Faith & The Faithful Promise-Maker
Heb. 11:11-12, Gen. 15:1-12, 17 | Faith waits patiently on the Lord, trusting He is faithful to do what he has promised.
Faith & The Faithful Promise-Maker
Hebrews 11:11-12 | Genesis 15:1-12, 17
Main Idea: Faith waits patiently on the Lord, trusting He is faithful to do what he has promised
I. Faith in the Waiting
Abraham is 75 years old and childless when God appears to him in Genesis 12. His name (lit. ‘father of many / multitude’) and his situation would have been shameful and painful for Abraham.
Sarah is feeling pressure in at least 3 ways:
Culturally: infertility was often assumed to be the women’s fault in this culture
Pscyhologically: her situation would have brought a monthly reminder of her suffering & unfulfilled longings
Theologically: God has promised this would happen, but they still remain childless
As we seek to live by faith, we are confronted with the same tension facing Abraham & Sarah: Am I going to continue to trust God & his promises even when I don’t see any way they will be fulfilled?
“If God is answering your prayers with no, wait, or silence, that is when the relationship gets real. You have to trust, wait and surrender because he's not a cosmic vendor.” ~ J.R. Vassar
Abraham & Sarah stumble their way through this period of waiting. God assures them in Genesis 17-18 (24 years after his initial call in Genesis 12), that they will still have this promised son. In the face of this tension, we see two different kinds of “laughs”
Abraham (Gen. 17:15-17): incredulous, awkward, nervous laugh
Sarah (Gen. 18:9-15): scoffing, unbelief
II. Faith in the Promise-Maker (11:11)
Sarah seems like an unlikely candidate to show up in Hebrews 11, but the reason provided by the author is that she ultimately “considered him faithful who had promised.” It wasn’t merely the promise that Sarah considered; it was the character and nature of the God behind his Word.
Genesis 15 helps us see how they could trust God to be faithful to his word. Abraham, after believing God (15:6), asks him how this was all going to come about (15:8). Biblical faith is not about complete certainty around every corner and it is not without its questions. Abraham is asking from a posture of faith seeking understanding.
God instructs Abraham to set up a covenant ceremony (“blood path covenant”), meant to symbolize that if either party broke their end of the deal they would become like these animals. But, surprisingly, God obligates himself to both ends of the covenant by his presence passing through the “blood path.” God is indicating: even if you are unfaithful, I will be faithful. I will suffer the consequences on your behalf & I will pay the price in blood.
Hebrews 6:13–16: “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself, saying, “Surely I will bless you and multiply you.” And thus Abraham, having patiently waited, obtained the promise. For people swear by something greater than themselves, and in all their disputes an oath is final for confirmation.”
We can trust that God is faithful to his promises because this picture is ultimately seen in the cross of Christ, where God suffers the consequences of our lack of faith, in our place. All the promises of God find their “yes and amen” in Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 1:20)
III. Faith in the Impossible (11:12)
The faith of Sarah & Abraham is an invitation to “hope against hope” (Rom. 4:18) because “nothing is too hard for the Lord” (Gen. 18:14). God will often lead us to a place that feels “barren” and “dead” in our lives so that we might completely and wholly trust him, the one who brings life from death.
“You don't really know Jesus is all you need until Jesus is all you have.” ~ Tim Keller
Romans 4:18–21: In hope he believed against hope, that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been told, “So shall your offspring be.” He did not weaken in faith when he considered his own body, which was as good as dead (since he was about a hundred years old), or when he considered the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. No unbelief made him waver concerning the promise of God, but he grew strong in his faith as he gave glory to God, fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised.
God takes their precise place of pain, shame, and unbelief, and gives them a memorial of his power & grace. They are instructed to name their child Isaac, which means ‘he laughs.’ God is faithful even when we are not, and he views us in light of his grace, not our failures.
Hebrews 10:23: Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.
Faith & Our True Home
Heb. 11:8-10, 13-16, Gen. 12:1-4 | Faith embraces the call of God as we long for our true home in the city of God.
Faith & Our True Home
Hebrews 11:8-10, 13-16 | Genesis 12:1-4
Main Idea: Faith embraces the call of God as we long for our true home in the city of God.
I. Embracing the Call (11:8)
God appears to Abraham (Abram) in Genesis 12 and asks him to leave his “country, kindred, and father’s house;” God asks him to leave the primary things that would mark his identity, security, comfort, and future.
By faith, Abraham obeys this call from the Lord. He embraces an uncertain future & a painful leaving in faith because he trusted:
God’s Promise: He is promised and inheritance and blessing, even though this would have made no earthly sense.
God’s Presence: God is ultimately calling Abraham to himself more than a place.
The call of God on Abraham’s life is a paradigm for the Christian life. ‘The church’ literally means ‘the called out ones.’ We are all called, in repentance and faith, to leave behind the world & our own priorities to follow the Lord who has called us to himself.
Philippians 3:7–8: But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ
II. Living in Exile (11:9, 13)
By obeying the Lord in faith, Abraham and his family live the rest of their lives as “strangers and exiles” (11:13). They live in ‘tents,’ the ultimate picture of a temporary dwelling place.
It is not only in Canaan (the Promised Land) that Abraham is a sojourner: he & his family acknowledged they were strangers and exiles “on the earth.” Nowhere on earth was truly ‘home’ and the same is true of us today in the church (cf. 1 Peter 1:1)
Hebrews 13:14: For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the city that is to come.
Philippians 3:20: But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ
Two temptations while we live as sojourners & exiles:
Arrival: Assimilating & making our home in the world
Escapism: Disengaging from the world & withdrawing back into our own silos
1 Peter 2:11–12: 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.
“The question of the tension of the between becomes a catalyst for pilgrimage – prompting me, like Abraham, to answer the call and “go” – or whether I try to decamp in that distant country, turning my exile into arrival, suppressing my sense that there must be something more, that another shore is calling… So much of our restlessness and disappointment is the result of trying to convince ourselves that we’re already home. The alternative is not escapism; it is a refugee spiritually – unsettled yet hopeful, tenuous but searching, eager to find the hometown we’ve never been to.” ~ James K. A. Smith
III. Longing for Home (11:10, 14-16)
The ‘homeland’ Abraham was seeking was not the palace he was born (11:15); instead, it is a place he has never been before. His true home is:
A City with Foundations (11:10)
Designed & Built by God (11:10)
A Better & Heavenly Country (11:16)
Prepared for God’s People (11:16)
Just as Abraham refused to go back to what might have been comfortable in Ur (cf. Gen. 24:6-8), the author of Hebrews is urging his recipients not to turn back to their former life. The Christian life is a call to live by faith as we keep our eyes fixed on our true home that is still in our future.
Colossians 3:1–4: If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.
“Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that what they do want, and want acutely, is something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise… if I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world… I must keep alive in myself the desire for my true country, which I shall not find till after death; I must never let it get snowed under or turned aside; I must make it the main object of life to press on to that other country & to help others to do the same.” ~ C.S. Lewis
Jesus has gone before us in this journey of faith; he knows what it means to leave home & to leave his Father to walk into an uncertain future. Jesus left home to bring us home; until we arrive and are welcomed to this place, we live by faith and not by sight.
Faith Enduring Judgment
Heb. 11:7, Gen. 6:8-14, 17-22 | Faith believes God while living in a sinful world, so we are saved from the coming judgment.
Faith Enduring Judgment
Hebrews 11:7 | Genesis 6:8-14, 17-22
Main Idea: Faith believes God while living in a sinful world, so we are saved from the coming judgment.
I. Faith That Believes (11:7a)
Noah had faith in “events as yet unseen” because:
He had found “favor” (lit. ‘grace’) with God (Gen. 6:8)
He “walked with God” (Gen. 6:9) in daily communion & relationship
He had a “reverent fear” of the Lord, an “inner faith” that led to obedience
“Notice, first, that Noah believed in God in his ordinary life. Before the great test came, before he heard the oracle from the secret place, Noah believed in God. We know that he did, for we read that he walked with God… It is a great thing to have faith in the presence of a terrible trial; but the first essential is to have faith for ordinary every-day consumption… Faith will not come to you all of a sudden, in the dark night, if you have shut it out through all the bright days. Faith must be a constant tenant, not an occasional guest.” ~ Charles Spurgeon
Romans 10:17: “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”
II. Faith That Condemns (11:7b)
Noah’s faith, seen in constructing the ark, “condemned the world” because it set him against the status-quo, pronouncing judgment upon it. Noah is a “herald of righteousness” (cf. 2 Pet. 2:5) in building the ark, pointing people to their hope to survive the judgment to come.
We struggle with this “condemning” for a few reasons:
Fear of man (cf. Gal. 1:10)
“The people of the world did not tremble till the waters began to rise, but Noah trembled when God did but speak.” ~ Thomas Manton
We downplay and minimize sin & sinfulness (cf. Gen. 6:5); The flood was an act of God to simultaneously bring about death & cleansing (renewal) of the entire created order due to the wickedness of humanity
Judgment is often delayed
Matthew 24:37–39: For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.
2 Peter 3:3–9:“ ... knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” For they deliberately overlook this fact, that the heavens existed long ago, and the earth was formed out of water and through water by the word of God, and that by means of these the world that then existed was deluged with water and perished. But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly. But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.”
III. Faith That Saves (11:7c)
Hebrews 11:7 gives us two pictures from Noah’s story of what it means to be saved by faith:
1. The Ark: Just as Noah was saved from the waters of judgment by finding refuge in the ark, we too are called to find refuge in Jesus, who bears the judgment of God in our place
The NT frequently connects the flood to baptism (cf. 1 Pet. 3:18-22), because it pictures this same pattern of death and cleansing. Jesus’ baptism was not for his own sin (since he is sinless), but instead an identification with the judgment of the world, his victory over the grave offering new life.
Colossians 2:12: “… having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead.”
2. “Heir of Righteousness”
An “heir” is in this position not because of their own abilities but because of their relationship to the one guaranteeing the inheritance. Being in Christ makes you an “heir of righteousness,” a gift that comes from the accomplished work of Jesus on our behalf to be received by faith.
Faith And The Most Acceptable Sacrifice
Hebrews 11:4; Gen 4:1-16 | Because Christ is the most acceptable sacrifice, we are approved and can by faith exclusively seek his glory.
Faith And The Most Acceptable Sacrifice
Hebrews 11:4; Gen 4:1-16
“Because God loves me and accepts me, I do not have to do things just to build up my résumé.” - Tim Keller
Big Idea: Because Christ is the most acceptable sacrifice, we are approved and can by faith exclusively seek his glory.
When We Know We’re Fully Accepted
“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts.” v4a
There is a sad reality and subsequent tragic consequence of religiosity as a means of earning the approval of God.
Cain and Abel narrative from Genesis 4:1-16
Out of all that happens in the narrative of Genesis, Hebrews 11:4 keys in on the sacrifice.
Genesis 4 doesn’t outright indicate how Abel’s sacrifice was in fact better.
They both offered sacrifices according to their vocations. Cain from the ground; Abel from the flock.
The sacrifice itself can’t be the object of our attention.
“By faith...” or further, “because he trusted God…”
There was a faith that preceded the sacrifice given.
The focus turns to Abel; (“the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering.” Gen 4:4).
Why did the Lord have regard for Abel, and not for Cain (Gen 4:5)? Because Abel’s sacrifice was preceded by faith.
But there’s more: “he was commended as righteous”.
His faith in fact made him righteous, not the act of sacrifice itself.
Rom 4:6 “Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness.”
The commendation or testimony was this: God had declared to Abel “You are righteous! so therefore I can accept your gift.”
Jesus highlights this in Matt 23:35 “righteous Abel” as opposed to John’s words about Cain “he was of the evil one” and “his deeds were evil” 1 Jo 3:12).
This doesn’t devalue or diminish the obedience of Abel. It gives it more meaning.
“Grace isn’t opposed to effort. It is opposed to earning.” - Dallas Willard
When We Know We Are Untouchable
“And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.” (4b)
By faith, we are untouchable! There isn’t a trial, circumstance, person, (not even death), that can touch us.
Because of Abel’s “faith”, he was untouchable.
Even though he suffered injustice of the greatest kind, losing his life by the hands of his own brother, “he still speaks”.
Glimpses of this thought were given in the original narrative; Gen 4:10: “The voice of your brother’s blood is crying to me from the ground.” But what does this mean exactly?
How could Abel still speak if he was dead? How can his voice still be crying out?
Because the faith that he had still resonates throughout history.
God is a God of justice who cares about those of his who lose their lives unjustly because of their faith (Abel was the first according to Scripture).
Abel didn’t have a dead religiosity like Cain.
Cain was a Pharisee of sorts whose religious activity was birthed out of self-righteousness rather than the righteousness that comes by faith.
Abel had a living faith because of a living God, and therefore he wouldn’t ever be offering dead sacrifices.
Our obedience to God never falls flat.
The faith Abel had wasn’t revealed in the efficacy of his sacrifice.
However, it was validated!
And it pointed to an even greater offering; the most acceptable sacrifice by Christ on Calvary!
Think about it: If I am fully accepted by Christ because of his sacrifice on the cross, in what ways can this fuel a faith-filled obedience in my life?
Enduring By Faith
Hebrews 10:32-11:3, 6, 12:1-3 | Faith is trusting God & his promises so that we might endure with Jesus.
Enduring By Faith
Hebrews 10:32-11:3, 6, 12:1-3
“In modern Western speech ‘faith’ has become a vague term, a warm fuzzy slipping and sliding from one area of meaning to another all the time.” ~ J.I. Packer
Main Idea: Faith is trusting God & his promises so that we might endure with Jesus.
I. The Nature of Faith (11:1-3, 6)
The character and nature of ‘faith’ involves a few components:
Knowing God (11:3a, 6b): Intellectual Component
Christianity is not a ‘blind faith;’ you cannot place your faith in something that you do not truly know.
“The heart cannot love what the mind does not know.” ~ Jen Wilkin
We are able to know God in two primary ways:
Creation (cf. Rom. 1:19-20; Ps. 19:1; Lk. 19:40)
The Word of God
Trusting God (11:1): Volitional/Relational Component
Christianity is not a “wishful thinking, hope for the best” kind of faith; it is worked out in a relationship of trust. Biblical faith is not merely believing in God, it is believing God; faith is not just knowing about God, it is knowing God.
We have “assurance of things hoped for” because of the one who has made promises about our future. We can have “the conviction of things unseen” because we know there is more to life than what we might see.
Living For God (11:2. 6a): Moral Component.
Christianity is not a passive “let go and let God” kind of faith; it is an active pursuit of the Lord, realizing that trusting the Lord in faith is what brings him pleasure.
“God is not tapping his foot judgmentally inside the door as you sneak in, crawling over the threshold in shame. He’s the father running toward you, losing his sandals on the way, his robes spilling off his shoulders with a laughing smile whose joy says, “I can’t believe you came home!” This is what grace looks like.” ~ James K.A. Smith
II. The Necessity of Faith (10:32-39)
Hebrews is written to struggling Jewish Christians who are facing difficult hardships in two ways:
Suffering (10:32)
Persecution (10:33-34)
While being tempted to “throw away their confidence” (faith), the author exhorts them to ‘endure’ (lit. ‘to stay under & remain), rather than “shrink back.” Faith is a fight to remember that God is greater than our circumstances & our feelings at any given moment.
“Faith is the art of holding on to things in spite of your changing moods and circumstances.” ~ C.S. Lewis
Faith reminds us that we are living toward hope, until the ‘coming one’ (10:37) returns. Until that day comes, God’s will for us is to endure by faith, not to shrink back.
III. The Source of Faith (12:1-3)
The life of faith is presented as a marathon “race” that requires endurance. We are not alone in this race, however: we are surrounded by a “great cloud of witnesses” who have gone before us & we must look to Jesus, who is the “founder” and “perfecter” of our faith who has completed his journey.
It is the object of our faith that saves, not the strength of our faith. But the more we look to the object (Jesus), the stronger our faith will become.
The Church & Her Mission
Matthew 28:16-20 | Mission for the church is everything that the church is sent into the world to do. Embraces the double vocation of service, “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world”.
“First thing, all mission that we have as individuals or the church must flow from God himself. It is God himself that has a plan and purpose for the world. So our mission must flow from His mission.”~ John Stott
Main Idea: Mission for the church is everything that the church is sent into the world to do. Embraces the double vocation of service, “the salt of the earth” and “the light of the world.”
The gospel is the good news that Jesus has come to save sinners and to usher in the Kingdom of God. Until Jesus returns, the local church is to be an outpost and an embassy of this Kingdom, which has already arrived with the coming of Christ and will one day be fully realized at his return. We exist to declare the King and to display the Kingdom to a world that is in desperate need of this good news.
"..the scattered people of God from all ages and places will finally be gathered. Our real spiritual connection will be made completely visible, and we will live together in the same time and space. On that day, the local church will cease to exist. In it’s place will be a single congregation of all the redeemed. And we will worship. The praise that we sing so feebly now in our own congregations will become the thunderous shot of all God’s people." ~Megan Hill
The Church and Her Practices
Acts 2:42-47 | The gospel formed Church continually devotes herself to the scriptures, the prayers, and the fellowship.
The Church and Her Practices
(Acts 2:42-47)
MIS: The gospel formed Church continually devotes herself to the scriptures, the prayers, and the fellowship.
I. Devotion to the Scriptures (v. 42)
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.”
John 16:12-15
“He had promised the twelve that the Spirit should come to teach them what in His own earthly ministry he had left unsaid, and He kept His promise; so that the apostolic teaching was in reality the complete and final version of His own.”
J.I. Packer
“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.”
Ephesians 2:19-21
II. Devotion to the Prayers (v. 42)
For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, the man Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5
“Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them.”
Hebrews 7:25
“Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us.”
Romans 8:34
“Let your gentleness be clear, for the Lord is near. Do not be anxious, but in everything, by prayer and petition, be thankful, present your requests to God, and the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:5-7
III. Devotion to the Fellowship (v. 42-47)
Koinonia (κοινωνία) - sharing, harmony, unity, giving, communing, partnering, loving
1. “…Be at peace with each other.” (Mark 9:50)
2. “…Wash one another’s feet.” (John 13:14)
3. “…Love one another…” (John 13:34)
4. “…Love one another…” (John 13:34)
5. “…Love one another…” (John 13:35)
6. “…Love one another…” (John 15:12)
7. “…Love one another” (John 15:17)
8. “Be devoted to one another in brotherly love…” (Romans 12:10)
9. “…Honor one another above yourselves. (Romans 12:10)
10. “Live in harmony with one another…” (Romans 12:16)
11. “…Love one another…” (Romans 13:8)
12. “…Stop passing judgment on one another.” (Romans 14:13)
13. “Accept one another, then, just as Christ accepted you…” (Romans 15:7)
14. “…Instruct one another.” (Romans 15:14)
15. “Greet one another with a holy kiss…” (Romans 16:16)
16. “…When you come together to eat, wait for each other.” (I Cor. 11:33)
17. “…Have equal concern for each other.” (I Corinthians 12:25)
18. “…Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (I Corinthians 16:20)
19. “Greet one another with a holy kiss.” (2 Corinthians 13:12)
20. “…Serve one another in love.” (Galatians 5:13)
21. “If you keep on biting and devouring each other…you will be destroyed by each other.”
(Galatians 5:15)
22. “Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.” (Galatians 5:26)
23. “Carry each other’s burdens…” (Galatians 6:2)
24. “…Be patient, bearing with one another in love.” (Ephesians 4:2)
25. “Be kind and compassionate to one another…” (Ephesians 4:32)
26. “…Forgiving each other…” (Ephesians 4:32)
27. “Speak to one another with psalms, hymns and spiritual songs.” (Ephesians 5:19)
28. “Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21)
29. “…In humility consider others better than yourselves.” (Philippians 2:3)
30. “Do not lie to each other…” (Colossians 3:9)
31. “Bear with each other…” (Colossians 3:13)
32. “Forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.” (Colossians 3:13)
33. “Teach…[one another]” (Colossians 3:16)
34. “…Admonish one another (Colossians 3:16)
35. “…Make your love increase and overflow for each other.” (I Thessalonians 3:12)
36. “…Love each other.” (I Thessalonians 4:9)
37. “…Encourage each other…”(I Thessalonians 4:18)
38. “…Encourage each other…” I Thessalonians 5:11)
39. “…Build each other up…” (I Thessalonians 5:11)
40. “Encourage one another daily…” Hebrews 3:13)
41. “…Spur one another on toward love and good deeds.” (Hebrews 10:24)
42. “…Encourage one another.” (Hebrews 10:25)
43. “…Do not slander one another.” (James 4:11)
44. “Don’t grumble against each other…” (James 5:9)
45. “Confess your sins to each other…” (James 5:16)
46. “…Pray for each other.” (James 5:16)
47. “…Love one another deeply, from the heart.” (I Peter 3:8)
48. “…Live in harmony with one another…” (I Peter 3:8)
49. “…Love each other deeply…” (I Peter 4:8)
50. “Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (I Peter 4:9)
51. “Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others…” (I Peter 4:10)
52. “…Clothe yourselves with humility toward one another…”(I Peter 5:5)
53. “Greet one another with a kiss of love.” (I Peter 5:14)
54. “…Love one another.” (I John 3:11)
55. “…Love one another.” (I John 3:23)
56. “…Love one another.” (I John 4:7)
57. “…Love one another.” (I John 4:11)
58. “…Love one another.” (I John 4:12)
59. “…Love one another.” (2 John 5)
We love because he first loved us. 1 John 4:19
Fellowship or Koinonia grows from love in at least five ways.
1. Awe (v. 43)
Phobos (φόβος) - panic flight, fear, the causing of fear, terror
“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” Acts 9:31
2. Unity (v. 44)
“And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14
3. Generosity (v. 45)
“For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich.” 2 Corinthians 8:9
4. Hospitality (v.46)
“Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:8-9
5. Evangelism (v. 47)
“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.” Matthew 5:16
“Now the Christians O king, by going about and seeking have found truth, for they know and trust in God the Maker of heaven and earth who has no fellow, from Him they receive those commandments which they have engraved on their minds and which they observe in the hope and expectation of the world to come, they refuse to worship strange gods, and they go their way in all humility and cheerfulness, falsehood is not found among them, they love one another, the widow’s needs are not ignored, and they rescue the orphan from the person who does him violence, he who has gives to him who has not unbegrudingly and without boasting, when the Christians find a stranger they bring him to their homes and rejoice over him as a true brother, they do not call brothers those who are bound by blood ties alone, but those who are brethren after the Spirit and in God, when one of their poor passes away from the World each provides for his burial according to his ability, if they hear of any of their number who are imprisoned or oppressed for the name of the messiah they all provide for his needs and if it is possible to redeem him they set him free. If they find poverty in their midst and they do not have spare food they fast two or three days in order that the needy might be supplied with the necessities. They observe scrupulously and the commandments of their messiah living honestly and soberly as the Lord their God ordered them. Every morning and every hour they praise and thank God for His goodness to them, and for their food and drink they offer thanksgiving. Such O’ king is the commandment given to the Christians and such is their conduct.” - Aristedes
The Church & Her Leaders
1 Timothy 3:1-13, Acts 20:28-35 | Jesus’ church is designed to be led by elders who shepherd the flock and deacons who serve faithfully.
The Church & Her Leaders
1 Timothy 3:1-13 | Acts 20:28-35
Main Idea: Jesus’ church is designed to be led by elders who shepherd the flock and deacons who serve faithfully.
I. Elders Shepherd the Flock
Terminology: Overseers (20:28a), elders (20:17), and pastors (20:28b ‘care for the church’) are used interchangeably in the NT to address the same office & position, with elder occurring the most often. Elders are pastors and pastors are elders.
Who are Elders? Elders are called men of exemplary Christ-like character who lead in a particular local church
“Called” speaks to both “aspiring” (1 Tim. 3:1 &) to the office, confirmed & commended in the local church to ensure the Holy Spirit has brought this about (Acts 20:28)
“Men”: the office of elder is reserved for men in the Scriptures and it always appears as a plurality
“Christ-like character” (1 Tim. 3:2-7) is a necessity & qualification, not a preference
What do Elders do? Elders shepherd the flock of God by:
Knowing the Sheep, caring for the flock among them.
Feeding the Sheep (1 Tim. 3:2 | Acts 20:20, 27, 32), the word of God which is able to build up.
Leading the Sheep, both in example and in organization so that it might flourish.
Protecting the Sheep, from false teachers (Acts 20:29-31) & from the dangers of sin.
Why are Elders important?
Elders who lead faithfully as “under-shepherds” will keep watch over your soul while pointing you to the “Chief Shepherd,” the one who obtained the church “with his own blood” (20:28). They reflect the authority, heart, and voice of Jesus himself, all to the benefit of the flock.
Hebrews 13:7, 17: “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith… Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
II. Deacons Serve the Flock
Elders serve by leading, while Deacons lead the church by serving.
Who are Deacons? Men and women of exemplary Christ-like character who lead by serving the church faithfully.
While the office of Elder is consistently reserved for men in the NT, the office of deacon is less clear:
“Their wives” (1 Tim. 3:11, ESV) is simply “women” in the Greek
Phoebe in Romans 16:1 is called a deacon, and seems to have some kind of official role in the church at Cenchrea
Women have served in the role of deacon throughout church history, from the early church to modern-day amongst churches that share our theological persuasion
Since deacons do not hold a ruling or teaching office over the whole church (as the elders do), appointing both men and women to the office of deacon best honors the unique & diverse gifts that God has given to the whole body of Christ.
What do Deacons do? Deacons serve the practical ministry needs & opportunities of the flock alongside the elders.
Acts 6:1-6 shows shows us 3 principles of the (future) role of deacons:
1. Deacons care for practical ministry needs and opportunities
2. Deacons are concerned for the unity of the church
Of the many lessons for deacons from Acts 6, perhaps most overlooked is their role in preserving congregational unity. The situation was no mere culinary quibble. The apostles were faced with a natural fault line that threatened to fracture the very unity Christ died to achieve. The gospel insists, after all, that our unity in Christ supersedes any worldly difference. So make no mistake: the apostles did not delegate this problem to others because it wasn’t important, but because it was. They could have imposed a swift, superficial solution and moved on. Instead they laid groundwork for an ongoing solution and a permanent church office.” ~ Matt Smethurst
3. Deacons work in a supportive role alongside the ministry of the elders
Why are Deacons important?
Deacons ensure that the ministry of the church is maintained, unified, and carried out, while they reflect the ultimate Servant who “came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mk. 10:45)
The Church & Her Members
Romans 12:3-16 | The church is the body of brothers & sisters in Christ, called to serve and love one another.
The Church & Her Members
Romans 12:3-16
“The reality of God’s family is that people have different backgrounds and personalities and opinions. They will clash. It will be messy. It’s a huge challenge committing to a family like this, but it’s not optional. Adopted sons & daughters of God can’t just throw in the towel and retreat to our just-like-me friend groups and homogenous cliques. We must lean into the awkward conglomeration of people who comprise the church.” ~ Brett McCracken
Main Idea: The church is the body of brothers & sisters in Christ, called to serve and love one another.
I. The Church is a Body (12:3-8)
The imagery of the “body” signifies two things:
1. Unity
Ephesians 4:1-6: I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
2. Mutual Dependence
Implication: The church ought to serve one another (12:6-8) in order to build up the body of Christ.
“This truth should give you confidence: your particular gifts have a valuable, God-appointed place. It should also humble you: your particular gifts are simply one part of the body, and you desperately need other people with their particular gifts… this truth should increase your love for the local church: the gifts in the body are exactly what God knows your congregation needs. Because of God’s sovereign choosing, no part is missing, and every part is valuable.” ~ Megan Hill
The various “lists” of spiritual gifts in the NT can be categorized broadly into Speaking Gifts, Leading Gifts, and Serving Gifts. Regardless of gifts or categories, the exhortation is “having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them” (12:6).
II. The Church is a Family (12:9-16)
As the “household of faith” (Gal. 6:10; 1 Tim. 3:15), the church is:
1. Divinely Selected: Though we did not choose one another, we are given the gift of one another.
“By their simple and repeated use of the term brothers and sisters, the writers of the Epistles underscore that the people in the pews around us are in, in fact, our family. Like the members of our biological family, we haven’t chosen them for ourselves, but they have been chosen for us, and we are therefore inseparably bound to them. Because we are allied with Christ, we are allied with his family.” ~ Megan Hill
2. Deeply Interconnected: We are designed to be with real people, in a particular place, with a meaningful presence in one another’s lives, embracing uncomfortable & counter-cultural accountability as a gift from God (i.e.: church membership).
3. Steadfastly Committed: Despite our inevitable family dysfunctions and difficulties, we are called to commit to one another through the ups and down of ordinary life
Implication: The family of faith ought to love one another, in both affection and action.
Affection: Brotherly affection, fervent in spirit, rejoicing, constant in prayer
Action: contributing to the needy, showing hospitality, turning away from evil, holding fast to what is good, pursuing the lowly & overlooked
“At her best and at her worst, Jesus loves his church. He laid down his life for her (John 10:11). He will never leave or forsake her (Hebrews 13:5). He will complete the work he started in her (Philippians 1:6). In other words, Jesus never looked for more of God by having less of the church. Instead, he married her. The church is the chosen, beloved Bride of Christ.” ~ Scott Sauls