The heart is a working marvel! It can keep on beating automatically even if all other nerves were severed. It beats 75 times a minute, 40 million times a year, 2 1/2 billion by age 70. That means that at each beat it discharges 4 oz. of blood, 3,000 gal. a day, 650,000 a year which is enough to fill more than 81 tank cars of 8,000 gal. each. A healthy heart = a healthy person.
The church of Thessalonica was a healthy church because it had a strong heart. It had a strong heart because it had a strong love for Christ. Their love became contagious because they modeled authentic Christianity. If God were to put His stethescope upon our churches today, how healthy do you think He would find us? Paul gives us 2 vital signs of a healthy church.
I. It Is A Church Of Praying People - (vs.1-2)
Having experience God's "grace and peace" as a church (v.1), Paul "thanks God" for all of them and continually "remembers them in prayer." True thanksgiving come from the overflow of a Spirit-filled life and a Spirit-filled life is the result of a prayer-filled life! Someone put it this way: "much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power." One of the reasons for a spiritually luke-warming Church is that the "prayer-room" and "prayer-closet" are too often left empty. We organize but do not agonize in prayer! Prayer clarifies our focus, enlarges our vision, depens our concern, and produces Kingdom results. Paul will later close his Epistle with God's command to :"Be joyful always. Pray continually. Give thanks in all circumstances."
II. It Is A Church Of Caring People - (V.3)
People will not care how much we know until they know how much we care! The Church that prays is a Church that will develop caring people. Paul "continually remembered before the Lord" three characteristics reulting from this Spirit-filed Church:
1. They had a faith that worked - "your work produced by faith"
It was not a belief that was dead, barren or inaffective. It was a work that sprang from faith. Faith begins at spiritual birth (I Pet.2:2). The power of faith strengthens our walk (Col.2:6-7). The result of faith reproduces life (John 12:24; 15:16).
2. They had God's love to share - "your labor prompted by love"
"Labor" (kapos) means "painful exertion, toil, work beyond the call of duty." Love does not replace faith: it expresses it. It does not count the cost: it surpasses it. Love (agape) is not some sacrin, sentimental thing! God demonstrated His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us and that took God's only Son. While reading I Corinthians 13 try to match your love to God's standard and see where you stand. I sure come short by comparrison.
3. They had a hope that endured - "your endurance inspired by hope"
Someone expressed it this way: "hope climbs up the latter of love; looks out the window of faith and moves forward in the light of tomorrow." The Thessalonian Church was a healthy Church because their lives were built on prayer, faith, love and hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.
These are things we need to rediscover and model personally and colectively as Kingdom saint.
Showing posts with label authentic faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label authentic faith. Show all posts
Friday, October 22, 2010
Saturday, March 6, 2010
THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT - Matthew 7:15-23
In his book "Against The Night" Chuck Colson warns of a cheap replica of true Christianity:
"much of the church is caught up on the success mania of American society. Often more concerned with budgets and building programs than with the Body of Christ. The Church places more emphasis on growth than on repentance. Repentance is a rare message in today's Church because it requires confrontation with an uncomfortable subject--sin. And sin does not sell well in our feel-good culture. When sin gets personal, people get skittish. Only the conviction of personal sin, however, brings us to Christ."
Jesus warns against those who profess a faith but do not possess true faith. They can talk it but don't live it. They may call Him "Lord, Lord," claim to prophesy, cast out demons and even perform miracle (v.22) but the proof of authentic Christianity is "fruit." Twice Jesus states, "by their fruit you will recognize them" (vs.16,20). Paul describes the kind of fruit Jesus was talking about in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." If the "fruit" is not evident they are termed false prophets "that come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves" (v.15). That is what the Pharisees were doing in that day. Their "fruit" was hard, plastic, legalistic and superficial! We are often warned in the New Testament of false Christ's (Matt.24:24); false witnesses (Matthew 26:60); false apostles (2 Cor.11:13); false brothers (2 Cor. 11:36); and false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1) .
When we truly produce "the fruit of the Spirit," we are assured of doing " the will of my father" (v.21). Genuine faith is active and productive. It is real, genuine and authentic! It affects our character and our conduct. Growing in faith takes time and discipline. It refuses to "walk in the counsel of the wicked; stand in the way of sinners; or sit in the seat of mockers, but delights in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night" (Ps.1:1-2). That kind of discipline results in "fruit." "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season" (Ps.1:3) That's the kind of "fruit" authentic Christianity produces. It comes through reading His Word and prayer, through Bible study, denying self, and daily surrendering to His will. But the results are worth it in the light of eternity!
"much of the church is caught up on the success mania of American society. Often more concerned with budgets and building programs than with the Body of Christ. The Church places more emphasis on growth than on repentance. Repentance is a rare message in today's Church because it requires confrontation with an uncomfortable subject--sin. And sin does not sell well in our feel-good culture. When sin gets personal, people get skittish. Only the conviction of personal sin, however, brings us to Christ."
Jesus warns against those who profess a faith but do not possess true faith. They can talk it but don't live it. They may call Him "Lord, Lord," claim to prophesy, cast out demons and even perform miracle (v.22) but the proof of authentic Christianity is "fruit." Twice Jesus states, "by their fruit you will recognize them" (vs.16,20). Paul describes the kind of fruit Jesus was talking about in Galatians 5:22-23: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." If the "fruit" is not evident they are termed false prophets "that come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves" (v.15). That is what the Pharisees were doing in that day. Their "fruit" was hard, plastic, legalistic and superficial! We are often warned in the New Testament of false Christ's (Matt.24:24); false witnesses (Matthew 26:60); false apostles (2 Cor.11:13); false brothers (2 Cor. 11:36); and false teachers (2 Pet. 2:1) .
When we truly produce "the fruit of the Spirit," we are assured of doing " the will of my father" (v.21). Genuine faith is active and productive. It is real, genuine and authentic! It affects our character and our conduct. Growing in faith takes time and discipline. It refuses to "walk in the counsel of the wicked; stand in the way of sinners; or sit in the seat of mockers, but delights in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night" (Ps.1:1-2). That kind of discipline results in "fruit." "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season" (Ps.1:3) That's the kind of "fruit" authentic Christianity produces. It comes through reading His Word and prayer, through Bible study, denying self, and daily surrendering to His will. But the results are worth it in the light of eternity!
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