Steady Your Life With His Word

Reading from Matthew 10:24-39, Rev. Sam Hopkins gave the message Sunday.
Take a moment to read it for yourself. If you don't have a Bible near, click the Scripture reference to read on BibleGateway.com.

The passage he shared is hard.

...nothing is covered that will not be revealed,

or hidden that will not be known.

Matthew 10:26 ESV

And do not fear those who kill the body

but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him

who can destroy both soul and body in hell.

Matthew 10:28 ESV

Do not think that I have come to bring peace on earth.

I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

Matthew 10:34 ESV

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, 

and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:37 ESV

And whoever does not take his cross and follow me

is not worthy of me.

Matthew 10:38 ESV

Jesus spoke these words. 

He says some hard things.

But Rev. Hopkins did not try to explain the passage. What he did was encourage us to attend to God's ordinances:

Scripture reading

Prayer

Fasting

Tithing

Worship with the body of Christ

And he told us about the lectionary, a resource that gives Bible readings for every day of the year based on the church calendar. Each day includes a passage from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, Epistles, and the Gospels. If read daily, an individual will read through the Bible in three years.

During the service we heard the entries from the lectionary for that Sunday with Scripture readings from Genesis 21:8-21 (the OT) and from Romans 6:1-11 (an epistle). Our Psalter for the day was Psalm 17 and then Rev. Hopkins read the gospel passage to us from Matthew. And he said, if we attend to the ordinances of God, methodically, as John Wesley modeled, we will be fully prepared for any storm or trial that comes our way. The Word, he said, does not need to be interpreted by a minister to be understood. 

And on the way home I was reminded of the clarity of Scripture. God's Word may be hard at times, but it is all for our benefit. He desires to teach us, and through Christ we have access to the Holy Spirit who will teach us. 

The anointing you received from Him remains in you,

and you don't need anyone to teach you. Instead,

His anointing teaches you about all things and

is true and not a lie; just as He has taught you,

remain in Him.

1 John 2:27 HCSB

We do not need to count on pastors or teachers, we only need to remain in Him, seeking Him daily, obeying what we hear Him speak to us as we attend His ordinances.

His Word warns us:

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2:8 NIV84

Teachings of others can be deceptive. Lead us astray. Especially when what Jesus says is hard, and not what we want to hear.

Perhaps it's time we begin to let Him teach us. Embrace His ordinances. Attend to prayer, fasting, tithing, worship, and let's begin with prayerful study of the Word... every day...

Father God, thank You for making the way for Your teaching,

open my heart to Your Word, teach me what You want me to know, 

bless me with the faith to receive what's hard.

Open my eyes, that I may behold

wondrous things out of your law.

Psalm 119:18 ESV

Back to Basics... Back to Jesus...

I in them and you in me --- so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

John 17:23

This past Sunday, we began by listening to the Word being read about out great Creator in Genesis chapter one. We sang "This is My Father's World." We said aloud the Apostles' Creed, together affirming our faith in God our Creator, Jesus His Son and the Holy Spirit who abides in each believer. Then we sang "Holy, Holy, Holy" to worship the Trinity on Trinity Sunday.

Reverend Albright spoke about the unity of the body and the peace we receive in the body as we are connected with God through Jesus.

Unity: Oneness of mind, feeling, etc., as among a number of persons; concord, harmony, or agreement. In my words: A coming together with one divining Spirit for the common good.

Reminded of Corinth --- a church in turmoil --- who received a letter from Paul instructing them to go back to the basics. Belief in God, His Son Jesus Christ, the ultimate sacrifice for sin out of His love for us, and the need to stick together in fellowship with other believers to spread the gospel, make disciples and enjoy the peace only experienced as followers of Jesus.

Just as a body, though one, has many parts, 

but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ.

1Corinthians 12:12

Does this mean that we agree about everything? No. Paul continually talks about the body having different parts with different functions so that, when working as one, it accomplishes the work God has proposed to be done. Does that mean that the hand never gets upset with the foot? Or the eye with the ear? Again, No.

This is when we have to step back and look at the big picture, go back to the basics, like we did this past Sunday, and remember who God is and who we are and where we are because of Jesus. And this:

Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

Ephesians 4:3

Just some thoughts from Sunday.

Linda Tomlinson

Live the Life You've Been Given

Read John 10:1-10. The text from Sunday.
[Click the Scripture reference to read online.]

The pastor's message focused on Jesus's statement:

"...I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. ..."

John 10:10 ESV

According to Rev. Stephenson, many misinterpret the meaning of the "abundant life" Jesus promises by associating it with material wealth and preaching a gospel of prosperity. He said a more accurate understanding based on the original Greek is a full life of vitality, complete, lacking nothing.

I'm struck by his words, because there are those in my life whose constant refrain seems to be: 

I'm so tired...

In their voices I hear a lack of vitality, a lack of life!

And I wonder... If Jesus came to make the way for life abundant, where is theirs?

Jesus mentions strangers and thieves who enter the sheepfold with the sole intent to steal and kill and destroy.

Could a lack of life and vitality indicate we've been led astray by someone other than Jesus?

Do we, at times, allow a thief to enter and steal our energy and enthusiasm by following him and getting involved in things we are not supposed to be a part of?

Jesus came to give us life, but are we living the life He's given us or the one we think we want?

As a Believer, perhaps if you find yourself tired most of the time --- no vitality, no satisfaction of an abundantly full life --- you might consider if you are living the life He came to give you or if you have followed a thief into the night...

Just some thoughts from Sunday.