If you only knew how much I love you!
This week’s devotions are based on Week 6 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Every parent has probably gone through a situation or season in their life of raising their children that they feel the displeasure of the children. Perhaps it’s a fit after not buying a toy in the store. I maybe was the refusal to let them go over to a friend’s house, or as a teenager a blistering rampage about a curfew that was too early.
In all of these situations and more, a child’s response might be, “You don’t love me” or more direct, “I hate you!”
To be sure, these interactions pierce the heart of a parent who has unconditional love for their child and giving their best effort to guide their children in a way that is beneficial and training them to be a blessing to the people around them.
If they only knew how much you love them.
If only.
It might be years after that finally a grown child, perhaps with children of their own, encounters a similar situation in their parenting life and calls you up and says, “I’m sorry. I never knew. I never knew how much you loved me. Thank you.”
In the moment we can fail to see the unconditional and undying love of our parents, but how much greater it would be if we could, in the moment, see how great the love our parents have for us.
In a much greater way, how often do we react to our heavenly Father in the same way. We have a fit when he doesn’t do what we want. We doubt his love when a season of hardship comes into our lives. We push against the boundaries that his law sets up for us. Too often we simply think, “God doesn’t love me!”
Oh, how God must react in heaven when we act this way and want to scream in our ears for our hearts to be convinced of…”If they only knew how much I love you!”
As Paul writes to the Ephesians he wants them to know HOW MUCH God loves them! Just to grasp a bit more the immensity of God’s love for them personally. The first part of the letter has laid out God’s love that called them empowered them, made them alive, gave them purpose and more. All of this that shapes their identity is simply because of God’s love for them.
So as we begin this new week, Paul’s prayer is my prayer for you as well…
Ephesians 3:14 For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15 from whom his whole family in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16 I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18 may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19 and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.
20 Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.
Apply: What aspect of God’s love do you forget about most or question the most?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for always acting in love toward me. Forgive my failure to see your love and then question your love. Lead me always to see, to grasp, and to live in the fullness of your love. AMEN.
Are you a servant of the Gospel?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 5 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Ephesians 3:7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power.
The Apostle Paul certainly had a special privilege and calling that he had received from the Lord to bring the message of the Gospel to the Gentile/Mediterranean world. His travels, interactions, writings all served to bring Jesus to the hearts of thousands of people and still God is using his inspired writings to reach people like you and me.
But what about you?
Are you a servant of the Gospel?
A servant is one who is under the guidance and supervision of a master. The servant takes their direction and orders from the one he serves. Many of the parables that Jesus told in the Gospels involved a master and servants. The Master is often Jesus himself or the heavenly Father. The servants aren’t just his disciples, but all his followers.
So yes, you are a servant.
As a believer, a follower of Christ, we recognize that our Master is Christ himself. We are no longer slaves to our sinful nature, but rather a servant who is intent on doing the Father’s will.
So what does that look like to be a “servant of the Gospel?”
A servant of the Gospel sees a primary purpose in life is to live out the new life that the Gospel has given them. We are no longer serving our sinful nature and all its desires and cravings, rather we fall in step with the Spirit of God and let his will, influence, and direction permeate our lives.
A servant of the Gospel sees a primary purpose in life is to share the Gospel. God wants all people to be saved. People are saved when they hear the Word of Christ, the Gospel message. God in his infinite wisdom has chosen his followers to be the people that communicate that message with people. Sure, you do your task at work, at home, at school…but a servant of the Gospel always is carrying a bias to see relationships and interactions as opportunities to share the Gospel.
A servant of the Gospel is not looking for accolades and self-promotion. They, as Paul, recognize this status as a servant of the Gospel is one that is given to them by God’s grace. And that is enough. At the end of the day, we are simply doing our duty. This is what Jesus taught in Luke 17:7 “Suppose one of you has a servant plowing or looking after the sheep. Will he say to the servant when he comes in from the field, ‘Come along now and sit down to eat’? 8 Won’t he rather say, ‘Prepare my supper, get yourself ready and wait on me while I eat and drink; after that you may eat and drink’? 9 Will he thank the servant because he did what he was told to do? 10 So you also, when you have done everything you were told to do, should say, ‘We are unworthy servants; we have only done our duty.’”
So fellow servants of the Gospel, enjoy living today simply doing your duty, living and sharing the Gospel God has shown to you!
Apply: What opportunities might God give you today to more directly live out your role as a servant of the Gospel?
Prayer: Lord, your grace is amazing to both call me into your family and call me to be a servant of your Gospel. While some like Paul are full time in this role, help me to see the interactions of my day as an opportunity to live and share the Gospel message you have given to me. AMEN.
Suffering for the Gospel…
This week’s devotions are based on Week 5 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Would you be open to suffering?
Ephesians 3:13 I ask you, therefore, not to be discouraged because of my sufferings for you, which are your glory.
Sometimes we can be oblivious.
For example, as American citizens we intellectually know that we live on the backs of many men and women who have suffered and sacrificed to protect and preserve this nation that we enjoy. We can easily take the freedoms we do enjoy in this country and forget the sacrifice that was given.
However, when we pause to reflect on it, such as on Memorial Day or the Fourth of July or Veterans Day, we perhaps have a saddened emotion as we recognize the huge cost it has taken to establish and preserve our country. Yet, when you talk to almost any veteran, they were honored to serve and any family who has lost a loved one in combat, proud of their soldier. They don’t want you to be discouraged by their suffering, but rather enjoy the blessing that came through their suffering.
Have you ever thought about this in regard to your faith life? Do you have any part of your faith story that someone had to go through hardship to bring the Gospel to you? Maybe we don’t often think about this, but if your parents had a primary influence in your life, they probably had many days that they didn’t want to get up and bring you to church, but they did. Maybe they sacrificed their time and energy to make sure you had a Christian education. Perhaps in some settings you had a relative that risked rejection from the rest of the family and still taught you the Bible stories. Maybe your family was so opposed to Christianity that you yourself had to risk being kicked out of the family to become a Christian.
The Apostle Paul knew that as he was a servant of the Gospel, he would undergo suffering and was undergoing suffering for the sake of bringing the Gospel to the people of Ephesus. It seems like some were “discouraged” that all this was happening to Paul just to bring them the message of Jesus.
But Paul saw it as part of the role of a servant and realized the privilege of suffering for the sake of the Gospel. The Lord Jesus through Annanias said there would be suffering involved in bringing Jesus to the nations.
Acts 9:15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”
Paul was used to causing suffering to people connected to the name of Jesus. Now he was on the receiving end of the very same thing. Yet he realized that suffering for the cause of the Gospel was to the glory of God and the salvation of souls.
So he was willing to do it.
And the Ephesians were blessed by it.
And so are we.
Suffering is part of being a servant of the Gospel. But know that when you suffer to bring Jesus to someone else, the suffering isn’t easy, but the impact on the souls of others is eternal.
Apply: Have you had to suffer for the sake of the Gospel? What witness opportunities have you avoided because of fear of suffering?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for all your faithful servants who have been willing to suffer for the sake of bringing your Gospel to others. Give me courage as well, as one of your servants, to be willing to suffer to bring your message to others. AMEN.
Has the Church lost its focus?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 5 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
Have you ever wondered what the purpose of the church is?
In our culture today the purpose can be blurred or off point.
At its worst, our culture has tried to make the Church irrelevant and the cause of societies problems. Is the Church an entity that has lost it’s purpose?
At times it feels like the Church, in America at least, is relegated to a political voting block. Is this the purpose of the Church to influence American (or any country’s) politics?
At times it seems like the purpose of the Church is to solve societal ills such as poverty, homelessness, racial tensions, etc. Is this the primary purpose of the Church?
As we think about the Church, it is defined by all who believe in Jesus as their Savior. So what is the primary purpose of God’s Church, all believers? Paul outlines it in Ephesians 3:10: His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms,11 according to his eternal purpose that he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. 12 In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.
God wants his people to take the wisdom he has given to them by the Spirit of God and proclaim it to others. The Gospel of grace is the main tool of the CHurch and the purpose of the Church is to bring this Gospel to others.
The eternal purpose of God is to have all people saved and in heaven with him. The tool he has given is the message of grace found in Jesus Christ.
So, if we focus on feeding the hungry and never share the Gospel, we have missed our purpose.
If we work hard to elect conservative leaders and never share the Gospel, we have missed our purpose.
If we work to solve the world’s problems without solving the soul’s problem, we have missed our purpose.
We have the privilege of having received the grace of God to assure us of forgiveness and oneness with God. We have been given the grace of God so we might be servants of the Gospel. We have what God has planned in eternity so we may approach him with freedom.
The soul is searching for peace with God. People fill that void with additions and activities. People try to find themselves in different lifestyles or relationships. People redefine “god” to make god what they want him to be to avoid any interaction with the true God. People fear death because they fear what follows after it.
This is the blessing of the Church and the purpose which God has given it: to proclaim grace through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus to give the soul peace with God.
Christians may be involved in other activities, yet let’s never forget our main purpose: Proclaim grace. This is God’s eternal purpose for his people.
Apply: How have you been distracted from God’s purpose for you? How can you focus more on the purpose of proclaiming grace?
Prayer: Lord, thank you for your grace. Forgive us for our loss of focus and lead us back to be laser focused on proclaiming grace to people of this world! AMEN.
Would you get the job?
This week’s devotions are based on Week 5 of the Series Ephesians: Becoming Who You Are (CLICK HERE)
“It’s not what you know, but who you know.”
In a competitive job market, one can send 100s of resumes to places posted on LinkedIn or Indeed or other job listing websites. Unfortunately the chance of getting selected from a pool of 1000s of applicants is rather slim. However, if you know someone who works at the company, the chances greatly increase to at least get an interview.
So how did Paul become a servant of the Gospel?
If Paul would be applying to the Lord for the position, “Servant of the Gospel” his resume would probably have been quickly dismissed. For prior to the Lord Jesus knocking him off his horse, his resume would have included such accomplishments as:
- Opposed and threw many Christians in prison
- Approved and watched as Stephen was stoned for being a Christian.
- Great one-liner murderous threats that anyone can use against Christians.
- High ranking Pharisee that can get authorization to kill Christians in any town.
So, would you “hire” him?
Nope.
So how did Paul become a servant of the Gospel? He tells us himself in Ephesians 3:7-9:
7 I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. 8 Although I am less than the least of all the Lord’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the boundless riches of Christ, 9 and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things.
God gave him the opportunity. Period.
Paul didn’t have a resume that in anyway deserved the opportunity to share God’s grace with all people. God in his mercy took the dead soul of Saul and changed it into the living, forgiven soul of Paul. God took Saul’s tenacity for persecuting Christians and turned it into a passion for proclaiming Christ.
Paul was changed by the power of the Gospel and his experience with grace became a powerful testimony to the importance and impact of the Gospel.
Perhaps Paul had a unique role in the early Christian church. Which he did. However, anyone affected by the power of the Gospel is also called to be a servant of the Gospel.
This includes you.
Again, you didn’t have to submit your resume to be considered by the Lord for this role, the Lord knew you and as he connected you to his grace, he charged you with the task of being a servant of the Gospel.
So how did you become a servant of the Gospel?
By God’s grace. Period.
Like Paul, a servant of the Gospel now has the primary role to proclaim “the boundless riches of Christ and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery (that Christ is for all).” For Paul it was a full time position. For us it is probably not our profession, but it is our purpose. The call to be a servant of the Gospel is an opportunity to share the Gospel in whatever position of life God has us. If the position is a gift of God’s grace, the opportunities will also be orchestrated by God’s goodness (remember these are works God has prepared in advance for you to do! – Ephesians 2:10).
So be the servant of the Gospel God has called you to be!
Apply: What is one way you can better show up as a servant of the Gospel today in the setting in which you find yourself?
Prayer: Lord thank you for your grace that not only assures me of a position in your kingdom, but also your grace that has given me the privilege of being a servant of the Gospel. AMEN.