Month: March 2020

Reflection on Acts 2:42-47

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Scripture

…all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day, the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.

Observation

The believers dedicate themselves to building a faith community based on the apostles’ teaching, fellowship, hospitality and prayer.

The apostles perform miracles, and the people share their property and possessions. They meet in large groups at the Temple and in smaller home groups, sharing meals with great joy.

They praise God, and people like them because of their generous and happy lifestyle. Every day people are being saved.

Application

One of the things that always strikes me about this passage is the sense of joy that is there. The believers were full of excitement at being saved, and outsiders wanted to join in. They enjoyed favour of all the people, and people were being saved daily.

There was no evangelism campaign or event. People in their daily lives just overflowed the love of God. People could see it in their changed lives.

There was no religious spirit here in the early church. They did “religious”things, but it was done in the context of something greater. The power of the Holy Spirit in them gave meaning and enthusiasm to the Temple rituals. The Lord’s Supper was a joyful celebration in homes, not a sombre commemoration in a cold building.

We live in a different situation but I still think that we can emulate this early community in our modern disconnected society. It is a matter of priorities.

Perhaps one night after work a family back then might g to the Temple precinct to listen to the apostles teaching. Another night they might go to a brother’s house for a family meal. Another night again they might host a group of believers and neighbours for dinner.

How did they keep it up? The Holy Spirit placed in them a love for christian community as a high priority in their hearts. They saw no burden in enjoying fellowship together.

Or culture is much more individualistic. We fear contact with other people. But when the Holy Spirit breaks through, we find that we love God’s people and the things that were burdensome are now a source of joy.

Prayer

Lord, teach me to love all your people, to find strength in community and joy in fellowship. Amen.

Ephesians 1:22-23

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 1:22-23. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site.

Ephesians 1:22-23

And he has put all things under His feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way”.

God has placed all things under the feet of Christ.

There is nothing in all of creation whether on earth or in the heavens, which is greater than Christ. He reigns over all things.

To say that God has put all things under Christ’s feet is to suggest the total victory by Christ against everything that would stand against him.

All of the demonic hordes are under His feet.

All human powers and institutions are under His feet.

Every culture that blasphemes the name of Jesus is under His feet.

Every political leader is under His feet, even those who seek to put themselves above His reign.

There are strongmen and religious systems, dictators of the left and the right, corporate power and political parties, all opposed to the rule of Christ. Yet even these are under His feet.

Media figures and artists mock Christians and scoff at the gospel. They blaspheme against Jesus in a way that they would not dare against Muhammad. Even these are under the feet of Christ.

He could snuff them all out in an instant, but that is not His way. He allows the way of grace to unfold and to play out in all possible ways before bringing judgement, so that no one can argue that His judgement is harsh or unfair in any way.

Not only has God placed all things under the feet of Christ, He has made Christ the head of all things.

The authority of Christ is over all human and demonic forces. He actively directs the affairs of men and angels.

It is not as if Christ were sitting back patiently waiting to see how things play out. He is actively directing society, culture, politics, and every institution to maximise His own glory.

As Paul says in Romans,” in all things God works for the good of those who are called to His purposes”. So Christ manipulates even the opposition to achieve His ends. Christ manipulates even the opposition to achieve His outcomes.

All of this is for quote the church quote. Christ to love for His people, His flock, is so huge that he directs everything for the sake of the church.

When Paul speaks of the church he does not think of an institution or a human creation that controls the preaching of the faith. The church is an organic thing, a body, that consists of many people in congregations large and small who claim the allegiance to Christ above all other things.

So Christ is head over all things for the sake of the church, of the believers, around the world.

In some places, at some times, the church grows best under conditions of difficulty- opposition and even persecution. In other times and places it is peace and co-operation with civic authorities that moves the gospel forward.

Whether we are in times of peace or persecution, Christ is with us and bringing out the best possible outcome for the church.

When times are chaotic and difficult we must always remember that Christ is the head over all things.

Paul now briefly turns his attention to the church.

The church is the Body of Christ. Christ no longer lives on the earth, but the church does. We are the physical representation of Christ on the earth today.

To say that the church is the Body of Christ is to say that it is the physical agency by which Christ’s will is brought into being.

The church makes disciples by bringing people to the new birth or salvation and then training people to be mature disciples. The church is the light in the darkness, seeking to proclaim the name of Christ to those who do not know him yet. This is called mission or evangelism.

Mission takes many forms. The word itself conjures up visions of ministers going to primitive people to tell them about both Jesus and civilisation. Despite the tremendous advances in communications and technology in recent decades, many people have no knowledge of Jesus.

In many parts of the world, the mission of the church is going forward with such rapidity that something like one third of the world claims to be christian. In the west the church is losing ground rapidly and must adjust to becoming a missions frontier.

The compassionate ministries of the church are also a form of mission. Here the church aims to be the Body of Christ by being His hands and feet to the neglected parts of society- the poor, the very young, the chronically ill, and the aged .

In all kinds of ways the church is Christ’s body, being a physical manifestation of the grace of God in the world.

The church is the fullness of Christ.

In a sense this is an aspirational or idealistic statement. Paul says that the church has not yet reached the fullness of the measure of Christ and that the church will not be mature until it does (Ephesians 4:13).

But the church is the fullness of Christ in the sense that he promised he would be with us until the end of the age, and that wherever two or three meet in His name there He is in the midst of us.

Wherever the church gathers for worship or prayer, He is with us, in us, and fills us.

There seems to be a contradiction here. If Christ fills us whenever we meet, why does Paul say we have not yet received the measure of the fullness of Christ? Why do we need the five fold ministry gifts to move us into a deeper fullness of Christ?

When we are saved, we receive the fullness of Christ. Nothing is held back from us. However, sin, immaturity of faith, lack of understanding, prevent us from receiving as much as we might. As we mature in Christ, as we learn more from the Bible, as we grow in faith and understanding, we move to deeper experiences of faith and of the Holy Spirit .

The baptism in the Holy Spirit is one such step. As the Holy Spirit manifests in the gift of tongues, we find ourselves enabled and motivated to pray for things in a new and powerful way. We might experience a miracle as we take a faith step in praying for someone, or the joy of helping someone come to salvation.

All of these experiences increase our capacity for receiving more of the fullness of Christ.

The same is true for the church. As individual congregations move in faith to share the gospel or pray for miracles, the collective faith of the church grows exponentially. If the congregation senses that it is being opposed by satanic forces, it’s faith will grow to understand how to overcome . As the congregation worships in the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of Christ is made manifest amongst them.

So churches can experience a collective increase in their capacity to express the fullness of Christ.

The last phrase of the verse is difficult to understand. “Of him who fills all things in every way.” How can we understand that Christ fills all things?

We should not think of this as being a kind of pantheism which suggests that Christ fills physically the creation.

Paul said in verse 22 that Christ has put all things under his feet. Christ rules over all things, and so all of the creation is under his rule. In that sense He fills all things.

As the creation is renewed by the restoration of people to God, the glory of Christ will literally fill all things. In the book of Revelation we are told that in the New Jerusalem there is no need for the sun and moon, for the glory of God lights it and the Lamb is it’s lamp (Revelation 21:23)

Key points in these verses:

  • All things are under the feet of Christ
  • Christ is completely defeated His enemies
  • He is head over all things, actively moving things forward for His glory
  • While Christ would be justified in bringing judgement against those who oppose him, in grace he holds back to allow people time to repent
  • Christ’s authority is for the sake of the church.
  • the church is the Body of Christ
  • the church does the will of Christ in the world
  • the church, and the individuals who make it up, have the fullness of Christ
  • We are able to grow in our capacity to receive Christ
  • The glory of Christ fills all things

Reflection on Acts 2:22-41

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Scripture

Peter replies, “Each of you must repent of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Observation

After the noisy, chaotic events of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, Peter addresses the crowd. He testifies about Jesus, His death, and His resurrection.

God raised Jesus from the dead and exalted Him to the highest place in heaven. He is the Messiah that Israel had been waiting for.

Peter then tells them that they need to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus. The promise of salvation is available to them, their children, and to the Gentiles.

So three thousand people are saved on that day.

Application

Peter’s summation of the gospel is simple: each one of us needs to turn away from our sins and follow the way of Jesus. It’s not enough to have christian parents, to be a part of a church, and ride on the coat tails of somebody else’s relationship with God.

No. God desires that we all walk with Him, responding to the Holy Spirit in our own capacity.

The Holy Spirit is given to all who truly follow Jesus. Pentecost was the big picture, so to speak, of an experience that should be true of every christian.

God desires to come into the heart of every disciple, dwelling, equipping and directing us. He does not do this against our will, but with our permission and co-operation. The aim is that, by the grace of God, we become like Jesus both in character and in expressing the power of God’s kingdom.

This promise of salvation is open to everyone. It is not limited in time or space. It is available down the ages right through to now. It is available to everybody. It is not a Jewish thing or a western religion. God loves every person wherever they are.

How can we know our sins are forgiven? Just repent and ask God to forgive.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the gospel of salvation. You promise to set everyone free who turns to Jesus. Thank you for doing this. Amen.

Josh Laxton: Moving from a Country Club to a Commissioned Church, Part 2

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Moving from a Country Club to a Commissioned Church, Part 2

True church growth transfers people from the domain of darkness into the glorious light of Christ.
JOSH LAXTON

Moving from a Country Club to a Commissioned Church, Part 2

Image: Photo by Mat Botsford on Unsplash

On Thursday, we looked at the first three shifts to experience transformation in our churches. Today, I’ll share the final three.

 

Shift 4: The church must make the shift from swapping members to having the primary growth strategy of going after people who do not yet belong

This seems to be where most churches struggle. According to Rick Richardson’s research, only 40 percent of the churches in America are growing. However, only 10 percent of these churches are experience growth through conversion. That means the other 30 percent of churches that grow are doing so by swapping members. [See his book, You Found Me.]

Don’t misunderstand me here. It’s not like I’m against transferring from one church to another. I realize there are many good reasons to transfer church membership. Other church leaders have written some good articles about this.

What I am suggesting here is for churches to stop relying and [even] celebrating “growth” when the growth has been predominantly through transfer. The reality is, transfer growth is inflated growth. It’s not like transfer growth pushes back darkness. True church growth transfers people from the domain of darkness into the glorious light of Christ.

If we were honest, much transfer growth happens with disgruntled members over tertiary or preferential issues. And rather than sit down to talk about the issue, they leave without notice.

If I had to guess, there are a lot of serial transfer memberships, because if you leave one church because of issues, it is only a matter of time before you leave another church. Why? Because all churches have issues! All churches are made up of imperfect people being perfected into the image of Christ. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before church leaders and churches either make a mistake or do something that doesn’t please or cater to everyone.

When churches make it a priority to go primarily after those who have yet to belong—those who are far from Jesus–they will find the joy and freedom that a new believer brings to congregational life because they tend to focus and feast on the gospel rather than focus and give feedback on what they like and don’t like.

Shift 5: Members need to shift the way they see the church from a transactional organization to a familial relationship

It seems that brand loyalty has largely disappeared in today’s culture. Today consumers hunt for the best deals, the most amazing experiences, and the greatest entertainment. It’s a cut-throat world competing for opinionated consumers.

 

A bad experience, sub-par food, terrible service, or poor-quality can easily influence a customer never to return again. Why? The relationship between customer and institution (or organization) is transactional.

Tim Keller in his book on marriage distinguishes between a contractional (transactional) view of marriage verses a covenant view. In a contractional marriage, we will find it difficult to commit to anything because we will always fear that we are potentially missing out on something better—especially when our current commitments are not meeting our desires and expectations. Keller then remarks, “consumer relationships operate out of a mindset that essentially says, ‘Adjust to me, or I’m out of here’” (The Meaning of Marriage-Study 2).

On the other hand, a covenant view of marriage operates “out of the Biblical mindset that states, ‘I will adjust to you, and I’m not going anywhere.’ In a covenant relationship, my needs are not as important to me as the good of the relationship.” (The Meaning of Marriage-Study 2).

I highlight what Keller says about marriage, because as believers we have been saved by Christ and have entered into a covenant with him. While this covenant with Christ may have a personal nature to it, the covenant that Christ solidified by His death and resurrection is corporate with God’s people—His church. Therefore, the nature of the New Testament covenant is familial.

Joseph Hellerman, in his book When the Church was a Family, stresses the notion that the church should view herself more as a “family.” The Apostle Paul writes in Galatians, “Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us work for the good of all, especially for those who belong to the household of faith” (Gal .6:10).

To understand such truth, Hellerman unpacks how the ancient Near East understood family. He notes that in the New Testament world:

  • The group took priority over the individual.
  • A person’s most important group was his blood family.
  • the closest family bond was not the bond of marriage. It was the bond between siblings. (p. 50, Kindle Edition)

I share all of this because bodies of believers that want to shift from a country club to a commissioned church must start seeing each other as family. Sure, all families have dysfunction—some more serious than others.

However, God didn’t design His family to have contractional or transactional relationships that center around the individual’s needs or desires, but on the covenantal foundation of Jesus’ blood and life that unites [diverse] individuals together as an agape family.

Therefore, rather than walking out at the first sign of trouble or disappointment—only to go down the street to another “club”—brothers and sisters should be able to come together in Christ’s love and grace and work out differences—especially when most differences in churches are tertiary and preferential.

Shift 6: Church leadership will need to shift from being customer service representatives to becoming shepherds that defend the essence of the church

Complaints (or complainers) aren’t new to God-appointed leaders. In fact, Moses knew them all too well. However, how leaders engage and deal with complainers can either propel or prohibit the mission of God through His people.

In our culture, business and organizations are customer-centric, which means they strive to create a positive experience for the customer by what they offer and how they offer it—just like a country club. And if a customer has a bad experience, good consumer-centered businesses go into damage control mode trying to diffuse the negativity, anger, or hostility of the customer.

One of the problems today in the American church is that many want church done their way, as if church is a Burger King. And what typically happens is that the complaints of members fall onto the ears of church leaders who mean well but want everyone to be happy and content—they want calm and peace.

As a result, there is vision drift from the mission of God because it has been thwarted by the voices of the vocal minority. Peace at the cost of God’s mission isn’t peace, but disobedience. When leaders try and make everyone in church a winner, God becomes the loser.

I want to tread carefully here, so not to make people think I don’t care about church members. I’m a shepherd at heart and by call. I love the church. However, churches are to be sheep-focused, mission-oriented, and Christ-centered.

As a result, the goal of church leaders isn’t to make church people happy, it is to drive them to be more conformed into Christ’s image. And the more conformed one is in the image of Jesus, the more postured for and towards the world they will be.

This doesn’t mean church leaders (and churches) don’t make mistakes or mishandle situations that inflame emotions or tensions. It’s not to dismiss how many church leaders fail to communicate effectively in making decisions—which is something that stirs up negative emotions.

 

The point is that church leaders who serve more as customer service representatives do the church (and thus the members) a disservice in confusing them as to the essence of the church. They are there to mobilize God’s people to be on mission as they are conformed more into the image of Jesus, not to make sure they have an awesome religious experience.

The most loving (and missional) thing church leaders can do with complainers and naysayers is to help them see the biblical vision of a God-breathed commissioned church compared to a personal preferred vision of a self-absorbed country club church.

In closing, I pray that the church in the West would be a missional vehicle that mobilizes believers to reflect the glory of God by living selfless lives postured for and towards the world as they reflect the already but not yet kingdom.

When churches do this, they live as salt and light in a world that is both in decay and darkness. To enact this missional vision will require many American churches to make the shift from a country club to a commissioned church mindset.

Josh Laxton currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Billy Graham Center, Lausanne North American Coordinator at Wheaton College, and a co-host of the podcast Living in the Land of Oz. He has a Ph.D. in North American Missiology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Josh Laxton- Moving from a Country Club to a Commissioned Church, Part 1

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This is a great article on transforming churches from a country club mentality to a true missional expression of the Body of Christ,

Moving from a Country Club to a Commissioned Church, Part 1

Paul knew that if people became the central focus of the church, the church would be conformed into the image of people not the image of Christ.
JOSH LAXTON

Moving from a Country Club to a Commissioned Church, Part 1

Image: Photo by Joshua Eckstein on Unsplash

Recently, I had a two-part series (see Part 1 here and Part 2 here) describing features of a church being more like a country club. The sober reality is many churches fit the bill when it comes to embodying characteristics of a country club. However, very few pastors, leaders, or members want to admit it.

 
 

Ed Stetzer on Vimeo

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I get why it’s hard to admit that your church has more in common with a country club down the street than the kind of church Christ birthed. Maybe we think it reflects poorly on our leadership. Maybe we don’t want to admit that what we value with our lips, we don’t value with our lives—like evangelism. Maybe it would be an indictment against us as people who claim to live by “the book,” only to find that we are dying by our governing by-laws.

While the previous posts were more diagnostic, I want these two posts to be more prescriptive and restorative. Why? Because there is hope for churches that have more in common with country clubs than the kind of church Christ birthed.

Country club churches can become once again Christ’s commissioned church. However, to experience this transformation, churches—their leaders and members—will have to make, at the very least, the following six shifts.

Shift 1: The church must make the shift from pleasing people to pleasing God.

We live in a consumeristic culture, where people are accustomed to playing the role of a customer. As a result, they are conditioned to see every organization revolving around their needs. However, the church was not birthed to cater to, nor please, people; the church was birthed to advance the mission of God.

Paul puts it this way to the churches in Galatia, “For am I now trying to persuade people or God? Or am I striving to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ” (Gal. 1:10).

Paul’s not saying that we aren’t to serve people. He is saying that ultimately our call and goal is to serve and thus please Christ. Paul knew that if people became the central focus of the church, the church would be conformed into the image of people not the image of Christ.

Which is why Paul warned Timothy about how people, in the last days, will be “lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, proud, demeaning, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, without love for what is good, traitors, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God…” (2 Tim .3:1–4).

 

Could you imagine what would happen to a church if such people had their way? Paul did. He knew there would come a time when people would “not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, [would] multiply teachers for themselves because they [want] to hear what they want to hear” (2 Tim. 4:3).

It would bring great joy to my heart if church members were more concerned about what made God happy rather than voice complaints about what didn’t make them happy.

To make this shift from pleasing people to pleasing God will require great humility and sacrifice. However, in the end, it will prove well worth it since God never promised to remove lamp stands that displayed His glory.

Shift 2: Members need to make the shift from seeing their tithes as membership dues to mission fuel

I cannot tell you how many times I ran into members over the years that saw their tithes and offerings as membership dues they believed entitled them to power and sway in the church.

Years ago, in one of the church’s I pastored, we were talking about selling a baby grand piano and going with an electronic keyboard that would give us more versatility and more room on the stage. But I remember this one member got so upset given that she helped pay for that piano years earlier. As a result, she felt entitled for the church to keep the piano—and to make sure of that she began forming a group that would support her endeavor.

I’ve also experienced many occasions where members withheld their tithes because they didn’t like the changes happening in the church. In other words, they boycotted the church through the withholding of their tithes and offerings—something a country club member would do.

While I am all for being wise stewards of people’s money, having accountability for using the financial resources of the church, and leading in a trustworthy manner, members must realize that their money isn’t financial dues that entitle them to ecclesial power.

They don’t give in order to have more voice, more ownership, or more sway in the church. They give because God gave first. They give because they are never more like Jesus than when they give. They give because God uses their stewardship to advance His mission through His church.

Money should never be used as a weapon to wield or a tool to grab power in Christ’s church; money should always be used and seen as a tool to advance the mission of God. Commissioned churches understand this.

Shift 3: Members need to make the shift from being served to serving

In a country club, members pay for a service whereby they seek to be served rather than serve. However, in a commissioned church, members emulate their King and Savior who both uttered and exemplified the following phrase, “For the Son of Man came not to be serve but to serve and give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45.

Let me illustrate this shift. If you’re a pastor, you know that one of the most difficult areas to recruit volunteers is in the _______________? Children’s ministry. If you’re a pastor, you also know that one of the most important areas for young families today when choosing and attending a church is? Bingo… Children’s ministry.

This area becomes a great litmus test for whether a church can make the shift from country club to commissioned church. For some reason people want to express that God hasn’t called them into children’s ministry.

But I don’t buy it, especially those adults with children. I tell adults with children that God has called them into children’s ministry. You know how I know? Because God gave them kids. And if God gave them kids, then He has called them into children’s ministry.

Another example of this shift would be to stop seeing pastors (and church staff) as hired hands who work for the church and start seeing them as servant leaders who mobilize the church to do the work of ministry (Eph. 4:12).

I tell believers that there are three areas every member should serve the church. First, they should serve in areas of necessity. Areas of necessity could be the children’s, youth, or greeter ministry. Areas of nurturing are the small group areas where care, concern, and support are expressed towards one another. And then natural areas are those areas where people exercise their specific gifts and skill set to build up the church.

In short, commissioned churches are filled with members ready and eager to serve rather than waiting to be served.

Tomorrow, I’ll share the last three shifts that need to take place to transition a country club church to a commissioned church.

Josh Laxton currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Billy Graham Center, Lausanne North American Coordinator at Wheaton College, and a co-host of the podcast Living in the Land of Oz. He has a Ph.D. in North American Missiology from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Reflection on Acts 2:1-21

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Scripture

Everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability.

Observation

The Day of Pentecost, ten days after Jesus ascended to heaven, and all the believers are together.

Suddenly there is a sound like a wind storm, and tongues of fire appear over each of them. They are all filled with the Holy Spirit and begin speaking in tongues.

People come running from all over the neighbourhood because of the commotion. There are people from all over the Roman Empire, there for the Festival, and they all hear the disciples praising God in their native languages.

Application

The Holy Spirit comes in the form of wind and fire- sound and visual symbols of God’s power and His holiness.

Filled with power, the disciple speak in other tongues. Instantly they become the witnesses to Jesus that He had promised would happen. Their tongue language is heard by listeners as their own native language, and they hear the disciples praising God.

The Holy Spirit is given to all christians when we believe. Yet for many, the Holy Spirit always remains a mystery, and the gifts of the Spirit are unknown to them.

When we first believe, or when we are baptised in water, there should be a baptism in the Spirit that seals or represents that we have passed from being mere people to a people endowed with grace and power.

Speaking in tongues can be a stumbling block for many- either accepting it in their minds as a real gift of God or in receiving or activating it. I believe the key is to receive by faith. Open the mouth and let God fill it. Let the words flow and let the praise of God flow from our lips.

We need to learn to flow in all of the spiritual gifts and allow the Holy Spirit to use us to be His witnesses.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me. Let your words of your language flow out of me in praise and adoration. Amen.

Ephesians 1:21

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Here is my commentary on Ephesians 1:21. I am publishing these once or twice a week, but you can read all of the available articles at our web-site.

Ephesians 1:21

[Christ is] far above all rule and authority and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come.

Jesus Christ, the eternal Son of God, humbled Himself and became a human being. He subjected himself to a fleshly body and lived amongst us as a normal person.

Then He willingly offered himself as a sacrifice to be crucified as atonement for every sin ever committed throughout human history.

He lowered himself, submitting to the authority of people- parents, priests, religious leaders, teachers, even to the corrupt and illegitimate civil leaders such as King Herod and Pontius Pilate.

He was beneath the rulers and dominions, authority and powers, both human and demonic. Those who condemned and crucified Christ were not acting on their own volition. Each was encouraged, motivated and directed by spiritual powers aiming to get rid of Christ before he could inaugurate His kingdom.

There is the irony of the crucifixion . it was God’s plan from the beginning, but satan thought he was destroying the Messiahs mission.

On the cross, Christ had no power. He was utterly humiliated, “under” the rulers and authorities.

Then came the resurrection. Where satan had tried to kill Christ, the resurrection proved that sin and death were what was killed.

Now Christ is exalted, lifted high above the powers, the lords, the rulers, and dominions. He sits at the right hand of the Father and reigns over all creation.

His name is higher than every name that is named. Jesus Christ is Lord of Lords, and every mouth will confess him.

He is the highest name in all Creation, and it is no surprise that since satan can no longer destroy Christ, he takes out his venom on the name of Christ.

Blasphemy, the use of the name of the Lord as a curse, is increasing and is more acceptable in public life. You may demean the name of Christ without repercussion, but to demean the name of Mohamed will call down the wrath of the state and its cohorts such as media personalities etc.

Satan is also attacking those who carry the name of Christ. The exact form that persecution takes varies from place to place. In the West we have various formal and informal ways of ensuring that christians keep their faith out of the public square.

In some countries, the government is the cause of all kinds of suffering for christians. In Muslim countries, persecution comes at the hands of civil and religious leaders, and often from families.

In all of these ways, satan seeks to destroy the name of Christ wherever it is lifted up.

Paul says that Christ’s name is higher than any name in this age and in the age to come.

We might fear that satan will continue to hold some kind of influence in the resurrection age. The scriptures make it clear that satan will have no influence in the age to come. He will be consigned to the Lake of Fire, with all his followers, never to be allowed to wreak havoc again.

Those who will rise in the coming age will be those who follow Jesus in this age. If the citizens of the new Kingdom are submitted to the King, then there is no name that can rival his name, in heaven or on earth.

For eternity Christ will reign over all things- although it does say later that Christ will hand all things over to the Father. No name will come near to the name of Christ. No created being, earthly or heavenly, will seek to seize power in the Kingdom in the way that satan once did full stop

Key points in this verse:

  • Jesus humbled himself, being subject to all authority
  • Now Christ is exalted over every ruler and authority
  • No created thing will be able to place itself above Christ
  • satan seeks to remove the highest name, the name of Christ, by turning it into a curse, and by destroying those who bear the name of Christ.

Reflection on Acts 1:12-26

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Scripture

They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women and the brothers of Jesus.

Observation

The apostles return to Jerusalem to the house where they were staying. They constantly meet together, united in prayer with other believers.

During this time, Peter addresses a gathering of about 120 believers and tells them they need to elect a replacement for Judas. They nominate two men, of whom Matthias is chosen by lot.

Application

It seems that the disciples prayed for much of the time they were told to wait for the coming of the Holy Spirit. We are not given many details of these prayer gatherings, but it seems likely that they were seeking God together for most hours of the day, perhaps into the evenings, with people coming and going as they were able.

This is a remarkable amount of prayer to our modern minds. And this was before the Holy Spirit was poured out.

Students of revival often point out that all revivals (however we understand the term) are preceded by a movement of prayer and unity. People come from various congregations to gather, putting traditions and doctrines aside for the purpose of praying for the Holy Spirit to revive the church and the community.

The fact is that even this prayer born of desperation, has to be empowered by the Holy Spirit. Otherwise people get bored, discouraged or distracted, before the real objective is achieved.

The starting point always has to be prayer. And if we fail in praying, we have to get back up and keep on praying. And when, after sustained communal prayer, the Holy Spirit comes, we will receive power to be witnesses.

Prayer

Holy Spirit come. Come and empower us to pray so that we might have grace to receive more of you. Amen.

Reflection on Acts 1:1-11

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Scripture

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Observation

The Book of Acts starts with a kind of prelude pointing to the power of the Holy Spirit and the spread of the message of the Kingdom as far as the ends of the earth.

It begins with a quick recap of the facts of Jesus’ death and resurrection, including the command to wait for the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus promises they will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes. Then, even as He is saying this, Jesus is taken up to heaven. Two angels appear to confirm that Jesus has gone to heaven but will one day return.

Application

The promise of Jesus is that when the Holy Spirit comes, we will receive power to be His witnesses everywhere.

In the church we have many evangelism training programs and classes. But Jesus did not say, “When you finish this course you will be my witnesses.”

We have many words, scripts and formulations, but Jesus did not say, “When you get the words right, you will be my witnesses.”

The professional evangelists, those with the ministry gift of evangelist, often try to guilt the rest of us into doing evangelism. But Jesus did not tell us to witness from a place of guilt, or feelings of religious duty.

When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, then we will receive power and we will be His witnesses. This is a promise that, in some way, the Holy Spirit will use each one of us to “be witnesses”, that is to have the nature of a person who points others to Christ. Under the power of the Holy Spirit this will happen naturally (or supernaturally) out of our new nature.

For too long, the church has brought training program after training program to “equip” people to share faith- with little result. Instead, we need to focus our attention on waiting for the Holy Spirit, receiving the Holy Spirit, being baptised in the Holy Spirit. Then we will be witnesses.

I long to see a church filled with people so full of the Holy Spirit that they can’t help but be witnesses to the love of Jesus.

Prayer

Come Holy Spirit. Fill me. Baptise me. Empower me. May I be your witness. Amen.