Devotional thoughts for God’s Family – 1
All right church family, let’s get practical and look at the process that God made for people to exist in love and get their needs met. And I guess, meet other’s needs too. This is much bigger than simply being some personal reflection upon God’s best for our individual life.
What we are delving into is the basic function of the church as a whole. These truths are universal and must be understood on a personal level and regulated inside of a church for the church to be effective.
Does the word “regulate” bother you? Not me, you see the church is known for good spiritual need meeting. But, one place we can certainly improve is in the meeting of people’s soulish needs. We have made an assumption that if people have a good relationship with Jesus then they are fine.
Yet, Adam had the best relationship with God a human could have and God Himself said it wasn’t fine, He said it is not good. I wish the local church could adopt this mindset and transform the methodology of churching to focus on both people’s spiritual needs and relational. To regulate is to constantly watch to make sure that both are being addressed, rather than to look back over our shoulders and see that we didn’t destroy anyone and assume that we did it right.
Preemptive and proactive in caring for people. This is precisely our first line of purpose at SBC, care for others. I want to make sure that in everything we do as we embrace our culture we are caring for people first. This should not be a mantra for our events on weekends, I adopt this as a way of life.
Galatians 6:2 (ESV): Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
To bear a burden is to care for someone. That means that whatever stands in the way of me caring for others must be addressed. Maybe it is fear or pride that stands in the way. If that is the case, then I must work on me to remove those things so I can effectively care for others. My personal recovery isn’t even for me, it is for others. Certainly I benefit from changing, but ultimately God gets glory from my pursuit of change, because others can be cared for and see that there is a true path to freedom and peace.
Care first.
Incidentally, what is the law of Christ spoken of in the Bible passage? Well, I am glad that you asked. Read this and you tell me.
Matthew 22:37–39 (ESV): You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The Apostle Paul is telling us that when we care for others we are actually fulfilling what Jesus said is the greatest commandment.
So, my question for you is this, did Jesus demonstrate care to the disciples? Can we take a look at a well known and iconic bible passage?
John 13:3–5 (ESV): Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, 4 rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. 5 Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Do you get the impression that Jesus was doing this out of duty or because something in the room smelled pretty bad and He couldn’t take it anymore? Think about what is said. Everything was given to Jesus – He was set, all He had to do was continue on in the will of God. He was lacking nothing. Everything was at His disposal.
In this situation we would feel elevated, wouldn’t we? We would look at others and wonder if they knew of our importance, wouldn’t we? We would begin to assign significance to things because of our ranking, wouldn’t we. Notice that Jesus having been given everything, moves quickly to care for the feet and the hearts of the disciples.
Let that sink in for a moment. Jesus was 100% content at the feet of His disciples as He was(is) on a throne. We aren’t content with that because we aren’t content at other’s feet. If you have spent time being content at your disciple’s feet you will be more content with Jesus at yours.
Did you know that Jesus washes your feet everyday? Everyday he loves your heart and serves you. It’s the only way that grace can work. As He told Peter, your wholeness needs not be washed, but your feet…they stink from walking in this world. He washes our feet. Caring for others, especially when they do not deserve it is a beautiful picture of Jesus and you.
That’s why Paul said we fulfill the law of Christ when we bear the burdens of others. And that is why in the church it is so important to keep the water and the towel close inside our relationships.
Can you do me a favor and ask yourself the question, why don’t I care for others more than I do? Is there a barrier or a blockade that goes beyond my personal style or make up? Is there something that I have built in me that cancels out any direct move to care for others.
You see, sometimes because of our attempts to care in the past we become disillusioned with the idea of caring for others today. Can you lay all that old stuff down and a begin afresh with a heart like Jesus. Trust me in this, He would be glad and eager for you to take up His cause of caring for people’s hearts.
Paul did this, He was a crusty, mean and vicious person who went around hurting as many Christians as he could. And then you see him later in life caring in huge ways and even teaching others to do the same.
1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (ESV): But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.
God can and will make your heart this way. Ask the Holy Spirit to work in your heart this way. Let’s lift off that old crusty vicious bark in you and replace it with the loving heart of Jesus.
You won’t meet people’s needs if you don’t. You won’t even want to meet people’s needs if you don’t. And frankly, no one will want to get close to you to attempt to meet yours. Let’s do this.
Father, have mercy on our souls. Grant to us the ability to take up the towel and basin and begin to not run from people’s feet, but to know that we too have been given all things and we do not operate in a deficit, we operate in a surplus of Your presence and power. We are empowered and authorized to care deeply for others by You. Thank you for this privilege.
For the stout hearted:
John 13:14–15 (ESV): If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. 15 For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.
Who?! Whose feet do you need to visit? Ask the Lord, He is ready for you to level up, are you?
Devotional thoughts for God’s Family – 2
Care is just the beginning of developing intimacy in your life. For us to operate in the blessedness of our aloneness…Is that weird? “The blessedness of our aloneness” God gave us aloneness so that we would be blessed.
He could have made us like robots or like angels. He did not make the angels needy of each other, but He made us needy and dependent of each other. It is a blessing that we have been made this way, because it produces so many good things and even more when we get to heaven.
Our aloneness is a blessing.
Because we are alone, made this way – we get to know the blessing of intimacy. Without the condition of alone, we wouldn’t know or be known – there would be no hunger for it.
Caring (we talked about this yesterday) is only the first step toward intimacy. Caring is the threshold for us. We have to decide to be caring for us to progress further and there is much be had further down the road to intimacy.
Pastor, you mean that it isn’t enough to simply care for people in my life? Nope.
When care occurs there is something else that will begin to sprout up. And the only reason this sprouts up is because of the way that God made you…relationally needy. Without this complex condition it wouldn’t happen.
Trust.
When people choose to care, trust begins to develop in the relationship. This is an essential element in the building blocks of intimacy. Trust bubbles up, it’s the way God designed us to operate. It is not the end, only a step along the way to truly living in intimacy as God intends.
As Jesus cared for the disciples did trust bubble up? Is there a definitive picture given to us of trust between He and the disciples? Well, try this one…
John 15:15 (ESV): No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Yes, do you see the trust that Jesus extends to the disciples?
Do you know what stands in the way of trust sprouting up inside of our relationships? It is fear.
Trust is different than care. What stops care from happening inside of our relationships is anger and hurt. That’s why we are told time and time again to forgive and to cast our hurts upon the Lord and others so that the ability for true love to develop between us and others will not be impeded.
However, when the next phase of building intimacy inside of our holy relationships is happening, fear is what stands in the way. Fear is around in our life because we are projecting onto our future what has happened in our past.
As we read 1 John 4:18, we understand that as we have been accepted by God and as we live in the assurance of God’s love and acceptance, we have the ability to not project soorw onto our future.
1 John 4:18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.
You might be surprised to find out that the word “punishment” in the form that John wrote it may mean something different than you thought. We often read that thinking about being punished in some way. That’s not what it means. What is being communicated is that when you walk in fear you are going to look to punish and hurt others.
Most of the time it is to keep people from you because you do not want them to do to you what someone else has done. So, you do things (sometimes unintentionally) to push them away or let them know that they blew it.
Perfect love, which is God’s unconditional love and acceptance toward you, frees you from punishing others and hurting others as a means to protect yourself.
So how do we become one who walks in perfect love? Well, we have to face our fears head on and work to the root of the fear.
What do I mean by the root of our fear?
It’s simple really, when did the fear begin? Because you were not born with fear, it is a completely learned reaction to stimuli. Inside of our major fear producing events and even numerous minor fear producing events is a set of things happening that creates a stronghold of fear in our today.
So, things happened in a rough time back then, that creates a hold on my emotions today. It is a simple as that. And guess what, it is simple to work your way out of too. The steps are easy. But, because of the emotions associated with the events back then, the process can be long.
1 John 4:18 is helping us understand that we have been given by God a love that can dissolve any fear. Do you believe that? Its important that you do because without a faith that believes what God says is true, it will be super hard to live fear free. Living fear free is a gift from God.
Lord, we want to experience trust in our relationships. So, we ask You to help us see our fear. Lord, we do not want anything to stand in the way of Your best for our lives. And we know that You desire holy intimate relationships with You and others. Please continue to work on my heart as I continue to offer my heart to you. Thank You for drawing me closer to You through the Holy Spirit. Thank You for forming me into the image of Jesus.
Devotional thoughts for God’s Family – 3
Let’s press on.
Care leads to trust.
What does trust lead to? Any ideas? Think about what happened with the disciples who became apostles.
Actually, let’s take a look at this transformation in their lives, it is exciting and revealing. And we can learn and benefit from it, because we are all on the same path with God and each other. Remember of course, this is God design form the beginning.
Luke 9:1-6 Then He called His twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all demons, and to cure diseases. He sent them to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And He said to them, “Take nothing for the journey, neither staffs nor bag nor bread nor money; and do not have two tunics apiece. “Whatever house you enter, stay there, and from there depart. And whoever will not receive you, when you go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet as a testimony against them.” So they departed and went through the towns, preaching the gospel and healing everywhere.
We see that Jesus entrusted to the Disciples a job to do. And He also gave to them the power to do the job. He gave to them a directive and parameters as well.
Guess what they did? The job, that’s right. In the doing of what was asked of them, they succeeded. How do we know? Look at verse 10.
Luke 9:10 And the apostles, when they had returned, told Him all that they had done.
Let’s talk about the next facet of intimacy development. It is called joint accomplishment.
Doing things together. (read slow with understanding)
Doing things together as one. (more)
Doing things together as one for a common purpose. (even more)
Where care and trust exist together, what will sprout up is joint accomplishment. Jesus is the One sent from the Father to bring salvation to the world. And as care and trust develops with His disciples, He extends to them the same directive given to Him by the Father. They are now doing what Jesus did and he now even changes their name to His name.
Hebrews 3:1 Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus…
Joint accomplishment begins to develop on the foundation of trust and care. Our relationship to God and to others is no different.
Turning a corner, do you know what stands in the way of joint accomplishment growing in your holy relationships?
Think about it. The answer is self-reliance. That is to believe that I don’t need anyone in order to accomplish what God put me on earth to do. How interesting it is that Jesus cared for, trusted and engaged in joint accomplishment with His followers, but we can adopt an attitude that believes we don’t need anyone.
I can care for others and its ok for me to be cared for. And I can trust others, but what stands in my way of accomplishing good work together? The key word there is together. The key to joint accomplishment is to have unity in vision. In order to have unity with others I need to be able to lay down my agenda and compromise.
No, not compromising your belief in God’s Word, compromising your agenda. I believe the biggest reason for heartache inside of marriages and other holy relationships in this issue, competing agendas.
Individuals who are not willing to surrender their agendas to the needs of the relationship.
Self-reliance in the form of my way or the highway thinking is what must be laid down if you are going to experience the fullness of love and intimacy that God has for you and others. Don’t worry, your deep desire to lead others, which is needed and good will rise to the surface when others see that you care and trust them, and you are not simply using them to get where you want to go.
People resist being used, but eagerly look to jointly accomplish God’s will with others.
Philippians 2:1-4 So if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.
Father, forgive us where we use others to get what we want rather than through love and vulnerability joining in helping other’s dreams come true in Your will. Thank You for loving us and giving to us the opportunity to join You. Thank You for stooping down, remembering us, and inviting us into the greatest work the universe has ever known. We love you and are in agreement with You.
Devotional thoughts for God’s Family – 4
John 15:14-17 You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another.
Alright, the idea of building intimacy in our relationships patterning after what Jesus demonstrated with the Apostles and what we also draw for Genesis chapter 2 is coming to a close for now.
I revisit these teaching regularly in my life because they are foundational to all that I believe and do, I would recommend that you do the same.
Care leads to trust, and trust leads to joint accomplishment. What does joint accomplishment lead to? The answer seems strange but I will just get it out and then we can take a minute and unpack it. Love.
“Wait pastor doesn’t the whole process start with love?”
Nope.
The whole process leads to love. So, what kind of love are we talking about? Well, I can tell you one thing, it isn’t warm and fuzzy with lots of cuddles.
The kind of love that is being built is cold and rigid. It’s strong like metal and deep as the core of the earth. It is determined and pointed like bird dog on a scent. It is compassionate like a mother or father holding a new baby.
It isn’t sexual, it is relational. Here is the Holy Spirit’s description of this kind of love.
1 Corinthians 13:1-8 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.
This love is not fluffy, it is calculated. It is determined in that whatever is needed will be supplied. The extent of the intention to meet the need is only limited by what is right and wrong. So, the measure of desire to meet a need in others is only stopped when we get to the wall of what the Bible says is appropriate or inappropriate.
What stands in the way of this kind of love? Only one thing.
Before I share with you the answer, this kind of love is what the best of relationships are made of. This kind of love is the most satisfying and I might add, this kind of love is what you will find all through heaven and eternity, not any other kind of love will be there.
What stands in the way is selfishness. Loving myself more than others. Spending my limited time on earth pouring out my passion on me.
Listen only a touch from the Lord can change this in you. You cannot will yourself to be different in this matter. There is nothing in you to change into that resembles this kind of love. It is purely heavenly and only comes down from heaven. No human has it except given by the Lord.
So, if you want it, you will have to ask for it. And in the asking you will have to grapple with the biggest problem of the expression of this kind of love, and that is you.
How can a person be this way, loving others with the same kind of love that Jesus has? The answer is to surrender to the Lord as often as you can, because your earthly make up is diametrically opposed to the existence of this love in you.
That is why Paul said this:
Galatians 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Paul reflects on the love of Jesus, this calculated, rigid, deep, gripping love that makes him want to love others in the same way. So, in full recognition that this love does not exist in any way in him, he decides to die to self so that this new love, Christ love may exist in him to the fullest.
It is yours for the asking and as God gives it to you, you too will become like Paul. You will begin to throw old things overboard to keep the buoyancy that the love of Jesus brings into your life.
Lord, we love You and we want that love, Your love. The kind of love that casts fear aside and sees others for who they really are. We long for the eternal love that we can have now. Thank You for offering that to us through Jesus. We praise Your name today dear Jesus, You have showed to us what true love us. Let our holy relationships be blessed with heaven’s love. Thank You.
Devotional thoughts for God’s Family – 5
Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
Today, let’s focus on God. We do spend a great deal of time focusing on ourselves as we are attempting to yield to the Lord in fulfilling His desire for us to be conformed into the image of Jesus.
We must look inward of we are going to have a healthy view upward toward God. But I will tell you, looking inward can become exhausting – if you don’t come up for air.
Coming up for air means taking our eyes off of what God is doing in us and simply looking upon the Lord. You see, that is by far the sweetest form of worship. Some people feel guilty for doing so and always lead into fellowship with God by telling God all about their shortcomings, is if God is going to be surprised and shocked at who they are.
God knows each one of us very well, and in His grace, He makes a way for you and me to purely and simply focus on Him. Well, that’s what I want you to do today.
We can engage in good meditation this morning. Walking in prayer and scripture at the same time.
Read the verse for today. Often when we read verses like this, we think about the difficult places we have been, and we see God at work in our lives and are genuinely grateful.
Our eyes go immediately to our crisis and places where we feel the need of the Lord’s strength and comfort. This is good, but in a different way this morning, can we see the heart of the Father? This morning, lift your eyes higher and see God’s heart. Answer this question, what is God’s posture in verse one? What position is God in as you envision this verse as a reality?
Is the Lord, like a fireman at a firehouse, completely unaware of what is going on in your life and then when the alarm sounds, He comes running? This may sound strange to you, however – many people feel this way because they assume that God is not pleased with them and will leave them in a state of crisis as long as He can to make them suffer.So, at the last moment God rushes in because He has to, not because He wants to.
Please believe me, at the core of this belief is more of what you feel about yourself than how God truly feels about you.
Allow me to paint the true picture, one that you can believe because this is the picture that Jesus paints for us regarding His heart.
Luke 15:20 “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”
This is a son (or daughter) in trouble of their own doing. The son messed up and is now headed home like a dog with his tail between his legs, having porcupine quills in his nose and skunk scent front to back.
The Father sees the son a long way off, so you see, the Father was looking for the son. And was willing to accept the son who wanted to come home. Dad wanted to help.
What is it that Jesus is communicating to you about the posture of the Father when the Bible says that He is a very present help when you are in trouble?
Close your eyes for a moment and with your mind’s eye picture where the Father is right now. You are meditating on the Word of God and using your God given imagination to help you visualize truth. Jesus paints the picture of God running and embracing you, can you see Him?
We are so accustomed to the quills and smells that we carry that we miss the movement of the Father. The son on the way to Father practices his mantra and is captivated by his own predicament.
Please lift your eyes and see the Father, He is the star of the show, not the son. Even if you are the son and you feel so unworthy, lift your eyes and see the One running toward you! Look closely at His face, see how He sees you!
You don’t want to miss that – see His heart – now describe out loud the heart of the Father. Now you are worshipping in a beautiful way.
Lord, of heaven, thank You for the many ways You reveal to us who You are. And we trust and know that in Jesus we find who You are. Scripture gives us accurate and detailed images of Your heart. Lord, we confess that we become so consumed with ourselves and often miss You. Lord, please help us keep our eyes on You. Thank You Lord.
Blessings
Pastor D
