Sharing the Gospel and Being Prepared for What Comes Next Session 1 - The Gospel

I’ve been given the opportunity to teach a Sunday Night Bible Study at my local church home consisting of 8 Sessions over the next 4 months. I will try to get each session posted by the Monday after I teach each that particular session. Here we go:

The authority this Bible Study will stand on and grow from is Scripture. I believe Scripture to be sufficient to navigate life and should be the lens in which we view our world (2 Timothy 3:16; Matthew 4:4), and God’s word has been and will continue to be proven true (Psalm 18:30).

The Question we will begin with, is this: What makes up the foundation of what we (those who claim to follow Jesus Christ) believe and base our lives? Most who are in church would answer that with “the Gospel of Jesus Christ”, but I would ask what do we mean by that? The Good News, of course! I would agree; in part. But the Good News needs a context.So I ask, how can we have good new without bad news? Wouldn’t the Good News just be “news” without some sort of bad news. All this may sound trivial and argumentative, but I believe being able to clearly articulate what we claim to believe is paramount to actually living as Jesus Christ would have us do. Basically, what I am trying to get us to do is contextualize the Good News.

In order to set the stage for the Good News of Jesus Christ, we must back up and begin with God. The following declarative statement will begin the logic stream of this Bible Study:

I believe there is One God, who is the Creator of all things, understand all things, and cares for His creation.

When I say “One God” I do so in a Deuteronomy 6:4 way, “Hear O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one!”, and I say that within the context of 1 John 5:7, “For there are three that bear witness in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit; and these three are one.” Now, from this statement, our logic stream will flow, raising questions which we will need to answer; let’s begin.

So if there is a God, and He is the One who created everything, it would logically mean, that as the Creator, He has the right to rule, set boundaries, and reward and punish His creation based upon those rules and boundaries which He has set. We see this specifically in Exodus 34:5-7, as well as throughout the account of Creation in the beginning of he book of Genesis.

So then, the logic flow continues; logically as part of His creation, are expected to abide, by and within, the rules and boundaries laid out by our Creator. We see this proven to be true in the account of Creation and the Garden of Eden (Genesis Ch1-3). Unfortunately for mankind, we are unable to live within the boundaries of God’s authority. We see this hold true with Adam and Eve in Genesis 3, and then we see that this failure extends to all of us (Romans 5:12). Examples of this failure can be found in Isaiah 59:1-15, Psalm 14:1-4, Romans 3:23, and numerous other places in Scripture.

This failure means more than just a broken rule, it means sin has entered into our world. 1 John 3:4 defines sin like this, “Whoever commits sin commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness”. In the Old Testament God expresses His displeasure in Israel’s rebelliousness (sin) in Deuteronomy 9:7 and lays out the punishment for rebellion (sin) in Joshua 1:18. In the New Testament, Paul reaffirms death as a punishment for sin in Romans 6:23.

Now, with the establishment of these two facts; God’s law is to be obeyed, and we are unable to obey it on our own, we now come to the fundamental question of Christianity; how can a sinful people be reconciled to a Holy God, because as Isaiah says in Ch 59:2, “your iniquities have separated you from God; And your sins have hidden His face from you”.

Fortunately for us, God is a good and just God (Psalm 136 & Psalm 25:8-11). Knowing that we as a people are unable to make our way back to God on our own, and because He is good, we see His desire for our reconciliation to Him in 2 Peter 3:9-“The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is long suffering towards us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance”. Because God desires our reconciliation, “...when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5).

God sent Jesus, to make a way for Mankind (His creation; you & me) to reunite with the Creator. Here, I feel I must point out that in no way was Jesus Christ a backup plan; His being sent was not a way to fix an unexpected and unforeseen fall of Man (John 1:1, Hebrews 1:1-3, Colossians 1:13-23 for reference of this). It was God’s intention from the beginning to have Jesus be, “the way, the truth and the life” and that “No one comes to the Father except through [Him]” (John 14:6). Therefore, Jesus Christ became the “bridge” -the way back- between fallen man and a Holy God and He accomplished this through death on a Cross and His Resurrection.

When we use the words, “come to Jesus” it isn’t a physical walking toward but an understanding and accepting that Jesus Christ made and became that bridge. Now we see that through Christ’s death and resurrection, a way was made for mankind to be reconciled to God, but this raises the logical question, how does one “come to Him” and what is our responsibility when we get there?

In Next week’s Session we will examine more closely what it means “to come to Jesus” and how we do that.

Don't take my word for it, be like the church at Berea, “[They] were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.” Acts 17:11

His Job Is Not Our Job

"12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy, and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection." ~ Colossians 3:12-14


Remember, Paul is speaking to God's Children directly; this is not a message for the masses (though they could benefit from it) but for those whom have submitted their selves, hearts and lives, to Christ Jesus. This command comes on the heels of Paul explaining that there are no national, physical, social, and economic distinctions between us but everyone falls under the authority of Christ. Therefore we, as followers of Christ and children of God, are to treat people differently than the world does and to see people differently than the world does. We have "put off the old man" (Ch3, v9) and have put on the new. This "new man" is not a jacket that we put on for Sundays, Wednesdays, Easters and Christmas', but the eternity-altering mindset of Christ Jesus Himself! There is not a situation in which we are allowed to "take off" the new man. If we are indeed in Christ Jesus, then we are transformed, not merely disguised by a "good person" jacket.

So, Paul's list of the outcome- the evidence if you will, of what someone who has died to self and been raised in Christ should look and act like. Our words and actions should be characterized by these things; to fellow believers and non-believers alike. And yes, we (and I loudly include myself in that "we") do fall short of consistently following this command because we are not yet perfected, but are continuously in the process of becoming more and more Christ-like. This is why Paul reminds us to put on tender mercies, humility, etc..

Paul gives special attention to forgiveness here. In my opinion, in general, we find it easier to be kind, patient and humble than to be forgiving. Forgiveness is predicated on pain and hurt, and when pain in involved it is our natural human tendency to lash out, fight back or run. We have little trouble being kind to someone who is kind to us, but the very second someone is mean, hurtful, or crosses us, the effort it takes to be Christ-like seems almost impossible to muster. And so Paul gives us something to focus on, reminding us it is possible to forgive because our example, Jesus Christ, found it possible to forgive us. Christ did not merely forgive us with His words, but by His royal blood; even His very life, and He is faithful to give us the strength to forgive others whom have trespassed against us.

Saving the most important point for last, Paul encourages us to put on love. Christ-like love is the attribute under which all others fall. Love encompasses all of Jesus' characteristics; it encompasses all of God's character as well, for it is written, "God is love" (1 John 4:8 & 16)

I want to be very careful with what I am about to say, and it is my opinion but believe it's drawn from what I have read throughout Scripture; the World, and those who do not know Christ do not, by nature, hold themselves to these same standards. We, as the church, need to be aware of this and be careful of trying to do the Holy Spirit's work. By this I mean, we cannot hold people of the world to the same standards Jesus Christ hold us, because they themselves do not use Christ as their standard. So then why would we expect them to act like we do?  We are to be the ones who are different from this world. We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, His representatives, in this Enemy occupied territory- to borrow C.S. Lewis' words. So, as we engage with people around us, whether that be at work, school or the coffee shop, remember we represent Christ. Regardless of how people around us act and react, when we meet Jesus Christ face to face, we will be responsible for our own thoughts, words, and actions. In every situation remember God is the Judge, and the One who will change peoples standard.

"Let all that you do be done with love." - 1 Corinthians 16:14

Father, author and perfecter of my faith, thank You for being the example in all situations. I ask for the strength to love those who do not show me kindness, to be Your example in all things. Keep me close to Your side, so that I may not stray. I love You and trust in You and Your promises. In Jesus' Name; Amen.

What Are You Wearing Today?

5 "Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication,uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them. 8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in the knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is nether Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all." - Colossians 3: 5-11

This is Paul calling the Colossians (and by extension of God's providence; us) to action.We are not mindless, empty puppets, but people who have choice. By the very presence of original sin, we are bent away from God, but solely by His power and the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we are given the ability to turn back to God. And this is exactly what Paul is calling us to. For each of us, to "put to death" is a daily necessity. It is a deliberate act to choose the things above (Ch3, v1) and to choose to turn away from what our sinful hearts want. If, in order to make that choice, you require another reason other than that you will become more Christ-like, Paul reminds us of the coming consequence for those that continue to chose to follow their earthly desires.

And before we become too smug with how well we are doing in the act of daily choosing God, Paul reminds us, that each and everyone of us, once lived as "sons of disobedience". This is not a slap down, or a statement to put us in our proper place, but a gentle reminder that we once were separated from God. Yet by His sovereign grace, He chooses to call us His children, and in so doing so, gives us absolutely nothing to boast in, save Him and the Cross. As His children, who have died to self and been raised to life in Christ (Rms 6:4-6), we are now to leave behind and not continue to put on the disobediences we did before Christ. We are now to put on Jesus; and be renewed and recreated in the likeness of Him.

Once we have been raised in Christ, we no longer should segregate ourselves, or identify ourselves by anything other than Christ. We are now His children-heirs to the Kingdom- having been adopted under the Blood of Jesus Christ. The national, physical, social, and economic categories that the world says separate us are no longer to corral us, but we are held together, set apart and sustained by Christ.

Father God, what I see in Your Word is not what I see in this world. Help us to read, and understand Your Word. Let it not stop with the understanding, but let that understanding become practice; help us live by Your Word and not the suggestion of the world. We are lacking Father and we in the church desperately need You. Raise up leaders and examples; teachers who will call us back to You; for there is no other way I'd rather live.  Thank You, my King, for the second chances You give us. May we not squander them. In Your Son's Holy Name; Amen.

Set Your Mind

1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. ~ Colossians 3:1-3

For some of us, putting this verse into practice comes a little easier than for others. But, there are some of us that are in constant battle to bring our thoughts, actions, and lives under control so we may turn them toward Christ.  This verse reminds me of 2 Corinthians 10: 4 & 5; "4 For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, 5 casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ...." So first we must take captive every thought so that we may then turn them towards Christ and the obedience of Him.

One thing must be noted; the ability to take captive everything thought and turn them toward Christ and the things above, does not naturally occur in our hearts and minds, but is possible only through the power of the Holy Spirit. I find myself, most days consistently asking God for provision enough to make it through the next couple hours or the rest of the day, etc. It's not that I live a physically demanding or dangerous life, but I have to fight to stay on task at work, fight to keep thoughts pure, fight to be kind, gracious, etc.; I must fight myself if I am to follow Christ daily. (Matthew 16:24- Deny yourself and pick up your cross, paraphrase)

I've been reading this book titled, Practicing the Presence of God, that is based on a 17th century monk named Brother Lawrence, who, through his inability to stay focused during the mandated daily 3 hour meditation/prayer time, came to the conclusion that if God is ever present, then what is stopping him from staying connected to God in prayer throughout his entire day? So Brother Lawrence began to talk with God as he went about his daily tasks in the kitchen, thanking and praising God for every little thing; nothing was too small to bring to the feet of God. 

To me, one of the most powerful insights Brother Lawrence realized through this process of practicing the presence of God throughout his day, was he found himself becoming less and less distracted by the world and the pulls of his sinful heart, because he was constantly setting his mind on God. He became the embodiment of Colossians  3:1-3, and like Adam in the garden, was consistently walking with God (not physically but spiritually).

Thankfully, Paul does not tell us to set our minds on the things above and hope it turns out alright, but rather reassures us that we will be able to win the battle of our mind because, our "life is hidden with Christ in God." This is a call back to Colossians 1:27, "...which is Christ in you, the hope of glory." We are in Christ and Christ is in God, and the Holy Spirit dwells within us, so we are surrounded on all sides, both inside and outside, with the One that makes victory possible.  The best visual explanation of this I've found is in the link below; This is David Platt's full sermon so jump to Minute 38 for the illustration I'm talking about.

Illustration of Christ in You

God, my King, thank You for the promise of your glory and the founded knowledge that you never leave us nor forsake us, but are constantly by our side.  Teach me to turn to You in all things, praising You and thanking You all the day long. In your Son's precious Name; Amen

An Important Question Only You Can Answer

“Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations— “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using— according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

Colossians 2:20-23 (NKJV)

Paul first laid out how our salvation is possible (Colossians 2:11-15) and now has a warning for us as we seek to follow after Christ, while awaiting His return. To paraphrase and translate what Paul is asking into our modern culture- if you claim to follow Jesus Christ, even call yourself a Christian, then why do you choose to follow culture's rules, neglecting those given by Christ? Our present culture may seem as though the rules make sense and are for your good, but they have no power to help you grow into the image of Christ. The only power the rules and guidelines of this present culture have, is the power to distract you from submitting to God's sovereign authority.

Our modern culture's biggest and most effective lie is that it tries to convince us that we know what's best for us and our souls and that no one has the authority to question us or our choices. Now, this is where we must look honestly at ourselves and ask, why do I say God's love is good enough to save my soul, but not good enough to know what is best for my life? We were not rescued for our own sake, but for God's sake. To become His children; one of His chosen people. We cannot choose what parts of Jesus Christ we accept; it is all of Christ or Hell. 

In Christ, we are made free; free from the changing whims of culture and from the legalistic religious law that lies to us with its list of rules. 

By what Christ did on the cross, we have access to God-the Father, Creator of all things- by the power of the Holy Spirit and the invitation to boldly and blamelessly approach His throne.

Father, there is freedom in You. I acknowledge that I have not fully submitted myself to Your perfect authority and still struggle with trying to find a better way for myself, and for that I repent. I ask for the strength to fully rely on You and Your way for me, knowing that whatever You have for me is best. Thank You for loving me enough to correct me and bring me back when I stray.  I love You. In Jesus Christ's Name; Amen. 

The Good News

"13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it." - Colossians 2:13-15

We have come to my most favorite telling of the Gospel in all scripture.  Christian- He, the God of all things, Jesus Christ, has made you alive in Him! What better news is there that this?!! But the news goes on, not only has He made you alive, He also erased the record of His children ever having sinned against Him.

By the blood of Jesus Christ, the ultimate Atoning sacrifice, God no longer sees my sins because Christ took them upon Himself, dying the death I deserved, so that I could be called a son of God. On the cross, "He has taken it out of the way" so that nothing stands between my God and me.  I can boldly approach the throne of the Almighty and He calls me son. This was not exclusively done for me, but for any and all who submit to the authority of Christ Jesus; by faith alone, through God's grace alone we are made His children.

This act of reconciling His children back to Himself was not something He did in secret, but rather for all the world to see.  Just as the father of the prodigal son, did not simply welcome his son home in the quiet, but instead held a feast from the overflow of the joy in his heart at his son's return; God showed the world that the final sacrifice had been made, freeing His children from the regulations of the law. (We will talk more about this next week)

Father, this week my prayer is simply Thank You for Your salvation of me. May I never forget what You have done for me; let this knowledge be what drives my actions, attitude and words. In Jesus' precious Name; Amen.

A Caution & A Choice

8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according the the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power. - Colossians 2:8-10


As we continue through the book of Colossians, we come to a passage that is close to my heart. This requires a little backstory on me- I received my B.A. in English from a liberal arts University in Georgia where I spent three and half years reading and studying philosophers from every age; Aristotle, Plato, Durkheim, Kant and Nietzsche to name a few. Each of these philosophers, whether inadvertently or directly, did their best to prove there was another way to live life. A life that did not have Jesus Christ at the center or in it at all.
Now most of us don't regularly have lengthy debates on the existence of God or the essence of Man, but we do watch television, listen to the radio, and go outside our homes. The world has its own philosophy and it desires you to live your life according to its rules (or lack thereof). We are constantly being told it's okay to use sex to sell products, it's fine to get divorced because you can't get along, you are the only one that should have a say in what you can or can't do, chase after what makes your heart happy, etc. This is also what Paul is cautioning us against; "the basic principles of the world".
There is a Creator and Designer of the Universe, Who has laid out boundaries for His creation to live by and the whole World rages against those boundaries, whether inadvertently or directly, and Paul remind us that Jesus Christ is "the head of all principality and power". This fact is what causes King David to pen, "The law of the LORD is perfect" and through Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ alone, do we find salvation. (Psalm 19:7 NKJV)
There are also those that try to incorporate Jesus in there philosophy as a moral teacher and nothing more. To this, I will allow C.S. Lewis to respond because he did it better than I.

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about [Jesus Christ]: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to." - Mere Christianity

I'll leave you with this thought, who is Jesus Christ to you; Is He a madman or your King? If He is your King then I say, "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving." (Colossians 2:6-7 NKJV)

Father, you are King, sovereign and so necessary to my life and all creation. Thank You for the command to live within Your boundaries; they have been laid in welcome places and for my good. Open my eyes to the deceit of the world, and to the watering down of truth and give me the strength to stand firm on the foundation of truth. In Jesus' Name; Amen