Wilderness Wanderings

A Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The text of Matthew 5:13-16. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection!

To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

1. What statement of fact does Jesus make in our text? Does he qualify it?

2. Fill in the blanks: As salt exists for _______, so disciples exist for the __________.

3. How do the metaphors of salt and light differ? What is the essential message?

4. What warning is added to these metaphors? How do we stay salty?

5. How does this week's solar event help us remember the goal Jesus expresses?

Our text is 1 Thessalonians 2:1-6

You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority.

Paul frequently faced stiff opposition when proclaiming the gospel. He came to Thessalonica from Philippi where he and Silas had been stripped and severely flogged and thrown in prison without trial. At midnight God used an earthquake to set them free. Things only went marginally better in Thessalonica. After they made a quick exit, questions arose concerning the validity of their ministry. Was it really from God?

Here, Paul defends them against their detractors. As we listen in to his defense, today's preachers are challenged to evaluate their own ministries according to this high standard. Further, we are all invited to assess the validity of preachers that we listen to or watch. Let's consider what Paul writes.

First, he invites his readers to consider what they know about him. Don't test me according to what others are saying but consider what you know and experienced firsthand when we were with you. There is a challenge here for all of us whose favourite preachers come to us via YouTube. How much do we really know about them? Are there ways to test the legitimacy of their ministry? Many have fallen precisely because they ministered from a safe distance. We should not give up on pastors living among their people.

Second, Paul askes that his preaching be evaluated. In the face of stiff opposition in Philippi, did he change his message? No, he did not. When he and his friends arrived in Thessalonica, they proclaimed the same gospel of Jesus. This message and their willingness to suffer for it speak volumes regarding their authenticity. They did not rebrand their message to make it more appealing. Risking further torture, they 'dared' to continue proclaiming what God had given them.

Third, examine the motives of Paul and friends. They were being accused of insincerity, wanting to make a quick buck, because they had come and gone so quickly. The Greek words translated as "impure motives" include the sexual impurity which was common among Greek and Roman religions.

Since Paul tended to receive room and board from new converts, it would be easy to verify his activities while in town. Look at the evidence, he says, are we guilty of such thing? There was no trickery or flattery. They did not use their ministry to line their own pockets. He did except gifts from friends (see Philippians 4:18), but he did not take up collections to support himself. Paul was confident the new believers would recognize that the accusations were nothing but slander.

Consider these things as you engage with ministries around the globe.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message in the midst of severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit. And so you became a model to all the believers in Macedonia and Achaia. The Lord's message rang out from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia—your faith in God has become known everywhere. Therefore we do not need to say anything about it, for they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath. (1 Thessalonians 1:6-10)

From the Spirit-fired work of God among the Thessalonians, a beautiful thing began to happen. Like yeast through the dough, their Christian witness began to spread everywhere!

Believing the Gospel is one thing, but in order to live it in our daily lives, we all need some model to follow. We have to see a Christian life in action so that we can practice the rhythms and habits of grace ourselves. Jesus coming in the flesh initiated this means of transmitting the good news as he invited his disciples to watch, listen, and learn from his life, teaching, and eventual death and resurrection. They in turn preached and lived this gospel message out among others. And so it was, in pastor Michael's phrase from yesterday that "the church begat the church."

Now perhaps the Thessalonians were sufficiently unassuming in their living of the faith under severe suffering that they had not noticed the impact their Spirit-fired faith was having on the world around them. So Paul tells them—they are putting Paul and his fellow missionaries out of a job! Paul and the gang don't need to tell anyone about Jesus, because people everywhere have already heard the story of the faith of the Thessalonian Christians!

A good story of a Christian life lived preaches louder than any lecture or Sunday sermon. The story of the Thessalonian Christians, like any good story, had a beginning, middle, and end. The beginning was their past: they—residents of a Greek city in view of Mt. Olympus—had turned away from the mountain of the gods to the living and true God. This no doubt has something to do with the "suffering" the Thessalonians now faced, but probably also something to do with the power of the message springing from their lives. If they, people in the direct line of sight of Zeus and Herra, could thwart the claims of Mt. Olympus in favour of a higher power, even at great personal cost inflicted by neighbours—there must be something to this new God!

The middle of the story shows the Thessalonians not just turning away from idols—not merely deconstructing an old faith, but also reconstructing a new one. They have turned to serve the living and true God. They have begun to mold their lives around new works of faith, labours of love, all grounded in a new hope. And that is finally where the story ends: a people waiting steadfastly and actively for Jesus, their Lord, to come again.

Whose stories of faith do you model your faith on? What idols in your life (and faith) need deconstructing and what new practices of faith, love, and hope is God reconstructing in their place? It may seem like a tough slog in the present moment, but you never know how far afield your own life and story of faith might be preaching! So hang in there! Stay steadfast, and keep your hope fixed in Christ.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

Our text is 1 Thessalonians 1:5-6

For we know, brothers and sisters loved by God, that he has chosen you, because our gospel came to you not simply with words but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and deep conviction. You know how we lived among you for your sake. You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you welcomed the message amid severe suffering with the joy given by the Holy Spirit.

Recall how the old English translations of Matthew's gospel began, "Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren". Well, Paul plays a riff on that genealogy in this letter. But its not a long line of names, rather, it's a spiral with only two characters: the gospel and the church. The song goes something like this: the apostles preached the gospel begetting the church, the church preached the gospel begetting the church, the church preaches the gospel begetting the church, on and on and on all the way down to you and me.

When we think of church, we imagine buildings, people, policies, worship services, committee meetings, Bible studies, and so on. But Paul will have none of that. All those things are good and useful and probably even necessary, but they do not make church. We have already discovered two things that define the church: a community that lives in God and a community distinguished by faith, love, and hope. See our past two devotions for reflections on these two.

Now Paul adds a third element that determines if a community is a church: "a community loved by God and chosen by him." In our conversations about church, we usually focus on what we do. Paul would have us put the spotlight on what God does. What God does is primary. This is encouraging. Even when the church does a poor job at being the church, she is still the church. He is confident that he is writing to a church because the gospel of Jesus Christ was proclaimed, and the people responded with faith and changed lives.

Gospel proclamation has two components: words and power. We are not thinking here of the persuasive and logical arguments of apologetics, but rather the story of Jesus told, accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit. Blind eyes and hard hearts do not appreciate the gospel. The Holy Spirit's internal work penetrates heart, mind, conscience, will. The Word is the Spirit's Sword (Ephesians 6:17). As someone has quipped, "the Spirit without the Word is weaponless; the Word without the Spirit is powerless".

So, here we ought to pause to reflect on the state of our hearts. The spiritual heart is an odd thing. It may be soft one day but the next considerably harder. The events of life impact us and the state of our hearts. Thus, heart work is essential for the Christian. The Psalmist warns, "They close up their callous hearts" (Psalm 17:10), and encourages us to pray, "Test me, Lord, and try me, examine my heart and my mind" (26:2) and "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (51:10).

Paul reminds us that the Christian life is caught. These new Christians imitated the apostles. The proclaimers of the gospel had a spiritual joy that enabled them to suffer for the gospel without complaint. In the Christian life, suffering & joy are often close companions. Again, this is the work of the Holy Spirit. Those loved and chosen by God, show and tell the gospel. Focus on the first part of that sentence, the second part will come. The Holy Spirit is powerful enough to make that happen in each of us.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

We always thank God for all of you and continually mention you in our prayers. We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

John Calvin somewhat famously (at least among geeky theological circles) suggested that 1 Thessalonians 1:3 is "a brief definition of true Christianity." This is because it contains that triad of faith, love, and hope—albeit in a different order than we find in 1 Corinthians 13.

Hope probably takes the final place because—as we'll discover in the context of this letter—the greatest of these three virtues among the Thessalonians was not their love, but their hope in Christ. It was the thing they most needed to cling to if they were to remain grounded amidst heavy pushback and persecution from their neighbours. Interestingly, this triad also matches the order we talked about in Sunday's sermon on the beatitudes, where the need for hope against persecution takes up the final place.

So the question: if this is the shape of a healthy Christian life, how does your life match up with these first few verses? We'll find out in the next set of verses that all these good things of faith, love, hope, and even Paul, Silas, and Timothy's constant thanks, are driven not primarily by the good deeds of the Thessalonians, but by the work of God among them. So how supple and responsive is your life to the work of God?

In general, does gratitude pass your lips more than complaint? What about in prayer? To the extent that we cultivate an awareness of God's gifts and actions in our lives, it's not hard to find things to thank him for. But it takes time and attentiveness to do!

Work produced by faith. Faith and works are beautifully joined together here, recognizing that our work of response arises from our belief that God is indeed the one who gives the gifts to do it. So, does your faith in Christ put a spring in your step for going out to work in freedom and joy with a mindset of "I get to!" rather than "I have to…"?

Labor prompted by love—it seems that much of this labor is not our work, but our striving to love one another. So: are you actively seeking to love—in the same way that Christ has loved you—the people you live and work with? What about those who dislike or disagree with?

Finally: does your hope in the future where Jesus returns and sets all things right and makes all things new keep you grounded and faithful in plodding out the mundane, everyday realities of life and living? Of the works of faith, love, and thanks?

Wherever any of these happen—it is a gift of God! Wherever any of these don't happen, it is an opportunity to recognize that Jesus is there knocking at the door offering the grace to try again. May he form these gifts of thanks, faith, love, and hope within you ever more deeply, today.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

Our text is 1 Thessalonians 1:1

Paul, Silas, and Timothy, to the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ: Grace and peace to you.

We trust you have been blessed by scripture during this season of Lent and Easter. Today, we return to our traditional Wilderness Wanderings format, with short reflections on scripture, this time working our way through the first letter to the Thessalonian church.

Paul modelled his letter writing after the common formats of his day. However, he often tweaked them to indicate something of his intention in writing to a particular church. Here, he writes that this church is "in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ."

The use of this preposition picks up a theme which Jesus introduced to his disciples. It conjures the image of a fish in water, of humans in the earth's atmosphere, of a worm in the earth. These creatures die if them spend too much time outside their environment.

Jesus spoke about his disciples being in him like branches in a vine. To other churches Paul wrote about the Christian life "being hidden with Christ in God". As Christians, we draw our life from God himself. Not just as individuals, He is the source of the church's communal life. The early Christians did not envision the solitary devotion of the modern Christian. Not having Bible's in their homes, reading and studying it was a communal activity.

Notice that the Father and the Son are equal in giving life to the church. This pairing, which in other places also includes the Holy Spirit, eventually gave rise to the doctrine of the Trinity. The Christian churches live in the environment of the Triune God.

We are not told why Paul addresses this church in this way, but we can make an educated guess. It was still a young church, all the members recently switching allegiance from pagan gods to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Already, there was strong opposition to those adhering to this new religion. The church, as yet, had no structures as we know them today. No history in which to root herself. They were like freshly planting saplings, easily uprooted, knocked over, crushed. How could this young church survive in hostile conditions?

Paul's answer is that they are the ones gathered in the Father and the Son. They may live in Thessalonica, and they may be subjects of the Roman Emperor, but their strength and security is not found in the city or in Rome. Their source of life is God himself. Paul does not put any conditions to receiving life from God. All who believe in Jesus live in him. That was true when this letter was written, and it is true today.

And being in God, they receive his peace and grace. God's peace is not the absence of conflict, but the fullness of health and harmony through reconciliation with God and with each other. God's grace is his free, undeserved favour through Christ which confers this peace and sustains it. These are the gifts of God for his church. What ever troubles and tribulations we encounter, Paul wants us to know, that God has us. He will not let go.

As you journey on, go with the blessing of God:

May God himself, the God who makes everything holy and whole, make you holy and whole, put you together—spirit, soul, and body—and keep you fit for the coming of our Master, Jesus Christ. The One who called you is completely dependable. If he said it, he'll do it! The amazing grace of Jesus Christ be with you! (1 Thessalonians 5:23,24,28 The Message).

An extended Sunday Sermon edition of Wilderness Wanderings! The texts come from Matthew 5:1-12, from the New International Version of the Bible. Dive In discussion questions are below for further reflection! To see this sermon in the context of the worship service it comes from, find it here on YouTube. Or, head to our website to connect with the worshiping community of Immanuel CRC: immanuelministries.ca

DIVE IN QUESTIONS

1. What stands out to you from hearing these verses? Is God offering an invitation or a challenge to you through those words? Take time to pray about it.

2. What is the context of this passage as we move from Matthew 4 to Matthew 5?

3. What are the beatitudes (these blessings) not? What cultural hangs up can keep us from hearing the Blessings that Jesus offers? Do any of these hang ups resonate with you and the way you read the Beatitudes?

4. Who do the first four blessings address? What do they say to people in these situations? Are you one of them? If so, how do these words meet you today?

5. What is the shape of the blessings, and how do they represent the Christian life of discipleship?

6. How will you live in light of Jesus' blessing today?

Psalm 115:1,15-18

Not to us, LORD, not to us but to your name be the glory, because of your love and faithfulness. … May you be blessed by the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. The highest heavens belong to the Lord, but the earth he has given to mankind. It is not the dead who praise the Lord, those who go down to the place of silence; it is we who extol the Lord, both now and forevermore. Praise the Lord.

Exodus 14:10-14

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

1 Corinthians 15:35-36, 42-44, 54-58

But someone will ask, "How are the dead raised? With what kind of body will they come?" How foolish! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. … So will it be with the resurrection of the dead. The body that is sown is perishable, it is raised imperishable; it is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory; it is sown in weakness, it is raised in power; it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. … When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: "Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

Luke 8:49-56

While Jesus was still speaking, someone came from the house of Jairus, the synagogue leader. "Your daughter is dead," he said. "Don't bother the teacher anymore." Hearing this, Jesus said to Jairus, "Don't be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed." When he arrived at the house of Jairus, he did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John and James, and the child's father and mother. Meanwhile, all the people were wailing and mourning for her. "Stop wailing," Jesus said. "She is not dead but asleep." They laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But he took her by the hand and said, "My child, get up!" Her spirit returned, and at once she stood up. Then Jesus told them to give her something to eat. Her parents were astonished, but he ordered them not to tell anyone what had happened.

Prayer

Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name be the glory. Each of these texts today speak of death being overturned in life. Different pictures of salvation. Different pictures of resurrection. But in all of them, we see Jesus. Against all the fears and dangers that we face—enable us to stand firm in the resurrection hope of Jesus, trusting that you will fight our battles and that our future is firmly anchored in your history and promise of life and salvation having the final word. In the name of Jesus, our risen Lord we pray. Amen.

Scriptures for this Tuesday after Easter 2024.

Psalm 114

When Israel came out of Egypt, Jacob from a people of foreign tongue, Judah became God's sanctuary, Israel his dominion. The sea looked and fled, the Jordan turned back; the mountains leaped like rams, the hills like lambs. Why was it, sea, that you fled? Why, Jordan, did you turn back? Why, mountains, did you leap like rams, you hills, like lambs? Tremble, earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water.

Exodus 13:11-16

"After the Lord brings you into the land of the Canaanites and gives it to you, as he promised on oath to you and your ancestors, you are to give over to the Lord the first offspring of every womb. All the firstborn males of your livestock belong to the Lord. Redeem with a lamb every firstborn donkey, but if you do not redeem it, break its neck. Redeem every firstborn among your sons.

"In days to come, when your child asks you, 'What does this mean?' say to him, 'With a mighty hand the Lord brought us out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. When Pharaoh stubbornly refused to let us go, the Lord killed the firstborn of both people and animals in Egypt. This is why I sacrifice to the Lord the first male offspring of every womb and redeem each of my firstborn sons.' And it will be like a sign on your hand and a symbol on your forehead that the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his mighty hand."

1 Corinthians 15:29-34

Suppose no one rises from the dead. Then what will people do who are baptized for the dead? Suppose the dead are not raised at all. Then why are people baptized for them? And why would we put ourselves in danger every hour? I face death every day. That's the truth. And here is something you can be just as sure of. I take pride in what Christ Jesus our Lord has done for you through my work. Did I fight wild animals in Ephesus with nothing more than human hopes? Then what have I gotten for it? If the dead are not raised, "Let us eat and drink, because tomorrow we will die." Don't let anyone fool you. "Bad companions make a good person bad." You should come back to your senses and stop sinning. Some of you don't know anything about God. I say this to make you ashamed.

Luke 7:11-17

Some time later, Jesus went to a town called Nain. His disciples and a large crowd went along with him. He approached the town gate. Just then, a dead person was being carried out. He was the only son of his mother. She was a widow. A large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, he felt sorry for her. So he said, "Don't cry." Then he went up and touched the coffin. Those carrying it stood still. Jesus said, "Young man, I say to you, get up!" The dead man sat up and began to talk. Then Jesus gave him back to his mother. The people were all filled with wonder and praised God. "A great prophet has appeared among us," they said. "God has come to help his people." This news about Jesus spread all through Judea and the whole country.

Prayer

Lord of all life and power, through the mighty resurrection of your Son, our Lord Jesus, you overcame the old order of sin and death. Through him, you make all things new. Through your Spirit, kill in us the old self and raise us to new life in Christ. To you be praise and honour, glory and might, now and in all eternity. Amen.

Psalm 113:1-3, 7-8

Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord, you his servants; praise the name of the Lord. Let the name of the Lord be praised, both now and forevermore. From the rising of the sun to the place where it sets, the name of the Lord is to be praised. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; he seats them with princes, with the princes of his people.

Exodus 12:31-36, 41-42

During the night Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron and said, "Up! Leave my people, you and the Israelites! Go, worship the Lord as you have requested. Take your flocks and herds, as you have said, and go. And also bless me." The Egyptians urged the people to hurry and leave the country. "For otherwise," they said, "we will all die!" So the people took their dough before the yeast was added, and carried it on their shoulders in kneading troughs wrapped in clothing. The Israelites did as Moses instructed and asked the Egyptians for articles of silver and gold and for clothing. The Lord had made the Egyptians favorably disposed toward the people, and they gave them what they asked for; so they plundered the Egyptians. … At the end of the 430 years, to the very day, all the Lord's divisions left Egypt. Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.

1 Corinthians 15:20-26

But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Matthew 28:16-20

Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

Prayer

Lord our God, we praise your name that you are a God of salvation. You delivered your people from their slavery under the ruthlessness of Pharaoh and his idols, even as you promise to deliver us now from the dominion, authority, and powers of evil and death that continue to consume our world. May you complete this good work in Christ soon. But until the end of the age when that work is complete, empower us—despite our doubts—to carry out the disciple-making mission of your kingdom. In the name of Jesus we pray, amen.