分类: Teaching - Jethro TOOLS

Member with Christ

7/27/2025

Acts 2:37-47
What is the best group to join? As people, we are not created to be alone. To solve that we spend time searching for places that we like and people that like us. We move to neighborhoods and communities we like. We become members of a country, communities, groups, associations, and even members of a family. The Bible refers to those that believe in Jesus as members of His body, a spiritual family called the church. The difficulty is that we view the church as a building. You may be asked, “What church do you belong to?” Our normal response is some form of directions to some building. The person who believes by faith in Jesus as their savior is made a member of God’s family (Romans 6:3, 1 Corinthians 12:27). The church is not a building, but the believers that gather together in a building are the church. In Acts 2 we see the beginning of the church, and the initial steps of church growth. It begins with Peter’s message encouraging people to believe in Jesus (14-39), and concludes with many people responding (41). These new believers, or new members, of the early church devoted themselves to the teaching of God’s word, fellowship, breaking bread and prayer (42). This chapter highlights what God does as He changes people, their beliefs about Jesus, and association with Jesus. You see, the early church was made up of people who had originally been opposed to Jesus. In coming to Christ they were changed by Christ. They now desired to learn of Christ through His word and live out those truths in a spiritual community with others. They were a changed people, who are now members with Christ. They had changed hearts and expressed the transformation through changed lives (46-47). Are you relationally connected to Jesus Christ and His church? Are you growing in Christ with others?

For More See ACTS

Closing Comments

11/17/2024

1 Timothy 6:17-21
How would you end a letter? What would be your closing comments to a dear friend? Today, we have lost the art of writing letters. So, let’s review the basic parts of a letter. First, there is the greeting and opening comments that draw the reader into what will be said. In our study through 1 Timothy we have seen this in the first two verses. Following the opening is the main body of the letter. This is the main content of the letter where the author addresses the important matters to the reader. Then there is the closing. This often gives the writer a chance to summarize what has been said and perhaps provide some encouraging and hope filled comments. That is exactly what Paul does as he ends this first letter to Timothy. In closing this letter he says, “Grace be with you.” (1 Tim. 6:21). Paul reflects on how he had trained Timothy (see 2 Tim. 1:13), and how Timothy had been taught the truth of God and His word since he was young (see 2 Tim. 1:5). Now Timothy needed to be encouraged to persevere in a difficult ministry in Ephesus. Grace is the undeserved favor of God that is poured out at the point of salvation through Jesus and His payment for sin. Timothy knows that but, he needs to rely on God’s unmerited favor in the present difficulties. God is working graciously in the present problems which gives hope for the future. Like Timothy, our hope as believers is based in Christ’s work of grace on the cross, plus His continued grace through all of life which extends to eternity which is all because of grace. We need God’s abundant enabling grace each day. Timothy was reminded of God’s grace; past, present and future. Grace be with you, is a really good closing comment for us to ponder today.

For More See 1 TIMOTHY

Leadership Priorities

9/15/2024

1 Timothy 3:1-13
Everything was going fine until the moving truck stopped, for no apparent reason, and my head hit the windshield. Two college friends and I were just trying to return the empty moving truck. We missed the entrance gate for the return lot, so we just went around the block. Being in the passenger seat, I volunteered to get out at the corner and open the gate into the lot. We simply did not make it that far. Between us and the gate was a bridge that was lower than the truck. We hit the bridge and pealed the top of the truck like a can opener. The sudden stop threw me forward into the windshield. The calm of a day helping someone move came to a screeching halt with a now crumpled moving truck. I ended up with two black eyes, multiple bruises, and a very sore neck. We assumed the bridge was tall enough and we did not have the wisdom or foresight to stop and check. In much the same way a church needs wise, godly men who will lead and serve by giving oversight to the ongoing ministry. In 1 Timothy 3 Paul helps Timothy by providing a framework for selecting leaders in the church. Paul looks back to the crumpled wreck that Hymenaeus and Alexander made of their lives and of the church through their false teaching (1:20). He now provides Timothy a check list of sorts, that will keep Timothy and the church in Ephesus from another disastrous wreck from false teaching. Like an accident, false teaching damages the church and hurts people. Paul wants to see elders who oversee the spiritual health and teaching in the church (1), and deacons who faithfully serve to meet the physical needs within the church (8). Today, the church still needs godly examples of faith and faithful service that bring health and healing not hurt. Will you be that?

For More See 1 TIMOTHY

Preserve Solid Faith

9/1/2024

1 Timothy 1:18-20
Broken windows, holes in the hull, plus a tilting deck. That is a simple description of various boats I have seen abandoned on the beach. I often wonder what they were like before they were left to rot in the sun and surf. What did they do or not do that led to their undesirable defeated demise? I can recall one boat that is a faded green and a dirty white laying unmoved, at an angle, in the tidal mud for years. A boat that was once valuable and useful is now nothing but wasted junk that clutters the beach. Lighthouses, maps and guides are all available to prevent shipwrecks. The same is true in our spiritual life. We need direction and guidance to navigate the often treacherous waters in our daily life. In 1 Timothy 1:18-20 Paul addresses Timothy regarding the issue of spiritual shipwrecks. He closes out this chapter by naming two men who wrecked their faith because they focused on other things rather than the Biblical truth of the gospel message (20). They rejected personal faith in God and thus blasphemed God through their life. These men were removed from positions of teaching and influence to be taught a lesson. The spiritual shipwreck was public and a visible warning for all. The collapse of faith is evident still today. What do we need to do to combat it? First, we need to be servants, like Timothy, who are committed to serving only God’s agenda in our personal life and church life. Second, we need to be like soldiers who fight for the truth of the gospel not personal preferences and legalistic concepts (19). Finally, we need to be like sailors and use the word of God to navigate life correctly, living as helpful examples of faith not harmful misdirectors. Only by faithfully following Jesus can we find purpose, power and direction to combat the treacherous waters of life.

For More See 1 TIMOTHY

Proclaim the Gospel

8/25/2024

1 Timothy 1:12-17
My Grandma was one who made sure that we stayed warm by making various winter garments. I recall one Christmas my brothers and I opened our gifts to find our own matching pair of mittens plus a hat. These were not just any normal hat and gloves, these were double thick. Grandma made them with two layers of yarn that doubled the thickness and the warmth. In fact, that hat was so warm I remember sweating while wearing it in the middle of winter. Different people commented on the hat and asked where I got it. That was my cue to tell them that it was my Christmas gift from Grandma. In much the same way Paul is saying the same thing to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 1:12-14, Paul proclaims the gospel message because God has given him the gift of salvation and enabled him to serve (12), even though his past sin was great (13). He then turns and challenges Timothy to proclaim the gospel message of salvation (15-17). This is opposite of the false teachers, who had a message that was without substance and value because they did not hold to the truth of the gospel message (1:6). Paul’s exhortation to the young pastor, Timothy, is to keep Christ and His work on the cross central in his beliefs, teaching and practice. The same is true for us today. When we understand the greatness of our sin, and the greatness of God’s work, we will naturally proclaim the greatness of God and worship Him (17). In ministry, our past is to be an opportunity to display God’s grace in the present. Our guilt and shame of past sin do not limit God’s power in transforming the worst of sinners into His greatest servants. True ministers will view sin in light of grace and be an example pointing others to Christ and the gift of salvation He has given.

For More See 1 TIMOTHY

Participate in the Word

7/21/2024

Psalm 119:105-112
How often do you read directions? When I much younger I remember being at a meeting with my father. The speaker gave each attender a test with a page full of questions. The instructions were to read everything before beginning the test. I still remember that day. I turned the page and began frantically trying to answer questions before the allotted time ran out. As my time ran out I looked at my Dad sitting calmly, looking around the room. He was done, and I was not. The test was actually a test to see if you would listen to and obey the instructions. I did not listen, and I did not read everything first before beginning. The final line at the bottom of the page said this, “Now that you have read this entire page please write your name at top right corner of the page and wait for further instructions.” In life directions are important, but it also important to have reliable instructions from a reliable source. In Acts 2:41-42 the early church had a devotion and dedication to the Word of God. The apostles taught the Word of God and the new converts were faithful in listening and acting on what it said. Psalm 119:105 teaches us that the Bible contains the words of God that provide clarity in the present and direction for the future. Like a lamp the Bible allows us to see what is at our feet and guides us as we take another step of faith. The problem is that we as people do not listen carefully to instructions. We will often search everywhere else for answers without examining the truth in the Bible and God’s words recorded for us. Like the early church in Acts 2, we need to love the Lord, love His Word, and live His Word. That only happens by listening to His directions.

For More See PSALMS

Learning the Word

6/30/2024

2 Timothy 3:14-17
Our days can be busy, seemingly impossible, and at times we might even be disoriented and in need of direction. Through all of life directions are given to us in order to guide us. Drivers follow road signs and road maps. Carpenters follow blueprints for building a house. Pilots are trained to follow the instruments in their plane. Even if we are lost in the woods we know that moss grows on the North side of trees in the northern hemisphere, water always flows down hill, and the sun rises in the East and sets in the West. In life we have resources that provide direction and keep us from being disoriented. In much the same way God has given us His word to keep us from being spiritually disoriented. As Paul writes to Timothy in 2 Timothy 3, he reminds this young pastor that his life has been influenced by Scripture (14). Previously he reminded Timothy that his mother and grandmother faithfully instilled Scriptural truth through their teaching and example (2 Timothy 1:5) leading him to salvation in Christ (15). Like Timothy, we can see that God has given His word to equip us with a spiritual roadmap. It comes down to believing that God is God and His word carries His authority. He, as the true supreme authority, inspired and directed the Biblical authors in their writing (16) to write His exact words. When we value God and His word we will allow it to teach us and equip us for His service (17). Our life and service will only have substance and direction when we base our lives on God and His word. Reading the word of God daily, pondering its truth and doing what it says will strengthen our faith and keep us from being disoriented as we focus on Christ.

For More See 2 TIMOTHY

Living the Word

6/23/2024

2 Timothy 2:14-18
Have you tried walking on mud? The other day I was walking on mud while trying to prepare a garden. It was a slippery mess. I did not have a good stable base on which to stand. Beside sliding my shoes gradually picked up more and more mud. Now along with lacking proper footing my walking became uneven, almost stumbling from the uneven mud built up on my shoes. Just as mud on the shoes lead to instability in walking, so also does false teaching and adopting of its falsehood lead to a spiritual life that is not stable. As Paul writes his second letter to Timothy, he seeks to communicate how he can be a leader who faithfully follows the truth found in God’s word the Bible. However, in chapter 2, there were some men who turned from the truth and ruined their faith (16-17). Paul writes to challenge Timothy to warn and thus protect his audience from false teaching (14) by promoting spiritual health in the church through his teaching of God’s truth. Timothy was to be a man who sought his approval from God and taught what God approved from the word of God (15). He was to be like a workman who labors in his study to understand the Bible and then labors in his persistent teaching of accurate truth to his audience. Timothy was to avoid what is not true and teach only what is true. For us today we need to look for ways to bring God’s truth and the message of salvation through Jesus into every conversation. Like Timothy, we need to be diligent in the truth by spending time reading and absorbing the truth of Scripture to bring spiritual stability to our lives and spiritual help to others who have lost their way.

For More See 2 TIMOTHY

Tolerating Corruption in the Church

3/13/2022

Revelation 2:18-29
When it was built the old shed was fine, but over the years it gradually fell into decay because it lacked a solid foundation. Having been built right on the ground the floor supports began to rot. I needed a shed, and this building was on the property. I would save a lot of time if I could salvage the foundation. So I went to work and jacked up the building and placed concrete blocks on the ground and good wood on top of the concrete to support the shed. The end result was a revitalized building that is still in use today all because it has a solid foundation. In many ways, I believe that our life can be illustrated by that shed. We need to understand the solid foundation of God’s word so the corruption of the world will not cause our spiritual life to slowly rot away. This was the problem of the church in Thaytira. They did not practice spiritual discernment and slowly fell into decay. Simply put, they tolerated the moral compromise of a sinful woman as leader in the church (20-23). Jesus encouraged those who were faithful (19) to persuade them to continue being faithful (25). Like Thyatira, we need to be discerning about spiritual authority. We need to discern that what is taught follows the authority of scripture. We need to be discerning in our own lives and follow God’s authority. Finally, we need to discern that God is the sole authority in the church. A title and a position that lack the support of God and His word will not provide an example of God’s transformative power or teaching for spiritual change. A church that lacks discernment and discerning people will be a place ripe for the rottenness of sin and decay. Our foundation must be based on Christ and nothing else.

For more see REVELATION

What is the Church?

7/11/2021

Matthew 16:13-20
A while ago I was in church setting up for Sunday morning. As I walked into the kitchen a squirrel raced across the counter to the window, down to the floor and under a cabinet. The remainder of the day was spent trying to find him, catch him or at least contain him. The last time that I saw him was when he ran out from under a bench, jumped up on the piano and then raced under the organ. From my perspective and analysis I think he is very interested in music. You see, some churches may have a church mouse, some may have bats in the attic, but we seem to have upgraded to a squirrel in the sanctuary. When we think of church we often define the church by where the church building is located and what happens inside the building. Buildings are a place for the church to meet, but the people are the ones who make up the church. In Matthew 16:13-20 Jesus questions His followers regarding who He is. They responded with the common answers that they heard in society. As we read verse 15 we see that Jesus pushed back and asked, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter answered by stating his belief that Jesus is God sent to be the promised one sent to be the Savior (16). That belief, Jesus says, forms the foundation of the church (18). The church is not a building, though buildings are helpful as places to meet. The church is a place where people are taught and encouraged to live their faith in Christ as they look forward to the day when Christ will return (Hebrews 10:20).

For more see QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Teaching of Wisdom

4/16/2020

Proverbs 4:1-9
What is wisdom and how do you get it? A search of the internet will provide some very interesting ideas. In Proverbs 4 we see that wisdom is passed on from one generation to another. As the father begins his instruction we can hear the passion that he has for his sons as he challenges them to listen to what he has experienced and learned from his father. Today, we need to remember the words of God the father spoken through Jesus with love. Just as in Proverbs, we are challenged to value and embrace the salvation that God offers through Jesus and live it, displaying His work of grace on our behalf.

The Two Tasks

8/1/2011

There are two jobs that must be done. Both require your full attention and both are the essential. Both are necessary for your work to progress and move forward. Each of us have probably held jobs or positions that seemingly required more than just one full time position. An example would be the involvement in work and the need to care for family.

         The same is true in the arena of church life. There are two tasks that are essential for progress and growth. Without one the other dies. I am simply talking about the task of evangelism and teaching that make up the process of discipleship (Matthew 28:19-20). You see, without the process of evangelism, or an active witness, there is no one to teach. What would the early church of Acts 2 have been if they stayed in the room or stayed silent? Without being witnesses, (Acts 1:8), there is no chance of future spiritual growth in the lives of others simply because no one is around.

         At this point an emphasis must be added. Bringing people to Christ is not our job. Pointing people to the Saviour is our job. God’s job is completing the work of salvation. Our job is to be a witness of the salvation. We can not and must not play the role of God and force someone into saying or doing something that indicates to us that they are now “saved.” Coercion is not conversion. However, our witness will provide conviction that will lead to correction and salvation. This is a process where people will gradually move along one step at a time closer to God. At the point of salvation everything changes and the new believer starts growing in God.

         This leads us to the second task. This task is equally time consuming and equally important. The task of teaching requires careful quality time spent influencing and training the new believer. Teaching must not be our opinions or rules to follow otherwise we will develop a class of religious leaders like the ones that Jesus constantly criticized. Teaching must be based on God’s Word and the “student” must be coached to a greater understanding and practice of the Bible. As Jesus states they need to be taught to obey to be committed followers of God (Matthew 28:20).

         Going and making disciples is a command. The two tasks are involved in the process of making disciples while we go where ever we go that God directs us to go. Without the task of evangelism there is no future for the church and growth. Without the task of teaching God’s Word there is no depth. People will walk away looking for answers that they hoped to find in the church. New believers are a lot of work. They have issues and struggles but they also have excitement about God. On the other hand, older believers have a maturity and balance that is needed to develop and grow others.

         So it is time to ask some questions. Which task do you emphasize? What are you and your church doing to complete both tasks at the same time? Perhaps there may be times when one is emphasized more than the other. Be like a tree that is blown in the wind. It always swings back the other way and maintains a balance.