Pastor Linnecar shows how we can draw out from the life of Timothy details of the qualifications for eldership – and how those qualifications also apply to us as individual believers.
If you’re a Christian, you know that as you live your life, the Lord God, living inside you reaches out through you to those He wants to speak to. Some people have come this morning to have a specific need met. You have come to the right one – not the right place, but the right one – Jesus Christ.
I want to talk about the character of Jesus Christ and what it means to be someone who has Jesus Christ living inside – a new person with Him inside.
We are in the process of sorting things out for the way forward. I’ve been doing a lot of reading to do with leadership and with the character of an individual who wants to be and is being like Jesus Christ. It’s His life inside.
If you’re not a Christian, then today it might be a different slant to realise that Christianity is a relationship with the living God, made possible because God works in an individual’s life. We see many glimpses of the nature of Jesus.
Ephesians 5:25-27
Jesus Christ gave Himself for the church. When we consider what the church is, it’s people, not a building. In the early church, there were no buildings – people met in houses. It wasn’t until a few hundred years later that there were specific buildings. Church was the people, and Jesus Christ gave Himself for the people. He gave Himself for the church, and the result was that over time there will be a glorious church – one fit for glory because He will have sorted everything out, and the people in the church will be ready, as will those who have already died. God is sorting things out in our own lives. We may face various pressures, and these are all to do with Jesus Christ preparing things and getting things ready. A glorious church – no spot or wrinkle. He was holy, pure and without blemish.
When we look at the structure of the church, the nature of Jesus Christ is sacrifice, putting others first before ourselves.
As the church developed, from Jerusalem, to Judea, to the whole world, so they appointed people to oversee the church in each locality. In any locality where people gathered together in His name, so through the Holy Spirit, He Himself was there. And as the church developed, they needed the right kind of people to take responsibility for the church going forward.
Acts 14:23
There was an ordination of elders / pastors / leaders / overseers. They prayed with fasting, because they wanted to get it right. And they commended them to the Lord.
This weekend I want to bring attention to the fact that we want to have a pastoral team. So far, we have a pastor – myself. And the Review Group have met three times, and at this point we’ve accepted we need that team. So over the next meetings, I will be describing from scripture, what the qualifications are of someone who should be part of that team. I cannot do it all. So a team is needed – in the same way as they appointed people in Acts 14.
There is no “thou shalt” in the New Testament as to how you should do this. But there is enough in scripture for us to get it right. We definitely want to make sure that God by His Holy Spirit is able to do what He wants to do here.
It’s all to do with what God wants to do through you, reaching out to those in need. We don’t want to create an empire for ourselves. But we are aiming to glorify the name of Christ in everything we do. We want to lift Him up and to let Him fulfil His purposes in what has happened and as we go forward.
We have various groups (Jam, Logos, Ark, Heritage) and that went well – we studied scripture, and people want to get it right for their lives. Not only want to, but will. God doesn’t play secret squirrel. He doesn’t deprive you of the things you need. When Jesus Christ gave Himself for the church, He gave Himself utterly and completely.
Over the next two meetings, I’ll talk about what it means to be an overseer / elder / pastor. We want to get this right, and in the New Testament people prayerfully considered this. Often they fasted. As far as I’m concerned, I think it would be good to suggest a day when we specifically consider and pray about this matter. It’s an important thing.
I want this morning to consider the life of someone who helped Paul – Timothy. In Timothy we’ll see the character and traits of someone who was an overseer.
Acts 16:1-3
Note: “well reported of by the brethren”. When it comes to thinking about an overseer, or a pastor, it has to be that the report of that individual – by the brethren, not those who aren’t Christians – is a good report. It’s no good getting a report from those who perhaps are having a go at the church. Jesus said blessed are you when all men speak ill of you. You’re bound to get a bad report. But this is from the brethren.
When Paul wrote later, he helped us understand the character of the right kind of person.
1 Timothy 3:7
Make sure there is a good report from those who are close to the person. And he must have a good report from those outside. It’s no good electing an MP on the basis of trust, if you then find he’s been taking money.
1 Timothy 3:2
“Apt to teach” doesn’t mean it has to be someone who teaches like this on a Sunday. You might advise someone in a small group. We’re not saying that people have to be a teacher to a large group, but they have to be apt to teach.
Various verses describe Timothy.
1 Corinthians 4:17
Timothy was faithful in the Lord, and Paul was confident that Timothy would communicate his ways which were in Christ. He had a particular way of talking to people – the character which esteems others better than yourself, which looks for the work of God in a person.
1 Corinthians 16:10
You won’t find Timothy putting things ahead of the work of God. He won’t be besotted with anything but the work of God.
2 Timothy 1:1-5
Timothy was a man of unfeigned faith. If you bore through to the heart of Timothy, there was a faith in God, big time.
2 Timothy 3:14-15
Someone who is overseeing needs to know the scriptures. Someone who is part of the pastoral team needs to understand that this book is the one upon which we are dependent. We are dependent on Jesus Christ – in the beginning was the Word and the Word was in God.
1 Thessalonians 3:1-3
Brother, minister of God ... to establish and comfort. Timothy was concerned for the people of God and for the church. His heart was to care for the people. And when he spoke to someone it was to help that person increase their faith in God, to point out the way God was involved.
In Philippians 2, we get an idea of the nature and spirit of Jesus Christ. He is the senior pastor of His church – He is in control, He is building His church, the bride of Christ.
Philippians 2:1-5
As we go through this, you’ll see ... caring, loving other people. As far as Jesus Christ was concerned, He laid down His life for other people, for the church.
“... being of one accord, of one mind. / Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory” Let’s not have anyone doing anything to score points.
When you think about someone is your immediate thought, “How can I help that person?” or do you think, “That confirms what I thought. I must pass this information on.”
Philippians 2:5-8
“This is about Jesus, but it’s not applicable to me.” But Jesus Christ by His Holy Spirit lives within you. “Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.” He made Himself of no reputation. But didn’t we say earlier that someone had to be well reported of? What we’re saying is that Jesus Christ set aside His glory. He told the disciples that the greatest among them should be their servant.
The key word in verse 8 is that He became obedient. The character of Jesus and of any individual in a church is that they should be obedient to what God wants, laying down their lives for the brethren.
Philippians 2:9-11
“To the glory of God the Father” Set yourself this coming week to bring glory to His name, to have God live through you, to make you sensitive, to help someone. Someone may be facing particular pressures. God is your Father. He will make provision. Let’s stop thinking about ourselves, but about the ones He wants to reach through us.
Philippians 2:12-13
For those of you who are taking exams, it’s incredible pressure at this time. You can pray to God to organise things in your life, so that in the pressure of it all, God’s peace can rule your heart. It doesn’t mean you sit there and look at the paper dwelling on God’s peace – you do have to write the answers. But it’s God who works in you, even in exam time, to will and to do of His good pleasure. “I want You to help me get the grades I need to fulfil Your purposes for my life.”
Philippians 2:14-17
The character of Jesus Christ – laying down your life for others. And the more Paul talked about the character of Jesus, so Timothy came to his mind again. He was with Paul when he wrote this.
Philippians 2:19-24
An overseer / pastor is someone who naturally by the Spirit of God will care for the people, will have a heart for the people. We can apply that to an overseer, but what about in your life? What would Paul say when it comes down to “All seek their own”? I don’t want to condemn you, but I’m encouraging you to consider what is the priority of your life. What could I point to in my life to say that I’m seeking not my own but the things of Jesus Christ? I’m not filling my head with wrong music just ahead of the meeting; in the week I’m not cramming myself with wrong thoughts, not so bound up with “me” that no one else gets a look in.
Before we are a Christian, it’s all about me and mine. But when Paul thought of Timothy, he knew he was speaking about someone who put God and the people of God first.
You may say that was Timothy’s job. You may say as pastor, it’s my job. But we’re talking about the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ in you. Let me urge you to think about how you want God number one in your life, how you will prioritise your time appropriately.
Philippians 2:13
God loves you and He wants you to live and be right. And He is the one who is working in you actively, both to will and to do of His good pleasure. He’s not against you.
It is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure. As we go forward together as brothers and sisters in Christ, so I have complete confidence in God who will outwork His purposes. And I have a continuing sense of how God is so careful to make sure that as there are those whom He would draw to Himself through you, so He will fulfil His purposes here for His glory.
Think about the character of Timothy, and about the nature of who Jesus is. God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. There was no subordination in the Trinity. God was in Christ.
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label obedience. Show all posts
Sunday, 17 May 2009
Sunday, 1 February 2009
Nehemiah (Part 4 of 9) - The Walls of Your Life
The book of Nehemiah has much to say about the building of the walls of Jerusalem and there is just as much need for walls in our lives. We look here at the walls of truth, obedience, love, joy, respect, and peace.
We’ve been looking at the book of Nehemiah.
The book was written by Nehemiah. Chapter 1 shows him becoming aware that the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which he thought was in hand, was not happening; and he was led to call out to God. Chapter 1 records his prayer. It’s good to pray, and God hears your prayers. Maybe you’ve prayed of late and have been wondering. God hears your heart-felt prayers. Nehemiah’s prayer was answered.
In Chapter 2, the king observed that Nehemiah was concerned about something, and asked what it was. Nehemiah asked permission to go, and the king let him go to oversee the rebuilding. Not only that, but Nehemiah was emboldened to ask for material assistance.
Chapter 3 has Nehemiah at Jerusalem, surveying the state of the city. And he explains to the people how God had prospered his way. Enemies of the city tried to undermine the work, but Nehemiah said God would prosper them.
Chapter 3 lists 72 people who joined together to do the work. There is reference to one group who got involved, but whose nobles refused. But in other cases, everyone joined in. For example there is mention of one man and his daughters who got involved. I believe they respected their father, respected what he stood for, and they got on with it.
As the work progressed, it was obvious that Sanballat and the other enemies were even more anxious about what was going on, and the opposition went up a gear. We’ll look today at this opposition and the way Nehemiah and everyone else responded.
It’s possible to think about the walls of Jerusalem as the walls of the church. I don’t want to dwell on that today. Today we will cover the walls of your life, as an individual. What is the foundation of your life? What is the foundation of you as an individual? And those of you who are fathers, what are the walls you are creating for your family? Married men, what walls are you creating for your wife? And for everyone, the walls need to be right in your life.
It’s possible to look at the gates in chapter 3 as the walls of a Christian life. The first gate mentioned is the Sheep Gate, where the priests were involved. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” Wonderful that God sent His son to be the way that we come back into life away from the paths of sin through the Sheep Gate, the entry point, Jesus Christ.
In Chapter 4 it was obvious that Nehemiah was organising things. He gave out responsibilities :-
Nehemiah 3:10
Nehemiah 3:23
Nehemiah 4:1
Sanballat thought in his arrogance that he could knock down the work which was being done. His first two questions were a direct hit – the Jews were weaklings; would they fortify themselves? It’s possible that the enemy of your soul through opposition makes a direct attack on you – “Call yourself a Christian? You don’t believe that, do you? Do you really believe in God?” There’s a chipping away.
Sanballat thought he was so clever. Would the Jews return to their religious observances, given the state in which Jerusalem found itself? And then there was a prod on the timescale – will they make an end in a day? What was the timescale supposed to be? Will they revive the stones? “Look at your life. You messed up. God isn’t blessing you. He hasn’t answered your prayer? How on earth is something going to be made out of that?”
Let’s just confirm here – we believe in the God who answers by fire and who makes the impossible, possible. You may be staring at an impossibility. You may be unable to think of a scheme to sort things out, and the enemy has come and said, “Are you going to make something out of that mess?”
Nehemiah 4:3
Nehemiah 4:4
Nehemiah 4:6
It’s how you think, your attitude to things, you as an individual stating, “OK – the foundation of my life is Jesus Christ, the foundation of my future is what He wants me to do. I want to please Him.”
I will look shortly at what the walls might consist of in a Christian’s life.
It would have take time to set up the walls. It wasn’t a day’s work.
Nehemiah 4:7
There was a conspiracy. The opposition was growing, and the opposition made loud noises. The conspiracy was real. But ...
Nehemiah 4:9
The watch was there twenty four hours a day. There was constant supervision. There was an urgency in sorting things out for the family. The enemy is real, and our vigilance needs to be there. Nehemiah was wise is setting a watch.
I was given an article about a teenage suicide as a result of a person being isolated from her friends on FaceBook. The article is all to do with how an innocent-looking thing like a social networking site can become a vehicle not only for gossip, but for isolating people.
If I want to share news with someone overseas, the technology is brilliant. But at the same time this can be a channel for the enemy’s work. I’m not against the internet and hi-tech. But be careful that this doesn’t become an addiction for you, so your time is spent on catching up with gossip and on pulling people down. Be careful. Be vigilant.
We need to look at the walls in our lives.
The walls were half way up, and the opposition were angry and conspired together.
Nehemiah 4:9
They weren’t bitter when they said this – it was just that people were tired. There was a lot to sort out and they couldn’t build.
Nehemiah 4:11
Judah pointed out that people were tired and there was a lot to do. Then the enemies started piling on the threats. And the people who were near the enemies, camped around the cities, and could hear what was being said, came with reports. Opposition can come like that – “What’s the point? It’s not going to last. It’s not real.” Ten times it came from the people who lived near the enemy.
Nehemiah 4:13
“You’re right – I’m not denying what people is saying.” So he organised the people, and set the foundation of their heart as they grouped in families. There was no equivocation. They knew, with their weapons in their hands, that there was no way they were giving up, no way they would give in to the opposition, no way they would give in to tiredness.
Nehemiah 4:14
Those of you who are fathers here ... are you fighting for your family? Are you bringing your family in prayer to God? Are you setting the example for your family of respect and love? What are the walls of our lives that God wants to strengthen and develop? I want to look at six walls ...
1. The wall of truth - Ephesians 4:14
“Speaking the truth in love”. “In love” – those words are important. What will be our common denominator when we speak to one another? “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus said the spirit of truth would come. You’re a Christian, so you speak the truth. “Thou desirest truth in the inward parts.” “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” So when I speak about anyone or address anyone, I speak the truth in love. I don’t speak things to pull down and destroy. I speak in love to build up. Lying will be the one thing which will not happen in your family. No lying. I don’t dwell in grey half-truths. I don’t cash in on another comment which may or may not be true. “Speaking the truth in love.”
2. The wall of obedience to God - Acts 5:29
This was in response to them being imprisoned. To obey is better than sacrifice. Obedience to God is key. So a wall of your existence is to be obedient to God, to what He says for you and what He wants for your life.
Jesus had just ascended, and Peter was clear that they should obey God rather than men.
Obedience is crucial, because if I have a disciplined home – not tyrannical, but disciplined – where the norm is that every time there is obedience, it engenders an attitude of doing what we’re told. And when the Holy Spirit opens up the way for that youngster, the same attitude applies. There comes a shaft of light, and there’s a track-record of obedience. The heavenly father talks to that youngster and draws them in love. Obedience. And there’s been no lying, so there’s truth – “I know I’m a sinner. I know that power of sin has to be broken in my life.” There’s a track record of truth and obedience.
3. The wall of love - John 15:11
That’s the commandment – that you love one another as I have loved you. It’s a wall in your life – to see people as God sees them, to have His love expressed through you, not to write people off. There’s a love which goes the extra mile, which lays down his life for his friends, with Jesus as the foremost example.Truth, obedience, love. And in these same verses is another one ...
4. The wall of joy - John 15:11, Hebrews 12:2
That joy was a people for Himself – the Bride of Christ. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, because the Bride of Christ is being established. There is a strength in joy for each of us. That means there is a joy in knowing we are seated with Him in heavenly places. There is a security. It is His life inside by His Holy Spirit. There is a joy in us.
When things happen in your life, what’s it like for the people around you? Pressures are real. Do we smile when something terrible happens? No. But it means that the wall of your life is joy, the joy that you are seated in Christ in heavenly places. There’s a joy and security. It’s something you want to share with others, not something to make you arrogant. And it cuts out the sulking, the reaching for the violin at a moment’s notice.
Stand – and having done all, stand. The wall of your life ... joy. Maybe so far there’s been a murky world of half truth rather than clarity. You’ve known what to say, but you know it doesn’t ring true. What’s it going to be? What’s the wall of your life? Truth, obedience, love, joy?
5. The wall of respect - Romans 12:10
Respect is important as a wall in your life – respect for God; respect for the older generation; respect for God when you come into a meeting chewing gum; respect in turning up to meetings on time. If I were to tell you that we were all invited to Buckingham Palace next week at 10 am, you’d be up at 6 am to make sure you were there.
Truth, obedience, love, joy, respect.
6. The wall of peace - Colossians 3:12
There’s something you have to let happen – let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Let it rule you.
Nehemiah 4:14
Who is your brother? He’s sitting next to you. Some of you have sons, daughters, wives. All of us have brethren. We have a place to live, thankfully. We’re to fight? Why? Because there are matters the enemy would seek to destroy, and there are elements in your life that God is putting His finger on this morning. You know that God is speaking to you. There are walls in your life which must be there. And the reason you’re hearing this this morning is that God wants them to be there and will help you. He is the answer, the one who provides a way forward, the one who is the source of love itself.
So when we’re asked to love one another, it’s an expression of God Himself. God is the source of love. For any individual, my prayer is that you would know more and more of the love of God. What would be the result of that? It will be a coming together, of fighting for your brethren, not cashing in on rumour.
Nehemiah 4:14
The walls of your life are on the foundation of Jesus Christ. What a foundation! The walls wouldn’t be there but for Him. He is our foundation.
Romans 13:12
We’ve been looking at the book of Nehemiah.
The book was written by Nehemiah. Chapter 1 shows him becoming aware that the rebuilding of Jerusalem, which he thought was in hand, was not happening; and he was led to call out to God. Chapter 1 records his prayer. It’s good to pray, and God hears your prayers. Maybe you’ve prayed of late and have been wondering. God hears your heart-felt prayers. Nehemiah’s prayer was answered.
In Chapter 2, the king observed that Nehemiah was concerned about something, and asked what it was. Nehemiah asked permission to go, and the king let him go to oversee the rebuilding. Not only that, but Nehemiah was emboldened to ask for material assistance.
Chapter 3 has Nehemiah at Jerusalem, surveying the state of the city. And he explains to the people how God had prospered his way. Enemies of the city tried to undermine the work, but Nehemiah said God would prosper them.
Chapter 3 lists 72 people who joined together to do the work. There is reference to one group who got involved, but whose nobles refused. But in other cases, everyone joined in. For example there is mention of one man and his daughters who got involved. I believe they respected their father, respected what he stood for, and they got on with it.
As the work progressed, it was obvious that Sanballat and the other enemies were even more anxious about what was going on, and the opposition went up a gear. We’ll look today at this opposition and the way Nehemiah and everyone else responded.
It’s possible to think about the walls of Jerusalem as the walls of the church. I don’t want to dwell on that today. Today we will cover the walls of your life, as an individual. What is the foundation of your life? What is the foundation of you as an individual? And those of you who are fathers, what are the walls you are creating for your family? Married men, what walls are you creating for your wife? And for everyone, the walls need to be right in your life.
It’s possible to look at the gates in chapter 3 as the walls of a Christian life. The first gate mentioned is the Sheep Gate, where the priests were involved. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me.” Wonderful that God sent His son to be the way that we come back into life away from the paths of sin through the Sheep Gate, the entry point, Jesus Christ.
In Chapter 4 it was obvious that Nehemiah was organising things. He gave out responsibilities :-
Nehemiah 3:10
Nehemiah 3:23
Nehemiah 4:1
Sanballat thought in his arrogance that he could knock down the work which was being done. His first two questions were a direct hit – the Jews were weaklings; would they fortify themselves? It’s possible that the enemy of your soul through opposition makes a direct attack on you – “Call yourself a Christian? You don’t believe that, do you? Do you really believe in God?” There’s a chipping away.
Sanballat thought he was so clever. Would the Jews return to their religious observances, given the state in which Jerusalem found itself? And then there was a prod on the timescale – will they make an end in a day? What was the timescale supposed to be? Will they revive the stones? “Look at your life. You messed up. God isn’t blessing you. He hasn’t answered your prayer? How on earth is something going to be made out of that?”
Let’s just confirm here – we believe in the God who answers by fire and who makes the impossible, possible. You may be staring at an impossibility. You may be unable to think of a scheme to sort things out, and the enemy has come and said, “Are you going to make something out of that mess?”
Nehemiah 4:3
Nehemiah 4:4
Nehemiah 4:6
It’s how you think, your attitude to things, you as an individual stating, “OK – the foundation of my life is Jesus Christ, the foundation of my future is what He wants me to do. I want to please Him.”
I will look shortly at what the walls might consist of in a Christian’s life.
It would have take time to set up the walls. It wasn’t a day’s work.
Nehemiah 4:7
There was a conspiracy. The opposition was growing, and the opposition made loud noises. The conspiracy was real. But ...
Nehemiah 4:9
The watch was there twenty four hours a day. There was constant supervision. There was an urgency in sorting things out for the family. The enemy is real, and our vigilance needs to be there. Nehemiah was wise is setting a watch.
I was given an article about a teenage suicide as a result of a person being isolated from her friends on FaceBook. The article is all to do with how an innocent-looking thing like a social networking site can become a vehicle not only for gossip, but for isolating people.
If I want to share news with someone overseas, the technology is brilliant. But at the same time this can be a channel for the enemy’s work. I’m not against the internet and hi-tech. But be careful that this doesn’t become an addiction for you, so your time is spent on catching up with gossip and on pulling people down. Be careful. Be vigilant.
We need to look at the walls in our lives.
The walls were half way up, and the opposition were angry and conspired together.
Nehemiah 4:9
They weren’t bitter when they said this – it was just that people were tired. There was a lot to sort out and they couldn’t build.
Nehemiah 4:11
Judah pointed out that people were tired and there was a lot to do. Then the enemies started piling on the threats. And the people who were near the enemies, camped around the cities, and could hear what was being said, came with reports. Opposition can come like that – “What’s the point? It’s not going to last. It’s not real.” Ten times it came from the people who lived near the enemy.
Nehemiah 4:13
“You’re right – I’m not denying what people is saying.” So he organised the people, and set the foundation of their heart as they grouped in families. There was no equivocation. They knew, with their weapons in their hands, that there was no way they were giving up, no way they would give in to the opposition, no way they would give in to tiredness.
Nehemiah 4:14
Those of you who are fathers here ... are you fighting for your family? Are you bringing your family in prayer to God? Are you setting the example for your family of respect and love? What are the walls of our lives that God wants to strengthen and develop? I want to look at six walls ...
1. The wall of truth - Ephesians 4:14
“Speaking the truth in love”. “In love” – those words are important. What will be our common denominator when we speak to one another? “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Jesus said the spirit of truth would come. You’re a Christian, so you speak the truth. “Thou desirest truth in the inward parts.” “Thou shalt not bear false witness.” So when I speak about anyone or address anyone, I speak the truth in love. I don’t speak things to pull down and destroy. I speak in love to build up. Lying will be the one thing which will not happen in your family. No lying. I don’t dwell in grey half-truths. I don’t cash in on another comment which may or may not be true. “Speaking the truth in love.”
2. The wall of obedience to God - Acts 5:29
This was in response to them being imprisoned. To obey is better than sacrifice. Obedience to God is key. So a wall of your existence is to be obedient to God, to what He says for you and what He wants for your life.
Jesus had just ascended, and Peter was clear that they should obey God rather than men.
Obedience is crucial, because if I have a disciplined home – not tyrannical, but disciplined – where the norm is that every time there is obedience, it engenders an attitude of doing what we’re told. And when the Holy Spirit opens up the way for that youngster, the same attitude applies. There comes a shaft of light, and there’s a track-record of obedience. The heavenly father talks to that youngster and draws them in love. Obedience. And there’s been no lying, so there’s truth – “I know I’m a sinner. I know that power of sin has to be broken in my life.” There’s a track record of truth and obedience.
3. The wall of love - John 15:11
That’s the commandment – that you love one another as I have loved you. It’s a wall in your life – to see people as God sees them, to have His love expressed through you, not to write people off. There’s a love which goes the extra mile, which lays down his life for his friends, with Jesus as the foremost example.Truth, obedience, love. And in these same verses is another one ...
4. The wall of joy - John 15:11, Hebrews 12:2
That joy was a people for Himself – the Bride of Christ. There is joy in heaven over one sinner that repents, because the Bride of Christ is being established. There is a strength in joy for each of us. That means there is a joy in knowing we are seated with Him in heavenly places. There is a security. It is His life inside by His Holy Spirit. There is a joy in us.
When things happen in your life, what’s it like for the people around you? Pressures are real. Do we smile when something terrible happens? No. But it means that the wall of your life is joy, the joy that you are seated in Christ in heavenly places. There’s a joy and security. It’s something you want to share with others, not something to make you arrogant. And it cuts out the sulking, the reaching for the violin at a moment’s notice.
Stand – and having done all, stand. The wall of your life ... joy. Maybe so far there’s been a murky world of half truth rather than clarity. You’ve known what to say, but you know it doesn’t ring true. What’s it going to be? What’s the wall of your life? Truth, obedience, love, joy?
5. The wall of respect - Romans 12:10
Respect is important as a wall in your life – respect for God; respect for the older generation; respect for God when you come into a meeting chewing gum; respect in turning up to meetings on time. If I were to tell you that we were all invited to Buckingham Palace next week at 10 am, you’d be up at 6 am to make sure you were there.
Truth, obedience, love, joy, respect.
6. The wall of peace - Colossians 3:12
There’s something you have to let happen – let the peace of God rule in your hearts. Let it rule you.
Nehemiah 4:14
Who is your brother? He’s sitting next to you. Some of you have sons, daughters, wives. All of us have brethren. We have a place to live, thankfully. We’re to fight? Why? Because there are matters the enemy would seek to destroy, and there are elements in your life that God is putting His finger on this morning. You know that God is speaking to you. There are walls in your life which must be there. And the reason you’re hearing this this morning is that God wants them to be there and will help you. He is the answer, the one who provides a way forward, the one who is the source of love itself.
So when we’re asked to love one another, it’s an expression of God Himself. God is the source of love. For any individual, my prayer is that you would know more and more of the love of God. What would be the result of that? It will be a coming together, of fighting for your brethren, not cashing in on rumour.
Nehemiah 4:14
The walls of your life are on the foundation of Jesus Christ. What a foundation! The walls wouldn’t be there but for Him. He is our foundation.
Romans 13:12
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