learning God’s will and praying God’s will, as one falls in line with God’s will 

  • AFTER drawing near to God and agreeing with His revealed will - word and Spirit

  • TRUE INTERCESSION: seeks to act only as the Lord directs: following His will to act as His hand extended THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!

    • “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world we are like Jesus - extending His hand.  There is no fear in love. But perfect fear drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

      • 19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. YES!

This is love!

Yaaaaay!!!

• Thanksgivings - this is the converted heart, the heart that has worked and moved from self, to God’s will, to the welfare of others - now straight to God in - gratitude, giving thanks - the giving of thanks for God’s grace, for God’s blessings 

We are grateful!  Our God IS good!

...and now - we can truly prayer (God’s will) for EVERYBODY, even our leaders… 

1Tim 2:1 “...be made for all people, everyone” 

• loved ones and enemies alike (Matthew 5; Luke 6)

• the whole of mankind

• for all you know

1Tim 2:2 For kings and all those in authority...

• Established by God (Rom 13:1-7), in obedience to God, keeping a clear conscience, remaining free

And what is it that we can pray for ourselves and those in authority?  Practice praying, do it!

Daniel 4:27

Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity."

And with this praying, how is it that we should live?  Entrusting ourselves to God, living out the very prayers we are praying - an example of the grace we have received and the trusting hope to which we have entrusted ourselves...

Jeremiah 29:4-7 prayerfully, trustingly, peaceably, quietly...

...7seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

May we live in such a way that gives God every opportunity to bless us, that we, in turn might be blessings…  THIS IS “THE WAY”. This is what it means to be Christlike! 

1Tim 2:2 “So that… We may lead a tranquil and quiet life.”

• Tranquil - undisturbed, quiet; free from outward disturbance, without needless commotion - composed, discreet, avoiding what needlessly draws attention to self

  • Only time used in scripture

• Quiet - tranquil, peaceful; stillness - due to a divinely-inspired inner calmness - by not doing or saying anything that would stir up needless friction or commotion 

1Tim 2:2 “...in all godliness and holiness, or, dignity”

• Godliness 

  • Devotion to God, bearing the fruit of that devotion

  • Reverence, respect for God - lives that reflect an inner peace with and reverence for God and things of God

  • Born out of a growing trust in God and His (good and wise) ways (Hosea 14; Rev 15:3

    • Psalm 107:43 Let him who is wise pay heed to these things and consider the loving devotion of the LORD.

    • Psalm 111:7-8 The works of His hands are truth and justice; all His precepts are trustworthy.  They are upheld forever and ever, enacted in truth and uprightness.

• Holiness or Dignity - live in a way that honors God, that which is honorable - with a dignity that invites reverence from others.  This is a… 

  • Testimony to the world of God’s presence in me - witnessed by peace and living peaceably

  • Marked by an inner peace - a trusting confidence (in whom i trust and have entrusted myself for safe keeping) (1Peter 2)

  • That expresses itself in an outward bearing - attitude, calm, dignity

1Tim 2:3 “This is good and pleases the Lord, God, our Savior”

• Good -

  • Consciousness of good deeds, having a good and sensitive conscience, alert to what is good 

  • Beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good - honorable character - seen to be so

  • Attractively good, good that inspires and motivates others to embrace what is lovely, beautiful, praiseworthy - well done, appealing

  • Jesus’ attraction - through us - me and you

• Pleases the Lord - only time in scripture

  • Worthy to be received (welcomed) by God, 

  • Acceptable, pleasant or pleasing to God, which 

  • God receives gladly: it is gladly welcomed

  • This is our thanks offering!

And this, as we live here as strangers, yet engaged in and with those with whom we live, is an expression of God’s purpose for us - that we would be a living testimony of Him and His grace

1Tim 2:4 “Who wants, wills, (that all men) everyone, be saved” (Ez 18:23, 32; 33:11; Jn 3:17; Titus 2:11; 2Peter 3:9)

2Peter 3:9-11, 14-15

The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.  10But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare.11Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives 12as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming…

...14So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. 15Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation

1Tim 2:4 “...And come to the knowledge of the truth.”

• Knowledge - epignosis 

  • Gained through first-hand experience, first hand “i know Him”

  • Precise and correct, certain - and that of God’s will - what He desires for us from us

  • A recognition of the truth - that is Jesus, this is good, He is life

  • True knowledge of Jesus’ nature, dignity, benefits 

Our lives are the reflection of our experience, our time spent, our lives dedicated to

And what is that truth?  HERE IS THE TESTIMONY:

1Tim 2:5-6 “There is one God and one mediator between God and man, humanity, 

Jesus, Himself a man, human...who gave Himself - a ransom for all…

...a testimony at the proper time”

• Jesus a testimony of God, the word of God

  • John 1:14 “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

  • Heb 1:1-3 “God has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed hear of all things… the Son is the radiance of God’s glory”

  • Col 1:19 “for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross”

• Jesus, our testimony at the proper time

  • Matt 5

  • Eph 2:8

  • 1Peter 3

1Tim 2:7 “And for this purpose I was appointed a herald…” 

It is for this that...

• Paul was made an apostle, a herald, a teacher

• It is why we remain here after having been saved - this is our

  • Witness to 

    • God’s grace

    • God’s peace

    • God’s faithfulness

    • God’s hope and our hope in God

• As we entrust ourselves to God 

• Setting apart Jesus as Lord of our hearts and its affection and devotion, its refuge and dwelling place

• Being prepared to give the reason for our hope… 

• When we are asked

• And do so, confidently, with gentleness and respect - keeping peace with God and man - a clear conscience and ongoing opportunity to speak of Jesus, again and again - 1Peter 3

Celebrate, Take Responsibility, and Receive God's Blessing to Be a Blessing. (1 Tim 2:1-7)

Having been loved by a devoted Father, Savior, and Comforter, may we respond with devotion to the Same - to the One who loves us with such compassion and grace - as to rest in the truth of that love and seek His face, the One who is faithful and true: 1Timothy 2:1-7  a truly beautiful expression of the life of the believer to the world around us - being, truly, good neighbors - children of our Heavenly Father reflecting His grace as we live and work among a people loved so, that He would send His one and only Son, now, through those who believe… 

Today, I want us to take into account the beauty of our God, and the beauty of a life that is lived well by the power of God, when that life is lived in cooperation with God - then we will see the glory of God that comes through our lives and the blessing to mankind that glory is - as it is displayed in all its splendor in and through the lives of His children… this is the testimony of God's grace to man in and through, Jesus.

1Timothy 2:1-7

1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher

1Tim 2:1 “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all…”

AAAHHHH!!!

• Petitions - the most visceral, guttural, natural of prayers - heartfelt need, specific felt need, arising out of a deep personal need due to lack, want

Taking it a little deeper…

• What happens if we ignore the Holy Spirit prompting…?

• What happens if we hear, understand, and refuse…?

• Indulging the flesh will always result in greater frustration, deepening anger, and the potential for bitterness

• But if we will yield to the spirits prompting, it opens the door to seeing God and his will in a way we might have otherwise missed

OOOhhh...

• Prayers - an exchange of wishes - working with God to see His will, converting our will to His - as we exchange wishes with one another - almost like getting reacquainted - this really important now - if we truly want to intercede…  as it is easy to only see our will

Taking it all deeper…

• We have petitioned, and now God wants to reason with us, are we willing?

• Will we quiet ourselves and linger long enough and quietly enough to hear God’s questions, truths, and Will?

• If not, we stand to miss out on what God would actually have us understand, no, and do Dash pray and serve. And this, according to his will, not ours, And we will continue to go on thinking that I will it’s his well and unnecessarily project that will add him and others to our frustration and growing disillusionment.

• But if we will linger, and allow God to reason with us, a peace that transcends understanding will begin to guard our hearts and minds, with wisdom and grace and agape love for God, Self, and others… And enable us to rest in the truth of God's loving wisdom (Phil 4:4-8; 2Tim 2:21)

Aaaaaahhh.....

• Intercessions - having worked out the will - this is now intervention, coming on behalf of, learning God’s will and praying God’s will, as one falls in line with God’s will 

  • AFTER drawing near to God and agreeing with His revealed will - word and Spirit

  • TRUE INTERCESSION: seeks to act only as the Lord directs: following His will to act as His hand extended THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!

    • “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world, we are like Jesus - extending His hand.  There is no fear in love. But perfect fear drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

      • 19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. YES!

Taking it a little deeper…

• Do we know God‘s will? According to his truth? I have a prompting of his spirit? Or…

• Are we clinging to and praying our will? Whether it be for our benefit, or what we believe to be the benefit of the one for whom we pray, without having truly sight God's intentions in this person’s life.

• This can lead us to 

  • unwise or even destructive advice, 

  • frustration in our prayers, manipulation of relationships to see our will, or what we think God’s will is - whether for our benefit or what we believe to be the benefit of others, and 

  • continued ineffectiveness in prayer and service as we might be meeting a need, but not according to that person’s need as God would have it

• But if we have waited on God, lingered there, and yielded to Him, we now gain insight into His will - as our hearts now are filled with God’s love, by the insight and discernment of His Spirit, according to his Truth, we can now pray prayers of agape love for the sake of the one being prayed for and be OK with whatever the answer our trusted Father gives - knowing and rejoicing in God‘s most wise and best and best-timed provision. (Ps 23)

Psalm 27

1The Lord is my light and my salvation—

whom shall I fear?

The Lord is the stronghold of my life—

of whom shall I be afraid?

2When the wicked advance against me

to devour a me,

it is my enemies and my foes

who will stumble and fall.

3Though an army besiege me,

my heart will not fear;

though war break out against me,

even then I will be confident.

4One thing I ask from the Lord,

this only do I seek:

that I may dwell in the house of the Lord

all the days of my life,

to gaze on the beauty of the Lord

and to seek him in his temple.

5For in the day of trouble

he will keep me safe in his dwelling;

he will hide me in the shelter of his sacred tent

and set me high upon a rock.

6Then my head will be exalted

above the enemies who surround me;

at his sacred tent I will sacrifice with shouts of joy;

I will sing and make music to the Lord.

7Hear my voice when I call, Lord;

be merciful to me and answer me.

8My heart says of you, “Seek his face!”

Your face, Lord, I will seek.

9Do not hide your face from me,

do not turn your servant away in anger;

you have been my helper.

Do not reject me or forsake me,

God my Savior.

10Though my father and mother forsake me,

the Lord will receive me.

11Teach me your way, Lord;

lead me in a straight path

because of my oppressors.

12Do not turn me over to the desire of my foes,

for false witnesses rise up against me,

spouting malicious accusations.

13I remain confident of this:

I will see the goodness of the Lord

in the land of the living.

14Wait for the Lord;

be strong and take heart

and wait for the Lord.

Yaaaaay!!!

• Thanksgivings - this is the converted heart, the heart that has worked and moved from self, to God’s will, to the welfare of others - now straight to God in - gratitude, giving thanks - the giving of thanks for God’s grace, for God’s blessings 

Taking it a little deeper… in all of this...

• Are we cultivating a grateful heart?

• Can we see God‘s hand and ever and all circumstances?

• Are we willing to see God‘s hand in every and all circumstances? 

  • And trust that even in the worst of times, he is not looking necessarily to immediately relieve us of the suffering or the tension or even our minds confusion, 

  • but instead, can we be grateful that he is causing us to linger in it, 

  • to wait on him, to rely on him, to run to him, and to trust his faithfulness and grow us in faith and character?

• But if we will linger with God and allow him to reason with us, massaging our heart and replacing our way with His, and as we pray in accordance with His will, we will begin to rejoice and be grateful with the full knowledge of God’s promises, coming to trust and being persuaded that He does work all things out for the good of those who love him and been called according to his purposes…

This is a matter of…

• Submission to God, His Spirit, and truth, His will in our lives - as opposed to mine

• Devotion and commitment to a deeper devotion to God and his will and purpose is

• Further and deeper cooperation with God and His Spirit according to his truth

• As one submits, commits to deeper devotion, and a heart that desires to cooperate more and more, that heart, that person becomes that much more effective in all things Jesus 

And here is the glorious and fruitful outcome… 

• We are now imitators of God, even in our prayer (Eph 4:1-3; 5:1-21)

  • The Holy Spirit intercedes for us - Rom 8:26

  • Jesus prays for and intercedes for us - John 15-17; Rom 8:34; Heb 7:25; 1John 2:1-2

  • Both, always, prays for the best of the one for whom they pray - according to God's all-wise, all-loving, will 

  • And, according to the need is the one for whom they pray - prayed and answered perfectly and…

  • Always for the glory of the Father and His kingdom

...and now - we can truly pray (God’s will) for EVERYBODY, Those who frustrate and agitate, our family’s being the “enemy” of our own selfish and  fleshly desires, even our enemies, and our leaders, those who are in authority 

1Tim 2:1 “...be made for all people, everyone” 

• loved ones and enemies alike (Matthew 5; Luke 6)

• the whole of mankind

• for all you know

1Tim 2:2 For kings and all those in authority...

• Established by God (Rom 13:1-7), in obedience to God, keeping a clear conscience, remaining free

And what is it that we can pray for ourselves and those in authority?  Practice praying, do it!

Daniel 4:27

Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity."

And with this praying, how is it that we should live?  Entrusting ourselves to God, living out the very prayers we are praying - an example of the grace we have received and the trusting hope to which we have entrusted ourselves...

Jeremiah 29:4-7

4This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.  6Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

May we live in such a way that gives God every opportunity to bless us, that we, in turn, might be blessings…  THIS IS “THE WAY”. This is what it means to be Christlike! 

1Tim 2:2 “So that… We may lead a tranquil and quiet life.”

• Tranquil - undisturbed, quiet; free from outward disturbance, without needless commotion - composed, discreet, avoiding what needlessly draws attention to self

  • Only time used in scripture

• Quiet - tranquil, peaceful; stillness - due to a divinely-inspired inner calmness - by not doing or saying anything that would stir up needless friction or commotion 

1Tim 2:2 “...in all godliness and holiness, or, dignity”

• Godliness 

  • Devotion to God, bearing the fruit of that devotion

  • Reverence, respect for God - lives that reflect an inner peace with and reverence for God and things of God

• Holiness or Dignity - live in a way that honors God, that which is honorable - with a dignity that invites reverence from others.  This is a… 

  • Testimony to the world of God’s presence in me - witnessed by peace and living peaceably

  • Marked by an inner peace - a trusting confidence (in whom I trust and have entrusted myself for safekeeping) (1Peter 2)

  • That expresses itself in an outward bearing - attitude, calm, dignity

1Tim 2:3 “This is good and pleases the Lord, God, our Savior”

• Good -

  • Beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good - honorable character - seen to be so

  • Attractively good, good that inspires and motivates others to embrace what is lovely, beautiful, praiseworthy - well done, appealing

  • Consciousness of good deeds, having a good and sensitive conscience, alert to what is good 

• Pleases the Lord - the only time in scripture

  • Worthy to be received (welcomed) by God, 

  • Acceptable, pleasant or pleasing to God, which 

  • God receives gladly: it is gladly welcomed

And this, as we live here as strangers, yet engaged in and with those with whom we live, is an expression of God’s purpose for us - that we would be a living testimony of Him and His grace

1Tim 2:4 “Who wants, wills, (that all men) everyone, be saved” (Ez 18:23, 32; 33:11; Jn 3:17; Titus 2:11; 2Peter 3:9)

2Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

1Tim 2:4 “...And come to the knowledge of the truth.”

• Knowledge - epignosis 

  • Gained through first-hand experience, first hand “I know Him”

  • Precise and correct, certain - and that of God’s will - what He desires for us from us

  • A recognition of the truth - that is Jesus, this is good, He is life

  • True knowledge of Jesus’ nature, dignity, benefits 

And what is that truth?  HERE IS THE TESTIMONY:

1Tim 2:5-6 “There is one God and one mediator between God and man, humanity, 

Jesus, Himself a man, human...who gave Himself - a ransom for all…

...a testimony at the proper time”

• Jesus a testimony of God, the word of God

  • John 1:14 “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

  • Heb 1:1-3 “God has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed hear of all things… the Son is the radiance of God’s glory”

  • Col 1:19 “for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross”

• Jesus, our testimony at the proper time

  • Matt 5

  • Eph 2:8

  • 1Peter 3

1Tim 2:7 “And for this purpose, I was appointed a herald…” 

It is for this that...

• Paul was made an apostle, a herald, a teacher

• It is why we remain here after having been saved - this is our

  • Witness to 

    • God’s grace

    • God’s peace

    • God’s faithfulness

    • God’s hope and our hope in God

• As we entrust ourselves to God 

• Setting apart Jesus as Lord of our hearts and its affection and devotion, its refuge and dwelling place

• Being prepared to give the reason for our hope… 

• When we are asked

• And do so, confidently, with gentleness and respect - keeping peace with God and man - a clear conscience and ongoing opportunity to speak of Jesus, again and again - 1Peter 3

It is one thing to celebrate, still another to take responsibility, to bless, and be a blessing

1Timothy 2:1-7  a truly good and beautiful expression of the life of the believer to the world around us - being, truly, good citizens - of heaven and the country in which we live…  Today, I want us to take into account the beauty of our God, and the beauty of life that has lived well by the power of God, in cooperation with God and the glory of God that comes through it and the blessing to mankind that glory is - as it is display in all its splendor in and through the lives of His children… this is the testimony of God's grace to man in and through, Jesus.

1Timothy 2:1-7

1I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— 2for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. 3This is good, and pleases God our Savior, 4who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. 5For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, 6who gave himself as a ransom for all people. This has now been witnessed to at the proper time. 7And for this purpose I was appointed a herald and an apostle—I am telling the truth, I am not lying—and a true and faithful teacher

1Tim 2:1 “First of all, then, I urge that petitions, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for everyone, for kings and all…”

AAAHHHH!!!

• Petitions - the most visceral, guttural, natural of prayers - heartfelt need, specific felt need, arising out of a deep personal need due to lack, want

OOOhhh...

• Prayers - an exchange of wishes - working with God to see His will, converting our will to His - as we exchange wishes with one another - almost like getting reacquainted - this really important now - if we truly want to intercede…  as it is easy to only see our will

Assssshhh...

• Intercessions - having worked out the will - this is now intervention, coming on behalf of, learning God’s will and praying God’s will, as one falls in line with God’s will 

  • AFTER drawing near to God and agreeing with His revealed will - word and Spirit

  • TRUE INTERCESSION: seeks to act only as the Lord directs: following His will to act as His hand extended THIS IS BEAUTIFUL!

    • “God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.  This how love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment: in this world we are like Jesus - extending His hand.  There is no fear in love. But perfect fear drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment.  The one who fears is not made perfect in love.”

      • 19We love because he first loved us. 20Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Anyone who loves God must also love their brother and sister. YES!

Yaaaaay!!!

• Thanksgivings - this is the converted heart, the heart that has worked and moved from self, to God’s will, to the welfare of others - now straight to God in - gratitude, giving thanks - the giving of thanks for God’s grace, for God’s blessings 

...and now - we can truly pray (God’s will) for EVERYBODY, even our leaders… 

1Tim 2:1 “...be made for all people, everyone” 

• loved ones and enemies alike (Matthew 5; Luke 6)

• the whole of mankind

• for all you know

1Tim 2:2 For kings and all those in authority...

• Established by God (Rom 13:1-7), in obedience to God, keeping a clear conscience, remaining free

And what is it that we can pray for ourselves and those in authority?  Practice praying, do it!

Daniel 4:27

Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity."

And with this praying, how is it that we should live?  Entrusting ourselves to God, living out the very prayers we are praying - an example of the grace we have received and the trusting hope to which we have entrusted ourselves...

Jeremiah 29:4-7

4This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says to all those I carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5“Build houses and settle down; plant gardens and eat what they produce.  6Marry and have sons and daughters; find wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Increase in number there; do not decrease. 7Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because if it prospers, you too will prosper.”

May we live in such a way that gives God every opportunity to bless us, that we, in turn might be blessings…  THIS IS “THE WAY”. This is what it means to be Christlike! 

1Tim 2:2 “So that… We may lead a tranquil and quiet life.”

• Tranquil - undisturbed, quiet; free from outward disturbance, without needless commotion - composed, discreet, avoiding what needlessly draws attention to self

  • Only time used in scripture

• Quiet - tranquil, peaceful; stillness - due to a divinely-inspired inner calmness - by not doing or saying anything that would stir up needless friction or commotion 

1Tim 2:2 “...in all godliness and holiness, or, dignity”

• Godliness 

  • Devotion to God, bearing the fruit of that devotion

  • Reverence, respect for God - lives that reflect an inner peace with and reverence for God and things of God

• Holiness or Dignity - live in a way that honors God, that which is honorable - with a dignity that invites reverence from others.  This is a… 

  • Testimony to the world of God’s presence in me - witnessed by peace and living peaceably

  • Marked by an inner peace - a trusting confidence (in whom I trust and have entrusted myself for safekeeping) (1Peter 2)

  • That expresses itself in an outward bearing - attitude, calm, dignity

1Tim 2:3 “This is good and pleases the Lord, God, our Savior”

• Good -

  • Beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good - honorable character - seen to be so

  • Attractively good, good that inspires and motivates others to embrace what is lovely, beautiful, praiseworthy - well done, appealing

  • Consciousness of good deeds, having a good and sensitive conscience, alert to what is good 

• Pleases the Lord - the only time in scripture

  • Worthy to be received (welcomed) by God, 

  • Acceptable, pleasant or pleasing to God, which 

  • God receives gladly: it is gladly welcomed

And this, as we live here as strangers, yet engaged in and with those with whom we live, is an expression of God’s purpose for us - that we would be a living testimony of Him and His grace

1Tim 2:4 “Who wants, wills, (that all men) everyone, be saved” (Ez 18:23, 32; 33:11; Jn 3:17; Titus 2:11; 2Peter 3:9)

2Peter 3:9

The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some understand slowness, but is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish but everyone to come to repentance.

1Tim 2:4 “...And come to the knowledge of the truth.”

• Knowledge - epignosis 

  • Gained through first-hand experience, first hand “I know Him”

  • Precise and correct, certain - and that of God’s will - what He desires for us from us

  • A recognition of the truth - that is Jesus, this is good, He is life

  • True knowledge of Jesus’ nature, dignity, benefits 

And what is that truth?  HERE IS THE TESTIMONY:

1Tim 2:5-6 “There is one God and one mediator between God and man, humanity, 

Jesus, Himself a man, human...who gave Himself - a ransom for all…

...a testimony at the proper time”

• Jesus a testimony of God, the word of God

  • John 1:14 “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us”

  • Heb 1:1-3 “God has spoken to us by His Son, whom he appointed hear of all things… the Son is the radiance of God’s glory”

  • Col 1:19 “for God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things… by making peace through His blood, shed on the cross”

• Jesus, our testimony at the proper time

  • Matt 5

  • Eph 2:8

  • 1Peter 3

1Tim 2:7 “And for this purpose I was appointed a herald…” 

It is for this that...

• Paul was made an apostle, a herald, a teacher

• It is why we remain here after having been saved - this is our

  • Witness to 

    • God’s grace

    • God’s peace

    • God’s faithfulness

    • God’s hope and our hope in God

• As we entrust ourselves to God 

• Setting apart Jesus as Lord of our hearts and its affection and devotion, its refuge and dwelling place

• Being prepared to give the reason for our hope… 

• When we are asked

• And do so, confidently, with gentleness and respect - keeping peace with God and man - a clear conscience and ongoing opportunity to speak of Jesus, again and again - 1Peter 3

Walk as Jesus Walked…

John 1:1-18; John 3:21; John 18:37; 1John 1:5; 2; Eph 5:1-21

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John 1:1-18 The Word Became Flesh

1In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome a it.

6There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.

9The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.

14The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

15(John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ”) 16Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.

What is the light? It is the truth (the one who hears His voice)

● John 1:1-9a “The light…” - Source of light, radiance (Ex 34:30; Luke 2:9; John 14:9; Col 1:15, 19; Heb 1:3)

○ The manifestation of God’s self-existent life, divine illumination to reveal and impart life - through Christ

■ Having made us, and now (in Christ), having been born again (John 3:3), He creates us (Eph 2) as new creations, new creatures in Christ (John 3:3; Rom 6:4; 2Cor 5:17; Gal 6:15; Eph 4:24; Ps 51:10; Ez 11:19; 18:31; Is 65:17-18; Rev 21:4-5)

● 1John 1:5 “God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all”

● John 1:9b “...gives light” - Enlighten, God sharing his life, exposing and overcoming darkness - like the ignorance (prejudice) causes be sin.

○ Inspire and permeate with a feeling or quality - to impregnate - with the light or knowledge of God and His saving intentions

○ (to further) give understanding to

What is it to walk in darkness? To not see

● Ignorance of divine things, is associated with wickedness and the resultant misery

● To walk in moral depravity - in the arrogance that believes it does not need God, His forgiveness, or redemption - it is to stumble over Jesus for lack of perception or light 1Peter 2)

● To not be able to see what is right and just and fair

● When even the light in you is darkness, that is darkness indeed

○ When one is in darkness and yet think that they are in the light, that the darkness they are in is light to them, that is truly dark

○ What does it look like when someone’s (perceived) light is darkness?

■ Self deceived

● Jeremiah 17:9

● James 1:22, 26

■ Self deluded - Prov 14:12; 16:25; Matt 7:21; 25:39; Luke 18:18

● This may very well be the one to whom Jesus is saying “not everyone who says ‘lord, lord…’”, marked by the respondent’s astonishment “...but lord, did we not…?”, or the sheep’s response to the master “when did we see you hungry… and not…?”

John 3:16-21 16For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God.

Jesus IS the Light, shines the light, makes in us light, shines through us light - even INTO the darkness

● The darkness of sin

● The darkness of the heart of man

● The darkness of the heart of the believer

What does it look like? It is to detest and despise, to not extend mercy, grace and agape love; it is to hold in contempt others

What is it to walk in the light? It is to be aware and alert to God’s probing - to expose self to Hos word and Spirit

● It is Jesus who “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind” Jeremiah 17:10

○ The motives

○ The thoughts and imaginations of, the reasoning

○ The battle in each - for submission to God’s truth and Spirit

● It is His Spirit that touches, or shines light onto our heart/spirit

○ Confirms its position in grace, by faith

○ Affirms the works as fruit of the heart’s faith as good and acceptable (just, as an act of (God’s) justification - or God’s declaring innocent and now acceptable - both the heart and the heart’s good work (Gal 5)

○ Exposes darkness to bring it into the light - it is WHY TRIALS, TESTS, CONFLICT, these times “shed light on…”

What does that look like - in a very real way? 1John 2

1My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.

Love and Hatred for Fellow Believers

3We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands. 4Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person. 5But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

7Dear friends, I am not writing you a new command but an old one, which you have had since the beginning. This old command is the message you have heard. 8Yet I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and in you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.

9Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates a brother or sister b is still in the darkness. 10Anyone who loves their brother and sister c lives in the light, and there is nothing in them to make them stumble. 11But anyone who hates a brother or sister is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness. They do not know where they are going, because the darkness has blinded them.

As Jesus is the light, He has made, created, so us to be the light

Jesus said “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." John 9:5

But then said “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden.” Matt 5:14

14“You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matt 5:14-16

Eph 5:1-21

Masculinity: Is There a Contradiction, Men, Masculinity and Jesus' Character and Attributes

Power? Strength? Endurance? “A true Hero in a superhero world” Jesus: powerful, strong, forbearing? Yes! Meek, gentle, humble, lowly? Yes. Col 1; Matt 11

Colossians 1:15-20 NIV

15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross.

...and yet...

Jesus, in the face of injustice (Acts 8:33), did not avenge Himself (1Pet 2:23), did not seek vindication, but in fact, remained composed, silent (Isa 53:7; Mk 14:61; 15:5). Jesus knew, having come from His Father, and that He was going back to His Father - and stood undaunted in the face of death, confident in Who He was and Whose He was - where He had been and where He was going. (Isa 53:10, 12; Rev 5:6)

As Jesus was being arrested on His way to the cross He exclaimed

Matthew 26:52-53 NIV

52 “Put your sword back in its place,” Jesus said to him, “for all who draw the sword will die by the sword. 53 Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?

But, He did not. It is one thing to see and realize Jesus’ going to and remaining on the cross, it is still another to begin to grasp Jesus' strength of character and commitment, His resolve, His will to submit and accomplish the will of His Father, which was also His own will - what was best, most wise, most loving.

The nails did not hold Jesus to the cross. It was the strength of His love - for His Father; the Holy Spirit - who Himself patiently waited for His role in this loving; and mankind (John 3:16), who He would give the right to be children of God (John 1:14), His soon to be brothers and sisters, co-heirs, with whom He would share all that is His (Rom 8:17); for whom He, Jesus, God - with Father and Holy Spirit, together in perfect harmony with mutual honor, submission, edification, perfect love - sacrifice themselves to redeem and reconcile to Himself.

Hebrews 12:2-3 NIV

2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

● Jesus - the all powerful one (Heb 1:3).

● Jesus - our strong tower (Ps 144:2; Prov 18:10).

● Jesus - the forbearing - patient, tolerant and kind one. (Ex 34:6; Ps 31:19; Rom 2:4; Eph 1:7; 2:7; Col 2:2; 1Tim 1:16; 2Pet 3:9, 15)

Jesus - humble and meek (lowly - the servant); Jesus - powerful, strong, enduring; humble, meek, lowly servant

These things are not mutually exclusive, but in fact, we cannot have the second without the first; we cannot be the second, if we are not the first

And it all takes humility - being confident in who we are to God, who we are in God, and who we are because (of) God

Submitting to:

● The Father - fear and reverence - being awed at His glory, His power and majesty - the giver of our faith

● The Jesus - the author and perfecter of our faith

● The Holy Spirit - the power of God in us to live out that faith

As we, knowing our human limitations, submit to Each and All, we are expressing our humility as Jesus did in

John 13:1-5 NIV

1 It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. 2 The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. 3 Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; 4 so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5 After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

As we humbly submit, admit to our need for God and His guiding and leading, we permit the fruit of His character and nature to rise up in and out of us - the Fruit of the Spirit

Galatians 5:22-23 NIV

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

One expression of that fruit is - gentleness or meekness or humble - it is the true measure of strength. God’s strength under His control - demonstrating power without undue harshness - it is truly gentle - moving carefully, with consideration, with power to spare

● When one is truly knowing of and confident in his or her strength, they have little inclination the be sure that anyone, let alone everyone knows about it.

● The quiet one is always the one one should be leary of in regard to their threat

● Humility may downplay its strength, but seldom doubts its ability

Matthew 11:28-30 NIV

28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29 Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30 For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

● Gentle

● Humble in heart

○ Low-lying, lowly, lowly in spirit

○ Describing a person who depends of the Lord rather than self

○ God-reliant rather than self-reliant - which ironically always exalts the person - which brings them true worth (declared by God - 1Peter 5:6)

○ This is opposite of proud - haughty.

■ Having overestimated one’s means or merits, despising others or even treating with contempt (1Peter 5:5)

1 Peter 5:5-6 NIV

5 In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,“God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

What makes a hero? What enables us to rise above the ills, the frey, of this world - strength of character, will, resolve. A commitment to what is right and just and fair (Pr 1:3; 2:9; 21:3; Isa 56:1). It is one who does vindicate himself, but is quiet and allows God to fight for then (Ex 14:14; 15:3; Deut 1:30; Isa 30:15) and instead defends the case of those who cannot fight for themselves - and even this - is through God’s wisdom and strength.

There is no contradiction. It takes...

● the strong to be gentle

● the confident to be gracious

● the selfless to be merciful

● the forgiven to be joyful

● The secure to be humble

● The humble to overcome…

○ One who knows who he is - not because he has made something of himself, because they know what they is from God

○ One who then, knowing this, relies on God and not themselves

○ One who does not avenge, but mercifully, graciously, loves, gives, and forgives (Luke 6)

There is no contradiction between Jesus’ character and characteristics and masculinity

It is a paradox, the virility of men and the gentleness of Jesus, the prowess of the hunter and the nurturer nature and character of a father…

The violence of a warrior and the deep desire to love and bless family and friends with a strength provided for by God Himself… gentle and humble in heart, relying on God and not self.

Jeremiah 17:5-10 NIV

5 This is what the Lord says:“Cursed is the one who trusts in man,who draws strength from mere flesh and whose heart turns away from the Lord. 6 That person will be like a bush in the wastelands;they will not see prosperity when it comes.They will dwell in the parched places of the desert,in a salt land where no one lives. 7 “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord,whose confidence is in him. 8 They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.It does not fear when heat comes;its leaves are always green.It has no worries in a year of drough tand never fails to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.Who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and examine the mind,to reward each person according to their conduct,according to what their deeds deserve.”

Just Be Nice! It's One Thing To Be “Nice”, It's Another To Be Kind

Sure, nice, it’s good to be nice. It is. I can, you can, we all can do that - be nice. Ok. but, what does “nice” do? Is that all there is?

What is it to be nice? Well, nice is good, and kindly, friendly, it’s polite and shares pleasantries. Nice, is a hello, a quick smile, a whimsical moment. And all of that, is well, nice, and in and of itself, fine and good.

But is nice what God is truly after?

Love is kind… (1Cor 13:4 “...patient, love is kind…”)

His kindness is intended, is meant to, lead us to repentance (Romans 2:4 “...the riches of His kindness, tolerance, and patience…”)

He is kind to the wicked and ungrateful (Luke 6:35; Matt 5:43-48)

God’s kindness expressed to the ungrateful and the wicked is not just a matter of being nice - although that certainly would be a nice thing to do - but doing what He does for His creation, even the rebellious, this is not merely a matter of being nice. To be nice is to at the least, doing something “good”, nice. What nice lacks is depth - being nice leaves us in the shallows - to do something obligatory, to be dutiful, it can even be to patronize.

● Well… that was, nice

● What a nice sunset

● That was a nice speech

● Oh, that’s so nice

Being nice can be effective… it can bring a smile, a sense of humor, a hope that, maybe, there is something, someone that might be good in this world

Kindness on the other hand, to be kind, is to take into consideration. It is to purposely, intentionally, do something for someone for their benefit, for their good, the good of their person and personhood - according to their personal and specific need.

Kindness cannot patronize because it intrinsically dignifies, it esteems, it respects and honors.

Where nice is meant to bring a light and airy moment, to flatter and go on its way - quickly dissipating into the thin air of a busy day

Kindness soaks the soil of the heart, the soul, the spirit, remaining even after its gentle and gracious expression, its intentionally blessing exchange, enriching, perhaps forever, each life, the lives that kindness’s kindness touched.

It’s like the difference between a quick shower that dampens the grass and a good all-night soaker, a steady rain, that gently and fully saturates the land

And, of course, both of these can and should be differentiated from a violent storm’s deluge that pounds the ground, flattens the tender greenery, and comes on with such overwhelming speed, volume and violence, that it just …?... and runs off into the ditch, leaving behind it broken limbs, scattered leaves, battered and bruised finery - while doing little to refresh and rejuvenate - destruction, not construction

So, certainly, really, be nice. But let us not think that nice is all there is. Though it is nice and can be a little effective in at least brightening someone’s day - that is, nice. Please, then, be nice.

Being kind and good? That is something so much more. 

It is truly and deeply effective - right down the core of a being - showing that there IS someone, something, good in this world - and that that One who is good, is good them, kind, so much so, that it, our kindness, our good, may actually draw that person right to the author of goodness and kindness - and let kindness do what it meant to do - bring the heart of a person right into the life of God.

James 3:13 Who is wise and understanding, or discerning, among you?

● Wise - learned, cultivated, skilled - action that is governed by piety - or godliness, holiness - and integrity

○ Integrity - meaning

■ Honest and upright, sincere and righteous;whole

■ Wholeness, unified, cohesive; consistent inside and out, top to bottom, expressing externally truly that which one is internally

● Understanding - knowing and experienced --

○ thoroughly knowledgeable from gaining understanding over long-term, personal acquaintance (it is only used in Js 3:13).

○ It emphasizes the understanding that results from building on previous knowledge, which supports the next stage of understanding

He should show his works by good conduct with wisdom’s gentleness - or - meekness

● Show - exhibit, demonstrate, make known; expose to the eyes

○ Give evidence or proof of a thing

○ “I teach”

● Works - or - deeds are done in humility - deeds that express

○ Conduct of a person, measured by the standard of righteousness - or Jesus (in them)

● Good conduct - or - good life - beautiful, as an outward sign of the inward good, noble, honorable character; good, worthy, honorable, noble, and seen to be so.

○ attractively good; good that inspires (motivates) others to embrace what is lovely (beautiful, praiseworthy); i.e. well done so as to be winsome (appealing).

○ beautiful by reason of purity of heart and life, and hence praiseworthy; morally good, noble - or - integrity

● Wisdom - the knowledge and practice of the required for godly and upright living

○ (or, to be able to be described as one who is like an imitator of God (Eph 5:1) Christlike - or - a Christian as the name connotes

● Gentleness - meekness("gentle strength") which expresses power with reserve and gentleness.

○ For the believer, meekness ("gentle-force") begins with the Lord's inspiration and finishes by His direction and empowerment. It is a divinely-balanced virtue that can only operate through faith

This about a life well-lived, lived beautifully, expressing the goodness of God as expressed to us - now, through us.

It is about a life that tempers our speech by cultivating a heart of goodness, gratitude and righteousness - the character, the nature, the manner and way of our good and loving, kind and gracious Father and the very life of Jesus in us by the Holy Spirit, God. (1Peter 3)

As our heart is cultivated in goodness by expressing goodness, we earn the right to speak, to be heard, because we now have shown love and consideration through goodness and kindness. Our words now, match our conduct, and our lives in Jesus, like Jesus, earn for us credibility - as we act and speak with integrity.

And now, the kindness of God, is showering not only on us, but soaking us, making fertile the soil of our hearts, and in so, now, bearing the fruit of the Spirit in all goodness and kindness. (Gal 5:22)

Love: Laying Down Our Life for Our Friend

John 15:7-17

15:7-8

“If you remain in me and my words remain you, ask whatever you want, and it will be for you. My Father is glorified by this: that you bear, or produce, much fruit, proving yourself to be my disciples.”

15:9-10

“As the Father has loved me, I have also loved you, now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love.

15:11-17

“I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. 12 My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. 13Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. 14you are my friend if you do what I command. 15I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. 16You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. 17This is my command: Love each other.

2X Love:
Taken pleasure in; love of reason, to esteem - a preferential love, a discriminating affection which involves choice and selection

Remain in:

● To tarry or sojourn in; not to depart, not to leave, to continue to be present;

● To dwell as it were within him, to be continually operative in him by his divine influence and energy.

● To be rooted as it were in Hi, knit to Him by Spirit they have received from Him

Obey, observe

3X Love: goodwill, esteem, benevolence.

What is love?

● How do we define love?

● How do we theorize love?

● How do we talk about love?

● How do I love?

● Again, what is love?

● What does love do? Can love be love if it doesn’t really, love?

1John 3:16-18; 4:7-21

What is it to be loved?

What does love have to look like for you to be able to be truly loved?

To believe that you’re loved?

What does love have to be for you to be able to feel loved, for it to be effective as love, for you to be able to honestly, genuinely, deeply receive being loved?

We are going to keep it really fundamental today. A kind of nuts and bolts kinda day.

John 15 “Jesus said “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”

How does this look in the context of the “one another”, the body, the place these truths are intended, instructed, corrected, and practiced in the heat of being compressed in the intimacy and responsibility and accountability of the brotherhood of believers?

Phil 2:1-11

How does this type of love, lived out among the brotherhood, overflow into the outlying community? 

What does it look like in the life of the community?

Isaiah 58

“What about me?“ “What about me being loved?“ “What about my needs, wants, and desires?“

All of us, from time to time feel this way. And we do, we all need to be loved the way we need to be loved. But, the one who rests in the love of God in Christ and consistently abides there (with Him), has this need satiated to a large degree in and by that abiding, their being consistently and persistently present with Jesus, by His Spirit, in His word. So, though they may occasionally call out in such a way as to express their need to be loved, they will not remain in this mode long or return there too often… hence the phrase “fewer and further between” becomes the mark of their journey of love, loving and being loved.

There is no doubt that God very often uses human vessels to express His love. So it is important that we maintain good and healthy fellowship with Him and others for that love to be properly expressed to one another. This is a matter of being “created in Jesus to do good works”, “cleansing ourselves of selfishness and sin so that we can be vessels used for special or noble purposes”, and that we would regularly inventory our lives in Christ, with Christ by His Spirit, Word, and aid of trusted and godly friends that we are being reminded again and again of who we are in Christ, being in view of His mercy, following His lead, and joining Him in His work.

“What about me?“ “What about me being loved?“ “What about my needs, wants, and desires?“

One who chronically views love, loving and being loved this way is being childish or acting like an adolescent who has yet to develop into spiritual adulthood (maturity) or whose development has been stunted or retarded. This life is marked by one’s difficulty seeing beyond one’s own desires and feelings and wishes - unable to see rightly the needs of others and their own potential or ability to live and love.

Know, Believe, Trust and Entrust Yourself to God: John 14:1-3; 1Peter 2

Troubled hearts.

We have all experienced what it is to have a troubled heart - a heart struggling to grasp understanding, to find peace in a storm, to see a light at the end of the tunnel… we have each and all suffered from pain of heart, loss, disappointment and grief. We have all been agitated by what we see and hear. We have all been frustrated getting someone to understand or agree or at least be willing to agree to disagree and respect and dignify who we are, where we are, what it is that is troubling us. There isn’t one of us who hasn’t wished for someone to enter in and sooth or troubled, agitated, unrelenting heart…

Oh, to have our hearts at peace. And oh, the joy of that sweet release. And oh, the double joy of being one through whom comes the healing salve of comfort, peace, good news to the soul of another - as if God is making His loving, merciful, gracious and healing appeal, through me… will I be comforted? Will I bring comfort? Will we comfort one another…? Will we receive the comfort our Father offers? Will we…?

John 14:1 “Do not let your hearts be troubled …”

● Trouble - to stir up, to trouble, disturb, agitate

● Put in motion, agitate back and forth what needs to remain still (at ease)

● To trouble, to agitate, causing in perplexity, emotional agitation - from getting stirred up inside

● To cause one inward commotion, take away his calmness of mind, disturb his equanimity, to disquiet, make restless

● To strike one’s spirit with fear or dread

● To affect great pain or suffering

● Render anxious or distressed, perplexed

What emotions did the disciples show and how did they respond? Reacting to the moment, forgetting who it is they had known

● Confusion that would lead to resignation - Thomas

● Indignation that would lead to opposition and denial - Peter

● Sadness - Fear - Dread - Grief - all of the disciples

● Disappointment and Anger expressed in utter disgust and contempt - that would lead to devaluing life - Judas

There is a question to be asked: Is having your heart troubled inherently a lack of faith or sin? Some might say, yes, Jesus might say otherwise...

● John 12:27 “My soul is troubled. What should I say - Father save Me from this hour? But that is why I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!”

● John 13:21 “when Jesus had said this, He was troubled in His spirit”

When you have a friend, a partner, a spouse or child who is distressed - whether in a way that you might consider legitimate or not, what is it that you would want for them? What would like to provide for them? What do you want to bring them?

When you have two friends who each have what can be perceived as good or right positions on a subject, but neither refuse to budge, to the point where it is beginning to tear at the fabric of their relationship, what are going to try to do?

When your heart is distressed - whether angry, confused, trouble, anxious, fearful, grieving, what is it you want most?

Sandwiched between these troubling moments…

What emotions did Jesus show? And how did He respond - entrusted Himself to the Father

● John 13:1-3; 31-35 after having experiencing His own troubled heart…

○ “It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for Him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God…”

○ “When Judas was gone, Jesus said, “Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in him, God will glorify the Son in Himself and will glorify Him at once. My children, I will be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and just as I told the Jews, so I tell you now: where I am going, you cannot come. (So) a new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Even though Jesus knew all of this, he was still troubled in heart… He also had to respond to His heart’s being troubled - he would remind Himself and minister to His disciples

● Knew the Father and what He was doing

● Entrusted Himself to Him

● Loved the disciples - despite their various emotional troubles and feelings

● Served them, yes, but also attempted to console them

How then might we respond when our hearts are troubled - in the many ways our hearts are and can be troubled? Remember, it might not be fear and dread. It might be…

● Confusion

● Perplexity

● Missing and longing - wishing you could have what you had before

● Grief and loss

● Anger or disgust

● Disgust or apathy

This is not a matter of sin, but a matter of growing in belief and trust - being persuaded more and more of the truth of Jesus’ and the Father’s love for us and learning in turn to entrust ourselves more and more in Him and His good and perfect plan.

Now, sin may come in how we react to trouble and (with our) troubled heart or toward the troubled heart of another (in our trouble… )

So, what was Jesus’ remedy for a troubled heart and all the emotions and consternation that comes with a troubled heart? (As we saw in John 13:1-3, 31-35) Jesus believed in His Father, and in Who it was He Himself was - God’s child, His beloved, and entrusted Himself to the Father and the Father’s will - not just the end result, but also the means by which the end, the result, would come.

And we can do the same for the very same reasons!

1John 3:1-2 “1See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 2Dear friends, now we are children of God”

John 14:1b “You believe in God” “...believe…” or “you believe in God”

It is not that the disciples did not believe and Jesus is telling them that they need to believe, no, every Jew “believed in God”, but what Jesus was trying to get them to do what to believe in the Father, the power of the Father on their behalf, the presence of the Father, the affection of Father, the very real and personal trust they could put in the Father, that they might realize the pleasure of the Father, the will of the Father, to experience being a child of the Father

Believe - have faith, tust in, entrust myself - in, to, with - being confident in the

● One I have trusted

○ Person

○ Workings

○ Will and purposes

○ Outcome

○ The means to the outcome - not just trusting for the final destination, but each moment and circumstance leading to the end of the thing - it is all “good” (Rom 8; James 3)

● To have faith, as to be persuaded, and that by the Lord (by His truth - word and Spirit; experience (Phil 2))

● To believe and embrace what God has made known either through or concerning Christ

● To trust - and in essence - and then to entrust yourself to

Then in essence Jesus is saying, you can trust the Father, just as you have trusted me, as as you have seen me, you have seen the Father

Believe in God, the Father

● Know who He is

● Know what He is about

● Know what He is able to do

● Know what He is doing

● Trust

● Entrust

John 14:1 “...believe also in me.” Jesus, the Son…

● The Father and I are one

● You have seen me, you have seen the Father

● What you have seen and heard in me, you and seen and heart the Father

1Peter 2 - the entire chapter

● 1Peter 2:4-10 -Jesus remedy - remember whose you are, remember who you are - trust and entrust - the end and the means

● 1Peter 2:11-20 - Know that God uses all things to accomplish his sovereign will

● 1Peter 2:21-25 - Remember again - whose you are and who you are and believe, trust and entrust yourself to Him - the Good Father in and for everything...

○ Yes, the end, the goal of your faith, the salvation of your souls.

■ 1Peter 1:8-9“8Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, 9for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.”

○ But also for the means - even in suffering, confusion, out troubled heart

■ 1Peter 1:6-7“6In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith...may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.”

○ Trusting and entrusting ourselves to the “Shepherd and Overseer of our souls”

■ Psalm 23

■ John 10

Ending in “entrust” - the matter here is not to entrust ourselves to the government, but to entrust ourselves to our heavenly Father and His will - and not just trusting Him for the end goal, the end result of His intentions - salvation of our souls and eternal life with Him - but to trust God and entrust ourselves to Him even in the means of His accomplishing and who it is He chooses to establish and appoint to accomplish His will

I wonder if we have something confused….

Let us not misunderstand, when the ratings and scripture talk about “obey and honor the government authorities“ they are not asking us to trust ourselves to those authorities, but don’t trust ourselves to the guard who established those authorities. To trust not just the end of his well, but the means by which as well as accomplish.

Jesus’ declaration was in reference to what would be His Body. 

With the crucifixion, Jesus’ physical body would appear assailed and defeated - with Jesus’ life appearing to have been snuffed out, dead.

But, the resurrection and then the infusion of the His Spirit into His brothers and sisters would be proof of life and Life’s overcoming - that life, and especially Life, is not merely what we can see and touch, but that life is God’s to distribute and sustain at His will. And then there’s Life, Life in Christ, Life in the Spirit - Life in those born again into the Life of the Spirit, to the Father, in Christ (John 3)

Jesus was declaring that the “body prepared for Him” (Heb 10:5) had fulfilled its purpose, in and by which Jesus would accomplish His Father’s will. And that now there would be a “new Body” that Christ would indwell, a body, not destined for the cross, but destined to bring glory to the Father, to finish, with Jesus, His mission and demonstrate to all creation the riches of the glory of God’s grace showered on men and women

Ephesians 2:4-10

“...because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

Jesus “I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it”

Matthew 16:13-18

“13When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” 14They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” 15“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” 16Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.

17Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. 18And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.

How will He build it?

Matthew 16:18 Jesus “...and on this Stone I will build it…”

● Jesus Himself the Rock - Petra

○ (Chief) Cornerstone - Petros

○ The Living Stone - lithos

● Testimony of the Gospel

● Peter as - stone - Petros

○ Foundational Apostle

○ One of the many living stones - lithos

1Peter 2:1-10

1Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, 3now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

The Living Stone and a Chosen People

4As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. 6For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,

a chosen and precious cornerstone,

and the one who trusts in him

will never be put to shame.”

7Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone,”

8and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble

and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

● All believers - living stones

● On Jesus the Cornerstone

○ Anchor and support

○ Giving direction

○ Keeping in line

Built on the foundation of the apostles - Jesus has them given leadership

○ Equip the saints to do the work, while

○ Building up the body into the head

○ Until we all reach unity

Phil 2 “have then the same attitude as Jesus… humble… servant… gave himself up to death…

Eph 4:1-6, 12-16, 29-32

1As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all… Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

14Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work…

29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

1Cor 12:7,11-26 The Body of Christ… that anchor and support, keeping in line and direction, to the holding together

7Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good… 11All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines...

● Knit together like a body -

○ Colossians 2:19 “connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.”

Romans 12:3, 9-10

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you… 9Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality.

● To care for one another - 1Cor 12:25-26

○ Serving

○ Caring

○ Protecting - and that, usually, from ourselves

12Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. 13For we were all baptized by c one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. 14Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many.

15Now if the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 16And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body,” it would not for that reason stop being part of the body. 17If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? 18But in fact God has placed the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. 19If they were all one part, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

21The eye cannot say to the hand, “I don’t need you!” And the head cannot say to the feet, “I don’t need you!” 22On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, 23and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, 24while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has put the body together, giving greater honor to the parts that lacked it, 25so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. 26If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it.

Our faith, our life: a different purpose - 1Peter 2:1-12

Peter is reminding us that despite what is whirling around us we are anchored to the Rock of our salvation. Each one of us in fact, a stone in and of ourselves, being assembled into a Temple which houses the very Spirit of God, with Jesus as the Cornerstone - giving us strength and direction.

1:1 Strangers, Scattered

To God’s elect, exiles scattered throughout

1:3-5

Shielded, guarded - Safe and secure - our life is now hidden with Christ in God, our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in trouble, we are guarded - Col 3:1-4; Ps 46:1-4

1:6-7

Rejoicing in our suffering because of what it produces in us

1:7

Standard bearers as Jesus is revealed in us

1:13-21

In so, we are sanctified, set apart, foreigners - holy, perfectly made for the purpose for which we were (John 3; Eph 2; Hos 2; Rom 12; 1Cor 12; 1Pet 2)

1:22

Having been loved thoroughly, sincerely, we now, in obedience to Jesus and His love, love Him, self and others, deeply - from the heart

1Peter 2:1-12 special citizens of a heavenly kingdom, stones, chosen, pieces scooped up by God’s skillful hands - we are being assembled

Mosaic, yes, even more profoundly, into a temple

1Peter 2:1-10

Vss. 1-3

How we ought to be, how we ought to live - not like we used to, not as if we are of this world

○ Why? Love, honor, respect, consequence

○ Because we are together - it affects everyone, all the time

Vs. 1 Stripping off, like clothing - wickedness - those character traits that come between brothers - fight against brotherly love

Vs. 1 Deceitfulness - trickery in an attempt to gain own ends

● Always impure in motive

Vs. 1 Hypocrisy - acting a part, never revealing true motives

● Acts own behalf, for own profit and prestige

Vs. 1 Envy - displeasure at another’s good, pleasure in misfortune

● Not wanting to raise one’s self to the envied level, but

● Wanting to depress the envied to one’s own

Vs. 1 Slander - evil speaking, backbiting, detraction, defaming

Vs. 2 crave the word - belonging to the word, being nourished

● Desire - yearn or crave

● Delighted to have and be in the word

● Pure - unadulterated, not mingled with useless or harmful

Vs. 3 God’s grace once tasted ought to compel us to purity

Certainly, Peter, remembering how he got his name and commission - begins to exhort believers as he himself was by Jesus… that we have also been renamed, commissioned

● Vss. 4-10 Church will be built - believers, us, me and you

○ And like stones are being built into a spiritual

■ lithos - building stone - Peter begins the metaphor we are all, including Jesus, “living stones”

● 2:4 lithos -

○ Jesus as a building stone

○ Precious, honored

● 2:5 lithos - Peter begins to play out the metaphor with a series of word pictures and plays on words

○ We, ourselves as building stones

■ Living stones

■ Spiritual house/holy nation - containing God (1Cor 3:9 God’s bdg)

■ Holy priesthood

● Access

● Representing and bringing others

● Offerings (Rom 12:1; Heb 13:15)

Jesus is differentiatedas the metaphor continues as

● 2:6 – Jesus as building stone, but not just a building stone – but, anchoring… the Cornerstone -

○ Eph 2:20 (in the) corner of the building (is what this word means literally) - extreme corner

● 2:7 – the image of Jesus grows in magnitude, majesty, form and function – anchoring, giving direction, commanding

● 2:7-8 Cornerstone, building Stone - a cornerstone, uniting two walls; head, ruler, lord, commander. (is the word, lit and fig, or metaphorically)

● 2:8 Rock - Petra - the same word Jesus uses to describe that rock on which He would build His Church

Cornerstone - The commander gives, us too, our directions, the commission...

2:9-10 the Commission -

9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

We must see, we are not of this world and our purpose is different, our reasons are eternal

1Peter 2:11-25

Who is our model as to how we should act?

● The zealot - rebelling, fighting, slain, dying for their perceived cause, but never to be heard from again - Acts 5:33-39

● Peter drew the sword and was rebuked by Jesus and warned of his fate if he continued in such a way and then reminded Peter of the true nature and power of the kingdom of heaven - Matt 26-51-56

● Pharisees - wanted truth, jot and tittle, fought, argued, rebelled - refused to submit and cooperate, threw stones and dragged “infidels” to prison and death - Matt 12:14; Mark 3:6; Acts 7

● Simon the sorcerer wanted power - Acts 8:9

● Pagans rush to riot with greed and vitrial and violence - Luke 12:30; Acts 17; 19; 21

● Politicians strike backroom deals for their own good

● Who was it that stood in the midst of all of this and kept His composure, committed no sin - whether in word, tone, or action, maintained His own character and dignity and ultimately would win, have victory, defeat His foes…? Who was it who appeared to lose, but in the end, rose to victory? And that, not just for Himself, but for all… and, whose are we? And in Him, have we not already, won? Was it not, Jesus? - John 16:33; Rom 8:37; 2Cor 4:6-7; 1Jo 2:13; R

What will make us different? What will enable us to be “heard” above the din? What will cause us to stand out in the crowd to the one seeking - mercy, grace, peace - to be loved? Can the approach us? Will we be a safe place to seek…?

And, if we are seen as different, if our lives stand out from the crowd, if our manner and way, words and tone, acts of kindness and generosity, shine like stars in the dark - what will we say when we’re asked… why? What’s different? In what, in Who, do you hope?

Will our answer be as different from the crowds as our life and way and manner are different?

Romans 8:18-30

2Corinthians 4:5-18

Jeremiah 29