Responding to the Presence of Jesus – Week 6
“Dressed for God’s Glory!”
Key Verses: Colossians 3:12-17 (NAS95)
“And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”
The identity marker we are going to focus on today is that we are called to be a holy and royal priesthood. First, we will look at the big picture of what this means and then we will look at two applications of being a holy and royal priest.
Remember, this teaching fits under the larger teaching that we are the Temple of the Holy Spirit—the restored Image Bearers of God’s Presence to the World. Our overarching purpose is always the glory of God—making His Presence known! As Peter stated in verse 1 Peter 2:9, royal priests “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has you out of darkness and into His marvelous light.”
Let’s examine our identity as a holy and royal priesthood:
“At that time the Lord set apart the tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the covenant of the Lord, to stand before the Lord to serve Him and to bless in His name until this day. Therefore, Levi does not have a portion or inheritance with his brothers; the Lord is his inheritance, just as the Lord your God spoke to him.”
Just as the specific family of the Levites was chosen to specifically function as the priests of Israel (intercessors between God and the Israelites), so the people of God in general (in this case the Israelites, but later also including the Church) were to function as priests to all of creation (intercessors between God and the “nations” (Gentiles; the rest of humanity). This has been God’s game plan since Genesis 11 and the separation of the nations. And we see this story thread from Genesis all the way through Revelation. This is why Israel was chosen, why the Law and the systems of worship and sacrifice were given, and why Jesus came as Messiah.
From the beginning, priests served as a set-apart family line of people who administered the people’s responsibilities in the covenant between God and man. In other words, they brought the people to God through the established systems of worship and sacrifice. They dressed in distinctive ways, worked to maintain the Temple and the systems of sacrifice and intercession, and had a close relationship with the administration of the society. All to preserve God’s prescribed way to experience the presence of God and live in His covenant love.
When you understand the theocratic nature of Israel, then you will see there is a symbiotic relationship between the work of the religious system (right worship and right sacrifices) done by the priests and the administrating systems of the kings (right justice and right living). This explains why an evil king could so easily lead the priests into false worship practices, and vice versa. The relationship was not meant to be dualistic or parasitic, but completely integrated and mutualistic—the right functioning of the priests brings thriving to the community as a whole and as the community as a whole thrives that brings greater glory to God in worship and sacrifice!
“Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the Lord; and every dispute and every assault shall be settled by them.”
With that simple understanding of priests being holy (set apart by God’s choosing) and royal (authorized through family lineage and in partnership with the King), let’s examine two applications for our everyday lives. Priests must do two things: (1) Dress the part and (2) Make right sacrifices for the glory God.
When you combine these two applications, you get today’s sermon title: “Dressed for God’s Glory!”
Just as priests were “holy” (set apart for God’s purposes) by their distinctive dress and behavior, we are called to be “holy” (set apart for God’s purposes) which will result in us being different because of God’s presence.
If we are each a living stone, that means we have been quarried from death and brought to a new life through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. As new creations in Christ, we each must be dressed so that we can be fit together with other living stones to build the Temple of God’s Living Presence in the world.
All quarried stones must be “dressed” in order to fulfill their purpose in being chosen. Listen to an excerpt from an article on how to dress a quarried stone (https://civilseek.com/dressing-of-stones/):
Stone found in nature, have to be quarried from their thick beds. After quarrying large pieces of rocks, it is essential to break them into smaller sizes so that they can be used in buildings. A place where exposed surfaces of good quality natural rocks are abundantly available is known as “quarry,” and the process of taking out stones from the natural bed is known as “quarrying.” This is done with the help of hand tools like a pickaxe, chisels, etc., or with the help of machines. … The dressing of stones is important so that they are dressed in suitable shapes and polished to give a smooth surface if desired. The stones are used in different types of masonry; therefore, it has to be cut and shaped to fit in the type of work needed.
According to this article on dressing stones, there are 3 purposes for doing so and each can be highlighted by Paul’s words in Colossians 3:12-17:
“So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”
The first purpose of dressing a stone is: “to reduce the size.” We must decrease so that Christ can increase in and through us. The Holy Spirit dresses our heart character; we are transformed by the renewing of our minds so that our conduct is representative of being a new creation in Christ. The old must chipped off layer by layer!
“Beyond all these things put on love, which is the perfect bond of unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful.”
The second purpose of dressing a stone is: “to give a proper shape.” We do not fit together in our old ways of thinking and living. The perfect bond of unity, our fitting together, is dependent on our absolute submission to the Head and our mutual submission to one another as fellow members of His body. What binds us together is not ourselves, but the love and peace of Christ that we must be dressed in. Once again, the old ways of selfishness and anxious living must be chipped off layer by layer.
“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
The third purpose of dressing a stone is: “to give an appealing finish.” Our lives are about the glory of God through us! And this leads us directly into our primary function as a holy and royal priesthood: Priests offer right sacrifices for the glory of God! We are to lead the nations into right worship to the one true God!
With all this mind, I now want you to listen to Paul teach us very practically in Romans 12:
Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove [by testing you may discern] what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect [mature]. For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith. For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, each of us is to exercise them accordingly: if prophecy, according to the proportion of his faith; if service, in his serving; or he who teaches, in his teaching; or he who exhorts, in his exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love; give preference to one another in honor; not lagging behind in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, persevering in tribulation, devoted to prayer, contributing to the needs of the saints, practicing hospitality. Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. Never pay back evil for evil to anyone. Respect what is right in the sight of all men. If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men. Never take your own revenge, beloved, but leave room for the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. “But if your enemy is hungry, feed him, and if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We are to offer right service to God and that is called worship! Worship is more than a Sunday service and much more than a music style. Right worship bring God glory and that is what priests offer to a community. If we are to bring glory to God through right worship, it must start with each of us offering ourselves as living sacrifices, what Paul calls a “spiritual service of worship.” This is God’s reasonable expectation of His priests.
That is our identity and purpose as a holy and royal priesthood. This is how we are to respond to the presence of God. We are to be dressed for God’s glory and lead others into His presence by the way we live our lives for Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit.
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Hymn: In Christ Alone
In Christ Alone
YOUTUBE:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=16KYvfIc2bE
In Christ Alone
He is my light, my strength, my song;
This cornerstone, this solid ground,
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm.
What heights of love, what depths of peace,
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease!
My comforter, my all in all—
Here in the love of Christ I stand.
Fullness of God in helpless babe!
This gift of love and righteousness,
Scorned by the ones He came to save.
Till on that cross as Jesus died,
The wrath of God was satisfied;
For ev’ry sin on Him was laid—
Here in the death of Christ I live.
Light of the world by darkness slain;
Then bursting forth in glorious day,
Up from the grave He rose again!
And as He stands in victory,
Sin’s curse has lost its grip on me;
For I am His and He is mine—
Bought with the precious blood of Christ.
This is the pow’r of Christ in me;
From life’s first cry to final breath,
Jesus commands my destiny.
No pow’r of hell, no scheme of man,
Can ever pluck me from His hand;
Till He returns or calls me home—
Here in the pow’r of Christ I’ll stand.
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2 Corinthians 7
Godly Grief!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 16.
Did you know that grief is an important reality of our human experience?
Listen to Paul in 2 Corinthians 7:8-10, “For even if I made you grieve with my letter, I do not regret it—though I did regret it, for I see that that letter grieved you, though only for a while. As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”
In this passage, Paul distinguishes between godly and worldly grief.
In fact, how we deal with the events of our lives that cause grief is an essential part of our Christian discipleship. While each person will grieve in a personal way, and we must make allowances for that, there are biblical principles to follow so that we don’t find our way into despair, caused by worldly grief, which as Paul teaches, “produces death.”
To avoid worldly grief, we are invited to respond to Godly grief with the 3 Rs:
- Remember Hope! In Christ, we do not grieve as the world grieves; we grieve with hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13).
- Repent for Your Life’s Sake! Godly grief is real; the sorrow of the situation is real! Don’t deny Godly grief; it requires a response. Respond to your grief and sorrow by allowing God to do deep surgery in your soul.
- Restore Right Relationships—keep short accounts with God and people. Value healthy relationships.
Seize the moment and be a Hope-bearer, not a Doomsdayer! We all will grieve, but let us grieve according to our birthright: with faith, hope, and love!
Have a wonderful day as you live in God’s amazing grace!
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2 Corinthians 6
Every Crisis is an Opportunity!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, October 15.
How are you responding to your circumstances?
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 6:3-10, “We put no obstacle in anyone’s way, so that no fault may be found with our ministry, but as servants of God we commend ourselves in every way: by great endurance, in afflictions, hardships, calamities, beatings, imprisonments, riots, labors, sleepless nights, hunger; by purity, knowledge, patience, kindness, the Holy Spirit, genuine love; by truthful speech, and the power of God; with the weapons of righteousness for the right hand and for the left; through honor and dishonor, through slander and praise. We are treated as impostors, and yet are true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold, we live; as punished, and yet not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, yet possessing everything.”
Are you willing to allow all things in your life to point to God’s grace?
It should not surprise us that hardship, persecution, and suffering are a part of the Christian life. Even a cursory reading of Jesus’ words and the New Testament will testify to this reality. But contemporary teachings have minimized this reality, and that does not help the cause of Christ because it weakens the church.
The world is watching us and how we respond to the curve balls that are thrown at us as the people of God!
Remember, it is not our circumstances that testify to the grace of God; it is how we walk through those circumstances that testifies to the presence of God in us!
Seize the moment and use your circumstances for God’s glory! Remember, every crisis is an opportunity!
Have a wonderful day as you live in God’s amazing grace!
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2 Corinthians 5
A New Day!
It’s a new day with new opportunities! What is your mindset when you start a new day?
Paul teaches us in 2 Corinthians 5:6-9, “So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, for we walk by faith, not by sight. Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please him.”
The faith we are given and called into is a deep trust of who God is, the assurance of what He has already done, and the hope of what He will complete, so that we may confidently live by grace in obedience to His commandments and the purposes for our lives.
Faith fills us with courage regardless of what appears to be on the horizon in a new day. Faith gives us the courage to do more than survive another day, but to thrive for God’s glory—to hope for the New Heaven and New Earth and to live accordingly.
It is our faith that reminds us that we know the One who calls forth every sunrise as a gift of God—your life is pure grace!
Lamentation 3:22-24 teaches us, “The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. ‘The Lord is my portion,’ says my soul, ‘Therefore I have hope in Him.’”
Nothing on the horizon of this new day is a surprise to God. Be of good courage; live by faith and not by sight! Put your trust and hope in Jesus today.
Please listen: If you can hear me, you are blessed! Jesus is praying for you!
Seize the moment and make it your aim to please God today!
Have a wonderful day as you live in God’s amazing grace!
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2 Corinthians 4
A Billboard of God’s Glory!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, October 13.
Your life is a billboard in lights!
Listen to 2 Corinthians 4:6-7, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”
God’s presence changes you and by design, the mystery of God is made known through you because the Holy Spirit now dwells in you—God has redeemed your life for an even greater purpose—to put on display something other than yourself. What a mystery and what grace!
This is the most liberating truth in the world; a balm to my soul. If I was the point of the story and my perfection were the point of the story, then what bondage I would experience as a Christian. But I am not the point; it is the treasure that has been placed in me that is the point!
The pressure is not on me to polish the outside of the vessel (to whitewash and cover it up), but to show the surpassing power that belongs to God and has been placed in my life by His grace and for His glory! Simply: I am to be a billboard of God’s glory!
It’s a humbling thought, but maybe God chose me and you so that other people would see us and think to themselves—if God could save a wretch like that, then He can love me too.
Seize the moment and shine the glory of God that has been given to you! God’s precious gift has been given to you to be put on display for all to see. Not hoarded as your private ticket to heaven, but heralded as God’s billboard of His Presence in the world.
Have a wonderful day as you live in God’s amazing grace!
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2 Corinthians 3
Sacred Beauty in Ordinary Lives!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, October 12.
We are created and rescued to be restored Image Bearers of God’s presence in His creation—we are called by God to reflect His image to the world by how we love, care, and steward His creation. This world is our home and, as God promises in Revelation 21 & 22, it is His future eternal Home—the New Heaven and New Earth.
That means there is a sacred beauty to our ordinary lives! We are to reflect the glory of God as with unveiled faces. Our lives point to who and what is coming!
Paul teaches us this powerful truth in 1 Corinthians 3:17-18, “Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as from the Lord, the Spirit.”
The more time we spend with God, the more we will reflect His glory and grace to others. The more familiar we are with His Word, the more our words will reflect His glory and truth to others. Our stories will point to Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again.
Like the moon, we have no glory of our own. We, too, are designed by the Creator to reflect the Light of the Son. May your life be so free in the Spirit that you reflect the glory of God more and more in your daily life—may there be a sacred beauty in your ordinary comings and goings.
Seize the moment and SHINE His light and love by how you love, care, and steward God’s creation around you.
Never forget: Jesus is praying for you!
Have a wonderful day as you live in God’s amazing grace!
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Responding to the Presence of Jesus – Week 5
“Love is the Source, the Way, and the Motive!”
Key Verse: 1 Corinthians 12:31 (NASB)
Last week, in the sermon, I mentioned as an aside what the Lord would have me unpack in more detail today: Love is the source, the way, and the motive of all that we do as the Church of Jesus Christ!
“But earnestly desire the greater gifts. And I show you a still more excellent way.”
Paul is teaching the new believers in Corinth how to be the Church of Jesus Christ. In chapter 11 he discusses communion and orderly worship, in chapter 12 he begins his discussion on spiritual gifts and the body imagery of the church that he then completes in chapter 14. Very often, and to our own demise, chapters 11, 12, and 14 are discussed divorced from chapter 13—the love chapter. What does chapter 13 have to do with taking communion, orderly worship services, healthy church life, or the ministry of the spiritual gifts after all?
Well, I’ll tell you what—when you divorce love from practical and spiritual conversations you get tens of thousands of church denominations characterized by church splits. You get a lot of broken people, broken families, and broken churches. In short, you get what we have! Why? Because we put Chapter 13 up on the wall as a poem, instead of in our hearts as the heartbeat of our lives!
Today, we are going to return Chapter 13 to its rightful place—not as an interlude of flowery poetry, but the very heartbeat and schematic of the church and the Christian life!
“If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.”
Love is the Source, the Way, and the Motive of the spiritual life—for both the gathered church and the individual Christian as a member of the body of Christ! Let’s take each of these one at a time:
Love is the Source: Love, according to Paul is the “more excellent way”! Love is greater than tongues, prophecy, knowledge, miracles, sacrifice, and even martyrdom. How is that possible? I’ll tell you why! Because God cares about the what flows out of your heart—in your own life, in relationships, in ministry, in church work, in all things!
“Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it flow the springs of life.”
God’s presence is supposed to guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:7).
The Beloved Disciple, John, explains to us what is looks like for God to be our Source. Listen to 1 John 4:7-21
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love. By this the love of God was manifested in us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world so that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time; if we love one another, God abides in us, and His love is perfected in us. By this we know that we abide in Him and He in us, because He has given us of His Spirit. We have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world. Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this, love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment; because as He is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love. We love, because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.
We must always ensure that Love is the Source and that means that God is the Source.
“Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.”
Love is not only the Source, Love is the Way: In 1 Corinthians 12:31, Paul calls love the most excellent way!
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life” (John 14:6).
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).
“So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.”
“When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.”
These are key verses in understanding the purpose of spiritual gifts—to build up and strengthen His Church. We are living stones that make up the Temple of God’s presence in the world and we are members of His body so that the world may see His presence. Spiritual gifts and how we gather and conduct ourselves are all for this same reason—to make Him known! To draw people to Him!
Spiritual Gifts are given by the Source of love to live in the way of Jesus!
Until that Day, we gather as the Church and use His spiritual gifts as witnesses to the Way of Jesus Christ. We are to put on display the character of Jesus Christ, called the “Fruit of the Spirit” by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. Not surprising, first out of the block on the character of Jesus Christ is: “love” followed by “joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.”
This is what it means to follow Jesus!
We must expand this teaching! I do so because the “Fruit of the Spirit” is grammatically a collective whole and not 9 individual fruits: If we do anything, no matter how spectacular for Jesus or how accurate to the Word we think it is… If we do anything without love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control, then that work or sermon or debate is “a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1).
It’s empty! Because the source must be love and the way must be love and the motive must be love.
Love is the Motive of all that we do as the Church of Jesus Christ: The building up the Church is our motive because the Church is the Body of Christ—it is built up and held together only by love. The Body of Christ requires each member to live a life of love mutually submission to one another and complete dependence upon Christ who is the head of the Church.
Love is our Source, Love is the Way, and Love is our Motivation!
“Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve.”
Check your motives…
Check your ways… your attitudes and actions…
Check your heart… Who is sitting on the throne of your life—your identity and your decision making?
You can listen to the message here.
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Hymn: The Doxology
Praise God, from Whom All Blessings Flow
or better known as
The Doxology
Thomas Ken, known as England’s First hymnist, was born in 1637 in Little Berkhamsted, which is on the fringes of greater London. When his parents died, his half-sister enrolled him in the historic boys’ school, Winchester College.
Thomas was later ordained and return to the school as their chaplain. To help encourage the boys’ devotional habits, he wrote three hymns in 1674 for them to use in their private time.
The stanza “Praise God from Whom all blessings flow. Praise Him all creatures here below. Praise Him above ye heavenly host. Praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost Amen” was used to close out the morning hymn, the evening hymn and the one to be sung at midnight if sleep did not come.
When he died in 1711, he was buried at sunrise and this hymn was sung at his funeral.
Seize the moment today and make it a practice to praise God in the morning, when you lie down to sleep at night, and especially if you find yourself restless in the middle of the night. He will bring you peace!
YOUTUBE:
https://www.hymnal.net/en/hymn/h/8
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2 Corinthians 2
The Art of Forgiveness!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 9.
It was said to me in a very tender situation that “forgiveness is the heart of Christianity.” I was at a very low moment in my life and, honestly, I was bracing myself to be taken even lower when this person said this to me. Through Christ’s shed blood on the Cross, this person’s forgiveness released me. I will never forget and I praise God!
As you read 2 Corinthians 2, you will hear Paul writing about a very difficult situation in the church that brought much heart ache and pain. Through this incident we learn about the awkward work of mutual accountability and the harder work of forgiveness. It is never one without the other—there is always a need for both. Church discipline is a call to both because it’s all about reconciliation and restoration!
Paul explains in 2 Corinthians 2:10-11, “But one whom you forgive anything, I forgive also; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did it for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.”
Is there someone you need to talk to today? The initiative is in your hands to reach out and reconcile and restore your relationship with them. Do you feel that you are justified to ignore or hang on to the offense? Do you think it’s their responsibility and not your own?
Praise God Jesus didn’t think that way; He didn’t wait for us to come to Him before He came to us! You and I are forgiven because that is the work of the Cross, for undeserving people, like you and me and whoever this other person is. Forgiveness is the heart of Christianity!
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2 Corinthians 1
Sealed for Delivery!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, October 8.
Have you ever trusted a carrier service (postal service, UPS, FedEx, etc.) with anything of great value? Did you worry about it getting to its location and then give a sigh of relief when it arrived on time as guaranteed? Did you go so far as requiring a signature-upon-delivery guarantee to ensure it got to the right person?
With those questions in mind, read what Paul says in 2 Corinthians 1:20-22, “For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.”
Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the World, defeated death and atoned for sin. Though we are the ones who deserve death, deserve the penalty for sin, and deserve the full outpouring of God’s wrath, Jesus Christ took those willingly and lovingly and fully upon Himself so that we, God’s prodigal children, may come home to Him without penalty. In fact, we now receive the fullness of blessing from God because of the Christ’s victory. This fullness is the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon us, which Paul calls the “seal”.
In ancient days, kings would authenticate messages with a unique seal that was their mark. It was a guarantee of authenticity as well as a security for delivery. The seal set it apart as the King’s property.
Your salvation—signed and sealed—is guaranteed to be delivered to the right location at the right time! You don’t need to fret about or worry about! The King of king’s seal is upon you!
Seize the moment and rest in the seal of the Holy Spirit. Walk in the power, presence, and peace of the God who dwells in you!
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1 Corinthians 16
Making Personal Connections!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Wednesday, October 7.
As Paul concludes this letter he personally comments in 1 Corinthians 16:15-18, “Now I urge you, brothers—you know that the household of Stephanas were the first converts in Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves to the service of the saints—be subject to such as these, and to every fellow worker and laborer. I rejoice at the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus, because they have made up for your absence, for they refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Give recognition to such people.”
The last chapter of Corinthians is filled with personal remarks, greetings, and preparations for travels. I find great joy in seeing personal remarks in the Bible, travel plans, everyday communications that people who love one another would make as they stay in touch.
Paul says of the people in the Corinthian church, “they refreshed my spirit” (18). Who refreshes your spirit in your church? Do you look forward to seeing the people with whom you worship each week? Whose spirit are you refreshing? How?
Today, we can do this through numerous social media platforms, emails, texts, phones, and the classic hand-written letter or card. But nothing replaces being face-to-face with someone; when we refresh one another by being together. I am convinced of the importance of making personal relationships in small groups, during Sunday School classes, times of just hanging out with one another, and worshipping together on the Lord’s Day. We are called to love one another and to make space in our lives to know and be known.
Seize the moment and reach out today to make a personal connection with another person. Make a commitment to return to the public gathering of worship or to start meeting with your small group or Sunday School class. Then, invite someone to join you. Encourage another person. You never know how a personal invitation could bless someone. Don’t wait for someone else, you make the call today.
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1 Corinthians 15
Trail Running vs. Treadmill Running!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, October 6.
I am not a fan of running on the treadmill. You work awfully hard to get nowhere! My favorite place to run is out on a hiking or mountain biking trail. The scenery is beautiful and the running is dynamic. A trail run is always rewarding and it never feels like exercise; it is its own experience!
Paul declares in 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”
Do you ever feel like you are running on a treadmill in work, church, or life?
To labor in vain is to work hard and get nowhere—to have no apparent results or successes. As a pastor, I know that Paul gave us this verse for a very good reason! I need to know this in my heart of hearts. If you don’t get this, you will burn out or drop out of ministry!
Here’s the key: there is always a good work happening when you labor with the Lord:
- The good seeds of the gospel are being planted in people;
- The hard ground of the human heart is being softened by God’s Spirit;
- The life-giving light of God’s love is piercing the darkness to bring life from death.
We are to be faithful with what God has called us to do; with eyes on Jesus!
Seize the moment and don’t get discouraged; don’t bail before the blessing! When you are faithfully living in the easy yoke of Jesus, you are never running on a treadmill.
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1 Corinthians 14
Gifts that Build the Fire of God’s Presence!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, October 5.
I enjoy a nice campfire—it gives off light and warmth. Especially when you are camping as the weather cools off. But the key to a good campfire on a cold autumn night is having plenty of wood to keep the fire going.
The church is like a campfire. As the days grow darker and colder, our neighborhoods and communities need the Light of Jesus and the warmth of His Love. We need to add our lives to the fire to ensure it is burning hot and bright for the sake of others.
Why do you go to church?
Paul focuses the eagerness of Christians with these words from 1 Corinthians 14:12, “So it is with you. Since you are eager to have spiritual gifts, try to excel in gifts that build up the church.” And in verse 26, “When you come together, everyone has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. All of these must be done for the strengthening of the church.”
These are key verses in understanding the purpose of spiritual gifts—to build up His Church. We are to strengthen the congregation with how we participate in the public gathering of worship.
The building up the Church is our motive because the Church is the Body of Christ—it is built up and held together only by love. The Body of Christ requires each member to live a life of love mutually submitted to one another, completely dependent upon Jesus Christ, who is the head of His Church.
Seize the moment and eagerly pursue the manifestations of the Spirit and be sure to do so for the building up the Body of Christ to the glory of the One name that is above all names—the name of Jesus Christ. May His Light shine brightly and the warmth of His Love reach many.
Are you adding your life to the fire of God’s Light and Love?
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Responding to the Presence of Jesus – Week 4
“A Temple of God’s Presence”
Key Verses: 1 Peter 2:4-12 & 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NASB)
Peter teaches us from 1 Peter 2:4-12,
And coming to Him as to a living stone which has been rejected by men, but is choice and precious in the sight of God, you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For this is contained in Scripture: “Behold, I lay in Zion a choice stone, a precious corner stone, And he who believes in Him will not be disappointed.” This precious value, then, is for you who believe; but for those who disbelieve, “The stone which the builders rejected, This became the very corner stone,” and, “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense”; for they stumble because they are disobedient to the word, and to this doom they were also appointed. But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. Beloved, I urge you as aliens and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts which wage war against the soul. Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.
Every believer in Christ is a living stone shaped to fit into God’s temple in a way that uniquely contributes to the spiritual vitality of others, the witness of the Church, and ultimately the glory of God.
God uses each of us uniquely to make the Temple of His Presence on the earth!
Peter, uses a term near and dear to his heart, when he calls us “living stones” for Peter himself was called “the rock” by Jesus Christ. Listen to Matthew 16:18, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build by My church.”
Upon the confession of the first followers, Jesus is building His Temple on earth—to be a Tabernacle of Praise unto God the Father through the power of the Holy Spirit.
“Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?”
“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.”
You and I are in the midst of the greatest and oldest construction project in all of human history. Christ is taking dead stones that are being quarried from the pit of sin, brought to life as “living stones,” and fitted into His glorious structure.
“And [Christ] came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.”
To emphasize the deep importance of who you are as individual members of the Church, both Paul and Peter anchors this major New Testament teaching in the Old Testament—Psalm 118:22; Isaiah 8:13-15 & 28:16; Deuteronomy 7:6-9; and Exodus 19:5-6. In doing so, both Paul and Peter are saying that the Church is carrying on the work of the Chosen People of God and each stone (Jew or Gentile, old or new) is now a part of the divine building project with a new cornerstone—Jesus Christ, the new Moses who is the embodiment of Torah.
Please understand that becoming a stone in a building of countless stones doesn’t detract from your significance. In fact, it enhances it! You are a key piece in the plan of God… without you, the building loses its structural integrity—the structure would be weaker without you! With Jesus as the Cornerstone, you are fitted exactly where you are supposed to be—you are the Temple of His Presence!
To illustrate, there is a famous story from Sparta. A Spartan king boasted to a visiting monarch about the walls of Sparta. The visiting king looked around and he could see no walls. He said to the Spartan king, “Where are these walls about which you speak and boast so much?” The Spartan king pointed at his bodyguard of magnificent Spartan troops. “These,” he said, “are the walls of Sparta, and every man of them is a brick.”[1]
You have been quarried, chosen, and shaped. You are being fitted together into the Temple of God’s Presence and only in this process of being built up together does each individual brick realize its function and reason for its existence.
Knowing our identity as the Temple of His Presence gives us the strength, courage, and purpose to stand out from the world and shine for God’s glory. As Peter says of us in verse 9: “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
This is our purpose as the new people, but verse 9 also clearly communicates 4 identities we have as the chosen people of God to give meaning to our purposes of being the Light of the world: We are the
(1) chosen race;
(2) royal priesthood;
(3) holy nation; and
(4) people for God’s own possession.
Now, as living stones of the Temple of His Presence we know our identity in Christ and our larger purpose: “proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.”
“Beloved, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul. Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.”
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
When Plato was told that a certain man had been making certain slanderous charges against him, his answer was, “I will live in such a way that no one will believe what he says.” That was Peter’s solution as well, and the Apostles exhorted the early church to make this primary defense against a corrupt & slanderous world.
“Do all things without grumbling or disputing, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.”
A famous quote that I have used before and made popular by DC Talk, “The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door and deny Him by their lifestyles. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable.”
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”
You can listen to the message here.
You can watch the message HERE.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] William Barclay Commentary, 230.
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Hymn: To God Be the Glory
Hymn: To God Be the Glory
Hymn 11
“So that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Johann Sebastian Bach once wrote: “The aim and final reason for all music should be nothing else but the glory of God and the refreshment of the spirit.”
To give glory to God should be the greatest desire of every believer, not only in our individual lives, but also when we gather together as a church.
This hymn first appeared in 1875, written by Fanny Crosby. It differs from most of her hymns in the fact that it is a more objective praise of God rather than the typical subjective testimony or Christian experience song. It is a great example of the perfect blend of a hymn and the gospel song.
In 1952, during a crusade in England, The Billy Graham Crusade Team started using this hymn extensively during their meetings. It was a success. When they returned to the United States, they found the same enthusiastic response. It has been a favorite ever since.
Seize the moment today and sing the first verse of this hymn, proclaiming God’s greatness and love for us:
“ To God be the glory, great things He has done.
So loved He the world that He gave us His son.
Who yielded His life an atonement for sin
and opened the Lifegate that all may go in.”
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1 Corinthians 13
Get Right with Love!
1 Corinthians 13
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, October 2.
Paul teaches us about love in 1 Corinthians 13. He starts in verses 1-3 in a surprising way:
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing.
Paul starts the love chapter by taking some of the most sensational and miraculous experiences of God’s activity in a person’s life and reduces those gifts to being worth nothing when they are not done with the right motives of love. It’s scandalous when you think about it!
Over the years, I have often said to people, “Don’t be right and wrong at the same time!”
What do I mean by this? I mean the same thing Paul did…
You may have a strong word of truth about a doctrine or social issue or perspective on culture, but if you don’t conduct yourself with grace and speak that truth in love, then you are as wrong as wrong gets, no matter how right you think you are.
No amount of having the truth ever gives you permission to be unloving! At this point, the common response I get from self-righteous Christians is that Jesus turned the tables in the temple. And I say, “Yes, He did! But He didn’t sin when He did it!”
Without love, you are sinning! Don’t let the plank in your eye blind you to this truth…
Seize the moment and do all things with the same love that God first loved you!
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1 Corinthians 12
We are Better Together!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, October 1.
I have been an athlete for most of my life. One of the hardest realities of being an athlete is staying healthy. To get to the highest levels of sport you have to push yourself to get even greater results—you can neither undertrain nor overtrain. You come to realize quickly that a significant part of success is the ability to not get hurt and stay healthy, because if even one part of the body is hurt, then your whole performance decreases. It is this way in individual sport and in team sports. Athletes depend on other people’s health as much as they depend on their own health.
Paul uses the human body as an illustration to teach us about our interconnectivity and the unique importance of every member of a local congregation for the church’s success in its mission. Listen to 1 Corinthians 12:12-14, “For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free, and we were all made to drink of one Spirit. For the body is not one member, but many.”
Paul continues to build on this imagery and say in verses 26-27, “And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are Christ’s body, and individually members of it.”
Seize the moment and care for the full body of Christ. This means paying attention to not only your own spiritual vitality and relationship health, but also caring for the vitality and well-being of others. The body is only as healthy as the individual member. We are in this together and God designed us to be better together!
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1 Corinthians 11
The Lord’s Supper
This Sunday is the first Sunday of October and we will be sharing in the Lord’s Supper as a church family. Doors open at 8:45 for Sunday School classes that are returning to their normal schedule of meeting from 9-10. Our Worship Service begins at 10:30 and you will pick up your sanitary communion packets on a table as you walk into the Worship Center. This is one of the many steps we are taking to make returning to church easy and safe for you.
If you miss being a part of a Bible study class opportunity, in addition to Sunday morning, we have our Wednesday night ministries in full swing with and adult classes that meet starting at 6 pm, along with AWANA for children and our Death-to-Life Youth Ministry.
In all that we do, you are personally welcomed, wanted, and invited. I am praying for you!
Paul teaches us about the Lord’s Supper in 1 Corinthians 11:23-34. Listen to the words of institution from verses 23-26,
For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
Seize the moment and prepare your heart for communion this Sunday. It is God’s grace that qualifies us to partake of the elements. If you have not yet been back to church or you have not participated in communion with your church family in a long while then I encourage you to seize the moment.
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1 Corinthians 10
For People with People-Pleasing Tendencies!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Tuesday, September 29.
Do you struggle with people pleasing tendencies?
Paul declares of his life and prescribes for fellow followers of Jesus in 1 Corinthians 10:21-33, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God, just as I try to please everyone in everything I do, not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved.”
At first glance, this teaching seems to be Paul setting an example of “people pleasing” that appears to be addicting on the best of days and maddening on the worst of days.
But, it’s not! Paul’s emphasis in this verse is not on “please everyone” as I have placed it for years, the emphasis is on “do all to the glory of God!” Just like in pronouncing the syllables in a word, it is important where we put the emphasis!
Yes, we are to be pleasing to people, but it is not our life ambition to seek their pleasure. As followers of Jesus, we don’t work for people even when people are our work; we work for God and His purposes for our life and this world! Jesus was not people focused in His earthly ministry. Rather, all that He did was according to God’s will and for God’s purposes; Jesus was God-focused even when people were in right in front of Him. Jesus was obedient and true to God which allowed Him to speak hard truths, love in the most honest of ways, and set people free from the deepest and most seductive sins within their hearts and souls.
Seize the moment and focus on glorifying God, not on the pleasing of people… If you mis prioritize these, there is a chance your life will be taken off course…
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1 Corinthians 9
The Discipline of an Athlete!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Monday, September 28.
Christians are called to live with the discipline of an athlete.
Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”
At West Point, I was a Division 1 All-American and First-Team Academic All-American in Track & Field, and then as a post-graduate I was a national team member and Olympic Team Trials finalist, I have experienced the life of an athlete at the highest amateur level.
It is not the exciting life that one would think, but a life of daily disciplines and true sacrifice. Did I love it? Honestly…Yes & No! Definitely not all the time! I had to train my whole life and exercise self-control in all things to accomplish the one goal of attaining the prize. Every part of my life was regulated by the goal—years of my life were submitted to a higher goal—including sleep habits, eating, travel, friendships, recreation, calendar planning, time usage, and a myriad of other personal details.
The same is true in the Christian life! And more so, because in the Christian life we are submitting our lives to an even greater calling than a personal goal.
In the Christian life, we are free in Christ, but we must in all things bring that freedom into submission so that our lives proclaim the good news that set us free in the first place!
Seize the moment and live in such a way that demonstrates the love that saves and the grace that transformed you from death to life…
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Responding to the Presence of Jesus – Week 3
“The Rule of God’s Peace!”
Colossians 3:15-17 & Philippians 4:7-9 (NASB)
Umpires are important for any game to be worth playing… You ever watch a bunch of kids play pick up sports without an umpire. It gets dirty quick and rarely ends well… I hate to say it, but we all know that high school, college, amateur or professional athletes would try to get away with it if they knew they could. Why? Because we all fall short of the glory of God!
The umpire keeps the players playing by the rules of the game. The very presence of the umpire brings a civilizing effect to people who are trying to knock one another’s heads off on the football field.
I believe there is even greater freedom on the field for the players to play the game because of the presence of the umpires. Their presence alone is a game changer! Without the umpires, the players could not be free to become their very best…
In the same way, we need an umpire in our everyday lives; One who will bring freedom to our lives so that we can become our very best to the glory of God. Paul knew this and was very clear on what should rule our lives.
“Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through Him to God the Father.”
The umpire of our lives is to be the peace of Christ, which is to rule our hearts—the center of who we are and why we do what we do.
Colossians 3:15-17 is a summary statement of Paul’s “rule of life.” If that is new to you, then please know that it is not new to Christianity. It’s an ancient concept that brings order to our lives. Paul said that for the peace of Christ to rule in our hearts we must remember that we are called to be a thankful, worshiping, unified people. How? By setting up rhythms of life that cause the word of Christ to richly dwell in us and to let the teaching of God’s wisdom and the thankful singing of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs admonish (umpire) our liv
es together. We are to speak to one another, work with one another, and serve one another as if we were doing it for Jesus Himself to the glory of God.
Let’s transition to the second image: Just like an umpire rules the game, so a guard protects a person or place of value. Paul says that we
are to let peace umpire our lives and now listen to what else God’s peace can do.
“And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.”
Please remember there is a distinction between the omnipresence of God and the manifest presence of God.
What does an umpire and guard have in common? They are actual people—present to the situation. An umpire is the manifestation of the “spirit of fair play” because He stands behind the catcher or is out on the playing field. In the same way, a guard must be in the location of the person or place the guard is protecting. Just their presence takes intangible concepts (i.e. fair play and safety) and makes them concrete.
What does that tell us about Paul’s promises for the peace of Jesus Christ to rule and guard our hearts and minds?
The promises of the peace of God are the promises of the presence of God because God is the peace! The peace of God is not a cease fire from hostilities, but the very presence of God in our life’s battles. God’s peace is not a removal of pain and suffering, poverty and injustice, disease and death, but the reality that God will be with us in the midst of these very real issues of life and death.
“Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful.”
Jesus promises to be with us, like an umpire on the fields of friendly strife or a guard in a war zone. The more you respond to His presence as umpire of your heart and as guard to your heart and mind, the more you will experience His peace. This is a promise that comes with a praxis, like every other promise in the Bible.
Paul has very practical things in mind with both of these verses and the church has understood this for a very long time. Enter the discipleship tool called a “rule of life.”
Developing a rule of life is first of all a biblical endeavor. “Paul’s overarching rule of life is that every word and every deed be done in the name of Jesus (see Col 3:17). Following such a rule affects our outlook on life. We begin to wake each morning with the sense that we are serving Jesus himself.”[1]
Pastor Scazzero encourages the use of a “rule of life” in a recent Barna Group report on pastoral well-being, as well as in both of his influential works, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality and Emotionally Healthy Leader:
Don’t be intimidated by the word rule. The word comes from the Greek for “trellis.” A trellis is a tool that enables a grapevine to get off the ground and grow upward, becoming more fruitful and productive. In the same way, a Rule of Life is a trellis that helps us abide in Christ and become more fruitful spiritually. A Rule of Life, very simply, is an intentional, conscious plan to keep God at the center of everything we do. It provides guidelines to help us continually remember God as the Source of our lives. … The starting point and foundation of any Rule is a desire to be with God and to love him.[2]
Ruth Haley Barton explains a “rule of life” in her excellent work Sacred Rhythms:
In Christian tradition, this structured arrangement of spiritual practices is referred to as a “rule of life.” A rule of life is a way of ordering our life around the values, practices, and relationships that keep us open and available to God for the work of spiritual transformation that only God can bring about. Simply put, a rule of life provides structure and space for growing.[3]
Even more specifically, Marjorie Thompson explains the details of a rule of life in Soul Feast:
A rule of life is a pattern of spiritual disciplines that provides structure and direction for growth in holiness. When we speak of patterns in our life, we mean attitudes, behaviors, or elements that are routine, repeated, regular. Indeed, the Latin term for “rule” is regula, from which our words regular and regulate derive. A rule of life, like a trellis, curbs our tendency to wander and supports our frail efforts to grow spiritually. … We choose particular disciplines to help us reframe the whole of our lives around God, the true center of all… spiritual disciplines are simply ways we position ourselves to see divine beauty and grace more clearly, so we might respond fullheartedly [sic].[4]
When we pray for peace we are actually praying for God to be in our midst and His will be done. When God’s peace comes, He rules, He guards, He structures our lives for His will to be done in us and through us.
So often, the answer to our prayers is found in our response to the presence of God! How will you order your daily life to respond to the presence of God?
A rule of life umpires our life decisions… by focusing us on the presence of God and His will for our lives through intentional times of Bible study, prayer, personal and corporate worship, and church gatherings!
A rule of life protects that which is most central and sensitive of who we are… our hearts! It allows us to remain focused on our life purpose and guiding principles as we work unto the Lord and not for man.
One ancient wrote, “Let your truth teach me. Let it guard me, and keep me safe to the end. Let it free me from all evil affection and badly ordered love, and I shall walk with You in great freedom of heart.”[5]
This is the work of a practical rule of life: it is a conduit of God’s grace for growth in Christlikeness… for our holiness… for us to experience the promised peace of Jesus Christ in very real and practical ways.
Do you want the peace of Christ to rule your heart? Or do you want to continue to feed the fear and anxiety our culture seeks to pour into you throughout the day? Then pay attention to your rule of life. We all have one! The question is whether your’s is “the rule of God’s peace” as commanded by Scripture.
Build your life on the promises of God… don’t just claim them, live them, let them be the trellis of your life, the umpire of your heart, the guard of your well-being.
Remember, Jesus is not promising you an absence of tribulation, but an abundance of His presence—peace in the midst of the tribulations!
“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world.”
You can listen to the message here.
You can watch the message HERE.
FOOTNOTES:
[1] NIV Stewardship Study Bible, 1566.
[2] Peter Scazzero, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality, 190.
[3] Ruth Haley Barton, Sacred Rhythms, 14.
[4] Marjorie J. Thompson, Soul Harvest, 150.
[5] Thomas à Kempis, The Imitation of Christ, 101.
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Hymn: The Solid Rock
The Solid Rock
Won’t you seize the moment today, and declare with a loud voice the words of this hymn so that all will know on whom you put your hope and trust?
YOUTUBE:
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1 Corinthians 8
Walk Simply in Faith!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Friday, September 25.
A quick leadership update: our local and state health partners have moved Indiana into Stage 5, starting tomorrow. The new executive order is called, “Stage Five – The New Normal During A Global Pandemic.” The “new normal” requires social distancing and the use of face masks when you are not socially distanced. I pray for the mental and emotional well-being of people as they read the executive order. May the peace of Christ rule your heart and mind.
For the last seven months, we have worked very hard to innovate ways to never stop our ministries at FBC. With that said, we know that Stage 5 is what some people have been waiting for to return to the public gathering of worship on Sunday morning. It’s time to come back.
The doors open at 9 for children, youth, and adult classes. The worship service begins at 10:30 and I am planning a message called, “The Rule of God’s Peace!” from Colossians 3:15-16. It will be a very accurate and timely message. I hope to see you there.
Seize the moment and walk simply and intentionally in your faith. Your life is for the sake of others and not for yourself! Never forget who you represent—Jesus Christ, crucified, risen, and coming again. Focus your eyes on Him!
YOUTUBE:
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1 Corinthians 7
Experiencing Contentment!
Good morning! This is Pastor Jerry Ingalls from New Castle First Baptist Church and today is Thursday, September 24.
Today is my 46th birthday and I want to thank my mom for doing all the hard work! Today, I am thanking God for the birthday gift of contentment. Contentment is very different from complacency and they should not be confused with one another.
Contentment is defined as “the state of being mentally or emotionally satisfied” (dictionary).
We are called to this mental and emotional state by Jesus Christ in Matthew 6:25-33 and the Apostle Paul in Philippians 4:12-13, as well as the author of Hebrews in Hebrews 13:5-6.
Contentment is more than an emotional or mental state; it is a way of life! First Corinthians 7 can be summarized with a faithful admonition from Paul to each of us in 1 Corinthians 7:17, “Only let each person lead the life that the Lord has assigned to him, and to which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches.”
A “rule” speaks to a way of life. Paul calls Christians to a deep abiding trust in the Lord. We are to find our identity and our provision in Him and not in what we do. Whereas, humanism calls our society to a trust in ourselves and our identity in our ability to provide for our own wants and needs. The prevailing humanistic philosophy of our culture is summarized by the saying, “He who dies with the most toys wins!” This saying gives to the person who adheres to it an inability to feel secure in who they are or content in what they have.
Seize the moment and live faithfully to Jesus and the relationships He has entrusted to you. Find your identity in Him and your daily bread as from Him. Being faithful to Jesus in your daily life is the key to experiencing contentment and a simple summary of 1 Corinthians 7. Contentment is experienced when you keep your eyes on Him.
Have a wonderful day!
YOUTUBE:
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