What is the book of Ezekiel about? Why was it written? What was the purpose?
I spent some time this morning doing a word study having read through the book, trying to find key phrases and one in particular stood out: then you or they "will know that I am the LORD". That seems to encapsulate the message of Ezekiel - God is acting so that his people know he is the LORD, why? Because they have forgotten, hence their moral decline and their idolatry which has led them into exile and which will lead to Jerusalem's destruction.
But it is not just that God wants Israel to know that he is the LORD, the judgements on Tyre, Egpyt and the other surrounding nations also have that as their purpose. And in the prophecy of the future this purpose appears again. Because only when they recognise and entrust themselves to God his ways and his purposes will they live by faith.
God is God! It is frightening and sobering to think that his people have fogotten that after all that God has done for them and all the blessings he has given them. But then how different are we?
Showing posts with label Purpose. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Purpose. Show all posts
Tuesday, 2 August 2011
Monday, 26 January 2009
What's our goal?
What is my goal as a pastor teacher? What is your goal as a home group leader or a Sunday school teacher, or whatever service you perform in the church? What about as a member of church as you come along? What is our goal as a church when we meet together?
What is Paul’s goal in Colossians 1? To “present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Paul isn’t just interested in converts, in numbers signing a pledge card or praying a prayer. He labours to present mature Christians.
How? (28) “We proclaim him, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom…” He teaches them about Jesus, and he corrects wrong thinking and clears muddled thinking – that’s what admonishing means. And it is not just for the keenies or those who love big books, or reading, it is for everyone, that word appears 3 times in the verse.
In contrast to the false teaches in Colossae from whom Paul borrows the language ‘perfect’, ‘wisdom’ and ‘mystery’ that he uses in this passage, there are no secrets, no initiations, no rituals as the false teachers said to maturity and fullness, there is the sufficient Jesus Christ.
That must be what we teach, it must be what we continue in. We need to have our wrong thinking about Jesus and what he does clarified, we need his wisdom on how to live. If as a church we ever stop teaching that please bring it to our attention and if we do not repent and change find somewhere that does teach it and labour there, because we will have lost the gospel and connection with Jesus Christ.
But this is about more than just teaching from the front, do you see Paul’s concern here he doesn’t want numbers he wants disciples. We, I, need to repent of this idea that a growing church is one where more people are coming, where we grow from 60 now to 80 or 100. A growing church is one where its members are being taught and being helped to understand more about Jesus Christ, where they are living out what it means to follow him.
Every member ministry means that you are engaged in that, both as those listening to teaching and as those teaching others. As a church mature Christians must be our goal.
What is Paul’s goal in Colossians 1? To “present everyone fully mature in Christ.” Paul isn’t just interested in converts, in numbers signing a pledge card or praying a prayer. He labours to present mature Christians.
How? (28) “We proclaim him, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom…” He teaches them about Jesus, and he corrects wrong thinking and clears muddled thinking – that’s what admonishing means. And it is not just for the keenies or those who love big books, or reading, it is for everyone, that word appears 3 times in the verse.
In contrast to the false teaches in Colossae from whom Paul borrows the language ‘perfect’, ‘wisdom’ and ‘mystery’ that he uses in this passage, there are no secrets, no initiations, no rituals as the false teachers said to maturity and fullness, there is the sufficient Jesus Christ.
That must be what we teach, it must be what we continue in. We need to have our wrong thinking about Jesus and what he does clarified, we need his wisdom on how to live. If as a church we ever stop teaching that please bring it to our attention and if we do not repent and change find somewhere that does teach it and labour there, because we will have lost the gospel and connection with Jesus Christ.
But this is about more than just teaching from the front, do you see Paul’s concern here he doesn’t want numbers he wants disciples. We, I, need to repent of this idea that a growing church is one where more people are coming, where we grow from 60 now to 80 or 100. A growing church is one where its members are being taught and being helped to understand more about Jesus Christ, where they are living out what it means to follow him.
Every member ministry means that you are engaged in that, both as those listening to teaching and as those teaching others. As a church mature Christians must be our goal.
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
Compulsion
What is it that drives us? What is it that makes us get out of bed in the morning, get dressed, go out to work? What makes us do it day after day?
I guess many people would answer that money drives them, the new car or the new TV or to provide for their kids, or maybe if we're honest its to keep up with the neighbours. But what happens when you retire? What drives you then? Is it getting your golf handicap into single figures? Or taking up a new hobby?
What is it that gives us purpose in life? Paul as he writes to the Corinthian Church, to a church struggling with living out the scandal of the gospel in an image conscious world, Paul writes to give them a purpose as he explains his purpose for living.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." Why get out of bed in the morning? Because Christ has died for me and in doing so he takes on my sin, reconciles me to God and makes me a new creation. Why go to work? Because Christ died for me and I am a new creation who lives for him. I am not a doctor who happens to be a Christian I am a Christian living for Christ as a doctor, or student, or mum.
Christ love is to be my purpose in everything I do, it is to be what drives me, it is to be what compels me if I am convinced that one died for all.
I guess many people would answer that money drives them, the new car or the new TV or to provide for their kids, or maybe if we're honest its to keep up with the neighbours. But what happens when you retire? What drives you then? Is it getting your golf handicap into single figures? Or taking up a new hobby?
What is it that gives us purpose in life? Paul as he writes to the Corinthian Church, to a church struggling with living out the scandal of the gospel in an image conscious world, Paul writes to give them a purpose as he explains his purpose for living.
"For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died." Why get out of bed in the morning? Because Christ has died for me and in doing so he takes on my sin, reconciles me to God and makes me a new creation. Why go to work? Because Christ died for me and I am a new creation who lives for him. I am not a doctor who happens to be a Christian I am a Christian living for Christ as a doctor, or student, or mum.
Christ love is to be my purpose in everything I do, it is to be what drives me, it is to be what compels me if I am convinced that one died for all.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)