Biddeford Church of Christ

Several weeks ago I presented a lesson from 1st Peter 3:15. In that lesson, we were reminded that God calls us to “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you.”  Contextually, this inquiry by someone is because they witness something about you that doesn’t correspond with your circumstances; that is, a sense of hope.  In the case of 1st Peter 3, Christians were encountering “various trials” (1st Peter 1:6) because of their faith.  Although trials are possible today, that is not usually the reason for contact with others; rather, it is our willingness to invite someone to consider God’s word and the hope that it offers.  That is itself intimidating, don’t you think?  Having the courage to invite someone to talk about religious things is challenging.  Of course, the most important message we can share with another is our hope in Christ.  But where, in this religious society we live in, when many believe even in Christ, do we begin?           

I think the book of Acts can help us gain insight into this question.  For instance, when Philip talked with the Ethiopian eunuch in Acts chapter eight, he started where the eunuch was in his mind as he pondered Isaiah 53:7-8 (Acts 8:35).  In Acts 17:22ff, the apostle Paul found himself in the Areopagus about to share the message of Christ with them.  Where did he begin?  He started where they were at, a people who worshipped objects upon which one was said, “TO THE UNKNOWN GOD” (Acts 17:23).  Acts 18:24-28 is another insightful text that has always intrigued me, and it is the focus of the lesson for today.

“This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit,

he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism; of John.”

                                                                                                            Acts 18:25            

Apollos was an “eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures” (v24).  He was a skillful orator capable of proclaiming his message about God.  He was taught about the ways of the Lord, but not entirely.  More about that in a moment.  He was “fervent in spirit”; that is, he was passionate about what he knew to be true. Apollos is someone who, we might say, “Is on fire for the Lord.”  We find him in is a synagogue “speaking boldly” about what he knew.  That day, two individuals were there listening to his message, and their names were Aquila and Priscilla.  Back at the beginning of Acts 18, we find that they were husband and wife (Acts 18:2) and involved with Paul’s ministry while he was in Corinth.  Undoubtedly, they heard many sermons from the apostle Paul.  So, what can we learn from them that would be helpful to us concerning the question, where do I begin?

“So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue.  When Aquila and Priscilla heard him,

they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.”

                                                                                                            Acts 18:26            

Before I try to answer our question, I need to note how cool it is to see a husband and wife teaming up together to share the message of Christ.  There is much to glean simply from that example.  That said, notice a couple of important things that take place.  First, they did not seek to correct him in front of others.  Maybe it was the etiquette of the synagogue; I am not sure.  But there is something to say about being patient and trying to create the best opportunity.  So, once they realized Apollos’s message was deficient, they took him aside, or as the ETRV says, “They took him to their home.”  The approach would seem to imply an invitation.  If the home was the location, I could see the benefit of making things less formal.   Now in their home, they sought to “explain to him the way of God more accurately,” or as the ETRV says, they “helped him understand the way of God better.”  Apollos was well-intended and genuine about his cause, but he lacked some information.  He loved the Lord.  Pricilla and Aquila approached him in that fashion, with respect and care.

In our religious society, we too will come across individuals like this, passionate about what they know and eager to share it.  They have a love for God and Christ, no different than any of us.  They may be deficient in some areas.  Our job is to invite them to sit down and talk, starting with right where they are at.  That seems to be an excellent place to begin. 

Dennis

I humbly enter this day, recognizing more than ever that I need my Lord, His strength, His wisdom, His Word, and His patience.  There are times when I feel I can conquer just about anything, and then there are times where I find myself desperately clinging to my faith.  One of the tools God encourages His children to use to help them through this chaotic life is prayer.  Paul knew he could use this help, right along with the children of God, asking the church in Ephesus to offer “supplication for all the saints and me” (Ephesians 6:18-19).  Prayer is something we can do to help others as well as ourselves.  Today I thought we would revisit one of those Bible verses that speak about prayer and remind ourselves of its critical role in our spiritual walk.

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks;

for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      1st Thessalonians 5:16-18            

Consider for a moment how the ETRV translates this verse, “Always be full of joy.  Never stop praying.  Whatever happens, always be thankful.  This guidance is how God wants you to live in Christ Jesus.”  Let’s consider the three things spoken of here and their connection.  First, this idea of rejoicing always.  Always?  As I write this article, I have a heavy heart for a variety of reasons.  Tears have flowed, and anguished has rested on my soul.  It is a natural part of this journey in this broken world where I am one of the broken pieces.  Paul wept for those who were “enemies of the cross of Christ” (Philippians 3:18).  He along with the elders at Ephesus, mourned as Paul was about to leave them (Acts 20:36), and of course, we know of two or three instances where Jesus Himself wept (John 11:35, Luke 19:41, Luke 22:44).  There will be times that we find ourselves in such places emotionally. So how do we always rejoice, something Paul also taught the church in Philippi (Philippians 4:4)?  May I suggest that the objective of rejoicing is the goal that we pursue with intent?  When adversity strikes, whether self-inflicted or not, it can distract us from our true hope in Christ.  We can become cynical, doubtful as to whether something will happen or whether it is worthwhile.  So, please do your best to rejoice always in what you have in Christ (Romans 5:3-5) to fight against those times that might cause you to question whether it is all worth it.           

Intentionally, I skip the second (prayer) to go to the third, which is “in everything give thanks.”  There is no need to define words here, only wrestle with the idea of “everything.”  Do we know prayer should include thanksgiving (Philippians 4:6) but in everything?  In Colossians 3:17, Paul writes, “And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” It is difficult at times to “see the silver lining,” so to speak, in life.  Adversity strikes, anguish finds a resting place in the mind, and in such situations, it is challenging to be thankful: not because there is nothing to be grateful about, but because it is hard at that moment to see why we should be thankful.  Maybe there is in part the reason for this urging.  When we seek to be grateful, to be thankful genuinely, we can find those things the Lord is doing amid adversity.  When we do that, it loosens the grip of our perceived reality and allows God to reign in our minds as the benevolent God that He is.

So now we come to prayer; that is, to supplicate, worship. This exhortation is elevated by the words “without ceasing,” which means unceasingly, without remission, uninterruptedly.  As unreasonable as the first may have seemed, this one is equally troublesome if viewed through the lens of religious duty.  Paul’s exhortation in Romans 12:12 is that we are “continuing steadfastly in prayer.”  The idea here, as one commentator writes, is that the disciple is to have prayer “be the accompaniment of our whole lives.”  Why?  It links us to peace which can help to guard our hearts and minds (Philippians 4:6-7), to God’s strength (2nd Corinthians 12:8-10), to personal growth (Ephesians 3:14-19), and so many other God-centered things.  As someone said, the Christian who purposes himself or herself with a life of prayer and thanksgiving is better apt to rejoice always.  Help me, Lord, to rejoice in You.

Dennis

Francis de Sales once said, “We cannot help conforming ourselves to what we love.”  This caused me to think of 1st John 2:15, “Do not love the world or the things in the world.  If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.”  Conformity, at least how it is used in Romans 12:2, is something we must, and I mean must, fight against!  In a world seemingly bent on destruction, our society is ever more defiant toward the truth and moral compass of God and His word.  Who is behind all this?  It is Satan.  It is as though he is speaking those words all over again, “Has God indeed said…” (Genesis 3:1).  This is heightened by the ongoing pressure of this cancel culture that seeks to silence those who openly think differently, to the point of destroying their lives and businesses.  Of course, all this can be avoided if you simply conform.           

This notion of conforming is easy on some levels to both articulate and recognize.  This is due largely to the convictions that presently reside within many Christians today.  Is it right to lie?  Be sexually active outside of marriage?  Take the life of another?  You get the idea.  Yet, even these once held truths of morality are being challenged in the Christian community.  Why?  Is it because some deeper truth from God’s word has been found, or is it because of the pressure being placed on us by the world we live in?  As much as I wanted to speak to this idea, I was personally confronted with a rather difficult question as I meditated on Romans 12:2 a while back.  Have I bought into this notion of conforming?  Sadly, I had to answer yes, and I suspect many others would as well.  Could it be that God’s desire for us to be transform is what breaks the chains of the world’s conforming power? 

Romans 12:2           

Over the past thirty years, the number of times I have done a lesson from this text cannot be counted on both my hands.  This time, a renewed idea of the pressure called conformity has caused me to pause.  What does it mean to conform?  Well, the Greek word used here means to fashion alike.  It would seem like the idea of being transformed, so what is the difference?  This following quote may help answer that question, “It is the difference between an outward conformity or disguise and a thorough inward assimilation.”  Consider for a moment the ETRV of this verse, “Don’t change yourselves to be like the people of this world, but let God change you inside with a new way of thinking.”  Conformity is driven by the world.  We are warned against this in so many places (Proverbs 1:10, 15; Jeremiah 10:2).  Conformity is going along with the crowd, even if it conflicts with your convictions concerning God and His moral truths.  Exodus 23:2, God’s people under the old law were warned, “You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.”  Another is the warning used in Deuteronomy 7 concerning marrying anyone of the seven nations God would hand over in defeat to Israel.  The concern was stated, “For they will turn your sons away from following Me, to serve other gods…” (Deuteronomy 7:4).  God’s concern for His people was conformity.           

Are we susceptible to this idea to conform?  Our culture takes the edge off drug use by calling it recreational.  The taking of an innocent life is now called women’s health care.  Sexuality is redefined, resulting in men competing with women.  To think differently about these and many other subjects means you are narrow minded, not woke.  To speak up is to be discriminatory.  You must conform or simply be silent.            

So, how do I fight against the pressure of conformity?  By allowing God to transform your mind.  We are God’s voice in a lost and dying world that we were once a part of before Jesus redeemed us.  With love, patience, and grace, let us speak the transforming power of God’s truth. 

Dennis

A short while back, Anthony and I sent out an email inviting the church family to join us in a time of prayer and fasting.  The email started with this thought, “The subject of fasting and prayer, although biblical, is something we have never really considered nor practiced as a church family.”  Most of us have fasted before in preparation for some medical procedure or blood tests.  So, the idea of it is not entirely foreign to us.  But in the context of our spiritual walk with Christ, it could be new to some and something we as a church family have seldom mutually endeavored together in doing.  That said, we thought it helpful to take a moment and consider this subject in light of the Scriptures: enabling us to gain insight into the invitation we gave you. We will start by simply asking three questions:  What? –  When? –  How?

“This shall be a statute forever for you: In the seventh month,

on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls…”

                                                                                                                  Leviticus 16:29          

I started here because of the use of the words “afflict your souls.”.   Another translation reads, “you shall humble your souls.”  The word “afflict” carries the idea to bow down, to humble oneself.  In Isaiah 58:3, we read, “‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and You have not seen?  Why have we afflicted our souls, and You take no notice?'”  Fasting involves an intentional shift in one’s attention, one’s thoughts, toward God for some reason.  What does it mean?  In the Hebrew language, the word carries with it the idea to cover the mouth.  In Greek, the primary word means to abstain from food.  This idea is brought out in Matthew 4:2 when Jesus “fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.”  So, we know that fasting involved the decision to abstain from food for a period of time for spiritual reasons.  When were those periods?          

It is here that my interest became heightened.  If I understand it correctly, the only “fast” we find that God commanded is Leviticus 16:29, which is the Day of Atonement.  Leviticus 16:31, “It is a sabbath of solemn rest for you, and you shall afflict your souls.  It is a statute forever.”  That said, numerous Scriptures show that people fasted for a variety of reasons: Joel 2:12, “Now, therefore,’ says the Lord, ‘Turn to Me with all your heart, With fasting, with weeping, and with mourning.'”  Here, it was involved in the act of repentance.  Ezra 8:21, “Then I proclaimed a fast there at the river of Ahava, that we might humble ourselves before our God, to seek from Him the right way for us and our little ones and all our possessions.”  Here, it involved seeking God’s direction.  In Acts 13:3, the Church fasted and prayed before the commissioning of Barnabas and Saul and sending them on a missionary journey.  Again, in Acts 14:23, “So when they had appointed elders in every Church and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”  Here, the early Church did it when establishing elders.  The “when” appears to be somewhat determined by the situation. Also, the urgency of seeking God because of it.          

Now we are left with the “how” of fasting.  Quickly my thoughts go to Matthew 6:16-18.  Jesus warns His followers, “Moreover, when you fast, do not be like the hypocrites, with a sad countenance, for they disfigure their faces that they may appear to men to be fasting. Assuredly, I say to you; they have their reward.”  Fasting is not about measuring one’s spirituality.  Like the Pharisee in Luke 18:12 who said, “I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I possess.”  We fast with humility in the heart.  We do it not to be seen by men but to focus on our God and His will for us.  How we do it together is up to you.  You may refrain from foods for a meal or a day.  That choice is yours.  Health reasons may hinder you from abstaining from all foods, and that is understandable.  Remember, this is only an invitation to join together in a common goal: to seek God earnestly for guidance, strength, and forgiveness, you fill in the blank.          

May God be glorified through this, and may it set the stage for possible future times when we gather in a common cause to seek out our Lord and His will.  So, thank you for considering this invitation.  More info to come as March 21st approaches.

Dennis

Our life group discussion time, facilitated by Joe, has been so encouraging as we talk about sharing the gospel, the hope of Christ with the world around us.  If there is any reason to talk about Christ, it centers around the hope of salvation.  Salvation from what?  Just this past week, something stirred my thoughts about a matter seldom considered.  It is called judgment.  You see, the devastating effects of sin have eternal consequences outside of the redemptive work of Christ.  During His ministry, Jesus Himself spoke of a place where “there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…” (Luke 13:28, Matthew 8:12; 13:42; 13:50, etc.), a place where no one in their right mind would want to be.  What’s the point?  The fact of the matter is simple; we seek to share the good news (like Jesus did), in part, because there is some bad news attached to it.  As I considered this, my attention drawn to something Jesus taught in Matthew 24:36-44.  Something I believe can help us grasp the urgent need to talk to others about Jesus, let alone encourage us to continue to walk in His grace and mercy.

But of that day and hour, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but My Father only.

                                                                                                                  Matthew 24:36          

Over the years, I have watched numerous religious shows that claim to have insight into the return of Jesus.  Various religions have unintentionally made a mockery of this subject matter by predicting it, only to see nothing happen.  The bible seems clear on the topic of Christ’s return; that is, it will happen, and only one knows the time.   After His resurrection, just before He ascended, Jesus was asked a question by His disciples, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” (Acts 1:6)  The minds of the disciples were still earthly; even so, Jesus responded, saying, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority” (Acts 1:7).  The apostle Paul, as he encourages the church in Thessalonica, writes, “But concerning the times and the seasons, brethren, you have no need that I should write to you.  For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night” (1st Thessalonians 5:1-2).  You see. Man’s concern should be not to figure out when; but rather, be ready for it when it happens.

For as in the days before the flood, they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark.

                                                                                                                   Matthew 24:38

“Hurry up and wait.” Seems to be a motto of our culture.  We truly hate to wait.  Time seems to be the enemy of such a belief in judgment.  Life goes on.  Our day-to-day routines consume our thoughts and become our focus.  Judgment?  That is just a scare tactic of those religious nuts.  It was not long after the establishment of the church that the apostle Peter speaks of how “scoffers will come in the last days…saying, ‘Where is the promise of His coming?  For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation'” (2nd Peter 3:3-4).  It has now been 2,000 years!  Days pass.  Calendars are replaced with new ones.  We see life enter this world and gather after it has left.  Life goes on.  Will there be a judgment?  Paul confronted such words from scoffers, saying, “For when they say, ‘Peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them” (1st Thessalonians 5:3).  The passing of time should not dissuade us, for we understand that “with the Lord one day is as a thousand years and a thousand years as one day” (2nd Peter 3:8).

Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

                                                                                                     Matthew 24:44          

We don’t know the time, but we do know a time is coming.  As Jesus’ disciples, we posture ourselves as Paul taught the church in Thessalonica, saying, “Therefore let us not sleep [become spiritually lazy], as others do, but let us watch and be sober” (1st Thessalonians 5:6).  The glorious gospel is the message of hope for us. It is also for those who have yet to hear about the love of Christ.  It is our mission to share that good news to a lost and dying world.  A world we were a part of at one time.  For one day, this world will no longer exist as we know it.  Help us, Lord, to speak of Your amazing grace.

Dennis

When was the last time you prayed for the church?  This question came to mind as I mediated on Ephesians 3:14-21.  There, the apostle Paul shares his prayer has offered on behalf of the church in Ephesus, a prayer so important even to this day.  The Pauline letters are filled with expressions of prayer is various forms.  He prayed with thanksgiving for the church in Corinth (1st Corinthians 1:4), the church in Philippi (Philippians 1:3-4), the church in Colosse (Colossians 1:3), the church in Thessalonica (1st Thessalonians 1:2-3a), and of course, the church in Ephesus (Ephesians 1:16).  He also prayed for them personally concerning their growth in Christ.  To the church in Colosse, he prayed that they “may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding” (Colossians 1:9) and “strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power” (Colossians 1:11a).  To the church in Rome, he prayed that “the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing” (Romans 15:13).  These, and many other examples revealed in the scriptures, remind us of both the importance of prayer and the many things so vital to pray about.  Today, we take a moment and ponder one of those prayers shared by the apostle Paul as he was guided by the Holy Spirit to pen these words.

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ… that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His spirit in the inner man…

                                                                                                                                    Ephesians 3:14, 16           

In this pray, much like his other prayers, you can see the care the apostle Paul has for those he has labored so fervently for.  That said, he reminds us, me, that the real transformative work in the lives of people comes from God.  We, like Paul, are merely instruments in the hands of the Great Physician.  So, he prays that God would grant them; that is, give to them the opportunity “to be strengthened with might…in the inner man.”  If you had a chance to read my meditation on this verse, you may remember that the word strengthened means to grow strong.  Strong in what?  Might!  It is the word we get dynamite from that means force, miraculous power.  The source of this miraculous power is His spirit.  Listen to these words from Paul found in Romans 15:13, “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  The Spirit of God has a significant role to play in our transformation.  The exact way that happens I am unable to explain, which reveals the fact that it is miraculous in nature.  His objective is understood.  It is to transform the inner man, the regenerated man that has now found hope in Christ.  It is that “inner man” that Paul says “is being renewed day by day” (2nd Corinthians 4:16).  It is the “hidden person of the heart” that Peter talks about in 1st Peter 3:4.  This inner person, now reclaimed by the grace of God through Christ, Paul yearns to be strengthened by God through the Spirit, but for what purpose?

…to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

                                                                                                                                    Ephesians 3:19           

That newfound relationship with Christ, the joy of redemption, being “rooted and grounded” (v17) in His love through faith, can be brought to an even higher level of awareness.  To somehow measure within our minds the enormous love of God is so vast.  Paul wrote to the church in Philippi, “And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in knowledge and all discernment, that you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ, being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Philippians 1:9-11).  When we allow the Spirit access to that inner man, and God through His spirit transforms us inwardly, we can be “filled with the fullness of God.”  Completion!  That is what fullness means.  There is nothing that can make me more complete than knowing the depth of love God has for me.           

Well, I know that this text has so much more to offer and at some time in the future we will consider it again.  The love of God is central to our existence as individual Christians and as the body of Christ.  It is what motivates us (2nd Corinthians 5:14) to share the hope of Christ, it is what reals to others who we are (John 13:35), it is what “holds everything together in perfect unity” (Colossians 3:14, ETRV).  Heavenly Father, unleash Your Spirit within the believers here at Biddeford so we can comprehend Your love more clearly and deeply to the glory of Your name and Your church.

Dennis

Last week, we briefly considered two words that help reveal to us the sort of character we should seek after if we are to be more effective in sharing the hope of Christ.  Those two words were “meekness and fear” (1st Peter 3:15).  Today, we will look once again at that same verse, only this time, considering something that motivates us to pursue such character development.  I use the word development, because both meekness and fear (respect) are the result of personal growth, which is both intentional and purposeful.           

It is so important to reflect on the context for which we find our verse for today’s lesson.  For these early Christians, their walk with Christ was not a journey down easy street.  Peter writes, “And who is he who will harm you if you become followers of what is good?” (v13)  The ETRV reads in part, “If you are always trying…”  Another translation uses the word “eager” which comes from a Greek word that means to be enthusiastic for.  Titus 2:14 says that Christ “gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.”  Such eagerness to do Christ’s work can be easily be derailed by our world.  Sometimes, standing for what you believe and acting as Christ would desire places you in the minority, and so it was with these early Christians.  No matter what, they were blessed and thus, there was no need to “afraid of their threats, nor be troubled” (v14).  The potential of harm is present and every bit real.  How do you deal with it and at the same time, be eager to share Christ with those perpetrating the harm?

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts…

                                                                                                                        1st Peter 3:15           

Where is Christ?  This is the question that flooded my mind as I meditated on this verse.  This word sanctify is at the center of answering that question.  It means to make holy, i.e., purify or consecrate; to venerate.  The ETRV translates it “But keep the Lord Christ holy…”  Some try to describe it as though you were “setting something apart from all other things.”  That helps me grasp the idea some, but for what reason is the Christian setting the Lord apart?  It is to acknowledge Him as Lord of their lives!  One commentator writes, “Christians are to regard Christ as being what he is, holy.  They are to give him a place in their hearts as Lord, holding him in reverence.”  Still another writes, “In your hearts, or in the affections of the soul, regard the Lord God as holy, and act toward him with that confidence which a proper respect for one so great and so holy demands. Amid dangers, be not intimidated; dread not what man can do, but evince [i.e., be evidenced of; indicate] proper reliance on a holy God and flee to him with the confidence which is due to one so glorious.”   This is done in the heart of the believer; that is, where their thoughts and feelings reside.  Where decisions are made, words are chosen, and actions find their birth.  Christ reigns within!  Thus, although faced by their oppressors, they would “always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks” for the “reason for the hope that “was in them.  What was in them was their Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

This caused me to ask another question, not to place doubt, but encourage transformation.  When was the last time I thought about Christ as Lord (Master of my life)?  What a sobering question.  Still, it helps me to understand this simple fact about evangelism.  It is not the merely the knowledge of Christ that needs to be heard, but also the conviction of someone who deep within their hearts, exalts Christ as Lord.  Lord, help us daily live a life that places You on the throne of our hearts, to the glory of Your name and the further of Your gospel.

Dennis

You may have heard it said, even from me in the past, that when it comes to communication, non-verbal is more important than the words we speak.  That is not to take away from the message, but rather to help us realize that the “how” of sharing a message is vital to whether the world will hear it.  Doctor Mehrabian was said to have come up with the 7% – 93% rule.  The suggestion was that only 7% was “gleaned from the word itself,” while 93% was from the non-verbal (55% body language and 38% tone of voice).   This study’s flaw resides in the fact that it used only one word, not a message.  Another researcher named Ray Birdwistell ventured to understand the impact of nonverbal, coming up with the idea that some 60% to 70% of communication is nonverbal.  Interesting to note, this research is also questioned by many.  Okay, so what is the point?  Although doubt and misinterpretation have occurred regarding this research, all appear to agree with this simple fact; nonverbal communication plays a significant role.  As one person writes, “If you want to become a better communicator, it’s important to become more sensitive not only to the body language and nonverbal cues of others but also to your own.”

“But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear…”

                                                                                                                                                1st Peter 3:15           

I can see the day all over again as I stand in my parent’s home, barely dried off from the event that changed the course of my life—seeking to share a message uninvited and with a tone of disrespect and arrogance.  The news was right, but not the time and especially not the manner of the messenger.  Peter gives us some insight into the character of the messenger by using two compelling words.  First, there is the word meekness, or your translation may use gentleness.  It speaks of someone mild in temperament.  Such a person realizes that “argument always involves a danger of weakening the spiritual life through pride or bitterness” and hampering the message.  The quality of meekness is vital to our call to share the hope of Christ.

Jesus said, “Blessed are the meek…” (Matthew 5:5).  When helping to restore a wayward Christian, we are to “restore him gently” (Galatians 6:1).  The Apostle Paul urged the evangelist Timothy to “gently instruct” (2nd Timothy 2:25).  God calls to show “all humility to all men” (Titus 3:2).  For the message to have its most favorable effect, there is a need for meekness.

Along with this is the idea of fear, or your translation may use the word respect, which may give us a better understanding of the concept here in this verse.  Where is this “fear” or “respect” to be placed?  Peter mentioned it three other times in this letter (1st Peter 1:17; 2:18; 3:2).  He may have directed it to involve all: God, the hearer, and the messenger.  Consider this quote, “We should fear lest we injure our own souls by arrogant and angry controversy; we should seek the spiritual good of our opponents; and we should entertain a solemn awe of the presence of God, with a trembling anxiety to think and to say only what is acceptable unto him.”  The ETRV translates this, “But answer them in a gentle way with respect.”            

We don’t need research to learn that “how” we say something is essential if we want someone to understand “what” we are saying in a world that seems to savor the win instead of taking the time to plant a seed.  To argue with someone instead of reasoning is a self-defeating proposition. The Lord calls us to a higher standard of communication.  With the hope of Christ secure within us, we ready ourselves to share it with others.  That readiness has an awareness of our need to be meek and respectful with our communication.  It’s not just what we say but how we say it that matters.

Dennis

Everybody knows something.  Some can list the players of various sports teams, their performance numbers, and their teams.  There are those who, through extensive study, can do amazing things like the recent brain surgery on my brother.  Some analyze mathematical problems and send people into space.  Let’s face it, we know so much about so many things, but only one thing truly matters the most.  Dwight L. Moody wrote, “The world does not understand theology or dogma, but it understands love and sympathy.”  In light of our present objective to learn about evangelism, I wonder if its beginning point rests in just how much God loves me.  For you can’t offer to someone something you don’t believe yourself.

By this, we know love… 1st John 3:16            

So, what is the most important thing we can talk to people about concerning God?  The word “know” comes from the Greek word ginosko, which means to come to know, recognize, perceive.  That is why the KJV reads, “Hereby perceive we…”  The ETRV translates it, “This is how we know what real love is…”  Isn’t that the most important thing to start with?  For someone to come to understand what real love is?  One might say, “Wait, didn’t Jesus reveal to us the greatest commandment of all.”  Let’s remind ourselves of that command found in Matthew 22:36-40.  Remember, Jesus responds to a question, “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law?”  And His answer, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  Yes, I know that love reveals itself through our obedience.  But notice, this is a command of which we are to apply to our lives.  But before we can honestly do so effectively, we first must understand what love is and is not.  We need to perceive just how much God loves us!  Why?  John writes, “We love Him because He first loved us” (1st John 4:19).

By this, we know love because He laid His life for us.  1st John 3:16

I know various doctrinal things play a role in God’s redemptive plan, but none so great as knowing God loves us.  That love manifests itself in its fullest form in the cross of His Son and our Savior Jesus Christ.  He died while we were yet sinners (Romans 5:8), powerless to earn it, yet given the opportunity nonetheless to receive it.  That is unconditional love!  It is a love that is endless and free.  It is the love the beckons the wayward sinner and the struggling follower.  It is the love that invites the world to come and find rest.

It is all too easy to assume someone knows they are loved by God, even when they can quote John 3:16.  Many within the body of Christ come to “recognize” they are loved long after they obeyed that gospel message.  I say that because I am one of those who have.  Maybe it is in part because we often don’t begin with this amazing truth in the first place.  We assume his love rather than focus on it.

So why say all this?  It is simple if we are going to want to evangelize a lost and dying world; we need to help them understand first and foremost, God loves them.  “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).  Lord, help us renew our perception of Your love for us, for sinful man.  May the conviction of that move us to share that hope of Your love with those around us.

Dennis

I know this time of year lends itself to the lesson that focuses on the beautiful gift of Jesus Christ, and rightly so, for, after all, it is the Sunday before Christmas.  My mind has been thinking about Job since we are studying it in our mid-week study.  Also, mostly because of our present situation with the Covid.  So many are frustrated and tired of it all.

I suppose you have heard people tell you, or at the very least heard of its use, “Watch and learn.”  In many ways, that is what we do when we read of the lives of those within the Scriptures.  Okay, I realize we were not there to witness them: still, God has provided us with the opportunity to develop a picture in our minds of what it must have been like for them.  In so doing, the Lord presents with the chance to watch and learn.  For me, never has this been so vivid than now as I look at the life of Job.

There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil.

                                                                                                                                                                Job 1:1            

The character of Job is nothing short of stellar.  James speaks of his “perseverance” (James 5:11) while the prophet Ezekiel highlights him and Noah and Daniel as faithful men during their times when faced with adversity.  It is this time of adversity in Job’s life that causes many to struggle with God and His willingness to invite Satan, “Have you considered My ser4vant Job…” (Job 1:8).   We know that Satan “walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour” (1st Peter 5:8), and so he was at this time as well (Job 1:7).  Accused of building a “hedge around him” (Job 1:10), God permits, with limits, for Satan to do his dirty work, and so adversity befalls Job.  First, murderers and thieves kill his servants and steal his livestock.  Then, without any time to process what had happened, news that “the fire of God fell from heaven and burned up the sheep” (Job 1:16).  Again, without any reprieve, more bad news comes; this time, bandits steal his camels and murder his servants.  And if that were not enough, unable to catch his breath, the news of his children’s death.  I know I was not there, yet as I watch this story play out in my mind, I am overwhelmed with anguish.  The loss must have been so painful!           

Well, one would think this is enough and that  God would not allow Satan to go any further, but you would be wrong.  God allows Satan to continue his attack on Job with the limitation of sparing his life (Job 2:6).  What was Satan’s objective?  To prove Job unfaithful. Satan was convinced that Job would “curse You to Your face” (Job 2:5).  That “face,” of course, is God’s; that is, Job would deny God.  As the story goes, Job’s wife felt the anguish of the situation by the words she expressed; “Do you still hold fast to your integrity?  Curse God and die!” (Job 2:9).  Such expressions of despair.  Understandable as well.  Yet, Job responds in a way that we can watch and learn.

Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?

                                                                                                                                                                Job 2:10            

It was an amazing question for Job to ask under so much duress.  We should think about these verses when we face adversity because we believe in Christ.  God’s word often speaks about it.  Let’s list a couple of familiar ones: James 1:2-8; 1st Peter 1:6-9; 2nd Timothy 3:12; Matthew 5:43-45, and I suspect you could think of even more.  As much as that is true, what do I learn from watching Job’s approach to this adversity?  He understood before the event ever took place, of God’s sovereignty.  He is the supreme ruler with ultimate power.           

This awareness of Job did not mean that he never struggled with those things he faced; we can see this fact as you read through Job’s letter.  That said, this thought appears to be one of his anchoring points to help him deal with His plight.  So, what am I anchored to in my mind?  Best to figure that out before something happens.  So, I read the scriptures so that I can watch and learn.

Dennis